Chapter 1

--Happy birthday. Wishing you forever carefree and innocent, just like before.

Eric Clark looked at the screen, at that email so brief it was just a single sentence. Then he glanced at the signature, the two characters “Ethan Harris,” and couldn’t quite say what he was feeling inside. He took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee, which was a bit too hot and burned his mouth slightly. He set the cup down, exhaled, and placed his hands on the keyboard to type a reply.

--Thanks.

He typed just one character and hit send. No need for more words—saying too much wasn’t his style, and besides, there was really nothing more to say about their relationship.

Old lovers, exes—the relationship was right there, and no matter what you said, it would be awkward.

Eric Clark checked the time: a little past 8:50, almost nine. His apartment was street-facing and not on a high floor, so at this hour the streetlights outside were glaringly bright.

His work group chat kept lighting up with messages. The experiment he’d been working on was nearing its end, and the whole team was in a state of excitement, waiting for the final data. It had been dragging on for so long that everyone just wanted to finish and get their project bonuses.

Someone in the group asked: Mr. Clark, are you the last one leaving tonight? Did you lock the lab? I left my phone there.

Eric Clark replied: Locked. Do you need to go get it?

The other person said: Yeah, I want to grab it. Are you home? Is it convenient for me to get the key from you?

Eric Clark said: Wait for me at the north gate. I’m heading out anyway, so it’s on my way. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.

The other person immediately sent a flood of kneeling and crying emojis, spamming the chat. Eric Clark chuckled and shut down his computer.

He put on a lambskin jacket—first time wearing it, and it still had that distinctive animal smell. The black pants outlined his legs nicely, with just a small bit of ankle showing at the bottom. No matter the angle, he was easy on the eyes. The only slight flaw was a scar on his ankle joint, a pale, raised mark that looked a bit out of place, but also added a touch of sexiness.

As Eric Clark styled his hair in the mirror, he thought: This outfit is actually kind of flashy.

After changing and fixing his hair, he grabbed a black mask and put it on before heading out. This look was so different from his usual work attire that even standing face-to-face, his colleague didn’t recognize him.

Eric Clark took off his mask and laughed, “Good evening, young man.”

“Oh my god, you scared me!” His colleague took a small step to the side, then laughed after recovering, eyes wide. “I really didn’t recognize you. Your hairstyle is totally different—I didn’t even think it was you.”

“What do I usually look like?” Eric Clark handed him the key. “Just keep the key after you’re done. Give it back to me tomorrow.”

“Alright,” the other guy was still laughing as he looked at him. “You’re usually pretty handsome, but still within the normal range. Tonight you’re just… too cool. What are you dressed up for?”

Eric Clark laughed, “Usually plain, tonight a bit edgy. It’s all the same.”

“I can’t stand you people who have the looks and still talk nonsense.” His colleague pointed at him and waved. “I won’t hold you up—go on your date or whatever you’re doing. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. I won’t tell anyone you can look so… you know, like that.”

Eric Clark asked, “Like what?”

His colleague grinned, eyes half-lidded, “You want me to say it straight? Don’t you know yourself, Brian Clark? Just… hot.”

Eric Clark laughed again, chatted a bit more, and then his ride arrived. His colleague waved and ran off toward the lab building.

Eric Clark got into the car. The driver asked, “Chunfeng Road, right?”

Eric Clark replied, “Yeah.”

After that, no one spoke. The driver glanced at him a few times in the rearview mirror. Eric Clark kept his head down, looking at his phone, and eventually pulled his mask back up from his pocket.

He was a teacher. In class, he required students to look at him; no matter how many people were in the room, he was always the focus of attention, and making eye contact with students was a daily thing. But strangely, once he was out of his work clothes, he didn’t like people looking at him.

Other people’s gazes didn’t make him especially uncomfortable, but it was still unpleasant—enough to make him want to frown.

Couldn’t blame the driver for staring. Chunfeng Road was a bar street, and the place Eric Clark had set as his destination was Su Chi, which was considered wild even for Chunfeng Road. Drivers who frequented the area knew that people who went there probably weren’t all that normal.

Girls who looked especially like guys, guys who looked especially like girls—that was the most common. There were all sorts of oddballs, and the place was basically a gathering spot for eccentrics.

Eventually, the driver couldn’t help himself and asked, glancing in the rearview mirror, “Did you put on cologne, young man? Smells nice.”

“I did,” Eric Clark replied.

The driver asked again, “Are you a student at X University? What year are you in?”