You Siqi was very timid.
Therefore, it was only natural that he was frightened by Shen Muzhi's rare ferocity.
Although emotionally, he didn't really believe Shen Muzhi would do anything forceful to him. But rationally, he also knew Shen Muzhi was a man. Some things, if they couldn't be endured, couldn't be endured. He could understand this, so he was truly scared.
Swallowing his saliva quietly, You Siqi took a step back.
Creating some distance between them, he raised his hand in a gesture to calm Shen Muzhi and said, "Muzhi, I was just using an analogy. I didn't mean anything else. Don't be like this, I'm a little scared."
Shen Muzhi did not smile at him as he usually did.
Instead, his face was grim, and he gave You Siqi a cold look. Then he turned around and began searching the surroundings himself, clearly angered and not intending to talk to him for a while.
You Siqi looked at his retreating back, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not chase after him.
He needed to calm down, and Shen Muzhi needed to calm down too.
Although he knew very well that this so-called calm would be of no use.
Meanwhile, Liu Buli and the others, who had been chatting with Yun Xiang, also walked over. Seeing You Siqi standing there alone, Liu Buli seemed a little confused.
When they reached him and saw the bite mark on his lip, Liu Buli let out an "Oh" and flashed a wide smile, saying, "Congratulations, have you made some progress?"
"Progress? What progress? Don't joke about this."
You Siqi pouted, uncharacteristically forgetting his fear of Lu Wuming. He spoke to Liu Buli without his usual politeness, and after a moment's thought, he added in a low voice, "I think I've angered him."
Liu Buli blinked.
He didn't care at all about You Siqi's attitude towards him.
Instead, he adopted the demeanor of close friends discussing romance and leaned closer to You Siqi, waiting for him to recount the events.
Perhaps truly having no one else to confide in, You Siqi fell silent for a moment, then finally sighed and told Liu Buli what had just happened.
After listening carefully, Liu Buli commented, "If you really said those things to him, then I won't defend you. You're an absolute scumbag."
You Siqi's mouth twitched. "It's not that bad, is it? I just wanted him to try other possibilities. After all, compared to me, Yun Xiang is clearly a better match for him?"
"But he already has feelings for you, and Yun Xiang is still a blank slate. Asking him to try with Yun Xiang is pushing him away and harming Yun Xiang, all while you absolve yourself," Liu Buli said. "Honestly, I think you're really conflicted. If you dislike Shen Muzhi, then just stay away from him, right? If you don't dislike him, then what's wrong with being with him? You've held hands, you've kissed, do you need him to force himself on you before you'll agree to be with him?"
You Siqi frowned. "That's not what I mean. I don't dislike him, I never have. I don't dislike it when he touches me, and I don't feel disgusted when he kisses me. But I feel..."
"I know, you want to go home."
Liu Buli said, "But speaking of that, I think you two are even more foolish. If you don't get together just for that reason, then your relationship can't withstand much testing."
You Siqi became anxious. "How can it not withstand testing? This is about eternal separation. If I'm with him, I'm just harming him! If I don't leave, and he carries around a useless person who dies after a few decades, and he has to live out the remaining millennia with the memory of being with me, isn't that even more tragic?"
Liu Buli raised an eyebrow.
Perhaps this was what they called clarity from an outsider's perspective. Anyone with a bit of sense, hearing You Siqi's current reasoning, would clearly see that he had fallen for Shen Muzhi and was trying to fulfill him by letting go.
But who said letting go was fulfillment?
Sometimes, it takes two people together to be complete!
Even if the road ahead was difficult, even if the journey was bumpy, being together was happiness, far more joyful than a smooth path walked alone.
With this thought, Liu Buli patted You Siqi's shoulder, then called out to Shen Muzhi in the distance. He said, "Physician Shen, if You Siqi wants to go home, and you can go back with him, are you willing to accompany him and live a good life in that unfamiliar world?"