ATAC Chapter 13: Who Is… The Real You?

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The next day, Liu Yu’an brought breakfast home after his morning run, to find that Shao Yanxi, who usually has himself dressed and packed tidily, ready for work as soon as he has his breakfast, is still in his pyjamas.

A rare moment for him to look so homely.

Liu Yu’an closes the door and walks towards the dining room and asks, “no work today?”

“No.”

Liu Yu’an is shocked.

Shao Yanxi is, in his own mother’s words, working 366 out of 365 days a year.

For him to say that he isn’t working today?

“Did something happen?” Liu Yu’an asks as he puts the breakfast down.

“Mm,” Shao Yanxi answers. He doesn’t elaborate, however.

Liu Yu’an doesn’t ask further and instead goes ‘I see,’ then say, “have you washed yet? You can start eating if you’re done already. I’ll go have a quick shower first.”

With the warming weather these days, he’s covered in sweat after running; it’s sticky.

“Alright.”

Shao Yanxi can see that Liu Yu’an is in his sportswear. Perhaps it’s thanks to him having just worked out, he looks especially bright, especially active, especially… manly.

No wonder he used to like him. Such a Liu Yu’an really is attractive.

Shao Yanxi thought as he retracted his gaze.

He walks over to the table, but doesn’t start eating, instead waiting until Liu Yu’an has walked outside after showering.

He looks over the untouched breakfast and asks, “why are you not eating?”

Shao Yanxi pauses for a while, and speaks after some thought, “together.”

“Sure,” Liu Yu’an chuckles as he takes a seat opposite Shao Yanxi.

After breakfast, Shao Yanxi went outside at ten. Meanwhile, Liu Yu’an also got called over by Ren Jianzhang; apparently the One Emporium needs to retake a set of photos.

It was a bit past three in the afternoon when Liu Yu’an was home. Soon enough Shao Yanxi also came home – wounded.

More accurately, they are scratch wounds, especially on the face, hand and other exposed areas.

It is quite terrifying, frankly.

Liu Yu’an is in a bit of a panic as he gets the first-aid kit and pulls him over to the sofa, asking, “what happened? what did you do?”

Shao Yanxi doesn’t answer. Liu Yu’an realise his eyes are reddened as well.

So he finds all his questions stuck in his throat. In the end, he can only ask, “does it hurt?”

He starts disinfecting the wounds on his face.

Though the scratches aren’t deep, they are quite numerous. One scratch after another, Liu Yu’an continues gently treating the wounds. As he is a bit close, his breathing is all landing onto Shao Yanxi’s face. So he is slightly uncomfortable, and moves his head back slightly.

But Liu Yu’an then says, “don’t move. It’ll be done soon. There’s just a few more.”

The moment he speaks, he can feel his breathing even more clearly. Uncomfortable.

Shao Yanxi quietly holds his breath.

Thankfully it is over soon enough like Liu Yu’an said, or he wouldn’t know what to do anymore.

“Give me your hand,” after that, LIu Yu’an says.

Shao Yanxi has a very beautiful hand. It’s well-defined, long and delicate.

But right now it is full of scratches. It can’t be called beautiful in any way.

Liu Yu’an asks again, “does it hurt?”

Shao Yanxi shakes his head but then realises Liu Yu’an is looking down at his hand treating his wounds so he says, “it doesn’t.”

After that, he starts subconsciously staring at Liu Yu’an.

Liu, Yu’an. Which one… is the real you?

Liu Yu’an, meanwhile, has no idea what he’s thinking about. After disinfecting and treating all those wounds, he looks at his face covered all in alcohol, and says, “we should go to the hospital. Just treating them like this won’t do. None of them are severe but I’m afraid they might leave scars.”

Though Shao Yanxi doesn’t answer for a long time. Liu Yu’an looks up to see that Shao Yanxi is blanking out. His eyes are unfocused.

So Liu Yu’an pats him on the shoulder and repeats what he just said.

Shao Yanxi replies, “no, thanks.”

It doesn’t matter if he’s ugly.

Liu Yu’an is hesitant, but doesn’t say anything other than, “alright. We can still get the scars removed if any formed.”

In the plot, there was one time when the protagonist Yue Zhun was injured on the face in one of his movie shoots, and the author arranged for this world to have such exceptional scar removal techniques that any sort of scar can be cleaned up.

Shao Yanxi neither agrees nor disagrees. Instead he says, “I’m a bit tired, so I want to rest for a bit.”

“Sure,” Liu Yu’an moves out of his way.

Shao Yanxi goes upstairs into his own room.

Liu Yu’an takes out his phone to call Shao Yanxi’s driver. Though he thinks it’s unlikely for the driver to know where he went either, but he wants to ask just in case.

Just as he thought, the driver replies that he’s off work today.

This means that Shao Yanxi doesn’t even want to let the driver know about this. So it’s something private.

Shao Yanxi has no one he calls a friend, so it’s probably something else.

Then, family?

Shao Yanxi doesn’t really have a family to speak of anymore, though.

His mother is in a psychiatric institute after going mad.

His siblings are either incarcerated or also sent into psychiatric institutes. They all hate each other.

And the maternal relatives? After his older sister died after falling from the second floor which drove his mother in her forties mad but he, an eight-year-old seemed ‘completely unfazed,’ the relatives thought he was too cold-blooded, cruel; just like that father of his. And never opened up to him again.

If so, then… It’s most likely that Shao Yanxi went to visit his mother.

His mother, in her madness, failed to recognise him, and scratched him.

…What a terrible fate to befall someone. And, by that author’s own hands, neither will fate be any kinder for him in the future, with all the repercussions from going against the protagonist Top, and the world just falling apart around him.

For the first time, Liu Yu’an can’t help but think… What a good thing for Shao Yanxi to become free of the plot.

It’s definitely not something someone like him should think about. In fact the very thought makes Liu Yu’an himself surprised.

Though he isn’t someone to dwell over something like that. If he’s feeling like this, then that must mean he thinks Shao Yanxi deserves better.

He deserves to be treated better by this world.

Therefore, he decides to bake a whole tray of egg tarts and an apple pie. Then, he makes two cups of milk tea with red bean pudding inside.

Shao Yanxi got out of bed in the mean time, and decides to lean lazily on the kitchen counter, to watch him make the milk tea.

Liu Yu’an then points to the oven, saying “I made some egg tarts and apple pie. They should be done by now. Can you help me taste-test?” as he walks over to take the tray out.

Shao Yanxi replies, “thanks.” Then he tries some, and says, “they’re delicious,” then he pauses before adding again, “thank you.”

“No problem. I’m still waiting for all the amazing work contracts from you,” Liu Yu’an chuckles as he recalls how yesterday Shao Yanxi said he introduced Jin’an to him because he made meals for him.

Though, the guy in question fails to comprehend humour. He answers, all serious-like, “alright… I don’t understand the entertainment industry much. I will hire someone later to be in charge of procuring work for you.”

Liu Yu’an “…”

Are you trying to put Ren Jianzhang out of work?

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TL’s notes: Shao Yanxi is finally starting to open up, hehe.