Unraveling the Mind’s Labyrinth

The awkwardness between Yuan Anqing and Zhuo quickly dissolved. Neither of them were accustomed to such a detached atmosphere, and moreover, Yuan Anqing’s powers were showing a troubling tendency to spiral out of control.

Within his mental world, endless simulations unfolded, featuring a myriad of protagonists and diverse storylines. Fleeting thoughts, once barely perceptible, now expanded into vivid narratives. Yuan Anqing himself was astonished by the sheer richness of his own psyche.

Their initial plan had been for Yuan Anqing to help Zhuo clarify some confusing work matters during the holidays. However, after countless simulations, Yuan Anqing soon found himself unable to distinguish between reality and the simulated worlds.

He dry-heaved repeatedly, and afterward, could only lie in bed, eyes closed, trying to regain his composure.

Zhuo, too, would not allow Yuan Anqing to get up. He believed that if Yuan Anqing didn’t rest, he would surely collapse.

Furthermore, Zhuo, who was naturally capable of controlling his own power, couldn’t comprehend why Yuan Anqing struggled to stabilize his abilities. For Zhuo, it was as simple as eating or drinking.

After yet another simulation where Yuan Zhanhui became a street thug, Yuan Anqing felt as though he was on the verge of breaking down.

He crouched weakly in the bathroom, the world spinning and swaying before his eyes. Yuan Anqing had no doubt that if he stood up, he would immediately fall to the floor.

Zhuo rushed over, gently patting Yuan Anqing’s back. “Are you feeling any better? Did you manage to throw anything up?”

Yuan Anqing shook his head. He reached up, removed his glasses, and wiped his face. “Yuan Zhanhui can actually become a ‘spiritual young man’.”

“That’s not so strange, is it? He’s quite the braggart,” Zhuo said, crouching beside Yuan Anqing, patting his back to help him regulate his breathing. “He practically lives to show off his muscles, always wanting people to see them. Does he really think his physique is that great?”

“His physique is the result of his own training; it’s perfectly normal for him to feel proud,” Yuan Anqing replied, leaning on Zhuo as he tried to stand.

Zhuo rose first, then scooped Yuan Anqing up entirely.

Yuan Anqing felt a wave of frustration as his feet left the ground. He disliked Zhuo’s method of carrying him, but his protests were futile.

During the first instance of being carried by Zhuo, Yuan Anqing had been somewhat flustered. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the simulations, or a habit he’d picked up after watching those idol dramas with Zhuo, but he’d always imagined Zhuo would embrace him in a more ambiguous way. Later, it became clear he had been mistaken.

Zhuo would place his hands on Yuan Anqing’s sides, grip firmly, and then, in one swift motion, lift him straight up, as if pulling a scallion from dry earth. Yuan Anqing didn’t even need to change his standing posture.

“It’s precisely because he’s so prone to pride that he can’t find a partner,” Zhuo remarked, clearly not fond of Yuan Zhanhui. He remembered the other man’s imitative behavior from their first meeting, a memory that would last a lifetime. “Did he wear tight clothes and tight pants?”

“He did,” Yuan Anqing said, rubbing his forehead. “In that simulation, Yuan Zhanhui started acting like a ‘socialite’ in junior high, never went to high school, and was later arrested by the police for street brawls… eight times.”

Yuan Anqing had witnessed Yuan Zhanhui’s aggressive behavior firsthand. In reality, Yuan Zhanhui had a neat, short buzz cut, but in the simulated world, it transformed into a bowl cut, dyed a ‘grandma grey’.

Combined with a tight T-shirt and tight capri pants, even Yuan Zhanhui’s leopard beast form couldn’t salvage that utterly dreadful appearance.

“You’ve entered the mental world thirty-six times these past few days,” Zhuo said, setting Yuan Anqing onto the bed. “If you don’t rein it in, your body won’t be able to handle it.”

“I can’t rein it in.” Yuan Anqing’s head throbbed agonizingly, and he still felt nauseous, though nothing came up. “I don’t know how to control it.”

“Then let’s not go to work tomorrow; let’s take a leave of absence,” Zhuo suggested, stroking Yuan Anqing’s forehead. Yuan Anqing was suffering, but Zhuo felt utterly helpless, a sensation he deeply disliked.

“There’s no need. These simulations don’t take up time,” Yuan Anqing shook his head. “Besides, I have a theory, and I need to test it in a crowded place.”

Zhuo strongly disapproved, but he knew Yuan Anqing wouldn’t listen. “Then if you really can’t bear it tomorrow, you have to come home with me.”

“Alright,” Yuan Anqing agreed.

****

The summer holiday ended, and everyone returned to their respective posts.

However, this time, Yuan Anqing’s company felt different. It was because Yuan Anqing had suddenly become so gentle…

No, ‘gentle’ wasn’t quite accurate. It was more that being around Yuan Anqing made everyone feel comfortable. He always behaved with the utmost kindness and propriety, and despite his unchanging expression, it made people more willing to approach him.

Zhuo, in fact, couldn’t understand this. From his perspective, Yuan Anqing was no different from before, yet his colleagues were all eager to exchange a few more words with him. Some of the closer ones seemed desperate to chat with Yuan Anqing until the end of time, and Zhuo had already been slacking off for an entire morning!

This man used to be nothing like this; he was clearly a workaholic.

When lunchtime arrived, that person still refused to leave, and even more colleagues attempted to gather around.

“This is Yuan Anqing’s and my lunch break!” Zhuo said, somewhat displeased. “You all should go eat lunch.”

Fortunately, these individuals weren’t bold enough to directly contradict Zhuo, otherwise, Zhuo would have thought Yuan Anqing had cast a spell on them. Even as they left, they did so reluctantly, as if wanting to bid Yuan Anqing a solemn farewell.

“What did you do?” Zhuo asked, sliding closer to Yuan Anqing. “You’re becoming everyone’s darling, you know.”

“I didn’t do anything, I just accommodated their wishes in minor ways.”

In this form of deduction, all activities and thoughts followed a discernible pattern; no soul was entirely inscrutable. Yuan Anqing subtly fulfilled each person’s unspoken expectations.

These were expectations that the individuals themselves hadn’t even realized they had, and Yuan Anqing had been the first to deduce them.

Yuan Anqing explained to Zhuo, “Are you saying that, to some extent, you can predict the future?”

“The future is driven by people. What I can predict are certain individuals’ behaviors, though it’s not quite prediction. I merely infer based on their expressions and tone,” Yuan Anqing said, his brow furrowed. “As it stands, my accuracy rate is one hundred percent.”

“How do you infer?” Zhuo was a monster driven by desire, but he felt his own observations weren’t as meticulous as Yuan Anqing’s. After all, he couldn’t tell if a colleague’s eye roll was due to dry eyes or if they were assessing their team leader’s mood.

Zhuo was now very curious about Yuan Anqing’s abilities. He wanted to learn, too, so he could mess with other people. “Can you teach me?”

“I can’t teach you,” Yuan Anqing shook his head. “I can’t summarize a pattern. This kind of intuition is more like an ‘experiential insight’.”

“Experiential insight?” Zhuo found it unbelievable. “But you’re only thirty-five! How many people have you met?”

“That’s the problem. I’m well aware that I’ve only lived thirty-five years, and my mental power is strong enough that I can recall every single detail from those thirty-five years,” Yuan Anqing said, tapping the table. “There’s no part of my life that’s missing.”

Moreover, he was not a sociable person; in the past, he didn’t even have a single true friend.

From where, then, did such ‘experiential insight’ come?

Zhuo stroked his chin, letting out a hiss. “You’re really not right.”

“My deductions are accurate; I’ve confirmed that.” The biggest problem now was figuring out where this ‘experience’ actually originated.

Zhuo then pointed at himself. “If your deductions are that powerful, then wouldn’t you already know what I’m thinking?”

“That, I don’t know.” Yuan Anqing shook his head. “My deduction regarding you was only that one time; there hasn’t been another since.”

“So your ‘experience’ doesn’t apply to me either?” Zhuo asked, confused.

“No,” Yuan Anqing shook his head again.

“This ‘experience’ can be selectively applied? Wait, if you can avoid using your power on me, doesn’t that mean you can control yourself?” Zhuo grew increasingly bewildered.

“I can’t control it.” Yuan Anqing had no idea how to switch off his ability.

“But you haven’t used your power on me,” Zhuo insisted, unable to grasp it.

“Because I’m afraid.” This, Yuan Anqing did know. “I’m afraid to pry into you.” He always felt that after prying, something would change. Yuan Anqing feared change because he wasn’t sure if the change would be good or bad, and this fear affected his ability.

This also included his physiological functions; Yuan Anqing felt he could control them, but he had no desire in that regard, so he chose to maintain the status quo.

He was very satisfied with his current life and felt no need for too many changes, especially changes in their relationship…

This was a very dangerous area, a realm Yuan Anqing had never ventured into.

“This fear stems from my innermost self; even if I wanted to force myself to pry into you, I couldn’t.” Some of his desires were locked away, and Yuan Anqing needed to find the right key to unlock them.

But Yuan Anqing didn’t dare to unlock them, fearing that the chains might be holding a strange monster or an uncontrollable beast.

Zhuo understood. “You’re a coward; you don’t dare face reality.” Yuan Anqing wasn’t someone who dared to take risks; he preferred to stay in his comfort zone and work hard.

“If I could freely pry into you, would you allow me?” Yuan Anqing countered.

Zhuo instinctively wanted to say yes. After all, he was straightforward; even when he did bad things, he never hid them from anyone. What was there to be afraid of? But as soon as his thoughts turned to this, he remembered his feelings for Yuan Anqing.

He wanted to sleep with Yuan Anqing. He also wanted to try all the outrageous things the high schoolers did in those two simulated worlds he’d seen earlier. He was an adult; he didn’t even need to follow those broken rules.

His thoughts were not pure in the slightest.

“Don’t pry into me,” Zhuo said, shrinking back slightly.

Yuan Anqing asked him, “Got something to hide?”

After speaking, they exchanged glances. For a brief moment, they must have been in perfect sync, but after a fleeting connection, both quickly retreated.

“Let’s eat.” Zhuo took the lunchboxes out of their small bag and began to change the subject.

Yuan Anqing pulled out two drinks from the small bag. The sugar-free one was his, and the full-sugar one belonged to Zhuo. “Eat and drink.” He was cooperating with Zhuo.