"Stay away from me, Zhaoye. How can you ask me to stay away from you?" Placing her hand on the spot where Zhaoye's hand had just touched, Gu Lan'an rubbed it back and forth. She questioned in a low voice, "I've devoted my entire life to you. You're in my heart. Where else can I retreat to?"

Exiting the room, Zhaoye didn't leave. Instead, he leaned against the railing outside the room. Gu Jiajian's mansion had excellent sound insulation. The downstairs was filled with music, but there was not a sound to be heard upstairs, except for the occasional rustling of the wind. Rarely was it so quiet, yet his heart was in turmoil. He had never encountered someone as strange as Gu Lan'an before. In the most peculiar state, Gu Lan'an had entered his field of vision, teasing him repeatedly, and then performing a series of bizarre actions that should have made him feel accustomed. The strangest thing was that he, himself, couldn't truly dislike him. Does not disliking him mean liking him? He was very clear that it wasn't the case. It was just that he could treat him as someone other than a stranger. Why was it like this? The reason was clear to him because Gu Lan'an often exuded a subtle sense of despair, which was exactly the same as him, who had suffered so much abuse from his parents in the past. It's just that, in comparison to him, who was like this because of the past, Zhaoye couldn't understand why Gu Lan'an, living in this wealthy family and being loved by everyone, would be like this.

Zhao Ye, you can't keep thinking about this passerby anymore. You can't let him continue to affect you, and you can't have sympathy for him anymore. Sympathy is also an emotion, and you can't have emotions. Reminding yourself in your heart, Zhao Ye straightened up and looked at the flickering lights in the distance for a while, until they suddenly went out, before he finally stood up. Before he could turn around, someone gently patted his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Anna, holding her hands and looking at him with a serious expression. She softly said, "Come with me, let's talk." After saying that, Anna took the lead and walked away.

Zhao Ye couldn't help but gaze at Anna, who looked like a completely different person compared to the one he had just seen at the party. Pausing for a second, he followed her leisurely without haste.

"Is there something you need?" Anna stopped walking only when she had distanced herself quite far from Gu Lan'an's room. Without saying a word, Zhao Ye politely spoke up first.

"Do you like Lan An?" Anna asked seriously. Although she was a fujoshi and supported her son's liking for a man, if this man happened to be straight and had no possibility of reciprocating his feelings, Anna was willing to become the villain before Zhao Ye entered Lan An's heart. Unrequited love was already painful, let alone for someone who had to bravely face the public and reveal their own homosexuality."

"I don't like it." Zhao Ye responded without any hesitation.

Anna frowned upon hearing this. If he hesitated, she could conclude that he was being insincere. However, he didn't hesitate, which means he truly doesn't love her. Since he doesn't love her, she will have to apologize to Gu Lan'an. Making up her mind, Anna raised her head coldly and asked, "So, do you know that he likes you because of your coming out with me?"

"I know that he likes me." Zhao Ye was taken aback, with an undeniable frown on his forehead. Gu Lan'an had actually fallen head over heels for him. "But I didn't know that he came out with you because of me."

"What do you think after finding out?" Anna pursued.

"It has nothing to do with me." Shaoye's cold response unexpectedly gained Anna's admiration. It was pure love or non-love, unaffected by external factors. If such a person were to fall in love with someone, that person should be very fortunate. After appreciating Shaoye for a while, Anna couldn't help but feel regret as she lowered her head and said, "Since it has nothing to do with you, if Lan An gets close to you in the future, please help keep your distance and don't give him any chance to fall in love with you. I am his mother, and I hope for his well-being. I hope you understand."