"Because you helped me. Don't you remember? Of course you don't! Why would you? When they were beating me up, on my way to work, you saved me. You. Saved. Me." Meng Yao's eyes filled with tears, there had been no recognition but he supposed it was expected. It was brief. Barely any words exchanged but he had remembered every moment. "You beat them up. You got my briefcase back. You gave me your damn hand!"

He helped him to his feet. Not a harsh touch, just matter of fact. Normal. Kind. He wasn't used to kind. "Then you told me off cause I was the idiot who almost got mugged." He laughed, verging on hysterical now as he looked up at Xue Yang, eyes wet with tears. "You called me a freak because I was wearing rubber gloves but you smiled. You smiled at me. No one ever smiles at me. Not like that!"

And that was the day he had realised he needed him. He wanted him. No one had ever been that nice before or since. He was just a shitty, beaten down salary man and this punk spared him some time to help. "I never wanted to bother you, I just wanted to see you again."