Chapter 4 : Starting Over

"With something like this happening to Stewart, how could we not come back?" Mrs. Peabody cried. "Such a good child, taken too soon."

"No, you were abroad... it can''t be..." Randal had the impression that his parents were being held abroad by Stewart.

"Your father was seriously ill. Thanks to Stewart, he bought a house, arranged for people to take care of us, and even hired a doctor. I considered him my own son," Mrs. Peabody said, becoming more and more upset, crying uncontrollably on Mr. Peabody''s shoulder.

"Then why... didn''t you tell me?" Every time they talked on the phone, they avoided this point, which led to Randal''s deep misunderstanding.

"We didn''t want you to worry. Stewart had arranged everything, so why add another person to the concern?" Mrs. Peabody wiped her tears. "If it weren''t for your father''s illness dragging on until this year, we would have come back long ago."

"We didn''t expect to come back too late."

Randal had called his parents, but he had always assumed that Stewart was threatening them. Now it seemed he was wrong, and it was an irreparable mistake.

"Accept our condolences. May Stewart live a happier life in the next world," Mr. Peabody said sadly. He admired Stewart, both for his character and his abilities. What a pity.

Randal didn''t know anything about the aftermath of the funeral. His mind was filled with memories of their past. Stewart had never hurt him; it was just that he had been deluded, listening to the slander of his so-called friends, and had to use the worst way to treat the person who cared about him the most.

Those people, Randal suddenly thought, Stewart had told him many times to stay away from them. But he thought Stewart had ulterior motives. Maybe Stewart had seen it long ago and had warned him, but Randal just wouldn''t believe it.

Randal locked himself in his room, and Robert came to visit.

"Randal, try to let it go, it''s all in the past," Robert said, struggling to find comforting words, as he had witnessed Randal betray and hurt Stewart time and time again.

"You''re right, I was wrong. I didn''t even know what I wanted," Randal said with a bitter smile.

Robert looked at Randal''s pale face, noticing he had lost a significant amount of weight, but he couldn''t find any comforting words to say. If only he had known earlier, he wouldn''t have done it in the first place.

"I don''t hate him as much as I thought," Randal said, lowering his head. "No, I love him."

Five years of being together day and night, if he put aside his prejudices and thought about it carefully, he might have really fallen in love with Stewart, but he just didn''t realize it.

Randal didn''t know how much time had passed, it felt like a year had gone by. But this morning, he suddenly missed Stewart very much. For the first time in many days, he tidied himself up, put on a black suit, and went to the cemetery.

"Stewart, I was wrong, really wrong. In the next life, let me protect you with all my might. Please don''t avoid me, okay?" Randal said, touching the photo on the tombstone.

Randal kept talking, feeling like he had said more in one day than they had in five years.

On his way back, Randal was in a daze, as if he had relived the past five years in his mind.

"Beep beep beep..."

"Call 911, quick..."

In the moment he was hit by the car, Randal seemed to see Stewart.

Today was September 6th, Stewart''s birthday.

"Ah..."

Randal woke up suddenly from his dream, looking around in confusion. He was in the VIP room of Crystal Valley. Randal touched his face and pinched himself. It hurt. Wasn''t he declared dead after the car accident? Could he still be alive? Had he been reborn?

Randal quickly took out his phone to check the time. It was September 7th, the day after he had stormed out on Stewart''s birthday.

People are never satisfied. Even though he had been reborn, Randal couldn''t help but think, why not a day earlier? He would never have knocked over the meal Stewart had made with his own hands. But fortunately, he hadn''t betrayed Stewart yet. There was still time.

Randal hurriedly put on his clothes, eager to see Stewart. He had never felt such urgency and longing.

Unfortunately, Stewart was not at home.

Randal returned to the house once again, feeling as if a lifetime had passed. He quickly went upstairs to find the USB drive, clutching it tightly, and anxiously waited for Stewart to come back.

The door clicked open, and Randal''s heart skipped a beat.

As soon as Stewart opened the door, he saw Randal standing up nervously from the sofa, looking at him.

"Randal?" Stewart thought he was seeing things.

"Stewart." After experiencing life and death, saying this name again, Randal couldn''t describe his excitement.

"Are you here to pack your things?" Stewart had prepared himself mentally, but seeing Randal again, he couldn''t help but speak gently.

"No, I..." Randal didn''t know how to explain, "Oh, right, this, this is for you."

Randal carefully handed the USB drive to Stewart.

"What do you mean? You know this information isn''t enough to bring down Radiance Group, right?" Stewart didn''t take it, looking up and asking.

Randal nodded. In his previous life, it indeed hadn''t brought down Radiance Group. But then he shook his head. At this point, he shouldn''t have known that.

"Heh, do you want more important secrets?" Stewart knew that Randal wouldn''t talk to him nicely for no reason; it turned out the information wasn''t weighty enough.

"No, I don''t want it, I don''t want anything anymore." Randal quickly shook his head, "It''s all yours."

Randal placed the USB drive on the coffee table, quietly moved to Stewart''s side, and secretly tugged at his sleeve.

"Stewart, I was wrong. I won''t cause any more trouble. I''ll listen to you from now on," Randal said with his head down, "Stewart, please don''t kick me out, okay?"

"Randal, I''m really tired. What do you want from me?" Stewart pushed away Randal''s attempt at reconciliation for the first time, "I''m really tired."

Stewart had loved unconditionally for five years, and all he got in return was indifference and ridicule.

"I want... to stay." Randal''s whole demeanor weakened. It was hard for anyone to believe that someone who had hurt them for five years would suddenly have a change of heart.

"Let me go." Stewart''s eyes were filled with despair and helplessness, "Or, just wait a little longer. My body can''t hold on much longer anyway. By then, you can do whatever you want, and I won''t be able to stop you."

"No, no." Randal shook his head frantically. He didn''t want to, and couldn''t, go through losing Stewart again.

"I''m begging you, don''t kick me out. I have nowhere else to go." Randal looked at Stewart pitifully, "Stewart."

Randal, having lived another life, didn''t care about anything else anymore. He just wanted Stewart, and he would shamelessly do whatever it took to keep him.