HCILH Ch. 107

Chapter 107: Dating

On the second day of the lunar new year, Ran Shu finally felt a bit better.

His throat wasn’t as hoarse as before, and he could now sit for a while without discomfort.

He decided to visit Sui Houyu; otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease, especially since this was Houyu’s first time spending the new year away from home.

After getting out of Sang Xian’s car, Ran Shu quickly walked into the residential complex with the things he bought. But after a few steps, he was confused. Which building was it? They all looked the same.

The complex consisted of old residential buildings, each no more than six stories high. Some balconies were equipped with retractable clotheslines, and one wall was covered with dried, withered vines clinging to it.

Ran Shu noticed there was no security at the entrance, allowing anyone to come and go as they pleased, which made him frown in disapproval.

The community wasn’t ideal.

Turning around, he saw Sang Xian had also stepped out of the car. Ran Shu hurriedly warned him: “Don’t come with me, Brother Yu will get suspicious.”

“I need to wait to take you back. I can’t just stay in the car the whole time. You go see Sui Houyu, and I’ll visit Hou Mo’s place.”

“Alright then.” Ran Shu agreed, taking a few more steps before pulling out his phone to message Sui Houyu and ask which building he was in.

Sang Xian pointed in a direction: “Over there.”

Ran Shu looked up and then nudged Sang Xian away: “Keep your distance.”

Sang Xian stayed put, watching Ran Shu walk ahead, when suddenly he heard Hou Mo call out: “Sang Xian, what are you doing here?”

Sang Xian turned towards the voice and felt a chill as he saw two people approaching.

Sui Houyu and Hou Mo were both carrying grocery bags, walking side by side, clearly just back from shopping.

As soon as they entered the complex, Hou Mo greeted Sang Xian cheerfully.

Sui Houyu glanced at Sang Xian before turning his eyes to Ran Shu.

Ran Shu heard them too and froze when he saw the two of them, his expression turning blank and speechless.

Sui Houyu walked over and asked Ran Shu: “Why did you come with him?”

Ran Shu stiffly denied: “I didn’t! We came separately. Look, we’re quite far apart.”

Sui Houyu looked at the ten-meter distance between them, raised an eyebrow, and said: “Quite a coincidence?”

“Who’s to say it isn’t!” Ran Shu nodded earnestly.

Ran Shu didn’t dare admit to Sui Houyu that he was dating Sang Xian.

First, if Sui Houyu asked how they were in touch, would he admit it was because of borrowing money?

Second, if Sui Houyu knew about the relationship, he’d probably think Ran Shu was being reckless, especially since Sang Xian did resemble…a bear.

Third, with his throat still hoarse and soreness lingering, Sui Houyu might fight Sang Xian if he found out.

Now… what to do?!

Sui Houyu’s gaze moved back and forth between Ran Shu and Sang Xian before he said coldly: “Come here.”

Ran Shu obediently followed him.

They walked into the building and went up to the floor of the rental unit. Sui Houyu unlocked the door with a code, entered, put the groceries in the kitchen, and motioned for Ran Shu to come in.

Ran Shu changed his shoes and stepped inside, even greeting the cat, Da Ge. 

He noticed that Sui Houyu had been looking at him, and sat down obediently.

Sui Houyu glanced at the two tall figures by the door and said: “Did I tell you to come in?”

Hou Mo forced a smile: “I need to cook.”

“And him?” Sui Houyu pointed at Sang Xian using his chin.

“He’s helping.”

“Does he know how?” Sang Xian didn’t look like he knew any household chores.

“I’ll teach him.” Hou Mo said, elbowing Sang Xian.

Sang Xian felt annoyed, thinking it was unnecessary to make things so complicated. But seeing Ran Shu’s nervousness, he relented.

Hou Mo and Sang Xian entered the kitchen.

Sui Houyu walked over to Ran Shu, crossing his arms as he looked at him: “Why’s your voice hoarse?”

“I had a cold. See, my hand’s all bruised from the IV.” He showed the needle marks on his hand.

Sui Houyu looked, and his expression softened a bit: “Really?”

“Really!”

Sui Houyu beckoned him over: “Come help.”

Ran Shu thought he had gotten away with it and cheerfully stood up: “What do you need help with?”

Sui Houyu didn’t answer. Instead, he pushed Ran Shu hard back onto the couch. The sudden force made Ran Shu yelp in pain as he slumped over, stunned.

It was obvious now… he had came into his senses.

He wasn’t able to fool him.

Sui Houyu grabbed an unused ashtray and headed for the kitchen.

It looked like he was going to fight.

Ran Shu yelled: “Hou Mo, hide the knives!”

Hou Mo jumped, turning to see Sui Houyu and Sang Xian already tussling.

Quickly, he hid the knives under some vegetables and rushed over: “What’s going on? Why are you fighting? Brother Yu, take a break—I’ll fight him for you. He’s solid as a rock; it’ll hurt your hands.”

Sang Xian, feeling guilty and seeing  Sui Houyu as a friend’s “partner,” didn’t fight back too hard.

Hearing Hou Mo’s comment, Sang Xian’s eyes widened: “???”

Hou Mo, are you even human?

Ran Shu also rushed to break up the fight, grabbing Sui Houyu’s waist: “Brother Yu, stop! He’s my boyfriend now.”

Hou Mo froze mid-action: “What?!”

Sui Houyu gritted his teeth: “Did he force you?”

“No…”

“What do you see in him?”

“He’s rich.”

“Do you need money?”

“Sometimes.”

Sui Houyu stopped hitting him but kept the ashtray in his hand, eyes red with frustration.:“Why didn’t you tell me? How was it that you’re suddenly together?”

Ran Shu, now subdued, muttered: “It just… suddenly happened. I looked at him like a turtle looks at a bean… and it clicked.”

Hou Mo looked between Sang Xian and Ran Shu, feeling like an idiot.

These two…

Weren’t they at odds before?

How did this suddenly…

Suddenly…

Hou Mo felt envious to the point of tears and quietly asked Sang Xian: “How did you manage it?”

Sang Xian was hit several times by Sui Houyu and his body still sore from being hit. As he was rubbing it, he felt annoyed: “I was about to ask you why you haven’t.”

Sui Houyu, now annoyed with Hou Mo, barked: “Both of you, get out!”

Hou Mo nodded quickly: “We’ll take the groceries upstairs and cook. We’ll call you down for dinner.”

He and Sang Xian packed up the kitchen and took the knives with them.

After they left, Sui Houyu looked at Ran Shu and asked: “Is it serious? You didn’t even like him before.”

Ran Shu hugged Da Ge as a shield. Who knew they’d get caught this fast?

Ran Shu couldn’t help but ask: “H-How did you figure it out?”

“You don’t stutter when you lie, you know?”

“…” Ran Shu hadn’t even noticed.

He thought for a moment before replying: “You-You know me. I wouldn’t fake it. When he kisses me, my heart races. And when I heard you were suffering in training camp, I worried about him too…”

“Your family won’t accept this!”

“N-Not necessarily. The Sang family is wealthy, after all.”

“And the Sang family? Will they accept you?”

“Not sure. We haven’t reached that stage yet. High school relationships don’t usually end in marriage.”

Sui Houyu pointed at him, hands trembling in frustration: “And what he did to you—isn’t that too much?”

“It’s just h-he’s too big. When we made love, I was hesitant but willing…”

Sui Houyu still couldn’t help asking: “When did you realize you liked guys?”

“I-I’m not really ‘gay,’ I just don’t care either way. The first person I liked just happened to be a guy.”

Sui Houyu’s anger simmered down, and he finally relented: “If he bullies you, tell me. I’ll fight him.”

“Mm!”

*

Hou Mo pushed Sang Xian into his own house and immediately asked: “What the heck, when did you two start seeing each other?”

Sang Xian, still a bit unsteady and worried about downstairs, replied: “There won’t be any issues over there, right?”

“You know how protective Brother Yu is; there’s no way he’ll fight Ran Shu. Ran Shu also has a great attitude when admitting his mistakes, so don’t worry.”

Sang Xian sat down and said: “We sort of grew closer before the training camp.”

“Why didn’t I see it at all?”

“Do you think everyone is like you, wearing their feelings on their sleeve? Everyone could tell that you’re into Sui Houyu with just one look.”

Hou Mo thought for a moment and sighed: “Impressive, bro. Ran Shu seems like a tough nut to crack. How’d you manage it?”

“We got together after we came back.”

“It’s so unfair! One after another, you guys are getting into relationships. I was the first to confess, after all.”

“I was going to ask you about that.” Sang Xian said, crossing his legs and tilting his chin slightly. “What’s the difference between you and Sui Houyu being in a relationship? You’re together all the time, even sleep together. Last time, I saw a hickey near your collarbone. Don’t tell me you did that to yourself.”

“I’m still pursuing him,” Hou Mo answered nonchalantly.

“Pursuing and you’re already like this?”

“Yeah. After all, I’m his top-tier backup.”

Backup? Not just any backup, but a “top-tier backup.”

Sang Xian looked exasperated, thinking Hou Mo was a hopeless case.

“There’s just a layer of paper between you. If you break through that, you’ll be together.” Sang Xian said again. “He might even be waiting for you to confirm your relationship.”

“I’m sure he likes me too, but transitioning from straight to gay takes time. I’m giving him that time.”

“I overheard Ran Shu taking a call from someone, talking for quite a while. It seemed to be someone who used to chase after Sui Houyu and wanted to demoted to junior year to find him, but Ran Shu talked him out of it.”

Sang Xian wasn’t pleased about that long call.

Ran Shu was quite helpless, too. Because he was close to Sui Houyu, anything related to him came his way. 

If he didn’t handle it properly, that person would definitely show up and bother Sui Houyu.

Hou Mo’s face froze after hearing this: “What?!”

Sang Xian smiled: “Keep waiting for him to transition.”

“I’ll… I’ll find an opportunity to confirm with him. Not today—he’s still angry. Tomorrow or the day after, I’ll ask…” Hou Mo finally started to get anxious.

“Yeah, good luck.”

Hou Mo went to cook with a worried look, accidentally adding salt to a dish twice. After tasting it, he had to drink a whole glass of water because of the overwhelming saltiness.

Looking at the pot, he felt regretful and scooped some out, putting it in front of Sang Xian: “Try it.”

Sang Xian took a bite and immediately looked around for a place to spit it out. Finding nowhere suitable and too well-mannered to spit into his hand, he swallowed it with difficulty.

He got up, found a paper cup, filled it with water, and drank it before saying: “This dish is really not good.”

“I added too much salt. I just wanted you to see what it tastes like with too much salt.” Hou Mo said and went back to the kitchen.

Sang Xian, exasperated, chased after him and said: “Just because I won’t fight your partner doesn’t mean I’ll be nice to you.”

The phrase “your partner” made Hou Mo laugh instantly. It was simple but managed to lift his spirits. “Alright, alright, my bad.”

At mealtime, Hou Mo called the two downstairs with his phone.

Ran Shu entered Hou Mo’s house and glanced around before sitting at the dining table, taking a bite of food, and nodding: “Not bad…”

Hou Mo continued bringing out dishes, smiling: “Do I have another one to add to my roster?”

Ran Shu pouted: “It’s just average.”

Sui Houyu came over and patted Ran Shu’s hand: “Wait until Hou Mo’s mom comes back before you start eating.”

The ever-casual Sui Houyu caring about table manners was rare.

Ran Shu listened and put down his chopsticks.

About ten minutes later, Hou Mo’s mother came home. Seeing Sang Xian and Ran Shu, she seemed pleasantly surprised: “Friends over?”

Ran Shu smiled and greeted her, then whispered to Sui Houyu: “Hou Mo’s mom is really pretty. Tsk, women with fair skin are the most beautiful. Hou Mo is a bit too pale.”

Without looking up, Sui Houyu replied: “I like it.”

Ran Shu immediately fell silent.

During dinner, Hou Mo suddenly announced to his mom: “Sang Xian and this kid are dating. I only just found out today.”

Ran Shu nearly choked; sharing something like that so casually with a parent?!

Sang Xian froze, too.

Hou Mo’s mom was surprisingly nonchalant: “I think they make a great pair. Both are very handsome.”

Hou Mo continued eating while muttering: “When will I be able to date?”

His mom gave him more food: “Just keep trying.”

Ran Shu glanced meaningfully at Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu nodded back.

Without a word, the two exchanged the message.

Ran Shu mouthed “f*ck” and kept eating.

*

On the third day of the lunar New Year, Sui Houyu was going to an art class by teacher Du Jingzhi at a training school.

Since the trip was long and the weather cold, Hou Mo arranged for a familiar neighbor to drive them into the city.

At the training class entrance, Hou Mo got out first and helped Sui Houyu with his hat as he stepped out. He zipped up Sui Houyu’s down jacket to the top while saying: “Since we rarely come here, let’s watch a movie and have a meal afterward.”

Hou Mo didn’t mention that he planned to confirm their relationship, after rehearsing his words all night.

Sui Houyu agreed, taking out his phone: “What movie do you want to watch?”

“I already booked it!” Hou Mo quickly stopped him.

Sui Houyu turned and smiled: “Came prepared?”

“Yeah, I even had Sang Xian and Ran Shu help pick a movie, so it won’t be a bad choice—unless Ran Shu messes with me.”

“Alright, next time, my treat.”

Next time?

There’d be a next time.

Hou Mo couldn’t help but smile.

As they reached the school entrance, Hou Mo noticed Sui Houyu stopping abruptly and staring in one direction, his expression turning dark.

Following his gaze, Hou Mo saw a tall boy pushing open the glass door of the school. The boy kept his eyes on Sui Houyu, saying: “I guessed you’d come here. I found out the class schedule and waited all morning.”

The boy in front of him looked quite tall, with a height around 185cm.

The boy had sword-like eyebrows and eyes that carried a bit of a rebellious look, with sharp, defined features and an overall striking appearance. 

Very wicked, very handsome. 

He wore his hair in a short buzz cut, with the sides trimmed shorter.

Dressed in loose, all-black trendy clothes, he had a certain rough, streetwise vibe even while standing.

Hou Mo didn’t know this person, but he had a vague guess about who it was.

Sui Houyu looked annoyed: “What are you doing here?”

“I missed you.”

“Did I ask you to miss me?”

“I couldn’t help it.”

Just hearing this exchange made Hou Mo want to charge over and punch him.

Hou Mo’s patience was usually impressive; he worked hard for his scholarship and never started trouble.

But this guy… flirting with Sui Houyu right in front of him?!

Who could tolerate that?

Sui Houyu was equally annoyed. He gave Hou Mo a shove, trying to push him inside first so that he could deal with the situation and join later.

However, Hou Mo stood rooted beside him, refusing to move, and the atmosphere between them and Yu Shiyue was tense.

Sui Houyu had no choice but to say to Yu Shiyue: “Go back. I don’t want to see you.”

Yu Shiyue ignored that and instead pointed with his toe: “Who’s that? Hou Mo?”

It seemed Yu Shiyue had heard of Hou Mo.

“Yeah, so what?” Hou Mo responded proactively.

Yu Shiyue looked Hou Mo up and down and said: “Nothing, just find you pretty annoying.”

Sui Houyu didn’t want any conflict between Hou Mo and Yu Shiyue.

Yu Shiyue was quite hot-headed and mixed in rough circles, knowing many people who operated on the fringes of society. He could easily pick a fight with Hou Mo.

Sui Houyu reached out and pushed Hou Mo: “Go inside first.”

Hou Mo was especially unwilling to leave Sui Houyu alone with this guy, but after some reluctance, he was finally kicked inside by Sui Houyu.

Seeing Hou Mo inside, Sui Houyu noticed him looking back through the glass door, which made him feel a bit helpless.

Yu Shiyue also glanced back at Hou Mo and pointed over his shoulder: “Is he an idiot?”

“I like him.” Sui Houyu said without even looking at Yu Shiyue, eyes fixed on Hou Mo behind the glass. “If you say another word about him, I’ll beat you up.”

“…” Yu Shiyue’s expression cracked slightly, lips pressed tightly to hide his frustration.

After a moment, Yu Shiyue asked: “I knew you before him, right? If you really like guys, why not me?”

“He knew me first.” Sui Houyu answered. “And it’s not about who came first.”

“What do I lack compared to him?”

“I just don’t like you.”

“What’s wrong with me? You should know how much I like you. If you think we grew distant after transferring schools, I can repeat a year to join your class.”

Sui Houyu finally sighed and looked at him: “I sent him inside to save you face. I don’t like you, and I won’t suddenly start liking you even if you come back. I like him. I’m certain of it, and that won’t change. You know what kind of person I am. If you try to mess with him, don’t blame me for being unkind.”

Yu Shiyue knew how serious Sui Houyu was with that warning.

He really did like Sui Houyu.

Maybe he was a bit crazy, drawn to the danger in him and genuinely thinking he was the best.

“F*ck!” Yu Shiyue was so angry he could explode.

“I’ve rejected you many times. If you keep appearing, it’ll make me really annoyed.”

“I really like you. This is the first time in my life I’ve liked someone this much, and I can even accept your situation…” Yu Shiyue persisted.

“I don’t like you.” Sui Houyu refused again.

Yu Shiyue finally fell silent.

Sui Houyu turned and started heading into the school: “I have class. Go home.”

Without pausing, he opened the glass door and walked in, signaling to Hou Mo: “Let’s go inside.”

Hou Mo followed behind with a pout, turning back frequently. Yu Shiyue still hadn’t left.

Sui Houyu was a VIP member of the school; the teachers had known him since he was young.

Bringing someone into the classroom wasn’t questioned. He had Hou Mo sit aside and wait.

Teacher Du was already in the classroom and called Sui Houyu over: “I’ve seen your paintings from last year. There’s progress, but why weren’t there any works in the second half of the year? The last date was August 21st.”

“I was practicing tennis at school, joined the tennis team.”

“Tennis? Planning to be a sports student?”

“Kind of, but probably won’t use it for college admissions.”

Teacher Du, with naturally brown, tousled hair and a youthful face, looked more like a high school student than his 28 years.

An original internet celebrity, handsome, once famous for eating broadcasts, and an exceptional painter. He rarely streamed after publicly coming out and only posted artworks, yet his fame was unaffected.

Teacher Du reviewed Sui Houyu’s work, picked one to pin to the drawing board, and started making corrections.

When Teacher Du modified a piece, it initially looked like random strokes covering the original. But a few final touches later, it transformed instantly.

Painting was a performance.

While correcting, he gave Sui Houyu pointers on where he went wrong.

Sui Houyu listened intently.

When it was Sui Houyu’s turn to paint, Teacher Du walked around and then came back to comment, “Good thing you’re not aiming to be an art student.”

“Why? No talent?” He paused his brush and asked, puzzled.

He had been studying art since childhood and had several paintings displayed in the school’s hallway.

“Look at your posture.” Teacher Du tapped his wrist. “Tendinitis.”

Then he poked his back: “Your neck, your waist—if you paint seriously for two years, you’ll need neck surgery. I’ve never seen someone twist around so much while drawing. Are you half-evolved?”

“I can’t sit still…” Sui Houyu explained, a bit embarrassed.

Teacher Du circled the room and returned to sit next to Sui Houyu: “Who’s that guy?”

“My doubles partner in tennis.”

“Handsome.”

“Yeah.”

“Natural hair color?”

“Yeah.”

Teacher Du suddenly laughed: “When I tapped your hand earlier, he almost stood up. Did he think I was punishing you?”

Feigning calm, Sui Houyu kept drawing and only looked at Hou Mo after Teacher Du walked away.

Hou Mo seemed bored, looking around before mouthing “bathroom” and stepping out.

While searching for the restroom, Hou Mo saw Yu Shiyue still sitting by the entrance.

Their eyes met as he paused.

Yu Shiyue stood and approached: “When did you meet him?”

“When we were five and a half.”

“What?” The answer shocked Yu Shiyue.

“We started piano lessons together. Met at five and a half.”

“You like him?”

“Yeah.”

Yu Shiyue stared at Hou Mo, eyes full of unwillingness and anger, but helpless.

“I won’t give up.” Yu Shiyue declared, turning and walking away.

Hou Mo watched him leave in silence.

He returned and waited for Sui Houyu to finish class, sitting still the entire time.

After class, a tall, refined-looking man appeared at the door. His gaze was especially gentle, and his legs were strikingly long.

He walked up to Teacher Du, wrapped a scarf around him, and said something that made Teacher Du laugh as they left together, arm in arm.

Hou Mo was a bit surprised by how openly affectionate they were and couldn’t help but stare. He didn’t notice Sui Houyu beside him.

“What time’s the movie?” Sui Houyu asked, taking a sip from his water bottle.

“4:20 in the afternoon.”

“We’ve got time. Come with me to the dance studio.”

“Okay.”

They walked upstairs together. With it being the holiday season, the studio was empty, giving them peace.

After taking off his coat and stretching, Sui Houyu noticed Hou Mo seemed down, so he walked over and sat beside him: “What’s wrong?”

“I ran into Yu Shiyue when I went to the bathroom.”

“He’s still here?”

“Yeah, and he bullied me!”

Sui Houyu looked at him for a while and then said: “I’ve warned him. He’s an ass, but he wouldn’t dare mess with me, so he won’t trouble you.”

Hou Mo’s expression turned sour at that. He started to rant: “Oh, you seem to know him well. You really trust him, don’t you? So, you think I’m making it up?”

“I’m not saying you’re making it up, just that it’s unlikely…”

“Sure, I’m making it up, but don’t call me out on it. It makes me feel awful!”

“…” How could he be so unreasonable?

Seeing Sui Houyu silent, Hou Mo felt even worse and continued: “I thought Yu Shiyue was some sleazy guy, but he’s actually pretty good-looking and persistent with you. He hasn’t given up after all this time. You even made me leave to talk to him alone. You looked at each other! You made eye contact!”

“I just glanced at him.”

“You talked to him alone while I stood there watching! You spoke to him alone!” Hou Mo stomped, his size 44 feet thudding against the floor.

“Didn’t we agree not to be jealous for no reason?”

Hou Mo stared at Sui Houyu for a while, then lowered his head and mumbled, eyes filling with tears. Large teardrops rolled down and splattered onto his shirt.

Sui Houyu was stunned, reaching out without knowing how to console him.

Hou Mo spoke again: “Yeah, I should be sensible and not get jealous. But I’m anxious! You’re amazing, so many people like you. And I’m not even your boyfriend yet… I haven’t succeeded in pursuing you. I’m so anxious I can’t sleep. Well, maybe not sleepless, just restless until two or three in the morning…”

Hou Mo wiped his tears with the back of his hand, smudging them messily. Once he started crying, he turned into a chatterbox, talking non-stop: “I’m constantly anxious, not knowing if I’ll ever win you over. Everyone around me is in a relationship—Sang Xian and Ran Shu are together—and we don’t even have a hint of progress. With you like this, how am I supposed to be a lively fish in your pond?”

Sui Houyu wanted to say something but couldn’t find an opening.

At that moment, they heard a sound from outside. After glancing around, Sui Houyu draped a coat over Hou Mo to shield him, likely because being seen crying would be embarrassing for him.

The door opened, and someone peeked in, asking: “Sui Houyu, are you here? I thought someone forgot to turn off the lights. Is the air conditioning too cold? If so, I can adjust it.”

“It’s not cold.”

“Someone else is here too…” The person poked their head in, seeing only a figure without clear details.

“Yeah, it’s my partner^[1].”

“Oh, you’re in a relationship! I won’t disturb you then.” the person said with a smile before stepping back out.

Hou Mo, still covered by the coat, sniffled and then turned to ask Sui Houyu: “Who am I?”

“In standard language, it means boyfriend.”