UI CH 21

Returning to Shen Ran’s side, Zhao Jiyu looked at the photo he had just received again.
The angle of the shot was slightly off, but this very deviation added to the ambiguous atmosphere, making the unseen actions feel very intimate.

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Zhao Jiyu glanced at his watch, considering whether to take Shen Ran to a hotel or back home. At this moment, the person who was leaning motionless let out a mumble and opened his eyes to look around.

“Awake?” Zhao Jiyu asked, leaning closer.

Shen Ran still looked confused, squinting at Zhao Jiyu for a moment before letting out a “hmm” and reaching out his hand, saying, “Pull me up…”

Zhao Jiyu put Shen Ran’s arm over his shoulder, wrapped his left arm around his waist, and lifted him up with a little effort. However, Shen Ran’s legs were weak, and his entire body weight leaned on Zhao Jiyu.

Zhao Jiyu almost lost his balance and fell back. After finally standing up straight, Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Can you walk like this? Do you want me to carry you?”

Shen Ran’s head drooped weakly, and he shook his head after hearing the question, mumbling the word “toilet” incoherently.

Zhao Jiyu supported him towards the restroom. Shen Ran staggered all the way, and when they finally entered the restroom, Zhao Jiyu didn’t take him to the urinal but led him into the empty stall in the middle.

Locking the door behind him, Zhao Jiyu watched Shen Ran struggle with his zipper with his left hand and asked,
“Can you manage by yourself?”

Shen Ran was very drunk, and his jeans zipper was stiff, so he slipped several times. Zhao Jiyu
held his waist steady and used his free right hand to unzip him, saying, “There, you can go now.”

Shen Ran buried his face in Zhao Jiyu’s neck. He had long lost his sense of shame and didn’t realize that this was something he shouldn’t be letting someone else help him with. After finally relieving himself, he swayed again.

Putting Shen Ran’s other arm over his shoulder, Zhao Jiyu helped him put his pants back on. After washing their hands, they returned to the sofa. Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Should I take you home or to my place?”

Shen Ran mumbled “home,” and Zhao Jiyu used his phone to call a driver. Just after placing the order, Zhao Xinhong’s call popped up on the screen.
He answered, and Zhao Xinhong asked,
“Jiyu, are you out?”

“Yes, drinking with a friend.”

“Which friend? Is it Xuetong?”

“No, it’s not her.”

“How have you been getting along with Xuetong lately? We haven’t heard any news from you two.”

Turning his head to glance at the motionless Shen Ran, Zhao Jiyu sat on another sofa and replied,
“We’re doing fine. We see each other often.”

“That’s good to hear,” Zhao Xinhong instructed.
“You know the Yu family only has this precious granddaughter. You need to treat her well.”

Zhao Jiyu raised his left hand and pinched his brow, a hint of weariness appearing on his face. However, he maintained his previous tone and replied,
“I know, Grandpa. Don’t worry.”

“I have faith in you. You’re not like your foolish father,”
Zhao Xinhong said, his expression darkening as he mentioned his disappointing son. However, he didn’t want to dwell on it and changed the subject.
“There’s something else. I’ll be going to Beijing for some business in a few days and won’t be back for a while. Next time, arrange a time with Ma Tai. He’s sending two cases of wine to the winery. You can help me check them.”

“Okay.”

“Remember to ask Xuetong if she’s free. If she is, take her with you. You two can have some fun there for a couple of days.”

Zhao Xinhong didn’t forget to remind him before hanging up.
Watching the phone screen go dark, Zhao Jiyu looked again at the person who knew nothing, sleeping soundly with his head resting on a cushion.
He grabbed a bottle opener, opened an ice-cold beer, and chugged it down in one go.

The frustration weighing on his mind was somewhat alleviated by the cold liquid.

Zhao Jiyu went over and woke Shen Ran, then helped him leave the bar.
Shen Ran was 1.8 meters tall and looked lean, but he was surprisingly heavy.

Zhao Jiyu’s car was parked on the next street, and after walking for a while, he realized that carrying Shen Ran like this wasn’t feasible. So, he squatted down and carried Shen Ran on his back.

When they reached the car door, he asked the designated driver to help him put Shen Ran in the back seat.

On the way, Zhao Jiyu opened the car’s convertible top. The night breeze, carrying the summer heat, brushed against their faces. After a while of shifting in the seat, Shen Ran was blown awake and looked around.

Seeing him awake in the rearview mirror, Zhao Jiyu turned and handed him a bottle of water. Shen Ran took a few sips and asked,
“Where are we?”

“Taking you home,” Zhao Jiyu replied.

Shen Ran tried to speak, but a hiccup escaped his lips. Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Do you feel like throwing up?”

Shen Ran nodded, then shook his head, and after a moment, said, “Not anymore.”

Seeing that he was about to fall asleep again, Zhao Jiyu didn’t disturb him. When they arrived at the apartment complex, Zhao Jiyu asked the driver to leave first. He got out of the car and carried the still-sleeping Shen Ran on his back, walking up to the third floor.

When they arrived at the door of his apartment, he woke Shen Ran to open it. Shen Ran looked at the door with sleepy eyes, reached into his pocket for the key, but couldn’t find it.

Zhao Jiyu asked if he had forgotten it, and after thinking for a while, Shen Ran laughed, patting Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder and saying,
“I don’t live here anymore, you’ve got the wrong place.”

“When did you move?” Zhao Jiyu asked, puzzled.

“A couple of days ago,” Shen Ran said, waving his hand towards the stairs,
“Hurry, or I’ll get, get kicked out again.”

Zhao Jiyu sensed something was wrong.
“Who kicked you out? The landlord?”

Shen Ran was too tired to talk after saying a few words. He leaned his cheek on Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder, staring straight at Zhao Jiyu’s well-defined chin.

“Don’t mention the landlord, I want to go back to sleep.”

Zhao Jiyu continued,
“Tell me the address where you’re staying now.”

Shen Ran closed his eyes, making incoherent noises. Zhao Jiyu urged him again, and Shen Ran finally pulled out his phone, holding it out to Zhao Jiyu.
“The phone’s rented, I can’t remember the street…”

Back in the car, Zhao Jiyu used Shen Ran’s fingerprint to unlock the phone and found the rental app on the home screen. He discovered that the most recent order was paid for the night before last, at a hostel near the university.

Zhao Jiyu found another designated driver. This time, when they arrived at the destination, he asked the driver to watch Shen Ran in the car while he went inside with Shen Ran’s phone and wallet.

The male staff member at the front desk was yawning, leaning sleepily on the counter. Seeing someone come in, he habitually said, “40 for a bed in a four-person room, 30 for a bed in an eight-person room, 20% discount for stays of ten days or more.”

Looking around the cramped and old living room, Zhao Jiyu frowned slightly. Before he could speak, he saw a man wearing boxer shorts, smoking a cigarette, walk out of one of the rooms.

The man looked at him curiously as he passed by.
After the man went into the bathroom across the hall, Zhao Jiyu understood that the place was a mixed-gender dorm, with no privacy or security.

Seeing that he wasn’t reacting, the male staff member tapped the counter and asked,
“Do you want to rent a bed? If so, you’ll need to register with your ID.”

Zhao Jiyu handed Shen Ran’s phone to the staff member.
“I’m here to help my friend check out. Could you tell me which bed is his?”

The male staff member checked the order information on the phone and asked,
“Do you have his ID?”

Zhao Jiyu handed over Shen Ran’s ID. The staff member checked the records on the computer system and explained,
“He booked ten days at once. Our policy is that once the payment is made, it’s non-refundable.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just take his belongings.”

The male staff member looked Zhao Jiyu up and down. Seeing his refined and elegant appearance, and his neat black shirt and suit pants, he didn’t suspect anything. He led Zhao Jiyu to Shen Ran’s room, pointing to the upper bunk on the right.
“That’s his bed. You can sort his things yourself.”

As the male staff member spoke, two men on the neighboring beds, who were playing on their phones, looked up.

Zhao Jiyu walked to Shen Ran’s bed and found that the bedding was neatly arranged. Only a toiletry bag was placed at the head of the bed, and a black suitcase was at the foot, with the hostel’s bed number tag hanging on it.

Zhao Jiyu took the toiletry bag and suitcase, went downstairs, put them in the trunk of the car, and asked the driver to return to his place.

Shen Ran was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what had happened along the way. Zhao Jiyu leaned back in the passenger seat, his right fist resting against his lips, occasionally glancing at Shen Ran in the rearview mirror.

When they first met in junior high, he knew that Shen Ran’s family background was vastly different from his own. The rural area, nestled against the mountains, was certainly a pleasant environment, but it was far from the town, and the main income was from agriculture, so the economy couldn’t be great.

At that time, Shen Ran’s family ran a small store. Although it was just a mother and son relying on each other, they seemed to be doing fine. Later, when they met again in college, Shen Ran’s clothing and appearance were no different from anyone else’s, and there was no obvious sign of financial strain. So, why did he suddenly move to a place like that? Hearing him mumble about being kicked out, was he really evicted by the landlord?

The person in the back seat was sleeping soundly, leaning against the backrest, without a trace of worry on his face.

After the car entered the underground parking garage of the commercial center, Zhao Jiyu went to the trunk to get the suitcase. When he closed the car door, his hand slipped, making a loud noise, and Shen Ran was shaken awake, groggily sitting up straight.

Zhao Jiyu opened the passenger door, helped him out of the car, and heard him ask, “Where are we?”

“Home,” Zhao Jiyu said, pointing to the elevator in front. “Just a few steps to the elevator.”

Shen Ran didn’t seem to understand. He put his right arm on Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder, and his hurried breaths brushed against Zhao Jiyu’s cheek.
“I’m in a hurry…”

Zhao Jiyu glanced at him, seeing a childishly aggrieved expression on his face, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“We’ll be home soon, try not to pee your pants.”

“I won’t.”
Shen Ran, though drunk, was still logical. He hooked his arm around Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder and walked into the elevator, leaning against the car wall and looking at the suitcase at Zhao Jiyu’s feet.

After a moment of recognition, he asked,
“Isn’t that mine?”

Wrapping his arm around his waist, Zhao Jiyu let him lean against him.
“It’s yours.”

Shen Ran made another sound, then looked up at Zhao Jiyu. “Did I get, get kicked out again?”

Zhao Jiyu asked in return,
“Why would the landlord kick you out?”

Shen Ran blinked slowly, looking like he was thinking, but before he could come up with an answer, the elevator doors opened. Zhao Jiyu helped him out and into the apartment, first taking him to the bathroom to relieve himself again.

When Zhao Jiyu held him, Shen Ran paused and looked up, asking,
“What are you doing?”

Zhao Jiyu, without changing his expression, lied,
“You couldn’t stand on your own just now, so I’m helping you.”

“Really?”
Shen Ran tilted his head, thinking, but his alcohol-soaked brain couldn’t function properly.

Zhao Jiyu urged him from the side, and he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, so he let Zhao Jiyu help him once more.

After he finished, Zhao Jiyu didn’t zip him up. Smelling the alcohol on his lower area, he asked,
“Want to take a shower? A hot shower will help you sleep better.”

Shen Ran leaned against Zhao Jiyu. He was barely standing after walking up from the parking garage.
Catching sight of a large gray bathtub against the wall, he pointed and said,
“I want to lie in there.”

“Then let’s rinse you off first,” Zhao Jiyu said, helping him sit on the edge of the bathtub. Once he was steady, he began to take off his T-shirt.

Shen Ran didn’t resist. After taking off his top, Zhao Jiyu removed his jeans. Once he removed his underwear, Zhao Jiyu glanced at the inside of his thighs.

The last time they were intimate, this area had several visible hickeys and finger marks, but they were long gone now.

Grabbing the showerhead from the wall, Zhao Jiyu adjusted the water temperature and began to rinse Shen Ran’s shoulders.

Shen Ran sat in the bathtub, the warm water pressure on his chest feeling just right. The water felt like a soft, massaging hand. After only a moment, he comfortably squinted his eyes, then opened them to look at Zhao Jiyu, a hint of confusion on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Jiyu asked.

Shen Ran said,
“Aren’t you taking a shower?”

Thinking he meant a bath, Zhao Jiyu explained,
“I am taking a shower. I’ll take a bath after you’re rinsed clean.”

“No, that’s not it…”
Shen Ran reached up and grabbed the collar of Zhao Jiyu’s black shirt, pulling it and saying,
“Why are you still, still wearing clothes to shower?”