PD Chapter 30: Street Food Stand (Part 2)

He Linzhou was munching on a skewer he’d just pulled meat from, watching as Wen Xunchuan, sitting across from him, silently refilled his beer cup without a word. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally asked, “What’s up with you today?”

Wen Xunchuan shook his head and didn’t reply, raising his plastic cup to down the beer in one go.

He Linzhou noticed the gloomy cloud hanging between Wen Xunchuan’s brows and couldn’t resist teasing him. “You look like you’ve got kidney deficiency written all over your face.”

Wen Xunchuan finally glanced up, giving him a side-eye. “If you’re so concerned, you can check for yourself tonight.”

“…” He Linzhou choked on his words. Picking up a freshly grilled skewer, he chewed on it aggressively before muttering in return, “Next time, I’m taking the top.”

Wen Xunchuan acted like he hadn’t heard him and didn’t respond. He Linzhou rolled his eyes, mentally roasting him when suddenly Wen Xunchuan asked, “Did you get kicked out because you came out?”

He Linzhou was taken aback, not sure why Wen Xunchuan had brought it up all of a sudden, and answered irritably, “Yeah, all thanks to you.”

Wen Xunchuan took out a cigarette, lit it, and tossed the pack and lighter across the table. “So, what’s your plan now?”

He Linzhou took a cigarette, lit it, and raised his head. “Plan? What plan?”

As soon as he said that, he sat up straight, looking at Wen Xunchuan with a hint of displeasure. “Are you seriously trying to kick me out after we just hooked up once?”

He hadn’t exactly kept his voice down, and the people at the nearest table turned to look over at them.

Wen Xunchuan didn’t pay any attention to their curious gazes, leaning back into his blue plastic chair and taking a drag. “Why don’t you yell a bit louder? If you want, I can grab the boss’s loudspeaker for you.”

He Linzhou, however, was annoyed at the onlookers. He turned to the nearby table and yelled, “What are you staring at? Never seen gay people before? Heard of supporting LGBTQ rights, anti-discrimination, got it?”

Wen Xunchuan, propping his head on one elbow, turned and couldn’t hold back a laugh at that last bit. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Being gay isn’t wrong.” He Linzhou turned back, his face full of righteous indignation. “Narrow-mindedness is the real sickness.”

Seeing the drama queen in front of him, Wen Xunchuan, for once, decided to play along, curling his lip in mock disdain. “Being gay is so gross.”

He Linzhou couldn’t keep a straight face and burst out laughing, making Wen Xunchuan’s lips tug up in a faint smile, too. After they laughed for a bit, Wen Xunchuan asked, “Anyway, what I was going to say is, what’s your plan after coming out?”

“What can I do? Just gotta keep holding on.”

Wen Xunchuan nodded, fiddling idly with the lighter in his hand.

He Linzhou’s laughter faded as he leaned back in his chair, taking a drag and watching Wen Xunchuan’s distracted expression. “What’s up with you? Did… you come out too?”

“Did that ages ago.”

“So then…?”

“What’s the point?” Wen Xunchuan sighed quietly, tapping his bent fingers on the metal part of the lighter, creating a steady rhythm of dull clicks.

He Linzhou’s gaze drifted to Wen Xunchuan’s hand, fixated on it. He’d noticed at the hospital that Wen Xunchuan’s hands were exceptionally good-looking. The back of his hand was smooth and fair, with veins faintly visible beneath the skin, and his fingers were long, slender, and perfectly proportioned. His nails were trimmed neatly, and when he gripped a pen or held something firmly, his knuckles would show a faint white tinge—oddly alluring.

On impulse, he blurted out, “You’ve got pretty nice hands.”

“Hmm?” Wen Xunchuan raised his head, glanced at him, then extended his hand to look at it. “Really?”

Only then did He Linzhou realize he’d spoken out loud, and he felt a bit embarrassed, his voice involuntarily rising a few notches as he corrected himself, “Nope, they’re ugly as hell.”

Wen Xunchuan gave him a puzzled look. “…”

He Linzhou cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted topics with forced nonchalance, “So what’s your plan then? Getting married as a cover?”

Wen Xunchuan frowned, putting the lighter back on the table. “Who told you I was planning to fake a marriage?”

“Weren’t you speed-dating last time I saw you?”

The “who-are-you-kidding” look on He Linzhou’s face was irritating, and Wen Xunchuan couldn’t help but fire back, “Oh, you mean the day you came out to your dad?”

“…” He Linzhou shot him a glare as if he’d swallowed a bug, pulling a twisted, sarcastic grin. “Yeah, honey.”

Wen Xunchuan nearly laughed in exasperation. “You’re so childish.”

“Like you’re any better?” He Linzhou replied, exasperated.

Wen Xunchuan chuckled but didn’t say anything.

He Linzhou looked at him, finally putting two and two together. “So, your family’s pushing you to date?”

“Yeah.”

“But didn’t you already come out?”

“Yep.”

“So then why…?” He Linzhou trailed off, then sighed. “Yeah, guess it makes sense. My dad still wants me to find a woman to marry, too.”

Surprised, Wen Xunchuan looked at him. “So… are you going to?”

“Hell no.”

He raised an eyebrow at Wen Xunchuan. “What, you planning to?”

Wen Xunchuan answered without hesitation, “Hell no.”

“Damn.” He Linzhou laughed.

Wen Xunchuan looked at him, feeling a strange camaraderie in shared misfortune, and raised his cup toward him.

He Linzhou clinked his cup against Wen Xunchuan’s, sighing. “Count your blessings. At least you’ve still got a place to go.”

“I never told you to leave,” Wen Xunchuan replied casually, downing his beer in one gulp.