UI CH 10

Pouring a glass of white port wine, Zhao Jiyu took a box of sashimi and a box of fresh octopus from the small fridge. He returned to the upper deck, placed the food on the coffee table, and glanced at Shen Ran, who was on the deck making a phone call.

Shen Ran was asking his convenience store boss for a leave of absence. He didn’t mention the strange situation of being stuck on the yacht after delivering an order—he only said he had an urgent matter.

He had been working at this convenience store for six months and had barely ever asked for leave. His boss was very satisfied with his work ethic, so he agreed to the request immediately.

Though the boss was straightforward, Shen Ran still felt a pang of pain when he hung up the phone.

Taking a day off without a good reason meant losing two days’ wages.

Thinking of the lost income, he couldn’t help but sigh. When he turned around, he saw Zhao Jiyu staring at him, which inexplicably added to his irritation.

Earlier, when he wanted to go ashore, Zhao Jiyu explained that the departure schedule had already been reported. Docking again would require re-approval, which would affect the trip.

As for the order, the items were purchased by Lao Wu, who said that some imported snacks were only available at their convenience store.

Shen Ran’s expression was a bit hard to read—it was unclear whether he believed it or not. However, with Zhao Jiyu’s sincere apology, he could only let it go.

His gaze slid over Zhao Jiyu’s straight collarbone. Before Shen Ran could say anything, Zhao Jiyu took a step toward him.

Standing in front of him, Zhao Jiyu handed him the cool, condensation-covered glass.
“Drink a little. Don’t get heatstroke.”

Sweat beaded on Shen Ran’s temples. The wind over the sea was strong, but the sunlight was harsher than on land. He was indeed both hot and thirsty, so he took the glass and drank the sweet and slightly sour liquid in one go.

As he drank, a sudden gust of wind blew past him. The hem of Zhao Jiyu’s bathrobe, which only reached his mid-thigh, was lifted high by the wind.

Just as Shen Ran finished drinking, he glanced down and saw the tight black swim trunks beneath the robe. His grip on the glass nearly slipped.

The gust of wind was as fleeting as it was abrupt. In the blink of an eye, the hem of the bathrobe settled back down.

Seemingly unaware of Shen Ran’s reaction, Zhao Jiyu took back the glass and said,
“There’s more inside. Come in and sit for a while.”

Shen Ran wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his gaze drifting to the shimmering sea in the distance. Then he followed Zhao Jiyu into the cabin.

The yacht’s cockpit and lounge area were cleverly designed, showing the attention to detail of the designer. The white Italian leather sofa behind the driver’s seat could be used for both sitting and lying down.

On the coffee table sat an ice bucket and a bottle of wine, along with two servings of Japanese cuisine and dipping sauces.

Shen Ran sat down on the sofa, and Zhao Jiyu asked…

“Would you like some more to drink?”

“Have you had lunch yet?”

The order was placed right at noon, and Shen Ran didn’t have time to eat. He didn’t answer, but his stomach growled embarrassingly. Zhao Jiyu didn’t need to ask further. He opened the sushi tray, took out a pair of silver chopsticks, and handed them over.

Shen Ran wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but then he thought about how they would be out at sea until the next morning and decided there was no need to be stubborn.

He picked up a slice of plump salmon, dipped it in the special sauce, and put it into his mouth. After chewing twice, he stopped, raised his eyelids, and looked at Zhao Jiyu.

With his hands in the pockets of his bathrobe, Zhao Jiyu lowered his eyes to look at him.
“How does it taste?”

Shen Ran honestly gave him a thumbs up.

With a gentle smile at the corner of his lips, Zhao Jiyu said,
“You eat first. I’ll go get more.”

Shen Ran watched him go down the stairs. After a while, Zhao Jiyu came back up with another plate of food. His bathrobe’s belt was loosely tied, and since the coffee table was low, when he bent over to put the plate down, almost his entire chest was exposed in front of Shen Ran.

The octopus leg Shen Ran had just picked up slipped back onto the plate. He turned his face away and coughed twice. Zhao Jiyu poured him another glass of wine, then straightened up and said to the person steering the boat,
“Old Wu, go prepare the barbecue. I’ll take over.”

“Got it.”

Old Wu went down the stairs into the kitchen on the right. Zhao Jiyu picked up his own glass, sat in the leather pilot seat, looked at a few gauge readings, then put on his windproof sunglasses and grabbed the steering wheel.

For Zhao Jiyu, going out to sea alone was the best way to relax his mind and body. Even if he did nothing, just sitting in the captain’s seat and staring at the sea was an enjoyable experience.

He brushed his hair, tousled by the sea breeze, picked up his embedded glass from the dashboard, and had just taken a sip when he sensed movement behind him. It was Shen Ran walking over.

He glanced past Shen Ran at the coffee table. Half of the food on the three plates was gone.
“Why didn’t you finish it?”

Shen Ran asked in return,
“You know how to drive a yacht?”

Zhao Jiyu looked at the vast sea ahead.
“I have a yacht license. I’m pretty good at it.”

He really was good. Just as this thought crossed Shen Ran’s mind, the boat rocked with the waves. He quickly grabbed the back of the pilot seat.

“The sea is rough today,”
Zhao Jiyu explained.

Shen Ran steadied himself, let go, and looked out through the large front window at the turquoise sea. The air today wasn’t as clear as it had been in the past few days. A thin mist lingered on the horizon. The damp sea breeze blew over him, gradually easing his mood.

One sitting, one standing, the two of them remained silent for a while. Zhao Jiyu’s gaze lingered on his wine glass for a moment. Then he turned to Shen Ran and asked,
“Can you drive?”

Shen Ran nodded.
“I have a license.”

“Want to give this a try?”

“What?”

Before Shen Ran could react, Zhao Jiyu stood up, pressed his shoulder down, and pushed him into the seat. He guided Shen Ran’s hands onto the steering wheel and leaned in to remind him to put his foot on the pedal.

Shen Ran had gotten his driver’s license in his first year of college, but he rarely had the chance to drive, let alone a yacht. He immediately became anxious.

“Don’t worry, I set the auto-navigation. There aren’t any other boats around for you to crash into.”
Zhao Jiyu squeezed his shoulders a few times.
“Relax. It’s just like driving a car. Keep your ankle steady, and you’ll be fine.”

“But be mindful of your strength,”
Zhao Jiyu leaned in close and whispered, his tongue curling playfully,
“There’s no brake to step on a yacht.”

Shen Ran was already nervous, and when Zhao Jiyu’s warm breath brushed his ear, it was like a jolt of electricity to his waist, causing him to shudder involuntarily.

Zhao Jiyu maintained the right balance, taking off his windproof sunglasses and giving them to Shen Ran. He straightened up to look ahead, but he didn’t let go of Shen Ran’s right hand, still guiding him on the steering wheel.

At first, Shen Ran was so tense he couldn’t relax. But with Zhao Jiyu’s thoughtful guidance from the side, he quickly adapted, his hand and foot coordination improving steadily.

Zhao Jiyu helped keep an eye on the water and the instrument panel. There were very few people out at sea today, and no other boats could be seen in their vicinity.

After a while, Zhao Jiyu withdrew his hand, letting Shen Ran take control on his own, all while quietly observing his expression from the side.

Men naturally have a sense of conquest when it comes to steering wheels. Just like now, even though Shen Ran had no prior experience driving a yacht, it didn’t stop the emerging look of yearning in his eyes as he became more comfortable.

Zhao Jiyu leaned against the back of the chair, watching him with lowered eyes for a moment. He then bent down to pick up the wine glass from the instrument panel. Just as he brought it to his lips, a wave hit, causing the boat to rock noticeably. His hand tilted, and the liquid in the glass spilled all over Shen Ran.

“Sorry.” He put the glass back, but the wave had already made Shen Ran tense up again.
“You better steer. I’ll get up,” Shen Ran said.

This time, Zhao Jiyu didn’t insist. After they switched places, Shen Ran finally had the chance to look at his soaked clothes.

Zhao Jiyu had spilled more than half a glass of white port wine on him, leaving a wet patch even in the middle of his jeans.

“Go take a shower in the bathroom. I’ll ask Old Wu to bring you some fresh clothes. You can put those in the washing machine,”
Zhao Jiyu instructed.

Following Zhao Jiyu’s directions, Old Wu led Shen Ran down the stairs and into the left side of the cabin.

Shen Ran had been here before. The small tea room in the middle still had the snacks he had left earlier.

Old Wu opened a door at the end on the left. When Shen Ran followed him in, he realized it was a small suite.

A double bed was made up with minimalist black bedding. A large flat-screen TV hung on the opposite wall. On the right was a raised tatami seating area with a small low table, and on the other side was the bathroom.

Old Wu opened the frosted glass door, explained how to use the bathroom facilities, took a set of replacement clothes from the wardrobe, and placed them on the bed. Before leaving, he locked the door for him.

Shen Ran looked around the small suite. The white and grey cool-toned decor felt comfortable. He walked into the bathroom, closed the door, and started undressing. When he took off his jeans, he realized that his underwear was also stained with quite a bit of wine.

He shoved his dirty clothes into the laundry hamper, then stood under the shower to wash off. As he squeezed out shampoo, a familiar, faint fragrance wafted up, like accidentally stumbling into the depths of a dense forest and inhaling its refreshing, subtle scent. Later, he discovered the body wash had the same fragrance. The aroma was immersive and relaxing, and he found himself lingering in the shower for quite a while.

After wrapping himself in a towel, he went to the bed to get dressed and found a brand-new pair of triangle swim trunks tucked inside the bathrobe.

The black, ultra-thin, stretchy material felt smooth as silk on both sides. The style reminded him of the swim trunks he’d seen Zhao Jiyu wearing earlier, and he assumed Old Wu had given him the same kind. He poked a finger into the pouch of the trunks, and he struggled to convince himself to put them on.

However, his own underwear was unusable, and he couldn’t exactly go upstairs naked. After a moment of internal conflict, he resigned himself to wearing the swim trunks, put on the bathrobe, tightened the belt, and opened the door to go upstairs.

Old Wu was grilling meat under the eaves between the lounge area and the deck. The aroma of the food on the grill was carried away by the sea breeze, some of it reaching Shen Ran’s nose.

Zhao Jiyu was still at the helm. Seeing Shen Ran come up, he asked Old Wu to give him some of the grilled food first. Old Wu placed two plates on the coffee table, along with three different dipping sauces.

Shen Ran thanked him, speared a chicken wing with his fork, dipped it in honey sauce, and then paused after putting it in his mouth.

After finishing the chicken wing, he picked up the plate and walked over to Zhao Jiyu.
“You should eat some too.”

“How does it taste?”
Zhao Jiyu didn’t reach for the plate; his hands were on the steering wheel, as the sea had some persistent waves, requiring his full attention even though the rocking wasn’t severe.

“Very good,”
Shen Ran said earnestly.

Zhao Jiyu smiled, looked up at him, and said,
“Feed me a piece. My hands are greasy, and I can’t let go of the wheel.”

Those beautiful eyes looked at him through the tinted lenses. Unlike their usual eye contact, Zhao Jiyu’s gaze felt less intense at the moment.

Shen Ran stared at his eyes for a moment, then picked up another chicken wing, dipped it in honey sauce, and brought it to his lips, only to remember he hadn’t asked what flavor he wanted. Before Shen Ran could pull his hand back, Zhao Jiyu opened his slightly moist lips and took a bite of the chicken wing.