UI CH 15

When Shen Ran received Zhao Jiyu’s message, he was lying drowsily on the soft hotel bed.

He hadn’t slept well the previous night, and he’d been running around outside all day. After soaking in the bath upon returning from his outing, he had nearly fallen asleep in the bathtub from how comfortable it was.

His phone vibrated briefly and then stopped. He didn’t move, still hugging a pillow. He eventually dozed off, only to be woken up by the continuous buzzing of group chat notifications.

Fumbling under the pillow, he grabbed his phone. With one eye half-open, he looked at the screen. Apart from the small group chat with Deng Feng and the others discussing tomorrow’s plans, there was also a private message showing an unread notification.

The avatar looked unfamiliar—a photo of a cloudy sky with a paper airplane lost among the clouds.

Shen Ran didn’t remember who it was. The person had only sent one line:
[How many days will you be in Xi’an?]

The tone suggested familiarity. He glanced at the contact’s addition date—over half a month ago. His sleepy mind couldn’t figure it out, so he just asked directly:
[Who are you?]

The person seemed to be waiting for his reply. As soon as he sent his message, the “typing…” indicator appeared on the screen. Shortly after, a name popped up:
[Zhao Jiyu]

Shen Ran’s sleepiness evaporated instantly. He sat up, staring blankly at the bright screen in the dark.

How did Zhao Jiyu get his phone number? And why had he added him so early? If he had added him, why didn’t he say anything?

And now, why was Zhao Jiyu looking for him again?

After thinking for a moment, Shen Ran replied:
[How did you get my phone number?]

Zhao Jiyu’s response was concise:
[Class contact list.]

Though they weren’t in the same class, they were in the same department. It wasn’t hard for Zhao Jiyu to get his number. Shen Ran ran his hand through his messy hair and continued typing:
[Who told you I’m in Xi’an?]

[Convenience store.]

Seeing those three words, Shen Ran thought of Xu Tian.

[Yes, I’m here for a few days. Do you need something?]

This time, there was no reply for a long while. Just as he started to drift back to sleep, his phone buzzed again.

Zhao Jiyu asked:
[Did you block me from seeing your Moments?]

Shen Ran was so tired that his fingers barely had the strength to hold the phone. How could he remember when or why he blocked anyone? His eyes strained to type in the dark, so he simply held down the voice message button:

“I didn’t block you. I just didn’t know who you were when I added you, so I probably set it to a restricted view by accident.”

Zhao Jiyu put the phone to his ear and heard Shen Ran’s drowsy, raspy voice.

The image of Shen Ran gasping under him that night flashed through Zhao Jiyu’s mind. His grip tightened on the phone, his fingertips seemingly able to feel the damp warmth of Shen Ran’s tear-stained eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed the voice message button and replied:
“Have you rested enough?”

“Hmm.”

The response wasn’t very crisp, carrying a slight lingering tone. Zhao Jiyu listened to it three times, and finally, a smile broke through his tense expression. He replied,
“Go to sleep. It’s nothing important. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

After sending the message, Zhao Jiyu waited for a while, but Shen Ran didn’t reply.

He had seen Shen Ran looking sleepy more than once before. Thinking about how that guy, when drowsy, still liked to lie down and sleep just like when he was a kid, Zhao Jiyu smiled again, leaning back into the sofa to relax.

---

For the next two days, Shen Ran had a great time.

Everyone on this trip pretty much knew each other. Ji Minglun was in the same basketball club as him, and they often hung out together.

Deng Feng, as the group leader, despite being the same age as Ji Minglun, was used to taking care of everyone, and he had everything arranged perfectly. There was also Ji Minglun’s childhood friend, Jiang Yuan.

Shen Ran had met Jiang Yuan a few times before. He was also the only person in the group who knew about Ji Minglun’s feelings for Jiang Lin. In the past, Shen Ran wouldn’t have paid much attention, but perhaps because of his interactions with Zhao Jiyu, he occasionally found himself focusing on the two of them.

Ji Minglun had had a crush on Jiang Lin for many years. One time, he got drunk and boldly kissed Jiang Lin, which scared Jiang Lin into leaving early to study abroad. Now that Jiang Lin had returned and was actively trying to make amends, Ji Minglun kept his distance, not believing that these friendly gestures might actually mean something more.

When it comes to love, those involved are often the most confused while bystanders see clearly. Just like when Shen Ran was with Li, he couldn’t truly understand Li’s feelings either. All he could do now was drop a few hints, hoping Ji Minglun and Jiang Lin wouldn’t really miss their chance.

That afternoon, after watching a music fountain show at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Shen Ran posted a short video of a rainbow to his social feed. Not long after, a message popped up on his phone:
[There’s a great music restaurant near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.]

Along with the text message, there was a link to the restaurant’s homepage and a map location.

However, Shen Ran still felt a bit odd about the person who sent it, so he replied:
[How come you’re so free, even helping me find a restaurant?]

Zhao Jiyu responded:
[Just bored.]

Shen Ran hadn’t expected such a straightforward answer. He didn’t quite know how to respond, and just then, Zhao Jiyu began typing again.

[I just happened to see it while scrolling on my phone, so I sent it to you. Do you think I’m being too nosy?]

[No.]

[There’s nothing wrong with chatting on WeChat between friends, right? Or are you busy right now?]

Since Zhao Jiyu put it that way, Shen Ran had to reply:
[No, it’s not inconvenient. I’ll check it out.]

He opened the music restaurant’s page and took a look. The atmosphere and environment were both great. They had been eating Shaanxi cuisine for the past few days, so a change might be nice.

When the music fountain show ended, the two girls in the group said they were tired and wanted to find a place to rest. Deng Feng checked the time and suggested they go for dinner. However, there was a bit of disagreement about what to eat. Aside from Deng Feng, no one seemed eager to eat more local snacks. Shen Ran then proposed going to the music restaurant.

The place had a relaxing atmosphere, good music, drinks, seafood, and barbecue, making it the perfect spot. Everyone agreed and went over. Shen Ran ate seafood and drank beer, listening to the band on stage. Feeling inspired, he recorded a short video.

This time, he didn’t post it on his social media but sent it to Zhao Jiyu: [It’s indeed nice. Thanks.]

Zhao Jiyu replied: [It looks delicious. I’m getting hungry.]

Biting on a bamboo skewer, Shen Ran typed: [If you’re hungry, then eat.]

Zhao Jiyu sent back a few-second-long video. He sat cross-legged on a wooden floor, wearing a fitted white sports vest, with a damp patch on his chest and abdomen. His bangs were held back by an elastic headband, exposing his smooth forehead.

He wasn’t wearing glasses. Fine beads of sweat dotted his high nose bridge. Maybe because he was facing the camera, his already small face looked even smaller. His cheeks were flushed, and his slightly parted red lips were exhaling softly.

Staring at those beautiful eyes for a moment, Shen Ran noticed that Zhao Jiyu’s eyelashes were truly long. They appeared distinct and naturally curved when damp.

His teeth unconsciously ground the bamboo skewer. A few seconds later, Zhao Jiyu switched to the rear camera, revealing he was in a sports hall playing squash.

After sending the video, Zhao Jiyu typed: [No one is free to hang out with me. I don’t know what to eat.]

Shen Ran put the skewer on the table and sent a meme of a Shiba Inu crossing its arms with an “emm” expression.

Zhao Jiyu: [What are you laughing at?]

Shen Ran: [Laughing at your humblebrag.]

Zhao Jiyu: [I’m serious.]

He imagined Zhao Jiyu’s tone and hadn’t decided how to reply when Deng Feng handed him the menu, asking if they should order more dishes. He took the menu, added a couple of things he wanted to eat, and then got up to go to the bathroom.

When he came back and checked his phone, Zhao Jiyu hadn’t sent anything else. However, by the next afternoon, Zhao Jiyu had sent him recommendations for two restaurants with great ambiance and delicious food.

When it came to food, Shen Ran had no resistance. After Deng Feng and the others tried these places, they couldn’t stop praising them. The best part was that these restaurants were quite niche, not appearing on popular rankings and free of other tourists.

When Deng Feng asked where he found such good spots, he didn’t mention Zhao Jiyu’s name and just said they were recommended by a friend.

On the night before returning, Shen Ran felt hungry after his bath. He grabbed a cup of instant noodles and waited for them to cook while scrolling through his phone. He noticed that over an hour ago, Zhao Jiyu had sent him two pictures.

The photos looked like they were taken in a hotel restaurant. On the marble table sat a dish of veal drizzled with Bordelaise sauce, a bowl of creamy asparagus soup, artfully plated chocolate truffles, a strawberry Napoleon, and a small bowl of coconut mango sago. The second photo showed a stunning sea view outside the window.

Shen Ran’s attention was entirely on the food in the first photo. He replied: [Your dinner?]

[Yeah.]

[Looks quite sumptuous.]

He pulled the bowl of instant noodles closer, stirred them with a fork, sipped the rich tomato beef broth, and took a bite of the noodles. Enjoying the flavor, he comforted himself, thinking instant noodles were also delicious, simple, economical, and satisfying.

Halfway through eating, Zhao Jiyu asked him: [Aren’t you curious where this is?]

He opened the second picture and carefully examined the harbor outside the window.

[The Tianyuan Hotel?]

Zhao Jiyu sent a smart-looking meme:
[Have you been here before?]

The room rates at the Tianyuan Hotel were not something Shen Ran could usually afford. He smiled and replied:
[I went there once with my professor. There was an academic seminar there. The scenery at noon in the summer is really nice.]

The view of the harbor opposite the hotel was excellent. On good weather days, the wide, blue expanse filled the view, and the nearby yacht club added a pure white line to the scenery, creating a serene and comforting atmosphere.

Zhao Jiyu glanced to the other side of the room.

When he returned earlier, he had opened the entire wall of curtains. The large floor-to-ceiling windows faced the harbor, but now the evening had deepened, and the scene Shen Ran described was no longer visible.

He had actually seen this sea view countless times before. Perhaps because he had no one to share it with, even when standing on the beautiful Pop Beach, where you could see humpback whales spouting water, he felt the scenery was just so-so, nothing particularly special.

After resting a bit longer, he stepped out of the bathtub, threw on a clean bathrobe, and walked to the window.

The room lights had been turned off before his bath, and the dim interior made the night view outside stand out clearly.

The harbor was surrounded by charming neon lights, and the distant sea was calm and deep, with a silver crescent moon floating in the middle of the water.

Opening his chat with Shen Ran, Zhao Jiyu took a photo of the view outside the window and sent it over, typing:
[I’ve been staying here for the past few days. If you’re free when you get back, you could come over and hang out. The night view is quite nice.]

Shen Ran’s phone chimed with a message notification. He put the fork back in the instant noodle bowl and used his right hand to open the new message.

It was a photo of the harbor. He double-tapped to zoom in, but as he was about to take a closer look, he froze.

The overall colors of the photo were vibrant, showing that the photographer had taken a picture of the harbor from a dark room. But because the room was so dim, the floor-to-ceiling window reflected a faint silhouette that could easily go unnoticed.

A somewhat blurry white bathrobe was casually draped over the person’s shoulders, and aside from that, there was no other fabric covering them.

His gaze lingered on the faintly visible face for a moment before shifting to the middle area. Images began to flood uncontrollably into his mind, and his left hand seemed to recall the sensation of holding the other person that night. His fingertips tensed, and he nearly tipped the bowl of instant noodles over.