UI CH 20

Pushing open the bar door, Zhao Jiyu glanced around and quickly spotted Shen Ran in one of the booths.

This small, cozy bar had a rectangular main hall. Zhao Jiyu went to the bar first, ordered a bottle of sherry, and then sat down on the sofa next to Shen Ran.

“Want some beer?”

Shen Ran hadn’t seen him come in and order a drink, so he nodded toward the few remaining bottles in the ice bucket. Zhao Jiyu used a bottle opener to pop open a beer for himself. He glanced at the empty bottles on the table and asked,
“Did you drink all these by yourself, or were you with a friend?”

Shen Ran was munching on a plate of potato chips and answered,
“He didn’t even finish one bottle before he went to pick up his girlfriend.”

Zhao Jiyu took a sip, leaned back into the sofa, and observed Shen Ran’s side profile. The alcohol-induced flush spread from Shen Ran’s cheeks down to his neck, even his collarbone peeking through the neckline was a bit red. It was clear he had had quite a bit to drink.

Thinking of the messages he had seen in the group chat earlier, Zhao Jiyu took a few more sips. When the waiter brought over the sherry he ordered, he poured two glasses. Shen Ran picked up a glass, sniffed it, and asked,
“What kind of drink is this? It smells so good.”

“Try it. It’s a flavor you’ll like,” Zhao Jiyu said.

Shen Ran took a sip. The rich liquid rolled over his tongue, releasing a deep and fragrant sweetness. He nodded in approval. “Not bad.”

“Too bad they don’t have blue cheese here. It would taste even better with it.”

Seeing only snacks like chips on the table, Zhao Jiyu called the waiter over and ordered honey chicken wings, mustard fries, and salt-grilled mackerel.

Shen Ran asked,
“Didn’t you eat dinner?”

Zhao Jiyu took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and replied,
“It wasn’t good. I didn’t get full.”

Shen Ran hadn’t eaten enough dinner either, but after all the beer, his stomach felt bloated.

The girl who had taken a break earlier returned to the stage to sing. Shen Ran focused on her again, and after a while, Zhao Jiyu commented,
“She’s quite pretty.”

Shen Ran nodded instinctively. When he turned to respond, he realized Zhao Jiyu had moved to sit right next to him at some point.

After putting out his cigarette in the ashtray, Zhao Jiyu asked, “Do you know her?”

“No,” Shen Ran said, still holding the half-finished beer bottle, his gaze a bit unfocused.
“This is my first time seeing her.”

“Do you come to this bar often?”

“Occasionally.”

Zhao Jiyu also grabbed a beer bottle, leaning back in the chair alongside him to listen to the girl sing. When the honey chicken wings were served, Zhao Jiyu handed Shen Ran a pair of disposable gloves.

Shen Ran was practically melting into the sofa, his head resting lazily against the cushion. He waved a hand at Zhao Jiyu,
“I’m too full to eat.”

Though his eyelids were heavy with drunkenness, he still couldn’t take his eyes off the girl on stage. Zhao Jiyu started peeling the skin off a chicken wing, then asked casually,
“Was the stuff in the group chat this evening about me?”

Shen Ran responded a beat too late, “What?”

“You and Li Qin.”
Zhao Jiyu dipped a piece of tender chicken into honey sauce and brought it to Shen Ran’s mouth.
“Did you two get back together?”

Shen Ran’s mind was barely functioning. He ate the food brought to his lips purely out of instinct, still asking,
“What is this?”

Seeing him reach for the plate of chicken wings, Zhao Jiyu pushed his hand away, saying, “It’s too hot. I’ll do it.”

Shen Ran didn’t insist, leaning back again. Zhao Jiyu continued to tear off pieces of chicken, dipping them in sauce and feeding them to him. His gloved fingers occasionally brushed against Shen Ran’s soft lips, and he had to restrain himself from going further. Zhao Jiyu repeated his earlier question,
“Did you and Li Cheng get back together?”

“Hmm?” Shen Ran looked utterly confused.

Zhao Jiyu picked up a whole chicken wing, tore off the skin, and was about to toss it when Shen Ran frowned and said, “What a waste.”

“You like the skin?”
Zhao Jiyu asked, and Shen Ran pouted as if Zhao Jiyu had asked an obvious question, “Roast chicken skin is delicious.”

Zhao Jiyu brought the golden, crispy skin, seasoned with cumin and black pepper, to Shen Ran’s lips. But when Shen Ran leaned in to take a bite, Zhao Jiyu pulled it back. “Answer my question first.”

“What did you ask?”
Shen Ran, frustrated from not getting the food, sat up, his eyes fixed on the tempting morsel dangling from Zhao Jiyu’s fingers.

“Did you and Li Hua get back together?”

Even though it was the third time asking, Zhao Jiyu remained patient. On the other hand, Shen Ran furrowed his brows and glared at him,
“Who wants to get back together? Are you crazy?”

Zhao Jiyu wanted to ask more, but Shen Ran grabbed his wrist first, leaning in.

Having guessed his intention, Zhao Jiyu watched as Shen Ran took not only the chicken skin but also his gloved fingertips into his mouth, even sucking off the rich barbecue sauce. After eating, Shen Ran leaned back into the sofa, looking thoroughly satisfied. Zhao Jiyu stared at his own right index finger, then tore off another piece of skin and brought it to Shen Ran’s lips.

As expected, Shen Ran bit down obediently. This time, Zhao Jiyu didn’t pull away so quickly. His finger, seemingly by accident, brushed against Shen Ran’s tongue, eliciting a soft “hmm” before he withdrew it.
“Is it really that good?” he asked.

Shen Ran nodded, the tip of his tongue sweeping away the oil at the corner of his mouth, “Very good.”

There were only three pieces of honey chicken wings in one order. Seeing he had run out, Zhao Jiyu called the waiter and ordered three more.

When the salt-grilled mackerel and wasabi fries were served, Zhao Jiyu fed Shen Ran in the same manner. But when the wasabi touched his lips, Shen Ran winced, covering his mouth with his hand.

Zhao Jiyu asked,
“What’s wrong?”

“It hurts.” Shen Ran grabbed the beer bottle on the table, taking several gulps before feeling better. Zhao Jiyu took off his gloves, leaned in, and gently touched Shen Ran’s lower lip, asking,
“Did you bite it?”

Shen Ran’s lower lip was slightly turned, and Zhao Jiyu quickly located the injury. Shen Ran pushed his hand away, saying with a bit of annoyance,
“I’m not eating anymore.”

Seeing that the wound wasn’t bleeding, and recalling that Shen Ran had met with Li in the evening, Zhao Jiyu asked, “When did you bite it?”

“Just now, during dinner.”

“Who did you eat with?”

“Ming Jin.”
Zhao Jiyu recognized the name. Although Shen Ran didn’t remember him, Zhao Jiyu had been paying attention to Shen Ran since their freshman year. He knew Shen Ran had a friend with a striking appearance and a physique perfect for a basketball center.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Shen Ran said, pushing Zhao Jiyu slightly. As he stood, he swayed unsteadily, catching himself on the back of the sofa to avoid falling.

“I’ll go with you,”
Zhao Jiyu offered, getting up to support him.

Shen Ran pushed him away again, insisting,
“I can manage.”

Seeing his determination, Zhao Jiyu watched him steady himself, walk past him, down the right aisle, and into the restroom around the corner.

After waiting for a few minutes, Shen Ran returned. Seeing three newly added plates of chicken wings on the table, he was immediately tempted.

Zhao Jiyu swatted away his reaching hand, teasing,
“Did you wash your hands? You can’t just grab chicken wings after using the restroom.”

“Of course, I did,” Shen Ran said, shoving his hands in front of Zhao Jiyu’s eyes.
“I even used hand sanitizer.”

Holding Shen Ran’s hands, Zhao Jiyu caught a whiff of coconut-scented hand sanitizer and let go, saying,
“Let me feed you. You might burn yourself again.”

Shen Ran readily accepted the offer. He leaned back against the sofa and watched the girl singing on stage. Zhao Jiyu fed him a couple of bites, and he took a sip of his drink. Later, they switched to the sherry Zhao Jiyu had ordered. Though they didn’t have blue cheese, Zhao Jiyu had ordered some flavored beef jerky, which paired nicely with the sherry.

Shen Ran got more and more into the drink. By the time half a bottle of sherry was gone, he was leaning back on the sofa, barely able to move his fingers.
Zhao Jiyu gently patted his cheek, but Shen Ran didn’t react.

Zhao Jiyu then leaned closer, tilting Shen Ran’s head onto his shoulder.
Shen Ran didn’t become rowdy when drunk; he was quieter than usual. After a moment of discomfort on Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder, he shifted and nestled into the crook of Zhao Jiyu’s neck.

Zhao Jiyu’s left arm was pinned under Shen Ran’s waist. Once Shen Ran was still, Zhao Jiyu carefully lifted his arm and draped it over Shen Ran’s shoulder.
He looked up at the girl on stage. Zhao Jiyu didn’t seem to think there was anything unusual about two men embracing in a bar. He continued to watch until the girl on stage noticed them, her gaze lingering on them through the dim, colorful lights.

Lowering his head, Zhao Jiyu placed a kiss on Shen Ran’s cheek. Not looking at the girl’s reaction, Zhao Jiyu closed his eyes and rested his head against Shen Ran’s, listening to two more songs.

When the music stopped, he opened his eyes and looked at the person in his arms. He raised his hand and gently caressed Shen Ran’s soft, red lips.
After a moment, he leaned in again, this time kissing the corner of Shen Ran’s mouth.
Just then, a flash of light went off nearby, almost simultaneous with his kiss. He looked up and saw a young woman holding a phone, pointing it at them. Realizing she had forgotten to turn off the flash, she looked embarrassed and flustered.

Zhao Jiyu released Shen Ran and stood up to walk over. The girl nervously stood up and apologized proactively, “Um, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, it’s just…”

The girl couldn’t explain that the scene of them kissing was too rare and beautiful to resist capturing.

Zhao Jiyu wasn’t interested in her excuses and simply held out his hand, saying,
“Let me see the photo.”

Feeling guilty, the girl had no choice but to hand over her phone. Zhao Jiyu looked at the photo she had just taken.

Due to the flash, there was slight overexposure, but it captured both him and Shen Ran quite well. The scene of them kissing had an added touch of hazy beauty in the slightly overexposed texture.
He stared at the photo without reacting, making the girl even more nervous.

She explained again proactively, “I’ll delete the photo right now, I promise I won’t take any more.”

Zhao Jiyu glanced at the girl, took out his own phone, and said in a calm tone,
“Send me the photo before you delete it.”