UI CH 23

Silently taking the glass, Shen Ran took a sip and paused slightly, his gaze drifting towards the person opposite him.
After he finished drinking, Zhao Jiyu took the glass and asked, “How does it taste?”

Although he felt a little awkward, Shen Ran answered honestly,
“It’s very good.”

“What do you want for breakfast? Old Wu is at the supermarket.”

“I’ll skip it.” Shen Ran looked at the bench at the end of the bed. “Where are my clothes?”

“I put them in the washing machine when I got up. If you feel uncomfortable wearing the robe, you can wear mine.”
Zhao Jiyu walked over and opened the white sliding door of the walk-in closet.
“Pick whatever you like and change into it.”

Shen Ran followed and took a glance. The closet was divided into different sections according to various clothing styles, with all the clothes and pants neatly hung by color. In the middle, a multi-layered glass display cabinet housed all sorts of belts, watches, cufflinks, and other accessories.

Compared to the last time when he saw Zhao Jiyu dedicate an entire room to his wine collection, Shen Ran wasn’t surprised at all by the large walk-in closet this time. He simply refused,
“No need. I’ll just wear my own clothes when they’re dry.”

“Alright.” Zhao Jiyu didn’t insist. After stepping out, he took a phone call. Holding the bottom of the phone, he asked,
“Really can’t think of anything to eat?”

Shen Ran shook his head. Before he could answer, he heard Zhao Jiyu say to the person on the other end,
“He drank a lot last night. Just buy whatever you think is suitable.”

After hanging up, Zhao Jiyu added,
“It’s bad for your stomach not to eat after drinking.”

Since Zhao Jiyu had already decided, Shen Ran didn’t argue further. After all, it was a minor issue. What Shen Ran really wanted to know now was how he changed his clothes last night. But he couldn’t ask directly, so he could only test the waters indirectly.

“Did I cause you a lot of trouble last night?”

Thinking about helping him to the bathroom and even bathing him, Zhao Jiyu clenched his right fist, hiding the smile on his lips.
“Not really. You were quite conscious when drunk. You even insisted on taking a shower yourself.”

“I showered by myself?”

“Yes,” Zhao Jiyu lied with a straight face.
“You threw up on yourself last night. I wanted to help wipe you down, but you insisted on taking a full shower.”

“I was worried you might fall, but you walked out on your own after finishing.”

Shen Ran looked at him with a “What are you talking about?” expression, then sat on the edge of the bed, frustrated, ruffling his bangs.
“Why can’t I remember any of this?”

Standing next to him, Zhao Jiyu patted his shoulder to comfort him.
“You were unhappy and drank too much last night. It’s normal not to remember.”

Shen Ran knew he drank too much. His temples still hurt now. But why did he drink so much in front of Zhao Jiyu again? The last time he got into trouble was also because of drinking too much. Did anything happen this time?

He stared at Zhao Jiyu’s white sports slippers and asked quietly,
“Did I say anything I shouldn’t have?”

“No. You just said you wouldn’t get back together with Li, that you don’t like her anymore.”

Shen Ran vaguely remembered this. He recalled he hadn’t even brought it up, but Zhao Jiyu had asked first.

“I really troubled you last night. Once my clothes are dry, I’ll head back.”

Zhao Jiyu asked,
“You really don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

“Last night, you checked out of the hostel and brought all your luggage here.”

Shen Ran looked up at Zhao Jiyu, his Adam’s apple moving under his thin skin. After a moment, he barely managed to squeeze out a sentence.

“What… does that mean?”

“Last night, I took you home. You said you were kicked out by your landlord and brought me to where you’re staying now.”
Zhao Jiyu sat down beside him.

“When we got out of the car, you could barely walk, so I went up myself to see the place.”

Shen Ran lowered his head, his hands clasped tightly together. He then bent down, rubbing his face with his palms.

“The people in that kind of place come and go, and you can only keep your belongings at the foot of the bed. There’s no safety when you sleep.”
Zhao Jiyu’s tone grew serious as he tried to avoid words that might embarrass Shen Ran, focusing instead on the safety issue.

“I’ve helped you check out. From today on, stay with me.”

Shen Ran remained in the same position, unmoving. After a moment, he braced his hands on his thighs and stood up.
“No need. Thank you for your kindness.”

He moved past Zhao Jiyu toward the door. As he walked by the bench at the foot of the bed, he heard Zhao Jiyu say,
“You’d rather live in such a poor environment than stay with me. Is it because of what happened between us before? Do you still think I have that kind of intention toward you?”

Shen Ran stopped in his tracks, staring straight ahead.
“I never thought that. But we’re not that close.”

The corners of Zhao Jiyu’s mouth lifted into a smile, tinged with a hint of self-mockery. His thumb pressed against the glass wall of the cup in his hand, leaving fingerprints on the transparent surface.

“What don’t I remember?”
Shen Ran asked again.

Zhao Jiyu didn’t answer immediately. He continued pressing the glass stubbornly, his fingerprints smudging the surface.

“What don’t I remember?”
Shen Ran repeated.

Placing the glass on the bedside table, Zhao Jiyu raised his head, looking toward the white curtains as if his gaze penetrated the fabric to see far beyond.

“The last time you came over for dinner, while you were washing the dishes, I told you my uncle is a history professor. During winter and summer breaks, he often takes students out on projects.”

“I went with him once to Yongning Village. I was in the first year of middle school then.”

Sitting on the large sofa in the living room, Shen Ran looked at the figure on the balcony operating the dryer. His mind replayed the memories of that summer.

The difference between the Zhao Jiyu of today and the one he saw back then was so vast that he hadn’t connected them as the same person. There was another thing he couldn’t figure out—since Zhao Jiyu had recognized him long ago, why had he never mentioned it?

Could it be he still minded what Shen Ran had accidentally witnessed back then?

A soft chime of the doorbell echoed from the direction of the door. Shen Ran snapped out of his thoughts, seeing Zhao Jiyu, dressed in a cream-colored loungewear set, walk in. Standing in a beam of light, he gave a gentle smile.
“It should be Old Wu.”

He nodded slightly. Zhao Jiyu went to open the door, and as expected, it was Old Wu, carrying two large bags. After greeting him, Old Wu headed straight to the kitchen.

Zhao Jiyu followed him in, and Shen Ran heard Zhao Jiyu asking Old Wu what he had bought. Old Wu mentioned that today’s golden pomfret was excellent and could be steamed.

While they were talking, Shen Ran walked onto the large balcony with a 270-degree view and a corner turn.

This was Shen Ran’s second visit to Zhao Jiyu’s home, but it was his first time stepping onto the balcony to look at the outside scenery.

Unlike his hometown, where the window view was nothing but endless mountain ranges, Zhao Jiyu’s residence was located in the business center of Wuyuan Bay, backed by a large cluster of high-rise buildings, with the front facing the coastal road and a vast sea view.

With his arms crossed on the wrought-iron railing, Shen Ran squinted as he gazed at the shimmering sea. His thoughts drifted further and further away with the swaying waves, so much so that he didn’t notice someone approaching behind him.

It wasn’t until Zhao Jiyu reached out, blocking the light in front of his eyes, that he closed them.

“Don’t look at the sea like this, it’s bad for your eyes,”
Zhao Jiyu reminded him.

Shen Ran closed his eyes. Sure enough, his eyelids showed two overly bright halos, along with the warm touch of a palm. He moved Zhao Jiyu’s hand away, keeping his eyes closed, and said,
“Blame it on the view being too good here.”

Zhao Jiyu’s laughter was low, the gentle sound wrapping around Shen Ran’s eardrums.
“If you stay, you can see it every day. The view on cloudy days is even better.”

It was the first time Shen Ran had heard someone say that the sea on a cloudy day looked better than on a sunny day. He turned his face, opened his eyes, and looked at the person whose features had become blurred.
“Actually, back then we had only interacted for a few days.”

“Mm,” Zhao Jiyu leaned against the railing with him, feeling the sea breeze blowing against them.
“So, are you still going to refuse?”

Shen Ran felt it necessary to clarify things first, but when he opened his mouth, he stopped at the word “I,” and couldn’t figure out the right way to continue.

Zhao Jiyu understood his concerns. At this point, there was no need to waste any more time, so he took the initiative to bring up the topic.

“The woman you met last time, Yu Xuetong, she is indeed the person I’m currently seeing, but it’s someone my grandfather arranged.”

“Does she… know about your other side?”

Shen Ran chose a less aggressive term, and Zhao Jiyu chuckled, adjusting the fine gold rim of his glasses with his fingers.
“She doesn’t know. She’s also under family pressure and doesn’t want to waste time on blind dates. We’re just putting on a show, temporarily compromising, and each getting what we need.”

“So, are you planning to come out to your family about your sexual orientation in the future?”
Shen Ran asked hesitantly.

Zhao Jiyu’s lips maintained a gentle and serene smile. He countered,
“What, just because I’ve slept with you, you think I can’t be with a woman?”

Shen Ran hadn’t really thought of it that way, but Zhao Jiyu was just speaking casually and didn’t want him to misunderstand.
“I understand what you’re worried about. You can relax—I only see you as an old friend I can confide in. I’m not trying to change your mind.”

With such honesty, Shen Ran no longer felt as uncomfortable as before.
“Do your other friends know about your situation?”

“A little bit, but none of them know as much as you do.”
Zhao Jiyu looked at Shen Ran, his gaze carrying an unmistakable hint of suggestion.
“After all, you saw me doing that kind of thing back in middle school. You’re the only one who knows that secret.”

His words pulled Shen Ran’s thoughts back to that sweltering afternoon. It was as if he was once again standing under the dense shade of that big tree, watching the boy sitting against the trunk, staring at a video of two men being intimate while doing something forbidden himself.

The scene—both in the video and in reality—had been a huge shock to Shen Ran, who had grown up in the countryside. Maybe it was because everything felt so out of the ordinary that he quickly forgot about it after Zhao Jiyu left, never thinking of it again.

Back then, Zhao Jiyu was only in his first year of middle school. His hair was cut short, he didn’t wear glasses, and he always had a sullen expression, not talking to anyone. He was nothing like the open, approachable person standing before him now, whose features had fully matured and whose gender was difficult to discern just by looking at his face.

If the Zhao Jiyu he met back then had been as cheerful and easygoing as the one now, maybe he wouldn’t have forgotten.

Without realizing it, Shen Ran had been staring at Zhao Jiyu for quite a while. Zhao Jiyu seemed to enjoy being watched and didn’t interrupt him. Only when Shen Ran looked away did he continue,
“Have you always lived here?”

“I’ve been here for a few years. My mom settled in Hong Kong, and my dad lives with his wife and son somewhere else. They usually don’t come by.”

At their age, it was rare to still have a complete family. Shen Ran touched the intricate metalwork of the railing, not sure what to say next, but Zhao Jiyu continued,
“This house is pretty big, and living alone gets boring. If you came to stay, we could play games and chat. Having another person around would make it easier for Old Wu when he cooks.”

Shen Ran pressed his lips together, still seeming to contemplate it. Zhao Jiyu rested his chin on his left palm and said,
“Actually, your hesitation makes me misunderstand something.”

Shen Ran asked, “What?”

With a light smile, Zhao Jiyu leaned in close to his ear, his tone dripping with ambiguity.
“Are you afraid of doing it with me, or do you actually find it really enjoyable and are conflictedly looking forward to the next time?”