UI CH 24

“Jiyu, the shredded pork noodles are ready.”

Old Wu’s voice came from the other side of the living room, cutting off the retort Shen Ran had been about to make. Zhao Jiyu responded, and when he looked back at Shen Ran, his playful expression was gone, and his tone had become sincere.

“I’m not trying to provoke you. It’s just that the way you reject me makes me feel like I’m some kind of monster. It’s pretty hurtful.”

His eyes lowered, and Zhao Jiyu’s right hand slipped into his pants pocket. He turned and walked toward the living room. “Let’s have breakfast first. If you really want to leave, I’ll take you.”

Listening to his footsteps fade away, Shen Ran released his tightly clenched right hand and turned to look at the sea on the other side.

The time they spent talking wasn’t long, but a hazy sea fog had spread across the horizon, continuously expanding to both sides.

Staring at the increasingly blurred distance, Shen Ran replayed Zhao Jiyu’s words in his mind. Perhaps he was overthinking it. To Zhao Jiyu, that night was just a very ordinary release, and it wouldn’t have changed whether the object was him or someone else.

As for what happened that summer, he and Zhao Jiyu hadn’t spoken much then, but on the way back when he carried Zhao Jiyu on his back, he remembered Zhao Jiyu muttering softly that he envied the atmosphere between him and his mother. At that time, Zhao Jiyu didn’t explain much, and he didn’t ask in detail. Now that he understood some of the situation, he could understand why this boy from the big city, who seemingly lacked nothing, would envy him.

After gazing at the sea for a while, his eyes started to sting. Shen Ran wanted to go inside, and as he turned around, he saw Zhao Jiyu holding a bowl, watching him by the French window.

As soon as their eyes met, Zhao Jiyu handed him the bowl:
“If you don’t want to sit with me, eat here. The noodles shouldn’t sit.”

The soup and thin round noodles in the bowl were light and refreshing, with two tender and plump sunny-side-up eggs piled on top of the shredded sour pork.

He looked up at Zhao Jiyu, unconsciously comparing the current considerate and gentle face with that arrogant and difficult young master. Thinking of how annoying and pretentious this person was back then, Shen Ran suddenly wanted to laugh, but he held back, took the bowl, and walked past Zhao Jiyu:
“I didn’t think that.”

Last time, he had been to Zhao Jiyu’s restaurant, and this time, he sat in the same spot as before. Zhao Jiyu sat down beside him, with only a cup of black coffee in front of him. Shen Ran didn’t touch his chopsticks and asked,
“Aren’t you eating?”

Zhao Jiyu said, “I’m not hungry. You eat.”

Shen Ran picked up a chopstick of noodles. The noodles looked light, but the taste was very delicious, especially the slightly sour soup. Taking another bite of the sunny-side-up egg, the soft and smooth egg yolk filled his mouth. His stomach, which hadn’t been full last night, was already rumbling with hunger.

Even though Shen Ran restrained himself, he quickly finished the bowl. Zhao Jiyu kept looking at his phone. Seeing him put down his chopsticks, he asked,
“Are you full? If it’s not enough, I’ll have Old Wu make another bowl.”

Pulling out a tissue to wipe his mouth, Shen Ran leaned back in his chair for a moment:
“No need, I’m very full.”

Taking a sip of his coffee, Zhao Jiyu heard Shen Ran say before he could swallow,
“I’ve thought about what you said, but I can’t afford the rent here.”

Zhao Jiyu looked at Shen Ran, and just as his lips parted, he was interrupted:
“I know you have a housekeeper. If you agree, can I take care of the housework? I’m used to washing dishes, cleaning, and mopping floors, and I’ll make sure it’s very clean.”

Gently rubbing the handle of his coffee cup, Zhao Jiyu said, “Actually, you don’t need to feel burdened. You don’t have to do anything to live here.”

“It’s not right to do nothing,” Shen Ran had thought it through and spoke without hesitation,
“You treat me as a friend, and friends shouldn’t just have one-sided giving. I stayed at my senior’s place for a few days before, and I helped him with the housework.”

“Senior?”

“He’s Cheng Minglun, the senior from the basketball club who borrowed my camera before.”

“Didn’t you rent your own place? Why are you staying at his place?”

“There were a few days without water and electricity right after the holiday started. He happened to have a spare room, so I stayed there for a few days.”

Zhao Jiyu said,
“If that makes you feel at ease, then suit yourself.”

Shen Ran nodded, stood up, and took his own bowl and Zhao Jiyu’s coffee cup.
As he turned to leave, he paused, looked back at Zhao Jiyu, and said,
“I’ll have to trouble you again this time. Thanks.”

Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Jiyu recalled the way Shen Ran had just smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile pleasantly too.

Old Wu was wrapping mango daifuku on the marble island. When he saw Shen Ran coming in with the bowls, he said,
“Just leave them there. I’ll wash them in a bit.”

“It’s fine, I’ll wash them myself.”

Shen Ran walked over to the sink. Although Zhao Jiyu’s house had a dishwasher, he still felt that handwashing was more convenient for just a few dishes. He took the dish soap from the upper right cabinet and carefully cleaned the bowls.

Occasionally, Old Wu would glance at him. When Shen Ran finished, Old Wu handed him a plate.
“Dessert after breakfast.”

He hadn’t expected breakfast to come with dessert. Shen Ran looked at the plate of white, adorable fruit daifuku.
“I didn’t realize he liked sweets so much.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Old Wu’s face. Shen Ran, with his head down, didn’t notice it. Old Wu quickly masked his expression and said,
“He didn’t use to like sweets.”

“Why does he like them now?”

Old Wu placed a couple of small mango pieces onto the daifuku filling. He was about to answer when footsteps interrupted him. Zhao Jiyu walked to the kitchen door and waved his phone at Shen Ran.
“Someone’s looking for you.”

Shen Ran had dozed off last night, and his phone had been set to vibrate by Zhao Jiyu, who had kept it with him.

Seeing Zheng Mingjin’s name, Shen Ran handed the plate to Zhao Jiyu and quickly walked to the balcony to take the call.

Zhao Jiyu stood by the island, casually setting the daifuku plate aside. He picked up fresh strawberries from a glass bowl and started eating.

Old Wu, wrapping the last daifuku and cleaning up his tools, muttered,
“You ask me to make him different desserts every day. In the end, he might think you’re the one with a sweet tooth.”

Zhao Jiyu chuckled, patted Old Wu’s shoulder, and took the plate of daifuku out.

A few minutes later, after Shen Ran finished his call, Zhao Jiyu handed him the plate. Shen Ran ate two pieces, his cheeks still puffed up, and mentioned he had to go to work at the convenience store.

Zhao Jiyu said,
“You’re still not familiar with this area. I’ll take you there.”

“No need. I’ve been here before. There’s a bus stop right downstairs. It’s very convenient.”

Shen Ran grabbed his bag, walked to the entryway to change his shoes. Zhao Jiyu followed him, pressing the elevator button for him. As he looked at the occasional glimpse of skin, he averted his gaze when Shen Ran stood upright.

“I’m leaving.”

Shen Ran opened the door. Zhao Jiyu stepped forward to hold the handle and reminded him,
“Be careful on the road.”

Shen Ran turned back and smiled at Zhao Jiyu before quickly walking into the elevator. After the door closed, Zhao Jiyu turned around and saw Old Wu poking his head out of the kitchen.
“Will he be back for dinner? If he is, I’ll go buy the ingredients for braised fish.”

Looking at the slippers Shen Ran had taken off and placed to the side, Zhao Jiyu said,
“No need to cook tonight. I’ll take him out to eat.”

Shen Ran walked all the way to the bus stop and got on a bus heading toward the university. Sitting in the back row, he messaged Xu Tian, saying he’d be a bit late. Then he opened the map app to check the route from Zhao Jiyu’s home to the convenience store.

The distance was much farther than from the youth hostel he previously rented. He would need to leave earlier from now on. However, looking at the mesmerizing coastal scenery along the bus route, he felt that spending a bit more time on the road was worth it.

He put on his headphones, leaned back in the seat, and his empty mind started replaying the events of the morning.

He had agreed to stay at Zhao Jiyu’s place. Though he could move back to the dormitory once the semester started, it still felt surreal.

Even if they had a bit of contact when they were kids, he and Zhao Jiyu weren’t exactly close. However, seeing Zhao Jiyu living alone in such a large house, with only the housekeeper and Old Wu, the chef, he thought it was normal for Zhao Jiyu to want a bit of “human presence.”

If he were living alone in such a big house without his family around, he would feel lonely too.

When he arrived at the convenience store, Shen Ran changed into his uniform and started work. The store had several large delivery orders in the afternoon.

It wasn’t until evening that he had time to sit down and rest. Unexpectedly, his night shift colleague had an emergency and couldn’t come in. The boss hoped he could cover until midnight and promised him a day off tomorrow.

The store often had these last-minute absences, and it wasn’t Shen Ran’s first time working overtime, so he agreed. Around 7 p.m., Zhao Jiyu sent him a WeChat message asking when he’d be home. Shen Ran explained his overtime situation.

The night shift at the convenience store was usually busier than the day shift, and time passed quickly. When he finally changed out of his uniform and stepped outside, most of the shops on the street had already closed.

Rubbing his sore shoulders and neck, Shen Ran walked toward the bus stop under the moonlight. He hadn’t eaten enough for dinner and was considering getting a bowl of ramen before heading back. But as he reached the corner, he saw a polar gray Cayenne parked by the roadside.

The person in the driver’s seat flashed the car lights at him. Shen Ran walked to the passenger side, and Zhao Jiyu rolled down the window.
“Your boss really knows how to exploit people.”

Shen Ran crossed his arms on the window, smiling.
“What are you doing here?”

Flicking the ashes off his cigarette, Zhao Jiyu said,
“Just finished a date. I’m hungry.”

Hearing this, Shen Ran couldn’t help but laugh.
“What, did you do manual labor on your date?”

He said it casually, without any other meaning. But the listener thought differently. Under the dim light inside the car, Zhao Jiyu’s gaze lingered on Shen Ran’s lips for a moment. He asked back,
“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yeah,” Shen Ran said.
“I really did a full day of manual labor.”

Unlocking the passenger door, Zhao Jiyu waited for Shen Ran to get in before saying,
“You’re free tomorrow, right?”

Shen Ran nodded. When he sent a WeChat message in the evening, he had casually mentioned that he was working overtime today and could rest tomorrow.

“Then come with me somewhere.”

Shen Ran fastened his seatbelt. “Where are we going so late?”

Starting the car, Zhao Jiyu smiled and said,
“To a place where you can eat a lot of good food and soak in a hot spring to relax.”