UI CH 32

Just as the words fell by his ear, the girl who had been filming suddenly turned around. When she saw the overly intimate posture between him and Zhao Jiyu, her expression held a hint of curiosity.

Zhao Jiyu straightened up naturally, as if he hadn’t noticed the girl’s inquisitive gaze at all. He asked Shen Ran again,
“Do you want one?”

The surroundings were brightly lit by the lights strung between the stalls. Shen Ran’s slightly flushed face had nowhere to hide. He muttered a quick “No” and started walking back toward the barbecue stall.

Zhao Jiyu caught up to him, watching as he took a bag of barbecue from the vendor and glanced back at him before heading toward the exit of the night market.

The atmosphere from earlier was completely disrupted. Even from his back, Shen Ran’s discomfort was palpable. Zhao Jiyu followed him for a while, and as they passed by the McDonald’s entrance, he grabbed Shen Ran’s arm.
“Let’s go in and get something to eat. Just the barbecue won’t be enough.”

The warmth of Zhao Jiyu’s palm on his elbow made Shen Ran inexplicably recall another situation where he had felt this heat holding him. But the thought was fleeting, quickly suppressed as he turned toward the McDonald’s entrance. He took in the crowded ordering area and, after a brief hesitation, stepped inside, blending into the crowd.

People surrounded the self-service kiosks, and there was a long line at the counter. Shen Ran took out his phone, placed an order, and handed it to Zhao Jiyu.
“Pick whatever you want.”

Zhao Jiyu didn’t take the phone, instead saying for Shen Ran to choose for him.

Shen Ran glanced at Zhao Jiyu, his expression suggesting he had something to say. But he lowered his head and continued scrolling through the menu.

After a moment of browsing, he chose a Black Gold Angus meal for Zhao Jiyu. Just as he was about to pay, seven or eight guys came down the stairs, seemingly in a hurry. They pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the exit.

With his back to them, Shen Ran didn’t see one of the boys behind him being shoved. Zhao Jiyu noticed and immediately pulled him aside.

Shen Ran had only half-entered his payment password when he stumbled into Zhao Jiyu’s arms. Zhao Jiyu’s hand pressed against his back, guiding him a few steps away.

A bit dazed, Shen Ran lifted his arm and heard arguing behind him. Turning back, he saw two groups in a dispute. Listening briefly, he gathered it was caused by the shoving.

The McDonald’s dining area was packed with twenty or thirty people, mostly young fans there to watch the game. Even a small argument drew attention, yet no one seemed to notice that Zhao Jiyu was still holding him. It even took Shen Ran a moment to realize it himself—that he was still wrapped in Zhao Jiyu’s embrace.

The floor manager rushed down from the second floor to mediate, while the staff at the counter called out order numbers energetically, urging customers to collect their food and clear the space. Shen Ran remembered he hadn’t finished paying. He gave Zhao Jiyu a push.
“I haven’t completed the order.”

Zhao Jiyu let go of him, and after Shen Ran finished the payment, neither of them mentioned the hug again. Shen Ran leaned against the wall, scrolling through his phone, while Zhao Jiyu kept his eyes on the digital screen showing the order status.

The quarreling people were soon persuaded to leave by the hall manager, and order was restored on the first floor. However, during the meal, more and more people kept coming in, and the outgoing ones couldn’t match the speed of those entering. The hall became increasingly crowded, and within a few minutes, Zhao Jiyu was pushed next to Shen Ran.

With the wall behind him and people packed tightly on both sides, Shen Ran had no choice but to look up at Zhao Jiyu. He noticed Zhao Jiyu’s arms positioned on either side of his own, creating a bit of space between them and bearing the weight of the crowd behind.

Shen Ran’s left hand, resting on the wall behind him, curled its fingers as he instinctively looked toward the door.

He wanted to get out.

Zhao Jiyu was too close—so close that despite being surrounded by the bustling crowd, Shen Ran felt a strange sense of quiet in the space around them. He could not only feel the heat of Zhao Jiyu’s breath brushing his cheek but also the almost tangible gaze on his face.

He held back his expression, trying not to think too much. Fortunately, the McDonald’s staff soon began guiding customers, and it wasn’t long before the space around them loosened up.

Shen Ran silently let out a sigh of relief. Zhao Jiyu, on the other hand, squeezed the spot on his back shoulder. Remembering how long Zhao Jiyu had been holding that position, Shen Ran asked in a low voice,
“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Zhao Jiyu replied.

Shen Ran nodded and continued staring at the electronic display screen. Before long, he saw their order number turn yellow, and he quickly squeezed forward, grabbed their food, and pushed the door open to leave.

Zhao Jiyu followed him out. When the hot, humid air hit them, Shen Ran actually felt a sense of relief, as if he had finally escaped. He glanced at his phone for the time, turned back to remind Zhao Jiyu it was time to go in, and noticed Zhao Jiyu frowning, still holding his left shoulder.

“Were you hurt earlier?”

“No, I just got hit by an elbow. Maybe I twisted a muscle.”

During the most crowded moment, Shen Ran had felt Zhao Jiyu get hit. At the time, Zhao Jiyu’s right hand had softened for a second, and their chests had nearly touched.

“Let me see.”
Shen Ran handed the bag and drinks to Zhao Jiyu, walked behind him, and gently pressed around to confirm the spot. He opened the collar of Zhao Jiyu’s shirt—his skin was indeed a bit red and swollen. Shen Ran leaned over to look at him.
“It’s a bit swollen. Does it hurt a lot?”

“It’s nothing,”
Zhao Jiyu said. “Let’s go in.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Shen Ran asked again.

Zhao Jiyu turned his head, looking much more relaxed than before.
“I know my own body. Come on.”

Since Zhao Jiyu insisted, Shen Ran could only follow, and they walked together toward the venue entrance.

Today’s game was the city high school finals. Most of the audience were students, with a few other spectators mixed in. They lined up for a while at the entrance, and after their tickets were checked, they found their seats on the east side of the stands.

These tickets had been acquired through a connection by Zheng Mingjin, and not only were they close to the front, but they also offered a great view. Shen Ran looked around—the seats around them were filling up. The conversations around them were noisy, but not enough to drown out the sound of basketballs bouncing and the cheerleaders practicing on the court.

Zhao Jiyu sat next to Shen Ran. It was his first time watching a basketball game live. The venue had been built not long ago, with excellent facilities. The large LED lights on the ceiling were bright but not glaring, and banners supporting the two teams hung at the back of the stands on both sides.

Taking the iced coffee from Shen Ran, Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Do you often come to watch games?”

Shen Ran unlocked his phone and responded with a sound. Zhao Jiyu, seeing him focused on replying to messages, asked if something important had come up.

Shen Ran turned his phone screen towards Zhao Jiyu, sighing,
“The most troublesome thing.”

Zhao Jiyu glanced at the group name, “[Group 3 Homework]”, and immediately understood.

Shen Ran took back his phone and continued typing, saying, “My computer is still at Ming Jin’s place. I’ll have to go get it from his house tomorrow.”

Zhao Jiyu said,
“I have two laptops. If you need one urgently, you can use one of mine first.”

“It’s okay, I can get it back tomorrow,”
Shen Ran said, finishing his message and getting up to go to the restroom.

Zhao Jiyu watched him walk down the stands and quickly disappear into the crowded flow of people. He didn’t return for more than twenty minutes, until the game was about to start, by which time the venue was almost completely full.
When he sat down, Zhao Jiyu noticed the beads of sweat on the corner of his shirt and took a tissue to wipe them off. “Why did you take so long?”

“The restroom line was really long,”
Shen Ran said, looking helpless. “And some people were arguing. I’m telling you, arguing in a place like that, don’t they find the smell overwhelming?”

His vivid description made Zhao Jiyu laugh, while Shen Ran looked towards the basketball court in the center. The two teams were already gathering, with their respective coaches giving final pre-game instructions. The spectators who hadn’t had dinner yet were grabbing food, planning to finish it before the game started.

While Shen Ran was in the restroom, Zhao Jiyu had waited for him to come back so they could eat together, so he hadn’t touched the food he’d bought. Considering that the barbecue smell might be a bit strong, Shen Ran first took out the burgers. Zhao Jiyu took the hefty Black Angus beef burger Shen Ran handed him, and then noticed that Shen Ran had ordered a small, ordinary cheeseburger for himself. As Shen Ran opened it to eat, Zhao Jiyu switched their burgers.

Shen Ran looked at Zhao Jiyu, puzzled.
“What are you doing?”

Zhao Jiyu took a bite of the burger, saying,
“I don’t like beef burgers.”

Shen Ran’s expression became even stranger.
“Mine is beef too.”

Zhao Jiyu had already tasted it by then, but quickly reacted,
“I thought yours was a McChicken. So what now? I’ve already eaten some, do you still want it?”

Shen Ran looked at the burger in his hand, speechless. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have ordered the most expensive one for him. Before Shen Ran could say anything, Zhao Jiyu took another bite.
“Never mind, I’ll just eat it like this.”

Zhao Jiyu took two big bites of his burger. Shen Ran thought for a moment and handed over both portions of fries from his bag.
“If it’s not enough, you can eat my fries too.”

This time, Zhao Jiyu didn’t refuse. While they were talking, the pre-game introduction broadcast had finished, and both teams had walked to the center of the court.

Before coming to watch the game, Shen Ran had done some research on the two teams. The team in blue jerseys had a higher chance of winning the championship, while the team in yellow was considered weaker. However, their previous match results had been very close, making it impossible to predict the outcome until the very end.

When the referee’s whistle blew, the basketball was tossed into the air. Both teams’ centers jumped at just the right moment. With a loud slap, the yellow team’s center secured the ball first, and a small wave of cheers rippled through the crowd.

Shen Ran saw this and immediately got excited, not even caring about the burger in his mouth. He turned to Zhao Jiyu and said,
“Did you see that? Yellow team’s number 4 has insane jumping ability!”

Zhao Jiyu had been busy inserting a straw into his cola and hadn’t been paying attention to the court. But he still nodded, noticing Shen Ran’s cheeks puffed out with food. He brought the straw to Shen Ran’s mouth and said,
“Have a sip, so you don’t choke.”