UI CH 46

It was like someone had set off a firecracker right next to his ear. Shen Ran’s mind buzzed, and for a moment, he thought he had misheard.

But when he turned his head back, he forgot that Zhao Jiyu was still leaning close to his ear. With that movement, the scene from their horseback riding earlier in the afternoon replayed itself.

Zhao Jiyu’s lips brushed against his cheek and stopped at the corner of his mouth.

Even though it wasn’t intentional, the sudden closeness brought their breaths together, and the scent of wine passed between them. Shen Ran’s entire body tensed, his eyes locked onto the face that was so close yet too blurred to see clearly. Then, he felt Zhao Jiyu press a brief kiss to his lips.

Their lips touched and separated in an instant. Shen Ran held his breath.

Through his glasses, his gaze deepened. Zhao Jiyu cupped his chin, but just as he was about to move in again, Shen Ran pushed his hand away and quickly buried his face in the pillow.

Seeing the tight set of his shoulder blades, his stiff posture making it clear that he was resisting, Zhao Jiyu suppressed his urge to kiss him again. Instead, he buried his face against Shen Ran’s neck and shoulder, leaving two light red marks before biting down.

This time, there was some force behind it, carrying a hint of emotion. Shen Ran winced at the pain, twisting to break free. Before he could even get angry, he felt Zhao Jiyu’s entire body press down on him, hands clasping his fingers, lips once again hovering near his face.

Shen Ran was already weak from the alcohol, and after being massaged earlier, his whole body felt limp. Now, with Zhao Jiyu pinning him from behind, he had no strength to resist. He could only grit his teeth and warn through gritted breath,
“Zhao Jiyu! If you keep this up, I’ll really get mad!”

The person behind him finally stopped. Zhao Jiyu let out a deep sigh against his back, then decisively pulled away.
“Get some sleep. I’ll step out for a while.”

With that, he left the room, and for the rest of the night, he didn’t return.

Shen Ran had drunk quite a bit of wine tonight. By all logic, he shouldn’t have had trouble sleeping. Yet he tossed and turned in bed, unable to settle down. Eventually, he gave up and went outside, sitting in the courtyard until he caught sight of the first light of dawn.

A crack in the eastern sky split the darkness apart. He leaned against the back of the lounge chair, watching as the light slowly spilled out like a delicate mist, feeling the world gradually break free from the night’s embrace to welcome the brilliant hues of sunrise. The mountain winds howled, sweeping away the last traces of lingering mist.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had watched such a complete sunrise. Pulling the thin blanket around his shoulders tighter, he only returned to the villa when the sunlight became so bright that he could barely keep his eyes open.

The large clock on the wall showed it was not yet six o’clock. Lying on the sofa, he soon heard footsteps coming from the staircase. He kept his eyes closed, sensing the person approach before hearing a soft voice call his name.

“Shen Ran?”

He lifted his eyelids and saw Lao Wu standing by the sofa.

“Why are you sleeping here? Where’s Jiyu?”

“He’s probably sleeping in the room,” Shen Ran replied, his voice weary.

“He’s not there. I just went to your room to ask about breakfast, and the door was open, but he wasn’t inside.”

Shen Ran sat up, the blanket slipping from his shoulders to his stomach.

Last night, Zhao Jiyu had said he was going out for a bit, but he never returned to the room. Shen Ran hadn’t paid attention, assuming Zhao Jiyu had come back later. But he hadn’t heard any movement outside, and Zhao Jiyu’s car was still parked where it was.

Lao Wu called Zhao Jiyu’s phone, but it was turned off. The two of them searched the entire three-story villa and even checked the wine cellar in the basement.

The cellar had a constant temperature, and although it was spacious, it was quite cold—there was no way Zhao Jiyu would stay there for long.

“Where could he have gone?” Shen Ran asked anxiously.

“Check the stables,” Lao Wu suggested.

They made their way to the back of the villa, where the horse paddock stretched across the open field. One glance revealed that no one was there. But as they entered the stable, they heard the sound of water splashing.

Quickening their pace, they found Zhao Jiyu wearing a one-piece work suit and waterproof boots, scrubbing Medusa with a sponge.

Sensing movement behind him, Zhao Jiyu turned around. A half-burned cigarette dangled from his lips, and a hint of stubble shadowed his usually smooth jawline. Without his glasses, his face carried an untamed, rugged charm.

Shen Ran’s gaze settled on his lips. The same lips that had been so soft last night were now dry and slightly chapped at the corners.

Seeing that he was fine, Lao Wu left to prepare breakfast. Shen Ran, however, remained where he stood. Behind him, the early morning sky was a comfortable blue with soft white clouds, while in front of him, the stable was dimly lit.

Medusa, covered in white foam, snorted occasionally. Noticing its owner had paused, the horse turned its head and nudged Zhao Jiyu’s arm.

Zhao Jiyu shifted his gaze away from Shen Ran, bent down, dipped the sponge into the water bucket, and resumed scrubbing. His movements were smooth and practiced—even when he washed Medusa’s hindquarters, the horse didn’t resist.

Shen Ran stood watching for a while without saying anything.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiyu released the sponge from his hand, stubbed out his cigarette with his foot, and asked,
“Want to give it a try?”

Shen Ran asked, “Try what?”

“Giving it a bath.”

“Can I?”

“You won’t know until you try.”

Zhao Jiyu stroked Medusa’s head and whispered a few words near its ear. The horse let out a soft snort and tapped its hooves twice before standing still.

Shen Ran walked over, bent down, and picked up the large sponge from the water bucket, gently wiping Medusa’s body the way Zhao Jiyu had.

But his touch was too light. Zhao Jiyu watched him for a moment before grasping his hand.

“You need to use more force,” he said.
“Otherwise, it won’t get clean.”

Zhao Jiyu’s palm pressed against the back of Shen Ran’s hand, guiding him to apply the right amount of pressure as they scrubbed Medusa. They worked their way from the horse’s back to its sides. Then, Zhao Jiyu placed a hand on Shen Ran’s waist, helping him squat down to teach him how to wash the horse’s belly. As they continued, their hands eventually moved to a raised, soft yet firm area near the tail.

Shen Ran had never observed a horse up close before, and with the dim lighting, he didn’t immediately realize what it was. It wasn’t until Zhao Jiyu leaned in and whispered by his ear,
“Be careful when washing this part. You don’t want to hurt it.”

Though Zhao Jiyu’s tone carried a teasing edge, Shen Ran didn’t think much of it at first—until Zhao Jiyu guided his hand to gently wipe the area. Medusa started flicking its tail restlessly and snorted twice. That was when Shen Ran finally realized what he was touching. His body stiffened, and he quickly turned his head to look at Zhao Jiyu.

Zhao Jiyu was clearly struggling to hold back his laughter. But once he saw that Shen Ran had figured it out, he gave up on restraining himself, pressing his forehead against Shen Ran’s shoulder as he shook with laughter.

Shen Ran’s ears burned with embarrassment. Realizing he had once again fallen for Zhao Jiyu’s trick, he immediately lost interest in continuing. Just as he was about to push Medusa’s head away and stand up, Zhao Jiyu quickly apologized,
“Alright, I won’t mess around anymore. Let’s wash it properly. After breakfast, I’ll take you for another ride.”

The exhilarating experience of riding yesterday was still fresh in his mind, making it hard to resist the temptation. So, Shen Ran stayed, finishing the bath by applying shampoo. Zhao Jiyu then taught him how to use the water hose to rinse Medusa. When it came to washing the horse’s head, however, Zhao Jiyu took over, letting Shen Ran simply observe.

Once the final step of drying was complete, Medusa’s coat appeared shinier and sleeker than before, making the horse look even more handsome.

Shen Ran reached out to pat Medusa’s head. Having helped with the bath, he felt that the horse was now more affectionate toward him. However, since a freshly bathed horse couldn’t be ridden right away, Zhao Jiyu led Shen Ran back to the villa for breakfast. Only after they had eaten did they return to the stables.

Compared to yesterday, Shen Ran’s riding posture had improved significantly. Even so, Zhao Jiyu still rode with him, guiding him along. Shen Ran’s back rested against Zhao Jiyu’s chest, their heads so close that they could hear each other’s breathing. The wind brushed past their faces, carrying the exhilarating scent of freedom. As Shen Ran gazed out over the vast, open landscape, he suddenly felt reluctant to leave.

Zhao Jiyu, who had been watching him more than focusing on the ride, noticed the change in his mood and said,
“If you like it so much, we can come back next week.”

“School starts next week,”
Shen Ran replied.

“You can come on the weekends. My family rarely comes here—only the butler and the stable hands are around.”

Shen Ran was about to nod and agree when he suddenly recalled what had happened before they went to sleep last night.

Zhao Jiyu had asked him if, since he had already experimented with being with a guy, he had ever considered getting a boyfriend.

Shen Ran wasn’t sure how to interpret Zhao Jiyu’s words. The way they were interacting now was already ambiguous—was Zhao Jiyu really suggesting taking things a step further?

But he had never once considered the possibility of being with someone of the same gender.

Seeing that Shen Ran remained silent, his gaze drifting as if lost in thought, Zhao Jiyu didn’t press him further. Instead, he quietly accompanied him for a few more laps before finally pulling the reins, bringing Medusa to a stop.

As Shen Ran dismounted, his riding boot got caught at the heel, nearly causing him to fall. Fortunately, Zhao Jiyu reacted quickly, catching him securely in his arms. Only after Shen Ran had steadied his right foot did Zhao Jiyu help him lower his left foot to the ground.

Shen Ran murmured a quiet thank you. Zhao Jiyu gave him a warm smile, unfastened the helmet strap by his face, and ruffled his flattened hair twice. “Go take a shower. We’ll head back afterward.”

Before leaving, Zhao Jiyu loaded a case of red wine into the trunk. On the way home, he answered several phone calls, and Shen Ran, sitting beside him, learned that Zhao Jiyu had to stop by his family’s company in the afternoon.

Old Wu stayed behind to clean up and didn’t return with them. Once they got home, Zhao Jiyu changed into fresh clothes. Before heading out, he reminded Shen Ran that Old Wu would come by in the evening to cook dinner.

Shen Ran acknowledged him with a nod, watching as Zhao Jiyu sat on the leather bench by the entryway, put on his shoes, and stepped out the door.

As the house fell into silence, Shen Ran walked into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and reached for his clothes, but then hesitated.

He hadn’t planned on staying overnight, so from last night until now, he had been wearing Zhao Jiyu’s clothes—including his underwear.

Slipping off the silky fabric around his waist, Shen Ran exhaled softly. After showering, he went back to his room to catch up on sleep. In the afternoon, he headed to Ji Ming Lun’s house to pick up the English materials they had arranged beforehand.

On the way, he noticed a missed call from Zheng Mingjin. When he called back, no one answered. By the time he arrived at Ji Minglun’s place, Ji Minglun was in the middle of an important video call and asked him to wait.

Shen Ran sat on the couch in the living room, occasionally glancing at the news playing on the TV. Every now and then, he peeked toward the kitchen, where Ji Minglun was speaking on the phone. He debated whether to bring up Zhao Jiyu and ask for advice.

But when the words reached his lips, he couldn’t say them. Their situation was too complicated, and Zhao Jiyu hadn’t made anything clear. Shen Ran wasn’t even sure if Zhao Jiyu had romantic intentions or if he was simply suggesting that he should try dating a guy.

Leaning back against the sofa cushion, Shen Ran found himself growing more frustrated. At that moment, Jiang Lin woke up in the next room and came out to greet him. Then, Ji Minglun finished his call and pulled Jiang Lin into the bathroom.

Hearing the door lock, Shen Ran instinctively turned up the TV volume to give them some privacy. Just as he set down the remote, his phone rang—it was Zheng Mingjin calling back, along with a WeChat message containing a photo.

“What’s this?”
Shen Ran opened the image.

Zheng Mingjin replied,
“Yang Xin and I went drinking at a bar last night. That resident singer from last time recognized me and showed me this.”

Staring at the picture, Shen Ran was at a loss for words.

In the dimly lit bar, he was slumped against the sofa with his head slightly lowered, eyes closed, and motionless. Zhao Jiyu was turned toward him, partially blocking the view. Though their lips weren’t visibly touching, anyone who saw this scene would think they were kissing.

“It was too late to ask you last night, but what the hell is going on? The person you mentioned… don’t tell me it’s Zhao Jiyu?”

Shen Ran was completely stunned. Thankfully, he still had enough awareness to remember that he wasn’t at home. He hastily muttered,
“I’ll explain later,” before hanging up the call.

As his mind cleared, he recalled the night Yang Xin had returned—Zhao Jiyu had come to the bar to find him. He had gotten drunk afterward… So was Zhao Jiyu insane? How could he do something so intimate in a place like that?!

His mind was in chaos as he stared intently at the screen, completely unaware of when Ji Minglun had walked out or even when he had come to stand beside him, catching a full view of the photo on the screen.

By the time Shen Ran realized it, he hurriedly tried to block the screen, but it was already too late. Ji Minglun, being experienced, understood the situation at a glance. Frowning, he asked,
“What exactly is going on with you?”

Shen Ran had no way to argue. Ji Minglun already knew about the incident where he had been secretly photographed and was aware that he had gone drinking at a gay bar that night after being overly upset. If he could still try to cover things up in front of Zheng Mingjin, in front of Ji Minglun, he felt as though he had already been completely seen through—without needing to say a word.

Not wanting to stay there any longer, Shen Ran got up and said,
“Senior, just find the materials for me. I have something to do and need to leave.”

Ji Minglun’s frown deepened, which was rare. As Shen Ran bent down to put on his slippers, his forward-leaning posture exposed a red mark near his collarbone.

“The other person in the photo is Zhao Jiyu, isn’t it? You ran into him that night at the gay bar?”

Shen Ran’s phone slipped from his grip and landed with a muffled thud on the carpet.

“That’s someone else’s photo. Senior, don’t overthink it.”
Shen Ran forced himself to stay calm as he bent down to pick up his phone, completely unaware that he had once again exposed the back of his neck to Ji Minglun. This time, Ji Minglun clearly saw the faint hickey on the right side of his neck—along with a slightly bruised bite mark.

The sheer number of intimate marks on his body instantly made Ji Minglun piece everything together—Zhao Jiyu’s sudden and inexplicable appearance at the competition to support Shen Ran, and why Shen Ran had claimed to have a waist injury and refused to participate.

Since Shen Ran wasn’t willing to admit anything, Ji Minglun didn’t press further. Instead, he simply waited for Shen Ran to straighten up before advising, “If you’re thinking about your situation with Zhao Jiyu, you should wear high-collared shirts when you go out these next few days. The marks on your body are too obvious.”