UI CH 7

Shen Ran’s mind was consumed by the disaster his roommate had created. Even though Zhao Jiyu’s close proximity was inappropriate, he didn’t care anymore. He pulled his hand away, slammed the keys onto the shoe rack, and strode inside.

Zhao Jiyu stood in the entryway, watching as Shen Ran knocked loudly on the door. After pushing it open, the noise from the room stopped, and soon Shen Ran came out, closed the door tightly, and stood in front of him, awkwardly saying, “Sorry, my roommate is a bit careless. Don’t mind him.”

Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Is your roommate from our school?”

“No, he’s already working. He said he had the day off, so he came back early.”
Shen Ran didn’t want to elaborate, pointing to the bathroom on the right.
“You can use it.”

Before entering, Zhao Jiyu comforted him again,
“It’s not as comfortable living with others as it is living alone. Don’t worry too much about it.”

Shen Ran nodded absently. Once Zhao Jiyu closed the bathroom door, Shen Ran let out a heavy sigh and walked to the kitchen to pour himself some water.

He was very thirsty. After finishing one glass, he poured another. When Zhao Jiyu came out, he saw Shen Ran standing in the kitchen, drinking water with his head tilted back towards the window. The kitchen light wasn’t on, but his reflection in the window showed his silhouette, and his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed.

Looking at the prominent bulge in his throat, Zhao Jiyu thought of that night when he had teased Shen Ran by pressing on his Adam’s apple, remembering his reaction. His gaze softened behind his glasses until Shen Ran turned around, and Zhao Jiyu gently lifted the corner of his lips.

Putting down his cup, Shen Ran came over and grabbed the door handle, saying,
“I won’t walk you out.”

“Okay.” Zhao Jiyu was straightforward as well. After Shen Ran opened the door, he walked out, then turned back to look at him,
“By the way, aren’t you going to do something about your back pain?”

Avoiding his gaze, Shen Ran replied,
“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Zhao Jiyu said,
“Then I’ll be going.”

He put his hands back in his pockets and strode down the stairs. As he reached the corner, Shen Ran parted his lips, intending to thank him for his help today. However, as the words reached his mouth, he remembered what had happened between them before, and it was hard for him to say.

In truth, it was better for him to have as little interaction with Zhao Jiyu as possible.

After hearing the sound of the door closing, Zhao Jiyu glanced up. He had already reached the next flight of stairs, and from this angle, he could only see a corner of the door. The light in the corridor flickered on for a few seconds before turning off, and the streetlight outside became clearer.

Standing still for a moment, Zhao Jiyu walked out of the building and headed toward the parking spot. His sense of direction was excellent; he could recognize any place he had been to once. Even though this was an old neighborhood, he found the car easily based on memory.

Sitting in the car, he lit a cigarette and checked his phone, only to find a message from Old Tang from a few minutes ago.

[Jiyu, your grandfather asked if you have time in the next few days to come over for a meal.]

Checking the time on the phone screen, Zhao Jiyu replied, [I’ll come now.]

More than a minute later, Old Tang responded: [Okay, I’ll have Zhou Li arrange it.]

After putting out the cigarette, Zhao Jiyu started the car and drove toward Wuyuan Bay.

Zhao Jiyu’s grandfather, Zhao Xinhong, was over sixty years old and had three sons and one daughter. However, unlike most large families, he didn’t live with any of his children. Instead, he lived alone with a secretary and a housekeeper in a high-rise apartment near Wuyuan Bay.

As the eldest grandson of the Zhao family, Zhao Jiyu, despite having a useless father, was always obedient and sensible. His grades, behavior, and appearance were all impeccable. Compared to his younger siblings, he was far more outstanding, and as a result, Zhao Xinhong was especially fond of him. He was the only one who could visit his grandfather’s apartment without needing an invitation.

By the time Zhao Jiyu arrived, it was almost nine o’clock. The housekeeper, Zhou Li, had prepared a table of home-cooked dishes. When he entered, Zhao Xinhong was sitting in front of the TV, watching news on the economic channel. Upon hearing the noise, he turned around, put down his pipe, and waved at him.

Zhao Jiyu changed into slippers, sat down next to Zhao Xinhong, and took the glass of red wine that Zhao Xinhong handed him.
“Don’t say anything, just taste it first.”

Zhao Jiyu took the glass, sniffed it lightly, and looked at the color of the wine in the light before taking a sip.

Zhao Xinhong watched him closely, “How is it?”

Zhao Jiyu nodded,
“It’s very smooth.”

Zhao Xinhong smiled proudly and tapped the secretary, Old Tang, who was standing next to him,
“I told you he could taste it. He’s not like his father with his wooden tongue.”

“This wine was brought by my father?”
Zhao Jiyu took another sip and leaned forward slightly to put the glass down.

“I got it from your grandfather, Yu,”
Zhao Xinhong stood up and pulled him toward the dining room.
“Take two bottles with you later, but don’t give any to your father, or he’ll spoil my good wine.”

Zhao Jiyu smiled and shook his head. After sitting down, wiping his hands, and taking a sip of the mushroom duck soup Zhou Li had prepared for him, he couldn’t help but exclaim,
“Aunt Li, your cooking skills are getting outrageous.”

Zhou Li laughed so much that the smile lines at the corners of her eyes couldn’t be hidden. Zhao Xinhong also took a few sips of the soup and said,
“If it’s good, drink more. Look at your face, it’s so thin. Tongtong’s face is even bigger than yours now.”

When Zhao Xinhong referred to Tongtong, he meant Yu Bo’s granddaughter, Yu Xuetong, who was two years older than Zhao Jiyu. They had known each other since childhood, but in the third year of junior high, Yu Xuetong went abroad to study.

They hadn’t seen each other in person since then, only keeping in touch online.

Last week, after Yu Xuetong graduated and returned to China, Zhao Xinhong took him to the Yu family’s family banquet. After many years, Yu Xuetong had grown into a beautiful and charming woman, with the poise and elegance fitting for a lady of a prestigious family. However, when they chatted privately, Zhao Jiyu found that Yu Xuetong was still the same as before—she could joke, act playful, and even laugh with her head thrown back like when they were younger. She even talked to him about relationships.

Their family backgrounds were comparable, and both of them understood what this meeting meant. Before Zhao Jiyu could express his attitude, Yu Xuetong proactively brought up the topic of relationships.

She mentioned having had three boyfriends and realized she didn’t feel anything while dating men. She then talked about future plans, possibly taking a break before continuing her studies.

Zhao Jiyu could understand the subtext and, smiling, took a sip of coffee while mentioning that he wasn’t planning to find a partner just yet.

He had just turned 20 this year, and while that age would be suitable for marriage and having children in a large family, neither of them wanted to follow the family’s arrangement. After talking for a while, Yu Xuetong laughed again and continued chatting with him about the past.

“Speaking of Tongtong, you should take a stand,”
Zhao Xinhong added, placing a piece of beef shoulder on Zhao Jiyu’s plate.
“It’s been several days, why haven’t you made up your mind?”

After eating the meat, Zhao Jiyu took a sip of soup and answered slowly,
“I’m only halfway through college. Can you stop rushing me?”

“Dating and studying aren’t in conflict,”
Zhao Xinhong dismissed the issue.
“Look at your younger siblings, each one of them couldn’t wait to start dating as soon as they entered university. But you, at your age, still make me worry.”

Zhao Jiyu held back a laugh and served Zhao Xinhong some cod fillet.
“Got it, I’ll seriously consider it.”

“Don’t think about it. Grandpa will make the decision for you,”
Zhao Xinhong rolled up his sleeves, pressing his palms on his thighs.
“Your grandfather Yu said that Tongtong still has a lot of things to buy. The day after tomorrow morning, go pick her up and accompany her to buy everything she needs and deliver it to her home.”

Zhao Xinhong was always a decisive person, even more so now after retiring from the company. His efficient manner of handling things remained unchanged. Zhao Jiyu couldn’t oppose him and understood that his grandfather was genuinely concerned about his future, but this approach couldn’t go on forever. He needed to find a chance to reveal the truth—that he didn’t like women.

Before speaking, the necessary groundwork must be done.

With his arms crossed on the table, Zhao Jiayu looked earnestly at Zhao Xinhong:
“Grandpa, I know you’re looking out for me, but my parents’ lives turned out the way they did because they just followed the family’s arrangements. I don’t want to repeat their mistakes.”

When mentioning his eldest son and his former daughter-in-law, Zhao Xinhong’s expression grew complicated.

It was he who had initially arranged the marriage of his eldest son. Zhao Jiayu’s mother came from a good family, and the marriage between the two families was supposed to be mutually beneficial. However, his mother’s overly stubborn personality and his son’s lack of ambition led to their eventual divorce.

In fact, Zhao Xinhong felt most sorry for his precious grandson in regard to his eldest son’s marriage. After the divorce, when his eldest son remarried, Zhao Jiayu never expressed dissatisfaction, but Zhao Xinhong could see that he had grown increasingly resistant to returning to that home.

Seeing that Zhao Xinhong had calmed down, Zhao Jiayu picked up his chopsticks and helped him with some dishes. A few short sentences shifted the topic to the wine, and the mood at the dinner table soon returned to normal. After the meal, Zhao Jiayu stayed and took a nap in his designated bedroom. The next morning, he had breakfast with Zhao Xinhong before leaving.

However, Zhao Xinhong, seemingly having let it go, couldn’t resist sending a message in the afternoon, reminding him to help buy things for Yu Xue Tong, regardless of whether there were any romantic intentions, so as not to be disrespectful.

Zhao Jiayu understood this, and he called Yu Xue Tong to arrange to meet the next morning.

Before bed that night, his small group of five close friends started sending messages. He glanced at them—it was Wei Qi organizing a trip to the sea for the weekend.

Everyone was discussing the plans, but he wasn’t interested, so he set his phone to “Do Not Disturb” and went to sleep.

The next morning, he accompanied Yu Xue Tong to a home goods market.

Yu Xue Tong had studied in the UK for many years and had a strong preference for British-style home decor. Coincidentally, Zhao Xinhong had an old friend who specialized in high-end British-style custom furniture. Zhao Jiayu accompanied Yu Xue Tong to meet with him. By noon, the friend had recorded all of Yu Xue Tong’s ideas and requirements, saying they would discuss the plan further once it was ready.

After leaving the home goods market, Yu Xue Tong happily patted his shoulder and said,
“Let’s go! Whatever you want for lunch, I’ll treat you.”

Zhao Jiayu smiled. He wasn’t particularly interested in food, but he had something he wanted to discuss with Yu Xue Tong.

Yu Xue Tong chose the restaurant. She said a friend had recommended a newly opened Japanese restaurant, with fresh ingredients and a good atmosphere.

When Zhao Jiayu saw the address was near his school, he drove there. Upon arriving, he realized he had run out of cigarettes. He asked Yu Xue Tong to go ahead while he went across the street to the tobacco shop. Just as he was about to get out of the car, he saw someone in a brown apron exiting the convenience store next door. His hand froze as he was about to open the car door.

The other person was carrying two boxes of sparkling water, dressed in black clothes that accentuated his tall and slender figure. His cheeks, visible under the baseball cap, were flushed red, likely from the heat. He looked around at the streets on both sides, but didn’t notice Zhao Jiayu in the car. He passed by the van in front and climbed the stairs next to the building.

Zhao Jiayu observed the long staircase. It was an external cement staircase of an old building, typically used for deliveries or by employees. He watched for a while, then saw Shen Ran reach the top of the first section, then pass through a corridor and continue up the stairs. After climbing three long sections of stairs, he entered a door.

Zhao Jiayu estimated the height and figured it was about seven stories high.

He hadn’t expected to run into Shen Ran in such a place. He was wondering if Shen Ran worked part-time at the convenience store when Shen Ran came out of the building, quickly descended the stairs, and retraced his steps to the convenience store, returning with two more boxes of sparkling water.

Zhao Jiayu sat in the car, watching as Shen Ran made the round trip three times.

Under the scorching midday sun, with heatwaves rolling in the air, Shen Ran seemed exhausted during the last trip. He couldn’t continue and stopped halfway up the second section of stairs to rest for a while.

Seeing Shen Ran sitting on the stairs with his back against the wall, breathing heavily and fanning himself with his hand, Zhao Jiayu finally opened the car door, stepped out, and walked toward the convenience store.