UI Chapter 49

While Zhao Jiyu was looking down at the menu, Zheng Mingjin messaged Shen Ran on WeChat:

[What are you doing? Why didn’t you call me?]

[He’s been with me ever since he said he wanted to come. I had no chance to call.]

[Then why did you agree to bring him?]

Shen Ran glanced up at Zheng Mingjin, feeling guilty.

He knew he hadn’t handled things well today. Since Zheng Mingjin hadn’t replied to his earlier message, he should have anticipated this. But at the same time, he found himself unable to refuse Zhao Jiyu, especially after he agreed—Zhao Jiyu had been in a noticeably good mood, even with his sunglasses on.

Shen Ran didn’t reply.

After a moment, Zheng Mingjin seemed to reconsider his tone and sent another message:

[Forget it. He’s already here. Let’s just eat first and talk later.]

Putting down his phone, Shen Ran relaxed into his seat.

From under the table, Zhao Jiyu reached over with his left hand, pressing his palm against the space between Shen Ran’s waist and the chair. He whispered, “Sit up straight.”

Shen Ran’s expression changed slightly, but he straightened his posture anyway. As soon as he placed his hands on the table, he noticed Zheng Mingjin looking at them, his gaze clearly holding some meaning.

Avoiding his stare, Shen Ran focused on the menu with Zhao Jiyu.

Among the four of them, Yang Xin was the only one who didn’t notice the subtle tension in the air. She enthusiastically helped them decide what else to order.

As they waited for the food, neither Zheng Mingjin nor Shen Ran spoke much. Instead, Yang Xin brought up an art exhibition she and Zheng Mingjin had recently attended. Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiyu joined the conversation, and the two of them quickly found common ground.

Shen Ran sat beside them, drinking tea while Zhao Jiyu mentioned that he had been exposed to books because of his family’s love for reading, whereas Yang Xin was simply interested in them. Although the two were chatting, Zhao Jiyu frequently glanced in Shen Ran’s direction, refilled his tea, and used the communal chopsticks to place small appetizers in his bowl.

Yang Xin, oblivious to anything unusual, even joked about how attentive Zhao Jiyu was and casually asked how he and Shen Ran had met.

Shen Ran was in the middle of chewing on some cold dish tripe and nearly bit his tongue. To make things worse, Zhao Jiyu kept throwing him subtle looks. Fortunately, the waiter started serving the main dishes, and the topic naturally dropped.

During the meal, Shen Ran and Yang Xin chatted about their university experiences in Guangdong. Afterward, Zheng Mingjin stepped out to pay the bill, while Zhao Jiyu excused himself to the restroom but quickly caught up with him outside the private dining room.

“I’ll take care of it,” Zhao Jiyu said.

“No need.”
Zheng Mingjin, having no fondness for him, refused outright.

“I was the one who insisted on coming today. Let me handle it.”

Taking his right hand out of his pocket, Zhao Jiyu smoothly pulled the bill from Zheng Mingjin’s hand. His tone was polite but carried a distinct sense of detachment.
“There will be plenty of chances to meet again. Next time, you can treat.”

Zheng Mingjin stood there for a moment, watching him walk away with a complicated expression before turning back—only to find that Shen Ran had come outside as well.

Concerned, Zheng Mingjin asked,
“You two didn’t have a fight, did you?”

The private dining room was still shut tight behind them.

“If I did argue with him, what would you do? Whose side would you take?” Zheng Mingjin asked.

Shen Ran turned away, instinctively defending Zhao Jiyu.
“He’s not a bad person—he just doesn’t know how to talk properly.”

“And your solution is to keep staying with him?”

Now that there were no outsiders around, Zheng Mingjin didn’t bother with subtlety. But Shen Ran couldn’t bring himself to face the question head-on. There were things he hadn’t figured out himself, let alone explain to someone else.

Luckily, Zheng Mingjin didn’t press for an answer. He just said,
“Forget it. You decide for yourself.”

On the way back, Shen Ran once again stared silently out of the window on his side.

Zhao Jiyu deliberately played a heavy metal playlist, cutting off each song halfway through. By the third song, Shen Ran finally reacted, turning to him.
“Stop playing it—it’s too loud.”

Zhao Jiyu raised a hand and turned off the music.
“Did you eat enough earlier? Do you want to grab something else?”

Shen Ran hadn’t had much appetite during dinner, but he still ate properly and didn’t waste food. Resting his head against the seat, he muttered, “I’m a little tired. I just want to sleep.”

His entire back sank into the seat, and his voice was slightly hoarse. Remembering that Shen Ran had pressed his waist twice earlier, Zhao Jiyu glanced at his watch.
“It’s still early. Come with me to pick up something before we head back.”

Shen Ran responded noncommittally and continued to gaze out the window in a daze. Before long, the car pulled into the underground parking lot of a shopping mall.

The two of them took the direct elevator to the fourth floor. Zhao Jiyu, familiar with the place, led the way to a high-end bedding store. There was still some time before closing, and the attentive store clerk asked what he was looking for. Zhao Jiyu scanned the store briefly and pulled Shen Ran toward the right side.

That area displayed several mattresses, which the store mainly used for demonstrations. At first, Shen Ran didn’t realize Zhao Jiyu was buying them for him. It wasn’t until Zhao Jiyu finished discussing his requirements with the salesperson that he understood. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late to refuse. Zhao Jiyu pressed him down onto two of the best mattresses, insisting that he pick the more comfortable one.

None of the mattresses had price tags, making Shen Ran uneasy. He remained silent, and before he could protest, Zhao Jiyu told the salesperson to take both. Shen Ran had no choice but to pick one. When it came time to pay, he tried to use his own phone, but Zhao Jiyu smoothly took it from his hand and slipped it into his own pocket as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

After arranging the delivery for the next day, they headed home. As usual, Shen Ran showered first. When he came out, he heard Zhao Jiyu calling him from the master bedroom. The man pointed at the bed and said,
“You should sleep here tonight. My mattress is the same type—it’s good for your back.”

Shen Ran refused.
“I’m already fine.”

“I wasn’t thoughtful enough,” Zhao Jiyu insisted.
“I should have waited until you were fully recovered before taking you horseback riding.”

Growing up, aside from his parents, Zhao Jiyu was the only person who had ever cared for him so attentively. But now, with the ambiguous nature of their relationship, Shen Ran couldn’t bring himself to accept it so easily.

“There’s really no need,” he muttered, lowering his head and trying to walk away. But the moment he took a step, a warm hand grasped his wrist from behind.

The heat of the touch made Shen Ran instinctively want to pull away. However, Zhao Jiyu didn’t tighten his grip or make any further moves. He simply spoke from behind him.

“You strained your back because of me. Just stay here tonight.”

Shen Ran pulled the blanket over himself from head to toe and turned off the bedside lamp.

The room had excellent soundproofing. He couldn’t hear any noise from outside, but he could guess that Zhao Jiyu was showering.

Zhao Jiyu’s room was large, with an en-suite bathroom featuring a separate wet and dry area. He could have easily showered in his own space. But ever since Shen Ran had moved in, Zhao Jiyu had always used the shared bathroom outside. Every time he came out, he was either loosely wrapped in a towel around his waist or wearing a silky, draping robe that barely covered him, always on the verge of revealing too much.

Shen Ran hadn’t paid attention before, but now he couldn’t ignore the deliberate intention behind it.

Just like how, with a single seemingly offhand remark earlier, Zhao Jiyu had confirmed that what happened that night hadn’t just been a dream.

From his position on the bed, Shen Ran couldn’t see the bedroom door or the faint light seeping from the bathroom. He lay awake for over an hour. His back, which had been sore before bed, felt much better with the combination of the medicated patch and the comfortable mattress.

He reached down, pressing his fingers against his lower back, recalling the way Zhao Jiyu’s hands had felt when applying the patch.

He wasn’t someone who usually paid much attention to small details, but when it came to Zhao Jiyu, it was as if his senses had been heightened, every moment magnified and replayed in his mind.

Like now—besides the lingering sensation of Zhao Jiyu’s touch, he could still catch the faint scent of mint and platycodon flowers in the air.

Recently, Zhao Jiyu had switched to a new brand of toiletries at home. Shen Ran really liked the new scent, but he hadn’t expected Zhao Jiyu’s pillow to carry such a strong fragrance. After inhaling it for a while, his mind inevitably conjured up images.

Zhao Jiyu stood under the shower, wetting his hair before applying shampoo, lathering it up as steam blurred the outline of his tall, well-built figure. The water carried the foam down his long legs, gathering in delicate white swirls at his feet. When he finished and stepped out, the mattress beside Shen Ran sank slightly, and a strong arm wrapped around him, massaging his lower back with practiced ease. As he turned his face, beyond the heat radiating between them, the scent of platycodon flowers grew even stronger.

The images in his mind teetered between reality and illusion. Before he could process whether these thoughts should even exist, his consciousness had already drifted into sleep.

The next morning, Shen Ran awoke to a mess on the bed and flushed red with embarrassment. He quietly slipped out of bed and went into the en-suite bathroom to clean himself up. When he opened the door, the scent of sizzling meat filled the air. Thinking Old Wu had come over early to cook, he ran a hand through his messy, sleep-tousled hair and groggily walked into the kitchen.

But Old Wu was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a man stood by the stove, wearing only a dark pair of sleep pants and an apron. As Shen Ran’s gaze landed on the apron strings outlining the contours of Zhao Jiyu’s waist and the slight dip of his lower back, memories of his dream from just before waking up flooded back. His mouth went dry, and the “good morning” he had intended to say got stuck in his throat.

Zhao Jiyu was wearing a brand-new apron—crisp white fabric with soft brown leather straps. There was a pocket on the front with a simple cartoon-style print of the word “BREEDER.”

The word was too suggestive. Any lingering thoughts from his dream vanished in an instant, replaced by a chuckle he couldn’t suppress. Zhao Jiyu, unfazed, flipped the sausages sizzling in butter with a spatula and asked,
“What’s so funny? I bought this for you, just borrowing it for now.”

Shen Ran recalled that when he had first moved in, Zhao Jiyu had indeed mentioned buying him a new apron, though he had completely forgotten about it. He hadn’t expected Zhao Jiyu to actually remember.

Trying to keep his thoughts from wandering further, Shen Ran leaned against the sliding door and asked,
“Why are you up so early today?”

“Going to the office,”
Zhao Jiyu replied, lowering the heat before opening the refrigerator’s temperature-controlled compartment to pour a glass of milk, which he then placed in the microwave.
“Hurry up and wash up. If you finish eating in time, I can still drop you off at the store.”

Just before they left, Shen Ran lifted the hem of his T-shirt slightly, and Zhao Jiyu replaced the old medicated patch on his back with a new one.

Warm fingers brushed against even warmer skin, and Shen Ran felt more than just the coolness of the patch. His awareness followed Zhao Jiyu’s touch, lingering with every motion as he smoothed down the corners. Then Zhao Jiyu straightened up and said, “Remember, don’t lift anything heavy.”

“Mm.”
Shen Ran nodded in agreement. There wouldn’t be any new stock coming into the store for the next two days.

The morning rush hour made the roads a bit congested. During a red light, Zhao Jiyu lowered the volume of the music.
“We have to report to school on Friday. Are you still planning to continue working at the convenience store?”

Once school started, they would be third-year university students. Most of their major coursework had been completed in their second year. Shen Ran had no plans for graduate school for the time being, so apart from coursework and certification exams, he needed to start preparing for internship applications.

After listening to him, Zhao Jiyu didn’t respond right away. Shen Ran also remained silent, but he couldn’t hold back for long and soon asked,
“What about you?”

“My mom has always hoped that I would go abroad for graduate school,”
Zhao Jiyu said calmly. After that, he didn’t say anything more.

Shen Ran pursed his lips and kept his eyes on the road ahead before asking,
“So, have you decided to go abroad?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”
Zhao Jiyu glanced over from the heavy traffic in front of them.
“Depends on whether someone wants me to stay.”

The implication was too obvious. Shen Ran met his gaze briefly before looking away, keeping a composed expression. However, his right index finger, resting on his thigh, subconsciously scratched at the fabric of his jeans.

Zhao Jiyu noticed the small gesture. When he dropped Shen Ran off at the convenience store, he brought up another topic.

“When?”
Shen Ran paused in the middle of unfastening his seatbelt.

“The day after tomorrow,”
Zhao Jiyu said.
“I’ll be really busy for the next two days, but things should settle down once this project is wrapped up.”

Although third-year students had more free time than in their second year, it still wasn’t as flexible as summer vacation. Shen Ran hesitated, his gaze lingering on the glass doors of the convenience store across the street.

Ever since getting to know Zhao Jiyu, he found himself going out with him every few days. But as Zhao Jiyu had said, there weren’t many chances to enjoy the sun and the beach in the summer. Shen Ran also found himself missing their last unexpected boating trip together.

Inside the store, Xu Tian noticed the car parked across the street and glanced over. Shen Ran unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car, agreeing to the plan.

For the next two days, Zhao Jiyu was indeed as busy as he had said, completely out of sight. Only then did Shen Ran realize that those times when Zhao Jiyu hadn’t gone home were all because of a project assigned by his grandfather.

Zhao Jiyu never mentioned what the project was, and Shen Ran never asked.

On the third day at noon, Shen Ran was woken up by knocking on his door. Zhao Jiyu was already packed, standing there with a travel suitcase in hand. He reached over to ruffle Shen Ran’s sleep-mussed hair and urged him to wash up.

After changing his clothes, Shen Ran was about to pack his own when Zhao Jiyu stopped him, stuffing a freshly made sandwich into his mouth before leading him downstairs.

Old Wu had already boarded the yacht ahead of time to make preparations. On the way, Zhao Jiyu took several phone calls, all of which sounded like business matters to Shen Ran.

When they arrived at the yacht port and parked, Zhao Jiyu switched his phone to Do Not Disturb mode, grabbed his suitcase, and led Shen Ran aboard.

Unlike last time when he had come here just to deliver food, today, Shen Ran walked through the VIP entrance. The security guard even politely held the door open for him.

Once on board, Zhao Jiyu carried the suitcase into the same room as before. They had been in air-conditioned environments the entire way, so neither of them had broken a sweat.

Zhao Jiyu changed into a tank top and beach shorts. When he returned, he was holding a white tube of lotion.

Shen Ran had already changed into a T-shirt and shorts before leaving home and was now sitting on the sofa behind the helm, looking at his phone.

Zhao Jiyu walked over, set up some music, then sat down beside him, taking the phone from his hands. He also took off Shen Ran’s baseball cap. “Lie down.”

Shen Ran frowned, confused. “For what?”

Zhao Jiyu opened the cap of the lotion.
“The UV index is really high today. Outdoor activities make it easy to get sunburned, so I’m putting sunscreen on you.”

Shen Ran tried to refuse at first.

He could easily apply sunscreen on his own. But Zhao Jiyu said they would be sunbathing and swimming later, and he wouldn’t be able to reach his own back. With a gentle push, he made Shen Ran lie down on the sofa.

However, as soon as he lay down, he felt a weight settle on his thighs. Turning his head to look, he saw Zhao Jiyu straddling him, lifting the hem of his T-shirt and spreading sunscreen evenly across his back with both hands.

Zhao Jiyu’s palms were warm, but the sunscreen was cold. The moment it touched Shen Ran’s skin, he instinctively flinched. Zhao Jiyu’s smooth fingers gently stroked along both sides of his back, reminding him to relax. Shen Ran took a deep breath and looked straight ahead.

The intense sunlight was blocked by the glass doors, but it didn’t stop the seawater from gleaming a translucent emerald green under the light. The vast, endless view stretched before him, yet he couldn’t truly relax—not with the person sitting on top of him swaying slightly with the rhythm of the waves and occasionally brushing against sensitive spots that made him squirm.

Every time he was about to reach back and grab Zhao Jiyu’s hand, Zhao Jiyu would move away just in time, as if he were truly unaware of the effect he was having, focused solely on applying sunscreen.

Shen Ran might have believed it in the past. Now, he knew better.

Honestly, if he had been more firm and told Zhao Jiyu to get off immediately, the other man wouldn’t have forced him. But he was seduced by the pressure of those ten fingers massaging his muscles, finding the touch almost unbearably comfortable. Especially after noticing that the sunscreen had a fresh scent of mint and gentian flowers, memories of last night’s dream crept into his mind. His breathing became unconsciously rapid.

As Zhao Jiyu continued applying sunscreen, he carefully observed Shen Ran’s reactions. His fingers occasionally drifted lower, always lingering at the edge of his beach shorts, testing the boundaries. When he decided the moment was right, he braced his left leg against the floor and shifted his weight forward.

This time, the added pressure instantly made Shen Ran realize something was off. He opened his eyes, his ears turning red as if they were filled with heat. Zhao Jiyu leaned down, his breath brushing against Shen Ran’s ear as he murmured,
“It’s just sunscreen—does it really feel that good?”

Shen Ran couldn’t utter a single word. He wanted to push Zhao Jiyu off, but before he could, Zhao Jiyu pressed down on his shoulders, and just as he turned his head to speak, Zhao Jiyu captured his lips in a kiss.