UI Chapter 53

Even on the way to the izakaya, Shen Ran still couldn’t swallow his anger.

He had always known that people from Zhao Jiyu’s background wouldn’t have ordinary friends, but this was the first time he had felt the gap so clearly.

Was it just because he came from a less privileged family that they assumed he was clinging to Zhao Jiyu? Or was it because of the rumors about Li Ting that he had become a joke—so now, whenever he interacted with another man, his intentions were automatically suspect?

Leaning his elbow against the car door, Shen Ran pressed hard against the space between his brows. A deep sense of exhaustion settled in his chest, lingering even after he arrived at the restaurant.

Tonight was Jiang Lin’s farewell party before he returned to Los Angeles. Before going inside, Shen Ran forced himself to adjust his mood, then slid open the door to the private room. The group inside immediately asked why he was so late. When Deng Feng saw the cake in his hands, he asked,
“Why didn’t you pick up the one I ordered?”

Thinking about Wei Qi’s stupidity, Shen Ran couldn’t hold back his frustration.
“I did. Some clueless idiot knocked it over.”

Deng Feng said,
“You didn’t have to buy such an expensive one instead.”

Shen Ran paused mid-motion with his chopsticks. Earlier, Huang Qianxu had simply asked him to wait in the hotel lobby, so he had no idea where the cake had come from.
“Is it really that expensive?” he asked.

Deng Feng didn’t answer, but across the table, Ji Minglun glanced over.

Last time, when Shen Ran had visited Ji Minglun’s place, he had been caught with kiss marks on his body, exposing his secret with Zhao Jiyu. Even now, the memory was embarrassing. Avoiding Ji Minglun’s gaze, Shen Ran lowered his head and focused on eating, picking up a sushi roll with his chopsticks.

Everyone at the dinner was either an employee at the café that Deng Feng and Ji Minglun co-owned or someone familiar with them. Shen Ran occasionally visited the shop, so he knew most of them. After the lively meal, they lit candles for the cake. As Deng Feng placed it on the table, two of the girls couldn’t resist taking pictures.

Shen Ran also stared at the red wine ice cream cake. The smooth, white cream base was delicate and flawless, with silver sugar pearls scattered elegantly across the surface. At the center were two intricately crafted swans, one black and one white, their necks entwined in an elegant embrace. The cake’s presentation and ingredients were top-tier, and under the dim candlelight, the atmosphere felt especially warm.

Jiang Lin had tasted cakes from this brand before and laughed, saying,
“This is way too extravagant.”

Shen Ran didn’t even know how to respond.

After the meal, Ji Minglun pulled him aside downstairs, offering to pay him back for the cake.

“Don’t bother,” Shen Ran said, feeling frustrated.
“Someone else covered it. I didn’t spend a cent.”

Ji Minglun raised an eyebrow. “It was Zhao Jiyu, wasn’t it? If it was this expensive, are you sure you don’t want me to chip in?”

Shen Ran could have fooled everyone else tonight, but not him. Still, since nothing had actually started between him and Zhao Jiyu, and tonight’s situation had been too complicated, there wasn’t much to explain.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, he glanced toward the entrance. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it myself. Let’s just say it’s my farewell gift to Jiang Lin.”

On the way home, he searched for the cake’s brand and checked its official website. When he found the exact style Huang Qianxu had given him, he was stunned to see that it cost over 2,000 yuan.

Scrolling through the list of imported ingredients and the inspiration behind the design—created by an internationally award-winning pastry chef—Shen Ran locked his phone screen and stared out at the night beyond the car window.

His heart, once again, was filled with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty.

He thought the cake that Deng Feng had ordered was expensive enough, but he hadn’t expected that the one Zhao Jiyu’s friend casually compensated for would be an even more extravagant price.

Recalling the disdainful expression on Wei Qi’s face, Shen Ran suddenly felt that Wei Qi wasn’t entirely in the wrong. As Zhao Jiyu’s close friend, it was only natural for him to stand by Zhao Jiyu’s side and dislike Shen Ran. Simply ruining the cake and saying a few unpleasant words really weren’t worth mentioning to Zhao Jiyu.

Thinking about Huang Qianxu’s repeated reminders, Shen Ran found it all laughable. Leaning back against the seat, he wanted to rest for a while, but the swaying of the bus reminded him of the unstable feeling on the yacht. Zhao Jiyu’s face lingered in his mind, refusing to leave, and even the words Zhao Jiyu had once said to him—about wanting to be his boyfriend—kept echoing in his ears.

Before tonight, he had thought that maybe there was a slight possibility between them. But after tonight, that fragile hope, as thin as a spider’s silk, had been completely severed. Whether it was Zheng Mingjin or Zhao Jiyu’s friends, no one believed in them.

By the time he got home, it was already past midnight. As the smart home system detected that the fingerprint unlocking the door belonged to the registered resident, the lights turned on in sequence from the entrance to the living room. Looking at the spacious living room of over 80 square meters, he suddenly felt like an intruder. Even though he had been granted permission to stay, he still felt out of place in this home.

At least school was starting tomorrow.

He went to the balcony to bring in the dried clothes and carefully folded the ones that belonged to Zhao Jiyu, placing them in Zhao Jiyu’s walk-in closet. When he opened the drawer where the underwear was kept, his movements briefly paused, and his gaze fell on a pair of silver-gray briefs in his hand.

These were the briefs that Zhao Jiyu had given him to wear that night on the yacht. The silk material was incredibly comfortable, almost like wearing nothing at all. Thinking back on it now, ever since he met Zhao Jiyu, he had enjoyed far too many luxuries that didn’t belong to his world—whether in clothing, food, living conditions, or entertainment. Having money felt great, but being reminded of the difference in their worlds was equally painful.

His fingertips brushed the fabric in the center before he closed the drawer, taking one last glance at the neatly organized walk-in closet.

Aside from Old Wu, Zhao Jiyu had also hired a housekeeping auntie, yet despite living here for so long, Shen Ran had never met her. Old Wu once mentioned that Zhao Jiyu would inform her of what time to come each day, trying to ensure that she and Shen Ran never crossed paths so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

Originally, when moving in, Shen Ran had promised to handle the household chores. But with a housekeeper, a robot vacuum, a drying machine, and other convenient appliances, there was hardly anything left for him to do. The only tasks he still had were folding the dried laundry and, on rare occasions, placing the dishes into the automatic dishwasher instead of washing them himself.

Taking his suitcase out of the closet, Shen Ran began packing the few things he needed to bring with him. But there wasn’t much to pack—aside from clothes and his laptop, everything else in this home had been prepared for him by Zhao Jiyu.

After finishing, he took a shower. By the time he got into bed, it was already past two in the morning. Zhao Jiyu wasn’t coming back tonight. Their last conversation on WeChat was from the morning, where Zhao Jiyu had mentioned that he had to accompany Zhao Xinhong on a trip to Shanghai. The earliest he could return would be tomorrow afternoon, and he had told Shen Ran to be good and wait for him at home in the evening.

When Shen Ran had seen that message during lunch, he hadn’t controlled his expression well. Sitting beside him, Xu Tian had noticed and immediately asked,
“Who is it that’s making you smile like that?”

He hadn’t answered, nor had he denied it.

At that moment, he had truly been happy.

But unfortunately, that spontaneous joy had been as fleeting as a night-blooming flower—blooming for only a brief moment before vanishing completely.