UI Chapter 52

Zhao Jiyu kept his word. That night, apart from holding him while they slept, he didn’t even kiss him.

The last time they were out at sea, the situation had been similar, but Shen Ran’s emotions were at two extremes. Last time, he had been afraid of Zhao Jiyu making a move. This time, though, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Zhao Jiyu had said before they fell asleep.

This person truly wanted to be with him.

Zheng Mingjin’s words surfaced in his mind at the worst possible moment: “It’s not just about feelings between you two—it won’t necessarily lead to a happy ending.”

Because of this, Shen Ran barely slept the entire night.

For once, he woke up earlier than Zhao Jiyu. Zhao Jiyu had been too exhausted—he had fallen asleep faster than Shen Ran the night before and was still sleeping soundly beside him.

Shen Ran had never seen him sleep so deeply. Even though he himself was still tired, he kept his eyes open, watching Zhao Jiyu. He didn’t even realize how long he had been staring until he suddenly noticed how beautiful his eyelashes were. Near the outer corner of his left eye, there was a tiny, barely noticeable mole. There was another small one behind his ear.

His gaze traced over Zhao Jiyu’s delicate features like a fine paintbrush, moving from his eyes to his lips before stopping at his Adam’s apple.

Shen Ran remembered—both times they had been intimate, Zhao Jiyu had kissed his throat.

Back then, he had been completely lost in desire, trembling at such touches. It was as if Zhao Jiyu had deliberately wanted to force sounds out of him, intertwining their fingers tightly and wiping the sweat from the corner of his eye.

Unconsciously, Shen Ran swallowed. Lifting the blanket, he quietly got out of bed.

By the time he reached the second floor, Lao Wu was already awake, leaning against the captain’s seat and smoking.

“Morning,” Shen Ran greeted him first. He turned to grab a bottle of mineral water from the coffee table, but just as he did, a gust of sea breeze rushed in and lifted the hem of his robe completely.

The silk robe he was wearing was the same as Zhao Jiyu’s—smooth, lightweight, and draping elegantly over his body.

Lao Wu chuckled from the side. “I don’t like using air conditioning, so I opened all the doors and windows. The sea breeze at night is much more comfortable.”

Shen Ran lowered his head and tightened his slightly loose belt as he heard Lao Wu ask,
“Why are you up so early? I haven’t even started making breakfast yet.”

The clock on the wall pointed to five o’clock. He hadn’t expected to wake up this early either. After drinking half a bottle of water, he replied,
“I just came up to drink some water. Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“I did.”
Lao Wu pointed to the genuine Italian leather sofa. With its wide backrest laid flat, it could be used as a simple bed.

“What’s for breakfast?”
Shen Ran asked.

“How about a beef burger?”
Lao Wu held a cigarette between his lips, considering Shen Ran’s taste preferences.
“I got some fresh rambutans yesterday. I’ll make you some rambutan tomato juice to try.”

“What about him?”

Zhao Jiyu had eaten some of the barbecue last night, but most of it was vegetarian. When Lao Wu prepared his food, he used as little oil and spices as possible. Zhao Jiyu didn’t seem to have any discomfort afterward, so he should be feeling better.

“I’ll make matsutake millet porridge for him, along with some Lunjiao cakes and walnut buns.”

Lao Wu had nearly twenty years of experience as a chef and had studied various cuisines, both Chinese and international. It took Shen Ran some time to realize just how skilled he was. No wonder Zhao Jiyu relied on him so much, taking him everywhere he went.

The boat swayed gently with the waves. After finishing his water, Shen Ran still couldn’t sleep, so he decided to sit and chat with Lao Wu for a while.

Before today, their interactions had been limited. All Shen Ran knew was that Lao Wu had been with Zhao Jiyu since his second year of high school. As for how they met, he had no idea. He also knew nothing about Lao Wu’s family.

Lao Wu wasn’t sleepy either—he had to stay up at night while out at sea. Since Shen Ran was willing to chat, he was happy to keep him company. But when Shen Ran asked about his family, Lao Wu simply smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepening.

“I divorced my wife years ago. My son is about the same age as you two—he’s in college now.”

Shen Ran felt a little apologetic, but Lao Wu exhaled a puff of smoke and said matter-of-factly,
“It’s nothing. Every family has its issues. Besides, I think being alone is pretty good. Jiyu pays me twice what I used to make at a hotel, and the work is much easier. I don’t even have to worry about my son’s tuition anymore.”

Shen Ran asked,
“So how did you meet him?”

“A friend introduced us,”
Lao Wu said, as if recalling something amusing. He shook off some ash from his cigarette and laughed.
“You have no idea—when I first met him, I thought he was impossible to serve. My friend told me that before me, no one had lasted more than three months. Either they were fired, or they quit on their own.”

Shen Ran had never seen Zhao Jiyu lose his temper. But thinking back to the rumors about his aloof nature in school, combined with his wealthy background, it wasn’t hard to understand what Lao Wu meant.

“So why did you stay?”

Lao Wu squinted, took one last drag of his cigarette, pressed it down in his throat, and then exhaled.
“Because at the time, I desperately needed money for my son’s medical treatment—450,000 yuan. Somehow, he found out and transferred the money directly into my salary account.”

That did seem like something Zhao Jiyu would do. Shen Ran chuckled.
“So after that, you didn’t find him so hard to serve anymore?”

“Of course,” Lao Wu laughed even harder than Shen Ran, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening.
“Back then, he was just a high schooler, full of spoiled habits, living alone outside his home. After looking after him for a while, I realized he wasn’t in great health—he was picky with food and had a lot of allergies.”

Zhao Jiyu looked quite healthy now, and Shen Ran remembered that he had seemed fine back in middle school, too. But yesterday, Lao Wu had mentioned that Zhao Jiyu had suffered from a serious illness before. Their conversation had been interrupted then, so Shen Ran followed up.

“What kind of illness was it?”

“Not sure,” Lao Wu lit another cigarette.
“He never said. But it seems to have something to do with his parents’ divorce. Maybe even with that younger brother of his.”

“He has a younger brother?” Shen Ran asked in surprise.

Lao Wu looked slightly surprised this time.
“You didn’t know?”

Zhao Jiyu had never told Shen Ran about his current family situation. The only thing Shen Ran knew was the truth about his relationship with Yu Xuetong. If what Lao Wu said was true, it was no wonder Zhao Jiyu had chosen to move out and live alone. It also explained why Shen Ran had seen him ignore calls from his father more than once.

Shen Ran said,
“I’ve heard him mention a little. His mother still hopes he’ll study abroad.”

At the mention of Cheng Weilan, Lao Wu’s expression turned somewhat complicated.
“Yeah, she often calls to ask him about his school choices.”

Shen Ran clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his thighs, leaning slightly toward Lao Wu.
“Does he really want to go?”

Lao Wu pondered for a moment, but before he could answer, footsteps sounded from the staircase. Both of them turned to look—Zhao Jiyu was walking up, covering his mouth with his left hand as he yawned.

Lao Wu got up with the ashtray in hand, greeted him with a simple “morning,” and went off to prepare breakfast. Zhao Jiyu sat down beside Shen Ran, sinking into the back of the sofa.
“Why are you up so early?”

“Woke up early, so I got up.”

Shen Ran glanced casually at Zhao Jiyu’s long legs, intending to head back to his room to freshen up. But just as he stood up, his arm was grabbed, and the next thing he knew, he was pulled into Zhao Jiyu’s embrace. The man leaned in close, smiling.

“If you wanted to know about me, why didn’t you just ask me directly? Instead, you went behind my back to ask Lao Wu. Do you even know what that’s called?”

Shen Ran tried to push away from the chest he was leaning against, but then Zhao Jiyu’s fingers rubbed gently against the sensitive part of his earlobe. “How come I never noticed before how cute you are?”

Shen Ran didn’t speak a word to Zhao Jiyu for the rest of breakfast.

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he remained silent from the moment he started brushing his teeth. Zhao Jiyu, sensing his mood, didn’t tease him further. The only thing he did was take a sip of Shen Ran’s rambutan tomato juice during breakfast before handing it back.

Staring at the straw Zhao Jiyu had just used, Shen Ran battled with himself internally for a long time, debating whether he should take it out. It was such a trivial matter, yet he couldn’t make up his mind even by the time he finished eating.

In the end, before he could decide, Lao Wu came over to clear the dishes and asked with concern,
“Was it not to your taste? Do you want me to make you something else?”

Zhao Jiyu, sitting across from him, turned his face away. Although he didn’t look directly, Shen Ran clearly saw his shoulders tremble twice.

After dinner, Shen Ran went back to sleep, while Zhao Jiyu followed the route for over an hour before starting to turn back. By the time Shen Ran woke up again, it was already noon. Lao Wu was in the kitchen frying steaks, and the aroma of red wine mixed with butter was indescribably enticing. He watched for a while and vaguely sensed something. When he turned around, he saw Zhao Jiyu standing at the staircase on the second floor.

The man was wearing a tank top and beach shorts, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. His gaze, resting on Shen Ran’s face, was gentle, and the smile on his lips was warm.

Shen Ran met his eyes, unconsciously entranced, until he saw Zhao Jiyu extend his right hand toward him and say, “The kitchen is full of smoke, come to me.”

On the way back, Shen Ran sat in the driver’s area with Zhao Jiyu the whole time.

Lao Wu prepared some small snacks for them. Shen Ran’s favorite was the honey-roasted chicken wings, but unfortunately, Zhao Jiyu couldn’t eat too many. Shen Ran ended up finishing a large portion by himself and felt a little nauseous afterward.

Zhao Jiyu was worried he might get seasick, but after drinking a pot of hawthorn tea, Shen Ran felt much better. After docking, Lao Wu stayed behind to clean up as usual, while the two of them changed clothes and headed to the parking lot. On the way, Zhao Jiyu took a phone call.

Shen Ran overheard part of the conversation and knew Zhao Jiyu would be busy again that night.

After dropping him off downstairs, Zhao Jiyu reached over and held Shen Ran’s hand just as he was unbuckling his seatbelt.
“I’ll order takeout for your dinner. What do you want to eat?”

Shen Ran lowered his eyes, looking at the sight of his own hand held in Zhao Jiyu’s. After a brief pause, he turned toward the passenger-side window and said,
“I’ll make something myself.”

Seeing the faint traces of a kiss mark on the back of his neck, nearly faded now, Zhao Jiyu couldn’t resist. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and pressed his lips against Shen Ran’s neck.

Feeling Shen Ran stiffen completely and sensing his fingers tighten around his hand, Zhao Jiyu pulled back in satisfaction and said, “Go on up.”

Shen Ran didn’t look back. He opened the car door and quickly walked into the elevator.

As the heavy metal doors slowly closed in front of him, Shen Ran raised his hand to the back of his neck, touching the spot where Zhao Jiyu had kissed him. Only then did he realize how hot his skin was—not just his neck, but his ears and cheeks as well.

He didn’t need a mirror to know what he looked like right now. Keeping his head down the whole time, he was grateful that this was a one-apartment-per-floor building.

After entering his home and changing shoes, he received a call from Deng Feng. They were planning a farewell dinner for Jiang Lin tomorrow night.

Shen Ran had work the next day, but since dinner was late, he figured he could make it and agreed. Deng Feng also mentioned that they had ordered a cake but might not have time to pick it up, so he asked Shen Ran to get it on his way.

Lying on Zhao Jiyu’s newly purchased mattress at night, Shen Ran quickly fell asleep. When he woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t see Zhao Jiyu back, he went to the bathroom. Afterward, he checked his phone and saw a voice message:

“I’m staying at my grandfather’s place again tonight. I’ll try to come back earlier tomorrow. Good night.”

Shen Ran listened to the “good night” twice, unconsciously smiling. He replied with a “good night” sticker before going back to sleep.

The next day, the boss came by for an impromptu inventory check. Shen Ran and Xu Tian were busy until the afternoon before they had time to eat. After finishing their meal, they continued working, not wrapping up until past eight in the evening.

Walking out of the convenience store, he rubbed his sore shoulders and abdomen before calling Deng Feng, telling him he was on his way to pick up the cake. Deng Feng reminded him to be careful and not rush.

The cake shop wasn’t far, so Shen Ran flagged down a taxi at the intersection. When he arrived, he realized the shop was located to the left of the hotel lobby. The cakes displayed in the window were exquisitely crafted, arranged like luxury items in a high-end boutique. Glancing at the prices, he noticed that even the cheapest option was over 700 yuan.

He handed the receipt Deng Feng had sent him to the store clerk. A short while later, he received the cake and walked out of the shop. Just then, his phone vibrated with a WeChat notification. Before he could check it, a voice came from behind him.

“Isn’t this our school’s famous ‘backup guy’?”

Even though it had been a while since he last heard that term, Shen Ran still frowned in disgust. He turned around and saw that the speaker was Wei Qi—the same person he had run into on the yacht yesterday. Beside him stood a tall young man who was quite good-looking, but he wasn’t Huang Qianxu.

Wei Qi had one hand in his pocket while tossing car keys with the other. Seeing Shen Ran turn around, his expression grew even more disdainful. “How can you afford a cake from this place? Did Jiyu give you money again?”

“Wei Qi.” The young man beside him spoke in a low voice, as if trying to stop him. However, Wei Qi shot him a glare.
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize him?”

Shen Ran had no impression of the guy next to Wei Qi, but since he mentioned Zhao Jiyu’s name, he was likely an acquaintance of his.

The young man seemed to be trying to defuse the situation. “You’re just making Jiyu feel awkward.”

“I’m helping him!” Wei Qi’s voice grew louder. He pointed at Shen Ran with the hand holding the car keys.
“You know what kind of background this guy has. You really believe he has no ulterior motives after breaking up with a woman?”

Shen Ran had no idea who the young man trying to help him was, but since he knew Zhao Jiyu, he didn’t want to linger and listen to more unpleasant words. Turning away to leave, he unknowingly provoked Wei Qi. Before he could react, Wei Qi snatched the cake from his hands.

The cake was something Deng Feng had specially prepared for Jiang Lin. Shen Ran’s expression darkened.
“Give it back.”

Wei Qi scoffed, lifting the cake box by its ribbon and shaking it twice.
“And what if I don’t? Gonna run to Jiyu and tattle on me?”

Shen Ran replied coldly,
“Are you five?”

Wei Qi’s eyes widened in anger. Shen Ran thought he would spew something even more unpleasant, but instead, Wei Qi simply loosened his fingers, and the cake box fell to the ground.

“Wei Qi!” The young man beside him reprimanded him again, this time in a much sharper tone. But Wei Qi remained indifferent, glancing at the cake on the ground.
“Not my fault. He called me childish, and I was so mad my hand slipped. No gun involved, though.”

Shen Ran clenched his right fist, then let it go. He stepped forward, crouched down, and picked up the cake box, checking the contents through the plastic cover. At that moment, a voice behind him said,

“Wei Qi, what the hell are you doing?”

Seeing the newcomer, Wei Qi immediately said,
“I didn’t do anything. He just didn’t hold the cake properly, and it fell on its own.”

Inside the box, the cake was already smashed beyond recognition. Shen Ran stood up without a word, intending to go back to the store and buy another one. But just as he turned around, he came face-to-face with Huang Qianxu.

“I’m sorry,” Huang Qianxu said. “How much was the cake? I’ll pay for it.”

Shen Ran had no hostility toward Huang Qianxu, but he was already in a terrible mood and had no interest in dealing with these people. As he stepped aside to leave, Huang Qianxu reached for his arm, but Shen Ran immediately shook him off. Seeing this, Huang Qianxu had no choice but to catch up with him again and lower his voice.

“What Wei Qi did was wrong, but he didn’t do it on purpose. Let me buy you a new cake.”

Shen Ran still ignored him. Left with no other option, Huang Qianxu played his trump card.

“If Jiyu finds out, he’ll definitely argue with Wei Qi. If this blows up, it won’t be good for either of you.”

This successfully suppressed Shen Ran’s anger. Wei Qi, held back by Tang Jiayi, couldn’t step forward, but seeing Huang Qianxu trying to reason with Shen Ran only made him more upset. He muttered a few more unpleasant remarks.

He was clearly speaking for Shen Ran to hear, but passersby started glancing over as well. Even the hotel’s lobby manager began making his way toward them. Huang Qianxu, now with a headache, turned to Tang Jiayi and said,
“Take him to the car first!”

Tang Jiayi pulled the cursing Wei Qi away, and the surroundings finally quieted down. Huang Qianxu sighed.

“Wei Qi just has a childish temper. He saw Jiyu with you the other day, and he’s also heard about your past relationship with your ex-girlfriend, so he has some misunderstandings about you.”

Shen Ran didn’t look at Huang Qianxu. Even though he was on the verge of throwing a punch, he forced himself to stay rational.
“Can I leave now?”

“I’ll pay for the cake. Let’s just drop this here—don’t mention it to Jiyu.”

Huang Qianxu’s insistence made it clear to Shen Ran that he wasn’t sincerely apologizing for Wei Qi. He was just worried that things would escalate and make things difficult for Wei Qi.

The cake Deng Feng ordered cost over 900 yuan. Since Huang Qianxu insisted on paying, Shen Ran saw no reason to suffer a loss.

“Fine. Then go in and buy me an identical one.”

Seeing that Shen Ran was willing to compromise, Huang Qianxu visibly relaxed and went into the cake shop. However, the store clerk informed him that they were closing soon and no longer had any ready-made cakes available.

Shen Ran expressionlessly withdrew his gaze. After an exhausting day and such an infuriating encounter, he had no energy left to deal with this. He was just about to leave and find another cake shop on his own when Huang Qianxu stopped him. Then, he made a phone call.

Before long, a man in a hotel uniform came walking briskly toward them, carrying an exquisite cake platter.

Huang Qianxu handed the cake to Shen Ran.
“Use this. Your friend should like it.”

The packaging was minimalist yet high-end. Shen Ran glanced at the brand name but couldn’t recognize the cursive English lettering. He couldn’t see the cake inside either, but since Huang Qianxu had already provided it, he didn’t waste any more time. He took it and left.

“Shen Ran,” Huang Qianxu called from behind him.
“Wei Qi and Jiyu have known each other since childhood. He really didn’t mean any harm.”

Shen Ran didn’t say a word. He listened, then walked away without looking back.