UI Chapter 61

The kiss lasted a long time—long enough for the restroom door outside to be pushed open and shut multiple times, long enough that Shen Ran almost ran out of breath, his heart pounding as if it were about to burst from his throat. He had no choice but to cling to Zhao Jiyu, holding tightly onto the back of his neck.

Zhao Jiyu’s arm tightened around Shen Ran’s waist, both of them trying to suppress their heavy breathing. Shen Ran rested his face against Zhao Jiyu’s shoulder, the heat of his flushed cheeks seeping through the thin fabric of the shirt. Zhao Jiyu stroked the soft hair at the back of his head, then placed a light kiss on the nape of his neck.

Shen Ran’s body tensed for a moment before relaxing again. He stared at the rusted lock on the door, feeling utterly ashamed of his own physical reaction.

Zhao Jiyu had a reaction too, but he didn’t try to tease him further. Instead, he simply said, “I’m staying here. After taking care of your mom, we’ll go back together.”

It took a while before Shen Ran responded, his voice even hoarser than Zhao Jiyu’s.
“I won’t be able to leave so soon.”

“I’ll stay with you for as long as you need.”

“There’s no need for you to go this far. I already said, we—”

“You’re still trying to avoid me after all this?” Zhao Jiyu interrupted him.
“I already know what Wei Qi told you. I was at fault too—I planned to tell you my thoughts about the future after we were already together.”

Shen Ran met Zhao Jiyu’s gaze, his tightly pressed lips trembling slightly before he let out a self-deprecating laugh. “What future could there even be?”

Since Zhao Jiyu already knew about what happened that night, he should understand that there was no way for them to be together. Yet, he was still deceiving himself, refusing to face the real reason. He even thought that as long as he didn’t say it out loud, he could at least keep a bit of dignity in front of Zhao Jiyu.

Pushing Zhao Jiyu away, he leaned against the wall as frustration overwhelmed him from all directions. But Zhao Jiyu once again trapped him between the wall and his own body, forcing him to face reality.

“What I have now isn’t what I wanted. I was able to choose history as my major in the college entrance exam because I have to work at the company for three years after graduation. If I still don’t want to stay after that, my grandfather won’t force me anymore.”

“As for my parents—my mom settled in Hong Kong, and she really wants me to study abroad, but she can’t force me.”

“My dad is even less of a concern. He had an illegitimate child just so he could divorce my mom. That kid is only five years old now, but with another son in the picture, he won’t be fixated on me anymore.”

Zhao Jiyu briefly explained his family situation, and after finishing, he tightened his hold on Shen Ran.
“My grandfather believes my dad was wrong to get a divorce, but he can’t just ignore his grandson either. So he’s always felt guilty toward me, which gives me a certain amount of freedom.”

“I used to think that if people found out about us, I would just tell my grandfather that I can’t marry a woman. If he could accept that, I’d stay in the company. If not, I’d leave the Zhao family.”

Zhao Jiyu made it sound simple, but Shen Ran didn’t hear any lightness in his words. The person holding him seemed afraid to let go, as if he might lose him again. His arms remained firmly wrapped around Shen Ran’s waist, his chin resting on his shoulder, constantly breathing in the scent behind his ear.

“The fragrance of bellflowers suits you better than this scent. Come back with me.”

“I liked you before you liked Li Ting. Give me a chance, and we’ll work hard together.”

Zhao Jiyu had never spoken so much to Shen Ran before, let alone words that came straight from his heart. But while he felt relieved after saying them, the person listening only felt a growing ache in his chest, making it hard to speak.

Zhao Jiyu’s hair brushed against Shen Ran’s cheek as he talked, moving lightly against his face. Their chests were pressed tightly together, their breathing synchronized. This kind of closeness gave Shen Ran an illusion—maybe they really weren’t meant to be apart.

Zhao Jiyu had been completely honest about his family and his thoughts on the future. But could they really work hard and make it work? Would effort alone guarantee a good outcome?

Was Zhao Jiyu being too optimistic?

And then there was Xu Huijuan. His mother wasn’t a narrow-minded person, but could she accept that his partner had changed from Li Ting to Zhao Jiyu?

The harsh white light from the ceiling made Shen Ran’s vision blur. He stared at it for a while before closing his eyes. This time, though, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, “Let me think about it…”

Since Zhao Jiyu had decided to stay, Shen Ran had to inform his mother. But Xu Huijuan had just gone to rest, so he could tell her later. In the meantime, Zhao Jiyu asked if he had eaten lunch.

It was already past three in the afternoon. Shen Ran remembered only having a little salted porridge at noon, so he nodded and asked,
“You haven’t eaten yet?”

“No,” Zhao Jiyu touched his upper abdomen.
“My stomach hasn’t been feeling well these past few days.”

Shen Ran recalled that before he moved out, Zhao Jiyu’s gastritis had been acting up. He couldn’t help but ask,
“Did you go to the hospital for a check-up?”

Zhao Jiyu said,
“You weren’t there. My mind was full of you—how could I have the time to go to the hospital?”

It wasn’t exactly a cheesy love confession, but the directness of it still made the listener feel embarrassed. Standing in the hospital corridor, Shen Ran tried to keep a straight face, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

Seeing him turn away, avoiding eye contact, Zhao Jiyu decided to stop teasing. Hooking an arm around Shen Ran’s shoulders, he said,
“Take me to get something to eat. I’m really hungry now.”

Instead of taking Zhao Jiyu straight to a restaurant, Shen Ran first registered him for a consultation and took him to the gastroenterology department for a check-up. The doctor diagnosed him with mild gastritis and prescribed a week’s worth of medication.

Shen Ran took the prescription and ran downstairs to pay the bill while Zhao Jiyu sat in the waiting area outside the department to rest. When Shen Ran finally returned with the medicine, Zhao Jiyu pulled out a tissue and pressed it against his forehead, saying nothing—just smiling.

Not wanting to keep Zhao Jiyu waiting too long, Shen Ran ran both ways, making him a little hot and sweaty. Taking the tissue from Zhao Jiyu, he wiped his sweat and asked,
“What are you laughing at?”

After tossing the used tissue into a nearby trash bin, Zhao Jiyu leaned closer with a pleased expression and replied, “I just suddenly feel like being a patient isn’t so bad—someone cares, and someone takes care of me.”

Shen Ran glanced at him and shoved the plastic bag with the medicine into his arms before standing up. “Let’s go eat.”

The hallway window was half open, and a puddle of water had collected on the floor near the wall. As Shen Ran walked past, the water rippled from the disturbance before quickly settling again. Zhao Jiyu remained seated, watching Shen Ran’s reflection in the water. It wasn’t until Shen Ran, realizing he hadn’t followed, turned back to look at him that Zhao Jiyu finally stood up with a smile and walked toward him.

Although Zhao Jiyu said he was fine with eating anywhere, Shen Ran still took him to the best restaurant on this street. While ordering, Zhao Jiyu glanced at the menu. Most of the dishes were priced between ten to twenty yuan, with only two items costing over forty yuan—winter mushroom chicken soup and steamed turbot.

Shen Ran ordered both, along with hot and sour shredded potatoes, garlic stir-fried water spinach, and jasmine scrambled eggs.

After the waiter took the order, silence settled between them again. Zhao Jiyu kept staring at him. Even though Shen Ran deliberately avoided his gaze, he still felt uneasy. So, he unlocked his phone, but before long, the hand resting on his lap was gently grasped.

He glanced down—under the table, Zhao Jiyu squeezed his fingers before intertwining them together, hidden from view. Shen Ran tried pulling away twice but couldn’t break free, so he gave up and let it be.

When the chicken soup was served, he remembered the doctor’s advice and asked the waiter for an empty bowl. Carefully, he skimmed the layer of oil off the surface before serving it.

Looking at the fragrant chicken soup placed in front of him, Zhao Jiyu took a sip. When Shen Ran asked how it tasted, he smiled and said,
“It’s so sweet.”

Shen Ran also served himself a bowl, but he only tasted the saltiness and umami. Understanding the hidden meaning in Zhao Jiyu’s words, he gripped the handle of his spoon tightly and continued eating in silence.

The food here was far from as good as what Old Wu made, but Zhao Jiyu still ate with great satisfaction. When it was time to pay, Shen Ran refused to let him cover the bill. As they stepped out of the restaurant, Zhao Jiyu glanced at both sides of the street and asked,
“Are we heading back to the hospital now?”

It was still early, and Shen Ran figured he could visit later at dinnertime since his mother didn’t need anything urgent. He pointed ahead and said,
“Let’s go back to the hotel first.”

His luggage was still in the trunk of Zhao Jiyu’s car. The two of them returned to the hospital parking lot to retrieve it, then crossed the street diagonally to a hotel. Shen Ran walked up to the front desk, intending to book a room for Zhao Jiyu, but Zhao Jiyu interrupted him.
“Can’t I sleep in your room?”

Shen Ran had booked a standard room with a 1.5-meter-wide bed, but the space was small. Zhao Jiyu insisted there was no need to book another room. He handed his ID to the front desk for registration and pulled Shen Ran upstairs.

Shen Ran wanted to object, but it wasn’t the right place to argue. Only after they entered the room did he say,
“This room is really small. I should still get you another one.”

Glancing into the bathroom, Zhao Jiyu replied,
“One room is enough. It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before.”

After saying that, Zhao Jiyu turned around and saw Shen Ran looking uncomfortable again. Shen Ran busied himself rummaging through his luggage. Zhao Jiyu walked up behind him and, as Shen Ran straightened up, wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his face against his shoulder.

Shen Ran’s body stiffened immediately, his hands instinctively reaching to pry Zhao Jiyu’s arms away. But Zhao Jiyu said,
“Just let me hold you for a while. I won’t do anything.”

Fingers pressing against Zhao Jiyu’s forearm, Shen Ran hesitated for a moment before finally relaxing and looking straight ahead.

The warmth of Zhao Jiyu’s broad chest pressed against his back. Zhao Jiyu held his right hand, gently rubbing the area between his thumb and index finger.
“Does your hand still hurt?”

Shen Ran shook his head. He was still wearing a bandage, but only for convenience while doing things. Zhao Jiyu said, “When we go back, I’ll settle the score with Wei Qi.”

“Forget it, it’s over,” Shen Ran replied.

“No, I can’t just let it go. That guy always speaks without thinking. If we don’t make him realize how serious this was, he’ll say something reckless again in the future.”

Zhao Jiyu was adamant. Shen Ran had no choice but to pry his hand away and turn to face him.
“His intentions were for your sake. I don’t want you to fall out with a friend over this.”

They locked eyes. Zhao Jiyu’s gaze was unwavering, making Shen Ran avert his own. Zhao Jiyu chuckled.
“You haven’t even agreed to be with me yet, but you’re already thinking about me this much. How long are you going to keep pretending?”

Shen Ran wanted to argue, but just as he opened his mouth, Zhao Jiyu cupped his chin. A second later, his lips were captured in a kiss, pressing him against the wall once again. His mind went blank, unable to think of anything else.