Ring, ring, ring!
The alarm went off. A hand reached out from under the covers to press it. A few seconds later, Lu Jian sat up abruptly and hurried into the bathroom in his slippers.
He had promised to look at houses with Cheng Shixu today, and because he had been too excited to sleep, he stayed up too late last night.
After brushing his teeth and shaving, Lu Jian stood before his closet, feeling troubled. Since removing his tattoos over a year ago, he had almost always worn suits. He wanted to try more casual clothing, but Cheng Shixu seemed to love seeing him in a suit. Even though the styles were mostly the same, every time they went on a date, Cheng Shixu would look at him with bright eyes and praise him, “You look so handsome in a suit.”
In the end, he chose a suit. As he took off his pajamas, he looked at his right arm, where the tattoos were now barely visible after multiple surgeries.
Once dressed, he walked to the vanity, picked up his Clive Christian No. 1 perfume, sprayed it on his wrist, and rubbed his wrists together before dabbing them against his neck.
The amber scent carried a hint of sweetness, elegant and comforting, just like the scent that always seemed to linger on Cheng Shixu.
After applying the perfume, he walked to his study desk, clasped his hands together over the necklace, and prayed for a smooth date and a successful house hunt. He was finally going to live with Cheng Shixu; he would be able to feel Cheng Shixu’s warmth every day and breathe in his scent.
With an hour left before their appointment, Lu Jian parked his Bugatti downstairs at Cheng Shixu’s apartment complex. He lived near his office, which was not far from Cheng Shixu’s place, only two blocks away.
He was in the car, fixing his hair in the rearview mirror, when Jin Yi called to check on him. Lu Jian told him the truth, and Jin Yi teased, “You have a buzz cut, why are you still fussing over your hair?”
Lu Jian gripped the steering wheel, his Bluetooth headset in place. “If you have something to say, say it. Do not delay my date.”
“Fine. Once you have a husband, you lose your brothers. Are you sure it really is him?”
Lu Jian answered without hesitation, “Yes.” His eyes were fixed on the apartment exit and Cheng Shixu’s profile picture on his phone. It was strange; when they first added each other, Cheng Shixu had a Patrick Star profile picture, but now it had changed to “Flowers Bloom for Wealth.”
“Do not blame me for not warning you. He is highly educated, comes from a happy family, and has never known hardship. If you want to be with him, you have to win over his parents. Will his parents agree if they know your background?” When Jin Yi broke up with his online partner, it was because of this. Two people with such different experiences and interests, how far could they go if one was always compromising for the other?
Dating is one thing, but when you plan for a lifetime, there are many more factors to consider.
Upon hearing this, Lu Jian’s relaxed expression tightened. “What are you trying to say?”
Jin Yi said, “I just want you to think clearly. Is this just dating, or are you really planning for a lifetime? You always cater to his preferences; I hardly recognize you anymore. Brother Lu, no matter what, you should not forget your own feelings. I bet you have not told him that you once wanted to be a boxer, right?”
“I have not told him. You have worked security and fought in underground matches; the you in his eyes is not the real you.” The more Jin Yi spoke, the more agitated he became. “Brother Lu, you do not date like this.” They had known each other for many years; he understood Lu Jian too well. At his core, Lu Jian was a person with a rebellious temperament. In his early years, he had done too many dirty, exhausting jobs and even fought in underground matches for twenty thousand yuan, almost losing his life on the ring. His body was scarred, his hands had been fractured, and he could no longer box professionally. “Ask yourself, if he knew your true self, could you still stay together?”
Lu Jian touched the Patrick Star charm on his dashboard. “Why should I tell him? Honestly, I should be thanking him. Without him, there would be no President Lu today.” His voice deepened. “Jin Yi, if you are my brother, you should support me.”
“Support my foot! If we were not brothers for so many years, I would not even be saying these things to you.” Jin Yi was abroad for a competition. Hearing Lu Jian talk about moving in together yesterday, he had thought about it all night and felt he had to offer a warning.
“I will not tell him, and I will definitely be his equal,” Lu Jian insisted.
Jin Yi opened his mouth, then said, “Do not tell me you lied to him and said you also had a happy family.”
Lu Jian looked out the window. “I did not lie to him.” When Cheng Shixu had brought up their families before, he had indeed said he had a happy family. He grew up in the Sunshine Orphanage, and the director had been very kind to him. How could he say he was not happy?
He never liked complaining. There were plenty of people with tragic backgrounds, and he felt he was already very fortunate. At the very least, he had a home he could return to and visit. What did it matter that he did not have biological parents? Why could the director not be considered his family? Why could the friends he grew up with in the orphanage not be his family?
He had a bed to sleep in, a roof that did not leak, and people who cared about him. If he had spent his life wallowing in self-pity about how unfair the world was, he would never have made it this far.
“Is what you mean the same as what he understands?”
Lu Jian repeated, “I did not lie to him. Jin Yi, are you not my family, too? Is blood relation really that important?” Even without blood ties, were they not still brothers?
Jin Yi surrendered and picked up his boxing gloves. “Fine, I cannot persuade you. Just do not buy a house too far away, so it will not take me hours to drive and find you when I come back to the country.”
He and Jin Yi lived on the same floor of their building; they could see each other just by walking up a flight of stairs.
Lu Jian said, “I will let him decide.”
Jin Yi replied, “I give up on you. Are you not usually very sharp when negotiating contracts and profits? Damn, you lose all your sense once you are in love.”
“One more swear word, and I will fly abroad tomorrow to deal with you,” Lu Jian cursed. “I have stopped using foul language now. If you keep corrupting me, I am going to get angry!”
Jin Yi: “Heh! You are really a brother, huh? A real brother.” He was furious, but in the end, he politely said, “Goodbye!” before hanging up.
Not long after hanging up, Lu Jian saw a familiar figure walking out of the apartment complex. He rolled down the window. “Shixu.”
Cheng Shixu had also come out early. He had dressed up, looking like a college student in his custom-made casual wear, his hair styled with wax. When he heard someone call him and saw Lu Jian, he ran over excitedly, opened the car door, and sat in the back. “You are here so early?”
He had specifically left half an hour early, thinking that executives were always busy and time was precious, so he did not want to keep Lu Jian waiting. He had not expected Lu Jian to be waiting outside already.
Lu Jian stared at his perfectly groomed eyebrows. Did he put on makeup? He looks so good.
Cheng Shixu leaned toward him. “Do I look good today?”
Lu Jian was stunned by the magnified features in front of him. Afraid that something would happen if he kept looking, he turned his gaze away and rubbed Cheng Shixu’s cold hands. Thankfully, he had turned on the heat in advance. “You look great.”
“You did not even look,” Cheng Shixu muttered. “You are such a straight man.”
Lu Jian heard him, and his lips curved upward. “You really do look great.”
Cheng Shixu asked, “Then tell me, what did I put makeup on today?” He lifted his bangs to expose his eyebrows, like a test with an open book. Lu Jian answered, “Your eyebrows.”
“Hehe. Let us go!” Cheng Shixu sat in the passenger seat and took out his phone. “I did a lot of research yesterday. Hmm… it should not be too far from your place or my place. How about Yuanhe Residential Area?”
It was centrally located with convenient transportation and commercial districts nearby, though the property prices were on the higher side.
Lu Jian nodded. “Okay.” Hearing the giggles coming from the passenger seat, he asked, “Are you that happy?”
Cheng Shixu’s voice was soft. “Yes, I am going to live with you, my husband. After we find a place, you should come home with me to meet my parents. They really want to see you, and I can meet your parents, too.”
As he said this, Cheng Shixu’s expression shifted. “Husband, will your parents like me?”
Lu Jian said firmly, “They will.”
“Really? Then when will you take me to meet them?”
Lu Jian was caught in a dilemma. He did not know where they were, so meeting them was impossible. The moment he fell silent, Cheng Shixu beside him quieted down. Lu Jian noticed and slowed the car down. Seeing a shared electric scooter drive past them, it was clear how slowly he was driving. “Shixu, I…” He wanted to explain, but Cheng Shixu spoke first: “I know, I know. Let us take it slow.”
Such an understanding Cheng Shixu. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, gently stepped on the gas to speed up, and felt himself falling even more in love.
Cheng Shixu in the passenger seat was fiddling with things. He opened the glove compartment and saw a cigarette box and a lighter. “Hmm? Do you smoke?”
When asked, Lu Jian remembered that since he met Cheng Shixu, he had not smoked in front of him. Cheng Shixu probably thought he did not smoke. It does not matter, I can quit from now on. “Those belong to a friend.” The cigarettes really were Jin Yi’s, left in his car. He had not even smoked that brand before.
“I see. I thought you smoked.”
Lu Jian said, “You can smoke if you want.”
Cheng Shixu looked at him as if he were facing a major crisis. “Me? I do not smoke!”
He did not know why Cheng Shixu would deny it; he figured it was probably part of his “act like a good boy” rule. Just last night, at one of his clubs, he had seen Cheng Shixu drinking and playing dice with his friends.
He looked like he was drunk, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, one foot on the table, gesturing at his opponent. “One heart’s respect, brothers are good, five leaders…” After winning, he was very bossy. “Drink for me! Are you raising fish? Drink, drink, drink! Act like a person!”
However, after that conversation, he really had not seen Cheng Shixu smoke again. Sometimes when he was on business trips abroad, his secretary would report that Cheng Shixu went to the racetrack or nightclubs, and in the photos, Cheng Shixu would drink and play dice, but he really had not smoked since then.
Lu Jian thought that Cheng Shixu must be just like him, once he said he would not smoke, he quit immediately.
He thought, Jin Yi is wrong, and I am right. We are the perfect match!
When they arrived at the Yuanhe Residential Area sales office, the manager was waiting at the entrance. Seeing them arrive, he greeted them: “President Lu. The large model unit is ready for you; you can go look at the house immediately.”
Lu Jian looked down and asked Cheng Shixu, “What floor plan do you want?” Cheng Shixu was a bit shorter than him, so he leaned down and moved his ear toward him.
Cheng Shixu said, “Anything is fine. What about you? What kind do you like?”
Lu Jian wanted to tell him, do not cater to me; I like whatever you like. But he worried that Cheng Shixu might think he was not putting enough effort into their home, so he said, “Let us take a look at everything.”
While looking at the houses, he observed the changes in Cheng Shixu’s expressions. When they arrived in front of a two-story standalone villa with a private courtyard, Cheng Shixu stared at the small pond in the yard. Lu Jian knew that Cheng Shixu loved this design. “Let us take this one.”
Cheng Shixu asked, “Do you like it?”
Lu Jian said, “I like it.”
Cheng Shixu giggled and leaned against his shoulder. “Then we really are in sync. I like it, too.”
Yes. They had always been in sync.