◎Blind Date◎
The original art studio where Su Yun worked, Phantom Equation, was about to be officially merged into KG, the premier gaming company in China.
Before this happened, he had to wrap up and settle all of his freelance orders outside of KG, which meant working overtime almost every single day for the past half month.
“Damn it.”
Taking advantage of a rare sliver of time to grab some food during the afternoon off, his colleague and roommate, Yang Ximing, stomped into Su Yun’s small office, venting all his hatred toward the clients onto his takeout. “At least we won’t have to be the exploited party anymore after this.”
Su Yun wanted to remind him that after joining KG, although they would technically be KG employees, they were still essentially service providers whose client base was simply changing from multiple people to just one.
Besides, given the current momentum of KG’s hottest game, Star Journey, their workload would only increase, not decrease.
Otherwise, that major stakeholder behind KG would never have offered such generous terms to make their studio boss, Fang Ke—a man who constantly shouted about staying true to the original aspiration and chasing dreams—lose himself in the swamp of profits and willingly hand over his studio. Although Fang Ke repeatedly emphasized that what he cared about was not money, but the friendship between old friends.
Yang Ximing devoured a plate of braised pork ribs as if he were gnawing on a client, his mood improving noticeably. He began immersing himself in the joy of soon becoming the client instead, rattling off all the gossip about KG he had gathered from various channels.
Su Yun did not bother shattering his bright illusions about the future, listening selectively.
The engine group is full of masters, and there is one guy named Spark who is rumored to be one of the original creators of the Star Journey engine. Moving from KG’s modeling center to the administrative department, Yang Ximing had now arrived at KG’s most mysterious department.
“Spark?” Su Yun had been listening quietly all along, but at this, he took the initiative to speak up.
“What? Do you know him?” Yang Ximing perked up his ears.
“I do not know him.” Su Yun tidied up the items on his desk. “I have a missing gaming buddy who is also named Spark.”
“Huh? Aside from me, you have other gaming buddies?” Yang Ximing wore an expression of utter betrayal.
“Not for Star Journey.” Su Yun shut down his computer.
Yang Ximing was deeply struck. “You actually have other games outside?”
Amused by his expression, Su Yun let out a soft laugh. “Rest assured, it is also produced by KG. I am very loyal.”
“What game is it?” Yang Ximing’s curiosity was hooked. “Battle Canyon, Sniper God, or Magical Zuma?”
Su Yun shouldered his backpack containing his laptop. “An old-school retro game that you cannot register for anymore.” He walked around his desk. “I am heading out. Remember to help me lock the door.”
Yang Ximing finally reacted. “Hey, are you not working overtime today?”
“Not doing it,” Su Yun replied.
Yang Ximing asked again, “Are you seriously going on another blind date?”
Su Yun had already stepped out of the office without answering, merely waving his hand backward.
Yang Ximing felt dazed. “How come nobody ever sets me up on blind dates?”
After a moment, he recalled the old-school game Su Yun had mentioned and muttered to himself, “Does KG even have games you cannot register for? Weren’t those all supposed to be shut down?”
A drizzle was falling outside, prompting Su Yun to abandon his initial plan of walking back to his nearby apartment to fetch his car and call a ride-hailing service instead.
While waiting for the car, he stood before the curtain of rain and looked up.
The fine threads of rain resembled needle-like crystals, shimmering with a faint light at a certain instant as they fell.
Thinking this would make good scene material, he took out his portable camera, attempting to capture that fleeting flash of light.
Unfortunately, using an ordinary camera, he failed to completely record the scene his eyes had seen.
“Su Yun, did you not bring an umbrella?” A sweet female voice interrupted his absent-mindedness.
He turned his head to find it was the front desk receptionist of the office building.
The receptionist was still wearing her work uniform and badge, meaning she was likely still on duty, and a hint of shyness crossed her face as she looked at him.
“You can use this one first and just bring it back tomorrow.” She handed over the straight-handled umbrella she was holding.
“Thank you, but it is fine. I called a car.” Su Yun politely declined. Just then, his ride-hailing car arrived, so he dashed through the rain for two steps and hopped inside.
Arriving at a traditional Chinese courtyard in the suburbs, Su Yun stepped out of the car, hurried under the eaves, brushed off the stray raindrops from his plaid shirt, and slightly tidied up his appearance before pressing the doorbell.
“Xiaoyun.” The middle-aged man who opened the door asked him, “Why do you ring the doorbell every time you come back? Do you not have the password?”
Su Yun sweetened his voice. “I wanted to see Uncle Hu the very first second.”
Uncle Hu beamed from ear to ear at the flattery. “You always know how to make Uncle Hu happy.”
“Where is Grandpa?” Su Yun asked.
“In the study, he is angry. Go quick and appease him,” Uncle Hu said.
Su Yun stood at the doorway and glanced inside the house.
“Everyone else is gone.” Uncle Hu seemed to see right through his hesitation.
“Oh.” The tension at the corners of Su Yun’s eyes visibly relaxed as he changed his shoes and stepped inside.
He did not let Uncle Hu take his backpack, keeping it on his shoulders.
In the study, a white-haired elder was tinkering with a chessboard. Seeing Su Yun walk in, he petulantly turned his face away.
“Grandpa.” Su Yun walked over to address him, naturally setting his backpack down on the sofa.
“Hmph, so you still remember you have a grandfather,” Su Nanbo grumbled petulantly.
“Work has been a bit busy lately, but am I not here to see you now?” Su Yun blinked, sat down on the opposite side of the chessboard, and very naturally began playing a game of go with Su Nanbo.
“Do not think I do not know you are here to plead guilty,” Su Nanbo hummed.
Having his intentions seen through, Su Yun rubbed the bridge of his nose submissive. “That person… I really do not like him.”
He was referring to the blind date his grandfather had introduced to him not long ago.
“Then what kind do you like?” Su Nanbo stopped moving his chess piece.
Su Yun pressed his lips together and spoke the truth. “I do not want to fall in love yet, and I do not want to get married. Grandpa, please stop setting me up on dates.”
Su Nanbo fell silent for a moment before dropping his chess piece onto the board. “Is it that you do not want to right now, or that you never want to?”
Su Yun’s fingers tightened around his chess piece. “I can take care of myself. I do not need anyone else.”
Su Nanbo let out a very faint sigh. “This is the last time. The other person likes photography, so you should get along well. Besides, that family is nice—you lived at their house for a period of time when you were very young, and his mother liked you a lot. Go meet him. If you are still unsatisfied, I will not force you anymore.”
When he was very young?
Su Yun had no recollection of it, hesitating without giving an answer.
Su Nanbo coughed laboriously. “Oh dear, this old frame of mine can no longer take care of you for much longer.”
Su Yun disliked hearing such words. “Fine, fine, fine. I will go. Grandpa, may you live a long life.”
Su Nanbo nodded with satisfaction. “Just treat it as going to make a friend. By the way, that person’s surname is Yan, and his name is Si Yan.”
Su Yun silently prayed in his heart, hoping this friend named Si Yan would not take a fancy to him.
On the day Si Yan arrived in City S, he was blocked at the airport arrival exit by a figure with flowing long hair.
“Why are you here?” Si Yan expressed his displeasure through his tone.
“To see my own biological brother whom I have not seen in two years, is there something wrong with that?” Si Yu countered.
Si Yan took off his sunglasses.
Judging purely by his facial features, his nationality could not be entirely determined. His hair color and brows possessed distinctive Eastern features, yet his facial contours were exceptionally sharp and defined—especially his slightly elevated brow bone, which made his narrow eyes appear exceptionally deep.
Such eyes easily gave people the illusion of deep affection, but because the other lines of his face were overly severe, it directly dragged his warmth factor down to the barest minimum, presenting only a cold and aloof aura.
He looked at his younger brother, who dressed in a similarly flashy and trendy fashion and shared a few facial similarities with him, with eyes full of skepticism.
“Really, half of it is to see you and check if you have turned into a wild savage after crouching in the mountains every day.” Si Yu hooked his sunglasses down with his index finger, letting his gaze sweep past the upper rim of the frames to appraise his older brother, as if genuinely terrified that Si Yan might have morphed into a wild man.
He was slightly shorter than Si Yan and lacked Si Yan’s rugged build; he was slender, with softer facial features. Coupled with his constant smiling expression, he looked more like a beautiful woman than a handsome man.
“And the other half?” Si Yan asked.
“We will talk in the car.” Si Yu pushed his sunglasses back up, tossed his head in a dashing motion, and gestured for his brother to follow him.
Si Yan remained standing in place, not moving an inch.
After taking two steps and discovering that his person had not followed, Si Yu retreated, hooked his arm through his brother’s, pulled a wronged face, and pitched his voice slightly higher. “Tell me, do you not love me anymore?”
Because he deliberately put on an affected tone, it was impossible to tell if he sounded male or female.
At that moment, passengers were coming and going through the arrival exit, and everyone hearing those words could not help turning their heads to look.
The two of them were tall, exceptionally striking, and engaged in ambiguous pulling, causing someone nearby to already start taking pictures with their phone.
Feeling it was a disgrace, Si Yan lowered his head to put his sunglasses back on, grabbed his ill-fated brother who was still demanding whether he loved him or not, and fled from the scene of trouble.
“Hahaha, how are you still so easily teased?” Si Yu laughed endlessly in the car.
“You are a celebrity, after all.” Si Yan massaged his temples.
Although Si Yu was not as famous as idol stars, he still appeared in entertainment columns—for no other reason than the fact that many of his rumored girlfriends were women from the entertainment industry.
“Oh, scared of being treated as my rumored boyfriend?” Si Yu enjoyed watching the cold-tempered man suffer defeat.
“What was the other half of the reason?” Si Yan did not wish to dwell on the previous topic further.
Ever since they were kids, Si Yu loved making trouble the most. Coming all the way from City A to the airport to intercept him meant he was definitely scheming something bizarre.
“It is nothing much, really. Mom asked me tomorrow night to help her meet the child of an old friend right here in City S. I originally agreed, but you see, it is such an incredible coincidence that my idol is also holding a fashion show in City S right now and asked me to show support, so…” Si Yu curved his eyes as he spoke.
“Not going.” Si Yan did not wait for Si Yu to finish speaking, flatly refusing.
“Do not refuse so decisively,” Si Yu leaned over wheedlingly. “Besides, it is to help Mom, not to help me.”
“It is a blind date, right?” Si Yan hit the nail on the head, simultaneously reminding him, “I believe I already informed you all of my sexual orientation.”
“Isn’t that perfect then?” Si Yu clapped his hands. “The other person is a guy, and according to Mom, he is extremely good-looking. Just treat it as going on a blind date.”
Si Yan had initially suspected that Si Yu was tricking him into a blind date on the family’s behalf, but hearing that the person he was supposed to meet was male instantly dispelled all his misgivings.
Si Yu’s father—who was also his own excessively autocratic and rigid father—could never accept the reality that he was gay this quickly, let alone permit him to go on a blind date with another man.
When he had come out to his family back then, his mother had also worn a deeply shocked expression, as if she were on the verge of tears.
Therefore, he dared to guarantee this was not a blind date.
“Just consider it helping me out,” Si Yu said with a hint of a threat. “Think about it, with you away from home day in and day out, who helps you show filial piety to our parents and wait on your elder brother? Who gets treated as your substitute, nagged by mom, dad, and big bro every single day? It is me! I sacrificed my freedom for you and paid such a heavy price, can you not help me just this once?”
Si Yan’s head throbbed from the nagging, and he compromised. “Just having a meal?”
“Yes, just having a meal, helping Mom check how he is doing and if he needs any assistance.” Si Yu nodded in satisfaction. “Of course, if you actually take a fancy to him, that becomes your own business.”
Si Yan let out a silent breath and said he would consider it.
After finishing a noisy dinner with Si Yu, Si Yan returned to his apartment in City S.
Before getting out of the car, Si Yu reminded him, “Remember to dress formally and do not embarrass our Si family name. Also, stop wearing that frozen expression all the time; you will never find a boyfriend looking like that.”
Si Yan wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but knowing it would be useless to say, he simply chose silence.
Si Yu poked his head out of the car window. “I will come pick you up before dinner and bring a change of clothes along. Did you bulk up again?”
Too lazy to bother with him, Si Yan turned and walked away.
It was only after Si Yan stepped into the elevator alcove that Si Yu finally sent a WeChat message to his mother: “Done.”