◎Blacked Out?◎
“Oh,” Si Yan nodded slowly. “I see. Have someone prepare some hangover medicine and send it up.”
“Understood, President Yan.” The butler prepared to withdraw, only to be stopped by Si Yan.
“Help me carry him to…” Si Yan glanced back at the living room. “Carry him to the rug in front of the sofa.”
“Alright.” The butler complied, supporting the grounded Jiang Yiyi.
Entering the living room, he noticed that someone else was already lying on the sofa, seemingly drunk as well, though compared to the curly-haired guy he was hauling, that person had been tended to much better.
“Sorry to trouble you.” Si Yan drew two hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and handed them to the butler.
“Thank you, President Yan.” The butler accepted them politely and departed.
Si Yan sat on the armrest of the sofa, looking down at Su Yun, whose face was half-hidden beneath a blanket, and dialed Fang Ke’s number.
It took quite a while before Fang Ke answered, complaining, “It is almost 1 AM.”
Si Yan pulled the blanket down slightly to expose Su Yun’s nose, his voice low and cold. “You know it is 1 AM, but do you have any idea where your precious employee is right now?”
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment before asking uncertainly, “Which one are you talking about?”
“One is curly-haired, one is…” Si Yan paused. “A liar.”
“Curly-haired? Jiang Yiyi?” Fang Ke’s first thought went to Jiang Yiyi, but who was the liar?
“A liar?” He grew anxious. Could something have happened to them?
“Along with the curly hair, there should also be a guy who looks very pretty.”
Si Yan kept his gaze lowered, watching Su Yun’s eyelashes flutter restlessly while a tiny spot of light rested on the bridge of his delicate nose.
Indeed, quite pretty.
“Yeah, there is someone like that,” Si Yan replied. “They must have pressed the wrong floor button. Right now, they are at my place.”
“Huh?” Fang Ke was shocked. “How could that happen? I am coming over right now.”
“Do you have their apartment password?” Si Yan asked.
“No,” Fang Ke answered.
“Then coming over is useless. Let them stay the night at my place,” Si Yan said.
“Oh, sorry to trouble you then.” Fang Ke had been drinking too, rendering his thought process sluggish, otherwise, he surely would have remembered that fingerprints could also unlock the door.
“Hang up,” Si Yan stated decisively.
“Hey hey hey, wait,” Fang Ke stopped him.
“Hm?” Si Yan’s gaze darkened.
“Make sure you take good care of them for me,” Fang Ke instructed.
The corners of Si Yan’s lips twitched upward. “Got it.”
The call ended.
In a dazed state, Fang Ke felt that whatever Si Yan had said at the very end carried a hint of triumphant satisfaction.
In his dream, Su Yun turned into a white fluffy ball, rolling happily across the grassland while trailing a black, larger fluffy ball beside him. Just like him, that ball was covered in green weeds.
They laughed heartily, huddling together for warmth.
“Are you cold?” the black fluffy ball asked him.
“Not cold, you are so warm,” he replied.
Su Yun was jolted awake by his alarm clock the next day. His head felt as though it had genuinely rolled around in a grassy field all night, spinning terribly.
Keeping his eyes closed, he groped around the bedside table until he touched his phone.
While turning off the alarm, a strange fragment of memory awakened within his mind.
It might also have been a dream, because with his consciousness not fully returned, he could not quite tell.
He forced his eyes open to check the time. It was only half-past seven, still early.
Since today was the weekend, he could sleep until noon before heading to the company to work overtime.
Yet as consciousness trickled back and memories were forcibly recalled one by one, his eyes snapped wide open.
Last night, he seemed to have run into Si Yan right outside his door.
How on earth did Si Yan end up at his place?
Was it a dream?
What happened after that?
He had forgotten everything.
Oh, oh, oh, it definitely must have been a dream.
Immediately afterward, however, he realized this was not his bedroom, and a long, cylindrical object appeared to be resting right inside the blanket with him.
Sitting bolt upright in a start, he flipped back the blanket and saw that it was just a furry bolster pillow, causing the scream stuck in his throat to be swallowed back down.
Because he sat up too violently, a spinning vertigo swept over him, and he dizzyingly flopped back down onto the mattress.
Where on earth was this?
Knock knock.
The bedroom door was tapped twice lightly.
Clutching the blanket, he had no idea whether he ought to speak up.
“It is Si Yan, I am coming in,” the person at the door said.
Si Yan?
Really Si Yan?
Was he not dreaming? Su Yun pinched his own cheek, and it hurt.
The door pushed open from the outside.
The blackout curtains in the bedroom were drawn only halfway, letting morning light filter through the white sheer curtains. He saw Si Yan walking toward him dressed in greyish-black loungewear.
The hazy interplay of light and shadow lent Si Yan’s chiseled features a mysterious and alluring charm, while his completely casual cotton homewear neutralized that aggressive allure, breeding a more private, intimate sensation.
In a trance, Su Yun felt as though he had known Si Yan for a very, very long time.
“Awake?” Standing by the head of the bed with one hand tucked into his pocket and his eyes lowered, Si Yan observed Su Yun’s condition. “Feeling dizzy, or any discomfort anywhere?”
Su Yun indeed felt quite dizzy and uncomfortable all over, but he still prudently shook his head. “No.”
Si Yan’s lips twitched, as though mocking him for putting up a stubborn front.
Su Yun felt rather depressed. “Why are you here?”
Si Yan bent down, the amusement in his smile becoming even more pronounced. “Should you not be asking, ‘Why am I here?'”
Led astray by his hazy state, Su Yun echoed, “Why am I here?”
When Si Yan smiled, his gaze softened considerably, and his tone took on a touch of gentleness. “You got off on the wrong floor. I live right above you.”
“Huh?” This was entirely unexpected for Su Yun. “Th-th-then what about my colleague?”
“That little curly head?” Si Yan asked.
“Mhm,” Su Yun nodded.
“To protect you, he collapsed right outside my door,” Si Yan joked.
Su Yun’s brain felt even foggier; what on earth had happened last night? Everything felt so chaotic.
Noticing Su Yun’s bewildered expression, Si Yan finally put away his teasing demeanor. “He is fine, do not worry. I have already briefed your leadership as well.”
“Fang Ke?” Su Yun blinked once.
“Yeah, I already knew him anyway. He will be coming over later,” Si Yan said simply, then asked, “Want some water?”
Having absorbed a mountain of information, Su Yun genuinely lacked the mental energy to process any more, nor did he possess the stamina to maintain polite pretenses, so he answered with a simple “Yes.”
“I will pour you a glass.” Si Yan straightened up and retreated, leaving behind only a faint, woody fragrance in the room, reminiscent of a fresh morning forest.
Su Yun stared at the steadily brightening window, continuing to think: Am I not dreaming?
When Si Yan returned, Su Yun had already climbed out of bed, fighting through the discomfort.
“Drink some water first, then see if you want to take this hangover medicine.” Si Yan held a box of unsealed medication, likely fearing Su Yun would worry about its origin.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Su Yun took only the water. “No need, thanks, I have some at home too.”
Understandingly, Si Yan withdrew the medicine box.
The water temperature was just right. Drinking half the cup finally alleviated Su Yun’s queasy stomach.
“I had the butler prepare some breakfast suitable for post-drinking recovery; it will be sent up shortly, eat a little.” Si Yan reached out to retrieve the cup.
Su Yun tried to refuse again, but Si Yan spoke before him: “I made enough for three people, letting it go to waste would be a shame, plus your colleague probably will not wake up anytime soon.”
“Sorry to be a bother?” Su Yun apologized. “Can I go check on him?”
Si Yan nodded.
Jiang Yiyi was sleeping in the room directly across from Su Yun’s, his curly hair a complete mess with his mouth hanging open as he slept deeply, and he certainly would not be waking up anytime soon.
Su Yun grew even more mortified. “Should I wake him up?”
“It is fine, let him sleep,” Si Yan said. “There is a disposable toothbrush in the adjacent bathroom, you can freshen up first. Breakfast should be arriving soon, and you can rest a bit longer after eating.”
Su Yun nodded out of habit, then shook his head. “No, no, I will go back and wash up.”
Si Yan’s gaze darkened slightly as he asked again, “Want to come up for breakfast?”
With Jiang Yiyi still here, Su Yun could not just ignore him, so he replied, “I will wash up and change my clothes before coming up.”
A nearly imperceptible crook formed at the corner of Si Yan’s lips. “Alright.”
Unsure whether Si Yan simply did not trust him to be alone, the man escorted him right to his apartment door, even though it was separated by just a single floor.
Back home, he finally had time to rehash the events of the previous night.
No matter how hard he tried, he could not recall anything that happened after meeting Si Yan.
Clearly, right up until that moment, he had managed to force himself to stay conscious. But the second Si Yan stepped out of the elevator lobby and walked toward him, all rationality and defense mechanisms seemed to shut down completely, leaving him to trust Si Yan unconditionally.
How could he have been so careless?
He and Si Yan had only met once; how on earth could such groundless trust take root?
“Maybe it is because I knew he was straight,” he muttered to himself.
Right, it must be because he knew the other person had no romantic interest in him and would not pull any funny business, which was why he felt so secure.
Rubbing his throbbing head, he decided to stop thinking about it.
After washing up and taking a shower, he felt somewhat better, though lingering discomfort remained. However, his home lacked any hangover medication, making him slightly regret not accepting Si Yan’s kind offer.
Just then, the doorbell chimed, revealing the butler standing outside.
“Good morning, Mr. Su. This is the breakfast Mr. Yan upstairs asked me to prepare for you.”
Su Yun was somewhat surprised. Did Si Yan not tell him to come upstairs to eat just a moment ago?
Seeming to time it perfectly, Si Yan sent him a WeChat message right then.
SY: “If you are feeling unwell, you do not need to come up.”
SY: “Your colleague is awake, I will explain the situation to him.”
SY: “Eat your breakfast and rest.”
Glancing over the message cursorily, Su Yun took the food container from the butler and uttered a “Thank you.”
The container had three heavy tiers. Opening it, he found oat porridge, Chinese yam soup, and various other stomach-soothing liquid foods, alongside numerous light side dishes, an immensely rich variety.
With this much food, three people could not possibly finish it all.
Grabbing a row of yogurt from the fridge and hauling the food box, he took the elevator up to the 26th floor.
Seconds after pressing the doorbell, the door clicked open from within.
Standing inside, Si Yan gave Su Yun a brief, head-to-toe appraisal. “Why did you come up?”
Su Yun lifted the heavy food container slightly. “There is too much food, I could not finish it alone.”
The corners of Si Yan’s mouth twitched. He took the container and gestured for Su Yun to enter.
Standing in the entryway, Su Yun felt rather reserved. “Should I change shoes?”
Si Yan was currently arranging the food items onto the dining table, using his chin to point toward the suspended shoe cabinet rack below. “Just put on those white slippers, they are new.”
“Oh.” Bending down, Su Yun saw a pair of slippers already unwrapped and neatly arranged.
The slippers appeared to be sized for Si Yan, fitting Su Yun a bit loosely. Usually, using items carrying the distinct presence of others made him feel resistant, yet those slippers failed to evoke any such feeling.
Perhaps it was because Si Yan’s attitude felt too casual and natural, subconsciously putting him at ease.
Slipping into the slippers, he walked over to the dining table to help Si Yan unpack the food.
“How much do these cost? I will transfer my share and my colleague’s share to you,” Su Yun said.
Silent, Si Yan remained mute.
Su Yun raised his head. “Hm?”
Tilting his head slightly, Si Yan looked at Su Yun as though studying him, or perhaps examining something fascinating. “Do we have to calculate things so strictly? Then what about what you said last night, does it still count?”
Looking completely blank, Su Yun felt a surge of tension due to his total lack of memory: “W-what did I say last night?”
He had to admit, he adored Si Yan’s looks, and he admired his figure too, so hopefully he had not blurted out anything weird while his mind was scrambled.
Standing a whole head taller than Su Yun, Si Yan bent forward slightly to meet Su Yun’s eye level, observing his expression. “Blacked out?”
With no way to dodge, Su Yun could only lock eyes with Si Yan, his initially jittery heart pounding all the more fiercely.
Si Yan chuckled, dropping the answer with casual nonchalance: “You said you wanted, very, very badly, to help me draw a portrait.”