“What’s this?” Ji An muttered, holding a slip of paper that read, “If you don’t eat it, throw it away.”
The note had been tucked under the thermal container on the dining table. You Fu had gotten up early to make him breakfast.
A strange thought crossed Ji An’s mind: Was this breakfast a thank-you for the sleeping pills last night?
He opened the container to find sweet porridge and freshly steamed buns.
“If you have this much free time, you might as well sleep a bit longer in the morning,” Ji An chided.
Just before leaving, he put on his coat but returned to finish the breakfast.
During lunch with colleagues, Ji An, for some reason, mentioned that You Fu was under a lot of study pressure and having trouble sleeping.
Xun Yi shrugged. “High school is like that. I once thought about jumping off a building.”
Jumping off a building?
Ji An stabbed his chopsticks into his rice, pausing as the image of You Fu clutching glass shards flashed through his mind. This kid had always been a bit off, never flinching at injuries, keeping silent. Who knows, one day he might just jump off a building.
Gu Ziyu, scrolling through his phone, suggested some amusement parks. “If you’re worried, why not let him take a few days off? We could take him out for some fun. With his grades, a few days off shouldn’t matter, right?”
Ji An thanked him but declined. “Let’s not.”
He wasn’t too worried about You Fu. The kid would soon be out of his house, and it wouldn’t be his concern anymore.
Besides, You Fu wasn’t fond of interacting with others. In all his years, Ji An had only seen him have one friend, Xiao Jiaruan. Otherwise, he was always alone.
“Alright,” Gu Ziyu said, a bit disappointed. He had hoped to make a good impression on Ji An’s younger brother.
Gu Ziyu tried to bridge the gap between them whenever he could. When Ji An was buying fruit downstairs at the company, Gu Ziyu eagerly offered to help carry it home.
His enthusiasm was hard to refuse, so Ji An ended up walking home with him.
“That client the other day was a nightmare,” Gu Ziyu complained. “He kept asking why we put apples on his living room table, saying they were boring and tasteless, and that we should have put watermelons instead. It’s just a rendering to show what the renovation would look like, not an actual apple delivery. Who buys apples for a renovation?”
Ji An laughed. “That’s normal. You’ll get used to it.”
“Bang.” Gu Ziyu felt a sharp pain in his back as someone bumped into him. He turned, ready to scold the person, but stopped when he saw it was You Fu.
You Fu was taller, exuding a subtle pressure.
“Sorry,” You Fu said, without a hint of apology, his tone carrying a subtle arrogance. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Ji An’s heart sank at his tone. He pulled You Fu to his side. “What are you doing here?”
You Fu glanced at Ji An’s hand on his arm, then said casually, “I came to pick you up from work since you hadn’t come back. Your colleagues said you left early.”
“Do I need you to pick me up?”
“No, but I wanted to.”
“Do you want some late-night snacks?”
“No need. Do you want some?”
“I’ve already eaten. Still having trouble sleeping?”
“A bit.”
“Didn’t take the pills?”
“Can’t rely on them forever.”
Though the three of them walked side by side, Ji An and You Fu’s conversation left Gu Ziyu out.
At Ji An’s building, You Fu took the fruit from Gu Ziyu, and Ji An naturally started to head upstairs with him. Gu Ziyu grabbed Ji An’s wrist.
You Fu glanced down, then said to Ji An, “Brother, I’ll head up first. I haven’t finished my homework.”
With that, he disappeared around the corridor corner.
“What’s up?” Ji An slowly pulled his hand back.
Gu Ziyu bit his lip, his lowered eyes showing a hint of hurt. “What does your brother like? I want to buy it for him. Or is there something he wants to do? I can help.”
“Why do all this?”
Gu Ziyu lifted his eyes to meet Ji An’s, forcing a smile. “I think your brother might not like me much. Since I’ve decided to pursue you, I want your family to like me too.”
Ji An patted his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s fine. He doesn’t like anyone.”
The unexpected comment left Gu Ziyu stunned. “Huh?”
“Kids are like that. You’ll get used to it.”
…
As Ji An turned the corner in the corridor, he accidentally bumped into someone. The refreshing scent of tea wafted from the school uniform, surrounding Ji An’s senses as the motion-activated light flickered on.
It was You Fu.
Ji An’s phone slipped from his grasp, but You Fu caught it, his hand enveloping Ji An’s, holding it tightly.
The grip made Ji An’s hand ache. He instinctively tried to pull away, but You Fu’s hold was firm.
“What are you doing?” Ji An asked, annoyed.
“Didn’t want your phone to break.” You Fu released his hand.
Ji An flexed his sore fingers. “Didn’t you say you were going up?”
You Fu replied coolly, “If I hadn’t, how would I hear him talking about me behind my back?”
Ji An was surprised. You Fu usually spoke his mind without hiding anything, but openly showing hostility was rare.
Ji An lit a cigarette, but his lighter was out of fuel. After several attempts, he managed a small flame. He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, the cigarette’s glow catching his eye. “He just said you don’t like him.”
“I don’t like anyone.”
“That’s what I told him too,” Ji An chuckled.
They walked up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, their footsteps echoing upwards.
“Why are you interacting with him? Are you interested?” You Fu asked.
Ji An shook his head. “Not interested. He’s pursuing me, and I can’t just reject him.”
You Fu listened quietly, following him up the stairs, lost in thought.
Ji An added softly, “He hasn’t bothered me. Let him be. If he can make me feel something, then he’s got talent.”
The motion-activated light went out, plunging them into darkness. You Fu’s gaze, cold and intense, fixed on Ji An’s back. His voice carried a hint of darkness. “Someone will have the talent, but it won’t be that filthy thing.”
“What?” Ji An didn’t catch it, turning his head to find You Fu’s face close to his. Smoke drifted from Ji An’s mouth, brushing against You Fu’s face. You Fu took a cigarette from Ji An’s pack.
Ji An’s thoughts were oddly jumbled. He blinked, focusing through the dissipating smoke on You Fu’s face. “You smoke?”
“I have,” You Fu replied, taking the lighter from Ji An.
Ji An had never seen him smoke, nor smelled smoke on him. He was curious. “Why would a kid your age learn to smoke?”
“Study pressure,” You Fu said, trying the lighter several times without success.
Ji An was about to suggest they use a new lighter at home when his eyes widened.
Because he saw You Fu, cigarette in mouth, lower his head to light it from Ji An’s own cigarette.
The cigarette’s ember didn’t penetrate You Fu’s dark eyes.
His deep brown eyes seemed inexplicably black, like the dense, solid night.
And Ji An, for reasons unknown, stood there, slightly turning his body, waiting for You Fu to light his cigarette.
The cigarette lit, You Fu lifted his gaze, looking at Ji An, then stepped back, exhaling smoke. He nudged Ji An. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Ji An turned his head, slightly uncomfortable, shrugging off You Fu’s touch. “You sound like you’re ordering me.”
You Fu curled his hand, fingers brushing Ji An’s coat. “How could I dare? Should I kneel when we get back?”
Ji An cursed under his breath. “Kneel for what?”
“You seemed upset earlier.”
“Then stay out of my sight.”
…
In a hotel room.
Two men lay entwined, the chaos long over. Gu Ziyu held the curly-haired man in his arms, smoking, his fingers teasing the man’s chin.
The man snuggled closer, whining, “It’s been so long, and you still haven’t won him over?”
Gu Ziyu pinched the man’s waist, pretending to flick ash on him. “He’s a decent guy, not like you, ready to jump into bed with a wave of a finger.”
“Ah…” The man feigned displeasure, hitting his chest. “If you get with him, will you still come to me?”
“If he won’t sleep with me, I’ll come to you.”
The man didn’t understand. “Why put so much effort into chasing him? Plenty of people want to sleep with you. You used to change partners all the time. Why so serious about him?”
“Why?” Gu Ziyu’s eyes softened, Ji An’s face clear in his mind. “Because I like him.”
The man giggled. “If you weren’t saying this in someone else’s bed, it might be convincing.”
Gu Ziyu was honest. “I really like him. Liking someone spiritually and satisfying physical needs aren’t mutually exclusive. We’re adults. It’s consensual. I won’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want. I respect his choices. But if he can’t meet my needs, what’s wrong with finding it elsewhere?”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out?”
“We’re not together now, so he can’t control me. But if he wants, I’d give up everyone for him.”
Before he finished speaking, the man’s tears fell like beads. Seeing him cry, Gu Ziyu felt a pang of guilt, gently wiping his tears, soothing him with kisses. “Oh, baby, don’t be jealous. We’re not even close yet.”
The man dodged the kiss. “You’re ready to give me up, so why kiss me?”
“That was hypothetical,” Gu Ziyu said, measuring the man’s waist with his hand, recalling Ji An’s slender waist. Ji An’s seemed even slimmer. “I’ll do whatever you want later, okay?”
The man pouted. “You said it.”
Gu Ziyu flipped him over, pinning him down. “All yours, baby.”