“That’s the one Mr. Tangwin sent, right? Seeing him in person, he’s got a very good impression and looks trustworthy. Well then, our Shinlu, please take good care of him. You know, he’s a very precious kid.”
Yuri quietly watched the man bursting into a hearty laugh as he extended his hand for a handshake, then said only briefly, “I will be careful,” before formally shaking hands. Lingshinlu, who slightly turned his head unseen, twisted the corner of his mouth without a sound—a fleeting contempt flickered across that mouth and vanished.
But... oh no. Again.
The moment Yuri glimpsed Lingshinlu’s smile, Lingshinlu’s gaze shot toward him. Realizing quickly that Yuri had seen the cold contempt on his face, he openly frowned.
In a moment so brief it was hard to notice—the fleeting revealing of his inner feelings—not that he tried very hard to hide it—he gave Yuri a harsh look, as if scolding him for daring to watch.
“I’m not looking because I want to,” Yuri replied with a helpless look through his eyes, then quickly turned his head away.
“...Well, I’d like to talk more, but I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave. Mr. Lingshinlu, please recover quickly. Yuri, I’ll be in touch again.”
James gave a brief farewell and a nod to Lingshinlu’s relative, picked up the bill, and left. The relative, hesitating briefly, then putting on an exaggeratedly satisfied smile, also bade farewell and turned away.
And in the quiet café where piano music softly played, only the two remaining lingered in a subtle silence.
Yuri watched the direction in which the two had disappeared, then turned his gaze to Lingshinlu, who had been staring at him with a somewhat displeased expression, as if scrutinizing every corner. Yuri blinked and tilted his head.
“Since you came down anyway, would you like to sit for a while? The piano sounds nice, and the coffee is good... I haven’t tried the macarons, but if James likes them, they’re probably delicious.”
“.........”
“........?”
Lingshinlu continued staring at Yuri without a word. Yuri slowly raised his hand and touched his own face, as if to ask if something was wrong. James had said nothing.
“I was just wondering what you found good about the impression.”
Lingshinlu suddenly said. Then, as if uninterested in coffee, piano, or macarons, he turned away and headed straight for the elevator. Yuri hurried to follow.
“Honestly, you’ve never had a good eye for people. You go on talking about others behind their backs, yet call them trustworthy.”
Though his muttering wasn’t loud enough to be intentionally heard, there was no one else in the nonstop elevator up to the suite, so Yuri caught every word of Lingshinlu’s sarcastic remark lumping together the cousin and Yuri. Feeling as if someone was poking him in the back of the neck, Yuri glanced up at the ceiling briefly.
...No, it wasn’t slander. Though he talked about him in his absence, it wasn’t badmouthing.
Well, the words included “cruel” and such, but even that was part of the praise; the tone and subtext were what mattered. Was it possible that this genius couldn’t read that at that time?
...I had no intention of badmouthing.
Lost in thought about whether to apologize or ignore it, Yuri was met with Lingshinlu’s cold glare. This genius at reading people scoffed and muttered,
“It’d be more entertaining if you had badmouthed me instead. Don’t you know that fake gilding is more embarrassing than badmouthing? And why would you insult me in front of that pig-like guy?”
That “pig-like guy” was probably the somewhat plump cousin who had just left. Yuri hesitated awkwardly, unsure what to say, as rare as it was to see a blank expression falter.
Though people’s impressions vary, Yuri never thought that Ling Tangwin’s eldest son was such a nasty type. He was competitive but a leader and kind child.
But maybe peers saw differently, Yuri thought to himself. Then, quietly, he noted, “Both Pei and Xiao Jun inherited the nastiness. Maybe they’re better than the second brother’s kids. Those guys, well...”
Noticing Yuri’s thoughts, Lingshinlu preemptively concluded,
“I don’t really like any of my relatives. They’re all greedy and concerned only with appearances.”
“...But they seem to like you.”
Lingshinlu frowned at Yuri, who looked away and stared down.
“You can tell from what they say how they feel about you. How much they cherish, trust, and love you.”
At least as Yuri guessed, Pei didn’t dislike this youngest uncle. Maybe because they were close in age, some competition existed, but when mentioning, “That guy just got into UNHRDO as top of his class, isn’t that amazing?” or “Xiao Qun got scolded by Dad for sneaking near the youngest uncle’s annex crying and singing about the pretty uncle...,” there was no hostility.
Probably Ling Tangwin, or even those “second brother’s kids,” might find Lingshinlu difficult but wouldn’t hate him. Yuri silently looked down. It would be nice not to have such complicated thoughts underwater.
“There are many who like me. Finding people who dislike me would be faster.” New chapters come out on g.com first.
Then Lingshinlu spoke. Yuri turned to him and saw a bitter grimace.
“But have you ever thought that depending on how, that could be very unpleasant?”
“How do you mean...?”
“I mean not all affection is the same. Interest can be ‘curiosity to uncover every intimate secret of the other person,’ not just ‘consideration,’ you know?”
Yuri fell silent.
Lingshinlu, recalling some memory—maybe from long ago or ongoing—clicked his tongue irritably. His anger didn’t subside just from that. Glaring fiercely at Yuri, he vented again.
“For example, you too. You say you like me while staring, but I find it unpleasant. If a pervert stares saying he likes me, would you like it?”
Caught off guard, Yuri was momentarily speechless. Knowing it was just venting, he pondered seriously before saying,
“It might sound like an excuse, but I never had any erotic thoughts about you.”
Lingshinlu looked at him incredulously.
“Never? About me?”
“Yes, never.”
Still looking dumbfounded, Lingshinlu muttered sarcastically as if saying, “Now you’re seriously lying with that innocent face, calling me a swindler.”
“I’m really baffled. You’re saying you didn’t stare vacantly at me? I’ve told you several times today to look away!”
Lingshinlu glared and roughly grabbed Yuri’s half-undone shirt, pulling it. A button came off and rolled to the floor. He tossed the shirt at Yuri’s feet harshly, faced him squarely, and patted his bare chest.
“This!”
He spoke low but harshly.
“You’re saying you never wanted to touch me? After staring at me so many times? Am I an idiot not to notice that stare openly looking at me?!”
“That’s not it.”
Yuri looked troubled enough to slightly blur his usually expressionless face. But Lingshinlu only glared more fiercely.
“Don’t deny it!”
“I did look, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you, but I never had secret imaginations. I never even thought about having them.”
His earnest protest, though stumbling over words and unsure, seemed to have some effect. Lingshinlu, ready to yell, said nothing.
Yuri tried seriously to erase the discomfort Lingshinlu might feel, but hesitated over what to say next, finally adding a weak, unconvincing sentence.
“Despite all this, I’m heterosexual.”
"........"
“I have been so, really.”
"........"
“...Though now I’m somewhat doubtful.”
Though not a lie, his voice grew quieter and finally broke off with resignation. His gaze fell. Get faster updates on g.com.
".........."
".........."
Silence hung.
Lingshinlu, about to burst out angry but stopping halfway, and Yuri, trying to defend himself but ending up flustered, neither spoke for a moment.
“…There were many like that. Claiming to be straight, saying they had no interest in men.”
Eventually, Lingshinlu spoke first. His tone was reluctant, like someone stubbornly insisting without good reason, displeased with the situation.
“But in the end, they tried to pounce on me. Saying you seduced me with a glance first, or that I thought you were a woman because of my drunken state—nonsense.”
“They all went to the hospital. Some still—will continue to—need hospital care. As I said, I’ve never lost a fight. …Almost.”
Lingshinlu’s face hardened faintly when he added “almost.” Yuri immediately guessed who had caused this in his life. Almost at once, he blurted out.
“I won’t do that. I’ll just like you from afar, watching.”
Anything was better than nothing. Before memories warped his mind, he blurted out words. Then he stopped and thought, “Uh, this isn’t right.” Though the words weren’t lies, it felt like a clumsy, awkward confession. If Anette had heard, she’d scold him for such a confession.
Lingshinlu looked at Yuri with a face like Anette’s imagined one, but fortunately, his pale look soon returned to normal. Looking at Yuri as if he’d heard a ridiculous joke,
“Can you swear it?”
Lingshinlu motioned with his chin. Yuri quickly answered “Yes,” nodding.
He never imagined being pounced on. Even if he weren’t heterosexual (though now doubtful), he never thought such things. He had never dreamed of any unwanted physical contact.
Lingshinlu met Yuri’s gaze and scoffed softly. Turning away with a slight smile, he said firmly,
“Don’t forget what you said.”
Nodding obediently and answering again, Yuri found the situation strangely amusing: a heterosexual confessing to a homosexual and getting rejected.
He’d confessed awkwardly and been turned down.
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t sad, but at the same time, he thought, so what? He’d never really hoped to pick the flower.
Feeling lighter, Yuri muttered to himself, then suddenly saw Lingshinlu picking up the discarded shirt from the floor, dusting it off and slipping it on again.
“Oh.”
Lingshinlu turned, puzzled.
“...Put your clothes on.”
“...? Why?”
Buttoning the shirt, he faced Yuri. Yuri watched silently.
He had no intention of touching or pouncing on him, but he was truly beautiful. Beautiful enough to want to watch forever. His body was beautiful too. Calling it beautiful might be misleading—different from that radiant, lovely face, his body was lean but perfectly toned with smooth muscles. This must be what a beautiful man’s body is, Yuri thought in admiration.
“...You really don’t mean anything else by saying you’ll just watch and like me?”
Pausing as he buttoned just below his collarbone, Lingshinlu asked, somewhat coldly but with a hint of amusement. Yuri glanced away slightly.
Just minutes ago, he said he had no strange thoughts, yet now saying that and being looked at like this felt strangely awkward. Really, until now, he hadn’t had any unspeakable thoughts.
Feeling a little embarrassed and shy, Yuri hesitated, sighed, and dropped his shoulders.
“Until a moment ago, yes. Really... I’m sorry. I’ll try harder.”
He muttered honestly with his head down, staring at Lingshinlu’s polished shoes. His pathetic expression was obvious. He said he liked him.