Xu Yizhu rarely went out. Under normal circumstances, unless there was something special, he would go out to purchase groceries only once every three days. Sometimes, when he did not feel like eating takeout, he would look up simple recipes online and cook a basic meal himself.
Waking up in the morning, he discovered that the refrigerator was already empty. He tidied up briefly, grabbed his keys, and went downstairs.
There was a supermarket right across the street from the apartment building that stocked almost everything, which saved Xu Yizhu quite a bit of trouble.
He pushed a shopping cart, looking down at the memo list on his phone:
Eggs Mango juice Greens Instant noodles
Thud. A tingling sensation shot through the palm of Xu Yizhu’s hand as he pushed the cart.
Startled, he put away his phone and began apologizing without even raising his head: “Sorry, sorry, I am truly sorry.”
The owner of the other shopping cart chuckled as he mimicked him: “It’s fine, it’s really fine.”
A familiar voice, a malicious smile…
Xu Yizhu snapped his head up and saw Ji Xie standing there with one hand pressed against his lips, holding back a laugh.
Xu Yizhu had completely embarrassed himself. He took a step back, brushing away the panic he had just felt: “What a coincidence, Mr. Ji.”
Ji Xie gave a light cough and said with a straight face: “Not a coincidence. I’ve been following you all the way here.”
Xu Yizhu glanced at him sideways, his brows carrying a trace of displeasure at being tracked.
“Doesn’t Mr. Ji find this very discourteous?”
“Hmm, it does seem a bit.”
A reflection completely devoid of sincerity.
Xu Yizhu endured it. If it weren’t for the fact that the man was handsome and had helped him before, the police officers would already be on their way.
Unwilling to entangle himself with him further, Xu Yizhu turned his shopping cart around: “Please take your time shopping, Mr. Ji. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”
“Don’t go.” Ji Xie stretched out a long arm, catching the hem of Xu Yizhu’s shirt. He tilted his head slightly and requested, “I want to buy some seasonings. Help me out, would you? Which brand tastes better?”
“I don’t know.” Xu Yizhu refused coldly.
He didn’t want to stay here for even a single second.
“Doesn’t your girlfriend cook?” Ji Xie asked again.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Xu Yizhu replied, his impatience already rising. “Besides, I don’t cook either.”
“Alright then.”
Ji Xie let go of him and said with a tone of regret, “I suppose I’ll just have to ask the staff.”
Ji Xie looked at him with a smile, “Goodbye.”
Xu Yizhu: “”
Let’s never meet again.
For a week after that incident, Xu Yizhu went out feeling like a thief every single time. Fortunately, on his subsequent trips to the supermarket, he did not run into Ji Xie again.
Xu Yizhu thought to himself: It seems he doesn’t actually live around here.
On this particular day, just as Xu Yizhu had collected his delivery and returned downstairs, he spotted a familiar figure standing there.
He called out with some uncertainty: “Zhou Zhou!”
Zhou Yi turned around and rushed toward him, striding quickly: “A-Zhu!”
A rare look of genuine joy appeared on Xu Yizhu’s face as he smiled and asked, “Why did you arrive ahead of schedule? You didn’t even give me a heads-up so I could come pick you up.”
Zhou Yi took one of the delivery boxes from his hands, wrapping his free arm around Xu Yizhu’s neck: “To give you a surprise, of course! How is it? Are you getting used to the new place?”
“It’s all the same. I don’t go out much on weekdays anyway.”
“Let me tell you, stop shutting yourself inside all the time. You need to go out and walk around more. It’s good for your health.”
Nattering, nagging concern.
Xu Yizhu hurriedly cut off his endless babbling: “I know, I know. Didn’t you come here anyway? With you watching over me, I’ll be fine.”
Zhou Yi chuckled: “That’s true. Didn’t I come?”
Zhou Yi was his good brother of over twenty years. When they were little, the two lived on the same street, and they attended the same elementary and middle schools. It was only later that Xu Yizhu went to another city for university, while Zhou Yi chose to stay local because he had his grandparents to take care of.
The last time they met was a year ago, at Xu Yizhu’s newly moved-in home.
Returning to the apartment, Xu Yizhu tidied up the items and took two cans of beer from the refrigerator.
Sitting on the sofa, Zhou Yi looked at Xu Yizhu, who had grown noticeably thinner, and asked, “How long do you plan to stay here this time?”
Xu Yizhu sat down, took a sip of beer, and replied indifferently: “I signed a half-year lease first.”
Zhou Yi sighed helplessly: “When are you ever going to break this habit of yours of staying in one place for only a year?”
Xu Yizhu gently swirled the alcohol in his hand, his mouth twitching into a calm, flat expression: “We’ll see. Once there’s a reason worth staying for, I won’t move anymore.”
“You aren’t getting any younger either. It’s about time you found a girlfriend and settled down.”
Last year, Zhou Yi met a girl through a blind date, and the two hit it off wonderfully. Life had been quite sweet for them ever since.
This trip was made with the intention of settling down long-term and building a life around his girlfriend’s family area.
“Someone like me shouldn’t ruin the life of a good family’s daughter.”
“What about a guy?” Zhou Yi asked him. “Do you happen to like men?”
Xu Yizhu froze for a moment, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes before he let out a self-deprecating chuckle: “Do you have someone suitable to introduce to me?”
Zhou Yi: “You actually like guys?”
Xu Yizhu smiled and gave no answer.
Zhou Yi rubbed his face, as if making a momentous decision. He looked at him earnestly and said: “So what if it’s a guy? If my brother likes them, I’ll find one for you!”
Xu Yizhu: “Do you think this is a vegetable market where you can just pick up whatever you want?”
Zhou Yi was the type of person who acted on a whim the moment the wind blew. Hearing Xu Yizhu say that clearly showed he doubted his capabilities.
He immediately slapped his own thigh, stood up, and pulled Xu Yizhu toward the door, preparing to head out.
Xu Yizhu couldn’t keep up with his train of thought for a moment.
“Where are we going!”
Zhou Yi: “I heard there are places specifically meant for men to date and look for partners. Let’s go check it out!”
Xu Yizhu: “” Such a wonderful place actually exists?
Zhou Yi pushed him back toward his bedroom and said, “Change into a more handsome outfit; we’re heading out right now.”
“There’s really no need to be in such a rush.” Xu Yizhu stopped him and made him sit down. “Not today. I still have a chapter to update.”
“Can’t it be updated tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Missing a day of writing won’t kill you.”
“It ruins my full-attendance bonus.”
Zhou Yi: “”
Placating him, Xu Yizhu opened his phone to order food: “Let’s just make do with takeout for lunch. My treat this afternoon, how about hot pot?”
Zhou Yi’s enthusiasm to solve his romantic problems was thoroughly doused, and he said indifferently, “Whatever you want.”
Ordering the food, Xu Yizhu retreated to his bedroom and closed the door.
He needed absolute quiet when writing; even the slightest background noise could easily distract him.
Since childhood, Xu Yizhu’s emotional responses to people and events had been rather muted, and his empathy between individuals remained low.
Most of the time, when he watched couples loving each other to death or running away against their parents’ wishes, he found it laughable.
When he saw decades-long couples tearing into each other with violent blows and mutual insults over property division, he felt that this was simply the true nature of human essence:
Greed. Selfishness. Darkness.
Today’s writing session was not going smoothly. Xu Yizhu stopped typing on his keyboard several times, sitting there in a daze.
Struggling along for two and a half hours, he finally scraped together five thousand words.
He stretched his sore, stiff fingers and clicked to save the document.
Then, getting up from the room, he poured himself a glass of water.
Zhou Yi was still sitting in the same spot, talking on the phone.
“I won’t be coming back tonight. Remember to lock the doors and windows when you sleep alone, and don’t open up to strangers, alright?”
His tone was gentle, like coaxing a little girl.
Hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi saw Xu Yizhu leaning against the doorframe watching him.
His face instantly flushed red as he stammered an explanation, “I am definitely not whipped by my wife.”
“Understood, understood. You’re just whipped by your daughter.” Xu Yizhu waved his hand dismissively to show he understood.
Hearing this, Zhou Yi’s face only turned redder.
After dinner, as twilight began to set, the two grown men strolled down the street. Zhou Yi suggested they go grab a drink.
“Should we buy some alcohol and drink at home?”
Zhou Yi clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow: “Where’s the mood in that?”
Xu Yizhu: “”
Putting one arm around Xu Yizhu’s shoulder with a mischievous grin, Zhou Yi declared, “A real man belongs where men are supposed to go!”
Standing at the entrance of Scarlet Bar, Xu Yizhu suddenly felt a sense of inescapable destiny.
Zhou Yi looked at him, completely clueless, and dragged him forward: “Let’s go! What are you standing there frozen for?”
By sheer coincidence, they ran right into Ji Xie head-on.
Xu Yizhu felt a tiny trace of awkwardness.
Ji Xie: “What a coincidence.”
With a deadpan expression of spiritual resignation, Xu Yizhu replied, “Ah, what a coincidence.”
Standing off to the side, Zhou Yi let his gaze dart back and forth between the two of them before leaning over to whisper into Xu Yizhu’s ear: “Ex-boyfriend?”
Xu Yizhu: “” I thank you so much.
Though spoken quietly, it still reached Ji Xie’s ears. His gaze lingered on Xu Yizhu’s face, as if waiting for an explanation.
Xu Yizhu explained: “Ji Xie, the bar owner. We crossed paths briefly a few days ago.”
Ji Xie corrected him: “Twice. Including this one, that makes three.”
Xu Yizhu: “” Is there a difference?
He had never felt so utterly speechless in his entire life…
Zhou Yi was a social butterfly. Hearing that the two knew each other, he greeted Ji Xie enthusiastically: “Sorry about that, handsome, just a misunderstanding. My name is Zhou Yi, you can just call me Old Zhou.”
Ji Xie: “Mr. Zhou.”
Zhou Yi: “Since we all know each other, why don’t we sit down and have a drink together?”
Ji Xie swept a sideways glance at Xu Yizhu’s gloomy face and spoke softly: “I don’t mind at all. I wonder what Mr. Xu thinks…”
If trouble comes, you can’t dodge it. Xu Yizhu resignedly said: “Whatever.”
Ji Xie opened a small private booth, and the three of them sat down in a triangular arrangement, each occupying their own space.
Seeing that neither of them spoke, Zhou Yi forced himself to throw out a topic to avoid an awkward silence: “A-Zhu, when did you meet such a handsome boss?”
Xu Yizhu: “A few days ago.”
So cold…
Zhou Yi tried flattering Ji Xie again: “Boss Ji is truly young and promising.”
Ji Xie: “You’re too kind.”
Colder still…
The conversation couldn’t go on.
Whoever wants to start a conversation can do it themselves.
“You guys chat. I need to go to the restroom.” Zhou Yi stood up and fled.
Once he left, Xu Yizhu felt like sitting in the private booth was like sitting on pins and needles, and he was just trying to think of an excuse to run away too.
When suddenly, he heard Ji Xie speak up.
“Three strikes and you’re out.”
Xu Yizhu: “…???” He didn’t process it for a second.
A well-articulated hand holding a smartphone suddenly appeared right before his eyes. The owner of the hand was smiling.
“Let’s add WeChat.”
The hand Xu Yizhu kept hidden behind his back clenched tightly into a fist, though his expression remained remarkably detached: “No.”
“You wouldn’t happen to be scared that I’m going to pursue you, would you?”
Ji Xie’s pitch-black, lucid eyes seemed capable of seeing straight through a person’s soul.
Xu Yizhu’s heart skipped a beat. Meeting his gaze, he could see his own panic reflected in those eyes.
“I won’t force you. If you aren’t willing, let’s just make friends.”
Xu Yizhu: “”
“Deal?”
A low, gentle voice carried an unperceived trace of coaxing.
Bewitched, Xu Yizhu pulled out his phone and scanned his QR code.
Friend request successful.
“As it turns out, you still have to rely on good looks for temptation.”
A low chuckle, carrying undeniable pleasure.
Regaining his senses, Xu Yizhu shoved him away and fled in panic.
“Don’t run away next time you see me!”
His only response was the heavy thud of the private booth door slamming shut.