The cash register beeped, indicating that the transaction of 3,800 yuan had been processed.
The woman showed her phone screen to Yan Xi, displaying the successful payment notification, and laughed coldly. “Congratulations. You made two sales in such a short time. You should thank your senior for his patronage.”
Yan Xi retrieved a packaging bag from under the counter and looked calmly at Cheng Zhen. “Would you like me to bag the item for you?”
“No need, just throw it in the trash.” Cheng Zhen kicked the porcelain fragments on the floor and walked toward the door with his arm around the woman.
Shi Ye watched Yan Xi closely, not missing any of his subtle expressions. “Are you just going to let them leave like that?”
“They paid for it. Why should I not let them leave?” Yan Xi grabbed a broom and bent down to clear the fragments from the floor piece by piece.
Shi Ye took the tool from his hand. “I will do it.”
Yan Xi seemed genuinely unbothered. He clapped his hands, returned to the cash register, stared at the sales record on the screen, and muttered to himself, “I wonder how I should record this transaction.”
The store had no products priced at 3,800 yuan, which would make it impossible to explain to the company during an audit. Moreover, selling personal items in the store violated company policy.
“I will have a word with the finance department and have that transaction removed for you,” Shi Ye said dismissively.
Yan Xi looked at him in surprise. “Are you that close with the people in finance?”
“Not particularly close,” Shi Ye coughed and turned to find the trash can. “There is an intern in the finance department who started at the same time as me. I can ask him for a favor.”
“Do interns have that much authority?” Yan Xi asked, half-convinced.
“Uh, I heard he might be a relative of one of the shareholders,” Shi Ye said as he picked up the trash can and walked into the back room.
Closing the small door behind him, the room became a temporarily sealed space. Shi Ye pulled out his phone, found a contact, and pressed call. “Brother Qi, help me look into someone.”
The man’s voice was deep and firm, full of authority, nothing like the youthful boy from moments ago.
Shi Ye was angry. The hippo was something he had set his sights on; he had planned to get close to Yan Xi and ask for it later, but it had been smashed to pieces by a piece of trash. He was livid. Today’s incident could not simply be forgotten; that trash had to pay the price.
As it turned out, Shi Ye’s “intern friend” did indeed have deep connections. Before the end of the shift, the 3,800 yuan of non-operating income was refunded to Yan Xi’s personal account.
To show his gratitude, Yan Xi offered to treat Shi Ye to dinner.
At 8:00 PM, they met at a seafood restaurant. The waiter smiled while checking their order. “You have ordered one portion of Typhoon Shelter crab, one steamed sturgeon, two pounds of boiled tiger prawns, and two portions of abalone over rice.”
Once confirmed, the waiter left with the handheld device.
Yan Xi raised his glass and tapped it lightly against Shi Ye’s. “Thank you for helping me sell an eighty-yuan handicraft for an astronomical price of 3,800.”
At a glance, the corners of his mouth turned up, giving the illusion of a smile, but closer observation revealed that there was not a trace of genuine happiness in his eyes. The person once closest to him had used 3,800 yuan to trample his work and his pride underfoot. The other party relied on Yan Xi’s sense of decency, certain that he would not cause a scene in a professional setting.
Having spent little time with him, Shi Ye did not fully understand Yan Xi, but he suspected that Yan Xi was deeply hurt.
As the dishes were served, the wine glasses on the table emptied repeatedly. By the time Shi Ye finished the last abalone, Yan Xi’s eyes were bloodshot from the alcohol. He leaned on the table, propped his chin on his palm, and stared lazily at Shi Ye.
The man across from him had deep features and dark, soulful eyes. Even sitting in such an ordinary restaurant, and even dressed in casual sportswear, he could not hide his inherent air of nobility. His muscular forearms were currently busy battling the pile of prawns and crab.
He is so young, and his appetite is truly good, Yan Xi thought. He watched for a long time, closed his eyes, and opened them again after a moment.
Shi Ye, feeling thirsty under his unfocused gaze, could not help but ask, “Brother Yan, are you drunk?”
“No,” Yan Xi tilted his head, his expression confused. “Have I met you before?”
Shi Ye paused in the middle of wiping his hands and slowly replied, “Have you?”
Yan Xi narrowed his eyes, attempting to search for fragments of memory in his chaotic mind. A distant, blurred figure flashed repeatedly before his eyes, but he could never grasp it; in the blink of an eye, it would vanish into nothingness, leaving no trace. After a long struggle, Yan Xi finally gave up, slumped onto the table, and whispered, “I cannot remember.”
Shi Ye put down his wet towel, stood up, and went to Yan Xi’s side, gently supporting his shoulders. “Brother Yan, you have had too much to drink. Let us go back.”
It was after ten o’clock when they arrived back at the apartment. Yan Xi had not drunk much, but because he was in low spirits, the alcohol hit him hard. He hung limply on Shi Ye, being half-dragged and half-carried from the door to the bedroom.
Shi Ye laid him flat on the bed and supported his back to remove his coat. Brown hair scattered across the off-white sheets, looking disheveled in a way that was inexplicably distracting. His bloodshot eyes, his despondent and sorrowful temperament, and his slightly opened collar were all visible.
Yan Xi was completely unaware of how dangerous his current situation was; he was still recklessly twisting his body, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. Shi Ye sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at him quietly for a moment before reaching out to touch Yan Xi’s cheek, feeling the intense warmth of his flushed skin.
This man lying on the bed was both sexy and innocent, yet he insisted on pretending to be cold and aloof during the day. What kind of person was he really?
In the gentle touch, Shi Ye’s breathing gradually became heavy; his fingers resting on Yan Xi’s cheek began to grow restless. A certain base desire began to grow wantonly in the darkness.
Since it has already come to this, why not? Perhaps love can grow over time.
Shi Ye tried hard to adjust his breathing, fighting his desires and trying to grasp a shred of rationality. However, the memory of that previous experience was too beautiful and too profound, striking at his fragile self-control and thin veil of morality time and time again.
He licked his lips, leaned down, and whispered enticingly into Yan Xi’s ear, “Do you want it?”
Yan Xi was bothered by his breath tickling his earlobe; feeling itchy, he shifted toward the inside of the bed and let out a muffled grunt.
Shi Ye would not let him go. He held his waist, fixing him in place, and continued his interrogation: “Do you want it or not?”
Trapped and unable to struggle free, Yan Xi opened his eyes in a daze. The bedroom lights were off; the room was shrouded in darkness, save for the faint glow of streetlights filtering in, tracing the hazy silhouette of the person by the bed.
Yan Xi’s gaze drifted for a long time before finally landing on Shi Ye. He could not clearly see the man’s features, only feeling the familiar build and scent in the darkness. His brain was intoxicated, but his body’s memory was awakening.
The familiar sensation allowed Yan Xi to gradually relax. After a few deep breaths, he closed his eyes and mumbled, “Mm, dreaming again.”
Shi Ye did not hear him clearly. He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing against Yan Xi’s, and asked, “What did you say?”
Yan Xi did not speak again. He tilted his head back, his brow slightly furrowed as if in endurance. Shi Ye clearly sensed his breathing becoming erratic. He seized the opportunity to lean his nose against the side of Yan Xi’s neck, circling the most sensitive area.
Yan Xi’s entire body tensed like a taut bowstring.
“Tch, you are good at holding back,” Shi Ye chuckled, poking his waist mischievously.
The bowstring snapped quietly.
Suddenly, Yan Xi raised his hand and hooked his arm around Shi Ye’s neck. He buried his head in his chest and rubbed against it like a small cat. In the next second, without warning, he began to tug and tear at Shi Ye’s clothes.
“Cough, cough, cough,” Shi Ye was nearly choked by his own hoodie strings. He grabbed Yan Xi’s wrists in a panic. “Slow down, there is no hurry.”
In the dim haze, Yan Xi calmly closed his eyes, muttered, “It is a dream anyway,” and pressed himself against that familiar body.
Ten hours later, the aftermath of the hangover was still wreaking havoc. His body ached, and his head felt swollen and dull.
As Yan Xi rubbed his temples vigorously and sat up, he made a silent vow: If I ever drink again, I am a dog.
Staggering toward the window, he reached out and pulled back the curtains with force. Blinding sunlight instantly flooded the room, illuminating the space and making everything clearly visible. Looking down at his pajamas, his mind went blank for a second. His memories of last night were fragmented; he only remembered having a strange dream, but he had absolutely no recollection of changing clothes.
He opened the closet and stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking himself repeatedly. He felt no discomfort, and there were no unusual marks on his skin. Yet, he felt as if something was wrong.
After standing still for over ten minutes, Yan Xi dressed and slowly pushed open the bedroom door.
Just as he stepped out, the fragrance of rice filled the air. Warm steam billowed in the kitchen, and a clay pot bubbled on the stove. Shi Ye, dressed in grey loungewear, was bent over the fire, turning the high heat down to a simmer. Seeming to sense his gaze, Shi Ye turned back and greeted him with a smile: “Brother Yan, you are up.”
Shi Ye’s attitude was normal; there was nothing unusual about him. Conversely, Yan Xi felt his ears heat up, and he coughed uncomfortably. “That… did you change my clothes last night?”
Shi Ye bent down to take seasoning from the cupboard, still looking nonchalant. “Yeah. How could you sleep without changing your clothes?”
His tone was relaxed and natural, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Perhaps he really was overthinking it. Yan Xi moved his fingers to his collar, feeling the tightly fastened buttons. “Thank you for the trouble.”
Shi Ye placed two small bowls on the counter. “Do not be so formal, Brother Yan. Hurry up and wash up, then come eat.”
In front of the sink, Yan Xi leaned down, looked in the mirror, and splashed cold water on his face repeatedly. While trying to soothe the burning temperature of his skin, he tried his best to convince himself: This is just how straight men interact; helping each other change clothes is normal. Right?