Yang Jiayang didn’t go home. Instead, he followed Su Yi’an back to the Jianghuai water town.
Once they got home, Su Yi’an didn’t even bother changing his clothes. He grabbed a throw pillow, curled up on the sofa, held his phone in both hands and started scrolling through short videos.
Yang Jiayang pressed him down to sit properly, poked his arm and asked, “In a bad mood? You were sulking the whole time in the car just now.”
Su Yi’an didn’t stop scrolling, replying casually, “No, I’m fine.”
“That’s not right. You’re very off today. Normally, the first thing you do when you get home is change into loungewear.”
“Look at me.”
Yang Jiayang turned his head, forcing him to meet his gaze.
“Are you really not feeling down?”
“I’m really not.”
He could. Su Yi’an rolled his eyes instinctively, trying to look away but Yang Jiayang was holding his cheeks, staring straight at him. There was no way to dodge it.
“…Alright, maybe a little.”
Yang Jiayang let go and asked, “It’s because Teacher Bai has someone he likes, right?”
Su Yi’an pressed his lips together and nodded slightly.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t like him?”
Su Yi’an traced the pattern on the pillow with his fingers and said, “I like him a little. Teacher Bai is so outstanding, there aren’t many people who wouldn’t like him and he’s especially gentle. He always smiles when he talks to people and never puts on a cold face.”
On that point, Yang Jiayang agreed. “He treats everyone like that.”
But since Bai Yunchi already had someone he liked and it was a woman, Yang Jiayang added, trying to keep his friend from feeling too hurt, “What you’re feeling isn’t liking him. It’s just admiration for strength. I also think Teacher Bai is impressive. Sometimes my eyes are drawn to him too. I was shocked when I found out he had someone he liked.”
He paused, silently adding in his heart: mainly because he never expected Teacher Bai to like a tomboy.
Seeing Su Yi’an look at him, Yang Jiayang continued, “You can’t say I like Teacher Bai too, can you? You know me, I’m not into his type.”
Su Yi’an seemed a little persuaded. He tugged at the tassels on the pillow, his expression hesitant.
Seizing the moment, Yang Jiayang pressed on. “You’re just overthinking because you’ve been single for too long. How’s it going with the guy I introduced to you last time? He’s coming to Liao’an to travel in a while. Why don’t you meet him?”
Su Yi’an refused without thinking. “No need, right? We haven’t chatted that much. Meeting all of a sudden would be pretty awkward.”
“By your logic, people who go on blind dates shouldn’t meet at all.” Yang Jiayang wrapped an arm around his shoulders and spoke earnestly. “I’ve been there before. In your situation, you just need to date more. It doesn’t matter if you’re not familiar yet. Xie Chengye isn’t coming until National Day, there are still two months. That’s plenty of time for you two to get to know each other.”
Su Yi’an was finally convinced. Under Yang Jiayang’s urging gaze, he sent Xie Chengye a message.
【What are you doing?】
Just like Yang Jiayang said, the reply came almost instantly.
【Reading some documents. You?】
Su Yi’an lowered his head and typed: Resting at home.
Just as he was about to send it, Yang Jiayang stopped him from the side. “Wait. If you chat like this, you’ll never get yourself a boyfriend. You should say something like, ‘Lately my friend and I are planning to open an online shop, so we went into the mountains for an afternoon to scout locations. I’m exhausted, my arms are so sore.’”
Su Yi’an: “…”
His face showed clear hesitation.
“Hurry up, send it. Just send exactly what I said,” Yang Jiayang urged.
When he saw that Su Yi’an had only typed the first half and was about to send it, he immediately widened his eyes. “What about the rest?”
“Do I really have to say it like that? It’s so cheesy,” Su Yi’an said, making it clear he couldn’t do it.
“No way. Those last two lines are the key!” Yang Jiayang crossed his legs and began analyzing it seriously for him. “Girls who know how to act cute make people want to dote on them. It’s the same for us guys. Men like it most when someone depends on them. Acting a little in front of them, just a little, can help you reach your goal faster and also bring you closer emotionally. It’s just a few sentences. You won’t lose a piece of flesh over it. Why not do it?”
Under his friend’s insistent gaze, Su Yi’an tried to force himself for a moment. After half a minute, he gave up. “Forget it. I really can’t fake that.”
Yang Jiayang glared at him with a look of disappointment. “That’s why you’re single.”
He reached out and picked up Su Yi’an’s phone. “I’ll do it.”
“No.” Su Yi’an grabbed his arm, trying to snatch it back.
While running toward the bedroom, Yang Jiayang said, “Relax. I promise I won’t send anything inappropriate.”
The bedroom door slammed shut with a bang. Su Yi’an was blocked outside, unable to get in. He could only sit anxiously in the living room, holding his laptop, his gaze drifting again and again toward the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, the bedroom door opened. Yang Jiayang waved the phone at him and raised his eyebrows smugly. “When I make a move, there’s nothing I can’t handle.”
As he spoke, he handed the phone back to Su Yi’an.
When Su Yi’an saw that he had actually given his home address to the man, he was instantly incredulous.
“You just gave him my address like that? What if he’s a bad person?”
“Don’t worry. We’ve been friends for years. I know exactly what kind of person he is but remember this, if a man you’ve only chatted with a few times asks for your address, you absolutely can’t give it to him.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Yang Jiayang said, “You’re not stupid but you’re not sharp either. Otherwise, you wouldn’t still be a lifelong single.”
He looked Su Yi’an up and down and clicked his tongue. “With a face that clearly doesn’t lack admirers yet you’ve never even held a man’s hand. Who would believe that if you told them?”
Su Yi’an straightened his back and retorted, “I have held hands.”
Yang Jiayang glanced sideways at him. “I don’t count and the kids at the welfare home don’t count either.”
Su Yi’an silently slid back down into the sofa.
Since Bai Yun, her hand still hadn’t fully recovered, Su Yi’an continued to get up early the next day to make breakfast and, wearing his little bear apron, carried it next door.
Yang Jiayang lay flat on the bed, legs propped against the wall as he stretched. Hearing faint voices drifting in from the living room, he shook his head.
“No hope at all. He’s definitely going to be a hopeless love-brain in the future.”
After breakfast, the two of them went to the park together to walk Nuomi. When they came back, they each curled up in a corner of the sofa, busy with their own things.
In the afternoon, Su Yi’an received a same-city delivery sent by Xie Chengye. Inside were some supplements that were far from cheap. Feeling uneasy, he planned to refuse the package but Yang Jiayang stopped him.
Holding the delivery box, Yang Jiayang lectured earnestly, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If he wants to pursue you, he has to show some sincerity. It’s not like he’s sending you a bag worth tens of thousands, a car worth hundreds of thousands, or a house worth millions. What’s there to be afraid of accepting?”
“Let me tell you, those guys who only tell you to drink more hot water, all talk and no action? Stay as far away from them as possible. If a man can’t even afford to treat you to a cup of milk tea, what use is he?”
Su Yi’an squatted nearby, teasing Nuomi, not knowing how much of it he actually heard.
A week later, all the preparations were complete. The online shop officially opened for business. Various agricultural products had been listed, the livestream room had been fully set up and everything was ready, just waiting for Su Yi’an, the new streamer, to take his place.
That morning, Su Yi’an got up early as usual. Dragging his slippers, still half-asleep, he tied on his apron, heated the pan and poured in oil. When he cracked an egg into the pan, he suddenly remembered that Teacher Bai’s hand had already recovered.
He froze for a moment. It wasn’t until he smelled something burning that he snapped back to his senses and hurriedly shoveled the overcooked egg onto a plate.
Two minutes later, Su Yi’an sat at the dining table. In front of him was a cup of hot milk and that plate of burnt fried eggs. Using his chopsticks, he pushed the scorched parts aside and lowered his head to take a bite.
The taste was still decent yet his mood was a little low. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.
Just then, the doorbell rang. As he wondered how he hadn’t ordered anything online recently, he walked over to the entryway and opened the door.
“Teacher Bai?”
Seeing the man standing outside, Su Yi’an was genuinely surprised.
Bai Yunchi was dressed in home clothes. The slippers on his feet had been chewed through by Nuomi, leaving a hole and his hair clearly hadn’t been styled on purpose. Like this, he looked like the friendly older brother next door, gentler than usual and even easier to feel close to.
There was a smile on his face as he asked the young man, “Do you like pumpkin porridge?”
Su Yi’an nodded instinctively. “I do.”
Bai Yunchi asked again, “What about custard buns?”
“I like those too.”
The smile in Bai Yunchi’s eyes deepened. “That’s good.”
Seeing the boy’s slightly dazed expression, he spoke gently, “I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I just made something casually. It’s good that you like it.”
A moment later, Su Yi’an was sitting in the dining room next door. In front of him was a bowl of golden pumpkin porridge, a plate of plump, snow-white custard buns and a small dish of neatly cut fruit.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Bai Yunchi brought over some fruit forks from the kitchen and placed them by the boy’s hand. “I haven’t cooked in quite a while. I’m not sure how it tastes.”
Su Yi’an pointed at the custard buns, his face full of surprise. “You made all of these?”
Bai Yunchi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “Instant food is too high in calories and there are a lot of additives. It’s not healthy.”
Su Yi’an nodded. He lifted the bowl of pumpkin porridge and sipped it while secretly glancing at the man.
So Teacher Bai could cook and his cooking was especially good. Even the custard buns were handmade.
Mm, they were much better than the ones sold outside. Not greasy at all.
Su Yi’an took a bite of a custard bun and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Nuomi wagged its tail and whined softly by his leg.
Su Yi’an didn’t give it any at first but when he saw the little dog keep tilting its head, staring at him with those pitch-black, round eyes, his heart softened. He looked up and asked Bai Yunchi, “Teacher Bai, can Nuomi eat this custard bun?”
Bai Yunchi replied, “You can give it half.”
Su Yi’an’s face lit up. He broke a custard bun in half and placed it in his palm to feed Nuomi.
The little thing swallowed it in one bite, then put its front paws on Su Yi’an’s leg, asking for more.
“No more. I’ll take you to the park later to play frisbee,” Su Yi’an said, rubbing Nuomi’s ears and lowering his voice as if whispering a secret. “We’ll bring snacks.”
Hearing there would be snacks, Nuomi wagged its tail happily.
After patting the dog’s head, Su Yi’an turned back to continue his breakfast. Then he heard a soft laugh from the man sitting across from him.
Immediately after, Bai Yunchi said with a smile in his voice, “Snacks are still okay.”
Su Yi’an froze for a moment. Once he realized what was going on, he rubbed the tip of his nose and said, “What I said just now wasn’t meant to avoid you. I was just coaxing Nuomi.”
Bai Yunchi naturally understood. He simply found it interesting and wanted to tease the boy a little.
By the time they finished breakfast, the clock on the wall had already passed eight. Su Yi’an noticed and hurriedly said, “It’s already eight o’clock. Teacher Bai, won’t you be late for work? I’ll wash the dishes, you should hurry to work.”
Bai Yunchi remained unhurried. “No rush.” He pushed the fruit plate a little closer to the boy. “Have some fruit.”
How could it not be a rush? Normally, he left the house at seven thirty.
Su Yi’an chewed on the fruit, his gaze drifting again and again toward the clock on the wall.
Seeing this, Bai Yunchi explained, “Something happened with the students a while ago. It’s already been taken care of.”
Hearing that, Su Yi’an finally felt at ease. He looked at the man and asked, “So… are you about to start summer vacation?”
Bai Yunchi replied, “I still need to go to the school this afternoon. Starting tomorrow, there won’t be much to do.”
“Oh.”
Su Yi’an felt a little happy. Starting tomorrow, he could take Nuomi to the park together with Teacher Bai.
No, wait. If Teacher Bai didn’t need to go to school, wouldn’t that mean he could come to the farm anytime to watch him livestream and sell products? And if the livestream went well, he would have to dress in women’s clothes on camera to give back to the fans. Then Teacher Bai…
Su Yi’an stiffened.
Then he thought again: Teacher Bai was a university lecturer and had even studied abroad. To someone like him, what did cross-dressing amount to? He must have seen far bigger scenes before.
Besides, Teacher Bai was straight and already had someone he liked. There was no need for him to care so much about the image he held in Teacher Bai’s heart. No matter what he did, the person Teacher Bai liked would never be him anyway.
Su Yi’an lowered his gaze, his mood inexplicably sinking.
When Bai Yunchi saw the boy staring blankly at the orange in his hand, he thought Su Yi’an didn’t like eating oranges and said, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to force yourself.”
Su Yi’an snapped back to his senses, lifted his head and turned back into that boy who shone like a little sun.
He smiled at the man. “No, I like it.”
Liking a straight man was never a good thing. He had to cut his losses in time, before he sank any deeper.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The coffee goblin has awakened. It wants tribute.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · New neighborsChapter 2 · Let’s just wash it.Chapter 3 · Pretty little girlChapter 4 · It’s impossible for us.Chapter 5 · Not as handsome as Teacher BaiChapter 6 · Happy cooperationChapter 7 · Making breakfastChapter 8 · LostChapter 9 · He’s hopelessly in love.Chapter 10 · Three CloudChapter 11 · Am I Old?Chapter 12 · Victory celebration banquetChapter 13 · Power outrageChapter 14 · Online dating meetupChapter 15 · Am I really that bad?Chapter 16 · Boyfriend?Chapter 17 · ConcertChapter 18 · Use Privileges.Chapter 19 · A night AloneChapter 20 · Do You Like me?Chapter 21 · The End