Chapter 51: Date — Ge Knows What We Do on a Date, Right? Part 1
Zhou Shu followed He Qing into the cafeteria, matching his steps.
Looking around the noisy hall, he caught a glimpse of a plate on a nearby table containing soybean sprouts and cabbage mixed with rough rice. Zhou Shu frowned tight, looking disgusted. “There isn’t even a speck of oil.”
He Qing didn’t stop walking, pretending not to hear.
“Are you abusing yourself like this just because you left me?” Zhou Shu leaned closer, suggesting, “How about we don’t eat this? There’s a manor in the suburbs where the coconut chicken is pretty good. I’ll take you there?”
“Shut up.” He Qing was annoyed by the noise and walked straight to the window to line up.
Zhou Shu curled his lip, his gaze sweeping around casually before suddenly stopping.
Not far away, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yunian were sitting together.
Jiang Yunian was sitting upright, eating honestly, but Jiang Yan was acting boneless, leaning half his body over. His chin was practically resting in the hollow of Jiang Yunian’s shoulder as he said something to the food tray in front of him.
In broad daylight, there were actually people this shameless.
“Tsk,” Zhou Shu roasted, “Siamese twins.”
He Qing obviously saw it too. He glanced at Zhou Shu’s hand, which was draped over his own shoulder without any attempt at concealment. “You think you’re any better than him?”
Over there, Jiang Yunian subtly shook the chin off his shoulder, picked up a piece of meat, and held it out to Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan didn’t use a plate to catch it; he lowered his head directly, clamping onto the broccoli and biting the tip of the chopsticks in the process.
Jiang Yunian tried to pull back, but he couldn’t pull them out no matter what.
“Jiang Yan!” He lowered his voice, calling him by his full name.
There were people around; what was he doing?
Jiang Yan held the chopsticks in his mouth and looked up at him, his eyes lazy and carrying a hint of mischief.
Suddenly, the light on the table opposite them dimmed.
Zhou Shu sat down carelessly.
“I say, some people should pay attention to their influence. Look at where we are. Eating off someone else’s chopsticks—what kind of behavior is that?”
“Have no shame.”
Jiang Yunian was startled. He immediately pulled back his chopsticks and sat up straight. Seeing clearly that it was Zhou Shu, he was somewhat surprised. This Eldest Young Master actually condescended to come to the cafeteria? And shared a table with them? It was truly hard to imagine.
However, not only was he Jiang Yan’s classmate, but he also had inextricably linked relations with He Qing, so bumping into him was inevitable.
Given the other party’s extraordinary status and some bad impressions, he was a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t show it.
Jiang Yan slowly sat up straight, his eyes sweeping gloomily across the table. “You sure are idle.”
“Can’t this Young Master experience life?”
Not far away, He Qing was carrying two trays of food alone, carefully threading through the crowd toward them.
Zhou Shu immediately perked up, lifting his chin at Jiang Yan. “See that? My wifey loves me so much; he insisted on treating me to a meal and wouldn’t even let me line up.”
Hearing this, He Qing slammed one of the trays down in front of Zhou Shu with a clang, nearly splashing the soup.
“Twelve yuan fifty.”
Jiang Yan let out a sneer, completely unceremonious.
Zhou Shu: “…”
He signaled He Qing with his eyes: We’re still outside; at least give Hubby some face.
“Transfer to my bank card.” He Qing turned a deaf ear, sat down opposite Jiang Yunian, grabbed his chopsticks, and started eating.
Zhou Shu’s eyes widened. “You blocked me on WeChat again? When?”
Didn’t they agree that blocking wasn’t allowed after getting angry?
How could he go back on his word?
“Just now.” He Qing didn’t care about any of that.
Across from them, Jiang Yan inserted a leisurely comment, plain but piercing to the heart. “Are you two not close? Why use bank cards to chat?”
Zhou Shu’s expression was truly spectacular. He grumpily said, “Eat your food.”
He Qing ignored Zhou Shu. His gaze landed on Jiang Yunian opposite him, carrying a trace of knowing understanding. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “You two?”
Jiang Yunian, who was eating silently, thought to himself, I hid it so well, yet I was still discovered.
Being pointed out to his face, he was a bit at a loss.
He was traditional to the bone and hadn’t fully digested the fact that he had become gay. He hadn’t planned on letting his friends know for the time being.
But now, he could only give a dry laugh, which counted as a tacit admission.
“Yeah, such a big thing, why didn’t you say anything?” Zhou Shu immediately chimed in, addressing Jiang Yunian with a tone mixed with teasing and admiration. “You finally reined in this scourge; consider it eliminating harm for the people.”
Jiang Yunian buried his head lower and lower, almost sticking it into his plate. He Qing noticed there wasn’t much meat on Jiang Yunian’s plate, so he naturally picked up a piece of sweet and sour spare rib from his own tray to pass over.
“Thanks.” Just as Jiang Yunian extended his plate toward that rib, he was interrupted.
Zhou Shu and Jiang Yan were displeased simultaneously. Zhou Shu, in particular, was sour with jealousy, speaking eccentrically, “Giving the first piece to someone else, huh.”
Almost at the same time, Jiang Yan extended his chopsticks too. He picked up the largest, most intact piece of meat from his own plate and stuffed it into Jiang Yunian’s bowl without allowing any objection.
His eyes carried an unquestionable possessiveness: You are only allowed to eat mine.
Jiang Yunian held his chopsticks frozen in mid-air, looking at the rib He Qing passed over, then at Jiang Yan’s dark gaze, unable to understand what they were doing.
Just eating a meal… what was this?
He Qing impatiently changed direction and stuffed the rib directly into Zhou Shu’s chattering mouth.
“Even food can’t plug your mouth.”
Zhou Shu was gagged right on target. Chewing on the rib, his eyes glanced triumphantly at Jiang Yan, carrying a bit of provocation.
Jiang Yan huffed coldly. His hand under the table pinched Jiang Yunian’s thigh, neither lightly nor heavily. Jiang Yunian shuddered all over and could only obediently finish eating what Jiang Yan gave him.
The meal was finished amidst this secret contest. Just as Jiang Yunian put down his chopsticks, Jiang Yan helped him pick up his tray, preparing to take it to the return station.
How could Zhou Shu let someone outdo him in front of his wife? He reached out to snatch He Qing’s. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it…”
He Qing let go. “No one is fighting you for it.”
Jiang Yan glanced at the person following him, his steps pausing imperceptibly. He turned his head sideways, his voice not loud but just enough for Zhou Shu to hear, carrying a chilly mockery:
“Control your person.”
Zhou Shu raised a brow, retorting without showing weakness, “No need for your concern. Tell your partner to stop staring at other people’s plates.”
Jiang Yan’s eyes sank instantly.
The weather had turned cold recently; winter came as soon as it was mentioned. The wind whistled through the treetops, and the temperature dropped significantly. The air was filled with the scent of icy frost and snow, making people shiver from the cold.
After the Volunteer Association’s weekly meeting ended, Jiang Yunian didn’t rush to leave. He stayed alone in the activity room to organize photos. He pasted the photos from the last anti-fraud event onto the wall one by one, next to the previously pasted anti-AIDS publicity photos. One candid shot captured Jiang Yan’s profile. In the photo, the two’s hands were held together at some point unknown to them, and someone had actually posted it up.
Jiang Yunian’s fingertips gently brushed over Jiang Yan’s outline in the photo, a trace of softness rising in his heart. Time passed so quickly. In just a few short months, how did his relationship with Jiang Yan change from brothers to lovers? This transformation exceeded his cognition. While indulging in love, he would occasionally feel apprehensive when thinking about the future. But whenever he saw Jiang Yan clinging to him like a child, his heart felt warm, thinking that living like this wasn’t bad—it was a kind of happiness.
During these days together, he had slowly accepted the fact that his lover was a man.
Jiang Yan was like a gift bestowed upon him by heaven, both a lover and family. Although he knew it was selfish to monopolize Jiang Yan like this, and perhaps one day he would return to his original life, right now he just wanted to cherish this time with Jiang Yan properly, even if only for a moment.
While his thoughts were flying, the door at hand was suddenly pushed open. Jiang Yunian lost his balance and nearly twisted his ankle. Lu Yuanbai was quick-eyed and deft-handed, supporting his waist and arm. “Careful.”
The glue in his hand fell to the ground. Jiang Yunian grabbed him reflexively, barely standing steady.
At this moment, familiar footsteps came from outside the door, followed by Jiang Yan’s voice: “Ge, are you done?”
Jiang Yunian hurriedly created distance from the Senior. His reaction was a bit big, as if deliberately avoiding suspicion. Lu Yuanbai’s hand paused, then he lowered it naturally.
Jiang Yan stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over their awkward standing postures and his brother’s unnatural expression. Sniffing something unusual, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The Senior didn’t speak, his expression very calm. Jiang Yunian said, “…Pasting photos.”
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