Chapter 55: Drunk – If You Get This Close to a Wild Man Again, Iāll Lock You Up…part 1
Jiang Yunian held up his phone, earnestly recording the beautiful scenery before him. It wasn’t until the sky grew dark that the light in the forest turned ambiguous and hazy. The bonfire was lit, the flames dancing and casting swaying shadows on everyoneās faces.
The group began to split up the work: pitching tents, gathering firewood, and preparing the barbecue. Lu Yuanbai noticed Jiang Yunian looked a bit at a loss with the tent poles and canvas, a trace of contemplation and confusion on his handsome face. He walked over naturally. “Thereās a trick to setting this up. Shall I teach you?”
Before he could finish his sentence, a hand with distinct, well-defined knuckles beat him to it, pressing down on the tent pole. Jiang Yan had come over at some point and was standing beside Jiang Yunian. His tall figure loomed over him, enveloping him. “No need. I know how.”
He dropped the sentence flatly, grabbed his Geās wrist, and walked straight toward a relatively secluded clearing at the edge of the campsite.
Hao Meng was currently fretting over another tent with a few girls. Seeing this, she raised her voice, “Xuezhang, we need you over here!”
Lu Yuanbaiās footsteps paused. He watched Jiang Yanās retreating back as he dragged Jiang Yunian away. A glint flickered behind his lenses, and finally, he gave a gentle “Okay,” turning to walk toward the girls, his figure looking slightly desolate under the firelight.
The firewood crackled, and the food on the grill sizzled with oil, releasing a tempting aroma. Drinks were distributed; the pile on their side consisted mostly of canned beer. Hao Meng shoved a cold beer into Jiang Yunianās hand, and seeing him hesitate, she told him the alcohol content was low and it wouldn’t hurt to drink a little.
The icy touch made Jiang Yunianās fingertips shrink back. He was a little tempted but didn’t dare to accept it immediately. He turned to look at the person beside him, his clear eyes moist under the firelight, blinking as he sought permission.
Jiang Yan was leisurely flipping the meat skewers. Feeling the gaze, he turned his head, his eyes sweeping over the beer before slowly moving to his Geās kitten-like face. His principles lowered unconsciously. “Just a little bit.”
Hao Meng clicked her tongue. “Your brother keeps you on a tight leash.”
Jiang Yunian twitched the corner of his mouth, silently complaining in his heart: Finally, someone noticed. He took the beer, carefully pulled the tab, and took a small sip.
Lu Yuanbai took all of this in. He handed over a skewer of grilled chives. “Pad your stomach, don’t drink on an empty stomach.” He then handed over a small piece of mango mousse cake; the golden, flowing fruit bits looked very enticing.
Jiang Yunian was just about to take it when a hand next to him moved faster. Jiang Yan directly intercepted the cake. “He doesn’t like mango.”
Jiang Yunian: ?
When did he say that?
Suddenly, a piece of beautifully packaged dark chocolate was stuffed into his palm. “Eat this.”
Jiang Yunian peeled it open and took a small bite. An extreme bitterness instantly exploded on the tip of his tongue. His entire face scrunched up, and he stuck out his tongue. He looked at the packagingā91% concentration. dizzying!
“Too sweet?” Jiang Yanās voice carried a trace of malice. He leaned close to his ear, speaking at a volume only the two of them could hear, “But compared to mango, itās not too excessive, right?”
“…”
Jiang Yunian was choked by the implication in those words. He glared at him and took a swig of beer to dilute the “excessive” bitterness in his mouth. Lu Yuanbai watched the interaction between the two, his fingers tightening slightly around his beer can.
As the alcohol took effect, the atmosphere became livelier. Everyone gathered around the bonfire, chatting casually. Somehow, the topic shifted to handsome guys and beautiful girls. Jiang Yunian had a good temper, and Lu Yuanbai was gentle, so they quickly became the targets of the siege. A boy who had gone to Tianshan Renjian (Heaven on Earth) with them last time spoke loudly, “I know! Xuezhang Lu has someone he likes.”
His voice wasn’t quiet, causing everyone to look over. Lu Yuanbaiās hand holding the wine glass paused. His habitually gentle smile stiffened for a second before he covered it up by taking a drink.
“Really? Xuezhang has someone he likes?”
“Quick, tell us! Who is it?”
The boy, loose-lipped from the alcohol, said smugly, “However… Xuezhang is still a virgin, haha!”
“Huh? He has a crush but is still a virgin? Why don’t I understand?”
“Is he waiting until marriage? That traditional?”
“What do you know! Thatās Xuezhang respecting the other party. He’s a peerless good man, okay?”
Seeing the topic straying further and further, the boy added, “They aren’t together. Xuezhang is in unrequited love. If you don’t believe me, ask him.”
As soon as these words came out, all eyes focused on Lu Yuanbai, half-believing and half-doubting. “Already in university and still doing unrequited love? I thought only high schoolers did that… By the way, who is it? Do we know them?”
Lu Yuanbai unconsciously rubbed his thumb against the aluminum can. He didn’t answer directly, but his smile held a hint of helplessness and… tacit admission. His gaze slowly moved amidst the dancing firelight, crossing the crowd to land on Jiang Yunianās face. That look revealed an unprecedented bluntness; the suppressed feelings were almost spilling over.
Jiang Yunian was currently frowning from the bitterness of the chocolate. Caught off guard by this gaze, he was a little dazed. That look carried a hint of indulgent ambiguity, making him afraid to look directly at it. Jiang Yunianās eyelashes trembled, his lowered eyelids hiding a bit of panic. That look was both familiar and strange; he had only ever seen it on Ah Yanās face.
A ridiculous and startling thought suddenly flashed through his mind: The person they say Xuezhang has a crush on… it canāt be me, can it?
He was truly shocked by this conjecture. His mind went blank for a moment, in disbelief.
Not long after, the same question fell on him. Jiang Yunian was still in turmoil. He turned his head to look at Jiang Yan. The other party was also looking at him, a faint smile playing on his lips, revealing a bit of expectation.
Jiang Yunian hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded honestly.
“Wow, there really is someone! Is it XXX?”
“Or YYY?”
“Maybe ZZZ!”
Jiang Yunian shook his head at each one, his cheeks slightly hot.
“It seems it’s not someone from our class. Is it the Department Beauty? But doesn’t the Department Beauty like Xuezhang?”
“…”
Hao Mengās eyelid twitched, but she wasn’t surprised. Her gaze swept between the three of them. They say that when talking about the person they like, people will unconsciously look at the one they hold in their heart. Sure enough, she saw Lu Yuanbaiās gaze subconsciously shoot over the moment Jiang Yunian nodded. Yet, Jiang Yunian didn’t look at him; when pressed with questions, his gaze drifted toward Jiang Yan. And Jiang Yanās eyes had never left him from start to finish. Upon hearing this, he merely hooked his lips and naturally popped the remaining piece of high-concentration chocolate his Ge had left on the table into his mouth, chewing it.
Connecting this with the ambiguity between the two on the bus… the absurd guess in her heart took shape. She held her breath, looking at the two with a complicated expression, puzzled despite thinking about it a hundred times.
Jiang Yunian hadn’t drunk much, but the alcohol mixed with his earlier shock and confusion made his cheeks flush and his eyes misty. He sat quietly hugging his knees beside the extinguished bonfire, like a sleepy small animal.
When Lu Yuanbai sent the others away, this was the scene he saw. Jiang Yunianās slightly tipsy appearance was simple and harmless. He had shed some of his usual reserve, looking exceptionally soft under the moonlight. This image reminded him of the days when Jiang Yunian first joined the Volunteer Association. Because Zhang Hao often made things difficult for him, he used to run over to Lu Yuanbai in those days, asking all sorts of questions. Afraid of being disliked, he always acted very obediently, doing whatever was asked. Occasionally, if he had a different opinion, he only dared to send a quiet text after returning, always adding an ingratiating emoji at the end. Once, after an event ended, Lu Yuanbai returned to retrieve something he forgot and found Jiang Yunian still lying on the table in the activity room. The computer screen was on, but the person was so tired he had fallen asleep. It was just like this appearance before him nowāquiet and peaceful, yet revealing a refusal to admit defeat.
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