Part 2
Why can others look at his Ge’s body openly and aboveboard, while he can only spy from a dark corner like a maggot that can’t see the light?
Jiang Yan’s gaze became sinister, firmly locking onto the purple before him. The way his Ge looked in that off-shoulder dress was damn charming. Charming enough that he wanted to tear it to shreds immediately, so he could only be slutty for him.
Jiang Yunian’s face looked a bit ugly. Sure enough, Jiang Yan still couldn’t accept it and felt it was shameful.
“I didn’t want to either.” He lowered his head and told him about the part-time job. “I just wanted to earn some extra money. Just shooting videos, I didn’t do anything else…”
Rich kids from the upper class couldn’t understand the difficulties of ordinary people.
Jiang Yan knew better than anyone that if not for the accident, if not for him happening to save him, they wouldn’t have had any intersection in this life.
Just like in the beginning, he didn’t put this cowardly man in his eyes at all; he was just a passerby who could be dismissed with a check after regaining power.
But he didn’t know when the set trajectory gradually deviated. He became more and more out of control, developing a nearly pathological possessiveness towards his Ge.
Many things were force majeure. Jiang Yunian was that accident.
“Sorry,” the indifference on Jiang Yan’s face faded, tinged with a trace of defeat. “It’s me who caused trouble for Ge.”
Jiang Yunian’s heart tightened. “I didn’t mean that.”
Except for the initial lingering fear, he had long treated Jiang Yan as his closest family. How could family be trouble?
“I understand what Ge means,” Jiang Yan lowered his head, saying hoarsely, “It’s my fault. I can take care of myself. Ge, don’t force yourself to do things you don’t want to do for me anymore.”
After speaking, he took a step back and turned away lonely.
“No! Jiang Yan…”
Jiang Yunian panicked a little, wanting to chase but tripped by his high heels, only able to watch helplessly as he left, his heart sinking bit by bit.
By the time Jiang Yunian finished tidying up and returned home, it was completely dark.
Unlocking the door and entering, Jiang Yunian leaned back against the door, somewhat exhausted.
The lights in the living room were off early, quiet except for the ticking of the old wall clock. Usually at this time, the TV would be playing noisy idol dramas, and Jiang Yan would be nestled in the sofa waiting for him to come back. At this moment, only a deserted emptiness remained.
He fumbled for the light, kicked off his shoes, and changed into a lighter pair of soft-soled slippers. A set of clean bowls and chopsticks was placed on the dining table, and the food in the kitchen pot was steaming, still emitting fragrance. As usual, the timing was just right, exactly when he usually came back, only… one person was missing.
Carrying his bag back to his room, passing Jiang Yan’s closed door, Jiang Yunian’s footsteps paused, hesitatingly retreating two steps.
A thin line of light leaked from under the door crack, falling exactly on the tip of his shoe. There was no sound inside.
It was quiet inside, not a single sound.
Jiang Yunian raised his hand, stopping in the air a few inches from the door panel, wanting to ask if he had eaten, and if not, if he wanted to eat together. But his fingers shrank back, fingernails digging little by little into his palm, leaving small crescents, then slowly releasing.
Usually, if he came back late, he would tell Jiang Yan to eat first and not wait for him, just to heat up the food for him. This time was probably the same. Asking would be in vain; maybe he didn’t want to talk to him.
It’s just a tantrum; it will naturally be fine in two days.
Jiang Yunian comforted himself, withdrew his hand, and moved his toes away from the light in the door crack.
Behind the door, Jiang Yan leaned back against the door panel, holding his breath listening to the subtle movements outside. The footsteps stopped, approached again, and stopped for a long time, long enough to count the other’s breaths. He turned around, staring at the shoe tip underneath. In just a second, it disappeared, taking away a tiny glint in his eyes with it.
The knock on the door never fell.
Jiang Yan lowered his eyelashes and walked to the bedside to sit down, holding a soft thin sheet in his hand, the corners somewhat blackened from repeated rubbing. He stared at it fixedly for a while, his palm suddenly tightening, fingernails turning white as if to crush it. A few seconds later, the force relaxed. He spread his hand, and the gathered wrinkles unfolded little by little.
It was the breast patch Jiang Yunian casually stuffed into the bedside table that night.
The night wind lifted the curtains, swaying gently. Deep in the wardrobe, an old shoebox lay quietly. Inside, a pile of similarly used “trash” was neatly stacked, emitting an unspeakable smell.
Jiang Yan stared at the things in the box, simulating the scene of his Ge raising his hand and putting it down again in his mind, fingers unconsciously rubbing the soft patch. Then he put the smoothed breast patch in, moving very lightly, then closed the lid and pressed the box tightly against his heart.
In the silence, there was only his own heartbeat, one beat after another, heavy and deep.
“Ge…”
The weather gradually turned cooler, and Jiang Yunian’s studies began to get tense. All his free time was spent preparing for certification exams, and the library became his second home. Jiang Yan, unknown what he was busy with, left early and returned late these days, and the number of times the two met was pitifully small. Occasionally bumping into each other in the living room was just a hurried encounter, unable to say a few words.
Neither mentioned the previous matter. That bit of unhappiness seemed to be quietly wiped away by time, becoming irrelevant.
But it was just an illusion. Jiang Yan became very quiet, no longer clinging to him, and his words revealed politeness and unfamiliarity. Jiang Yunian felt empty in his heart, a little unaccustomed, but didn’t know what to do.
The windowsill at the end of the library corridor was an area for memorizing books. Jiang Yunian leaned against the wall, fingertips gliding gently across the paper. Hao Meng, sitting next to him, was dry-mouthed from reciting. She shook her thermos and found it empty.
“Thirsty to death, I’m going to get some water.”
She picked up Jiang Yunian’s cup along the way and found it still full.
“Are you trying to exhaust yourself to death? Not drinking a sip of water after reciting for so long?”
Jiang Yunian was extremely focused on his studies and could recite continuously for an hour without stopping. He didn’t look up, obviously still immersed in the book.
Hao Meng shook her head and sighed, leaving with the cup. She didn’t see Zhang Hao watching from behind a pillar with a gloomy face, cracking his knuckles.
Last week he hit a wall with Hao Meng, and now seeing her so attentive to Jiang Yunian, the jealousy in his heart was overwhelming.
As soon as she left, Zhang Hao flashed in, his black shadow falling on the textbook full of notes.
“So competitive, planning to take the postgraduate entrance exam?” He deliberately bumped Jiang Yunian’s arm with his shoulder. Jiang Yunian was unguarded, and the book almost fell to the ground.
“Aiming for next year’s scholarship, right?”
Interrupted from his reciting, Jiang Yunian didn’t get angry. He listened carelessly, turning his finger to the next page. “Can’t I?”
“You really are utilitarian. Those professors really have bad eyes.” Zhang Hao crossed his arms and said mockingly, “When the national passing line goes up, you’ll definitely get credit. Just be happy.”
The excessive men’s cologne on the other party made Jiang Yunian a bit dizzy. He closed the book and moved a small half-step back. “If you don’t want to put in effort, you don’t have to compete.”
He had classes during the day, tutoring in his spare time, and still had to find time to read. He really didn’t have the energy to deal with this nonsense.
“You!” Zhang Hao’s voice rose, choked with anger by his soft attitude. Several passing students looked over. His face heated up, and he stepped forward again, blocking Jiang Yunian in the corner of the windowsill, lowering his voice. “What are you pretending for? Still just a poor ghost. Do you really think Hao Meng likes you?”
How did this drag Hao Meng into it again?
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