Chapter 34
Two meters behind the streetlamp stood Yan Shiting.
Today he was not wearing a suit, but a dark gray turtleneck sweater, with a black trench coat on top, casual yet mature and steady.
He held a paper bag in his hand and walked slowly towards Yu Li with long strides.
“Big brother Yan…” Yu Li murmured.
Yan Shiting walked up to him and held his hand: “Wait for me in that pavilion over there, I’ll talk to him.”
Yu Li was startled, his eyes filled with worry: “Did you hear everything?”
Yan Shiting nodded slightly, “I didn’t hear much, go over first.”
The low voice somehow made one feel at ease.
The anxious mood Yu Li just had dissipated instantly.
He looked at Yan Shiting’s calm and collected gaze for a while before nodding: “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”
Throughout, Yu Li never looked at Xu Bin again.
After Yu Li walked to the nearby pavilion, Yan Shiting slowly shifted his gaze to Xu Bin.
Unlike when he was looking at Yu Li, there was no emotion in those phoenix eyes, as calm as a deep pool.
Xu Bin didn’t like this kind of gaze.
It was as if he didn’t take them seriously, seeing them no differently than roadside stones or flowers.
Xu Bin frowned and sneered coldly, “President Yan, what do you want to talk to me about? Asserting your dominance?”
“Starting from your first sentence, let’s talk about how you think,” Yan Shiting said in a deep voice, hand in pocket, “He’s still waiting for me, so I’ll just say it.”
“You said he was being kept, only because you are insecure and dark, thinking that by belittling him and throwing mud at him, you have the right to be with him.”
“In fact, everything you said was expressing – you are not worthy.”
Xu Bin clenched his fists, “I’m not worthy?”
He laughed in disbelief, “What am I not worthy of? I’m from the same world as him, I won’t play with his feelings.”
“How can you be sure that I will play with his feelings?”
Yan Shiting’s face was grim as he stepped closer to Xu Bin: “If you can’t even show basic respect, how can you guarantee that you won’t play with his feelings?”
“Before confessing, you first defamed him, how pure is your love?”
Unknowingly, Yan Shiting stopped just a step away from Xu Bin.
He was half a head taller than Xu Bin, and the cold gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses was quite oppressive.
Being looked down upon like this by Yan Shiting, Xu Bin felt resentful: “Then what about you, President Yan? You’ve been with him for more than a month, have your relationship been made public? Doesn’t that mean your relationship is improper?”
Yan Shiting said, “I don’t need to prove anything to you.”
Yu Li still doesn’t want to tell others about their marriage, so he will keep it secret.
Moreover, their relationship is none of your business to prove.
Yan Shiting lowered his gaze and looked at the phone in Xu Bin’s hand: “However, you’d better guarantee that the video you recorded will not be seen by my legal team elsewhere.”
“Otherwise…”
Yan Shiting’s words trailed off without finishing the sentence.
The coldness on his face made Xu Bin shudder involuntarily.
Xu Bin took a deep breath and forcefully tapped the screen of his phone, deleting the video in front of Yan Shiting.
“Are you satisfied now, President Yan?”
Yan Shiting did not answer, but turned and walked away.
After taking a few steps, he slightly turned his head and said:
“Also, I don’t like the word ‘asserting dominance’.”
His and Yu Li’s relationship has never been about dominance and possession.
With that, Yan Shiting walked towards the pavilion, his gaze regaining some warmth.
Yu Li stood up and walked a few steps towards him, “Big brother Yan, are you done talking?”
Yan Shiting nodded, “We’re done, let’s go.”
Yu Li nodded and was about to leave with him, but heard Xu Bin calling out behind him: “Fourth brother, being with him will only make people think of an improper relationship, that’s a fact.”
Yu Li’s steps paused.
He turned around and looked at Xu Bin.
The resentment he had just suppressed now surfaced.
Yu Li took a deep breath and said, “Big brother Yan, wait for me a moment.”
He then walked up to Xu Bin in a few steps.
He couldn’t believe that his roommate, with whom he had lived harmoniously for three years, could harbor such jealous thoughts for so long.
He slowly spoke, “Do you think everyone is as mean-spirited as you?”
Xu Bin was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Yu Li to scold him.
Yu Li composed himself and said seriously, “My relationship with Big brother Yan is nothing improper, we are legally married.”
Xu Bin stared wide-eyed for a few seconds, then slowly widened his eyes.
“Impossible, how could you two… How could Yan Shiting possibly marry you? Your family background…”
Yu Li tilted his head, interrupting him: “Since I’m so unworthy in your heart, why did you still like me?”
“Or is your ‘like’ just suppression?”
Yu Li smiled, saying word by word, “The person you ‘like’ is truly unfortunate.”
“Your ‘like’ is disgusting.”
Xu Bin was disbelieving, this was not the usually mild-tempered Yu Li.
He felt icy cold, as if he had been slapped hard, standing there stiffly.
Yu Li didn’t look at him again, turning and quickly walking towards Yan Shiting.
“Let’s go.”
Yan Shiting raised his eyes, casually glanced at Xu Bin, and took Yu Li’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
…
The night at the villa was quite lively.
On a main road in front of the hotel, there was a night market, with snack vendors and stalls selling local tea and specialties.
Since the villa was near an ancient temple scenic area, there were quite a few tourists on the weekend, so the night market street was crowded.
Yan Shiting held Yu Li’s hand as they passed through the main road.
Although it felt good to retort to Xu Bin, now thinking about what Xu Bin said, Yu Li felt gloomy again.
He had always known deep down that he and Yan Shiting were not from the same world.
The argument before the start of school, where he wanted to stay far away from the Yan family, now bothered him again when brought up by someone else.
Yu Li pressed his lips tightly.
A couple passed by them, hand in hand.
Yu Li looked at them, only then noticing that he and Yan Shiting were also holding hands.
It seems that since that night of stargazing, holding hands has become a habit for them.
Whether it’s him or Yan Shiting, whenever they walk together, they unconsciously hold the other’s hand.
Yu Li lowered his gaze, staring at their intertwined hands for a while.
Still lost in thought, Yan Shiting asked in a low voice, “Thinking about what your roommate said?”
Yu Li nodded slowly.
He said softly, “Some of the things he said are similar to my previous thoughts.”
He looked at Yan Shiting and said, “You’ve been to my hometown, you’ve seen how ordinary and common I am.”
The gap between him and Yan Shiting is really too large.
Yu Li felt Yan Shiting’s grip on his hand tighten.
They walked forward, Yan Shiting still looking ahead, saying faintly:
“Yu Li, I also consider myself an ordinary, common person. I have strengths and weaknesses, good and bad.”
“The definition of ‘ordinary’ and ‘common’ comes from our different standards. You think you are ordinary and common because your reference standard is different. Unbeknownst to you, in the eyes of others, you are actually not ordinary, not common.”
Yan Shiting looked at him deeply after speaking.
Yu Li was slightly taken aback.
He remembered that he had indeed seen Yan Shiting’s “ordinary person” side before, feeling tired, getting sick, and feeling sad as well.
He is not as lofty, picky, and proud as the stereotypical impression.
Instead, he is very humble and unassuming.
Previously, it was Yu Li being too self-deprecating, using his own standards to divide him and Yan Shiting into two different worlds.
But in reality, without his own standards, he and Yan Shiting are not that different.
Moreover, even if the worlds are different, so what? He can enter Yan Shiting’s world, and Yan Shiting can also come to his world.
Yu Li’s heart was racing rapidly.
He could feel that there were some thoughts in his heart, as if they were about to emerge.
After understanding it, Yu Li still gently suppressed it.
He curved his lips into a smile, shaking the hand held by Yan Shiting and said softly, “I see, thank you.”
By this time, the two of them had already walked out of the night market area.
Yu Li noticed that they were not on the way back to the hotel room, but walking up the mountain.
He looked around and asked, “Where are we going?”
Yan Shiting didn’t say anything, just holding his hand and walking forward. After climbing up the stairs, they came to a platform.
The platform was circular, from here one could see the entire villa.
The brightly lit hotel main building, the bustling night market, the fan-shaped water park, and the tiered hot spring pools in the distance… All in sight.
However, maybe because there were not many people in the water park, it was now dark without any lights.
Yan Shiting led Yu Li to the long bench at the front of the platform and sat him down, saying, “Take a look at the night view.”
Yu Li was taken aback.
He looked at the villa, then up at the night sky.
On the mountain, the stars in the night sky were very clear and close, as if within reach.
“It’s so beautiful,” Yu Li murmured, looking at the starry sky.
This was indeed a great spot to enjoy the night view.
Gazing at this beautiful scenery, the gloominess in his heart also seemed to disappear.
Yu Li swung his feet happily.
Next to him, Yan Shiting tilted his head, his gaze fixed on him.
Yu Li sensed it and turned to look at him.
The dazzling lights of the villa could also illuminate this platform to some extent.
The bench was wider than the rocking chair at home, but when they sat down just now, they didn’t unconsciously keep their distance.
So now, there was only a fist’s distance between the two.
Yu Li could see Yan Shiting’s focused gaze.
In the beautiful phoenix eyes, his figure was reflected.
After a moment, Yu Li saw Yan Shiting’s gaze shift downwards, gently falling on his lips.
Yu Li felt a bit nervous.
He could hear his rapidly beating heart, and his breathing unconsciously slowed down.
Is he going to kiss?
But…
In the distance, there was some movement in the water park area.
Yu Li unconsciously turned his head, surprised to see the lights in the water park area gradually turning on.
The water park facilities had all been dismantled, leaving only a large pool.
Now, the surface of the water was gradually lit up.
Those lights seemed to be lanterns, floating on the water surface, forming the shape of a small fish.
The small fish also seemed to be able to swim in the water, constantly changing position, sometimes the light would dim, as if it had submerged into the water, and then jump out again, the light changing lively.
Yu Li was captivated by the sight, forgetting what had just happened, staring blankly for a while.
Then he turned to Yan Shiting and said, “I didn’t expect the villa to have such a performance arrangement.”
Yan Shiting sat up straight and nodded.
He looked at the time on his phone, it was already 11:30 pm.
Yan Shiting tightened his fingers, and the paper bag he was holding made a slight sound.
Yu Li lowered his head curiously to look.
Since he saw Yan Shiting, he had been wondering what was in the paper bag.
The next moment, Yan Shiting’s long fingers gradually opened the paper bag and took out a square box.
Yu Li’s hand resting on his thigh suddenly clenched tightly.
However, the box contained a wristwatch.
Yu Li slowly exhaled.
He had unintentionally overthought it.
Yan Shiting took out the watch and put it on Yu Li’s left wrist, holding his hand and looking at it for a while before saying, “Yu Li, happy 22nd birthday.”
Happy birthday…
Yu Li paused, realizing something, his hand trembling slightly.
He looked at the lantern fish in the water park, then at the watch on his hand.
If the villa was going to arrange a water park performance, they wouldn’t start so late.
Yu Li suddenly understood that all of this was what Yan Shiting had prepared for him.
So that’s why he brought him to this elevated platform, because the view here is the clearest.
Then, when he saw Yan Shiting near the water park earlier, it wasn’t an illusion, he really went there to arrange these lanterns, right?
But Yan Shiting, once again, did not express it.
Although he was so good at comforting people and analyzing situations, he just didn’t want to express his inner feelings.
Yu Li felt a sting in his nose.
He turned to look at Yan Shiting, deliberately asking, “Did you come to the villa specifically for my birthday, or did you happen to have business here and then ran into me?”
Yan Shiting didn’t answer.
Yu Li knew he didn’t want to express it.
He bit his lip and said, “If you don’t say it, I’ll never know.”
Then, his eyelashes fluttered, and he lowered his eyes sadly.
Yan Shiting pressed his lips tightly.
But looking at Yu Li’s anxious expression, he still said in a low voice, “I came for you.”
Yu Li quickly asked again, “The lantern fish, did you arrange that as well?”
Yan Shiting’s hand clenched slightly into a fist.
He didn’t like to express too clearly the things he had done, as if it would make him seem to be seeking something in return.
But looking at Yu Li’s teary eyes, he still nodded again: “Yes.”
Yu Li looked at Yan Shiting, smiled lightly, and suddenly hugged him.
He said, “Thank you, brother, I love it!”
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