Chapter 25: “No, You’re Homophobic” part 1
After parting ways with Zhao Yanting and Jiang Yue, Liang Xun drove Jian Huaiyi home.
Jian Huaiyi sat in the passenger seat, pinching the soft flesh of his hand between his thumb and forefinger. Recalling what Zhao Yanting had said, he felt it was necessary to clear things up with Liang Xun.
“Liang Xun, Yanting and I are just friends,” Jian Huaiyi said. Feeling the explanation wasn’t thorough enough, he added, “The same kind of relationship you and he had before your amnesia.”
“Mm,” Liang Xun responded faintly.
It seemed he believed him. Jian Huaiyi nodded, relieved.
The car was quiet, save for the hum of the air conditioner.
After a moment, Liang Xun let out a sudden, cold scoff. “But he wouldn’t call me ‘babe’ or ‘wifey’ in the middle of the night. He wouldn’t grab my arm and not let go. And he certainly wouldn’t go on a blind date with me.”
Jian Huaiyi ignored the first two points for the moment, but the last one aroused his suspicion. “How do you know I went on a blind date with him?” His brow furrowed, his gaze leveled at Liang Xun, and his tone cooled.
He hated it when people investigated him. It felt like being monitored, and the mere mention of it made his chest tighten, making it hard to breathe.
The atmosphere instantly froze. The warm air from the vents seemed to turn into a mist, blurring the view ahead.
Liang Xun suddenly tensed, his palms growing cold.
“I’m sorry.”
Jian Huaiyi lowered his eyes, his knuckles resting against his knees.
Forget it.
“Don’t let it happen again,” he said.
He couldn’t blame Liang Xun.
Liang Xun had only done it because of his “prior offenses.”
“I was going on that blind date for my older brother. It had nothing to do with Yanting,” Jian Huaiyi explained.
Liang Xun’s fingers, which had been tracing the logo on the steering wheel, stilled. “Okay,” he said in a low voice. “I believe you.”
The tension eased.
As if struck by some private joke, the corners of Jian Huaiyi’s lips curved up. Through the rearview mirror, he could see Liang Xun’s jaw, tense with nervousness.
Liar.
He clearly didn’t believe him.
But this stubborn act of his was, in its own way, honest and almost cute.
Realizing what he was thinking, Jian Huaiyi quickly smoothed his brow and flattened the curve of his lips.
“Those nicknames are just things Yanting says for fun. Don’t worry about it.”
Liang Xun frowned, not taking Jian Huaiyi’s words to heart.
Jian Huaiyi couldn’t help but smile, his light-colored eyes twinkling. He teased, “Yanting has called you ‘hubby’ before. Does that make you his husband?”
Hearing this, Liang Xun tried to recall the memory, but drew a complete blank.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and the car stopped.
“Of course not,” Liang Xun said gravely. “I’ll tell him not to call me that anymore.”
Jian Huaiyi raised an eyebrow, a soft puff of air escaping his nose. His tone was lazy, with a hint of amusement.
“Really?”
“Really,” Liang Xun said. He thought for a moment, then added in a placating tone, “Don’t be jealous.”
Jian Huaiyi: ?
Jealous of what?
His expression grew puzzled. Where did this straight-laced guy’s mind go now?
Liang Xun looked at Jian Huaiyi, thinking he hadn’t heard clearly. He paused and repeated, “Don’t be jealous.” His tone wasn’t entirely natural, but it held a coaxing quality.
The corners of Jian Huaiyi’s lips twitched. “I’m not jeal—”
“Babe,” Liang Xun’s thin lips pressed together.
Jian Huaiyi instantly fell silent.
The world went quiet, the only sound the rhythmic clicking of the turn signal.
Jian Huaiyi’s breathing grew heavy. He felt like a soldier who’d just been stripped of his armor and shoved back onto the battlefield, caught completely off guard.
A tidal wave of lost control washed over him.
“The light’s green,” Jian Huaiyi managed to squeeze out.
A burning gaze was fixed on him from the side. Jian Huaiyi’s heart was a placid lake, his eyes half-closed.
“Watch the road, not me.”
Babe. Heh. What a disgusting nickname.
As the car moved forward, Jian Huaiyi’s eyes snapped open. He began to ponder: Who on earth corrupted Liang Xun?
Given their years of friendship, there was no way a straight arrow like Liang Xun could have come up with that nickname on his own. Someone must have said something to him.
Damn it.
Who is so desperate to ruin our brotherly bond?
They’d better hope I don’t find them.
In the rearview mirror, the young man’s brow was tightly furrowed, his expression clearly not one of happiness or being moved.
Liang Xun was puzzled. Looks like I still have work to do, he thought.
It made sense. Years of disappointment couldn’t be erased overnight.
Late at night, the light in the second-floor study was on, casting a white glow on the curtains. A man sat on the sofa, taking a sip from the coffee beside him, his gaze fixed on the laptop screen in front of him.
The symptoms described in the file were a near-perfect match for Jian Huaiyi.
A desire to be loved, yet a repulsion of intimacy—a classic case of avoidant attachment personality.
These past few days, he had been using his spare time to study psychology. He had never been in a relationship and didn’t know how to treat a partner, so he had to learn from scratch, one step at a time.
Liang Xun closed the laptop and glanced at the alarm clock on the desk. The hands pointed to ten o’clock.
But the doorway was silent. Not a single sound, no knock on the door.
Meanwhile, Jian Huaiyi, having changed into his pajamas, was tossing and turning in bed, agitated. His biological clock was screaming for rest, yet he didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy.
His phone rang.
Jian Huaiyi reached for it from the bedside table and answered.
It was his eldest brother.
“Little brother, I heard you’re back from Vancouver!”
“Yeah,” Jian Huaiyi’s voice was cool. “What’s up?”
His brother reminded him, “Little brother, did you forget something?”
Jian Huaiyi thought for a moment.
His brother let out a heavy sigh, his voice full of sympathy. “Oh, my dear Huaiyi, you must have been exhausted from your trip. You even forgot your own birthday.”
“I’ll give you a few days off. Come back to work after you’ve rested well.”
Jian Huaiyi gave a noncommittal grunt.
But the mention of his birthday made him instantly understand the purpose of his brother’s call.
“When’s the party?” Jian Huaiyi asked.
Every year, by tradition, whether it was his, his older brother’s, or Jian Luojia’s birthday, their grandfather would throw a birthday banquet. It was called a birthday party, but it was more of a business-oriented networking event.
As one of the top families in City A, the guests who could attend this banquet were all prominent figures.
Jian Huaiyi never wanted to attend, not even for his own birthday. He would just make an appearance and leave.
He’d rather go home and watch Jian Luojia do his homework than stay there and watch a group of people exchange empty compliments and false pleasantries.
“The day after tomorrow,” his brother said cheerfully. “Don’t forget to show your face.”
Jian Huaiyi smiled back. “I know, big brother.”
“I bought your birthday present and put it in your room. Don’t forget to get it.”
“Okay.”
Just as he hung up, Liang Xun walked in.
“I have to go home for something the day after tomorrow. I might be back late, so don’t wait up for me,” Jian Huaiyi said, taking the opportunity to inform him.
Liang Xun unbuttoned his cuffs, revealing his toned forearms. “Do you need me to go with you?” he asked casually.
“No need,” Jian Huaiyi said.
He was only going to be at the party for a little while anyway.
After spending a day lazing around at home, Jian Huaiyi drove to the Jian family residence the next day for his birthday party.
He was dressed in a semi-formal, dark-colored suit. The moment he got out of the car, he heard his older brother’s voice.
His brother was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, his black hair slicked back with gel. His every move had a hint of their grandfather’s youthful demeanor.
Closing the car door, Jian Huaiyi walked towards him.
“Big brother.”
“Hey,” his brother said, looking at his younger brother with satisfaction. “My little brother is all grown up…”
Jian Huaiyi rolled his eyes. “Get lost.”
His brother laughed and ruffled the back of Jian Huaiyi’s hair. “You only act this tough with your big brother.”
Jian Huaiyi’s lips twitched.
The two brothers walked in together.
Grandfather Jian was standing in the main hall giving directions, dressed in a crisp, gray Zhongshan suit. Even in his fifties, he was still sharp and imposing, capable of intimidating Jian Luojia into silence.
Jian Luojia was being miserably ordered around by their grandfather, fetching invitations one moment and moving things the next. He was being treated like a servant, without a moment’s rest.
The poor third young master of the Jian family, reduced to moving things with the butler.
Jian Luojia clenched his fists, silently complaining in his heart.
As soon as I graduate, I’m moving abroad, far away from home. Then let’s see him try to order me around.
He looked up and saw his two older brothers at the door. It was like seeing his saviors. His eyes lit up, and he shot his eldest brother a desperate plea for help.
Brother, save me!
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