Chapter 34: Face Slapping – He was afraid he couldn’t resist forcibly kissing him in public, as punishment…
Zhang Hao’s words were like a bolt of thunder on a clear day; the table fell instantly silent, everyone looking over in confusion. A look of hesitation floated onto Tao Jingxuan’s fair face. She asked Jiang Yunian beside her, “What forum? You and him…”
Jiang Yunian was first startled, then shook his head blankly, frowning at Zhang Hao. “What nonsense are you spouting? I don’t understand.”
“There were photos of you holding hands on the forum back then, how could it be fake?” Zhang Hao covered his mouth, feigning a realization that he had misspoken, before immediately adopting an open-minded posture. “But being gay is very normal, I won’t gossip, don’t worry. What era is this…”
“You misunderstood.” Jiang Yunian seemed to recall the scene at the seminar that day and didn’t dare look at Jiang Yan. “He and I are brothers. I… I like girls.”
Jiang Yan’s hand, holding his cup, tightened abruptly.
While this was being said, Hao Meng had already searched the forum. She flipped through every post about the two of them but found no trace of the “hand-holding photo” he mentioned.
“Where are these photos? They are clearly just two brothers; what nonsense are you spewing?”
“Yeah, the Senior hasn’t even dated anyone,” Tao Jingxuan chimed in softly. After chatting these past few days, she felt that the Senior was a very simple person who would get shy even talking to girls; how could he be gay?
“The forum described it so vividly, I thought it was real.” Seeing everyone protecting him, Zhang Hao felt unhappy inside. But having said this much, arguing further would just be quibbling. He laughed it off: “If you had said earlier that you had such a beautiful junior by your side, I wouldn’t have misunderstood.”
“With a brain like yours, you should just donate it if you’re not using it,” Hao Meng rolled her eyes.
A moment later, the waiter brought a new cup. Tao Jingxuan graciously poured a cup of sour plum juice for Jiang Yunian. “Senior, try this.”
Jiang Yunian took the cup and whispered his thanks, while Zhang Hao whistled from across the table. Jiang Yan’s gaze landed on the two of them, his eyes dark and heavy, and he immediately put down his chopsticks, losing his appetite. Jiang Yunian lowered his head and ate quietly, not noticing that Jiang Yan barely touched his food.
When they were mostly done eating, Hao Meng looked at the table full of dishes, estimating that the meal definitely wasn’t cheap. She was thinking about how to suggest splitting the bill AA style to avoid it being too costly. But Zhang Hao beat her to it. With a smile on his face, he scanned the empty plates, hypocritically thanked Jiang Yunian for bringing them to support the business, then glanced at Tao Jingxuan and said, “Shouldn’t your Senior Jiang treat this meal?”
Tao Jingxuan paused in wiping her mouth. “Huh?”
As soon as these words came out, everyone froze. Given Zhang Hao’s enthusiastic ordering at the start, telling them not to be polite, they all assumed he was treating.
Hao Meng’s face dropped. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Isn’t this me trying to let him show off in front of the junior? Creating an opportunity—what a good thing.” Zhang Hao winked at Jiang Yunian, looking full of helpful enthusiasm. He slowly picked up the bill from the table and waved it in front of him. “For the sake of being in the same club, I’ll give you a twenty percent discount. Generous enough, right?”
Jiang Yunian’s eyes stung at the string of numbers. One meal, and half a month’s living expenses were gone just like that.
“I didn’t bring enough money. Can I put it on a tab first?”
Tab? Zhang Hao chuckled lightly, as if hearing some ancient joke. “What do you think?”
Jiang Yunian’s fingers, clutching the bill, curled unconsciously; he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He could feel the gazes from around him—curiosity, sympathy, mostly the amusement of watching a drama unfold—and the unintentional mockery on Zhang Hao’s face.
“Student Jiang can’t be unable to afford even this little bit of money, right? That shouldn’t be. You brought people out to eat; you can’t possibly make the young lady pay, right?”
Others didn’t know they had a grudge, but by now Jiang Yunian understood perfectly. No wonder Zhang Hao hadn’t touched a bite the whole meal; he was setting a trap for him here. Jiang Yunian’s tight grip on his fingers loosened. Forget it, a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. He had intended to treat them anyway.
He pressed down on Hao Meng, who wanted to argue for him, planning to unfreeze the money in his Alipay. Just as he stood up, a flash of light passed before his eyes.
Slap!
A bank card, its edges glinting with a cold, hard metallic sheen, was tossed casually into the center of the lazy Susan.
The sound wasn’t loud, yet it echoed in everyone’s ears.
All eyes were instantly drawn to this sudden turn of events, snapping to focus on the person sitting in the corner who had maintained a very low presence until now.
Jiang Yan lifted his eyelids, his expression utterly flat, as if he had merely tossed an insignificant coin. Those bottomless black eyes swept over Zhang Hao’s instantly frozen face without any emotion, yet carried a kind of condescending indifference and oppression.
“Bill’s on me.”
Jiang Yunian was stunned for a moment, looking at him in astonishment. He tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Where did you get so much money?”
It was normal for young people to have pride, but he couldn’t watch Jiang Yan puff himself up at his own expense just for him.
“Got my wages,” Jiang Yan said faintly, lifting his chin slightly at Zhang Hao, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes.
The fake smile on Zhang Hao’s face shattered completely. He glared at the guy who ruined his fun, his tongue pressing hard against his cheek. He nodded, snatching up the card with rude movements. “Really a good brother, huh.”
Jiang Yan didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, as if looking one more time would dirty his eyes. He stood up straight and walked out, his back straight and cold, carrying a low pressure that said “strangers keep away.”
Watching Zhang Hao walk to the cashier looking like he’d eaten something foul, a sense of satisfaction rose in Hao Meng’s chest. She couldn’t help leaning close to Jiang Yunian, her eyes shining. “Oh my god… your brother was explosively handsome just now! That aura, tsk tsk, and that posture when throwing the card was absolute perfection!”
Beside her, Tao Jingxuan nodded vigorously, her gaze involuntarily following him. Through the gap in the glass doors, it landed on Jiang Yan’s melancholic profile, and her heart skipped a beat.
Jiang Yunian managed to pull a smile, but his heart was bleeding profusely.
Jiang Yan’s money was his money; how could it not hurt?
After settling the bill, the girls went to the restroom to touch up their makeup. Jiang Yunian grabbed their things and went to the entrance, spotting Jiang Yan leaning against the railing, back turned to him.
“You didn’t leave.”
He walked over, saying he would pay him back when they got home; earning living expenses wasn’t easy.
The other turned around, the bone-chilling coldness on his face silencing Jiang Yunian instantly.
“No wonder you lied to me,” Jiang Yan scoffed coldly. “So, you’re getting a girlfriend.”
Jiang Yunian clenched the shopping bags in his hand, his fingertips turning white. This was the best time to cut off Jiang Yan’s feelings for him. He forced himself not to look into those eyes, remaining uncharacteristically silent, offering no rebuttal.
In Jiang Yan’s eyes, this silence was tantamount to admission. The darkness in his eyes deepened. “What do you like about her?”
Jiang Yunian lowered his head to hide his trembling eyelashes and lied against his heart, “She’s pretty, quiet… she suits me.”
“So that’s how it is.” Jiang Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he suppressed his voice. “Does she like Ge too?”
Jiang Yunian fell silent for a moment, his voice barely audible.
“Then what about me?”
“…What?”
“If you are with her, what do I do?” Jiang Yan tightened his jaw, bordering on indifference. “I don’t like being disturbed. Is Ge going to chase me away?”
Jiang Yunian looked away and said stop joking; even if he really got together with someone, their relationship wouldn’t change.
“What if I don’t want Ge to be with her?” Jiang Yan suddenly took a half-step forward, his tall shadow casting over Jiang Yunian’s thin frame, appearing as if to possess him completely.
The packaging bag crinkled slightly under the grip. Jiang Yunian stared at the escalator in the distance that only went up and never down, hesitantly taking a half-step back. “That’s not appropriate…”
“I can’t go my whole life without finding a girlfriend.”
Some things had to be faced sooner or later; it was better to let him recognize reality a bit earlier.
His Ge, usually such a soft person, had a heart like stone—stubborn and unyielding. Jiang Yan really wanted to crush it to see if there was any place for him inside. He took a deep breath, trying his best to restrain the violence in his bones. If he stayed any longer, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from forcibly kissing him in public, punishing him for not knowing what was good for him.
Jiang Yan gave him a deep look—a look that carved a heavy mark on Jiang Yunian’s heart—then turned and left without looking back.
Tao Jingxuan came out after touching up her makeup. Seeing he was alone, she looked around and asked if Jiang Yan had left.
Jiang Yunian snapped out of it and responded in a low voice, “Mmh.”
Hearing he was gone, Tao Jingxuan was a bit disappointed, but she cheered up quickly. She briefly complained about Zhang Hao’s behavior, then praised his brother for being handsome.
Hearing this tone, she probably didn’t have feelings for him (Jiang Yunian).
Judging from tonight’s performance, he indeed hadn’t done well. His attention had been on Jiang Yan the whole night; he hadn’t even reacted when Hao Meng hinted at him to serve food to Tao Jingxuan. It stood to reason that she wouldn’t be interested in him.
The burden in Jiang Yunian’s heart lifted at once; it seemed this was how it should be.
The next second, her words confirmed his guess but plunged him into another dilemma.
“Your brother spent money just now; how about I transfer my share to him?” Tao Jingxuan took out her phone, her tone expectant. “Can you share his WeChat contact?”
Jiang Yunian was instantly tongue-tied. Sensing Tao Jingxuan’s special interest in Jiang Yan, a wave of resistance surged in his heart for no reason.
“Is something wrong?” Tao Jingxuan asked, seeing him motionless.
Facing her expectant gaze, Jiang Yunian felt a bit ashamed. He euphemistically indicated that Jiang Yan already liked someone, and based on his understanding of Jiang Yan, money spent would never be taken back.
“Is that so.” Tao Jingxuan understood his meaning. It was slightly regrettable, but it was just a fleeting encounter. “Alright, thanks then.”
Jiang Yunian felt he shouldn’t interfere with someone’s right to pursue love. He knew clearly that Jiang Yan’s feelings for him were wrong, yet when Tao Jingxuan actually wanted to add him on WeChat, he felt inexplicably resistant.
This contradictory conflict that he couldn’t justify troubled him for several days, so much so that the professor called on him several times in class, catching him absent-minded.
It wasn’t until Hao Meng secretly kicked him under the table that he hurriedly stood up and looked to Hao Meng for help. But she held her phone sandwiched in her textbook, looking like she couldn’t help even if she wanted to.
He stood there dryly for a good while, unable to answer a single word. Knowing he was usually diligent and hardworking, the professor didn’t make it too hard on him, just asked him to come to the office after class.
Walking through the corridor, a crowd had gathered at the intersection leading to the teaching building hall.
It seemed two boys were arguing. A tall boy was aggressively accusing a shorter one: “Dare to steal but don’t dare to admit it?”
The short one said he didn’t steal.
“If you didn’t steal, why follow me? Take it out and we’ll see.”
The tall one wouldn’t let him go, biting down on the fact that he was a thief. The circle of onlookers whispered among themselves. Through the crowd, Jiang Yunian glanced at the thief from afar—average height, dark skin, the most unremarkable, forgettable appearance. In contrast, the tall boy had broad brows and deep eyes, radiating a toughness that clearly said he wasn’t one to be trifled with. He muttered in his heart that even Nanda had people who pilfered; evidently, high education didn’t represent everything.
He didn’t stay long and turned into the office. Seeing his drooping head and poor state, the professor assumed he was still sad about missing the scholarship and comforted him not to be discouraged. “Zhang Hao indeed performed well this semester.”
Jiang Yunian’s expression stiffened. His class ranking was higher than Zhang Hao’s, and he hadn’t received any notification of the selection results yet. The professor’s words undoubtedly confirmed the worst outcome.
The professor appreciated Jiang Yunian usually and knew his circumstances were difficult, relying on scholarships and odd jobs to live. But there was nothing he could do about the department’s decision. He implicitly revealed that the selection was over and would be announced in two days, telling him not to be too sad and that if he worked hard, there would be opportunities next year.
Even the professor thought it was a pity, so it must be true. To say he wasn’t sad would be a lie. No one knew better than him what the scholarship meant to him, and how much effort he had put into it.
Everything had come to nothing.
Ironically, he didn’t even have time to process his emotions; he had a tutoring session tonight. Because he was rushing, sadness became a luxury.
Going out into the twilight and returning amidst the night’s clamor, Jiang Yunian dragged his exhausted body through the door. He found someone sitting on the sofa. Jiang Yan had come back earlier than him tonight. The TV was on as usual, playing an unchanging idol drama showing a famous breakup scene.
Jiang Yan didn’t turn back, as if he hadn’t seen him, nor did he seem to want to talk to him.
If external blows only cracked the shell, Jiang Yan’s neglect made his heart wander in uncertainty.
But a person couldn’t be too greedy. He knew he had no right to demand anything. Since he had rejected Jiang Yan’s feelings, he couldn’t expect the same care as before. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to him.
As for this little bit of sadness, it was only temporary; he could handle it himself.
He walked silently past the sofa, not expecting his wrist to be grabbed by a strong hand, forcing him to stop.
Jiang Yan stood up, his gaze scrutinizing the exhaustion on his face, and raised his eyebrows lazily.
“What? Ge got heartbroken too?”
~~~
Translator’s corner: Ge= Brother
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