Zhou Yi drove the car into a villa district. These villas weren’t for living in but were rented out for parties or photo shoots. It took Zhou Yi a full five minutes just to reach their destination villa, and finding a parking spot was no easy feat.
Tables were set up in the garden outside the villa, with a barbecue grill nearby. Food and drinks were already laid out on the tables, and someone was sitting on the lawn playing the guitar. Directly facing the garden was a massive floor-to-ceiling window, offering a direct view into the villa’s interior. Both the living room and the garden were filled with people.
“Quite a crowd,” Zhou Yi remarked. He loved lively occasions like this, his face immediately glowing with excitement as he spotted familiar faces and waved from afar.
Although Yu Feng wasn’t fond of such gatherings, he had attended plenty of parties, mostly for work. Bachelor parties in the country were relatively more refined compared to the wilder ones in Europe and America. Once, during a business trip abroad, he’d even attended a bachelor party that featured a striptease performance.
Zhou Yi went off to play table football with others, while Yu Feng, feeling a bit tired, wanted to avoid socializing as much as possible. In settings like this, staying unnoticed was the best way to dodge interactions. He picked up a glass of wine and found a quiet corner in the living room, silently scrolling through his phone.
After a while, even his phone became boring. Almost as if compelled by some unseen force, Yu Feng opened a certain mini-program. He didn’t find the name ‘Xiao Dao’ on the homepage, nor did he spot that default system avatar after scrolling further down.
Yu Feng directly searched for ‘Xiao Dao’ in the search bar, and seven or eight results popped up.
The default system avatar stood out, making it easy to identify the real ‘Xiao Dao’ at a glance.
Since the avatar was originally grayscale, Yu Feng didn’t notice that the other party was offline. When he clicked on the avatar, a system prompt appeared—
【This staff member is currently offline and temporarily unavailable for orders~】
Just as Yu Feng was about to exit the mini-program, in the blink of an eye, Xiao Dao suddenly came online.
***
While waiting for Guo Tianyang, Xie An’yu logged into his account on the mini-program’s backend. With a ‘buzz’, a notification came through—
【You have a new customer order. Please process it promptly. Note: Complete the service within the allotted time and do not exceed the time limit.】
Xie An’yu was momentarily stunned. Was the chance of getting an order really this high?
The customer service sent the customer’s account nickname, along with a note: 【The customer’s WeChat account has been pushed. The WeChat name is ‘Xiao Zhou Sails Away’. Please search for it in your contacts list and complete the relevant service.】
Xie An’yu was a bit confused. He had thought the other party was dissatisfied with him last time, which was why they suddenly stopped responding. Why would they place another order now?
Xie An’yu had very few people in his friends list, and with a quick scroll down, he quickly found the customer. He wasn’t sure how to start the conversation—their previous conversation had ended with him asking if the client wanted voice chat, which felt awkward.
Yu Feng replied, picking up from their last exchange: 【Voice】
Since the customer had paid, Xie An’yu saw these words as an instruction. Even though he was currently in a coffee shop surrounded by people, he obediently lowered his voice and sent a voice message: “I thought you wouldn’t look for me again.”
This was Xie An’yu’s opening line—a fairly ordinary remark.
Yu Feng, however, hadn’t expected the voice message to be about this.
***
The other person’s voice was quite low, with faint background noise making his words slightly unclear. His tone during casual conversation was much more natural than the voice clip on his profile, carrying a lighthearted nonchalance.
Although he’d told Zhou Yi before that being a sucker once was enough, whether he’d allow it to happen again depended entirely on his mood—and whether the other party was worth it.
As someone with a slight voice fetish, judging by this voice message alone, this one was indeed worth it.
But Xiao Dao seemed to have misunderstood something.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【I was on a call when you messaged me before. Then the order time ran out, so I didn’t reply】
Xie An’yu had sent the voice message to Xiao Zhou in public—already a shining moment for someone with mild social anxiety, but such brilliance could only last momentarily. He couldn’t keep talking into his phone the entire time.
Xiao Dao: 【I’m outside right now and can’t really send voice messages. Can we chat via text for now?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Mm, whatever works for you】
This customer was quite easygoing. Xie An’yu felt relieved. Last time, they barely exchanged a few words, making him feel like the other person’s money had been wasted and that he hadn’t performed well. Xie An’yu was a serious person by nature—if something was his responsibility, he would see it through to the end.
So, even though his personality somewhat clashed with the nature of the chat companion service, he still took conversations with customers very seriously.
Money wasn’t Xie An’yu’s primary motivation for being a ‘chat companion’. His approach carried a businesslike attitude—aimed at fulfilling his duty and completing work commensurate with the payment.
Since they hadn’t talked much last time, he’d make up for it today.
Xiao Dao: 【How have you been these past few days?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Not bad】
Xiao Dao: 【Have you had dinner?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Yes】
Xiao Dao: 【What are you doing now?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【At a gathering】
Xiao Dao: 【Having fun?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【It’s alright】
Yu Feng thought to himself; if it were fun, I wouldn’t be paying you to chat with me.
Xiao Dao was quite talkative today—just a bit like a straight man who doesn’t know how to chat.
***
These past few days, Xie An’yu had took some time to study 《How to Be an Excellent Virtual Companion》. It included some exemplary cases, and he’d picked up a few tips—besides listening, one should also learn to share, offering amusing and endearing content to please the other party.
A couple of days ago, Xie An’yu had spotted a white puppy near the back entrance of the restaurant. Finding it adorable, he couldn’t resist taking a photo.
He sent the puppy picture to this customer, followed by a meme of a Samoyed biting a plush toy—the guide had mentioned that using memes appropriately was one of the secrets to bridging the distance with customers.
He’d saved this meme from Ding Xiaofei, thinking it was cute.
***
Yu Feng looked at the adorable puppy photo and the Samoyed meme, then compared them to the awkward ‘straight man’ chat above, and inexplicably laughed.
This kid was trying way too hard.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【You took this?】
Xiao Dao: 【Mm. Is it cute?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Cute】
Xie An’yu pressed the voice message button and sent one at just the right moment: “I’ll take more photos for you when I get the chance.”
“Yu Feng!”
Hearing his name, Yu Feng looked up. Zhou Yi waved at him: “Come quickly and help me out here, I can’t hold out much longer.”
Yu Feng didn’t have time to listen to the voice message. He quickly typed out 【Wait a moment】 and sent it before walking over to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi had been playing table football with someone and had lost several rounds in a row—a disastrous outcome.
“I thought you didn’t know how to play this,” Yu Feng said as he approached.
“That’s why they say the worse you are, the more addicted you get,” Zhou Yi joked self-deprecatingly. He knew Yu Feng was good at this game, really good. “Hurry up and help me save face. We’ve got to reclaim some dignity, right?”
Someone in the crowd watching laughed and said, “That’s not your dignity being salvaged though.”
Zhou Yi smiled and raised an eyebrow: “His, mine—same difference.”
***
The customer had gone silent after sending the last message, and just then, Guo Tianyang arrived. Xie An’yu felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see a familiar, friendly face.
“Xie An’yu,” Guo Tianyang called his name.
Xie An’yu smiled: “Long time no see.”
“Hope you’ve been well,” Guo Tianyang said as he sat down across from him. “You’ve gotten even more handsome.”
Xie An’yu chuckled but didn’t respond. He stood up and asked, “What would you like to drink? I’ll go order.”
“I’ll order,” Guo Tianyang said, pulling out his phone and motioning for Xie An’yu to sit back down. “I was planning to treat you to a meal anyway, but at this hour, we’ll have to settle for drinks. Take a look and see what you’d like.”
“I won’t have anything. Coffee at night might keep me awake all night.”
“No worries, they have non-coffee options here.”
Xie An’yu shook his head. “I really don’t want anything. Just order for yourself.”
“Come on, we finally get to meet after so long. Don’t turn me down like this. You can treat me next time if you want.”
With the conversation reaching this point, refusing any further would just be ungrateful. Xie An’yu took Guo Tianyang’s phone and randomly selected an Americano.
“So, the house your parents left you—it’s just gone like that?” Guo Tianyang asked. “You didn’t get any compensation from the demolition at all?”
“Mm.”
Guo Tianyang felt his worldview shatter. “What kind of person is your second uncle? How can someone be like that? What are your plans now? Have you decided to stay in Beicheng for good?”
“I want to earn money to pay off the debt first.”
Even if Xie An’yu wanted to return to Shuangye Isle, he no longer had a home there. His only choice now was to stay in Beicheng. People often say that fallen leaves return to their roots, and Xie An’yu had always believed Shuangye Isle was where he belonged, where he should spend his entire life. But now, he was beginning to realize that as long as he carried the memories of his parents and grandmother in his heart, it didn’t matter where he was.
He didn’t necessarily have to take root in Shuangye Isle, because the people who mattered most had already taken root in his heart.
And what takes root in the heart is the most unshakable.
“At least you still have your aunt in Beicheng. How’s life at her place? Does her family treat you well?”
Xie An’yu nodded. After a brief silence, he asked, “Tianyang, do you know anything about the rental market here?”
“Why? Are you thinking of renting a place? Don’t you live with your aunt?”
“I don’t want to keep troubling her.”
Not wanting to burden his aunt was one reason, but another was that he truly disliked the feeling of living under someone else’s roof, always mindful of their moods.
While renting a place might be unrealistic for Xie An’yu in his current penniless state, he now had a job. As long as he had an income, he could live independently—even if it meant living in a basement.
Guo Tianyang understood Xie An’yu’s concerns and said, “I’ll help you look into it later. I’ve never rented a place before, so I’m not very familiar with the process. There’s a local from Beicheng in our dorm—I’ll ask him when I get the chance.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Xie An’yu suddenly remembered something and quickly checked his phone.
“What’s wrong? Someone looking for you?”
Xie An’yu shook his head. “No.”
The waiter brought over three drinks, one of which was packed to-go. Xie An’yu looked at the takeaway coffee with a puzzled expression. Guo Tianyang rubbed his nose and explained, “It’s for my girlfriend.”
A faint smile appeared on Xie An’yu’s face. “You’re in a relationship?”
Guo Tianyang chuckled. “Yeah.”
***
Yu Feng had won several rounds of table football before catching the attention of many at the party. He had been tucked away in a corner chatting with his virtual boyfriend earlier, so most people hadn’t noticed him. When they came over to watch the excitement, they found him unfamiliar.
Yu Feng suddenly remembered Student Xiao Dao[mfn]小島同學 (Xiǎo Dǎo tóng xué): T/N: For some reason, YF usually calls XAY ‘Student Xiao Dao’.[/mfn], whom he’d left hanging. After winning the current round, he said, “I’m done playing.”
Zhou Yi blocked his path. “You’re quitting just when we’re getting into the swing of things?”
“Getting into the swing of things? We’re practically scraping the bottom here. I’ve already won back your dignity—I’m not playing anymore; my hands are sore.”
The people around them burst into laughter.
“Yu Feng.”
Yu Feng turned at the sound of his name. Tan Kai was waving him over, standing next to a man in a tailored suit.
“Where were you hiding earlier? I’ve been looking all over for you,” Tan Kai said.
“What’s up?” Yu Feng asked.
“Nothing much. Just introducing you to a friend.” Tan Kai gestured to the man beside him. “This is Qian Wenhao, a friend of mine—” He paused, leaning in to whisper to Yu Feng, “He’s also in your circle. A lawyer. Great guy. Chat him up—might make a good friend.”
Then he patted Yu Feng’s shoulder and said at a normal volume, “You two take your time. I’ll head over first.”
Tan Kai had phrased it delicately, but in plainer terms, Qian Wenhao, like Yu Feng, was gay and into men.
Qian Wenhao turned to grab a glass of champagne from the table and handed it to Yu Feng. “Care for a drink?”
Yu Feng accepted the glass, clinking it lightly against Qian Wenhao’s, and said, “Thanks.”
“You’re pretty good at table football.”
Yu Feng took a sip of his drink and smiled politely. “Just the best of a bad bunch.”
Qian Wenhao chuckled, lowering his head. “So you’re saying they’re terrible at it?”
“Your words, not mine.”
Qian Wenhao let out a low laugh, his interest piqued. He asked, “Tan Kai mentioned you’re a photographer?”
“Yeah.”
Qian Wenhao nodded slightly. “Interesting profession. Do you run your own studio?”
Yu Feng replied, “No.”
“Then…?”
“I shoot for a magazine.”
Qian Wenhao paused, a little surprised: “Oh, I see…”
He took a sip from his glass before asking, “Which magazine?”
“《Charm》.”
《Charm》 was quite famous—a top-tier fashion magazine. Even Qian Wenhao, who usually paid no attention to such things, had heard of it. Qian Wenhao was somewhat taken aback, then smiled. “Mr. Yu, you really are impressive.”
He discreetly sized up Yu Feng from head to toe. In truth, he’d noticed Yu Feng earlier when the man was sitting in the corner. Tan Kai had mentioned him—tall, wearing black-framed glasses. With one glance around the villa, who else in the entire villa wore black-framed glasses besides him?
So he’d already guessed this was the Yu Feng Tan Kai had spoken of, but his eyesight wasn’t sharp. From a distance, he had only found Yu Feng utterly unremarkable, so he hadn’t bothered to strike up a conversation.
It wasn’t until Yu Feng went to play table football that he caught Qian Wenhao’s attention again. Those black-framed glasses really obscured his looks. Now standing face-to-face at close range, Qian Wenhao could finally see the man’s handsome features clearly.
At present, Yu Feng didn’t seem like someone hard to approach—at least Qian Wenhao detected no reluctance in his speech or mannerisms.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 08″]
紅光滿面 (hóng guāng mǎn miàn): (of complexion) glowing with health; ruddy and radiant; the pink of health; radiant with health; glowing with vitality; beaming with happiness; rosycheeked; in high spirits; looking prosperous; describe a person’s ruddy complexion and radiant spirit. Its core meaning refers to a person’s facial health and mental outlook.鬼使神差 (guǐ shǐ shén chāi): demons and gods at work (idiom); doings of ghosts and gods—unexpected happenings; unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation; curious coincidence; As if there were ghosts and gods supporting him, he unconsciously did what he didn’t expect to do.
老老實實 (lǎo lǎo shí shí): truthfully; honestly; conscientiously; behave oneself; play no tricks; (act) honestly and sincerely; in earnest; sincerely; straightforwardly; being honest and law-abiding, and emphasizes that one’s words and deeds should follow the rules. The connotation of the word has three meanings: first, it describes a person’s honest and law-abiding character; second, it expresses a down-to-earth and pragmatic attitude; and third, it reflects a down-to-earth and pragmatic style of doing things.
輕描淡寫 (qīng miáo dàn xiě): to touch on lightly; to mention casually; to play down; to deemphasize (idiom); make little/light account (of); refers to talking about writing important issues over.
公事公辦 (gōng shì gōng bàn): to do official business according to official rules; to handle matters without bias and favouritism; to do things in a strictly businesslike manner (idiom); do official business according to official principles; business is business; not let the personal considerations interfere with one’s execution of official duties; to handle affairs in accordance with the principle of public affairs without mixing in personal feelings.
恰到好處 (qià dào hǎo chù): it’s perfect; it’s just right; just right (for the purpose or occasion, etc); to a nicety; speaking and doing things just right.
別來無恙 (bié lái wú yàng): lit. I trust you have been well since we last met; (idiomatic) You’re looking as healthy as ever, nice to see you again; (idiomatic) (in correspondence) I hope all is well since we last spoke; hope you are well; long time no see; I trust you have been keeping well; used in correspondence or reunion after parting, meaning that nothing bad has happened since the separation.
不識好歹 (bù shí hǎo dǎi): unable to tell good from bad (idiom); undiscriminating; cannot tell good from bad; not know chalk from cheese; mistake good for bad; one cannot distinguish between good and bad; Synonym of 不知好歹 (bù zhī hǎo dǎi), unable to differentiate good from bad (idiom); not to know what’s good for one; unable to recognize others’ good intentions; cannot tell good from bad; to mistake good for bad; to be unable to see others’ good intentions; not know chalk from cheese; not know kindness from malice.
落葉歸根 (luò yè guī gēn): lit. a falling leaf returns to the root; fallen leaves will return to the roots; fig. all things go back to their source eventually; falling leaves settle on their roots—a person residing elsewhere finally returns to his ancestral home; return to one’s roots; revert to one’s origin; go back to where one belongs; settle down in one’s hometown; return home in old age; in old age, an expatriate returns home; a person who has been away from his or her hometown for a long time would eventually return; a metaphor for things having a certain destination; it often refers to people who live in a foreign land and will eventually return to their hometown. From Song dynasty book 《景德傳燈錄》 by 釋道原, originally written as 葉落歸根 (yè luò guī gēn): 葉落歸根，來時無口。, The leaves fall and the roots return, but it is silent.
寄人籬下 (jì rén lí xià): lit. to live under others’ fence; to lodge under another person’s roof (idiom); to live relying on sb else’s charity; to depend on others, thus not being self-reliant; live under another person’s roof―depend on sb for a living.
一窮二白 (yī qióng èr bái): poor and blank; economically impoverished and culturally backward; utterly impoverished; destitute and blank; extremely poor and backward; poverty-stricken and culturally barren; to have a poor foundation or a weak basis. Possibly from On the Ten Major Relationships, a speech delivered by Mao Zedong in 1956 on the socialist construction of the People’s Republic of China. 我曾經說過，我們一為「窮」，二為「白」。「窮」，就是沒有多少工業，農業也不發達。「白」，就是一張白紙，文化水平、科學水平都不高。, As I have said elsewhere, we are first “poor” and second “blank”. By “poor” I mean we do not have much industry and our agriculture is underdeveloped. By “blank” I mean we are like a blank sheet of paper and our cultural and scientific level is not high.
臨陣脫逃 (lín zhèn tuō táo): to irresponsibly flee in the face of danger; run away/flee on the eve of a battle; sneak away at the critical moment/juncture； turn tail in the face of danger; refers to running away when facing a battle. It is also a metaphor for retreating and escaping when things are approaching.
西裝革履 (xī zhuāng gé lǚ): (esp. of a person) trendy in their taste of clothing; dressed in Western-style clothes; impeccably attired; in Western dress and leather shoes.
言談舉止 (yán tán jǔ zhǐ): speech and deportment; refers to a person’s words, actions, and behaviors.
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