DILLYH Chapter 9

TL: Hua

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Chapter 9: Argument

When Yu Haozhou woke up again, the room was empty. He sat up in bed, propped against the headboard, his mind blank but his head full of the dream he’d just had. The feeling of inner conflict lingered. The past and present intertwined, making it hard for him to distinguish what was real. He had almost forgotten that Zhou Zizheng had been so kind to him even back then.

So, could what he said be true? Was their marriage really just because… he liked him?

The IV needle had been removed, and a medical bandage with a cotton ball was taped over the spot, where he could see a faint trace of blood. His hand ached, and he let it hang stiffly, not daring to move it.

He put on his shoes and went downstairs. He smelled food and followed the scent to the kitchen. A man in an apron was standing with his back to him, one hand holding a spatula and the other a wok. With a slight flick of his wrist, he expertly tossed the contents. Finely shredded potatoes tumbled through the air. After repeating the motion a few times, he sprinkled some chopped scallions and successfully scooped the dish onto a plate.

The moment Zhou Zizheng turned around, he noticed Yu Haozhou and looked up at him. Yu Haozhou felt a little nervous, clenching his uninjected hand, wrinkling his clothes.

Was he still angry? Would he ignore him? Should he break the ice, or should he just ignore him?

As Yu Haozhou struggled to decide, Zhou Zizheng provided the answer. He smiled. “You’re awake? Did you sleep well?” It was as if their recent cold war had never happened.

Yu Haozhou gave a constrained “yeah,” not knowing what else to say. He pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for dinner. Zhou Zizheng went back to the kitchen and brought over a bowl of soup. “It’s a little hot. Let it cool before you drink it.”

Yu Haozhou said “yes” dryly again. In fact, he could still sense that Zhou Zizheng wasn’t completely convinced. Yesterday, he would have simply sat beside him, cooled the food, and fed him spoonful by spoonful.

Preoccupied and with one hand out of commission, Yu Haozhou accidentally scalded himself. The spoon fell into the bowl, splattering soup, and a couple of drops got in his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, his tongue hurting, feeling a bit pathetic but stubbornly refusing to make a sound.

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Zizheng rushed out of the kitchen. He immediately knew what had happened. He brought a cup of warm water and a wet towel, then gently lifted Yu Haozhou’s chin and told him to try to open his eyes.

Yu Haozhou’s eyelids twitched. He vaguely saw Zhou Zizheng’s worried expression. The towel rubbed against his eyelids, and tears streamed down his face from either the pain or the irritation. Zhou Zizheng didn’t say anything and just gently wiped his eyes clean.

After cleaning up the mess on the table, Zhou Zizheng simply said, “Be careful.”

The rest of the meal was unusually quiet, and Yu Haozhou found that he was not used to this version of Zhou Zizheng.

When it was time for bed, Yu Haozhou went upstairs first after showering. He pretended to be on his phone but was actually paying attention to Zhou Zizheng’s movements. These past few days, he had been forced to sleep in the master bedroom. Zhou Zizheng, being a total nuisance, insisted on sleeping in the same bed, and they would have a standoff every night before he got into bed.

The bathroom door opened. Yu Haozhou’s hand moved faster on his phone screen. Zhou Zizheng walked out, towel-drying his hair, and glanced at the empty side of the bed. He gulped. “I’ll sleep in the second bedroom tonight. Get some rest.”

Yu Haozhou was speechless. Zhou Zizheng even thoughtfully asked, “Do you want me to turn on the night light?”

Yu Haozhou still said nothing.

Zhou Zizheng sighed softly, repeated his earlier wish for him to get some rest, and walked toward the door. The next moment, something fell with a loud “thud” at his feet.

He stopped, picked up the harmless-looking little plaster figurine from the floor, and turned around. He only saw Yu Haozhou’s back, facing away from him on the bed. Without a doubt, he was furious.

Zhou Zizheng put the figurine back on the nightstand. He turned off the harsh overhead light, switched on the night light, and left without another word.

Hearing the door close, Yu Haozhou couldn’t hold back. He muttered under his breath, “Damn it, I don’t care about your affection. I’m going back to my parents’ house tomorrow. I’m done with you. Divorce—we have to get a divorce!”

***

Early the next morning, Yu Haozhou was already up. When Zhou Zizheng came downstairs, he was getting ready to leave. He deliberately dawdled while putting on his shoes and tying his laces, waiting for Zhou Zizheng to come over. Only then did he slowly stand up, grab his suitcase, and get ready to open the door.

Zhou Zizheng’s voice was shaky. “Where are you going?”

Yu Haozhou didn’t even turn around, his hand already on the doorknob. “Go home.”

The door had barely opened a crack when someone slammed it shut from behind. His suitcase was snatched and put aside. Zhou Zizheng’s breathing was heavy. “Why are you suddenly leaving?”

Yu Haozhou wasn’t having it. “I’ll go if I want to. Do I need to ask you?”

“Are you angry? Why?”

Yu Haozhou scoffed. “Why should I be angry?”

“Okay.” Zhou Zizheng forcefully turned him around so they were face-to-face. He spoke calmly, “How many days will you be gone? When are you coming back? I’ll come pick you up.”

“You don’t need to.” Yu Haozhou pushed his chest with his right hand. “I don’t need to discuss where I live with you. Zhou Zizheng, get this straight: we’re just in an arranged marriage. There’s no love between us. Stop pretending to be so deeply in love.”

A vein throbbed on Zhou Zizheng’s forehead, and his eyes grew bloodshot. He kept telling himself not to scare Yu Haozhou, but hearing those words made his anger boil over, and he couldn’t control his voice. “Yu Haozhou!”

The entire entryway was filled with Zhou Zizheng’s roar. Yu Haozhou, who had been bottling up his anger all night, was even angrier. “What are you yelling for? Is your voice the loudest? Am I not telling the truth? Aren’t we married by arrangement, or do we have some damned romance?”

Zhou Zizheng calmed down, but his grip on Yu Haozhou’s arm tightened. “We can slowly build a relationship.”

Yu Haozhou sneered, wanting to vent all his frustration from the night before. “I don’t want to.”

“Then who do you want to be with?”

In reality, there was no one. He just wanted to annoy Zhou Zizheng, but to make it more convincing, Yu Haozhou said something he would regret for the rest of his life. “The person I like.”

Zhou Zizheng’s eyes narrowed. “Who do you like?”

Yu Haozhou didn’t realize the danger. “You don’t need to know.”

In the next moment, he was dragged into the living room and thrown onto the couch before he could even react.

His body, which had just recovered from a fever, couldn’t handle the rough treatment. Dizzy, Yu Haozhou clutched his head and cursed. Then he felt his lower body go cold as Zhou Zizheng pulled his pants down and started unbuckling his own belt. What was about to happen was obvious.

“Damn it, Zhou Zizheng, you animal!”

Yu Haozhou threw everything within reach and tried to kick at Zhou Zizheng’s weak points. But Zhou Zizheng overpowered him, grabbing his hands and pinning him to the corner of the sofa.

Zhou Zizheng’s voice was shaky. “Zhouzhou, don’t piss me off.”

Yu Haozhou’s chest heaved. He turned his head away, not daring to provoke him anymore, fearing he might actually be ruined.

“I’m going to work. Will you be a good boy and stay home?”

Yu Haozhou closed his eyes in response.

Zhou Zizheng cautiously let go of him. Yu Haozhou opened his eyes and suddenly slapped him. “Zhou Zizheng, I don’t understand you.”

Zhou Zizheng acted as if the slap was nothing. He pursed his lips and said, “You don’t need to understand. You just need to know that I won’t let you leave my side.”

Zhou Zizheng went to get ready. Yu Haozhou lay on the sofa; the more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Damn it, what did he ever see in Zhou Zizheng?

***

Yu Haozhou was under house arrest. Before Zhou Zizheng left each day, he would lock the door. He’d come back in the morning, at noon, and in the evening to personally bring him food.

Yu Haozhou wasn’t one to be pushed around. He was the type to do the opposite of what he was told.

After accepting the fact that he was under house arrest, he adjusted his schedule. He would sleep all day and, unable to sleep at night, would have a dance party in his room. He’d turn on the stereo and sing, his terrible singing sounding like a howling ghost in Zhou Zizheng’s ear.

At first, Zhou Zizheng was worried about his health and didn’t dare touch him. He even stopped insisting on sleeping in the same bed and went to the soundproof study. But Yu Haozhou was determined to torment him. He dragged the stereo and followed him, singing all the while. Afterward, Zhou Zizheng barely slept, only to turn and see Yu Haozhou sound asleep without a care in the world.

Within two days, Zhou Zizheng had dark circles under his eyes. At the company, he was practically falling asleep on his feet. To get his work done, he’d drink a whole pot of coffee to stay awake. His seniors worried he might suddenly collapse and asked if he needed to ease up. Zhou Zizheng gritted his teeth and pushed through, believing he had already wasted too much time and couldn’t afford to waste any more.

After two or three days, Zhou Zizheng couldn’t take it anymore. But he still didn’t want to let Yu Haozhou out to mess around, so he decided to sleep in the company’s lounge and not go home, even silencing his phone.

The world was quiet and peaceful. He slept soundly.

At home, Yu Haozhou waited until after 10 p.m. and figured Zhou Zizheng was a sore loser who had hidden at the company. He scoffed, thinking, He thinks this will stop me?

Yu Haozhou was willing to do anything to get back at Zhou Zizheng. He stripped naked, leaving only his briefs on, went to the bathroom, and started posing in front of the sink mirror. He had even searched online for some alluring poses.

“Damn, what is this?”

“Can a normal person even get their legs in this position?”

“Wow, look at that butt.”

“…”

He complained countless times, yet he looked at the photos again and again. Yu Haozhou, feeling both disgusted and embarrassed, replicated the poses from the pictures, pressing the shutter button over and over. Without realizing it, he had taken many photos.

After stepping down from the sink, he immediately dove under the covers. He picked out a few photos with the “right” feeling, sent them with one click, and then sent a final message.

Yu Haozhou: [Husband, do I look good?]

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