Yu Feng steadied himself by holding onto the edge of the bed. Xie An’yu guessed he probably couldn’t find the light switch because he wasn’t wearing his glasses and couldn’t see clearly. The moment Yu Feng straightened up, Xie An’yu sat up abruptly. He had intended to reach for the switch on the bedside table, but as he rose, his forehead collided with Yu Feng’s lips.
The impact was quite strong. Yu Feng’s lip hit his teeth, and his head jerked back slightly.
Xie An’yu was knocked back onto the bed, clutching his forehead. “I’m sorry…”
“You find the switch first,” Yu Feng said.
Xie An’yu immediately shifted to a crawling position to reach for the switch on the bedside table.
As the light flickered on, Yu Feng reflexively closed his eyes. Xie An’yu glanced around and spotted Yu Feng’s glasses tucked in the corner of the pillow.
Yu Feng’s nearsightedness wasn’t severe—without his glasses, he could still distinguish people from objects at close range. Standing in the aisle now, he could see Xie An’yu retrieving his glasses from the bed, though he couldn’t quite make out the expression on Xie An’yu’s face.
When Xie An’yu turned and noticed the redness at the corner of Yu Feng’s mouth, he suddenly realized where he had hit him. His ears burned instantly, and he quickly handed the glasses to Yu Feng.
Yu Feng took them with a quiet ‘Thanks’. As soon as he put them on, Xie An’yu dove back under the covers at lightning speed, pulling the blanket up to his nose, leaving only his eyes exposed.
“Sorry for waking you,” Yu Feng said, glancing down at him.
Xie An’yu stared at Yu Feng’s swollen lips. “…Did I split your lip?”
Yu Feng touched the corner of his mouth. “No.”
“It’s red,” Xie An’yu’s voice was muffled under the blanket, low and heavy.
“Your forehead isn’t made of tofu,” Yu Feng chuckled. “Of course it’s red.”
Yu Feng went to the bathroom to use the toilet. To be honest, that collision had hurt—his lips now felt swollen, and he suspected they’d be puffy by morning.
Xie An’yu slept poorly for the rest of the night and woke with faint dark circles under his eyes. Yu Feng wasn’t faring much better either. While washing up in the bathroom, he confirmed that his lips had indeed swollen.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too noticeable—at least not as bad as if he’d been stung by a bee. That would’ve made it impossible to face anyone.
Still groggy from lack of sleep, Xie An’yu didn’t notice Yu Feng’s lips in the morning, but Zhou Yi spotted it first.
Zhou Yi had knocked on their door at dawn. Truth be told, he’d wanted to visit the day before, even suggesting a card game with Xie An’yu and Yu Feng. But the cabin was too cramped for four grown men—there wasn’t even enough room for three of them to stretch their legs.
“Let’s go, let’s get some breakfast at the dining hall,” Zhou Yi called from outside the door.
Yu Feng hummed in response and turned to Xie An’yu. “Let’s go eat.”
Though the cruise ship lacked many amenities, it at least had a dining hall—though the food was mediocre at best, just enough to get by.
As they walked down the corridor toward the dining hall, Zhou Yi deliberately lagged behind with Yu Feng. Studying his lips, he whispered, “What happened to your mouth?”
Yu Feng glanced at him sideways.
“Why is it swollen? Don’t tell me…” Zhou Yi’s eyes flicked toward Xie An’yu. “Things are progressing?”
“Your imagination as a teacher is truly impressive.”
Zhou Yi grinned. “That I do. So, what, not from a kiss?”
“A bump.”
Though it was just a bump on Xie An’yu’s forehead, rounding it off, it could almost count as a kiss.
“I thought you couldn’t hold back last night and went all out with a confession and a forced kiss,” Zhou Yi said, watching Xie An’yu’s retreating figure. “Look at those dark circles under Xiao Xie’s eyes…”
“Have you ever seen anyone force a kiss that only grazes the corner of the mouth? Besides, if I forced a kiss on him, it should be his lips that are swollen.”
“I said… when do you plan to end this unrequited love business?” Zhou Yi looked at Yu Feng. “Or are you planning to never tell him?”
“I’ll wait until he accomplishes what he wants to do.”
“Why does it have to be then?”
“Because by that time, even if he doesn’t choose me, I can accept his departure with peace of mind,” Yu Feng said. “Once I’m at peace, I can let go completely.”
Zhou Yi was silent for a moment before asking, “What if he falls for someone else before then?”
“Then I’ll end the unrequited love early and go all out with a confession and a forced kiss.”
Zhou Yi scoffed. “Are you joking, or are you serious?”
“Serious,” Yu Feng said flatly. “I will definitely let him know that I like him, but I want to give him all the choices.”
Zhou Yi laughed. “If you’re giving him all the choices, why talk about forced kisses? You can’t have it both ways; are you a scoundrel or what?”
Yu Feng smiled but didn’t respond.
Whether it would be forced or not was hard to say, but just the thought of Xie An’yu possibly liking someone else in the future made him feel very unhappy. If that really happened, he might indeed do something reckless.
***
“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Shi Wuyang asked Xie An’yu.
Xie An’yu glanced at him.
Shi Wuyang pointed under his own eyes. “A panda might call you kin if it saw you.”
Xie An’yu pressed his right middle finger against his thumb and pinched lightly, not telling the whole truth. “The bed was too small. Uncomfortable to sleep on.”
“It is small,” Shi Wuyang nodded. “I almost fell on the floor when I turned over last night.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Xie An’yu turned and asked Shi Wuyang, “Don’t you feel awkward sharing a room with Professor Zhou?”
Especially one that small.
“I’m used to it,” Shi Wuyang chuckled. “Sharing a room is nothing. He even climbed into my bed last night.”
Xie An’yu thought to himself, Your mental fortitude is truly impressive.
“He’s completely oblivious in that regard,” Shi Wuyang whispered, low enough for only the two of them to hear. “Believe it or not, if I kissed him on the cheek, he’d probably laugh and kiss me back.”
Xie An’yu licked his lips and nodded slowly. “I believe it.”
Shi Wuyang laughed helplessly. “His obliviousness is truly obvious to all.”
***
Zhou Yi, watching from behind as Xie An’yu and Shi Wuyang walked side by side, occasionally leaning in to talk to each other, couldn’t help but wonder. “Why are they getting along so well? Wasn’t Xiao Xie socially awkward just yesterday?”
Yu Feng watched their backs without saying a word.
“Why… do you like Professor Zhou?” Xie An’yu lowered his voice, genuinely curious—was Shi Wuyang gay? Was that why he was naturally drawn to Zhou Yi, a man? Or did he fall for Zhou Yi first, who just happened to be a man?
“He’s funny,” Shi Wuyang said. “Made my sense of humor worse. Being around him feels like it could add years to my life.”
Xie An’yu thought for a moment and couldn’t help but ask, “Professor Shi, are you… gay?”
Shi Wuyang glanced at him and nodded.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did you like other guys before?”
Shi Wuyang smiled faintly: “That’s private information. I’ll keep it confidential.”
Xie An’yu was taken aback and said softly, “Sorry.”
“Why suddenly ask these questions?” Shi Wuyang looked at him. “Do you have someone you like?”
Xie An’yu froze momentarily and didn’t speak.
“A guy?” Shi Wuyang pressed further.
Xie An’yu’s breath hitched, his footsteps halting abruptly.
Shi Wuyang didn’t probe further, simply saying, “Feel free to come chat with me anytime. My door’s always open.”
***
Not long after breakfast, the ship arrived at Shuangye Isle.
The four of them wheeled their luggage off the ship in an orderly line. From the deck, their eyes were greeted by vast stretches of maple forests covering the island. At this season, the maple leaves were still emerald green, presenting a refreshing and pleasing sight from afar.
Stepping onto Shuangye Isle’s soil again, Xie An’yu couldn’t quite describe his feelings. From yesterday until now, his mind had been almost completely occupied by Yu Feng, leaving him no time to think about anything else.
Ding Xiaofei knew approximately when Xie An’yu would arrive on the island and had been waiting at the ticket inspection hall entrance. When Xie An’yu emerged, he was stunned—Ding Xiaofei was surrounded by a group of girls, with Guo Tianyang also among them.
“Holy shit!” Ding Xiaofei cursed loudly from afar, waving his arms wildly at Xie An’yu. “Xiao Dao! Xiao Dao!”
The girls around him turned to look in their direction. Though they remained in place, their barely contained excitement in their eyes was evident—some blushed while whispering to each other, others stealing glances at Xie An’yu.
Zhou Yi looked toward Ding Xiaofei’s direction: “Xiao Xie, here to pick you up? Impressive—you even have a fan club.”
Xie An’yu maintained a stoic expression. “No.”
Ding Xiaofei came sprinting over while the girls didn’t dare follow, continuing their hushed conversations where they stood. Guo Tianyang smiled and waved at Xie An’yu, with Ding Ying standing beside him.
Ding Xiaofei originally wanted to rush over and give Xie An’yu a big bear hug, but with so many people around, he felt too shy. He put on the brakes right in front of him, his face flushed with excitement. “Holy crap! How’d you get so ridiculously handsome now?”
After his time in the city, Xie An’yu had acquired a more stylish air, dressed in trendy clothes. He was already handsome before, but now his looks were even more striking—perfectly aligned with teenage girls’ tastes: a effortlessly cool guy unaware of his own appeal.
Xie An’yu glanced at the huddle of girls and asked Ding Xiaofei in a low voice, “What’s going on?”
Ding Xiaofei scratched his face. “Well, they wanted to come themselves…”
Xie An’yu frowned. “Explain properly.”
“Ah…” Ding Xiaofei confessed with a pained expression. “I just mentioned to Zhang Xiao that you were coming back today, and that big mouth of hers… so, you know, one person told ten, and ten told a hundred…”
When Xie An’yu had left before, no one knew. It wasn’t until over half a month later that girls from his former school who’d had crushes on him learned he’d left the island for the big city—possibly never to return.
Now that he was back, of course they all came to see.
Thanks to Ding Xiaofei’s big mouth, Xie An’yu got to experience the feeling of being greeted by a ‘fan club’.
If asked about his current feelings, Xie An’yu would undoubtedly say he wished the ground would swallow him whole.
Zhou Yi found this highly amusing, asking Ding Xiaofei, “These girls—they all have crushes on Xiao Xie?”
Ding Xiaofei peeked at Xie An’yu, then covered his mouth as he leaned toward Zhou Yi and whispered, “Yes.”
Zhou Yi burst out laughing, his ears turning red. He glanced at Yu Feng and pretended to be nonchalant as he joked, “Xiao Xie must be the island’s heartthrob, right?”
Yu Feng shot him an impassive look. To say he wasn’t annoyed would be a lie.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 51″]
迅雷不及掩耳 (xùn léi bù jí yǎn ěr): lit. a sudden peal of thunder leaves no time for covering the ears; as sudden as lightning; extremely sudden and swift; like a bolt from the blue; too fast to cover one’s ears; sudden and unexpected; with lightning speed; taking by surprise. Its core meaning is to describe the rapid development of events that catches one off guard. From The Six Strategies: 智者從之而不釋，巧者一决而不猶豫。是以疾雷不及掩耳，迅電不及瞑目。赴之若驚，用之若狂，當之者破，近之者亡，孰能禦之？, The wise take and never lose the advantage, and the skilful are decisive without any hesitation. In this way, the army is swift as a sudden clap of thunder or a flash of lightning. They advance like a startled horse, and fight as if deranged. Those who are in their way shall be destroyed, and those who approach them will be defeated. Who can withstand such an attack!踏踏實實 (tā tā shí shí): steady; steadfast; in a thoroughgoing manner; in a down-to-earth way; on a firm footing. Its core meaning being ‘very practical, not at all impetuous’.
有目共睹 (yǒu mù gòng dǔ): anyone with eyes can see it (idiom); obvious to all; sth speaks for itself; is there for all to see; be perfectly obvious; be as clear as day; be clear for all to see; be plain for all to see; be there for all to see; be evident to the naked eye; be a universally recognized; visible to all, extremely obvious.
自然而然 (zì rán ér rán): naturally (so); automatically; involuntary; spontaneously; of oneself; to develop naturally, as it must be. It refers to something that happens naturally without human intervention.
延年益壽 (yán nián yì shòu): (of tonics, etc.) to prolong life; to promise longevity; to make life longer; (this product will) extend your life; increase lifespan; promote longevity; live longer; to increase age or prolong life. First attested in Song Yu‘s Rhapsody on the Gaotang Shrine: 九竅通鬱，精神察滯，延年益壽千萬歲。 From: 3rd century BCE, 宋玉,《高唐賦》, translated by David R. Knechtges. Your nine apertures will be unclogged, and your vital spirit will be unblocked. You shall extend your years, increase your fated span by a thousand, even ten thousand years!
交頭接耳 (jiāo tóu jiē ěr): to speak in each other’s ears; to whisper to each other; to whisper to one another’s ear; talk in whispers; exchange confidential whispers; huddle together and talk secretly; describes two people talking in a low voice.
竊竊私語 (qiè qiè sī yǔ): to talk in whispers; talk in a low voice; refers to talking quietly behind someone’s back. It also describes two people whispering to each other in a close relationship.
一傳十，十傳百 (yī chuán shí , shí chuán bǎi): lit. one person spreads it to ten, ten people spread it to a hundred; news pass quickly from mouth to mouth (idiom); an infectious disease spreads quickly (old meaning). Originally referred to the spread of disease, and later evolved into a Chinese idiom to describe the geometrically rapid spread of words or news.
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