TL: Hua
It seemed that it made no difference to Xia Shu’an whether he was being pursued or not. Shen Boyan had always been watching him from a distance, neither too close nor too far, not trying to restrain him. If he had this realization before, maybe Xia Shu’an would sit down with him and have a good chat, and they could drink tea and talk about each other’s hobbies.
But of course, there are some changes. For example, on a weekend morning, someone rang the doorbell of Xia Shu’an’s house with breakfast.
“Good morning.”
The tall man had a gentle smile and looked like a modest gentleman. He raised the plate in his hand.
“Want some breakfast?”
“Yes.”
It has to be said that Shen Boyan is very talented in cooking. Xia Shu’an has been attending the cooking training class for a month, but not only have his skills improved, he hasn’t even figured out the order of oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. He held a plump little white bun in his hand, his eyes showing deep thought.
“Did you do this yourself?”
“Auntie made it and froze it for me to bring back.”
Xia Shu’an: That makes sense.
Shen Boyan: “But I made the fried eggs, sausages, and toast myself.”
Xia Shu’an: “…”
It’s no big deal.
After breakfast, Xia Shu’an lazily leaned on the sofa and played the Candy Crush game. Shen Boyan looked at him from behind and said:
“What do you plan to do today?”
“I’m going to see a show with Wenzhi today.”
“Well, have fun then.” The man closed the door lightly.
Xia Shu’an had a very fulfilling weekend. He went to see a drama performance and attended a friend’s birthday party. He went to his parents home on Sunday and didn’t come back until the evening.
The next day at work, he was engrossed in his work when a research project achieved interim results. In the afternoon, the group had a meeting, and everyone was in high spirits, having dinner and chatting until 8 pm.
Coming out of the conference room, Xia Shu’an packed up slowly and prepared to go back. Before leaving, he took out his mobile phone. The moment the screen lit up, he suddenly remembered that he had an appointment with Shen Boyan for dinner tonight. Although the Xia family doesn’t have to worry about food and clothing now, it’s still not as abundant as before. Consumption is limited, and they no longer visit some high-end places.
The chef of the restaurant that Shen Boyan booked is said to be the gold medalist of the International Cooking Competition. He has first-class skills and has won the stomachs of most of the upper-class people in Rongchuan as soon as it opened. Xia Shu’an was also itching to go, so when Shen Boyan invited him, he agreed without hesitation.
They made an appointment at 6:30, and it was probably past dinner time if they rushed there now.
Xia Shu’an stared at the time displayed on the screen and thought, this is really not him torturing Shen Boyan on purpose, it’s just a coincidence.
He found Shen Boyan’s phone number and called him, and the call was quickly connected.
The man’s voice still sounded very steady:
“Hello.”
“Hey, sorry, the group meeting is in progress. I’ve already eaten here. Have you eaten yet?”
“I ate something to fill my stomach.”
“Oh, you should have called me.”
“I’m afraid to disturb you.”
Speaking so pitifully, isn’t it just to seek his sympathy?
“Then order something else to eat. It’s too late. I won’t go over.”
“Okay.”
The man hung up the phone at the window seat, summoned the waiter, and said to the flowers, candles, and appetizers on the table:
“Remove them all, and give me a bowl of noodles.”
“Uh, very well. It will be ready soon.”
Shen Boyan wiped his hands with a wet wipe, threw them on the table, and then opened his iPad expressionlessly to deal with emails.
The next weekend, Xia Shu’an and Shen Boyan went to play billiards. Although Shen Boyan did a lot of excessive things to Xia Shu’an on the billiard table, billiards was innocent and quite fun.
They played for half an afternoon, then went for a massage. In the evening, Xia Shu’an didn’t want to eat out, so they went back home, and Shen Boyan made dinner.
Xia Shu’an leaned against the kitchen door and said, “Do you need my help?”
“Why don’t you wash the vegetables?”
Xia Shu’an went forward to wash the vegetables. He washed them very seriously, and his concentration made people think he was dealing with some difficult and complicated problems. Shen Boyan tilted his head to look at him quietly, and a warm light gradually appeared in his eyes.
After dinner, the two worked together to clean the table. Shen Boyan hesitated and said softly:
“Can I stay for a while?”
“It’s not convenient.” Xia Shu’an said tactfully:
“Today, my tolerance for you has almost reached the limit. I will be unhappy if you stay any longer.”
Shen Boyan nodded in understanding, walked to the entrance, nodded to Xia Shu’an, opened the door, and walked out.
Time flies, and it’s May Day. This May Day is Xia Shu’an’s first May Day after he was free. He decided to take a family trip. On the 30th, they took a plane to leave Rongchuan and didn’t come back until the 4th.
After arriving home, he met Shen Boyan in the corridor.
Shen Boyan: “You’re back.”
“Yeah.”
In June, Xia Shu’an finally graduated from the cooking training class. Xia Shu’an was very uneasy with the graduation certificate and decided not to say that he graduated from here in the future so as not to discredit his boss.
However, Xia Shu’an still cooked a meal for his parents. Xia’s parents were very happy. Mother Xia:
“It’s delicious, but don’t cook next time.”
Xia Shu’an: Got it.
In August, summer came. Xia Shu’an had a bad physique and couldn’t tolerate cold or heat. He just wants to hide at home under the air conditioner in summer, and this year was no exception. He didn’t go out, so Shen Boyan came to his house more often.
When he was bored, he really wanted someone to accompany him. Whether it was playing games or watching movies, Shen Boyan’s time at Xia Shu’an’s house increased in an upward curve, and soon he could spend half a day with Xia Shu’an. However, after the summer, the time Shen Boyan could appear in Xia Shu’an’s field of vision fell again, just like the time the sun appeared in the sky in winter and summer.
October.
It was another long holiday. Shen Boyan did not have the luxury of ever expecting that Xia Shu’an would set aside time to travel with him. In fact, he had already decided to spend all seven days of the national holiday at work, perhaps taking a day off.
Xia Shu’an did not disappoint his expectations. He spent the first four days with his parents, the next two days with his friends, and the last day at home enjoying the freedom of one person.
In the seven days, only the time for finishing dinner at night was allocated to Shen Boyan, and that was the meal he made.
The weather turned cold in November. One night, Xia Shu’an hurried home and threw his coat on the sofa in annoyance.
“It’s so annoying. If they don’t understand, then don’t pretend to understand. Can’t they just listen to us professionals?”
Even Xia Shu’an would walk around the room in annoyance when he met the talkative client who would give orders without knowing anything.
“If I had money, I would have done this project myself…” He exasperatedly and even viciously read out the names of a few of the people in charge.
“Yeah.” Shen Boyan walked towards him while listening to his complaints:
“Lift your feet.”
Xia Shu’an lowered his head. When he first came in, he threw his shoes and socks aside. Now he was barefoot in cotton slippers.
Shen Boyan knelt in front of him and said, “Put on socks. Your feet will be cold again at night.”
Xia Shu’an wanted to shout that he was very irritable now and didn’t need socks at all, but when he remembered that he had to soak his feet every night after winter, the words stuck in his throat and paused, and he obediently stretched out his feet and slipped them into the man’s propped-up socks.
Shen Boyan looked calm and didn’t think his current behavior was humble at all.
Xia Shu’an sometimes felt that what Shen Boyan did was meaningless. He was not nice to Shen Boyan. In the summer, he asked him to go out to buy ice cream, but he turned off the sound of his phone during his nap. When he came back, he saw that the ice cream had melted and didn’t want to eat it.
When Shen Boyan asked him what he wanted to eat, he deliberately chose difficult dishes so that Shen Boyan had to take time out of his busy schedule to learn how to cook. For a while, he even saw the burns on Shen Boyan’s hands.
He always ignored Shen Boyan, intentionally or unintentionally. He rarely replies to Shen Boyan’s messages. He replied depending on his mood, and sometimes he would maliciously want to make him feel uncomfortable. When Shen Boyan asked him if he wanted to have dinner together, he replied, “No, I don’t want to see you today,” and then, as expected, he saw Shen Boyan’s face with a gloomy look the next morning.
After waking up and hearing about the past grievances between the person who crashed his car and the Xia family, he thought he had already settled his love-hate relationship with Shen Boyan.
Shen Boyan had tortured him and tormented him, but he helped his family pay off the debt and cleared the grievances of the Xia family. Just based on these two things, Xia Shu’an had enough reasons to reconcile with him.
But the reality did not seem as good as he imagined, and he was less tolerant than he thought. He couldn’t help wanting to torture Shen Boyan, even in the most boring and stupid way. The pleasure eroded his heart, making him constantly see how petty and narrow-minded he was.
He didn’t want to pretend to be generous and didn’t want to pretend to let go. He just hated Shen Boyan. He hated Shen Boyan for daring to find him after all that he had experienced. If he couldn’t vent this hatred on Shen Boyan, he would suffer forever.
Who made him an ordinary person who loved to hold grudges?
“Shen Boyan.” He looked at the man who put on the second sock for him and whispered:
“Will you regret it? Regret doing such a humble thing for me today?”
“No.”
Shen Boyan raised his head and said gently:
“I have a feeling that I will love you forever in this life.”
——
Xia Shu’an was the first to lose to this standoff and let Shen Boyan into his bed.
Winter is really too cold. Apart from anything else, Shen Boyan’s body is really hot, and he has a strong sense of being a heater, always keeping his feet warm and cozy.
Xia Shu’an surrendered to winter and invited Shen Boyan to sleep in the same bed with him.
Shen Boyan: Happiness came so suddenly?
Extra points to the winter season.
But happiness is not complete happiness. Xia Shu’an has little desire. He was afraid of being tormented by Shen Boyan in those five years. When he occasionally needed that, he would do it himself. He had enough food and clothing. When he huddled in Shen Boyan’s arms in his pure cotton underwear, he had no desire at all. When he stretched out his cold hands and pressed against the man’s back through his clothes, he just treated him as a human hot water bottle.
It was a pity for Shen Boyan. The young man in his arms exuded a faint pomegranate fragrance after bathing, with a hint of sweetness and a hint of bitterness. It was the familiar smell to Shen Boyan in the past five years. His body was so stiff that he dared not move, and he didn’t even know where to put his hands.
Xia Shu’an yawned sleepily and sighed comfortably.
“So warm.”
The man smiled bitterly and hugged him tighter.
Time passed little by little. The moonlight outside the window changed from light to dark and was covered by clouds. Gradually, a ray of white light passed through the gap in the curtains and projected on the face of the young man who was sleeping soundly on the bed.
The narrow eyelashes trembled slightly, and the breathing was steady.
In the night, Shen Boyan opened his eyes.
Xia Shu’an was still wary of him. Except in bed (?), he almost never let him touch him. Only in the dead of night could he reach out and carefully stroke the young man’s soft hair.
“Xia Shu’an”
Xia Shu’an, this time, I will try to love you in the right way.
——
After the Chinese New Year, Xia Shu’an was 32 years old. At the age of 30, he should have become mature, but the fact was just the opposite. Perhaps it was the escape from death that changed his state of mind. Not only did he not become mature, but he became more childish, and his representative behavior was that he became more and more spoiled in front of his parents.
“Dad, Mom, my colleagues all went skiing, and I heard that he went to the Arctic this year. Only I went to the southern island.”
He lay on the sofa in a bad mood.
Father Xia glanced at him: “What are you talking about? It’s all for your sake. Do you think your parents don’t want to go skiing? Your mom’s friends who dance in the square together are talking about going skiing in the Northeast during the New Year.”
Xia Shu’an: “Do you blame me?”
“What else?”
“Then where can we go skiing some other time?”
Father Xia: “I don’t have time.” He is a boss with his own business now.
“….”
Because his friends had all gone to the snowy mountain to play, Xia Shu’an turned to find Shen Boyan.
That night, Shen Boyan was cooking in the kitchen (as a big boss, can he really come and cook for him on time three days a week?). The man walking back and forth in the living room suddenly spoke up:
“Do you have time recently?”
“What?”
“I want to go skiing; do you have time to go with me?”
Shen Boyan paused while stirring the sauce, and the next moment he was ecstatic.
“Yes! I have time.”
“Oh, then let’s go this month. Tell me when you’re free. I can take a leave anytime.”
Shen Boyan soon found time. After returning that night, he quickly asked his assistant to clear his weekend time and then replied to Xia Shu’an that he would be free next week.
Xia Shu’an: So soon?
The location was chosen by Xia Shu’an, in a snowy mountain in Switzerland. Although the most popular holiday season for Chinese people has passed, there are still many people in the ski resorts. Because the preparation time was very short, Xia Shu’an gave the schedule to Shen Boyan’s assistant.
They flew to Switzerland on Friday night and arrived at the destination at 6am Swiss time. The hotel was on a snowy mountain. After checking in, they first had breakfast and then went straight to the ski resort. Although Xia Shu’an is afraid of coldness, he comes from a background where everyone should know, while Shen Boyan looks clumsy.
“Don’t you know how to ski?”
“No.” The man, wearing thick ski gear, said calmly:
“Business talks don’t take place at ski resorts.”
So you learned golf, billiards, tennis, and other skills specifically for work?
It’s not easy to make money these days.
They went skiing, took the cable car, soaked in hot springs, and went to the town below to visit the night market. On the last day, the two of them finally took the time to enjoy the scenery near the hotel. For the sense of ritual, they went out on foot and naturally came back on foot.
But Xia Shu’an was so sleepy after walking for an hour, and because he had too much fun in the past two days, he was listless and yawned with his head tilted. Shen Boyan looked helpless and suddenly stopped beside a big rock on the side of the road.
He bent his knees and squatted on the ground, saying:
“Come up.”
Xia Shu’an looked at him in surprise: “Are you going to carry me? I’m very heavy.” He’s an adult man with a height of 1.8 meters.
Shen Boyan sighed. It’s not like he hasn’t carried someone before. And at his current walking speed, how long will it take to get back to the hotel?
“Come on.”
Xia Shu’an was silent for a moment but still walked to the stone and lay down on his back.
Shen Boyan carried him skillfully and walked towards the hotel step by step on the stone steps.
Xia Shu’an leaned on his shoulder with his face sideways. This swaying posture made him sleepier. His eyes were full of water, and he opened his mouth. After a while, he said:
“Heavy?”
“No.”
“Why do you like me, Shen Boyan? I’m nothing special.”
“…”
Shen Boyan didn’t answer. The road was very quiet. The snow covered the entire mountain range, and even the calls of animals were rarely heard. It’s unknown how long they took; it should be less than half an hour. Behind a bare tree branch, the hotel, like a pearl and a star, suddenly appeared in front of the two.
The two quickly returned to the hotel, washed their cold and dry bodies with warm water, and then nestled in the warm room for dinner.
Xia Shu’an complained, “What’s wrong with your assistant? If it takes so long to walk from the hotel to the scenic spot, he should have marked it in advance and told us.”
Shen Boyan sighed inwardly and decided to defend his assistant a little:
“I made the travel guide.”
“Is that so?”
“No wonder.”
“….”
Soon after returning from Switzerland, the weather turned warmer. Xia Shu’an’s quilt was changed, and Shen Boyan was no longer needed. Shen Boyan lost his favor and returned to the time when he had to go home after cooking for Xia Shu’an at night.
Shen Boyan’s career has also reached a higher level, and his work has become busier. In order to go home on time to cook as much as possible, he can only keep compressing other times, but even so, he can only go back once or twice a week this month.
Shen Boyan lost the opportunity to see Xia Shu’an, and Xia Shu’an lost someone to cook dinner, and they all suffered heavy losses.
It was Friday, and Shen Boyan finished his work ahead of schedule. When he got off work, he breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his keys, and went home. He went to the supermarket first and returned home with a lot of bags in his hands.
Normally, Xia Shu’an would be home around 6:15, but that day, Shen Boyan waited until 6:40, and Xia Shu’an still didn’t show up. Finally, he called him.
“Hello? Shen Boyan?”
Shen Boyan heard the noisy background behind the young man, as well as the voices of men and women talking.
“Where are you?”
“Ah, I’m out for dinner with my colleagues today. Is there anything?”
“No.” The man said calmly:
“Just asking if you’ve eaten.”
“I’m eating now.”
“Okay, that’s fine.”
After hanging up the phone, Shen Boyan stood up from the sofa, packed up the vegetables and meat prepared in the kitchen and threw them into the refrigerator, then took out a sausage and a steak and slowly started a fire.
In June, Shen Boyan had the key to Xia Shu’an’s house.
The reason was that Xia Shu’an brought back a pot of flowers from the school laboratory, but he had to go on a business trip for two weeks because of a project, so he decided to ask Shen Boyan to take care of his flowers and his house.
Shen Boyan followed the notes left by Xia Shu’an and watered the flowers on time every day. He took the flowerpot to the balcony in the morning and brought it back in the evening. As a result, it rained heavily one afternoon, and two days later, the flower pot completely withered.
Shen Boyan: “…”
He stared at the flowerpot, his face full of confusion. After a while, he tried to take a photo of the flower at a 36-degree angle and then sent it to several of his assistants overnight (heavy note on several assistants, not one) and asked them to help find a pot of the same flower.
There is a law that there are no two identical leaves in the world. Of course, there are no two pots of identical flowers. After getting the flowers of the same variety, Shen Boyan tried to trim them by comparing the photos. He even thought that if Xia Shu’an asked, he could say that the flower grew naturally during his absence and became what it is now.
A girl changes eighteen times before reaching womanhood. It’s not unusual for a pot of flowers that has only two or three seasons from bud to wilt to change in a week or so, right?
On the day Xia Shu’an came back, Shen Boyan suggested picking him up, but Xia Shu’an took the school bus back to school and then took the subway home. As soon as he got home, he ran into the house excitedly to see his flowers.
Shen Boyan’s heartbeat accelerated, and his chest was pounding. He relied on his many years of business experience to maintain his calm face.
Xia Shu’an’s face was full of joy at first, and then a trace of suspicion appeared on his eyebrows, and his expression was thoughtful. Gradually, the smile on his face faded. Finally, he straightened up and turned his head to look at Shen Boyan standing nearby:
“You replaced my flowers.”
Shen Boyan: “…”
Xia Shu’an said with a firm tone, “You killed my flowers and secretly replaced them with another one to try to pass them off as real.”
“Shen Boyan, you have no morals.”
Shen Boyan was speechless.
The ending of the flower replacement incident was that Xia Shu’an confiscated Shen Boyan’s keys.
“Don’t come to my house anymore.” He said, “I don’t want to live in the same room with a liar.”
After he finished speaking, he took the key from Shen Boyan’s hand and closed the door.
“…”
Shen Boyan stood outside the door for a while, then slowly walked back to his home. He stood on the balcony and picked up a pack of cigarettes from the cabinet next to him.
He took out a cigarette, hesitated a little, and put the cigarette back.
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