Yu Feng’s words made Xie An’yu’s thoughts drift a bit off track.
Xie An’yu didn’t continue the topic. Whose scent was it? That wasn’t something he could ask—it was private.
Yu Feng asked Xie An’yu, “So, you’re a little bear by day and a fierce ghost by night now?”
Xie An’yu was confused for a moment before realizing Yu Feng was referring to him dressing as a mascot during the day and a ghost at night. He was amused and nodded with a smile.
“Doesn’t it tire you out, working nonstop all day?”
“It’s alright.” Xie An’yu wiped his damp temple with a face towel. “I get plenty of breaks during the day. Once the flyers are handed out, I can rest.”
He looked at Yu Feng, then smiled and added, “I’m not always a little bear, though. Sometimes I’m a puppy.”
“Can’t seem to escape the puppy theme, huh?”
Xie An’yu smiled without responding.
Yu Feng noticed that Xie An’yu was a bit slow to warm up, but once he spent more time with someone, he became less reserved and even quite cheerful.
After some thought, Yu Feng decided to ask Xie An’yu directly, “Are you in urgent need of money?”
Xie An’yu gave a quiet ‘Mm’. “I have debts to pay.”
“A lot?”
“It’s alright, not an overwhelming amount.”
Yu Feng nodded and didn’t ask further.
***
As Yu Feng had mentioned, he sometimes traveled for work. Sure enough, a couple of days later, Yu Feng left on a trip—Xie An’yu didn’t know where he went.
For several days, Xie An’yu was alone in the house. One day, Xie An’yu had a rare night off and was home early. The doorbell rang. Thinking it might be Yu Feng returning, he went to answer it before realizing that if it were Yu Feng, he would have just unlock the door and come in instead of ringing the doorbell.
Xie An’yu peeked through the peephole and saw a beautifully dressed woman with voluminous wavy hair standing outside, accompanied by a man.
Xie An’yu opened the door. He noticed the woman’s expression clearly faltered in surprise upon seeing him.
Irene seemed a bit puzzled. She subtly assessed Xie An’yu, then suddenly smiled. She didn’t ask Xie An’yu who he was, only inquiring, “Is Yu Feng not here?”
Xie An’yu nodded, taking in the impeccably made-up woman before him. He couldn’t help recalling Yu Feng’s words from that day—
“That’s not my scent.”
Xie An’yu had already let his imagination run wild back then, and now it felt like his assumptions were being confirmed, making him instantly a little reserved.
“He’s on a business trip,” Xie An’yu said.
“He hasn’t returned yet?”
“No.”
“I came to drop something off for him.” Irene instructed the assistant beside her, “Bring it in.”
The assistant picked up a box at his feet, and Xie An’yu stepped aside to let him pass. The assistant, holding the box, turned to Irene and asked, “Chief, where should I put this?”
“Just leave it in the living room.”
Irene looked at Xie An’yu, who seemed completely out of the loop, her expression a mix of amusement and something unreadable. “The owner’s not home, and you just let us in like that?”
Xie An’yu’s expression stiffened. He kept his face taut and remained silent. He was already prone to social anxiety with strangers, and he also suspected this person might be Yu Feng’s girlfriend, so he didn’t dare speak rashly.
Noticing his guarded demeanor, Irene smirked and pulled out a cigarette from her pocket, saying nothing more.
The assistant quickly returned after setting down the box, and Irene turned to leave without another word. Xie An’yu silently watched them go.
***
Irene placed the cigarette between her lips and stepped into the elevator with her assistant. After exiting the elevator, she lit the cigarette and called Yu Feng.
It was her third attempt—this time, he finally answered.
“Why weren’t you picking up?” Irene asked, taking a drag from her cigarette.
“I was busy earlier.”
“You’re not back yet? Didn’t you return to the country yesterday?”
“I did. I’m in Haizhou now; there’s an exhibition here.”
“I brought back that lens you liked; it’s in your living room. Remember to pay me.”
Yu Feng paused, surprised. “You went to my place?”
Irene exhaled smoke and smiled as she settled into the car’s backseat: “Just got off the plane and dropped it off on my way. Thought you’d be home, but you weren’t answering your phone.”
From Irene’s rising intonation, Yu Feng knew she must have seen Xie An’yu.
The assistant handed her an ashtray. Irene tapped her cigarette ash into it and asked Yu Feng, “That guy at your place—your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“A tenant.”
Irene chuckled softly, rolling down the window, and exhaled a puff of smoke outside. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“It’s not.”
“Alright then.” Irene dropped it. “Your tenant’s got quite the personality.”
“You teased him, didn’t you?” Yu Feng understood immediately. “He doesn’t take well to teasing.”
Irene brought the cigarette to her lips with two fingers, smiling: “Why do my teeth feel sore all of a sudden?”
“Make an appointment with a dentist this weekend.”
Irene’s smile widened. “Gotta go.”
***
Yu Feng didn’t return to Beicheng until two days later. He arrived home at noon, but Xie An’yu wasn’t there. That evening, Zhou Yi invited him for barbecue. Since Zhou Yi’s car was restricted that day, Yu Feng went to pick him up from campus, and they drove together to the barbecue restaurant.
On the way, Yu Feng called Xie An’yu.
“Hello, Brother Yu?”
“Want to come for barbecue with me tonight? With a friend of mine.”
“You’re back?”
“Mm.”
Yu Feng was using a Bluetooth earpieces. Zhou Yi didn’t know who he was talking to and turned to look at him.
“Coming? I’ll pick you up if you are.”
“I won’t go, Brother.”
It was an expected answer. With Xie An’yu’s personality, it was unlikely he’d eat with someone he wasn’t familiar with, but Yu Feng still wanted to ask, just in case the kid liked barbecue.
“Mm, alright.”
After Yu Feng hung up the phone, Zhou Yi asked: “Who was that?”
“A friend.” Yu Feng didn’t elaborate who the other party was.
“That’s rare. Didn’t know you had other friends besides me who you can call out to eat with.”
“That’s how bad my social life is in your eyes?”
Zhou Yi laughed: “Don’t twist my words—that’s not what I meant. So? Is that person coming?”
“No,” Yu Feng said. “Shy around strangers.”
“Sounds like you.”
***
After their barbecue, Yu Feng and Zhou Yi headed back. Knowing Yu Feng had brought back premium tea from his business trip, Zhou Yi wanted to try some at his place to cut through the grease.
Xie An’yu wasn’t home, and Zhou Yi didn’t notice the extra pair of slippers tucked in the shoe rack’s corner. The apartment showed no obvious changes from before Xie An’yu’s arrival—except that it was cleaner, to an almost exaggerated degree.
Yu Feng went to the kitchen fridge for the tea. When he opened the refrigerator, he paused slightly. The fridge now held yogurt, vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk, and various sauces and seasonings, all neatly organized in designated sections.
No need to guess—this was all Xie An’yu’s doing.
Yu Feng retrieved the tea leaves. By the time he finished brewing, Zhou Yi had already set up the chessboard from under the living room coffee table.
“Let’s play.” Zhou Yi said.
Yu Feng carried the tea over and placed it on the coffee table. The sofa was already occupied by Zhou Yi, so Yu Feng pulled up a small stool and sat opposite him. “Last time you came, I also ended up on the stool. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Zhou Yi sat comfortably, smiling as he said, “Teacher Yu, you should always play the gracious host.”
***
Xie An’yu arrived home a little after eight. Someone had swapped shifts with him today, so he didn’t have to work as an NPC in the evening. After dinner, he went for a night run.
When Xie An’yu entered the house, he noticed the living room lights were on. Walking further in, he saw two people sitting in the living room, playing chess. Yu Feng was perched on a tiny wooden stool, his long legs spread and slightly bent in a posture that looked a bit uncomfortable.
Yu Feng glanced up, his gaze landing on Xie An’yu.
Fresh from his run, Xie An’yu was drenched in sweat, his forehead damp. He wore a light-colored T-shirt with a noticeable ring of sweat around the collar. His skin was a healthy tan, and without sleeves to cover them, the faint outlines of muscle on his upper arms were visible.
Zhou Yi also turned his head, his expression freezing momentarily as his eyes widened slightly.
Xie An’yu stood silently, equally stunned.
“Why are you sweating so much?” Yu Feng broke the silence.
Xie An’yu coughed, his voice still slightly hoarse. “I went for a run.”
“Did you have dinner?” Yu Feng asked again.
Xie An’yu nodded.
Yu Feng introduced him, “This is my friend, Zhou Yi.”
Xie An’yu gave a stiff nod and greeted politely, “Hello.”
Zhou Yi looked from Xie An’yu to Yu Feng, who remained completely calm and unbothered. Zhou Yi couldn’t quite grasp the situation, so he didn’t dare to say much, returning a gentle smile.
“Hello.”
After the brief exchange, Xie An’yu retreated to his room without another word. Had it just been Yu Feng, he might have lingered to chat, but with others present, he wasn’t in the mood.
***
Yu Feng continued to move his chess piece. Zhou Yi blocked the chessboard, staring at him. “Care to explain first? What just happened? I couldn’t have gotten drunk on tea, could I?”
“Let’s finish this game first.”
Zhou Yi withdrew his hand and nodded. “Fine.”
They played through the match patiently, and in the end, Yu Feng won.
Zhou Yi set the chessboard aside and got to the point. “Why is he here? I didn’t see wrong, did I? That’s ‘Xiao Dao’, right?”
“It’s him,” Yu Feng said, standing to stretch. He’d been sitting with his legs bent for almost an hour, and his legs were numb.
Yu Feng lit a cigarette and walked to the balcony, opening the window to smoke.
“He had nowhere to stay, so I let him live here,” Yu Feng explained simply.
“Could you add some more details?” Zhou Yi sounded a bit exasperated as he followed him. “This is too abrupt. Last I knew, you were chatting online. How did he suddenly end up in your house?”
Yu Feng took a drag, gazing outside. “It just happened naturally. No special story, nothing worth elaborating on. He had no place to live, I offered him one, and he pays me rent.”
“Why didn’t he have a place to live? Is he not from around here?”
“No.”
“What about his family? They don’t care?”
“Both parents passed away.”
Zhou Yi paused. “…I remember he’s only eighteen, right? So he’s… not going to school anymore?”
Yu Feng hummed in affirmation.
Zhou Yi took a deep breath, his emotions suddenly complicated.
“I’ve run into him several times,” Yu Feng said as he walked to the living room, picking up an ashtray from the coffee table and placing it on the windowsill. “So I brought him back.”
Zhou Yi pondered for a moment before speaking. “Even if you want to help him, you could just help him rent a place outside. He’d have to pay rent either way—there’s no need to bring him into your home. Let me be blunt—what if he’s a scammer? You’re way too trusting.”
“In a place like Beicheng, how much money would he need to rent a decent, livable place outside?”
“So how much rent are you charging him?”
“500.”
Zhou Yi choked for a moment, then gave Yu Feng a thumbs-up. “You truly are a great philanthropist. Why don’t you rent to me instead? I’d like to move in too.”
Yu Feng laughed and told him to ‘get lost’.
“Leaving aside whether that Xiao Dao is a scammer or not, this just doesn’t seem like something you’d normally do.”
Yu Feng shot Zhou Yi a look. “Don’t throw around the word ‘scammer’ when you don’t know the situation.”
“Alright, alright, my bad. I spoke out of turn.”
Yu Feng was sharp—it was unlikely he’d fall for a scam. What kind of scammer could trick him?
“By the way,” Zhou Yi remembered something, “does he know you chatted with him online?”
Yu Feng shook his head.
“What’s your plan? You haven’t told him?”
“He probably only used that mini-program to earn money.”
Yu Feng didn’t elaborate further, but Zhou Yi understood what he meant.
If Xiao Dao was only using that mini-program to earn money, that meant he was straight. Would a straight guy be comfortable living under the same roof as a gay man? That was hard to say.
Even if Yu Feng was completely open, there was no guarantee the other person wouldn’t have prejudices.
The less trouble, the better—that was Yu Feng’s decision, and Zhou Yi had nothing more to say about it.
Yu Feng stretched his arm out the window, resting it on the sill, then suddenly called out, “Professor Zhou.”
“What?” Zhou Yi eyed him sideways. “Being so polite all of a sudden—this can’t be good.”
“Can you help me find a relatively easy job? Something with no technical or educational requirements, preferably stable.”
Zhou Yi jerked his chin toward Xie An’yu’s room. “For him?”
Yu Feng nodded.
“Quite a lot of requirements,” Zhou Yi said, turning to lean against the balcony railing. He glanced at Yu Feng. “Why are you helping him so much? Aren’t you a little too invested in him?”
Yu Feng remained silent for a long moment.
“Hm?” Zhou Yi studied his profile.
The night was deep, and Yu Feng’s exposed arm felt the chill. He took a drag from his cigarette, gazing at the brightly lit buildings outside. “When I see him, it’s like this lifeless existence of mine doesn’t seem so unbearable anymore.”
Yu Feng turned to look at Zhou Yi, rephrasing it more elegantly. “You know that feeling? Just having him around, watching him—it makes the world feel a little brighter. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it?”
In that instant, Zhou Yi understood Yu Feng completely—why he was acting so out of character, why he cared so much about a stranger he’d barely met.
The truth was, Yu Feng hadn’t changed at all. He’d always been soft-hearted. The only difference was his motivation now versus then.
“That kid must be really something,” Zhou Yi said with a laugh, teasing. “What am I going to do with you? I’m almost afraid you’ll fall for him.”
Yu Feng bit his cigarette, looked out the window, and smiled: “It’s possible.”
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 26″]
盡地主之誼 (jìn dì zhǔ zhī yì): to act as host; to do the honors; fulfilling the obligations of a local host and entertaining visitors from outside.順其自然 (shùn qí zì rán): to let it be; to let nature take its course; que sera sera; in accordance with its natural tendency; to let things develop naturally according to their original nature.
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