In Love with an Idiot (你却爱着一个他)
Chapter 26
Li Yu picked up the phone and stared at the screen, pressing his lips together.
Jian Suiying watched his expression and guessed, ‘Li Xuan?’
Li Yu glanced at him without denying it.
Jian Suiying sneered. ‘What, frightened now? If you've got the nerve to do something, you've got to own up to it.’
Li Yu met his eyes silently for two seconds, then tossed him the phone.
‘Answer it, then.’
Now it was Jian Suiying's turn to lose his composure. He'd expected Li Yu to panic and reject the call. With the phone in front of him, he could only glare at the boy and reluctantly answer.
Li Xuan's hearty voice sounded from the other end.
‘Suiying! Did you sleep well? I heard you went to the beach yesterday. Was it fun?’
‘Oh, it was all right. Quite lively.’
Li Xuan was about to continue, but Jian Suiying hastily interrupted.
‘Li Xuan, I was just about to ring you.’
‘What's happened?’
‘Terrible timing, really. Something urgent has come up in Beijing, and all my staff are on holiday. I have to go back myself or it won't get sorted.’
‘Oh, that's unfortunate.’
Li Yu folded his arms, watching him invent his story with a cold smile.
Jian Suiying glared furiously at him while speaking to Li Xuan in a voice full of apology.
‘Exactly. Just my luck. I'm actually getting ready to go to the airport. I didn't ring earlier because I didn't want to disturb you at work. I've travelled all this way, put you to trouble and wasted your time. I feel awful about it.’
‘Don't say that,’ Li Xuan reassured him. ‘If something urgent has happened, you must go and deal with it. The land isn't going anywhere. I'll keep it available for you. Come back whenever you've got time, and I'll take you to see it.’
‘Thanks for understanding. Tell you what—I'll leave my younger brother here. Have someone show him the land, and he can report back to me. I'll take your brother to Beijing to help deal with things. How about we swap little brothers? Ha ha!’
Li Xuan laughed too.
‘Fine. Take him with you.’
Li Yu glared at Jian Suiying, who gave him the middle finger.
After hanging up, Jian Suiying considered calling Little Lin. Feeling slightly guilty, he sent a text instead, explaining the arrangements for the land and telling him to give a detailed report when he returned.
Li Yu pulled two garments out of his suitcase and threw them onto the bed.
‘Get dressed. We're leaving.’
Without looking up from his phone, Jian Suiying asked, ‘What did you say to Little Lin last night?’
That reignited Li Yu's hatred.
‘You've got the nerve to ask? Go and explain it to him yourself.’
Jian Suiying snorted.
‘Explain what? That there's absolutely nothing between us and we're completely innocent?’
Li Yu's face alternated between red and white.
Jian Suiying snatched up the trousers and threw them at his face.
‘Are you fucking blind? Do these trousers go with that top? You can't even look after someone properly. What use are you?’
Li Yu felt his blood pressure rising by the second. Jian Suiying seemed never to have learnt how to admit weakness or recognise when he was beaten. He always wore that arrogant *I'm the greatest* expression, even now, naked and helpless after being fucked by another man.
Thinking about it, Li Yu suddenly felt an immense satisfaction. Humiliating him and crushing that arrogance felt better than conquering a mountain or winning a competition.
‘Perhaps no clothes at all would suit you best,’ he said mockingly.
Jian Suiying, who'd wrapped himself tightly in a sheet and lost all his usual flamboyance, bristled.
‘Can't you at least get me some water first?’
All the talking had dried his throat, which burned painfully.
Li Yu paused and looked at his swollen eyes, dishevelled hair and the expression that seemed to say *Come near me and I'll bite you to death*. Suddenly he felt almost helpless.
Jian Suiying no longer looked anything like a powerful company president. He resembled an injured animal backed into a corner, baring its teeth and trying to appear fierce. However exhausted, he'd never surrender to an enemy.
How stubborn was this man, exactly? Losing the upper hand seemed worse than death to him.
Li Yu's shoulders slowly relaxed. He turned, poured a glass of water and approached carefully, meeting Jian Suiying's gaze with as calm an expression as he could manage.
Jian Suiying stared fiercely until the glass reached his lips. Only then did he take a cautious sip, keeping his eyes fixed on Li Yu's face.
Li Yu held his gaze. Eventually, Jian Suiying accepted the glass, gulped down the water, wiped his mouth, and ordered, ‘Another.’
Li Yu poured a second glass. He was finally beginning to understand the workings of Jian Suiying's mind: the man would suffer horribly rather than lose face, and would respond to gentleness far better than to force.
When Jian Suiying finished drinking, Li Yu said, ‘Get dressed. I'll come back for you shortly.’ He closed the door quietly behind him.
Jian Suiying sighed, forced himself into his clothes despite the pain everywhere and sat on the bed hissing for some time.
When Li Yu returned, Jian Suiying struggled to his feet and pointed at the suitcase rudely.
Li Yu had been handling his trivial affairs for some time already. At this point, there was little left he couldn't tolerate. He packed the case and handed Jian Suiying a hat and a pair of sunglasses.
‘Wear these.’
Jian Suiying fiddled with them as he walked towards the door. Passing the bathroom, he caught sight of himself in the mirror.
The sight nearly frightened the soul out of him. He'd finally convinced himself, from a tactical point of view, that now wasn't the time to settle scores with Li Yu. That was the only reason he'd managed to suppress his enormous fury. But seeing his face swollen like Zhu Bajie's brought it roaring back.
‘Li Yu, you bastard!’
He lunged and hooked an arm across Li Yu's throat, squeezing hard as he drove his knee against the back of Li Yu's leg. Li Yu was walking ahead carrying the suitcase and was completely unprepared. He struggled for breath, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor.
‘You dare beat my face into this state? Let's see if you're alive to leave this room today!’ Jian Suiying shouted.
Li Yu's face turned an alarming colour as he thrashed and struck at Jian Suiying. Jian Suiying could block only one of his arms with his free hand; the other kept hitting his face and body. Unable to endure the pain, his hold gradually weakened.
Li Yu seized the chance to twist his arm sharply behind his back. Jian Suiying cried out, and Li Yu drove him face-first against the wall.
Leaning close to his ear, Li Yu said coldly, ‘Are you asking to be fucked again? I've told you—leave me alone and we can live in peace. Keep provoking me and I can't promise what I'll do.’
Jian Suiying's bones might as well have been diamonds. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
‘Li Yu, you still expect us to live in peace? Listen carefully. Kill me now if you've got the ability. Otherwise you'll regret everything you've done.’
Li Yu had trained with punching bags and practised boxing since he was tiny. His hands gripped like iron pincers, with astonishing strength. As he tightened his hold, Jian Suiying's face twisted with pain.
Li Yu looked at the short, coarse black hair at the back of Jian Suiying's head. Every strand stood stubbornly upright, exactly like the man himself, unwilling to bend under any circumstances.
Li Yu was also the sort who grew tougher when someone opposed him. He thought angrily that if Jian Suiying had been gentler and humbler from the start, behaving like someone genuinely pursuing another person, perhaps matters would never have become so disastrous. Now it was too late. Jian Suiying was right: they could never live peacefully together.
They remained locked in place for a while. When Li Yu decided he'd calmed down, he released him, opened the door and said, ‘If you still want to fight, we can do it outside. Otherwise, let's go.’
He picked up the suitcase and headed for the stairs.
Looking the way they did, neither could bear to use the lift or cross the lobby. Li Yu had arranged for a driver to wait at the back entrance, which they could reach by taking the stairs.
Their room was on the fourth floor. Normally, the descent would take less than a minute. For Jian Suiying, it was agony.
He could barely straighten his legs and staggered with every step. Violent, forced sex had caused direct physical injury. Even someone experienced would struggle after fighting for his life and then being subjected to an inexperienced but determined assault, let alone Jian Suiying, who'd never endured anything like it.
His lower body hurt terribly, but he refused to let Li Yu see it. Gritting his teeth, he held his back straight and continued downstairs.
Stealing glances at his discomfort and his desperate attempts to conceal it, Li Yu finally felt a twinge of guilt.
After one flight, he couldn't stand it any longer. He put down the case and looked at Jian Suiying.
‘I'll carry you.’
Jian Suiying looked at him as though he were mad and carried on walking.
Li Yu stepped beside him and reached to support him. Jian Suiying struck his hand away and tried to shove him.
Having learnt from experience, Li Yu stepped neatly aside.
Jian Suiying was balanced awkwardly between two steps. With his legs already unsteady, the movement made him lose his balance and tumble downwards.
Li Yu grabbed him just in time, hauling him upright. Jian Suiying was heavy, so Li Yu could only steady him against the wall.
Their faces were suddenly extremely close, almost close enough to feel each other's breath. Li Yu's face began heating again.
Jian Suiying felt humiliated once more and snapped, ‘Where the fuck are you touching? Wasn't one meal enough? Planning to take leftovers home?’
Li Yu immediately released the arm around his waist.
‘I was only trying to help you!’
‘Who asked for your help? I've got legs, haven't I?’
He finally managed to shove Li Yu and continued down the stairs awkwardly.
Li Yu had no choice but to follow with the case, making sure Jian Suiying didn't slip and fall to his death.
The short journey down four flights of stairs took almost ten minutes.
Once outside, they got straight into the car. Jian Suiying let out a long breath. Everything hurt; he hadn't slept enough, and he was too tired even to speak. The moment he sat down, he shut his eyes.
Chapter 27
In Jian Suiying's condition, he couldn't return to Beijing immediately. In fact, with his face looking like that, he didn't even want to leave the room.
Li Yu arranged for him to stay at a seaside hotel. Since Jian Suiying had told Li Xuan he was taking Li Yu back to Beijing, Li Yu couldn't show his face in the area either. He decided to stay at the same hotel.
There were still several days left of the National Day holiday. Jian Suiying intended to wait until his face looked less frightening before returning home.
Once they arrived, he ordered Li Yu to find him a doctor, then sat staring at his mobile.
Usually Little Lin answered his messages almost immediately. Never before had he kept Jian Suiying waiting this long. Had the sight on the beach really shocked him senseless?
Surely not. Was there anyone in the family who didn't know Jian Suiying was gay? He remembered that when Little Lin was that age, he'd once brought a classmate home for sex and Suilin had accidentally walked in. Jian Suiying had even beaten him afterwards. That must have been far more shocking, yet Little Lin had turned out perfectly normal.
Perhaps this time it was because Li Yu was his friend. Maybe that was harder to accept.
After thinking it over, Jian Suiying did feel somewhat guilty. Although he wasn't particularly fond of his brother, he knew he was gay through and through and would never become straight. The Jian family still depended on Little Lin to carry on the family line. Back then, he'd hit his brother because he'd been afraid that a young, impressionable child might imitate him.
He already felt he'd let his ancestors down enough. If he led his younger brother astray too, they might descend from heaven and strike him with lightning. That was why he'd never brought another lover home since, and never let Jian Suilin meet his casual companions. He wanted Little Lin to follow his example in everything except this.
At last, he called him. He needed to give the boy a proper lecture.
The phone rang for ages before Jian Suilin answered wearily.
‘Brother…’
‘What's wrong? Still half asleep?’
‘I had a bit to drink.’
Jian Suiying's mind immediately made a connection.
‘With Li Yu?’
Jian Suilin fell silent.
Jian Suiying snorted.
‘About yesterday…’
‘Brother,’ Jian Suilin interrupted, ‘do you really like Li Yu?’
After what had happened, Jian Suiying couldn't have admitted liking Li Yu even if someone threatened to kill him. He had liked him before, certainly, but there was no way to explain the hatred and grievances between them. He could only answer vaguely.
‘You know what I'm like. This is my own business. Don't start imagining things.’
Jian Suilin suddenly sounded agitated.
‘But Brother, Li Yu doesn't like you.’
The words struck Jian Suiying's sorest point.
‘It's only you kids who go on about liking people or not liking them. I don't… Oh, forget it, you wouldn't understand. Just forget what you saw yesterday. It's not that important.’
After a pause, Jian Suilin asked, ‘Brother, do you mean you're not serious about him either?’
Jian Suiying grew irritated. The mere mention of Li Yu filled him with rage, and now he had to discuss romantic feelings with a clueless brat who knew nothing of the situation.
‘Are you ignoring everything I say? I told you before not to drink when you can't handle it. Look at you after a few drinks, fussing and prattling like an old woman. Since when do you get a say in my affairs?’
Jian Suilin immediately sounded much more alert.
‘Brother, don't be angry. I just think you're not suited to each other. Li Yu, he…’
‘You're still going on!’
Little Lin fell silent at once.
‘Brother, don't be angry. Your voice sounds hoarse. Drink some water…’
Thinking about it, Jian Suiying realised it had been ages since Little Lin had seemed this emotional. He sighed irritably.
‘Look how worked up you've got over something so trivial. Haven't you ever seen people kissing, for fuck's sake?’
Jian Suilin stammered, ‘Brother, don't get angry. You'll make yourself ill.’
Jian Suiying snorted.
‘Did you read the message I sent?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then why didn't you reply?’
‘I was just going to when you called.’
‘Bullshit. Do you take your brother for an idiot?’
Jian Suilin protested miserably, ‘I really was going to. I wouldn't dare ignore your messages.’
‘Fine. Get yourself together, contact Li Xuan and inspect the land properly. Take plenty of photographs and report back when you return.’
‘All right.’
‘That's it. Come back whenever you want.’
‘…Brother, did you really take Li Yu back to Beijing? Are the two of you together now?’
‘Are you ever going to fucking stop?’
Jian Suilin no longer dared speak.
Jian Suiying ended the call, feeling even more irritated.
Why was having a conversation so exhausting? Now even Little Lin knew Li Yu didn't like him. How humiliating. Thinking of the last two days, Jian Suiying couldn't find any description beyond *a complete disgrace*.
*Life is a fucking nightmare.*
Unable to go outside and aching too much to move, he lay half-reclined on the bed and began devising ways to cause trouble.
After a while, he picked up the room phone and started calling reception. First he ordered food, then the best alcohol. Once he'd eaten and drunk his fill, he requested spa treatments and massages. He systematically worked through every expensive service on the five-star hotel's list that he could order immediately.
He knew Li Yu had plenty of pocket money, but he was still only a young man. There was a limit to how much he could have. Jian Suiying was determined that the bill for his stay would come out of Li Yu's pocket.
By the time he'd finished making demands, the sun had set. Bored, he turned his head and fell asleep.
He was only half awake when he sensed someone calling him.
Opening his eyes groggily, he saw Li Yu standing beside the bed.
‘What?’
Li Yu looked annoyed.
‘It's barely evening and you're sleeping like this? The man from Qinhuangdao tried calling you and couldn't get through. He rang me instead.’
Yawning, Jian Suiying sat up. It was only a little after eight. His phone showed two missed calls. He'd slept so heavily he hadn't heard either.
‘Tell me what happened.’
‘He says there's been progress. He just needs some documents from you, and then the development application can be transferred to another official.’
Jian Suiying instantly became more alert and called the man back.
They spoke for less than ten minutes. He hung up, very satisfied, then gave Li Yu instructions as naturally as ever.
‘You've worked on this project too. You can prepare the documents.’
Li Yu frowned.
‘When do you need them?’
‘As soon as possible.’
‘All the departments are on holiday. We can't arrange them until after the break.’
Jian Suiying glared at him.
‘Do you think I don't know that? As soon as possible *after* the holiday.’
Li Yu's face darkened, and he turned to leave.
‘Where are you going?’
‘Do I have to report everywhere I go to you?’
‘So you dump me in a hotel and consider your job finished?’
‘What else do you want? You seem to be enjoying all the services.’
Jian Suiying laughed coldly.
‘What, worried about the money? You didn't think you could fuck me for free, did you?’
Every time Jian Suiying used that incident to needle him, Li Yu felt sick with discomfort. He glared.
‘So you're calling yourself a prostitute? Those are your own words.’
‘At least if I sold myself, it would be my choice. Better than being raped by you. And if someone paid for a man like me, they'd be delighted—pleasure and money together. Anyone who got stuck with an inexperienced virgin like you, who knows nothing but how to thrust away, would have the worst luck imaginable.’
Li Yu's face changed colour. His voice trembled.
‘Jian Suiying, you really are shameless.’
‘However shameless I am, I've still got better morals than a—’
‘Enough!’ Li Yu shouted. ‘Say those three words again and I'll—’
‘I've still got better morals than a rapist like you. There, I said it. Are you going to force yourself on me again?’
Li Yu suddenly shoved him down onto the bed and glared fiercely at him from above.
Jian Suiying forced himself to remain calm and stared straight back.
Ever since the previous day's events, the atmosphere between them had become profoundly strange. Beyond the thick hostility, there was an undeniable undertone of intimacy.
Li Yu could feel Jian Suiying's warm breath against the tip of his nose. Even the heat of his gaze seemed to burn, and Li Yu felt his own body growing uncomfortably hot.
*This isn't right!*
He hated this uncontrollable physical response.
However much he despised Jian Suiying, he couldn't deny that the man possessed enormous masculine appeal. The memory of possessing him so completely was as addictive as a drug.
A whole day had passed, and he still hadn't recovered from that frenzied act of domination.
The shuddering physical pleasure and overwhelming feeling of conquest were… simply impossible to forget.
Just as his lips began trembling with tension, Jian Suiying suddenly hooked an arm around his neck and captured his mouth.
Li Yu's mind buzzed, and he stopped reacting altogether.
Jian Suiying kissed him with evident enjoyment. Once he'd had enough, he bit Li Yu's tongue.
The sharp pain brought Li Yu to his senses. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and glared in embarrassment and anger.
Jian Suiying said lazily, ‘Get lost.’
Li Yu wanted to hit him several times, but resisted.
‘Why are you still standing there? Hadn't you had enough? Take off your trousers and climb on, and I'll guarantee you're satisfied.’
Li Yu caught his arm and twisted it viciously, flipping him face-down onto the bed.
That position now terrified Jian Suiying. He immediately cried out, ‘What are you doing? Fuck! You dare try it again?’
Li Yu pressed close, his chest against Jian Suiying's back.
Jian Suiying could feel his rapid breathing and the violent rise and fall of his chest, as though he were fighting to control enormous anger. He heard Li Yu speak slowly.
‘Jian Suiying, I'm warning you. This is the last time. Don't provoke me again.’
Jian Suiying opened his mouth to swear back, but Li Yu swiftly pulled several tissues from the box by the bed, stuffed them into his mouth and strode out.
Watching his departing figure, Jian Suiying's eyes grew even more vicious.
Chapter 28
For the remaining few days in Beihai, Jian Suiying didn't see Li Yu again. Once the swelling in his face had gone down enough to look less frightening, he started going out on his own. He returned to Beijing two days before the holiday ended.
The work that had piled up soon swallowed him whole, keeping him busy for quite some time. It was a useful distraction, stopping him from spending every waking hour grinding his teeth in hatred of Li Yu.
But from that day onwards, Jian Suiying had acquired a new short-term goal in life, alongside making money and enjoying himself: he was going to collect everything Li Yu owed him.
If he ever got the chance, he'd make sure the brat couldn't get out of bed for three days either. He wouldn't rest until he'd achieved it.
Unfortunately, opportunities like that were proving hard to come by. Li Yu hardly appeared in front of him at all. No matter what work Jian Suiying assigned him, he scarcely ever turned up at the office. He was clearly avoiding him.
The weather had begun to turn cold, and more than a month had passed. Then, one day, Jian Suiying inexplicably found himself wanting to see Li Yu, even if it was only to give him a thorough dressing-down.
So he did something utterly ridiculous. He drove to Li Yu's university and circled its enormous campus over and over, until he managed to get himself lost.
He had no idea where he'd driven. It seemed he'd ended up deep in a wooded area, where there were suddenly very few people about. Only the occasional young couple sat on a roadside bench, whispering sweet nothings to one another.
He was too embarrassed to get out and ask for directions. If he hadn't been constantly scanning the people he passed, hoping he might happen to see Li Yu, his sense of direction was good enough that he wouldn't have forgotten the way back.
The road ended a little farther on, so he pulled over and got out.
Dusk was approaching, and the surroundings were extraordinarily quiet. After spending so long in the crowded city of Beijing, it was rare to find somewhere so peaceful, with such fresh air.
Jian Suiying decided a stroll after dinner might be nice and wandered slowly along a narrow path into the trees.
He couldn't stand it for more than a few minutes. Now he knew why there were so few people in these woods. Fucking hell, going in there was like laying on an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitoes.
He had no choice but to turn back, growing angrier with every step. What the hell had he come all this way for? To stand around like an idiot feeding mosquitoes?
Before he could change his mind, he took out his phone and dialled Li Yu's number.
Someone answered quickly enough, but the voice wasn't Li Yu's.
"Hello?"
"Hello?" Jian Suiying repeated uncertainly, thinking he might have called the wrong number.
"Oh, I'm Li Yu's roommate. He's having a shower. Who's calling, please?"
"Tell him my surname's Jian. I'm... I'm his boss."
"Oh, oh, I know who you are! Hello, sir!" The young man moved the phone away and shouted, "Li Yu, it's your boss!"
Jian Suiying strained to hear. Li Yu said something in reply, but he couldn't make out a word.
The roommate came back. "He wants to know what it's about."
"I'm at your university. I need to see him. Tell him to come out when he's finished his shower."
"All right, I'll tell him. Where are you?"
"...At the gate."
"Which gate?"
Why the fuck did he need to know every little detail? Was he arranging a date with him? Jian Suiying could only answer vaguely, "The east gate."
"Right! I'll tell him to come and find you when he gets out."
"Tell him to ring me first."
"No problem."
Jian Suiying sat down on a stone bench to wait for the call.
He waited and waited. Almost half an hour passed, and he got absolutely nothing.
He decided Li Yu wasn't coming. Disappointed and furious, he felt like the biggest idiot alive. He'd driven all the way to this godforsaken place, got himself lost, spent ages being eaten by mosquitoes and hadn't even seen the person he'd come for. Was it possible to be any more of a fucking idiot?
He got to his feet and started back towards the car.
He'd only taken a few steps when his phone suddenly rang.
His heart gave a violent thump. He pulled out his phone, feeling oddly nervous, and looked at the screen. Li Yu's name was right there.
He couldn't begin to describe how he felt at that moment. All he could think was that, since Li Yu had actually rung him back, he'd wear a condom when he finally got to fuck him.
He answered. Li Yu's voice was as cold as ever.
"Where are you? I can't see you."
"Huh?" Jian Suiying instinctively looked around. He hadn't seen another soul for ages. Someone could bury him in these woods and nobody would find him for a long time.
"Didn't you say you were at the east gate? I'm here."
Only then did Jian Suiying remember the lie he'd blurted out. "I'm not at the east gate."
Li Yu sounded impatient. "Then which gate are you at?"
"I'm not at any gate."
"Jian. Sui. Ying." Li Yu pronounced each word distinctly, then hung up.
Without thinking, Jian Suiying called straight back. He had to ring six or seven times before Li Yu finally answered.
"What? Haven't you had enough of messing about?"
"Fuck's sake, I'm not messing you about! Can't you let me finish talking?"
"...Go on, then."
"I'm at your university, in some bloody corner of nowhere. I've got lost. I don't know where I am."
"Then why did you say you were at the east gate? It takes me fifteen minutes to walk there from the dormitory."
"Didn't I tell you to ring me when you'd finished your shower? One phone call would've sorted everything out."
Li Yu rolled his eyes. "Why exactly have you come to my university? If it isn't important, find your own way home."
"What, I can't visit for no reason? It's not like there's an admission fee."
Li Yu snorted. "Go home."
"Hang on! Didn't you hear me say I'm lost? I can't find my way back. You... you come and get me."
"How am I supposed to find you when you don't even know where you are?"
"I'm next to some woods."
"Our university is full of woods."
Jian Suiying lost his temper. "I don't care. Come and get me right now. If you don't... I'll ring your brother. Maybe you won't listen to me, but let's see if you listen to him."
Li Yu gritted his teeth. "Jian Suiying, you shameless bastard."
Jian Suiying gave a smug little laugh. "Get over here."
"I don't know where you are!"
Jian Suiying hurriedly described his surroundings. After a great deal of effort on both sides, Li Yu finally worked out roughly where he must be.
"That's miles from me. I'll have to go back and get the car. Wait there."
"Make it quick."
Another half-hour passed. The mosquitoes were driving Jian Suiying mad, and he'd lost all interest in enjoying the fresh air. He retreated to his car.
He was nearly asleep when a flash of light reflected in his wing mirror and woke him. Looking round, he saw a Mercedes Jeep approaching. It pulled up beside his car.
Jian Suiying opened his door and jumped out. Li Yu got out too. They stood looking at each other across the two vehicles, like drug dealers making an exchange on television. Jian Suiying found the whole scene absurdly funny.
Although this was a remote part of the grounds, a good university really was different. There were streetlights even in a corner like this, so it wasn't particularly dark.
In their glow, Jian Suiying studied Li Yu's face. After more than a month apart, the brat seemed even more handsome. His skin was so smooth it almost reflected the light. Jian Suiying couldn't describe the mixture of feelings that stirred in him.
Li Yu pushed his car door shut and walked towards him, stopping about two metres away. He frowned.
"What exactly did you come here for?"
"To see how you've been getting on. And to remind you that you still owe me a fuck."
Displeasure crossed Li Yu's face. "Haven't you got anything better to do? There's no point thinking about that all day. Get in your car. I'll show you the way out. Stop wasting my time."
He turned to go back to his vehicle.
Jian Suiying was furious. He hadn't actually come looking for trouble today. He simply hadn't seen Li Yu for over a month and had wanted... wanted to see him, that was all. He hadn't expected this bastard to be so dismissive.
He lunged forwards, but Li Yu was ready for him. He turned and raised an arm across his chest to block him.
Jian Suiying had to stop. "So you've had your fill and now you can just walk away? You think what happened is over and done with?"
Li Yu glared at him. "You want to fuck me? Dream on."
"Why the hell shouldn't I? Li Yu, as far as that's concerned, you owe me one."
"You're sick," Li Yu snapped, turning away again.
Jian Suiying grabbed his arm, and the two started struggling.
Li Yu was thoroughly irritated. He never should have come. What the hell had possessed him to actually drive over and see Jian Suiying? What good could possibly come of seeing someone like him?
They inevitably bumped against each other as they struggled. Li Yu kept backing away, resisting every attempt to touch him as though Jian Suiying were carrying the plague. Jian Suiying's face reddened with anger.
"What the fuck do you want?" Li Yu shouted. "Are you some kind of rabid dog? Even after what happened to you, you still haven't learnt your lesson? You just won't leave me alone!"
"That's right, I won't leave you alone!" Jian Suiying shouted back. "If you've got the guts, dig a hole and bury me. This looks like a good place. Nobody would find my body for ages."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Jian Suiying shoved him hard against the car door and pressed his mouth forcefully over Li Yu's.
They said the first time was awkward and the second made it familiar. Jian Suiying had already forced kisses on Li Yu three or four times. By now, Li Yu ought to have been used to it. Instead, he reacted as if he'd been struck by lightning. His body went rigid, and then he began struggling with unusual ferocity.
Between rough kisses, Jian Suiying muttered, "What's so wrong with letting me kiss you a few times? You've done far worse to me. You won't even let me have this much? Do you think you get everything your own way?"
Li Yu's face turned scarlet. "Let go of me, you—"
As they pushed and wrestled, their bodies repeatedly collided and rubbed against each other.
In the middle of the struggle, Jian Suiying suddenly froze. Li Yu stiffened too. The atmosphere between them became indescribably strange.
Then Jian Suiying burst out laughing and teased him without a trace of subtlety.
"Little Li, you've got a hard-on, haven't you?"
Li Yu wished the ground would swallow him. He lowered his head, shook off Jian Suiying's arm and opened the car door, meaning to get in.
Unfortunately for him, he was so angry that he'd forgotten he'd walked round from the other side of the vehicle. The door he'd just opened was the passenger door. Jian Suiying seized his chance, shoved him back onto the front seat and, with practised ease, closed his hand around Li Yu's erection.
Li Yu felt as though something had snapped inside his head.
All the obscene memories he'd spent the past month trying to forget, the same scenes that kept haunting his dreams, came rushing back at once.
He'd known perfectly well he shouldn't have come to see Jian Suiying today.
Chapter 29
Li Yu desperately tried to move farther inside the car, but there was only so much room. He soon found himself trapped against the gear lever.
The car was fairly spacious, but with two grown men crammed into the front, it was still terribly cramped. Li Yu had nowhere to escape. However he moved, he couldn't avoid touching Jian Suiying and could only endure the hands roaming over him, a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
The fresh scent of Li Yu's recent shower filled Jian Suiying's nose. As he stroked that smooth, tender skin, his desire grew stronger.
Li Yu, meanwhile, was tense from head to toe, his face so red it seemed ready to bleed. He knew he ought to kick Jian Suiying out of the car, yet his body betrayed him, pressing almost imperceptibly into the other man's palm.
Jian Suiying was secretly delighted. He understood perfectly well how a young virgin felt after his first taste of sex. What man hadn't been through it? After spending more than ten years fantasising about it, getting by on dirty magazines and videos, he was bound to crave more when he actually experienced it. No matter how proper a man looked, take his clothes off, and he was much the same as anyone else.
Of course, Li Yu had been particularly fortunate to have his first experience with such an extraordinarily handsome man as Jian Suiying. His feelings were complicated: he was furious, yet a little proud as well. He felt as though he was developing a split personality.
The truth was, if Li Yu genuinely wanted to be with him and occasionally asked to be on top, Jian Suiying might have found it uncomfortable, but he wouldn't necessarily have refused. Li Yu was, after all, the person he liked most. In their circles it wasn't such an extraordinary thing; how many gay men had never bottomed in their lives? He could treat it as a bit of fun.
What he hated was that before he'd even managed to have Li Yu for himself, the other man had taken him instead. Worse still, Li Yu had dared to force himself on him. That humiliation was something Jian Suiying would never forget.
The only way to soothe his wounded pride was to make Li Yu his. Which brought him straight back to his original intention. However you looked at it, he had no intention of letting Li Yu go.
Jian Suiying caught the side of Li Yu's neck between his teeth, gently scraping the skin as he muttered, "That's what you get for acting so bloody innocent."
Li Yu felt as though his heart might burst from his chest. All the blood in his body seemed to be rushing towards his lower abdomen, leaving him painfully hard. Jian Suiying's relentless teasing only stoked the fire inside him. At last he abandoned his resistance. Instead of pushing Jian Suiying away, he slipped his hands beneath the back of his shirt and stroked his smooth, supple spine.
The moment he began touching him of his own accord, he was forced to admit that this was what he'd wanted all along.
Once he stopped denying his desires, he let himself go completely. No longer dodging awkwardly, he behaved like a man thoroughly seduced, running his hands freely over Jian Suiying's body and kissing along the line of his jaw. The short stubble just beginning to grow there sent a thrill through him. It made him acutely aware that he was being intimate with another man, exciting him even further.
Jian Suiying needed no encouragement. He was utterly absorbed in their kissing and caresses.
Feeling around, he found the control for the passenger seat and lowered it flat. Suddenly there was considerably more room. With Li Yu beneath him, the two of them tangled together like starving animals, rubbing cheek against cheek, desperate to take more from each other.
The car door wasn't even properly shut, yet the heat inside was almost unbearable. Jian Suiying skilfully rubbed his lower body against Li Yu's, their erections swelling against each other through their trousers.
Jian Suiying unfastened Li Yu's trousers and freed himself as well. Their hot, rigid cocks pressed tightly together, rubbing against one another as wave after wave of pleasure swept through them.
Jian Suiying's skin had flushed pink all over. He tilted back his head slightly, letting out a quiet moan.
Li Yu opened eyes clouded with desire. In front of him were Jian Suiying's long neck and the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. Li Yu swallowed too. Driven by a craving he didn't understand, he opened his mouth around the shifting prominence and began slowly sucking it.
Jian Suiying gave a muffled groan and shuddered. His waist, which he'd been holding rigid, began to ache, and he sagged against Li Yu.
Li Yu licked his ear and cheek, breathing in the pleasant scent of his neck. His hands never stopped moving over Jian Suiying's body. He hardly seemed like someone doing this for the first time. Perhaps he'd already imagined it countless times.
Neither of them spoke throughout. They were too embarrassed to say anything. It was only when Li Yu slid a hand into Jian Suiying's underwear, squeezed the firm flesh of his backside and tried to push a finger inside him that Jian Suiying suddenly came to his senses.
"Fuck! What are you doing?" He seized Li Yu's hand before it could go any farther.
Their eyes met. Both pairs were heavy with desire, but embarrassment flickered through them too, particularly Li Yu's.
Li Yu's gaze was hazy, almost drunken. There was also a trace of annoyance and bewilderment in it, like someone whose delicious meal had just been rudely interrupted.
Jian Suiying's face was flushed, his eyes misty. His fringe hung untidily over his forehead, and tiny beads of sweat dotted the tip of his nose. The sight stirred something violent inside Li Yu. He wanted nothing more than to pin Jian Suiying down and fuck this prickly, arrogant, maddeningly sexy man senseless.
Li Yu caught the hair at the back of Jian Suiying's head and pulled him closer. Licking his lips, he asked, "What did you come looking for me to do?"
Jian Suiying brushed his tongue teasingly against Li Yu's and murmured, "I told you. I want to fuck you."
Li Yu suddenly crushed their mouths together, thrusting his tongue in roughly and clumsily. Jian Suiying guided him with his own tongue, turning it into a wet, thoroughly indecent kiss.
While Jian Suiying was distracted by the kiss, Li Yu twisted deftly and rolled him underneath.
Jian Suiying immediately realised what he'd done. "Don't push your bloody luck. Are you planning to force me again?"
Li Yu stared down at him, breathing hard. His eyes were full of suppressed longing, and he rubbed his aching erection against Jian Suiying's thigh, apparently at a loss.
Jian Suiying could feel how hard he was. He knew the inexperienced young man must be close to losing control.
But no matter how uncomfortable Li Yu was, that didn't mean Jian Suiying had to offer himself up. He knew he couldn't beat Li Yu in a fight, so forcing the issue was out of the question. It was a terrible disappointment, but he could only push against Li Yu's shoulders to put some distance between them.
"If you won't do it my way, forget it. Get up. I'm going home."
Li Yu was so furious he could have ground his teeth to pieces.
That bastard Jian Suiying had come all this way, worked him up until his whole body was on fire and he was ready to explode, and now he wanted to get up and walk away as though nothing had happened. Even a monkey performing tricks got a banana afterwards; he'd been allowed to do no more than sniff the skin. Could anyone be more bloody outrageous?
Li Yu planted an arm across Jian Suiying's chest, preventing him from rising.
"Jian Suiying, you bastard! You get me all worked up and then think you can just leave? Can't you stand to let me have a peaceful life? If you don't want to do it, then why the fuck did you come looking for me?"
"Who says I don't want to? Let me be on top and I guarantee you'll enjoy it even more than before."
"Don't even think about it."
Jian Suiying shot him a contemptuous look. "I don't fucking understand how a straight man's brain works. You're enjoying yourself perfectly well, but as soon as it comes to this, you start making a fuss. You can fuck me, but I'm not allowed to fuck you? It's not like I'm missing a cock! Fucking hell, do you take me for an idiot? Get off. I can't be bothered playing with you any more."
Li Yu held him down, staring with reddened eyes. "You're not leaving... You can't leave."
Looking at him like that, and feeling the hot, hard bulge against his thigh, Jian Suiying suddenly thought he looked rather pitiful.
The poor boy was probably desperate. If he wanted to force himself on Jian Suiying, he couldn't bring himself to do it sober. If he didn't have sex, on the other hand, he looked as if he might explode.
Jian Suiying thought it was a joke delivered straight into his lap. Perhaps he ought to enjoy the spectacle a little longer.
Li Yu knew perfectly well how wretched he looked, but now that his desire had been aroused, he couldn't simply order himself to calm down. He slowly licked along the contours of Jian Suiying's face, hoping the friction between their bodies might relieve some of the heat.
Jian Suiying wasn't exactly comfortable either. He was still painfully erect, with nowhere to release the tension. He simply had more experience and was better able to endure it than a hot-blooded virgin of eighteen or nineteen.
But Li Yu kept clinging to him, setting little fires everywhere he touched. Jian Suiying grew increasingly restless and desperate himself.
Their brief argument didn't keep them apart for long. Soon they were pressed together again, although these few caresses were beginning to feel like scratching an itch through a boot. They only made the ache worse.
At last Li Yu began to lose his reason. He thrust his hand into Jian Suiying's trousers again and tugged hard, hauling both his suit trousers and underwear down together.
Jian Suiying wasn't going to put up with that. They struggled again, Jian Suiying cursing and mocking Li Yu all the while.
There was so little room in the car that neither could move freely. Within moments Jian Suiying's trousers were down around his knees. Li Yu imitated him, closing a hand around Jian Suiying's cock. Jian Suiying immediately stopped struggling quite so recklessly.
It was an effective tactic with most men. When someone else had a man's most vulnerable part in his hand, the psychological pressure alone was enough to make him cautious about moving.
Li Yu began stroking him tentatively. His technique was inexperienced, but Jian Suiying could feel that he was genuinely trying to please him. That was a first. To his own embarrassment, Jian Suiying's heart softened almost at once.
Li Yu sensed the change and leaned close to his ear, whispering, "Brother Jian, let me do it."
The softly spoken request, with its almost coaxing note, left Jian Suiying utterly defenceless. He was already dazed by Li Yu's attention, and although he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't bear to see him suffer like this. In his confusion, he found himself wanting to let Li Yu have his way.
When Li Yu finally managed to settle himself between Jian Suiying's legs, he was secretly delighted.
He'd more or less worked out Jian Suiying's temperament. This was a man who responded to gentleness, not force. Meet his stubbornness with your own, and he'd only dig his heels in harder. But take a softer approach, and the results could be unexpectedly good.
In this respect, Li Yu was very different from Jian Suiying. He knew when to change tactics to achieve what he wanted. Jian Suiying, on the other hand, was so arrogant that even when he knew he was wrong, his masculine pride wouldn't let him compromise.
Everything Li Yu knew about sex between men he'd learnt online. The first time, he'd been drunk and out of his mind with anger, so that knowledge hadn't come into play. This time, he didn't want Jian Suiying mocking him for being an inexperienced virgin, and he was determined to do it properly.
Unfortunately, without any practical experience, knowing what to do in theory was of limited help. Li Yu spent ages awkwardly working his fingers inside, trying to stretch and prepare him.
Jian Suiying was starting to regret how carelessly he'd given in. But seeing Li Yu sweating from the effort, he tried several times to summon the resolve to kick him away, but simply couldn't do it.
At last he gritted his teeth. "There's a condom in my wallet."
Li Yu paused, found the condom in his trouser pocket and put it on. The lubrication made things considerably easier than before.
He parted Jian Suiying's long, strong legs, supported his backside with one hand and pressed his erection against the tight entrance. Breathing heavily, he said, "Brother Jian, I'm coming in."
Jian Suiying was so embarrassed his face felt as though it were burning. He turned his head away and said hoarsely, "Shut the fuck up..."
Li Yu drew a deep breath and slowly pushed himself inside.
Jian Suiying shuddered with discomfort, his features tightening.
The overwhelming pleasure of being gripped so tightly was something that had tormented Li Yu's imagination for more than a month. Now that he'd finally got what he wanted, he let out a long, deeply satisfied breath.
Holding Jian Suiying's thigh, Li Yu began moving slowly in and out.
This time there had been some preparation, so penetration wasn't nearly as painful for Jian Suiying. Nevertheless, the persistent sensation of having something lodged inside him was deeply uncomfortable.
He shut his eyes and frowned, feeling Li Yu push deeper, gradually speed up, and finally begin to move with a smooth rhythm.
Jian Suiying gripped his own cock and stroked it back and forth. His head fell back, and a succession of low, hoarse moans escaped his lips, whether from pain or something else he couldn't quite tell.
They came together like wild animals. Suppressed moans rose intermittently from the car, where the temperature continued to climb. Desire seemed to burn their bodies and sear their very souls.
Their violent movements made the heavy vehicle rock visibly.
Li Yu thought there must be something wrong with him to be having sex so frantically with Jian Suiying on a university campus, where someone could pass by at any moment. Yet the pleasure was so overwhelming that everything else seemed distant and insignificant. He could no longer spare a thought for anything beyond losing himself in it.
Uncontrollable gasps and cries kept breaking from Jian Suiying's throat. The painful numbness from the forceful penetration had gradually faded, replaced by a strange, indescribable sensation. It felt as though thousands of ants were crawling over his body. Tingling pleasure climbed his spine and flooded his mind until he almost felt as though he were drowning in it.
Every so often, a flash of clarity broke through the cloud of desire in Jian Suiying's thoughts. Astonishingly, the only thing he could think about was that it was a good thing the car door hadn't been completely shut. Otherwise they might have run out of oxygen and died right there. They'd end up in the newspaper's society pages. How bloody humiliating would that be?
Chapter 30
When they had finished, pulling up their trousers and clearing up the mess, neither man said a word.
Jian Suiying glanced at the conspicuous white fluid on the leather seat, his feelings a complicated tangle.
Li Yu straightened his clothes and awkwardly wiped the seat with tissues. Jian Suiying turned his face away and tried to tie his tie with stiff fingers.
He could normally manage it without thinking, but for some reason his fingers were behaving as though they'd frozen solid. He tried for ages without success, then angrily ripped the tie off again.
Li Yu glanced at him. "Let me," he offered, reaching for it.
"Don't bother," Jian Suiying said gruffly. "What the hell do I need a tie for in the middle of the night?"
Li Yu pressed his lips together. "You should put it on. You've lost a button at the front of your shirt. A tie will stop it hanging open."
"I like having it open." Jian Suiying roughly pushed the car door aside and started to climb out.
His shoes were still hanging half off his feet, and the vehicle was high off the ground. He tripped as he stepped down and nearly fell face-first onto the road.
Li Yu caught him around the waist. "What are you getting angry about now? You're making no sense."
What was he angry about? Jian Suiying was furious with himself for giving in to the temptation of this little fox spirit. He'd driven all that way, got lost, been eaten alive by mosquitoes and waited for more than an hour, all so he could practically deliver himself to Li Yu to be fucked. What sort of bloody dedication was that?
He pushed Li Yu away, kicked his shoes on properly and planted both feet firmly on the ground. He stuffed the tie into his pocket. Two buttons had come off his shirt, leaving it open to below his well-developed chest, where several faint love bites were still visible.
He narrowed his eyes at Li Yu and turned to leave.
"Hey," Li Yu said quietly. "Are you hungry? Let's get something to eat."
Without looking back, Jian Suiying opened his own car door. "No. Just hurry up and show me the way out."
He slammed the door.
Instead, Li Yu drove him round in a circle and stopped in front of a tiny shop selling malatang, spicy broth with assorted ingredients.
Jian Suiying looked around. Fuck. They were still inside the university grounds.
Li Yu got out and tapped on his window.
Jian Suiying lowered it. "What have you brought me here for? I told you I'm not eating."
"Have something. You've used up so much energy, you must be hungry."
Jian Suiying bared his teeth in irritation. "Don't flatter yourself. At the speed you finished, I didn't get tired at all."
Looking at Jian Suiying's furious expression, Li Yu couldn't help laughing. "You can lie with your eyes open, can't you? You're a grown man. Why do you insist on winning these stupid little arguments? Come on, get out."
He reached into the car, unlocked the door, pulled it open and practically dragged Jian Suiying out.
One look at the tiny shop was enough to bring out Jian Suiying's spoilt-young-master tendencies.
"You've got some fucking nerve bringing me to a place like this to eat," he muttered.
"What's wrong with it? The food's good." Li Yu suddenly reached into Jian Suiying's trouser pocket, took out the tie and expertly draped it around his neck.
"What are you doing? I said I wasn't wearing it." Jian Suiying smacked his hand hard.
Li Yu had no intention of letting Jian Suiying appear in public looking like that. He smoothed the front of his shirt, then fastened the tie, doing his best to hide the missing buttons.
The little shop was popular, and at this hour some of his classmates might be there. If anyone noticed the marks on Jian Suiying's chest, then looked at the bite Jian Suiying had deliberately left on Li Yu's neck, who knew what they'd think? Li Yu, at least, felt guilty.
"Come on." He pulled Jian Suiying out of the car's shadow and towards the malatang shop.
Perhaps because it wasn't the weekend and it was nearly midnight, there weren't many customers. When the shop was busy, people usually had to queue.
Li Yu took a plate at the entrance and piled it with ingredients. Then they chose a table in the corner.
Jian Suiying eyed the little shop with distaste. Its walls had patches of bare plaster and old posters of celebrities pasted over them. The low plastic stool beneath him seemed uncomfortable, however he sat.
Li Yu watched him wriggling about and couldn't resist saying, "Why are you so spoilt?"
"Who's spoilt? Since when does worrying about food safety make someone spoilt? Are you out of your mind?"
Li Yu speared a beef ball and held it up to his mouth. "You think one meal's going to poison you? What are you so scared of?"
Jian Suiying eyed the beef ball suspiciously for ages before finally opening his mouth and eating it.
It really was delicious. No wonder these students, with their young, healthy insides, liked eating this sort of thing.
Li Yu smiled. "Sui Lin loves the malatang here. Every time he comes to see me, he insists on eating here in the evening."
Jian Suiying gave a noncommittal snort.
He really was rather hungry. With some encouragement from Li Yu, he eventually lowered his head and got stuck into the food.
By the end they were both completely stuffed. When it came time to pay, Jian Suiying watched Li Yu hand the woman at the counter a fifty-yuan note. His eyes widened when he saw her give him more than ten yuan in change.
In all his twenty-seven years, Jian Suiying had never known anyone treat him to a meal that cost barely thirty-something yuan. Especially not someone who'd just put him through everything Li Yu had. He couldn't even begin to describe how he felt.
It wasn't as though he could come straight out and say, You took every advantage of me, then bought me a thirty-yuan bowl of malatang from a roadside stall. Have you no shame?
But he was seething inside. He knew it wasn't a fair comparison, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just been sold at a ridiculously low price.
Li Yu had no inkling of any of this. He yawned. "Come on, I'll show you out."
Jian Suiying shot him a glare and slammed his car door again.
Li Yu looked at him in utter bewilderment.
Jian Suiying followed Li Yu's car for a few minutes until he recognised the gate he'd used to enter.
He stamped on the accelerator and shot straight through it, disappearing down the road without another glance.
Li Yu was momentarily startled to see him leave without so much as saying goodbye.
Watching the rear of Jian Suiying's car vanish into the distance, Li Yu couldn't help licking his lips.
After returning home, Jian Suiying was in low spirits for several days.
He still couldn't quite believe how easily he'd given in to Li Yu. Being fucked by him again wasn't even the most frightening part. What truly worried him was realising how much more he cared about Li Yu than he'd ever imagined.
He was staring blankly at his computer screen when Jian Suilin knocked and came in.
These days, Jian Suilin has managed to come to the company once or twice a week. Whenever he could spare the time, he came. Li Yu, in an unusual change of habit, had also come into work for a full day the day before yesterday, but Jian Suiying hadn't wanted to see him.
He pulled his thoughts together and returned to work mode. "What is it?"
"President Jian, these are the Land Bureau documents you asked for. I could photocopy some of them, but the others couldn't be copied or taken away, so I had to transcribe them by hand. If you need the remaining drawings and other important material, I'll ask their director for approval to bring them over."
"Mm. Leave them there. I'll look through them first."
Jian Suilin slowly put down the documents, his eyes fixed on Jian Suiying's neck.
When Jian Suiying noticed he hadn't left, he looked up. "What else?"
Jian Suilin awkwardly pointed at his own neck. "Brother, you've got something here."
Jian Suiying touched the spot. He remembered a love bite there that seemed to show itself from time to time.
"Oh," he said indifferently, and pulled his collar a little higher.
Jian Suilin reached across the desk and straightened it properly so the mark was covered. His movements were rather stiff, but fortunately it was a simple enough task and he finished quickly.
Jian Suiying knocked his hand away. "Get on with your work."
Jian Suilin took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "Brother, you haven't been home for dinner in ages. Dad said you should come back when you have time."
"Mm. When I get a chance."
"Brother, thank you for the car you gave me."
"Oh. You could have bought yourself a better one."
"There's no need. I'm still a student."
"Mm. Good that you understand that."
"Then I'll go."
"Little Lin."
"Yes?"
"Do you go to see Li Yu often?"
Jian Suilin paused. The image of Jian Suiying kissing Li Yu on the beach came back to him. He chose his words carefully.
"We see each other occasionally."
Jian Suiying gave him a look. "You've got plenty of free time and money now. Hurry up and find yourself a girlfriend."
Jian Suilin clenched and unclenched the hand hidden behind his back. He managed a stiff smile.
"Brother... what do you mean by that?"
Jian Suiying blinked. Seeing how nervous he looked, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"What on earth are you thinking? You don't seriously think I'm worried you'll steal my man?"
Jian Suilin's face turned rather ugly, and he pressed his lips together without answering.
Jian Suiying was certain that even if someone gave Jian Suilin ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare. He wouldn't dare steal something belonging to his brother, nor would he dare fool around with another man. Either would be enough to earn him a serious punishment.
Jian Suiying was confident that Little Lin did as he was told.
He gave a little laugh. "Look how frightened you are. Relax. I'm not worried about anyone going after something I've set my sights on, and I know you and Li Yu are just friends. What I mean is, stop spending all your time hanging around with a bunch of single men. You're young. Go find a girlfriend, have some fun. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Jian Suilin smiled with difficulty. "I haven't met the right girl."
He placed particular emphasis on the word *girl*.
"Well, that's down to fate, I suppose. You know Dad gets nervous sometimes, worrying I might be a bad influence on you. If you find yourself a girlfriend, it'll take some of the pressure off me."
Jian Suilin lowered his eyes and said nothing.
"All right, get back to work. I'll come home this..." Jian Suiying checked his diary. "Friday. I'll come round on Friday."
"All right. I'll go, then."
"Go on."
Jian Suilin had already reached the door when Jian Suiying suddenly called him back.
He turned.
After a moment's hesitation, Jian Suiying asked, "Do kids your age all like eating at those filthy roadside stalls?"
The question came out of nowhere, and Jian Suilin looked startled.
"Ah... they're all right. Sometimes a big group of us go after playing basketball. It's quite fun."
Jian Suiying tried to remember what he'd been like at that age, but the memories weren't particularly clear. It was almost ten years ago, after all.
In any case, Jian Suilin's answer made him feel a little better. At least he no longer had to obsess quite so much over the embarrassing question of whether Li Yu had been treating him cheaply.
After Jian Suilin left, Jian Suiying sighed again.
He was twenty-seven this year, and he'd suddenly realised that he might be facing what people called a relationship problem for the very first time in his life. And it involved a young man seven or eight years his junior.
The awkwardness and frustration were impossible to describe to anyone else. Better not to even start.