In Love With An Idiot
Chapter 7
Jian Suiying followed Li Yu towards the door. As they passed the bathroom, he happened to catch sight of his face in the mirror. The sight almost frightened the soul out of him.
He'd only just managed to convince himself, from a strategic point of view, that now wasn't the time to settle scores with Li Yu. That was the sole reason he'd suppressed the mountain of fury inside him. But when he saw his face had swollen up like Zhu Bajie's, he lost his temper on the spot.
“Li Yu, you little bastard!”
He lunged at him, hooked an arm across his throat and pulled hard, driving his knee into the back of Li Yu's knee. Li Yu was walking ahead with the suitcase in his hand, completely unprepared. First he found himself unable to breathe, then his knee buckled and he dropped to the floor.
Jian Suiying shouted, “You dared beat my face into this state! Let's see if you're still alive when you leave this room!”
Li Yu's face was turning green from the pressure on his throat. He reached back with both hands and began striking Jian Suiying. Jian Suiying could block with one hand, but the other kept landing blows on his body and face. Unable to bear the pain any longer, he gradually loosened his grip.
Li Yu seized the opportunity. He caught Jian Suiying's arm, twisted it sharply behind his back and shoved him face-first against the wall.
Leaning close to his ear, Li Yu said icily, “I've told you. If you leave me alone, we'll have no trouble. Provoke me again, and I don't know what I might do.”
Jian Suiying was as unyielding as if his bones were made of diamond. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
“You still expect us to have no trouble? Listen carefully. Unless you've got the guts to kill me right now, I'll make you regret this for the rest of your life!”
Li Yu had spent his childhood punching sandbags and practising boxing. His hands were like iron pincers, with astonishing strength. As he tightened his grip, Jian Suiying's face twisted almost beyond recognition from the pain.
Li Yu looked at the back of Jian Suiying's head. His hair was thick, black and cropped short, every stiff strand sticking out stubbornly, just like the man himself, who refused to bend under any circumstances.
Li Yu was also the sort who grew more unyielding the more someone tried to bully him. He thought bitterly that if Jian Suiying had softened his attitude from the beginning, if he'd lowered himself a little and behaved as though he were genuinely courting another person, things might not have reached such an irreparable state.
But it was too late for that now. Jian Suiying was right. The two of them would never be able to live peacefully alongside each other.
They remained like that for a while. When Li Yu felt Jian Suiying had calmed down, he released him, pulled open the door and said,
“If you still want to make trouble, 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 man had the face to take the lift or walk through the lobby. Li Yu had arranged for a driver to wait at the back entrance. They could reach it by going down the stairs.
Their rooms were on the fourth floor. Ordinarily, the stairs would have taken less than a minute.
Li Yu secretly watched Jian Suiying struggling in pain while desperately trying to conceal it. For the first time, he felt a trace of guilt.
After descending one floor, he finally couldn't bear it any longer. He put the suitcase down and looked at Jian Suiying.
“Let me carry you on my back.”
Jian Suiying looked at him as though he were insane and continued down the stairs by himself.
Li Yu moved to his side and reached out to support him. Jian Suiying swung his arm viciously, trying to shove him away. Li Yu had learnt from experience by now and sidestepped the blow.
But Jian Suiying was standing awkwardly with one foot on a higher stair and the other on a lower one. His balance was already poor. When Li Yu dodged, he lost it completely and began falling forwards.
Li Yu hurriedly caught him in his arms and pulled him upright. Jian Suiying was too heavy for him to hold in that position, so he let him lean against the wall for support.
Jian Suiying felt humiliated all over again.
Li Yu quickly let go of the arm he'd wrapped around his waist and snapped, “I was only trying to help you.”
“Who asked for your help? It's not as if I haven't got legs.”
Having said that, Jian Suiying finally managed to shove him, just as he'd wanted.
It took them almost ten minutes to descend those four short flights of stairs.
They got straight into the car, and Jian Suiying let out a long breath. His whole body ached; he hadn't slept enough, and he couldn't even be bothered to talk. He closed his eyes as soon as he sat down.
In this state, Jian Suiying had no way to return to Beijing immediately. In fact, with his face looking like that, he didn't want to go outside at all.
Li Yu arranged a room for him in a hotel overlooking the sea. Since Jian Suiying had claimed on the phone that he was taking Li Yu back to Beijing, Li Yu couldn't show himself in Guangxi either. He ended up staying 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 heading home.
After arriving at the hotel, his first order was for Li Yu to find him a doctor. Then he sat staring at his phone in a daze.
Whenever he sent Little Lin a text, he usually received a reply almost immediately. His brother had never kept him waiting this long before. Had seeing that scene on the beach really shocked him senseless? Surely not?
Perhaps it was because Li Yu was his friend, and he couldn't accept it.
The more Jian Suiying thought about it, the guiltier he felt. He didn't particularly like this younger brother, but the Jian family was counting on Little Lin to carry on the family line. Back when Jian Suilin was little, Jian Suiying had even beaten him partly because he feared the boy might be too young and impressionable and pick up his own bad habits.
It was bad enough that Jian Suiying himself was letting down the family's ancestors. If he led his younger brother astray too, the ancestors might send a bolt of lightning down to strike him dead.
That was why Jian Suiying had stopped bringing lovers home and had never allowed Jian Suilin to mix with his assortment of dubious partners. He wanted Little Lin to learn from him in every respect except this one.
After turning it over in his mind, he finally called him. He really had to give the boy a talking-to.
The phone rang for ages before someone answered. Jian Suilin's exhausted voice came through.
“Brother…”
“Hmm? What's wrong? Haven't woken up properly?”
“I had a bit to drink.”
Jian Suiying's mind immediately made the connection.
“With Li Yu?”
Jian Suilin fell silent.
Jian Suiying snorted. “About what happened yesterday…”
“Brother.” Jian Suilin interrupted him. “Do you really like Li Yu?”
At this point, even if someone beat him to death, Jian Suiying couldn't bring himself to say the words *I like Li Yu*. He certainly had liked him before, but there was no way he could explain the tangled grievances between them to Little Lin.
He could only answer vaguely, “You know what sort of person I am. But this is my own business. Don't go getting strange ideas.”
Jian Suilin suddenly sounded agitated.
“But Brother, Li Yu doesn't like you.”
That struck a sore spot. Jian Suiying replied harshly,
“Only you youngsters go on all day about who likes whom. I don't… Forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I explained. Just forget what you saw yesterday. It wasn't anything particularly serious.”
Jian Suilin was silent for a moment.
“Brother, are you saying you weren't serious about him either?”
Jian Suiying was getting annoyed by the questioning. The mere mention of Li Yu filled him with rage, and now he was supposed to discuss sentimental nonsense about liking someone with a clueless little idiot who didn't know what had happened. He had no patience for it.
“Are you deliberately ignoring what I say? I told you last time that if you can't hold your drink, don't copy other people and drink so much. Look at the state you're in after a few drinks, dithering like an old woman. Since when was it your place to interfere in my business?”
Jian Suilin sounded considerably more sober now. He replied at once,
“Brother, don't be angry. I just think you two aren't suited to each other. Li Yu…”
“You're still going on about it!”
Little Lin immediately fell silent.
“Brother, don't get angry. Why is your voice so hoarse? You ought to drink more water…”
Jian Suiying thought about it carefully. Little Lin hadn't been this emotional in a very long time.
“Look at you, getting all worked up over such a tiny thing. Haven't you ever seen two people kissing? Fuck.”
Jian Suilin stammered, “Brother, don't be angry. You're making yourself ill.”
Jian Suiying snorted through his nose.
“Did you read the text I sent you?”
“Mm. I read it.”
“Then why didn't you reply?”
“I was just about to when you called.”
“Bullshit. Do you think your brother's an idiot?”
Jian Suilin sounded wronged.
“I really was about to reply. I wouldn't dare ignore your message.”
“Right. Get yourself sorted out. Contact Li Xuan yourself and have a proper look at that land. Take plenty of photographs and report back to me.”
“All right.”
“That's it, then. Come back whenever you like.”
“…Brother, did you really take Li Yu back to Beijing? Are the two of you together right now?”
“Are you ever going to fucking stop?”
Jian Suilin fell silent again, not daring to say another word.
Jian Suiying hung up, feeling even more irritated. Why was it so exhausting to say a few words? Now even Little Lin knew Li Yu didn't like him. How humiliating. Looking back over the past two days, he couldn't think of a better description for them than utter disgrace.
Life was completely fucking miserable!
He couldn't go outside and was too sore to move around much. Lying half-reclined on the bed, Jian Suiying began plotting mischief.
After thinking for a while, he picked up the hotel phone and began calling reception. First he ordered food, then the finest wine, then, once he'd eaten and drunk his fill, a foot massage. In short, he worked his way through practically every expensive item on the five-star hotel's list of chargeable services.
He knew Li Yu received a generous allowance, but he was still a young student. There was a limit to how much money he could have. Jian Suiying intended to make him pay dearly for these days at the hotel.
By the time he'd finished indulging himself, the sun had set. With nothing else to do, Jian Suiying turned his head and fell asleep.
While he was drifting in and out of sleep, he suddenly sensed someone calling him.
He opened his eyes blearily and saw Li Yu standing beside the bed.
“What?”
Li Yu looked displeased.
“It's not even that late. Why are you sleeping so deeply? Someone from Qinhuangdao tried calling you and couldn't get through, so they rang me instead.”
Jian Suiying sat up, yawning, and checked his mobile. It was only a little after eight in the evening. There were two missed calls on the screen. He'd been sleeping so soundly that he hadn't heard either one.
“Tell me what's happened.”
“He said they've made progress. Now they only need you to provide some documents, and they'll be able to transfer the development application for this project into someone else's hands.”
Jian Suiying quickly cleared his head and called the man back.
They spoke for less than ten minutes. Jian Suiying hung up feeling very satisfied, then gave Li Yu an order 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 government departments are closed for the holiday. It can't be done until afterwards.”
Jian Suiying glared at him. “Do you think I don't know that? I mean as soon as possible after the holiday.”
Li Yu's expression darkened. He turned to leave.
“Where do you think you're going?”
“Do I have to report everywhere I go to you?”
“You dump me in a hotel and think that's the end of it?”
“What else do you want? You seem to be enjoying spending money well enough.”
Jian Suiying laughed coldly. “What? Does it hurt your wallet?”
Every time Jian Suiying used what had happened to provoke him, Li Yu felt uncomfortable from head to toe. He glared at him.
“You said that yourself.”
Li Yu's face changed from pale to flushed, his voice trembling.
“Jian Suiying, you really have no shame at all.”
“No matter how shameless I am…”
“Enough!” Li Yu snapped. “If you say those three words again, I'll…”
“What? Have I said them again?”
Li Yu suddenly lunged forwards and pinned him to the bed, glaring down at him viciously.
Jian Suiying forced himself to remain calm. His eyes widened as he met Li Yu's stare.
Ever since the events of the previous day, the atmosphere between them had been extraordinarily strange. Apart from the strong sense that they might come to blows at any moment, there was an inescapable intimacy hanging between them.
Li Yu could feel Jian Suiying's warm breath brushing the tip of his nose. Jian Suiying's gaze seemed to radiate heat as well.
*This couldn't go on!*
Jian Suiying said lazily, “Get lost.”
Li Yu desperately wanted to slap him several times, but forced himself to hold back.
“Why are you still standing there? Didn't I tell you to get lost?”
Li Yu grabbed Jian Suiying's arm and twisted hard, flipping his entire body over until he lay face down beneath him.
Jian Suiying was now terrified of that position. He immediately cried out in alarm.
“What are you doing?”
He heard Li Yu say slowly, “Jian Suiying, I'm warning you. This is the last time. Don't make me angry again.”
Jian Suiying opened his mouth to curse at him, but Li Yu swiftly pulled several tissues from the box beside the bed and stuffed them into his mouth. Then he abandoned him and strode out.
Jian Suiying glared at the departing figure, his eyes growing ever more vicious.
For the remaining days in Beihai, Jian Suiying didn't see Li Yu again.
Once the swelling in his face had subsided enough that he no longer looked quite so frightening, he returned to Beijing on his own, two days before the holiday ended.
The mountain of work waiting for him quickly swallowed him up and kept him busy for some time. Fortunately, work succeeded in distracting him from hating Li Yu so fiercely every hour of the day.
But from that day on, Jian Suiying acquired a new short-term goal in life, in addition to making money and enjoying himself: he intended to make Li Yu repay everything he owed him.
Unfortunately, opportunities to do so were scarce. Li Yu hardly appeared in front of him at all. Even when Jian Suiying assigned him work, he almost never came into the office. He was obviously avoiding him.
The weather gradually grew colder. More than a month had passed since that incident, and Jian Suiying felt a persistent emptiness inside. One day, for reasons he couldn't explain, he desperately wanted to see Li Yu, even if it was only to insult him a little.
So he did something rather absurd. He drove to Li Yu's university and circled its enormous campus again and again until he got himself lost.
He had no idea where he'd driven. Somehow, he'd ended up deep in a wooded area. There were suddenly very few people about, apart from an occasional young couple sitting on a bench and whispering sweet nothings to each other. Jian Suiying was too embarrassed to get out and ask for directions.
If he hadn't spent the whole time searching the faces of passers-by, hoping he might happen upon Li Yu, his sense of direction would never have been bad enough to lose track of the route he'd taken.
Eventually, the road came to an end. He pulled over, parked and got out.
It was growing dark, and the surroundings were exceptionally quiet. After spending so long in crowded, airless Beijing, it was rare to find somewhere so peaceful and full of fresh air. Jian Suiying decided to take a walk after dinner and wandered slowly along a narrow path into the trees.
He lasted only a few minutes before he couldn't stand it any more. Now he knew why so few people came into this wood. Fucking hell, walking in here was like opening an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitoes.
He had no choice but to turn back. The farther he walked, the angrier he became. What had been the point of coming all this way? Had he really driven over just to feed the bloody mosquitoes like an idiot?
Before he could change his mind, he took out his mobile and called Li Yu.
The call was answered quickly, but the voice wasn't Li Yu's.
“Hello?”
Jian Suiying answered with a puzzled “Hello?” of his own, wondering whether he'd dialled the wrong number.
“Oh, I'm Li Yu's roommate. He's having a shower. May I ask who's calling?”
“Tell him my surname is Jian. I'm… I'm his boss.”
“Oh! I know who you are. Hello, sir, hello!”
He moved away from the phone and called out, “Li Yu, it's your boss!”
Jian Suiying strained his ears desperately. He heard Li Yu reply, but couldn't make out the words.
The roommate came back on the line.
“He wants to know what you need.”
“I'm at your university… I need to see him. Tell him to come out after he's finished showering.”
“All right, I'll tell him. Where are you?”
“…At the main gate.”
“Which gate?”
*Why the fuck do you need so many details? Are you arranging a date with me?* Jian Suiying thought. He answered vaguely, “The east gate.”
“All right. I'll tell him to come and find you when he gets out.”
“Have him ring me back first.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Jian Suiying sat on a stone bench and waited for the call. He waited and waited. Almost half an hour passed without a bloody thing happening.
He knew Li Yu wasn't coming. Disappointment and anger filled him. He felt he'd been an utter fool that day. He'd come to this dreadful place, got lost, spent ages being bitten by mosquitoes and hadn't even managed to see the person he'd come for. Could he possibly make a bigger idiot of himself?
He got up, intending to return to his car and leave.
He'd only taken a few steps when his phone suddenly rang. His heart gave a violent jolt. Feeling inexplicably nervous, he pulled out the phone and looked at the screen.
Li Yu's name was displayed there.
Jian Suiying couldn't describe how he felt at that moment. His immediate thought was that, simply because Li Yu had bothered to call him back, he'd wear a condom if he ever fucked him in future.
He answered. Li Yu's voice was as cold as ever.
“Where are you? I can't see you.”
“Huh?” Jian Suiying instinctively glanced around. Nobody had passed by for ages. Someone could bury him in this wood, and perhaps nobody would ever know.
“You said you were at the east gate. I'm here.”
Only then did Jian Suiying remember the lie he'd told without thinking.
“I'm not at the east gate.”
Li Yu sounded impatient. “Then which gate are you at?”
“I'm not at any gate.”
Li Yu pronounced each syllable deliberately.
“Jian. Sui. Ying.”
Then he hung up.
Without thinking, Jian Suiying immediately called him back. He had to dial six or seven times before Li Yu finally answered.
“What do you want? Haven't you played enough games?”
Jian Suiying replied rudely, “Fuck. I'm not playing games with you. Can't you let a man finish talking?”
“…Go on, then.”
“I'm at your university, in some bloody out-of-the-way corner. I've got lost. I don't know where I am.”
“Then why did you say you were at the east gate? It's a fifteen-minute walk from my dormitory.”
“Didn't I tell you to ring me after your shower? If you'd called me, we could have sorted the whole thing out.”
Li Yu rolled his eyes. “What exactly have you come to my university for? If it's not something important, just go home.”
“Can't I visit for no reason? They don't charge an entrance fee.”
Li Yu gave a contemptuous snort. “Go home.”
“Wait! I can't find the way back. You… come and get me.”
“How am I supposed to find you when you don't even know where you are?”
“I'm beside a wood.”
“There are woods all over our university.”
Jian Suiying snapped, “I don't care. Come and get me right now. If you don't… I'll call your brother. If you won't listen to me, let's see whether you listen to him!”
Li Yu gritted his teeth. “Jian Suiying, you shameless bloody scoundrel.”
Jian Suiying chuckled. “Hurry up and get over here.”
“I don't know where you are!”
Jian Suiying quickly described his surroundings. After a long, difficult exchange, Li Yu finally worked out approximately where he was.
“You're a long way from me. I'll have to go back and get the car. Wait there.”
“Don't take forever.”
He waited another half-hour or more. The mosquitoes were biting him so badly that he'd lost all interest in breathing fresh air. He had no choice but to hide inside his car.
He was almost falling asleep when a flash of light reflected in his wing mirror and woke him. Looking back, he saw a Mercedes SUV approach and stop beside his own car.
Jian Suiying opened his door and jumped out. Li Yu got out too, and they stood staring at each other across the two cars. It looked rather like a drug deal in a television drama. Jian Suiying found the scene ridiculous.
The spot was remote, but a good university was clearly different from other places. Even this neglected corner had streetlights, so it wasn't especially dark.
Jian Suiying looked at Li Yu beneath the lights. After a little more than a month apart, the boy seemed even more handsome than before. His skin was so smooth it almost reflected the light. Jian Suiying felt a bitter ache in his heart.
Li Yu casually shut the car door and walked towards him, stopping about two metres away. Frowning, he asked,
“What exactly have you come here for?”
“I came to see how you've been getting on, and to remind you that you still owe me a fuck.”
Li Yu's face darkened. “Haven't you got anything better to do than think about this rubbish all day? Get in the car. I'll show you the way out. Stop wasting my time.”
He turned back towards his car.
Jian Suiying was furious. He hadn't actually come to cause trouble that day. He simply hadn't seen Li Yu for more than a month and wanted to catch a glimpse of him. He'd never expected Li Yu to treat him with such contempt.
He charged forwards, but Li Yu was prepared. He turned and raised an arm across his chest to block him.
Jian Suiying had to stop. Thoroughly displeased, he said,
“You ate your fill, wiped your mouth and walked away. You think that settles the matter?”
Li Yu glared at him. “Dream on.”
“Li Yu, when it comes to that, you owe me a turn.”
“You're sick.”
Li Yu turned to leave again. Jian Suiying caught his arm, and they began to struggle.
Li Yu grew increasingly irritated. He should never have come. What the hell had been wrong with his head that he'd actually driven out to see this man? What good could ever come from meeting someone like Jian Suiying?
As they struggled, their bodies inevitably knocked together. Li Yu kept retreating, determined not to let Jian Suiying touch him. He avoided him like the plague, making Jian Suiying's face redden with anger.
Li Yu shouted, “What the hell do you want? Are you some kind of rabid dog? Why won't you leave me alone?”
Jian Suiying shouted back, “That's right, I'm not leaving you alone! If you've got the guts, dig a hole and bury me. This looks like a good place. Nobody would find the body for ages.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Jian Suiying shoved him hard against the car door.
His words came out indistinctly.
“What are you fighting for? You've done far worse things to me. Now I want to take this little liberty, and you won't even allow that. Does every advantage in the world have to belong to you?”
Li Yu's face flushed scarlet. “Let go of me, you…”
As they struggled, Jian Suiying suddenly went rigid. Li Yu froze as well. For a moment, the atmosphere between them became indescribably strange. Then Jian Suiying unexpectedly burst out laughing.
Li Yu wanted to crawl into a hole. He lowered his head, shook Jian Suiying's arm off and opened the car door to get inside.
Unfortunately for him, he was so angry that he'd forgotten he'd just walked round from the driver's side. The door he opened was on the passenger side. Jian Suiying seized the chance and immediately pushed him back onto the seat.
Li Yu felt as though something in his head had snapped.
He'd known perfectly well that he shouldn't have come to see Jian Suiying today.
He desperately tried to retreat farther into the car, but there was only so much space.
…
Their eyes met, and both looked a little embarrassed, especially Li Yu.
Li Yu suddenly caught the back of Jian Suiying's head and pulled his face close to his own.
“What did you come looking for me to do?” he asked.
Jian Suiying replied softly, “I told you.”
Jian Suiying immediately realised what was happening and cursed,
“Don't take advantage and then act innocent!”
Li Yu was so furious he nearly ground his teeth to pieces.
Jian Suiying had driven all this way, and now he apparently intended to dust himself off and leave as casually as if nothing had happened. Even a performing monkey got a banana for its efforts. Li Yu had been left with nothing but the smell of a banana skin. Could there be anyone more rotten in the world?
Li Yu held one arm firmly across Jian Suiying's chest, preventing him from getting up.
“Jian Suiying, you provoke me and then think you can just leave? Do you never want me to have a peaceful life?”
“Don't even think about it.”
Jian Suiying gave him a contemptuous look.
Li Yu pinned him down tightly, his eyes reddening as he glared.
“You're not leaving… You… you can't leave.”
Looking at him like this, Jian Suiying suddenly thought Li Yu seemed rather pitiful.
*What an unexpected joke,* he thought. *Perhaps I should enjoy the sight a little longer?*
Li Yu knew how wretched he looked.
There was no chance Jian Suiying would agree. They started wrestling again, while Jian Suiying continued cursing and taunting him.
The space inside the car was limited, leaving neither of them much room to move.
Li Yu had more or less worked out Jian Suiying's temperament by now. He responded to gentleness, not force. The more aggressive the other person became, the more aggressively he fought back, turning everything into a contest of stubbornness. But if someone took a gentler approach, the effect could be unexpectedly good.
In this respect, Li Yu was very different from Jian Suiying. He knew when to adjust his tactics to get what he wanted. Jian Suiying, on the other hand, was so arrogant that even when he was wrong, he'd never compromise if doing so might wound his masculine pride.
…
…
Li Yu wrapped an arm firmly around Jian Suiying's waist and spoke in a low voice.
“What are you suddenly angry about now? You're impossible.”
What was he angry about? Jian Suiying was angry with himself for having succumbed to the temptation of this little fox spirit. He'd driven all the way out here, got lost, fed mosquitoes and waited more than an hour, all because of Li Yu. What sort of ridiculous devotion was that?
Jian Suiying pushed Li Yu away, slipped on his shoes, and stood squarely on the ground. He casually stuffed his tie into his pocket. Two buttons had come off the front of his shirt.
Li Yu looked at his open shirt and felt uncomfortable. Instinctively, he didn't want anyone else seeing Jian Suiying's body. But remembering the man's attitude, he forced himself to resist the urge to tie his necktie for him.
He sighed softly. “Are you hungry? Shall we get something to eat before bed?”
Without looking back, Jian Suiying opened the car door.
“I'm not eating. Hurry up and show me the way out.”
He slammed the door.
But Li Yu drove him round in a circle and stopped in front of a small shop selling *malatang*, spicy hotpot skewers.
Jian Suiying looked around. They were still on university grounds.
Li Yu got out and tapped on his car window.
Jian Suiying lowered the window.
“What have you brought me here for? I told you I wasn't eating.”
“Come and have something. You must be hungry.”
Jian Suiying looked irritated and bared his teeth.
“Don't flatter yourself. I'm not tired in the slightest.”
Li Yu looked at his red, angry face and couldn't help laughing.
“You're telling lies with your eyes wide open. You're a grown man. Why do you insist on scoring these tiny verbal victories? Come on, get out.”
He reached through the window, unlocked the car door and opened it, then practically dragged Jian Suiying out.
One look at the little shop was enough to bring out Young Master Jian's spoilt habits. He cursed under his breath.
“You've got some bloody nerve bringing me to eat at a place like this.”
“What's wrong with it? The food's good.”
Li Yu looked at the stretch of chest exposed by Jian Suiying's open shirt. Finally unable to stand it, he slipped a hand into Jian Suiying's trouser pocket and took out the tie. He skilfully looped it around his neck.
“What are you doing? I told you I wasn't wearing it.”
Jian Suiying slapped his hand hard.
Li Yu really didn't want Jian Suiying appearing in front of other people looking like this. He straightened the front of his shirt and tied the necktie, arranging it as well as he could to hide the missing buttons.
Only after concealing Jian Suiying's body did he feel satisfied.
“Let's go.”
He tugged Jian Suiying towards the malatang shop.
Perhaps because it wasn't the weekend and it was almost midnight, there weren't many customers. When business was good, people usually had to queue here.
Li Yu took a tray by the entrance and piled it with food. Then they chose a table in the corner and sat down.
Jian Suiying looked askance at the small shop, with its peeling walls and posters of outdated celebrities. The low plastic stool beneath him felt uncomfortable no matter how he sat on it.
Seeing him fidget, Li Yu couldn't resist asking,
“Why are you so spoilt?”
“Who's spoilt? Is worrying about food safety being spoilt? What's wrong with you?”
Li Yu speared a beef ball with a skewer and held it near Jian Suiying's mouth.
“One meal isn't going to poison you to death. What are you afraid of?”
Jian Suiying narrowed his eyes at the beef ball for quite some time before finally opening his mouth and reluctantly eating it.
It really did taste excellent. Jian Suiying thought it was no wonder that all these students, with their young, healthy digestive systems, liked eating here.
Li Yu smiled. “Suilin loves the malatang from this place. Every time he visits me, he insists on coming here for a meal in the evening.”
Jian Suiying snorted noncommittally.
He actually was rather hungry. Eventually, with Li Yu's encouragement, he bent his head and started eating too.
By the time they finished, both were stuffed. When it was time to pay, Jian Suiying watched Li Yu hand the older woman at the counter a fifty-yuan note. His eyes widened when he saw her return more than ten yuan in change.
In all his life, Jian Suiying had never experienced someone treating him to a meal that cost little more than thirty yuan. He couldn't find words to describe how he felt.
He couldn't exactly say aloud, *You took every possible advantage of me and then treated me to a thirty-yuan bowl of street food. Have you no shame?*
But he felt terribly resentful. He knew it wasn't a proper comparison, yet he couldn't stop thinking that his price had been set ridiculously low.
Li Yu, completely oblivious to any of this, yawned.
“Come on. I'll show you the way out.”
Jian Suiying glared at him and once again slammed the car door with a loud bang.
Li Yu stared at him, baffled.
After driving behind Li Yu's car for several minutes, Jian Suiying recognised the same gate through which he'd entered.
He pressed hard on the accelerator and shot through the university gates, speeding away without looking back.
Li Yu was momentarily stunned to see him leave without even saying goodbye. Watching the rear of Jian Suiying's car gradually disappear, he couldn't help licking his lips.
After returning home, Jian Suiying remained gloomy for several days.
He still couldn't quite believe he'd given in to Li Yu so easily. What troubled him most was the realisation that he cared about Li Yu far more deeply than he'd imagined.
He was staring blankly at his computer screen when Jian Suilin knocked and came into the office.
These days, Little Lin managed to come in one or two days a week whenever his timetable allowed. Li Yu had also broken his usual pattern and come to work for a full day two days earlier, though Jian Suiying couldn't be bothered to see him.
Jian Suiying collected his thoughts and returned to work mode.
“What is it?”
“President Jian, about the Land Bureau documents you asked for last time. This section can be photocopied, but some of the rest can't be copied or taken away, so I had to transcribe those parts by hand. As for the plans and other important materials, if you need them, I'll ask their supervisors for permission to bring them over.”
“Mm. Leave them here. I'll look through them first.”
Jian Suilin slowly set the documents down, his eyes fixed on Jian Suiying's neck.
Noticing that he hadn't left, Jian Suiying raised his head.
“What else is it?”
Jian Suilin looked embarrassed and pointed to his own neck.
“Brother, here…”
Jian Suiying touched his neck. He remembered there was a love bite there that occasionally showed above his collar.
“Oh.”
He didn't seem concerned, merely pulling his collar up a little.
Jian Suilin reached across the desk and straightened it properly so the mark was concealed. His movements were somewhat stiff, but it wasn't a complicated task, and he finished quickly.
Jian Suiying brushed his hand aside.
“Get on with your work.”
Jian Suilin took a deep breath and said calmly,
“Brother, you haven't been home for dinner in ages. Dad asked you to visit when you've got time.”
“Mm. When I'm free.”
“Brother, thank you for buying me the car.”
“Oh. You could buy yourself a better one now.”
“There's no need. I'm still studying.”
“Mm. Good that you understand that.”
“I'll go, then.”
“Little Lin.”
“Yes?”
“Do you go and see Li Yu often?”
Jian Suilin froze. The image of Jian Suiying kissing Li Yu on the beach flashed through his mind. He considered his answer before speaking.
“We meet occasionally.”
Jian Suiying glanced at him.
“You've got money and free time now. Hurry up and find yourself a girlfriend.”
Jian Suilin's hands, hidden behind his back, clenched and released. He forced a stiff smile.
“Brother, what do you mean by that?”
Jian Suiying blinked at his tense expression, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
“What on earth are you thinking, you little brat? You think I'm afraid you'll steal my man?”
Jian Suilin's expression grew unpleasant. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Jian Suiying was certain that even if Little Lin had ten times his present courage, he wouldn't dare. He'd never try to steal something belonging to his older brother. Any such offence would earn him a serious punishment.
Jian Suiying was very confident about Little Lin's obedience.
He chuckled. “Look how frightened you are. Relax. When I want something, I don't worry about anyone else setting their sights on it. And I know you and Li Yu are only friends. What I mean is, don't spend all your time hanging around with a load of bachelors. You're young. Find a girlfriend, flirt a little and enjoy yourself.”
Jian Suilin forced a small smile. “I haven't met a suitable girl.”
“Well, that does depend on fate. You know Dad worries sometimes that I might be a bad influence on you. If you find yourself a girlfriend, it'll take some pressure off me.”
Jian Suilin lowered his eyelids slightly and didn't speak.
“All right. Go and do your work. This week, I'll…”
Jian Suiying looked through his schedule.
“Friday. I'll come home on Friday.”
“All right. I'll go now.”
Jian Suilin had reached the door when Jian Suiying suddenly called him back again. After hesitating a moment, he asked,
“Do youngsters your age all like eating at those filthy roadside stalls?”
The question was so unexpected that Jian Suilin froze.
“Ah… They're all right. Sometimes a big group of us go after playing ball. It's quite fun.”
Jian Suiying tried to remember what he'd been like at Jian Suilin's age, but his memories were hazy. It had been almost ten years ago, after all.
In any case, Jian Suilin's answer made him feel a little better. At least he wouldn't have to keep dwelling on the embarrassingly sentimental question of whether Li Yu had treated him shabbily.
After Jian Suilin left, Jian Suiying sighed again. He was twenty-seven that year. It suddenly occurred to him that this might be the first time in his life he'd ever encountered what people called *relationship problems* — and with a boy seven or eight years younger than himself.
That awkward, humiliating feeling he couldn't possibly discuss with anyone else… The less said about it, the better.