Chapter 35

Rong Yi blushed as he looked at the last four words, his heart racing.

He was extremely susceptible to Xiao Yin’s actions. Even though he knew Xiao Yin didn’t mean anything by it, he still found himself deeply affected.

Seeing that Xiao Yin was determined to have this meal, Rong Yi decided not to insist further on the formalities.

He said, “Then let me treat you. I’ll go to sleep now. Let’s wake up naturally in the morning and then head out?”

Xiao Yin replied with an “OK.”

So, Rong Yi hurried to bed.

However, because Xiao Yin mentioned he’d be back around midnight, Rong Yi couldn’t help but think about it subconsciously, which caused him to have a restless night.

In his subconscious, he kept expecting to hear some noise indicating Xiao Yin’s return. But since he didn’t hear anything, he remained in a light sleep.

The next morning, Rong Yi got up with slightly dark circles under his eyes.

He got dressed and looked outside. The villa was quiet. It was only 7:30 in the morning, so the Hydralisk and Grey Cat were definitely still asleep.

The door to Xiao Yin’s room across from him was tightly shut. He couldn’t tell if Xiao Yin hadn’t come back at all or if he was just sleeping.

Rong Yi went to the dining area and ordered a bowl of tofu pudding and some fried dough sticks. While eating, he checked his messages.

Lin Yi had stayed up all night and messaged him: “Easy, you guys are resting, right! Wanna come hang out with me?”

Rong Yi took a bite of his fried dough stick and replied: “No time today, having a meal with Yin.”

Lin Yi responded, “Oh, a date, huh? Reunion of a broken mirror. You still love his type.”

Rong Yi’s ears turned a bit red.

Despite this, he felt the need to clarify, saying, “Well… officially, we’re still together.”

“Such a shame, I recently met a younger brother who’s the same sexual orientation as you. I was thinking of introducing a few people to you, so you don’t have to hang on to Xiao Yin forever.”

Lin Yi sighed, “Yin is great in every way, except he seems a bit heartless. I’ve thought about it for many days, but I still worry you’ll get hurt. After all, I was the one who introduced you.”

Rong Yi didn’t want to continue on this topic, so he quickly changed the subject: “Who do you recommend? Are they handsome?”

Of course, he didn’t have the time to look for another partner. Dealing with Xiao Yin alone was already overwhelming.

Lin Yi, being both brave and resourceful, really sent him a few high-definition pictures. It looked like he had forwarded someone else’s daily posts.

“All of them are the cool type of guys. You’ll definitely like them.”

“Wow.”

Rong Yi glanced at the pictures and gave a polite compliment, “Nice abs.”

Lin Yi said, “Oh no, you’re starting to check out guys’ abs. You’re really quite bent1.”

Rong Yi sent a confused emoji in response.

But honestly, the only one who had ever made his heart race was that one person.

The abs in the picture were indeed impressive.

But they were different from a certain someone’s.

Xiao Yin’s skin was paler, his lines were sharper, and touching them felt…

Rong Yi suddenly realized what he was thinking about early in the morning and snapped out of it.

He buried his head in his tofu pudding.

The tofu pudding was very hot, so he focused on blowing it cool. He didn’t notice until a shadow fell across his table that someone had sat down opposite him.

He put the tofu pudding in his mouth and looked up, only to find it was Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin looked slightly tired, but his expression was as calm and indifferent as ever. “Morning.”

Rong Yi silently turned off the screen of his phone and pulled it back from the table’s center. “Morning. When did you get back today?”

“4:30 AM, slept for a bit.” Xiao Yin said, “Slept on the plane.”

Rong Yi responded with a noncommittal sound and then heard Xiao Yin ask quietly, “What were you looking at?”

His eyes were sharp. Rong Yi had just left his phone on the table, with a prominent picture of a man’s well-defined abs.

Rong Yi knew Xiao Yin had seen it, so he maintained a calm exterior and explained, “A friend sent me some pictures, nothing important. Do you have any preference for what to eat? I can look up some restaurants.”

“Anything is fine with me. Whatever you like.”

Xiao Yin replied.

Rong Yi then found a Music Tavern that Lin Yi had taken him to before it had a nice atmosphere.

It served Sichuan cuisine with some local adaptations, something both he and Xiao Yin could enjoy.

After finishing his breakfast, Rong Yi went back to sleep for a while and set an alarm for half an hour before they had to leave.

The alarm went off right on time. Rong Yi turned it off, then tiptoed to the door to see if Xiao Yin was ready.

To his surprise, Xiao Yin was already sitting in the living room, fully dressed and looking at his phone.

Hydralisk and Grey Cat had gone to play a script murder game, leaving only Xiao Yin in the living room.

He was dressed in a stylish dark green casual outfit, exuding a blend of aloofness and a bit of a rogue vibe. It suited him well, making him look very handsome.

He didn’t see Rong Yi peeking out but heard the door opening.

Rong Yi received a message from Xiao Yin, sent just moments ago: “Awake? Ready to head out?”

Rong Yi retreated into his room and replied, “Give me ten more minutes to change.”

Xiao Yin: “Sure.”

A date, huh.

Rong Yi leaned against his wardrobe, contemplating seriously.

He picked out an outfit and changed. He liked white bright, dazzling white like snow.

However, in the center of the snowy white was a small, new green accessory.

It was sort of a couple’s item, though not very obvious.

After getting ready, Rong Yi went downstairs and said to Xiao Yin, “Let’s go.”

Xiao Yin had indeed been waiting for him. He put his phone away, stood up, and his gaze lingered on Rong Yi for a second before nodding.

The weather was a bit sultry today, and it was a holiday, so the streets were crowded, causing traffic jams from the first ring road to the third.

Since Rong Yi couldn’t drive, Xiao Yin was the driver. Rong Yi sat in the passenger seat while the navigation system announced turns and the location of crowds. The car barely moved, and the sun shone brightly outside.

Inside the car, the air conditioning blew cool air gently. Rong Yi held his phone, feeling the silence around him.

Unlike previous outings where they had a driver, this time it was just him and Xiao Yin.

Going out alone with just the two of them felt a bit odd.

Although Xiao Yin called it a date.

But previous dates hadn’t been this awkward.

Before, Rong Yi was the chatty one. Now, he was much more reserved, so it turned into both of them having nothing to say.

After a while, Rong Yi thought of a few topics, but before he could speak, Lin Yi messaged him again.

Lin Yi was evidently bored, talking about trivial matters.

“Ah, you’re already out. Stuck in traffic, right? This time of day is the worst.”

“Have you done anything on your date yet? It’s been almost an hour since you left, right? Just stuck in traffic? Come on, give me some dog food. I can handle it.”

“Easy Baby, do you remember when you were dating back then, sending me four hundred messages in an hour?”

“You were like, ‘Ah! He held my hand! Should I hold his back?'”

Rong Yi’s ears turned red. He fought back against the exposure of his embarrassing past, “Keep it up and I’ll block you.”

Lin Yi finally quieted down and started sending him gossip from various esports forums.

After chatting for a while, Rong Yi felt Xiao Yin’s gaze on him, so he put his phone away.

Constantly looking at your phone while out with someone else is impolite.

But he really wasn’t ready to start a conversation.

Xiao Yin spoke first, “Is the air conditioning too cold?”

Rong Yi shook his head, “It’s fine, not too cold.”

The traffic jam lasted another twenty minutes.

Fortunately, their reservation time for the restaurant hadn’t passed. Once they arrived, Rong Yi, relying on memory, ordered a few of the signature dishes and then handed the menu to Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin added a few more dishes and then passed the menu to the waiter.

The waiter asked, “Would you two gentlemen like to upgrade to a private couple’s booth? We have a promotion today offering a free upgrade.”

Before Xiao Yin could respond, Rong Yi, feeling a bit awkward, said, “No, this is fine.”

“Would you like to order any drinks?”

Rong Yi flipped through the menu.

The cold drinks here were mostly alcoholic.

Who drinks alcohol at noon?

This Music Tavern was semi-open-air. Rong Yi noticed a cold drink shop outside. He declined the waiter’s offer and then turned to Xiao Yin, “I’ll go buy some drinks from that shop outside. What would you like?”

Xiao Yin stood up as well, “I’ll go with you.”

Rong Yi didn’t mind. They both left the tavern hall and started lining up.

The weather was quite sultry, and there were six or seven people ahead of them in line, all under a sunshade.

Right in front of Rong Yi and Xiao Yin was a young couple.

The girl was half-complaining, half-pouting at the boy, “Ugh, it’s too hot. Don’t hold my hand anymore.”

The boy affectionately patted the girl’s head and said something they couldn’t hear.

Xiao Yin glanced down at Rong Yi’s hand.

Today, Rong Yi was dressed in white, looking striking, vibrant, and as beautiful as a white rose.

When he had nothing to do, his hands would hang quietly at his sides, with pinkish-white, slender, and delicate fingers.

The shop’s service was quick, and their number was called soon.

Rong Yi carried two large cups of watermelon ice, handed one to Xiao Yin, and sipped through a straw while heading back to their booth in the Music Tavern.

The dishes started arriving slowly. He and Xiao Yin had exchanged fewer than three sentences.

“Is it spicy?”

“No.”

“I’ll get a bowl for the soup. Do you want one?”

“Sure.”

Rong Yi returned with two bowls and handed one to Xiao Yin, who suddenly said, “I haven’t been here before. Are there other places in B City you like to eat at?”

Good topic.

Rong Yi almost searched for “how to start a conversation.” With Xiao Yin initiating, he felt much more relaxed.

He had just started speaking, barely a few words out, when a deafening drum sound erupted from the center of the hall, drowning out everyone else’s voices.

“What…”

Rong Yi turned his head and saw a fully equipped band taking the stage. Even the restaurant lights dimmed, replaced by the shifting colors of neon lights.

Rong Yi immediately had a bad feeling. “Are they… about to start performing?”

His question was swallowed by the sea of music.

The lead singer shouted, “Let’s get hyped!” and then the deafening music filled the air.

Rong Yi was at a loss for words.

He began to question why he had chosen this place to treat Xiao Yin.

Music Tavern, great ambiance.

Yes, music.

This was definitely a musical ambiance.

After finishing their meal, Rong Yi and Xiao Yin stepped outside. When it was finally quiet enough, Rong Yi softly explained.

“Last time, someone else brought me here. There wasn’t any live music then. I didn’t expect they’d suddenly start performing today.”

“Was it a bit too loud?”

Xiao Yin replied, “It’s fine.”

After eating, it was only two in the afternoon. Rong Yi looked at the bright sky and asked for Xiao Yin’s opinion. “Should we head back or catch a movie or something?”

“Let’s watch a movie,” Xiao Yin suggested.

Xiao Yin had a calm nature and never had any particular preferences for what to eat or do. It was the same before; wherever Rong Yi wanted to go, Xiao Yin would accompany him.

Xiao Yin took out his phone and checked the latest movies. He bought the tickets.

Rong Yi went to get fries, popcorn, and soda, keeping his hands full the whole way.

They ended up watching a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film.

It was the off-season for movies, so there weren’t many good options, and this one turned out to be extremely boring.

Halfway through, Rong Yi nearly fell asleep, pinching his thigh several times to stay awake.

He glanced at Xiao Yin a few times and noticed that Xiao Yin was watching intently, his eyes bright in the dim theater light.

Rong Yi thought that dating Xiao Yin now might not be a good idea.

The initial excitement of their relationship had faded, and they knew each other too well. It felt more like a cooperative relationship now, leaving them with little to say.

So, the date turned into something of a chore, filled with awkwardness.

When they left the theater, it was finally around five or six in the evening, with the sky darkening. They had a reason to go home.

Rong Yi naturally suggested, “Let’s head back? It’s getting late.”

Xiao Yin agreed, “Mm.”

They drove home, hitting traffic again.

Rong Yi felt that the date had been a complete failure. He opened his social media and messaged Lin Yi for advice.

“It seems like my date with Xiao Yin was a failure.”

Lin Yi replied, “What? A date with Xiao Yin can fail? Where’s the old you?”

Rong Yi, typing against the car window, thought for a moment and secretly admitted, “It was awkward. We didn’t have much to talk about. I think he might have found it boring.”

“Did you two talk much on dates before?” Lin Yi was curious.

Rong Yi thought hard.

“Well, not really.”

Lin Yi was speechless. He had never seen anything like it. Two people managing to make a romance so uncommunicative.

Rong Yi chatted with Lin Yi the whole way, and finally, Xiao Yin parked the car back at the Club.

It was a rest day, so the Club was dark except for the lights in Hydralisk and Grey Cat’s rooms. The living room was pitch black.

Rong Yi waited for Xiao Yin to park the car, then walked with him towards the villa door. Suddenly, Xiao Yin asked.

“Was it boring going out with me?”

Rong Yi was about to enter the door code when his fingers paused, a bit flustered.

He quickly said, “No, not at all. I invited you to dinner… to thank you. It wasn’t boring.”

He finished entering the code, but before he could open the door, Xiao Yin gently pressed his shoulder and turned him around.

The door relocked, and Rong Yi found himself pressed against the keypad door, forced to meet Xiao Yin’s gaze.

It was those deep, dark eyes again.

“I want to pursue you.”

Footnote:

1. Bent(弯): Arly in British English slang, the word “bent” has been used to refer to someone who is homosexual. It’s similar to the word “gay” in this sense. However, it’s important to note that this usage is somewhat dated and can be considered offensive or derogatory in modern times. It’s not commonly used in contemporary, respectful conversation about sexual orientation.

For example, in the past, someone might have said, “He’s bent,” meaning “He’s gay.”   But today, people would more likely use “gay” or other terms that are considered more respectful and appropriate.