Zhou Xiang worked until eleven o'clock in the evening before they finally called it a day. Yan Mingxiu didn’t look like a person with patience, but he quietly sat at a corner the entire time, eyes closed and ear phones in his ears, silently waiting for Zhou Xiang.
Although everyone on set was stunned by his looks, no one could tell what he was thinking.
Once in a while Zhou Xiang would turn his head and would see Yan Mingxiu sitting at the side with an indifferent expression on his face, glancing at him from time to time.
This person waited eight to nine hours for him, from the afternoon to nearly midnight. Zhou Xiang didn't know why Yan Mingxiu decided to do this, but he was very touched.
Never in his life had there been anyone who had waited so long for him for the sake of going home together with him. Zhou Xiang simply didn’t know how to describe how happy he felt. Yan Mingxiu was a person who captivated people like this. There were times when he was very cold, and there were also times when he would do unexpectedly moving things. Zhou Xiang was finding more and more impossible to move his eyes away from such a contradictory and mysterious person.
After Zhou Xiang finished work, he walked over Yan Mingxiu, who was resting with his eyes closed, and touched his nose.
Yan Mingxiu opened his eyes. "Finished work?"
Zhou Xiang gently smiled. "Yup, sorry for making you wait for so long, you should have gone back first."
"It's boring being alone." Yan Mingxiu stood up, and stretched his legs. "Let's go to eat something. I know a place that has good Japanese cuisine, you should follow my car there."
Zhou Xiang replied, "Sure, you lead the way."
They went downstairs and Zhou Xiang saw that Yan Mingxiu's car was a Lexus SUV. He glanced at it and then laughed, "You are indeed a rich second generation."
The Yan Family were all people who followed the principle ‘to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water’. They never showed off their wealth outside. This car was simply an ordinary means of transport. But, in Zhou Xiang’s opinion, it was already very incredible that such a young child like Yan Mingxiu could drive a car worth around one million.
Yan Mingxiu casually said, "It's my dad's."
Because it was already so late, the drive was smooth and they reached the restaurant very quickly.
After all the dishes arrived, the waiter closed the door for them, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet space.
Zhou Xiang poured him some wine and laughed, "Mingxiu, I'm so sorry for making you wait for so long. You looked like you were about to fall asleep on your seat."
"It’s fine, I had nothing to do anyway."
"Didn't you say that you're going to start a business? What have you been up to lately?"
"I'm financing." Yan Mingxiu seemed reluctant to discuss work related stuff with him. "Try this, it's good for your kidneys."
Zhou Xiang burst out laughing. "Your Xiang'ge's liver is really good. Seeing how energetic you are, you should really be eating more to supplement yourself." Zhou Xiang was alluding to what happened in the afternoon in the toilet.
Yan Mingxiu shot him a side-glance. That glance was packed with ambiguity, and extremely amorous, making Zhou Xiang's little heart violently tremble.
"Eat more. Your job doesn't have fixed hours, and the nature of your profession is dangerous, that’s very bad for your health."
Zhou Xiang took one sip of his sake, and said quietly, "Why are you suddenly so concerned about me?"
Yan Mingxiu looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You naturally need to be in good health, because I quite like being together with you."
Zhou Xiang could feel that his cheeks were burning hot and his heart was pounding out of control. He blurted out without thinking, "How about you move in and live together with me?"
After he said those words, the two of them froze.
Yan Mingxiu silently stirred the mustard with his chopsticks. Zhou Xiang head was also down, deeply regretting the words he had accidentally blurted out without thinking.
He had definitely scared Yan Mingxiu. They had only known each other for two weeks, and he already wanted to live together with him.
Zhou Xiang wasn’t actually really thinking of living with him. In the least, he definitely wasn’t prepared to live with someone he didn't understand. No matter how compatible their bodies were, cohabitation was a matter that required careful consideration. It'll be too unsightly if their personalities clashed and they ended up falling out with each other. He was already this old, why was he still making irresponsible remarks? What on earth was wrong with him?
Zhou Xiang really wanted to give himself two slaps on the face.
Fortunately, Yan Mingxiu didn’t make any comment, using silence to express his refusal.
Zhou Xiang let out a breath of relief but at the same time, he felt a vague sense of disappointment. He felt that he was getting more and more abnormal. So long as it was a matter related to Yan Mingxiu, he would always lack some rationality in the way he handled things.
His heart gave off a big warning bell. Yan Mingxiu had so much influence on him. He wouldn't really have fallen for him, right?
Zhou Xiang had long passed the age where he would dash on bravely disregarding his own safety for the sake of love. Falling in love with twenty year old youngster, who blew hot and cold and who he didn't know much about, when he was nearing thirty was definitely not a good thing. Zhou Xiang lowered his eyes, working hard to conceal his emotions. If he had to make a choice now, he would rather to continue being sex-friends with Yan Mingxiu than to involve his feelings into it.
However, from the looks of it, all this internal conflict was all just wishful thinking on his part. Yan Mingxiu changed the topic and placed a piece of fish-roe sushi onto Zhou Xiang's plate. "Eat this. This place has really good business, all the ingredients are really fresh."
"Oh, ok." Zhou Xiang quickly recovered. "This tastes pretty good."
They continued to chat and eat as if nothing had happened.
Yan Mingxiu's phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up and saw that it was a call from Wang Yudong. He immediately answered, "Hello?"
"Ah, Mingxiu." It was obvious from Wang Yudong’s voice that he was intoxicated.
"What's wrong? You’ve been drinking?"
"Ah, yeah, come over, I'm inviting you out to eat."
"Where are you? I'll go pick you up."
"I'm... I don't know where..."
Someone next to him snatched away his phone. "Hello, can you come to pick up Mr Wang? He's at Tang Hui. He's drunk a lot."
"I'll be there right away. Please watch him." Yan Mingxiu immediately stood up.
Wang Yudong's voice was no longer recognisable. Zhou Xiang could only tell that someone was drunk, but didn’t know who it was. He asked, "Your friend is drunk?"
"Mn," Yan Mingxiu answered. "Wait for me, I'll go send him home and then come back." He then hastily put on his shoes and rushed out.
Zhou Xiang wanted to say, 'No need, I'll go home by myself' but before he could open his mouth, Yan Mingxiu had already disappeared without a trace. I wonder who it was was on the other end, to be able to make Yan Mingxiu so anxious. Zhou Xiang stared at the table of uneaten fine cuisine and felt really upset.
He hesitated over whether he should pay and leave, or do as Yan Mingxiu said and wait for him to come back.
Zhou Xiang decided to continue eating and wait for him for a while. It was possible that Yan Mingxiu might really be able to come back after sending that person back home.
Zhou Xiang waited two hours. He really couldn't wait any longer, so he gave Yan Mingxiu a phone call. The call went through but Yan Mingxiu hung up almost immediately after.
This was the kind of person Yan Mingxiu was. One second he could help place food in his bowl and be concerned about his health, and in the next second he could hang up his phone call without considering his feelings. An unstable personality like this, as good as Zhou Xiang’s temper was, even he couldn’t quite handle it.
Zhou Xiang heaved a little sigh, and called a waiter to settle the bill.
This meal cost over three thousand yuan, which was more than one month of food expenses for him. However, he didn't complain. He had never been a petty person, and he had originally been planning to treat him to this dinner anyway. It was just that this meal hadn't been a happy one. Yan Mingxiu left after only eating a few bites, and didn't come back again.
Even though it wasn't too mature to think this way, Zhou Xiang felt as if he had been toyed with. Zhou Xiang dejectedly returned home.
Translators Note
The author cut out a few lines this time. I have pasted the original below. Click "Expand" to read. Lines in purple are the cut out lines.
Expand
*****
Yan Mingxiu casually said, "It's my dad's."
Oh." Zhou Xiang responded. "Then I'll follow you. Let's go, I'm starving."
Because it was already so late, the drive was smooth and they reached the restaurant very quickly. As it was almost twelve o'clock, there weren't many people at the restaurant. The two had one tatami room to themselves. The moment Zhou Xiang flipped through the menu, his heart jumped.
The stuff here is too expensive, ten pieces of fish costs over a thousand yuan?
Last time, Yan Mingxiu invited him to eat, and he also waited so long for him today so this time Zhou Xiang should be paying for the food, but, how much is this one meal going to cost him?
Zhou Xiang inwardly sighed but quickly got over it. Money is merely a worldly possession, if this meal is eaten happily, then it's all good.
Yan Mingxiu ordered seven to eight dishes. Zhou Xiang had no interest in taking a look at the prices, he didn't want to ruin his good mood for tasting gourmet food.
After all the dishes arrived, the waiter closed the door for them, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet space.
*****