Chapter 19
In late August, the daytime heat was still intense, but the evenings had already lost that summer edge, especially on the rooftop of the 50-story building, where a gentle breeze brought a light, refreshing coolness.
Qin Mofeng had managed to convince Shen Yan to drink a few more cups of wine, and now Shen Yan’s head was a bit fuzzy. Not wanting to be forced into drinking more, he distanced himself and leaned on the edge of the rooftop, letting the wind clear his head.
Unable to drag Shen Yan back for more rounds, Qin Mofeng turned to Su Yunzhe, trying to pull him into drinking with him. But Su Yunzhe ignored him, leaving Qin Mofeng grumbling about betrayal and recounting past grievances, complaining that Su Yunzhe was an ungrateful friend.
Seated casually on a high stool in a simple cotton T-shirt, Su Yunzhe looked at ease. One leg was stretched out in front of him, the other bent on the stool’s crossbar. His hair ruffled in the wind, but he maintained an air of calm indifference, clearly not bothered by Qin Mofeng’s venting.
Leaning on the railing, Shen Yan found his gaze lingering on Su Yunzhe without even realizing it.
Su Yunzhe noticed his stare, lifting an eyebrow in a silent “What are you looking at?” expression.
Shen Yan snapped out of it, gave a light chuckle, and walked back over to Qin Mofeng. “Hey, Feng-ge, is it really true Su always used to sing to girls outside their dorms?”
“True as day! What, Yan-meizi, you feeling jealous?” Qin Mofeng teased, winking at Shen Yan. “You want to know who he was serenading, huh?”
Shen Yan chuckled and shook his head. No matter how many times he explained, Qin Mofeng kept misconstruing his relationship with Su Yunzhe.
Seeing he couldn’t convince Su Yunzhe to sing, Qin Mofeng huffed and said, “Fine, no singing for us, and honestly, it’s not like he sings that well anyway! Here, let your big brother Feng show you what real singing sounds like! Back in the day, whenever I started singing, let me tell you, the girls practically screamed for me to marry them!”
“Go for it, Feng-ge! Can’t wait to hear!” Shen Yan clapped enthusiastically, though he felt a bit let down. Oddly enough, he’d really wanted to hear Su Yunzhe sing.
Qin Mofeng had indeed talked himself up accurately—his voice was pleasant and full of spirit, quickly pulling Shen Yan out of his slight disappointment, even drawing him in to hum along.
After the song, Su Yunzhe unexpectedly stood up, his gaze on Qin Mofeng’s guitar. He took it without a word.
Caught off guard, Qin Mofeng balked. “Hey, hey, you had your chance! I’m the one singing here!”
Then he turned to Shen Yan. “Yan-meizi, it’s your turn! Show Feng-ge what you’ve got.”
Shen Yan had just been marveling at Su Yunzhe’s change of heart, thinking he might finally sing, but now the attention was on him.
He shook his head, about to deflect when Qin Mofeng’s phone rang. It was his notorious boss calling, and after a few muttered curses, Qin Mofeng turned to them. “Can you believe this guy? Getting calls to go in at this hour? Screw it—I’m quitting tomorrow!” And with that, he rushed off.
Shen Yan checked his watch; it was nearly ten. Worried, he asked Su Yunzhe, “Will Feng-ge be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. But you…” Su Yunzhe glanced down at the guitar before handing it to Shen Yan with a light smile. “How about a song from you?”
Surprised, Shen Yan hesitated, then gave in to his curiosity. He strummed a few test chords and, satisfied, gave Su Yunzhe a playful look. “Alright, but only if you’re next, Su-ge.”
Su Yunzhe merely raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment.
He started playing a simple, gentle Japanese song, his voice low, barely louder than a whisper, as if sharing a private secret in the night. The soft melody floated up, blending with the breeze, creating a moment that felt strangely intimate.
When he finished, no one spoke. Shen Yan had been excited to hear Su Yunzhe sing, but Su Yunzhe just sat there, looking at him silently.
Their eyes met. Shen Yan’s heart started racing unexpectedly, and he could’ve sworn he saw warmth—and maybe even a hint of a smile—behind Su Yunzhe’s usually impassive gaze.
Feeling his face heat up, he quickly broke eye contact, grabbed his cup, and blurted, “Thirsty!” before hastily downing it.
Damn it—he’d forgotten it was alcohol.
Only after he’d gulped it down did he realize, too late to spit it out. All he could do was follow it with a full glass of water, while Su Yunzhe chuckled at his clumsy attempt.
Still chuckling, Su Yunzhe stood and said, “Alright, time to head down.”
Buzzed but not yet drunk, Shen Yan was still alert enough to grab Su Yunzhe’s arm. “No way—you promised it was your turn next. You wouldn’t back out on me, would you?”
Su Yunzhe looked at him, his face the picture of innocence. “Did I?”
“You…” Shen Yan paused, wracking his brain. But with the alcohol clouding his thoughts, he couldn’t remember. Instead, he clung to Su Yunzhe’s arm tighter. “You definitely promised! No going back now!”
With a laugh, Su Yunzhe leaned down and teased, “Alright, but what if I’m just going back on it? What’ll you do then?”
