Chapter 63
The next morning, Sun Yujie skipped class again, and this time, he didn’t even send a single text message!
Silently, Su Bin marked Sun Yujie as present and sent a comforting message. He waited for a while but received no response. Unable to resist, he called during the break, but the call was abruptly ended after just a couple of rings.
…Darn it! Since they’ve known each other, Sun Yujie had never hung up on him before. Could it be because of Cheng Ang’s doing? Remembering Cheng Ang’s gloomy expression as he left yesterday, Su Bin inexplicably began to worry about Sun Yujie.
Fortunately, there was a group discussion scheduled for the afternoon, and Cheng Ang was the group leader. He was sure to attend, so Su Bin planned to observe the situation first.
During lunch with Brian, Su Bin finally received a reply from Sun Yujie: “I’m okay, just can’t get out of bed…”
Initially, Su Bin didn’t grasp the implications of this statement. But when he connected the words to the speaker, a seductive atmosphere rushed over him in an instant!
Wait a minute! “Can’t get out of bed”… Could it mean that they were engaging in… something under the sheets?
As his thoughts continued to spiral, Su Bin’s mind was suddenly inundated with lascivious imagery. This was the first time he had experienced such provocative thoughts. He chastised himself for his impure mind.
Sun Yujie! Give me back my innocence! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
In the afternoon, during the group discussion, Cheng Ang arrived on time. Seeing him composed and unperturbed, it was hard to connect him to the person who had been involved in a fight with Sun Yujie and who Sun Yujie had described as “vigorous.” Could Cheng Ang really have such a multi-faceted personality?
Observing Cheng Ang’s calm demeanor, Su Bin couldn’t help but admire him. He had fought with Sun Yujie while wounded but seemed entirely unaffected. This was no surprise, considering Cheng Ang was the head of the Chinese students in the finance department.
While Su Bin was lost in his thoughts, Cheng Ang suddenly said, “Michael, tell me your thoughts on the competitive strategies used by Company X in Case Study A.”
His words interrupted Su Bin’s train of thought. He quickly composed himself and began answering, but Cheng Ang’s sharp gaze felt like knives cutting through him with every glance. Each time their eyes met, Su Bin felt like he was losing blood. The initially straightforward question became increasingly difficult to answer, and Su Bin’s confidence dwindled with each response. Eventually, his explanations became disjointed, and he started rambling.
Cheng Ang didn’t hold back in criticizing him and even “kindly” reminded Su Bin to thoroughly study relevant financial case analysis books.
After the group discussion ended, Brian asked Su Bin in a hushed tone, “Do you have a conflict with Leo? Why did he single you out today?”
Su Bin felt like crying. “You noticed too?”
Brian responded, “It was quite obvious. Everyone could see it…”
Su Bin’s heart felt heavy. It seemed that Cheng Ang truly was the type to settle personal scores publicly. When they were about to leave the library, Su Bin’s phone rang. Seeing it was a call from Sun Yujie, he was about to answer when he noticed Cheng Ang also taking out his phone. Suddenly, as if possessed, Su Bin declined the call.
A few minutes later, Sun Yujie sent a message: “Are you with Cheng Ang? Why didn’t you answer my call, and then he called me?”
…As expected!
Suddenly, Su Bin had the feeling that any communication with Sun Yujie in the future would have to be done discreetly (ﾟДﾟ≡ﾟДﾟ).
Anxiously, Su Bin answered Sun Yujie’s call and said, in a gloomy tone, “I actually wanted to ask you, what’s going on between you and Cheng Ang?” He wanted to ask, “And what’s going on with you not being able to get out of bed?” but he was afraid that if he heard the answer, he’d lose his last shred of dignity, so he refrained.
Unfortunately, Su Bin underestimated Sun Yujie’s enthusiasm quotient. Sun Yujie prattled on, telling him everything that Su Bin should and shouldn’t hear.
It turned out that Cheng Ang and Sun Yujie started dating after a few rendezvous in bed, and Cheng Ang had asked him not to tell anyone. This request was understandable. Cheng Ang was quite famous in the Chinese community, and if their relationship was exposed, people might even use their durian-like feet to kick Sun Yujie, with Cheng Ang as the intended target. So, Cheng Ang’s request was more about protecting Sun Yujie.
Sun Yujie was over the moon with happiness, and he couldn’t care less whether Su Bin knew the truth. He kept the secret from him. However, he couldn’t hide it from Jin Fei. Jin Fei was astute, and as someone close to Cheng Ang, he knew all about Cheng Ang’s childhood blunders. Any of these stories could make Sun Yujie itch with curiosity.
As an exchange, Sun Yujie shared the details of his interactions with Cheng Ang with Jin Fei. In turn, Jin Fei told Sun Yujie about Cheng Ang’s childhood. There was nothing particularly scandalous in the stories, but Sun Yujie couldn’t fathom why Cheng Ang had been so angry upon learning about this. After returning from a chat with Jin Fei last night, Cheng Ang had subjected Sun Yujie to a night of passionate activity. He coerced Sun Yujie into promising to sever ties with Jin Fei from then on.
Recalling this event, Sun Yujie couldn’t help but exclaim, “He was so naughty and overbearing last night~ I liked it so much~”
Su Bin nearly choked on his own blood and couldn’t manage to spit it out. He felt nauseated and disgusted. The mental state he was dealing with was beyond his comprehension!
“Bread, pass on a message to Fei-ge for me. I feel really sorry for him,” Sun Yujie said apologetically.
Su Bin snarked, “Do I need to be careful when talking to you from now on? Maybe someday Cheng Ang will see us and start getting jealous for no reason.”
Sun Yujie excitedly responded, “I—I—I don’t mind!”
Furious, Su Bin retorted, “I might mind, but you clearly don’t! I’m afraid your man will give me a hard time!”
“… ” Sun Yujie’s silence conveyed a hard-to-describe sense of contentment.
Angrily, Su Bin hung up the phone and resolved to stop caring about these two gay men!
In the evening, when he returned home, Su Bin noticed several large boxes at the doorstep, labeled “Furniture” in English. Upon entering, he found that the living room had a completely new look, with a fresh carpet on the coffee table!
Jin Fei was crouched beside the sofa, assembling a new floor lamp. When he saw Su Bin return, he called him over to help.
“Why did you replace everything?” Su Bin stepped on the new carpet and felt a bit uncomfortable.
“The glass on the coffee table cracked, and there was blood from Allen on the carpet. It was distressing to look at,” Jin Fei pretended to be scared, trembling a little and saying, “Anyway, it wasn’t expensive, and Yang-ge said it had been used for several years, so I talked to him about replacing it.”
Su Bin glanced at the various pieces of furniture on the coffee table, the carpet that cost a couple thousand, the coffee table that cost nearly a thousand, and the floor lamps that numbered in the hundreds…
That’s right, in B country’s currency, multiply by twelve, and the golden retriever says it’s not expensive… Heh heh.
Remembering how he had cared so much about a pot of green onions last night, and how he had unwittingly harmed Allen, Su Bin felt that it was all not worth it. As he helped Jin Fei tidy up the packaging bags, he said in a resentful tone, “Since you and Cheng Ang are mortal enemies, why did you play matchmaker between him and Sun Yujie?” He wanted to ask now because he had inquired with Jin Fei about Allen’s condition last night.
Jin Fei chuckled, “It is indeed helping Sun Yujie, but it might not be the same for Cheng Ang.”
Su Bin was taken aback, “Why?”
Jin Fei explained, “Ang is the only son of the Cheng family. If he truly falls in love with Sun Yujie, the Cheng family’s lineage would end.”
“… ” Su Bin was shocked. Could there really be such a sinister thought behind all this? Could Jin Fei have planned it from the beginning? Su Bin suddenly felt that he needed to examine this seemingly immature nouveau riche more closely!
That’s right, traditional families absolutely wouldn’t accept that their descendants were homosexual. Moreover, Sun Yujie had mentioned that Cheng Ang’s family owned a group of companies. According to the TV dramas, people like Cheng Ang usually didn’t have the freedom to choose love. If he genuinely felt that he couldn’t live without Sun Yujie, Cheng Ang’s parents were going to be a hassle. But then again, how easy was it for two men to truly fall in love?
Su Bin started to worry about Sun Yujie. “What if Cheng Ang is just playing around and dumps Sun Yujie once he’s bored?”
Jin Fei sat back on the sofa and said, “I asked Sun Yujie, and he said he has no regrets.”
That was right, Sun Yujie had said that to Su Bin before as well. He had even mentioned something about one-night stands becoming lifelong memories. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t make sense of it. Also, judging by Sun Yujie’s personality, if Cheng Ang got married for real, he would willingly become his secret lover… why did that feel so disheartening?
Jin Fei continued, “Sun Yujie is quite devoted. I bet Ang wouldn’t give up on him. That guy is as stubborn as a mule.”
Su Bin was exasperated, “This isn’t about whether they’ll break up or not, can you really play with feelings like this?”
Jin Fei raised an eyebrow, “Play? They’re two consenting adults. I’m not forcing them to be together.”
Su Bin grumbled, “…”
“Ang has always been good at putting on a façade, from childhood till now. I can see that he’s exhausted, but he doesn’t know what he truly wants. Idiot…” Jin Fei pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it to set the mood, but he realized he was at home and put the lighter back, simply fiddling with the cigarette between his fingers. “But fools have their blessings. It’s a miracle that someone sincerely loves him. Sun Yujie treats him so well that even I’m envious. Damn, how come I never met someone who would love me so unconditionally?”
Judging from Jin Fei’s words, Su Bin no longer thought that he was trying to harm Cheng Ang. He felt that, by the end of what Jin Fei had said, he seemed quite desolate.
He was about to offer some words of comfort when he heard a rustling sound from the entrance… It was Allen!
Forgetting about Jin Fei, Su Bin quickly went to the door, “Allen, you’re back! Is your arm feeling better?”
“It’s better,” Allen said with a faint smile. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
Su Bin had researched about hemophilia last night, learning about the various sufferings that individuals with hereditary hemophilia could face during their childhood. His sympathy for Allen had already begun to overflow…
“What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you tonight!” Su Bin was eager to alleviate his guilt.
Allen gave him a meaningful look, “Are you trying to please me so eagerly?”
Su Bin: “…” orz…
Allen chuckled meaningfully, glanced at his watch, and said, “Do you have time? I’ll take you to a restaurant.”
Su Bin: “Huh? What kind of restaurant?”
Allen didn’t let Su Bin ask any unnecessary questions and just confirmed whether Su Bin was willing to go.
“… I’m willing.”
Watching the two of them leave together, Jin Fei, who had been ignored, slumped back onto the sofa, secretly shedding a tear: Boo-hoo, ignored and pitiful…
