WP Chapter 51

Both of them were freelancers, but even so, their schedules weren’t entirely flexible. Jiang Yibai checked his calendar and saw that his classes were booked through next month. Si Shaorong still had a few magazine articles to finish as well. A spontaneous getaway was out of the question. After some discussion, they decided to set off for a proper trip in mid-next month, and for now, they would just take a short outing nearby to clear their minds.

That very night, they packed their bags. Jiang Yibai booked a room at a hot spring resort in a nearby county. Supposedly, there was a 4A-rated tourist site behind the resort. As he read the online description, he let out a skeptical hiss. “When did this place get a 4A rating?”

Si Shaorong leaned over with his electric toothbrush buzzing, spraying foam onto Jiang Yibai’s phone screen. Jiang Yibai quickly pulled back and muttered through the noise, “No idea.”

He wiped his phone on his pajama sleeve, gave Si Shaorong a glare, and pushed him back toward the sink. “Focus on brushing your teeth. Leave this stuff to me. Just relax and enjoy the trip.”

Si Shaorong looked at his boyfriend in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile a little dumbly.

But even dumb, he still looked painfully handsome. He wore cotton pajamas with vertical stripes. The sleeves were a little short, revealing a clean, sharply jointed wrist that looked incredibly sexy. The warm light in the bathroom poured down softly over him, catching in the tips of his hair like powdered sugar. The whole scene made him look cozy and gentle. Jiang Yibai’s heart stirred as he leaned in to kiss the side of his lover’s neck.

The next morning, Jiang Yibai lugged several bags downstairs while Si Shaorong locked up behind him.

“Slow down,” Si Shaorong called out, hurrying down and grabbing one of the suitcases. “We’re just staying nearby for a couple of days. Why’d you bring so much stuff?”

“Zhen-jie said you don’t like staying outside,” Jiang Yibai said. “So I brought a sleeping bag liner, disposable sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, toilet seat covers, mite spray…”

He had packed pajamas, toothbrushes, towels, slippers, bath towels, combs for the both of them. He hadn’t missed a thing, from food to hygiene to comfort.

Si Shaorong couldn’t help but laugh. Other than Zhen Zhen, who always thought of everything for him, only Jiang Yibai could be this patient, this meticulous.

They dropped their luggage off with the old gatekeeper downstairs, then crossed the street to grab breakfast at the shop across the way.

Si Shaorong had been living here for a while, and while he had eaten the soy milk and fried dough Jiang Yibai brought back, he had never been to the shop in person. The place was already packed in the early morning. A child at the front table was banging on a bowl and yelling, only to get scolded and have the chopsticks snatched away by a parent. White-collar workers in short-sleeved shirts stood at the counter shouting, “One basket of buns and a soy milk to go!” As soon as a customer left, the boss lady wiped down the table, and another person sat right down.

People came and went, lively and noisy. The bamboo steamers by the door were releasing fragrant clouds of steam, filling the air with the scent of breakfast.

Si Shaorong rarely ate breakfast out, so the experience felt novel.

At home, everything moved slowly. By the time he finished brushing his teeth, breakfast would already be waiting on the table. After eating, Jiang Yibai would clean up and wash the dishes. He never had to lift a finger. Their home was filled with a calm and leisurely atmosphere. If they weren’t talking, the only sounds were the crisp clinking of dishes in the sink, peaceful from the inside out.

But sitting in the shop now felt like being yanked straight out of deep water. His ears instantly filled with a jumble of sounds—clattering bowls and dishes, the clamor of voices, the unmistakable bustle and vividness of everyday life.

Energy surged through him, and his head finally cleared.

As an elderly couple got up to leave, Si Shaorong took their spot. A chubby little kid waddled over holding a bowl of oil tea and plopped down in the empty seat beside him. Si Shaorong glanced at him and said, “Hey kid, someone’s sitting here.”

The kid looked at him once but said nothing. Si Shaorong felt a bit awkward. He glanced around but couldn’t spot the child’s guardian anywhere.

“You here alone?” Si Shaorong asked.

The boy continued eating, ignoring him entirely. He looked to be around eleven or twelve, wearing a school uniform with a red scarf around his neck. Si Shaorong decided not to argue with a child. Instead, he stood up and offered, “Wanna switch seats with me? You sit inside.”

This time, the boy moved. Hugging his bowl, he slid inward and switched spots with him. Si Shaorong took the outer seat and pulled another chair a bit closer to the aisle. It was a bit cramped, but manageable.

People bustled behind him, and bowls of soup passed inches from his back. When Jiang Yibai arrived carrying plates and bowls, he frowned. “Why are you sitting here? What if someone bumps into you and spills hot soup all over you?”

He set the food down. “Sit inside.”

“It’s fine,” Si Shaorong said. “I’ll just be careful. You take the inside.”

As they were going back and forth, the kid on the inside had already wolfed down his breakfast. He stood up, wiped his mouth, and shot the two grown men a smug, dismissive look before turning and walking off.

The seat opened up instantly, leaving Si Shaorong with an expression that was all but laughing and crying at once.

They lowered their voices and chatted quietly over breakfast. Not long after, Li Xun showed up.

Originally, Jiang Yibai had planned to pick up the car himself, but Li Xun said he had something to do nearby anyway and decided to drive over.

It was early morning, and Li Xun looked like he had been thoroughly drained. Dark circles under his eyes, barely awake, he let out a long yawn as he got out of the car. “Drop me off at Zheng Youli’s first.”

“He lives around here?” Jiang Yibai asked, placing their luggage in the trunk.

“He works nearby,” Li Xun said. “He still has one of my cars at his place. Figured I’d pick it up today.”

Jiang Yibai gave a quiet nod. Si Shaorong had already opened the door and climbed into the backseat.

Li Xun glanced at the passenger seat, then pulled Jiang Yibai aside. “Where are you guys going? How long will you be gone?”

“The hot spring resort. You’ve been there before,” Jiang Yibai said. “Probably two or three days. Why?”

Li Xun frowned. “Why not stay out longer? Go on a proper road trip or something.”

“I’d love to, but I’ve got classes coming up. Shaorong’s got deadlines too.” As Jiang Yibai spoke, Li Xun handed him a cigarette. He lit it, held it between his lips, and looked at Li Xun with a teasing smirk. “What are you worried about this for?”

Li Xun had one in his mouth too, dragging deep and hard with a troubled expression. Finally, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Screw it, I’ve got to say something. It’s eating me up.”

Jiang Yibai looked at him, confused.

“Either go somewhere farther for now and stay out of town, or just lay low at home for the next little while. Stay in at night, enjoy your little couple’s life.” Li Xun licked his lips. “I saw Zheng Yu at a friend’s gay bar a few days ago.”

Jiang Yibai froze with the cigarette still in his mouth. He looked up. “Who did you say?”

“I really hope I was wrong,” Li Xun muttered, clicking his tongue, “but I almost never mistake people. Just don’t go wandering around right now, especially not alone.”

Jiang Yibai tensed for a moment, then went quiet. He kept smoking in silence. After a while, he coughed twice, like the smoke had gotten to him, but his expression was calm, even casual. His voice was light. “A gay bar? I thought he got married.”

“Word is he did,” Li Xun said carefully, watching his face. “You alright?”

“I’m fine. What would be wrong with me?” Jiang Yibai gave a faint smile, stubbed out the cigarette, and patted Li Xun’s shoulder. “Alright. Got it.”

Li Xun let out a low groan. “Got it? What exactly did you get? What the hell are you thinking? Are you—”

He glanced at Si Shaorong in the car and lowered his voice. “Are you going to tell him?”

“I’ll think about it,” Jiang Yibai said distractedly. “Didn’t they say he went out of town? Been gone for years, hasn’t he?”

“Who knows why he’s back now?” Li Xun sounded irritated. “Maybe he got divorced. Maybe he came back to chase some new opportunity. I don’t know. Just don’t dwell on it. I’m only telling you so you don’t get blindsided.”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got. “Fuck it, maybe I should just find someone to rough him up. Make sure he doesn’t dare show his face around here again.”

“You’re a respectable businessman now,” Jiang Yibai said with a laugh. “Still talking like you’re messing around in back alleys?”

Li Xun swore under his breath. “You really okay?”

“I’m good.” Jiang Yibai nodded. “Come on, let’s get you there first.”

Zheng Youli was the one among them who had truly come from a rough background. He was born into a working-class family with little to no savings. His parents were laborers scraping by at the bottom rung of society. He hadn’t done well in school, failed to get into high school, and ended up at a technical college. With no connections and no resources, he was placed in a partnered auto repair shop for internship. Half his pay had to go to the mentor who took him in, and he barely had any money left in his own hands.

Unlike Li Xun, he was not someone who received money just for doing nothing.
Unlike Si Shaorong, he did not come from a privileged background, nor did he possess any natural talent for writing, let alone the luck to build a career out of it. And unlike Jiang Yibai, whose family understood investment and lived in steady comfort, not wealthy but never short on money, and who later inherited a considerable estate after his parents passed away, Zheng Youli had nothing to his name but his own two hands.

If he had been the one eating breakfast with Si Shaorong that morning, listening to his romantic idea of how breakfast defined the “human warmth” of everyday life, he probably would have been thoroughly confused.

Nobody wanted to wake up before dawn just to get crammed like a pancake into the morning rush. A bowl of soy milk with fried dough sticks, or maybe a bowl of oil tea, was nothing more than an ordinary breakfast, one taken amid groggy exhaustion and pale, not-yet-golden daylight, while quietly bracing for yet another day of unclear purpose.

There was no poetry to it, no grand sentiment. Life just swept people forward, one step at a time.

That morning, Zheng Youli arrived early at the auto repair shop. He had a lot to take care of today. His sleazy senior apprentice had recently taken a client’s car to show off to his girlfriend, then came back drunk. The final coat of paint on the vehicle still wasn’t done, so Zheng Youli had to take care of it himself.

He wore a loose, deep gray jumpsuit, a baseball cap turned backwards on his head. There was a smudge of black grease on the side of his face, gloves on his hands, crouched down adjusting the paint gun tubing.

He was working silently when he heard a car honk behind him. Turning around, he saw Li Xun step out of the vehicle.

It was Jiang Yibai’s first time visiting Zheng Youli’s workplace. He looked around for a moment, then lowered his gaze to the young man squatting on the ground.

“Morning.”

Zheng Youli stood up and greeted them, then looked at the car, slightly puzzled. “Where are you going?”

Li Xun said, “These two are borrowing my car for a quick trip. I figured since I was heading this way, I’d stop by and see you too.”

The mention of being looked for lit a faint spark behind Zheng Youli’s tired eyes. He gave a bashful smile. “Did you have breakfast?”

“Just had a bottle of yogurt.” Li Xun glanced at Zheng Youli’s jumpsuit. Underneath it, he wore a black tank top. The collar hung loose and wide, revealing a stretch of firm, tan skin. It was a striking look.

Zheng Youli said, “Let me buy you breakfast. Wait a bit.”

He turned to go change. Li Xun shot Jiang Yibai a quick gesture. “Go on, get moving. Don’t wait for me.”

Jiang Yibai gave a nod and drove off.

It was rush hour, and the roads were jammed. Jiang Yibai didn’t mind. He moved along slowly with the traffic.

They passed a major intersection where two cars had rear-ended each other. Both drivers were standing on the side of the road, pointing their phones at each other, taking pictures in a comically synchronized exchange.

Jiang Yibai glanced over. “Doesn’t even look that bad. And the whole road’s been blocked for this?”

Si Shaorong was scrolling through Weibo on his phone. At the comment, he looked up briefly, then lowered his head again to keep reading.

Lately, he had gotten into the habit of reading Jiang Yibai’s Weibo posts. When Jiang wasn’t updating his stories, he liked to repost ridiculous meme content and act as a loyal “haha” fanboy. One time, he even replied with two full lines of “hahahahahahaha,” which was somehow infectious.

The latest post was from that morning. It was a photo filtered with a soft, pastel Japanese-style overlay and white border. In the frame were two suitcases.

Si Shaorong felt a flutter in his chest. He wanted to shout to the world, I’m in love. My boyfriend is wonderful. He’s adorable. But the truth was, there was no one he could tell.

It was suffocating.

He stared at that post for a long time. In the end, he couldn’t help but give it a like.

Resisting the urge to repost it was already the strongest self-control he had managed all day.