Chapter 28

“What time did you get back?” Lin Ze asked as he entered. “Why isn’t Zheng Jie home yet? You guys must have gone wild.”

Situ Ye was lying on the bed and replied, “I came back right after calling you. Zheng Jie met a pretty wealthy girl, probably still out having fun.”

Lin Ze thought to himself, right after calling? That was only at nine o’clock. He then called Zheng Jie, who was already in a taxi, having just dropped the girl off at her place.

Lin Ze suddenly felt a bit depressed, thinking, “You guys didn’t even take me along.” But since he hadn’t been able to introduce Zheng Jie to any girls, it was good that Li Yanru had done so. As for Situ Ye… Lin Ze knew Situ Ye had lied about coming back right after the call, probably to avoid his nagging.

“Want to shower?” Lin Ze asked.

Situ Ye nodded. “Sure.”

In a few days, it would be time to remove the cast. It was just a fracture, nothing too serious. Lin Ze had originally planned to let him rest at home for a month before calling him back to work, but now it seemed he’d have to start putting him to work earlier. Sitting at home all day with nothing to do wasn’t good—someone might just steal him away.

Lin Ze washed Situ Ye’s hair first. As he was doing so, Situ Ye suddenly muttered, “A’Ze, you’re a good person.”

“Compared to Yang Zhiyuan,” Lin Ze responded listlessly. “Now you realize I’m good?”

Situ Ye chuckled. “It was never a big deal. Are you jealous, A’Ze?”

Lin Ze turned up the water temperature a bit, and Situ Ye immediately yelped. Just as Lin Ze was about to say something, Situ Ye’s phone rang in the living room. Lin Ze pressed a towel onto Situ Ye’s head and went out to answer it. Situ Ye reminded him, “You promised not to invade my privacy.”

Lin Ze brought the phone in and handed it to him. Situ Ye silently read the text message. Then there was a knock at the door—Zheng Jie was back, smelling of alcohol. “A’Ze, this time it’s promising!”

Lin Ze’s lips twitched. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Zheng Jie’s affairs, but Situ Ye, still in the bathroom, commented, “Rongrong seems cute. How come she can’t find a boyfriend?”

Zheng Jie replied, “Ah, she’s been hurt before…”

Then Situ Ye and Zheng Jie started discussing dinner and all the expensive dishes they’d had, moving on to Zheng Jie’s blind date, completely sidelining Lin Ze. From their conversation, Lin Ze gathered that Yang Zhiyuan had introduced Zheng Jie to one of his “sworn sisters.” The girl was nice, her family was well-off, and her parents held influential positions in the housing bureau. Lin Ze signaled with his eyes that he wanted to talk to Zheng Jie alone, so Situ Ye closed the door to shower. Lin Ze offered, “Let me help you wash.”

“No, no, no…” Situ Ye looked horrified. “I can do it myself, thank you!”

Lin Ze was both amused and exasperated. Situ Ye, weren’t you the one who said you’d warm the bed and knew foreign positions, begging to be taken care of? Why so shy now? Well, maybe it’s for the best. Someone who’s reserved about sex is less likely to fool around outside.

Zheng Jie sat at the table, smiling and texting. Lin Ze felt like roaring at him but instead sat down and prompted, “Hey, wake up.”

Zheng Jie grinned. “Huh?”

Lin Ze couldn’t help but smile too, both happy for Zheng Jie and amused by his expression. “Has spring finally arrived for you?”

Zheng Jie replied modestly, “Not bad, not bad. Rongrong doesn’t get along well with her family. I think she kinda likes me. Can you analyze this for me? She said after breaking up with her last boyfriend, she never wanted to love again because he went abroad, and her family keeps pressuring her to get married. She finds it really annoying.”

Lin Ze asked, “What makes you think she likes you?”

Zheng Jie explained, “She’s willing to talk to me. She asked me if I get frustrated having to shoulder all my mom’s debts. I said, of course, but what can I do? People come knocking, and I can’t just turn them away or call the police. She said I’m much braver than her. She even asked where I live, when I plan to buy a house, and drew me a diagram with a stick while laughing.”

Lin Ze was baffled. “What kind of diagram?”

Zheng Jie blushed, resting his elbows on the table, fingers interlaced over his mouth as he giggled. “She’s an interior designer. She told me which areas have good properties and suggested I buy a riverside apartment in Nanping—good value for money… She also said she likes the skewers from the food street. Remember the one we used to go to near Liberation Monument? It’s gone now…”

Lin Ze thought, this time it really might work out. Zheng Jie continued, “Then we walked all the way from Nanbin Road. The river cable car runs until ten during the New Year, so we took it, walked to Liberation Monument, and bought some spicy rabbit heads… Hahaha…”

Lin Ze: “…”

Zheng Jie added, “She also told me a lot about her childhood. She’s a local, used to live in the old Jiangbei district. She said we should hang out next weekend. Are you free?”

Lin Ze replied, “I am, but let me ask—what do you think she likes about you? You need to highlight your strengths, don’t rush things, and definitely don’t bombard her with calls. Don’t ruin the good first impression you’ve worked so hard to build.”

Zheng Jie grinned. “I think I remind her of her ex.”

Lin Ze nearly fell over.

Zheng Jie: “?”

“…”

Lin Ze waved his hand, too exhausted to speak. He thought, as long as you’re happy. At midnight, Zheng Jie was still texting, surrounded by pink bubbles. Lin Ze then remembered he’d meant to ask about Yang Zhiyuan, but decided to let it go and not disturb Zheng Jie. When he went to his room, Situ Ye was already asleep.

At three in the morning, Lin Ze groggily got up to pee and saw Zheng Jie still lying on the sofa, grinning at his phone.

Lin Ze groaned, “It’s three in the morning—do none of you sleep?”

Zheng Jie quickly put his phone away. “No, I was just rereading old texts.” He then got up and went to his room.

Two days later, Lin Ze accompanied Situ Ye to get his cast removed. They bought a small cake and had a little celebration in the office with their colleagues. Situ Ye still couldn’t drive—his left hand needed to avoid strenuous activity, and he couldn’t lift a camera frequently either. So Lin Ze had him stay in the office and not run around, making a good impression on their boss on his first day back after the cast removal.

With nothing to do, Situ Ye played solitaire on the computer. Lin Ze went out to get some key points from the director—today’s news was about the stock market’s collective plunge at the beginning of the year. When he returned with the materials, he suddenly heard a faint voice—Situ Ye was on the phone in the stairwell.

Situ Ye: “Yeah, not coming out today. Need to get back to work. Tonight… maybe we’ll have dinner with Zheng Jie.”

“Really?” Situ Ye laughed. “I don’t want to be a third wheel for Zheng Jie and Rongrong. Let him ask Rongrong out himself. Okay… No, I have work tomorrow too. Maybe this weekend. I’ve been off for twenty days already. Yeah, working all week.”

“Weekend… we’ll see.” Situ Ye said. “Don’t you have work? Shouldn’t you be managing your company instead of always going out to have fun? Okay, I’ll send it to you when I get back. To your email? Got it. See you in a few days…”

Lin Ze turned and went back to the office. Situ Ye returned shortly after and used the computer for a while. Lin Ze leaned over to look. “You took these?”

Situ Ye smiled. “A few days ago. It’s a rural market in Beibei.”

The photos showed charcoal stoves, wet ground, children wearing masks and red ribbons, performing a shamanic dance, firecrackers scattered everywhere, bamboo stalls on either side, and misty green mountains in the distance—a uniquely atmospheric scene.

Situ Ye sent the photos to an email address, then glanced at Lin Ze.

Lin Ze put an arm around Situ Ye’s shoulder. “Hmm… what festival is this?”

All the reporters were out on assignments, leaving only the two of them and a young editor in the corner. Lin Ze and Situ Ye sat together. Situ Ye’s recently freed arm felt strange, resting on the armchair as if his whole body was tense.

Lin Ze smiled. “Looks interesting. With a few more photos, we could consider a feature.”

Situ Ye enthusiastically explained, “It’s a post-Lantern Festival market. On the actual day, it’s way livelier than this. After the locals finish their rituals, they leave the stalls up for a few more days.”

Lin Ze understood—this was a market bustling with activity now fallen silent, the crowds gone, the noise faded, slipping into melancholy.

A charcoal brazier burned. Three teenagers wearing masks swayed their heads and stamped their feet in a line, captured mid-jump by Situ Ye’s camera.

Lin Ze smiled and flipped through more photos. Another child, wearing a mask, ran up to Situ Ye, who snapped a downward shot of the child’s smiling eyes behind the mask. Lin Ze asked, “Did you take these with Yang Zhiyuan? How’d you manage with one hand?”

Situ Ye replied, “He held the camera for me.”

Lin Ze pulled out the photos to prepare a feature, nodding without comment. But in his heart, he knew—these two were probably already in love. Holding the camera aside, many shots showed Yang Zhiyuan steadying it while Situ Ye pressed the shutter. That kind of positioning meant they had to be close… Sure enough, as he flipped through, he found a photo Yang Zhiyuan had sent.

The photo was taken from someone else’s perspective, capturing Yang Zhiyuan and Situ Ye in the frame. Situ Ye was slightly taller. Yang Zhiyuan held the camera, one arm draped over Situ Ye’s shoulder from behind as they leaned in together. Situ Ye bent slightly to look at the lens, his right hand covering Yang Zhiyuan’s fingers as they pressed the shutter.

They had lunch together, but Lin Ze barely spoke, preoccupied. Yang Zhiyuan wasn’t like the other bottoms Situ Ye had met before—a man in his thirties with money and influence. If Situ Ye stuck to his usual attitude of dating without sex, Yang Zhiyuan might not tolerate it. He needed to ask about Yang Zhiyuan’s character first, to avoid any messy fallout.

Lin Ze ate quietly, glancing at Situ Ye across the desk. Situ Ye asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.” Lin Ze kept eating. The issue wasn’t major, but it wasn’t trivial either. He’d hoped things would improve once Situ Ye returned to work, but the guy kept calling him repeatedly. After some thought, Lin Ze asked quietly, “Do you like Yang Zhiyuan?”

Situ Ye countered, “What do you think?”

“Stop with that.” Lin Ze frowned. “Can’t you just be honest?”

“No strong feelings, but he’s charming in conversation.”

“Not into him?” Lin Ze pressed.

“Nope. What’s the plan for this afternoon? When can I drive again?”

“Not for a while. Work again in a week. For now, come in the mornings, and you can leave after lunch.”

He knew Situ Ye wanted to go out and have fun—the guy’s heart was never settled. No matter the job, he treated it like play, just as he had at Starbucks and now at the newspaper. Lin Ze couldn’t help but envy him—living so carefree, never lacking for company. What a life.

“So I can head back this afternoon?”

Lin Ze hummed. “Going out? Stop by and pay the insurance on your way. Use my card. The PIN is…” He thought for a moment. “I’ll text it to you.”

He sent the PIN. He couldn’t leave work anyway, and the password was due for a change in a couple of years—might as well do it soon.

Situ Ye grinned. “Not afraid I’ll run off with your money?”

“With that little? Where would you even go?”

He’d just finalized this year’s investment plan—50,000 in a wealth management product, and this card was for daily use with only about 7,000-8,000. No big risk.

“Can I go to Laojun Cave with Brother Yang this afternoon?”

Lin Ze wasn’t thrilled but couldn’t chain him down. “Come back early.”

After lunch, Situ Ye left. Lin Ze lay on the office sofa, covering himself with his suit jacket for a nap, but sleep wouldn’t come. At two, he got up and called Li Yanru.

“A’Ze, I was just about to invite you all out this weekend.”

“Swamped. Start of the year is the busiest. No time for fun.”

Li Yanru laughed. “Rongrong seems to like Zheng Jie. Your childhood friend is about to start dating—aren’t you going to help plan things?”

“Let him be. I’ve got another headache…”

“What’s up? Tell me…”

At that, Lin Ze brought up Yang Zhiyuan, asking, “What’s Yang Zhiyuan usually like?”

Li Yanru’s tone changed immediately. “Sorry, A’Ze, I had no idea he was meeting up with Xiao Ye behind my back. That bastard… Zhiyuan doesn’t take relationships seriously. He cycles through partners every few days—gets them into bed, then bails. I’ll make sure he stays away from Xiao Ye…”

Lin Ze had only meant to ask Li Yanru for some insight, but she grew increasingly agitated. Worried she might get too upset—bad for the baby—he soothed her instead. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Situ Ye and I… we’re not like that. Just asking casually. You… ah, don’t worry. I’ll talk to Situ Ye. I don’t think he’s that into Yang Zhiyuan anyway. Just… well, wouldn’t want to lead Yang on. You know, someone like him—wealthy, charismatic—deserves better…”

By the end, even Lin Ze found it ridiculous, barely resisting the urge to toss his phone aside and laugh. But Li Yanru said firmly, “Got it, A’Ze. I messed up here—didn’t pay enough attention after coming back. I’ll make sure he leaves your friend alone.”

Lin Ze kept insisting it was fine, then arranged to meet Li Yanru another day before hanging up.

After the call, he felt uneasy. Should he really interfere? Situ Ye had a right to his own friends. Maybe it really was just about photography, and he wanted someone to share the hobby with? He also felt a bit guilty toward Situ Ye. But Li Yanru had sharp instincts—she’d picked up on Lin Ze’s hesitation and acted decisively to prevent future trouble. Lin Ze sent her a follow-up text: It’s really okay, don’t overreact. Don’t confront him yet—let’s see how it goes. I’ll talk to Situ Ye too.

Li Yanru replied: Understood.

Lin Ze worried Situ Ye might get mad. And really, who was he to meddle? They weren’t even dating. By afternoon, he regretted calling Li Yanru, but it was done. He could only hope she’d handle it well.

Just as he got back to work, his brother called.

Lin Ze hadn’t heard from Yang Yu in a while. He answered with, “How much do you need?”

Yang Yu laughed. “Brother, can I have 2,000?”

“For what?”

“Two makeup exams, two retakes. Don’t wanna tell Dad.”

Lin Ze’s voice instantly became a dragon’s roar—audible across the editorial, reporting, and proofreading departments: “YOU FAILED FOUR CLASSES IN ONE SEMESTER??!!”

Two reporters knocked over their cups in shock.

Yang Yu quickly said, “Two were from last semester! I failed the makeup exams at the start of the year, so I have to retake them next term. Also, I wanna rent a place off-campus. Can’t stand the dorm—it’s messing with my studies.”

Lin Ze didn’t need to think hard to know Yang Yu was lying. He stepped out to yell at him, but as he left the office, he heard, “I really can’t focus there. My roommates are all gaming. We even fought over loot drops—ruined our friendship. No one studies. When I come back from the library at night, they’re video-chatting with girls. So annoying!”

Lin Ze lay on the sofa, flipping channels absently. Seeing Yang Yu’s frustration, he figured the dorm situation must be bad. Fine, he’d give in. “I’ll lend it to you, but you have to pass those makeup exams. Fail, and you’re dead. Got it?”

“I’ll pass. The prof said just showing up is enough.”

Lin Ze: “…”

What kind of school was this? Just squeezing them dry. He sighed. “How’s Dad and Mom?”

“Same as ever. Can’t last an hour together without fighting.”

“Where’d you have New Year’s dinner?”

“Grandma’s. Why didn’t you come? Zheng Jie said you would.”

Lin Ze: “Went to Guangzhou to see your brother-in-law.”

Yang Yu: “He’s doing business there? Making bank?”

Lin Ze: “Was getting treatment.”

Yang Yu, startled: “For what?”

Lin Ze: “AIDS.”

Yang Yu: “…”

Lin Ze changed channels. Yang Yu asked, “How is he now?”

Lin Ze: “Dead.”

Yang Yu fell silent. Lin Ze asked, “How’s Mom’s health?”

Yang Yu: “Mom and Auntie got into a fight during dinner.”

Lin Ze: “…”

Yang Yu: “Mom grabbed a plate of duck blood and eel and smashed it over her head. Auntie threw baijiu in Mom’s face…”

Zheng Jie: “…”

Lin Ze: “…”

Yang Yu added, “Grandma almost had a stroke from the stress. Damn, it was insane. Perfectly good meal ruined. Everyone ended up breaking it up. Mom swore she’d never step foot in Auntie’s house again…”

Zheng Jie brought out dishes, saying, “What’s the big deal? That much hatred?”

Yang Yu glanced at Lin Ze and didn’t elaborate. The brothers understood each other without words—they knew why. It was probably because of Lin Ze.

Most likely, Auntie had mocked Mom about her son being gay, maybe even described how Lin Ze and his boyfriend “did it,” triggering Mom’s menopausal temper. No surprise it escalated.

“Let’s eat,” Lin Ze said. He knew he was the family embarrassment. Zheng Jie knew it too and tactfully changed the subject. The three opened beer, eating spicy duck intestines, stir-fried rabbit, boiled blood curd, and sliced cold dishes Zheng Jie had bought.

Lin Ze asked, “How’s Dad?”

“Still fighting with Great-Uncle,” Yang Yu replied.

Lin Ze’s grandfather had passed long ago, but his brothers were still around. Yang Yu added, “Dad stole 3,000 from Grandma. That started another fight.”

Zheng Jie spat out his beer. Lin Ze thought, what a circus. How did he end up with this family? Zheng Jie switched to asking Yang Yu about college romance. Yang Yu answered in detail. Zheng Jie, flushed from drinking, grinned. “Bring your girlfriend out with us this weekend, Little Potato…”

Lin Ze snapped, “Go home and study for your exams!”

Zheng Jie and Yang Yu both flinched, then laughed it off. After dinner, Yang Yu called his girlfriend, cooing promises to return that night. Zheng Jie washed dishes. Then, finally, Situ Ye came home.

Lin Ze was annoyed, but Situ Ye seemed even angrier. The moment he walked in, his expression was stormy. “What did you say to Yang Zhiyuan?”