RTCBM 43

Wen Shang froze on the spot. He hadn’t expected Mu Yuan to suddenly ask a question like that. For a moment, he thought Mu Yuan was joking, but the serious look on his face didn’t seem like he was kidding at all.

He stood there, lips tightly pressed together, eyes filled with uncertainty.

Mu Yuan waited for a while, then couldn’t hold back. “What are you staring at? I asked you a question. Hurry up and answer.”

Mu Yuan’s way of thinking always caught Wen Shang off guard. To make sure he wasn’t joking, Wen Shang asked, “Are you serious?”

“Duh. Why would I joke about something like this?”

Wen Shang regained his usual composure. After a brief pause, he said, “I thought I made it obvious enough before, but clearly I underestimated how dense you are.”

Mu Yuan’s sudden question had definitely caught Wen Shang by surprise. If he had to guess, someone must’ve pointed it out to Mu Yuan or triggered something that made him finally realize it. Otherwise, with how thickheaded he was, there was no way he’d figure it out on his own.

Mu Yuan stood up, set his cup down on the table, and hesitated several times before speaking again.

“You… really like me?”

Wen Shang didn’t say a word. He walked toward Mu Yuan step by step and stopped right in front of him. He looked into those dark eyes, which were still carrying a mix of surprise and confusion.

Neither of them spoke. Wen Shang reached out and took Mu Yuan’s wrist, leaned in slightly, and planted a light kiss on his tightly sealed lips.

“Do you think I’d kiss a man just for fun?” Wen Shang looked straight at him, his grip firm, his eyes steady.

Mu Yuan raised his hand to touch the spot where Wen Shang had kissed him. His mind was a bit of a mess.

He used to be oblivious, so of course he hadn’t taken any of it seriously. But now it was different. After being clued in by He Dongying, he couldn’t pretend nothing had happened anymore. Not when he was standing in front of Wen Shang.

Caught in thought, he suddenly felt Wen Shang’s hand tighten around his own.

“Xiao Yuan.” The man in front of him called softly. It was the first time he had ever used such an affectionate name.

Mu Yuan wasn’t used to this. It made him a little nervous.

Wen Shang continued, “I used to have a lot of misunderstandings about you. We argued plenty, too. But a lot has changed. If you’re willing, we can give it a try. I’ll treat you right.”

It took a while before Mu Yuan finally spoke. “I… I don’t know.”

He had never been confessed to by another man before, let alone dated one. He’d thought about rejecting Wen Shang, but when it came time to say it, he hesitated. That hesitation left him confused.

Wen Shang could tell he was wavering. Knowing Mu Yuan’s personality, he didn’t push for an answer. This guy just needed time to figure things out.

He reached out and gently ruffled Mu Yuan’s hair. “You don’t have to answer now. I’m not in a rush. Think it through. When you’re ready, just let me know.”

Then, as if remembering something, Wen Shang walked over to the desk and opened the bottom drawer. He took out a dark blue box and handed it to Mu Yuan.

Inside was a pair of sterling silver flying fish earrings. He’d ordered them as a custom piece while on his business trip in New York and had just received them two days ago.

“This is for you.” Wen Shang brushed his fingers over Mu Yuan’s left ear. “I think it’ll look good on you.”

After returning home, Mu Yuan couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about what Wen Shang had said. He tossed and turned all night.

Then he sat in bed, staring at his phone for a long while. He typed:

“If I said no, what then?”

Wen Shang replied quickly: “Then we’ll stay friends.”

Mu Yuan put the phone down. About twenty minutes later, a new message popped up.

“So… was that a no?”

After a pause, Mu Yuan typed: “It doesn’t count. I was just saying ‘what if’.”

Then he sent another: Give me some time to think. Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll tell you. Until then, can we not talk about it?

Wen Shang sent back a simple: Alright.

He set his phone down and exhaled quietly. That answer, vague as it was, eased something in him.

For the next few days, Mu Yuan didn’t reach out. Wen Shang didn’t call or text either. He told himself he’d wait. He wanted to see how long it would take before Mu Yuan came to him.

But after more than a week with no word, Wen Shang finally gave in. He was going over there himself to find out what the hell was going on.

Mu Yuan hadn’t contacted Wen Shang in the days that followed, and Wen Shang hadn’t messaged or called either. He figured he’d just wait and see when the guy would finally reach out. But after more than a week with nothing, Wen Shang finally lost patience and decided to check on him in person.

No one was home when he arrived, so he headed straight to the Six House. Most of the boys there knew him, and given the rather close relationship between him and their boss, they all politely greeted him as “Wen-ge.”

“Is your boss around?” Wen Shang asked at the door.

“Boss went out to walk the dog.”

Dog? Since when did that guy have a dog?

One of the boys smiled. “Wen-ge, come in and have some tea while you wait. Boss is just at the park out front walking the pup. He’ll be back soon.”

Wen Shang turned down the offer and went straight to the park.

Mu Yuan was standing under a tree, holding a leash attached to a three or four-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, waiting for it to finish peeing.

“All done? Once you’re done, we’re heading back,” Mu Yuan said, gently tugging the leash. As he turned around, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Wen Shang standing behind him.

“What the hell! What are you doing here?”

“Came looking for you. Your boys said you were out walking the dog.” Wen Shang glanced at him, then looked down at the spaniel. “Is this yours?”

“It’s Ah Xin’s,” Mu Yuan explained. “She’s off traveling and asked me to look after it for a bit.”

Ah Xin, of course, was Liu Jiaxin, his junior from the Cantonese Opera Troupe.

Wen Shang had never been fond of Liu Jiaxin. There were a few reasons. First, the last time Mu Yuan ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach, it was because he drank too much while covering for her. On top of that, every time Mu Yuan visited the opera troupe, he would post photos with Liu Jiaxin on Weibo. Wen Shang, who lurked silently on his account, always got annoyed seeing those updates. If she were unattractive, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but Liu Jiaxin was not only pretty, she had a figure to match. Judging by eye, she was at least a C-cup. She always liked to stick close to Mu Yuan, messaging or calling him for all sorts of little things. That alone made Wen Shang deeply unhappy.

“Why didn’t she just board it at a pet shop?” Wen Shang asked.

“She doesn’t trust them to take good care of it. Plus, the other juniors from the troupe are all living in rentals. Most landlords don’t allow pets, so she asked me,” Mu Yuan replied with a smile, acting like nothing had happened between them the other night, as if that long, serious talk never took place.

But Wen Shang understood. Since Mu Yuan had asked him not to bring up that topic until he gave a clear answer, he wouldn’t push. Let him sort things out on his own.

“You still haven’t told me why you came looking for me,” Mu Yuan said, giving Wen Shang a light nudge on the shoulder, the way friends would do.

“Can’t I drop by just because I want to?” Wen Shang replied.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t… anyway, got any plans for today?”

“I’ve got the day off.”

“Perfect. I was just about to take Cha Cha to the pet shop for a bath. Come with us?” Mu Yuan scooped up the pup and held it up to Wen Shang with a grin.

Originally, Mu Yuan had planned to throw on his usual over-the-top rich guy outfit, but Wen Shang immediately shut that down, warning him he’d probably scare off every customer in the shop. Mu Yuan didn’t argue. He just told Wen Shang to pick something for him. Whatever Wen Shang chose, he’d wear.

Mu Yuan was naturally outgoing and cheerful. With his sunny looks and neat outfit, he quickly got along with the girls at the pet shop, even though it was his first time there. A few of them even asked for his contact details. Wen Shang, sitting off to the side, said nothing the entire time. His expression stayed dark. Watching those overly eager girls flock around Mu Yuan, he was filled with regret. If he had just let that guy stick with his usual flashy style, the kind that screamed ‘vulgar nouveau riche,’ it would’ve scared those noisy butterflies off from fifty meters away.

Some of the girls actually wanted to talk to Wen Shang too. His appearance was just as striking, but he looked far too cold and unapproachable, so no one dared come close.

“Your handsome friend there… does he not like talking to people?” one girl asked Mu Yuan in a quiet voice. “He seems really hard to approach.”

Wen Shang’s thoughts were something Mu Yuan would never fully understand. Laughing and chatting with the girls, Mu Yuan casually waved toward Wen Shang and said, “That guy’s always like that. Just ignore him.”

After Cha Cha finished grooming, they were about to check out when Mu Yuan spotted a cute Doraemon outfit in the display window. He bought it on impulse and put it on the dog.

On the way home, Mu Yuan carried Cha Cha in his arms, showering her with kisses from time to time. Normally, Wen Shang had nothing against dogs, but knowing this one belonged to Liu Jiaxin made him lose all fondness. He kept staring at the dog and the longer he looked, the more annoyed he felt.

Neither of them had eaten lunch yet, so they picked a restaurant that allowed pets and sat down. While Mu Yuan was busy looking through the menu, Wen Shang reached out and gave Cha Cha a discreet pinch. The dog yelped loudly.

“What happened?” Mu Yuan looked up in concern.

Wen Shang glanced down at the dog and said coldly, “Some dogs are just naturally high-strung.”

“She’s not usually like that. She’s actually really well-behaved.”

“Even the best ones throw a fit now and then.”

Mu Yuan thought it made sense and didn’t dwell on it. He got up and went to the restroom.

The moment Mu Yuan left, Wen Shang picked up a newspaper from the side, rolled it up, and swiftly gave the dog a swat on the butt. Cha Cha let out another yelp and turned to stare at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Wen Shang had timed it perfectly. By the time Mu Yuan came back from the restroom, he had already missed what had happened.

Mu Yuan quickly grabbed the car keys off the table, looking like he had something urgent to deal with. Wen Shang asked, “Where are you going?”

“The pet store just called. I left my membership card and the canned dog food there. Watch the dog for me, I’ll be right back.”

After Mu Yuan left, it was just Wen Shang and Cha Cha again. Since he had punished the dog earlier, Cha Cha was visibly afraid of him. With Mu Yuan gone, it started getting restless, hopping up and down on the sofa. Wen Shang didn’t like it acting that way, so he grabbed the leash and tied it close to him to stop it from moving around.

“Sit still and behave,” he ordered coldly. His eyes fell on the Doraemon outfit the dog was wearing. He had found it annoying since they were at the pet store. This little mutt really was pampered. Wearing clothes? Who spoiled it like this? He reached out and yanked the outfit off.

After a quick trip to the pet store, Mu Yuan returned to the restaurant. From the doorway, he caught the whole scene. Wen Shang was twisting Cha Cha’s ear, tugging its tail, even smacking its butt. No wonder the dog kept whining. It was this guy’s doing!

Mu Yuan marched up and pointed at him. “What were you doing to it just now?”

Wen Shang didn’t flinch even after being caught in the act. He calmly shifted the blame. “It wouldn’t stop barking. Was disturbing the other customers.”

“I saw everything. Cha Cha only barked because you hit her.” Mu Yuan picked her up and quickly noticed the outfit was gone. “Huh? Where’s her outfit?”

“Took it off.”

“Why’d you take it off?”

“She’s a dog. She’s already got fur. She doesn’t need clothes. You’re forcing human logic on her. Did you ask the dog what she wanted?”

“I bought that outfit for her. I like seeing her wear it. What’s it got to do with you? You’re not her owner.”

Wen Shang didn’t bother arguing.

With Mu Yuan back, Cha Cha felt braver. She got on her hind legs, front paws on the table, sniffed at the food, then licked one of the plates.

Wen Shang smacked her on the butt again. Cha Cha let out a soft yelp and scurried into Mu Yuan’s arms, trembling as she whimpered and buried her head against his chest.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you picking on a dog?”

“She’s a dog. She shouldn’t be climbing on the table. I’m teaching her some manners for her owner’s sake.”

It was like he had a grudge against Cha Cha. Mu Yuan quickly pulled her behind him to keep her away from Wen Shang.

Still bitter over what happened while he was gone, Mu Yuan punched Wen Shang in the chest and said proudly to the dog, “See that, Cha Cha? I got your revenge for you.”

The more Mu Yuan coddled the dog, the more annoyed Wen Shang got. He ate in silence, sulking the whole time.