SG 24

The words on Chu Baiyan’s tongue were forced back down his throat. Since elementary school, not even his own mother had washed his underwear. Yet Yan Anqing said it calmly, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

His feelings were complicated. At first, he only felt a little embarrassed that Yan Anqing had washed his clothes. But those two words, “hand washed,” added something private and intimate that made it feel different.

Chu Baiyan didn’t even know how he had started getting along with Yan Anqing like this. When he came to his senses, Yan Anqing had already become part of his life, seeping into every corner of it.

Yan Anqing had that kind of power. He slipped into Chu Baiyan’s life without a sound, making him want to get closer, making him enjoy being trusted and relied on, making him enjoy the closeness and the familiarity between them.

When Yan Anqing went to take a shower, he noticed a new basin on the rack, a toothbrush and cup that weren’t his on the sink, and a towel he didn’t own hanging on the rack.

Chu Baiyan’s things were slowly taking up more and more of the space that used to belong entirely to him.

He hummed a tune while brushing his teeth, put both cups side by side, aligned the toothbrushes in the same direction, and happily turned on the shower.

Chu Baiyan went into Yan Anqing’s bedroom to collect the dried clothes. When he picked up his underwear, he caught sight of another pair next to it, smaller by two sizes. His hand paused in the air for a second.

He put the clothes away in his suitcase beside the couch. When he sat down, he noticed that the renovation group had gone quiet today. Yesterday, they’d even tagged him several times to report progress.

He opened the chat. Aside from one voice message from the foreman, there was nothing new.

“After removing the tiles, there was too much moisture on the floor. We need to let it dry before redoing the waterproofing.”

Without headphones, Chu Baiyan played it out loud. The foreman’s loud voice filled the room. He was about to type a message asking, “How many days to dry?” when the bathroom door opened.

Yan Anqing came out of the shower and caught only half of it. Curious about who was contacting Chu Baiyan, he walked over and sat on the couch, asking him to play the voice again.

“What’s this place?” He saw several photos above the message.

“My rental. It’s in the same neighborhood.” The man beside him was still damp, droplets clinging to his hair. The familiar bergamot scent filled Chu Baiyan’s nose, rising through his chest.

He scrolled up. There were photos the foreman had taken before removing the tiles.

“The bathroom’s leaking. It’s under repair.”

After glancing at the mess of a bathroom, Yan Anqing said, “You can stay here for good.”

The overhead light was too bright, making it hard to feel sleepy. He turned off the main light and leaned forward to switch on the floor lamp beside the couch. The room dimmed, leaving only a faint glow from the bathroom.

He knew the layout of his home well, but tonight, there was one difference between him and the lamp switch, Chu Baiyan was sitting between them. He reached over, brushing the wall to find the button, misjudging the distance several times before he found it.

When Yan Anqing leaned close, it felt like he was resting against his chest. Chu Baiyan’s breathing caught and went uneven.

The floor lamp turned on. The warm yellow light shone softly across Yan Anqing’s face, highlighting the curve at the corner of his eyes. When Chu Baiyan looked down, he saw his refined features and eyes that sparkled faintly, reflecting his own silhouette.

“I’m going to sleep.” After adjusting the light, Yan Anqing braced himself on Chu Baiyan’s arm and stood up with that borrowed strength.

When Chu Baiyan showered later, he felt the water temperature was too hot, so he lowered it a little. After washing and wiping the floor, he used the new basin to wash his underwear. He skipped the T-shirt, but he couldn’t let Yan Anqing wash his underwear again the next day.

After washing them, he faced another problem. The drying rack was in Yan Anqing’s bedroom.

“Are you asleep?” When he came out of the bathroom, the lamp beside the bed by the wardrobe was still on. Chu Baiyan asked quietly.

“I’m watching SpongeBob.” Yan Anqing took off his earphones. He watched a few episodes every night before sleeping. Even though he already knew every plot, he still rewatched them without getting tired.

“I’m going to hang the clothes.” Chu Baiyan walked in and hung the clean underwear on the rack by the window.

After he finished, he said, “Good night.”

“I’ll sleep after this episode. Then I’ll say good night again.”

“You really like SpongeBob, huh?” Chu Baiyan smiled. At the shop in the evenings, if there weren’t many customers, Yan Anqing always watched SpongeBob too.

“When you’re beside me, I’ve never felt jealous of anyone.” Yan Anqing pulled out his earphones. The voice from the cartoon came from the speaker, repeating that same line.

SpongeBob never disliked Patrick for being clumsy. Yan Anqing wasn’t capable of empathy. He found it hard to understand what people meant or handle complicated relationships, but he wasn’t stupid.

He knew he had never been popular since childhood. No one wanted him on their team in games. No one wanted to be his friend. But he had his merman, so he had never been jealous of anyone.

Chu Baiyan felt like his heart was being squeezed tight. He walked over, took Yan Anqing’s phone, and sent that same episode to himself.

“I’ll watch this one too later.”

“Good night.” As he spoke, the credits were already rolling. Yan Anqing said good night and lay down under the blanket.

“Don’t make breakfast tomorrow. I’ll buy tofu pudding, fried dough sticks, and rice cakes.”

Yan Anqing didn’t speak. From under the air conditioner blanket, he stretched out his hand and hooked his pinky with Chu Baiyan’s to show agreement.

The bathroom repairs were slower than Chu Baiyan expected. Just drying the floor would take three days. At first, he kept checking in the group, but later he realized it didn’t matter. The foreman had too many sites under him, and whenever he asked, he only got vague replies. The progress depended on their pace, not his.

On Sunday morning, Yan Anqing called his grandma. On Monday, he wanted to go visit.

“Next week, baby. Your mom and brother are coming over this afternoon, and they’ll stay a few days.” Grandma knew he didn’t like being around them, so she purposely kept them apart.

Yan Anqing answered softly, “Mm.” He felt nothing toward his mother and brother, but being unable to follow his plan still put him in a bad mood.

“Don’t worry, they’re not staying here. I’ll lock your room and the pottery room. I won’t let them touch anything.”

His grandparents had sold their old house for a three-bedroom apartment with an elevator since climbing stairs had become difficult. They used one bedroom, and the other two were for him, one for living, one for pottery.

Yan Anqing had a strong sense of territory. Other than his grandparents, if anyone entered his room or moved his things, he would get furious.

After the time he pushed his brother to the ground, whenever his mother returned to her parents’ house, she stayed in a hotel with the younger son.