Chapter 23
Jiang Chaochao felt a bit dizzy, vaguely grasping the key point: Xiang Ye was gay.
It was like a difficult problem, driving around in circles trying to find the answer, then one day accidentally hitting a roadside rock, and the answer was clearly written on it.
The truth came unexpectedly.
Xiang Ye was gay.
Xiang Ye was actually gay.
Jiang Chaochao admitted he couldn’t process this information immediately. And what were they talking about at this moment?
Jiang Chaochao said: “My chest hurts from lying on my stomach for too long.”
Hearing this, Xiang Ye immediately asked: “You’re lying on your stomach?”
Jiang Chaochao replied: “Mm-hmm.”
Xiang Ye said: “Don’t lie on your stomach anymore.”
Jiang Chaochao obediently replied: “Okay, I’ve turned over.”
Then…
“You, you’re gay?” Jiang Chaochao finally expressed his surprise.
Xiang Ye chuckled softly on the other end: “Isn’t that last century’s topic?”
Jiang Chaochao went along with it: “I’ve been surprised for a century.”
Xiang Ye’s voice was also soft: “What’s wrong? Very surprised?”
Jiang Chaochao: “Surprised, of course surprised.”
Xiang Ye: “Is that okay?”
Jiang Chaochao: “It’s okay, of course it’s okay, it’s great. As the saying goes, handsome guys should be gay.”
Xiang Ye asked: “Who said that?”
Jiang Chaochao said: “I did.”
Xiang Ye made a soft “ah” sound, then he asked, “Did you hope I was gay?”
Jiang Chaochao froze at this question.
Say he hoped so?
Or say, he didn’t?
Just then, his phone vibrated.
His voice call with Xiang Ye was on his tablet. This vibration startled Jiang Chaochao.
It gave him a breather.
Too overwhelming.
“My sister’s calling,” Jiang Chaochao said to Xiang Ye.
Xiang Ye: “Okay.”
Jiang Chaochao let out a long breath and answered the call: “Hello.”
Jiang Zhiyan: “Gege, are you free now?”
Jiang Chaochao asked: “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Zhiyan: “Can you order a car for me? I don’t have any money on my phone.”
Jiang Chaochao wanted to say that she could still order a car without money, but Jiang Zhiyan continued, “I don’t want my mom to order it, and don’t tell her either, otherwise she’ll lecture me again, it’s so annoying.”
Jiang Chaochao sighed softly: “Where are you?”
Jiang Zhiyan: “East gate of Yunshui Bay, I’m almost at the entrance of the complex.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Okay, I’ll send you the license plate number on WeChat.”
Jiang Zhiyan: “Okay, thanks gege.”
After hanging up, Jiang Chaochao opened the ride-hailing app, but before he could enter the address, Xiang Ye spoke.
“I can pick up your sister,” Xiang Ye said.
Jiang Chaochao only thought for half a second: “No need, I can order her a car, it’ll arrive soon.”
Xiang Ye said: “It’s not safe for a young girl to be alone at night. There aren’t many cars around there, and Yunshui Bay is very close to my place, don’t worry about troubling me.”
Jiang Chaochao hesitated.
Xiang Ye said again, “Tell your sister I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Uh, I…”
Xiang Ye: “Just say thank you, don’t overthink it.”
Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment, then gave in: “Thank you.”
Xiang Ye: “Thank me in person.”
Jiang Chaochao smiled: “Fine.”
Xiang Ye: “Do you know my license plate number?”
Jiang Chaochao: “Yes.”
Xiang Ye seemed to chuckle: “Secretly memorizing my license plate number.”
Jiang Chaochao’s heart skipped a beat.
It seemed like an inappropriate remark, but it also happened to ease his slightly complicated mood.
“Okay, see you later,” Xiang Ye sounded like he had already stood up, and didn’t seem to expect Jiang Chaochao to answer his question. “I’m hanging up now.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Mm-hmm, see you later.”
He said ten minutes, and he meant ten minutes. Five minutes later, Jiang Chaochao received a message from Jiang Zhiyan saying she was in his friend’s car.
She also said, “Gege, your friend is so handsome!”
Xiang Ye was right. After Jiang Zhiyan got into his car, Jiang Chaochao was completely at ease, just waiting for them to get home.
The roads were clear at night, and after just over ten minutes, Jiang Chaochao met them at the entrance of his building.
Perhaps to evoke some maternal love, Jiang Zhiyan not only had her backpack on, but was also holding a physics textbook.
But in order to avoid further conflict, his stepmother didn’t appear in the living room. She only glanced from the doorway of her room, and after confirming it was Jiang Zhiyan, she closed the door.
After changing her shoes, Jiang Zhiyan’s eyes met Jiang Chaochao’s. Guilt filled her eyes, so she quickly looked away.
“Thanks, gege. I’m going to wash up and sleep, you should sleep early too,” Jiang Zhiyan quickly said this, then turned to the person at the door. “Thank you, gege’s friend.”
Xiang Ye said: “You’re welcome.”
Jiang Zhiyan disappeared in a flash. Now, at the entrance, only Jiang Chaochao inside and Xiang Ye outside remained.
Jiang Chaochao had a quirk. He didn’t like his friends or classmates coming to his house. Even Xu Hengzhi, his best friend, had only ever picked him up downstairs in the basement parking.
But at this moment, Xiang Ye was at his door.
Xiang Ye didn’t have to come in, but Jiang Chaochao shouldn’t not invite him in.
“Mission accomplished,” while Jiang Chaochao was still hesitating, Xiang Ye spoke first, “I’m going home.”
Logically speaking, Jiang Chaochao should be relieved at this moment, but suddenly, he wanted to invite Xiang Ye in.
He was truly crazy.
“What’s wrong?” Xiang Ye seemed to have noticed something. “What’s with that expression?”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t understand: “What expression?”
Xiang Ye asked: “Thinking about something?”
Jiang Chaochao: “No.”
Xiang Ye: “You look like you’re facing a huge dilemma.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Huh?”
Xiang Ye: “Don’t worry, I won’t go in.”
Jiang Chaochao said softly: “It’s not…”
Xiang Ye smiled and reached out, patting Jiang Chaochao’s head: “Sleepy?”
Jiang Chaochao shook his head: “Not sleepy.”
Xiang Ye: “Then walk me downstairs.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Okay.”
Xiang Ye: “This is much easier, right?”
Jiang Chaochao chuckled: “What are you talking about?”
Xiang Ye waited at the door while Jiang Chaochao changed his shoes, then they went downstairs together.
Jiang Chaochao lived on a high floor. He never thought the elevator was slow before. This time, with Xiang Ye beside him, he not only felt that waiting for the elevator was long, but also that going down was long.
Today was also very long, he had seen this man three times.
So, should he talk about something?
Talk about what?
It was awkward not talking…
How could Xiang Ye be so calm?
Not just this time.
Just as Jiang Chaochao was thinking about this and that, the elevator reached the first floor.
The temperature at night was much milder than during the day. Stepping out of the building, they were greeted by cool air.
The complex had a high greening rate, with many small paths. Jiang Chaochao started calculating how to subtly lead them to the longest route.
Yes, even though he felt this alone time was a bit awkward, he still wanted to spend a little more time with him.
Because soon, it would be tomorrow.
And then, they would have met tomorrow too.
After going down the steps, Jiang Chaochao had planned the route.
First, turn right.
“Your sister asked me in the car just now,” Xiang Ye spoke as they walked, “If you would be angry.”
Jiang Chaochao shook his head: “Huh? No, I wouldn’t.”
Xiang Ye: “I also told her you wouldn’t.”
Jiang Chaochao gave a “ha.”
He wouldn’t be angry, that was one thing, but Xiang Ye speaking on his behalf…
“You know me so well?” Jiang Chaochao teased. “What if I was angry?”
Xiang Ye thought for a moment: “But I already said you wouldn’t, you can only be angry at me.”
Jiang Chaochao burst out laughing at Xiang Ye’s words.
How could he say that?
“Gege,” Jiang Chaochao was feeling a bit bold. “What if I am angry?”
Xiang Ye retorted: “What do you think should happen?”
Although Xiang Ye didn’t continue, the familiarity and novelty of this exchange made Jiang Chaochao feel like the next sentence would be, Punish me.
Jiang Chaochao couldn’t imagine Xiang Ye saying that to him face to face.
Damn it, he was feeling dizzy again.
The moon was very small tonight, and the path was lit only by the complex’s streetlights. They were about to enter a small garden.
This was the route Jiang Chaochao had planned in his mind, but he didn’t expect it to be so far from the main gate, there was even a direct path paved with red bricks right next to it.
Fortunately, Xiang Ye didn’t seem to question the route at all. As he took his first step into the garden with Jiang Chaochao, he suddenly said, “Do you often call people gege?”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t know why Xiang Ye said this: “No.”
Xiang Ye: “You called me gege quite naturally.”
Jiang Chaochao was a bit embarrassed: “Then I won’t call you that anymore.”
Xiang Ye smiled: “Is that what I meant?”
Jiang Chaochao: “That’s what I meant.”
Xiang Ye: “No.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Why not?”
Xiang Ye didn’t say why, he just turned to look at Jiang Chaochao.
Although Jiang Chaochao’s words sounded bold, his face was burning. Xiang Ye’s gaze made him even more awkward, so without meeting his eyes, he turned his head away.
Acting a little tsundere.
A soft chuckle came from Xiang Ye.
Jiang Chaochao pursed his lips.
A tingling sensation, a prickling sensation.
“You should let your sister see you like this,” Xiang Ye said after they walked a few more steps.
Jiang Chaochao asked: “What do you mean? What am I like now?”
Xiang Ye wouldn’t say what he was like now, only saying, “You’re very much the older brother in front of her.”
Jiang Chaochao thought back: “Really?”
Xiang Ye: “Your sister seems to be afraid of you.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Maybe, I don’t know.”
Xiang Ye seemed to think for a moment, then asked, “Are you close?”
Jiang Chaochao also thought for a moment: “We’re okay, but not very close,” he added, “I’m not very close to any of them, including my dad.”
Jiang Chaochao added again: “Although I don’t see my mom very often, I’m actually closer to her.”
He continued: “I tell my mom about my work progress, including things that happened at school before.”
He continued again: “Although she doesn’t interfere much, she remembers everything I say, and she gives me advice.”
After listening, Xiang Ye said the same thing again: “You have a freedom that others envy.”
Jiang Chaochao chuckled: “I guess so. No one has ever controlled me, I grew up purely on my own willpower.”
After saying this, Jiang Chaochao mentally clicked his tongue. Why was he rambling again?
But while his mind was thinking this, his mouth continued.
Jiang Chaochao: “Sometimes I feel this kind of relationship with my mom is quite good.”
Xiang Ye immediately grasped the key point: “Sometimes,” he asked, “What about the other times?”
“The other times,” Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment, then said, “Take Zhiyan for example, I’ve seen how my stepmother spoils her, seen her acting coquettishly with my stepmother and my dad, seen her whispering and laughing with my stepmother on the balcony.”
Xiang Ye asked: “Do you want that kind of parent-child relationship?”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t answer directly, he only said, “But I thought about it, it would be quite strange for me and my mom to do those things.”
Xiang Ye: “Just live in a way that you’re comfortable with.”
Jiang Chaochao agreed: “Yes.”
Xiang Ye said again: “You’re very well-developed.”
Jiang Chaochao laughed at this sentence: “Are you complimenting me?”
Xiang Ye: “Isn’t it obvious?”
Since he asked, Jiang Chaochao couldn’t help but ask, “Well-developed in what way?”
Xiang Ye: “Well-developed on the outside, also well-developed on the inside.”
Jiang Chaochao hummed smugly: “You can even see my inside.”
What inside and outside, Jiang Chaochao suddenly, inexplicably, had inappropriate thoughts.
Fortunately, Xiang Ye was on the right track: “Everything I’ve seen so far is excellent.”
Jiang Chaochao pursed his lips, but the smile at the corners of his mouth was hard to hide.
So someone wouldn’t let it go.
Jiang Chaochao: “Be more specific.”
Xiang Ye laughed and turned to look at Jiang Chaochao.
This time, Jiang Chaochao was bold. He looked directly into Xiang Ye’s eyes, his expression even carrying a you-better-not-be-fooling-me attitude.
Xiang Ye said slowly, “Very sensible, very punctual, very thoughtful, very independent, very kind, very cute.”
A very sincere description. Jiang Chaochao pursed his lips again.
Well.
“Hmph.”
Although he didn’t know why he hummed, Jiang Chaochao just did.
Then he said, “Thanks.”
Xiang Ye: “You’re welcome.”
Jiang Chaochao: “I am indeed that kind of person.”
Xiang Ye chuckled and agreed slowly: “Mm-hmm, you are.”
This gege suddenly turned his head and stared into Jiang Chaochao’s eyes.
Jiang Chaochao was startled: “What?”
Xiang Ye nodded and turned back: “Seems like you’re appeased now.”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t quite understand: “What are you talking about?”
Xiang Ye didn’t say anything, but just patted Jiang Chaochao’s hair.
Then, they arrived at the entrance.
This was something truly worth a “hmph.”
Then he’d hmph again.
Hmph.
Jiang Chaochao greeted the security guard, then left with Xiang Ye.
“Where did you park your car?” Jiang Chaochao asked Xiang Ye after they went outside.
Xiang Ye said without hesitation, “Basement.”
“Huh?” Jiang Chaochao was stunned. “Why didn’t you say so?”
Xiang Ye: “Is it too late to say it now?”
Jiang Chaochao was utterly speechless.
Then Xiang Ye asked again, “Will you still walk me over?”
