Chapter 10
After Zheng Yu announced the game would continue, many people looked confused. “It wasn’t Teacher Jian?”
Jian Wu didn’t want to offer any last words on the matter.
After he was out, he ate the cherries he had picked at the orchard while listening with disdain as Song Shuci shamelessly boasted about himself.
He didn’t understand, it was one thing for others to praise Song Shuci in this segment, but how could he have the nerve to keep talking non-stop?
He went on about “loving life” and “being able to sing.” Did Song Shuci, who was tone-deaf, call that being able to sing?
And yet, He Yong still thought Song Shuci was “reserved and low-key.”
They didn’t find the spy in the end. According to the rules they had set, if there were six people left, the spy won. Everyone looked at Zheng Yu in bewilderment. He cleared his throat, stood up, created some suspense, and then announced: “The spy is Professor Song.”
“Ah?”
“It was Professor Song?”
“Strange, I actually trusted him the whole time. What did he say again?”
Because the “pineapple and meat skewers” that earned him most people’s trust appeared too early, and everyone was just playing casually, not taking it too seriously, most of them, with their goldfish memories, had forgotten. They only remembered that they had, for some reason, ruled out Song Shuci as a suspect. His pretense of knowing others were talking about him also misled many people.
Someone asked curiously: “Then who was on Professor Song’s slip?”
According to the rules, the spy couldn’t lie and had to describe the person on their clue.
Song Shuci unfolded the slip of paper in his hand. As the familiar two handwritten characters appeared before everyone, he said: “Jian Wu.”
Jian Wu, who was about to pop a cherry into his mouth, froze, and the cherries “plop” fell to the ground.
This was the second time Song Shuci had called his name.
He still had cherry pulp in his mouth. Perhaps because they were picked too early, the cherries weren’t fully ripe, leaving a sour and astringent taste in his mouth.
“Jian Ge, what’s with that expression?” He Yong laughed. “Why is your face so scrunched up?”
On his left, Song Shuci picked up the cherries that had fallen to the ground and held them out to him.
Jian Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
“These cherries are too sour, please throw them away for me, Professor Song.” He lowered his head, stood up, and said, “You guys continue playing, I’m not feeling well, I need to go to the restroom.”
Song Shuci reached out, seemingly wanting to stop him, but his hand paused after extending only slightly. By the time he raised his hand again, Jian Wu had already turned around. He was too slow, not even touching the corner of Jian Wu’s clothes.
“Hey, I seem to remember,” He Yong’s memory was still good, “Professor Song said it was someone related to pineapple and meat skewers.”
He questioned: “What does Teacher Jian have to do with pineapple and meat skewers?”
His reminder made others remember as well. They all said: “Right, and how did Professor Song know if Teacher Jian could sing or loved life?”
“Teacher Jian skewered the pineapple and meat,” Song Shuci lied calmly.
“You were deliberately misleading us! What about the other things, like Teacher Jian being unaware of his own good looks, how did you know, Professor Song?”
“Because…”
Song Shuci originally wanted to argue further, but he glanced at the empty space beside him and suddenly lost interest.
“Forget it, it’s nothing.”
He let out a self-deprecating chuckle and, faced with the barrage of questions, casually apologized: “Sorry everyone, I made it all up, I cheated.”
At the entrance to the restroom, Jian Wu held a box of cherries, his chin against his chest as he scrolled through his phone.
He stood in the darkness, his thoughts unclear. From his angle, he couldn’t see the men and women at the team-building activity, only the faint outline of the mountains in the distance.
Occasionally, sounds of laughter and chatter drifted over, especially clear when the wind blew.
Song Shuci was punished by being made to sing a song for cheating. He lived up to expectations by singing even “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” off-key, causing a burst of laughter and teasing.
Ling Meng, He Yong, and the others had already started a new game. Jian Wu stared at his phone screen. Even with the brightness turned down to the lowest setting, the light still seemed a little harsh in the dim night.
He rubbed his eyes and suddenly heard footsteps behind him.
Jian Wu abruptly turned around, and upon seeing the person, his slightly tense shoulders relaxed.
“Teacher Jian.”
It was Zheng Yu’s voice.
Jian Wu put his phone in his pocket: “What’s wrong, Professor Zheng?”
“I’ve been eliminated. I’m free now, waiting for them to finish so we can start the next round,” Zheng Yu raised his chin, gesturing towards a direction away from the crowd, “How about it, want to chat for a bit?”
Jian Wu didn’t immediately grasp his intention and nodded: “Sure.”
There happened to be two swings side by side near the restroom entrance. Jian Wu sat down, holding the cherries.
Zheng Yu realized Jian Wu hadn’t understood his invitation for a private walk. He froze for a moment, then, looking at Jian Wu happily swinging, smiled and sat down beside him.
They first chatted about the scenery, then casually talked about their work at the university and the affiliated middle school. Unexpectedly, Zheng Yu changed the subject and started talking about Song Shuci.
“Your relationship with Professor Song… is more than just acquaintances, right?” He said with a half-smile, his tone certain.
This was Jian Wu’s first day knowing Zheng Yu, and he didn’t intend to reveal his past, so he lowered his head, maintaining the rhythm of the swing, and didn’t speak, only the smile on his face faded slightly.
Zheng Yu continued to question: “‘Someone related to pineapple and meat skewers,’ does that really just mean because you skewered pineapple and meat, Teacher Jian?”
He paused, looking at Jian Wu’s expression: “In Professor Song’s story, the people related to pineapple and meat skewers, besides himself, seem to only be his first love.”
Unlike Ling Meng, who trusted him completely, Zheng Yu wasn’t familiar with Jian Wu. It was precisely this unfamiliarity that allowed him to guess the truth without any external interference.
Zheng Yu deduced sharply: “You wouldn’t happen to be Professor Song’s first love, would you?”
Jian Wu’s feet, which had been off the ground as he swung, landed back on the ground, stopping the swing.
“Professor Zheng,” he pursed his lips, “Don’t make wild guesses.”
Jian Wu had always been smiling, appearing easygoing and approachable. This demeanor had given Zheng Yu a false impression, and only now did he realize his gossiping was somewhat rude.
“Sorry, Teacher Jian,” he apologized, “I usually like to observe people, and I also like reading detective novels. I got carried away with my deductions just now and offended you.”
“It’s fine,” Jian Wu smiled again, his eyes curving into crescents, “Want some cherries?”
Zheng Yu pushed the box back: “Didn’t you say they were sour?”
“They are a bit.” Although he said so, Jian Wu still ate a few more.
The mountain wind at night was a bit chilly. He shivered from the sourness, wrapped his jacket tighter, and said to Zheng Yu, “Whatever you’ve figured out, please don’t tell anyone else, okay?”
Zheng Yu looked at him in surprise. The young man lowered his head, holding the box of cherries, his jawline sharp and defined. Perhaps because the hoodie was too loose, it made his face seem even thinner.
He asked: “Are you afraid I’ll spread rumors and affect Professor Song’s work?”
“No,” Jian Wu denied vehemently, “What does his work have to do with me?” He then turned to smile at him, as if afraid Zheng Yu wouldn’t believe him.
The small mole on the left side of his face was right on his cheek muscle, moving with his expression, giving him an understated cuteness.
Zheng Yu froze for a moment, then suddenly said: “You just said you told Professor Song that you were pursuing me?”
Jian Wu, thinking he was being questioned, said guiltily: “I’m really sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight at the time, I apologize.”
“Then if I pursued you, would you consider it?” Zheng Yu suddenly asked.
Jian Wu was stunned by this unexpected invitation, and after a while, he said: “Are you… joking?”
“I have a good impression of you,” Zheng Yu confessed, “Otherwise, why do you think I chose you to skewer meat with in the crowd?”
Jian Wu frowned, trying to remember: “Didn’t you say you arrived late and everyone else was already busy, so you couldn’t help?”
“You actually believed that?”
Jian Wu: “?”
So it was a pick-up line.
Seriously, this guy looked so innocent, why was he so scheming?
“When I heard you told Professor Song that you were pursuing me, I was a little happy, thinking you were also interested in me.” Zheng Yu chuckled as he spoke.
Jian Wu: “…” He would never talk nonsense again.
“If I’m not mistaken, our sexual orientations should be the same.” Zheng Yu came out.
This was completely unexpected for Jian Wu. He was about to refuse: “Sorry, I–”
“Teacher Jian,” Zheng Yu interrupted him, “I’m guessing, besides girls, there are probably quite a few guys who like you, right?”
Jian Wu didn’t admit it, but he didn’t deny it either.
“It seems I guessed right,” Zheng Yu smiled. He looked at Jian Wu’s expression and commented, “Teacher Jian, do you know, you have a certain inexplicable quality, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s particularly attractive to people like us.”
“Actually, people who haven’t published any papers, or whose impact factor is too low, aren’t usually within my consideration. But you really made my heart flutter. When I first saw you at the barbecue area today, I really liked the feeling you gave me.”
“If I had to describe it, I think it would be…” He paused, “Your appearance and demeanor give people a feeling of closeness and a desire to protect you.”
“So I hope you’ll give me a chance to accompany and protect you.”
Jian Wu’s scalp tingled.
Zheng Yu’s confession was quite affectionate, frank, and direct, very much in line with the principles of adult relationships.
However, this approach didn’t work on Jian Wu.
Although he was gay, in a sense, he was actually quite a “straight man” at heart.
He didn’t have much romantic interest, didn’t like being clingy, couldn’t stand mushy confessions, and the word “protect” was a huge turn-off for him.
He never felt that a man needed another man’s self-righteous “protection.”
Including Zheng Yu, and including Song Shuci.
Zheng Yu’s cheesy words gave him goosebumps. He rubbed his arms and couldn’t help but interrupt Zheng Yu’s sentimental speech: “Thank you, but I’ve learned Sanda for a few years, and I don’t really need company.”
“So it’s a rejection?” Zheng Yu was a little disappointed.
“I’m really sorry, Professor Zheng,” Jian Wu said, “You’re a good person, but I really don’t have any plans to date recently.”
“Okay,” Zheng Yu wasn’t someone who would cling to a fleeting attraction, “Then… I hope you have fun. If you change your mind, and I’m still single, you can come find me.”
Jian Wu nodded with a polite smile, watching Zheng Yu walk away. He then breathed a sigh of relief, patted his face, and couldn’t help but mutter to himself, he was a perfectly capable young man, why did he need protection?
Was this how others saw him?
He lowered his head, looking at the cherries in his hand, still muttering to himself, when a deliberate cough suddenly came from behind him.
Jian Wu abruptly turned around. A familiar figure emerged from behind the wall.
