I’ve Never Had a Husband Since I Was Young 6

Chapter 6

Jiang Chaochao felt he was being incredibly obtuse.

What was he even doing?

Xiang Ye had already left, and Xiang Shici was performing on stage.

The lounge had returned to its usual hustle and bustle, with those who had finished their performances and those preparing for the next, crowding together in two groups.

Jiang Chaochao was still sitting in the corner, his thoughts racing, his mind filled with the conversation he just had with Xiang Ye.

“A different little duck.”

“Is there a chance I could find out?”

“Is it convenient?”

“To add you on WeChat?”

Jiang Chaochao finally understood everything.

He just didn’t understand why he hadn’t understood each sentence earlier, and every answer he gave was wrong?

Would Xiang Ye think he couldn’t understand human language?

Would Xiang Ye think he was difficult to communicate with?

Would Xiang Ye think he was all looks and no brains?

Jiang Chaochao pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stop thinking about it.

His phone notified him of a new message. He clicked to read it, but after unlocking, a zoomed-in picture filled the screen.

It was Xiang Ye’s WeChat profile picture, a black figure sitting on a vast grassland.

The picture was well-taken, the figure and scenery both had a sense of depth. Even without showing his face, he looked very handsome.

Jiang Chaochao clicked back, but quickly opened it again, inexplicably saving the picture.

Xiang Ye’s WeChat ID was simple, “XY.”

But Jiang Chaochao wasn’t simple. He didn’t know what was wrong with him at the moment, what was going on in his head, seeing this XY and having all sorts of wild imaginations.

Xiang Ye was XY, Jiang Chaochao was Z.

So!

They were!

XYZ!

Okay.

Stop…

Xiang Ye’s WeChat Moments background was the same grassland as his profile picture, just without the figure. There were clouds, and clouds being blown by the wind.

Also worth mentioning was Xiang Ye’s Moments signature.

It was “Freedom and Wind.”

It wasn’t that Jiang Chaochao disliked this phrase, it’s just that it was really, really…

Hmm, very good, quite a nice name, so uncool that it even seemed sophisticated to Jiang Chaochao.

Freedom and Wind, Xiang Ye.

Hmm, very fitting.

As for his Moments posts, they were set to only show the past three days, and there was nothing there.

Oh well.

Jiang Chaochao’s settings were the same anyway, so it was a tie.

Back in the chat window, there was their initial greeting message.

XY: “Hello, Xiang Ye”

This seemed to be his usual opening when adding someone on WeChat, so Jiang Chaochao followed suit.

Jiang Chaochao: “Hello, Jiang Chaochao”

There wasn’t much to see, but Jiang Chaochao still glanced at it a few more times.

Just as he was about to exit and check other messages, his phone rang, startling him.

It was Xu Hengzhi, saying that security had stopped him and he couldn’t get in.

Jiang Chaochao was still here and hadn’t gone home because he was waiting for Xu Hengzhi.

A few minutes later, Jiang Chaochao met Xu Hengzhi at the entrance.

As soon as they met, this guy, as if he hadn’t spoken in ages, started chattering.

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” “I almost fell asleep listening inside.” “This place is huge, I spent ages looking for the entrance.” “I really don’t understand this highbrow stuff.” “But your performance was amazing, you were shining, bro.” “I filmed the whole thing, I’ll send it to the group chat for my parents to see later.” “Seeing it live is much more impressive than watching a video.” “I was so excited when you went on stage.” “Hey, this wallpaper is interesting.” “Want to grab supper tonight? I’m craving hot pot.” …

“What’s wrong with you?” This was Xu Hengzhi’s final question.

Jiang Chaochao asked: “What’s wrong with me?”

Xu Hengzhi: “You haven’t said a word.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Did you give me a chance to speak?”

Xu Hengzhi felt embarrassed: “Then I’ll shut up now, you talk.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Beef hot pot.”

Xu Hengzhi laughed, nodding: “Okay, sounds good.”

Back in the lounge, Jiang Chaochao poured a glass of water for the chatterbox.

Before the chatterbox could even swallow his water, he remembered something else: “Oh! I think I saw Xiang Ye.”

Jiang Chaochao remained calm: “Where?”

“In the audience,” Xu Hengzhi thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. When the lights came on, I looked over there again, and he was gone.” He finished and asked Jiang Chaochao: “Did you see him?”

Jiang Chaochao: “How would I see him?”

Xu Hengzhi: “Right.”

Xu Hengzhi said again: “Actually, I couldn’t see clearly. Tall, dark, and handsome, he looked just like Xiang Ye.”

Jiang Chaochao asked: “Are there a lot of handsome guys in A City?”

Xu Hengzhi: “Asking me? Aren’t you from A City?”

Jiang Chaochao: “I haven’t seen many anyway.”

Xu Hengzhi: “Handsome guys in A City, you’re one, Xiang Ye is one.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

He didn’t know why, he just felt very speechless, but also wanted to laugh.

Xu Hengzhi grinned: “What, am I wrong?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Yes, yes, thank you.”

Xu Hengzhi: “You have high standards, so many handsome guys couldn’t catch your eye.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Don’t wrong me, who couldn’t catch my eye? Didn’t I say your handsome guys were handsome?”

Xu Hengzhi narrowed his eyes, saying knowingly: “You forget them as soon as you see them.”

Fine then, Jiang Chaochao admitted directly: “That’s also true.”

Xu Hengzhi asked again: “Then do you remember Xiang Ye?”

“I remember,” Jiang Chaochao didn’t look at Xu Hengzhi. “You kept talking about Xiang Ye in my ear eight hundred times that night. I’m not deaf.”

Xu Hengzhi laughed: “You really don’t think he’s super, super handsome?”

Jiang Chaochao considered saying “I do” but held back: “Do you owe Xiang Ye something?”

Xu Hengzhi: “You caught me. The condition is to praise him a thousand times in front of others.”

Jiang Chaochao: “You still have two hundred times to go, keep it up.”

Xu Hengzhi: “Haha.”

Jiang Chaochao also: “Haha.”

After a while, Xu Hengzhi said again: “But that person really looked like Xiang Ye, I suspect it was him.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Is that so?”

Xu Hengzhi said again: “Why aren’t you surprised?”

Jiang Chaochao acted surprised: “You saw Xiang Ye?!”

Xu Hengzhi waved his hand dismissively: “Alright, alright.”

Unsuspecting, Xu Hengzhi took another sip of water and took out his phone, looking at Jiang Chaochao smugly.

Jiang Chaochao understood that look immediately: “What now?”

Xu Hengzhi: “Guess what I found out for you?”

Jiang Chaochao sighed: “Just tell me.”

Xu Hengzhi looked at Jiang Chaochao in confusion: “You know what I’m going to say?”

Jiang Chaochao: “Whether Xiang Ye is single or not.”

Xu Hengzhi gave Jiang Chaochao a strange look: “Hey! How did you know?”

Jiang Chaochao ignored his look: “Didn’t you leave that cliffhanger last time?”

Xu Hengzhi nodded: “I did,” he then said, “I thought you didn’t care about him, that you forgot.”

Jiang Chaochao: “…”

Jiang Chaochao: “Just say it.”

Xu Hengzhi narrowed his eyes: “Single.”

Jiang Chaochao said indifferently: “Oh.” Then he stared at Xu Hengzhi’s phone as he was about to put it away: “What are you doing?”

As if suddenly reminded by Jiang Chaochao, Xu Hengzhi picked up his phone again: “Want to know Xiang Ye’s Weibo?”

Jiang Chaochao didn’t hesitate: “No.”

Xu Hengzhi narrowed his eyes again: “Really don’t want to, or pretending not to want to?”

Jiang Chaochao took a sip of water: “You even know his Weibo?”

“I’m awesome, right?” Xu Hengzhi boasted. “I asked my female colleagues, they all know. They’re the ones who told me Xiang Ye is single.”

Jiang Chaochao: “You guys talk a lot.”

“Of course,” Xu Hengzhi puffed up his chest with pride. “They don’t call me ‘Friend of Women’ for nothing.”

Jiang Chaochao: “Right, right, right.”

Xu Hengzhi did have many female friends, and their relationships were so good they talked about everything, some topics so risqué that Jiang Chaochao was surprised.

Despite his usual frivolous behavior, Xu Hengzhi was actually a very thoughtful person, very considerate and gentle, which made Jiang Chaochao wonder for a while if he was gay.

However, some people had another term for Xu Hengzhi: a two-timer.

Jiang Chaochao’s refusal naturally couldn’t overcome Xu Hengzhi’s enthusiasm. He came today for this very purpose.

So no matter what Jiang Chaochao said, Xu Hengzhi would definitely open his phone.

Open his Weibo.

Open his following list.

“Here, this person, the one I followed most recently, is him,” Xu Hengzhi said.

Jiang Chaochao glanced at it: “Ah.”

“Hey, don’t you want to take a look?” Seeing Jiang Chaochao look away, Xu Hengzhi asked.

Jiang Chaochao: “Is there anything worth looking at?”

Xu Hengzhi said: “Actually, there is.”

Then Jiang Chaochao reluctantly leaned in again: “What is it?”

Xu Hengzhi opened Xiang Ye’s Weibo and scrolled down a bit.

“Look, these are pictures he took in Xinjiang in June,” Xu Hengzhi said. “Damn, they’re really good. His friend is such a good photographer.”

There were four pictures in total. Xu Hengzhi talked as he opened them and showed them to Jiang Chaochao.

It was clear that Xiang Ye’s WeChat profile picture was also from this period.

But the Weibo pictures were different. They showed his face directly, and his sharp features. It had to be said, the person in the pictures was exceptionally handsome, hitting all of Jiang Chaochao’s preferences.

“This style, I’ve never seen before,” Xu Hengzhi said languidly after minimizing the last picture.

Jiang Chaochao slowly looked at Xu Hengzhi’s face, then laughed: “Don’t tell me you actually like him.”

“Like him?” Xu Hengzhi laughed upon hearing this. “Can’t I simply appreciate him?”

Jiang Chaochao: “You can.”

“You shouldn’t like him though,” Xu Hengzhi said.

Jiang Chaochao gave him a I-don’t-care-about-you look.

Xu Hengzhi laughed: “But you can like him if you want.”

Jiang Chaochao: “I don’t like him.”

Xu Hengzhi was scrolling through his phone, not paying much attention to their conversation: “Okay, okay.”

Jiang Chaochao asked: “How do you know his friend took the pictures?”

Xu Hengzhi was prepared for anything. He directly opened the comment section: “Here.”

As soon as it opened, Jiang Chaochao was first attracted by the large number of “husband” comments.

He couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

Xu Hengzhi enjoyed this reaction very much. He patted Jiang Chaochao’s shoulder: “I had the same reaction when I first saw it.” Then he said, “Look at the top comment.”

The top comment was from a man who also had a grassland profile picture. He wrote, “Guys, did I take really handsome pictures of your husband or what?!”

Xu Hengzhi added an explanation: “This is his childhood friend, Fu Jing. They often go out together.”

Jiang Chaochao: “You even know this.”

Xu Hengzhi winked at Jiang Chaochao: “Mr. Know-It-All.”

Under this friend’s comment, the top reply was from the author, that is, Xiang Ye, a very speechless emoji.

Below Xiang Ye’s emoji was another reply from this friend.

“Guys, I had to beg him to post these, shouldn’t you thank me properly?”

Besides these exchanges, there were many other replies folded under this comment.

Jiang Chaochao was a little curious, and Xu Hengzhi clicked to expand them.

Good heavens, a whole bunch of people, all calling Xiang Ye “husband” and profusely thanking dear Xiao Fu.

Xu Hengzhi suddenly started laughing, but didn’t say anything.

Jiang Chaochao: “What are you laughing at?”

Xu Hengzhi: “What do you think if I also go and call him ‘husband’?”

Jiang Chaochao’s eyes widened: “You straight guys are really scary.”

Xu Hengzhi burst out laughing: “Just kidding, of course not,” then his next sentence: “Why don’t you go call him ‘husband’?”

Jiang Chaochao: “…What’s wrong with you?”

Xu Hengzhi laughed even harder.

Then Xu Hengzhi continued: “You have a Weibo account, right?”

Jiang Chaochao: “What are you trying to do?”

Xu Hengzhi said: “You should also follow him.”

Jiang Chaochao said speechlessly: “Why should I?”

Xu Hengzhi probed again: “He’s a handsome guy, don’t you want to follow him?”

Jiang Chaochao was even more speechless: “What are you really trying to do?”

Xu Hengzhi still wouldn’t say what he was trying to do. Of course he knew that Jiang Chaochao knew what he was thinking.

So he simply gave Jiang Chaochao a mischievous smile.

But Xu Hengzhi’s smile didn’t last long. His expression froze because of a few people who came in through the door.

Actually, the background atmosphere while they were chatting was quite noisy. Except for the two of them being relaxed, everyone else was coming and going in a hurry.

And who came in at this moment?

That’s right.

Drumroll

Looking at the approaching “husband” himself, Xu Hengzhi was so surprised he seemed to have lost his voice, unable to utter a word.

Jiang Chaochao naturally understood Xu Hengzhi’s state of mind. Just a second ago, this guy was gossiping about the man.

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

Of course, Xu Hengzhi, the veteran of the workplace, quickly regained his composure. Regardless of whether Xiang Ye noticed him or not, he stood up first.

Xiang Ye also looked over, and his group walked towards them.

“Mr. Xiang, what a coincidence.” Xu Hengzhi extended his right hand.

Xiang Ye didn’t seem very surprised, shaking Xu Hengzhi’s hand briefly: “It is.”

Xu Hengzhi: “You’re here to watch the performance too?”

Xiang Ye pointed to the side: “My niece is performing tonight.”

Xu Hengzhi smiled at Shici: “Wow, Mr. Xiang, your niece is so beautiful, so elegant. Your family has great genes.”

Xiang Ye smiled politely: “Thank you.”

Xu Hengzhi gestured towards Jiang Chaochao, who had also stood up: “We met the other day, my friend. What a coincidence, he performed today too.”

Hearing this, Xiang Ye glanced at Jiang Chaochao, and Jiang Chaochao also met Xiang Ye’s gaze.

They exchanged smiles and nodded politely.

“Uncle!” Xiang Shici tugged at Xiang Ye’s arm at this moment and whispered to him, “You know Jiang xuechang?” (xuechang: senior student, a term of respect)

Xiang Ye didn’t say yes or no, he just asked: “What’s wrong?”

Xiang Shici smiled: “Nothing, it’s just, xuechang is really amazing.”

Xiang Ye asked Shici: “How amazing?”

Just then, a commotion arose around Xiang Shici. A student’s mother came over with a bag of grapes.

Xiang Shici was part of a large ensemble tonight, so the lounge was crowded again. The mother was very enthusiastic, her voice cutting through all the noise, “Here, here, here,” as she started handing out grapes for everyone to eat.

Jiang Chaochao and Xu Hengzhi consciously stepped aside, feeling it wasn’t their place.

With the jostling, Xiang Shici and Xiang Ye also moved to the side.

As they moved, their positions shifted slightly.

Soon, the student’s mother handed out grapes to Xiang Shici. Xu Hengzhi seemed to notice that the student’s mother glanced at them.

As Xiang Shici received a bunch of grapes, Xu Hengzhi thought about stepping back a bit more. The way he and Jiang Chaochao were standing now, it was hard to tell if they were together or not.

Soon, Xiang Ye also received a bunch.

Now Xu Hengzhi felt he had to leave. The way they were standing there, the relationship felt awkward. He wasn’t very familiar with Xiang Ye, and Jiang Chaochao even less so. It wouldn’t be right to take the woman’s grapes, he needed to pull Jiang Chaochao away.

But he turned around.

A few steps away, Xiang Ye, holding the grapes, didn’t eat them himself, instead he offered them to Jiang Chaochao.

Jiang Chaochao also very naturally raised his hand, plucked a grape from the bunch, and put it in his mouth.

In the noisy environment, a brief exchange between them could be heard.

“Sweet?”

“Mm-hmm.”