Chapter 17

This time, Ye Ji’an was no longer dazed. He practically hopped back into the room, and with a loud “bang,” he slammed the door shut, the sound echoing like a rebellious teenager avoiding nagging at the dinner table, or a clumsy thief trying to escape a haunted house. The key in the lock rattled from the impact. Outside, there were a few murmurs before silence fell. Ye Ji’an quickly slipped on a pair of gray sweatpants, put on socks, and buttoned the two buttons of his shirt that he had left undone before returning to the door.

The window was wide open, and the northern wind rushed in, revealing a cobalt blue sky outside. The air in the bedroom was suddenly fresh enough to awaken him, but as he grasped the doorknob, he hesitated, feeling more awkward than anything—his reaction seemed too extreme and quite impolite.

From the looks of it, the person outside called Liang Xiao “Young Master,” which meant she was probably the aunt who often took care of him. Although she was there to work, she was still a guest, an elder… How could he just slam the door and leave her outside without a word?

What could he possibly say to ease the awkwardness if he went out?

In any case, he couldn’t just hide away. If Marx could stay outside calmly, he couldn’t be less than a gecko. So, Ye Ji’an pushed the door open and took two steps into the living room, only to see that the robot vacuum had already started, and the aunt was busy wiping the coffee table, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened.

“Hello,” he cleared his throat, “may I ask how to address you?”

The aunt burst into laughter, her sharp little eyes sizing him up. “Look at you, scared out of your wits! My surname is Hu, just call me Hu-ma. I’ve been the housekeeper for Xiao Xiao’s family for over twenty years!”

“Ah.” Ye Ji’an responded, but it was hard for him to call her that. “Let me get you a glass of water. We have Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, Pu’er latte, black sesame paste, and grapefruit juice, all made with hot water.”

“Just plain water will do!” Hu-ma laughed even more heartily, quickly wiping down the coffee table before moving on to the heating column. As Ye Ji’an maneuvered around the roaming vacuum to place the glass on the coffee table, she added, “That kind of juice is Xiao Xiao’s favorite.”

Ye Ji’an thought to himself, I know that. Should I make you another cup? “He went downstairs to buy breakfast.”

“He’s quite capable of doing that, isn’t he?” Hu-ma happily drank down half a glass of warm water and glanced at Ye Ji’an. “Why are you just standing there? Go wash your face and brush your teeth.”

Ye Ji’an obediently entered the bathroom.

By the time he tidied himself up and pushed the door open, he heard commotion in the living room—Liang Xiao had already returned.

“I’ve told you, really, it’s not necessary,” Liang Xiao’s voice was clear.

“Oh dear, I’m not scolding you, Young Master. Just look at what you bought! Do you know what oil they used to fry these youtiao? And the filling in these buns, I can’t even tell what kind of meat it is. The porridge is so watery, it’s clear it’s not made from good rice,” Hu-ma’s voice was filled with exasperation. “I still have to make something decent for you to freeze, honestly, how can you let it be so sparse during the New Year?”

“I wash the dishes after Senior cooks, it’s not sparse.”

“How well does he cook?”

“Very well. Chef-level.”

“Then you can wash the dishes? I just see you being too lazy, and with work being so busy, I can’t help but worry.”

“I’ve learned.”

“Oh, a miracle! I must tell the Old Master,” Hu-ma sighed deeply. “I see the house is well-stocked with tea and drinks, and there are vegetables and fruits in the fridge—all thanks to Director Ye?”

“Senior brought them from home.”

“Not only is he capable at work, but he also knows how to take care of people in life, right?”

“He’s great. If you want to praise him, do it to his face, don’t gossip behind his back with me.”

“Isn’t he off washing up? You young people just wake up too late,” Hu-ma chided, lowering her voice. “I see you look more spirited than in the photos, not like someone who’s thirty-five.”

Ye Ji’an had sharp ears and heard everything clearly. He thought to himself, they’re holding a commendation ceremony for me outside, and eavesdropping like this is too underhanded. So he walked through the corridor to the living room, only to find the breakfast being criticized laid out on the coffee table. Liang Xiao was already sitting on the sofa, still in his down jacket, wearing a face that clearly rejected conversation. Upon seeing him, he immediately stood up and smiled.

“You two chat,” Hu-ma turned her back, wiping the gecko box on the display shelf. “Don’t mind me.”

Ye Ji’an pressed Liang Xiao back down and sat beside him, whispering, “What filling is in the soup dumplings?”

“Carrot and pork.” Liang Xiao’s expression soured a bit at the mention of the buns. “Senior, don’t eat them, they’re not clean.”

“My little Young Master got up early to buy them for me, of course I have to eat,” Ye Ji’an said, lifting the plastic bag and opening it to bring a dumpling to his mouth. “There’s a long line downstairs all day, you must have waited quite a while.”

Liang Xiao maintained his serious face. “I went down at nine-thirty.”

“That’s why so many people are lining up, the taste must be good. Every time I go out, the buns aren’t steamed properly, I’ve been craving them for ages,” he said, offering the half-eaten soup dumpling to Liang Xiao’s mouth. “Want to try?”

Liang Xiao’s gaze was fixed on his face, and he opened his mouth to take it, even biting down on Ye Ji’an’s finger as he swallowed.

“Isn’t that dirty?” Ye Ji’an laughed, wiping the soup that had splattered on Liang Xiao’s lower lip.

Liang Xiao finally smiled, “Not dirty.”

The two happily began to eat breakfast. Although Hu-ma didn’t seem to favor them, the youtiao was crispy, the eight-treasure porridge warm, and the various cold dishes each had their own flavor, making for a very satisfying meal. When Hu-ma turned to clean another room, Liang Xiao finally asked, “Do you have a headache?”

“A bit,” Ye Ji’an set down his bowl of porridge and leaned against the sofa cushion. “The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, so I’m not planning to go anywhere today.”

“I’m not going anywhere either,” Liang Xiao mimicked his posture, lounging comfortably. “Last night, how did Senior feel?”

Ye Ji’an leaned against him, the surface of Liang Xiao’s down jacket had warmed up, and his profile looked soft and cozy nestled inside. “Let me think of the words… Right, unforgettable for a lifetime.”

Liang Xiao chuckled, “That’s a bit exaggerated.”

“When should we try something even more exaggerated? I see you’re holding back quite a bit,” Ye Ji’an’s fingertips gently scratched the smooth fabric of the down jacket as he lifted his eyelids to catch Liang Xiao’s gaze. “It’s not easy to have a holiday with free time.”

Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao turned his face away, refusing to look at him. “No need to rush that.”

Ye Ji’an elongated his tone, “Oh—Liang-kovsky’s gradual theory.”

Liang Xiao turned back, suddenly hugging him tightly. “Senior accepted it too quickly, it feels like a dream.”

Ye Ji’an thought to himself, isn’t this kind of feeling very abstract, subjective, and swift? Besides, I’m not that kind of pretentious person; a kiss or a touch could make me hard, and I wouldn’t let you on? I’ve done quite a bit of homework on this, okay? Thinking this way made him inexplicably angry, and he bumped Liang Xiao’s forehead, staring at him and saying, “Stay awake.”

Liang Xiao’s ears turned red, but he didn’t hide anymore. He just pressed his nose against Ye Ji’an’s and blinked, “We still need to buy those necessary things, like condoms and lubricants. Will you accompany me, Senior?”

“…Sure, we also need to buy some New Year goods. We’re outside the Fifth Ring, we can buy some fireworks to set off,” finally, it was Ye Ji’an who felt shy. After thinking for a moment, he added, “But you have to go back on New Year’s Eve, right? Spend some time with your dad.”

“My family doesn’t celebrate the New Year, we don’t have that habit,” Liang Xiao said casually. “We don’t celebrate Christmas or New Year’s Day either; we don’t do much for holidays, except for Qingming when we pay respects to our ancestors.”

“Don’t you need to go back and take a look? Isn’t your family local?”

“My dad went traveling, there’s no one at home,” Liang Xiao took off his down jacket and pulled Ye Ji’an back, smoothing his hair. “What about you? I remember you have a younger brother besides your parents.”

Ye Ji’an smiled, “I haven’t been home in over ten years. I didn’t even go back for my brother’s wedding; they didn’t even invite me for the baby’s full moon.”

Liang Xiao seemed a bit surprised but just nodded without asking further.

Ye Ji’an continued, “Every year, I just make a phone call and send some money; they don’t need anything else from me.”

Liang Xiao frowned slightly, about to speak when Hu-ma, drenched in sweat, came out of the bedroom, hands on her hips, calling loudly, “Come, come, Xiao Xiao and Director Ye, come here! I brought a lot of good food, let’s see how to eat it!”

So the two stood up and went to learn earnestly.

“When the Old Master comes back from that place, right, Hawaii, I have to have a good talk with him,” seeing Ye Ji’an listening intently and even having some knowledge about how to cook Jinhua ham, Hu-ma was all smiles. “His precious son finally has someone to care for him!”

Liang Xiao covered his eyes, “Please don’t talk to him randomly; when the time is right, I’ll tell him myself.”

Hu-ma tapped the floor with the ham, “Hey, do you think he doesn’t know?”

Liang Xiao corrected loudly, “Him finding out on his own and me introducing him are completely different!”

Ye Ji’an was already holding back laughter to the point where his mouth felt numb.

That day, Hu-ma didn’t leave until the afternoon, having prepared a rather sumptuous dinner, with sea cucumber cut into pieces stewed in millet porridge. Ye Ji’an finally experienced a taste of the luxurious life of big capitalism. After a whole day, the windows were bright and clean, he was well-fed, and even Marx’s cozy little nook with the solar lamp had been maintained, while all he did was stand at the sink after dinner, competing with Liang Xiao to wash the dishes, deliberately letting him win. Liang Xiao was not pleased, bumping his shoulder to tell him not to slack off.

That night, they didn’t do much either. The bedroom was dark as they played a movie, with Liang Xiao resting on a soft cushion at the head of the bed while Ye Ji’an lay against him. When the male and female leads shared a kiss on screen, they felt the urge to kiss outside the screen as well. However, Liang Xiao fell asleep shortly after, unlike his usual self who needed the lights on, and his half sleeping pill lay untouched on the bedside.

Ye Ji’an turned off the TV and noted down the significance of that night in his schedule memo, writing “good sleep” right after the previous night’s “first time.”

He soon fell into a deep sleep.

Who would set an alarm during a holiday with nothing to do? At least not two office workers who worried about sudden death from lack of sleep. The next day, Ye Ji’an woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. Opening his eyes, he saw the red heart of Comme des Garçons on Liang Xiao’s T-shirt, while its owner was still sound asleep. He gently lifted the arm that was wrapped around him and checked his phone.

It was a number he didn’t want to see but couldn’t refuse to answer, so Ye Ji’an got up, left the bed, and ran to the balcony to take the call.

After talking for over five minutes, he hung up before nine o’clock. Ye Ji’an was only wearing a tank top and shorts, shivering from the cold. Just as he was about to head back to lie down for a bit, he turned around to see Liang Xiao already up, leaning against a small banana plant, also dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, quietly watching him.

“Come sleep with me for a bit,” Ye Ji’an placed his phone on the windowsill, seemingly not planning to take it back. “We’ll go out to buy things in the afternoon.”

“Is it work-related?” Liang Xiao asked, taking his wrist and leading him back to their warm bedroom.

“No, it’s about an orphanage, just over in Xishan, very close,” Ye Ji’an paused before continuing, “I usually send some money to a few welfare homes before the New Year, all over the country. The kids need to eat something good during the Spring Festival and have some toys to play with. This particular one knows I’m in the same city, so they invite me every year to participate in an event, just to play with the kids, make dumplings and such.”

Liang Xiao sat back on the edge of the bed with him. “Did Senior refuse?”

“Yeah, that little bit of money wouldn’t help much. I’m not looking to adopt a child, how could I go?” Ye Ji’an lowered his eyelashes, staring at his knees, and smiled. “Besides, I don’t know how to interact with them; the kids probably wouldn’t want to play with me, a boring and uninteresting strange uncle.”

“So Senior just doesn’t want to go.”

“Not really,” Ye Ji’an blurted out, then closed his mouth. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s just a bit… I’m scared, I don’t know.”

“I’ll go with you, Senior.”

“Ah?”

“You’re not a boring and uninteresting strange uncle; they will definitely like you,” Liang Xiao rubbed Ye Ji’an’s shoulder, his eyes filled with a warm smile. “I haven’t made dumplings before. I want you to teach me how to make them.”