CH 20

A smell similar to that of ‘catching someone in the act’.

Song Yan seemed to have not understood, raised his head, then dazedly stared at Xia Zhiye. After staring for a long moment, he lowered his head, then buried his head in Xia Zhiye’s neck. With a muffled voice, said: “Liar.”

Xia Zhiye’s fingertips softly ruffled the ends of the other’s hair, as if comforting the other: “I’m not lying to you.”

“Then why do they not like me.”

“Because only idiots will like idiots.”

A moment of silence, as if he was reflecting upon the statement.

Then Song Yan raised his head, and replied with a face full of confidence: “So you’re an idiot.”

As if his logic was seamless.

Xia Zhiye: “……”

Regardless of whether this little one was drunk or not, he was equally as aggravating.

Not only was he aggravating, but he was also clingy.

No matter how Xia Zhiye coaxed the other, he continuously held Xia Zhiye’s hand without letting go, as if he was afraid the only person who liked him would run away.

It wasn’t until grandma Liu came over with a pot of porridge did he reluctantly let go of the other’s hand.

When drinking porridge he was also very docile. When Xia Zhiye fed him a spoonful, he would drink a spoonful. If it was too hot, he’d blink his eyes gently, didn’t say anything, but would swallow it slowly.

Xia Zhiye realized something wasn’t right, tested the temperature, then with a low voice: “Why didn’t you say anything if it was hot?”

Song Yan lowered his eyelashes: “I’ll get yelled at.”

Xia Zhiye: “……”

Will you really get yelled at?

It seems a drunk Song Yan would subconsciously return to a childish phase. Saying he’d be scolded, was it because when he was fed food as a child, if Song Yan threw a temper, he’d be scolded?

Just looking at Song Yan’s behavior now, it wasn’t hard to imagine how pretty he was as a child. It’s fine if he wasn’t loved dearly, but he could even be scolded.

What exactly was Song Yan’s childhood like?

Xia Zhiye really wanted to ask.

He also knew that with Song Yan’s current attitude, no matter what he asked, he’d get an answer.

But Song Yan was someone who had a strong sense of self respect, and self-territorial awareness. If he didn’t really want to answer but Xia Zhiye presumptuously asked, then it would be too disrespectful of the other.

So he didn’t say anything, and after he finished feeding Song Yan the porridge, he coaxed the other into brushing his teeth and taking a shower, he helped the other dry his hair, then sent him to bed. He was just about to shower himself when the hem of his shirt was pulled.

He turned back, and saw Song Yan with a head of soft hair, wrapped in a blanket, and his head tilted up: “Sleep together.”

It was hard to imagine this person was the same person as the pretty, cold ge who would kick others with a bit of provocation.

Xia Zhiye’s voice softened a bit: “I’ll come back after I finish showering.”

“No.” Little friend Song Yan was very stubborn, “Let’s sleep together right now.”

“I’m not leaving, just going to shower.”

Xia Zhiye patiently explained.

Song Yan was rarely stubborn: “I don’t want to be alone in the room at night.”

“Open the lights, it won’t be dark.”

“No.”

Song Yan tightly grasped the hem of Xia Zhiye’s clothes, his lips slightly pouting. Rather than saying he was shamelessly acting cute, it was more like he was afraid Xia Zhiye would abandon him and leave him all alone.

He had an expression that was as if he had no sense of security at all.

Xia Zhiye sighed: “Fine.”

Then he lifted the blanket aside, and got on the bed.

He conveniently turned off the lamp by the head of the bed, then Song Yan, who had always hated others touching him, took the initiative to cuddle against him. He embraced Xia Zhiye’s arm, and his head buried into the other’s neck, lightly rubbing against it.

This kind of dependent action, like a small animal that got its desired outcome, immediately made Xia Zhiye’s heart soften into a puddle of water.

Who said Song Yan had the temper of a little young master, he clearly was a pitiable child.

He was just about to hug the other and coax him, but in the next second, Song Yan moved his head aside, then said with disdain: “So smelly.”

Xia Zhiye’s hand froze midair: “……”

Who was it that didn’t let me shower.

What a heartless little thing.

.

Only idiots will like idiots, some people were too smart, so they don’t like you.

When Song Yan woke up, he dimly recalled that sentence, but despite digging deep into his mind, he couldn’t think of anything.

His head was extremely dizzy, and he turned to continue sleeping, but his leg kicked a hard thigh.

Then his leg stiffened there, motionless.

Xia Zhiye half lifted himself up, supported his head, and stared at the other, his lips slightly curved: “You’re still pretending to sleep?”

Song Yan raised his eyelids, his expression bad: “How come I’m at your house.”

Xia Zhiye raised his eyebrow: “Wasn’t it you who insisted you and I sleep together last night?”

Song Yan: “?”

“If you can’t remember, then I can also help you remember it.”

“……”

Song Yan calculated his own alcohol tolerance: “No need.”

After he said this, he pulled out his cell phone, glanced at the time, then rose and got off the bed.

Xia Zhiye asked: “You’re not going back to sleep?”

Song Yan put on his clothes: “Mm, I have to catch a plane, there’s not enough time left.”

Xia Zhiye: “……”

He felt Xia Zhiye’s subtle silence, then realized he seemed to have used this excuse before, then added on: “This time I’m not going to Madagascar, I’m going back to Beijing.”

Xia Zhiye remembered that Song Yan answered a phone call yesterday: “You’re going back to Beijing to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival?”

Song Yan: “Hm.”

Song Yan didn’t want to say much more, and Xia Zhiye also didn’t ask any more questions.

After Song Yan finished cleaning up, he saw Xia Zhiye leaning against the doorway, holding a lunchbox in his hand: “Grandma made these osmanthus flower mooncakes herself, take it with you to eat.”

Song Yan smoothly took the box and stuffed it into his backpack: “Thank grandma for me.”

After this, he hurriedly turned to the doorway to leave.

Xia Zhiye grabbed the other’s wrist with one hand.

Song Yan just wanted to ask what he wanted, when an umbrella was stuffed into his hand: “It’s raining outside, be careful on the road. If you’re not having a good time in Beijing, come back earlier. I’ll always be at home, I’m not going anywhere.”

The tone of his voice was as lazy as it always was, but it seems there was also a hint of something else.

Song Yan couldn’t tell what it was, but also felt it was baffling.

He grew up in Beijing, and was familiar with the land, and had family and friends there. Xia Zhiye had no reason to worry about him while he was in Beijing.

But he just casually replied: “Sure.”

.

The plane was a bit late, and by the time he arrived in Beijing, the sky was already completely black.

The one who came to pick him up was the Song family’s driver: “Sir and madam already took the little young master to the Tan household, I’ll take you there.”

Song Yan had no interest: “No need, just take me home.”

The driver found this difficult, and replied: “Sir said I must take you there.”

Song Yan had no idea why that family at the Tan household having a reunion and celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival insisted on inviting him, an outsider.

But the driver was paid by Song Minghai to help Song Minghai deal with matters, he could say he didn’t want to go, but they wouldn’t be able to report back to Song Minghai.

So ultimately, the car still unhurriedly traveled in the direction of some university’s school lodging.

The old master and old lady of the Tan household were both intellectuals in their youth. Later, the old lady became a scholar, and the old master resigned and went into business. His career grew prosperous, and his reputation was also very good.

It happened that their only daughter fell in love with a self-made nouveau riche that was seven years older than her. The two hit it off, then agreed to marry.

You borrow my name, and I’ll borrow your profits, it could also be considered a beautiful marriage.

If the day of their marriage wasn’t just three months after the day Song Yan’s mother died, or if Tan Qing wasn’t already two months pregnant at that time, then Song Yan felt he couldn’t criticize this marriage.

But in truth, Song Yan didn’t hate Tan Qing, and he also couldn’t say he disliked her.

Perhaps it was because after Tan Qing married into the family, he realized that not all husbands and wives throw plates and bowls and slap their sons when eating, or that not all mothers would hysterically go crazy and grab knives to take their sons towards mutual destruction.

Instead, there would be someone to attend parent-teacher conferences for him, would buy clothes for him at the appropriate time, ask him if he was sick or if he caught a cold. No need to mention the degree of truth in this behavior, but at the very least, he didn’t have to worry about whether he would die or be hurt if he stayed alone at home with the mother of the house.

So he has always treated Tan Qing with respect and courteousness, it’s just that he simply loathed Song Minghai.

By the time he arrived at the Tan household, the evening banquet had already started.

Once Song Lele saw him, he ran forward to hug Song Yan: “Gege, I missed you so much.”

Song Yan had just raised his hand to pat the other’s head, when the old lady Tan called out: “Lele, hurry back, don’t bother gege. Grandma will help peel shrimp for you.”

She worked hard to appear natural, but she couldn’t conceal the anxiousness in her expression, as if in the next second Song Yan would eat Song Lele up.

Song Lele had also just turned ten years old, and was a child that didn’t understand anything, and didn’t realize why the adults said this. He just heard grandma call him, so he happily ran back.

Song Yan’s hand was raised fruitlessly in midair, but he didn’t say anything, then naturally lowered his hand, and sat down in passing.

Song Minghai had also not looked up to look at him, just asked: “When do you plan on coming back.”

Song Yan: “After taking the gaokao.”

“You plan on finishing up high school at that lousy place?”

“Didn’t you make me go there.”

“I made you go because I wanted you to reflect upon your mistakes.”

“Then I apologize. For the time being, I haven’t discovered my mistake yet.”

The atmosphere at the dining table grew cold, and no one dared to open their mouth.

After a moment, Song Minghai finally raised his head, then examined Song Yan: “Because you were jealous of a classmate so you pushed that classmate down from the balcony on the third floor doesn’t count as a mistake?”

Song Yan’s eyelids drooped down, with no emotion: “I said it many times, I didn’t.”

“So Shang Wei jumped down on his own?”

“I also answered this many times, yes, but do you believe me?”

Song Yan raised his eyes, meeting Song Minghai’s gaze.

A short moment of silence.

Song Minghai coldly laughed: “Sure enough you’re like your mom.”

Sure enough you’re like your mom.

Gloomy and antisocial, sensitive and prone to jealousy, full of lies, and mentally twisted.

Song Minghai has said these words to him word for word before.

Song Yan grasped his chopsticks so hard his fingers turned white.

But seeing Tan Qing’s nervous and disturbed expression, then seeing Song Lele’s scared and innocent gaze, he ultimately chose to calmly put down the chopsticks, then pick up his schoolbag: “You eat slowly, I’m full.”

After he said this, he got up and walked to the doorway.

Sign Minghai behind him, coldly said: “If you dare to leave, I’ll freeze your card.”

Song Yan didn’t even need to think about it. He directly pulled out that black card and placed it on the cabinet in the foyer. He then twisted the handle, then walked out alone into the night when thousands of families reunited.

.

When Shen Jiayan came to pick up Song Yan, he saw the sky filled with a bright, full moon as well as the lanterns that thousands of other families had lit up. Meanwhile, only Song Yan’s lonely figure stood on the ground by the curb.

The street lights were hazy and old, cutting out a beam of warm light in the night.

Song Yan stood outside the ray of light, wearing only a thin jacket. The night wind caused his jacket to flutter about, exposing the thin, yet tenacious silhouette that adolescents have.

In early autumn nights in the north, this loneliness seemed a bit out of place.

He sighed, then walked over and asked: “You argued with your dad again?”

“Yeah.” Song Yan raised his eyes, “Thanks.”

A simple word, yet Shen Jiayan understood the other thoroughly: “What’s there to thank me for. My mom heard you were coming and was super happy, she’s waiting for you to give me homework tutoring. She even cooked a lot of Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs1, so eat more later.”

Song Song Yan was born, the two families lived across from each other.

Every time Song Yan had nowhere to go, he was picked up by Shen Jiayan and brought home. Then two went to middle school and high school together, and staying over at Shen Jiayan’s place was a common occurrence.

The mother and father of the Shen household saw that Song Yan looked good, had good grades, and also heard the situation of his family. Added to the fact that Song Yan had saved Shen Jiayan once in middle school, so the two were quite welcoming every time Song Yan came.

They pulled him to eat several big hairy crabs, drink a cup of brown sugar ginger tea, and only then did they let him return with Shen Jiayan to his room.

“Fortunately you’re here, or else my mom definitely would have made me complete a whole packet of science worksheets before letting me sleep.” Shen Jiayan lay paralyzed on his bed, then dispiritedly said: “But also Xiao Yan, when exactly are you going to transfer back?”

“Probably after the gaokao.”

“What?!” Shen Jiayan heard this disastrous news, as if it were a bolt from the sky.

Song Yan explained: “It’ll be annoying to see Song Minghai if I come back.”

“But if you’re not here, no one will be there for me to copy homework off of, and no one will help explain questions to me, or play games with me. My life is so lonely. Wu wu wu, my dear Yan, come back earlier. Before you left, I didn’t realize how important you were in my life, but as long as you return to my side, I’ll definitely treasure you.”

Shen Jiayan said this, then climbed next to Song Yan and hugged his thighs, shedding snot and tears: “So can you first help me complete these math worksheets.”

Song Yan: “……”

What a deeply moving friendship.

“I’m serious, I’m begging you, Yan er. It’s not that I don’t want to do it, it’s just that this stack of worksheets is just too hard and I don’t know how to do it. Also my mom said if I don’t finish this during National week, then she won’t give me allowance for the rest of the month. So just do a good deed, and save this child.” Shen Jiayan hugged Song Yan’s thighs, bawling especially miserably.

Song Yan moved his thigh away with disgust: “Fine, bring it over.”

Shen Jiayan jumped up on the spot, and gave Song Yan an incomparably passionate hug: “Thank you dad, I love you dad, dad what do you want to eat tomorrow? Dad, are you thirsty? Dad, are you hungry? Dad, do you need any special services? Dad, is it okay if I call you like this?”

Song Yan’s face was calm: “If you call me that again, I’m telling your mom I’m your dad.”

“……” Shen Jiayan’s grip loosened, “I’ve bothered you.”

.

Shen Jiayan’s table was a very long table. Song Yan sat on one side to complete worksheets, while Shen Jiayan sat on the other side and had already opened up his game.

While playing, he talked to Song Yan: “I remember tomorrow seems to be your mother’s anniversary, do you need my mom to help prepare anything for you?”

Song Yan: “No need, I’ll just go buy a bouquet of flowers.”

Shen Jiayan: “Do you need me to come with?”

Song Yan: “Can you even wake up tomorrow morning?”

Shen Jiayan: “……”

A moment of silence filled with tacit understanding.

“So just say less nonsense, and do what you’re supposed to do. There’s no need for you to comfort me.” Song Yan casually completed a worksheet that Shen Jiayan had spent all day on, but had not been able to complete, while his voice remained calm.

Shen Jiayan could hear the other didn’t want to continue the conversation, so switched the topic: “Fine, let’s not talk about this. Instead, tell me how you’ve been in NanWu.”

When Shen Jiayan asked this, the tip of the pen that Song Yan was holding momentarily froze on the sheet of paper.

It seems he’s never once thought about how he’s been at NanWu.

In that city, the climate was moist and it was always raining, they rarely saw sunlight, and no matter how long you put your clothes out, it won’t dry. The food is oily and spicy, and the locals love to use their thick dialect to speak with others, and he frequently couldn’t understand them.

The school environment and teaching conditions were very ordinary, there was no housekeeper aunty, nor was there a driver to take him places, and a lot of things weren’t as convenient as it was in Beijing.

But when he thought of that city, he had a feeling of relaxed joy.

Probably because it didn’t have any previous, bitter memories, and it also didn’t have an endless cold war due to controversies and misunderstandings. It just had a continuous stream of silly situations.

But those silly situations, once he thought it over carefully, other than being particularly embarrassing, there seemed to be nothing worth being happy about.

But the sentence Xia Zhiye said before he left, ‘if you’re not having a good time in Beijing, come back earlier,’ was also very baffling.

Go back to NanWu earlier?

He has lived in Beijing for a full 16 years, and has only been in NanWu for over a month. It’s even reasonable to say he was forced against his will to leave his home. But why is that at that very moment, when he was in Beijing and thinking of NanWu, he instead had an odd feeling of having a place to return home to.

How could he possibly have this feeling of having a place to return home to.

Song Yan grasped the pen in his hand, his mind wandering far away.

But Shen Jiaiyan hadn’t received a response in a while, and thought something had happened, then looked up from playing his game: “What’s wrong? Is it that you’re having a bad time in NanWu? Or is that Xia Zhiye idiot bullying you?”

He just finished saying this, when Song Yan’s phone screen lit up.

[Wild]: Classmate Song Daxi, happy mid-autumn festival, love you, heart~

Song Yan replied: [Be less disgusting]

While carelessly saying: “No, he’s a bit of an idiot, but he didn’t bully me.“

“Xiao Yan.” Shen Jiayan suddenly called him.

Song Yan sent the message on WeChat, his head lowered: “What’s wrong?”

“What kind of expression is that?”

“What do you mean, what kind of expression?”

“You’re smiling.”

“?”

Song Yan raised his head, then looked at Shen Jiayan’s expression of ‘when a girl is of age, she must be married off’: “You’re smiling, you’re actually smiling when sending someone messages on WeChat, and it’s even a super natural, super sick at heart, super sweet kind of smile. Tell me, are you dating someone behind my back!”

“……”

Song Yan was over it, turned his cell phone around and showed Shen Jiayan the screen: “It’s a boy, 187cm tall, weighs 144jin, and can beat down two of you with one fist, can you see clearly?”

Shen Jiayan took the cellphone skeptically, opened the person’s WeChat moments, scrolled through it, and found it really was a boy.

This person’s WeChat moments was basically just about basketball and rock and roll music, and would also occasionally post pictures of himself after playing basketball. He had broad shoulders, long legs, and his silhouette was clearly defined. His muscles were smooth, offensive power was fierce, and his hormones could be seen bursting forth.

And it even was a boy who was even more boyish than most.

An awkward silence, then Shen Jiayan said: “What, this brother is a bit handsome.”

“I don’t know whether or not he’s handsome, anyways he’s quite annoying.” Song Yan sat up and walked towards the mini-fridge in the corner of the room, and took out a can of Coke.

Shen Jiayan still felt something wasn’t right.

Song Yan clearly smiled before, also it was that kind of, how to describe it, just that kind…… He couldn’t quite describe it exactly, but it was the kind of smile you have when you’re having an affair.

Could it be that Song Yan found the other so annoying so he showed a cold smile?

Shen Jiayan held Song Yan’s phone with one hand, while biting the fingernails of his other hand, sinking into deep thought, until a world-shaking sound of ‘Aced2’ suddenly shocked him out of his reverie.

He turned to look, and saw the Jinx he was playing, who had left idling away in its original spot, had died tragically under the gunshot of Piltover Sheriff Caitlyn3, and had also destroyed several other team members in a group battle.

He promptly opened the mic on the ‘accompanying others to play’ software: “Aiyah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My meimei called me just now, so I accidentally AFK’d4 for a bit, sorry, I’ll definitely play well in the next round.”

It was clearly a bright and youthful boy’s voice when spoken, but when the audio transmitted across, it became a sweet and coy lolita voice.

Song Yan, who had just opened the can of Coke, turned around: “?”

Shen Jiayan was nonchalant: “Aiyah, it’s nothing. It’s just that last time I made a bet with those dumbasses in the internet cafe, saying I’ll definitely enter Grand Master5 this season, or else I’ll have to treat them to drinks for a whole semester. But you know my skill level, if you’re not there I definitely won’t go up in rank, so I just found some cheap but good quality people to accompany me.”

Song Yan was indifferent: “So this is why you’re acting like a pervert.”

“? No, how could this be ‘being a pervert’?” Shen Jiayan made an extreme effort to explain: “You don’t understand, I was forced by life. Now all those male high schoolers who accompany you, they just like hearing the voice of sweet little rich girls. As long as your voice is sweet enough, coy enough, and you know how to act cute, then no matter how shitty you play, they won’t get mad at you. Aren’t I just trying to get scolded less often.”

“How profitable.” Song Yan said, not without sarcasm, “Then why don’t you just directly find a booster6.”

“But I won’t be relying on myself to win if I find a booster. Would I, Shen Jiayan, a dignified seven-foot man7, do something so contrary to the spirit of e-sports? That’s impossible.”

“……”

“So why don’t you play in Beijing for a few more days. If you’re there to play with me, I don’t need to find other players.” Shen Jiayan turned his head, a pair of puppy eyes blinking at Song Yan, brimming with sincere hope.

Song Yan felt calling others to come pick him up on the night of the Mid-Autumn festival was already quite bothersome to others, so smoothly said: “Sure, then I’ll go back after a few more days.”

“That’s great! I love you, dad! I’ll cancel the accompanying service right now!” Shen Jiayan happily jolted up from the gaming chair.

But he was suddenly pressed down by Song Yan’s outstretched hand: “Wait.”

Shen Jiayan’s face was perplexed: “What.”

“Nothing.”

But it seems he saw a familiar ID.

Song Yan put his Coke down, pushed Shen Jiayan’s head aside, grabbed the mouse, then clicked on the profile picture on the accompanying player software.

Profile Page:

[UserID]: Sexy and Good-Looking Male High School Student Accompanying to Play Online

[Location]: NanWu city, Xiacheng district

[Games Played]: LOL, Dota2, PUBG, King’s Glory

The UserID was only one word apart from Xia Zhiye’s ID.

The location was exactly the same.

Moreover, Song Yan remembered in the very beginning [This Lady is Beautiful and Wild] found Xia Zhiye to play LOL. It’s just that he had no computer in the dorms, and it was inconvenient to go to the internet cafe, so he always asked Xia Zhiye to play King’s Glory.

But now they were on break, Xia Zhiye had a computer at hand, and it was very normal for Xia Zhiye to continue taking on LOL orders.

So was this ID another one of Xia Zhiye’s accounts?

After all, this ID wasn’t exactly special, but there was no reason for it to appear so often amongst the public.

But didn’t he say he didn’t cheat money from little girls, also he said no mic, no private chats, and didn’t listen to people acting cute? What was going on now?

Song Yan pulled his phone away from Shen Jiayan while thinking, prepared to send Xia Zhiye a message on WeChat, but saw the photo that Xia Zhiye just posted at the top of his WeChat moments.

There was a French window of a Western-style restaurant in the background, and the scenery outside the window was the bustling nightlife in the downtown area of NanWu city, and sitting in front of the window was an extremely pretty, young girl.

One hand was posed in a peace sign, while the other held her cellphone to take a selfie, and on her wrist was the dazzling Cartier bracelet that was just recently released.

In the corner behind her, Xia Zhiye sat with his head lowered, cutting steak.

Song Yan was a bit face-blind, and couldn’t quite see what the girl in the photo looked like, but if recalled correctly, that bracelet was exactly the same as the bracelet in the profile picture of [This Lady is Beautiful and Wild].

Also written impressively in the lower corner of the WeChat Moments was: NanWu city, Hilton Hotel

Song Yan’s voice grew cold: “Don’t cancel the accompanying service.”

Shen Jiayan: “?”

“After I clean the grave tomorrow, I’m going back to NanWu directly.”

“What’s wrong, you have something to do?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you have to do?”

Song Yan’s fingertip tapped twice on the face of a certain someone on the screen. His eyes were indifferent and grim, then he spat out three words as if he were sentencing someone to jail: “Enforcing the law.”

“……?”

He wasn’t sure if it was a misconception, but at that moment, Shen Jiayan felt that the three words of ‘enforcing the law’ had a smell similar to that of ‘catching someone in the act’.

1. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs (阳澄湖大闸蟹) are the most expensive crabs sold in China.

2. Originally written in english. In games like LoL and King’s Glory, aced shows up when the last player of a team dies, aka: when a whole team is dead.

3. Caitlyn is a hero in LoL.

4. AFK aka away from keyboard; not playing the game for a moment. I added this in myself as I thought this was the best way to translate the dialogue in ~gamer~ terms, lol

5. Grand Master is a tier in LoL.

6. Booster = giving someone complete access to your account who plays for you and takes you to higher ranks.

7. Meant to describe a man’s man