WBAI Chapter 65

Xie An’yu was fond of this tattered T-shirt of his—not only was the collar frayed, but the hem was ragged too. Yu Feng lifted the hem and slipped his hand inside, the warmth of his palm lingering on Xie An’yu’s abdomen.

“How many more years do you plan to wear this T-shirt?” Yu Feng asked.

Xie An’yu glanced down at his clothes and conservatively estimated it could last another five years without issue.

“I’ll stop wearing it when it’s completely worn out,” Xie An’yu said.

Yu Feng chuckled softly: “So it’s not ragged enough yet, is it?”

“I think it’s still fine. Old clothes are comfortable to wear.”

Yu Feng hummed in agreement: “Quite fashionable—Syrian war-torn style.”

Xie An’yu chuckled softly, but the moment he relaxed, Yu Feng’s hand slid from his lower abdomen to his chest, making him tense up again instantly.

“Mm?” Yu Feng’s movements stopped. He made a questioning sound, as if asking for permission.

Xie An’yu suddenly broke the mood by saying, “Weren’t you worried about me overindulging…”

“I’ll make you turtle soup¹甲魚湯 (jiǎ yú tāng): Turtle soup, also known as terrapin soup, is a soup or stew made from the meat of turtles. Several versions of the soup exist in different cultures, and it is often viewed as a delicacy.
tomorrow,” Yu Feng kissed his neck, “If you didn’t want to overindulge, you shouldn’t have come over here. The moment you decided to sit on my lap, you should’ve been prepared for indulgence.”

Xie An’yu’s gaze drifted absently to the photo on the computer screen, the scenery in the image blurred as if out of focus. He let out a soft gasp and leaned his head back against Yu Feng’s shoulder.

***

Yu Feng held Xie An’yu in the chair for a while. Their earlier shower had been pointless—both were now covered in sweat. Worried Xie An’yu might catch a cold, Yu Feng turned up the air conditioning slightly.

Yu Feng gently touched Xie An’yu’s knee: “Tomorrow evening I’ll buy a turtle. Would you prefer it stewed or braised?”

Xie An’yu had thought Yu Feng was joking earlier and said with some amusement: “I’m not that physically weak.” He tilted his head and gave Yu Feng a meaningful look, “Didn’t you say I’m full of energy? Aren’t you afraid I’ll become even more energetic after eating it?”

Yu Feng smiled: “It’s fine, I’ll take responsibility.”

One wall cabinet in Yu Feng’s study was dedicated to storing cameras and lenses, filled with various brands and models he had collected. That single wall was worth millions. The wooden camera sculpture Xie An’yu had given him was also in the cabinet, placed in the center position.

Xie An’yu wasn’t knowledgeable about cameras—his impression was that they were expensive, something for wealthy people to play with. The wall cabinet contained cameras of all styles, and even from an amateur’s perspective, he found Yu Feng’s collection exceptionally beautiful and exquisite. His little wooden camera sat in the very center, giving off the feeling of a scruffy little dog surrounded by a crowd of ‘rich beauties²白富美 (bái fù měi): (neologism) pale-rich-and-beautiful; ideal young female; “Ms Perfect” (i.e. fair-skinned, rich and beautiful) (Internet slang); fair-skinned and attractive ladies from a decent family; refers to a woman with fair skin, strong financial strength, beautiful looks, good figure and good temperament.‘.

While Xie An’yu was still admiring the ‘rich beauties’ in the wall cabinet, Yu Feng suddenly pulled out several tissues to wipe his leg, making him reflexively flinch.

Yu Feng’s hand was trapped between his legs. He glanced at Xie An’yu and deliberately remarked: “I can’t wipe you like this.”

Within three seconds, Xie An’yu immediately relaxed his legs, his face burning so hot he nearly spontaneously combusted on the spot.

“No need to wipe… I’ll just wash up later,” Xie An’yu said.

Yu Feng cleaned him up, tossed the tissues into the nearby trash bin, then bent down to pick up Xie An’yu’s pants from the floor. Xie An’yu felt too embarrassed to stand up and put them on, but Yu Feng said something that made him even more flustered: “Should I help you put them on?”

Xie An’yu sprang to his feet, snatched the pants from Yu Feng’s hands and quickly put them on. Yu Feng didn’t even get a chance to see the traces of red marks that had been rubbed onto his legs.

“Why do you always act like this…” Xie An’yu said quietly.

Yu Feng looked at him with a smile. “Like what?”

Xie An’yu lowered his head slightly, meeting his gaze directly. “No wonder Professor Zhou said you’re secretly a show-off.”

“He said that about me?”

“Mm.”

“When did he say that?”

“A long time ago, the day you went to another city to receive an award.”

“Do you think so too?” Yu Feng was quite open about it. “Haven’t I always been straightforward with you?”

Xie An’yu murmured, “Whether it’s straightforward or not, you know in your heart.”

Yu Feng was amused.

Xie An’yu added, “And before… you weren’t straightforward either.”

If Yu Feng had been straightforward from the start, they probably would have gotten together much earlier.

“When did you… start liking me?”

“It’s hard to say. Maybe I liked you a bit from the very beginning.”

Falling for Xie An’yu was inevitable. From the day Yu Feng brought Xie An’yu home, he knew he had stepped onto a single-plank bridge with Xie An’yu at the other side of that bridge. He watched himself walking step by step to the end of the bridge with clear awareness.

Xie An’yu asked him, “If I hadn’t confessed to you first, would you have told me you liked me?”

“Yes. Once you had accomplished what you wanted to do, I would have told you then.”

Xie An’yu was silent for a moment before saying, “Good thing I told you first, then. Otherwise, we would have both stifled ourselves to death.”

Yu Feng asked, “If you didn’t know I was ‘Xiao Zhou’, would you have told me you liked me?”

“I probably would have said it within a few days.” Xie An’yu glanced at him. “If I didn’t say it, I might have died miserably on the island.”

A smile appeared on Yu Feng’s face. “What nonsense are you talking.”

“I’m not as good at holding back as you are. That kind of feeling… is really hard to bear.”

Yu Feng stood up and walked over, pulling him into an embrace. “Only a block of wood like you wouldn’t notice my feelings.”

Xie An’yu wrapped his arms around Yu Feng’s waist, mumbling into his chest, “What right do you have to say that about me.”

Yu Feng chuckled. “You’re right. I have no right.”

Yu Feng patted the back of his head and released him. “Go wash those long legs of yours.”

Yu Feng was wearing light-colored home pants. Xie An’yu’s gaze drifted downward, unintentionally glancing at them.

“All your handiwork,” Yu Feng said.

Xie An’yu looked up at him. The corner of Yu Feng’s mouth was tilted up. “Now tell me, am I being straightforward or not?”

“A combination of both,” Xie An’yu said.

Yu Feng looked at him, his smile reaching his eyes. “I’ve discovered that when a serious person like you tries to be funny, the effect is pretty powerful.”

Xie An’yu smiled too. “This is considered funny? Then I’ll keep doing it. I like seeing you smile—you look good when you smile.”

Yu Feng didn’t smile often—probably eighty percent of the smiles in his life had been given to Xie An’yu. When he wasn’t smiling, he came across as cool, but when he smiled, he was captivating.

“Don’t be too deliberate though, or it might seem performative,” Yu Feng joked.

Xie An’yu smiled without responding. He walked over to the wall cabinet to take a closer look at the cameras inside. The cabinet was locked with glass doors that were clean and transparent, without even a speck of dust.

The wooden camera sculpture Xie An’yu had given Yu Feng occupied the center position, simple yet bold.

Yu Feng walked over. Xie An’yu glanced back at him. “If this place ever gets robbed, the thief would become an instant millionaire.”

Yu Feng smiled. “Yes, an instant millionaire.”

Xie An’yu was somewhat surprised. He knew cameras weren’t cheap, but he hadn’t expected them to be this outrageously expensive.

Xie An’yu pointed at the wooden camera sculpture he had gifted: “It really is surrounded by bunch of rich beauties.”

“Occupying the center stage too—those rich beauties don’t get that privilege.”

Xie An’yu laughed.

Yu Feng asked him: “Didn’t you sign up for woodcarving classes before? Have they ended or are you taking leave?”

“Taking leave.” Xie An’yu thought for a moment and said, “I plan to stop after finishing this course. I want to focus on exam preparation first.”

Before Xie An’yu left the room, Yu Feng picked up the pillow from the sofa and asked: “Should I leave this pillow here for you or bring it back to your room?”

This time Yu Feng was being subtle, and Student Xiao Dao didn’t catch on. He pursed his lips: “Didn’t we always sleep together on the island?”

Yu Feng asked despite knowing the answer: “Are you saying you want me to take it to my room?”

“Bringing it to my room works too.” This time, Student Xiao Dao understood. He stared at Yu Feng with a meaningful gaze, “I’ll bring your pillow to my room later. You can sleep in my place.”

Yu Feng nodded with a smile: “Alright.”

***

That night they slept in Xie An’yu’s room. Yu Feng leaned against Xie An’yu’s back and touched his leg: “Did it get sore from rubbing?”

“No…” Xie An’yu felt his ears grew warm as he instinctively grabbed Yu Feng’s hand.

“I noticed it still looked red earlier.”

Xie An’yu’s voice turned slightly hoarse: “You rubbed for so long… how could it not be red.”

Given his complexion, the redness was still this visible—only he knew how much force Yu Feng had used.

“Cut me some slack.” Yu Feng moved his hand up to stroke Xie An’yu’s chin, “You’re nineteen, I’m only thirty. We’re both at that vigorous age—I’ve just been holding it in for ten more years than you have.”

Xie An’yu turned his head slightly: “When’s your birthday?”

“Not for a while, near year’s end.”

“Then you’re not even thirty yet.”

Yu Feng moved from stroking Xie An’yu’s chin to playing with his lips, brushing his thumb lightly against them.

Xie An’yu suddenly chuckled and asked Yu Feng: “When you couldn’t hold back before, didn’t you think about finding a boyfriend?”

“Never met anyone as handsome as you.”

Xie An’yu didn’t believe him: “Don’t lie. You work with models and celebrities daily—you must’ve seen plenty of good-looking guys.”

Yu Feng gently bumped him from behind: “Handsome depends on whether they match my taste. Did you think everyone could be you?”

Xie An’yu was still curious. “Then when you couldn’t hold back…”

“It’s not like I don’t have hands.” Yu Feng used his fingertip to part Xie An’yu’s lips, “Did you think everyone was as abstinent as you?”

With his lips slightly parted, Xie An’yu couldn’t speak. Yu Feng played with his tongue while saying: “Truthfully, before meeting you, I never really felt like there was anything to endure. But after you appeared, I truly had to endure it.”

Xie An’yu made a muffled sound of acknowledgment.

Yu Feng’s deep voice resonated near Xie An’yu’s ear: “In the half year since knowing you, the frequency of me taking matters into my own hands might be over ten times what it was in the past decade.”

When Yu Feng stopped playing and reached for the tissue box on the nightstand, Xie An’yu suddenly lowered his head and took Yu Feng’s finger into his mouth, cleaning off the saliva.

Yu Feng’s breathing deepened: “Providing after-sales service for mischief?”

Even after the ‘service’, tissues were still needed. Yu Feng pulled one from the nightstand to wipe his hand, then patted Xie An’yu’s new pillow: “Is this pillow comfortable to sleep on?”

“Mm, quite comfortable.”

With a 1,888-yuan pillow, how could it not be comfortable?

List of Idiom in Chapter 65

心裡有數 (xīn lǐ yǒu shù): lit. to have a number in one’s heart; to know the score (idiom); to be well aware of the situation; to know very well in one’s heart (e.g. what to do next, whether it is likely to succeed, etc.).

明知故問 (míng zhī gù wèn): to ask a question, already knowing the answer; to ask intentionally a question one already knows the answer to; ask while knowing the answer; knowingly ask the question; knowing something but deliberately asking.

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  甲魚湯 (jiǎ yú tāng): Turtle soup, also known as terrapin soup, is a soup or stew made from the meat of turtles. Several versions of the soup exist in different cultures, and it is often viewed as a delicacy.
  
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  白富美 (bái fù měi): (neologism) pale-rich-and-beautiful; ideal young female; “Ms Perfect” (i.e. fair-skinned, rich and beautiful) (Internet slang); fair-skinned and attractive ladies from a decent family; refers to a woman with fair skin, strong financial strength, beautiful looks, good figure and good temperament.