LNTSWJLY Chapter 70

Yu Zhi believed that life was full of possibilities worth trying. They could become interesting and precious memories to look back on in the future.

Still, the idea of sleeping on the street had been mostly a joke.

The last rays of the setting sun gradually faded, replaced by a darkening sky as night slowly deepened.

Lan Jingzhi’s voice gradually quieted. Eventually, Yu Zhi had not heard him speak for quite some time. Instead, he could feel the head resting against his back.

Yu Zhi knew that Lan Jingzhi had fallen asleep.

He took out his phone and canceled the ride request, then continued walking slowly along the long, winding road.

Lan Jingzhi had no idea that he could have called a car. The only reason he hadn’t was that he wanted to walk this stretch of road.

The sunset was beautiful, and the person on his back made him feel at ease. He had grown attached to this moment and didn’t want it to end.

However much he wished to prolong it, he couldn’t hold on to it forever. The moment the last rays of the sun faded away, he made a phone call.

About ten minutes later, a car pulled up in front of Yu Zhi.

“Mr. Yu.”

The driver glanced at Yu Zhi a few more times before greeting him. “Please get in.”

Every time he saw this young man, the driver couldn’t help questioning his own life choices. There was no other reason for it, Yu Zhi was simply far too young.

As expected, the younger generation would eventually surpass the older one. If they didn’t work even harder, who knew? One day, they might find themselves swept aside and left behind.

Yu Zhi helped Lan Jingzhi into the car first, then got in beside him.

“Take us to the house in Yujing Garden.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Yu Zhi had made all the necessary arrangements before leaving. Naturally, he hadn’t forgotten to arrange a place for them to stay. He had only been teasing Lan Jingzhi earlier.

Lan Jingzhi was still asleep. The driver turned off the music and fell silent, afraid of disturbing this person whose relationship with Mr. Yu he couldn’t quite figure out.

Yu Zhi looked at Lan Jingzhi, whose head was tilted to one side against the headrest, and smiled. His gaze then fell on Lan’s injured ankle. He reached out, gently lifted the foot, felt around it, and massaged it a couple of times before carefully twisting the sprained joint back into place.

Lan Jingzhi felt a sudden pain. Half-asleep, he grabbed Yu Zhi’s clothes.

“…What’s wrong?”

Yu Zhi adjusted his head a little. “It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Lan Jingzhi murmured an unconscious “Mm.”

He had a vague feeling that he was in a car, but his mind was too foggy to think much about whose car it was or where they were going.

He trusted Yu Zhi. He trusted him without the slightest doubt.

The car drove smoothly, and the journey was peaceful. Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. Yu Zhi was just about to carry Lan Jingzhi out of the car when the latter began to wake up after sleeping for quite a while.

Lan rubbed his eyes and asked groggily, “Where are we?”

Yu Zhi replied gently, “Our home.”

The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

“Come on. Let’s get out.”

At his words, Lan Jingzhi frowned deeply and opened his bleary eyes. Having just woken up, both his mind and vision were still hazy. It wasn’t until Yu Zhi led him out of the car, his feet touched the ground, and the cool night breeze brushed against him that he gradually came to his senses.

Yu Zhi took his hand. “Let’s go.”

Lan Jingzhi was familiar with this place, too. He had assumed Yu Zhi had rented an apartment here. Although the rent was a little expensive, Yu Zhi was still young, and it was already impressive that he had thought to arrange a place for them to stay in advance. He felt he ought to praise him more instead of discouraging him.

As he thought about how to compliment Yu Zhi later, the two of them entered the residential complex. A few minutes later, Yu Zhi unlocked the door, and they went inside.

It was a duplex apartment of roughly 200 square meters, decorated in a simple, modern style. Everything they could need was already there, and all the furnishings were new. It didn’t look as though the place had been prepared at the last minute.

Lan Jingzhi felt a little puzzled, but he didn’t voice his doubts. Instead, he smiled and said, “Little Brother Yu, you’ve really thought of everything. When did you get this place ready?”

Yu Zhi looked at him. He knew Lan Jingzhi was deliberately asking when he had started planning to leave with him.

“Take a guess.”

Lan Jingzhi couldn’t figure it out, which only made him itch with curiosity.

He wanted to know, but when he saw Yu Zhi’s teasing smile, he realized the man was deliberately keeping it from him. He ground his teeth inwardly and resisted the urge to press him for an answer.

“Where’s the bedroom? Which room am I staying in?”

Fine. If Yu Zhi wouldn’t tell him, then he wouldn’t ask.

Yu Zhi handed him a pair of slippers as he said, “Go inside and turn left. It’s the first room.”

Lan Jingzhi sat down on the sofa and slipped into the soft, cool house slippers. A sense of comfort and belonging rose naturally within him. He glanced at Yu Zhi and, seeing him head into the kitchen, turned and went to the room Yu Zhi had just mentioned.

When he switched on the light, a warm, soft white glow spread throughout the room, gently illuminating every corner. The room was fully furnished, but it was immediately obvious that no one had ever lived here. Everything was brand-new.

He looked into the other rooms as well and discovered that the room Yu Zhi had given him was actually the master bedroom.

Lan Jingzhi unexpectedly felt a little guilty.

Yu Zhi was the one who had found this place, yet he had even given him the master bedroom to sleep in while taking the smaller second bedroom for himself.

Along with the guilt came a touch of sweetness.

He smiled to himself. Unable to resist, he rolled around on the bed twice.

Thinking about what Yu Zhi had said that day, he realized that he really did feel the thrill and anticipation of eloping with someone.

Yu Zhi was preparing dinner.

He had arranged for the place to be furnished a few days earlier, and the refrigerator was stocked with plenty of vegetables and meat.

However, it was already past nine o’clock. He didn’t want to spend too much time making dinner, so he decided to cook the simplest and most convenient meal again: noodles.

Lan Jingzhi hadn’t expected much from the meal. However, when he actually tasted the noodles, he discovered that they were even better than the ones prepared by the Yu family’s chef.

His eyes lit up. When he looked at Yu Zhi, they were filled with surprise and a sense of reassurance.

Earlier, he had worried about what kind of job Yu Zhi would find if he stopped going to school. Thinking about it now, with cooking skills like these, Yu Zhi would never go hungry, no matter what.

Yes, although he had agreed to leave with Yu Zhi, he felt more than just anticipation about their future. He was worried, too.

It was simply a habit. Whenever he did something, his first concern was always the future and how he would survive.

The only exception was Yu Zhi. For the first time in his life, he had allowed himself to be willful with this person. He had stopped worrying about everything else and simply followed his heart, choosing to go wherever Yu Zhi led him.

But once his first wish had been fulfilled, he naturally began to think about the next thing. He couldn’t help feeling a little worried.

Only now did he finally feel somewhat reassured.

After dinner, Lan Jingzhi volunteered to wash the dishes.

Yu Zhi knew he was deliberately trying to win his favor, so he smiled and agreed. He then stepped away to make a phone call.

By the time Lan Jingzhi finished washing the dishes and came out, Yu Zhi was nowhere to be seen. He assumed Yu Zhi had gone back to his room to rest. After all, it was already quite late. Lan Jingzhi had gotten some sleep earlier, but Yu Zhi hadn’t.

He went to the bathroom to shower and noticed that a new set of pajamas had been prepared for him as well. He couldn’t help feeling that there was nothing about this place that wasn’t comfortable and pleasing.

Once again, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering, When on earth did he get all this ready?

Twenty minutes later, after finishing his shower, Lan Jingzhi walked into the master bedroom. The figure standing inside made him freeze in surprise.

Lan Jingzhi looked at the doorway, then at the room’s furnishings and decorations. In the end, he couldn’t help asking Yu Zhi, who had appeared there at some point without him noticing, “Isn’t this room supposed to be for me?” Had he misheard Yu Zhi earlier? Was this actually Yu Zhi’s room?

Yu Zhi glanced at him as he began unbuttoning his clothes. “It is for you.”

“But… who said I wasn’t going to stay here, too?”

Lan Jingzhi met those smiling eyes and immediately understood what Yu Zhi meant.

This… This was going to be living together?! No, not just living together, but sharing the same room and the same bed?!

He tried to hold himself back, again and again, but in the end, he couldn’t resist. With his face slightly flushed, he said, “Don’t you think things are moving too fast?”

Yu Zhi didn’t think so. He had no desire to waste time on pointless hesitation and overthinking. Now that they had decided to be together, what difference did it make whether they took the next step sooner or later?

They didn’t need time to adjust to each other.

Yu Zhi looked at Lan Jingzhi and smiled faintly. “Too fast? I don’t think so. Besides, I doubt Mr. Lan, who had an in-depth encounter with someone on their very first meeting, would think so either. Would you?”

Lan Jingzhi’s first thought was, Fuck! He actually still remembers that…

Yu Zhi replied, “Why wouldn’t I remember?”

Only then did Lan Jingzhi realize that he had actually said that thought out loud without even noticing.

He looked at Yu Zhi.

For some reason, he suddenly asked, “Then… did you fall for me because of that night?”

He was taken aback himself as soon as the words left his mouth.

He had intended to take them back, but then he suddenly realized that, deep down, he really had wanted to ask.

He wanted to know the answer, too.

Yu Zhi was genuinely a little surprised. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Lan Jingzhi. Seeing that Lan Jingzhi. was seriously waiting for an answer, he smiled helplessly. “How could you ask a question like that…?”

Lan Jingzhi: “…”

Just because you didn’t say it out loud doesn’t mean I can’t tell what you’re thinking. What exactly is so stupid about this question?

What’s so stupid about it?!

Yu Zhi put down the pajamas he had been about to change into, walked over, and took Lan Jingzhi by the hand, leading him farther into the room. His tone was amused and helpless. “Isn’t it?”

Lan Jingzhi wanted to say that of course it wasn’t, but his previous experience had taught him a lesson. He firmly kept his mouth shut. Otherwise, Yu Zhi might steer the conversation in another direction, and before he knew it, he would have forgotten what he had originally wanted to ask.

Yu Zhi sighed. “Do you really think I’m the kind of person who would become completely devoted to someone and take responsibility for them just because we’d slept together?”

What he actually wanted to say was that if it hadn’t been that person, he wouldn’t have become intimate with him in the first place.

But he couldn’t say that. Otherwise, he would have to invent a lie, claiming that he had liked Lan Jingzhi long before Lan Jingzhi had even known him.

That story simply wouldn’t hold up. Before this, he and Lan Jingzhi had never crossed paths, and Lan Jingzhi also knew that the original “Yu Zhi” had once liked a classmate.

Lan Jingzhi studied Yu Zhi seriously, his eyes shifting slightly. Then he said meaningfully, “How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve heard that many people have a thing for their first time, especially when they’re younger. The younger they are, the more likely it is, perhaps. I— I don’t have that kind of attachment myself, but what if you do, Little Brother Yu?”

There were several layers of hidden meaning in his words. Yu Zhi found them amusing, but he kept his expression composed. Only the smile in his eyes grew deeper.

He pretended not to notice that Lan Jingzhi was confessing his feelings in an indirect way. He also pretended not to realize that Lan Jingzhi was probing into his romantic history.

Lan Jingzhi was still Lan Jingzhi. Even if he genuinely wanted to change, old habits were hard to break. He was sensitive by nature and always had more than one thought in mind.

“I don’t have that kind of attachment, either,” Yu Zhi said.

The corners of Lan Jingzhi’s lips curled up unconsciously. His eyes were full of joy and amusement, which he could barely hide. Still, he put on an indifferent air and gave a casual, “Oh,” as though he didn’t care at all.

“But I do have desires when it comes to someone I like.” Yu Zhi looked at him and deliberately added that remark.

Lan Jingzhi thought that was only natural, but he still put on a polite, slightly shy expression.

His beautiful, clear eyes, as glossy as colored glass, were filled with undisguised delight and smug satisfaction.

Shouldn’t he be pleased when the person he liked had openly admitted to desiring him?

People rarely fall in love because of desire, but it is easy for desire to grow out of love.

Yu Zhi suspected that Lan Jingzhi was so pleased with himself that he had probably forgotten what he had originally intended to ask. Somehow, he had completely and naturally put aside his question about why they were going to share a room. Just like that, he had accepted the fact that the two of them would be sharing a bed, his heart filled with happiness and anticipation.

Smiling, Yu Zhi leaned over and kissed the corner of his lips. “I’m going to take a shower. You can go to sleep first.”

Lan Jingzhi’s beautiful eyes lit up. His gaze lingered on Yu Zhi’s lips for a moment before he couldn’t help leaning closer.

“Little Brother Yu, that was just a peck. Do you know what makes a real kiss?”

“If you don’t, I can teach you…”

With that, he leaned in and kissed Yu Zhi, putting on an experienced air as he did so.

Yu Zhi felt that something might be wrong with his sense of taste. It wasn’t sugar, yet he seemed to taste sweetness all the same, something soft and sweet, like cotton candy.

It wasn’t until Lan Jingzhi’s breathing grew heavier and he began to feel as though he couldn’t catch his breath that he reluctantly pulled away.

He considered himself older than Yu Zhi, so surely he couldn’t let the other man take the lead in everything. He didn’t know much about other things, but when it came to this, they were both beginners. Surely he could at least pretend to be a second-year student and guide Little Brother Yu, who was still in his first year.

Yu Zhi, who had long since graduated, smiled without exposing him. He picked up his pajamas and went into the bathroom.

“Get some rest early.”

Although Yu Zhi had reminded him to get some rest, Lan Jingzhi couldn’t fall asleep. Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was Yu Zhi.

He had never been the sort of person who lost his head over love, yet now, faced with this relationship that was difficult to define, he felt as though he had forgotten how to think.

From beginning to end, it seemed that Yu Zhi had always been the one to take the initiative.

He had been the one to stir Lan Jingzhi’s heart, and he had been the one to take the lead in helping him break free.

As for Lan Jingzhi himself, aside from taking that first step when he left the Yu family, it seemed he had done almost nothing else.

Yu Zhi had never said it aloud, but through his actions, he had brought to life the sentiment: “As long as you take the first step toward me, I’ll walk the remaining ninety-nine steps.”

He took everything upon himself, yet never made a point of saying so. Instead, he gently guided Lan Jingzhi, leading him out of the Yu family, away from the clamor of the mundane world, and into a place of peace and tranquility.

Even though… even though his own life had hardly been all that wonderful before, he had always shown Lan Jingzhi only the good side of it.

What good deeds had he done in his previous life to deserve meeting Yu Zhi in this one?

Lan Jingzhi couldn’t think of a single thing.

He opened his phone and tapped into Weibo, watching the posts from people he had once followed on his homepage as it continuously refreshed.

Someone had posted a beautiful selfie. Someone else was showing off a new designer bag or a new car they had bought. Another person was bragging about yet another extravagant, romantic date with their partner…

In the past, Lan Jingzhi would probably have maintained a perfectly calm expression while feeling a mixture of bitterness and scorn inside.

And there was nothing particularly wrong with that.

Everyone had dark thoughts. No one was a saint. As long as those thoughts never turned into actions, there was nothing wrong with having them.

In the past, Lan Jingzhi would secretly look down on others or despise himself for thinking that way. But now, he discovered, almost bewildered, that—

Those feelings were gone.

His envy and jealousy toward others, as well as his contempt and self-loathing toward himself, had all disappeared.

He felt as though he had spent time meditating at a temple, his mind calm and his heart filled with peace and contentment.

He began to laugh silently. He laughed until tears welled up in his eyes.

So it turned out that all it took to let go of his desire for power and greed was to have his heart’s desire fulfilled through love.

It was that simple.

And yet, it wasn’t simple at all.

Lan Jingzhi knew this was only because the person in question was Yu Zhi. If it had been someone else, that person would not have loved him so deeply or been so accepting of him. And he, in turn, would never have given his heart away so easily.

It was all simply because Yu Zhi was the right person for him.

When Yu Zhi came out of the shower, he saw Lan Jingzhi lying on his side with his back turned toward him. Thinking that he had already fallen asleep, Yu Zhi turned off the lights and got into bed.

The air conditioner was running, and the blanket was pulled over them. The slightly cool temperature made lying beneath the covers feel even more peaceful and comfortable.

Yu Zhi had only just closed his eyes when he felt the person beside him turn over and wrap his arms around him.

Yu Zhi opened his eyes and tried to make out the other person in the darkness, but he couldn’t see anything.

“Still awake?”

Lan Jingzhi buried his face in Yu Zhi’s chest. His pajamas carried a fresh mint scent, mixed with the lingering dampness from Yu Zhi’s recent shower. He gave a soft, “Mm,” before speaking again.

“Little Brother Yu, I’m not a particularly good person. There are so many people in this world who are kinder, more sincere, and more likable than I am. Why do you like me? Why did you choose me?”

Yu Zhi couldn’t see his expression, which made it easier for him to hear his voice clearly. He could naturally hear the seriousness in it, along with the quiet expectation.

Lan Jingzhi was waiting for an answer.

Yu Zhi couldn’t tell him anything about their past and present lives, so he answered gently, “Because, in my eyes, you’re just like those people you mentioned are in the eyes of others.”

“The way you stood up for me was adorable. The way you work hard and take your life seriously is moving. And you look beautiful when you smile.”

It wasn’t that Lan Jingzhi lacked kindness, sincerity, or other good qualities. He simply had less of them than many people did, and they were harder for others to see.

But that was precisely what made them all the more precious.

Yu Zhi smiled again and asked, “You’re always asking me what I think of you. Then what am I like in your eyes?”

Lan Jingzhi thought that was hardly a question worth asking. Of course Yu Zhi deserved every beautiful word there was.

But then Yu Zhi continued, “You probably think I’m perfect in every way.”

Lan Jingzhi nodded instinctively.

Sensing his movement, Yu Zhi couldn’t help smiling a little more happily.

“But I’m telling you now that I have my own selfish motives, too. I have plenty of thoughts that aren’t so good, either. I’m just better at hiding them, so you don’t know about them.”

Lan Jingzhi felt that Yu Zhi was only trying to comfort him. Yu Zhi clearly wasn’t the kind of person he was describing.

Yu Zhi wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, resting his chin gently on the top of Lan Jingzhi’s head. Pressing his cheek lightly against him, he spoke slowly.

“For example, I actually had plenty of other ways to make your heart flutter and persuade you to leave. But I didn’t use any of them. Instead, I quietly waited and watched.”

“I waited for the Yu family to treat you with hypocrisy, for others to target you, for them to abandon you, and for you to have nowhere left to turn…”

“Then, at that moment, I could appear before you as your hope and take you away without a hitch.”

“You see? I’m pretty despicable, too.”

In the darkness, Lan Jingzhi laughed. His laughter rang clearly through the room. His eyes shone brightly, and something indistinct shimmered in them.

He kissed Yu Zhi, starting at his neck and moving upward until his lips met Yu Zhi’s.

“Why do you have to make yourself sound so awful, Little Brother Yu? You’ll break my heart.”

He understood Yu Zhi’s intentions. More importantly, he understood himself.

Yu Zhi had wanted him to come to his own realization, to see everything clearly with his own eyes, and to make sure he wouldn’t regret his decision.

Yu Zhi had taken on the burden of being despicable for his sake.

Lan Jingzhi understood all of it.

A feeling that was slightly sour yet even sweeter quietly spread through his heart.

Lan Jingzhi closed his eyes, suppressing the tears welling up in them.

The darkness of night made it easiest to hide one’s emotions, but it also made it easiest for deep affection to grow. Smiling, he untied the sashes of their clothes and whispered softly into Yu Zhi’s ear.

“Little Brother Yu, actually, I’m even more despicable than you. I don’t just want your heart. I want you, too.”

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