LNTSWJLY Chapter 71

The dark green curtains were half open, and lazy sunlight slanted across the foot of the bed. From beneath the beige bedding emerged a snow-white foot. Its toes basked in the sunlight and trembled slightly, as though afraid of the light. Then the foot withdrew beneath the covers, disappearing completely from sight.

Yu Zhi wasn’t someone who had trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar bed. His internal clock woke him promptly at six, and last night’s physical exertion hadn’t left him feeling particularly tired.

By the time he finished his morning run and prepared breakfast, the person in bed was still fast asleep with his eyes closed, buried beneath the covers.

After taking a shower, Yu Zhi had no choice but to wake him.

“Time to get up.”

Lan Jingzhi’s drowsy voice came rather indistinctly from beneath the blanket. “…What time is it?”

“Seven in the morning.”

Seven… in the morning…

Lan Jingzhi: “…”

In a daze, he pulled the blanket off his head and struggled to look at the time on the phone beside the bed through his still-blurry eyes. After confirming that it was 6:59, he closed his eyes again.

“It’s still early…”

He normally didn’t get up before eight. Besides, quite a lot had happened yesterday, and he had been physically active until the middle of the night. He was exhausted in both body and mind. He had thought it wouldn’t be unreasonable to sleep until noon, yet someone was waking him up at seven.

So when, exactly, had Yu Zhi gotten up?

Sure enough, young people really did have boundless energy. He must be getting old.

That was what Lan Jingzhi, who was only twenty-three, thought.

It wasn’t as though he had work or anything important to do. Yu Zhi glanced at Lan Jingzhi, who had burrowed back under the covers and clearly had no intention of getting up. With an amused, helpless smile, he decided to let Lan sleep in.

“I’ll leave breakfast in the pot later. Remember to get up and eat it,” he said.

“Mhm, mhm…” Lan Jingzhi answered absently.

Yu Zhi left the bedroom. He made a few phone calls first, then went into the study to attend a video conference.

Half an hour later, Lan Jingzhi slowly awoke. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, only for the soreness and weakness in his arms to register clearly in his brain.

It wasn’t just his arms. His waist, hips, legs, and feet all felt the same. Even those more intimate parts of his body ached and felt distinctly uncomfortable.

His mind instantly cleared. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the unfamiliar decor of the room.

A few seconds later, he finally remembered where he was and what had happened the previous day.

He threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. His pajamas had been hastily pulled on and hung loosely from his body, while vivid pink and red marks remained scattered across the skin exposed beneath them.

He turned over and got out of bed, but it took him quite a while to adjust to the discomfort in his body.

The doorbell rang outside. Lan Jingzhi paid it no attention, assuming someone had come to visit another household.

There were two apartments on each floor of this building, after all. They weren’t the only residents on this level.

However, when he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw Yu Zhi coming out of the study opposite it. Noticing that Lan was awake, Yu Zhi reminded him, “Breakfast is in the kitchen. If it’s gone cold, heat it up in the microwave.”

After saying this, Yu Zhi headed toward the door.

Lan Jingzhi watched his retreating figure. For some reason, a sudden pang of jealousy welled up inside him.

What was so urgent that Yu Zhi had to rush off? He had only said one sentence to him before leaving!

Last night, Yu Zhi had been so gentle. Yet even after spending a night wrapped in such tenderness, why did he feel less satisfied than he had yesterday?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Lan Jingzhi felt that he was being ridiculously sentimental. Before, when no one cared about him, he had never dwelled on such things. Now that someone was treating him well, he had somehow become dissatisfied.

Greedy and never satisfied. That probably described someone like him perfectly.

He let out a self-mocking chuckle. Yet he did not think there was anything wrong with being this way, nor did he have any intention of changing. His mind was already filled with ideas for seducing Yu Zhi and maintaining their relationship.

With a perfectly calm expression, he entered the living room. He was just about to turn toward the kitchen when he saw Yu Zhi open the door and let several people carry in cardboard boxes containing things he could not identify.

“Sir, where would you like us to put these?” one of the workers asked.

Yu Zhi pointed upstairs. “Just put them up there.”

Watching the workers bustle about, Lan Jingzhi could not help feeling a little embarrassed. When Yu Zhi returned and walked over to him, he said somewhat awkwardly, “So you rushed off just to open the door for them…”

Yu Zhi looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Lan Jingzhi gave a couple of light coughs. “N-Nothing.”

Fortunately, he had not given himself away. If Yu Zhi found out about this overly sentimental side of him, he would be thoroughly humiliated.

Yu Zhi glanced at the pajamas he was wearing and, without thinking, pulled them more tightly around him.

“Why aren’t you dressed properly? The air conditioning is on. You’ll get cold.”

Lan Jingzhi caught his hand and did not want to let go. He blinked, his smile bright and charming.

“With Little Brother Yu here to warm my bed, I won’t get cold.”

Yu Zhi could only smile helplessly. “I’ll go see if breakfast is still warm.”

Half an hour later, the food was no longer cold, though it was no longer hot either. Yu Zhi was about to reheat it for him when Lan Jingzhi stopped him.

“This is just right. If you heat it up, won’t I have to wait for it to cool down before I can eat? That would be a waste of time.”

Yu Zhi had no choice but to let him have his way.

After Lan Jingzhi finished breakfast, he saw the workers who had gone upstairs earlier coming back down. Yu Zhi signed for their work before seeing them out.

“Little Brother Yu, what’s upstairs? Has the renovation not been finished yet?” Lan Jingzhi asked. The day before, he had only looked around the ground floor and had not gone upstairs.

Yu Zhi glanced at him and smiled. “It’ll be ready soon. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take you up to see it once everything’s finished.”

From the way he said it, it sounded as though he were keeping some kind of secret.

Lan Jingzhi sighed. “All right.”

After taking care of his affairs that morning, Yu Zhi spent the entire noon resting with Lan Jingzhi. In the afternoon, the two went out again to explore the nearby area and familiarize themselves with the roads. They also had dinner at a nearby restaurant that evening, enjoying the romance of a candlelit dinner.

However, Lan Jingzhi did not seem particularly happy during the meal. He seemed especially unhappy when it came time to pay the bill. Although his expression gave nothing away, Yu Zhi could feel Lan Jingzhi’s grip on his hand tighten slightly.

Yu Zhi thought about it for a moment and more or less guessed what was going on. He could not help finding it both amusing and heartwarming.

On their way back, they took the opportunity to go for a walk. The two strolled along the riverside bridge, where colorful lights glittered overhead. Walking beneath them, they seemed to have stepped into a romantic scene, surrounded by the soft glow of a city at night.

From a distance, people would be drawn to the brilliant lights decorating the bridge and barely notice the figures walking beneath them.

The night breeze swept across the river, carrying the cool, damp air with it. It made Lan Jingzhi reluctant to leave.

He held Yu Zhi’s hand as though he were afraid that even this gentle breeze might blow the other man away.

“Little Brother Yu…”

Yu Zhi turned to look at him. He saw Lan Jingzhi’s lips move, as though he had said something, but the wind carried his voice away before Yu Zhi could hear it.

A faint blush spread across Lan Jingzhi’s cheeks, and his eyes were filled with tender affection, as moving as flowing water.

But Lan Jingzhi did not know that Yu Zhi could read lips. Yu Zhi could also tell that the wind had not carried Lan Jingzhi’s voice away. He had never made a sound in the first place. He had only mouthed the words silently, as though the romantic atmosphere of the night had made him lose control of his feelings. Yet because the words were so direct, he had felt a little embarrassed to say them aloud.

Yu Zhi’s eyes curved slightly with a smile. He stepped forward, and his clear voice reached Lan Jingzhi’s ears.

“Mm. I like you too.”

Lan Jingzhi: “…”

H-He heard me?!

Wait a minute. He had clearly made no sound at all. He had only mouthed the words. How could Yu Zhi have understood him?

Yu Zhi seemed to see right through his thoughts and explained, “It wasn’t anything particularly difficult to understand.”

So he really had figured it out.

Lan Jingzhi felt a little embarrassed at first. But when he remembered that Yu Zhi had returned his feelings, the embarrassment quickly faded, replaced by a sweet sense of satisfaction that made him feel entirely justified in his happiness.

The two returned home together. Yu Zhi was about to wash up when Lan Jingzhi caught his hand.

“Little Brother Yu, I think there’s something we need to discuss.”

Yu Zhi had guessed a little of what Lan Jingzhi was thinking, but he did not take the initiative to say anything. He simply waited quietly for Lan Jingzhi to speak.

Lan Jingzhi pulled him into the study. The two sat facing each other, one on either side of the desk.

Lan Jingzhi took out his phone, bank cards, and other belongings.

“First, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Lan Jingzhi. I’m twenty-three years old and graduated from K University. I’m a self-employed yoga instructor who runs my own classes. My monthly income varies between 30,000 and 50,000 yuan. I have about 200,000 yuan in savings, and I don’t own a car or a house…”

Several minutes had passed by the time he finished introducing himself.

Yu Zhi had not interrupted him. Instead, his gaze had fallen on the water cup nearby. Leaning back, he filled it with lukewarm water from the water dispenser. Once Lan Jingzhi had finished speaking, he placed the cup in front of him.

“Have some water to soothe your throat.”

Lan Jingzhi lifted his head slightly and met Yu Zhi’s smiling eyes. A sudden feeling of frustration welled up inside him.

“Little Brother Yu, weren’t you listening to me?”

He was worrying about their future, yet the other person involved seemed completely unconcerned. Even when Lan Jingzhi raised the issue, Yu Zhi merely responded with a casual smile.

“I know we don’t have to worry about our living expenses for the time being, but we can’t afford to ignore the future. We need to consider what lies ahead and make a comprehensive plan. For example, what you did at the restaurant today could be considered extravagant. That isn’t something we should be doing right now.”

So it really was because he had chosen the most expensive option for their candlelit dinner.

Yu Zhi found this amusing, but he gave nothing away. He simply looked at Lan Jingzhi with those gentle, smiling eyes.

Lan Jingzhi was adorable even when he was worrying about their finances and seriously discussing their future plans with him.

“I understand,” Yu Zhi said. “Then let me introduce myself, too.”

“Yu Zhi. Eighteen years old.”

Lan Jingzhi’s expression immediately grew a little awkward. It would have been better if Yu Zhi had not mentioned his age. Now that he had heard it aloud, Lan Jingzhi felt as though he had done something immoral. Yu Zhi had only just reached adulthood, yet an old bull like him had already devoured this tender young blade of grass.

It took considerable effort for Lan Jingzhi to maintain his expression. He merely lowered his eyes slightly, avoiding Yu Zhi’s gaze. He felt a little guilty.

“I graduated from high school. I don’t plan to attend university.”

Yu Zhi pretended not to notice Lan Jingzhi’s reaction. Suppressing his amusement, he maintained a perfectly serious expression and took out a bank card.

“There’s about 600,000 yuan in this account.”

“I have ten million yuan in debt.”

Lan Jingzhi could no longer sit still. He widened his eyes and stared at Yu Zhi in disbelief.

“Did you go gambling?!”

Yu Zhi denied it. “No.”

But even that answer did nothing to ease the feeling that his heart was about to stop. Lan Jingzhi felt as though he had suffered an internal injury.

“Then why are you ten million yuan in debt?!”

How many years would it take them to pay that off?!

Lan Jingzhi himself did not even realize that, despite hearing about such an astronomical debt, he had not once considered breaking up with Yu Zhi. He was simply worried, deeply worried about how they could possibly earn enough money to repay it.

Yu Zhi noticed.

The corners of his lips curved slightly. He did not leave Lan Jingzhi to agonize over the matter for long and soon explained the reason.

“I plan to repay the Yu family for the cost of raising me.”

In fact, the original owner had not spent nearly that much. Yu Zhi had calculated the amount by taking inflation into account and adding a sum for their support in his old age. He had even allowed for more than enough.

Yu Zhi disliked trouble. If a problem could be solved with money, he did not mind paying a little extra. That way, no one could criticize him on either legal or moral grounds.

At these words, Lan Jingzhi first felt relieved, then angry.

He was relieved because Yu Zhi was not actually in debt. He was angry because, despite the way those two people in the Yu family had treated him, Yu Zhi still insisted on repaying them and even planned to give them more than he owed.

If it had been Lan Jingzhi, even if he had a fortune at his disposal, he would not have wanted to spend a single cent on those two.

But this was Yu Zhi’s decision. Lan Jingzhi could not refuse to stand by his own person.

After talking himself into reluctantly accepting the situation, he asked with concern, “Then have you thought about your career plans for the future?”

Yu Zhi seemed to have completely forgotten that he had recently established a promising new company with considerable strength and potential. Looking at Lan Jingzhi, whose eyes were already shining with anticipation, he replied, “Not for the time being. Do you have any suggestions, Jingzhi?”

Lan Jingzhi raised his eyebrows, visibly excited.

“How about becoming a food streamer? I think you’d be perfect for it. You’d definitely attract a lot of fans!”

Yu Zhi was not particularly interested in gaining fans or anything of the sort. But he liked seeing Lan Jingzhi get his way. Watching those beautiful, fox-like eyes narrow into a happy smile made Yu Zhi happy, too.

Thinking this over, Yu Zhi smiled faintly and said, “That sounds pretty good.”

Seeing that Yu Zhi had accepted his suggestion, Lan Jingzhi’s beautiful, fox-like eyes curved into a delighted smile, just as expected.

“Then let’s give it a try tomorrow. If it doesn’t work out, we can always switch to something else. You’re still young. You have plenty of opportunities.”

Their family meeting about future plans temporarily came to an end. The two went into the bathroom together, and their bath lasted exceptionally long.

Yu Zhi had not intended to wear himself out for two days in a row. But Lan Jingzhi had clearly gotten a taste for it and wanted more. His curiosity was boundless, and he let himself flirt and tease Yu Zhi without restraint in the bathroom. Yu Zhi was no saint, after all. How could he remain unmoved when faced with such an enthusiastic lover?

Yu Zhi did not know that Lan Jingzhi was already working on a seduction plan. He simply assumed this was the excitement of a newly awakened sex life, and that it was normal for Lan Jingzhi to be a little more enthusiastic.

After expending so much energy, Lan Jingzhi grew sleepy as soon as he lay down in bed.

With his eyes closed, he hugged Yu Zhi’s arm and refused to let go.

After turning off the light, Yu Zhi gathered him into his arms.

“Go to sleep.”

Instead, Lan Jingzhi opened his eyes. He breathed in the scent of Yu Zhi’s body wash, taking a deep breath. The night was quiet, and the darkness offered the perfect cover.

“Little Brother Yu, aren’t you curious why I suggested that you become a food streamer?”

“Don’t you want to know… what my ulterior motive is?”

Yu Zhi stopped trying to sleep, too, and let out two muffled chuckles.

“I thought you were worried I’d get too tired, or that you wanted to eat the food I make. Wasn’t that it?”

Lan Jingzhi could hear the casual, unconcerned tone in Yu Zhi’s voice. No matter what intentions he might have, Yu Zhi did not seem to take them to heart. It was as though Yu Zhi would tolerate anything from him.

Yet inside, Lan Jingzhi was in turmoil. He closed his eyes and struggled with himself for a long time before finally speaking slowly.

“No.”

“Hmm? Then what is it?” Yu Zhi asked.

Lan Jingzhi pressed his lips together. His tone was calm, but the words he spoke were anything but ordinary.

“I want to keep you all to myself, possess you, and lock you away.”

“…Little Brother Yu, are you afraid?”

No one knew just how anxious Lan Jingzhi was at that moment. His heartbeat remained steady and normal, yet his blood burned hot.

Yu Zhi’s hand, which was wrapped around Lan Jingzhi, paused for a moment. But only a moment later, he naturally resumed stroking Lan Jingzhi’s back, as if soothing him.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Don’t be afraid, either.”

Lan Jingzhi’s lips twitched. He wanted to say, What would I be afraid of? Don’t talk nonsense.

However, just as he parted his lips, before he could say anything, he heard Yu Zhi continue.

“You don’t have to be afraid that society will wear me down and change me. You don’t have to be afraid that I’ll become a different person. And you certainly don’t have to be afraid that one day, I’ll leave you.”

Lan Jingzhi was rendered speechless. He couldn’t utter a word, but his hands began to tremble, and his entire body shook faintly.

Yu Zhi had seen right through him.

So he really was afraid.

After witnessing the frightening side of society, Lan Jingzhi had begun to feel afraid. He was afraid that time would change Yu Zhi.

That was why he didn’t want Yu Zhi to be exposed to the complexities of society or face worldly prejudice and indifference.

He didn’t want the day to come when the moonlight he treasured became nothing more than ordinary white rice, or the vermilion mole he cherished turned into a spot of mosquito blood. He didn’t want Yu Zhi to go from being a beloved person he needed to cherish to a live-in partner he found irritating.

He could feel how firm and sincere Yu Zhi’s feelings were at that moment. But, Little Brother Yu, that wasn’t something you could decide on your own.

Only time could provide the answer.

Yu Zhi said, “Words may sometimes seem inadequate. But if you’re unwilling to say anything at all, then no matter how many things you do, something will still be missing.”

“I prefer to show my feelings through actions. But because you like hearing them, I’m also willing to tell you more.”

Lan Jingzhi chuckled. “Little Brother Yu, aren’t you afraid I’ll get spoiled and start taking advantage of your affection?”

Yu Zhi’s heart softened. He closed his eyes briefly and pressed a kiss to Lan Jingzhi’s forehead. Then he let out a quiet, drawn-out sigh.

“What I’m afraid of is that you’ll forget how to act spoiled.”

Only someone who was loved and cherished could afford to act spoiled. If Lan Jingzhi ever stopped being so openly needy and demanding of affection, that was when Yu Zhi would become afraid. He would fear that they had lost their way among the stars, that they would eventually go their separate ways.

And by then, what he lost would not be merely that one star. He would also lose the world that had become brighter and more colorful because of it.

Lan Jingzhi smiled and kissed him back.

“I’ll remember.”

The next morning, Yu Zhi had only just woken up when he habitually checked his phone for any major news. That was when he noticed a trending topic on Weibo that someone had paid to push up the rankings.

# Heir to the Yu Real Estate Corporation Calls Off Engagement After Waking from a Vegetative State#

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