Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Waiters filed in, carrying trays laden with king crab, steamed Hong Kong grouper, parboiled geoduck, seafood casserole porridge, clams in scallion oil, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables, covering the entire dining table.

Shang Xueyan took half a crab and spent a while extracting the meat from its legs before looking up and saying, "I have a friend who used to like…"

Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao, chopsticks in hand, looked up and stared at him.

Shang Xueyan: "Never mind, I don’t."

After finishing dinner with Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao and sending them off in a ride-share car, Shang Xueyan drove home. After cleaning up, he sat in a chair, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. Seeing something, his expression darkened, and he eagerly opened a post.

"Recently discovered that my son seems to be gay. How can I cure him?"

There were nearly two thousand comments below.

"Ma'am, homosexuality isn’t an illness. But if you think it is, you might want to see a therapist. If you need a good one, feel free to consult me."

"It’s 2025, the new millennium. Our country removed homosexuality from the psychiatric disorders classification years ago."

"Not sure what to say [smile]."

"Isn’t being gay good? No dowry, no wedding house, no need to look after grandchildren in the future. Retirement will be great."

"Did you skip breakfast when you were pregnant? When I was pregnant, I skipped breakfast and my son has autism."

"Homosexuality isn’t an illness; it’s a normal sexual orientation. Ma'am, try to look on the bright side."

"Honestly, having a gay son is better than having one who’s intellectually disabled or missing limbs, right? Think about it that way, Ma'am."

"So in real life, being gay is still pretty tough. Many parents can’t accept it."

The original poster replied to Little Egg No Sugar: "My son wasn’t born gay. He had a girlfriend in college. It's only recently that he turned gay. Since he can become gay, he can definitely change back."

"Then your son is probably bisexual."

"A gay man dating a woman? That's disgusting. Men in the real world are truly no good."

"What crap."

"Ma'am, I recommend a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Follow Dr. Su Jinpeng on Douyin. My brother was also gay, and after taking the Chinese herbs he prescribed, he was cured. He’s now dating a girl and planning to marry."

The original poster replied to Fading Breeze: "Dr. Su Jinpeng, the one with 180,000 followers?"

Fading Breeze: "Yes, yes, that’s him. He’s very skilled."

The original poster replied to Fading Breeze: "Okay, I’ll take my son to see him this weekend."

"Wait, homosexuality really isn’t an illness. Taking random medicine might actually make you sick."

"9098232790—this group is for parents of gay children. Ma'am, maybe you should join."

"……………"

"Dr. Su Jinpeng? He’s quite famous. My daughter had trouble getting pregnant for years. Western medicine didn’t help, but a friend recommended Dr. Su. After half a year of treatment, she got pregnant."

"Honestly, Dr. Su’s medical skills are indeed good, but him treating homosexuality? That’s strange."

"These cases are different from those born gay. If they liked women before but like men now, something must be off. A little adjustment should fix it."

When he read this, Shang Xueyan felt as if he’d heard gospel. His elder brother had liked women in his past life—even written poetry for one while drunk. Suddenly developing an interest in men surely indicated a physical imbalance that required herbal treatment.

Shang Xueyan swiftly opened another app, typed "Su Jinpeng," and a list of users appeared. He clicked on the one with 180,000 followers and "TCM" in the name.

The latest video featured a young man asking whether sweating a lot in summer was good or bad. A gentle-looking man around fifty explained the issue in simple terms without jargon, so even Shang Xueyan could understand.

Besides posting health and wellness tips, Dr. Su also shared patient testimonials. Though he’d only been posting for under a year, he had nearly 200,000 followers, suggesting many were satisfied with his treatments.

Shang Xueyan browsed the comments, where patients often consulted him on various issues and praised his medical skills.

He searched elsewhere and found Dr. Su had an excellent reputation. Though he looked around fifty in videos, he was actually over sixty, a professor at a university of Chinese medicine who also mentored graduate students.

At 3 a.m., Shang Xueyan put down his phone, satisfied.

The next day, Shang Xueyan’s schedule was wrapped up by 2 p.m. Once work wrapped, instead of heading home, he set his destination to Tong'an Traditional Medicine Clinic. Many people came to see Dr. Su, so appointments required advance appointments. Shang Xueyan waited almost two hours before his number was called.

He pushed the door open and entered. Besides Dr. Su at the desk, there were two young assistants, one male and one female, likely his students.

Dr. Su first observed his complexion, then pointed to the pulse pillow on the desk, gesturing for Shang Xueyan to place his wrist on it.

"Not for me," Shang Xueyan said. "It’s like this—my brother seems to like men lately. Can you prescribe some herbs to rebalance him?"

"Treat homosexuality?" Dr. Su raised an eyebrow, studying Shang Xueyan.

Shang Xueyan nodded. "Yes. He used to like women, so it shouldn’t be a genetic issue."

Shang Xueyan had brushed up on a lot of information last night, learning that some homosexuality is genetic—not an issue, just a preference—but his brother’s genes were normal.

Though his brother’s body was from a thousand years later, his preference for women was...

Anyway, the genes must be the same. He looked exactly as he had in his past life.

The doctor asked kindly, "How long has this been going on?"

"Just the last two months or so."

Dr. Su pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I can prescribe a formula for you."

He wrote the prescription, handed it to Shang Xueyan, and instructed him to brew it in cold water, take it three times a day, for a ten-day course.

Shang Xueyan thanked him, took the prescription to the pharmacist outside.

After Shang Xueyan left, the male student asked, "Teacher, homosexuality isn’t an illness. Why did you prescribe medicine?"

"It’s fine. With the hot weather lately, it’s just a formula to clear heat and reduce dryness. It won’t cause any issues—in fact, it’s beneficial. Better than him giving his family some strange concoction."

"What if it doesn’t work?" The young man said disdainfully. "He doesn’t look old, but he’s more conservative than people in their fifties or sixties."

"Faith can move mountains. Maybe it’ll work." Dr. Su, experienced, had seen many such family members—far from the strangest cases.

The female student, however, watched Shang Xueyan’s departing figure and murmured, "He looks familiar. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere."

Before handing the prescription to the staff, Shang Xueyan took a photo. After leaving Tong'an Traditional Medicine Clinic, he didn’t go home immediately but drove to another TCM clinic to have an elderly doctor check the formula. The old doctor said, "This prescription uses herbs that clear heat, reduce fire, reduce dryness, and aid sleep. It’s a good formula."

"If someone isn’t sick, can they still take it?"

"In this hot weather, the formula is mild. Even without illness, it can help nourish the body and calm the nerves. Just don’t take it for too long."

Shang Xueyan thanked him and left the pharmacy. In this day and age, services were convenient—herbal medicine didn’t need to be decocted at home. The next day after work, he drove to Tong'an Traditional Medicine Clinic, picked up the prepared and packaged medicine, and brought it home.

Upon returning home, Shang Xianwang was already home from work. In previous years, he often worked overtime at the company, but now his hours were more regular. Though he still had overtime occasionally, it was much better than before. Seeing Shang Xueyan carrying a big plastic bag full of Chinese medicine, Shang Xianwang frowned and asked, "Bro Yan, are you feeling unwell?"

Shang Xueyan avoided Shang Xianwang's eyes guiltily, his eyelashes trembling slightly before he looked back at Shang Xianwang's face and said confidently, "This medicine isn't for me, it's for you."

"For me?" Shang Xianwang was taken aback.

"Yes," Shang Xueyan insisted firmly. "You've been working overtime a lot, which wears you out, and you've been sleeping poorly, waking up easily. With the hot and dry weather lately, a colleague recommended a great traditional Chinese doctor to me, so I went to get some medicine to help get you back in balance."

Shang Xueyan walked into the kitchen, opened the cabinet, and saw that Wang Auntie was almost done preparing dinner. He took out a bag of medicine, snipped the corner off, poured it into a bowl, heated it in the microwave, and handed it to Shang Xianwang. "The doctor said to take it before meals. Since dinner's almost ready, big brother, drink this now."

Shang Xianwang lowered his head and took the porcelain bowl.

Shang Xueyan's tone was full of anticipation. "Drink up, big bro."

The liquid in the white porcelain bowl was dark red and gave off a bitter smell. Shang Xianwang stared at Shang Xueyan, who widened his eyes and looked at him expectantly.

Without hesitation, Shang Xianwang raised his head and downed it in one gulp. As soon as he put the bowl down, Shang Xueyan, his eyes sparkling, stuffed an orange-flavored soft candy into his mouth. His dry fingers brushed against Shang Xianwang's lips. Shang Xianwang hesitated for a couple seconds before slowly chewing the candy.

Shang Xueyan instructed him, "I picked up ten days' worth of medicine for you. Remember to drink it every day."

The sweet orange flavor suppressed the sour and bitter taste of the medicine. Shang Xianwang lowered his eyes and replied, "Okay."

Before they knew it, six days had passed. After dinner, Shang Xueyan and Shang Xianwang sat in the living room playing video games. Shang Xueyan sat barefoot on the rug in front of the sofa, while Shang Xianwang sat on the adjacent sofa. During intense moments, Shang Xueyan's body rubbed against Shang Xianwang's thigh.

"Ah, we almost beat that level, just a little bit more!" Shang Xueyan said in frustration.

"Want to keep playing?" Shang Xianwang lowered his gaze and looked at Shang Xueyan.

After hesitating for a moment, Shang Xueyan tossed the controller aside. "Forget it, it's already eleven. I have filming tomorrow."

The two went upstairs. Shang Xueyan pressed the elevator button first, and when the door opened, he stepped in ahead of Shang Xianwang, who followed behind him.

It was the sixth day. His older brother had been drinking the medicine for six days. Shang Xueyan always felt that the idea that Chinese medicine works slowly was wrong. The right medicine should show results within three days. Six days had already passed, and he wondered how his brother was doing with the treatment.

"Big brother, after drinking the medicine for a few days, have you noticed any changes in your body?" Shang Xueyan asked expectantly.

As the elevator door opened, Shang Xianwang's steps hesitated for a moment. His short, dense eyelashes fluttered as he replied, "I’ve been feeling much calmer these past few days, and my sleep has improved too."

He indeed used to sleep lightly and have many dreams, but these past few days, he had been sleeping better. More importantly, he felt calmer...

"Then..." Shang Xueyan's lips parted. "What do you feel about me now?" This was a question Shang Xueyan couldn't bring himself to ask aloud. As they spoke, they reached the door of Shang Xueyan's room.

"Goodnight, A Yan."

"...Goodnight, big brother. Wait." Shang Xueyan tilted his head slightly and suddenly moved closer to Shang Xianwang. He reached out, his fingertips brushing under Shang Xianwang's eyelid, pretending to pick up an eyelash. He took two steps back and stared at Shang Xianwang. "There was an eyelash under your eye just now. I removed it for you. Don't mention it, bro."

Shang Xianwang raised his hand and ruffled Shang Xueyan's thick hair, running his fingers through its soft, dry strands. "Go to sleep, A Yan."

Flustered, Shang Xueyan felt his scalp tingle. After Shang Xianwang walked away, Shang Xueyan opened his door, leaned back tightly against it, frowned, and raised his hand to run his fingers through his hair.

The late summer heat was really something, putting everyone on edge. Shang Xueyan sighed deeply, thinking about Shang Xianwang's reaction when he had suddenly moved closer. Aside from a moment of surprise, everything had been normal.

Shang Xueyan had just filmed an emotional scene with his co-star playing his love interest earlier that day. In the drama, the girl had a crush on him, and when he noticed something under her eyelid, he instinctively wiped it away. The actress blushed, and they were both left blushing and awkward.

When someone you like touches you, your heart races, but between brothers, such actions felt as natural as breathing, without any other feelings.

His brother had seemed completely normal. It seemed Dr. Su's medicine was working.

The next day, when Shang Xueyan went to the set to film, Wang Xiantao also showed up. Having nothing better to do at home, he decided to do a cameo in Shang Xueyan's drama.

Shang Xianwang had to work overtime that evening and wouldn't be home for dinner, so Shang Xueyan told Wang Auntie not to prepare dinner for him. When they finished work, he took Wang Xiantao and Fei Yu to a restaurant for dinner.

It was a Chinese restaurant with a 200-square-meter dining room. The decor was ordinary, and the environment was noisy and bustling.

The three of them arrived to find no private rooms were free, so they chose an empty table by the wall. Wang Xiantao opened the menu and noticed the prices were on the high side.

Shang Xueyan said, "Although this place is a bit more expensive than others, the chef's skills are excellent. I always order the camphor tea duck and coarse grain fish dices when I come here."

The restaurant used QR code ordering. Shang Xueyan added those two dishes and handed his phone to Wang Xiantao to choose what he liked.

"Have you been here before?"

"Yes, my big brother brought me here."

Wang Xiantao gave him a meaningful look. Shang Xueyan didn't even blink now—his big brother had been cured by the medicine, and they were now clearly just brothers.

Just then, Shang Xueyan stared distractedly at the table diagonally across from them. A waiter was seating one man and three women there. Shang Xueyan was captivated by the long-haired, elegant-looking girl. She looked very familiar, almost identical to someone he knew.

She had graceful manners. The man across from her said something, and the other two women burst out laughing. The girl pursed her lips and gave a small, polite smile, her demeanor introverted and dignified.

As if sensing someone's gaze, Zhu Qianling looked up and met Shang Xueyan's eyes unexpectedly. Shang Xueyan quickly averted his gaze.

Seeing Zhu Qianling made Shang Xueyan's mind wander during dinner. Wang Xiantao turned his head and asked suspiciously, "What have you been staring at all evening?"

"Nothing," Shang Xueyan replied calmly.

"Oh, she's a beauty," Wang Xiantao said, withdrawing his gaze from Zhu Qianling. "Not bad, she's cute."

Frowning, Wang Xiantao opened his mouth a few times. There were things he could say freely in front of Shang Xueyan and Shen Mengkun—they were trustworthy friends, and he wanted to give Shang Xueyan a heads-up. But he wasn't close with Fei Yu, so he held back.

After dinner, the three paid and left the restaurant. Zhu Qianling, who had left a minute earlier, seemed to be heading in a different direction from her friends and was still saying goodbye with hugs at the entrance.

Shang Xueyan couldn't help but keep his attention on her.

"Let's go," Wang Xiantao said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your call time is late tomorrow, so drive me home tonight. I want to ride in the Rolls-Royce again."

Shang Xueyan was driving the Rolls-Royce that day—he alternated between the cars in the garage.

"Then you drive," Shang Xueyan said. It was peak evening traffic in Beijing, and he disliked driving at this hour due to the frequent stops and congestion.

Wang Xiantao's eyebrows rose, and he said cheerfully, "Thanks, bro."

Shang Xueyan smiled slightly.

The three walked toward the parking area. After a few steps, Shang Xueyan couldn't help but look back. Zhu Qianling was standing at the crosswalk, the breeze lifting her long hair, her figure slender and graceful.

The traffic light blinked urgently, about to turn green. Suddenly, Shang Xueyan removed Wang Xiantao's arm from his shoulder and hurried toward Zhu Qianling.

As the light turned green, Zhu Qianling and her friend laughed and walked across the street arm in arm. Suddenly, a voice called out, "Miss!" from behind. Zhu Qianling turned around in surprise.

Shang Xueyan felt awkward—it was his first time doing something like this. He took out his phone and said, "Um, can I add you on WeChat?"

Zhu Qianling's friend winked at her suggestively. Zhu Qianling took out her phone and smiled. "Sure."

Shang Xueyan added Zhu Qianling as a friend, turned off his phone, and asked, "May I ask if you're single?"

Before Zhu Qianling could answer, her friend said with a laugh, "Our Qianling is definitely single, no boyfriend."

After Zhu Qianling and her friend left, Wang Xiantao approached with a serious expression. "Bro Yan, you're not actually interested in that girl, are you? We're going to be superstar idols—how can you date before making it big?"

"I'm not thinking about dating her, alright? Stop worrying needlessly and go admire your shoes if you have free time."

When he got home, Shang Xianwang was still not off work. Shang Xueyan washed up, changed into his pajamas, and sat in the living room. He first opened the video sent by Xie Ru. Dajin had stayed at Shang Xueyan's place for all told a week, but had already been in his new home for a little over half a month. It had fully adapted to its new family and was having the time of its life playing fetch with Chen Yu in the park. Dajin was being well taken care of by them.

After finishing his chat with Xie Ru, Shang Xueyan sank into the soft leather sofa, opened Zhu Qianling's chat window, and sent a common greeting.

Zhu Qianling: "Already home."

Shang Xueyan: "When are you free? Can I treat you to a meal?"

After sending the first message, Shang Xueyan realized it might sound inappropriate and quickly added another: "You can choose the time and restaurant. If you're uncomfortable, you can bring a friend along."

The 'typing' indicator appeared for a while before sending a brief reply: "I'm busy on weekdays. Is this weekend okay?"

Shang Xueyan instantly brightened up: "Of course!"

Shang Xueyan: "Can I bring a friend?"

Zhu Qianling: "You want to bring a friend? Male or female?"

Shang Xueyan: "Male. You can bring your friends too."

Aware of the natural physical differences between men and women, Shang Xueyan added: "You can bring several friends if you'd like."

Zhu Qianling: "But I don't have that many friends to bring."

Shang Xueyan: …

He didn't have much experience interacting with girls and really didn't know how to respond without sounding offensive.

Zhu Qianling: "Besides, you don't seem like a bad person. I don't need to bring that many people."

Just as he finished the conversation with Zhu Qianling, Shang Xueyan heard an engine sound outside the window. He quickly sprang up from the sofa and agilely dashed to the entryway.

As soon as Shang Xianwang approached the entryway, he heard Shang Xueyan's energetic cry of "Big brother!" His face lit up, eyes sparkling with vitality.

"A Yan, did something good happen?" Shang Xianwang's gaze uncontrollably softened.

"Big brother, you're not working overtime this Saturday, right? No other plans either?"

"Not yet."

"Then keep Saturday free. Come with me at noon to meet someone."

"Who?"

"You'll find out then."

To free up his Saturday, Shang Xueyan even took a day off specially. "Shunyang Street Daily" had been filming for three months. Though backed by the biggest investor, Shang Xueyan, like other actors, obediently followed the crew's arrangements without arrogance. He was serious, responsible, and highly talented in acting. This was his first time requesting leave, and Director Zhu readily approved.

At noon on Saturday, Shang Xueyan specifically brought Shang Xianwang to the appointment. Before heading out, he even considered Shang Xianwang's outfit.

A high-quality pure black Cuban collar shirt, adorned with cool-white buttons on the placket, paired with matching wide-leg casual trousers. He looked tall, dignified, and handsome.

Satisfied, Shang Xueyan drove Shang Xianwang to the pre-booked restaurant.

The restaurant was located in a bustling commercial area of Beijing, a Thai restaurant with a strong Southeast Asian flair. Shang Xueyan arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the time agreed with Zhu Qianling. He didn't have to wait long; about six or seven minutes later, Zhu Qianling, wearing a light yellow sleeveless long dress, walked into the restaurant with her friend.

Shang Xueyan had been watching the entrance and stood up to wave at her when he saw Zhu Qianling.

Zhu Qianling smiled faintly and walked over with her friend.

The first to speak was Zhu Qianling's female friend: "Hey, handsome, we met on Wednesday night. I'm Qiu Fujin—Qiu as in autumn, Fu as in lotus, Jin as in gold."

"Hello, I'm Shang Xueyan—Shang as in Shang Yang, Xue as in snowflake, Yan as in extend." Shang Xueyan turned slightly to introduce Shang Xianwang to them: "This is my brother, Shang Xianwang."

Then he said to Shang Xianwang: "Big brother, this is Zhu Qianling."

Qiu Fujin's gaze fell on Shang Xianwang's face, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. Shang Xueyan was undoubtedly handsome, with bright eyes and well-spaced eyebrows. His handsomeness was like that of a popular, cheerful school heartthrob who would sweat profusely on the basketball court and high-five his friends laughing after scoring a great goal. His air of detachment came from his striking appearance, not his demeanor.

The man beside him, however, had the aura of a mature man. Purely in terms of facial features, Shang Xueyan's were slightly more defined and rugged, while Shang Xianwang's facial contours were somewhat softer. But he carried a strong sense of distance; even though his gaze was relatively gentle now, it was a polite, well-mannered gentleness that was not heartfelt.

But regardless, both were exceptionally handsome men.