Chapter 17 None of Your Business

Chapter 17: None of Your Business

Yunshang's sudden arrival caused a slight delay in Chi Suiyong and Chu Yan's plans. Only after she finished breakfast at home did the two of them leave with her.

Before getting into the car, Yunshang took a pair of flat shoes from the trunk and changed into them. "How are you two getting there later?"

Chu Yan pointed at the shared electric bike in the yard. "Riding this."

"Huh? Your fussy butt is willing to ride that?"

Chi Suiyong stepped forward to explain the reason to her, and Yunshang suddenly understood. "Tsk, I forgot about that. Alright then, I'll be off now!"

Watching the G-Wagon disappear into the distance, Chi Suiyong teased Chu Yan like an observer. "Your girlfriend is really cool and badass. I've hardly seen any girls drive a car like that."

"Ugly."

"Who's ugly?"

"The car is ugly."

Chi Suiyong gave him a knowing glance. "And the person?"

"Not bad."

Chi Suiyong understood now—anything that earned Chu Yan's "not bad" rating was already far from ordinary. As for his own "not bad," that probably ranked above average too.

"Get on, let's go."

Maybe it was because the temperature had suddenly dropped, but the crowd near the wetland park on the holiday was about the same as usual. After parking the electric bike, Chi Suiyong bought boat tickets at the ticket office. To reach the boarding point, they had to walk along a gravel path flanked by dawn redwood trees.

The wind by the lake was strong, carrying the swaying dawn redwood leaves off the branches and scattering them onto the gravel path, giving it a soft, cushiony feel underfoot.

Chu Yan's attention was drawn to the leaves flying in the air. He sniffed and squinted. "Smells so good."

"You mean the trees smell good?"

"I don't know yet." Chu Yan bent down to pick up a few leaves and a pine cone, smelling each one. In the end, he threw away the leaves and focused only on the pine cone. "I like this smell."

With that, he held it up for Chi Suiyong to smell. "Yong Yong, smell this. The scent is really relaxing and gentle, like you."

"How can a person and a pine cone smell the same?" Chi Suiyong said, but he still concentrated and took a sniff.

The scent was subtle, with a hint of humus, reminiscent of moss.

As for Chu Yan saying it was so fragrant, that was probably his general expression for scents he liked.

"What do you think? Isn't it nice?"

"Hmm, it's okay. There's also a flower area over there. Do you want to go take a look?"

Chu Yan first put the pine cone into his pocket. "Sure!"

On the way to the flower area, Chu Yan bent down several times to pick up every pine cone he could find. His coat pockets bulged with them. Watching his childlike behavior, Chi Suiyong felt even more that the morning's incident should be treated normally and forgotten normally.

"Why are you still picking them up? Your pockets are full."

Chu Yan stood up, smiling radiantly and innocently. "Yong Yong still has two pockets. Can you help me hold some?"

Chi Suiyong thought indulgently, "I'll have to ask a staff member for a bag later."

By the time the two arrived at the flower area, they found everyone had gathered there. Retirees made up the majority, using the sea of flowers as a backdrop and themselves as the focal point, snapping photos like crazy with their phones. Chi Suiyong led Chu Yan to a corner with fewer people.

Chi Suiyong pointed to a cluster of chrysanthemums. "Smell this. Do you like it?"

"It smells cold and sweet. I like it."

Chi Suiyong was afraid he might pick the flowers and stuff them in his pocket like he did with the pine cones, so he preemptively warned, "But you can't pick these."

"Why?"

Chi Suiyong glanced at the already picked stems. "In public places, picking things randomly is very uncivilized behavior."

Although Chu Yan was naive, he was still obedient. He looked at the flowers with some regret. "Then... okay!"

"Do you want to take a picture?"

"Can we take one together, Yong Yong?"

"Sure, stand next to me."

Chi Suiyong was not typically the type to be narcissistic and take photos. He hadn't brought a selfie stick, and his phone didn't have any beauty filters. He simply raised his hand as high as possible, but the two were not close enough to fit into the same frame.

Noticing Chi Suiyong's predicament, Chu Yan said, "Let me, Yong Yong."

He took the phone and zoomed out a bit, and the two finally fit neatly in the frame.

Facing the camera, Chi Suiyong smiled a bit awkward, while Chu Yan's eyes were unusually bright. He shifted slightly to the left, his eyes bright and steady.

Both of them seemed to be looking at each other through the camera lens.

Suddenly, Chu Yan grabbed Chi Suiyong's left shoulder, closing the fist-sized gap between their heads as his arm pulled him in.

The wind from the lake blew Chu Yan's long hair against Chi Suiyong's neck, some strands brushing across his face. Under the sunlight, Chu Yan's hair exuded a cool, sleek sheen, drifting into his periphery, radiating the unconscious charm of its owner.

Chi Suiyong often saw college students cosplaying near the university town. They looked alternative and eye-catching, but precisely because they were different, they stood out as more unique and authentic among the conformist crowd.

He had to admit that Chu Yan was the most abrupt figure in his life. Even just his long hair was enough to catch attention. Yet unlike cosplay, Chu Yan fully belonged to this world and this space. He had simply fallen into a different social circle and stumbled into Chi Suiyong's life by accident.

Chi Suiyong felt like a bright lamp had suddenly appeared beside him, illuminating his own shadowy existence.

Many people were staring at them, though it was hard to tell what they were thinking.

Whichever guess they made, it would be wrong.

"We've taken enough, right?" Chi Suiyong freed himself from Chu Yan's grip. "Let's go somewhere else."

Chu Yan swiped left and right through the photos, looking thoughtful.

"Yong Yong, you'd look better if you faced the light."

"What do you mean?"

Chu Yan looked up and traced the contour of Chi Suiyong's face with his index finger. "Yong Yong's skin is very fair, but the contours of your face are very soft. If you're backlit, the contours will be weak."

Chi Suiyong crossed his arms and listened to his take. "What about you?"

"Me? I look good in any photo."

Chi Suiyong: "..."

Unbelievable, this guy is really full of himself.

"Sui Yong, is that Sui Yong?"

The voice seemed to come from a distant past.

It was so familiar that Chi Suiyong's face instantly froze.

He turned around in disbelief, and the face that matched that voice smashed the current mood to pieces.

And dragged him straight back to a dark time in his life.

"Xia Li?"

Beside him was a little girl with slightly curly hair and deep blue eyes, clearly a mixed-race kid.

In the silence, Chi Suiyong couldn't help but wonder about the relationship between this little girl and Xia Li.

For years, he'd been avoiding any news about this guy, and now here he was, impossible to avoid.

"Sui Yong, after all these years, you haven't changed at all." The man's face showed uncontrollable surprise.

Chi Suiyong stared at the person before him. The youthful arrogance in his expression had mellowed, replaced by the air of a successful man—refined and dignified.

Realizing he'd already lost his cool and the other guy had taken charge, he replied, "You haven't changed much either."

"I just got back to the country not long ago. I was meaning to get in touch with you, but I didn't expect to run into you so soon."

Chu Yan stood behind Chi Suiyong. Although he couldn't see Yong Yong's face, the stiffness in his back made Chu Yan keenly aware that this older guy who suddenly showed up had made Yong Yong nervous.

He stepped forward and took Yong Yong's hand.

Xia Li asked, "And this is?"

Chi Suiyong opened his mouth, a despicable answer that would save his dignity flashing through his mind. Just as he hesitated, Chu Yan's response rang in his ears.

"I'm Yong Yong's boyfriend. And who are you?"

Xia Li's face froze for a moment. "Hello, I'm Sui Yong's college classmate." Then he said to the little girl beside him, "Nini, say hello."

The little girl called out in a not-so-standard pronunciation, "Hello, uncles."

Only then did Chi Suiyong get a chance to breathe. He bent down to greet the little girl, "Hello."

"Sui Yong, can we talk? I have something to say to you."

Chi Suiyong held Chu Yan's hand tighter. "Some other day. As you can see, I'm busy right now."

Xia Li didn't give up. "Can you leave me your contact info? When you're free—"

"No." It was Chu Yan who spoke.

He didn't know what was wrong with Yong Yong, but this older guy who suddenly showed up had made Yong Yong very uncomfortable. And he was really uncomfortable too—or rather, he sensed that Yong Yong was afraid of the other. Yong Yong's attitude was clear but not firm enough.

Isn't that what friends are for? Since Yong Yong couldn't fend this guy off, he'd do it for him.

So he directly stood between the two, staring silently.

Xia Li chuckled lightly. "Even if you're a boyfriend, you don't have the right to answer for Sui Yong."

"What's it to you?"

"How long have you two known each other? Don't you know Sui Yong doesn't like others making decisions for him?"

"None of your business?"

"Sui Yong, someone this childish—do you really have anything in common with him?"

"Mind your own business?"

Behind Chu Yan, Chi Suiyong shut his eyes a few times, letting cold air fill his lungs to calm his boiling blood.

He pushed aside the thought of why he was so weak. Since Chu Yan could intuitively block Xia Li for him, if he completely fell apart now, he'd hate himself later.

"Sui Yong, say something."

Chi Suiyong collected himself and stepped out from behind Chu Yan. "Sorry, he's always been this possessive. Not just college classmates—if I so much as get close to a coworker, he throws a fit. And as for you saying he's childish and we have nothing in common, that's not your problem."

"Forget the contact info. There are too many college classmates, and I'm busy—I don't have time to keep up with everyone."

"And yes, he can make decisions for me."

Xia Li, refusing to give up, stared at him intently. "Sui Yong, I don't have any other intentions. I just want to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." With that, Chi Suiyong took Chu Yan's hand and headed for the boarding gate.

Chu Yan kept looking back and saw that old man still staring at Yong Yong. So, very rudely, he pointed a finger at the man.

"Don't follow us, got it?"