Chapter 12: The Date

Chapter 12: The Date

No wonder Jiang Mingye said that his brother often gets approached by women asking for his contact info when he walks down the street. A rich, handsome rich kid like him would never lack girlfriends.

Shen Mian thought about what Jiang Mingye had said, and the little bit of fondness he had just felt dropped back down.

He turned his head gloomily, his gaze drifting to the scenery whizzing past the car window.

...

The place Jiang Yancheng took him to eat was a Western restaurant. The lighting inside was bright, and a soft, clean red carpet was laid out at the entrance. Just looking at it from outside, it looked grand and imposing—Shen Mian had only ever seen places like this on TV.

It happened to be dusk. The early autumn sunset dyed the sky crimson. Sitting in the restaurant's rooftop garden, Shen Mian looked down at the glittering city lights below, feeling as if he were in a dream.

The melodious sound of a violin drifted through the air, and the mellow aroma of red wine came with the evening breeze. Waiters in uniform bent down to serve their dishes one by one—elaborately plated courses were brought up on silver trays, filling the entire table.

Shen Mian sat on the soft sofa, his eyes sweeping over dishes he had never seen before, some of which he couldn't even name, before finally landing on the crescent-white tablecloth in front of him.

Forget the food—that tablecloth alone was probably worth more than everything he owned.

He hunched his shoulders, nervously fidgeting with the cheap dress he'd bought for a little over a hundred yuan.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered a little of everything." Jiang Yancheng seemed to notice his nervousness, his voice gentle, as if afraid of scaring him. "If you don't like any of these dishes, just tell me. We can order something else."

"Mm... there's plenty already." Shen Mian said softly. "I've got plenty here."

He tentatively forked a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

It was pretty good, just a bit cold for his taste.

His gaze then fell on the steak that had just been brought over by the waiter.

Straight off the grill, the steak was still steaming. The edges were seared golden brown, the light brown surface dusted with black pepper, with a layer of pale yellow butter underneath. The aroma of meat and sweet butter intertwined, almost intoxicating Shen Mian.

He gripped his knife and fork and pressed down hard, trying to cut into it.

Steak was something he remembered as being very expensive—food for rich people. It was also his first time using a knife and fork. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't cut it, and ended up splattering sauce all over the plate. Shen Mian hung his head in embarrassment, not daring to look at Jiang Yancheng's or the waiter's reactions.

They must be laughing at him for being a clueless hick who couldn't even cut a steak properly.

Just as he was about to give up in defeat, a plate of steak cut into neat, even squares was placed in front of him. Jiang Yancheng spoke slowly as Shen Mian looked up in surprise: "Take mine!"

Shen Mian froze for a moment, and then his face betrayed him and flushed red again.

So he... he really had been watching him all along!

After handing over his own steak, Jiang Yancheng reached over and took Shen Mian's plate.

"Hold the steak in place with your left hand using the fork so it doesn't slide around, and cut with the grain using your right hand—it's much easier." Jiang Yancheng demonstrated as he spoke softly.

Shen Mian watched intently for a while, watching Jiang Yancheng skillfully turn the mess he'd made into neat little pieces. His look went from confused to understanding.

"Wanna try again?" Jiang Yancheng asked with a smile, seeing how seriously Shen Mian was learning.

"Okay." Shen Mian took his plate back. This time, he cut through the steak without much effort.

"So quick! You picked it up right away." Jiang Yancheng raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

Shen Mian couldn't help the corners of his mouth curling up. He kept cutting, and before long, he'd cut it all up.

It wasn't as neatly arranged as Jiang Yancheng's, but it was still neat and presentable. The only problem was the plate was a mess of sauce at the bottom, looking pretty rough.

Shen Mian had planned to give back the plate Jiang Yancheng had cut and eat his own, but Jiang Yancheng grabbed his plate first.

"I wanna eat the one my sweetheart cut for me!" The man across from him curved his lips into a smile, his gaze so soft you could drown in it.

Shen Mian's breath caught, and his cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

He quickly lowered his head and shoved a piece of steak into his mouth.

The tender steak melted between his teeth, bursting with rich juices with every bite—it tasted better than any steak he'd ever had.

Shen Mian's eyes lit up briefly. His body gradually relaxed as the food soothed him, and he focused entirely on the steak, not noticing Jiang Yancheng's eyes fixed on his neck.

The black lace choker hugged his snow-white neck, hinting at a subtle Adam's apple.

Pretty, alluring, captivating.

A shadow flickered in Jiang Yancheng's eyes, and his gaze on Shen Mian grew hot.

"Is it good?" Jiang Yancheng asked.

Shen Mian was eating intently and was caught off guard by the question. He gave a small nod and hummed a soft "mm."

"A little red wine would go great with that. Wanna try some?" The man across from him raised a hand, and a waiter immediately came over, smoothly opening the wine and pouring it into a clear glass.

"N-no, that's okay! I don't drink." Shen Mian quickly declined. "Sorry, I can't drink."

He'd read plenty of stories online about people getting drugged or taken advantage of after drinking, and he had never touched alcohol in his life—there was no way he was touching that stuff. What if he got drunk and blacked out? He'd be totally at someone's mercy.

Though Jiang Yancheng was a bit puzzled by his sudden strong reaction, he didn't look upset at being turned down. He just said calmly to the waiter, "Can you switch the red wine for juice, please?"

Seeing Shen Mian's unease, Jiang Yancheng softened his tone. "It's fine. I can't drink anyway—I still have to drive later!"

Shen Mian mumbled something vague around a mouthful of steak, eyes glued to his plate.

The waiter quickly brought over fresh lemon-orange juice to replace it. The lemon and orange scents mingled, perfect for cutting through the steak's richness.

Jiang Yancheng slid a glass over to him. "Try this. It's pretty good."

Shen Mian held the glass with both hands and took a sip.

Jiang Yancheng's gaze never left Shen Mian, watching him intently and seriously. He asked softly, "Sweetheart, what do you think about... same-sex relationships?"

Shen Mian was taken aback by the question. His long lashes fluttered without him realizing, and his eyes filled with confusion.

What did... same-sex relationships mean?

Jiang Yancheng tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his voice probing: "In other countries, two men or two women can get married legally too."

Shen Mian seemed startled by the casual remark. His pretty eyes flew wide open, and the juice he'd just swallowed went down the wrong pipe, and he covered his mouth, coughing violently.

Jiang Yancheng frowned slightly, genuinely not expecting such a strong reaction. He quickly got up and went to Shen Mian's side, gently patting his back. "Are you okay?"

Shen Mian coughed for a bit before finally stopping. He took the tissue Jiang Yancheng offered and wiped his mouth. His eyes were red from the violent coughing, and they glistened with moisture—a sight that could soften anyone's heart.

"Thanks, I'm fine..." Shen Mian lowered his head, uncomfortable, but inside, his heart was in chaos.

Two... men... getting married?

What's that supposed to mean? How can two guys get married? Are they gay?

Shen Mian had almost never heard of this term before; he only learned a little about it in high school. In his mind, a man and a woman being together was the only normal thing; two people of the same sex would be called crazy, not normal, if anyone found out.

Why did Jiang Yancheng suddenly say this to him? Could he... could he have seen that he was a man?

Shen Mian's thoughts were a complete mess. He frantically replayed every word and action from tonight's date, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out where he'd slipped up.

Jiang Yancheng, of course, noticed his tension and silently cursed himself for being too impatient. He should give Shen Mian some time to get used to it.

He smoothly changed the subject: "The weather's nice today. How about we take a stroll nearby after we eat?"

Seeing that Jiang Yancheng didn't keep going with the earlier topic, Shen Mian figured it was just a slip of the tongue. His heart finally relaxed, and he let out a quiet "Mm."

By the time they finished dinner, night had fully settled in.

City nights were always blazing with lights, lighting up the whole place so brightly you could barely see a single star in the sky.

Shen Mian looked at the dazzling, almost blinding sights around him, thinking of their small county town where the streets were empty after nine, and walked beside Jiang Yancheng absentmindedly.

Coming out of the western restaurant, there was a short flight of steps. Distracted and wearing those unfamiliar heeled women's shoes, he missed a step and pitched forward.

It happened in an instant, but Jiang Yancheng, quick-eyed and nimble, reached out and caught Shen Mian around the waist, pulling him steadily back into his embrace.

The scorching heat from the man's palm seeped through the thin fabric of his clothes. Shen Mian, already startled, found himself pressed against his chest, eyes wide, frozen in place.

Jiang Yancheng looked at the beauty in his arms, face pale from the scare, and couldn't help wanting to tease him. He deliberately leaned in close to his ear and said, "Careful, babe~"

His voice carried a hint of playful laughter, landing on Shen Mian's ear along with his warm breath.