Facing Huang Mao's surprised, clear eyes, Su Ranqiu was ashamed and embarrassed. Just like that, the word 'mistress' was stuck onto his forehead and he wanted to find a place to hide.
He blurted out, "I think I shouldn't go."
The people in front of him lifted their foot out, but he was still standing alone in the elevator.
Qin Yuyang and Huang Mao turned their heads in surprise. "What are you doing? Didn't Mao-Ge just say that he isn't alone?"
"The effect isn't good." Su Ranqiu pretended to be calm, already he thought that he was just a poor student who was incompatible with this type of occasion, and now he even had to face Ji Ruoran. This would be inviting trouble for himself.
"Xiao-Qiu…" Huang Mao wanted to say something, but Qin Yuyang stopped him and asked indifferently, "Are you really not coming?"
Su Ranqiu lowered his eyebrows and responded, "Yes."
"That's fine." Qin Yuyang didn't persuade him and simply moved away. "Take a taxi and return by yourself."
The moment he turned around, Su Ranqiu was stunned immediately. His nose felt sour as he stretched out his finger to press the close button.
Even though he refused to go, Qin Yuyang still didn't hold him back; it was something he hadn't expected at all.
"Xiao-Yu…" Huang Mao looked to his side and then towards the back. Alas, his Xiao-Yu really wasn't a coquettish person, and for the one in the elevator, he was afraid that Su Ranqiu was going to be disheartened.
According to him, people like Su Ranqiu, who were pure and serious students, shouldn't be touched — if anyone had a conscience.
Of course, it didn't mean that Qin Yuyang had no conscience — that is — it was impossible for a man to guard someone sweetly for a lifetime.
"He really left?" Qin Yuyang walked a few steps and then looked back.
"Huh?" Huang Mao returned to his senses in a daze and answered, "Well, really gone." He watched the elevator go down.
"No, I have to go down and take a look." Qin Yuyang thought for a while, turned around, and told him he was going down.
Huang Mao was stunned for a moment. "???" What about the ruthless character my Xiao Yu possessed?
The elevator door opened and Su Ranqiu walked out disoriented. Even if someone accidentally hit his shoulder, he just stood there, absent-mindedly.
In fact, Su Ranqiu's heart was already in a mess. It was okay to think about this for a while and take this opportunity to sort everything out.
For some time, he mulled over last night. That man treated him so gently that he felt it had probably been his own delusion.
Su Ranqiu changed his mind and thought even if it wasn't an illusion, it was still useless. If Qin Yuyang got tired of him, he would just throw Su Ranqiu away.
For example, what had just happened when he said he wanted to leave. The man hadn't really asked him to stay.
What's more… I'm becoming greedy for Qin Yuyang's body temperature these days, maybe it's just because I'm lonely and empty.
It wasn't a good thing to believe that, and Su Ranqiu felt more uncomfortable as he thought about it.
He tightened the straps of the bag on his shoulders and recalled the box of condoms in his backpack.
He still remembered Qin Yuyang's shy mood when he had ordered him to buy it.
Opening the zipper with a sigh, Su Ranqiu walked to the trash can in the hotel lobby to throw the box in. "…" A voice called to him right as he was about to let go.
"Xiao-Qiu?"
Su Ranqiu's heart trembled, he immediately moved his hand and stuffed the box of condoms back into his bag.
Looking behind, it really was him.
"What are you doing?" Qin Yuyang got closer and closer.
"Nothing." Su Ranqiu quickly maintained his posture, acting in a good manner.
"Didn't you say you wanted to go back?" Qin Yuyang questioned.
He was taller than Su Ranqiu by a head, with a strong body and a domineering aura, his eyes appeared slightly harsh when he wasn't smiling.
"I…" Su Ranqiu was accustomed to seeing the other's silly look, so he was suddenly at a loss.
Qin Yuyang frowned and looked at him, saying angrily, "Well, let me give you two choices. The first is to follow me, and the second is to no longer have any contact with me. You read your books and I build my own career."
This would save Qin Yuyang the trouble of worrying about it, fearing that he may have failed someone.
Su Ranqiu's eyes widened and he was very surprised. "What do you mean?" What was just said almost caused him to stop breathing, leaving only his thumping heart in his chest.
If he believed he was just empty, lonely, and cold, he wouldn't have a heart attack.
"It means simply that," Qin Yuyang stated. "One or two, hurry up and choose. There isn't such a shop after passing this village1, so you should think about it carefully."
Su Ranqiu was so scared that he shut his mouth, afraid that he would accidentally choose two.
"Then… if I choose one, does that mean you're my boyfriend…" Those three words made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Yes." In this society, same-sex marriages were possible. Qin Yuyang suddenly remembered this and immediately declared, "I'll be your husband if you choose one."
Su Ranqiu nearly rolled his eyes and fainted. "…" He couldn't afford to talk about marriage so quickly. He wasn't even ready to have a boyfriend, yet now he was going to have a husband.
"But it's not realistic." The two have a difference of heaven and earth, don't joke.
Su Ranqiu pretended to be indifferent as he grabbed the strap of the bag in his hand. "Don't play around with me and go back to the dinner, I'll just go home and cook instant noodles."
Qin Yuyang gazed at him for a long time, then withdrew his hand. "Okay, you can leave, don't regret it later." After saying that, he really turned around and walked away without any coaxing.
Su Ranqiu obsessively stared at the tall back, feeling uncomfortable as if a knife was cutting him. He carried his bag and willingly followed.
A voice whispered in his heart, "Don't go, you'll die miserably."
But still, he continued anyway, like a moth drawn to a flame.
If in the end, Qin Yuyang truly tired of fooling around and didn't want him anymore, then he'd think about it then.
"Why did you come down to find me?" As he walked into the elevator, Su Ranqiu's voice was so small that it was difficult to hear clearly.
Qin Yuyang stretched his hand out to pull the boy to his side, he put his arm around the small waist that could be easily broken and replied, "Why did I follow? Why, can't I come down?"
These words were like a handful of sugar sprinkled into Su Ranqiu's heart— quite sweet.
"Qin Yuyang." It would've been great if he'd patiently coaxed him.
"What?" Qin Yuyang looked at him carefully and gently retracted his arm. "Don't be scared, just follow me."
"Okay." Su Ranqiu nodded and agreed. In fact, what he actually was afraid of was Ji Ruoran. He was anxious that their relationship would turn from thick to light; cinnabar moles would turn into mosquito blood and white moonlight would turn into rice grains2.
In such a case, those still in love were doomed to be miserable.
"Oh, Xiao-Qiu is back?" Huang Mao had been standing at the door, waiting. Unexpectedly, Qin Yuyang had really brought Su Ranqiu back, so he immediately quipped, "Ah, the sour smell of love."
Right away Qin Yuyang struck a blow and said, "Lead the way."
"Yes." Huang Mao led the way ahead. "Everyone is here, just waiting for you two."
This was just a polite remark as everyone in the venue was incredibly occupied. It wasn't possible for a lot of people to pay attention to who was entering.
"Let's go and greet Ting-Ge first," Huang Mao said.
"Alright." Qin Yuyang followed with Su Ranqiu at every step of the way.
They went over and met Tao Zhenting together. He was discussing business with others so it wasn't good to interrupt and bother them.
So the three idlers ate and drank in the venue. From time to time, they commented on the people around them, gossiping about their three generations of ancestors.
Ji Ruoran had already seen Qin Yuyang with his mistress next to him a long time ago. Although he felt unhappy, he thought about it seriously and concluded that it was none of his business.
Anyway, the money was already in his hand and Qin Yuyang was bad company who was rare to come across.
"Second Young Master Ji, hello, I heard that you're divorced?"
As soon as a psychological adjustment was made, there was a bitch next to him who couldn't make up his mind and lifted the pot.
"What's wrong, does it have anything to do with you?" Ji Ruoran asked with a smile.
"It's nothing, but… I heard the other party cheated, right?" The speaker was a fat-headed, wealthy businessman who looked at Ji Ruoran with shrewd eyes. "Impossible, you have such a good disposition yet the other party cheated?"
Such a sight made Ji Ruoran extremely uncomfortable. He immediately dropped a look and left with his champagne glass.
"Hey, don't be angry," the rich businessman called out, "I heard that as long as one has money they can marry you. Is it true?"
Ji Ruoran looked at the man's fingers on his shoulders and frowned in disgust. "Sorry, but please stay away from me."
"Oh, what? Pretending to be reserved, I…" The rich businessman was suddenly interrupted by someone.
"Are you deaf? He told you to stay away from him." Qin Yuyang grabbed the wealthy man by the collar and moved him aside.
"Who are you kid? Let go!" The businessman cursed with a flushing face.
"You don't need to know who I am, it's wrong of you to harass others," Qin Yuyang fiercely said, throwing the greasy old wolf away.
When the surrounding eyes looked over, they could probably tell what was going on.
The wealthy businessman blushed and immediately adjusted his collar before retorting in a dogmatic manner, "What harassment? I'm just talking to Second Young Master Ji, but you? Who the fuck are you and why aren't you minding your own business?"
"Who am I?" Qin Yuyang squeezed his fist and stated, "No matter who I am, if you dare to harass him again, I won't let you walk in and out through the room."
After facing the eyes of so many people, the entrepreneur's face flushed and he shouted harsh words as if he was afraid of Qin Yuyang. "Show some respect and caution, otherwise I'll call the police…"
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Yuyang grabbed his collar again and said, "Since you're going to report, then do you want to find out who's faster, the police or my fists?"
The affluent businessman looked at his own tall and strong physique, but his heart was actually quite scared. Not to mention, this rogue-looking man said he'd do it with his bare hands.
"Let go, let me go!" He struggled out and immediately avoided Qin Yuyang dejectedly.
There were sounds of snickering all around.
"Lecherous old wolf." Qin Yuyang looked down on such people the most. He usually helped girls drive away harassers when he saw them on the road, so it was his first time helping a man chase away a harasser.
"Who told you to be nosy?" The man he'd just helped coldly furrowed his eyebrows.
It was alright, everyone knew there was drama between them.
What was worse was that Qin Yuyang still had his mistress by his side. If someone recognized him, Ji Ruoran would lose face.
"Sorry, conditioned reflex, I won't care about it next time." Qin Yuyang curled his lips, turned, and walked back to Su Ranqiu and Huang Mao.
"Tsk!" Ji Ruoran felt discomfort as his throat choked.
This bad seed was indeed bad company, both before and after the divorce, he really made one's teeth itch.
Su Ranqiu put down the half-eaten food in his hand and silently grasped Qin Yuyang's wrist with both hands.
He was afraid that Qin Yuyang would return to his ex at any moment, so he didn't have the heart to eat.
"You're done eating?" Qin Yuyang asked with concern.
"Can't eat," Su Ranqiu replied honestly. The food was delicious, but he missed the taste of eating fried noodles with Qin Yuyang.