Yu Le’s suite was on the 20th floor. After exiting the elevator and turning right, the room was at the end of the hall on the left.
Swiping his card to enter the room, he immediately felt his exhaustion hit him as he saw the sofa and the bed in the inner room. The weariness made his shoulders and footsteps feel heavy.
He couldn’t be bothered to unpack his luggage or even drag it inside.
Yu Le shut the door behind him, tossed the suitcase behind the door, and collapsed face-down on the sofa like a salted fish struggling to turn.
The room was very clean, and the sofa cover smelled of a fresh laundry detergent—subtle and soothing.
Yu Le originally planned to relax for a while before taking a shower and tidying up, but he inadvertently fell asleep. He was woken just in time by a phone call.
“Hello, Mom.”
Yu Le ruffled his hair on the sofa, turned to face the ceiling, and struggled to open his eyes.
“Son, did you really go to Xuan City?”
“Yeah, I’ve been here for a while. Didn’t I tell you it was for work? Why do you still think I’m making excuses?”
“I’m not saying you’re making excuses. I just think you left in such a rush. Last time, I mentioned introducing you to—”
“Mom.” Yu Le interrupted helplessly. “I really have urgent matters. Besides, I don’t think I’m in a hurry to get married. I’m only 25 this winter. Did you somehow think I’m 35?”
“I know, I know, it’s not about rushing you to marry. We just thought that kid seemed pretty compatible with you. It wouldn’t hurt to meet them, and even if nothing comes of it, making a new friend isn’t a loss, right?”
Yu Le lifted his arm to cover his eyes: “But I really don’t have time right now.”
“It’s not a big deal. We can wait until you have time.”
… Not a big deal?
“Mom, it’s better not to. If I have to wait until the monkeys’ year and horses’ month, what if they’re in a hurry? We shouldn’t delay them any further.”
“It’s not a delay. I just said you’re busy recently. If there’s another opportunity in the future, we’ll talk again. Once you’re busy with work, time is out of your control. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
An opportunity later means that if the other party finds someone else during this time, there won’t be a need to meet.
Yu Le knew from his mom that the other party was 27, three years older than him. Given that people have different views on lifelong commitments, the other party was likely more eager about settling down.
Since they didn’t know each other yet and the other party wasn’t obliged to wait for him, Yu Le didn’t think dragging it out would leave any chance for a meeting and didn’t feel burdened about it: “Alright, let’s wait until I’m less busy.”
After hanging up, Yu Le checked WeChat and saw a new red dot on his Moments. His OCD kicked in, and he clicked it. The latest post was a sky photo taken by a studio employee, commenting on the good weather.
Yu Le liked the post.
However, when his eyes scanned down, the engagement invitation post was still glaringly there.
“…”
Why is it that, although these people usually post about even the smallest matters on their Moments, this post about the engagement hasn’t been pushed off by the emo waves yet?
He clicked his tongue irritably and decided to take decisive action by blocking Cheng Xiwu’s Moments, so he wouldn’t see his updates.
Out of sight, out of mind.
After refreshing his Moments, the annoying engagement photo was gone, and the world seemed peaceful.
He put down his phone, got up to find his suitcase, pulled out his pajamas, and took them into the bathroom. After a shower, he flopped back onto the bed to continue sleeping.
This time, no one disturbed him, and he slept from noon until evening.
When he woke up, he first checked the time and then the messages. Yan Jia had poked him ten minutes ago, probably to avoid disturbing his sleep. He hadn’t called but just sent a message to let him know to wake up so he could pick him up.
Yu Le: 【Yawn/Tired/Tired】
Yan Jia: 【Just about to call you. Come downstairs, we’re waiting for you.】
Yu Le changed into his clothes, put on a mask, and went downstairs. When he got into the car, Yan Jia was on the phone with someone, and the voice came through the car’s sound system. Yu Le found it familiar.
He waited quietly until the call ended and then asked: “Isn’t it just us? Who else is coming?”
Yan Jia flashed a pair of naturally charming peach blossom eyes: “Can’t you recognize the voice of our high school roommates?”
Yu Le suddenly realized.
He and Yan Jia had attended the same high school and shared a dormitory during their senior year. The voices on the phone were from the other two roommates.
They used to stay in touch frequently right after graduating from high school and starting college, but over time, their contact dwindled.
After not meeting for years, Yu Le was initially worried that the atmosphere would be awkward. But when he arrived, he realized he had been overthinking it.
The old buddies hadn’t lost their characteristic lively and playful spirit over time. In just a few exchanges, the atmosphere warmed up as if they had graduated yesterday or had never lost touch.
Yu Le felt good and, before the dishes arrived, asked Yan Jia quietly: “What made you think of inviting them too?”
Yan Jia said, “We had a couple of meals together recently, and they asked about you. They’ve been missing you since it’s been a long time. I figured since you’re rarely in Xuan City, I’d invite them along.”
Yan Jia put his arm around Yu Le’s shoulders, raised his glass, and clinked it with Yu Le’s: “Cheers! Let’s drink up tonight. Remember to enjoy the present. Besides having a significant other, you also have friends. The turtle soup here is particularly famous, so don’t forget to try it.”
Yu Le smirked at him, lifted his glass, and drank it all in one go.
The two roommates added a couple of dishes to the table. Seeing that the glasses were clinking, they happily filled their own glasses to the brim and joined in.
“Yu Le, let’s toast! To our dorm, reunited after a few years apart!”
“I was just about to ask, Yu Le, what’s going on with you? How come you look even better now than back when we graduated? Have you been eating Tang Seng meat?”
“Idiot! You’re almost thirty—can’t you be a bit more cultured? ‘Pretty’ isn’t something you say about men!”
“Pretty is pretty, regardless of gender. Hey, Yu Le, when you were studying abroad, was it just like when we were in school, with so many people chasing after you?”
Yu Le denied it: “Not at all.”
Roommate: “How could that be?”
Yu Le: “Why would I lie to you?”
Roommate: “If you lie to me, your soul will find happiness.”
Yu Le: “…”
Speechless!
Another roommate laughed, “It’s mainly because you’ve been abroad for years. We almost thought you were planning to immigrate and never come back. Tell us, how’s life abroad been these past few years?”
Yu Le didn’t want to dwell on this topic and downplayed it, “It’s been fine.”
Roommate waited for a while but didn’t get a follow-up. “That’s it?”
Yu Le: “What else do you want?”
Roommate: “Stories and anecdotes! I’ve never been abroad, so tell me more!”
Anecdotes?
Yu Le didn’t have much to share. He poured more wine for himself.“It’s not as interesting as you might think. The moon isn’t any rounder there.”
Academic qualifications and talent don’t necessarily reflect quality and character, especially in competitive design schools. With class suppression and racial discrimination, Yu Le, being an Asian with exceptional talent, easily became a target and was isolated.
Of course, Yu Le didn’t care much about making friends. Being alone in a foreign land with family and friends thousands of miles away, he could only report good news over the phone and had to endure loneliness during quiet nights and holidays. While others gathered in groups, he was often alone, which led to feelings of melancholy.
So, at such a time and situation, Cheng Xiwu’s appearance was particularly timely.
As a fellow fashion design student and a fellow Chinese, Cheng Xiwu understood all his helplessness and awkwardness and generously included him in his circle.
He was like a ray of light breaking through the clouds, gently and strongly dispelling all the darkness and gloom surrounding Yu Le.
Helping in times of need has always been a surefire way to win someone’s heart, so it was almost inevitable that Yu Le developed feelings for the kind and considerate Cheng Xiwu.
Unfortunately, liking someone doesn’t always mean you’ll get a response. The chance of mutual affection in this world was only one in a million, and he wasn’t that lucky one.
Yu Le’s silence lasted a while. Yan Jia glanced at him, put down his glass, and tapped the bottom of it on the table with a soft clink, “You guys all graduated and are back at home. Why keep dwelling on the past? Can’t you look forward?”
Yu Le realized he had inadvertently fallen into reminiscing and frowned in frustration. He looked up at Yan Jia.
The latter seemed unaware of Yu Le’s distraction and casually asked, “Aren’t you planning to find design inspiration when you come back? Why not tell us where you’re thinking of going?”
“Daiwa Town.” Yu Le honestly stated the place he had just learned about.
“Daiwa Town?”
Yan Jia pondered for a moment and recalled it from memory, “It’s a rather remote old town. A couple of years ago, they said they were going to develop it into a historical town, but until today, it’s still undeveloped. How did you think of going there?”
“Just randomly picked.”
Yu Le refilled his glass, “It was the last place at the bottom of the search results online. It looked rather bleak, so I thought I might help stir up some interest.”
What started as a random choice now seemed right, as Yu Le hated those so-called historical towns that were overly commercialized. An undeveloped place was just what he wanted.
The waiter brought out the new dish—turtle soup, which Yan Jia had highly praised. Yan Jia served Yu Le a bowl and placed it in front of him, “Your reason is quite fresh. Are you really off to do good deeds?”
“Let’s say so.” Yu Le tasted a spoonful.
Yan Jia asked, “How is it?”
Yu Le affirmed, “Not bad.”
Yan Jia smiled and called to the other two roommates, “You guys should try it too. It won’t taste as good if it gets cold.”
A single serving of soup wasn’t enough for four people. By the end, they had ordered two more servings. As the neon lights outside brightened up, the soup bowls and wine bottles were all empty.
The roommates were quite tipsy. Fortunately, they lived in the same neighborhood, so getting a taxi was convenient.
Yu Le was in slightly better shape and managed to walk a straight line, albeit with some effort.
Yan Jia, having had only a little to drink due to work waiting for him, arranged for a designated driver to take Yu Le back to the hotel.
He intended to escort Yu Le to his room, but as soon as they arrived at the door, he received a call from his assistant urging him. With reluctance, he confirmed several times that Yu Le was still conscious and knew his room number. He then left Yu Le at the elevator.
Yu Le felt unwell from the alcohol, and even standing still at the elevator made him feel dizzy. He had an indescribable burning sensation inside him, which seemed to be growing stronger and more uncomfortable.
The elevator arrived, and Yu Le waited until the people inside had exited before slowly stepping in and leaning against the wall.
He pressed the button for the 20th floor and, in a daze, wondered whether he should take a cold shower when he got to his room to cool down the inexplicable heat.
