Chapter 10

Chen Huai gave an awkward laugh. “Uh… let’s rest for a bit.”
Qiu Yi nodded. “Mm. Sorry. I haven’t exercised in a long time.”
“No big deal. Next time, if we get the chance, come out and play more often.” As he spoke, Chen Huai bumped Ji Zhou’s shoulder. “Right?”
Ji Zhou: “Mm.”
Hearing that, Qiu Yi pressed his lips together and smiled.
Chen Huai: “By the way, Xiao Yi, what do you want for lunch?”
Qiu Yi tugged at his collar and fanned himself. “Anything’s fine.”
The badminton session ended hastily.
After changing, Ji Zhou came out. Qiu Yi still wasn’t done. Chen Huai stood by the exit on a call, and Ji Zhou also took out his phone and checked it.
There were three unread messages on the screen.
Ji Zhou opened them in the app.
Mianmian: [Morning. Doctor, are you working hard today too?]
Mianmian: [My cold is much better. I’m going to do a super pretty makeup look later—want to see?]
Mianmian: [If you want to see, type 1. If you don’t, type “eyeballs.”]
Joice: [I’m off today. Not working.]
Joice: [1.]
“You…” Chen Huai had no idea when he’d leaned over. “Why are you smiling so… lovestruck?”
Ji Zhou had already put his phone away. “Was I smiling?”
Chen Huai: “You were. Who are you chatting with?”
Ji Zhou: “A friend.”
“What friend? How come I don’t know? Don’t tell me it’s…”
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Qiu Yi came out with his racket bag, cutting off the conversation.
“No, not long.” Chen Huai grinned.
Outside the gym, Qiu Yi got into Chen Huai’s car. Ji Zhou fastened his seat belt in the driver’s seat, and his phone vibrated twice more.
Mianmian: [What are you doing when you’re not working?]
Mianmian: [As an exchange, can you also send me a photo of you?]
Beep-beep. Chen Huai honked twice, signaling they were leaving so Ji Zhou should follow.
Ji Zhou typed calmly: [Just played badminton with friends. Going to eat now.]
Joice: [I don’t have photos.]
After sending, he drove after Chen Huai’s car.
Lunch was at a Cantonese restaurant Qiu Yi picked. Before they even finished eating, Qiu Yi got called away—something had gone wrong with a project he was responsible for, and he had to rush back to deal with it.
He apologized to Chen Huai and Ji Zhou, embarrassed, saying he would definitely treat them next time.
After Qiu Yi left, Chen Huai finally said slowly, “So what do you think of Xiao Yi?”
Ji Zhou made a puzzled sound. “Hm? Think what?”
Chen Huai said, “I’ll be straight with you. Xiao Yi is gay. I asked you both out today because I wanted you to meet him. Didn’t you say you don’t like overly muscular men? Xiao Yi is just right—fair and clean, gentle-looking, with a decent job. Of course, I didn’t tell him much about you, and I didn’t say you might like men either. But in the car just now, he took the initiative to ask me about you—whether you’re single, how many relationships you’ve had, whether with men or women. I think he has a good impression of you. If you’re interested too, I’ll share his contact with you, and you two can get to know each other better.”
Ji Zhou looked down at his soup, voice very light. “Forget it.”
“Why?” Chen Huai asked. “You don’t like someone like Xiao Yi?”
Ji Zhou set down the spoon and turned to him. “Your friend is great. It’s just that lately I’ve been chatting with a girl I get along with. I don’t plan to chat with anyone else.”
Chen Huai froze for a long moment, then belatedly asked, “Oh—so back in the locker room you were replying to her messages?”
Ji Zhou: “Mm.”
Chen Huai was shocked. “Wait—so you’re actually straight?”
Ji Zhou: […]
-
In the afternoon, the outdoor temperature hit thirty-seven degrees. Downstairs in the neighborhood, there was almost no one around.
Under the blazing sun, Ye Muyang recorded a short dance video on a shaded path. The landscaping in Shangjin Qingyuan was done exceptionally well; every view felt designed. Above him was a canopy of lush leaves, sunlight filtering through in scattered spots, dappling faint light across his fair skin with each movement.
Today he wore a green, cinched-waist puffy dress. His wig was braided into twin plaits, green ribbons woven through, with a few faux flowers dotted along the braids—he truly looked like a high-energy little forest elf.
Ye Muyang was very satisfied with today’s look. He couldn’t help taking two selfies, then opened Seek.
Joice’s icy reply still lay in the chat window.
Ye Muyang sent the selfies with a note: [Praise me.]
The other side wasn’t online. Ye Muyang put away the tripod and went home.
The elevator display showed it was going down. A few minutes later, it finally stopped on the first floor.
With a ding as the doors opened, Ye Muyang’s phone also vibrated.
Joice: [Looks good.]
Mianmian: [That’s it?]
Joice: [Your teeth are very even.]
Ye Muyang was amused. After thinking a bit, he replied: [You only looked at my teeth? Doctor, you don’t need to be this dedicated on your day off.]
Joice: [Everything is good.]
The floor indicator numbers began to jump.
Facing the mirror in the elevator, Ye Muyang took another full-body photo and asked: [How about this one?]
Joice: [The dress doesn’t look like it fits well.]
Mianmian: [Where? I’m wearing it just fine.]
He was a man, but his frame was on the smaller side, and most of his skirts were custom-made, so they almost never fit poorly.
Joice: [Too short.]
Ye Muyang smiled slightly. Holding down the voice-message bar, he enunciated each word: “Doctor, the Qing Dynasty is dead.”
The last black ball dropped into the pocket. Chen Huai gripped the cue and shouted in excitement, “Yes!”
He rarely won against Ji Zhou in competitive games; today he’d performed unusually well.
He glanced over. The man sitting in the corner had his phone pressed to his ear listening to a voice message. Then he gave a soft smile and lowered his head to type. Fine—maybe it wasn’t that Chen Huai was overperforming; maybe his opponent’s mind simply wasn’t on pool at all.
Chen Huai had known Ji Zhou for many years.