TWSITAOCP Chapter 63

The music academy’s courses ended late this year.

Those from Yandu that came here and formed a hometown group chat, asking around if anyone had finished their courses and wanted to travel back together.

Yang Feiwen called Yu Sui, asking if he was going back: “When are you two leaving?”

Yu Sui had just come out of the teacher’s office, standing on the windless side of the building, phone between his fingers, head down, folding up the edge of his sleeve, a leave slip dangling from his mouth.

This group had just returned from the concert hall that was in the news every day. They hadn’t changed out of their formal attire yet. They hadn’t felt anything in the concert hall or on the bus, but back at school, they were freezing.

He had just asked for leave, saying he was going home for the New Year and wouldn’t be performing at the next annual meeting.

His advisor wasn’t actually willing to let him go.

Yu Sui had been doing well all these years, gaining popularity at a young age, and was in his prime.

“I actually mentioned this when I was lecturing you,” the instructor said, pulling out a leave slip and quickly signing his name. “More important than technique and talent is consistency. How can you persevere without consistency?”

“Hello?” Yang Feiwen called out again, not getting a reply. “Did you lose connection? I told you your school’s internet is terrible. It always drops every time I go.”

Yu Sui snapped out of his reverie, pulling out his leave slip, and said, “No, I didn’t. Have you finished your courses?”

“They finished a long time ago,” Yang Feiwen exclaimed. “We don’t have as much work as you guys. How about we leave a little later to avoid the rush hour? I heard Yan-ge and the others haven’t finished yet.”

Yu Sui looked up, pressed the elevator button, and clicked his tongue. “No need to wait for him, we’ll go first.”

There was silence on the other end.

Yang Feiwen hung up the phone hastily.

Yu Sui looked down, somewhat confused.

His phone battery was low, and there was no signal inside the elevator.

Yu Sui used the last of his battery power to hail a taxi back to his rented apartment and didn’t check his messages again.

He knew the art academy’s course ending time without even asking Yan Xiu.

Their course always ended a little later, and their workload was heavier throughout the year.

In the Yan family, only Yan Xiu and Yan Ying remained as young adults. Yan Ying was playful and naive, so the company often used her as a scapegoat.

Yan Xiu juggled both, wishing he could stretch every day into forty-eight hours.

Before going back, Yu Sui detoured to the supermarket, using his last money to buy two eggs. He held his phone, thinking he’d call Yan Xiu later, hoping to get a reprieve while Yan Xiu was busy.

He went outside, his hand in his pocket looking for his keys.

But before he could insert the key, the door opened from the inside. Yan Xiu stood against the doorframe, his eyes a pale gray in the hallway light, calmly looking at Yu Sui through the partially opened doorway.

Yu Sui: “……”

They hadn’t seen each other for a while. Their last conversation was about a box of eggs, and the sound of the door closing behind them when they left was hardly a pleasant memory.

Yu Sui was still planning to sneak back to Yandu, but he wasn’t mentally prepared to meet his boyfriend in person. His mind went blank, and he didn’t know what to say.

“Can’t even open the door?” Yan Xiu pushed the door again, his gaze sweeping down onto the two eggs in Yu Sui’s hand.

Yu Sui took a step inside. Noticing Yan Xiu’s gaze, he paused, then said, “Just bought them at the supermarket at the intersection. They’re fresh this time.”

“…”

He immediately noticed Yan Xiu nodding blankly and inwardly felt like a row of devils were kneeling before him. If Yang Feiwen knew that he and Yan Xiu had been arguing for so long over a box of eggs, they’d laugh their heads off.

The young master lowered his head, his face stiff, and kicked off his shoes.

Fortunately, Yan Xiu didn’t poke at the young master’s thin skin, only questioning his sudden stinginess: “There were only two eggs left in the supermarket?”

Of course not. Yu Sui thought to himself.

It was because he was about to pack his things and return to Yandu. Two eggs were enough for Yan Xiu to finish a meal here before he went back to catch him. Buying more would be useless, and keeping them too long would only lead to arguments.

But he couldn’t say that now, and he hadn’t expected Yan Xiu to come back so suddenly. Given the current situation, two eggs might not be enough. They usually ate four.

Yu Sui put the eggs on the table and looked for a power outlet. “No, it’s because I only have a little money left. They sell them in boxes of four, and the lady there wasn’t going to sell them to me, but I told her my partner was sick and really craving eggs, waiting for me to feed her, so she gave them to me.”

He turned to look at Yan Xiu, who surprisingly didn’t come to catch him despite his rambling.

Yu Sui’s heart sank, and he began to ponder.

If Yan Xiu was still angry, he couldn’t just leave him and go back now. He had to appease him somehow.

“Where’s your phone?” Yan Xiu raised his chin and lightly pointed towards his pocket.

“It died.” Yu Sui pulled out a charger, plugged it in along with the phone, and inserted it into the socket. “…You called me?”

Yan Xiu didn’t answer.

He pursed his lips slightly, leaning against the shelf in the living room watching Yu Sui busy himself. Aside from opening and closing the door for Yu Sui, Yan Xiu remained almost entirely in that position.

He wore a large sweater and slippers, looking like he had just returned.

Yu Sui plugged in his phone and waited for it to boot up, glancing at the missed calls and the few red dots on WeChat.

The other messages were quite noticeable.

Yi Tian: [Sui’er, A-Wen suspects you and the Minister had a fight.]

Yang Feiwen: [!!! Yu Sui! Where are you? Yan-ge called me!]

Yu Sui’s pinned message was just “Ren Mu,” which had been quiet for days, but finally had a red dot on it again.

This time, the young master was slow and procrastinating, not even managing to make up. He turned off his phone, deciding to back down: “Yan Xiu… Oh!”

Yan Xiu had somehow appeared behind him, reaching out to pull the young master up from the floor and shoving him towards the sofa, where he stumbled and fell. Yu Sui grabbed his sleeve to steady himself, then slumped onto the sofa.

Yan Xiu looked at him, his lips pursed, his arm resting loosely on the back of the sofa, one knee kneeling on it, effectively trapping Yu Sui in this position.

Yu Sui knew Yan Xiu’s gaze was unbearable for most people the first time they met. Otherwise, the dean of moral education wouldn’t have insisted on making him the Minister of the Disciplinary Committee. He had somewhat casual, almond-shaped eyes, but the color was light. His eyelashes were long but not curled, giving him an aloof and seemingly effortlessly composed demeanor.

But this man was actually gentle, and in his youthful, restless moments, he could occasionally be short-tempered.

Yu Sui only managed to mumble half a syllable of his apology before Yan Xiu kissed him back.

Yan Xiu, usually so deliberate, kissed him hastily today, almost exasperatedly. He paused only after Yu Sui gasped softly, then slightly raised his head, his eyes burning red. He first helped Yu Sui up before slowly standing up.

He was leaving. Yu Sui wasn’t about to let him leave so easily, and quickly grabbed him, asking, “… Where are you going?”

“To my room,” Yan Xiu glanced at him. “Where else would I go?”

Yu Sui still wouldn’t let go.

He looked lazy, but he was surprisingly strong. Yan Xiu didn’t waste his energy trying to pry him off, but even after the kiss, he still seemed a little annoyed.

“Can I go with you?” Yu Sui asked pleadingly.

Yan Xiu wiped his lips, not looking at him. “Go take a shower first.”

“…” Yu Sui returned from outside, looking travel-worn, his clothes hanging haphazardly. Yan Xiu was telling him to tidy himself up.

Knowing this, but hearing it from Yan Xiu’s mouth, Yu Sui’s thoughts inevitably wandered, and he suddenly felt the person he was holding was a little too hot.

He suddenly pulled Yan Xiu down and kissed him before letting go. “Wait for me in the room?”

Without waiting for Yan Xiu’s reaction, he reached for the backpack he had just brought back, grabbing two pieces of clothing, and rushed into the bathroom.

He closed the door, and the sound of running water almost simultaneously filled the room.

A low gasp came from inside the bathroom. He probably forgot to take off his clothes and got soaked and also forgot to turn on the water heater, getting chilled.

Hearing the noise, Yan Xiu glanced at the bathroom door. He held back, but couldn’t help himself: “Did you get a towel?”

“Isn’t the towel here?” Yu Sui was even more puzzled than him.

Yan Xiu: “…”

Two seconds later, the bathroom door opened, and Yu Sui poked his head out: “… Could you get me a towel?”

Yu Sui had reluctantly postponed his return, but thankfully he hadn’t assured Yu Zhen that he would need to ask for leave just to go back.

Yan Xiu had just finished an assignment and had some free time to come over. He had to go back soon. He needed to finish his school affairs before he could have time to deal with Lao Yan.

Two eggs, without any oil, were boiled together in water.

Yu Sui peeled the eggshells: “What if I’m not here when you come back?”

Yan Xiu gave him a look as if he were an idiot.

Yu Sui: “…”

Yes, Yan Xiu would come directly to the school to find him.

Yu Sui silently swallowed the egg and took the bowl and chopsticks inside to wash them.

He put all the trinkets the vice president had given him into a trash bag and threw them away in front of Yan Xiu. Afraid Yan Xiu wouldn’t understand his meaning, he glanced at him and muttered, “I never knew he was like that…”

 

Aunt Sun hadn’t seen Yu Sui in a long time. Every time she passed by, she would scrutinize him, sometimes saying, “He’s changed,” sometimes, “He hasn’t changed.”

“He hasn’t changed,” Yu Sui said, choosing the comment she preferred.

Yu Zhen returned, and Yu Sui followed Aunt Sun towards the entrance.

Yu Sui hadn’t told Yu Zhen he was coming back beforehand, so Yu Zhen was somewhat taken aback when she saw him upon entering.

People change every year before twenty, and their temperament changes every year after eighteen.

Yu Sui’s style of dress had changed. The young master who had been suppressing his anger and arguing with his father in the living room seemed to have suddenly matured.

Yu Zhen frowned slightly, unaccustomed to the change. She didn’t say anything, only glancing at Yu Sui’s luggage, which he hadn’t yet had time to pack upstairs.

“Why didn’t you take your things upstairs?” Yu Zhen asked.

Yu Sui poured her a glass of jujube water: “I might not be staying long. It’s too much trouble to pack again.”

Well, all that maturity she’d just thought vanished in an instant.

Yu Sui subtly but directly addressed the issue.

Yu Zhen hesitated for a moment as she took the water from his hand, then sipped it, gazing intently at Yu Sui.

Yu Sui smiled gently.

Yu Sui wasn’t stupid. He’d guessed Yu Zhen needed something from him when she called him out of the blue, urging him to return to Yandu.

And it had to be something important.

Something Yu Zhen wanted to avoid being questioned by the rest of the family.

Yu Sui had seen Yu Zhen’s calligraphy from her childhood in the study. The phrase she wrote most often was “Don’t meddle in other people’s business.”

Later, Yu Zhen became someone who disliked meddling.

There were still more than two weeks until the Spring Festival, and Yu Zhen didn’t feel the urge to urge her family to come home for the holiday. If she did urge them, it would at least be because someone had hinted at it.

But no one else was mentioned in that phone call.

“Let’s talk upstairs,” Yu Zhen said.

The Yu family had many members, and therefore many studies upstairs.

Initially, before the Yu children grew up, the family only had one study, built opposite Yu Jingyuan and Yuan Yu’s bedroom for Yu Jingyuan’s convenience while working.

Later, as Yu Liao grew older and wanted his own study, the house was filled with more. Yu Jingyuan also moved to a larger one.

This original study wasn’t abandoned. It was used to store books that were difficult to understand but had a sophisticated feel on the shelves.

Besides the bookshelves, the study contained only a mahogany table, two bright yellow cushions, and some stationery.

The Yu children didn’t really like this study—because after Yu Jingyuan moved, it became their designated spot for facing the wall in repentance.

Yu Jingyuan didn’t have much time to supervise them, so he would only make surprise visits every few days to quiz them on their homework. If he wasn’t satisfied, they would be made to face the wall in repentance.

Now Yu Zhen had brought Yu Sui here.

Yu Sui sat quietly on the other side, watching Yu Zhen open Yan Ying’s WeChat Moments. His initial confusion slowly dissipated.

Yu Zhen found Yan Ying’s posts from six months ago and clicked on a set of pictures.

Yu Sui remembered that day.

When Yan Ying first found out about them, she was devastated. She cried in Yan Xiu’s arms, and afterwards, she avoided him whenever they met during holidays.

It wasn’t until she went to university that year that she returned to her former self, calling him “Xiao Yu-ge” again.

Yan Ying had been accepted to a university abroad. That day was a holiday in China. She secretly ran back, not daring to tell Uncle Yan and the others, and secretly went to see him and Yan Xiu.

That area was a tourist attraction, crowded everywhere on holidays, so they only actually spent the day shopping with Yan Ying.

The picture Yu Zhen clicked on was a selfie of Yan Ying in the mall, with a cluttered background and many people. Yu Zhen zoomed in again and again, revealing two hands clasped together beneath black and white sleeves in the crowd. The owners of the hands were hidden among the people.

She then swiped to the previous photo, a group picture of the three of them. All three were wearing identical short-sleeved shirts except for the color. Yan Ying’s was pink, while the other two wore white and black.

Yu Sui looked utterly bewildered: “…”

“Xiao Sui,” Yu Zhen said, “I’ll hear your explanation first.”

The study fell silent.

Yu Sui’s seat faced the bookshelf, on which hung a calligraphy scroll that read, “Self-discipline and adherence to propriety.”

Yu Zhen had actually given Yu Sui ample leeway.

Yu Zhen remained calm, showing no emotion regarding her brother’s sudden coming out. Her attitude was entirely concealed beneath her composed demeanor.

She chose a time when no one else was around, without telling anyone.

She didn’t give a definitive statement, simply presenting the post to Yu Sui, demanding an explanation. Even if Yu Sui’s explanation was far-fetched, she would accept it regardless of whether she believed it or not, as long as Yu Sui could mitigate the damage later.

Just like before when Yu Sui failed a test, she would hide it for him, telling him to do better next time, and that she wouldn’t tell Mom and Dad this time.

Only Yu Sui hadn’t thought to hide his failed test papers before.

Yu Sui pursed her lips. “I didn’t intend to explain.”

“Did you understand what I was saying, Sui?” Yu Zhen paused, somewhat displeased. “Don’t get angry with me now. It’s pointless.”

She paused to take a sip of water. “I won’t pressure you now. Think it over carefully these next few days at home. Your eldest brother and third brother will move back in three days, and Mom and Dad will be back in no more than five days to prepare for the New Year…”

“It’s okay,” Yu Sui spoke softly when Yu Zhen paused to drink again. “I told them. I called them before you came back.”