My Childhood Friend is Secretly in Love with Me - Chapter 15

We Are Not Brothers

“Why would I go?” Qi Yan asked.

Zuo Yi froze for a few seconds before thickening his skin and intentionally saying, “To accompany me! What if I go to a place like that alone and run into danger?”

Qi Yan looked over, narrowing his eyes as he sized him up. “Mm.”

“Then wait for me to change. We will visit Auntie Chen first, and I will ask Xiaoxiao if she wants to come along.”

Zuo Yi had not expected Qi Yan to actually agree. Suppressing the excitement that made him want to jump and cheer, he hurried back to the master bedroom to change. Within five minutes, he was ready to go.

“Let us go.” Zuo Yi, now in clean clothes, pulled Qi Yan along and added mysteriously, “Come back early tonight. I have a little surprise.”

“Okay.”

When they arrived at the ward, Ding Wenxiao was helping Auntie Chen turn over. Seeing the two tall, handsome men at the door, she could not help but tease, “Auntie, look at them standing together. Does it not look like a classic scene from a K-drama?”

Auntie Chen smiled and blinked.

“Mom, how are you feeling today?” Qi Yan walked to the bedside and gently smoothed the stray hairs on his mother’s forehead.

“Good,” she responded with difficulty.

Ding Wenxiao whispered to Zuo Yi, “Why did you two come together?”

Only then did Zuo Yi remember that Ding Wenxiao did not know he was currently living with Qi Yan. He dodged the topic. “We are going to a bar tonight. Do you want to join us?”

“Sure.” Ding Wenxiao had nothing planned; her two roommates were out traveling, and she would only be alone in the dorm otherwise.

At 7:30 PM, they arrived at the bar. It was a very famous venue with the stage production of a club and the live band of a music house, switching styles at different times. It was quite interesting.

Guo Jingjing had reserved a spot for Zuo Yi with a great view of the stage. The table was already set with plenty of drinks and snacks. However, he had not expected Zuo Yi to bring Ding Wenxiao and Qi Yan along.

A waiter led the group to a booth in the front row, not far from the lead singer.

At 8:00 PM, Guo Jingjing appeared in an exquisite performance outfit. A single white spotlight hit him, making him the center of attention. He immediately locked onto Zuo Yi in the audience and the Qi Yan beside him. The emotion in his eyes shifted from excitement to an imperceptible trace of disappointment.

Qi Yan playfully raised his glass toward him from a distance. To others, it looked like a polite gesture, but to the person on stage, it was clearly a provocation.

Not to be outdone, Guo Jingjing greeted everyone after the opening. He had a fair share of supportive guests cheering and even whistling for him.

After two fast paced songs, Guo Jingjing thanked the crowd while catching his breath. Then, his eyes moved to Zuo Yi as he spoke with genuine emotion, “I am very happy today because a very important friend came here to support me. Please allow me to be a bit selfish with this next song, because I want to sing it for him.”

Zuo Yi had already had several drinks. He felt extremely uncomfortable under Guo Jingjing’s intense gaze. He did not like being the center of attention, especially when it made things look ambiguous between him and someone else in front of Qi Yan.

Ding Wenxiao also noticed something was up. She moved closer to Qi Yan and whispered, “Was that speech just now meant for Xiao Yi?”

“Mm.” Qi Yan’s gaze was so cold that Ding Wenxiao shivered.

Zuo Yi had been restless for a while. When the singer reached the final line, “I spent all my luck; you are the decision I bet the world on,” Zuo Yi felt like he must have been out of his mind to agree to come today. He stood up abruptly, ignoring Guo Jingjing’s following gaze, and headed for the restroom.

Zuo Yi splashed some water on his face. The alcohol had cleared slightly, but since he was not a strong drinker, he felt a bit lightheaded despite drinking moderately.

The sound of rustling footsteps echoed behind him. Before he could turn around, someone hugged him tightly from behind. Through the mirror, Zuo Yi saw it was Guo Jingjing in his performance outfit.

“Stop acting up.” Flustered, Zuo Yi grabbed Guo Jingjing’s hands to push him away.

Guo Jingjing urgently stopped him. “Do not push me away yet,” he begged with a sob. “Yi Ge, please give me a chance, okay? I just really like you. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I was done for. Please do not reject me.”

A cold sneer came from the doorway. “I am afraid you will never have that chance.”

Qi Yan stood there, leaning lazily against the doorframe with his hands in his jeans pockets. He glanced at the dazed Zuo Yi before staring intently at Guo Jingjing’s arms wrapped tightly around Zuo Yi’s waist.

Guo Jingjing hated Qi Yan. If not for him, he would not have to beg for love like a beggar. He let go, turned to Qi Yan, and said fiercely, “By what right do you answer for him?”

Zuo Yi did not want to waste time on pointless arguments, nor did he want Qi Yan to become a target.

“Brother Yan has the right to make all decisions for me. Jingjing, I told you long ago that I do not like you. You will never get a chance with me, so stop doing these meaningless things.”

“Yi Ge,” Guo Jingjing’s eyes turned red with grievance. He turned to Qi Yan, pointing an angry finger at him and questioning through gritted teeth, “Why do you always ruin things for me? Why are you always haunting Yi Ge’s side?”

“Guo Jingjing, that is enough.” Zuo Yi clenched his fists, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

Qi Yan swept a contemptuous glance at the frustrated man, then took Zuo Yi by the wrist and pulled him to his side. He said gently, “Let us go home. You are tired.”

Outside the bar, the wind made Zuo Yi’s head throb, and his ears were ringing. Ding Wenxiao supported him as they walked a short distance, with Qi Yan following behind.

“With your low tolerance, you should come to bars less often. Why are you kids always trying to drink like adults?” Ding Wenxiao scolded him sternly.

Zuo Yi countered defiantly, “Tch, who are you looking down on?”

Ding Wenxiao slapped him on the back in annoyance. “It is lucky Brother Yan and I were here today. Otherwise, you would have been eaten alive before you had time to regret it. The way that kid looked at you on stage, he practically wanted to skin you.”

Zuo Yi shrugged. He should not have come today.

Ding Wenxiao hailed a taxi. “I will send you back to the dorm first.”

Qi Yan pulled Zuo Yi to his side and said, “Xiaoxiao, you go back to school first.”

“What about you two?” she asked.

“I am taking him home.”

In the car, Zuo Yi felt a sense of deja vu. Outside the window, the neon lights flashed by, turning into long, multicolored lines. He leaned against the window and closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze. Qi Yan sat beside him, lightly holding his arm to keep him steady.

The driver, having driven for many years, rarely saw people in real life who looked better than celebrities. He stole several glances through the rearview mirror.

Suddenly, a drop of rain landed on Zuo Yi’s eyelashes, startling him into opening his eyes. The droplet slipped into his eye and then slid down his cheek. He straightened his body and found Qi Yan staring at him. He could not help but ask, “Why are you looking at me?”

“Are you crying?” Qi Yan wiped the shimmering water trail from his face.

Zuo Yi shook his head. “It is rain. It is raining.”

After saying that, Zuo Yi reached his hand out of the window to catch the rain. The rain was sparse at this moment, with only occasional drops falling. It took several minutes for his hand to feel moist. Zuo Yi touched Qi Yan’s cheek with his damp hand and said happily, “Look, you are crying too.”

Qi Yan was amused by his actions. He rubbed Zuo Yi’s hair dotingly and said softly, “It is the rain.”

The driver saw their interaction clearly through the mirror and could not help but remark, “You two brothers have such a great relationship.”

Zuo Yi’s smile vanished instantly.

He did not like being called brothers. Compared to “brothers,” he preferred to use “childhood friends” to describe their relationship. The word “brothers” carried an invisible boundary. Whether there was a blood relation or not, that label would drive a nail into their relationship, a nail that, if pulled out, would surely tear away a large chunk of flesh and leave a wound that could never heal.

“Sir, we are not brothers.”

Zuo Yi turned his head to look at the person who spoke. Qi Yan was resting his eyes in the shadows of the back seat, looking as if he had not been the one to say those words. But Zuo Yi had heard it clearly. Qi Yan had told the driver they were not brothers.

The driver gave an awkward laugh and explained, “Oh, I see. Since you both are tall and look like you stepped out of a movie, I thought you were brothers from the same family.”

“We are not.”

Zuo Yi watched Qi Yan as he gave this answer. In the darkness, he distinctly caught a fleeting upward curl of Qi Yan’s lips.

After arriving home, Zuo Yi pushed Qi Yan toward the master bedroom to wash up while he went to the kitchen to prepare the birthday cake. Zuo Yi opened the refrigerator and took a six inch cake out of the freezer. He felt like a genius for freezing the cream to keep its shape and hiding it from Qi Yan.

Timing it for when Qi Yan finished his shower, he lit a rainbow candle and turned off the living room lights.

When Qi Yan opened the door, he saw Zuo Yi holding a cake that could only be described as abstract.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,” after finishing the song, Zuo Yi said excitedly to Qi Yan, “Quick, make a wish.”

Qi Yan did as he was told. He closed his eyes and made a silent wish in his heart that no one else knew, then blew out the candle.

“Happy Birthday, Brother Yan.”

Zuo Yi held the cake in one hand and pulled Qi Yan to the sofa. He did not turn on the ceiling lights but instead turned on the projector, using its dim glow.

Qi Yan looked at the three abstract figures on the cake. He recognized himself in the middle, holding hands with Ding Wenxiao on the left and Zuo Yi on the right. It was silly and cute; he liked it very much. He liked it so much he wanted to keep this cake forever and never let it expire.

“Why are you dazing? Won’t you taste the cake?” Zuo Yi handed Qi Yan a small spoon and took one for himself. He raised his spoon and said, “Let us just dig in. I forgot to buy a cake knife.”

Qi Yan smiled. “You made this?”

Zuo Yi scooped a bit of cake and held it to Qi Yan’s lips. “Taste it first.”

Qi Yan took the bite. The sweetness of the cream filled his mouth, and the dense texture felt smooth on his tongue. The cake base was baked softer than a cloud. As the cream slowly melted in his mouth and slid down his throat, the sweetness overflowed. He had never eaten such a delicious birthday cake. It was a unique flavor that no bakery could ever replicate. Dopamine flooded his system; Qi Yan had not been this happy in a long time. In this moment, happiness became tangible amidst his many misfortunes.

To him, happiness had always been an unattainable luxury. Ever since Zuo Yi reappeared, he had become someone who could finally own such a luxury.

Zuo Yi asked nervously, “Is it good?”

“It is very delicious.”

Qi Yan also scooped a bit of cake and fed it to Zuo Yi. “You try it.”

Zuo Yi’s brow furrowed. Ugh, so sweet.

There was way too much sugar in the cake base; it was cloyingly sweet.

“Brother Yan, do not eat anymore. I put in too much sugar,” Zuo Yi said with some disappointment.

But Qi Yan continued to eat the cake bite after bite. “I like sweets. It is very good.”

Qi Yan finished almost the entire six inch cake. Zuo Yi only had that one bite. He did not like sweets; he could not handle food that was too sugary. Yet Qi Yan finished it all, eating happily as if he had no sense for excessive sweetness.

“Why did you make a cake today?” Qi Yan asked.

Zuo Yi sprawled across the sofa like a starfish, explaining weakly, “You left without eating cake on your birthday. I wanted to make it up to you.”

Only then did Qi Yan remember that he had asked Zuo Yi for a surprise on his birthday.

“Thank you.”

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