My Childhood Friend is Secretly in Love with Me - Chapter 7

Sadly, even this year, it was still not given away.

At this moment, Zuo Yi wanted to follow his heart and indulge himself just this once.

He gripped Qi Yan’s wrist and brought the glass of liquor to his own lips. Zuo Yi caught that faint scent of tobacco again; it was a scent that felt like opium mixed into the air, intoxicating and addictive. The stinging alcohol, mingled with saliva, slid down his throat with a bitter aftertaste.

His gaze was locked firmly on Qi Yan’s face; he wished he could swallow the man whole.

Because the movement was too fast, some of the liquor spilled from the corner of his mouth, trailing down his jawline to his Adam’s apple. The cold splash of alcohol jolted Zuo Yi awake, and he let go. He wiped his neck haphazardly to dry the spill, his movements carrying a provocative and unbridled charm.

Qi Yan paused for a beat before setting down his empty glass and sitting beside him.

Ding Wenxiao had also downed a drink after returning to the booth. She walked over, kicked Zuo Yi’s leg which was blocking the path on the coffee table, and squeezed herself into the seat between him and Qi Yan. Raising the microphone, she announced, “Today is Brother Yan’s birthday. Most of you here are friends of mine or Zuo Yi’s, so I must grandly introduce tonight’s protagonist: Qi Yan. He is a childhood friend of mine and Zuo Yi’s. We grew up together in a small courtyard in Jiangcheng. We knew his heart was set on Jingxi. Zuo Yi and I are not as smart as him, but we fought our way here too. Today, our ‘Iron Triangle’ is finally reunited. Brother Yan, we really, really missed you. Happy Birthday!”

Moved by her own words, Ding Wenxiao’s eyes brimmed with tears. Qi Yan picked up the glass Zuo Yi had just used, poured himself a full glass of beer, downed it in one go, and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

“Happy Birthday, Brother Yan!” The surrounding crowd filled their glasses, raised them high, and finished their drinks.

Someone was shouting, “Yi-ge’s brother is our brother!”

As the alcohol took hold, Zuo Yi curled into the corner of the sofa, his vision slowly losing focus. He fished his phone out of his pocket to check the time; it was almost time.

Qi Yan leaned closer, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Where’s yours?”

The multicolored lights flickered across Qi Yan’s features, casting a blurred and ethereal glow over his eyes. He looked so handsome that Zuo Yi’s heart began to thud wildly.

“Hmm? My what?” Zuo Yi arched an eyebrow, his burning and hazy eyes leaning forward as he tried to read Qi Yan’s expression.

Zuo Yi could not tell if the Qi Yan before him was real or a hallucination. He reached out an index finger, lightly tapping the space between Qi Yan’s brows and tracing a slow path down the bridge of his straight nose to his full, reddish lips. As the temperature at his fingertip rose, Zuo Yi asked again, “What did you say you wanted from me?”

Qi Yan caught Zuo Yi’s wandering finger, moved it aside, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I want your surprise.”

“It is almost here, just wait a bit.” A wave of tingling warmth washed over Zuo Yi’s ear. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into the corner, feeling extremely dizzy.

Unexpectedly, Guan Guan stepped out of the booth to take a call. When she returned, she rushed to Qi Yan’s side and whispered a few words. Qi Yan lowered his head to check his phone, only to find it seemed to be out of power.

Zuo Yi watched from the side as Qi Yan’s brow furrowed into a deep frown. Guan Guan had already grabbed her bag, looking ready to leave at any second. Everyone noticed the shift in atmosphere. Ignoring the rest, Qi Yan ruffled Zuo Yi’s hair and said apologetically to him and Ding Wenxiao, “I am sorry, something urgent came up and I have to leave. Thank you all for today; let us get together another time.” With that, the two of them hurried out of the KTV booth.

“What happened?” Before anyone could answer, the door was pushed open again. A waiter entered, pushing a cart with a birthday cake lit with sparkling candles.

Zuo Yi’s drunkenness cleared by half. He squinted at the cake. The birthday boy was gone; who was the “Happy Birthday” song supposed to be for now?

Everyone looked at each other, and the fiery atmosphere instantly plummeted as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.

Li Zihao moved to sit next to Zuo Yi, mocking with palpable impatience, “That was a call from Guan Guan’s father. What kind of ’emergency’ could Qi Yan have while leaving with her?”

“Have Brother Qi Yan and Sister Guan Guan already met each other’s parents? I am so jealous,” Guo Jingjing said, looking at Zuo Yi.

It felt like a heavy blow to Zuo Yi’s heart; those words were the spark that set the whole field ablaze.

Irritated, he grabbed a cigarette pack someone had left on the table, pulled out a white cigarette, and lit it. He took a sharp drag and immediately choked, coughing violently.

Zuo Yi did not smoke, but his chest felt suffocatingly tight, as if a heavy weight was pressing down on him, refusing to let him breathe.

Since the protagonist had left, no one felt right touching the cake. Zuo Yi took it with him when the party broke up.

Back at school, he went alone to the rooftop of the dormitory building. This was a fondant cake he had specially commissioned. The cake was shaped like a castle, and in the castle garden stood three little figures side by side. They were all wearing handsome red cloaks and holding gleaming golden swords, guarding their home.

Zuo Yi took out twenty-one thin, colored candles, poked them all over the castle cake, and lit them one by one.

He sang the entire “Happy Birthday” song, closed his eyes to make a wish on Qi Yan’s behalf, and blew out the candles. “Happy Birthday, Yan-ge.”

Finally, he cut the cake open and pulled out a blue box he had hidden inside the sponge. This was a birthday gift that should have been given away the year Qi Yan took his college entrance exams.

Sadly, even this year, it was still not given away.

Zuo Yi clenched the blue box tightly in his palm. The cake was now a mess, with the three little figures crushed beneath the ruins of the collapsed castle.

Over the next few days, Zuo Yi stopped thinking about Qi Yan, having decided to suppress his feelings. He poured all his energy into training. For a swimmer, adapting to a new pool, be it the water temperature, quality, or depth, is a process. Any slight change can affect their “water feel” and mindset.

Getting into the Jingxi Physical Education University was not the finish line for an athlete; it was the beginning of their professional career. The “Champions’ Path” on campus was lined with the footprints of alumni who had won world-class competitions. This path served as a constant reminder to students to maintain their passion and never slack off.

The freshman trials for the school swimming team were scheduled for after the National Day holiday. Zuo Yi was determined to make the cut.

On Thursday afternoon, after training, Zuo Yi received a message from Guo Jingjing asking him out for dinner at a concept Korean restaurant. The restaurant had a dark and moody ambiance. When he arrived, Guo Jingjing was already seated.

“Training ran a bit late. Have you been waiting long?” Zuo Yi pulled out a chair and sat down.

Guo Jingjing pushed the menu toward him. “I just got here too. See what you want to eat; their Spicy Beef Bone Hotpot is a signature dish.”

Zuo Yi was hungry enough to eat an ox. As he scanned the menu, he did not notice a gaze fixed on him from not far away.

“Let us go with this pot and some staples. That should be enough,” Zuo Yi said, closing the menu.

Guo Jingjing raised a hand and snapped her fingers. “Order, please!”

“Hello, you two. What would you like?” Qi Yan’s voice drifted over.

Zuo Yi snapped his head up. He looked at Qi Yan, then glanced at Guo Jingjing. “What are you doing here?”

He noticed Qi Yan was wearing the restaurant’s uniform. The black shirt smoothly outlined his physique; he was lean but toned. The sleeves were rolled up halfway, revealing the firm muscles of his forearms. It looked sexy.

“Working,” Qi Yan replied, holding up his notepad as a reminder. “Customer, you may order now.”

Zuo Yi stared at Qi Yan’s forearms, momentarily forgetting to look away. Guo Jingjing gave a light and meaningful cough and flipped through the menu. “One Spicy Beef Bone Hotpot, please. Add a side of spicy chicken feet and one order of squid rice balls. Thank you, Yan-ge.”

Qi Yan repeated the order professionally, took the menu, and gave a polite nod. “Please wait a moment. Your meal will be served shortly.”

After Qi Yan left, Guo Jingjing kept chatting, but Zuo Yi’s thoughts had followed Qi Yan.

He had known since they were kids that Qi Yan’s family was well-off. His father was a civil servant with a stable job, and his mother was a high-powered career woman. He remembered that in their second year of middle school, Qi Yan’s mother had made a lot of money in the stock market and donated several hundred thousand yuan to renovate their community welfare home. There was no way he should be reduced to working a part-time job for living expenses.

Could it be that dating was expensive and he was too embarrassed to ask his parents for money, so he had to spend his free time earning “dating funds”?

Dating really can change a person!

Even the academic god who used to despise the “stench of money” had to come out and work.

If he were with me, he would not have to worry about money at all. I have my competition prize money, and with my New Year’s savings, my secret stash is nearly six figures.

“Zuo Yi!” Guo Jingjing finally could not help but shout.

Zuo Yi snapped out of it. “Ah! Sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?”

Guo Jingjing sighed. “I just asked what your thoughts are on being gay.”

“Thoughts on being gay?” Zuo Yi was startled. How did the conversation get there? He really must have been daydreaming for a long time; he had not heard a single word of what Guo Jingjing said earlier.

Seeing Zuo Yi’s shocked reaction, Guo Jingjing lowered her gaze, looking disappointed. “You mind this topic, do you not?”

Feeling guilty, Zuo Yi waved his hands in explanation. “No, no, I do not mind. Do not misunderstand.”

“Really?” The gloom vanished from Guo Jingjing’s face. She asked happily, “Then if a guy liked you, could you accept it?”

“A guy? Liking me?” Zuo Yi’s brain could not quite process this. He asked again, “Why would a guy like me?”

Coincidentally, Qi Yan arrived with the food tray.

“Let us put it this way: I am actually that guy who likes you,” Guo Jingjing said, nervously gripping her water glass. She looked up at the approaching Qi Yan, then turned her gaze back to Zuo Yi. “Can you accept me?”

Zuo Yi’s spine snapped straight. He felt like he had been hit by an electric current; a numbing sensation surged from his feet to his brain, leaving him stunned.

What kind of melodramatic “roommate falls for me and confesses in front of my crush” plot is this? Damn it! If I had known, I would have stayed for a few more laps of training instead of coming to this dinner.

Receiving no response, Guo Jingjing added, “Actually, you can think about it. You do not have to give me an answer right now. I can wait.”

Qi Yan set the food down and shot a glance at Guo Jingjing.

Guo Jingjing was handsome, dressed like a trendy guy, with tanned skin and white socks; he was the kind of high-quality guy who would turn heads on the street.

Zuo Yi scratched the back of his head. “Um, Jingjing, thank you.”

After holding it in for so long, all he could manage was a “thank you.”

Qi Yan gave Zuo Yi a sharp and piercing look. He picked up Zuo Yi’s cup to refill it, and when he set it back down, the clatter against the table was exceptionally jarring, drawing annoyed looks from other diners.

“Sorry, my hand slipped,” Qi Yan apologized coldly.

Guo Jingjing gave Qi Yan a subtle smile. “It is fine, Brother Qi Yan. Sorry for the scene today.”

Qi Yan ignored him. “The food is all here. Enjoy your meal.”

Zuo Yi sat frozen in place, feeling so awkward he might turn into a living fossil.

There was no way he could accept Guo Jingjing’s confession. But they were in the same dorm; they would be living under the same roof for the next four years. How could he reject him while maintaining their dignity?

Zuo Yi was truly in a bind. He stared at the table full of food, unable to swallow a bite. After some thought, he decided he had to cut the knot quickly.

“Jingjing,” Zuo Yi called out.

Guo Jingjing, who was messing with a squid rice ball in her bowl, responded, “Yeah?”

“I am the kind of person who is used to doing whatever I want. I do not give a damn about society’s judgment,” Zuo Yi said, watching his reaction. “But my prerequisite for dating someone is that I have to actually like them. Do you understand?”

Guo Jingjing gave a bitter smile and nodded. “You can just say you do not mind dating guys, but you do not feel anything for me.”

“You are my brother. Who dates their brother, right?” Zuo Yi said.

Guo Jingjing was still unwilling to give up. “Can you give me a chance to pursue you? What if you end up liking me?”

Zuo Yi shook his head, his eyes unconsciously searching the restaurant for a specific figure. “It is not a matter of me giving you a chance or not.”

Guo Jingjing’s emotions became slightly agitated. “It is because you already have someone you like, so you have already sentenced my feelings to death, have you not?”

Zuo Yi froze. He glanced around, relieved that Qi Yan was not nearby. “Calm down. Feelings are not a one-way street.”

“You like Brother Qi Yan, do you not? But he is also your brother. Do you think that is fair to me?” Guo Jingjing’s eyes were red as she pressed further. “I just want to fight for a chance for myself. I have really liked you since the first moment I saw you, I…”

Zuo Yi’s head throbbed. He immediately cut her off sternly: “Guo Jingjing! Do you even know what you are saying?” He lowered his voice and emphasized, “He is my childhood friend. Do not talk nonsense!”

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