My Roommate is a Gloomy, Sensitive Guy Who Cries Over Everything - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: A Subtle, Ambiguous Wind

“Senior: When are you going to fulfill the reward, the one where I can look wherever I want during a video call?”

Lin Zhiyu never expected him to guess correctly on the first try. In the six months they had known each other, the Senior seemed to know him inside and out; he could practically feel the shape of Lin Zhiyu’s bones through the internet. It was a lapse in judgment on Lin Zhiyu’s part.

“Let’s get something to drink.”

It was Jiang Xinran’s voice. She was looking down at the menu. Qin Rui leaned on his hand and tapped the table: “Xiao Yu has the 3,000-meter run tomorrow. Just give him a soft drink.”

Jiang Xinran said excitedly: “Then I have to have some wine. The minimum price here starts at 50,000. I’ve never had anything this expensive. It’s rare to have someone treating, so this ‘Big Sister’ has to taste how salty or sweet it is.”

With prices starting in the tens of thousands, Yu Hechang’s eyes lit up: “I want to drink too! Anyway, I don’t have a race tomorrow.”

Qin Rui generously said they could order whatever they wanted, then suddenly turned to look at the “elementary schooler” playing with his phone next to him.

Lin Zhiyu instantly locked his screen. He looked up to meet Qin Rui’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze. After a two-second silent standoff, Qin Rui handed him the menu: “See what you want to drink.”

“Anything’s fine.”

Seeing how excited Yu Hechang and Jiang Xinran were, Lin Zhiyu asked, “What drinks are you talking about? I want some too.”

Yu Hechang wagged his index finger back and forth: “We’re planning to order a bottle worth 100,000.”

Lin Zhiyu’s jaw dropped: “What?! I want that too! Is 100,000-dollar wine brewed from gold? I want it!”

There was no way to stop his curiosity, so Qin Rui made an exception and let him have a sip.

While the food was being served, Lin Zhiyu felt the phone on the table vibrate. It wasn’t loud, but since Qin Rui was sitting right next to him, he could clearly see the screen lighting up. The contact name said “Senior,” but the content was invisible.

Lin Zhiyu said solemnly: “This is work.”

Qin Rui’s mood had stabilized by now: “Manage your own boundaries. Ask me for help if you need it.” In truth, he was out of options, so he added: “Keep yourself clean and respectable.”

“…Oh.”

Lin Zhiyu secretly lifted his phone, afraid Qin Rui on his right would see an inappropriate message and equally afraid Yu Hechang on his left would notice something suspicious. He was cautious in everything he did.

[Senior: Baby is breaking a promise again.] [Senior: Why do you treat me like this every time?] [Senior: Is there something wrong with me?] [Senior: I can change.]

[Xiao Yu: I was just ordering food. I won’t back out this time. Next time we video call.]

[Senior: Right now.]

[Xiao Yu: ?]

[Senior: Find a place where no one is around and video call me for a few minutes. I’m in the studio right now.] [Senior: I can wait for you forever.]

“…”

[Xiao Yu: I can’t.]

This was too bold. He felt it was ridiculous yet thrilling; his inner resolve was wavering.

[Senior: I know where you’re eating. I saw you get into your colleague’s car.] [Senior: I could come and catch you.]

Lin Zhiyu panicked uncontrollably. Knowing the Senior’s temperament, he would likely do exactly what he said, and the scene would become uncontrollable.

[Xiao Yu: Wait a second.]

Lin Zhiyu put his phone away and stood up with shifting eyes: “Where’s the restroom?”

The decoration materials in this restaurant’s restroom were all marble. The floor tiles were polished to a mirror shine, and the stalls were spacious, bright, and clean. The air was filled with a high-end fragrance.

Lin Zhiyu chose the very last stall, locked the door, propped his phone up on a shelf, and started the video call.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a black screen this time. Instead, it showed a corner of a wall with historic traces of paint—it was clearly an art studio.

Lin Zhiyu whispered: “Are you really painting?”

“Would I lie to you?” The Senior’s voice had become much clearer, not as raspy as usual; presumably, smoking wasn’t allowed in the studio.

“Hurry up,” Lin Zhiyu urged him.

“Lift your shirt.”

Lin Zhiyu was still wearing the white T-shirt from earlier. He grabbed the hem and pulled it up.

“Not enough. Higher…”

Lin Zhiyu’s voice was deathly embarrassed: “Just what kind of thing are you drawing anyway!” He simply flipped the entire hem over his head, covering his face entirely.

“Come closer.” The Senior’s tone became gentle.

“Baby, stand on your tiptoes. It’s not aligned. A bit to the left. Okay, don’t move.”

Taking advantage of the fact that he couldn’t see anything, Lin Zhiyu went all the way and exposed one side of his chest to the camera.

Pink and tender, trembling slightly in front of the lens—it was a color that had clearly never been tasted.

“Are you afraid of being seen? It seems… quite thrilling.”

Lin Zhiyu lowered his hands, his cheeks flushed pink: “I’m going back to eat.”

A scratching sound came from the other end, like a scraper on a wall, giving the listener goosebumps. After ten seconds, the other person hummed an acknowledgment.

Lin Zhiyu took the phone down, his ears burning red: “I won’t disturb your painting.”

The other side laughed lightly: “So well-behaved.”

Lin Zhiyu didn’t care about being well-behaved or not. His mind was now full of what kind of value would justify his efforts: “How much does one of your average paintings sell for?”

“It depends on what the gallery offers.” Knowing Lin Zhiyu was probing, the Senior still gave an average price: “At the lowest, over 100,000.”

“You’re amazing,” Lin Zhiyu praised sincerely, though he added mentally that the man was a bit of a pervert.

“I’ll give it all to you.”

“Give what to me?” Lin Zhiyu sat on the toilet lid, holding his phone to talk to him.

“The money. I’m working hard to earn money.”

“…………Don’t say such strange things.”

After washing and drying his hands with a paper towel, Lin Zhiyu found Yu Hechang waiting outside with a dark face: “Not bad, a twenty-minute bathroom break.”

Lin Zhiyu: “…”

“Did you develop hemorrhoids?”

“You’re the one with hemorrhoids!”

Lin Zhiyu excitedly went to drink the “wine made of gold.” Since he hadn’t gotten very drunk from the iced beer the first time, he thought his tolerance had improved. He was too confident in himself.

…

The reality was quite different.

The car couldn’t enter the courtyard entrance. Lin Rangchuan saw Lin Zhiyu asleep in the passenger seat. His gaze darkened slightly as he walked forward, undid the seatbelt, and carried the person out.

Qin Rui got out of the driver’s seat: “He didn’t drink much, but the alcohol content of that bottle was high, so it’s a bit much.”

In any case, at the dinner table, by the time Qin Rui finished a phone call and came back, the Black Forest cake was gone, and the wine was gone too.

Lin Rangchuan said coolly: “He has the 3,000-meter run tomorrow.”

Qin Rui looked at him with an equally cold expression. Jiang Xinran’s face was red from drinking, while Yu Hechang was mostly fine. The window was open, but for some reason, the two men had suddenly entered a standoff. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder.

Qin Rui was brave enough to admit his mistake: “It was my oversight; I didn’t take good care of him. You can send him to my place; I’ll find someone specifically to look after him.”

Lin Zhiyu was hanging completely off Lin Rangchuan, his mouth smacking a few times. Lin Rangchuan supported him: “No need to trouble an outsider. Thank you for bringing him back. You can leave now.”

At this commanding tone, Qin Rui was almost moved to an angry laugh. “I’m an outsider? He calls me his ‘Big Brother’.”

“Is that so? Was he willing to move in with you then?” Lin Rangchuan’s tone remained steady, completely unfazed.

Qin Rui’s intuition told him that the man in front of him was five stars more dangerous than that childhood friend of Lin Zhiyu’s.

Lin Rangchuan didn’t waste any more words. He turned and helped Lin Zhiyu back into the house, regardless of whether the people behind him had left.

He helped him sit on the sofa. Lin Zhiyu, who had been closing his eyes, suddenly opened them. Lin Rangchuan paused in the middle of straightening up; the two were very close, staring at each other.

Lin Zhiyu’s eyes were round and playful. His dark brown pupils looked as if they were soaked in wine, emitting a rich, mellow fragrance.

Lin Rangchuan focused intently and reached out his hand, wanting to touch, to meddle. His eyes contained the storm of a rainy day.

Can I lick these eyes?

“Blegh—”

Lin Zhiyu is suddenly dry-heaved. Lin Rangchuan covered his mouth with lightning speed, but in the end, nothing came out except some saliva.

“Do you want to throw up?” Lin Rangchuan moved closer and felt his face; it was hot, like he had a fever.

Lin Zhiyu pursed his lips in discomfort. Lin Rangchuan whispered: “You can throw up here if you need to.”

Lin Zhiyu shook his head; his intuition told him he couldn’t.

Lin Rangchuan: “So well-behaved.”

Lin Zhiyu’s expression froze slightly.

He was supported to the restroom and threw everything into the toilet. Lin Zhiyu couldn’t even stand steadily. With floating steps, he was led to wash his hands. He leaned against the wall, staring motionlessly at Lin Rangchuan’s profile as he washed a towel.

After wringing out the towel, Lin Rangchuan felt its temperature against his palm before pressing it to the back of Lin Zhiyu’s head to wipe his face. His movements were meticulous and patient.

His bangs were messy and sticking out in all directions. Lin Zhiyu squinted his eyes in comfort.

After repeating the wiping twice, the boy’s face was as rosy and smooth as a peeled egg. Lin Zhiyu looked into Lin Rangchuan’s eyes, which were inches away, and moved his lips: “Senior…”

The temperature at Lin Rangchuan’s fingertips instantly turned cold. He stopped his movements and looked down at him.

Lin Zhiyu pursed his lips at this change. Lin Rangchuan seemed not to notice his unease. With his thin lips slightly parted, he half-enveloped the boy from behind, leading him to wash his hands like a child. In the mirror, Lin Zhiyu’s figure was completely wrapped up.

“I am not him.”

Lin Zhiyu’s eyelashes fluttered. Once his hands were clean, he tugged at the man’s sleeve with a bit of grievance: “There’s paint.”

Lin Rangchuan looked down and sneered in his heart. They’re both painters, so he mistook me for the Senior?

Lin Rangchuan pulled his hand away and said lukewarmly: “Is he the only painter you know?”

“You don’t even know what he looks like.”

For a split second, Lin Rangchuan’s eyes were red. Lin Zhiyu was stunned. He leaned in to stare, his voice soft: “Hey, why are you like the Senior? Crying as soon as you speak.”

The man turned to leave.

Lin Zhiyu quickly said: “My head hurts.”

In this state, there was no way he could take a shower. Lin Rangchuan had to lead him out to the kitchen to make a cup of honey water.

Lin Zhiyu sat at one end of the sofa, and Lin Rangchuan sat at the other, super far apart.

When Lin Zhiyu finished and put down his glass, he did it loudly on purpose. Lin Rangchuan still acted like a robot, standing up to wash the glass.

From Lin Zhiyu’s angle, a sliver of light from the kitchen reflected on his back. Lin Rangchuan’s silhouette looked tall and lonely.

When Lin Rangchuan turned around after washing, he saw Lin Zhiyu standing behind him, staring blankly.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Suddenly, Lin Zhiyu’s nose twitched. He lifted the lid of the thermal pot containing sweet soup, looked up at Lin Rangchuan, and said: “I want to eat.”

“Don’t eat right after throwing up.” Lin Rangchuan coldly closed the lid.

Lin Zhiyu pursed his lips and didn’t move, standing guard by the pot.

Lin Rangchuan didn’t yield an inch.

“Why did you drink?”

The faint tone sounded like he was settling a score. Lin Zhiyu slapped the table hard, looking at him with dissatisfaction, even becoming agitated: “That was 100,000-dollar wine! Show some respect!”

Lin Rangchuan: “…”

“Did it taste good?”

Lin Zhiyu’s face slumped: “It tasted bad.”

“Does your hand hurt?”

Lin Zhiyu reached out; a patch was red. “It hurts.”

Lin Rangchuan massaged it, taking the opportunity to push the person out. Lin Zhiyu didn’t want to leave, but the slippers were slippery on the tiles. Like he was on roller skates, he drifted further and further away from his sweet soup.

“Don’t drink next time.”

Lin Zhiyu insisted on his logic: “It was expensive. There’s a reason why it’s expensive.”

Lin Rangchuan closed the kitchen door, his voice showing no emotion: “Why did you drink with others?”

“But the bottle smelled so good when it was first opened.” Lin Zhiyu racked his brain for adjectives, wanting the other person to agree with him: “It smelled just as good as you.”

In the compressed air of his chest, Lin Rangchuan’s fingertips were trembling. Only after several moments did he hear his own voice.

“Who am I?”

Lin Zhiyu stared at him fixedly, his gaze suddenly seeming sober: “Lin Rangchuan.”

…

The next morning, Lin Zhiyu woke up without any discomfort because he had only drunk a very small amount—it was just that the alcohol content of that wine was too high.

He was still a bit dazed, but he didn’t have time to think much. He quickly changed and headed to the playground to prepare for the 3,000-meter run this morning.

He found an empty space to warm up and stretch. Once he broke a sweat, his head didn’t feel so groggy.

Qin Rui and Jiang Xinran were late. Jiang Xinran especially pointed to her temples as if wearing a mask of pain: “My head hurts, my head hurts…”

Qin Rui looked him up and down. “You’ve recovered well. Next time I go out with you, alcohol is definitely banned.”

Then he asked carefully: “Was everything okay last night?”

“It was fine.”

“That’s good then.”

Lin Zhiyu gave a guilty smile. Jiang Xinran said: “We’ll have to head back after watching your race.”

Qin Rui explained: “The store manager’s tenosynovitis flared up. Shaking milk tea for three days straight—she couldn’t take it.”

Lin Zhiyu: “…”

The manager was too strong.

The 3,000-meter run started at nine o’clock. There weren’t many events today, and the closing ceremony was in the afternoon, so it was still busy.

Lin Zhiyu was in line to check in and sign.

To be able to run 3,000 meters, one had to be a “dragon among men” in the class—unless they were forced into it.

Among this group of people, Lin Zhiyu looked the youngest and seemingly the least advantaged.

After all, he had just turned eighteen. His physique and skeleton were somewhere between a boy and a young man—slender, narrow-waisted, and long-limbed. His face was small, but his features were standard-issue beautiful, with a spirited look in his eyes.

With nothing to do while waiting, Lin Zhiyu kicked some stones, occasionally exchanging glances with Qin Rui, Jiang Xinran, and Yu Hechang outside the cordon.

“Go, go!”

Qin Rui tilted his chin at him: “I’ll run alongside you in a bit.”

Lin Zhiyu gave an exaggerated “wow” and a thumbs-up: “OK, OK! Let’s do it together! Sister Xinran, do you want to…”

Jiang Xinran’s entire body was written with resistance.

Yu Hechang was already nowhere to be found.

“…………”

Lin Zhiyu’s peripheral vision suddenly caught something else. Lin Rangchuan’s height made him stand out like a crane among chickens. His temperament, combined with his camera, carried the melancholy of a black-and-white film.

There was no sun today; it was cloudy and windy. The wind lightly lifted the bangs on Lin Zhiyu’s forehead. His peach-blossom eyes rippled with light, causing his heart to beat with a subtle frequency that was different from the usual.

Although there were many people, Lin Zhiyu was certain the man was taking photos of him. Before, he could find excuses about testing parameters, but this time was different.

The camera was lowered, revealing Lin Rangchuan’s dark, focused eyes.

Lin Zhiyu turned his head away, not meeting his gaze.

Under the eyes of so many people, a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere surged between the two—without reason, without a clear thread, even though they themselves might be unaware.

The events of last night…

He had completely blacked out.