The Scummy Top Desperately Tries to Win Back His Ex After the Breakup - Chapter 4

“What is the matter? Did you not expect me to say that?”

Pei Youting looked at him with a hint of a smile. “I felt quite bad about not being able to greet you properly the last two times. Why are you so distant with me now? You,” he paused at the perfect moment and lowered his head. When he looked up again, his expression was one of hurt, the kind that made one’s heart ache. “I thought we were still friends.”

“No, of course we are still friends,” Jiang Zui countered subconsciously, shaking his head. “I am just a little unaccustomed to this. After all, we have not seen each other in a long time.”

Hearing this, Pei Youting seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the gloom on his face vanished instantly.

“That is good then. Relax a little. After all, I have been thinking about you the whole time I was abroad these past few years.” He blinked mischievously. Jiang Zui could not tell if it was intentional ambiguity or just friendly intimacy, so he could only respond with a slight flush on his face.

Knowing when to stop, Pei Youting changed the subject. “By the way, how do you like being on set?”

“It is quite good,” Jiang Zui replied. At this, he became a bit embarrassed. “It is my first time actually joining a crew for a proper shoot.”

Whenever he spoke of this, he tended to be more talkative than usual. However, Pei Youting did not truly intend to delve deep into the topic; he simply smiled it off with some polite pleasantries. Sure enough, halfway through speaking, Jiang Zui noticed Pei Youting staring at him with burning intensity. His words faltered. “What is it?”

“Are you going to tell me all this while soaking wet? Go upstairs, take a shower, and change your clothes.”

Pei Youting raised his hand as if to stroke Jiang Zui’s face. Jiang Zui’s breath hitched, but he saw the other man’s fingertips reach toward his neck instead. He merely tucked a strand of wet hair that had stuck there outside his collar. His breathing grew slightly heavy. “Are you free tonight? I know a good restaurant nearby.”

Jiang Zui could smell the pleasant woody fragrance of the man’s cologne. His heart pounded wildly. No matter how slow-witted he was, it was impossible not to realize this was an invitation. But once he became conscious of that layer, his reaction was not as nervous or green as before.

Though it was an invitation, whether it was a small gathering between friends or a flirtation was likely something only Pei Youting knew. But Jiang Zui said, “Sure.”

He smiled, and his thin, beautifully shaped lips curved upward. A drop of water from the tips of his hair fell onto them, making them look moist and vivid red. He was happy to attend the feast.

Just as the seventeen-year-old Jiang Zui could recognize the desire for him in the depths of Pei Youting’s eyes, the twenty-five-year-old Jiang Zui could equally detect the other man’s craving for him. But what did it matter? Jiang Zui would only remain in Pei Youting’s mind for much longer.

It was indeed a very high-class Western restaurant. The decor was low-key yet elegant, and the customers were mostly young couples. Pei Youting led Jiang Zui to a private booth inside, and the two sat down one after the other.

Pei Youting handed him the menu and opened a bottle of red wine, filling the goblet in front of Jiang Zui. The mellow aroma of the wine drifted into his nose, and it was incredibly intoxicating.

“The owner of this restaurant is a friend of mine and a wine enthusiast. What is in front of you is from his private collection, Saint-Staphie red wine. It is very hard to find on the market now.”

Jiang Zui did not know much about wine, but he knew one thing: this wine was expensive. “Is it not a waste to give it to someone like me who does not know how to appreciate wine?” he asked.

Having finished pouring the wine, Pei Youting looked up at him. Under the dim lights, his amber pupils appeared exceptionally clear, refracting light and shadow. Jiang Zui could see his own reflection in the other man’s eyes.

Pei Youting replied, “If it is you drinking it, it does not count as a waste. You like steak, and it must be paired with good wine.” Pei Youting added, but midway through, he suddenly paused and said suggestively, “Of course, that was your taste in high school. If anything has changed now, it would be my lack of consideration.”

Jiang Zui caught the metaphor hidden beneath the sentence. His fingers rubbed the smooth body of the goblet as he watched the bright red, blood-like liquid flow and sway inside. The atmosphere quieted down, leaving only the sound of a soothing piano piece. After a long silence, he finally replied, “It has not changed. It has never changed. I still like it very much.”

After he said those words, both men looked at each other with a tacit understanding. Their breathing grew still. Perhaps several minutes passed, or perhaps it was shorter. In any case, Jiang Zui was the first to look away as if he could not hold it anymore, his cheeks flushed red even though the dim light should have hidden it.

And Pei Youting? He simply smiled and took a shallow sip of the mellow wine. A bit of the bright red liquid stained the corner of his mouth. Paired with his beautiful, sharp facial features, he was as captivating as a handsome medieval vampire.

“I see.”

The atmosphere became somewhat ambiguous. Jiang Zui seemed to notice the gaze the other man gave him becoming deeper. Or perhaps he had misseen, because very quickly, Pei Youting showed that pure and handsome smile of his again. “Then that is for the best.”

The steak was excellent and the wine was superb, but unfortunately, Jiang Zui was completely unable to spare any extra energy to savor the enjoyment of his taste buds. He could only see Pei Youting sitting across from him, every gesture so elegant and impeccable. Rather than a meal, it felt more like a test for his heart.

The rising temperature of the atmosphere did, however, bring their relationship closer. Pei Youting was smooth-talking and sophisticated in the business world, and his verbal skills were levels above Jiang Zui’s. By inserting a few topics from high school into the conversation, he made Jiang Zui’s heart soften involuntarily.

He remembered that dark, lightless time in high school when such a handsome, sun-like boy had accompanied him and supported his dreams that felt like a mirage.

“Do you remember?” Pei Youting said with a faint smile. “It was winter back then, right? In the middle of the night, you called me and gave me a fright.”

At that time, his relationship with Pei Youting was already quite good. Pei Youting would often come to the eleventh-grade floor to find the friendless Jiang Zui to eat or play ball together. They were almost inseparable during their spare time and very close.

That night, Jiang Zui had actually had an argument with his mother. His mother was a very old-fashioned and stubborn person who desperately hoped Jiang Zui would pursue a proper, stable job and not follow in his father’s footsteps. She and Jiang Zui had countless disagreements over this, and every time ended in an unhappy confrontation.

He was young back then and had a temper. After the fight, he stormed out the door, only to realize he had not brought money or identification. Wearing only a thin sweater in the freezing winter, he had nowhere to go. Even so, out of pride and arrogance, he refused to bow his head to his mother, stubbornly freezing in the community park.

When he finally could not take it anymore, he could only call Pei Youting. Jiang Zui thought back countless times later that perhaps it started at that moment. At two in the morning, Pei Youting arrived with frost and snow on his shoulders, wrapped a down jacket around him, and sat on the park bench listening to him pour out his grievances and frustrations. From that moment on, Pei Youting occupied the most precious place in Jiang Zui’s heart.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zui’s expression softened, and the gaze he directed at the other man carried a few more hints of affection. “Back then, thank you, truly.”

“Do not say that. We are friends, are we not? And back then, I,” Pei Youting stopped vaguely mid-sentence. He stood up with a faint smile. “Let me walk you back. It is late, and you have to shoot tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay.”

Since they had been drinking, neither could drive. The distance from the restaurant to the hotel was quite short, so Pei Youting did not call for a designated driver and instead suggested walking back. Jiang Zui, of course, thought it was a good idea. He only felt the road was too short, wishing a long path would appear out of thin air so he could walk side-by-side with Pei Youting.

Pei Youting said his goodbyes and watched the young man’s retreating figure. He did not turn to leave until the person was no longer in sight. The slight buzz of intoxication made him feel light-headed, eager to find an outlet. He fished a cigarette from his pocket, lit it skillfully, and exhaled. The smoke rings slowly dissipated and vanished in the dark night.

At that moment, the phone rang, spoiling the mood. Pei Youting glanced at the caller identification and pressed answer. “What is it?”

Noisy music and a man’s slurred voice came from the other side. One could tell he had drunk a lot. Pei Youting frowned, wanting to hang up, but the drunkard, Yan Wenhe, spoke first. “You have the nerve to ask me what is up? Dammit. You Pei Youting, you bastard. Leaving me to deal with those wolves and tigers alone. I am going to die. What is up? If I do not call to scold you a bit, I will feel terrible. You disloyal thing, you definitely will not be able to crack that tough nut.”

Pei Youting ignored everything said before, but those last words caught his ear. The smoke blurred his sharp brow and eyes, making him look so affectionate in the night. But he said, “Oh, then you are going to be disappointed. I just had to crook my finger, and he came running like a dog.” He laughed gently.

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