Translator: Helliot
Editor: Isalee
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Many changes in the world happen out of nowhere. A thought from a second ago may not be the same as the thought that comes a second later, or even the next. For example, Gu Ze never thought he would ever screw another man, but he did that to Meng Fu.
His car stopped in the driveway. The lights were still on, as if a wife was waiting for her husband who was returning home late. The beautiful and gentle wife would be lounging on the sofa with the TV on, accidentally falling asleep. Then, the husband would enter the room quietly and carefully carry his wife to the bed.
Unfortunately, the large home was empty. No one was there to await his return, let alone his wife.
Gu Ze quietly lit up a cigarette in his car, swirls of smoke wafting up before drifting slowly out of the gap in the car window. He seemed to be able to see Meng Fu lying on the bed through the smoky haze.
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel.
Then, he took a large drag from his cigarette and exhaled strongly. There was nothing to regret, he told himself. That man deserved it, and it was his own fault that he bled and had to go through that suffering. Just keep going, Gu Ze. It doesn’t matter if it’s disgusting or revolting, just make him suffer. He wouldn’t feel a single shred of pain for that man again.
Meng Yi did not expect Ye Yan to take him out to play, so he had a blast that day. While they went out to eat and while they were watching TV, he would constantly call out to Big Brother Ye Yan in a sweet voice.
There was a constant frown on Ye Yan’s face as he seemed to dislike Meng Yi calling out to him in such a childish way. “Xiao Yi, just call me Brother Ye Yan.”
“What’s wrong with Big Brother Ye Yan?”
“It sounds so childish.”
“But Big Brother Ye Yan isn’t a child,” Meng Yi answered innocently.
“I’m calling you childish.”
“I’m not a child!” Meng Yi pouted. “Meng-Meng says I’m nineteen. I’m an adult now.”
How could he be an adult? He was clearly a little kid that would never grow up. Ye Yan looked into his pair of innocent eyes, looking at how he was always twiddling his fingers, and thought silently to himself, You annoying fool, why did you have to be an idiot?
They played until late into the night. At 1 in the morning, Ye Yan was already getting tired, but Meng Yi was still as spirited as before. When Ye Yan said they were going home, he would tug his arm and say playfully, “Big Brother Ye Yan, just a while longer! I want another cupcake.”
Ye Yan had already bought him two, and he couldn’t let Meng Yi eat so much. He had already eaten too much today—it would spoil his stomach.
He managed to persuade Meng Yi to go home and pressed on the doorbell, but no one opened the door even after waiting for a while. So, he could only ring the doorbell again. Meng Yi was standing at the side, completely unperturbed. “Big Brother Ye Yan, Meng-Meng is probably asleep. It’s okay! We can just go and play more.”
After a long time, the door finally opened.
Meng Fu’s face was pale, and his eyes instantly transformed from horror to a look of ease after a tense moment. Thank God it wasn’t Gu Ze. Ye Yan watched him hesitate for a while before moving aside, calling out to him softly, “Ye Yan.”
“Meng-Meng, why does the house smell weird?” Meng Yi waved his hand around his nose, trying to drive away the smell.
As if he’d been caught red-handed, the tips of Meng Fu’s ears blushed red. Naturally, the smell came from after the deed. What’s more, he was still filled with Gu Ze’s fluids at the back.
He panicked, not knowing how to explain the smell to Meng Yi. He noticed Ye Yan shoot a meaningful glance at him and then smirk, but he didn’t say anything.
“Meng-Meng, it smells funny.” Meng Yi’s nose sniffed hard at the smell. “Is something broken?”
“Nothing’s broken.” His throat felt extremely dry. Scared that Meng Yi would keep asking, he said, “It’s late, Xiao Yi. You should shower and go to bed.”
“See, Big Brother Ye Yan! I told you! Meng-Meng always tells me to sleep early.” Meng Yi gave Ye Yan an “I-told-you-so” look, but he still behaved and went to take a shower.
Ye Yan watched Meng Fu’s handsome face. He gazed at the blush lingering on the tips of his ears that didn’t fade even after a long time and watched him walk slowly into the kitchen with slightly unsteady steps.
“Here, water.” Meng Fu came out with a cup of water for Ye Yan. His behind felt sticky and disgusting with blood and Gu Ze’s thing mixed together. He wished he could clean it up immediately, and even regretted having laid in bed for so long. If he had washed it off earlier, then Ye Yan wouldn’t have bumped into such an embarrassing scene. Any normal man would be able to tell what the smell was.
He tried his best to remain calm and sat down, but the frown on his brow exposed his pain.
The sound of running water could be heard in the bathroom. It was quite rare, but Meng Yi had even begun singing in the shower. “I’m a little birdie, but I can’t fly high… I’m a little birdie…”
Ye Yan smiled when he heard the childish song. Picking up the cup of water, he took a sip. Only after hesitating for a while did he ask, “You got hurt, didn’t you?”
It wasn’t a questioning tone, but one of great certainty.
He was exposed without even the chance to pretend. Meng Fu nodded, and his toes began to curl up.
“All these years, I never knew you liked men.”
“I don’t,” he retorted immediately.
“Then what’s with you back there? What sort of woman could give you that sort of injury? Anyway, the smell of another man on you is just too strong.” Ye Yan could see Meng Fu stiffen up in an instant, looking helpless and ashamed as if his lie was being ripped apart.
“I don’t like men,” Meng Fu repeated softly as if he could clear his name with just that one sentence.
“You know, I’d rather hear you say that you do like men. It feels like I’m all alone, both in the Ye family and in the Meng family, so I’m glad you and I are the same kind.”
Meng Fu turned his head abruptly and looked at Ye Yan in disbelief.
“Don’t give me that look. It’s normal to be gay. Our families just don’t get it, especially not my mom. She was adamant about getting me to attend a blind date today, so I had no choice but to bring Xiao Yi with me and screw it up,” Ye Yan said with a helpless expression. However, he quickly turned back to Meng Fu with a smile, saying meaningfully, “But Meng Fu, isn’t your man a little too fierce? You’re bleeding. You should get that checked out at the hospital tomorrow.”
He thought that Meng Fu was already very experienced, and that he was only worried of being discriminated against if he admitted to liking men. He had no idea that it was Meng Fu’s first time. If not for his reminder, Meng Fu might’ve not even thought about seeing a doctor.
“Is it…alright if I don’t see a doctor?” His voice almost sounded buried with his head down, and his toes were completely curled up. He felt so embarrassed that he just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
“It’s best if you do. You’ll be in serious trouble if the injury gets inflamed,” Ye Yan urged him out of kindness.
He panicked as he didn’t want to go to the hospital, at least not for this. He couldn’t do it. While he was still in prison, he’d inadvertently caught men doing it with each other and he thought he would have nothing to do with that kind of thing. He could get used to knowing that other men did such things, but he never imagined that anything would ever happen between himself and another man.
When Meng Yi came out of the shower, he could still catch that strange smell and asked straight away, “Meng-Meng, why does it still smell funny?”
Before Meng Fu could answer, Ye Yan gave him a helping hand. “Xiao Yan, why don’t you hurry up and go to bed? Meng-Meng will get rid of the smell in the bathroom.”
“Is something broken in the bathroom? I didn’t smell anything inside.”
Faced with Meng Yi’s constant barrage of questions, Ye Yan was speechless. He got up and pushed Meng Yi into the room. “If Xiao Yi behaves, then Brother Ye Yan will take you out for cupcakes again in a few days.”
“Really, Big Brother Ye Yan?”
“Call me Brother Ye Yan.”
“Big Brother Ye Yan, I want the strawberry flavored one, and the mango one, and the blueberry one…”
“Alright, alright,” Ye Yan answered him and turned back to Meng Fu, “You should go and shower. I’ll leave immediately after this.”
“Right.” Meng Fu nodded, grateful for Ye Yan’s help.