IROAWTMTFL Chapter 8

Last year, Senlan Group’s Drug Development Center officially relocated to Xing City and simultaneously established a new research and development team, marking a significant move after several years of inactivity. Senlan Pharmaceuticals is one of the few domestic pharmaceutical companies engaged in the development of original drugs. After the young master of the Senlan Group took over the company, his first move was to bring back his classmates from abroad, forming Senlan’s new research and development team—Research Team Six.

The researchers in Team Six were all very young. The team leader, Zhuang Yiyun, was only 27 years old this year, and the oldest member was only 33. Despite their youth, they were all rising stars in the industry. If it weren’t for the young master relying on the bond of friendship, Senlan wouldn’t have had much competitive power in recruiting them.

Zhuang Yiyun’s team was formed during his graduate studies at Monash University. People joined during his master’s and PhD periods. Initially, the members were all his classmates, and were later joined by senior students. During his PhD, as the team accumulated significant research results, a PhD from Harvard and another from Oxford were attracted to the team by its reputation, and the team size stabilized at 12 members.

Out of these 12 members, 7 accepted Senlan’s invitation to join, with Zhuang Yiyun returning to China and his team members coming from abroad. They had high hopes for their careers.

So, Zhuang Yiyun was indeed busy. Besides the eight of them in Team Six, Senlan provided them with research assistants and technicians, along with ample funding and trust. The development cycle for original drugs is quite long, even a decade is not unusual. However, progress should not be halted, especially since this project had been his long held career dream.

When Yan Yan’s call came in, Zhuang Yiyun had just come out of the lab after reviewing the notes made by his assistant. He wondered who was calling as he removed his gloves, and on seeing “Yan Yan” displayed on his phone’s screen, he was momentarily baffled, feeling as if he had traveled through time. After days of intense and uninterrupted work, how long had It been since they last saw each other? Right, it had been a week since they met at Yan Yan’s school.

His assistant looked at him with a questioning expression, and he nodded. Then, the assistant answered the call, putting it on speaker as he knew Dr. Zhuang disliked people being close to him.

“Gege, are you coming home for dinner today? It’s Christmas Eve, and I’ll cook.” Yan Yan’s gentle and soft voice echoed in the large office, drawing everyone’s attention. The foreign members quickly sought translations from their Chinese colleagues, and a chorus of “wows” filled the room.

Zhuang Yiyun had only removed one glove, but he immediately took the phone and turned off the speaker, heading towards his office. However, the discussions outside clearly wouldn’t be suppressed.

“I remember Dr. Zhuang being an only child. Where did this little brother come from. And he is living at his place?”

“The voice is so sweet.”

“And he’s going to cook for him.”

“Inviting him to spend Christmas Eve together.”

“Zhuang, hurry home. We’re taking over your office today!” the deputy team leader shouted loudly. A long-lost relaxation spread within the team, and everyone burst into laughter.

Zhuang Yiyun closed the office door, shutting out their teasing. The other side of the call had gone quiet as well.

“Gege, did I cause trouble for you?” Yan Yan’s tone and expression were completely different; his voice sounded guilty and flustered, but his face was all smiles. Of course he overheard the teasing. Those must be Dr. Zhuang’s colleagues, right? Haha, he got lucky, they were all preparations for his future assists.

“No.”

“Oh… I just felt that you haven’t been home for two weeks…”

Yan Yan’s voice trailed off, and it seemed the conversation was coming to a halt. Yan Yan wasn’t worried; he had noticed during their meeting at school that if he rushed Zhuang Yiyun, it wouldn’t work. Otherwise, during their first meeting, he wouldn’t have rejected him so resolutely. All he had to do was convey his concern and worries. It was evident during their meeting that Zhuang Yiyun was more receptive to this approach.

The phone signal was still connected, and an awkward yet slightly concerned atmosphere hung between them.

Zhuang Yiyun could sense it. Someone cared about him, wanted to spend the holiday with him, and cook for him. His mind involuntarily conjured an Image of Yan Yan right now—he probably had a cute and expectant expression, perhaps mixed with some unease; after all, he had stopped talking.

“I’ll be late so…”

“Team leader, I’ve got a problem with the data in my section, in the biological activity of the target protein. Take a look…” A short guy entered the room, speaking with the same seriousness as Zhuang Yiyun. He wore thin-rimmed glasses, and his appearance was refined and delicate—a very pleasant face to look at.

Although the commotion outside the office continued, he seemed entirely unaffected, his attention solely on the form he held.

Zhuang Yiyun stood up. The fleeting tenderness from before dissipated instantly as he said, “I still have things to attend to, I won’t be going home.” With that, he hung up.

“He clearly wanted to say he’d be a bit late, who interrupted my chance!” Yan Yan looked at the disconnected call, pouting in frustration.

He looked at the ingredients prepared in the kitchen and swiftly removed the apron. Since Zhuang Yiyun wasn’t coming home, he might as well go out and have fun. He took a few steps towards his room to change, but abruptly turned back.

Wait, doesn’t that mean he’s been working hard for hours in vain? Considering Zhuang Yiyun’s attitude just now, he intended to come back, right? Maybe he’d return as soon as he finished his work?

Yan Yan’s eyes sparkled as he came up with a new plan. The ingredients were ready, all stir-fried, and set up! Even if it’s a solo act, he was going to act till the end! Besides, who says it will truly be a solo act or not?

On that day, Zhuang Yiyun worked until 10 p.m. Usually, he would sleep at the development center, just like he had done in the past. Even for Christmas Eve, there was a special meal prepared, complete with beautifully packaged apples. When the short colleague took an the apple and handed it to him, he didn’t take it. He didn’t think much of it; perhaps he was too exhausted to contemplate. He hailed a cab and went home.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when he arrived home, and all was quiet. The entire house was empty and pitch black. He didn’t know what he was hoping for, but upon entering, he didn’t switch on the lights right away. Instead, he stood in the doorway for a while.

He was reluctant to admit, but there was a hint of disappointment. Under the hallway’s light, he glanced at his watch—it was 11 p.m. A young person who maintains a regular schedule should be asleep by now. Zhuang Yiyun closed the door gently, and then switched on the entrance light.

His apartment wasn’t large. On the left side of the entrance was an open kitchen, with a bar-style dining table just beyond it. On the right side was the living room. The brightness of the entrance light was modest, yet sufficient for Zhuang Yiyun to see the dishes on the dining table.

It was a table full of dishes, all homemade but meticulously arranged with a mix of meat and vegetables. Two bowls of rice and pairs of chopsticks were placed as well. There was nothing missing other than a diner.

He was taken aback, realizing that Yan Yan had truly prepared a Christmas Eve feast and hadn’t eaten because he hadn’t come home. The dishes remained untouched, and there was no sign of anyone in the house.

“Yan Yan?” Zhuang Yiyun called out. He went to the bedroom, but didn’t find anyone.

He turned on the lights and sat down at the dining table, finally getting a clear view of the spread. He also noticed the apples carved into Christmas trees, each more intricate than the company-issued ones. Yan Yan had bought apples of different colors, carving three Christmas trees of varying sizes. It looked cute in the dishes, but over time, the peeled parts had oxidized.

Zhuang Yiyun looked at the plate of apples, picked up his chopsticks and began eating. He hadn’t had dinner, but he hadn’t felt hungry until he took the first bite and realized how famished he was.

It was a marriage of convenience, so he should maintain some distance. Yan Yan’s thoughtful preparation might suggest he had ulterior motives, something he should consider, but he wasn’t willing to think about it now. People were probably like this; when they encounter something they lack, they become attached. Anyway, Yan Yan wasn’t at home now, and he knew nothing.

He didn’t send a message or make a call to ask Yan Yan where he went. As grown men, they were free to come and go. He himself hadn’t been home for half a month. At least until after midnight, he’d not ask why Yan Yan hadn’t returned.

Even though the dishes had gone cold, Zhuang Yiyun still ate about half of them; they still tasted good actually. Thinking of his own mediocre cooking skills that only sufficed to stave off hunger, he didn’t expect Yan Yan, who was six years his junior, to be this good. He carefully sealed the leftovers and placed them in the fridge before carrying the plate of apple Christmas trees into the living room.

As soon as he sat down, he felt the difference—the couch had been replaced. The style was similar, but the comfort was vastly improved, it was soft and cozy. The previous couch and the current one were like the difference between him and Yan Yan.

Was it because Yan Yan disliked it, or was he considering his comfort while sleeping on the couch?

There was no need to ask, Zhuang Yiyun already knew the answer.

Perhaps the new couch was too comfortable, he didn’t even know when he had laid down. Whether it was because of exhaustion from the past twenty days or something else, but he fell asleep without realizing it.

Yan Yan had left with some deliberate intent, but he was also somewhat frustrated. Despite his ulterior motives, he had put in effort to prepare for celebrating together. He hadn’t gone anywhere else; he was just at the Liye Bar. Christmas Eve was particularly busy at bars, and he ended up helping with the drinks after only having a couple himself. He then left at 3 a.m when things had quieted down.

He hadn’t looked at his phone the entire night, and when he did after leaving the bar, there were no unread messages from Zhuang Yiyun, no missed calls. The agitation brought on by the night’s busyness suddenly became overwhelming.

“He really didn’t come back. You’ve outdone yourself, Zhuang Yiyun!” Yan Yan’s expression turned completely cold.

Yan Yan rode a taxi back home, his face expressionless throughout the journey. He paid by scanning the code, leaving the driver somewhat fearful. A wildly dressed young man getting into a cab in the middle of the night, exuding an air of hostility and having an icy gaze, wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. Oh, and he reeked of alcohol.

Thankfully, it was alright. The man got out of the car uneventfully, and the driver stepped on the gas and sped off into the distance, quickly disappearing from Yan Yan’s sight.

“Tsk.” Yan Yan stared in the direction the taxi disappeared in, somewhat amused. His mood inexplicably lightened.

Maybe he didn’t have many positive qualities, but being cheerful was definitely one of them. He opened the apartment door, and upon seeing Zhuang Yiyun lying on the couch, his mood improved even more.

Unlike when Zhuang Yiyun returned and only turned on the entrance light, Yan Yan turned on the main light as soon as he entered. The sudden brightness caused Zhuang Yiyun to furrow his brows subconsciously. His eyes moved beneath his eyelids, indicating he was trying to open them, but his consciousness was heavy, and he had no control over his body.

Yan Yan glanced at the empty dining table and the plate of apple Christmas trees on the coffee table. His grin widened even more.

He had not been busy in vain. Suddenly, he realized something and ran his hand through his hair. Damn it, he hadn’t put on his wig. His clothes were hidden beneath his down jacket, but the hair, earrings, and ear cuff—once Zhuang Yiyun opened his eyes, unless he was blind or had amnesia, how could he explain that?