IROAWTMTFL Chapter 15

It was all because of what Jiang Li said about the “marital homes,” which left Yan Yan bewildered. He truly didn’t have any intention to play tricks or manipulate anyone today. But since the words had already left his mouth, he could only smile and say, “Just kidding, just kidding.”

The sales representative’s expression instantly turned more sympathetic. Look at that, telling the truth only led to immediate self-correction; how pitiful. If you asked him why he believed Yan Yan, who would joke about marrying a man? Same-sex marriage might be legal, but it still wasn’t mainstream.

The taller man clearly looked like a professional, with a distinguished appearance. It was unexpected. As for the younger one, he seemed well behaved and innocent, like a child. Could he have been coerced into marriage?

In comparison, the sales representative was immediately swayed by Yan Yan’s appearance. Seeing him suppress his grievance and trying to change his words, the representative couldn’t stay indifferent. He leaned in skillfully and added, “So, both of you are looking for a marital house. I understand that your situation isn’t completely accepted by society yet but please rest assured, I won’t speak out of turn.” If the other party’s attitude turned sour, he was ready to apologize on his knees; after all, he meant well.

“Marital house…” Yan Yan almost burst out laughing. Very well, fair is fair. After Jiang Li attacked him with that term today, Zhuang Yiyun shouldn’t escape it either.

He discreetly observed Zhuang Yiyun’s reaction. There was a moment of surprise on Zhuang Yiyun’s face. He opened his mouth to retort but seemed to undergo an internal struggle, and his words remained unspoken.

In fact, Zhuang Yiyun was thinking that two married people coming to buy a house together could indeed be referred to as a “marital house,” but it felt off. Well, it didn’t matter. He would never see this sales representative again; he could say whatever he wanted.

And so, the two tacitly agreed that they were looking for a marital house. If they knew that taking this step would lead to a series of concessions, Zhuang Yiyun would instantly deny anything he said, regardless of whether they would meet again in the future. Unfortunately, there was no remedy for regret.

“If the budget is okay, I would recommend this four-bedroom unit. Although you may not need a children’s room in the future, two gentlemen like yourselves can certainly make good use of the space. The master bedroom for personal use, the second bedroom can be kept as a guest room or repurposed. Both sides of the second bedroom are non-load-bearing walls, allowing for ample storage. You could open up the closet and second bedroom, or even connect them to the balcony, creating a large outdoor space for tea, games, reading, or gardening. Our balcony has privacy glass windows that can be opened, ensuring excellent privacy and catering to various… preferences.”

Zhuang Yiyun: “…” He didn’t really need privacy on the balcony.

“In addition, one of the other two rooms could serve as a study for working and studying, while the other could become a home theater or gaming room. Most people’s wives don’t usually play games, but for Mr. Zhuang’s wife, I mean husband, playing games together would be great.”

“This house not only has a well-designed layout and fulfills most people’s needs, but the kitchen and bathrooms are also equipped with advanced features. The double bathtub in the bathroom is larger than average on the market. We customized it according to the size of a family of three, which will definitely accommodate both of you.”

Zhuang Yiyun numbly half-closed his eyes. As someone who had accepted the assumption that they were looking for a marital home, he had no idea how to counter the sales representative’s presentation. Wasn’t this person embarrassed? Why did he bring up these topics during the presentation? He didn’t need to take baths together with Yan Yan, okay?

Yan Yan felt like he was about to lose control. If things continued like this, he might burst into laughter. He wished he could give the sales representative a thousand encouraging glances.

Before Zhuang Yiyun could figure out how to “deal with” the sales representative, he continued, “Who usually cooks between the two of you?”

Yan Yan raised his hand.

“On this side of the kitchen, we have steam and bake functions, which will satisfy most cooking enthusiasts. And as a bonus for booking a house today, we’re offering a dishwasher. Since there might be friction between two gentlemen sharing housework, having a dishwasher will eliminate any arguments about who should wash the dishes.”

“While we’re selling fully-furnished units at Yecheng, customization is also one of our signature services. If you’re interested, we can immediately arrange for you to see the property and price the modifications according to your requirements before incorporating them into the contract. Of course, if you prefer to make your own modifications, that’s possible too.”

This location was convenient, and the real estate company had a good reputation. Zhuang Yiyun’s colleagues who had purchased here had recommended it to him, and he had been leaning toward buying here all along. To prevent the sales representative from saying unnecessary things again, he promptly expressed his desire to visit the property in person. After the visit, he would immediately reject any modification proposals from the representative and proceed with signing the contract.

“No need for modifications. We’ll live like this. Do you have a proposal for interior design?”

“Of course we do.”

“Yan Yan, you can choose.”

“What about the budget?”

“Choose whatever you like.”

Yan Yan nodded slowly. It sounded so much like sweet talk, but he knew that Zhuang Yiyun simply didn’t care about these matters. Fine, if he didn’t care, he would make him care. Every detail of the interior design would be items they would use, and by putting in effort, he would make Zhuang Yiyun feel it.

“Then I’ll carefully make my choices for the interior design. We definitely won’t finish today. How about we schedule another time?” Yan Yan said to the sales representative and then turned to Zhuang Yiyun. “Gege, I’ll call you when it’s time to sign the contract.”

Yan Yan and the sales representative arranged another meeting, and it took place the next morning. The interior design proposal wasn’t just about looking at brochures. Yan Yan meticulously examined each sample, considering style, appearance, comfort, and functionality. Zhuang Yiyun was quick to sign the property contract, and at that time, the sales representative had thought although the man might be a scumbag, he was easy to serve as a customer. Only now did he realize that the trouble was yet to come.

The house deal was quickly sealed. However, when it came to the interior design, Yan Yan scrutinized every aspect, becoming exceptionally particular. Some items he liked from the package deal and insisted on purchasing separately, and he replaced those he wasn’t satisfied with. In short, he inquired about every detail, even the vase used to balance the visual composition in the pictures. If he found a suitable one, he insisted on buying it. But, who knew where that vase had ended up by now? It was probably gathering dust in some corner of their storage room. Searching for it would be a nightmare.

As a result, after getting tormented for an entire week, the sales representative happily congratulated Zhuang Yiyun the moment they were doing the interior design signing, “Mr. Zhuang, you’re really lucky and have great taste. You’re so fortunate!”

Zhuang Yiyun was puzzled, but he just nodded. As they were being seen off, the sales representative kept waving his hand, sending the two off with three consecutive blessings of a long-lasting and harmonious relationship. Thanks to his enthusiastic performance when choosing the interior design, Yan Yan’s story spread throughout the Yicheng Waterfront sales office that day.

This matter was then settled with—one husband denied his marital status, had a  casual attitude toward house hunting, but his partner was meticulousness in choosing furniture—all these details shaped the narrative of a scumbag meeting a romantic, an unfortunate mismatch. The story traveled from the sales office to the property management company, and for a while, Zhuang Yiyun was even scolded by housekeepers and security guards behind his back. But that’s a story for another time.

They couldn’t move into the new house immediately and Yan Yan watched closely as the furniture was brought in and installed. He returned home later than Zhuang Yiyun every day. When Zhuang Yiyun inquired about the progress, he only had one word: “Secret.”

Zhuang Yiyun had a strong memory and he instantly remembered Yan Yan’s appearance in the school gym. Surrounded by people, every movement he made drew the attention of the whole crowd. With a finger pressed against his plump, moist lips, he uttered the word “secret” with an air of excitement.

In fact, Zhuang Yiyun had other reasons for buying a house aside from privacy issues. He didn’t plan to tell his mother about this matter, using it as a means to temporarily shield Yan Yan from his mother’s scrutiny. He had been staying at the company for some time, and his mother likely knew about it, which was probably why she hadn’t come to bother him. However, her patience wouldn’t last for long.

Originally, he had gotten married to stop his mother’s nagging, but now he wanted to shield Yan Yan from it. Zhuang Yiyun didn’t delve into the change in his own thoughts. Perhaps his sense of morality had returned?

Not long after New Year’s, they moved into the new house. Yan Yan didn’t go into too much detail during the move-in process, and Zhuang Yiyun didn’t pay much attention to the minutiae of their life. They just celebrated moving into their new home with a simple dinner. However, after living there for two days, Zhuang Yiyun gradually discovered Yan Yan’s positive traits. He didn’t know how Yan Yan’s observation skills were so sharp, but he found that many of his(Zhuang Yiyun’s) habits and preferences from their previous place had been brought into their new home.

For instance, he liked non-flowering potted plants, and he had added many of them to the balcony. He also preferred having a somewhat supportive soft bed and low pillows, so the bedding in the master bedroom suited his preferences. No matter where he sat down for more than three minutes, he needed to have a book in his hand. As a result, Zhuang Yiyun had found bookmark holders in both the living room and the balcony.

Every single detail reflected Yan Yan’s care.

Zhuang Yiyun had to admit that he found it touching. Spending money on a house was just that, but he gained far more than he had expected. This new house they had just moved into seemed to have acquired a sense of home, all thanks to Yan Yan. It was only right that he gave something back. He thought back to the date on their marriage certificate, and realized that Yan Yan’s birthday was coming up soon.

Author’s note:

Current Yan Yan: Look, look! I told you there’s no stone that can’t get warmed up.

Later, Yan Yan upon receiving the gift: Please, I’m begging you, just go away. I’d rather you not warm up.