IROAWTMTFL Chapter 16

On the second day after moving into their new house, Yan Yan remembered something he hadn’t asked before and took the opportunity while he was having breakfast to inquire about Zhuang Yiyun’s workplace.

Zhuang Yiyun seemed to have a slight case of cleanliness and OCD, impeccably well-groomed from head to toe. His shirt was crisply ironed, the buttons of his cashmere coat neatly fastened. Sitting across from him was Yan Yan, who was in fleece loungewear and slurping on his noodles. The picture gave an odd sense of harmony.

“High-Tech Industrial Park.”

Yan Yan nodded. The commute was around 20 minutes, which was not too far. He then asked, “Gege, what do you do?”

Zhuang Yiyun assumed Yan Yan already knew, and if he didn’t, he should have asked by now. It only struck him at this moment that it was somewhat strange, but that vague feeling slipped through his grasp.

“I work in pharmaceutical research and development.”

“Sounds impressive.”

“It’s alright. It might be dull for you – endless experiments and discussions.”

After finishing the last bit of noodles, Zhuang Yiyun felt warm all over. He sat there, not wanting to get up. He usually rinsed his mouth after meals, but this time he wanted to savor the taste a bit longer.

Ever since he started coming back home, Yan Yan would prepare their meals meticulously. There was a balanced nutrition with a mix of meat and vegetables, all visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious. Plus, the taste of home-cooked dishes was genuinely different from outside food, something he hadn’t experienced much before. Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like he had already formed a new habit of eating at home.

Before heading to work, Yan Yan handed him a lunchbox with a neatly cut sandwich.

“You’ve set off too early today, I’m afraid you might get hungry in the morning, so I made this.”

Their team had an experiment result coming out in the morning, so they had to be there before 7 am and monitor in person. Zhuang Yiyun had casually mentioned it yesterday, but he didn’t expect that when he woke up, Yan Yan was already preparing breakfast. Having breakfast was already surprising, but this was beyond that.

In fact, Senlan had great employee benefits. There were refreshments provided in the morning and afternoon, and at worst, he could let his old classmates brush up on their favorability. But as Zhuang Yiyun took that plain transparent lunchbox, he felt his fingertips warm up slightly. The bright yellow border on it reminded him of how Yan Yan made him feel, like the warm winter sun.

“Thank you.”

After seeing him off, Yan Yan didn’t rush to clean up the table. Instead, he went back to his room to catch some more sleep. Waking up early like this wasn’t in line with his usual biological clock, but he was doing it for Zhuang Yiyun. Exhausted from forcing himself awake, Yan Yan lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

When Zhuang Yiyun arrived at the research center, there weren’t many people yet. Only four people from their team had come, three from other countries and one from China. If Yan Yan were here, he would recognize the only Chinese team member’s voice – the one who had spoiled his plans on Christmas Eve.

This person was called Luan Qing and was a year older than Zhuang Yiyun. He had a PhD from Oxford University, had joined Zhuang Yiyun’s team three years ago and was a genuine genius. He had a youthful appearance; at twenty-eight, he looked twenty-four and his colleagues often took care of him without realizing it.

When Zhuang Yiyun walked into the office, others were already changing clothes to prepare for the lab and his lunchbox was especially noticeable in his hands.

“Zhuang, is this breakfast for us?” One of the team members glanced over.

“No.”

Another team member walked up and joked, “This doesn’t look like takeout from outside. It’s something brought from home. Is something going on, Dr. Zhuang?”

Luan Qing unconsciously slowed down his movements as he dressed and focused his attention entirely on Zhuang Yiyun.

Zhuang Yiyun didn’t answer, he went straight to his office to put his things down. Luan Qing’s gaze was blocked by the door to his office, and the others continued chatting.

“It must be the one who called him ‘gege’ last time.”

“What’s that saying in Chinese? An iron tree blossoming? I never thought Zhuang would have a day like this.”

Luan Qing frowned tightly; he didn’t believe it.

He didn’t believe it, but when he went to report to Zhuang Yiyun’s office later in the morning, he saw him eating the sandwich. While eating, his gaze remained fixed on the computer screen, and Luan Qing’s presence in the room hardly garnered any attention.

“Team Leader, should I get some refreshments for you?” Luan Qing asked.

Only then did Zhuang Yiyun turn his head. He didn’t answer Luan Qing’s question, instead, he asked him to come over and look at the paper displayed on the screen.

“This is Kevin’s newly published work. Take a look…”

Yan Yan hadn’t completely anticipated this scenario, but he had planned for it. He hadn’t forgotten the teasing and banter he heard during the phone call on Christmas Eve. Zhuang Yiyun’s colleagues had already set the stage for him. If there was an opportunity, why waste it?

He was always keen on seizing opportunities, and as soon as Zhuang Yiyun mentioned it yesterday, he had already planned for today. His preparations did work. Even though Zhuang Yiyun didn’t show much reaction, Yan Yan had managed to establish a noticeable presence among his colleagues. Even though they still didn’t know his name, it didn’t matter; they would all come to know him as Yan Yan.

After that day, Zhuang Yiyun brought that yellow-bordered lunchbox every day, sometimes with fruit, sometimes with cookies Yan Yan had baked himself. Zhuang Yiyun didn’t want to be a topic of discussion among his colleagues, but Yan Yan always found a way to get him to accept. Later, Yan Yan thoughtfully prepared a dedicated tote bag for the lunch box, but… having nothing was better than the cute polka-dot tote bag.

Zhuang Yiyun found it hard to explain his feelings. He’d refuse, but in the end, he’d always eat it all up. Once, when Luan Qing wanted to take a cookie from his lunchbox, he even glared him away.

In just a week, the entire research center was abuzz with the news that Dr. Zhuang from Team Six had found a partner. At least, he was being pursued and was receptive. The most crucial part was that, during that time, a team member had a birthday and Dr. Zhuang even inquired about what birthday gift they (he and Yan Yan) should get for her. The team member didn’t say anything publicly, or else the office gossip would have reached new heights.

In the break room, Zhuang Yiyun handed the freshly brewed coffee to the female team member and privately wished her a “happy birthday.”

The female team member was somewhat taken aback by the favor, and her excitement surged for a moment. However, when she looked at Zhuang Yiyun’s expressionless face, it was like being doused with a bucket of ice-cold water and she quickly regained her composure.

“Team Leader, if you have something to say, just say it.”

“Do I look like I have something to say?”

“No one visits someone without a reason. You came to wish me privately, and you made coffee. You must have something to discuss; otherwise, why would you waste your time?”

Zhuang Yiyun was dumbfounded. He didn’t refute it but it seemed his image in his colleague’s eyes was indeed somewhat aloof.

“I have a question to ask. Among the gifts you received today, what pleased you the most?”

It was a baffling question. Zhuang Yiyun genuinely wasn’t the type to care about what birthday gifts his team members received. The female team member’s thoughts raced, and she recalled recent rumors.

So, Dr. Zhuang planned to give someone a gift but didn’t know what? She couldn’t fathom it. After all, Luan Qing hadn’t managed to catch him. What sort of genius could have made that happen? Luan Qing’s birthday was in the summer, so it couldn’t be him… Thinking of the Yun-Qing CP she shipped that had already turned into a BE (bad ending), she felt dizzy. After these rumors spread, the female employees in the research center’s group chat were in chaos. Half of them were crying over pairing the wrong CP, while the other half were in tears because their idol was nolonger single. In short, there was no peace.

Who could have thought that she would end up being inadvertently involved? She really wanted to shout in the group chat, but she couldn’t with Dr. Zhuang’s icy demeanor.

“Is it difficult to answer?”

Zhuang Yiyun’s voice pulled her back from her jumbled thoughts, and she quickly replied, “I liked a set of books the most.”

“Books?” Zhuang Yiyun compared that with Yan Yan’s profile and felt that he probably wasn’t someone who enjoyed reading. After all, he hadn’t touched any of the books at home.

“Actually, my hobby is reading novels. My best friend gave me a signed book by my favorite author, and it touched my heart.”

Zhuang Yiyun pondered. The female team member wanted to continue saying something, but he had already made up his mind. He thanked her and left.

Back in his office, Zhuang Yiyun began his research and quickly solidified his plan. Yan Yan had no idea that Zhuang Yiyun had already marked his birthday on his calendar, and that he was preparing a gift with the same diligence he approached his projects. If Yan Yan knew, he might just jump onto Zhuang Yiyun on the spot.

Some matters were brewing, but they hadn’t brought about any direct changes in their lives. Instead, Yan Yan was busy preparing for his final exams. As a senior, he couldn’t afford any failures, so he diligently stayed in the dormitory to review with his roommates.

A new week brought sudden warmth back to Star City, unlike the dry cold of the previous week. The sunshine was bright, lifting people’s moods along with it.

With Yan Yan not at home, Zhuang Yiyun naturally didn’t receive his personalized extra meal. The gossip group in the research center’s chat was abuzz again, with everyone speculating on who their potential rivals for Luan Qing’s affection could be. Unaware of the changes he was causing, Zhuang Yiyun continued to go to and from work as usual. However, in just a couple of days, something unexpected happened, catching him off guard.

One evening, as work hours were ending, Luan Qing suddenly approached him and invited him to dinner. He seemed serious and formal, so Zhuang Yiyun didn’t refuse.

Luan Qing took him to a private kitchen restaurant that specialized in Yunnan cuisine. Luan Qing was from Yunnan, and Zhuang Yiyun immediately had some bad speculations. Could something be wrong with his family? Luan Qing was a work-study student, and he had heard that his family wasn’t well-off. He had managed to study abroad with a full scholarship.

During dinner, Luan Qing was visibly preoccupied, and Zhuang Yiyun hadn’t really mastered the art of heart-to-heart conversations. He didn’t know how to approach the topic, and the meal became quite uncomfortable. Luan Qing started talking about the characteristics of the dishes as if everything was normal, making the situation even harder to bear.

Unconsciously, he thought of Yan Yan. Eating with Yan Yan was comfortable; he had a very pleasant expression when he ate, and watching him eat could really stimulate one’s appetite. He didn’t realize it before, but after making a comparison, he realized that there were many things he liked about Yan Yan.

After finishing their meal, Luan Qing finally lifted his head: “Actually, the reason I asked you to come today is because I have something to say. Regardless of what I say next, please don’t interrupt me. Can you let me finish?”

His tone was different from usual. His breath was tense, and his voice was parched, giving off an artificial calmness.

Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t help but feel worried. If something was really wrong with Luan Qing’s family, what could he do to help?

“Okay, go ahead and speak.”

“Team leader, we’ve known each other for four years now, right? I’ve always admired you. There doesn’t seem to be anything that can truly stump you professionally. Your talent, your effort, all of it has made me look up to you.”

Zhuang Yiyun interjected: “You’re very accomplished too…”

“I told you not to interrupt me. I’ve thought about it for a long time, three years at least. If I can’t say it all at once, I might never find the courage again.”

“Team leader, I admire you a lot. Initially, it was just pure admiration. I always told myself to keep my feelings in check, after all, I’m not straight. But I don’t know when my feelings took a different turn. When I found out you might have someone you’re interested in, and you’re showing your gentleness to others, I couldn’t endure waiting any longer. I’m thinking, if you’re willing to accept someone’s kindness, why can’t it be me?”

“I asked you to dinner today because I wanted to tell you that I like you. If you’re planning to start a relationship, please consider me.”

Other than during discussions when they disagreed, it was the first time Zhuang Yiyun had heard Luan Qing speak so much. He, who usually matter-of-fact, was suddenly so eloquent. In that moment, Zhuang Yiyun felt a great headache, he was ten times more overwhelmed than when he first met Yan Yan.

His most capable researcher, his genius partner, was now confessing his feelings and saying he liked him. What kind of joke was this?!

I just realized I’ve been posting on the wrong day 😅. Anyway, my other novel is ending so I will be able to upload more chapters of IROAWTMTFL. Please keep an eye out for the new update schedule on Friday.