IROAWTMTFL Chapter 20

“Your tone isn’t quite right, Old Zhuang,” Ke Mingcheng extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, adopting a stance of readiness for a conversation. “Should I take it that you’re very dissatisfied with this marriage?”

“What’s there to be satisfied or dissatisfied with when it’s all fake?”

Yan Yan’s knocking motion froze, and he felt a bit breathless. He couldn’t quite explain the feeling. Zhuang Yiyun was right, but hearing him casually say it to someone else was uncomfortable. He suddenly didn’t want to go in and interrupt their conversation. Let Ke Mingcheng say whatever he wanted.

Inside the room, the conversation continued.

“What do you mean by ‘fake’? Don’t tell me it’s a fake marriage. Are you participating in a prank show?”

Ke Mingcheng laughed somewhat carefreely, but Zhuang Yiyun’s response was somewhat absentminded.

“Yeah.”

“You…”

“Am I crazy? Probably.”

Zhuang Yiyun had never shared anything about his family with others, but after being friends for ten years, Ke Mingcheng had guessed some things. He couldn’t make it too clear, so he just hinted implicitly: “Just for…?”

Zhuang Yiyun remained silent and Ke Mingcheng continued, “So, are you being a gold master?”

A twinge of discomfort crossed Yan Yan’s mind outside. While Ke Mingcheng was just teasing Zhuang Yiyun with this question, hearing someone thinking that about him was infuriating.

“No, he doesn’t need my money.”

“Do you even know what a ‘gold master’ means, Old Zhuang? If he doesn’t need your money, that only denies one aspect. So, did you get intimate with him? I really didn’t think you were gay…”

“No, how is that possible?” Zhuang Yiyun took another drag, his brows furrowing slightly, likely because he was unaccustomed to the soft lady’s cigarette. “He’s just helping.”

“Are there really such selfless people in the world? He should receive an award for being one of the Top Ten Youth Benefactors.”

Ke Mingcheng thought back to the time he saw Yan Yan in Liye, it was now evident that he had been referring to Zhuang Yiyun. His stupid brother thought the other party was being a helpful and kind hearted citizen, not knowing he had been fooled. But maybe being fooled wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – getting deceived in body could enlighten the heart.

And then thinking about the one behind the curtains, Zhuang Yiyun’s allure was significant, he had people pursuing him one after the other. Was it the case that the more someone refused advances, the more popular they became? He wondered whether his indifference to hot or cold had become unmarketable.

“It’s not important.” Zhuang Yiyun fell silent again, finished his cigarette, and rose to leave.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Yan Yan, who had intended to knock and enter, swiftly retreated into the shadowed corner of the adjacent corridor. It was an instinctive reaction. He didn’t want to meet Zhuang Yiyun at this moment. He had a premonition that if they crossed paths, his efforts for the past few days would be wasted. His heart felt a bit hollow, like a feather thrown out the window, drifting aimlessly.

Zhuang Yiyun’s indifferent attitude, icy tone, and the smile from when he had held his arm at the banquet earlier merged in Yan Yan’s mind. The contrast was so stark it could be a joke. He realized that not only was he putting on an act, but Zhuang Yiyun might also have never revealed his true self or, in other words, his other side. Whether Ke Mingcheng would expose his charade no longer concerned him; if he wanted to say it, then let him. Exposing it would conveniently get rid of this obedient and well behaved disguise.

Even though he knew he might not have any results with him…he felt annoyed. Why was it so difficult to get into bed?

Yan Yan watched as Zhuang Yiyun returned to the banquet hall before following after him once he disappeared from view.

Inside the lounge, Ke Mingcheng stood up to draw the curtain and whispered to the hidden Luan Qing, “If Dr. Luan is pleased with what he heard, give a tip.”

“Vice President Ke is joking.”

Ke Mingcheng’s expression was teasing as he removed the handkerchief from his chest pocket and handed it to Luan Qing. “Use this to wipe your sweat.”

“No need.”

“Take it. If both the head and hands are sweating, people might think something went wrong with my event.” After saying this, Ke Mingcheng left the lounge.

After that incident, Yan Yan felt somewhat detached. He didn’t go looking for Zhuang Yiyun again, choosing instead to hang out with Zhong Lu to eat and drink. Zhong Lu was a sincere person who treated others warmly. Fearing Yan Yan might feel uncomfortable in this unfamiliar environment, he tirelessly introduced him to people. Whether he had a good memory or just put a lot of effort into remembering faces, there were few in the entire R&D center that he didn’t recognize, and his knowledge of his colleagues’ backgrounds was extensive.

Just as Zhong Lu had said, whether it was in the field of generic drugs or original drug development, the employees were all highly educated elites. Tossing a brick and hitting three PhDs wasn’t a joke. Graduates from Tsinghua, Peking University, traditional Chinese medicine schools, and even overseas graduates from renowned Western institutions all carried impressive business cards.

“Do you see that person in the wrinkled suit, with the salt-and-pepper hair? That’s Dr. Zhao Guoying, the leader of Group Three. He’s considered the Senior Uncle of Dr. Zhuang’s group. They studied at the same school for their bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees. During Dr. Zhuang’s master’s and PhD stages, his mentor was Senior Uncle Zhao’s senior schoolmate. Other than President Ke, Senior Uncle Zhao has the best relationship with Dr. Zhuang.”

Even with a highly respected senior in front of him, they didn’t insist on Yan Yan going over to meet them, truly embodying Zhuang Yiyun’s “not important.” After all, it was all fake. What did he expect?

“And that lady in the purple-red suit, she’s the only female group leader among the six R&D groups at Senlan, holding a Harvard doctorate. Don’t be fooled by her friendly smile; she’s just as strict as Dr. Zhuang. Her group works on original drugs too.”

Following Zhong Lu’s gaze, Yan Yan looked over. The lady seemed to be in her forties, exuding both intellect and gentleness. It was indeed hard to imagine her being strict with her subordinates.

“You mentioned ‘original drugs’ and ‘generic drugs.’ What are original drugs? What are generic drugs?”

“You don’t understand these? Does Dr. Zhuang never discuss work at home?” Feeling like they were on familiar terms now, Zhong Lu spoke more directly.

Yan Yan shook his head. “No, he never discusses it.” He wondered whether Zhuang Yiyun would bring up work if they were in a real relationship, but regardless, he wouldn’t discuss it with him.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Lu gave a thumbs-up and praised. “Old Zhuang is truly a good man. He doesn’t burden you with his work-related stress or show off. He really loves you. He probably never puts pressure on you in studies, even if he himself is a god of learning.”

Yan Yan nodded nonchalantly. In the past, he might have gone along with Zhong Lu’s words and imagined Dr. Zhuang’s “affection.” Now… it didn’t matter.

Heh.

“He knew I had average grades in school before we got married. For him, I was probably a mediocre student.”

Yan Yan’s words contained a touch of anger, which oddly evoked envy from Zhong Lu.

“Tsk tsk tsk, remarkable. That’s what a good man is like. He doesn’t impose his own pressure and standards on his partner.”

Yan Yan: “…”

In any case, no matter how it was put, Team Leader Zhuang was extraordinary?

“Let’s get back on track. Original drugs and generic drugs are relative concepts. Generic drugs are copies produced by other countries and pharmaceutical companies after the patent protection period for a branded drug expires. Have you seen the movie ‘Dying to Survive’? The Indian drug in it is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and it is an example of a generic drug. Correspondingly, original drugs are novel creations. Currently, our domestic production of original drugs is limited, lagging behind developed countries.”

“So, what does your group do?”

“We work on original drugs.” Zhong Lu looked quite proud. “Most of our group is the team Dr. Zhuang brought back from Australia. When they came back, Senlan signed agreements with us. If Senlan hadn’t invested heavily in R&D funds and ensured their return, Dr. Zhuang wouldn’t have come back. We all say he’s destined to work on original drugs.”

“Let me tell you, the development of targeted small-molecule drugs against KRAS took forty years without any major breakthroughs. Dr. Zhuang’s mentor is a consultant for a top pharmaceutical company in North America. Dr. Zhuang followed him on this project, and the theories he proposed made significant contributions to key technological breakthroughs.”

“Targeted KRAS what? What does that mean?”

“Oh, I forgot you’re not from our field. In simple terms, it’s a broad-spectrum anticancer drug.”

“An anticancer drug?!” Yan Yan was surprised. When Zhuang Yiyun had mentioned his work in pharmaceutical development before, he hadn’t thought to ask him about the specifics. The notion of working on anticancer drugs, to him as a layman, seemed almost mythical, carrying with it an air of noble virtue.

“Yes, we returned to China, and now we’re working on our country’s original anticancer drugs. Don’t be fooled by our group having only around ten researchers. There are quite a number of assistants, like me. Also, we’re collaborating with the National Medical Center for research and development. Senlan is ambitious and driven by a sense of purpose. With each new broad-spectrum anticancer drug we bring to the market, with each reduction in production costs, we can save a lot of lives.”

Ambition and a sense of purpose were lost on Yan Yan. Learning about this group’s work, he found himself looking at them with added reverence. Before this, he had no idea what kind of world he had stepped into, one so distant from him.

On the way home, Zhuang Yiyun reverted to the familiar Zhuang Yiyun he knew. He seemed distant but gentle, and he took the initiative to say, “You’ve had a long day. Thank you.”

If this were before, Yan Yan would probably have graciously said, “It’s nothing,” or “I’m quite happy.” But thinking about the conversation he’d overheard outside the lounge today, thinking about what Zhong Lu had told him, he turned his head to look at Zhuang Yiyun and asked, “Does gege have any gift of gratitude for me?”

His gaze was intense, and his question carried a plea for an answer.

Zhuang Yiyun was focused on driving and didn’t notice Yan Yan’s strange expression. He replied casually, “What do you want?”

“I’ll have completed all my university courses after I finish my last exam next Tuesday and I won’t have classes in the second semester of my senior year. Can you have a big meal with me when I’m done with my exams? Consider it a celebration.”

“Okay, what would you like to eat?” Zhuang Yiyun calculated the time. Yan Yan’s birthday was next Wednesday, and his gift was ready too. If he celebrated with Yan Yan on Tuesday after finishing his exams, by midnight, it would be Wednesday, and he could celebrate his birthday then.

“At home. I’ll be done with my exam in the morning, so let’s have dinner when you get back.” After saying this, Yan Yan relaxed in his seat, leaning back.

“Dining at home isn’t much of a celebration, and it would trouble you. Let’s go out to eat.”

“I’d prefer to stay home. I want to cook my own meal to celebrate.” He looked up, his peripheral vision falling on Zhuang Yiyun’s face. What a perplexing face. He couldn’t drag this man into his affairs any longer. He had figured it out; he would give him some wine at home, sleep with him and then run away. Zhuang Yiyun didn’t touch alcohol at the company’s annual meeting, so he probably wouldn’t drink when eating out either. Only at home could he lower his guard.

Yan Yan’s tone became even more relaxed as he smiled and said, “Do you have any allergies to seafood? I want to make a seafood feast.”

“I can eat anything.”

“Great. You’ll be footing the bill, gege.”

“Of course, buy whatever you want.”

“Then I won’t be polite.”

“Are you going back home or to school?” When Zhuang Yiyun asked this question, he didn’t realize he was somewhat looking forward to the answer. Ever since Yan Yan moved back to the dorm to prepare for his exams, his home had been empty and lacking vitality. He wasn’t as accustomed to it as he thought.

“I’ll go back to school. You can drop me off at the school gate, gege.” Yan Yan pointed to the intersection ahead. “Turn left here, and it’s a street away. That’s the South Second Gate of our school. I’ll get off there.”

The street was quickly reached. Zhuang Yiyun watched as Yan Yan got out of the car, waved his hand without hesitation, and entered the school gate. There was still a car behind him, so he could only continue driving. In less than half a minute, the voice and breath of the person in the car vanished completely.

Back on the road, he remained in a bad mood until he reached home, though he didn’t know why. Clearly, everything had gone smoothly today. He had taken Yan Yan to the company’s annual meeting, and now the entire company knew he was married. His spouse was quite adorable, and he would no longer face embarrassing situations like Luan Qing’s confession. He should be happy. However, he followed his usual routine of taking a shower and changing clothes, trying to get comfortable for sleep, yet he stayed awake for a long time.

He couldn’t fall asleep, but Yan Yan slept soundly. He had made up his mind and planned everything out. Although today had brought some less pleasant experiences, he would adopt Zhuang Yiyun’s attitude – not important. What mattered was that he was about to put an end to this phase of pretending to be obedient and cute.

Over the next three days, Yan Yan didn’t rest for a moment. He was either in the self-study room or in the examination hall. He had never been this serious in his four years of university. He said he couldn’t afford to fail in his final semester before graduation, but his thoughts seemed to be something else entirely. He knew that, apart from Professor Li, other professors wouldn’t make things difficult for them.

But, he seemed influenced by Zhong Lu’s words, with vague thoughts swirling in his mind, propelling him forward.

On the morning of the third day, he completed his final exam and successfully finished the first semester of his senior year. He returned to his dorm to pack his things and then met Jiang Li for a meal, as they had arranged. In the afternoon, he would ask Jiang Li to help with the preparations for dinner, as part of his plan for his first night.

Jiang Li had been on vacation for a few days already. Seeing the dark circles under Yan Yan’s eyes due to exams, she promptly decided that he should sleep in the afternoon, while she prepared the meal.

“That won’t do. Is your Brother Yan such a heartless person?”

“Then is your Sister Li the heartless one? Look at yourself. You stayed up late, and you want to indulge yourself in sex after. I’m afraid you’ll die in bed.”

Yan Yan: “…” Sister Li isn’t heartless, but she definitely isn’t so morally principled. Maybe his brain was exhausted from exams and went into overdrive?