IROAWTMTFL Chapter 32

The characteristics of old residential complexes is not only that they are old, but that they also usually have smaller apartment sizes. Yan Yan’s family had a two-bedroom, two-living-room, one-bathroom layout. Their financial situation over the years wasn’t that they couldn’t afford a larger house, but they had grown accustomed to living here. Their neighbors in this small community were old colleagues of several decades, and nobody wanted to move, so they stayed on.

Qian Ruqing suggested they stay over for the night, without considering the issue that Yan Yan and Zhuang Yiyun would need two separate rooms. When Yan Yan was facing Zhuang Xian, he could say all sorts of shameless things like “Gege lacks self-control,” but he didn’t dare to say such things to his own parents. He suspected that if he did, they would see through his lie and tie him up for a beating.

So Yan Yan found himself in a dilemma.

Honestly, he wanted to stay at home. He relished the chance to eat his mother’s cooking and didn’t want to leave. But he didn’t want to share a bed with Zhuang Yiyun, just in case they ended up cuddling in the middle of the night. Even if it was Zhuang Yiyun’s bad sleeping habits that brought them together, he was certain he’d take the blame.

The mere thought of it annoyed him!

While Yan Yan could ponder all this, Zhuang Yiyun’s thinking abilities had come to a halt. The idea of possibly sharing a room with Yan Yan made him feel somewhat disoriented. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he felt, but he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Okay, I’ll stay at home but Gege will be heading back. He’s been quite busy lately, and that side is closer to his office, so he can get more sleep.”

Dr. Zhuang, who had passed the busiest period…the ripple that had just surfaced in his heart was instantly frozen.

Yan Yan gave him a meaningful look, so he had to agree. “Yes, I’ve been working overtime a lot lately.”

People of Qian Ruqing’s generation had a deep-rooted work ethic. As soon as it was something to do with work, objections ceased. Not only did they have no objections, but Zhuang Yiyun, who originally didn’t want to leave so early, was promptly pushed out by his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

“Xiao Yun, you should go home and rest.”

“Drive safely at night.”

“Send a message in the group when you get home.”

Yan Yan slouched on the sofa, lazily waving at him, his actions very perfunctory.

Qian Ruqing had always been lenient with Yan Yan but always worried about Zhuang Yiyun. Even though he was more mature in age and had a stable personality, the thought of this child going home alone while they enjoyed their family reunion made her uneasy so she had Yan Ximing escort him downstairs.

Qian Ruqing insisted, and Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t refuse. Yan Ximing patted his shoulder and stepped into the elevator ahead. Yan Yan was skilled at talking and was a lot like his mother, but his father was a man of few words. Yan Ximing stood with his hands behind his back in the elevator, and neither of them spoke.

The elevator silently descended, and when the elevator doors opened, it revealed seven or eight people waiting at the entrance. They had just returned from a walk and warmly greeted them when they saw Yan Ximing.

Zhuang Yiyun initially thought that it would be like when they came during the day, where he could stand quietly and everything would be fine. However, Yan Ximing had only said a couple of sentences before patting his shoulder again.

“This is Yan Yan’s partner, Xiao Zhuang.” Yan Ximing had a very casual attitude, completely devoid of any discomfort regarding his son finding a husband. In fact, when he mentioned Zhuang Yiyun, he sounded quite proud.

“Oh, my! What a talent! Where did Yan Yan find such a partner? Impressive!”

“Xiao Zhuang, do you have any siblings? Are they looking for a partner?”

Yan Ximing interrupted their household checks and led Zhuang Yiyun outside amidst the neighbors enthusiastic shouts inviting Xiao Zhuang to their homes for dinner next time.

Yan Ximing had a smile on his face and said to Zhuang Yiyun, “Yan Yan probably hasn’t told you. This is a residential area for the staff of our company. The neighbors are all old colleagues, people who have watched Yan Yan grow up since he was a child. Everyone is very friendly, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Alright.”

On the way home alone, Zhuang Yiyun was still thinking about what had happened tonight. Thinking about how Yan Yan’s father had patted him on the shoulder before getting in the car and thinking about the enthusiastic neighbors, he couldn’t help but wear a smile on his face.

Yan Yan had never told him about the family area where he lived. Now that he knew it, it was a sense of life that he had never felt before. Living in such an environment may be noisy, but it can make people feel that they are truly alive.

As soon as Zhuang Yiyun left, Yan Yan’s mother caught him by the ear. His skill in avoiding her had degraded after being away from home for so long, and he was easily caught.

He exclaimed as he was pulled up from the sofa.

“What’s the matter? Everything was fine all night. Why is the Empress Dowager angry now?”

Quan Ruqing: “What’s wrong with your hair?”

Only then did Yan Yan remember that he wasn’t wearing a wig in front of Zhuang Yiyun now. He had forgotten about it, but who would have thought his mother would still be concerned.

“I can’t wear a wig all the time.”

“You promised to dye your hair when I asked you to, but what about now?!”

Yan Yan’s lips moved up and down, he had completely forgotten such a thing. Helpless , he had to bring Zhuang Yiyun into the conversation.

“I did think of it, but your Xiao Yun has a good sense of aesthetics. He said it looks better this way.”

“Really? It seems like you were bullying him today.”

“Where did I bully him? Are you my mom or Xiao Yun’s mom? You’re always siding with him.”

Qian Ruqing’s hands had relaxed, but upon hearing this, she suddenly tightened her grip and scolded him, “You heartless brat! For whose sake am I being nice to him? Isn’t it for yours? I’m kind to him, so he should treat you even better. It’s only natural!”

“Tch, those are two different things…” Yan Yan didn’t dare to speak loudly.

“Besides, he didn’t have a father since he was young. Now, he’s part of our family too. Shouldn’t I be a bit more caring towards him?”

“No father? No wonder he has the same last name as his mother.” Yan Yan grabbed his mother’s hand, freeing his ear and curiously asked, “What happened to his father?”

“How would I know? You’re his husband, why don’t you ask him? Why run to your mother? You’re usually so talkative, why are you useless when it matters?”

Yan Yan shrugged. “I’m not a census taker, why should I ask about this?”

“Well, I’m not the census taker either… I heard it from classmates. It seems that when he was very young, his father left them.”

“Left? Or passed away?”

“Tsk tsk, don’t spread rumors the festivals. I don’t know the details, but he did leave them.”

Yan Yan thought about Zhuang Xian’s stubborn and extreme behavior. With a mother like that and no father, it wasn’t easy for Zhuang Yiyun to turn out the way he did.

When Yan Yan decided to stay home, it wasn’t just for one night. He was already on winter break, and with the Lunar New Year approaching, he didn’t have much else to do. He wanted to enjoy being lazy at home and wasn’t planning to go to back to Zhuang Yiyun’s place. It was too empty there, plus he would have to cook his own meals.

The next day, he slept in until past ten, and as he got up, ready to see what his mother had prepared for him to eat, he found her sitting on the sofa with a gloomy face. She glared at him as soon as he exited his room, her eyes filled with blame. Obviously, she had been waiting for him.

Yan Yan immediately got a headache. Hadn’t they already settled things yesterday? What had he done now to incur the wrath of their family’s Empress Dowager?

Puzzled, Yan Yan chose to ignore it and went straight to the kitchen to look for food.

“Stop! Come back!”

“Mom, I’m hungry. What’s going on?”

“Did you have a fight with Xiao Yun?”

“No, look, we were fine yesterday. Why are you saying this?” Yan Yan felt like he was missing something but couldn’t recall it right away.

“I went to buy some groceries today, and I ran into Aunt Liu, Aunt Zhu, Aunt Wang, and Uncle Li. Every one of them told me to advise you to cherish your relationship with Xiao Yun. They all said that you had a fight, and the whole neighborhood knows about it! Some even said you two were fighting in the elevator!”

Yan Yan: “…”

Oh, that’s what he had forgotten. He had made a casual joke, and it had turned into a rumor. And what’s with the rumors about a fight? This was truly turning a molehill into a mountain!

Yan Yan spent considerable effort explaining to his mother to calm her down. Judging by her expression, he felt like he would be kicked out of the house at any moment. After much persuasion, he agreed to a humiliating condition just to appease her.

As for this humiliating condition… His mother wanted him to prove they hadn’t fought by having him bring lunch to Zhuang Yiyun.

After having a late breakfast and being shoved out of the house, Yan Yan reluctantly got into the car, holding a thermos lunchbox. He reflected on how he had willingly prepared lunchboxes for Zhuang Yiyun before. He was willing to do it because he had ulterior motives. Now… what a nuisance.

It was strange, he had played a small prank on Zhuang Yiyun, and it had come back to haunt him. Was Zhuang Yiyun some kind of chosen one?

He doesn’t believe it!

Unwilling, Yan Yan sat in the car and messaged Jiang Li.

Yan Yan: [Where are you? I’m bringing lunch for you.]

Jiang Li: [???]

Yan Yan: [My mom insisted I bring lunch to Zhuang Yiyun, and I don’t want to be kind to him.]

Jiang Li: [No problem! I’m on my way! Where should I meet you? I love Aunt Qian’s cooking the most!]

Yan Yan: [Where are you?]

Jiang Li: [I’m at my brother’s bar.]

Yan Yan delivered the thermos lunchbox to the Liye Bar and had lunch with Jiang Li. After they finished, he sent a picture of the empty lunchbox to Zhuang Yiyun.

Yan Yan: [Xiao Yun, remember, this was your lunch.]

Zhuang Yiyun replied quickly, asking what dishes were inside.

Yan Yan: [Perilla cucumber, braised pork, and shredded chicken.]

Zhuang Yiyun: [I’m hungry.]

Yan Yan: [That’s none of my business.]

Zhuang Yiyun: [Can I come back to eat?]

Yan Yan was taken aback by his response and wondered what he meant. Seeing Yan Yan lost in thought as he typed his message, Jiang Li leaned over to look at his phone.

“Dr. Zhuang…is he…flirting with you?”

“Get lost. How could that be?”

“Then what does his message mean?” Jiang Li was not easy to fool, so he immediately analyzed it for her.

“Anyway, it’s not like that,” Yan Yan replied vaguely. He didn’t know how to respond and didn’t want to tell Jiang Li that Zhuang Yiyun refused to accept his advances.

He didn’t reply to Zhuang Yiyun’s message, and Zhuang Yiyun didn’t actually come to the Yan house for lunch. Yan Yan treated it as if this matter had passed.

In the afternoon, he started playing the mobile game “King of Glory” in a duo queue with Orange and fans from both sides flocked in as soon as they heard about it, causing Orange’s live stream to explode in popularity.

Orange had always been known for his high damage output when playing games. In “King of Glory,” he usually played jungle or mage heroes. On the other hand, Yan Yan liked to play marksman heroes, but it seemed that he just didn’t have a knack for gaming. Even in “King of Glory,” a game that should be easier, he struggled to understand the mechanics. Yet, despite all this, he had an insatiable desire for high damage output.

“I won’t be the tank today, I’m following Brother Yan,” Orange declared, and showing the hero selection screen.

“No, how can we win without a tank?” Yan Yan’s voice was indifferent, but despite his words, he helped Orange pick a support role.

“But I want to follow you,” Orange saw his actions and replied with the exuberance of youth and his voice carried a cheerful tilt at the end.

The barrage of comments immediately erupted.

[He wants to follow you until death! Does being ‘support’ or ‘tank’ matter at all?! Having a husband is more important!]

[CP fans, relax. Orange just wants to team up with Brother Yan and figure out where he’s making mistakes in his gameplay.]

[Whether you technical fans like it or not, after teaching Brother Yan, duo queueing will be more convenient!]

Technical fans were speechless, CP fans could interpret everything. In short, no matter what they did, they could ship it.

Orange didn’t overthink it; as he had said, he simply wanted to follow Yan Yan. The thought of Yan Yan agreeing to find him after the New Year excited him. He had confidence in himself. He didn’t believe that Yan Yan would feel nothing when they met, and he also didn’t believe Yan Yan’s comments about being a “200-pound guy with tattoos.” Sometimes, you could see parts of his body in the pictures he posted on his Moments, and even from those glimpses, it was clear he was a handsome guy.

When the game started, it became clear that someone who could carry could play any role, even support. Orange followed Yan Yan, giving him some instructions on his gameplay while explaining how to play support and marksman. He rarely talked about how to play support and marksman, and today’s explanations resulted in a good response during the live broadcast.

After winning two games in a row, Yan Yan’s phone made a notification sound. He checked the new message.

Zhuang Yiyun: [Are you coming back today?]

Yan Yan raised an eyebrow. What was wrong with this person, suddenly asking if he was coming back? Initially, Yan Yan didn’t want to reply, but after a moment’s thought, he sent a few words.

Yan Yan: [No. Please don’t disturb me while am gaming.]

Zhuang Yiyun’s heart sank, feeling somewhat uneasy. Yan Yan’s message was cold and distant. Who was he playing games with? Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t help but think of the online friend who had confessed…

Seeing that Zhuang Yiyun didn’t send any more inexplicable messages, Yan Yan continued playing the third game with Orange.

Staring at the chat box with no new messages, Zhuang Yiyun’s self-control started slipping. Based on what Yan Yan had said that day, his relationship with that online friend wasn’t ordinary. Yan Yan had even actively mentioned going to meet them. Now, they were playing games together every day, and he didn’t want to go home. Wasn’t it because he felt awkward flirting with that person in his presence?

Zhuang Yiyun, who usually never lost focus at work, couldn’t sit still. He thought back to what he had heard that day, that the online friend was named “Orange”. Yan Yan was an anchor. Could this friend also be an anchor?

As he was thinking, Zhong Lu knocked on the door and entered to deliver some documents. Zhuang Yiyun inexplicably stopped him.

“Have you ever heard of an anchor named Orange, possibly a game anchor?”

“Orange?! Of course, I know him. He’s a top anchor in the Coolcat gaming section. Dr. Zhuang, why are you suddenly asking about this? What does streaming games have to do with our project?”

‘There’s no connection, of course…’ Zhuang Yiyun didn’t answer and dismissed him.

Cool Cat platform, top anchor Orange. Armed with this information, Zhuang Yiyun, who was proficient in searching, quickly found his way to the live stream.

“Happy Duo Queue…” The title of the livestream hit him right away.

Just then, Yan Yan’s voice came through, “Switch it up for this round. I’ll take support, and you do the jungler.”

Orange’s crisp laughter followed. “Brother Yan, you still know how to jungler-support double queue? It’s not me saying this, I’m just reading the barrage.”

“Heh, I think you need a lesson.”

In the chatroom, barrage comments were already filling the screen: [Let’s open a private livestream tonight and teach him a lesson properly!]

Zhuang Yiyun’s hand trembled as he tapped the barrage message. It displayed three options: “Like,” “Copy,” and “Report.” He promptly chose “Report.”

But after reporting that one message, there were countless more, and the content was even more indecent. Zhuang Yiyun slammed his phone down on the desk, took a deep breath, and reluctantly picked it up again.