Yan Yan and Zhuang Yiyun’s chat box originally lingered on the system prompt from when they added each other as friends: [You have added Zhuang Yiyun. You can start chatting now.]
When Zhuang Yiyun’s message came in, Yan Yan thought he had been staying up too late and was having hallucinations. After exiting WeChat and reopening it, he realized that it was indeed a message from Zhuang Yiyun.
It was 2 a.m., no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like Zhuang Yiyun was playing Truth or Dare after getting drunk. Yan Yan’s mouth twitched slightly, forming a somewhat mischievous smile.
Yan Yan: [Zhuang Gege, are you talking about today or tomorrow?]
Zhuang Yiyun was about to retract his message, but Yan Yan’s reply came in unexpectedly. The cold wind from the balcony blew across his neck without any obstruction, and he could no longer feel the slight sting from the wound.
Zhuang Yiyun: [Today. Why aren’t you sleeping?]
Yan Yan: [You got me, gege. I’ve been so busy. I just finished writing my graduation thesis proposal.]
Yan Yan: [Sleepy Cat.jpg]
Zhuang Yiyun: [Go to sleep.]
Yan Yan: [Energetic Cat.jpg] But gege took the initiative to contact me. I’m so excited.]
As Yan Yan stared at the continuous display of “[The other party is typing…]”, he didn’t wait for the other party to reply and sent him another message.
Yan Yan: [Just kidding, I know gege isn’t asking me out on a date. I’m going to sleep now. Good night.]
Yan Yan: [Oh, and see you tomorrow. [Sleepy Cat]]
Zhuang Yiyun: [Good night.]
The cat emoji in the chat box repeatedly showed the animation of a cat pulling up the blanket and snoring, creating a stark contrast with Zhuang Yiyun’s cold and serious expression. He put away his phone, stepped over the mess in the living room without a care, and walked back to his bedroom.
When Yan Yan said he was going to sleep, it must have been a lie. How could he possibly sleep after such an exhilarating moment? The exhaustion from the past few days had completely vanished. He kicked the blanket on his dormitory bed, sent a screenshot of their chat, and began messaging Jiang Li.
Yan Yan: [Can you stop by my home on your way tomorrow morning and get the dark chestnut-colored wig for me? Let me tell you, your buddy is making progress. Zhuang Yiyun actually asked me out!]
Yan Yan: [Shit, it’s time to buy some new clothes. I have be sweet and cute, sweet enough for him to hold me down and kiss me~]
Yan Yan: [Lili, do you think his reflex arc is too long? He was so resolute when he rejected me, but now he’s changed his mind? I’m getting curious about what he wants to talk to me about.]
Naturally, Jiang Li wouldn’t respond. After all, who’s awake at this time? Yan Yan also knew he was just venting, as there was a 99% chance that Zhuang Yiyun wasn’t seeking him out because he regretted rejecting him. But what of it? It was still a great opportunity to take the initiative. With that in mind, he went to sleep.
The next day, when Yan Yan woke up, Jiang Li was already sitting in his dorm room.
On hearing his movements, Jiang Li stood up like a pillar, towering over their dormitory room like a spear. Her imposing presence extended beyond her six-foot height.
When a boy enters a girl’s dormitory, the dormitory aunties practically want to check their ID cards; but when girls enter the boys’ dormitory, the dormitory aunties simply let them pass without hesitation. This was the most common form of gender “inequality” in university dormitory life.
Yan Yan’s three roommates were as quiet as mice, each sitting at their desks and pretending to read. The three straight boys had long gotten used to living with a gay roommate, but they couldn’t quite adapt to his female best friend who would pop up every now and then. She turned a blind eye to their bare chests, boxer shorts, and smelly socks, and they hadn’t gotten used to it even after four years.
“Get up.” Jiang Li pushed him. Yan Yan didn’t move, so Jiang Li covered his mouth with the wig she had brought.
“Hiss…” The roommates gasped in shock, watching Yan Yan struggle with his hands and feet, only to be subdued by Jiang Li’s single hand.
Being the captain of the women’s basketball team, Jiang Li was truly intimidating. Once Jiang Li finally released him, Yan Yan immediately got up from the bed. His blond hair was disheveled, and he spat repeatedly, trying to get rid of the strands of hair he’d almost swallowed, his “cool big brother” image completely shattered.
“Jiang Li, you’re really rough.” He was about to complain more, but he shut up when Jiang Li glared at him, choosing to obediently get down and carefully wash the wig. He thought it might smell after getting wet with saliva and that Zhuang Gege might get disgusted if he smelled it.
Thinking that they were meeting soon, he didn’t mind Jiang Li’s violent wakeup call.
After cleaning up, Yan Yan and Jiang Li headed out. Once they left the dormitory building, Jiang Li immediately began gossiping, speculating on why Zhuang Yiyun was looking for Yan Yan.
“I’ll follow you tonight, sit at the table next to you and pretend I don’t know you.”
“Why?” Yan Yan sucked on a lollipop and asked absentmindedly while picking out clothes.
“Unusual behavior must have a reason. Just because someone has a higher education doesn’t mean they have a good character. What if they have ill intentions towards you…”
“Forget it, I hope he has ill intentions towards me.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?” Jiang Li held up a light blue sweater for him to try on, but Yan Yan moved away.
“You’re the one who’s afraid. If I could beat you up, what would I be afraid of?”
“I’m only looking out for you. Those guys at the bar, who knows how many places they frequent in a day. Can you stop getting involved with them? I want you to find someone proper, not someone you can’t stand and keep turning away from.” Jiang Li switched to a pale orange patterned pullover for him to try on. He was pushed away by Yan Yan.
“I want to meet this Zhuang Gege of yours. With my Nightlife Princess Keen Eye, no supernatural being can escape my notice!”
“Nightlife Princess…” Yan Yan snorted, looking her up and down, “Is ‘princess’ even appropriate with such a small chest?”
“Fuck you, Yan Yan! I’ll beat you to death!”
Yan Yan quickly fled into the changing room.
Although Yan Yan said there was no need for her to come, he still agreed to let Jiang Li come along. He knew Jiang Li genuinely cared about him. He could chat with anyone, but true friends were few and far between. Despite their differing genders and orientations, Jiang Li was the closest friend he had.
Why did Jiang Li insist on coming? It was because she believed Yan Yan was really moved this time and she was concerned he might get taken advantage of. Actually, it wasn’t necessary. He was just a flirt and usually acted exceptionally proactive, but it was only that the level of this flirtation was somewhat high. Jiang Li hadn’t checked with Yan Yan to confirm, and Yan Yan couldn’t be bothered to explain. She followed them to the restaurant, only to find that Zhuang Yiyun had reserved a private room. She couldn’t hear or see anything and ended up feeling quite lonely.
Once the door to the private room was closed, Zhuang Yiyun didn’t wait for the dishes to arrive; he ordered and waited for the waiter to leave before getting straight to the point.
“You’ve probably guessed it. I asked to see you today for a reason.”
Yan Yan nodded and looked at him. He appreciated this directness. It felt uncomfortable when someone knew there was an issue but pretended otherwise, keeping their guard up during a meal. Once it was said, whether it was good or bad, it wouldn’t interfere with the meal as long as it got resolved.
“I want you to enter into a marriage with me for a period of one year.”
“?” Yan Yan’s face was filled with confusion and disbelief, subconsciously thinking he misheard. What was this? Was he encountering the legendary marriage agreement? He nearly couldn’t contain his excitement that shot straight to his head.
“I know this request is audacious. It’s purely for my personal reasons. It might be quite a stretch for you, but I still hope you’ll consider it. During the duration of our marriage, I can provide you with everything I’m capable of, including but not limited to covering your living and entertainment expenses, offering guidance and assistance with studies and employment, and accompanying you to social events as needed. Your only obligation is that you won’t need to fulfill the duties of a husband during this time, but you will need to live with me, and outwardly we will be in a married state. Of course, the extent to which this is publicly known depends on you.”
Yan Yan guessed that Zhuang Yiyun was probably proposing this due to some kind of pressure. Either it was family-related, but he didn’t seem like a young man with poor coping skills. Yan Yan had grown up with a lot of freedom at home, and he couldn’t quite imagine the situation that would lead him to make this choice.
Or it was to fend off peach blossoms?
His gaze fell on the band-aid the color of his skin on Zhuang Yiyun’s neck. Initially, he had thought it might be covering a hickey, but now he felt that it might be concealing a wound. Having met Zhuang Yiyun for the second time, Yan Yan’s impression of him had evolved beyond just “good-looking.”
“If you want any additional compensation, you can ask for anything I can provide, including money. If you happen to meet someone you like during this time, or if you have any other dissatisfaction with me, you have the right to terminate the arrangement at any time,” Zhuang Yiyun added.
“It sounds like all the benefits and initiative lie with me, and all I have to do is get a certificate.”
“No, the one who’ll pay the precious price is you. Shortly after graduating, you’ll become a divorced person.”
Before Zhuang Yiyun could finish, Yan Yan was already shaking his head. “No, it’s an equal agreement. If I get divorced, you’ll get divorced too. Besides, divorce isn’t something shameful, especially when the person you’re divorcing is so outstanding.”
Meeting Yan Yan’s shy smile, Zhuang Yiyun’s expression didn’t change. He continued with his straightforward delivery.
“In addition, you might encounter some difficulties and troubles during this time, but I’ll protect you. Because of my personal reasons, I want to have a marriage in name with you. You have the complete right to propose conditions and request compensation without feeling embarrassed.”
Yan Yan’s heart was already bubbling with delight. His most important conditions were actually only two: first, the other party must genuinely fulfill the duties of a husband, and second, if a year passed and he wasn’t tired of it, the marriage must continue. He hadn’t dared to imagine this kind of “freeloading” opportunity before he came, but if he mentioned these two conditions, this opportunity would no longer have anything to do with him.
He restrained his emotions. He couldn’t bring it up. It was truly heartbreaking, but he carefully chose his words before speaking, “Gege, you also know that I don’t want to go on blind dates anymore. However, marriage does come as a surprise to me. After all, I’m still in school, and I hadn’t even thought about forming my own little family… But if it’s you, gege, then I’m okay with it. I don’t have any other requests, but since we’ll be living together for a period of time, to avoid future conflicts, we should establish some agreements in advance.”
Zhuang Yiyun: “Well, your well being will take priority.”
“You’ll listen to me?”
Zhuang Yiyun nodded and produced a prepared agreement. “I’ll include your requests as additional terms.”
This time, Yan Yan refused, “Gege, you must not want it to be known that this is all part of an agreement.”
“But your rights need to be safeguarded.”
Yan Yan shook his head again. “Gege won’t harm me, right?”
“I won’t.”
“So I don’t need it, I don’t need any agreement.”
Up to this point, Zhuang Yiyun’s expression finally changed slightly. He transitioned from solely discussing terms to becoming more gentle.
Yan Yan thought slyly: He won’t sign any agreement. He will obtain compensation in his own way. He didn’t need to sign an agreement as that marriage certificate would become his greatest weapon.
As for Zhuang Yiyun’s stiff attitude in asking for help, Yan Yan felt even more eager to overcome this challenge. The more meticulous the buttons were fastened on a shirt, the more tension there was when they were unbuttoned, right?
At this point, Zhuang Yiyun’s voice pulled his wandering thoughts back.
“Thank you, Yan Yan.”
Yan Yan heard it. Zhuang Yiyun didn’t call him “Yan Yan” as usual, that tone was unmistakably “Yan Yan” with a lingering touch at the end. The man’s voice resonated within him, and in an instant, his face turned red. This man was truly cunning. He had begun with discussing terms in a cold and distant manner, and now he was addressing him so intimately. Aside from his parents, no one had ever called him that.
“My offer is still valid. If you need anything, feel free to ask anytime and I’ll do my best.”
Zhuang Yiyun then fell silent. The food arrived, and the two of them focused on eating.
Even though there were only two people, or rather, the two people who were preparing to get married, Zhuang Yiyun used serving chopsticks. Yan Yan was not accustomed to it; he and his family, as well as his friends, had never done this. The pair of serving chopsticks silenced everything he wanted to say. Alright, now he wasn’t very pleased; sweet Yan Yan can step aside for now.
*Serving chopsticks are used to pick up food from communal dishes when eating in a group, and then using separate individual chopsticks for eating from personal plates or bowls.
He suddenly became silent, which actually surprised Zhuang Yiyun. Every time he looked up, Yan Yan would look back at him silently. He had been pursued before, back when he was in school, girls who liked him would write love letters, bring him food, or give him small gifts. He never accepted them, but those shy expressions and blushes on their faces were similar to what Yan Yan had when he first saw him.
However, later on, he became unpredictable. This person seemed enthusiastic towards him, yet also somewhat distant.
As they left the private room after the meal, Jiang Li immediately spotted them. Both were handsome and truly eye-catching. Before she could even stand up to follow them, she saw the woman at the adjacent table suddenly rise, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor with an ear-piercing sound.
Jiang Li turned her gaze in that direction, and upon closer inspection, she realized Yan Yan and Zhuang Yiyun were also looking at her.
The restaurant Zhuang Yiyun had chosen was doing well; the main dining area was mostly occupied. In front of so many people, the visibly agitated woman managed to contain herself, even though her gaze was sharp. The underlying tension between her and Zhuang Yiyun was evident. The proof came when, upon spotting her, Zhuang Yiyun took Yan Yan’s hand of his own accord, as if demonstrating something. Then, the woman immediately dashed after the two of them and out of the restaurant.
Jiang Li’s face was filled with confusion, and she instantly imagined a bunch of melodramatic stories. She hurriedly caught up with them, taking three steps in two.
Thank you for the chapter!