he V mentioned in the title is the VIP level for readers! it doesn’t have to do with the actual plot;; series must reach a certain level of popularity before being able to have a VIP level on jjwxc!
tiny bit of a steamy chapter (nothing below the neck), but it’s also my first time translating/proofreading something like this, so i’m sorry if it sounds funny in some parts!
“Why don’t we just not go to Wei Lang’s gathering?” Yan Xi sat in the passenger seat, and turned back to look at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning glanced at the passing scenery outside. The two of them were on the way to Lan Zhai right now.
He asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yan Xi’s tone sounded strange. “Zhuang Yan and Xu Qing will be there today as well.”
Xie Ning paused for a moment, but didn’t seem to be very surprised.
Xu Qing spent a lot of time drinking and doing things that pleasured him, and he went to gatherings like this every year, so naturally, he wouldn’t miss out on this one.
As for Zhuang Yan, it was normal for him to be invited since they were part of the same circle.
Although, Xie Ning thought that he would meet Zhuang Yan after the New Year, and didn’t expect to be able to meet him ahead of schedule.
He must say, he was quite curious about Zhuang Yan.
Yan Xi was indignant. “I finally know why Wei Lang reserved Lan Zhai. He said that Zhuang Yan’s standards are high and looks down on other, messier places. Wei Lang is almost paying blood to be hospitable to him.”
Xie Ning wasn’t indignant, but actually kind of agreed. “Lan Zhai is pretty good.”
If it was somewhere else, he might not have wanted to come.
Yan Xi glanced sideways at him. “Think about it. He invited Zhuang Yan, and spent the effort to invite you. Isn’t it obvious that he just wants to see you two directly meet and cross swords?”
Xie Ning comforted him. “I don’t cross swords with people so easily.”
“Right,” Yan Xi said unhappily, “because you don’t even know others are contesting you.”
Xie Ning felt wronged for some reason.
He’s not stupid. He wasn’t unclear about the good and the bad intentions that others might have towards him.
He just didn’t care what those people did. As long as they didn’t disrupt his life, what did it matter to him?
Xie Ning said, “Zhuang Yan and I shouldn’t have any animosity between us.”
Yan Xi: “But he’s Xu Qing’s white moonlight.”
Xie Ning tilted his head. “Didn’t you look into them before and say that it was Xu Qing one-sidedly chasing him, while Zhuang Yan didn’t like him?”
Yan Xi leaned back against his seat. “Only the people present know what the feelings are. Outsiders can’t guess correctly, so who knows what Zhuang Yan thought? Plus, from his standpoint, you probably wouldn’t be too pleasing to see.”
Xie Ning said, “I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”
Yan Xi: “...”
“This personality of yours…” Yan Xi paused before saying, “Sometimes, I don’t know if I should just let you be, or if I should try to help you change.”
Xie Ning was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Just go with the flow.”
Lan Zhai was built in the suburbs, and after driving for a little while, the crowded road opened up and became clear.
Yan Xi told him: “When we get to Lan Zhai, don’t run around in case you bump into Xu Qing or Zhuang Yan. Zhuang Yan is whatever, but if Xu Qing starts to stick to you, then it’ll be troublesome.”
Xie Ning recalled the clingy Xu Qing after they broke up, and nodded with lingering fear.
Yan Xi continued, “If we’re really afraid of trouble happening, we can just go home and forget it.”
Xie Ning: “We’re already here, though.”
Yan Xi’s mouth twitched. “I actually don’t like that phrase. What does it mean, ‘we’re already here, let’s just go in’; it carries a sense of compromise with it.”
Xie Ning felt helpless.
Yan Xi then said, “Including things like, ‘I’ve already bought it, so even if it’s hard to use, just deal with it’, or, ‘we’ve already gotten married, so even if we’re not compatible, let’s make do with it’. I’m telling you, there are some things that can’t be dealt with like that. Once you start to put up with it, others will follow, and think that you’re easy to bully. If I were you, and unhappily came to Lan Zhai, I would turn around and leave immediately.”
Xie Ning: “I’m not unhappy.”
Yan Xi sighed. “I’d rather have you be unhappy just this once.”
Xie Ning raised both of his hands, and put them together in a merciful pose. “Stop sighing, as if you were very old. I promise to not run around randomly at Lan Zhai, and to avoid Xu Qing and Zhuang Yan, okay?”
Yan Xi finally shut his mouth, satisfied.
Let’s look at the other side.
Zhuang Yan snorted and coldly said, “I’m not surprised that Xu Qing is going to come, but how come Xie Ning is coming as well? Isn’t the gathering for people in our circle?”
Qi Rui explained, “That’s not surprising. Xie Ning...although he doesn’t show himself often, he’s still someone to invite because of his identity.”
Zhuang Yan was surprised when he heard this. “Why haven’t I heard of this before?”
Qi Rui: “You should know about the Xie family.”
Zhuang Yan nodded. “Elder Xie and my grandfather had a close friendship when they were young. Right now, they live in the large compound, and still interact with each other. Now that you’ve said it...Xie Ning is the Xie family’s kid?”
“Elder Xie’s grandson,” Qi Rui said.
Zhuang Yan thought it was strange. “I’ve seen Elder Xie’s grandson before. Wasn’t his name Xie An? This one is...an illegitimate child?”
“No,” Qi Rui shook his head. “Elder Xie has two sons, and Xie Ning’s father is the younger son.”
As soon as he said this, Zhuang Yan felt like he had a vague impression of having heard this before. “If I knew earlier that everyone was waiting to see a good show, I would have just not come.”
Qi Rui really was afraid that he would shake his head and leave. “We’re already here.”
Zhuang Yan looked at him blankly. “If I wanted to leave, who could stop me?”
Qi Rui sighed. “Wei Lang has already boasted to everyone about how you’re definitely going to come today. If you don’t go, he won’t have any face left.”
Zhuang Yan lifted his eyebrows and thought, Do I need to give Wei Lang any face?
Qi Rui: “Not everyone is there to see the show. You, Xiu Qing, and Xie Ning are all part of the circle, so sooner or later you’ll have to meet. You haven’t met anyone since you got back, and everyone is waiting to see you.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it. “Remember to tell Wei Lang to treat me to a meal one day.”
Qi Rui: “Okay, I’ll tell him that it has to be at the level of a state banquet.”
Just then, the car arrived at Lan Zhai’s entrance. Zhuang Yan exited the car while saying, “Now, it looks like I’m afraid of them. There’s so many people present today, so at most we’ll just meet each other. It’ll be fine if I don’t tangle with them.”
He and Xie Ning, as if their hearts were linked, made the same decision.
Qi Rui agreed with a sound, and followed him out of the car.
There was a car that was parked right in front of them, blocking the entrance. They waited for a little, and two people got out of the car.
Qi Rui looked over casually, but was stunned. He’d seen many gorgeous women and handsome men before, but looking at the person in front of him, he was still surprised.
He was so good-looking that it was a bit too much.
Looking at him again, the person seemed familiar.
Wasn’t this...the person they were just talking about, Xie Ning?
Something darkened his sight for a moment, and before he could react, the childhood friend that had just said he didn’t want to tangle with Xie Ning, took large strides quickly towards Xie Ning.
What’s going on?
Qi Rui followed quickly, and reached his hang out to pull Zhuang Yan back.
But Zhuang Yan’s strides were too large, and Qi Rui couldn’t even grab onto the edges of his clothes.
He trotted over quickly instead.
Zhuang Yan didn’t expect to see Mr. Rabbit here.
Thinking about it again, though, he could afford to live at Lakeside Villa, so his family background was probably pretty good, and it wasn’t strange for him to appear here.
Because he was attending a gathering today, Xie Ning didn’t wear very many layers. He wore a pure black suit with a white shirt inside, and it looked clean and simple. It made his waist look thin and straight.
His face, under the light at the door, looked as white as porcelain and jade, stunning those who looked at him.
Zhuang Yan moved forward to grab his arm, and couldn’t help but swallow a couple of times.
He was really...so good-looking that he could die.
Zhuang Yan, in a low voice, asked, “You’re here too?”
Xie Ning nodded, his ink-colored eyes looking at him, and a happy expression appeared in his eyes. “Yes, you as well?”
Encountering Xie Ning here was a pleasant surprise for Zhuang Yan.
He didn’t want to leave at all, now.
Yan Xi and Qi Rui were on the side, watching them start a conversation like there was nobody else in the world, and were both quite shocked.
Yan Xi stared at Zhuang Yan’s hand that had grabbed Xie Ning’s arm, and thought, Who is this person? How come he’s so close to Xie Ning, yet hasn’t been shooed away yet?
Qi Rui, on the other hand, was looking at Zhuang Yan confusedly.
Didn’t he say he was going to avoid Xu Qing and Xie Ning? How come he started a conversation instead, and looked as if he was familiar with Xie Ning?
Qi Rui couldn’t help but interrupt them, asking, “You know each other?”
Zhuang Yan seemed to just remember that there were people next to them, and just as he was about to introduce them to each other, when a dazzling white light flashed from behind him.
They closed their eyes involuntarily.
When they turned to look, there was a car that drove towards them, and the white headlights from the car could be seen from far away, making their eyes hurt.
Zhuang Yan reached his hand out and blocked the light from Xie Ning’s eyes. “The wind at the door is too strong, and it’s hard to talk here. Let’s go inside first.”
The entrance was truly not a place to talk.
Zhuang Yan, seeing that Xie Ning was wearing thin clothes, deliberately blocked the wind for him, and pulled him forward, bringing him into the hall.
Qi Rui stared at his childhood friend’s thoughtful gesture, dumbstruck. He didn’t know whether he should suspect he was in a dream, or if Zhuang Yan was suddenly struck by a human soul.
Was this really the Zhuang Yan he knew?!
As soon as they entered the hall, a waiter appeared to show them the way in.
Zhuang Yan walked forward as he asked Xie Ning, “Is it cold?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “Not really. It’s warmer inside.”
That means it’s still cold.
Zhuang Yan knew that Xie Ning got cold easily. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, every time Zhuang Yan held Xie Ning’s hand, it felt like he was holding ice.
It’ll take him a while to warm up.
He was also always fully armed with clothes when he went out, with his hat, scarf, and gloves. Zhuang Yan thought of the time he met him at QiuMing Lake; he had wrapped himself tightly and with no gaps then.
Looking at what Xie Ning was wearing today, Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows together.
“Why didn’t you wear more?” He asked, concerned. “Especially on such a cold day.”
Xie Ning smiled. “On the way here, I was wearing a coat. I left it in the car.”
Zhuang Yan: “If I knew, I wouldn’t have called out to you at the door. I should’ve waited until we got inside, otherwise the wind would’ve blown at you for so long.”
Xie Ning: “We didn’t talk for that long. I’m not that weak.”
Zhuang Yan continued to ask, “Have you eaten dinner already? If you haven’t, this place can give you dinner in one of the private rooms. I can take you there.”
“I’ve eaten already.” Xie Ning said, “I ate before I came.”
They had arrived a bit late, so there were already a good amount of people sitting around in the hall, talking in groups.
Seeing the four of them come in, Wei Lang, as the host of the gathering, reacted first and brought a group of people to greet them at the door.
He looked at Zhuang Yan, then looked at Xie Ning, and thought it was strange. “You guys...came together?”
Zhuang Yan took a glass of wine from the tray next to him. “We coincidentally bumped into each other at the door, so we came in together.”
Wei Lang didn’t doubt him, and raised the glass in his hand and clinked it against Zhuang Yan’s. “Normally, you guys are so elusive and we can barely catch a glimpse. Today, with the two of you appearing together, consider our eyes opened!”
Zhuang Yan curled his lip upwards, and looked at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning’s personality did seem like he wasn’t into playing around, so he guessed that Xie Ning normally didn’t attend such gatherings.
He started to become curious about Xie Ning’s past.
Of course, this wasn’t a good time to ask. Zhuang Yan decided to ask him later, when they were alone.
Wei Lang had already turned to Xie Ning. “Your older brother is here today as well.”
Xie Ning paused for a moment before realizing that he was talking about Xie An.
Xie Ning looked around them, but didn’t see any sign of Xie An. Wei Lang followed his line of sight, and smiled, saying, “He was here just now. Maybe he went somewhere else to play.”
Lan Zhai had a lot of entertainment activities. Small private rooms, chess and card rooms, billiards rooms, bars, and others of the like--Lan Zhai had it all. There was even a huge hot spring, and the rooms were courtyard-style. The scenery outside was very suitable for tourism and vacations.
Since Wei Lang had reserved the whole place, it was obvious that everyone would not just stay in the hall to talk.
Zhuang Yan turned his head, and asked, “You have an older brother?”
Xie Ning replied, “He’s my cousin.”
Wei Lang’s mood now was about the same as Qi Rui’s. Seeing their interaction, he couldn’t help but be confused.
Zhuang Yan and Xie Ning did bump into each other, but there was no sign of the gunpowder that he’d imagined.
Where was the opposition he was promised?
Qi Rui smiled at him. “Brother Wei, it seems like you only pay attention to those who don’t show their face often. Look, you’ve even ignored me, such a big person.”
Wei Lang actually didn’t like it very much when others called him Brother Wei, because it sounded like Viagra. But this time, he was in the wrong, so he could only raise his glass and drink it all. “You’re joking; aren’t we all as close as brothers? There’s no need to say hello specifically anymore, right? Haha.”
The few of them found a secluded corner to sit down. The sofa was quite soft, but it could only seat two people. Qi Rui was just about to sit down, but Zhuang Yan glared at him, and he paused for a moment.
The next moment, Zhuang Yan pulled Xie Ning over to sit on the sofa.
Qi Rui: “???”
Since when has the young master of the Qi family been treated like this before!
Turning his head and seeing Zhuang Yan’s cold, hard side profile, Qi Rui put out the fire in his heart. He found a seat across from the sofa and sat down.
Damn, this seat is too hard.
Zhuang Yan handed Xie Ning a glass of orange juice. “There’s no milk here, so drink this to tide you over.”
Xie Ning’s gaze kept looking towards Zhuang Yan. He took the glass, and smiled at him.
Yan Xi watched them for a while, but couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore, and pulled Xie Ning aside to ask who this person was.
He looked to be familiar with Xie Ning, but how come Yan Xi had never seen him before?
Qi Rui couldn’t hold back either, and tugged at Zhuang Yan’s sleeve. He leaned in next to his ear and used a voice that only the two of them could hear.
“When did you…” become so familiar with Xie Ning?
“Xie Ning!”
A sudden sound interrupted him.
Xie Ning heard someone call his name, and involuntarily turned towards it.
Zhuang Yan also turned his head with him.
Xu Qing somehow saw them in this corner, walked over to Xie Ning, and reached his hand out to grab his sleeve. “Xie Ning, I…”
Xie Ning backed up a little, and Xu Qing’s hand had just reached into the air when another powerful, strong hand grabbed his arm.
He turned his head, and was even more surprised. “Zhuang-Zhuang Yan?”
“Why are you here, too?”
Zhuang Yan ignored him, and after he let go, patted away the non-existent dust on his hands, as if he had just touched something dirty.
Then, he looked towards Xie Ning, and raised his eyebrows. “Xie Ning?”
This was Xie Ning’s first time hearing his own name from Zhuang Yan’s lips.
His voice sounded as deep as always, but it carried a sense of astonishment and hesitation.
For a while, the four of them looked at each other.
Zhuang Yan asked again. “You’re Xie Ning?”
Xie Ning looked at him, and asked in response, “You’re Zhuang Yan?”
……
There was some awkwardness that permeated the following silence.
Zhuang Yan’s mind was blank, and he stared at Xie Ning unconsciously for a long time.
His Mr. Rabbit was Xie Ning?
The Xie Ning who dated Xu Qing for four years, the one that he suspected had bad taste?
Zhuang Yan found it hard to accept so suddenly.
He never once suspected that they were the same person. His Mr. Rabbit was so cute, innocent, and perfect; how could he be attracted to someone like Xu Qing!
Xie Ning also looked at him, but he was much calmer compared to the shock Zhuang Yan suffered.
His expression was a bit panicked, and a little confused.
Xu Qing’s eyes were bad, and, not noticing the pressure of the stormy aura that surrounded Zhuang Yan, tried to pull at Xie Ning.
“Xie Ning, I’ve been looking for you all this time. I sincerely want to get back together with you.”
He’d barely finished speaking, and Yan Xi barely had time to get angry, when he saw Zhuang Yan’s face darken. “Leave!”
The curse words that were about to spill from Yan Xi’s mouth were beaten back by this one word, and he almost lost his breath.
Xu Qing was startled, and seemed to want to say something else, but Zhuang Yan completely lost his patience.
He stood up, grabbed Xie Ning’s wrist and pulled him up as well, then strode away with him.
Yan Xi hurriedly chased after him. “Where are you taking him?”
Zhuang Yan, full of anger and nowhere to express it, pressed his lips together until they were just a line, and didn’t want to talk to him at all.
The steps he took were too large, and Xie Ning, dragged behind him, staggered a little.
Zhuang Yan paused and slowed down when he noticed.
Yan Xi took this opportunity to catch up to them, and grabbed Xie Ning’s other hand. “Let go of him!”
Zhuang Yan took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm his voice down. “I want to find a place to talk to him alone.”
Yan Xi immediately rejected that idea. “No!”
Zhuang Yan looked at him blankly. “I don’t need your permission.”
Their movements were too large, and there were a good amount of people that had come over already. Someone recognized Zhuang Yan and Xie Ning, and they became more excited.
These idle, rich second-generation people lacked neither money nor leisure. They were watching them with relish, just as if they were watching a show.
Zhuang Yan curled his lips up, mockingly, and asked, “Or, do you want me to perform for them in public?”
“...” Yan Xi froze. “I still can’t let you guys talk alone. Who knows what you’re going to do to him?!”
Zhuang Yan didn’t say anything, but Xie Ning tried to comfort Yan Xi, saying, “It’s okay, he won’t do anything to me. Don’t worry.”
Zhuang Yan lifted his eyebrows and chuckled.
Yan Xi was still worried. “What do you want to do?”
Zhuang Yan still gripped Xie Ning’s hand tightly, and had no intention of letting go. “I just want to talk to him. Why don’t you ask him, if he’s willing to talk to me alone? If he’s not willing, I’ll let him go immediately.”
Yan Xi turned around to look at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning was startled by his look. “I-I’m willing.”
Zhuang Yan’s mood improved a little, and asked the waiter to take them to a room nearby.
The room was large and decorated elegantly. The first thing that is seen when walking through the door is a landscape screen. Behind the landscape screen, there was an area of carved floor near the window. In the middle of the room, there was a long table with four sofa seats next to it.
The environment of the room would make anyone relax when they saw it, and it looked like someplace to eat.
Xie Ning hadn’t recovered his senses yet, when his body suddenly became light.
A sense of weightlessness swept over him, and he involuntarily reached his hand out to steady himself with Zhuang Yan’s shoulder, but realized afterwards--
Zhuang Yan seemed to have lifted him onto the table.
Zhuang Yan looked at him, and let out a smile. “Why are you so light?”
Xie Ning let out a sigh of relief.
This was the Zhuang Yan he was familiar with. Always mouthing off, teasing him at every turn, but took care of him when it came to details.
Xie Ning whispered, “I’ve never been heavy.”
Zhuang Yan put his hand on his face, and suddenly squeezed his cheeks. “Too skinny.”
Xie Ning was caught off guard by his physical flirting, and his expression was a little dazed. “You suddenly…” touched me.
Zhuang Yan continued to say, “You should be fattened up.”
Xie Ning: “...”
For some reason, he felt like he was a piglet that was to be fattened up and slaughtered.
Zhuang Yan lowered his head and leaned in closer. Xie Ning’s bright eyes just happened to look into his, and was startled.
He could hear heavy breathing right next to his ear, but Zhuang Yan’s eyes were filled with an ink-colored cloud, thick and dark, and the intense aura around his whole body suddenly rose sharply.
It was as if a storm was brewing in him, and wanted to express it, but couldn’t find a place to let it out.
Xie Ning blinked, and couldn’t help but reach his hand out to touch his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Zhuang Yan closed his eyes, and asked again, “You’re Xie Ning?”
His head was a complete mess right now, and there weren't heads or tails to what he was saying. It was all just what he was thinking at the moment.
Xie Ning nodded. Seeing how his mood was kind of strange, he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what to say, so he could only tilt his head and look at him.
What was up with Zhuang Yan?
Xie Ning was sitting on the table, and had to raise his head a little to look at him.
This movement made his neck stretch upwards slightly. He didn’t wear a scarf today, and from Zhuang Yan’s perspective, he could see his chin, tilted upwards. The graceful curve of his neck extended all the way down, into the collar of his white shirt.
Zhuang Yan took a deep breath, threw away all his self-restraint and, holding Xie Ning’s chin with one hand, directly kissed him.
Xie Ning: “!!!”
He’d wanted to do this for a long time already, but was afraid of scaring Xie Ning away, and controlled himself.
But he didn’t want to hold back anymore.
Xie Ning’s lips were as soft as he was, and kissing him was like biting into cotton candy, absolutely too sweet.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t help himself and licked Xie Ning’s lips, then slipped his tongue in through the gap.
Xie Ning was shocked, and after a pause, involuntarily started to struggle.
Zhuang Yan, however, had a firm grasp on his chin, and his other hand landed on Xie Ning’s back, pushing him further into his embrace.
The little bit of resistance Xie Ning was putting up wasn’t even enough for Zhuang Yan to notice. He knit his brows together, and his voice sounded like a small animal’s. “Oh…”
Zhuang Yan’s hand traveled down his spine, and the corners of his lips curled upwards. His voice was low and hoarse when he said, “Be good.”
This movement of his had a sense of comfort to it, and XIe Ning widened his eyes, as if he had just remembered something. His body relaxed inexplicably, and fell into his embrace.
Zhuang Yan chuckled, and, following his heart, pinned Xie Ning down. Without giving him a chance to speak, he kissed him again.
The kiss this time was more aggressive. Xie Ning was compelled to separate his lips again, allowing Zhuang Yan to fiercely and willfully explore inside.
Other than low breath, Xie Ning couldn’t make any other sound.
Zhuang Yan had him pinned and kissed him for a long time, but suddenly felt like something was wrong, and let Xie Ning go, backing up a step.
He saw Xie Ning immediately lower his head, and it looked like his shoulders were shaking.
Zhuang Yan just now recalled that when he pressed down on Xie Ning earlier, he used a little bit too much strength, and Xie Ning’s body was trembling the whole time.
Damn it.
Zhuang Yan started to regret and felt like his actions just now were much too animalistic.
How did it just...explode so suddenly?
His heart let out a thump. Looking at Xie Ning’s appearance, he couldn’t help but think.
Did he make him cry?
He bent down, wanting to hold him in his arms, but was afraid that he would be rejected, so he paused and asked in a low voice, “Did I scare you?”
Xie Ning didn’t say anything.
After a while, he nodded, then shook his head.
Zhuang Yan, seeing that he’d reacted, carefully reached out his hand and put it on his shoulder.
Xie Ning’s body stiffened, but he didn’t resist, and Zhuang Yan let out a breath of relief.
“I’m sorry,” Zhuang Yan said, “I lost control of myself just now and scared you.”
He paused, and asked, “Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t.” Xie Ning’s head was still lowered, and softly said, “Didn’t you say we were just going to...talk?”
Zhuang Yan was startled for a moment, then laughed. “Oh, I was lying to them.”
Xie Ning: “...”
Zhuang Yan didn’t know how to explain it. In the beginning, he really did just want to talk, but the fact that the person in front of him was Xie Ning made his brain slow, as if it was a rusty machine. Before his reason could step in and stop him, he’d already kissed him.
The feeling of indulging himself, thinking back on it...was quite good.
Xie Ning didn’t know what he was thinking, and seeing how Zhuang Yan stopped talking, quickly raised his head and glanced at him.
Zhuang Yan thought Xie Ning was crying before, but he found out now that Xie Ning’s face was clean, and there were no tear streaks on his face.
His eyes, though, were widened a little and out of focus, as if he were in a trance, and the expression on his face was a little dazed.
He guessed that he really did...scare him.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t resist, and licked the corner of his lips.
Zhuang Yan said, “I never thought that you were Xie Ning.”
Xie Ning: “...I didn’t know you were Zhuang Yan either.”
He was puzzled, and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
They’d talked about Zhuang Yan a lot before, yet Zhuang Yan never revealed his identity. Besides being puzzled, Xie Ning also felt a little wronged.
He praised Zhuang Yan so many times in front of Mr. Blue Whale, and even argued for Zhuang Yan before. Thinking back on it now, he suddenly felt embarrassed.
Xie Ning turned his head, his face a little heated.
In the face of Xie Ning’s questioning, Zhuang Yan paused. He really didn’t know how to respond.
Was he to say that he wanted to hear Xie Ning praise him more?
Zhuang Yan avoided the main point. “I was going to tell you before, when I watched you draw last time, but I was interrupted and was too busy afterwards, and never found the chance to tell you.”
Fortunately, Xie Ning didn’t try to ask more.
He was lost in thought, and after a long while, seemed to remember that something like that did happen. “So it was like that.”
Zhuang Yan had many things he wanted to ask Xie Ning about, but he hadn’t even clearly arranged them in his head yet. He only brought Xie Ning here because he didn’t want others to watch them like they were putting on a show.
It’s fine if they wanted to watch his show, but Zhuang Yan wouldn’t be able to stand it if they were going to watch a show with Xie Ning in it.
Xie Ning’s heart was a little upset that Zhuang Yan was staring at him for so long, and said quietly, “What’s the matter?”
Zhuang Yan: “Nothing much. Right now, I just want to calm down and properly think through some things.”
“Oh,” Xie Ning said, dryly.
Zhuang Yan asked, “Do you want me to get you something to eat and drink?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “No, I can just get it outside myself.”
Zhuang Yan frowned.
Xie Ning said, “Yan Xi is still waiting for me outside. He’ll worry if I’m in here for too long.”
Zhuang Yan remembered the person that had talked back to him earlier. His temper was quite something, but all of his words were in Xie Ning’s defense.
“He’s your friend?”
Xie Ning: “Mhm. I’m afraid he’s going to be anxious, waiting outside.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it. “Go ahead, otherwise he’ll think I kidnapped you, and impulsively rush in.”
Yan Xi...might actually be capable of doing something like that.
Zhuang Yan warned him again. “Don’t run around, that Xu Qing is still…”
Zhuang Yan’s heart became restless with anxiety when he thought about it, and really wanted to keep Xie Ning here. “Don’t see him.”
Xie Ning: “...Mmn.”
Zhuang Yan said, “He’s not a good person, and not worthy of your affection.”
Xie Ning responded again. “Oh.” He didn’t like him, anyways.
Zhuang Yan was even more irritated when he thought of Xu Qing now. He could barely resist the urge to beat him up.
Xie Ning looked at him carefully.
Zhuang Yan knew that he wasn’t in a proper mood right now, and was afraid that he would do something to Xie Ning again later.
He was afraid of hurting him, and scaring him.
When he told Xie Ning that he was roguish while in school, it wasn’t a lie.
He had toned it down a lot already in university; he was even more badly behaved in middle school and high school.
That was his rebellious period, and his chuunibyou period. With an insufferably arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude, nobody in the school dared to provoke him.
Not only the students, but even teachers tried to avoid him when they saw him.
Fighting was a common occurrence for him, and he could send someone to the hospital if he was being ruthless.
Afterwards, he probably grew out of his rebellious phase, and his temper improved a little. When he thought of his student days and the events then, he felt like it was a dark past that shouldn’t be revealed.
But the ferociousness from that time was carved into his bones.
Xie Ning had sat on the table for too long, and moved his body around. “Move aside a little, I want to get down.”
Zhuang Yan returned to his senses, raised his eyebrow and smiled, and reached his hand out to him. “Hold onto me. I’ll lift you down.”
Xie Ning glared at him. “I’m not a kid.”
The table wasn’t that far off the ground. If Zhuang Yan wasn’t blocking the way, Xie Ning could just jump down easily.
Zhuang Yan looked at him with a small smile.
Xie Ning waited for a while, and seeing how he still wouldn’t budge, slowly reached out his arm and hooked it around Zhuang Yan’s shoulder.
Right after, his body was lifted into the air, and Zhuang Yan set him down quickly.
The heating in the little room was very adequate, and the hall outside was a little colder. Zhuang Yan called out to Xie Ning, who was on his way out, and thought for a moment before taking off his coat and handing it to Xie Ning. “It’s cold outside. First, put on my coat.”
Xie Ning: “...I’m not cold.”
Zhuang Yan: “You’ll be cold when you’re outside.”
Xie Ning really wasn’t cold right now, and even felt like his face was a little hot.
Zhuang Yan looked over, and didn’t notice his red eartips, but saw how rosy his lips were, as if water would come out if he bit into them.
He caused that, by kissing him.
Zhuang Yan coughed lightly and looked away.
After Xie Ning left, his expression slowly sank. His hands were clasped in front of him as he organized his thoughts, little by little.
Mr. Rabbit was actually Xie Ning…
When he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t like there weren’t any clues.
Mr. Rabbit and Xie Ning were both famous people at the arts department at X University, and both his juniors.
Mr. Rabbit’s drawings surprised him, and Mr. Yang Rui had also praised Xie Ning’s drawings before.
Mr. Rabbit’s Weibo username was XN_zxcvbnm, and XN were Xie Ning’s initials.
……
Only after the truth was revealed did he find proof almost everywhere, but he’d never thought about it in that direction before.
He thought, If I knew earlier, I would have asked for his name ahead of time.
The two of them have known each other for so long, so why did they never ask each other for their names?
Zhuang Yan took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth, but didn’t light it up.
He always thought that names weren’t important, since it was just another way to call somebody. He liked to say “Mr. Rabbit” because it was something unique to the two of them.
Zhuang Yan thought about it some more, and felt like he wasn’t to blame. People are just like this. After using a title that gives off such a strong first impression, there was no more reason to care about his real name.
Even for an auntie who had worked in his old house for over ten years, Zhuang Yan only remembered to call her “Auntie Jiang”, and actually didn’t know her real name.
When Internet friends meet, they call each other by their online IDs. Even if they become more familiar afterwards, they might not even ask for the other person’s real name.
Zhuang Yan calmed down little by little, and thought, Xie Ning or Whatever Ning, he’s still my Mr. Rabbit.
He’s still the person I like.
He laughed with his low voice, and thought that he’d gotten upset over nothing.
But as he was thinking, he remembered the matter between Xie Ning and Xu Qing, and his mood that had just gotten better, worsened again.
“Fucker.” He cursed once, quietly.
When he remembered the fact that Xie Ning and Xu Qing were together for four years, his heart felt like it was suffocating.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept it, it was just...so stifling that he was uncomfortable.
As if there was a fire stuck in his heart, and he didn’t know how to get it out.
A person like Xu Qing...a person like Xu Qing…
What did Xie Ning see in him!
Jealousy aside, he felt more sorry for Xie Ning in his heart.
He closed his eyes, and remembered what he had heard when Qi Rui gossiped about them.
“During those four years when he and Xie Ning were dating, he slept with a good amount of little celebrities. There would be a different one on his bed every day, without repetition...”
Four years, he thought, Four years of Xie Ning’s life was wasted on such a person.
“I heard it’s just because you came back. Xu Qing couldn’t let go of you, his white moonlight, and heartlessly abandoned his boyfriend...”
Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth, and wanted to hit someone.
“He thought of Xie Ning as your replacement…”
Zhuang Yan’s hand formed a fist, and clenched it tightly.
“We all said privately that Xie Ning was probably hopelessly in love with Xu Qing…”
Zhuang Yan expressionlessly threw a cup onto the ground, shattering it.
Love who? That piece of shit?
Qi Rui said, “Right now, you’re a thorn in Xie Ning’s heart.”
Zhuang Yan recalled the times he spent with Xie Ning since they met.
They had discussed “Zhuang Yan” before.
Xie Ning seemed to never hesitate when praising him, and even really liked his movies. And the drawing he did for the scene in <The Monologue>...
Zhuang Yan’s heart was moved.
Maybe, Xie Ning didn’t mind him as Qi Rui had said.
And maybe he didn’t really care for Xu Qing.
Zhuang Yan didn’t dare to think about it too carefully, afraid that he would delve too far into analyzing the four years between Xie Ning and Xu Qing.
What has Xu Qing done to Xie Ning?
Did they hug? Did they kiss?
Or did they…
His shoulders shook slightly, and his heart felt even more stifled.
If he thought about it any longer, he felt as if he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to kill someone.
Zhuang Yan rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and told himself that all of that was in the past.
He took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down.
Today is really not a good time to think about things.
He called the waiter over and asked them to clean up the shattered cup. Afterwards, he arranged his clothes neatly, and walked out.
……
“So you’re saying that Zhuang Yan is Mr. Blue Whale, that neighbor of yours?” Yan Xi asked incredulously.
Xie Ning nodded. “I just found out, too.”
Yan Xi: “He didn’t know you were Xie Ning, either?”
Xie Ning nodded again.
Yan Xi was speechless. “What’s all this between you guys…”
Xie Ning didn’t say anything. He was also pretty confused.
Mr. Blue Whale and Zhuang Yan...were actually the same person?
Yan Xi asked him, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Xie Ning said.
Yan Xi was still worried about him, but Xie Ning tried to push him. “Go and play by yourself. I’ll just sit here for a while.”
“Okay,” Yan Xi said. “It’s pretty quiet here, so Xu Qing probably won’t find this place.”
Xie Ning sat there, dazed, for a while.
He wasn’t struggling like Zhuang Yan did, and accepted reality quickly.
When he came back to his senses, he wandered around. He couldn’t find Yan Xi, but he bumped into Xie An.
Xie An was also taken aback when he saw Xie Ning, and said, “You’re actually here too?” He smiled. “I thought you’d never come to these kinds of things.”
Xie Ning: “I’m just here to have some fun.”
After hearing this, Xie An put his hands on Xie Ning’s shoulders, and said, “You don’t come to places like this often, right? Let’s go, Elder Brother will take you to take a look around.”
He didn’t return to the hall, and brought Xie Ning to one of the small bars inside Lan Zhai.
There weren’t many people in the bar and most of them sat separately from each other. Xie Ning looked around once, and found that there was actually a small stage for people to perform improvisations.
The person holding the microphone currently was a young man wearing earrings. It seemed like he was treating the bar as a karaoke place, howling and dancing around.
In the audience, someone made a “shh” sound and said, “Stop singing! If you keep singing, everyone is going to leave!”
The man chattered as he got off the stage, walked into a group of people, and started drinking alcohol.
Xie An had just brought Xie Ning in with him, and some people waved at them to come over.
This group was in suits and leather shoes, and seemed to be more formal.
Someone asked, towards Xie Ning, “Who is this? He doesn’t look familiar.”
Xie An smiled. “My cousin, Xie Ning.”
Everyone let out an “oh”, whether they knew him or not.
Some of the people, who treated him familiarly even though it was their first time meeting, skillfully poured him a glass of wine. “Come, come, Xie Ning, right? We’ll get to know each other after you drink a glass.”
Xie An introduced everyone to him. They were all friends that he met while doing business, and their friendship wasn’t shallow, but wasn’t deep either.
They didn’t talk about business here, and there were no personal matters to discuss. Everyone just sat around drinking and watching people perform on stage.
When Yan Xi found the place, Xie Ning was quietly sitting on the deck, staring at his wine glass in a daze.
“So you were here.” Yan Xi walked over, and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Xie Ning raised his head and glanced at him, tilted his head, and said, with clear eyes, “Mmn.”
He looked very well-behaved.
Xie An knew Yan Xi, so he didn’t feel embarrassed as he asked Yan Xi to take Xie Ning away.
Xie Ning followed Yan Xi forward, step by step.
Yan Xi asked, “How much did you drink?”
Xie Ning: “Not much.” Just a few bottles.
Yan Xi: “Are you dizzy? Are you a little drunk?”
Xie Ning: “I’m not drunk.”
Yan Xi looked at him, and he didn’t look like he was drunk. The two of them had just walked to an aisle, and coincidentally saw Zhuang Yan coming from the opposite direction.
Yan Xi’s footsteps paused, and Xie Ning didn’t notice, so he continued to walk, and with a pa sound, hit his forehead on Yan Xi’s back.
Zhuang Yan quickly reached out and pulled him over to his side. “How could you be so careless?”
Xie Ning responded with a sound, slowly.
Zhuang Yan asked, “Does it hurt?”
Xie Ning rubbed his forehead, and with a soft voice, said, “Hurts.”
Zhuang Yan took away his hand and took a look. It’s okay, it was only a little red.
Zhuang Yan frowned, and turned his head to ask Yan Xi, “What’s wrong with him?”
Yan Xi was confused. “What?”
Zhuang Yan: “How much did he drink, to get so drunk?”
Yan Xi: “He didn’t, did he? Isn’t he pretty normal right now?”
Zhuang Yan was silent. “...He’s drunk.”
Yan Xi: “???”
He turned his head to look at Xie Ning, and Xie Ning looked back at him. His eyes were clear, with nothing in them.
They weren’t focused, and seemed to wander.
It seems like...he really was drunk.
Xie Ning, when he gets drunk, is very well-behaved. He doesn’t get noisy or make trouble, does what he is told to do, and answers any questions he is asked.
His original personality was already very quiet, so Yan Xi couldn’t even tell he was drunk.
Yan Xi asked, “How could you tell?”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows and smiled. “His ears are so red. I could tell he was drunk at a glance.”
Yan Xi: “...” He didn’t notice at all.
“It’s so late. I’ll go get a room for him,” Zhuang Yan said. “It’s not safe if he’s alone, so there needs to be someone to take care of him.”
Yan Xi vigilantly glanced at him. “I will take good care of him, no need for you to worry.”
Zhuang Yan ignored him.
He asked Xie Ning, “Do you want to follow me, or do you want to follow him?”
Xie Ning blinked, as if he didn’t know what was going on yet.
Zhuang Yan waited for him patiently.
After a long while, Xie Ning slowly reached out his hand, and grasped Zhuang Yan’s sleeve.
Yan Xi: “???”
-------------------------------------------
Author’s Note: ZhuangZhuang’s moods were as follows:
...Shocked, unhappy, stuffy heart, wanted to fight, wanted to beat someone up.
...Forget it, NingNing is here, I’ll resist the urge.
...I won’t resist anymore, I’ll kiss him first.
Congratulations to ZhuangZhuang for collecting a drunk NingNing X1
Translator's Note:
chuunibyou - another japanese term that is commonly used in chinese! chuunibyou refers to when a person has delusions of being invincible, or having superpowers (not in zhuang yan's case, i believe, he was just being arrogant), generally said to happen in the second year of middle school
he V mentioned in the title is the VIP level for readers! it doesn’t have to do with the actual plot;; series must reach a certain level of popularity before being able to have a VIP level on jjwxc!
tiny bit of a steamy chapter (nothing below the neck), but it’s also my first time translating/proofreading something like this, so i’m sorry if it sounds funny in some parts!
“Why don’t we just not go to Wei Lang’s gathering?” Yan Xi sat in the passenger seat, and turned back to look at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning glanced at the passing scenery outside. The two of them were on the way to Lan Zhai right now.
He asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yan Xi’s tone sounded strange. “Zhuang Yan and Xu Qing will be there today as well.”
Xie Ning paused for a moment, but didn’t seem to be very surprised.
Xu Qing spent a lot of time drinking and doing things that pleasured him, and he went to gatherings like this every year, so naturally, he wouldn’t miss out on this one.
As for Zhuang Yan, it was normal for him to be invited since they were part of the same circle.
Although, Xie Ning thought that he would meet Zhuang Yan after the New Year, and didn’t expect to be able to meet him ahead of schedule.
He must say, he was quite curious about Zhuang Yan.
Yan Xi was indignant. “I finally know why Wei Lang reserved Lan Zhai. He said that Zhuang Yan’s standards are high and looks down on other, messier places. Wei Lang is almost paying blood to be hospitable to him.”
Xie Ning wasn’t indignant, but actually kind of agreed. “Lan Zhai is pretty good.”
If it was somewhere else, he might not have wanted to come.
Yan Xi glanced sideways at him. “Think about it. He invited Zhuang Yan, and spent the effort to invite you. Isn’t it obvious that he just wants to see you two directly meet and cross swords?”
Xie Ning comforted him. “I don’t cross swords with people so easily.”
“Right,” Yan Xi said unhappily, “because you don’t even know others are contesting you.”
Xie Ning felt wronged for some reason.
He’s not stupid. He wasn’t unclear about the good and the bad intentions that others might have towards him.
He just didn’t care what those people did. As long as they didn’t disrupt his life, what did it matter to him?
Xie Ning said, “Zhuang Yan and I shouldn’t have any animosity between us.”
Yan Xi: “But he’s Xu Qing’s white moonlight.”
Xie Ning tilted his head. “Didn’t you look into them before and say that it was Xu Qing one-sidedly chasing him, while Zhuang Yan didn’t like him?”
Yan Xi leaned back against his seat. “Only the people present know what the feelings are. Outsiders can’t guess correctly, so who knows what Zhuang Yan thought? Plus, from his standpoint, you probably wouldn’t be too pleasing to see.”
Xie Ning said, “I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”
Yan Xi: “...”
“This personality of yours…” Yan Xi paused before saying, “Sometimes, I don’t know if I should just let you be, or if I should try to help you change.”
Xie Ning was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Just go with the flow.”
Lan Zhai was built in the suburbs, and after driving for a little while, the crowded road opened up and became clear.
Yan Xi told him: “When we get to Lan Zhai, don’t run around in case you bump into Xu Qing or Zhuang Yan. Zhuang Yan is whatever, but if Xu Qing starts to stick to you, then it’ll be troublesome.”
Xie Ning recalled the clingy Xu Qing after they broke up, and nodded with lingering fear.
Yan Xi continued, “If we’re really afraid of trouble happening, we can just go home and forget it.”
Xie Ning: “We’re already here, though.”
Yan Xi’s mouth twitched. “I actually don’t like that phrase. What does it mean, ‘we’re already here, let’s just go in’; it carries a sense of compromise with it.”
Xie Ning felt helpless.
Yan Xi then said, “Including things like, ‘I’ve already bought it, so even if it’s hard to use, just deal with it’, or, ‘we’ve already gotten married, so even if we’re not compatible, let’s make do with it’. I’m telling you, there are some things that can’t be dealt with like that. Once you start to put up with it, others will follow, and think that you’re easy to bully. If I were you, and unhappily came to Lan Zhai, I would turn around and leave immediately.”
Xie Ning: “I’m not unhappy.”
Yan Xi sighed. “I’d rather have you be unhappy just this once.”
Xie Ning raised both of his hands, and put them together in a merciful pose. “Stop sighing, as if you were very old. I promise to not run around randomly at Lan Zhai, and to avoid Xu Qing and Zhuang Yan, okay?”
Yan Xi finally shut his mouth, satisfied.
Let’s look at the other side.
Zhuang Yan snorted and coldly said, “I’m not surprised that Xu Qing is going to come, but how come Xie Ning is coming as well? Isn’t the gathering for people in our circle?”
Qi Rui explained, “That’s not surprising. Xie Ning...although he doesn’t show himself often, he’s still someone to invite because of his identity.”
Zhuang Yan was surprised when he heard this. “Why haven’t I heard of this before?”
Qi Rui: “You should know about the Xie family.”
Zhuang Yan nodded. “Elder Xie and my grandfather had a close friendship when they were young. Right now, they live in the large compound, and still interact with each other. Now that you’ve said it...Xie Ning is the Xie family’s kid?”
“Elder Xie’s grandson,” Qi Rui said.
Zhuang Yan thought it was strange. “I’ve seen Elder Xie’s grandson before. Wasn’t his name Xie An? This one is...an illegitimate child?”
“No,” Qi Rui shook his head. “Elder Xie has two sons, and Xie Ning’s father is the younger son.”
As soon as he said this, Zhuang Yan felt like he had a vague impression of having heard this before. “If I knew earlier that everyone was waiting to see a good show, I would have just not come.”
Qi Rui really was afraid that he would shake his head and leave. “We’re already here.”
Zhuang Yan looked at him blankly. “If I wanted to leave, who could stop me?”
Qi Rui sighed. “Wei Lang has already boasted to everyone about how you’re definitely going to come today. If you don’t go, he won’t have any face left.”
Zhuang Yan lifted his eyebrows and thought, Do I need to give Wei Lang any face?
Qi Rui: “Not everyone is there to see the show. You, Xiu Qing, and Xie Ning are all part of the circle, so sooner or later you’ll have to meet. You haven’t met anyone since you got back, and everyone is waiting to see you.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it. “Remember to tell Wei Lang to treat me to a meal one day.”
Qi Rui: “Okay, I’ll tell him that it has to be at the level of a state banquet.”
Just then, the car arrived at Lan Zhai’s entrance. Zhuang Yan exited the car while saying, “Now, it looks like I’m afraid of them. There’s so many people present today, so at most we’ll just meet each other. It’ll be fine if I don’t tangle with them.”
He and Xie Ning, as if their hearts were linked, made the same decision.
Qi Rui agreed with a sound, and followed him out of the car.
There was a car that was parked right in front of them, blocking the entrance. They waited for a little, and two people got out of the car.
Qi Rui looked over casually, but was stunned. He’d seen many gorgeous women and handsome men before, but looking at the person in front of him, he was still surprised.
He was so good-looking that it was a bit too much.
Looking at him again, the person seemed familiar.
Wasn’t this...the person they were just talking about, Xie Ning?
Something darkened his sight for a moment, and before he could react, the childhood friend that had just said he didn’t want to tangle with Xie Ning, took large strides quickly towards Xie Ning.
What’s going on?
Qi Rui followed quickly, and reached his hang out to pull Zhuang Yan back.
But Zhuang Yan’s strides were too large, and Qi Rui couldn’t even grab onto the edges of his clothes.
He trotted over quickly instead.
Zhuang Yan didn’t expect to see Mr. Rabbit here.
Thinking about it again, though, he could afford to live at Lakeside Villa, so his family background was probably pretty good, and it wasn’t strange for him to appear here.
Because he was attending a gathering today, Xie Ning didn’t wear very many layers. He wore a pure black suit with a white shirt inside, and it looked clean and simple. It made his waist look thin and straight.
His face, under the light at the door, looked as white as porcelain and jade, stunning those who looked at him.
Zhuang Yan moved forward to grab his arm, and couldn’t help but swallow a couple of times.
He was really...so good-looking that he could die.
Zhuang Yan, in a low voice, asked, “You’re here too?”
Xie Ning nodded, his ink-colored eyes looking at him, and a happy expression appeared in his eyes. “Yes, you as well?”
Encountering Xie Ning here was a pleasant surprise for Zhuang Yan.
He didn’t want to leave at all, now.
Yan Xi and Qi Rui were on the side, watching them start a conversation like there was nobody else in the world, and were both quite shocked.
Yan Xi stared at Zhuang Yan’s hand that had grabbed Xie Ning’s arm, and thought, Who is this person? How come he’s so close to Xie Ning, yet hasn’t been shooed away yet?
Qi Rui, on the other hand, was looking at Zhuang Yan confusedly.
Didn’t he say he was going to avoid Xu Qing and Xie Ning? How come he started a conversation instead, and looked as if he was familiar with Xie Ning?
Qi Rui couldn’t help but interrupt them, asking, “You know each other?”
Zhuang Yan seemed to just remember that there were people next to them, and just as he was about to introduce them to each other, when a dazzling white light flashed from behind him.
They closed their eyes involuntarily.
When they turned to look, there was a car that drove towards them, and the white headlights from the car could be seen from far away, making their eyes hurt.
Zhuang Yan reached his hand out and blocked the light from Xie Ning’s eyes. “The wind at the door is too strong, and it’s hard to talk here. Let’s go inside first.”
The entrance was truly not a place to talk.
Zhuang Yan, seeing that Xie Ning was wearing thin clothes, deliberately blocked the wind for him, and pulled him forward, bringing him into the hall.
Qi Rui stared at his childhood friend’s thoughtful gesture, dumbstruck. He didn’t know whether he should suspect he was in a dream, or if Zhuang Yan was suddenly struck by a human soul.
Was this really the Zhuang Yan he knew?!
As soon as they entered the hall, a waiter appeared to show them the way in.
Zhuang Yan walked forward as he asked Xie Ning, “Is it cold?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “Not really. It’s warmer inside.”
That means it’s still cold.
Zhuang Yan knew that Xie Ning got cold easily. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, every time Zhuang Yan held Xie Ning’s hand, it felt like he was holding ice.
It’ll take him a while to warm up.
He was also always fully armed with clothes when he went out, with his hat, scarf, and gloves. Zhuang Yan thought of the time he met him at QiuMing Lake; he had wrapped himself tightly and with no gaps then.
Looking at what Xie Ning was wearing today, Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows together.
“Why didn’t you wear more?” He asked, concerned. “Especially on such a cold day.”
Xie Ning smiled. “On the way here, I was wearing a coat. I left it in the car.”
Zhuang Yan: “If I knew, I wouldn’t have called out to you at the door. I should’ve waited until we got inside, otherwise the wind would’ve blown at you for so long.”
Xie Ning: “We didn’t talk for that long. I’m not that weak.”
Zhuang Yan continued to ask, “Have you eaten dinner already? If you haven’t, this place can give you dinner in one of the private rooms. I can take you there.”
“I’ve eaten already.” Xie Ning said, “I ate before I came.”
They had arrived a bit late, so there were already a good amount of people sitting around in the hall, talking in groups.
Seeing the four of them come in, Wei Lang, as the host of the gathering, reacted first and brought a group of people to greet them at the door.
He looked at Zhuang Yan, then looked at Xie Ning, and thought it was strange. “You guys...came together?”
Zhuang Yan took a glass of wine from the tray next to him. “We coincidentally bumped into each other at the door, so we came in together.”
Wei Lang didn’t doubt him, and raised the glass in his hand and clinked it against Zhuang Yan’s. “Normally, you guys are so elusive and we can barely catch a glimpse. Today, with the two of you appearing together, consider our eyes opened!”
Zhuang Yan curled his lip upwards, and looked at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning’s personality did seem like he wasn’t into playing around, so he guessed that Xie Ning normally didn’t attend such gatherings.
He started to become curious about Xie Ning’s past.
Of course, this wasn’t a good time to ask. Zhuang Yan decided to ask him later, when they were alone.
Wei Lang had already turned to Xie Ning. “Your older brother is here today as well.”
Xie Ning paused for a moment before realizing that he was talking about Xie An.
Xie Ning looked around them, but didn’t see any sign of Xie An. Wei Lang followed his line of sight, and smiled, saying, “He was here just now. Maybe he went somewhere else to play.”
Lan Zhai had a lot of entertainment activities. Small private rooms, chess and card rooms, billiards rooms, bars, and others of the like--Lan Zhai had it all. There was even a huge hot spring, and the rooms were courtyard-style. The scenery outside was very suitable for tourism and vacations.
Since Wei Lang had reserved the whole place, it was obvious that everyone would not just stay in the hall to talk.
Zhuang Yan turned his head, and asked, “You have an older brother?”
Xie Ning replied, “He’s my cousin.”
Wei Lang’s mood now was about the same as Qi Rui’s. Seeing their interaction, he couldn’t help but be confused.
Zhuang Yan and Xie Ning did bump into each other, but there was no sign of the gunpowder that he’d imagined.
Where was the opposition he was promised?
Qi Rui smiled at him. “Brother Wei, it seems like you only pay attention to those who don’t show their face often. Look, you’ve even ignored me, such a big person.”
Wei Lang actually didn’t like it very much when others called him Brother Wei, because it sounded like Viagra. But this time, he was in the wrong, so he could only raise his glass and drink it all. “You’re joking; aren’t we all as close as brothers? There’s no need to say hello specifically anymore, right? Haha.”
The few of them found a secluded corner to sit down. The sofa was quite soft, but it could only seat two people. Qi Rui was just about to sit down, but Zhuang Yan glared at him, and he paused for a moment.
The next moment, Zhuang Yan pulled Xie Ning over to sit on the sofa.
Qi Rui: “???”
Since when has the young master of the Qi family been treated like this before!
Turning his head and seeing Zhuang Yan’s cold, hard side profile, Qi Rui put out the fire in his heart. He found a seat across from the sofa and sat down.
Damn, this seat is too hard.
Zhuang Yan handed Xie Ning a glass of orange juice. “There’s no milk here, so drink this to tide you over.”
Xie Ning’s gaze kept looking towards Zhuang Yan. He took the glass, and smiled at him.
Yan Xi watched them for a while, but couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore, and pulled Xie Ning aside to ask who this person was.
He looked to be familiar with Xie Ning, but how come Yan Xi had never seen him before?
Qi Rui couldn’t hold back either, and tugged at Zhuang Yan’s sleeve. He leaned in next to his ear and used a voice that only the two of them could hear.
“When did you…” become so familiar with Xie Ning?
“Xie Ning!”
A sudden sound interrupted him.
Xie Ning heard someone call his name, and involuntarily turned towards it.
Zhuang Yan also turned his head with him.
Xu Qing somehow saw them in this corner, walked over to Xie Ning, and reached his hand out to grab his sleeve. “Xie Ning, I…”
Xie Ning backed up a little, and Xu Qing’s hand had just reached into the air when another powerful, strong hand grabbed his arm.
He turned his head, and was even more surprised. “Zhuang-Zhuang Yan?”
“Why are you here, too?”
Zhuang Yan ignored him, and after he let go, patted away the non-existent dust on his hands, as if he had just touched something dirty.
Then, he looked towards Xie Ning, and raised his eyebrows. “Xie Ning?”
This was Xie Ning’s first time hearing his own name from Zhuang Yan’s lips.
His voice sounded as deep as always, but it carried a sense of astonishment and hesitation.
For a while, the four of them looked at each other.
Zhuang Yan asked again. “You’re Xie Ning?”
Xie Ning looked at him, and asked in response, “You’re Zhuang Yan?”
……
There was some awkwardness that permeated the following silence.
Zhuang Yan’s mind was blank, and he stared at Xie Ning unconsciously for a long time.
His Mr. Rabbit was Xie Ning?
The Xie Ning who dated Xu Qing for four years, the one that he suspected had bad taste?
Zhuang Yan found it hard to accept so suddenly.
He never once suspected that they were the same person. His Mr. Rabbit was so cute, innocent, and perfect; how could he be attracted to someone like Xu Qing!
Xie Ning also looked at him, but he was much calmer compared to the shock Zhuang Yan suffered.
His expression was a bit panicked, and a little confused.
Xu Qing’s eyes were bad, and, not noticing the pressure of the stormy aura that surrounded Zhuang Yan, tried to pull at Xie Ning.
“Xie Ning, I’ve been looking for you all this time. I sincerely want to get back together with you.”
He’d barely finished speaking, and Yan Xi barely had time to get angry, when he saw Zhuang Yan’s face darken. “Leave!”
The curse words that were about to spill from Yan Xi’s mouth were beaten back by this one word, and he almost lost his breath.
Xu Qing was startled, and seemed to want to say something else, but Zhuang Yan completely lost his patience.
He stood up, grabbed Xie Ning’s wrist and pulled him up as well, then strode away with him.
Yan Xi hurriedly chased after him. “Where are you taking him?”
Zhuang Yan, full of anger and nowhere to express it, pressed his lips together until they were just a line, and didn’t want to talk to him at all.
The steps he took were too large, and Xie Ning, dragged behind him, staggered a little.
Zhuang Yan paused and slowed down when he noticed.
Yan Xi took this opportunity to catch up to them, and grabbed Xie Ning’s other hand. “Let go of him!”
Zhuang Yan took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm his voice down. “I want to find a place to talk to him alone.”
Yan Xi immediately rejected that idea. “No!”
Zhuang Yan looked at him blankly. “I don’t need your permission.”
Their movements were too large, and there were a good amount of people that had come over already. Someone recognized Zhuang Yan and Xie Ning, and they became more excited.
These idle, rich second-generation people lacked neither money nor leisure. They were watching them with relish, just as if they were watching a show.
Zhuang Yan curled his lips up, mockingly, and asked, “Or, do you want me to perform for them in public?”
“...” Yan Xi froze. “I still can’t let you guys talk alone. Who knows what you’re going to do to him?!”
Zhuang Yan didn’t say anything, but Xie Ning tried to comfort Yan Xi, saying, “It’s okay, he won’t do anything to me. Don’t worry.”
Zhuang Yan lifted his eyebrows and chuckled.
Yan Xi was still worried. “What do you want to do?”
Zhuang Yan still gripped Xie Ning’s hand tightly, and had no intention of letting go. “I just want to talk to him. Why don’t you ask him, if he’s willing to talk to me alone? If he’s not willing, I’ll let him go immediately.”
Yan Xi turned around to look at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning was startled by his look. “I-I’m willing.”
Zhuang Yan’s mood improved a little, and asked the waiter to take them to a room nearby.
The room was large and decorated elegantly. The first thing that is seen when walking through the door is a landscape screen. Behind the landscape screen, there was an area of carved floor near the window. In the middle of the room, there was a long table with four sofa seats next to it.
The environment of the room would make anyone relax when they saw it, and it looked like someplace to eat.
Xie Ning hadn’t recovered his senses yet, when his body suddenly became light.
A sense of weightlessness swept over him, and he involuntarily reached his hand out to steady himself with Zhuang Yan’s shoulder, but realized afterwards--
Zhuang Yan seemed to have lifted him onto the table.
Zhuang Yan looked at him, and let out a smile. “Why are you so light?”
Xie Ning let out a sigh of relief.
This was the Zhuang Yan he was familiar with. Always mouthing off, teasing him at every turn, but took care of him when it came to details.
Xie Ning whispered, “I’ve never been heavy.”
Zhuang Yan put his hand on his face, and suddenly squeezed his cheeks. “Too skinny.”
Xie Ning was caught off guard by his physical flirting, and his expression was a little dazed. “You suddenly…” touched me.
Zhuang Yan continued to say, “You should be fattened up.”
Xie Ning: “...”
For some reason, he felt like he was a piglet that was to be fattened up and slaughtered.
Zhuang Yan lowered his head and leaned in closer. Xie Ning’s bright eyes just happened to look into his, and was startled.
He could hear heavy breathing right next to his ear, but Zhuang Yan’s eyes were filled with an ink-colored cloud, thick and dark, and the intense aura around his whole body suddenly rose sharply.
It was as if a storm was brewing in him, and wanted to express it, but couldn’t find a place to let it out.
Xie Ning blinked, and couldn’t help but reach his hand out to touch his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Zhuang Yan closed his eyes, and asked again, “You’re Xie Ning?”
His head was a complete mess right now, and there weren't heads or tails to what he was saying. It was all just what he was thinking at the moment.
Xie Ning nodded. Seeing how his mood was kind of strange, he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what to say, so he could only tilt his head and look at him.
What was up with Zhuang Yan?
Xie Ning was sitting on the table, and had to raise his head a little to look at him.
This movement made his neck stretch upwards slightly. He didn’t wear a scarf today, and from Zhuang Yan’s perspective, he could see his chin, tilted upwards. The graceful curve of his neck extended all the way down, into the collar of his white shirt.
Zhuang Yan took a deep breath, threw away all his self-restraint and, holding Xie Ning’s chin with one hand, directly kissed him.
Xie Ning: “!!!”
He’d wanted to do this for a long time already, but was afraid of scaring Xie Ning away, and controlled himself.
But he didn’t want to hold back anymore.
Xie Ning’s lips were as soft as he was, and kissing him was like biting into cotton candy, absolutely too sweet.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t help himself and licked Xie Ning’s lips, then slipped his tongue in through the gap.
Xie Ning was shocked, and after a pause, involuntarily started to struggle.
Zhuang Yan, however, had a firm grasp on his chin, and his other hand landed on Xie Ning’s back, pushing him further into his embrace.
The little bit of resistance Xie Ning was putting up wasn’t even enough for Zhuang Yan to notice. He knit his brows together, and his voice sounded like a small animal’s. “Oh…”
Zhuang Yan’s hand traveled down his spine, and the corners of his lips curled upwards. His voice was low and hoarse when he said, “Be good.”
This movement of his had a sense of comfort to it, and XIe Ning widened his eyes, as if he had just remembered something. His body relaxed inexplicably, and fell into his embrace.
Zhuang Yan chuckled, and, following his heart, pinned Xie Ning down. Without giving him a chance to speak, he kissed him again.
The kiss this time was more aggressive. Xie Ning was compelled to separate his lips again, allowing Zhuang Yan to fiercely and willfully explore inside.
Other than low breath, Xie Ning couldn’t make any other sound.
Zhuang Yan had him pinned and kissed him for a long time, but suddenly felt like something was wrong, and let Xie Ning go, backing up a step.
He saw Xie Ning immediately lower his head, and it looked like his shoulders were shaking.
Zhuang Yan just now recalled that when he pressed down on Xie Ning earlier, he used a little bit too much strength, and Xie Ning’s body was trembling the whole time.
Damn it.
Zhuang Yan started to regret and felt like his actions just now were much too animalistic.
How did it just...explode so suddenly?
His heart let out a thump. Looking at Xie Ning’s appearance, he couldn’t help but think.
Did he make him cry?
He bent down, wanting to hold him in his arms, but was afraid that he would be rejected, so he paused and asked in a low voice, “Did I scare you?”
Xie Ning didn’t say anything.
After a while, he nodded, then shook his head.
Zhuang Yan, seeing that he’d reacted, carefully reached out his hand and put it on his shoulder.
Xie Ning’s body stiffened, but he didn’t resist, and Zhuang Yan let out a breath of relief.
“I’m sorry,” Zhuang Yan said, “I lost control of myself just now and scared you.”
He paused, and asked, “Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t.” Xie Ning’s head was still lowered, and softly said, “Didn’t you say we were just going to...talk?”
Zhuang Yan was startled for a moment, then laughed. “Oh, I was lying to them.”
Xie Ning: “...”
Zhuang Yan didn’t know how to explain it. In the beginning, he really did just want to talk, but the fact that the person in front of him was Xie Ning made his brain slow, as if it was a rusty machine. Before his reason could step in and stop him, he’d already kissed him.
The feeling of indulging himself, thinking back on it...was quite good.
Xie Ning didn’t know what he was thinking, and seeing how Zhuang Yan stopped talking, quickly raised his head and glanced at him.
Zhuang Yan thought Xie Ning was crying before, but he found out now that Xie Ning’s face was clean, and there were no tear streaks on his face.
His eyes, though, were widened a little and out of focus, as if he were in a trance, and the expression on his face was a little dazed.
He guessed that he really did...scare him.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t resist, and licked the corner of his lips.
Zhuang Yan said, “I never thought that you were Xie Ning.”
Xie Ning: “...I didn’t know you were Zhuang Yan either.”
He was puzzled, and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
They’d talked about Zhuang Yan a lot before, yet Zhuang Yan never revealed his identity. Besides being puzzled, Xie Ning also felt a little wronged.
He praised Zhuang Yan so many times in front of Mr. Blue Whale, and even argued for Zhuang Yan before. Thinking back on it now, he suddenly felt embarrassed.
Xie Ning turned his head, his face a little heated.
In the face of Xie Ning’s questioning, Zhuang Yan paused. He really didn’t know how to respond.
Was he to say that he wanted to hear Xie Ning praise him more?
Zhuang Yan avoided the main point. “I was going to tell you before, when I watched you draw last time, but I was interrupted and was too busy afterwards, and never found the chance to tell you.”
Fortunately, Xie Ning didn’t try to ask more.
He was lost in thought, and after a long while, seemed to remember that something like that did happen. “So it was like that.”
Zhuang Yan had many things he wanted to ask Xie Ning about, but he hadn’t even clearly arranged them in his head yet. He only brought Xie Ning here because he didn’t want others to watch them like they were putting on a show.
It’s fine if they wanted to watch his show, but Zhuang Yan wouldn’t be able to stand it if they were going to watch a show with Xie Ning in it.
Xie Ning’s heart was a little upset that Zhuang Yan was staring at him for so long, and said quietly, “What’s the matter?”
Zhuang Yan: “Nothing much. Right now, I just want to calm down and properly think through some things.”
“Oh,” Xie Ning said, dryly.
Zhuang Yan asked, “Do you want me to get you something to eat and drink?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “No, I can just get it outside myself.”
Zhuang Yan frowned.
Xie Ning said, “Yan Xi is still waiting for me outside. He’ll worry if I’m in here for too long.”
Zhuang Yan remembered the person that had talked back to him earlier. His temper was quite something, but all of his words were in Xie Ning’s defense.
“He’s your friend?”
Xie Ning: “Mhm. I’m afraid he’s going to be anxious, waiting outside.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it. “Go ahead, otherwise he’ll think I kidnapped you, and impulsively rush in.”
Yan Xi...might actually be capable of doing something like that.
Zhuang Yan warned him again. “Don’t run around, that Xu Qing is still…”
Zhuang Yan’s heart became restless with anxiety when he thought about it, and really wanted to keep Xie Ning here. “Don’t see him.”
Xie Ning: “...Mmn.”
Zhuang Yan said, “He’s not a good person, and not worthy of your affection.”
Xie Ning responded again. “Oh.” He didn’t like him, anyways.
Zhuang Yan was even more irritated when he thought of Xu Qing now. He could barely resist the urge to beat him up.
Xie Ning looked at him carefully.
Zhuang Yan knew that he wasn’t in a proper mood right now, and was afraid that he would do something to Xie Ning again later.
He was afraid of hurting him, and scaring him.
When he told Xie Ning that he was roguish while in school, it wasn’t a lie.
He had toned it down a lot already in university; he was even more badly behaved in middle school and high school.
That was his rebellious period, and his chuunibyou period. With an insufferably arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude, nobody in the school dared to provoke him.
Not only the students, but even teachers tried to avoid him when they saw him.
Fighting was a common occurrence for him, and he could send someone to the hospital if he was being ruthless.
Afterwards, he probably grew out of his rebellious phase, and his temper improved a little. When he thought of his student days and the events then, he felt like it was a dark past that shouldn’t be revealed.
But the ferociousness from that time was carved into his bones.
Xie Ning had sat on the table for too long, and moved his body around. “Move aside a little, I want to get down.”
Zhuang Yan returned to his senses, raised his eyebrow and smiled, and reached his hand out to him. “Hold onto me. I’ll lift you down.”
Xie Ning glared at him. “I’m not a kid.”
The table wasn’t that far off the ground. If Zhuang Yan wasn’t blocking the way, Xie Ning could just jump down easily.
Zhuang Yan looked at him with a small smile.
Xie Ning waited for a while, and seeing how he still wouldn’t budge, slowly reached out his arm and hooked it around Zhuang Yan’s shoulder.
Right after, his body was lifted into the air, and Zhuang Yan set him down quickly.
The heating in the little room was very adequate, and the hall outside was a little colder. Zhuang Yan called out to Xie Ning, who was on his way out, and thought for a moment before taking off his coat and handing it to Xie Ning. “It’s cold outside. First, put on my coat.”
Xie Ning: “...I’m not cold.”
Zhuang Yan: “You’ll be cold when you’re outside.”
Xie Ning really wasn’t cold right now, and even felt like his face was a little hot.
Zhuang Yan looked over, and didn’t notice his red eartips, but saw how rosy his lips were, as if water would come out if he bit into them.
He caused that, by kissing him.
Zhuang Yan coughed lightly and looked away.
After Xie Ning left, his expression slowly sank. His hands were clasped in front of him as he organized his thoughts, little by little.
Mr. Rabbit was actually Xie Ning…
When he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t like there weren’t any clues.
Mr. Rabbit and Xie Ning were both famous people at the arts department at X University, and both his juniors.
Mr. Rabbit’s drawings surprised him, and Mr. Yang Rui had also praised Xie Ning’s drawings before.
Mr. Rabbit’s Weibo username was XN_zxcvbnm, and XN were Xie Ning’s initials.
……
Only after the truth was revealed did he find proof almost everywhere, but he’d never thought about it in that direction before.
He thought, If I knew earlier, I would have asked for his name ahead of time.
The two of them have known each other for so long, so why did they never ask each other for their names?
Zhuang Yan took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth, but didn’t light it up.
He always thought that names weren’t important, since it was just another way to call somebody. He liked to say “Mr. Rabbit” because it was something unique to the two of them.
Zhuang Yan thought about it some more, and felt like he wasn’t to blame. People are just like this. After using a title that gives off such a strong first impression, there was no more reason to care about his real name.
Even for an auntie who had worked in his old house for over ten years, Zhuang Yan only remembered to call her “Auntie Jiang”, and actually didn’t know her real name.
When Internet friends meet, they call each other by their online IDs. Even if they become more familiar afterwards, they might not even ask for the other person’s real name.
Zhuang Yan calmed down little by little, and thought, Xie Ning or Whatever Ning, he’s still my Mr. Rabbit.
He’s still the person I like.
He laughed with his low voice, and thought that he’d gotten upset over nothing.
But as he was thinking, he remembered the matter between Xie Ning and Xu Qing, and his mood that had just gotten better, worsened again.
“Fucker.” He cursed once, quietly.
When he remembered the fact that Xie Ning and Xu Qing were together for four years, his heart felt like it was suffocating.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept it, it was just...so stifling that he was uncomfortable.
As if there was a fire stuck in his heart, and he didn’t know how to get it out.
A person like Xu Qing...a person like Xu Qing…
What did Xie Ning see in him!
Jealousy aside, he felt more sorry for Xie Ning in his heart.
He closed his eyes, and remembered what he had heard when Qi Rui gossiped about them.
“During those four years when he and Xie Ning were dating, he slept with a good amount of little celebrities. There would be a different one on his bed every day, without repetition...”
Four years, he thought, Four years of Xie Ning’s life was wasted on such a person.
“I heard it’s just because you came back. Xu Qing couldn’t let go of you, his white moonlight, and heartlessly abandoned his boyfriend...”
Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth, and wanted to hit someone.
“He thought of Xie Ning as your replacement…”
Zhuang Yan’s hand formed a fist, and clenched it tightly.
“We all said privately that Xie Ning was probably hopelessly in love with Xu Qing…”
Zhuang Yan expressionlessly threw a cup onto the ground, shattering it.
Love who? That piece of shit?
Qi Rui said, “Right now, you’re a thorn in Xie Ning’s heart.”
Zhuang Yan recalled the times he spent with Xie Ning since they met.
They had discussed “Zhuang Yan” before.
Xie Ning seemed to never hesitate when praising him, and even really liked his movies. And the drawing he did for the scene in <The Monologue>...
Zhuang Yan’s heart was moved.
Maybe, Xie Ning didn’t mind him as Qi Rui had said.
And maybe he didn’t really care for Xu Qing.
Zhuang Yan didn’t dare to think about it too carefully, afraid that he would delve too far into analyzing the four years between Xie Ning and Xu Qing.
What has Xu Qing done to Xie Ning?
Did they hug? Did they kiss?
Or did they…
His shoulders shook slightly, and his heart felt even more stifled.
If he thought about it any longer, he felt as if he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to kill someone.
Zhuang Yan rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and told himself that all of that was in the past.
He took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down.
Today is really not a good time to think about things.
He called the waiter over and asked them to clean up the shattered cup. Afterwards, he arranged his clothes neatly, and walked out.
……
“So you’re saying that Zhuang Yan is Mr. Blue Whale, that neighbor of yours?” Yan Xi asked incredulously.
Xie Ning nodded. “I just found out, too.”
Yan Xi: “He didn’t know you were Xie Ning, either?”
Xie Ning nodded again.
Yan Xi was speechless. “What’s all this between you guys…”
Xie Ning didn’t say anything. He was also pretty confused.
Mr. Blue Whale and Zhuang Yan...were actually the same person?
Yan Xi asked him, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Xie Ning said.
Yan Xi was still worried about him, but Xie Ning tried to push him. “Go and play by yourself. I’ll just sit here for a while.”
“Okay,” Yan Xi said. “It’s pretty quiet here, so Xu Qing probably won’t find this place.”
Xie Ning sat there, dazed, for a while.
He wasn’t struggling like Zhuang Yan did, and accepted reality quickly.
When he came back to his senses, he wandered around. He couldn’t find Yan Xi, but he bumped into Xie An.
Xie An was also taken aback when he saw Xie Ning, and said, “You’re actually here too?” He smiled. “I thought you’d never come to these kinds of things.”
Xie Ning: “I’m just here to have some fun.”
After hearing this, Xie An put his hands on Xie Ning’s shoulders, and said, “You don’t come to places like this often, right? Let’s go, Elder Brother will take you to take a look around.”
He didn’t return to the hall, and brought Xie Ning to one of the small bars inside Lan Zhai.
There weren’t many people in the bar and most of them sat separately from each other. Xie Ning looked around once, and found that there was actually a small stage for people to perform improvisations.
The person holding the microphone currently was a young man wearing earrings. It seemed like he was treating the bar as a karaoke place, howling and dancing around.
In the audience, someone made a “shh” sound and said, “Stop singing! If you keep singing, everyone is going to leave!”
The man chattered as he got off the stage, walked into a group of people, and started drinking alcohol.
Xie An had just brought Xie Ning in with him, and some people waved at them to come over.
This group was in suits and leather shoes, and seemed to be more formal.
Someone asked, towards Xie Ning, “Who is this? He doesn’t look familiar.”
Xie An smiled. “My cousin, Xie Ning.”
Everyone let out an “oh”, whether they knew him or not.
Some of the people, who treated him familiarly even though it was their first time meeting, skillfully poured him a glass of wine. “Come, come, Xie Ning, right? We’ll get to know each other after you drink a glass.”
Xie An introduced everyone to him. They were all friends that he met while doing business, and their friendship wasn’t shallow, but wasn’t deep either.
They didn’t talk about business here, and there were no personal matters to discuss. Everyone just sat around drinking and watching people perform on stage.
When Yan Xi found the place, Xie Ning was quietly sitting on the deck, staring at his wine glass in a daze.
“So you were here.” Yan Xi walked over, and breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Xie Ning raised his head and glanced at him, tilted his head, and said, with clear eyes, “Mmn.”
He looked very well-behaved.
Xie An knew Yan Xi, so he didn’t feel embarrassed as he asked Yan Xi to take Xie Ning away.
Xie Ning followed Yan Xi forward, step by step.
Yan Xi asked, “How much did you drink?”
Xie Ning: “Not much.” Just a few bottles.
Yan Xi: “Are you dizzy? Are you a little drunk?”
Xie Ning: “I’m not drunk.”
Yan Xi looked at him, and he didn’t look like he was drunk. The two of them had just walked to an aisle, and coincidentally saw Zhuang Yan coming from the opposite direction.
Yan Xi’s footsteps paused, and Xie Ning didn’t notice, so he continued to walk, and with a pa sound, hit his forehead on Yan Xi’s back.
Zhuang Yan quickly reached out and pulled him over to his side. “How could you be so careless?”
Xie Ning responded with a sound, slowly.
Zhuang Yan asked, “Does it hurt?”
Xie Ning rubbed his forehead, and with a soft voice, said, “Hurts.”
Zhuang Yan took away his hand and took a look. It’s okay, it was only a little red.
Zhuang Yan frowned, and turned his head to ask Yan Xi, “What’s wrong with him?”
Yan Xi was confused. “What?”
Zhuang Yan: “How much did he drink, to get so drunk?”
Yan Xi: “He didn’t, did he? Isn’t he pretty normal right now?”
Zhuang Yan was silent. “...He’s drunk.”
Yan Xi: “???”
He turned his head to look at Xie Ning, and Xie Ning looked back at him. His eyes were clear, with nothing in them.
They weren’t focused, and seemed to wander.
It seems like...he really was drunk.
Xie Ning, when he gets drunk, is very well-behaved. He doesn’t get noisy or make trouble, does what he is told to do, and answers any questions he is asked.
His original personality was already very quiet, so Yan Xi couldn’t even tell he was drunk.
Yan Xi asked, “How could you tell?”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows and smiled. “His ears are so red. I could tell he was drunk at a glance.”
Yan Xi: “...” He didn’t notice at all.
“It’s so late. I’ll go get a room for him,” Zhuang Yan said. “It’s not safe if he’s alone, so there needs to be someone to take care of him.”
Yan Xi vigilantly glanced at him. “I will take good care of him, no need for you to worry.”
Zhuang Yan ignored him.
He asked Xie Ning, “Do you want to follow me, or do you want to follow him?”
Xie Ning blinked, as if he didn’t know what was going on yet.
Zhuang Yan waited for him patiently.
After a long while, Xie Ning slowly reached out his hand, and grasped Zhuang Yan’s sleeve.
Yan Xi: “???”
-------------------------------------------
Author’s Note: ZhuangZhuang’s moods were as follows:
...Shocked, unhappy, stuffy heart, wanted to fight, wanted to beat someone up.
...Forget it, NingNing is here, I’ll resist the urge.
...I won’t resist anymore, I’ll kiss him first.
Congratulations to ZhuangZhuang for collecting a drunk NingNing X1
Translator's Note:
chuunibyou - another japanese term that is commonly used in chinese! chuunibyou refers to when a person has delusions of being invincible, or having superpowers (not in zhuang yan's case, i believe, he was just being arrogant), generally said to happen in the second year of middle school
