Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Editor: Eli

---

Chapter 34

[Eight Years Ago]

Yu Ruoyun saw Jiang Yu again.

It had been just over half a month since their last meeting, and Jiang Yu, like a chameleon, had changed his appearance once more. He seemed to have lost some weight; his waist was even thinner, Yu Ruoyun thought. It was said that Jiang Yu was preparing for his first leading role in a movie, and the director had required him to lose twenty pounds.

Jiang Yu didn’t notice Yu Ruoyun. He was holding a glass, chatting with people. Whatever topic they were discussing made the group burst into laughter, clinking their glasses. Jiang Yu drank quickly, finishing his drink in one go. The others, seeing this, got even more excited and encouraged him to drink more.

It wasn’t necessary to drink that much, Yu Ruoyun thought. But he and Jiang Yu weren’t close, so he had no standing to intervene. Today was a wedding banquet for a celebrity couple. Both the bride and groom liked grand events and invited all their friends, no matter how loosely connected. Yu Ruoyun had been the leading actor for the bride, and Jiang Yu seemed to have acted with the groom. In the entertainment circle, where there were so many people, yet a few connections could bring people together unexpectedly, like meeting Jiang Yu at such an occasion.

It was good to see him, as Yu Ruoyun had something to discuss with Jiang Yu.

However, if Jiang Yu continued drinking, he might not have a clear enough mind to talk.

“That’s enough,” a friend who knew Jiang Yu advised him. “Do you really have such a good tolerance for alcohol? I didn’t know that. Why are you drinking so much at someone else’s wedding?”

Jiang Yu’s voice already had a hint of drunkenness. “I’m in a good mood today. Is that not okay? I have my room card here. If I get drunk, won’t you help me upstairs?”

He actually handed his room card to the other person and continued drinking with different people, never once looking in Yu Ruoyun’s direction.

In the end, he really got drunk. The friend, being quite considerate, supported Jiang Yu by the shoulder, helping him to the elevator while talking on the phone. “I’ll be right there—just have a small issue to deal with…”

It seemed he had an appointment and was in a hurry, delayed by this unexpected trouble with Jiang Yu.

“I’ll take him upstairs,” Yu Ruoyun suddenly said from behind, startling the friend. He hadn’t noticed when Yu Ruoyun had come over.

Yu Ruoyun naturally took the room card, as if it was his duty. “Li Li, right? If you have something to do, go ahead. It’s fine. I know Jiang Yu.”

Li Li didn’t expect Yu Ruoyun to call him by name. Considering it was Yu Ruoyun, and there was no reason to worry about what he might do to Jiang Yu, especially since Yu Ruoyun said he knew Jiang Yu, what was there to be concerned about?

He said, “I’ll be off then. Thank you.”

The elevator went up, and Jiang Yu, waking from his drunken stupor, turned to look at Yu Ruoyun. “Li Li, why do you look like Yu Ruoyun? Change back.”

Yu Ruoyun said, “I can’t change back.”

“What should I do then?” Jiang Yu fretted. “I didn’t want to see Yu Ruoyun.”

“Why?” Yu Ruoyun asked gently, not pressing for an answer but more like a primary school teacher asking a question.

Jiang Yu frowned. “If I had known he was coming today, I wouldn’t have come. Why is he everywhere? I turn on the TV, and he’s there every day.”

“Did he offend you?” Yu Ruoyun asked.

Jiang Yu looked a bit guilty. “No, I offended him.”

Yu Ruoyun thought, ‘I didn’t know that.’

The elevator door opened, and Jiang Yu stepped out, trying to swipe his card to open the room door.

Yu Ruoyun took the card from him. “You can’t open it with an ID card.”

Kindly, Yu Ruoyun opened the door for Jiang Yu, but Jiang Yu, ungrateful, tried to shut him out. Luckily, Yu Ruoyun realized this, propping the door open with his elbow and walking in without asking for Jiang Yu’s permission.

“So how did you offend him?” Yu Ruoyun poured Jiang Yu a glass of warm water and asked after sitting down.

Jiang Yu didn’t reply.

Yu Ruoyun walked over, bent down, and looked closely at Jiang Yu. “Was it like this?”

Yu Ruoyun lowered his head and gave a light kiss, just like Jiang Yu had done that time.

Jiang Yu wanted to resist but was held down by Yu Ruoyun. Not much strength was used. Perhaps Jiang Yu felt guilty. Yu Ruoyun held his shoulder and neck, saying, “You kissed me first and then ran away. What’s going on?”

Jiang Yu covered his eyes with the back of his hand, not looking at Yu Ruoyun, and pleaded, “Can you forget it?”

“I don’t plan to for now,” Yu Ruoyun said. “You were the one who approached me, took my phone, and put your number in it, saying my new film wasn’t great, and asked why there were no dating rumors about me in the past two years.”

“I said, I’ve been serious every time, but somehow, those actresses soon told me it was better to stay as mutually beneficial acquaintances and not develop other relationships. Maybe I’m just too boring.” Yu Ruoyun helped Jiang Yu recall. “You said—”

“Then why not consider me?” Jiang Yu had said. When people got too close, their minds would get dizzy and say stupid things, leading them to take irrational actions toward the people who were close to them, then run away.

Jiang Yu remembered. In fact, he had never forgotten. Despite only meeting a few times, each time he urged the actor to engage in homosexuality. It was strange that Yu Ruoyun hadn’t hit him yet.

But why would Yu Ruoyun be interested in him? He was only starring in his first movie, while Yu Ruoyun stood high on Olympus, far ahead and out of reach.

“Do you like me?” Yu Ruoyun gently coaxed. “But you keep avoiding me.”

Normally, Jiang Yu wouldn’t admit it, but now he was drunk. A drunk person had the right to speak freely.

“There must be something wrong with you,” Jiang Yu asserted. “I admire other actors, but I don’t have other thoughts. But I want you to notice me.”

Was it love? Perhaps not, which was why he fled, not knowing how to face it. But why couldn’t he resist? If he truly wanted Yu Ruoyun to notice, shouldn’t he work hard, make better films, transition from a famous TV actor to a film actor, and win Best Actor? There was such a long road ahead. Why waste energy on his personal life?

Jiang Yu’s hair fell forward, and Yu Ruoyun’s fingers appeared, pushing it back.

“I’ve never tried,” Yu Ruoyun said. “But maybe with you.”

He said it so easily, his tone so light, that Jiang Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Why pay attention to him? Jiang Yu didn’t understand.

Yu Ruoyun asked, “How are you when you’re drunk?”

Jiang Yu tried to answer this irrelevant question. “Pretty good. I don’t cause trouble. After drinking, I go to sleep and forget everything.”

He yawned, actually feeling a bit sleepy.

So Yu Ruoyun watched Jiang Yu’s eyelids slowly close, saying, “Because when I first met you, I knew you couldn’t be a normal person.”

Ambitious, clever, with incredibly passionate eyes, looking at Yu Ruoyun with both jealousy and admiration. Yu Ruoyun had received plenty of praise and admiration, but Jiang Yu seemed different.

Perfectly normal Yu Ruoyun, whose career and relationships were exceptionally smooth, encountered the challenge of his life, unaware at that time.

“Are you asleep?” Yu Ruoyun asked, but the sleeping person didn’t answer. Yu Ruoyun had to talk to himself. “Then I should go.”

“Hope next time we meet, we can really start.” Yu Ruoyun said those final words, closing the door.

Jiang Yu slept dreamlessly, waking up just before checkout time.

“Li Li,” he called. “Where did I put my wallet and ID card?”

Li Li said, “I don’t know. Ask Yu Ruoyun. He brought you back.”

Jiang Yu’s vision went dark. “Why did he bring me back? Didn’t I give you my room card?”

Li Li was confused, not realizing any mistake. “He said he knew you. What’s wrong? Did he steal your wallet?”

No, Jiang Yu found them quickly. But running into Yu Ruoyun was worse than losing money or his ID.

“Sir, are you looking for something?” the cleaning lady couldn’t help but ask.

“Checking if your hotel has hidden cameras,” Jiang Yu replied without looking up.

“That’s impossible.”

‘That way, I could see what stupid things I said yesterday,’ Jiang Yu thought.

Yu Ruoyun woke from a dream.

Seeing the time, it was only five. Dawn was just breaking, dim light filtering through the window, casting a hazy glow on the face beside him. Yu Ruoyun just watched for a long time without changing his position.

When Jiang Yu opened his eyes, he saw Yu Ruoyun looking at him.

“What are you doing?” He reached for Yu Ruoyun. “It’s so early. Sleep a bit more.”

He had been very tired these days, with lots of things going on at school, with the boy band, and at the company, making him want to sleep.

As Jiang Yu grabbed Yu Ruoyun’s hand and was about to go back to sleep, Yu Ruoyun’s voice rang in his ear. “I have a question I’ve always wanted to ask you.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>