Chapter Nineteen

This weekend was Li Youchen’s birthday. He invited many of his university classmates to his birthday party, and among them, Yi Xiaoyu was indispensable, as was Wen Ming.

When Yi Xiaoyu saw Wen Ming again, his demeanor toward him was no different from how he treated the other old classmates. However, some people were unaware that Yi Xiaoyu and Wen Ming had already broken up. With warmth and excitement, they came up to ask when they could expect to drink the couple’s wedding wine. Before Wen Ming could respond, Yi Xiaoyu smiled and said directly, “Wen Ming and I are just ordinary friends now.”

Wen Ming’s expression became unpleasant, and even the men making jokes seemed embarrassed, finally giving only a dry laugh. “Oh... I see.”

Li Youchen wanted to create opportunities for Yi Xiaoyu and Wen Ming to talk over the two days, but Yi Xiaoyu’s attitude toward Wen Ming never showed any extra warmth compared to others.

Li Youchen observed anxiously. Back in university, he had hoped to attend their wedding. Who would have thought their relationship would end up like this?

When Yi Xiaoyu was chatting with other classmates, Li Youchen pulled Wen Ming aside. “Wen Ming, what’s going on between you and Xiaoyu?”

“Xiaoyu has deep misunderstandings about me.”

“What sort of misunderstanding can’t be resolved? By the way, last time Xiaoyu told me he has someone now, is it true? Is he in love again?”

A trace of bitterness appeared in Wen Ming’s eyes. “Yes.”

Li Youchen’s curiosity was piqued. “Who is it? For Xiaoyu to give you up for him, that person must be incredibly outstanding.”

“Outstanding?” Wen Ming nearly crushed the wine glass in his hand. “He’s nothing but a brute. Xiaoyu being with him is truly blind.”

“Hey, hey, don’t insult people like that.” Li Youchen patted Wen Ming’s shoulder. “Calm down, brother. Anyway, I’m on your side. You and Xiaoyu together are a perfect match, not to brag, but back then the entire school thought so.”

Wen Ming gazed at the slender figure not far away and sighed. “But Xiaoyu doesn’t think so anymore.”

“Don’t lose hope. Who cares who’s at his side now? Kick him out and get back in position. Xiaoyu is closest to me, I know him best, and he’s someone who values emotions deeply. I can say with certainty that you still have a place in his heart.”

“I know. I’ve always had a place in his heart…”

The party didn’t end until after ten o’clock at night. Li Youchen arranged for his driver to take Yi Xiaoyu and Wen Ming to a nearby hotel, deliberately placing them together in the same car.

Perhaps because he was feeling melancholy, Wen Ming drank heavily that evening and staggered as he walked. After they got out of the car, Yi Xiaoyu supported him the whole way.

Yi Xiaoyu looked at Wen Ming’s frail, drunken state and couldn’t help but say softly, “Your stomach isn’t good. You shouldn’t drink so much.”

Wen Ming smiled. “You still remember.”

“Mm.” Yi Xiaoyu’s expression was impassive. He poured Wen Ming a cup of hot water and set it beside the bed. “You should sleep. I have to go to my own room now.”

Wen Ming grabbed Yi Xiaoyu’s hand. “Xiaoyu, I have something I want to say to you. Just ten minutes, give me ten minutes.”

Yi Xiaoyu paused, glanced at his watch, and nodded. “Alright, I need to make a phone call home in ten minutes anyway.” He sat on the chair by the bed, looking at Wen Ming calmly. “Go ahead. What is it?”

“You just said,” Wen Ming’s face was tense, “calling home—do you mean calling that man you live with?”

“Yes. He’s my beloved.”

“I don’t understand, Xiaoyu. How could you fall for someone like... like him? What does he have…”

“Whether he’s good or not, that’s my family matter.” Yi Xiaoyu interrupted Wen Ming. “Have you finished what you wanted to say?”

“No, that’s not what I wanted to say.” Wen Ming closed his eyes, as if calming his inner turmoil, and after a long moment, he spoke slowly. “Last time you said I fell in love with Yanyan. I didn’t. Whether you believe it or not, I truly didn’t. I’m not what you think—a bisexual. From childhood until now, I have never loved anyone but you. Back then, I gave you up only because I had no choice. To make you give up, I said those hurtful things, but in fact, I broke up with Yanyan in the second month after I went abroad. I told her about my seven-year relationship with you, and she understood. In the end, she persuaded her father to help mine.”

Wen Ming gently took both of Yi Xiaoyu’s hands, gazing at him deeply. “At the time, I thought I could sacrifice my happiness for my father’s business, but gradually I realized I couldn’t adapt to life without you. I changed my mind at the last minute and didn’t get engaged to Yanyan. My father was furious—he confiscated my passport, froze my accounts, and had people watching me, all to prevent me from returning to you. Later, Yanyan’s mother wanted to take me as her apprentice. My father promised that if I studied jewelry design with her for three years and became her equal, he would let me return to you and accept bringing you home.”

Yi Xiaoyu couldn’t describe what he felt inside at that moment, as if something fine and sharp had pierced his heart. The clearer the events from the past became, the more the memories stung.

Abandoned two years ago, after more than seven hundred days of twists and turns, now everything had changed. Learning a new version of the truth suddenly—what meaning did it have?

Yi Xiaoyu looked down at Wen Ming’s hands. They were beautiful—long, pale fingers, warm and soft to the touch, always so lovely in his memories.

But beautiful memories, after all, are just memories.

“Xiaoyu…” Wen Ming’s voice was low. “Later, I couldn’t reach you at all. You changed every way I knew to contact you. I couldn’t explain myself to you. Only now do I realize… you were already married then. I suppose you wanted to erase everything related to me. Afterward, I wrote you a letter every few days, sent to your old email. I don’t even know how many I wrote—I poured all my longing for you into those words. I always believed you’d see them, understand me, and wait for me… If I’d known you would marry someone just to spite me, I would have broken ties with my father if needed to come back for you…”

Yi Xiaoyu slowly withdrew his hand from Wen Ming’s grasp, his gaze lowered. After a few seconds, he looked up, his smile tinged with bitterness and resignation. “I was married.”

Wen Ming sat up, reaching out to caress Yi Xiaoyu’s face. “Do you really love him? Do you and that man have anything in common? He doesn’t know your likes, doesn’t understand your habits. He’s obviously the type who only cares about food and pleasure. Being with him—don’t you feel like you’re keeping a heartless dog?”

Yi Xiaoyu suddenly brushed Wen Ming’s hand away and blurted out, “You’re not allowed to say that about him.”

Even if he had joked that the fat man was the second dog he raised, he wouldn’t allow anyone to insult him in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Xiaoyu. I just… I’m just too jealous of him.” Wen Ming laughed bitterly. “He paid nothing, and yet he got you—the person I’ve loved for seven years. How could I not be jealous?”

(Yawn Brother: What to do? Halfway through writing a sweet romance, I just want to turn it into angst. Ahhh—what kind of sickness is this~)