The race had ended, but Xie Chengnan’s mood remained heavy.
Shen Qinian patted him on the shoulder. "I’ve got a few private booths booked upstairs. Want to head up for a couple more drinks?"
Xie Chengnan didn’t refuse. He stood up and grabbed his coat, his mind still lingering on the matter of Jiang Yuan’s mother.
Years ago, because the Xie family’s business was so vast, his parents spent most of the year flying all over the world. They had little time or energy to devote to their only son.
Xie Chengnan had lived with his grandfather, and the two of them would often visit the Jiang residence. The two elders enjoyed drinking tea and reminiscing under the trees. Being young and restless, Xie Chengnan couldn't sit still, so Jiang Yuan’s mother would lead him into the courtyard to run wild. When he grew tired, she would carefully wipe his sweat with a handkerchief and feed him handmade pastries. She was a gentle woman who always seemed to be smiling.
At that time, Jiang Yuan’s mother had been unable to conceive due to poor health, so she treated Xie Chengnan, who visited often, as her own son. It could be said that most of the maternal love he experienced during his childhood came from her.
Adults often let down their guard in front of children they assume are oblivious, but they didn't realize he was precocious and possessed a sharp memory from a very young age. He had seen Jiang Yuan’s father’s growing, unrestrained dissatisfaction, and he had noticed the woman who held his hand growing thinner and more exhausted by the day.
It wasn't until Xie Chengnan was nine years old that Jiang Yuan’s mother finally became pregnant with her first child. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she had told him, "Chengnan, you’re going to have a little brother."
Xie Chengnan had looked forward to this unborn, non-blood-related brother with great anticipation. In his simple understanding, this child was the missing link in the Jiang parents' relationship; now that it was being filled, the clouds would surely part to reveal the moon. Indeed, during that period, Jiang Yuan’s mother slowly regained her old self—she smiled more, and her frame filled out.
The following year, Jiang Yuan was born. Xie Chengnan’s playtime at the Jiang house shifted to childcare. From coaxing the baby to sleep and feeding him formula to changing diapers and protecting the little "rice ball" as he toddled around the courtyard, Xie Chengnan had always assumed he would be by the boy's side for the long years to come.
Unfortunately, the world has a way of catching one off guard. The Xie family collapsed overnight due to a failed investment and a malicious setup. His grandfather, struck by shock and rage, passed away from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Xie Chengnan followed his parents into exile in Country Y, where they remained mired in hardship for a long time.
Their dire financial situation forced his parents to bury themselves in work. The fifteen-year-old boy was left to endure a sense of trepidation and an insatiable loneliness all on his own.
He missed the Jiang family courtyard, he missed that gentle, smiling auntie, and he missed the little rice ball he had helped raise. His only solace was the occasional transoceanic phone call.
However, by then, the head of the Jiang household was Jiang Kunbo. He was a quintessential businessman; the Xie family, now devoid of profit, meant nothing to him. He restricted Jiang Yuan’s mother from contacting Xie Chengnan, fearing she might impulsively use their money to fill the Xie family’s financial hole. Eventually, even those transoceanic calls ceased.
That was the first time Xie Chengnan realized he was no longer a child; he couldn't just stand still and wait for someone to rescue him. From then on, he threw himself into studying and making money. During his most difficult times, he even participated in illegal street races just to claw his way out of the mire.
For five long years, the family struggled to repay their debts. It wasn't until the latter half of his university years that life finally began to improve.
Xie Chengnan had once thought those old days were crushed and obliterated, never to be missed again. He hadn't expected that a single, sudden encounter would cause him to pull those memories from their dusty crate, intact down to the smallest detail.
So, this was the root of his obsession with Nancheng.
It was his carefree first fifteen years, and the two most important people within them.
Now, one was gone, and the other had changed beyond recognition.
Xie Chengnan leaned over the sink, bracing himself with both hands, unable to compose himself for a long while. He looked up at the face in the mirror—fourteen years older—and finally understood that time cannot be leveled. Whether it was the fifteen years Jiang Yuan’s mother spent with him, or the five years he spent with Jiang Yuan, they had all vanished into the past.
Xie Chengnan washed his face and steadied his emotions. He told himself that at least Jiang Yuan was still here, right in front of him. It didn't matter if the boy didn't remember him; he would stay in Nancheng, by his side, just like in the years gone by.
When Xie Chengnan walked into the private booth, he found the atmosphere rather strange.
A row of young men stood in the center of the room, dressed uniformly in white shirts and black trousers. They were looking at the youth in the center of the sofa with eager eyes.
Jiang Yuan was smoking. Seated beside him were Shen Qinian, Qiao Song, and another man he didn't recognize. Qiao Song’s expression was dark, while Shen Qinian and the stranger looked as though they were enjoying a show.
Jiang Yuan’s gaze swept lightly over the row of boys before landing on Xie Chengnan, who had just entered. He arched an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. "What's your name?"
Xie Chengnan froze for a moment. He felt it was unlikely Jiang Yuan would recognize him; after all, they hadn't seen each other in over a decade. Jiang Yuan had only been five when he left; it would be a miracle if he even remembered the name "Xie Chengnan."
Shen Qinian spoke up. "A-Yuan, that’s my buddy, Xie Chengnan."
Jiang Yuan flicked his ash and offered a half-hearted apology. "Sorry. I thought you were with them."
Xie Chengnan glanced at his own attire—white shirt, black trousers. Well, aside from being a decade older, he really did look the part. And Jiang Yuan, as expected, truly didn't remember him.
Xie Chengnan smiled dismissively and sat down next to Shen Qinian. "What’s the situation?" he whispered.
Shen Qinian replied, "Young Master Jiang is planning to hire a gigolo and come out of the closet as a 'surprise' for his old man."
Xie Chengnan looked at the young master who was still picking out men. It felt like watching his own younger brother coming up with new ways to torment himself. He felt a mix of heartache and a headache. Frowning, he spoke up. "Jiang Yuan, how about me?"
Everyone in the room looked over in shock. Shen Qinian, in particular, looked like he had seen a ghost.
Jiang Yuan, however, remained quite calm. Assuming this was just another person trying to make a move on him, he sneered. "Mr. Xie, I’m looking to hire someone to serve me, not looking for a boyfriend."
Xie Chengnan nodded. "I currently have no house, no car, I'm unemployed, and I'm short on cash. I happen to be in need of a benefactor to support me."
Jiang Yuan sized him up from head to toe before looking at Shen Qinian. "Is your friend here for a laugh?"
Shen Qinian also wanted to ask Xie Chengnan if he was joking, but seeing his expression, he understood. This guy was serious. He was likely speaking up because of Jiang Yuan’s mother; he didn't want Jiang Yuan getting mixed up with random, shady people.
With a metaphorical toothache, Shen Qinian said to Jiang Yuan, "He just returned to the country and really doesn't have a place to stay. Why don't you take him in for now?"
Jiang Yuan looked at Xie Chengnan with interest. He could sense that the other man didn't have any hidden, unsavory intentions toward him. His gaze was too clean. If anything, it felt more like... indulgence?
Jiang Yuan found this perception a bit bizarre, but someone Shen Qinian introduced as a "buddy" wouldn't truly be so poor that they had to sell themselves to survive.
Their eyes met. After a single exchange of glances, Jiang Yuan felt a spark of interest. He said with an air of practiced composure, "Mr. Xie might want to hear my requirements first to see if he can meet them."
Xie Chengnan extended his right hand in a gesture for him to continue, adopting the posture of someone at a negotiation table. "Please, go ahead."
Jiang Yuan found the man increasingly amusing. He raised an eyebrow. "First, I want you on call twenty-four hours a day. Second, you do whatever I tell you to do. Third, don't say what shouldn't be said, and don't ask what shouldn't be asked. Fourth... I’m the one on top."
Xie Chengnan was amused by the fourth point. He nodded. "Deal." He thought to himself that this brat was certainly putting on quite a performance. If he didn't play along, who knew what kind of person might actually end up crawling into the boy's bed in the middle of the night?
Jiang Yuan hadn't expected him to agree so readily, which actually made him feel a bit uncertain. He added suspiciously, "When I don't want to 'grace' you with my presence, stay far away from me."
Xie Chengnan couldn't help but smile warmly. "Whatever you want, I'll listen to you."
Jiang Yuan had to admit that if he really had to choose a cohabitation partner, this man certainly looked much more reliable than those other boys.
Seeing that he was swayed, Xie Chengnan added more weight to his side. "Before I went abroad, I was a frequent guest at your house. If the person you 'come out' with is me, your father will probably... be fuming with rage?"
Hearing Xie Chengnan’s slightly mocking chuckle, Jiang Yuan was somewhat surprised. He searched his memory for the name "Xie Chengnan" but found no trace of it. He could only ask curiously, "Why?"
Xie Chengnan adjusted his cuffs and let out a soft laugh. "If you bring home a gigolo, he’ll just think you’re playing around and that you’ll eventually settle down. But if you bring me, he’ll probably have to consider whether... old sentiments are truly impossible to forget."
Jiang Yuan was still completely in the dark, but since the other man put it that way, he was clearly here to help him spite Jiang Kunbo. Cooperation between people with the same goal is always pleasant. Jiang Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "What are your requirements?"
Xie Chengnan said, "Just a place to stay."
"Deal." Jiang Yuan pulled out a cigarette. "I’ll give you a hundred thousand a month in pocket money. I'll pay you the highest rate they charge here."
Xie Chengnan didn't bother arguing with him. One must always indulge one's own "brat." He nodded. "Deal."
Jiang Yuan seemed determined to test him. One moment he wanted him to pour wine, the next he wanted him to light a cigarette.
Xie Chengnan went along with his antics without getting angry.
Jiang Yuan noticed that even while performing these menial tasks, the man still maintained the air of a noble scion. Far from looking lowly, he looked more like a gentleman. Combined with his sharply defined features, he was quite pleasing to the eye. As Zhang Siyi would put it: taking this "little lover" out would be incredibly prestigious.
Young Master Jiang was very satisfied, but someone else was not.
Qiao Song sat with a dark expression, fiddling with his wine glass. He glared at Xie Chengnan with cold eyes, but spoke to Shen Qinian. "Shen Qinian, is your family on the verge of ruin? Why are you making friends with just anyone?"
Shen Qinian wasn't one to back down from trouble. If someone made him uncomfortable, he would make sure they felt it too. He went straight for the jugular. "Don't be jealous, Young Master Qiao. If you had the guts to come out to your family, my friend wouldn't have a chance, would he? You don't dare take a bite yourself, yet you won't let anyone else touch it?"
Jiang Yuan watched the drama with amusement, completely lacking the self-awareness that he was the fuse. Xie Chengnan was also perfectly at ease, currently peeling peanuts for Jiang Yuan. With a pinch and a rub of his strong, powerful fingers, a pale peanut kernel was offered to Jiang Yuan’s lips. The young master felt more and more that this money was well spent.
Qiao Song’s face was now hideously pale. Jiang Yuan wasn't intimidated by him and simply acted as if he hadn't seen a thing. He said to Xie Chengnan, "Move in tomorrow. Shen Qinian knows where I live."
Xie Chengnan nodded. "Alright. I have quite a bit of luggage, though. I'll probably need you to clear out two rooms for me."
Jiang Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "Aside from the master bedroom, you can have whatever you want."
And so, the matter of their cohabitation was settled.
***
