Halfway through the return journey, Jiang Kunbo’s call came in.
Jiang Yuan glanced at his watch. It was ten-thirty, only slightly later than the time he usually finished his annual visit to the cemetery. He couldn't help but let out a cold sneer, thinking that Chairman Jiang truly hadn't given up on the idea of the "whole family" appearing together in the news.
Young Master Jiang had woken up early specifically to crush his father’s delusions. Now that the deed was done, he didn't mind spending a few minutes bickering with the man.
As soon as the call connected, Jiang Kunbo’s voice came through, thick with suppressed rage. "Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?"
Jiang Yuan arched an eyebrow. He could tell his father was in a foul mood; clearly, his patience had run thin, and he likely suspected that his late wife’s son wasn't going to show up to play his part in the performance today.
Jiang Yuan felt he ought to add a little more fuel to the fire, stoking that anger until it reached its peak.
And so, the young master switched the phone to speaker and turned to Xie Chengnan. "Dear, where are we now?"
Xie Chengnan gave him a silent look, knowing full well the boy was looking for trouble. With a hint of amusement, he cooperated. "We’ll be home in about half an hour."
The other end of the line went dead silent.
Jiang Yuan leaned one hand against the car window, looking at the phone screen with a half-smile, as if he could see Chairman Jiang’s livid expression through those few words.
To his surprise, while his father was indeed furious, the source of his anger wasn't what Jiang Yuan had expected.
"Do you have any idea how many media outlets I invited today?!" Jiang Kunbo demanded.
Jiang Yuan clicked his tongue, his interest suddenly waning. He replied coldly, "What the hell does that have to do with me?"
The line went dead the next second. His father had clearly hung up in a fit of rage.
Jiang Yuan stared at the darkened screen for a long while before letting out a sharp laugh. "My coming out was surprisingly hurdle-free, wasn't it? Don't you think we should celebrate tonight?"
Xie Chengnan knew Jiang Yuan’s mood was far from good. The young master had treated his "coming out" like a grand finale, keeping it tucked away until today just to provoke his father. Who would have thought that in his father’s eyes, his biological son’s sexuality wasn't even worth mentioning—certainly not as infuriating as a few missed press opportunities. It was a bitter irony.
Knowing the boy was upset, Xie Chengnan didn't poke at the wound. Instead, he played along to coax him. "Sure. Today counts as the day I, your boyfriend, finally came into the light before your father. What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you when we get back."
Jiang Yuan looked up at him with a smile, suddenly adding, "I also introduced you as my boyfriend to my mother. On such a good day, let me treat you to something nice."
Xie Chengnan froze for a moment, unable to tell how much of that statement was genuine. A probing question hovered at the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. In the end, he simply reached out and ruffled Jiang Yuan’s soft hair, murmuring, "Whatever you want."
Seeing the older man’s doting expression, the young master’s mood finally lifted a little. He pulled out his phone to scroll through the reservation numbers of several long-standing restaurants, his lips curling into a smile. "Alright, I’ll pick the place."
Jiang Yuan had Jason redirect the car to Fu Man Lou. He didn't ask for a private room, choosing instead a window seat in the second-floor main hall.
On the small stage, a storyteller was recounting tales from the *Three Kingdoms*. Jiang Yuan rested his chin on his hand, listening with interest for a while until his phone chimed with several news notifications.
He looked down. There they were, lined up perfectly: press releases about the Chairman of the Jiang Group mourning his late wife.
He clicked on one at random. In the photos, Jiang Kunbo’s expressionless profile was described as a face of deep sorrow. Li Yan, dressed in an exquisite black cocktail dress, was interpreted as showing respect for her husband’s deceased wife.
The freesias he and Xie Chengnan had brought were nowhere to be seen, likely tossed into some forgotten corner. Only two bouquets of white chrysanthemums lay before the headstone, their starkness stinging his eyes.
The peace and composure he had maintained all day finally cracked. A dull ache crawled slowly out from the marrow of his bones, winding around him like vines, tightening until even breathing became difficult.
Xie Chengnan, who had been keeping a close eye on him, quickly noticed something was wrong.
"A-Yuan?" Xie Chengnan leaned in and called his name, but the boy only stared silently at the glowing screen, unresponsive.
"A-Yuan!" Xie Chengnan’s voice sharpened. He grabbed Jiang Yuan’s shoulders, gripping them firmly in an attempt to snap him out of it.
As if he had been holding his breath for too long, Jiang Yuan suddenly gasped for air, his breathing turning shallow and rapid.
"What’s wrong?!" Xie Chengnan turned him around by the shoulders. "Where does it hurt? We’re going to the hospital!"
"I’m fine..." Jiang Yuan’s vacant eyes slowly regained focus, settling on Xie Chengnan. "I’m fine... Let’s just go home..."
Seeing the hesitation still lingering on Xie Chengnan’s face, Jiang Yuan reached out and squeezed the hand on his shoulder, offering a small reassurance. "I’m really okay... I don't want to go to the hospital. It smells like disinfectant there." *And it smells like death.*
Xie Chengnan studied him intently. Only after confirming that he had indeed returned to normal did he reluctantly agree. "Alright."
He took Jiang Yuan’s hand in his, ignoring the curious stares from the surrounding patrons, and led him to the car with a grim expression.
Xie Chengnan wanted to ask what had just happened, but seeing that Jiang Yuan wasn't in the mood to explain, he could only suppress his own emotions.
Still, he couldn't quite set his mind at ease. Even after they reached home, he followed Jiang Yuan like a shadow, rushing to help him change his shoes and pour him water, eventually following him all the way into the bedroom.
Jiang Yuan was amused by the older man’s nervous behavior and couldn't help but tease him. "Do you want to help me take a bath while you're at it?"
To his surprise, the man only paused for a second before heading straight for the bathroom. Now it was the young master’s turn to be stunned. "Uh... I was joking."
Xie Chengnan looked back at him and said tonelessly, "I’ll draw the water for you. I’ll wait by the door."
Jiang Yuan was silent for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I won't use the tub. I'll be fine."
But Xie Chengnan insisted on standing guard. "If you feel unwell, just call out to me."
Jiang Yuan didn't refuse again. He nodded, grabbed his change of clothes, and entered the bathroom.
The door clicked shut behind him. Jiang Yuan took two steps toward the shower but couldn't help stopping as he passed the bathtub, staring at it fixedly.
This villa had been fully renovated by a design firm. He hadn't even looked at the blueprints before giving the green light; his only requirement was that it be finished as quickly as possible so he could move out of that suffocating house.
He hadn't expected the company to choose this specific model of bathtub. In his endless nightmares, his mother lay inside a tub just like it, eyes closed, her long hair floating and tangling in the water, eventually devoid of all life.
Jiang Yuan didn't know why he had kept it.
During those years when his emotions were still unstable, he would find himself lying in the tub every year on this day, wondering if he died at the same time and in the same way, he might be able to catch up to her on the road to the underworld.
If it weren't for his body’s primal instinct for survival, Jiang Kunbo might have had another headstone to commission by now, one where he could write about the "pain of losing a son."
Jiang Yuan didn't know how long he stood there. By the time he came to, he was being held tightly in Xie Chengnan’s arms. His ears were filled with the man’s frantic voice, calling his name over and over.
Jiang Yuan reached out to wrap his arms around Xie Chengnan’s waist, burying his face in the man’s shoulder. "I’m here," he murmured.
Xie Chengnan’s tense body finally relaxed slightly. Heaven knew how terrified he had been when he walked in and saw Jiang Yuan standing there like he was possessed.
This time, no matter what Jiang Yuan said, Xie Chengnan refused to let him stay in the bathroom alone, insisting on waiting right outside the shower stall.
The shower door was made of semi-transparent frosted glass. While it didn't reveal everything, one could still see a vague silhouette.
Though Jiang Yuan was usually bold with his words, he felt a bit shy now. "I’m really fine now... Why don't you wait outside?" His face began to flush despite himself.
Xie Chengnan wasn't buying it. He leaned against the sink with his arms crossed, his face stern. "You said you were fine earlier, too." He wouldn't budge an inch.
Seeing that the man was serious, the young master decided to play a prank. Before Xie Chengnan could react, Jiang Yuan grabbed the hem of his hoodie and pulled it over his head, stripping right in front of him.
Startled by this bold move, Xie Chengnan immediately averted his eyes, stammering awkwardly, "Go inside to take those off..."
Before he could finish, the young master "shinged" his pants off as well.
Xie Chengnan: "..."
The older man’s face finally turned red all the way to his neck, his ears burning hot. He was experiencing a profound lesson in what it meant to be caught in one's own trap.
As if discovering a new world, the young master leaned in mischievously. "Xie Chengnan, your face is so red."
In that moment, a realization struck him. This man was no "straight-as-an-arrow" guy. With a reaction this obvious, it would be self-deception to think Xie Chengnan didn't have feelings for him.
Xie Chengnan was still trying to maintain his composure, his lips pressed thin as he urged, "Get in there, or you'll catch a cold." Yet, he didn't dare look.
Jiang Yuan didn't tease him further and obediently stepped into the shower.
But before Xie Chengnan could breathe a sigh of relief, the shower door cracked open again.
"Catch!" the young master called out, tossing something into Xie Chengnan’s arms.
Xie Chengnan looked down. A pair of white men’s briefs was hanging conspicuously over his arm. His blood surged; all his carefully maintained composure vanished instantly.
As if he were holding a hot potato, the man frantically stuffed the underwear into the laundry basket. He looked up to see the culprit peeking through the gap in the door. Caught in the act, Jiang Yuan wasn't afraid at all; he was clutching his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely stand straight.
Xie Chengnan pulled the door shut firmly and leaned against the wall, taking several deep breaths. His heart, however, continued to hammer uncontrollably against his ribs.
The sound of running water began inside the shower.
Neither of them spoke, but both could feel that something had changed.
Xie Chengnan knew the atmosphere tonight was too charged, too ambiguous for him to share a bed with the boy.
But Jiang Yuan’s repeated lapses in composure today left him uneasy. After thinking it over, he decided he had to keep an eye on him.
They could share a bed, but they absolutely could not share a blanket.
The last shred of the older man’s gentlemanly restraint drove him to go to the guest room and bring back his own duvet.
While he was out, Jiang Yuan quietly opened the bottom drawer of his nightstand. Inside were the prescription medications his doctor had given him.
He knew he wasn't quite right today; he was likely having an episode. The safest thing to do would be to take a sleeping pill and get a good night’s rest. But as his fingers reached for the bottle, he hesitated. Ultimately, he withdrew his hand and slid the drawer shut.
Jiang Yuan lay in bed, lost in thought for a while. He heard the door open and close, felt the mattress sink on the other side, and finally, he was pulled into a warm embrace, blanket and all.
Xie Chengnan coaxed him softly, "Sleep. I’m right here with you."
Jiang Yuan obediently closed his eyes, drifting off to the sound of the man’s steady breathing.
Before his consciousness faded, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but think: *This man is my true antidote.*
***
