Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 71 | The Years of Longing | Novela.app

Wen Yan spent a great deal of time coming to terms with it, and just as much time becoming Su Jingming. Su Jingming had left decisively and cleanly, taking nothing with him. As the new semester began, Zhou Hong looked wistfully at the names on the class roster. His gaze drifted toward Wen Yan’s desk; no one ever mentioned the empty seat beside him anymore. The students in the class shared a tacit understanding. Seeing the change in Wen Yan, coupled with the various rumors floating around, most of them looked at him with a mix of speculation and surprise. "I just didn't expect that they were actually..." "It’s probably for the best that one left. The pressure here is insane." "You couldn't tell back then, but I always thought they were too close. Turns out..." The moment Ren Wei and Li Yang walked into the classroom and overheard these snippets, they instinctively glanced toward Wen Yan’s seat. Fortunately, he wasn't there. Ren Wei walked over to the group, where the gossip was growing louder. "If you ask me, being gay is really—" Before the sentence could be finished, Ren Wei grabbed the male student by the collar, his eyes fierce. "He Rui, really what? Say it clearly. I’m listening." He Rui struggled, but it was useless. They were all teenagers now; being hauled up by the collar like a helpless chick was something that hadn't happened since primary school. "Ren Wei, let go of me!" He Rui reached back to grab him, but before he could extend his arms, they were pinned. He looked over to see Li Yang holding his hands, staring at him. "Fuck, what are you holding me for? Let go! You group of disgusting queers! Su Jingming deserved to leave. With that attitude of his, acting like that all day..." Before he could finish, Ren Wei’s fist connected with his face. He moved so fast that the bystanders didn't have time to react. In an instant, the scene exploded into chaos. Li Yang and Ren Wei had been suppressing their anger for a long time. They had heard more than enough idle gossip. It wasn't that Wen Yan didn't know, but he simply had no heart left to explain anything. Li Yang and Ren Wei, however, didn't have such patient temperaments. Now that they had been confronted with it directly, how could they not stand up for their brother? The commotion escalated until Wen Yan and Zhou Hong entered the classroom together to find them brawling. Zhou Hong was so angry he could barely catch his breath. He hauled the perpetrators straight to the office. Before Zhou Hong could even ask what happened, He Rui was the first to complain. "Mr. Zhou, they just started hitting people for no reason!" Li Yang and Ren Wei looked at each other, biting back their words in silence. "Why did you start a fight?" Zhou Hong asked. The two kept their heads down and said nothing. As Zhou Hong tried to calm himself, He Rui spoke up again. "It’s because I said Su Jingming was a—" Ren Wei immediately cut him off. "Mr. Zhou, I just didn't like the look of He Rui, so I hit him." "Me too!" Li Yang added, giving He Rui a deliberate, vicious glare. "I’ve hated the sight of him for a long time." Zhou Hong understood the temperament of every student in his class; he was certain there was a reason behind this. However, regardless of the reason, physical violence was wrong. The three students before him had rumpled clothes and faces marked with varying degrees of bruising. He sighed. "I’m going to have to call your parents. I can't let an incident like this go without informing them." At the thought of his father’s temper, Ren Wei felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Then he thought of Su Jingming, stiffened his neck, and decided he didn't care. Wen Yan leaned against the wall outside the office, listening to Zhou Hong’s lecture inside. Half the class period had already passed, and even the season was drawing to a close. When the group finally walked out, they weren't particularly surprised to see Wen Yan. He Rui maintained a haughty air, huffing as he took the lead to leave. Li Yang and Ren Wei sighed softly. Before they could say anything, Wen Yan apologized in a raspy voice. "I'm sorry." "I'll handle this matter. Don't worry." With that, Wen Yan tucked his hands into his pockets and walked away in the opposite direction of their classroom. The matter didn't blow up as expected; instead, it gradually settled down. Ren Wei had expected to be scolded by his parents when he got home, but when they saw him, they didn't utter a single harsh word. They simply patted him on the shoulder. No one knew exactly how Wen Yan had resolved the situation. Only the most observant noticed that Wen Yan became even more taciturn. He moved his desk and the empty one beside it into a corner, where they stayed until high school graduation. Upon entering university, Wen Yan did not follow his father’s wishes. He chose Law. He had a massive falling out with his father over this choice. A few years later, Wen Yan bought an apartment in the city center, taking on a mortgage. On the night of the graduation gala, Wen Yan stood in a corner as usual, holding a glass of champagne. He wore a well-tailored black suit that fit him perfectly in every detail. Many people came up to clink glasses and chat with him during the event. He didn't reject them, but he didn't let them get close either. He would always listen quietly, nodding or smiling at the right moments to signal for them to continue. This scene lasted for nearly two hours until Song Yifei sneaked over to find him, rescuing him from his predicament. "I'm giving you a chance to thank me. Otherwise, how much longer were you going to listen to them drone on?" Song Yifei had swiped a glass of champagne from somewhere and clinked it against Wen Yan’s. "Oh, then I really should thank you." Song Yifei curled his lip. "Forget it, you're just like this now!" He paused. "By the way, what are your plans for the future? I’ve heard there are way too many girls chasing you. Some have even tried to pay me for your contact info." Wen Yan gave him a flat look. Song Yifei continued, "Of course, you can trust my character. I would never do such a thing." "Three." "What?" "Three people from unknown sources have already added me on WeChat." "..." Song Yifei coughed. "Well, a man has his moments of financial difficulty." The two chatted idly for a while until Song Yifei’s glass was empty. He looked down at the stemware. "You..." "What?" "Are you still planning to wait for him?" Over the past few years, Song Yifei had asked this question more than once. Every time, the answer was decisive. This time was no exception. Wen Yan gazed out into the darkness of the night. Whatever he was thinking of made him let out a soft chuckle. "Song Yifei, I miss him. Every day, every year. I miss him so, so much." *He is even in my dreams, and I have never once forgotten him.* Song Yifei covered his eyes with his hand. "I must be crazy to keep asking you that." Wen Yan only smiled and said nothing more. In the days after graduation, every day was a repetition of the last. Wen Yan was like a wound-up robot, immersing himself entirely in his work. Until one day, on a whim, he was tidying up his study when a photograph fell out from between the pages of a book, catching his attention. It was their high school graduation photo. Wen Yan stood expressionless in the back row, with Ren Wei and Li Yang beside him. At the time, Wen Yan had frowned and said to Li Yang, "Can you move over a bit?" Li Yang hadn't understood, but seeing Wen Yan’s sour expression, he had shifted to the side. "Is this okay?" Wen Yan had nodded. "Thanks." It wasn't until the graduation photos were developed that Li Yang understood why Wen Yan had asked him to move. The space he had left open was just enough to fit one person. And in the photo, Wen Yan’s face was turned slightly, his gaze drifting toward that very spot. Wen Yan pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes gradually reddening. An aching soreness instantly flooded his heart. *I still miss you. Every day, every year.* *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 周宏 | Zhou Hong | The high school teacher. | | 任伟 | Ren Wei | A friend of Wen Yan and Su Jingming. | | 黎阳 | Li Yang | A friend of Wen Yan and Su Jingming. | | 何瑞 | He Rui | A classmate/antagonist in the flashback. | | 宋依斐 | Song Yifei | A friend of Wen Yan. | | 番外 | Extra / Side Story | Supplementary chapters outside the main plot. |