E ⋆ Chapter 27

Yang Ke had only planned to stay in Hawaii for one night. He arrived on the morning of the first day and didn’t finish his meeting until 11:30 p.m.

All the hotel’s evening activities had ended, leaving only the bar with a sparse scattering of people. Yang Ke returned to his room, showered, and was just about to rest when he received a text message from Yu Zhinian.

“Attorney Li told me that dividend can be moved now.”

Yang Ke looked at the message, thought for a moment, then called Yu Zhinian. Before Yu Zhinian could speak, he said to him: “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Yu Zhinian said to him. “You’re being too polite.”

Yang Ke didn’t respond. Both ends fell silent for a moment, then Yu Zhinian broke the silence and asked Yang Ke: “Is your acquisition going smoothly?”

“Pretty well,” Yang Ke told him. “I should be able to come back tomorrow evening.”

“That’s quite a rush,” Yu Zhinian asked in surprise. “Is there a lot to do when you get back?” He also seemed to hesitate as he advised Yang Ke, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

“No,” Yang Ke’s mind was somewhat blank. Listening to Yu Zhinian’s voice, he thought for a moment before saying, “Not much to do. I just want to come back early.”

Yu Zhinian made a soft “mm” sound.

Yang Ke heard it was very quiet on his end, so he asked: “What are you doing?”

“Revising my thesis,” Yu Zhinian said. “I wrote a lot today.”

“Still at the library?”

“No, in my room,” Yu Zhinian seemed to type something on his computer. Yang Ke heard the sound of keyboard keys and asked him: “How much is left to write?”

“Not much. I’m chatting,” Yu Zhinian said vaguely while typing. “In a few days when I finish revising the thesis, I want to visit a senior to ask about fieldwork experience. He’s a teaching assistant at M University, and his projects are all going very well. I’m trying to arrange a time with him now.”

What he was talking about was trivial, like he was muddily reporting his schedule to Yang Ke. After he finished, he immediately apologized: “Sorry, I’m a bit distracted. Am I talking too much?”

Yang Ke said “no” and, recalling what Zhai Di had mentioned about taking a vacation, said to him: “I’ll go with you. When were you thinking of scheduling it?”

“No need, no need,” Yu Zhinian seemed to think Yang Ke had misunderstood and immediately clarified. “That’s not what I meant. You’re so busy.”

“I want to rest for a few days,” Yang Ke said.

“Didn’t you just take time off?” Yu Zhinian said quietly.

Yang Ke asked him: “Is that not okay?”

Yu Zhinian still didn’t give him a definite answer: “Let’s talk about it later.” Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Yu Zhinian quickly changed the subject: “How’s the hotel you’re staying at?”

“Pretty nice,” Yang Ke asked him. “Do you want to see it?”

Before Yu Zhinian could answer, Yang Ke switched to a video call. Yu Zhinian took a few seconds before accepting.

Yang Ke first saw half of Yu Zhinian’s face.

Yu Zhinian was wearing a T-shirt in his own room, apparently writing his thesis on a laptop at his desk. The background was a wall. He looked at the screen and smiled slightly, not very noticeably, and said “hi” to Yang Ke.

Yang Ke switched to the rear camera and showed Yu Zhinian his room.

“Very beautiful,” Yu Zhinian said after looking for a while.

Yang Ke made an “mm” sound, picked up his phone and walked to the window, showing Yu Zhinian the outdoor pool and lawn, briefly introducing the history of the chain hotel, its brand valuation, and issues with the management team. He brought up the content he and Zhai Di had discussed before coming, effectively prolonging the video call.

Yu Zhinian listened very quietly, sometimes moving closer to the camera as if carefully looking at the image, sometimes farther away, so Yang Ke could see most of his face.

When he turned the camera to the pool, Yang Ke told Yu Zhinian: “The pools that come with the villas are all too small. If the acquisition is completed, we could expand them later.”

“Is it close to the beach?” Yu Zhinian asked in a very soft voice. Yang Ke looked at his phone screen and somehow noticed that Yu Zhinian looked almost shy, his ears seeming to flush red. He wasn’t sure if he was just hot.

“Pretty close,” Yang Ke opened the door and walked outside to film for him. “The beach is across the lawn.”

Yu Zhinian waited a few seconds before saying: “It looks kind of dark. I can’t see anything.”

“I’ll show you during the day tomorrow,” Yang Ke said to him.

Yu Zhinian didn’t respond, making a vague single syllable that could have been either “no need” or “okay.”

Yang Ke didn’t press further. He thought for a moment and said to Yu Zhinian: “The facilities are a bit old, but the service is decent. Once it’s renovated, I’ll bring you here.”

Yu Zhinian suddenly went quiet. He looked at the screen for a moment as if somewhat confused, his lips moving as he said he wanted to shower. They hung up after that.

Yang Ke set his phone aside and reviewed the meeting notes from the day again. He called Zhai Di to discuss things, and then turned off the lights and lay down.

The hotel bed was too soft. Yang Ke wasn’t used to it, so he had some trouble sleeping. He found himself thinking back to when he had first started university.

After starting university, he didn’t want to see anything related to Yu Zhinian. He cut off all contact with Ning City, spending every day in classes, socializing, and participating in activities, keeping his schedule completely full.

On the day Yang Zhongyun returned from his recuperation, before showing him the will, he had said those things about true love and affection. Yang Ke hadn’t believed a single word.

He saw clearly the shares written in the will and the harsh trust conditions. He didn’t understand Yang Zhongyun’s thinking, only found Yang Zhongyun ridiculous, and was disappointed in Yu Zhinian.

It seemed that in the face of such a massive inheritance, the friendship and companionship the two of them had shared over the years suddenly became worthless. Apparently, as long as Yu Zhinian could get Yang Zhongyun’s money after his death, it didn’t matter what Yu Zhinian had paid.

Therefore, when Yu Zhinian sent him messages, he never replied again.

Near the end of the second semester of his first year of university, Zhao Sibei called to ask Yang Ke when he was coming back to the country.

Yang Ke had already found an internship and told Zhao Sibei he had no plans to return.

Zhao Sibei asked if something had happened.

Yang Ke didn’t want to say, but Zhao Sibei told him, “Zhinian also asked me about you. Haven’t you two been in contact recently?” and added, “He had a birthday a few days ago. Didn’t you two meet? He said your grandfather wanted to give him a house near school and he didn’t know how to refuse. He was quite worried about it.”

Yang Ke suddenly felt irritated. He found Yu Zhinian’s hypocritical refusal laughable and told Zhao Sibei about the will, extracting the key points.

After listening, Zhao Sibei thought for a long time, but in the end only said a few good words for Yu Zhinian. He comforted Yang Ke, saying that no one could force him to do things he didn’t want to do. He also said he didn’t think Yu Zhinian was the type to covet money, only that he had been led astray by Yang Zhongyun’s words and made an incorrect choice.

Yang Ke indeed had no intention of following the will’s instructions, but he was unwilling to make excuses for someone unworthy of it. He also didn’t want any further relationship with Yu Zhinian, and closed the door to himself against him.

During the half year when Yu Zhinian came back to Ning City for his project, Yang Ke thought once or twice about whether this kind of emotion, similar to doubting himself, counted as regret.

But Yang Ke was not someone who enjoyed dwelling on the past. He felt that time that had passed was already settled, and whenever it involved the past, he always unconsciously began to escape.

Yang Ke only knew clearly that he now hoped things would develop naturally, just as Yu Zhinian had naturally married him, they had naturally gone on a honeymoon, and naturally lived together. These actions didn’t need to carry too much meaning, and Yang Ke didn’t need to explain his feelings too deeply.

He had already done it this way naturally and gotten the result he wanted.

Many people on Earth lived their married lives this way. Others could do it, and so could he and Yu Zhinian.

The next morning, Yang Ke got up for breakfast and filmed a video of the beach and waves for Yu Zhinian.

Yu Zhinian had also gotten up early and replied to Yang Ke saying “very beautiful,” asking him “what time are you coming back today.”

Yang Ke interpreted it as urging, so he rushed to finish work before dinner and prepared to head back.

After notifying Zhai Di, Zhai Di called him.

“Eager to return home,” Zhai Di said in a rather odd tone. “Why not come by the company tonight and celebrate with the colleagues still working overtime?”

Yang Ke ignored him and said: “I’m taking time off in a few days.”

“For what,” Zhai Di asked. “Going somewhere else for the honeymoon? When does it start?”

Everyone had their own definition of a honeymoon, so Yang Ke told Zhai Di: “I’ll let you know once I confirm.”

After landing, Yang Ke went straight to the library to pick up Yu Zhinian.

It was an overcast day with strong wind but no rain. On the phone, Yu Zhinian had wanted to politely decline, saying he could go back on his own, but Yang Ke still drove over.

Yu Zhinian got in the car with his bag, leaned his back against the passenger seat, and said with a relaxed expression, “Finally finished revising the thesis.” This even lightened Yang Ke’s mood somewhat, until Yu Zhinian asked the next question: “Attorney Li told me the money has been given to you. Is that dividend enough?”

“It’s enough,” Yang Ke said.

Yu Zhinian seemed to let out a sigh of relief: “That’s good then.”

He placed his bag by his feet, fastened his seatbelt, and asked Yang Ke: “Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m okay.”

“Alright,” Yu Zhinian thought for a moment and said, “By the way, once Ren Heng clears out the house next week, I can move my things over first. He also introduced me to a locksmith. I contacted him, and the locksmith said he’s free tomorrow.”

“I’ll stay at your place a little longer. Once Attorney Li thinks it’s okay, I’ll move out. What do you think?”

Yang Ke realized that in just the two days he’d been in Hawaii, Yu Zhinian had already completely thought through all the situations that shouldn’t arise afterward, and was reporting his plans to Yang Ke as if taking credit, as if he had already assumed that both of them were looking forward to him moving out of the villa.

Yang Ke was driving. He only glanced at Yu Zhinian once, then turned his head back and said to him: “Let’s talk about it later.”

Yu Zhinian made an “mm” sound, and the car fell quiet for a while.

“When are you going to M University?” Yang Ke asked him.

Yu Zhinian said the appointment was for the afternoon the day after tomorrow. He was planning to take the intercity railway and stay for two days. He yawned and said: “I’ve never been there before.”

“I’ll take you,” Yang Ke said. “I also need to see someone.”

Yu Zhinian turned his head in surprise: “Who?”

Yang Ke mentioned a professor’s name and told Yu Zhinian: “That project I mentioned to you before. I’m planning to ask a few more people for their opinions.”

Yu Zhinian probably felt there was no room to object, so he didn’t say anything more, only saying: “What a coincidence.”

Yang Ke said “mm.”

As they were getting close to home, Yang Ke remembered his father’s message from the night before and told Yu Zhinian about Zhao Sibei coming to He City and having dinner together.

Yu Zhinian paused slightly and said to Yang Ke: “Okay.”

Yang Ke felt he seemed to have become more reserved and asked him: “What’s wrong?”

Yu Zhinian shook his head and showed a somewhat confused expression, saying: “I’m not sure how to face Professor Zhao.”

Yang Ke didn’t understand. Yu Zhinian continued: “But it’s nothing now.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong, right,” he seemed to be talking to himself, then smiled and suddenly said, “Last time I met Professor Zhao, you called him on the phone. I was in the car and didn’t even dare make a sound.”

“I never thought that just a few days later, we could also chat normally like this,” Yu Zhinian said with his hands clasped together, his voice very soft. “I think it’s really nice to be able to be ordinary friends like this now.”

The light ahead was red. Yang Ke stopped and looked sideways at Yu Zhinian.

Yu Zhinian was smiling very happily, with a lot of warmth. From the corners of his upturned lips to his relaxed brow, everything expressed joy.

But Yang Ke felt he didn’t really think that. He had just said it.