E ⋆ Chapter 6

At first, it was because a typhoon came that Yu Zhinian couldn’t make it back home.

The study tour lasted five days and four nights.

On the first day, students gathered for an opening ceremony. On days two through four, they visited campuses at Ning University and another school and attended lectures. Afterward, they would tour scenic areas in Ning City in the morning and return after lunch.

But plans couldn’t keep up with changes. On the afternoon of the fourth day, the typhoon’s path, which was originally supposed to bypass Ning City, suddenly shifted and was set to make landfall along the southern coast of the city.

The meteorological department urgently issued an orange alert. Ning City would enter emergency flood-prevention status at any moment.

Yu Zhinian and the other students were waiting for dinner at the Ning University cafeteria when the head tour leader hurried over and announced that tomorrow’s flights and some high-speed trains had been cancelled, and the scenic area tour plans were temporarily suspended.

Amid a chorus of disappointed groans, Yu Zhinian received a call from the driver.

The driver told him he was already waiting at the cafeteria entrance, and the chef at home had prepared food. If Yu Zhinian hadn’t eaten yet, he could come back and eat.

Worried about making the driver wait too long, Yu Zhinian said a word to his classmates and walked out of the cafeteria. It was only just past five in the evening, but the sky had already turned gray. Dark clouds were gathering overhead, and warm, strange winds blew from all directions.

The driver opened the front passenger door for him. He got in and saw Yang Zhongyin and Yang Ke sitting in the back seat.

Yang Ke was dressed very formally and looked up at him for a moment.

“I took Yang Ke to an event this afternoon,” Yang Zhongyin smiled at Yu Zhinian. “I had a dinner arranged for this evening, but with the typhoon coming, I cancelled it for safety’s sake.”

On the drive back, Yang Zhongyin asked after Yu Zhinian and chatted with him about what he had seen and heard throughout the day. Yang Ke said nothing.

These past few days, Yu Zhinian had been sleeping in the guest room on the second floor of Yang Zhongyin’s house. He left at seven in the morning and returned after activities ended at eight each evening, so he hadn’t crossed paths with Yang Ke very much. This was also his first time eating dinner at Yang Zhongyin’s home.

The chef at Yang Zhongyin’s house cooked delicious food. Yu Zhinian ate a great deal, and all the blood rushed to his stomach, leaving his head feeling somewhat foggy.

Yang Ke finished eating and left the table.

Yang Zhongyin chatted with Yu Zhinian some more, asking about things at Yu Zhinian’s home. But after only a few sentences, he received a phone call and left as well.

Only Yu Zhinian remained in the dining room. He vaguely heard thunder and wind from outside, so he put down his chopsticks and walked to the window to look. Rain had already begun to fall.

In the darkness, rain fell on the tall plants outside, and the leaves and branches bent as though they would be swept away by the wind.

Yu Zhinian looked for quite a while without realizing it, until the housekeeper hurried into the dining room and told him that Yang Zhongyin was looking for him.

Yang Zhongyin’s study was on the fourth floor.

Diagonally across from the entrance was a very large wooden desk, and Yang Zhongyin was sitting behind it.

After Yu Zhinian entered, Yang Zhongyin asked him to sit on a single upholstered armchair across from the desk by the window, then had his secretary leave. But Yang Zhongyin didn’t speak to Yu Zhinian right away. He seemed to be looking at something and asked Yu Zhinian to wait a moment.

The study was furnished mostly with rosewood pieces, and the lighting was soft.

On the tea table beside the sofa was a book. Yu Zhinian glanced at it and saw it was Alexandre Dumas fils’ “The Lady of the Camellias.”

Out of politeness, Yu Zhinian didn’t pick it up to read. He sat there in a daze for a while.

For some reason, he found himself thinking about Yang Ke on the drive back and during dinner.

Since elementary school, Yu Zhinian’s life had become rather difficult.

His maternal grandparents and his paternal grandmother had all passed away very early. After he was born, his parents went out to work, and from age one to seven, he lived with his grandfather.

During winter break when he was seven, his grandfather’s health declined. He went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with cancer. The family exhausted their savings treating him for nearly half a year, and he finally recovered and was discharged.

But when Yu Zhinian was ten, just as the family’s circumstances had begun to improve a little, his grandfather’s cancer returned. This time the family sold their house, but they didn’t have the same good fortune as before. His grandfather passed away quickly.

Then came his parents’ unexpected deaths.

After his grandfather fell ill, Yu Zhinian always had to listen to his parents pleading humbly with creditors on the phone, and he followed them to relatives’ and friends’ homes to borrow money.

He was forced to be proactive, forced to be cheerful, and taught himself without any instruction to work at pleasing the adults around him. He learned to cook and do laundry, took care of his own daily needs, kept his grandfather company at the hospital, and was a very well-behaved and sensible child.

When his parents passed away, they had just managed to pay off all the debts they owed.

His maternal aunt helped him with the funeral arrangements. Not many relatives came. He was running a fever and, in a daze, thanked all the guests.

From some point he could no longer quite remember, Yu Zhinian had grown used to constantly reading others’ attitudes, constantly talking, afraid of letting silences fall, afraid that others would think he was difficult to get along with.

But because Yang Ke was wealthy, he had the privilege of being unguarded and ill-tempered, and could choose to be a quiet person at any time.

Yu Zhinian grew envious.

Lost in his thoughts, Yu Zhinian unconsciously glanced at “The Lady of the Camellias” sitting on the tea table.

“Have you read this book?” Yang Zhongyin suddenly spoke, asking him.

Yu Zhinian looked up and saw Yang Zhongyin had put down what he was holding and was smiling at him.

“I haven’t read it,” Yu Zhinian answered honestly. Yang Zhongyin then said, “You can read it.”

“But it’s getting late today,” he added. “Read it tomorrow instead.”

“Zhinian, Grandpa called you up here because there’s something I want to discuss with you,” he said, smiling suddenly at Yu Zhinian. “I’ve always wanted to personally sponsor a student.”

Yu Zhinian was momentarily stunned. That indescribable feeling from the first time he had met Yang Zhongyin rose up from the bottom of his heart again.

But Yang Zhongyin seemed not to have noticed his hesitation and continued: “I only have Yang Ke as my grandson. All these years, there have been just the two of us in this house. As you can see, the house is very quiet and empty, with no life to it. But these past few days, Zhinian, since you arrived, it’s as if you’ve warmed this whole home up. Grandpa really likes your personality.

“Also, I asked the school about your family situation and learned that you live with your maternal aunt and your cousin. Your aunt is a very remarkable woman, but you’re going to be a young man soon, and living with them always has some inconveniences.

“I’ve thought it over, and sponsoring you personally and having you live in our home is the most fitting arrangement. That I got to meet you during this study tour, I think, is also a kind of fate.

“Zhinian, tell Grandpa honestly: do you hate the feeling of living here?”

Yang Zhongyin’s tone and expression were very kind, but as Yu Zhinian looked at him, he always felt his heart was in chaos and something was very strange.

The room fell into silence. After a moment, Yu Zhinian finally registered that the silence was because Yang Zhongyin had been waiting for him to speak. So he answered slowly and clumsily: “I don’t hate it. It’s very nice here.”

He wanted to say something flattering, but couldn’t think of anything. His lips moved, then closed again.

“As long as you don’t hate it,” Yang Zhongyin said. He seemed not to mind the brief answer. The smile on his face grew warmer as he asked Yu Zhinian, “Then, Zhinian, are you willing to accept Grandpa’s sponsorship?”

Outside the window, there was a sudden flash of white. The room was very quiet. Yu Zhinian heard the sound of rain being whipped against the window by the fierce wind.

After a few seconds, thunder rumbled down.

*

When he returned to his room, the workers in the villa had all gone to rest. The hallway was lit by dim lights.

Yu Zhinian walked to the guest room door. Just as he was about to open it, someone behind him called his name: “Yu Zhinian.”

He turned around. Yang Ke was standing at the corner. The wall sconce cast both their shadows together onto the wall papered with a printed pattern.

Yu Zhinian’s heartbeat grew heavier. He looked at Yang Ke for two seconds and said softly, “What is it?”

“What did he want with you?” Yang Ke asked directly.

Yu Zhinian didn’t know how to answer for a moment, leaving Yang Ke waiting a few seconds. Yang Ke’s expression turned impatient: “He asked me in the car today whether I disliked you. I don’t know what he meant. The old man is always doing strange things.”

“Huh?” Yu Zhinian was startled and couldn’t help but ask an unrelated question: “What did you say?”

Yang Ke paused, as if he found Yu Zhinian a little strange too, and looked at him for a moment. He said, “I said I didn’t dislike you.” Then added: “You’re a bit better than those annoying ones.”

Yang Ke’s voice had a slight crack from his changing voice, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He lowered his head slightly, looking at Yu Zhinian. In the dim hallway of the still somewhat unfamiliar house, Yu Zhinian felt his face heating up beyond his control.

He told Yang Ke somewhat nervously: “Chairman Yang wants to sponsor me and have me live here.”

“Live here?” Yang Ke frowned slightly.

Yu Zhinian said yes, and Yang Ke asked him: “Did you agree?”

Yu Zhinian was just about to answer when he suddenly noticed Yang Ke’s eyes had changed, carrying a stark coldness that had nothing to do with welcome.

Yang Ke was the most beautiful and attractive person of the same sex that Yu Zhinian had ever seen, but when expressionless, he was also quite frightening, his whole being radiating a “keep away” warning.

Yu Zhinian’s heart suddenly sank. He was at a loss for words for a long time, and finally admitted: “I agreed.”

Yu Zhinian explained a few more things, stumbling over his words, saying “Grandpa told me a lot,” “My aunt has a hard time supporting my cousin, and her salary isn’t high,” “I won’t affect you at all.” Yang Ke didn’t respond.

He looked at Yu Zhinian for a while, then interrupted him with an air of indifference, said “Got it,” and turned and left.

The hallway was left with only Yu Zhinian again.

Long afterward, Yu Zhinian liked to go back from beginning to end and pick apart every detail, speculating about what Yang Ke had been thinking in that moment.

Almost every time, he had to rack his brains, trying to analyze whether Yang Ke’s occasional indulgence and friendliness back then had truly been real, and if they were, why things had changed later.

But after all that agonizing speculation, it seemed in the end it was all in vain. Because Yu Zhinian understood neither Yang Ke nor love.