AD Chapter 19

“Is he of legal age?”

Of course—

“No.”

Shen Du played with the situation, blinking innocently and saying, “But soon, just two more months.”

He even bit his lip, putting on an innocent high school boy look as if he didn’t understand the treacherous nature of people.

Fang Zhaoyi almost wanted to call the police and have his own brother arrested.

His expression was extremely complicated as he looked at Qin Yi, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

At this moment, someone interjected.

“Two months away? Then you just finished your college entrance exam?”

Shen Du turned toward the voice and saw a man with long hair sitting on the sofa. He had sharp features and was very slim. When he noticed Shen Du looking at him, he smiled warmly, “Hello, I’m Lu Ning, Qin Yi’s childhood friend. This is Fang Zhaoyi, and that’s Zheng Qing.”

Lu Ning patted Zheng Qing, who was sitting on a chair on the sofa, and then pointed at Cheng Qi, who was still recovering from the shock, “That’s Cheng Qi, a former unknown esports player. If you want to rank up in a game, you can ask him to help you.”

“We five grew up together.”

Zheng Qing was a gentle and refined man, often wearing a subtle smile. His frameless glasses made him appear calm and composed, giving off an elite vibe.

The so-called “unknown” retired esports player, Cheng Qi, had wild, unruly blue hair in a wolf tail style. His right ear was pierced with a row of earrings, and he wore a leather jacket with jeans. His cold and sharp features made him stand out.

Cheng Qi had a cigarette in his mouth, but when he saw Shen Du looking at him, he paused for two seconds, took the cigarette out, and hung it behind his ear, nodding toward him.

There was a sense of a big brother looking out for you in the streets.

Everyone in the room, except Cheng Qi, was dressed in suits, as if they had just hurried back from some event. They had more presence than anyone Shen Du had seen in the mansion.

And then, there was the last one.

“Hello, I’m Yu Yan.” Before Lu Ning could introduce him, the young man who had been sitting next to Fang Zhaoyi spoke up first.

He had makeup on his face, and while he was good-looking, his aura didn’t quite match the rest of the people in the room. After just one glance, Shen Du could tell that Yu Yan was not part of Qin Yi’s circle.

Shen Du nudged Qin Yi with his arm. “Quite a few people, huh?”

Qin Yi lowered his eyes and said softly, “Have you seen enough? They’re all decent people. Are you relieved now?”

“When have I not been relieved?” Shen Du shot him a look. “You can’t sell me off, can you?”

Qin Yi clicked his tongue.

Not that he hadn’t thought about it.

“Why are you still standing at the door? Come in.” Lu Ning stood up from the sofa, poured Shen Du a glass of water, and asked with concern, “How was your college entrance exam? Have the results come out?”

This guy was acting like one of those distant relatives, treating him like a grandchild.

Shen Du wanted to laugh but kept a straight face, taking the cup and shyly saying, “It went well.”

When Lu Ning heard that it went well, he nodded, relieved. “Can you get into Jing University?”

Jing University was one of the top universities in the country, far surpassing Shen Du’s own school in the world university rankings.

“Have you filled out your application yet? I can help you with some advice,” Lu Ning said. “Or if you’re thinking of studying abroad, I have lots of information on schools. I can have Lao Qin send it to you.”

Shen Du couldn’t smile anymore. “…”

What kind of people are Qin Yi’s friends?

He coughed strategically. “No need to trouble yourself, I’ve already decided.”

“Oh?” Lu Ning asked curiously, “Which school and what major?”

“MIT, but I haven’t decided on the major yet.” Shen Du made something up.

After all, when you’re out, you create your own identity.

Who can check if it’s true?

However, just as this thought crossed his mind, someone who had been standing silently behind him suddenly chuckled.

“…”

Shen Du turned around, smiling, and asked, “Is it funny?”

He gave Qin Yi a warning look, signaling him not to reveal the truth.

Qin Yi seemed to understand, stayed silent for two seconds, and then a smile resurfaced in his eyes. He lightly placed his hand on Shen Du’s shoulder and said, “Let me introduce you. Lu Ning, MIT master’s in finance, PhD in computer science, your future… senior.”

Shen Du: “…”

Was it too late to leave now?

Lu Ning was clearly very happy. “Oh, what a coincidence! I have a lot of classmates who stayed at the school, and they should all be your future seniors. I’ll introduce them to you later.”

At this point, Shen Du could only force a smile and nod. “…Okay.”

At worst, he wouldn’t contact them again after today.

“Alright, can you all stop talking about school and sit down?” Zheng Qing pushed Lu Ning, “Let the little brother sit down.”

Lu Ning took a step aside. “Little brother, please.”

Shen Du first glanced at Qin Yi, saw him nod, and then moved toward the sofa. Qin Yi followed behind him, and as they passed Lu Ning, he nudged him with his shoulder. “Stop calling me that, don’t you have a little brother?”

Lu Ning winced from the nudge, cursing in his mind. His shoulder felt like a knife’s edge, so hard.

“Lao Qin, I think you’re really confused,” Lu Ning took a deep breath. “You don’t know if I have a little brother?”

“Besides, the little brother doesn’t mind, so why are you so anxious, right, little brother?” Lu Ning turned to ask Shen Du.

Shen Du had just sat down and overheard their entire conversation.

He didn’t even look at Qin Yi, replying decisively, “Yes, Brother Lu.”

He made sure to distance himself completely.

Lu Ning raised his eyebrows at Qin Yi, as if saying, “See, even the little brother is on my side.”

“…” Qin Yi lost his temper.

He walked over, sat next to Shen Du, and whispered, “On purpose?”

Shen Du pretended not to understand. “What?”

Qin Yi pursed his lips, said nothing.

Lu Ning had just returned to the country and came straight to the mansion after settling in Yun City. Zheng Qing and the others had also just arrived from Jing City today. As for Yu Yan, he seemed to be a small actor who was filming nearby. He had heard that Fang Zhaoyi had arrived in Yun City and came to find him.

Shen Du listened as Qin Yi roughly explained that Fang Zhaoyi was the boss of a well-known entertainment agency in the country, with a whole bunch of artists under him. Yu Yan was one of them. As for Cheng Qi, he had indeed been an esports player, but he wasn’t very popular. After retiring, he moved behind the scenes and supported several teams.

Lu Ning, Zheng Qing, and the others were busy with some tasks. One was typing away on a laptop, while another, wearing headphones, stood by the window, speaking seriously in what seemed like German. Shen Du almost understood it.

“Hey,” he nudged Qin Yi. “Is this what you meant by taking me out to have fun?”

“Fun with air?”

Qin Yi slightly turned his head toward him and saw the boy yawning.

“Lu Ning.”

Qin Yi asked, “How much longer?”

“Done,” Lu Ning replied smoothly. “Lao Zheng should be busy for a while. How about we play a game? Do you know how to play Mahjong, little brother?”

Shen Du waved his hand. “Not really.”

Actually, he had never touched it before.

“It’s fine. Lao Qin knows how,” Lu Ning said.

Shen Du felt like they might have misunderstood his relationship with Qin Yi. Before he could say anything, Lu Ning had already sent the room number to the group chat and waved at the two who were playing video games. “Come and play Mahjong with little brother.”

Cheng Qi threw down his controller. “Coming.”

Shen Du wanted to say that he wasn’t really interested in playing Mahjong and didn’t need any company, but it was clear his words wouldn’t matter. Cheng Qi and Fang Zhao Yi had already entered the game.

At the same time, Qin Yi handed him his phone. “Want to play?”

Shen Du didn’t take it immediately. He heard Fang Zhao Yi and Cheng Qi discussing the stakes and raised an eyebrow. “What happens if I lose to you?”

Before Qin Yi could respond, Fang Zhao Yi whistled and answered for him. “If you lose, Lao Qin will treat us to dinner tonight.”

Cheng Qi, unusually agreeing with him, added, “Right, Lao Qin treats us to dinner if we lose.”

“Alright.” Qin Yi agreed readily, handing the phone to Shen Du. “If you win, it’s on you. If we lose, it’s on me.”

Lu Ning exclaimed, “Oh, you’re making it obvious.”

“You said it, so I won’t hold back later.” Lu Ning patted his chest. “Little brother, let me introduce myself. I’m Lu Ning, also known as Little Sparrow God.”

Cheng Qi couldn’t help but laugh. Lu Ning frowned and looked back. “What’s so funny?”

“Wait.”

Before the game started, Shen Du called for a pause. “What happens if you guys lose?”

“Hey, little brother, you’re pretty bold.”

Fang Zhao Yi slapped away the hand that was massaging him and moved to a different seat. “Let’s talk about it after we win.”

Shen Du smiled indifferently and said to Qin Yi, “Wait for it. I’ll make sure you won’t be treating us to dinner tonight.”

Lu Ning said, “Little brother’s got guts!”

Cheng Qi, enjoying his cigarette, urged, “Alright, enough talk. Can we start?”

Let’s start then.

Mahjong was a strange game. New players got a buff, and Shen Du started off with a “clean hand” and a “kong” that had them all stunned. Eventually, they managed to catch up a little, but when Qin Yi took over, the combination of newbie buffs and expert guidance made it almost impossible to lose.

Zheng Qing was just attending a cross-ocean meeting, and by the time he returned, the three of them had already lost everything.

“Lao Qin, what’s going on? Don’t let the fear of treating us to dinner mess up the rules,” Lu Ning complained. “Why is the one watching the game also playing?”

“I didn’t say anything. I was just explaining the rules to little brother.”

Shen Du frowned. “Who are you calling little brother?”

“You,” Qin Yi said. “They can call you that, but I can’t?”

Shen Du remained expressionless. “Stop taking advantage of me.”

Qin Yi lowered his eyes and patiently asked, “Didn’t you call me ‘brother’ too?”

“…”

The crew had other things to attend to, so Yu Yan left early. Zheng Qing walked behind Fang Zhaoyi, glanced at the game results, and then quickly turned his gaze away.

Cheng Qi, annoyed, clicked his tongue and stood up. “I’m going out for a smoke.”

Shen Du was also tired of the game. He handed the phone back to Qin Yi. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Qin Yi was about to get up to follow him when Zheng Qing said, “Perfect, I’ll go with you. This place is big, you might get lost, so I’ll show you.”

Shen Du looked at Qin Yi, nodded, and agreed.

It was almost 5 PM, dinner time, and more people were passing by outside the room. Zheng Qing led Shen Du through several turns, eventually finding the bathroom.

It was empty.

Shen Du went in, and just as he was about to pull his pants down, he suddenly remembered that Qin Yi’s friends were still around, and his hand froze.

Damn, this is a bit awkward.

Zheng Qing didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and had already started undoing his belt.

Shen Du quickly turned his eyes away.

He glanced around the bathroom and then walked quickly into a squat toilet, muttering to himself, “Ah, my stomach hurts. Suddenly need to go big…”

Zheng Qing briefly glanced over, just in time to see Shen Du’s figure disappearing behind the door.

“…”

After a moment of noise, the bathroom became quiet.

“Shen Du?”

Probably because Shen Du hadn’t made any noise for a while, Zheng Qing called out to him from outside, “How much longer?”

Shen Du sat on the toilet seat, trying hard to act like he was still… doing something. “Maybe a little longer. You can go ahead.”

“Don’t stink it up.”

There was a brief silence in response.

Shen Du awkwardly wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Maybe because standing in a bathroom seemed a bit strange, Zheng Qing finally said, “I’ll head back first. Do you remember the way?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Shen Du quickly replied, “You go ahead.”

“…”

When Zheng Qing returned to the room, Fang Zhaoyi, Lu Ning, and Qin Yi were playing a game of Mahajong.

“Where’s little brother?”

“Probably shy.”

Zheng Qing remembered how awkward Shen Du had looked in the bathroom and couldn’t help but laugh. “Where did you find this treasure? He’s quite the catch.”

Lu Ning groaned, “Lao Zheng, why are you getting all mushy?”

Qin Yi didn’t respond to that. “Where is he?”

Zheng Qing shot Lu Ning a cold glance. “He’s hiding in the squat toilet. I got a call on my way back, so he’ll probably be out soon. You want to check on him? Don’t let him get lost.”

“Mm.” Qin Yi quickly played the last two cards and exited the game.

Just like that, he was gone.

“How boring.”

Fang Zhaoyi also turned off his phone and laid back on the sofa. “Hey, do you guys think Lao Qin is serious this time?”

Zheng Qing wiped his glasses with a tissue, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly squinting, and said, “When have you ever seen him not serious?”

“Well, he never showed up before, right?” Fang Zhaoyi said.

“How could he not have shown up?” Lu Ning added, “Don’t you guys remember? That high school junior, Lao Qin was quite interested in him back then.”

Fang Zhaoyi really didn’t remember: “Junior? Why does he always like little kids?”

Lu Ning shrugged. “How would I know?”

“I only know that Lao Qin was really planning to date back then.”

Shen Du had just reached the door when he overheard Cheng Qi saying this.

“Is that true? I don’t remember.”

“It’s true, but it didn’t work out. You just didn’t know.”

“…”

The door wasn’t fully closed. Zheng Qing had already heard some noise from the doorway. He glanced outside and saw the shadow in front of the door. He immediately coughed. Fang Zhaoyi paused for a second, then realized what happened and slapped his own mouth, glaring at Lu Ning in frustration.

Lu Ning knew he had said something wrong and felt a bit guilty, but if they were to be honest, wasn’t Fang Zhaoyi the one who started this topic?

“Hey, seriously, why haven’t those two come back yet?” Zheng Qing raised his voice on purpose. “Why don’t you call him and ask?”

“Hey!”

Fang Zhaoyi responded, glanced outside, and mouthed, “Where is he?”

“He’s gone.”

Zheng Qing heard their footsteps leave and looked at the two of them with pity. “You better think about how to explain things to Lao Qin later.”

Lu Ning collapsed on the sofa. “Uh-oh, how much did the little brother hear?”

Both sides of the floor had restrooms, and Qin Yi didn’t know which side Zheng Qing had taken Shen Du to, so he had to check them one by one. When Lu Ning called him, he had just come out of one restroom and was about to go to the other side.

“I got it.”

After hanging up the phone, Qin Yi started walking back and called Shen Du, but the phone rang several times without being answered. Just as he was about to hang up and try again, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing on the open-air balcony.

The weather had turned gloomy, the clouds were thick, and the air was stifling, as if it was about to rain. Shen Du was leaning against the railing, his clothes slightly puffed by the wind, and his slender figure looked particularly small against the backdrop of the surrounding high-rise buildings.

The boy was staring into the distance, looking deep in thought.

Qin Yi stood there for a while, watching him.

“Shen Du.”

Shen Du had actually known he was there for a while but didn’t want to speak.

“What are you thinking about?” Qin Yi walked over.

Shen Du glanced at the street vendor selling ice powder at the entrance of a shopping mall and answered without addressing the question. “Boss Qin, when did you figure out your sexual orientation?”

Qin Yi paused. “What?”

“Xu Qingluo figured it out in middle school, during puberty,” Shen Du recalled. “At the time, a classmate invited a bunch of us to his house while his parents were away. He mysteriously brought out a box of DVDs and said he wanted us to watch them together.”

Qin Yi probably guessed what it was about. “Your friend didn’t like it?”

“Yeah,” Shen Du said. “On the way back, he told me he thought he was more interested in the bodies of the same sex.”

The wind picked up, and the clouds gathered more, as if it was really going to rain.

There was heavy traffic below, and the sound of honking horns occasionally reached them.

“And you?” Qin Yi subtly studied him. “What do you think?”

“I? I don’t like it.”

Qin Yi hadn’t had time to think more about it when he suddenly heard Shen Du add, “But I’m also not interested in the bodies of the same sex.”

Xu Qingluo didn’t understand back then and had once tricked Shen Du into watching. Shen Du had barely glanced at it, vaguely seeing two men intertwined, and it disgusted him so much that he spent the whole night throwing up in the toilet and didn’t recover for a week.

“…Really?” Qin Yi lowered his eyes, his emotions hidden beneath his eyelids.

“But that was back then.”

Back then, he knew very little about love and relationships, all his knowledge came from books and TV shows. As time passed and he encountered more, he didn’t seem to mind it as much.

He even understood it a bit.

He changed his posture and leaned on the railing, catching a glimpse of Qin Yi standing straight with one hand in his pocket, his side profile handsome yet indifferent.

Shen Du wasn’t very satisfied with Qin Yi’s reaction, but he couldn’t say anything about it, feeling helpless as if he had the strength but couldn’t use it.

“What about you? Was it also in middle school?”

Qin Yi hummed, then said, “Even earlier.”

His voice was faint, even more so than the wind on the rooftop.

Shen Du perked up one ear, but Qin Yi didn’t continue, as if it were some secret that couldn’t be mentioned.

He took a deep breath, then hesitantly asked, “Have you ever been in a relationship? With a guy?”

He immediately averted his gaze after asking.

“This is a question for my future boyfriend,” Qin Yi said quietly, keeping his eyes on Shen Du as he stood still with his hands in his pockets.

Shen Du immediately scowled. “I don’t really want to know—”

“The guy Lu Ning mentioned, he’s my friend,” Qin Yi suddenly said.

Shen Du froze. “A friend?”

He added, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because we’re friends too.”

Qin Yi gently placed his hand on the railing. “You said so yourself, didn’t you?”

“…”

Shen Du froze for a moment, his expression flat as he said, “Who wants to be friends with you?”

If Qin Yi’s definition of friendship was like this, then Shen Du didn’t want to be friends with him.

But Qin Yi misunderstood: “Then what do you want to do?”

Shen Du didn’t answer, probably because he couldn’t think of anything they could do besides being friends.

“Got a cigarette?” Shen Du asked, looking at him with his hand outstretched.

Qin Yi lowered his gaze. The boy’s fingers were long and slender, very beautiful.

Perfect for being held by someone.

“Have you become addicted?” he asked.

He had only smoked a few times.

Shen Du couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. “If you’re not giving me one, I’ll just go buy my own.”

There were cigarettes, but Qin Yi wasn’t keen on letting Shen Du smoke them. However, seeing the look on his face, it was clear that he wasn’t going to back out.

“This one’s strong. Take it slow when you smoke,” he warned.

Shen Du didn’t respond, just took the cigarette and gestured for a light with a tilt of his head.

Qin Yi, helpless, raised his hand and flicked the lighter.

The flame flared up, and they stood in the wind, a slight breeze coming through. It wasn’t much, but Shen Du seemed to think it might blow the flame out. He grabbed Qin Yi’s hand, impatiently pulling his fingers apart, guiding them upward to shield the wind.

He did it naturally, without seeming to make an effort.

Shen Du took a drag, straightened up, and looked over. Qin Yi met his gaze through the smoke. “You…”

“Boring,” Shen Du interrupted, taking another drag but not inhaling further. His throat burned. “Changed your taste? This one’s hard to smoke.”

“Then don’t smoke it,” Qin Yi said, tucking the lighter back into his pocket.

“Boss Qin, are you just really fickle?” Shen Du suddenly asked.

He had heard people say that smokers usually stick to one brand, but someone like Qin Yi, who switched so often, was rare.

Qin Yi sensed the implication in his words. “Why do you say that?”

“Just talking nonsense,” Shen Du replied, thinking of the “high school junior” Lu Ning had mentioned. He tugged at his lips. “This cigarette doesn’t suit you. I’ll take it.”

“Are you robbing me now?” Qin Yi looked down at him from above. “At least leave me one.”

“There’s none left.” Shen Du put the cigarette back in his mouth, took another drag, then extended his hand with a raised eyebrow. “Want the one I’ve already smoked?”

The wind made the ember burn brighter, and for some reason, the tip of the cigarette was a little flattened, with a row of shallow bite marks on it.

“If you don’t want it, just throw it away for me.”