Chapter 23

Almost instinctively, Jiang Yi’s mind provided the answer:

He didn’t want Yang Yunran to like Jesse.

Why? Was it because Jesse wasn’t good enough, because he was a foreigner, or because there would be a cultural gap between him and Yang Yunran? Jesse couldn’t cook Chinese food, and Yang Yunran would complain. Jesse was Dutch with some British ancestry, which meant he had genes for hair loss. If Yang Yunran dated Jesse, she’d worry about her boyfriend’s hair, which might not show now but would become evident when Jesse turned thirty… And according to online research, Jesse’s parents had a Chihuahua. Big dogs and small dogs can’t live together, so Yang Yunran’s Samoyed couldn’t stay with Jesse’s parents. Professor Chen liked his niece and wouldn’t want her living abroad for long periods, so a Chinese boyfriend was more suitable for Yang Yunran…

Jiang Yi quickly came up with 100 reasons, mixed with something he couldn’t accept.

But he soon couldn’t think anymore.

Because Yang Yunran, who had been speaking close to his skin, was now actually biting his neck!

Yang Yunran tilted his head and left teeth marks on his neck. One hand was holding his tie while the other gently stroked upwards to his jaw, holding his face, his eyes becoming misty and focused. “Answer me, I won’t give you many seconds.”

Jiang Yi’s body tensed, and his mind went blank. As his body tingled and trembled under Yang Yunran’s actions, he swiftly raised his hand to place a palm between their faces, his palm outward, the back of his hand inward.

As soon as he made this move, Yang Yunran stopped.

Jiang Yi said, “You can’t… do this, Yang Yunran,” lowering his eyes, his gaze disordered and as black as ink. “This is a public restroom in a restaurant.”

Yang Yunran felt a bit embarrassed and came to his senses. “Sorry,” he apologized, quickly releasing his tie. “I shouldn’t have done that. I drank too much. I hope you can forgive me for acting this way.”

Yang Yunran wanted to soak his head in the sink with cold water—how could he lose control like this! They had broken up, yet he still wanted to mess around with his ex-boyfriend, and in a public restroom!! It was disgraceful and humiliating, making him wish he could disappear!

Once sober, Yang Yunran bowed his head.

But due to the cramped restroom, he didn’t want to step back closer to the toilet, so he buried his head in Jiang Yi’s chest.

Jiang Yi’s heart was racing. He looked down complicatedly at the fuzzy black head before him. Yang Yunran’s hair was very soft.

The texture of his hair looked superb, and it probably felt very pleasant to touch.

Jiang Yi resisted the urge, keeping his hands still.

Then he hoarsely said, “It’s okay.”

Yang Yunran quickly lifted his head, his face still red. It was unclear if it was from the white wine or some physiological reason.

Yang Yunran decided to share some of the blame with his ex-boyfriend.

He stared at Jiang Yi’s shirt, which exposed his collarbone. The tie was pulled askew, and his neck pulsed intensely with each breath, accompanied by the sudden, rhythmic movement of his Adam’s apple.

This indicated that Jiang Yi felt either embarrassed or very thirsty.

Yang Yunran stared for a moment and said, “But you can’t completely blame me for this.”

Jiang Yi tilted his head and asked, “What?”

Yang Yunran replied, “You didn’t often wear formal attire in front of me before. This is a kind of uniform temptation for me. So, you can’t blame me entirely; you have some responsibility.”

Anyway, since he met Jiang Yi, he had never seen him in formal wear. He wasn’t sure if the original owner had. His phrasing was very precise.

But saying something like “It’s a temptation for me” with a serious tone made Jiang Yi’s breath hitch for a moment.

Jiang Yi wanted to push him away and leave, but since his clothes were disheveled, he was embarrassed to do so. In the cramped space, he started to re-tie his tie. As he did, his voice wavered, “This restaurant has a dress code.”

“Is that so?” Yang Yunran remembered, “Oh, that’s why you specifically reminded me to dress formally. Can we come here often then?”

Jiang Yi didn’t understand what he meant, so he didn’t respond. He quickly tried to tie his tie, but the more anxious he was, the more mistakes he made. He couldn’t tie it properly, and his fingers got tangled.

Yang Yunran reached out and said, “Let me do it. Are you really that clumsy with your hands?” He helped Jiang Yi, who said it wasn’t necessary, but Yang Yunran had already started. To avoid skin contact, Jiang Yi quickly lifted his hands.

Despite being reclusive in the entertainment industry, Yang Yunran had attended numerous red carpets and banquets, so he was very familiar with wearing formal attire and tying ties.

He quickly tied the tie and then noticed, “You’re missing a button. Where did it go? Inside your shirt?”

He pulled at Jiang Yi’s collar to check, but Jiang Yi stopped him and said, “No, no need to look. It’s fine as it is.”

Jiang Yi barely managed to calm his racing heart. Feeling that his attire was no longer too disheveled, he smoothed down his suit jacket and opened the door. As he stepped out, he bumped into Jesse coming in.

“…” Jiang Yi quickly pulled the door shut, preventing Yang Yunran from coming out, and called out.

Jiang Yi called out, “Jesse!”

Feeling puzzled, Yang Yunran immediately went silent and raised his hand to lock the door.

Jesse said, “Evan? are you in the restroom too? Roy said he went in…”

Jiang Yi paused for a few seconds and replied, “He has some alcohol intolerance and allergies. I was just… comforting him.”

Just by listening to his voice, it was clear that Jiang Yi was not good at lying.

Jesse responded, “I shouldn’t have ordered the wine then. But Evan, you look very red too… and your neck. Is this a hereditary issue in your family?”

Jesse mistakenly thought they were biological brothers.

Jiang Yi said, “I… I also have some allergies, yes, palpitations.” He stood at the sink, head lowered, ears burning bright red, clearly still affected by the recent events. He tried to steady his breathing, but it was completely erratic!

Jiang Yi repeatedly washed his hands with cold water flowing from the faucet.

Yang Yunran didn’t dare show himself because he wasn’t sure if Jesse had seen which stall Jiang Yi came out of.

These MIT minds operate differently from normal people. Through his brief interaction with Jesse, Yang Yunran already knew this guy was a genius, fully aware of the IQ gap between himself and ordinary people.

Jesse’s tone had a touch of not-quite-boasting, though he was very witty, humorous, and omniscient. Despite this, Yang Yunran felt no attraction toward him.

He stayed in the restroom for about five minutes until he received a text message from Jiang Yi, telling him it was safe to come out as Jesse had returned to their table.

Yang Yunran took a few deep breaths, adjusted his appearance in the mirror, and then walked out.

Dinner wasn’t finished yet, and out of politeness, they had to stay until it ended.

After sitting back down, Jesse asked with concern, “Roy? Are you alright?”

Yang Yunran replied, “I’m fine, just a mild alcohol allergy. I forgot about it and couldn’t resist drinking.”

Jesse moved his wine glass aside and said, “So I think you shouldn’t drink anymore.”

Yang Yunran nodded, glancing at Jiang Yi out of the corner of his eye. Jiang Yi’s date was ongoing. He didn’t know the details, but he didn’t like watching it; it felt like an eyesore.

Yang Yunran turned back to Jesse and said, “Jesse, could I ask you a favor?”

Jesse smiled gently and said, “Of course.”

Yang Yunran said, “I…

“Recently, my brother has been very keen on introducing boyfriends to me because he hopes I will have a stable relationship. This actually makes me very distressed. He thinks you are very suitable—you are handsome, smart, considerate, and gentle—so he introduced you to me. My brother hopes that I will follow his advice, so I hope that in the short term, we can be good friends and stay in touch, so my brother won’t continue to set me up with other men.”

“You mean… got it, I understand.”

Talking to a smart person is easy. Yang Yunran managed to express his refusal, explain his reasons tactfully, and even compliment Jesse.

Jesse nodded and added, “You are actually very cute. It just makes me constantly wonder if you are really an adult.”

“Really.” Yang Yunran took out his student ID from his pocket, “It has my birthdate on it.”

Jesse said, “You have a March birthday? Pisces.”

“Yes.” Coincidentally, both the original owner and Yang Yunran shared the same birthday.

They chatted amicably until the restaurant brought out dessert. Jesse said, “This is rum cake, you better not eat it.”

“…” Yang Yunran was tempted, “It’s okay, I can pack it for my brother.”

“Evan is also allergic to alcohol, and it seems to be more severe than yours. I saw him in the restroom earlier, he… well, it was very serious.”

Yang Yunran stared at the small, light purple cake and said, “It’s okay, I can pack it for my roommate.”

He was determined to take it with him.

“Alright,” Jesse chuckled, “just don’t sneak a bite.”

Yang Yunran shook his head, “I won’t.”

Then Jesse paid the bill, not letting Yang Yunran contribute.

Yang Yunran thought to himself that he had heard Dutch people were stingy, but Jesse was quite generous—little did he know that ten minutes earlier, Jiang Yi had gone to the front desk and paid for his own bill and half of their table’s bill.

Going Dutch (AA system) is ingrained in Dutch culture, representing an equal habit without exceptions.

After the date ended, Jiang Yi helped Emily call a car and stood by the roadside, waiting for Yang Yunran to come out. The night was settling in, and Jiang Yi, in a light-colored shirt, had cufflinks that reflected little glimmers of light. Standing on the other side of the traffic, his expression was calm, with no trace of the previous embarrassment.

Yang Yunran saw him, pointed, and said to Jesse, “I need to take my brother home. Jesse, how are you getting back?”

“No worries, I live very close.”

“…and Evan lives in the same building. It’s a fifteen-minute walk along the Charles River to get there. Didn’t he tell you?”

“Oh, so you both live in the same building. I didn’t see you when I went to his place. I live near the school, not too far from here.”

Jesse said, “By the way, there’s a ball coming up in our department. If you want to join, you can have Evan bring you.”

Yang Yunran nodded, then saw Jiang Yi, who had been standing under the streetlight like a post, walking towards him.

Jiang Yi and Jesse were hardly acquainted, so they engaged in a brief, polite 20-second small talk. The date ended with Jiang Yi taking his “younger brother,” Yang Yunran away.

Jiang Yi opened the car door, and Yang Yunran said, “Aren’t you allergic to alcohol? You’re driving after drinking?”

“I just took off my jacket. I’m not allergic to alcohol.”

“Jesse said he saw you having a reaction,” Yang Yunran stared at him without blinking and said, “Your face was terribly red.”

Jiang Yi lied, “…yes, I had a bit of a reaction.”

Yang Yunran: “? Really, why would you drink then? You got drunk last time back home, and drank a lot of beer and cocktails.”

Jiang Yi couldn’t refute it.

He hadn’t drunk anything at first.

Before being pulled into the bathroom by Yang Yunran, who grabbed his tie and dragged him into a stall, Jiang Yi hadn’t touched a drop.

Afterward, he felt increasingly agitated, his mind filled with…Yang Yunran leaned against his chest, apologizing, Yang Yunran tilted his head to leave a bite mark on his neck, making Jiang Yi instinctively touch his neck, wondering if the mark was deep and would be seen.

Uncomfortable, he tugged at his collar and broke his rule to drink.

Jiang Yi thought he needed some alcohol to calm down, but in reality, he was already aroused under the table, unable to end his date with Emily because he couldn’t stand up. He just kept sitting, covering his lap with a white napkin, drinking wine with an indifferent face. Emily barely touched her drink, so Jiang Yi ended up drinking almost the whole bottle.

“I’ll call a taxi for you,” Jiang Yi didn’t explain about the alcohol, hailed a cab, “then I’ll go back.”

Jiang Yi sat in the front passenger seat.

Yang Yunran glanced at him and got into the back seat of the taxi.

Facing the back of Jiang Yi’s head, he started to feel annoyed again, but rationality prevented him from doing anything overly demanding or rude.

He didn’t want to experience the embarrassment of being pushed away again.

So Yang Yunran chose to remain cold towards him, saying nothing the entire way.

Jiang Yi’s phone chimed with a message notification.”

The sound rang out, and he took out his phone to check.

Yang Yunran: “Who messaged you?”

Jiang Yi lowered his head, his expression hidden in shadows, his neck faintly illuminated by the phone screen. He said, “Jesse.”

Yang Yunran leaned forward, “Oh? what did he say?”

Jiang Yi: “He told me not to introduce you to more people because he plans to stay in touch with you, and he said,” Jiang Yi glanced at Yang Yunran through the rearview mirror, “you feel the same way.”

Yes.

Yang Yunran had reached an agreement with Jesse and had him assist. He really didn’t want Jiang Yi to anger him while sending him PDFs of quality male students from the same school.

The screen dimmed, and Jiang Yi pocketed his phone.

He said to Yang Yunran, “Were you satisfied with your date?”

Yang Yunran: “What about you?”

Jiang Yi: “I told you I wasn’t on a date; I was gathering information for you.”

Yang Yunran chuckled.

Jiang Yi: “Don’t laugh at me.”

Yang Yunran continued in that tone, “So did you find out anything useful?”

Jiang Yi hesitated.

Speaking ill of people behind their backs wasn’t a good habit, but Jesse did have quite a few flaws.

Yang Yunran’s tone changed to irritation, “Why aren’t you talking? Two hours on a date, using helping me investigate Jesse as a pretext, do you think I’m a three-year-old?”

Jiang Yi restrained his expression and said, “No.”

Yang Yunran’s tone became even more confrontational, “Then tell me?”

Jiang Yi: “I don’t want you to see me as your little brother who’s always talking behind people’s backs, but Jesse, actually… His father is British, so he has a baldness gene. He has Chihuahuas at home, so your Harry can’t be raised together. He can’t cook Chinese food because he caused a fire in the lab once, so he’s not allowed in the kitchen. Teaching him is impossible… (100 words omitted) Jesse’s name in international journals doesn’t even match half of mine, no, I should say one-third.”

As Jiang Yi finished speaking, the driver stopped the car.

Jiang Yi swiped his card, then got out of the car and walked around to open the door for Yang Yunran.

A cool breeze brushed his cheeks, and Yang Yunran looked bewildered. It was the first time he had heard Jiang Yi say so much, and he was actually describing his genius classmate. It was quite astonishing.

Jiang Yi lowered his head seriously and said, “I’m not slandering him; I just hope you consider it carefully.”

Yang Yunran reached up and cupped his face, “How much did you drink?”

Jiang Yi stepped back, closing his eyes, “Just a few cups, little brother, don’t touch me.”