Chapter 64

Yang Yunran was completely bewildered. Was Jiang Yi like a timer, able to remember such details? Yang Yunran only vaguely recalled it was sometime at the end of March, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact date!

“So you’re…” Yang Yunran set down his cold noodles, silently calculating the timeline, overwhelmed by a mix of shock and confusion.

This didn’t make sense. If Jiang Yi claimed they started dating in March of this year, what about before that? Were they just acquaintances? Was Jiang Yi not the original owner’s boyfriend at all? Was Jiang Yi completely unrelated to the original story’s scumbag guy?

This realization finally eased his mind.

But Yang Yunran was still perplexed.

He had clearly gone looking for the person Zhao Youmo described! How could he have possibly gotten the wrong person?

Seeing Yang Yunran staring at him with wide eyes, Jiang Yi responded with a question, “Hmm?”

Yang Yunran turned to him. “We met in China, but we weren’t close. Last year, when I came to Boston for school, you forgot to pick me up, and then I blocked you. Is that right?”

Jiang Yi nodded. “Yes,” seemingly puzzled by Yang Yunran’s analysis, resembling someone with Alzheimer’s recalling memories.

Yang Yunran continued, “Then how long after that did we first meet in the US? Do you remember?”

“On December 15th last year, you came to the lab to find me,” Jiang Yi replied promptly. “Can I ask you something now?”

“Not now, later,” Yang Yunran interrupted. “I need some time to think.”

Jiang Yi adjusted the steering wheel; they were almost at his house. “Have you decided you want to reconcile with me?”

“No,” Yang Yunran ignored him. Why did he end up finding the wrong person? Zhao Youmo had been clear: her boyfriend was a tall, handsome Chinese guy doing experiments in the MIT life sciences lab.

Later, he had asked Jiang Yi himself, knowing there were no other Chinese people left in their lab, Jiang Yi was the only one.

Yang Yunran could figure out everything else, including Jiang Fan’s disappearance, possibly due to some closed training session, being instructed by his manager not to date and confiscating his communication devices.

But he just couldn’t figure it out.

Why did Jiang Yi perfectly fit Zhao Youmo’s description of reconciliation with Yang Yunran?

He had to make a call… or send a message to ask. Yang Yunran couldn’t hold back and immediately messaged him.

“Are you asleep? I have something to ask you.”

But it was already late, and Zhao Youmo didn’t reply to him.

Yang Yunran was really anxious. He clicked into his friend’s circle.

Jiang Yi caught a glimpse of the reflection in the window and said, “Why are you on your phone now, looking at whose friend’s circle?”

“…You even control my phone use; you really love to control me. I’m just casually looking.” He tilted his phone towards himself and liked two of Zhao Youmo’s posts.

Jiang Yi saw it more clearly and found the person he was following, labeled as “Zhao Youmo” —

Zhao Youmo?

Jiang Yi’s expression froze slightly. He knew there was something going on at Yang Yunran’s home. Based on Yang Yunran’s fragmented words, he could infer the general situation.

Yang Yunran and Zhao Youmo should not have an ambiguous relationship. Yang Yunran mentioned Zhao Youmo under stress because Zhao Youmo is his parents’ biological son.

And Yang Yunran is the child who was mistakenly held…

“Did your dad come over here specifically to see you? Did he leave after seeing you?” Jiang Yi couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah, he left after seeing me.” Yang Yunran wasn’t interested in Zhao Youmo’s friend circle posts. It was like when he earned royalties from his song for the first time, took his first flight, and bought himself a designer item for the first time.

Zhao Youmo’s posts weren’t many, just a few, all related to his parents, eating, taking a private plane to Sanya, listening to someone play guitar on the beach, eating seafood…

Yang Yunran felt some sympathy for him. Now that he’s back home and found his own family, that’s good too.

Jiang Yi didn’t say anything else. When they arrived at the underground garage of his home and got out of the car, he reached out and ruffled his hair, very gently.

Yang Yunran stepped back. “Don’t ruffle my hair outside, I’m afraid of being photographed.”

“Okay, got it. Can we do it at home?”

“I’ll walk you up.” Jiang Yi took the medicine bag down and closed the car door. “Where’s your assistant?”

“She’s still walking the dog in the neighborhood. She’ll be up in a while. Can you please watch your words and actions?” Yang Yunran felt a bit guilty about mistaking Jiang Yi for a scumbag at first. He had originally teased Jiang Yi as a scumbag and hadn’t planned to use any sincerity.

Then his love brain kicked in, he got excited, and things became unstoppable.

Jiang Yi wasn’t a scumbag after all.

At that time, when the two were together, Yang Yunran went to hold his hand and hug him… In Jiang Yi’s eyes, was he chasing after him himself??

And he chased him for 103 days??

The two entered the elevator.

Remembering his own behavior, similar to that of a rogue embryo at the time, Yang Yunran was going crazy inside. He maintained his calm exterior, put his duckbill hat back on, and swiped his card to select the floor.

The company rented a house with good security to protect its artists.

Yang Yunran didn’t stand next to Jiang Yi. He raised his hand and pointed at the monitor, indicating to keep a distance.

So Jiang Yi didn’t approach, standing alone on one side like a stranger, turning his head to look at him.

Yang Yunran raised his eyes, partly obscured by the duckbill hat.

His ex-boyfriend was wearing only a stall item, standing against the plain silver-gray metal elevator background, handsome enough to be captivating. When their eyes met, Jiang Yi even raised an eyebrow slightly, his thick eyelashes curved.

“Like looking at me?” Jiang Yi’s voice was low.

When they were in love, Yang Yunran often looked at him like this. Actually, Jiang Yi was used to it, and precisely because he was so used to it, it was hard for him when he lost it. He never expected Yang Yunran, who liked him so much, would break up with him abruptly.

“You’re just handsome.” Yang Yunran withdrew his gaze.

The elevator arrived. Jiang Yi’s arm blocked the elevator door, and he waited for Yang Yunran to exit before walking out himself, catching up to him and walking beside him. “Just handsome?”

Yang Yunran looked up at the sky without answering.

Jiang Yi approached him, his head slightly lowered. “Then look at me more. After we get back together, you won’t be able to see me anymore.”

Yang Yunran: “There’s an invention in this world called a photograph, and there are videos, and now there are 3D videos.”

He said as he entered the password to open the door.

Jiang Yi: “Then you can look more, with your eyes.”

“You also know my eyes are not good.” Yang Yunran said softly, “You’ve always known that.”

Jiang Yi frowned.

Because Yang Yunran didn’t cover up much, Jiang Yi remembered his password, entered the door, and changed shoes, Yang Yunran casually invited him, “Except for my assistant, no one else has been here, and I just moved in. Do you want something to drink?”

“No need, come over, I’ll give you your medicine.” Jiang Yi didn’t mention the eye issue again, knowing Yang Yunran cared about it. He pulled Yang Yunran over and hugged him.

Yang Yunran blushed. “I know, I’m going to take a shower. When Doudou comes, open the door for her.”

Yang Yunran pushed him away and took his phone into the bathroom.

Because Zhao Youmo replied to him: “Roy!! I just woke up now there is a time difference between you and me, is there anything urgent?”

Yang Yunran didn’t type, just asked if he could talk on the phone.

The two started talking, and Yang Yunran standing in the shower, asked him about Jiang Fan and MIT. Zhao Youmo: “I’m not sure about that boyfriend of yours later, the last one, Jiang Fan you mentioned, you said he was in that life sciences lab at MIT. Once I said I wanted to go here, you said your boyfriend was there.”

At that time, Zhao Youmo had no connections and wanted to get in, and asked Yang Yunran carefully about the lab, but because Yang Yunran was not happy with him, he didn’t answer much.

Zhao Youmo: “I only know so much, you… why suddenly ask about this, isn’t this your ex.”

“Oh nothing, I just suddenly found out his educational background has some issues. Since you don’t know, forget it.” Yang Yunran said he was going to take a bath, and Zhao Youmo: “Wait… Mom is in the next room to me, do you want to call her?”

Yang Yunran declined, and Zhao Youmo responded, “But…”

Yang Yunran’s tone was distant yet polite: “Thank you for replying to my message so promptly after waking up. I’m going to take a shower now. Bye.”

When Zhao Youmo got up, he noticed that Yang Yunran had liked his friend’s circle post from a few days ago, which made him feel a bit awkward. He had intentionally tried to avoid Yang Yunran’s updates, but somehow missed blocking him.

Perhaps Yang Yunran was still keeping an eye on his life. Thinking about topics related to his ex-boyfriend sounded like scraping the barrel for conversation.

He had heard from Professor Chen that Yang Yunran was currently filming a program out of town, enduring temperatures as high as forty to forty-two degrees Celsius every day, which was very tough.

Zhao Youmo re-adjusted his settings, afraid that Yang Yunran couldn’t bear to see, and decided to block him from anything related to family in the future.

–

Jiang Yi didn’t hear the sound of water in the bathroom, speculating that Yang Yunran might be sending messages or chatting.

He knocked on the door and asked, “Are you using the toilet?” Yang Yunran replied, “Yes!” He was busy searching the internet for Jiang Fan. Was Jiang Fan really from MIT? Did the original owner tell Zhao Youmo? Why did online information show he was just a normal student?

Jiang Yi stood by the door and asked, “Is it still painful? Did you check it yourself? Is it swollen?”

“Not swollen,” Yang Yunran couldn’t see Jiang Yi, but he could still feel something, “Stop worrying about whether I’m in pain or not. My assistant is upstairs, open the door.”

Jiang Yi went to open the door. Doudou was standing outside with the dog and was surprised to see Jiang Yi there.

She didn’t know Jiang Yi’s name, so she called him “Brother.”

Returning the dog, she said, “Then I’ll leave first, Brother. Please tell Yunran if there’s anything.”

Jiang Yi asked her, “Does Yang Yunran have any work arrangements tomorrow?”

“He has a livestream at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, quite relaxing,” Doudou said.

Jiang Yi nodded, assuming the role of the host, “You’ve worked hard. Go back and rest.”

He then gave her two tips and closed the door.

Doudou: “…”

In the bathroom, Yang Yunran called out, “Has Harry come back?”

“He’s back, drinking water.” Jiang Yi held his arms, “Are you chatting with someone behind my back?”

“I’m just sitting on the toilet…” Yang Yunran was worried about being controlled by him. He didn’t dislike being controlled, but they had broken up, and Jiang Yi was still very suspicious.

Although he had indeed just been on the phone with someone else.

Yang Yunran searched for a long time and finally found a clue online.

Jiang Fan’s big fan sent out a message saying that Jiang Fan had studied at MIT.

What specific study experience did you have? The big fan didn’t say.

It’s probably not a glamorous resume, or else it would have been bragged about.

Yang Yunran guessed it was something like a summer school. He wiped his search history clean with his phone to prevent Jiang Yi from checking.

Then he showered and spaced out while showering, sorting out the current situation.

Yang Yunran finished showering and it was already past one in the morning.

Yang Yunran heard the washing machine running, and the house was clean and tidy, probably because Jiang Yi had done some housework for him.

“Come over and blow dry your hair.” Jiang Yi even found his hairdryer, which Yang Yunran didn’t even know where he put it.

“My hair dries quickly, no need to blow dry.” Now Yang Yunran looked at Jiang Yi, and the bad reputation assigned to him had faded away.

Jiang Yi wasn’t the original owner’s boyfriend.

They didn’t even know each other before he arrived!

At first, Jiang Yi resisted intimate actions because he wasn’t familiar with them!

So he wasn’t a scumbag, he didn’t seem to care about his money, didn’t despise him for not being a second-generation rich person, he lived in a company-rented house, he probably wouldn’t kneel and lick Zhao Youmo, although he once asked Zhao Youmo’s name…

Maybe that’s the protagonist’s aura.

Jiang Yi has bought many thoughtful gifts for himself… will arrange dates, although not say love and like, and not speak in bed, just doing it with his head down, but will kiss and touch him.

Yang Yunran stood a few meters away from him and watched.

“Then don’t blow it, wipe your hair and see if there’s anything good behind.” Jiang Yi hugged him, wiped his hair with a towel, and then took off Yang Yunran’s sleeping pants. Yang Yunran’s face burned, and Jiang Yi was sensitive when he touched him.

Jiang Yi frowned, “Maybe I’ve put in a little, it’s still red now.” With one hand, he took out the suitable ointment and put it on Yang Yunran. Yang Yunran couldn’t even lift his head, holding Jiang Yi’s fingers tightly. Jiang Yi comforted him to relax and touched his wet hair, rubbing his neck like stroking a cat.

“That’s it.” The whole process was quick, Jiang Yi said, “I’ve checked online, you’re not allowed to do it for the next week.”

“Did I think of it? Didn’t you force me to do it?” Yang Yunran, because he was too tired, maintained the posture of lying on his lap, lifted his pants with one hand.

Jiang Yi’s tone was very light: “Because you accused me baselessly, it’s difficult for me to handle.”

And Yang Yunran was obviously half-hearted, not that he forced it. If he really forced Jiang Yi, he couldn’t do it.

“I have reason and evidence. This is not a groundless rumor. I hope you know in your heart, don’t think you’re great with just thirty-five minutes of the latest three.” Yang Yunran dozed off confusedly, “Aren’t you going back to the hotel?”

“I’ll leave after you fall asleep.” Jiang Yi saw him tired, and took the opportunity to lower his head and kiss his lips, “Reunion? What do you say.”

Yang Yunran didn’t agree, but didn’t say no, Jiang Yi’s kiss was natural and flat, close to the ears and eyes, and he felt more itchy and warm, lacking oxygen. He was soft, held by Jiang Yi, who emphasized, “I didn’t chase you. You just want to be my boyfriend for no reason.”

“Without reason?” Jiang Yi listened to him gloss over the process of his relentless pursuit with such a face-saving manner, but he wasn’t annoyed either. He chuckled and said, “Alright, let’s consider it without reason then, baby. If right now your heart only holds me and no one else, let’s have another ‘without reason’ moment.”