Chapter 39

Jiang Yi’s actions left Yang Yunran completely stunned, as no one had ever helped him like this before. Jiang Yi kneeled down to loosen Yang Yunran’s shoelaces and took off his shoes…

Yang Yunran had been independent since he was young. Knowing how hard his mother worked running a hair salon, he took care of himself. He couldn’t cook well—not even frying an egg properly due to a complete lack of culinary talent. He endured it all himself, not wanting to waste anything, even eating burned eggs.

For small tasks like putting on shoes and tying shoelaces, he had always done them himself, as far back as he could remember.

Jiang Yi knelt on one knee and looked up, “Are your toes still hurting?”

The hallway’s motion-sensing light dimmed, and beside them, an impatient dog was present. Yang Yunran lowered his gaze, and the light suddenly brightened again, casting a vertical beam onto the back of his head, casting a shadow on Jiang Yi’s focused face.

Yang Yunran blushed, forgetting the unpleasantness in the car, and said, “It still hurts a bit, so I can’t teach you to dance today.”

Yang Yunran also apologized, “Is your other foot hurting too?”

“A little bit.” Yang Yunran bent over, his ears completely red. “Don’t touch my foot, I need to change my socks… No, I need to take them off.”

Jiang Yi noticed his ears, lowered his gaze again, and pressed his thumb on Yang Yunran’s toes, like a doctor checking for dislocation of his cartilage, saying, “If it hurts a lot, we should go to the hospital and get an X-ray.”

Yang Yunran tensed all over, unable to stop trembling. “Brother, please…”

Jiang Yi: “Hmm?”

Yang Yunran hesitated, “I can’t go to the hospital, it’s not that serious…”

Jiang Yi helped him take off his socks. It seemed Yang Yunran was perfectly fine, not feeling any pain at all. But Jiang Yi held his ankle and pinched his toes, making him embarrassed. He lied about needing to use the bathroom, hurriedly escaped inside, turned on the tap, and washed his feet with cold water. The pale soles of his feet turned pink under the flow of black tiles, reflecting his equally red face.

Jiang Yi slowly stood up and glanced towards the door.

Yang Yunran quickly came out, wearing slippers, looking slightly disheveled.

Jiang Yi had already turned on the light, but after all, he was a guest, standing only at the entrance without entering. Seeing Yang Yunran moving comfortably, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, Yang Yunran didn’t want him to leave, but Jiang Yi had physiological issues. What could he do? He and Jiang Yi hugged each other and reacted, then Jiang Yi suddenly said no. Wouldn’t that be disappointing!

So Yang Yunran naturally poured him a glass of water. “Let’s continue teaching you to dance tomorrow. You’ve been to the institution twice for treatment. Is there any improvement…?”

Because the issue was awkward, he spoke cautiously.

Jiang Yi didn’t go for treatment; it was a complete waste of time. So he gave money to the nurse to cover for Yang Yunran, saying he had gone.

Jiang Yi lowered his head and drank water. “There’s an improvement.” At least now he really liked hugging Yunran. He was used to sleeping alone, but recently before going to bed, he always felt empty and wanted to hold him.

Yang Yunran’s eyes lit up. “Improvement to… what extent?”

Jiang Yi’s expression was calm, but he didn’t look at him. “Unclear.”

“You’re unclear, then how can you say there’s improvement?”

Jiang Yi: “The psychologist said.”

He was the psychologist.

Yang Yunran sat beside him, propping his chin. “Oh… did you listen to the advice? Like sleeping naked, being tied up…”

Jiang Yi turned away, gripping the glass tightly, bones showing through his fingers, and looked out the window at the night view. “Not exactly.”

Yang Yunran was momentarily speechless. “You’re still saying that!!”

Jiang Yi calmly said, “If you don’t believe me, I can get a license to prove it.”

Yang Yunran was stunned by the absurdity. “?? Jiang Yi, what’s the use of getting a license? You’re… that’s not okay.”

Plato said it must BE!! How could he not cooperate actively and treat!! This is irresponsible to himself!!

So Yang Yunran became a little excited: “No, you have to try. We have to actively treat. The advice is to be in the dark and not wear clothes and then help you tie up.”

Yang Yunran walked into the room, loosened his tie around his neck. “I’m looking for something to bind you with… I should have bought some.”

Jiang Yi watched him search in the closet, a little helpless: “That wasn’t the doctor’s original words. Those were three different pieces of advice, not to be confused, and just suggestions.”

“If it’s a suggestion, you have to listen, or do you have a better way? You don’t take medicine or cooperate with treatment.” Yang Yunran’s face was full of worry and sadness. “What are you stubborn about?”

Jiang Yi remained silent.

Yang Yunran didn’t hear his voice and thought he had left, turning his head to glance at him through the crack in the door. Seeing him still sitting there, he took out a few ties: “There’s only this one, let’s make do with it. Harry, go turn off the lights.”

Harry wagged his tail in the doghouse, proving himself to be a Samoyed, not a border collie.

Jiang Yi wanted to leave, but it would be too impolite. So when Yang Yunran brought over several ties with different patterns, his resignation was evident on his face: “Do we really have to do this?”

“Of course.” Jiang Yi patted his head. “You’ve been drinking.”

“It’s not about drinking or not. I want to accompany you for treatment.” Yang Yunran pulled open one tie and said, “Give me your hands.” After a pause, he lifted his eyes and said, “No, first take off your clothes.”

Jiang Yi shook his head. “This isn’t right.”

Ignoring his words, Yang Yunran insisted on placing both of his hands together on the table. Jiang Yi cooperated for a while, saying, “Don’t tie it too tight.”

Yang Yunran was tying the knot, and Jiang Yi observed his haphazard knots. Yang Yunran looked down at the knot he had tied, his gaze lingering on him.

Clearly, Jiang Yi was dressed, but why…

Jiang Yi: “Is it done?”

Yang Yunran nodded.

Jiang Yi: “Turn off the lights.”

Yang Yunran turned off the lights and used his phone to illuminate his way back to him. Jiang Yi then bowed his head and used his teeth to untie the knot, taking about two to three minutes in the dark.

Actually, he didn’t have any feelings. He knew Yang Yunran was looking at him in the dark, and Jiang Yi just thought he was playing a game with him. After untying it, he reached out in the dark: “It’s done, go turn on the lights.”

Yang Yunran turned on the lights: “How did you untie it so quickly? I clearly wound around many times, is this useful?”

Yang Yunran had draped the black tie over the back of his hand and said, “Clearly not.”

Yang Yunran insisted firmly, “It’s definitely because you didn’t take off your clothes, so it didn’t stimulate that nerve of yours. Take them off and let’s try again.”

Zhao Youmo felt things might go awry, so when Yang Yunran reached to lift his T-shirt and touch his pants, Zhao Youmo restrained him, gripping both his wrists firmly. “It will get hard. No need to take them off.”

Yang Yunran withdrew his hand, somewhat disheartened. “I forgot, it’s not that you’re unresponsive, it’s that you can’t be touched. It’s a psychological issue, not a physiological one.”

Zhao Youmo had no psychological issues either, but they had only been dating for ten days, and seeking thrills wasn’t how he approached relationships. He hoped Yang Yunran could be more cautious. Did he always act like this in previous relationships?

“A tie goes around the neck,” Zhao Youmo said, draping it loosely over Yang’s shirt after loosening his collar. He casually tied a loose Windsor knot for him and lightly scratched his chin. “It’s not meant for tying hands.”

Yang Yunran felt ticklish and pulled back his neck. “I get it. You go home and amuse yourself.”

As Zhao Youmo left, Yang Yunran escorted him to the elevator.

Zhao Youmo said, “Once your foot’s better, teach me to dance tomorrow.”

Yang Yunran was lackluster.

Dance? He’d rather throw himself in a river.

“Remember to follow the doctor’s orders when you get home. If it doesn’t work, take some medicine,” Yang Yunran instructed.

“In fact, there’s nothing wrong with me,” Zhao Youmo pursed his lips.

Yang Yunran waved his hand. “I know, I know. It’s psychological trauma or something like that.” He didn’t inquire about the specifics of the trauma, feeling those kinds of reasons were scars not to be touched upon.

Zhao Youmo didn’t explain further and let it go.

As Zhao Youmo left, Yang Yunran returned to his room and took off his shirt to shower. He was already exhausted today. As an international student, GPA, social life, and sleep were incompatible, not to mention his attempt at romance. Yang Yunran soaked in the bathtub, stressed about both his thesis and a relationship.

Yang Yunran opened his laptop in the bathtub, placed it on the rack, and casually checked his international logistics.

“Hmm… They’ve all been signed for two days. Why hasn’t Uncle called me?”

Yang Yunran called Professor Chen using voice chat. Professor Chen seemed to have just woken up in the morning and took a while to answer.

“Hey, baby, are you still not sleeping so late?” Professor Chen said in his usual tone.

Yang Yunran was feeling dizzy from the steam, and English words seemed to float before his eyes. “Preparing my thesis is a bit troublesome.”

Professor Chen suggested, “Get someone to tutor you. Don’t you have…?” He was about to say companion, then hesitated. “That, Zhao Youmo, let Zhao Youmo tutor you. He’s very smart, and knows everything.”

“Let’s not talk about him.”

When it came to Zhao Youmo, Yang Yunran got angry. Who has a boyfriend like that, can’t be kissed, can’t be touched, and wants to go home after just a couple of touches?

“He’s made you angry again?” Professor Chen asked.

“Again?” Yang Yunran asked. “Did he do something before? You know about it?”

“Ah, last time you went to the US, I asked him to pick you up and he forgot. You got mad.”

This was something Yang Yunran didn’t know, so he didn’t ask further.

Yang Yunran got to the point, “By the way, Uncle, did you receive the package I sent you?”

“The package?” Professor Chen said. “Has it all arrived? I’m in Hangzhou attending a conference these past few days and haven’t returned to Beijing yet. I’ll open it next week when I get back.”

Yang Yunran said, “There are several books inside. One of them has a blue cover, and I put a plastic bag in it with some stuff inside… I’ll tell you when you see it. Just be a little careful.”

Professor Chen hesitated, “Fragile items?”

“Could fly away easily.”

After chatting on the phone for ten minutes, Professor Chen hung up and took off his glasses in his office at the institute.

Two DNA test reports lay before him.

One was from an unknown hair sample sent in a package by Yang Yunran.

He had received the package the day before yesterday and expected a surprise from his nephew, only to find a few strands of hair wrapped in tissue paper. He searched through it repeatedly but found no other surprises!

What was this hair? Where did it come from? Why was it sent so mysteriously without explanation?

Professor Chen immediately thought of what Yang Yunran had said about his companion resembling Zhao Youmo!

So he didn’t say anything, secretly extracted DNA from the hair, compared it with Zhao Youmo’s DNA, and after half a day, obtained a 99.99% match.

Professor Chen’s mind was in turmoil. He stayed up all night searching for information about Zhao Youmo, finding records of his life—

Zhao Youmo was abducted at a young age. The police found him at the age of three during an anti-trafficking operation. Since his parents couldn’t be found, he was sent to an orphanage to grow up. Due to his excellent academic performance, he received sponsorship from Yang Yunran’s educational foundation.

Professor Chen kept everything to himself. The next day, he compared the hair sample with his sister Chen Fangru’s DNA, and the result was also 99.99%.

The report was accurate and flawless, issued by his own institute.

Yang Yunran’s sample was personally extracted by him, also accurate and flawless—

Now he received a call from Yang Yunran and immediately decided to keep it from him. Yang Yunran must have had suspicions to send him these few strands of hair, but if he found out the truth, how devastating would it be?

Especially after hearing that he was writing his thesis and preparing to graduate, it would be even harder to bring it up. How could his nephew finish his thesis? Professor Chen knew him well and knew he wouldn’t write it, so he was stressed out and called Zhao Youmo to ask what was going on between them.

Zhao Youmo paused for a few seconds before replying, “Nothing.”

Professor Chen said, “Baby, he’s not in a good mood. I usually spoil him. Zhao Youmo, hey, if he’s upset with you, don’t argue with him. About his thesis, if you have time, teach him…”

“He’s not upset with me.” Zhao Youmo thought maybe Yang Yunran had let slip something during his call with his uncle, so he spoke cautiously and kept his tone serious.

Jiang Yi said, “I’ll teach him how to write his thesis, but he hasn’t approached me about it.”

“If you have time, help him out,” Professor Chen thought for a moment about what reward to offer, then said, “I’ll nominate you for a professorship at University A. Get the title first, and once you’re back in China, you’ll assume the position. Also, there’s that bonus; I’ll increase it by 0.2% next year.”

Jiang Yi responded with a simple “Hmm.”

Professor Chen remembered Zhao Youmo and asked casually, “Do you know the companion around Baby?”

“Companion?”

Professor Chen explained, “The young man his father arranged for him, quite handsome, with a mole on his ear.”

“I’ve seen him,” Jiang Yi replied nonchalantly, referring to the guy who walked dogs with a mole on his ear.

Professor Chen inquired further, “Is he still around Baby recently?”

Jiang Yi said discontentedly, “He’s gone.”

“What? Did they have a fight then?” It seemed that Yunran had driven Zhao Youmo away because of suspicion!

Jiang Yi’s tone remained cold. “I don’t know.”

Professor Chen pondered for a moment. “Do you know where he lives? Or any contact information?”

“No.”

“Oh… Well, if you see him, keep an eye out for me,” Professor Chen said.

Jiang Yi didn’t promise anything, but he didn’t refuse either.

Rubbing his forehead, Professor Chen sighed, “Baby must not be in a good mood lately, busy with studies, and… Well, try to spend more time with him.”

“I’m with him,” Jiang Yi replied tersely.