Chapter 13: Conflict

It wasn’t too late when Zhu Yu arrived at school. After sending a message to Bai Chen, he headed back to his apartment.

He asked Bai Chen if there was anything he needed him to bring home, offering to help buy things, but Bai Chen said no and just reminded him to be safe on his way back.

However, Zhu Yu still made a quick stop at the supermarket. He actually wanted to buy something for Bai Chen, but his bank balance was as empty as his face. In the end, he just bought some cat food for Liu Bo and went back.

—

“I’m doing well here.” The water in the pot hadn’t boiled yet, and the whole room was eerily quiet.

Because the room was so empty, Bai Chen’s voice echoed a little.

From the phone speaker, a woman’s gentle voice came through: “Really? Your uncle and I are always worried about you, and you never want to tell us if something’s bothering you.”

“Don’t worry too much. I can take care of myself,” Bai Chen’s voice was calm, gentle but not hurried, and there was no emotion in it, deep and steady.

“We know you can take care of yourself,” the woman’s voice sounded helpless, “But if you face any difficulties, you must tell your uncle and me, okay? Xiao Chen.”

“I know,” Bai Chen lowered his eyelashes, his eyes darkening. He stared at the water in the pot, which was about to boil, as he responded.

“Xiao Chen, have you made any friends abroad?” the woman asked with concern.

Bai Chen turned his head and glanced at the living room door, perhaps looking through it at someone. He then looked away and said, “I met one. He’s also Chinese.”

“Another Chinese person? What’s his personality like? Do you get along with him?”

“Do they get along well?” It should be “yes,” he thought. He felt no pressure when spending time with Zhu Yu, and he really enjoyed watching Zhu Yu eat the meals he made.

This feeling was strange, so he definitely couldn’t say it out loud.

“He has a great personality, we get along well,” Bai Chen said.

The woman replied, “As long as you get along, that’s good. I just worry about you being alone abroad, feeling lonely…”

Bai Chen heard her slight sobs and hurriedly said, “Auntie, please don’t worry. Everything’s fine here, and I’ll be home in a few months.”

“It’s just that I miss you,” the woman said, “Recalling how, two years ago, when you went abroad to study, you were diagnosed with depression, which really scared us…” She shuddered at the memory and quickly patted her chest to calm herself.

Bai Chen’s voice grew more serious. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

His words were full of apology.

“There’s no need for all that ‘sorry’ talk, we’re family. Don’t say that again,” the woman said, her tone much firmer.

Bai Chen instinctively apologized, “Sorry, I…”

“No, I…” He realized what he had just said and quickly corrected himself.

After a few seconds of silence, they both started laughing.

Bai Chen’s laughter was low and soothing, while the laughter from the other side was gentle and loving. The scene looked incredibly warm.

“Auntie, when will you be home?”

It was three o’clock in the morning in China, and the reason the woman hadn’t slept yet was because she was on her way back from a trip.

“In two hours,” she replied.

“But I won’t talk to you much longer. I’m planning to rest for a bit.”

She added, “You should rest early too, okay?”

“Got it, please be safe,” Bai Chen responded, and just as the water in the pot started boiling, he heard a knock on the door. It must be Zhu Yu arriving home.

After the phone call ended, Bai Chen put his phone away, turned off the stove, and opened the door to the living room.

“Senior!” Liu Bo’s head was poking out, and the person holding him greeted Bai Chen cheerfully, “Good evening!”

“Meow~” Liu Bo also made a sound, likely returning the greeting to Bai Chen.

Zhu Yu must have gone home to change clothes because he wasn’t wearing the same outfit he had on when they parted in the morning.

He was now in an orange one-piece dungaree, wearing a white shirt underneath, with a white shoulder bag at his waist, a sunflower brooch pinned to his chest, and his hair half-tied. Liu Bo was also dressed in orange clothes and had a pink bib on.

Both pairs of bright, round eyes were focused on Bai Chen.

This scene was… cute. Bai Chen inhaled lightly.

“Here?” Bai Chen stepped aside to make room for Zhu Yu, smiling warmly, “Come on in.”

His voice was gentle.

“Thanks, Senior Brother!” Zhu Yu cheerfully stepped into the room.

Bai Chen turned on all the lights in the living room. “You can sit on the sofa for a while. I’ll go cook the noodles now.”

“Do you need any help? I can wash the vegetables,” Zhu Yu placed Liu Bo on the floor and volunteered.

Bai Chen shook his head, “No need, I’ve already prepared everything. There’s tea on the table, you can drink it while you wait for me.”

“Alright.” Zhu Yu obediently took off his shoulder bag and sat on the sofa.

Bai Chen returned to the kitchen and turned the stove back on. The water, which was already boiling, quickly began to boil again.

Zhu Yu looked around the living room. It was the same layout as when he first visited Bai Chen’s house—minimalistic style, with dark tones throughout the room, and the only bright color was Zhu Yu sitting on the sofa.

“Ding dong.” His phone vibrated, and he picked it up to see a message from Chen Ding, whom he had added earlier that day.

【Chen Ding: Are you there? Do you have time now? I have a question I’d like to ask you.】

Zhu Yu happened to be free too. 【Go ahead.】

Chen Ding’s question was about some key points in the art major, which wasn’t difficult for Zhu Yu. He explained it clearly in a few sentences.

【Chen Ding: Oh, I see! I understand now! Thank you!】

Zhu Yu poured himself a cup of tea, and the fragrance of the tea immediately filled the air. He slowly typed: 【No need to thank me, it wasn’t really anything troublesome.】

【Chen Ding: How can I not thank you? I can’t let you help me for nothing, right?】

【Chen Ding: How about this, do you like tea? I brought some tea leaves from home and haven’t finished them, I’ll send you some.】

Zhu Yu was sipping tea at that moment, though he didn’t really know how to taste tea.

He would just gulp it all down in one go, not even letting it linger in his mouth before swallowing. So, he decided not to accept it. 【No need, I’m not really into tea. Keep it for yourself.】

After replying, Zhu Yu muted his phone and set it on the table, then looked at the tea cup beside him.

The cup itself was a pure lead gray color, and the tea inside was still steaming, with a tea leaf floating on the surface.

He suddenly noticed the design of the cup, then glanced around the room. After confirming that he didn’t find what he was looking for, Zhu Yu got up and walked toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen, the smell of hot oil filled the air, along with the sourness of the tomatoes and the fragrance of scrambled eggs.

Zhu Yu almost forgot why he had entered the kitchen, distracted by the delicious aroma.

“Senior brother, um…” Zhu Yu leaned close to Bai Chen.

When Bai Chen was at home, he usually wore casual clothes—loose-fitting top and pants—but the apron cinched his waist, highlighting his perfect V-shaped physique, with long legs that seemed almost unreal. His tall frame made the already small kitchen feel even more cramped.

Zhu Yu stood beside him, a whole head shorter, and his body type was quite different.

Bai Chen turned his head and noticed Zhu Yu had a hesitant look on his face, so he asked, “What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Mm-hmm!”

“Do you not like the tea cup I gave you before?” Zhu Yu asked cautiously, watching Bai Chen’s profile.

“I like it very much.” Bai Chen, though not understanding why Zhu Yu suddenly asked, nodded in response.

In fact, Zhu Yu wasn’t much younger than Bai Chen, but Bai Chen always felt that Zhu Yu had a childlike innocence in his nature.

Zhu Yu’s voice was soft, “But I don’t think I’ve seen you use it.”

His tone sounded a bit gloomy, not happy.

“You haven’t used it?” Zhu Yu asked, chasing the subject. “Did you put it away?”

He seemed upset, even a bit resentful, as Bai Chen could tell from Zhu Yu’s tone and expression.

“I’m sorry.” Bai Chen put down the knife he was holding and explained, “We already bought some tea cups at home, so I just put the one you gave me away.”

Zhu Yu mumbled softly, “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“But!” He raised his voice, sounding dissatisfied, “Even if you don’t use it, you should still display it. It’s so beautiful, and it’s one of a kind in the world!”

After speaking, Zhu Yu realized he had said something wrong. His eyes were shimmering with a transparent glint, and the cool breeze from the window ruffled his hair.

It made him look so helpless.

Why did he snap at the person next to him again?

Why couldn’t he control his temper?

Bai Chen was so gentle, so kind to him. How could he get angry at Bai Chen like that? Zhu Yu pinched the edge of his pants, lowered his head, and apologized, “Senior, I’m sorry, I…”

But Bai Chen, beating him to it, said, “It’s my fault.”

“The gift you gave me, I should have taken it out.”

“Putting it away might make you feel like I didn’t value the gift you gave me.” He analyzed the reason for Zhu Yu’s sudden unhappiness logically, then asked in a soft voice:

“Right?”

His deep, soothing voice was low and mellow, with a rising tone at the end as if he were soothing a child.

The truth was, Zhu Yu was no longer a child.

But the gentler and more reasonable the other person’s voice became, the more guilty Zhu Yu felt.

He shook his head and nodded again, “Brother! I didn’t mean to blame you.”

“I know,” Bai Chen lightly nodded, his eyes soft like water.

“I’ve put the cup in the drawer of the storage rack over there. You can take it out, and you can place it wherever you like,” Bai Chen pointed to where he kept the cup.

Zhu Yu followed his hand and looked over.

“Anywhere?”

His eyes sparkled with surprise as he asked.

“Yes, anywhere,” Bai Chen nodded again, “You’re right. It’s so beautiful, and it’s unique in the world. I should display it.”

Zhu Yu immediately smiled, his mood lifted again, and he happily exclaimed, “Then I’ll go get it now!”

“Alright,” Bai Chen nodded.

Actually, if Zhu Yu hadn’t said anything tonight, Bai Chen would have taken it out in a couple of days and found a place for it.

Because every time he passed by that spot, he would think about the beautiful cup hidden in the drawer, like something that glows being locked away in a dark box where no light can reach.

Occasionally, when he would go into the drawer to grab something, he would see it.

Little by little, Bai Chen started to feel that it would be better to display it.

But before he could get around to doing that, Zhu Yu had already found it.

Zhu Yu hummed a light tune as he took the porcelain cup that Bai Chen had kept in the drawer.

The cup was in perfect condition. From the marks on it, it was clear that Bai Chen had never used it.

Zhu Yu carefully moved the deer antler ornament that was in the center of the storage rack to the side and placed the cup right in the middle.

It looked out of place.

And…

Zhu Yu took half a step back and carefully examined it.

Also, this thing wasn’t even worth much. Placing it in the middle lowered the entire shelf’s aesthetic, so Zhu Yu decided to pick up the porcelain cup again, planning to move the deer antler ornament back to the center.

But just as he did, the porcelain cup in his hand was suddenly taken away by a hand that reached out from the side, and a warm presence followed closely behind him. The fragrance of locust blossoms wafted through the air, and the tall figure behind him shielded all the light around Zhu Yu.

It felt as though Bai Chen had embraced him, with Bai Chen’s scent surrounding him. The towering figure made Zhu Yu feel like he was entirely in shadow.

Bai Chen’s voice sounded next to his ear: “Let’s leave it here.”

“Very fitting.” The magnetic voice entered Zhu Yu’s ears, causing his heart to resonate, his heartstrings vibrating with a light tremor.