Aloof on the Outside - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Back in his dorm, Xia Yu washed the hand cream off his hands, then took out his phone to look up directions to Jiangnan Bar.
This bar had suddenly become popular among the online community this year.
According to the rumors, the place had a great ambiance and wasn’t too noisy. There was also a “confession wall” inside, which was beautifully decorated and attracted many young men and women who liked to take selfies there.
It took about twenty minutes to get there by cab, and it was only half past five now, so he had plenty of time.
Xia Yu changed into darker clothes, then sat at his desk, drinking water and checking WeChat.
Shen Youtang had already mentioned this several times in the group chat, but Xia Yu hadn’t set up notifications for it, so he hadn’t seen the messages right away.
There were a total of six people in the group, all of whom were his roommates from his freshman year.
Xia Yu had lived with everyone else in his first year before moving out on his own in his second year. His relationship with his former roommates was average; the school had used mixed dromitory system, and the six people in their dormitory were from different departments. They didn’t attend classes together, so they couldn’t really discuss or exchange information about their studies, and on top of that, their hobbies and interests differed. After a whole year of living together, the only person he really got along with was Shen Youtang, who was quite the social butterfly. The other four treated him like a stranger they happened to share a table with in the cafeteria.
The group chat was buzzing with activity at the moment.
? Jiang Yang: @Shen Youtang, why so sudden? How come you’re confessing? When did you two get together??
Xia Yu also wanted to know the answer to that question.
? Liang Yikang: This girl has been chasing Shen Zong1? (Zong) is a way to refer to someone they either really respect or butter up to. for years now. ?
? Since when? How come I didn’t know she was chasing him? ?
? Liang Yikang: You spend all your time at the medical school, how would you know?! This girl confessed to Shen Zong when she was in her first year, and even after being rejected, she kept sending him cookies and chocolates and mineral water, all the way from her first to third year. I’d soften too if I were him. ?
? Jiang Yang: Damn, no wonder with how persistent she is. Congrats, bro! @Shen Youtang.?
? Song Qi: Shouldn’t it be the girl confessing her feelings, and Shen Zong accepting them? Why did it become Shen Zong confessing his feelings? ?
? Shen Youtang: Of course, the confession should come from the guy ^_^?
? Song Qi: Tsk, tsk, Shen Zong is a real man!?
? Liang Yikang: Shen Zong is a real man! ?
? Shen Youtang: Liu’er is coming too. Jiang Zong, can you pick him up on your way over? I have to go pick up Ruanruan and her friends. ?
There were six people in their dormitory. Xia Yu was the youngest, and everyone else called him Xia Yu or Xia Zong, except for Shen Youtang, who occasionally called him Liu’er or Xiao Liu when they were alone.
Xia Yu responded, “No need, you guys can head over first. I still have some business to take care of, so I’ll call a cab later.”
?Shen Youtang: @Xia Yu, do you know the location??
?Shen Youtang: [Jiangnan PUB · Location]?
?Shen Youtang: Don’t go to the wrong place @Xia Yu?
?Xia Yu: Mm.?
After replying, Xia Yu briefly checked Shen Youtang’s profile before quickly closing the tab.
This is for the best, he thought.
Until now, Shen Youtang had always been his top choice.
If Shen Youtang was indeed gay, then they could try to start a casual relationship but indulge intimately and end amicably.
However, their friendship and Xia Yu’s uncertainty about Shen Youtang’s orientation had stopped him from expressing his feelings. Now that he finally confirmed his feelings, all those fleeting thoughts vanished in an instant.
He didn’t want to force a straight man to be gay, nor did he want to pursue someone who already had a partner. He and Shen Youtang would remain friends.
January was the coldest month in the city of Longcheng, when people preferred staying indoors over going outside.
But Jiangnan Bar remained as lively as ever, with waves of people walking into the establishment. Among them were many young couples, hand in hand, creating a large-scale public display of affection.
Shen Youtang had reserved the largest private booth, furnished with a long and wide sofa that could seat many people. In addition to the karaoke machine, it also had mahjong and pool tables, making it akin to a small arcade.
Jiang Yang took off his coat as soon as he arrived and surveyed his surroundings. “Where’s Xia Yu? Didn’t you say he’d be here?”
“He’s probably on his way. If he says he’ll come, he’ll come.”
Shen Youtang finished greeting the new arrivals and turned to the latest group. “Everyone’s here? You guys are the best!”
The newly arrived guests were from the school’s first basketball team.
Shen Youtang was also a member of the basketball club, but he had always been on the second team. He had only recently been promoted to the first team and hadn’t yet had the chance to interact much with his new teammates.
He had invited them, but he hadn’t expected all of them to show up. Now that they were here, he was pleasantly surprised; a glance around revealed a sea of handsome men all over 180 centimeters, which made for an impressive scene.
Zhou Ding nodded at him. “Of course.”
Shen Youtang grinned, “Make yourselves comfortable.”
Zhou Ding led the basketball team over to their seats.
“Isn’t that Zhou Ding?”
“Ruanruan, your boyfriend’s friends are all so handsome!”
“Hush, don’t talk nonsense. He’s not my boyfriend.”
“You’re blushing, you’re blushing!”
“He brought you to see his friends; doesn’t that mean he’s acknowledging you as his girlfriend?”
The girls giggled together, their whispers mingling in the air.
The girl sitting in the middle blushed more and more, her glances toward Shen Youtang filled with growing shyness and anticipation.
At that moment, Xia Yu pushed open the door and walked in.
He hesitated at the door, with a slight frown on his face, as the smell of smoke inside was strong.
“Liu’er!” Shen Youtang walked over and put an arm around his shoulders. “Sit next to me. It’s a bit smoky in here; do you want a mask?”
The girl sitting next to Ruanruan laughed. “Wow, Shen Ge, you’re biased. Us girls don’t get treated this well!”
Shen Youtang chuckled, “He has rhinitis, so his nose is more sensitive.”
“No thanks, my nose is fine.” Xia Yu grabbed a bottle of soda from the table.
“Don’t you drink?” The girl asked again.
Xia Yu looked at her and said, “I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“I still need to draw when I get back, so I can’t drink. It’ll make my hand unsteady.”
“You draw?” The girl seemed quite interested in this fact. “Are you an art student?”
“Mm.” Xia Yu took a sip of soda.
Shen Youtang walked over to greet the newcomers, leaving the seat between him and Xia Yu vacant. The girl slid over, leaned her cheek on one hand, and tilted her head to look up at Xia Yu. “I’ve loved drawing ever since I was little, but I’m not talented in art, so I’m super envious of people who can draw. You must be really good at drawing?”
Xia Yu replied, “Not bad.” He took another gulp of soda after speaking.
Noticing his frequent sips, the girl laughed. “Are you nervous?”
“…No.”
“We’re missing one person for Fight the Landlord. Anyone interested?!”
Xia Yu stood up. “I’ll play.”
He swiftly walked over and sat down, letting out a subtle sigh of relief.
“Hmph, I’m not interested anyway!” The girl’s voice wasn’t loud or soft; many people failed to hear it under the sound of singing, but Xia Yu did. He felt a bit overwhelmed.
“Dunno how to deal with girls?” A slightly deep voice sounded right above his head.
Xia Yu looked up, catching sight of the boy’s protruding Adam’s apple, followed by his eyes with a hint of a smile.
It was Zhou Ding, one of his object of observation.
“Thanks.” Xia Yu knew Zhou Ding had yielded his spot for him.
“No problem.” Zhou Ding nodded and gestured. “You play with them; I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Okay.”
Xia Yu scanned the people at the table, slightly confused.
The guy sitting across from him frowned as he shuffled the cards, while the other two snickered.
“Come on, Le Gou, stop shuffling and deal the cards.”
“Why deal? Draw your own cards!”
Le Gou slammed the cards in the middle.
Xia Yu remained silent.
In this round, the person sitting to Xia Yu’s right became the landlord.
After a few rounds of playing cards, both Le Gou and the person on Xia Yu’s right only had two cards left in their hands.
“Three of a kind,” Xia Yu announced, playing his hand.
Le Gou, visibly frustrated, nearly growled. “Fuck! Are you a spy?! There are still several pairs left! Anything is safer than playing a pair, especially such a small pair!”
But just as he finished, the landlord sitting to Xia Yu’s right knocked twice on the table. “Pass.”
Le Gou fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly played his cards. “…Seven of a kind.”
They won.
Looking at the landlord’s remaining two cards, one king and one two.
Xia Yu’s move was correct!
Le Gou wiped his face. “Ahem, you’ve got quite the luck, alright, let’s play another round.”
Another few rounds went by, and Xia Yu’s team won every time.
As a teammate, Xia Yu always played the cards his teammates wanted him to, keeping the landlord at bay. As the landlord, he always seemed to know what the peasants would play, easily clearing the cards in his hand.
“Xia Yu, you must be card counting! You’re amazing!”
Le Gou had become a true lapdog, praising every move Xia Yu made – “Incredible!”, “Amazing!”, “You’re the best!”, clearly sucking up.
When Shen Youtang dragged Xia Yu away, Le Gou was still lamenting to Zhou Ding, “Captain Zhou, no wonder Song Ting likes him.”
He then clicked his tongue, reminiscing about the beautifully fulfilling experience of being fed cards. “I like him, too!”
“Shit! Are you an idiot!” one of his friends smacked him on the head.
“Tell me, was playing cards with him satisfying? Did you enjoy eating up the cards he fed you?!”
Zhou Ding chuckled and took a sip of water.
—
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing—everyone, stop—”
Shen Youtang’s voice came through the microphone, and the excited partygoers all stopped.
“What is it?”
“He’s finally getting down to business.”
“The dog food is coming—the dog food is coming!”
Standing at the center of the sofa, Shen Youtang held Ruanruan’s hand in his right hand and smiled at everyone. “Allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Ruan Xin!”
His gaze scanned the room before it landed on Xia Yu.
Xia Yu nodded at him. “Congratulations.”
The rest of the group also applauded in celebration.
Shen Youtang smiled again. “I originally wanted to confess publicly, but Ruanruan is shy, so I did it privately. Sorry to all the brothers who wanted to see a show!”
“Oh, that’s all right.”
“That’s fine, as long as you two are together.”
“Kiss! At least give us a kiss!”
Ruan Xin practically buried her face in Shen Youtang’s chest.
Shen Youtang laughed as he held her. “That’s enough, stop messing around! Don’t you see that she’s embarrassed? Anyway, thank you all for coming out tonight during this frigid weather. Feel free to go crazy tonight—you must enjoy yourselves…”
Xia Yu felt two gentle taps on his shoulder.
He turned around and saw it was the person he’d been playing cards with earlier, the one called Le Gou. “Let’s add each other on WeChat so we can play cards together again in the future—online or offline, it doesn’t matter.”
Wu Le lowered his voice. “I’m Wu Le.”
Xia Yu pulled out his phone. “I’m Xia Yu.”
“I know you.”
“Hm?”
“Hehe, never mind.” Wu Le rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
The other two players also extended their phones.
“I’m Zhao Xiunan.”
“Lin Fan.”
Xia Yu added them both.
Done, he looked up and glanced at Zhou Ding, who stood behind the group, and asked nonchalantly, “Do you want to be added?”
Zhou Ding paused for a moment, then replied, “Sure.”
After adding Zhou Ding, Xia Yu had yet to say anything when Shen Youtang, who had just finished his speech, came over and put an arm around his neck. “What are you all chatting about?”
“Nothing,” Xia Yu responded.
“Why are you being so formal with your big bro? Come on, I’ll introduce you to your sister-in-law.” With that, Shen Youtang dragged Xia Yu away from Zhou Ding and the rest.
Xia Yu wasn’t great at interacting with women, especially those who clearly harbored animosity toward him, so after exchanging names with Shen Youtang’s girlfriend, he found another corner to sit down in. He ate two pieces of cake and spent some time on his phone, then decided it was about time to leave.
Shen Youtang offered to give him a ride. “Stay a bit longer. I’ll take you back in my car later.”
“I’ll just take a cab,” Xia Yu replied.
Shen Youtang insisted, “Ruanruan has a friend whose boyfriend is picking her up, so there’s an empty seat in my car; I can drop you off on the way.”
“Is there really space in your car?” a female voice interrupted. It was the girl who had initially struck up a conversation with Xia Yu. She was one of Ruan Xin’s close friends, Jiang Yuqian.
“I have room for three in my car. Xia Yu, Ruanruan, and you—three people, a perfect fit, isn’t it?” Shen Youtang explained.
“I get car sick when I’m drunk,” Jiang Yuqian said. “And Ruanruan has to sit in the back with me to take care of me.”
“Yeah, Xia Yu can sit in the passenger seat. It’s perfect.”
Jiang Yuqian crossed her arms, her cheeks flushed from alcohol. Whether or not she was drunk was unclear, but her deliberate nitpicking and refusal to yield was obvious.
She raised her chin. “The passenger seat is reserved only for the girlfriend. Don’t you know that?”
Shen Youtang frowned slightly. “Xia Yu isn’t a girl, so what’s the issue?”
Jiang Yuqian turned to Xia Yu. “The passenger seat is reserved for the girlfriend; only the girlfriend can sit there.”
Ruan Xin tugged on her arm from beside her. “Qianqian, stop it.” Then anxiously turned to Shen Youtang and Xia Yu. “Don’t listen to Qianqian; she’s drunk. I don’t care about these things. Xia Yu, you can sit in the passenger seat. It’s fine with me.” She waved her hands as she spoke.
Xia Yu frowned slightly; he hadn’t planned on riding in Shen Youtang’s car, let alone in the passenger seat.
Feeling a bit annoyed and wanting to leave immediately, he started, “I…”
“Sit in my car.”
Just as he opened his mouth, a familiar voice rang out from beside him.
Xia Yu turned to see Zhou Ding standing not too far away, holding his coat in one hand and car keys in the other. It seemed he was also ready to leave.
“You can sit wherever you want in my car,” Zhou Ding added, looking at Xia Yu.
The expressions of Shen Youtang and the two girls briefly turned blank, but Xia Yu couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at his lips.
In the midst of their hesitant expressions, he walked towards Zhou Ding and whispered softly, “Thanks.”
Translator
