Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 68

In the end, Ye Ran didn’t wash the dishes.

Because they had a dishwasher.

No need for sweeping or mopping either; the house already had several cleaning robots, five in total, more than enough to scrub every corner several times over.

Living with Shen Shi was remarkably easy.

Sometimes they cooked together when in the mood; other times, they’d browse reviews online for nearby restaurants, anything with high ratings, they’d drive out to try that very day.

Before long, they’d become regulars at several spots.

Shen Shi, ever the magnanimous one, signed up for all the membership cards.

Ever since their relationship became public, Shen Shi’s parents had been transferring money into Shen Shi’s account almost daily, with not-so-subtle messages urging him not to be stingy—“Spend on Ye Ran! Spoil him! Shower him with gifts until he smiles every time he sees you! Maybe then he’ll put in a good word for you with his father!”

The relationship between the Shen and Ye families became oddly cordial for a while.

No one quite knew how the Shen parents managed it, but Ye Huaishan who’d initially been furious and resentful was eventually worn down by their combined efforts: apologies, reasoned persuasion, and constant friendly outreach.

Added to that were Ye Ran’s frequent video calls home, his face always so relaxed and cheerful that Ye Huaishan’s agitation gradually eased.

He only had this one son. Anything that could make Ye Ran happy, he wouldn’t openly oppose.

…As for Shen Shi—

Ye Huaishan gave a soft, mirthless laugh.

The once flawless golden boy now carried a hint of calculation and depth in his temperament.

He knew Ye Ran too well: gentle, soft-hearted, stubborn beneath the surface. He wouldn’t bend easily. If Shen Shi hadn’t been both straightforward and strategic, there was no way Ye Ran, cautious as he was, would’ve been swept up and claimed so quickly, barely a year into university.

The future was long. Ye Ran could be with Shen Shi for now, out of youthful affection.

But as a father, with his years of experience and all he’d seen of the world, Ye Huaishan couldn’t neglect his duty to think further ahead for his son.

So he would watch and wait.

In the softly lit study, Ye Huaishan sipped his tea with a calm expression.

It wasn’t that he doubted Shen Shi’s sincerity or devotion but they were still young, not yet fully mature, and with Shen Shi’s powerful family background, the future was bound to hold uncertainties.

He was willing to quietly watch this young couple take each step forward.

And from the bottom of his heart, he hoped they could walk together smoothly for a lifetime.

But it was undeniable if something went wrong along the way, if their course veered off track, he would never be soft-hearted. He would not let Shen Shi off easily.

The tea in his mouth carried a faint bitterness.

Ye Huaishan set the cup down, sat in silence for a while, then opened a drawer and took out a pocket watch.

It was beautifully made but clearly old; the shine of its casing had dulled over time. When he flipped open the lid, inside was an overexposed photo of a young woman.

She wore a white cotton dress, her features gentle, her phoenix eyes long and fine. Her black hair fell in a glossy curtain down her back. In her hands, she held a book of poetry; behind her, branches were thick with leaves and dappled light, and on her face bloomed a radiant smile, bright and warm as spring.

Back then, the eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl had yet to know the taste of sorrow, and she certainly didn’t know how long someone standing under a nearby tree had quietly watched her after that photo was taken.

Later, when they became a couple, Ye Huaishan had casually asked her for the photograph. Chen Wan had laughed so hard she could barely breathe. He still remembered the gentle teasing in her eyes at that moment.

—“The famous, elegant Scholar Ye… actually stood in the shadows secretly staring at someone?”

Maybe.

Maybe the reason he could accept Shen Shi so quickly was because he and Ye Ran had also met and fallen in love at that same young age, just as fresh, just as tender.

Only, he and Chen Wan hadn’t reached that so-called “for a lifetime” ending.

But he hoped Ye Ran could.

There were already too many regrets in this world; he didn’t want his child to have to taste that same bitterness.

…

And far away in London, someone else shared Ye Huaishan’s worries, An Yu.

When he heard that Ye Ran and Shen Shi had officially gone public, his reaction could only be described as explosive. For three days straight, he called every day, lecturing Ye Ran anxiously for half an hour each time.

“Ranran,” An Yu said during a video call, sitting upright with a serious look. “I’m being honest here, don’t you think this is too fast? You and Shen Shi, both of you, counting by traditional age, are just twenty this year. Twenty! Do you know what that even means? You’ve lived through only one-fifth of your life, and you’re already letting the parents ‘make it official’?”

“Back in high school, you never seemed interested in the boys around you. I used to wonder what kind of boyfriend you’d have someday, funny, gentle, thoughtful, considerate, I imagined every type. I even thought, when we both had boyfriends one day, we’d go traveling together, the four of us.”

“When I heard you’d found someone like Shen Shi, I was honestly happy for you. There aren’t many reliable gay men these days, and well… Shen Shi just barely counts as one. I truly hope you two can hold hands all the way through life, but, Ranran, have you really thought it through? Really?”

An Yu looked at him quietly. Since childhood, he and Ye Ran had been inseparable, practically like brothers. His words came from that place, an older brother’s deep concern.

“Love isn’t always smooth sailing. Right now, you’re in the honeymoon stage, so of course everything about him feels perfect. But what about later, three years, five years, or ten years from now?”

“Ten whole years, looking at the same face, living in a quiet house where your days revolve around work and three meals. Your friends will all be getting married, having kids, two at a time, while your relationship because it’s tied so closely to both families, will be hard to untangle. Breaking up would be like tearing flesh from bone. And you’d still have no legal protection.”

“Ranran… I’m not trying to scare you. I just want to ask: are you really ready for that?”

“If you’re not, it’s still not too late. Tell Shen Shi you don’t want to live together right now. Move out, go back to the dorms, and continue your innocent campus romance, it’s not too late for that either.”

“But if you are ready… then I wish you all the best, Ranran.” On the screen, An Yu’s eyes were a little red, but he smiled anyway. “Never thought I’d live to see the day when you got stolen away by another man.”

***

After hanging up the call, Ye Ran lay awake for a long time that night.

Thankfully, his roommates, Little Fatty and Brother Shu, were up late gaming, making so much noise that his tossing and turning didn’t seem out of place.

As spring drew to a close, the campus grew lively again.

The biggest event after Qingming Festival was the sports meet. Ye Ran and Shen Shi both signed up for events—one for the relay, the other for the 1500-meter run.

The day of the meet dawned bright and clear.

The track field was packed. College sports meets were different from those in high school, aside from attendance at the opening ceremony, students were free afterward. Those who wanted to nap could nap, those who wanted to hang out could leave, and only the participants needed to gather at their respective fields.

The campus forum was unusually busy that day, flooded with new posts:

—【Breaking! Fresh candid of Ye Ran in sportswear—download for free, no watermark!】

—【Breaking! Shen Shi wins bronze in the 1500 meters! (PS: first and second place are both from the sports department)

—【Breaking! The little couple shared the same water bottle (PS: Shen Shi, don’t you have your own???)】

—【Breaking! The little couple recruited as event volunteers! (photo.jpg)】

On the bleachers, Little Fatty, tired of waiting for their events to finish, clicked on the new post right away.

The photo showed Ye Ran and Shen Shi both in short-sleeved shirts and shorts, standing under the volunteer tent handing out water.

Late-spring sunlight spilled warmly over them. Ye Ran’s hair was black and soft, his lips red against his white teeth, his side profile smooth and elegant as he smiled and said something to Shen Shi.

His skin was strikingly fair, delicately pale, his arms long and slim, his legs straight and well-proportioned. The black sports uniform only made him more eye-catching, impossible to look away from.

From the photo, everyone keenly noticed that Ye Ran seemed to be wearing an anklet on his right ankle, just a few scattered agate beads, the reddish-brown color setting off his skin beautifully. A fine silver chain wound around his slender, pale ankle like a curling vine or flowering branch, making that bit of skin look almost indecently alluring.

The thread fell silent for a moment then, emboldened by the anonymity of the forum, everyone began to comment.

1L: Shen Shi is so lucky.

2L: Shen Shi is so lucky.

3L: Shen Shi is so lucky.

4L: quq I wear an anklet too, why doesn’t it look like that on me?

5L: ??? Wait, isn’t it disgusting for a grown man to wear an anklet?

6L: Incredible — I thought modern society only judged women harshly, but turns out Guo Nan judges everyone equally. “Equal treatment” really taken to heart here.

7L: ……

8L: Then what now, call the police?

9L: Yeah, hurry and call the cops, a man wearing accessories on his body!

10L: Out of curiosity, what would you even report him for?

11L: Smuggling, secretly hiding an anklet on his foot while walking.

12L: LOL the one above is a genius. 

13L: Those feet… I have an immature thought.

14L: The one above, our country has a mature criminal code.

15L: ……

The forum was a nonstop stream of jokes, while out on the sports field, whistles blew again and again.

The sports meet stayed lively until five in the afternoon.

There was still one more day, but none of the events involved Ye Ran or Shen Shi, so the two left the field and drove back to Lakeside Mansion.

A five-day short holiday was about to begin.

As the black Mercedes drove out of campus, the sky was awash in sunset glow, flaming clouds stretching toward the distant horizon. Between the tall buildings, one could just glimpse a sliver of the sun; dusk was falling, and one by one the streetlights flickered on, like stars scattered across the city nightscape.

Ye Ran leaned his head against the window, quietly watching the view outside.

Both sides of the commercial street were lined with snack stalls. Vendors shouted, selling skewers, ice jelly, milk tea, stinky tofu, and more. Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Ran caught sight of a takoyaki stall.

The vendor’s hands moved with practiced ease, he dropped three or four bits of squid tentacle into the batter, was generous with the bonito flakes, added pork floss, and drizzled on satay sauce.

Just watching, Ye Ran could almost taste the chewy squid within the soft round balls.

The car suddenly stopped.

He pulled his gaze back to see that Shen Shi had parked at a roadside spot.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Shen Shi looked at him with amusement as he unbuckled his seat belt. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go get it for you.”

Ye Ran blinked and, without the slightest politeness, said, “Takoyaki, stinky tofu, and hot-and-sour noodles.”

Shen Shi made a soft sound of acknowledgment and reminded him, “Don’t get out. It’s hot outside.”

The car was still running, air conditioner humming softly.

Cool air brushed his face; Ye Ran obediently stayed in the car.

The other door shut. He quietly watched Shen Shi’s back as he walked away. It was dinnertime, every stall had a line, yet even standing in a crowd, the man stood out effortlessly, tall and composed.

Nearly twenty minutes later, Shen Shi returned carrying four or five small bags.

The air outside was hot, and sweat clung to him; his thick brows and dark eyes were damp, black hair slightly wet, but his expression was calm as ever. He’d sweated even more than this in bed last night. Naturally, he just handed the bags to Ye Ran.

Ye Ran took them, glancing through casually. “Huh? Why didn’t you buy the hot-and-sour noodles?”

They were sold at the same stall as the stinky tofu, he should have bought both.

“Tomorrow,” Shen Shi said simply.

Ye Ran didn’t mind. “And this… grilled cold noodles?”

“Yeah,” Shen Shi said, watching the road. “With cheese and corn inside, new item, I saw lots of people lining up for it.”

Ye Ran perked up, opened the bag, and took a bite.

The grilled cold noodles were cut to a perfect bite size. The melted cheese and sweet corn were rich and fragrant, wrapped in the chewy noodle sheet, the more he chewed, the better it tasted.

Carefully, Ye Ran picked up a piece and held it to Shen Shi’s lips. “How is it?”

Shen Shi tried a bite, nodded. “Not bad.”

Mostly it was about novelty, but surprisingly, it was genuinely tasty.

Seeing how much Ye Ran enjoyed it, Shen Shi casually glanced at him, his tone lazy: “We actually have a grilled-cold-noodle machine at home. I’ll try making some tomorrow.”

Ye Ran couldn’t hold back a laugh.

Ever since Shen Shi developed an interest in cooking, the house had filled up with all sorts of odd machines: an ice cream stirrer, shaved-ice maker, grilled-cold-noodle machine, takoyaki maker, mini cake machine. Anything he liked, he bought. The two of them tinkered with them together, treating the kitchen like a second bedroom.

Suppressing his laughter, Ye Ran nodded solemnly. “Yours will definitely taste better than this.”

Shen Shi’s lips curved faintly as he looked at him, eyes glinting with amusement. “Go ahead, laugh if you want.”

So Ye Ran did, he laughed all the way home.

When the car pulled into the underground parking lot, Shen Shi pressed him close and kissed him for a while.

His lips were left swollen and red, the corners of his eyes tinted moist and pink. Looking languid, he was carried into the spacious back seat, where Shen Shi coaxed him to take off his shoes to check his heels, rubbed raw from running.

The shoes were new, ones Ye Ran had bought especially for sports, but something had gone wrong today.

Shen Shi frowned at the sight of the bleeding skin on his right heel. Ye Ran’s skin was pale and fine, even on his feet, and the small patch of torn flesh looked shockingly raw.

Shen Shi’s eyes darkened, lips pressed into a thin line.

That foot, he’d often held it in his hands, played with it. Even the anklet around the ankle was one he’d picked out himself, the beads polished smooth without a single sharp edge before he’d fastened it there.

Now that it was hurt, an inexplicable irritation stirred in him.

Sensing his mood, Ye Ran nuzzled into his arms, soothingly murmuring, “It just looks bad, put on some ointment and it’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Shen Shi gave a quiet “mm,” his eyes lowered as he asked, “Anywhere else that hurts?”

“No,” Ye Ran said with a small smile. “I’m not that delicate.”

Boys were usually tough-skinned, he’d only gotten blisters because of his shoes. Otherwise, he could take a lot.

Otherwise, with how obsessed Shen Shi got in bed, he would’ve long since been too sore to stand.

Shen Shi didn’t reply. Without a word wasted, he simply lifted Ye Ran into his arms and carried him home.

There was a first-aid kit prepared in the house.

On the sofa, Ye Ran hugged a cushion, his eyelids lowered as he watched Shen Shi.

Shen Shi turned on the main light in the living room, then brought over a desk lamp, adjusting it so it shone directly on Ye Ran’s heel. He took out iodine and a cotton swab, carefully and patiently wiping away the dried blood, disinfecting the wound little by little.

Ye Ran didn’t feel much pain, but Shen Shi’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper. The torn skin needed to be trimmed, otherwise it would interfere with scabbing.

By the time he reached that step, Shen Shi’s face was dark enough to drip water, though his hands grew even gentler. As he carefully lifted the loose skin stuck to the wound, his voice came soft and low: “Does it hurt?”

The wound tingled faintly.

Ye Ran rested his chin on the soft cushion, his calm, clear eyes rippling like water. He obediently said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Really doesn’t?” Shen Shi taped the gauze down, his tone mild but cool as he lifted his gaze. His expression had gone blank, yet his dark eyes were deep and heavy as they locked onto him. “With such a big cut, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

He had endured it all afternoon. If Shen Shi hadn’t gotten a bit heated kissing him in the car and happened to touch the anklet on Ye Ran’s right foot, the boy might’ve kept silent all the way home.

Ye Ran knew he was in the wrong, so his voice softened. “I thought it was just rubbed red…”

Shen Shi stared at him in silence. Those deep, dark phoenix eyes seemed to hold something unspoken. After a moment, he stood and said flatly, “Next time something like this happens, don’t hold it in.”

He didn’t wait for Ye Ran to answer before walking into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, he came back out with a basin of water. His expression was still cold, but he knelt down in front of Ye Ran and lifted his foot, setting it gently on the rim of the basin.

That usually proud, upright figure once again bent before Ye Ran. With his pale, slender hand, he stirred the warm water, carefully avoiding the wound as he rinsed the rest of his foot.

Ye Ran stayed still, not moving until Shen Shi finished drying his feet and led him to the tatami by the floor-to-ceiling window. He sat there, looking out at the sea of city lights, smiling faintly.

The night in the capital was as lively as ever, traffic flowing endlessly.

Neon lights shimmered against the glass. From the bathroom came the muffled sounds of water, Shen Shi rinsing the basin, washing their clothes by hand.

Ye Ran rested his chin in his hand, eyes bright, his lips curving into a smile only he could see.

Just as An Yu had said, he didn’t know whether five or ten years from now, Shen Shi would still treat him with this same tender affection, or still love him the same way.

All he knew was that right now, he liked Shen Shi very much.

And right now, Shen Shi liked him very much too.

Life was lived one day at a time. He wasn’t pessimistic enough to believe love would inevitably fade, nor naïve enough to think anyone could stay unchanged forever.

He had the Shen Shi of this moment, that was enough. He didn’t need to think about which version of Shen Shi his future self would have.

His heart was full of warmth and hope for what lay ahead.

At that moment, gazing out at the countless lights of the city, he made a sincere wish.

May it be morning after morning, night after night.

Year after year.

——

“What are you looking at?”

A low breath brushed his ear; a warm, solid chest pressed against his back.

In the reflection on the clean glass window appeared another face. Shen Shi sat behind him, one arm wrapped around his waist, lifting his eyelids lazily to gaze at the glittering city alongside him.

The heart in Ye Ran’s chest skipped a few quick beats the instant he was pulled close.

Neon lights flickered and swayed.

At some point, the room lights had gone off, leaving only the soft amber glow of a lamp by the window.

Ye Ran said, “I’m looking at you.”

Shen Shi froze, his arms around Ye Ran’s waist tightening slightly as he gave a low, quiet laugh. “What’s so good to look at about me?”

“I don’t know,” Ye Ran turned his head, tilting up to kiss Shen Shi’s jaw. His dark, pure eyes shone brighter than starlight. “But I realized today—I really, really like you.”

Like you so much that even if the future’s uncertain, I still want to walk forward with you.

Shen Shi’s breath caught. His heartbeat thudded wildly, fast and urgent. It took more than ten seconds before he could breathe again, his blank mind slowly beginning to clear.

He looked at Ye Ran’s reflection, who had turned back to gaze dreamily out the window, and kissed his cheek softly, fondly.

Ye Ran laughed when kissed, his face soft and warm, sweet like it hid a drop of honey.

“I do too,” Shen Shi said.

Seeing Ye Ran’s puzzled look, he repeated gently, “I do too.”

He felt lucky to have found the person he wanted to spend his life with while still so young.

Their future would be longer than most people’s.

Their happiness, greater than most people’s.

However much Ye Ran liked him now, he would slowly, steadily claim more of it, bit by bit.

Looking out at the glittering city and the stars above, Shen Shi held Ye Ran tightly and made a quiet, solemn wish in his heart:

May it be morning after morning, night after night.

Year after year.

——【End of Main Story】