His Honey Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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At the dinner table, Xiao and Wei had a good conversation. At the end, Wei Boheng confessed, "Mr. Xiao, Da Shan asked me earlier if I'm ready for a new relationship, and he said that you're very good and deserve to be taken seriously. I'll take this opportunity today to confess to you that I don't know if I'm ready myself. But I want to take the first step to change. If you don't mind, let's start as friends?"

"Mr. Wei, don't feel pressured. I came here today with the same idea of starting as friends, and as for what comes next, I'll leave it to time to reveal."

"Then," Wei Boheng smiled and raised his glass, "to new friends."

Xiao Yichi raised his glass and repeated with a smile, "To new friends."

"From now on, you can just call me Yichi, there's no need to be too formal."

"Then you call me Boheng as well."

The two of them were discussing the time of their next meeting, and when they exited the elevator, they saw an upright back in front of them.

Before Xiao Yichi could react, Wei Boheng had already spoken, "Lawyer Yu?"

Yu Zhinian turned his head to look at them at the sound. After a second, he revealed a gentle smile, "Hello."

Wei Boheng had the sense to introduce himself, "I'm Wei Boheng, I had previously worked with you on a PO case as a representative of the Heyan Law Firm."

"I remember, Lawyer Wei, I heard that you started your own business?"

Wei Boheng was modest, "Yes, I was not cut out to work in a big law firm so I came out and set up a small law firm."

"What suits you is the best. Congratulations on your opening."

"Thanks." Wei Boheng didn't forget Xiao Yichi, "Let me introduce, this is..."

"I know," Yu Zhinian nodded politely towards Xiao Yichi, "Mr. Xiao."

"Hello, Lawyer Yu." Xiao Yichi smiled and responded graciously.

Wei Boheng's gaze went back and forth between the two, "So you are acquaintances?"

"There are acquaintances between us, so we know each other." Xiao Yichi cleared up his confusion.

Wei Boheng smiled, "That saves me the need for an introduction."

Yu Zhinian asked a question instead, "Have the two of you known each other for a long time?"

"We met for the first time tonight." Wei Boheng didn't avoid it and smiled frankly.

Xiao Yichi raised his eyebrows and glanced at Wei Boheng.

"Oh." Yu Zhinian did not miss Xiao Yichi's expression.

"Lawyer Yu, are you here for dinner with friends?"

"No, I just finished my work meal and am preparing to leave."

"You've worked hard, we won't bother you anymore." Wei Boheng said goodbye in a decent manner.

"Goodbye." Yu Zhinian watched them leave.

The above encounter was only a few short minutes. Walking out of the commercial building, it occurred to Xiao Yichi: he wore the clothes bought by his former blind date to meet his new blind date, and ended up bumping into his former blind date.

Amazing.

Just now, Wei Boheng said that they were meeting for the first time tonight, so Yu Zhinian should have guessed that they were on a blind date.

That man was acting decent just now, but in his heart, he may have already started to complain; or perhaps, he was so busy with his own business that he had already forgotten the origin of this outfit.

"Yichi? The car is here." Wei Boheng spoke out to pull Xiao Yichi's thoughts back.

"Okay." Xiao Yichi appreciated Wei Boheng's generous attitude just now.

"I didn't expect to meet Lawyer Yu." Wei Boheng fastened his seatbelt and said to Xiao Yichi.

"Yeah." Because he was not sure if Yu Zhinian minded if others knew about his blind date with him, Xiao Yichi did not tell Wei Boheng the whole story and only asked, "So you guys have worked together?"

Wei Boheng smiled, "Yeah. At that time, the people in our law firm were all kinds of envious and jealous of me, because Lawyer Yu is very famous in the circle of lawyers in our central business district – Good-looking, strong working ability, treating people with a sense of propriety, and became a partner of a big law firm at a young age, he is the object of our admiration. However, his love life is a mystery. I guess to be his partner, you have to be very good in all aspects." He looked at Xiao Yichi, "By the way, do you know that he has a partner now?"

Xiao Yichi smiled helplessly, "Actually, I don't know him very well."

Yu Zhinian looked at the figures of those two walking away.

Wearing the clothes he bought on a blind date with someone else, Xiao Yichi, you're also amazing.

The way Xiao Yichi looked at Wei Boheng just now, it felt like he was quite satisfied with the other person.

The English beauty on the other side was about to leave, and there was a new potential blind date on this side.

It's amazing.

Xiao Yichi returned home, took off his clothes and hung them up.

Although Xiao Yichi said that he was not familiar with Yu Zhinian, he had confronted him and had eaten with him. When he fainted, it was Yu Zhinian who sent him to the hospital, not to mention that he had introduced Xilin to him. Xiao Yichi looked at the clothes hanging up, and thought to himself: it seems that he owes him more favours than he deserves.

Coincidentally, he bumped into him tonight. Xiao Yichi touched his nose, it seemed... like he was the one who was at a disadvantage.

Ye Zhaolin's yacht party was scheduled for the weekend. Yu Zhinian forwarded an invitation to Xiao Yichi, and at the end of the text message, he only attached a short sentence: Wait in front of the neighbourhood at eight-thirty in the morning.

The day before the party, Xiao Yichi took another shirt bought by Yu Zhinian out of the dust cover.

First, the occasion required it, and second, it was to please Yu Zhinian. Not to mention the comfort of the fabric of the shirt, another reason for its high price is the rendering of the colour. This shirt is honey-coloured, between light white and light yellow in the middle of a certain chromaticity, soft and quiet, but not overly bright, and not earthy and vulgar. Rarely does fabric have bones in its body, and the shape of the garment modifies the figure very well, giving people visual satisfaction.

Xiao Yichi purposely found a pair of matching and darker agarwood coloured slacks to go with it. He also rummaged through the unorganised suitcase and found a small box. Opening it, inside was a Patek Philippe watch. It was a gift from his good friend in New York at the time. Because it was so expensive, he had only worn it once.

It wasn't that he didn't have access to luxury goods, it was just that he couldn't use them most of the time. If luxury goods are status symbols, he really didn't reach that position, and it was inappropriate to use them, rather, it was like a toddler wearing a top hat, it wasn't appropriate.

That morning. 

Yu Zhinian arrived on time. He wore a polo shirt with light blue pinstripes on a white background, blue slacks underneath, and a pair of large sunglasses. He had his hair cut, and the sides were pushed slightly flat, just enough to make his hairstyle somewhere between serious and unruly, depending on how Yu Zhinian wanted to style it.

"Morning!" Xiao Yichi gave the other man a bright smile.

"Morning." The other party returned a wave-free greeting.

Xiao Yichi sat in the passenger seat of the SUV and had just fastened his seatbelt when a paper bag was thrown in his arms.

"Auntie baked bread this morning. It's a long journey to the pier, so eat if you're hungry." As he spoke, Yu Zhinian started the car and turned the steering wheel.

The paper bag was still hot, and the aroma of the bread overflowed. Xiao Yichi held it in his hand and looked at him, "Thank you!"

The line from Yu Zhinian's profile to the knot in his throat exposed at his collar was clear, cool and sexy.

Mhmm – Xiao Yichi bit into the fluffy bread and noticed that there was a flesh-coloured band-aid attached to the side of the other man's neck in a hidden place.

Experienced adults should know what that represents, right? It seems like Lawyer Yu had a hot night.

Xiao Yichi retracted his gaze and took another big bite of bread.

The "pier" that Yu Zhinian referred to was the Ye family's private pier, in which the rich man's big toys were neatly docked. Ye Zhaolin's happy event was approaching, and his face was full of light. He stood in front of the berth of one of the yachts, welcoming guests from all sides.

"Zhinian, Mr. Xiao!" He patted Yu Zhinian's shoulder and nodded towards Xiao Yichi, "Have fun today!"

"Thanks!"

Many handsome men and beautiful women were already on board, some leaned on the railing and smiled at Yu Zhinian and the others, "Zhinian, is that your boyfriend?"

Yu Zhinian raised his face with his sunglasses on, seemingly smiling, "What do you think?"

Xiao Yichi, on the other hand, waved his hand at them, not afraid of strangers, "Hello, how are you guys! Please remove the word boy, Lawyer Yu and I are in a pure relationship~"

The people on the boat started cooing, "Come up here and let us see who Lawyer Yu's 'friend' is!"

Yu Zhinian watched with cold eyes as Xiao Yichi boarded the yacht three steps at a time and warmed up to the group of wealthy sons and daughters.

Before, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to adapt, but he was happy to be there, like a fish in water.

"Mr. Xiao, what do you do?"

"University professor."

"Huh – so what do you teach?"

"Intercultural communication, and probably teaching Spanish next."

"Spanish? Can you say a few words?" The questioner was a sweet-looking girl with bright eyes.

With a big fluttering tongue, the poem came out with a loving flavour, especially when read by a man, romantic and sentimental.

"What does it mean?"

"Your eyes are like the light of a clear lake, overflowing with the sweet fragrance of life."

"Wo~~ow." The crowd cheered excitedly.

Outside, Ye Zhaolin touched Yu Zhinian's shoulder and teased him, "I said that Mr. Xiao can play better than you, how about that?"

Yu Zhinian stuck his hands in his trouser pockets and did not respond.

Many people on the boat noticed the band-aid on the side of Yu Zhinian's neck, and their expressions were wonderful, ranging from surprised, amused, gossipy, or envious, jealous, and dissatisfied.

Everyone knows that Yu Zhinian does not easily reveal his private life. There are quite a few people who are interested in him, but it's hard to break through as if Lawyer Yu Zhinian is protected by a bronze wall. It's not that they don't even try, it's that they try and fail, and the result is even more frustrating because they have to admit that they're not the right person for him.

Today, because of Xiao Yichi's arrival as a newcomer, at this point in time, the content of the inquiry has changed from "Zhinian has finally been subdued?" to "Is the boyfriend really Mr. Xiao?"

Yu Zhinian patiently explained, "Mr. Xiao is a friend invited by Zhaolin, I'm just showing the way." The crowd asked Ye Zhaolin for confirmation, and the latter nodded before willingly leaving.

This band-aid made Yu Zhinian's heart irritated. In the past, he would not allow the other party to kiss him in the high-end clubs, let alone leave a mark. Recently, he was full of evil fire and played some new tricks on a whim, which resulted in the other party obliviously leaving hickey marks. The pleasure of his orgasm dissipated when he noticed, and he only felt offended. With this knowledge, he was uncomfortable – what was meant to be an outlet for his desires turned out to be a bad experience.

Xilin once told him, "It's more about being reserved than it is about your desire to be in control in bed. You may not be bringing out your truest self in this most primitive and indulgent of activities."

The principles were all understood, but they were all sorts of difficult to put into practice.

He stood at the stern of the boat, looking down into the cabin. Cheers came from the crowd from time to time, in which Xiao Yichi was playing poker and seemed to have won another game. The man in question was smiling and roaming at ease.

After a while, a familiar voice called him, "Lawyer Yu."

Yu Zhinian glanced sideways as Xiao Yichi walked over, two glasses of alcohol in his hand. At some point he took a break from the card game. "Here, try this." He said, handing over a glass of alcohol.

Yu Zhinian took it and watched as the other man raised his hand and brought the glass to his mouth for a sip, leaning back with his elbow against the railing.

Xiao Yichi was also constantly being asked what his relationship with Yu Zhinian was, and he guessed that Yu Zhinian had answered a lot of these types of questions today, which is why he ran off to the stern of the ship all by himself to be alone.

So he brought alcohol to greet the other party.

"I see that you're having a good time today." Yu Zhinian said to him as he held his glass of alcohol without drinking.

Xiao Yichi laughed, "It's a yacht party, if you don't have fun, did you come here to the stern to contemplate life?"

Yu Zhinian cast a glance at him, his words half salty, "I'm really sorry, I'm in your way."

Xiao Yichi couldn't stop smiling, and his gaze landed on the other party's band-aid, "Lawyer Yu, do you know there is an idiom called 'the more one tries to hide, the more one is exposed'? I used to think that you are sultry, but I didn't expect you to turn out to be explicitly sultry. Many people asked me about your flirtatious affairs today."

"In terms of flirtation, I can't compare to you," Yu Zhinian replied, "Reciting love poems to others right after meeting them."

"Hahaha! What kind of sour desire to win is this." Yu Zhinian always had a kind of contrasting cuteness in him that made people want to tease him, like teasing a cat, making it roll over and let you pet its fluffy belly.

Xiao Yichi exaggeratedly wiped the non-existent crocodile tears from the corners of his eyes, and Yu Zhinian didn't even bother to pay attention to him.

"I recited a poem by Unamuno, who was concerned about the fate of the country, you can either take it as a love poem or a patriotic poem."

"Oh~~ a really high level of culture."

Xiao Yichi looked at Yu Zhinian and recited two more lines in Spanish, translating when Yu Zhinian was confused, "I love you, my joy bites your cherry-scented lips; I'm going to send you that wild-vine basket full of kisses, I'm going to do on you what is done to the cherry trees in spring." Xiao Yichi hooked up the corner of his mouth, "Lawyer Yu, this is what's called a love poem." (Angel: Spring is when cherry trees are grafted. This involves cutting them open and inserting another one inside.)

A dry heat inexplicably arose in his body. Yu Zhinian didn't say anything and took a sip of the alcohol in his hand.

This sip of alcohol stunned him. The vodka and orange juice were blended just right, a little more sweet, a little less spicy. In this sip, there was the strength of the vodka without losing the aroma of the orange.

"How does it taste?" Seeing Yu Zhinian savouring it, Xiao Yichi showed off, "I mixed it myself at the self-service bar, it's good, isn't it?"

"... It's okay." Yu Zhinian reluctantly agreed.

"This is the highest evaluation I've ever received from you."

Xiao Yichi flattened his mouth, seemingly aggrieved.

Yu Zhinian put down his glass and also dropped his defences a little. "... Why didn't you just say that you were a war correspondent today?"

At that time, a large cloud drifted in the sky, so the light was blocked and the surroundings darkened.

Xiao Yichi tilted his head and smiled, "I would have said it when I was young."

When he was young, he would tell everyone he met, making the world pay attention to man-made disasters and saving the lives of the people.

"Later I realised that 'war correspondent' for many people is a storytelling session. There are a lot of stories in there, allowing you to read just enough and be moved just enough, and then they will close the back cover, finished, and do what they need to do."

Xiao Yichi took another sip of alcohol, "I have a little bit of vanity in myself, when I say it, everyone admires it, and I can get satisfaction from it."

Afterwards it's all emptiness.

"I can still say it now, but it depends on the person and the occasion."

At a rich kid's yacht party, the 'war correspondent' is destined to be an instrument of spectacle, a curiosity to be heard by the crowd.

"... The suffering of others should not be the embellishment that fuels the fun."

Yu Zhinian looked at him, "Then why don't you teach journalism courses in the university?"

"The hardest thing for people to do is to know themselves. In addition to physical growth of the body, we are also shaped by culture. I want my students to recognise who they really are and what they should be in the midst of all the cultural turmoil. Otherwise, the profession of journalism will only lead them into confusion and hysteria." This was what he had learnt from his experience over these ten years.

Yu Zhinian stopped asking and picked up his glass to take another sip.

The two did not speak for a while.

The large cloud in the sky dissipated and the surroundings brightened up. Xiao Yichi looked up curiously. The light fell on his face, on his honey-coloured shirt, and in the slight sway of the boat sailing, the light was flowing, like the honey falling from a honey stick. Yu Zhinian had noticed it before, and today he saw again that there was light in Xiao Yichi's eyes. It was not a reflection of the external light, but the light that was cultivated after the inner rich accumulation, and the fertile soil of that rich accumulation was called confidence.

No wonder he behaved generously and freely in the famous brand flagship boutique, Ye Zhaolin's high-end restaurant, and now the luxury yacht. He must have experienced similar things, so he was not the least bit unfamiliar with occasions like yacht parties, and went to the self-service bar to feed himself.

"Lawyer Yu, as a courtesy, can I ask you a question as well?" Xiao Yichi turned around.

With both hands propped up on the railing, Yu Zhinian returned to his senses, "... What do you want to ask?"

"Who left the marks on you?" Xiao Yichi pointed to the side of his neck, referring to Yu Zhinian's band-aid.

He heard from the people on the boat that whoever dared to leave traces on Yu Zhinian must have eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall.

Yu Zhinian took a sip of alcohol and replied, "I'm a member of a high-end club."

Xiao Yichi blinked, understanding the subtext. He tilted his head, rather interested, "I thought you had many bed partners."

Yu Zhinian glanced at him, then spoke, "If I wanted to, I would indeed have many. But a clear money and sex deal can save a lot of unnecessary emotional entanglements."

"With your qualifications, you can find a lot of partners," Xiao Yichi looked back at the men and women singing and dancing in the cabin, "but there's no one who can catch your eye?"

Yu Zhinian followed Xiao Yichi's line of sight and understood the meaning of his words.

"Maybe my requirements are extremely high." He took a drink of the alcohol.

"How high?" Xiao Yichi raised an eyebrow.

The alcohol must have been acting up, Yu Zhinian looked into Xiao Yichi's eyes, "Pure, fiery love." Like a moth to a flame, relentless to a tragic yet epic level.

"..." Xiao Yichi was momentarily stunned. After a few seconds, he smiled unnaturally, "Wow, I really didn't expect Lawyer Yu to be such a romantic person."

Yu Zhinian did not miss the other party's unnaturalness. He lowered his head and stared at the ice cubes in his glass, self-conscious that he had lost his composure.

At this moment, the girl who had just asked Xiao Yichi to speak Spanish ran over excitedly and pulled Xiao Yichi's hand intimately, "Mr. Xiao, so you're hiding here! Come and dance!" She turned her head to look at Yu Zhinian, "Zhinian, join us!"

Yu Zhinian shook his head, "You guys go ahead."

Xiao Yichi glanced at him before being pulled away.

After a few enthusiastic dances on the dance floor, Xiao Yichi took off on the pretext that he was tired.

He wandered to the stern of the yacht but Yu Zhinian was no longer there.

The yacht play area was on the first two floors, and the lower level was deserted.

Ye Zhaolin was discussing his prenuptial agreement with Ms. Han with Yu Zhinian.

Xiao Yichi walked to the corner of the spiral staircase and heard them talking. He could hear that they were talking about work, so he stopped walking, after all, it was inappropriate to disturb them. He was about to head back when he heard Ye Zhaolin insert the topic of gossip, teasingly asking, "Many people ran to ask me today if you and Mr. Xiao are a couple, how's it going? Is there any possibility for you guys to develop?"

Yu Zhinian checked the memo he had just written. He remembered Xiao Yichi's unnatural look and felt that he had exposed too much, which was completely against his usual style, and at this moment, he was somewhat looking for a remedy, "He's not my preferred type."

Ye Zhaolin suddenly understood, "Oh, I remembered, you like pretty ones! Then how do these young handsome boys feel today? Is there anyone I can match you with?"

Yu Zhinian spoke with a venomous tongue, "They aren't appealing to the eyes, don't be hot-headed."

Xiao Yichi lightened his steps and went up the stairs.

It's not that he just realised that Yu Zhinian attached great value to appearance, but when he heard it for the second time, the effect was actually much stronger than the first time he heard it.

After enjoying the feast prepared by the three-star chef, the party came to an end and the guests said goodbye one after another and left.

After Yu Zhinian came up from the lower level, he found Xiao Yichi happily chatting in the middle of a bunch of people, so he didn't interrupt. After finishing his meal, he found Xiao Yichi, "Shall I send you back?"

Xiao Yichi smiled at him, "I won't trouble Lawyer Yu. In the afternoon, Boheng said that he just happened to be in the coastal area to talk about business, he will come over later to pick me up and take me back."

Two seconds later, Yu Zhinian let out an "Oh", "This is a private marina, let me send you to the highway."

"Then I'll trouble you." Xiao Yichi's smile did not change, but Yu Zhinian felt that it was a bit incongruous.

The two were in the car, silent the whole way.

Arriving at the highway intersection, Wei Boheng's car was already waiting at the side. Wei Boheng stood beside the car talking on the phone, and when he saw Xiao Yichi, he ended the call and walked towards him with a smile. The relationship was quite good.

"Then Lawyer Yu, I'll leave first, thanks for today."

Xiao Yichi politely waved.

"Mhmm." Yu Zhinian nodded.

"Goodbye, Lawyer Yu, take care on the road." Wei Boheng said a final goodbye before getting into the car.

"You guys be careful too." Yu Zhinian stood on the side of the road and watched their car drive away.

Xiao Yichi sat in the passenger seat and watched Yu Zhinian in the side mirror get smaller and smaller, eventually turning into a dot and disappearing.

Yu Zhinian stood in place, as vehicles occasionally whizzed by on the highway.

Inexplicably, it was a little sad.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: December 31, 2023