Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 26

Chapter 26

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Xu Nian's wedding was scheduled for the twelfth day of the first lunar month. Both he and Ye Xuan found the engagement process troublesome, so they decided to skip it and go straight to the wedding. Today was a good day with nice weather. During his lunch break, Xu Yan browsed through his social media and saw that Xu Nian had posted two pictures – one of two marriage certificates and another of two interlocked hands with wedding rings.

Ji Huai and Lu Sen both liked the post.

Xu Yan also liked it. As he looked at Ji Huai and Lu Sen's names, he suddenly wondered if, when Shen Zhi got married, he would be able to let go and genuinely bless the person he once loved as they embarked on a new life – Although Shen Zhi did not need his blessing and probably wouldn't care for it.

A gay man loving a straight man was a tragedy; a gay man loving Shen Zhi was a tragedy within a tragedy.

After sending a red envelope to Xu Nian, Xu Yan put away his phone and prepared to go to the photography studio. As he passed through the lobby, he suddenly saw Lu Sen leaning on the front desk, giving him a meaningful look. Xu Yan turned his head and saw a delicate little princess wearing sunglasses standing two meters away, arms crossed and chin slightly raised, looking at him.

"The sister of the CEO of Modeng Entertainment is here to see you. I was just about to tell you," Lu Sen whispered to Xu Yan, asking, "A romantic debt?"

"I don't know her," Xu Yan replied.

The girl opposite suddenly took off her sunglasses, revealing a very sweet and pretty face. Xu Yan was stunned for a second. He recognised her immediately, she was unforgettable after the first glance – She was Shen Zhi's fiancée, whom he had seen meeting the parents that night.

"Xu Yan, right? You're quite handsome," the girl said as she looked him up and down. "My name is Lin Mian. I need to talk to you."

Why did she need to say to me? Xu Yan's head hurt. If anyone should be approached, it should be Tang Yunyan. Shen Zhi was now entirely focused on Yan Yan. What had he done wrong?

"Handle it well," Lu Sen reminded Xu Yan, patting him on the shoulder. "Our company collaborates a lot with Modeng."

Xu Yan forced a smile at Lin Mian and said, "Alright, Miss Lin."

In the reception room, the two sat across from each other, staring. Lin Mian's sharp gaze scanned Xu Yan from head to toe without missing a spot. Xu Yan was prepared to face the disdain of the young lady, but to his surprise, Lin Mian's first words were, "When are you going to bring Shen Zhi back?"

"What bring back?" Xu Yan thought he had misheard. "Back where?"

"Bring him back to your side," Lin Mian said calmly.

Xu Yan was stunned for a long time. "Miss Lin, I don't understand what you mean."

Lin Mian suddenly shed her arrogant expression, frowning anxiously. "Shen Zhi promised me he would resolve it, but yesterday my parents suddenly told me that after the New Year, I would be engaged to him. Shen Zhi lied to me!"

"Wait..." Xu Yan couldn't make sense of the love-hate relationship of the wealthy and asked in confusion, "Resolve what?"

"The engagement, engagement!" Lin Mian stomped her foot angrily. "When our parents proposed the engagement, Shen Zhi told me not to worry and that he would handle it. But what happened? What happened?!"

She gritted her teeth. "I called him, and he didn't answer. I went to his company, and his assistant told me he was busy. I see he has no intention of honouring his promise to me. Scumbag!"

Her voice grew louder and louder, and Xu Yan waved his hand, his head aching. "Wait a minute, Miss Lin, haven't you both already met each other's parents officially?"

"When?" Lin Mian asked, puzzled.

"Uh..." Xu Yan recalled for a few seconds. "About two months ago, at a French restaurant."

Lin Mian used her aesthetically pleasing but seemingly not very efficient brain to think for a long time and then said, "It was just that time, Shen Zhi and I didn't know they would suddenly talk about the engagement."

"I saw you all seemed quite happy after the meal," Xu Yan smiled and said.

"That was just an act! I went to the restroom halfway through. When I came out, Shen Zhi was waiting for me in the hallway. I thought he had some feelings for me. After all, I'm so pretty, and we grew up together, right? But then Shen Zhi told me not to take it to heart, not to worry, and not to lose my temper at the dinner table, to finish the meal properly."

Xu Yan said nothing, and Lin Mian continued her tirade, "Everyone in our circle knows about Shen Zhi. He's with a man, but the parents turn a blind eye. They think it's okay to marry off their kids for money. Do you know how many blind dates his parents arranged for him? You must know. You must have been furious many times, right? Shen Zhi didn't attend a single one and had countless cold wars with his family. He couldn't immediately refuse the engagement because when he had an accident as a child, my brother donated blood to him. So, this matter is tricky, involving moral issues, which makes it difficult to handle."

One had to admit that such sudden revelations always had the power to shake one's heart. Xu Yan never knew. He didn't know Shen Zhi had refused many blind dates, didn't know Shen Zhi had cold wars with his family because of this, didn't know that the 'meeting the parents' he witnessed had such hidden truths behind it, and even the final straw that broke the camel's back – the engagement – didn't actually hold true. But, so what?

The rift between them ultimately had nothing to do with the engagement. It was Shen Zhi's attitude towards this relationship from beginning to end – He didn't love him. That was the root cause.

"Mhmm," Xu Yan nodded. "So you're hoping I'll reconcile with Shen Zhi to make his parents give up?"

"Exactly," Lin Mian nodded with relief, with an expression that seemed to say 'Finally, you understand after all I've said.' "That's it. With you around, Shen Zhi will surely resolve things quickly. I heard that in the past two months you were away, Young Master Shen's life was a mess."

Xu Yan smiled faintly, "Miss Lin, don't believe or spread rumours."

"Come on, how many times has Shen Zhi run to you? That day, Shen Zhi's mother, Aunt Meng, was having afternoon tea with my mom. I overheard everything they said!"

"He didn't come here to find me, and you shouldn't have come to find me either," Xu Yan sighed tiredly. "The person who can get Shen Zhi to resolve your matter quickly is not me. Miss Lin, I'm sorry."

"Mr. Xu!" Lin Mian slammed the table forcefully, angrily saying, "Aren't you and Shen Zhi in love? How hard is it to reconcile and help me out?!"

In love – Xu Yan felt as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world. He stared at Lin Mian with his mouth slightly open for a long time before laughing in disbelief. "Miss Lin, I think you're mistaken."

"Shen Zhi has no feelings for me, it's all wishful thinking on my part. I didn't break up with him because of a momentary anger. Shen Zhi has someone he likes, so your engagement will be resolved sooner or later. You don't need to worry too much."

Unexpectedly, Lin Mian looked at him with an equally absurd expression and said, "You must be joking."

"A person like Shen Zhi, would he spend four years with someone he doesn't like? Would he fall out with his family over someone he doesn't like? There was an idiot before who, in front of Shen Zhi, said that it's just so-so when men get together. He didn't understand how Shen Zhi could live with a man. As a result, the big project he had his eye on was immediately snatched away by Shen Zhi. Later, that rich second generation was scolded to death by his father and had to personally go to the company to apologise to Shen Zhi. Shen Zhi ignored him."

"Those words are indeed quite unpleasant to hear. I'd be angry too, it's normal and has nothing to do with whom one lives with," Xu Yan remained calm as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, Miss Lin, I still have work to do. I truly can't help you with this, I'm sorry."

Lin Mian looked at him with a conflicted expression for a few seconds before grabbing her small bag in a huff and leaving.

Xu Yan sat quietly on the sofa for a while before getting up and heading to the studio.

Xu Yan felt distracted the entire afternoon. In the evening, he went home for dinner, as today was the day Xu Nian had received his marriage certificate and brought Ye Xuan home for dinner. The atmosphere was much better this time. Although Xu Shen still didn't want to talk to Xu Yan, at least he drank the water Xu Yan poured for him.

It was nearly ten o'clock when Xu Yan returned to his apartment complex, his eyelids drooping with exhaustion. He couldn't help but think about Lin Mian's words and the question he couldn't find an answer to – Why did Shen Zhi live with him for so long?

He couldn't understand it. He had always been puzzled. Four years ago, when Shen Zhi said they could give it a try, Xu Yan hadn't held much hope. He was always worried, suspecting that Shen Zhi would kick him out any second. But that didn't happen, they had somehow spent four years together.

Those four years should have been precious and wonderful, but they were filled with indifference, neglect, and hurt. This left Xu Yan with lingering fears, making it impossible for him to associate those four years with "love" or "affection." The combination seemed like an absurd joke no matter how you looked at it, one that only Lin Mian might believe if he told her.

Ding – The elevator doors opened, and Xu Yan stepped out. Looking up, he wasn't surprised when he saw who was standing at his door.

Shen Zhi had probably come straight from the company. He was still wearing his suit under his coat. When their eyes met, Shen Zhi's fingers twitched slightly. Waiting for Xu Yan to slowly walk to the door, Shen Zhi asked softly, "Was today tiring?"

What the hell kind of tone was that? He had never heard it before. If Shen Zhi had spoken to him like this in the past four years, perhaps there might have been a one per cent chance of the so-called "love" Lin Mian mentioned existing. But unfortunately, this was the first time Xu Yan had heard what could be described as a rare, gentle note in Shen Zhi's voice.

"When you got drunk a couple of days ago, I told you not to bother me anymore. Maybe you didn't hear it clearly," Xu Yan looked up at him. "Want me to repeat it today?"

Shen Zhi lowered his eyes and whispered, "I heard it clearly."

Xu Yan smiled slightly and suddenly said, "Lin Mian came to see me today."

Shen Zhi immediately looked up, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Did she..."

"She's very cute," Xu Yan stared into Shen Zhi's eyes. "But she seems to be mistaken."

He said each word deliberately, "She said you like me."

Lin Mian spoke about loving each other, but that word was too hard to say, it didn't fit them at all. His liking Shen Zhi was a given, so Xu Yan only said, "She said you like me." He really wanted to know the reason Shen Zhi had been with him for four years and kept appearing in front of him. It had become a curiosity unrelated to feelings – though he didn't expect to get a real answer. He just wanted Shen Zhi to understand that since he didn't like him, there was no need to meet again, it was meaningless.

Shen Zhi was visibly stunned, a fleeting moment of confusion in his eyes, as if he were thinking – Oh right, I don't like you. Why am I here?

How boring. Xu Yan laughed self-deprecatingly and turned around to unlock the door. As he turned the key twice and pressed down on the handle, about to push the door open, his wrist was suddenly grasped. He looked down and saw a thin layer of gauze on the back of Shen Zhi's hand, appearing somewhat indistinct in the shadows. Shen Zhi's hand was still so cold. He wondered if the back of his hand would scar...

Lost in these tired and aimless thoughts, Xu Yan suddenly heard Shen Zhi say, "She's not wrong."

– She said you like me.

– She's not wrong.

‿︵‿︵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: June 2, 2024 by Angel

Edited: July 28, 2024 by Angel