Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 64

Chapter 64

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Xu Yan was dazed for a full two minutes after opening his eyes, wondering if he had actually been killed and where he was now.

He had no idea what time it was after last night ended. Xu Yan was so exhausted that he couldn't even move a finger, but he still forced himself to muster the last bit of willpower. With trembling hands, he grabbed some tissues, closed his eyes, and wiped his butt and the bed, in short, doing some useless busywork.

Shen Zhi watched him from the side. Xu Yan's Virgo-like obsession with cleanliness always showed up in some very peculiar ways. Just like before, after making love, he had to get up and meticulously clean every corner, like an animal that crazily licks itself after eating.

But this time, he was really fucked to the point that he couldn't get up, he could only do his best to make a token effort.

After a few minutes of half-conscious cleaning, Xu Yan slowly sat up. Shen Zhi was in the bathroom running hot water in the bathtub. When he came out, Xu Yan was trying to stand up, but his legs were weak. He tried very hard but ended up collapsing to the floor.

Shen Zhi went over to help him. Xu Yan felt something trickling down his thigh that he couldn't stop. He opened his mouth and asked breathily, "How much did you shoot inside?"

Shen Zhi: "Not much."

Xu Yan rolled his eyes and rephrased the question, "How many times?"

Shen Zhi: "Three, four, five times."

So, five times then.

A curse was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back. Xu Yan sat silently in the bathtub, rubbing his head in frustration. "Go to my car and bring me the cigarettes."

He desperately needed a cigarette to deal with the shadow brought on by his incontinence.

Shen Zhi nodded and left. When he returned, he placed the cigarette in Xu Yan's mouth and lit it for him. He then went to take a shower. By the time he came out, Xu Yan had fallen asleep in the bathtub with a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth. If Shen Zhi had been any slower, the cigarette would have burned Xu Yan's lips.

Shen Zhi extinguished the cigarette and leaned over. He placed one hand on the bathtub and reached into the water with the other, between Xu Yan's legs, helping him get things out. Xu Yan frowned in his sleep, thinking Shen Zhi was about to do something to him. Too tired to resist, he pleaded softly, "Next time... I really can't today, hmm?"

"Why can't you?" Shen Zhi asked.

"I, you made me wet the bed..." Xu Yan's voice was almost tearful, the impact had been too much for him.

Shen Zhi chuckled and said, "Alright, next time then."

The curtains were closed, so it was unclear if it was dawn. There was no one beside the bed, and Xu Yan's trousers, thrown into the living room last night, were gone. However, his phone had been picked up and placed on the bedside table by Shen Zhi. Xu Yan glanced at the clock, eleven-thirty. 

He tried to sit up and move but couldn't. His arms were weak, his waist ached, his legs hurt, and his butt was in pain – he suspected that last night hadn't been about making love but rather getting beaten up by Shen Zhi.

Xu Yan fumbled for his phone and called Wang Wen'an, asking her to reschedule a shoot from tomorrow to the day after. It was already noon, and in his current state, he'd probably still be in pain tomorrow and would need another day to rest.

"Oh, what's wrong, are you sick?" Wang Wen'an asked.

Xu Yan coughed a couple of times and replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes."

He was twenty-seven years old and had to take a day off because he had overexerted himself during sex. How ridiculous.

Wang Wen'an immediately responded with concern, saying she'd handle rescheduling the shoot and urged Xu Yan to rest and take care of his health.

After hanging up, Xu Yan remembered that he'd promised Xu Nian that he would go home for dinner that night. Now he couldn't make it and had to grit his teeth and call him.

"I'm not coming home for dinner tonight, tell Mom and Dad that I have work," he said.

"You unfilial son! How long has it been since you've been home? Do you even remember what your parents look like? Aren't you on vacation for the next two days? What work could you possibly have? Why didn't you say anything earlier? Didn't you promise last night? What's going on? Why is your voice hoarse? Did you just wake up?"

Xu Yan was infuriated by the barrage of questions, snapping back, "Fine, I overindulged, okay?" before hanging up. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, so he immediately called Shen Zhi.

The call was picked up within two seconds. Shen Zhi: "Awake?"

Xu Yan: "I'm going to kill you."

He hung up right after saying that, put down his phone, closed his eyes, and lay there quietly, like a corpse.

Five minutes later, Shen Zhi came in, carrying a bowl of congee and two poached eggs. He sat down at the bedside, used the remote control to open the curtains, and then said, "Have something to eat first."

Xu Yan opened his eyes and stared directly at him.

Unfazed, Lawyer Shen calmly scooped a spoonful of congee, blew on it, and brought it to Xu Yan's mouth. "Take a bite."

"I haven't brushed my teeth or washed my face."

Shen Zhi set the congee aside, lifted the quilt, and helped Xu Yan out of bed. He was going to carry Xu Yan, but Xu Yan, mindful of Shen Zhi's wrist injury that prevented him from lifting heavy objects, insisted on walking himself – even though Shen Zhi had carried him from the first floor to the second yesterday and pinched his neck with sufficient force, completely unlike someone with an old hand injury.

"My God..." Xu Yan muttered as he held his toothbrush, looking at the fingerprints on his neck in the mirror. "Doesn't this look like a horror movie where the protagonist wakes up from a nap to suddenly find these marks on his neck?"

"And then the protagonist calls in a master who says the house is haunted. The protagonist decides to move out, but on the last night in the house, he wakes up in the middle of the night, struggling to breathe, and sees the ghost sitting on him, strangling him."

Shen Zhi listened and then asked, "Are you mentally okay?"

Xu Yan: "What do you think?!"

Shen Zhi's month-long vacation was still ongoing, while Xu Yan was already busy crawling through various tasks for the last quarter. Since Lawyer Shen wasn't keen on long-distance relationships, he packed a few things and came to sleep at Photographer Xu's place.

This greatly displeased Xu Nian, as it meant he couldn't visit Xu Yan's place anytime he wanted. The last time he went over, he waited in the living room for several minutes before Xu Yan came out, dishevelled, and Xu Nian asked if Shen Zhi was in the room.

Xu Yan's eyes fluttered, "No, why?"

Xu Nian: "Why are your lips so red?"

Xu Yan touched his lower lip, freshly bitten by Shen Zhi, and said, "Ate spicy snacks, too spicy."

Xu Nian shouted, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old?!"

"You'll always be my little brother, even when you're fifty," Xu Yan reassured him. "It's natural for a big brother to trick his little brother, so don't get upset."

But the last time he visited, Xu Yan was editing photos in the study, leaving Xu Nian and Shen Zhi to sit silently in the living room for a full twenty-five minutes. Lawyer Shen was calmly reading some documents, while Xu Nian could only stare at the TV, suffering through an episode of Makka Pakka alone.

He swore to reduce his contact with Xu Yan – when Xu Yan hitched a ride with him to their parents' house for dinner, Xu Nian's resolve solidified.

"Where's your delicate flower?" he asked.

"He's on a business trip for a few days, coming back tonight," Xu Yan replied, glancing at his phone. Shen Zhi had just sent a WeChat message saying he was boarding the plane.

Xu Nian sneered, "I'm going to expose your affair to Mom and Dad today, just wait."

"Oh," Xu Yan responded nonchalantly, "you can try."

Xu Nian clenched his fists tightly.

Ye Xuan arrived early. When Xu Yan and Xu Nian walked in, she was chatting with Fang Hui and Xu Shen on the sofa. Xu Yan heard his younger brother make a sound that was difficult to describe, perhaps akin to a puppy whining for attention.

Xu Nian quickly changed his shoes and ran to the sofa, sitting next to Ye Xuan. He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in close, speaking to her affectionately. Ye Xuan laughed as she peeled an almond and fed it to Xu Nian.

Such a scene could typically be described as "younger generation rivalry." When parents saw one child happily married and content, they would naturally turn their attention to the other child, who had been single for a long time with no signs of a relationship.

Standing in the entrance, Xu Yan felt a sudden urge to run out the door as he faced the kind eyes of Fang Hui and Xu Shen.

Leaving his parents' house, Xu Yan spotted Shen Zhi's car at the entrance of the neighbourhood. He asked Xu Nian to stop, said goodbye to Xu Nian and Ye Xuan, and got out of the car.

"Have you eaten yet?" Xu Yan asked as he got into the passenger seat. "What do you want to eat? I'll go with you."

"Just make me a bowl of noodles when we get home."

Xu Yan leaned over, holding Shen Zhi's chin to turn his head towards him. After looking at him for a few seconds, he asked, "Have you been staying up late and not eating properly again these past few days?"

"Time was tight, I've been a bit busy," Shen Zhi admitted with a slight smile.

"Let's go home then, I'll cook you some noodles, and you can get some rest."

Shen Zhi asked, "Are you leaving for a business trip the day after tomorrow?"

"Mhmm, I'll be back in four or five days," Xu Yan replied with a bright smile. "Can't bear to part with me?"

Shen Zhi didn't answer, simply looking at him for a moment before leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth.

"Alright, let's drive..." Xu Yan's words trailed off suddenly, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed the small box in Shen Zhi's hand, unsure of when it had been taken out.

"It was ordered earlier and arrived yesterday, I just picked it up," Shen Zhi explained calmly, without a solemn confession or a heartfelt declaration. He simply opened the box and said, "I want to give it to you."

Inside the box was a simple and elegant platinum ring, set with a row of diamonds along half of the band, sparkling beautifully under the light.

Shen Zhi took the ring out, holding it delicately between his thumb and forefinger.

"Xu Yan, marry me," he whispered, "Give me a home."

Xu Yan had many rings, mostly gifts from others, quirky, intricate, eye-catching, expensive... Most of them were highly designed and conceptual, suitable for matching outfits at events. A simple and understated ring like this one was rare, almost non-existent.

He used to wonder why wedding rings, which were so significant, were mostly clean and elegant, not aiming to be standout or unique.

Now, he seemed to understand.

Because a wedding ring wasn't meant to match an outfit or be confined to any specific occasion. It was meant to stay on the finger long-term, accompanying the wearer through every moment of life, whether ordinary or special.

"Why give me a ring now?" Xu Yan said with a smile in his eyes. "We're still in the 'trying out' phase."

"Just trying it out," Shen Zhi said, not appearing disappointed as if he had anticipated this response. He smiled slightly and added, "It's alright, we have plenty of time, we'll take it slow."

Xu Yan took the ring but didn't put it on, instead holding it in his palm to inspect it closely.

"It's pretty expensive, I'll keep it for now," he said. "Next time, I'll get you a cheaper one. You know, I just bought a house, so I'm a bit broke, you'll have to understand."

Shen Zhi smiled and replied, "Okay."

The car started moving, and about ten minutes later, as they passed a shopping mall, Xu Yan looked out the window and suddenly remarked, "I feel like having a McDonald's ice cream cone, it's so cheap yet so sweet."

Shen Zhi turned the steering wheel and parked in a temporary spot by the roadside. He got out of the car before Xu Yan could, saying, "I'll go get it, wait in the car."

He walked towards the traffic light not far away, while Xu Yan watched him for a while, leaning against the car window. He then reached into his shirt pocket, took out the ring, and slipped it onto his middle finger.

The cool metal of the ring fit perfectly.

Xu Yan felt as if something was also encircling his heart, holding it tightly, giving him a full, swelling sensation with each heartbeat.

He turned his hand over, admiring the ring, and couldn't help but think that Shen Zhi had great taste. The ring was undeniably beautiful.

Xu Yan had a fleeting desire to take a picture and share it with his family, announcing that he was no longer single. However, that would surely provoke a storm of reactions. Since he and Shen Zhi had only just started their peaceful life together, he decided it was best to enjoy a few more quiet days first.

Carefully putting the ring back into his pocket, Xu Yan once again looked out of the car window. The bustling street was filled with the bright lights of the city, teeming with cars and people – a real, lively, mundane world.

Shen Zhi was crossing through the crowd, passing under the overlapping neon lights, holding an ice cream cone, waiting for the traffic light to change on the opposite side of the street.

He always stood out in a crowd, and Xu Yan could easily spot him. Just like during their university days at noisy basketball courts, Xu Yan's camera lens always found Shen Zhi without effort.

Perhaps it was because Xu Yan's eyes had always been fixed on Shen Zhi, making him unforgettable and irreplaceable.

In this mundane world, as ordinary people, they would inevitably stumble over and over again for the things they loved. It was unavoidable.

Maybe love alone wasn't enough, they still had many real-world problems to solve. But that was okay, because love had already provided the best foundation. As Shen Zhi had said – there was plenty of time, so they could take it slow.

The traffic light turned green, and Shen Zhi crossed the street. All the surroundings blurred in Xu Yan's vision, focusing solely on Shen Zhi, imprinting the scene in his mind like a photograph.

Xu Yan felt that Shen Zhi had changed a lot, yet also seemed unchanged, as if they had never endured any hardships. Nine years had flown by in the blink of an eye, and now Shen Zhi was simply crossing the street to buy him an ice cream cone.

"Here," Shen Zhi walked to the car, handing the ice cream cone to Xu Yan.

"So quick," Xu Yan replied with a smile, taking the cone from his hand. "Let's go home."

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END

Shen Zhi (Married): Once I write a few more diary entries in the extras, I'll finally graduate from my elementary school status (fist pump).

Xu Yan (In a relationship): What diary? Let me see.

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The author has something to say:

The story is finished. I thought it would end at 150,000 or 170,000 words, but it ended up being 200,000. Thank you for your support and companionship. I hope to approach my next work with the same serious attitude. Wilderness has been signed for a physical release. If you're interested in purchasing, you can follow me or the publisher's Weibo (Xiang Di Press) for specific updates. Of course, the pre-sale won't be available that soon.

The extras will be posted on Aipaidian, and the text package will also be uploaded. The link is on my pinned Weibo. There will be four extras in total, one of which is already up today, detailing the reason for Shen Zhi's hand injury in university. Please don't share Aipaidian content elsewhere. If there's anything else you'd like to see in the extras, feel free to suggest it. If I can't fit it in this time, it might appear as an exclusive extra in the physical book.

My next work will be an ABO theme, AA, unrequited love story. It's in the drafting stage and will be available after the extras for Wilderness are finished. Updates will be announced on Weibo.

Other nonsense said on Weibo, thank you again to everyone who has supported me, see you next time.

‿︵‿︵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: October 11, 2024 by Angel

Edited: October 27, 2024 by Angel