Wilderness Vegetation Extra 4

Extra 4

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In March of the new year, Fang Hui and Xu Shen went abroad for a holiday. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Yan invited his friends over to his new home for a housewarming.

"I was wondering why you invited Mum and Dad over for dinner alone first. Were you afraid they'd discover Shen Zhi, so you deliberately arranged it that way, huh?" Xu Nian teased while munching on sunflower seeds beside Xu Yan.

As Shen Zhi washed vegetables, Xu Yan raised a knife and chopped the cutting board with a menacing expression. "If you've got nothing better to do, get out, don't bother me while I'm cooking."

Xu Nian flinched, startled by him, and quickly shut his mouth before sneaking off to the living room. Shortly after, Ji Huai arrived, tossing his car keys onto the coffee table. After greeting everyone else, he went to the kitchen to help out. With three of them cooking together, they sped up the process significantly. Song Jin, who also knew how to cook, joined the fray as soon as he came in. At first, Xu Yan refused, insisting that guests shouldn't help with the cooking.

"Don't be so particular," Song Jin said with a smile. "I'm just lending a hand."

After preparing nine dishes and two soups, Xu Yan called Xu Nian over to help serve the food. Though Xu Nian grumbled, his body honestly complied, scurrying over. Lu Sen also got up from the sofa, telling Ye Xuan and Tang Yunyan to continue chatting until the food was served.

Xu Nian brought the last dish to the table and then went to help Ye Xuan. Ever since Ye Xuan became pregnant, Xu Nian had been incredibly cautious, practically turning himself into her human crutch, never leaving her side for a moment.

The wine was brought by Lu Sen. According to Xu Nian's exaggerated and irresponsible description, Lu Sen's family vineyard had a stash of 1982 Lafite that could be compared to wholesale goods.

Except for Ye Xuan, who drank juice, everyone poured themselves a glass of red wine. The eight of them clinked glasses, congratulating Xu Yan on his new home and reminding him to be careful tonight, as getting drunk was inevitable.

Xu Yan, unable to fend off the good-natured ribbing, nodded repeatedly, much like a chicken pecking at grain. "Alright, alright, I should, I should..."

"Exactly!" Xu Nian, always the first to jump into trouble, chimed in. "Now that you've got a beauty hidden away in your golden house, you must be over the moon, getting a little drunk is nothing~"

The "beauty" in question remained silent, calmly taking a sip of his wine under everyone's mischievous gazes.

"It's a happy occasion, so don't force me to fall out with you, okay?" Xu Yan politely asked Xu Nian.

Xu Nian rolled his eyes and turned to serve his sister. As expected, halfway through the meal, Xu Yan, who had been in the know, was already drunk. After losing eighteen rounds of rock-paper-scissors, he was so dazed that he could barely keep his eyes open. Shen Zhi tried to block the drinks for him, but Xu Yan stubbornly refused, worried about Shen Zhi's health and hoping he would drink less.

"I saw... Lu Sen holding Ji Huai's hand..." Xu Yan, in his muddled state, leaned in to whisper in Shen Zhi's ear. "Can you help me confirm... if it's true..."

Shen Zhi turned to look. Lu Sen and Ji Huai were sitting together. Earlier, Ji Huai had accidentally cut his hand in the kitchen, a tiny wound that bled a bit but quickly stopped. Now, for some reason, Lu Sen was holding Ji Huai's injured finger, inspecting it, and the two were chatting about something – but the table was too noisy and chaotic, so no one else noticed.

"It's true," Shen Zhi turned back to confirm to Xu Yan. "They're holding hands."

"My god..." Xu Yan was stunned.

After the meal, Xu Yan was nearly unconscious. Song Jin was the first to leave, saying that his brother had already arrived downstairs. Xu Yan insisted on seeing him off, slinging an arm around Song Jin's shoulders and repeatedly thanking him for designing the house so beautifully.

Xu Nian's driver arrived shortly after, and Tang Yunyan's elusive boyfriend was also on his way. She took the opportunity to head downstairs with Xu Nian and Ye Xuan. In the blink of an eye, half of the eight guests had left. Shen Zhi poured Xu Yan a cup of hot water, letting him rest on the sofa for a while, and then began tidying up the table with Ji Huai.

"......" Xu Yan stared at Lu Sen.

Lu Sen propped his chin up with one hand and smiled at him. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Hmph." Xu Yan squinted his eyes. "What's going on between you and Ji Huai? When did it start?"

"Start what?" Lu Sen asked lazily.

"Don't play dumb!" Xu Yan frowned and glared at him. "I just saw the two of you holding hands at the dinner table."

"He cut his hand, so I was just having a look, that doesn't count as holding hands."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Xu Yan shook his head repeatedly. "Great photographer Lu, you're really not being honest."

Lu Sen's smile faded slightly, but he still looked as laid-back as ever. However, Xu Yan inexplicably sensed a bit of seriousness in his tone when Lu Sen said, "There's nothing going on, it's just for fun, fulfilling a need, we're not taking it seriously."

Even in his drunken state, Xu Yan understood what that response meant. He nodded vaguely, took a sip of hot water, and looked over to see Shen Zhi wiping the table in the dining area.

Xu Yan's tendency to be captivated by good looks never waned. Even watching Lawyer Shen wiping the table and sweeping the floor looked pleasing to his eyes.

After they finished cleaning up the table and kitchen, Shen Zhi and Ji Huai each poured themselves a glass of water and sat down by the sofa. Xu Yan, having downed both wine and a glass of hot water, suddenly felt the need to use the bathroom. He wobbled to his feet and announced, "I'm going to the bathroom."

Shen Zhi stood up to support him, and Xu Yan, following his instincts, headed towards the bedroom. Once he reached the bedside, he suddenly forgot what he was about to do and stood there in a daze.

"What was I going to do?" Xu Yan asked Shen Zhi in confusion.

"I don't know," Shen Zhi offered no hints.

"......" After thinking for five seconds, Xu Yan let out a long "Oh" and said, "I need to pee."

Shen Zhi then asked, "Do you need my help?"

Xu Yan let out a snort of laughter and pushed him lightly on the shoulder. "Go away!"

In the living room, Ji Huai was handling some work on his phone, while Lu Sen had his eyes closed, trying to rest. He had just gotten off a plane that morning and immediately went to a shoot. Now that things had quieted down, he was feeling thoroughly exhausted.

"By the way," Lu Sen suddenly spoke up.

Ji Huai looked up at him, and Lu Sen continued, "Xu Yan knows."

As expected, Xu Yan wasn't as oblivious as Xu Nian when it came to these things. Ji Huai figured Xu Yan had likely sensed something was off for a while, and it was only after drinking that he directly asked about it.

"Mhmm," Ji Huai responded, "the driver will be here in five minutes, he can drop you off on the way."

"Not exactly on the way," Lu Sen opened his eyes with a slight smile. "We live in opposite directions."

Ji Huai said nothing, merely looking at him calmly. Lu Sen, playing along, pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Then I'll sleep at your place, it's been over a month since we last saw each other."

He tilted his head, looking like he could collapse from laziness, his voice weak. "Just sleeping, no funny business. I'm not like you guys, I'm old, haven't rested well these past few days, and I can't handle the real thing."

"Whatever," Ji Huai replied.

Shen Zhi walked out of the bedroom alone, and Lu Sen asked, "Where's Xu Yan?"

"His obsessive cleanliness kicked in, so he insisted on taking a bath right away," Shen Zhi replied.

"Then we'll be off," Lu Sen said, standing up. "Let Xu Yan know."

"Alright."

They exited the apartment and waited for the elevator. Lu Sen leaned against the wall and beckoned Ji Huai over with a crook of his finger. Ji Huai stepped closer, and Lu Sen straightened up, wrapped his arms around Ji Huai's neck, and kissed him. Ji Huai held onto his waist, and after a while, Lu Sen sighed, sounding rather troubled. "Let's do it after all, just sleeping doesn't suit us."

Ji Huai remained calm as he replied, "Whatever."

Shen Zhi returned to the bathroom to find Xu Yan fast asleep in the bathtub, his hair only half-washed, with water droplets dripping down. Shen Zhi stepped into the tub after removing his clothes, lifted Xu Yan up slightly, and helped him finish washing his hair.

"Did they... leave?" Xu Yan mumbled groggily.

"They did."

Xu Yan, with his head covered in foam, struggled to open his eyes and reached out with his wet hands, cupping Shen Zhi's face. He kissed Shen Zhi on the cheek, then on the nose, and finally on the lips.

"I did it," Xu Yan said.

He still remembered Shen Zhi's "Give me a home," when he gave him the ring – In fact, this matter was very simple. Shen Zhi had his own house, a place filled with their past and memories. Xu Yan also had a house gifted by his parents. If they wanted a stable place to live, it wouldn't have taken much effort.

But this place was different. Xu Yan had bought it himself, hired a designer to decorate it, and personally invited Shen Zhi to move in. He had also taken the opportunity of the housewarming to openly reveal their relationship to their friends.

Shen Zhi wanted a home, and Xu Yan had provided it.

"What did you do?" Shen Zhi asked, even though he already understood in his heart.

Xu Yan took Shen Zhi's hand and interlocked their fingers, looking at the rings on both of their hands. "From now on, this will be our home."

"Even though you still have your place, and it's bigger, this one is a bit livelier," Xu Yan remarked.

Sometimes, Shen Zhi thought he was too greedy, wanting Xu Yan to be his alone, wanting Xu Yan's parents to accept their relationship. Other times, he felt he needed nothing more, just having Xu Yan by his side was enough. Most of the time, he was content – his depression had lessened to a mild level, his medication dosage had been significantly reduced, and he had nearly weaned off sleeping pills. Except when he was travelling, he could almost always see Xu Yan before he slept and when he woke up.

Shen Zhi had already gained so much, more than he had ever dared to imagine. But Xu Yan always surprised him by giving even more, like the sun. Shen Zhi longed to be illuminated, so Xu Yan not only illuminated him but also gave him extra warmth, vitality, and hope.

So Xu Yan hadn't changed at all. When he loved someone, he was always brave and sincere. Although he had been deeply hurt before, it also made him certain that the current Shen Zhi was worth his dedication, and that there was no need to worry, no need to fear.

"Yan Yan," Shen Zhi wiped the water droplets off Xu Yan's face, looking at him closely. He wanted to say so much but in the end, he simply said, "Thank you."

Thank you for loving me, thank you for saving me.

"Mhmm... Lawyer Shen's eyes are red." Xu Yan coaxed him like a child, tilting his head up and gently blowing on Shen Zhi's eyes. "I'll blow on them, and you won't cry anymore."

Shen Zhi chuckled softly and embraced Xu Yan, burying his face in his neck.

"Lawyer Shen, are you acting like a spoiled brat??" Xu Yan felt a tickle on his neck and shrugged his shoulders. "Let me think of a way to bring you home sometime."

Xu Yan had sensed that his family was currently in a delicate state – Xu Shen and Fang Hui had roughly guessed that he was living with Shen Zhi, but they hadn't brought it up. After all, it was clear to everyone that Xu Yan was very happy now, so if this matter were to be openly discussed, it would inevitably disrupt the current balance. Xu Shen and Fang Hui's greatest wish was for Xu Yan to be happy, but they were also filled with reservations about Shen Zhi and unsure how to address it.

But things would need to be resolved eventually, and a boyfriend would need to be introduced to the parents.

"Take your time, there's no rush," Shen Zhi said. "Don't pressure yourself, and don't pressure your parents either, things are already great as they are."

"Don't you want to visit my family?" Xu Yan asked. Shen Zhi paused for a second, then hugged him tighter and nuzzled his nose against Xu Yan's neck a few times. Dropping any pretence of understanding, he straightforwardly admitted, "I do." – He also had many apologies and promises he wanted to make to Xu Yan's family.

Xu Yan was so happy that his body was numb. The word "lust" was like a knife hanging over his head, cutting him into a trance. His mind was in a haze from the alcohol, but he boldly declared, "Tomorrow, I'll take you home to meet my parents!"

He even forgot that Xu Shen and Fang Hui were currently travelling in the Southern Hemisphere with no set return date.

———

The author has something to say:

Zhi: I hereby declare that I have successfully won over my wife with my beauty!

‿︵‿︵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 22, 2024 by Angel

Edited: October 27, 2024 by Angel