Chapter 50: Floating Dust

The night color was already as thick as ink that wouldn’t melt. The evening wind swept up a chill and slapped it against their faces, barely managing to blow away the dryness and heat that had not yet dissipated from their bodies.

The night market on the roadside not far away was bustling. The atmosphere of bustling life permeated the entire street. Lu Zhiyan’s eyes lit up, he dragged Shen Yu and dove right in, heading straight for the barbecue skewer stall he had been thinking about for a long time.

“Boss, give me two skewers of lamb kidney, ten skewers of lamb, four skewers of cartilage, and another large serving of stir-fried rice noodles! Don’t put any spice!”

He ordered quickly, his voice crisp. He turned his head and smiled at Shen Yu, starlight shining in his eyes, “This shop is super delicious. I came here once with some college classmates for a gathering, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since, thinking that when you came back this time, I must bring you to try it.”

Shen Yu leaned to the side, watching him talk excitedly. The corners of his mouth curved into a gentle arc, and he raised his hand to gently brush away the fragmented hair from his forehead with his fingertips. The doting in the depths of his eyes was so much it almost overflowed.

When the barbecue skewers were brought to the table, they were still sizzling with oil. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The aroma, wrapped in the atmosphere of bustling life, assailed their noses. Lu Zhiyan bit down on a piece of cartilage, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction, and then hurriedly handed a skewer to Shen Yu. His eyes were sparkling bright, entirely full of joy, “You try it, it’s super flavorful!”

Shen Yu bit down on a piece. The saltiness and savoriness were just right, yet it wasn’t as stunning as the brilliant smile of the person before his eyes. He watched Lu Zhiyan eating with a face full of satisfaction, occasionally handing him water, wiping away the sauce stained on the corners of his mouth, the depths of his eyes full of tenderness that couldn’t be melted away.

When the stir-fried rice noodles were brought over, they were still steaming. Lu Zhiyan mixed them and ate them heartily together with the skewers. He didn’t even notice the oil stains stained on the tip of his nose until Shen Yu reached out to wipe them away for him, at which point he blushed and gave him a “hehe” smile.

After eating his fill, he patted his round belly and shook Shen Yu’s hand:

“A’Yu, let’s go, let’s go drink something, okay?”

Shen Yu allowed him to drag him along as they walked forward. The night wind swept the atmosphere of bustling life across the streets and lanes, blowing Lu Zhiyan’s laughter until it sounded soft.

Without walking many steps, Lu Zhiyan set his sights on a beverage shop at the street corner with warm yellow lights. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows were wiped until they were transparent. Inside were packed with young people talking and laughing. Soft music drifted out through the cracks in the door, revealing a bit of coziness.

“Let’s go to this one.”

His eyes lit up, he pulled Shen Yu and pushed the door to go inside. The warmth inside the shop, wrapped in sweet fragrance, blew against their faces.

He paused when scanning the beverage menu. He turned his head to look at Shen Yu, his tone carrying a bit of soft negotiation:

“Don’t order the hot mocha you love drinking tonight; it’s too late, you won’t be able to sleep if you drink it. How about you drink a cup of hot cocoa with me, okay?”

Shen Yu raised his hand to help him tidy his bangs that had just been blown messy by the evening wind. He nodded with smiles rippling in the depths of his eyes.

Lu Zhiyan ordered two cups of hot cocoa and turned his head to raise his chin at Shen Yu:

“You find a seat and wait for me, I’ll bring them over in a moment.”

Shen Yu nodded in response, quickly finding a booth by the window to sit down, his gaze always chasing after his figure.

Lu Zhiyan held two hot cocoas in exquisite glass bottles and turned around. Just as he was about to take a step, a frivolous voice suddenly came from behind:

“Floating Dust, it really is you, huh?”

The two words “Floating Dust” were like a clap of thunder exploding beside Lu Zhiyan’s ear. His entire body violently stiffened, his footsteps pausing in place. The hot cocoa in his hands almost didn’t hold steady. His heart took a fierce, shocked jolt! That was the alias he used often when he used to drift around in nightclubs and bars.

The fingertips gripping the bottle turned pale. Lu Zhiyan slowly turned his head to look back. He saw three handsome, fashionably dressed men sitting at a high stool table nearby. The one in the lead had dyed golden hair and was looking at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

Lu Zhiyan frantically searched in his mind, yet couldn’t recall half a bit of who this person was. His brows unconsciously knitted tightly.

The golden-haired man stood up and leaned over, wanting to pat his arm familiarly, yet was dodged by Lu Zhiyan, who subconsciously moved backward. That person’s hand froze in mid-air, yet he didn’t feel awkward, saying with a smile:

“Haven’t seen you go to ‘Twilight’ for a long time. Everyone misses you quite a bit.”

The two words “Twilight” were even more like needles violently stabbing into Lu Zhiyan’s heart. That was the gay bar he frequented most often in the past, where he often wasted his days, circling among all kinds of people, changing one bedmate after another. Those days were the memories he was now most unwilling to touch again.

A trace of obvious unnaturalness flashed across his face. Just as he was about to speak, that person suddenly leaned close to his ear, his voice pressed low, carrying undisguised ambiguous teasing:

“What? Forgot about me so quickly?”

Lu Zhiyan tightened his entire body, a chill creeping up his back. He glared at him vigilantly, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear, his voice tight:

“Have we… slept together?”

The man chuckled. The mockery in his eyes grew thicker. Using the same volume that was only soft enough for the two of them to hear, he replied:

“Yeah, you even praised me… saying it was so hot and tight inside.”

After finishing, he slowly pulled away with an ambiguous expression. His gaze drifted past Lu Zhiyan and landed precisely on Shen Yu in the booth not far away. He raised an eyebrow, his tone frivolous:

“Is that your friend? He’s really handsome, he’s a Top, right? How about… let’s… tonight…”

“Don’t you dare have designs on him!”

Lu Zhiyan violently interrupted him. His voice instantly turned cold, anger churning in the depths of his eyes, and his entire aura sank, “The past is all in the past. I won’t go to Twilight again, and I don’t want to have any entanglements with you people anymore.”

After speaking, he turned and left. Behind him, the frivolous laughter of the three immediately rang out.

“Yo, how long has it been, and you’re pretending not to know us?”

“He’s always been like this, cool, not recognizing people after pulling up his pants. Let me tell you all, he’s fierce in bed; it’s hard to even hook up with him once.”

“Hey, it’s a pity, can’t get to know that handsome guy beside him. Look at that high nose bridge, those long legs, he must be super fierce in bed too! Hiss, just thinking about it makes my legs go weak~”

Lu Zhiyan’s footsteps violently paused. A fire rushed straight to the top of his head. Those dirty words were like knives stabbing into his heart. He turned around and walked quickly back to the high stool table, “Thud”—he placed the two bottles of hot cocoa heavily onto the table. The loud sound of the bottles colliding with the table scared the three into silence instantly. They looked up at him in unison, their eyes full of shock.

“I warn you, shut your mouths.”

Lu Zhiyan’s eyes were as cold as ice, the ruthlessness in his tone making the three of them not dare to utter another sound. The golden-haired man closest to him hurriedly made a gesture of zipping his lips, closing his mouth sheepishly.

The movement over here had long since disturbed Shen Yu. He had been paying attention, knowing that Lu Zhiyan never wanted him to intervene and manage too much, so he had refrained from rashly coming forward. But hearing that loud noise, he couldn’t hold back the unease in his heart. He immediately stood up and walked over quickly, reaching out to gently pull Lu Zhiyan’s arm, his tone full of worry:

“What’s wrong, A’Yan? Are you okay?”

Lu Zhiyan turned his head, meeting Shen Yu’s concerned eyes. The chill in the depths of his eyes faded away by more than half, leaving only unhideable panic.

He turned his head again and glared fiercely at the three of them once more. Seeing them shrinking their necks, not daring to speak anymore, he suppressed his emotions and said softly to Shen Yu:

“It’s nothing.”

After speaking, he pulled Shen Yu and walked outside, not even bothering to take the hot cocoa on the table. His pace was fast, as if fleeing, only wanting to leave this place that made him suffocate as quickly as possible.

The two turned the street corner and walked into a quiet alley. The streetlights were dim yellow, stretching their shadows until they were thin and long.

Lu Zhiyan stopped his footsteps. His chest was still heaving slightly. That bit of unrestrained ferocity that hadn’t dissipated, mixed with lingering fear, weighed heavily on his brows.

He turned around, staring straight at Shen Yu. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] His Adam’s apple bobbed gently.

The few frivolous provocations from those people in the beverage shop just now were like needles stabbing into his heart, stabbing him until he was both flustered and angry, and afraid that those chaotic, unbearable pasts would contaminate Shen Yu even by half a fraction.

He took a deep breath, reached out, and gripped Shen Yu’s wrist tightly. His fingertips were trembling slightly, and even his voice carried a trace of imperceptible urgency:

“A’Yu, in the future… you are not allowed to go to bars, nightclubs, and such places, got it?”

Shen Yu’s wrist was gripped until it hurt by him, yet he didn’t struggle in the slightest, merely looking at him quietly.

The person before his eyes had just been intimidating others with a cold face, yet right now, the depths of his eyes hid unhideable apprehension and panic.

Shen Yu’s heart softened. He gave a gentle “Mhm”. Raising his hand, he gently caressed Lu Zhiyan’s tense jaw with his fingertips, then followed along his cheek, wiping away the bit of moisture at the corner of his eye that had been blown out by the wind.

When he spoke again, his voice was pressed extremely soft:

“I got it, I won’t go.”

Lu Zhiyan felt his entire body relax because of this touch. The fire, ferocity, and unease churning in his chest were like being pressed down by a gentle hand, sinking bit by bit.

He looked at Shen Yu’s clean and gentle eyes and suddenly deflated, immediately remembering something, and rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

‘Tch! Was so busy being angry, even forgot the drinks.’

He pursed his lips. When he spoke again, his voice had softened, carrying a bit of small grievances and coaxing. He reached out to hold Shen Yu’s hand in reverse, shaking it gently:

“I forgot the drinks I just bought. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Let’s go, I’ll take you to another shop to buy them.”

Shen Yu watched the panic gradually fade from the depths of his eyes, replaced once again by the light of warmth. He nodded gently, allowing him to lead him as they walked out of the narrow alley step by step.

The two found another beverage shop, ordered two cups of hot lemon tea, and sat side-by-side in a booth in the corner by the window, drinking slowly.

The evening wind brushed past, carrying the chill of the winter night, blowing away a bit of irritation. Lu Zhiyan held the ceramic cup, his fingertips slightly cold. He raised his head to look at Shen Yu, his voice light and earnest:

“A’Yu, actually those few people just now… were people I met in bars in the past. I long since forgot what they were specifically called.”

He paused, his fingertips tightly gripping the cup, his tone carrying solemnity and a trace of apprehension:

“In the past, I was ignorant and foolish, playing around wildly. In the future, I will never go to those kinds of places again, nor will I have any unclear relationships with anyone else. A’Yu, believe me.”

Shen Yu raised his eyes to look at him. The halo of the hanging lamp overhead fell on Lu Zhiyan’s face, reflecting the determination and unease in the depths of his eyes. He leaned a bit closer, nodding incomparably earnestly, and responded softly:

“Mhm, A’Yan, I believe you.”

Lu Zhiyan’s heart warmed, the tip of his nose slightly sour. Under the cover of their ceramic cups, he quietly placed his fingertips gently onto the back of Shen Yu’s hand. Shen Yu lowered his head to look at their overlapping hands, the depths of his eyes entirely filled with tenderness. When he raised his eyes again, he just happened to meet Lu Zhiyan’s incomparably firm gaze.

“A’Yu,” Lu Zhiyan asked softly, “are you afraid of others pointing fingers behind our backs about our relationship?”

Shen Yu gripped his hand tightly in reverse. The temperature of his palm comforted their palms. Looking into Lu Zhiyan’s eyes, he said softly:

“Not afraid.”

Lu Zhiyan instantly smiled, starlight lighting up in his eyes again. He leaned in a bit closer, his voice gentle and powerful:

“I’m not afraid either. Just you wait, one day, we will be able to hold hands and walk down the main street openly and honestly. No one will ever be able to hurt us again.”

Shen Yu looked at the light flickering in his eyes. A surge of scalding heat welled up in his heart, and he nodded gently.

The night color was gentle, and the two cups of hot lemon tea were emitting curling heat, warming their interlocked hands and their embracing hearts until they were burning hot.