[Chapter 075] He said, “I’ll sing you a song.”

    The sky was dark when Bian JinYuan returned home after 9pm. Yuan Shuo’s car was parked in the small alleyway, taking up half of its width. Seeing his return, Yuan Shuo ended his call and got out of his car to meet Bian JinYuan.

    “I’m back,” he said warmly, “I had some things to settle, which was why I was a little late. But I’m glad not to have missed your birthday. Happy birthday.”

    While speaking, Yuan Shuo took something out of a paper bag and handed it to him, “I saw that you were using an old phone, and thought that you could use a new one for your birthday.”

    As promised, he had rushed back for Bian JinYuan’s birthday, and had even brought a birthday present with him.

    It was just too unfortunate that this gift clashed with Lu YunFei’s. Bian JinYuan took out his new phone and waved it, “I just switched to this today.”

    The phone that Lu YunFei had bought for Bian JinYuan was the same brand as the one that he had bought for him, pricey and well performing. Yuan Shuo could only retract his hand from the bag in embarrassment.

    However, it was a good thing that he had brought a backup gift. He quickly retrieved another bag from his car, “Then accept this.”

    It was a pair of shoes. This was the first time in all these years that Yuan Shuo had bought something for his son as a father. He had wracked his brain over it, and had even asked his secretary what boys liked.

    His secretary had said that her son liked shoes, and that his shoes occupied half of their shoe cupboard.

    Yuan Shuo considered it and thought that it made sense. He used to like collecting limited edition sneakers from various brands. And so he bought a pair. After purchasing it, he passed by a phone shop, and, thinking about how Bian JinYuan’s phone needed to be upgraded, had also bought him one. He even wanted to buy Bian JinYuan a computer, because he recalled how he had noticed that Bian JinYuan hadn’t seemed to own one the last time he visited.

    But Bian JinYuan didn’t accept it. He had already accepted the shoes that Yuan Shuo gifted, and so when Yuan Shuo took out the computer, he didn’t accept it.

    Yuan Shuo tried to persuade him, but seeing how he was unmoved, could only take it back.

    Shuang Shuang stood between Bian JinYuan and Bian Jie as he stared wide-eyed at the stranger uncle in front of him. Yuan Shuo noticed his gaze and smiled, “Shuang Shuang?”

    Shuang Shuang nodded his head and politely called out, “Hello uncle.”

    Yuan Shuo acknowledged his greeting and retrieved another bag from his car, “This is for you, it’s just some toys.”

    Shuang Shuang didn’t take it, but looked up at Bian Jie.

    Bian Jie looked at Yuan Shuo and said calmly, “Mister Yuan is too generous, but I think you should take these gifts back.”

    Shuang Shuang thus obediently said, “Thank you uncle, but I don’t need them.”

    “They’re just some trinkets,” Yuan Shuo said.

    But Bian Jie was adamant.

    Yuan Shuo could only take the gifts back.

    Seeing that the interaction was coming to an end, Bian JinYuan said, “Then we’ll head in, goodbye.”

    “Goodbye, happy birthday Jin Jin.”

    “Mmm,” Bian JinYuan gave him a rare smile.

    At the sight of his smile, the feelings that Yuan Shuo had been holding for an entire night could finally be relaxed.

    Bian JinYuan and Bian Jie entered their home.

    Bian Jie gifted him clothes as usual. In their usual pattern, Bian JinYuan tried them on and they fit and looked good on him. Bian Jie was happy, as well as himself.

    Birthdays were always a cause for happiness.

    After Bian JinYuan’s birthday came the sports festival. Bian JinYuan didn’t sign up for any events as usual this year, while Lu YunFei signed up for numerous events. This time, Lu YunFei was incredibly grateful for the number of events, because then he would be able to stop thinking about the matter with Bian JinYuan.

    Lu YunFei was still unsure as to whether he liked Bian JinYuan or not. He thought that he probably didn’t like him that way. After all, he had never thought about their relationship beyond this. However, if he rejected his confession, then it would mean that he would have to maintain a certain distance from Bian JinYuan.

    How far would this distance be? They definitely wouldn’t be able to be deskmates. Naturally, the home tutoring would have to stop too. Based on how he used to treat other people, he wouldn’t be able to look for Bian JinYuan anymore. Similarly, if Bian JinYuan were to look for him, he would also have to avoid him.

    Lu YunFei felt that this… was difficult.

    To him, Bian JinYuan was slightly different from others. This slight difference was not easily detectable in everyday life. He hadn’t noticed it, but once he scrutinised this, he had found that he was a special existence to him.

    Lu YunFei had once rationally analysed how he would react in the scenario of where someone else were to confess their feelings for him. Perhaps he would find it awkward and reject it straight away; perhaps he would be shocked and advise them to give up on their feelings. He didn’t like boys in the first place, and didn’t want to like boys just for their sake.

    But the person who had confessed just had to be Bian JinYuan.

    Bian JinYuan had confessed seriously. He had always been a serious person who had clearly-defined likes and dislikes. Lu YunFei had always known that Bian JinYuan liked him, and so he had placed him in a special category. This was also why he noticed Bian JinYuan’s gentleness — something that was reserved for him only.

    Finally, he didn’t want Bian JinYuan to be upset.

    Few people in this world upset Bian JinYuan. Even while facing his long-estranged father, Bian JinYuan had always been unflinchingly calm. He didn’t care about most people, and that was why those that he cared about were able to affect his emotions so.

    Lu YunFei knew that he was one of those people.

    He sighed, feeling that he was in a difficult position.

    Dai HanSen looked for him when he came out of the restroom.

    Dai HanSen hadn’t had a chance to say everything that he wanted to say during Bian JinYuan’s birthday. As such, he decided to tell Lu YunFei about Bian JinYuan as planned.

    Bian JinYuan wasn’t with Lu YunFei, as he patiently gave him the space to work things out. He was always gentle and understanding when it came to Lu YunFei.

    Lu YunFei also hadn’t expected to meet Dai HanSen the moment he stepped out. Seeing Dai HanSen greet him, he nodded in response, not intending to converse with him.

    Despite his intentions, Dai HanSen did. And so Dai HanSen grabbed him to say, “You were awesome just now, leading second place by so much.”

    Lu YunFei only smiled and didn’t respond.

    Dai HanSen asked, “Where’s Bian JinYuan? Why isn’t he here with you?”

    “We’re not girls, there’s no need for us to go to the toilet hand in hand,” Lu YunFei said.

    Dai HanSen smiled and said slowly, “Not for you, but as for Bian JinYuan… it’s hard to say.”

    Lu YunFei raised his eyes to shoot him a look and said chillingly, “I would know that better than you do.”

    “YunFei, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant…” he looked at Lu YunFei and lowered his voice as he moved closer, “he doesn’t have pure intentions towards you.”

    Lu YunFei was taken by surprise.

    Dai HanSen continued, “You treat him as a friend, but the way he treats you isn’t that simple. When you fell sick that day and lay in the infirmary, I saw how he took the opportunity to touch your lips. What normal guy would do something like that? He’s such a pervert and has impure intentions towards you, so that’s why he doesn’t want you to make other friends.”

    Lu YunFei now understood what happened between Bian JinYuan and Dai HanSen while he was asleep. No wonder Bian JinYuan didn’t want him to hear it.

    “You’re overthinking,” he said calmly, “that was because I had a high fever and my lips were dry. He thought that the towel that the doctor gave him was too stiff, and there was no tissue nearby, that’s why he used his hands to wet my lips.”

    Dai HanSen didn’t buy it, “You were obviously still asleep then.”

    “Being asleep means losing consciousness? Haven’t you ever been woken up in the morning to say ‘don’t disturb me, let me sleep some more’ before falling back asleep? I was the one who told him my discomfort and to let him help me, before I fell back asleep.”

    Dai HanSen…

    Dai HanSen thought that this definitely wasn’t the case, but since the person himself said it with such certainty, he couldn’t very well continue.

    “If that’s true, then why was he so afraid of me saying it?”

    “He wasn’t feeling afraid, he was feeling irritated by you. You know that he dislikes you. He gets irritated by you every time you appear, so he doesn’t want to hear what you have to say.”

    Dai HanSen…

    Lu YunFei shrugged, “I didn’t use to think so, but now that you’ve said so much, I’m also starting to find that you’re overstepping. It’s best that you understand the situation before you talk about things that aren’t your business, otherwise wouldn’t it be you be creating rumours.”

    As Lu YunFei finished his words, he put both hands in his pockets and left, leaving Dai HanSen who was stunned for a moment, before he furiously kicked the wall.

    Because of the sports festival, Lu YunFei’s home tutoring temporarily halted, removing his and Bian JinYuan’s alone time together after school. Lu YunFei couldn’t help but feel relieved, but he soon received a call from Bian JinYuan asking, “Are you still celebrating my birthday this Sunday?”

    Lu YunFei…

    At this pause, Bian JinYuan stated, “Not celebrating after all?”

    Lu YunFei started worrying once more.

    “Alright then, anyway no one celebrates my birthday aside from small aunt. I’ll hang up now, bye bye.”

    “… We’re celebrating!” Lu YunFei said before he could hang up. He had already made a promise, how could he just renege on it, what’s more a promise to celebrate a birthday.

    “We’re celebrating,” he repeated.

    “Then where should we meet?” Bian JinYuan’s words held a certain undisguised delight.

    Lu YunFei heard his tone and silently sent a restaurant that he had taken note of to him, “Here, I heard it’s delicious and inexpensive.”

    “Alright.”

    Lu YunFei hung up the phone and lay on his bed. He wished that he could blink and see what his relationship with Bian JinYuan was like in year’s time. He no longer wanted to think about the process, he simply wanted to look at the result, and then act accordingly to achieve the result.

    On Saturday, Lu YunFei and Zhang Lang commenced their annual basketball match. Zhang Lang asked curiously, “Where’s that someone? The one who partnered up with you last year, your top student? Why’s he not here?”

    Because he doesn’t need the money anymore. The last time he invited Bian JinYuan was to help him earn money to pay back the loan by the Jiang family. This issue was solved after Bian JinYuan became his tutor, plus his mum’s red packet. Bian JinYuan no longer needed these few thousand, and Lu YunFei couldn’t bear to make him wake up so early every morning to practise with him just for the 5,000 prize money.

    “Our team has enough people, so I didn’t invite him. Give Li YuanQing a chance to be on the court.”

    Li YuanQing who had accidentally overheard this conversation… well I thank you!

    After the basketball match ended, both teams had a meal together before Lu YunFei returned home. Ever since he stopped possessing Bian JinYuan’s Tmall Genie, he gained a lot more freedom and no longer needed to head to bed at 9pm sharp. Only, Lu YunFei halted his steps, he didn’t know what Bian JinYuan was feeling now.

    If he were still the Tmall Genie, he would know how Bian JinYuan was feeling.

    As he thought this, he started walking forward.

    Bian JinYuan was in a good mood. His mood got even better at the thought of how he would be able to spend an entire day with Lu YunFei. Of course, it would be better if Lu YunFei could give him an answer tomorrow. Bian JinYuan had a feeling that tomorrow, Lu YunFei would probably give him one. Only he wasn’t sure if it would be a rejection or an acceptance.

    He stopped his pen and looked at his drawing, gently and quietly.

    It was a simple drawing of a deer stepping on clouds as it looked down, as if at its own body. His eyes were animated as it held a tinge of happiness and adventure—it saw that wings had sprouted from its body.

    His young man was growing up.

    It was a clear morning. Lu YunFei ate breakfast and left his house to meet up with Bian JinYuan at the restaurant.

    Just as he did the year before, he gave Bian JinYuan a cake that wasn’t too large, just enough for the both of them to share. Lu YunFei lit the candles and said to Bian JinYuan, “Make a wish.”

    Bian JinYuan pushed the cake towards him and said, “You should make it instead.”

    Just like last year. Then, they were in the classroom, the sports festival announcements in the background, while the sports festival happened outside the window. All the students and teachers were on the field, only the both of them sat in the darkened classroom, the curtains drawn, illuminated by candlelight.

    Then, Bian JinYuan had also said, “You make a wish. Treat it as making a wish on my behalf.”

    Lu YunFei looked at him and paused in silence for a moment. He clasped his hands and faced the candles on Bian JinYuan’s birthday cake and said softly, “Then I wish that the both of us will have a great future.”

    It was exactly the same wish as last year’s.

    After making the wish, Lu YunFei got Bian JinYuan to cut the cake, and the both of them finished it off with two slices each.

    Lu YunFei asked Bian JinYuan, “What are we doing next?”

    Bian JinYuan had already thought about it, and had even prepared for it, “Let’s go sing at the KTV.”

    Lu YunFei followed his plan, and the both of them moved locations.

    Lu YunFei still remembered that the last time that he and Bian JinYuan had gone to a KTV was during his own birthday. That day, Bian JinYuan hadn’t sung a single song. And so this time, he urged Bian JinYuan to select a song the moment he sat down.

    Bian JinYuan had never opposed him, and so he picked some songs. Very soon, the melody came on, and Lu YunFei quickly handed the microphone to him. Bian JinYuan took it and started singing gently.

    This was the first time that Lu YunFei heard Bian JinYuan sing a love song. Not the English children’s song that he had sung before, but a gentle melodic love song.

    Each word and each verse lingered as if in a dream.

    Lu YunFei listened quietly, gazing at him as if in a daze.

    Bian JinYuan ended the song and turned back to find Lu YunFei staring at him.

    “Was it nice?” He asked.

    Lu YunFei nodded as he unconsciously lowered his head. It was nice, he thought. When people who didn’t often sing sang, they became all the more moving.

    Bian JinYuan noticed his state and seemed to think of something. He said gently, “Then let me sing this song for you.”

    Lu YunFei lifted his head to catch Bian JinYuan’s warm smile from under the light, who said, “I’ll sing you a song.”

I promise it’s the next chapter!