DILLYH Chapter 18

TL: Hua

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Chapter 18: Cold War

An hour later, the two left the hospital. Yu Haozhou, holding the internal and external wound medicine the doctor had just prescribed, walked ahead, his tone not exactly lighthearted: “You just had stitches; don’t drive. I’ll get someone to drive the car back for you tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

Yu Haozhou opened the driver’s side door, got in, and buckled his seatbelt. Seeing Zhou Zizheng’s hand was stiff and clumsy, he asked, “Do you want me to buckle yours?”

Zhou Zizheng obediently let go of his hand and forced a smile: “That would be perfect.”

Yu Haozhou didn’t look at him, leaning over to pull the seatbelt across. The distance between them was minimal, so close that if Zhou Zizheng pursed his lips forward, he could kiss Yu Haozhou’s flushed cheek.

Zhou Zizheng did just that. He observed Yu Haozhou’s reaction, finding that he just froze for a moment and then acted as if nothing had happened. It was then he realized the man was genuinely angry.

He stretched out his uninjured left hand, wrapped it around Yu Haozhou’s waist as he tried to pull away, and drew him a little closer to his chest, whimpering in his ear, “Are you mad?”

Yu Haozhou frowned, not falling for it: “Let go.”

Zhou Zizheng patiently explained, “Stitching really hurts. I was afraid I’d crush your hand if I held it.”

“…” Yu Haozhou hadn’t expected him to accurately guess the source of his anger. With that explanation, his tightly held expression showed signs of softening. He mumbled, “Oh,” and spoke a little more: “Let go; I need to drive.”

This time, Zhou Zizheng let go. They drove the entire way in silence.

After a long night out, when they got home, Yu Haozhou showered and went straight to bed. Zhou Zizheng didn’t even find a chance to coax him. He sighed softly and mocked himself: “Maybe he doesn’t care that much after all.”

The next day.

Remembering he needed to change Zhou Zizheng’s dressing and bandage, Yu Haozhou woke up a bit early, but when he got up, Zhou Zizheng was still not next to him.

He searched around downstairs but didn’t find him. The only place left was the top-floor terrace.

Walking up the stairs, Yu Haozhou thought he’d better not be messing with those shelves but just enjoying the city view. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to hold his temper.

As soon as he went up, he saw him there again, setting up the shelves despite his injury. The gloom that had been building in his heart since last night, like magma boiling in a volcano, finally reached its critical point and burst forth completely.

Yu Haozhou strode over quickly, controlling his voice: “The doctor said you can’t use your hand for at least half a month. Do you want to get re-stitched?”

Zhou Zizheng didn’t detect the hidden frustration and smiled: “It’s fine. I know what I’m doing. I’m being careful.”

Yu Haozhou snatched the steel tube from his hand: “Your hand is so injured. Can’t you just take it easy? Zhou Zizheng, why do you have to do these little things yourself? Wouldn’t hiring someone be faster? What is going on inside your head?”

Yu Haozhou’s words were quite severe. Although they often bickered and used strong language before, the atmosphere was nowhere near as tense as it was today.

Zhou Zizheng also dropped his smile but still patiently explained, “I just want to grow the vegetables myself.”

Yu Haozhou couldn’t stand it. He pointed in the direction of the city center and blurted out, “Don’t the organic vegetables sold outside have more nutrients than what you’d grow?”

The atmosphere suddenly went silent. Even the air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe.

Yu Haozhou regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. His original intention was to persuade Zhou Zizheng not to keep hurting his injured hand, but the words came out as a blow to his confidence.

He was actually quite looking forward to Zhou Zizheng’s homegrown vegetables; the meaning was different from store-bought ones. But the words he said twisted the sentiment.

His lips moved, wanting to offer a retraction. Zhou Zizheng, however, forced a casual smile: “You’re right. You have a point. I won’t do it then.”

Although his tone was normal, Yu Haozhou heard the disappointment. After Zhou Zizheng finished speaking, he went downstairs first.

Yu Haozhou felt a rock stuck in his chest, unsure of how things had ended up like this.

*

This was Zhou Zizheng’s first cold war with Yu Haozhou. The two barely spoke all day. Yu Haozhou couldn’t bring himself to say anything, while Zhou Zizheng only offered a few polite words. Finding no interest in continuing, he fell silent again, leaving the atmosphere awkwardly tense.

Lying in bed that night, Yu Haozhou realized that his world was genuinely quiet without Zhou Zizheng’s constant teasing, and he was very unaccustomed to it.

Despite the cold war, Zhou Zizheng didn’t deliberately sleep in a separate bed, which made it hard for Yu Haozhou to start a conversation. Usually, when they shared a bed, Zhou Zizheng would always flirt, tease, and get affectionate, but tonight, he was very serious.

He lay flat on the bed, eyes closed, with no extra movements. This made Yu Haozhou, who already didn’t know how to start a conversation, even less brave to speak. If Zhou Zizheng had been provocative, he would have naturally spoken up. But now, Yu Haozhou was annoyed, so annoyed that he kept tossing and turning in bed without realizing it.

Zhou Zizheng was bothered enough to open his eyes and said, “Is your butt itchy?”

“…”

He was just teasing; he knew Yu Haozhou wouldn’t have sex with him without his initiation.

The next second, Yu Haozhou climbed onto him, sat on his waist, and looked at him with a deadpan expression, asking, “Can your hand manage it?”

“…”

Oh wow, did the sun rise in the west today?

Zhou Zizheng stared at him for a long time, making Yu Haozhou uncomfortable: “What are you smiling at?”

“Are you trying to coax me?”

Yu Haozhou denied it: “No.”

“Oh.” Zhou Zizheng said, “Then get off. Not doing it.”

“…”

Yu Haozhou gritted his teeth, unable to take it anymore. He grabbed the collar of his shirt: “Zhou Zizheng, that’s enough! Are you a man or not? Sulking all day over a small matter. Who are you putting on a show for?”

Zhou Zizheng suppressed a smile: “Not putting on a show for anyone. You don’t like it, so I won’t do it.”

“Who cares if I like it or not? If you want to do it, just do it.”

“Zhouzhou.” Zhou Zizheng’s tone suddenly became very serious, and he said, “I just wanted you to taste the vegetables I grew. Seeing you eat the food I personally cooked with the vegetables I personally grew makes me feel content and gives me a special sense of accomplishment.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”

Yu Haozhou immediately became a little flustered, wondering why he suddenly got so sentimental. He certainly couldn’t be angry anymore. He was awkward, his face red as he got off Zhou Zizheng: “I-I know.”

He turned his back to him. He knew the other person was staring at the back of his head.

Yu Haozhou felt those few words weren’t so hard to say after all. His voice was quiet, but he still spoke clearly: “I’m sorry.”

The person behind him leaned in and embraced him, holding his hand: “You don’t need to apologize to me. I know you were worried about me. It’s just… no matter how angry you are in the future, don’t say things like that.”

Yu Haozhou gave a muffled grunt. Zhou Zizheng kissed his earlobe: “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I was already a bit anxious because the progress was slow, and then you said what I grow isn’t as nutritious as what’s outside. Zhouzhou, for a moment, I wondered if you didn’t care about where the vegetables came from or if you didn’t care about me, the person growing them.”

“No one wants their hard work to be undervalued.”

He thought so much just because of one sentence. Yu Haozhou moved his lips, but Zhou Zizheng gently interrupted and continued: “I sat there alone all day and thought for a long time. I wondered if our marriage was a mistake and if my selfishness also affected your lifelong happiness.”

Yu Haozhou’s heart jumped to his throat. Why was he even thinking about divorce?

“And then?” he heard himself ask calmly. “Are you planning to get a divorce?”

Zhou Zizheng threw the question back at him: “Do you want a divorce?”

Yu Haozhou bit his lip but didn’t give an answer.

“Let’s not get divorced.” Zhou Zizheng held him tighter. “Zhouzhou, I can give you happiness. Trust me this once, okay?”

Yu Haozhou silently sighed in relief and gave a vague “Mm-hmm.”

…

Ultimately, Yu Haozhou did hire a few people to complete all the shelves on the terrace according to Zhou Zizheng’s design plan.

Hiring five workers, the job was done in one morning. During lunch, Han Jin called, saying a mutual friend was having a birthday party tomorrow and asked if he would go.

Yu Haozhou thought about Zhou Zizheng’s injured hand: “No, you guys go have fun.”

“Why, do you have plans tomorrow?”

“No, Zhou Zizheng’s hand is hurt. I have to change his dressing.”

Han Jin clicked his tongue in displeasure: “Yu Haozhou, on behalf of the organization, I look down on you. You’re a big man; how could you be the one being pressed down?”

“Get lost.”

Yu Haozhou felt a little guilty: “Come listen under our bed another day, and see who’s on top.”

Han Jin clicked his tongue again: “Look at you, so corrupted. I can’t even look.”

Yu Haozhou was about to hang up. Han Jin quickly explained, “Fine, fine, fine, you’re the big top. As your brother, I’m begging you. Can you come out tomorrow? I have something to tell you.”

Yu Haozhou raised an eyebrow: “You can tell me on the phone.”

Han Jin sighed, wiping his face again: “This matter is a bit complicated. I can’t explain it clearly over the phone. You have to come in person and help me analyze it.”

This piqued Yu Haozhou’s interest, but…

“Can we do it in a few days?”

“I’m really impressed.” Han Jin felt like slamming the phone down. “Why don’t you just bring him along tomorrow? Who in the circle doesn’t know you two are married? Stop dragging your feet.”

“Alright.” Yu Haozhou quickly accepted this plan. But he was still curious about the gossip Han Jin mentioned: “What’s going on? Give me a hint first.”

Han Jin let out another long sigh: “Cheng Qianyu is pregnant.”

“…”

Eight hundred thoughts ran through Yu Haozhou’s mind; he was a bit bewildered. He knew Cheng Qianyu once liked Zhou Zizheng, and he also knew Han Jin was hopelessly in love with Cheng Qianyu, yet she avoided him like the plague.

“What, is the child… Zhou Zizheng’s?”

“I wish it were his,” Han Jin sounded distressed. Yu Haozhou immediately got angry: “Han Jin, are you an asshole? I just married him, and you’re bringing out a kid for me.”

Han Jin was confused by the scolding: “Why are you getting angry? I didn’t say the child was his.”

“I really misjudged you,” Yu Haozhou continued to curse.

After several back and forths, Yu Haozhou roughly understood. After cursing a few more times, he finally concluded, “You got the girl pregnant, and now you don’t want to take responsibility? You’re an absolute beast! You wait for me tomorrow. If I don’t beat the crap out of you, my surname isn’t Yu.”

Han Jin: “…”