Chu Yi slumped listlessly against the table, his gaze unfocused. Though his eyes stared ahead, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
He remained in this daze for a long time until the voices of nearby people pulled him back to reality.
Looking at his phone, he felt a pang of guilt. He shouldn’t have lied to Shen Jin. It was the first time he had ever lied to Shen Jin. There was no classmate’s birthday party at all.
At that moment, his mind had been in turmoil. Chu Yi didn’t want Shen Jin to pick him up, feeling a need to avoid him. He didn’t want to see Shen Jin, preferring to be alone and find some peace. So, as soon as he left the house, he had boarded a random bus without any destination in mind.
Winter days were short; in the blink of an eye, darkness had fallen.
Perhaps noticing him sitting alone and lost in thought for so long without any companions arriving, someone boldly approached Chu Yi to strike up a conversation, hoping to get to know him. Chu Yi shook his head in refusal.
The coffee in front of him gradually cooled. Chu Yi gazed out the window at the now completely dark sky, his eyes lingering on the streetlights. He longed to go home.
If he went home, he could eat Uncle Wen’s fragrant, steaming meals. Uncle Wen’s cooking was truly delicious, carrying a warmth that felt like home.
The villa was warm and cozy. He could lie on the comfortable bed and read or sit in the expensive gaming chair and play computer games. With Uncle Wen and Shen Jin around, Chu Yi felt the place was lively and warm.
But now, he was all alone, with only a cup of cold coffee for company.
He suddenly realized he missed Shen Jin’s stern face. Even though Shen Jin often scolded him, he had always been genuinely kind to him.
Sitting alone in this café, Chu Yi felt bored and lonely. He regretted sending that message to Shen Jin earlier. But now, if he went back, he wouldn’t know how to explain his early return.
Feeling a bit hungry, Chu Yi decided to stay a while longer before grabbing something to eat and heading back when it was closer to the usual time.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chu Yi noticed someone standing across from him. Without looking up, he said, “Sorry, this seat’s taken.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be at a classmate’s birthday party? What are you doing here alone?” a familiar voice asked.
Chu Yi looked up and saw Shen Jin standing before him, gazing down at him.
The café was brightly lit, and Shen Jin’s tall figure commanded attention. From the moment he entered, everyone’s eyes in the café unconsciously followed him.
Many onlookers assumed the man across from the boy was an older brother searching for his “runaway” younger sibling.
Chu Yi looked up at him, his eyes flickering, and murmured, “How did you find me here?”
*Was Shen Jin just passing by and saw me? Or did he realize I lied to him and come here to scold me?*
He watched Shen Jin sit down, his heart pounding with nervousness.
“Why are you hiding here alone?” Shen Jin asked. “Didn’t I tell you before that you could come to me with any problem? Have you forgotten?”
Though his words sounded like a reprimand, Chu Yi could hear the tenderness in Shen Jin’s voice. It didn’t sound like he was scolding him at all.
Chu Yi blinked. *So Shen Jin came here to find me?*
He had stubbornly held back his tears when faced with Liu Meihan and Chu Yang’s relentless pressure, refusing to cry in front of them. This had surprised Liu Meihan, who was used to Chu Yi bursting into tears at such treatment.
But now, seeing Shen Jin, Chu Yi’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Seeing Chu Yi’s reddened eyes, Shen Jin felt a pang in his heart. *Those two must have bullied him badly. He must have been through so much.*
Chu Yi had no idea how long he’d been staring blankly in the café, nor how long Shen Jin had been waiting outside. At first, Shen Jin thought Chu Yi would leave after a short while, but as the minutes ticked by, Chu Yi remained motionless, not even taking a sip of his coffee.
Shen Jin realized that if he didn’t go in soon, Chu Yi would likely stay there until very late.
“You must be hungry,” Shen Jin said. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
Shen Jin picked up Chu Yi’s backpack, and Chu Yi silently followed behind him.
The other patrons in the café thought,
*Ah, it’s the older brother coming to find his “runaway” younger brother. And he’s even carrying the younger brother’s backpack.*
The two settled into a quiet, elegant private room. A waiter quickly brought out the dishes—all of Chu Yi’s favorites.
At the café, Chu Yi had barely touched his food or drink. By now, he was ravenously hungry; his stomach had even growled in the car earlier.
He glanced at Shen Jin, who had already placed some food on his plate. “Eat up,” Shen Jin said softly.
Chu Yi picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. At times like this, delicious food was the best comfort for his troubled heart.
One of the dishes was fresh prawns. The tender, sweet meat was incredibly flavorful, and Chu Yi loved seafood.
As Chu Yi reached for some food, he noticed Shen Jin wiping his hands with a sanitizing wipe before starting to peel shrimp with his bare hands.
It wasn’t until he saw the peeled shrimp meat placed on his plate that Chu Yi realized Shen Jin was peeling shrimp for him.
Shen Jin’s fingers moved with astonishing speed, peeling a perfect, whole shrimp in just a few seconds. Chu Yi found himself unconsciously watching for a long moment, only returning to his meal when Shen Jin glanced up at him.
Soon, the plate in front of Chu Yi was nearly overflowing with peeled shrimp.
Chu Yi silently watched Shen Jin wipe his hands again. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles. Shen Jin’s hands were large and strikingly handsome.
A pang of emotion welled up in Chu Yi’s chest. Apart from Shen Jin, no one had ever peeled shrimp for him, let alone with such meticulous care.
At the café earlier, Chu Yi had felt utterly dejected and alone. But since Shen Jin’s arrival, those feelings of despondency and isolation had completely vanished.
As they finished eating, a waiter brought out a plate of fresh fruit.
Chu Yi ate the fruit while glancing at Shen Jin.
Throughout the entire evening, Shen Jin hadn’t asked him a single question, hadn’t shown any anger or scolded him, and hadn’t uttered a word of reproach.
Even though he knew Chu Yi had lied about having dinner with classmates.
Yet Shen Jin had taken care of him all night, bringing him to dinner, peeling shrimp for him, serving him food, and never once pressing him for answers.
Chu Yi spoke softly, “I’m sorry. I lied to you after school.” Even though he knew Shen Jin had already figured it out and hadn’t asked, he still wanted to apologize.
Shen Jin smiled. “Hmm?”
Chu Yi said, “It wasn’t a classmate’s birthday today.”
Shen Jin chuckled. “Actually, I lied too. I was already at your school then. So, we’re even now.”
Chu Yi suddenly looked up at Shen Jin, surprised.
*Shen Jin was already at their school back then?*
Chu Yi continued, “Chu Yang and his mother came to see me this afternoon.”
Shen Jin asked with concern, “Did they bully you again?”
Chu Yi’s eyes welled up again. Shen Jin’s first reaction was to worry about whether he had been bullied.
Seeing his reddened eyes, Shen Jin became even more certain. “Did they yell at you? Did they say harsh things?”
Chu Yi could no longer hold back his tears. A thousand grievances seemed to flood his heart.
The more Chu Yi thought about it, the more his nose stung, and the harder it became to control his tears. His clear eyes blurred with moisture, obscuring his vision.
Shen Jin sighed softly. He hated when people cried in front of him, but Chu Yi had already cried countless times since they first met. Yet, seeing Chu Yi’s tears, he felt no annoyance, only heartache.
Shen Jin pulled Chu Yi, chair and all, closer to him, naturally drawing the younger man into his arms and letting him cry against his chest.
Lost in his tears, Chu Yi didn’t notice anything amiss.
As he sobbed, he felt guilty for the momentary doubt he’d harbored.
After hearing Liu Meihan’s words, he’d wavered for a split second, which was why he’d subconsciously lied to Shen Jin in their WeChat exchange.
Having lived with the Shen Family for so long and spent so much time with Shen Jin, he knew perfectly well that the rumors circulating outside were false. Yet he’d still been swayed by a few careless words.
How could Liu Meihan slander such a good man? Chu Yi didn’t care what others thought of Shen Jin; he only knew that Shen Jin had never treated him poorly.
Even when Chu Yi had angered Shen Jin multiple times at the beginning, Shen Jin had never kicked him out of the Shen Family.
Chu Yi choked out, “Shen Jin, I’m sorry.”
Sensing Chu Yi’s distress, Shen Jin could roughly guess what Liu Meihan and the others had said. He was relieved that Chu Yi wasn’t afraid of him and gently patted the younger man’s back.
“Do you know what you truly did wrong?” Shen Jin asked.
Chu Yi looked up at Shen Jin through tear-filled eyes, his vulnerable expression only tugging at Shen Jin’s heartstrings even more.
Shen Jin sighed. “You were wrong to not come to me when things went wrong. You were wrong to hide away and cry alone when you were wronged. You were wrong to stay out there by yourself and let yourself go hungry.”
Chu Yi buried his face and cried even harder. No one had ever been so kind to him before.
After crying in Shen Jin’s arms for over ten minutes, Chu Yi’s tears gradually subsided. When they finally stopped completely, he realized he had soaked a large, conspicuous patch of Shen Jin’s shirt.
His voice still thick with tears, Chu Yi said, “I got your shirt wet.”
Shen Jin brushed it off. “It’s nothing.”
After wiping away Chu Yi’s tears, Shen Jin said, “Don’t worry. Anyone you don’t want to see or don’t like will never appear before you again.”
Chu Yi sniffled. “Thank you.”
Shen Jin cupped his face. “Remember, if something like this happens again, you can’t hide away by yourself.”
Chu Yi nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
It was only then that Chu Yi wondered how he had gotten so close to Shen Jin. They had been standing quite far apart at first.
On the way back, noticing Chu Yi’s red eyes, Shen Jin said, “Your eyes are swollen again. When Uncle Wen sees you, he’ll definitely think I made you cry again.”
Chu Yi burst into laughter.
Uncle Wen was wonderful, and Shen Jin was wonderful too.
