Ex-boyfriend

For a moment, Xu Yue thought Chu Yi would ram into his car.

Then that moment passed. Chu Yi smiled, turned off his headlights and got out of the car. He walked over and knocked on their window. Su Yanwen pretended like he didn’t see him. Albeit reluctant, Xu Yue had to rolled down the car window.

　　Chu Yi leaned over the car window, tilted his head to one side and gave an impeccable smile. He said, “A’Yue, why are you back so late?”

　　Then he stretched out his hand to Su Yanwen and said, “Hello, I am A’Yue’s boyfriend. Thank you for sending him back.”

　　Of course, Su Yanwen didn’t shake his hand. Instead, he said, “As far as I know, you are his ex-boyfriend. Right, Mr. Chu?”

　　Chu Yi smiled jovially, “Thank you for your concern. You need to return home, right? You should hurry.”

　　He straightened up, opened the car door and said, “A’Yue, let’s go home.”

　　Xu Yue got out of the car and told Su Yanwen, “Drive safe.”

　　Su Yanwen refused to let up. He said, “See you at the company tomorrow.”

　　Xu Yue and Chu Yi stood silently by the side of the road and watched Su Yanwen drive away. They didn’t speak to each other until they entered the apartment elevator. As soon as the elevator door was closed, Chu Yi stretched out his hand, grabbed Xu Yue by his tie and kissed him hard.

　　Xu Yue was taken aback and pushed him away. “Are you crazy? There are surveillance cameras in the elevator!”

　　Chu Yi was unyielding as he coiled himself around Xu Yue. With his lips pressed against Xu Yue’s, he said, “There are cameras everywhere on the road. That didn’t stop, Mr. Su, with his big crush, from almost kissing you forcibly.”

　“What nonsense are you saying?”

　“So, it’s not just a crush? Then what’s it? Paramour?”

　　Xu Yue got a headache. He said, “He was just too drunk.”

　“Would he dare to drive after drinking? Seems like he needs a refresher on traffic rules.”

　　Xu Yue didn’t want to talk to him anymore. Fortunately, he lived on the eleventh floor and the elevator pinged opened then. Xu Yue walked out of the elevator quickly. He was about to enter the password to unlock door when Chu Yi suddenly hugged him from behind.

　”A’Yue,” Chu Yi softened his voice and called his name. Having shed the aggressiveness from a moment ago, he said in an aggrieved tone, “Do you know how long I have been waiting for you? Except for my old man, no one dares to stand me up[1].”

　“Young master Chu, have you misunderstood something? I didn’t agree to go on a date.” Xu Yue took a deep breath and said calmly, “I have never even considered getting back together with you.”

Chu Yi continued hugging Xu Yue’s waist and said, “Then what’s going on these days? Are you playing me for fun?”

　“It’s you who wanted a place to stay and insisted on living here.”

Chu Yi replied, “Humph! Did you forget? You even use my birthday as the password for your door lock.”

　　Xu Yue’s eyes shifted slightly and his fingers pressed against the door lock. “This one? As I said, it’s just a force of habit.”

　　While speaking, his finger pressed the lock several times. Finally, the door lock displayed the password-changing mode.

　　Chu Yi quickly took hold of his hand and shouted, “A’Yue …”

　　Xu Yue ignored him and changed the password right before him: from Chu Yi’s birthday to a string of meaningless numbers.

　　Chu Yi slowly released the hand that was wrapped around his waist.

　　Door dinged open. Inside of the house was brightly lit. Xu Yue walked into the house, not before uttering, “It is pointless to mention reconciliation. Staying here or moving to a hotel, just do as you please.”

　　It was getting late. Xu Yue washed up and went to bed. It was very quiet outside. All along there was no movement. He lied on the bed and read for a while. He was about to turn off the light and go to sleep when Chu Yi walked in.

　　He had just taken a shower. His hair was damp, so were his eyes. He pounced on Xu Yue as soon as he got into bed. This is his usual strategy. Every time they were at loggerheads, this would do the trick.

　　Xu Yue did not let him succeed this time.

　　Chu Yi rolled up the quilt and rolled back to the side discontentedly.

　　The two of them, even though were sharing a bed, had an undeniable disharmony permeating the atmosphere [2]. Xu Yue raised his hand and turned off the light. After the room went dark, he heard Chu Yi call him, “A’Yue.”

　　Xu Yue did not respond to him.

Chu Yi continued, “How are you going to reject Mr. Su?”

“Why should I reject him?”

“He poured his heart out to you, right? If you don’t reject him… don’t tell me you plan to get together with him?”

“Why not?”

“You don’t even like him …”

“Emotions can be cultivated,” Xu Yue said. “Or, as you said, love can be made by making it.”

“Xu Yue!”

　　Chu Yi yelled with anger and suddenly sat up in the darkness.

　　Xu Yue was deliberately irritating him. Chu Yi was quiet for a while before lying down again.

　　Mottled moonlight came in from the window. Chu Yi looked at the ceiling above his head and said in a slightly hoarse voice, “My parents’ was a marriage of convenience. They don’t have any feelings for each other. They are together purely for business interests. When my elder brother, the heir was born, they had completed their task. My birth was a complete accident. As far as I can remember, my parents’ marriage was in name only. They had fun on their own. Even had more than one (fling) a couple of times… My mother took me along during one of her dalliances.

　”She thought I was young and ignorant. I was her smokescreen. However, I knew everything. The hotel had excellent soundproofing. I couldn’t hear anything. I sat on the sofa alone and watched the golden rays of setting sun, that was spilled across my body, slowly slide down my arms. There was a pair of red high heels that she had taken off at the door. The heels were thin and pointed. The uppers[3] were as red as blood…

　“I’m very romantic by nature. I was a playboy because… I never believed in love. I didn’t intend to fall in love with anyone, much less believe that anyone would truly love me until…”

　　Chu Yi paused, and suddenly stopped talking.  He turned his head to look at Xu Yue and asked, “A’Yue, a person having made a mistake once, is there no way he can turn round and repent?”

His eyes were bright, burning.

Xu Yue knew what answer he was expecting, but he didn’t say anything.

In this world, could there really be such a thing as a prodigal son’s return?

　　Of course, there could be. But would the return be for him?

The worst fear is not knowing oneself. Thinking that once you are inextricably in love, it will be forever… What did such single-minded devotion yield? The other party could effortlessly play around with others.

　　How ridiculous.

　　Xu Yue replied, “You had plenty of opportunities. As long as you hook your finger, a crowd would clamour to climb into your bed. Why insist on bothering me?”

　”Do you think I haven’t tried it?” Chu Yi smiled bitterly and said, “But, A’Yue, those people are not you.”

　　He stretched out his hand across the quilt to hold Xu Yue’s hand.

Chu Yi, who was always arrogant, asked with a trembling voice, “A’Yue, your heart is still mine, right?”

[1] Kun Yi Wei Lou wrote ‘放鸽子’ ‘fàng gēzi’ which literally means, ‘to release a pigeon’. It means ‘to fail to keep an appointment; to stand someone up’. 

[2] Kun Yi Wei Lou wrote ‘同床异梦’ ‘tóng chuáng yì mèng’ which is literally ‘to share the same bed with different dreams’.

[3] the part of a boot or shoe above the sole