Chapter 43 I had a crush on her in high school

After lunch, Zhang Zexuan pushed Xie Chun into his room.

The room wasn't big; the walls were covered with faded sports posters, the bookshelves were crammed with old comics, and the bed sheets were blue plaid. Everywhere you looked, there was a lingering scent of adolescence, and a sense of nostalgia that had been gently left behind by time.

"Wait a minute." Zhang Zexuan squatted down in front of the wardrobe and began rummaging through a pile of clothes. T-shirts, hoodies, and jeans of various colors were pulled out and thrown back.

Xie Chun stood in the center of the room, his suit jacket off and draped over his arm. He was now only wearing a white shirt and trousers, making him seem out of place in this room filled with youthful energy.

Zhang Zexuan pulled a dark gray hooded sweatshirt from deep inside the cabinet; the packaging bag was still intact.

He turned and shoved the clothes into Xie Chun's hands, saying, "Change into these! If you go to the tea fields dressed like this, my grandfather will think you're some bureaucratic brat on patrol looking for trouble!"

He then pulled out a black cotton coat from another small wardrobe; it looked quite thick.

"I bought this not long ago, and it's just too big..." He said, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Xie Chun. Even through the shirt, he could see Xie Chun's well-built physique, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and the outline of his chest muscles faintly visible under the smooth fabric.

Zhang Zexuan recalled that chaotic night, the firm muscles he touched in the darkness, and those uncontrolled gasps... It was the first and only time in his life that he had been so intimate with someone of the same sex. He was dominated by drugs and impulses at the time, and many details had become blurred, but the sensations in his body were exceptionally clear.

Zhang Zexuan's ears turned slightly red. "You...you should change into it."

He handed her the cotton-padded coat, looked away, and said in a slightly unnatural voice, "Change and come out. I'll take you to the tea plantation."

Xie Chun took the two pieces of clothing. The sweatshirt was made of ordinary cotton, and the label stated "100% Polyester".

The cotton-padded jacket feels a bit stiff, so the filling is definitely not high-grade down. With that kind of feel, it certainly won't be very comfortable to wear.

Perhaps it was the lingering sweetness of that simple cup of Longjing tea, or perhaps it was the warmth of Zhang's mother's home-cooked meal, or perhaps it was the lingering illusion of his youth in this old house, or maybe he just wanted to escape briefly from the self who was always dressed in a suit and tie and meticulous in calculation.

"Okay," Xie Chun heard himself say.

Zhang Zexuan was stunned, seemingly not expecting him to agree so readily.

"Then...then I'll go out first, you can change." He quickly slipped out of the room and closed the door.

Xie Chun stood in the room, looking at the two pieces of clothing in his hands that were vastly different from the custom-made clothes in his wardrobe that cost five figures every day. He shook his head slightly, unbuttoned his shirt, and began to change.

The person in the mirror was both strange and familiar. The neckline of the hoodie was a bit loose, revealing half of the collarbone. The cotton jacket had no shape at all, and the shoulder line slumped slightly. However, the usually cold and stern face showed an unexpected softness, and even looked a bit younger.

When he pushed open the door, Zhang Zexuan was leaning against the corridor wall playing on his phone. Hearing the sound, he looked up and his eyes widened suddenly.

"Damn..." he muttered to himself, "Handsome guys look good even in a burlap sack!"

Xie Chun didn't hear clearly: "What?"

"No, it's nothing!" Zhang Zexuan quickly put away his phone and grinned. "Let's go, let's go play in the tea plantation."

The tea plantation is located on a gently undulating slope on the edge of the old town.

Although it is winter, the evergreen plants in Jiangnan are still lush and green. Rows of tea trees, like green ribbons, meander along the terrain, surrounded by a harmonious atmosphere of soil and plants.

Zhang Zexuan's grandfather is over seventy years old this year. He is slightly hunched over, but he is still very agile.

Seeing the person his grandson brought, the old man squinted and sized up Xie Chun. "Are you Xuanxuan's friend?"

The old man spoke with a heavy local accent, which Xie Chun, not being a local, could not quite understand.

Xie Chun followed the old man into the tea field. The afternoon sun was warm, making his back feel hot.

“I leased this tea plantation when I was thirty,” the old man began to recount. “Back then, it was just a barren hillside, nobody wanted it. When my wife and I planted the first batch of tea seedlings, Xuanxuan’s dad was only in elementary school.”

He pointed to a row of older tea trees that were noticeably thicker and stronger: "These are the earliest batch, almost forty years old. The tea leaves are old and won't produce many good buds, but I can't bear to cut them down. Like an old friend, they've been with me for most of my life."

Xie Chun listened quietly, his gaze following the old man's finger.

He knows about some local specialty teas, but he doesn't know how to grow them. From the old man's simple words, one can hear a vitality that is deeply connected to the land and time.

This vitality is something he could never calculate or possess within his complex shareholding structure, and it reminds him of his earlier days when he was working hard.

"You are remarkable," Xie Chun said sincerely.

The old man waved his hand, smiled, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out: "What's so great about it? It's just about living off this little bit of land."

He looked at Xie Chun, "I heard from Xuanxuan that you drank some tea from home this morning. How did you feel?"

“It’s very good,” Xie Chun replied earnestly. “It has a pure aroma and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste; it’s a rare and excellent tea.”

The old man's eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit. He pulled Xie Chun to sit down on a stone by the edge of the field and began to talk at length about the intricacies of tea picking, the timing of roasting, and the tricks to storing tea...

Zhang Zexuan yawned as he listened, and secretly took out his phone to snap a few pictures of Xie Chun listening attentively.

In the evening, they ate some simple home-cooked food, and Xie Chun originally planned to leave.

"Xuanxuan said you're going to court tomorrow?" Grandpa said. "We live close to the court. I can stay here for one night. The roof of my three-story house is empty. I can tidy it up and move in."

Xie Chun wanted to refuse, but looking at his grandfather's enthusiastic and expectant eyes, and then at Zhang Zexuan's "you dare to refuse my grandfather" expression, he finally nodded.

"Thank you for your help."

*

The small building is a typical Jiangnan-style residence, with white walls and black tiles, three stories high, built next to a tea field.

The first floor is the old man's living room and kitchen, simply furnished; the second floor is rented to a few young people who work nearby, and the sound of a television can be faintly heard from upstairs; the third floor has always been empty, supposedly for Zhang Zexuan to stay in occasionally, but it looks rather dusty, so Zhang Zexuan probably doesn't come here often.

Zhang Zexuan's grandparents went to bed around 8 o'clock, as they had to get up early the next day to do farm work.

Zhang Zexuan, who was on the third floor, came out of the shower with his hair still wet. He was about to pick up the hairdryer when he entered the room and saw Xie Chun still on the balcony making a phone call.

Xie Chun's voice was very low, but occasional snippets of his speech came through: "...That contract must be revised tonight...Yes...I need to see the final version before the court hearing tomorrow..."

Zhang Zexuan leaned against the door frame, watching quietly.

Having shed the gentleness of his casual attire during the day, Xie Chun, now in the night, reverted to the aloof and unapproachable CEO Xie.

For some reason, Zhang Zexuan felt that this version of him was just as real, and just as much of a desire to possess him.

About twenty minutes later, Xie Chun ended the call and walked into the room from the balcony.

He looked tired, but was somewhat surprised to see Zhang Zexuan still standing there.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

Zhang Zexuan immediately stood up straight and pointed to the only large bed in the room, which was his childhood room. Sometimes when his parents were busy with work, they would send him here.

"Um... the other rooms haven't been cleaned in a long time, they're piled with clutter, and the second floor is full of tenants, so... this is the only room that's still habitable."

Zhang Zexuan smiled cautiously, "Otherwise? How about we make do and stay together for one night?"

Xie Chun looked at his awkward, sleepy yet embarrassed to say it, and forced composure. The tension and fatigue of the past few days were strangely lessened, and a faint smile flashed across his eyes.

"Hmm," he replied simply, walked to the bedside, sat down, and reached out to tug at the blanket.

He had no intention of taking a shower; he wasn't used to this environment.

I didn't even bother to change my clothes, I just lay down and prepared to make do for the night.

“Who goes to sleep without taking off their clothes?” Zhang Zexuan leaned over and tugged at him, a paper bag in his hand that had appeared out of nowhere, with the logo of a high-end brand printed on it. “I bought you pajamas, change into them first, it’s so uncomfortable wearing a suit and shirt.”

Xie Chun opened his eyes halfway, looked at the bag, but did not take it.

He was silent for a few seconds, then his voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, "Let's back out."

"You don't earn much a month, there's no need for you to buy these things just to please me."

Xie Chun’s tone was calm, but also a little cold. “I’m not an eighteen-year-old. Even if you spend several months’ salary to buy the brand I usually wear, it’s just something dispensable to me, no different from any ordinary piece of clothing.”

He saw that Zhang Zexuan's smile disappeared, and he turned his face away, looking out at the deep night.

"I'm staying today because I want to find an opportunity to make things clear with you."

He seemed to want to completely sever some inappropriate thoughts, saying, "Our last foolish behavior was caused by drugs. Whoever it was that night, the outcome would have been the same. And..."

He paused, his tone growing colder, "I didn't know it was you beforehand; I thought it was someone I had hired."

Zhang Zexuan stood there, head down, and after a long while, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a stubborn force, "What do you mean?"

He looked up and demanded fiercely, "You mean! You slept with me for no reason, and I slept with you, and you're just going to pretend nothing happened?"

“Zhang Zexuan.” Xie Chun stood up and faced him. The oppressive feeling brought by his height gradually filled the small room. “I know you are not the same kind of person as me. I have investigated.”

"You've had five girlfriends since high school, which means you like women, and your life plan should include a female partner."

"Are you really going to change your sexual orientation just because of one accident, one instance of loss of control due to medication? That's absurd."

"Every girlfriend I've dated has been with marriage in mind!!!"

Zhang Zexuan suddenly raised his voice, filled with shame and indignation at having his sore spot touched, "But they all wanted to break up with me later, what could I do! I... I'm not only attracted to women!"

He seemed eager to prove something, and his words became incoherent, "And...that's because I didn't know before...that sleeping with a man...could be so pleasurable!"

As soon as he said it, he froze, his face turning bright red instantly, as if he had only bothered Xie Chun because he really wanted to sleep with him.

Actually, that's not the case!

He tried to maintain his pathetic composure and continued to argue, "If I had known you were this good... I... I would have wanted to try it out a long time ago!"

These words are shameless, self-righteous, yet they are also as unreasonable as a child's.

Xie Chun closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was exhaustion.

I am twenty-one years older than you.

He tried to persuade the misguided child with his age and reality, saying, "If you want to find a boyfriend, you should find someone your own age, someone you can talk to, and someone you can go through life stages with."

"At my age, I'm more than old enough to be your father. Do you think your family would agree to you acting like this?"

Are you worried that Lin Yi will object?

Zhang Zexuan's eyes lit up as if he had grasped something crucial. "I already spoke with Lin Yi! He said he doesn't object to you dating anyone of any age!"

From now on, we'll go our separate ways. He's still my best buddy. Call me "friend" in front of you...

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words, before finally making a snap decision, "...Just call me 'stepfather'!"

Xie Chun was so taken aback by his shocking remarks that he almost choked on his breath.

He turned to grab his coat, feeling that staying tonight was a complete mistake.

"Don't go!" Zhang Zexuan suddenly hugged him from behind, his arms tightening around his waist, his voice filled with panicked pleading, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I won't say it again! I was just joking!"

"Mr. Xie... Uncle Xie... Uncle Chun... Good Uncle... You've already agreed to stay, my grandfather will definitely be heartbroken if he finds you're not here tomorrow..."

He pressed his face against Xie Chun's straight back, his voice muffled. He didn't know what to do, but he just didn't want Xie Chun to leave.

"Actually... I admired you a lot even before that incident happened."

His voice was soft as he began to reveal a secret he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time: "I think you are amazing, mature, and charming... Do you remember when Lin Yi was in high school, you came to pick him up from school one time?"

Xie Chun paused slightly.

"You were driving that really cool sports car, wearing a black leather jacket, leaning against the car door waiting for Lin Yi to get out of school."

Zhang Zexuan recalled, "At that time, Lin Yi didn't want to see you and was being difficult. He still asked me to go and talk to you. Lin Yi said that if you wanted to walk home by yourself, you should drive home..."

"When I walked over, I was so close to you, but I didn't dare to speak loudly."

"At that time, I was thinking..." Zhang Zexuan's voice still carried a hint of shyness, "This man... is so handsome!!"

"I want to be as handsome and cool as you someday. Maybe...maybe by then, I'll have a little...crush on you?"

Xie Chun remained silent, letting him hold her.

He remembered that during the two years after his divorce, Lin Yi completely disowned him as his biological father. Every time he returned from abroad, he felt like he had done something wrong if he wanted to see his son.

Indeed, there was one time when he specially changed into a leather jacket that he would only wear when he was young, drove a new car to the school gate, and wanted to give his son a "surprise". However, he was met with his son completely ignoring him and a boy who ran over to deliver a message.

He recalled that the boy seemed very nervous at the time, stammering as he spoke, but his eyes were bright, and he kept secretly observing him.

So... it was Zhang Zexuan?

"I don't remember." Xie Chun didn't want to continue the topic. "You were still a high school student back then. How could I possibly have those kinds of thoughts about a child?"

"That's why I wish I could be your age!" Zhang Zexuan hugged him even tighter. "That way I could... pursue you openly and honestly."

Xie Chun sighed and raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples.

He stayed tonight with ulterior motives. He wanted to learn more about Lin Yi's current situation and the "boyfriend" who suddenly appeared this morning through Zhang Zexuan.

If he didn't have this purpose, he would never have spent the night here, much less let things escalate to this point.

But he didn't expect Zhang Zexuan to be so straightforward and so difficult to deal with.

"Let go first." He patted the hands wrapped around his waist.

"I won't let go." Zhang Zexuan tightened his arms instead, his voice stubborn and unreasonable. "You finally agreed to stay, and if I let go, you'll really leave."

"I'm not leaving." Xie Chun relented, his voice revealing deep exhaustion. "Bring me my pajamas, I'll change into them."

Zhang Zexuan was stunned for a moment, as if he had suddenly risen from the bottom of a valley to the sky, and quickly let go: "Okay, I'll go get it right away!"

Zhang Zexuan practically jumped to reach the paper bag.

Xie Chun took the bag, walked to the bedside, turned her back to him, and began to change her clothes.

The dim light outlined his broad shoulders and back, with smooth muscle lines and not an ounce of excess fat.

Zhang Zexuan stood behind him, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Xie Chun quickly changed into the silk pajamas, which fit her fairly well.

He turned around and saw Zhang Zexuan still standing there blankly, seemingly looking at something.

"Thank you," Xie Chun said calmly, adjusting the collar of her pajamas. "It fits well."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhang Zexuan's face, and his tone became more serious, "And thank you for the letter of understanding as well."

Zhang Zexuan seemed to be burned by the "thank you," and suddenly came to his senses, a slightly silly smile spreading across his face: "...Don't mention it!"

Before he finished speaking, it was as if he had finally released a burst of courage that he had been holding back for a long time. He pounced on Xie Chun, hugged him, and gave him a light kiss on the neck.

This action produces less of a kiss and more of a puppy asserting ownership, tinged with a hint of defiant fierceness...

That night, they lay side by side on the not-so-spacious old bed, with a polite distance between them.

Zhang Zexuan began recounting the major events that happened to Lin Yi from high school to university, and later talked about how Shen Beidao entered Lin Yi's life...

Xie Chun then learned that Shen Beidao was actually the person involved in Du Xiaoman's extortion case.

This matter dragged on for nearly two months. He was too busy and delegated many details to Zhang Zexuan. He only grasped the general direction and did not even carefully look at Shen Beidao's information.

He had always thought that Lin Yi and Shen Beidao had broken up because of Du Xiaoman, but he never expected that after going around in circles, the person by Lin Yi's side was always the same person.

......

The next morning, in the district court's trial chamber.

Xie Chun sat in the last row of the audience, wearing a suit, with an indifferent expression.

The trial proceeded in an orderly manner, with the prosecutor reading the indictment, presenting evidence, and the defense lawyers giving their opinions.

Du Xiaoman sat in the defendant's seat, turning her head several times to look at Xie Chun with pleading eyes.

Xie Chun's gaze swept calmly over her, then looked away without giving any response.

Ultimately, he felt he also bore some responsibility.

He had been too indulgent, always thinking it was only natural for him to take care of his deceased colleague, but he overlooked the stubborn and greedy side of Du Xiaoman's personality.

The only thing he can do now is to try his best to get a reduced sentence, so that he can pay the price for his actions without completely ruining his life.

......

That evening, Lin Yi received a message from his mother:

I just got off the plane. Let's meet at a restaurant near home. I'll ask your dad.

Lin Yi: [Okay, Mom]

Just as Lin Yi was about to get out of bed to tell Shen Beidao about this, he saw his phone, which was charging on the bedside table, ring.

He knew Shen Beidao's phone password, so he unlocked it without a second thought.

It turned out to be Zhang Zexuan's profile picture and his message:

Zhang Zexuan: [Professor Shen! I have good news for you. The first trial of Du Xiaoman's case has concluded, and she was sentenced to five years and eight months.]

Zhang Zexuan: [Xie Chun is trying to get a reduced sentence and has appealed, but I guess that's about it.]

Zhang Zexuan: [By the way! You still need to help me figure out a way to get things done with me~~ Do you think he thinks I'm too young? It's only 21 years younger, not that much~]

It ended with a crying cartoon emoji.

Lin Yi stared at the words on the screen, especially the last sentence, "my matter"...

What about Zhang Zexuan?

Before he could think about it, he heard footsteps outside and quickly turned off his phone.

Shen Beidao walked in carrying washed fruit: "Yiyi, aren't you cold? You're sitting on the edge of the bed with your legs bare."

He handed over the fruit plate and casually covered Lin Yi's two fair and slender legs with the blanket.

Lin Yi ate a grape, then looked up at Chen Beidao: "I'm going to see my mother tonight. She went back to Jiangzhou... Do you want to come with me?"

Shen Beidao knew that Lin Yi's mother was very opposed to homosexuality.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Happy New Year's Day 2! I didn't update yesterday because I had a lot of things to do. Don't wait too late if it's too late, check back on the second day!