His gaze met Ling Shuangjiang's: "Would you like me to come along?"
Ling Shuangjiang chuckled softly, "Of course I'm willing."
Xie Wang strode up to Ling Shuangjiang and naturally lifted her injured wrist with his left hand to examine it.
"Does it still hurt?"
Ling Shuangjiang shook her head: "It doesn't hurt."
Xie Wang nodded, his hand still clenching without letting go, but instead hanging naturally at his sides. "Then let's go."
And so, the three of them walked into the restaurant hand in hand. The waiter who came towards them looked at them with a puzzled expression.
After they were seated, while Xie Wang was washing his hands, Lin Jiayi asked gossipily, "Is this the person you like?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "Yes, he is."
Lin Jiayi sighed, "She really is a top-tier guy. That figure, those long legs, that face, that tanned skin, she's practically a gay dream girl."
Ling Shuangjiang raised her eyebrows and slowly poured herself some tea.
Lin Jiayi: "Why did he follow us?"
After Ling Shuangjiang repeated Xie Wang's words from that morning to Lin Jiayi verbatim, Lin Jiayi exclaimed in surprise, "That's it? And you still say you don't like me?"
Ling Shuangjiang rested her chin on her hand and said, "He said he's straight and only sees me as a younger brother."
Lin Jiayi clicked her tongue and shook her head: "I understand that you're unaware of your own flaws."
Ling Shuangjiang sighed, "Let's see what happens in the future. I don't know if I'll ever get it."
Seeing Ling Shuangjiang's worried expression, Lin Jiayi wanted to help him, so she asked, "Are you serious about him? In my four years in England, I've never seen you like a man this much."
"Maybe it's about first impressions?" Ling Shuangjiang herself couldn't accurately describe this love at first sight. "The first time I saw him, I felt something was different. As we spent more time together, I gradually came to understand his temperament and personality, and I grew to like him more and more."
Lin Jiayi smiled cheesily: "So you've already decided on this person?"
Ling Shuangjiang lowered her eyes: "If I'm sure he likes me, we should make it official. But if he doesn't like me, I might give up later."
Lin Jiayi patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll help you come up with a plan."
Ling Shuangjiang is living a good life now, and Lin Jiayi can finally relax. It was already a loss for his Shuangjiang not to continue her postgraduate studies, but thankfully, she wasn't affected by that jerk.
—
When Xie Wang returned, he found that Lin Jiayi, who had been sitting opposite Ling Shuangjiang, had somehow moved to sit next to Ling Shuangjiang and was whispering sweet nothings to him.
Xie Wang coughed twice and handed the menu to Ling Shuangjiang: "Shuangjiang's friends are visiting today. We were in a hurry and may not have been able to entertain them well. I'll treat you to a meal as an apology. See what you would like to eat."
Ling Shuangjiang looked at Xie Wang in surprise, but before she could speak, Lin Jiayi interrupted her, saying, "Big brother, you've taken such good care of Shuangjiang, we should be the ones treating you."
Xie Wang looked at Lin Jiayi with some confusion.
Lin Jiayi continued, "Shuangjiang just told me that you took special care of him on the variety show, treating him like a younger brother. Since you are Shuangjiang's older brother, that means you are my older brother too. I'd like to raise a glass to you here to thank you for your care."
After saying that, Lin Jiayi poured Xie Wang a glass of red wine and raised his glass in a toast: "May your friendship with Shuangjiang last forever."
Xie Wang showed no extra expression, and gently raised his glass: "We should wish our friendship lasts forever."
Lin Jiayi suppressed a laugh: "That works too."
Before they had even eaten, two glasses of chilled red wine had gone down their throats. Ling Shuangjiang was worried that their stomachs might be upset, so she called the waiter to bring out some soup to warm them up.
Lin Jiayi put her arm around Ling Shuangjiang's shoulder: "Ah Jiang is still the best to me. She always knows how to care for me."
Lin Jiayi possesses a non-threatening handsome appearance, and his exceptional fashion sense and tall stature make him quite eye-catching. His affectionate display towards Ling Shuangjiang immediately drew the attention of many.
Xie Wang, holding his chopsticks, said with a growing coldness, "Mr. Lin, Shuangjiang was injured yesterday, so it's best not to touch him like this."
"I'm sorry, honey, I forgot." Lin Jiayi quickly rolled up Ling Shuangjiang's sleeve and carefully checked her: "How did you get injured? Does it hurt?"
Ling Shuangjiang knew that the other party was acting out a drama, and smiled faintly: "It doesn't hurt, it was an accidental injury."
Lin Jiayi held it carefully, wanting to lean in and kiss it: "Baby, you still don't take care of yourself. I feel like you've lost weight since you came back to China. Without my care, are you not eating or sleeping well?"
Ling Shuangjiang gave him a disdainful look: "No, I'm eating and sleeping well. I lost weight purely because I'm tired from filming the dating reality show recently."
"What do you like to eat during Frost's Descent?" Xie Wang slowly picked up some food, but didn't touch it.
Lin Jiayi answered quickly: "Our Ajiang likes to eat Sichuan and Cantonese food. When I was studying abroad, I would cook him a big meal almost every week to help him get better."
"Sichuan cuisine and Cantonese cuisine." Xie Wang wiped his mouth with a tissue, took a deep breath, and said, "If you like them, I'll have my family chef practice more. Come find me if you want some during the Frost's Descent season."
"Shuangjiang, Brother Xie really dotes on you," Lin Jiayi said with a smile.
Seeing that Xie Wang hadn't eaten much food for so long, Ling Shuangjiang asked him, "Is the food not to your liking? Let's order some more."
Xie Wang shook his head, his expression indifferent: "I'm not very hungry, I'll eat in a bit."
Lin Jiayi silently observed the interaction between the two, and had already become somewhat certain in her heart.
"Did Mr. Lin and Shuangjiang study the same major? Are they working now?" Xie Wang asked.
Lin Jiayi replied: "We are professionals. I am currently working as a professional photographer and director, and I am preparing to return to China to develop my career."
Xie Wang nodded slightly, his face expressionless: "Do you have a girlfriend?"
This question made Ling Shuangjiang look up and observe the two of them.
Lin Jiayi curled her lips: "No, I'm gay."
Xie Wang almost dropped the wine glass in his hand. He suddenly looked up, a moment of confusion flashing in his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.
The atmosphere at the dinner table instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Ling Shuangjiang glanced at Lin Jiayi, signaling him to stop talking to Shan and Sanxi.
Lin Jiayi shrugged and mouthed, "He's jealous."
"I'm going to the restroom." Xie Wang stood up. "I'll be right back. You guys eat first."
Ling Shuangjiang opened her mouth, watching his retreating figure until he disappeared.
After leaving the restaurant, Xie Wang was extremely troubled. He casually bought a pack of cigarettes at the front desk and stood at the window at the end of the corridor, staring blankly at the cars coming and going at the intersection.
Lin Jiayi is also gay, and the two have such a good relationship, so they must not have broken up, otherwise they wouldn't be so intimate when they meet again.
There's only one possibility: they like each other.
Xie Wangyan smoked heavily, repeatedly reassuring herself that perhaps they were just good roommates. If they liked each other, they would have been together long ago. Why wait until now?
Besides, even if Lin Jiayi is gay, that doesn't prove anything.
Gay people can also be good friends with a purely platonic relationship.
Three cigarettes from a pack were gone in the blink of an eye, and Xie Wang felt so tight in his chest that he could hardly breathe.
With a cigarette between his fingers, he looked up at the sky.
Actually, an even more difficult problem lay before him.
Why is he so concerned about the relationship between Ling Shuangjiang and Lin Jiayi?
Even if two people love each other, it seems to have nothing to do with him.
He and Ling Shuangjiang were just good friends.
But he didn't know why.
From a certain day onwards, he was unwilling for Ling Shuangjiang to have close relationships with others, unwilling for Ling Shuangjiang to smile at others, and even more unwilling for Ling Shuangjiang to have a boyfriend.
This possessiveness is very similar to the possessiveness in friendship.
But he knew very well that his possessiveness toward Ling Shuangjiang was not entirely just ordinary friendship.
When he learned yesterday that Ling Shuangjiang had gone missing, his unease and panic far exceeded his friendship. He was actually aware of the problem, but he just didn't want to think about it too much.
At the dinner table, Ling Shuangjiang kept looking down at her phone. Lin Jiayi noticed this and asked, "What's wrong? Are you worried about him?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "It's been almost half an hour, and he still hasn't come back."
Lin Jiayi gave him a look that said, "You're hopeless. Maybe he's secretly smoking in secret."
Ling Shuangjiang: "I don't know."
“If you’re worried about him, I’ll go check on him.” Lin Jiayi shook her head slightly, holding a bowl of spicy Sichuan peppercorns. “You’re just too soft-hearted. If it were me, I would definitely give him a piece of my mind.”
Ling Shuangjiang stared silently at Xie Wang's bowl in front of her, and murmured, "If he really is thinking about things as you say, what is he thinking? Sometimes I really don't understand his thoughts."
Lin Jiayi got up and rubbed his head: "It seems that our A-Jiang really likes him. Wait for me, I'm going to go and see."
"Hey." Ling Shuangjiang turned around and called out to him, "How about I go instead?"
Lin Jiayi shook her head: "Honey, this isn't a good time for you to go. I'll go instead."
Ling Shuangjiang withdrew her gaze and leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.
—
In the corridor, Lin Jiayi easily found Xie Wang. Smelling the faint scent of tobacco, he chuckled softly, "Shuangjiang doesn't like the smell of smoke; he can't stand it."
Xie Wang turned around upon hearing the sound, and upon seeing that the person behind him was Lin Jiayi, his expression remained calm as he took off his coat.
Lin Jiayi walked to his side, turned to look at him, and said, "Brother Xie, I heard from Shuangjiang that you like girls. What type do you like? If you meet someone who is good, I can introduce you to her."
Xie Wang said calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm busy with work and don't plan to date."
"Wow? Brother Xie, you're not planning on dating anymore?" Lin Jiayi leaned against the window, facing Xie Wang, and said, "Could you do me a favor?"
Xie Wang: "Go ahead."
Lin Jiayi looked Xie Wang up and down and said softly, "I've been classmates with Shuangjiang for four years and I've found him to be really good. He's gentle, considerate, and talented. He's ranked first in the entire department for his major courses and often helps me with my studies and projects."
“I know, he’s always been fine,” Xie Wang said softly.
Lin Jiayi smiled: "Shuangjiang is very popular at our school. I counted for him over the four years of university, and he received a total of 35 confessions. Everyone has an appreciation for beauty. Actually, I've had a crush on Shuangjiang for a long time, and this trip back to China was also for him. During these four years of university, I regretted not confessing my feelings earlier. If I had confessed sooner, Shuangjiang might already be my boyfriend, and we could have gotten our marriage certificate a long time ago."
Xie Wang's expression grew increasingly solemn as he listened to these words.
“Now, Shuangjiang tells me that he and you are the closest. So I want to ask Brother Xie to help me make the first move and cooperate with me in pursuing him passionately,”
After Lin Jiayi finished speaking, Xie Wang broke out in a cold sweat.
He looked down at the cigarette butt, then slowly looked up to meet Lin Jiayi's gaze: "So, does Shuangjiang like you?"
Author's Note:
I need a nutrient solution.