This wasn’t just a return compliment made out of courtesy. Zhang Yuwen did have a composed, aristocratic air to him. If you were to match with someone like Zhang Yuwen on a dating app, you’d be in for an unforgettable night.
If Zhang Yuwen were to extend an invitation to him now, Yan Jun might really just follow him to the master bedroom and get to know him up close and personal. When was the last time he’d done it? Yan Jun couldn’t really remember.
Of course, that was assuming Yan Jun got to be the one to take the initiative: Life had been fucking him over every day to the point of despair lately, and he didn’t want to be fucked again in bed.
But Zhang Yuwen simply said, “Thanks.”
“You work out often?”
“Every day or every other day. I run and do cardio.”
“You have a great physique.”
Zhang Yuwen smiled. “Thanks.”
The second thanks got the point across. He didn’t lift his T-shirt to flaunt his abs or anything, which hinted to Yan Jun that there would be no further development, at least not today. Yan Jun could naturally understand the subtext in the words of another adult.
Just earlier, he’d been moved by something Zhang Yuwen said. What was it, again? Which statement had cemented his notion that the young man before him was friendly and gentle?
Not his compliment on his appearance, or his demeanor, but when he’d said, “It’s only natural for babies to cry.”
These words were a lifeline to Yan Jun, casting a warm ray of light into the darkness in his life.
Next, Zhang Yuwen took Yan Jun to see the back garden, which was slightly larger than the front yard. There was a small pond with a tall ginkgo tree next to it, which had a swing hanging from its branches.
Looking at Zhang Yuwen’s back, Yan Jun guessed that he was probably not this man’s type.
“So…” They both spoke at once. Yan Jun gestured for Zhang Yuwen to go first.
“When are you moving in?” Zhang Yuwen asked. “Shall I send you the lease first?”
“I still have twenty days left on my current lease,” Yan Jun said, “and my money is tied up in wealth management products. One month deposit and three months’ rent, right? Can we delay the rent by a few days? I promise to pay it off within twenty days.”
“Sure thing. Let’s make it a quarterly payment,” Zhang Yuwen agreed. “I’ll send you the contract first.”
Zhang Yuwen took out his mobile phone, adding Yan Jun to the instant messaging app and emailing the lease to him. Yan Jun noticed Zhang Yuwen looking at him again.
“What?” Yan Jun asked with a raised brow, flashing a professional smile. This was the trademark half-genuine smile he often used when he was trying hard to sell a product. He knew it was a smile people found hard to say no to, one that would leave a deep impression on them.
“You really don’t have a partner?” Zhang Yuwen was actually wondering about something else. This tenant had the physique and the looks, and he hoped the guy’s private life wasn’t a promiscuous one.
“I’m too busy to date,” Yan Jun explained. “Why? You gonna introduce me to someone?”
Zhang Yuwen waved his hand, accepting his explanation. Anyway, there was a clear clause on this in the lease. If he breached the contract, Zhang Yuwen would just kick him out. “All right. But let me know if you need help moving or anything.”
The two of them returned to the living room, passed through the foyer, and stepped out through the front yard.
Yan Jun stopped in thought for a while. “I still don’t know your name,” he said at last.
“Oh, yeah.” Zhang Yuwen was embarrassed. “My name is Zhang Yuwen.”
Under the setting sun, Yan Jun happily waved goodbye to Zhang Yuwen and headed for the subway station. He’d gotten himself a great bargain. The rent for this room was only two-thirds the price of similar listings in the area, and it also saved him half an hour of commuting time. Now he’d be able to set aside more money to send to his mother in the countryside.
He treated himself to a restaurant set meal he was usually reluctant to splurge on. While he ate, he scrolled through the matches on the gay dating app on his phone. He wasn’t looking for a partner, just browsing—as if by looking at these people’s photos he could feel like he was in a relationship. Then he walked over to the childcare center to pick up the eleven-month-old Xiao-Qi.
It was less than a mile away from No. 7 Riverbay Road on foot, and he only had to cross the bridge to get to the childcare center. This was truly a prime location.
“Papa’s here—” The childcare worker was cross-stitching when she saw Xiao-Qi standing up, holding onto to crib railing for support. That was when she knew the last parent had arrived.
“Papa’s here early today, isn’t he?” The lady smiled.
She was happy for Xiao-Qi. The last child to be picked up always tugged at her heartstrings. At the same time, she was also happy for herself, because Yan Jun’s arrival meant that she could finally get off work.
“Pa-pa!” Xiao-Qi had learned to speak early, and her first word was “Papa.” Aside from that, she would just make meaningless sounds.
Yan Jun picked up Xiao-Qi with practiced ease and thanked the childcare workers. He touched her diaper to make sure it wasn’t wet, then strapped her in a baby carrier, facing out. Xiao-Qi babbled and waved her hands as he took her out of the childcare center and into the subway station to take the train. Leaning against the gangway, he scrolled through his phone, while Xiao-Qi smiled at a girl nearby.
A handsome man carrying a baby—this was a frequent sight on Subway Line 4.
“She’s drooling,” someone informed him.
“She has a rash,” another whispered.
Yan Jun wiped her with a soft tissue. Xiao-Qi always had rashes on her face, and Yan Jun always felt terrible for not taking good care of her.
“Pa-pa!” Strapped to Yan Jun’s chest, Xiao-Qi looked up and squirmed. Yan Jun turned away, not wanting others to gawk at her.
They arrived at their destination, and Yan Jun walked home with Xiao-Qi. Back home, he bathed her and changed her clothes, fed her powdered milk, and applied cream for her rashes. Then he carried her around the little room and did squats to lull her to sleep. The neighbor was still up watching a comedy, and the roars of canned laughter proved to be Yan Jun’s nightmare.
But finally, Xiao-Qi fell asleep. At 9:30 p.m., Yan Jun opened his laptop to forty-two emails left on hold in his inbox since he had taken the afternoon off to view the house. The lease was among them.
Yan Jun set about clearing his work. Twice, Xiao-Qi woke up and cried, and twice, he fed her, changed her diaper, and carried her to soothe her. Fatigued, he fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow at 2 a.m. Waking up at 5:40 a.m. to an already awake Xiao-Qi, he hurriedly prepared milk, changed her diaper, and went to work, completely exhausted as he plunged himself into a new day’s toil.