SBHA Chapter 23

Chapter 23. What Did You Say? I Didn’t Hear You.

In order to celebrate the successful passing of the psychological assessment, they again had dinner with Yu Xin. This time it was at a place Yu Xin had chosen – her classmate’s new store – in a way of taking care of her classmate’s business.

After the meal, Yu Xin arranged with her classmate to go to a bar for some fun. Song Yan also wanted to go along to loosen his joints; he felt it’d been half a century since he last went to a bar.

But Yu Ze stopped him, “Have you forgotten you have asthma? The bar’s environment is not good for your health.” He gave Song Yan a glance that asked, “Have you forgotten?”
　　
Yu Xin shouldered her own bag, revealing a smile that was jealous to the point of being bitter, “Big brother, you see how nice Brother Song Yan is to you! He takes everything about you to heart!”

She already completely took the two to be a sweet couple.

After waiting for Yu Xin to leave, only then did Song Yan ask, “I don’t want to go back by myself today, won’t you come back with me?” He wanted Yu Ze to come over to his villa to play.

The distance between where they now lived wasn’t very far, it was easy to go to and fro. Yu Ze didn’t refuse.

Song Yan was someone who knew how to enjoy pleasures, even if it was only a villa he’d temporarily live in, he had fixed up a game room, a cinema room, a wine cellar stocked with quite a few wines, and even a pool with water that’d be changed every day.

It had just been two weeks since Yu Ze last visited, but he found that not only had Song Yan once again acquired a mess of things, he’d even hired an extra chef.

On their coming, an exquisite fruit dessert along with hors d’oeuvres was prepared, and while they wouldn’t necessarily partake of it, just the sight of it was enough to feed the eyes.

On summer nights, it was most comfortable swimming and playing in the pool. Song Yan was treading water* in the swimming pool. Yu Ze didn’t enter the water, he only sat at the side of the pool, slowly sipping at a glass of chilled fruit wine.

* 劃水 a swimming technique, basically moving in the water in a more active way than floating, ‘the swimming technique one will use after floating for a while’ XD; kind of like lying supine and just drawing your hands through the water to feebly move forward, might be considered a form of ‘treading water’

After some time, Song Yan swam over and propped himself on the edge of the edge to talk to him.

“This body of yours is really not as good as mine, I myself can swim 500 meters in one breath. But now I can only tread two laps before I need to rest a bit. It’s still I who has better endurance.”

Yu Ze laughed; he seemed to have gotten used to Song Yan’s boasting. But he also couldn’t really be said to be ‘boasting’. When things impossible to do were exaggerated, that was boasting, but if the something could really be achieved – that was called ‘flaunting’, wasn’t it? And Song Yan did indeed have the capital to flaunt.
　　
“Has Yu Xin talked more to you about settling down overseas?” Yu Ze asked as he took a sip of the wine.

Song Yan replied, “I didn’t ask. But she said a lot, and from what I hear, she has it quite planned out. Already signed a contract with two arts-related app and will also set up an online exhibition for compositions with a classmate; I think she has quite the brain – she truly is just like you, has the talent for the arts.”

“Ask her a bit,” Yu Ze said, “she just graduated and doesn’t have savings. She wants to have a career, also wants to settle down overseas; I do not wish for her to take on too much credit card debt and have to worry about money.”

For one moment, Song Yan was speechless. He wiped at the water on his face, “You don’t feel it’s unfair?”

Yu Ze didn’t really understand, “What’s not fair?”

“When you first debuted, there wasn’t anyone who helped you like this,” Song Yan stated.

Yu Ze began to laugh, he said, “From ever since you were born, to now, how many times have you thought about the issue of fairness?”
　　
“Do you want to hear the truth?” Song Yan asked, “Of course I’ve thought about it before, but on the whole, it has nothing to do with me.”
　　
“Then isn’t it just like that?” Yu Ze replied.

Song Yan didn’t further press the issue, he only said, “Sure, I’ll ask her.”

At the mention of money, he again reminded Yu Ze, “Don’t forget, I still owe you nine million. When will you take it?”

“No need to hurry,” Yu Ze said, “I can take the 9 million whenever I want.”
　　
They again played by the pool for a while, before Song Yan climbed out of the pool, wrapped on a bathrobe and sat down with Yu Ze.

Yu Ze told Song Yan that Song Qi had made an appointment for a meal together, to discuss some things related to their Grandfather’s Birthday.
　　
Song Yan really wanted to go with Yu Ze – it wasn’t that he really missed older brother Song Qi, but that he just wanted to know what had been going on back at home recently.

Yu Ze’s tone was soft and gentle, “I already asked him. He said he wants me to go by myself, perhaps he’s not at ease with outsiders.”

“This is indeed like my brother’s style. Extremely cautious,” Song Yan replied.

Yu Ze told him, “If anything happens, I will tell you immediately.”

Song Yan was silent for some time, before he suddenly laughed and began to tell a lame joke: “What is a thing that looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and eats like a duck?”*

“A duck,” Yu Ze replied.

* Duck test – suggests that something could be identified by its habitual characteristics; the ‘lame joke’ part is explained here. (the raws read: cold joke) (but…I initially thought it was supposed to be a lewd joke b/c google suggested that ‘duck’ could also mean ‘male prostitute’ =.=)

He caught the trace of worry in Song Yan’s mood. This was the evening of a summer day, one of their bodies an A, the other an O and to even be this close to the other – it was hard not to sense the other’s pheromones.

Yu Ze stood up to leave. Song Yan ran a hand through his hair, looked at the other’s back and smiled as he asked, “Teacher Yu, do you think we look like a couple now?”

Yu Ze stood on the lawn, turned around, looked at him, “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Song Yan laughed, but didn’t pursue the question.

Yu Ze and Song Qi had arranged to meet at a restaurant with few customers. When Yu Ze arrived, he almost believed Song Qi had booked the whole venue.

But what was stranger, was that Song Qi had also brought along Lu Qiu Yi. He brought Lu Qiu Yi, yet he didn’t let his younger brother bring someone along. Yu Ze began to feel that something was not quite right. If what they were going to discuss was some extremely secretive business of the Song Family’s, then it wasn’t really appropriate for Lu Qiu Yi to be here. Unless Lu Qiu Yi had, in such a short period of time, already obtained Song Qi’s trust.
　　
But after they sat down to talk, Yu Ze knew that that wasn’t the case; while Song Qi spoke a lot, Lu Qiu Yi barely talked and was even somewhat bored.

Yu Ze could see that Liu Qiu Yi had dressed in a more refined, tasteful manner than before. He must’ve switched to a better styling team, who’d packaged him up according to Song Qi’s preferences and made him seem very suitable to be seen with the rich and powerful families.
　　
Yu Ze was more and more unable to make sense of this couple. Perhaps Song Qi only thought of Lu Qiu Yi as a vase – a vase whose appearance was in line with his taste and was convenient for him to bring along for socializing.

“How’s that theater of yours coming along?” Song Qi asked Yu Ze, “Are you really going to be the artistic director yourself?”

Yu Ze felt that Song Qi wouldn’t really care about this matter and so only casually said a few words about it. Sure enough, Song Qi didn’t further pursue the topic and instead said, “There’s still another friend that’s coming today, furthermore, he’s an old friend of ours.”

As Song Qi spoke, his gaze had already been turned towards the entrance. Yu Ze turned his head over and saw a tall and slender young man walk over. The young man went straight up to Yu Ze, then hugged his shoulders as he laughed, “Song Yan! Are you surprised to see me?”

Yu Ze’s smile turned stiff.

He only wanted to ask, “And who might you be? What is your relationship with Song Yan?”

But right now, he was only able to say, “Its been a while.”

Song Qi spoke up, “Meng Ye said he wanted to see you once he came back, and as I just so happened to have made an appointment with you for today, I came along to have a meal together.”

Yu Ze looked at the man, “Meng Ye.”

Zhou Meng Ye very naturally sat down next to him, then smiled as he looked at him, “Song Yan, you don’t seem even a bit excited to see me.”

The two pairs of eyes across from them, Song Qi and Lu Qiu Yi, were both fixed on them. Song Qi’s was calmly scrutinizing, while Lu Qiu Yi’s was the sort of interested as if he’d finally a good show to watch.

“I was only too surprised for one moment,” Yu Ze replied, “had not expected for you to appear.”
　　
He noticed Zhou Meng Ye’s face had a dimple – only one – on his left cheek. Two dimples were quite cute, one dimple was charmingly playful. This was a cute Omega.

Yu Ze felt a burst of unexplainable nervousness. To be capable of making Song Qi personally arrange plans, this must be someone from their social circle.

Just that he didn’t know what relationship this Zhou Meng Ye previously had with Song Yan.

He’d never even heard Song Yan mention him before.

Right now, he could only rely on his skills as an actor to express himself on the spot.

“When did you come back?” Yu Ze asked, as he slowly led Zhou Meng Ye to talk.

Zhou Meng Ye finally became happy, “To be honest, I’ve already been back for a month or so. Just that was busy fixing up the new house and I was somewhat hesitant, wasn’t sure if you would still remember what happened when we were little.”

Yu Ze didn’t know how young the ‘when we were little’ meant. Was it three years old, five years old? Eight or ten years old? Or even adolescent?

It was obvious Zhou Meng Ye was waiting for his answer.

Yu Ze wondered, if he was Song Second, what would he want to do? Would he wish for such an Omega next to his side?

“I was a bit foolish when young,” he said.

“That so?” Zhou Meng Ye replied, his expression a bit gloomy.

Yu Ze added, “I was talking about myself. I was a fool when I was little.”

He felt that Song Second could live up to such an evaluation.

Zhou Meng Ye very tenderly looked at him, “By no means were you a fool. We went wild back then, every single day, how happy it was.”

Yu Ze covered his lapse by drinking a mouthful of water; even if it was him, he also felt that Zhou Meng Ye’s meaningful gaze was somehow hard to stomach.
　　
Fortunately, Song Qi also began to talk about some matters of the past and so the atmosphere was no longer that tense anymore. Zhou Meng Ye also began to ask about Grandfather Song’s birthday; it was clear he’d definitely be going.

After some time passed, Yu Ze excused himself to go to the washroom and temporarily left his seat.

Translator has something to say: Song Yan might be in deep shit XD

Btw, sry, only two chapters despite the long wait >.< I’m unfortunately still struggling with with some things, but hopefully more SBHA soon ~ T__T

Also, I’ve turned off anonymous comments b/c have been getting too much spam. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Chapter 22

Chapter 24