ATLT Chapter 7

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(19)

Zhang Linghao realized that he really was a clingy cat. Lately, he had been finding all sorts of excuses to stick to Chu Yi, tricking him into coming over almost every day.


Basically, as soon as Zhang Lingrui slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and walked out the door in the morning, Zhang Linghao would pick up his phone, send a pre-prepared message, and lure Chu Yi over.


— That steamed egg you made yesterday? Lingrui was still praising it this morning. Can you come teach me how to make it?


— I feel like my old house has some fire hazards. Do you think I should buy a fire extinguisher for the kitchen?


— Do you know how to make Coca-Cola chicken wings? I’m craving them.


— I think I’m out of salt. Can you grab a bag for me on your way over?


It seemed like Chu Yi had plenty of free time too—he was always available and never refused. Sometimes, when Zhang Linghao couldn’t come up with a decent excuse and thought, Maybe I should just go a day without getting my fix, he would be surprised to find that Chu Yi seemed to be having withdrawal symptoms of his own.


If lunchtime passed without Zhang Linghao reaching out, Chu Yi would be the one to message first:

"Have you eaten?"


Whether he had eaten or not didn't really matter. What mattered was that as long as his high schooler little brother wasn’t home from school yet, the two of them had plenty of time to mess around.


After that, they'd go grocery shopping together. Back home, Chu Yi would take over the cooking while Zhang Linghao lay on the couch, enjoying the air conditioning and playing mobile games. Sometimes, he’d make the effort to wash a plate of fruit and stand beside the hardworking chef, feeding him—one cherry for Chu Yi, one bayberry for himself.


And somewhere between bites, their lips would meet in a kiss, tasting of sweet and sour fruit.


At first, he felt a little embarrassed, thinking that the other person had become his free labor for a whole day. Giving him money wouldn’t be appropriate, so besides insisting on paying for all the groceries, the only other option left was repaying with his body—though it was hard to say who was actually taking advantage of whom. Later, as it happened more often and Chu Yi didn’t seem unwilling, Zhang Linghao became increasingly unscrupulous. He consoled himself with the thought, “Maybe he’ll get bored tomorrow and stop coming. So I should enjoy today as if it’s the last.”


Chu Yi always stayed for dinner before going back to his own place. At night, when Ling Rui was home, the two of them would still try to behave themselves, avoiding being alone in the same room to prevent anything from happening. Moreover, with the weather getting hotter, closing the bedroom door made it unbearable. Even during the day, when they took advantage of Ling Rui’s absence to keep the door open so the air conditioning from the living room could flow in, the bed sheets still ended up sticky after every session.


Sometimes, Zhang Linghao was too lazy to change the sheets, so he would just sleep on them, carrying the scent of a big dog. He slept soundly, with an electric fan blowing and the bedroom door open, and somehow, he didn’t even feel too hot.


At the beginning of June, Zhang Lingrui moved to sleep in the living room. Chu Yi and Zhang Linghao worked together to move the bed from the master bedroom to the living room, making the space even more cramped as the furniture got squeezed together.


Zhang Lingrui enthusiastically invited, “Brother, come sleep on my bed at night. It’s much cooler here!”


Hearing this, Chu Yi suddenly felt a little awkward. The next second, he silently scolded himself for feeling that way—what was he even thinking? Beastly thoughts. They were real brothers!


Thankfully, Zhang Linghao also refused, making up an excuse about Ling Rui snoring and grinding his teeth, which would disturb his sleep. In reality, he simply couldn’t bear to part with his own bed.


This shabby house—how did he end up getting emotionally attached to it?


(20)

One morning, after finishing their business, Zhang Linghao lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Out of nowhere, he said, “When I was little, I used to sleep in this room when I visited my grandparents.”


Chu Yi responded with an “Oh” while looking around, trying to picture the room from Zhang Linghao’s childhood perspective.


Zhang Linghao continued, “Back then, there was a single bed here. Where the wardrobe is now, there used to be a bookshelf, and beside it, a desk. I used to do my homework here.”


Chu Yi asked, “How old were you then?”


Zhang Linghao thought for a moment. “I think I had just started elementary school. I remember my stepmother was pregnant with Ling Rui at the time. I didn’t understand things back then—I thought my dad didn’t want me anymore. I ran here crying, begging my grandparents to take me in.”


Chu Yi reached out and grabbed Zhang Linghao’s hand, holding it gently. “You were just overthinking, weren’t you?”


Zhang Linghao chuckled. “Yeah. Later, my dad and Aunt Fang took me back home. After that, I would sometimes come here on weekends. Sometimes, I’d bring Ling Rui along, and we’d sleep in this room together. Later, when I went abroad for college, Ling Rui came here alone. In my third year, both my grandparents’ health deteriorated. Within a year, they both passed away.”


Chu Yi didn’t know what to say, so he simply squeezed Zhang Linghao’s hand as a silent gesture of comfort.


Zhang Linghao continued, “My dad originally planned to sell this house. Even though it’s old, the location is good, and it’s in a school district, so it’s worth quite a lot. But my grandpa had already transferred the property to my name long ago. Good thing I didn’t sell it—otherwise, we’d have nowhere to live now.”


Chu Yi murmured in agreement. After a few seconds, he added, “You’ll get through this. Things will get better.” It was unclear whether he was comforting Zhang Linghao or encouraging himself.


Zhang Linghao looked at him. “Thank you for staying with me during this time.”


Chu Yi smiled. “Thank you for letting me freeload your meals during this time.”


(21)

Chu Yi had always thought of himself as someone who was warm on the outside but cold on the inside. With this personality and his natural looks, he was practically born for the “young master” profession.


How to put it? He wasn’t the type to crave love, nor did he bother loving others. His emotions weren’t particularly delicate. Compared to romantic affairs, he cared more about things like expensive rent, whether he could get discounts when shopping, and how much he should charge customers for a single ab reveal so he wouldn’t be at a loss.


The constant entanglement with Zhang Linghao lately made him suspect he was experiencing a delayed adolescence. When he was sixteen or seventeen, his classmates were either studying hard or indulging in youthful romances, while he buried himself in video games, oblivious to the world outside. By the time he woke up to reality, he had neither gotten into college nor dated anyone—he was already an adult.


Adulthood meant supporting himself. Without a degree or professional skills, unwilling to do blue-collar labor, he wandered through society’s maze until he finally found a job that suited him. Unfortunately, just as his career was taking off, the platform shut down.


Maybe that’s why—suddenly being left with nothing to do, combined with the earthquake-like disruption caused by Zhang Linghao’s arrogant, reckless ways as a privileged official’s son—his long-dormant volcano of desire erupted?


The timing was right. The place was right. The people were right.


He could sense that Zhang Linghao relied on him during this time—whether it was for grocery shopping and cooking, or as an emotional outlet through certain physical means. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, with no debts left unpaid.


But he also knew that the Zhang family wouldn’t stay down forever. Zhang Linghao rarely talked about his father’s situation, but Chu Yi had secretly looked it up online. Being put under investigation was just a process. The final judgment would only come after the investigation was complete. Though all of the Zhang family’s assets had been seized, not everything would be confiscated. Any legally acquired assets would eventually be returned.


A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Besides, he was just…


Perhaps just a guide dog—leading the temporarily blinded Zhang Young Master step by step toward the light, until one day, he could see again.


T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you💮💮💮


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