ATLT Chapter 8
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(22)
Zhang Lingrui’s international school was incredibly lenient—even as he was about to enter his senior year of high school, he still had weekends off. On those two days, it was a period of abstinence for the “cat and dog.” Chu Yi still visited their house, but they kept things proper. At most, he accompanied Zhang Lingrui to play basketball, go shopping, or watch TV at home, while making sure he had three good meals a day.
Feeling bad about it, Zhang Linghao insisted on covering all expenses. Chu Yi didn’t argue, but he started bringing small gifts whenever he came over. As the weather got hotter, he went to the supermarket and bought two bamboo mats, placing them on both brothers’ beds. He also brought a bottle of floral water and taught them how to wipe down the mats with it—not only to disinfect and repel mosquitoes but also to freshen the air.
Zhang Lingrui discovered that his lazy older brother actually wiped down the bamboo mat every day, opened the windows for ventilation, and let the faint scent of floral mosquito repellent disperse into the air.
Even his brother, who was used to high-end salon fragrances, had a down-to-earth side.
Zhang Lingrui ranked sixth in his final exams. Although he didn’t meet his brother’s expectations, it was still an improvement from his previous eighth place. Zhang Linghao finally breathed a sigh of relief. This little rascal’s grades hadn’t been affected by the family’s troubles. There was still hope for fulfilling their father’s wish of getting into a top domestic university.
The two older brothers took Zhang Lingrui on a big shopping trip to prepare for his summer camp in Europe.
Although Zhang Linghao had studied abroad for four years, he was clueless about travel preparations. In the past, his luggage was always packed by the servants under Aunt Fang’s supervision. Aunt Fang was ridiculously bad at doing things herself, but she was meticulous when directing others. Now that she was gone, Zhang Linghao had no choice but to handle it himself. He racked his brain trying to recall what he had packed for long trips before, made a list, and bought everything one by one.
Chu Yi had never traveled farther than Qingdao. The furthest he had gone was when he splurged on a Jay Chou concert ticket, carried a fake GUCCI bag that Dai Yanyan gave him, and excitedly went on the trip alone. He only knew to pack toiletries, a change of clothes, his ID card, and a power bank. For everything else, he had to look up travel guides online and help fill in gaps on Zhang Linghao’s list.
Somehow, with great effort, they managed to buy everything they could think of.
Zhang Linghao exchanged 5,000 euros in cash for Lingrui and gave him a VISA supplementary card. “You can buy that LEGO set you wanted yourself. Don’t skimp on food and drinks, and you can buy clothes too—they’re cheaper in Europe than back home. Just don’t waste money on useless things.”
Chu Yi also wanted to give something as a farewell gift, but anything he could afford seemed too insignificant. In the end, he decided against it. Instead, he would cook a delicious meal before Lingrui left—a proper send-off.
The two older brothers took Zhang Lingrui to the airport to meet up with his classmates. Before leaving, Zhang Lingrui hugged Chu Yi first, then his own brother. Holding back tears, he turned and walked away.
(23)
Now that the little third wheel was gone, Zhang Linghao thought, Finally, we can stick together without any restrictions. He even started planning how to get Chu Yi to move in for at least ten days.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi thought, Now that I don’t have to cook for that high-schooler who needs a well-balanced diet, I should find a job.
Zhang Linghao: “Do you want to…”
Chu Yi: “Tomorrow, I’m going to—”
Zhang Linghao interrupted: “Just come over to my place tonight. No need to wait until tomorrow.”
Chu Yi realized Zhang Linghao had misunderstood his meaning. He was about to explain when Zhang Linghao added, “We haven’t spent a night together yet, have we?”
That’s true. Chu Yi silently nodded to himself. Suddenly, he felt like it was a small regret.
So, he sighed and said, “Alright, I’ll go to your place.”
With the air conditioning on, lying on the bamboo mat that smelled of floral mosquito repellent, Chu Yi thought, This has been the sweatiest summer of my life.
He told Zhang Linghao, “I’m going job hunting tomorrow, so you’ll have to figure out lunch on your own.”
Zhang Linghao paused, turned to him, and asked, “What kind of job?”
Chu Yi replied, “Some of my former colleagues work as waiters in a bar. They said they could introduce me. Just serving tables and promoting drinks.”
Zhang Linghao didn’t say anything at first. He thought, That job must pay pretty little and be tiring. But then he reconsidered—this guy had been cooking for him for over a month without earning a single cent. Wasn’t that even harder?
After thinking for a moment, he finally asked, “So… are you still going to stay at my place? Where’s the bar? Is it far from here?”
Zhang Linghao’s old villa and his current house were both in the city center—prime real estate, expensive whether new or old. It was considered an “old money” neighborhood. Meanwhile, Chu Yi’s previous workplace and the bar he was about to work at were in a trendy, “new money” area. The two places weren’t exactly close. Chu Yi still lived near his old workplace, in a smaller apartment now. Every time he visited Zhang Linghao, he took a half-hour bus ride.
He answered honestly, “Not close. It’s closer to where I live.”
Zhang Linghao sighed. That’s that, then. Chu Yi was leaving. He had already taken up so much of the guy’s time—now he wanted to start making money again. Not everyone can be like me, Zhang Linghao thought. Even after hitting rock bottom, I still haven’t thought about getting a job. I just keep calculating how long my remaining money will last after paying Lingrui’s tuition, waiting for Dad’s legal case to be settled. He wasn’t that greedy—his sentence shouldn’t be too heavy. Some money should still be recoverable.
When I have a bit of money again, I won’t waste it. I’ll find a proper business, maybe make some small investments or open a shop. That should be enough to support the three of us and Aunt Fang. If Lingrui turns out more capable than me and can support himself after graduating, even better. Then we can both take care of Dad in his old age.
No point in saying all this out loud. He got up from the bed, went to the fridge, and took out two tubs of Baxi (Eight Happiness) ice cream. Handing one to Chu Yi, he said, “Lingrui only eats vanilla, so that’s all we have. Don’t know if you like it.”
Chu Yi took it and replied, “I’m not picky. Everything tastes good.”
The two of them sat on the bed, each scooping out ice cream with small wooden spoons, trying to use the sweetness to balance out the slight bitterness in their hearts.
As they were about to finish, Chu Yi suddenly said, “Since Lingrui isn’t home, if you’re free, do you want to come stay at my place for a few days?”
Zhang Linghao, with a mouthful of vanilla ice cream, suddenly grinned and nodded. “I can wipe down the bamboo mat for you every day.”
(24)
Chu Yi really did start working at the bar. His shift was in the evening, and he got off in the middle of the night. Zhang Linghao adjusted his schedule to match his.
Every night, when Chu Yi got home from work, they would sleep comfortably on the bamboo mat scented with floral mosquito repellent. The next day, they’d wake up at noon, get sweaty doing something, take a shower, order takeout, and watch TV or play games together. In the evening, they’d go downstairs for dinner at a small shop. Then Chu Yi would head to work while Zhang Linghao returned to Chu Yi’s place, wiped down the bamboo mat, lay in bed scrolling on his phone, and occasionally video-called Lingrui in Europe.
Then he waited for Chu Yi to come home.
Chu Yi had already made up his mind—once Lingrui returned, Zhang Linghao would move back home. He himself could go to Zhang Linghao’s place every noon to cook, preparing both lunch and dinner so they could eat together before he headed to work. After his shift, he would go back to his own place to sleep, then repeat the routine the next day. By then, there probably wouldn’t be much time left to mess around with Zhang Linghao, but at least he could help take care of his little brother. Consider it an act of kindness.
He didn’t know how long this arrangement would last, but he would take it one day at a time.
Thinking about how their indulgent days were numbered, Chu Yi felt that after playing the role of a guide dog for so long, he might as well pamper himself like a spoiled cat—cling to Zhang Linghao and drain him completely.
Afterward, Zhang Linghao pulled out a pack of cigarettes from who knows where, lit one, took a few puffs as usual, then handed it to Chu Yi.
Chu Yi took it, noticing that the scent was different from before. He glanced at the cigarette pack—good grief, it was expensive.
Zhang Linghao exhaled a slow stream of smoke and said leisurely, “Some of my family’s assets have been unfrozen. I got my car back yesterday—it’s parked downstairs.”
The most expensive car Chu Yi usually saw in this neighborhood was a Porsche Cayenne, while Zhang Linghao’s McLaren was at least twice that price. And yet, he had just left it casually downstairs. Chu Yi had come home exhausted the night before and hadn’t even noticed it.
Suddenly, he felt a bit uneasy but only managed a half-hearted reply, “Congrats.”
Zhang Linghao continued, “I put the car up on my WeChat Moments to see if anyone wanted to buy it, and it sold right away. I’m handing it over this afternoon—can you come with me?”
Chu Yi nodded. “Sure.”
After lunch, the two of them headed out. The scorching sun blazed overhead, making it hard to keep their eyes open. Zhang Linghao took out two pairs of sunglasses from the car, putting on one himself and handing the other to Chu Yi. They buckled up and slowly drove out of the neighborhood—then, with a press of the accelerator, they sped straight to the vehicle administration office.
Chu Yi had ridden in this car once before. That time, Zhang Linghao had opened the door for him, stuffed a bouquet of flowers into his arms, fastened his seatbelt, and then driven them to the moat, parking in a quiet spot. With a smile, he had asked, Do you want to date me?
Now, months later, he was sitting in the same car again, but their relationship remained just as ambiguous—impossible to define.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you💮💮💮
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