HRCMF Chapter 27
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"Bridesmaid dress?"
Shen Yan nodded, twirling his pen. "My brother said he's paying."
To be precise, his future sister-in-law was paying. It was really hard not to suspect that his brother was living off a woman.
"Going to try on clothes this weekend," Shen Yan turned his face to stare intently. "Don't you dare say you're busy."
"I'm free."
Shen Yan hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze lingering briefly on the top of Zhao Linsu's head.
It was back to normal again, 【Shen Yan】every day.
He was still curious, but curiosity usually killed the cat, so Shen Yan decided to unilaterally suppress his curiosity.
Recently, Zhu Ningbo had started to become independent and didn't hang out with them all the time anymore. Shen Yan was happy to see Zhu Ningbo's change, but the consequence was that their trio had become a duo.
Huang Mengxuan had bumped into him and Zhao Linsu several times in the cafeteria and teased him on WeChat, asking if he had a special relationship beyond friendship with Zhao Linsu.
Shen Yan was speechless for a while, replying that she had said they both looked very straight.
【Ruomeng: Haha, I don't think I'm very accurate at judging this】
【Ruomeng: Just like I didn't see that Liao Jing was either】
【Ruomeng: Besides, there's often only a fine line between friends and lovers】
There weren't that many friend-to-lover dramas. He and Zhao Linsu were just friends, and their situation was different from theirs... Shen Yan muttered to himself for a while, suddenly realizing that when he was complaining about Huang Mengxuan's words, he hadn't even thought about the fact that he and Zhao Linsu were the same gender.
Damn it!
The homosexual concentration around him had seriously exceeded the standard recently, and Shen Yan couldn't wait to get a bit of heterosexual air, so his attitude towards trying on the best man's suit was unprecedentedly positive and enthusiastic.
By Friday night, his brother went to the balcony to answer a call and came back to tell him about a little hiccup.
"Your Fei-jie has something on tomorrow."
"So we're not going?"
Shen Yan always felt that his brother's marriage was quite trivial.
Generally speaking, wasn't getting married supposed to be very troublesome and complicated? They were flying to Bali for the wedding the week after next, but they hadn't even settled on the suits yet.
Shen Shen pondered for a moment, "Go. She might have some trouble. I'll go help her sort it out tomorrow. You and Linsu go to the store first and pick something out. I'll be there as soon as I'm done."
"Huh?"
Shen Yan, holding his rice bowl, was dumbfounded.
"What 'huh'?" Shen Shen said. "Call Linsu to take you. Anyway, you always hitch a ride with him. You're used to being shameless, it's fine."
Shen Yan's face flushed slightly. "I don't hitch a ride with him. It's on his way, and I bring him breakfast every day."
"That's good, then bring him one tomorrow too."
"..."
Shen Shen picked up a piece of tomato, his gaze sweeping over Shen Yan's face. "What's wrong? Inconvenient?"
"...No."
Shen Yan shoveled a mouthful of rice. "Then you two hurry up and come after you're done."
"You and Linsu choose carefully. Don't worry, that studio is opened by your Fei-jie's friend. Pick any suit you like, the handsomer the better."
Shen Yan couldn't help but say, "Brother, isn't this a bit much? Letting the girl handle everything."
Shen Shen stared at him, his expression as if he was holding back a laugh. "What would you say if I told you your Fei-jie bought the engagement ring too?"
Shen Yan wouldn't say anything, he'd be speechless.
"Brother," he said sincerely, "I saved some money from part-time jobs in the past two years. If you really need it, you can use it first."
Shen Shen laughed and coughed.
"Don't worry, even though your brother isn't at the level of a bloodsucking capitalist, he's still a senior white-collar worker. I'm not that poor, I don't need your pocket money to subsidize me."
"Then why are you doing this?" Shen Yan complained. "It's very unfair to Fei-jie."
Shen Shen smiled and said, "This person hasn't even entered the door yet, and you're already taking her side?"
Shen Yan glanced at him sideways, mercilessly saying, "I'm definitely on my sister-in-law's side."
Shen Shen laughed again. "That's right."
Shen Yan really couldn't understand what his brother was thinking, so he could only send a WeChat message to Zhao Linsu, asking him to give him a ride tomorrow morning. Shen Yan was already used to riding in Zhao Linsu's car, but being accused of mooching a ride by his brother made him a little embarrassed, so he sent an extra message.
【sy: Is it okay?】
After sending it, Shen Yan immediately got goosebumps. It looked and felt pretentious and disgusting no matter how he looked at it, so he quickly clicked "Recall".
Zhao Linsu didn't reply, and Shen Yan thought he probably hadn't seen it.
It was good that he hadn't seen it. Their relationship felt awkward and strange with even a little bit of politeness.
A reply popped up on the screen.
【Son: 9 o'clock at the community gate】
Shen Yan thought, that's right, they always spoke so directly, without so much fuss.
【Son: Is it okay?】
Shen Yan: "..."
Thanks, I want to kill someone.
The next morning, Shen Yan woke up to find that his brother had already left. He wondered what important matter could make this soon-to-be-married couple postpone trying on their wedding attire.
Maybe it was work-related.
The reason Shen Yan hadn't noticed that his brother had secretly fallen in love was because his brother was extremely busy with work.
Apart from work, Shen Shen spent almost all his free time with him.
When he was a child, it went without saying. His brother was still in university at that time, studying and working part-time, so busy that he was always rushing around, but he never missed checking his homework or attending a parent-teacher meeting.
When he gradually grew up, especially after entering university, Shen Shen was finally able to relax and put most of his energy into work, becoming a complete workaholic. Whenever he had rare free time, Shen Shen would stay at home, watching anime and playing games with his younger brother.
Shen Yan couldn't recall any trace of Shen Shen being in a relationship.
Could it really be as Zhao Linsu said, that he was actually very slow on the uptake?
There was a sandwich his brother had prepared in advance in the refrigerator. Shen Yan took a paper bag downstairs and fed the puppy a piece of jerky.
Shen Yan touched the puppy's little head as it diligently ate its food. "Bye-bye."
The weather was gradually getting a bit cold, and pedestrians on the street were wearing thin coats. Shen Yan thought he was going to try on clothes today, so he wore a loose-fitting tracksuit and jogged to the community gate. He saw Zhao Linsu and his car by the roadside at a glance.
Zhao Linsu's dressing style, in Shen Yan's opinion, was particularly uncreative. He wore shirts and trousers all year round. When it was hot, it was short-sleeved shirts, and when it was cold, he added a coat. He was tall with a good build, especially his legs were very long. Standing casually under the clear autumn sky, he looked like a model cut out from a minimalist page in a fashion magazine, indeed very handsome.
Shen Yan suddenly realized that he was actually paying attention to whether Zhao Linsu was handsome or not, and his head immediately started to ache.
It was all his brother's fault for asking him to find such a handsome best man for no reason.
Shen Yan quickly ran over. "Did you wait long?"
"Just arrived," Zhao Linsu opened the passenger door and extended a hand. "Please."
Shen Yan: "..."
"Are you out of your mind?" Shen Yan hugged his arms and rubbed his elbows as he got into the car.
Zhao Linsu closed the car door. "Learning from you, being polite and civilized," he smiled at Shen Yan through the window. "Is that okay?"
Shen Yan: "..."
Laugh, people with too boring lives are like this, they can laugh at one joke for two years. He had nothing to say.
The studio was quite far, and Zhao Linsu drove for more than half an hour to get there. Before getting out of the car, Shen Yan sent a message to his brother saying they had arrived. His brother told them to go in and choose clothes directly, saying he had already made arrangements. Shen Yan sighed, put away his phone, and said to Zhao Linsu, "Let's go, let's go in and take a look."
The studio wasn't very large, it felt like a private house. The person who greeted Shen Yan and Zhao Linsu was an exceptionally petite girl. Both of them were more than a head taller than her. Shen Yan found it difficult to watch her look up to talk to them, so he quickly found a place to sit down with Zhao Linsu.
"Fei-jie has already told me in advance," the girl said with a sweet smile. "Time is tight, so please make do with ready-to-wear clothes. Here are a few outfits you can choose from. After you choose and try them on, we'll make alterations for you."
The girl brought over a thick photo album. "Take your time to choose, just tell me when you've found something."
"Thank you."
Shen Yan was a little embarrassed. The bride and groom hadn't come to choose their clothes yet, but he, the best man, had already started.
"Are you going to choose?" Shen Yan asked Zhao Linsu.
"Whatever."
Shen Yan shook his head, knowing he couldn't rely on this person.
"Here, have some tea."
The girl brought tea, fruit, and snacks, making Shen Yan even more embarrassed. He flipped through a few pages, feeling that the clothes were all pretty much the same, just suits anyway. He casually pointed to a set that looked relatively conventional and called the girl over. "Do you have this set?"
"Yes, please wait a moment, I'll get it for you. What about this gentleman?"
Zhao Linsu, who was pointed out, glanced at the photo album in Shen Yan's hand. "The same, I guess."
Shen Yan also nodded. "Best men, they definitely all wear the same thing."
"Okay, you two should both wear size 185, right?"
"About that."
"Okay, then please wait here for a moment, I'll go get them."
Shen Yan quickly offered up the photo album as well, getting rid of a hot potato, considering half the task completed.
After taking a sip of tea, Shen Yan turned his head to look around. No matter how varied men's formal wear could be, it always came down to suits. There were only two scattered rows. The entire studio was more filled with elaborate and gorgeous wedding dresses, creating a visually impactful scene.
Shen Yan rested one hand on the sofa and looked curiously at a white wedding dress with a large train displayed to his right rear.
"This wedding dress is really beautiful," Shen Yan turned his face to praise Zhao Linsu.
Zhao Linsu also glanced over. "Not bad," he looked at Shen Yan. "Do you want to wear it?"
Shen Yan: "...If you want to wear it, just say so. I can tell them."
"Go," Zhao Linsu raised his hand. "Ask them if you can."
Shen Yan: How could this person be so naturally sarcastic?
"The outfits are ready, you can come over and try them on."
"Coming—"
Shen Yan hurriedly got up, also being sarcastic. "Let's go, go try on your wedding dress."
The two tried on their outfits separately. Shen Yan put on the clothes neatly, from the inside out, and looked in the dressing room mirror. He found that it really felt different. Compared to the suit he bought online for 188 yuan including shipping, this was so much better. It was said that clothes make the man, and wearing such a high-end suit, Shen Yan really felt that he finally had a bit of a mature air about him.
Marriage...
Who would he marry one day?
"Are you dressed? Is anything ill-fitting?"
Shen Yan came back to his senses. "It's okay."
As he spoke, he turned and pushed open the dressing room door.
The moment the door opened, Shen Yan froze.
Zhao Linsu was waiting for him outside.
The black suit forcibly confined the usually casual and lazy man within a refined and standard shell. The broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, features usually hidden, were now fully displayed. The arm tucked into his pocket was slightly bent outward, and the expression on his face was still that seemingly innate arrogance and aloofness. The tie around his neck was untied, hanging long and short beneath the stiff collar of his shirt.
While Shen Yan was looking at Zhao Linsu, Zhao Linsu was also looking at him.
This was the second time Zhao Linsu had seen Shen Yan in a suit.
The first time was when Shen Yan participated in an English speech contest in high school. That suit was probably bought casually online, with no particular style or tailoring, and even the sleeve lengths had slight differences. Shen Yan had bought a size too big, and it hung loosely on him. He didn't seem to care much and went on stage with light steps, a slight breeze following him as he passed by Zhao Linsu.
"Why isn't your tie done?" Shen Yan came back to his senses.
Zhao Linsu said, "Never worn one, don't know how."
The petite girl quickly said, "Let me help you."
"I'll do it."
Shen Yan saw the girl struggling to stand on tiptoes and quickly came to her rescue, beckoning to Zhao Linsu with his finger.
Zhao Linsu walked over to him.
They were about the same height, and Shen Yan could easily grab the loose tie with a raised hand.
He lowered his head slightly, and as his fingers picked up the slender tie, Zhao Linsu's warm breath brushed against his fingertips. Shen Yan's heart fluttered slightly, belatedly sensing a hint of ambiguity.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, he and Zhao Linsu were just friends, what ambiguity was there between friends?
Shen Yan quickly kicked those messy thoughts out of his head, held his breath slightly, and swiftly and skillfully tied Zhao Linsu's tie, pushing the knot up a little. He looked up again and saw Zhao Linsu's Adam's apple, round and prominent, moving slightly as it caught his gaze. He couldn't help but let go, saying, "Fix it yourself."
Zhao Linsu adjusted his tie in the nearby mirror.
Shen Yan was right beside him, also adjusting his hair in the mirror.
They were wearing the same style of black suits.
Zhao Linsu's fingers paused on the knot Shen Yan had tied for him.
"I told you, a double dose of handsome, off-the-charts good looks."
Shen Yan turned his head. His brother was holding up his phone, and Fang Fei, wearing a light gray long dress, stood beside his brother, waving at him.
"You guys are here."
The main characters had finally arrived. Shen Yan quickly went over. "Are you done with work?"
"Done," Shen Shen said with a smile, turning the phone screen to show Shen Yan. "Look, two handsome guys."
Shen Yan glanced at it. He and Zhao Linsu were both adjusting their attire in the mirror. His brother had taken a side shot. Half of Shen Yan's face was blocked by Zhao Linsu, but Zhao Linsu was captured very clearly. The corner of Zhao Linsu's mouth was raised as if he was smiling, and his eyes, which seemed to hold a hint of unhappiness, were lowered. Shen Yan raised his face, and Zhao Linsu had already finished adjusting his tie and come over. "Brother Shen."
"Wow, so handsome."
Shen Shen complimented Zhao Linsu profusely and introduced him to Fang Fei. "This is my brother's friend, childhood friend, handsome, right?"
"Handsome," Fang Fei smiled. "Indeed, handsome guys are friends with handsome guys."
"Haha," Shen Shen put his arm around Shen Yan's shoulder and said to Zhao Linsu, "Linsu, thank you for your trouble this time. When you get married in the future, I'll have Yan Yan be your best man!"
Zhao Linsu smiled. "Okay."
Shen Shen chose his suit very quickly. Shen Yan felt that his brother was even more perfunctory than he, the best man. On the other hand, Fang Fei tried on several outfits back and forth, and by the time she finally decided, it was past lunchtime. Fang Fei took them to a nearby restaurant she knew well for lunch. While she went to the restroom to touch up her makeup, Shen Yan couldn't help but say to his brother again, "Brother, how come I never realized you had the potential to be a渣男 before? You were too casual when choosing your suit just now, weren't you, Zhao Linsu?" Shen Yan even dragged his teammate into criticizing his brother.
Shen Shen smiled. "The bride is the main character at the wedding, I'm not important."
"Nonsense, both people are important at a wedding."
"Oh-ho-ho, look how anxious he is," Shen Shen said, sipping his tea and pointing his index finger at Shen Yan, but facing Zhao Linsu. "This one is definitely a wife-doting type."
"Brother—"
"Don't worry," Shen Shen put down his teacup. "Your brother isn't a渣男. If you don't believe me, ask your Sister Fei, oh, she's back."
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