Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Thirteen
Xin Yi did not come to see Song Bunan off.
After Xiao Mei and Shui Su entered the room to help him pack his things, they asked if he was waiting for someone. Bunan declined, having received a message earlier that morning stating that he had been assigned a task and could not come to see him out of the hospital, apologizing for it.
"Someone has work to do," Song Bunan said comfortably, leaning against a small pillow and watching the building where the Mighty Falcon was located gradually recede from view. For once, he felt no sense of loss. He never denied his feelings; he liked Xin Yi, but it also depended on the other person's situation.
Xin Yi did not seem like someone who could accept his feelings. Compared to being straightforward, their relationship was best described as ordinary friends. Xiao Mei, frustrated by Bunan's reluctance, scolded him for not being proactive, saying that simply asking would solve everything instead of being awkward about it.
In response to Xiao Mei's criticism, Bunan decided to strike back physically. He punched Xiao Mei on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Are you out of your mind? Are you out of your mind? With someone like you as my childhood friend, if I were to speak up and things didn't work out, what would happen to our friendship?"
That was indeed a valid point. Xiao Mei agreed. He pretended to be serious as he wrapped his arms around the patient and exaggeratedly sighed, "Just think about it; you're not a kid anymore but still playing this secret crush game. It's rare that someone catches your eye. So tell me, is it their figure you like or something else? Is it emotional attraction or purely physical?"
God knows how much Song Bunan wanted to tear this blabbermouth apart; they were in a car with a driver present! However, the person in question didn’t mind and continued to gesture for more details.
"Does that even matter?!" Bunan wanted to shout. The person sitting next to him smirked at his reaction and spat out mockingly, "Who doesn't know you're famous for being indifferent? Now that you've found something good, you want to investigate every detail inside and out so you can give gifts later."
Song Bunan didn’t want to know what kind of gift that would be; he just wanted to escape.
In the passenger seat, Shui Su chimed in, "Based on what Bunan has said about his preferences in the past, Xin Yi does indeed have both the figure and looks that appeal to him. However, people from Mighty Falcon rarely disclose their marital status; many are already married. He could very well be one of them. If you really like him, we could look into his background first."
Among the three of them, Song Bunan was the oldest, but Shui Su was more mature and composed than both of them combined. His words carried a sense of reliability that made him the decision-maker among the trio. After he spoke, Xiao Mei took over the conversation again, suggesting that Xin Yi seemed like someone with an aloof personality and probably didn't have a wife.
"He looks even more indifferent than Song Bunan; his wife might just be a treadmill at the gym," Song Bunan realized he couldn't refute this statement—Xin Yi indeed didn't seem like someone who could settle down.
From the rearview mirror, Shui Su smiled. When he smiled, he appeared much gentler than when expressionless; his voice was soft like a feather brushing against Song Bunan's heart as he remarked that Xin Yi was quite energetic.
"How do you know?!" Xiao Mei leaned forward with suspicion in his tone. The questioned individual tilted his head slightly toward him and brushed off some lint from the boy's face while claiming he had never misjudged anyone before. "But he does seem quite indifferent."
"That's just a facade. This guy has high cheekbones and a well-proportioned physique with an air of danger about him; he's definitely not someone who's indifferent. Of course, he wouldn't act recklessly either, but whether he's married or not is hard to say. Bunan, are you sure you like him?" The question fell back onto Song Bunan. He closed his eyes and took a light breath.
"I’ve only just met him; I’m just attracted to his body—being friends is enough for me. Liking someone is too complicated." He hated love.
Beside him, Xiao Mei also slumped down in defeat and pulled out a handful of beans from his pocket, crunching them loudly as he declared that if he kept worrying about someone else's romantic issues in this car, he'd have to change his name to 'Brain Trouble.' Neither of them noticed Shui Su's helpless expression in the front seat nor did they catch sight of the driver’s smirk.
The wound had healed remarkably well. Although there were still ten days until the stitches would be removed, Song Bunan felt ready to return home and face the storm. Accepting the local specialties that Xiao Mei had prepared for him, he stood at the entrance of his apartment building, rehearsing the carefully crafted lines in his mind, striving for perfection to avoid being exposed.
It had been a month since he last visited home. During that time, his parents had called countless times, and he had received numerous reminders from his brother. However, he was too lazy; aside from work, all he wanted to do was lounge in bed. He had originally planned to visit before heading into the mountains, but once he lay down, he lost all motivation and missed the opportunity. No one expected there would be no signal in those mountains.
His family's apartment above had its windows open, and it was mealtime. Song Bunan checked to ensure his wound was perfectly concealed and that his rehearsed responses covered all possible questions. He strode confidently up the stairs but froze at the door, staring blankly at the keypad lock.
Had they changed the lock in just a few days?
In the kitchen, Song Buxian's phone chimed with a notification. To his surprise, it was his "missing" younger brother. Their mother gestured for him to answer and put it on speaker.
“Brother—” The familiar wail came through the phone. “You guys moved without telling me!” At that moment, the same words echoed from outside the door.
He turned to look at his mother and caught a glimpse of his father, who had been watching television but now stood up smoothly to grab a ruler from behind the door to open it. His troublesome younger brother! He set down the vegetables he had been preparing, thinking he should go watch the live version of stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat that he hadn't seen in a while.
The person standing outside with gifts looked even thinner than when they last met, grinning like a weasel about to steal a chicken. His pale face clearly indicated he had gotten into trouble again before returning home. The ruler hovered three centimeters above his head before finally landing softly, delivering a loving tap from their father.
“Look who decided to come back! Just look at your complexion; you’ve gotten so thin! Haven’t you been eating properly?” Having been a source of worry since childhood, he knew how to act cute. He dropped everything and dove into his father's embrace, rubbing against him while declaring how hungry he was. “Hmph! Like a little rat; you don’t come home unless there’s food. Go wash your hands; your mother made fish. If you want anything else, just ask.”
He drifted into the kitchen and showered his mother’s face with kisses before being stuffed with a mouthful of cold dishes. “You’ve been running wild again and even moved! I sent you the password that day; you didn’t even look.” The one being scolded just smiled foolishly and said the dishes needed more salt. “Get out and wash your hands; come back and help your brother with the vegetables.”
Song Bunan pulled over a small stool and sat down next to his brother, who had just settled in. He whispered to ask why he was also home today. A familiar glare shot back at him, prompting him to instinctively shift away. “You don’t really think I wouldn’t know where you went, do you?”
Faced with such an obvious threat, he chose to smile instead. He had known since childhood that his brother's cleverness was something he could never match; no matter how flawless his lies were, they would always be exposed in front of him—especially those involving himself. Song Bunan took over the vegetables from his brother’s hands, trying to present himself as a good child who definitely hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Hmph.” His brother scoffed at him dismissively, saying that playing tricks here was beneath Song Bunan's level. Then he leaned closer and whispered that he would personally change the dressing in the afternoon. Upon hearing this, Song Bunan felt darkness clouding his vision; life suddenly lost its joy. He abandoned the vegetables and moved over to seek comfort from their father.
Grumbling about how his older brother was still acting like a spoiled child despite being grown up, their father popped peeled grapes into his mouth while asking if he wanted an orange too. He nodded eagerly, indicating that he also wanted pomelo.
Xin Yi stood upstairs watching as Song Bunan got into a car and drove away into the distance when suddenly their older brother appeared beside her without her noticing. They shared a silent understanding until the car vanished from sight before sitting down together to pull out documents for verification.
“What's this? Are you feeling tempted?” The coffee in her cup was bitter; one sip was enough to wake her up fully. Xin Yi shook her head, trying to brush off the question, but their older brother wasn't going to let it slide easily. “He is indeed rare; with such a harmonious family vibe, it's normal for you to feel envious or fond of him.”
"Normal?" He cast a questioning glance at him.
"You've been with Mighty Falcon since the beginning and have never been in a relationship. You do have your share of bed partners, though. I've talked to a few who have spent more time with you, and they say you don't understand what emotions are. When you're working, you act like a person, but otherwise, you're just like a machine. Yet, when you're with that little fortune teller, you seem more natural; your expressions even change." He watched the boss drink tea, not intending to respond.
"But then again, since you don't discriminate between genders, there must be some standard you follow when choosing partners. Or is it just about utility?" They never shied away from discussing issues, even private matters. He wasn't sure what role the boss played in his heart, but it was definitely more than just a boss. So he trusted this man enough to open up about certain things.
Xin Yi finished the last sip of his coffee and pondered for a long time before replying, "Those people always ask me strange questions afterward—about love and marriage. To me, those things are irrelevant. As adults, fulfilling physical needs doesn't have to be based on emotions. But Song Bunan, as you mentioned, I do envy him. If I had a family too, would I become like him?"
"Like him?"
"Yeah. He's very... innocent." Xin Yi struggled to find the right words to describe Song Bunan, trying hard to articulate his thoughts. "An outstanding graduate from military school, more capable than some members of Mighty Falcon, yet I can see that innocence in the way he speaks and moves. He catches bugs while walking on mountain paths, hangs many toys on his bag, carries candy in his pockets, and playfully tussles with friends like a child. I've never met anyone like that before, so I find it... intriguing."
This intrigue stemmed from his own background—a harmonious family and close friends—growing up carefree and well-off. Could someone like that truly exist? Xin Yi couldn't imagine it. He couldn't even determine if he felt envy or jealousy or if he simply longed for such a life.
The boss listened intently to his words and finally asked him, "So do you think you'd want to spend your life with someone like that? If so, in what capacity?"
Xin Yi struggled to formulate an answer and ultimately chose the most neutral response he could think of. "If it's about love and spending a lifetime together, I could accept that with him. But Song Bunan doesn’t seem like someone who likes men."
The boss remarked that he was still too young. After saying this, he pulled out several photographs from his pocket; the background was from the team's infirmary. One photo captured the bedside table with a picture displayed there—his own silhouette taken during a check-up two years ago.
"Your sister-in-law told me that this kid specifically went to the nurse's station to ask if there were any pictures of you and ended up choosing this one. What are you afraid of? If you like him, go after him! If he rejects you, then just find someone else."
Comment 0 Comment Count