The June of Blossoming Yearning

A long time passed in this manner, with the older man silently staring out of the window to an unknown void and the younger man lying on the bed staring unblinkingly at the older man. But the man facing the window still wasn't ready to turn his back.

The younger man had started to get irked by the man being unable to feel his gaze. He had been, quite literally burning holes into the man's back, could this man really not feel it? Or is it that, to the other man, his presence is just not something worthy of paying attention to?

Finally working out a petty excuse to turn the man's attention to him, he called out to the older man, "Uncle Lin, look it's your wedding night and you're here taking care of me. I couldn't even be there at your wedding banquet. I haven't toasted to you, yet. Why don't we have a drink to celebrate?"

"Anyways, I'm feeling cold enough, drinking some alcohol could help warm me up"

Shen Zichen was feeling quite proud of the excuse he had mustered up on the spot. He felt that it quite fit the situation.

Chu Ruilin turned around and his eyes finally gazed back at the younger man. By now, his expression had reverted to it's usual 'stand-offish' one. After listening to the younger man's suggestion, he replied sternly, "Drinking alcohol could make you feel warm temporarily but it's not actually recommended. Just, burrow in the quilt and sleep, you'll feel warm soon enough. I can get you a hot water bottle, as well. Look your leg is sneaking out of the quilt. And you aren't even wearing socks. And you want to drink alcohol? How old are you again?"

Shen Zichen, who just wanted the man to pay attention to him but got lectured instead : ?

Feeling helpless, he retracted his leg back into the quilt and replied aggrievedly, "I will be turning nineteen soon and i just wanted to drink a little to congratulate you. Anyways, I can't possibly fall asleep so early. "

Chu Ruilin, seeing Shen Zichen finally perfectly covered with the quilt again, gave a "hmm" of approval, then thinking a little, he turned around to walk to the mini bar in the room.

After some consideration, he grabbed a bottle of moutai baijiu and 2 crystal glasses. After placing these on the beside table, he dragged a recliner chair over and sat on it.

He had left his phone back on charge, there would be no important calls coming for the night. He didn't want to go back to his wedding suite, either. He and Fang Yunzhu had previously agreed to be cordial but he just didn't want to deal with her, right now.

As he poured the transparent, mild yellow liquor, an elegant and delicate aroma wafted in the room. Only the clinking sound of the glasses and the liquor bottle could be heard. The rest of the room was completely isolated from any sound.

"You aren't allowed to drink more than 2 glasses", ordered Chu Ruilin to Shen Zichen.

Shen Zichen was a little amazed that the man had agreed to his suggestion after all that lecturing. He lifted himself up to recline his head on the bed's velvet headboard, making sure he was still perfectly covered by the quilt.

When Chu Ruilin handed him the liquor glass, he stared at the man's hand holding the glass for a short while. Finally, he reached out to take the glass handed to him and 'inadvertently' touched a large portion of Chu Ruilin's fingers in the process.

Two men, one sick and one exhausted, one younger and one older, one single and one married, shared an expensive bottle of moutai baijiu in an equally expensive hotel room in the balmy month of June.

They both drank the first two glasses in solitude. Neither one uttering a syllable, only silently sipping the liquor.

Shen Zichen didn't stop after the promised 'two glasses'.

Chu Ruilin didn't notice the guy refilling his glass for the third time, either. He was lost in thought, staring into space when he was suddenly hit by a barrage of questions by Shen Zichen.

He replied curtly to all questions, answering only in monosyllables when the answer allowed.

Shen Zichen wasn't a drinker. He had only drank a handful of times before. At the moment however, he was already tipsy on his third glass. His tongue had freed itself from his brain's control and was letting loose of all types of questions to suffocate Chu Ruilin with.

The variety of the questions was also quite colourful. Few examples were: " Is studying neurology hard? Do you think I could study it, too?, "You- Why are your eyes so pretty?" " The shirt you usually wear, what brand is it? I want to buy it" "Is your favorite color white?", "How much was your score in GAOKAO?" "What's your shoe size?" " What do you think about the current political situation in China?" "Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?".

After the fourth glass, the liquor started to spark embers of anger inside of him. However, he didn't know what he was angry at. He hotly questioned Chu Ruilin, "Do you like Fang Yunzhu as your wife? You both make quite a picturesque couple"

Chu Ruilin wasn't quite hearing him by this point, he just replied with a "hmm".

Shen Zichen unrelentlessly spoke again "That's good. It's just that I remembered that psychologist Dr Yang always paying late night visits to your room. I thought you had something going on with him. But you suddenly married a wife out of nowhere. To be honest, I was a little surprised".

This long barrage of sentences finally made its way into Chu Ruilin's ears, leaving him baffled. Him and Doctor Yang? Him and Doctor Yang? Him and ...Doctor Yang?

Isn't Doctor Yang also a man?

What does this little guy think about all day long?

"What could ever go on between a doctor and his patient? Zichen, you have quite the imagination there. Why don't you harvest all this creativity and become a script writer instead? hmm? " came Chu Ruilin's exasperated voice.