One sentence was all it took to win him over

Shan Ye went into his room, shut the door, and flopped onto the big bed. After a whole day in the car, he could finally let his exhaustion settle.

He rolled over onto his back, his mind full of Fan Jin. What was Fan Jin doing now? Was his grandmother feeling any better?

He pulled out his phone, wanting to call Fan Jin.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off."

Shan Ye frowned. Switched off?

Why?

He kept feeling that Fan Jin had been acting strange lately. Was he still angry about what happened that day?

Wait, shouldn't I be the one who's angry? He had been so upset over it that he hadn't eaten or slept properly for days.

Fan Jin had said he didn't believe him, didn't believe his feelings were real.

He felt wronged.

It was his first time liking someone, and he liked him so much, wanted him so badly. But the rejection had been so blunt. Anyone would have needed a few days to get over that.

Shan Ye stared at his phone's dark screen, and that sense of hurt welled up in his chest again.

Fan Jin had been the first to distrust him, the first to give him the cold shoulder, so why was he also the one who ended up switching off his phone and leaving messages unanswered?

He tossed his phone aside, pulled the covers over his head, and burrowed deeper into bed.

The night in Osmanthus City was quiet, a faint scent of osmanthus drifting through the window. Yet he didn't feel relaxed at all. Instead, his mind was filled with Fan Jin's stern, handsome face.

He couldn't make sense of it.

Could it be... that he really doesn't care about me at all?

The more Shan Ye thought about it, the worse he felt, until his chest seemed clogged. He simply got up, rushed into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on his face.

The person in the mirror had slightly reddened eyes and looked pitiful and hurt.

He took a deep breath.

Stop thinking about it.

I came here to clear my head. I can't keep letting Fan Jin dictate my mood.

Just then, two soft knocks sounded at the door.

"Shan Ye, are you asleep? I ordered some food. Want to come downstairs and have some?" It was Yu Chuan's voice.

Shan Ye wiped his face and composed himself before opening the door. "Not yet. Let me change, and I'll be right down."

The restaurant downstairs was warmly lit, with Osmanthus Creek right beside it and the gentle sound of flowing water.

Yu Chuan had already ordered a tableful of local snacks. Smiling, he pushed a glass of osmanthus wine toward him. "Try this. It's a local specialty, and it isn't very strong."

Shan Ye took a small sip. It was sweet, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, and as it slid down his throat, a little of the heaviness in his heart eased.

Yu Chuan looked at him gently. "You seemed distracted all afternoon. Something on your mind?"

Shan Ye held his glass, his fingertips tightening slightly. "No, just a little tired from the drive."

He didn't want to tell a colleague about what was going on between him and Fan Jin.

Yu Chuan didn't press him. He quietly kept him company over the meal, cracking the occasional joke, and the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

Halfway through the meal, Shan Ye's phone suddenly lit up.

The screen displayed "Fan Jin," and his heart gave a sharp leap. Fan Jin had texted him back.

Shan Ye's breath caught.

Fan Jin said, "I was on a plane just now, so my phone was off. Did you call me?"

Shan Ye's lips curved as he read it. He hastily stuffed the snack in his hand into his mouth and said indistinctly, "Go ahead and eat. I'm going to make a call."

He got up and went outside. After checking that no one was around, he called Fan Jin back.

The call was answered almost immediately, and Shan Ye's voice instantly brightened. "Fan Jin!"

"Yeah, what is it?" Fan Jin answered as he walked, with a faint sound of wind in the background.

"Did you just get off the plane? Where did you go?"

"I'm back in my hometown for a few days. I brought my grandmother."

Shan Ye nodded, his voice turning a little tentative. "...Fan Jin, are you still angry?"

"Me? What would I be angry about?"

Standing outside the door, Shan Ye fidgeted, tugging at the leaves on a tree. "That day... you sounded so serious. I thought you were angry. You haven't sent me a message in days."

Fan Jin went quiet. In truth, Shan Ye knew that even if Fan Jin wasn't angry, he wouldn't message him first. He just wanted to talk to him a little longer and air a few grievances. Otherwise, he would feel unsettled throughout the entire National Day holiday.

Afraid Fan Jin would hang up, Shan Ye hurried on. "You know, Fan Jin, I came away with my colleagues for a team-building trip. I wanted to invite you along, but you didn't seem to have time."

"You won't hold it against me, will you?" A playful note slipped into his voice as he tested Fan Jin's attitude.

"No. I really do have things to take care of these next few days. Have fun."

Shan Ye smiled. "Okay! I'll come see you when I get back, then."

"Mm."

Fan Jin added, "Stay safe."

That one sentence left Shan Ye grinning. Fan Jin still worries about me.

"Okay, I'll remember."

In the end, Fan Jin hung up first. That brief two-minute call had already cleared away half the gloom in Shan Ye's heart. He even felt that this trip had been a little unnecessary. One phone call from Fan Jin was enough to win him over.

He really was that hopeless.

After hanging up, Shan Ye couldn't stop smiling. He hummed a little tune all the way back to the restaurant.

Yu Chuan looked up and laughed. "One phone call, and you look like you've won the lottery. Who was it? What's got you so happy?"

Shan Ye's ears warmed slightly. He sat down, picked up his osmanthus wine, and took a sip, coughing once to cover his embarrassment. "A good friend."

"A friend can turn that gloomy face into such a big smile in an instant?" Yu Chuan deliberately drew out his words, his gaze teasing. "I'd say there's more to this relationship, isn't there?"

With his feelings exposed, Shan Ye simply refused to answer and lowered his head to eat his snacks.

Yu Chuan didn't push him. He merely smiled and shook his head, lost in thought.

Over the next two days, Shan Ye came back to life. Before, he had been listless, unable to muster any enthusiasm even for the scenery. Now, as he explored the old town with Yu Chuan, crossed stone bridges, and rode little boats, the smile never left his face.

The fragrance of osmanthus was everywhere in Osmanthus City, and the soft breeze felt wonderful against his skin.

Yu Chuan's attentiveness toward him also became more noticeable, little by little. He often helped him with small things, but Shan Ye's thoughts were all back in Muzhou, all on Fan Jin. He took it as nothing more than courtesy between colleagues and never considered any other possibility.

To Yu Chuan, however, this was the perfect opportunity to get closer to him.

The two of them went for a ride in a black-canopied boat. The little boat bobbed gently along Osmanthus Creek, with osmanthus branches drooping over both banks. Whenever the wind blew, petals scattered all over the boat.

Holding the oar, Yu Chuan turned to look at Shan Ye. Sunlight fell across his profile, his lashes long, making him a pleasing sight. Yu Chuan couldn't help smiling. "Shan Ye, you look really nice when you smile. Why do you always look so tense at school?"

Shan Ye had been looking around. At those words, he paused and turned back to him. "Do I? Maybe I'm tired from work. You know what our line of work is like. How could we not worry?"

Yu Chuan smiled. "True. Teachers have so much to do." He rested the oar against the side and reached out to brush the osmanthus petals off Shan Ye's shoulder, his fingertips grazing Shan Ye's neck in passing.

Shan Ye's neck tickled, and he instinctively shrank back a little. "Thanks."

He felt a little uncomfortable. Yu Chuan's gaze seemed too tender, so tender that it almost crossed a line. As another man, especially a gay man, he was highly sensitive to that sort of look. But Yu Chuan hadn't said anything inappropriate, so Shan Ye couldn't really tell whether he was like him. Not wanting to cause a misunderstanding, he could only pretend not to notice.