Winner Takes All

Li Shuo thought about it and felt that telling the truth is not good in this situation however, he was unwilling to tell lies, so he compromised: “I’m going to meet an old friend.”

“Is there an old friend of the ‘old place’?” Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes slightly, “Don’t tell me it’s an ex-boyfriend?”

Li Shuo looked into Zhao Jinxin’s eyes and said, “Yes.”

Zhao Jinxin gave a “tsk” and said “You’re not even gonna coax me a bit?”

“I don’t like lying and it’s unnecessary.”

Zhao Jinxin pressed his chest against Li Shuo’s chest. Their faces are inches apart, they can feel their breath on each other’s face, his eyes flashed with dangerous light: “What if I don’t let you go?”

Li Shuo swallows in fear unconsciously: “What reason do you have for not letting me go?” He didn’t know what reason Zhao Jinxin would give. He felt that he was expecting a certain reason, but he couldn’t tell what exactly it is that he is expecting.

And Zhao Jinxin just stared at him for a long while, smiling, and said: “I really don’t seem to have a reason not to let you go. After all, I am not like you. I was a liar.”

Li Shuo frowned and did not speak.

Zhao Jinxin’s hand suddenly covered Li Shuo’s head. It was very large that it won’t be a problem to hold a basketball empty-handed. He rudely pressed Li Shuo’s head to the side, and then his lips were pressed against the slender neck.

Li Shuo was stunned for a moment, and felt that Zhao Jinxin was sucking his neck vigorously, almost biting.

“Zhao Jinxin!” After Li Shuo realized what he was doing, he pushed him abruptly.

Zhao Jinxin stepped back, licked the corner of his mouth, looked at Li Shuo with a wicked smile, and said in a gentle voice: “You may go.”

Li Shuo touched his neck and stared at Zhao Jinxin angrily: “Can you be more mature?”

Zhao Jinxin grinned and said, “How is it to be more mature? Uncle Li wanna teach me?” Those white teeth of his made him looked like some kind of a predator.

Li Shuo wanted to question Zhao Jinxin, ‘wasn’t you the one who defaulted their relationship to be mere sex friends back at the hospital? Why acting like this now?‘ But he didn’t want to insult himself. He knew countless people, but he couldn’t see through this big boy in his early twenties.

Li Shuo shook his head disappointedly, “You can learn it yourself”, he turned, opened the door and left.

Zhao Jinxin placed his hands on his waist and stared at the closed door blankly for a long time before muttering to himself mockingly: “‘I don’t need to learn it… Who the hell cares…”

Back in the car, Li Shuo looked at his neck through the rearview mirror. A huge reddish-brown hickey was attached to his skin. Only a scarf could cover it. But wearing a scarf in this weather willl only make it more suspicious.

He even wondered whether to cover it with makeup.

What am I covering it for? Why should I even cover it? Li Shuo thought suddenly.

He and Han Feiye have been separated for twelve years.

Twelve years.

Seeing Han Feiye again, he was very excited and happy. He recalls the memory of his young and pure emotions during his student days. It was like a mouthful of honey.

But after a while, he settled in the fact that they had not seen each other for twelve years. Maybe Han Feiye already has changed in some ways, and he also…

He also…

Li Shuo looked at the hickey in the mirror and got himself into thinking.

He and Zhao Jinxin are nothing but sex friends. But that doesn’t mean that there will be anything to come between him and Han Feiye. He can’t deny that there is a little expectation in his heart, but he can’t tell whether that expectation is a reminiscence of his youth or if he is tempted to the current existence of Han Feiye.

In short, this is just an ordinary meeting between two people who had not met in a long time.

Li Shuo put down the collar that he had desperately lifted up before, no longer wanting to cover up, and drove to the “old place”-the cafe where he and Han Feiye often dated back then.

That café is near their old university. It had existed probably before he was even born. It has been incorporated into one of the “history” of the school since the students and staffs alike regularly visited the cafe.

Since his graduation, Li Shuo had never set foot there again, just like his relationship with Han Feiye, he left it behind for twelve years.

When Li Shuo walked into the cafe, he saw Han Feiye sitting under the bookshelf near the corner.

Today, he wore a casual outfit with his elbows resting on the table, and he was reading a book with his neck down. At first glance, he looked not much different from the students around him.

Li Shuo seemed to see the past memory and the ghost of reality. He could not count how many times before this where Han Feiye would waited for him while reading, waited for him to walk over, then raised his head, smiled at him, and said: “You’re late.”

Han Feiye’s smile penetrated the dense fog of time, and once again appeared in front of him.

Li Shuo felt sour. Looking at the face that was no longer a teenager, he couldn’t help feeling how time had passed by. He wondered if Han Feiye had the same feeling when he looked at him, and if he had the same memories that could be traced back to him.

Li Shuo showed a gentle smile: “Sorry to let you wait so long.”

“No. I had just arrived too, sit down.” Han Feiye looked around, “It hasn’t changed much here after so many years.”

“Yes, but the book has been updated a lot.” Li Shuo smiled and shook his head, “It is still crowded.”

“Twelve years, time has passed too fast.” Han Feiye looked at Li Shuo quietly, “You have changed a lot, so steady and so cool, but still very gentle.”

Li Shuo smiled lightly and said, “You don’t seem to have changed much.” Han Feiye is one year older than him, but ever since his days as a student, he is matured far beyond Li Shuo. He looks like a weak scholar in appearance, but he is a very courageous and assertive person. This kind of temperament, which is generally soft to rigid, grows stronger with age.

“Well…” Han Feiye suddenly noticed the hickey on Li Shuo’s neck, and he was taken aback.

Even though Li Shuo was prepared, he subconsciously covered his neck and apologized: “I’m sorry, it’s too silly, I really didn’t want to go out like this.”

Han Feiye smiled: “What kind of person is he?”

“He’s… a foolish person.”

“Is he a boyfriend? Or…”

Li Shuo was suddenly caught in his throat, feeling a little flustered inexplicably as he whispered: “Not a boyfriend.”

Han Feiye nodded and didn’t ask any more, his low eyebrows made it difficult to distinguish his emotions.

This kind of thing is common in gay circles, not to mention that they are not kids anymore.

“Where do you work now?” Li Shuo changed the subject.

“I moved to a technology company engaged in AI last year and became the chief financial officer.” Speaking of his career, he was more energetic. “We raised 220 million yuan in round B and plan to go public within two years.”

“Congratulations.” Li Shuo smiled. “We shouldn’t make an appointment in the cafe today. We should go drink to celebrate.”

“It’s fine here.” Han Feiye raised the coffee cup, “The important thing is the person and the mind. Everything you drink is the same.”

Li Shuo also raised the cup, touched his cup with his, and said sincerely: “Feiye, I really congratulate you.”

Han Feiye took a sip of coffee, and his smile suddenly became a little stiff: “Our company’s product is in the direction of medical AI. Last year, with investor funding, we donated a batch of equipment worth 5 million to…Africa.”

Li Shuo was startled.

“The donation ceremony was very big. Our boss went, and I followed.” Han Feiye took a deep breath, “After so many years, I still went to Africa and provided a little help for the people there. It’s just a little too late. So during that time, I always think of you.”

“Feiye…” Li Shuo felt uncomfortable. “I always wanted to apologize to you. I was too ignorant back then and didn’t consider your difficulties.” He was in a superior family since he was a child, and he has never worried about money in his entire life. He was too young to understand Han Feiye’s choice, and he had regretted it in the days to come.

Han Feiye’s eyes were a little red: “I also want to apologize to you. I was…you know, my parents came to the United States illegally. I really can’t refuse the annual salary of $50,000, but I violated our promise. .”

“Feiye.” Li Shuo said solemnly, “I’m sorry.” After 12 years, he was finally able to apologize properly and sincerely in front of Han Feiye.

Han Feiye took a sigh of relief, calmed his emotions, and said softly: “Little Shuo, no one needs to be sorry, we are all too young back then. At the time I thought, if you love me, why can’t you stay for me. What you think is, if I love you, why can’t I go with you. In fact, with you, I have never stopped having low self-esteem. It is expected that sooner or later we will part ways.”

“Feiye, you have no reason to feel inferior.” Li Shuo stared at him, “You are perfect.” He still remembered that when he first saw him, the handsome and quiet oriental youth in a white shirt was among a group of tall black and white people. The place where the plants gather, such as the empty valley and the orchids. He stood there independent of the world, and like the deer in the forest, ignorant of winning the weak, almost immediately made his heartbeat racing.

Han Feiye smiled faintly: “Little Shuo, you are more perfect. You never know what you look like in the eyes of others, probably many times better than you think.”

Li Shuo also smiled: “Thank you.”

“You, you were handsome when you were young, and now you are right here in front of me, you have gotten more and more flavorful. I can’t do this anymore. Meanwhile, I have been tempted to mature into an uncle since I focused on work these years.” Han Feiye laughed at himself.

“It seems that you are too busy to look in the mirror.” Li Shuo looked at him seriously, “We are all worldly people, but you don’t have a lot of worldly taste. You are just the same as before.”

Han Feiye chuckled and said, “You are still so good at sweet talking. No, time flies too fast. In a blink of an eye, next year will be my birth year.”

Li Shuo was stunned: “You…are also a sheep.”

“Yeah, have you forgotten? I am one year older than you.”

“I didn’t forget.” He didn’t forget but he had just been reminded of the fact that Feiye is also a sheep. Li Shuo rubbed his hair, inexplicably upset.

There are two sheeps, one is 11 years younger, the genius who spent the night with him, the other is 1 year older, sitting in front of him, and he cherishes the basketful of memories of his most youthful years.

Could it be that what the so-called master said is true?

Li Shuo quickly took a sip of coffee, interrupting his own thoughts, for fear of being brainwashed by superstition.

“All these years, I have been…”

Han Feiye’s words were interrupted by Li Shuo’s phone ringing. Li Shuo glanced at the phone on the table. The caller ID on the screen turned out to be Zhao Jinxin’s naked chest muscles!

Li Shuo quicly picked up the phone, while Han Feiye turned his head awkwardly.

Li Shuo scolded Zhao Jinxin secretly in his head. When the hell did he change the picture? He answered the phone and said angrily: “Hello?”

“Uncle Li.” Zhao Jinxin’s voice sounded pitiful.

“What happened?”

“My house……”

Li Shuo is a little nervous. He’s scared if something bad has happened.

“There’s a power cut.”

Li Shuo was silent for a moment: “I have something else to do, so first…”

“I’m afraid of the dark.”

Li Shuo sighed, “How old are you?”

“Sir, can’t you be old and not be afraid of the dark?” Zhao Jinxin said sullenly, “Uncle Li, will you come to me?”

Li Shuo felt that Zhao Jinxin was completely bullshitting him, but it was not easy to rule out the possibility that maybe Zhao Jinxin was really afraid of the dark, even though he was already deceived by him more than once.

Han Feiye said: “If you have somewhere to be, go ahead. We’re just here to talk casually today anyway.”

Li Shuo thought that Han Feiye saw the picture of the caller ID so he might really need to be away temporarily to ease the embarrassment just now. He said to the phone: “We’ll talk later.” After hanging up the phone, he embarrassedly said: “Feiye, I’m really sorry. I will contact you again.”

Han Feiye smiled and nodded.

Li Shuo took a serious look at him, and couldn’t help but stretched out his hand and touched his hair: “I am very, very happy to see you. I had a good time.”

Han Feiye’s eyes flashed and a soft smile appeared: “Me too.”

Li Shuo stood up, gave him a gentleman’s nod, and turned away.

Han Feiye’s eyes chased his back until he disappeared.