The crescent moon hung high in the sky as the evening breeze, carrying the coolness of nightfall, swept across the street. The few pedestrians still out clutched their coats tighter and quickened their pace, heads bowed.

A taxi pulled up in front of an apartment building. The driver unlocked the doors and addressed his young passenger in the back seat somewhat awkwardly, “We’ve arrived, sir.”

Through the rearview mirror, the driver glimpsed the young man’s slightly downturned face. The glow from a laptop illuminated his features, not making him appear pale or eerie, but rather lending him a uniquely detached and captivating air.

‘What kind of VIP am I driving around at this hour?’ the driver wondered to himself.

With looks and an aura like that, typing away on his computer the whole ride from the airport… Could he be some CEO of a listed company, working round the clock to manage billions in cash flow?

After all, only the wealthy and powerful lived in this neighborhood.

“Yeah.” Shen Yu closed his laptop, quickly gathered his things, and exited the vehicle. His tone was neutral as he said, “Thanks for your trouble.”

As the driver went to retrieve the luggage from the trunk, he heard the young man add, “I’ve already sent a tip through the app. I did have an urgent matter to attend to, that’s why I called for a late-night ride. Thank you.”

The driver was momentarily taken aback. “Oh… no need to thank me. I’m used to driving at this hour every day.”

The young man nodded politely, took his luggage, and strode towards the apartment building without a backward glance. His slender silhouette receded into the distance, the hem of his coat fluttering in the wind.

The driver watched for a good while before coming to his senses. Why had he bothered explaining himself? The passenger was just being courteous.

Shen Yu’s luggage was rather cumbersome. He leaned down slightly to steady the suitcase while freeing one hand to input the door code. With a beep, the apartment door swung open to reveal pitch darkness within.

No one was home.

Shen Yu’s steps faltered momentarily before he entered and switched on the lights.

It was now 11 p.m. He had just returned from an academic conference abroad with several of his students. The meeting had progressed more smoothly than anticipated, concluding two days ahead of schedule.

His pocket vibrated. Shen Yu absently placed his keys on top of the shoe cabinet and lowered his long lashes as he took out his phone.

There were several new messages from his students, not only inquiring if he had arrived safely but also timidly and cautiously asking about the status of their thesis drafts submitted to him a week ago.

“I’ve finished reviewing them,” Shen Yu replied to each. “I’ll send them back after organizing my notes.”

During the taxi ride, he quickly skimmed through all the pending papers on his laptop and added some brief annotations.

Exiting the group chat with his students, Shen Yu glanced at the numerous unread message notifications on WeChat. His finger lightly swiped the screen, locating Qi Fang’s conversation.

During Shen Yu’s five-day business trip, Qi Fang had diligently sent him three messages each day, morning, noon, and night:

Morning.

[Qi Er Shao¹Second Young Master (Home Alone Version): Awake? Eaten? Glucose levels?]

Noon.

[Qi Er Shao (Home Alone Version): Free? Eaten? Napped?]

Evening.

[Qi Er Shao (Home Alone Version): Off work? Missing me? Home?]

There were also some random, incoherent phrases that made no sense at first glance.

Shen Yu: “…”

Checking his own replies, he realized that due to his tight and busy schedule this trip, he had barely found time to respond to WeChat messages. He had only managed a brief “No” in response to Qi Fang yesterday evening during dinner.

Shen Yu changed his shoes and dragged his luggage into the living room while slowly typing out a message to Qi Fang.

[SY: I’m back.]

Just as he sent those few words, a notification popped up at the top of the WeChat dialogue box. It was a voice call request from the foreign conference organizer.

“Hey, Shen, I’m sorry for disturbing you so late, but I’ve calculated the time, and you should have just landed. Would you have about ten minutes to discuss the proposal you brought up during yesterday’s meeting…”

“One moment,” Shen Yu replied in English, releasing his grip on the luggage and picking up his laptop as he headed to the second floor of the duplex apartment. “Let me pull up the conference materials.”

After finishing the voice call with the conference organizer, he went online to find several relevant articles and sent them to his contact.

As he clicked send, Shen Yu happened to notice the time in the bottom right corner of his computer screen. It was nearly 1 a.m.

What was supposed to be a ten-minute call had extended to over an hour due to their heated discussion.

Shen Yu lowered his eyes, feeling somewhat drowsy.

His head was still a bit dizzy.

It was a sign of low blood sugar. He hadn’t eaten dinner in his rush to catch the flight back.

Shen Yun was used to this. He stood up and took a moment to steady himself before leaving the study and heading toward the other end of the hallway.

This duplex apartment had been jointly purchased by Shen Yu and Qi Fang before their marriage. The second floor alone was over 300 square meters, with bedrooms and studies at both ends of the hallway. Shen Yu and Qi Fang each occupied one side, typically keeping to themselves in their daily routines.

Connecting the two ends was an open wooden walkway. Below the railing was the first-floor living room. Standing on the walkway, one could see the river view through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room.

In the middle of the walkway was a small area designated as a tea break space. Solid wood cabinets lined both walls. The cabinet near Shen Yu’s bedroom was filled with various foreign language professional books, while the one near Qi Fang’s bedroom displayed racing car models, building blocks, some cheap self-help books, questionable Japanese cuisine recipe collections, barely surviving succulents, expensive wines for impressing guests, and at the very top… a frying pan.

A shiny black frying pan, mounted on a base, life-sized and gleaming – it was the golden trophy Qi Fang had won years ago at the A City Culinary King Competition.

Since then, he had placed it atop the cabinet, intent on ensuring Shen Yu would see it every time he passed by.

Shen Yu glanced at the frying pan without expression and walked directly to Qi Fang’s cabinet, quickly finding a small container of glucose powder.

A sticky note was attached to the container with clear tape, its edges curling. The handwriting was messy: “One-quarter cup each time, mix with warm water.”

Following the instructions, Shen Yu prepared a cup of glucose water and drank it while it was still hot. His dizziness finally began to subside.

Setting down the cup, he thoughtfully gazed in the direction of Qi Fang’s bedroom.

Qi Fang never closed his bedroom or study doors. Even standing in the middle of the hallway, Shen Yu could see everything inside. At this moment, both rooms were pitch dark. Qi Fang wasn’t there.

Taking out his phone again, Shen Yu realized that two hours had passed, and Qi Fang hadn’t replied to his message.

After staring at the WeChat chat interface for a moment, Shen Yu moved his finger and tapped on Qi Fang’s profile picture. The familiar cartoon Husky sketch had been replaced by a solid black image.

Qi Fang’s nickname had also been updated. Now it read:

“Qi Er Shao Heartbroken Version (Turned Dark)”

Shen Yu slowly furrowed his brow: “?”

*

The Didi²滴滴 (Dī dī) – DiDi, app-based transportation company driver, who had been picking up late-night passengers, once again found himself guided by GPS to the familiar gated community.

He watched as the fair-skinned, distinguished young man he had driven just hours ago – the one he suspected to be a “young and successful CEO” – pulled his coat tighter, opened the door, and slid into the back seat.

“0999,” Shen Yu provided his phone number’s last digits. Catching the driver’s confused look in the rearview mirror, he recognized the man.

Out of politeness, Shen Yu nodded to him and said courteously yet distantly, “Thanks for your trouble.”

“Uh, no trouble at all,” the driver replied, glancing at the back seat and then at the destination on his app – the city’s famous bar street.

Do all CEOs like to go out drinking at this hour? Could he be seeking excitement because he can’t sleep? Tch – the world of the rich…

The driver’s imagination ran wild.

As the car started moving, Shen Yu took out his phone, opened WeChat, and checked his Moments feed, something he rarely did.

It was already past midnight, and updates were becoming less frequent. However, half an hour ago, a contact named “Qin Xiaosa” had posted an update.

[Qin Xiaosa: Another night of drowning sorrows with a brother [Picture][Picture]]

The post included several casually taken photos. Despite the dim, hazy lighting, it was clear they were in a private room at a bar.

Shen Yu’s expression remained neutral as he opened one of the pictures and zoomed in. He saw Qi Fang slouched on a sofa, holding a disposable plastic cup filled with clear liquid, apparently drinking his sorrows away.

The poor lighting and blurry image made it impossible to discern Qi Fang’s expression, as his head was slightly lowered.

Shen Yu exited the Moments feed, searched for Qin Xiaosa’s name, and sent him a message:

[SY: Location.]
[Qin Xiaosa: ? Shen Yu? Didn’t Qi Fang say you were still abroad?]
[SY: Where’s the bar?]
[Qin Xiaosa: …I’ll send you the navigation.]

After receiving the location, Shen Yu closed his phone and addressed the driver, “Please change the destination. Thank you.”

*

Qin Xiaosa put away his phone and looked at the person sitting across from him.

Qi Fang had just downed a large bottle of clear liquid in one go. He burped, his mouth full of Sprite flavor, and said with a mix of sorrow and grief, “I asked Shen Yu if he missed me, and he actually dared to reply with just a ‘No’.”

“You tell me,” Qi Fang patted Qin Xiaosa’s shoulder, pouring himself another cup of Sprite and sighing, “We’ve been best friends for so many years. Tell me, does Shen Yu really not care about me at all?”

The group of friends around them gazed at the two with solemn expressions.

Qin Xiaosa, always composed and knowing Qi Fang’s temperament since childhood, pondered for a moment before saying, “Whether he misses you or not… surely this isn’t the first time you’ve asked Shen Yu this question.”

Qi Fang took a sip of Sprite and briefly zoned out. “Of course not.”

Since getting married, he had been asking this question every three days. If Shen Yu was away on a business trip, he’d ask once every day.

Qin Xiaosa probed further, “So how did Shen Yu respond before?”

Qi Fang slammed his disposable cup on the table and said through gritted teeth, “Good question! Before, Shen Yu wouldn’t respond at all!”

Qin Xiaosa clapped his hands together and said, “Well then, the fact that he’s willing to respond now shows he values you more than before.”

The others: “…”

Qi Fang stroked his chin, deeply moved, and nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. As an outsider, you see things clearly. After being married for so long, it seems Shen Yu does have some feelings for me after all.”

A friend pulled Qin Xiaosa aside and whispered, “How can you lie so blatantly?”

Qin Xiaosa retorted, “Haven’t you had enough of drinking Sprite with him all night?”

The friend: “…”

Ever since Shen Yu left on his business trip, Qi Fang’s mood had been deteriorating day by day. He could only forcibly gather people to accompany him in drinking Sprite.

As for why they weren’t drinking alcohol, Second Young Master Qi caressed the Sprite bottle and said in a low voice, “I swore to Shen Yu that I wouldn’t give myself the opportunity to mess around after drinking.”

Second Young Master Qi had made countless vows to Shen Yu, so everyone was used to it. However, drinking Sprite all night not only led to frequent urination but also risked dangerously high blood sugar levels. The group sat with jittery legs, listening to Qi Fang continue to narrate his shattered feelings while secretly racking their brains for ways to escape quickly.

After Qin Xiaosa’s enlightening words momentarily lifted Qi Fang’s spirits, he soon became despondent again and addressed the group:

“A couple of days ago, I messaged Shen Yu saying I wasn’t feeling well and might be sick, but he didn’t respond,” Qi Fang said.

“You’re as lively as ever,” Qin Xiaosa remarked. “What kind of sickness could you possibly have?”

Qi Fang lowered his eyes and replied in a melancholic tone, “Prolonged yearning is a kind of illness…”

A chill swept through the friends gathered in the booth, freezing even the curves of their smiles.

“Can you use some trendy new phrases?” Qin Xiaosa suggested. “That line is so cliché even third-graders find it cheesy.”

“Marriage wears away one’s will,” someone else chimed in teasingly. “Qi Er Shao, if you had even a tenth of the effort you put into pursuing him back then, you wouldn’t be wallowing in self-pity here now.”

*

Just as Shen Yu was about to push open the private room door, he overheard this comment.

He paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand.

Inside the room, Qi Fang retorted, “What do you mean marriage wears down one’s will? Nonsense! Is it wrong to enjoy a peaceful life now that we’re older, instead of chasing romance like in our younger days? Let me tell you, if I hadn’t chased after Shen Yu when I was five and scared him into falling and chipping his front baby tooth, making him hold a grudge against me for all these years, I would’ve—celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary by now!”

A stunned silence fell over the room as everyone was shocked by this shameless defense.

“…” Qin Xiaosa was speechless for a moment before saying, “Just the other day, you were asking me how to make Shen Yu interested in your muscular body so he’d let you sleep on his bedroom floor for one night.”

They had been married for two years and he never even set foot in the other’s bedroom. If they hadn’t known each other since childhood, Qin Xiaosa would’ve thought something was seriously wrong with this guy.

Either his upper half wasn’t working, and he had mental issues; or his lower half wasn’t working, and he had… other issues.

As Qi Fang’s close friend, Qin Xiaosa decided to assume it was just a lack of courage.

Qi Fang coughed once and said quite frankly, “How can you call that a lack of courage?”

“It’s because Shen Yu respects me,” Qi Fang explained. “I sleep naked, sprawled out on my bed with the door wide open, and Shen Yu walks by without even glancing inside, afraid of offending me.”

“Don’t you think he’s polite and adorable?” Qi Fang added.

Led by Qin Xiaosa, the group of friends began to feel lightheaded and short of breath, and their fists clenched tight, itching to punch him a couple of times.

“So what do you want?” Qin Xiaosa asked. “You called us out today to drink this…”

He glanced at the Sprite in his glass. “…alcohol… What exactly are you trying to do?”

A friend in the back quipped softly, “He just wanted us to come for a class on being a gentleman. Haven’t you figured that out after so many sessions?”

“What gentleman class?” Qi Fang quickly responded. “It’s clearly about contemporary youth ethics.”

“Fine, ethics class monitor,” Qin Xiaosa said, too exhausted to argue further. He checked the time on his phone, estimating that person would arrive soon, and asked, “Is today’s class over? We’d like to go home and sleep.”

Qi Fang finally turned serious. “Actually, it’s nothing much. Shen Yu’s been away from home for several days, and I’m bored. I just wanted to call you guys out to catch up.”

“And while we’re at it, let’s discuss whether Shen Yu actually has feelings for me,” he added.

Damn it, Qin Xiaosa thought, this is about bringing the brothers out to strengthen his bond with Shen Yu!

“So, what’s your opinion?” Qi Fang suddenly asked.

Qin Xiaosa and his friends replied perfunctorily, “From what we’ve seen today, we think Shen Yu’s heart is definitely full of you.”

Qi Fang solemnly said, “Great minds think alike.”

Everyone relaxed and began to gather their things, ready to head home for the night.

Qin Xiaosa glanced at the still-closed door of the private room, then turned to ask Qi Fang, “Fangzi³The suffix -zi (子) is added to the end of names in Chinese as a familiar or condescending form of address, I have a question.”

“If Shen Yu were to appear in front of you right now and confess his feelings for you, what would you do?”

Qi Fang pondered for a moment, but instead of answering, he reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?” Qin Xiaosa asked, puzzled.

“Opening a food delivery app to order thirty boxes of Whirlwind Spiral Strawberry Flavor Ultra-Thin condoms for same-day delivery,” Qi Fang replied.

Everyone: “…”

Qi Fang pulled out his phone, only to find it had died. He put it back in his pocket and, noticing his friends’ dumbfounded expressions, frowned slightly and said, “I was just joking. Why do you all look so stunned?”

Qin Xiaosa coughed and couldn’t help but remind him, “Turn around and see who’s here.”

Shen Yu pushed open the door and entered the room. As he closed it, a cool breeze from outside lifted the stray hairs around his face, revealing his snow-white, delicate features and eyes as dark as winter stars.

The private room was warm and quiet. Shen Yu stood two meters from the door, his gaze sweeping impassively across the room. Though his expression remained neutral, everyone he looked at froze.

Oh no, someone thought, isn’t this the… cold beauty from Qi Fang’s marriage certificate?

Sensing something was wrong, Qi Fang slowly turned around in the silent room, his eyes meeting Shen Yu’s.

Shen Yu took a few steps forward, his long lashes lowered, and gently removed the plastic cup from Qi Fang’s hand, casually tossing it into a nearby trash can.

Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, the infamously cold Professor Shen said in a flat tone, “Why are you drinking? Didn’t you say you were sick?”

“…”

In this critical moment, Qi Fang’s mind raced, but he replied without missing a beat, “…A little sick, but not too much.”

“I haven’t had any alcohol yet, so there’s still hope,” he added.

NDJAMI Chapter 02.1 >>

TL Notes

• 1
  Second Young Master
• 2
  滴滴 (Dī dī) – DiDi, app-based transportation company
• 3
  The suffix -zi (子) is added to the end of names in Chinese as a familiar or condescending form of address