Chapter 12 Being Wooed

Yu Yue wears his pajamas, stands behind Ye Lin while he's brushing his teeth: "Ye Lin, did you go the graduate school when you got your bachelor degree?"

Ye Lin shakes his head, spits out his mouthwash, saying: "work or study, I can help you whatever you want. But I want you to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I don't trust Yu Siyang."

"Fuck you, civil servants." Yu Yue says with a roll of the eyes.

Yu Yue parks the car in the community garage, looks at the time, 1:03 a.m. He yawns and saunters toward the apartment.

He just went to Beijing National Aquatics Center to watch a match with Ding Yichao, and then had a late night snack on Guijie.

Ding Yichao is really an artistic and ideal young man. He was in tears when he saw the Chinese team won the gold medal and raised the national flag. If it were football or sprinting, it would be OK, but what they watched at night was diving.

Yu Yue thinks that Ding Yichao is a bit of brainless, but he's better than someone heartless.

It has been two or three months since Ye Lin picked up Yu Yue from Fragrant Hills, and during these days, they were neither hostile nor friendly to each other. Yu Yue didn't want to obey Ye Lin, so he always went back home at midnight, since Ye Lin had asked him to be back early. He had been living in the apartment located in Haidian since the summer vacation started. Every day, he left home when Ye Lin went to work, and till Ye Lin was off duty—but sometimes he hadn't come home even if the business entertainment for Ye Lin was ended. He didn't want Ye Lin to find him, so he played the mobile online games whenever he was free. Thus, his iphone would run out of power at night. By the time Ye Lin called him, the phone would have been turned off. Then he could go back home with a good reason—it was really out of power. And Ye Lin could not find his trouble. However, Ye Lin wanted him to change a phone for several times, he casually agreed, but never did that in the second day.

Yu Yue loves to see Ye Lin annoyed. The more annoyed Ye Lin feels, the happier he is.

In a twinkling, Yu Yue arrives at the door of the apartment.

He takes out the key to open the door, but it opens by itself.

Ye Lin stands behind the door, waiting for him to come in, and then slams the door.

Yu Yue listens to the sound, reminds himself—Lord Ye finally can't suppress his anger.

"I went to watch a match, came back in traffic. I was late, but it's not intentional." Yu Yue says that as casually as possible.

"With Ding Yichao?"

"Yes."

Ye Lin raises his arm, then a slap is almost falling down on Yu Yue's face.

Yu Yue has been always wary of it. He moves backward quickly and leans on the door, Ye Lin's fingertips almost brush past his nose.

"Ye Lin!" Yu Yue indignantly stares at him, "you beat me again!"

"Yes, because I discovered," Ye Lin raises the foot, kicks on Yu Yue's thigh, "for you, it's better to use the language of force."

Yu Yue crooks his body in pain, and holds the wall to straight up. He looks at Ye Lin: "Ye Lin, you're a heartless asshole! You're a fucking bitch forever!"

"I have tried to talk with you nicely! You force me to do it in this way! I'm a bitch? I'm also a fucking jerk!" Ye Lin roars, but it doesn't vent his anger. He slaps Yu Yue again.

Yu Yue got slapped twice, and then he decides all at once. He quietly presses the door handle since he is leaning against it.

"Ye Lin, I didn't want to go, but you leave me no choice!" Yu Yue opens the door suddenly, and goes out in a flash. He doesn't forget to throw the key on Ye Lin's face: "it's yours."

Yu Yue rushes down the stairs crazily, run forward desperately. He was not sure whether Ye Lin chased out or not until he ran out of the community and ran across the road.

He is gasping for the air while his heart is thumping. It's like a bungee jump. If Ye Lin catches him in the middle of nowhere, he might be killed.

So he keeps on running, although his leg hurt a lot. He can even feel a big lump through his jeans. After ten minutes of walking and running, he finally limps to the nearest McDonald's which opens 24/7.

He reaches into his pocket—it is lucky that he still has cash.

He bends over the desk gaspingly: "give me a coke. And can I borrow a phone to make a call?"

The shop assistant on duty looks at him strangely.

"I have an emergency, but my phone is out of power." Yu Yue explains and quickly pays for the coke.

The shop assistant doesn't look him as bad person since he paid for the coke. And then he lends the phone to him.

Yu Yue recites Ding Yichao's number in his mind—it should be right—then he dials the number.

Yu Yue can only pray that he got the right number when the beep sound comes out from the phone.

"Hello?"

Ding Yichao's voice! Yu Yue is relieved.

"Hello, this is Yu Yue. I'm trapped outside, please come to pick me up." An inexplicable grievance suddenly gushes out from Yu Yue's heart, "I was beaten and can't walk now. Can you take me back to school?"

"What happened to you? Why were you beaten? Did you call the police? Are you all right now?"

"I'm OK for now. But I can't explain clearly in the phone. Hurry up, I'll tell you when you get here." Yu Yue tells him the exact location, then Ding Yichao let him wait for half an hour.

In fact, Ding Yichao arrives in 20 minutes—the capital's traffic at midnight is pretty good.

Yu Yue is rolling up the pants to check the injury on his leg. He can only see half of it, which is as big as a palm, swelled in cyanotic color. The wound is still bleeding a little.

Ding Yichao is startled: "Yu Yue, what happened to you?"

"Was beaten by someone."

"Where's your car?"

"Let's get in the car first." Yu Yue replies him with a sigh.

Ding Yichao hurriedly holds his arm and gets him into the car.

"Have you been robbed?" Ding Yichao asks him as soon as they get in.

Yu Yue shakes his head.

"What's the hell going on?"

Yu Yue still shakes the head with silence.

Ding Yichao looks at him in astonishment. He doesn't ask again since Yu Yue seems like to be unwilling to talk about it. Then he drives Yu Yue to his dorm.

"Yu Yue, is everything all right?" He stops the car and looks at Yu Yue carefully.

Yu Yue covers his face with hands, and takes a deep breath.

When he puts his hands down, Ding Yicao clearly sees tears in his eyes.

"Yu Yue? Yu Yue?" Ding Yichao put his hand on Yu Yue's shoulder, " What happened to you? What happened? Tell me!"

Yu Yue lowers down his head for a long time: "I don't know…" His voice falters into stillness.

He really doesn't know. What did he just do? He must be out of his mind! He's not going anywhere, why would he do that? What else can he get besides a provoked Ye Lin? He has completely destroyed himself! He would be half dead even if Ye Lin didn't kill him.

Yu Yue clutches his hair in agony and wishes to kill himself by hitting the car with his head—but it is Ding Yichao's brand new BMW M3, he can't afford to lose it.

With such thoughts, Yu Yue feels more depressed. He's nothing but a lower class person, he has neither money nor power. How dare he is to provoke a second generation in the capital city? It's a suicide.

Ding Yichao doesn't know what is wrong with him, or how to comfort him. So he put his arm around his shoulder, and let Yu Yue lean on him.

Suddenly, a bright white light hits them on the face. Yu Yue is astonished. The door is open by someone when he sees nothing clearly. Then, he is pulled out by a hand and his arms are hold behind his back.

Yu Yue sees a handgun flashing in front of his eyes before he shouts for help. Then the person behind him tells him:"don't move, we're the police."

Ding Yichao is still shouting: "what are you doing! Why you arrest us! What do you want! I called the police!"

A tall and thin man walks to the side near Ding Yichao, turns around the handgun in his hand, and hits the car window with the gun butt. The glass is broken immediately.

Yu Yue now knows what happened. But he freezes there—that is the fucking Ye Lin.

Ding Yichao also freezes in astonishment. He gawks at the gangster who has the gun in his hand, feeling extremely shocked.

Ye Lin pats Ding Yichao's face with the barrel of the gun, then points to the direction of Yu Yue: "what's your relation with him?"

"I'm his friend." Ding Yichao answers honestly.

"Friend…do you know who I am?"

Ding Yichao shakes his head cautiously.

"I'm his boyfriend."

Now Ding Yichao thoroughly opens his mouth into an 'O' shape. He looks at Yu Yue, then turns to Ye Lin. He doubts himself out of illusion.

Yu Yue has heard clearly what they said on the side, he shouts with anxiety: "Ye Lin! This has nothing to do with him! Take this out on me! Don't touch him!"

Ye Lin ignores Yu Yue, he continues to talk with Ding Yichao: "Your name is Ding Yichao, right? Was it you who took Yu Yue to watch the match tonight? And was it you who took him to watch the stars in Fragrant Hills last time? You're the one who has always been staying with my boyfriend until midnight, aren't you? Tell me!"

Ding Yichao has been frightened to muddled. He can only nod.

"Now do you understand why I smashed your car?"

Ding Yichao nods again.

"Good." Ye Lin also nods, "your father is Ding Zhenghui, isn't he? The president of the Glory Real Estate, right? I'll pay the repair fee to him, because he's the one who bought this car, not you."

Ding Yichao still freezes there, he doesn't know what this person wants to do.

"Boy," Ye Lin says, "I touched your car, I'll pay you. But you touched my person, how you compensate me?"

Before Ding Yichao takes any actions, Yu Yue shouts up first: "Ye Lin, what do you want to do! You can't touch him! Come here! Don't touch him!"

Ding Yichao finally turns around, he stammers: "Ye, Mr. Ye, Yu Yue and I are just normal friends, I don't have any feelings…you may have misunderstood…No, actually it is me who misunderstood before. I didn't know that Yu Yue had a boyfriend, and I might take some of your time, I didn't mean that…I apologize…"

"OK, that was quick." Ye Lin pats on his head, "young man, today you are fine, but be sensible in the future. If you can't, I will let someone talk to your father—the national tax, local tax, or the land department, which one you think is good? Don't worry, no matter which one I choose, he'll know the importance of disciplining his son—got it?"

"Yes, yes…"

"Go. Get out of here." Ye Lin waves.

Ding Yichao starts up the car and then, musters his courage to ask: "what are you going to do with Yu Yue?"

Ye Lin hooks up the corner of his mouth and smiles: "do I have to say it again?"

Ding Yichao flexes his neck and goes away.

Seeing his taillight disappeared around the corner, Yu Yue feels half relieved and half desperate.

He is pushed into a car. He didn't see the plate but after getting in the car, he notices that it is Ye Lin's Passat.

Sure enought, Ye Lin sits on the driver's seat then, with a gun in his hand.

Yu Yue stares on his gun, feeling a cold sweat in his back. He extremely careful to open his mouth: "Ye Lin…I know I was wrong…Ye Lin…"

Ye Lin doesn't speak, only raises the gun against his eyebrows.

"Ye Lin!" The tone of Yu Yue's voice changes in a second, "forgive me! I was wrong! Ye Lin! Ye Lin…"

"Will you ever run again?"

"No! I won't!"

"Do you know what time to get home?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Will you listen to me?"

"Yes, I'll listen to you…" Yu Yue's face is frightened to pale, his lips are trembling. He just nods desperately no matter what Ye Lin says.

"Yu Yue, it was just a small thing, but you make me have to talk to you like this. You are making troubles for yourself." Ye Lin looks at his eyes, and then, he moves his finger to pull the trigger.

"Ah———!" Yu Yue screams with a bloodcurdling shriek.

He closes his eyes in despair, but at the same time, he realizes that he is still alive.

He opens his eyes, looks at Ye Lin. The latter throws the gun into his arms: "Just kidding, it has not loaded."

Yu Yue grabs the gun and fiddles with it for a while. He removes the magazine—it is empty.

Yu Yue collapses into his seat. He really thought he would be dead. A surge of anger mixed with something acid comes up. He cries uncontrollably: "Ye Lin…do you know that you are an asshole…you think this is funny? You like to play with others like this? Do you think it is funny?…I'm a person, not your toy!"

It is quiet inside the car except for the sobbing of Yu Yue. He is crying, as if his tears could not be stopped.

"I am sorry."

The three words break the silence remarkably.

"I'm sorry." Ye Lin repeats, "it was my fault. What I did before, and what I did today, were wrong. I didn't consider your feelings. I was presumptuous and arbitrary. I Apologize."

Yu Yue raises his eyes to look at Ye Lin with suspicion.

"Today I was too impatient to control myself. I'm sorry." Ye Lin says every sentence seriously, and says every word sincerely, "I used to be like this, control others, control everyone. I always thought that I was being nice enough to you, but you still didn't look me in the eye. That's why I was annoyed. When you ran out tonight, I was thinking that how much you hated me, so that you would rather take such a big risk." Ye Lin laughs at himself, "I'll be upset too, Yu Yue. I'm also afraid that till the end of my life, there will be no one to be true to me. I like you, and want to spend my lifetime with you. I hope you can recognize my feelings for you, and I want to get your responses. I hope you like me too."

Yu Yue opens his eyes widely, but still not replies.

"You don't have to answer me now. I'm not here to force you to come back with me. I just wanted to show you how far I can go for you. Hope one day, I can have the same weight in your heart. I know it is hard. You can think about it. Relationships are not everything. You are right to think about your family and your future. If, if it's impossible, if we have no possibility to be together, I'll give up." Ye Lin looks at Yu Yue in a quiet way, "but, I can only know your thoughts through what you say and what you do. I can't read your minds. If you can be with me, no matter which way you go, it will be much easier than others'. You are so smart, you must know what I'm saying."

Ye Lin turns his eyes to the window: "the sun is rising. You can go back to rest. Think it carefully, I'll wait for you."

Yu Yue lays down in the dorm for a long time.

He doesn't move at all, not eating, not drinking, not sleeping. He opens his eyes to see the sunset, closes his eyes to see the sun rising.

He calls Ding Yichao.

Ding Yichao resumes his usual calm: "nothing, I just didn't know that you had a boyfriend before. Sorry to inconvenience you by pestering you—but would you like to come with me to the closing ceremony next week?"

Yu Yue smiles: "No problem."

He calls home then.

He tells his parents: "I don't want to go to the Grad school, I'm too distracted to study."

His parents are open-minded: "it doesn't matter. It's fine to get the bachelor degree only. You always need to find a job even if you went to the graduate school. Do you want to stay in Beijing?"

"Yes."

He calls Ye Lin at last.

"Ye Lin, I'm going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To watch Yu Siyang for you, and help you take a place. But next week, I'll go to watch the closing ceremony with Ding Yichao, just tell you in advance. Is that OK?"

"No problem."

—End—