Chapter 69 - Impossible.
Kang Shengzhe was a little flustered and it was not the prototypical sort. Usually, he would immediately come up with a good response, but his brain seemed to fail at making a turn no matter how much it spun. Hence, he could only answer out of conditioned reflex: “No...”
He interrupted himself mid-sentence, thoughts taking a sharp turn as he made a stiff recovery, “But I also could be...”
However, his words still felt wrong. Kang Shengzhe felt faint from the weight of it all, and his words became a gibberish mess, only for him to stammer out at the end: “How do you say it... depends on the person?”
Depends on the person – the meaning behind the phrase was broad; it answered the question while remaining elusive, but it unveiled a modicum of truth: he was not gay, but honestly speaking, he did harbour some unspeakable intentions towards You Liangxing...
Kang Shengzhe felt a little guilty after his admittance and he carefully scrutinised You Liangxing’s expression. However, what he found was only an unruffled gaze although the person seemed preoccupied in expression.
You Liangxing’s gaze had always possessed an extremely potent and penetrating power, and despite being watched by millions of people daily, Kang Shengzhe felt his scalp numb. It was very similar to the instance where he was punched by You Liangxing; it did not hurt much but it made him very aware of his presence.
Kang Shengzhe furrowed his eyebrows minutely and his brain was full of warnings – telling him to run, as in, ‘you really should run’ – because he had to question if he had sent himself to his own death with his answer.
Kang Shengzhe waited nervously for You Liangxing’s response, but You Liangxing’s profound gaze lasted for a long while with no words spoken. Silently, he stretched out his hand.
Not a sign of having to wade through muddy waters; instead, he was preparing for the next round in a clean and squeaky manner.
Kang Shengzhe followed suit and raised his hand. Their hands shot out at the same time, and Kang Shengzhe’s stone won.
You Liangxing said: “I lost, I’ll drink.”
Having a delayed response, Kang Shengzhe uttered, “Oh... Oh.”
In the time it took him to respond, You Liangxing had already rapidly downed a portion of the beer without a change in his expression. “Go ahead and ask.”
Kang Shengzhe frowned for a good while before he asked in a faltering voice: “Why did you ask if I was gay just now?”
Yes, if Kang Shengzhe had been the one to ask the questions first, the questions would have been in accordance to those he had already prepared. But the matter had happened too suddenly, he had never expected that You Liangxing would go straight for the kill in the opening question. It had caught Kang Shengzhe unaware and it agitated him greatly, leaving him in chaos.
Thus, the rhythm of the questions was easily seized by You Liangxing.
You Liangxing replied: “Because I felt like asking.”
Kang Shengzhe: “......”
Kang Shengzhe: “Huh?”
He plastered on an expression of extreme patience but You Liangxing no longer spoke after he had finished the sentence, nor did he seem to have the intention to continue answering. Kang Shengzhe paused. Due to his slow reaction speed, the question had already been fully answered, and You Liangxing’s answer honestly consisted of those few words.
Because he felt like asking.
Then, nothing.
Kang Shengzhe made a long, whining noise. “That’s too sly, no?”
You Liangxing replied, “You and me both.”
When Kang Shengzhe thought about his own answer, he found that he was unable to refute but that did not dissolve the thought that it was unfair. On the surface, their sentences might seem equally ambiguous but the psychological impact that the questions brought differed.
After comparing the two, he fake sobbed for a while, saying: “I’m not convinced.”
You Liangxing: “Do you want to be punched?”
Kang Shengzhe stiffened slightly, and under You Liangxing’s stare, he muttered to himself, “&#k2026; I don’t really want that either.”
You Liangxing: “Then you should stop speaking nonsense.”
An aggrieved Kang Shengzhe: “Ying!”
Irate, You Liangxing narrowed his eyes at him. However, despite what Kang Shengzhe thought, You Liangxing’s heart was not calm as it seemed. When Kang Shengzhe had asked him that question, he had asked himself the same question as well.
Why did he ask Ah Sheng if he was gay?
You Liangxing was not sure himself.
Maybe it was because he could not ignore the atmosphere that surrounded them after they met in real life, perhaps it was to confirm the faint conjecture he had in his heart.
What if it was a yes? And if the answer was a no, what then? Afterwards, what kind of response should he adopt? You Liangxing did not ruminate too deeply; attempting to break what they knew as status quo without the slightest preparation was something he had never done before. And now, against the answer that brokered no differences, You Liangxing was at a greater loss from whence he started.
He did not know if he should read into the fact that Kang Shengzhe had looked at him when he said ‘depends on the person’. They had thought around one another in circles, each trying to sound the other out, but it all ended without a proper conclusion.
However, that did not signify that it was utterly meaningless. You Liangxing could clearly discern that after his opening question, the atmosphere between them had become stranger!
“Come again, one more time, rock paper scissors—” Kang Shengzhe shook his fist cheerfully, “I won, I’ll ask, I’ll ask.”
In an instant, Kang Shengzhe had lost all interest in drinking and his energy was focused completely on asking questions. As You Liangxing drank his beer at a leisurely pace, he drawled out: “Can you be more specific in your explanation?”
You Liangxing said: “Regarding?”
Kang Shengzhe blinked, finding it difficult to explain what he did not understand. “Just, the question just now.”
The question just now... You Liangxing’s mind flashed. He did not think that the other party would be relentless about the matter. He finished his drink and said in an unperturbed manner: “I can’t.”
Kang Shengzhe: “......”
Dictating that ‘I can’t’ was an answer as well, Kang Shengzhe almost wanted to lay on the table and roll. He lamented, “No way, this game can’t go on anymore. You’re deliberately bullying me because I’m beautiful.”
You Liangxing: “If you keep playing like this, we’re not playing.”
Kang Shengzhe abruptly sprung off the table surface and said seriously, “Let’s continue, let’s continue, come, rock paper scissors—!”
Although he spouted a lot of grievances, he knew that as long as he found the correct method of asking, it was still possible to extract some information. You Liangxing might try to prevaricate in his answers but if he used a more intensive approach, there was bound to be a way.
There were questions that he wanted to ask in his heart, and his heart started to drum up a courageous beat for the things that lacked a sense of propriety whenever he thought about them. It was not easy for him to stretch his hand out again but he ended up losing the initiative.
“... Fine, you ask.”
Kang Shengzhe drank on his own accord and he was slightly nervous. You Liangxing’s first question was capable of shaking the heavens, and he did not know what he would ask next. He stared as You Liangxing opened his mouth, uninhibited and waiting for Liang Liang’s second question but still very much cautious.
You Liangxing said: “How old are you?”
Kang Shengzhe: “......”
Kang Shengzhe paused for a brief moment before he replied: “I’ve passed twenty.”
“So has your birthday passed or not?”
Kang Shengzhe said: “It passed.”
After answering, Kang Shengzhe felt a sudden spike of regret. Whenever You Liangxing replied, he handled complicated matters with ease, and yet, here he was, giving a freebie for the sale of one, and that move had costed him this round.
However, a river was long; he could redeem himself in the next question. Kang Shengzhe stretched out his hand and they went for the next round, with which he lost as well.
You Liangxing: “Education level?”
It was another common question. Kang Shengzhe said: “I’ll be a Year 1 University student come September.” Thinking about the mismatch with his age, he tacked on more information: “I repeated once in Secondary Three.”
You Liangxing: “Drink.”
He drank again, polishing off one can of beer. Kang Shengzhe was waiting for it to be his turn to ask questions with a few key points but he would never have thought that in the next few rounds, he would lose each round to a rock.
“Residence?”
Kang Shengzhe said: “A native from A City.”
When he heard A City, You Liangxing’s expression seemed to go through some alterations. And as if he already possessed some expectation, the next question that You Liangxing asked was, “Which university in A City?”
The question he asked was unlike those that preceded it; the moment the question was made clear, it was essentially pinning down Kang Shengzhe’s detailed coordinates. The pair had met online, and perhaps he ought to be vigilant against such sensitive questions but Kang Shengzhe chose to answer with no holds barred.
“A University.”
Kang Shengzhe did not know if he was hallucinating but he was fairly certain that in the moment where he had answered, You Liangxing’s eyelids had jumped a little before he lowered his head.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
You Liangxing might treat it as nothing but Kang Shengzhe had a lot of things in mind. Without him realising it, he hadn’t had the chance to ask a single question while the information concerning his location was being handed out bit by bit. However, that was not problematic; what was problematic was the fact that he did not have a single inkling with regards to Liang Liang’s personal information.
Kang Shengzhe felt rather anxious as a result. And perhaps because he was too pitiful, the Goddess of Fortune decided to give him a leg up. The next time his hand shot out, he finally won.
“It’s finally my turn,” Kang Shengzhe was overjoyed. Speaking half-way, he abruptly held his head, “I feel a little dizzy.”
You Liangxing said: “You drank too much, we’ll stop playing after this.”
Kang Shengzhe: “??? No? My alcohol capacity is very good.”
Kang Shengzhe stood up, attempting to strengthen the credibility of his words. Alas, he did not expect that after standing up, the dizziness would worsen. He managed to stay still for a few seconds before he sat down and covered his face, whining, “This is impossible.”
“The last question, ask away.”
After You Liangxing finished speaking, Kang Shengzhe raised his head all of a sudden. After intoxicating himself, the man’s complexion had reddened and with the long hair fluttering behind his ears, it superimposed the radiance and beauty he possessed, giving him the slight posturing of a drunk beauty.
Except this beauty had a huge physique and when he was slumped over the table, he looked like a small mountain.
“The last question... Let me think about it,” said Kang Shengzhe as his gaze swept across You Liangxing’s visage. You Liangxing was cool and bright in appearance, and underneath the light’s illumination, his skin looked very white and it made his contours deeper.
While his gaze was still affixed onto You Liangxing’s person, an inexplicable restlessness squeezed his heart. He almost blurted out ‘if I were to chase you, would you allow it’ in an attempt to destroy the other party’s defenses but he had a change of heart at the very last second.
He could not ask such questions without the appropriate preparations; if he wanted something, he had to attain in a step-by-step process, and he could not make a single mistake.
Kang Shengzhe hesitated for a while, and when he eventually asked it out loud, his words were imbued with some affection and thoughtfulness, and it was teasing in taste. “Liang Liang, what do you think of me?”
You Liangxing said, “I think you...”
Their eyes met, shared gazes seemingly long and drawn out. Expectation was apparent on Kang Shengzhe’s face.
Solemnly, You Liangxing said: “I think you are poisonous.”
Kang Shengzhe: “......”
Kang Shengzhe howled, expressing his inconsolable grief, “I don’t know how I’m going to continue living after this. Tonight, Liang Liang is a King whereas I’m just gold.”
You Liangxing eyed him and corrected: “Your alcohol capacity is that of bronze.”
Kang Shengzhe climbed up his arm and leaned his head against You Liangxing’s shoulder before he closed his eyes and played dead. “I can’t do this anymore, I’m very unhappy and I feel like puking, ying ying ying.”
While Kang Shengzhe was groaning, he was anticipating You Liangxing’s next move. But unexpectedly, You Liangxing did not push his head away. Time seemed to stand still, and every second and minute passed by quietly.
Kang Shengzhe withdrew his expression and lost himself in a trance for a good while. Quietly, he stated, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
You Liangxing replied, “Returning to City A?”
Kang Shengzhe said: “Mn.”
Compared to the past, You Liangxing, who was now conscious of Kang Shengzhe’s information and aware of their general circumstances, felt differently. Kang Shengzhe on the other hand, knew little about You Liangxing. In the second where everything had yet to settle, he followed his own heart and asked: “Liang Liang, what’s your name?”
You Liangxing said: “I’ll tell you the next time we meet.”
Kang Shengzhe went motionless, having distilled sufficient information from the four words ‘next time we meet’ very quickly. Next time, next time... it meant that they were going to keep in touch.
As long as they kept in touch, there would always be hope.
Kang Shengzhe was extremely satisfied: “Okay! I’ll tell you my name the next time we meet as well!”
When their meeting concluded, Kang Shengzhe’s mood became good again. As his mind calmed down, he remembered the matter of a wealthy fan tossing money. “Liang Liang, I have something to ask you.”
You Liangxing casually replied: “Give me a moment, I’m calling a Didi.”
Feeling strange, Kang Shengzhe said: “Aren’t there a lot of taxis at the door?”
Indifferent, You Liangxing asserted, “Didi is cheaper.”
Kang Shengzhe gave a pause, “... How much cheaper?”
You Liangxing said: “Five dollars.”
After he finished calling for one, You Liangxing slowly asked: “Right, what did you want to ask?”
Kang Shengzhe blinked owlishly and spoke with an incomparable amity. “Nothing really.”
Liang Liang being a nouveau riche...?
Impossible.
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