Try Again chapter 2

I Came to Apologize

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Jiang Lin’s mind went blank for a moment. It wasn’t until Ji Minglun’s car disappeared into the complex that he snapped out of it and leaned back wearily against the headrest.

In the dim light, he couldn’t clearly see the person in the passenger seat, but based on Ji Minglun’s attitude and the intimate way he acted, it was clear that their relationship was close.

Earlier that afternoon, Chen Nidan had mentioned that Ji Minglun didn’t have a girlfriend. Could this be the person Ji Minglun liked but wasn’t yet officially dating?

Through the car window, Jiang Lin gazed up at the windows of the 28th floor of Building B. About ten minutes later, a light flicked on, and the unit next door also lit up. Jiang Lin had been ready to leave, but seeing these two lights come on almost simultaneously made him feel there was something coincidental about it.

Could the person in the car be a neighbor?

Ji Minglun’s apartment was bought for him by his parents over two years ago, and Jiang Lin had helped choose a lot of the furniture during the renovation. However, the neighbors in the adjacent unit hadn’t seemed to move in at the time, and Jiang Lin hadn’t seen anyone before he left for abroad. Could it be that they had moved in later, and Ji Minglun had simply given the neighbor a ride home?

Jiang Lin couldn’t figure out the answer, even after a shower and lying in bed back in his apartment. But he wasn’t the type to overthink things. Since he couldn’t get to the bottom of it, he decided he would just ask directly. After all, he hadn’t planned on hiding his return from Ji Minglun for long—it was time for them to meet.

The next morning, Jiang Lin took a casual cotton plaid shirt from his closet, tucking the hem loosely into his beige knee-length shorts. His hair was tied into a small ponytail at the back of his neck, giving him a fresh and energetic look.

While adjusting his bangs, his gaze lingered on the shirt for a moment. This shirt was a gift from Ji Minglun during the New Year two years ago. Back then, Ji Minglun often used holidays as an excuse to give him things, but his slow-witted self never understood the real meaning behind the gifts. He would always be coaxed into accepting them by Ji Minglun’s few words.

Driving to the apartment complex, Jiang Lin glanced at the time on his watch. It wasn’t even 7 a.m., and since it was summer vacation, Ji Minglun wouldn’t be heading out this early.

Sitting in the car, he planned to wait for Ji Minglun to come out like he did yesterday. But soon, he noticed a security guard registering visitor vehicles and suddenly remembered that Ji Minglun had once registered his car under the owner’s information.

Wanting to test if Ji Minglun had kept his access permissions, Jiang Lin drove forward. As soon as he approached the gate, the electronic sensor chimed with a “Welcome home,” and the red-and-white barrier automatically lifted.

Pressing on the gas, he suppressed the emotions surging in his heart. After entering the underground garage, he found Ji Minglun’s parking space based on his memory. As expected, he saw the Aurora Blue NIO, and the spot next to it, which used to belong to him, was still vacant.

Reversing the car into the space, Jiang Lin turned off the engine and got out. Glancing back at the two cars parked side by side, he remembered how, when Ji Minglun bought the parking spaces, he had chosen two adjacent ones. When Jiang Lin had asked why, Ji Minglun said it was convenient for his parents to park when they visited. However, Jiang Lin later realized that Ji Minglun’s parents had never come, and that parking space had always been reserved for him.

Taking the elevator up to the 28th floor, the doors opened, and Jiang Lin took a deep breath before stepping out, clutching his phone tightly.

The layout of the building emphasized privacy, with only two units per floor, separated by a long corridor. Ji Minglun lived in 2802 on the left, while Jiang Lin glanced at the door of 2801 on the right.

The scene from last night still lingered in his mind, but from the outside, there was no way to tell if anyone was living in 2801. Jiang Lin walked to the door of 2802 and stared at the combination fingerprint lock, his thoughts drifting far away.

Countless times before, he had used his fingerprint and password to unlock this door. If Ji Minglun hadn’t deliberately deleted his vehicle registration, then maybe he hadn’t removed his fingerprint data either?

After hesitating for a moment in front of the lock, this time Jiang Lin didn’t try. Instead, he pressed the doorbell in the upper left corner.

Familiar music filtered through the door, and his heartbeat quickened with the long-lost melody. Just as his hands and feet started to feel awkward from nervousness, a voice came from inside.

“Who is it?”

It was a strange voice. Jiang Lin didn’t reply. When the door opened, he saw a boy in pajamas, with pillow marks still visible on his face.

The boy’s complexion was as pale as his, and although he appeared groggy, his looks were undeniably handsome. Seeing Jiang Lin, the boy stifled a yawn and asked, “Who are you?”

There was no sign of Ji Minglun in the living room. Jiang Lin glanced at the wall behind the sofa, where a wave art painting he had chosen still hung. Under the boy’s confused gaze, Jiang Lin spoke, “I’m looking for Ji Minglun.”

“Senior isn’t awake yet. Who are you to come looking for him so early?” The boy showed no intention of letting Jiang Lin in, so Jiang Lin asked in return, “Who are you?”

The boy chuckled and casually replied, “Who I am isn’t important. Why don’t you wait a bit? I’ll go wake up senior for you.”

With that, the boy stepped aside. Once Jiang Lin walked into the entrance, the door was shut behind him, and the boy reminded, “Wait here,” before heading further inside.

Jiang Lin stood on a geometric-patterned rug, his eyes following the boy’s retreating figure.

The boy walked nonchalantly into the master bedroom, disappearing around the corner. Jiang Lin’s gaze lingered on the dreamcatcher hanging from the doorframe, and soon he heard another voice—one he hadn’t heard in a long time, raspy yet magnetic, tinged with the familiar grogginess of waking up.

Jiang Lin grew even more anxious, though he couldn’t make out Ji Minglun’s words from where he stood. Fortunately, the boy quickly returned, followed by Ji Minglun, who was shirtless and wearing only dark-colored sleep pants.

Jiang Lin had never imagined their reunion would take place in such a scene. He straightened his back, trying to appear as natural as possible. But his facade crumbled when Ji Minglun’s initial surprise quickly turned into displeasure upon seeing him.

Stopping two steps away, Ji Minglun draped his arm around the boy’s shoulder. The boy, leaning into his embrace, glanced at Ji Minglun, but didn’t push him away, instead settling comfortably in his arms.

Jiang Lin’s gaze fixated on their intimate posture. Even though Ji Minglun remained silent, Jiang Lin understood the message.

Suppressing the unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions, Jiang Lin avoided looking into Ji Minglun’s eyes and asked as calmly as possible, “Can I talk to you?”

The boy glanced at Jiang Lin, then at the clearly upset Ji Minglun, and seemed to guess what was going on. Leaning close to Ji Minglun’s ear, he whispered, “Senior, I already have someone I like. If word gets out, this might not look good.”

Speaking in such a low voice that only Ji Minglun could hear, Ji Minglun glanced at him before retracting his arm. He then told Jiang Lin, “I’m going back to sleep. I have nothing to talk to you about.”

Before coming here, Jiang Lin had prepared himself for Ji Minglun’s anger and indifference, so he wasn’t discouraged by this response. Instead, he called out to the retreating figure once again.

“Minglun,” he said earnestly, “I came to apologize.”

Ji Minglun, facing the master bedroom, didn’t turn around. All Jiang Lin heard was a chuckle, followed by, “Did I hear that right?”

Jiang Lin’s lips moved, but before he could explain, he was interrupted. Without turning back, Ji Minglun’s tone was cold as he said, “If you’re here to apologize for what happened a year ago, don’t bother. I’ve already forgotten it.”

With that, Ji Minglun strode into the master bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

As the click of the lock echoed, the boy turned to look at Jiang Lin, who seemed lost in thought, and coughed to get his attention. “Well, I’ll see you out,” he offered.

Jiang Lin declined the offer and didn’t linger any longer. After he left, the boy knocked on the master bedroom door. “Senior, he’s gone.”

There was no response from the room, only the faint sound of a metal lighter being repeatedly clicked shut. The boy hesitated for a moment, then walked to the guest room diagonally across to change his clothes. After packing his luggage, he intended to tell Ji Minglun that he was leaving but heard the door open.

Ji Minglun was still dressed the same as before, but now he had a cigarette in his mouth, and his expression was dark, almost frightening.

Leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, Ji Minglun nodded toward the suitcase at the boy’s feet. “Didn’t you say you had nowhere to sleep?”

“I’m going to crash at someone else’s place for a few days,” the boy scratched his head. “It’s inconvenient here with you, and I don’t want to cause any misunderstandings.”

The misunderstanding he referred to was Ji Minglun deliberately putting his arm around his shoulder earlier. Ji Minglun didn’t explain. Amidst the drifting smoke, he said to the boy, “Alright then, sorry for the trouble earlier.”

“No problem,” the boy smiled generously. “But who was that guy earlier? He seemed familiar with you, but I’ve never seen him before.”

Ji Minglun squeezed the boy’s shoulder and said, “Just go, don’t ask too many questions.”

The boy waved and left without hesitation. As the room fell silent again, Ji Minglun turned his head and looked at the large painting of a wave on the wall above the sofa.

Jiang Lin’s face came to his mind clearly. After not seeing him for a year, Jiang Lin had hardly changed. Despite living in Los Angeles, he hadn’t gotten tanned and even showed up wearing the shirt he had given him.

They had known each other since kindergarten and hadn’t been apart during elementary school, middle school, or even university. Their growth was intertwined with each other’s lives. Ji Minglun could even guess what Jiang Lin was thinking with his eyes closed, let alone after such a clear hint.

Setting aside why Jiang Lin suddenly returned, Ji Minglun couldn’t understand why he came to apologize. Did Jiang Lin think that after a year, they could pretend nothing happened that night and just continue being friends?

Still thinking like a straight guy.

Ji Minglun extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table, went back to his bedroom, and put on some pajamas before heading across the hall to knock on his neighbor’s door. After waiting for a few minutes, the long-haired boy who had been sitting in his passenger seat last night opened the door, looking exhausted.

“Has the fever gone down?” Ji Minglun asked.

Su Yan leaned against the door and weakly shook his head. Ji Minglun came in, checked his temperature with a thermometer, and said, “Change your clothes. I’ll take you to get an IV.”

Su Yan didn’t want to move and collapsed back onto the sofa. His slightly long bangs fell over his eyes as he lay down, leaving only his pale chin and long neck exposed. Ji Minglun went to pull him up but stopped in his tracks.

Even though Su Yan and Jiang Lin didn’t look alike, for some reason, he often thought of Jiang Lin when he looked at Su Yan. Especially after just seeing Jiang Lin, the feeling was stronger now than ever.

Memories of Jiang Lin during his bouts of gastritis—sick and unwilling to move—flashed before his eyes. Ji Minglun closed his eyes, pushing those untimely thoughts away. He pulled Su Yan up, saying, “Ji Qian is coming back from his business trip tomorrow. If you don’t want him to worry, you’d better change and go get the IV.”

Bringing up Ji Qian worked as expected, and Su Yan reluctantly went to freshen up. Ji Minglun also went back to his place to prepare. As they walked to the underground parking garage together, Ji Minglun was about to unlock his car when he noticed a cloud-white NIO of the same model parked nearby.

The person inside made eye contact with him through the windshield, but Su Yan, distracted by his fever, didn’t notice anything unusual about the car next to them and got into the passenger seat.

Ji Minglun broke eye contact, got into his own car, and drove out of the garage. Jiang Lin remained in the same position, silently watching him disappear into the distance.

Author’s note:

This is a sweet and sour story, not a tragic one.

Also, for those of you wanting to criticize the lead’s behavior after just two chapters, please check the story synopsis and trigger warnings first. Thanks for understanding!