Try Again chapter 51
Together This Time
Ji Minglun stood by the window for a while when he heard a knock on the door behind him.
A waiter opened the door and respectfully invited Jiang Jianchen inside.
Compared to that day, Jiang Jianchen’s face looked slightly better. Ji Minglun stood up, respectfully greeted him, and poured him a cup of freshly brewed Pu’erh tea.
Jiang Jianchen didn’t touch the cup. Instead, he turned to the waiter who followed him in and said, “Wait to order the dishes.” Only after the waiter closed the private room door did he turn back to Ji Minglun.
“Uncle Jiang.”
Ji Minglun greeted him and then sat down. Barely seated, he heard Jiang Jianchen ask, “Is Jiang Lin still staying with you?”
“Yes,” Ji Minglun admitted candidly.
Jiang Jianchen leaned back in his chair, crossing his right leg over his left. His gaze carried a hint of pressure.
“You two can’t be reasoned with, can you?”
“Uncle Jiang, I know what you’re concerned about.” Ji Minglun didn’t want to waste time, so he spoke openly, “The only issue between Jiang Lin and me is our gender. You’re also worried that if this becomes public, it will affect our work and life. I’ve considered all of this.”
“I respect Jiang Lin’s wishes. Whether he wants to go public in the future or keep it hidden, I have no objections. Besides, today’s society isn’t as closed-off as it used to be. I have more than one friend who likes the same sex. Jiang Lin and I have been independent since childhood, and we carefully think through any decision before making it.”
Ji Minglun spoke sincerely, but as expected, Jiang Jianchen still didn’t understand. His tone was not controlled when he responded, tapping his finger on the table, “What about children? Do you think your parents will allow you two to fool around like this?”
“I’ll graduate next year,” Ji Minglun calmly retorted. “To put it bluntly, over the years, aside from giving me money, my parents haven’t taken care of me in any other way. Are they really going to have a say in my choices now that I’m an adult?”
In just a few words, Ji Minglun blocked the rebuke Jiang Jianchen had yet to finish.
Ji Minglun seemed to be blaming his parents, Ji Zhuosheng and Cheng Yu, for not taking care of him, but in fact, he was also drawing Jiang Jianchen into the conversation.
Jiang Jianchen and Ji Zhuosheng had known each other for over ten years. Although their connection initially began because their children attended the same kindergarten, the two shared similar experiences regarding family matters. Both men’s marriages had lost affection early on, and they maintained their family relationships only for the sake of their children. When their kids entered middle school, Ji Zhuosheng divorced Cheng Yu, and not long after, Tang Ying passed away due to illness.
Although Jiang Lin and Ji Minglun weren’t biological brothers, they had grown up together like family. During the time of Tang Ying’s death, Ji Minglun stayed by Jiang Lin’s side without leaving. Jiang Jianchen had witnessed all of this, but he had never considered that such familial love might develop into the kind of relationship that now seemed so shocking and difficult to accept.
“Jiang Lin told me what you discussed that day,” Ji Minglun clasped his hands on the table and continued to look sincerely at the displeased Jiang Jianchen, who was staring at an abstract painting on the wall. “He didn’t say it on impulse. For all these years, he’s been living with a lot of pent-up frustration, and things haven’t been as easy for him as you might think.”
“You have a new wife and daughter, a complete new family, but Jiang Lin has nothing left. He’s been living alone in that old house for nine years. Aunt Tang’s room has been locked the whole time, and even I’ve only been in there a few times.”
“Uncle Jiang, even if your intentions are truly for Jiang Lin’s sake, isn’t it a little too late to start caring about him now?”
Ji Minglun raised his teacup and drank the now-cold tea in one gulp.
As a younger person, it wasn’t exactly his place to say these things. Moreover, he now had another role—Jiang Lin’s boyfriend. But it was precisely because of this role that he had to speak on Jiang Lin’s behalf.
Because only by speaking could he make Jiang Jianchen understand that, compared to Jiang Jianchen’s absence, he had been the one by Jiang Lin’s side from beginning to end.
Jiang Jianchen’s face was gloomy, his gaze still fixed on the indistinct abstract painting. Although he remained silent, Ji Minglun didn’t sense any anger. He couldn’t tell if Jiang Jianchen had truly taken his words to heart out of guilt or if he was simply thinking of another way to break them apart.
Having said all that needed to be said, Ji Minglun decided to mention his own family situation.
“My parents, like you, have both remarried for many years. If they find out about this, it’s natural for them to have an emotional reaction, but I believe that once they think it through, they’ll understand their guilt.”
“The only issue with me and Jiang Lin being together is that we can’t have children, but I believe that for my parents, my happiness is more important than being shackled by formalities.”
After he finished speaking, Jiang Jianchen finally moved.
His gaze shifted to Ji Minglun’s face, his posture unchanged, still leaning back with his right hand resting on the top of the chair. His expression revealed no emotional fluctuation. Ji Minglun met his gaze with fearless sincerity. After a brief moment, Jiang Jianchen withdrew his gaze, placed his hand on the tea cup, rotated it once, then raised it to drink before standing up to leave.
Throughout the process, Jiang Jianchen didn’t utter another word, but when he reached the door, he stopped and turned back to say, “You and Jiang Lin are still too young. Once you enter society, you’ll realize that the feelings you value now are the least significant things.”
Ji Minglun didn’t argue; he just watched Jiang Jianchen’s figure disappear behind the door, then turned to face the bright summer sunlight shining through the window.
Everyone has different pursuits. He wouldn’t completely deny Jiang Jianchen’s perspective, but he also couldn’t imagine living like him.
With a slight curl of his lips, Ji Minglun pulled out his phone from his pocket and called Jiang Lin.
After talking with Jiang Jianchen, Ji Minglun spent a few more days with Jiang Lin at home.
….
Jiang Lin didn’t like socializing, and as long as Ji Minglun was with him, he lost interest in interacting with others. Likewise, all the calls inviting Ji Minglun to play basketball, swim, or go to bars were turned down. Jiang Lin, worried he’d get bored, suggested several times that Ji Minglun go out to meet friends, but he was always met with a firm refusal.
Ji Minglun didn’t say it, but Jiang Lin knew it was because their remaining time together was getting shorter, and Ji Minglun didn’t want to leave his side.
But did he want to leave either?
The feeling of separation hung over them like a cloud. No matter how much they intertwined, they couldn’t fill the emptiness. Fortunately, Jiang Jianchen had quieted down for a while, perhaps coming to terms with things. Even Ji Minglun’s parents hadn’t been in contact.
Without outside disturbances, the two of them lived fairly comfortably for a few days. The day before their departure, Ji Minglun took Jiang Lin out for a drive.
They didn’t go far, just drove along the island’s ring road and stopped for a while at the viewing platform on Yanwu Bridge.
This was one of the best spots in Xiamen to view the sea. Unlike other beaches, Yanwu Bridge stood behind a famous landmark: the World Trade Strait Towers. The twin skyscrapers rose like inverted sails along the coastline. When they were newly built, Jiang Lin and Ji Minglun had visited here and gone up to the Cloud Observation Deck above the 55th floor, overlooking the beautiful Xiamen University campus, which Jiang Lin hadn’t yet gotten into at the time.
Leaning against the railing of Yanwu Bridge for a while, the noon summer sun proved too intense. Jiang Lin soon retreated to a seat under the bridge for shade. Ji Minglun bought two cups of taro milk tea from a nearby shop. Sitting in the shadows, they chatted while watching the sea, then got up and walked along the scenic boardwalk at Baicheng Beach.
The sea breeze cooled the heat, and tourists were everywhere taking pictures. Though they couldn’t openly hold hands, they strolled together, stopping occasionally to take intimate photos.
After sitting for half an hour on the sand and rocks facing the sea, Ji Minglun accompanied Jiang Lin to get a haircut.
Though summer break was just over two months, Jiang Lin’s hair had already grown longer than when he returned. Ji Minglun thought he’d just get a trim, but Jiang Lin surprised him by asking for a short cut.
Since starting university, Jiang Lin had always kept his hair on the longer side. Ji Minglun was used to seeing him with a ponytail and asked why he wanted to cut it suddenly. Jiang Lin touched a small braid at the back and said he wanted a change. Plus, with graduation next year, he couldn’t keep the same hairstyle.
The hairstylist suggested not cutting it too short due to Jiang Lin’s face shape and recommended dyeing it instead.
Jiang Lin had never dyed or styled his hair, but Ji Minglun thought it was a good idea. Jiang Lin hesitated, worried it might be too flashy. Ji Minglun picked a subtle chocolate color for him, noticeable only in sunlight but natural indoors. Jiang Lin was still unsure, but once the dye was done, the result was fantastic. The new color made his skin look fairer, and the hairstyle appeared fresher. It even made him look a little younger, so much so that while shopping later, Ji Minglun couldn’t resist touching his head frequently to tease him.
When Jiang Lin used to wear a ponytail, Ji Minglun would often touch his hair too, a habit Jiang Lin found childish, but he ignored it, focusing instead on picking out the things they needed.
From the third floor to the first, their shopping cart gradually filled with food and supplies, though most of it was for Ji Minglun, as Jiang Lin couldn’t take much with him.
At checkout, Ji Minglun glanced at the nearby shelf displaying condoms and whispered something in Jiang Lin’s ear. Unable to hold back, Jiang Lin stomped on Ji Minglun’s foot. Ji Minglun yelped dramatically, pretending to rub his knee, which hadn’t been touched, all the while amused by Jiang Lin’s flushed ears and uneasy expression.
That night, back at home, Ji Minglun pulled Jiang Lin into an indulgent embrace on the carpet in front of the living room sofa, mischievously leaving their pup, Cheese, to watch. Jiang Lin was embarrassed but couldn’t control his reactions.
By midnight, Jiang Lin had fallen asleep from exhaustion, but Ji Minglun lay awake until dawn, smoking on the balcony to calm himself.
This slow draining of time felt worse than when he had suddenly lost Jiang Lin last year. But no matter what, they would only be apart for one more year. If he missed Jiang Lin too much, he could always take time off to visit. There was also the winter holiday, the New Year, and spring break, during which Jiang Lin would return.
With these comforting thoughts, Ji Minglun finally managed to sleep beside Jiang Lin. When the alarm rang at 10 a.m., he woke Jiang Lin up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. After everything was ready, they headed out with their matching but different-colored suitcases, Jiang Lin holding Cheese and following him as they took a car to Gaoqi Airport.