What Are Your Tastes? chapter 33
Finding Someone Better
The week-long Miró exhibition was held at the West Garden Gallery in the city center. Lu Yunchu had liked Miró since his student days, and even if Bai Shan hadn’t reminded him, he would have attended.
That day, he sensed Bai Shan had something on her mind, but he didn’t pay much attention at the time. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that he understood what was going on. As he was leaving the gallery, he happened to bump into Lin Yizhe, who had also come to see the exhibition.
Recently, Lin Yizhe had contacted him privately several times, with invitations that were almost like dates, but he had declined them for various reasons.
“Yunchu,” Lu Yunchu remained expressionless, but Lin Yizhe was visibly pleased, “I was wondering if you would come to see this exhibition. Bai Jie said she wasn’t sure, so I guess we’re fated to meet?”
“Fate will bring us together,” was what Lu Yunchu had casually said at the time, but it turned out to be shooting himself in the foot.
Luckily, it was close to closing time, so they both had to leave.
“Unfortunately, it seems a bit late now,” he said as he walked away.
Next to the gallery was a moderately sized parking lot, where his car was parked.
“Not late,” Lin Yizhe followed closely behind him, “although we can’t view the exhibition together, we can—”
“Zhou Yanchuan!” Lu Yunchu didn’t even hear what Lin Yizhe was saying. He recognized the Mercedes Benz car next to his car, and after seeing the person walking out of the car, he waved his hand and yelled.
“Hey, it’s you?” Zhou Yanchuan fastened the door, took a few steps forward to meet him, and then noticed the person who had just come up alongside Lu Yunchu: Chen’an’s young master, whom he had met a few times before, though not well. He nodded in greeting, “Hello.”
“Mr. Zhou, long time no see,” Lin Yizhe greeted him earnestly, “Are you here for the exhibition of Miró?”
There were no other parking lots nearby, and many of the cars parked here were not for the exhibition. Moreover, the gallery had long stopped allowing entry at this hour, so Lin Yizhe was just being knowingly provocative. Lu Yunchu gave him a glare.
“What Miró?” Zhou Yanchuan was puzzled, “Miró Coffee?”
Lin Yizhe chuckled softly behind his hand, “I’m talking about Joan Miró, the Spanish painter and sculptor…”
“Zhou Yanchuan,” Lu Yunchu ignored his lengthy explanation, walked around to the front of the car, and spoke with Zhou Yanchuan, “Are you here on business?”
“Having dinner,” Zhou Yanchuan said bluntly, “There’s a good food stall ahead. By the way, I mentioned treating you to dinner last time; how about today?”
Lu Yunchu was about to agree when Lin Yizhe stepped forward and interrupted again, “Yunchu, I was just about to ask if you’re interested in French cuisine?”
“Sorry, Mr. Lin,” Lu Yunchu smiled at him, “I already made plans with Mr. Zhou a few days ago.”
Whether it was a prior arrangement or a spontaneous decision, Lu Yunchu ignored Lin Yizhe and signaled to Zhou Yanchuan with a “let’s go” gesture.
“Mr. Lin,” Zhou Yanchuan waved to Lin Yizhe, “Until next time.”
The food stall Zhou Yanchuan mentioned was located on a small road, only allowing one car to pass at a time, and there were no parking spaces, hence why he parked by the gallery. There was a nearby secondary school and a vocational school, so most of the diners were students.
“How did you find this place?” Lu Yunchu wondered; Zhou Yanchuan always seemed to discover hidden gems.
“Online reviews,” he said openly, lighting up his phone and showing him an app, “I’ve been here a few times.”
Although not a big restaurant, the dining hall was more spacious than the duck noodle shop, and they arrived early enough to find a table easily.
It wasn’t the first time Lu Yunchu had dinner with Zhou Yanchuan. He sat opposite him comfortably, but after sitting down, he noticed Zhou Yanchuan’s gaze on him was somewhat unnatural.
He glanced over, and Zhou Yanchuan withdrew his gaze, ordering from his phone. Soon after, he looked over again, hesitatingly speaking, “Mr. Lin… you’d better not have too much contact with him.”
Lu Yunchu raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Is that what’s been on your mind?”
“Yeah,” Zhou Yanchuan replied. It wasn’t easy to discuss someone behind their back, but Lin Yizhe’s chaotic personal life was no secret, and Zhou Yanchuan wasn’t sure if Lu Yunchu was aware. If he didn’t know, it might be worth a reminder. “He’s quite the playboy, and not very faithful.”
The whole “playboy reforms for love” were plotlines you’d only see in idol dramas. Zhou Yanchuan was conservative in his thinking and preferred to believe that “a leopard can’t change its spots.”
Lu Yunchu chuckled. “I know that already.”
“Oh,” Zhou Yanchuan took a sip of hot tea, feeling a burn in his throat, “you know?”
“So what? Do you think he’s interested in me?”
“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Hearing Lu Yunchu’s tone, Zhou Yanchuan guessed that he wasn’t in the dark about it. “I’m not trying to meddle, but I just think… if you’re looking for a boyfriend, you could find someone better.”
Lu Yunchu’s lips curled up even higher. “For example?”
“What do you mean, for example?”
“Didn’t you say I could find someone better?” He teased, “Like who?”
“Well, I don’t really know anyone else who’s gay, but there must be someone…” Zhou Yanchuan scratched his head awkwardly, “You’re not actually interested in him, are you?”
“Of course not,” Lu Yunchu dismissed the joking tone, “I have no interest in him at all.”
Zhou Yanchuan breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he felt emotionally inclined towards Lu Yunchu, seeing him as one of his own. If Lu Yunchu really ended up with Lin Yizhe, it would be like his own cabbage being snatched by a pig.
But when asked what kind of person would suit Lu Yunchu, Zhou Yanchuan couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer. At the very least, they would need to be faithful and not like his previous boyfriend.
“Let’s eat,” Lu Yunchu said.
The dishes were served quickly at the small restaurant. Before they could exchange more words, the waiter brought two plates: farmhouse stir-fried pork and braised dried bamboo shoots.
During the meal, Zhou Yanchuan felt that Lu Yunchu was unusually cheerful, though he couldn’t understand why.
Their cars were still in the parking lot. After finishing their meal, Zhou Yanchuan wanted to use the restroom. Unfortunately, the restroom in the restaurant was out of order, so he had to walk around the corner to a public restroom.
They each drove their own cars, so there was no need for Lu Yunchu to wait. Zhou Yanchuan said to him, “You go ahead, I’ll head back by myself.”
“Alright,” Lu Yunchu waved his hand, “Take care on the way.”
The nearby small restaurants were sparse on customers on this winter night. As the diners gradually left, the alley that had been lively earlier now lost its vitality. The sound of dishes being washed could be heard clearly.
To reach the public restroom, Zhou Yanchuan had to pass through an unusually dark and narrow alley, narrower than the road where the restaurant was located. There used to be a street lamp at the intersection, but that night even the street lamp was broken, leaving everything in darkness.
Halfway there, Zhou Yanchuan began to regret his decision. If he had known, he wouldn’t have gone, but now halfway through, it wasn’t worth turning back. He cautiously continued forward.
After walking a few more meters, he heard the sound of shoes scraping rapidly against the floor. Alert, he turned around.
“Who’s there?”
He couldn’t see clearly, but he sensed a force rushing towards him. The moment the stick fell, he raised his arm.