What Are Your Tastes? chapter 56

A Particularly Lovely Person

Sen City was closer to Pingliang Village than Wen County. The highway built last year made it easier to reach the village, with only a short section of mountain road after entering the county.

Tourist spots often look better in photos, but this place didn’t disappoint. The fields of rapeseed flowers were in full bloom along the country road, with green mountains and blue skies as a backdrop, and vast golden fields stretching out, more vibrant and lively than they had imagined.

Zhou Yanchuan had never met Lu Yunchu’s brother’s family and didn’t know what kind of people they were. Lu Yunchu didn’t mention much during the drive, but after they entered the village, he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, my brother’s partner is actually—”

“Hey!”

Before he could finish saying “a man,” Gu Wenxi, who was walking by the roadside, spotted their car and waved dramatically.

“Gu-ge,” Lu Yunchu leaned out from the open passenger window, “are you here to pick us up?”

“I just went to the small shop, and I wondered if I might run into you on the way, and I really did,” he said cheerfully. Then he greeted Zhou Yanchuan, who was in the driver’s seat, “Hello, you’re Yunchu’s friend, right?”

“Yes, hello.”

Zhou Yanchuan was puzzled about the man’s identity. Lu Yunchu leaned in and whispered, “He’s my brother’s partner.”

No further explanation was needed; Zhou Yanchuan immediately understood that his brother was also gay.

Perhaps his attitude had changed recently, so he wasn’t too surprised by this. He nodded slightly, “Come on in, just help us find the way.” There were too many turns around here, and even the GPS was confusing.

“No problem.” Gu Wenxi walked around to the back door.

The destination was very close. After a couple of turns, they saw a glimpse of the green eaves of the guesthouse built on a slope. They drove around to the front yard, where the entire white building came into view.

It was the holiday season, and the guesthouse had many visitors. The parking spaces in front of the building were almost full, with just enough room left for Zhou Yanchuan’s SUV.

The guesthouse retained the architectural style common in mountain villages but had large floor-to-ceiling windows. On either side of the wooden door leading to the main hall were pots of green plants with yellow flowers. The door was wide open, and the wind chimes above it jingled in the breeze. Zhou Yanchuan was about to step forward when he saw Lu Yunchu stop and stare at the two pots of flowers.

“Is this hibiscus?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes, and it’s well-cared for.” It was said that if properly tended, hibiscus could bloom year-round. Lu Yunchu thought to himself that maybe he didn’t have enough flowers on his balcony.

“You could have some in your studio too,” Zhou Yanchuan suggested.

“We’ll see.” After another glance, Lu Yunchu raised his head and saw a man walking from the backyard. He called out, “Du-ge.”

Zhou Yanchuan guessed that this was his half-brother.

“You guys are here?” he said, “Welcome.”

Despite having a completely different temperament from his brother, Du Yunyan was also very handsome. His features were soft, and his voice had a slightly detached tone.

Zhou Yanchuan greeted him as well, “Sorry for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all. Take a rest first.”

Since they knew each other, the four of them had lunch together at the guesthouse. Compared to the quiet Du Yunyan, Gu Wenxi was quite talkative and quickly introduced the popular local spots and specialties.

Zhou Yanchuan had read online that “Yaning” guesthouse primarily served vegetarian food. Gu Wenxi mentioned that they used to offer meat dishes only on Sundays, but now they served a special meat dish daily. Most of the dishes on their table were still vegetarian, but they tasted as good as meat.

April was the season for Chinese toon sprouts, and in the middle of the table were dishes of Chinese toon with king oyster mushrooms and Chinese toon scrambled eggs. Bitter melon and crispy tofu were topped with a rich, special sauce, along with some other dishes Zhou Yanchuan couldn’t identify at first glance. Each of their cups held freshly squeezed carrot-apple juice.

“What kind of sauce is this?” Zhou Yanchuan was particularly interested in the sauce on the vegetarian dishes, which significantly enhanced the flavor.

“Five-flavor sauce,” Du Yunyan explained, “It’s actually quite easy to make.” Usually quiet, he suddenly became more talkative and detailed the ingredients needed. “We’ll make some later. If you’re interested, you can watch in the kitchen.”

“Sure.” Zhou Yanchuan thought that Lu Yunchu’s brother wasn’t so dull after all; he just seemed passionate about specific topics.

Their table was next to a floor-to-ceiling window facing a pomegranate tree, under which two dogs, one yellow and one black, were tied. They hadn’t noticed the dogs when they arrived; it seemed they had just been tied up.

Gu Wenxi noticed their gaze and explained, “Those are Yangyang and Beibei. With so many people around at noon, we tied them up for now.”

The dogs were large and fierce-looking. Sensing they were being watched, they barked a few times at the window, their barks audible even through the glass.

Du Yunyan turned his head and frowned slightly, making a gesture to quiet them.

Zhou Yanchuan thought to himself that “Scallion” was still cuter. He missed the little dog, which Lu Yunchu had mentioned a few times since it was given away.

“How about…” Lu Yunchu whispered in his ear, “I ask Tao Jin to bring Sabrina out to play sometime?”

Surprised by how accurately Lu Yunchu guessed his thoughts, Zhou Yanchuan gave him a quick look, “You knew I was thinking about Sabrina?”

“I guessed,” Lu Yunchu continued, “We could invite them to Blue Bay or the studio. What do you think?”

“Sure,” Zhou Yanchuan responded quickly, “No rush. Let’s see when he’s free.” The kid was about to enter his senior year of high school; who knew how busy he was.

After whispering to Zhou Yanchuan for a bit, Lu Yunchu looked up and saw Gu Wenxi giving him a knowing look. He shifted his gaze, nonchalantly sipping his juice.

Later, Zhou Yanchuan really did go to the kitchen with Du Yunyan to learn how to make the sauce. After all, he loved simple, tasty dishes.

Having not seen Gu Wenxi for a while, Lu Yunchu wanted to chat with him alone but noticed the playful look in his eyes.

“What are you thinking?” Lu Yunchu gave him a light slap on the shoulder.

“I was thinking,” Gu Wenxi glanced at the kitchen, “Are you guys just friends?”

“Do you think he looks gay?”

“What does it matter…” Gu Wenxi shrugged, “I don’t even think I look gay.”

“You’re just Schrödinger’s straight guy,” Lu Yunchu joked.

“Wait a minute,” Gu Wenxi realized, “Are you saying Mr. Zhou is straight?”

“Yes.”

“So, you have a one-sided crush on him?” He blurted out his guess and immediately felt he had overstepped, “Am I being too nosy?”

“It’s fine, you guessed right.” Talking about his feelings with someone as understanding as Gu Wenxi, Lu Yunchu didn’t feel uncomfortable. “Anyway… he is quite straight, isn’t he?”

“How can you tell?” It was a question beyond Gu Wenxi’s understanding. He quickly gave up thinking about it and teased, “I should’ve reserved a double room for you guys.”

Lu Yunchu blushed slightly. It was Zhou Yanchuan who suggested they share a room: “Since we’re so close, there’s no need for separate rooms.” Of course, he had booked a standard room.

Such fantasies were of little significance. Despite lingering over the feeling of being embraced by Zhou Yanchuan after New Year’s Eve, objectively, even if they were physically close, their awareness of each other was worlds apart.

---

In the afternoon, they agreed to go cherry picking.

In the past two years, Pingliang Village had developed several new orchards on previously deserted mountain lands—cherries, bayberries, yellow plums, loquats… There was no limit to the variety. For this season, cherries were the ripest and ready to be picked.

Walking along the mountain road, traditional white-walled houses were nestled amidst lush greenery. Following the path pointed out by Du Yunyan, they gradually left behind the houses and entered extensive orchards built into the mountainside.

Lu Yunchu was visiting such a rural area for the first time, finding simple strolls relaxing enough.

“Have you been to the countryside before?” he asked as they walked.

“I’ve been to villages near Wen County,” Zhou Yanchuan said. “We live by the mountains, and there are some small villages nearby, but the conditions aren’t as good as here.”

He could tell that Pingliang Village was economically well-off; even the Yaning guesthouse was superior to the hotels in Wen County’s center.

“I used to love playing in places like this when I was a kid,” he continued. “Climbing trees, running around, picking wild fruits I didn’t even know the names of.”

Lu Yunchu envisioned a young Zhou Yanchuan running wild in the countryside. Smiling quietly, he took a deep breath. The mountain breeze carried the scent of fruit.

There were two types of cherries in the orchard: dark ones that turned sweeter as they darkened and light ones that were yellow with hints of red, sweeter the redder they got. Visitors walked under the trees with buckets in hand.

Zhou Yanchuan moved quickly, filling half a bucket in no time, occasionally mimicking other tourists by popping a cherry into his mouth after rubbing it twice.

Out of the corner of his eye, he occasionally spotted Lu Yunchu not far away.

Reaching up to pull down a branch, he carefully picked off the bright-colored fruits.

After letting go, a familiar voice suddenly said, “Open your mouth.”

Lu Yunchu’s enlarged face suddenly appeared before him, causing Zhou Yanchuan to hold his breath slightly and instinctively open his mouth.

Lu Yunchu placed a cherry in his mouth.

As his fingers withdrew from around his lips, Zhou Yanchuan tensed for a moment, nearly dropping the fruit he had just placed in his mouth.

“Is it sweet?” Lu Yunchu turned his head slightly.

“Mm… Well,” Zhou Yanchuan quickly took a bite. It was a bit sour, but he still chewed it slowly, spitting the pit into his hand. “Not bad.”

“You should wash the rest before eating,” Lu Yunchu held his small bucket close. “What if it upsets your stomach?”

“Mm.”

---

They picked too many cherries to finish in one go. When they returned to the guest house, Lu Yunchu carried two large bags into the hall, intending to invite Du Yunyan and Gu Wenxi to join them for a meal, but they were nowhere to be found inside.

He returned outside from the stairs, surveying the front courtyard, and found them by a car parked near the earthen stove.

“Why haven’t you learned to change the tire?” Du Yunyan’s voice complained, but it sounded like he was joking.

“I learned it last time, but I’ve forgotten again,” Gu Wenxi chuckled, not quite serious.

“I’ve spoiled you too much.”

“Yeah,” Gu Wenxi proudly agreed.

“Come here and do this.”

“Why are you like this?”

“Developing your hands-on skills,” Du Yunyan said solemnly, “comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, physicality, aesthetics, and labor.”

“I think I’m already well-rounded enough…” Gu Wenxi said, but he still squatted down beside the SUV, blocked by the body of the car.

Lu Yunchu didn’t continue listening to their conversation and didn’t want to disturb them at this time.

Let’s eat the cherries later.

---

It was said that the scenery by the river was good, and Lu Yunchu and Zhou Yanchuan had dinner early and went for a walk outside, returning to the guest house again, when the sky was already dark.

The countryside was unusually quiet after nightfall, and even the lively dogs during the day were much quieter, with no barking to be heard. The gentle breeze was cool, the air slightly moist but not sticky, perfect for a good night’s sleep.

It was their second night together, and they still talked for a while before going to sleep, just like last time.

“Lu Yunchu, do you still… like that person from before?”

Zhou Yanchuan’s seemingly casual remark instantly woke up Lu Yunchu, who had been feeling drowsy.

Why did he ask that?

“Yes,” Lu Yunchu said decisively, “I still do.”

The person beside him fell silent, and soon muttered to himself as if he were talking to himself, “Do you really like someone who studies art so much?”

Lu Yunchu was surprised. What a strange misunderstanding. Even if Meng Xiao was an art student, that was ancient history now.

“Who said I liked someone who studied art?”

“What?” Zhou Yanchuan suddenly sat up halfway, “Isn’t the person you like… studying art?”

Curiosity was indeed strong… Lu Yunchu chuckled and smiled without paying attention to the commotion on the bed next door.

Logic told him not to continue revealing more, but he couldn’t help but want to release some signals about the long-hidden secret.

“He knows nothing about art.”

The moon had not yet risen, and there was only a dim light in the backyard of the guesthouse, shining on their window, like a layer of thin yellow mist.

Zhou Yanchuan lay back on his pillow, gently asking, “What kind of person is he?”

Lu Yunchu turned over and lay flat. Should he say it, or how should he say it? It would be unfair to keep it all to himself.

After a few seconds of silence, he said to the grayish ceiling, “Anyway, he’s a particularly lovely person.”

TN:

Lu Yunchu’s half brother and his boyfriend Gu Wenxi have their own novel which I translated not so long ago, still from this same author. If you are interested you can check it out. Search for ‘Love is like being drunk’ on NU.