What Are Your Tastes? chapter 57

The last night of being 27

The holiday ended, and a new work week began.

For two consecutive nights before falling asleep, Lu Yunchu received messages from Zhou Yanchuan, sensing something unusual.

Those messages, theoretically, were nothing abnormal, similar to casual chats.

For example, “Did you have fun the other day?” or “Where do you want to go next time?”

Of course, Lu Yunchu replied to each one, back and forth. As time passed and it got late, Zhou Yanchuan would urge him to sleep and always add a “Good night.”

He seemed suddenly more enthusiastic.

No, it should be said that Zhou Yanchuan was always friendly with his friends, but there was definitely something different this time.

Connecting it with previous incidents, a trend had emerged early on: asking for a portrait, inviting him out, and almost probing inquiries…

Lying in bed, Lu Yunchu hugged his pillow tightly. Only recently did he start seriously reflecting on these “abnormalities.” What exactly was Zhou Yanchuan trying to ascertain?

He had suspected that the other person had discovered his secret, but now it didn’t seem like that was the case anymore, at least not like it was during New Year’s.

With a heavy heart, he fell asleep, entangled in dreams intertwined with reality.

In his dream, he sat on horseback, surrounded by endless grasslands. The horse carried him slowly, and there was another voice beside him.

Zhou Yanchuan had mentioned going to the grasslands together sometime, so perhaps that’s why he dreamed of this scene.

“Lu Yunchu, do you like it?” Zhou Yanchuan asked in the dream.

“The grassland?” Lu Yunchu replied. “Yes, I like it.”

“No… I mean,” he continued, “do you like being with me?”

After this statement, Zhou Yanchuan’s face blurred, and Lu Yunchu tried to touch him but grasped nothing. It was all bright, glaring white.

It turned out it was already dawn; he had forgotten to close the curtains yesterday.

Upon waking up, the scenes from the dream hadn’t completely faded, making it hard to distinguish from reality.

It was as if he was silently grappling with his desires, and Zhou Yanchuan’s position, once crystal clear, had become ambiguous, shaking his previously firm convictions.

During the day at the studio, Lu Yunchu’s schedule quickly filled up with work, leaving no room for private matters.

But in the late afternoon, just as everyone was preparing to wrap up, he received another WeChat message from Zhou Yanchuan.

This time, it began with two photos: bonsai with Japanese cherry blossoms occupying most of the frame, reminiscent of what he had seen at Du Yunyan’s place, followed by “Do you like it?”

Although he wasn’t sure where Zhou Yanchuan took the photos, Lu Yunchu quickly replied, “Yes, it’s nice.”

Zhou Yanchuan: “Can you wait for me?”

Lu Yunchu: “At the studio?”

Zhou Yanchuan: “Yes.”

Lu Yunchu hadn’t planned to go home immediately anyway, so he readily agreed. Outside, the red sun was slowly setting.

Not long after the workers left, he heard Zhou Yanchuan calling him from outside. Lu Yunchu pushed open the terrace door and looked down from the window.

Zhou Yanchuan had driven his SUV over, parked downstairs with the trunk open wide: two pots of bright yellow flowers in full bloom, their vibrant colors seemed to outshine even the setting sun’s brilliance.

Lu Yunchu’s gaze shifted to Zhou Yanchuan standing by the car, and a wave of astonishment swept through his heart.

The expression on his face was almost adoring him, almost as if— he was pursuing him.

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On Friday evening, Zhou Yanchuan was dining in the company cafeteria, and Mo Ziyang was also present.

After returning from Pingliang Village for a few days, Zhou Yanchuan appeared carefree. Mo Ziyang assumed his romantic situation was more or less settled, casually asking, “So? Are you officially off the market now?”

“What off the market?”

“Haven’t you guys started dating?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

Mo Ziyang was puzzled, “Isn’t going on a trip together enough to be ambiguous?”

“Well… there’s something I haven’t told you,” Zhou Yanchuan said seriously, “That person is actually not a woman.”

“What a mess?”

“He… he’s a man,” Zhou Yanchuan said bluntly, “Got it? He’s not a woman.”

Mo Ziyang was thunderstruck, completely speechless.

“You can’t handle this?” Zhou Yanchuan asked again.

“What can’t I handle,” Mo Ziyang regained his composure, “The issue is, are you really gay?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I haven’t liked any other men,” he was always puzzled by conceptual problems, “Just this one.”

Mo Ziyang furrowed his brow and stared at him for a moment, cautiously asking, “So are you in a situation like Yuan Yuan?”

Zhou Yanchuan had heard from An Wen about An Yuan’s situation and naturally understood Mo Ziyang’s implication.

“You could say that,” he answered without hesitation.

“So does he like men or women?”

“Men.”

“Even so… Yuan Yuan’s girl has liked her for a long time, but you…” if he remembered correctly, Mo Ziyang recalled Zhou Yanchuan saying the person he liked liked someone else, “Does he like you?”

A few days ago, Zhou Yanchuan was one hundred percent sure that Lu Yunchu liked Chen Mingxuan, but Lu Yunchu had denied it in person, saying the person he liked knew nothing about art.

Zhou Yanchuan had to rethink the whole thing. Maybe the person Lu Yunchu mentioned was him.

The day before yesterday, he bought flowers that Lu Yunchu liked and sent them over, and he seemed excited, even rearranging the balcony. Zhou Yanchuan almost had the illusion that they were in love.

Of course, it wasn’t a done deal yet, and it would be embarrassing to say “he likes me” in front of others. Plus, a little superstition, being too certain might jinx it, only to find out it was all for nothing.

“Why didn’t you say he was a guy earlier,” Mo Ziyang continued, seeing Zhou Yanchuan silent and thinking things weren’t going well. “Here I was, seriously helping you plan to pursue a girl!”

“If I had said earlier, would you have explained to me how to pursue a guy?”

“No, I don’t know how to handle men,” he said lazily, leaning back against the chair. “You’re on your own.”

“I didn’t expect you to help anyway,” Zhou Yanchuan said indifferently, “Why did you suddenly think of having lunch in the cafeteria today?”

“They’re all not at home, so what would I do if I went back early?” Mo Ziyang picked at the fish on his plate, “Let Auntie take a rest too.”

Zhou Yanchuan ate while scrolling through his WeChat Moments. Suddenly, upon seeing a particular post, he stood up abruptly. “I’m leaving first, you take your time.”

“Where are you going?” Mo Ziyang glanced at him with a teasing smile.”Looking for your man?”

“Yeah,” Zhou Yanchuan admitted frankly, “Do as you please.”

“Got it, I should head home too.”

On his way to the parking lot, Zhou Yanchuan called Lu Yunchu. “Are you still at Starlight Plaza?”

“Did you see my Moments post?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m still here.”

“Can you wait a bit? I want to come find you,” he said, his heart unexpectedly racing.

The person on the other end clearly hesitated for a moment before smiling, “Sure, I’ll wait for you.”

He got into the car, ended the call, and looked at the Moments post again.

[“The last night of being 27, back here again.”], accompanied by a photo of Starlight Plaza.