Contractual Marriage: We’re Meant to Be Together

238. Is He Not Gay Enough?

Translator: Bryan

“Something’s not right…” Yan Chuyang thought uneasily, swaggering around a bookshelf.

“What are you doing?” Wei Yuan closed the book in his hand. Looking up at Yan Chuyang standing beside the bookshelf, he said in a low voice with a frown, “I thought we’re here to read. Why do you keep wandering around? You’re making me dizzy.”

Yan Chuyang quickly walked over, sat down next to Wei Yuan, leaned his head close to Wei Yuan’s and asked under his breath, “Wei Yuan, why isn’t anybody staring at me?”

Wei Yuan snickered, “Why would anybody do that? I know you’re hot, but don’t you think you’re being overconfident?”

“No!” Yan Chuyang said anxiously, “Did you see the news?”

“I did.” Wei Yuan shrugged and said, “It’s about my big brother going public with your marriage. Alas. It never occurred to me he’d be so impatient.”

“That’s right!” Yan Chuyang said gravely, “It’s such a bombshell, and it hit the headlines. By rights, students of this college would’ve been astound by the news if they saw it. How come they’re all so calm?”

Wei Yuan frowned, “Did you watch news or read the newspaper when you got up this morning?”

Yan Chuyang stiffened momentarily before he stroked his forehead and sighed, “I don’t want to see it. It’s too much for me. The very sight of it will give me a heart attack. I just can’t stand it.”

Wei Yuan shook his head, grabbed his bag, unzipped it, took out a newspaper from inside and smacked it down on to the table. “Here, see for yourself. This is my first time buying a newspaper. It has important news on it so I decided to buy it as a keepsake.”

“Ah! No, no.” Yan Chuyang pushed the newspaper back, picked up his book and pretended to read, seemingly trying to avoid something. “I don’t want to read it. I need to study.”

“Take a look.” Wei Yuan opened up the newspaper and handed it to Yan Chuyang. “You’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

The newspaper held to his eyes, Yan Chuyang had to read it, albeit reluctantly.

Yan Chuyang resignedly put down his book and took the newspaper.

“Eek?” After staring at the newspaper for a while, Yan Chuyang frowned. He flipped through the newspaper and muttered, “Why aren’t there any pictures of me?”

“Humph,” Wei Yuan snorted. He clicked his tongue and added, “Because my brother didn’t have the heart, of course. I’m positive he specially contacted the reporters and had them cut you out of the pictures lest you be put in a difficult position.”

Yan Chuyang’s heart softened and his muscles relaxed. Feigning composure, he said, “Actually… I didn’t need him to do that for me. I wasn’t afraid.”

“Huh,” Wei Yuan sneered. Staring at Yan Chuyang’s face, he said, “You’re not afraid? Tell me, have your shoulders relaxed for a single second since you walked into this library? Your shoulders are rigid, and your face is pale, and yet you’re still pretending.”

“Stop it, will you?” Having been called out on his lie, Yan Chuyang abruptly smacked the newspaper down onto the table, mixed anger and embarrassment on his face.

“Okay, okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut about it.” Wei Yuan took the newspaper and put it into his bag. “This is mine. If you want one, go and buy it yourself after class.”

Watching confusedly as Wei Yuan tucked the newspaper into the interlayer, Yan Chuyang asked in perplexity, “What do you want this newspaper for?”

“It’s a souvenir.”

“Uh… What does the announcement of our marriage have to do with you?”

“It has everything to do with me!” Wei Yuan said in deadly earnest. “What my brother did was mind-boggling, and it’s a milestone in honor of his great change.”

Yan Chuyang shook his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t understand,” Wei Yuan sighed. Then he said with a serious face, “You’re an interested party, which is why you’re unable to see how much he has changed on your account.”

Yan Chuyang was still bemused. “I don’t understand. Who’s changed on my account?”

Wei Yuan clicked his tongue and said with a shake of his head. “Your EQ is unbelievably low. How did you win my brother’s heart?”

Yan Chuyang suddenly became crestfallen. He stooped down and said in a dispirited voice, “I didn’t win his heart. He never said he liked me.”

“Why are you so obsessed with that word?”

Yan Chuyang stiffened momentarily before he blinked and said, “Because that’s a commitment to and an acknowledgement of a relationship. How can I count on him to develop feelings for me when he doesn’t even dare make me a promise?”

Resigned, Wei Yuan ran his hand across his face. He rolled his forehead on the cold coffee table and said, “Chuyang, how gay does my brother have to be to get you to see that he’s become gay?”

Yan Chuyang’s face stiffened, and he pondered for quite a while before he lifted his eyes bemusedly. “He’s become gay?”

“What do you think?”

“I can’t tell.”

“Alas.” Wei Yuan shook and said, “To set your mind at ease, he announced to the whole Song City that he’s married, and that his marriage partner’s a man. It hit the headlines, and the news is on all channels. Do you know what that means? It means everybody’s come to know that he’s gay, and do you know what kind of person he used to be? He used to be downright anti-gay. In the past, if anybody dared say he’s gay, he would hunt them down at all costs, and I’m not exaggerating.”

Yan Chuyang frowned. “Really?”

“Alas, I’ve already put it this way. Think about it yourself.”

Yan Chuyang lowered his head to stare unseeingly at the table. He was pondering when suddenly someone called softly from outside the door. “Yan Chuyang?”

“Yes?” Yan Chuyang quickly turned his head. At the sight of Song Huaiqi standing at the door, he quickly stood up from the chair and walked over. “Senior?”

Song Huaiqi smiled and said, “Can I buy you a drink?”

“Ah?” Yan Chuyang was momentarily surprised and he looked back at Wei Yuan subconsciously.

Wei Yuan put away the book on the table, hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and walked to the door as well. He patted Yan Chuyang’s shoulder and said, “You guys must have some catching-up to do. There’s something I need to attend to. See you around.”

“Hey, Wei Yuan?”

Before Yan Chuyang could stop him, Wei Yuan hurried down the stairs.

Gazing at Wei Yuan’s quickly receding back, Yan Chuyang shook his head resignedly. He thought, “What’s gotten into him?” He found it confusing that Wei Yuan ran away so quickly after seeing Song Huaiqi. Previously, Wei Yuan had been rather wary of Song Huaiqi, and Wei Yuan kept saying that Wei Qing would be cuckolded if he, Yan Chuyang, dated Song Huaiqi.

“Chuyang?” Song Huaiqi patted Yan Chuyang’s shoulder, interrupting his train of thought.

“Ah!” Yan Chuyang jerked out of his trance, scratched the back of his head embarrassedly and said, “What is it you want to see me about, Senior?”