"All the vegetables are in the refrigerator. Just heat them up in the microwave. I've already steamed the rice for you." Xiao Zhan pushed open the door to the study, and Wang Yibo was sitting cross-legged on the gaming chair, taking off his headphones and looking at him. Xiao Zhan asked, "Did you hear what I just said?"
"Mm-hmm," Wang Yibo nodded and then looked back at the computer screen.
"Alright then, I'll leave." Xiao Zhan didn't leave immediately. Wang Yibo, however, remained focused on his game, not giving him a second glance. Xiao Zhan gripped the doorknob, looking at him for a while before finally turning around. He advised, "Take a break from playing after a while, remember to eat on time, and call me if you need anything."
"Mm-hmm," Wang Yibo's response was still indifferent.
The door closed, and Xiao Zhan let go of the doorknob. The sound of keystrokes continued from inside the room. Since they came back from the supermarket yesterday, Wang Yibo had been acting strange, ignoring Xiao Zhan and playing games as if venting his frustration.
Xiao Zhan could tell that Wang Yibo was upset, but he couldn't figure out why. Everything seemed fine before they went to the supermarket, and nothing happened during the shopping trip. The only possible reason could be the invitation to have dinner with Song Li. However, when he asked Wang Yibo about it, the latter denied having any objections, saying he was overthinking things and dismissing the topic.
Xiao Zhan was thoroughly confused and afraid of asking further, worried that it might worsen Wang Yibo's mood. Thus, he chose to keep quiet and pretend that nothing was wrong.
Upon careful consideration, Wang Yibo had been moody lately, getting upset for no apparent reason several times. Could it be related to his heat cycle? But that didn't make sense either; it wasn't his first heat, and he had never acted like this before.
Xiao Zhan felt completely baffled. He looked at the closed study door for a while, sighed, and returned to the living room. He picked up his suit jacket from the sofa, changed his shoes, and left the house.
He had known Wang Yibo since they were kids, and his feelings for him were complicated. He saw him as a lover but also as a younger brother. Xiao Zhan always thought that this dual relationship was a good thing, even if he couldn't be with Wang Yibo romantically, he could find solace in their bond as family.
From an elder brother's perspective, he believed he understood Wang Yibo better than anyone else. However, lately, Wang Yibo had been keeping his troubles to himself, hiding and fearing to be discovered. What was more unacceptable to Xiao Zhan was that he genuinely couldn't figure out what was bothering Wang Yibo.
Having been in unrequited love for six years and being married for one, he felt like he was regressing with time. Today, he couldn't even claim to understand Wang Yibo.
Standing alone in the empty hallway, Xiao Zhan suddenly felt hesitant to call the place behind that door their home.
"Are you sleepwalking, you fucking crocodile? Quit the game."
A message popped up from a teammate on the chat channel. Wang Yibo recalled back to the tower and then exited the game directly. The screen returned to the desktop, and the wallpaper displayed a picture of the snow-capped mountains they took during their trip to Western Sichuan. The towering peaks pierced the clouds, and the green grass and colorful flowers of the plateau were scenes that could never be found in the concrete jungle.
Wang Yibo stared at the screen blankly for a while, then got up and went to the kitchen, taking out a can of fruit juice from the refrigerator.
He saw the dinner that Xiao Zhan had prepared for him - it wasn't the leftovers from lunch, but freshly cooked after they had lunch.
In his memory, whenever Xiao Zhan wasn't eating at home, he would leave him some food, and the dishes were never the leftovers from the previous meal. Xiao Zhan seemed to be unafraid of the trouble, insisting on cooking again and making completely different dishes, just enough for Wang Yibo to eat alone. Wang Yibo felt it was troublesome and had told Xiao Zhan many times that he didn't need to do all this, but Xiao Zhan didn't listen and continued to insist on doing it.
He used to think Xiao Zhan was just someone who enjoyed being delicate and didn't find it troublesome, treating cooking as a joy in life. But recently, his mindset changed, and he started overthinking things, only then did he realize something was off. Every time he went to work, when Xiao Zhan was at home, he never cooked proper meals. When he asked Xiao Zhan what he had for the day, Xiao Zhan usually answered with simple meals like noodles or leftovers from yesterday, or even takeout.
Taking out the dish from the microwave-safe bowl, Wang Yibo closed the refrigerator door and pulled open the ring tab of the canned beverage.
In the scorching heat of August in Rongcheng, without air conditioning, he began to sweat in no time. Wang Yibo tilted his head back and took a sip of the chilled drink, only then realizing that he had chosen a lemon-flavored one. He had developed a physiological aversion to lemons, perhaps from hearing too many internet jokes, and now it oddly represented his current state. Because Xiao Zhan went crazy with jealousy over him having dinner with an Alpha junior, giving Xiao Zhan the cold shoulder, it sounded ridiculous to anyone who heard it - he was obviously the one who had an unrequited love, yet acted like a primary partner.
Wang Yibo turned around and leaned against the sink, drinking half of the lemon juice, which was so sour that it made his teeth ache. He couldn't bear to drink any more, so he tossed the rest into the trash bin.
Holding his phone, he wanted to call Xiao Zhan, apologize or ask him not to go have dinner with Song Li, whatever - he just wanted to talk to Xiao Zhan.
Thirteen familiar digits were etched in his memory. He had saved Xiao Zhan's contact with the nname "Zhan Ge," a common address used by many who knew Xiao Zhan. Wang Yibo pondered with his head down for a few minutes, and before making the call, he changed Xiao Zhan's name - to "Ge".
He was still timid, even though he was certain that Xiao Zhan wouldn't see his phone, he didn't dare to cross the boundary blatantly. Listening to the ringing on the other end, he thought to himself, "If I change the nickname again, it might take a very long time."
"Hello, what's up, Yibo?" Xiao Zhan was driving when he answered the call, taking it a bit slowly, and was a bit surprised to receive Wang Yibo's call right after he left home.
"Not much," Wang Yibo's heart raced as soon as he heard Xiao Zhan's voice. Perhaps feeling guilty, he hastily replied with that, and all the words he wanted to say earlier slipped his mind. He stared at the floor, remaining silent for a long time.
At a traffic light, Xiao Zhan stopped the car, thinking it might be due to poor signal, he freed up a hand to pick up his phone and said, "Yibo? Can you hear me?"
"Mm-hmm," Wang Yibo pursed his lips.
Xiao Zhan asked, "Why aren't you talking? Is something wrong? Tell me."
"No, there's nothing, it's just..." His brain seemed to freeze again, waiting for a restart, and he couldn't control his language system at all.
He really wanted to sigh or just hang up the phone altogether. He thought, "You don't have the courage to be honest with Xiao Zhan, so why bother making this call?"
Wang Yibo lifted his head, forced a self-deprecating smile, and said, "I saw that you made sweet and sour pork ribs, and I happen to be craving it. Thanks." His voice trailed off, and he added, "Drive safely and eat your meal, then come home early."
He felt his words were disconnected, and Xiao Zhan naturally found it strange. He let out an "Ah" before saying, "Alright then, eat more, I'll be back around nine."
"Mm-hmm," Wang Yibo hung up the phone and let out a long sigh.
He placed his phone by the sink and turned onthe cold water, lowering his head to wash his face. Drop by drop, watertrickled down from his chin, and faint sunlight streamed through the blinds. Hedidn't know if he should brave the danger of getting burned by the sun or if heshould stay where he was, even if he couldn't embrace Xiao Zhan, at least hecould see him every day.
A/N:
Hey there,
I know I've been dragging this story like a stubborn snail - there's a method to my madness, and I owe you an explanation! It's all about the dramatic tension, you see. But trust me, it's all about those misunderstandings that happen when people forget how to talk to each other. Don't worry, I won't keep them apart forever. They'll end up together, I promise. It's just that they're taking the scenic route, and we might need a GPS to navigate their feelings. 29 chapters and still no confession? I'm as surprised as you!
Hang in there, we'll get to the good stuff soon. Thanks for your patience and for putting up with my tortoise-paced storytelling.
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The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi
FanfictionIn the past, there was no marriage certificate between them. Xiao Zhan only had a secret crush on Wang Yibo. Every time he saw him, he felt a little closer to him, and there was anticipation in his days. But since they got married, it was like he h...
