Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 27:

Chapter 27: Confession

Lu Jie looked up through the gap in the staircase railing, just able to see the intertwined figures of two people.

Shen Rufai was wearing a white coat, leaning against the stair railing. Jiang Yan was slightly leaning forward, burying his head in Shen Rufai’s shoulder with forceful willfulness, his long legs in an expensive suit squeezed between the other man’s, a gesture that was both confinement and playful coaxing.

The scattered words Lu Jie had just heard, combined with the fragmented information he’d received earlier, quickly led him to the complete story. Jiang Yan was upset about He Shiye pursuing Shen Rufai. His recent distraction was probably also because of Shen Rufai—sometimes lingering in a state of bliss, sometimes so downhearted he didn’t even feel like going to the company. This relationship was certainly passionate.

Lu Jie walked up the steps, his footsteps alarming the two intertwined figures. Their eyes turned toward him. Jiang Yan froze, speechless for a moment. Shen Rufai clearly showed a flicker of surprise, but the emotion quickly hid behind his glistening glasses.

Lu Jie had no interest in “catching them in the act,” but there was no smile on his face either. He walked closer, tossing the file in his hand onto Jiang Yan. He said, “Jiang Yan, since you’re so free, you should be the one delivering the contract.”

He turned to leave, grabbing the nearest doorknob and exiting the stairwell. The heavy iron door slammed shut with a deafening “clang.”

Jiang Yan stood frozen, cradling the file in both hands, then turned to Shen Rufai with a wronged expression.

“Brother…”

Shen Rufai straightened up, his beautiful almond eyes curving slightly at Jiang Yan’s pitiful look. He lifted his hand and hooked his finger under his boyfriend’s chin, saying harsh words in a gentle voice, “Go on. If you can’t handle it, don’t bother coming back to me tonight.”

He then gave Jiang Yan a brief, encouraging kiss on the corner of his mouth. After the kiss, Shen Rufai smiled, a smile that made Jiang Yan feel his soul was being drawn away.

But… he still had to chase after Lu Jie. If he didn’t hurry, he would miss him.

As leather shoes tapped on the dormitory’s tile floor, Jiang Yan’s voice followed. “Lu Jie, wait for me.”

Lu Jie ignored him, walking directly to the elevator door and pressing the down button. But just as he had experienced last time, the dorm elevator was agonizingly slow. In the time it took to wait, Jiang Yan caught up.

“Don’t be angry, I… I planned to tell you later. I was just afraid that…” Jiang Yan always knew that Lu Jie responded to softness, not toughness. He lowered his head, feigning embarrassment. “Lu Jie, are you unable to accept that I like men? Are you not going to be my friend anymore?”

“Stop with that act,” the elevator finally arrived, and Lu Jie walked in with a dark expression. “You know I’m not angry about your sexual orientation. I don’t care whether you like men or women.”

Jiang Yan nervously followed him into the elevator.

“How long have you two been together?” Lu Jie asked. “Has it been three months?”

“Roughly… yes.”

“…” He had been recovering from a broken leg for exactly three months. “I was lying in a hospital bed with a broken leg, and you were hitting on my attending physician? Are you even human, Jiang Yan?”

“Oh, I… I was wrong,” Jiang Yan wrung his hands anxiously. “I’ll make amends. I’ll take a vacation. I’ll be at the company all week, handle all the meetings, and absolutely not bother you with anything. Deal?”

“Seriously?”

Jiang Yan realized he couldn’t actually keep that promise, so he resorted to begging, “Of course. You wouldn’t have the heart to leave me to deal with such a massive workload all by myself, would you?”

Lu Jie said, “Does Fu Jia’an know?”

“Jia’an, he… he probably knows…”

Based on Fu Jia’an’s words from two days ago, he likely knew his brother was in a relationship, but not necessarily that it was with Jiang Yan. Thinking this, Lu Jie became even more irritated.

He didn’t hesitate for a second, directing his anger straight at Jiang Yan: “With your flaky personality, you’re dating Fu Jia’an’s older brother? Have you ever thought that if you two argue and break up later, would Fu Jia’an still be willing to continue as a company consultant? Are the company’s business arrangements a joke? Haven’t I told you: date whoever you want, but don’t mix business with private affairs!”

They had joked about this in high school a long time ago: if Lu Jie had a younger sister, he would absolutely, under no circumstances, allow her to date Jiang Yan. This wasn’t about prejudice against the rich second generation; Jiang Yan was indeed a generous and loyal friend. However, based on high school experience, he was completely unstable in relationships. Who would want their closest person to be a victim of his “novelty seeking”?

It went without saying that Fu Jia’an wouldn’t agree if he knew, especially since he was very close to his brother.

In Lu Jie’s eyes, Jiang Yan had plenty of choices and could easily find someone who treated love like a game to mess around with. Why couldn’t he leave Shen Rufai alone?

But Jiang Yan caught a different meaning in Lu Jie’s words—it turned out Lu Jie’s anger wasn’t about homophobia, or that he hadn’t told him about the relationship, but specifically that he was dating Fu Jia’an’s brother.

Thinking further, what if he and Shen Rufai break up one day? Then Lu Jie and Fu Jia’an…

Jiang Yan felt his brain suddenly clear up: “Lu Jie, you’re afraid that if Shen Rufai and I break up later, you won’t be able to be with Fu Jia’an. Is that it?”

The two of them walked out of the dorm building. Lu Jie pointed to the white hospital building diagonally across the street. “Look there. Municipal Second Hospital has a Psychiatry Department. Go make an appointment for delusional disorder.”

“Okay, okay,” Jiang Yan quickly conceded to Lu Jie. “It’s obviously Fu Jia’an pursuing you. How could you possibly be worried? I was talking nonsense. How about this? We’ll have dinner together tonight, and I’ll talk to Fu Jia’an in person. I promise, I’ll listen to him completely. If he doesn’t agree to me dating Shen Rufai, I’ll break up immediately.”

Even though he knew Jiang Yan was spouting nonsense, having dinner together tonight was indeed an effective plan.

This way, they wouldn’t have to cover for Jiang Yan anymore, and any issues could erupt sooner. If Fu Jia’an decided to move out because of this, or disappear from his life again…

There’s probably nothing I can do.

Lu Jie even felt that this was how life was supposed to be. He should have been used to it. In his thirty years of life, both extreme fondness and extreme aversion were fleeting. He realized as he grew up that any emotional fluctuation in this boring life was a good thing, even if it was just crossing swords with a nemesis.

If there was a chance to indulge, Lu Jie indulged. If there was a chance to hurt, Lu Jie hurt. But if the tide receded and took those turbulent emotions with it, he couldn’t hold them back, because he had never truly held onto anything.

In the afternoon, Jiang Yan messaged to say the ingredients he ordered were about to arrive at the apartment. Lu Jie checked the order: fresh beef, lamb, fish, shrimp, even venison, plus meatballs and vegetables, all of the best quality. It matched Jiang Yan’s usual wasteful habit. Lu Jie even wondered if the refrigerator could hold everything if they didn’t finish it tonight.

Since they decided on hotpot for dinner, Lu Jie left work early and drove back to the apartment, taking the time to wash the vegetables first, knowing he couldn’t rely on Jiang Yan for any chores.

The double-sided hotpot, which had been in the cupboard unused for years since he bought it, was taken out and cleaned by Lu Jie. Jiang Yan’s collection of expensive, mismatched porcelain plates finally came in handy, laid out to hold various slices of fresh meat and washed vegetables.

While Lu Jie was slicing the fish, the sound of the front door opening echoed. The kitchen was semi-open, and he looked back to see Fu Jia’an had returned. He was carrying a bag and headed straight for the kitchen.

“I heard Jiang Yan ordered all the ingredients, so I brought some fruit back,” Fu Jia’an placed the plastic bag next to the sink. “Do you need any help?”

Lu Jie lifted his arm and said, “Help me put on the apron.”

Fu Jia’an took the apron, walked around him, and held the two straps in his hands. He didn’t rush to tie it, instead asking from behind, “A bow tie or a surgical knot?”

Lu Jie chuckled softly. “Stop messing around.”

Fu Jia’an studied it for a moment and finally tied a beautiful bow. Satisfied, he stood next to Lu Jie in a good mood and began washing the fruit he had brought.

“Why are you back first?” Lu Jie asked. “I thought you would come with your brother.”

“My brother? He’s with his boyfriend, of course.”

Fu Jia’an turned on the tap, the water rushing loudly. He lowered his head, focusing on cleaning the fruit.

Lu Jie asked, “You know everything now, right? Jiang Yan and your brother are together.”

“Yes, he told me over the phone.”

Lu Jie glanced sideways at Fu Jia’an’s expression, which seemed normal. “You don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind. Just like my brother respects my relationships,” Fu Jia’an looked up, casting a sly glance at Lu Jie. “My brother has seen us kiss. Before he arrives, should we coordinate our story?”

“My acting isn’t great,” Lu Jie gave a dry laugh. “Besides, your brother already knows we’re fake. Jiang Yan will also give him information.”

“The truth they believe isn’t necessarily accurate. Just like they hid it from us for so long, and we only just found out. I say we should fight fire with fire and thoroughly mess with them. We should say we’ve actually been together for years. How does that sound?”

Lu Jie was genuinely amused. “You really want to be connected to me, don’t you? Could it be that you actually like me?”

The tap was turned off. After the distracting white noise disappeared, the lighthearted atmosphere of playful banter inexplicably became serious. The quiet air seemed to be filled with a different kind of tension. For a moment, Lu Jie regretted his words. He hoped Fu Jia’an would say something trivial so they could quickly move past it.

But he also wanted to win. He looked forward to seeing a hint of panic on Fu Jia’an’s face in response to his question.

“Yes, I like you.”

None of the imagined possibilities happened. Fu Jia’an simply looked at Lu Jie’s eyes calmly and admitted that he liked Lu Jie. His hands were still submerged in the water, stirring, and he said the confession so effortlessly and naturally, as if they were talking about the weather: Is it raining outside? Yes, it is.

“—Um… Are we interrupting?”

No one expected a third person to appear in the space. Lu Jie turned his head and realized there was actually a fourth person. Jiang Yan was holding a glass of juice in one hand and two unopened glasses in the other, likely bought for Lu Jie and Fu Jia’an.

Beside him, Shen Rufai leisurely sipped his drink, the empty milk tea cup dragging out a long, gurgling sound.

He was enjoying the show immensely.

Fu Jia’an shook the water off his hands, pulled out a tissue to wipe them dry, and turned to greet Jiang Yan and Shen Rufai. “I’m going upstairs first to change before coming down.”

“Brother, you go watch TV in the living room first,” Jiang Yan pulled Shen Rufai’s hand, then rushed into the kitchen to whisper to Lu Jie. “Damn, I seriously didn’t expect to witness that scene firsthand.”

“When did you two get back?” Lu Jie continued slicing fish fillets, seemingly unaffected by the recent interruption.

“Right after he said he liked you.”

“Oh. The water sound was probably too loud earlier. I didn’t hear you open the door.”

“So, what are you thinking?”

“Thinking about what? Being the 1 or the 0?”

“I’m being serious this time,” Jiang Yan anxiously paced behind Lu Jie. “I can’t believe Fu Jia’an really likes you. You absolutely have to treat him well…”

“Can’t you tell he’s lying?”

“He said it himself.”

“Who confesses while washing fruit in the kitchen?” Lu Jie laughed nonchalantly. “Fu Jia’an is a person who mixes truth and lies. Eight out of ten things he says are misleading. The more directly he tells you something, the less you should believe it. Forget it, I was wrong in my guess.”

He finished slicing the last piece of fish, put it on a plate, then rinsed the knife under water, wiped it, and put it back on the utensil rack. The fruit Fu Jia’an had left was still soaking in saltwater. Lu Jie thought the time was right and reached to pour out the water.

Glancing over, he noticed the stainless steel basin was filled with lychees. The tap occasionally dripped a water bead or two, making small splashes between the lychees and sending out ripples.

Fu Jia’an splashed cold water on his face, staring into the mirror, preoccupied. He knew he couldn’t leave the room right now. His face was too red. Even after washing it several times with cold water, it was still hot and flushed.

His heart was racing, and his brain was automatically calculating like an out-of-control program. The failure probability was 99.9%, and the success probability was 0.01%. Despite such unfavorable odds, he had still taken the step forward.

It doesn’t matter.

Fu Jia’an thought, I have the patience to pursue Lu Jie for a very long time anyway. I can come up with countless methods, countless plans. As long as Lu Jie is mine in the end, I’ll pay any price.