When the boat reached its destination, Su Yu was still fast asleep in bed.
He couldn't help but curl inwards, the comfortable, moderate temperature making him snuggle deeper.
A faint, ticklish sensation began to spread at his waist, a tingling numbness.
Su Yu instinctively shifted away, but the object seemed to have a mind of its own, sliding beneath the hem of his T-shirt and creeping upward.
"Go away."
Still half-asleep, he reached out with a hand to swat, grabbing onto a palm instead.
His fingers trailed up to find a solid, hard-muscled forearm.
An arm?!
Su Yu jolted fully awake, scrambling sideways to put distance between them as he looked at the spot beside him.
Ji Yanli's eyes were still closed, his features exquisite and deep-set.
Even in sleep, he appeared unapproachable.
Before Su Yu could process exactly how he'd allowed the man to stay the night, a series of loud knocks erupted at the door.
"Su-ge! We're here! You up yet?"
Shen Le's booming voice called from outside.
The doorknob rattled as he twisted it from the other side.
Afraid he'd barge in, Su Yu quickly responded, "Wait a second!"
Shen Le seemed not to hear him.
"Damn, you're not gonna make me wait again today, are you? Get up! I'm gonna get the key and let myself in!"
As soon as the words fell, it went quiet outside.
Su Yu knew he'd definitely gone to find the key.
He pushed hard at the man on the bed while leaping down himself, frantically searching for a place to hide him.
Ji Yanli frowned, propping himself up on an elbow.
Watching Su Yu scurry around, his morning voice was still hoarse.
"Wife, what are you doing?"
"Quick, hide in here!"
Su Yu, panicking, pulled at the man. Ji Yanli obediently followed him off the bed.
There wasn't anywhere good to hide in the room. In a split-second decision, Su Yu decided to stash him in the bathroom.
"Su Yu! Stop sleeping!"
Just as Su Yu was pulling the man along, the door swung open before his very eyes.
The smile on Shen Le's face froze solid the moment he took in the scene inside.
Beside him, Lin Yanjun's pupils contracted sharply.
He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself. Shen Le reacted the most dramatically.
His mouth hung open for a long moment before he finally managed a strangled,
"Damn."
Su Yu stood rigid, his hand still gripping Ji Yanli's arm. He snapped out of it and let go immediately.
"You two... take your time. Our bad."
Shen Le,
his entire world view seemingly shattered, turned around mechanically, almost tripping over his own feet. Lin Yanjun, comparatively calm, just raised an eyebrow.
"Hurry up and come out. We've arrived. We still have to set up the tents later."
His reputation was utterly ruined.
A vein throbbed at Su Yu's temple.
He shoved the man out of the room and slammed the door shut with a bang.
The chaotic start to the morning left him flustered. By the time he changed and disembarked, everyone else was already waiting ashore, Ji Yanli included.
Today, Ji Yanli wasn't wearing his trench coat. Instead, he had on a casual short-sleeved shirt, which somewhat softened his usual aura of "stay away."
It was a quiet island. Su Yu had been here many times with Shen Le and the others. A row of uneven coconut trees lined the beach, and as far as the eye could see was uniformly colored sand—exceptionally soothing to look at.
For some reason, Song Yanchu's eyes looked slightly red and swollen, as if he hadn't rested well.
The thin shirt he wore made him seem fragile, on the verge of collapse.
Su Yu looked at him, about to offer a word of concern, when Shen Le spoke up first.
"Let me just say, I'm sharing a tent with Yanzi today. You all figure out the rest."
Lin Yanjun had no objections, so naturally, he remained silent.
Su Yu felt a gaze from the side glance at him.
He turned and, sure enough, met Shen Xingyan's eyes.
Seeing Su Yu look over, Shen Xingyan's lips parted slightly, as if to speak.
"With me."
Su Yu's head was gently tilted to the other side by a hand.
Ji Yanli's face appeared in his field of vision, the man walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"I already have someone. You can pair up with Shen Xingyan."
The statement caused both men's expressions to shift simultaneously.
Shen Xingyan's face darkened.
Ji Yanli frowned deeply, his expression turning sour.
Before either could protest or object, Su Yu quickened his pace and caught up to Song Yanchu.
Song Yanchu was walking silently ahead by himself, looking rather solitary.
Su Yu moved to walk beside him. "Yanchu, how about we share today?"
Song Yanchu was taken aback.
Seeing it was Su Yu, a flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes before he managed a faint smile.
"Okay. Thank you, Xiao Yu-gege."
They say a fragile beauty inspires pity.
Song Yanchu's particularly thin and frail appearance at the moment was indeed heart-wrenching.
Just seeing his lonely back was enough to stir a pang of sympathy in Su Yu's heart.
The four ahead chatted and laughed, while the two tall figures left behind them seemed separated by a galaxy, exchanging looks of mutual dislike.
The group quickly set up their tents in a spot sheltered by trees—a necessity, as the sea wind grew strong at night.
Shen Le, who hadn't been fishing in ages, couldn't wait.
Rod in hand, he dashed toward the shore the moment they were done, with Lin Yanjun following at a leisurely pace.
Su Yu was about to join them when he glanced back and saw Song Yanchu standing by the tents, simply watching their retreating figures, looking somewhat awkward and out of place.
"Yanchu, want to come along?"
"No, it's alright. Xiao Yu-gege, you go ahead."
Song Yanchu seemed quite off today, his complexion somewhat pale.
Su Yu's gaze swept over him. "Not feeling well?"
"No."
He shook his head, then suddenly looked up at Su Yu.
"Xiao Yu-gege, could you... take a walk with me?"
Song Yanchu's lips were pale as he asked, his tone tinged with a plea and a low-spiritedness that suggested he might cry if refused.
Su Yu was momentarily stunned.
This was the first time Song Yanchu had asked to be alone with him. He wasn't sure how to react. After a three-second pause, his brain rebooted.
"Okay."
Ji Yanli and Shen Xingyan were nowhere to be seen. Shen Le and Lin Yanjun were already by the water. So, the two of them started walking slowly along the coconut grove, following the shoreline.
The sea breeze carried a salty, damp, slightly astringent scent.
Su Yu walked side-by-side with him, stealing a glance from the corner of his eye.
Song Yanchu had his head bowed, long lashes lowered.
Suddenly, Su Yu remembered a scene from childhood.
He was sitting by the iron gate of the orphanage, staring at the sky.
That gate was always locked, only opened when someone came to adopt a child.
Only those with the right papers were allowed to leave.
Back then, his personality was withdrawn. He liked hiding in corners, invisible to everyone.
His stomach suddenly growled loudly. That night's dinner had ended up in who-knows-which child's belly.
Su Yu rubbed his stomach, lost in a daze, when a small, clean hand extended in front of him.
He looked up to see a little boy, about his own age, dressed in neat clothes. He had long eyelashes and very dark eyes.
"Aren't you going home?"
The little boy asked. Su Yu ignored him, but his stomach betrayed him with another rumble.
"This, for you."
A piece of chocolate in shiny purple wrapping landed in his lap.
It looked delicious and, surely, expensive.
Su Yu swallowed hard and looked up at him.
Seeing Su Yu silent, the little boy just left one sentence before turning and running off.
"I'll come find you again at this time tomorrow."
The little boy didn't lie.
He came every day, bringing all sorts of food—sometimes a box of rice balls, sometimes a slice of cake.
He would leave the things and go.
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