Mistaken Canary Chapter 17
Chapter 17
They parked their cars by the roadside, waiting for the insurance representative. Zhuo Shu eyed the dent in his car with a scowl, then looked away. "Do you usually drive alone?"
"Otherwise?" Ying Tongchen pulled out a cigarette pack, offered him one, and skillfully ignited it. "Do you need two people to take turns driving?"
"No assistant?" Zhuo Shu put the cigarette between his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Ying Tongchen handed him a lighter, but Zhuo Shu stared at the end of his cigarette for a few seconds before leaning in to light it.
A brief, red flame flared to life, igniting his cigarette.
Ying Tongchen froze for a moment before casually turning his head away, watching the cars coming and going. "Not everyone has an assistant with them when they go out like you."
Zhuo Shu glanced at him sympathetically, took a puff, and immediately choked. He pulled the cigarette out, grabbed Ying Tongchen’s shoulder, and started coughing..
Attempting to look cool, failed.
Ying Tongchen turned to him, surprised. "You can't smoke?"
"Does it matter?" Zhuo Shu irritably tossed the cigarette into the trash. "Not everyone’s like you, so skilled at smoking."
Ying Tongchen exhaled smoke. "Thanks for the compliment, but I’m not exactly thrilled."
"When did you learn?" Zhuo Shu asked casually.
"Back in school, I guess. I’ve forgotten why exactly." Ying Tongchen's gaze became distant. "Too many troubling matters."
"What could have troubled you at school?" Zhuo Shu thought back to his own school problems—mostly just people bothering him when he was trying to study. "Did you also have people disturbing your studies?"
Ying Tongchen lowered his gaze, his long lashes fluttering, concealing all the emotions in his eyes. A shadow fell beneath his eyes as he spoke softly, "Yeah... something like that."
A sudden “click” sound echoed in his ear.
Ying Tongchen turned toward the sound, only to find Zhuo Shu holding his phone, taking a picture of his side profile.
"..." He flicked the half-smoked cigarette aside. "Delete it."
"Why?" Zhuo Shu shot him a look, then admired the photo. "My photography skills are pretty good."
Ying Tongchen wasn’t buying it. After that phone call earlier, he had silently paired Zhuo Shu and Zheng Zhinan together in his mind.
"Don’t believe me? Take a look." Zhuo Shu gripped his phone tightly, as if afraid it would be snatched away, and held it up in front of him.
Ying Tongchen took a closer look. It was actually quite nice—the lighting and the way it was framed were great, even giving off a somewhat surreal vibe.
Zhuo Shu asked, "Want me to send it"
"Sure."
Just as Zhuo Shu was about to send the photo, they both froze, staring at the phone. They had shared numerous moments of intimacy, and been in bed together multiple times, yet, they didn’t even have each other’s WeChat.
Both of them turned their backs simultaneously, quickly scrolling through their Moments to check for any inappropriate posts.
Zhuo Shu had three accounts—one for adding strangers and people he didn't really talk to, like Zhuo Zi's homeroom teacher. One was strictly for work, filled with high-profile clients.
The last was his personal account, and there were plenty of things that definitely shouldn’t be publicized, like the video of his mom picking her feet while playing games, or the one of ants moving in the garden...
But Ying Tongchen didn’t really fit into his first two accounts. After a moment of hesitation, he finally pulled up his personal account.
On the other side, Ying Tongchen was also a big shot with three accounts. One for school socializing, one for business dealings with the studio, and the third for personal use.
With the first two options ruled out, Zhuo Shu had to be placed in his personal account. Fortunately, he barely posted anything and had no posts to purge. He calmly switched to his personal account.
Scan, add friend, success.
Once Zhuo Shu sent the photo, the insurance personnel arrived.
"Where were you planning to go, anyway?" Zhuo Shu asked.
"The fitness club."
"Let's go," Zhuo Shu instructed, telling his chauffeur to stay behind as he hopped into a taxi with him. "I was planning on going too, we can go together."
Ying Tongchen, still slightly bewildered, followed him into the fitness club. Just as he was about to change in the locker room, he heard someone call out to him.
"Ying ge! What a coincidence!" Zhen Mingxin jogged over, still had the lingering scent of sweat. "Back to work out again?"
"Yeah, you been coming here a lot?"
"Yep! My manager got me a spot on an outdoor adventure show, and we’re recording next month, so I gotta work out as much as I can," Zhen Mingxin said as he raised his arm, flexing his biceps. "Look, Meng Meng personally trained me for a long time. Pretty impressive, right?"
Ying Tongchen extended a finger, lightly poking at his tiny muscles with a knowing smile. "Not bad, the progress is showing. Keep it up."
The locker room door clicked open, and Zhuo Shu stepped in, his eyes immediately drawn to a scene in the distance.
A puny guy was showing off his muscles to Ying Tongchen, and Ying Tongchen was even poking him!
Despicable.
Shameless.
Before he could even process the sight, Ying Tongchen turned and walked off with the puny guy.
Zhuo Shu: "!"
Ying Tongchen and Zhen Mingxin stepped onto the treadmill. After just two steps, the machine suddenly shut off.
"..." Ying Tongchen glanced impassively at Zhuo Shu, who had somehow popped up next to him, then looked away, "There are two other machines over there."
Zhuo Shu: "You can use one of those, this one’s mine."
Ying Tongchen, not wanting to argue, turned the machine back on and resumed his run—only for Zhuo Shu to hit the off button again.
"I want this one," Zhuo Shu declared.
Zhen Mingxin, on the treadmill next to them, looked at Zhuo Shu's tall figure, his anger simmering but unable to express it. Instead, he silently gave a middle finger behind his back.
"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Ying Tongchen asked, "Is it because this machine looks so exceptionally graceful?"
"Yes," Zhuo Shu paused for a moment, "Give it to me, and you don’t have to pay for the car repair."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Ying Tongchen immediately moved to the treadmill next to him.
Zhuo Shu planted himself between them, his eyes darting back and forth, eventually landing on Zhen Mingxin. He observed his frail body with disdain.
King of contempt.jpg
Zhen Mingxin: I think I’m being ridiculed?
After running for a while, Zhuo Shu deliberately raised the hem of his shirt, exposing his toned, taut abdominal muscles. Zhen Mingxin's eyes nearly turned crimson with envy.
Several women in the vicinity also began to cast glances.
Zhuo Shu glanced smugly at Ying Tongchen, but the latter not only ignored him completely, he also turned off the treadmill without a word and walked directly to the weight area.
Eager to showcase his physique, Zhuo Shu quickly followed, snatching up two dumbbells and positioning himself directly across from Ying Tongchen.
In no time, the weight area was swarming with people, men and women alike, some stealing glances at Zhuo Shu. A few, feeling bold, even started taking pictures.
Still lost in his own little show, Zhuo Shu suddenly noticed Ying Tongchen standing up and walking away—yet again, completely ignoring him!
Touché.
Zhuo Shu, seething with anger, chased him down and cornered him in the shower room. Just as Ying Tongchen was about to close the door, Zhuo Shu shoved his way in and locked it behind them.
"You're getting more and more out of hand," Zhuo Shu snapped, his eyes locked on Ying Tongchen's. "Is this how you behave?"
Ying Tongchen lazily lifted his eyelids. "You’re in the wrong place. This ain't the place for a peacock like you to show off."
"Show off? What are you talking about?" Zhuo Shu tugged at his wrist. "My patience has limits. If you keep acting all stuck-up, don’t blame me if I find someone else."
"Heh." Ying Tongchen sneered. "Please leave."
Zhuo Shu, pissed and defeated, stormed out.
The sound of his footsteps gradually receded, and only then did Ying Tongchen turn on the shower, letting the water flow over him.
Half an hour later, after he finished showering, Ying Tongchen stepped out and stood before the sink, drying his hair.
Just then, the surprised voice of his friend, Meng Gong, emanated from outside the door. "Huh, handsome, aren’t you friends with Tongchen? Why aren’t you going in?"
Ying Tongchen, struck by a sudden realization, switched off the hair dryer. He stepped out to find Meng Gong and Zhuo Shu standing guard at the door.
He paused, his eyes briefly lit up with understanding. "Weren’t you going to find someone else?"
Zhuo Shu furrowed his brow. "Then, sir, would you be willing to come with me?"
Without a word, Ying Tongchen turned and re-entered the shower room.
Zhuo Shu: "......" What, do I not deserve any face?
Meng Gong stood there, dumbfounded. "What’s going on between you two?"
"Nothing," Ying Tongchen said as he went back and threw his changed clothes into his bag. He glanced at Meng Gong. "We're heading out now, we’ll see you for dinner in a few days."
Before Zhuo Shu could say anything, his wrist was grabbed, and he was pulled out of the gym.
Standing at the entrance downstairs, Ying Tongchen paused, then turned to ask, "Will it rain tonight at Wimbledon?"
Zhuo Shu's mind raced. "Absolutely not a chance!"