Zhishu He slept for more than twenty minutes before waking up. Today he felt better though last night he had violent sex with Wenxu Jiang.

In the kitchen, Wenxu Jiang was making the lunch. Zhishu He stood at the kitchen door, looking at Jiang quietly. He hadn’t enjoyed such a quiet and harmonious day for so long. Wenxu Jiang had a nice figure with broad shoulders, slender hips and long legs. He had his sleeves rolled up and his eyes fixed on the pan, looking handsome and charming. He slightly frowned and concentrated on cooking. In Zhishu’s eyes, Jiang boasted kind of manly glamour.

Wenxu Jiang was surprised to see Zhishu He when he turned around. He smiled gently, and all his impatience and rudeness had disappeared. “You finally wake up? Perfect timing. Lunch is ready. We can have it together.”

Zhishu He nodded and walked forward to sort out the bowls and chopsticks. When he came up to Jiang, he stopped and opened his mouth while Jiang put a piece of carrot into his mouth with the chopsticks. They always had a tacit understanding. Zhishu He tasted it and commented, “It’s insipid but I think it’s okay. Don’t add salt anymore. Too salty food is bad for health.” As soon as he finished his words, he felt them ridiculous as he had lost his health though Jiang knew nothing about it.

During lunch, Zhishu He was in a good mood. He tasted every dish on the table and praised Jiang for his cooking. Zhishu’s eyes shone with happiness. But gradually, the delight on his face dimmed and a sense of grievance flooded over him. He forced a smile with the dimple appearing on his haggard cheek and complained, “Wenxu Jiang, why did you leave me alone for so long time?”

Zhishu He stared at Jiang with a childish expression on his face. Wenxu Jiang thought that it was just the babyish complaint and petulance. Realizing that he did ignore Zhishu these days, he reached over to put some vegetables into Zhishu’s bowl with his chopsticks and said in a propitiatory voice, “Eat more, or you will soon be a bag of bones. After finishing this project, I will spend more time accompanying you.”

Zhishu He didn’t eat the food in his bowl; instead, he cast a glance at Wenxu Jiang’s slender fingers and asked suddenly, “Where’s your ring?”

Stunned, Wenxu Jiang bowed his head with guilt and unconsciously repeated Zhishu’s question, “Eh… Where’s my ring?”

Wenxu Jiang would never forget how he got that ring. It was his most special birthday gift that he had ever received in his life. Nine years ago, for a long time Zhishu He worked hard to earn money in order to buy a gift for him. But at last, he didn’t save enough money to buy a decent gift. He could only buy a pair of simple silver rings, on which there was no pattern or gem, dull-polished and low-cost. Then Zhishu He carried them with him every day and as long as he had free time, he would use the graver to carve their names on the rings. He got two blistered hands after finishing this difficult work. When Wenxu Jiang received this gift, he was greatly touched by what Zhishu had done for him, and his love for Zhishu deepened. At that time, the gift was the most valuable thing in the world in Jiang’s eyes.

When did he lose the ring? Wenxu Jiang’s mind flew back to the first time that he had sex with Zui Shen. That night he was drunk and mistook Zui Shen as Zhishu He. That boy, who had soft black hair and pure eyes, looked like the young Zhishu He and would call him “Brother Jiang” in a sweet voice. Zui Shen wanted to be with Jiang, so he catered to Jiang’s lust without hesitation. When Wenxu Jiang woke up, he found his ring missing and asked Zui Shen about it. But Zui Shen said that he didn’t see it. Jiang thought he might inadvertently lose the ring when he was drunk.

Wenxu Jiang had worn the ring for seven years. After losing the ring, he was upset for a long time. But as the time went on, he gradually forgot it as Zhishu He didn’t noticed that the ring was missing. Wenxu Jiang once thought about buying a pair of custom-made diamond rings for Zhishu and himself, but he was too busy to do that. He spent most of his time dealing with the company’s affairs or staying with clingy Zui Shen.

At this moment, Wenxu Jiang didn’t know how to answer Zhishu He’s sudden question. Fortunately, Zhishu didn’t intend to get to the bottom of the matter. He dropped his eyelids and took a mouthful of soup which had cooled off before he said with a casual air, “Never mind. It’s valueless. If it’s lost, it’s lost…”

“Maybe soon you will lose me too,” Zhishu He muttered with grief in his heart. He had a strong tolerance so that he could swallow the bitter pills and tolerate Jiang’s betrayal without saying a word. He even could control his own emotions and show no sadness on his face. Or he just got used to enduring without protest.

Wenxu Jiang feel a lump in his throat. He forced a smiling face and said, “It must be somewhere in our house. I will find it. Or we can buy a new pair. Even if we miss the fifteenth anniversary, we can buy it as an advance gift of our twentieth anniversary.”

Zhishu He smiled, then put down the chopsticks and changed the topic, “I am full and I want to boil some water to drink. If you need my help, just call me.”

Wenxu Jiang frowned at Zhishu He’s receding figure. For him, all his lovers outside were tools of venting his desire. He played with them for passion and amusement and deluded himself that he was tired of Zhishu He. But now he found that he was wrong. Why did his Zhishu become so strange and distant? The sense of emptiness and fear overwhelmed Jiang and he suddenly felt a little weary.