Parasite (2): Want to get married

“Ah?”  

Tan Xiao glanced at the black card that had been handed to him, then looked up at the young man in expensive clothes standing before him, and finally surveyed his surroundings.  

This was neither a bar nor a KTV, and certainly not a high-end club; it was just a relatively upscale four-star restaurant.  

Moreover, Tan Xiao was dressed very formally that day. He wore a tuxedo provided by the restaurant over his shirt. Apart from his handsome face and long fingers for playing the piano, no part of his body was exposed.  

His first reaction was anger: Did he look like a gigolo? This way of giving money felt like charity, even an insult.  

If it weren’t for the face in front of him, he might have lost his temper. In a lighter mood, he would have definitely struck hard and taught the guy who threw money at him a lesson. Although he really wanted to get rich, he had never considered doing it this way.  

Wen Yi looked at him with admiration and affection, but there was no trace of lewdness or malice in his eyes. The gesture, which could have been seen as an insult, felt more like a small, genuine act of goodwill.  

Although it sounded absurd, that was exactly how Tan Xiao felt. It was precisely because the other person’s gaze held no malice that he managed to calm himself down. Perhaps the other person didn’t mean what he thought; it was all just a misunderstanding.  

He retorted jokingly, “We’re just strangers. Why would you give me money? I’m not a beggar.”  

Wen Yi seemed to come to his senses, his face turning red as he stammered, “I… it’s a tip. Your piano playing is very nice. Giving a tip is the right thing to do.”  

Tan Xiao chuckled and said, “Are you kidding me? Who gives tips with a bank card?”  

Wen Yi then took out an expensive-looking crocodile leather wallet from his pocket and pulled out all the cash inside: “This is all for you.”  

He had just returned, and the cash in his wallet was all large-denomination bills—a thick stack of green banknotes.  

The amount was already substantial, but the customer in front of him still frowned: “It seems a bit too little. Wait a moment while I go get some change.”  

“Wait a moment,” Tan Xiao called out to the person who was hurrying to exchange money.  

They were both adults; it wasn’t hard to see that the guest praising him had ulterior motives. Even if he were a fool, he wouldn’t be so eager to hand over so much money.  

He knew his own piano-playing level. His technique was proficient, but his emotional expression was lacking. Although he had a Level 10 certificate, he hadn’t reached the point of astonishing everyone with his skills.  

Since it wasn’t his piano skills that caught the other person’s eye, it must have been him as a person. After all, he had fallen head over heels for the pure-hearted, somewhat clumsy guy in front of him.  

It was just that accepting money from someone he had just met felt off. Even though it was said that love was where the money flowed, he didn’t really need this little bit of cash.  

Tan Xiao didn’t want to turn their emotional connection into a transactional relationship. He thought for a moment and asked the other person, “How was your meal today?”  

Wen Yi replied, “Not bad.”  

When he saw Tan Xiao, he had completely lost interest in the food. He hadn’t paid attention to what Mr. Zhu was saying or even noticed what was on the menu.  

With a smile, Tan Xiao said, “I won’t be accepting tips. I still have to play the piano for two hours, and I’ve just had a little cake. If you enjoyed the meal today, how about treating me to a late-night snack at this restaurant after I’m done? Tomorrow is Saturday, so I can head home a bit later.”  

City A was a city that never slept. This high-end restaurant operated from 7 AM to 1 AM, but in reality, it closed at 3 AM. Most of the customers who came here to eat were either wealthy or influential. Some customers got really drunk at night, and the restaurant couldn’t just kick them out early.  

Tan Xiao’s work ended at midnight, so having a late-night meal at the restaurant was just right. Coincidentally, his friend was the general manager of the restaurant, so he could get them a discount.  

The so-called “food and love,” whether between a man and a woman or a same-sex couple, was all about eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping together. Since fate had brought them together in a restaurant, it was better to just have a meal together.  

Wen Yi immediately agreed without hesitation, saying, “Okay, okay, okay.”  

He didn’t return to the private room but instead went back to the main hall to watch Tan Xiao play the piano. Wen Yi took a seat where he could see him up close, resting his chin on his hand, his eyes almost unblinking as he stared at the young man sitting on the piano stool. A radiant smile unconsciously spread across his face.  

In front of Director Zhu, the proud, arrogant heir of the CS Group now looked like a lovestruck fool, grinning as if it were free.  

People could tell that after the break, the pianist returned to play a much more cheerful piece than before, and the air seemed to be filled with a sweet aroma.  

An hour before midnight, Wen Yi waved to signal the waiter to come over.  

“Book the best private room here.”  

The waiter presented a photo: “Chunjiang Moonlit Night is our best private room. What do you think of the design inside?”  

Wen Yi nodded: “Okay.”  

The wealthy man said, “I’ll have one of everything on the menu.”  

The waiter’s hand paused for a moment: “The entire menu? Are you sure? May I ask how many guests will be dining?”  

Their restaurant was high-end, with smaller portion sizes for each dish, but ordering the entire menu was excessive.  

Wen Yi said, “Two people.”  

“Not afraid of bursting with so much food? Damn rich people. Why can’t there be one more rich person in this world?” the waiter thought to himself, maintaining a sweet smile. “Some of the dishes on the menu are set meals, and the set meals are repetitive. Also, at this time, some dishes are limited-time offerings, which we don’t have. Additionally, some need to be reserved in advance and can’t be made on the spot.”  

The waiter had also noticed Wen Yi; after all, this guest had been staring at the temporary helper for quite a while. He patiently introduced, “If you look at our entire menu, the portions are quite large. Only two people would waste a lot of food. So, you two can order the 99-yuan Love Fate Set Meal. It’s our store’s top recommendation, symbolizing everlasting love.”  

They called it a 99-yuan set meal, but the price was 9,999 yuan. There were 16 palm-sized plates, with meat and vegetarian dishes, desserts, and soup… two big men could barely finish it. This bill was just for the food; the private room fee was extra, and there was also a 15% service charge on top of that.  

Wen Yi thought that ordering too much might not be a good idea. Tan Xiao, who worked so hard at a part-time job, seemed like the kind of person who cherished food. It was better to order less and then order more on the spot when the other person arrived and saw what they liked.  

Wen Yi closed the menu: “Then let’s start with the 99 Love Set, and have it delivered to the private room before midnight.”  

“Okay, please wait a moment.” The waiter stepped back, calling the kitchen to prepare the dishes.  

After an hour, Tan Xiao finally ended his work for the day. He immediately messaged his friend to collect the remaining payment they had agreed upon earlier.  

After all, workers cared most about money. Since he was there, he couldn’t work for free.  

His friend, being in business, naturally wouldn’t be short-sighted. The next moment, he sent a transfer to Tan Xiao: “You did a great job today. Thank you for your hard work.”  

Tan Xiao looked at the number with some surprise and said, “Isn’t it 10,000? Why did you send me so much?”  

He had previously taken a 1,000-yuan deposit when he arrived, so the remaining amount should have been 9,000 yuan, but the other party transferred him 18,888 yuan.  

“Here’s the thing, didn’t I promise to treat you to a meal before? Since someone else is treating you today, let’s just consider that as my treat. The restaurant has been quite busy lately, and I haven’t had the time to take you out.”  

As the restaurant manager, he didn’t know who Wen Yi was, but he knew who VIP Director Zhu was. The way the other person was fawning over Wen Yi clearly indicated that this young man was not someone to be underestimated.  

He had just seen what happened and felt that his old classmate was about to soar to great heights. He wasn’t an idiot; he definitely needed to get on his good side in advance.  

This extra money was just a gesture of goodwill. Anyway, the additional expense for hiring the pianist at the restaurant could be reimbursed by him as the general manager, amounting to 20,000 yuan a night. He didn’t mind using public funds; he just earned a bit less.  

Tan Xiao didn’t think too much about it. His friend was indeed much wealthier than him, and since he had performed well in saving the situation, giving a generous red envelope wasn’t unusual.  

To be honest, he had almost delivered the highest level of performance of his life in the second half of that day. He had been learning the piano for so many years, and it was the first time in 25 years that he had played with such emotional depth.  

Having received an unexpectedly generous reward, Tan Xiao was happy.  

A shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. Wen Yi looked at him, his voice gentle yet tinged with a hint of anxiety: “Do you remember? You promised to have dinner with me earlier.”  

He felt a bit jealous inside, not knowing who could make Tan Xiao so happy—was it his girlfriend or his boyfriend?  

Previously, on a whim, Wen Yi hadn’t even known if the person in front of him was already in a relationship.  

Seeing the other person smile at their phone like that, and thinking about the possibility, made his heart feel cold.  

But he didn’t see a wedding ring on Tan Xiao’s finger, so he should be unmarried.  

As long as he was not married—no, even if he was married, he could still get a divorce. The first time Wen Yi saw him, he decided he was the one for him.  

If the other person really had a lover, he was willing to be the third party for love. Saying he was morally corrupt and shameless didn’t matter; Wen Yi didn’t care.  

He only knew that every cell in his body was clamoring for the person in front of him, and he had to have him. It would be best if the person in front of him was single, but it didn’t matter if he had someone.  

The heir to the CS Group, capable of plundering from most people, had plenty of means to dismantle a fragile relationship.  

Just thinking about that imagined rival, a cruel and cold beast-like expression appeared in Wen Yi’s light gray pupils.  

Tan Xiao had no idea that someone had imagined so much in such a short time, even to the point of staging scenes of robbery, confinement in a dark room, and other deeply twisted love stories.  

He looked up, a smile at the corner of his lips: “Have you been waiting for me long?”  

The fact that the other person could wait for a few hours for him showed that it wasn’t just a matter of lust; he was still quite satisfied in his heart.  

Wen Yi quickly shook his head: “Not long at all. I feel like time passes very quickly.”  

He had kept watching Tan Xiao play the piano, feeling as if time flowed like water, slipping away through his fingers. No matter how much he watched, he never felt it was enough.  

Wen Yi said, “I booked a private room. The dishes should be served already.”  

“You’re so kind. I’m just hungry.” Tan Xiao said very naturally and generously, “Then let’s go eat first.”  

When the two entered the private room, their first glance was at the dishes on the table. Tan Xiao didn’t have many requirements for the dining environment and didn’t care much about it.  

As long as the table was clean and tidy, and hygiene was up to standard, he could enjoy his meal even in a place that looked like a fly-infested dive.  

In fact, compared to these high-end, upscale restaurants that specialized in ambiance, Tan Xiao preferred to eat the kind of hearty meals found in the bustling alleys.  

“It looks pretty good.”  

The air conditioning in the private room was set very low, and the restaurant had almost precisely timed the serving of 16 dishes.  

Sixteen plates, arranged on a whole table, each dish particularly exquisite, but the portions were very small. The crispy and juicy glass roast goose had only eight pieces per plate, the square honey-glazed char siu, even when cut into thick slices, had only four pieces, and the chilled sweet and sour pork was just a small amount on a large pile of ice…  

The set meal included two small bowls of Cordyceps ginseng chicken soup, which were also quite small portions.  

However, overall, the food looked quite delicious, with colors and aromas that were very appetizing.  

Tan Xiao confidently pulled out a chair and sat down, showing no signs of awkwardness or hesitation.  

The waiter came in to help wash the dishes and asked, “There’s free tea with the set meal. What kind of tea would you like?”  

Wen Yi naturally looked at Tan Xiao: “You choose.”  

“Then I’ll have this green tangerine kumquat. It’s already very late, so it’s better not to drink strong tea, it makes it hard to sleep.”  

Tan Xiao ordered another plate and first served half of the crab roe fried rice.  

He was really very hungry. After playing the piano for several hours and only eating a small piece of cake in between, he prioritized eating some carbs to replenish his energy. Otherwise, his stomach would be so empty that he would be dizzy and who knows what nonsense he might say.  

“This fried rice isn’t bad. The crab roe is very fresh, the rice is fluffy and dry, with a nice wok aroma. Don’t just stare at me, haven’t you been sitting for a few hours without getting hungry? You should eat too.”  

“Oh, oh.” Wen Yi quickly responded, mimicking and following along with Tan Xiao.  

Whatever Tan Xiao ate, he followed suit, but his eating posture looked very elegant, making Tan Xiao feel like he was dining at a banquet in the parliament rather than a restaurant booth.  

After finishing half a plate of fried rice, Tan Xiao then had roast goose, char siu, crispy fish skin…  

After eating, Tan Xiao felt like he was a little more than half full and finally had the leisure to ask about other things.  

He asked Wen Yi, “Are you single now, or do you have a partner?”  

Wen Yi answered without hesitation, “Single!”  

Tan Xiao then asked, “Do you have a fiancée or something, like an engagement arranged since childhood?”  

He knew that Wen Yi should be wealthy. Although his own family was doing well, it was still far from the level of someone like Wen Yi.  

Wasn’t it often portrayed in TV dramas? Although the male lead didn’t have anyone he was dating, he still carried around some messy marriage contract because of a family alliance.  

Tan Xiao didn’t want to get entangled with someone who was already engaged.  

Wen Yi quickly shook his head: “No!”  

His parents were in a family-arranged marriage, but Wen Yi absolutely would not enter into an arranged marriage. Indeed, there were people who wanted to betroth him, but his parents would also respect his opinion.  

Moreover, Wen Yi himself had a secret; before meeting Tan Xiao, he had never thought about being with anyone.  

Wen Yi asked Tan Xiao in return, “What about you? Are you single too?”  

“Of course, I’ve never even been in a relationship!”  

Tan Xiao’s chat history was completely clean, and there were absolutely no messy relationships or flirty conversations.  

He was already 25 that year, which was quite an age. There was no need for adults to dawdle and procrastinate.  

In a light-hearted manner, he straightforwardly asked, “Do you like me?”  

Wen Yi nodded vigorously, “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm!”  

“That’s perfect. I find you quite pleasant too. If you don’t mind, from today onwards, I’ll be your boyfriend.”  

“Not at all, not at all!” Wen Yi, excited, immediately sat up from the chair and tightly grasped Tan Xiao’s hand. He repeated, “You are my boyfriend!”  

“If you want, we can get married! I can give you all my money!”  

Tan Xiao thought he was already direct enough; on the first day, he confirmed a boyfriend-boyfriend relationship with someone he fell in love with at first sight.  

But at this moment, he was still shocked: “Marriage? Isn’t that too soon? You’re being too dramatic!”  

Wen Yi looked at Tan Xiao, his light gray pupils focused and affectionate: “I only want you. Marriage is just a matter of time.”  

Their race inherently had a habit of marking territory, but their romantic relationships were still unstable.  

If they weren’t married, there was a high chance that shameless mistresses would try to break up their relationship, spouting nonsense about being the third party because they felt unloved in their own relationships.  

But by marrying Tan Xiao, he could openly bring the other person into his territory.  

Tan Xiao found it somewhat amusing and exasperating: “Calm down a bit. I think it’s still too soon. Do you remember this is only our first day meeting? Let’s just be a couple for now.”  

Wen Yi glanced at the elegantly and uniquely designed wave clock on the wall and seriously corrected, “We’ve already met for two days.”  

When they sat down in the booth, it was already past midnight. Yesterday was their first meeting, and that day made it two days.  

Tan Xiao took a sip of ginseng chicken soup to soothe his throat and said, “Two days is way too fast!”  

They had only known each other for less than 12 hours. Who proposed like this?  

It wasn’t like they were acting in one of those clichéd rich family dramas, where the poor fiancée showed up demanding the wealthy heir fulfill the marriage contract.  

Moreover, in terms of their family backgrounds, the other person was the wealthy heir.  

“After saying all this, I don’t even know your name, how old you are, if you have any past relationships, and we haven’t even exchanged contact information.”  

“My name is Wen Yi, Wen Form Wēndù, Yi from Yí guāng¹. I’m 27 years old this year and have always been single.”  

With a sigh and a smile, Tan Xiao said, “I understand now. You’re very eager, but don’t rush. Matters of the heart can’t be hurried. Let’s take our time, just like eating. We should savor every bite.”  

Wen Yi glanced at Tan Xiao, then silently looked at the clean plate of fried rice in front of him, his eyes clearly saying, “Your eating speed has nothing to do with chewing slowly.”  

Tan Xiao laughed without a hint of embarrassment: “That’s because I was hungry. I don’t usually eat this fast.”  

He picked up his phone: “What’s your number? I’ll save it. Is your WeChat number the same as your phone number?”  

Wen Yi nodded and then gave his phone number.  

Tan Xiao was somewhat surprised: “This account, strange, why do I have you as a friend?”  

When searching for the other person’s phone number in the WeChat list, he discovered that he had already added Wen Yi as a friend, but he had no recollection of it at all.  

Wait, the note he had made for this number was: “Y senior who provided the information.”  

Because Wen Yi’s avatar was just a solid black, and then the initial Y.  

There were only a few messages between the two. He had asked for information from this number, and the other person had sent him a document, but the document had already expired.  

In a light-hearted manner, he asked, “Which university did you attend?”  

“A University.”  

Tan Xiao chuckled, “What a coincidence. I graduated from A University too, just three years ago.”  

Wen Yi said, “I am four generations older than you.”  

“I’m twenty-five this year. You’re two years older than me. How can you be four generations older than me?”  

Wen Yi said, “I skipped grades when I was studying, and I’ve been studying abroad for the past few years. I just came back yesterday.”  

Tan Xiao chuckled, “Make a note, senior. This time, remember that my name is Tan Xiao.”  

He struggled to dig through his own memories and vaguely seemed to recall that something like this had happened.  

It seemed that back then, when he was writing his thesis and needed to create a model, a senior from the student council had given him an account from a big shot, and the other party had been lying low ever since.  

This world was really too small; what a wonderful fate.  

The fact that both of them were alumni made Tan Xiao feel that he and Wen Yi seemed to be closer to each other.  

After finishing a late-night meal, it was already one o’clock. No matter how good the environment in the private room was, it wasn’t suitable for sleeping.  

Tan Xiao stood up and said, “Let’s go. Let’s head home.”  

Although it was supposed to be a treat, he still walked to the front desk intending to pay. After all, he had just received a big red envelope that night, so he could afford to pay for a meal.  

However, by the time they reached the front desk, Wen Yi had already settled the bill in advance.  

Sure, no need to worry about it. Next time, he could treat Wen Yi back. Dating was all about give and take, so one meal didn’t really matter.  

He walked to the back parking lot to find his car, and Wen Yi followed closely behind him.  

With a smile, he asked, “Where do you live? I’ll give you a ride.”  

Wen Yi looked at him: “I just got back.”  

“So?”  

Coming out of the parking lot, the big screen in the square was just showing a nighttime variety show from a certain platform called “Can I Go to Your House Today?”  

The general content of the variety show was that the production team asked strangers returning home at night if they could go to their house for an interview.  

The production team could enter strangers’ homes, and he was now Tan Xiao’s boyfriend, so why not?  

He didn’t even consider that the production team just wanted to conduct an interview, and that Wen Yi, as Tan Xiao’s boyfriend, suggesting going to the other person’s house clearly had ulterior motives.  

Wen Yi said, “I have no place to stay. Can I go to your house?”  

Tan Xiao glanced at him and said, “Senior, you really are…”  

Wen Yi’s request was a bit too hasty, but since he was the one who proposed marriage on the first meeting, asking to go to his house wasn’t a big deal.  

Although he had his own apartment, Wen Yi wouldn’t covet anything from him. If he wasn’t mistaken, the watch Wen Yi was wearing that day was worth enough to buy his apartment.  

Those light gray eyes were intently staring at him, looking somewhat pitiful, like a pigeon with its feathers soaked by the rain.  

In the face of such a gaze, Tan Xiao finally relented and opened the passenger door: “Since you treated me to dinner today, I suppose I can reluctantly let you stay the night.”  

Notes

1. He’s explaining which character are used for his name Wen Yi(温夷), Wen/温 from Wēndù(温度): temperature temperature and Yi/夷 from Yí guāng(夷光): light ↩︎