Although he had vaguely suspected Yan Shuwang's sexual orientation before, Zheng Yu'an was still taken aback when it was stated so explicitly.
He genuinely held no prejudice against homosexuality. During his time studying in the U.K., he even had several gay friends with whom he occasionally kept in touch after returning home. Coupled with his previous relationships with An Dai and Bai Jian, his impression of the gay community had always been positive.
However, Zheng Yu'an was definitely not one of them.
The most unconventional thing he had done was date a blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign woman, but in the end, he still found Asian women more to his taste.
Zheng Yu'an had been propositioned by gay men on more than one occasion, and An Dai jokingly called him a "gay community heartthrob."
"It's such a waste that you're straight," An Dai loved to joke when they were still together. "If you joined the community, I guarantee you'd have a bunch of cute 'bottoms' with sweet mouths and perky behinds waiting for you."
Zheng Yu'an couldn't remember his response at the time, but having lived for so many years, he was well aware of his own charm.
As for whether that charm extended to attracting both men and women, Zheng Yu'an wasn't so shameless as to believe that.
High-net-worth clients cannot be offended; this principle holds true for every bank. Zheng Yu'an wasn't sure if Yan Shuwang had taken a liking to him, but the other man's behavior was indeed crossing the line somewhat.
A dangerous ambiguity.
"You're probably overthinking it," An Dai said when she invited Zheng Yu'an to Sparrow's one-year anniversary party on Wednesday night.
The trendy cafe occasionally hosted similar events. The owner hired a DJ, and people gathered outside the entrance under the moonlight, drinking and chatting in small groups, creating a lively scene from afar.
Zheng Yu'an drove straight there after work. He hadn't changed out of his work clothes; he left his suit in the car and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
An Dai drank as she spoke to him: "People in the community don't mess with straight men. They have very clear boundaries."
Zheng Yu'an took a sip of his drink and asked, "How so?"
An Dai: "This side, that side, heterosexual, homosexual." She pointed at Zheng Yu'an. "They put a label on you that says 'restricted area'. That's their standard for division."
"Straight men aren't interesting," An Dai said, her words carrying a veiled criticism. "Homosexuals are normal people too; they have feelings and are afraid of getting hurt. If you heterosexuals play around and then go back to get married, what happens to the one left behind?"
Zheng Yu'an smiled, not mincing words. "That's not a question of homosexuality or heterosexuality; that's a question of being a s**mbag."
An Dai paused, shaking her head with a wry smile. "You're just too nice, your moral standards are too high. That's why you're sometimes boring."
Since An Dai said so, Zheng Yu'an decided not to flatter himself by dwelling on it. He would just consider Yan Shuwang's behavior a passing whim. He would meet soldiers with generals and water with earth. Besides, with Yan Shuwang's looks, he wouldn't exactly be at a disadvantage.
The WE GO contract was approved quickly. Once the branch authorized it, the funds were transferred. To this end, Zheng Yu'an decided to pay another visit in person.
Zhang Jin anticipated his arrival, brewing tea and offering him a cigarette. The two chatted about the money for a while, then moved on to other topics.
"I heard you played ball with Director Yan over the weekend?" Zhang Jin asked.
Zheng Yu'an smoked, replying casually, "Just one game. Director Yan's skills are too good; I was just playing around."
Zhang Jin: "That's Director Yan's personal social circle, his old ball buddies. The fact that he included you means he really values you."
Zheng Yu'an wasn't aware of this. He smoked, smiling cryptically without responding.
Zhang Jin asked again, "How about another dinner this week?"
Zheng Yu'an glanced at him, not mincing words. "Don't you get tired of all this eating? Haven't you had enough to drink?"
Zhang Jin was good in many ways, but even after getting married, he hadn't curbed his fondness for having fun. He clearly couldn't hold his liquor, yet he loved to drink. These dinners and drinking parties looked chaotic.
"I'm just trying to help you get closer to Director Yan," Zhang Jin protested.
Zheng Yu'an wasn't buying it. "I can already play ball with Director Yan. How much closer do we need to get?"
Since the money was secured and the business was done, Zheng Yu'an planned to return to the bank first. However, before he could leave, he received a call from Yan Shuwang.
He hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Little Zheng, Director Zheng," Yan Shuwang greeted him, his tone slightly rising, his rich, wine-like voice full and sounding like it was wrapped in wine-scented bubbles. "Aren't you staying for dinner?"
Zheng Yu'an had no choice but to awkwardly change the subject. "Didn't we agree to see the exhibition on Saturday?"
Yan Shuwang: "We did." He seemed to chuckle. "Why can't we meet at other times?"
"..." Zheng Yu'an began to doubt the credibility of An Dai's "clear boundaries." Even at the risk of being misunderstood as presumptuous, he decided to offer a subtle reminder. "Director Yan, I'm not part of the community. I don't really understand the rules."
Yan Shuwang was silent for two seconds. His voice didn't reveal much emotion. "It's just a meal between friends. Little Zheng, you're overthinking it."
Zheng Yu'an weighed the sincerity of his words. After all, he didn't want to make things too awkward. As Yan Shuwang said, it was just a meal. There was no need for him to be so suspicious and tread on thin ice.
If he was going to have dinner, he would have to inform Qin Hanguan. Of course, the branch manager had no objections. "Just take good care of Yan Shuwang. You don't need to tell me."
Zheng Yu'an felt that the other man had a talent for being a pimp. "You're selling me off without any guilt."
Qin Hanguan laughed. "You have a strong liver and can drink a lot. What's there to be guilty about?"
That was true, but Zheng Yu'an hadn't expected that it would just be him and Yan Shuwang for dinner.
Jiao Tang's restaurants had several locations, each with a different style. Some offered high-end banquets, while others served exquisite private cuisine. The one Yan Shuwang chose had a "fragrant wine in a deep alley" kind of atmosphere.
They didn't drink alcohol during the meal, which relieved Zheng Yu'an. After drinking so much for so many days in a row, even the strongest liver wouldn't be able to handle it.
Suzhou cuisine often leaned towards the sweet side, which Zheng Yu'an also liked. When a dish of cherry fish tofu was served, he ate several bites, which Yan Shuwang naturally noticed.
"Their mung bean cake is quite good," Yan Shuwang ordered a plate. "You can try it."
Zheng Yu'an liked mung bean cake very much. He took a bite and found it to be delicate and sweet. He was pleased and asked, "Can I get it to go?"
Yan Shuwang didn't say much and immediately asked someone to pack a portion for him.
Perhaps because he hadn't expected Yan Shuwang to be so considerate, Zheng Yu'an was a little surprised. He thanked him.
Yan Shuwang lit a cigarette for himself. He looked at Zheng Yu'an's face and suddenly asked, "Little Zheng, do you have a girlfriend?"
Zheng Yu'an paused, instinctively replying, "No."
Yan Shuwang spoke as if making casual conversation. "Little Zheng, you're not getting any younger. Don't you plan to find someone?"
Zheng Yu'an's excuse was rather perfunctory. "The time isn't right yet. There's no rush."
Yan Shuwang didn't ask any further questions.
The next few dishes Zheng Yu'an ate were very much to his taste. Even the soup was a Cantonese-style cream soup. Zheng Yu'an felt a little bloated from drinking it. Only after thinking about it carefully did he realize that Yan Shuwang had ordered all of these.