Extra 1

Yu Yunren’s body was always very healthy. He had a good appetite, and slept well every night. However, recently, he had not been eating much.

As he had been staying in the Yu home for the past few days, Old Mister Yu had thought that it was because he could not bear to part with Gu Xiaoshan, and had lost his appetite. Old Mister Yu was furious. “Gu Xiaoshan that vixen!”

Lit with righteous indignation, Old Mister Yu was sitting on a deckchair when he said this. There was also someone else reclining on the deckchair opposite him. It was not any of his sons, but Zhi Xuan who was silently reading the papers.

Having interacted with each other for ten years, Zhi Xuan was very comfortable in the Yu family, and was happy to stay in the Yu home for several months out of the year. Instead, it was Renzi who often ran out to live alone with Gu Xiaoshan. Old Mister Yu was particularly lonely, and so Zhi Xuan and Yu Yuntao frequently returned to stay over, preventing Old Mister Yu from becoming an empty nester.

Old Mister Yu pounded the chair angrily. “Look at Gu Xiaoshan this vixen! Seducing our Renzi until he lost his soul! They’ve only been apart for a few days, and now he’s unable to eat or drink anything! Is this the reincarnation of Daji1?!”

Zhi Xuans smiled and consoled him, “What comparison is this? They’ve been together for so long, and their relationship is still so good, isn’t that a good thing? I heard that your wife and you were also this loving as well.”

Whenever his wife was mentioned, Old Mister Yu would become a lot more gentler. If it was ten years ago, Old Mister Yu would be sad when anyone mentioned his late wife. Now, it was a lot better, probably because as a person got older, he would be more farsighted, and would only notice the good memories.

Old Mister Yu grumbled, “How can that vixen compare to my wife? You also know how pretty my wife was, how good her character was, and she never talked in circles…” Old Mister Yu started chattering about his wife, and Zhi Xuan smiled as he listened. After so many years, Old Mister Yu had repeated himself often, and Zhi Xuan had actually heard all these many times over.

Talking about the past, Old Mister Yu’s interest in recalling his memories dwindled as he went along, and a drawn-out silence fell upon them.

The sunlight scattered upon them, falling onto Old Mister Yu’s hair, reflecting against it. People often said, a widower tended to have a lot more white hair.

Zhi Xuan quietly left the lounge. Walking to Yu Yunren’s room, he knocked on the door. Yu Yunren opened the door to see Zhi Xuan, looking listless. “Ah Xuan? What’s wrong?”

Zhi Xuan smiled at him, “Why are you so lethargic? You haven’t been eating much, your dad is very worried.”

Renzi pursed his lips. “It’s nothing, I just don’t feel like eating.”

Zhi Xuan stepped into Renzi’s room. “You’re still hiding it from me? What’s going on exactly?”

Renzi lay back onto his bed, not a speck of liveliness within him. He looked like a salted fish drying out in the sun.

“Don’t tell me,” Zhi Xuan studied the lackadaisical, lifeless Renzi. “You’re on a diet?”

The salted fish now leapt up like a carp. Renzi stared at Zhi Xuan, “Why… why would you say that?”

Zhi Xuan clicked his tongue. “It’s true? You’re so old already, and you’re still dieting like the young ladies out there?”

“I’m not that old!” Renzi was no longer the young man of ten years ago, age was becoming a taboo topic for him. He immediately objected, “You’re so much older than me, and you’re calling me old?!”

Zhi Xuan was not affected by that. “We’re really no longer that young anymore. We’re already of the age to wear long johns, and you’re still dieting like a young lady? You’re the one with the problem, aren’t you?”

“But I…” Renzi touched his little belly, complaining aggrievedly, “But I, I’ve put on weight!”

“How much weight have you put on?” Zhi Xuan touched Renzi’s stomach. “Your stomach is about to cave in already, you’ve put on weight?”

“That’s because I’m hungry!” Renzi’s stomach gurgled, and he looked famished. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to last till that day.”

“Which day?” Zhi Xuan watched him and laughed. “The day of your wedding?”

Renzi was actually a little embarrassed. “I’m afraid I won’t look good in the clothes!”

“Oh god.” Zhi Xuan pointed at the suit hanging by the bed. “You’re also not wearing a wedding dress! This is a suit! Even if your tummy bulges out, it cannot be seen!”

Renzi shook his head, “It won’t be obvious in the full suit, but if I took off the jacket, this slight bulge can still be seen…”

Renzi covered his belly uneasily, “Am I getting the middle-aged spread?”

“It’s a good sign that the bride’s stomach is bulging slightly during the wedding.” Zhi Xuan teased him, “It’s another thing to be happy about. Your Brother Xiaoshan would definitely like it!”

Being ridiculed, Renzi was even more upset. “I’m sharing my troubles with you, but you’re laughing at me? You’re the only one who still managed to maintain his figure!”

Zhi Xuan shook his head, “Not only me. Your brother and your Brother Xiaoshan have both maintained their figures very well too. Your dad as well, it should be said that you’re the only going out of shape.”

“I’m not going out of shape!” Renzi objected, “I just have extra flesh here!”

“This is a result of you not liking to exercise.” Actually, Zhi Xuan too did not like to exercise, but he was forced to do so by Yu Yuntao. Ever since they officially started dating, he would be forced to the gym by Yu Yuntao for weight training, and in the long run, he had cultivated this habit. Also, Zhi Xuan, unlike Renzi, did not like gorging himself on food. All his meals were prepared by Yu Yuntao, and so his body was maintained well.

Gu Xiaoshan was very self-disciplined, and he was similar to Yu Yuntao in this regard. He would exercise regularly, and pay attention to what he ate. However, he did not force Renzi to go to the gym, instead letting Renzi sleep for as long as he wanted, and even often brought Renzi out to enjoy good food.

Zhi Xuan had said, “Gu Xiaoshan is raising you like a pig!”

A few days ago, Yu Yunren and Gu Xiaoshan were discussing what to wear to get married, and they were unable to come to an agreement. In the end, under Zhi Xuan’s suggestion, they decided to give up on those luxury items, and planned to wear what they wore to their high school graduations.

When Yu Yunren tried on his old suit, he then abruptly realised that he had gained quite a few inches around his waist, and his tummy bulged out slightly. He studied his reflection seriously in the mirror, and when he recalled Gu Xiaoshan’s abs, he thought that he must look extremely awful in Gu Xiaoshan’s eyes!

Yu Yunren was then determined to lose weight.

Zhi Xuan consoled Renzi, “Actually, your figure is very good. Who doesn’t have a little tummy? It’s only that you were too thin when you were younger. If you’re afraid of showing your tummy, I’ll get the tailor to alter the suit for you?”

Renzi shook his head. “No, I can’t! My hubby doesn’t need his suit altered, why do I have to alter it?”

“If you work out like him, of course you wouldn’t need to alter it too!”

“This is unfair!” Renzi was already so old, and yet he started throwing a tantrum.

Zhi Xuan rebutted him coldly, “He’s so self-disciplined, while you always indulge yourself. To want the same results, that’s then really unfair!”

Renzi lay back onto his bed. “I must lose weight.”

“You must eat.” Zhi Xuan objected.

Renzi’s neck stiffened. “No!”

“If you faint during your wedding, don’t blame me for posting the photo onto social media.”

Zhi Xuan always knew how to handle Yu Yunren.

Finally, Renzi agreed to eat a little more. Zhi Xuan got a dietitian to create a nutritious meal plan for him, so that he would not faint from hunger.

However, the menu that was designed by the dietitian still did not taste good, and after the meal, one got hungry very quickly. Renzi loved to eat, and now, faced with eating salad everyday, his face was as green as it.

Zhi Xuan pushed Renzi in front of the mirror. “Don’t you feel that your complexion turns people off more than your little belly?”

Renzi gritted his teeth, “Isn’t it fine with just a little foundation and blush?”

Zhi Xuan was taken aback, “You even know about foundation and blush?”

“Don’t look down on me,” Renzi tightened his jaw. “I’ve been gay for 10 years!”

Zhi Xuan still encouraged Renzi to do some exercises. This way, his complexion would improve. Blush faded away too easily.

Renzi then started running in the morning everyday with Zhi Xuan and Yu Yuntao. Yu Yuntao embraced Zhi Xuan, his face disdainful. “Why is he following us?”

Zhi Xuan spoke quietly, “Renzi wants to lose weight.”

Yu Yuntao looked at Renzi’s two skinny matchstick-like legs under his loose athletic shorts and frowned, “Asking for trouble out of nowhere!”

Zhi Xuan replied, “There’s no disadvantage in having a little more exercise. He should have started changing his habits of just eating and sleeping long ago, it’s just that it was too awkward for me to mention it to him.”

“Why would you feel awkward?” Yu Yunren laughed. “You’re his sister-in-law.”

Zhi Xuan saw that Renzi was present. Too embarrassed to kick Yu Yuntao in the face, he held himself back.

Behind, Renzi watched his brother and Zhi Xuan whispering intimately, and felt very lonely. He started missing Gu Xiaoshan again, and tightened his grip around his phone. Recently, they had been going along with “traditions”, and did not see each other. Actually, this “tradition” was suggested by both their fathers, and Renzi had agreed immediately. This was because to Renzi, it was a good opportunity to lose weight secretly.

Afraid of giving himself away, he did not contact Gu Xiaoshan through video chats, only calling him and sending texts. With Gu Xiaoshan’s busy schedule, he also did not have a lot of time to chat with him. Renzi did truly miss him.

Missing him, yet not daring to see him…

What could he do at this time?

Of course, he would go spy on him secretly!