After the car accident, my boyfriend got straight

The notification of Jiang Shiyu’s exchange program abroad arrived before the start of the semester. Everyone was surprised that he suddenly planned to go to France for a year on his own, with the exception of Shen Li, who remained unusually calm.

At home, Bai Yun arranged for the housekeeper to pack Jiang Shiyu’s luggage, trying to fit everything in and ensuring nothing was left behind.

“Shiyu, why don’t you let Shen Li accompany you? You’ve just had surgery and are still in recovery. It’s worrying to think of you going there alone with no one to take care of you,” she said.

Jiang Shiyu, sitting on the carpet and checking the items in his suitcase, shook his head gently. “Auntie, Shen Li has his own coursework to complete. I can take care of myself, and there are three people from our department going with me. We can help each other.”

Since learning of his plans to spend a year in France, Bai Yun had been extremely anxious. She was unaware of the issues between Jiang Shiyu and Shen Li, including Shen Li’s concealment of Jiang Shiyu’s visits to a psychologist. From her perspective, his sudden decision to go abroad alone was like a child who had never left home suddenly deciding to hike across Tibet alone.

After dinner, she dragged Shen Li to the rooftop of the villa. The mother and son, unusually serious, faced each other.

“What’s going on between you and Shiyu? Why did he suddenly decide to go abroad for an exchange program?” Bai Yun was convinced that Shen Li had done something to make him want to leave for a year.

Shen Li leaned against the rooftop, looking out at the endless night. “Mom, it’s my fault. I didn’t provide him with enough sense of security, causing him to be anxious. He said he wanted to try stepping out of my protection and learn to be independent and grow up on his own.”

Bai Yun was taken aback. Having grown up in a distinguished family and being astute, she quickly understood the situation.

“If Shiyu wants to go see the world on his own, then let him go.”

“There have been many changes between you two over the past six months. Maybe some time apart would be beneficial.”

Shen Li fell silent. The night wind blew across his face, and his eyes were tinged with sadness that he couldn’t hide.

The paperwork for the exchange program was processed quickly, with the departure set for the end of February. When Li Muzi learned of the news, he cried uncontrollably, lamenting that there would be no one to practice piano pieces with him or to help him with extra classes during the teacher’s spot checks. Jiang Shiyu also felt reluctant to leave his good friend. The two of them, hugging and crying with red eyes in the piano room, looked as if their hearts were breaking.

Outside the room, Shen Li and Chen Xu watched the two of them, heads together and embracing. Chen Xu sighed, “Are you really willing to let Shiyu go to France alone for a year?”

Shen Li’s gaze remained unmoved, his dark eyes revealing an unclear emotion.

That day at the cemetery, carrying Jiang Shiyu on his back on the steps, he saw him, standing tall, looking up at the birds flying over the mountains with anticipation.

At that moment, he thought of a line from *The Shawshank Redemption*.

“Some birds are not meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.”

He had seen Jiang Shiyu shine on stage and couldn’t stop him from pursuing greater achievements. He also couldn’t keep the flower he had protected in the greenhouse from wanting to step outside and see the world.

The night before his departure, Jiang Shiyu, taking advantage of Shen Li being in his own room showering, quietly sneaked into his room with a pillow and lay down under the covers.

The familiar scent slowly calmed his anxious heart. When Shen Li came out of the shower and saw a lump on the bed, he was momentarily stunned.

Approaching, he found a furry head sticking out from under the covers. He thought he was asleep and reached out to uncover his face. Just as he did, Jiang Shiyu opened his bright black eyes.

He was clearly not asleep.

“I’m not asleep,” his voice was soft and gentle in the night.

Shen Li swallowed, “Hmm.”

Jiang Shiyu threw back the covers and sat up suddenly, revealing his body hidden beneath the blanket. A flash of blue and white, his long, slender legs wrapped in white knee-high socks, with the soft flesh of his thighs spilling out from the edges.

Shen Li’s eyes widened in surprise, then gradually darkened.

Jiang Shiyu sat on the bed in a duck-like position, looking exceedingly obedient in his sailor suit. His smooth hair fell across his cheek, looking sincere and straightforward.

“Shen Li, do you like it?”

Shen Li’s jaw tightened, and he could see the veins in his forehead pulsing slightly. “The flight is tomorrow morning. Go back to sleep.”

Jiang Shiyu was displeased with his reaction, standing up from the bed. He was half a head taller than Shen Li and beckoned him with a gesture.

Shen Li, bare-chested with water droplets dripping from his hair onto his chest, took a few steps forward.

In the next moment, Jiang Shiyu jumped up, legs in the air, and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Shen Li’s restrained expression cracked, and he was visibly startled. The space between them was about half a meter, but Jiang Shiyu leaped from the bed directly onto him. He instinctively caught him.

Jiang Shiyu clung to him, wrapping his arms and legs around him.

Shen Li’s hands moved from under Jiang Shiyu’s skirt to his backside, feeling the smoothness of his skin.

His pupils contracted, and his breath grew uneven. “You?”

Jiang Shiyu grasped his short hair, forcing him to look up, and swallowed the rest of his words.

Their lips met.

The room was filled with chaos.

At eleven o’clock at night, in the piano room, intermittent piano sounds could be heard.

The large piano room was dimly lit by moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a silvery glow. The moonlight illuminated the center of the room.

A tall, muscular young man sat on the piano bench, his back marked with claw marks resembling scratches from an angry kitten. He sat casually, shirtless, holding a smaller boy in his arms. The boy wore a blue and white sailor suit, with a few buttons missing. The boy’s lower half was completely bare. They were together, one wearing only the top, the other only the bottom, leaning against each other.

Jiang Shiyu’s long, slender hand rested on the piano keys, with a larger, warm hand resting on top of his. Their hands, stacked one above the other, resembled the piano keys—black and white.

As Jiang Shiyu moved his hand slowly across the keys, the notes flowed from his fingertips. It was the same piece he had played at the seaside villa, “Our Little Forest.”

However, it was a choppy version. The intense lovemaking had drained his energy, and Shen Li had carried him to the piano room. He was as soft as cotton and barely able to play, let alone support the other hand on the piano.

The fragmented melody couldn’t even form a complete piece. It was the worst performance hehad ever given, but it was also the piece he was most reluctant to finish.

As he played, Shen Li’s hand slipped between his fingers, gradually shifting to a reverse grip.

The music became a series of bouncing notes.

“Thud.”

“Will you miss me while I’m so far away?” Jiang Shiyu pressed a key and let the note stretch out long, then suddenly asked in the lingering sound.

Shen Li wrapped his other arm around his waist, resting his head against the small cat’s neck. “I will.”

“Will you think about me a lot?”

“Even before you leave, I’ll start thinking about you. I’ll think of you while walking, while eating, during class, and even while sleeping.”

Jiang Shiyu smiled, and as he continued to smile, his eyes began to redden again. “I’ll miss you too, every day, thinking of you, over and over again.”

“Do you think I’m being selfish?” Another key was pressed, the sound lingering in the piano room.

“Never. My little one will always be the best little one in my heart.”

Tears unconsciously slipped from the corners of Jiang Shiyu’s eyes, landing on Shen Li’s hand.

“Shen Li, I love you.”

“I love you three thousand.”

Letting you go to become the best version of yourself, even if not perfect, is okay because in my heart, you will always be the best.

On the day Jiang Shiyu left, the sky in Jiang Hua cleared up after half a month of intermittent rain. The sky was cloudless, with a gentle breeze blowing.

A group of people saw him off at the airport, saying their goodbyes one by one. From the moment Jiang Shiyu entered the airport, his eyes had not dried. Shen Li peeled an egg for him and placed it on his eyes to reduce the swelling.

“Shiyu, if you find anything inconvenient or uncomfortable there, let me know right away. If you’re not used to the dorm, Auntie has a house there. Call the housekeeper to help you move.”

“Shiyu, you must call me often after you get there. Don’t forget about me, your old friend, just because you make new ones. You don’t need to send me any souvenirs. My mom says the food in England is terrible, so I’ll send you some.”

“Shiyu, take care of yourself, okay? I’ve heard there are lots of handsome guys in France. Keep your heart steadfast and always remember there’s someone waiting for you back in Jiang Hua.”

As his tears started to flow again from under the egg, Shen Li clicked his tongue and dragged him into the airport restroom.

The restroom door slammed shut with a “bang.”

The egg was removed from his eyes, revealing his swollen, walnut-sized eyes.

“So reluctant to leave, do you not want to go?”

Jiang Shiyu blinked, shaking his head while crying.

Shen Li sighed in pity, lowering his head to comfort him for a while.

“Alright, don’t cry. Your eyes will hurt once you’re on the plane.”

“Baby, remember to take your medicine on time when you’re there. If you feel unwell, call an ambulance immediately. This is very important. You must remember.”

Jiang Shiyu sniffed and nodded seriously.

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Shen Li really wanted to lock him up at home or go abroad with him, but he knew that he wouldn’t be happy that way.

“When I have time, I’ll come visit you. Don’t worry, and remember to call me if you need anything.”

With teary eyes, Jiang Shiyu looked up, his voice nasal and serious. “Don’t come to see me.”

Shen Li frowned.

“You’re not allowed to visit me this year.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid that if you come, I will give up. I’ll follow you back to the country without hesitation. So this year, you must not come to see me.”

His eyes and nose were red, but his gaze was stubborn, insisting that Shen Li agree.

Agreeing to let him study abroad for a year had already been a difficult decision for Shen Li. Now, being asked not to see each other for a year made it even harder to answer.

“Shen Li, I said I want to learn to be independent, to grow and live on my own. If you keep flying over to see me, what’s the point of me going to France?”

“Don’t come to see me. Don’t meet me. Shen Li, promise me, okay?”

His pure black eyes, covered with a layer of un-dried mist, showed an unusually determined resolve.

Shen Li could not refuse, even though it pained him.

“Okay, I promise. But you must promise me too, to take good care of yourself and not get sick.”

He rested his head on Shen Li’s chest, listening to the heartbeat he wouldn’t be able to hear for the next year, and promised, “Okay.”