Between Us : Chapter 21: Lost His Composure

Xu Jue searched around Elk for several rounds. There were too many people. He got brushed with all sorts of strange perfumes. He took a risk and searched through the dance floor once, and was even groped on the abs by a petite boy who mistook him for gay, which scared him into squeezing his way out and zipping his school uniform all the way to the top.

During a moment to catch his breath, Xu Jue suddenly reflected that after the pointers from his two strategic partners, he seemed to have become not entirely straight starting from today.

He had also checked the restrooms and smoking areas thoroughly. No one. Xu Jue stood outside Break Room B doing mental preparation, afraid that pushing open the door would lead to another bare butt in his face.

Having learned from experience, Xu Jue knocked this time before going in with confidence. He scanned around, then dialed the combination to open Chen Qian’s locker to check. Seeing no items inside, he confirmed Chen Qian hadn’t come to work.

His phone vibrated against his palm. Because he was afraid of missing a call from Chen Qian, he had been holding his phone in his hand the whole time. Now seeing the name on the screen, he quickly answered. He didn’t expect a woman’s voice to come through. “You picked up fast? Your little uncle’s drunk. Come pick him up.”

This was Sister Wu An’s voice. Xu Jue hung up and left Elk, heading toward Gumen. Wu An was leaning behind the bar waving at him.

Four or five empty bottles were crowded together on the bar. Chen Qian had his head buried in the crook of his own arm, his right hand also gripping a bottle that was only half empty now.

“I deliberately didn’t stop him,” Wu An pushed Chen Qian’s phone over. “But this time he drank way too much. He usually controls his amount.”

“Usually?” Xu Jue pocketed the phone, pried open Chen Qian’s fingers, and pulled out the bottle. “Very often?”

“Not too bad. Once every two or three months. From West Suburb Four…” Wu An stopped halfway, changed course, and asked back, “You’re his nephew. You don’t know?”

Before Xu Jue could deny it, Wu An went around to the other side to mix drinks for someone. Xu Jue didn’t dare wake Chen Qian again, afraid the other would drag him into another three thousand meter run.

He pulled over a bar stool and sat beside him. He took out his phone wanting to search what place in West Suburb started with Four. When he lit up the screen, he realized it wasn’t his phone.

His heart itched. He remembered Wu An had used Chen Qian’s phone to call him. He also wanted to know what Chen Qian had saved his name as.

The phone was fingerprint unlocked. Chen Qian’s hand was less than ten centimeters from him. Xu Jue grasped Chen Qian’s thumb, his fingertip brushing away the water droplets left by the cold bottle.

But Chen Qian wouldn’t like it if he did this, would he?

Xu Jue gave up on peeking, put the phone back, and let go of Chen Qian’s hand. Right at that moment, he was suddenly grabbed back by the other.

In an instant, Xu Jue braced himself for a three thousand meter run. But Chen Qian lifted a pair of watery eyes to stare at him, his nose and lips both flushed red, looking more docile than last time.

Xu Jue’s palm grew hot. He didn’t know if his face was as red as Chen Qian’s. “What’s wrong?”

Chen Qian grabbed his hand and pulled it toward his own waistband. “Need to pee.”

“Damn.” Xu Jue was accidentally shoved from behind. His body lurched forward sharply. His hand slid from the waistband down to Chen Qian’s thigh. Through the layer of fabric, the circumference beneath his palm seemed a circle smaller than his own.

He looked up, a little panicked. “I mean, I’ll help you there.”

Chen Qian wouldn’t let him help. He let go of Xu Jue’s hand and walked straight toward the restroom. After two steps, he saw a tall man in a suit over by the booth area. He stopped and looked for a while.

Xu Jue thought he was staring at the bottles on someone else’s table. So he used his height advantage to block Chen Qian’s line of sight. Seeing Chen Qian unmoved, he skillfully squatted down and slapped the back of Chen Qian’s knee with a backhand, making the other’s legs go soft and collapse onto his back.

Chen Qian was half sober now, but his voice was still sticky and soft. “Xu Jue, you’re poking my stomach.”

Xu Jue thought to himself that if he didn’t carry him, he wouldn’t walk. Out loud he coaxed, “Bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”

Chen Qian hummed lightly twice, his stomach swollen and uncomfortable. “Don’t go too fast… forget it, go faster. I can’t hold it.”

Although Xu Jue was always teased by Chen Qian as a kid, that didn’t mean he was really ignorant enough to understand nothing. In a few sentences he was nearly driven crazy. Once they reached the restroom, he immediately set Chen Qian down and turned his back, urging, “Go ahead.”

There was no movement behind him for a long while. Xu Jue looked back and found Chen Qian was also looking at him, from a low angle looking up, his slightly red eye corners seeming to beckon.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t hold it?” Xu Jue asked.

Only then did Chen Qian laugh softly, lower his head, and loosen his waistband. “So innocent.”

Xu Jue swallowed, his gaze dropping to the gleaming floor, his hand clenched into a fist.

This time, however, it wasn’t because of violent anger wanting to hit someone. It was because of a heart full of fluttering excitement, wanting to peek but not daring, wanting to act on impulse but holding back. He could only pin his hopes on those few careless words just now, weaving a few gorgeous fantasies.

After finishing, Chen Qian didn’t return to the bar. He stuck his hands in his pockets and headed toward the entrance. Xu Jue followed behind, saying, “How about I hold your hand?”

Chen Qian thought he had heard wrong. How was this person taking advantage of the situation?

Then Xu Jue added, “I can’t run three thousand meters anymore. I just had a fitness test this afternoon.”

Blown by the wind outside, Chen Qian was completely sober now. He curved the corners of his mouth, his smile very weak. “What three thousand meters? I’m not drunk.”

“You got drunk after two bottles last time,” Xu Jue said.

Chen Qian said, “The nature is different.”

The two stood side by side at the bus stop waiting for the bus. Xu Jue pondered Chen Qian’s words. The nature is different. How so? Whether drunk or not, he was still the one accompanying him. That guy surnamed Jiang had nothing but a flashy luxury car, yet he didn’t even come to pick him up or drop him off. Others were squatting in the outhouse without doing their business, but that guy surnamed Jiang was driving his luxury car around with ducks, purely wasting precious resources.

Thinking of ducks led to thinking of Elk. Xu Jue asked, “Aren’t you working tonight?”

Chen Qian looked at the intersection. “You skipped class this morning. Am I not allowed to skip work tonight?”

Xu Jue sincerely hoped Chen Qian would skip work more often. Best if he quit this host job altogether. He didn’t like Chen Qian deliberately wearing that kind of clothes to bait people in. He didn’t like Chen Qian having to coax others into happiness just to sell alcohol.

He wanted Chen Qian to only flirt with him, to only lean against his arm and speak to him softly. He was clearly the easiest to coax and the easiest to hook.

The bus came. Chen Qian moved to step forward. Xu Jue’s eyes were quick and his hands were fast as he grabbed him. “And you say you’re not drunk. This is Line Two!”

Line Two went to the neighboring town. It didn’t pass through Changnian Road. Chen Qian said, “I know.”

“Then why are you getting on!”

“Don’t follow me. Go home and sleep.”

The two tugged at the bus door. The driver honked twice. “Getting on or not? People behind are waiting.”

Chen Qian shook off Xu Jue’s hand, got on the bus alone, and swiped his card. He hadn’t decided which stop to name, so he said, “The terminal station.”

Hearing this, Xu Jue hurriedly looked at the light box outside the bus. It displayed the terminal station name and also listed Line Two’s schedule. At this hour, it was the last bus. That meant after Chen Qian arrived, he might spend the night over there.

He blocked the door. Passengers behind him in a hurry to board squeezed his shoulders and pushed his arms. He didn’t care if the food left in the pot would go bad by tomorrow. He didn’t care that he had art studio class at eight tomorrow morning. His mind was only filled with the thought that Chen Qian was riding for so long, and the seat next to him couldn’t be taken by anyone else.

He also got on the bus and swiped his card. He pushed through a crowd of passengers picking seats, and successfully settled into the seat beside Chen Jian.

The bus started. Chen Qian propped his elbow by the window, his palm supporting his chin. Drowning his sorrows in alcohol hadn’t worked. He had wanted to casually catch a night bus to look at the scenery and clear his head. Who would have thought that now the reflection in the glass showed Xu Jue’s face, completely stealing the spotlight from the night view.

On the last bus, perhaps because the driver was rushing to get off work and the night roads were clear, the driving was reckless. Xu Jue was jostled into bumping against Chen Qian’s arm several times, then quickly grabbed the back of the seat in front to steady himself. Their clothes brushed together.

Chen Qian turned his face slightly. His upper eyelids were half raised, half lowered, his eyes holding a glint of light. “Stumbling all over the place. You look more like the drunk one.”

Right after he said this, the bus took a sharp turn. Under Chen Qian’s gaze, Xu Jue lost his composure. His body tilted sharply and fell over. He only had time to reach out and brace against the window glass to steady himself.

Those lazy eyes instantly widened. Xu Jue saw himself in them, at a loss, pressing down, and looking closely, even a bit gleeful.

Throughout the bus, soft complaints could be heard everywhere, surging in the small space as if about to burst the night apart. Xu Jue secretly and boldly circled Chen Qian in his arms, and said in a low voice, “Sorry.”

Chen Qian was only dazed for a few seconds. Once the bus straightened out, his eyelids half lowered again. He said softly, “What thing of yours is poking my thigh.”

Xu Jue didn’t dare move. “I don’t have anything.”

“It’s very hard,” Chen Qian accused.

Xu Jue defended himself. “I really don’t have anything right now!”

It wasn’t until Chen Qian patted the outside of his school uniform pocket that he reacted. He sat up straight, took out the box of lotus seed paste pastries he had been carrying all night, and placed it in Chen Qian’s hand, trying to cover up. “You found me out. A reward for you not being drunk tonight.”

After several hours of bumping around, the pastry crust was cracked in many places, but it didn’t affect the taste or flavor.

Chen Qian grabbed one in his hand and took a bite. The sweet lotus seed paste drove away the taste of grape cigarettes and alcohol from between his teeth. He felt a bit better. He grabbed another and held it to Xu Jue’s mouth. “Want some?”

Xu Jue opened his mouth, but not to take the food. “Sorry.”

Chen Qian didn’t like dawdling. He directly stuffed the lotus seed paste pastry into this person’s mouth. When he withdrew his hand, he licked the pastry crumbs from his fingertips clean. “It was the driver’s skill. Not your fault.”

Xu Jue chewed and swallowed, speaking clearly. “I’m talking about this morning. I didn’t consider your feelings. I should have been more gradual about it.”

“More gradual. One in the afternoon or one in the early morning?” Chen Qian smiled. “Then let’s stick with ten in the morning. Give me enough buffer time.”

He paused, then added, “Chapter Two of the agreement. It’s established.”

Chapter Two of the agreement was about not letting Chen Qian go to Paris. Xu Jue was surprised. “Really?”

Chen Qian said, “We broke up.”

Xu Jue’s surprise turned to shock. “That efficient.”

Chen Qian glanced at him sideways. “Or else keep him around for Christmas?”

Xu Jue quietly clenched his fist, happy, and giving himself encouragement at the same time. “Then I’ll spend Christmas with you. Don’t go on that love em or leave em app paying big money to squat for people.”

The driver drove the night bus arrogantly. After a whole journey of jolting, they finally pulled to a stop and cut the engine in the neighboring town. The whole busload of people were either sleepy or vomiting. Xu Jue, on the contrary, was refreshed. After getting off, he opened his phone to look for a hotel to stay the night.

Chen Qian came back after throwing away the empty box, carrying two bottles of mineral water. “I just asked. There’s a hotel if you turn right after exiting the bus station.”

When they found the place, this was no hotel. It was clearly a small inn only three stories high. The storefront was narrow. The ground was covered with colorful service cards. The uncle watching the shop was behind the front desk, shaking his leg to fight off drowsiness.

To be gentlemanly, Xu Jue handed over his ID and said, “Two single rooms.”

Chen Qian thought differently. Considering there was a more economical option, he said, “One double room works too.”

Before Xu Jue could pull himself out of the joy that fell from the sky, the uncle threw out a key and said in a rough voice, “Only one single room left. Make do and sleep!”