Between Us : Chapter 30: So Envious

On Tuesday afternoon, Chen Qian went with Yu Huo as promised to scout locations for the shoot on the 26th. Ruan Yu had arranged a car to pick them up and drop them off. The driver didn’t speak a word the whole way. After driving for nearly two hours, he slowed down and entered a quiet villa district.

The weather was so clear it was almost too sunny. To reduce complications later on, professional photography always preferred to scout locations during the same time of day and weather conditions as the planned shoot.

When getting out of the car, Chen Qian raised his hand to shield the sunlight overhead, then turned sideways to carry a bag for Yu Huo. “I thought he would choose a snowy day that matches his image better.”

“Ruan Yu prefers elemental clashes.” Yu Huo took out the key. A simply yet elegantly crafted wooden door opened on both sides. Upon entering, they were first surrounded by a warm, dry, incense-like fragrance, like the scent of roasted chestnuts drifting from crackling firewood.

They say you can know a person by their scent. This was a truth Chen Qian had figured out from his years in the nightclub scene, but everything before him now made him unsure.

He had never seen someone decorate their living room like a stage. A dynamic suspended glass ceiling with spotlights sweeping in all directions, refracting light beams that slowly wandered over the standing microphone at center stage, climbed across the various instruments leaning against the walls in the corners, caressed the small sofas around the stage, and finally greeted the two people who had just entered.

The walls were covered haphazardly with giant posters, all promotional photos from Ruan Yu’s years as a singer. Though Chen Qian had already browsed them online beforehand, seeing them magnified several times and displayed directly before him now, he still couldn’t help feeling awestruck.

The first one: Ruan Yu was pierced through the heart by two drumsticks. He held his head high, yet his face was full of enjoyment. He used his palm as a drumstick, striking the jazz drum with abandon, his long hair cascading behind him like a white waterfall.

The second one: He held an electric guitar with his eyes closed in meditation, yet not a single string was intact. Thick and thin steel wires wrapped tightly around his powerless fingers. Every fingertip was swollen and congested with blood. Whether it was a creative block or the inability to face a fate determined from birth.

The third one had a much more peaceful atmosphere. Ruan Yu used the guzheng as a pillow and sheet music as a mat, lying on top shirtless. Below the back of his neck was tattooed a fiery red moon.

Like visiting an art gallery, Chen Qian unknowingly finished appreciating all of Ruan Yu’s looks.

Those cloaked in darkness always yearn for sunlight. Maybe Ruan Yu was the same, using a perfume called Warm Fireplace, even the color of his tattoo the shade of the blazing sun.

“The rumors online about Ruan Yu using his trophy as a fish tank turned out to be true.” Yu Huo leaned over, supporting his knee, to observe the golden trophy beneath the windowsill. Two betta fish swam in circles inside. He couldn’t resist picking up his camera to snap a photo. Afterward, he quietly asked Chen Qian, “This doesn’t count as sasaeng behavior, right?”

“Big photographer, this is the behavior of an appreciator.” Chen Qian strolled back with his hands in his pockets. “Want to go upstairs and look?”

Ruan Yu didn’t have any special requirements for the shoot. Aside from the specified time and location, he left everything else for Yu Huo to freely play with.

And the specified location was the workspace where Ruan Yu usually wrote songs. The workspace was on the fourth floor. Surprisingly, the room was very small, an extremely simple four-walled space. The moment he pushed open the door, Chen Qian stepped on a sheet of white paper.

He moved his foot and bent down to pick it up. The paper only had a title on it: “The Lost Pearl.”

Probably a new work where inspiration had not yet arrived.

He had come up wearing the cotton slippers provided for guests. The stepped-on paper didn’t bear a single footprint. Chen Qian had originally wanted to place it on the desk, but after seeing the similar papers scattered everywhere, he changed his mind and put it back where it was.

Compared to a workspace, this was more like a rebellious music teenager’s bedroom. As far as the eye could see, everything was a mess. The wastebasket overflowed with crumpled paper balls. The untiled walls were covered with writings and drawings. The single bed had disheveled pillows and blankets, with the throw blanket dragging all the way to the floor.

The only thing that could be called pleasing to the eye was the large glass window directly facing the desk. The window’s length and width approached the height and width of the wall itself. Standing by the window, one could appreciate the vast line where sky met sea. Only the window panels were sealed shut, unable to personally feel the blazing sunlight or the cool sea breeze.

Yu Huo clutched his light meter and color temperature meter recording data, occasionally raising his camera to test the frame. Chen Qian had originally been accompanying him, but later felt like a supervisor, so he stepped back two paces and leaned against the edge of the desk.

He propped both hands on the desk edge, his thumb pads rubbing back and forth against the smooth corner, to relieve his unbearably itchy hands.

The form held in Yu Huo’s hand gradually filled up. Chen Qian’s gaze shifted away from it and landed on the DSLR hanging against the other’s chest.

“Shixiong, I know an old photographer who studied in America. Very deep credentials.” Yu Huo flipped a page and continued recording, though his movements slowed. “He’s recently taking on apprentices. I heard he only plans to take one.”

Dusk was approaching. The thick sunset enthusiastically climbed the window glass, wanting to invite every sheet of paper lying on the floor to dance. Chen Qian’s gaze completely withdrew from Yu Huo, floating vaguely over the ground. “Planning to follow him after graduation?”

A photographer with deep credentials held not only a camera that could produce excellent works, but also a well-connected network of resources. Following him to learn basically meant being able to get a foothold in the circle.

No one didn’t understand this logic. Yu Huo paused his pen tip, turned around, and looked at the person hidden in the dark corner. “Such a good opportunity, don’t you want it?”

Those eyes shed the timidity and hesitation they showed when interacting with others, always flooding with firm persuasiveness when looking at Chen Qian.

But Chen Qian always tried to tear his concern into pieces. “Generosity isn’t used this way, Xiao Yu. You know I can’t.”

“You said before you wouldn’t accompany me to scout locations, but didn’t you come today? Going further back, you once refused to be friends with me, but now aren’t you still calling me Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu.” Yu Huo pursed his lips and smiled. “That teacher recruits based on fate, no rush. Think it over again.”

“No need.” Chen Qian refused decisively, yet his palm wrapped around the desk corner ached dully. “Giving away a great opportunity like this on a silver platter. I’ve never seen anyone so stupid.”

After scolding him, looking at Yu Huo’s smile and carefree photo-snapping, Chen Qian couldn’t vent his anger. But harsher words he couldn’t bring himself to say. “I’m going to stroll in the garden downstairs. Come down when you’re done.”

Once the room was quiet, Yu Huo closed his notebook and muttered, “Who knows who’s more stupid.”

Leaving the villa, they took the same car back. Chen Qian leaned against the car window without saying a word. Yu Huo normally wasn’t one to talk much either, silently holding his camera and flipping through photos.

The phone’s short vibration was especially loud in the silent car compartment. Chen Qian withdrew his gaze from outside the window, unlocked his phone, and tapped into the chat interface.

High schoolers ate relatively early. It was only six o’clock when Xu Jue sent over a photo of his meal tray, asking if he had eaten.

Chen Qian told the truth: Not yet.

Xu Jue sent another short video a few seconds long. At the opposite table, a young couple was all lovey-dovey. The guy fed the girl a bite of food, the girl pouted at the guy. Xu Jue said: So envious.

Chen Qian curved his lips and tapped the keyboard: You hurry up and get one too.

His arm warmed. Yu Huo leaned over, not looking at the phone but at his face. “Who are you chatting with that you’re smiling so happily?”

Chen Qian hadn’t even noticed he was smiling, though after typing those words he smiled a bit less. “My mouth isn’t even open, how am I smiling happily?”

“Look at your eyes. Since you broke up with that guy, I’ve never seen you smile so happily.” Yu Huo seized the chance to talk to Chen Qian and immediately turned off the camera he had been using to pass the time the whole ride. “Do you have another fish on the outside?”

“I’m not the sea, where would I get so many fish?” Chen Qian rubbed the back of Yu Huo’s head. “But you, if you keep stringing along Fang Jianhai, when he really has other fish, don’t come crying to me.”

“Why bring him up.” Yu Huo sat up straight, but after a few seconds leaned over again. “Who is it exactly?”

“A little brother.” Chen Qian said.

The sunset clouds on the horizon rolled onto his phone screen, accompanied by the reply Xu Jue sent: I’m working on it.

Yu Huo was very surprised. “You really hired a little brother?”

Chen Qian rubbed the key on the side of his phone, but didn’t press it for a long time. “Yeah. Room and board included. After a breakup, you always need to find someone else to help get your mind off things.”

The sunset clouds gradually darkened. The screen, left untouched for a long time, also darkened along with them. Finally it went black, but those words “I’m working on it” still lingered in Chen Qian’s mind.

Just like before when his English scores were always in the sixties or seventies, if Xu Jue was willing to put his mind to studying, even setting a perfect score goal wasn’t impossible to achieve. After all, his other subjects were all top scholar standard.

Then was pursuing a girl the same? Would he pour all his effort into it? Would he secretly draw hearts in the corner of someone’s homework notebook while tutoring them? Would he run to the school store during break to buy someone their favorite soda? Would he take off his own school uniform in the snow to drape over someone?

Chen Qian suddenly realized, was Xu Jue using him as practice? Could there be any more absurd ways of pursuing someone?

His phone vibrated. Xu Jue sent an absurd message: While others are being all lovey-dovey, I’m eating. After others finish eating and go back to their dorms to shower, I go back to the classroom to write physics homework. And while others are racing against the clock doing practice problems, I’ve already snuck out early. Picking you up from work! The last wisp of afterglow clung to that exclamation mark as if reluctant to part. Chen Qian’s mood seemed to brighten again because of a lively punctuation mark. His fingers tapped out a light reply: No need to skip class. If you have that time, try to do two more English reading passages.

Turning off his phone, Chen Qian pinched Yu Huo’s soft thigh flesh. “Yu, at this moment aren’t you dying of curiosity, especially wanting to know what my little brother looks like?”

Yu Huo immediately twisted his head around. The other’s tone was proud. He already had a rough eight or nine out of ten grasp on how handsome this legendary little brother must be.

Chen Qian played coy. “Then help me with a small favor.”

After work that evening, Chen Qian as usual pulled a fifty from the tips he had received, planning to buy a pomelo at the fruit stall outside the east gate. Not for sobering up, simply because he wanted to eat.

Passing by the bar counter, he paused for a moment, caught a bartender, and asked. “Why haven’t I seen Yuan Shuang these past few days?”

“On leave!” the bartender said. “Been on leave for many days!”

Chen Qian clutched the bill in his pocket. Maybe Jiang Linsheng had really made up his mind, taking Yuan Shuang to France to get their certificates stamped.

Walking out the main doors, Chen Qian spotted Xu Jue at first glance, leaning against the stone lion, peeling a pomelo with two plastic bags in hand.

“Didn’t I tell you to do two more reading passages?” Chen Qian asked. “Why are you here peeling pomelo instead?”

“I did them. I even did three, only got two wrong.” Xu Jue handed him the bag with the fruit flesh, and tossed the bag with the peels, tied in a knot, into the trash. “Let’s go.”

Chen Qian crumpled that fifty in his pocket and reached out to take the bag.

With Christmas approaching, the shop windows along the road were sprayed with snowflake patterns to match the season. The open space in front of the mall was no longer empty. A two-story tall Christmas tree had been set up, and there were still people taking photos beneath it right now.

Xu Jue’s topic was also fitting for the season. “This Friday is Christmas.”

Chen Qian was biting into pomelo flesh, speaking unclearly. “Milu will definitely have a surge of customers. If I put on a Christmas outfit and pin a Christmas stocking to my waist, I should get quite a lot in tips.”

The road ahead had no vehicles blocking the way, yet Xu Jue squeezed the bell unnecessarily. The sharp ringing shouted out the resistance in his heart.

But the bike was still ridden very steadily. Xu Jue said. “You know, the folks at Xian Middle School are especially romantic. Guys holding cups of milk tea waiting for their girlfriends after class. Girls wearing reindeer antler headbands picking up their boyfriends after school. Even the married faculty wear Santa hats to pick up their kids from the nearby kindergarten.”

Sensing no sound from behind, Xu Jue squeezed the bell again. This time it was to bolster his own courage. “Chen Qian, I also want someone to pick me up from school.”