Between Us : Chapter 34: Had Your Fill of Looking?

His new sports car was parked a few meters away from the entrance of Sixth Lane. Last time a high schooler had told him his car was blocking the way. Now Jiang Linsheng watched as that same person gripped his handlebars and entered the lane, finally turning his face to give him a seemingly casual glance. He just felt… really freaking annoyed.

He had been back from his business trip to Paris for quite a few days now. Company affairs had piled up, and he only found time tonight. He couldn’t find anyone at the Elk, so he came here to wait for a long while. At this point his tie was undone and his hair was slightly messy.

Chen Qian picked up a purple petal that had fallen on his clothes and rolled it between his fingers. Jiang Linsheng stopped him, wanting to chat for a bit. He actually didn’t have much patience. “Had your fill of looking?”

There was no longer anyone at the entrance of Sixth Lane. Jiang Linsheng pulled his gaze away. The tone of Chen Qian protecting his cub felt unfamiliar to him. “What, worried about him?”

The petal between his fingertips was scraped with a deep mark by Chen Qian’s nail. He smiled faintly. “What are you hoping for? That if I’m with someone else, the mistakes you made will seem relatively lighter?”

Jiang Linsheng reached out, wanting to hold his hand. “Let’s not talk about this today.”

“Why not talk about it?” Chen Qian dodged his hand. “Is it because you tacitly accept this as fact, or because you think we still have other topics to chat about?”

Jiang Linsheng came up empty. He stared at Chen Qian’s clean right wrist and spaced out.

After a while, he opened the passenger door, took out a paper bag from the car, and handed it to Chen Qian. “I originally planned a route to run into you at a perfume shop. Later I went myself. The perfume you had been using was already discontinued last year. I searched for a long time.”

Chen Qian lowered his eyes and glanced at it, waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Linsheng still held the bag up in midair. “If you still like it, you can keep using it. If you don’t like it anymore, I also bought a new fragrance. Try it and see if you can… slowly accept it.”

It wasn’t hard to hear the double meaning in those words. Chen Qian fell silent, and flicked away the crushed petal between his fingers.

“Keep it for your little lover to use.” Chen Qian grabbed the hem of his shirt to wipe his hands. “He’s got good acting skills. Even if something doesn’t suit his taste, he’ll put on a fawning face to make you happy. You don’t have to worry about him saying even half a word of dislike to ruin your mood.”

He finished speaking and was about to leave. Jiang Linsheng hurriedly called out to him. “Chen Qian!”

“I cut contact with him,” Jiang Linsheng said. “I guarantee there won’t be a second Yuan Shuang in the future.”

“But there also won’t be a second Chen Qian to waste five years with you,” Chen Qian listened like it was a joke, standing under the withered vines putting on a distant act. “I really can’t figure it out. It’s understandable that you got tired of me. But how could you fall for Yuan Shuang? Because he’s better at oral than me? Or because he’s willing to play other games with you? The Elk has so many jade plates, and you specifically pick the cheapest one to eat. Are you bankrupt or have you gone crazy?”

“It was my mistake,” Jiang Linsheng stepped forward, collapsing the image of being high spirited and surrounded by people. Only deep pleading remained in his eyes. “Chen Qian, don’t leave me, okay?”

There was no point in continuing the conversation. The wind at the lane entrance was too fierce, blowing so that Chen Qian’s heart couldn’t stop trembling. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, wanting to seek a bit of warmth. The fingertips of his left hand accidentally touched a hard object. Without thinking much, he grasped it, his nails scraping against the uneven texture.

“Right,” he turned back, meeting Jiang Linsheng’s eyes that had suddenly brightened. “I don’t want to move for now. Don’t force me.”

That light quickly extinguished because of this warning.

Just as Chen Qian was about to step away, Jiang Linsheng stared at his back and asked, “Did you sleep with him?”

Chen Qian took a deep breath. Cold air rushed into his nasal cavity, shooting up until the tip of his nose went sour.

“How long were we together before I let you coax me into bed? Don’t you know that yourself?” Chen Qian said softly. “Jiang Linsheng, you being a piece of trash is your own business. Don’t drag me into it, and don’t drag him into it.”

The bulb that Xu Jue had replaced swept out a bright, warm path at the lane entrance. Chen Qian walked in without looking back, then quickened his pace, head down, turning into the stairwell and stepping up the stairs.

He had just quickly climbed a dozen or so steps when he stopped and pulled his left hand out of his pocket.

In his palm lay a bottle of perfume with a gentle design. A pomegranate purple cap, a milky white bottle body. It looked pure and sharp at the same time.

He had completely not noticed when the perfume had fallen into his pocket. Memory hit rewind. It could only have been when Xu Jue was teaching him to paint.

The perfume bottle had already been warmed by his body heat. Chen Qian pulled off the cap and sprayed a bit on his wrist. After the scent dispersed, he bent his arm and pressed his wrist behind his ear. Cold white flowers, soft wood notes, slightly astringent cedar. He didn’t know if this was how he seemed in Xu Jue’s eyes.

The uncomfortable trembling from just now downstairs was soothed by the faint fragrance. Having not touched perfume for many days, Chen Qian became addicted, spraying a bit more into his palm, then closing his fist and stuffing it back into his pocket.

His steps up the stairs were much lighter than two minutes ago. Chen Qian wore the new fragrance like Cinderella rushing to the ball. At the third floor turn, he stopped. Before even reaching the castle, he nearly got scared into the ICU by the dark figure at the stairwell entrance.

Xu Jue was sitting on the stairs with his legs spread, one hand holding that bouquet of asters, the other clutching a vocabulary notebook. The portfolio hung at his side, his backpack on his chest. That Shiba Inu doll that had stolen his name was about to have its face squished flat under his stomach.

He looked exactly like a rebellious boy who, after evening study hall, was hiding from the school rules against dating, yet insisted on meeting his girlfriend in the stairwell on an important holiday.

Xu Jue also looked up. He had mixed up his vocabulary words. Looking at Chen Qian’s face that still hadn’t reined in its smile, his mind ran wild with many thoughts.

Smiling about what? Was meeting that Jiang guy so happy?

Softened up? Planning to rekindle old flames with that crappy ex?

Why? Just because his flat tired two wheeler couldn’t compare to someone else’s luxury sports car?

Wait, this situation shouldn’t mean coming back alone, right? Could it be that he was being told to pack up and get lost?

Xu Jue snapped his vocabulary notebook shut. He was about to speak when Chen Qian asked, “Didn’t I tell you to go home first?”

Xu Jue’s excuse came readily. “You think I want to sit here? I left in a hurry after school today and left my keys at school.”

His tone wasn’t exactly friendly. Thinking about Chen Qian chatting with that Jiang guy downstairs for over ten minutes made him furious. Over ten minutes was a long time. That was enough time for him to take a nap during morning reading and decide what to eat for lunch and dinner.

Unexpectedly, Chen Qian still had the leisure to tease him. “You call that leaving in a hurry? I was waiting for you at the school gate for half an hour.”

As he spoke, he walked up the stairs. Passing by Xu Jue’s side, Chen Qian pulled out the hand that had held the warmed perfume, gently pressed it on Xu Jue’s head, and ruffled his hair, saying, “Let’s go home.”

That movement was fleeting. Soon Chen Qian’s footsteps turned to the other side of the stair railing. Xu Jue froze in place, reaching up to touch the spot Chen Qian had touched, and smelled a familiar fragrance at his fingertips.

It was the scent he had spent several lunch breaks running around to find at mall counters, the one that best suited Chen Qian. Those days of smelling fragrances had nearly ruined his sense of smell.

Xu Jue shot up, taking three steps at a time to catch up. “Why didn’t you come up with that Jiang guy?”

“Come up for what? You’re sitting at the stairwell like a door god. Aren’t you afraid of kicking me down the stairs?” Chen Qian fished out his keys to open the door. “He and I are impossible.”

Xu Jue stood at Chen Qian’s side and slightly behind, lowering his head to catch the light, clear scent behind the other person’s ear.

He was already thinking about what to give next time to cover the traces that person had left on Chen Qian.

Inside the house, Chen Qian bent down to change shoes, then turned to see Xu Jue still standing outside the door. “Are you coming in or not? Give me the flowers. I’ll put them in a vase.”

Just now while sitting on the stairs, looking at these flowers, every part of them seemed wilted. Now looking again, every part of them seemed bursting with joy. Xu Jue held onto them and wouldn’t let go, walking in himself and kicking off his sneakers. “You go shower first. Leave the flowers for now.”

Chen Qian lit up his phone to check the time. Chatting with Jiang Linsheng about all that garbage had delayed him for a long time. If he put arranging flowers first, he definitely wouldn’t catch the hot water.

He went into the bedroom, took off his outer clothes, grabbed his bathrobe and towel to prepare for a shower. Passing by the kitchen, he saw Xu Jue diligently rinsing the vase. He leaned against the door frame and asked sincerely, “Why don’t we shower together?”

With a clank, the vase hit the edge of the sink. Splashing water soaked Xu Jue’s sleeve. He barely stabilized the vase, stammering and not daring to look back. “What…”

Chen Qian explained. “You’re so clumsy. I’m afraid you’ll break my vase.”

The beautiful fantasy was cut short. Xu Jue turned off the water, grabbed a rag, and took out his frustration on the vase, wiping hard with every stroke. “I won’t.”

“Alright then,” Chen Qian walked toward the bathroom. His gaze fell on the unarranged flowers on the table, and he turned back. “Don’t arrange the flowers then. I’m afraid you don’t have experience.”

He could still tolerate what came before. But this time Xu Jue had his sore spot touched. He retorted loudly, “I’m very good at arranging!”

Their eyes met. Chen Qian was startled by the other person’s suddenly raised voice. After a good while, he curved his lips in a smile. “Is that so.”

Finally the bathroom door closed. Xu Jue dropped his fake act, threw the rag, and casually set the vase on the cabinet. Who had the refined taste to arrange flowers? He had observed enough flowers and plants at the art studio on normal days.

What Xu Jue was preoccupied with was the portfolio he still hadn’t found a chance to open. In the stairwell he had been busy mulling over this and that. Only after entering the house did he remember to unwrap his gift.

Having studied painting for over ten years, Xu Jue’s own room had no fewer than twenty portfolios piled up. But this was the first time someone had given him such a small one.

He thought of what Chen Qian had said, that there was something else inside the portfolio.

Xu Jue sank into the sofa, his thumbnail digging at the edge of the portfolio as he opened it. What met his eyes was a stack of laminated… white paper? Photos?

He pulled them all out, flipping them over to look at the back first. The first thing he saw was that fountain pool photo Chen Qian had sent him not long ago.

Just now it seemed like a flash of black text had gone by. Xu Jue ignored everything else and flipped the photo back over.

It was in Chen Qian’s handwriting, not quite matching his personality.

Xu Jue’s breathing slowed slightly. He looked through them one by one. Nine photos in total.

May deep snow never cover the fire in your eyes.

May all your efforts be rewarded.

May what you paint go beyond the paper.

May someone favor you unconditionally.

May misfortune and accidents make way for you.

May your whole life go smoothly without knowing sorrow.

May all your desires forever keep the purity of youth.

Merry Christmas. Be happy every year.

Couldn’t think of a ninth one, but everything Chen Qian said to Xu Jue before was sincere.

The photos were clutched with faint marks by Xu Jue, disappearing in just a few seconds.

The water in the bathroom stopped. Xu Jue slowly came back to his senses, carefully gathering the photos, and placed them back into the portfolio with great care.