After Chu Jian despatched the message off, she felt unsettled, as if her coronary heart was wafting round and never grounded in something.

To offer herself a distraction, she determined she may as effectively play some Lianliankan[1] [simple puzzle game to match pictures].

On this evening, right here on the tatami, she was taking part in on her cell phone, whereas out within the adjoining room, the older lady was making ready issues for tomorrow and watching tv.

And so, they handed the time this fashion.

When she had performed till her thumbs had been sore, she shut down the sport window and glanced on the time. It was fairly late.

“Auntie, the place is the bathtub that you just gather all of the shells in?”

Quickly, a blue plastic tub was set down on the desk.

……

The complete world fell into silence.

The tv outdoors was nonetheless taking part in the midnight information, describing a rear-end collision that had occurred on a sure road in Shanghai. Her ears had been full of these sounds as she tilted her head upwards to take a look at that one who was fully obstructing the yellow glow of the wall lamp. “Aren’t you supposed… to be at an occasion?”

There was nonetheless an empty conch shell in her hand. In a second of inattention, she squeezed her hand tightly round it, after which, giving a begin when it pricked her, she rapidly dropped it onto the desk. The person in entrance of her pulled off the cap that he had been utilizing to hide his face and tossed it apart. Dropping one knee down onto the tatami, he effectively tidied up for her the rubbish that had been scattered all around the desk from the meal.

Chu Jian was caught in a clumsy bind, the place extending a hand to assist appeared unfitting however not serving to appeared inappropriate as effectively.

That one phrase of “okay” had taken her a whole afternoon plus a night of deliberation earlier than she had arrived at it. She had not even completed mentally making ready herself but, and now he was right here? Didn’t he have an occasion tonight? With these varieties of style and superstar gala dinners, after the dinner half was over, ought to there not be one other wild after-party teeming with sensual pleasures? Everybody would sit collectively on high-back sofas, sighing over the scarcity of assets for actors and lamenting that movie manufacturing groups had been both dissolving or deferring tasks. Whereas they had been at it, they’d specific their plans and line-ups for the subsequent couple yr’s work, their keen anticipation for the upcoming blockbuster dramas, in addition to their predictions for the field workplace…

Why was he right here selecting up rubbish as an alternative?

So, after the “okay”… now what? Had been they going to have a date tonight? … Chu Jian yanked out serviette after serviette, pulling out seven or eight after which wiping herself clear, from her fingers to her mouth, then again to her fingers—mainly one thing she discovered for herself to do whereas he was tidying up.

Ultimately, after Jian Bianlin had completed clearing away all the things, he additionally sat down, leaning half his physique sideways in opposition to the tatami mat. His hand brushed in opposition to his pocket, the place he found that pen that had been dismantled into little items. Wordlessly, he fished it out and as soon as once more, little by little, put it again collectively.

He did so quietly, with out a sound being made. Reassembled, he positioned the pen on the desk.

Within the heat amber mild of the wall lamp, Chu Jian took a look. She acknowledged this pen. The style of the mustard and soy sauce used for dipping the strawberry conches was nonetheless on her lips. A little bit embarrassed, she unconsciously licked her backside lip.

Jian Bianlin’s eyes took on this little mannerism of hers. “Doesn’t your abdomen really feel uncomfortable after consuming these items?”

She murmured, “I’m used to it.”

“Is there something to eat in your house?”

She shook her head.

Jian Bianlin stepped out. Very familiarly, he exchanged a few phrases with the auntie-like shopkeeper earlier than he tossed again a sentence to Chu Jian, telling her to proceed watching tv and watch for him. When the ending sounds of the nightly information rang out, he additionally walked again in.

A piping scorching bowl of steamed egg custard with clams was set down in entrance of Chu Jian, steam nonetheless rising up from it.

“End it.” A porcelain spoon was slid into the bowl.

“You even know tips on how to make this?” Chu Jian was astonished.

“Something that you just prefer to eat, I understand how to make.”

“……”

蛤蜊蒸蛋 Steamed egg custard with clams (picture credit score)

Listening to this, the shopkeeper auntie started cheerfully praising him, saying he was such a great huge brother.

The information had switched to a rerun of a range present, full of life and hilariously enjoyable, with numerous celebrities all dripping with sweat whereas they had been compelled to hike up a mountain… Selecting up the spoon, Chu Jian pointed on the tv display screen and tried to ease a few of that awkwardness that was rising geometrically. “Would you take part in a program like this?”

Earlier than Jian Bianlin may reply, the shopkeeper auntie slapped her personal thigh and instantly declared, “Oh sure, undoubtedly he ought to. I really like watching these probably the most.” She adopted up rapidly with extra. “In case your huge brother takes half in a single, I’ll be telling my prospects on daily basis that this superstar made steamed egg custard with clams proper right here on this store of mine…”

Amidst the auntie’s enthusiastic ramble, Jian Bianlin regarded fixedly on the tv display screen for a full ten seconds. “You watch these kind of reveals usually?”

“No, no… I don’t watch them usually.” She had merely been looking for a subject to speak about.

Glumly, Chu Jian bowed her head and ate her clams. Her lips would clamp down on the clam meat and pull it out somewhat at a time, after which she would spit the stripped-clean clamshell onto the desk. Thunk. There was one. Thunk. One other one. In a really orderly style, the shells had been spit again out onto the desk.

Jian Bianlin merely watched her eat.

When the reside programming portion of the occasion ended, he had left the venue, driving Xie Bin’s car. He had sped somewhat, and the roads surprisingly had additionally not been congested. In brief, all the things appeared as if it had been fated. He had arrived downstairs of the condo constructing within the quickest time potential however then realized that, after receiving that “okay,” he didn’t know in any respect whether or not she had gone dwelling or not.

He usually ordered takeout for her from this seafood store that was out entrance of their group compound.

Initially, he had meant on sitting there and ready for some time. However then, he noticed her.

When Chu Jian was roughly completed consuming, she ultimately abruptly remembered one thing. It could appear that he shouldn’t have eaten but?

With an “um,” she was about to ask him.

“I’ve eaten.” Jian Bianlin was quiet for a second, then added two extra phrases. “Not hungry.”

“Oh.” Decreasing her head, she scooped on the final remnants of egg custard. Again and again, she contemplated on the query, simply how… was he planning on “attempting”? Was he really pondering of staying right here tonight?

“I’m flying to Hong Kong on a late-night flight tonight.”

“Actually?” The nook of Chu Jian’s lips turned up.

……

Twirling his baseball cap in his hand, Jian Bianlin shook his head gently, his smile fairly resigned.

As he took in her little, elated expression from listening to that he was leaving…

Neglect it. Simply take issues slowly.

Earlier than departing that store, when it was time to pay, he and Chu Jian even ended up concurrently pulling out their wallets. After which, below his gaze, she wordlessly put hers away once more. When the shopkeeper auntie was giving him again his change, she, in passing, additionally furtively assured Jian Bianlin that she would keep tight-lipped and wouldn’t let anybody know {that a} huge superstar lived on this group compound…

Leaving that immensely pleasant aged auntie’s store, they walked into the group compound and went upstairs.

They stepped out of the elevator.

On the left was Chu Jian’s dwelling; on the suitable was Jian Bianlin’s.

Chu Jian opened her mouth. “Whose dwelling are we going to—”

On the similar time, Jian Bianlin additionally spoke. “I’ve all the time felt that it’s not secure right here—”

The 2 checked out each other.

Chu Jian: “What do you imply by ‘not secure’?”

Jian Bianlin: “Your private home?”

Simultaneous once more.

Jian Bianlin was in fairly a great temper, and he gave one other surprising smile. With a slight tilt of his chin, he advised her, “You say yours first.”

“I’m performed speaking… You say yours.”

“There are solely two items right here, and I’m usually not round. If some unhealthy individual had been to cover right here, it’d be troublesome so that you can even get in a cry for assist.”

It shouldn’t be as scary as that, proper? Chu Jian glanced round.

“After I’m again from Hong Kong, we’ll search for a brand new place. We have to discover one the place it’s one unit per flooring and you must swipe a card to get in.”

“Oh, okay.” She nodded. After which, instantly, a “Huh?” adopted.

Wait, one thing wasn’t proper. Why “one unit per flooring”?

Jian Bianlin was lengthy accustomed to this expression of hers, the place all the things was a doubtlessly scary factor and will spook her out. He defined, “We are able to lease two items, the place one is true above the opposite.”

So, on this skittish and jumpy method, they stepped into Chu Jian’s dwelling. On this frigid day, her brow was lined with sweat from attempting to comprise herself. Her bangs had been parted limply, exposing a small scar on the finish of her eyebrow, very faint and never noticeable except trying carefully.

Jian Bianlin lowered his eyes, fixing them on that little scar.

This had come about throughout her college days, when a classmate had unintentionally ran into her and injured her in bodily training class. First-year college. He had not identified about it. Within the a few years of her life, solely her first yr and the primary half of her second yr of college had been a clean interval to Jian Bianlin. He had identified nothing—whether or not she was completely satisfied or unhappy, whether or not she, attending a faculty so far-off, missed dwelling, whether or not she had sufficient spending cash, whether or not she… had a crush on anybody.

These had been all issues he had not identified.

Specifically, there was this harm and the scar it had left. Only one look and he may inform that she had not handled it correctly. When she was a child, she had preferred climbing timber and leaping in pits, so journeys and falls had been commonplace for her. It was solely as a result of he had discovered tips on how to deal with all her accidents for her that her pores and skin had remained undamaged. If he had been by her facet throughout that point, it could not have even been potential for that scar to be left behind.

If he had been in a position to not be so rash…

… they may need already been collectively a very long time in the past.

Feeling paranoid after he scared her earlier, Chu Jian was now sprawled in opposition to the peephole, peering out to see if there may be any shadowy figures within the corners of the stairwell. Sensing that he had not moved, she lifted her head.

Jian Bianlin shifted his gaze barely. Bringing his hand as much as the neckline of her sweater, he touched the pad of his thumb to the nape of her neck. His motion was mild, virtually imperceptible, and it appeared he even gave her a lightweight caress.

Chu Jian was virtually holding her breath, her hand on the door, half her physique resting on door and the opposite half with nothing supporting it. She dared not transfer within the slightest.

“Why are you perspiring a lot?” For some cause, his tone was fairly low.

“I’m sporting too many garments…” On account of this environment, she dared not communicate loudly both. “Scorching.”

His fingers left her pores and skin barely. “Go change.”

Out of the blue beginning out of her stupor, Chu Jian flusteredly pulled open the shoe cupboard and pointed on the slippers. “You’re actually conversant in all the things right here. Seize a pair your self and alter into it.”

Saying this, she darted into her room.

By the point she shut the door behind her, her legs had been weak, and as she leaned her again in opposition to the room door, she felt somewhat dazed.

There was virtually an omnipresent feeling of awkwardness. In distinction, this room was really like a refuge, quickly separating the 2 of them. If there might be a cellphone name that abruptly summoned him away, that will be so good. She had simply made her determination and had not even ready herself for something but, after which, identical to that, they had been face-to-face—face-to-face like boyfriend and girlfriend…

Merely fascinated with the phrases “boyfriend and girlfriend” was sufficient to depart her tossing and turning for a dozen or so days.

A knock rapped on the skin of the door, its sound transmitting by means of the door and charging straight into her ear.

“I’m nonetheless not performed altering. Simply wait…”

“Don’t open the door.” Jian Bianlin’s voice appeared first. “I need to discuss to you identical to this.”

Chu Jian gave an “mm,” not sure whether or not, with a door in between, this reply might be heard outdoors.

After an extended silence on the opposite facet of the door, Jian Bianlin additionally leaned his again in opposition to it. “The entire manner whereas I used to be driving over right here earlier, I couldn’t assist myself. I simply needed to see you earlier than I went to Hong Kong.”

Her fingers slid unconsciously over the door, and she or he gave one other “mm.”

“If there’s something I do that you just don’t like, simply inform me straight out.” His voice was considerably tight. “My… temperament isn’t so good. I’ve by no means had a girlfriend, so I’ve no expertise. These are all issues you recognize higher than anybody else.”

Chu Jian’s fingers curled barely, digging evenly into the door.

An individual she had identified because the age of 4…

From preschool to main college, then to center and highschool, she had seen him put on all totally different sizes of faculty uniforms. She was conversant in the development of the prescription energy for his eyeglasses and even knew when he had had laser surgical procedure to right his nearsightedness. This man—the one so acquainted to her—was now telling her by means of the door, “I’ve by no means had a girlfriend earlier than. If I do something improper, inform me…”

“Chu Jian?”

Her throat was somewhat dry, and she or he may solely make an vague “mm.”

“I ought to go.”