14

Mention Yan Zhi and someone immediately asked: 'Right, where did Yan Zhi go?'

'He's been out for a while.'

The rain outside was still coming down hard.

Yan Zhi pushed open the glass door, looked back and said: 'Wait a sec.'

His cousin Liu Si put on her jacket and tied her hair up.

Yan Zhi held the glass door with one hand and popped open the umbrella with the other.

The two came out of the restaurant, Liu Si hugged her arms and said: 'So cold.'

This was right at the south gate of Zhongwu Academy, a pedestrian street right next to the Urban Village. It was dinner time and the street was packed. The moment Yan Zhi and Liu Si stepped out, they drew a lot of attention from passersby.

The guy was slim and tall, wearing a button-down and slacks, classy and refined. The girl wore a knee-length dress and was over five-foot-seven. They were a striking pair, both of them.

Liu Si had applied for off-campus housing in her second year and rented a two-bedroom in the Urban Village. The buildings here were all old. There were streetlights, but once it rained everything went pitch black, and puddles everywhere. Yan Zhi said: 'Is it safe for a girl living here alone?'

'Don't let the shabby look fool you, security's actually great, cameras everywhere. And it's close to our Dance School, convenient for classes.' Liu Si pulled her coat tighter. 'Oh right, that Zhai Xingchen you mentioned? He lives around here.'

Yan Zhi immediately turned to look at her, his lenses catching a soft, cool light.

'I ran into him two or three times when I was in school, once at night coming back.'

Liu Si sighed. 'I actually thought about chasing him back then. Good thing I didn't.'

Yan Zhi gave a soft laugh and looked ahead. In the pitch-black rainy night, streetlights were far apart, scattered buildings on either side leaked out patches of light. Everything felt bleak and desolate, the cold rain making it look utterly rundown.

He'd always assumed Zhai Xingchen came from a decent family. Not old money, but at least middle class.

People who could afford to study dance usually weren't doing too badly. And Zhai Xingchen had this sunny, bright energy about him, like he'd never been touched by anything harsh.

A ridiculous wave of tenderness rose up in him. Someone that bright, that warm — he deserved the best of everything.

He walked Liu Si to her place. She asked: 'You wanna come up for a bit, or you gotta head back?'

'I need to get back.' Yan Zhi said.

Liu Si nodded, smiling. 'See you tomorrow then.'

'Don't be too obvious about it. Just treat him like any friend of mine, we'll all have dinner together.' Yan Zhi told her. 'And don't make weird jokes.'

Liu Si nodded with a smile. 'Yeah yeah, I know. He's a Blue Team Member like you, probably not into your type. Take it slow. You've told me like eight hundred times, ge. This is the first time I've ever seen you like this, it's freaking me out. Is this what you're like when you're in love?'

Yan Zhi: 'I'm out.'

Liu Si smiled and watched him walk away.

Yan Zhi walked back under his umbrella. When he reached the south gate of Zhongwu Academy, he glanced back at the road leading into the Urban Village. A long, dark road, swallowing up endless night. Something stirred in his chest — if he and Zhai Xingchen were together, he could walk this road every day, walk him home.

On a dark, quiet street like this, they could maybe kiss, hold each other.

Every fantasy he'd ever had about being in love, Zhai Xingchen could make it real.

And because it was Zhai Xingchen, the fantasy burned sweeter, sharper. He actually felt something. That face of his, in the night rain, looked even colder, even more beautiful.

When Yan Zhi got back to the Red and Blue cottage, Hu Ying was already shivering.

'Yan Zhi!'

Yan Zhi pulled the car over and rolled down the window to look at Hu Ying.

Hu Ying leaned in. 'What took you so long?'

'Something came up.' Yan Zhi said. 'Let me park.'

Hu Ying stepped aside. A gust of wind hit her and she shivered again.

She'd been standing outside too long, she was frozen through.

Of course he wasn't that devoted a person — he'd always been the Queen type, never one to make himself miserable over a man. The reason he acted so devoted was, first, that out of the four suitors, he really did like Yan Zhi the most, and second, this was a variety show with a bunch of cameras on him — he'd be embarrassed not to act a little devoted.

Fine rain in the headlights. One rain and South City already felt like winter. Hu Ying faked a shiver and walked alongside the car.

She watched Yan Zhi kill the engine, hurried over, was just about to hold the umbrella for him — and then Yan Zhi came out with his own umbrella.

Before she could say anything, Yan Zhi's umbrella was already open.

It hit Hu Ying right in the chest.

Hu Ying pulled back the umbrella she'd been about to offer and watched Yan Zhi walk around the front of the car, pulling a bouquet from the passenger seat.

'You bought flowers?'

'Yeah.'

Yan Zhi had bought a bunch of white Baby's Breath and a bunch of Chamomile.

In the night, with Yan Zhi's height and looks, plus that whole Asceticism-styled, strictly neat outfit, there was an indescribable freshness and elegance about him.

These tiny, delicate flowers suited Yan Zhi so well.

Yan Zhi standing there holding the flowers — it looked like a scene from a drama.

In the living room, Huo Cheng and the others were already clearing the table. Huo Cheng was helping Zhai Xingchen untie his apron when Zhai Xingchen said: 'Oh, you're back.'

Hu Ying's voice drifted in from the entryway. Soon they saw her come in, damp all over, clearly frozen — her hair was wet.

'Is Yan Zhi back?' Huo Cheng called out, laughing.

Hu Ying nodded rapidly, sneezed, and then Yan Zhi walked in from the entryway carrying flowers.

'Wow, you bought flowers.' Lin Qingning said.

Yan Zhi smiled and set the flowers down on the side table.

'Is this for everyone or...'

'Anyone can take some.' Yan Zhi said. 'I noticed there weren't any flowers in the house, so I grabbed two bunches from the Flower Shop on the way back.'

'I was thinking this morning, we should buy some flowers to liven things up, there's not a single one in the house.'

Everyone went over to look at the flowers. Lin Qingning said: 'We could put a vase in every room.'

'Yan Zhi's flowers are so plain.' Duan Yihua said, laughing.

'You can tell at a glance they're his.' Hu Ying said quietly, laughing.

'I'm gonna go change.' Yan Zhi said.

He headed toward the room. Zhai Xingchen and Huo Cheng went over to look too. Zhai Xingchen went 'wow': 'Baby's Breath.'

It was his favorite. Because of his name, his friends always used to give him Baby's Breath for his birthday.

'We were just saying, this is so obviously a Yan Zhi flower choice.' Duan Yihua laughed.

It really was. So plain, tiny flowers that looked fresh and Ascetic.

Very Yan Zhi.

Huo Cheng was the most perceptive. The moment he saw the Baby's Breath, his smile faded. He was thinking: am I just some rough guy, or is Yan Zhi the one who actually knows how to be romantic?

How did he not think to buy flowers?

And Baby's Breath too. Damn, that's smooth.

He was starting to genuinely admire Yan Zhi.

But he could see nobody else had picked up on the deeper meaning — they were still busy dividing up the flowers.

'Let's eat first.' Huo Cheng said, walking toward the table. He saw Pei Xu carrying a pot of fish soup by himself.

The second he saw Pei Xu grabbing it with bare hands, he called out: 'Careful, it's hot!'

His shout made Zhai Xingchen and the others all turn to look at Pei Xu. Pei Xu's face was blank. 'I'm fine.'

He still carried the pot of fish soup to the table.

'Need a mat underneath.' Huo Cheng grabbed a mat. He'd seen Pei Xu's blank face and figured the pot wasn't that hot, reached out to grab it — before he could touch it, Pei Xu said: 'It's a bit hot.'

Huo Cheng froze. Pei Xu was sitting there looking cool, rubbing his fingers — seven or eight of them were red.

Huo Cheng paused, then started laughing under his breath. He got it now — Pei Xu had been putting on a brave face. He was clearly burned pretty bad.

Pei Xu's ears went red. He shoved both hands in his pockets and pressed his thin lips together.

Huo Cheng knew he had his pride, didn't call him out, just smiled and went to grab the Gloves, then put the mat underneath.

Huo Cheng felt pretty rival-ish toward Yan Zhi.

But not toward Pei Xu.

Pei Xu had made it obvious he wasn't interested in the Love Variety Show at all.

Like nobody could catch his eye.

Since Pei Xu wasn't his rival, and he was some rich family heir, Huo Cheng was pretty polite with him.

He and Pei Xu had always gotten along fine.

Good buddies.

He couldn't help asking Pei Xu: 'You know what flowers Yan Zhi bought?'

'Saw them.' Pei Xu said.

'Baby's Breath.' Huo Cheng laughed softly. 'That guy's smooth as hell. What if I...'

He didn't finish — Lin Qingning came over with a vase of arranged flowers.

Lin Qingning set the vase right in the middle of the table — tiny white Baby's Breath clustered around gold-and-white Chamomile, the petals still damp from the rain, catching the light. The chandelier hanging above the table lit it up. Pei Xu and Huo Cheng, sitting in their chairs, glanced at the vase.

That vase of flowers wasn't just a vase of flowers anymore. It was Yan Zhi's quiet confession — like a scent, there and not there. Before anything was clear, only a rival would understand.