Chapter 93: Side Story 4 (4/5)
The drunk man leaned against his shoulder, as if pondering his question, then raised his head and said loudly, “Plucked!”
Lu Yichuan paused, a flicker of darkness in his eyes.
Jiang Heng continued, “I’ve plucked cotton! During Chinese New Year! With my mom! We…we…”
He trailed off, then mimed pulling on a string. “Like this! Pluck! And the cotton flew everywhere!”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
He pulled Jiang Heng’s hand away from his imaginary string. “Forget it, let’s go back.”
Jiang Heng followed him, his steps unsteady. “Not playing anymore?”
Lu Yichuan said, “I don’t…play…with drunkards.”
“Oh…”
After a few steps, Jiang Heng tugged on Lu Yichuan’s sleeve. “Xuechang, I’m thirsty.” He hissed. “And my mouth still burns from the spicy food.”
Lu Yichuan had no choice but to make a detour and take the little drunkard to buy a drink.
He bought a random beverage, paid, opened the bottle, and handed it to Jiang Heng. “Drink this, then I’ll take you back.”
Jiang Heng, swaying slightly, took the bottle, stared at it for a moment, then tilted his head back and poured the drink onto his face.
Lu Yichuan quickly snatched the bottle away. He looked down and saw that the drunkard’s collar was already soaked. Jiang Heng, unfazed, burped loudly. “Ah, I’m full!”
Lu Yichuan was about to be full of…rage.
He tilted the boy’s chin up. “Open your mouth.”
Jiang Heng, after a moment of confusion, obediently opened his mouth, and a mouthful of beverage was poured in.
He swallowed, then covered his mouth with his hand, refusing to drink anymore. “That’s enough! I’ve had enough!”
Lu Yichuan said coolly, “Your shirt has had enough.”
He half-carried, half-dragged Jiang Heng to the car and leaned over to fasten his seatbelt.
He was bent at the waist, their bodies very close, so close he could smell the faint scent of jasmine tea on the boy’s clothes.
He looked down, his fingers fumbling with the seatbelt, then fastened it with a click. Just as he was about to straighten up, Jiang Heng suddenly wrapped his arms around his neck.
Lu Yichuan, caught off guard, was pulled closer to Jiang Heng, their faces almost touching, his nose brushing against the boy’s neck.
“I remember now,” Jiang Heng said, his arms still around his neck. “I remember what you asked me.”
Lu Yichuan braced himself against the car seat, about to pull away, when he heard Jiang Heng whisper in his ear, “I’ve never been in love.”
His grip loosened, and he almost fell into Jiang Heng’s lap.
Silence filled the car for a few seconds. Lu Yichuan looked at the drunkard leaning against him. The car’s interior lights were off, the streetlights outside casting flickering shadows through the trees, illuminating Jiang Heng’s face softly.
His lips, still slightly swollen from the spicy food, glistened, a soft, moist sheen.
Lu Yichuan’s gaze lingered on his lips.
Seeing him unresponsive, Jiang Heng’s lips moved slightly. “I’ve never…been in love…”
“Mm-hmm,” Lu Yichuan said softly. “Then…have you ever…kissed anyone?”
The unexpected question made Jiang Heng’s mind go blank. “…Huh?”
Lu Yichuan closed his eyes, thinking he must be losing his mind.
He pulled away, the scent of jasmine tea fading. “It’s nothing. I’ll take you back.”
The boy beside him didn’t respond, just curled up in his seat, as if asleep.
He couldn’t park in the student dormitory parking lot, so Lu Yichuan drove to the nearby teaching building.
It was almost eleven, and the parking lot was empty, a few flickering lights illuminating the space.
He unfastened Jiang Heng’s seatbelt and nudged him gently. “Wake up. Which dorm are you in?”
A few seconds later, Jiang Heng rubbed his eyes, still drowsy, the alcohol clearly not having worn off yet. “I think…503.”
Lu Yichuan opened the car door, went around to Jiang Heng’s side, and squatted down in front of him. “Get on, I’ll carry you back.”
Jiang Heng stretched his legs, then scratched at his neck, as if bitten by a mosquito. He stared at the tall man’s lowered figure and finally responded with a slow, “Oh.”
He clumsily swung his legs out of the car, placed his hands on Lu Yichuan’s back, looked at his handsome profile, then, instead of climbing onto his back, leaned closer and whispered his name.
“Lu Yichuan.”
Lu Yichuan froze, turning his head slightly.
A car’s headlights flashed past, illuminating the teenager’s face as he leaned closer, his voice clear and sincere. “I’ve never…kissed anyone before.”
Another car’s headlights flashed, and Lu Yichuan, his vision filled with a blinding white, felt his mind go blank.
Even his breath seemed to still.
After a long silence, he asked hoarsely, “Do you know what you’re saying?”
The teenager leaned closer, his face against Lu Yichuan’s back, his voice soft. “Didn’t…didn’t you ask me?”
Lu Yichuan felt a warmth spreading through him, from his back down to his toes.
He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “Then…have you ever kissed anyone before?”
Silence.
Jiang Heng woke up to find Song Chengan staring at him.
He was startled and sat up abruptly. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Song Chengan stared at him intently. “Confess! What’s your relationship with Lu Yichuan?”
“What…relationship?”
“Hmph!” Song Chengan scoffed. “I saw everything yesterday! You were drunk, and he carried you back to the dorm.”
“Huh?” Jiang Heng was confused. “I was drunk?”
Song Chengan, exasperated, pointed at him accusingly. “Not only were you drunk, you were also dead asleep! Lu Yichuan tried to put you down, but you clung to him like a koala!”
Jiang Heng scratched his face. “And he didn’t even yell at me? He’s so nice.”
“Tell me everything! Didn’t you say you weren’t close to him? Why did you go to dinner with him? And get drunk?!”
“We’re not close.” Jiang Heng said honestly. “Didn’t I tell you? He helped me with my luggage on the first day, so I treated him to dinner.”
Speaking of dinner, Jiang Heng suddenly slapped his forehead. “Shit! I forgot to pay!”
He jumped out of bed and frantically searched for his phone, scrolling through his chat history with Lu Yichuan.
He still hadn’t paid him back for the twenty yuan from before, the transfer message still there, a lonely reminder.
Jiang Heng typed:
[Xuechang, how much was the hot pot yesterday? I’ll transfer the money to you.]
A few minutes later, six dots came in reply.
[…]
Jiang Heng stared at the message, confused.
He knew six dots meant speechless, but why Lu Yichuan was speechless was beyond him.
Had he done something embarrassing while drunk?
[Xuechang, was I…really drunk yesterday? I don’t remember anything. If I offended you in any way, please tell me, I’ll apologize.]
A second later, a reply came.
[Heh.]
So he had offended him.
Jiang Heng chose his words carefully.
[Sorry?]
[You really don’t remember anything?]
Jiang Heng frowned, trying to recall.
[My memory stops after…eating the super spicy tripe, then I think I had some beer, then we left the restaurant, I vaguely remember you paying and…being really nice, buying me a drink, then…nothing.]
[Conveniently selective memory loss.]
Even Jiang Heng knew this wasn’t a compliment.
[Did I…do something wrong? Something that…offended you?]
Xuechang Lu remained aloof.
[No.]
[The hot pot was 254, the drink 3.]
Jiang Heng transferred 260 yuan to him.
A second later, the transfer was rejected.
He sent a question mark. [?]
[You can pay me back later, when I’m in a better mood.]
Huh? Wasn’t this…
[Xuechang, is this really okay?]
[I think it’s perfectly fine.]
And so, Jiang Heng inexplicably owed Lu Yichuan 260 yuan. He felt like a complete idiot.
After the freshman welcome tournament, elective courses resumed.
Thanks to Song Chengan’s guidance, Jiang Heng learned about the university website’s…unintuitive design and the difficulty of securing a spot in popular elective courses.
Before registration even opened, he was glued to his outdated phone, waiting for the link to go live, not even sure if his phone could handle the traffic.
Thankfully, his trusty old phone performed admirably, and Jiang Heng successfully registered for the elective course he wanted.
Film Appreciation.
Watching movies for class? Sounds perfect!
Even by that evening, just before class, Lu Yichuan was still in a bad mood, refusing to accept the 260 yuan. Jiang Heng cursed him under his breath, then went to the supermarket and bought a bag of snacks.
What’s watching a movie without snacks?
At seven o’clock, Jiang Heng arrived at the large lecture hall, snacks in hand. He was early, and the room was mostly empty, a few students scattered in the back rows.
Clearly, Jiang Heng hadn’t experienced the horrors of elective courses yet, because he went straight to the front row, securing the best viewing spot.
As time passed, more and more students arrived, filling the back rows, but Jiang Heng’s row remained empty.
Five minutes before class, a familiar figure entered.
Lu Yichuan was wearing a black windbreaker, his handsome features accentuated by the dark color, a book in his hand, his tall figure easily recognizable in the crowd.
Of course, Jiang Heng, sitting alone in the front row, was also quite noticeable.
Lu Yichuan saw him the moment he entered. He spoke briefly to the person beside him, then walked towards Jiang Heng.
Still unable to repay his debt, Jiang Heng felt a bit awkward and greeted him with a neutral expression.
Lu Yichuan placed his bag on the seat beside him, a faint, slightly bitter scent filling the air as his black windbreaker brushed against Jiang Heng.
“Why are you sitting in the front row…alone?”
Jiang Heng replied, “The front row has the best view.”
Lu Yichuan glanced at him and chuckled. “The best view for…watching movies? Who told you that?”
“Huh?” Little Jiang Heng, confused, scratched his head. “Isn’t this class called Film Appreciation?”
Lu Yichuan leaned back in his chair, his long legs cramped under the desk, and opened his book. “Then I’ll be waiting for the…movie.”
Just then, the professor entered.
He plugged his USB drive into the computer, opened his PowerPoint presentation, and tested the microphone.
“Alright, class, let’s begin.”
Jiang Heng sat up straight.
The professor started his presentation.
Slide 1: The Meaning of Film.
Slide 2: The Origin of Film.
Slide 3: The Development of Film.
…
Jiang Heng: “…”
Where’s the movie? Where’s the appreciation?
At that moment, the snacks in his lap felt like a cruel joke.
