He Jianshan’s business trip ended up lasting a little longer than planned, so their original dinner plans had to be postponed again and again. Lin Hui was profoundly disappointed when he received the phone call from Xue Pei. He never imagined that he’d one day have to rely on Xue Pei in order to get updates on He Jianshan’s schedule. The feeling was truly hard to describe.
It had been almost half a month, and there still hadn’t been any private communication between him and He Jianshan. It was as if the two of them were standing on either side of a door. They both knew who it was standing on the other side, yet neither was willing to take the first step. If he thought about it, this was probably how it was actually supposed to be. Usually, colleagues only discussed work matters with each other. Most employees didn’t agonize about whether or not they’d talked to their boss that day. However, with him and He Jianshan, it was different. Things had been perfectly fine, like a train on its tracks, but a sudden change in course had completely derailed them. Unable to advance or retreat, they were now stuck in the middle, resulting in the sorry state that they were currently in.
Lin Hui couldn’t help but sigh, wondering when this train would get back on track.
He was still lost in thought when An Ni knocked on the door and walked in. She casually placed an envelope on his desk and said with a smile, “Assistant Lin, for you. I thought I’d drop them off while I was here.”
“Thanks.”
“Two proposals for this year’s banquet have been prepared. Take a look?” The annual year-end banquet was always a major event for Wanzhu, a time to reward the employees for their hard work throughout the year. Naturally, everything had to be perfect. An Ni tilted the documents in her hands towards Lin Hui, waiting to see which one he preferred.
“You decide. You’ve got a good eye.” Lin Hui casually looked them over. Suddenly, he remembered something. He pulled out his phone and forwarded a number to An Ni. “Add a band performance to the schedule. Contact this guy and ask if his band is willing to perform at the banquet.”
An Ni glanced at the number curiously and asked, “Who is this?”
“President He’s younger brother, He Jianchuan.”
An Ni was shocked. “Really?!”
Lin Hui nodded. “He started a band. He’s the lead singer, and he actually sings pretty well. You can just follow the usual procedure, no need to mention me or President He.”
“Got it.”
“By the way…” Seeing that the other was about to leave, Lin Hui squeezed the pen in his hand and pretended to have just remembered something “What day did President He book his flight back for?”
An Ni thought for a moment. “Yesterday, I heard from Li Fenghai that Old Pan has a project that President He wants to check out, so I don’t think he’s booked a flight back yet.”
Lin Hui nodded and didn’t say anything more.
After An Ni left, Lin Hui hesitated about whether or not to inform He Jianshan of the invitation extended to the Haystack Poets. It wasn’t a significant issue and not one He Jianshan was likely to care too much about, but He Zhao would also be attending the year-end banquet. Who knows how he’d react if he saw his youngest son performing on stage. According to He Jianchuan, He Zhao had always disapproved of him starting a band. In order to prevent a family dispute, it would be best to inform He Jianshan ahead of time. Lin Hui felt that this move of his might be stirring up trouble for He Jianshan, but at least he found an excuse to take a step forward—this was something that should be addressed via WeChat, right?
Lin Hui took a deep breath, clicked into He Jianshan’s WeChat, and carefully composed a long WeChat message. After reading it, he felt that it was too long-winded, so he began cutting it down. He was still in the process of editing his message when the display box suddenly read, “He Jianshan is typing…”
Lin Hui stopped typing. After waiting for what felt like ages, He Jianshan sent five words—
He Jianshan: [Have you received a delivery?]
Delivery? What delivery?
Lin Hui suddenly remembered when An Ni came by and mentioned bringing something for him. He quickly grabbed it and took a look—a thin mailing envelope. This must be it.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Lin Hui: [I did.]
He Jianshan replied quickly: [I haven’t seen this movie either.]
Lin Hui couldn’t make heads or tails of this message. He didn’t know what movie he was talking about, but, out of politeness, he still replied: [Oh.]
Olc Lel atfc kjlafv obg j yla, yea Lf Aljcrtjc vlvc’a rfcv jcs wbgf wfrrjufr. Ktf mbcnfgrjalbc rffwfv ab yf bnfg. Olc Lel kjr j ilaaif mbcoerfv. Llr fsfr ofii bc atf fcnfibqf lc tlr tjcv. Coafg atlcxlcu jybea la, tf ugjyyfv atf gfv raglcu alf rfjilcu la jcv abgf la bqfc klat bcf rkloa wbalbc.
Inside was a movie ticket.
There was only one movie ticket in the envelope.
Lin Hui was stunned. He looked at it several times to confirm that it was in fact a movie ticket for the movie, Beginning. The theater was Xinghai International Cinema, seat 6 row 7. However, if he remembered correctly, Beginning had already stopped showing a week ago. Suddenly thinking of something, Lin Hui checked the ticket again. The time printed on the ticket was six in the evening two days from now.
He had only told one person that he wanted to watch this movie, and that was He Jianshan.
Upon realizing that this ticket was from He Jianshan, Lin Hui’s mind immediately felt like an overturned paint tin, all the colors a smeared mess. Was this what he thought it was? Was he inviting him to watch a movie? Or, would he come back in two days to watch it with him? Lin Hui’s heart began to race. He hurriedly opened WeChat and tapped on He Jianshan’s name. Nothing. He Jianshan hadn’t explained anything, the last message still reading, “Oh.”
If this were any given day in the past, he would’ve instantly been able to pick up on what He Jianshan meant. Now, however, Lin Hui couldn’t help but find him frustrating.
Lin Hui stared at the movie ticket, turning it over in his hands. He tried his best to lower his expectations and convince himself that He Jianshan was just rich enough to book an entire theater for his assistant and nothing more. Still, in some hidden corner of his heart, hopes that he dared not touch upon quietly began to sprout. Lin Hui didn’t want to ask He Jianshan about what he meant. Maybe the guy simply decided to be the first to push open the door standing between them. However, this movie ticket made Lin Hui realize that he wasn’t the only one who was concerned about the “space” between the two of them. That was enough. That was more than enough.
The day of the movie arrived in the blink of an eye.
Winter arrived late in Beijing this year. Although it was already December, the temperature still hadn’t dropped. However, the weather hadn’t been very good these past few days, as if brewing for a storm. Lin Hui stood on his balcony, watching the branches sway incessantly in the wind, and estimated that it would probably rain today. Once this storm passed, the weather would truly start to get cold.
There were still three hours before six o’clock.
Lin Hui’s place was only twenty minutes away from the cinema. He was a little nervous. Staring at the clothes in his closet, he went back and forth between several different outfits, but he just couldn’t choose which one to wear. Lin Hui found himself a little ridiculous. If Luo Ting knew about this, he’d definitely make fun of him for being so useless. He’d already slept with the guy, so what was the big deal about watching a movie with him? Not to mention, he might not even be coming. However, the idea of “watching a movie” was special to Lin Hui. It was his earliest, most innocent idea of “love”.
It was actually kind of funny, looking back on it now. When he was young, there weren’t nearly as many entertainment options as there were now. In his small town, the most popular activity for young people to do was go to the movies. Sometimes, Lin Hui would overhear the neighbors talking about their kid or someone else’s kid, and they’d always smile knowingly and say, “Oh, they went to see a movie with a friend.” At that time, he didn’t understand what was so amusing about watching a movie. As he grew older, however, he realized that “watching a movie” wasn’t just about the movie. It was a synonym for dating, for falling in love. Over time, movies became, in his mind, the soil upon which love would grow.
The lights go out, the screen lights up, and all the ambiguous, uncertain emotions would quietly grow in that moment.
Lin Hui arrived at the cinema half an hour early. It might’ve been because it was the weekend, but the place was fairly crowded. A new romantic comedy had just been released, so the place was filled with couples radiating a sweet and gentle vibe. For a moment, Lin Hui wasn’t sure if he should wait until six o’clock before heading in. Beginning had already ended its run, so they probably wouldn’t be checking tickets for it. He ended up taking a seat in a random chair, but a staff member soon came up to him and asked, “Hello, are you Mr. Lin?”
Lin Hui nodded.
“Please come with me.”
“Oh, okay.”
The staff member led him straight into the theater, and Lin Hui sat down in the seat reserved for him. He couldn’t help but smile. It really was just as he’d expected, a private screening. There was even a small cart with popcorn and cola next to his seat. However, it wasn’t showtime yet, so the theater lights remained on, casting a lonely glow over the empty seats. Lin Hui stared at the gray screen before him, lost in thought. He absentmindedly fiddled with his phone, the screen repeatedly lighting up and dimming in time with his movements.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Click—
The lights went out.
The big screen lit up, and the familiar opening music came from all directions, instantly filling the empty theater.
Lin Hui finally stopped tumbling his phone around in his hands, letting it lay quietly in the palm of his hand.
Only the smell of popcorn still lingered in the air. Suddenly feeling a little hungry, Lin Hui took a kernel and chewed on it for a bit. Sure enough, it was just as sweet as he imagined.
Then, he let out a long sigh.
In the end, Lin Hui wasn’t able to finish the movie. Thirty minutes after it began, he left the cinema.
He booked it all the way back home, almost as if the place he was running from wasn’t a warm and cozy shopping mall but rather a man-eating abyss. By the time he made it back to his apartment complex, it had already started to rain. Rain in the winter was alway cold and dense. It was accompanied by the whistling of the wind, tapping away at the car windows. Lin Hui parked the car in his parking spot, his head seemingly reduced to mush.
He really was kind of tired.
Lin Hui couldn’t help but slump over the steering wheel. His cell phone had been haphazardly thrown to the side, and the coat he’d spent so much time picking out was now creased in all directions. Clearly, everything that happened had been well within his expectations, so why did he still feel so awful? Maybe he and He Jianshan just really weren’t meant to be. After all, life wasn’t a novel, and he wasn’t some protagonist who could turn all his patience and bitterness into honey.
He thought, “It turns out, even at the age of thirty, I can still be hurt by my own delusions.”
Lin Hui was lost in thought, oblivious to the incoming calls lighting up his phone screen. It was only when he was about to get out of the car and head inside that he reached for his phone from the passenger seat and noticed three missed calls, all from He Jianshan. Lin Hui froze for a moment. Just as he was about to call back, He Jianshan called again for the fourth time.
“Lin Hui—”
As soon as the call connected, Lin Hui began to wonder if he’d misheard. He Jianshan’s voice sounded urgent, unlike his usual self. Lin Hui glanced at the screen again and hesitantly asked, “… President He?”
“Where are you?”
Lin Hui was a little at a loss. “I-I’m at home.”
“I’m coming over. Wait for me.” He Jianshan’s speech was rapid. Lin Hui didn’t even have time to respond before he hung up the phone.
Lin Hui stared blankly at his phone screen for a while. Coincidentally, Zhao Jianhua just so happened to send him a WeChat message at that moment. [Assistant Lin, President He seems to have something urgent to talk to you about. He said that you weren’t answering your phone, so I gave him your home address. Just giving you a heads up.]
It took Lin Hui several minutes to realize what was happening. He Jianshan was back and was coming to see him now. Lin Hui didn’t know what was so urgent that they couldn’t talk about it over the phone or through WeChat, but his heart was pounding even louder than the rain outside. All of a sudden, the car began to feel a lot more stuffy. Lin Hui licked his dry lips and held his phone tightly in his hands, staring intently at the screen for fear of missing another call or message.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when He Jianshan finally called again. Lin Hui picked up with call with shaking hands.
“I parked my car right outside the apartment complex. I’m heading in now. Your place—”
Lin Hui interrupted him, impatiently replying, “You can come in through the south gate, walk all the way to the end, then turn right. It’s Building 28 Apartment 301. Oh, by the way, on the passenger side door of your car, there’s an—”
Before the word “umbrella” could even leave his mouth, He Jianshan had already hung up.
Lin Hui quickly grabbed an umbrella from his car and began to walk in He Jianshan’s direction.
The rain was getting heavier, water cascading down the umbrella’s surface in rivulets before splashing on the ground. Lin Hui quickened his pace. The wind blew up his coat and his shoes, pants, and shoulders were all getting splashed with rain, but he didn’t care. Just a few hundred meters away, He Jianshan was walking towards him.
Lin Hui felt as though nothing else mattered anymore. Neither the terrible weather nor the bad weather was important. It didn’t even matter what He Jianshan was here for. He could be here for some measly contract issues and it would be fine. The two of them had never been apart for so long before, never had a “cold war” like this before. Lin Hui missed him, he really, really missed him, and all he wanted right now was to see him.
Lin Hui stopped.
An umbrella appeared in front of him. The black umbrella was printed with the words “Wanzhu Corporation”. It had been a freebie from one of the company events. He remembered placing one in He Jianshan’s car. The edge of the umbrella tilted slightly, revealing the face he had so longed to see.
Lin Hui’s throat was tight, and he couldn’t say a word.
The rain and streetlights had turned the world into a hazy oil painting, the only clearly defined object in this painting being He Jianshan. He stood there, his eyes filled with astonishing joy.
He Jianshan couldn’t help but take a step forward, and their umbrellas gently bumped against each other.
“Sorry, I—” He seemed a little frustrated, as if he didn’t know where to start. He Jianshan paused. Then, he slowly pulled a movie ticket out of his pocket. Lin Hui watched his throat bob as he whispered.
“Lin Hui, would you be willing to watch a movie with me?”
In an instant, everything seemed to fade away. The rain flew into Lin Hui’s eyes, blurring his vision. All that was left was that gentle voice wrapped in moonlight, silently melting into his heart.
It took a long time, but—
“Okay.”
He heard himself say.
The Author Has Something To Say:
Will Lin Hui speak up first, or will He Jianshan? All will be revealed in the next chapter.
Banging my head against the wall because oh my god 😭😭
I was heartbroken when He Jianshan didn’t show up but thank god he’s back!! Please let them talk it out 😖🙏
What a roller coaster ride for poor Lin Hui! 😣
he was there, waiting for him!! AHHHHHHH!!! Lin Hui go get your man, you are the protagonist so don’t worry 😭❤
I really want to strangle them both! ><
Thank You for the new chapter (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Ahhhh thanks for the chapter!!
Wow! What a chapter! Love it
I was waiting for a kiss in the rain, but it’s okay, at least there’s some progress now.
Thank you for the chapter!