Translator: System Yaoi
Chapter 1: Arrival In A Rainy Night
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The rain in spring always falls densely, with thick clouds accumulating in the sky, spreading the scent of earth in the air.
As the sky gradually darkens, the dim yellow street lamps light up one by one. Threads of light wrap around and transform into concentric circles as they fall into the water.
People come and go in the subway station, and the elevator emits a groaning sound under its heavy burden. Lin Ting, carrying a qin, stands at the entrance of the subway station. The white light resembles a bottomless abyss, brushing away the yellow hue from his body and illuminating his face.
He folds his umbrella, instantly wetting one side of his shoulder. Shimmering droplets hang on his woollen coat. Early spring is not as cold as he imagined; it’s just that the knee-length coat acts as a barrier, isolating him from the world.
Lin Ting gazes at the long subway station, suddenly having the thought of stepping down with one foot. He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. He glances at the elevators on both sides, descending with the crowd.
The underground is brightly lit, and the flow of people is divided into two levels. Lin Ting goes to the lower level of the underground station. Since this subway is heading to the suburbs, there aren’t too many people.
The spacious platform seems to echo with the sound of footsteps. Lin Ting walks to the end of the last train car, unloads the qin case, and leans it against the wall. His hand gently brushes over it, and Lin Ting lets out a soft sigh.
The lights try to hold him back, and Lin Ting looks up to see his reflection in the glass.
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.
His hair has grown past his neck, hanging on his shoulders with a slight curl. Some strands are damp from the rain, and they appear slightly dishevelled after being combed by the wind.
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The person in the glass looks extremely tired and haggard. Lin Ting regrets going out today; he should have cancelled his work.
He emptied himself, letting his mind wander, until the subway roared over the tracks. One section of the track lights up with white lights, and even though there’s glass separating them, the subway still brings a gust of wind. Lin Ting feels his bangs gently sway, and at the moment the subway comes to a stop, they brush against the tip of his nose.
Drip—
The doors open, and Lin Ting, in a daze, steps towards the train car. But just as he’s about to step inside, someone suddenly taps him on the shoulder. Lin Ting freezes, slowly turning around.
“Your qin.” The person hands him the qin case and points back to the corner of the wall where Lin Ting was standing moments ago. “You forgot it there.”
Lin Ting doesn’t take the qin case. He follows the direction pointed by the person’s hand, looks at the spot, then looks at the qin case. His gaze transitions from unfamiliarity to familiarity, a process that takes several seconds.
The warning light on the top of the train car flashes briefly, and the alarm rings in sync with the lights, piercing into their ears. The person carries the qin case and ushers Lin Ting into the train car. By the time Lin Ting snaps back to reality, he has already settled down in a seat, with the qin case placed by his feet.
The person sits opposite him, leaning forward to take a look at him.
Lin Ting holds the qin case in his lap, the straps hanging beside him. He forces a smile, but it only manages to tug at the corners of his mouth for a brief moment before fading away.
He softly says, “Thank you.”
In the nearly empty train car, as usual, there are only the two of them. Lin Ting’s “thank you” becomes unclear amidst the rumbling of the train, but the person opposite him hears it and returns a smile.
“Just a small gesture.”
The person reclines in their seat.
The train stops and then moves again. The small green lights below the station names gradually turn red. It’s unclear how many stations they’ve passed, and the front cars may or may not have people. Only the last car remains occupied by the two of them. At one station, a few people get on, but they exit before Lin Ting. The comings and goings of passengers make the train car feel empty again. Lin Ting lifts his eyes and looks at the person opposite him.
Unexpectedly, that person is also looking at him. Lin Ting doesn’t react and lowers his gaze back to his qin. His eyes appear vacant, but his mind is filled with chaotic thoughts. He leans against the panel next to him, as if suddenly drained of energy.
After a few more unknown stations, the doors open again, and half a minute later, a loud alarm rings. In front of Lin Ting, there is suddenly an additional piece of paper.
He looks up and sees a piece of paper torn from a sketchbook. The edges are unevenly torn, crooked and frayed. The lead has traced lines on the paper, and it takes Lin Ting a moment to realise that the drawing is of himself.
The depiction of him in the drawing appears even more desolate than his reflection in the glass. His excessively long bangs cover his eyes, only revealing a pair of delicate chin. The qin case rests on his lap, lacking any vitality.
“Here, it’s for you.” The drawing paper is placed on his knee, in front of Lin Ting. The person sits next to him, leaning back against the window, turning their head to look at Lin Ting. “You look very handsome.”
Lin Ting straightens his posture and nods at the person. He doesn’t say anything and moves a bit farther while still holding the qin case. It’s not that he wants to avoid the person, but rather, he wants to maintain a proper distance with the support of the panel, appearing more reserved.
Even though they are strangers, Lin Ting doesn’t want to appear impolite.
Fortunately, the person doesn’t mind and maintains the distance. Their gaze alternates between Lin Ting’s face and the drawing, feeling that the drawing doesn’t fully capture the person’s inner turmoil, making it difficult to potray.
“I’m Gu Yuqing. I saw you boarding from D University. Are you a student there?” Gu Yuqing glances at the qin case. “Is that… a violin?”
The train takes a turn, gently swaying the car. In Lin Ting’s chaotic mind, he manages to piece together a response. He lifts his head and slowly nods, then adjusts his shoulder strap, speaking softly, “Not a student.”
“Then are you a teacher?” Gu Yuqing looks at Lin Ting from head to toe, somewhat surprised. “You don’t look like one at all. If you didn’t say it, no one would know you’re a teacher.”
Lin Ting knows that Gu Yuqing has made a mistake, but he doesn’t feel the need to explain. They are simply coincidentally on the same train. With a stranger, he doesn’t want to exert too much effort.
Gu Yuqing continues to praise him in various ways, using fancy words as if they were free, but those words are blocked from entering Lin Ting’s chaotic brain. He can only respond with a simple “thank you.”
The train arrives at the station.
The next stop is the terminal station, and Lin Ting has lost count of how many times he has ridden this train, especially at times like this when he often can’t hear the announcements. It’s not until the station staff or the cleaning crew remind him that he realises it’s his stop and gets off, heading towards the platform for the return journey.
This time is no exception. If Gu Yuqing doesn’t say goodbye to him, he might end up passing his stop once again.
Gu Yuqing had already stepped out of the train door, but Lin Ting suddenly stood up and caught up with him. The drawing paper fell to the ground, and Lin Ting picked it up and put it in his pocket. Just as he took a step forward, he heard the alarm sound. At the moment the train doors closed, he bumped into someone.
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