Translator: System Yaoi
Chapter 4: The Morning Rain
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They sat facing each other, with Lin Tang sitting close to the short glass window, where his elbows were just able to support themselves on it.
The man piling his coat behind himself, propped himself up. Gu Yuqing looked at him, sensing a hint of weariness as if he might collapse if not holding onto something, yet he also seemed quite energised. Resting his cheeks on his hand, he gazed at the raindrops on the glass with half-opened eyes, reflecting a glimmer of light.
Lin Tang, without relying on medications, hadn’t enjoyed a good night’s sleep for a long time, and last night was no exception. In his bedroom, he paced back and forth, absently spinning a worn-out Rubik’s Cube in his hands. The colours on the cube had faded, and the once vibrant hues were no longer distinguishable.
The room was dimly lit, with a faint yellow glow emanating from a corner lamp. Annoyed by the puzzle’s twists and turns, Lin Tang tossed the Rubik’s Cube onto the bed and donned a thicker pyjama before carrying his qin case to the balcony.
Outside, the balcony’s flowers and plants were adorned in the hues of spring. Even the withered pansy had sprouted new buds. He closed the balcony door, switched on the floor heater, and set up the qin, readying the bow to touch the strings.
However, he found himself frozen, unable to play the first note. His mind was in disarray, with dozens of sheet music pieces blending together, making it impossible for him to distinguish even a single note.
The night was enveloped in darkness, with only a few lights scattered outside. Occasional lightning cut through the sky, leaving a momentary reddish-purple hue before disappearing. Thunder echoed, and the rain continued to pour down. Lin Tang gazed into the distance, where the night seemed never-ending, shrouded in an eternal darkness that concealed the break of dawn.
Lin Tang listens to the qin music on the narrow balcony, accompanied by the early spring smoky wind. The bow pulls the strings, creating a pleasant melody that contrasts with the rapid thunderstorm outside. His eyes are lightly closed as he enjoys the sound of the qin in harmony with the thunder.
The melody of the qin lingered in his ears as he finished playing a song that lasted for more than five minutes. However, amidst the long night, the sound of the qin on the balcony felt somewhat disturbing.
So, Lin Tang decided to put the qin away, gently turning the doorknob as he returned the instrument to its case in the bedroom. Feeling restless, he went downstairs to the kitchen where he found some ice-cold beer that had been sitting in the fridge for over a week. Since he couldn’t sleep, might as well find a movie to kill some time.
Although he had played a lively tune on the qin, he chose a mild movie to watch. The movie’s projection created reflections of light on the white wall, and as the cold beer slipped past his throat, he couldn’t shake the dryness in his chest. The long night seemed especially difficult.
The movie’s background music was also gentle, and it portrayed scenes of wind and rain, much like the weather outside. Lin Tang stared straight at the wall, but his mind seemed unfocused.
After downing the can of beer and pausing the movie, he noticed that only twenty-two minutes had passed. Restless, he decided to change his clothes and went out.
This time, he did not forget to bring an umbrella with him. He chose a transparent umbrella that could block the rain without obstructing his line of sight. As he walked, the rain fell silently on the barricade poles, staining the white light of the security booth.
Lin Tang liked the spring rain, finding it less cold than winter and not as noisy as the rush of rain during summer nights. Without any particular destination in mind, he strolled down the street. After walking for some time, he came across a semi-underground bar.
The bar’s entrance appeared new, it should be newly opened, adorned with pink neon lights that illuminated a small section of the street. Suddenly, he felt a strong desire to have a cup of liquor. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and entered the bar.
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.
Upon entering, he was engulfed by the lively atmosphere, with the metallic sounds and dense drums making an impact on his senses. As he made his way to the bar, the bartender greeted him with a smile.
“Vbwfatlcu ab vglcx?” atf yjgafcvfg jrxfv ktlif tbivlcu atf yjg klat ybat tjcvr.
Qlatbea wemt atbeuta, Olc Kjcu gfqilfv, “Vmbamt Zlra, qifjrf.”
Ktf yjgafcvfg rffwfv wbwfcajglis regqglrfv yea atfc rwlifv jcv lcdelgfv, “Cgf sbe tfgf jibcf?” Lf uijcmfv abkjgvr atf fcagjcmf, cba rfflcu jcsbcf jmmbwqjcslcu Olc Kjcu. “Pa’r j ragbcu vglcx, cba gfjiis gfmbwwfcvfv lo sbe’gf jibcf.”
Lin Tang smiled and waved his hand, saying, “It’s fine, my house is close by.”
The guest repeatedly asked for the drink, so the bartender couldn’t be bothered and fulfilled Lin Tang’s request, only saying to wait a bit.
In the bar, a glass shelf illuminated with the same pink light as the entrance, displaying countless glasses and bottles of wine.
While waiting, Lin Tang idly tapped on the bar and looked around. After a short while, a glass of clear yellow liquid with ice in it was pushed in front of him.
The wine is gentle to drink, just like tonight’s movie. Lin Tang sips it slowly, hoping to get through the difficult long night with this glass of wine. However, before he could finish half of the wine, suddenly, there was an additional hand behind him. The hand brushed ambiguously down his spine and slid down to his waist.
Surprised, Lin Tang turned his head and saw a visitor standing beside him. He held his three-pinched wine glass, his eyes half-open, and his gaze fixed on the person’s chest. When he lifted his eyes, he met a slightly tender face.
“Brother?” the visitor smiled, his voice full of a young man’s liveliness, “Are you here alone?”
Lin Tang had forgotten his umbrella at the hotel, but he didn’t mention it to Gu Yuqing. After all, it was a personal matter, even if he was a friend, he had only known him for a short while, there was no need to make it so clear.
While waiting for his breakfast, the cold soup dumplings in the bowl were untouched.
Suddenly, Gu Yuqing seemed to recall something, he suddenly slapped his thigh in great chagrin, Lin Tang looked over in confusion, he raised an eyebrow and inquired with his eyes.
“I am a bit embarrassed…” Gu Yuqing rubbed his nose, pulling out his cell phone and placing it on the table, “I said I’d treat you to breakfast, but I just remembered that I forgot to charge my cell phone last night, and now it’s dead.”
Though it was an awkward situation, what Gu Yuqing said was true, but it seemed like an excuse to onlookers to avoid paying the bill. Fortunately, Lin Tang didn’t mind. He scanned the code and paid for the meal. Then, he leaned his elbow from the window sill to the table, rested his chin on his hand, and smiled at Gu Yuqing.
“You owe me a meal then.”
He is like light passing through layers of clouds.
Gu Yuqing promptly nodded in agreement with no hesitation, “Of course.”
This was the second time they shared an umbrella, with the last time being the previous night. The interval between the two encounters was precisely twelve hours. The rain was light, and the day was half clear. Lin Tang threw another piece of meat filling for the white cat, but the hole was empty as the cat was nowhere to be found.
He strolled lazily, dragging both legs, and reached out his hand to catch the raindrops, only to have his sleeve wetted by the dripping water from the umbrella’s handle. Gu Yuqing looked ahead, but his gaze occasionally fell on Lin Tang.
“You can openly look at me openly and honestly,” Lin Tang suddenly chuckled as he turned around, “sneaking around like a thief.”
Caught in the act, but Gu Yuqing didn’t feel any shame. He also laughed a bit and tilted his head, as Lin Tang wished, he met those smiling eyes openly.
Lin Tang asked, “Do I look good?”
Gu Yuqing replied, “Good-looking.”
Lin Tang smiled again and inquired, “Where do I look good?”
Gu Yuqing didn’t hesitate and said, “Nice eyes.”
“Oh…” Lin Tang stopped looking at him and slightly lowered his head to focus on the road ahead. He guided Gu Yuqing around a puddle, hiding those eyes. “Since I was a kid, a lot of people have said that my eyes are good-looking, and you said the same thing, nothing new at all.”
The street lights went out one by one, making the white light of the security booth stand out. The security guard had woken up, stretched, and draped his uniform coat on the back of the chair. He nodded towards the two people entering the neighborhood, then rubbed his eyes and picked up the thermos to make a cup of hot tea.
“I complimented you for a long time last night,” Gu Yuqing took out his access control brush and opened the door, “don’t you remember?”
Gu Yuqing’s tone was very normal, just an ordinary inquiry, but Lin Tang did not know how, but he could actually pick out that the other felt a bit aggrieved.
Lin Tang thought for a moment, realising that Gu Yuqing was right. Yesterday, on the subway, Gu Yuqing did say quite a few things to him, but Lin Tang couldn’t recall the exact words.
“I’m sorry…” apologised Lin Tang softly, “I was too tired yesterday.”
“You see,” Gu Yuqing said, “that’s why I find it surprising that you’re so tired. Why did you stay up all night?”
Lin Tang didn’t say anything. He pondered for a moment as he watched the familiar entrance to the building appear in front of him. He leaped up another step, just like he did last night.
“It’s not like I didn’t sleep at all,” Lin Tang explained, “I took a nap, but then I couldn’t sleep anymore. So I thought I’d go out and walk around to pass the time, and I just happened to pass by the bar.”
Lin Tang had slept for less than two hours and woke up from a dream, but he forgot all about it the moment he opened his eyes.
He continued, “That drink is called Scotch Mist. I heard that the aftertaste is very strong. I wanted to drink some liquor to help me sleep, but the more I drank, the more energetic I became. I’ve never been aware of my own alcohol capacity. I wanted to try it yesterday too, but I didn’t have enough money on my phone to drink like that. So I only had one glass, and I didn’t even finish it. It actually tasted pretty good. Next time, do you want to go together and try it?”
The rain had completely stopped.
Lin Tang stopped again at an unexpected place, feeling as if he had derailed and plunged into an unknown abyss.
It took Gu Yuqing a while to react to the fact that Lin Tang was inviting him again, and this time, he didn’t give Gu Yuqing a chance to refuse.
Lin Tang abruptly jumped down the steps, tugged at Gu Yuqing’s cuffs, and asked him to wait there for a moment. Then, he ran to the security booth, asked for a pen and paper, and stood by the window, writing something on the top of the window frame. In the middle of writing, he stopped the pen and turned back to look at the still present Gu Yuqing standing downstairs. Lin Tang’s face lit up with a smile.
Gu Yuqing watched Lin Tang from afar as he sent the person away, and then used his eyes to welcome him back. Lin Tang handed him a folded piece of paper, more neatly folded than last night.
“I should add you as a friend so that it’s easier to call you for a drink next time, but your cell phone is dead,” he stuffed the piece of paper into Gu Yuqing’s pocket, just as he had done last night, “Here’s my cell phone number, I’m giving it to you.”
With that, he stepped back up the stairs and took one step backward.
The paper’s edge felt sharp as it brushed against Gu Yuqing’s hand. Suddenly, he had a sensation as if he had touched Lin Tang’s fingers, carrying the chill of early spring.
He pinched the paper, which now felt warm, indicating that the previous coldness was just an illusion.
Lin Tang said his goodbyes, pushed open the door, and stepped into the light. However, just as the door was about to close, Lin Tang popped his head out and used his shoulder to prevent it from closing completely.
“Do you remember you’re coming to my house tomorrow?” The glass door trembled as Lin Tang spoke.
Gu Yuqing looked at him with anticipation in his face. Suppressing a smile, he slightly lowered the corners of his lips and nodded gently, saying, “I remember.”
The anticipation on Lin Tang’s face turned into a smile, and his slightly tense back relaxed a bit. “That’s great. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll accompany my mom to buy groceries. Send me a list of what you want to eat and what you don’t like. Do you still have the address I gave you? If you don’t, it’s okay, I’ll send it to you again.”
“I still have it,” Gu Yuqing couldn’t help but laugh, “I stuck it by my bedside. I read it before going to sleep and when I wake up. And what about the drawing I gave you? Do you still have it?”
The drawing was in his pocket, stuck to the edge of Lin Tang’s fingers; he loved the drawing, but it was buried amidst his racing thoughts.
Lin Tang bit his lip as he said, “I carry it with me all the time.”
It was obvious that he had forgotten it, but the words were like a long hook.
Lin Tang looked at Gu Yuqing’s slightly hesitant gaze, gently curled his lips, and bit again, “How about tomorrow I go buy a frame for it?”
**
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