Chapter 59

Chapter 59

"059"

Xiao Lancui finished his meal but didn't call a car right away. He looked up nearby cake shops, and he only found them at the fifth shop—Brown Sugar Rice Cake Sticks.

It was an old-school snack; hardly any shops made it anymore.

Xiao Lancui grabbed two jars. As he headed to the register, he paused in front of a wooden rack.

It was a simple five-tier wooden rack, about three feet long, displaying all kinds of unique cups.

What caught Xiao Lancui's eye was a cup with a Pomeranian painted on it—a sleek black base with a hand-painted pup.

"These are all handmade cups from students at the art school next door, on consignment. The patterns are hand-painted too," the owner said, blushing as she stole glances at Xiao Lancui. It was her first time seeing such a handsome man, and her voice even went all squeaky. "One cup's 66 yuan, but I can do two for 100!"

Xiao Lancui picked up the Pomeranian mug, his eyes sweeping over the cup rack.

He'd noticed the Pomeranian because of Lu Ao's WeChat profile picture. It wasn't like he specifically wanted a cup—he didn't really need one.

He was about to head to the register when the owner, eager to keep chatting with this gorgeous guy and also push another cup, suddenly said, "Please wait a moment!"

She hurried off and returned shortly with another mug in hand. "Check out this pink Pomeranian one—it makes a perfect pair with the other one! Super pretty!"

Xiao Lancui looked at the cup, and the owner grew even more enthusiastic. "This pink is fired in a really unique way—the color's super light, low saturation so it doesn't look neon, and it's got this subtle water ripple pattern. You should take it—it's such a steal!"

The owner looked totally sincere. "I only pulled this out for you! I saw it and immediately claimed it for myself."

The pink on this cup really was fired beautifully—a pale, watery green-white base with a soft layer of pink, like a peach about to ripen. Xiao Lancui figured the painted Pomeranian was pretty cute too, so he took it.

"I'll take both."

The owner said, "Sure!"

At the register, the owner cheerfully rounded the price down and tossed in a few freshly baked cookies.

"Come back if you like 'em!"

Xiao Lancui left, but the owner still couldn't let him go, watching until he hailed a cab and drove off. Only then did she look away and start frantically squealing in her group chat: "Girls! A gorgeous man just came into the shop!!!! His back alone almost made me get a nosebleed!!!!!"

Xiao Lancui, of course, had no idea he'd almost given someone a nosebleed. He set his bags down and opened the address Huo Shenan had sent.

Huo Shenan was thoughtful—he hadn't asked why Xiao Lancui wanted to meet the agent, only sending: "All set. Tomorrow morning at this address for a meal. Big shot driver Xiao, eat up—it's on me!"

This time, Xiao Lancui replied with a sticker: "OK"

When he reached the neighborhood, Huo Shenan sent another message: "Thanks, boss. Can you send actual words next time? A sticker feels so cold and impersonal [crying]"

Xiao Lancui didn't reply. He carried his bags into the neighborhood, and before he'd gone far, a tall figure rushed up to him.

"Brother, let me! It's heavy!" Lu Ao quickly took the small paper bags from Xiao Lancui's hands and hooked them all over one arm, his dark eyes crinkling into a smile as his other hand naturally reached for Xiao Lancui's.

Even through his gloves, Xiao Lancui could feel how warm Lu Ao's palm was.

His body was completely different from Xiao Lancui's—Lu Ao ran hot even in the dead of winter, his palm dry and scorching.

It was too warm, or maybe he'd just gotten used to it, but Xiao Lancui didn't refuse, letting Lu Ao hold his hand and lead him back home.

Lu Ao kept turning his head to smile at him, not even looking where he was going. "Brother, send more of those from now on!"

Xiao Lancui was puzzled. "What?"

"Stickers." Lu Ao's dark eyes sparkled. "So cute!"

Xiao Lancui thought for a moment—oh, the heart emoji. He also remembered what Huo Shenan had said about a sticker feeling cold and impersonal.

He really didn't like talking—partly because he was born quiet, and partly because he was used to being careful with his words. He spoke up. "Would it feel cold and impersonal if I only sent you a sticker?"

Lu Ao shook his head. "Not at all. Anything you send me is good, brother." He grinned, flashing a row of neat white teeth. Both his hands had fully healed, and his stubble was cleanly shaved, making him look even fresher and more youthful than the college kids Xiao Lancui saw on campus.

As they entered the apartment building, he leaned in and whispered close to Xiao Lancui's ear, "As long as you reply to me, brother, I'm already super happy!"

The breath the young man exhaled was familiar to Xiao Lancui—the scent of matcha ice bread, with a hint of bitter tea.

He wondered how many failed ice breads this guy had eaten.

Xiao Lancui walked up the stairs, speaking slowly: "I'll reply with actual words from now on." He paused. "They might not be long, but I'll still reply to you."

Lu Ao stopped short. Since he was holding Xiao Lancui's hand, Xiao Lancui stopped too, and heard Lu Ao's cautious voice: "Brother, is something up?"

Xiao Lancui was confused again. He tilted his head to meet Lu Ao's worried dark eyes, even more puzzled. "What's wrong with you?"

They just stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Lu Ao carefully studied his expression before speaking first. "You suddenly asked about stickers and promised to reply with words and everything—did someone mess with you, brother?"

Xiao Lancui's eyelid twitched, barely noticeable.

He never showed his emotions on his face, yet Lu Ao could catch even the subtlest shift in his mood.

Was it because his childhood had forced him to learn to read people to survive, or because he paid so much attention to Xiao Lancui that even the faintest change in mood was caught right away?

Or was it both?

Xiao Lancui figured it was both—just like that wolf when it was young, having to depend on others to survive, learning to read the room, saying whatever fit the situation.

Xiao Lancui suddenly pulled his hand back and raised it, covering Lu Ao's eyes in midair.

Just like in the video—covering those harmless-looking eyes, and sure enough, it looked like that wolf. A fifteen-year-old wolf.

A wolf whose features hadn't sharpened yet, that hadn't been stained with blood yet.

Lu Ao's blood ran cold. He didn't move, and when he spoke, his voice came out a little hoarse. "Brother?"

Xiao Lancui lowered his hand and replied. "Mm. Someone did reach out to me. Next time, don't just reply with a sticker—it's too cold."

Lu Ao: "...Who was it?"

"No one important." Xiao Lancui headed up the stairs first, speaking slowly. "And from now on, don't close your eyes around me."

Lu Ao followed Xiao Lancui, guessing the reason. He knew it all too well—without the eyes to soften the effect, that botched surgery face was almost exactly his original face.

He still couldn't help but ask: "Why?"

They reached the third floor. Xiao Lancui pressed his finger to the fingerprint lock, and as the "Welcome home" prompt sounded, his voice carried more emotion than usual, less cold than normal.

"It makes you look ugly."

Lu Ao: "..."

Xiao Lancui tasted the Ice Bread from the photo, and although it wasn't quite up to convenience-store standards, the puppy's heartfelt touch made it quite satisfying for him.

He had two pieces.

Lu Ao sat across from him, not eating. After he'd arranged the wintersweet in a new vase, he sat down opposite, head down, not saying a word.

It dawned on Xiao Lancui a beat too late—the little Pomeranian might have misunderstood.

He explained, "I didn't mean you're ugly—I meant someone else."

"Oh." The head lowered even more. "I'm fine, don't overthink it, brother. Eat your bread."

That didn't look like someone who was fine.

Xiao Lancui thought for a moment and had an idea. He stood up and left, hurrying back with a paper bag full of mugs. Lu Ao still had his head down.

Xiao Lancui took out two mugs and placed them side by side in front of him.

"Lu Ao."

It was the first time he'd called the young man by name.

Lu Ao looked up, and the moment he saw the two mugs, his dark eyes lit up again. He stared at Xiao Lancui, eyes hopeful, "A gift for me?"

Puppies are easy to please, Xiao Lancui thought to himself. He gave a small smile, "Yes, pick one, and I'll use the other."

Lu Ao's eyes got even brighter. He shot Xiao Lancui a heated look, then bent down to study the mugs, weighing his options, torn, "Which one do you think fits me better, brother?"

Xiao Lancui said, "I picked the black one; the shopkeeper threw in the pink one."

Lu Ao looked up, repeating, "Shopkeeper?"

"The cake shop owner. Two for a discount."

Lu Ao grabbed the pink one, "I want this one." He finally perked up, back to his bouncy puppy self, "Brother, you use the black one you picked yourself."

Xiao Lancui nodded. Lu Ao grabbed both mugs and dashed to the kitchen, "Brother, I'll wash 'em and we can have some water!"

Xiao Lancui smiled again.

Puppies are so easy to please—a mug got him this excited.

He did need water, though—winter air was dry. When Lu Ao returned with the water, he downed several big gulps, finishing most of it.

Maybe a pretty cup really does lift your mood; today's water tasted a little sweet.

That afternoon, he had rare free time. He painted in the living room, sketching the white porcelain vase he'd just arranged, with a few wintersweet branches—so pretty you could almost smell them.

Lu Ao squatted next to him, watching, and once he finished the last petal, Lu Ao spoke up, "Brother, when I cleaned your room, is that ink bamboo painting on your desk yours too?"

The other day, when Xiao Lancui faked his own handwriting, he'd dashed off a bamboo painting, and it had sat on his desk ever since. Xiao Lancui nodded and asked, "Why are you cleaning? Didn't the housekeeper do it?"

"Auntie did her job." Lu Ao shook his head, looking up at Xiao Lancui with sparkling dark eyes, "I'm the one who wouldn't let her in."

Xiao Lancui thought that was weird, but before he could ask why, Lu Ao continued, "I don't want others in your room."

He enunciated again, "I don't!"

Xiao Lancui understood—the puppy's territorial streak. He was quite pleased. He reached out to pat Lu Ao's head, but as his hand neared, he noticed ink stains on his fingertips. He started to withdraw, but Lu Ao caught his hand.

Lu Ao held his hand, lowered his head to sniff it carefully, his voice muffled, "I really like the ink smell on your hand, brother. It's warm, not dirty."

The young man before him suddenly overlapped with another image.

There was once someone who crouched beside his wheelchair, carefully wiping the ink stains from his fingertips with a warm towel, pausing every so often to look up and negotiate with him, "A Lan, let's stop wiping, shall we? I think it smells nice."

The response was a brush head landing on his head.

The brush was light, and Xiao Lancui tapped even lighter, "Don't be silly. How could ink smell nice?"

"Ow, ow, ow—keep tapping and I'll turn into an idiot, and you'll have to take care of me for life!" The youth fake-cried, still joking around, "It does smell nice! Everything about A Lan smells nice!"

"Brother?" A puzzled voice. Xiao Lancui looked at those dark eyes gradually returning to clarity, then withdrew his hand and genuinely patted Lu Ao's head twice.

"I'm leaving. I'll be back in a couple of days."

Xiao Lancui took a cab to the Xie family's old residence, where Xie Jingfang and Xiao Mian were both waiting outside for him.

"Brother, you're here!" Xiao Mian ran over to open the car door, overly eager.

Xie Jingfang watched this harmonious scene, a hint of a smile finally appearing on her face. Xiao Mian glanced at Xie Jingfang, and the moment Xiao Lancui got out of the car, he quickly whispered, "Brother, Mom just called to invite eldest brother over for a reunion dinner. He wanted to bring Second—that person—and Mom had a big fight with him again. He's not coming."

Xiao Lancui gave a faint "Mm" to indicate he understood.

Xiao Liqin would come, but he'd bring Xiao Anfeng along.

He stepped forward, smiled at Xie Jingfang, and said, "Mom, can I stay at Grandma's place for the night tonight?"