Still Frame Chapter 34
byChapter 34: More Than Friendship
Zhang Liuxin wanted to retort, to say that Wen Jin, despite looking refined and gentle, might actually be an unromantic, rigid science and engineering guy. But the person beside him was currently like an automatic cooling refrigerator, and Zhang Liuxin was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would be frozen to death on the spot. So, he could only silently argue with himself internally.
When they reached the main gate, Wen Jin took a phone call and left first. Zhang Liuxin saw how rushed he looked, recalling that it had been the same way earlier in the botanical garden—he was constantly receiving calls and emails.
“Liuxin, let’s go.” Qu Shuhua walked over, picking up his things and speaking to him.
Zhang Liuxin helped him carry one of the bags and nodded. “Okay.”
“Wait a moment,” the person in charge chased after them. “Don’t rush, gentlemen. We’ve prepared a car. You’re heading back to school, right? It’s so far, we’ll drive you back.”
Zhang Liuxin and Qu Shuhua exchanged glances. The person in charge had already opened the car door for them. “No need to be polite, this is the least we can do. Please, get in.”
Once they were in the car, Qu Shuhua said to Zhang Liuxin, “The service here is too thorough. Could Senior Wen Jin have arranged this?”
Zhang Liuxin indicated that he didn’t know.
“I didn’t expect Senior to be cold on the outside but warm-hearted,” Qu Shuhua lowered his voice. “I heard about his family background from others. When I first saw him in the club, I thought he would be particularly difficult to get along with.”
Zhang Liuxin curved his lips, thinking back to the first time he saw Wen Jin downstairs. The other man had a cold face, making him think he had done something to offend him. He never expected the other man would be willing to share an umbrella with him, and even lend him his library card.
Thinking about it that way, Wen Jin was indeed not as difficult to get along with as he had imagined. In reality, he was only two years older than them.
Qu Shuhua said, “No wonder so many people like Senior. It’s only natural, I suppose.”
Zhang Liuxin gradually suppressed his smile and whispered, “Yes, it is.”
It was only natural for people to like Wen Jin because of his appearance, talent, and family background. But if Zhang Liuxin still liked him after knowing that he and his younger brother were highly likely to marry in the future, then that would be utterly despicable.
Qu Shuhua sensed that Zhang Liuxin’s mood seemed a little off. He thought it was because he kept praising Wen Jin, making Zhang Liuxin uncomfortable, so he brought up a recent art exhibition. “Oh right, Liuxin, there’s an art exhibition looking for part-time help recently. They pay daily. Do you want to go with me?”
Zhang Liuxin became interested and asked, “Sure, when is it?”
“Saturday and Sunday. I asked the person in charge there. Once you finish the assigned tasks, you can view the exhibition, and the pay isn’t too low.”
“Okay, let’s go together. Send me the registration link.”
Zhang Liuxin finished filling out the registration form on his phone. The car had already driven onto the interstate. He clicked into his photo album and found the picture of the Jade Vine among the photos of exotic flowers and plants.
After hesitating for a while, he cropped out any trace of Wen Jin. In the end, the photo’s proportions became strange. This beautiful Jade Vine now looked as if something was missing.
Perhaps it was like his heart, only his feelings were far less rare and precious than the Jade Vine.
Zhang Liuxin didn’t understand if this counted as a breakup. He wasn’t too sad, truly. After all, he knew from the start that there was an insurmountable chasm between him and Wen Jin. At most, this could only be considered the crash of his personal feelings. Wen Jin had neither accepted nor rejected him, and apart from that book he lent him—which Zhang Liuxin said wasn’t good—they had no other connection.
But he felt a sense of loss, so he threw himself into reading and studying during his free time, practicing pronunciation with one foreign language video after another. During this period, Li Xingzhou, seeing how hard he was working, even gave him a few guidance books he had used in high school.
Because of Tian Ke’s words, Zhang Liuxin deliberately tried to distance himself from Li Xingzhou. But Li Xingzhou was too smart and saw that Zhang Liuxin wanted to avoid suspicion. So, he stopped asking him out so frequently, instead occasionally sending Zhang Liuxin things he needed, such as books Zhang Liuxin was interested in but hadn’t had time to borrow, or a beautiful little *Sedum multiceps* to replace the dead succulent on Zhang Liuxin’s desk, reminding him daily to water it.
Zhang Liuxin wasn’t stupid; he could feel Li Xingzhou’s intentions. He just didn’t understand why Li Xingzhou, having known him for such a short time, could be so good to him.
He felt that the superpower of making someone fall for you in a short time should belong to someone like Wen Jin.
He didn’t know how to interact with Li Xingzhou. He didn’t have any immediate plans to start a relationship with anyone, nor did he feel capable of reciprocating the same feelings to Li Xingzhou.
Zhang Liuxin rarely felt the urge to escape.
After finishing his part-time job at the art museum over the weekend, Tian Ke messaged him, saying his uncle had opened a quiet bar nearby and asking if he wanted to go and show some support.
Zhang Liuxin wasn’t very interested in bars, and furthermore, he wasn’t that close with Tian Ke, so he planned to refuse. Unexpectedly, Tian Ke followed up by saying Li Xingzhou was also there, and most of the boys in their class had gone. It was free and very lively.
“Liuxin, even if you don’t drink, they have soft drinks here. Come hang out. The school has a curfew, so everyone will head back by eleven at the latest.”
Someone kept calling Tian Ke’s name in the background. Zhang Liuxin wasn’t keen on group activities, especially after working for two consecutive days. However, he had to admit that group activities were essential, and being absent from such an occasion would make him feel out of place in the next one.
He knew this well, so he rubbed his tired shoulders and decided to go to the quiet bar, sit for half an hour just to make an appearance, and then leave.
Although it was called a quiet bar, it wasn’t that quiet. Zhang Liuxin was someone who wasn’t used to noise. After entering, he found a quiet corner to sit down. The bartender asked him what he wanted to drink. He flipped through an entire page of names like “After the Rain,” “Clear Skies Today,” and “The Last Blue” several times, finally saying, “Please give me a lemon soda, thank you.”
The bartender hadn’t expected someone to come to a bar just for a soda. Seeing how young Zhang Liuxin looked, he teased him while slicing a lemon wedge. “Are you old enough, little brother?”
Zhang Liuxin said, “Of course.”
“You look like a high school student.”
Zhang Liuxin accepted the transfer from the art museum, which lifted his mood. Even the dimly lit lighting of the bar, which looked like it was short on electricity, seemed pleasing. He said, “Thank you, bro, but I’m not at the age where being complimented as a high school student makes me happy.”
The bartender chuckled and said, “You’re an interesting young man.”
The lemon soda was ready. Zhang Liuxin picked it up, but before he could take a sip, Tian Ke interrupted him.
Tian Ke was dressed quite uniquely today, more flamboyant than he was at school. He wore a distinctively crafted choker and exposed half of his chest, looking very different from his school persona.
“Liuxin, why didn’t you say anything when you arrived? Come join us.”
Tian Ke smelled of alcohol, mixed with his cologne, which was a bit overwhelming. Zhang Liuxin frowned, looking at the pale golden drink in Tian Ke’s hand. “Tian Ke, are you drinking too much? You should drink less; too much will upset your stomach.”
“Liuxin cares about me so much, huh?” Tian Ke intimately draped an arm over his shoulder, pressing his cheek close. The scent of cologne and alcohol wafted around Zhang Liuxin’s neck. “How about you drink half a glass for me?”
Zhang Liuxin hadn’t expected him to lean in so suddenly. He tried to grab Tian Ke’s arm to steady him, accidentally spilling half the soda in the process.
“Tian Ke…”
“Tian Ke, what are you doing?”
It was Li Xingzhou. Perhaps there was an event today, as he had slicked back all his hair, a rare sight, revealing his heroic eyebrows and eyes. He was frowning now, his face showing a hint of anger.
“Are you drunk?” Li Xingzhou snatched the glass from his hand and placed it heavily aside. “Drink less. Did you forget you almost got a stomach bleed last holiday from drinking?”
Seeing him approach, Tian Ke seemed to sober up considerably. He looked at the glass in Li Xingzhou’s hand, then at Zhang Liuxin, and finally spread his hands. “Fine, but I’m not drunk.”
He seemed to suddenly clear his head and smiled at them. “Then you two chat. I won’t disturb you.”
Tian Ke’s smile was strange. It wasn’t the first time Zhang Liuxin felt this way, and a sense of unease settled in his heart.
After Tian Ke left, the bartender wiped the table clean and asked Zhang Liuxin if he needed a refill.
Zhang Liuxin hadn’t planned on staying long anyway, so he shook his head and said no.
“Were you working part-time today?”
Li Xingzhou was holding a green drink, the composition of which was unclear. Zhang Liuxin wondered if this bar, which looked quite upscale, would use artificial coloring.
“Yes, and you? Did you have an event today?”
“Shot a promotional video,” Li Xingzhou lifted his jacket. “See, I haven’t even changed my clothes underneath yet.”
“That’s busy. You must be tired.”
Li Xingzhou downed the remaining small half-glass of his drink. “Not as busy as you. But you haven’t agreed to play ball with me recently, and that’s what I find a little tiring.”
His voice had become a little slurred. Zhang Liuxin thought that after so righteously advising Tian Ke to drink less, Li Xingzhou himself seemed slightly tipsy.
“Bro, please refill my Jade Sight.”
Li Xingzhou shook his empty glass and looked at Zhang Liuxin again, seeking an answer from him.
“I’ve been a bit busy lately,” Zhang Liuxin said, touching the condensation on the glass.
Li Xingzhou requested a clean napkin and placed it next to Zhang Liuxin’s hand. When the new Jade Sight was served, Li Xingzhou raised the glass. Through the light, the pale green liquid truly looked like jade.
“I saw this drink on the menu and thought it looked a lot like the color of your eyes,” Li Xingzhou said with a smile.
Zhang Liuxin avoided his gaze and said, “Xingzhou, you seem a little drunk.”
Li Xingzhou shook his head and drank the entire glass.
Tian Ke’s group started playing drinking games and became even rowdier. Zhang Liuxin saw the time and decided to leave. When he wasn’t looking, Li Xingzhou had apparently drunk several more glasses. His eyes were a little hazy. Seeing Zhang Liuxin stand up, he followed suit. “Liuxin, are you leaving? I’ll walk back to school with you.”
The bartender warned, “Jade Sight has a high alcohol content. You should keep an eye on your friend.”
“Okay.”
Zhang Liuxin didn’t know how drunk Li Xingzhou was, but he could walk normally. Aside from his ears and neck being a little red, he didn’t show much reaction.
Leaving the bar, a cool breeze swept over them. Zhang Liuxin shivered. Seeing this, Li Xingzhou tried to take off his jacket, but Zhang Liuxin stopped him. “No need. Let’s hurry back.”
“Alright.” Li Xingzhou smiled.
At this hour, there were few people on campus. Walking along the road, all they could hear were their footsteps and the rustling of leaves.
When they reached the library, Li Xingzhou tripped on a step, hitting his calf and wincing in pain. Zhang Liuxin helped him sit down on a nearby bench.
“Are you okay? Did you break the skin?”
Li Xingzhou hissed, shook his head, and leaned back on the bench with squinted eyes. “Let me rest for a bit.”
Zhang Liuxin thought they should hurry back to apply medicine, but Li Xingzhou wouldn’t move, and he couldn’t leave him.
A sound came from behind them. Zhang Liuxin instinctively held his breath, a flash of vigilance in his eyes. The incident of being secretly photographed still bothered him, and he constantly had the illusion of being watched.
But the night was late, and after scanning the area, he didn’t find anyone else.
Turning back, his shoulder sank as Li Xingzhou’s head leaned over. The hair, stiff with hairspray, poked Zhang Liuxin’s side neck.
“Li Xingzhou?”
He hadn’t fallen asleep, had he? Zhang Liuxin felt a headache coming on.
“Liuxin…” Li Xingzhou mumbled, his voice indistinct.
“Hmm?”
“Like.”
Zhang Liuxin’s shoulders tensed. He wanted to push him away, to straighten him up, hoping the night wind would get colder and sober him up.
But before he could make any move, Li Xingzhou continued, “I like you.”