TLSOTMTKOGAYWHTDI Chapter 117
by VolareChapter 117 Extra 2: Yu Fengran and Liu Jinchen 01
Chapter 117 Extra 2: Yu Fengran and Liu Jinchen 01
The rainy season in Yunnan arrives unexpectedly.
Yu Fengran stood under the eaves of the inn, watching the torrential rain wash the bluestone road until it gleamed.
He raised his hand and glanced at his watch – there were still forty minutes before the filming crew started.
“Old Yu!”
Liu Jinchen’s voice cut through the rain.
He ran over holding an indigo-blue oiled paper umbrella, his trouser legs splattered with mud, but he held a kraft paper bag tightly in his arms.
“Guess what I brought you?”
He opened the paper bag like he was offering a treasure, and the aroma of freshly baked flower cakes wafted out, “Fresh out of the oven, I waited in line for half an hour!”
Yu Fengran frowned, “The production team prepared breakfast.”
“How can those cold sandwiches compare to this?”
Liu Jinchen stuffed the cake into his hand without explanation, “Try it, it’s good for your stomach while it’s hot.”
The moment their fingertips touched, Yu Fengran subconsciously wanted to pull his hand away, but the warmth of the other’s palm startled him.
The sound of the rain gradually subsided, and the shouts of the stagehands came from a distance.
Liu Jinchen suddenly leaned closer, wiping a crumb of cake from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, “You got some on you.”
The gesture was too intimate, and Yu Fengran’s ears burned, taking half a step back: “I can do it myself.”
“Director Yu!”
The executive director shouted through a loudspeaker, “The equipment is debugged!”
The filming site was chaotic but orderly.
Yu Fengran stared intently at the monitor, not noticing Liu Jinchen quietly adding hot tea to his thermos and adding a soft cushion to his folding chair.
During the lunch break, Liu Jinchen conjured a thermos from his backpack as if by magic: “Try some local specialty mushroom soup.”
Yu Fengran looked at the goji berries floating in the soup and suddenly asked, “When did you learn to cook?”
“Last month.”
Liu Jinchen scratched his head, “I signed up for a cooking class. The teacher said I have a lot of talent.”
“Why?”
“Because…”
Liu Jinchen’s ears turned red, “You used to cook for others, I want to cook for you.”
The afternoon sun pierced through the clouds, casting dappled light between the two.
Yu Fengran lowered his head and drank the soup, not letting him see the corners of his mouth turn up.
When they finished work in the evening, Yu Fengran found more than a dozen missed calls on his phone—all from Lin Jianhe.
He was about to turn off the phone when Liu Jinchen suddenly pressed his hand down: “Answer it, what if it’s an emergency?”
After the call connected, Lin Jianhe’s hoarse voice came through: “Fengran, I’m at Lijiang Airport…”
Yu Fengran stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair.
Liu Jinchen silently righted the chair and retreated to the corridor.
Twenty minutes later, Yu Fengran hung up the phone and found Liu Jinchen squatting in the inn’s courtyard, feeding stray cats.
The moonlight outlined his focused profile, the blue dragon on his flowery arm looming in the shadows.
“He’s here?” Liu Jinchen asked without turning his head.
Yu Fengran hummed in agreement.
Liu Jinchen scratched the cat’s chin: “Are you going to see him?”
“I don’t know.”
Liu Jinchen finally turned around, his eyes shining brightly: “I’ll go with you.”
Inside the old town’s bar, Lin Jianhe’s whiskey glass was empty.
He saw Liu Jinchen behind Yu Fengran, and his face instantly darkened: “You guys…”
“Just colleagues.”
Yu Fengran said coldly, “What’s the matter?”
Lin Jianhe took out a USB drive: “The complete chain of evidence from the accident back then.”
He smiled wryly, “This time it’s real.”
Liu Jinchen suddenly stood up: “I’m going to buy a pack of cigarettes.”
The night breeze at the entrance of the alley carried the scent of flowers.
Liu Jinchen squatted on the stone steps smoking, the sparks flickering in the darkness.
He didn’t know how long had passed when he heard footsteps behind him.
“Did you finish talking?” He didn’t turn around.
Yu Fengran sat down beside him: “He said he wants to get back together.”
The cigarette butt flared up abruptly. “Oh.”
Liu Jinchen’s voice was strained, “Then…congratulations?”
“I refused.”
Liu Jinchen turned his head in surprise, meeting Yu Fengran’s calm gaze.
“Why?”
Yu Fengran looked at the distant Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: “Some people are like this mountain, they look close, but they’re always separated by clouds.”
Liu Jinchen suddenly stubbed out his cigarette: “Then what do you think I’m like?”
Under the moonlight, Yu Fengran seriously sized up the man who had been pursuing him for three months for the first time—his messy hair, the blue dragon on his flowery arm, and his eyes that were always full of smiles.
“Like…” He paused, “Like the sun in Lijiang.”
Liu Jinchen was stunned.
“It makes people dizzy from the heat,” Yu Fengran added, “But it’s very warm.”
On the way back to the inn, Liu Jinchen suddenly stopped in Sifang Street: “Old Yu, close your eyes.”
“What for?”
“Three seconds!”
Yu Fengran closed his eyes helplessly, hearing rustling sounds. When he opened his eyes again, Liu Jinchen was holding a lotus river lantern.
“Make a wish,” he said with a smile, “It’s very effective.”
The warm yellow light reflected on their faces. Yu Fengran looked at the wick and said softly: “I hope…”
Liu Jinchen suddenly interrupted: “Don’t say it! It won’t work if you say it!”
Yu Fengran smiled: “Then how do you know if it’s effective?”
“Because…”
Liu Jinchen leaned close to his ear, “My wish is to help you realize your wish.”
The river lantern floated downstream, merging into thousands of starlight.
Yu Fengran thought that perhaps some love is like the rainy season in Yunnan—it arrives unexpectedly, but it nourishes the parched heart.
—
As night fell, the bar street in Lijiang Old Town was brightly lit.
The young people from the production team excitedly suggested going to a bar to relax after work, and a group of people clamored to pull Yu Fengran along.
“Director Yu, don’t be a spoilsport!”
The script girl tugged on his sleeve, “You keep a straight face all day, you should relax too!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
The photographer also chimed in, “I heard a new bar opened next door, the resident singer is amazing!”
Yu Fengran frowned, just about to refuse, when he heard Liu Jinchen’s voice behind him: “Let’s go, it’s on me!”
He turned around and saw that Liu Jinchen had already changed into casual clothes at some point, his flowery arm exposed, smiling brightly.
“Why are you joining in the fun?” Yu Fengran asked in a low voice.
Liu Jinchen leaned into his ear, his warm breath on his earlobe: “I’m afraid they’ll get you drunk, I have to keep an eye on you.”
Yu Fengran’s ears burned, and before he could retort, he was pushed towards the bar by a group of people.
The bar was dimly lit, and the wooden tables and chairs emitted a faint pine scent.
The resident singer was on stage singing a folk song, his voice low and gentle.
The people from the production team occupied two large tables, with beer and cocktails all over the table.
Liu Jinchen naturally sat next to Yu Fengran, and poured him a glass of lemonade.
“I don’t drink.” Yu Fengran said.
“I know.” Liu Jinchen smiled, “I ordered it for you.”
The script girl had sharp eyes and immediately cheered: “Wow! Brother Liu is so considerate!”
The others also laughed: “Director Yu, Brother Liu is so good to you!”
Yu Fengran expressionlessly took a sip of water, not answering.
Liu Jinchen was candid, raising his glass: “Come on, let’s play a game! Loser drinks!”
——
The game was a simple “Truth or Dare”.
After a few rounds, Yu Fengran had good luck and hadn’t been picked. Liu Jinchen, however, had drunk several glasses in a row, his cheeks slightly flushed.
“Brother Liu, it’s your turn!”
The photographer smiled mischievously, drawing a card, “Dare – kiss the person to your left!”
The crowd instantly erupted: “Wow——!”
Yu Fengran happened to be sitting to Liu Jinchen’s left.
The air suddenly went silent for a second.
Liu Jinchen turned to look at Yu Fengran, his eyes a little dazed, as if he was really considering whether to kiss him.
Yu Fengran’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the glass.
Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward, Liu Jinchen suddenly laughed, raising his hand and ruffling Yu Fengran’s hair: “Forget it, Director Yu is thin-skinned, I’ll drink!”
He tilted his head back and downed a whole glass of whiskey, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, the liquor dripping down the corners of his lips.
Yu Fengran stared at his profile, inexplicably feeling a little parched.
——
Liu Jinchen was drunk.
He could actually hold his liquor well, but he couldn’t stand the production team taking turns, pouring him glass after glass.
Yu Fengran frowned, finally unable to watch any longer, and reached out to stop another glass being handed over: “Enough, don’t drink anymore.”
Liu Jinchen smiled and pushed his hand away: “It’s okay! I can still drink!”
Yu Fengran stood up with a cold face: “I’ll go buy you some hangover medicine.”
He turned and left the bar, the night breeze blowing on his face, finally dispelling some of the alcohol fumes.
The nearby pharmacy wasn’t far away, he walked over quickly, bought the medicine and turned back.
However, when he returned to the bar, he found that Liu Jinchen was gone.
“Where’s Liu Jinchen?” he asked the script girl.
“Ah?” The script girl looked blank, “Didn’t he go looking for you?”
Yu Fengran’s heart sank, and he immediately took out his phone to call, but no one answered.
Liu Jinchen was indeed looking for him.
He was drunk and confused, vaguely remembering Yu Fengran saying he was going to buy hangover medicine, but he waited for a long time without seeing him return.
The alcohol amplified his unease, he swayed as he stood up, staggering out.
“Fengran?” He stood at the entrance of the bar, looking left and right, but he couldn’t see the familiar figure.
The night wind made his head hurt, but he was even more panicked – had Yu Fengran left? Did he regret coming out with him? Did he… go to see Lin Jianhe again?
The thought made his stomach churn, and he retched a few times against the wall, but he couldn’t throw anything up.
“Fengran…”
He muttered to himself, his eyes reddening, “Don’t go…”
He staggered forward along the street, asking everyone he met: “Have you seen a man with glasses? Very handsome, doesn’t smile much…”
The passers-by shook their heads.
Liu Jinchen became more and more anxious as he searched, and finally even started running, almost knocking over a roadside stall.
The stall owner cursed, but he couldn’t bother to apologize, his head filled with the thought that Yu Fengran might be gone.
Yu Fengran finally found him at the corner of Sifang Street.
Liu Jinchen was squatting on the stone steps, his head down, like an abandoned child.
Yu Fengran walked over quickly, squatting down: “Liu Jinchen?”
Liu Jinchen suddenly raised his head, his eyes brightening for a moment before quickly dimming: “You… where did you go?”
His voice was hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone, as if he had been crying.
Yu Fengran’s heart clenched, handing him the hangover medicine: “To buy medicine, didn’t I tell you?”
Liu Jinchen stared at the medicine box for a few seconds, then suddenly hugged him, with such force that Yu Fengran almost lost his balance.
“I thought you were gone…”
He said in a muffled voice, his breath filled with alcohol, “I thought you didn’t want me anymore…”
Yu Fengran stiffened, slowly raising his hand, gently patting his back: “I didn’t leave.”
Liu Jinchen hugged him even tighter, burying his face in his neck, his breath hot.
Yu Fengran could feel his heartbeat, fast and heavy, as if it was about to jump out of his chest.
“Fengran…”
Liu Jinchen called him softly, his voice filled with suppressed longing, “I…”
He raised his head, his gaze falling on Yu Fengran’s lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Yu Fengran held his breath, his fingers unconsciously clenching Liu Jinchen’s clothes.
The distance between the two was close enough to feel each other’s breath, Liu Jinchen’s lips almost touching his –
However, the next second, Liu Jinchen suddenly let go, took a step back, and shook his head with a wry smile: “I can’t…”
He took a deep breath, forcing a smile: “Let’s go back, you have work tomorrow.”
Yu Fengran stood there, watching Liu Jinchen sway forward, a feeling he couldn’t explain suddenly welling up in his heart.
On the way back to the inn, the two walked one in front of the other, neither of them speaking.
The moonlight shone on the bluestone road, reflecting two long shadows.
As they approached the inn, Liu Jinchen suddenly stopped, turning to look at Yu Fengran: “Fengran.”
“Hmm?”
“I…”
Liu Jinchen opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end he just smiled, “Good night.”
He turned to leave, but Yu Fengran suddenly called out to him: “Liu Jinchen.”
Liu Jinchen turned around.
Yu Fengran was silent for a few seconds, then said softly: “Thank you.”
Liu Jinchen was stunned, then smiled, his eyes gentle: “I’ll wait for you, until you come to me on your own.”
The night breeze blew past, carrying a faint scent of flowers.
Yu Fengran thought that perhaps he should have taken that step long ago.