Still Frame Chapter 4
byChapter 4: Runaway Romance (4)
The next day, when Zhang Liuxin woke up, he was alone. The blanket Wen Jin had used the previous night was neatly folded and placed to the side.
The mattress wasn’t particularly soft, and the blanket had a faint musty smell, but surprisingly, Zhang Liuxin had slept well. It was a rare night where he managed to ignore Wen Jin’s presence and had no dreams.
Putting on his exoskeleton and getting up, he opened the door and happened to meet Tu Yier, who was returning from outside. Tu Yier was carrying a large basket of fruits Zhang Liuxin didn’t recognize. He greeted him, “Good morning. Come have one. These are only found in our state, and they are in season right now. They are especially sweet.”
“Good morning, Brother Tu. Are these peaches?”
“Mhm. They are different from regular honey peaches. Try it.”
Zhang Liuxin took a bite. Sure enough, the sweet and sour juice burst in his mouth, a fresh flavor he had never tasted before, slightly richer than other peaches.
However, Tu Yier had just returned from outside, so who was making noise in the kitchen?
Zhang Liuxin rubbed his eyes and looked closely several times before confirming that the person in the kitchen was Wen Jin.
Wen Jin was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, but his spirit looked much better. His soft, dark hair hung over his forehead, with a few strands occasionally curling up on the side, giving him a surprisingly domestic appearance. However, his expression was so serious that it made one feel he was conducting some important experiment.
“Wen…” Zhang Liuxin hesitated for a few seconds, enduring Tu Yier’s gaze, before calling him, “A-Zhuo, are you making breakfast?”
Clang!
The lid of the small pot fell into the sink, making a harsh noise. Wen Jin picked it up, rinsed it clean without changing his expression, and placed it back on the pot.
“Yes.”
Tu Yier also thought Wen Jin looked like someone who couldn’t cook. He leaned over to look and confirmed his suspicion: an unrecognizable black object lay in the small pot, though the tomatoes on the cutting board next to it were sliced as if measured with a ruler.
He should have anticipated this when the cold-faced handsome man asked to borrow the kitchen this morning.
“I’ll take over. You take your husband to wash up.”
Wen Jin turned his gaze to Zhang Liuxin.
“Where is the washroom? I’ll go wash up.”
Wen Jin left the disastrous kitchen and led him outside the wooden house. He hadn’t noticed last night because it was too dark, but there was a well outside, next to a simple washbasin.
“A well, seriously.” Silver State rarely used wells for water.
“It’s not like you haven’t seen one.”
Wen Jin drew a bucket of water and poured it into the basin nearby. He then took out a large thermos from under the sink and poured some hot water, testing the temperature.
Seeing Zhang Liuxin still not moving, Wen Jin added, “The research summer camp.”
Zhang Liuxin finally remembered that experience, which for him was like bitter chocolate wrapped in a sugar coating.
“Oh, right.”
Mentioning the past, Zhang Liuxin also became taciturn, responding dryly.
After they finished washing up, Tu Yier had finished making breakfast and called them to eat.
“It’s simple, just make do.”
After dropping his initial guard, Tu Yier slowly became more talkative, sharing his experiences as a forest ranger over the years.
When he spoke quickly, he unconsciously used a bit of dialect that Zhang Liuxin couldn’t understand, but he could tell from his expression that he loved his job and was very proud of it.
Zhang Liuxin felt a little envious of him.
“I haven’t asked you two yet, what do you do for work? You both look very refined.”
An elbow nudged him. Wen Jin placed a fried egg on his plate, then said, “Translation.”
Zhang Liuxin looked at the extra fried egg, wondering if this was his payment for translating.
“He asked what we do.”
Zhang Liuxin told Tu Yier, “I’m a media professional, and my husband is a university professor.”
High education was probably like a green card in every state. Tu Yier looked at Wen Jin with added admiration.
“Teach me a few phrases in Bernlinian,” Wen Jin took a sip of milk, frowned at the milky smell, and said, “How do you say ‘hello’?”
Zhang Liuxin had no choice but to teach him honestly.
“How do you say ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’?”
As the two went back and forth learning the language, Tu Yier watched and praised Wen Jin for his linguistic talent, noting that he couldn’t detect any accent in the words he just spoke.
Wen Jin did know many languages because he needed to read literature in his field and attend academic forums in various states, but it seemed he had never been to Bernlin State.
“Chen, you forgot to teach him the most important phrase.”
Tu Yier said with a smile.
Zhang Liuxin paused, the knife and fork scraping harshly against the porcelain plate.
Just then, Wen Jin looked at him: “Which other phrase?”
“I love you.”
Zhang Liuxin quickly said it, lowered his head, and lied to Wen Jin in Silver State language: “It means ‘I was wrong’.”
Sure enough, Wen Jin listened but didn’t repeat it. Those three words had never appeared in his life’s dictionary, so there was naturally no need to learn them.
“You’ve known Bernlinian since you were little?”
Unexpectedly, Wen Jin was curious about him. Zhang Liuxin nodded: “I used to speak a little when I was with my mother, but I spoke it very rarely after coming to Silver State.”
Wen Jin hummed, picked up a peach, and examined it for a moment. Zhang Liuxin told him, “This is delicious. You should like it.”
As expected, Wen Jin took a bite, his expression showing a hint of surprise, and then he slowly ate it.
“Can this be grown in Silver State?”
Zhang Liuxin asked Tu Yier on his behalf.
“No, this kind of fruit tree can only survive on our state island. If your husband likes it, you can buy more when you go to town later.”
The mention of “buying” made Zhang Liuxin realize with a start that he and Wen Jin had been robbed of all their belongings and were penniless.
“Wen Jin, I suddenly remembered…”
“What did you call me?” Wen Jin wiped his hands clean and looked over politely.
“A-Zhuo, I think we should give Brother Tu some compensation. If we manage to contact the secretary later, let’s buy Brother Tu something before we leave.”
After saying it, he remembered that Tu Yier couldn’t understand Silver State language anyway, so it didn’t matter what he called him. He pursed his lips in annoyance.
“Mhm, I will have Sixun handle it.”
After breakfast, Tu Yier drove them to town. This kind of old-fashioned pickup truck, powered by diesel, was uncommon. Zhang Liuxin had rarely seen one, let alone Wen Jin.
“Come, you two sit here.”
Tu Yier placed two small wooden stools in the back of the pickup bed.
Zhang Liuxin noticed Wen Jin seemed to freeze for a moment, struggling internally with something. After a while, he climbed onto the truck, not forgetting to turn back and play the role of the good husband in front of Tu Yier, extending his hand to Zhang Liuxin again.
Zhang Liuxin took his hand and was easily pulled onto the truck.
Wen Jin was tall with long legs, and his long limbs had nowhere to go. Sitting on the small wooden stool, he looked particularly awkward. Zhang Liuxin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, couldn’t hold back a laugh, and quickly turned his head away.
“What are you laughing at?” Wen Jin’s cold voice came, laced with displeasure. “Turn your head back.”
“I’m not laughing.” Zhang Liuxin hid the smile at the corner of his mouth.
Because it had rained again last night, the road in the rainforest was muddy. The old pickup had zero stability. Since Zhang Liuxin was wearing his exoskeleton, sitting on such a low, small stool was inconvenient. With one sudden steep bump, his body tilted, and he nearly fell off.
He gripped the handle beside him. This kind of “convertible” was one of the few types of vehicles that didn’t make him carsick, yet he was still so disheveled.
“Are you sitting so far away to avoid suspicion?” Wen Jin looked at him, reached out, and pulled the stool, dragging Zhang Liuxin closer to his side. He casually rested one hand on the edge of the truck behind Zhang Liuxin. “Sit properly.”
Wen Jin seemed to be in a good mood. His long legs were bent, and the fingers resting on the truck edge tapped rhythmically. Zhang Liuxin realized that at this distance, he only needed to turn his head to meet Wen Jin’s gaze.
The rainforest had completely come alive. Vines strung between the branches swayed gently in the breeze. Thick leaves held droplets of water. In the morning sun, mist rose from the forest, carrying the fragrance of earth and vegetation, like a flowing veil.
“Bird of Paradise,” Wen Jin said.
The wheels rolled over a puddle. The beautiful Bird of Paradise was startled, fluttering its wings and flying toward the sky, leaving a streak of vivid orange-red.
“So beautiful.” Zhang Liuxin looked regretfully in the direction the bird disappeared.
“Mhm, rarely seen in Silver State.”
“Have you seen one before this?”
“A few times during business trips.”
“I wish I could take a picture.”
Wen Jin poured cold water on the idea: “You’re too slow. You wouldn’t even catch its shadow.”
In a trance, Zhang Liuxin realized that he and Wen Jin could have moments like this—no need to recite grand speeches, no need to pretend to be affectionate in front of the camera, just sitting this close, talking naturally and plainly.
Finally, the pickup drove onto the main road, which was much smoother. Zhang Liuxin moved back to his original spot.
The small town was undeveloped, the kind of place Zhang Liuxin would only visit in Silver State when doing charity work.
Bernlin people typically had unique reddish-brown hair and green eyes, so when Wen Jin and Zhang Liuxin, two black-haired outsiders, appeared, several passersby looked over.
“They are just curious,” Tu Yier explained proactively, afraid the two might feel uncomfortable. “Our area is considered remote even within Bernlin. Few people come from other cities, let alone other states.”
Zhang Liuxin shook his head: “It’s fine. The architecture here is distinctive, and the air is great.”
“What are the buildings like in your Silver State?”
“Most are black, white, gray, and silver. Very tall and large. A steel forest, I suppose.”
Tu Yier didn’t understand the meaning of “steel forest” but laughed heartily twice: “As expected of Silver State.”
Suddenly, a small girl with red curly hair rushed over and hugged Tu Yier’s leg, looking up and sweetly calling “Uncle.” Her deep green eyes darted around, finally settling directly on Wen Jin.
“This is my niece, Duofei. Feifei, say hello to the uncles.”
Tu Yier picked up the little girl and taught her the Silver State greeting he had learned this morning. Duofei imitated him, saying in a soft, childish voice, “Hello.”
“Hello, Feifei.”
He nudged Wen Jin’s arm.
Wen Jin said in Bernlinian, “Hello.”
Duofei was clearly mesmerized by Wen Jin. She stared into his eyes for a moment and said, “Uncle’s eyes are black.”
Tu Yier held her: “Mhm. Do you think Uncle is handsome?”
“Handsome, very dashing!”
Children were always so energetic. She then looked at Zhang Liuxin and said, “Big Brother, you’re handsome too!”
Tu Yier chuckled. Zhang Liuxin, a thirty-year-old man, wasn’t thick-skinned enough to be called “Big Brother” by a five or six-year-old girl. He corrected her: “I’m an uncle too.”
“You don’t look like an uncle, you look like a Big Brother,” Duofei smiled, showing two dimples. “Big Brother, hold me.”
“Uh, this Big Brother isn’t very convenient…”
Zhang Liuxin reached out to her: “It’s okay, Brother Tu. I can hold her.”
“My sister’s bakery is just around the corner. She has a phone there. Let’s go call from there.”
“Alright.”
Duofei was held by Zhang Liuxin, her soft arms wrapped around his neck. She still called him “Big Brother,” asking him where he came from and what the black thing on his legs was.
“We came from Silver State. This is called an exoskeleton. It helps me walk.”
Duofei nodded, half-understanding. After her curiosity about Zhang Liuxin was satisfied, she looked at Wen Jin, reaching out eagerly: “I want this Uncle to hold me.”
Zhang Liuxin didn’t want Duofei to be disappointed, so he also looked at Wen Jin. Wen Jin didn’t particularly like children.
Wen Jin paused, then finally extended his hands and took Duofei.
His arms were stronger than Zhang Liuxin’s. He could hold the little girl steadily with one hand, but Wen Jin’s cold demeanor made Duofei visibly a little afraid of him.
“Wen Jin, smile,” Zhang Liuxin said to Wen Jin, unwilling to see Duofei lose heart.
In front of the child, Wen Jin finally didn’t pursue the issue of his address and perfunctorily curved his lips.
“Uncle, what is your relationship with this Big Brother? Are you good friends?”
Wen Jin looked at Zhang Liuxin, asking him to translate.
Zhang Liuxin’s eyelid twitched hearing the child call him “Uncle” and “Big Brother” in quick succession.
“She asked what our relationship is.”
Zhang Liuxin was about to tell the little girl they were friends—the most gentle term he could find to describe their relationship—when he suddenly heard Wen Jin speak.
“How do you say ‘husband’?”
Zhang Liuxin didn’t react: “Huh?”
Wen Jin asked him in a calm tone, his dark eyes like a tranquil, deep spring: “You are my husband. How do you say that in Bernlinian?”