BOSF 043: Jealousy

One early morning in January, Shen Xiuqing had just arrived at the studio. Before she could even greet anyone after getting out of her car, her phone rang.

It was rare for a client to call her this early in the morning; it was more likely to be a personal matter. She glanced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number, which led her to wonder—could it be Ji Yan?

Shen Xiuqing hadn’t forgotten the promise she made to Xiang Yang, but now that she was working, she didn’t have a winter break like a student. So, she could only wait for Ji Yan to call.

She answered the phone immediately, her voice full of anticipation. “Hello?”

The person on the other end was clearly taken aback for a moment, but a voice quickly replied, “Hello, may I ask… is Xiang Yang there?”

It was indeed someone looking for Xiang Yang, but why was it a man’s voice? Shen Xiuqing was puzzled for a moment but didn’t dwell on it. She replied politely, “Yes, Xiang Yang is here, but it might not be convenient for him to take the call right now. May I ask what this is about?”

“Then…” The boy’s voice sounded relieved, yet also a little worried. 

“Is it possible for me to go see him? Could you give me the address?”

Now Shen Xiuqing was certain this boy had nothing to do with Ji Yan. The business card she gave Li Lilian had the studio’s address on it. But perhaps he really was a friend of Xiang Yang’s. She couldn’t just refuse him outright. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Yes, I’ll give you the address, you can write it down…”

After the call ended, Shen Xiuqing hung up, still finding it strange. She had never heard of Xiang Yang having any other close friends. But now that Xiang Yang was working under her, she had a duty to protect him. She hadn’t bothered to ask for the other party’s name and didn’t think much of it. Even if he did show up, she would be there to watch over things, which put her mind at ease.

She took her bag and walked into the studio, running right into Xiang Yang, who was on his way to breakfast. “Xiang Yang, morning.”

Xiang Yang didn’t speak, just nodded at her and walked straight towards the dining hall.

Shen Xiuqing hesitated for a moment but decided not to tell Xiang Yang about the phone call. She followed him into the dining hall.

Their studio wasn’t in the city but located in the suburbs. The location had been carefully considered before being finalized. Although they needed to profit from selling art, their main purpose was to cultivate talent. They didn’t want to be too commercialized or be disturbed by too many irrelevant people. Besides, a quiet place was more suitable for artists to nurture inspiration.

Xiang Yang’s dormitory was right next to the studio. The dorms were provided for those who had a difficult commute, with few restrictions and a high degree of freedom.

Shen Xiuqing had already eaten breakfast; she just wanted to keep Xiang Yang company while he ate. Seeing him get his own tray, pick out his own food and bread, and even pour his own milk, essentially managing his daily life by himself, she felt a great sense of relief in her heart.

After Xiang Yang arrived, Shen Xiuqing didn’t rush to assign him work. Instead, she hired a psychologist specializing in autism to teach him, with classes three times a week. After two months, the results were slowly becoming apparent. Xiang Yang was starting to be able to communicate with people, no longer deliberately ignoring others, and he stopped staying in his room all day. The only habit he couldn’t shake was his disinclination to talk. The doctor said with a smile that this was just his personality; he seemed quiet, but he was actually very calm and steady.

The doctor also said that Xiang Yang was actually very smart. If he had been guided correctly from a young age, he might have been able to integrate into society much earlier. But it wasn’t too late now, just a little delayed. This was thanks to the very good “little teacher” who had given him a helping hand during his formative years, and he himself had worked very hard. If not for that, he might still be having difficulty communicating, and his progress wouldn’t have been so significant.

Shen Xiuqing knew better than anyone who this “little teacher” was. It was this excuse she had used to get Xiang Yang to agree to come with her in the first place.

Some parents give up on their children too early, while others will never give up on them, no matter what. The hearts of parents in this world truly are two different stories.

Shen Xiuqing chatted with Xiang Yang for a while as he ate. Although it was mostly her doing the talking, and about things unrelated to work, she said, “Xiang Yang, you need to eat more and get more exercise. There’s a gym on the second floor you can use. You should at least go run on the treadmill every day. Girls like men who are a bit stronger.”

Shen Xiuqing even teased him, “What will you do in the future if you can’t carry your wife…”

Xiang Yang glanced at her.

Seeing how dense he was, Shen Xiuqing loved to tease him. “What’s wrong? Thinking about Ji Yan?”

Xiang Yang paused for a moment, then gave a soft “mhm.”

Shen Xiuqing had never met anyone more honest than Xiang Yang; no amount of teasing could make him blush. She knew he was still drawing circles on the calendar—four months’ worth now. Every single day, he was waiting to see Ji Yan. Shen Xiuqing didn’t know when the girl would respond. She wasn’t entirely confident that her message would reach her through Li Lilian, but she had to keep her word. “Don’t worry, at the latest, I’ll take you back before the New Year.”

However, before the New Year arrived, Ji Yan showed up on his own the next afternoon.

After getting the address yesterday, he immediately looked up how to get there online. The transportation was inconvenient, and he got lost once along the way, forcing him to stay overnight at a local hotel, which was why he was so delayed.

When he returned home and found Xiang Yang gone, he was more anxious than anyone. The very next morning, he swallowed his pride and went to ask Li Lilian.

Li Lilian’s explanation was vague. She only said that someone had taken a fancy to Xiang Yang’s origami, from a studio called “Pu something,” and wanted to sign him. When she went to look for the phone number and business card Shen Xiuqing had given her, she couldn’t find them anywhere, clearly not caring much.

Unable to get any more information, Ji Yan could only call studios with similar names one by one until he finally found where Xiang Yang was.

The winter was cold, but he was sweating. He first stood outside to look at the surroundings before heading in.

A female employee at the reception desk in the studio lobby immediately asked his purpose for being there.

“I’m looking for Xiang Yang.”

“One moment.” The employee made an internal call to inquire, then replied, “He’s in class right now. Would you like to sit and wait for a while?”

But Ji Yan was anxious and felt he couldn’t rest easy until he saw Xiang Yang. “Excuse me, would it be possible for me to go find him? I won’t disturb him, I just want to see him for a second to make sure he’s here.”

The employee could see Ji Yan’s panic and, thinking it was an urgent family matter, didn’t make things difficult. “Alright. He’s in…”

Just by arriving here, Ji Yan was already half at ease. Li Lilian’s vague attitude had really made him worry that Xiang Yang had been scammed. But it seemed to be real. After walking around for a bit, he saw all sorts of different types of artwork, confirming that someone had truly seen the value in Xiang Yang’s work.

Ji Yan went to the classroom number the employee had given him. Through a transparent glass window, he saw Xiang Yang sitting there quietly, his head lowered as he stared at a piece of paper.

Someone was sitting across from Xiang Yang, drawing on paper with a pen, as if explaining some basic framework to him.

From a distance, Ji Yan couldn’t see the content clearly, but he could tell that Xiang Yang was focused and listening very attentively in class. He finally relaxed, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

But just then, a pretty young woman approached Xiang Yang. She smiled and said something, even placing a hand on Xiang Yang’s shoulder and patting it.

Not only did Xiang Yang not reject it, he seemed to have a good relationship with the girl.

Ji Yan’s smile froze on his face. Had he missed something these past few months? He stood there stunned, unsure how to react, but a sour feeling churned in his heart. Finally, another girl had noticed how wonderful Xiang Yang was.

At that moment, as if sensing a gaze, Xiang Yang suddenly looked up, towards the glass window.

Ji Yan didn’t know what he was thinking, but he spun around quickly, trying to hide himself, and hurried away.

But Xiang Yang still saw him. That fleeting figure. Amidst the surprised gazes of his instructor and Shen Xiuqing, he stood up and dashed out the door.

“Xiang Yang?” Shen Xiuqing had never seen Xiang Yang like this and chased after him.

Ji Yan walked out the main entrance, his mind a mess, not yet having figured out what to do next, when he heard Xiang Yang’s urgent voice from behind him: “Ji Yan—”

Ji Yan stopped abruptly in his tracks and turned to look. He stopped too suddenly. Xiang Yang didn’t have time to react. He instinctively shielded Ji Yan’s head, tumbling onto the nearby grass with the person in his arms.

“Xiang Yang,” Ji Yan said, snapping back to reality. He nervously grabbed Xiang Yang’s back, trying to get up. “Are you hu—mmph…”

Xiang Yang lowered his head and kissed Ji Yan.

Shen Xiuqing, who had just caught up, saw this scene: “!!!”