Chapter 12

After that one meeting, He An never contacted Xu Heng again. Xu Heng felt a bit disappointed, but also slightly relieved.

They came from two different worlds. Letting things end there was probably the best outcome. Even though He An’s thoughtful and gentle manner often made Xu Heng forget the distance between them, he knew deep down that He An had always looked down on him a little. Not in a cruel or contemptuous way, but in a quiet, unconscious sort of way. Xu Heng was never someone He An saw as important.

Xu Heng came from a small county town. He could easily pick up on that kind of condescension. He felt it from He An, from Chen Ang, even from Chen Ang’s soon-to-be-married sister. None of them ever treated him like someone who mattered, and he was very aware of that.

Lately, there seemed to be a new rich fan in Xu Heng’s livestream room.

The profile picture was one of the default system icons. The account had no bio, no info, not even a listed gender. The username was just an English name—Chris. Xu Heng thought it looked kind of familiar but couldn’t place it. The user popped up now and then in the chat, and every time they did, they dropped big tips. Xu Heng was a small-time streamer, not the type to have rich fans throwing money around. The first time he got a big donation, he was stunned and took ages just to say thank you.

On Chen Jing’s wedding day, Xu Heng was assigned to do makeup alongside his coworkers.

He had already mentally prepared himself to run into Chen Ang. That morning, he wore all black. Black bucket hat. Black mask. He tried to shrink his presence as much as possible, hoping Chen Ang wouldn’t pull anything, and more importantly, that he wouldn’t run into He An. Seeing both of them at once would be unbearable.

Chen Jing and Chen Ang were full siblings and looked alike, especially around the eyebrows and nose. Chen Ang had dark, thick brows with a sharp shape. On Chen Jing, those features were also striking. Xu Heng shaped them per her request, making her look more delicate. Without a smile, she had a cold, elegant look. When she smiled, she had that refined and beautiful vibe you usually saw on evening news anchors.

Xu Heng saw the groom for the first time in the makeup room. He had a square face and a tall frame. The way he and Chen Jing interacted didn’t feel like newlyweds. It was more like watching two colleagues who worked well together.

Chen Jing said, “When you give your speech later, make sure to follow the new script. I revised it last night.”

The groom replied, “Yeah, I know.”

“And during the toasts, table two has our station’s supervisors. Xiao Ang might be transferred to the city after the New Year. City officials are at that table too.”

The groom sounded a little annoyed. “Alright, I got it. You’ve said it so many times already.”

Chen Ang followed behind the groom and quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “He won’t forget. I’ll be right there with him.”

Xu Heng and the other stylists kept their heads down and their mouths shut, pretending to be deaf. Xu Heng quietly worked on adjusting the bride’s contour and nose bridge without saying a word. He didn’t realize how much his all-black outfit actually stood out. Black was slimming, which only made his small frame look even smaller. His pale skin popped under the dark clothes, and the tattoo on the back of his neck was impossible to miss.

After finishing Chen Jing’s makeup, Xu Heng went to the restroom. Outside, the sound of music and people’s voices had already become lively. Chen Ang and He An were both groomsmen, standing with the bride and groom in the main hall to greet guests. Xu Heng sneaked a glance. Chen Ang was wearing that same dark pinstripe three-piece suit he had tried on earlier. His hair was neatly slicked back, forehead exposed. The fitted fabric wrapped tightly around his shoulders and back, making him look strong and upright.

Xu Heng quickly looked away and hurried into the restroom. After that, he joined his coworkers back in the makeup room, cracking sunflower seeds while waiting for the wedding to end. There was a screen in the room showing a live feed of the ceremony, so they watched the wedding like it was a drama, chatting as they snacked.

The wedding wasn’t overly extravagant, but it was refined and well-organized. Chen Jing and her husband were like perfect actors, in sync down to every glance and movement. Their expressions held a subtle but flawless sense of happiness. The outdoor ceremony was held on the lawn, decorated with pink hydrangeas. Flower girls tossed rose petals. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were all tall and attractive. Chen Ang stood out the most among them, with the white edge of a silk pocket square peeking from his suit jacket. He bent down to help his sister adjust her dress train.

He was tall. When the bride tossed the bouquet, he just reached up and caught it. The crowd started cheering, telling him to give it to a bridesmaid. Instead, he crouched and handed the bouquet of pink hydrangeas to a little flower girl with her hair tied in a bun.

The indoor part of the wedding followed Chinese tradition. Chen Jing changed into a red and gold embroidered long dress and went around to toast each table with the groom. Chen Ang followed behind them. He mingled naturally, chatting with every table. Not too shy, not too eager. The older guests clearly liked him. Xu Heng even spotted Chen Ang’s parents. The father was tall and imposing, with a serious face. The mother had a gentle and graceful presence.

By the end of it all, just watching made Xu Heng feel exhausted.

Only after all the guests had left did Chen Jing return to the makeup room. Xu Heng helped her remove her makeup. Seeing the fatigue on her face, he said, “Congratulations, Miss Chen.”

Chen Jing started wiping off her lipstick in front of the mirror and calmly replied, “Thanks.”

When Xu Heng stepped out, he saw Chen Ang talking with his father in the main hall. The guests were gone, and only a few staff remained, sweeping the flower petals scattered everywhere. To avoid bumping into Chen Ang, Xu Heng paused at the corner.

Chen Zhengde said, “I’ve already put in a good word for you. The official notice will be out after the New Year.”

Chen Ang stood upright in front of his father. Both men had perfect posture.

Chen Ang replied, “Alright.”

Chen Zhengde continued, “Focus on your work. Don’t mess around. And you’re not young anymore. You saw your Uncle Lu’s daughter today. Ask her out for a meal sometime.”

Chen Ang said, “Alright.”

“Xu Heng, you left one of your brushes—”

“Ah.” Xu Heng responded softly and turned back to get it.

When he came out again, the main hall was already empty. The sky was completely dark. All the flowers from the outdoor ceremony on the lawn had been cleared away. Only the flower-bud shaped lamps were still glowing. Autumn had set in. A few yellow leaves drifted down from time to time. Chen Ang was standing by the roadside, seeing off the last of the relatives. The flower girl was holding the bride’s bouquet and returned it to him, then clung to his leg and said sweetly, “I’m giving the flowers to Brother Chen Ang. I’m going to be his bride when I grow up.”

No one could tell who was gifting whom anymore. Chen Ang couldn’t help but laugh. He crouched down and gently tousled the flower bun on her head, then nudged her toward the car. “Go on now, it’s getting dark. Your mom’s calling you.”

The car for Xu Heng’s colleague had already arrived, but his own ride hadn’t shown up yet. The driver had taken the wrong route and told him to wait another ten minutes.

Xu Heng stood at a distance. He watched Chen Ang linger after sending off his relatives. He didn’t leave. Instead, he stood beneath a tree by the roadside, took off his suit jacket and hung it over a branch. He placed the bouquet there too, unbuttoned his vest, rolled up his sleeves, loosened his collar, and pulled out a cigarette. The streetlight was dim, making his face hard to see. Only his silhouette stood out. For a second, when the lighter sparked, it lit up the sharp lines of his profile.

“Ah…”

With the first puff of smoke, Xu Heng heard a long sigh from Chen Ang.

“What are you staring at?”

Xu Heng held his makeup case in one hand and his bucket hat in the other. He mumbled, “I wasn’t staring. I’m waiting for my car. It’s still not here.”

From the hotel entrance came the sound of raised voices. Xu Heng looked over and saw what seemed to be Chen Jing and her husband, now in their casual clothes, arguing before leaving. He quickly said, “Your sister’s in a fight. You should check on her.”

Chen Ang glanced in that direction, then looked away and flicked ash into the nearby trash bin. “They’ll calm down in a bit. They fight like this all the time. No point stepping in.”

Sure enough, the argument ended quickly. The couple got in the car and left.

Xu Heng’s car still hadn’t arrived. The driver wasn’t picking up. The GPS showed he was still far off. The hotel was halfway up a mountain, isolated and surrounded by darkness.

Chen Ang turned to leave. Xu Heng couldn’t help blurting out, “You’re leaving?”

Chen Ang gave him an innocent look. “Yeah. What else would I do? Set up camp here?”

The makeup case was heavy. Xu Heng switched hands and said, “Well… alright then. I’ll just wait a bit longer. My car’s not here yet.”

Chen Ang had one hand in his pocket. His suit jacket was draped over the other arm, and he still held the bouquet. His vest and shirt were both unbuttoned, giving him a lazy, half-dressed look. He chuckled. “I’m messing with you. I’ll give you a ride.”

Xu Heng let out a breath and blushed a little. “Thanks. Just drop me off at the main road. That’s enough.”

Chen Ang shoved the bouquet into Xu Heng’s hands. “Hold this. I’ll go get the car.”