EIP 53

Lin Mian had delicate features and fair skin. Right now, her eyes were wide, shimmering as if two tears were ready to fall at any moment. Zhou Jun sighed, wondering if he’d gone too far. Maybe he should just gently add something, telling her he was only joking. But even with that thought, he was reluctant. Torn by the conflict, his face showed a hint of hesitation.

This expression snapped Lin Mian out of her shock. Though she hadn’t fully processed what she’d heard, she instinctively shook her head. “N-no, it’s okay. I was just… too surprised. I, I had friends like you two back in Hong Kong as well.” Afraid her reaction might hurt Zhou Jun, she hurried to explain, not expecting Zhou Jun to burst out laughing the next second, nearly to the point of tears, completely forgetting about the dance.

Zhou Jun released her hand, then took hold of it again to lead her out of the dance floor. Lin Mian lifted her dress and hurried to keep up with him, who seemed unusually lively. He brought her over to a long dining table, his fingers hovering over a variety of dishes before finally picking up a creamy pastry, which he held out to her. Her hand now free, she quickly clasped both hands together to take the treat from him.

Zhou Jun took a sip from his wine glass, watching her reaction, tinged with a hint of regret. What he regretted, Lin Mian couldn’t quite understand. Just then, Zhou Jun raised a slender forefinger to his freshly reddened lips, still damp from the wine, and made a “shh” gesture toward her. “This is a thank-you gift for keeping the secret,” he whispered. Lin Mian swallowed the pastry, producing a small, audible gulp.

She nodded, then suddenly shook her head, seeming puzzled or perhaps just realizing something. “You two… have that kind of relationship, and he came here for a blind date, so did you do that on purpose?” She didn’t dare to speculate exactly what he did on purpose, but a small sigh escaped her as she thought about her encounters that evening, each one turning out to be without any real connection.

Zhou Jun found Lin Mian incredibly amusing. He’d half-expected a slap or maybe even a kick, considering his behavior had been quite brazen. But he hadn’t anticipated this kind of response from her. After all, whether it was Yong Jin or Zhou Jun, she’d only just met them that night. She wasn’t too deeply affected, though there was a slight sense of disappointment. Still, if they truly had that kind of relationship, there was no reason for her to force herself into the mix.

Thinking this way, Lin Mian felt much more at ease. Zhou Jun noticed her face relaxing and said, “I have to go now. Until next time, Miss Lin.” On impulse, Lin Mian called out to him, and he paused, looking at her questioningly. She lifted the pastry in her hand with a smile and said, “Since the pastry was delicious, I’ll tell you one more thing. Mr. Yong, he…” But Zhou Jun shook his head, signaling her not to continue.

Lin Mian grew a little anxious. “But…” she started, only to see Zhou Jun’s expression change. He looked calm and composed, as if everything was under his control. He shook his head at her. “I already know what you’re going to say.”

Lin Mian didn’t believe him and asked, “What do you think I want to say?” Zhou Jun’s smile had a hint of mischief, and sure enough, he replied, “You want to tell me how he rejected you and that he wasn’t really interested in the blind date, so I shouldn’t misunderstand him, right?”

Lin Mian: “…”
She couldn’t help but feel a wave of frustration, though she couldn’t deny that those were exactly the things she wanted to say. Zhou Jun waved a casual goodbye and walked off with his usual ease.

When Zhou Jun stepped out of the club, he shivered, immediately feeling the cold. Rubbing his arms to warm himself up, he regretted not driving today, assuming he’d be drinking quite a bit. However, he found himself rather clear-headed now. He took a few steps down the street, but his pace gradually slowed. Not far away, he noticed a man in a coat leaning against a car, holding a cigar with a cold, stern expression, as if he were waiting for someone.

Their gazes met, and after a moment, Zhou Jun was the first to look away. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he walked down the street, waiting for a rickshaw. It was a quiet moment, with only the faint sounds of the distant banquet lingering, kept at bay by an indescribable tension. When the rickshaw arrived, Zhou Jun got in, glancing back once more at the car and the man. Yong Jin tossed his cigar to the ground, snuffing it out with a firm step, and entered his car, giving Zhou Jun only a fleeting glimpse of his back.

Perhaps it was the chill of the winter wind clouding his mind, but as Zhou Jun sat there, a streetlight by the curb sparked, then went out, casting a dimness over the surroundings. The only light left was the faint glow from Yong Jin’s car. The rickshaw driver asked for a destination, and Zhou Jun reached into his pocket, handed the driver a banknote, but instead of directing him to pull away, he asked the driver to wait there in silence.

Both cars remained still on the street. The silence was striking. No extra pedestrians, no other vehicles in sight. The long road resembled a dark river, with one yellow and one black “boat” moored in place. Zhou Jun stayed put, and surprisingly, Yong Jin didn’t leave either. In the dim view, Zhou Jun noticed Yong Jin extending his hand out of the car window. That single bright ember appeared. Maybe he was flicking off some ash. Zhou Jun gripped the rickshaw handle, one foot nearly touching the ground.

He was ready to give in, to walk over, to question, to mock, or maybe even to embrace. But just as he wavered in that tense, almost dream-like moment, the doors of the banquet hall opened, and a few young men and women spilled out, their laughter ringing through the night, shattering the fragile moment. Zhou Jun pulled his foot back into the rickshaw, pressing his lips tightly together with a look of regret on his face.

A woman nearby exclaimed in surprise, “Why is it so dark? Where’s the light?”

The broken streetlight was replaced by a new, brighter one. And with the new light came Shirley Chen, whom they had encountered earlier inside. She walked out with a somber expression, but her eyes brightened under the fresh light as she spotted the car parked by the curb. A smile returned to her face as she took quick, small steps in her high heels, lightly clicking as she made her way over.

Zhou Jun watched everything unfold clearly from inside his rickshaw. He pulled out a cigarette case from his suit, biting down on a cigarette while gripping the metal case tightly in his hand. The small item bore the brunt of his strong hold, producing a faint metallic creak. He observed without looking away as Shirley leaned down and knocked on the car window, her face showing a girlish smile and affection. After exchanging a few words with the person inside, she opened the door and climbed in.

The rickshaw driver, having received his payment and no longer needing to pull the vehicle, shoved his hands into his pockets and stood by, idly passing time. Suddenly, the passenger inside the rickshaw threw something out. The item, filled with intense anger, crashed violently onto the stone curb, shattering into pieces. Expensive cigarettes scattered all over the ground. The driver, startled, shuddered at the sight, and upon seeing the once perfectly fine object now destroyed, he felt an immediate sense of loss.

At that moment, the peculiar passenger inside spoke up, giving an address and urging the driver to depart immediately. It was as though he could no longer wait. He impatiently called out several times. The driver muttered to himself about how people with money always had so many issues and, without further delay, pulled the rickshaw forward.

As the rickshaw driver pulled his vehicle past the black car, he noticed the car door on the roadside was open, as if the person inside was about to step out at any moment. He quickly changed direction, steering the rickshaw away at an angle to avoid getting too close to the expensive foreign car. Moving swiftly, he soon pulled the rickshaw off the busy street. Zhou Jun had already removed the cigarette from his mouth and was holding it in his hand. He looked utterly exhausted, his eyes closed as he leaned back against the seat. His body swayed with the motion of the rickshaw, and though he saw nothing, he felt a headache throbbing through his temples.

At that moment, he wanted to drink a burning shot of liquor or perhaps hold a warm body in his arms as he fell asleep. He yearned for the warmth of a fireplace, someone cradling his head, gently caressing his neck. He wished to hear a heartbeat, to hold someone, or to be held. It didn’t matter who. The night was simply too cold.