Chapter 63 – The Gentleness When the Wind Stops

Jiang Ruo had held back his tears for too long; once he started crying, it was hard for him to stop.

When Aunt Fang arrived, she saw Jiang Ruo with red eyes, forcing a smile. She immediately turned to Xi Yufeng. “What did you do to make Xiao Jiang upset again?”

Her tone carried a hint of blame.

Jiang Ruo hurriedly waved his hands to explain. “It’s just that the movie was so touching. I cried watching it.”

Aunt Fang glanced at the TV screen with skepticism. “A foreign film?”

“Yes, yes, I was reading the subtitles…”

Xi Yufeng chuckled lightly, and Jiang Ruo glared at him, as if warning, “Watch out, or I’ll shut you up.”

Fortunately, Aunt Fang didn’t ask further questions and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

While waiting for dinner, Xi Yufeng took Jiang Ruo to stroll around the courtyard outside.

The rain had stopped, and the air was filled with the scent of water mixed with earth and vegetation, carrying the essence of nature.

There was a stone table and stools in the yard. After wiping them clean, Xi Yufeng lit a cigarette and smoked slowly. Sensing Jiang Ruo’s gaze on him, he turned his head and looked at Jiang Ruo with his eyes — asking, What’s wrong?

“There’s nothing.” Jiang Ruo said, “I was just wondering if you would sit here and daydream, or read books when you were sixteen or seventeen years old?”

Xi Yufeng replied, “Yes, but rarely.”

He used to sit here waiting for Qiao Jiamue to come back when he was very young, but since she never came, he got used to being alone. Most of the time, he stayed in his own room and hardly ever stepped out unless necessary.

Jiang Ruo’s eyes flickered. “Then… Would you sit here and read love letters written to you by others?”

Xi Yufeng raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “How do you know?”

“For heaven’s sake, don’t you look in the mirror?” Jiang Ruo was flabbergasted by his casualness. “Your face has been irresistible for over a decade, hasn’t it?”

Xi Yufeng truthfully told him that he didn’t care about such things back then. He indeed received letters similar to love letters, but he never opened them.

Jiang Ruo shook his head after hearing this. “You might have missed out on a beautiful campus romance.”

Xi Yufeng remained silent, holding the cigarette between his lips, looking at him meaningfully.

Jiang Ruo felt uneasy under his gaze. “Let me make it clear upfront — I’m not jealous.”

“You didn’t say you were.”

“Then why are you staring at me?”

“I was wondering if you would write me a love letter.”

“Please, I was only ten years old when you were sixteen!”

“At ten, you should have been able to write.”

“…Is that the point?”

Jiang Ruo was interested in learning about Xi Yufeng’s childhood, and Aunt Fang was more than willing to share. The dining table became their chatting spot.

Aunt Fang said that Xi Yufeng had also been mischievous. At four years old, he climbed a tree and almost broke his leg. He even climbed onto the roof when no one was watching, causing the nanny and the housekeeper to spend half a day trying to get him down using ladders and ropes.

She also mentioned that he had been smart from a young age. Even when he slept through class, he could still rank first in his grade. He learned everything quickly. Unlike the child of the director who lived halfway up the mountain and still played the violin like sawing wood after three years of learning, Xi Yufeng could play beautiful music within six months.

Hearing this, Jiang Ruo looked at Xi Yufeng with bright eyes. “You can play the violin too?”

Xi Yufeng’s secrets had been completely exposed, and he couldn’t sit still anymore. Using the excuse of being full, he got up and fled.

After dinner, Jiang Ruo stayed behind to help Aunt Fang wash the dishes, continuing their conversation.

Aunt Fang said, “Actually, Xiao Feng doesn’t like this house. He took it over merely because it was left by Madam — it’s a memento.”

Jiang Ruo nodded. “Mm-hm, I understand.”

“So, I must stay here and guard this house for him.”

“But you’ve already moved to the city center?”

“It’s just a temporary move, to take care of you two. I’m an old woman; why would I want to disturb your young life?”

“How can that be considered disturbing? He needs you.”

Aunt Fang put away a clean bowl and looked at Jiang Ruo with a warm smile. “What he needs is you.”

Jiang Ruo was taken aback.

“Do you remember when I said he’s very much like his mother?” Aunt Fang continued, “Madam was the same. She seemed cold and indifferent, as if she didn’t care about anything, but she was actually a sentimental person, with a soft heart.”

“I don’t know what happened between you two before, but all I saw was Xiao Feng being truly lost and distraught. Now that you’ve returned, Xiao Jiang, I assume you’ve forgiven him. If that’s the case, you two should be happy together.”

“Time passes by quickly. Listen to someone who’s been there — don’t always think there’s plenty of time ahead. Cherish the present, and you won’t go wrong.”

Because he had other plans, Jiang Ruo returned to his own residence that night.

The next morning, while on his way to the studio, Jiang Ruo received several photos sent by Zheng Yiting. The background was a hospital, and the main characters were him and Xi Yufeng.

Jiang Ruo suddenly became alert and immediately called her, nervously calling out, “Sister Zheng…”

Zheng Yiting got straight to the point. “We’ve handled everything that needed to be taken care of, but because we weren’t prepared, many netizens still caught wind of the situation.”

Jiang Ruo immediately fell to his knees. “I’m sorry.”

Zheng Yiting continued, “But these photos aren’t solid evidence. Two people sharing an umbrella can be explained as bumping into each other at the hospital and exchanging a few words. Let Xiao Shen post a Weibo update for you, showing the supplements you’ve been taking recently.”

Jiang Ruo stood up again. “Sister, could you please not leave me hanging like that?”

“If I don’t scare you a little, you’ll continue playing fast and loose with things.”

“It’s not exactly playing fast and loose, it’s just that…it just happened.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then Zheng Yiting asked, “Is this serious this time?”

Jiang Ruo hummed in agreement.

Zheng Yiting laughed. “That’s good news. In the future, when I handle President Xi’s investments, I won’t feel guilty if there are losses.”

“Still, I’d like to beg you to watch over his investments for him,” Jiang Ruo also laughed. “If there really are losses, he won’t feel it as much as I will.”

Although it was a false alarm, Zheng Yiting still reminded Jiang Ruo to be cautious in public spaces in the future. After all, there had been rumors before that he was kept by someone and brought in with resources, which wouldn’t reflect well on him.

Jiang Ruo agreed.

After hanging up, he picked a photo that only showed their backs among the stack and set it as the cover photo for his Moments album.

Zhou Xinyao was the first to notice.

She sent a string of exclamation marks, asking: Are you guys reconciled?

Jiang Ruo replied: Yes, thanks to Sister Zhou not closing the door tightly during your singles party.

Zhou Xinyao pretended to be clueless: What are you talking about? I have no idea what you’re saying.

Jiang Ruo pulled out his trump card: I almost forgot to tell Xi Yufeng that you wanted to introduce me to a male model with eight-pack abs.

Zhou Xinyao sharpened her knife: I’ve been worried sick about your happiness, and you actually wanted to ruin me!

In reality, Jiang Ruo knew why Zhou Xinyao acted this way. It was simply because she had once received a favor from Xi Yufeng and wanted to repay him by helping out whenever possible.

Later on the phone, she sighed, “I thought you were so determined before, refusing to even see him. I thought there was no chance for you two.”

Jiang Ruo admitted, “I wasn’t actually that determined.”

Zhou Xinyao marveled, “From a personality and background perspective, you two might not be the perfect match, but somehow, you give off the feeling that you can’t live without each other.”

So her matchmaking wasn’t entirely out of gratitude; she also didn’t want to see two people in love part ways.

Finally, during the traditional talent show segment, Zhou Xinyao exaggeratedly praised Jiang Ruo. “My Brother Jiang is a bodhisattva descended from heaven, here to save men who don’t understand love.”

Jiang Ruo was amused by her, saying, “He’s great. Instead of giving him another chance, it’s more like giving myself a chance.”

An opportunity to let the wind pause for him.

This year, the Spring Festival fell in early February. Before the festival, Jiang Ruo invited Wei Chulin for a meal.

Mainly to thank her for introducing him to the theater troupe’s work, Jiang Ruo gained a lot from those performances. Spending every day practicing and refining his skills with dance performers, he felt that his dance skills had greatly improved.

When inviting her, Jiang Ruo anticipated that Chen Muxin might come along, and sure enough, the siblings both appeared on the day of the dinner. During the meal, Chen Muxin secretly sent Jiang Ruo a message, saying that he had come along because he was afraid Wei Chulin would be blunt and ruin the atmosphere.

It turned out to be an unnecessary worry. Wei Chulin now spent a lot of time with Zhou Xinyao, and Zhou Xinyao must have educated her. Wei Chulin’s reaction to Jiang Ruo getting back together with his former sugar daddy wasn’t very strong.

However, accustomed to her sharp tongue, she couldn’t resist a couple of jabs.

Wei Chulin looked at him with a mixture of frustration and disappointment. “Look at you, with your looks and talent. I can understand the lack of resources when you first entered the entertainment industry, but now you’re getting offers non-stop. Why do you still need help from others?”

“Sister, what you said is true. I got the chance to participate in the stage play because of your help.”

Then, he told Wei Chulin that he and Xi Yufeng weren’t in a kept relationship anymore; they were dating normally.

Wei Chulin still couldn’t listen to that. “Normal dating means he doesn’t take care of you? You performed so well in ‘The Actor’s Flower Road,’ but in the end, the first place was snatched away by someone with better resources. Why didn’t he spend money to help you secure it?”

“It was me who didn’t let him interfere with my career…”

“Since you don’t need him anymore, why didn’t you choose a better partner to date? Is my brother not handsome enough or too old? Why must you pick an old man whose hands have been passed around?”

Thinking about saving some face for Xi Yufeng, Jiang Ruo didn’t say that Xi Yufeng was fresh meat, nor did he mention that he had just turned thirty. Instead, he agreed with Wei Chulin’s words. “You’re right; I have bad taste. Our brother’s luck is yet to come!”

By the end of the meal, the most embarrassed was actually Chen Muxin.

He probably didn’t expect that before his twenty-third birthday, he would become an unsellable product in his sister’s eyes.

Afterward, Chen Muxin sent a message to Jiang Ruo, saying: Don’t listen to my sister. I’m not desperate for someone to take me.

Jiang Ruo replied with an “I understand” emoticon and sincerely thanked him.

At this point, Jiang Ruo couldn’t say something generic like “you’ll find someone better” to Chen Muxin. He was just grateful that Chen Muxin had once placed genuine affection in front of him and respected him, allowing him to make his own choice.

After all, if a person had never received respect in a relationship, they might not understand what true equality meant.

At the end of January, Feng City experienced another snowfall.

It was even heavier than the previous one, leading to the closure of some roads and disrupting some of Jiang Ruo’s plans.

On a sunny day after the snow, Jiang Ruo called Xi Yufeng and asked him about his plans for the evening.

Xi Yufeng threw the question back. “I’ll arrange my schedule based on yours.”

Jiang Ruo enjoyed this, taking advantage of the fact that Xi Yufeng couldn’t see him grinning widely. He lied, “I have a dinner appointment with someone tonight. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Xi Yufeng asked who the appointment was with, and Jiang Ruo hadn’t made up a story yet, so he didn’t answer immediately. But Xi Yufeng pondered for a moment and guessed whether it was Chen Muxin.

Now, Jiang Ruo couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Hey, can you smell it?”

“What?”

“A huge whiff of vinegar.”

“…”

Jiang Ruo told him that he had already clarified things with Chen Muxin, and now they were friends.

Xi Yufeng began to ponder the word “friend,” and Jiang Ruo hurriedly interrupted him. “Alright, that’s enough. I just wanted to tell you that I’m not free tonight, so you don’t have to rush home early.”

Xi Yufeng wasn’t stupid. Hearing Jiang Ruo’s hesitant tone on the phone, he knew something was amiss.

Moreover, there was the direct notification sent to his phone about the door being unlocked.

There was an evening meeting today, which ended at seven-thirty. Without attending the company executives’ banquet, Xi Yufeng took the elevator straight down to the parking lot and drove towards the city center.

Standing in front of the door, he deliberately waited for a while before pressing his fingerprint, giving the people inside time to react and also giving himself some breathing space.

Even so, when he pushed open the door, he was momentarily dazzled by the scene before him.

In fact, there wasn’t much change overall, but compared to before, there were more things added.

The previously empty TV cabinet now housed an “Best Supporting Actor” trophy. Besides the casually tossed coat on the sofa, there was also an orange cat cushion. On the dining table was a brand-new coffee machine.

The changes on the balcony were the most noticeable. A dozen pots of plants lined up in a row, creating a lush and shady scene; the light in the dance room was on, and from the doorway, you could see that the white tortoise pot had been adjusted and placed closer to the window.

They were all new additions, and although their styles varied greatly, there was a strange harmony, as if they belonged here all along.

Before he could take a closer look, he heard a flurry of footsteps, and Jiang Ruo ran out from the master bedroom, his eyes wide in surprise. “How did you come back!”

Xi Yufeng saw him dressed in casual clothes, wearing blue cotton slippers, and his gaze softened involuntarily.

“I was stood up,” he decided to lie as well. “Is there food at home?”

Of course, there was.

Aunt Fang had just visited yesterday and left a few dishes. Jiang Ruo opened the refrigerator to fetch them, using his body to shield them from view as if afraid someone else might see. His posture was awkward, which inadvertently allowed Xi Yufeng to catch sight of a gift box placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator.

Tomorrow was his birthday, so it seemed the birthday cake had already been arranged.

Having his plans disrupted, Jiang Ruo was somewhat annoyed.

After dinner, while he continued to sort out the things he had moved in, he grumbled, sometimes saying, “Why did you come back so early? I haven’t finished tidying up yet,” and other times, “Why did you come back so early? There are no surprises now.”

In short, it was all Xi Yufeng’s fault for coming back so early without any reason.

Xi Yufeng acknowledged his guilt and rolled up his shirt sleeves to help tidy up.

Jiang Ruo actually had quite a lot of things. A year ago, he was able to move everything in one trip because most of his belongings were left in the rental apartment, and only the clothes he wore frequently and essential daily items were left here.

Now it was different. Jiang Ruo had almost emptied the rental apartment, packing all his possessions and bringing them here.

Even certain things that shouldn’t have appeared.

Taking out the peculiarly posed doll from the suitcase, Xi Yufeng stared at it for a long time until Jiang Ruo, who was sorting out the closet, turned to look over.

“Do you know who gave you this doll?” Jiang Ruo asked.

Xi Yufeng faintly hummed in acknowledgment.

Jiang Ruo was dead serious. “Can I put it on the bedside?”

Xi Yufeng didn’t say anything. With a flick of his wrist, the doll flew in an arc and landed on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Jiang Ruo burst out laughing. “And you say you’re not jealous?”

Later, the doll was placed in a box that Jiang Ruo specifically used to store gifts from friends.

As for the bottle of wine that he had wrapped tightly in bubble wrap, it was placed on the windowsill of the dance room, side by side with another bottle.

Wiping the bottle with a dry cloth, Jiang Ruo stroked the letters on the bottle he had given and suddenly thought of something.

“How did you understand the words on this?”

Xi Yufeng leaned against the armrest with his elbow and looked over when he heard the question. “How did you understand it? That’s how I understood it.”

Jiang Ruo: “…I figured it out by using Baidu. Did you do the same?”

As if he could visualize Jiang Ruo carefully typing in each letter on his phone, Xi Yufeng laughed.

To Jiang Ruo’s ears, it sounded somewhat mocking. He stood up, held the bottle of wine in front of Xi Yufeng’s eyes, and ordered, “Read!”

Xi Yufeng complied and read it.

The Spanish pronunciation was smooth, with undulating tones. Coupled with Xi Yufeng’s low and slightly hoarse voice and his deliberate slowing down of the speech, the lines of poetry were recited in a melodious manner.

It was the gentleness when the wind stops.

Listening to it, Jiang Ruo felt intoxicated, as if he hadn’t even drunk alcohol, and asked Xi Yufeng, “How do you know everything?”

“There are things I don’t know.”

“What is it?”

After a brief silence, Xi Yufeng said, “How to retain you.”

Perhaps due to his innate nature, or perhaps because all the stories he had experienced inevitably touched upon darkness, the aftermath of that shattered night a year ago would suddenly appear when Xi Yufeng felt closest to happiness.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ruo felt he had been dragged into the bottomless vortex as well.

But he didn’t plan to struggle.

He once believed that a good love should be filled with sunshine, far from sadness and pain.

Until he entered Xi Yufeng’s world, influenced by him, and permeated by his dark undertones.

Like a fish released into the vast sea, at first, there was only fear of the depths and the waves. Later, he gradually adapted to its vastness and depth, enjoying its gentle warmth on sunny days and embracing its fierce storms during thunderstorms.

Putting down the wine bottle, he reached up and grabbed the collar of Xi Yufeng’s white shirt. Jiang Ruo looked up to meet his gaze.

With a straightforward attitude that suggested, “Since you dragged me in here, you can’t just leave me alone,” he asked, “Then why am I here?”

In response, Xi Yufeng’s gaze deepened, and he leaned down to kiss him.

Outside the window, traffic flowed continuously. The two bottles of wine bathed in the dazzling night scenery, as if they had never been apart.