Category: What to Do When You Run into Your Crush? (Page 2 of 2)

(35)

After that, our love life was divided into two parts.

While we were in Australia, I moved into Yan Han’s apartment, and we lived like a young couple.

He cooked during the day, and at night, he did me.

When it was time to go back to China during the holidays, he would come find me whenever he had time off, and I’d also go to his city to see him.

Every time I went over to his place, we’d always have spicy soup in the morning.

I got used to it, and eventually fell in love with it.

Burp.

Aside from breakfast, he’d also feed me three to four meals a day.

After just a few days of that, I came back home so fat my dog didn’t even recognize me.

Later, after my repeated questioning, Yan Han finally admitted that he usually had spicy soup as brunch—it counted for two meals.

Excuse me?

Then what about my three to four meals a day count as?

Does that mean I can eat a lot?

When he came to visit me, I’d sneak my dog out to meet him.

Like owner, like dog—upon seeing him, the dog’s tail wagged like a propeller.

Yan Han squatted down, scooped the little white dog into his arms, and kissed its head with a smile.

I took him to all the popular spots online, ate local specialties, and brought him to a temple to draw fortune sticks.

Just like most student couples keeping each other company.

One time during the break, I jokingly told him that I wanted to go visit him, but I was about to return to school and couldn’t bear to leave my little dog behind.

A thousand kilometers—he drove an entire day alone just to see me.

Then took me and the dog on a road trip.

He bought a bunch of snacks for me in the front passenger seat, and even brought dog treats for the pup.

I love him so much.

It’s not that I’m love brain.

I just think that maybe I won’t ever find someone who loves me more than he does.

(36)

I kind of want to cry.

We applied to different cities for graduate school.

We’re about to start a long-distance relationship.

I really can’t bear it.

I can’t bear it.

(37)

Yan Han helped me settle down in S City, then returned to B City.

One second I sent him off at the departure gate, the next second I was already checking flights from S City to B City on my phone.

Luckily, the tickets weren’t expensive, and there were plenty of flights.

I booked one for the next weekend and sent him a screenshot.

He only replied after passing security.

A big red heart.

Then a voice message.

“I miss you already.”

(38)

We kept flying back and forth on the route between S City and B City.

Whenever he was busy, I’d be the one flying over.

When I was busy, he’d fly over.

We watched countless sunsets at the Opera House, and countless times the sea in GC.¹This was written as GC in the raw and I assume this is Gold Coast.

Many times, I’d head straight to the airport after class on Friday. The red-eye flights made my eyes so dry I couldn’t keep them open, and my whole body was puffy.

But knowing he was waiting for me on the other side, I pushed through with all my strength.

The return trips were the hardest—shameless as I was, I always ended up crying on the plane.

Two hours of flight time. In those two years, we flew for hundreds of hours.

(39)

Our two years of grad school ended, and we both returned to China.

It’s a different place again.

I couldn’t hold on anymore.

He took over his family’s company in Z City, while I found a stable job at a design institute in H City that was aligned with my major, and a good place to settle down.

We coordinated our schedules and picked a weekend that wasn’t too busy; he flew over to see me.

We walked along the West Lake, but there were too many people. I didn’t dare hold his hand.

He came over with a second ice cream cone, half off the second one, and handed one to me.

Looking at the cone, I thought of that one from four years ago, and tears fell from my eyes for no reason.

“Don’t cry.”

He raised a hand to wipe my tears, but his eyes were red too.

“Can we stop being long-distance?”

I shook my head and avoided his hand.

Later, he changed his flight and stayed in H City with me. Every day, he came to my office to have lunch with me, waited in my rented apartment in the evenings, and cooked me dinner.

He acted like everything was easy and carefree, but one night, I accidentally lit up his phone screen. It was filled with missed calls and messages from work group chats.

But he muted his phone.

I quietly cuddled up to him and slept through the night again.

His body was warm. In H City without central heating, he was the best baby heater I could have.

(40)

I booked his flight for the next day and took him to the airport after I got off work.

Before boarding, he held my hand tightly.

“Let’s try to figure something out, okay?”

I nodded, holding back my tears.

Later, we did try a lot of things—video calls every day, reading the same book through an app, flying to each other’s cities over the holidays.

But the effect never lasted long enough, while our longing always did.

In the end, we still broke up.

Like every couple defeated by long distance.

(25)

I stood in the arrivals area of Xinxin International Airport, pulling along my small suitcase, and took off my sweatshirt, draping it over my arm.

I thought for a bit, then thought some more.

And called Yan Han.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Um, um…” I stammered, unsure how to begin.

“What’s wrong?”

Yan Han sounded confused.

It was only seven in the morning, after all.

“I’m at Xinxin Airport. Can you come pick me up?”

“…” Yan Han’s voice paused as if he was just coming to his senses. “What?”

“Well, your place is a transportation hub, right? I had a layover here. Hehehe…”

It sounded like he had switched to speakerphone. I could hear him throwing off his covers and then a thud as he jumped out of bed.

“I’ll be right there. Find a Starbucks and wait for me.”

I glanced at the nearby shops. “It’s too early, I don’t think it’s open yet. Hehehe.”

I tried my best to laugh, but it came out dry.

Yan Han sounded like he chuckled too. His voice came closer to the mic, deep enough to make my ears burn.

“Then don’t eat yet. Wait for me, I’ll take you somewhere nice.”

(26)

Coming to see him really was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Yan Han’s department had gone on break early, but my crappy major still had a summer semester, which kept me stuck for two extra weeks.

The moment I submitted my final assignment, I opened an app to check for flights.

What a coincidence, there was one landing in his city that very night.

I had to transfer anyway.

Heading in the opposite direction, running a few hundred more kilometers — that’s still a chance for a turnaround.

I waited at the meeting point near the arrivals exit. After waiting too long and getting tired, I sat on my suitcase with my legs crossed, staring eagerly toward the passageway from the parking lot.

A tall figure came running over. His medium-short hair was unkempt, bouncing with every step.

He was stopped by the security checkpoint, and while being searched, he raised his right hand and waved at me.

His smile was brilliant, dazzling like the rising sun.

It was Yan Han.

He ran toward me, arms spread wide like he was about to hug me.

I got up, tossed my suitcase and sweatshirt to the ground, opened my arms, and threw myself into his embrace.

He was so warm.

His T-shirt was so thin that when I wrapped my arms around his back, I could feel the firmness of his muscles.

“I’ll help you… with your suitcase.”

I looked up slightly. “Huh?”

Yan Han froze for a second, then smiled and hugged me tighter, his palm pressing gently against my back.

“It’s nothing.”

(27)

“Did you reached out earlier to help me with my suitcase?”

I asked after a moment of silence, sitting in the car.

“No,” Yan Han replied seriously. “I just wanted to hug you.”

“Really?” I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized him.

“…” Yan Han glanced at me. “…Alright, I didn’t expect you’d actually let me hug you.”

What misconception did I gave you?

Why wouldn’t I let you hug me?

I’d let you hug me even with our clothes off, seriously.

(smile.jpg)

(28)

His idea of something nice turned out to be spicy soup.

I actually had a hunch.

Ever since I found out the person I liked was from Yumi province, I’d done a bit of research.

He was driving a huge SUV, winding through narrow streets with twists and turns, before finally parking by the roadside.

After pulling the handbrake and turning off the engine, I turned to look at him and applauded him for his driving skills.

You have to understand that driving in Australia and driving in China are two completely different concepts.

I’d been driving here for three years, but the moment I came back to China, I didn’t dare touch the steering wheel.

“You’re amazing!”

Sparkly-eyed.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. “Let’s go.”

It was hard to describe how I felt the first time I drank spicy soup.

I felt like if marrying him meant I’d have to drink this every day, I was a little scared.

But the next day, he took me to another place.

And suddenly I felt fine again. I could be the daughter-in-law of Yumi province.

Later, I found out that the first place Yan Han took me to was the one he thought was the most famous.

Fang-something-shan.

A special treat for out-of-towners.

(29)

He also took me to a local long-established shop for braised noodles.

I’ve eaten braised noodles before. Yan Han once made them at home, using a rich broth stewed with lamb bones all day.

This place was packed. We waited outside for a while before finally getting a seat.

When the noodles were served, the soup was milky white, with a few slices of meat floating on top. It smelled amazing.

I leaned in for a sip of the broth and nodded.

“Not bad.”

Yan Han brought over two cold side dishes and motioned for me to try them too.

I’d never seen either of them before.

They were refreshing, simple ingredients, but the preparation gave them entirely different flavors.

“Delicious!”

I praised them and gave a big thumbs-up.

Yan Han held his chopsticks in hand, watching me with a bright smile, his dark eyes glowing.

Today, he styled his hair in an American-style forward quiff and wore a dark-colored trendy T-shirt. I could tell he’d dressed up just for me.

“Try the noodles.”

With such a beauty in front of me, even the noodles seemed a bit bland in comparison.

“Not as good as the ones you make.”

I took a bite, couldn’t even taste the flavor, and just blindly complimented him with a smile in my eyes.

Why did it suddenly get so quiet around us?

It made me sound really loud.

The nearby diners all turned to look at me, their eyes practically spelling out four big characters:

[Definitely not a local]

(30)

Yumi Province Must-Eat List—

Cold gluten noodles

Steamed shredded carrot with rice flour

Yan Han

Not listed in order of importance.

(31)

On the last night before I left, Yan Han drove me to the new district for hotpot. It was a national chain—I’d had it in other cities before.

While we were eating, he seemed to run into someone he knew and chatted for a while at the checkout counter.

I rested my chin on my hand and peeked over. I saw him talking to an older uncle.

The uncle looked over in my direction, smiled, and waved at me.

After saying goodbye, Yan Han walked back over.

“Who was that ya?”

I asked curiously.

“The manager here.”

“Huh?” I was puzzled. “How do you know the manager here?”

“This is my family’s restaurant.”

He said casually, like it was no big deal.

Realization hit me. “Oh, your family has a franchise?”

Yan Han paused for a second, then pointed up at the sign above the restaurant door as we walked out.

“Not a franchise. It’s directly owned.”

[Yan Hotpot]

Yan Hotpot??

It finally clicked.

“For real?” I asked, stunned.

Yan Han nodded, looking a little shy as he smiled.

It wasn’t until I got into the car that I came back to my senses.

“No wonder you always worked part-time at restaurants,” I turned to him. “You were secretly learning the trade ya.”

“Exactly.” Yan Han smiled and nodded. He’d quit his job at McDonald’s a while back and moved on to a high-end Chinese restaurant in a casino to work as a server.

“…” I suddenly felt a bit of a low selt-esteem. The person was richer than me and still worked harder.

I pouted slightly, feeling a little down.

Yan Han noticed right away and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Why the long face?”

“I feel so useless ah.”

“How could you be?” Yan Han frowned. “You’ve got great grades, you’re talented at drawing, and you’re already living independently at such a young age. You’re amazing.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true oh.” His praise made me grin sheepishly.

After dinner, we went for a walk around the plaza near the new district’s landmark.

The summer night breeze was refreshing, and there were many people strolling along the boardwalk by the lake.

When the crowd thickened, Yan Han stayed very close to me. He made sure I walked on the inside, shielding me from the lake’s edge.

The corn-shaped¹玉米 Yumi means corn-which is where YH is from, Yumi Province. landmark building was lit up in a bright yellow, and honestly, it looked kind of cute.

“Li Qingze,” Yan Han called my name, “wanna eat an ice cream cone?”

“Eat!”

“I’ll go buy one.”

He told me to wait under a tree where there weren’t many people, then disappeared into the crowd, queuing up at the dessert stall with a bunch of kids.

After a few minutes, he came striding back with nothing but a cone in his hand.

“You’re not having one?”

“You have it.” He looked at me with those deep black eyes, gaze focused and gentle.

I took the cone from him and then held it up to his mouth.

“You take the first bite.”

Yan Han paused, then lowered his head and bit into it. A smudge of white ice cream stuck to his thin lips.

I really wanted to kiss him.

That thought flashed through my mind as I brought the cone to my mouth, just about to take a bite—

When I was suddenly kissed.

(32)

“He kissed me, and just like that, we got together.”

The short holiday ended, and back at school, I was lining up with Liu Leyao at a café to get breakfast.

“WTF!”

Liu Leyao let out a low shout, and a few people in front of us turned to look.

My temple twitched.

“Watch your manners…”

Liu Leyao reached over and pinched the soft flesh on my arm.

“When did this happen? Why are you only telling me now?”

“It’s been a month. I figured we’d be seeing each other once I got back anyway, so I didn’t say anything on WeChat.”

Liu Leyao was thoroughly pissed.

“Did you forget I’m also from Z City? You came and hung out with him every day and didn’t even tell me. You—you!”

“Saw color, forgot friends.²To neglect one’s friends when smitten with a new love.“I asked her sincerely. “Is that the phrase you’re looking for?”

Liu Leyao stared at me and sneered. “Matcha latte. No sugar. You’re buying.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When it was my turn to order, I asked for three cups.

There were only two of us, so why three?

Because my boyfriend was coming to see me la!

(33)

October was the most beautiful season in Western Australia.

The stretches of jacaranda trees formed a picturesque contrast with the azure Swan Lake.

Yan Han had cut down on his work hours, leaving most of his time to spend with me.

We drove north along the coastline, all the way to the westernmost edge of the continent, to see the white shell beach and the pink lake.

There were two or three birds soaring in the blue sky, but on the coastal highway, it was just the two of us.

Just us, our car, and the endless sea.

But we had each other, and that was enough.

We love each other, and that was enough.

(34)

“Why are you and Yan Han always off on your own? We can never find you guys.”

Ma Jiaming had set up a mahjong table at home and invited us, husband and husband, over.

He looked at me, a little displeased. “Don’t go forming little cliques, I’m warning you.”

Ma Jiaming had been my friend since language school. I valued our friendship.

Of course, it was also to stop him from saying anything inappropriate.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him.

“I’m with Yan Han.”

He froze. “What?”

“We’re dating.”

I said it calmly, but I saw his eyes grow wider and wider.

“Wait, so your parents actually told you to find someone from another province?” Ma Jiaming finally snapped out of it and said his first words.

I’m really convinced.

Isn’t that just another kind of regional discrimination against our Jiangjiang Province? (smile.jpg)

I walked into the living room and saw my boyfriend standing with Xu Pengpeng, mixing drinks.

I walked over and rested my chin in the crook of Yan Han’s neck.

“I told Ma Jiaming about us.”

Yan Han paused, turning to look at me in slight surprise.

Xu Pengpeng was still on the side, shake shake, and asked, “What about you two?”

“We’re dating.”

Xu Pengpeng froze mid-motion, stared at me and Yan Han pressed close together, and said through gritted teeth, “Cao³English in raw. This means fc***., I knew it!”

Yan Han chuckled and teased, “You’ve got gaydar too?”

Xu Pengpeng pointed at Yan Han with a scowl and said viciously, “No straight guy changes socks every single day!”

My friends are really great.

After I came out of the closet, they accepted it quickly and cheerfully sat down at the mahjong table.

I shuffled, drew tiles, and arranged my hand.

As satisfying as a Pung hand⁴It’s a winning hand composed entirely of triplets called “pung” or quads called “kong”, and a pair. This is harder to achieve than a regular hand that uses sequences, so it scores higher. in Mahjong.

Yan Han placed a mojito by my side, leaned both arms on the armrests of my chair, and tenderly kissed the top of my head.

(21)

We were lucky; today was a rare good day during the continuous rainy season.

When this silent continent cleared up, the sky took on a beautiful color that even painters couldn’t replicate.

It was a lively, translucent blue.

For the sake of this blue sky above my head, I was willing to forgive all the hardships, loneliness, and cold encounters that came with being thousands of miles away from home.

Moreover, Yan Han was by my side.

He could share this same sky with me.

(22)

Everyone took the camping equipment out of the car trunk and got straight to work.

When the tent that had been set up collapsed for the third time, Yan Han helplessly patted the sand off his hands.

“You guys stay put, I’ll do it.”

The two tents were set up securely.

The four of us boys shared two tents, two in each. Originally, Liu Leyao suggested that she could sleep in the car, but Yan Han took out a small tent, set it up quickly, and threw the car pillows and blankets inside.

“You sleep here.”

Liu Leyao hugged me and kept shaking me, mumbling.

“Your boyfriend is so nice.”

Too soon ha. Too soon.

Although—

He had pinned our chat (smug.jpg).

We sat on the moisture-proof mat playing poker. The wind blew away Ma Jiaming’s cards, making him run barefoot for two hundred meters to get them.

The ground was covered with red gravel, and he kept howling in pain as he ran back.

The dam in front of us was a pale greenish-white, and the water was as clear as a mirror. There were a few fallen trees by the shore, their twisted branches giving off an artistic vibe.

I let Liu Leyao take over my cards and then went to the car to get my sketchbook.

I wanted to capture this moment that made me happy.

The others were drawn rather carelessly, barely distinguishable between male and female.

It was only Yan Han who I drew meticulously.

I sketched his relaxed sitting posture, his slender arms, his prominent eyebrows, and his high-bridged nose.

I only brought a pencil out with me, so I couldn’t add colors. But the colors of this drawing, I think I would remember them for a long time.

(23)

Oh heavens, it was way too cold here at night in the wilderness.

I wrapped myself in a blanket and sat inside the tent. The outdoor jacket I wore wasn’t warm at all, and I was shivering non-stop.

Ma Jiaming poked his head inside. “Want to come drink?”

“No… no thanks.” My teeth chattered.

After a while, Yan Han also came looking for me.

He lifted the tent flap and looked at me. “Why aren’t you coming out to play?”

“I’m just resting for a bit.”

I tried to suppress my shivering and forced a smile.

“Cold?”

Yan Han frowned, then knelt down and crawled into the tent, touching my blanket-wrapped hands.

“So cold?”

His frown deepened.

“I’m not cold.”

People freeze to death and still act tough.

Oh, wait—actually, freezing to death does make one’s body stiff.

My brain was already frozen, and I cry.

I watched as he took off his black jacket and wrapped it around me.

“Want to go to the car to warm up?”

Yi, he was wearing a fleece underneath.

He reached out and pinched the thickness of my sleeve, looking helpless.

“So, your outdoor jacket doesn’t have an inner lining?”

“Oh.” I lowered my head. “I thought I wouldn’t need it.”

After all, the lowest temperature downtown was only fifteen degrees ah!

He peeled off my blanket, guided my hands through the sleeves of his jacket, and zipped it up for me.

Today, he sprayed on Darjeeling Tea—it was a mild, non-aggressive scent. The fragrance, wrapped in his body heat, gave off a subtle, unique after-scent that belonged only to him.

While sniffing and trying to clear my nose, I couldn’t help but catch a whiff, getting a bit addicted.

(24)

You’re asking who I shared a tent with that night?

What a pointless question.

Hehe.

(23)

Great, great.

I finally made it into the study break that comes once a semester.

I really felt like I was going to be useless if I kept studying (smile.jpg).

After my last class, I sat in the car and texted Liu Leyao, asking her if she had any plans for the break.

Liu Leyao replied slowly, “Want to fly to the East to play?”

Sure ya. I had just typed these two words and hadn’t had time to send them.

Yan Han’s chat window popped up.

It was a three-second voice message.

My hands trembled as I opened it and placed it to my ear, listening intently.

“Want to go out together during the break?”

His voice was soft and deep.

I could imagine him with his long eyelashes lowered, leaning close to the phone as he said that.

I went back to Liu Leyao’s chat window and deleted the words “Sure ya.”

Then I replied to her.

“Sorry, I’ve got plans ha.”

“…” Liu Leyao replied. Through the text, I could almost see her speechless expression. “Yan Han also asked me.”

My fingers froze.

I kind of wanted to cry.

(24)

Mirror, mirror, tell me, is my crush is gay or not? Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.

(25)

In the end, our five-person squad decided to go camping at a nearby dam.

But we scheduled it for three days later because Yan Han still had work to do these next two days.

I immediately felt a pang of sourness in my heart when I heard that. I felt sorry for him.

Then I immediately felt guilty for having eaten that $200 steak of his earlier.

When Xu Pengpeng saw my heartboken expression, he immediately frowned and waved his hand.

“What’s with that look?”

“Yan Han, he…” I hesitated.

“No need for that ha.” Xu Pengpeng explained, “Brother Yan drives his sports car to the city, parks it at a $20 an hour parking lot, and then works at McDonald’s for a $23 hourly wage. Who works like that if they’re a decent guy?”

Alright, I heard you.

Yan Han wasn’t broke—he just had a hobby.

I blinked, finally feeling relieved.

Just now, I even considered financially supporting him so he’d suffer less.

(16)¹Author had a typo with number but I’ll just follow it.

Xu Pengpeng borrowed a bunch of camping gear from his ex- roommate. The tent had transparent tape stuck on it—who knows how many people had used it before.

Our group of five drove in two cars.

I stood between the two cars.

Which one should I take?

Yan Han walked over with a cooler, stretched out his long arm, and opened the passenger door of his car.

“Get in.”

I beamed with joy.

Liu Leyao, holding a box of bottled water, looked at me speechlessly.

“Fix that smug face of yours.”

I couldn’t be bothered to explain to her what it felt like to be personally greeted and welcomed into the passenger seat by the person you liked.

I took the box of water from her hand with one hand and helped her put it in the trunk.

fvck, it was heavy.

We each got into our respective cars. Ma Jiaming, with his sunglasses hanging from his mouth, was the last to come out. He met my gaze as I sat in the car.

He smiled, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

But my heart sank.

Sure enough, he opened the back door of our car.

“Hey, bro!”

(17)

Once Ma Jiaming got in, he wouldn’t stop talking.

He complained about this professor, then that teaching assistant.

Last semester, he took four courses and failed two. Dear, is it at all possible that the problem lies with you?

Ma Jiaming was from Shanshan province. To inherit the family business, he came to this rural place to study the top-notch program.

Mining Engineering.

The difficulty of the major matched his overconfidence.

Those who know, know.

Yan Han listened calmly, his long fingers tapping on the steering wheel, making a rhythmic thumping sound.

“I can help you with calculus. I studied science in high school.”

Ma Jiaming lunged forward, grabbing the headrest of my seat like a gorilla and shouting,

“Bro, you’re my dear brother!”

I hate it.

Why did I choose this shitty architectural design major?

It made me have no common topics with Yan Han.

(18)

While waiting at a red light, Yan Han turned to look at me.

“Did you not get enough rest? Why aren’t you talking?”

Ma Jiaming had already said everything—what was left for me to say?

“It’s nothing, I’m just listening to you guys.”

I smiled at him.

He looked at me and smiled back, his eyes curving gently, looking soft.

He handed me the phone from the car’s central console. “Pick a song you like.”

I took it, noticing there was a password. Just as I was about to hand it back—

“The password is 0088.”

“Oh.”

I unlocked his phone.

I swear, I had no intention of invading his privacy!

But as soon as his phone unlocked, it was on the WeChat screen, and my little dog avatar was pinned right at the top.

“You…”

With the last bit of rationality, I suppressed the scream stuck in my throat.

He had pinned our WeChat chat to the top.

He had pinned our WeChat chat to the top!!!

“What’s wrong?” Yan Han asked me as he started the car.

“Nothing.” I tried to suppress the trembling in my voice. Why were my hands shaking so much? “Let’s listen to Jay Chou.”

“Okay.”

(19)

When we parked at the rest area to take a break, Ma Jiaming got out of the car and switched to the other vehicle.

“Hey, why did you come over?”

Xu Pengpeng asked him.

“I give up. That ‘Romantic Cellphone’ song has been playing a hundred times without changing.”

Yan Han sped off, leaving a cloud of dust that blew right into Ma Jiaming’s face as he hadn’t closed the door.

“He doesn’t get it.”

I said to Yan Han seriously.

“Mm, he doesn’t get it.”

(20)

“You smile while browsing, the romance on your phone.”

“So this is how suddenly love can arrive.”

Who’s singing a duet?

Oh, it’s the two of us ya.

(18)

Back to the day we ate that $200 steak.

After dinner, Liu Leyao and I volunteered to do the dishes.

“No need, there’s a dishwasher,” Yan Han politely declined.

“Leave it to us!”

“We got this!”

The two of us raised our hands insistently.

Yan Han helped carry the plates and forks to the kitchen, then crouched down to show me how to use the buttons on the dishwasher.

He was really tall. Even squatting there, he looked like a big, handsome shepherd dog.

“Got it?”

“Huh?”

It’s over. I was too busy staring at him and forgot to turn on my ears.

“Got it, leave it to us.”

Liu Leyao waved him away. Once Yan Han went back to the living room, she turned around, gritting her teeth, looking at me like I was hopeless.

“Please, can you wipe that lovestruck look off your face?”

I was horrified. “Was it that obvious?”

“It was.” Liu Leyao sighed. “Calm down!”

Right, I forgot to mention that Liu Leyao is the only person on this continent who knows about my sexual orientation.

She can’t be kept around.

Hehe, just kidding. (smile.jpg)

(19)

I was lazily washing a wine glass while Liu Leyao stood beside me playing on her phone. But in reality, we were whispering to each other.

“How did you two meet?”

“We took the same class before. He was my thigh.”

Alright, that’s the second person to call Yan Han a thigh.

Which proves—

First, he studies well. Second, he’s genuinely nice. And finally, what’s with all my friends being total scum students ah? Unbelievable.

“Aren’t you both from the same city? Did you know each other before?”

Liu Leyao looked speechless. “Bro, Z City has over ten million people.”

I kept asking.

“Are all the guys from your city this handsome?”

“That can’t be.” Liu Leyao turned to look at Yan Han on the balcony. “He’s at least school grass¹Handsome boy in school. level.”

Well, in that case, your city’s school grass standards are pretty high, I’d say.

“What? Like him ah?”

Liu Leyao leaned in closer, whispering.

“En.”

I admitted softly.

“Help me.”

Liu Leyao nodded without hesitation. “Got it.”

(20)

My friends may be scum students, but they’re all very nice people. Wuwuwu.

When they’re job-hunting, I’ll gladly write them recommendation letters as their best friend.

I love them.

(21)

I washed my hands, shaking off the water droplets as I walked out of the kitchen—only to find the living room empty. The other three were out on the balcony.

I slid open the balcony door and saw them leaning against the railing, smoking.

A pack of cigarettes was casually placed on the outdoor coffee table.

Australian cigarette packs have terrifying designs, covered in graphic images of smoking-related diseases. This one had something that looked like oral cancer—red sores and rotting teeth. The sight made me shudder, and I instinctively frowned.

When I looked up, I met Yan Han’s gaze.

He froze for a moment, then almost immediately put out his cigarette.

He looked at me as if he had done something wrong.

The other two were still smoking. My knitted sweater would definitely absorb the smell, so I didn’t want to go over.

Thankfully, Yan Han walked over instead. He smelled faintly of tobacco, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“I washed the glasses and left them on the counter.”

“You didn’t have to,” Yan Han frowned, his sharp features looking even more striking. “Just leave them, I’ll clean up.”

I nodded, and he pushed me back inside, shutting the two smokers out on the balcony.

(22)

We met a few more times after that—sometimes Liu Leyao would gather everyone for hotpot, and other times Xu Pengpeng would call us to play mahjong.

The exchange student’s holy trinity—

Hotpot, sleep, and mahjong.

The hotpot was boiled. The mahjong was played. So, when are we sleeping together?

I thought to myself as I hugged my long pillow.

My friends were gathered around the small dining table, the overhead light was dim, and their hands were shuffling the mahjong tiles with loud cackling sounds, while Xue Zhiqian’s songs played from the JBL speaker.

I thought it was just another ordinary night.

But when I thought about it later, that was my 20s I could never return to.

(9)

The first night I met my crush in person, I didn’t sleep well.

I tossed and turned until dawn, then rushed to the nine o’clock class the next day.

My gaze was blank, I’m afraid my face probably looked like a zombie. The classmate next to me kept asking,

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, thank you. And you[tn content=?]This dialogue and the one above it was English in raw.[/tn]”

Who said the English learned during compulsory education is useless?

See, it’s being put to use now.

After class, I raced to the library to find the friend who organized the party yesterday.

Xu Pengpeng was sitting at the café outside the library, sipping a matcha latte, propping up his MacBook Pro, with his brows furrowed.

I thought he was studying, so I walked over quietly.

But when I got closer—

“One Piece ah? I’ve already seen this episode.”

Xu Pengpeng was startled, his eyes widening even more.

“What are you doing here?”

“Here to study ah.”

With a serious face, I patted the second-hand textbook I was holding and pretended.

“Stop messing around. It’s still a long way to finals.”

Xu Pengpeng didn’t believe me.

He still weirdly knew me well; worthy of being one of my bad friends.

“Ai,” I leaned in to close the distance between our hearts, “How do you know Yan Han?”

“Last semester, I took an elective class and hugged his thigh. He’s pretty famous in the business school, a really good thigh.”

Xu Pengpeng shared his experience with me, but after thinking for a moment, he said, “Hey, something’s wrong ah. You’re from the Architecture Department. Why are you asking about him?”

“No reason.”

I was three parts nonchalant, three parts indifferent, and three parts pretending.

But that was the truth.

“I just want to make a friend.”

(10)

I don’t know if it was some kind of telepathy, but on the fifth day of my sleepless nights thinking about him, Yan Han sent me a message.

“Are you free Friday night? Want to come to my place for dinner?”

After a burst of wailing, punching, and kicking, I picked up my phone from the floor and calmly replied.

“Sure ya.”

Of course, I couldn’t go empty-handed. That evening, I went to the supermarket and picked out a bottle of red wine that cost over 80 dollars.

Do you understand what it means for someone who usually only drinks 20-dollar red wine to buy one that costs over 80?

It was the highest level of courtesy, is all I could say.

I put on my shirt which had the one that when unbuttoned by two buttons, reveals my collarbones. I was hesitating over the cologne when Ma Jiaming called.

“Qingqing, are you also going to Yan Han’s place? Come pick me up.”

???

“He invited you too?”

I know that [tn content=liuzi]Someone who studies abroad.[/tn] gatherings are usually in groups, but I honestly didn’t expect even Ma Jiaming to be invited.

Guess I made your relationship too good.

My bad. (smile.jpg)

I drove to pick up Ma Jiaming. He saw the paper bag on the back seat and took out the bottle of wine.

“You really know how to be polite ah.”

Ma Jiaming clicked his tongue. “I didn’t bring anything. What should I do?”

I was just about to throw in a sarcastic remark.

“Can we say it’s from both of us?”

I pulled the car over to a parking spot by the roadside.

“Ma Jiaming!”

I almost forgot I still owe you a beating!

(11)

I just found out that Yan Han lives in a riverside flat apartment.

When I arrived, he was standing on the driveway waiting for me, dressed in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants, with a very handsome bright smile.

He guided me to the parking spot and then reached out to help me open the door.

I quickly grabbed the gift from Ma Jiaming’s lap and handed it to him.

“This is for you.”

He seemed genuinely surprised and took out the wine bottle to have a look.

“You got exactly what I like.”

He smiled so happily.

I instantly believed him.

“Then… we can drink it tonight.”

My face was probably red. I could feel the heat so intense it could cook an egg.

“There are a lot of people tonight. I’ll save this to drink on my own.”

He winked and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

My ears are about to burn off!

(12)

“Hey, bro!”

Ma Jiaming got out of the car and warmly hugged Yan Han. Ma Jiaming was so tall and sturdy that he completely blocked my view of my crush.

Leaving me, the short guy, standing to the side, speechless and peeking around.

It really was pretty speechless.

However, after hugging him briefly, Yan Han put one arm around Ma Jiaming’s shoulder and the other around mine.

“Let’s go, go inside. It’s pretty cold out here.”

When he used the access card to open the door, he let go of Ma Jiaming but kept his arm around me.

“You’re wearing so little, aren’t you cold?”

He looked down at me, his gaze pausing.

I felt triumphant.

He must’ve seen my collarbones.

My effort of wearing a silk shirt on a twenty-degree day wasn’t in vain. (smile.jpg)

Ah… Achoo…

(13)

After entering, Yan Han went ahead into the room, leaving the two of us in place.

There weren’t many people besides Ma Jiaming and me, who just entered. There were two others sitting on the carpet playing Xbox.

One of them was a guy with a round head. I could guess who he was just by looking at the back of his head, that [tn content=Tony]A playful and somewhat joking way of referring to hairdressers in China.[/tn] had failed to shave.

“Xu Pengpeng!”

As soon as I called out, the high-ponytailed girl sitting next to him turned her head, staring at me in shock.

Good job, Liu Leyao.

My bestie from Yumi province.

I sneered.

So, everyone knows my crush but they just won’t let me get to know him, right?

“Qingze, here, it’s a bit cold inside.”

Yan Han walked over and handed me a gray knitted cardigan.

I took it with a smile, my eyes curving, pretending to be all obedient.

But when I turned around, I shot a cold glance at the other three close friends.

Luckily, I put in enough effort myself.

(14)

The cardigan was so soft, carrying the scent of fabric softener.

It was oversized on me, with long sleeves and broad shoulders.

It felt like wearing a boyfriend’s clothes.

(15)

Yay, that’s awesome!

(16)

Dinner was personally cooked by Yan Han. I wasn’t surprised that he could cook.

After all, going abroad makes you a ‘liuzi,’ but coming back home turns you into a ‘[tn content=chuzi]Chef. It’s a playful way to refer someone who, after returning home, ends up cooking a lot.[/tn].’

If you don’t have some cooking skills yourself, eating fish and chips every day in this developed country would eventually starve you to death.

But I didn’t expect…

His cooking was way too delicious—oh my god!

The medium-rare steak had beautiful grill marks. When sliced open, the inside revealed tender, pink meat, but the juices had already set. It was perfectly cooked.

The plate was garnished with rosemary and a few pan-seared cherry tomatoes. The rich aroma of butter and herbs wafted into the air.

I haven’t tasted any Michelin cuisine, but I feel like this is definitely Michelin one-star quality!

I said it, no arguments allowed!

“Is it good?” He leaned over and asked me, his smile bright.

“Mm, mm-hmm!” My mouth was stuffed with meat as I nodded vigorously.

He smiled and grabbed the wine bottle with one hand, pouring white wine into the goblet in front of me.

“This meat is so tender.” Xu Pengpeng was busy eating and asked, “Where did you buy it? I want to get some too.”

Yan Han roughly described the place. “Ordered from that butcher shop. Just ask for Wagyu beef when you go there. They rarely have it in stock, so you might need to wait a few days to pick it up.”

Xu Pengpeng responded with a couple of ‘oh, oh’ sounds, indicating he remembered it.

(17)

Later, Xu Pengpeng and I specifically went to find that butcher shop.

Fortunately, the steak Yan Han mentioned was in stock.

It was sold by the piece.

“Two hundred dollars.”

Xu Pengpeng and I thought we heard it wrong. We looked at each other, our eyes gradually widening.

The shop owner was a Cantonese guy, and he repeated it in accented Mandarin.

“One piece, two hundred [tn content=dāolè]For this one, instead of saying it in English (as the previous “two hundred dollars” was English in the raw) I went to use the pinyin so as to show how he said it.[/tn] lah.”

I could tell that Xu Pengpeng was also struggling, so I simply added fuel to the fire and asked him, “Is this the steak you wanted?”

Xu Pengpeng started acting, pretending to scrutinize it before clicking his tongue. “Doesn’t seem to be this.”

After saying that, we quickly turned around and left.

I could just imagine how exaggerated the shop owner’s eye-roll must’ve been.

We are never coming back to this butcher shop again (smile.jpg).

(1)

What to do when you run into your crush at a friend’s house?

Waiting online, urgent!

My crush dates back to half a year ago when I was still in the country.

At that time, I was looking for a cohabitation partner—oh no, a roommate, for when I moved to Australia, and I added a netizen.

His avatar looked pretty cool, a pine tree covered in snow under a streetlamp.

It was quite an abstinent avatar (hehe).

Since we were strangers, we mostly communicated via text, but he would occasionally send two voice messages for just a few seconds.

Surprisingly, I was enchanted.

May I ask why?

That deep, gentle voice, clear articulation, with a hint of breathiness that wasn’t overdone. The noisy background only made his magnetic voice more captivating.

The voice-con in me fell in love instantly—I confess.

There’s nothing shameful about it, after all, it’s just a crush.

In my mind, I’ve already pictured his looks, physique, height, abs, pecs, biceps…

The rest is unspeakable.

I’m very pure and innocent.

But in the end, we didn’t end up living together—I had to attend a language course first, while he scored a 7.5 in IELTS.

We weren’t on the same campus.

He found someone else to live with.

I can only say I was deeply disappointed.

(2)

The brother standing by the kitchen island, talking to others, had a voice exactly like my crush.

Also, come on, brother, you’re ridiculously handsome.

I was sitting on the living room sofa with Ma Jiaming, leaning together and staring in that direction.

I watched like a predator.

He sulked.

Ma Jiaming pouted, and when he spoke, it was as sour as if he had just eaten three boxes of the local specialty strawberries.

“From now on, anyone more handsome than me isn’t allowed into my circle of friends.”

See? You admitted he’s handsome too.

“Which school is he from?” I asked, sounding one-third casual, one-third indifferent, one-third pretending not to care.

Only the remaining one-tenth was nervousness and the only one that was real.

“He’s from our school,” Ma Jiaming smacked his lips. “From the Business School.”

Alright, it’s definitely him.

I affirmed in my heart, the same voice, the same school, the same college.

Who else could it be??

It could only be my crush.

(3)

He really was as handsome as I had imagined.

Swoosh swoosh.

I was so excited and a little high that I didn’t even noticed him approaching.

The sofa beside me sank, and I reflexively looked to the side.

It was his flawlessly handsome face.

He was smiling at me and talking to me.

Oh, he was talking to me!

I was so excited that I forgot to turn on my ears.

“What?” I asked, my voice trembling a little.

He handed me a can of Coke, chilled with beads of water on it.

“Hot? Your face is red.”

Great, now it wasn’t just red, it was on fire.

I took it.

“Thanks.”

One-third casual, one-third indifferent, one-third pretending not to care.

But the remaining one-tenth was an explosion.

That one-tenth was enough—I was about to blow up.

(4)

Ma Jiaming leaned over to look at him, initiating the essential ritual of international student meetups.

Household registration investigation.

“Where are you from?”

I lowered my head, leaned close to the can, and drank the Coke, eyes widening instantly.

Good question, Ma Jiaming.

Because I wanted to know too.

My crush said two words.

He was from Yumi Province.

Alright, case closed.

The legendary province of online dating and the hub of moaning ASMR creators truly lived up to its reputation.

My best girl friend also came from Yumi Province.

They had such good stuff over there, and they didn’t tell me?

Okay, from now on, I’ll never share those late-night anchor’s ASMR sleep aid channels with her again (smile.jpg).

Ma Jiaming, still not quite over his earlier bout of jealousy, suddenly blurted out something weird.

“Oh, Yumi Province ah?”

The tone was off, I could tell right away.

My heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t even bother drinking the Coke anymore and looked up at my crush.

I only saw that he looked just as taken aback, stunned for a moment, and then his expression darkened.

He stood up and looked at Ma Jiaming.

“Yeah, got a problem?”

My heart was hanging high, but my eyes were still sharp.

He must be a regular at the gym, wearing a black cotton T-shirt, his muscular arms stretched the sleeves taut.

He clenched his fist with such force that his entire arm tensed up, muscles bulging, veins prominently showing.

So sexy, so intimidating.

Ma Jiaming wouldn’t get beaten up, right?

Ma Jiaming must have thought the same—he shrank his neck, eyes wide open.

But my crush just gave him a short, mocking snort and turned to leave.

Ah!

I was furious. If he wasn’t going to hit him, I would.

I pounded on Ma Jiaming like he was a quail.

“What the are you doing, talking like that ah! Are you crazy!”

Ma Jiaming froze, on the verge of tears. “What did I even say…”

“You sounded like you were throwing regional shades ah! You left the capital, but did you have to bring that firecracker with you?!”

Ma Jiaming clutched his head. “I didn’t mean it that way… We’re the Four Provinces of Mountains and Rivers—we’re a band ah! Why would I throw shade¹The above two paragraphs had some kind of a wordplay. First was “throwing regional shades” then the meaning shifted to “hooking up”. He was essentially clarifying that he wasn’t trying to throw shade but the way he phrased it ended up sounding like he was denying a sexual implication. at him?”

I was losing it.

What to do?

Was my crush was going to die by Ma Jiaming’s big mouth? (smile.jpg)

(5)

What to do?

It was almost ten o’clock, and a few friends were already picking up their car keys to head home.

What to do?

If I didn’t clear things up today, never mind turning my crush into something real.

I might not even be able to take off this big hat of throwing regional shades.

I was wronged ah…

Ma Jiaming!

I swear I’ll beat you up again tomorrow!

I watched as my crush found his car keys on the shoe rack and bid farewell to the friend who hosted the party.

I mustered up my courage, then more courage, and once again gathered it.

“Li Qingze.”

Who was calling my name?

Huh? He knew my name?

My crush walked up to me, his eyes bright, looking straight at me.

He called my name again, making me realize that I wasn’t dreaming.

“Li Qingze, I saw your friend left. Do you need me to give you a ride home?”

(6)

I walked behind him.

We both got into the elevator, which was surrounded by glass on all sides. When I looked up, I met his gaze directly.

I hurriedly looked away uncomfortably.

It was a bit too obvious, I was wearing a quick-dry outdoor jacket.

There was a sound of rustling.

“Haven’t introduced myself yet. My name’s Yan Han.”

He spoke.

His voice was just as pleasant as the voice messages I bookmarked on WeChat.

“I know.” I squeezed out those words, but it didn’t feel natural enough. I cleared my throat and spoke again.

“I know!”

Great, my bel canto²Italian for beautiful singing. was practically out.

I was impressed with myself.

I got into his car which was a dark blue Volkswagen SUV; stylish just like him.

There were a few books on the front passenger seat. I opened the door, hesitating for a moment about whether I should sit in the back.

Noticing it, he quickly apologized and moved the books to the back seat.

I was pleased.

So the front passenger seat was reserved for me after all.

He turned on the music in the car, and Jay Chou’s “Romantic Cellphone” started playing.

Nice taste.

“By the way,” I thought it was necessary to explain, “earlier, Ma Jiaming didn’t mean it that way. He just doesn’t think before he speaks.”

I was afraid that he wouldn’t believe me, so I turned around and seriously explained to him.

“He’s just an idiot, but he definitely didn’t mean it that way.”

“Okay, I know.”

He freed one hand and patted my arm.

“It’s fine.”

He patted my arm, but I was too focused on talking to notice.

“Just don’t be upset.”

That was what I really wanted to say.

Don’t be upset.

He was taken aback for a moment and turned to look at me. “I’m not upset.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good.”

(7)

He pulled up in front of my apartment building. As I got out of the car, he took out his phone.

“Let’s add each other on WeChat?”

“Oh.”

I obediently pulled up my QR code for him to scan.

After scanning, Yan Han frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

His frown was so handsome it made my liver tremble.

“I already have your WeChat.”

…

My god, how could I forget about this?

“Oh, really? When did we add each other? Hehehehe…”

“I forgot. I don’t have the chat history on my side anymore.”

Yan Han looked at me with an apologetic face.

I turned my phone up so he couldn’t see, sliding my finger over the screen, from the moment we became friends to the last message where he sent me an apologetic sticker. I had saved all the chat history.

I even switched phones once, but I still transferred the chat logs over.

I felt a little sad, but just a little.

“I don’t remember either.”

I lied to him.

Yan Han operated his phone with one hand, and suddenly, I heard a ding dong on my side.

[Hello, I’m Yan Han.]

“Then let’s get to know each other again.” He said to me with a smile.

(8)

How could he be so smooth?

This kind of person was born to be my husband.

---

Translator’s Note:

Would you believe I just read this two nights ago on my phone and when I went to check it on the browser, I was surprised that the latest update was on the 29th! :blobrofl:

I’m too excited to share it with you guys and it’s really a very short story that you can read in one sitting! So, if you’re impatient (like me!), you can read the raws here. Let’s give the author more view counts, since all the chapters are free and it’s an easy read!^^

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading it as it was so sweet and cute! >< I couldn’t wait for you to find it, too!