Was it a kind of tacit connection?
A tacit understanding arranged by the heavens?
Even though they were thousands of kilometres apart, it was snowing in both places. All of a sudden, these two people who normally had nothing to do with romance were enveloped in something that felt just a little bit romantic.
When Jiang Tongyan heard Qian Xiaoke’s sigh of admiration, he turned to look out the window too.
It was snowing heavily in New York as well.
Just like in that movie he had watched ages ago on a whim—one where it was snowing in New York City. He couldn’t remember the title, and the plot was already fuzzy in his memory, but somehow, because of the snow outside and the snow on the other end of the call, those scenes suddenly came back to him in a blur.
“It’s snowing here too,” Jiang Tongyan said, gazing at the softly falling snow outside. “Do you think it’s the same snow falling on both of us?”
Qian Xiaoke laughed, still leaning on the windowsill. “Are you dumb?”
Of course it wasn’t.
“Of course it is!” Qian Xiaoke knew full well it couldn’t be, but still, that was the answer he gave Jiang Tongyan.
Of course it was.
If he said it was, then it was.
He giggled, and his giggle made Jiang Tongyan start laughing too.
“Tell me something,” Jiang Tongyan said seriously. “Did you turn down that blind date because of me?”
“Yeah, I already told you,” Qian Xiaoke replied.
The snow outside was too beautiful. It wasn’t his first time seeing snow, but somehow, this morning’s snow felt more beautiful than any before.
“So it’s just because of my condition that you feel responsible for me?” Jiang Tongyan didn’t think it was that simple.
Qian Xiaoke wasn’t good at hiding things. Even the smallest secret would immediately show on his face.
Jiang Tongyan hadn’t known him for very long, but he was already arrogant enough to think he understood him well.
He was sure Qian Xiaoke had feelings for him. That was why he turned the other guy down.
Qian Xiaoke smiled. “What else could it be?”
He smiled with his eyes curved, mouth curved, cheeks a little flushed, and heart beating a little too fast.
Jiang Tongyan could hear the smile in his voice. It was like a star hidden in the snowy night—you had to listen closely to notice it. But once you did, you would realise there were even more stars twinkling beneath it.
“You won’t blame me in the future, right?” Jiang Tongyan teased with a sarcastic tone. “Say I kept you from finding happiness—what if that guy turned out to be rich and handsome? Wouldn’t you resent me?”
Qian Xiaoke rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. He then opened the window.
The winter wind was not refreshing like autumn breezes. It was sharp and biting. As soon as he opened the window, the wind whooshed in. Qian Xiaoke shivered and instantly sobered up.
“What are you doing?” Jiang Tongyan asked.
“Watching the snow,” Qian Xiaoke leaned by the window, reaching out to catch some. He watched the snowflakes land in his palm, slowly melting, and softly said, “Jiang Tongyan, I really want to build a snowman.”
“Childish!” Jiang Tongyan scoffed, rolling his eyes. Then, two seconds later, he muttered, “Wait for me to come back.”
“What are you coming back for?” Qian Xiaoke asked knowingly, pressing his lips together to stifle a laugh.
He found Jiang Tongyan to be so adorable. He always said one thing and meant another, like a big goof.
The big goof Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes and grumbled, “What do you think? To build a snowman!”
They were both childish people; neither could really say that about the other. Qian Xiaoke leaned on the windowsill, laughing happily. He didn’t even know if it was because Jiang Tongyan agreed to build a snowman with him or just because it was Jiang Tongyan himself.
When Qian Xiaoke finally got tired of laughing, he quickly said goodbye to Jiang Tongyan, closed the window, got out of bed, and started getting ready for work.
After the call ended, Jiang Tongyan stared at the snow while holding his phone, replaying everything in his head for a long while. He realised he was completely doomed. No matter what Qian Xiaoke said, he found it amusing. He was willing to fulfil even the dumbest little requests.
He was finished.
Pathetic.
Wasn’t he still supposed to be some flirtatious playboy?
Jiang Tongyan grumbled to himself for a while, then called Cheng Sen—not so much to chat, but to confront him.
“What’s up with your Zhou Mo?” Jiang Tongyan asked angrily.
Cheng Sen was driving. “Zhou Mo? What happened to him?”
“Out of nowhere, he tried to set Qian Xiaoke up with someone!” Jiang Tongyan fumed. He was basically a fire-breathing dragon at this point. “What the hell is he thinking?! That’s literally stealing someone else’s person—does he not get that? It’s shameful! Doesn’t he know any shame?! Is he even human?!”
Cheng Sen laughed. “Oh, that. You’re talking about that.”
There was a red light up ahead, so Cheng Sen stopped the car.
“You knew? You knew and you’re still laughing? You two are monsters!” Jiang Tongyan was so angry he felt like he’d explode.
Other people’s friends were out there being wingmen—they were literally trying to sabotage him!
Wait no. He and Qian Xiaoke weren’t even officially together yet. This wasn’t just sabotage, this was a whole interception!
What kind of friends were they?!
“And you’re still laughing!” Jiang Tongyan said. “Cheng Sen, I thought we had something real!”
“Hey, don’t say it like that. Makes it sound like you’ve got unmentionable feelings for me. Zhou Mo would get jealous.”
“Don’t change the subject! What the hell was Zhou Mo thinking?” Jiang Tongyan said. “Don’t tell me you two don’t know what’s going on with Qian Xiaoke!”
“What was he thinking? He was thinking about helping you, that’s what!” Cheng Sen snorted, with a hint of ridicule. “I’ve never seen someone as wishy-washy as you!”
Jiang Tongyan was confused.
“Who are you calling wishy-washy?” Jiang Tongyan asked, changing the subject. “And what does that even mean?”
Cheng Sen couldn’t hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing and cursed, “You and Qian Xiaoke have been flirting back and forth for how long now? I bet you’ve practically broken the bed by now. Anyone with eyes can see how you feel about him—and yet you still won’t make a move!”
The light turned green. Cheng Sen grumbled about the snow making the roads a mess and kept driving.
“I honestly didn’t want to get involved. I’m just here for the drama,” Cheng Sen said. “But our Zhou Mo’s got too big of a heart. He couldn’t stand watching you two stall like that.”
Listening to him, Jiang Tongyan suddenly felt like something clicked.
“You mean… Zhou Mo set Qian Xiaoke up on purpose, just to force me into confessing?”
“Do you even know who Zhou Mo was planning to set him up with?”
Jiang Tongyan cursed and said coldly, “Don’t tell me it was Shen Huiming.”
Cheng Sen laughed so hard that he nearly slammed his head into the steering wheel. He swore he would never take a call from Jiang Tongyan while driving again.
“I’m telling you now,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Shen Huiming’s already seeing someone—his flight attendant boyfriend. What you guys did was really low.”
“Oh Dear Jiang,” Cheng Sen sighed, “you’re usually pretty sharp, but why are you acting like a total fool when it comes to this?” Cheng Sen continued, “What the hell do you mean by introducing him to Shen Huiming? You might as well come to my place with a machete and chop down my door!”
“That friend Zhou Mo said he wanted to introduce…” Cheng Sen snorted, “was you, you dumbass.”
Cheng Sen was almost at the company. “Not gonna argue with you anymore—go figure it out yourself. By the way, when’s your flight back? I’ll send someone to pick you up.”
Jiang Tongyan had originally planned to return in a few days but suddenly changed his mind.
“The day after tomorrow,” he said. “I’m coming back the day after tomorrow.”
He would forget all that ‘play hard to get’ stuff. What if he played too hard and actually lost the guy? Then where would he go to cry?
Besides, his treatment was finished. Jiang Tongyan thought it was time to give Qian Xiaoke a surprise.
============
Before boarding his flight, Jiang Tongyan sent Qian Xiaoke a message: I might not be back until after New Year’s. Behave yourself.
Qian Xiaoke, holding his phone, secretly giggled. He thought Jiang Tongyan was being ridiculously silly.
When Jiang Tongyan got off the plane, he sent another message: You there? What are you doing? Have you been good today?
At that very moment, Qian Xiaoke was hiding among the crowd at the arrivals gate, waiting to surprise him.
Jiang Tongyan didn’t get a reply. He rolled his eyes so hard they nearly flipped into the back of his head.
He felt wronged—after such a long flight, and with jet lag ahead, the guy didn’t even send him a single message back. What kind of potential boyfriend was that?
He ought to break up with him.
Jiang Tongyan got off the plane angrily, went to get his luggage angrily, and called Cheng Sen angrily, “Did you arrange for someone to pick me up?”
“Don’t worry,” Cheng Sen said. “The moment you step out, you’ll see them.”
With his luggage in hand and a scowl on his handsome face, Jiang Tongyan headed out, radiating a ‘don’t mess with me unless you want to die’ kind of aura, mostly because Qian Xiaoke still hadn’t replied to his messages.
As he stepped out, his eyes scanned the crowd of people holding pick-up signs—nothing.
No sign with his name. No familiar face.
Either Cheng Sen was messing with him, or the person who was supposed to pick him up was slacking off. Either way, Jiang Tongyan was about ready to blow his top.
His love life had already been a disaster. Now, after dealing with a completely clueless person and finally sorting out all his paperwork to return home, the person picking him up was late?
What the hell!
Were people just taking advantage of him because he was a ‘nice guy’?
The ‘nice guy’ Jiang Tongyan pulled out his phone and dialled Cheng Sen again, tearing into him as he stormed forward.
“I asked already,” Cheng Sen protested. “He said he got there half an hour ago!”
“Half an hour my ass!” Jiang Tongyan snapped and right then, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned around, clearly annoyed and came face-to-face with a fluffy bunny grinning at him.
A literal bunny.
Qian Xiaoke was dressed especially cute that day. He was puffed up in a thick white puffer jacket, looking like a chubby little snowball. He even wore a wool hat with bunny ears.
Now he stood behind Jiang Tongyan, smiling at him with innocent glee and his little teeth poking out.
“Hey!” Cheng Sen asked through the phone, “Did you find him or not?”
Jiang Tongyan stared at Qian Xiaoke in a daze and answered lifelessly, “Yeah… I found him.”
Then he hung up.
It had been a while since they’d seen each other. How did this little rascal… become even cuter?
This was just too much!
Qian Xiaoke tilted his head and beamed, “Surprised? Bet you didn’t expect me here! I came to pick you up!”
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