Chapter 70: “Little Liar.”

Duan Zhuxian rubbed the half of Jiang Yao’s head that was exposed, turned off the light, and lay down, but his heart was still unable to calm down for a long time.

He had clearly prepared himself to tell Jiang Yao everything about his past thoughts in a few days, at the right moment.

But he was already starting to feel nervous.

Perhaps it was a feeling akin to the anxiety of returning home after a long absence.

*

On the second day, neither of them went anywhere and they stayed in the old house, indulging themselves shamelessly all day long.

On the third day, Jiang Yao slept until noon, got up stretching lazily, and energetically went downstairs. As he descended the stairs, he could hear the sound of chopping vegetables coming from the kitchen.

He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, admiring someone’s virtuous back for a while. Resisting the urge to go in and make a mess, he turned and went into the living room.

The layout of the old house was also quite traditional. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and study were all neatly connected on the first floor. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms and a bathroom arranged similarly, but the interior design was uniquely artistic and vibrant.

Especially noteworthy was the large area of light blue waves on the living room wall, which appears to be hand-painted with special pigments. When one’s in this space, their senses can easily become confused, as if they were immersed in warm, salty, humid air.

Last night, while embracing Duan Zhuxian on the sofa, he even had the illusion of being by the seaside. 

The house, with the floor heating on, felt scorching like summer. The bright incandescent lamp was like the blazing sun hanging high in the sky. Sweat slid down from his forehead to his cheek and mixed into their kisses. 

It turned into a salty, seawater-flavored kiss.

Jiang Yao thought that next time, they could go on a seaside vacation together.

As he walked to the sofa, his reverie was interrupted by a photo album on the coffee table.

The album seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He hadn’t noticed it yesterday, or maybe he just hadn’t paid attention.

He picked up the album and flipped it open, and saw it was filled with candid photos, capturing the cultural and human aspects of Yuan City.

Each photo had handwritten notes by Duan Zhuxian on the back, dated ten years ago.

Indeed, an unplanned trip was full of surprises!

Hearing footsteps approaching, Jiang Yao looked up and waved the album at Duan Zhuxian, who was carrying dishes out of the kitchen, and raised an eyebrow. “I know how we’re going to spend the rest of our time.”

*

After lunch, the two of them changed into spring clothes suitable for Yuan City’s climate and walked out hand in hand.

Their first stop was the location of the first photo in the album, an old-style photo studio named “Laiyun.” The photos in the album, taken with a film camera, were all developed there.

Leisurely walking out of the winding alley, they found themselves on a wide, bustling market street. Despite it being the Spring Festival, many shops were already open, and the area was vibrant and lively.

Jiang Yao particularly enjoyed this lively atmosphere, reminiscent of his hometown, a bustling southern town, full of life and color.

He hadn’t expected that someone as seemingly indifferent to everything as Duan Zhuxian would be the type to hold a camera and linger in such a vibrant marketplace.

But then he recalled what Shen Tang had said about the ten-year-old Duan Zhuxian, who, desperate not to be left behind, would try his best to fit in with his peers. This thought suddenly made Jiang Yao’s heart ache.

In the next moment, Jiang Yao smiled and pointed towards the faintly visible red sign of “Laiyun” in the distance, grabbing Duan Zhuxian’s hand. “We’re almost there!”

Duan Zhuxian was in the midst of taking a photo of Jiang Yao with his phone. He was caught off guard, when he was pulled into a run, and barely managed to keep his phone from falling.

Watching Jiang Yao’s bright smile, a doting smile curved at the corners of Duan Zhuxian’s lips.

During the New Year period, many families came to take family portraits. The small photo studio was packed to the brim. Jiang Yao circled the entrance a few times, in the end, he gave up on the idea of joining the crowd.

A car pulled up nearby, and a couple dressed in wedding attire got out, likely returning from a photo shoot.

As they followed the photographer into the studio, the man tightly held the woman’s waist to protect her from the crowd, while the woman nestled against his chest, whispering in his ear. They looked at each other and smiled, completely immersed in their own world of sweetness.

Witnessing this scene, Jiang Yao couldn’t help but recall the day he and Duan Zhuxian took their wedding photos.

He found the process of makeup, styling, and taking pictures at various locations too troublesome and didn’t take it seriously at all. He thought a couple of casual shots would suffice since it was a marriage of convenience, and there was no need for all the fancy stuff. He even whimsically suggested that they could just use photo composites.

He still remembered how cold Duan Zhuxian’s face looked when he made that suggestion, prompting him to immediately reflect on his behavior. He thought it must be because he wasn’t cooperating, and Duan Zhuxian couldn’t report back to the elder.

So he changed his approach and asked if they could simplify the process a bit, but was still refused.

In the end, Duan Zhuxian insisted on completing all the planned shots.

Unable to argue, Jiang Yao begrudgingly continued, spending any free moment playing games on his phone and only moving reluctantly when the photographer called for him.

Later, when they received the photos, he didn’t look at them carefully. The first time he saw the finished pictures properly was at the wedding ceremony itself.

The guests at their wedding all pointed at the photos, genuinely praising the handsome couple and how well-matched they looked. But only Jiang Yao knew how half-hearted he had been in those photos.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yao felt a bit guilty and teased Duan Zhuxian, “Since you liked me even before we got our marriage certificate, you must have been really heartbroken when I didn’t take the preparations seriously at all, right?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I’m used to it.”

Jiang Yao paused, automatically interpreting “used to it” as Duan Zhuxian being accustomed to his careless and flippant nature.

He pouted and said, “In a few days, let’s retake our wedding photos. We’ll do it here at this photo studio.”

Hearing this, Duan Zhuxian’s eyes flickered for a moment, and he tightened his grip on Jiang Yao’s hand slightly.

Duan Zhuxian nodded. “Okay.”

Jiang Yao responded with a soft “Hmm,” hastily lowering his head to look at the photo album in his hands, pretending not to notice the rare joy on Duan Zhuxian’s usually serene face.

He suddenly realized that Duan Zhuxian was much easier to please than he had imagined.

It seemed that just a little bit of consideration from him could make Duan Zhuxian happy for a long time.

*

They continued flipping through the photo album, page by page.

They walked over a bustling stone arch bridge, passed through a serene umbrella alley, and strolled by a large lawn adorned with spring picnic tents.

Holding two steaming cups of Yuan City’s specialty fragrant tea, they continued down the wide, straight ancient path.

Due to the pleasant climate, the flowers along the sides of the path had already begun to bloom with the warmth of spring, filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance.

The cheerful sound of drums drifted on the breeze, making Jiang Yao’s spirits lift with excitement. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone sitting on a nearby step, playing a drum.

Remembering something, he quickly flipped through the photo album and pointed to a picture, asking Duan Zhuxian, “Is the drum that person is playing the same as this one you photographed?”

Duan Zhuxian nodded. “Yes, it’s a djembe, an African drum.”

Jiang Yao, who had never seen one before, was intrigued. He walked over to the elderly man playing the drum and listened for a while. Feeling the urge to try it himself, he asked, “You’re playing really well. May I try?”

The elderly man, coming out of his musical reverie, looked up and smiled warmly with the local Yuan City accent, “Of course, young man. Come, sit down, and I’ll teach you.”

Jiang Yao immediately handed the photo album to Duan Zhuxian and sat down to learn.

His sense of rhythm was good, and he quickly managed to produce a simple drumbeat.

Jiang Yao, feeling proud, looked up and loudly asked Duan Zhuxian, “Does it sound good?”

Duan Zhuxian smiled and replied, “It sounds great.”

He then took out his phone, focused on Jiang Yao’s lively expression, and snapped a photo.

He placed this new photo alongside the one from ten years ago in the album, and a smile curving his lips.

The same wall corner, the same stone steps, the same old artist playing the drum, but now there was an additional handsome man tapping the drum and chatting happily.

What seemed like a small difference changed everything.

The scene transformed from static to dynamic, from heavy to lighthearted, from a fleeting moment on paper to a permanent, indelible memory etched in the heart.

After bidding farewell to the elderly drummer, the two continued walking in the direction of the setting sun.

Jiang Yao, who had been looking around and admiring the flowers, suddenly turned his head and caught Duan Zhuxian’s gaze that had been fixed on him for who knows how long. He wore a triumphant expression on his face.

“Duan Zhuxian.”

“Yes?”

“I feel like you haven’t been paying attention to the scenery at all. Don’t you like revisiting old places?”

Duan Zhuxian replied calmly, “Revisiting old places, what’s important isn’t the scenery but the person you’re with.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yao was stunned. After a moment, he turned his face away, revealing a blushing ear tip, and huffed softly, “That’s no excuse to ignore the beautiful scenery.”

This time, Duan Zhuxian didn’t argue back. He just ruffled Jiang Yao’s hair.

When he was seventeen, aimlessly taking photos of these scenes, his heart was completely filled with Jiang Yao, yet he felt helpless.

In the midst of that mix of sweetness and bitterness, he had unrealistic fantasies—

What if Jiang Yao’s presence was in all these scenes he walked through…

So, along this journey, what he saw indeed wasn’t the repetitive scenery, but every moment spent with Jiang Yao by his side.

*

At mealtime, Duan Zhuxian took Jiang Yao to a nearby old restaurant that had been in business for twenty years.

As soon as they sat down, a woman in her fifties, who seemed to be the proprietress, walked over from behind the counter and gave Duan Zhuxian a once-over.

“Xiao Duan? It’s been ten years since you last came here, hasn’t it?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “You still remember me.”

“Of course! You used to come here every long holiday. My daughter always said that boys as good-looking as you are hard to find even with a lantern,” the proprietress said cheerfully. She glanced at Jiang Yao and smiled, “And today, without a lantern, I see another one.”

Jiang Yao, leaning against Duan Zhuxian, greeted her, “Happy New Year, and may your business thrive.”

“Ah, Happy New Year, Happy New Year,” the proprietress replied with a smile. Seeing the two sitting closely together and acting intimately, she asked Duan Zhuxian, “Is this your partner?”

Duan Zhuxian grabbed Jiang Yao’s left hand with his left hand, their wedding rings shining brightly under the light. “We’re already married.”

The proprietress widened her eyes. After a long moment, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, stretched out by surprise, and gathered again with a smile. “Congratulations, congratulations! Time flies so fast. The last time I saw you, it was that summer ten years ago. You were sitting right here, deep in thought, and stayed until I closed up.”

This time, it was Jiang Yao who was surprised. After the proprietress left, he asked Duan Zhuxian, “You had things on your mind?”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “Everyone has things on their mind.”

Jiang Yao was momentarily speechless.

Although it was true, Duan Zhuxian was someone who never showed his emotions. Even when facing countless injustices and grievances within the Duan family, he had been able to endure and keep his thoughts hidden, making it impossible for anyone to read him.

It was clear that any issue Duan Zhuxian couldn’t hide must have been significant!

However, Jiang Yao was afraid to ask rashly, worrying that he might uncover something painful Duan Zhuxian didn’t want to discuss, and potentially ruining the mood of their honeymoon.

After ordering their food, Jiang Yao looked around at the walls covered with sticky notes and had a sudden idea.

Since Duan Zhuxian was a regular at this restaurant, Jiang Yao wondered if there might be any traces of him left behind.

With this in mind, he sent Duan Zhuxian out to queue for fruit tea and turned to search the wish wall for any of Duan Zhuxian’s handwriting.

As he was getting overwhelmed by the plethora of notes, he heard the proprietress ask from behind him, “What are you looking for?”

Jiang Yao didn’t hide his intentions. “I’m looking to see if there’s anything he wrote.”

The proprietress laughed. “It’s been ten years; these sticky notes have been replaced many times.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yao felt a bit disappointed. “I see.”

The proprietress paused for a moment, then suddenly slapped her forehead. “Oh, right! I remember my daughter might have torn down Duan’s sticky notes and kept them separately. Let me look for them.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes lit up. “Thank you so much!”

It seemed like luck was on his side today. The proprietress actually found a small stationery bag under the counter, which contained a heart-shaped note.

She handed it to him. “Here, take a look. Is this it?”

Jiang Yao immediately took it.

The handwriting on the note was clean and neat, slightly cursive—unmistakably Duan Zhuxian’s.

The first thing he saw was a sentence: “Happy early birthday to the little liar.”

Below it was another line in smaller writing: “May he get everything he wishes for.”

It looked like it was added later, with the pen strokes slightly hesitant and some ink blots where the pen had lingered too long, giving off a somewhat insincere feeling.

Little liar?

Who was the little liar?

First of all, it certainly wasn’t him.

He, being such an upright person, couldn’t possibly be the little liar!

So, ten years ago, Duan Zhuxian had a little liar he couldn’t stop thinking about, even while eating?

Jiang Yao squinted his eyes, planning to ask Duan Zhuxian directly.

But he was in a good mood today, and decided not to make a fuss about it right now. He would give Duan Zhuxian some face and question him about it later.

With that in mind, he carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket.

When Duan Zhuxian returned with two cups of fruit tea, Jiang Yao was already sitting back at the table, looking at the last page of the album.

It was a photo of a sunrise on a mountaintop.

The scene was grand, magnificent, and unbelievably beautiful.

Jiang Yao lightly tapped the photo with his fingertip and sighed. “It’s a pity we can’t reach this last stop today.”

Duan Zhuxian hummed in agreement, then sat down and inserted the straw into Jiang Yao’s fruit tea. As if making a firm decision, he suddenly said, “Tomorrow, let’s go see the sunrise together.”

Author’s Note:

Someone’s history of secret love is about to be revealed!