Chapter 24

I can’t quite remember how long I stared at the koi that day.

The little creatures, well-fed and plump, looked round and heavy, yet when it came to fighting for food, they moved with surprising swiftness, jostling and competing with each other, not giving an inch.

Jiang Caifu continued taking photos, capturing the ripples on the clear lake, the lively fish swimming, and the strange stone formations on the opposite shore… then, without meaning to, her camera angle shifted.

The young man leaning against the pavilion silently entered the frame. His profile was outlined by the golden glow of the setting sun, his lowered eyebrows and eyes elegant yet calm, and his long, pale neck faintly revealing blue veins—everything about him seemed to tempt Jiang Caifu to press the shutter.

But she just quietly looked at the image on the screen, her finger hovering in the air, unable to actually press the button.

Until he lifted his eyelids and looked over, as if making eye contact with her through the lens.

“Still taking pictures of the fish?”

His face was filled with confusion as he glanced at the chubby fish huddling together, still thinking they looked foolish and weren’t worth the effort she was putting into photographing them. “They’re not that pretty, why are you taking so many pictures?”

“I just suddenly felt like taking pictures.” Jiang Caifu moved her finger and zoomed in on the scene, “There’s nothing else worth photographing around here… I can’t just take pictures of you, can I?”

He suddenly raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit awkward. He almost wanted to ask if she had planned to take pictures of him all along, but he worried that asking would just make him seem self-absorbed, prompting an amused or “you’re so full of yourself” remark from her.

His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.

Instead, he adjusted his posture, sitting directly facing her, his hands propped on either side. His prominent collarbones formed a straight line, creating a small groove that seemed to hold water.

He quietly stared at her camera lens, as if he were staring at her cheek, his expression serene and tranquil, neither too hot nor too cold.

“You could take pictures of yourself,” he suddenly said. “It’d look better than a bunch of fish.”

Jiang Caifu laughed and declined his suggestion, “My phone’s album already has so many selfies I’m running out of space.”

“Really? Then you’re pretty full of yourself, taking so many pictures of yourself.” After being called self-absorbed by her several times, Qiao Yumin finally found an opportunity to turn the tables.

She nodded lightly without arguing. “Yeah, I’m quite confident.”

Although he had called it “self-absorbed,” she turned it into a more positive term—”confident.”

Qiao Yumin pursed his lips. “You sure know how to twist words.”

“It’s not twisting, it’s just reinterpreting them openly,” Jiang Caifu replied cheerfully.

She rested her head on the pillar next to her, her smiling face glowing with the fading light of the sunset, like it was dusted with delicate gold foil. As she casually lowered her eyes, the liquid eyeshadow on her eyelids reflected a radiant and dazzling light, almost blinding in its brilliance.

Her makeup today wasn’t too heavy, but it couldn’t be called light either.

Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were brushed with soft, fluffy dots of color, giving her face a soft, matte look, making her appear like a plush peach.

The eyeshadow was far more intricate, using a low-saturation apricot color spread over the eyelids. Then, with a flat brush, she used mint blue to outline her eye sockets. Finally, she casually applied a shimmering liquid eyeshadow in the center, creating a contrast of clear and rich beauty.

Qiao Yumin couldn’t help but glance at her again and again, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably to a painting by Laurent Parcelier:

The soft, golden afternoon light filtered through the gaps between vines, casting a faint, minty glow on the ground and delicate tables and chairs, with plants on the windowsill flourishing in the light, presenting varying shades of green. Leaves and petals gently fell, creating a patchwork of colors on the ground, vivid yet harmonious, giving one a refreshing feeling over and over.

He stared at Jiang Caifu, completely unguarded, his gaze lingering for quite some time until she awkwardly touched her face. “…What’s wrong? Did my makeup smudge?”

“No,” he furrowed his brows, his expression suddenly becoming a bit strange, and he hesitated, “Your makeup looks like an oil painting.”

Jiang Caifu:?

At that moment, she finally felt a deeper understanding of why Qiao Yumin was in the oil painting specialty. While others complimented her makeup as delicate and fashionable, this guy described it as looking like an oil painting.

Would he start talking to her about art next, explaining the meaning of the painting and going on about the artist’s life, before unexpectedly turning the conversation to his own works?

Her inner alarm bells rang, but on the surface, she smiled and said, “Really? I’ll take it as you’re complimenting my makeup skills.”

Qiao Yumin nodded seriously, “It really looks good, the colors are well-matched.”

Jiang Caifu smiled and nodded, waiting quietly for a moment. When she realized, he had truly stopped talking, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Hmm? No more to say?

No more flaunting his knowledge?

So… he really wasn’t going to teach her something?

She sighed in relief in her mind, then felt a bit smug from the compliment. “Heh, I just picked a few colors from my eyeshadow palette. I didn’t expect it to turn out so well.”

She picked up her phone, switched to the front camera, and changed angles to admire her eyeshadow.

Whether it was the perfect blending of the matte eyeshadow or the sparkling liquid eyeshadow under the sunlight, or the curl of her eyelashes—

The eyeliner was sharp and precise, and everything about her makeup was flawless!

Across from her, Qiao Yumin watched as she suddenly began snapping selfies with her phone, making it hard to describe his emotions. However, seeing her lively and joyful expression somehow made him feel that this strange, subtle sensation in his chest wasn’t too bad.

After a while, she finally put down her phone and eagerly asked, “By the way, the oil painting you mentioned—what’s it called? I want to see what it looks like.”

Qiao Yumin shrugged. “I’m not sure if it even has a name, but I think it’s from the album Le Drole de Monde.”

He lowered his head, opened his phone, and searched for the painting. He extended his hand to show Jiang Caifu. “Here, it’s this one.”

They were a bit far apart, and his phone screen was small. Jiang Caifu squinted, and all she could see were bright, colorful dots.

She leaned in a bit, and Qiao Yumin raised his phone, seeming to signal her to take it. She looked at his face, then hesitantly reached out to grab it.

The next moment, his phone landed securely in her hands.

Now she was holding two phones.

It was only then that she noticed Qiao Yumin’s phone was the same model and brand as hers… but why did his phone feel different in her hands?

Pushing aside any irrelevant thoughts, she focused on the painting on his phone, her eyes lighting up.

What vibrant and harmonious light and shadow!

She had never been particularly artistic and didn’t have much of an appreciation for paintings. So, even though she felt moved, all she could do was simply exclaim, “It’s beautiful! The painting is really well done!”

Then, she heard Qiao Yumin chuckle softly.

The sound was so faint that it was hard to catch, but it floated into Jiang Caifu’s ears.

She looked up, expecting to see him with a slightly mocking smile, but unexpectedly, his gaze was… gentle? She couldn’t quite place it, but it certainly didn’t seem malicious.

“Finished looking?” He extended his hand. “If you’re done, can you give my phone back?”

Jiang Caifu quickly replied, “Oh, sure,” and handed it back to him. As they exchanged phones, their fingers seemed to brush for a brief moment, an almost imperceptible touch, but she distinctly felt his cool and soft fingertip.

When she pulled her hand back, she felt unusually speechless.

It was as if she had lost the ability to have a normal conversation, and her confused thoughts couldn’t seem to settle on a topic.

But Qiao Yumin was still at ease, casually holding his phone without looking at it, and then turned his attention back to the koi in the lake.

She glanced at him a few times before lowering her head, focusing on the tips of her swaying shoes.

Maybe she shouldn’t stay here much longer?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a subtle force seemed to push it aside.

She cleared her throat and, with a casual tone, asked, “You’ve been looking at the lake for quite a while… Do you want to remember the scenery and paint it later?”

He seemed to sigh, his brow furrowed in a somewhat wistful expression. “I’m tired of it, nothing here is worth painting.”

Jiang Caifu nodded, not quite understanding his sudden shift in mood. “So… you haven’t had any inspiration to paint lately?”

“No inspiration is the normal state,” he propped his chin up, tilting his head toward the lake. “If inspiration comes, that’s rare.”

Jiang Caifu almost wanted to laugh, but she held it in. “So, you often sit in front of the easel for hours but end up painting nothing?”

“Not really.” His tone was calm, but there was a hint of an unspoken frustration. “Usually, I start painting, and then I think something looks wrong, and I can’t keep going.”

Jiang Caifu lowered her head, trying to suppress the smile that was threatening to appear.

Qiao Yumin glanced at her, his voice flat. “Your amusement is way too obvious.”

“Really?” She pretended to be surprised, widening her eyes and replying stubbornly, “I’m not laughing!”

He turned away, “Guess you’re just fooling yourself.”

“…You should check your own smile if you’re not laughing, because it looks more like you’re crying,” she retorted.

His face remained emotionless, and his words, though delivered with a very light tone, seemed more like a simple statement of fact than an accusation of her lying.

But because of this, Jiang Caifu felt a strange sense of humor in his words and expression, as though she had unexpectedly heard a deadpan joke, and she happened to be on the same wavelength.

“It’s just that what you said was too funny,” she couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

She couldn’t help it; he was just too amusing.

She really couldn’t take his cold, aloof face seriously.

Seeing her laugh until tears almost came out, Qiao Yumin couldn’t help but doubt his own life choices.

Was what he said really that funny?

Was her sense of humor so low?

He felt a bit embarrassed but didn’t know how to stop her laughter. After a moment of hesitation, he could only mutter, “What’s so funny about that?”

It had no impact at all.

At least Jiang Caifu didn’t pay it any attention and kept laughing, only stopping when her cheeks started to hurt. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, “Heh, okay—”

“Okay, I won’t laugh anymore.”

Qiao Yumin narrowed his eyes and let out a soft hum, showing his displeasure.

Then he looked down and casually tossed the rest of the fish food into the lake.

The symphony of koi splashing against the water’s surface resumed with its clinking sounds.

Qiao Yumin clapped his hands, just as his phone screen lit up and a WeChat message popped up.

“We should go back. Lin Youyu is cutting the cake.”

“Already?” Jiang Caifu stood up and patted her pants. “I thought we were waiting until it got dark.”

“Aren’t you all under curfew at school? If the gathering ends earlier, you’ll be able to go back sooner,” Qiao Yumin said, staring at his phone with apparent indifference. “I can also go back and attend my class.”

Jiang Caifu:?

Jiang Caifu: “Class? What class do you have?”

He replied, “I signed up for a wind instrument class. I go to practice when I have time, been almost a month now.”

“Saxophone?”

“No, I got tired of that a long time ago.”

“Then what is it?”

Qiao Yumin didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head and stared at her in silence for a while. After a moment, he slowly said, “Suona.”

Jiang Caifu froze for a moment, then unconsciously started waving her hands, looking a bit ridiculous.

“Suona? The one I know, the kind that’s played at funerals…?”

“Yeah, suona is considered a wind instrument too.”

“Are you serious…?”

Jiang Caifu still couldn’t believe it. She looked at Qiao Yumin’s proud face, unable to imagine him playing the suona.

…But now, she was kind of curious to see what it would be like.

“I really can’t picture you learning that, it doesn’t match your vibe at all,” she said sincerely.

“My vibe?” He let out an ambiguous chuckle, “What vibe do I have?”

Jiang Caifu studied him seriously for a moment, then responded earnestly, “You look like someone who’d be good at playing the piano.”

Qiao Yumin: …

He silently turned his head to the side.

He had expected a more serious answer, not such an abstract description.

Jiang Caifu smiled awkwardly, realizing her response wasn’t exactly insightful.

“Hey, so besides the piano and saxophone, and now the suona, do you play any other instruments?”

“Violin, I guess.”

“Wow, you’re so talented!” she exclaimed, her tone exaggerated, almost like she was speaking to a young child.

However, Qiao Yumin clearly enjoyed the unmasked praise in her words, as the curve of his lips shifted slightly.

But the next moment, she quickly changed the subject. “I really can’t picture you playing the suona… will I ever get to see you play it?”

“Not a chance.” He immediately responded, his tone cold and indifferent. Then, he paused and turned to look at Jiang Caifu. After a few seconds of her apparent disappointment, he said without changing his expression, “Because I’m not actually learning the suona.”

Jiang Caifu: ???

Her expression blanked for a moment.

But she fixed her gaze on him and didn’t miss the mischievous glint in his eyes. Realizing what had happened, she opened her mouth, saying, “—So you’ve been messing with me?”

Qiao Yumin didn’t deny it, tacitly admitting it.

Jiang Caifu laughed at herself, not feeling angry about being tricked, but rather entertained.

She smiled, “You look so upright with those thick eyebrows and big eyes, but you’re such a smooth talker when it comes to lying!”

Qiao Yumin smiled too, though she couldn’t tell whether it was because of his successful trick or because of what she said.

His eyelashes fluttered down, and the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, his gaze softening into a smile that was different from his usual sarcastic or businesslike smiles. It carried a childlike playfulness, mixed with the satisfaction of pulling off a prank.

“Actually, I’m learning the oboe.”

Jiang Caifu had never heard of this instrument before.

She opened her phone again and searched for images of the oboe, studying it closely.

“Is it hard to learn? I’ve never heard anyone play it in real life.”

“It gets dizzying after playing for a while, and your mouth gets tired.”

“Haha, really? Sounds exhausting.”

Jiang Caifu clicked on an oboe solo video and listened for a bit before saying, “It’s actually pretty nice.”

“Are you interested?” Qiao Yumin glanced at her, then sincerely suggested, “If you’re interested, you could try learning it. But once you learn it, you’ll probably lose interest.”

Jiang Caifu burst into laughter, quickly replying, “No, I just want to listen to it! I don’t have time to learn it.”

As they walked from the garden, the soft pink-orange glow of the sunset had faded, and the dusk had settled, stretching their shadows long and intertwining, merging into one.

With the fading daylight, it seemed that Qiao Yumin’s easygoing mood also burned away with it.

After entering the bustling villa lobby, his face visibly darkened, his brow furrowing into a distinct “川” shape, his entire demeanor radiating irritation, as though he was unwilling to “perform.”

Jiang Caifu stared at him in astonishment, almost thinking he was a completely different person.

Especially when a few unfamiliar boys approached Qiao Yumin and tried to strike up a conversation, the air around him seemed so thick with annoyance that it almost felt like it would drip off him.

He was an entirely different person from the one who had been chatting and laughing with her by the lake just half an hour ago.

He exchanged a few polite words with the group, his face as heavy as a sinking stone. Only when Lin Youyu came over to break up the situation did his expression ease slightly.

“Hey? How did you two end up together?”

When Lin Youyu first saw them walking side by side, he thought he was imagining things.

“Mind your own business.” Qiao Yumin pinched the bridge of his nose, his entire demeanor radiating a faint air of death. “Aren’t we cutting the cake? Hurry up, I want to go back.”

Lin Youyu knew how much Qiao Yumin hated being in crowded places, so he quickly nodded. “Alright, alright, we’ll let you go after the cake, okay?”

Qiao Yumin gave a brief acknowledgment, and after being pushed a few steps toward the center of the hall, he turned back and waved his hand at Jiang Caifu with a small gesture, saying, “Going now, bye.”

Jiang Caifu had already started walking back to her original spot where she had been playing cards, and was a little stunned when he suddenly turned back.

“Oh, oh, bye-bye.” She blinked in confusion for a moment before going to find her new friends.

Lin Youyu had ordered a ten-layer cake tower, but of course, he didn’t bother to cut every single piece. He only cut the topmost layer and distributed pieces to his closest friends, leaving the rest to others to cut.

In a corner of the hall, the same table as before, Jiang Caifu and her classmates had started another round of cards. After nervously flipping over her cards, her serious expression immediately lifted.

Finally, good luck was on her side!

“Wow, looks like Jiang Caifu is about to win this round.” A girl noticed the unmasked joy on her face and teased, “The worst is over, huh?”

Jiang Caifu cleared her throat and humbly said, “It’s just luck.”

She took a bite of the birthday cake, the sweetness expanding her joy as it mixed with the sugar.

A few minutes later, she indeed won the round without any suspense.

“Impressive, impressive, you’ve really made an amazing comeback!”

The girls teased her some more, then shuffled the cards and started discussing their next plans.

“So, should we keep playing?”

“Let’s play a couple more rounds? Then I want to go to the pool.”

“Eh? Isn’t it mostly guys over there?”

“No, I mean the rooftop pool. It’s only for girls, didn’t you know?”

“Really? I didn’t know… Even though I didn’t bring a swimsuit, I’d still like to check it out!”

“Alright.” The girl who suggested going to the pool turned to Jiang Caifu and smiled, asking, “Want to come along?”

Jiang Caifu yawned and shook her head. “I’m a bit tired, I think I’ll leave soon.”

“Really? That’s a shame… By the way, we still haven’t added each other on WeChat, right? Let’s exchange contacts!”

Although Jiang Caifu wasn’t sure if she’d see them again, she had enjoyed their time together today, so she didn’t hesitate to exchange contact details.

After finishing the birthday cake, Jiang Caifu wiped her mouth and added some notes to the newly added friends.

Then, on impulse, she glanced toward the center of the hall where the birthday boy and Qiao Yumin were surrounded by people.

She kind of regretted not asking for his contact information by the lake.

But would he give it to her if she asked?

Jiang Caifu wasn’t sure, so she stopped thinking about it.

Propping her chin in her hand, she watched Qiao Yumin in the center of the crowd, looking increasingly amused as some boys smeared cake on his face.

He was wearing a thick layer of cream, his expression dark as he glared at the person who had smeared it on him, his eyes fierce as though ready to lash out at them.

Meanwhile, the culprit remained blissfully unaware, continuing to laugh with Lin Youyu, completely ignoring Qiao Yumin’s foul mood.

Jiang Caifu couldn’t help but find it entertaining and raised her phone to zoom in for a closer look.

Although he had once said he hated being secretly filmed, she hadn’t pressed the shutter yet. Surely it was fine just to zoom in and have a look, right?

With that thought, she pressed the screen more confidently and focused the lens.

The slightly blurry image from a moment ago suddenly came into sharp focus.

In the frame, Qiao Yumin was wiping his face with a wet tissue. The colorful cream had been mostly wiped off, but someone immediately added another glob of white cream on the tip of his nose.

He shoved the person aside with distaste, grabbing more tissues to continue wiping his face. Then, his movements abruptly paused, as if sensing something. He suddenly turned his head toward a certain direction, his distant but sharp gaze landing precisely on Jiang Caifu.

In the moment captured by the camera, his eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, before his eyes narrowed seriously. His originally bright and dark pupils grew cloudy as the camera slowly lost focus.

At that moment, as their eyes met through the lens, Jiang Caifu instinctively held her breath, her heart racing uncontrollably.

The noise around her seemed to fade away, as though everything else no longer mattered.

In the midst of the sudden ringing in her ears, it felt like she had been frozen for a long time, though it could have been only the length of a couple of blinks.

When she finally regained her senses, she had already put her phone down expressionlessly, then turned away nonchalantly, picking up a plate of finished cake to scrape the leftover cream with a fork before mechanically eating it.

The soft cream spread across her tongue, its sweet taste exploding in her mouth like a mushroom cloud, making Jiang Caifu feel slightly dizzy.

She had been caught sneaking a look.

It was a bit… embarrassing…!