Don’t Ignite It chapter 32

Heart beating

There were many cafes on this ancient street, but perhaps to match the street’s vibe, many of them looked rather old, with even their signs worn and leaning against the walls.

Xia Yu randomly picked one, identified only by a small blackboard leaning against the wall with a single character, “熙.”

The owner of the cafe was a young woman with tattoos on her left hand. Xia Yu chatted with her briefly while waiting for coffee.

He liked tattoos to some extent but was afraid of pain. He recalled how he used to cry when he got his ear pierced, so he gave up on the idea of tattoos.

The cafe owner smiled when she heard this. “In that case, you better not think about it. Getting a full arm tattoo can be very painful.”

She prepared a cup of iced drip coffee and a latte with cream for Xia Yu.

Xia Yu sat down with Lu Zhao inside the cafe and continued chatting with the owner. Since there were no other customers at the moment, the owner came out from behind the counter and sat next to Xia Yu, and the two of them discussed coffee types and brewing techniques.

Lu Zhao, on the other hand, quietly played the role of a third wheel. He knew that Xia Yu was very likable; even stray cats and dogs passing by would want to cuddle up to him.

Right now, the cafe owner, who had initially appeared cool, had rolled up her pants and showed Xia Yu the small stars tattooed on her ankles.

“I specially designed this with the tattoo artist,” the cafe owner said with a hint of pride. “If you ever want to get one, go for something small, but avoid the ankle area; it’s quite painful.”

Xia Yu praised her efforts. “It looks great.”

As their conversation flowed, Xia Yu suddenly remembered Lu Zhao. “Oh, Lu Zhao, do you want anything?”

Lu Zhao looked at him and replied, “No, I’m fine.”

After leaving the coffee shop, he and Lu Zhao went to have dinner. He had made plans and found a really delicious restaurant nearby. However, it was a very small place that only served two tables a day, one for lunch and one for dinner. He mobilized his studio colleagues to help him secure a reservation.

However, to be fair, he felt that it wasn’t as good as the online reviews suggested. The crab roe noodles were mediocre, and the steamed crabs were just average, to the point where he sneakily put his portion in Lu Zhao’s bowl.

But he was a fair customer and didn’t complain until they left the restaurant.

Lu Zhao then asked him, “Do you want to go to another restaurant? I can have my secretary, Chen, make a reservation.”

“No need,” replied Xia Yu eagerly, “Let’s go see the lantern festival. The ancient street should be even more beautiful at night, and I read online that there are many street foods.”

He was the type who remembered food but forgot other things. Just after falling into one trap in the travel guide, he couldn’t wait to step into another one.

Lu Zhao silently chuckled; Xia Yu was always like this. Even when he was a child, he’d take the wrong backpack to kindergarten or forget his pen during middle school exams. Even as he grew older, he still had a tendency to get lost.

Lu Zhao was someone who aimed for precision, but he found Xia Yu’s unreliability endearing.

Hand in hand, they walked towards the neighboring ancient street. As expected, the number of tourists had increased in the evening, making the streets crowded and lively. There was music playing somewhere, although they couldn’t discern what it was, and it added to the festive atmosphere.

Xia Yu wandered through the crowd, checking out different stalls from time to time. The activities on the ancient street were well-organized. Rows of trees along the street were adorned with various-shaped lights, brightening up the night. On the roadside, there were wooden structures painted in red, holding small, round bamboo cages with tiny goldfish inside. The gentle night breeze made them sway lightly.

Lu Zhao glanced at one of these stalls. Xia Yu was still busy choosing something, but Lu Zhao thought he might like these.

He picked one with red-colored swimming goldfish inside. The small bamboo cage was shaped like a pumpkin, with light yellow cotton paper covering it. For safety, there was a fixed small light bulb inside, but the lighting was realistic. When the red tail of the goldfish swayed in the air, it looked like a blooming flower, gently swaying.

Xia Yu had once told Lu Zhao before that sometimes his family used to call him “Little Fish” when he was a child.

Lu Zhao looked at the bamboo cage he held in his hand and smiled slightly. He was about to look for Xia Yu. However, when he raised his head and looked at the stall where Xia Yu had been just a moment ago, he saw that the stall had been replaced by a middle-aged couple.

Lu Zhao was taken aback and immediately looked around. People were coming and going, jostling each other on this not-so-wide street. But not a single face was Xia Yu’s.

Lu Zhao couldn’t believe it. He walked up to the steps and looked into the distance. However, he still couldn’t see Xia Yu.

Xia Yu had disappeared.

All of this happened within a few minutes of him buying the bamboo cage.

Lu Zhao furrowed his brow, took out his phone, and called Xia Yu. However, there was no answer on the other end.

He felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Xia Yu was an adult; he wouldn’t get lost like a child. But as he listened to the busy tone on the phone, his heart sank silently.

In an instant, various thoughts raced through his mind.

Maybe Xia Yu had been pushed to another place by the crowd, or perhaps he had wandered into a shop. Or maybe, Xia Yu had simply grown tired of walking with him on the street and wanted to leave him.

…

Because no one answered, the call on Lu Zhao’s phone was disconnected. He almost immediately dialed it again.

He furrowed his brow. If Xia Yu just found him annoying and didn’t want to walk with him, that was fine. But he had to hear Xia Yu’s voice to ensure that he hadn’t encountered any accidents. The tourist attraction was crowded, and there had been stampede incidents in the past few years, which made him extremely anxious.

Just as the call was disconnected for the second time, Lu Zhao felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

He lowered his head and found himself facing a black mask adorned with white flowing clouds and a vertical golden stripe on the forehead. It wasn’t particularly exquisite, just a gimmick used in tourist areas.

But the mask was lifted by a slender, fair hand.

Under the mask was a face that was as beautiful as if it had been meticulously painted. Jet-black pupils that shone brightly, eyes that looked like stars had fallen into them, a fair and radiant complexion, and a smile that never left the lips as the eyes gazed at him without blinking.

Everything seemed to have been paused.

In this moment, amidst the heavy lantern-lit ancient street, the bustling crowd, and the nighttime lights, Lu Zhao’s heart skipped a beat.

All words lost their significance at this instant.

Amidst the twinkling stars and candlelight, everything converged into Xia Yu’s eyes.

“What are you doing standing here?”

Xia Yu still didn’t know what kind of impact he had on Lu Zhao. Feeling a bit warm due to being pushed around in the crowd, he fanned his face and said, “I just bought this mask and was looking for you, but I got pushed to the side by the crowd. It took me a while to find you.”

He noticed the bamboo cage in Lu Zhao’s hand and asked, “Did you buy this too? I was just about to get one.”

Lu Zhao handed the bamboo cage to Xia Yu.

“This is for you.”

Xia Yu was taken aback for a moment, then accepted it. He turned the bamboo cage in his hand, watching the red goldfish swaying in the air. He smiled and said, “It’s quite beautiful.”

Lu Zhao put his phone back in his pocket. He didn’t inform Xia Yu about the call he had just made, nor did he ask him not to wander off again. Instead, he held Xia Yu’s hand tightly and asked, “Do you want to continue exploring?”

“Yes,” Xia Yu replied eagerly, holding the bamboo cage in one hand and dragging Lu Zhao with the other as they disappeared into the crowd.

Walking together under the eaves, they strolled along this not-so-long alley. From a distance, it almost looked like a Milky Way, but walking the entire length, stopping to look around, would only take an hour.

With Lu Zhao holding Xia Yu’s hand, they walked among the crowd, seemingly no different from any other couple passing by.

Lu Zhao suddenly thought that if this road had no end, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Xia Yu and Lu Zhao stayed out until very late that night. On the way back, Xia Yu must have been too tired because he leaned on Lu Zhao’s shoulder and fell asleep.

Lu Zhao lowered his head and looked at him for a while before gently kissing his cheek.

At that moment, he felt an inexplicable tenderness in his heart.

In this dimly lit car, with Xia Yu obediently leaning on him, he had the illusion that they had never been apart. Xia Yu should always be like this, by his side.

But this illusion was quickly shattered.

Xia Yu’s phone, placed on his lap, vibrated and woke him up.

Still half-asleep, Xia Yu answered the call. “Hello? Mm.”

“Oh… I fell asleep. I’m very tired. We went out earlier, and now we’re heading back to the hotel.”

Xia Yu’s voice was soft and drowsy, exuding a natural sense of reliance and intimacy.

Lu Zhao didn’t want to listen, but Xia Yu’s voice still reached his ears.

He knew who was on the other end of the call, Xu Zhan.

Lu Zhao lowered his eyes; Xia Yu’s hand was still holding his tightly, and he gently pressed Xia Yu’s fingernails with his fingertips.

They were still very close.

But a moment ago, the atmosphere of intimacy and warmth that had filled this confined car had vanished without a trace.