Let Me Meet You chapter 27

Rose Soft Candy

While they were waiting for the elevator, Yang Xu called.

Li Xian turned off the voice changer and answered, “Didn’t I tell you to go first? Didn’t you see my message?”

“I did. I just wanted to wait and give you a ride.” Yang Xu replied with obvious conviction.

Sheng Min, who was close enough to hear, said softly to Li Xuan, “Tell Yang Xu to go home. His route is different. If he drives us and then goes back, it’ll be too late.”

Li Xuan nodded and told Yang Xu, “No need to wait. Just take a car back; I’ll cover the fare.”

“Oh, come on, Ge, I don’t need you to cover that!” Yang Xu replied, seemingly thinking of something and then adding with excitement, “So you and Xuan Ge made up, huh? Got it; I won’t be the third wheel. I’m off then.” He cheerfully asked, “Where should I put the car key?”

“I’ll be down in a minute. It’s fine wherever you leave it. No one will take it. If you’re worried, put it by the exhaust pipe.”

Li Xuan gave up on explaining, but he couldn’t help glancing at Sheng Min, who had clearly overheard. Once he hung up, Sheng Min said, “Sometimes, Yang Xu just doesn’t get it. I’ll find a chance to explain to him.”

Li Xuan only nodded, “Up to you.”

The car key was indeed left near the exhaust. It was past rush hour now, and the drive back was smooth. They didn’t talk much on the way back, as if everything had been said on the rooftop.

Sheng Min didn’t ask how that incident had been resolved, as if his only concern was that Li Xuan had been involved on his behalf, and so he had to inquire. As for the rest—even if it involved himself—he didn’t seem to care.

This made Li Xuan feel Sheng Min’s unusual quietness. He was even more silent than usual after leaving the rooftop. Even so, whenever Li Xuan glanced at him, Sheng Min maintained his usual expression. Whenever they made eye contact, he would smile and earnestly remind Li Xuan to focus on driving.

On the way home, they took a short highway stretch. After exiting a tunnel, Sheng Min ordered dinner from a Yunnan restaurant they liked. Timing should have been perfect, with a thirty-minute wait. But just as they arrived home, the restaurant called, saying the delivery driver had taken a fall and the food had spilled; they’d need to prepare it again and send a replacement.

Of course, Sheng Min said it was no problem. After ending the call, he asked Li Xuan, “Are you hungry? I can find something for you to eat.”

Li Xuan shook his head, but Sheng Min had already gone into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He had cooked two meals over the weekend and remembered there should still be some food left. He found some vegetables and meat, but there was only half a box of rose-flavored soft candy for a quick snack.

“I’m not that hungry, just a little thirsty.”

Li Xuan walked over, poured half a cup of milk, and drank it all in one go. Afterward, he casually washed the cup at the sink. At this moment, Sheng Min ate a candy and turned to look at his face, suddenly frozen for a moment. “Why haven’t you taken off your makeup?”

Sheng Min had good skin, and the makeup artist always applied it lightly. The lighting on the rooftop was too dim, and on the way back, he had been lost in thought. Now, under the bright kitchen lights, he realized his makeup hadn’t been removed.

As soon as he spoke, Sheng Min realized that he himself was the one who had forgotten to remove Li Xuan’s makeup.

Li Xuan raised an eyebrow, belatedly touching his face. “No wonder I’ve felt uncomfortable… I forgot.”

“Don’t touch it like that, you’ll just get it on your hands,” Sheng Min said as he put down the candy box. “There’s makeup remover at home, I’ll go get it.”

He found both makeup remover and cleansing cream, along with cotton pads and cotton swabs.

“First, remove the eye and lip makeup, then the face…”

Before he could finish, Li Xuan had already soaked a cotton pad with makeup remover and wiped it across his eyelid. He wasn’t doing it wrong, but he was too forceful. Sheng Min winced at the sight and reached out to grab his wrist.

“What’s wrong?” Li Xuan half-opened his eyes and looked at him, blinking repeatedly due to the irritation from the makeup remover. For once, he seemed a little lost.

“Nothing.” Sheng Min hesitated for a moment, then sighed with a smile. “I’ll remove it for you, so it doesn’t get into your eyes.”

Li Xuan had a slight tear in the corner of his eye. Sheng Min’s outline became a little blurry, but he could still hear his voice. He also felt Sheng Min’s hand pressing gently on his shoulder, signaling him to sit in the chair behind him.

Li Xuan had intended to refuse, but Sheng Min had already taken the cotton pad from his hand, replaced it with a new one, and gently pressed it against the corner of his eye. “I’ll take off your mascara first. Don’t be scared, I’ll be gentle.”

He spoke in a tone like he was comforting a child, which made Li Xuan chuckle. “I’m scared to death. You’re going to do it hard, right?”

Sheng Min paused, then couldn’t help but laugh, showing his first genuine smile of the evening. “Hmm, that works too.”

Despite the teasing, Sheng Min’s movements were extremely gentle. It was as if spring willow catkins brushed the thawed riverbank. Li Xuan guessed that when Sheng Min stroked that cat, he must have used the same gentle force.

If it were really a cat, it probably would have been happy to have Sheng Min as its owner. Li Xuan had this thought out of the blue, and even he found it strange and amusing. He subconsciously shook his head.

“What’s wrong?” Sheng Min asked, puzzled. He had to use one hand to hold Li Xuan’s face, but Li Xuan didn’t say anything. Sheng Min didn’t push for an answer and made his tone intentionally serious. “Okay, I’ve never taken off someone else’s makeup before, so don’t move.”

Bending slightly, Sheng Min used a cotton pad to remove the makeup and then carefully wiped the residue from the corner of his eyes with a cotton swab.

With his eyes closed, Li Xuan’s sense of smell and touch became more sensitive. They were very close, and he could smell the sweet rose fragrance from the candy that Sheng Min had just eaten. He could also feel the light brush of Sheng Min’s hand against his cheek, causing a slight tickle. More precisely, it was his hand, brushing across Sheng Min’s face.

In that moment, surrounded by the fragrance and the faint touches, it felt like a long time had passed, but also just a second. Sheng Min had already finished removing his makeup, even taking care of his lips.

“Just wash your face again with facial cleanser,” Sheng Min said. Li Xuan opened his eyes, and the mirror was right next to him. His makeup had been light to begin with, so it wasn’t too strange, but after it was removed, his face felt refreshingly natural.

“You…” Li Xuan wanted to say that Sheng Min looked best without makeup, but he quickly stopped himself.

“Hmm?” Sheng Min was tidying up the things on the table. “What? Did I miss a spot?”

“It’s fine,” Li Xuan said, pursing his lips. He hesitated, unsure how to respond to Sheng Min’s questioning gaze. Fortunately, the doorbell rang just in time. “Go answer the door.”

“The takeout must have arrived. I didn’t hear it.”

Sheng Min went to open the door, but before he reached it, someone opened it from the outside. Li Xuan was puzzled when a somewhat familiar female voice suddenly rang out. “Who are you? Where’s Sheng Min?”

Author’s Note:

When I started writing this story, I intended it to be a sweet, lighthearted piece. Now, though, I can’t really say if it’s sweet or not, but it’s definitely not going to be a simple, short story…