What Are Your Tastes? chapter 32
Encountered It Again
Lu Yunchu’s gaze met his. Before Zhou Yanchuan could speak, Lu Yunchu explained, “I just came down.”
He was dressed in black, with his hands in his pockets, blending into the tree shadows, only showing his clear facial features when he stepped into the light.
“Are you here to see me?” Zhou Yanchuan was surprised but judging by his expression, Lu Yunchu didn’t seem to be out for a walk.
Lu Yunchu neither affirmed nor denied it, calmly stating, “I saw you from upstairs. Can I sit here?”
Even as he asked, he was already sitting down, seemingly not truly seeking permission. However, Zhou Yanchuan didn’t feel disturbed and moved slightly to make room for him.
After sitting down, Lu Yunchu remained silent, bathed in the light, blending into the moonlight, making his presence barely noticeable.
Zhou Yanchuan suddenly didn’t want to go upstairs so quickly. He rubbed his cold face, feeling a bit relieved from the tension.
“Lu Yunchu, do you remember asking me if parents are always right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” he lightly brushed his forehead. “Not everyone deserves to be called a parent.”
Zhou Yanchuan’s voice sounded lower and hoarser than usual, as if it came from deep within his chest.
He had endured for days, ever since he read Zhang Hong’s diary, suppressing the slowly growing negative emotions until his cousin caused trouble, and he could no longer contain his feelings of hatred.
With his grandparents both deceased, his hatred became a corrosive substance with no outlet, festering within him.
Lu Yunchu’s heart trembled, and he felt a familiar discomfort, just like that day in the duck noodle shop, sympathizing with Zhou Yanchuan despite not fully understanding the situation.
“Not everyone deserves your forgiveness,” he turned his head slightly, “if you hate someone, it’s because they truly deserve it.”
Zhou Yanchuan was indeed filled with resentment, but after hearing Lu Yunchu’s words, he suddenly felt a bit amused.
“Why do you think that?” he asked, “Do you think I am fair?”
“Would you hate someone for no reason?”
“It seems you think highly of me.” his thoughts suddenly returned to six months ago, when this same person was arguing with him in his office. Comparing then and now felt oddly refreshing.
The knot of resentment in his chest loosened, and he felt the urge to confide, along with the ugly past he had planned to bury deep inside, he narrated them one by one.
Lu Yunchu encountered such shocking family matters for the first time, his heart surging with waves, but he remained composed on the surface. After Zhou Yanchuan finished his story, he softly asked, “Is your mother doing well now?”
“She’s… the family lived frugally since we were poor,” he said, “What I regret the most is that when she passed away, I hadn’t achieved anything to let her live comfortably for even a day.”
Even without paying much attention to gossip, based on his recent interactions with Zhou Yanchuan, Lu Yunchu had already guessed that his parents had passed away. Otherwise, when he took Sabrina in, he wouldn’t have said he was “alone.”
“My parents had a good relationship and treated me well,” Zhou Yanchuan continued, “They scolded and spanked me too, but I’d forget by the next day and continue being a troublemaker.”
Lu Yunchu chuckled lightly, dissipating a faint mist into the night, “Is it another ‘hiding cicada’ case?”
“Something like that,” he said indifferently, “Anyway, they never really blamed me, and I don’t blame them… How could a family have major grudges?”
“It’s good that you can think like that.” At least it meant he hadn’t been hurt by close family members.
Zhou Yanchuan didn’t know about Lu Yunchu’s family, only remembering him saying his father had casually disposed of a dog he raised. But considering it a bit more, if nothing significant had happened, would Lu Yunchu have moved alone to another city?
“Are you and your family…”
“What are you implying? I’m fine now,” Lu Yunchu interrupted lightly, “How about you? Feeling better?”
“I’m fine,” he noticed Lu Yunchu looking away, “Are you here just to chat with me?”
Lu Yunchu crossed his arms, stretching them out in front of him, “Can’t I?”
“Sure, on such a cold day, you’re really in the mood,” Zhou Yanchuan stood up, the solemn expression completely gone, “Should we head upstairs?”
Maintaining his previous pose, Lu Yunchu raised his arms above his head as if stretching lazily, but didn’t immediately get up.
“Waiting for me to pull you up?” Zhou Yanchuan patiently extended his hand, then suddenly realized it wasn’t quite appropriate, freezing in place with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Lu Yunchu sensed his awkwardness and smiled, his eyes crinkling. Without hesitation, he gently patted the hand that Zhou Yanchuan had extended, briefly grasping it before letting go, saying, “That’s good enough.”
The streetlights cast two slender figures that vanished into the bright hallway.
Two days ago, Zhou Yanchuan had declared in front of his aunt and cousin that he would no longer associate with anyone from the Zhang family, and neither dared to object. Zhang Hao couldn’t cope in Sen city and was eager to slip back to his hometown.
In truth, Zhou Yanchuan harbored suspicions; this didn’t seem like Zhang Hao’s idea alone, nor was it his aunt’s doing. It wasn’t that he trusted their character, but doubted their intelligence.
Zhang Hao was malicious but not very bright. Could someone with such a dim mind conceive of using public opinion to discredit others?
Yet if he had intentionally schemed, the company had evidence and wouldn’t benefit from airing it in the media. It looked more like someone else had used him as a pawn.
Mo Ziyang also found the situation suspicious and asked Zhou Yanchuan privately, “Did you offend someone?”
“No,” Zhou Yanchuan affirmed, “But I can’t rule out that someone might have grievances against me.”
Human hearts were inscrutable; even without actively provoking others, it was hard to avoid being resented, especially with Zhou Yanchuan’s rising influence. Competitors, disgruntled employees, or simply those jealous of him—all could potentially hold grudges.
The scope was too broad; those internet trolls were a living example. Who knew which person hiding behind a screen was shooting arrows at him?
Zhang Hao insisted it was his idea alone, and Zhou Yanchuan had only vague suspicions without concrete evidence, so he set it aside for now.
He was tired of thinking about it and didn’t want to waste more energy on the matter. Leaning back in his office chair, his gaze fell on a newly placed wooden craft.
It was a wooden carving decoration that Lu Yunchu had recently given him. Zhou Yanchuan placed it on his desk and absentmindedly played with it when bored.
From one angle, the wood carving resembled a person lying on its side, and from another, it looked like a reclining deer, with a lively and amusing charm.
However, Lu Yunchu had mentioned it was inspired by a dish of pork bones he had eaten in Wen County, which left Zhou Yanchuan feeling a mix of emotions.
What odd ideas this person had in his head. He smiled and placed the item back on the desk.
Lu Yunchu was nestled by his bedside, holding a sketchbook when he received a call from Bai Shan.
Bai Shan informed him that there was a recent exhibition of Miró’s paintings at the West Garden Gallery and asked if he wanted to go.
“Sure, I’ll go on Sunday,” he replied.
“You… you’re going on Sunday?”
“Yeah, any problem?”
“No, I’ll reserve a ticket for you.”
“Thanks.” Lu Yunchu reclined comfortably, flipping open his sketchbook.
“Yunchu, you seem to be in a good mood.”
“Yeah,” he admitted with a smile, “I am.”
He didn’t elaborate further, and Bai Shan didn’t press. After setting down his phone, Lu Yunchu picked up his pen to continue refining the sketches and drawings of Zhou Yanchuan that filled several pages of his sketchbook. The first sketch was from the day they had chatted downstairs and he had invited him over for dinner.
That night, Lu Yunchu walked out of the kitchen and saw Zhou Yanchuan slouched on the sofa, fast asleep.
His hand was still resting on the armrest, body half upright, head tilted to the side, clearly unconscious in sleep.
Lu Yunchu didn’t rush to wake him up. He fetched his sketchbook from the room.
With limited time, he drew a quick sketch, simple lines, focusing on the face, leaving out most of the body, just capturing the rough outline.
He looked at the result he had drawn in a few minutes, lightly tapping his fingers on the paper. His heartbeat wasn’t fast, but he didn’t hide his feelings as he drew Zhou Yanchuan, his brush revealing everything.
Lu Yunchu had long passed the age of innocence. He didn’t need to search repeatedly for the flutter of his heart or dwell on the slightest trace.
Once the seed sprouts, its growth cannot be suppressed. There was nothing to conceal. He liked Zhou Yanchuan, that much was certain.
He knew Zhou Yanchuan would probably never like men, but compared to his current feelings, that wasn’t very important.
In this vast sea of people, amidst the complexities of the world, just meeting someone you like is rare enough, especially considering his past disappointment in matters of the heart.
Now that he had encountered it again, he was very happy.