What Are Your Tastes? chapter 46

 Do You Want to See Him Again?

“Are you two…together now?” Lu Yunchu asked while chatting with Ning Ruowei in her shop. “Did she really agree?”

“Yes,” Ning Ruowei blushed, a rare sight. “I didn’t tell you before because—”

“You were worried about me?” Lu Yunchu guessed.

After all, Ning Ruowei knew about his one-sided affection for Zhou Yanchuan. She might have felt awkward flaunting her love in front of him when his love life was struggling.

That was indeed what Ning Ruowei thought, but she didn’t answer directly. “Well, I was going to tell you eventually.”

Lu Yunchu teased her, “Why are you so reserved around me?”

“Are you really okay with it?”

“No problem.” Besides, Lu Yunchu was quite enjoying his current relationship with Zhou Yanchuan.

As long as Zhou Yanchuan didn’t talk about dating or consider marriage, he felt like they were always together. This might be a bit selfish, but he secretly hoped this period could last indefinitely.

Just then, Zhou Yanchuan called. Lu Yunchu didn’t avoid Ning Ruowei; he just turned halfway around, facing the floor-to-ceiling window.

After chatting for a bit, Zhou Yanchuan asked if he was interested in going to the stables again, and Lu Yunchu agreed.

“He invited you to go horseback riding?” Ning Ruowei’s tone was cheerful.

“Yes.” Lu Yunchu then told her about their last horseback riding experience.

“I think… he might not be so hard to win over.”

“Miss Ning,” Lu Yunchu exaggeratedly called out, “weren’t you the one who said straight men and straight women are different?”

“They are different,” Ning Ruowei’s eyes twinkled, “but that’s only if he’s really that straight.”

“You have quite the imagination.”

“Hey,” she snapped her fingers, “why don’t we all get together someday?”

“All four of us?” Lu Yunchu realized she meant An Yuan and Zhou Yanchuan as well.

“Doesn’t he know An Yuan?”

“They don’t seem very close.” He remembered Zhou Yanchuan mentioning that An Yuan was his friend’s cousin, but they didn’t talk much.

“But you and I are close!” Ning Ruowei blurted out, “Let your dear Zhou get a taste of same-sex love.”

“Stop it.” Recalling their last near-exposure, Lu Yunchu lost interest. It seemed too overwhelming for Zhou Yanchuan.

The second time they went horseback riding, Lu Yunchu was used to it, and there were no more incidents. They rode side by side, like they were just taking a walk.

“Is there any place you want to go?” Zhou Yanchuan asked.

“A place I want to go?”

“Just in general… like now, wherever you want to go, I can accompany you.” He realized he knew very little about Lu Yunchu, except for his love for art and maybe cooking. He wanted to ask more about his preferences since they were good friends.

“In the next few days?” The Spring Festival holiday was almost over, and they wouldn’t have much free time.

“Anytime,” Zhou Yanchuan smiled, “as long as you have an idea.”

“I want to go to Art Street.”

“Huh? Where?”

“Over by the university town, are you familiar with it?” Lu Yunchu said, “I want to buy some things.”

“Oh, I know it.” Zhou Yanchuan thought he would mention a more special place, but it turned out to be a place just a ten-minute drive away. “Sure, I can help you carry your stuff.”

After their trip to the stables, they planned the next day’s schedule.

Art Street was located in the university town. Zhou Yanchuan, who had lived in Sen City for more than a decade, knew the place but seldom visited it. His only memory of it might be passing by on business.

The osmanthus flowers had long passed their blooming season, leaving only tender green leaves that swayed in the wind with a rustling sound.

“Did you study around here before?” Zhou Yanchuan suddenly asked as they passed a pavilion.

“Yes,” Lu Yunchu was slightly surprised, “you know?”

“I’ve known for a long time—” Zhou Yanchuan instinctively answered, quickly realizing the inappropriateness. “Sorry, I inquired about your background from Manager Sun before.”

Lu Yunchu easily understood he meant during their collaboration last year.

“No big deal, weren’t you my client back then?” Lu Yunchu raised an eyebrow at him, “Or were you particularly distrustful of me?”

Zhou Yanchuan laughed sheepishly, “Don’t bring up old grudges. You used to think I was uncool.”

“I still think you’re uncool.”

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have come with you.”

“It’s too late to regret now.” Lu Yunchu pulled his arm, leading him inside.

The new semester hadn’t started yet, but there were many young people who looked like students walking around, some carrying drawing boards, probably there to sketch.

Art Street ran north-south, with the south exit connecting to a street of food stalls and specialty shops. The north exit was close to one of Sen University’s gates, which led directly to the Art College’s teaching area. The students they saw might have been returning to campus.

“You didn’t study art in the country, did you?” Zhou Yanchuan asked again.

“No, I just audited some classes.”

“I see,” he said. “I have a friend who’s a professor in your university’s art department.”

“Who?” If it was someone who had been teaching there for a long time, Lu Yunchu suspected he might know them.

“Chen Mingxuan, do you know him?”

Lu Yunchu suddenly stopped, eyes lighting up, “You know Professor Chen?”

“Yeah,” and he had once teased that he survived only on dew, “do you know him too?”

“Not very well,” since he hadn’t been in touch after graduation, “but I admire him a lot as an artist. He’s also a great person. Even though I wasn’t an art major, I audited his classes, and he gave me a lot of guidance. Ning Ruowei and I met in his class.” He said excitedly but then calmed down. “I didn’t know he was your friend.”

“Oh, a few years ago, the city organized an event to paint portraits of entrepreneurs. He painted mine,” Zhou Yanchuan paused, “do you want to see him again?”

“See Professor Chen?” While Lu Yunchu certainly respected Chen Mingxuan, their relationship was superficial to begin with, and after so many years without contact, making a special effort for Zhou Yanchuan to arrange a meeting seemed unnecessary. “Well, forget it. He probably doesn’t even remember me. No need to bother him.”

“Don’t worry, anyway—” Zhou Yanchuan glanced at Lu Yunchu, “next weekend is the Lantern Festival. There’s a party for the Hongchuan executives, and I wanted to ask if you’re interested. Chen Mingxuan will be there.”

Lu Yunchu was surprised, “Should I attend a Hongchuan team-building event? Is that appropriate?”

“If you want to come, come. It’s casual this time, with some senior executives’ family members and friends in business… Everyone will be there. Didn’t you make sculptures for our park?”

“What about Professor Chen?” Lu Yunchu asked, “Will he be attending as your friend too?”

“More than that, his wife is Hongchuan’s CFO, so she’s considered family.”

“He’s married?” Lu Yunchu asked in surprise.

“For two or three years now. They met at an event. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be acquainted.” Chen Mingxuan’s wife was named Yang Shujuan, and whenever there were company events where family could come, she always brought him along.

Lu Yunchu was amazed because Chen Mingxuan, as he knew from university, was not interested in romantic relationships, nor in other things, and was wholly dedicated to art. “Living in seclusion” seemed to describe people like him.

But Zhou Yanchuan felt a bit awkward seeing his reaction. Chen Mingxuan was in his thirties, was it really that surprising that he got married?

“So, do you want to come or not?” Zhou Yanchuan couldn’t help but ask Lu Yunchu, who was still standing there blankly.

“Oh, sure,” Lu Yunchu snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, “Thank you.”

Rather than seeing his old Professor again, he was more excited that Zhou Yanchuan invited him to the Hongchuan event.

However, Zhou Yanchuan had always thought Lu Yunchu didn’t enjoy social occasions much. Hearing this unexpectedly straightforward answer made him come to another understanding.

Was Chen Mingxuan that attractive?

“Let’s go, let’s go buy something first.” Lu Yunchu naturally hooked his arm.

The slanting sunlight cast narrow alleys mostly in shadow, making the asphalt road darker.