Creatures of Habit

Chapter 12.2

Breakfast was rice porridge with dumplings and boiled eggs. Qin Shaocheng would often look at the food’s presentation while he ate. If it was presented well, his chopsticks would move more quickly. All the dishes and cups he bought at home were carefully selected by Jiang Yishan. They were exquisite and beautiful. He can take aesthetic photos of them in the style of the Po social network just by laying down a tablecloth and directly putting dishes on top of it.

The plate was also exquisite. A bowl of porridge had to be sprinkled with sesame and sugar. If there were no snacks at home, Jiang Yishan can crush pecans instead of sesame and sprinkle it. The egg dumplings were still hot. Jiang Yishan went to the kitchen and poured some vinegar into a small bowl so Qin Shaocheng can dip the dumplings in it. He also added two drops of red oil into the vinegar, making it look good and more fragrant.

Yet there was no change on Qin Shaocheng’s expression when he saw these.

The greatest pleasure of cooking was to get the affirmation of others after tasting. Jiang Yishan, who got no response, was more or less depressed. He tells himself that it was probably because he didn’t cook too well.

After eating rice, Jiang Yishan went to the kitchen to wash dishes. Qin Shaocheng went to the study and called Wei Feng’s phone. Wei Feng also just woke up. From his voice, one could hear he was still hungover: “Old Qin, did I give the key to someone yesterday? I didn’t see my car key in the morning.”

“Zeng Pingping drove your car home yesterday.”

“Ah, I’ll have to go back and get it…”

“You…” Qin Shaocheng thought for a moment and asked, “Did you know that you’re still friends with Jiang Yishan on WeChat?”

Wei Feng said, “What’s the matter? I–fuck–ah, that kid is so pervasive that I say he is–”

Qin Shaocheng rubbed his brow: “Wei Feng.”

“Ah… Don’t blame me. I just posted some photos. I want him to see that you’re having fun even after he left, that you’re happy and comfortable.”

Hearing Qin Shaocheng’s displeasure, Wei Feng had to be honest and say, “I didn’t say anything else. I just took pictures of us hanging out. Why? Old Qin, you’re not–Just because you heard he’s been paying attention to you, you’re feeling soft again?! You can’t! Wake up!”

Wei Feng shouted: “This is what he deserves. If he cries and pretends to be pitiful again, then ask him why he didn’t go back earlier. It’s only because he’s reached a dead-end that he’s returned. It was a last resort, not a confession from the heart! You have to keep this in mind. You know, you’re so soft-hearted. Do you understand that, it really is… hey…”

Qin Shaosheng felt helpless. “I know.”

His head hurt from thinking that Jiang Yishan either didn’t know or pretended not to know. When Jiang Yishan saw him hesitate, he looked like a drowning man grasping onto a duckweed on the water. He knew it was useless, yet he didn’t let go.

What Wei Feng wanted to say, Qin Shaocheng knew it clearly. Wei Feing couldn’t understand him.

Couldn’t he just leave right now? Well, he can’t. Traffic was congested these days.

Was he really so soft-hearted that he didn’t have a bottomline? Yes, he didn’t.

Jiang Yishan knew him so well that he could easily catch his weak point. Qin Shaocheng couldn’t resist most of the time, even when he knew that Jiang Yishan was just trying to manipulate him by acting weak.

If Jiang Yishan hadn’t told him to go back to the Qin Family to borrow money, Qin Shaocheng could’ve still tolerated him.

It was like saying that Jiang Yishan only wanted to be with him while things were good when Qin Shaocheng had been willing to suffer with him.

He had always been willing.

Even when, to outsiders, Jiang Yishan had many shortcomings. To Qin Shaocheng, these were nothing but floating dust in front of his eyes. But in the blink of an eye, tears were shed, and Qin Shaocheng was thrown away. When they just broke up, he used to complain all the time. But, after all, man’s life was like a dream. Jiang Yishan was merely a butterfly that floated away ahead of time.