Chapter 3 – Kiss

Fu An blocked the doorway. If Qi Qianze were to leave, he would have to go through him.

Qi Qianze said: “Is there anything else?”

Fu An: “No”

“Oh, then excuse me.”

This was the Qi Qianze of many years later. Even though, in his heart, he had many words to say, none of it showed on his placid expression, as if he was facing a stranger.

No, he would be friendlier towards most strangers.

Fu An took a step backward to stand right in the doorway, with a “just try to pass me” expression on his face, smiling darkly.

Just judging from outer appearances, it looked like he was here to seek revenge.

Qi Qianze didn’t speak, standing in place and looking at him.

“You really are heartless.” Fu An said after a while. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, yet you have this attitude?”

“It seems that there wasn’t enough wasabi, why couldn’t it just choke you to death?”

“I don’t know, go ask your family’s wasabi.”

Qi Qianze really outdid himself – as it turned out, there was also an occasion where he could speak like this.

Before, he would always be suppressed by Fu An to the point that he didn’t have anything to say, and in the end would remain silent. Throughout the years, he had only ever argued with Fu An twice. Once on the day they broke up, and once now.

Fu An smiled, suddenly softening his voice: “You really have a quick tongue, Qi Qianze, did you get another boyfriend or girlfriend? Was it them who taught you?”

Without waiting for an answer, he added: “They must be truly amazing, let me see…… Ah, I spent fifteen years and wasn’t able to get through your head, but it turns out that there‘s a person who managed to do it in less than three years. Telling me to ask the wasabi, can your family’s wasabi speak, Qi Qianze?”

Fu An mused: “I really want to meet your current partner.”

His words were a complete mess, but Qi Qianze knew that this was Fu An angry.

“Fu An.” Qi Qianze called Fu An’s name, and in a flash, Fu An cleared all the emotion from his face.

“You’re angry,” Qi Qianze observed.

“So you can tell?”

Fu An was expressionless, as if Qi Qianze calling his name wasn’t supposed to have happened. But this–––– was much better than the cold smile from earlier.

Fu An asked: “Then do you know why I’m angry?”

Qi Qianze didn’t know.

It wasn’t just that they hadn’t seen each other for so long. Even if it was just like before, when they had spent every day together, this big blockhead Qi Qianze would never be able to tell what Fu An was thinking. He only could sense a few of the changes in Fu An’s mood, but that was only because Fu An had no intention of hiding his emotions and wanted him to know.

Fu An once thought that the phrase “steel straight man” could have been custom made to describe Qi Qianze. He also felt that it was impossible for Qi Qianze to agree to be with him. He probably didn’t even like men.

But in fact, Qi Qianze really was bent. He was very competent in bed, and could get hard.

Fu An once, for a moment, believed himself to be liked.

But later he found out that it had probably been a mere physiological reaction.

Nevermind.

They should go their separate ways1.

Fu An suddenly lost interest, feeling that his actions were ridiculous. Hadn’t they already been separated for three years? Why did they need to get entangled again?

So meaningless. They already won’t be together anymore.

He secretly sighed, stepped out of the doorway, and said: “Forget it, you go.”

Caught off guard.

Qi Qianze was stunned.

Fu An really let him go.

In front of Qi Qianze, there was a wide open doorway, inanimate and apathetic. To the side, was the conceding, ice-cold Fu An.

If Qi Qianze were to go forwards, the former would let him leave, but the latter……

Qi Qianze looked at him with slightly swollen eyes, feeling that Fu An was very difficult to endure. He was a lethal poison, was an executioner that stabbed hearts, was the one who had tightly bound him, was the demon that grew happier and happier the more he struggled in vain.

But he was still just Fu An.

The Fu An that he’d looked for for so long.

After he finally appeared in front of him, would he just let him run away?

No, of course not.

Qi Qianze suddenly moved. He stepped over, lips pressed tightly together, appearing very serious and dedicated.

Fu An lowered his eyes, the pride and light gone from within them. His usual arrogant bearing now seemed listless and lonely. Then, his eyes suddenly widened, because his wrist had been tightly grasped by a hand damp from being washed moments ago. 

“Qi Qianze, what are you doing? let go–––”

“I won’t let go.”

Qi Qianze really was different from before. Perhaps it was that the wasabi choked a new personality into him – now he would counter Fu An in everything.

Fu An was pulled along, stupefied. From his perspective, he could only see Qi Qianze’s back, could only hear his quiet voice.

“Fu An,” Qi Qianze said.

Fu An’s heart moved.

“You once told me I couldn’t get rid of you. You really were right.”

Fu An was dragged into the elevator. Despite being in such a large restaurant, the elevator was actually deserted at that time. Qi Qianze smoothly took him to the basement. Only once Qi Qianze unlocked the car door and a chime sounded nearby did Fu An react, fiercely tugging at his hand: “Qi Qianze, what are you doing?”

Embarrassingly, Fu An couldn’t pull his hand away at all.

Now, Fu An actually felt a little fearful. Qi Qianze had never gone to such extremes. Even on the day they broke up, when Qi Qianze was the most emotionally unstable, he had never treated Fu An like this.

“Qi Qianze!” Fu An furiously yanked at his own hand, with such force that his wrist made popping sounds.

Qi Qianze finally stopped.

Fu An tugged at his hand, still unable to pull it free. He took a deep breath, and said: “I shouldn’t have come out, I shouldn’t have heard wasabi and thought of you, and I shouldn’t have come running because I heard your name. I’m the one who trapped you, I’m the one with wishful thinking, I’m the selfish one, I’m the one who let you down, just hate me and let it be.”

“So now, are you going to murder me and throw away the corpse?”

Even his apology was like mockery.

Qi Qianze turned and looked at him.

Only then did Fu An realize that he was panting and that his heart was racing. It wasn’t out of passion, but out of fear.

He had never seen Qi Qianze like this. Never.

“It was my fault, I also shouldn’t have gone to the bathroom to block you.”

Fu An was just this type, fierce and unreasonable on the surface, and unable to speak his true thoughts. Really, he had just wanted to look at him a little more, but when he faced him, he said disagreeable words while wearing an irritating expression.

It was just because of this very reason that Qi Qianze had never liked him.

Fu An lowered his head and let out a breath, feeling ridiculous. Just moments before, he’d clearly hated the idea of Qi Qianze finding a new love, but now he wanted to give up. 

In those few years, Fu An had finally also changed. He was no longer that wilful, bad child. He said: “Don’t do this, you don’t need to do this, just act as if you hadn’t seen me today. I shouldn’t have come and disturbed you, I…… What are you doing?!”

Qi Qianze didn’t wait for him to finish, and directly continued to pull him along. They were ten steps away from Qi Qianze’s car – those ten steps filled Fu An with dread.

Fu An couldn’t tell exactly why he was afraid. He’d already experienced so many shocking scenarios. Even when performing surgery, cutting through skin and flesh, he was never afraid, but now he faltered.

It might be because he no longer dared to blight the person in front of him ever again, nor did he force Qi Qianze to like him. 

Then why did you still appear in front of him?

Fu An asked himself, cursed, damn it.

“Qi Qianze, this is it for us, it’s best for us to never meet again, you––”

They reached the car.

Qi Qianze stopped and pulled Fu An in between himself and the car. His actions were seamless, as if he’d rehearsed this scene countless times in his mind. It was so quick Fu An couldn’t react.

Fu An’s shoulders were soundly restrained, and he was pressed tightly against the car door. For a split second, he thought ’isn’t the car door dirty?’. Immediately afterwards, he was covered by the person before his eyes, and couldn’t see a single bit of light.

Because Qi Qianze had lowered his head, and kissed Fu An.

Author’s Note:

Don’t know why, this chapter was very literary, a little artificial.

Thanks very much everyone!

Lit. Bridge returns to bridge, road returns to road — essentially that they shouldn’t have anything to do with each other anymore