“That hat of yours…” President Liu walked a short distance forward, then turned to look at him again. “Is that crocheted by Shan Yu?”
“…Yes.” Chen Jian raised a hand to touch the hat on his head, suddenly feeling a little guilty.
Both President Liu and Professor Shan were wearing hats. President Liu wore a soft, thick woolen hat that looked quite warm and stylish. Professor Shan’s hat was relatively… plain, a knit hat with ear flaps on both sides, the edges of which were already worn and frayed.
Never mind comparing it to President Liu’s, but when Professor Shan’s hat was placed next to the one on Chen Jian’s head…
Would they be jealous?
“How did you know?” Chen Jian asked.
“I saw that all your employees are wearing the same scarf,” President Liu said. “The workmanship… looks like something Shan Yu would rush out.”
“That’s right,” Chen Jian smiled.
“Since he can crochet a scarf for each employee, there’s no reason he wouldn’t make one for you,” President Liu said.
They must be jealous, Chen Jian thought. Even the employees each got a scarf.
Chen Jian smiled without saying a word.
“He used to lack enthusiasm for everything,” President Liu said. “You’d see him wandering outside all day, with a bunch of friends, eating and drinking, getting into fights and causing trouble, but his spirits were actually low, especially during those two years he was on medication. Later, when he was in a better state, he started a company only to run into that kind of trouble…”
Chen Jian walked beside President Liu, listening to her speak. He actually knew most of these things, but hearing them from President Liu gave him a different feeling.
“After he got out, we could only hear about his situation from Liu Wu. We didn’t see him for many years,” President Liu said. “So now, to see him like this… I’m really very happy.”
“He still has insomnia sometimes,” Chen Jian said, “but otherwise, he should be fine. He’s also very dedicated to his work. Don’t be fooled by how he knows nothing about the guesthouse; his computer is full of stuff about tourism in the small town. When travel agencies come to scout routes, they all stay with us.”
“He’s completely handed over the management of the guesthouse to you,” President Liu looked at him. “And you’re doing a very good job.”
“There’s still a lot I don’t understand,” Chen Jian said, feeling a little embarrassed under her gaze.
President Liu’s gaze was actually quite kind, but you could just feel that she could see right through you. It created a bit of pressure, or maybe it was just his own lack of confidence.
“You can learn. You’re only in your early twenties,” President Liu smiled. “Auntie will recommend some books for you. You can read them when you have time.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded. “Thank you.”
It only took Shan Yu about twenty minutes to pick up the dog and come back, but Chen Jian and President Liu walked and talked along the riverbank. Although the atmosphere was relaxed, his heart was not.
When he saw Shan Yu’s car appear on the small path by the river beach, a refreshing sense of relief washed over him.
“He’s back,” Chen Jian said.
“Whose dog is that?” President Liu asked.
“It’s President Lu’s from the Culture and Tourism Bureau. He said he’s going away for a few days for the New Year, and this was the only one of his dogs he couldn’t find anyone to look after,” Chen Jian said. “So he sent it to us.”
“I’m afraid no one can handle it,” President Liu said.
Shan Yu stopped the car and opened the back door. A reddish-brown husky jumped out.
This color… according to the stereotype of the black and white crazies, this one should be okay?
But he soon felt he had been too optimistic.
The moment the husky landed, it wanted to bolt forward. Shan Yu grabbed its collar, pulling it up so it was standing on its hind legs.
As he sorted out the leash, it just stood there like that, grinning foolishly at Chen Jian and the others, its front paws pawing at the air.
The second Shan Yu let go of its collar, it had already shot forward two or three meters.
Then they watched as the retractable leash rapidly extended, heading straight for Chen Jian and President Liu.
“Oh my,” President Liu said softly.
“Hold it back!” Chen Jian stepped in front of President Liu.
“Let’s see how fast it can run.” Shan Yu pressed the lock on the leash, pulled the dog back a little, and shouted, “Stop!”
A miraculous thing happened. The dog obediently stopped, just panting excitedly at them.
“It’s actually quite obedient,” Shan Yu shortened the leash and walked over to pat the dog’s head. “Good boy.”
“Why are you speaking English? Is he a returnee student?” Chen Jian asked.
“It’s been educated. It understands Chinese too,” Shan Yu said. “A bilingual top student.”
“Does it have a name?” Chen Jian walked over and tentatively held out his hand for the dog to sniff.
While sniffing his hand, the dog also gave it a lick.
Well, not exactly a top student.
“Its name is Fifteen,” Shan Yu said. “They said it was born on the 15th. All the dogs in his family are numbers.”
“About the same level as Mushroom,” Chen Jian said. “Fifteen, be good, let me pet your head.”
Fifteen was still quite excited, its mouth following his hand. He couldn’t manage to pet its head after several tries.
“And you call this a top student,” Chen Jian said, giving up as he didn’t want his hand licked again.
“Fifteen, stay,” Shan Yu pointed at Fifteen. “Freeze.”
Fifteen looked up at him and panted, it was unclear if it understood.
Chen Jian tried again. This time Fifteen just tilted its head. You could tell it desperately wanted to move, but it held back. Chen Jian scratched its head.
“Good boy!” Shan Yu praised in a timely manner.
“Not bad,” Chen Jian looked at Fifteen. “Maybe it really won’t bark or destroy the house.”
“Who’s going to walk it?” Shan Yu asked.
“Me, of course,” Chen Jian said. “If I wait for you, I’m afraid it’ll hold it in until something bad happens.”
“It’s all yours,” Shan Yu said, placing the leash in his hand.
Chen Jian took the leash. He didn’t mind the extra work; he quite liked dogs. It was just that Mushroom was small and not scary when he ran around, and he knew to do his business in the patch of grass outside the courtyard, so he didn’t usually need to be walked.
Fifteen, on the other hand, had to be on a leash. Not only for fear of scaring people but also for fear of it getting lost. This dog was, in a sense, the God of Wealth’s dog.
A wealth dog.
“Did he catch any fish?” Shan Yu asked President Liu.
“Who?” President Liu also asked.
“My dad,” Shan Yu said.
“How can you even ask that?” President Liu said.
“What if there’s a miracle?” Shan Yu said.
Hearing this conversation, Chen Jian couldn’t help but laugh.
“Are there fish in the spot you picked for him?” Shan Yu asked Chen Jian.
“It’s Grandpa Xiao Dou’er’s treasured spot. He comes to feed the fish whenever he has time,” Chen Jian said. “Anyway, he always catches something.”
“Then there might be a chance,” Shan Yu said. “Let’s go see.”
The moment Shan Yu arrived, Chen Jian felt instantly at ease. He held Fifteen’s leash. The dog sniffed here and there, and he followed, moving this way and that, no longer needing to participate in the conversation.
Besides, President Liu and the others were only staying for three or four days. He could tell she really wanted to talk more with Shan Yu.
Shan Yu’s habits from over the years weren’t so easy to change, and his relationship with his parents was unlikely to be repaired to the point where he’d go home whenever he had time. This kind of interaction probably wouldn’t happen many times a year.
The wind on the riverbank was a bit strong. Shan Yu zipped up his jacket to the top, then glanced at his mom’s collar. A small scarf was tucked inside. That was good.
“Who is Grandpa Xiao Dou’er?” his mom asked.
“The grandfather of a little girl. Chen Jian… used to live at his place,” Shan Yu said in a low voice. “His house was mortgaged to a creditor, so he had nowhere to live. He’s even slept in a coffin.”
“…I see,” President Liu was silent for a moment. “That child has had it rough. No wonder he’s so sensible.”
“He’ll be relieved once the debt is paid off,” Shan Yu said. “It should be soon, hopefully this year.”
“Mm,” President Liu nodded. “If you want to free up your hands to do something else and hand over the management of the guesthouse to him, you’ll need to have him learn more. Especially with your current employees, they are both a feature and a weakness. The better the business, the greater the pressure, and the more problems will arise. Relying on feelings alone is not enough; you also have to put effort into management.”
“Mm,” Shan Yu grunted in agreement.
“Does talking about this annoy you?” his mom asked.
“No,” Shan Yu said.
“If not, then come with me tomorrow and wander around,” his mom said. “Let’s see if there’s anything…”
“It’s the New Year, President Liu,” Shan Yu said. “Can’t you just rest properly?”
“Then just accompany me to see the scenery,” his mom said.
Professor Shan was still sitting on that rock, staring at the water’s surface.
Hearing them approach, he immediately made a shushing gesture.
Chen Jian quickly pulled back Fifteen, who still wanted to go that way.
“A fish is coming,” Professor Shan said.
“How many times has this fish come?” President Liu said. “It’s like entering an uninhabited land.”
“There really are fish here,” Professor Shan said. “Xiao Chen is good at finding spots. I’ll be able to catch a fish today. You don’t need to mind me. I’ll go back after I catch one.”
“Should we come pick you up tomorrow morning?” President Liu asked.
It wasn’t clear if they needed to pick him up the next morning, but when they went back for dinner, Professor Shan still hadn’t caught anything. He refused to return to the guesthouse. It was hard to tell if his addiction was strong or if he was trying to regain his dignity. In any case, he was very determined.
“Let him play,” President Liu waved her hand. “He rarely gets an environment like this to play in when he’s in the city.”
“I’ll come back to get him tonight,” Shan Yu said.
“Is he wearing enough clothes?” Chen Jian asked from the back seat with Fifteen, a little worried.
“It’s enough to be bulletproof,” Shan Yu said. “I just checked.”
In comparison, being a big shopper like Liu Wu’s dad was more fulfilling. When they got back to the guesthouse, Chen Jian saw several large bags outside the kitchen’s back door, all filled with dried goods he had bought with his dad in the village.
“You can actually buy all this in the city,” Dad said with a smile. “But he just feels the ones bought here are better.”
“It’s a form of tourism, I guess,” Chen Jian said.
“Doggy, doggy, doggy,” Hu Pan ran out from the back door. “Let me see the dog.”
“You can take him to meet Mushroom,” Chen Jian handed her the leash. “His name is Fifteen. He’s a male, so he probably won’t fight with Mushroom.”
“Fifteen! Fifteen!” Hu Pan called out.
Fifteen stood up on his hind legs and hugged Hu Pan’s waist.
“Fifteen, no!” Chen Jian pointed at him.
Fifteen was indeed a bilingual top student. Although he was a bit slow to comply, he obediently let go of Hu Pan.
“Wow!” Hu Pan got excited. “Fifteen, sit!”
Fifteen hesitated for a moment, then sat down.
“Is he a dog from abroad?” Dad asked.
“They used both Chinese and English when he was in school,” Chen Jian said with a laugh. “He understands both.”
“The leaders in the city are so stylish, even their dogs go to school,” Dad laughed.
Hu Pan took Fifteen towards Mushroom’s doghouse. Less than ten seconds later, they saw Liu Wu run out of the house as well.
He stopped when he saw Chen Jian.
“Over by the doghouse,” Chen Jian answered before he could even ask.
“This group of kids is quite interesting,” Dad squatted down on the steps, reached into his pocket, then took his hand out again.
“Go smoke in the pavilion,” Chen Jian said.
“Not smoking,” Dad smiled. “I still have to go back in and continue cooking after Xiao Liu finishes this dish.”
“You’re already calling him Xiao Liu?” Chen Jian also squatted down.
“He’s younger than me,” Dad said. “He calls me Old Chen, so I call him Xiao Liu… Boss Shan’s family is quite nice, no airs at all. His parents, one a professor, one a company President, have no airs at all either.”
“Mmm,” Chen Jian nodded. “They’re pretty easy to get along with.”
But he still felt the pressure.
It was a little better during dinner. There were more people, more talking, and everyone was quite relaxed.
Liu Wu’s talkativeness must be hereditary; both his parents were talkative. President Liu was a bit quieter, but she could still chat and laugh with Chen Erhu for a bit.
The only thing that made Chen Jian a little nervous was when President Liu was chatting with his dad.
President Liu asked about his dad’s work, and his dad told her everything. Chen Jian was very worried that President Liu would suddenly offer to find his dad a job or something.
But President Liu didn’t. After hearing about his dad’s work, she just said, “It must be quite tough when the weather is bad.”
“I’m used to it,” Dad said. “But there are more orders when the weather is bad.”
“Still, take care of your health,” President Liu said. “Don’t let the kid worry. He’s doing very well now, so you don’t have to push yourself so hard.”
“That’s right, that’s right,” Dad smiled and looked at Chen Jian.
After dinner, once the table and chairs were cleared, Chen Jian was wondering whether to arrange some kind of activity. It would be pretty awkward to do nothing all evening.
“Play cards?” Liu Wu’s mom, having had a good sleep, asked energetically.
“Let’s play,” President Liu said with a smile. “Can’t stop you from giving away money.”
At the mention of playing cards, the group in the guesthouse immediately perked up. The feeling of restraint they had in front of the boss’s family was gone. They immediately got busy, getting snacks, drinks…
“Go play in the conference room,” the boss finally remembered the guesthouse’s business hour regulations. “The tables are already set up for you.”
Hu Pan immediately went to the conference room with a pile of food.
“Are you playing?” President Liu asked.
“He’d better not,” Liu Wu’s dad said. “There’s no fun in playing cards with him.”
“I’m going to get my dad,” Shan Yu said.
“Oh,” President Liu paused. “I almost forgot the one feeding the fish by the river. You go ahead then.”
“Let’s go.” Shan Yu turned to leave, his shoulder lightly bumping against Chen Jian’s.
Chen Jian immediately turned and followed, feeling a spring in his step.
It was completely dark outside. He wondered what state Professor Shan, a mere scholar, was in.
As the car drove towards the river, Chen Jian looked out the window, afraid they might miss Professor Shan if he had been frozen out and was walking back.
“Stop looking,” Shan Yu said. “There’s no way he’d be walking on the road.”
Chen Jian remembered Professor Shan’s difficult movements on the river beach earlier and couldn’t help but laugh. “True.”
When the car reached the small road in front of the river beach, Shan Yu stopped the car.
“Hm?” Chen Jian looked at him.
Shan Yu turned off the car lights and turned his head to look at him too. “Holy Monk.”
“Huh?” Chen Jian responded.
“Feeling any worldly desires?” Shan Yu asked.
It took Chen Jian two seconds to react. The next second, he unbuckled his seatbelt without any hesitation and threw himself towards the driver’s seat.
The space in the car was a bit too small for such a movement. His foot kicked the center console screen.
“Crap,” he was startled and quickly looked back.
Shan Yu pressed a button on the car door. As the seatback reclined, he grabbed Chen Jian by the collar and pulled. “Be serious.”
Chen Jian followed the force and pressed down on top of him. He first buried his face in the crook of his neck and rubbed it fiercely, then kissed Shan Yu hard on the lips.
It was quiet all around. The moonlight streamed in through the car windows, making everything seem hazy and ambiguous.
Inside the car, amidst the low hum of the engine, their breaths intertwined. The low murmur, like a sigh in Shan Yu’s breath, was like a furball with tiny, soft thorns rolling over his body, soft yet full of stimulation.
