What did “no rush” mean?
If there’s no rush, why did you apply for an account now?
And only added one person.
Is it to supervise the manager…
Chen Jian didn’t say anything, but suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
“Okay,” he replied, quickly exiting the private chat with Shan Yu.
Shan Yu didn’t say anything more either, just drank his coffee and ate his own little cookies while watching the self-taught hairstylist and her practice head outside.
Chen Jian was watching too. If he really couldn’t escape the afro, he wanted to see what Sanbing looked like after his hair was done.
After watching for a while, Shan Yu finished his coffee, stood up, and walked to the front desk with his little cookies. He grabbed a handful and placed them in front of Chen Erhu, then walked into the elevator.
“What’s this?” Chen Erhu was stunned for a moment, not understanding.
“Boss Shan Yu bought them back from the city,” Chen Jian said.
Chen Erhu was silent for a long time before he finally reacted, shouting, “Damn it, that’s not what I meant!”
“He doesn’t care if that’s what you meant or not,” Chen Jian said. “Anyway, that’s what he means.”
His phone buzzed.
Chen Jian picked it up and looked.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Bring my dinner up for me
Chen Jian felt a bit strange, almost thinking it was one of his own accounts sending him a message.
He glanced towards the elevator; it had just reached the second floor.
Couldn’t you have just said that with your mouth?
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Okay
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: When you guys are doing that afro for whoever, remember to let me know so I can watch
Chen Jian stared at the message for ten seconds before he understood that “whoever” referred to Hu Pan.
The speechlessness of that moment almost made him want to laugh.
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Okay
Today’s staff meal was particularly lavish because there were no guests. However, it wasn’t just because Zhao Fangfang had time to cook.
“To celebrate Boss Shan Yu being able to walk,” Zhao Fangfang said.
“…He’s actually always been able to walk,” Sanbing said, his head wrapped in a towel.
“At least he doesn’t have that frame on his leg anymore,” Zhao Fangfang said. “When he was causing trouble before, I was really worried that frame would break his bones again.”
Hearing this, Chen Erhu lowered his head and shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice.
“Sister Zhao, you should still set a portion aside for Boss Shan Yu,” Chen Jian patted Chen Erhu on the shoulder. “I’ll take it up to him.”
“Why does he always eat alone?” Zhao Fangfang asked.
“Haven’t you noticed he doesn’t talk when he eats?” Hu Pan said with a smile. “It would be so awkward for him to eat with us. It would be like we’re excluding him.”
“Oh, come on, he’s the boss. Who would dare to exclude him?” Zhao Fangfang said.
“I feel like everyone dares,” Sanbing said. “He doesn’t act like a boss at all.”
Chen Jian carried the tray up to the fourth floor. It was already dark. Shan Yu was standing by the window, looking at the moon that had just risen over the distant mountains.
“There’s a lot of food today,” Chen Jian said. “Sister Zhao said it’s to celebrate you getting the frame off.”
“Thanks,” Shan Yu smiled and sat down by the coffee table.
“How does your leg feel?” Chen Jian asked.
“It’s good, no pain or swelling,” Shan Yu pulled up his pants to look at his calf. “I just disinfected it myself. The holes should heal up in a couple of days.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
“You won’t be getting any back pay this month,” Shan Yu said.
“I know,” Chen Jian smiled.
“Go eat,” Shan Yu picked up his chopsticks.
When Chen Jian went downstairs, a woman was standing at the front desk. Hu Pan, who was halfway through her meal, had put down her bowl and was attending to her.
“I’ll take it,” Chen Jian walked over. “You go eat first.”
“This lady wants to see a room first,” Hu Pan said.
“I’ll show you,” Chen Jian said.
“Okay,” the woman nodded. “Sorry to trouble you.”
“No problem,” Chen Jian said.
The woman wanted to see the two rooms at the end of the second-floor corridor.
This request was actually quite strange. The rooms in the guesthouse were divided by the corridor, with one side having a close view of the mountain forest and the other a distant view of the river. But the two rooms at the end of the corridor had a poor view and were usually only occupied when the guesthouse was full.
Chen Jian took her up to the second floor and opened the doors to the two rooms at the end.
“In terms of scenery, these two rooms are a bit obstructed,” Chen Jian said tentatively. “The other rooms are all…”
“It’s fine,” the woman said, walking into room 208.
Chen Jian followed her in and found that the woman didn’t go to the balcony but went straight into the bathroom, came out quickly, and then immediately went into the opposite room, 209, where she also just looked around the bathroom and came out.
“If you have any special requirements for the room, you can let me know,” Chen Jian said.
“No,” the woman smiled. “I just have higher standards for the bathroom. I’ll take room 208, for two nights.”
Chen Jian took her back to the first floor, completed the check-in process. Everything on her documents seemed normal.
But only looking at the bathrooms in two rooms, and coming to a small tourist town alone, was quite unusual.
This woman had a small suitcase, and from her temperament and dress, she didn’t seem like the type of solo backpacker.
After the woman went to her room, Chen Jian returned to the dining room, filled a bowl with rice, and sat down. “Sanbing.”
“Hmm?” Sanbing immediately leaned over the table towards him. “Is something wrong? We all thought that woman was a bit strange.”
“Don’t you always smoke in the pavilion at night?” Chen Jian said.
Sanbing immediately sat up straight. “I only go after I’ve done my rounds, just for a few minutes…”
“He’s not talking about you smoking,” Chen Erhu said.
“Yeah,” Chen Jian replied.
“Oh,” Sanbing leaned back over the table.
“Find out if there are any couples or something staying over there…” Chen Jian said in a low voice.
“Oh my god,” Hu Pan reacted quickly and also leaned over the table. “Is she here to catch a cheater?”
“The two rooms at the end of the second floor, the bathroom windows look out onto those few rooms at Suiyun Small Dwelling,” Chen Jian said. “The ones with the large viewing windows. She only looked at the bathrooms, so she probably wants to look over there.”
“Then if it’s true,” Zhao Fangfang also leaned over, “should we try to stop her?”
“…I don’t think so. If nothing happens, we don’t need to do anything,” Chen Jian said. “If they start fighting, we can just call the police.”
“Oh,” Zhao Fangfang nodded.
“So what’s the purpose of me finding out?” Sanbing found the main point.
“One is to be prepared in advance, so we can handle it immediately if a fight breaks out,” Chen Jian said. “After all, she’s alone…”
“And the second?” Chen Erhu looked at him.
“The second is…” Chen Jian cleared his throat.
“To gossip a bit,” Hu Pan said.
“Yeah,” Chen Jian smiled. “Aren’t you guys curious?”
The few of them were stunned for a moment, then all started laughing quietly.
“Hurry up and eat, stop laughing,” Zhao Fangfang said with a smile, pushing the dishes to the middle of the table.
“Right, after you eat, I’ll help you with your hair,” Hu Pan looked at Chen Jian.
“What about mine?” Sanbing pointed to his still-wrapped head. “Are you just going to leave it half-done?”
“Take it off, wash it yourself, and blow it dry,” Hu Pan said.
After washing his hair, Sanbing proudly showed off his new hairstyle to everyone.
“How is it!” he said with his hands on his hips.
“It’s good, you look like a black person,” Chen Erhu said.
“I’m already dark-skinned,” Sanbing said.
“I’d rather not…” Chen Jian was pulled into a chair by Hu Pan. He took out his phone and sent a message to Shan Yu, so the boss wouldn’t complain later about not being included in the fun.
[Chen Yuluoyan]: Come
As soon as the message was sent, Hu Pan professionally draped a cloth around him.
“The afro style doesn’t suit you. His hair was too short, that’s why I did that,” Hu Pan said. “Your hair is longer than his. I’ll just trim it a bit and add some curls…”
He didn’t understand.
But it didn’t sound like a poodle afro.
When Shan Yu came out of the elevator, Hu Pan had just sprayed Chen Jian’s hair wet with a spray bottle. A few strands of hair on his forehead hung down to the bridge of his nose, with water droplets clinging to the ends.
For a moment, it was like going back to the day he first met Chen Jian.
Shan Yu paused for a second before continuing to walk over and sitting on the sofa opposite Chen Jian.
“Does Boss Shan Yu want a hairstyle too?” Zhao Fangfang asked with a smile.
“I can’t do his. You can tell his hair was professionally done, even now that it’s grown out,” Hu Pan said.
“I’m just here to watch the fun,” Shan Yu smiled and took out a bag of sunflower seeds from his pocket.
“What the hell?” Sanbing looked at him in surprise. “You even brought sunflower seeds?”
“Yeah, let’s share,” Shan Yu handed the sunflower seeds to him.
“Can’t you guys just go watch TV?” Chen Jian said, a little helpless.
“It’s more fun to chat here,” Sanbing took a plate, poured the sunflower seeds out, and placed them on the small table in front of everyone.
Shan Yu leaned back on the sofa, holding a handful of sunflower seeds, and watched Chen Jian while cracking them.
Hu Pan’s skills were actually not bad. She must have learned seriously from a hairstylist when she was working part-time. Her cutting movements weren’t very skilled, but she only trimmed the length slightly, leaving the hair on his forehead mostly untouched.
“Why does his hairstyle look so good?” Sanbing asked. “Just a few snips and it suddenly looks good.”
“It depends on the face,” Hu Pan said.
That was true.
Shan Yu stared at Chen Jian’s face.
When Chen Jian looked over, he didn’t avoid his gaze and gave him a thumbs-up.
Thumbs up.
Chen Jian sighed.
“…Is that what I was asking?” Sanbing said.
“But that’s the answer to your question,” Hu Pan turned her head. “Isn’t your afro good?”
“I was just asking,” Sanbing said.
Shan Yu propped up his forehead and laughed.
After roughly cutting it, Hu Pan started putting in curlers, which were much larger than the ones she used for Sanbing. Shan Yu could even see Chen Jian breathe a sigh of relief.
Shan Yu’s phone rang. He didn’t need to look to know it was Yue Lang. He had been keeping an eye on Fang Xu’s movements for the past two days and would report any developments.
Although Fang Xu wouldn’t do anything bad to his parents when he went to his house, just as Yue Lang had said, it would be nothing more than an apology, a very sincere one, maybe even with some tears.
But the matter itself was infuriating.
The fact that he dared to reappear in his life was a provocation.
“Hmm?” Shan Yu answered the phone.
“He’s been at his old house for the past few days,” Yue Lang said. “I have people watching him. Are you coming over? Or should I just take care of it?”
“Who’s watching him?” Shan Yu put the sunflower seeds back on the plate, stood up, and walked towards the garden.
“Xiao Lu and the others,” Yue Lang said.
“Didn’t I say…” Shan Yu was instantly annoyed, but Yue Lang interrupted him.
“I know, I know, don’t let them get involved in these things anymore, live a good life from now on, you’ve said it so many times it’s like a last will and testament,” Yue Lang said. “I know, but do you think it’s possible for them not to get involved in this? Like if something happened to me, wouldn’t you want to avenge me…”
“No,” Shan Yu said. “I can cry at your grave.”
“Damn you,” Yue Lang said.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Shan Yu said. “Tell them not to do anything other than watch.”
“Don’t worry, there will be absolutely no excessive behavior,” Yue Lang said. “Do I need to pick you up?”
“No need, you go manage your myriad affairs,” Shan Yu said.
“I shouldn’t have even asked,” Yue Lang said. “Let me know your arrival time when you buy the ticket.”
Hu Pan wrapped Chen Jian’s head in a towel and then removed the cloth. “Alright, for your hair, an hour and a half should be enough.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian replied, glancing at the door Shan Yu had gone out of.
From the time he answered the phone until now, Hu Pan had been fussing with his head for almost an hour, and Shan Yu hadn’t come back in.
If it were any other time, Chen Jian wouldn’t have cared, but the anger in Shan Yu’s voice when he answered the phone today had left a deep impression on him…
Chen Jian got up and wandered down the corridor to the garden. He first looked up at the second floor. The light in room 208’s bathroom was off, but the light on the second floor of Suiyun was on.
He watched for a while but didn’t see anyone, so he turned and walked along the path to the front yard, trying to see if Shan Yu had gone out or was still in the garden.
After walking a few steps, someone whistled in the darkness ahead.
Chen Jian paused, then walked over and saw Shan Yu sitting on the swing.
“Not done yet?” Shan Yu asked.
“It has to set for an hour and a half,” Chen Jian said. “My neck is starting to get sore.”
Shan Yu looked at the bench next to him. “Want to lie down for a bit?”
“…It’s not that bad,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu smiled, paused for a moment, and then said, “I’m going back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Hmm?” Chen Jian was stunned. “Back where?”
“Back to my hometown,” Shan Yu said. “I’ll be back in about two or three days.”
Hometown.
Not home.
“Are you going to look for that Fang Xu?” Chen Jian asked.
“You have a good memory, you even remembered his name,” Shan Yu said.
“The name is only two characters long, you don’t even need to remember it,” Chen Jian said. “It’s not like it’s Leng Bingning Aiyu Mengcuishuang.”
Shan Yu paused for two seconds, then burst out laughing, almost falling off the swing.
“Hey,” he looked at Chen Jian. “You’re really… cute.”
Chen Jian didn’t say anything.
“I don’t even want to bother Qian Yu anymore,” Shan Yu stood up, looked at him in silence for a moment, then turned and walked towards the door. “Help me check the bus schedule to the city tomorrow. My train is at 3:15 PM from the west station.”
“You’re not driving?” Chen Jian asked.
“Who’s going to drive it back?” Shan Yu said. “Am I supposed to bring Chen Erhu with me?”
This was the first time the boss had left the small town since he arrived. The people in the shop were actually a little flustered. Zhao Fangfang even thought about whether she should make some buns for Shan Yu to take with him on the road.
“I’m not fleeing a famine.” Shan Yu shook his bag. “There’s only so much space, no room for food.”
“Don’t worry, boss, we’ll be here for the next few days,” Hu Pan said. “There definitely won’t be any problems.”
“He’s not going that far,” Chen Erhu said. “You guys are acting like he’s not coming back.”
It wasn’t that close either, five hundred and twenty-seven kilometers.
“It’s just that we’re not used to it,” Sanbing said.
“Let’s go, manager, take me to the bus,” Shan Yu picked up his bag and walked out.
Chen Jian quickly followed, got on the motorcycle parked in the yard, started it, and Shan Yu sat on the back, whispering, “Let’s go quickly, I’m afraid they’ll chase after the car.”
Chen Jian smiled and twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle sped off.
The bus stop was on the side of the road just outside the small town, with a sign in a small pavilion indicating the stop.
“Just pay when you get on,” Chen Jian instructed.
“Okay,” Shan Yu replied.
“If there’s a seat in the back, go to the back,” Chen Jian said. “They pile stuff up by the door, it’s a mess.”
“Okay,” Shan Yu replied again.
Chen Jian turned his head and looked at him.
“I’m twenty-six,” Shan Yu said. “Half a cycle older than you.”
Chen Jian smiled and turned his head away, saying nothing more.
“If you need anything, just send me a message,” Shan Yu said. “I’ll be listening.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
The bus was quite punctual, but it was crowded. There was even a cage of chickens by the door. After Shan Yu squeezed on, he disappeared from view.
Chen Jian waited until the bus had driven away before getting on his motorcycle.
He hadn’t even reached the guesthouse on his way back to the small town when his phone rang.
Chen Jian fumbled to take out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number. He was stunned for a moment, then answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Is this Chen Jian?” a man on the other end asked. “This is Coach Li.”
“What coach?” Chen Jian didn’t understand.
“Your brother contacted me at the beginning of the month. Weren’t you going to learn to drive?” Coach Li on the other end said. “There are a lot of people learning to drive right now, and I just had an opening…”
Chen Jian was a little dazed.
“He said to arrange it for you as soon as possible, you need to drive the boss around,” Coach Li said. “So I notified you as soon as I had an opening.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian smiled.
