Starlight Descends - 41

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Her ear went numb in an instant.

And half her body seemed to go numb with it.

Qi Yao felt like her entire left side had seized up. Heat rushed into her face, and her ears burned hotter by the second.

Thank god. Thank god she'd only had one earbud in.

If she’d been wearing both, her whole body would have locked up right then.

Had he really sent that video without watching it first?

And those words. Didn't he think before saying them? Words meant to coax a child had been posted just like that, leaving a listener’s imagination to run wild.

Qi Yao needed a long moment to pull herself together. Terrified that Lizi would turn around, see her face blazing red, and insist on making her another cold remedy, she hid behind a blanket before finally replying to his message.

At that point, she didn't even have the energy to wonder how strange his message had been.

[1]: Haven't eaten yet.

[1]: Just got off work.

 

She tacked on a pitiful sticker for good measure, fully committing to the sympathy play.

[1]: [teary-eyed kitten.jpg]

The typing indicator appeared almost instantly.

[S]: How long until you're home?

[1]: an hour or so

[S]: Come over when you get back.

Two seconds later, without asking why, she simply agreed. 

And attached a cat GIF.

The cat had a round little head. Its ears twitched once before it nodded obediently, wide black eyes bright and clear.

It was ridiculously cute.

"Shit. No way. Is he smiling at his phone?" 

Under the flashing lights of the private room, his childhood friend Jiang Xun stared in disbelief, eyes practically bulging out of his head.

 "Wasn't he just scowling? Every time he spends time with his dad he comes back looking like someone owes him twenty-five million. And now he's happy?"

The man beside him sat half-hidden in the shifting lights, only the sharp line of his jaw clearly visible.

With a faint laugh, he said, "Told you he has something going on. Give it two more minutes. He'll stand up and say he's leaving."

"Bullshit." Jiang Xun shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. "I know my own brother. We haven't seen each other in over a year. No way we're not drinking till we drop tonight."

Jiang Jinghan raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Just see."

It didn't even take two minutes.

Yu Jiashu pocketed his phone. Bracing an elbow on his knee, he rose lazily to his feet, picked up his jacket with one hand, and offered a token farewell.

"Leaving."

Jiang Xun: "?"

He whipped his head around to look at the man still seated. Jiang Jinghan arched an eyebrow and tilted his chin up slightly. 

See? What did I tell you?

 

"Hey, hey, get back here."

Jiang Xun hurried after him, throwing an arm around his shoulders and steering him toward the bar."You've barely been here five minutes and you're leaving? It's been over a year, and you're not gonna properly catch up with me?"

"Catch up on what?" Yu Jiashu had one hand tucked in his pocket, slanting him a lazy, merciless glance. "You getting exiled to Australia and making us wire you money?"

Jiang Jinghan, sprawled across a sofa, laughed at that and chimed in. "And clothes. Don't forget that. He went in winter and made us ship him down jackets. Got there and surprise, it was summer."

Jiang Xun: "..."

"Piss off, both of you! Think you're so clever." He snorted in annoyance, grabbed a bottle, and smacked the cap off against the table edge with practiced ease. Then he got down to business. "What's your deal? Spill."

"I've heard things, anyway. My mom's in the same flower arranging class as your aunt. She was messaging me asking about it. Said Tian Ying told her lunch with you all was tense again, and that you've got someone you like."

"Same tired old topic. You've heard it enough that your ears should be callused by now." Yu Jiashu's voice was flat, his eyes lowered.

At meals in Nanshan, unpleasant conversations were the norm.

Barely time for a couple rounds of a game upstairs before Yu Qiuqiu came bounding up from her piano lesson. Her little legs pistoned up the stairs, shouting for her brother, waving around the invisible ink pen she'd just charmed someone into buying her at the roadside stall. She was thrilled to show it off.

The little one, Tian Ying's daughter, wasn't actually that close to him. The age gap was huge, and he wasn't around often. But for some reason, this tiny pink dumpling was just especially fond of him.

"Brother! Look at this magic pen!" She rummaged around his desk, found a piece of scrap paper, double-checked very seriously that it was trash, and then flopped on the floor to write.

"Get up." Yu Jiashu gave one of her pigtails a gentle tug. "The floor's cold."

Yu Qiuchu scrambled up immediately and shoved the paper in front of him, her eyes practically glowing. "You saw me writing just now, right! But look. Now there's nothing there!"

 

She was clearly trying to be all mysterious but far too excited to contain herself. Yu Jiashu had to fight a smile.

This gimmick had been around since he was in school. Now he had to pretend he didn't know.

He lifted an eyebrow and scanned the paper, offering the most halfhearted reaction imaginable.

"Wow."

Totally flat. No enthusiasm whatsoever.

The word perfunctory might as well have been written across his forehead.

Yu Qiuqiu: "..."

The little pink dumpling swallowed her grievances heroically and refused to be discouraged. She flipped the pen around, pushed a button, and shined the built-in flashlight onto the paper. “Look!”

Under the light, faint scribbles appeared on the white paper.

Yu Jiashu glanced down at the mess of squiggles and twitched a smile. "You call that writing?"

"I haven't learned to write yet. Not till first grade." Yu Qiuqiu grinned a little sheepishly, lifting a tiny index finger to point and explain. "This stick figure is Brother. And all these stars are shining around you. It means Brother is super handsome!"

She grinned proudly.

"Fine." Yu Jiashu's lips curved. He laughed once, ruffling her hair. "Message received."

Later, Yu Qiuqiu ran the pen's little light over every surface, treating it like a priceless treasure she couldn't put down. Every few minutes she'd discover something new and let out another excited gasp. She wore herself out and then curled up with her tablet to watch cartoons until Tian Ying called them down for dinner.

The atmosphere at the table wasn't particularly pleasant.

Eating itself was fine.

The problem was that Yu Chongshan always liked bringing up old topics.

He started in on how it had been over a year of investing in Jingfan, it was time to stop wandering around, settle down, return, and stay at the company for good.

"And you're about the right age now. The girls your Auntie Tian helped pick out aren't bad. You can make time to meet them."

Yu Jiashu was distracted at first, not engaging, pretending he hadn't heard. But the more Yu Chongshan talked, the more the irritation he'd forced down began creeping back up.

Leaning against the back of his chair, he finally spoke.

"No need for you to worry about it."

His voice was toneless, expression lazy and indifferent, carrying the familiar weariness of someone who preferred people stay far away from him. The table fell silent for a moment. Even the little pink dumpling went quiet.

"Every respect of it." As if not noticing the shift, he continued. "The company's fine."

He paused for two beats, staring at the white porcelain bowl reflecting the overhead light. Eyes still lowered, Yu Jiashu spoke again.

"The person I like is also just fine."

He didn't bother checking the expressions around the table.

Thin, pale eyelids drooped with indifference, his lashes ink-black. Yu Jiashu pushed his chair back and stood. "I've got things to do. I'm leaving.”

…….

Back in the private room.

Silence lingered for a second.

 

"The fuck?" Jiang Xun's eyes went wide. "You went at him that hard? Your dad didn't hold you back to interrogate you?"

"..." Yu Jiashu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. 

"You think he's you?"

Some people just enjoyed standing on higher ground, directing on how others should live their lives.

Jiang Xun smacked his lips thoughtfully. "Or beat you. Though he's probably used to it by now. Can't control you anyway."

"Whatever. That conflict between you two has been around since high school. I don't care about that." Jiang Xun punched his shoulder. "What I care about is you, you dog, out here making major moves in secret! What stunning beauty managed to completely captivate you? Come clean. Now."

"Another day." Yu Jiashu glanced at his watch in the dim bar light. His profile was clean and handsome as he walked toward the door. "Gotta rush back and play housekeeper for the stunning beauty."

Jiang Xun: "..."

"?"

Jiang Jinghan let out a snort, then lazily echoed his own words from the day before.

"Who's a whipped guy now?"

Before the target of the mockery could respond, Jiang Xun watched Jiang Jinghan take a phone call, grab his own coat, and stand up too. He even called out leisurely after the departing figure, "Wait up."

"The one at home just got off work." He patted Jiang Xun on the shoulder. "See you."

Jiang Xun: "..."

"Are you KIDDING me?!?!"

"Isn't this a little TOO much?!?!"

***

Qi Yao got home at exactly five-thirty, the trip had taken an hour and a half.

The door across the way was standing wide open. Yu Jiashu was on the couch, gaming. His head was lowered, dark hair falling across his forehead, the bridge of his nose high. The back of his neck was pale, the vertebrae prominent.

It was such an ordinary posture.

Yet simply sitting there, he looked handsome.

Qi Yao stood in the doorway watching for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, his lazy voice drifted over. "Isn't it cold standing out there?"

Yu Jiashu turned off the screen and got to his feet. Tilting his chin toward the bar counter, he said, "The food's getting cold. Come in."

Qi Yao finally stepped inside. The moment she saw the dining table, she froze. The dishes spread across it all looked familiar. Even the little cards with the strange menu names were also there. "You went to Yang Rou's place?"

"I happened to pass by on the way back, so I grabbed some to go."

It wasn't remotely on the way. He'd gone from the east side of the city all the way to the west, and Jiang Jinghan had mocked him for it.

But he'd arrived before she did, so there was that.

Yu Jiashu loosely held up a separate, smaller bag. "Has your assistant eaten yet?"

"No, she's still figuring out dinner. I'll run it over now, tell her not to cook." Qi Yao said.

"I'll go." Yu Jiashu reached to pull out a chair, the bag dangling from his index finger. "You eat first."

Qi Yao blinked. "Oh. Okay."

She hadn't had time to eat lunch. On the ride home she'd only managed a few crackers to settle her stomach. The motion sickness had been bad, and she hadn't had much appetite. But as always, Yang Rou's cooking was temptation enough, she actually felt a little hungry now.

Yu Jiashu went across the hall to deliver the takeout portion to Lizi, then came back and pulled out a chair. He paused as if remembering something. "She asked me to tell you she couldn't find your bracelet.”

"Oh. Okay." Qi Yao nodded.

"Lost it?" he asked.

Qi Yao had a sip of soup. "That time I went out with you, I was wearing a bracelet. It was a one-off custom piece from the brand. After I got back, I couldn't find it anywhere."

"I thought maybe I'd left it at her place, so I asked her to check for me." She drank her soup in small sips, warming her stomach, before starting on the rice. "Aren't you eating?"

"I ate already." Yu Jiashu fiddled idly with his phone, his pupils dark, and glanced at her. "Was it important? That bracelet."

He already ate? And he still packed all this up?

Don't tell her he did this food run specifically for her.

Qi Yao paused a beat, her fingers tightening a little around her chopsticks. It took a half-second delay before she registered what he'd asked.

"Not really. But it was a custom brand ambassador piece. If it's lost, the brand has to make another one. Then there are reports to file, approvals to get, and a whole chain of procedures. Just a pain."

Yu Jiashu leaned back against his chair, watching her in silence. 

After a moment, Qi Yao grew suspicious.

"Do you know where I lost it?"

"Just a guess." His voice was lazy. "Maybe it fell off when you hugged me."

"..."

Qi Yao paused, caught.

When did I ever hug you!!!

That was an accident, okay?! Don't make it sound so suggestive!

As if he hadn't caught the innuendo at all, Yu Jiashu went on. "Or when you were chasing after me."

Qi Yao: "..."

This man had to be doing it on purpose.

Too lazy to argue, she lowered her head and answered softly. "Maybe. Doesn't matter now. Can't find it anyway."

Before either of them could continue, a ringtone interrupted.

Yu Jiashu glanced at the screen, got up to take the call over by the bar, his posture relaxed but straight. Every now and then a low "mm" drifted over.

Qi Yao focused on her meal, only catching occasional fragments from across the room.

She was nearly done when Yu Jiashu finished the call. He waved her toward the sofa and started clearing the table himself.

The table was covered with bowls, plates, and soup containers. Qi Yao moved to help, but he shooed her off with a few words. Left with nothing to do, she knelt sideways on the sofa, elbows propped on the backrest, chin in her hands, watching the young master clean up.

"Wouldn't have guessed. You're pretty domestic."

"Did you have some kind of misunderstanding about me?" Yu Jiashu tossed plastic bags and containers into the trash, his dark lashes lowered, his whole demeanor carrying a note of casual indifference. "I can do lots of things."

Qi Yao was curious. "Like what?"

She'd always assumed he was the type who'd never touched household chores in his life.

Yu Jiashu stacked the bowls. A bit of broth had gotten on his long fingers, making moving awkward. He walked a couple of steps over to her and asked her to roll up his sleeves for him.

"I can wash dishes."

Qi Yao reached out and gently folded back his cuff, slowly pushing it up to reveal a section of lean, powerful forearm. Her slender fingertips inevitably brushed against his skin, grazing the taut muscle just below the surface.

Her gaze fell on his hands.

The tendons on the back of his hands were subtly defined, his fingers long and elegantly jointed. They were spread slightly apart now, pale fingertips reflecting a faint sheen of moisture.

Unbidden, fragments of those unspeakable dreams surfaced in her mind.

Qi Yao yanked her hands back as if shocked, swallowed hard, and suppressed her wildly inappropriate thoughts. She gave a soft "Oh." 

"...What else?"

Yu Jiashu hadn't noticed her odd reaction. Lowering his eyes, he thought seriously for a moment. "...Boiling noodles."

Qi Yao: "..."

She sank back onto the sofa and praised him with questionable sincerity. "Wow. So impressive."

Yu Jiashu seemed to laugh quietly and turned to go wash the dishes in the kitchen.

Qi Yao wasn't sure if he'd just invited her over for this meal or if there was something else he wanted to say, so for the moment, she stayed put. She casually grabbed a stuffed toy from the sofa, hugged it, and leaned in the doorway to watch him.

The man was tall, sleeves pushed up, his profile striking. Even the simple act of turning on a faucet somehow looked good when he did it.

He really was...

surprisingly domestic.

Before Yu Jiashu could tease her for staring, his phone on the bar buzzed again.

"You've got a call." Seeing his hands were full, Qi Yao brought the phone over to him.

Yu Jiashu dried off one finger and used it to tap the answer button on the phone she held.

A man's voice immediately exploded through the speaker: "ANSWER MY MESSAGES!"

Right after that sentence, the call disconnected.

Qi Yao: "...?"

There was actually a way to hurry someone into replying like that?

Yu Jiashu seemed entirely accustomed to this person's bizarre operations. A corner of his mouth pulled slightly, without much emotion, he said, "Check it for me."

"...Huh?" Qi Yao froze, hesitating. "Me?"

Yu Jiashu gave a noise of assent, completely unconcerned, and quietly recited his lock screen code.

The man was holding a bowl, passing it under the water one last time, eyes lowered. He did look genuinely busy. Qi Yao pressed her lips together and slowly unlocked his phone.

The home screen was very clean. No cluttered apps. Even the wallpaper was a solid color, simple and straightforward, just like him.

WeChat showed a new message notification.

She tapped the green icon.

Maybe because he hadn't exited the app earlier, the first thing that opened was his chat with her.

A background image filled the screen.

The second she registered it, Qi Yao's breath caught.

Her heart stuttered, skipping a beat.

That day outside the door, he'd suddenly decided on a whim that they should take a proper photo together.

Qi Yao had taken countless photos with countless people. It was part of her job. In front of a camera, she was always poised and bright, her smile warm and radiant. But that day, flustered by him, she hadn't even had the courage to look twice.

Only now did she finally see what that photograph looked like.

In the background image, the two of them stood very close together. The height and build difference was stark. The distinct color palette of the Polaroid film seemed to cast a retro filter over the image.

The girl was pale, with a small face. Her eyes curved into her usual gentle smile, looking at the camera.

He wasn't.

The man stood tall and lean, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted. The usual coolness in his features had softened. His head was slightly tilted, his ink-black lashes lowered.

He was looking at her.

Qi Yao's heart pounded wildly. Her breath tightened. Almost flustered beyond reason, she quickly looked away. Her thumb swiped, exiting the chat screen. 

Pretending she hadn't noticed that she was pinned at the very top of his chat list, she forced herself to stare straight ahead as she searched for the messages buried further down.

"Jiang Xun says you absolutely have to come to his birthday party this weekend." She fought to keep her voice even, on every bit of acting experience she possessed to deliver the message without exposing anything.

Yu Jiashu gave a distracted hum and told her to reply "okay." 

As he reached for a paper towel, his gaze drifted toward her. He paused a beat, then raised an eyebrow very slightly.

"Why is your face so red?"

Qi Yao didn't say anything.

The tissue box was behind her. When he reached over to grab it, his arm came around her, effectively trapping her within the space between his body and the counter.

Yu Jiashu abandoned the tissue entirely.

Maintaining the same position, he lowered his gaze and looked at her with a faint, amused smirk. "I don't have anything incriminating on my phone, do I?"

Qi Yao pressed her lips together. She glanced up at him, then immediately lowered her eyes again, hesitant.

Yu Jiashu didn't move. He just watched her.

The position was intimate. He was so close, the faint brush of his breathing swept across her cheek. The arm braced beside her and wide expanse of his chest were right there, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. 

The atmosphere stretched tight. Even breathing felt difficult.

At last, unable to endure it any longer, Qi Yao spoke in a tiny voice.

"...You do."

Yu Jiashu's jaw tightened slightly. He raised an eyebrow, the look on his face clearly saying: Do tell.

His phone had always been spotless. No strange apps. No questionable content. The last time Jiang Xun did a surprise inspection of his cloud drive, he'd come away calling him a goddamn saint. 

Yu Jiashu genuinely couldn't imagine what could possibly be in there that make this girl blush like that.

Qi Yao's lashes fluttered. She swallowed hard and forced the words out.

"Why is my contact name..."

"Heartless Kitty Who Dumped Me?"

The moment the words fell.

The air went still for two full seconds.

Yu Jiashu: "..."

Fuck.

He'd changed it that afternoon and completely forgotten.

——

Author's Note:

Shu: Damn. I've never been this embarrassed in my life.

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