By Zephyria 
Episode 9: I Will Ignore That Man and Confess to Her
After dealing with the unexpected episode, fatigue and hunger washed over them. He Yu asked the group if they wanted to go out for a late-night snack. The first to raise her hand in enthusiastic agreement was Bai Jing, who wasn’t even close with them.
“I’d love to! Shall we go for porridge? There’s a hotel near the Bund with an amazing shark fin and sea urchin porridge. Shall we go there?”
He Yu turned his head to look at Xie Xue.
Having wiped away her tears, Xie Xue gave Bai Jing a slightly displeased look before speaking.
“Let’s have skewers. The ones they sell at the street stalls.”
“Then let’s go that way.”
At He Yu’s answer, Bai Jing muttered, “Ah… yes, well… alright…”
Since Xie Xue was coming along, He Yu asked out of courtesy, considering Xie Qingcheng’s dignity.
“What about you, Teacher?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to take the dog for vaccinations and adoption screenings. If you’re going to raise him, I’ll send him your way later.”
He spoke while looking at the yellow dog sitting obediently at his feet.
As if surprisingly fond of Xie Qingcheng, the dog circled around him excitedly, wagging its fluffy tail.
Thirty minutes later.
The night market of Huzhou.
“Boss, fifty chicken feet, fifty lamb skewers, ten rice cakes, ten shiitake mushrooms, and one grilled oyster. Also, five bottles of beer, please.”
Entering the skewer shop, Xie Xue finished ordering with familiarity.
“Isn’t a place like this dirty…? I’ve never eaten here before.”
With a look of disgust, Bai Jing extended two fingers and flipped through the greasy menu with the tips of her nails.
Xie Xue shot her a blunt glare.
“You’re the one who forced your way into the car to follow us.”
“Oh my, why are you being so serious, little sister? I’m hungry too.”
As she spoke, Bai Jing planted her precious backside firmly in the seat closest to He Yu.
“Anyway, just order something light for me. It’s night, so I might gain weight.”
Xie Xue glared at her, then slammed the table with a ferocious expression and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Boss! Add ten orders of those insanely delicious fried rabbit heads!”
“Wait—!”
Just as Bai Jing tried to protest, He Yu intervened nonchalantly.
“Then make it twenty. I’ll eat some too.”
“….”
Skewers are a dish that is simple yet complex. Even with the same chicken feet, the ‘soul’ of the dish changes depending on who grills them. As the owner waved his arms, the bamboo skewers swayed along, and the golden-brown cartilage dripped oil. When the fragrant oil hit the charcoal, a strange chemical reaction occurred, and flames leaped upward along with the savory scent of grease. The owner, hidden amidst the thick smoke, looked like a true hidden master. He twitched his nostrils a few times to catch the subtle flavor molecules in the smoke before finishing the dish.
The skewers, each cooked with carefully adjusted heat, arrived on the table. Skewers that comfort the human heart are highly prized even in the world of gastronomy. A moment too hurried and they are undercooked; a moment too late and they become tough. Instead, when you take a bite of one perfectly crisped, it melts in the mouth like snowflakes.
Xie Xue, a regular at this shop, ordered enough skewers to practically collapse the table covered in thin plastic. At the sight of the magnificent spread, Bai Jing’s expression changed instantly. It was a scene reminiscent of Bian Lian (Face Changing), the essence of traditional Sichuan opera.
“Young Master He, you aren’t from Huzhou, are you?”
Bai Jing blinked her curled eyelashes, her glossed lips fluttering.
“Your accent doesn’t sound like someone from around here.”
He Yu smiled faintly and asked back, “Ms. Bai, are you conducting a background check right now?”
“Oh, it’s not that.”
Bai Jing hurriedly waved her hands and awkwardly brushed back her hair.
“It’s just, I once attended graduate school in Yanshi. I majored in Economics. Anyway, since you speak such precise standard Mandarin, I wondered if you were from the North.”
“You’re quite the talent.”
He Yu smiled politely and picked up a rabbit head that had been grilled without even closing its eyes.
Oblivious to everything, Bai Jing continued to prattle.
“Well, yes. I’m currently working in sales to build up my experience, but I think I’ll be promoted to human resources later. It’s good to broaden my horizons on the front lines. Most of the clients I’ve served were celebrities or corporate CEOs, and an actor I met recently is in a drama that airs during prime time—”
At that moment, He Yu made a loud crunch as he crushed the rabbit’s skull with his canines.
Bai Jing was momentarily speechless. It felt as if her unfinished words had been caught between those teeth and crushed in her throat. She felt a phantom ache in her throat.
He Yu smiled. Only then did Bai Jing notice his sharp canines. They weren’t as obvious as snaggleteeth; they only peeked out from under his thin lips when he smiled with a twist of his mouth. He Yu spoke calmly while chewing the rabbit head.
“Ms. Bai, let’s talk while eating. We’ve come all this way, don’t starve. Do you dislike rabbit heads?”
Bai Jing waved her hands in a panic.
“I—I originally have a small stomach, so I feel full after just a few sips of cola. I’m fine…”
“Is that so?”
He Yu laughed, tossing the crushed rabbit skull onto the plate.
“That’s a shame.”
By the time the drinks had made three rounds, Bai Jing, who had been cautious with her words and actions, finally succumbed to temptation and tried to get He Yu’s number. At this point, Xie Xue’s patience had run out. What is this, trying to get He Yu’s number after having a blind date with my brother? There’s a limit to how much you can ignore people!
So, she spoke indignantly.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you his number.”
“Why? Are you Young Master He’s girlfriend?”
“I’m not—but!”
Sputtering, Xie Xue began to fabricate a story.
“He has a girlfriend. She’s an older woman—beautiful, strong-willed, jealous, and strictly manages her boyfriend. She even slaps him if he doesn’t listen to her. She even tells me to keep an eye on him whenever he goes out. Right, He Yu?”
At that moment, He Yu casually burst the bubble.
“That’s just a description of an intelligence agency employee.”
Damn it!
Irritated, Xie Xue stepped on his foot under the table.
“I don’t have a girlfriend. A jealous, strong-willed older beauty isn’t my type.”
Crazy!
She stepped on He Yu with all her might, but her foot felt a slight ache. Looking down, Xie Xue was stunned. What she had stepped on was the table leg.
He Yu laughed, moved his slender leg that had been leaning against the table leg, placed a skewer sprinkled with Sichuan pepper on Xie Xue’s plate, and then turned to the expectant Bai Jing.
“Instead, there is someone I like. So, it’s a bit awkward for me to carelessly take contact information from women. Please understand.”
Bai Jing couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Then can’t we just stay friends?”
This time, He Yu didn’t even offer a superficial smile. Sweeping away the kind and fresh atmosphere in an instant, he stared calmly at her.
“Thank you. But I don’t think we belong to the same world.”
The atmosphere froze at those words, which decisively demolished any remaining possibility.
He Yu pulled out a tissue, wiped his fingers one by one—which had become slippery from handling the skewers—and then tossed the tissue aside. He then glanced at the woman whose face was flushing in various shades and said calmly.
“I’ll go wash my hands.”
Not everyone in the world lacks the social skills to understand a hint. Bai Jing accurately registered the blunt attitude of the wealthy young man who was ignoring her. The woman named Xie, who had been watching her actions, also seemed to have no desire to speak with her. Feeling awkward, Bai Jing made an excuse that something had come up and left the table despondently.
A short while later, when He Yu returned to his seat and was told that Bai Jing had already left, he merely quirked an eyebrow. Not even curious about the reason, he remained silent and sat nonchalantly next to Xie Xue.
Xie Xue continued to roll her eyes and curse Bai Jing out. Then, while munching on two chicken foot skewers, she tilted her head.
“You just said there’s someone you like, right? Is it true? Who?”
“I was joking.”
Xie Xue clutched her chest and sipped her beer.
“Ah, I thought my heart was going to stop…”
He Yu paused his hand and gazed at the profile of the innocent girl.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Is it that surprising that I have someone I like?”
“Of course it is.”
“Why?”
“I’m still single. If you escape being single, you won’t be able to come hang out with me often.”
…What kind of ridiculous reason is that.
Meanwhile, Xie Xue asked, “Why are you laughing?”
He Yu reached out and lightly wiped away a speck of pepper from the corner of her lips with his thumb, then raised an eyebrow and spoke as if nothing had happened.
“How do you manage to get food all over your face with a single skewer?”
In truth, he had wanted to confess to her for a long time. From the moment he returned to the country until now.
However, being a perfectionist, he believed that a confession should be prepared formally. He didn’t want to pour out his long-hidden feelings in a crowded street, driven by a momentary impulse.
With that thought, he changed the subject.
“Stop introducing young girls to that hyung. Given his age and rigid personality, even women his own age can’t handle him, so how would young girls fare? That person earlier had a serious generation gap with your brother.”
“Why are you badmouthing my brother? He’s nice to you!”
“Honestly, it’s a fact.”
“Good grief!”
He Yu rolled his eyes in disbelief. He couldn’t understand Xie Xue’s brother-complex at all.
“I’m serious. Take off the filter and think realistically. Hyung is an older divorced man. If he were looking for someone with a good personality who could support him, that would be one thing, but someone this young really doesn’t suit him.”
“No way. Isn’t my brother’s level of looks enough?”
“Even if he’s handsome, who would like someone who acts all high and mighty and looks down on people like Jin Zongyi?”
At this point, Xie Qingcheng’s indifferent face seemed to flicker before his eyes. That image of him with his mouth slightly open, leaning forward, with a straw between his teeth.
Looking at him like that, he resembled a CEO of a conglomerate being naturally served by an aide. Despite not having a single penny to his name. How could he provoke people with such a relaxed, infuriating attitude?
As he thought about it, anger surged again. What should he replace the thing in ‘CEO Xie’s’ mouth with to completely wipe away that composure? How could he create a look of panic, a face drenched in failure and humiliation?
Before that, would that man even make a fragile expression…?
Since he had never seen it in his life, he couldn’t even imagine it no matter how much he racked his brain.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Lost in thought, He Yu answered as if talking to himself.
“About your brother.”
“Huh?”
“…I was wondering if hyung has ever made a fool of himself or been humiliated.”
“Ah, you’d better drop that thought. As far as I remember, that’s never happened. My brother is a truly cold and scary person. Since he lives in suits and books now, it’s hard to imagine, right? But when my brother was your age, he was the best fighter in our area. Once, some local thugs were bullying me, and he beat up over a dozen of them with a steel pipe and dragged them to the police station… When they ran into him later, they looked like they were about to lay out a red carpet and bow their heads, calling him ‘Big Brother!’ Except for one person… well, that person was a special case.”
Looking at Xie Xue’s sparkling eyes, He Yu felt a twinge of irritation. He chuckled and said, “How are you still the same as before? Whenever your brother comes up, you have that face like you’re worshipping him. He must be like a savior to you.”
“He is a savior! My brother raised me with such difficulty, playing the role of both father and mother alone…”
“You didn’t cause any trouble and listened to him well too.”
“…Nah, I can’t compare. I’m not even a tenth of what my brother is.”
Xie Xue shook her head while eating a skewer.
“No way, no way.”
As the conversation flowed, He Yu looked at the humble Xie Xue through the smoke of the noisy street stall. It was somewhat amusing. With that thought, He Yu’s gaze gradually softened. Suddenly, it occurred to him that there was no way such a wonderful woman was liked by him alone.
He could no longer just wait.
That night, He Yu did not return to the dormitory. He didn’t want to wake his roommates late at night. So, he first dropped Xie Xue off at the faculty dormitory, called a driver to head to the hotel he frequently stayed at, took a shower, and lay down on a fluffy down pillow.
[I’ve arrived. You—]
His fingers tapped the phone screen quickly. Of course, he hit a snag halfway through.
Sighing, he deleted the text and stared at the teddy bear profile picture on the messenger for a long time before sending two simple words.
[Good night.]
Just as he was about to turn off the phone, a ding notification sounded. Thinking it was Xie Xue’s reply, He Yu snatched the phone to check.
However, the message was a bank transfer notification from the ‘savior.’
[I just lifted the transfer limit that was blocked at the hospital earlier. I’m paying you back, so take it.]
He already gritted his teeth whenever he thought of Xie Qingcheng, and now he had even stolen the timing of Xie Xue’s reply. His mood turned cold.
[I did it to help someone, why bother paying me back?]
Xie Qingcheng was also fed up with He Yu’s pretentious behavior. Too tired to argue, he replied bluntly.
[Think of it as a service tip.]
[What?]
[A driving service tip. I wanted to call a designated driver earlier, but there were no drivers as young as you who know how to enjoy speed.]
“….”
What a truly remarkable human being.
Could there be anyone else in the world who dares to treat Young Master He as a driver and give him a tip?
Moreover, doesn’t this feel a bit like adding a ‘service fee’ to a professional?
He Yu’s eyes darkened. Just as he was about to reply, Xie Xue’s chat window caught his eye.
Xie Xue’s eyes sparkling while talking about Xie Qingcheng. And a phrase came to mind.
—My brother raised me with such difficulty, playing the role of both father and mother alone…
“….”
Fine, whatever. He is Xie Xue’s brother, after all.
He Yu changed his mind and sent a reply.
[You’re welcome, Brother Xie. Please call me whenever you need me in the future. I’ll satisfy you with a pleasant ride.]
[Send me the bill for your car insurance claim abroad first before you talk.]
He Yu’s expression darkened further. Would it kill him to just play along!
At that moment, the phone vibrated once more.
This time, it wasn’t Xie Qingcheng, but Xie Xue.
[Good night! Thanks for today!]
At the Huzhou University faculty dormitory, she stepped out of the bathroom shaking her wet hair. Yawning widely, she checked her phone, found the ‘Good night’ message from He Yu, and smiled as she replied.
Then, she sat at her desk and opened her diary. Though few people these days record their daily lives with paper and pen, there are always a few eccentrics who wish to walk through the past with rusted ink, sharp fountain pens, and faded scraps of paper.
Turning on the lamp brightly, Xie Xue began writing her end-of-day diary.
[Brother went on another blind date today. But I didn’t like that woman. So…]
As she described Xie Qingcheng’s emotions in a text of over five hundred characters, she naturally thought to herself that she was still single.
Xie Xue sighed and looked at the night outside the window where the lights flickered.
She was different from her brother. Her brother was someone deeply disappointed in love and marriage, so it was his habit to glance with his peach blossom eyes with a look of annoyance regardless of whom he met.
But she had someone she liked.
The silhouette of that person vaguely appeared before her eyes. From childhood until now, his presence lingering before her always felt close yet distant.
She knew well that they were people of different worlds and that the class difference was like heaven and earth. Moreover, he was younger than her…
However, now that they attended the same Huzhou University, it was clear that the female students showing interest in him were more passionate than the waves of a barley field in autumn.
It wasn’t as if she had time to waste. If she postponed her confession and let this pass, she might regret it later… Then she would meet the same end as her brother. —Making a vow with someone she didn’t love after weighing life conditions, entering the grave called marriage, only to rise again like a zombie one day to be alone again, and continuously going on blind dates so the adults wouldn’t be upset.
Sometimes, she truly felt sorry for her brother. It was because it felt like Xie Qingcheng constantly lived his life for others. He claimed not to care about the gaze of others, but the person who took care of his family more devotedly than anyone else was Xie Qingcheng.
Xie Qingcheng lived his life too rigidly.
Of course, she had tried offering advice and persuasion. The problem was that whenever she brought it up, she was cut off midway. The man who was her brother would only glare at her and rattle off nags, telling her to focus on her own studies, to stop meddling in adult affairs, and asking what a child could possibly know.
In truth, he was the one who understood emotions the least. In his short half-lifetime, all he had left was a failed marriage.
[I’m thinking of confessing to the person I like. Since I was young, my brother always told me to be brave, and I think this counts too. Whether it works or not, I should at least try. That way, I won’t regret it when I look back later.]
Xie Xue wrote the final sentence and closed her diary.
Completely unaware that, in a hotel suite several kilometers away, He Yu was thinking something very similar.