Re-engraving the Spring - Chapter 2
After half a year of marriage, they had so little time to meet each other, which made Chi Qiu feel very lonely.
There was a long silence on the other side, so long that Chi Qiu thought the phone had been hung up, but he did not hear the “beep-beep” sound.
He blinked at a loss, thinking he had said the wrong thing, and nervously changed the subject: “When I came out today, the apricot blossoms were in bloom, it smelled good.” He gulped, unaware that his expression at the moment was full of helplessness.
Xiao Yan didn’t hear what was being said on the phone, but he saw the change in Chi Qiu’s expression clearly from the rearview mirror. He knew with his toes1 that the cold-hearted Mr. Lu couldn’t say anything nice.
Xiao Yan couldn’t say much just because he took his wages. He sat up straight awkwardly, lightened his breathing, and tried to reduce his presence.
It was about a minute before a slightly reflective apology came belatedly from the other side: “I was too busy with work and ignored your feelings, sorry.”
Chi Qiu pursed his lips, he did not mean this: “I am not asking you to apologize, I…”
“Chi Qiu.”
“En?”
Unprepared, Lu Ming replied: “I miss you too.”
A formula-like thought, in a given position, speaking the given words.
Chi Qiu didn’t know that Lu Ming was an uninteresting person in the eyes of many people. Rigid, indifferent, and impersonal. Such a person would actually get married and would say ‘I miss you too’ always felt incredible.
Chi Qiu gripped the phone tightly, his mood was as if riding a roller coaster.
He did not know what mood Lu Ming was in when he said this, nor did he know what expression Lu Ming had at the moment. But Chi Qiu felt very happy. He hoped that Lu Ming was serious and sincere.
And Lu Ming did not know that after he finished the sentence ‘I miss you too’, Chi Qiu’s cheeks were red like a fruit on the branch in autumn, ripe as a touch of red in late autumn.
Lu Ming said, “I’ll be home tonight, you don’t have to wait for me for dinner, I’m not sure I can make it home on time.”
It was like he was sure that Chi Qiu would wait for him.
Because Chi Qiu had done such a silly thing before; waiting for him until midnight, just to have dinner together. So Lu Ming specifically added: “You just eat first.”
Once he heard that he was going home, Chi Qiu was instantly happy. Regardless of whether Lu Ming could see it or not, he nodded vigorously: “Yes!”
A slight rain floated outside the window, and it fell on the window.
After ending the call, Lu Ming put down his phone and smoothly loosened the tie on his chest.
He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the office. Behind his slender and upright posture, was a neat and orderly office area. Outside the door, Xu Ling had been waiting for a long time before he knocked on the door again.
“Come in.”
Xu Ling held a cup of coffee in his hand, plus a dessert, and put it on Lu Ming’s desk, “Mr. Lu, this is the afternoon tea Mr. Chi ordered.” Immediately after that, he handed Lu Ming a document.
Lu Ming turned back with no extra expression was on his face. He took the document and sat down to read it carefully. In the meantime, Lu Ming took a sip of coffee but did not touch the dessert.
Time passed, Xu Ling finished reporting with him, only to find that the thermos placed on Lu Ming’s desk had not yet been opened.
“Mr. Lu, the soup should be drunk while it’s hot.” Xu Ling remembered Chi Qiu’s advice and gently reminded him.
Lu Ming did not bother to raise his eyes, saying: “An afternoon tea will buy you through?”
“….No! Mr. Lu, you, you misunderstood.” Xu Ling could not defend himself with a hundred mouths2 and could not wait to smack himself in the mouth. If the relationship between Lu Ming and Chi Qiu was not harmonious, then this move of his was undoubtedly adding trouble to Lu Ming.
To his surprise, after Lu Ming finished speaking, he pushed the coffee aside. While talking about his work, he opened the thermos and poured a bowl of steaming chicken soup. Suddenly, the aroma of chicken soup overflowed, making Xu Ling hungry.
Seeing that he was not leaving yet, Lu Ming asked stiffly: “Would you like a bowl?”
“No, no. It’s okay…” Xu Ling turned around and left the office.
Lu Ming blew into the soup bowl and scooped two spoons into his mouth. It had been a few days and for the first time, there was something warm except for coffee in his stomach. This made him feel comfortable, even the stiff expression on his face also relaxed a lot.
As Chi Qiu guessed, this time, he was so busy that he did not have time to take good care of his stomach.
Every meal was not at the right time, and the meal was not warm, so he just took a few mouthfuls.
Therefore, in order to take care of Lu Ming’s chaotic diet and avoid stressing his stomach, the oil was carefully skimmed out when he boiled this pot of chicken soup with some nourishing herbs added, so it was not as oily as the previous chicken soup.
At first glance, it looked like a lot of thought went into it.
Not long after, Lu Ming finished a bowl of chicken soup. He did not have the appetite to continue to drink the second bowl. Looking at the empty bowl, he pressed the landline on the table and called his assistant in: “I remember there will be a concert in the Grand Theater in City C later. You help me book two tickets.”
Lu Ming and Chi Qiu’s wedding was held in a hurry, so the two did not go on a honeymoon.
The simple Chi Qiu knew that his eyes were inconvenient, so naturally he wouldn’t make such a troublesome request to Lu Ming. On normal days, many of Chi Qiu’s hobbies could be carried out at home, and there were very few hobbies that required him to go out, including listening to the concerts.
But since Chi Qiu married him, Lu Ming seemed to have not seen him go to any of the concerts.
Lu Ming did not know whether the problem lay in himself, he now had no extra energy to consider these. He wanted to accompany Chi Qiu to more concerts as much as possible to make up for the so-called “honeymoon”.
Thinking of this, Lu Ming said, “Help me prepare a bunch of roses when that time comes.”
At the end, he said: “Is it still too late to order me a bouquet of roses now?”
…………
On the other hand, Chi Qiu obviously didn’t think so much after ending the call with Lu Ming.
He was in a much better mood and even said to Xiao Yan: “Take a trip to Sweet, I want to buy some desserts to take home.”
Xiao Yan immediately turned the car around.
On the way, Xiao Yan mentioned vasually: “A while ago you said you like sweet osmanthus, Mr. Lu specially had someone planted sweet osmanthus trees in the backyard of the villa. When autumn comes, it will smell great!”
Chi Qiu smiled, the gloom in his heart was swept away, from cloudy to clear.
Xiao Yan saw him smile, and his mood improved. Because of his younger age, he talked a lot, and asked with a hint of gossip: “Sir, between you and Mr. Lu, who chased who first?”
Chi Qiu’s ears blushed. He didn’t hate this new driver who had just started working, but he deliberately “preached”: “You talk a lot, focus on driving.”
“Sorry, I just watched you smile, so I’m in a good mood.” Xiao Yan was particularly good at talking, he sat upright cheerfully and drove seriously.
Speaking of it, Xiao Yan was considered a driver specially hired by Lu Ming for Chi Qiu, specifically for Chi Qiu alone.
Not long after, the car drove to the front of the dessert store named Sweet.
Chi Qiu got out of the car with Xiao Yan’s help.
The damp smell permeated Xingxi City where it was raining lightly, and Xiao Yan was beside him with an umbrella.
“This little rain is okay.” Chi Qiu didn’t care. Holding his cane and tapping on the ground, he slowly walked into the exquisitely decorated dessert shop.
The price of this dessert shop was not cheap, but the taste was naturally good. Due to some desserts being more special, a large number of desserts in this store were not available for delivery.
If he wanted to eat many kinds of desserts, he had to come to pick them up in person.
Chi Qiu would have Xiao Yan run an errand over every other day. Hence, the clerk recognized Xiao Yan, a regular customer, right away.
“Welcome!”
The clerk welcomed them warmly. When she noticed Chi Qiu’s lifeless eyes and the cane in his hand, she greeted them cleverly and began to take the initiative to introduce the desserts at the counter to them.
From categories to flavors, to appearance, everything was explained in detail.
1metaphorically means things are so simple that he can think with his toes.
2百口难辩 (bǎi kǒu nán biàn) – incontestable; indisputable
