Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Throw

Go looking for a stand-in if you couldn’t have your first crush

——

Qin Han only realized on her way home that she had forgotten to let Zhang Yuqing try the cookies she had brought.

The cookies had been sitting in her backpack for a while, and a few had already been crushed. Even the ones she had carefully piped into a cookie shape had fallen apart.

But it didn’t really matter.

By leaving the little golden retriever at Zhang Yuqing’s shop, Qin Han now had a legitimate reason to see him again.

Not long after she got home, she messaged Zhang Yuqing to ask if anyone had come to claim the puppy.

Zhang Yuqing didn’t reply right away. Qin Han couldn’t focus on doing anything else, so she took out the book Little Reunions that she had bought at the old book market and forced herself to settle down and read a chapter or so.

It was just as Zhang Yuqing had said—the beginning had nothing to do with romance, and the male protagonist hadn’t even appeared yet.

But the book carried a lingering sadness between the lines.

Qin Han had lived a smooth, uneventful life. She couldn’t understand the turmoil of that era, nor could she grasp the complexities of human relationships and family dynamics.

It was at that moment that Zhang Yuqing called her. The ringtone pulled her out of the sorrowful atmosphere of the book. When she saw Zhang Yuqing’s name on the screen, she took a deep breath before answering.

She was still nervous. The moment she placed the phone to her ear and heard the faint sound of his breathing on the other end, she felt a wave of nervousness wash over her.

And in that moment, she blurted out, “Hello.”

As soon as she said it, Qin Han was embarrassed. She buried her face in the bed, kicking her legs wildly in frustration.

Hello? What was she thinking?!

Who says hello when they already know it’s someone they’re familiar with?!

From the other end of the phone, Zhang Yuqing let out a soft chuckle and played along, “Hello, may I speak to Qin Han? I’m looking for Qin Han.”

Qin Han was amused by his teasing, and most of her nervousness faded. “Has anyone come to claim the puppy?”

“Not yet.”

“What should we do, then?”

Qin Han suddenly felt like she had done something wrong.

She had selfishly wanted to leave the puppy at Zhang Yuqing’s shop for a little while—just long enough to give her a reason to keep in touch with him.

But she had never wished for the puppy to remain unclaimed forever.

Zhang Yuqing was gentle with the little retriever, but he was also busy. Every time Qin Han visited his shop, there were always customers in the tattoo studio.

She felt like she was causing trouble for him. Her tone grew a little heavier, “What should we do?”

“If no one claims it, I’ll just keep it. This little guy looks pretty nice after a bath.”

Qin Han was momentarily stunned. “You gave it a bath?”

“Yeah. Want to see? He looks pretty lively now.”

Zhang Yuqing’s voice always carried a hint of amusement—not overly enthusiastic, but pleasant to listen to.

Qin Han thought for a moment. “Can I add you on WeChat?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

As soon as he said that, he hung up.

Qin Han was still hesitating when a WeChat notification popped up, indicating a friend request.

His WeChat profile was simple—just his name, with a profile picture of the Oxygen sign.

After she accepted the request, Zhang Yuqing immediately sent over several pictures of the little golden retriever.

The photos were taken in his shop. Earlier in the day, the puppy’s fur had been dusty and dull, but now it looked fluffy and soft. Its eyes were bright and full of life—absolutely adorable.

Qin Han scrolled through the pictures one by one until her gaze suddenly stopped on the last one.

It seemed like Zhang Yuqing had been trying to get the puppy to look at the camera. His hand, holding a toy ball, had also made it into the frame. The veins on the back of his hand stood out faintly, and the bones of his fingers were well-defined—like the elegant ribs of a white jade folding fan.

Just then, a noise came from outside her bedroom—it was the sound of a key unlocking the door.

Qin Han was still looking at the photo and didn’t immediately step out of her room. She was just about to call out “Mom” when a loud slam echoed from the entrance.

Qin Han jumped in shock, her phone slipping from her hands onto the bed.

“Why did you suddenly show up at my office today?”

Was that… Dad’s voice?

Who was he talking to? Mom?

Sure enough, her mother’s voice came through the half-open bedroom door.

Her voice was still gentle, but her tone felt unfamiliar. It carried a mix of sarcasm and bitterness. “Oh? Do I need to schedule an appointment now just to visit your office?”

Her father spoke with suppressed anger. “I’m happy that you came, but there was no need for you to make sarcastic remarks to my colleagues. That puts me in a difficult position.”

“Oh? So just because I exchanged a few words with that vixen, you’re upset?”

“What vixen? President Zhao is my business partner.”

Her mother’s voice suddenly sharpened. “Oh, sure! There are so many men in the company, but somehow your business partner just has to be that flirtatious woman?”

“Li Jingru! You’re a woman too—can’t you stop being so hostile toward other women? She can dress however she wants; that’s her business. We have no right to judge her appearance, and we certainly have no right to call her a vixen!”

Qin Han could tell that her father was truly furious. His voice had risen almost to a shout.

But her mother didn’t back down. Instead, her tone became even harsher.

“If she’s not a vixen, then what is she? Qin Anzhi! Stop pretending to be so righteous. Do you really expect me to believe that all those calls between you two were just about work?”

She started screaming. “She’s a vixen! A vixen!”

Sitting in her room, Qin Han felt lost. She had never seen her parents this emotionally intense before.

Just half an hour ago, she had been reflecting on how the tragedies in books—those moments of cold detachment—didn’t seem to exist in real families.

The argument outside the bedroom continued, with her father furious:
“Can you stop always snooping through my phone?”

“If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of me looking at your phone? Afraid I’ll see your chat history with that vixen?”

“If you really trusted me, you wouldn’t be looking at my phone. I’ve already told you, our relationship is strictly professional.”

Qin’s mother screamed, “What kind of professional relationship requires late-night calls at 1 o’clock?!”

Qin Han stepped out of her bedroom. “Dad, Mom, you’re back?”

The living room lights were off. Both Mother and Father Qin froze upon hearing her voice. They had been too caught up in their argument to notice the light from Qin Han’s bedroom.

Father Qin quickly switched on the living room light. The sudden brightness made Qin Han squint and instinctively rub her eyes.

Perhaps because of this action, her parents assumed she had just woken up.

Father Qin immediately put on his usual smile. “Xiao Han, when did you get home? Your mom and I were just bickering a little—did we wake you up?”

Mother Qin playfully pushed him and spoke gently, “See? You were too loud and woke the child. So annoying.”

Under the bright living room light, her parents seemed completely normal.

It was as if their heated argument had been nothing more than Qin Han’s imagination.

Father Qin chuckled, “Arguing in front of the child is so undignified.”

Qin Han studied their expressions closely, doubting her own ears.

Was it really just a minor disagreement?

Mother Qin smiled. “I’ll go make dinner now. How about some beer-braised duck? It’s your favorite.”

At dinner, her parents were all smiles. Father Qin brought up childhood stories about Qin Han, and her mother joined in, laughing along as they reminisced. They even laughed heartily at Qin Han’s embarrassing childhood moments.

Maybe it was the alcohol in the dish, or maybe it was just embarrassment from hearing about her own antics, but Qin Han’s cheeks flushed. “Why was I so silly when I was a kid?”

“You weren’t silly. You’ve always been our precious baby.”

Dinner was warm and cheerful, filled with laughter. Qin Han didn’t notice how, the moment she left the table, the smiles on her parents’ faces instantly faded.

She thought the argument had been left behind in that dark, unlit living room.

Back in her bedroom, Qin Han let out a relieved sigh and thought naively, good thing life isn’t like those bleak, harsh novels. Mom and Dad must have made up already.

She could even hear her mother humming a tune while washing the dishes.

Her phone was still lying on the bed. She reached for it, lighting up the screen, and saw a new unread message.

Opening it, she found a short video from Zhang Yuqing.

Someone—unclear who—had recorded it for him. Zhang Yuqing stood inside his shop, holding an orange toy ball. With a graceful motion, he tossed it into the air.

The golden retriever puppy had been waiting eagerly at his side, tail stretched straight, ready to pounce. The moment the ball flew, the puppy leaped after it.

Behind Zhang Yuqing, the shop window framed a view of Yaonan Alley.

It must have been early evening; some shop signs on the street had yet to be lit. Yaonan Alley First Kindergarten had long since been dismissed, leaving behind a closed blue roller shutter iron door.

The old, worn-out street made Zhang Yuqing stand out—calm yet slightly out of place.

Whoever filmed the video seemed impatient, not bothering to follow the puppy’s chase. Instead, the camera lingered on Zhang Yuqing.

He stood under the shop’s warm light, smiling gently.

Qin Han was lying on her bed as she watched, the phone propped up on her pillow. Maybe it was because of how close the screen was, but she suddenly had the illusion that Zhang Yuqing was right in front of her.

The video ended automatically.

She tapped to replay it.

There was something familiar about his movements.

Where had she seen that motion before?

That tossing action…

It was him!

A memory suddenly resurfaced. Back in middle school, on a class field trip to the geological museum, the bus had been stuck in traffic at an intersection. She had been leaning against the window, looking out at a nearby park, when she saw a young man throwing arrows into the air.

He had moved just like Zhang Yuqing—graceful and fluid—before bursting into bright laughter under the sun.

At that moment, Qin Han had thought, if I ever get a boyfriend, I want him to be like that.

For years, she had jokingly referred to that fleeting crush as her “first love”—love at first sight.

The video ended again, pausing on the frame before he threw the ball.

Zhang Yuqing looked calmly at the person recording, but it felt as if he was looking straight through the screen at her.

Maybe it was because their gestures were so similar. Maybe it was because she had once harbored feelings for that boy.

But suddenly, she felt her heart pounding against the mattress.

Outside, heavy clouds had gathered unnoticed. Still staring at her phone, Qin Han absentmindedly scratched her head.

Why was she getting flustered over Zhang Yuqing’s video?

Could it be…

Did she still like that boy from years ago that much?!

She abruptly sat up, alarmed, and warned herself.

Qin Han, don’t be a bad girl!

You can’t just go looking for a stand-in if you couldn’t have your first crush!