Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Umbrella

A man’s unique allure

——

“Need me to turn it off for you?”

Qin Han froze in embarrassment. She hesitated, parting her lips slightly, but before she could say anything, she saw the man pick up her phone.

He exited the movie and handed the phone back to her.

The ambiguous sounds from the movie stopped. Still trapped in her embarrassment, Qin Han pinched the corner of the phone as she took it, whispering a faint “Thank you.”

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

The man raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he found her gratitude unnecessary.

Qin Han’s face was still burning. She was a little afraid that this man might enthusiastically invite her inside to take shelter from the rain.

After what had just happened, she really didn’t have the courage to stay in the same space with someone so calm and composed.

Acting on her instinct to escape, Qin Han turned around, facing away from the window.

As she did, she caught a glimpse of the man inside lowering his gaze.

It seemed like he had no intention of continuing the conversation either.

Qin Han no longer leaned against the windowsill, instead standing stiffly under the eaves, staring at the falling raindrops. Her mind raced—

Maybe he hadn’t noticed her silly behavior earlier?

Maybe he hadn’t heard her gleeful, pig’s oink?

Maybe he had only opened the window by coincidence?

If that was the case…

Then there was nothing to be embarrassed about!

Thinking this, Qin Han tilted her head slightly, sneaking a glance at the man.

He was tall, his eyes lowered as he slipped a black rubber glove onto his hand.

The crinkled disposable glove wrapped around his long fingers, stretching as it conformed to the shape of his knuckles.

For some reason, Qin Han suddenly found his sharply defined wrist bones carrying a unique allure.

The rain poured down heavily, splashing mud onto the ground. Qin Han shuffled her white sneakers back a little.

To ease the awkwardness, she broke the silence in the air, asking in a small, hesitant voice, “Before you opened the window just now… did you hear anything strange?”

“No.”

So he really hadn’t heard?

A wave of relief washed over her, easing much of her embarrassment.

But just as she exhaled in relief, she noticed a teasing glint in the man’s eyes, instantly setting off alarm bells in her head.

“No strange sounds at all.”

He pulled on the second glove, then picked up a tool that resembled a gun. His voice, muffled behind his mask, carried a subtle trace of amusement.

“But… I think I heard someone imitating a pig’s oink.”

Qin Han, “!”

He had heard!

Embarrassment surged back like a tidal wave. Just then, a taxi with its “Vacant” sign lit up appeared at the street corner. She didn’t have time to think—she just wanted to escape this humiliation situation as fast as possible.

She shot her hand up, waving at the taxi.

Her nearly hopping motion seemed to trigger some humor in the man behind her, because she heard his light laughter through the sound of the rain.

The taxi stopped a few steps away. Just as Qin Han was about to dash through the rain, a voice, still tinged with amusement, called out from behind her. “Hey.”

Qin Han turned around and black umbrella flew out of the window, she caught it on reflex.

She froze for a moment.

By the time she looked up again to thank him, the window had already been shut by a hand clad in black gloves.

The wooden window frame creaked, making a long, aged sound “creeaak—” before it was drowned out by the rain.

—

By the time Qin Han arrived at the library, the rain was still pouring down, as if it wouldn’t stop until it drowned the whole city. At the intersection, a traffic officer in a long raincoat waved his hands, directing the congested cars.

Through the glass window of a milk tea shop next to the library, Hu Keyuan and Xu Weiran waved at her.

Right now, Qin Han was extremely uncomfortable talking to people through windows, so she quickly got out of the taxi without even opening the black umbrella in her hand.

She ran toward the library. But just as she was about to reach the entrance, Xu Weiran suddenly rushed out, holding an umbrella over her. He tilted it so most of it covered her, asking eagerly, “Qin Han, Qin Han, what do you want to drink?”

Qin Han wasn’t very familiar with Xu Weiran. Without looking up, she kept running and answered absentmindedly, “I’m good! You guys have been waiting so long, let’s just head to the library.”

The city library was located right above the milk tea shop, but drinks weren’t allowed inside.

Once the two reached the library entrance, Hu Keyuan glanced at Xu Weiran’s rain-dampened shoulder before walking over and linking arms with Qin Han, smiling. “How did you get off at the wrong bus stop?”

“I was too caught up looking at my phone,” Qin Han sighed. “Sorry for making you guys wait so long.”

Hu Keyuan’s gaze landed on the umbrella Qin Han was holding and reached out to tuck away Qin Han’s damp strands of hair. “Didn’t you have an umbrella? Why didn’t you use it? Your hair’s all wet.”

Qin Han and Hu Keyuan had been close friends for three years of high school, sharing everything. She sighed again. “Don’t even mention it. I embarrassed myself to death today.”

The three of them walked through the library. Afraid of disturbing other visitors who were reading, Qin Han lowered her voice as she recounted what had happened on Yaonan Alley. She also took the opportunity to grumble indignantly about the explicit movie that had been shared in their high school group chat.

Her ears flushed slightly as she whispered to Hu Keyuan, “Whatever you do, don’t watch it. It’s really obscene.”

Rows of light-colored wooden bookshelves lined the library, neatly arranged with books that exuded the faint scent of ink.

Suddenly, Hu Keyuan asked, “Is he handsome?”

“Who?”

“The man you met today. Is he handsome?”

Qin Han was used to this question.

No matter where she went or whom she encountered, Hu Keyuan would always ask, ‘Was he handsome? Did you meet any good-looking guys? How handsome was he?’

“Quite handsome.”

Although she had only seen half of his face.

Qin Han finished speaking, expecting Hu Keyuan to giggle and chat with her like usual. But instead, Hu Keyuan raised her voice slightly and said, “You didn’t fall in love at first sight again, did you?”

Qin Han froze, her steps slowing.

Xu Weiran, who had been trailing behind them, also leaned in and asked, “What do you mean, love at first sight?”

Hu Keyuan flashed Qin Han a familiar, affectionate smile and teased, “Qin Han met a guy before and couldn’t forget him for years. Right, Qin Han?”

Qin Han furrowed her brows slightly but Hu Keyuan continued, “Looks like she’s about to fall in love at first sight again.”

The library was quiet.

They were in the history section, which was mostly empty. The nearby reading tables were unoccupied, and only the sound of rain pattering against the windows filled the silence.

A wave of irritation suddenly washed over Qin Han.

Xu Weiran seemed a little surprised, though it was unclear exactly what he was surprised about.

Hu Keyuan went on, still smiling as she said in a familiar tone, “Qin Han, tell us—which one is more handsome? The guy you met today or the one from before?”

This was a topic they often chatted about in private.

But there was no need to discuss it in front of others.

Whether it was about love at first sight or not, there was also no need to talk as if she was either experiencing love at first sight or just moments away from it.

It felt like a private little secret between friends had suddenly been dragged into the daylight, exposed under the sun—uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Qin Han’s gaze lingered on Hu Keyuan’s smiling face for a moment before she calmly said, “I’m going to check out the history books over there.”

Without looking back, she walked toward the rows of history books.

Faintly, she could still hear Hu Keyuan laughing and saying to Xu Weiran, “She’s hopeless—came here to read novels but ended up studying instead. Come on, let’s go check out some manga.”

Qin Han stood by a shelf of history books and turned her head slightly.

She saw Hu Keyuan walking beside Xu Weiran.

When Xu Weiran wasn’t looking, Hu Keyuan carefully smoothed out a small crease on her dress and adjusted her bangs.

She had even applied lip gloss today.

For three years in high school, they had been inseparable—so much so that even the teachers joked they were like conjoined twins.

But at some point, something had subtly shifted in their friendship.

The books in front of her seemed untouched for a long time, a thin layer of dust settling on their spines beneath the library’s warm lighting.

Qin Han had originally come for novels—she hadn’t planned on reading history books during her summer break after the college entrance exams. The novel section was right next to the manga section. But right now, she had no desire to talk to Hu Keyuan, so she listlessly picked out a thick history book instead.

It was heavy. Qin Han carried it to a nearby reading table and flipped through it absentmindedly.

The book was printed on glossy paper, its pages smooth beneath her fingers. She stopped briefly when she turned to an illustration of a sword.

The background of the image was dim, with somber tones like those of a medieval oil painting—deep browns and bronzes merging into a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

A single sword stood in stark contrast to the background. The sliver of the blade emerged from its intricately carved scabbard—bright, sharp, and gleaming with a cold, icy edge.

Qin Han suddenly recalled the scene before she had gotten into the taxi—

The old Yaonan Alley, washed by rain but unchanged, its brick walls and rooftops still shrouded in gray. Only the off-white signboard of the shop where she had sheltered from the rain remained spotless, its elegant cursive stroke standing out.

It didn’t say what kind of shop it was. Just one single word—“Oxygen.”

That man had stood at the window of Yaonan Alley—like a sharp sword embedded in a dark brown canvas.

The umbrella he had tossed to her now lay on the reading table. The paint on its handle was chipped.

Qin Han thought, As awkward as it was, once the rain stops, I should go back to Yaonan Alley and return the umbrella to him.