Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Evening Breeze

Helping others with joy, warming the world with kindness

——

The next day, Qin Han was unable to go to Yaonan Alley as she had hoped.

She was woken up by the vibration of her phone. Reluctantly, she squirmed under the blanket a couple of times before sticking out one hand to fumble for her phone on the desk. In the process, she also grabbed the remote control and turned on the air conditioner.

Still drowsy, she squinted her sleepy eyes and unlocked her phone.

When she saw that the entire screen was filled with messages in the group chat saying “Happy Dragon Boat Festival,” Qin Han’s eyes widened in shock, and she abruptly sat up from her silk blanket.

Oh no!

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival!

She stared at her phone screen for a while before collapsing back onto the bed in frustration.

Spending the festival at her grandmother’s house was a must, so it was unlikely she’d get to visit Yaonan Alley.

Qin Han glanced resentfully at the desk beside her bed, where a neatly folded light-colored denim skirt lay.

She had even prepared the outfit she was supposed to wear.

Sure enough, by the time Qin Han got out of bed, her mother was already coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of freshly cooked seafood porridge. “Xiaohan, we’re going to Grandma’s house for lunch today. She already knows about your exam results and has prepared a lot of delicious food to celebrate with you, including your favorite sweet and sour pork.”

What sweet and sour pork?

She wanted to go to Yaonan Alley and eat watermelon!

Qin Han made a last-ditch effort. “Mom, will we only come back in the evening?”

“Yes, we’ll return after dinner. Why? Do you have plans with friends?”

Qin Han shook her head listlessly. “No.”

Back in her bedroom, she sighed softly, put away the denim skirt, and instead pulled out a pair of shorts to change into.

Her phone was filled with unread messages from her high school group chat. She skimmed through them—besides greetings for the festival, everyone was also discussing their college entrance exam results.

Some were even trying to organize a class reunion.

Hu Keyuan was particularly enthusiastic about the idea, sharing multiple KTV and restaurant recommendations.

Just as Qin Han was about to mute the group chat, her phone buzzed twice—someone had tagged her.

It was Xu Weiran.

[Qin Han, Qin Han, are you coming to the class reunion? @QinHan]

[By the way, Qin Han, how did you do on the exams? @QinHan]

A few boys in the chat sent mischievous emojis. Qin Han froze for a moment and didn’t reply.

But she also noticed that after that message, Hu Keyuan suddenly went silent.

No matter how many people tagged her asking about the KTV location, she never responded again.

Leaving the group chat, Qin Han opened her chat with Zhang Yuqing. After a moment of hesitation, she sent him a message.

[Happy Dragon Boat Festival.]

She waited for a long time, but Zhang Yuqing never replied.

Even when her father arrived with the car to pick her and her mother up for the trip to her grandmother’s house, her phone remained silent.

Maybe he was just too busy?

Qin Han’s grandmother lived in the suburbs, outside the Sixth Ring Road, and the drive took about an hour.

Because of the holiday, there was a traffic jam on the road, making the journey even longer.

When they finally exited the highway, the roadside was lined with delicate, light-purple radish flowers.

Mother Qin glanced at her from the front passenger seat. “Xiaohan, look at the flowers along the road, aren’t they beautiful?”

Qin Han looked out.

Yes, they were beautiful.

But her phone still hadn’t buzzed.

She kept reopening the chat, checking repeatedly, and soon began to regret it.

Maybe her message seemed too much like a group message, so Zhang Yuqing read it but didn’t feel the need to reply?

This thought nagged at her, stirring up a restless feeling that was surprisingly close to “longing.”

By the time they arrived at her grandmother’s house, it was already noon. Qin Han helped her parents carry the two gift boxes they had brought for her grandmother.

Even before they stepped out of the elevator, the lively chatter from her grandmother’s house could be heard. Her aunt’s and uncle’s families were already there, filling the living room with people.

“Hurry, start cooking! Our little top student is back!”

“Xiaohan did great on the exams! She takes after her uncle from back in the day.”

“Have some shame, you only got into a top school after repeating a year.”

“Xiaohan, come here and let Grandpa and Grandma give you a hug!”

“Where are the rice dumplings? Get some for Xiaohan—she loves them!”

“I better get cooking. Xiaohan loves her uncle-in-law’s sweet and sour pork, right?”

Qin Han attended a prestigious high school, though she wasn’t in the top-tier class.

She had done well on the exams, but not well enough to warrant such a grand celebration.

But she knew that even if she hadn’t gotten into a top university, her family would still be just as happy and proud of her.

Because Qin Han wasn’t just cherished by her parents—she was the treasure of the entire family.

Her aunt got up to fetch the rice dumplings, saying as she walked, “Your grandma specially made red bean paste ones for you because she knows you love them.”

Her grandmother smiled warmly and took a sip of tea. “Your grandpa even rode his bicycle all the way to the market to pick out the beans himself, saying we wouldn’t choose them as well as he could.”

The warmth of her family dulled the anxiety she had felt over the unanswered message. She ran forward and hugged her grandparents. “Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Grandma!”

The sofa was packed with people. Her uncle had been squeezed onto the armrest but still found time to tease her. “Whoa, slow down! Your grandpa and grandma aren’t as sturdy as they used to be—you’ll crush them!”

“I’m not that heavy!” Qin Han huffed in protest.

Her aunt returned with the rice dumplings, and Qin Han sat on a small stool by the coffee table, peeling off the layers of leaves. The sticky glutinous rice clung to her fingers as she ate.

Uncle reminisced about his school days and chatted enthusiastically with everyone.

However, he always needed someone to play along in his conversations, so every now and then, he would turn to Qin Han and ask, “Xiaohan, don’t you think I’m right?”

Qin Han, with her mouth full of sweet rice dumplings, hadn’t really heard what he was saying but hurriedly nodded. “Right.”

“Right about what? Stop misleading the kid.”

Aunt playfully pinched Uncle and said, “Your uncle had a high school romance. His first love was even a real beauty.”

Uncle laughed and dodged. “High school is the age of budding emotions. Liking someone is perfectly normal, isn’t it, Xiaohan?”

This time, Qin Han heard him clearly and widened her eyes but didn’t respond.

For some reason, she felt a little guilty.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her shorts pocket. She hurriedly looked around for a tissue with her sticky hands.

Uncle handed her two wet wipes and teased, “Look at you, so anxious.”

Qin Han quickly wiped her hands, pulled out her phone, and checked the call—it wasn’t from Zhang Yuqing but from Xu Weiran.

She didn’t answer. After one missed call, Xu Weiran called again, and the phone kept vibrating until even Grandma glanced over.

Because of Hu Keyuan’s situation, Qin Han really didn’t want to pick up Xu Weiran’s call, so she simply put her phone on silent.

It was lively at Grandma’s house, and time passed quickly. After a noisy and cheerful lunch, a bit of chatting, and then an equally lively dinner, the day flew by.

Every now and then, amid all the fun, Qin Han felt a tiny pang of disappointment—her phone had not vibrated even once.

By the time she remembered she had put it on silent, it was already nighttime.

There were two unread messages from Zhang Yuqing, sent in the afternoon.

Both were pictures.

One was an animated image of Beibei with the words “Happy Dragon Boat Festival.”

The other was a bit baffling—a photo of a banner that read “Helping Others with Joy, Warming the World with Kindness.”

At dinner, the adults had had some drinks and were chatting even more than usual. Qin Han, holding her phone, quietly slipped out of the dining room onto the balcony.

Grandma’s house was on the 18th floor of a high-rise, and the night breeze was strong. Qin Han tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear, took a deep breath, and dialed Zhang Yuqing’s number.

Her heart pounded with nerves when the call was answered, but instead of Zhang Yuqing, she heard Luo Shijin’s loud voice: “Who’s this? Qing-ge is busy right now, call back later.”

“Oh… okay.”

“Huh? Qin Han?” Luo Shijin had sharp ears.

For some reason, Qin Han felt like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t and awkwardly admitted, “Yeah, it’s me.”

Luo Shijin didn’t seem to think much of it. “I’ll tell Qing-ge to call you back later. It’s a holiday today, and Dandan came back, so he’s busy.”

Dandan?

Who was Dandan?

Qin Han tightened her grip on her phone and forced a smile. “It’s nothing important. I just wanted to ask about that banner he sent me a picture of.”

“Oh, that? Your classmate Li Nan brought it over. He’s hilarious—he first wrote a long thank-you letter, but I jokingly said his handwriting looked like a dog’s scribbles and was unreadable. So then he actually went and ordered a whole banner instead, hahaha!”

“Li Nan has been visiting?”

“Yeah, he’s been coming every day. Yesterday, he even did a makeup job for a female customer, and honestly, he’s pretty good at it. Hey, Beibei! Don’t bite that!”

In the background, Qin Han heard Luo Shijin scolding Beibei. “Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. Beibei’s chewing on Dandan’s bag.”

“Mm, nothing else.”

Qin Han hung up and leaned against the balcony railing.

Who was Dandan?

It sounded like a girl’s name.

Could she be Zhang Yuqing’s girlfriend?

Qin Han had finished her exams early, but in most workplaces, people got a three-day break for the Dragon Boat Festival. Did that mean Zhang Yuqing’s girlfriend was on holiday and had come to see him?

Was he too busy spending time with his girlfriend?

The apartment buildings stood tall, their windows glowing in warm shades of yellow and white, each home forming a small illuminated square in the night. Qin Han stared at the lights, an inexplicable frustration rising in her chest, making her feel uncomfortable.

Even the rice dumplings she had eaten seemed to sit heavily in her stomach, difficult to digest.

A few minutes later, her phone suddenly lit up. She looked down and saw Zhang Yuqing’s name on the screen.

She answered. “Hello?”

“You called me?”

“Mm. Happy Dragon Boat Festival.”

Qin Han, still lost in thought, mumbled, “Luo Shijin said you’ve been really busy lately, taking care of Dandan.”

“Yeah, busy as hell. I feel like I’m both a dad and a mom right now.”

Zhang Yuqing still had his usual relaxed, smiling tone. “You too, happy festival, Xiao Qin Han.”

Qin Han couldn’t keep her feelings hidden and hesitated before gathering the courage to ask, “Zhang Yuqing, is Dandan your… friend?”

“My sister.”

Qin Han suddenly let out a breath of relief, and her voice instantly became more cheerful. “Have you had any rice dumplings yet?”

“Not yet. Haven’t had the time.”

Only now did Qin Han notice that his voice carried a slight hoarseness, as if he were exhausted.

She hesitated and glanced at the balcony door. Through the glass, she could see there were still plenty of rice dumplings left from what Grandma had made.

Should she tell him she was planning to visit Yaonan Alley to buy some watermelon in the next couple of days?

Or should she say she wanted to bring him some rice dumplings?

Which reason would sound better?

There was a faint sound of Zhang Yuqing taking a sip of water. The phone pressed against her ear allowed her to hear his soft swallowing clearly.

When he spoke again, the tired rasp in his voice was gone. He casually asked, “I heard the college entrance exam results are out. How did you do, little girl?”

“Pretty good.”

“Oh? Sounding quite confident there.”

Qin Han, a little embarrassed, lowered her voice. “Well… it really was pretty good.”

“Have you decided where you’re applying?”

“Beijing Normal University.”

Zhang Yuqing paused briefly, then chuckled. “Alright, when you have time, drop by. I’ve got a graduation gift for you.”