Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Midsummer

Your bed is a doubled bed, anyway

——

Hanging up the phone, Qin Han couldn’t suppress her excitement.

She felt like bubbles were rising in her chest, like boiling water bubbling away.

The two excuses she had prepared for going to Yaonan Alley were completely unnecessary.

It was Zhang Yuqing—Zhang Yuqing had asked her out!

And he even wanted to give her a gift for the college entrance exam!

The evening breeze stirred the drifting clouds, the scattered stars flickered on and off, the moon wasn’t quite full, and the countless city lights stretched the night into a long embrace. The sultry heat of the evening was the accomplice of summer’s lingering warmth.

But to Qin Han, there was no better summer night than this.

Behind her, the balcony door slid open. Qin Han’s father stepped out, cigarette pack in hand. Seeing her there, he smiled in surprise. “Xiaohan, you’re here? Your uncle was just wondering why you left the dinner table after eating so little of the sweet and sour ribs.”

Qin Han hesitated before responding, “I was full.”

“Your uncle said you were on a diet.”

“I am not!”

Her father tapped a cigarette from the pack and placed it between his lips. “That’s good. Our Xiaohan is already very slim. Dieting isn’t good for your health.”

Perhaps the wind was strong on the higher floors; he tried striking the lighter twice but failed to ignite the cigarette. He cupped his hand around the flame and finally lit it.

Noticing that Qin Han was still there, he smiled warmly. “Not going inside yet? If you stay here, your mom will say I’m making you breathe secondhand smoke. How about I borrow the balcony for a bit? Once I’m done, you can come back out.”

“Dad.”

Qin Han hesitated before calling out to him, “Will you and Mom get a divorce?”

In truth, she hadn’t forgotten what happened that night. She just never brought it up.

Even now—despite realizing she liked someone, despite that person just promising to give her a gift, despite her earlier excitement that had made her want to cheer—when she thought of her parents’ hysterical argument that night, she still felt uneasy.

Her father turned his head in surprise. Ash from his cigarette crumbled onto the balcony floor, quickly swept away by the wind. His expression grew serious. “Who told you that your mom and I were getting a divorce?”

“No one told me. I overheard it myself.”

Qin Han lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“Xiaohan, you also heard me leaving the house that night?”

“Yeah.”

Her father took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke with a sigh.

He put out the cigarette, then crouched down in front of her, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Your mom and I didn’t handle things well. We made you worry.”

Qin Han’s eyes felt itchy. She widened them, trying to hold back the tears. “You don’t have to pretend in front of me…”

Pretend what? What words should she use?

Act? Feign? Fake?

But all of those sounded too harsh. She couldn’t say that.

After all, her parents only wanted her to grow up in a happy home. That’s why, even after their arguments, even when they were in a bad mood, they still smiled at her.

That was their way of showing love.

She blinked hard for a moment, her eyes turning red.

Her father sighed. “Our little girl is growing up. It’s our fault—your mom and I always think of you as a child. From now on, we’ll make sure to let you know if anything important happens, okay?”

“Then… are you really going to get a divorce?”

Her father shook his head. “That was just something said in the heat of the moment.”

Qin Han keenly noticed that while her father shook his head, he didn’t firmly deny it with a statement like, We won’t get a divorce.

Panic surged through her. She pressed on anxiously, “Dad, you still love Mom, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I love her very, very much. But sometimes… love isn’t that simple.”

Her father gave a slightly melancholy smile. “Xiaohan, let me handle this, okay? Trust me, alright?”

Qin Han could only nod.

She didn’t want to dwell on the guilt in his eyes.

Suddenly, her mother pulled open the balcony door, looking puzzled. “What are you two up to out here?”

She paused, furrowed her brows, and glanced at her husband. Even her scolding was gentle. “You’re smoking in front of the child again! Xiaohan, come with me. Let’s not breathe in his secondhand smoke.”

Her father chuckled. “See? Didn’t I say your mom would complain about secondhand smoke? Go inside now.”

For the next two days, her father kept his word. He worked from home every day.

When her mother was cooking, he even put his work aside to help her in the kitchen.

Laughter occasionally drifted out from the kitchen, and Qin Han let out a sigh of relief. It seemed her father was making an effort to repair their relationship.

During those two days, Qin Han didn’t go out. She felt conflicted about visiting Yaonan Alley.

Luo Shijin had mentioned that Zhang Yuqing would be very busy for the next few days. She didn’t want to get in the way. But then again, Li Nan had gotten to know Zhang Yuqing and the others later than she had, yet he was already close enough to visit every day.

If she went, she wouldn’t be a bother. She could play with Beibei or just sit quietly and read.

Even as she indulged in these thoughts, she still didn’t go to Yaonan Alley during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

After the holiday, Qin Han put on a light blue denim dress and peeked into the kitchen. “Mom, can I take some rice dumplings to give to a friend?”

“Of course! Do you want the ones in the gift box or the ones Grandma made?”

“I’ll take Grandma’s.”

Qin Han wasn’t particularly good at social interactions. She had looked up some articles online and realized that every time she went to buy so many things—both in terms of quantity and price—she might have unknowingly put pressure on Zhang Yuqing, even if he never expressed it.

It was through Luo Shijin’s reaction that she realized her well-intended actions might have backfired.

The rice dumplings gift box was beautifully packaged, but she still chose to bring the ones her grandmother had made, thinking they might be easier for him to accept.

After packing the rice dumplings, she also added a few buffalo milk pineapple buns her mother had baked, placing everything in a tote bag.

As she was putting on her shoes, her father came out of the study and asked, “Xiaohan, are you going out with friends today?”

“Yes.”

Father Qin, probably assuming she was meeting Hu Keyuan, smiled and said, “You can always invite your friends over for a meal. Your mom will cook something delicious for you.”

But the friend I’m going to see is Zhang Yuqing.

Qin Han thought to herself as she put on a shoe.

“It’s true, you haven’t invited any friends over in a while,” her mother added, collecting Qin Han’s slippers with a smile. “Now that exams are over, you can stay out later, or even have your friends sleep over.”

“That’s impossible!” Qin Han reflexively objected.

How could Zhang Yuqing stay over at her house?!

“Why not? You can just share a room. Your bed is a doubled bed, anyway.”

What?! No way!

Shocked by her mother’s mention of a “double bed,” Qin Han didn’t even explain that her friend was a guy. In her panic, she accidentally bumped into a wooden chair by the door.

“This kid, so clumsy,” her mother sighed.

Ears burning red, Qin Han grabbed the bag with the rice dumplings and pineapple buns, hopped on one foot twice, and called out, “Mom, Dad, I’m heading out!”

Her mother’s voice followed from behind, “Be careful outside! Don’t stay in the sun too long, or you’ll get heatstroke.”

“Got it!”

On the way to Yaonan Alley, Qin Han realized she had left a little too early.

Since her father worked from home, he had breakfast earlier than most. By the time the bus had rumbled along for half its route, it wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet.

She wasn’t even sure if Zhang Yuqing’s shop was open at this hour.

Qin Han searched online but couldn’t find his shop on any group-buying apps, so she checked other tattoo shops’ operating hours for reference.

Some were open from 9:00 to 22:00.

Others from 10:00 to 23:00.

She had no idea which one was more like Zhang Yuqing’s schedule.

The bus was crowded, mostly with office workers, and she squeezed into a corner by the door. It wasn’t until she got off that she finally let out a breath of relief.

Unlike the main roads, Yaonan Alley still seemed asleep.

There were only a few people on the street—an old man carrying soy milk and youbing, someone walking their dog while taking bites of a crispy youtiao. The rich, oily aroma filled the air, like some kind of magical spell that separated the bustling, fast-paced world behind her from the slow, tranquil realm of Yaonan Alley.

—Youtiao (油条): Long, crispy, and airy deep-fried dough sticks, often eaten with soy milk. Youbing (油饼): A round or flat deep-fried bread, usually thicker and sometimes filled with scallions or other ingredients.

Somewhere, an elderly person was singing along to an opera broadcast on the radio. The elegant melody, mixed with the chirping of magpies in the trees, made everything feel at ease.

Qin Han felt a surge of excitement. She practically ran all the way to Zhang Yuqing’s shop.

The wooden security door was open, but she didn’t walk in immediately. Instead, she cupped her hands around the window and peeked inside.

A half-full glass of water sat on the table by the window.

Beibei was squatting next to it, happily munching on its dog food.

But Zhang Yuqing was nowhere in sight. Had he woken up yet?

Qin Han cautiously pushed the door. It wasn’t locked, but as soon as she stepped in with her bag of rice dumplings and pineapple buns, Beibei suddenly lifted its head and started barking alertly.

“Woof woof woof! Woof woof!”

Qin Han jumped in fright and quickly crouched down to soothe it. “Beibei, shh! Don’t bark.”

“Woof woof woof!!!”

“It’s me! The big sister who buys you dog food!”

“Woof! Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

Its barking grew even louder, and it even bared its teeth.

As Qin Han tried to calm the dog down, a soft creak came from upstairs.

Maybe all the doors in this shop were old, because the sound was sharp. Qin Han instinctively looked up toward the second floor.

Behind the simple wrought-iron railing, Zhang Yuqing’s figure appeared. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a pair of white athletic pants. He casually wiped his face with a towel before glancing down. “Who is it?”

Qin Han’s gaze landed on his waist—lean but strong.

The lines of his abs subtly shifted with his movements.

When he recognized her, Zhang Yuqing paused. “I’ll put on a shirt.”

Then, he turned and walked back inside.

Beibei, now acting like a little follower, happily wagged its tail and followed him upstairs. Still crouched on the floor, Qin Han stared until Zhang Yuqing’s figure completely disappeared. She stood up suddenly.

I… I saw it!

I saw Zhang Yuqing’s abs!!!

Qin Han felt like today was the hottest day of the summer. She was burning up that she was about to evaporate on the spot. Her entire body seemed to be on fire.

She dumbly sat down by the table, grabbed the half-full glass of water, and took two big gulps.

When Zhang Yuqing came back downstairs, he had put on a T-shirt—still plain, but this time a soft gray, which made him look as if he was glowing in the sunlight.

He saw the cup in her hand and suddenly chuckled. “Thirsty, huh?”

“Huh?”

Qin Han snapped back to her senses, only to hear him say—

“Little girl, you’re drinking from my cup.”