Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 41

Chapter 41 – Skirt

Will you kiss me?

——

When it came to asking for the air conditioner remote, the first time was awkward, but the second time became routine.

Later, Qin Han realized that during that period, every time she visited Yaonan Alley, Luo Shijin would encourage her to ask Zhang Yuqing for the remote while he was working.

Sometimes it was because of the heat, wanting to turn on the air conditioning; sometimes it was because of the cold, needing to turn it off.

Li Nan would tease Luo Shijin, “You’re just a watermelon seller, but you’re surprisingly sensitive to temperature changes.”

Luo Shijin would bellow, “We fat guys are all sensitive to temperature changes!”

Through Luo Shijin’s sensitivity, Qin Han had also been trained to adapt.

The more Zhang Yuqing indulged her, the more relaxed she became, even learning to act cute.

Sometimes when Zhang Yuqing was discussing tattoo designs with customers, Qin Han wouldn’t even knock before slipping inside. She’d stand behind him, pretend to massage his shoulders, and rest her hands there.

Most of the time, Zhang Yuqing would turn around with a helpless yet gentle smile, showing her where the remote was so she could get it herself.

There was only one exception. That day, he was deeply engaged in a conversation with a customer when Qin Han slipped in and started pretending to massage his shoulders.

Zhang Yuqing, still in the middle of his discussion, might have mistaken Qin Han for Dandan or someone else. When she put her hands on his shoulders, he instinctively reached back and patted the back of her hands twice, signaling her to stop messing around.

His fingers, warm against her hand, sent countless electric currents surging through her skin.

Without taking the remote, Qin Han fled with a crimson blush.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhang Yuqing only realized what had happened after she left. He paused his conversation and glanced at his palm.

The customer chuckled, “Qing-ge, was that little beauty your girlfriend?”

Zhang Yuqing let out a soft laugh. “A living legend.”

Qin Han’s university life was rich and fulfilling. She attended classes, rose early to secure library seats, and occasionally participated in group activities.

Though busy—with more to learn than even in high school—her interactions with Zhang Yuqing grew more frequent.

She called or messaged him regularly during the week, and always managed to visit him at least one weekend day.

Perhaps through increased contact, she had outgrown the petty high school dramas. Their conversations now flowed with endless topics.

There were even times when calls with Zhang Yuqing stretched to full hour lengths.

These moments of gentle connection soothed the anxiety of her accelerated growth.

Qin Han thought, This kind of growing up isn’t so bad after all.

Even if Zhang Yuqing insisted that true adulthood only begins at thirty, she could accept that.

By late October, unfamiliar numbers began appearing in Qin Han’s phone calls.

It was a phone number from a neighboring province, always calling during Qin Han’s classes or when she was in the library.

Qin Han’s phone was often on silent mode. Sometimes, by the time she noticed the missed call, it would already be one or two hours later.

She didn’t recognize this number, so she never returned the call. Yet every few days, it would ring again.

By strange coincidence, over half a month, Qin Han saw this number’s missed calls four or five times.

When she mentioned it to her roommates, Xie Ying, who was sitting cross-legged on the upper bunk with a green face mask, said, “It’s definitely a scam call. These fraudsters are so persistent now—they’ll call you multiple times to create this illusion of lingering affection from an ex, just to get you to call back.”

Sun Ziyi nodded in agreement. “And you’ll call back, right? Once you do, bam! Your money’s gone.”

As her roommates all said the same thing, Qin Han gradually stopped worrying about this phone call.

One day after bathing, Qin Han was drying her hair in the dorm when Xie Ying called out, “Little Qin Han, your phone!”

It was that unfamiliar number.

Qin Han answered, “Hello? Who is this?”

“Qin Han! Qin Han! It’s me, Xu Weiran. Do you remember me? I’m Xu Weiran.”

Qin Han was somewhat surprised. “Hello Xu Weiran. Did you need something?”

“Qin Han, Qin Han, I’ve called you so many times—so many times! Sometimes it wouldn’t connect, sometimes there was no answer. I couldn’t reach you…”

A sound resembling dry heaving came from Xu Weiran’s side, followed by his shout, “Are you deliberately avoiding me?! Are you?!”

“I didn’t know this was your number.”

Xu Weiran was clearly drunk, his voice loud and slurred as he repeated himself incessantly.

After listening for a while, Qin Han asked, “Xu Weiran, if you need to talk to me, can you call tomorrow when you’re sober?”

There was a moment of silence before Xu Weiran suddenly demanded, “Do you have a boyfriend?! Qin Han, do you have a boyfriend?!”

Qin Han didn’t want to discuss such matters with a drunk person and simply said she would hang up.

“Hu Keyuan told me everything! You have a boyfriend! Isn’t that true?!”

Frowning, Qin Han hung up. Xie Ying leaned over from the upper bunk. “Little Qin Han, got some romantic debts?”

“No, just a high school classmate.”

That night, Qin Han found no peace. Xu Weiran kept calling like a madman and repeatedly tagged her in the high school group chat, spouting nonsense. When a girl complained about the noise, Xu Weiran sent a long voice message cursing at her.

The group erupted in arguments, messages flooding in nonstop.

Qin Han remained silent throughout. After some thought, she left the group.

The next day, Xu Weiran sent a text message apologizing.

[ Qin Han, I really do like you. I’ve liked you since high school. I know you never felt the same way, and I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. I won’t bother you anymore. Wishing you and your boyfriend all the best. Goodbye. ]

Qin Han didn’t reply, nor did she have time to consider what role Hu Keyuan had played in this whole affair.

The incident was like a brief interlude in life, easily forgotten.

While studying in the library, Qin Han occasionally found herself drifting into thought about the matter. Suddenly, she felt rather cold-hearted.

Why had she remained so indifferent to Xu Weiran’s distress?

Later, Qin Han realized it wasn’t cold-heartedness. The truth was, she and Xu Weiran had never been particularly close.

This became evident when Xie Ying had her accident. Qin Han had genuinely grieved for days afterward.

That night, returning from the library to the dormitory, Qin Han wrapped her coat tightly around herself as she hurried inside. Pushing open the door, she exclaimed, “It’s freezing tonight!”

As soon as she spoke, she sensed something was off in the room.

Everyone was silent, and Xie Ying’s eyes were swollen, her eyelids red and puffy.

Qin Han’s heart tightened as she hurried over. “Yingying, what’s wrong?”

Xie Ying was usually so mature and carefree. Every time Qin Han looked at her, she felt a sense of admiration for Xie Ying’s captivating charm.

But now Xie Ying’s shoulders were slumped, a box of tissues in her arms, her voice hoarse from crying.

Not knowing what had happened, Qin Han could only hold her.

Xie Ying sobbed brokenly in her arms. “Every day… I worried that talking too much would distract him from studying. I thought he’d work hard and pass the exams to come to the Imperial City. I believed he’d want to attend university here because of me. I kept fearing I’d disturb him, but he went out to chat with a third-year girl all night. He even bought her breakfast and helped her review her notes.”

Xie Ying’s boyfriend was a former classmate from high school. He had failed the college entrance exams and was now retaking the year.

Sometimes when Qin Han tried a new food, Xie Ying would say, “I’ll save some for him when he comes.”

When she saw something interesting, Xie Ying would make a note of it, planning to share it with her boyfriend after next year’s exams.

When Xie Ying called her boyfriend, she never let the conversation last more than a minute, careful not to disturb his studies.

Qin Han had overheard this once before. The boy on the other end of the line had said, “I’ve got to go. I’m really busy reviewing for exams.”

Xie Ying would respond in her soft, alluring voice, “Okay, I won’t keep you. Study hard and rest early. Your health comes first.”

That night, Xie Ying cried for hours. She didn’t return to her upper bunk but squeezed into the lower bed with Qin Han instead.

After lights-out, Xie Ying’s voice cracked as she murmured, “Better to cherish what we have now. I had so many things to tell him, waiting for his return next year. But now… we don’t have a next year.”

In the darkness, Qin Han felt her nose sting with sudden emotion.

Perhaps it was because Xie Ying’s eyes had grown so listless after her heartbreak, or perhaps because the Imperial City’s skies were perpetually shrouded in haze during this transitional season. Whatever the reason, Qin Han suddenly felt an urgent sense of “not enough time.”

She couldn’t pinpoint where this urgency came from—it would surface unexpectedly, leaving her constantly worried about losing something precious.

Those days, Mother Qin kept calling, repeating that Father Qin was a “scoundrel” over and over.

Many people worry that summer tattoos can be affected by sweat, so they wait until the weather cools down to get inked. This made Zhang Yuqing very busy again.

There were also a few days when they didn’t have long phone calls.

Qin Han grew more anxious, eager to see Zhang Yuqing at Yaonan Alley this weekend.

On the first day of the weekend, Qin Han still went shopping with Xie Ying.

Xie Ying seemed a bit more spirited, holding Qin Han’s hand as she spoke. Her earrings swung gently by her face as she said, “Bye then, bye! The next one will be better. I’m not lacking in men. Let’s buy a super beautiful dress and go seduce some!”

In truth, last night Xie Ying had been talking in her sleep, her voice tinged with tears.

Qin Han accompanied Xie Ying through several stores. Xie Ying tried on a French-style dress with a square neckline that exposed a large expanse of pale skin and her collarbones.

The dress had a faux two-piece design, with a black lace belt cinching her waist.

Xie Ying lifted the skirt. “Little Qin Han, I’ll get you one too. We’ll match.”

“No need.”

“Don’t be modest! Thank you for keeping me company these past few days—taking notes for me, bringing my meals. Let me repay you!” Xie Ying said with a grin.

Qin Han had never worn clothes like this before. She shook her head repeatedly, but Xie Ying persisted until she finally got Qin Han to change.

When Qin Han looked in the mirror, Xie Ying helped her let down her ponytail, letting her hair cascade over her shoulders.

Xie Ying gasped, “Little Qin Han, did you know you’re this beautiful?”

Even Qin Han was taken aback. The dress truly accentuated her maturity.

She knew she was an adult, but she’d never felt like a “woman” before.

“Trust me,” Xie Ying urged. “Wear this dress to see your Qing-ge. Men are visual creatures!”

On Sunday, after much deliberation, Qin Han left her dormitory wearing the new dress.

She hadn’t checked the weather forecast. As soon as she stepped out, she shrank into herself—the temperature difference from yesterday was striking. The thin fabric at her waist let in a constant breeze.

By the time she reached Yaonan Alley, the wind had grown stronger. The elderly chess players at the street corner hadn’t even come out today.

Qin Han forced herself to walk from the street corner to Zhang Yuqing’s shop, sneezing repeatedly from the cold.

These stockings might as well be transparent—they might as well not be wearing anything at all!

It provided absolutely no warmth at all.

When Qin Han ran into Zhang Yuqing’s shop, only Zhang Yuqing was inside. He looked up, his gaze pausing briefly.

“It’s so cold!” Qin Han said, rubbing her arms as she entered.

Zhang Yuqing turned on the heating before smiling. “Why wear so little if it’s cold?”

Qin Han recalled Xie Ying’s tearful words that night, “It’s best to cherish the present. I had so many things to tell him, waiting for him to come next year. But now… we don’t have a next year.”

Would she and Zhang Yuqing have a next year?

Next year, would Zhang Yuqing find a girlfriend over 20?

That uneasy feeling came back.

Qin Han suddenly felt anxious. She took off the backpack she’d been holding against the cold and said, “I wore this just for you.”

Then she covered her mouth and sneezed.

Zhang Yuqing didn’t say anything. He went upstairs to fetch a jacket for Qin Han, then went out to buy hot sour plum juice.

Outside, cold wind howled. A thin layer of white mist clung to the window.

The hot sour plum juice contained a slice of orange and carried the unique fragrance of osmanthus flowers.

Qin Han sat at the table, draped in Zhang Yuqing’s jacket. She blew away the dried osmanthus flowers floating on the surface, took a sip, and felt the bone-deep cold begin to dissipate.

Qin Han’s nose was a pale pink, perhaps from the chill.

Zhang Yuqing sat across from her, his fingertips occasionally tapping the table as if in deep thought.

The young woman’s dress was elegant, with a wide neckline revealing delicate collarbones.

As she moved, her slender waist showed through the thin fabric.

In truth, Zhang Yuqing thought she looked beautiful in anything she wore.

He felt he needed to correct Qin Han’s belief that when women look seductive, it’s more likely to inspire lust rather than affection or love.

If Qin Han had a strong personality, he wouldn’t worry about what she wore.

But Qin Han was thin-skinned and gentle. If a lecherous man made crude remarks, the young woman would surely be hurt or develop lasting psychological scars.

Moreover…

Zhang Yuqing’s brow furrowed slightly.

When he’d asked why she dressed so scantily, she’d blurted out that she was wearing it for him.

Even someone with his self-control nearly succumbed to impure thoughts.

If university men, known for their impulsive nature, saw her dressed so alluringly, might they mistake it as encouragement for their behavior?

What if they tried to take liberties with her?

The thought made Zhang Yuqing suddenly feel irritable.

Qin Han had gotten up to use the restroom at some point. Zhang Yuqing stood outside the bathroom, waiting for her.

As soon as Qin Han emerged, Zhang Yuqing blocked her path at the doorway.

He looked down at her and said, “You mentioned earlier that the dress was meant for me to see?”

Qin Han tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Yes.”

Zhang Yuqing leaned closer, deliberately teasing her. “Young lady, you’re flirting with me. Do you know the consequences of such teasing?”

Qin Han gazed up at him, her eyes clear and unblinking. “Will you kiss me?”

Zhang Yuqing, “……”

Perhaps I misjudged the approach.

“Actually, I’m not really nervous.”

Even as Qin Han spoke, her eyelashes fluttered. Her voice was soft yet carried an air of honesty.

She continued, “I’ve dreamed of you kissing me. Twice, maybe three times.”

The young girl averted her gaze, clearly embarrassed by her confession.

Her lips, still tinged with the deep red of the hot wu mei juice she’d just drunk, trembled slightly as she spoke. They glowed with a gemstone-like hue, as if snow resting on a tree branch that swayed gently in the wind.

Zhang Yuqing felt that with slightly less self-control, he might have truly kissed her.

He abruptly tore his gaze away, turned his head, and began coughing.