Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 48

Chapter 48 – Spring Rain

Get in, I’ll give you a lift

——

“Qin.”

The new teacher from Beijing Normal University’s special education program.

Teacher Qin.

Zhang Yuqing, who prided himself on his composure, found himself momentarily flustered. Without even bidding farewell to Xu-laoshi, he hurried toward the corridor’s end with slightly unsteady steps.

Though the distance was short, Zhang Yuqing’s mind raced with memories.

He recalled that Christmas morning last year when he’d been possessed by some strange impulse. Clutching Luo Shijin’s phone, he’d dialed Qin Han’s number.

After a brief ringtone, the call connected.

Zhang Yuqing held his breath, gripping the phone tightly.

Perhaps by accident, the device emitted faint Christmas carols and the rustling of fabric. This was followed by indistinct English conversation—voices of both men and women, accompanied by the barking of dogs, creating a lively scene.

Amidst the commotion, someone chanted, “Kiss, kiss, kiss.”

Zhang Yuqing’s brows furrowed, but then he heard Qin Han’s voice.

Years had passed, yet the young woman’s voice remained unchanged—clear, soft, and carrying that unique feminine tenderness. She spoke in English with straightforward confidence.

“Go ahead, but only on the cheek.”

After hanging up, Zhang Yuqing chuckled bitterly.

Of course. So many years have gone by.

The girl he knew had just started university then. Now she was nearly graduating, already in her twenties.

At university, classmates tend to be of decent quality. You’re bound to meet one or two men who catch your eye. Thinking that way, it’s no surprise to have a boyfriend.

Nothing to be surprised about.

Really nothing to be surprised about.

Zhang Yuqing thought this as he placed Luo Shijin’s phone on the desk. He stood up calmly and walked toward the tattoo studio.

But as he passed the low cabinet by the wall, his leg crashed heavily into its corner. It hurt quite a bit.

The next day, while bathing, he discovered a large bruise on his calf.

That day, after bathing and just putting on his underwear, Luo Shijin and Li Nan burst in.

Li Nan looked Zhang Yuqing up and down, finally stopping his gaze on his abs. “If I were a woman, I’d find a boyfriend like Qing-ge. He’s dripping with hormones, damn it’s fucking mesmerizing.”

Luo Shijin, displeased, patted his belly. “Doesn’t your Luo-ge’s belly look handsome? Huh? No family wealth to speak of, but still has that prosperous look, right?”

“Prosperous my ass. Looks like you’re wearing a wok.”

“Hey, Li Nan, are you tired of living?”

After bickering for a while, Zhang Yuqing pulled out a pair of jeans and started putting them on. As he did, Luo Shijin casually asked, “Qing-ge, what happened to your leg? It’s bruised pretty bad.”

“I bumped it on the low cabinet downstairs.”

“Right, right, that cabinet corner really hurts. I’ve bumped it too,” Li Nan said.

“Li Nan’s bumps are one thing,” Zhang Yuqing muttered.

Luo Shijin was puzzled. “No, Qing-ge, our shop’s been open for 7 or 8 years now, right? That low cabinet’s been there since we opened. How could you possibly bump into it?”

The corner of Zhang Yuqing’s mouth twitched.

True enough. To trip over something he passed countless times daily showed just how distracted he’d been.

Nothing to be surprised about, they said.

But he was utterly astonished!

How had the girl suddenly gotten a boyfriend?

Walking through the school’s bustling corridor, Zhang Yuqing recalled the events of February.

After the New Year, he admitted he couldn’t hold back. He’d called Du Zhi, “Teacher, let’s grab a meal sometime.”

“Did the sun rise from the west? You never addressed me as ‘teacher’ in college. What’s a weasel doing paying respects to a chicken?”

Despite her teasing, Du Zhi agreed to the meal. But being a clever woman, she knew exactly what Zhang Yuqing wanted to ask—and refused to answer.

The two-hour dinner covered every topic under the sun, except the one Zhang Yuqing cared about.

Truth be told, he only wanted to ask one thing.

He couldn’t shake the worry that the girl might not return to China.

Zhang Yuqing’s headache grew. Qin Han had a gentle nature. If she was happy with her boyfriend, she might follow him anywhere.

What if he was a foreigner?

The more he thought about it, the more his chest tightened.

He finally asked bluntly, “Teacher, does Qin Han plan to return to China?”

Du Zhi had simply made a mysterious expression and said, “The little girl is in Changsha.”

Zhang Yuqing suddenly didn’t dare to ask any further questions.

Is her boyfriend from Changsha?

Will she find employment there? Will she get married there?

Zhang Yuqing himself found it somewhat unbelievable.

To think he’d actually have moments of “daring not to ask.”

That day when he treated Du Zhi to western food, the coffee with half-sugar still tasted bitter no matter how he drank it.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Zhang Yuqing had already reached the music classroom door.

The piano music stopped at that moment. *Für Elise* had finished. Through the door, he could clearly hear a parent conversing with the new teacher named Qin.

Zhang Yuqing took a deep breath and raised his eyes.

Through the classroom’s gleaming glass window, he could see Teacher Qin kneeling on the ground, helping a little girl untie her messy ponytail.

Her movements were gentle, eyes smiling as she deftly arranged the girl’s hair into a neat ponytail.

Zhang Yuqing had imagined what Qin Han would look like grown up.

It was as he’d imagined, yet also different.

Qin Han wore simple jeans that hugged her slender legs, paired with a white blouse also plain in style, a bow tied at the front.

Her figure had matured, her gaze grown more resolute.

She wore light makeup, her lips painted with lipstick opening and closing.

Her curls were tied in a bun, a small lock of hair framing her forehead.

Zhang Yuqing suddenly felt as if the heart that had been suspended in his chest for years had finally settled back into place.

Just seeing her was enough.

In truth, the sky that day was overcast. When the school bell rang, the corridor fell into a momentary hush, and a breeze swept through the hall.

Zhang Yuqing suddenly remembered—the weather forecast had predicted rain today.

After exiting the school building, Zhang Yuqing pulled out his phone and called Luo Shijin. “Where are you?”

“At the fruit stall. What’s up, Qing-ge?”

Zhang Yuqing glanced back at the school building. “Lock up the shop for me. We’re closing today—no customers.”

“Huh? Why suddenly close?” Luo Shijin exclaimed through the phone. “Did something happen to Dandan? Or you? Car accident? Do you need me to help?”

Raindrops began falling from the clouds. Zhang Yuqing raised his hand to catch a few strands, watching them fall onto his palm with a soft chuckle. “Can’t you just hope for something good?”

“So what’s the real reason? ‘Oxygen’ hasn’t seen you take a day off in eight years. Why suddenly close now?”

Zhang Yuqing smiled. “Isn’t it raining?”

“Miss Qin, you’re still here?”

Xu-laoshi finished packing her things and turned to look at Qin Han. “Ah, youth is so wonderful. You’re full of energy. The office finally has some young blood.”

Qin Han smiled. “You’re still young too, Xu-laoshi.”

“Me? I’m not. I’m old, old. My children are already several years old.”

Xu-laoshi picked up her bag and took out an umbrella. “I’m off now. You should head home early too, Young Teacher Qin. The rain’s getting worse—my husband just texted to say it’ll turn into a storm tonight.”

“See you tomorrow, Xu-laoshi.”

“See you tomorrow.”

After Xu-laoshi left, Qin Han remained alone in the office.

The special education school’s faculty office was unique—each desk overflowed with colorful trinkets meant to soothe children.

It couldn’t be helped. Many students at the special education school struggled with emotional issues, especially those in the intellectual development department.

Qin Han hadn’t officially started yet. Beyond occasionally covering music classes by playing piano for students, she had little to do. She spent her idle office hours revising her graduation thesis.

As the storm raged outside, she finished typing the final line and saved the revised document as a new file.

Graduation Thesis—23.

Her advisor had already reviewed it, saying the defense would be fine. But Qin Han herself felt it wasn’t perfect, so she kept revising whenever she had time.

The rain had poured all day, and with outdoor classes canceled, many children had become agitated. Qin Han had been exhausted all day as well.

She shut down her computer and rubbed her eyes.

She’d thought the rain would stop by quitting time.

Not only did it not stop, it grew worse.

Qin Han silently vowed to check the weather forecast before leaving home in the future.

Qin Han ran out of school with her handbag clutched to her head. She stood at the bus stop for a while, but no bus came.

She was wearing a white silk blouse that became translucent when wet. Qin Han used her phone to call a taxi, but soon the driver called back. “Little sister, could you cancel the order? The intersection is blocked. I really can’t get through. If you wait, it’ll take half an hour.”

Qin Han canceled the order, glanced at her clothes, and moved her handbag to cover her chest.

In truth, after her first year of university, Qin Han hadn’t really liked rainy days.

That year she’d met Zhang Yuqing under a sheltering eave while avoiding the rain. Since then, every rainy day made her inevitably think of Yaonan Alley.

The rain grew heavier. The map showed a grid of red lines, all routes congested. The sky darkened behind the curtain of rain, and the wind carried a chill.

Qin Han rubbed her arms.

She couldn’t stay here waiting forever.

Qin Han left the bus stop, walking into the rain. She thought, If I walk to the next intersection, maybe I can get a taxi there.

A black SUV stopped in front of Qin Han. She looked over instinctively.

The car window slid down, revealing Zhang Yuqing’s face.

He kept one hand on the steering wheel as he leaned over to open the passenger door.

The familiar scent of bamboo drifted out from the car, mingled with the dampness of the drizzling rain.

Qin Han froze, hearing him say, “Get in. I’ll give you a lift.”

The unexpected scene left Qin Han momentarily at a loss. She took a step back.

But the road, not new by any means, had a sunken stone brick right by her foot, creating a small puddle.

Qin Han’s backward step landed precisely in the puddle.

Still white sneakers.

Still covered in mud.

In that moment, Qin Han felt history repeating itself.

Many years ago, she had bounced along Yaonan Alley’s road, stepped into a puddle, and been brought back to the shop by Zhang Yuqing.

The scene was replaying.

It felt like everything could start over, correcting those years they hadn’t spent in each other’s arms.

Qin Han looked up at Zhang Yuqing. He was still the same, his eyes holding that teasing smile as he urged her, “Get in, I’ll give you a lift.”