Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 52

Chapter 52 – Promise

That springtime blush on your face

——

Qin Han’s building was a high-rise, and the pedestrian corridor was rarely used. The two found themselves immersed in darkness.

A strange silence hung in the air, as if some emotion were about to burst forth.

Last night, Zhang Yuqing had put away Qin Han’s photograph, thinking to find an opportunity to return it.

In the photo, she was smiling—happy, indicating that the man had brought her joy.

The young girl was living well, her romantic life progressing smoothly. This was a good thing, but Zhang Yuqing couldn’t help feeling he had no right to interfere anymore.

He hadn’t slept well all night, and early that morning he actually received a call from Du Zhi.

Zhang Yuqing sat on the edge of the bed, rubbed his face a few times, and answered the call. “Hm?”

He was in a bad mood.

Even his dreams had been filled with visions of the young girl holding hands with her boyfriend.

He felt a deep sense of helplessness.

But Du Zhi was different. Her voice carried an excited tone, as if she were enjoying a good show, “Still sleeping, you little brat? Shouldn’t you be up by now?”

“I’m awake. What’s up?”

Du Zhi’s voice brimmed with amusement. Forgetting her teacherly image, she spoke with playful teasing, “Even though I only taught you for one year, a day as your teacher makes me your father for life. If anything really happens, your Du Daddy will still be on your side, won’t I?”

Zhang Yuqing sighed and pulled on a short-sleeved shirt. “What’s up? I’ve got a headache today.”

“Alright then, here’s a bit of gossip for you. Little Qin Han is going on a blind date today.”

Zhang Yuqing froze mid-motion, his brow furrowing slowly. After a few seconds, he asked hoarsely, “What blind date? She has a boyfriend, doesn’t she?”

“I don’t know, exactly. Maybe I misheard. It could be a marriage proposal or engagement party instead.”

Du Zhi yawned. “There you have it. What you do with this information is up to you. I’m hanging up now.”

After the call ended, Zhang Yuqing sat motionless on the bed, phone in hand, staring into space.

What should he do?

What could he possibly do?

He went through his morning routine—washing up, taking out his tablet, settling at the table.

When Luo Shijin burst in humming “The Wedding March,” he announced, “Qing-ge, there’s a wedding boom today! Just saw a couple at the street corner—the bride was already gone, but they’re having a baby before marriage. The girl’s belly’s huge!”

Zhang Yuqing stared at his tablet for a long moment. Suddenly, he grabbed his phone and car keys, striding out. “Close the shop. No customers today.”

“Huh? What’s up, Qing-ge? Where are you off to now?”

Zhang Yuqing couldn’t articulate what he was doing.

An unfamiliar emotion flooded him, crashing against his chest like a storm.

He waited at Qin Han’s apartment building all day.

As dusk deepened and the sun sank below the horizon, city lights began to glow. Only when night fully enveloped the metropolis did Zhang Yuqing finally see the young woman alight from a silver sedan with a joyful skip.

She carried a small purse, smiling as she waved to someone inside the car. “See you next time.”

The dim streetlights and distance obscured the figure within the vehicle. Yet Zhang Yuqing knew without doubt—it was a man.

For twenty-seven years, Zhang Yuqing had maintained his composure. As Luo Shijin would say, no matter how this godforsaken life tried to crush him, he’d always met challenges head-on, weathering every storm.

But watching Qin Han emerge from the car, he felt as if sandpaper had been ground against his ribs, leaving him gasping for air.

Though still spring’s tail end, the young woman wore a dress that revealed her delicate collarbones under the lamplight. Loose strands of hair brushed against them as she waved goodbye, exuding a feminine charm that made his breath catch.

She had grown up.

She was no longer his little girl.

For a moment, Zhang Yuqing’s rationality completely collapsed.

The hallway was dark. Zhang Yuqing grabbed Qin Han’s wrist, pulling her into the stairwell and pressing her against the wall with forceful urgency.

His lips hovered beside Qin Han’s face, stray strands of hair brushing against his nose.

“You like him?”

For the first time, Zhang Yuqing showed such impatience. Without waiting for her response, he pulled the girl pinned against the wall into his arms, his hands gripping her waist as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

But the impulse lasted only a moment.

He felt the girl in his arms trembling.

Reason flooded back. Zhang Yuqing took a deep breath, suppressing all urges.

He restrained himself, gently patting Qin Han’s back. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t touch you.”

The voice-activated light flickered on then off. He could hear Qin Han forcing herself to respond through her trembling, “Mm.”

She was too kind, too foolish.

Though she was the one who’d been frightened, she insisted on feigning calm at this moment.

Zhang Yuqing’s crumbling rationality slowly returned. He released Qin Han and stepped back slightly, then patted her head as he used to. “I’m sorry.”

Qin Han pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“Are you angry with me?”

She continued shaking her head, looking very obedient.

Zhang Yuqing, you’re really a bastard.

He cursed himself inwardly.

“Are you really not angry?”

Another shake of the head.

Zhang Yuqing changed his question. “Did I scare you just now?”

He received another negative shake.

The hallway lights were still on when he spoke.

Qin Han’s beautiful eyes glimmered with the soft lamplight, bright and alluring.

“It’s my fault.”

Zhang Yuqing massaged his temples, suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms. He tried to explain gently, “Young lady, I want to talk to you, but I’m not in the right frame of mind right now. Can I have an hour of your time tomorrow?”

Today wasn’t the right time for this conversation. He’d been too impulsive, and he wasn’t sure how he’d react if he heard the young woman laugh while talking about her boyfriend.

He couldn’t scare her anymore.

Qin Han stood quietly before him, gazing up.

Zhang Yuqing felt nervous, unconsciously licking the corner of his lips. “Tomorrow… would you be willing to talk with me?”

Qin Han’s hands were clenched around her bag so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She nodded gently.

“Should I call you tomorrow?”

She nodded.

“Will you still talk to me tomorrow?”

Qin Han continued nodding.

Zhang Yuqing escorted Qin Han to the elevator and ruffled her hair. “Go home. I’ll contact you tomorrow, okay?”

Just before the elevator doors closed, the girl called out softly, “Zhang Yuqing.”

“What is it?”

“Goodnight.”

“Mm, goodnight.”

Only after Zhang Yuqing’s figure had disappeared behind the closing elevator doors and the elevator began its ascent did Qin Han’s shoulders finally sag as she leaned against the elevator wall.

She raised her right hand in a daze and touched the left side of her neck.

The warm breath from Zhang Yuqing’s lips seemed to still linger on her skin, sending a tingling sensation spreading from that spot on her neck.

Her entire left side felt numb, as if her nerves had been paralyzed.

When the elevator reached her floor, Qin Han stepped out with a stiff expression, forcing herself to retrieve the keys from her bag using her right hand.

Her mother hadn’t returned yet, leaving the apartment completely dark.

It was just like the stairwell where she’d encountered Zhang Yuqing earlier.

Qin Han stood frozen in the darkness, her mind reeling from the unexpected encounter that had left her flushed and breathless. Her thoughts stuttered like a glitching computer.

When did he arrive?

He almost… almost kissed me!

Why was he in the hallway?

He almost… almost kissed my neck!

Was Zhang Yuqing jealous?

He hugged me.

Zhang Yuqing… almost kissed me!

Finally, her mind shut down completely, leaving only one thought repeating endlessly.

“Zhang Yuqing almost kissed me.”

She recalled the strength of his embrace, the warm, fresh scent that had enveloped her as he leaned closer—like a breeze through a bamboo forest. And the way his breath had brushed against her neck.

Qin Han stood rooted to the doorway for nearly five minutes before suddenly covering her face and screaming. She fled to her bedroom.

She threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the blankets and kicking her legs wildly.

After a while, Qin Han sat up, deciding to share this joy with someone.

She found Xie Ying’s WeChat contact on her phone and immediately called for a video chat.

The call was answered quickly, and Xie Ying appeared on the screen.

She looked exhausted, her long wavy hair carelessly pinned up with a “one-sweep” clip. Wearing glasses, dark circles under her eyes nearly reached her cheeks.

Xie Ying asked weakly, “Little Qin Han, I’m about to be crushed by my thesis. I desperately need you to tell me something exciting.”

Qin Han’s cheeks flushed pink, her eyes sparkling. “Xie Ying, Zhang Yuqing came to see me!”

Xie Ying took a moment to react, clearly not remembering who Zhang Yuqing was.

Once she did, her soul battered by the thesis found instant redemption. Her eyes lit up with gossip’s gleam. “Are you in bed right now? Holy shit, did you sleep together?!”

“No, he cornered me in the hallway.”

Xie Ying’s excitement continued unabated. “And groped your chest?”

“No!”

Qin Han’s face flushed crimson. “He just… he almost kissed me.”

“Almost? What does that mean?”

Xie Ying stared in disbelief. “So he trapped you in the hallway but didn’t kiss you? What were you two doing then? Chatting?”

“Something like that.”

Xie Ying looked utterly speechless. “Little Qin Han, our organization is deeply disappointed in you.”

Qin Han placed her phone on the desktop stand, covering her face with one hand. Her eyes sparkled with gentle excitement. “Xie Ying, I think he likes me.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Xie Ying burst out laughing. “We’re all getting older, nearly driven to death by our papers, yet you’ve somehow regained your youth. That springtime blush on your face… tsk tsk tsk, it’s truly enviable.”

She paused before continuing, “After all these years, still unable to let go? Perhaps you should take the chance to try again.”

“Mm-hmm. He’s asked me to meet him tomorrow.”

“Little Qin Han, there’s something I’ve never asked you about. Why did you two suddenly stop contacting each other? You and that Zhang Yuqing seemed to have a good relationship. I remember it was a Friday, right? That day you didn’t even stay for dinner with us before going to see him. You came back but stopped contacting him. Did something happen?”

Qin Han sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at her phone, her eyelids drooping slightly.

That cold winter night came alive in her mind once more.

Her voice softened with sadness. “There was a woman in his room.”

“Holy shit!”

Xie Ying slammed her hand on the table. “He was cheating on two fronts? You can’t forgive something like that easily! Xiao Qinhan, you need to think carefully! Cheating is either a one-time thing or a lifetime habit! Dogs! They can’t stop eating shit!”

Qin Han shook her head. “It wasn’t someone else. It was my mother.”

“Ah, it’s Auntie. Well, at least the family gets to keep the wealth. But…”

Xie Ying stared in silence for over ten seconds before cautiously asking, “Does that make you two… you know, related by blood? By seniority, would you have to call him ‘Father’?”