Sweet Oxygen - Chapter 55

Chapter 55 – Goodnight

Goodnight, my love

——

It wasn’t as if Qin Han and Zhang Yuqing had never hugged before.

When she was just 17, after her parents’ divorce, she had run to Zhang Yuqing’s shop, sobbing uncontrollably.

That day, she had burrowed into his coat like seeking shelter in a bomb shelter, and he had hugged her through the fabric.

There had been other hugs since then too.

Each time seemed to be a comforting kind, where he would gently pat her back as if soothing a child.

But this time was different.

His breath washed over her, and his warm body heat seeped through their late spring clothes, reaching Qin Han.

She was both excited and tense.

Her hands twisted nervously.

Sensing her stiffness, Zhang Yuqing pulled back slightly, a smile in his voice. “When you were a kid, we didn’t hug like this. Now that you’re grown up, I’ll teach you an adult’s embrace.”

As he spoke, he took hold of her wrists, positioning both hands around his neck. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around her waist.

In this position, Qin Han was pressed tightly against Zhang Yuqing. His hands moved deliberately across her back, applying pressure that was more than just a touch.

From her shoulders down to her waist, his hands left a trail of fire in their wake.

Qin Han’s entire body felt feverish. Embarrassed to look up at Zhang Yuqing, she buried her face against his chest.

Zhang Yuqing chuckled, “How’s the adult embrace treating you, young lady?”

“Okay,” Qin Han mumbled, barely audible.

“This is the most basic form of an adult embrace,” he added with a smile after a pause. “The most fundamental kind.”

Qin Han had no idea how embraces could be categorized by difficulty levels, because Luo Shijin had arrived. Singing “The great river flows eastward, stars in the sky follow the Big Dipper” as he pushed open the door, Luo Shijin entered the room.

He saw only the back of his Qing-ge, but also noticed the hand draped around his neck.

Pale, delicate, fingers slender.

Clearly a woman’s hand!

“Holy shit!” Luo Shijin blurted out.

Zhang Yuqing turned, shielding Qin Han behind him.

“Who’s behind you? I can see it’s a woman! Those dainty arms couldn’t belong to a man!”

Zhang Yuqing laughed. “Good analysis. You’d be more surprised if it were a man, wouldn’t you? What’s so shocking about a woman?”

In truth, Qin Han missed Yaonan Alley dearly. It wasn’t just Zhang Yuqing she missed—she also missed Luo Shijin and Li Nan, Dandan, Beibei.

She missed Grandpa Liu, who owned the old bookstore, and Grandma Zhang, who gifted her coral bracelets.

She missed the breakfast and snacks from Yaonan Alley, and the chilled sour plum juice she used to enjoy during the summer.

Hearing Luo Shijin’s voice, Qin Han felt overjoyed.

But in this situation, with the risk of their embrace being witnessed, Qin Han, too embarrassed, could only hide behind Zhang Yuqing.

Luo Shijin’s booming voice was just as loud as she remembered.

“Qing-ge, are you still my brother? You didn’t tell me you were dating! If I hadn’t stumbled upon you today, when were you planning to tell me?”

“I was so worried about you! For years I’ve seen you wandering around like a depressed widow. I kept fearing you’d end up like Hu Er’s son from the back alleys, jumping into a river over unrequited love!”

“I’m so fucking angry I’m using idioms now! Wait, did I use more than one? This is ridiculous! Dating without telling me!”

“So you were the one closing the shop these past few days, acting all mysterious about where you were going. Turns out you were just meeting girls!”

After Luo Shijin’s lengthy rant, Zhang Yuqing waited until he finished before smiling and addressing him, “Luo Shijin.”

“What?! Why are you even calling me now? You didn’t tell me about your girlfriend! What’s the point of calling me now?!”

“Depressed and lonely, not a widow.”

“I don’t care if it’s loneliness or widowhood. All I know is you didn’t tell me about your relationship!”

Zhang Yuqing glanced at him, his tone teasing, perfectly mimicking his usual voice when he used to scare people. “The young lady hasn’t agreed to me yet. You just came rushing over after a brief hug. What if you ruin my chances?”

“Huh? No way!”

Startled by Zhang Yuqing’s words, Luo Shijin panicked. He quickly darted out the back door, slamming it shut with a loud *thud*.

But moments later, the door reopened slightly.

Luo Shijin peered through the crack, earnestly pleading, “Hey, the girl behind Qing-ge, don’t mind my rambling. My Qing-ge isn’t some obsessive maniac who’d kill himself over heartbreak. He’s a responsible guy.”

Through the narrow opening, Luo Shijin continued his impassioned plea, “My Qing-ge doesn’t have any romantic history—no ex-girlfriends or anything. Just one girl he really likes. When she went abroad that year, he was down for a few years, but he’s fine now. You can trust him completely.”

Zhang Yuqing laughed in exasperation. “Luo Shijin, shut up.”

“Why should I shut up? I’m your wingman, aren’t I?”

Qin Han, her face flushed crimson, peeked out from behind Zhang Yuqing. She raised her hand in greeting. “Luo Shijin, it’s me.”

“Holy shit! Qin Han!”

Luo Shijin kicked open the back door with a decisive kick and shouted excitedly, “Qin Han! Why are you back? Wait, are you two back together?”

Zhang Yuqing looked exasperated. “Shut up for a minute.”

“Oh.” Luo Shijin covered his mouth, standing in the living room with eyes brimming with excitement.

Zhang Yuqing turned to Qin Han. “Little girl, I’ll ask you something. If you’re willing, let’s switch things up starting today. I’ll be your boyfriend. How about it?”

“That’s perfect!” Luo Shijin couldn’t contain himself and shouted, “Just say yes already!”

Qin Han, cheeks flushed, nodded vigorously.

Then came Luo Shijin’s triumphant cry.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! I’m so excited! I need to call Li Nan!”

“Hey? Li Nan? What’s wrong with you, still playing games? Get over here now! Qin Han’s back and just agreed to be Qing-ge’s girlfriend! We’ll never have to endure Qing-ge’s cold face when we accidentally mention Qin Han again!”

“Come quick! We need to celebrate! Make Qing-ge treat us to barbecue!”

Sensing Luo Shijin’s elation, Beibei rushed down from upstairs, barking excitedly.

Both the man and his dog had booming voices. Zhang Yuqing, annoyed by the noise, asked Qin Han, “I’m going to order some barbecue. Want to join me?”

Qin Han nodded.

They went to their usual barbecue spot, which only opened at night. However, regular customers could get special midday service if they booked ahead.

Zhang Yuqing knocked politely on the shop’s door. “Li-ge, could you grill something for lunch?”

“Yuqing? What do you want? Go ahead.”

Without even looking at the menu, Zhang Yuqing smiled and listed several items with their quantities.

The man called Li-ge held a stiff cardboard that resembled a cigarette case, scribbling notes with a ballpoint pen. After jotting down a few items, he casually remarked, “Hey? The quantities changed. Did your dog gain an appetite again?”

Li-ge’s eyes met Zhang Yuqing’s smiling face, and realization dawned. He scratched his head sheepishly. “Did you have guests over? My mouth runs faster than my brain sometimes.”

Before he could finish, he noticed Qin Han standing behind Zhang Yuqing.

The quiet girl was gazing up at a nest of swallows under the eaves.

Zhang Yuqing turned around, his voice gentle as if afraid to startle the girl. “Would you like some squid?”

The little girl smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “Yes!”

“How about toast?”

“Definitely!”

Her open and friendly attitude was immediately endearing.

Li-ge chuckled, “Is this Yuqing’s girlfriend? She’s quite pretty.”

Zhang Yuqing glanced at Qin Han, showing no trace of modesty as he replied, “Mm-hmm, my girlfriend is pretty.”

Qin Han’s ears flushed crimson.

As they walked back, Zhang Yuqing took a few steps before stopping. He held out his hand with a grin. “Want to hold hands? My little girlfriend.”

Blushing, Qin Han placed her hand in his palm.

His hand engulfed hers, warm and firm. He clutched her fingers as if afraid she might disappear.

When Qin Han had rushed to Zhang Yuqing’s shop that morning, she’d been too anxious to properly notice Yaonan Alley.

Now, walking hand-in-hand with Zhang Yuqing, she finally took the time to observe their surroundings.

The street remained unchanged, though a few new shops had opened along the way.

The sign for Yaonan Alley’s First Kindergarten remained small and unassuming, while the adjacent Public Bathhouse had acquired a new, eye-catching billboard that glowed with vibrancy.

Li Nan arrived promptly, eager to embrace Qin Han, only to be restrained by Zhang Yuqing’s coolly composed hand.

They settled at their usual table by the window, sharing skewers and conversation as the evening deepened.

When Zhang Yuqing placed the final chicken wing on Qin Han’s plate, Luo Shijin’s familiar protest erupted. “Qing-ge! You’re playing favorites!”

But Zhang Yuqing’s response had changed. He no longer deflected with dismissive phrases like “You’re not a girl.”

Instead, he wiped the charcoal residue from the skewer’s tip and asked with deliberate slowness, “Are you my girlfriend?”

This declaration drew protests from the two single men. Li Nan and Luo Shijin howled in mock outrage, demanding Zhang Yuqing cease his public displays of affection.

Qin Han sat to the side, her fingers sticky with grease as she munched on chicken wings.

She thought, This is true happiness.

She’d been happy during her exchange year in America—surrounded by cheese and fried chicken, pizza priced at seven dollars a slice, and snowstorms so heavy they reached her calves.

Even the occasional dorm gatherings had brought cheer. But never before had she felt this kind of happiness—so visceral, so complete it threatened to burst from her chest.

Before, she couldn’t understand those dinner parties that lasted for hours. She always thought there wasn’t that much to talk about.

But today, at Zhang Yuqing’s shop, they enjoyed the long-awaited barbecue. They started eating at noon and continued until evening, drinking Yaonan Alley’s sour plum juice, eating Luo Shijin’s carefully selected fruits, and listening to Li Nan talk about his new company while stroking the big waves of hair on his head.

Everything was so joyful.

After evening, as the sky darkened, Luo Shijin took Zhang Yuqing’s wallet and went to Li-ge’s place to get more barbecue.

Qin Han ate a lot. In the end, Zhang Yuqing raised his eyebrows in surprise and whispered to her, “Young lady, don’t eat too much or you’ll upset your stomach.”

“I won’t.”

Qin Han bit into a skewer of lamb, her words muffled. “You don’t know how much I missed domestic barbecue in the US.”

Zhang Yuqing asked her with a smile, “Did you miss me?”

Qin Han swallowed the lamb, her tone serious. “I did.”

Zhang Yuqing narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to her ear. “Don’t be so cute. It makes me want to commit crimes.”

In truth, his words were just that—words. When he drove her home that night, his only gesture before she got out of the car was a brief hug, nothing more.

His smiling eyes held a restrained warmth, and Qin Han sensed the man’s genuine regard for her.

On the way back, Qin Han stole a glance at Zhang Yuqing. “Zhang Yuqing,” she said, “my mom asked me to apologize on her behalf.”

She hesitated, then added, “Will you hold a grudge against her?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Qin Han pressed.

Zhang Yuqing’s hands remained steady on the wheel as he navigated through Imperial City’s night streets. His expression remained calm. “Your mom came to see me because she believed I’d make you unhappy. Her intentions stemmed from love and protection, though her methods were misguided. She’d recently separated from your dad, so perhaps she felt insecure. If she were in the same position now, she wouldn’t act this way, and I wouldn’t dwell on it.”

The car pulled into Qin Han’s neighborhood, and Zhang Yuqing parked beneath her apartment building. “There’s another reason?” he asked.

“What?”

“Because she’s your mother.”

Qin Han understood.

Because she was her mother, Zhang Yuqing would be so magnanimous.

Zhang Yuqing was truly wonderful.

He was just too good.

Qin Han decided to “eliminate family for the sake of justice”, “But from now on, if anyone says something to upset you—even my parents—you can be angry and throw a tantrum.”

“I know.”

Zhang Yuqing smiled and ruffled her hair. “Get out of the car, little girl. It’s time to go home and sleep.”

“Mm.”

The night deepened, with only a half-moon hanging on the horizon.

The stray cats in the neighborhood meowed a few times, making the night seem even more lively.

Qin Han reluctantly jumped out of the car. As she turned around, Zhang Yuqing followed her down.

She was puzzled. “Why are you getting out too?”

“I forgot something.”

Zhang Yuqing walked up to Qin Han, leaned down, and gently kissed the back of her hand like a gentleman in a foreign movie. “Goodnight, my love.”