CH 14

The season was dark early, and after having lunch, Ji Yao took a nap in the guesthouse. He only left with Jiang Heng after three o’clock, and it wasn’t long before it got dark.

This season marked the end of winter tourism in Hokkaido. As night approached, the lanterns glowed dimly, complemented by the distant neon lights, creating a feeling of walking on the boundary between eras.

Both sides of the street were filled with colorful stalls. Ji Yao slowed down and picked up a small red fox mask keychain from one of the stalls.

“Do you like this?” The stall owner asked enthusiastically.

“How much is it?” Ji Yao asked.

“Nine hundred and fifty yen,” the stall owner replied.

It was slightly more expensive than the souvenirs in the small shops, but since this area was full of tourists, the price was reasonable.

The narrow eyes of the red fox were slightly squinted, revealing a smile, giving it a somewhat shrine-like appearance. Ji Yao lightly tapped the fox mask under the light and noticed that the inner part of the mask was made of a hollow texture. When placed under the light, the warm yellow lantern glow would shine through the mask’s eyes, creating an illusion of being stared at, in conjunction with the craftsmanship and shadow contours.

After looking at it for a while, Ji Yao took out his wallet and bought the keychain.

“How come you bought this?”

When Ji Yao turned around, he realized that Jiang Heng had somehow come up behind him, peering at the keychain in his hand.

“How did you get here so fast?” Ji Yao was somewhat surprised.

It was still the tail end of the tourist season, and there were still quite a few people on the street. Ji Yao remembered that the line in front of the takoyaki stall should be quite long.

“There was a kind person in the front who helped me save a spot,” Jiang Heng said.

Ji Yao looked at him admiringly, picked up a takoyaki with a toothpick, and made a motion as if he was going to feed it to Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng tilted his head slightly and dodged it.

“A snack for the little kid,” Jiang Heng said, handing Ji Yao a paper box.

“But you’re only one year older than me,” Ji Yao said.

“But I’m already working, and you’re still in school,” Jiang Heng smiled with his eyes narrowed, “There’s a huge difference.”

Ji Yao couldn’t argue with that, so he raised his hand and flicked the keychain at Jiang Heng’s face.

Well, quite similar, Ji Yao thought, both have a fox-like smiling expression.

The lantern light from the stall shone on Jiang Heng, casting a thin orange-red hue on his beige coat. His eyes, filled with a smiling expression, reflected a halo, making him appear somewhat dewy.

Ji Yao would always get lost in his focused and gentle gaze—Jiang Heng had given him a love experience he had never encountered before. His affection was as deep as the sea, seemingly endless. Ji Yao didn’t know how much emotion was hidden in those eyes, but he still couldn’t help but feel greedy, wanting to receive more attention from those eyes.

“This is for you,” Ji Yao hooked the keychain with his fingertip and handed it to Jiang Heng, saying, “It looks quite similar to you.”

“So, this is how you see me in your mind?” Jiang Heng laughed as he took the keychain, imitating Ji Yao’s action and swaying it under the light.

Ji Yao held a takoyaki in his hand, blinked, and watched Jiang Heng attach the fox mask to the keychain.

The freshly cooked takoyaki was hot on the inside, and Ji Yao made a slight hiss. The next moment, a cool straw was placed against his lips.

Ji Yao bit down on the straw and realized that it contained cool blueberry juice.

The cold juice quickly dispelled the burning sensation, and Ji Yao’s heart fluttered. He turned his head to look at Jiang Heng by his side.

“Do you ever have moments of being unrestrained?” Ji Yao sighed.

“Yes,” Jiang Heng said, “I’m not a saint.”

He said it with a matter-of-fact tone, but Ji Yao’s expression clearly showed his disbelief. Jiang Heng seemed like a robot programmed to handle every situation. They had been together for three months, and Ji Yao hadn’t seen him flustered even once.

“Many things are not as difficult as people make them to be,” Jiang Heng held Ji Yao’s idle hand and said, “I just put my heart into it.”

When he said this, his expression was still relaxed, and the tone of his voice slightly uplifted at the end, as if he had just said an ordinary thing.

Ji Yao looked at his profile, feeling as if something had lightly plucked at his heartstrings, creating a tingling sensation.

The crowd on the tourist street grew larger as they walked, becoming increasingly crowded. Gradually, they were surrounded by tourists, and Ji Yao briefly let go of certain constraints, allowing himself to kiss, hug, and share a bottle of blueberry juice with Jiang Heng without any psychological pressure.

Ji Yao bit into the last takoyaki, momentarily freeing himself from some form of restraint. He stared at the hand he was shaking with Jiang Heng, and when the next crowd surged forward, he didn’t let go.

As they continued to explore the tourist street, the crowd grew denser. Eventually, it became almost impossible to see due to the long lines in front of popular stalls.

Jiang Heng led Ji Yao to stroll around a bit more, then looked at his watch and said, “It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Compared to the tourist gathering, the inn’s performance seemed to be more interesting. Their inn was not far from the tourist street, and walking back would be just in time for the performance.

Private inns offered a high degree of privacy. In the darkness, from the outside, there was almost no sign of business. However, inside the lobby, candles flickered, and young attendants stood in every corner, ready to assist guests with their belongings.

The arrangement of the lobby had subtly changed since they had left earlier in the day. The lobby was now partitioned with screens into eight separate areas, each containing varying numbers of tables. In the center of the space stood a half-meter-tall old-style lantern, the brightest source of light in the room.

There were no overhead lights in the lobby, only the gentle flickering of old candles and the fragrance of incense. Ji Yao was led by an attendant to a separate space in the East Garden Room, curiously scanning the surroundings.

Inside each private space were different occupants, some came alone, and others came as couples. The private spaces were very secluded, and due to the distance and lighting conditions, it was difficult to see the faces of the occupants in other rooms.

Ji Yao and Jiang Heng were the last batch of guests to return, and shortly after they were seated, the wooden door on the opposite side of the hall was pushed open.

Immediately afterward, about ten women dressed in kimonos entered from outside the door, their heads lowered as they walked quietly to different private spaces, kneeling on the ground and bowing.

“Geisha?” Ji Yao was somewhat surprised. “Aren’t they only in Tokyo and Kyoto?”

“It’s a private place,” Jiang Heng said. “It’s not that surprising.”

Under the dim candlelight, the long and fair necks of the women were exposed elegantly, creating exquisite lines. The number of geisha seemed to be distributed according to the number of guests. The geisha next to Ji Yao looked quite young, but there were already fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She appeared to be in her early thirties, with delicate features. She wore a light-colored kimono with peony patterns, and the butterflies on the sleeve fluttered as she moved, vividly lifelike under the candlelight.

The exaggerated makeup appeared just right under the candlelight, and Ji Yao’s gaze lingered on the butterfly pattern on the woman’s sleeve, unable to help looking twice.

“Is it beautiful?” Jiang Heng suddenly asked.

It was indeed rare to see such well-crafted kimonos outside. Therefore, Ji Yao didn’t conceal it, saying, “Indeed, it’s beautiful.”

Jiang Heng didn’t say anything more, smiling slightly and sitting back in his seat, taking a sip of his drink.

In order to better appreciate the performance, even though they were in a private space, the two dining tables were quite far apart.

It wasn’t a good distance for whispering secrets, so Ji Yao momentarily diverted his attention and focused on the performance in front of him.

The woman in the center of the open space was elegant and proud, with golden lines shimmering on her kimono under the candlelight. She strummed an unfamiliar melody, and Ji Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, listening intently.

This was his first time seeing such a performance, and he was curious about everything. Jiang Heng tilted his head, smilingly gazing at Ji Yao’s bright eyes, feeling that this trip was worthwhile.

After more than half of the performance, the woman in the center of the open space smiled and invited the guests to come up for some harmless little games. She probably selected people based on their appearances, and the first person she chose was Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng smiled, then glanced at Ji Yao.

Ji Yao raised his cup towards him and smiled back in response.

“You two have a good relationship,” the woman beside Ji Yao said softly. “Are you very good friends?”

Ji Yao rested his chin on his hand and looked at Jiang Heng’s retreating figure. He chuckled softly and said, “He’s my boyfriend.”

He said it as if he was afraid his Japanese proficiency wasn’t good enough and wanted to clarify, “Like, a romantic partner.”

In reality, this statement wasn’t entirely accurate because, up until this moment, the two of them hadn’t officially defined their romantic relationship. But Ji Yao said it like that anyway, and he didn’t feel it was wrong.

Izumi smiled and nodded, indicating that she could tell.

“He really likes you,” Izumi said. “While others were watching the performance, his attention was always on you.”

Ji Yao hadn’t noticed that. He thought for a moment and then said, “That’s just his habit.”

“Getting someone’s attention is rare,” Izumi said. “It’s a precious feeling.”

Ji Yao lowered his gaze, chuckled lightly, and said, “Indeed, our relationship is quite good.”

“That’s wonderful,” Izumi said. “Although Mr. Jiang looks quite fragile.”

Ji Yao blinked, thinking that he might have misheard due to his limited Japanese proficiency.

“You mean him?” Ji Yao said. “Fragile?”

“Yes, he looks like someone who needs care,” Izumi nodded with a smile, respectfully and softly refilling Ji Yao’s cup, “But you also seem quite helpless.”

The subtle and gentle words seemed to touch a chord within Ji Yao’s heart. He fell silent for a couple of seconds, then drank the wine in his cup.

“Why do you say that?” Ji Yao asked.

“I have eyes,” Izumi pointed at herself and said softly, “I can see—I’ve seen many guests before and all types of relationships.”

On the stage, Jiang Heng finished a small game with the geisha and then politely declined further invitations. He turned his head towards Ji Yao, making a phone gesture with his hand, indicating that he had something to do and would leave the hall first.

The performance was over, and Ji Yao didn’t intend to participate in the subsequent gaming activities. However, he inexplicably didn’t leave with Jiang Heng.

Perhaps it was because they were in a foreign land, facing a stranger with whom they would never cross paths again. Ji Yao’s heart wavered suddenly, and he felt a desire to confide.

“You know, if something is destined to have a certain outcome, should you still go through with it?” Ji Yao spoke slowly. “There’s something, you know it starts with a spectacular and sweet beginning, but as time goes on, it turns bitter, dull, even resentful and painful. In that case, should you even start?”

Izumi looked at Ji Yao with gentle eyes and softly said, “Why not?”

Ji Yao was taken aback and didn’t quite catch the meaning of her rhetorical question.

“Several months from now, there will be a fireworks festival,” Izumi said. “The fireworks are dazzling, but the moment is fleeting—yet even so, all over Japan, no one cancels the festival just because the fireworks will cool and fade away.”

“So, you think one should give it a try?” Ji Yao asked.

“At least you’ve seen the brilliance of the fireworks,” Izumi said.

Ji Yao had to admit that he was swayed by Izumi’s words. Perhaps he had needed someone like her for a while, someone to push him at the right moment.

“Thank you,” Ji Yao said. “Our conversation tonight has been pleasant.”

With that, he finished his drink, placed the cup back in Izumi’s hand, and then stood up from the floor.

Izumi understood that he intended to leave. She put down her cup and knelt on the floor to bow to him.

“I hope that next time you come to Japan, you’ll be able to catch the fireworks festival,” Izumi said.

Ji Yao nodded and then left the hall through a side door.

He didn’t find Jiang Heng’s trace outside, and after asking the attendant, he found out that Jiang Heng had already returned to the room.

However, the East Garden was quiet, without any lights. Ji Yao hesitated as he walked in, thinking about finding his phone to call Jiang Heng.

During the banquet, no recording devices were allowed, and his phone was left in the bedroom.

But as soon as Ji Yao entered the living room, he felt a rush of mist hit his face. The side door connecting to the bamboo garden had been opened by Jiang Heng. The courtyard was dotted with a few lanterns, and the steam from the hot spring drifted into the room, mingling with a slight cool breeze that gave Ji Yao goosebumps.

Immediately after, his shoulder felt a weight, blocking his view.

“Don’t play around,” Ji Yao said. “I have something to tell you.”

“Okay” Jiang Heng turned him around to face himself, embracing Ji Yao’s waist. He released the hand that had been blocking Ji Yao’s vision and looked at him with a half-smile, as if jokingly, “Are you finally going to admit that you like me so much it’s unbearable, and you want to give us a proper status?”

Ji Yao suddenly laughed and said, “Yes.”

Jiang Heng was taken aback for a moment, but quickly, he pressed his forehead against Ji Yao’s and chuckled in a muffled voice.

“What a coincidence,” Jiang Heng said. “I was thinking the same.”

Saying that, he pushed Ji Yao’s shoulders, turning him around completely.

Only then did Ji Yao see, not far away on the floor, a neatly folded kimono—vivid in color, a deep red akin to palace walls, embroidered with delicate patterns of iris flowers. Because it was folded neatly, it was hard to tell whether it was designed for men or women.

Soon after, Ji Yao’s shoulder felt a weight again as Jiang Heng affectionately encircled him from behind, spreading his palm to reveal a coin inside.

“Let’s make a bet,” Jiang Heng nibbled on Ji Yao’s earlobe and said with a smile, “If you win, I’ll put it on for you to see; if you lose, you put it on instead.”