CH 108

after that day, qi yanbai said he wanted to give lu ye a “surprise.”

he was secretive about it, and even reduced the number of times he went to the new house. besides delivering meals to lu ye every day, he spent most of his time in the art studio.

lu ye didn’t know what qi yanbai was up to, but the fact that qi yanbai could briefly divert his attention away from him was a good thing. so, lu ye didn’t interfere and let him be.

the decoration of the new house was progressing steadily. when the design drawings were ready, lu ye took a look. the designer had blended their needs well, and it looked both elegant and carried a touch of artistic design, giving it the appearance of a “home for two.”

days passed like flowing water, and qi yanbai’s art studio remained locked. however, the dusty raw house slowly began to take on the shape of a home.

on the summer solstice, which happened to be a saturday, the weather forecast predicted a day of light rain. the new district police department held a joint safety seminar, and qi yanbai, as a registered social volunteer, also had a place at the conference, sitting next to lu ye.

the stern middle-aged leader was seated on the stage, delivering the usual lecture on work safety guidelines that left everyone feeling drowsy. qi yanbai sat in the audience, stifling yawns, while discreetly sketching a small sketch in his notebook with a pencil.

a white magnolia in a vase on the podium at the front leaped to life on the paper. lu ye lowered his eyes to take a look at the drawing and then pursed his lips, smiling helplessly.

“i told you there’s nothing important here, but you insisted on coming,” lu ye whispered, lowering his voice. “feeling bored?”

“it’s not bad. it’s my first time hearing this, quite refreshing.”

qi yanbai inserted the pencil between the pages of his notebook, closed it, and tentatively reached under the table to hook lu ye’s hand.

restless as he was, he lightly shook lu ye’s hand with his pinky finger, insisting on making his presence felt. lu ye, annoyed by his antics, gave him a warning look and then withdrew his hand, gently patting the back of it.

midway through the conference, everyone was yawning, but the two were sneaking glances and indulging in some mischief under the table. qi yanbai didn’t seem to mind the playful teasing until he noticed lu ye’s stern expression. he then lowered himself and behaved, obediently holding lu ye’s hand without moving.

“by the way,” qi yanbai asked in a hushed tone, using his fingertip to trace lu ye’s hand. “after the seminar, do you have any other plans?”

lu ye had originally intended to work extra hours that afternoon, preparing a report for a case. but hearing his tone, he suspected qi yanbai had something in mind. without committing to anything, he asked, “what’s up?”

“if you’re free, how about going to an art exhibition with me after this?” qi yanbai suggested softly.

“an art exhibition?” lu ye was somewhat surprised. due to his unusual work schedule, qi yanbai typically discussed plans with him a week in advance, and spontaneous outings like this were rare. lu ye wasn’t used to it, so he responded ambiguously, “today?”

“yes, it’s the same gallery we visited last time. this time, it’s showcasing outstanding works by young modern artists. i’ve heard there are some impressive pieces,” qi yanbai said, lowering his eyes and gently brushing the cover of his notebook. he whispered, “i’ve already bought the tickets and would like you to go with me.”

his eyes held a hint of a smile, and he seemed eager and in high spirits.

lu ye, sensing something intriguing, turned to look at qi yanbai’s profile, lost in thought for a moment. he wasn’t sure what had triggered this sudden invitation, but his gaze softened, and he unconsciously smiled a little.

“alright,” lu ye said after a while, softly. “i won’t work overtime today.”

qi yanbai had been anxiously awaiting his answer. when he heard lu ye agree, he visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief without showing it.

“after the seminar, i have to stop by the training center,” qi yanbai explained. “i’ll send you the address later, and we can meet at the entrance of the exhibition.”

“do i need to pick you up?” lu ye asked.

usually, when they went on dates and lu ye had free time, he would go to the training center to pick up qi yanbai after work. whether they were going shopping or out to eat, they always went together.

however, this time, qi yanbai deviated from their usual routine and declined the offer.

“no need,” qi yanbai replied. his eyes sparkled as he whispered, “i’ll take a taxi after i finish up, and i’ll get there faster.”

qi yanbai didn’t wait for lu ye’s consent, and lu ye didn’t insist. it happened that lu ye had some plans of his own after work, so he simply nodded and agreed to qi yanbai’s arrangement.

“alright,” lu ye said.

the light rain outside had been falling steadily all day. puddles of water had formed on the streets, and street vendors selling umbrellas sat on the curbs, guarding a plastic bucket filled with transparent umbrellas. they watched the cars zoom by on the road.

as the raindrops were rolled up by the wheels, lu ye raised his umbrella slightly and saw qi yanbai getting out of a taxi on the opposite side of the road.

the traffic light happened to turn green, and qi yanbai jogged towards him. then, he bent down, smoothly and naturally slipping under lu ye’s umbrella, all while lightly planting a kiss on the corner of his lips as he looked up.

“did i keep you waiting?” qi yanbai asked.

“not at all,” lu ye replied, tilting the umbrella slightly in his direction. then he held qi yanbai’s hand, wiping off a small water stain from his hand.

“i just got here myself,” lu ye said.

on rainy days, there weren’t many visitors at the art exhibition. there were only a few scattered couples walking towards the entrance of the gallery. qi yanbai held lu ye’s hand tightly, and as they walked further in, lu ye initially wondered why qi yanbai was in such a hurry. however, the more they walked, the more he noticed that qi yanbai’s breathing became increasingly rapid, and his eyes grew more excited, as if he were anticipating something.

lu ye watched qi yanbai’s profile and gradually had a feeling of what was coming. he allowed qi yanbai to lead him all the way to a separate exhibition hall at the deepest part of the gallery.

this particular exhibition hall had been used by qi zhe before, but this time, it showcased the outstanding works of the new generation of young painters. amidst a sea of colorful artwork, lu ye looked around and immediately noticed the large oil painting hanging on the far wall.

then, lu ye froze for a moment and instinctively turned his head to look at qi yanbai.

“how is it?” qi yanbai’s breath was slightly uneven, but his eyes shone brightly. “do you like it?”

on the wall, the massive oil painting stretched across the exhibition booth. a dazzling sunrise burst from the water’s surface, with ripples glistening on the water’s surface and lifelike waterfowl.

it was the sunrise over dongshan island, an experience lu ye had shared with qi yanbai before. in the painting, the pale gray dawn colors spread over the metallic railings, and a wild grass swayed gently as it grew from a crack by the roadside, swaying in the morning breeze.

in the lower right corner of the oil painting was qi yanbai’s name, along with a submission date from last month.

since qi yanbai had known lu ye, he had rarely seen him working on independent pieces. this was the first time lu ye had witnessed qi yanbai’s true ability, and the first time he had seen scenes painted by qi yanbai that did not include him.

“it’s beautiful,” lu ye said. “have you been working on this for the past few months?”

“yes,” qi yanbai replied. “i rushed to finish it in time for the exhibition review.”

lu ye raised his head and carefully examined the painting. he looked at the soaring white birds in the picture and almost felt the cool moisture in the air.

in this artwork, there was finally no image of lu ye, but upon closer inspection, it seemed that his presence could be felt everywhere.

“i once promised you that i would give you a better painting,” qi yanbai took a deep breath, hugged lu ye from behind, and said with relief, “now i’ve done it, lu ye.”

the huge canvas hung on the wall, its bright light gold shimmering under the lamp. the sun on the horizon burst free from its constraints, casting a vibrant liveliness over the entire painting.

lu ye looked at the painting and suddenly felt deeply moved.

qi zhe and qi yanbai had both said that an artist’s work was their heart. as lu ye gazed at the painting before him, he finally understood that qi yanbai had truly taken his hand and walked out of that studio, out of the cage that qi zhe had once confined him in.

loving qi yanbai was truly worthwhile, lu ye thought. he seemed to always respond to love itself, and all the tolerance and affection lu ye had given him had now transformed into sparkling colors, returning before his eyes.

“it’s really nice,” lu ye said. “this is the most beautiful painting i’ve ever seen.”

“as long as you like it,” qi yanbai said softly. “i love you, and i want to—”

before he could finish his sentence, lu ye turned his head and gently placed his index finger on qi yanbai’s lips, stopping him from saying anything further.

“let’s not talk about it for now,” lu ye said.

qi yanbai was interrupted by him, blinked in confusion, and before he could ask why, he saw lu ye lower his head, smile, and say, “should we make it official?”

lu ye seemed to have made up his mind about something. he reached into his pocket, searched around, and then paused for a moment. finally, he pulled out a small square box.

the box was square, no larger than a palm, and had some leftover gift wrapping paper stuck to it. the edges of the paper were rough and worn, giving it a somewhat mismatched appearance.

but its shape was delicate and symbolic. qi yanbai suddenly held his breath, and an unbelievable answer popped into his mind.

“this is…” he whispered.

“weren’t you curious about what this was?” lu ye smiled and removed the last piece of wrapping paper from the box. then, while using his thumb to open the clasp, he said, “i wanted to give this to you on valentine’s day originally, but we had a fight back then, so i decided to wait.”

inside the box, the rings were revealed. they sparkled brilliantly, and lu ye ran his fingers over the ring band as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. he finally decided not to say anything, simply took out the rings from the box, and prepared to put one on qi yanbai’s finger.

“although it’s a bit late, this was meant for you from the beginning, and it’s never too late,” lu ye said.

he reached for qi yanbai’s hand, but qi yanbai hesitated for a moment, subconsciously curling his fingers and preventing lu ye from placing the ring.

“what’s wrong?” lu ye raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“i…” qi yanbai shook his head subconsciously, but he still didn’t let go of lu ye’s hand. instead, he accepted the ring and put it on his own finger, his fingertips trembling slightly.

“i know i’m taking advantage of this moment,” qi yanbai said, lips quivering. “but since the mood is right… lu ye, i’ve had something i’ve wanted to say to you.”

he took a deep breath, then placed the ring on lu ye’s finger.

“i admit that i’m crazy, selfish, and have endless desires for you,” qi yanbai continued. “who knows, one day, i might lose control and want to drag you down to hell with me.”

the words sounded completely out of place for a confession, but lu ye watched qi yanbai, not stopping him from speaking further.

“i don’t know how to love someone, and i didn’t know what it’s like to be loved until i met you,” qi yanbai said. “you’ve taken me in and given me a complete, new life.”

as he spoke, there was a warm and moist sensation on lu ye’s finger, and in the vast exhibition hall, qi yanbai’s vow echoed, like a prayer in a church.

qi yanbai’s hand trembled slightly, and he struggled to control it for a while before finally pushing the ring onto lu ye’s finger.

“i promise to treat you with respect from now on, to always be honest to you and i promise to be better, please promise me you will never leave me or give up on me.”

then, he lowered his head slightly, kissed the base of lu ye’s finger where the ring now resided, and then lowered his head even further, exposing the back of his snow-white neck.

a warmth filled lu ye’s heart. he watched qi yanbai for a moment, then suddenly smiled softly. like a god on a high platform who had finally been moved by a believer, he leaned down slightly, took hold of qi yanbai’s hand, and responded with a light kiss.

“alright,” lu ye said. “i promise.”

— end of the story