I just wanted to see you again

Yu Chuan took the rice noodles the owner handed over and gave Shan Ye a bowl first.

To be honest, what Yu Chuan had just said had been quite reassuring to Shan Ye.

He suddenly turned serious too. "Thank you, Yu Chuan. I'm really glad you feel that way."

Yu Chuan smiled, his tone relaxed. "No need to thank me. I want us to keep being good colleagues, too. After all, there's still plenty I need to learn from you at work."

Shan Ye felt much more at ease and began eating his rice noodles. They tasted pretty good, though they were a little spicy. He couldn't handle much heat.

After dinner, they strolled back to the hotel. It was completely dark now, and the night air in Osmanthus City was cool, with the scent of flowers drifting on the breeze. With every step Shan Ye took, his heart floated a little higher.

"I'll head back to my room," Yu Chuan said, stopping in the corridor and tipping his chin up. "Get some rest. We can explore more tomorrow."

"Okay. You too."

Shan Ye waved and slipped into his room. As soon as the door closed, he flopped onto the soft bed.

He took out his phone and opened his chat with Fan Jin. There hadn't been any new messages in ages. He hadn't messaged him lately, and of course Fan Jin wouldn't message him first.

I wonder if Fan Jin's asleep yet. How's his grandma doing?

He tossed and turned, unable to settle down.

Their meeting today had been too haphazard, too rushed. He couldn't quite accept that. He'd finally made it to Osmanthus City, and by such a coincidence, it happened to be Fan Jin's hometown.

He felt as though even heaven was helping him. The thought gave him a little more confidence, and he opened Fan Jin's number and called.

It rang several times before Fan Jin picked up. His voice was low, with a faint sound of wind in the background. "Hello?"

The moment Shan Ye heard Fan Jin's voice, his heart sped up. He quickly sat up straight and said softly, "Fan Jin, it's me."

"Mm." Fan Jin's tone was even, betraying no emotion. "Not asleep yet?"

"No, not yet." Shan Ye glanced out the window. The sky wasn't quite completely dark, still holding a shade of twilight blue. "I just... wanted to ask how your grandma's doing."

"She's fine. She's already asleep."

"That's good."

Shan Ye pressed his lips together, his mind racing as he tried to find something to talk about, yet worried about disturbing him. But however much he thought it over, he really had only one thing on his mind: he wanted to see him again.

The call stayed connected. Neither of them spoke, and neither hung up.

After hesitating for a long time, he softened his voice a little. "Fan Jin, are you... busy right now?"

"No."

"Then..." Shan Ye stared at the street below, bathed in warm yellow light, his heartbeat pounding like a drum. "My hotel's on this street. Do you... want to meet up?"

The other end of the line went quiet for a few seconds. Shan Ye was just about to take back what he'd said.

But Fan Jin's low voice came first. "Which hotel?"

Shan Ye's eyes lit up at once. "The one at the intersection on Luoman Street! I'll come downstairs right away."

"Mm."

As soon as he hung up, Shan Ye sprang up, bounced twice on the bed, then got down to get ready.

Fan Jin agreed to meet me!

He ran downstairs to the ginkgo tree outside the hotel. A gust of wind sent its leaves falling all over the ground.

In less than ten minutes, a tall, straight-backed man with a buzz cut and a black top appeared in the distance beneath the streetlights. Shan Ye watched him emerge from the halo of light and recognized Fan Jin at a glance. The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably.

Fan Jin stopped in front of him, his gaze sweeping lightly over him. "Why did you suddenly want to come out?"

"I just... couldn't sleep." He scratched his head, a little embarrassed, his eyes shining as he looked at him. "It's been so long since we last saw each other. I wanted to see you again, too."

Once the words were out, both their ears turned red. It was too direct.

Fan Jin didn't respond to that. He thought back to the afternoon.

"Your colleague?"

"Oh, he's in his own room. I didn't ask him to come."

Shan Ye spotted a convenience store by the road and asked Fan Jin, "Fan Jin, want some water? I'll go buy it."

Fan Jin shook his head. "No need."

Despite that, Shan Ye bought himself a hot coffee and brought Fan Jin a cup of hot milk, handing it to him.

Fan Jin took the milk from him and walked along the sidewalk with him.

Shan Ye took a sip of coffee, frowned, and muttered, "What kind of coffee is this?"

"Doesn't taste good?"

"It's nowhere near as good as yours," Shan Ye said honestly.

Fan Jin turned his head away again without answering.

He offered Shan Ye the milk in his hand. "Have this instead."

"You're not drinking it?"

"I don't like milk."

Shan Ye blinked. "Then what do you like drinking?"

Fan Jin said nothing.

Shan Ye lowered his lashes and took the milk he held out, but accidentally brushed Fan Jin's fingertips.

Fan Jin quickly pulled his hand back.

Shan Ye paused, startled. "...Fan Jin, I want to ask you something."

"Mm. Go ahead."

Shan Ye moved a little closer and looked into his eyes. "...Why is your skin so hot?"

It wasn't the first time he'd felt that burning heat from Fan Jin's skin. Back at the fast-food restaurant, he'd held Fan Jin's wrist, and the heat had spread all the way from his fingertips to his heart.

Fan Jin avoided his gaze, lifting his eyelids slightly. "...I don't know. It's always been like that."

Shan Ye smiled. "I thought you were nervous."

"What would I be nervous about?"

Shan Ye's smile grew brighter. "Being here with me."

Shan Ye noticed the red tips of Fan Jin's ears. Suddenly, he thought Fan Jin was so innocent, and so easily flustered by a little teasing.

"Let's go." Fan Jin started walking ahead.

As they walked, Shan Ye suddenly remembered what Yu Chuan had said that afternoon. Worried that Fan Jin might misunderstand, he spoke up. "Fan Jin, my colleague lent me his jacket this afternoon because I kept sneezing."

Fan Jin's gaze briefly turned cool. He gave a quiet "Mm," saying nothing more.

"He's just a helpful person. He didn't mean anything else by it."

Fan Jin suddenly stopped. "Weren't you on a team-building trip with work? He's the only colleague here?"

Shan Ye froze. "We were originally going with everyone from work, but we'd both already been to the place they picked, so we talked about coming south for a trip instead." He explained earnestly.

"Besides, it kept raining in Muzhou a few days ago, remember? It was cold and dreary. I didn't expect the place we came to would turn out to be your hometown." A smile spread across his lips. "Before I came, I was thinking of asking you to come along. Turns out I didn't even have to ask. You happened to come here too."

"Don't you think that means we're meant to meet?" His eyes blinked brightly, and he grew more excited as he spoke.

Fan Jin nodded.

They kept walking, and Shan Ye chattered away about what he'd done over the past few days, his impressions of Osmanthus City, and how much he liked it.