Chapter 6

Song Ling stepped out of the elevator and came to the smoking area. Looking at the ruined rose, he silently smoked a cigarette.

This rose was really delicate, just touching it a bit made it wilt like this. You could only hold it in the palm of your hand and protect it.

Today was Jiang Shiyan’s celebratory banquet, held on the 15th floor. Jiang Shiyan didn’t invite him, and originally, he shouldn’t have come.

Jiang Shiyan was going abroad next week. What did he come here for?

He was drunk that night but still clearly remembered that Jiang Shiyan told him they had nothing to do with each other, and everything was just his misunderstanding.

Song Ling smiled self-deprecatingly. It seemed that he was just imagining that his love was reciprocated.

The two had been ambiguous for such a long time, but they hadn’t even hugged before. What relationship could they have?

He confessed to Jiang Shiyan after graduating from high school, and Jiang Shiyan told him he would give him a satisfactory answer after graduating from college. For so many years, he waited with all his heart, willing to forget all the injustices done to him, to be with Jiang Shiyan.

He didn’t expect to receive such an answer.

Jiang Shiyan was the noble son from a good family, the flower on top of a mountain, having his own ambition and ideals. While he, he was the second young master of the Song family in name, but he was just an illegitimate child, a medicine box kept to be used.

Broken roses and a dirty shirt, this miserable look was his rightful appearance.

Song Ling grabbed some withered roses, smiling coldly. He walked up step by step.

He wasn’t some person with a good heart, and didn’t have the habit of licking his wounds alone. Whoever played him would pay the price.

Since he was born in a swamp, he should drag others down to hell with him.

Zhou Qingluo and Lou Yang set up the dessert table and went to the side to rest. After the banquet was over, they still had to clean up and bring the trays and other stuff back to the store.

While setting up the table, Zhou Qingluo secretly glanced multiple times at Jiang Shiyan.

As expected of the white moonlight, he was gentle and elegant, his gestures revealing his high upbringing. His whole person seemed to be a polished jade.

The key was that he was quite handsome.

Song Ling’s eyes were pretty good.

Lou Yang: “Looking carefully, you two aren’t similar at all.”

Zhou Qingluo smiled, “Your granddaddy I am more handsome.”

Lou Yang made a vomiting gesture, “The other is a serious and docile little white rabbit. With your foxy appearance, you’re just a greedy old fox.”

While the two looked at Jiang Shiyan and chatted aimlessly, the cheerful atmosphere suddenly quieted down and some people started whispering.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t invite him? Why is he here?”

“I heard that he confessed to Young Master Jiang before, but Young Master Jiang rejected him.”

“How could Young Master Jiang like him? He’s the second young master of the Song family in name, but what does the Song family have to do with him?”

“This kind of mania is the scariest. Just because he was shown a bit of charity back then, he clings onto you and won’t let go. Young Master Jiang is really pitiful.”

“Yeah, a psychopath and homosexual, how scary.”

Zhou Qingluo looked over and saw Song Ling carrying the roses that had been crushed by him, a smile on the corner of his lips, striding over with big steps.

There were bloodstains on his snow-white shirt from just now.

Song Ling walked forward without pause. The crowd pointed and sneered at him, but wherever he went, they automatically dispersed, making a path for him.

His destination was Jiang Shiyan, who was currently holding a red wine glass and accepting congratulations from everyone.

For some reason, Zhou Qingluo suddenly felt that Song Ling was like a soldier at this moment, scarred and bloody, but still stubbornly moving forward.

Song Ling casually picked up a glass of red wine and walked to Jiang Shiyan’s side.

Jiang Shiyan was immediately shrouded in a black shadow, subconsciously taking a step back.

Song Ling didn’t move forward, standing in place and clinking glasses with him.

There was a ‘ding’, and the room seemed to be in pause. Everyone looked at him.

Song Ling smiled, “Shiyan, congratulations.”

After speaking, he raised his head and threw back the wine.

Jiang Shiyan frowned, “Song Ling, you can’t drink. Don’t you know? You also smoked.”

Song Ling leaned close to his ear, using a low voice that could only be heard by the two of them: “Song Jinyi doesn’t need a blood transfusion for two months. This little bit of alcohol and nicotine is fine.”

Jiang Shiyan seemed to be seen through and looked slightly embarrassed. He explained as if trying to cover up, “You know that I don’t mean that.”

Song Ling handed the flowers to him, “Juliet rose, elegant and noble, for you.”

Jiang Shiyan lowered his head and looked at the broken petals. He couldn’t see the elegant and noble anywhere.

He didn’t answer, frowning and saying: “Come out with me for a second.”

Song Ling: “Four years ago, didn’t you accept my rose? You don’t want it today?”

His voice wasn’t high, but it could be heard by everyone nearby clearly.

They suddenly looked at Jiang Shiyan somewhat strangely.

“Ah? Mr. Jiang has a relationship with him?”

“Is Mr. Jiang gay too?”

“I heard his mother say that he and Zhao family’s young miss are close.”

Jiang Shiyan’s face turned red immediately and he lowered his voice, “Song Ling, did you come here to crash the party?”

Song Ling smiled, “You told me that you would give me a satisfactory answer four years later. I’m waiting, tell me quickly, hm?”

Jiang Shiyan apologized to everyone shamefully and wanted to drag Song Ling out.

Song Ling didn’t budge, staring straight at him: “Why didn’t you just directly reject me four years ago?”

Jiang Shiyan awkwardly opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say a word.

Song Ling snorted, turned and left.

When he passed by the dessert table, he lifted his hand and stuck the bouquet of Juliet roses into the 30-inch matcha mousse cake at the center of the table.

That was Jiang Shiyan’s favorite matcha mousse cake, specially ordered from Only One.

The exquisite cake was suddenly warped, becoming incompatible with the rest of the table.

Zhou Qingluo: “…”

Lou Yang: “…”

Lou Yang wailed softly, “The upper class is sure exciting! I motherf*cking worked on this cake for three freaking hours!”

Zhou Qingluo looked at the destroyed cake, “You made it?”

Lou Yang: “…”

Zhou Qingluo admired this kind of child with strong learning ability. He sincerely said, “Aren’t you a software engineering major? You’ve learned how to make cakes in just a month!”

Lou Yang was silent for a moment before saying, “The cake my colleague worked on for almost three hours!”

Lou Yang looked at Jiang Shiyan who was back to greeting the guests and couldn’t help but whisper, “That Jiang Shiyan is really scum, hooking someone for four years and dumping them whenever.”

“……”

Zhou Qingluo glanced at Jiang Shiyan. He smiled as he talked with the guests, as if the little episode just now had nothing to do with him.

Zhou Qingluo then looked at the withered roses and ruined cake, sighing faintly.

He suddenly thought of a poem—

“Wilted flowers bade the travelling guest goodbye long Xia Yang road;

If the heavens were sentimental, heaven would also feel sad and old.”

(TN: Poem translated by Frank C Yue. http://chinesepoetryinenglishverse.blogspot.com/2013/06/if-heaven-were-sentimental-heaven-would.html)

It was close to ten in the evening when the banquet ended. The guests dispersed and Zhou Qingluo and Lou Yang cleaned up the dessert table.

Their dessert counter was very lonely tonight and no one came by, as if all of their desserts were contaminated like that big cake.

Lou Yang regretted: “Although the money was already paid, if Sister Cui sees so much left over, she would definitely suffer for several days, saying that these good-for-nothings were a waste of food.”

Zhou Qingluo thought for a moment, “Let’s go sell it on the night market.”

Lou Yang: “?”

Zhou Qingluo had delivered takeout for a month and was familiar with the area. There was a night market not far away. Because it was too hot during the day, people went out at night, making it particularly busy.

Zhou Qingluo beamed and said, “We have both the food and props. Let’s set up a dessert table in the night market and sell it cheaper, it’ll definitely sell.” He paused, “But, it’ll be another two hours of hard work. You want to go?”

Lou Yang especially admired Zhou Qingluo. He seemed to be able to think of a solution no matter the situation.

The two hit it off.

When they arrived at the parking lot, Zhou Qingluo needed to pee, “Give me a minute, I need to use the bathroom.”

At the bathroom, he was about to suffocate to death.

There was a strong smell of smoke and alcohol, as well as the sound of someone vomiting from one of the stalls.

He was urinating when the stall door opened, a person staggering out.

Zhou Qingluo flushed, pulled up his pants, and was about to zip up when the shadow on the wall was covered by another shadow.

Zhou Qingluo turned around, almost dying of fright.

Song Ling’s hair was disheveled, his face ghastly white, looking at him drunkenly.

Zhou Qingluo slowly pulled up his zipper and wanted to go around Song Ling to head out.

Song Ling followed his steps, and after a bit of a back and forth, Zhou Qingluo looked at him speechlessly.

Song Ling’s eyes moved, suddenly pulling him into his arms, hugging him tightly. He buried his head in the hollow of his neck, making him unable to move.

Zhou Qingluo: “???”

The two shadows on the wall intertwined, and Zhou Qingluo felt as if he was entangled by an injured leopard. If the leopard was upset, it would open its mouth and bite down fiercely on his neck with its sharp fangs.

Just as he was thinking this, Song Ling really opened his mouth and bit down on his neck neither harshly nor gently. Afterwards, he stuck out his tongue as if licking the wound.

Zhou Qingluo snapped awake.

He pushed Song Ling away hard, “You f*cking let me go!”

Song Ling hugged him even tighter, voice choked with sobs, muttering in a daze: “I’m begging you, don’t go. You said you wouldn’t leave me.”

Zhou Qingluo understood. Song Ling thought that he was his white moonlight.

He didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. No matter what he said, Song Ling didn’t let go, dazedly mumbling his white moonlight’s name.

It turned out that a hug that wanted to rub someone into their flesh and blood was so painful! “F*ck!”

Zhou Qingluo followed his words and patted his back comfortingly, taking a deep breath: “Baby, I won’t leave. Whoever leaves is a dog! Please let go first, you’re going to suffocate me to death!”

Song Ling was finally appeased and loosened his grip, and Zhou Qingluo took the opportunity to push him away and take a step back.

However, his movements weren’t faster than that of Song Ling. He fished a hand around his waist, encircling him.

Zhou Qingluo cleared his throat and pointed at his face, “Look clearly. I’m Zhou Qingluo.”

Song Ling looked at him blankly.

Zhou Qingluo tried his best to keep calm, “The Zhou Qingluo that tried his best to get close to you! You better not let me succeed. What if something happens between us? You won’t be clean anymore. If you’re not clean, you can’t have true love, okay?”

Zhou Qingluo was almost moved to tears by his own persuasion.

Song Ling’s unfocused eyes slowly sharpened, and the hand around his waist loosened slightly.

Song Ling murmured the name repeatedly, “Zhou Qingluo?”

He suddenly remembered that day below Jiang Shiyan’s building, when the dark neighborhood lit up once he heard this name, and the swaying sunflower on his helmet.

Also, when he nagged someone over 12 yuan for a Red Bull, and the miserable appearance just now when he protected the falling cake cart.

Song Ling abruptly relaxed his eyebrows, laughed, and let go.

Zhou Qingluo: “?”

“Oh, Zhou Qingluo, that funny guy.”

Zhou Qingluo: “……”

Seeing his playful face and being taken advantage of for no reason, Zhou Qingluo was very upset. He gritted his teeth, bent his knees, and unceremoniously headbutted his stomach.

Song Ling let out a grunt, clutching his stomach and falling to the ground.

Zhou Qingluo: “Wasting so much time on some meaningless things, you’re the funny one. Why don’t you just live well?”

---

The author has something to say:

Zhou Qingluo: “If you’re not clean, you’re not worthy of love.”

Song Ling starry-eyed: “I am white as jade. I deserve it.”