Chapter 35

The room fell quiet again. Yu Nianyi quickly shoved a few mouthfuls of rice into her mouth, then piled in a lot more food, puffing out her cheeks. Xi Yu, by contrast, was unhurried. She took only a little food each time, brought it to her mouth, and chewed softly and slowly without making a sound, repeating the motion over and over.

Yu Nianyi finally managed to swallow. Just then, Xi Yu handed her a glass of water. Yu Nianyi’s eyes curved with a smile as she took it and thanked her.

Only after soothing her throat did she say, “I wonder if Sister Xi Yu likes watching videos of people going out to sketch. There should be quite a lot of them online now. I really like wandering around and drawing whatever catches my eye.”

Xi Yu said, “I’ve watched some.”

“That’s a very good habit.”

Yu Nianyi continued, “I remember a long time ago, back in my freshman year, our teacher took us out sketching. A lot of interesting things happened along the way.”

“It was the height of summer. We went into a village with mountains and water, and the place had everything. Life there was especially comfortable.”

Xi Yu set down her chopsticks and wiped her lips, turning her face toward Yu Nianyi’s voice with a seriously attentive expression.

“I still remember choosing a scene I really liked, but the spot wasn’t great. I had to stand there under the blazing sun, wearing a sun-protective jacket, drawing away.” Yu Nianyi let out a deliberate sigh. “I drew for an entire afternoon. When I got back, I was practically sunburned all over, and I smelled awful.”

Xi Yu asked, “Did you not apply enough sunscreen?”

Yu Nianyi gave a hum, set down her bowl and chopsticks as well, and thought about it for a moment. “Maybe. Or maybe the sun was just too vicious.”

“At the time, one of my classmates wore glasses, and both sides of her face were sunburned, leaving only two white patches. It was so funny.”

Xi Yu asked again, “And the smell?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yu Nianyi’s face lit up. She glanced at the meat and vegetable dishes on the table and mumbled, “I can’t say it too plainly, but I was so absorbed in drawing that by the time I was almost done, I only realized afterward that I was covered in pig… that smell.”

Yu Nianyi deliberately paused there. Xi Yu froze for a few seconds, then let out a rare sigh.

“Now you really do say whatever comes to mind.”

Yu Nianyi’s face reddened a little. She stared at the colorful spread on the table for a long while before continuing, “Actually, on the way back, we passed a huge chicken farm right when they were letting the chickens out.”

Xi Yu’s gaze fell on Yu Nianyi’s face once more.

“At the time, I had a friend who was especially mischievous. Whenever she saw chickens, she always wanted to tease them, so she chased them around for a while. In the end, one especially fat chicken flapped up into the air and snatched her keys right away. By the time they reacted, the chicken had already run off.”

Yu Nianyi sighed. “Those were the keys to our guesthouse.”

Xi Yu asked, “What happened after that?”

Yu Nianyi said, “After that, we could only chase the chicken all over the village. We couldn’t just slink back and tell the whole class we’d been bullied by a chicken. That would’ve been way too embarrassing.”

Xi Yu rested an arm on the dining table, her fingertips against her lips, quietly watching the way Yu Nianyi’s expression lit up as she spoke.

Seeing that Xi Yu was listening so intently, Yu Nianyi immediately grew even more enthusiastic. Her little mouth went on and on: “Luckily, summer days are long. We chased it for more than two hours and finally caught the chicken. But after turning the chicken upside down, we still couldn’t find our keys.”

“You guess how we found them in the end?”

Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked at Yu Nianyi’s bright, blinking gaze. “How?”

Yu Nianyi sighed. “In the end, it was the village dog, Laicai, who found them. That dog was close with us; when it saw us chasing the chicken, it thought we were playing and ran around the whole village with us too. Later, when we were about to accept our bad luck and head back, Laicai suddenly appeared in front of us with a bark, wagging its tail and spitting the keys onto the ground.”

At that point, Yu Nianyi exaggeratedly said, “Wow. Sister Xi Yu, you have no idea what that scene was like. My friend was so touched she almost wanted to become sworn sisters with Laicai and share blessings and hardships!”

Xi Yu watched as Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened and then furrowed, and when she got anxious she even let out a dramatic sigh. In the end, she smacked her lips, picked up the water glass in front of her, and took a big gulp.

A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of Xi Yu’s eyes. She lifted the kettle and poured more water into Yu Nianyi’s cup.

Yu Nianyi said, “It was really fun then, so sometimes during vacations I also like to ask friends to go sketching together. Drawing whatever is fine. I always feel like just staying there like that is especially comfortable.”

Xi Yu nodded. “I saw those paintings in the studio. They were all done outdoors by you.”

Yu Nianyi said, “Yeah, I saved quite a lot. Later on, I finished some pieces and posted them online. I’ve also accumulated some experience now, so things have gradually become more stable.”

She picked up her bowl and went back to eating. After a few bites, her gaze drifted again to the Four-Gentlemen Soup on the side of the table.

Xi Yu set down the chopsticks she had just picked up again and reached out to bring the soup over.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, her voice going soft. “Thank you, Sister Xi Yu.”

She took a sip of soup before asking, “Sister Xi Yu, what do you usually like to do?”

Xi Yu took a sip of water, set the glass down, and only then said, “I like staying at home and watching movies.”

Yu Nianyi nodded slowly. “I like watching movies too. I like all kinds.”

“What kind does Sister Xi Yu like?”

“Science fiction, art films, dramas, documentaries.”

“What a coincidence. I like all the kinds you mentioned too. If you have time, I can invite Sister Xi Yu to watch a movie next time. I remember there are quite a few interesting films recently.”

Yu Nianyi ate a little more until the bowl was empty, then slowly set down her bowl and chopsticks and leaned back in her chair with a long sigh.

Xi Yu was still eating. She ate more slowly than Yu Nianyi, with steady unhurried movements; compared with her, Yu Nianyi almost seemed a little wolfish.

“I suddenly thought of a movie that left a really deep impression on me.” Yu Nianyi’s eyes were bright as she looked at Xi Yu.

Xi Yu gave a soft hum, set down her chopsticks, and wiped away the nonexistent oil on her lips.

“It had the visual texture of a classical oil painting. Every frame was the kind you could savor over and over. At first, I thought it was only about painting techniques, but later I realized it wasn’t like that at all.” Yu Nianyi looked at Xi Yu. “Have you seen it, Sister Xi Yu?”

Xi Yu rested a hand on the dining table, lowered her eyes, and tapped her fingertips in rhythm. “I don’t remember it. But since you brought it up on purpose, it must have something special about it.”

Yu Nianyi gave a hum, a faint smile hanging at the corners of her lips. “I think it’s a very good movie; it leaves a deep impression.”

“Gazing and being gazed at; subject and object; freedom and confinement.” Yu Nianyi curved her eyes and looked at Xi Yu, her pale gaze reflecting Xi Yu’s calm side profile. “The subtle reactions that develop afterward are all very memorable.”

Xi Yu sat upright, her thick straight hair spread across her back. Warm light fell on her smooth, clean face; her eyes were hidden in shadow, and she blinked very slowly.

“If Sister Xi Yu is interested, you can watch it when you have time. If it’s boring to watch alone, of course I can keep you company.” Yu Nianyi looked playful, smiling with an especially obedient sweetness.

Xi Yu gave a hum. “All right.”

Xi Yu stood up and put the leftovers from the table into a container. Yu Nianyi also got up and helped tidy up.

They cleaned up very quickly. Xi Yu then fetched some water from the beverage bar and set it on the coffee table; the TV was currently playing a drama.

Yu Nianyi let out a comfortable sigh and sat directly on the sofa. “Thank you for the hospitality, Sister Xi Yu. These dishes were all so delicious.”

Xi Yu said, “I’m glad you liked them.”

Only then did Yu Nianyi have a chance to pick up her phone and check her messages. Xi Yao had already sent three in a row. Seeing that Yu Nianyi hadn’t replied, she didn’t ask further.

[Xi Yao: You’re actually at my sister’s place?]

[Xi Yao: How did the two of you end up together? Where were you this afternoon?]

[Xi Yao: My sister wouldn’t bring just anyone home for no reason. Yu Nianyi, you’re good [thumbs up][thumbs up]]

Yu Nianyi couldn’t help smiling. She was so happy that her toes kept swinging back and forth, the fluffy slippers dangling loosely on her feet.

When Xi Yu heard the sound, she turned her head to look at Yu Nianyi.

Yu Nianyi smiled even wider and pressed her lips together, using her phone to cover the corner of her mouth.

Xi Yu asked, “Chatting with Xi Yao?”

Yu Nianyi opened her eyes wide, surprised. “How did Sister Xi Yu know?”

Xi Yu tilted her chin toward the phone in Yu Nianyi’s hand. “The screen showed it.”

Yu Nianyi came to herself and saw that she had turned the phone over, with the chat interface facing out for Xi Yu to see clearly.

Xi Yu switched channels and settled back fully into the sofa, watching the program quietly.

Yu Nianyi replied briefly, then was about to turn off her phone when a message from Yang Shuyu came in.

[Yang Shuyu: Nianyi, I went to the neighborhood just now but you weren’t there. Where did you go?]

[Yu Nianyi: Out. What’s up?]

[Yang Shuyu: Has the subject for the final project Teacher Zhang mentioned been decided?]

Yu Nianyi froze, only then belatedly remembering the final assignment Zhang Min had mentioned in class a few days earlier; it was supposed to be displayed in the schoolwide exhibition.

Her gaze slowly fell on Xi Yu’s quiet face beside her, lingered for a moment, then returned to the phone.

[Yu Nianyi: It’s been decided.]

[Yang Shuyu: Then...]

[Yang Shuyu: All right. What I wanted to ask was, can I use you as the theme for this piece? If you model for me, I think I should be able to make something with feeling.]

Yu Nianyi looked at the words on the screen and lightly furrowed her brow.

As if sensing her hesitation, Yang Shuyu sent another message.

[Yang Shuyu: Just a few photos. If you don’t have time, you don’t need to do any sketching. I know you’re busy.]

[Yang Shuyu: I just don’t have any other suitable model, so after thinking it over, I still came to you.]

Yu Nianyi didn’t reply right away. She switched off her phone and looked across at the TV screen with a locked brow.

“What’s wrong?” Xi Yu’s eyes turned toward her, deep and still.

Yu Nianyi met Xi Yu’s gaze. Seeing her clear features and lucid eyes, she held the look for a few seconds, then curved her lips into a smile. “Sister Xi Yu, can you be my model?”

“This time, I mean a model in the real sense.”

The living room fell silent at once; even the air seemed to stop moving.

Xi Yu crossed her legs, one wrist loosely resting atop her folded knee, her fingers suspended motionless in the air.

She looked at Yu Nianyi’s smiling, dazzling eyes, the smile that had remained on her lips all along, that direct and unmistakable gaze.

“Near the end of the term, the teacher finalized the project theme. Each student needs to choose a model as the subject of their painting.” Yu Nianyi brushed a strand of pale blond hair from her neck, revealing her fair, slender throat. “To be honest, I’m not especially confident when it comes to painting people.”

“During the time I’ve spent with Sister Xi Yu, I’ve become more and more eager to paint you into my work, more and more eager to have creative ideas.”

“Only Sister Xi Yu gives me that feeling, and it has to be Sister Xi Yu,” Yu Nianyi said.

Xi Yu withdrew her gaze. On the coffee table, the phone screen kept lighting up; Zhao Xiaolan’s profile picture flashed by, and the notification sound rang several times in a row.

The drama on the TV had just ended and the closing song was playing. Lines of subtitles slid by layer after layer, and then the commercials cut in.

Xi Yu parted her lips as if about to say something. At that moment, a string of ringing suddenly sliced through the silence; the phone screen lit up again, and Zhao Xiaolan was calling.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes followed to the screen. Xi Yu let the phone ring for ten seconds before reaching out to answer it. Looking down, she glanced at Yu Nianyi. “Wait a moment; I need to take this.”

Yu Nianyi nodded, sitting properly and obediently.

Xi Yu walked out to the terrace before answering.

“Why are you taking so long to answer? What were you busy with just now?”

“Nothing. What is it?”

“Xiao Yu, keep next Saturday free. Jiayang has a pretty good exhibition recently; you and Chen Shuo should go take a look and get familiar with it.”

Xi Yu rested a hand on the window ledge. Cold wind slipped in in thin threads, lifting her hair as it fluttered.

“Things shouldn’t be too busy lately. You should start putting some thought into yourself too. You can’t keep living for work forever.”

Xi Yu took a deep breath, turned sideways, and leaned her back against the terrace wall. Her voice was crisp and cool. “I have no feelings for Chen Shuo.”

There was only a one-second pause on the other end before Zhao Xiaolan’s puzzled voice came through. “Whether you have feelings or not, you should still go and try. Mom understands you. You’ve always been busy studying, interning, and working, and you’ve never properly dated. Girls like you are the hardest to deal with; you live like some ascetic monk.”

“...But you can’t go on like this for the rest of your life, can you? If there’s even a little spark, you should seize it. Chen Shuo, I’ve watched him grow up since he was a child, so I’d feel at ease.”

Xi Yu lifted a hand and lightly rubbed between her brows, closing her eyes. “I said it before; we can’t possibly be together.”

“...”

The dark bedroom was especially quiet. Zhao Xiaolan on the other end said nothing more, and the surrounding silence turned strangely oppressive.

Outside, light spilled in from the terrace into the half-open bedroom. The work hanging on the wall was half-lit and half-shadowed; in the painting, Xi Yu quietly looked at the Xi Yu outside the painting.

It stayed quiet for a full two minutes before Zhao Xiaolan’s voice finally came again.

“...You child, why do you always like to go against your mother?”

...

The TV started playing the drama again. Yu Nianyi looked left and right in boredom before finally picking up her phone to stare at the chat window with Yang Shuyu, which still had no reply.

She thought for a moment, then opened the input box.

[Yu Nianyi: I can agree, but after this I don’t want any deeper involvement. After all, that easily leads people to misunderstand.]

After sending the message, she turned off her screen. At just that moment, Xi Yu came out from the corridor and sat back down on the sofa.

Yu Nianyi carefully stole a glance at Xi Yu’s expression. Seeing that she looked normal, only her lips seemed pressed a little tighter than usual.

“As for the model matter, I can consider it,” Xi Yu said.

TL Note:

Four-Gentlemen Soup (四神汤) = a traditional Chinese herbal soup, usually a home-style comfort dish.