“I can finally comfort you.”
The rain stopped early in the morning.
Fallen branches and withered leaves littered the ground, the air was damp with a faint rotten fishy smell.
Southern autumn always arrived fashionably late after a few rains. No matter how much one tried to cool off and dress up, it could not withstand the early morning chill.
Chen Boyu was still sleeping. Lan Yan woke up and saw a message on WeChat from her master Chu Lansun, asking when she had returned to South City and telling her to stop by Mend Orchid Studio to pick up some things.
During the holiday, Mend Orchid Studio was exceptionally quiet. In just a few days, the old pomegranate tree in the courtyard seemed to have withered a bit more.
Lan Yan entered the small building and went straight up to the third floor.
The third floor housed the office and archives room. Even during the day on this overcast sky with dim light, lamps had to be lit.
Chu Lansun sat at his desk, wearing reading glasses, a cup of hot tea by his hand, flipping through an aged restoration file.
When he saw Lan Yan come in, he pushed up his reading glasses and smiled. “Sit.”
“Master, you’re on holiday and still not resting.”
“I can’t stay idle.” Chu Lansun smiled. “My son always says the same thing, that I don’t separate work from life. He asks if I have no other hobbies. I thought about it, and really, I don’t. I’ve been in this line since my apprenticeship days. Eating, sleeping—everything revolves around restoring paintings. That’s how it’s been for decades.”
Chu Lansun’s wife had passed away over thirty years ago, and he had not remarried. He had one only son living abroad. He lived alone in an old house on the street behind Mend Orchid Studio, usually with just a long-term hired housekeeper to help with cooking and cleaning.
He willingly led a frugal, simple life for the sake of his beloved profession.
“I think your life is just fine,” Lan Yan said sincerely.
“That won’t do. You’re still young. Make the most of your energy to enjoy life.”
“If we all go off to enjoy life, who will carry on your profession?”
“Countless trades have died out through the ages. Why must ours endure forever? We exist as long as people need us. If not, being swept into the dustbin of history is no great loss.”
“That’s not what you say in your public lectures.”
“Every trade has its polite talk for the occasion.”
Lan Yan laughed.
“Oh… almost forgot the main thing.” Chu Lansun set down the file binder, pulled open a drawer, and took out a black envelope. “An invitation sent over by Elder Tang. A gathering of painting enthusiasts. He wants you to attend.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The moment he saw me, he praised you. Said that family letter was restored beautifully.”
“You know there’s not much difficulty in restoring that letter.”
“People’s judgments of value are often very subjective. If it wasn’t important to him or he didn’t like it, even if you restored Along the River During the Qingming Festival, it wouldn’t matter to him, right?”
Lan Yan smiled and said, “Yes.” Then she asked, “Are you going too?”
“I’m too lazy. If I go, they’ll drag me into doing explanations again. Isn’t this the age of paid knowledge? How come these rich folks love to freeload off others?”
“Then get Elder Tang to gather all his collector friends and give them a lecture. Three thousand per session.”
“Good idea.”
The two burst into laughter.
“Do you need my help, Master?”
“No need. Go have fun. You’re still on holiday.”
Lan Yan hesitated to leave. Chu Lansun smiled. “Really, no need. Otherwise, if I start playing Peking opera later, you won’t be able to escape fast enough.”
Lan Yan had not ridden her bike. She walked home, bought breakfast at the entrance to the neighborhood, and went upstairs.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Chen Boyu standing at the entryway, straightening his clothes in front of the full-length mirror.
“Has the fever gone down?”
Chen Boyu nodded. “It has. Thanks for taking care of me last night.”
In the middle of the night yesterday, besides feeling his damp clothes, Lan Yan had also touched his high feverish temperature.
He had already been running a fever when he called her, probably from the sudden changes in temperature and not sleeping for over thirty hours straight. As soon as the call ended, he rushed back immediately from East City.
“It’s fine. Don’t do that next time. Rest properly if you’re sick.”
“Okay. I’ll listen to you.” Chen Boyu smiled warmly.
Lan Yan glanced into the mirror. He was lowering his head to adjust his cuffs, the remnants of illness fading, his face pale.
Back in high school, when her headphone cord broke, she taped it up with clear tape and it held for a while.
But deep down, she knew it would eventually have to be thrown away.
Sooner or later.
“Let’s have breakfast.” Lan Yan walked into the room.
Chen Boyu turned around, looked down at her, and said earnestly, “Yanyan, lately it’s been the busiest and most critical period. I shouldn’t have been so careless in explaining things clearly to you or overestimated myself, thinking I could juggle everything… This Friday evening, I’ve cleared all my schedule. I’ll pick you up for dinner then, and we can talk properly. Okay?”
“Will you show up on time?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Chen Boyu fastened his watch. “I might not be able to eat breakfast. The car’s about to arrive downstairs. I have a meeting this morning.”
Lan Yan handed him the bag she was carrying. “Take it and eat in the car.”
It was little steamed buns and soy milk, which Chen Boyu usually refused. He did not like the smell of hot food in his car.
But this time, he took it and said thanks.
Lan Yan took the access card and invitation from the large pocket of her knit sweater jacket and placed them on the entryway cabinet.
Chen Boyu glanced over. “An invitation?”
“No. Elder Tang is hosting a small painting appraisal gathering and invited me.”
Chen Boyu’s gaze shifted back. “Can I see it?”
Lan Yan nodded.
The black envelope contained thick, textured cotton cardstock. White background with black text, the information concise and restrained—just the theme, time, and location. The weight of the invitation spoke for itself, no need for extra words.
“Did he invite everyone from your studio?”
“No. Master said it was just me.”
“Can I bring a plus-one?” Chen Boyu smiled as he asked.
“It doesn’t say on the invitation, so probably better not.”
Chen Boyu put the invitation back in the envelope. “Elder Tang really appreciates you.”
“That letter is very important to him. He’s giving face to the letter.”
Chen Boyu looked at her, seeming hesitant to speak.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Chen Boyu checked his watch. “I probably need to head down.”
“Mm.”
He leaned down. The arm not holding the bag wrapped around her, hugging her close with a sense of reluctance and attachment.
Warm and clean scent—she had once been enamored with this embrace for no short time.
But now, her arms hung loosely at her sides, without lifting to hug him back.
/
On the last day of the holiday, Lan Yan went to Lu Ying’s place.
Lu Ying had roped in her stepbrother from her blended family as free labor and finally got the house completely cleaned up.
It was a great spot. With the windows open, the whole street was lined with jacaranda trees. Though not in bloom, the lush greenery was still delightful.
Lan Yan leaned on the railing, blowing in the wind for a bit. “This place is really nice.”
“Right? I looked for a long time.”
“I’m glad to see you’ve fully moved on.”
Lu Ying shrugged. “Not really, to be honest. Late at night sometimes, I still get the stupid urge to contact him.”
“How do you get over it?”
“I saved screenshots of other women sending him hotel room numbers and set them as the background for our chat. One look and the urge vanishes.”
Lan Yan laughed. “You’re ruthless.”
“Hey, who made me such a hopeless romantic? I have to be tough on myself.”
Back inside, Lu Ying poured her a glass of water.
She sat on a floor cushion, sipping water and casually flipping through the books on the wooden shelf. “I’m planning to break up with Chen Boyu.”
“You’re breaking up too?”
“Too?”
“Oh. Yu Ye. He came over the day before yesterday to help and told me he’s breaking up with his girlfriend. I spent ages consoling him.”
Yu Ye was Lu Ying’s stepbrother from her reconstituted family. In the early days, Lu Ying had been annoyed by him too. Their initial friendship was built on shared “hatred” for the extra Deadweight Kid in the family.
“Who’s his girlfriend?”
“You don’t know her. An older sister, twelve years his senior, with a kid.”
“Wow, that’s intense? Tell me more.”
Lu Ying looked at her. “Wait, you’re breaking up so calmly? I spent half the day yesterday consoling Yu Ye. Do you need any?”
“Do I look like I need it?”
Lu Ying shrugged. “Did Chen Boyu do something wrong?”
“No. It’s just… no longer interesting.”
“I get it. You two were pretty sweet at the start. I thought your first real relationship would be with your true love.”
“Don’t all romances start sweet?”
“Mine did.”
“…Do you have to stab yourself like that?”
Lu Ying laughed indifferently. “When are you doing it?”
Lan Yan gave a self-deprecating smile. “He says he’s free this Friday. Can you believe it? Even my breakup has to wait for his schedule.”
“Weren’t you always saying Chen Boyu relied too much on his family? Isn’t it good that he’s busy with his career now?”
“It’s not that I mind him being busy with his career. It’s that I mind being brushed off. You get it? Like logging into a game for dailies, maxing out 100 activity points and logging off. Not caring about new content or gameplay updates. I feel like I’ve become some monthly check-in reward that you can’t claim once the streak breaks. I can go three months without seeing him, but when he spends those three minutes with me, I want all his energy focused entirely on me.”
“…Your standards have dropped that low? Yeah, time to break up.”
Lu Ying reached out and patted her shoulder. “On breakup day, I’ll get Yu Ye out for dinner. The three of us—Breakup Alliance.”