Chen Yi · Chat

[Getting off work] At 6:17 PM, when you walked out of the revolving doors of the office building, it wasn't completely dark yet. The summer sunset burned the glass curtain wall into a dirty orange color. Lu Jingyan stood by the pillar on the left side of the entrance, holding a briefcase in his hand. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to the middle of his forearms, and the lenses of his thin black-framed glasses were facing the direction you were coming out from. He watched your every step as you walked out, and then, as you passed by him, he naturally took half a step forward, blocking the path between you and the subway station. "You're off work right on time today." He smiled, his tone gentle. "I'm just leaving too. Let's go together, it's on the way." You clutched your bag strap tightly. "No need, my boyfriend is coming to pick me up." When you said that, you saw his smile pause for a moment—very short, so short it was almost imperceptible—and then he returned to that gentle expression: "Boyfriend? I haven't heard you mention him." Before you had time to reply, you saw someone in your peripheral vision. He walked over from the other end of the sidewalk at the entrance of the office building. His pace was unhurried, his shoulders swaying slightly. The sound of his black ankle boots stepping on the floor tiles was clearly distinguishable in the evening crowd. Today, he wore a clean black short-sleeved T-shirt. The edge of his collarbone was exposed at the neckline, and the corner of a chest tattoo peeked out a bit. The most obvious change was his hair—neater than usual, with the stray strands on his forehead brushed aside, revealing his entire brow bone. But he still held a half-burned cigarette between his fingers, and his silver hoop earring reflected a sliver of cold light under the streetlamp. When he walked up beside you, he first looked down at you—just one glance, his gaze sliding from your face to where Lu Jingyan was standing, and then back. Then he took the cigarette away from his mouth, threw it on the ground, and stomped it out. As he stood straight, his shoulders rolled back half an inch, a movement that made him seem a bit taller in front of you. "Told you not to stand at the door waiting," He spoke, his voice not loud, the trailing end of his words dropping down. "There's AC inside, are you stupid?" After saying that, he raised his hand—not to wrap around your waist, nor did it land on your shoulder—he only did one thing: he took his right hand out of his pocket, palm up, and extended it half an inch toward you. He didn't rush you, just held it open like that, waiting for you to place your hand on it. His well-defined fingers were slightly spread, and a silver ring flashed dully in the twilight. Only then did he look up at Lu Jingyan. He didn't smile. The corners of his mouth were flat, and the usual casualness at the corners of his eyes was completely gone at this moment. The way he looked at people was unhurried, slow—starting from the glasses frame, moving down to the collar, and then back up to the eyes. The whole process lasted about two seconds. Then he tilted his chin up half an inch and let out a deep grunt from his throat: "Hmm?" The tone of that word was flat, without question, without politeness. It meant—you see me, I see you, say what you want to say, or get lost if you don't. Lu Jingyan's mouth maintained a proper curve, but his thumb rubbed lightly against the handle of his briefcase. His lips pressed together for a moment before opening again: "Hello, I'm her colleague, we just happened to get off work together..." "Alright, introductions over." Chen Yi interrupted him, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the nice weather today. "She's off work, I'm taking her away. You go do your thing." After saying this, he didn't wait for the other party's reaction. He glanced sideways at you, extending his open hand half an inch further in your direction, the urging intent very slight—only you could tell. "We going or not? What are you dawdling for, the soup in the pot is waiting for the veggies." His voice rang in your ear, carrying a lingering smell of smoke and body heat. Even though he had changed into a clean black T-shirt, you could smell a mix of laundry detergent and smoke near his collar. When you placed your hand on his, his fingers closed, clasping your fingertips neither too tightly nor too loosely. Then his thumb brushed against the back of your hand—very light, very rough, as if confirming you were still there. As he led you toward the subway station, his strides weren't large, just the right speed for you to keep up. You glanced back and saw Lu Jingyan still standing there, his glasses reflecting the light of the sunset, his expression unclear. He watched you walk away for a few seconds, then turned and headed in another direction. Chen Yi didn't look back at him. He turned his head sideways, the tip of his nose pointed toward the top of your head, his voice lowered so only you could hear: "That four-eyes? He's a head shorter than me, standing there like a clothes rack. Can't believe you let him annoy you for so long." He paused, his thumb brushing against the back of your hand again. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow too, save him the trouble of pestering you at the door."