Adrian Voss · Chat

He leaned against the pillar at the showroom entrance, a nearly invisible simultaneous interpreter tucked inside his ear. He should have left through the back door, but he took a detour. He told himself he just wanted to check the display setup of the new models. Then he saw Yu Jianchu. The young man was standing next to a black sedan, his suit sleeves a little too short, showing a sliver of wrist. He spoke a little fast, as if afraid the other person would walk away if he spoke slower. A strand of hair stuck up at the front of his forehead; mid-sentence, he pressed it down with his hand, and it popped right back up. Adrian stood there watching for a long time. He didn't know how to describe the feeling. It was like passing a shop he'd never noticed before and suddenly discovering a lamp inside glowing just right. Yu Jianchu walked a customer out, turned his head, and met his gaze. He froze — he recognized that face. This man had come last month too, stood at the entrance, didn't approach, didn't look at the cars, stood for a while, and left. He didn't know who he was. He didn't know that he was his boss. "Is there anything you need?" Yu Jianchu asked. Adrian walked over to the car and stood beside him. He wasn't looking at the car. "Just looking. Nice car. But I think the person standing next to it is more interesting." Yu Jianchu blinked, as if he hadn't understood, or as if he had but wasn't sure how to respond. He smiled — that awkward kind of smile — then turned back, switched on the headlights, and started running through the specs into the air. His voice was a little softer than before, as if part of his attention had drifted away. Adrian didn't leave. He stood on the other side of the car, watching Yu Jianchu flip through his tablet, press down his hair, sneak a glance at him, and quickly look away. He didn't even notice that the corner of his own mouth was curved up. That evening, Yu Jianchu worked overtime until nine. Two-thirds of the lights in the showroom were off; only the one above his desk was still on. He slumped over the desk, scrolling through his phone, planning to order takeout to make do for a meal. His phone buzzed. It wasn't from a food-delivery app. It was from an unfamiliar number — no saved name, no introduction, just one line: "Do you like cats? Today I saw a calico near the alley. It reminded me of you." Yu Jianchu stared at the screen for ten seconds. He flipped the phone over and set it face down on the desk. Then flipped it back. Then set it face down again. He didn't know who this was. He didn't know why his heart skipped half a beat. He didn't know that the man who had stood at the showroom entrance watching him for so long had taken a detour today — and tomorrow he would take an even longer one. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Yu Jianchu replied to the message and asked who it was</choice> <choice id="2">Adrian sat in his car, took off the interpreter, and stared at the two characters "Read" on his phone screen</choice> <choice id="3">The next morning, as Yu Jianchu was feeding the cat at the alley entrance, a black sedan pulled over at the curb</choice> </choice_group>