Modern Epilogue (7)

 

Modern Epilogue (7)

The woman’s gaze slid past Jiang Yuxun and landed on Ying Changchuan. Her eyes lit up at once.

“…And this gentleman is?”

Although Jiang Yuxun hadn’t known Ying Changchuan for very long, the instant he caught the smile at the corner of the other man’s lips, every alarm bell in his brain went off.

I have to stop him. I absolutely cannot let him say anything he shouldn’t.

Without even checking his screen, Jiang Yuxun stuffed his phone into his pocket, stepped forward half a pace, and deliberately placed himself between them.

With a straight face, he introduced, “This is Mr. Ying Changchuan, a distinguished guest of our museum. Mr. Ying and I have had quite a bit of work-related contact recently.”

Catching his colleague’s stunned expression out of the corner of his eye, he forced himself to add, “And, um… he helped me out before, so I was hoping to find a chance to properly thank him.”

Ying Changchuan nodded along smoothly. “That’s right, Auntie.”

Seeing him cooperate so readily, Jiang Yuxun finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At the same time, he completely ignored the impossibly gentle look in Ying Changchuan’s eyes.

—Which only made the entire scene feel even more suspiciously overexplained.

She smiled and returned Ying Changchuan’s nod with perfect courtesy.

The colleague went back to the guide desk, and in the blink of an eye, only the three of them remained in the corridor.

The woman glanced down at her watch.

“Oh my, it’s already past noon. Let’s go out for lunch together,” she said, then turned to Ying Changchuan. “I wonder if Mr. Ying already has plans for lunch?”

“Wait—” Jiang Yuxun was just about to explain how ‘distinguished’ this guest really was—

But before he could finish, the guest himself calmly shook his head.

“No plans.”

“Wonderful,” she said with a bright smile. “I booked a private restaurant on Riverside Road. If Mr. Ying doesn’t have other arrangements, why don’t you join us? It’ll be a good chance to properly thank you.”

The word thank had come from Jiang Yuxun himself. At this point, he had absolutely no room left to argue.

Ying Changchuan smiled and accepted without hesitation.

“Then I’ll be troubling you.”

Jiang Yuxun could only stare at them, dumbfounded.

No—how did you two reach an agreement so easily?!

The banks of the Yi River were lined with historical buildings, many of them nationally protected cultural relics.

Jiang Yuxun’s mother, Wen Sijin, worked in geology and spent most of the year doing fieldwork.

Yet harsh working conditions had never lowered her standards for quality of life.

The private restaurant she’d booked had an excellent location, built right along the river.

From the window-side private room, one could see the clear waterway and the antique-style boats drifting past.

The old wooden floorboards creaked softly beneath their footsteps.

Together with the traditional incense burning in the corner, the space instantly transported one back to a time both distant and familiar.

Wen Sijin handed the menu to Ying Changchuan.

“Mr. Ying, you’re our guest. Please order first.”

Ying Changchuan was completely at ease in such settings. After a brief exchange of courtesies, he began to order.

Wen Sijin casually asked, “May I ask where Mr. Ying is from?”

“My ancestors were from Zhaoshi, though I spent most of my time living in Lanze,” Ying Changchuan replied earnestly. Then, smiling at Jiang Yuxun for no apparent reason, he added, “I’m six years older than Xiao Jiang—twenty-seven this year.”

Hey! If you’re going to mention your age, fine—but why are you looking at me?!

Jiang Yuxun ground his teeth silently.

“Lanze? What a coincidence—we’re half fellow townspeople, then,” Wen Sijin said, clearly delighted. “A-Xun can be a bit childish at times. He could really use a more mature friend.”

No one knew their own mother better than Jiang Yuxun.

One glance was enough for him to tell—she might be saying ‘friend’, but she was definitely thinking ‘boyfriend’.

“Mom,” he cut in immediately, “Mr. Ying and I are just ordinary friends.”

The moment his words fell, Ying Changchuan—having finished skimming the menu—turned to the waiter.

“Braised fish soup, osmanthus-stuffed lotus root, and rice cakes, please.”

Jiang Yuxun: !

This was downright uncanny.

Whether by coincidence or something else entirely, every single dish Ying Changchuan named was one of Jiang Yuxun’s favorites.

Wen Sijin suppressed a smile and nodded as if soothing a child.

“Alright, alright. I understand.”

No. You really don’t.

A wave of despair washed over Jiang Yuxun.

…This is completely impossible to explain now.

Wen Sijin disliked it when Jiang Yuxun walked while looking at his phone.

Only after they were seated did he finally sneak it out while the other two were talking.

He carefully checked the newest message notification.

…Earlier, Ying Changchuan had scanned his QR code.

If they hadn’t already been friends, the notification should have read “You have a new friend request.”

But instead, only two characters appeared:

“A-Xun.”

Jiang Yuxun stopped breathing.

The familiar profile picture. The familiar name.

That online friend really was Ying Changchuan.

He snapped his gaze up at the man sitting across from him.

Even though he’d long suspected it, those two characters still seemed to freeze the blood in his veins.

Only after seeing Wen Sijin safely into a taxi back home did Jiang Yuxun finally open Ying Changchuan’s chat.

–: Little Jiang still hasn’t introduced himself either.

Somehow, Ying Changchuan had already downloaded the same sticker pack Jiang Yuxun used most often.

After sending the message, he even followed up with a helpless-looking cat sticker.

—He was playing dumb on purpose.

Ying Changchuan is a VIP. Ying Changchuan is a VIP.

Jiang Yuxun repeated this to himself over and over before finally forcing a polite smile.

“It’s almost two o’clock. I need to get back to work. Mr. Ying should attend to his own business as well.”

With that, he turned and walked down the sidewalk.

Ying Changchuan followed at an unhurried pace.

“Is Little Jiang angry?”

“…No.”

He might have said no, but ‘don’t come provoke me’ was practically written all over his face.

In the height of summer, even the wind carried restlessness.

The air buzzed with incessant cicada cries.

After a moment of silence, Ying Changchuan leaned closer and said softly by his ear,

“I’m sorry.”

Jiang Yuxun stopped short and turned back to face him.

“Mr. Ying, please don’t apologize to me. You’re a distinguished guest of the museum. You added me to consult about the donation process, not to make friends. There was never any need for you to disclose your personal information or true identity to me.”

He paused, then smiled faintly.

“…Besides, even setting aside the fact that you helped me before, we ordinary staff members are benefiting from this donation event as well. As part of the museum, how could I possibly be angry with a partner?”

Halfway through, realization struck him—

Right. Ying Changchuan was the museum’s major benefactor.

The director had even hinted that once the event concluded successfully, there would be bonuses.

With that thought, newly minted corporate slave Jiang Yuxun instantly regained his inner peace.

From an employee’s perspective, he had absolutely no reason to be angry at Ying Changchuan.

Unless…

Unless he hadn’t been viewing Ying Changchuan as just an ordinary visitor or collaborator.

Jiang Yuxun’s breathing faltered for a split second.

“…Not angry at a partner,” Ying Changchuan repeated softly.

 

He lowered his gaze to meet Jiang Yuxun’s eyes and gently shook his head.

“…I regret it.”

“Regret what?” Jiang Yuxun looked at him in confusion.

The river wind tousled Ying Changchuan’s dark hair.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, smiling at Jiang Yuxun with a hint of helplessness.

“I suddenly regret telling Little Jiang not to be angry,” he said softly.

“What should I do now?”

Ying Changchuan’s voice grew hoarse, carried without warning to Jiang Yuxun’s ear by the river breeze.

So… he didn’t want to be treated as just a partner?

Then what did Ying Changchuan want to be?

…A friend?

Or something else?

The cicadas’ cries scattered Jiang Yuxun’s thoughts.

He instinctively looked into the other man’s eyes.

At this moment, those smoky-gray pupils held emotions Jiang Yuxun couldn’t quite read.

The only thing he could be sure of was this—

in Ying Changchuan’s eyes, there was only him.

The Huaguo Museum placed immense importance on this donation event, and its efficiency was astonishing.

In just two or three days, all written procedures were completed.

By all logic, Ying Changchuan no longer had any reason to wander around the museum…

And yet, the man who was supposedly busy with work abruptly began treating the Huaguo Museum like his second home.

Ying-dog appeared beside Jiang Yuxun with alarming frequency,

looking very much like an unofficial museum staff member.

A few days later, in the final exhibition hall.

Closing time arrived, and visitors gradually filed out.

In the blink of an eye, only Jiang Yuxun remained—

along with a visitor who looked about eighteen or nineteen, like a university student.

The visitor hadn’t arrived particularly late, but he’d been dragging his feet the entire time, constantly asking basic, low-value questions.

The tour had dragged on until now without ending.

Jiang Yuxun liked questions—but he couldn’t bring himself to like visitors who deliberately stalled, or used roundabout ways to pry into his personal life.

“That concludes today’s tour,” he said after the final exhibit, finally letting out a breath.

“Do you have any other questions?”

Now that the hall was empty, the visitor finally flushed and asked,

“…I came a bit late today—what a shame. Will you be here tomorrow, Teacher Jiang? Would I have a chance to ask you to continue the tour?”

Jiang Yuxun smiled faintly and shook his head.

“Guides are usually assigned at random. I can’t say whether you’ll run into me tomorrow. I’m very sorry.”

“I-I see…”

Normally, Jiang Yuxun would already be off work by now.

Seeing that the visitor still hadn’t returned the headset or left the hall, and eager to go home, Jiang Yuxun looked at him again in confusion.

“Sir?”

As he spoke, he removed his guide device, trying to hint through action.

Not far away, cleaning staff were already approaching with their equipment.

Please, just let me go home…

Jiang Yuxun had chosen museum work precisely because it didn’t involve overtime.

As seconds ticked by, even his heart began to ache.

Catching sight of the cleaners, the visitor finally took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and nervously asked:

“Um… may I ask if Teacher Jiang has a boyfriend, or a girlfriend… or something like that?”

Visitors often asked for Jiang Yuxun’s contact info—but no one had ever been this direct.

He instantly went on guard.

If he told the truth—or refused to answer—the visitor would probably keep pestering him.

…Should he just lie?

Just as Jiang Yuxun was agonizing over how to respond, footsteps echoed through the empty hall.

The next second, someone gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Along with it came a faint scent of men’s cologne.

Jiang Yuxun instinctively turned around.

“Mr. Ying—” and at the moment their eyes met, clarity struck. He changed course mid-word, calling him by name instead.

“…Changchuan.”

Ying Changchuan smiled at him, glanced down at his phone, and said,

“It’s almost six-thirty. Why are you still not off work?”

Only then did he seem to notice the visitor opposite Jiang Yuxun, turning to him with polite concern.

“Remember to return the guide equipment before leaving.”

The museum air-conditioning was blasting.

Even in midsummer, Jiang Yuxun wore a crisply pressed black suit.

Standing beside him, the man in a similarly colored shirt matched him perfectly.

…The answer to that question was instantly clear.

The visitor froze, then finally removed the equipment under Ying Changchuan’s smiling gaze.

Before Jiang Yuxun could reach out, Ying Changchuan took it for him and even said on his behalf,

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

The next second, he smoothly shut down the device and wrapped the cord.

He looked like someone who’d done this many times before.

The visitor’s heart sank.

“Alright, A-Xun,” Ying Changchuan said softly, looking down at him with a smile.

“It’s getting late. Go change and head home.”

The warm exhibition lights fell over him.

In Jiang Yuxun’s eyes, Ying Changchuan—who had just rescued him from disaster—was practically glowing.

The cleaners entered the hall, and the visitor finally sniffed, walking out as if his soul had left his body.

…

As Jiang Yuxun packed up and left the hall, he couldn’t help glancing at Ying Changchuan again, silently adding a point to his mental score.

…Aside from being a bit improper at times, Ying Changchuan really wasn’t a bad person.

Most of the museum lights were already off.

The corridor lay almost entirely in darkness.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the man beside him suddenly stopped.

Their gazes collided without warning.

Ying Changchuan raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing through him, and deliberately asked,

“What is it, Little Jiang? What are you thinking—don’t tell me you’re badmouthing me in your head again?”

In the darkness, everything blurred.

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t see his expression clearly—only his silhouette.

Maybe it was the darkness.

Or maybe something else.

Jiang Yuxun’s heart began to race.

He quietly took half a step back, his shoulder brushing against the wall.

Perhaps because Ying Changchuan had just helped him out, Jiang Yuxun shook his head and looked at him, smiling a little awkwardly as he said softly,

“Of course not… I just suddenly felt that you’re actually a pretty good person, Mr. Ying.”

Ying Changchuan’s breathing suddenly deepened.

Jiang Yuxun’s eyes shone brightly in the dark.

His tone was utterly sincere.

Having momentarily forgotten Ying Changchuan’s true nature, he had no idea how dangerous those words were.