AFMWDX Chapter 20

TL: Hua

Chapter 20: Bite

The first time accompanying Xu Baizhang to exercise, Yu Qingtang was a bit overzealous; otherwise, he might not have kept up with the pace.

The two of them first ran three laps around the community, then found an open area to practice Tai Chi.

Yu Qingtang had never learned it; he had only occasionally watched old men practicing it in the park.

Xu Baizhang’s body was very strong, and his Tai Chi had a unique flavor. He looked like a reclusive martial arts master in a wuxia film, whose casual moves could overpower a crowd.

Just watching wasn’t enough, so Yu Qingtang proactively asked to be taught. Mastering the movements wasn’t difficult; the challenge lay in the spirit and power behind them.

Yu Qingtang had a good memory, so he naturally learned the moves quickly. In about ten minutes, he could complete the entire 24-form sequence.

Xu Baizhang called a halt and handed him a bottle of water.

In the autumn morning, the wind was warm. The exercise put Yu Qingtang in a comfortable mood. It had been a long time since he had seen the sun so early.

Xu Baizhang asked him, “Do you find it boring?”

“No, it’s very interesting.” Yu Qingtang twisted the bottle cap shut. “I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Xu Baizhang smiled and said, “Alright,” as his martial arts uniform fluttered in the wind.

Yu Qingtang: “But I don’t have the clothes. I feel unprofessional when I practice.”

“I have new ones. I’ll get you one when we go back.”

With his “little objective” achieved, Yu Qingtang said thank you.

Xu Baizhang turned his head away to drink water and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Have you seen the home theater upstairs?”

“Not yet. I’ve been busy recently; I wanted to go but didn’t find the time.”

Xu Baizhang: “Are you free tonight?”

Yu Qingtang was surprised. “Is Dr. Xu asking me out for a movie?”

“Yes, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

The viewing time was set for eight o’clock in the evening.

Two married men in their thirties, like young people dating, had to make an appointment to watch a movie at home.

Yu Qingtang went over after taking a shower. He arrived ten minutes early. The room was empty, with four sofa seats from left to right.

He sat in the second seat from the left. The sofa was very soft, giving an immersive feeling.

About five minutes later, Xu Baizhang opened the door, bringing with him a sumptuous feast for moviegoers: warm honey-boiled pear water, a fruit platter, and a blanket.

The heating hadn’t been turned on in Yangcheng yet. Xu Baizhang draped the blanket over Yu Qingtang’s knees and placed the fruit platter where he could easily reach it.

Yu Qingtang forked an orange slice into his mouth and casually mentioned, “It would be even better with potato chips.”

Xu Baizhang: “I’ll buy some next time.”

Yu Qingtang was surprised. “I can eat potato chips?”

Xu Baizhang: “Why can’t you eat them?”

“I thought you wouldn’t allow it. Potato chips are junk food.”

Xu Baizhang laughed. “Eating them occasionally is fine. A person can’t be so rigid.”

The cup of traditional Chinese medicine was placed next to Xu Baizhang. Yu Qingtang secretly rejoiced, thinking that while Dr. Xu was strict with himself, he was quite merciful to him.

After some thought, Yu Qingtang chose a sci-fi suspense movie. The story was exciting and fast-paced, and they could also discuss the plot.

As the movie played, only the screen projected light. Yu Qingtang was focused on the developing story and had no time for discussion.

As the story approached its end and the killer was revealed, Yu Qingtang’s hair stood on end. He turned to Xu Baizhang to express his astonishment with his eyes, only to find that the other person was also looking at him.

Xu Baizhang was not affected by the film, or perhaps, he wasn’t paying attention to the plot at all. Taking advantage of the dim light, his gaze had been entirely on Yu Qingtang for the entire two hours.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Qingtang asked, noticing his strange reaction.

Xu Baizhang’s expression was complex, like a stern school administrator inspecting someone’s appearance, staring at the junction of his collar and neck. “Your shirt is too revealing.”

The darkness could restrict his vision, but the scent of the shower tormented his willpower, causing some agitation.

After the movie ended, Yu Qingtang returned to the bedroom and carefully examined himself in the mirror. It was a very ordinary, crew-neck cotton shirt, off-white, not sheer, with the collar only reaching his neck.

The streets were full of clothes like this.

Where was it revealing?

Yu Qingtang pulled down the collar slightly. A small area above his collarbone was red. He felt an itch and scratched it in the mirror.

When did he get bitten?

The mosquitoes in late autumn are indeed the most vicious.

*

Xu Baizhang locked himself in the bedroom. He had already finished the herbal tea, but the image still wouldn’t go away.

Yu Qingtang’s collar was slightly askew, revealing a small patch of skin with a little bump from a mosquito bite and three scratch marks. The redness was provocative, as if he were forcefully tilting his chin up, waiting for him to bite down.

To bite down hard.

He shouldn’t have looked just now, just as he shouldn’t have looked back then.

Xu Baizhang put on his headphones, immersing himself in the world of eleven years ago, a world only for them.

“Senior, I’ve already sent you the leg photos. Isn’t it a bit much to stand me up now?”

“Senior, tomorrow morning at ten, find a secluded spot. I’ll wait for your call.”

*

After work that day, Liu Siyan specifically waited for Yu Qingtang in the office. She handed him a file. “Help me review this one and see if it’s going to work this time.”

The document she handed him was the application for the “Legal Life” column. For four years, all the discarded proposals were stacked up in Liu Siyan’s office, filling two large boxes.

Yu Qingtang: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You should know better than I do that it won’t be easy to get approved.”

The provincial TV station had a dedicated legal channel, and its viewership and audience response were quite good. Liu Siyan’s idea of creating a similar column specifically at the main station was a bit far-fetched.

Even if she had proposed a different column, she wouldn’t have had her application rejected and sent back again and again over these four years.

“Don’t worry, I know. I’ve been rejected a hundred times; am I going to care about the 101st? Even if it fails again, I’ll just wait for the 102nd time.”

Yu Qingtang put the document into a manila envelope. “Alright, I’ll go back and study it carefully. I’ll get back to you within three days.”

“Wait a minute.” Liu Siyan circled him twice, as if looking at an exhibit. “That’s strange. Why haven’t you changed at all?”

Yu Qingtang untied his necktie and put on his jacket. “Why should I change?”

“You just got married. Shouldn’t you be at it day and night?”

“What are you thinking? You should read fewer trashy comics lately.”

Liu Siyan hissed. “Is it discordant, or hasn’t it started yet?”

Yu Qingtang didn’t hide it, looking listless. “We sleep in separate rooms. How can it start?”

Liu Siyan smacked her lips twice as if tasting air. “You two are perfectly healthy men. Why are you sleeping separately?”

“He actively left the largest room with the best lighting for me. What am I supposed to do? Invite him to sleep with me?”

“That’s not out of the question,” Liu Siyan muttered softly. “Anyway, the way you two are doing things is not right.”

Proposing three days after meeting, getting their marriage certificate smoothly in half a month, moving into the new house in a month, and now cohabiting for a week and treating each other like roommates—every step defies common sense.

They water flowers, feed fish, and eat three meals together every day. They go for morning exercises during the day and take walks in the evening, occasionally meeting in the home theater to watch dramas.

When he’s not busy, Xu Baizhang drives him to and from work. They go grocery shopping together on weekends or sit side-by-side on the sofa in the leisure of the afternoon, each reading their own book.

They have no disagreements and never argue. Life is peaceful and harmonious. But being too harmonious somehow makes it seem less harmonious.

Their last intimate contact was the hand-holding at his parents’ house on the day they got their marriage certificate. Their most intimate contact was that reluctant hug on the night Xu Baizhang left for Shigatse.

Xu Baizhang is excellent. In terms of looks, education, income, personality, and character, he is a top-tier partner, one in ten thousand, even among a billion people. Yu Qingtang is satisfied with this married life, but he is also unwilling to settle.

Liu Siyan said, “I think you two don’t understand each other enough; you’re both holding back too much.”

“Maybe that’s just the kind of person he is.”

Yu Qingtang recounted the incident from the night they watched the movie, where Xu Baizhang complained that his collar was too revealing.

A traditional Chinese medicine doctor who is ascetic, conservative, and without desire fits Xu Baizhang’s persona. Everyone has their own way of life, and he shouldn’t force it.

Liu Siyan: “Ask him first; what if he isn’t? Besides, a couple’s intimate life is a necessity in a marriage. Even if he doesn’t accept or like it, he should explain it to you beforehand.”

Yu Qingtang was worried that asking too directly would affect their future interactions.

Liu Siyan: “If you’re too embarrassed to say it directly, you can give him a hint.”

Yu Qingtang: “How do I hint?”

Liu Siyan raised an eyebrow and patted his shoulder. “Master Qingfeng, do you need me to give you a hint for something like this?”