Love Me, Please Look - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Canvas, Curry, and Confessions

Over the next few weeks, having lunch together became routine for Zhang Shixu and Qi Junhe. If they weren’t eating, they were wandering around campus, killing time and enjoying each other’s company. It was like they couldn’t get enough of one another.

But lately, Qi Junhe had been acting a little… off. Clingier than usual. He seemed to want to be around Zhang Shixu all the time, and oddly enough, started turning down his lunch invitations.

Just like today—Zhang Shixu had barely stepped out of his classroom at noon when he got a message from Qi Junhe saying he had to finish a painting and couldn’t meet for lunch.

October was already creeping into winter, though in City B, the chill wasn’t too harsh.

Still, without much thought, Zhang Shixu swung by the canteen, grabbed two curry fried chicken rice meals, and headed toward the art building where he figured Qi Junhe would be—following the directions the younger boy had shown him before.

He found the studio and stood quietly outside, watching through the glass door.

The afternoon light slanted in through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The room was peaceful—almost reverent. Qi Junhe stood at an easel, entirely absorbed in his work. His slightly long hair was loosely tied back, paint splattered across his white shirt, which hung over baggy overalls with tools stuffed into the pockets.

He was completely focused, eyes narrowed in concentration, lips pressed into a thin line. His brush moved with confidence, almost reverence, carefully layering paint onto the canvas.

Zhang Shixu stepped aside to get a better view of what he was painting—and froze.

On the canvas, a pair of eyes were beginning to take shape—clear, amber-toned eyes gleaming with light. He recognized them instantly.

They were his eyes.

Qi Junhe stared at the painting with such intensity, like he was looking straight through the canvas, into someone’s soul.

Zhang Shixu gently opened the studio door and cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

Startled, Qi Junhe quickly turned and moved to block the canvas.

“I figured you might skip lunch,” Zhang Shixu said as he walked in, holding out the food.

‘How did you find me?’ Qi Junhe asked, surprised.

Zhang Shixu smiled. “You showed me before, remember? What, were you really not going to eat if I hadn’t come?”

‘Of course not,’ Qi Junhe denied, flustered.

Realizing how messy he looked—paint all over his clothes—Qi Junhe tugged self-consciously at his shirt. He clearly hadn’t planned for anyone, especially not Zhang Shixu, to see him like this.

Zhang Shixu noticed and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’ve never seen you paint before. What were you working on?” he asked playfully, pretending not to know.

Qi Junhe stepped in front of him, shielding the canvas. Clearly, he didn’t want him to see it.

“What, it’s a secret?” Zhang Shixu teased.

Qi Junhe nodded… then hesitated and shook his head.

“Which is it?” Zhang Shixu grinned.

‘It’s a surprise,’ Qi Junhe finally signed.

“Alright, alright,” Zhang Shixu relented. “Let’s find somewhere to eat?”

Qi Junhe nodded again. ‘Let me go change first.’

Before Zhang Shixu could get another peek at the canvas, Qi Junhe all but pushed him out the studio door.

While waiting outside the locker room, Zhang Shixu played with his phone, the two meals still in hand, when two familiar faces approached—Tian Tian and Zhou Ying.

“Senior! It is you!” Tian Tian beamed as he greeted him. Zhou Ying, standing beside him, remained quiet, his expression unreadable.

Zhang Shixu was caught off guard but quickly smiled in return. Tian Tian was Zhou Ying’s current boyfriend—a soft, sweet Omega—and clearly had no clue about Zhang Shixu’s history with Zhou Ying.

“Hey,” Zhang Shixu greeted casually, then nodded toward Zhou Ying, who offered only a polite smile and nod, pretending there was no history between them.

“What are you doing at the art school? Waiting for someone?” Tian Tian asked cheerfully.

Zhang Shixu nodded, only remembering then that Tian Tian was also in the oil painting program—same class as Qi Junhe.

Just as they were chatting, Qi Junhe reappeared, now wearing a clean Tibetan-blue sweatshirt with matching pants. He stopped short when he noticed the two others standing with Zhang Shixu.

Zhang Shixu quickly reached for his hand. “Junhe, this is Tian Tian, and this is Zhou Ying.”

Qi Junhe offered a polite smile and nodded. ‘Nice to meet you.’

Tian Tian’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Wait, are you Qi Junhe? From our department? I heard you were recruited specially—super talented!”

Zhang Shixu glanced at Qi Junhe, curious to see how he’d react. But Qi Junhe stayed composed, nodding politely.

‘Thanks. Nice to meet you too.’

Tian Tian, a little confused, turned to Zhang Shixu for help.

“He says nice to meet you too,” Zhang Shixu translated.

Tian Tian grinned, about to continue the conversation, but Zhou Ying interrupted.

“They’re carrying lunch—probably haven’t eaten yet. Don’t bother them.”

Tian Tian blinked, then nodded. “Oh—right! Sorry! Enjoy your lunch. Bye, senior! Bye, Qi Junhe!”

“Bye!” Zhang Shixu said. Qi Junhe waved silently.

Once the other two had gone, Zhang Shixu turned back to Qi Junhe. “Let’s go eat?”

…

Meanwhile, Tian Tian snuggled close to Zhou Ying as they walked away.

“Baby, do you think the senior’s falling in love?”

Zhou Ying glanced at him. “Oh? That sharp, are we?”

“I mean, he looked at Junhe like I used to look at you—like he wanted to follow him around forever,” Tian Tian said with a giggle.

Zhou Ying smiled faintly and pulled Tian Tian closer, draping his coat over the smaller boy’s shoulders. “Told you to bring a jacket. Now you’re freezing.”

“Hehe,” Tian Tian laughed, burying into Zhou Ying’s arms.

…

Back on campus, Zhang Shixu and Qi Junhe found an empty classroom to eat. Neither of them felt like making the trek back to the dining hall.

“I got curry fried chicken rice today. Hope you like it,” Zhang Shixu said, opening the container.

‘I do,’ Qi Junhe nodded.

“Good.”

Zhang Shixu broke the chopsticks for him—he had learned early on that Qi Junhe always struggled with the wooden ones, never breaking them evenly.

It was a small thing, but it made Zhang Shixu smile. There was something endearingly clumsy about Qi Junhe, and lately, he’d been thinking maybe it was too cute for comfort.

He handed over the chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”

As they ate, Zhang Shixu kept up the conversation, while Qi Junhe chimed in with the occasional gesture, always listening quietly with those bright, focused eyes.

Having someone who genuinely listened, who didn’t interrupt or get bored—it gave Zhang Shixu a strange kind of comfort.

He hadn’t completely gotten over his previous relationship, but with Qi Junhe, it was like having a soft, loyal little cat constantly at your side—quiet, sweet, and unexpectedly captivating.

‘Is your birthday at the end of the month?’ Qi Junhe asked suddenly.

“Yeah, October 30th. Why?” Zhang Shixu asked, taking a bite of chicken. A bit of curry got on the corner of his mouth.

‘Just asking,’ Qi Junhe replied.

Without another word, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and offered it to Zhang Shixu. When he didn’t take it, Qi Junhe hesitated… then gently reached out and wiped his mouth for him.

Zhang Shixu looked at him in surprise. Qi Junhe’s expression was gentle, almost timid, as he focused on the simple task with such care.

For a second, Zhang Shixu thought he could hear Qi Junhe’s heart pounding—loud and fast—like it was trying to say something neither of them had found the words for yet.

Maybe this quiet boy wasn’t as indifferent as he liked to pretend.