Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 21.1

Chapter 21.1 – Time Speaks 11 – Part 1

At midnight, the clock in the ancient town square chimed, its tones clear and melodious.

Dong—Dong—Dong—

The strings of red lanterns overhead suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into abrupt darkness. Zuo Yi let go, and Qiao Shan, who had struggled under his iron grip, was left gasping for breath, her neck aching so much she couldn’t muster the strength to lift her head.

The pressure on the back of her head was gone, but she still pressed against his chest, lowering her head for a deep breath before murmuring weakly, “Zuo Xiaoqi, are you an ox or something?”

Zuo Yi gave a faint smile, his tone light and easy. “I’m a dragon.”

Qiao Shan looked up at him, catching the smile tugging at his lips, and froze.

The only light left came from the incandescent bulbs of the street stalls, their glow casting across the man’s profile in half-shadow, half-light, his chiseled features softened by that subtle amusement. She thought about it—since their reunion, she’d never seen him smile like this.

Her impression of him had always been: sharp-tongued, aloof, stingy.

But this smile of his tugged at her heartstrings, making it go all soft. It wasn’t like Xiao Jia’s—his was unexpectedly delightful, perhaps because the gentleness came so out of nowhere, warming Qiao Shan’s entire heart.

It seemed this guy was finally ready to open up to her for real.

Qiao Shan sighed inwardly, letting go of her grudge over him swiping her food. She slapped his shoulder in a generous gesture. “Fine, consider it my treat this time. Back in Jinyang, you owe me an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet!”

Zuo Yi nodded with a smile. “Sure, deal.”

After the chimes faded, the town’s broadcast crackled to life with an announcement:

“Attention, attention! Tourists in the ancient town, please note—today is May 6th, and the mayor has decided to hold a fireworks festival. Guests are welcome to view it at the square.”

Qiao Shan tiptoed to peer toward the square. “Fireworks festival? Like, actual fireworks? Let’s go check it out?”

Since it was a last-minute decision and well past midnight, not many tourists showed up. The square was dotted with just a sparse crowd.

Bang! A beam of light shot into the sky, exploding into a canopy of star-like sparks that bloomed like flowers, so close it felt like the silver blooms were firing straight at her retinas.

The two stood on the highest stone steps, heads tilted back to watch the display. After a moment, Qiao Shan felt an itch on her thigh, followed by a little girl’s giggling.

Qiao Shan and Zuo Yi both looked down at the same time. The little girl tilted her head up at them, flashing a gap-toothed grin. “Uncle Zuo, Mama Qiao—you’re really on a date, huh?”

The two exchanged a glance, a touch of awkwardness settling in. Qiao Shan eyed the girl. “How’d you sneak out here? Weren’t you asleep? By yourself?”

“Pfft, Little Matchmaker, we’ve got your back too.”

Qiao Shan looked up and spotted Ying Shengnan, Ximi, and the hand-holding elderly couple down on the steps below.

Gazing at the silver flowers bursting in the sky like fiery trees, Ximi the girl leaped up with a squeal. “Woo! So pretty! Big bro, look!”

Ying Shengnan shot her a sidelong glance, deadpan. “Little miss, what’s with the ‘big bro’? Call me big brother.”

Ximi rolled her eyes at him. “Hmph, as if. Trying to take advantage?”

Qiao Shan and Zuo Yi descended the steps, yielding the prime fireworks-viewing spot to the golden-anniversary couple.

The old man stepped up, extending a hand to his wife. “Careful now, old lady—your back’s been acting up.”

The old woman chuckled. “Perfect—twist it, and you’ll carry me home.”

“Wah wah wah! Grandpa and Grandma, no fair showing off like that!” Ximi wailed.

“Abusing the old folks…” Ying Shengnan chimed in.

“Abusing the pups…” Wenwen added solemnly, chin tilted skyward.

Qiao Shan used Zuo Yi’s shoulder for leverage to hop down the steps, nearly tumbling forward—thank goodness Zuo Yi’s quick hand snagged her hoodie strings from behind. The yank jerked her to a stop; she steadied herself and rubbed her neck, grumbling, “You almost strangled me.”

Zuo Yi didn’t deny it, his lips twitching as if to say something, but a burst of fireworks exploded overhead.

Everyone looked up.

On the steps ahead, the old woman nestled in her husband’s arms—silver hair and all—evoking endless poignancy.

Ximi sighed softly. “Grandma’s in the late stages of liver cancer. Not much time left with Grandpa.”

Qiao Shan’s heart skipped a beat; she stared at Ximi in shock. “What did you say?”

Ximi said, “Last night in the kitchen, washing dishes—Grandpa came for hot water and told me. Living to their age is pretty worthwhile, though. They’ve both made their peace. Grandpa said the one left behind suffers more—better if he goes with her.”

For some reason, Qiao Shan’s vision blurred with mist.

They’d held each other’s hands through a golden wedding, to white hair and old age—not long, not short. Cherish every day together, and even at the end, it was happiness.

As the fireworks bloomed overhead, their flickering light played across the faces of the elderly couple and the young folks below. This little inn had somehow turned them into a fleeting family.

Ying Shengnan murmured suddenly, “Man, I wanna get married—find someone to dote on.”

Ximi said, “I wanna become a master chef ASAP, rake in the big bucks, and keep a hot guy.”

*

Outside the inn, fireworks crackled away, but someone inside had no heart for the show.

In Xiao Jia’s room, the windows were shut tight. He and Lin Zhen had been at this standoff for hours. Finally, Lin Zhen couldn’t take it anymore and looked up at him. “Xiao Jia, what’ll it take for you to accept me?”

The alcohol had mostly burned off her; she was regaining some sense, her words coming in measured layers.

Xiao Jia’s response was the same as ever: “Impossible. The one I like is Qiao Shan.”

It was the 108th time she’d heard that tonight. She stood, stepping toward him, tilting her chin up to meet his handsome, haggard face. “Xiao Jia, if she really liked you—if there was any chance between you—would you have waited over thirty years? All these years, you never broke that window paper because you were scared of this exact outcome, right? Scared you’d lose even the friendship. Well, the facts are right here in front of you—what are you still fighting? I like you, I love you—I’d do anything for you. Why can’t you just accept me? Why won’t you even glance my way?”

Xiao Jia’s voice was flat, stripped of all emotion—no coldness, no warmth.

“Don’t like you. No reason needed.”

Lin Zhen let out a cold snort, rising on tiptoe to hook her arms around his neck, lunging forward to bite at his lips and hold on tight.

Xiao Jia shoved her back with the heel of his palm against her shoulder. His eyes blazed with fury, whites veined faintly red, his throat rumbling low like a beast on the verge.

His fingers dug into her shoulders, hard enough to nearly bruise the bone. “Lin Zhen, this is your last warning. Pull something shameless like that again, and you’ll regret it.”

Lin Zhen stared at him, tears streaming down her face, her expression twisted. “Shameless? Kissing the man I like is shameless? Xiao Jia, do you even have a heart? I’ve chased you shamelessly for so long—did I never stir anything in you?”

Xiao Jia said, “Sorry. You never did.”

Lin Zhen bit her lip, stepping back with a hateful glare before starting to unbutton her shirt.

Collarbone… and lower, the fullest curves of a woman’s body.

Xiao Jia clenched his fists and turned away. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her heated body pressing flush against his back. Through the thin fabric, he could feel every contour.

Rage boiled over; he wrenched free with near-disgust, snatching his jacket from the rack and hurling it back at her face without a backward glance as he stormed to the door.

By the time Lin Zhen snapped out of it, Xiao Jia had slammed the door behind him.

She crumpled to the floor clutching the jacket, and in the next instant, the tears broke loose.

*

The next morning, as Qiao Shan came down for breakfast, the elderly couple had their bags packed and ready to leave. Ximi had dumped hers at the front desk, planning to head out after the meal.

Everyone gathered at one table, but Lin Zhen and Xiao Jia were nowhere to be seen.

Finally, the boss spoke up, instructing his wife: “Honey, go upstairs and call Mr. Xiao and Little Lin. Breakfast’ll be cold if they don’t hurry.”

The boss’s wife agreed, setting down the last dish before heading up. She was back in no time, reporting, “Mr. Xiao’s room is empty. Miss Lin’s too…”

No sooner had she spoken than Qiao Shan’s phone buzzed with a text from Xiao Jia: “Got a new project at school to follow up on—heading out early. Wenwen, have Qiao Shan bring you back. Let me know when you’re in Jinyang; I’ll pick you up.”

Qiao Shan pocketed her phone. “He says there’s a new school project, so he left early. Guess Lin Zhen did too.”

Wenwen was shoveling porridge into her mouth with a big spoon, grains stuck to her lips. She paused, looking up at Qiao Shan in wide-eyed surprise. “Papa Xiao ditched me all by myself? Waaah—good thing I still have you guys!”

The old lady ruffled her hair. “Wenwen, be a good girl back home and study hard. Swing by Jinyang sometime to visit Grandma, okay?”

Wenwen nodded vigorously. “Yup yup! I still want Grandma to braid my hair! Hee hee.”

Ximi gazed around the table, reluctant. “Sigh, time flew by so fast. We just met, and now we’re splitting up. You’re all from Jinyang; I’m not—two cities apart. Might be goodbye forever after this. Hate to say bye…”

Ying Shengnan said, “What’s with the sighs, little miss? Whenever you wanna hit Jinyang, call big bro—I’ll cover the flight, food, lodging. Stay a year, two—no problem. If you fancy being my second bro’s wife, a lifetime’s on the house.”

Qiao Shan shot him a displeased look. “Boss Ying, you switching careers or what?”

Laughter erupted around the table. Their time together had been short, but bonds had formed—parting brought a wave of melancholy.