CoP 25

After returning home, Ji Ling ate a lot.

In his eyes, eating was a very effective way to regulate one’s emotions. While eating, the taste buds could be satisfied, the body could be replenished with the energy it needed, and one could think while chewing and swallowing.

So Ji Ling felt that eating was a highly efficient activity.

After finishing an entire piece of Sichuan pepper chicken, Ji Ling received two WeChat messages from Sui Cannong.

To be precise, they were two links. The first one was a short video, which Ji Ling glanced at. It was a stress-relieving video about making yogurt.

The video was fifteen minutes long, and Ji Ling decided to watch it carefully after finishing his meal.

The second link was an introduction to an art exhibition. Sui Cannong said, “This exhibition isn’t very crowded. What do you think?”

Although it was a small exhibition, Ji Ling still searched for the artist’s name online and did some research.

Ji Ling was still in a state of disbelief.

Pursuing someone didn’t come with a clear outline or a standard answer. At that time, Ji Ling had already prepared himself for a long process and the possibility of failure.

He still didn’t know which of his previous attempts had worked on Sui Cannong, as most of them seemed to have been poorly executed in his eyes.

But at least the outcome was good. Sui Cannong had developed some affection for him and wanted to start a relationship.

Although things had suddenly fast-forwarded from pursuing to dating, Ji Ling knew that cultivating and maintaining a relationship was also crucial, and he still had a lot of work to do.

Ji Ling replied, “I think it’s great.”

The moment Sui Cannong received this message, he felt the stone in his heart finally settle.

There was a bit of a gamble involved. Although Ji Ling had admitted to wanting a relationship, that didn’t mean he would definitely agree to one with him.

Ji Ling’s expression yesterday had been a shock that Sui Cannong hadn’t anticipated, so he had been uncertain.

When he heard Ji Ling say “I’m willing” today, Sui Cannong felt his heart almost leap out of his chest.

But at the same time, he noticed that Ji Ling seemed a bit too tense.

Despite feeling surprised, Sui Cannong was afraid of scaring Ji Ling again, so he carefully asked some unrelated questions to ease the tension.

Seeing Ji Ling relax a bit, Sui Cannong then cautiously extended an invitation for a date.

The moment Ji Ling agreed, Sui Cannong also felt a sense of relief.

Sui Cannong deliberately left early, but when he arrived, he saw Ji Ling already sitting on a bench outside the exhibition entrance, apparently having waited for some time.

Ji Ling was wearing a light-colored coat, his fingers tucked into the sleeves, his head lowered, and he was quietly staring at the ground.

Sui Cannong called out, “Ji Ling.”

He saw Ji Ling lift his head.

Although they had gone out together every weekend before, this time Sui Cannong felt something was different.

The moment their gazes met, Sui Cannong felt a subtle, ambiguous connection in the air.

Sui Cannong felt his face inexplicably flush.

Though the main purpose was to go on a date, Sui Cannong didn’t choose a popular exhibition with long queues but a smaller, more niche one.

Yesterday, Sui Cannong had casually flipped through a couple of pages of the exhibition’s introduction and found the style of the paintings to be quite soothing, so he bought tickets online without much thought.

At first, the paintings on display were quite normal, mostly floral and landscape scenes and portraits, with bright, high-saturation colors.

But as they moved further in, Sui Cannong began to feel something was off.

The style of the paintings became increasingly bizarre and abstract, such as a large patch of blood in a gray-white background, or a pair of scissors pressing against a woman’s neck…

The background music in the exhibition also became sad and melancholic, sounding a bit like a violin version of “Moon Reflected on Second Spring.” Sui Cannong’s brows furrowed.

While Ji Ling was looking at the paintings seriously, he suddenly heard Sui Cannong hesitantly ask, “Why do I feel like the artist’s later style… is a bit oppressive?”

Ji Ling glanced at the creation date under the painting.

“These paintings were created during the period when his wife divorced him,” Ji Ling said. “It’s probably the turning point in his style.”

Sui Cannong: “Ah, I see…”

“His most famous works should be further back,” Ji Ling said, somewhat eagerly. “If I remember correctly, they were created a month before his suicide.”

Ji Ling felt Sui Cannong’s body suddenly tense up.

He heard Sui Cannong hesitantly ask, “…Suicide?”

Although the artist was relatively obscure, Ji Ling had still read some analyses of his style and a brief biography last night, remembering the key turning points in his life.

“He seems to have committed suicide at the age of forty,” Ji Ling recalled, somewhat uncertainly. “He slit his wrists in the bathtub.”

Sui Cannong murmured, “Oh my…”

Ji Ling was taken aback. “What?”

Sui Cannong slowly exhaled. “Nothing.”

Ji Ling didn’t think much of it and continued looking at the paintings. When they entered the next hall, Ji Ling saw some of the artist’s famous works.

Ji Ling’s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to take a closer look.

However, it seemed to Ji Ling that every time he was about to examine a painting closely, Sui Cannong would silently step forward two paces, blocking part of his view and preventing him from seeing the entire painting.

But Ji Ling assumed Sui Cannong was just too engrossed and didn’t think much of it.

Ji Ling thought for a moment and took out his phone.

It was their first date, so he wanted to keep a memento. But before he could even open the camera, Sui Cannong seemed to guess what he was about to do and quickly stopped him.

Sui Cannong was a bit nervous. “You… don’t take pictures.”

Ji Ling looked up, puzzled.

He thought Sui Cannong was worried about the flash and explained, “I saw a sign at the entrance saying that photography is allowed throughout the exhibition, and I’ve already turned off the flash.”

The last time they went to the movies, when Ji Ling wanted to take a picture of the colorful popcorn, Sui Cannong had the same expression. Ji Ling realized that Sui Cannong didn’t like taking photos as mementos.

But today was special, so Ji Ling hesitated and then softly pleaded, “This is our first date.”

Sui Cannong stared into his eyes for a moment.

“Yes,” Sui Cannong paused and then said, “This is our first date, so why are you taking pictures of the paintings? You should take pictures of me.”

Ji Ling: “…?”

Sui Cannong suddenly became quite enthusiastic.

There were few visitors in the hall, and Ji Ling saw Sui Cannong take a large step in front of a painting, blocking it, and then make a big V sign.

He grinned, showing a bright smile, and looked at the camera.

Sui Cannong said, “Go ahead, take the picture.”

The entire painting was blocked by Sui Cannong’s body, leaving only the frame visible. Ji Ling held his phone, feeling a bit confused.

But seeing the smile on Sui Cannong’s face, Ji Ling finally nodded and said, “Okay.”

Ji Ling took many pictures of Sui Cannong.

The artist’s later works were quite oppressive, and the atmosphere and setting of the venue were also somewhat dark and gloomy.

But Sui Cannong’s smile was very bright, which made the temperature of the pictures Ji Ling took seem different.

“Sorry,” Sui Cannong took a deep breath after leaving the exhibition. “Next time, I’ll do more research and choose a less oppressive theme…”

Ji Ling didn’t understand why Sui Cannong was apologizing.

Actually, by the end of the exhibition, Ji Ling hadn’t really paid much attention to the paintings. Most of the time, he was taking pictures of Sui Cannong or secretly looking at the pictures of Sui Cannong.

“It’s fine,” Ji Ling said earnestly. “This is actually a very meaningful exhibition. Oppressive and heavy is also a style, and the paintings are very powerful and can resonate with people.”

Ji Ling was trying hard to convey that it was a good exhibition and that he didn’t mind the theme, but he noticed that Sui Cannong still looked a bit uncomfortable.

Ji Ling realized that Sui Cannong seemed particularly sensitive to topics related to death.

They met in the afternoon, and by the time they left the exhibition, it was getting dark but not yet dinner time. They walked quietly along the street for a while.

Sui Cannong hadn’t expected the theme to be such a problem. He felt awkward and guilty, took a few sips of water, and suddenly heard Ji Ling call his name.

Sui Cannong, with water in his mouth, looked at him and mumbled a “Hmm.”

Ji Ling asked, “We are dating, right?”

Sui Cannong almost spat out the water. “…Yes.”

Ji Ling nodded and asked, “If we are officially in a relationship, can I make some appropriate requests?”

His expression was sincere, and Sui Cannong paused, involuntarily becoming serious. “Sure, go ahead.”

Ji Ling hesitated. “Actually, I wanted to ask you something in the exhibition, but the atmosphere didn’t seem right.”

“And I wasn’t sure if it would be inappropriate to do it suddenly,” Ji Ling said.

His expression was serious, and Sui Cannong hesitated. “It’s okay, don’t be so formal. What is it? Just tell me.”

Ji Ling nodded and lowered his head.

Then Sui Cannong heard him ask very softly, “Can I… hold your hand?”

Sui Cannong was stunned. He looked at Ji Ling’s side profile, noticing a rare look of embarrassment, and Ji Ling’s ears seemed a bit red.

After a while, Sui Cannong managed to say, “Of course.”

Sui Cannong confidently took Ji Ling’s hand.

Their fingers interlocked, Sui Cannong’s palm was warm, while Ji Ling’s fingertips were a bit cool.

They didn’t speak, just walked quietly for a while, holding hands. Their breathing was light, but their heartbeats were clearly audible.

Ji Ling roughly counted his heartbeats per minute and realized that his heart rate was almost twice the frequency of his steps.

Ji Ling felt Sui Cannong gently shake his hand.

Sui Cannong asked, “Can I let go now?”

Ji Ling felt a bit disappointed but realized they had walked through five intersections, which was quite a long time.

Ji Ling said, “Sure.”

Sui Cannong let go of his hand, and Ji Ling lowered his head, slowly curling his fingers.

“Since you’ve already ‘offended’ me,” the next second, Sui Cannong asked, “can I also ‘offend’ you a little?”

This was actually a question seeking permission.

Ji Ling looked up, puzzled, and before he could respond, Sui Cannong turned around and took action.

The streetlights dimly lit up, and a car passed by, bringing a gentle breeze. Ji Ling saw Sui Cannong’s face suddenly very close.

Then Sui Cannong leaned down and gently kissed Ji Ling’s cheek.