“Uncle Chen, if only we had a few more days, we could finish it,” Yang Tao lamented. They’d been working so hard; he hated to reveal a half-finished surprise to his dad.
Chen Qiusu, hands still covered in paint, reassured him, “It’s okay. If your dad comes, maybe he’ll even help us finish it.”
It wasn’t just to comfort Yang Tao—it was also to reassure himself. Chen Qiusu wasn’t confident. He didn’t know if Yang Shao would appreciate the gesture or see it as overstepping.
The shop was located in a bustling area, and the engine noise of Yang Shao’s truck blended into the city’s chatter. Neither of them noticed his arrival.
“What are you two up to?” Yang Shao’s voice startled them from the doorway. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, first glancing at the shop sign above before looking down at the two sitting by the wall.
Yang Tao immediately tossed aside his paintbrush and sprinted toward him. “Daddy! Come look! Uncle Chen and I painted this. Isn’t it amazing?”
The entire wall was covered with hand-painted drawings—not intricate works, but endearingly cute.
Yang Tao was worried that Yang Shao might not understand, so he earnestly explained, “Here, we drew some fruits, this is the fruit stand, that’s your truck daddy, and this—this is the three of us: me, you, and Uncle Chen.”
Actually, there was no need for Yang Tao to explain. The drawings were very clear. Unexpectedly, despite being clueless about music, Chen Qiusu was quite talented at drawing.
“Do you like this rainbow?” Yang Tao pointed to a rainbow in the corner of the wall. With his height, it was clear he couldn’t have reached that spot. “Uncle Chen painted that.”
Chen Qiusu, are you some kind of wishing well? Then I want a rainbow.
Yang Tao wasn’t worried about whether Yang Shao would like it. After all, he and Uncle Chen had prepared so many rainbows—surely one of them would please his dad.
Dragging Yang Shao outside, Yang Tao pointed at the rainbow logo on the signboard. “There’s also this rainbow.”
He then stretched out his hands toward his dad, signaling him to pick him up. Without a word, Yang Shao lifted him. Yang Tao wriggled in his dad’s arms, urging him to move toward the switch nearby.
Placing his hand on the switch, Yang Tao’s face lit up with excitement. “Daddy, look at the ground.”
When the switch was flipped, the rainbow pattern on the signboard lit up, casting a rainbow-shaped light on the ground with the same colors. Yang Tao toggled the switch up and down, and the rainbow pattern began to spin.
“This one was my pick! Do you like it? There’s another one in the restroom too!”
The more Yang Tao talked, the more excited he became. He even tried to cup Yang Shao’s face with his hands, but the paint on them made Yang Shao shrink his neck in alarm.
“I like it, I like it! But we don’t need to check the restroom, and don’t get paint on my face.”
Yang Tao chuckled, clenched his fists, and wrapped his arms around Yang Shao’s neck, leaning his head against him. “Don’t be mad. We didn’t mean to exclude you. Uncle Chen and I wanted to finish it first before showing it to you.”
He wasn’t exactly mad, but he did feel a little annoyed that they’d kept secrets from him. But Yang Tao’s playful charm was always effective.
Now, the annoyance was gone, replaced by a different, indescribable emotion.
Yang Shao adjusted his hold on Yang Tao. When he turned around, he saw Chen Qiusu still looking at him. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped back into the shop.
Hearing his dad say he liked it, Yang Tao finally felt relieved. Embarrassed, he whispered, “I need to poop.”
It had been an exhausting day for Yang Tao. After his dad put him down, he ran straight to the bathroom. With his level of independence, he didn’t need anyone to accompany him.
Now only Chen Qiusu and Yang Shao were left in the shop. They needed to say something.
Yang Shao’s gaze fell on Chen Qiusu’s hands. His long, slender fingers were distinct, with visible veins on the back of his hands, now stained with paint. Even the cuffs of his shirt were smudged.
“I thought I made myself clear?” Yang Shao said, his voice steady but cold. He saw himself as someone with a heart of stone. If he didn’t harden himself now, he’d only end up hurting more later. If his previous rejection hadn’t been clear enough, Yang Shao took a deep breath, preparing to say it again.
“Chen Qiusu, we’re not suitable for each other.” His lips curled into a dry, humorless smile. Though Yang Shao often cursed Chen Qiusu as a beast in private, he couldn’t deny that he was a refined one. “You’re a big boss, and I’m just an ordinary person struggling to make ends meet. You’ve done enough. You don’t need to do so much—not to the point of compensating me like this.”
Compensating for losses was one thing. Why compensate with emotions?
Chen Qiusu wavered slightly but quickly collected himself, maintaining his composure. “I understand what you mean. You made it very clear last time. I’m not trying to pressure you; I just don’t want to break my promise.”
When it comes to feelings, either you like someone or you don’t. Emotions can’t be built on mere gratitude.
“I was drunk that time and said some petty things. You don’t need to take them to heart.”
After being rejected that night, Chen Qiusu had come to terms with it. Yang Shao probably didn’t like him. As long as he kept his distance and didn’t let his efforts bother Yang Shao, it would be fine.
“But I wasn’t drunk. When I made those promises, I meant them. I was serious about all of it.” Including the kiss with Yang Shao that night—he was serious about that too.
Yang Shao’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. A surge of heat rushed from behind his ears, leaving him flustered. He avoided looking into Chen Qiusu’s eyes, desperately wanting a cigarette. But his entire body was stiff, so he clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm.
“I know you were just speaking casually, but I can’t take it lightly.”
The bathroom door opened at the worst possible moment, accompanied by the sound of the flushing toilet. Yang Tao came out after washing his hands and wiped them on a towel, looking quite satisfied.
“Stop being so nice to me,” Yang Shao said quietly. Before Chen Qiusu could respond, he grabbed Yang Tao and headed out.
Confused, Yang Tao glanced back at Chen Qiusu, catching the disappointment on his face.
“Daddy, what’s going on?” Yang Tao hurried to catch up with his dad’s stride.
“Why aren’t we waiting for Uncle Chen? Don’t you like…. You don’t like Uncle Chen…”
Yang Shao suddenly stopped in his tracks and firmly said, “Of course I don’t like him!”
Startled, Yang Tao carefully studied his dad’s expression. He didn’t see anger, only panic.
“I wasn’t asking if you like Uncle Chen. I meant, do you not like the surprise Uncle Chen prepared for you?”
Yang Shao felt like his throat was being squeezed.
“Daddy, is it because you don’t like Uncle Chen that you don’t like the surprise?” Yang Tao didn’t understand the conflict between his dad and Uncle Chen. He just wanted them to get along.
“The paintings on the walls were done by Uncle Chen and me. If you don’t like them, the cart outside—that was designed by the two of us too. We went to so many places and bought so many materials. Uncle Chen was so worried you wouldn’t like the surprise. He asked me every time before we bought something.”
“Daddy, don’t leave Uncle Chen here all alone. Going home alone is so sad.”
Yang Tao looked pitifully at his dad. He had experienced loneliness himself and knew his father had too. Surely, his dad would understand what it felt like to go home alone.
Chen Qiusu. Chen Qiusu. Everywhere it’s Chen Qiusu. Only then did Yang Shao realize that Chen Qiusu had already become a part of his life.
Yang Shao appeared to be a rugged and stoic man, reserved and unexpressive with his emotions. But no matter how restrained or numb he was, he still craved warmth. The feeling of being cared for was undeniably good. He hadn’t expected Chen Qiusu to come looking for him with Yang Tao when he was trapped in the mountains. He had always thought that as long as someone helped him take care of Yang Tao, he could relax a bit. He never imagined that someone would also take care of him—his feelings, especially on those silent nights after Yang Tao had fallen asleep, when the world was utterly still, reminding him he wasn’t entirely alone.
“Daddy, don’t be mad at Uncle Chen anymore.” Yang Tao tugged at Yang Shao’s sleeve, looking up at him with expectant eyes.
…..
The cold wind cut like a knife, not only stinging the face but relentlessly sneaking into his clothes. After standing at the door for a while, Chen Qiusu turned back inside the shop.
He silently cleaned up the items scattered on the ground, putting away the paint and brushes. Afterward, he went to wash his hands in the restroom and then walked to the door to turn off the lights.
There were about two days left to finish the mural on the wall. If Yang Tao couldn’t be there to help, it might take a bit longer.
Just as he was about to turn off the lights, he heard Yang Tao’s voice from afar, “Uncle Chen!”
Chen Qiusu turned his head and saw Yang Shao standing there, holding Yang Tao’s hand. He froze for a moment, then took two steps forward, wanting to confirm if Yang Shao had really come back.
Under Chen Qiusu’s intense gaze, Yang Shao felt a bit awkward. He avoided eye contact and came up with a rather clumsy excuse. “I didn’t get a chance to check out the restroom rainbow pattern earlier.”
Going home alone did feel a bit pitiful.
Worried the two adults would struggle to break the ice, Yang Tao tugged his dad toward Chen Qiusu. “Daddy’s not mad anymore Uncle Chen.”
That was Yang Tao’s way of putting it, but the truth was, Yang Shao softened and came back for Chen Qiusu.
“Yang Shao.”
Yang Shao looked around. “If I hadn’t brought Yang Tao back…”
“Then I would still finish decorating this place,” Chen Qiusu replied firmly. In his world, the phrase “giving up halfway” didn’t exist. Once he started something, he saw it through to the end.
Just like how, even after Yang Shao rejected him, he refused to back down. A little rejection wasn’t enough to deter him.
Yang Shao felt a bit disgusted with himself. Listening to a man in his thirties confess his feelings to him had made his ears heat up. How pathetic.
So earnest. How was he supposed to badmouth Chen Qiusu as a “beast” behind his back now?
“Daddy, didn’t you say you wanted to check out the restroom?” Only Yang Tao took Yang Shao’s words seriously.
Yang Shao shot him a glance. “I changed my mind. Besides, you’ve already used it before it’s even officially open.”
Yang Tao rubbed his nose sheepishly. “But you’re the one who said it—poop brings prosperity.”
When had he ever said something so crude to Yang Tao? The boy remembered it so vividly too.
Yang Shao suddenly felt a small hand squeeze his tightly. He looked down to see Yang Tao holding his hand, and in Yang Tao’s other hand was Chen Qiusu’s.
Poop brings prosperity.. 😂