UNCLTRD chapter 37

Even with Yang Tao between them, the feeling was strange. Yang Shao felt as if he had glimpsed his ultimate goal in life. Wasn’t this it? Wrapping up work and heading home with a partner and child?

Partner…

The word flashed through Yang Shao’s mind, and he instinctively associated it with Chen Qiusu. He and Chen Qiusu—something he had never dared to imagine before.

That night, when they got home, Yang Tao clung to both his dad and Uncle Chen, refusing to go to his own room. “Daddy, come paint with us tomorrow.”

Chen Qiusu chimed in from the side. “Yeah, join us. You can give us some ideas. It’s been just me and Yang Tao so far, but I’m sure you have your own thoughts.”

Yang Shao didn’t have much of an opinion. Chen Qiusu and Yang Tao had done a good enough job preparing everything. He wasn’t in such a rush to set up his stall, so if finishing the renovations early meant opening the shop sooner, why not?

“Alright.” Satisfied with his dad’s agreement, Yang Tao finally went to his room to sleep.

Chen Qiusu, ever considerate, moved himself to the couch as soon as Yang Tao left. It was his turn to sleep there tonight.

“Aren’t you busy at the end of the year? How do you have time for all this?” Yang Shao asked.

Chen Qiusu adjusted his pillow. “It’s the weekend. I usually have the driver pick Yang Tao up after work.”

Time was always manageable if you wanted it to be.

Chen Qiusu was thorough and thoughtful.

They were a little apart from each other—Yang Shao sat cross-legged on the bed, Chen Qiusu stood by the couch. For the first time in a while, it felt to Chen Qiusu like there wasn’t such a vast gap between them.

“Yang Shao, does your coming back today mean you’re giving me a chance?” Chen Qiusu wasn’t one for beating around the bush. He didn’t know how to express himself well, nor how to pursue someone. If he didn’t ask directly, he feared missing out.

Caught off guard by the question, Yang Shao hesitated. “I don’t know.”

It wasn’t a brush-off. He genuinely didn’t know. He couldn’t give Chen Qiusu a definitive answer.

But the ambiguous reply delighted Chen Qiusu. Yang Shao hadn’t outright rejected him like before. “I don’t know” meant it wasn’t a no. It meant there might be a chance. The opportunity seemed to be back in his hands.

…..

In the days that followed, Yang Shao started meeting Chen Qiusu after work, bringing Yang Tao along.

Talent was a tricky thing. What seemed like a simple mural was something Yang Shao couldn’t manage. He couldn’t even handle outlining, so they had him do the simplest task—coloring. Even then, he kept going outside the lines, requiring Chen Qiusu to fix his mistakes.

Holding a paintbrush, Yang Shao felt indignant. Watching Chen Qiusu and Yang Tao paint made it look so easy. Why did his hands feel like they didn’t belong to him when it was his turn?

“Aren’t you tone-deaf?”

“What does that have to do with painting?” Chen Qiusu asked, confused.

Yang Shao’s point was that artistic sensibilities should be interconnected. If Chen Qiusu couldn’t carry a tune, his drawing skills shouldn’t be this good either.

For high places, Chen Qiusu handled the work. Lower spots were left for Yang Tao to help with.

Yang Tao teased his dad while making corrections, “Daddy, you’re so clumsy. How can you not even know how to color?”

Yang Shao lightly kicked Yang Tao’s backside, his adult dignity on the verge of collapse. His addition to the team had obviously delayed the project. If he’d known this, he wouldn’t have come with the two of them.

“Hey!” Yang Shao looked up and noticed Chen Qiusu’s sleeve brushing against the paint. On his pristine white shirt, even the slightest smudge was glaringly obvious. After just a few days of working on the shop’s renovations, Chen Qiusu had already ruined several sets of clothes.

Seeing it was like watching Yang Tao stomp through a puddle; Yang Shao’s compulsiveness kicked in. Grabbing Chen Qiusu’s wrist, he rolled up the sleeve, folding it neatly before pushing it further up.

Yang Shao’s fingers were cold, and the cool sensation slid across Chen Qiusu’s arm. Chen Quisu didn’t feel chilled, but he couldn’t help a slight shiver.

Naturally, he extended his other arm for Yang Shao to fix as well. Yang Shao paused but eventually folded that sleeve too, waiting for Chen Quisu to retract his hand. But Chen Quisu didn’t move, leaving them in an awkward stalemate.

“Daddy! My sleeve fell down too,” Yang Tao interjected, sticking his arm between the two of them, effectively saving Yang Shao.

Chen Qiusu smiled unabashedly at Yang Shao. “Once we’re done here, let’s go grab something to eat.”

“Yeah! I’m starving. I could eat two big drumsticks right now,” Yang Tao declared eagerly. He cared more about finishing the painting than his hunger—if the work wasn’t done, he wouldn’t enjoy his meal.

Pretending not to see Chen Qiusu’s smile, Yang Shao headed to the restroom to wash his hands. When he came out, the other two were tidying up.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” he said, shaking the water off his hands before stepping outside.

It was cold, and since it wasn’t a holiday, the streets weren’t particularly crowded. He crouched in a corner, pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, and lit one.

The sizzling sound of the flame igniting was followed by a swirl of pale smoke. The sharp taste of the cigarette prickled his senses as he gazed at the glowing ember on the tip.

Chen Qiusu made his heart itch. Their exchanged glances, their fleeting touches—all of it made his pulse race, especially Chen Quisu’s gaze, so tender it seemed to drip with emotion.

Yang Shao always felt that Chen Quisu’s eyes lacked the aggressiveness expected of an alpha. They were far too soft and affectionate.

“Daddy!” The sound of Yang Tao’s footsteps came from behind. Before Yang Shao could react, the boy jumped onto his back.

Yang Shao staggered slightly, one hand supporting Yang Tao’s bottom while the other extinguished his cigarette and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

They ended up at a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Yang Tao got his coveted drumsticks, eating with glee. Afterward, they stood outside the restaurant, waiting for Chen Quisu to finish paying the bill.

Across the street, a pair of parents were buying balloons for their child. Yang Tao’s eyes lit up as he stared intently, his subtle signals failing to catch his father’s attention, who was preoccupied watching the restaurant door for Chen Qiusu.

But Chen Quisu noticed Yang Tao’s glances. Following the boy’s gaze, he saw the balloon vendor, an elderly man, walking away with his cart.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Yang Tao grew impatient. “Buy me a balloon!”

Yang Shao had intended to ask how much the meal had cost, but Yang Tao’s interruption derailed him. He glanced around, confused about where the balloons were.

Dragging his dad and Uncle Chen along, Yang Tao chased after the vendor. The old man, though seemingly frail, was surprisingly fast, and it took them until a nearby alley to catch up.

The balloon, overpriced at twenty yuan, felt like a rip-off even though Yang Shao wasn’t paying. Still, Yang Tao liked it, and Chen Qiusu had already pulled out his wallet.

If not for respecting the old man’s hard work, Yang Shao would have smacked Chen Quisu’s hand away. Chen Quisu handed over a large bill, and the old man, in return, casually remarked, “Out for a stroll with your partner and child? There’s a performance at Binjiang Square today. You should check it out.”

Partner?

Yang Shao’s face burned. The words to deny it got stuck in his throat, while Chen Quisu accepted the title cheerfully, even thanking the old man as he took the change.

Yang Shao felt his palms grow warm. Looking down, he realized Yang Tao had grabbed his hand. “Daddy, let’s go check it out!”

The old man’s kind gaze followed them as they left, looking quite pleased. They did look like a family, after all.

Thinking it’d help them walk off dinner, Yang Shao agreed. But when they reached Binjiang Park, it turned out the crowd was massive. A small stage was surrounded by layers of people, leaving no room to see.

The sound system blared deafeningly with drums, fireworks, and loudspeakers announcing promotions. Yang Tao, ever curious, was desperate to squeeze to the front.

Yang Shao figured if they couldn’t see much, they’d just leave. But before he realized it, the swelling crowd had pushed them closer to the stage.

Suddenly, he felt his wrist grow warm as a strong grip yanked him back. He found himself beside Chen Qiusu, with Yang Tao now perched happily on Chen Quisu’s shoulders.

“Daddy! Hold onto Uncle Chen tight, so we don’t get separated!”

Chen Quisu clearly took the advice to heart. He let go of Yang Shao’s wrist only to clasp his hand tightly instead.

Yang Shao wiggled his fingers, feeling his own heartbeat alongside Chen Quisu’s pulse. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to pull away. But since he didn’t, he just stayed there.

It turned out the “performance” was just a marketing ploy for shampoo sales—15 yuan a bag. Yang Tao didn’t mind; he was thrilled. When the host asked who wanted one, Yang Tao eagerly raised his voice, and Chen Qiusu dutifully paid for it.

When the show ended and the crowd dispersed, Yang Tao was exhausted. He handed his balloon and shampoo to his dad before curling up on Chen Quisu’s chest and pretending to sleep.

“Why does he want every little thing he sees? He’s a sucker for deals, and you’re just as bad. The two of you really make a pair,” Yang Shao muttered.

Chen Qiusu shifted Yang Tao in his arms and replied lightly, “Kids just want to be happy.”

“Happy? He’d be overjoyed even if someone gave him a single egg today.”

Perhaps because he and his dad had struggled in the past, Yang Tao was incredibly easy to please. Whatever he received, his response was always full of enthusiasm.

The car was still parked in the commercial district, and it wasn’t a good time to hail a cab. They had to walk uphill to get to the car.

Yang Shao knew Yang Tao was tired, though not truly asleep. Carrying him uphill was no small feat for Chen Qiusu. “Don’t take advantage of someone pampering you to bully them like this,” Yang Shao said.

“I’m not,” Yang Tao murmured as he nestled against Chen Qiusu’s neck. “I just rested for a little bit. Uncle Chen, you can put me down now.”

Chen Qiusu released Yang Shao’s hand and set Yang Tao on the ground, fixing his clothes afterward. Then, as if it were second nature, he grabbed Yang Shao’s hand again.

The wind brushed past Yang Shao’s palm, but the warmth from Chen Qiusu’s hand lingered. As their hands interlaced again, Yang Shao was briefly startled. How long had they been holding hands like this?

“Daddy! Uncle Chen! Hurry up!” Yang Tao was already ahead, turning back when he noticed no one was following.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long. The balloon tied to Yang Shao’s arm bobbed lightly. Chen Quisu gave a soft tug on Yang Shao’s hand, prompting him to finally pick up his pace.