"More Beautiful Than Plum Blossoms on Snow"
Qin Zhiyan wrapped the towel around Tang Keyi, his gaze briefly sweeping over Tang Keyi's chest.
Skin this fair and tender, marked with red traces, would surely be more beautiful than red plum blossoms on snow.
Tang Keyi and Qin Zhiyan lounged on deck chairs, chatting idly as they admired the sea.
"Did you bring swim trunks? Want to go for a swim?" Tang Keyi asked.
Qin Zhiyan shook his head slightly. "I don’t swim."
"You don’t know how?" Tang Keyi was surprised—he’d assumed Qin Zhiyan was good at everything.
"I can swim, I just don’t like it," Qin Zhiyan explained. "I can save myself if I accidentally fall in, but I don’t enjoy water-related activities."
Tang Keyi sensed something unusual. "Did something happen that left you with a phobia?"
Qin Zhiyan noticed Tang Keyi’s curiosity but deliberately avoided answering, countering instead, "If you want to know, trade me one of your phobias."
Tang Keyi understood—Qin Zhiyan was asking about his fear of the dark.
Qin Zhiyan had seen him break down in the dark twice but had never asked about it.
Given their relationship now, if Qin Zhiyan wanted to know, Tang Keyi wasn’t unwilling to share.
After all, being together meant sharing and bearing everything.
But when it came time to speak, Tang Keyi couldn’t help but tense up, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the towel.
Qin Zhiyan noticed the small movement and covered Tang Keyi’s hand with his own, encouraging him, "Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here with you."
Tang Keyi gripped Qin Zhiyan’s hand tightly, interlacing their fingers. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"When I was little, I was kidnapped. Honestly, I don’t remember it—I only know because my family told me. After that, I developed this uncontrollable fear of the dark. I don’t even know why. But I figure if it scares me that much, the kidnapping must’ve been pretty bad. Maybe forgetting is for the best. Other than wasting electricity at night, it’s no big deal."
Qin Zhiyan watched Tang Keyi feign nonchalance, sensing the deep-seated fear buried in his heart.
But it was all in the past. His only job now was to protect the Tang Keyi of the present.
If he forgot, so be it.
Qin Zhiyan played with Tang Keyi’s fingers as he shared his own story.
"When I was a kid, I fell into the water. Luckily, someone saved me, but ever since, I’ve been a little afraid of it. I forced myself to learn how to swim to overcome it, but I still don’t enjoy water-related activities."
Tang Keyi’s eyes widened as if he’d discovered something new. "I never thought you’d be afraid of water. I’m way better than you at this! I’ve been a strong swimmer since I was born—my parents even enrolled me in baby swimming classes. I even had a nickname: Little White Dragon of the Waves!"
Qin Zhiyan lowered his eyes with a faint, indulgent smile. "You sure have a lot of nicknames."
Tang Keyi asked curiously, "How did you fall in? And who saved you?"
"Ah…" Qin Zhiyan hesitated—a rare moment of reluctance.
Seeing this, Tang Keyi cautiously probed, "Is it… not something you can talk about? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to."
"It didn’t really affect me much—I wouldn’t call it a trauma. But talking about it means talking about my grandfather’s… private matters."
"Your grandfather?" Tang Keyi was stunned.
Qin Zhiyan watched Tang Keyi’s gossip-hungry expression and pinched his little finger in warning. "You cannot repeat this to anyone."
"Okay, okay! I swear I won’t tell a soul. Now hurry up and spill!" Tang Keyi urged eagerly.
"From elementary school onward, my grandfather took me under his wing to groom me as the next head of the Qin family. I remember one time, he took me to a remote village in the suburbs. There, I met a woman around his age. At the time, I didn’t know who she was. Later, I found out she was my grandfather’s former lover."
"Wow!" Tang Keyi gasped. "And then?"
"When he was young, Grandfather gave up love for power, choosing to marry my grandmother for her family’s wealth. You could say he and that woman parted on good terms—they both went on to build their own families. We refer to her as Madam Wen now. But her husband was sickly, and after years of illness, he passed away. Her son worked far away, then got divorced, leaving her to care for a grandson she wasn’t close to. So Madam Wen only had her grandson to rely on. Grandfather knew she was struggling and felt guilty, so he often tried to help her. But Madam Wen was stubborn and proud—she refused any assistance from him."
"Wait, did your grandfather cheat?"
"No. Besides, by then, my grandmother had already passed. Grandfather just wanted to advise and help her. Out of propriety, he hadn’t seen Madam Wen since his marriage—that day was the first time he went to visit her."
"Madam Wen, raising a grandson all alone… that couldn’t have been easy. So what happened? Did she eventually accept your grandfather’s help?"
"No. She supported herself, always drawing a clear line with him. Grandfather could only secretly help her in roundabout ways."
"Madam Wen sounds both pitiable and admirable. But what does this have to do with you drowning?"
"That day, when Grandfather took me to see Madam Wen, I also met her grandson. It was my first time in the countryside, so I wandered around exploring. But the pond’s edge was slippery with mud, and I fell in. I struggled for so long—I really thought I was going to die. Then, in a daze, I saw a little boy jump in to save me."
Tang Keyi realized. "Was it… Madam Wen’s grandson?"
"Mm." Qin Zhiyan nodded. "Later, Grandfather used repaying the favor as an excuse to send Madam Wen money and gifts. But she only accepted some fruit—everything valuable was returned."
"And after that?"
"After that, I never saw Madam Wen again. Once I recovered from the near-drowning, I learned how to swim, but I’ve never enjoyed water activities since."
Tang Keyi looked at Qin Zhiyan with genuine admiration. "You’re amazing. If I’d nearly drowned, I wouldn’t have had the courage to learn swimming. Just like how I still can’t muster the courage to overcome my fear of the dark."
"That’s fine. You don’t have to force yourself." Qin Zhiyan thought to himself—So what if he’s afraid of the dark? There’s no need to push himself.
He still remembered what he went through to conquer his fear of drowning—forcing himself to face the threat of death. That was something he never wanted Tang Keyi to experience.
"Have you seen that grandson again since then?"
"No." Qin Zhiyan shook his head. "It’s tied to Grandfather’s past, so it’s better to keep my distance."
"What a shame. Maybe he wanted you to repay his lifesaving debt by marrying him," Tang Keyi teased.
Qin Zhiyan’s lips curved as he leaned in to kiss Tang Keyi’s cheek. "Today’s Tangtang tastes sour."
Tang Keyi’s face flushed slightly as he argued, "I’m not jealous."
[Okay, fine—maybe a little!]
[Just a tiny bit!]
"Do I seem like the kind of person who’d let someone exploit a debt of gratitude?" Qin Zhiyan countered.
Tang Keyi huffed and changed the subject. "How would I know? I’m hungry! I… I’m going back for dinner!"
Comments
Post a Comment