Under the Dusk - Chapter 5

This was the third time Ji Yan and Ruan Shu had locked eyes.

Completely unexpected.

The first time, his gaze was indifferent, then he casually looked away, uninterested in her and unwilling to engage. The second time was similar, but he had spoken up, reminding her not to let her eyes wander and to focus on eating her ice cream.

This was the third time.

Ruan Shu saw something deeper in his eyes this time, but she couldn’t decipher it. She couldn’t even tell if his smile at that moment was because of something on his phone or because of her.

Not long after, the man who had been across the street was now standing in front of her.

“One mango pomelo sago, less sugar, no ice, thank you.” His voice was still deep and magnetic.

He was tall and solid, standing in front of Ruan Shu. The shop’s lighting didn’t help; she felt like his shadow was looming over her.

But there was no strange smell.

She had expected him to carry the scent of barbecue or beer, but instead, there was just a faint aroma of leaves.

The stronger scent was his own.

Ruan Shu said, “Please go over there to order.”

She wasn’t in charge of the cash register. The line in the shop was long, but the man didn’t move, only asking in confusion, “Then what are you doing here…?”

Ruan Shu replied, “I’m the mascot.”

Ji Yan: “?”

“Yeah, the manager said I’m good-looking, so he made me stand here as a mascot.”

She spoke quite bluntly. Ji Yan found it amusing and nodded, “Then what time does the mascot get off work?”

Ruan Shu had just furrowed her brows when the man added, “No ulterior motives. I just happened to see you, and Old Zhang asked me to give you a ride back.”

So, the person talking to him at the barbecue shop earlier was Old Zhang, the one who had played cards with them that night. He also ran a shop in the urban village. Ruan Shu had been too focused on Ji Yan to notice the other person.

Typical for her.

That night had been the same. If Ji Yan were to drag Old Zhang over right now, she probably wouldn’t recognize him either.

“You’re sending me back? What about him?” Ruan Shu asked.

Ji Yan wanted to say, aren’t you going to refuse?

But it was already 10 p.m., and Jianzheng Road was far from the urban village. It wasn’t safe for a young girl to go back alone.

No matter how many good people lived in the urban village, it didn’t change the fact that the area was chaotic.

Ji Yan felt a bit restless. He hadn’t smoked earlier, but now he wanted a cigarette. He said, “Old Zhang will go back on his own. After the barbecue, he’s going to karaoke. He might stay out all night.”

He was feeling a bit annoyed. He was already tired.

Ruan Shu: “Oh.”

She fell silent again. Ji Yan had thought she would say more, considering how long she had been staring at him earlier, but her questions were fewer than that night.

He tapped the counter twice with his knuckles and made a decision. “Alright, call me when you get off work.”

Ruan Shu asked, “Are you going back to eat barbecue?”

Kanyang’s summer nights were still sweltering, and the number of people coming into the shop for milk tea only increased.

Ji Yan glanced back at her, “…Thanks to you, the mascot, I’m going to stand in line.”

***

Ruan Shu didn’t know why things ended up with her going back with this neighbor she had only met four times and barely exchanged pleasantries with.

But since he offered, she didn’t refuse.

She just thought: He’s quite nice, isn’t he?

Ji Yan was starting to question his life choices as he stood in line. Just as he finally reached the front, someone bumped into him.

He looked up to see Ruan Shu efficiently taking his order. “One mango pomelo sago, less sugar, no ice. Sir, please pay here. We accept WeChat and Alipay.”

“…” Ji Yan’s expression was complicated. “Aren’t you the mascot?”

Ruan Shu replied earnestly, “Yes, but the manager said I can go home after this order.”

Ji Yan didn’t press further. He scanned the code, paid, took the receipt, and stood to the side to wait.

Someone else took over the cash register.

Before he could put his phone away, Ruan Shu spoke to him across the counter, “Yan Ge.”

Ji Yan:” ?”

“We Chat?”

He didn’t seem in the mood to talk. His single eyelids drooped as he pocketed his phone. Ruan Shu suddenly showed a slightly pained expression.

Then, meeting his gaze again, she said, “Let’s add each other on WeChat.”

When he had come over from the barbecue shop earlier, a shy girl had approached him, saying, “Hi, my friend wants to add you on WeChat. Is that okay?”

There were also more subtle approaches.

Like someone claiming they had lost a drinking game and chosen “dare,” asking him to add them on WeChat, promising they wouldn’t bother him and would delete him right after.

What had Ji Yan said then?

He couldn’t quite remember, but he knew his standard response in such situations was: No.

Unless it was for something important or urgent.

But some time ago, someone had sold his WeChat ID, and he had been bombarded with friend requests from strangers. Ji Yan was so annoyed that now, just hearing the word “WeChat” made him angry.

He leaned against the counter, cool and detached.

The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his well-defined forearms. Ji Yan wasn’t exceptionally handsome by conventional standards—people’s tastes varied widely—but the vitality he exuded, the wildness that made people want to conquer him yet yearn to be conquered by him, was captivating.

In the end, beauty standards converged, and in this world, there was only one Ji Yan.

He smiled and asked her, “Do I need to add WeChat to buy milk tea?”

He didn’t refuse. No refusal meant there was a chance. Ruan Shu nodded, “Yes, I want to add you. Is that okay?”

After all, she had sent the friend request days ago.

He Yunfei had said Yan Ge was resourceful and could help her find any kind of part-time job. She would likely need his help in the future for job changes.

Ruan Shu couldn’t work at the milk tea shop forever.

Her major was design, and if she wanted to collaborate with others, she needed connections. To strengthen their neighborly relationship, Ruan Shu had even risked her job by adding five yuan worth of coconut jelly to his mango pomelo sago without the manager’s knowledge.

Ji Yan, however, thought to himself: This is trouble.

The girl’s approach to pursuing someone was so straightforward it was hard to handle.

His dark eyes dimmed. Ji Yan struggled internally for a moment before looking at her face, which had nearly stirred waves in his heart again, and calmly said, “Oh, no.”

Ruan Shu: “…”

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