The Lingering Sounds of Blooming Flowers

Chapter 9 Part 1

They returned with the afternoon sun. Lin Chaosheng asked what Lu Chenfeng wanted to eat for dinner so he could ask Jian Yi to prepare it ahead. Lu Chenfeng waved his hand with bitter expressions; Lin Chaosheng just shoved at least two meals worth of street food into his stomach.

The sea breeze was gentle and they were walking with it. Dali’s weather in early April felt the best. Lu Chenfeng held the bike handle with one hand and took out a box of candy from his box, pouring mint candy into his mouth. It was something he must do after eating or smoking.

A hand stretched into his view and Lu Chenfeng passed the box to Lin Chaosheng. When he tried to give it back, Lu Chenfeng didn’t take it, “Keep it, I have another box.”

Lin Chaosheng didn’t force it and said, “Thanks.”

After they returned to Beautiful Dusk, Lin Chaosheng asked Jian Yi to make Lu Chenfeng a pot of Pu’er tea before returning to his room for an afternoon nap. Lu Chenfeng took the tea and settled down in the rattan chair on the balcony. He opened a book he brought with him and started reading comfortably with the slightly warm sea breeze.

But he read much slower than usual.

The surroundings were quiet, the temperature was just right. Lu Chenfeng should concentrate the best under this environment, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere after reading two lines. He couldn’t remember what he just read and he knew it was because he couldn’t help but to think back to the trip they had this morning.

There weren’t bustling sceneries, even the performance, no memorable sceneries, and food that wasn’t even that good. It was merely a tranquil bike ride and a stroll. Rather thinking of it as a trip, it was more like what life should be.

Lin Chaosheng’s caringness was extremely delicate. Lu Chenfeng was planning that the first thing he was going to do after he came back was to ask Jian Yi for a pot of tea for digestion, but Lin Chaosheng already ordered this before he could even speak up. Lu Chenfeng couldn’t deny that small details like this hit his heart the most.

Then again, perhaps it was just how Lin Chaosheng treated his guests. It was the result of dealing with so many people through the years, it wasn’t special to him. As soon as this idea rose in his mind, Lu Chenfeng frowned at the book, confused as to why he wanted to be treated specially on something so small.

When he went to the front desk to return the tea pot, he didn’t see Lin Chaosheng there. Jian Yi told him that his boss was still resting, and asked Lu Chenfeng to wait for a moment. Once he finished his work, he could discuss the schedule for the next few days.

Because Lu Chenfeng didn’t move much in the afternoon, he didn’t have any appetite for dinner. Jian Yi prepared a few freshly baked flower cakes for him just in case he was hungry in the middle of the night. Jian Yi passed a piece of paper filled with schedules to Lu Chenfeng and pushed his glasses up. “Boss said that since it’s your first time here, he thought it’s best for you to go to as many places as possible. These are a few routes we’ve designed for you, it’s not too expensive to go with tour groups. We collaborate with them and we get discounts on it, the extra money you paid last time was just enough for it.”

Lu Chenfeng first thought that Lin Chaosheng had put so much effort into it, but the second thought was disappointment when he walked back to his room alone.

But this time, Lu Chenfent couldn’t think of an excuse for this feeling. A few missed calls and a message interrupted his thoughts; it was Fang Yi, his friend from university and roommate, as well as the only friend who knew what he had been through.

Fang Yi: [Picture]

Fang Yi: I signed up for it, are you coming?