Chapter 37
On their last afternoon in Jeju Island, the sun was still shining brightly. After a stroll along the beach, the two of them both felt thirsty. Passing by a popular beverage shop, Ling Yao pulled Su Rui inside.
The air conditioning in the restaurant was cranked up high, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of fruit and cream. Ling Yao quickly scanned the menu, neatly ordered two glasses of their signature juice, and paid. "Wait here for them. I'm going to go out for a cigarette." He habitually ruffled Su Rui's hair, and without waiting for a response, he pushed open the glass door and walked to the smoking area outside the restaurant.
Su Rui stood obediently at the food counter, waiting, her eyes unconsciously following Ling Yao's figure outside the window. He leaned against the railing outside the shop, expertly lighting a cigarette. The sea breeze blew his hair across his forehead, revealing his smooth forehead and a slightly distant profile. Even at such a casual moment, he exuded an undeniable aura, attractive yet distant.
Just as Su Rui was staring at him, a man in his early thirties, dressed in a casual suit, approached Ling Yao. With a tentative, professional smile on his face, he said something to Ling Yao, accompanied by some gestures, as if indicating the camera and the height.
Ling Yao seemed a little surprised at first, his brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't immediately walk away. He listened to the other person speak, nodding occasionally, his fingers holding the cigarette casually resting on the railing. The two exchanged a few words, the atmosphere not seeming warm, but not tense either.
Su Rui's drink was ready. He pushed open the door, bag in hand, and walked out, just in time to see the man pull a white card from his pocket and hand it to Ling Yao. Ling Yao hesitated, his eyes seemingly glancing quickly at Su Rui as she approached, then reached out to take the card and casually tucked it into his trouser pocket. Seeing this, the man smiled, said something, then nodded and left.
"Ling Yao?" Su Rui approached and handed him one of the glasses of ice-cold juice. Her eyes fell with a hint of curiosity on the trouser pocket where he had just stuffed the card. "Do you know that guy just now? He seemed to have been talking to you for a long time."
Ling Yao took the juice, pierced the seal with a "pop" sound, and took a deep sip. The cool liquid seemed to relax him a little. He avoided Su Rui's gaze, looking out at the distant sea. His tone was deliberately casual and vague: "Oh, nothing, I don't know. I just asked for directions."
"Asking for directions?" Su Rui was even more confused. Did asking for directions require so many hand gestures, and even a card? And Ling Yao didn't look like someone who would be so patient with strangers.
"Yeah," Ling Yao seemed not to want to say anything more. He raised his hand and put it on Su Rui's shoulder, leading him towards the B&B. "Let's go. The sun is killing us." His movements were natural, but he cleverly interrupted Su Rui's further inquiries.
Su Rui was led forward by him. The doubt in her heart was like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating a circle of tiny ripples, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the warmth of Ling Yao's arm and the faint reluctance to leave at the end of the journey. Perhaps he really was asking for directions? Or perhaps he was selling something? Ling Yao was good-looking, and this wasn't the first time he'd been approached outside.
He ignored Ling Yao's hurried and concealed movements at that moment. He took a sip of the sweet and sour, cool juice in his hand, suppressed the slight uneasiness, and immersed himself in the present moment of walking side by side with Ling Yao.
The sea breeze was still gentle, caressing the two of them. Ling Yao's other hand was in his trouser pocket, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the newly inserted card with a slightly sharp edge.
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