Chapter 58: A case of failed playing hard to get.
Xu Yang first took Zhou Ai to his regular private styling studio. Ever since hearing the "playing hard to get" analysis in the car, Zhou Ai felt like all his energy had been drained away. He was listless, had little desire to speak, and was enveloped in a layer of low pressure.
He was led to a comfortable barber chair, where he sat down, closed his eyes, and let the hairdresser and assistant busy himself around him, like an exquisite doll without a soul.
"Brother Zhou, which color do you want to try this time? Or do you want to touch up your roots? I recently got some really nice gray tones..."
Hairstylist Tony asked with familiarity, playing with his signature silver hair that had noticeable black at the roots.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ai slowly opened his eyelids and looked at the huge mirror opposite with a somewhat blank gaze.
The mirror reflected an impeccable face. Its complexion was a cool pale, even brittle from days of fatigue and the recent recovery. Its features were sharply defined, with prominent brow ridges, a high nose bridge, and a sharp, defined jawline.
But those peach blossom eyes that always showed a nonchalant smile or lazy teasing now seemed a little quiet, with an elusive melancholy and a barely perceptible uneasiness hidden in their depths.
The originally eye-catching silver hair looks a little mottled because of the new black hair, which adds a sense of unruly decadence.
Zhou Ai calmly raised her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds, then spoke in a flat voice.
"Just cut my hair short and dye it black."
When these words came out, not only Tony was stunned, but even Xu Yang, who was browsing his phone next to him, raised his head in surprise.
Dye it black? Cut it short? Ever since his debut, Zhou Ai has never kept a low profile on his hair color, switching between various light colors. Silver hair has almost become one of his trademarks.
Suddenly dyeing it back to black and cutting it short is simply...
I'm so heartbroken by love...
Tony subconsciously turned to look at Xu Yang, his eyes asking: What's wrong with this gentleman? Are you okay?
Xu Yang looked at Zhou Ai's expressionless but extremely persistent face, sighed in his heart, and said nothing in the end. He just closed his eyes and nodded slightly at Tony, indicating: Do as he says, it's up to him.
After getting the approval, Tony, although full of doubts, still acted professionally.
Washing, cutting, blowing, dyeing... Zhou Ai kept her eyes closed throughout the process, as if she was asleep, or as if she was digesting some emotions alone.
When the final shaping was completed and Tony showed him the effect of the back of his head with a mirror, Zhou Ai opened his eyes again and looked at his brand new self.
A neat short black hair replaced the original silver hair, and the length was cut above the ears, looking refreshing and crisp.
The short black hair further highlighted his fair skin and delicate features, as if all the focus was on his already outstanding appearance.
The "trendy" and "idol" feeling brought by the hair color has been greatly weakened, replaced by a more primitive and sharper wildness, as if some disguise has been torn off, revealing the sharper and more unruly nature inside.
His black hair made the alienation and aggressiveness between his brows seem more obvious. Once his eyes became serious, they took on a somewhat intimidating aura.
But the strange thing is, maybe it's because he lost the boldness of his light hair color, or maybe it's because his short hair looks more "behaved", but at first glance, he actually... seems a little "well-behaved" than his previous silver-haired self.
Although this kind of "obedience" is more like the illusion of a dormant beast retracting its claws and fangs, the untamed wildness is still surging underneath.
Zhou Ai looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar self in the mirror, raised his hand and touched the itchy back of his neck, his eyes complicated. In the end, he didn't comment, but just said lightly: "Thank you."
He remained silent throughout the whole process, and the emotions hidden in his eyes, which had turned dark again, were even more difficult to understand than before.
After getting in the car, Zhou Ai took out his cell phone again. In fact, there were many unread messages in the phone, but... none of them were about Chu Yi.
"Brother, do you think the phone might be broken?"
Hearing Zhou Ai's rare call of "Brother", Xu Yang's hair stood on end.
With a "ding dong" sound, a message sent by Xu Yang appeared on Zhou Ai's mobile phone screen.
"It doesn't look broken."
Zhou Ai: ".........."
Chu Yi forced himself to divert his attention from that inexplicable feeling of emptiness.
He first carefully removed the plaster on his leg, which he could temporarily remove when taking a shower, but he had to avoid putting weight on it. Then, he hopped on one leg, moved extremely hard into the bathroom, and completed a challenging wash.
After the brief relaxation brought by the hot water, I returned to the living room and looked at the empty and quiet house, and the feeling of being at a loss quietly returned.
Chu Yi glanced at the two large suitcases at the door that had not been packed yet, and felt like he had found a temporary place to stay.
He re-fixed the plaster, jumped over on one leg again, and with some effort, he lowered the suitcase. He simply sat on the ground, took a deep breath, and unzipped the suitcase.
What catches the eye is the neatly stacked clothes, clearly classified and meticulously done - the work of Zhou Ai.
The night before his departure, it was Zhou Ai who helped him pack his luggage. Every piece of folded clothing seemed to still retain the warmth of her fingertips and that undeniable meticulousness.
Memories came flooding back like a tide: the firelight in the cave, the starry sky above the ridge of the field, that sudden kiss, and Zhou Ai's heavy but firm breathing as she carried him on her back...
Chu Yi slammed the suitcase shut, making a loud noise. A nameless feeling of irritation and self-loathing washed over him. He simply threw himself back, flat on the soft carpet, and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the chaotic images.
However, the absolute silence only amplified the inner noise.
It's so quiet here.
Unlike the nights in the mountainous areas of Guizhou, there are always the chirping of unknown insects, the faint sound of the wind, or the occasional subtle movements of Zhou Ai next door as background noise.
The Blue Lake Apartments have excellent sound insulation. At this moment, it is so quiet that you can hear the sound of your own blood flowing and your heart beating. This dead silence is almost suffocating.
Just when Chu Yi was almost suffocated by the silence, the cell phone he had casually thrown on the coffee table suddenly rang one after another.
Ding Dong——
Ding Dong——
The crisp prompt sound seemed particularly abrupt and even a little harsh in the room where you could hear a pin drop.
Chu Yi, who was lying on the carpet, suddenly opened his eyes. The bright light from the chandelier made him a little dazed.
My heart seemed to be gripped by the sudden sound, and then it began to beat wildly and uncontrollably.
An inexplicable and strong intuition hit Chu Yi that the person who sent the message might be Zhou Ai.
The thought took his breath away. He frantically pulled himself up, leaning against the armrest of the sofa next to him. With difficulty, he stood up on one leg, hopped over to the coffee table, and grabbed his phone.
The screen was unlocked, and in the WeChat notification bar, next to the familiar avatar that he had subconsciously clicked on countless times today, there were several unread messages.
His heartbeat roared in his ears, even more intense than before. Chu Yi's fingertips trembled slightly as he carefully clicked on the red notification.
Messages popped up one after another.
【Zhou Ai: Are you home yet?】
It was followed by an emoji of a cartoon puppy with a goofy grin and a frantic tail wagging.
【Zhou Ai: Have you eaten?】
Another jpg of an expectant puppy with sparkling eyes and a wagging tail.
【Zhou Ai: Is your foot okay?】
This time it's paired with the expression of a lame puppy with drooping ears, a bandaged leg, and pitiful eyes.
A series of messages, along with some cute and even clumsy dog emoticons that were completely different from his usual cool image, all rushed into Chu Yi's sight.
The sender of the message, Zhou Ai, was now slumped unrefined on a sofa in another luxury apartment in Beijing. Her newly dyed black hair still carried a faint scent of dye.
After getting his hair done and returning home, he did everything he could, and even pretended to be in a good mood and made the longest phone call ever to his mother abroad. By the end of the call, his mother thought the kid had a brain injury.
Zhou Ai ultimately couldn't get over the torment and worry in her heart.
What's with the tactic of playing hard to get and what's with keeping calm and composed? Fuck it!
After Xu Yang's analysis went through a hundred and eighty turns in his mind, it finally boiled down to one sentence: Let the earth explode, as long as Chu Yi recovers, he doesn't need to care about his face!
So, with an almost tragic mood, he deleted and revised the message, and finally added a puppy emoticon that he had secretly saved for a long time, thinking that it might ease the atmosphere, and sent the message out.
After sending the message, he threw the phone in his hand to the other side of the sofa like a hot potato, buried his face in the soft pillow, like a prisoner waiting for the final judgment, but his ears were perked up, catching any possible prompt sound.
Chu Yi looked at the three silly yet cautious messages on the screen, his fingertips hovering above the screen for a few seconds.
The anxiety and emptiness in my heart caused by waiting were strangely soothed by these messages and the cute expression of the puppy.
He considered it for a moment, then lightly tapped his fingertips before replying politely, in keeping with his usual calm and composed style:
[Yes, we're here.]
【have eaten. 】
【It's okay, don't worry. 】
Each reply corresponded to Zhou Ai's question, and was concise, objective, and without any unnecessary emotion, as if it was just a necessary confirmation of information.
However, as soon as the message was sent successfully, the top of the chat interface immediately displayed "The other party is typing..."
Almost the next second, a new picture popped up.
It was a selfie sent by Zhou Ai.
In the photo, he seems to be leaning on a sofa, with a blurred home environment in the background. He tilts his head slightly, and the camera is very close, clearly showing his new hairstyle - a neat short black hair, clean and refreshing.
His jet-black hair made his skin look even colder and whiter, and his facial features were infinitely magnified, with prominent brow bones, a straight nose, and a clear and sharp jawline.
Those peach blossom eyes looked straight at the camera, maybe because they were still a little tired after dyeing their hair, their eyes were not as lazy or provocative as usual, but instead had a rare kind of cleanliness and... a hint of imperceptible expectation?
Like a puppy with a new haircut who can't wait to show it to their significant other?
Chu Yi looked at the photo, his fingertips paused slightly, and his breathing almost stopped noticeably.
This black hair...suddenly opened the floodgates of his memory.
For no reason, he recalled the scene when he first met Zhou Ai.
Not on a glamorous stage, nor at a banquet with clinking glasses.
It was a sunset in Florence, Italy. The ancient streets were full of Renaissance atmosphere, and the golden glow of the setting sun was sprinkled on the cobblestone roads.
At that time, Chu Yi had just rushed over from London that morning to help his mentor assist in an academic conference in Florence.
After the meeting, he was wearing a formal white shirt, with the collar of his suit jacket casually lifted. He walked out alone along the cobblestone road in the sunset light, casually following the flow of people. His taciturn temperament was incompatible with the passionate and unrestrained atmosphere around him.
Suddenly, a burst of explosive and infectious electronic music mixed with passionate guitar sounds blasted across the street, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
Chu Yi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man with an oriental face, wearing a simple black T-shirt and ripped jeans, carrying a portable electronic piano and an electric guitar, playing by himself on the street corner.
That person was eighteen-year-old Zhou Ai.
He had short black hair with distinct strands that swayed slightly as he played with great concentration.
The setting sun outlined the profile of his young and sharp face, and sweat slid down his forehead, but he didn't care. He was immersed in the world of music, his fingers flying on the keys and strings, and every note was full of vigorous vitality and unrestrained publicity.
The confidence, brilliance, and even somewhat reckless youthful spirit in him was like a strong light that split the twilight, instantly capturing the attention of Chu Yi who happened to be passing by.
Chu Yi hugged the suit jacket in his hand in the crook of his arm and stood quietly behind a group of foreign tourists who were cheering and ignited by the music. Across the bustling crowd, he looked at the black-haired boy who seemed to be glowing, and the applause continued until the end of the performance.
The heartbeat at that moment came unexpectedly, yet was so clear.
At this moment, looking at the black-haired selfie on the phone screen, it was as if time had gone back. The confident and outspoken young man under the sunset in Florence and Zhou Ai in front of him, who would send him puppy emojis and would cautiously test him because of his polite reply, slowly overlapped.
My heart felt like it was gently bumped by something, causing a belated sour and soft ripple.
Chu Yi stared at the photo for a long time, until the screen automatically turned off. He took a deep breath, turned the screen back on, and hesitated for a moment on the dialog box. In the end, he didn't reply, but silently saved the photo.
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