Chapter 12: A Red Apricot Tree Leaned Over the Wall
Yan Beicheng raised an eyebrow in silence. “…”
Lin Chu too was silent. “…”
The young fatty said with a dull expression, “Big Nephew, I’ve seen almost anything now that I’ve been alive for a while.”
Yan Beicheng remained silent. “…”
Lin Chu was still quiet. “…”
“Could it be you saw another man go to the toilet again?” joked Yan Beicheng. At that moment, his raspy but gentle voice made Lin Chu felt especially safe, like seeing a bright light in the dark.
She felt like she had met her savior. Her eyes brimmed with tears instantly for she could not hold it back anymore. Yan Beicheng was completely caught off guard as her tears flowed freely down her face.
“Save me,” her voice wobbled as she sobbed. She did not know why, but Lin Chu felt a sense of relief as soon as she saw him.
Behind them, the entrance to the washroom flung open and the shocked and angry voice of You Weiwen came through. “Lin Chu, what are you doing, you come down this instant! I brought you with me to talk business so you would gain some experience, yet you embarrassed me completely. You know nothing of appreciating somebody’s kindness!”
Lin Chu was anxious and half her body was already out the vent, so she could not turn her head back to see the people behind her. She could only hear eager footsteps rushing towards her as if wanting to pull her back in.
Lin Chu’s anxiety grew and she begged Yan Beicheng hastily, “Please, save me.”
The tears in her eyes accented the clear distinction between the black and white in them, and her gaze struck Yan Beicheng without a warning.
Her pale face sported no makeup, only faint streaks of tears that ran down her pink cheeks and a tinge of red upon the tip of her nose. Her entire body trembled with nervousness, like a small flower trembling upon its branch as the wind swept by.
Although he knew it was ill-timed and inappropriate, Yan Beicheng could not help thinking of an idiom— a red apricot tree leaned over the wall. 1
He took a step forward and reached out to her. “Do you trust me?”.
Lin Chu could not afford to ponder on the meaning of the question—she either believed he could save her, or believed he could catch her.
She looked down at the hands that were stretched out towards her—they were clean and fair with shallow palm prints, the joints of the long fingers were distinct and protruded slightly, like bamboo. She could even smell a clear but faint fragrance from his neatly-trimmed fingernails; it was a calming and pleasant smell.
Lin Chu remembered that a beautiful hand, just like the ones before her, had covered her eyes before and her fingertips twitched involuntarily. She put her hand into his open palms and felt them close firmly around her. His grip was tight and forceful around her palm, but she felt no pain, only relief.
Right as she felt the person behind her touched her, she was suddenly jerked forward and the lower half of her body easily fell forward through the vent. She dove face-first into Yan Beicheng’s embrace but felt that his chest was just a bit too sturdy, causing her to hurt herself.
Then, a firm and powerful palm pressed into her lower back and his embrace around her tightened even further.
She had thrown her high-heels out first and now the shoes laid haphazardly on the ground. Her bare feet were lifted off the ground by Yan Beicheng, and one of his arms came to support her just below her behind. His other hand then pressed the back of her head firmly into his shoulder.
Lin Chu was scared beyond her wits and subconsciously grasp Yan Beicheng’s suit jacket tightly. With the back of her head pressed into his shoulder, she did not feel the need to break free and instead buried her face into his shirt, taking in the clear scent of pine and cypress that made her felt at ease.