ITC chapter 3

Bai Xizhou was sure that he saw a scar—it wasn’t an illusion.

The color there was pinker than the surrounding skin, as if it hadn’t healed completely yet. It might have been a recent injury, or perhaps Wen Ruqing just had a tendency to scar easily.

And it wasn’t just one scar. No wonder he always wore a wristband.

Bai Xizhou suddenly understood where the sense of dissonance about Wen Ruqing came from. The cheerful demeanor was probably a facade, or maybe… he was sick.

Wen Ruqing didn’t notice Bai Xizhou’s gaze. After washing his hands, he flicked the water off his hands, and a few droplets splashed onto Bai Xizhou’s arm, which felt a bit cool.

Bai Xizhou was lost in thought. The soap bubbles had long been rinsed away, but he kept the motion of rubbing his hands, his eyes unfocused.

It wasn’t until Wen Ruqing spoke that he snapped out of it. He turned his head, looking at him with a complex expression, scanning him from head to toe.

“Why are you in a daze, Lawyer Bai? I’m starving. Aren’t you hungry?” Wen Ruqing waved his hand in front of him, tilting his head with a childlike innocence on his face.

Bai Xizhou grabbed Wen Ruqing’s flailing hand, and when he held his wrist, he intentionally shifted his position to avoid touching the scarred area. Wen Ruqing looked at him in slight confusion, only to realize that Bai Xizhou was staring at him with a complex expression.

“Put your wristband back on,” he said, then released his hand.

Wen Ruqing felt his body stiffen, and after Bai Xizhou let go, he quickly pulled his hand behind his back. With his other hand, he took the wristband and put it on, all while keeping it hidden behind his back.

Bai Xizhou’s sudden actions left Wen Ruqing flustered. Had he been discovered? What would an outsider think if they saw this? Would he tell his aunt?

Should he explain something, or just let the atmosphere continue?

He thought Bai Xizhou would say something, but instead, he just wiped his hands dry with a towel.

“Let’s go eat,” Bai Xizhou said as he walked past Wen Ruqing.

Could it have been a misunderstanding? Maybe Bai Xizhou was just reminding him not to forget his wristband and hadn’t actually noticed the scar on his hand.

Wen Ruqing followed behind him, staring at the back of his head, his fingers subconsciously curling.

Should he talk to Bai Xizhou about it? But what if Bai Xizhou hadn’t actually seen anything and was just kindly reminding him not to forget something? Wouldn’t that be walking right into his own trap?

“How annoying!” Wen Ruqing muttered quietly.

Bai Xizhou, walking ahead, heard him clearly. However, his face remained expressionless. He instinctively touched his own wrist, but his fingers met the leather strap of his watch.

Does Wen Ruqing, living here, have problems he can’t solve? Does he need to hurt himself to gain something?

But his aunt cares about him deeply. There’s no estrangement between them. Bai Xizhou almost thought of her as his mother. His living conditions seemed decent, and his work didn’t appear difficult.

In such a good environment, could something like this really happen?

Perhaps there are people in Yunduan Town who are similar to him.

---

Old Chen didn’t cook many dishes, mostly vegetarian ones. Wen Ruqing had been working all morning and was truly exhausted, so he focused on eating two large bowls of food.

 

Bai Xizhou didn’t have as much physical exhaustion. He ate slowly and didn’t eat much.

 

He had little appetite, and the slightly low chair made him uncomfortable. His mind kept wandering to the scar on Wen Ruqing’s wrist. He wanted to know how it had happened.

 

He probably felt that he was overthinking it, so he forced himself to focus, continuing to eat. Fortunately, no one had noticed that he had been zoning out earlier.

 

At lunch, Old Chen wanted to drink some wine. Under Wen Ruqing’s supervision, he only poured a small half-glass to taste. As he drank, he asked Bai Xizhou about the plans for the afternoon.

 

Bai Xizhou was genuinely here to help him, so Old Chen was naturally enthusiastic. He even served him food, and by the time they finished eating, there had been no shortage of dishes in Bai Xizhou’s bowl.

 

In truth, Bai Xizhou didn’t like it. He had a mild case of obsessive cleanliness, but out of politeness, he didn’t refuse.

When Wen Ruqing finished eating and was about to put down his chopsticks, he glanced at Bai Xizhou’s bowl.

The rice in his bowl had been stirred around quite a bit, almost reaching the bottom, but the vegetables hadn’t been touched much. The eggplant fritters that Old Chen had put in his bowl were still sitting untouched in the corner.

Bai Xizhou was quite picky with his food.

Wen Ruqing chuckled softly and had a mischievous thought. He wanted to get back to Bai Xizhou for the awkwardness earlier.

“Why aren’t you eating the vegetables?” Wen Ruqing’s voice was soft, and he didn’t look at him. Old Chen had poor hearing and didn’t catch their whispered conversation.

“I’m not very hungry, and I don’t really like eggplant,” Bai Xizhou replied.

He had never liked eggplant since he was a child. The sight of it made him feel nauseous. But out of politeness, he hadn’t refused Old Chen’s kindness. However, with that single piece of eggplant in his bowl, he just couldn’t bring himself to eat it.

“Such a waste,” Wen Ruqing muttered, “You’re not disgusted by it, are you?”

Bai Xizhou was taken aback and turned his head to look at Wen Ruqing.

Wen Ruqing had a few freckles on his face, a swirl of hair on top of his head, and a strand of hair sticking up, making him look a bit silly.

Where did he get the idea that Bai Xizhou was disgusted?

“Eh? Lawyer Bai doesn’t like eggplant?” Old Chen raised an eyebrow, but he wasn’t upset—just teasing the younger generation.

“Not just that he doesn’t like eggplant, he can’t stand our countryside food,” Wen Ruqing laughed. “Such a young master attitude.”

Bai Xizhou didn’t think he was close enough with Wen Ruqing to joke like that, and it was clear Wen Ruqing was looking for trouble. He wasn’t sure if he had done something to offend him or if Wen Ruqing just spoke without any filter.

Having his public embarrassment called out, he could only force a smile, silently taking a bite of his food before setting down his chopsticks.

In his mind, Bai Xizhou mentally marked Wen Ruqing with a cross.

Wen Ruqing lacked the boundaries of an adult; he wasn’t worth associating with.

 

---

 

The weather in Yunduan Town at the beginning of May was quite pleasant. The afternoon was sunny, with a breeze blowing through. Old Chen decided to take a nap before his son arrived.

Wen Ruqing and Bai Xizhou moved bamboo stools and sat at the door.

Bai Xizhou took out paper and pen to write, organizing the situation. He still didn’t have a full understanding of Old Chen’s family circumstances, as he had only been assigned this task temporarily. Luckily, the situation wasn’t too complicated.

The bamboo stool wasn’t very comfortable, and his legs couldn’t stretch out properly, so he simply sat on the steps at the door.

After all, Bai Xizhou was tall, and his legs were long.

The two sat far apart, like they were separated by a galaxy, not interfering with each other. After the meal, Wen Ruqing’s one-sided challenge had made the current situation quite awkward.

It wasn’t necessary, Wen Ruqing thought to himself. His actions of retaliation could be considered childish. Pointing out someone else’s flaws in front of an elder wasn’t really dignified. After speaking, he regretted it.

They had only met twice, and for the next month, Bai Xizhou would likely be there every day. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to make things so awkward.

He watched Bai Xizhou for a while. The afternoon sun shone on him, creating a halo around his body. Even while working outdoors, Bai Xizhou remained focused, completely undistracted by the surrounding noises.

Maybe this was what it looked like to love one’s work.

Wen Ruqing suddenly thought of himself during his university days. Perhaps he had loved his major the same way. Give him a space, and he could work at any time. He would dive in wholeheartedly, ignoring everything outside.

He wondered if he was too sensitive, too resistant to others’ closeness. Perhaps Bai Xizhou didn’t have any ill intentions. All the discomfort he felt might have been imaginary, created by his own assumptions.

His school days hadn’t taught him much about dealing with people. He hadn’t made many friends or found anyone to talk to, and had just been immersed in his own world.

Maybe what Bai Xizhou meant to express wasn’t what Wen Ruqing understood.

Wen Ruqing lowered his gaze, his mind in turmoil. He subconsciously rubbed his wrist. During the dull moment of idle time, the post-lunch fatigue slowly crept in.

By the time Bai Xizhou had finished sorting out the details of the case and stood up to stretch, he glanced over and saw that Wen Ruqing had already fallen asleep, leaning against the doorframe.

---

 

It seems like it’s been a long time since he had a restful sleep. He always suffers from insomnia, and returning to Yunduan Town didn’t alleviate his condition, even in the familiar surroundings.

Most of his time was spent in the lobby of the Qingmei Inn, where he’d find a corner table, take out the old books he’d brought with him, and fix them up, sitting there for an entire day.

This would calm him down, but at night, he still couldn’t sleep. Not wanting to worry his aunt, he would turn off the lights and lie awake in the dark, staring at the picture frame on the nightstand, lost in thought.

In his dreams, Wen Ruqing vaguely heard talking and conversations, sometimes even arguments. But his eyelids were heavy, unable to open, and he didn’t want to open them.

The conversations were blurry, but Bai Xizhou’s voice was clear—steady and powerful, providing a sense of security.

When the surroundings finally quieted down, Wen Ruqing opened his eyes. The long lack of sleep had made him sleep deeply this time.

When he woke up, it was already dark outside. The lights were on at the door, and he was still sitting there, but now lying on the recliner with a coat draped over him. He propped himself up and saw that Bai Xizhou was still sitting in the same spot as before he fell asleep.

Bai Xizhou was playing on his phone, the yellowish light casting on him, and Wen Ruqing couldn’t help but feel a sense of peacefulness, like time had slowed down.

“Are you done with the meeting?” He blinked his eyes, rubbed his sore neck, and cleared his mind of the jumbled emotions. “How did it go?”

“It’s settled. The follow-up will be handled by the center,” Bai Xizhou said as he turned off his phone, stood up, and walked toward Wen Ruqing. “If you’re awake, let’s go. Your aunt is waiting.”

Wen Ruqing felt a little awkward, avoiding Bai Xizhou’s gaze. He returned the coat to him and went back inside to say goodbye to Old Chen.

He got on the scooter, but Bai Xizhou still hadn’t gotten on. Wen Ruqing turned his head, a puzzled look in his eyes.

“Are you awake?” Bai Xizhou asked. “I’m worried you’re still asleep and might drive the scooter into a ditch.”

“Then why don’t you drive?” Wen Ruqing rarely rolled his eyes, pretending to get off the scooter and hand it over to Bai Xizhou.

“I won’t,” Bai Xizhou said, shrugging his shoulders.

He was just thinking about his own safety, nothing more.

“Then stop talking so much and get on the scooter.”

The electric scooter sped down the road. Wen Ruqing drove steadily, but faster than during the day, making Bai Xizhou feel the need to hold onto his waist.

He didn’t want to be thrown off.

“Bai Lawyer,” Wen Ruqing suddenly spoke up. “How long have you been a lawyer?”

The wind in his ears and the helmet made it hard for Bai Xizhou, sitting behind, to hear clearly. He thought Wen Ruqing was calling him.

“Six years,” Bai Xizhou took a moment to understand the question Wen Ruqing asked.

In the quiet night, distant, clear barks of dogs echoed, and the stars above twinkled, small and bright.

This kind of peaceful environment felt far away from Bai Xizhou’s life. Half of his life had been spent navigating through the steel jungle, with his nerves always tight. Only when close to nature could he relax a little.

He liked the scent of grass in the air and the smell of the earth after rain. All of it made him feel at ease, allowing him to lower his guard temporarily.

“Do you like being a lawyer?” Wen Ruqing asked again.

“Of course,” Bai Xizhou answered without hesitation.

“Have you never gotten tired of it?” Wen Ruqing asked once more.

He was speaking quite a bit tonight.

“No,” Bai Xizhou responded, still shaking his head.

“That’s great,” Wen Ruqing sighed. “It’s not easy to keep loving your career.”

Bai Xizhou felt there was something more behind his words. Just as he was about to speak, Wen Ruqing interrupted him.

“sorry.”

Bai Xizhou heard this clearly and paused, confused about why Wen Ruqing was saying “sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I shouldn’t have put you in an awkward position in front of others. I just don’t know how to speak properly,” Wen Ruqing’s voice blended with the wind. “I apologize for my rudeness. Please don’t take it to heart. We’ll see each other often, so let’s just move past it.”

Bai Xizhou heard his words intermittently, and although it was unclear, he understood the meaning.

He had to admit, at that moment, he had indeed mentally categorized Wen Ruqing as someone he needed to keep a distance from. He didn’t like people who didn’t know how to navigate social boundaries. But Wen Ruqing had apologized, and that gesture made him feel at ease.

Whether intentional or not, apologizing for his words was something Bai Xizhou highly appreciated.

“I didn’t take it to heart,” Bai Xizhou replied.

After all, it was a small matter, and he wasn’t a petty person.

Bai Xizhou needed a way to fully relax, and if he had kept a distance from Wen Ruqing for the entire month, it probably wouldn’t have ended well for him.

“That’s good,” Wen Ruqing sped up the scooter. ” Lawyer bai, you’re very impressive. Much better than me.”

Bai Xizhou didn’t catch the last part clearly. He asked again, but Wen Ruqing refused to repeat it.

“Speed up a bit, the road ahead isn’t easy to navigate,” Wen Ruqing changed the topic, his voice tinged with laughter.

Bai Xizhou didn’t realize he was smiling as well.

On this early summer night, the moist air was refreshing, and the evening breeze gently brushed by.

As they drove over a particularly bumpy road, Bai Xizhou instinctively tightened his hold around Wen Ruqing’s waist.

The two arrived back at the Qingmei Inn just around mealtime.