Drunk On The Night Breeze - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

From the moment Ruan Lingfeng said he was taking him to a “good place,” Tao Zhi hadn’t asked where they were going. It wasn’t until Ruan Lingfeng drove further and further into the outskirts that Tao Zhi, who had been feigning sleep in the passenger seat to avoid conversation, finally couldn’t help but speak up: “Where are we going? Are you planning to drag me to some desolate wilderness to kill me and bury the body?”

Tao Zhi said this with a perfectly deadpan expression. Ruan Lingfeng found it hilarious and shot him a glance: “I probably couldn’t beat you in a fight, could I?”

“Hard to say,” Tao Zhi looked at the buildings receding outside the window and actually began a serious analysis. “To kill me, you wouldn’t necessarily have to fight me. There are many ways.”

He wasn’t just saying it; he was actually calculating in his head. If Ruan Lingfeng were to release pheromones, he might be left defenseless. In that moment, if Ruan Lingfeng gave him a single stab, he could finish him off easily.

Ruan Lingfeng didn’t find anything particularly strange about Tao Zhi’s words, so he replied in a joking tone: “I won’t kill you. Your company hasn’t sent us the payment yet. I’ll leave you a way out for the time being.”

Tao Zhi only let out a huff.

During a red light, Ruan Lingfeng offered a word of comfort: “The place we’re going to is in the suburbs, so it’s a bit remote, but we’re almost there. Don’t be impatient.”

“I’m not impatient,” Tao Zhi retorted.

When they finally arrived at the destination, the scene that greeted them left both of them greatly disappointed. This area consisted of old employee dormitory buildings. They were currently uninhabited; the exterior walls were dilapidated and mottled, weeds grew thick at the base, and trash like drink cartons was scattered about. Without any lighting, it looked like the setting of a horror story.

Tao Zhi raised an eyebrow: “What, are you taking me on a haunted house exploration?”

“I saw someone online sharing this as a ‘secluded and atmospheric hidden gem for moon watching,'” Ruan Lingfeng said, sounding a bit embarrassed. He pulled out his phone and found the post he had bookmarked. “The photos were really beautiful. Maybe we need to go up to the roof to see.”

As Ruan Lingfeng said, the photos in the post were very artistic. With the help of filters, the abandoned residential buildings took on a nostalgic charm. Several photos of the moon had been taken from the roof—although the dormitory building had a locked iron gate, because it had been abandoned for so long, several bars of the gate were broken, leaving a gap. A person could squeeze through with a little effort. The interior was open-access, allowing them to climb the stairs directly to the roof.

Tao Zhi turned on his phone’s flashlight and instinctively walked in front. Every few steps, he would look back to make sure Ruan Lingfeng was okay before turning back to continue forward.

It was only six floors, and they quickly reached the top.

The moon-watching photo in the post had been perfectly composed; the moon appeared to hang right on the branch of a wild tree growing on the roof, like a precious pearl on a bough. It created a serene atmosphere that gave one the illusion of being able to hear the whispers of the man in the moon. In reality, however, the tree on the roof had grown wild and unruly, and the moon was far away in the sky. Everything felt desolate. No matter how one looked at it, the aesthetic beauty from the photo was nowhere to be found.

Ruan Lingfeng felt even more awkward. He expected Tao Zhi to complain loudly or even lose his temper, feeling that they had wasted so much time just to look at a broken rooftop.

“I was wondering… I’m a native of Yuncheng, how could I not know about such a ‘good place’?” Tao Zhi did indeed complain. “You can’t believe a single word these stupid bloggers say online. They find a tricky angle, use enough Photoshop to make their own mother not recognize the place, and post it online just for traffic. It’s not your fault. If I didn’t know this place, I’d think it looked decent from the photos too.”

“Then… should we head back?”

“Forget it, we’re already here. Let’s enjoy the breeze,” Tao Zhi added. “Next time, I’ll take you to a place that’s actually interesting.”

The latter half of the sentence slipped out. As soon as he said it, Tao Zhi felt a bit annoyed with himself. What next time? Today was an accident. It was a special day, and being alone was indeed boring; they were just passing the time together.

Where did a “next time” come from?

But once spoken, words are like spilled water—impossible to take back. Ruan Lingfeng had already heard him.

Fortunately, it really was quiet here. The night breeze brushed past, the leaves rustled, and one or two distant barks could be heard.

Ruan Lingfeng’s voice, which wasn’t very loud, was carried by the wind to Tao Zhi’s ear. He said: “You also said before that you’d take me to eat those noodles ‘next time.'”

“…Did I?”

He had. Tao Zhi didn’t truly forget; he just didn’t expect Ruan Lingfeng to bring it up. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

However, Ruan Lingfeng seemed to be speaking casually. Having said that, he found a spot, took out a tissue, handed one to Tao Zhi, and took one for himself. He gave the dirty railing a quick wipe and rested his hands on it. Gazing out into the distance, he felt the place wasn’t so bad after all.

Even if the moon in the sky wasn’t as reachable as it was in the edited photos, the clouds covering the full moon dispersed to either side, leaving the moonlight gentle and quiet.

“About that matter before… although I feel like you might not want to talk about it…” Ruan Lingfeng paused before continuing, “I still have to say it. I didn’t do proper background research and didn’t know you used to be in Fever. I’m truly sorry.”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Tao Zhi also leaned against the railing and looked into the distance, remaining silent for a long time. Just when Ruan Lingfeng thought the other wouldn’t respond, he whispered: “No… actually, it was my problem. I took my anger out on you. I’m the one who should apologize.”

After speaking, Tao Zhi turned his head slightly to see Ruan Lingfeng’s expression. Although there was no artificial light, under the moonlight, Tao Zhi could see a hint of surprise on Ruan Lingfeng’s face.

“Damn it,” Tao Zhi snapped, sounding a bit annoyed. “What’s with that expression? I’m capable of apologizing too, okay?”

“Since we’ve both apologized to each other, can we let this matter go?” Ruan Lingfeng deliberated before speaking slowly. “After all, it’s your concert. You need to come and supervise frequently, otherwise, what if I mess things up?”

The main issue was that sometimes a question could have been confirmed directly with Tao Zhi, but because he was being difficult, they had to go through a middleman. Sometimes the message wasn’t conveyed well; after passing through several hands, the information would change. By the time the work was done and found to be wrong, it had to be revised repeatedly, which was highly inefficient.

The reason Ruan Lingfeng said this was naturally to repair the relationship and get along—there was a bit of that, but not much. After all, once the job was over, they wouldn’t have much contact. He mostly hoped to make the subsequent work progress more smoothly.

But perhaps because the moonlight was too beautiful at this moment, Ruan Lingfeng spoke in a soft voice, his tone rising slightly at the end. When it reached Tao Zhi’s ears, he felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of irritation.

It felt as if this Omega was acting spoiled with him.

Tao Zhi admitted it was wrong of him to take his anger out on Ruan Lingfeng. He knew he was emotionally unstable, prone to anger, and had strong self-esteem, but he wasn’t the type to refuse to admit when he was wrong.

He should bow his head. After he did, this matter might be over for Ruan Lingfeng. But what about him? Could it be over for him? Moreover, the reason Ruan Lingfeng thought he was angry didn’t actually hold true for him. The two of them weren’t even facing the same issue.

“I’ve been very busy lately,” Tao Zhi said first.

“Okay,” Ruan Lingfeng shrugged, his expression looking somewhat disappointed.

Tao Zhi thought: He can’t get over it, but it doesn’t have to stay like this. He wanted to put on a good concert. For the sake of work, he could spend more time with Ruan Lingfeng. Only for work.

Tao Zhi looked up at the moon and added: “Very busy… but I’ll try to find time to meet with you guys.”

They didn’t talk much more on the old building that night. They just stood quietly, gazing at the distant moon. Someone eventually said it was time to head back. This time, Tao Zhi walked behind, shining his flashlight on Ruan Lingfeng’s feet, watching him carefully descend the stairs.

Ruan Lingfeng drove Tao Zhi back before returning to his own place. Just as he parked and was about to unbuckle his seatbelt, he saw a message from Tao Zhi.

Tao Zhi: Image

It was also a photo of the moon. The background looked like Tao Zhi’s neighborhood; Ruan Lingfeng guessed he took it from his balcony.

The previous message in the chat was the long apology Ruan Lingfeng had sent, which the other hadn’t replied to. Now, the thread was finally updated.

Ruan Lingfeng wasn’t quite sure why, after the two of them had just stood on that broken rooftop for so long watching the moon together, Tao Zhi felt the need to send a new moon photo upon returning home.

Clients especially an unpredictable one like Tao Zhi needed to be humored.

Ruan Lingfeng: It’s a very beautiful shot.

Quickly, Tao Zhi sent another message.

Tao Zhi: I just switched to a different device, found a good angle, and did some editing after taking it. As long as you process it, you can take a good picture no matter what kind of garbage place you’re in. Don’t be so stupid next time and believe a fake photo just because you see it.

Ruan Lingfeng: “…”

So he came back just to humiliate me.

But then Tao Zhi added

Tao Zhi: I don’t know about other places, but I’m familiar with every street and alley in Yuncheng. If you’re not sure, you can ask me.