Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 40

Chapter 40

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In September, the temperature difference between morning and evening in Paris was quite significant. This evening, a light rain started to fall. After getting off the plane, Lu Sen immediately put on his coat and walked out of the airport to see Ji Huai waiting for him with a dark blue umbrella.

"Is that for me?" Lu Sen glanced at the coat in Ji Huai's hand and asked with a smile.

"I thought you didn't bring a coat, so I brought one for you," Ji Huai replied.

"Don't you know I grew up in Paris?" Lu Sen ducked under Ji Huai's umbrella, and the two of them walked side by side towards the car. Lu Sen added, "But thanks anyway."

"No problem," Ji Huai said as he opened the trunk and helped Lu Sen put his luggage in.

Once inside the car, Lu Sen took a tissue to wipe his hands. Just as Ji Huai was about to start the car, Lu Sen suddenly leaned towards him. Ji Huai glanced sideways at him, and Lu Sen's slightly greenish-brown eyes met his. Lu Sen wiped his hand on Ji Huai's shoulder, smiled, and said, "There was a bit of rainwater here."

Ji Huai, who was always somewhat aloof in front of unfamiliar people, nodded and said, "Thank you."

The car drove towards the city centre, the windshield wipers moving rhythmically. Lu Sen's phone rang, and he answered with a cheerful tone, "Why is the Great Photographer Xu personally calling me?"

"Stop it," Xu Yan said. "Did Ji Huai pick you up?"

"No, I've been waiting at the airport for ages and haven't seen him." Lu Sen leaned lazily against the seat and turned slightly to look at Ji Huai as he spoke. "Did he find it too much trouble to pick me up?"

"That's impossible, Ji Huai left over half an hour ago, was there a traffic jam?" Xu Yan muttered on the other end. "Hold on, I'll call him to check."

Just as Lu Sen hung up, Ji Huai's phone rang. It was mounted on a stand, so Lu Sen reached out and pressed the answer button. Xu Yan's voice came through, "Ji Huai, where are you?"

"On the road," Ji Huai replied.

"Still on the road? Lu Sen's already there, saying he's been waiting for you for ages."

"I know," Ji Huai said calmly.

"Don't just 'know', hurry up, it's raining and cold. Don't let my Great Photographer Lu freeze, we can't afford that."

"Mhmm."

Xu Yan, feeling frustrated with Ji Huai's indifferent attitude, exclaimed, "What 'mhmm', I'll make you pay if anything happens to him!"

Finally, Lu Sen spoke up, "It's fine, there's no problem."

There was a dead silence on the other end of the line.

Ten seconds later, Xu Yan hung up without saying a word.

"Aiya, Xu Yan Yan is angry," Lu Sen said without much sincerity. "It's his birthday today, this isn't good."

Ji Huai gave a faint smile and didn't say anything.

Xu Yan's apartment was spacious, but since he was always travelling and lived alone, it felt a bit empty. Ji Huai entered the password to open the door, and Xu Yan poked his head out of the kitchen, "You're here?"

"I thought you were angry," Lu Sen said.

Xu Yan looked down while handling some shrimp paste, "Yes, I'm angry, you two teamed up to trick me. After eating, you two are doing the dishes."

"Hotpot, huh?" Lu Sen glanced at the table, changing the subject.

"Mhmm, always running around outside, I can't have a proper hotpot meal, I've been craving it," Xu Yan said as he set the table. "Come sit, come sit."

The three of them sat around the table. Lu Sen noticed a lot of gifts piled on the coffee table, likely from colleagues and collaborators. He also saw a suitcase by the sofa and asked, "Going somewhere again?"

"To Barcelona the day after tomorrow," Xu Yan said, sipping some orange juice. "So tiring."

"What's tiring about it?" Lu Sen laughed. "You've won so many awards, held photography exhibitions, and you're a well-known Chinese photographer in the industry. If you didn't want to go, the company wouldn't dare make you."

"I still want to take more photos myself," Xu Yan said. "You have to rely on your work to speak for you, don't you know that better than I do?"

"I understand," Lu Sen said. "How long have you been away? About two and a half years, right? Have you thought about when you'll return to China?"

"Two years and four months," Xu Yan said, adding more ingredients to the pot. "It's still early, I won't be thinking about returning until at least next year."

"And if you do go back, what's the plan?" Lu Sen asked sincerely. "Would you return to TIDE, or join my studio? I'd suggest you consider the latter."

Lu Sen had established his own studio over a year ago. Although he was still a photographer for TIDE in name, his focus had shifted. He had been invited to shoot a film festival poster for a director and decided to come early to celebrate Xu Yan's birthday.

"The editor-in-chief contacted me, asking me to come back to lead outdoor shoots," Xu Yan said after some thought.

"Don't listen to her, you know how difficult outdoor shoots are, and given your current status, it's not suitable."

"But your studio mainly shoots celebrities, and it's mostly indoors. I'm used to shooting landscapes, I might not adapt."

"Come on, haven't you always been shooting people as well? The sets from the last fashion show were praised to the heavens. Besides, we also have outdoor shoots, and there are quite a few."

Xu Yan said meaningfully, "Oh, you know how difficult outdoor shoots are."

"Alright," Lu Sen said coolly. "You've really picked up some bad habits while abroad."

Xu Yan smiled and turned to ask Ji Huai, "When are you returning to China?"

"December, or at the latest, January next year."

"Going back to work?" Lu Sen asked.

"Mhmm."

"Transferring to the Chinese branch as the top boss," Xu Yan sighed. "Our Ji Huai, a successful young professional, a young and talented industry elite."

Ji Huai threw a beef ball into Xu Yan's bowl to shut him up.

As they drank orange juice, it soon turned into alcohol. It was rare for everyone to gather together in different countries. Xu Nian had originally wanted to fly over to celebrate Xu Yan's birthday but couldn't get away from work, so he asked Lu Sen to bring a gift for Xu Yan.

After a few rounds of drinks, Xu Yan opened Xu Nian's gift. It was a short drawing tube. He pulled out the paper inside, glanced at it, and then tossed it aside expressionlessly.

Lu Sen reached over and picked it up. It was a scroll with strong, vigorous calligraphy: "Braving the wind and waves, we shall set sail and cross the vast seas."

"Is he an idiot?" Xu Yan said.

Lu Sen laughed, "It's not that bad. From the shape, I thought it was something else."

"What?" Xu Yan, a bit tipsy, looked confused.

Lu Sen rolled the paper back into the tube and said seriously, "A massager."

"Get lost."

They drank until late. Ji Huai would overnight at Xu Yan's place, while Lu Sen would go back to his own home. The table was a mess, and Xu Yan muttered, "I told you guys, you tricked me, so today you're washing the dishes."

Lu Sen leaned back in his chair, not moving. Ji Huai stood up to clean the dishes. "It's alright, I'll wash them."

As he walked to the kitchen, Lu Sen turned to look at him. When he looked back, he saw Xu Yan staring at him. Lu Sen asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Yan didn't answer. He looked at Lu Sen, then at Ji Huai, and finally said, "Nothing."

That 'nothing' felt suspicious. Lu Sen didn't say anything either. He checked his phone, the driver was already downstairs, ready to go.

As he got up, he accidentally knocked over a glass, spilling half a glass of wine onto himself, soaking his pants. Xu Yan leaned in to check and said, "I'll find you a pair of pants to change into." Lu Sen nodded and followed him into the room. Xu Yan rummaged out a pair of track pants for him, then walked out.

When Ji Huai reached the doorway, Lu Sen was in the process of taking off his pants with his back to him. To be honest, Lu Sen's physique was comparable to, if not better than, the celebrities and models he had photographed – long, lean, and powerful. Back at the company, Tang Yunyan had often grabbed him to try on sample clothes, and Xu Yan had also been subjected to this treatment.

He lifted one long leg after the other, putting on the pants, completely covering his fair skin. Lu Sen folded his changed pants neatly and turned around, meeting Ji Huai's gaze. Neither of them reacted, after all, it was just one man looking at another.

"Finished washing the dishes?" Lu Sen asked with a smile.

"Xu Yan is washing them. Your suitcase is still in my car, I'll go down with you."

"Alright." As Lu Sen walked out, he stopped beside Ji Huai and sniffed near his neck. "What cologne are you wearing?"

Ji Huai looked down at him. "I forgot."

"Nice taste," Lu Sen said with another smile.

After saying goodbye to Xu Yan, Lu Sen and Ji Huai went downstairs to get the luggage from the car. The rain had stopped long ago. Lu Sen got into the car while Ji Huai, only wearing a T-shirt, stood outside. Lu Sen rolled down the window. "Go back upstairs, it's quite cold out here."

Ji Huai nodded and turned to head back into the building. As the car drove off, Lu Sen saw someone standing under a streetlamp near another building, holding a small cake in one hand and a long black umbrella in the other.

The car stopped, and Lu Sen got out.

He got straight to the point. "Looking for Xu Yan?" How could he not know who the person in front of him was? Back when he went to Otaru to find Xu Yan, at Xu Nian's wedding hotel waiting for Xu Yan... Lu Sen had even anticipated this person would show up here – they had flown on the same plane to Paris today.

Shen Zhi's face looked pale against his black sweater. He neither confirmed nor denied, only saying, "Today is his birthday."

"Right."

"Could you do me a favour and give him this cake?" Shen Zhi raised the hand holding the cake and said softly, "Just say it’s from you or from a colleague."

"Xu Yan is full, he doesn't need a cake," Lu Sen replied. "Or you could give it to him yourself, see if he's willing to eat it."

Shen Zhi pursed his lips and lowered his hand, not saying a word.

"He lives on the third floor," Lu Sen pointed to a window. "That spot is the kitchen, Xu Yan is probably washing dishes right now."

Shen Zhi looked up in the direction Lu Sen pointed. He knew Xu Yan lived on the third floor and that it was the kitchen. He could even imagine Xu Yan now, head down, washing dishes.

"There's only half an hour left until midnight, won't you regret not saying happy birthday to him?" Lu Sen asked with a smile.

Shen Zhi just stared at that window.

Regret? Of course he regretted it. He had had many opportunities to say happy birthday to Xu Yan in person, but he had said nothing. In September two years ago, during Xu Yan's fourth month in Paris and three months before his legal exams, Shen Zhi had stood in this very spot – no, even more hidden, about six or seven steps to the left, under that tree, watching Xu Yan drag his suitcase past. They had been only a few steps apart then.

That day, Xu Yan had just returned from Lucerne, celebrated his birthday at the company, and was heading home with gifts from colleagues. Shen Zhi didn't hear what Xu Yan was saying on the phone as he walked, but he tried hard to see his profile under the streetlight. He saw Xu Yan in a white shirt, a smile on his lips, with slightly longer hair, and not much thinner.

He watched Xu Yan walk closer, then farther away, and finally enter the building. Soon after, the third-floor window lit up.

Last September, on Xu Yan's birthday, Shen Zhi had waited in the same spot until midnight but hadn't seen him. Later, Shen Zhi learned that Xu Yan had been camping by the lake at Mount Fitz Roy, and the sunrise photos of the main peak he took that night won the landscape category at the Sony World Photography Awards the following year.

"He's doing well, doing what he loves, achieving success, and has a promising future," Lu Sen said. "He probably doesn't want to be disturbed."

After saying that, he got back into the car, which soon drove off, wheels splashing through the thin layer of water on the road.

Shen Zhi still stood there. Twenty minutes later, he saw Ji Huai come downstairs to throw out the trash. Half an hour later, the third-floor light went out.

Xu Yan's birthday was over. Shen Zhi quietly looked at the now-dark window. The wind in Paris was no different from anywhere else. Past one in the morning, it began to drizzle again. Shen Zhi opened his umbrella, picked up the cake, and turned to leave.

———

The author has something to say:

Shen Zhi's diary: So many people give my wife gifts, what is this little cake of mine? Wife, I miss you so much, I just want to talk to you (walking alone on the streets of Paris, tears falling with the rain).

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: July 23, 2024 by Angel

Edited: September 15, 2024 by Angel