X
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Li Xiao had already put on his coat. He leaned on the bar, his body tilting forward slightly.
“It’s nothing expensive, don’t worry.”
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, then opened the box.
Inside was a pair of black fingerless gloves. The material seemed to be some kind of soft leather, lined with a thin layer of fleece.
The design was simple, without any logo.
“For when you’re mixing drinks,” Li Xiao explained. “Your fingers are exposed, so it won’t affect your work, but your palms and wrists stay warm. You’re always touching ice; your knuckles are all red.”
Jiang Yu looked at the gloves. His Adam’s apple moved again.
“Try them on.”
Li Xiao’s tone was gentle.
Jiang Yu picked up one glove and put it on.
The size was perfect. The leather was soft and snug, and the thin fleece inside brought immediate warmth.
His fingers moved freely—the flexibility was indeed unaffected.
“The other one,” Li Xiao said.
Jiang Yu put on the other glove and clenched his fists. He looked up at Li Xiao.
“How did you know the size of my hands?”
“Measured them when I held your hand.”
Li Xiao answered matter-of-factly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Jiang Yu’s cheeks flushed instantly. He moved to take the gloves off.
“Keep them on.”
Li Xiao pressed his hand down, his palm covering the back of Jiang Yu’s gloved hand. The warmth seeped through the thin fleece. “They’re yours now. You can throw them away or burn them if you want, but for now, keep them on. Let me see how they look.”
Li Xiao held his hand. Jiang Yu couldn’t pull it back, so he could only glare at him.
Li Xiao only laughed even more happily.
He carefully looked at Jiang Yu’s gloved hands and nodded with satisfaction.
“Looks good. Really suits you.”
With that, he let go and turned to leave.
“Li Xiao.”
Jiang Yu called out to him.
Li Xiao looked back.
“…Thank you.”
Jiang Yu’s voice was very low, but very clear.
Li Xiao looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly turned back. Leaning over the bar, he raised a hand and lightly touched Jiang Yu’s flushed cheek.
“I told you, don’t keep thanking me.”
His voice was low, only for the two of them to hear. “If you really want to thank me, next time we meet, give me a hug without me having to ask.”
Before Jiang Yu could react, he withdrew his hand, turned, and strode away. His figure quickly disappeared into the dim lights.
Jiang Yu stood still, the spot on his cheek where Li Xiao had touched felt like it was on fire.
He looked down at the black gloves on his hands. The soft leather wrapped around his fingers, a warmth spreading from the back of his hands to his heart.
He slowly clenched his fists, then released them.
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out and saw a WeChat message from Li Xiao:
[It’s cold outside. Keep warm after work.]
Then another message followed:
[Don’t take off the gloves.]
Jiang Xiao stared at those two messages for a long time.
Then, he slowly typed a reply: [Mm.]
He put the phone back in his pocket and picked up the shaker with his gloved hands.
The feel of the leather was both strange and warm. The sound of ice shaking in the tin seemed crisper than usual.
…
In the early hours, the closing music of the bar began to play.
Jiang Yu took off his work clothes and changed into his down jacket.
Pushing open the bar door, a biting wind carrying fine white particles rushed at him.
It was snowing.
The halo of the streetlights blurred in the falling snow. The streets, rooftops, and parked cars were all covered in a thin layer of white.
Jiang Yu zipped his down jacket up to the top, pulled the fur-lined collar tight around his neck, put on the attached hood, and walked out into the snowstorm.
Cold.
His breath turned into white mist in the air, and his cheeks instantly went numb from the cold.
He curled his fingers inside his pockets, but it still couldn’t keep the chill from seeping in.
The bus stop was only fifty meters away, but walking there in the storm seemed to take forever.
The shelter was empty.
Jiang Yu stomped his feet to try to restore feeling to his frozen toes. Then he took his hands out of his pockets, breathed on them, and rubbed them together.
Just as he was bowing his head to warm his palms with his breath, a warm yellow beam of car light cut through the snow curtain, approaching from afar, and slowly stopped in front of the shelter.
The window rolled down.
Li Xiao’s face appeared in the driver’s seat.
He looked at Jiang Yu and immediately frowned.
“Get in.”
Jiang Yu stood frozen, tiny snowflakes clinging to his eyelashes, his eyes full of surprise.
“How did you come?”
“Get in first.”
Li Xiao’s voice left no room for refusal. “It’s too cold.”
Jiang Yu hesitated for two seconds, then pulled open the car door and got in.
The heater inside the car was running full blast, instantly shutting out the cold.
Jiang Yu took off his hood, his frozen body gradually relaxing.
Li Xiao didn’t drive off immediately. He turned and looked at Jiang Yu’s hands resting on his knees.
His fingers were bright red from the cold, especially the knuckles.
“Didn’t wear the gloves?” Li Xiao asked, his tone carrying a trace of reproach.
“Forgot to.”
Li Xiao said nothing. He reached out directly and grasped Jiang Yu’s hands in one firm hold.
Jiang Yu was startled and instinctively struggled. “You—”
“Don’t move.”
Li Xiao held them tighter. The scorching heat of his palm tightly wrapped around Jiang Yu’s icy fingers. “Let me warm you up.”
His hands were large enough to completely enclose Jiang Yu’s hands.
His fingertips moved over Jiang Yu’s numb, cold skin, bringing a strange sensation.
Jiang Yu’s body was stiff, but he didn’t struggle anymore. The tips of his ears, however, flushed red.
“You… how did you come?” He repeated the question from before, trying to divert attention. “Didn’t you have a video conference?”
“It’s over.”
Li Xiao’s eyes were lowered, focused on rubbing Jiang Yu’s cold fingers. His movements were light but careful, from the base of the fingers to the tips, driving away the chill bit by bit. “I saw it was snowing after it ended, and I thought you might not get a ride after work, so I came.”
“I stopped to get you some late-night snacks on the way, which cost me some time, so I’m a bit late.”
Li Xiao let go with one hand, reached over to the back seat, and brought over an insulated bag. He placed it on Jiang Yu’s lap.
“Open it. Eat it while it’s hot.”
Jiang Yu opened the bag. Inside was a small insulated thermos.
He unscrewed the lid, and a rich aroma instantly filled the air.
It was steaming hot chicken soup, with a few goji berries and scallions floating on the surface.
“At this hour… is there still a place open?” Jiang Yu was somewhat surprised.
“This place is open 24 hours. It tastes great. Try it.”
Li Xiao watched Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu held the thermos in both hands. The warm sensation spread from his palms straight to his heart.
He took a small sip of the soup. It was savory and warm, flowing down his throat and warming his entire stomach.
“Thank you.”
Li Xiao smiled, gripped the steering wheel, and said, “Hold tight. I’ll take you home.”
The car drove smoothly into the snow-covered street.
The city in the early morning was silent, with only the snow falling incessantly.
The streetlight shone through the car window, casting alternating light and shadow on Li Xiao’s profile.
He drove slowly and steadily, his gaze focused ahead, his fingers lightly tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel.
Jiang Yu held the thermos, drinking the soup in small sips. Occasionally he looked up, his gaze sweeping over Li Xiao’s profile.
This man had forcibly entered his life, being good to him in the most direct way, with no room for refusal and no expectation of return.
The car soon reached the old city district and drove into the neighborhood where Jiang Yu lived.
A thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the road, and the tires made a faint crunching sound as they rolled over it.
The car stopped. Jiang Yu unbuckled his seatbelt and put the empty thermos back into the bag.
“Thank you for the soup, and… for coming to pick me up.”
“Is that it?”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Not Me, The Fans is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Not Me, The Fans
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