6 The Cafe 4 (1/2)
”What for?” Feng Qi sounded and looked genuinely confounded by Jun Yang's sudden apology.
”For the girls,” Jun Yang explained, ”I didn't know that they were going to do something like that. I'm sure they weren't thinking right...”
”I'm not so sure about that. Their tone did sound pretty pointed.” Feng Qi interrupted him softly. This made Jun Yang feel a certain negative way because he did not want to get caught between his friends and classmates but that feeling soon melted away when Feng Qi smiled at him and continued, ”Either way, you do not need to apologize on their behalf. You did nothing wrong. Furthermore, I'm not that angry at them. If anything, I am appreciative of their help.”
”Appreciative of their help? Why?” Jun Yang asked. This time it was he who was confused.
Feng Qi leaned in to make sure he had Jun Yang's attention. Then, he whispered in a tone that sounded weirdly seductive to Jun Yang, ”Because they have brought you straight into my arms.”
Jun Yang's lips fell open slightly and he started to sweat out of embarrassment. ”There you go, talking nonsense again...” Jun Yang complained with little resistance.
He was about to change the topic in case the conversation got derailed by Feng Qi again when he realized the young man kept his gaze locked on him. Jun Yang felt self-conscious under Feng Qi's scrutiny. He raised his hand to quickly adjust his hair and pull on his sleeves.
Feng Qi was still looking silently at him. Eventually, Jun Yang had had enough and he turned to ask the man directly, ”Why are you looking at me like that?”
”Just admiring how handsome you are,” Feng Qi answered readily like he had already prepared the answer before Jun Yang even asked the question.
Jun Yang was about to launch into another tirade when Feng Qi stopped him by continuing, ”By the way, don't listen to that girl.”
”Huh?!” The sudden change of topic confused Jun Yang. Seeing the confusion on his face, Feng Qi explained with utmost patience, ”I love how considerate you are towards others. You don't put on airs like other people that we know. It shows how loving and big-hearted you are. That is one of the qualities that I love about you and why I would be the luckiest person alive if you'd agree to be my boyfriend... Or would you like to hear the other reasons why I'm in love with you before you can be convinced?”
A part of Jun Yang wanted to challenge Feng Qi to finish the list, he wanted to hear why he loved him so but the words that tumbled out of his lips were, ”I swear, you never treat anything seriously. You're always running that mouth of yours to patronize me. I don't need to sit here and listen to you patronize me like this...”
While Jun Yang grumbled with faux frustration and irritation, he picked up the school bag that he left on the chair next to him and stood up. On his face that was turned away from Feng Qi, the young man had a hard time suppressing the smile that was coming to his lips.
Whenever Feng Qi pushed too far with his aggression, Jun Yang's go-to reaction was always to escape from the scene. That was how he escaped from the alley as well.