Pressed for time, Li Qianxing quickly changed clothes and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. After checking himself in the mirror, he grabbed a bucket hat and put it on as well.

Fortunately, he hadn’t thrown away yesterday’s wrapping paper. Li Qianxing removed the bouquet, loosely rewrapped it and carried it out the door.

Jiang Lin from next door happened to be leaving at the same time, dressed similarly to Li Qianxing with a baseball cap and thick burgundy-framed glasses. With his thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes, the glasses helped soften his sharp features.

Li Qianxing curiously looked him over while handing over the bouquet.

Jiang Lin accepted it with a smile. “Are you bringing Xiao Zhu?”

Li Qianxing shook his head. “It’s not work-related. Let her rest.”

Jiang Lin nodded. “Alright, just the two of us then.”

They took the elevator down to the parking lot together.

Jiang Lin glanced at the flowers in his hand and said with a smile, “I’ll have Xiao Ding grab some footage from last night and just now. If it leaks, we can say I asked you to look after the flowers overnight.”

Li Qianxing gave him an exasperated look. “You think anyone would believe that?”

Jiang Lin shrugged. “Whether they believe it or not, at least we’ve given a reason. It’s not a big deal anyway. At worst, haters might accuse me of trying to curry favor with you.”

Li Qianxing frowned slightly at his last comment. “My sister-in-law’s family has shares in this hotel. I asked for her help last night and spoke with the management. They’ll be careful with our footage. The chances of it leaking are very slim, so you can relax.”

Jiang Lin looked back at him in surprise, then realized Li Qianxing had done this for his sake. His smile widened. “Thank you, Li-ge!”

Perhaps it was Jiang Lin’s radiant smile, but Li Qianxing inexplicably felt his mood lift, despite his earlier irritation from lack of sleep.

The elevator doors opened, and Li Qianxing followed Jiang Lin to his rental car, sliding into the passenger seat.

Jiang Lin placed the roses in the back seat before taking the driver’s seat.

They were headed to a small orphanage that specialized in caring for intellectually disabled children.

Li Qianxing fastened his seatbelt, his eyes catching the flowers in the back. He asked, “There are 29 roses. Is that enough, or should we get more?”

Jiang Lin replied, “It’s perfect. I contacted the director earlier. There are 28 children there now, with one rose left for the director.”

Li Qianxing asked, “How will you explain to the director that you’re bringing red roses?”

Jiang Lin smiled. “Red is the most vibrant color. It easily attracts attention, perfect for those children. They’ll be delighted.”

Li Qianxing turned to look at him curiously. “How do you know about that place?”

Jiang Lin explained, “Back in university, I often participated in volunteer activities organized by the school. We visited several orphanages in the area, but I went to this one the most and became quite familiar with the director. After graduation, whenever I could afford it, I’d donate regularly. Since I’m back for filming, I thought I’d drop by.”

Li Qianxing nodded. “They accept private donations? I’ll contribute something too. And I’ll split the cost of whatever you buy later.”

Jiang Lin didn’t refuse. “Alright.”

They first stopped at a large supermarket. Li Qianxing pushed the cart, following Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin was clearly experienced. He went to the textile section first, grabbing a stack of coral fleece blankets. Then he headed to the daily necessities aisle, loading the cart with towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shower gel. He filled his cart and half of Li Qianxing’s.

“Tissues are actually consumed the fastest, but with just the two of us, we can’t carry much. The home buys those in bulk anyway. These odds and ends we’re getting don’t run out too quickly. They usually buy them as needed. What we’re bringing should last them a good while.”

This was a world Li Qianxing had never been exposed to, and he watched with interest as Jiang Lin selected items.

As they continued pushing their carts, Jiang Lin chatted casually. “I once played a character with intellectual disabilities. He was the male lead’s brother, mostly a background character but present throughout the film with a few standout scenes. Though it was an urban romance drama, the script was excellent and a rare case of two normal people falling in love.”

Li Qianxing asked, “What was it called?”

Jiang Lin told him the title.

Li Qianxing thought for a moment. “I remember that drama. Xiao Zhu watched it several times, always saying it was a breath of fresh air among idol dramas.”

Jiang Lin nodded. “Indeed. The drama was a small hit back then. Both lead actors have done well since.”

Li Qianxing glanced at him, joking, “Isn’t that a bit sarcastic coming from you?”

Jiang Lin laughed. “I really didn’t mean it that way. Besides, my luck only started improving after that drama aired.”

Li Qianxing was surprised. “Oh?”

Jiang Lin explained, “That drama was one of the production company’s key projects that year. They invested a lot and hired a great team. It was quite a good resource. But for my character, no well-known actor wanted to take it on. It was difficult to play and not particularly likable. They ended up holding open auditions, which gave me the opportunity.

“After the drama aired, I won over the audience with some tearjerker scenes. It was my first noteworthy work. With that, Yan-jie helped me secure a few more challenging supporting roles. Director He decided to cast me as the lead in ‘Shattered Chains¹破囚 – MTL says ‘prison break’ or ‘breaking prison’ but 囚 means prisoner instead of prison, and 破 means broken / damaged / worn out / lousy / rotten / to break, split or cleave / to get rid of / to destroy / to break with / to defeat / to capture (a city etc) / to expose the truth of. So I think Shattered Chains is an appropriate translation.‘ after seeing those performances.”

Li Qianxing remarked, “With thorough preparation, your chance will come. True talent won’t remain buried forever.”

As they chatted, they reached the stationery section. Jiang Lin gestured for Li Qianxing to turn in, and they picked up notebooks, pencil cases, colored pens, and crayons, filling Li Qianxing’s cart.

Jiang Lin said, “Alright, let’s check out.”

Li Qianxing asked curiously, “Aren’t we buying any food?”

Jiang Lin explained, “Food is tricky. There’s a risk of choking or allergies. Only the teachers at the home know what’s suitable.”

They quickly checked out, loaded everything into the car, and drove off.

Jiang Lin parked the car inside the welfare home’s gates. As soon as they got out, the director, accompanied by several staff members, came to greet them.

The director extended her hand with a broad smile. “Xiao Jiang, it’s been a while. Thank you for always remembering us here.”

Jiang Lin shook her hand and introduced Li Qianxing, who had walked around the car. “Director Li, this is my senior, Teacher Li Qianxing. He especially brought flowers for the children.”

The director quickly shook Li Qianxing’s hand, smiling. “I recognize you! The dramas Teacher Li acted in as a child – the kids love watching them. We often play them for them.”

Li Qianxing was momentarily stunned. “Thank you.”

Jiang Lin opened the trunk and back door for people to unload, then retrieved the bouquet from the backseat. “Bright red, the most vibrant color.”

The director, clearly not thinking anything of it, thanked them happily before tentatively asking, “The children are all in the main classroom. Would you like to give them the flowers? It’s rare to have new faces here. The children will be delighted to see two such handsome big brothers.”

Jiang Lin turned to look at Li Qianxing.

Li Qianxing checked the time and said honestly, “We can, but I have almost no experience interacting with children. I’m afraid I might frighten them.”

Jiang Lin smiled. “Don’t worry, just follow my lead. You’ll be in charge of handing out the flowers.”

So Li Qianxing took the bouquet and followed Jiang Lin and the director to the main classroom.

All twenty-eight children were gathered in one large room, supervised by several teachers. At a glance, their ages ranged from a few years old to teenagers. Some were playing with toys, others were writing or drawing at tables, some were looking at picture books, and a few seemed to be daydreaming. Despite the number of children together, it wasn’t noisy. They spoke to each other slowly and quietly.

As the three entered the classroom, the children’s reactions were slow. It took a moment before some of them looked up. Their gazes lacked the usual vivacity of children.

Li Qianxing felt a bit shaken. Although he had tried to imagine it, seeing it in person was very different. Of course, he didn’t let it show on his face.

Jiang Lin tugged at his sleeve, leading him towards a child who had looked their way. He crouched down to speak with the child.

Li Qianxing followed suit, carefully observing their interaction.

Though the child’s responses were slow, simple communication was possible. Jiang Lin had a knack for charming children, and soon had her smiling. He gave Li Qianxing a subtle nod, and Li Qianxing pulled out a flower from the bouquet to give her. The child happily accepted it, gently touching the petals.

Jiang Lin patted her head and moved on to the next child.

After giving out ten flowers this way, the rest of the children gathered around, patiently waiting near Jiang Lin and Li Qianxing. The remaining flowers were distributed more quickly.

Jiang Lin took the last flower from Li Qianxing and gave it to the director.

Afterward, Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin each made a donation to the orphanage before leaving around noon.

As Jiang Lin drove, he asked, “There’s a congee restaurant nearby that’s quite good. The congee is prepared in advance, so it’s served quickly. Your stomach can’t wait long, shall we have lunch there?”

Li Qianxing replied, “Anything is fine with me, as long as it’s not too spicy.”

Jiang Lin soon parked at the restaurant, and they requested a private room.

The congee indeed arrived quickly, while the other dishes would take a bit longer. Li Qianxing scooped up a spoonful of the boat congee Jiang Lin had ordered for him, blew on it to cool it down, and took a bite.

Jiang Lin asked, “How is it?”

Li Qianxing savored it. “Very flavorful.”

Jiang Lin stirred his own bowl slowly, not in a hurry to eat. He smiled and said, “Does eating something delicious help improve your mood?”

Li Qianxing was taken aback. “Hm?”

Jiang Lin explained, “You’ve barely spoken since we left the home. It was inconsiderate of me. First-time visitors are always affected to some degree.”

Li Qianxing blinked slowly, feeling the weight that had been pressing on his heart gradually lifting.

He ate his congee slowly. “I just… found their obedience heartbreaking.”

Jiang Lin sighed softly. “Yes, that’s why I visited there the most back then. To be honest, my volunteering wasn’t entirely selfless. Earning extra credits was part of it, but mainly I thought I could observe many different people in various environments. But those children really tugged at my heartstrings, and before I knew it, I had visited many times.”

Li Qianxing remarked, “You’re very kindhearted.”

Jiang Lin smiled. “I think your kindness is more pure. I just sweet-talked you a bit, and you agreed to come out on a date with me. It almost makes me feel guilty.”

Li Qianxing asked, “This counts as a date?”

Jiang Lin replied, “Why wouldn’t it? It counts for me.”

Li Qianxing thought for a moment. “If that’s the case, then I’ve been on dates with many people.”

Jiang Lin nearly choked on his congee, turning away to cough several times before looking back helplessly. “Li-ge…”

Li Qianxing smiled slightly. “However, going out alone with someone for personal reasons, apart from family, you’re the first.”

Jiang Lin paused, then broke into a smile.

And for once, his smile was endearingly goofy.

TL Notes

• 1
  破囚 – MTL says ‘prison break’ or ‘breaking prison’ but 囚 means prisoner instead of prison, and 破 means broken / damaged / worn out / lousy / rotten / to break, split or cleave / to get rid of / to destroy / to break with / to defeat / to capture (a city etc) / to expose the truth of. So I think Shattered Chains is an appropriate translation.