trct_50

Chapter 50: The Best of Both Worlds

Though separated from the ballroom by only a single wall, the lounge's walls weren't paneled in heavy oak like the ballroom—instead, both the walls and ceiling had been painted a smooth, pristine white, making the room considerably brighter than the ballroom.

It was still early, and the guests were all still out enjoying the atmosphere of the dance in the ballroom. When the two of them entered, there wasn't a single soul in the room, and Shi Xuanman hadn't yet arrived either.

Ji Qingzhou swept a glance over the room.

The curtains of the large floor-to-ceiling windows were drawn shut, and a round rug lay beside the dark gray velvet sofa. Perhaps owing to the weather, both the fabric sofa and the woven rug gave off a faintly damp feeling.

So, he simply led Jie Yu'an over to sit and rest on the solid wood lounge chairs near the bay window instead.

Though it was just the two of them, the atmosphere in the room wasn't especially quiet—their ears were filled entirely with the lilting music drifting in from outside.

Listening to the music, Ji Qingzhou couldn't help nudging Jie Yu'an's right shoe with his own left foot, and asked, "Can you dance?"

Jie Yu'an shifted his foot away, "What are you getting at?"

"Just bored, that's all. If you know how, we could dance right here in the room."

"We?"

"Yeah. We're already here anyway. Besides, ballroom dancing is just a handful of steps. As long as you can feel the rhythm of the music, that's all it takes. Doesn't strictly require your eyes."

Ji Qingzhou shifted position, propping his elbow on the armrest and resting his cheek on his hand as he looked at him, asking casually, "So, can you or can't you?"

"......"

It was, in truth, a very straightforward question, yet for a moment Jie Yu'an found himself unsure whether to answer it or not.

In the silence, the sound of violin and piano continued to drift unbroken through the air, its light, lilting rhythm like the beating of a heart—gentle and unhurried, yet carrying within it an indescribable, leisurely romance.

If he were to dance with him amid music like this... an image surfaced in Jie Yu'an's mind, and his heartbeat suddenly skipped.

But then, he reminded himself that Ji Qingzhou was merely asking whether he knew how to dance, not actually extending an invitation—there was nothing to agonize over, so he simply nodded and gave a flat "Mm."

Ji Qingzhou smiled faintly, deliberately pausing for a moment before saying, "I'd like to dance with you, but someone's bound to come in soon, and it'd look pretty strange if they walked in on two men dancing together in here. Better skip it."

Jie Yu'an's tone turned cold in an instant, "So you knew that much, at least."

Ji Qingzhou admitted to himself that he'd been teasing him with a bit of deliberate mischief in mind, but seeing that Jie Yu'an had grown genuinely displeased, he immediately changed the subject. "Hungry? Want some cake? I'll go get you a piece."

"Did you come to this banquet just to eat?"

"Nope, I came to admire my own handiwork, and do a little advertising on the side, already handed out a bunch of name cards, didn't you hear that earlier?"

"Boring."

"I'm boring? Guess I'll just go find someone else to dance with then?"

"......" Jie Yu'an pressed his lips shut in silence, and only after a few seconds did he reply stiffly, "Go ahead."

"Upset again?"

Ji Qingzhou raised an eyebrow, watching his expression while hooking his index finger lightly against the palm of Jie Yu'an's right hand where it rested on the chair's armrest. "Come on, be a little more generous about this. You know perfectly well I was just saying that out of spite. How could I possibly leave you here unattended? We already agreed this afternoon, tonight I'd keep a close eye on you."

Jie Yu'an gave a cold snort, letting him toy with his fingers without a word of protest.

Just then, the lacquered wooden door, set with six panes of frosted glass, opened from outside with a click.

Shi Xuanman first poked her head in, and seeing the two of them resting inside, walked in alone, closed the door behind her, and pulled up a chair to sit diagonally across from them.

"Not out dancing, Mr. Ji?" she asked as she sat down.

Ji Qingzhou had already withdrawn his mischievous fingers the moment he'd heard the door open, straightening up slightly in his seat, and replied with a light laugh, "I'm married. My household keeps a close watch on me, won't let me dance with anyone else."

In the chair beside him, Jie Yu'an lowered his head slightly upon hearing this, his hands folded together, thumbs unconsciously pressing against his own faintly warm palms.

"I see. So why didn't you bring Mrs. Ji along with you this time?"

This was the first Shi Xuanman had heard of him being married, and while somewhat surprised, she also grew a little curious about what sort of person Mr. Ji's wife might be.

Beside them, upon hearing this particular form of address, Jie Yu'an went rigid all over, pressing his lips shut without a sound, still as a statue.

Why did Young Master Jie seem a bit tense? Was he introverted and shy around strangers, like Birong perhaps?

Sitting across from him, Shi Xuanman, being fairly perceptive, noticed his stiffened posture, and couldn't help mulling it over in her mind for a moment.

"Mrs. Ji, ah..." Ji Qingzhou made an effort to suppress the urge to turn and look at Jie Yu'an's expression, and said, with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "She's shy around strangers, and not very mobile either. Prefers staying at home, isn't used to crowded gatherings."

Not very mobile... so she must be a traditional sort of woman, then.

Shi Xuanman felt a touch of surprise—given Mr. Ji's fondness for fashionable, modern things, she'd assumed he would have chosen a modern, new-era woman as his wife, never expecting he'd prefer the gentle, virtuous type instead... Perhaps it was a match arranged by his family?

And yet, watching the way his eyes couldn't quite hide a smile when he spoke of his wife, he did seem rather fond of her too.

Shi Xuanman wasn't usually one for gossip, but at this moment she genuinely wanted to ask, "Where is your wife from, which family's daughter is she?"

But that would hardly be polite, especially with young master Jie sitting right there—it wouldn't do to pry too much into someone's private affairs in front of an unfamiliar man.

So she held her curiosity in check, and redirected her train of thought instead: "I imagine you can guess what news I have for you?"

"A suitable property for rent on Avenue Joffre?" Ji Qingzhou asked.

"Exactly that." Shi Xuanman said with a warm smile, recounting slowly, "It's a small two-story Western-style house, with a good environment and location. The owners are a French couple—they had the house built about ten years ago, I gather. Though it's an older house, it's been well maintained. At least from the outside, it looked very neat, clean, and tasteful.

"I heard the place had been rented out to a Russian merchant for his business all this while, but recently that Russian gentleman closed up shop, so they've put up notice that it's available for rent. From what I've gathered, the monthly rent is roughly sixty to seventy silver dollars, with a full-year lease required. If the price isn't to your satisfaction, you could negotiate further with the landlord."

Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou's brow twitched slightly. Sixty to seventy yuan a month—that was rather steep.

His current little shop, eight months' rent altogether only came to eighty-four yuan, and that was already on Bubbling Well Road, a relatively pricier stretch.

But then, that house was, after all, located on the longest, straightest, and most bustling avenue in the French Concession, and it was an entire standalone Western-style house besides.

And judging by what Shi Xuanman had said, the surrounding area of that house was quite nice, with an attractive exterior as well—it made sense that the rent would be steep.

To someone wealthy, a few dozen yuan a month in rent might not amount to much of anything at all, but to a small-time tailor like himself, just starting out in business, this rent was clearly out of his reach.

If it were paid monthly, he might just barely manage it, but requiring a full year's lease upfront meant coming up with seven or eight hundred yuan all at once—there was simply no way!

Ji Qingzhou sighed inwardly, thinking to himself that he really was being too eager for quick success—his little tailoring shop had only been open two or three months, and here he was already thinking about relocating. Better to wait until he'd saved up more first...

Seeing him fall silent in thought without responding, Shi Xuanman roughly gathered that the rent was probably a bit too steep for him.

Though she herself tended to be fairly careful with money, given her own comfortable family background and her family's willingness to spend generously on her, sixty yuan for a small Western-style house struck her as quite a good deal. But judging by Ji Qingzhou's expression, it didn't seem like something he could easily afford.

Ji Qingzhou was just weighing whether to decline outright, or to phrase it more tactfully—perhaps go take a look at the house first before deciding.

After all, Shi Xuanman had gone out of her way to help him out of good will, and it wouldn't do to let her efforts go entirely to waste.

Just then, Jie Yu'an suddenly spoke up: "You're looking to rent a place on Avenue Joffre?"

"Not settled yet," Ji Qingzhou glanced at him and said. "My current shop's lease runs through the end of the year, and afterward I'm planning to move to a bigger storefront. Avenue Joffre seemed like a nice area, so I asked Miss Shi to keep an eye out for me."

"I have a property on Avenue Joffre," Jie Yu'an said, out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Ji Qingzhou blinked, caught off guard.

"Street-facing."

"How come you never mentioned this before?"

Jie Yu'an was just about to speak when Ji Qingzhou stopped him again. "Never mind, let's talk about it later once we're back."

Surprising as it was, with Jie Yu'an's interjection, declining Shi Xuanman's offer politely now came even more naturally.

"Thank you so much for looking into this for me, but that rent is a bit beyond what I can budget for at my current stage of income. I'll think it over carefully once I'm back, and reach out to you again if the need arises."

Catching the implication in his words, Shi Xuanman shook her head with a smile. "No need to feel sorry about it, part of why I helped was for my own convenience too, honestly. If you moved your shop to Avenue Joffre, it'd be much easier for me to come have clothes made.

"I'm quite your loyal customer these days, you know, I was just telling my classmates about your skills. When they heard that Birong's qipao, this outfit I'm wearing, and even Miss Lu's gown were all made by you, they were all quite taken aback, and want to come have clothes made with you too... Seeing how diligently I'm drumming up business for you, I trust I'll get some kind of discount next time?"

Ji Qingzhou couldn't help but laugh, nodding repeatedly. "Of course. You've already called yourself my old client, even without drumming up business for me, I'd still give you a discount."

"Then it's settled!" Shi Xuanman broke into a bright smile.

A little while later, she also asked how the custom qipao dress she'd previously ordered was coming along. Ji Qingzhou told her honestly that it was already in the cutting stage and would need a few more days, and she left reassured.

Originally, once Miss Shi had left, Ji Qingzhou had meant to ask Jie Yu'an about this property of his, but right after, four or five guests suddenly poured into the room, chatting away with them in a friendly, familiar manner, and for the time being the matter slipped his mind.

Since Jie Yu'an wasn't especially mobile, Ji Qingzhou spent most of the rest of the banquet in the lounge with him. Later, once he judged the time was about right, he took Jie Yu'an out to get a bite to eat, and not long after, they regrouped with the rest of the Jie family and headed back to the Jie residence together.

On the way back, it had started raining again, fine droplets pattering softly against the car window, leaving countless winding trails in their wake.

Ji Qingzhou once again sat with Jie Yu'an in the back seat of the same car, and recalling their earlier conversation with Shi Xuanman, he asked the person beside him, "Do you really have a property on Avenue Joffre?"

Jie Yu'an responded calmly, explaining briefly, "My father gave it to me when I came of age, but I was abroad at the time, so I still haven't been there to see it, even now."

"So when you brought this up, does that mean you'd be willing to rent it to me cheap?" Ji Qingzhou asked, testing the waters.

"Why would I rent it to you?"

"Then why the hell even bring it up, just to show off?"

Jie Yu'an considered this for a moment, then said, his tone perfectly flat, "I won't charge you rent in money, but you'd need to sign a different agreement."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ji Qingzhou tilted his head to look at him, blinking. "I sell my craft, not my body, you know."

Jie Yu'an turned his head slightly aside with an expression of pure exasperation. "Who wants your body."

"Then what agreement do you want signed, a room-and-board arrangement?"

"Something like that."

Ji Qingzhou clicked his tongue lightly. He could roughly grasp what Jie Yu'an meant—the house was sitting empty anyway, so given how close their relationship had become, he'd let him stay there for free for a while, so long as he didn't damage the furniture or the structure of the house.

This was certainly a good thing, of course, but it also meant that a house he hadn't paid to rent would always carry a lingering risk—no telling when he might be turned out of it.

Granted, given Jie Yu'an's honest and generous nature, this possibility was slim, but Ji Qingzhou would inevitably have to leave the Jie household sooner or later, and by then, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he certainly couldn't keep occupying someone else's property in good conscience. And Jie Yu'an, in all likelihood, wouldn't think much of that small amount of rent money anyway—so he'd have to move his shop all over again at that point, which really did sound like a hassle...

While Ji Qingzhou was still mulling this over, Jie Yu'an had already taken his silence as tacit agreement, and said in a flat voice, "I'll take you to see the house tomorrow."

"Huh, you're serious about this?"

Ji Qingzhou hadn't expected him to be this proactive, and furrowed his brow. "Well then, why don't you go ahead and set me a rent after all. Just don't make it too high, five or ten yuan will do. I'll feel more at ease using the place if I'm actually paying for it."

Jie Yu'an, naturally, understood his reservations too. Though he felt a faint twinge of displeasure at being so distrusted, he agreed all the same. "Fine. But I'll be adding another condition."

Hearing him emphasize this, Ji Qingzhou sensed it probably wasn't anything good, and asked instinctively, "What condition?"

"We'll discuss it after you've seen the house tomorrow."

"Why the mystery? I might not even like the place, you know."

.

"Guess we'll see." Even so, the following morning, after breakfast, Ji Qingzhou still skipped half a day of work, taking a car with Jie Yu'an to go look at the house in the French Concession.

It happened to be Sunday, and Shen Nanqi was home too. Upon hearing the purpose of their outing, she said she'd come along to take a look with them.

As they got into the car, Ji Qingzhou, out of habit, opened the back door first and helped Jie Yu'an into the car. Just as he was about to climb in himself, he remembered Shen Nanqi was coming along too, and let mother and son sit together instead, taking the front passenger seat for himself.

"Oh, honestly, you didn't need to come along," Shen Nanqi said to her son once she'd gotten into the car. "The weather's so awful, everything's damp all over, and you're not exactly steady on your feet. I could've just taken Qingzhou over myself."

Jie Yu'an looked puzzled. "Weren't you the one who wanted to come along?"

"I'm not the one going along for you. I'm worried you won't even manage to get through the door on your own," Shen Nanqi said, none too pleased. "Do you even know where this house is located? How many floors, how many rooms, how exactly were you planning to describe it to Qingzhou?"

"He has eyes of his own to look."

"Then what exactly is your role in all this?"

"......" Jie Yu'an said nothing, silently turning his head toward the car window and sulking, as if he could actually see the scenery outside.

Listening to their exchange from the front, Ji Qingzhou sighed inwardly, thinking 'the old ginger really is spicier,' and if it weren't rather impolite, he'd have loved to give Shen Nanqi a thumbs-up right then.

Just as he was quietly enjoying this to himself, Shen Nanqi turned to ask him, "Are you looking at this house to use as your ready-made clothing shop, or for some other purpose?"

"No, the shop still has five months left on its lease, and I'll keep running it as is, doing smaller-scale business there. This place I'm looking at today is meant to be a design studio instead, specifically for receiving clients who want high-end custom services."

Ji Qingzhou explained his plan slowly. "That way, with a dedicated studio, if you wanted to come have a gown made, for instance, there'd be a spacious fitting room and lounge area, and the whole experience would be much better."

Easier to build up his reputation and raise his prices too, while he was at it... Ji Qingzhou thought privately to himself.

"A studio, hmm. That actually sounds quite good." Shen Nanqi had, until now, been somewhat worried he intended to rent the entire house just to run his ready-made clothing shop out of, which would have been rather wasteful.

She then thought it over briefly and said, "Actually, I've been considering something myself lately. Yuanyuan's injuries have been steadily improving, haven't they? Once he's fully recovered, why don't I just give you a house outright, somewhere close to the Jie residence. You could run your business out of it, and you'd still be able to visit often afterward.

"Honestly, seeing how well you two get along, if you don't mind staying friends down the road, well, I'd probably still be dropping by your shop now and then to have something made myself. Arranged this way, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"

Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou's mind very nearly short-circuited.

Give him a whole house outright? A house close to the Jie residence, no less? Wasn't that a bit much!

He'd always known Shen Nanqi was remarkably generous toward him, and that whatever compensation she gave him in the future would surely be no small sum, but he hadn't expected her to be this generous—casually offering up a house worth tens of thousands as a gift, just like that.

Ji Qingzhou found himself briefly at a loss for words, and after a pause, said, "Let's just stick with your original plan. This would leave me feeling far too indebted."

In his view, as the 'mascot,' he hadn't really done anything of substance—Jie Yu'an's recovery was mainly thanks to the superb skill of Dr. Zhang, and even without him, Jie Yu'an's health would have recovered in due time regardless.

As for looking after Jie Yu'an's day-to-day needs, he could, at best, say he'd barely met the standard.

He spent most of every day at the shop, and even once home, he was constantly buried in work; whenever he had a spare moment, he'd bicker back and forth with Jie Yu'an, seemingly happy only when he'd managed to needle him a little... If Shen Nanqi ever found out what he was really like behind closed doors, she surely wouldn't be so generous as to gift him a house.

Shen Nanqi seemed to roughly guess at his thoughts, and said with a smile, "You don't put much stock in the luck-marriage business, do you, and feel a bit guilty about it? No need to carry that kind of burden, though. At the very least, whenever you're around Yuanyuan, he's in better spirits, and that speeds up his recovery, that alone counts as real help."

Hearing this, Jie Yu'an very much wanted to point out sarcastically, since when had he ever been in good spirits?

But considering it wasn't easy for Ji Qingzhou to keep up this façade of good behavior in front of his mother, he decided not to expose him.

Shen Nanqi went on, "Still, thinking it over more carefully, gifting a house outright really isn't very practical. You might not even like the location we'd pick for you. Let's just go with what I originally said, then: I'll give you a sum of money, and you can decide for yourself."

This put Ji Qingzhou's mind at ease at once, and he readily agreed. "That works. I'll accept that."

Listening to their conversation, Jie Yu'an said nothing the entire while. Just moments ago, when they'd first set out, his mood had still been fairly good, but now he found himself feeling somewhat stifled.

Sure enough, he still hated the plum rain season after all.

There weren't many cars out on the road on this rainy day, but with the streets slick and wet, the driver kept a cautious, unhurried pace for safety's sake.

Shen Nanqi and Ji Qingzhou chatted on and off idly, and about half an hour later, the black car pulled up in front of a small Western-style house wrapped in greenery, situated along the middle stretch of Avenue Joffre.

Previous | TOC | Next