Xishan was a small county outside City B. Mountains enclosed it on three sides, and in the center lay five interconnected lakes. Though the scenery was beautiful, the area had not been overdeveloped for tourism. Instead, it preserved a so-called natural landscape, with only a modest resort open to selective visitors.
The drive from the city center took about two hours.
Chen Jin drove.
Lin Wan sat in the passenger seat, nodding off like a tiny bird pecking at rice.
Sleepiness must have been contagious. Watching her doze made him want to yawn too. He forced his eyes forward and tried not to laugh. This woman did nothing but eat and sleep now; she was practically reverting to childhood.
They drove in silence.
When they arrived at the resort and joined the others, Lin Wan immediately noticed that every man had brought a female companion. She looked sideways at Chen Jin, who was busy greeting people.
So much for getting fresh air, she thought.
She was here as his decorative accessory.
But unlike the other women—who were dressed to the nines—she was in a jogging outfit.
Truly not a qualified vase.
Among the women, only one other stood out as an oddball: Chen Xi.
After the dancing incident, Chen Xi had called her several times—probing first to see if Lin Wan was angry. When she saw she wasn't, she returned to her cheerful, reckless tone, declaring that she liked Lin Wan at first sight and wanted to be friends. She invited her out repeatedly, but Lin Wan refused for fear of getting entangled with anyone from the Chen family. Eventually, Chen Xi gave up, only sending the occasional funny text.
Today Chen Xi wore a snow-white tracksuit and bounced over like a little rabbit.
"In a bit, they'll all turn into a bunch of fossilized old men. Don't know why they like sitting there under the sun and wind. Such a waste of scenery."
Lin Wan looked around.
It was beautiful.
Blue sky. Green pines. Sloping orchards heavy with fruit. The crisp air made her lungs ache pleasantly. She stretched slowly, feeling for the first time in a long while the faintest hint of relaxation.
If she could sit down and paint, she thought, that would be nice.
"Wanwan, hold this."
She turned, startled.
Chen Jin stood behind her wearing a fisherman's hat and a gear bag slung over his shoulder. The entire look was so unfamiliar she almost didn't recognize him. And his expression—soft, unthreatening, almost cloudlike—was even stranger.
For a second she simply stared, forgetting the large outdoor pack in his hand.
Chen Xi, ever sharp-eyed, snatched it from him.
"Oh! A camera. I forgot mine. And snacks! Third Brother, you're so thoughtful. Eh? Why is there a hat too?"
Chen Jin took the pink cap from her and placed it on Lin Wan's head.
"The autumn sun's vicious. Don't get burned."
"I want one too," Chen Xi whined, rummaging in the bag. She found nothing.
"You're already dark. A hat won't help."
"You're so mean! I'm your sister!"
From the distance, someone shouted,
"A Jin, hurry up. Your prime fishing spot's being stolen!"
Chen Jin finally smiled. He cupped a hand around his mouth.
"Coming."
Then to the two women:
"Don't wander everywhere. Watch out for snakes."
He strode away.
Lin Wan remained there, dazed.
Today he was… strange.
Like a completely different person.
It had to be an illusion.
Yes. Fake.
She looked at the long fishing bag slung across his back and thought the only thing that suited him inside would be a hunting rifle. That was the real him.
"You tilted your hat and put your shoes on backwards. You look like a delinquent girl," Chen Xi teased as she adjusted the cap. Then she held up the camera.
"Come on, let's take pictures. I love photography. I was vice president of my school's photography club."
Lin Wan studied her pure, chirping little face and suddenly felt uneasy.
Too many kind people today.
It felt unnatural.
For the rest of the morning, the men sat by the lake fishing, while the women hid from UV rays under umbrellas and compared handbags, diamond sizes, and shopping trips to Hong Kong.
Chen Xi rolled her eyes.
"Gold diggers. All of them."
From there, the two wandered off on their own. After carrying the pack for a while, Chen Xi complained,
"Did Third Brother pack bricks in here? It's so heavy. Wanwan, let's just eat the snacks. Lighten the load."
"I'll carry it." Lin Wan felt bad. Chen Xi was younger; it felt wrong to let her do all the work.
"It's heavy no matter who holds it. Eat, eat. We need energy."
So before playing, they ended up picnicking on the ground. Lin Wan wasn't hungry, so she took out her sketchbook. Chen Xi munched chips and peeked over.
"You're a real talent. No wonder my brother likes you so much."
"I don't know how to draw, but I can play piano. Oh, and Third Brother sings well. Has he sung for you?"
Lin Wan's pencil froze. She messed up a line.
Chen Xi quickly offered an eraser.
"Here."
"…Thanks."
After eating, Chen Xi dragged her off to take pictures. So much for scenery; this "photography club vice president" only cared about portraits. By noon, Lin Wan's legs were thin, her arms sore, and her face muscles numb from constant posing.
Finally, the men finished fishing and the women flocked to fuss over them. Chen Xi, however, took Lin Wan straight back to the hotel.
Just before they reached the entrance, they crossed paths with Chen Jin returning from the lakeside. Hands behind his back, he strolled toward them.
"How was your morning?" he asked.
"Great," Chen Xi replied instantly.
"I wasn't asking you. You're never unhappy anyway."
He approached Lin Wan and lifted a hand toward her head. She flinched back, startled—
But he only plucked a blade of grass from her hair.
"What were you two doing? Rolling in the dirt?"
Lin Wan flushed and said nothing.
Chen Xi, alarmed, immediately pawed through her own hair.
Chen Jin didn't push the topic.
"You draw anything?" he asked.
She nodded without looking up.
Chen Xi chimed in,
"We took lots of pictures too. Your Lin Wan is super photogenic."
Chen Jin wrapped an arm around Lin Wan's shoulders, smug.
"Of course. I have good taste."
Brother and sister bantered shamelessly, making Lin Wan increasingly uncomfortable. She tried to pull away, but Chen Jin suddenly lifted a small bunch of wildflowers from behind his back.
"For you," he said softly.
Then he leaned close, whispering against her ear,
"I picked them myself."
Lin Wan froze.
Then her face grew hot.
That voice.
That breath.
Those motions.
They were too intimate.
Too much like something lovers share.
And Chen Xi's loud gasp—
"Third Brother, you're so romantic!"—
Drew every pair of eyes at the hotel entrance.
Chen Jin didn't mind at all.
He reveled in the attention.
But Lin Wan felt unbearably exposed.
Her cheeks burned hotter.
He placed the flowers in her hand.
"Hold it. I'm a man. I can't walk around carrying that."
Then, still holding her with his other arm, he guided her forward.
"Let's eat. You must be hungry after running around all morning."
Lin Wan stared at the wildflowers, dazed.
When he spoke again, she snapped back.
"Do you know what they're called?"
She didn't answer.
He smiled.
"They're called asters. Sounds a lot like your name."