Chapter 62: A Gift for You
What could be inside?
A ring? A gemstone?
Jiang Qing toyed with the small box, his fingertips feeling the delicate texture of the velvet. He wasn’t usually a very curious person, but Su Lin’s “token of his heart” had come so suddenly and at such a subtle moment that he couldn’t ignore it.
He flicked the lid open.
Inside, there was no blinding glare as expected, nor was there a ring symbolizing some special meaning.
Resting against the velvet lining was a single cufflink.
The design was simple. A platinum base with smooth, rounded edges. The only highlight was the central main stone.
It was a gemstone with an extremely unique color. It wasn’t a common blue, red, or green, but a nearly milky, pale moonstone. Under the light, it didn’t refract a brilliant sparkle but instead emitted a hazy, soft luminescence.
However, what truly made Jiang Qing daze for a moment was the smaller, pure red spinel cleverly set beside the moonstone.
The purer and brighter the spinel, the more expensive it was.
Moonstone and spinel—one cold and one hot, one bright and one dark—were placed side-by-side on this tiny cufflink.
Jiang Qing picked up the cufflink, his fingertips tracing the edges.
In Western tradition, moonstone is often associated with intuition, protection, and secret emotions. It is sometimes called the “Stone of Lovers,” said to awaken a gentle yet firm love in the heart of the wearer. It is often used as a token of commitment, representing loyalty and eternal love.
Wearing moonstone is believed to enhance the emotional connection between lovers, awakening tenderness and romance.
Spinel, historically used by royalty in crown jewels, symbolizes power and status. Its characteristic as a “destiny stone” signifies “indestructible” emotions, making it suitable as a token of love.
He held the cufflink up to the light.
This wasn’t a common accessory, nor was it just a gift.
It was a hidden yet direct love poem written in gemstones.
Jiang Qing thought of Su Lin’s always calm eyes, his cautious proximity, his breath and embrace in the chaos of that night, and his seemingly calm “absence” lately…
It turned out all that restraint, testing, and waiting had condensed into this one object and been delivered to him.
Jiang Qing held the cufflink and remained silent for a long time.
Su Lin had used a nearly artistic method to wrap his feelings in layers, leaving them for someone who could understand to decipher.
And Jiang Qing understood.
He placed the cufflink gently back into the velvet box and closed the lid.
He didn’t lock the box away in the depths of a drawer.
He simply placed it on a corner of the desk, in a spot where he could see it with a glance but wouldn’t be overly conspicuous.
Then he picked up his phone and sent a short message to Su Lin:
[The cufflink is very special and beautiful.]
[I like it.]
Once the message was sent, Jiang Qing leaned back against his chair, his gaze falling on the deep blue velvet box.
The phone vibrated almost immediately.
Jiang Qing picked it up to look.
It was Su Lin’s reply:
[It suits you. Only for you.]
Jiang Qing chuckled.
Now wasn’t the time.
But perhaps one day he would wear it, just to see what kind of expression Su Lin would make then.
——————————————————
Lin Siwu was lying on the sofa, bored out of his mind.
Ever since Jiang Qing told him “it’s okay” that time, his entire soul felt like it was floating. His mind was filled with nothing but Jiang Qing.
Did Qing-ge really know what he wanted to ask?
Can Qing-ge read minds???
He suddenly sat up, grabbed his phone, and opened the chat with Jiang Qing. The conversation was stuck on several excuses he’d made a few days ago: “Ge, what are you doing?” “Ge, look at this game…” Jiang Qing’s replies were mostly short, sometimes with long gaps in between, but he never ignored him.
Lin Siwu’s finger hovered over the screen for a while. He typed: “Ge, what did you mean by ‘it’s okay’ that day?”, then quickly deleted it.
No, too stupid. Sounds like an interrogation.
He typed again: “Ge, want to have dinner tonight? I found a new place…” Delete.
Too obvious.
He frustratedly ruffled his hair and finally sent a dry: “Ge, are you busy?”
He threw the phone aside immediately after sending it, not daring to look.
He sprawled back onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Lin Siyu, watching his brother twitching like a fish out of water, understood immediately.
“Stop harassing him. He isn’t as idle as you are every day,” Lin Siyu’s voice came from nearby.
Lin Siwu was startled by the sudden voice and nearly rolled off the sofa. He scrambled to sit up, his face flushed. “I wasn’t harassing him! I… I was just checking in normally!”
“Checking in normally?” Lin Siyu raised an eyebrow, looking at his brother’s transparent attempt to hide his feelings with a half-smile.
“Sending eight hundred messages a day asking ‘Are you there?’, ‘What are you doing?’, ‘Have you eaten?’. If he replies with a single word, you grin at your phone for half the day. You call that normal? Lin Siwu, do you think your brother is an idiot or blind?”
Having his heart’s secret poked, Lin Siwu snapped back in embarrassment: “It’s none of your business! I like it! Qing-ge didn’t say I was annoying!”
“He didn’t say it out loud,” Lin Siyu said slowly, “but you need to have some sense. Do you really think he has that much free time to play this elementary school ‘crush’ game with you?”
Those words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. Lin Siwu’s feverish brain cooled down instantly.
Right… Qing-ge must be busy with his own things…
Seeing his brother’s expression dim, Lin Siyu softened his tone. “There’s nothing wrong with liking someone, but you have to pick the right time and method. Acting so impulsively like this—other than being a nuisance, what use are you? A man like Jiang Qing doesn’t need a follower whose head is filled with nothing but pink bubbles.”
“Then… then what does he need?” Lin Siwu asked instinctively, his voice dropping low.
Lin Siyu looked at him, uncharacteristically serious for a moment. “He needs someone who can stand beside him, someone who can share his burdens. Someone who can provide actual help when he needs it, instead of just saying ‘Add oil, Gege.’ Understand?”
Lin Siwu listened blankly.
He liked Jiang Qing and wanted to be close to him, but his “liking” seemed to have always stayed at the most superficial level—wanting to meet, wanting to talk, wanting attention.
He had never thought about what Jiang Qing needed, what Jiang Qing was facing, or what he could do for Jiang Qing.
“I…” He opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
“Think it over. But I have some good news for you.”
“What good news?”
“Jiang Qing is coming to our house tomorrow.”
“What?! For real?!” He sprang up from the sofa. “Qing-ge is coming tomorrow? To our house? Why? When? How do you know?”
Lin Siyu was amused by his instant change of face. “Of course it’s for real. Dad and Uncle Jiang dumped a new project collaboration on me and Jiang Qing to have a preliminary meeting and sort out our thoughts. He’ll arrive in the afternoon.”
“The afternoon…” Lin Siwu murmured, his heart starting to race uncontrollably.
Tomorrow afternoon! Qing-ge is coming! Right here at his house!
Watching his brother’s eyes instantly light up and his restless, daydreaming expression as he started planning for tomorrow, Lin Siyu shook his head helplessly.
Fine. Everything I just said was a waste of breath.
This kid… the moment he hears Jiang Qing’s name, his IQ hits zero.
“I’m warning you,” Lin Siyu had to speak up again to dampen his spirits. “He’s coming for business. Don’t go buzzing around like a butterfly and get in the way. Act normal.”
“I know! I know!” Lin Siwu nodded vigorously, the excitement on his face not fading in the slightest. “I’ll be very normal! Don’t worry, Ge!”
———Little Theater———
[Susu: I was afraid Gege would think I had ulterior motives.]
[Qing Qing: (Opens the box) Tell me which part of this isn’t an ulterior motive.]
Translator’s Note:
- Ge / Gege: Pinyin for “Brother,” used as a respectful or affectionate honorific.
- Zuo-wei / You-wei: Refers to the positions in a relationship pairing (Zuo = Top/Gong, You = Bottom/Shou).
- Guke: Slang for “Orthopedics,” often used in Danmei to refer to “taboo” brother-related romances.
- Add oil: A direct translation of “Jiayou,” meaning “Keep it up” or “Good luck.”
- White-lotus-turned-black: A character who appears pure and innocent (a “White Lotus”) but is actually calculating or manipulative.
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