A hint of hesitation crossed Lin Shulan’s eyes, but she still did as Ye Zhou said. She leaned down and blew softly onto his tightly clenched right fist, like the softest spring breeze.
“Ta-da! Dear customer, your order has arrived. Please check it over!”
Ye Zhou smiled faintly. He clenched his right fist once more and then opened it. A slender, silver-white lady’s cigarette lay in his palm.
Lin Shulan looked up. Her eyes cooled slightly, yet she couldn’t hide an indescribable joy in her heart.
—
The Drama and Film Club had a dedicated smoking room, but it was far away. Since Lin Shulan was prone to bouts of laziness, she preferred to handle her business in the club’s restroom rather than trekking to the smoking room.
Soon, 3 minutes passed —
Lin Shulan walked out of the restroom with a look of relief.
Ye Zhou leaned against the hallway wall with one hand in his pocket, using the other to scroll through short videos on his phone. Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned, put away his phone, and smiled.
“Senior Lin, is your need resolved? Anyway, your complexion looks much better than before. You don’t look as irritable.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Lin Shulan noticed one or two boys walking out of the elevator while looking down at their phones. She subtly pulled up her thin, light purple yoga jacket to cover the wisteria tattoo just below her fair collarbone.
“I’ve had a question on my mind since a moment ago. How did you have that? Or more accurately, how did you know I like these cool, mint-flavored Esse Change Pop-Beads?”
Ye Zhou shrugged. “I’ll give you the answer now, then.”
“Senior Lin, you really are forgetful. Didn’t you give me one yesterday?”
“When I got home, I suddenly thought that even though I don’t usually smoke, I could buy some to hand out to others.”
“For example, if I have a little disagreement with someone who smokes, giving them a cigarette might help them let go of the grudge.”
“Since I don’t know much about cigarettes, I asked around and bought some.”
“See? Didn’t it come in handy just now?”
“Right?”
Lin Shulan nodded slowly. “That makes some sense. But from what I gathered, you don’t normally smoke. Not that you dislike it, but that you don’t know how to at all. Is that right?”
Ye Zhou paused, rubbing his nose. “Yeah, that’s right. Is there a problem? There’s no law saying a man has to know how to smoke.”
“Of course there isn’t. But personally, I think both men and women should know how to smoke at least a little,” Lin Shulan said, her tone serious as she crossed her arms.
“You can choose not to smoke, but you shouldn’t be unable to do it. It’s like drinking — you don’t have to drink, but you shouldn’t collapse after just one glass.”
Ye Zhou went quiet for a moment before slowly speaking. “You’re right. Having an extra skill never hurts.”
“Hmm, so I was wondering if there’s an accelerated method to learn in a short time.”
“How could there not be? You’ve come to the right person. But do you have any more?” Lin Shulan reached out her hand shamelessly.
“I do. I have a whole pack.” Ye Zhou hesitated for a long time before pulling it from his pocket.
He felt like he was being scammed, yet he was doing it willingly. His brain felt short-circuited.
He added a reluctant sentence at the end. “Don’t lie to me. I’m easily tricked.”
“That breaks my heart. How could a sister lie to her brother? Besides, if I really wanted to scam you, you wouldn’t even have your underwear left. You’d be just like that little Chen Yuhe.”
Lin Shulan took the pack and stuffed it into her pocket, a trace of a sly smile flashing across her lips. She turned toward the smoking room but paused halfway.
“Oh, right. Just to be sure so I don’t have to worry — the accelerated method I’m about to teach is only for adults. Are you an adult?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Ye Zhou smiled helplessly and pulled his ID from his pocket to show her. Lin Shulan took it, gave it a quick glance, and handed it back, already noting his birth date.
“Hmm, exactly 18. No more worries. Follow me inside.”
Looking at her back, confusion lingered over Ye Zhou’s brow, but he scratched his head and followed her into the smoking room.
—
The smoking room was bright and well-ventilated, with only a faint lingering scent of tobacco. Clean ceramic ashtrays and green plants sat in the corners.
“Uh, what should I do now?” Ye Zhou asked.
“No, you don’t have to do anything. Just stand still against the wall. That’s the biggest help you can give me.”
Ye Zhou frowned but complied.
Lin Shulan used a lighter. Click. She lit a cigarette, pressed her purple lips to it, and took a deep drag. She didn’t exhale.
Ye Zhou seemed to realize what was happening, but before he could react, he was met with a breath filled with smoke, mixed with her cold-toned perfume. It felt like ice mint soaked in alcohol, a dreamlike sensation that sent him flying into space.
It was intoxicating beyond control!
Ye Zhou’s pupils dilated, and his ability to speak was blocked. At this moment, it felt as though Lin Shulan had drained all the strength from his body, and he couldn’t move an inch.
He was like a plaster statue, except for his heart, which beat as fast as a 100-meter sprinter’s.
It only lasted about 10 seconds, but to Ye Zhou, it felt like a century.
Lin Shulan flicked him with a slender finger. “Hey, are you stupid?”
“Huh? Ah! Ah…”
Ye Zhou covered his mouth, incoherent. “Senior Lin, what… what was that for?”
Lin Shulan raised an eyebrow. “I’m teaching you the accelerated method. Just tell me one thing: did you like it or not?”
Ye Zhou gave a thumbs up without hesitation. “Anyone who says they didn’t like it is lying. I’m a very honest person.”
“But jokes aside, those two things don’t seem related at all, do they?”
“How are they not related?”
Lin Shulan asked, “Do you feel any discomfort? Like you were choked?”
Ye Zhou’s face flushed, and he looked away awkwardly. “Well, no. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it.”
“Of course, like I said, I’m an honest person!”
Lin Shulan smiled. She took out a tissue and carefully wiped away the traces of purple lipstick from the corner of his mouth. Then, she picked up the cold-toned perfume from a nearby table, walked around him a few times, and gave him a light spray.
“There, no problem.”
“So, honest brother, do you want your sister to do this for you again in the future?”
Ye Zhou’s lip twitched. He felt things were heading in a twisted direction.
“That wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“Dishonest brother. Well, if your nicotine addiction ever acts up, come find me anytime. I’d be happy to help you release it.”
“Hiss, what misleading words. Besides, how could I ever have a day like that? Definitely!”