The Taste in the Mouth

“Can you smell who it is?” Wen Yiqian whispered.

“He’s right next to you,” Xiangxiang said without looking up, her voice barely audible.

Wen Yiqian’s eyebrow twitched. He slowly turned his head.

A muscular man stood beside him, tattoos running up both arms, hair still damp as if freshly washed.

As Wen Yiqian looked at him, the man seemed to sense it and turned to stare back with cold eyes.

Their gazes met. Wen Yiqian produced an awkward smile and looked away.

Even if he doesn’t look like a good person, appearances can be deceiving. Shouldn’t judge people by their looks. He reasoned this through carefully. As for the smell of blood… maybe he’s on his period.

The passengers came and went, but the muscular man showed no sign of getting off.

Wen Yiqian could feel the occasional glance from beside him, each one sending a small chill down his neck.

When his stop finally came, he got off quickly and walked away at pace.

“He’s following us,” the small voice on his shoulder said.

“No way.” Wen Yiqian glanced back. The man was indeed behind him. “In novels, the male lead attracts inexplicable hostility not because he’s plain-looking. So why is it happening to me?”

He scratched his head. “I’m already handsome enough.”

He told himself: Broad daylight. Street full of people. He probably wouldn’t dare do anything reckless.

“Hey, wait!”

A rough voice called out from behind.

Wen Yiqian slowed almost imperceptibly, pretended not to hear, and sped up.

The muscular man caught up in a few strides and stepped in front of him.

“Can I help you?” Wen Yiqian had no choice but to stop. He forced out a smile that looked worse than no smile at all.

“I…” The man hesitated. “I wanted to ask for your WeChat.”

As he said it, a faint flush crept up his neck.

“Sorry,” Wen Yiqian said, his eye twitching slightly. “I’m not interested in men.”

“My mistake. Sorry to bother you.” The muscular man gave him one last look of genuine regret, shook his head, and walked away.

Wen Yiqian stood there for a moment, speechless. He was handsome, yes, and carrying a child, which at most made him look like someone’s father. Where exactly had he given off a different impression?

No wonder the man had been looking at him strangely on the bus.

“Why did you smell blood on that guy?” Wen Yiqian rubbed the goosebumps off his arm and looked down at Xiangxiang.

“I wasn’t talking about him,” she muttered.

“Then who were you talking about?”

On the bus there had been two or three people nearby. Xiangxiang hadn’t been specific, so the confusion was understandable.

“That one,” she said, her voice dropping further.

“Which one?” Wen Yiqian sighed. Communicating with small children was genuinely difficult.

“The one behind you!”

“Behind me?” He couldn’t recall the person behind him at all. “You said next to me earlier.”

“He’s right behind you now, you dummy!” Xiangxiang pressed her face against his neck, voice muffled and exasperated.

Wen Yiqian went still. Then he turned around.

Less than two meters behind him, a gaunt man was walking in the same direction.

His skin was the color of paper. His body was thin and dry, like a branch that had lost all its moisture, the skin pulled tight over the bones beneath. Only a few sparse strands of hair remained on his head. His face was so worn and hollowed out that his age was impossible to guess.

At night, Wen Yiqian might have taken him for a ghost.

In broad daylight, he still felt a jolt.

“Who are you?” Wen Yiqian asked carefully.

The man ignored him. He kept his head down and walked past in silence.

“Looks like he was just going the same way,” Wen Yiqian said, watching the retreating figure and releasing a breath. “Going the same direction, that’s all.”

Only then did Xiangxiang lift her head. She watched the man’s back. “He has the smell of blood in his mouth.”

“Maybe he has a mouth ulcer,” Wen Yiqian said. “It’s broad daylight. What are the odds of running into a vampire?”

“Do only vampires drink blood?” Xiangxiang asked, her expression entirely genuine.

Wen Yiqian had no answer for that. He changed the subject. “Where exactly is your kindergarten? If we keep this up, you’ll be late.”

“I’m a child. How would I know the way?” she said, as if this were obvious. “Ask a grown-up.”

Wen Yiqian rolled his eyes and stopped a passerby for directions.

After some wandering, they finally arrived outside the kindergarten. He followed the fence around to the main entrance.

A petite woman stood at the gate, greeting arriving parents and children with a warm, steady smile.

“Teacher Jingjing!” Xiangxiang waved with more energy than she’d shown all morning.

Kindergarten teachers really are something else, Wen Yiqian thought, watching as he walked over. It was the first time he’d seen this particular expression on the girl’s face.

“Xiangxiang, you almost ran late today!” Jingjing said brightly, then glanced at Wen Yiqian with mild curiosity. “And you are?”

“Her neighbor,” Wen Yiqian said. “Her grandmother isn’t feeling well, so I brought her today.”

He set Xiangxiang down on the ground.

“Thank you for the trouble.” Jingjing nodded, took Xiangxiang’s hand, and led her inside.

Wen Yiqian noticed, on reflection, that her manner toward him had been a little cool.

I’m not money. Not everyone has to like me. He shook it off and turned to leave.

Inside the kindergarten, Teacher Jingjing walked hand in hand with Xiangxiang.

“Are you close with that big brother from earlier?” Jingjing asked, her smile easy and gentle.

Xiangxiang considered this seriously. “I’m close with him. He’s not close with me.”

“So you like him, but he doesn’t like you?” Jingjing patted her head.

“Teacher Jingjing is so smart.” Xiangxiang nodded vigorously. “That dummy Wen Yiqian doesn’t understand anything I say.”

“Wen Yiqian.” Jingjing repeated the name. Her eyes moved slightly. “He’s very good-looking. He must have a lot of girlfriends.”

“I don’t know,” Xiangxiang said, shaking her head.

“Did you tell him about our secret?” Jingjing’s expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes did.

“No.” Xiangxiang shook her head firmly. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, so I definitely won’t tell that dummy Wen Yiqian.”

“Good girl.” Jingjing smiled and patted her head again.

Xiangxiang beamed.

(End of Chapter)