Falling for a Handsome Man

Liu Xu spotted him at once, a young man surrounded by smoke, a smile as faint as a breeze playing at the corner of his mouth. Instinct told him this was the person who had called him.

A glowing ember flickered between long, slender fingers. The man's handsome face inexplicably struck him as lonely. A bittersweet feeling filled his heart, swelling until it seemed ready to burst from his chest. He darted forward and gripped those pale, slender hands.

"Did you find my wallet?"

Was there really any need to get so excited?

The young man stared, bewildered, at someone who looked as if Liu Xu had saved his life, not merely found his wallet. He said nothing, only looked down at the hands clasping his own. Having a beautiful man grab your hands like this was strange, however you looked at it. Yes, beautiful: handsome in a beautiful way. Though he still hadn't gotten a proper look at Liu Xu's face, he could sense his beauty, his charm, and the alluring slant of those phoenix eyes. And there was something else: a sunny warmth that made him deeply uncomfortable, yet blended seamlessly with the night.

He hated the sun.

"Oh, sorry. I got too excited."

Embarrassed, yet reluctant to let go, Liu Xu released his hands and immediately felt a loss unlike anything he'd felt before.

"Here's your wallet. Check that nothing's missing."

A thin hand held out the wallet. Liu Xu took it reflexively, but didn't open it to check.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Jiang Feng."

Jiang Feng took a deep drag, then turned away. With a light flick of his long, pale middle finger, the cigarette butt, still glowing, traced a graceful arc, its faint trail vanishing into the welcoming embrace of a trash can a few meters away.

The wind tugged at his coat, and his slightly tousled hair fluttered.

Liu Xu stared blankly, his heart thrown into disarray by the brief flare of the cigarette before it quickly went dark. When he came to his senses and ran after him, Jiang Feng had already vanished. He had disappeared like a wisp of smoke.

Jiang Feng... Liu Xu had already etched the name into his memory.