Don’t Be Afraid, It’s All Right

Jiang Zhou set Chen Ju down on the sofa. The moment he touched the cushions, Chen Ju curled into a ball and huddled in the corner, burying his head as his body trembled with fear.

“Chen Ju?” Jiang Zhou knitted his brows and reached out to pull him closer. But as soon as his hand touched Chen Ju, the man grew agitated again.

“N-no, please, I’m sorry... It’s all my fault...” Chen Ju struggled and shook off Jiang Zhou’s hand, raising his own to shield his face in terror. “I won’t do it again. N-no, don’t hit me...”

Hearing what Chen Ju was saying, Jiang Zhou froze. His expression grew unreadable as he watched the trembling man. After a long moment, he sat down on the sofa and held out a hand. “Little Orange, it’s all right. No one here is going to hit you.”

The words “Little Orange” brought Chen Ju back to himself a little. He paused for a few seconds, then slowly lifted his head and looked at Jiang Zhou through tear-blurred eyes. Gradually, Jiang Zhou’s face came into focus.

Suddenly, some mysterious force seemed to shatter the walls of the storeroom surrounding him. The narrow, box-shaped space split apart and collapsed, and light, air, and sound came rushing in.

“Jiang Zhou?” Chen Ju stared blankly at the man before him. A tear brimmed over and rolled down from the corner of his eye. Slowly, he lifted a hand and placed it over Jiang Zhou’s.

Jiang Zhou clasped the man’s soft, cold hand and drew him into his arms. He gently patted his back, soothing him like a baby.

“There, it’s all right now. Don’t be afraid.”

A wave of bitterness rose in Chen Ju’s throat, heat prickling behind his eyes. He clutched Jiang Zhou’s clothes, his shoulders trembling. Through clenched teeth, he let out a quiet, stifled sob...