After school started, it snowed twice more. It was freezing.
Every day, Fang Chi would look at the roadside flowerbeds, wondering when spring would come, when he’d see a flower bloom.
But nothing had changed yet.
His review routine gradually got on track, classes, evenings, self-study. Three times a week he went to tutoring with Xiao Yiming. Old Li had talked to him twice, saying he was very pleased with his current state.
But although he could endure the hardship, for someone who grew up in the countryside and had never seriously studied, this kind of life was indeed dull and stifling.
The only fun was joking around with Xiao Yiming on the way home after class, just like before. Xiao Yiming actually talked a lot; usually he did most of the talking while Fang Chi listened.
When their relationship had just eased, Xiao Yiming talked little, and Fang Chi even less, conversations would stall after a few sentences. Now it was much better. Fang Chi felt that as long as they didn’t bring up the past, or that “friend” who gave him the backpack and now lived at his grandparents’ place, he felt pretty comfortable.
He couldn’t be as open as Xiao Yiming. He didn’t understand how Xiao Yiming and Sun Wenqu could both be so at ease.
But he couldn’t ask.
Because he wasn’t at ease.
It was a dead knot.
“Ugh,” Xiao Yiming spat after biting into a chestnut. “Bad one. I thought it was big.”
Fang Chi chuckled. “Go ask for compensation.”
“Exactly,” Xiao Yiming nodded, peeling another one. “Gotta get compensation.”
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s go.”
Neither of them actually turned back. They kept walking, heads down, eating chestnuts. After a while, Xiao Yiming turned to him. “Are you celebrating your birthday this year?”
“No,” Fang Chi said. “At this point, who still celebrates birthdays?”
“Yeah, then don’t,” Xiao Yiming nodded. “Celebrate your twentieth next year.”
“But I still want a gift,” Fang Chi said.
Xiao Yiming laughed. “Of course. No fun is one thing, but no gift too? That’d be too tragic.”
During this time, Fang Chi and Sun Wenqu’s contact stayed about the same, rare, just a few sentences a week. But since Sun Wenqu was around, it was easy for his grandparents to reach him.
After parting with Xiao Yiming at the fork in the road, Fang Chi put on his earphones, about to run for a bit, when his phone rang in his pocket.
When he saw it was Sun Wenqu’s number, he couldn’t help but bounce forward slightly.
“Finished class?” Sun Wenqu’s voice came through.
“Yeah,” Fang Chi replied.
“How was today?” Sun Wenqu asked.
“Same as always,” Fang Chi sighed. “Every day’s like this. I’ve got tutoring tomorrow.”
“Didn’t you say that teacher explains things pretty well?” Sun Wenqu chuckled.
“Not bad, about as good as you,” Fang Chi laughed. “At least I can understand.”
“That’s good then,” Sun Wenqu said. “Grandma wants to talk to you.”
“Mm.” Fang Chi nodded.
Grandma didn’t have much to say, just asked if he was eating well, if he had bought supplements. Fang Chi just answered “mm” to everything. Then Grandpa took the phone.
Grandpa didn’t ask those things, he just cheerfully chatted about interesting happenings: whose family bought a new car and crashed it into their courtyard wall the first time driving, whose argument escalated into a fight, and so on.
Fang Chi listened, smiling, feeling calm inside.
But after Grandpa finished chatting and said he was going to cook, he hung up without passing the phone back to Sun Wenqu.
That made Fang Chi feel a little less calm.
Sun Wenqu called again shortly after.
“Your grandpa’s helping me save phone credit.”
“His thinking is still stuck in the stage when long-distance calls with two-way charges cost one yuan fifty,” Fang Chi said with a laugh.
“Let me ask you,” Sun Wenqu said, “that sesame soup, how do you make it? I saw there’s sesame powder, and I want to make some for a late-night snack.”
“…You’d better ask my grandpa to make it for you.” Fang Chi had absolutely no confidence in Sun Wenqu making sesame soup himself.
“It should be very simple, right? The sesame’s already ground,” Sun Wenqu said.
“You still have to add glutinous rice flour,” Fang Chi hesitated a bit. “Just… put in two spoons of glutinous rice flour, five spoons of sesame powder, then some sugar. Boil some milk and pour it in. If you don’t have milk, use milk powder and pour in boiling water.”
“Okay,” Sun Wenqu said. A “beep” sound came from his side.
“What was that?” Fang Chi froze.
“Recording. I recorded it, otherwise I won’t remember,” Sun Wenqu said.
“…I think you should still ask my grandpa to make it. I keep feeling like if you cook something yourself you’ll end up with a stomachache,” Fang Chi said.
“I’ll show you when I’ve made it,” Sun Wenqu laughed.
That evening Fang Chi was lying on the desk finishing a test paper he hadn’t completed during evening self-study when Sun Wenqu sent a message with a photo, a bowl of sesame soup.
Fang Chi looked at it for a long time and sent a voice message: “Why did you put sesame oil in it?”
“Your eyesight is truly astonishing enough to make ghosts cry. That’s honey, I added a spoon of honey,” Sun Wenqu replied with a voice message.
Oh. Looks edible.
I’m eating first. Go to bed early. Good night.
Good night.
Fang Chi put down his phone. After a while he picked it up again and opened the photo of the sesame soup to look at it.
Sun Wenqu had taken the photo while holding the bowl in his hand. Fang Chi stared for a long time at Sun Wenqu’s thumb hooked over the rim of the bowl.
Sun Wenqu was quite particular, his nails were trimmed neatly, clean, with a healthy pale pink color.
Nice-looking.
Fang Chi swiped back again. The previous photo was the one Sun Wenqu had sent to Chief Huang earlier “to relieve his longing.”
In the photo Sun Wenqu was leaning back in a recliner with his head tilted, one finger propping his temple, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
It looked very casual. Sun Wenqu always took photos casually, yet they always felt comfortable.
Fang Chi sighed softly, put the phone aside, and put on his earphones.
Days passed one by one. Teachers spent less and less time lecturing in class; instead it was constant problem-solving, problem-solving. Fang Chi buried himself every day in all kinds of test papers and exercise books. Forget chatting during self-study, even the number of times he spoke with Liang Xiaotao beside him became fewer and fewer.
Only when walking home with Xiao Yiming each day did they chat a little. They often hadn’t known what to say before; now he felt like his language ability was almost degenerating.
One afternoon after school he went to the supermarket to buy noodles. The cashier asked if he had a membership card. He handed it over while holding back his words for a long time. By the time the cashier had already swiped the card and returned it, he finally said, “I don’t have a membership card.”
The young cashier girl laughed for a long time.
What a life.
Fang Chi clicked his tongue.
During this time Sun Wenqu hadn’t called him, and his grandparents hadn’t contacted him either. He felt a bit empty. He couldn’t say whether it was because he missed his grandparents or missed Sun Wenqu.
But if he wanted to call Sun Wenqu, it was the same as before, he didn’t know what to say. When they were together face-to-face they could chat endlessly with scattered sentences, but on the phone it couldn’t be like that.
Depressing.
“Wh-when are you going back to the countryside?” Ma Liang asked, sitting on the sofa.
“Tomorrow,” Sun Wenqu glanced at the calendar. “Tomorrow morning. Will you drive me back?”
“No.” Ma Liang tossed him the car keys. “Drive yourself. Drive back.”
“If I drive back, where do I park?” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue.
“In the back… backyard,” Ma Liang said. “In front of the back gate… it’s big.”
“We’ll see,” Sun Wenqu tossed the keys onto the table. “Let’s go eat. This afternoon don’t go out, we’ll talk about the later designs.”
“No need to talk. I’ll listen… to yours,” Ma Liang said.
“I didn’t say listen to yours, even with mine you still have to hear what I’m thinking,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Mm.” Ma Liang nodded.
“We have to finish talking before five in the afternoon. I’ve got something tonight,” Sun Wenqu added.
Ma Liang glanced at him. “Traveling a thousand miles to find… your son?”
“It’s his birthday today,” Sun Wenqu said. “I’ll take him out to eat while I’m at it.”
“So tomorrow morning… you’ll still be able to leave?” Ma Liang laughed.
“You old pervert,” Sun Wenqu pointed at him. “Your wife must have been wearing a steam eye mask when she fell for you.”
“You definitely won’t… have a problem,” Ma Liang said seriously. “I’m afraid he won’t be able to hold back. You can’t beat him.”
Sun Wenqu burst out laughing at that and collapsed onto the sofa. “If he had that kind of nerve he’d have done it long ago.”
“Let’s go eat,” Ma Liang stood up and tossed his coat onto him.
At noon Sun Wenqu and Ma Liang didn’t go to any fancy restaurant. They just had hotpot lamb on the small street outside the studio.
After eating they immediately returned to the studio. Sun Wenqu placed the folder he’d brought on the table and took out more than a dozen design sketches, spreading them across the table.
“Hey,” Ma Liang rubbed his eyes. “You should learn to use…”
“Nope. If you don’t like it, have your people put them on the computer and look at them slowly,” Sun Wenqu arranged the drawings by number. “For now just listen to me.”
“You’re a bit… like the old man,” Ma Liang smiled.
“I’m too lazy to learn,” Sun Wenqu leaned on the table. “He simply can’t learn.”
Ma Liang nodded with a smile.
Sun Wenqu didn’t chat further. Holding the sketches, he began explaining his ideas. “I don’t know where you got such a pretentious theme, ‘waiting.’ Just looking at it makes my teeth ache. Here’s what I’m thinking…”
Ma Liang leaned over the table to look at the drawings.
“This has to be a series of works to show it,” Sun Wenqu tapped the paper with his finger. “At first I thought about making something really straightforward like a ‘stone waiting for her husband,’ but it felt boring. Waiting is something that only has flavor when it’s implied. Waiting for what? How you wait.”
“Mm,” Ma Liang responded.
“Waiting for love is the easiest,” Sun Wenqu continued. “But it’s dull and not new. Better to wait for you to grow up.”
“Growth,” Ma Liang immediately gave a thumbs-up.
Sun Wenqu gave him a thumbs-up too. Ma Liang always understood his meaning immediately.
When Sun Wenqu worked he was somewhat self-focused. His words, his ideas, his expression, he needed someone to listen, not interrupt, or if they did interrupt it had to be at the right point.
It was his flaw, but Ma Liang matched him perfectly in that regard. Every time he interrupted with a question, it was exactly on point.
He liked this feeling, it was far more pleasant than communicating with his father.
Of course, he and his father had never really had such communication.
Usually as soon as he began speaking, his father would wave a hand. “Don’t talk about all that nonsense.”
No matter how many thoughts he had inside, he wouldn’t be able to continue.
This time his ideas were still only ideas, and the drawings were just concepts, so it didn’t take long. After two glasses of water he had explained almost everything.
“Feasible.” Ma Liang gave only one word.
“Then I’ll continue,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Let’s sign… a letter of intent,” Ma Liang said.
“No need,” Sun Wenqu interrupted. The earlier tension and excitement had vanished; he had returned to his lazy state, curling up on the sofa. “I’m just helping.”
“There should be a fee,” Ma Liang frowned.
“We’ll talk later,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “I haven’t decided yet. Don’t make it so formal, it’ll make me feel like it’s turning into a collaboration later.”
“What nonsense, no one’s asking you to sell… yourself,” Ma Liang sighed. “Fine, fine. Whatever.”
At the mention of selling himself, Sun Wenqu thought of Fang Chi. He picked up his phone and checked the time. “I’ve got to go.”
“School?” Ma Liang looked at him.
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu stood up, put on his coat, and gathered the papers on the table.
“Did you tell him?” Ma Liang asked.
“No. If I told him I’m afraid it would affect his studying,” Sun Wenqu said. “I’ll give him a surprise when I get there. I’m going back tomorrow anyway. It looks like he’s been pretty stressed from studying lately.”
“And then you’ll help him re-release some pressure?” Ma Liang laughed with a meaningful look.
“I’m telling you, sooner or later I’ll tell Hu Yuanyuan that you can’t get over me and harass me every day,” Sun Wenqu laughed. “I’m leaving. Call me if there’s anything.”
“Mm,” Ma Liang responded. Then after thinking a moment he stopped him again, stood up, and took a gift box from the cabinet. “Take this… to my eldest nephew.”
“What’s this?” Sun Wenqu took it.
“Ginseng slices,” Ma Liang said. “For… boosting energy.”
“Then I should eat it,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Have some shame. Stealing things from a kid,” Ma Liang looked at him with disdain.
“Got any extra? Give me some,” Sun Wenqu glared back. “I’m stealing yours. You’re not a kid, right, Brother Liangzi?”
“Shameless.” Ma Liang took another box from the cabinet and handed it over.
“I’m off.” Sun Wenqu smiled, took it, and walked out.
When the car reached the entrance of Fang Chi’s school it was just dismissal time, but it seemed the senior third-years hadn’t come out yet. Sun Wenqu parked in a temporary parking space across from the school gate and watched the entrance through the window.
Another half hour passed. All the first- and second-years had left before the third-years finally started coming out. They were easy to recognize, each one looked exhausted, like they had just endured a whole day and hadn’t recovered yet. Even their walking was slower than the younger students.
Sun Wenqu got out of the car and leaned against the door with his hands in his pockets.
When Fang Chi came out he spotted him immediately, the headphones around Fang Chi’s neck were too obvious.
From this distance Fang Chi’s overall state actually looked quite good. His face showed some fatigue, but he stood straight. Chatting with classmates beside him as they walked out, the corner of his mouth still held a smile.
Quite handsome.
Sun Wenqu took out his phone and dialed Fang Chi’s number, watching him while waiting for the call to connect.
Today Fang Chi was wearing a short gray down jacket and jeans, making his legs look especially long.
After a few steps the call connected. Fang Chi lowered his head, took his phone from his pocket, glanced at it, and quickly answered. “Hello?”
“Finished class?” Sun Wenqu said.
“Yeah, just came out of the school gate,” Fang Chi said with a smile. “Was just about to go buy roasted chestnuts.”
“Happy birthday,” Sun Wenqu said, watching him.
Fang Chi’s steps paused. “How did you know?”
“Grandma told me,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “She didn’t remember wrong, right?”
“She didn’t,” Fang Chi’s voice carried a smile. “Thanks.”
“Got any plans today? Birthday party or something?” Sun Wenqu watched Fang Chi’s back as he gradually walked farther away, then got into the car, plugged in the earphones, started the engine, and slowly followed him.
“No,” Fang Chi rubbed his nose and looked at the classmates walking with their heads down beside him. “At a time like this, who has time to celebrate a birthday?”
“You should at least eat something good,” Sun Wenqu said. Suddenly the music of “Happy Birthday” sounded from his side.
“…Is that music from your laptop?” Fang Chi laughed.
“No, from the car,” Sun Wenqu said.
“The car? What car? Where are you?” Fang Chi froze. Sun Wenqu’s car wasn’t at his grandparents’ house, had Ma Liang come again?
“Turn around,” Sun Wenqu said. “I’ve been following you for a while.”
Fang Chi didn’t speak. After two seconds he suddenly turned his head, and saw a red Volkswagen Beetle slowly driving along the roadside just a few meters behind him.
“Holy!?” His voice even went a little off-key.
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Yiming asked from beside him.
“My… friend.” Fang Chi looked at the car that had already pulled up and stopped in front of him.
The window rolled down, and Sun Wenqu waved at him.
“Oh, then I’ll go first,” Xiao Yiming said.
“Don’t,” Fang Chi finally came back to his senses. “Get in the car too, he can give you a ride.”
“No,” Xiao Yiming smiled, then said quietly, “Getting into this car is too much trouble. To get to the back seat you have to climb in. I’ll just walk over and take the bus.”
He patted Fang Chi’s shoulder and added, “Happy birthday.”
Xiao Yiming had already walked about ten steps away when Fang Chi finally reached the car. He bent down and looked inside, confirming that he wasn’t seeing things, the person driving really was Sun Wenqu.
“How did you come back?” Fang Chi couldn’t quite describe how he felt at that moment, surprised, happy, the corners of his mouth lifting uncontrollably, as if he needed to pull them down with his hands.
“Get in,” Sun Wenqu said. “You might not be cold, but I am.”
“Oh.” Fang Chi opened the door and got in.
As soon as the door and window closed, Fang Chi immediately felt warm all over. He couldn’t tell whether it was because the car was warm or because he was in a good mood.
Sun Wenqu turned the car around. “I’ll take you to eat something good to nourish you.”
“How did you come back?” Fang Chi asked again. “You didn’t say anything beforehand! My grandpa and grandma didn’t tell me either!”
“If you had known, would I still have gotten to see you like this?” Sun Wenqu glanced at him with a faint smile. “Surprised?”
“…Surprised,” Fang Chi scratched his head a little awkwardly, then laughed again after thinking about it. “What kind of person are you?”
“What kind?” Sun Wenqu asked with a smile.
“I don’t know,” Fang Chi leaned against the window and chuckled a few times before turning his head. “When did you get back?”
“This morning. I went to see Liangzi about something, then came here,” Sun Wenqu looked at him. “I thought after studying this long you’d look pretty haggard. But you seem okay.”
“I sleep well and eat well, how haggard could I be?” Fang Chi said with a grin. Then he tapped the window. “Hey!”
“What?” Sun Wenqu laughed.
“Nothing,” Fang Chi rubbed his nose. “Just happy. It’s such a surprise. I was saying I wouldn’t celebrate my birthday this year.”
“You have to celebrate, definitely,” Sun Wenqu turned off the “Happy Birthday” song. “You’re fifteen now.”
“Yeah.” Fang Chi laughed again when he heard that.
“You’ve got evening study tonight, right?” Sun Wenqu asked.
“Nope.” Fang Chi said.
“That’s not good, delaying your studying,” Sun Wenqu said with a serious expression.
“So fake,” Fang Chi smiled. “Missing one day doesn’t matter.”
“Then relax properly today. I’ll take you somewhere very comfortable.” Sun Wenqu pressed the gas pedal and the car sped forward.
“Where?” Fang Chi asked curiously.
“A restaurant I really like,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile. “The kind of restaurant snakes like us love most.”
“Snakes love…” Fang Chi thought for a moment. “Mice?”
“Hey! Shut up!” Sun Wenqu shouted.
Fang Chi laughed so hard he took out his phone. “What’s it called? I’ll look it up.”
“The restaurant’s called ‘Lying Down,’” Sun Wenqu said.
“What?” Fang Chi froze with his phone in hand.
“Lying Down. Teang Lying Down*. Lying Down,” Sun Wenqu said.
*playful phonetic imitation—someone trying to mimic how an English name sounds using Chinese syllables
