The things to bring back to the city had already been packed the day before. There was nothing more to prepare the next day. As usual, Fang Chi went running with Sun Wenqu, and they also practiced a set of Baduanjin by the creek.
“I realize you’re really kind of amazing,” Fang Chi stood behind him, following his movements, “all the things you’re good at are super stylish, painting, calligraphy, erhu, pottery, Baduanjin… do you also know some tai chi or something?”
“Showing off,” Sun Wenqu slowly pushed his hand forward, movements smooth and powerful, “if you show off, you have to show off things ordinary people can’t easily show off.”
“Not really,” Fang Chi stopped and stood straight, “I just think because of these, you’re different from others at a glance. Very special.”
“Early in the morning and you’re flattering so diligently,” Sun Wenqu also stopped and glanced at him.
“Just casually flattering,” Fang Chi smiled.
When they got back home, breakfast was already ready. Grandpa made it today, flatbread and pan-fried dumplings.
While eating, Fang Chi’s phone rang. He picked it up and glanced at it. “My dad.”
“Oh my,” grandma sighed at the side, “look at that, finally remembered to call. These parents really live carefree lives.”
“Dad.” Fang Chi answered the call.
“Are the college entrance exam scores out?” his father asked. “I heard today you can check?”
“Mm, they were available yesterday. I already checked, 551, not bad,” Fang Chi said. “I’m going back to school today. Once the cutoff comes out, I’ll fill in my applications.”
“How will you fill them?” his father asked.
“I’ll discuss with Teacher Li at school and fill them accordingly,” Fang Chi said. “I more or less know.”
“Alright, fill them carefully,” his father said. “When you’re free, come to the county. Your mom and I will celebrate with you.”
“No need to celebrate, it’s not like I did that great,” Fang Chi said.
“We should still celebrate. Your mom and I haven’t really taken care of you… such a big thing like the college entrance exam… we should celebrate,” his father said.
“Oh, okay then.” Fang Chi agreed, chatted a bit more, then hung up.
“See,” grandma sighed, “good thing this kid is easy. Those two being hands-off shopkeepers is easy for them, don’t care about school, don’t care about exams, I bet they won’t care about dating or marriage either…”
“No need to care about those,” Fang Chi lowered his head and bit into the flatbread, speaking a bit unclearly but without hesitation, “if I want to date, I date; if I don’t, I don’t. Marriage… same, if I want to marry, I will; if not I’ll just…”
“What nonsense are you talking!” grandma immediately got anxious and smacked him, “not marry if you don’t want to? What are you thinking!”
“I’m just saying,” Fang Chi smiled, “I’m not even 20 yet, I haven’t thought about it.”
“It is a bit early,” grandpa said, “your grandma is just like this, always anxious about everything.”
“I just want him to live a steady life,” grandma sighed, “young people nowadays have too many ideas. Fine, don’t rush, don’t rush, but when you can’t find a wife later, let’s see if you panic.”
“…won’t panic,” Fang Chi said.
“You annoying brat!” grandma smacked him again.
Fang Chi smiled and said nothing.
“Look at Wenqu, he’s not married either,” grandpa said with a smile, “and he seems to be doing just fine, no need to rush.”
“Wenqu,” grandma suddenly seemed to remember and looked at Sun Wenqu, “right, you’re not married, are you?”
“No.” Sun Wenqu took a bite of a dumpling and gave the remaining half to Xiaozi.
“You’re 30, right?” grandma looked at him in surprise, “why aren’t you married?”
“I… don’t plan to get married,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile, “and I can’t find someone I could marry.”
“Huh?” grandma didn’t quite understand, but didn’t ask further, just sighed again, “you young people really will worry your parents to death.”
After breakfast, Fang Chi and Sun Wenqu didn’t rush to leave. They just packed their luggage into the little Beetle, then went back inside to chat with the grandparents.
The grandparents didn’t say anything, but Fang Chi knew they were reluctant to part. Once he and Sun Wenqu left, only the two old people would remain in the house. Just thinking about it made him feel a bit distressed.
He even went next door to Uncle Zhang’s house and talked for quite a while, asking him to help look after them.
They dawdled until noon, and only after lunch did they prepare to set off.
Grandpa and grandma kept reminding them to be careful on the road. Xiaozi followed closely step by step, scaring Chief Huang in the cat carrier into panting non-stop.
Although grandma’s topic at breakfast had made Fang Chi break out in a sweat, it didn’t continue afterward. At this moment, his steps felt light again.
Before getting into the car, Fang Chi crouched down and patted Xiaozi’s head. “Don’t run after us later.”
Xiaozi held its ears back and didn’t move.
“Doesn’t it usually go back by itself?” Sun Wenqu said.
“Not today. It’ll definitely chase the car for a long time,” Fang Chi said. “Usually it’s just me leaving. Today it’s both of us.”
“Be good, Xiaozi,” Sun Wenqu bent down and patted its head too, “I’ll come back to see you. Don’t chase us today.”
Xiaozi huffed, then rubbed against his leg.
After saying goodbye to grandpa and grandma, the two got into the car. Sun Wenqu started the engine, and as soon as the car moved forward, Xiaozi immediately followed.
“Don’t chase,” Fang Chi pointed at it, “go back!”
Xiaozi barked.
Sun Wenqu stopped the car. Fang Chi pointed at Xiaozi again: “Go back!”
Xiaozi retreated a few steps and barked twice more. Only when Fang Chi leaned out of the window and pointed at it for the third time did it finally turn around, stepping back while looking back, retreating to grandpa’s side.
Fang Chi waved at his grandparents again: “I’ll call Uncle Zhang when I arrive to let you know!”
“Alright, be careful!” grandpa said.
Fang Chi pulled back into the car and saw in the rearview mirror that Xiaozi chased a few steps before being called back by grandpa.
“Sigh, this silly dog.” Fang Chi closed the window and turned on the air conditioning.
“Just like you,” Sun Wenqu said.
“If I had to part with you like this,” Fang Chi said softly, “I’d have to chase the car for two li.”
“Could you even catch up?” Sun Wenqu smiled.
“Don’t underestimate me,” Fang Chi chuckled twice and reached over to touch the hand he had on the steering wheel, “you know, I really like how this feels right now.”
“What feeling?” Sun Wenqu asked.
“Just… the two of us driving together,” Fang Chi leaned back against the seat, “just the two of us.”
Sun Wenqu could tell Fang Chi was in a very good mood. This feeling of the two of them driving like a trip… for him, it was a bit unfamiliar.
Two people, doing things together, running, chatting, one person working while the other quietly stays nearby, driving for a few hours together to some place.
He had probably experienced it before, but for some reason, maybe because of Fang Chi’s floodgate-like, overwhelming enthusiasm, this time the feeling was especially vivid.
Sun Wenqu looked out the window. Pretty good.
But half an hour later, Fang Chi, who had just expressed how much he enjoyed the process, leaned back against the seat and fell asleep contentedly. Sun Wenqu found it a bit amusing.
“Did you call Uncle Liangzi?” Fang Chi opened his eyes after sleeping for a while and turned his head to ask.
“I did. He’ll set out around the same time to pick us up,” Sun Wenqu said. “Some things need to be taken back to the studio first.”
“Then you… where are you staying for now?” Fang Chi asked again.
He had asked this once yesterday, and Sun Wenqu hadn’t answered directly. He couldn’t help but ask again now.
“I asked Liangzi to find me a place,” Sun Wenqu freed one arm and draped it over Fang Chi’s shoulder, “for these few days I’ll stay at your place first. Once the place is ready, I’ll… go back and forth. Mainly because your place is too far from his kiln. If I start working, I’ll have to stay over there.”
“Mm,” Fang Chi nodded. Although Sun Wenqu didn’t plan to stay with him permanently, this answer already made him very happy. After thinking for a moment, he tried asking again, “Then if… you’re not too busy… I…”
“You can come stay over there too,” Sun Wenqu glanced at him, “at most I just won’t have time to keep you company.”
“It’s fine!” Fang Chi immediately raised his brows when he heard this, “It’s fine!”
When they arrived at the city bus station, Ma Liang was already waiting. After meeting, they didn’t say much and just drove together to get something to eat.
Near the end of the meal, Fang Chi went to the restroom. Ma Liang looked at Sun Wenqu: “The ap-apartment is rented. Re-return it?”
“Why return it?” Sun Wenqu was stunned.
“If you don’t live there, live at his place, he’ll go hang him-himself with a three-foot white rope,” Ma Liang said.
“Not to that extent,” Sun Wenqu laughed, “I already told him.”
“Alright.” Ma Liang nodded.
Ma Liang gave Fang Chi a laptop. When he took it out and handed it over, Fang Chi was startled. “Isn’t this too much!”
“If I’m giving it to you, just take it,” Sun Wenqu said.
“You don’t call me ‘uncle’ for no-no reason,” Ma Liang patted him, “this machine has good con-configuration. Playing games while watching videos, no problem.”
“Watch… videos?” Fang Chi froze.
“What kind of uncle are you being,” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue.
“Your ‘Dad Sun’ has videos,” Ma Liang pointed at Sun Wenqu, “ask him.”
“…holy sh*t.” Fang Chi glanced at Sun Wenqu before suddenly realizing, and instantly felt his face burning like even his hair couldn’t survive it. He almost threw the laptop back at Ma Liang’s face.
“Study well, make pro-progress every day,” Ma Liang patted him again.
After putting the things that needed to be taken back to the studio into Ma Liang’s car, Sun Wenqu drove with Fang Chi back to his place.
The key was still where it had been. Xiao Yiming had even carefully taped it, probably afraid it would get lost.
The place was also cleaned very well; it didn’t look like anyone had been living there at all.
“Welcome,” Fang Chi took the luggage from Sun Wenqu and went inside, “my place is… kind of that, not as nice as the high-end place you used to live in.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Sun Wenqu said. He walked to the desk and looked at the drawings of his on the wall, smiling, “the house back in your hometown, I lived there pretty comfortably too.”
“I’ll… tidy up a bit first.” Fang Chi carried his things into the room and put his clothes into the wardrobe.
Xiao Yiming had probably washed the bedsheets and even changed them for him. He took out a pillow, it was new; he had bought it but never used it.
After placing the two pillows neatly on the bed, he lay on it and patted the pillow, admiring it for a moment before getting off.
When he turned around, he saw Sun Wenqu leaning against the doorway, watching him with a slight curl at the corner of his lips, the smile obvious.
He immediately felt a bit embarrassed. “I… what are you doing here watching.”
“Looking at where I’ll sleep tonight,” Sun Wenqu walked in and also patted the pillow, “nice pillow.”
“Do you want to take a shower?” Fang Chi scratched his head and looked at him.
“Mm, yeah,” Sun Wenqu brought his luggage in too, “make some space in the wardrobe for me. I’ll put some clothes here.”
“Okay!” Fang Chi quickly opened the wardrobe and shoved his clothes to one side. He hadn’t expected Sun Wenqu to say that, and his hands trembled a bit.
After hanging his clothes, Sun Wenqu took his sleepwear to shower. Fang Chi didn’t move, just stood in front of the wardrobe staring at his clothes for quite a while, then rearranged them back and forth twice.
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling, just that his mood was incredibly good.
When Sun Wenqu came out of the shower, he was only wearing a pair of shorts, bare-chested, holding a towel in one hand and drying his hair. “Do you have a hairdryer?”
“Yeah, just not sure… if it still works,” Fang Chi took it out from a drawer, “I don’t usually use it.”
Sun Wenqu rubbed his head. “Right, you just shake it a bit and it’s dry.”
Fang Chi chuckled twice. When his gaze swept over Sun Wenqu’s bare upper body, his throat felt a bit dry, and he reached out to grab his waist a couple of times.
The hairdryer still worked, but the airflow was a bit temperamental, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, occasionally stopping.
“Make do with it,” Sun Wenqu said while drying.
“Then you dry first,” Fang Chi went into the room to get a change of clothes, “I’ll go shower.”
“Mm,” Sun Wenqu glanced at him, “take care of it yourself later.”
“Take care of… what?” Fang Chi froze.
“Take care of your physical needs,” Sun Wenqu narrowed his eyes slightly, “I drove for several hours today, I’m tired…”
“Hey, d*mn,” Fang Chi immediately felt embarrassed and turned to the bathroom, “got it.”
“Regret letting me drive?” Sun Wenqu said.
“Dry your hair!” Fang Chi stuck his head out of the bathroom to say, then pulled back in and shut the door.
Fang Chi had originally thought he wasn’t that desperate. He hadn’t really thought about what would happen after lying on the same bed at night, just that it would be just the two of them, no one to disturb them, no need to be on edge.
But what exactly that would lead to, he really hadn’t had time to think about.
Then with just that one teasing line from Sun Wenqu, his previously well-behaved desire suddenly surged wildly. Even with the water running over his body, he could think of Sun Wenqu’s hand brushing over his lower abdomen.
This old man was really inhuman.
Fang Chi sighed. Really inhuman. He closed his eyes, but his hand very humanly slid down.
When he came out of the bathroom, Sun Wenqu was no longer in the living room. In the bedroom, he was leaning against the headboard with the laptop, judging from the sound, watching a movie.
“You’re… watching videos, no, watching a movie?” Fang Chi asked. The air conditioning blew over him, raising goosebumps all over his body.
He glanced at the temperature, 18 degrees. This guy really lived like a pampered rich kid, insisting on the decadent life of turning on the AC and covering with a blanket.
“Mm,” Sun Wenqu nodded, “what’s your Wi-Fi password?”
“My birthday,” Fang Chi roughly wiped his hair with a towel, then took out another blanket and threw it on the bed, “do you have to turn summer into winter?”
“I like being wrapped up,” Sun Wenqu said.
Fang Chi turned off the lights, leaving only a small night lamp, then threw the blanket over Sun Wenqu and climbed in.
“Hey,” Fang Chi lay down and bounced on the bed, “are you used to my bed? Is it too hard?”
“It’s fine.” Sun Wenqu slid down into the blanket, put the laptop by the pillow, and turned over to keep watching.
“You’ll sleep after you finish watching?” Fang Chi turned over too and hugged him.
“Mm,” Sun Wenqu responded.
Fang Chi didn’t speak. After a while, seeing that he really kept watching, he propped himself up and reached over, directly closing the laptop, then moved it to the bedside table on his side.
“Hey?” Sun Wenqu turned to look at him, “you’re getting pretty bold now.”
“I’m holding back a fire,” Fang Chi said, “don’t provoke me.”
“Didn’t you vent it while showering?” Sun Wenqu laughed and turned to face him.
“I’m like a chive-filled wild dog,” Fang Chi lay down and hugged him tight, kissing the tip of his nose and lips a few times, “the fire in me can’t be put out in one go.”
“Then do you want to watch videos?” Sun Wenqu’s arm went around behind him, fingers lightly tracing his back.
“You…” Fang Chi had thought saying that line just now was already a miracle, and now that Sun Wenqu said this, he immediately lost the ability to speak.
“I thought you had more capability than that,” Sun Wenqu smiled, lay flat, “go to sleep, puppy.”
Fang Chi snuggled over and held him, arms and legs draped over him like he was tying him up, then closed his eyes.
But after holding it in for a long time, he still wasn’t sleepy.
Maybe because suddenly it was just the two of them. Chief Huang, reunited with its nest today, didn’t come into the bedroom. Downstairs there were no grandparents, no Xiaozi.
The room was very quiet, only the sound of the air conditioner, and under the blanket, the warm presence of Sun Wenqu, a pleasant scent mixed with coconut milk.
This delicate person had even brought his body wash back.
It smelled very nice.
So comfortable he couldn’t fall asleep.
“Hey,” Fang Chi called softly.
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu hadn’t fallen asleep either and responded.
“Uncle Liangzi knows about us, right?” Fang Chi asked.
“Yeah, he’s been watching closely, asking around anytime, afraid I’ll make one wrong step and ruin my life,” Sun Wenqu said.
Fang Chi clicked his tongue. “Then does he know… about us… um, like… to what extent?”
“Didn’t say,” Sun Wenqu laughed lightly, “should I say it?”
“Say what?” Fang Chi looked at him.
“Just say this kid’s too green, he’s been thinking about topping me for so long, and still hasn’t dared to fire the gun.” There was laughter in Sun Wenqu’s voice.
“F*ck.” Fang Chi lowered his head and bit his shoulder.
Sun Wenqu smiled and didn’t say anything more. Fang Chi didn’t move either, lips pressed against his shoulder. After a long silence, he softly asked again, “Then you… want to?”
“As for me, I’m fine,” Sun Wenqu stroked his arm, “but if you don’t mind, when I get tired of jerking off I’ll just take care of you first. What do you think?”
“You were the one who said you were tired today and told me to handle it myself!” Fang Chi glared at him.
“Yeah,” Sun Wenqu laughed, “I didn’t say it had to be today.”
“Then tomorrow.” Fang Chi said it very decisively.
Sun Wenqu didn’t respond.
After a while Fang Chi added, “You have those videos, right… let me… watch.”
Sun Wenqu couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing, laughing for quite a while before stopping. “Alright.”
