Cheng Mo was playing basketball at the gym, but after receiving Fang Chi’s call, he biked back to the dorm in under five minutes and immediately shoved open the door to Fang Chi’s room.
“Have you been cultivating some kind of martial arts technique or something? How’d you get back so fast?” Fang Chi stared at him.
“The moment you said we were eating with Xiao Yiming, I sprinted back,” Cheng Mo said, glancing around the room. “Your roommates all gone?”
“Two left already. The others leave tomorrow. They all went out shopping,” Fang Chi said. “Aren’t you gonna shower? You’re drenched in sweat.”
“When’s he getting here?” Cheng Mo asked.
“Right before I called you, I got off the phone with him. It’ll take at least half an hour, maybe an hour,” Fang Chi said. “Enough time for you to take eighty showers.”
“Then I’m going to shower,” Cheng Mo walked a couple steps, then turned back to look at him. “Why do I feel like you’re not in a very good mood today?”
“I’m not,” Fang Chi sat in the chair staring out the window. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be calling you two out to eat… Go shower first.”
Cheng Mo didn’t say anything. He looked at him twice, then turned and went out.
Fang Chi lay on the desk, feeling a bit unsettled.
Tomorrow, he would come pick him up to go home.
But he couldn’t discuss this with Sun Wenqu, he couldn’t let Sun Wenqu worry. The moment Sun Wenqu heard that his roommate had noticed the profile picture, he immediately changed it. Fang Chi really didn’t want Sun Wenqu to be on edge together with him again.
If he didn’t discuss it with Sun Wenqu, then he could only go to Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming. Between those two, one had come out disastrously and the other relatively smoothly, so it was like covering a range of coming-out scenarios…
But whether they could come up with anything useful, he really wasn’t confident at all.
Cheng Mo showered quickly. Within a few minutes he came back with wet hair, still steaming slightly when he entered.
“Aren’t you cold?” Fang Chi was still lying on the desk, turning his head to look at him.
“Of course I’m cold,” Cheng Mo walked over to his desk and looked around. “Got a hairdryer? Mine got swiped by who knows who.”
Fang Chi had short hair and didn’t need that thing. He opened the drawer of the desk next to him and handed Li Zheng’s over to Cheng Mo.
“Alright, talk,” Cheng Mo said while drying his hair. “What happened?”
“You guess,” Fang Chi said.
“You’re going to come clean to your family, right?” Cheng Mo smiled.
“…Yeah,” Fang Chi responded. “You two are both dead-on with one guess.”
“Everything’s been going smoothly for you, this is the only thing that could mess you up like this,” Cheng Mo said. “But did something happen? Why do you have to tell your family right before New Year?”
“No,” Fang Chi opened his drawer to check what he needed to bring back. “I just don’t want to be passive. I don’t want my grandparents to hear about my situation from someone else.”
Xiao Yiming also came quickly. Fang Chi and Cheng Mo waited at the school gate for only a short while before he arrived.
“Why’d you take a taxi?” Fang Chi said. “You could’ve just taken the bus. People are going home now, buses aren’t crowded.”
“I was hungry,” Xiao Yiming smiled.
“Then let’s go eat,” Fang Chi pulled at his collar and walked forward.
Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming followed behind him.
Before, Xiao Yiming had said he envied him and Sun Wenqu. Now, Fang Chi actually envied Xiao Yiming and Cheng Mo. Even though their relationship was still uncertain, at least they didn’t have the kind of pressure he had now.
No need to mention Cheng Mo, even Xiao Yiming had already taken the first step, even if it was forced.
Fang Chi went to the barbecue place they often went to. As soon as he lifted the curtain, warm air mixed with the smell of alcohol rushed at him.
There were fewer people than usual, so they didn’t need to look for seats. They sat at a small table in the corner, ordered a few dishes casually, and Cheng Mo even asked if they had roasted chestnuts.
“We don’t have them here,” the server said. “There’s a place across the street, but I’m not sure if it’s still open.”
Cheng Mo turned and went out immediately.
“How are you two now?” Fang Chi asked.
“Nothing much,” Xiao Yiming took a sip of tea. “If he asks me out and I’m free, I go. If he brings me roasted chestnuts, I also go.”
“The chestnuts he brought you before… the ones he made, how were they?” Fang Chi asked.
Xiao Yiming glanced at him. “You mean the chestnuts you brought back for him and then he reheated in a microwave? The ones from Chestnut King outside our school?”
Fang Chi had just picked up his cup to drink tea. Hearing that, he laughed. “How did you know? Did he confess?”
“I guessed,” Xiao Yiming smiled. “I could tell right away they were from Chestnut King. Their sugar’s different. And thinking about it, those days you happened to go back home…”
“Then did you tell him? That you already knew?” Fang Chi asked.
“No,” Xiao Yiming said. “He went through so much effort, I didn’t want to expose it. Anyway now he just buys chestnuts and processes them himself with honey.”
“He’s pretty sincere. I think he’s not bad,” Fang Chi said with a smile.
“He’s a good person. Let’s see,” Xiao Yiming rested his chin on his hand. “Everything’s good at the beginning. Who knows after a long time.”
Fang Chi didn’t speak.
“I’m not talking about you and Uncle Sun,” Xiao Yiming added. “You two have already been together for a year. Once you get through this hurdle, you can relax and enjoy.”
Cheng Mo came back with a bag of chestnuts and placed it in front of Xiao Yiming.
“Why didn’t you get me one?” Fang Chi asked.
“You like them too?” Cheng Mo looked at him.
“Yeah. I told you before, we used to eat them every day after school, both of us, one bag each…” Fang Chi clicked his tongue.
Cheng Mo tossed his wallet in front of him. “Go buy your own.”
“I’ll just eat a few from here,” Fang Chi grabbed some from Xiao Yiming’s bag. “How do these taste?”
“Probably not as good as mine, right?” Cheng Mo looked at Xiao Yiming.
“Mm,” Xiao Yiming nodded while peeling one. “Without honey, it’s not fragrant enough.”
“Exactly.” Cheng Mo knocked on the table.
There weren’t many customers, so the dishes came quickly. Before long, everything was on the table.
Since today’s purpose wasn’t just eating and drinking, after a few bites, Cheng Mo steered the conversation to the main topic.
“You’re being a bit hasty,” he ordered a bottle of liquor. “Logically you should bring it up gradually first. Your grandparents probably have no concept of this at all, right?”
“I did hint at it a bit,” Fang Chi said. “I said if Sun Wenqu were a girl, I’d marry him.”
“…That’s slightly better than saying nothing,” Xiao Yiming sighed. “But they might just think you’re joking.”
“I actually didn’t plan to say it now, but some things can’t be avoided,” Fang Chi frowned. “And I don’t want to keep holding it in anymore. Yesterday my roommate Li Zheng saw Sun Wenqu’s profile picture and asked why my girlfriend had a man’s photo. When I told Sun Wenqu, he immediately changed it. You have no idea how I felt… I just wanted to come out to my roommates right then. They interrupted me and I didn’t get to say it…”
Cheng Mo patted his shoulder. “I know that feeling.”
After a few more words, the three of them fell silent again, eating quietly for a while before Cheng Mo put down his chopsticks.
“How about this,” he thought for a moment. “When you go home, just keep bringing it up. Didn’t you say your grandma always talks about you finding a girlfriend and getting married? Whenever she brings it up, you say finding a woman isn’t as good as finding Sun Wenqu, or being with a man feels more comfortable. If you say it once or twice, it sounds like a joke. Say it enough times, they’ll realize it’s not.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Fang Chi frowned. “How did you say it back then?”
“Me?” Cheng Mo smiled. “My mom asked why I hadn’t gotten a girlfriend even after starting high school. I thought the timing was good, so I said I only dated boyfriends. That’s how I said it.”
“That’s not useful as a reference,” Xiao Yiming glared at him.
“…He asked me. Then whose example is useful, you…” Cheng Mo started, then paused, lowering his voice, probably realizing Xiao Yiming hadn’t told him before, but now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop, so he muttered, “…yours?”
“My family had absolutely zero psychological preparation,” Xiao Yiming said calmly. “They suddenly found out, and it exploded. I just… couldn’t go home anymore.”
“You’re not going home for New Year?” Cheng Mo immediately asked.
“…Not sure yet,” Xiao Yiming sighed.
“Then I’ll wait for you,” Cheng Mo said. “My place is like a base, every relative gathers there during New Year. It’s noisy and annoying. I always wait until New Year’s Eve to go back.”
Xiao Yiming glanced at him but didn’t say anything.
“Hey… hey…” Fang Chi turned his head aside.
“Alright, back to the main topic,” Cheng Mo tapped his glass against theirs. “Right now, are you just worried about not finding a good way to start?”
“Yeah.” Fang Chi took a sip of liquor.
“I have an idea, it’s just…” Cheng Mo hesitated and glanced at Xiao Yiming. “…not sure…”
“Use me as the starting point?” Xiao Yiming reacted quickly.
“Yeah,” Cheng Mo drained his glass. “Your grandparents know him, right? If they somehow find out about his situation, you can see their reaction and get a sense of things… just not sure if it’s appropriate.”
“Sure,” Xiao Yiming nodded. “Maybe it’ll even help your grandpa realize this isn’t just Fang Chi, there are a lot of people like this. Might make it easier to accept.”
“And don’t forget, call my mom,” Cheng Mo said. “I already told her. She’s really good at persuading people, a pro at brainwashing and selling ideas. My aunt sells Mary Kay, tried to pitch to her, and somehow ended up buying my mom’s secondhand fur coat instead… Anyway, if things really don’t work out, let my mom talk to your grandpa. It might help.”
Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming gave him quite a few suggestions. Even though not many might actually be useful, and Cheng Mo kept going off-topic, Fang Chi still felt much more at ease.
Useful or not, at least they gave him some direction. And it moved him.
“Fang Chi,” Cheng Mo had drunk quite a bit, but his eyes were still bright. He patted Fang Chi’s shoulder. “The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. The more scared you are, the harder it is to speak. Just go for it, once you say it, it’s easier. Whether they hit you, scold you, make you kneel and beg, just take it. Instead of thinking about how to start, think about how to explain it afterward so they can accept your choice with peace of mind.”
“Mm.” Fang Chi clinked glasses with him and drank.
They chatted, ate, and drank. By the time they left, the streets were almost empty. Even the small convenience stores that were usually open at this hour were closed.
Once the holidays started, the liveliness brought by students disappeared all at once.
As soon as Fang Chi stepped outside, the north wind rushed into his collar. He shrank his neck. “Whoa, instantly sobered up.”
“Want a tour of our school?” Cheng Mo asked Xiao Yiming. “I’ll show you around.”
“Then I…” Fang Chi sensed he probably wasn’t included in this pseudo-couple campus stroll in the freezing wind. “I’ll head back to the dorm?”
Xiao Yiming didn’t say anything. Cheng Mo nodded. “Go ahead. Call me when you leave tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Fang Chi looked at Xiao Yiming. “If you go home for New Year, remember to contact me.”
“Mm.” Xiao Yiming responded.
This was the first time Fang Chi felt a heavy pressure about New Year. Even sending his roommates to the station in the morning didn’t bring any sense of excitement about going home.
It wasn’t until near noon, when he received a call from Sun Wenqu, that he suddenly jumped up from the bed, feeling alive again.
“Got off the highway?” Fang Chi asked.
“Mm, just got off.” Music was playing on Sun Wenqu’s side.
“Where are you now? I’ll wait for you at the gate,” Fang Chi said as he put on his shoes.
“Where am I… let me see,” Sun Wenqu said. “No landmarks, just see ‘South District Building 3.’”
“South District Building 3?” Fang Chi froze, then suddenly shouted, “Holy sh*t, you’re at our dorm building?!”
“Probably,” Sun Wenqu laughed. “Grab your stuff and come down.”
Fang Chi heard two car horns at the same time, from outside the window and through his phone speaker. He ran to the window and saw the little red Beetle parked by the curb downstairs. The corners of his mouth immediately stretched all the way to the back of his head. “Coming down right now, wait for me.”
He didn’t have much luggage, just a small suitcase and a bag. Inside the bag was his precious plate, wrapped in two T-shirts.
Fang Chi ran downstairs, yanked open the car door, tossed his luggage into the back seat, then, without caring whether anyone was around, lunged over and wrapped his arms around Sun Wenqu, kissing him hard several times and even biting his lips twice.
“Hey,” Sun Wenqu wiped at his mouth. “Taste good?”
“Sweet,” Fang Chi wiped his own mouth too and said with a grin, “Seriously sweet. You ate chocolate, didn’t you?”
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu took out a piece and handed it to him. “Want some? Sweeten up too.”
“No need. Looking at you is enough,” Fang Chi closed the car door and twisted around in the seat for half a day before finally straightening out his down jacket. “I thought you’d drive that Cayenne again.”
“Once your Uncle Liangzi finishes these big orders, he’ll buy one, and then I’ll trade this car to him for it,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile, turning his head.
“Stop bullying him all the time,” Fang Chi took out his phone. “Buy your own.”
“I thought you were gonna say you’d buy one for me,” Sun Wenqu said.
“I don’t say stuff that obviously only sounds nice,” Fang Chi laughed. “Not to mention I’m only a freshman right now, even if I graduated today, I still couldn’t afford it. But if you really buy one now, when you change cars later I’ll buy you one.”
“Alright.” Sun Wenqu draped an arm over his shoulder and pinched his earlobe. “Who’re you calling?”
“Cheng Mo. He hasn’t left yet. Told me to let him know when I was leaving.” Fang Chi dialed Cheng Mo’s number, and he picked up quickly. “I’m heading out. Got any last instructions?”
“I saw you two downstairs,” Cheng Mo said. “Broad daylight and you jumped in there and started sucking face right away. Good thing school’s on break and nobody’s around, otherwise forget coming out in your dorm, you’d come out to the whole campus directly…”
“F*ck,” Fang Chi laughed.
“I’m coming down now. Wait for me.”
Cheng Mo came downstairs carrying a paper bag. Fang Chi could tell at a glance it was roasted chestnuts.
“Hello, big brother,” Cheng Mo greeted Sun Wenqu through the car window, then handed the paper bag in. “Here. This batch was really roasted by me, not factory-made. Try them.”
“I don’t dare eat them.” Fang Chi opened the bag and looked inside. They actually smelled pretty good.
“Are you serious?” Cheng Mo smacked him, then pulled out two small red cloth pouches from his pocket. “One for each of you. He Baobao and I got these safety charms from the temple during Lantern Festival.”
“Thanks.” Fang Chi took them and handed one to Sun Wenqu.
“How about giving me an early New Year greeting then,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile.
“Happy New Year, big brother. Let me wish you an early New Year,” Cheng Mo replied without even thinking.
“Happy New Year.” Sun Wenqu pulled out a red envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
“Lucky money?” Cheng Mo froze, squeezed the envelope, then cursed. “Holy sh*t, feels like a lot? People the same generation don’t give lucky money, right?”
“Xiao Yiming calls me uncle,” Sun Wenqu said.
“What kind of titles are these…” Cheng Mo sighed. “Thanks, big brother.”
After they drove out of campus, Fang Chi reached into Sun Wenqu’s pocket and pulled out several more red envelopes. He clicked his tongue, opened one, and counted the money inside. Eight hundred in each.
“You even prepared extra red envelopes?” Fang Chi said.
“Mm. Just for Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming. Might not run into them during New Year, so I brought them along. Whoever I see gets one,” Sun Wenqu said.
“Then besides Xiao Yiming’s, there’s still one extra,” Fang Chi pointed out.
“Well, gotta be prepared, right? What if other classmates were there?” Sun Wenqu smiled. “Auditing the accounts?”
“Yeah, and I’m not done yet.” Fang Chi stuffed the money back into the envelope. “Where’d you get all this money? I haven’t even given you any lately. Those few thousand yuan stretched into all these envelopes?”
“Your Uncle Liangzi gave me money,” Sun Wenqu said. “When we get back I’ll transfer it all to you.”
“They settled accounts that fast?” Fang Chi froze.
“How could that be? It’s spending money plus living expenses plus random extra whenever he feels like it.” Sun Wenqu thought for a moment, then pulled the car over again. “You drive. I’m gonna nap for a bit.”
“Oh.” Fang Chi moved over to the driver’s seat.
Sun Wenqu looked very peaceful when he slept. Every time, it gave Fang Chi an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Especially when he slept in the car, that feeling of “you’re driving, so I can sleep soundly”, made Fang Chi unable to stop himself from smiling every time he looked at him.
But today was different from before. According to their earlier plan, Sun Wenqu wasn’t going back to Grandpa’s house with him this time. He’d drive Fang Chi to the city bus station, and Fang Chi would take a coach back alone.
The closer they got to the destination, the more reluctant Fang Chi became.
Normally, he probably would’ve ended up acting shameless and making Sun Wenqu come back with him, or at least staying one more night in the city before going home the next day. But this time he couldn’t.
With things in such an unpredictable state, Sun Wenqu couldn’t be there.
Besides, with everything weighing on his mind, he wasn’t really in the mood to act spoiled anyway.
“Call me when you get home.” Sun Wenqu tapped lightly against his chin over and over. “Spend time with your grandparents properly. If you’re too busy before New Year, then don’t come out. After New Year, come stay in the city for a couple days.”
“Mm.” Fang Chi nodded. “I still need to ask you for a red envelope.”
“Aren’t you the one giving me a red envelope, little housekeeper?” Sun Wenqu laughed.
“Oh right.” Fang Chi grinned. “I still have to send you your red envelope. And living expenses too.”
“If my dad doesn’t give me trouble this year, come home with me sometime,” Sun Wenqu said. “Walk around once and show off a little.”
Fang Chi laughed. “Okay.”
The two of them stayed curled up in the car chatting for a while longer. There were too many people coming and going around them, so Fang Chi was too embarrassed to cling all over Sun Wenqu again. Instead, he grabbed Sun Wenqu’s hand and rubbed it against his own thigh.
“Are you hinting at something?” Sun Wenqu glanced sideways at his own hand.
“Wha…” Fang Chi froze, looked down, and realized he’d practically rubbed Sun Wenqu’s hand all the way to his crotch. He quickly grabbed the hand and slapped it onto his chest instead. “I wasn’t hinting at anything!”
“Got it.” Sun Wenqu smiled and leaned over to kiss the corner of his lips. “Alright, head back. If you get home any later, you’ll be eating a midnight snack. Your grandparents definitely prepared a whole table of food.”
“Mm.” Fang Chi quickly tilted his head and licked the corner of Sun Wenqu’s lips once.
By the time Fang Chi got back to the village, it was already past eight. Compared to the city, eight o’clock here looked like the dead of night. If Xiaozi hadn’t barked twice, he almost wouldn’t have seen where the dog was.
“Good dog, missed me, huh?” Fang Chi rubbed Xiaozi’s head and took a little flashlight off its collar.
This was Grandpa’s idea. Whenever Fang Chi came home at night, Grandpa would have Xiaozi bring the flashlight over.
“Let’s go.” Fang Chi switched on the flashlight and picked up a rock from the ground. Xiaozi happily grabbed it in its mouth and bounced along beside him.
When they were almost at the village entrance, Fang Chi saw a patch of light ahead. It was the road leading into the mountains, where Uncle Li’s empty lot and old house were.
That was Li Bowen’s farmhouse resort.
Fang Chi hesitated for a moment, then walked over with Xiaozi.
It was too cold now, the ground completely frozen. Construction would have to wait until spring, so there weren’t any signs of work yet. But from far away he could see someone standing at the entrance.
As he got closer, he realized it was actually Li Bowen, standing there hunched into his collar, hopping around while talking on the phone and walking toward a parked car nearby.
Probably because he noticed the beam from Fang Chi’s flashlight, Li Bowen stopped and turned around.
Fang Chi switched off the flashlight.
“Who’s there?” Li Bowen asked.
“Me,” Fang Chi answered, then pointed the flashlight upward and lit up his own face.
“Holy f*ck!” Li Bowen shouted and staggered backward several steps.
