Maybe because the whole family had been suppressing things this New Year, this meal was when they finally relaxed. Grandpa and Grandma had smiles on their faces, and his parents spoke more than usual.
The muddled weight in Fang Chi’s chest gradually dispersed. He chatted idly with Xiao Yiming and Cheng Mo; the family liked hearing about school, and as they rambled on, everyone laughed along.
Sun Wenqu was the same as always, quiet, occasionally curling his lips, saying a sentence or two now and then.
Once people relaxed, the alcohol hit more easily.
At first Fang Chi thought he was just a little dizzy, but when they were wrapping up and he tried to grab a rib, he poked it against his cheek before adjusting the angle and finally putting it into his mouth.
He felt a bit depressed. How did he get this drunk? Was the liquor’s aftereffect that strong?
Looking at Sun Wenqu again, he had also drunk quite a lot, basically matching him glass for glass, yet aside from seeming slightly more relaxed, he looked no different.
When Grandma mentioned the couplets on the door, Sun Wenqu waved his hand. “Is there brush and ink? I’ll write them now.”
The brush he bought last year was still at home. His dad went to borrow ink from a neighbor.
Xiao Yiming wanted to help clear the table for him, but Sun Wenqu waved him off.
“No need,” he spread the paper directly on the ground. “This is fine.”
Fang Chi leaned against the chair watching him. If it were him, he’d probably collapse face-first after writing two characters.
Sun Wenqu’s hand was steady. He picked up the brush, even complained that the ink wasn’t professional, then looked at Grandma. “Grandma, what do you want written?”
“Oh, how would I know?” Grandma laughed, looking at Fang Chi and the others. “You college students say something.”
“Clear away old habits, promote new customs; farewell the old, welcome the spring,” Cheng Mo said without hesitation.
Everyone burst out laughing.
“What kind of slogan is that?” Xiao Yiming asked.
“That’s what my family used this year,” Cheng Mo laughed.
“Let’s just write what’s already on the door?” Fang Chi stood up, laughing, about to go check.
But as soon as he stood, he got so dizzy he stepped on Cheng Mo’s foot and bumped into him.
“Hey!” Cheng Mo, already drunk, got knocked and they both fell onto a chair, nearly rolling onto the floor.
“Green bamboo parts the scenery in three; red plum announces spring to ten thousand homes. Horizontal scroll: Spring returns to the earth,” Sun Wenqu said with a smile.
“When did you memorize that?” Fang Chi asked, surprised.
“When I came in.” Sun Wenqu dipped the brush in ink and started writing.
“Wenqu’s memory is really amazing,” Grandpa said.
Fang Chi smiled silently, staring at him.
Even kneeling on one knee in an awkward posture, it was the same familiar feeling. The moment Sun Wenqu picked up a brush, even after drinking, he returned to that presence that made Fang Chi’s heart race, wanting to kneel and look up at him.
The red paper Grandma brought was large, about 1.8 meters, probably unused from last year.
Sun Wenqu wrote in large characters. Fang Chi couldn’t understand the calligraphy, just thought it looked free and flowing. His eyes followed Sun Wenqu’s hand, sinking deeper into the warm dizziness.
After finishing, they went out together to paste the couplets. Fang Chi’s steps were unsteady, and he kept bumping into Sun Wenqu.
Sun Wenqu stepped back to check alignment, and Fang Chi, standing behind him, didn’t move in time, more like he didn’t react at all, and got knocked over like a sack, falling into the snow.
“I used to think Fang Chi could really drink,” Xiao Yiming sighed.
“He already can,” Cheng Mo sneezed, slurring. “You didn’t count how many glasses he had. It’s just that your Uncle Sun, my Brother Sun, has no upper limit, so it makes him look like he can’t drink.”
Xiao Yiming glanced at him without speaking.
“Looks like Cheng Mo isn’t that drunk, still finding chances to take advantage,” Sun Wenqu pulled Fang Chi up, brushing the snow off his pants. “Want to drink some more with me?”
“No,” Cheng Mo refused immediately. “I can tell, no one here can outdrink you. You must be forcing the alcohol out with internal energy.”
Fang Chi leaned against Sun Wenqu, laughing, turning to Cheng Mo. “Not drinking anymore? That little bit enough to boost your courage?”
“Enough,” Cheng Mo said. “Just right.”
Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming helped clean up, then headed back. Xiao Yiming packed some snacks and took a bowl of dried beef before leaving.
“You’re not going back?” Fang Chi, drifting in a half-floating state from the cold wind and indoor heat, asked.
Sun Wenqu glanced at him but didn’t answer.
“Wenqu’s staying,” his mom said. “Who sends guests away during New Year?”
“Then didn’t I just send Cheng Mo and Xiao Xiao away?” Fang Chi giggled, unable to understand why he kept laughing.
“You’re really drunk!” Grandma slapped him. “Go sleep! Wenqu, don’t mind him, go sleep too.”
“I’m not sleeping,” Fang Chi waved his arm. “I still need to shower.”
“How many showers do you take a day? Didn’t you just shower before going out?” Grandma frowned. “Peeling your skin off?”
“Wenqu, take him upstairs,” Grandpa said. “He’s really drunk.”
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu grabbed Fang Chi’s arm and dragged him upstairs.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom,” Fang Chi leaned on him, then turned back loudly after a couple steps, “sorry!”
Everyone froze, looking at him.
“Sorry,” Fang Chi said again. “Thank you.”
“Oh…” Grandma wiped her eyes. “Wenqu, take him away.”
Sun Wenqu didn’t say anything, half-dragging him upstairs, tossing him onto the bed.
Just as he turned to leave, Fang Chi grabbed his hand. “Where you going?”
“I’ll come up in a bit,” Sun Wenqu leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose. “Lie down first.”
“Getting lubricant?” Fang Chi asked, loudly like a broadcast.
“…I’ll just get tape to seal your mouth!” Sun Wenqu covered his mouth. “Shut up and lie down.”
“Mm.” Fang Chi responded from inside his palm.
The moment Sun Wenqu moved his hand away, Fang Chi shut his eyes and started grinning again. Sun Wenqu sighed, turned and went out, closing the door properly behind him. Even through the door, he could still hear Fang Chi’s cheerful, idiotic laughter.
He laughed for probably a full minute. Fang Chi eventually felt tired of laughing and too exhausted to keep going, so he finally stopped.
He had no idea what Sun Wenqu had gone off to do, but lying there right now felt pretty comfortable. The alcohol had definitely hit him, though he wasn’t drunk to the point of blacking out. He was just hazy and limp all over, every place he stepped or touched feeling like soft padding.
And dizzy. The whole world was spinning clockwise with a whooshing motion. To keep from getting too dizzy, he tried hard to spin along with it for a while, then reverse directions for a bit.
What was Sun Wenqu doing?
How long had he been gone?
Why wasn’t he coming back up yet?
But he wasn’t worried.
Things were different now from before.
He felt completely at ease.
Maybe Sun Wenqu had gone to shower, gone to get condoms, gone to get lubricant, gone to get sealing tape, gone to sleep…
Yeah. Even if Sun Wenqu had gone back to the farmhouse to sleep, he would still feel at ease.
He was no longer afraid that something would happen.
In his dazed state, Fang Chi heard the bedroom door open, then someone reached out and touched his face.
It was Sun Wenqu’s hand. He knew without opening his eyes.
And Sun Wenqu’s breathing too, when it brushed across his face, he could tell immediately.
Sun Wenqu’s lips were the same. Even the slightest touch made him feel his heartbeat.
“Sleepy?” Sun Wenqu asked softly by his ear.
“Not sleepy,” Fang Chi said, but the moment he opened his mouth he startled himself. His voice boomed out loud and resonant, magnificent and clear. He shut his eyes and started laughing again. “D*mn, my voice is really good.”
Sun Wenqu looked at him without speaking.
“I’m kinda hot,” Fang Chi said again.
“You’re wrapped in layers under the blanket. Of course you’re hot,” Sun Wenqu said.
Fang Chi opened his eyes and saw Sun Wenqu kneeling beside the bed on one leg, one arm propped on the mattress as he looked at him.
“What are you trying to do?” Fang Chi chuckled twice, lifting the blanket and stripping off all his clothes before tossing them onto the floor.
“In your condition…” Sun Wenqu sighed softly and straightened up to remove his own clothes too. “I honestly haven’t figured out what I should do.”
“Aren’t you gonna f*ck me?” Fang Chi asked.
“Oh my god,” Sun Wenqu hurriedly covered his mouth again. “Can you control your volume? How come I never realized before that when you’re drunk you sound like an opera singer?”
“I am controlling it,” Fang Chi mumbled unclearly.
Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue, climbed onto him, lowered his head, and kissed him.
Fang Chi’s whole state while drunk was floaty and unfocused. Even the entangling of their tongues carried a wandering, shape-shifting martial arts master vibe, if you weren’t careful, it would dart off who knew where.
Sun Wenqu wanted to laugh a little, but the feeling was also strangely wonderful. This unconscious, teasing sort of entanglement excited him quite a bit.
When he finally pulled away from Fang Chi, his hand slid downward.
“Ah!” Fang Chi suddenly shouted breathlessly.
Sun Wenqu was so startled he nearly fell off the bed. Keeping his voice low, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing,” Fang Chi tilted back his neck, breathing hard. “Feels good.”
Sun Wenqu opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
“Keep going.” Fang Chi lifted an arm and hooked it around his neck.
Sun Wenqu stared at him for several seconds before moving his hand downward again.
This time Fang Chi didn’t make a sound. Only his trembling breaths could be heard.
Just as Sun Wenqu was about to go further, Fang Chi bit his lip and let out another drawn-out, “Ah–”
“Ah your *ss!” Sun Wenqu yanked his hand back and smacked him lightly over the mouth. “Can you stop that?”
“I can’t,” Fang Chi rubbed at his waist. “As long as you can, that’s enough.”
Sun Wenqu plopped down onto his thighs, bracing one hand beside Fang Chi’s head as he looked at him. After a long moment he finally said, “Can you just shut up and lie there quietly?”
“You don’t wanna hear it…?” Fang Chi’s hand wandered messily along his leg. “I kinda like hearing your voice.”
“Do I howl or something?” Sun Wenqu almost laughed.
“I’m not… howling either, right?” Fang Chi looked at him. “I’m just yelling randomly. My mouth’s free anyway…”
“Really?” Sun Wenqu looked at him, then after a moment sighed and shifted upward across his chest. “Fine then. Don’t let your mouth stay idle.”
…
This was the soundest and longest sleep Fang Chi had had since coming home for New Year.
No dreams. No waking in shock. Not even waking up because he needed to pee.
He opened his eyes because he could feel sunlight streaming through the window. Stretching lazily and comfortably, he vaguely heard Grandma in the backyard asking Grandpa what they should eat for lunch.
He grabbed his phone to check the time and realized it was already almost eleven.
Turning his head to glance beside him, he immediately couldn’t help laughing.
Sun Wenqu lay beside him facing the wall, still asleep.
Fang Chi propped up his head and looked at Sun Wenqu’s profile. The sunlight only reached his chin, casting a tiny patch of glowing light there. Very carefully, Fang Chi leaned over and kissed that little patch of sunlight.
Before he could pull away, Sun Wenqu’s hand suddenly emerged from under the blanket and accurately flicked him on the nose.
“Ah!” Fang Chi jumped, covering his sore nose. “You were awake?”
“I’ve already woken up three times,” Sun Wenqu rolled over onto his back. “You really do sleep like a log.”
“I’m young,” Fang Chi chuckled twice. “Look at my grandparents, they got up at four.”
“Don’t laugh,” Sun Wenqu pointed at him. “Hearing you laugh right now makes me want to hit you.”
“Why?” Fang Chi froze for a second, then stared at him before bursting out laughing again. “Holy sh*t, I think I know why.”
“You still remember? I thought you forgot.” Sun Wenqu narrowed his eyes.
“I remember,” Fang Chi laughed while pulling him over and kissing his collarbone several times. “I was drunk, okay? But I didn’t black out.”
“Oh? Then last New Year when you conveniently forgot everything, you were pretending after all?” Sun Wenqu smiled.
“Not pretending exactly…” Fang Chi rubbed against him, wrapping his arms around Sun Wenqu’s waist and draping half his body over him, burying his face into the hollow of his shoulder. “I was embarrassed.”
“Then what are we supposed to do about last night?” Sun Wenqu asked.
Fang Chi laughed again into his shoulder. “Whatever you want. I’m always ready for this. Even now.”
“I don’t feel like moving.” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue.
“See? Good thing I’m not lazy.” Fang Chi tightened his arms around him and cackled.
The two of them fell silent. After a while, Fang Chi turned his head and suddenly said, “Wanna go running?”
“It’s snowing.” Sun Wenqu yawned.
“I know,” Fang Chi glanced out the window. “I just feel like it’s been forever since we ran together… I still remember the first time we went running together.”
“I remember too.” Sun Wenqu rubbed his hair.
“You twisted your ankle and I panicked so bad,” Fang Chi laughed. “I was seriously scared.”
“Scared of what?” Sun Wenqu rubbed his eyes.
“I got that panicked, and that’s what scared me,” Fang Chi clicked his tongue. “It felt like I was really doomed.”
“So were you doomed?” Sun Wenqu smiled.
“Wasn’t I?” Fang Chi lowered his head and bit his shoulder lightly. “Completely doomed. Totally doomed in your hands for the rest of my life.”
“How does it feel?” Sun Wenqu turned to look at him.
“Makes me want revenge. I absolutely need revenge,” Fang Chi pecked his lips. “You have to end up doomed in my hands too.”
The snow outside had lessened, though it was still falling.
When Fang Chi and Sun Wenqu bundled themselves up in hats, scarves, and masks to head out for a run, Grandma stood there holding a huge napa cabbage and glaring at them.
“You two still drunk?”
“We’re sober,” Fang Chi dropped into a horse stance and swung his arms around. “Just wanna move around a bit.”
“You’re joining him in acting crazy too?” Grandma turned to Sun Wenqu. “He’s been wild since he was little. You’re following him in going nuts?”
“Let him enjoy himself for a while,” Sun Wenqu also struck a horse stance and waved his arms around. “I’m keeping him company.”
“Crazy idiots!” Grandma laughed as she cursed them, then after thinking a moment added, “How about stopping by to call Xiao Yiming and Cheng Mo over for lunch later? They probably aren’t awake yet either.”
“Okay.” Fang Chi nodded.
The village was very quiet, carrying that uniquely lazy and leisurely silence of noon during New Year celebrations. Nobody had swept the snow off the roads yet. A thin layer covered the ground, crunching pleasantly underfoot.
Fang Chi and Sun Wenqu followed the same running route as before, jogging out of the village, passing by the riverside, and circling toward the mountain.
Xiaozi bounded happily ahead of them the whole way, occasionally rolling around in snowbanks to scratch her back.
“Going to the creek?” Fang Chi asked. “The water probably hasn’t frozen over yet.”
“Sure.” Sun Wenqu nodded.
The bare forest looked different under the sunlight. Fang Chi kept turning circles as he ran, looking around. “Hey, don’t you think winter forests are really beautiful?”
“Mm. I do.” Sun Wenqu said.
“And doesn’t this feel nice? Running together while looking around like this?” Fang Chi asked.
“It’s pretty… romantic.” Sun Wenqu smiled.
“Tired?” Fang Chi asked again. “Don’t twist your ankle again.”
“Can you stop asking those questions back-to-back?” Sun Wenqu clicked his tongue. “Ruins the mood. I’m not tired, and I won’t twist my ankle.”
Fang Chi chuckled twice, then jogged ahead a few steps before suddenly stopping and shushing Xiaozi beside him.
“What’s wrong?” Sun Wenqu walked over.
“Look.” Fang Chi pointed ahead, laughing quietly.
Up ahead was the clearing beside the creek. Sun Wenqu knew it well, he had even practiced Baduanjin there before.
Now there were two people standing in the clearing.
Cheng Mo and Xiao Yiming, bundled up like bears just like they were.
Xiao Yiming was following Cheng Mo’s movements. Sun Wenqu watched for a while before laughing. “Doing morning exercises?”
“Military boxing,” Fang Chi whispered while laughing. “I know it too. Want me to teach you?”
“That’s too stupid…” Sun Wenqu said. “Might as well go teach them Baduanjin instead.”
“You wanna go over there?” Fang Chi looked at him.
“No. We’re civilized spectators.” Sun Wenqu pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped several photos of the two of them. Smiling, he said, “Let’s go somewhere else.”
“I’ll take you up a little hill,” Fang Chi said. “The path’s easy. It’s not high.”
“Okay.”
Wrapped in layers of thick clothing in this freezing weather, with snowflakes falling around them while climbing a little hill, Sun Wenqu felt that if he’d never met Fang Chi, he would never in his life have done something like this.
Fortunately, he’d slept well the night before, and the physically exhausting activities hadn’t actually happened, so climbing this small hill wasn’t difficult.
The moment Fang Chi entered the mountain, it was like some wild beast returning to the forests after years away. He became bursting with energy, talking nonstop the whole way. When they passed a bamboo grove, he even stopped to dig up two winter bamboo shoots.
“We’re here,” Fang Chi lifted the bamboo shoots in his hand and pointed ahead. “Past that rock.”
“Mm.” Sun Wenqu quickened his pace.
Once they rounded the rock, the view suddenly opened up before them.
It wasn’t really a hilltop, just a flat patch halfway up the mountain. But because it faced a small valley and there were no mountains directly ahead blocking the view, the sight stretched wide and open. It gave a sudden feeling of relief, like emerging from a tunnel into open air.
“How is it? Awesome, right?” Fang Chi spread his arms toward him, holding a bamboo shoot in each hand.
Sun Wenqu walked over and hugged him. “Awesome.”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into me today,” Fang Chi hugged him tighter and whispered into his ear, “I just keep wanting to take you everywhere. There are still a bunch of places I haven’t shown you yet, places I used to think weren’t anything special, but now suddenly they feel amazing and I really want to bring you there.”
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Sun Wenqu tilted his head and kissed his ear. “Save some for later. Aren’t you afraid someday you’ll run out of things to show me?”
“Okay,” Fang Chi laughed. “But what if one day we really do finish seeing everything?”
“Then we can revisit them,” Sun Wenqu said. “On whatever year, whatever month, whatever day, whatever weekday, this is the eighth time we’ve come to the little hilltop. The scenery still hasn’t changed. The last time we came was on whatever year, whatever month, whatever day, whatever weekday. In the blink of an eye, several years have passed… On whatever year, whatever month, whatever day, whatever weekday, this is the eighty-sixth time we’ve come to the little hilltop…”
“Holy sh*t,” Fang Chi laughed. “That’s quite the time skip.”
“Fast-forwarding a little,” Sun Wenqu smiled. “I wonder what we’ll be like by the eighty-sixth time. We probably won’t even be able to climb up anymore.”
“One old man and one really old man. I think I’ll still be fine,” Fang Chi said. “If you can’t make it anymore, I can carry you up here… Oh right, I’ll need to keep exercising forever. But you can’t keep eating chocolate all the time. I’m afraid you’ll turn into a chubby old grandpa someday and I won’t be able to carry you anymore…”
Sun Wenqu only smiled without speaking.
“You hear me?” Fang Chi looked at him.
“I heard you.” Sun Wenqu smiled and kissed him.
Author’s Note:
Alright, that’s it for the main story. Starting tomorrow I’ll update the extras, probably two or three of them.
Thank you everyone for supporting the official release and staying with me through another finished novel. Uh… suddenly I don’t know what else to say…
Well, that’s that. Anyway there are still extras. And even after this ends, there’ll still be the next new pit, and the one after that. I’ll still have plenty of time to ramble nonsense.
A veteran chatterbox author says with a smile.
