In a tourist city during peak season, the time spent stuck in traffic was directly proportional to the enthusiasm of the humans. To combat this, Xu Tangcheng bought a small electric scooter to fulfil his daily transportation needs.

The roads here were different from Beijing. There were many slopes, many rises and falls. When he rode on the scooter, there was a feeling of zooming past at lightning speed. Gradually, Xu Tangcheng gained a new hobby. Sometimes it was in the early morning before he went to work, sometimes it was during sunset, sometimes it was in the middle of the day when the bright sun baked him, and there were also times when it was during the night that still maintained the warmth. Wearing board shorts, riding the scooter, he wound his way through the streets, some wide, some narrow. During those times, he thought of nothing; all he felt was that he was doing something that resembled a certain person, that his shadow was also overlapping with his.

The only special thing was that on a summer’s day, he met Cheng Xu again.

Cheng Xu had returned to Beijing and was busy with his graduation. When he found out that Xu Tangcheng had come to Hainan, he purposely flew over to visit him. His hair had been cut much shorter. The way he looked standing in the airport and waving at Xu Tangcheng was quite different from the soft boy in Xu Tangcheng’s memories.

But when Xu Tangcheng walked near him, Cheng Xu dropped his head a little, lowering his eyes and smiling shyly, and Xu Tangcheng felt that he hadn’t changed.

He brought Cheng Xu for ching bo leung. Sitting in the shop that had ample cold air blowing through the space, Cheng Xu asked him, “What happened to you and Yi Zhe?”

It had been too long since someone brought up that name in front of Xu Tangcheng, and also too long since someone talked to him about him.

Xu Tangcheng toyed with the sweetened beans with the spoon he was holding. He smiled softly and shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just that my family found out and were quite strongly opposed to us.”

“Then what will you do?”

“What can I do? My mum insisted that we should separate for a period of time so I’ll just slowly persuade her.”

As for the bumps and pits along the way, Xu Tangcheng only talked about them briefly. Cheng Xu didn’t continue to ask more but the change in a person was plain to see. He could feel very clearly that the Xu Tangcheng in front of him had more worries in his heart, and was more silent.

The two girls at the next table got up to leave. Xu Tangcheng looked at the person opposite him who had his head down and finally asked, “What about you? Do you have someone you like now?”

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Cheng Xu raised his head. And that hesitation already gave Xu Tangcheng his answer.

“Eat up first.” Seeing how his mouth was open but no words were coming out, Xu Tangcheng said, “There are a lot of people here. Let’s chat later.”

When they left the shop, Cheng Xu said that he wanted to take a walk on the beach. Xu Tangcheng immediately laughed and asked him, having been at the seaside for so long, hadn’t he seen his fill?

Cheng Xu pushed his glasses up. In the warm wind, he straddled Xu Tangcheng’s scooter. “It’s not the same feeling.”

Yalong Bay was not far away. At this hour, there weren’t many people at the beach. The two of them found a shaded spot and sat down, looking out silently at the sea for some time.

“Just now, you asked me if there was anyone I like.” Cheng Xu turned his head to him and met Xu Tangcheng’s eyes frankly. “There is. Actually, when I left back then, I hid part of the reason from you.”

For some reason, a scene popped up before Xu Tangcheng’s eyes: the night Cheng Xu broke down, the overlapping silhouettes in a corner of the club. There was a tremor in his heart. Meanwhile, Cheng Xu had already lowered his head, a finger drawing in the sand beside his feet.

The sand grains turned over, revealing a name.

Xu Tangcheng saw the name gradually emerging in the sand and was rather surprised.

After confirming that he had seen it, Cheng Xu only paused for a short while before softly erasing the name with the palm of his hand.

“That night when I went to the club, I suddenly realised that I don’t understand myself at all. I don’t understand. I clearly like Fu Daiqing so much, how could I also have feelings for another man? Am I…” There was doubt in Cheng Xu’s eyes, and also hesitation. “...scum?”

“What nonsense is that?” Xu Tangcheng pressed down on his head and said, “When it comes to feelings, there are times when you yourself can’t be sure. Maybe your feelings for Fu Daiqing weren't that kind of liking that you thought they were.”

“What do you mean?” Cheng Xu asked.

“I can’t explain it clearly either.” Xu Tangcheng let out a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s just… very complicated, I guess.”

No one could explain it clearly. The two of them again fell into a shared silence. After a while, Xu Tangcheng asked, “Why do you like Zheng Yikun?”

He initially thought that Cheng Xu would give him ample justification. At the very least, he would say what special characteristics Zheng Yikun had that attracted him. But to his suprise, Cheng Xu said, “I don’t know why I like him either, and I also don’t know when I started liking him. In any case, that night at the club, he called me ‘babe’ and my heart immediately started racing. It was so sudden.”

“Just like that?” Xu Tangcheng was dumbstruck. He digested those words for a while before reminding Cheng Xu tactfully, “He was probably just putting on an act at that time. And he should… have called a lot of people ‘babe.'”

“I know.” Cheng Xu nodded. “I know he was acting and I also know that he has called many people the same way. In the past, there were already two that I’ve heard of. But that day, when he called me that, it sounded so nice. No one has ever called me that.”

This reasoning rendered Xu Tangcheng speechless for the moment. He sighed and looked at Cheng Xu.

“That night, I realised that even though I usually kept avoiding him, I actually really wanted to go near him.” Cheng Xu suddenly curled his right hand into a fist in the air, like he was holding something. “He and I are not the same. The things I don’t dare do, he dares to; the ways of the world that I don’t understand, that I don’t know, he knows. Sometimes when I hear the way he talks so carelessly, I actually am quite envious of him.”

Indeed. Unlike Fu Daiqing, Zheng Yikun was someone who was completely different from Cheng Xu. He was carefree, decisive, full of confidence and ease. And because those were things that could never be learned, these differences could more easily attract a person’s eyes and keep them there.

Seeing that Xu Tangcheng was frowning the whole time, Cheng Xu laughed and asked, “Do you dislike him?”

“I don’t dislike him.” A slight hesitation, then Xu Tangcheng shook his head and voiced his worries. “But if you like him, I will worry.”

Cheng Xu didn’t comment on those words. He only brushed off the sand clinging to his pants and suddenly said, “Actually, he’s a very good person.”

Xu Tangcheng raised his brows and looked at him. Cheng Xu explained, “Do you remember, that day at the club, he was holding me the whole time.”

Xu Tangcheng nodded. He not only remembered that, he also remembered that he had gotten angry because of what happened after and had given Zheng Yikun dirty looks. 

“He held me the whole time because I… my body had a reaction.”

Speaking of it now, Cheng Xu’s face turned red at once, like it had before. Xu Tangcheng was rather surprised but he did not say anything and only continued to quietly listen as Cheng Xu poured his thoughts out.

“I don’t know why either. I just heard him call me that and saw him walk towards me, looking at me, and I suddenly…” Cheng Xu lowered his head and let out a laugh. “It’s a mystery. At that time, I was very panicked and very embarrassed, so I leaned against him. He should have felt it, that’s why he held me the whole time. I was really drunk that day and my head wasn’t very clear but I remember what happened. My mood wasn’t good and I had also drank. I kept acting like a crazy drunk. I don’t know what was wrong with me at that time either. After separating from you two, I kept crying and fussing, clinging to him and touching him all over. Later on, when I sobered up, I knew that I wasn’t entirely being a crazy drunk. I was just being selfish, using the excuse of being drunk. It’s quite despicable of me. That’s why, between us two, he’s the one who appears to never be serious or proper, but he actually just likes to tease me and has never done anything that crossed the line. Instead, I’m the one who, in an instant, lost control.”

This reason for the events was not something Xu Tangcheng had guessed. That night, when he saw Zheng Yikun press Cheng Xu against the corner of the wall, he had—practically without thinking—determined that Zheng Yikun was taking advantage of Cheng Xu when the latter was not clear-headed.

“What about Zheng Yikun?” Xu Tangcheng came back himself and asked, “Are you two still in contact?”

Cheng Xu shook his head. “No. But he came to visit me once. There was once when we went out to sea for half a month and encountered bad weather. The ship nearly overturned. When we reached the shore, a lot of people from the university had come to welcome us. He got the news from somewhere and also came. We ate together but he didn’t say anything. And I also didn’t say anything.”

If it was in the past, Xu Tangcheng would definitely advise Cheng Xu to stop thinking of Zheng Yikun, that he would meet someone more suitable one day. But now, he was gradually understanding how there was no looking back, no second thoughts in love, and he no longer wanted to advise him that way.

“If you really like him, you can-”

“I said it before.”

Cheng Xu interrupted him before he could finish his words.

“Said it before?”

“Yeah.” Cheng Xu nodded and pressed his lips lightly together. “The day I left, Zheng Yikun went to see me off, right? He said a few things to me. The general meaning was that I shouldn’t just believe anyone in the future, that I shouldn’t give my total sincerity to just anyone. He also said that I shouldn’t think of Fu Daiqing anymore, that he’s not as good as I thought he was, that he wasn’t worth it. He said that one day, I will meet someone who is truly good. Then, I asked him, are you a good person?”

When Cheng Xu said that, Xu Tangcheng could guess Zheng Yikun’s answer.

“He said that he’s not.”

Cheng Xu spent three days in Sanya. Xu Tangcheng didn’t let him stay in a hotel and brought him to his home directly. Zhou Hui still remembered him and plied him with good food and drinks, not stinting on the welcome at all.

The day Cheng Xu left, Xu Tangcheng brought him to a place where he frequently had breakfast. He was also very fond of the name of the shop. It was called Under the Large Tree.

Wanting to let Cheng Xu try out all the different dishes there, Xu Tangcheng ordered a portion each of two different types of Hainanese noodles. While waiting for the food, he asked Cheng Xu if he had decided where to work. Cheng Xu answered without hesitation, “Near my home.”

“You’re not staying in Beijing?”

“I don’t think so. Even though Beijing has jobs that are more suitable, back then, I went there because of Fu Daiqing. Beijing is so far from my home. There’s no point if I stay there alone.”

After eating, Xu Tangcheng sent Cheng Xu to the airport. After Cheng Xu waved goodbye to him, when he had already turned around and was walking forward, Xu Tangcheng called him to a stop.

Cheng Xu looked back. Xu Tangcheng went forward a few steps and leaned his body to hug him.

“If you want to stay in Beijing, you can. I’ll be going back very soon.” Xu Tangcheng let out a laugh. “When the time comes, ge will protect you.”

Cheng Xu very quickly hugged him back and widened his mouth in a smile, saying, “Okay. I will think about it carefully.”

Just like a few years ago, Xu Tangcheng watched Cheng Xu walk to join the queue for the security check. He now knew more of Cheng Xu’s secrets, more of the things that put him at a loss, but this time, he was not as worried.

He had thought of Cheng Xu’s matters these few days but he also couldn’t say for sure whether Cheng Xu giving up on Zheng Yikun was right or wrong. If Cheng Xu and Zheng Yikun got together, would it be considered suitable? Up to the moment Cheng Xu left, he still had yet to get an answer to these questions and he believed that Cheng Xu was also similarly uncertain. Perhaps no one could ever live their entire life with certainty, everyone was fumbling their way without understanding why things were the way they were and what they should do. Resigned, helpless, sometimes not knowing how they should advance, but amidst their confusion and befuddlement, they still continued to advance in that state.

Thinking of it now, Cheng Xu’s departure back then should have been the right thing to do. No matter what kind of person he would encounter in the future, whether a new acquaintance or an old friend, it would be a destined encounter after going around in circles. If they were meant to be together, they would end up together.

Ever since he got to this city, Xu Tangcheng had been constantly very busy. As long as his workplace needed someone to work overtime, that person would be him. The milk in the supermarket with the best before date in three days’ time was something he always forgot to buy.

He rode his little electric scooter every day and didn’t even put on sunscreen. Naturally, he could not avoid getting tanned. Xu Tangcheng didn’t really look in the mirror and a change that slowly accumulated over the days and months wasn’t something the people close to him would notice. It was only today when his neck kept itching and he took off his shirt, wanting to look in the mirror to see what was wrong, that he finally realised that his arms and neck were very clearly divided into tanned and fair areas.

Xu Tangxi happened to come over to bring him fruits. Seeing his bare upper body, she also immediately noticed it.

“Wow, ge, it’s already winter but you still haven’t turned fair again?”

Xu Tangcheng was clearly the type that didn’t get tanned easily. Even if he became a little tanned during summer, he would very quickly return to his usual state.

It was winter already.

Xu Tangcheng’s awareness seemed a little illusionary. He couldn’t help but think, wasn’t he still wearing short-sleeved shirts a few days ago?

“Ge.”

He lowered his head and looked at his own wrist in a stupor. Standing at the side, Xu Tangxi suddenly asked, “Are you thinking of Yi Zhe-gege?”

A short pause and Xu Tangcheng finally came back to himself. He didn’t answer Xu Tangxi’s question; instead, he pulled on a long-sleeved shirt and rolled up the sleeves, extending his arms before Xu Tangxi’s eyes.

“I’m thinking, am I darker than him now?”

Xu Tangxi immediately broke out in laughter. After laughing, she said with her eyes curved, “I think that even though you’re darker now, you’re still much fairer than Yi Zhe-gege.”

The two siblings spoke mischievously about Yi Zhe’s skin tone. Xu Tangxi hid her face behind a cushion, then revealed a pair of eyes and asked Xu Tangcheng, “If Yi Zhe-gege knew that I said that, would he be very sad?”

“He won’t. He’ll say…” After quickly refuting her, Xu Tangcheng imitated Yi Zhe’s serious tone and said, “Mm, I think so too.”

Seeing his imitation, Xu Tangxi was even more unable to stop laughing. It was just too similar.

The two of them laughed for a while before Xu Tangxi brought up her phone and asked Xu Tangcheng, “Ge, have you seen this?”

It was an article posted by their university’s official account. The heading was Their Year at the South Pole.

The instant he saw the heading, Xu Tangcheng knew that Yi Zhe would be in it.

He took Xu Tangxi’s phone from her and slowly scrolled down.

“So Yi Zhe-gege went to the South Pole? What is he studying? Why did he go to the South Pole?”

“Near-space remote sensing,” Xu Tangcheng said. “I don’t really know the specifics either, didn’t this article talk about it?”

Xu Tangxi stuck her tongue out. “I only read the part that mentioned Yi Zhe-gege. I don’t understand the rest and also didn’t read it carefully. But I saw that the last part said that the data they collected this time put their team at the forefront of this domain for at least six years. That’s so amazing!”

Xu Tangxi only skimmed for the general gist; meanwhile, Xu Tangcheng carefully read each word of the article.

“Mm.” Xu Tangcheng lifted the corners of his mouth silently, then said, “He has always been very amazing.”

“By the way, ge, the main reason why I showed you this is because there’s a picture of Yi Zhe-gege in it! At the end!” Xu Tangxi couldn’t wait and crooked a finger to scroll down a couple of times, jumping directly to the photo section at the end.

There were a few accompanying photos. There were glaciers, aurorae, and one that seemed to be a photo of the place where they stayed—a not-tall building of about five or six storeys, with a half-hidden iceberg behind it. In the photo, the sky was half-darkened, the colour a little darker than Dodger blue. The top of the building was completely covered in snow. At the apex of the triangular eaves was a bright lamp, shining on the door below.

Was this where they stayed?

“You must see the last one. The last one is their group photo.”

The screen was again pulled up. And so, after two years, Xu Tangcheng again saw Yi Zhe. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with another two men, in front of a signboard with a white background and blue words. On the sign, written in bold font were the words: Geographic South Pole.

Half the sign was blocked by them. A simple map could be seen in the middle and there were a few rows of words on the right.

He was wrapped up too tightly. Xu Tangcheng could just barely see his eyes, nose and half a mouth.

Xu Tangcheng zoomed in on the photo but after doing so, the picture was blurry, instantly feeling Xu Tangcheng’s heart with disappointment.

“Ai, this one can’t be seen clearly.” Xu Tangxi was similarly vexed. Then, she asked curiously, “Is this the southernmost point? Ge, look at the words on the right side of the sign, what does it say?”

Xu Tangcheng’s finger moved to the right. Two heads gathered before the screen, inspecting the sign that was the background in the picture.

“Robert F. Scott, January 17, 1912. The Pole. Yes, but under very different circumstances from those expected.”

“What’s this? Who’s that?” Xu Tangxi asked.

“It should be the English explorer, the second person to reach the southernmost point.” Xu Tangcheng thought for a while. “The half that is blocked should be the words written by the first person to reach.”

Xu Tangcheng answered based on what he knew but he wasn’t actually paying attention. He moved his finger, wanting to take another look at that picture with the blurry face but Xu Tangxi suddenly tugged his arm.

“Mum.”

Hearing Xu Tangxi call out, Xu Tangcheng withdrew his gaze from the screen and looked towards the door.

Zhou Hui smiled and came in. There was something in her hand.

“Tangxi, I have some things to say to your brother. Go and help your dad see what to do with that phone.”

Xu Tangxi shot Xu Tangcheng a look. She nodded, took her phone from him, then went out.

Zhou Hui sat on the edge of the bed. Xu Tangcheng bent down and tidied the shirt he had changed out of just now, putting it on a chair near the door. Zhou Hui stared at the stack of dirty clothes for a while, then asked softly, “Tangcheng, these two years, do you blame me?”

“I don’t.” Xu Tangcheng was still thinking about the article and photo he had seen just now but he wasn’t slow in replying either. Seeing Zhou Hui’s rather doubtful eyes, he added, “I’m not in the position to blame you two. I made the decision, I took that path. If anyone is to be blamed, then I blame myself for not doing it well.”

“Do you still like him so much now?” Zhou Hui asked this question but after asking, she didn’t seem interested in his answer. She laughed bitterly and said, “You said that you don’t blame us but I know that, to some extent, you’re unhappy because of us.”

“I’m not.”

“Whether or not you are, would I not know?”

This time, Xu Tangcheng fell silent.

In actual fact, Zhou Hui wasn’t wrong. Even though he understood all the arguments and understood that he did not have the right, sometimes, his longing and his heartache would defeat his rationality and take the upper hand.

“In the past, the two of you told me not to look at appearances when choosing a partner. That person must be kind, sensible, filial and not selfish. So there are times when I would think, Yi Zhe meets all these requirements. Does his gender alone render all that meaningless? I really don’t blame you two, I understand that you can’t understand. It’s just that there are times when I would feel that it’s unfair. I know that you two are worried about my future but worrying about my life when I’m old can’t be the reason for giving up the decades right before me now, can it?” Xu Tangcheng looked at the floor and shook his head. His tone was calm. “To me, that doesn’t make sense.”

“Mm.” Zhou Hui forced a smile and said, “Perhaps what you say is also reasonable but your dad and I have only had this same mindset all these years. We always want you two to live safe and sound for your whole lives. We don’t ask for fame or wealth, we just want you to be safe and well. We… are not so open-minded. I hope you don’t blame us.”

Those words provided plenty of food for thought. They were an apology and also seemed to be expressing Zhou Hui’s wavering.

Xu Tangcheng was rather stunned. The moment those guesses appeared in his mind, all at once, he became tense, and also hopeful.

He stared right at Zhou Hui. As expected, Zhou Hui met his eyes and nodded, saying, “Go look for him. We give our consent.”

His very painful self-development period came to an end. And yet, at the moment his freedom was announced, his joy and relief did not come so quickly. The accumulated feelings were too many, too heavy, and the shift in those feelings were ponderous, solemn. Just like the wheels that could not turn easily when the sky was filled with heavy snow.

“But let’s not say this to Grandma. Her last checkup wasn’t good so just keep it from her for now. As for the other relatives, I’ll help you talk to them. You don’t have to worry.”

“Mum…”

His chest felt so suffocated it was burning. Xu Tangcheng couldn’t say anything.

“To be honest, I’m still worried now. However… previously, I said that the two of you should separate for a while. But it’s been two years and you two have not changed. I don’t dare to continue wearing you two down like this.” Zhou Hui’s compromise was mixed with resignation. She was truly afraid that if she continued wearing them down, the first person who broke down would be Xu Tangcheng. “Since the two of you have persevered, then you should walk your path. We won’t interfere anymore.”

The two of you?

As though she knew Xu Tangcheng’s doubts, Zhou Hui wiped her tears and passed the letter she was holding to him.

“That child wrote this letter to me. It was sent from the South Pole to our home in City C. The letter had arrived for some time already. The auntie downstairs saw it and told me, I told her to send it here.” Zhou Hui wiped her face and smiled with reddened eyes. “It’s the first time I’ve received a letter from so far away.”

Looking at the unfamiliar postmark on the envelope, Xu Tangcheng couldn’t immediately bring himself to open it.

“He said a lot to me but the most important thing is, he told me not to worry. He said… that he will definitely take good care of you…”

Xu Tangcheng lifted his eyes and saw that Zhou Hui’s eyes were staring right at the letter in his hands.

Recalling the last few lines of the letter, Zhou Hui’s complicated feelings returned. Resignation, amusement, the feeling of things settling into place… her feelings were complicated but she was very sure now that she could not persuade Xu Tangcheng to change his mind, nor could she do that to the person who wrote the letter to her.

“He said that he’s six years younger than you and is also working constantly to train his body. Even when you’re old, he will definitely be able to remain healthy and take care of you. In the future, he will support you in your old age and see you off on your final journey.”

Two drops of tears fell but Zhou Hui still kept up her smile. “This child, he’s making a vow to lay my very last worry to rest. I have nothing else to say… I can see that he truly likes you.”

Support him in his old age and see him off on his final journey?

How could there be someone who could say such things?

After a brief shock, Xu Tangcheng didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. His thoughts were full of him, his heart was moved, his feelings a mess. Before he could have a clear conclusion and opinion, his eyes were already failing him and were heating up.

For Xu Tangcheng’s sake, Yi Zhe could say anything.

He had always spoken the truth to Xu Tangcheng. Hence, he could also do anything.

“Mum.”

Zhou Hui had said all that she wanted to say and got up to leave. But Xu Tangcheng opened his mouth and called her to a stop.

“Mum, even though the two of you have agreed, I still have some things to say.”

Seeing the look on his face, Zhou Hui took a couple of steps back and sat down again.

“You are right, he truly likes me.” Xu Tangcheng rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He turned the envelope over and held it securely in his hand. “Actually, at the very start, he was the one who told me to come over here with everyone. I know how much he didn’t want me to leave but he couldn’t bear seeing me in a difficult situation, and also couldn’t bear to let you all go through so much heartache. So he told me that I should go, that he could bear it on his own. You said that you’re afraid I’ll have no one to take care of me when I’m old so he said that he’ll take care of me… That’s the kind of person he is. All his heart ever thinks of is only me, nothing else.”

Zhou Hui lowered his head and fell silent for a while. She nodded. It could be considered an acknowledgment, here at last.

“In the past, I couldn’t sleep well, and he went everywhere to buy me good blackout curtains. When my hands were cold, he warmed them for me. When other people aggravated him on purpose, even when he clearly wasn’t in the wrong, he apologised for my sake… No matter how much I say, I cannot finish saying the ways in which he is good. In the future, you will all know how good he is.” Xu Tangcheng paused. Finally, under Zhou Hui’s expectant gaze, he went into the main point. “Mum, I’m very thankful that the two of you are giving us your consent. I’m telling you all these now not to show off and also not to speak well of him in advance, but because there is something that I must let you two know.”

Zhou Hui’s acceptance was total and also sincere. She nodded and said to Xu Tangcheng, “Go on.”

“What I want to say is that being together with him has never been about how much I sacrificed or how much I conceded.” Xu Tangcheng smoothed the envelope in his hands. He lowered his head, a very faint smile on his face. “That I can be together with him has always been my happiness, I have never felt that I was putting up with anything unfair to me.”

He didn’t know what he had done to be the one in Yi Zhe’s world that was different from the crowd but he had always been thankful to himself back then.

Zhou Hui left. Xu Tangcheng was still holding the letter. He didn’t dare read it.

He had long since received the transaction notification for his bank card. He knew that Yi Zhe was in Beijing now. Countless thoughts were in disarray in his head and the clearest one was that he should immediately book a flight back to Beijing.

His phone was being charged. Xu Tangcheng rushed to the desk. He had just picked up his phone when a call came in.

Even after two years of no contact, he wouldn’t forget this number. He quickly accepted the call and when he brought the phone up to his ear, he even forgot that the charging cable was still pulling at it. His wrist jolted from the force and he hastily unplugged the phone with his other hand.

“Hello?”

He said that one single word in a hoarse voice, yet the person on the other end was slow to respond.

Why wasn’t he speaking?

Did he get drunk, and that was why he was calling?

“Yi Zhe, I…”

He brushed off all the guesses in his mind. He couldn’t wait to tell the other person the good news but he was stopped by his name being called out in a rather impolite way.

“Xu Tangcheng.”

Hearing that, Xu Tangcheng was dazed.

He didn’t call the wrong number.

He wasn’t drunk, he was clear-headed.

The person who did not call the wrong number and was not drunk was directly saying his full name with a clear head.

“After two years of not seeing you, you sure have made something of yourself, haven’t you?” Relaxed now, Xu Tangcheng was no longer as anxious as he had been. His questioning had a touch of a nasal tone, wound through with intimacy. “Who are you calling with that impudence?”

He was joking but the person on the other end did not cooperate. Yi Zhe again called his full name. Without waiting for Xu Tangcheng’s answer, he used the same stiff tone to say, “You lied to me.”

Xu Tangcheng could not make head or tail of this accusation.

“What you sang to me totally wasn’t a birthday song from Eduacor or wherever.”

Finally understanding what this was about, Xu Tangcheng only felt a corner of his heart yielding completely, secretly hiding a winter’s night. On that night, there was a camera that was aimed at him the entire time, the words asking repeatedly for a birthday present, and also the person crossing the golden stairs and running towards him.

“It’s not Eduacor,” he teased. “It’s Ecuador.”

“It’s neither.” Yi Zhe suddenly choked, his voice very low. “You lied to me…”

The sudden change made Xu Tangcheng realise the abnormal state of Yi Zhe’s emotions and he was rather panicked.

“It’s my fault, it’s my fault. I lied to you.” Afraid he would cry, Xu Tangcheng hurried to admit his lie obediently. “Yi Zhe, where are you? Are you at home? Then wait for me at home, I’ll go look for you, okay?”

He decided not to talk to him over the phone anymore. He wanted to see him right now.

But Yi Zhe said, “No.”

“Hmm?” Xu Tangcheng was startled. He stood up straight, his eyes looking aimlessly out the window towards the shaking tree leaves. “Why not?”

A bird landed on a branch. It looked up and folded its wings.

“From Fenghuang Airport to your place, how should I take the subway?”

“Hmm?” Xu Tangcheng responded instinctively, “There’s no subway in Sanya…”

Before he finished speaking, he immediately realised the meaning of those words.

But before he could ask, Yi Zhe was already speaking.

“There is,” Yi Zhe said. “Airport Line, change to Line 10 at Sanyuan Bridge, change to Line 13 at Zhichun Lu.”

Xu Tangcheng stood stunned beside the desk. His ears warmed up the phone.

“I’m here to bring you home. If Auntie and Uncle don’t agree, I won’t leave. I’ll keep pleading with them. I don’t care about shame or pride anymore, I’ll plead until they agree.” Yi Zhe paused, like he was restraining himself fiercely. “Anyway, no matter what, I’ll bring you home.”

“Yi Zhe…” Xu Tangcheng called his name, then could not speak anymore.

Outside the window, another bird had come. The branch shook, the silhouette doubled.

Yi Zhe, Yi Zhe, Yi Zhe. His name meant “to change with ease” but this person was stubbornly refusing to comply.

“Okay,” Xu Tangcheng said.

T/N:

The epilogue is combined with the last chapter in the web version but I have separated them here since this chapter is long enough. Next chapter is the epilogue.