Night Chat Breakup

Fang Huai looked at the sweaty boy in front of him with confusion. The boy in the night proudly raised the tickets in his hand and grinned, "I'll give you the tickets."

"How much is it? I'll transfer it to you."

Fang Huai looked at the ticket that was forcefully stuffed into his hand. He just took out his cell phone to transfer money to Yang Nong when he realized that they had no friends.

Yang Nong winked at Fang Huai and said, "Let's add each other as friends."

"I'll sweep you."

"Okay." Fang Huai added Yang Nong's WeChat. Just as he was about to transfer money to the boy, Yang Nong pressed his hand down and said with a smile, "No need."

"This ticket is worthless."

After saying that, he ran away. When Fang Huai realized what was happening, he had already run far away. This made him laugh and cry. In the end, he transferred 500 yuan to the landlord. After all, Yangnong's grandmother was the landlord.

"Is it Yang Nong?"

After Li Xuan came out, Fang Huai put the ticket on the table and told Li Xuan everything that had happened.

Li Xuan glanced at them lightly. He was very bothered but didn't want to affect Fang Huai's expectations, so he didn't say anything else.

Fang Huai picked up one, admiring the unique pattern on it, and said excitedly, "Shall we go and see it together?"

"good."

After that night, the two of them acted as if nothing had happened, getting along like a couple who had never had any conflicts, and touring Caiyun Town.

The two of them were wearing the same outfits, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell their relationship at a glance. Li Xuan liked this feeling, the feeling that Fang Huai belonged to him.

Before leaving, he stared at Fang Huai for a long time.

Fang Huai looked back at him doubtfully, and he withdrew his gaze, pulled Fang Huai and smiled: "Let's go, go out for a walk."

Yang Nong, who had nothing to do, was standing in the courtyard being scolded by his grandma. When he saw Fang Huai and the others, he felt like he had seen a savior. He ignored the nagging grandma, jumped in front of Fang Huai, and offered to be a tour guide.

Li Xuan politely declined, "Sorry, we've already made a detailed travel guide and don't need a tour guide for now."

"Okay then—" Yang Nong dragged out the last syllable and looked at Fang Huai pitifully. Li Xuan also looked at Fang Huai.

Fang Huai felt uncomfortable being stared at. He leaned closer to Li Xuan and said, "If there's anything we don't understand, can we ask you again?"

Yang Nong lowered his head like an abandoned puppy, his tail drooping, and hummed, "Okay."

"If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me." Yang Nong patted his chest, and the silver jewelry on his body jingled. The landlord, who couldn't bear to watch it any longer, picked up his walking stick and gently patted his grandson, "Don't waste the guests' time."

"Ah, hey, hey, grandma, it hurts, please let go." Yang Nong was dragged away. Seeing Fang Huai and the others walking away, he raised his voice and shouted, "You must ask me, I know everything."

Li Xuan took the prepared guide booklet and took Fang Huai to the historic stone bridge to take pictures. There were several grandmas selling flowers and local snacks under the bridge.

Freshly baked milk floss and ice-cold rose vinegar drink. Fang Huai curled his lips when he saw the red vinegar drink and asked Li Xuan to wait for him for a while. When he came back, he had several more things in his hands.

While Li Xuan wasn't paying attention, Fang Huai pressed the cold wall of the cup against Li Xuan's cheek, and when Li Xuan shuddered from the cold, he quickly withdrew his hand.

Holding the drink in his hand, he handed it to Li Xuan: "Try it, it tastes good."

Li Xuan put away his camera and took the vinegar drink from Fang Huai's hand. Under his expectant gaze, he took a sip. The sourness of the vinegar and the fragrance of the rose filled his lips and teeth. The unique taste almost made him lose control of his facial expression. He nodded: "Not bad."

Although he said that, he didn't take a second sip.

The warm and harmonious scene between the two people seemed so dazzling to the people behind the tree.

With his hands clasped on the rough bark of the willow tree, his fingers deeply embedded in the uneven texture, Kong Lingyu looked at the two of them from afar, jealousy in his eyes almost overflowing.

But he didn't dare to step forward to disrupt this dazzling scene. When Fang Huai looked over, he even quickly lowered the brim of his hat to cover his face.

He pulled up his collar and hurried away.

Fang Huai and Li Xuan stood under the stone bridge. The smile on his face froze imperceptibly for a moment, then returned to normal when Li Xuan looked at him.

"Let's go eat locust flower rice." Li Xuan smiled and pulled Fang Huai to walk along the planned route. They came to the most distinctive local restaurant and ordered the most famous locust flower rice and some special snacks.

There weren't many people in the restaurant, and the food was served quickly.

The locust flower rice was still steaming, and a light fragrance mixed with the aroma of rice lingered in my nose. As they ate, they chatted, talking about the past and the future.

Fang Huai took a sip of tea and shared with Li Xuan his time in the welfare home. That place seemed to leave a deeper impression than home.

The embarrassing stories of childhood friends and the rare locust flower rice in childhood memories.

"When the locust flowers bloom, the orphanage welcomes many adults, and many children in the orphanage are adopted during that season."

"At that time, the director would always take the children in the welfare home to pick locust flowers..." Fang Huai quietly raised his eyelids to look at Li Xuan's expression.

Li Xuan looked at him gently, without a trace of displeasure on his face. Fang Huai picked up a cup of flower tea and took a sip.

"Why don't you say it?"

Fang Huai raised his head from his teacup and said hesitantly, "Isn't it boring for you to hear me say so much?"

"No." Li Xuan said seriously, "I'm very happy that you are willing to tell me this."

Fang Huai kept searching through his memories, connecting his past together, "Back then, I also liked to eat Sophora japonica rice."

"The old locust tree at the door is so big, the flowers on it are enough for many people to eat."

"My name was given under the old locust tree." When talking about his name, Fang Huai pursed his lips.

"My name was given by... my parents. They came to the orphanage when the locust trees were in full bloom. My mother loved that old locust tree, so my father named me 'Fang Huai' on the spot."

"I was so happy at that time because I knew I was going to have a father and a mother." Fang Huai's lips curled up, but his eyes were indeed lost. "I have a family and a younger brother."

“I met you, and I met a lot of people.”

The two people's memories began to connect. Li Xuan stood up and poured a cup of flower tea for Fang Huai. "Yes, I know."

"You were so small, with a timid look in your eyes, and you stubbornly carried a schoolbag that was bigger than you."

Li Xuanzhi looked at Fang Huai and said with a smile, "I was thinking at the time: How could there be such a contradictory child? He was almost crying, but he was still so stubborn."

"She clearly wanted to play with the other kids, but she had to act like a grown-up and stand quietly in front of the stroller."

Fang Huai smiled and shook his head, "Do you still remember?"

"I remember." Li Xuan replied.

They all remembered Fang Huai's embarrassment and awkwardness, He Lijun's heart-wrenching expression, and the frightened baby's loud cry when they first met.

I remember the chaotic situation, those eyes full of despair and Fang Huai's swollen cheeks.

"Fang Huai ah——" Li Xuan suddenly called Fang Huai's name, with a long ending tone, like an elder doting on a younger generation, calling Fang Huai's name.

Fang Huai subconsciously looked up at him. Li Xuan stared at him intently: "You've grown up and changed a lot."

"I've changed a lot, too."

Li Xuan reached out and pressed Fang Huai's teacup, and as he stood up, he smiled at the man standing in the shadows outside. With his other hand, he gently but forcefully asked Fang Huai to turn his head to look out the window. His tone was gentle, but it made Fang Huai feel creepy.

"Xiao Huai."

"I saw your friend." The word "friend" was pressed so low that Li Xuan almost squeezed it out through his teeth.

Fang Huai looked in the direction Li Xuan indicated and saw a familiar figure.

The black baseball cap covered most of the man's face, leaving only his pale chin exposed. The man seemed to notice the gazes of the two men, and suddenly raised his head to look at Fang Huai, then pulled up his collar to cover his face. Because he moved too hastily, the hat was slightly lifted, revealing his blood-red lips.

Fang Huai's eyes were filled with red, and he dropped the cutlery in his hand in shock. Li Xuan had a faint smile on his face, as if he was an outsider.

He lowered his eyes and saw Fang Huai's hands trembling uncontrollably, and the corners of his mouth rose a little more.

Thoughts were swirling in his mind, and for a moment he didn't know how to react. Li Xuan's complicated smile fell into his eyes, like a sharp blade, cutting him into pieces beyond recognition.

Fang Huai's mind was in a mess. He covered his head and even suspected that he had really betrayed Li Xuan.

"It's not me... I didn't." His explanation was pale and weak, and Fang Huai uttered a few words with difficulty.

Li Xuan bent down to pick up the cutlery that had fallen on the ground, and waved to the waiter to bring a new set of clean cutlery.

The waiter brought the cutlery over and saw Fang Huai holding his head in pain. He subconsciously asked, "Sir, are you feeling unwell? Do you need us to contact a doctor for you?"

Fang Huai raised his head palely, his face full of apology: "No, thank you."

"Okay, if you need anything, you can contact us at any time. If it's not convenient, you can ask your companion to contact us."

"Thanks."

After the clerk left, Li Xuan stepped forward, rubbed Fang Huai's head and said, "Don't be afraid."

"Xiao Huai, your every reaction is beyond my expectations."

Fang Huai turned his head away from Li Xuan's hand. Li Xuan smiled and took his hand away, saying, "But it's always fun."

"Especially when Kong Lingyu appears, you seem like a different person."

Fang Huai pursed his lips and was about to say something when Li Xuan made a "hushing" gesture. "Don't worry about explaining. You can take your time to think about the answer."

"There's no rush."

"Is he different to me?"

Li Xuan turned his head to look at Fang Huai, his eyes tolerant and persuasive, "What is your understanding of love?"

"Do you like it?" Fang Huai had a splitting headache. He forced himself to sit up straight, staring blankly at the long-cold Huaihua rice. His pale lips moved up and down, "Just like... you treat me well, treat you well."

He raised his head, hoping to get confirmation from Li Xuan, "Right?"

Fang Huai asked cautiously.

"No." Li Xuan shook his head. He had a smile on his face, but what he said made Fang Huai's heart drop to the bottom: "That's not love."

"Is that love?"

Li Xuan wanted to reach out and touch Fang Huai's face, but he restrained himself.

"That's not liking, nor is it love. Maybe it's admiration or maybe it's imitation. Xiao Huai, that's not liking, and it's certainly not love."

Li Xuan's words hit Fang Huai's heart like a hammer, making him dizzy. He grabbed the edge of the table and forced out a sentence: "None of them?"

"Fang Huai, you don't love me."

The smile on Li Xuan's face completely disappeared, and he said seriously: "You don't need my love either. My love seems to be a burden to you."

Fang Huai wanted to say: No.

But his tongue seemed to be tied by an invisible rope, and he could only listen to Li Xuan speak.

Li Xuan called out Fang Huai's nickname in a gentle tone.

"Maimai, when this journey is over, we will separate."