Cannot catch

After dinner, Qingran pestered Tan Huaiyu to play with her building blocks for a while. The two sat together on the living room carpet, and Tan Huaiyu patiently taught her how to build a castle. Qingran learned very seriously and occasionally exclaimed "Wow!"

"Brother Huaiyu is so amazing!" Qingran's eyes sparkled as she looked at the castle that was gradually taking shape.

Tan Huaiyu smiled and ruffled her hair: "Qingran is great too."

Qi Shuo sat on the sofa, watching this scene, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. Tan Huaiyu's patience and gentleness towards Qing Ran reminded him of his childhood—

Back then, Tan Huaiyu was the same way, following behind him, carefully trying to please him, afraid of upsetting him.

Now, Tan Huaiyu has grown up, but Qingran is still that child.

"Alright, Qingran," Sister Jin said softly as she walked over. "It's time to take a shower and go to bed."

"Let's play a little longer," Qingran pouted and pleaded.

"No, it's too late." Sister Jin shook her head. "We can play tomorrow."

Qingran glanced at Tan Huaiyu, then at Qi Shuo, and finally nodded obediently, "Okay." She stood up, took Tan Huaiyu's hand, and asked, "Brother Huaiyu, will you come again tomorrow?"

Tan Huaiyu paused for a moment, then looked up at Qi Shuo. Qi Shuo looked away without saying a word.

"If Qingran wants me to come, I will," Tan Huaiyu said softly.

"Then I think!" Qingran nodded vigorously, "Brother Huaiyu will come again tomorrow!"

Tan Huaiyu smiled: "Okay."

Qingran smiled happily, then threw herself into Qi Shuo's arms: "Brother, bring Brother Huaiyu with you tomorrow!"

Qi Shuo: "..."

He neither agreed nor refused, but simply ruffled Qingran's hair: "Go take a shower."

Qingran nodded obediently and followed Sister Jin to the bathroom. The living room fell silent for a moment, with only Xiao Jue, Lin Ye, Qin Zhou, and Song Yungui clearing the dining table.

"I'll take you back," Qi Shuo said to Tan Huaiyu as he stood up.

Tan Huaiyu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

The two walked out the door, and Qi Shuo took out the car keys from his pocket—the keys to Sister Jin's old car. The car was parked downstairs; it was quite old, but well-maintained.

"Get in the car." Qi Shuo opened the driver's side door.

Tan Huaiyu obediently sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. The car started and slowly drove out of the residential area.

"Where do you live?" Qi Shuo asked calmly.

"Yucaiyuan," Tan Huaiyu said.

Qi Shuo paused, turned to look at him, and asked, "You still live there?"

"Mm." Tan Huaiyu nodded.

"Why?" Qi Shuo frowned. "With your current income, you could easily rent a much better place."

Tan Huaiyu smiled but didn't say anything. He wouldn't tell Qi Shuo that it was because there were traces of him there—in that simple little house, there were memories of Qi Shuo teaching him to cook porridge, memories of Qi Shuo eating with him, memories of Qi Shuo... caring for him.

That was his home.

Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, Qi Shuo didn't press him further. The car entered the main road, and it was rush hour, so there was some traffic congestion. The traffic moved slowly, like a long dragon.

Tan Huaiyu leaned back in his seat, gazing at the night view outside the window. The night in Beicheng was beautiful, with dazzling lights and bustling traffic. But his gaze remained fixed on Qi Shuo's profile reflected in the car window.

Five years have passed, and he can finally sit quietly next to Qi Shuo again, watching him drive and listening to his breathing.

This feeling... is wonderful.

The car moved slowly, stopping and starting, and Tan Huaiyu's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He had barely slept last night while preparing today's gift. Now, in the warm car, listening to soft music, his consciousness gradually faded.

Qi Shuo noticed that his breathing had become even, and turned to look at him—Tan Huaiyu was asleep. His head was slightly turned towards the car window, his eyelashes cast a small shadow under the light, and there was a faint smile on his lips, as quiet as a child.

Qi Shuo slowed down the car and turned down the volume of the music inside. The red light came on, and the car stopped. He turned his head and quietly looked at Tan Huaiyu's sleeping face.

The young man before him gradually overlapped with the child in his memory who followed behind him and called him "brother".

Seventeen years have passed.

From the age of six to twenty-three, Tan Huaiyu had grown from an ignorant child into a mature and steady young man. But his eyes remained the same amber-colored, clear eyes.

But he was a good-for-nothing in his thirties who had accomplished nothing.

Qi Shuo shifted his gaze to the red light ahead. The complex emotions swirling within him surged up once more.

He didn't know how to face Tan Huaiyu.

I don't know how to face this complex and heavy emotion that has spanned seventeen years.

The light turned green, and the car continued forward. Tan Huaiyu frowned slightly in his sleep, as if he were having a bad dream. Qi Shuo hesitated for a moment, then reached out and turned up the car's interior temperature.

The car drove into Yucaiyuan residential area and stopped in front of that familiar old building. Qi Shuo turned off the engine and turned to look at Tan Huaiyu—he was still asleep, his breathing even and shallow.

"Tan Huaiyu," Qi Shuo called softly, "We've arrived."

Tan Huaiyu frowned and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was somewhat dazed, as if he wasn't fully awake. Seeing Qi Shuo, he paused for a moment, then reacted: "We've arrived?"

"Hmm." Qi Shuo nodded.

Tan Huaiyu sat up straight and rubbed his eyes: "Thank you for bringing me back."

"You're welcome," Qi Shuo said calmly.

The two were silent for a moment. Tan Huaiyu wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. In the end, he simply said softly, "Then... I'll go up."

"Mm," Qi Shuo responded.

Tan Huaiyu unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door. The cool night breeze dispelled some of his drowsiness. He stood by the car, hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Qi Shuo: "Tomorrow..."

"I have something to do tomorrow," Qi Shuo interrupted him, "I'm not going to Sister Jin's house."

"Oh." Tan Huaiyu lowered his head, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Then... what about the day after tomorrow?"

Qi Shuo was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Let's talk about it the day after tomorrow."

"Okay." Tan Huaiyu nodded. "Then... goodnight."

"good evening."

Tan Huaiyu closed the car door and turned to walk towards the building entrance. Qi Shuo sat in the car, watching his figure disappear into the building entrance before slowly starting the car and driving away from the residential area.

As night deepened, the city lights remained dazzling. Qi Shuo drove, but his thoughts drifted far away.

He didn't know what he was thinking.

Perhaps they were wondering, after seventeen years, what should become of them?

Tan Huaiyu walked step by step into the residential area. The night breeze was slightly cool, dispelling some of his sleepiness. He turned to look at Qi Shuo in the car—the man was sitting in the driver's seat, his profile clearly visible under the streetlights, with distinct features and calm, deep eyes.

His steps were slow, as if he was waiting for something—waiting for Qi Shuo to call him back, waiting for Qi Shuo to say "Let's go together tomorrow," waiting... even if it was just a "Be careful on the road."

But behind him, all he could hear was the sound of an engine starting and the car slowly driving away.

Tan Huaiyu stood at the entrance of the building and glanced back—Qi Shuo's car had already disappeared into the night. He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked into the building.

The hallway was dark, and the motion-activated lights flickered on and off. Tan Huaiyu walked up the stairs step by step, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. His mind was a mess, filled with the images from just now—Qi Shuo's profile, Qi Shuo's voice, Qi Shuo's words, "Let's talk about it the day after tomorrow."

We'll talk about it the day after tomorrow.

What does that mean?

Was it a rejection, or... leaving him a glimmer of hope?

Tan Huaiyu took out his keys and opened the door. The room was quiet, with only the occasional car horn outside the window. He took off his coat, hung it on the hanger, and then walked to the sofa and sat down.

The sofa was old, and the cushions had lost their elasticity, but he found it incredibly comfortable.

Because... this is the sofa that Qi Shuo once sat on.

Tan Huaiyu looked up at the ceiling. The light was a bit glaring, but he didn't close his eyes. His thoughts drifted back to the scene in the car earlier—

He was asleep, and in his hazy state, he felt the car stop. He opened his eyes slightly and saw Qi Shuo looking at him quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness and complex emotions.

At that moment, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.

But the next second, Qi Shuo looked away, as if what he had just witnessed was just his hallucination.

Tan Huaiyu gave a bitter laugh and covered his eyes with his hands. He felt like a fool—he knew perfectly well that Qi Shuo didn't have those feelings for him, he knew perfectly well that it was impossible for them to be together, yet he still couldn't help but hope, couldn't help but get closer, couldn't help but...like him.

like.

He had kept this word in his heart for seventeen years.

From the moment he first met Qi Shuo when he was six years old, he fell in love with this older brother who was ten years his senior. At that time, his love was admiration, dependence, and a desire to follow behind him forever.

Later, this liking slowly changed—it turned into love, into obsession, into…an emotion he could never let go of in his life.

Tan Huaiyu took a deep breath, stood up, and walked towards the bedroom. The bedroom was small, containing only a single bed and a simple wardrobe. He took a box out of the wardrobe and opened it—inside was a photograph of Qi Shuo participating in an English speech contest during high school.

The boy in the photo stands on the podium, dressed in a simple white shirt and black trousers. His features are striking, and his gaze is firm and confident. He holds a speech in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips, and he radiates a dazzling light.

Tan Huaiyu gently stroked Qi Shuo's face in the photo, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

"Brother Qi Shuo," he whispered, "I really, really like you."

The voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it.

He carefully placed the photo back in the box, then lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. His mind was filled with Qi Shuo's image—Qi Shuo's profile as he drove, the tenderness with which Qi Shuo ruffled Qing Ran's hair, the complex emotions in Qi Shuo's eyes when he looked at him…

He wanted to see Qi Shuo.

Even if he only watched from afar, even if he only said a few words, even if... Qi Shuo remained indifferent to him.

He also wanted to see her.

Tan Huaiyu turned over and buried his face in the pillow. The pillow smelled faintly of laundry detergent, the kind he usually used.

But at this moment, he inexplicably remembered Qi Shuo's scent—a scent mixed with a faint hint of tobacco and sunlight.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

In his dream, he returned to his childhood. Qi Shuo stood in the sunlight, reached out his hand to him, and said with a smile, "Huaiyu, come with me."

He reached out, trying to grab that hand, but he couldn't hold on to it no matter what he did.