future

The next afternoon, the sun was still blazing. Qi Shuo left the hospital. Qing Ran was in good spirits today; with Xiao Jue's company, she was able to walk a short distance on her own and even gave him a blurry but real smile. He felt more relaxed than usual as he left the hospital.

He got into the car and glanced at the time instinctively—6:30 PM. After hesitating for a few seconds, he started the car and drove towards Yucaiyuan. He had promised Tan Huaiyu last night to teach him how to cook porridge, and he always kept his word.

The neighborhood was still dilapidated, and the stairwell was still dimly lit. Qi Shuo stood in front of the door and knocked. Soon, hurried footsteps came from inside, the door was pulled open, and Tan Huaiyu's face appeared behind it.

He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and black shorts, his hair was slightly damp, and wisps of hair clung to his smooth forehead. His cheeks were slightly flushed. He was holding a rag in his hand, seemingly cleaning.

"Brother Qi Shuo!" Tan Huaiyu's eyes lit up instantly, like two stars that had been lit up.

"Cleaning?" Qi Shuo walked in, his gaze sweeping over the living room, which was noticeably cleaner than last night—the floor was gleaming, the coffee table was spotless, and even the plastic chairs were neatly arranged.

"Mm." Tan Huaiyu nodded, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement. "I didn't have much to do during summer vacation, so I thought I'd sweep the floor."

Qi Shuo grunted in agreement and headed straight for the kitchen. The kitchen countertops were spotless, and the groceries he'd bought the night before were neatly arranged in the refrigerator and cupboards. He opened the rice cooker; it was empty, but the inner pot was clean and still slightly damp.

"Did you drink the porridge?" he asked.

"I drank it." Tan Huaiyu stood at the kitchen door, looking at him with bright, expectant eyes, like a puppy waiting for praise.

Qi Shuo raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. Tan Huaiyu stood there, his hands behind his back, his head slightly tilted back, his amber eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible nervousness, like a small animal waiting to be petted by its owner.

Qi Shuo chuckled softly and beckoned to him with his finger: "Come here."

Tan Huaiyu's eyes lit up even more, and he immediately jogged over, stood still in front of him, and asked with undisguised excitement in his voice, "Brother Qi Shuo, is there anything you need me to do?"

"Wash your hands." Qi Shuo pointed to the faucet. "I'll teach you how to cook porridge."

Tan Huaiyu nodded vigorously and immediately turned to wash his hands, his movements as serious as if he were performing some kind of sacred ritual.

Qi Shuo watched his slender back, his smile deepening. He opened the refrigerator, took out the rice and vegetables he had bought last night, and then rummaged through the bag for a few preserved eggs and lean meat.

"Today I'll teach you how to make congee with preserved egg and lean pork," he said. "It's more flavorful and nutritious than plain congee."

Tan Huaiyu returned after washing her hands and stood beside him, watching his every move intently, afraid of missing a single detail. Qi Shuo patiently explained as he operated the rice cooker—how many times to rinse the rice, how much water to add, how to cut the preserved egg and lean meat, when to put them in the pot, which button to press…

Tan Huaiyu listened attentively, nodding occasionally and sometimes repeating things softly, as if trying to reinforce his memory. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow under the light, and the tip of his nose wrinkled slightly from his concentration, making him look exceptionally well-behaved.

After the porridge was cooked, Qi Shuo taught him how to cook rice, noodles, and simple methods for heating frozen foods.

Tan Huaiyu learned quickly and had a good memory; she could memorize the steps almost in one go. Qi Shuo nodded in satisfaction and then quickly made a few simple home-style dishes—scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried greens, and corn stir-fried with ham. Tan Huaiyu assisted her, handing her seasonings and plates; her movements were clumsy but she was very attentive.

"Since you're new to cooking, I'll teach you how to make some vegetarian dishes," Qi Shuo said while stir-frying the vegetables. "I'll teach you how to make meat dishes later."

"Okay." Tan Huaiyu replied obediently, his voice filled with barely concealed joy.

The food was quickly prepared, its aroma filling the small kitchen. Tan Huaiyu carefully served the dishes, making sure not to spill any. Qi Shuo ladled out two bowls of porridge, one for himself and one for Tan Huaiyu, before sitting down at the table.

"Brother Qi Shuo, aren't you going to eat?" Tan Huaiyu asked, biting her chopsticks and blinking as she looked at the almost untouched bowl of porridge in front of Qi Shuo.

"I already ate when I came," Qi Shuo said. "You can eat."

Tan Huaiyu said "Oh" and lowered his head to start eating. He ate very slowly, chewing each bite carefully, as if he were savoring some delicacy.

Qi Shuo sat opposite him, quietly watching him, and that inexplicable sense of peace welled up in his heart again.

"Have you mastered everything I taught today?" Qi Shuo asked.

"I understand." Tan Huaiyu looked up, his eyes serious. "I've memorized it all."

Qi Shuo nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "From now on, eat properly, understand?"

Tan Huaiyu froze, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air. He looked at Qi Shuo, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes, quickly replaced by overwhelming joy. He nodded vigorously.

"Okay, I will definitely listen."

Qi Shuo shifted his gaze to the window. Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The living room was quiet, save for the occasional soft clinking of chopsticks against the rim of a bowl.

"You'll be in your final year of high school when school starts in September, right?" Qi Shuo suddenly asked.

"Yes." Tan Huaiyu put down his chopsticks, his voice lowering.

Which university have you thought about?

Tan Huaiyu paused for a moment, then said softly, "I want to go to the capital."

The capital? Qi Shuo was taken aback. The capital was far from Beicheng; it took seven or eight hours by high-speed rail. He subconsciously looked at Tan Huaiyu, whose head was down and whose fingers were unconsciously twisting together, as if he was nervous about something.

"Yes." Qi Shuo nodded, his voice calm. "The capital is very good."

"Brother Qi Shuo, what about you?" Tan Huaiyu suddenly raised his head and looked directly at him.

"What?"

"Have you thought about...where you'll go in the future?" Tan Huaiyu's voice was soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible probing and expectation.

Qi Shuo stared at him for a few seconds. Tan Huaiyu's eyes were bright, filled with some kind of emotion that Qi Shuo couldn't decipher. He looked away and said calmly, "Beicheng is quite nice, it's right here."

Tan Huaiyu lowered his head, silently drinking his porridge, and stopped talking. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat stagnant, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas and the faint sounds of the city in the distance coming from outside the window.

Qi Shuo looked at Tan Huaiyu's lowered head, at his shoulder blades that stood out prominently because of his thinness, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him again. Did Tan Huaiyu want to go to the capital to get away from everything here?

The thought inexplicably tightened his heart, but he quickly suppressed it. What did it matter to him where Tan Huaiyu went? There shouldn't be too much involvement between them.

Everything that happened last night and today is just... temporary.

Once Tan Huaiyu has learned to cook and recovered her health, their contact should be severed.

"Finished eating?" Qi Shuo stood up, his voice regaining its usual indifference. "Wash the dishes, I'm leaving."

Tan Huaiyu looked up at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded: "Okay."

Qi Shuo turned and walked towards the door, when Tan Huaiyu's voice came from behind him: "Brother Qi Shuo, will you come again tomorrow...?"

Qi Shuo paused for a moment, but didn't turn around: "We'll see."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked out. The moment the door closed, he heard a very soft "okay" from inside, tinged with disappointment and expectation.

He stood outside the door, took a deep breath, and looked up at the azure sky. The sunlight was dazzling, making his eyes feel a little sore.

Will it come again tomorrow?

He didn't know.

Qi Shuo stood in the stairwell outside Tan Huaiyu's house, not leaving immediately.

He leaned against the mottled wall, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and lit one. The aroma of tobacco filled the narrow space, mixed with the musty and dusty smell unique to the old stairwell. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, white smoke swirling in front of his eyes, blurring his vision.

When Tan Huaiyu asked him "Where will you go in the future?" just now, the expectation and probing in his eyes were like a tiny thorn, pricking his heart and bringing a subtle but lasting sting.

The capital city… such a faraway place. Tan Huaiyu wants to go to the capital. Is it to escape the Tan family? To escape Beicheng? Or… to escape him?

This thought caused Qi Shuo's fingers to tighten slightly, deforming the cigarette butt.

Why should he care about this? What does it matter to him where Tan Huaiyu goes?

They were two parallel lines that should never have intersected, but a tragedy forced them together.

Now that Tan Huaiyu has a new direction and the possibility of escaping all of this, he should be happy.

At least, once Tan Huaiyu goes to the capital, their complicated and ambiguous relationship can be completely severed.

But why... do I feel so agitated?

Qi Shuo took a deep drag on his cigarette and stubbed it out on the nearby trash can. He took out his phone, glanced at the time, and dialed Xiao Jue's number.

"Hey, Brother Shuo?" Xiao Jue's voice came through the receiver, tinged with a hint of confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Are you free?" Qi Shuo's voice was a little hoarse. "Come out for a drink."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Xiao Jue said, "Okay. The usual place?"

"Um."

Half an hour later, Qi Shuo pushed open the door of the small tavern located deep in an alley in the old town. The tavern was old, dimly lit, and filled with the smell of alcohol and wooden furniture. In the corner, Xiao Jue was already sitting there, with two glasses of beer in front of him. Seeing Qi Shuo come in, he waved.

Qi Shuo walked over, sat down opposite Xiao Jue, picked up the beer in front of him, and took a big gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a brief numbing sensation.

"How is Ranran today?" He put down his cup and asked.

"Not bad." Xiao Jue smiled. "She can walk a few steps on her own now. The doctor said her recovery is faster than expected."

"Hmm." Qi Shuo nodded and took another sip of wine.

The two were silent for a moment. Xiao Jue looked at him, a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "Tell me, what happened?"

Qi Shuo tapped his fingers lightly on the side of the glass, making a soft sound. He stared at the golden liquid in the glass for a long time before slowly speaking: "Tan Huaiyu... wants to go to the capital."

Xiao Jue was stunned for a moment, then realized: "He told you?"

"Hmm." Qi Shuo's voice was very soft. "Today I went to his house to teach him how to cook. He asked me where I wanted to go in the future. I said Beicheng. He said he wanted to go to Beijing."

Xiao Jue was silent for a moment, then sighed: "Brother Shuo, do you care about this?"

Qi Shuo did not answer immediately.

Did he care? He didn't know himself. He just felt a tightness in his chest, as if something was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, a rare hint of confusion in his voice. “He even asked me where I was going. Where could I go? I can’t go anywhere.”

Qi Shuo twitched the corner of his mouth.

“Perhaps…” Xiao Jue carefully chose his words, “He just wants you to know his plans.”

"And then?" Qi Shuo raised his head, looking directly at Xiao Jue. "He wants me to know he's going to the capital? He wants me to know he can finally get rid of all this? Including me?"

Xiao Jue felt a slight tremor in his heart as he looked at the surging emotions in Qi Shuo's eyes.

“Brother Shuo,” Xiao Jue said softly, “you are afraid.”

"Afraid?" Qi Shuo twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a sarcastic smile. "What am I afraid of?"

“I’m afraid he’ll leave.” Xiao Jue hit the nail on the head. “I’m afraid that if he goes to the capital, things will really be... over between you.”

Qi Shuo's fingers tightened suddenly, the glass creaking under his weight. He stared at Xiao Jue, a flicker of panic and anger in his eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.

“You’re overthinking it,” he said coldly. “There was never anything between him and me. It’s his freedom to go wherever he wants.”

"Is that so?" Xiao Jue looked at him, a hint of pity in his eyes. "Then why are you so concerned?"

Qi Shuo fell silent. Why did he care? He couldn't explain it himself.

Perhaps it was because of Tan Huaiyu's eyes, which always looked at him with a mixture of expectation and timidity; perhaps it was because of the simple house he lived in after leaving the Tan family; perhaps it was because of his vulnerable appearance when he was sick; perhaps it was because... he had unknowingly grown accustomed to having Tan Huaiyu by his side.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, his voice tinged with weariness. “I just… feel irritable.”

Xiao Jue sighed, picked up his wine glass and took a sip: "Brother Shuo, have you ever thought about what your true feelings are for Tan Huaiyu?"

Qi Shuo suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp: "What do you mean?"

“The literal meaning.” Xiao Jue put down his cup, his gaze calm and firm. “Do you hate him? Or… have you started to care about him?”

"I..." Qi Shuo opened his mouth, but found that he could not answer the question.

Do I hate him? Of course I hate him. Tan Huaiyu is Tan Zhong's son, the bloodline of the demon who destroyed his family.

But...do I care? It seems so.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the hospital when Tan Huaiyu was sick, wouldn't have bought him things, wouldn't have taught him to cook, and wouldn't have been so anxious when he said he was going to the capital.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, his voice barely audible.

Xiao Jue looked at him, his gaze complex: "Brother Shuo, some things can't be solved by running away. Only you know best how you feel about Tan Huaiyu. But no matter what, I hope you can think it through and not make a decision you'll regret."

Qi Shuo didn't answer. He picked up his glass, downed the rest of his beer in one gulp, and then stood up: "I'm leaving now."

Xiao Jue nodded, not trying to stop him: "Take care of yourself."

Qi Shuo turned and left the tavern, pushing open the door to find it already dark outside. The streetlights flickered on, casting long shadows of him. He stood at the alley entrance, watching the distant neon lights, his restlessness intensifying.

Xiao Jue asked him what his feelings were for Tan Huaiyu.

He couldn't answer.

Because he himself didn't know.