Chapter 32

This is a vacation!

Fang Xu insisted—okay, you were really annoyed by him, and under his incessant nagging and persuasion, you gave up the shirt and put on a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.

While changing clothes, Fang Xu pretended to turn around and said, "I won't peek." "Hurry up, what kind of behavior is this, dawdling like this?" After saying that, he rummaged through the bag, quickly glanced back, and let out a burst of laughter.

You don't know what you look like right now, so you just pretend you didn't hear it. When you get up, you secretly pull down the hem of your shorts a bit.

"Are you done yet, Teacher Nan?"

Fang Xu asked in a drawn-out voice, and you gave a simple reply, but your mind wasn't so calm. Inside, the little people were arguing with each other, driving a long train, with a sentence written on each carriage: "I told you!"

You quickly folded your clothes and put them in your suitcase. To avoid making things even more awkward before you left the house, you simply lay down on the bed, covered your face with a book, and ignored him to hide your discomfort.

After a while, the little lion came over and you felt his hair fall on your neck, cool and ticklish, with the scent of sea breeze and forest.

"What are you planning to do now?"

You pinched his cheek, your voice low, quite indifferent, yet very gentle—it was hard to believe that was your tone.

"Not doing anything."

Fang Xu lay half-on top of you, the air was still, and there was no sound except for the clattering of the tracks.

He leaned on your shoulder, and after a while, gently and slowly stretched out his foot and pressed it on the back of your foot. His round toes pressed against your instep, and the weight felt like the cat that sat on your feet when you went to Qiu Li's house during your vacation.

Fang Xu takes your hand. His hand is also a man's hand, not delicate or soft, but firm and strong. There are four thin calluses at the base of his five fingers. The scent of the sea breeze enters your nostrils. You close your eyes and, nestled in the fluffy mane of the little lion, you will have a sweet, hazy dream.

...

The morning of the third day.

The bullet train pulled into Kunming Station.

As soon as I got off the bus, I was surrounded by familiar local accents chattering all around me.

As you follow the flow of people out of the station, you encounter two sisters. The older sister is pregnant and carries many bags, while the younger sister is carrying a heavy suitcase. Because there is no escalator down the stairs, she is carrying a lot of things and is limping ahead of you.

You went up to your sister and patted her on the shoulder. She looked at you in surprise. You took the suitcase from her and helped carry it down the stairs.

"Oh, thank you, thank you," the girl and her sister said, feeling embarrassed.

Fang Xu was replying to messages and taking photos when he saw you walk away. He quickly followed, first glancing at the girl next to him with a flushed face, then casually taking the suitcase and inserting himself between them: "It's just a small favor, don't mention it."

Compared to your businesslike manner, this is practically cold politeness.

As soon as Fang Xu appeared, the scene suddenly became lively. He chatted and laughed, and soon became familiar with both of them.

Are you brothers?

Fang Xu gave him a knowing look, carrying the suitcase and deliberately leaning closer so the other person could take a closer look: "Yeah, doesn't it look like it?"

"Yes!" The girl looked at you, then at Fang Xu, her face turning as red as a tomato.

During the chat, the other party learned that you were going to Dali and even exchanged contact information. Thinking that it might be inconvenient for the two girls, you took them all the way to the bus stop, and the girl greeted you warmly when you left.

"Come stay at our guesthouse! It's a courtyard house built by my sister, very clean, and right next to a lavender field!"

“Okay, we’ll definitely go,” Fang Xu agreed readily, smiling as he put his arm around your shoulder. You crossed your arms and nodded slightly, glancing at him. This guy had a strange, pretentious air about him.

"I'll definitely call!"

After saying goodbye to the strangers, you walked out with the flow of people. Fang Xu was in high spirits, carrying a backpack he had bought on the spot, looking around curiously.

"This is Kunming."

You just nodded, ready to buy a bottle of water, when he immediately grabbed your arm: "Nanfei, look at those mountains over there, they're so tall!"

you:……

"Country bumpkin, that's just a dirt slope, where did the mountain come from?"

People were coming and going around them. There were vendors carrying fruit and cooked food, and passengers rushing into the station. You handed him a glass of water, and Fang Xu gulped it down. He then ran over to take a look, slipped on his slippers, and ran back with a frown: "It doesn't look appetizing at all."

You replied to the text message and looked up at him: "Hungry?"

Fang Xu nodded immediately, and you chuckled, "Don't run around, I'll take you to eat something delicious later."

As they walked, Fang Xu asked again.

"Is it really okay to wear short sleeves here in winter? Why aren't there any flower vendors on the street?"

You tease him: "Because fresh flowers are all made into flower cakes."

Fang Xu asked in surprise, "Any kind of flower will do? What flavors are available?"

You stop and carefully observe his expression, trying to discern whether he genuinely doesn't know or is simply feigning ignorance to amuse you. After a moment, you narrow your eyes knowingly and point to a bakery with a queue not far away: "They have all kinds of flavors. Just ask if you want some."

You don't usually lie, nor do you have a penchant for making fun of people, so Fang Xu didn't suspect anything. He ran over with his backpack, then ran back: "What flavor do you want?"

You wait for him in the shade under the sign, raise your eyebrows, and pretend to think for a few seconds: "I prefer carnation flavor."

Fang Xu: "Such an occupational hazard taste." After saying that, Dada ran off to join the queue. You watched his back, crossed your arms, shook your head, and smiled.

After waiting for five or six minutes, a car horn sounded behind you. You turned around and saw the person in the driver's seat take off their sunglasses and couldn't help but smile.

"hooligan!"

Qiu Li opened the car door, ran over with a look of surprise, and without saying a word, gave you a big hug. Then she roughly rubbed your head as if she were scrubbing a steel wool ball. Her smile vanished, replaced by a forced grin, and she gritted her teeth and said, "You still know to come back? Huh? I thought you'd been kidnapped by some demon. I never see you all year round. Do you have any conscience?"

You silently dodged his hand, putting on a stern face to scare him: "Don't do anything rash."

Qiu Li would be a fool to listen to you. She's arguing with you like a king circling a pillar, but she's actually trying to beat you up, saying, "You think you're right?"

You dodged and fought back, getting into a fierce struggle with him. Qiu Li's wife watched with a smile for a while, then opened the passenger door and led a little girl with pigtails out of the car.

"I came back to have fun. If you keep doing this, I'm going back to City A."

Qiu Li cursed, picking up your luggage: "Let's go, what are you waiting for? Oh, right, didn't you say you had a friend? Where is he?"

You straightened your clothes, glanced back at the bakery, and didn't see Fang Xu. After searching for a moment, you noticed him standing under the sign not far away, arms crossed, looking at you. You met his gaze and waved to him.

"come over."

Fang Xu paused for a moment, then slowly walked over with his hands in his pockets.

Qiu Li's wife, Fan Yue, is a cheerful girl. Holding Dou Dou, she said, "This one is more handsome than the friend you brought last time."

You smile, Qiu Li puts her arm around your shoulder, glances at you, and subtly raises her eyebrows.

[Boy friend? ]

You gently shook your head.

[no]

Qiu Li didn't say anything, but smiled and went to greet Fang Xu. Fang Xu smiled and responded politely, but he was as quiet as a chicken.

On the way back, the car and luggage went separately. Qiu Li drove you around, Fan Yue sat in the passenger seat, and you held little Dou Dou while Fang Xu sat in the back. Qiu Li asked you, "With so little luggage, how long do you plan to stay this time?"

You thought for a moment: "I'll stay for a day or two."

Qiu Li: "Okay, you're going to stay for a week, right?"

Fan Yue made the decision: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's drive to Lotus Village and have a good time for a few days. We can eat the free-range chickens, wild boars, mushrooms from the mountains, and fish, shrimp and lotus roots from the pond. They are guaranteed to be fresh and pollution-free."

you:……

Got it, your luggage has been hijacked.

You rubbed your temples speechlessly, unable to refute. Fan Yue and Qiu Li exchanged glances, clearly having planned this all along. Little Bean was still in the stage of learning to speak, babbling incoherently.

On the way, Qiu Li was afraid of neglecting her friend, so she kept talking to Fang Xu in a casual way. Fang Xu spoke with composure, smiled naturally, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his knees. He was elegant, mature, aloof and reserved throughout. But is this really his personality?

You looked at him several times, but he didn't even glance at you.

The car drove into Lotus Village in the suburbs, winding up the mountain road several times, and finally saw several small wooden buildings deep in the bamboo forest.

"arrive."

After getting off the bus, it was still late afternoon. Qiu Li quietly moved closer to you, peeked at Fang Xu walking next to Fan Yue, and whispered, "Your friend is quite aloof, Nanfei 2.0, huh?"

you:……

"To be honest, that's not his personality."

Qiu Li: "Huh?"

"nothing……"

You shake your head, wondering what that guy is up to, and he doesn't seem to be having a tiff.

When you arrived, Fan Yue arranged for you to go to bed and rest first, and then pulled Qiu Li, who wanted to chat with you, back to your place. You walked in front, and Fang Xu, with his hands in his pockets, pattered his slippers behind you at a distance.

After you opened the door, he followed you in. You took off your coat and frowned slightly: "Your room is next door."

Fang Xu said "Oh," walked to the bedside and sat down, pouting as he looked down at his toes. You hung up your clothes and walked to his side. He immediately reached out and hugged your waist: "Teacher Nan, I don't want to live next door."

You didn't speak, and he didn't move.

The atmosphere seemed tense. Fang Xu didn't say anything, just held your waist, and remained in a stalemate with you.

"How old are you?"

When you ask him, he looks up at you, no longer pretending to be aloof: "Twenty-one."

"nominal age?"

He didn't speak, so you smiled and ruffled his hair: "Go to sleep, and when you wake up we'll go to the woods to peel bamboo shoots and catch chickens."

Fang Xu let go of you, lying his upper body on the bed: "Sleeping here?"

You nodded: "Yes."

"Wuhu~"