Chapter 34

"Oh, okay, let's go."

Qiu Li suddenly became mysterious, and you knew he had completely misunderstood. Perhaps it had extended to the point where you were reluctant to admit to your old friends that you were dating a student because of your pride and personality.

"Xiao Xu, how did you and Nan Fei meet?"

"At a bar."

He asked this question cautiously and incredibly stupidly. A straight man doesn't know how to interpret a gay man's relationship, so he was practically screaming "I saw everything" and "I'm testing you guys" on his forehead.

"bar?"

Qiu Li's smiling expression suddenly turned serious, and she thoughtfully looked you and Fang Xu back and forth.

Okay, now you're probably going to fantasize about a man who, after a breakup, becomes self-destructive, seeks one-night stands in bars, doesn't want to take responsibility, and never takes life seriously again.

You really don't understand Qiu Li's straight-male thinking. After you intentionally separated the two of them, he even went around to Fang Xu's side, speaking in a tone of sharing mature male experience: "I think men should have responsibility and commitment. What do you think?"

What do you think?

What do you feel? Your inner rational voice is tearing your own face apart and screaming. You're usually calm and collected in public, and it's been a long time since you've felt this speechless. Plus, this completely unrelated topic is making you so angry.

To avoid any potential trouble or misunderstanding, you forcefully grabbed Qiu Li and instructed Fang Xu to walk forward a short distance to provide light and guidance.

Fang Xu said, "But you won't be able to see the road like this."

You firmly replied, "No need, we know this place well, just make sure you don't fall."

Fang Xu was taken aback by these words, probably feeling a bit hurt in his pride. He turned away in silence, remaining quiet on the way without saying a word.

When they returned, Fan Yue was indeed greatly disappointed. The two men hadn't managed to pick a single bamboo shoot, and one of them had even fallen. The three of them stood dejectedly in the yard, and Fan Yue said they were all unreliable. When they tried to help with the cooking, they were immediately scolded away.

"You two can't even hold a spatula properly!"

Fang Xu, who was standing at the back listening to the instructions, raised his hand and broke away from the group like a primary school kid shouting, "Teacher, teacher, I know the answer!": "Sister Fan Yue, let me join too, so we can eat faster."

Fan Yue was skeptical: "You?"

“Yes,” Fang Xu picked up the spatula, tied on his apron, and expertly poured a spoonful of oil into the wok, swished it around, and then added the pickled cabbage that Fan Yue had prepared beforehand to sauté until fragrant: “Are you planning to make pickled cabbage fish?”

"Uh, yes."

Now it was Fan Yue's turn to be stunned, but soon she showed a relieved expression, turned around and scolded fiercely: "Look at others!"

Qiu Li quickly went over, pulled his wife to sit down and rest, and gave the young man a chance to show himself.

Fan Yue disagreed: "How can we let the guests cook!"

Fang Xu immediately replied, "It's okay, I'll cook it quickly. Brother Qiu can wash the dishes later."

Since he said so, Fan Yue couldn't stand up. She praised Fang Xu highly and then criticized your and Qiu Li's behavior. But it was too boring for the three adults to just sit there, so they brewed a pot of tea and played cards on the stone table while listening to the sound of vegetables going into the pot.

Young people with broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long legs, wearing aprons, bustle about in the outdoor kitchen like butterflies, methodically chopping and preparing vegetables, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a master chef.

While waiting for dinner, you played cards and chatted, mostly about trivial matters in life. Fan Yue and Qiu Li had invested in several shops, but their businesses hadn't been doing well in recent years due to the poor economy.

He then opened Lotus Manor, and because it was so beautiful and he liked it so much, he monopolized the best part of the hill, so most of the area was not open to the public, and he didn't make much money.

Qiu Li said these things as jokes, and when she mentioned going out to start a business, falling flat on her face, and having to go home to inherit the family business, she and Fan Yue laughed together.

Qiu Li sighed deeply: "Ah Fei is still the most capable. He can do whatever he wants."

You sneered: "Didn't I say before that I wanted you to go to the same high school as me?"

Qiu Li stubbornly insisted, "It's because I didn't study well."

You retort to him, "Are you out of your mind?"

Qiu Li was speechless, and Fan Yue covered her mouth and watched the spectacle, showing no intention of helping him. Qiu Li had no choice but to seek help from the sidelines, turning around and shouting, "Fang Xu, has he always been this mean!"

He wasn't pointing at Fang Xu to answer, but rather using it to condemn you. So the conversation quickly moved on. Without waiting for Fang Xu's reply, you glanced at Fang Xu's back and remained silent.

As the conversation went on, it turned to everyday family matters.

You know they're trying to comfort you. You disappeared for a year and a half, so it's not good to argue back now. Telling them you've already mostly recovered would just make it seem like you're putting on a brave face.

Therefore, he just nodded and listened, occasionally saying a word or two. Fang Xu mixed the cold dishes, and the final stew would take a relatively long time.

You glanced in that direction, beckoned him over, and Fang Xu, wiping his hands on his apron, walked over: "What's wrong?"

In order to pursue an original ecological style, the open-air kitchen was built with a fire stove, and Fang Xu's face was covered with sweat.

You asked Fang Xu to go change his clothes first, and he agreed, but then turned back and said with difficulty, "I didn't bring any luggage."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Li immediately told him enthusiastically, "Go and take a look at A Fei's room, the one next to yours. He kept all his things from before he went to college there. I think you're about the same height as him in high school, so you should be able to wear all the clothes in the closet."

After Fang Xu went upstairs, Qiu Li said, "Do you want to visit your aunt's house this time you're back?"

You threw out a pair of Kings, and your aunt still hasn't given up on finding you a girl to marry, but you don't want to go back.

After a while, Fang Xu changed his clothes, moved a small stool and sat down next to you. He sat very seriously and upright, glancing at you from time to time. You and Qiu Li were both much older than him, and he couldn't join in the conversation at all, so he just listened quietly.

Even if he wanted to express his opinions, he didn't really understand either Qiu Li's life as a second-generation coal miner who was just coasting along, or your arduous and turbulent career.

Seeing how hard he was trying to appear composed, you kindly asked him if he wanted to play cards. His eyes darted around the table, and he said, "Sure, but I don't know how to play."

If you look at him with a half-smile, he'll blink and remain calm and composed.

...

"Sit here, I'll teach you."

Fang Xu immediately moved his small stool and sat down next to you. Your stool was higher than his, so when he sat down, he could just lean on your knees. He didn't mind at all, using your thighs as a table to listen to you explain the rules.

Your face was expressionless, without any particular emotion.

Therefore, this action didn't attract much attention. After teaching him twice, you take out your phone to reply to the message and let him type on his own.

As he was typing on the screen, Fang Xu said, "How do I output this?"

Without even looking up, you said, "Use your brain."

Fang Xu: "..."

After a while, when Fang Xu was playing cards randomly again, a hand reached out from behind him to stop him, and a fair fingertip tapped a card.

Fang Xu paused, slowly played his card, his lips quickly curving upwards before quietly closing them again.

...

It was already late at night after dinner.

Fan Yue and Qiu Li also had to take care of the child, so there were no entertainment activities, and everyone prepared to go to sleep.

Back in his room, Fang Xu brushed his teeth and washed his face. When he came out, he was full of energy. He rolled around on the bed, struck a seductive pose, and swept the sheets: "Teacher Nan, come and sleep."

Now that you're happy, you raise an eyebrow with amusement, cross your arms, and adopt a serious tone: "So, what were you up to during the day?"

Fang Xu propped his head up with one hand, scoffed, and feigned a recollection: "Nothing happened during the day. Did I do something wrong? No way, no way."

You throw a pillow at him, hitting him squarely on the head: "Don't talk to me like that. I don't look like I'm joking."

Fang Xu put the pillow under his arm and pressed it down, his face showing a rather bored expression after being accurately hit: "At least I have to look like your boyfriend."

"Boy friend?"

"Yes, although you haven't agreed to be with me yet, I think you should rarely bring people home. If I seem too unreliable, wouldn't it make you lose face in front of your friends?"

He sat up, clutching his pillow, and spoke with righteous indignation. His expression didn't seem fake at all; he genuinely meant it.

"So, how's my performance so far? I think I've done pretty well. Do you like me a little more now?"

"I don't think you need to do this."

"Why?"

He looked puzzled and moved closer to you.

Why?

Because you know what you are afraid of and why you are worried, you are clear about everything about yourself. There is nothing you are unsure about or that you can discuss later. You are not impulsive or infatuated, and you do not use your confusion to toy with other people's feelings.

But for Fang Xu, did he clearly know or understand, or was he simply rebellious and rashly entrusting everything to youth?

You gently pat his head and say calmly and gently, "Go to sleep."

Fang Xu sighed, not dwelling on the topic, and instead looked around the room with great interest: "Are these your things from childhood to adulthood? Can I take a look? Let me see, I want to know more about you."

"Okay, I'll find it. You can look at it again later."

You went to the bathroom to wash up, and when you came out, he was already asleep.

You dried your hair, rummaged through a box under the bed and found old notebooks, photo albums, and stories you had written. After flipping through them for a while, you put the photo album first and placed it next to Fang Xu's bedside table.

The next day, Qiu Li's father fell ill, and he and Fan Yue had to go back to take care of the old man. You originally wanted to go with him to visit, but Qiu Li refused outright: "He's perfectly fine, he just doesn't like Dou Dou and is faking illness to pressure us to have a second child."

Fan Yue was also helpless: "You can stay here for a few days. The car keys are in the living room drawer. Feel free to use them."

The family came and went in a hurry, leaving only the two of you idle people.

After Fang Xu woke up, he dragged you up the mountain, saying that he had never seen wild mushrooms before and had never climbed the mountains in Yunnan.

You stretched and slowly finished your breakfast before walking up the mountain with him along the path.

Besides the green bamboo, thousands of pine trees grow on the mountain peak. Where there are no pine trees, wild bayberries and camellias grow. The wild bayberries bloom when the corn is planted, and now in the height of summer, they have formed small green fruits that can be picked and used to make vinegar.

Fang Xu wandered through the woods, occasionally picking up a poisonous mushroom and asking you if it was edible. He failed several times but still refused to give up, searching diligently for the edible green mushroom you mentioned.

As you climb to the top of the mountain, the clouds below are as thick as milk, and they won't disperse until the sunset glow spreads out.

A damp, chilly morning breeze caressed my face, and birds chirped.

You were sitting on a rock at the top of the mountain, gazing at the mountain in a daze, when you suddenly heard Fang Xu calling you. He had somehow gotten around to the foot of the rock, and because of the difference in height, he found a rock to stand on tiptoe with, holding a bunch of wildflowers covered in dew.

The roots and stems of the wildflowers were violently broken, blooming half-dead. You held them in your hand and looked at them. Fang Xu was wearing a white baseball cap, tilting his head to reveal half of his profile.

Do you like me?

"like."

He smiled.

You pick a pretty flower and spin it like a bamboo dragonfly. Fang Xu flips over and says, "I like you."

After staying for a few days, you packed your things and went to Dali. To express her guilt, Qiu Li sent your luggage over early.

Until you left, the photo album on the bedside table was never turned over.

Author's Note:

I'll finish the rest later, I'll work on it later.