Chapter 43

They acted on their promises, but when the time came, they lacked the courage to confront the older man directly.

Forget about appearing before him in a glamorous and dashing way, creating a sense of amazement, surprise, or even an impossible delight. Just rehearsing his personality is enough to dampen Fang Xu's limited courage.

It's even entirely conceivable that, given the other party's calm and composed personality, they might simply ignore him altogether.

So even though they imagined reuniting again and again, in reality, the dog was still timid and cowardly. Even when they went to the breakfast shop that the other person had been to, he only dared to sit in the car with the privacy film on and stare blankly.

These unusual behaviors did not cause him any sense of crisis about "falling into depravity"; on the contrary, they made him more excited than going to nightclubs for pleasure.

She cursed herself for being crazy, yet she couldn't help but act this way. But the man seemed to have disappeared from this residential area; she hadn't seen him even once.

After numerous disappointments, she even developed a sorrowful and despondent feeling, like someone who had abandoned their husband. In her diary, one bitter poem after another appeared: "The stars tonight are not those of last night; for whom do I stand in the wind and dew all night?" "The cold wind assails, autumn has fallen asleep; withered trees and fallen flowers, even the snow grieves."

The older man loved poetry. Perhaps it was because of his teaching position, but those love poems that would make most people blush and be unbearable to hear, when read from his calm tone, sounded profound and affectionate, as if he truly understood and comprehended them.

What's even more commendable is that he never mocked those children who fell in love too early and then tried to commit suicide after being opposed to dating.

In his training institutions, there might be one oddball out of every hundred people.

Fang Xu had seen how he comforted those middle school students who were indignant over trivial matters and threatened to commit suicide.

He didn't try to persuade them or say much; he simply folded up the love letters that the middle school student had torn to shreds.

The other person had been wandering for days, stubbornly sticking out his neck, with "I am indifferent" written on the left side of his face and "I have seen through this dirty world" on the right. He was even more hostile to Teacher Nan, saying, "You are a persuader hired by my parents, but you are useless."

"I originally thought... but I never imagined that you, teacher, were no different from those ugly adults."

Fang Xu could only laugh when he saw this. He held his chin and couldn't stop laughing. He even wanted to interrupt and teach this childish brat a lesson.

"Ha, kid, you..."

However, Nanfei was quite strict when he worked, and disciplining students was part of his job. Seeing the calm and indifferent look the old man gave him, Fang Xu awkwardly shut his mouth, made a zipping motion, and blinked, begging him not to kick him out.

Even if we can't give this troublesome kid a vivid social lesson and make him come out looking for someone on the weekend, at least let him witness Teacher Nan's temper tantrum.

However, to everyone's surprise, the man's first words were: "You must have had a very hard time enduring all this."

Fang Xu's jaw almost dropped to the ground. Nan Fei had already stuffed the folded love letter back into the student's hand, saying very gently, "If you don't want to say what happened, you don't have to."

After pausing, he said, "If you're hiding out there, not eating or sleeping well, and don't want to go home, then stay here for now. I've brought back the cook and the security guard. Just tell them what you want to eat or what you need. Rest well these few days. I'll talk to your parents and give you some time. No one will bother you."

The student was even more astonished than Fang Xu, his hands trembling as he held the stack of love letters.

The elder, as imposing as an iceberg, was strict yet reliable as a teacher. He had been prepared to fight to the death, but the sudden care he received almost made him burst into tears. He could only keep taking deep breaths.

Nanfei considerately left with Fang Xu. Through the door, they heard a loud cry from inside, someone sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down their face, truly heartbroken.

But in these kinds of situations, it's better to just cry it out.

On the way back, Fang Xu swayed from side to side, leaned over to kiss and rub against him, and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Nan, what were you doing just now..."

It's not like they can truly empathize with you.

Look at that smug kid, his face full of admiration and "I will be strong" attitude. He'll probably be devoted to this training class until high school. Is this some kind of superb technique for retaining students?

Nanfei smiled faintly, a smile that held a deeper meaning, but he didn't answer. Instead, he slowly turned the steering wheel and, while waiting at a traffic light, said, "[East wind brings sunshine, west wind brings rain; it seems there's no sunshine, yet there is] sunshine."

"ah?"

Fang Xu was completely confused, but at that time he didn't care much about that person anyway, so he subconsciously didn't ask any further questions. He just felt a little bored. There was clearly a quicker way to solve the problem: just pack up that brat and throw him to his parents. No one could say it was the training institution's fault. Why did they have to choose the most troublesome way?

Looking back, I strangely recalled the words they said when we broke up: "Having seen the vast ocean, other waters seem insignificant; having beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds seem pale in comparison."

Even if Fang Xu had no interest in literature and art, he knew that it was an extraordinary love poem.

As for what it meant, he didn't bother to look it up; he had seen it many times in movies, TV shows, and online.

Therefore, thinking about it now, I feel a bit uneasy. First, I feel that it doesn't match my temperament and personality. Second, I secretly wonder if the older man is implying that I don't love him that much.

No, that's impossible.

Although that man was like a block of ice, when he truly loved someone, he was incredibly considerate, like a pool of spring water opening up on a snow-capped mountain, arranging everything perfectly. However, due to his steady personality, he lacked any of the fancy things that people had, making him both nostalgic and somewhat unsatisfyingly dull.

There's always that one little thing missing; I can't bring myself to say, "I want to spend my whole life with this person."

I've thought about just playing together for a while and then separating, but whenever we're together, eating breakfast, chatting, or reading, I get this feeling of fullness in my chest, so I keep putting it off.

Even so, he was dumped without hesitation, without giving him any chance to hesitate.

That guy, so I knew it, he can't let go of her because she got dumped!

He said he wouldn't have any problems, but he must be too obsessed. He was fine when he didn't see her, but when he suddenly ran into her and faced his first major setback, his competitive spirit exploded.

After figuring out the intricate logic behind it, Fang Xu felt a great sense of relief. He knew his own personality very well, and there was absolutely no way that true love could come his way.

He loves excitement and challenges so much, like a gust of wind, that he would never stay for anyone.

Happiness and joy are built on freedom, especially in the gay community. Everyone thinks, "Let's live for today and do whatever makes us happy." He is also used to doing whatever he wants. If everyone thought about those nagging and fussy things, the number of lovesick men and women in this world would probably circle the earth several times more.

Once he resolved his inner conflict, he regained his energy and returned to the normal course of his life, living a carefree life like a piece of honey that no one can possess for long.

Even if my heart suddenly skips a beat and I think of my ex, I can still drink a big gulp of wine without batting an eye and brush it off without a care.

Perhaps to compensate for his lonely life recently, he went out and had a wild time for a while. Some people actually fell for him and relentlessly pursued him, but he was used to it and went to Jingyao's place to find some peace and quiet.

One evening, while on her way to an appointment in the suburbs, she encountered a man in a suit. He looked to be in his thirties, good-looking with a slim waist and shapely hips. Although he wasn't as strikingly handsome as Fang Xu, he was still quite pleasing to the eye. He was refined and had an elegant demeanor. He was standing at the intersection waiting for a car.

Fang Xu's car beeped. The driver was also gay. Fang Xu stopped the car with some interest and rolled down the window: "Hey, are you waiting for a ride?"

"Um."

The man was somewhat wary.

However, Fang Xu's face is very deceptive. He has an unruly appearance, a high nose and deep-set eyes, yet his temperament is not bothersome. He is young and beautiful, and his expression is well-behaved, which only makes people feel pleasantly surprised to be close to him.

"It must be hard to get a taxi here at this time."

Fang Xu isn't a lecherous man who tries to drag every decent-looking guy into bed. He has so many friends; it's impossible for him to have slept with everyone in his circle.

Leaving aside his character during courtship, he wasn't inherently a bad person. If he saw a stranger he liked and who didn't seem suspicious, there was nothing wrong with helping him out.

Because he had no bad intentions, and it was genuinely difficult to hail a ride at this time, Didi drivers would be wary of such remote orders.

So the man waited for a long time, but no one accepted the order. After weighing the pros and cons, he thanked Fang Xu and accepted the invitation, and sat properly in the passenger seat.

They actually had a very pleasant conversation along the way.

Fang Xu is a social butterfly, his conversation is witty and never offensive, and because he is so considerate, most people he talks to have the illusion that they are being treated gently by him.

"My name is Beihai, you can just call me Ahai."

The man seemed a little embarrassed, but his expression was relaxed and frank.

Fang Xu smiled comfortably: "Hey, my name is Fang Xu, the 'Xu' in 'rising sun'."

They chatted and laughed as they walked the other person to the entrance of the residential area. Fang Xu only remembered where he was when he saw the breakfast shop not far away.

The man who hitched a ride had his phone buzzing. He answered it immediately, his expression incredibly gentle. He thanked Fang Xu very sincerely, added him on WeChat, and then got out of the car.

I jogged all the way to the entrance of the residential area, where someone was already waiting.

He was a tall, exceptionally handsome man with a cool demeanor and short, somewhat overly formal and austere haircut. However, his beautiful widow's peak and the shape of his eyes softened his overall appearance, giving him a refined and serene air.

He reached out and took the things Beihai was carrying, and walked beside him.

Beihai took a few steps and naturally walked alongside him. Although they didn't hold hands or make any ambiguous gestures, the atmosphere was unmistakable.

Fang Xu sat in the car, his lips stiff, his mind completely blank.