Chapter 37 Phone
The first snow of the first semester of senior year came quietly on the eve of the final exam.
Inside the window, the air was filled with the rapid rustling of pens across paper, the rustling of exam papers flipping, and an atmosphere of utterly suppressed tension. The heater was on full blast, and a thin layer of condensation formed on the glass windows.
After Gu Ye finished writing the last period, he put down his pen, let out a light breath, and subconsciously turned his head to the side.
Chu Yan was sitting next to him by the window, and he had just stopped writing. He seemed to be aware of Gu Ye's gaze and turned his face slightly. The gray sky outside the window reflected half of his face, the outline was clear and calm, while the other side was outlined unusually softly by the light of the incandescent lamp above his head. He habitually turned the black fountain pen between his fingers, and the pen body drew a smooth silver arc in the light. Then he looked at Gu Ye, the corners of his lips naturally curved upwards in a very shallow arc, and his eyes were filled with silent questioning: Are you done?
Gu Ye nodded. The tension in his chest, which had been tense because of the last big question, strangely relaxed the moment he saw Chu Yan's eyes. He imitated Chu Yan, twirling the pen in his hand and glancing at the podium—the invigilator was looking at his phone with his back to them.
Gu Ye tapped the draft paper twice with the pen cap, leaned slightly towards Chu Yan, and lowered his voice, the air flow almost brushing Chu Yan's earlobe: "What should we do after the exam?"
Chu Yan also leaned in closer, closing the distance. His clean, refreshing scent, mixed with a hint of ink, could be clearly heard. He also lowered his voice, with a hint of a smile: "What do you say? Gu Daxueba, what are your plans for winter vacation?"
Gu Ye felt a little uncomfortable being called a "scholar," and the tips of his ears felt slightly warm. For the past few years, winter vacations had been a series of two options for him: either he'd hole up in his underheated rental, picking up odd jobs at bars or fast food restaurants to fill his time and his wallet; or he'd join Aliang and his gang in the smoke-filled, keyboard-clacking internet cafes, playing online games day and night, using virtual victories and the clatter of noise to numb the hollowness of the word "home."
This year, however, was different. His eyes couldn't help but steal another glance at Chu Yan's profile, which was so close. The light fell on his thick eyelashes, casting a small, quiet shadow under his eyes. Outside the window, the snow seemed even heavier, silently covering everything.
"How about we stay at home for a few days?" Gu Ye said tentatively, his voice even softer, with a hint of cautious expectation, "Play games? Cook hot pot?" His mind uncontrollably popped up Chu Yan's spacious, bright, and well-heated house, and the recliner that was so comfortable that people didn't want to get up after lying down.
Chu Yan's smile deepened, as if he had seen through Gu Ye's little thoughts. He nodded slightly, his voice still low and indulgent, "Okay. It's a good time to stock up on food and go hibernate." He paused, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "But, even after hibernation, you can't stop studying. Winter vacation is a good time to overtake others." His tone was gentle, but with an unquestionable sense of planning.
The spark of excitement in Gu Ye's heart sizzled at the mention of "study," but strangely, he didn't resist as before. He resigned himself to his fate and muttered, "I understand, Teacher Chu." His tone was a touch of helplessness, yet also concealed a sense of dependence that only he understood.
The smile in Chu Yan's eyes deepened. He was about to say something when a deliberate cough echoed from the podium. They both sat up straight in unison, returning to their usual attentive, well-behaved demeanor, their gaze fixed on the test paper. Only the slight curl at the corner of their mouths betrayed their earlier gesture.
"I plan to go back around the New Year," Chu Yan's eyes fell on the test paper, and his voice became even lower, almost just a whisper, "There's a family dinner at home as usual, I can't avoid it."
Gu Ye nodded to show his understanding.
"The New Year is over, and there's still about a week left for the holiday." Chu Yan's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the test paper, as if he was thinking about something. After a moment, he added in a whisper, "I've made an appointment with someone to go to the beach and relax for a few days."
Gu Ye's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. A date? Who? The one with the name "山" (mountain)? He almost immediately thought of the unfamiliar number. A strange feeling, either bitter or suffocating, suddenly settled in his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He forced down his surging thoughts, his throat tight, and he mumbled an "oh." He lowered his head, pretending to focus intently on the last big question on his test, but his mind was actually blank. Outside the window, snowflakes fell softly, and the world was a pure white silence.
Chu Yan didn't seem to notice Gu Ye's sudden change of heart. The snow outside the window fell silently, absorbing all the sounds.
The bell for the end of the final exam finally rang sharply, like a long-awaited pardon, instantly piercing the almost frozen air in the classroom.
Almost at the same time, the cheers that had been suppressed for a long time, the sighs of relief, and the sounds of tables and chairs colliding and moving suddenly burst out like a flood. The test papers were handed in, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Gu Ye stuffed the last pen into his pencil case, zipped it up, and then let out a long sigh. This breath seemed to have released all the stale air that had been pent up in his chest for the entire exam week. He suddenly felt as if every bone in his body had lightened, and even his shoulders relaxed.
He subconsciously turned his head, his gaze passing over the still noisy crowd and landing precisely on Chu Yan who was standing beside him.
Chu Yan had already packed, a simple black shoulder bag casually draped over his shoulder. He was looking at Gu Ye, a relaxed smile on his face that only came after an exam. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were much softer than usual.
"Let's go?" Chu Yan raised his chin towards the classroom door with quick movements.
"Let's go!" Gu Ye responded immediately. As if infected by his smile, he also grinned and quickly shook off the remaining worries in his mind about the answer to the last big question.
He grabbed the schoolbag on the table and threw it over his shoulder neatly. His movements were free and easy, typical of a teenager. His eyes were bright, full of anticipation for the upcoming vacation.
As they followed the crowd out of the teaching building, the cool, fresh air, scented with snow, instantly filled their lungs, lifting their spirits. The campus was blanketed in a blanket of white, soft snow, which shimmered in the pale winter afternoon sunlight.
Instead of heading home immediately, they tacitly changed direction and headed for the largest supermarket chain not far from the school. The first post-exam spree often begins with filling up the shopping cart.
Pushing aside the heavy supermarket curtains, a warm, bustling atmosphere, mingled with the aroma of various foods, hit me, creating a stark contrast to the cool, quiet atmosphere outside. The heating was on full blast, even making me feel a bit hot. The supermarket was bustling with people, many of them students who had just returned from winter break, pushing carts, chattering, their faces brimming with excitement.
"I must have both barbecue and cucumber flavored potato chips!" Gu Ye had a clear goal and amazing action. He went straight to the puffed food area, without even looking, grabbed the largest packages of the two flavors and threw them into the car with a "bang" sound.
"Hot pot base, beef fat, extra spicy." Chu Yan pushed the cart steadily and followed. He picked up the flavor specified by Gu Ye from the shelf. With a quick glance, he accurately selected several packets of tomato, mushroom and three-fresh bases with different flavors. "Change the taste."
"Meat, beef rolls, tripe, shrimp balls, luncheon meat..." Gu Ye's eyes lit up in front of the cold freezer, and he wished he could empty the entire counter.
"Just meat?" Chu Yan raised an eyebrow, pushed the cart to the fresh produce section, and calmly added colorful and balanced elements to the cart, "Enoki mushrooms, garland chrysanthemums, baby cabbage, potatoes, tofu..."
"Coke must be iced." Gu Ye rushed to the beverage area again and picked up a large bottle of Coke.
"Get some more milk and orange juice." Chu Yan's voice came from not far away. He had already walked to the dairy counter. "Drink it in the morning."
As he passed the game disc section, Gu Ye's footsteps were instantly fixed. His eyes were fixed on a newly released two-player cooperative game with an extremely cool cover in the glass cabinet, and the desire in his eyes almost turned into reality.
"Chu Yan, look at this new one, it's said to have explosive special effects and superb level designs!" He leaned on the counter and looked back at Chu Yan, his eyes surprisingly bright, filled with the word "want".
Chu Yan came over with the cart, glanced at the game cover and introduction, and said concisely without hesitation: "Buy it."
"Yeah!" Gu Ye almost jumped up. He carefully and impatiently asked the clerk to take out the brand new CD and gently put it into the already piled high shopping cart as if it were a holy relic.
The shopping cart filled with an astonishing amount of goods, a dazzling array of items, from snacks and drinks to meats, vegetables, eggs, and milk to video games, exuding a pure, comforting, holiday joy. At checkout, the cashier looked at the mountain of "trophies" and couldn't help but glance a few more times at the two incredibly handsome and elegant men, who were so devoted and down-to-earth in their shopping.
I returned to Chu Yan's spacious and warm apartment with a lot of bags. As soon as I opened the door, a warm feeling hit me in the face, instantly dispelling all the biting cold brought from outside.
The two of them worked together tacitly to move the large bags of "food" into the house, kicked off their snow-soaked shoes, threw them into the shoe cabinet, and almost changed into soft and comfortable home clothes at the same time. Their movements were so smooth as if they had rehearsed them countless times.
For the next few days, time seemed to have been slowed down by an invisible hand, like I'd fallen into a warm, isolated bubble of snack bags, game sounds, and the steaming heat of hot pot. Outside the window lay the icy, snowy landscape of northern China, while inside, it was a constant spring and summer.
The living room's giant LCD screen flickered with light and shadow, while intense background music and game sound effects filled the room. Two controllers were gripped in my hands, and the buttons were rapidly and clackingly pressed.
"Left, Chu Yan, there are monsters spawning on the left! Clear them out!" "I know, cover me on the right flank, don't let them rush over!" "Damn, I'm dead again! This BOSS's attack range is too abnormal, is the designer inhumane?" "The health is a bit high, and the mechanism is not fully understood. Let's try again, pay attention to avoid the red circle."
The potato chip bag crackled as it was crumpled, and the opened puffed food exuded an alluring aroma. The Coke can made a crisp "sizzle" sound as it was opened, and the cool, sweet liquid slid down its throat, bringing an extremely refreshing feeling.
The coffee table quickly became piled with various opened snack packaging, and a few game CD cases were scattered on the floor. The winter sun streamed in through the large French windows, covered with a light layer of snow, casting a few warm, bright spots on the floor. The air was filled with a warm, lazy comfort.
At dinnertime, the kitchen becomes the busiest and most vibrant battlefield. A delicate double-flavored hot pot is brought to the induction cooker. Half of the pot is a spicy beef hot pot, bubbling with sizzling red oil and exuding a strong peppery and spicy aroma; the other half is a warm and rich bone broth base, permeated with the delicate fragrance of mushrooms and red dates. Gu Ye frantically hustles around the stove, adding various ingredients to the pot: beef rolls, tripe, shrimp balls, luncheon meat... with great pleasure.
Chu Yan stood calmly at the counter, expertly mixing the dipping sauce for their two bowls. Steaming white steam rose continuously from the pot, blurring their faces and softening any edges.
"Wow, this shrimp paste is amazing, so chewy. Chu Yan, try it." Gu Ye picked up a plump and round shrimp paste and couldn't wait to blow on it. He didn't care about the heat and stuffed it into his mouth. He was panting from the heat, but his eyes narrowed into slits with happiness, and he urged incoherently. "The tripe is overcooked and you can't chew it. I've told you so many times, up and down, count in your mind." Chu Yan slowly picked up a piece of tripe from the spicy pot with his chopsticks, which was obviously overcooked, and commented with a little disgust. "Shut up, it's good to have something to eat. You're so picky. Give it back to me if you don't want to eat it!" Gu Ye pretended to be angry and pretended to grab the meat in his bowl, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two of them would often collapse on the large sofa without any image, stroking their slightly bulging stomachs, watching boring TV programs and chatting idly.
I spent the next few days in a daze, not knowing when it was day or night, until the night before the results were released.
In the living room, on the huge TV screen, the last wave of dazzling skill special effects exploded, accompanied by the passionate and epic background music. The two huge words "Victory" shining with dazzling golden light occupied the entire screen.
They had just spent more than an hour and finally teamed up to defeat the final BOSS of that extremely difficult two-player level.
"YES!" Gu Ye excitedly pumped his fist, his entire body sinking into the sofa cushions in a moment of relaxation, like a contented large canine that has finally found the most comfortable nest after a fierce struggle. He sighed with great satisfaction, and could even hear the subtle click of his bones as they relaxed from the long-term tense posture.
Chu Yan also put down the handle, with a relaxed smile on his face, he stood up and walked towards the kitchen: "Drink some water?"
"Hmm!" Gu Ye replied lazily, unwilling to move. He casually picked up his phone, which had been dropped in the crack of the sofa, and his fingertips unconsciously slid across the cold screen, enjoying this rare moment of complete relaxation. Outside the window, the snow seemed to have stopped, and the world was a silent, silvery white. The only sounds were the lingering echoes of victory in the game and the faint hum of the heater.
Just then—
The phone screen lit up without warning, accompanied by a monotonous and shrill ringtone. A completely unfamiliar local number jumped on the screen, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the lazy tranquility.
Gu Ye frowned. Sales pitch? A harassing call? He'd blocked out almost all non-essential social interactions recently to focus on exam preparation and studying. He hesitated, then pressed the answer button. He casually pressed the phone to his ear, his tone tinged with impatience at being interrupted and a hint of laziness from having just finished a game.
"Hello? Who is this?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for two seconds.
An extremely subtle, uncomfortable silence spread over the airwaves, as if carrying some kind of cold, sticky feeling, instantly penetrating the warm air in the living room and piercing Gu Ye's eardrums. He subconsciously sat up straighter, and the feeling of relaxation just now disappeared.
Then, a deep, middle-aged male voice, with the customary controlled intonation typical of those who have long held a high position, came clearly through the receiver, each word like a cold stone dropped into calm water:
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