Chapter 36
On Saturday morning, Fang Chi received a text message from an unknown number: "Xiao Chi, this is Xing Jiayan's mother. I heard you went back to Jiangcheng. Would you like to come over for lunch today? Auntie hasn't seen you in a long time."
Fang Chi stared at his phone screen, stunned for a long while. Xing Jiayan's mother... that aunt who always smiled gently in his memory, who would serve fruit and snacks when he visited the Xing family, who would laugh and say "the two little geniuses are arguing again" when Xing Jiayan and he were arguing about physics problems until their faces turned red, and who would specially change the bedding when he stayed overnight.
Fang Chi hesitated for a moment before replying, "Okay, Auntie, see you at noon. Is there anything I need to bring?"
"No need, no need, just send someone." The reply came quickly, followed by a smiley face.
Fang Chi put down his phone, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. He remembered how Xing Jiayan's mother was always exceptionally welcoming whenever he visited the Xing family during high school. Now he understood that that enthusiasm might not only have been a welcome to his son's friend, but also a deep affection for his old friend's child.
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At noon, Fang Chi found Xing Jiayan's residence in Jiangcheng according to the address—a quiet, upscale apartment complex. Xing Jiayan's mother opened the door; time had left its mark on her face, but her smile remained warm and familiar.
"Xiao Chi, come in quickly!" She took Fang Chi's hand and looked him up and down. "You've grown taller and more handsome. You've just lost a bit of weight. Is it because you've been studying too hard?"
"Hello, Auntie." Fang Chi smiled somewhat awkwardly and handed over the fruit she had brought.
"You're here, why did you bring anything?" Xing's mother took the fruit and led him into the house. "Jiayan will be back in a little while; something came up at the company. Let's chat first."
The apartment was decorated in a simple and modern style, spacious and bright. Several potted plants were growing on the balcony, and the bookshelves in the living room were filled with books, including those on business management and physics. Fang Chi noticed a few familiar professional books and his heart stirred slightly.
"Auntie, how are you feeling?" Fang Chi sat down on the sofa and took the tea that Xing's mother handed him.
"She's doing very well!" Mrs. Xing sat down opposite him, her smile bright and cheerful. "She recovered well during those years in Singapore and now exercises in the park every day and even joins the community book club. But your mother... I only got in touch with her after I came back. I heard she had minor surgery last year?"
"Yes, the gallbladder surgery is completely healed now," Fang Chi said.
Lunch was plentiful, featuring dishes Fang Chi used to love. Xing's mother kept piling food onto his plate, smiling as she said, "When you used to come to our house, you loved this sweet and sour pork ribs. Jia Yan would always try to take them from you, remember?"
Fang Chi nodded with a smile, memories flooding back. Those afternoons when he ate at the Xing family's house, sunlight streamed through the window onto the dining table, and he and Xing Jiayan would argue about a certain physics concept while eating, with Xing's mother watching them with a smile.
After dinner, Xing's mother made tea, and the two sat on the balcony. The winter sun was warm, and children were playing in the neighborhood below, their laughter echoing through the air.
“Xiao Chi,” Mrs. Xing suddenly spoke, her voice softening, “Auntie invited you here today because I want to apologize again on behalf of Jia Yan.”
Fang Chi paused for a moment, his hand holding the teacup still.
"He told you everything that happened back then, right?" Mrs. Xing looked at him, her eyes filled with concern and apology. "His father cheated on his wife. That period was really tough for our family. Jia Yan, that kid, he was still just a high school student, but he had to support the whole family. When I was taking him away from Jiangcheng, the only thing he asked me was, 'Mom, what about my classmates and friends at school?'"
She sighed softly: "I told him that it wouldn't be too late to contact each other after we settled down. But when we got to Singapore, everything started all over again. I wasn't feeling well, and he had to study and take care of me... That guy was too strong-willed. He always felt that he had to shoulder everything himself. By the time I recovered and the company was up and running, too much time had passed, and he didn't know how to turn back."
Fang Chi listened quietly, and a hard part of his heart was gradually softening.
“When he was in Singapore, he often logged onto a physics forum,” Ms. Xing continued, a hint of heartache in her eyes. “One night I got up and saw him sitting in front of the computer, staring blankly at the screen. I asked him what he was looking at, and he said, ‘Looking at a friend’s solution to a problem.’ At that moment, I knew that he had never forgotten you.”
Sunlight shines on the teacup, creating a shimmering effect.
“This time when he returned to China, he could have set up the headquarters in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, but he insisted on choosing Wuhan.” Xing’s mother’s voice was very soft. “I know he wanted to be closer to you, even if it was just in the same city, breathing the same air.”
Fang Chi lowered his head, and the water in the teacup rippled slightly.
“Xiao Chi,” Mrs. Xing reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of his hand, her hands warm and soft, “I’m not saying all this today to defend Jia Yan. His decision to leave without saying goodbye back then did hurt you. I just want to tell you that the child has always had you in his heart. It’s just that he was too foolish, foolish enough to use that method, thinking he was protecting you, but actually hurting you even more.”
Her eyes reddened slightly: "Over the years, I've watched him grow from a cheerful and lively boy into a quiet and reserved adult. He put all his energy into his work and taking care of me, and there was never anyone else around him. I once asked him if he still missed that kid from Jiangcheng who always came to our house for dinner and always argued with him about physics problems. He didn't answer, but I understood from his expression."
Fang Chi felt a tightness in his throat, wanting to say something, but unable to make a sound.
“Auntie is getting old, and her greatest wish is to see Jiayan happy.” Xing’s mother squeezed his hand, her voice gentle yet firm. “Now I’m returning this silly son to you. Not as his mother, but as an elder who watched you grow up, and I sincerely hope that you… can be happy.”
Tears welled up in Fang Chi's eyes, and she blinked hard to keep them from falling.
Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the doorway. Xing Jiayan pushed the door open and, seeing the two people on the balcony, paused for a moment.
"Mom, Fang Chi, you..."
"Jiayan's back." Mrs. Xing stood up, wiped her eyes, and her smile returned to normal. "I was just about to go out. There's a book club activity this afternoon. You two chat, I'll cook dinner when I get back."
She winked at Fang Chi, picked up her bag, and went out the door briskly.
The apartment fell silent. Xing Jiayan stood there, looking at Fang Chi on the balcony, somewhat at a loss. Today, he was wearing a simple gray sweater and black trousers, lacking the aloofness of a suit and tie, and looking more like he did in high school.
"What did my mom say to you?" he asked softly.
Fang Chi stood up and walked over to him. The winter sun streamed in from the balcony, casting long shadows on the floor.
“You said a lot.” Fang Chi looked at him, her voice very soft. “You said you often stayed up all night taking care of her in high school, you said you would look at the problems I solved when you were most tired in Singapore, you said you chose Jiangcheng when you returned to China because…”
He paused for a moment and noticed that Xing Jiayan's ear tips were slightly red.
“Xing Jiayan,” Fang Chi called his name, no longer the distant “President Xing,” “Your mother told me that you have always had me in your heart.”
Xing Jiayan suddenly raised his head, his eyes behind his glasses widened, and his lips moved, but no sound came out.
“She also said that she was now ‘returning’ you to me,” Fang Chi continued, her voice trembling as she tried to suppress it. “She said she hoped we would be happy.”
A long silence stretched between them. Dust motes floated slowly in the sunlight, like fragments of time.
"Then..." Xing Jiayan finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "are you willing to accept this clumsy version of me who once hurt you?"
Fang Chi didn't answer. Instead, he took a step forward, reached out, and gently removed Xing Jiayan's glasses. Those eyes, which were always hidden behind the lenses, were now clearly presented to him—deep, bright, and filled with cautious anticipation and emotions hidden for many years.
"Do you know what angers me the most?" Fang Chi said softly, "It's not that you left, it's not that you hid things from me, it's that you never gave me a choice. You thought pushing me away was for my own good, but did you ever ask me what I wanted?"
Xing Jiayan stared at him blankly.
“What I want is someone who can argue with me until late at night when I encounter difficulties.” Fang Chi’s voice was soft, but every word struck Xing Jiayan’s heart. “What I want is someone who will stubbornly knock on my door on a snowy day and say, ‘I’m just a little bad sometimes.’ What I want is the real you, the complete you, including your family, your past, your vulnerability and strength, not the illusion that you think should not be tainted.”
Tears finally streamed down Xing Jiayan's face. He reached out, wanting to hug Fang Chi, but stopped mid-air, as if he couldn't believe it was real.
Fang Chi grasped his hand; those hands were long and slender, slightly cool, and trembling a little.
"This time, don't push me away again," Fang Chi said, his voice filled with a sigh but also a sense of relief. "And don't make decisions for me anymore. Let me choose for myself, okay?"
Xing Jiayan nodded vigorously, tears blurring his vision. He gripped Fang Chi's hand tightly, as if holding a lost treasure that had been regained.
"I'm sorry..." his voice choked with emotion, "I'm sorry, Fang Chi. I was wrong, I was really wrong."
"I know," Fang Chi said softly, stroking his cheek with her other hand to wipe away his tears. "I know everything."
That afternoon, they sat on the balcony and talked a lot. Xing Jiayan talked about the difficult start in Singapore, the various setbacks in starting the company, and how he spent those sleepless nights reading Fang Chi's posts on the forum over and over again, but dared not leave any trace.
Fang Chi also talked about his life at Jiangda University over the past two years. He talked about interesting things in the lab, the progress of his research, how he would think of him when he occasionally passed by the bookstore he used to frequent in high school, and how he had been waiting for an explanation ever since that snowy night.
As the sun gradually sets in the west, it paints the sky a warm orange-red.
“Actually,” Fang Chi suddenly said, “I had already thought it through before your mother invited me.”
Xing Jiayan turned to look at him.
“After leaving the restaurant that day, I thought a lot.” Fang Chi looked at the sunset outside the window. “I thought, if it were me, and my family suddenly changed, and I had to take my mother to another country, I might make the same choice as you—to put all my energy into my family and have no time to think about anything else.”
He paused for a moment: "But I still hope that someone can tell me the truth. Even just a simple 'Something happened at my home, and I have to leave for a while' would be better than disappearing without a trace."
“I’m sorry,” Xing Jiayan said softly. “I was too young and too proud back then. I felt that telling you this was like showing weakness and trying to gain sympathy. I didn’t want you to see me like that.”
“I understand.” Fang Chi held his hand. “But we’re both grown up now, and we can face these things more maturely, right?”
Xing Jiayan nodded vigorously.
As evening fell, Xing's mother returned, carrying groceries. Seeing the two sitting side by side on the balcony, she smiled with satisfaction.
The atmosphere at dinner was relaxed and pleasant. Mrs. Xing recounted amusing anecdotes from her time in Singapore, about the lovely elderly people in the community, and how she had "forced" Xing Jiayan to participate in various social activities, only to be consistently refused. Fang Chi listened with a smile, occasionally adding glimpses of her own mother's recent activities.
After the meal, Xing's mother insisted that the two of them not help with the dishes: "You two go and chat, I can still move around even though I'm an old man."
Xing Jiayan's apartment has two bedrooms, but that night, they naturally ended up in the same room. It wasn't a deliberate arrangement; they had finished talking, finished their tea, and as the night deepened, neither of them suggested separating.
Only a warm yellow bedside lamp was on in the room. The two leaned against the headboard, continuing their conversation, from physics to business, from the past to the future, as if trying to make up for the conversations they had missed for more than two years.
Gradually, Fang Chi's voice grew softer and softer, and his eyelids began to droop. Several days of experiments, coupled with today's emotional ups and downs, finally brought on fatigue.
"Tired?" Xing Jiayan asked softly.
"Hmm..." Fang Chi responded vaguely, his body unconsciously leaning to the side.
Xing Jiayan reached out and put her arm around his shoulder, letting him lean against her. The gesture was so natural, as if the two-year gap between them had never existed.
"Go to sleep," Xing Jiayan said softly, turning off the bedside lamp.
In the darkness, only the faint light of the streetlamp outside shone through the gap in the curtains. Before finally falling into a deep sleep, Fang Chi murmured, "This time... don't leave without saying goodbye again."
"It won't happen again." Xing Jiayan hugged him tightly, her voice exceptionally clear in the darkness, "It will never happen again."
He lowered his head and placed a light, feather-like kiss on Fang Chi's forehead. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he gently kissed his lips.
It was a gentle, cautious kiss, filled with apology, promise, and emotions hidden for years. Fang Chi responded to him drowsily, their lips mingling with the fragrance of tea and their own breath.
The kiss deepened, yet remained restrained, lingering on a gentle exploration. There was no haste, no demands, only two hearts slowly drawing closer in the darkness, rediscovering their rhythm.
Finally, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Xing Jiayan's arms were wrapped around Fang Chi's waist, and Fang Chi's head rested on his shoulder. Their breathing gradually synchronized, and their heartbeats created a harmonious rhythm in the quiet night.
Outside the window, the winter night in Jiangcheng was quiet and deep. Occasionally, the sound of vehicles passing by could be heard in the distance, but soon silence returned.
On this night of reunion, the estrangement and misunderstanding of more than two years finally melted away in that kiss and embrace.
They both knew that there might still be things they needed to work out along the way, and that the wounds of the past would need time to heal completely. But at least tonight, in this warm room, in each other's arms, they found the courage and possibility to start anew.
In the living room, Xing's mother gently closed her bedroom door, a contented smile on her face, and quietly said, "Goodnight, children."
The night is gentle, and the embrace is long.
This time, they will not be separated again.
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