Chapter 2 Calling someone "Big Brother Fart" during the rainy season? Dream on!
Lin Fei couldn't help but think of his first encounter with Liang Yanzhe.
After graduating from high school, she stayed at her maternal grandfather's house for a while.
The weather in Gangdu and Jiangdu is the same in August.
It was hot and humid, rainy, and the air was sticky.
At 6 p.m., the typhoon warning station raised the No. 4 typhoon signal, and heavy rain was expected.
Lin Fei was not a local of Gangdu, but lived in Jiangdu. He was unaware of the terror of the warning, only knowing that a heavy rain was coming and that he urgently needed to find a safe place to rest for a while.
Turn off the radio, check the nearest service area, and accelerate towards it.
The passenger's phone vibrated several times, seemingly displeased with its owner's indifference.
One after another, the intervals became shorter.
There was absolutely no intention to stop.
Lin Fei really didn't want to listen to his cousin's rambling and ignored the loud noise.
Before the bad weather arrived, the car broke down halfway.
Lin Fei angrily slammed his fist on the steering wheel, emitting a piercing horn sound.
The wind howled, and the rain came without warning, threatening to intensify.
Lin Fei sat stiffly in the driver's seat, watching the wipers swipe rapidly from side to side, barely clearing a small patch of clear vision. She leaned on the steering wheel, thinking she would just wait for the rain to stop.
The road is narrow, and cars whiz by every now and then.
Having been pessimistic enough, Lin Fei felt a little afraid of losing his life and got out of the car to check it, holding an umbrella.
Half of her body was wet, so she simply threw away the umbrella, rolled up her sleeves, and continued checking.
A car stopped steadily in front of her car.
The man in the driver's seat got out of the car and opened an umbrella large enough to accommodate both of them.
He came quickly.
Before she even arrived, the umbrella tilted and landed on her head.
The man was wearing a black windbreaker, and judging from the equipment in the car, he was probably going camping nearby. It was unclear whether he was returning or was turned back by the sudden downpour.
"Do you need any help?"
The man's overly familiar tone made Lin Fei wary, so she shook her head.
"Let me take a look."
The rain was so loud that he had to raise his voice to speak.
Her voice was crisp and clear, and as someone who was attracted to voices, she unconsciously licked her lower lip.
The man was fair-skinned, with striking features, deep-set eyes that suggested he was of mixed race, and a cold, hard physique. Although he wore a polite smile, he exuded an aura of unapproachability, as if he were wearing a mask of hypocrisy.
Lin Fei thought of a word: a smiling tiger.
The space under the umbrella was cramped, and the man standing in front of her was like a mountain, unshakeable.
And his aura that doesn't tolerate questioning.
After weighing the options, Lin Fei took over the task of holding the umbrella.
The man's fingers were long and nimble; he used the tools with great skill, diagnosed the problem as low fuel, and quickly replenished it.
After confirming that the car could start, the man turned to look at her and said, "There's a rest stop ahead, get in."
There were a few drops of water on his glasses, and the stray hairs on his forehead were wet and stuck together.
He looked a bit disheveled, but that couldn't hide his handsomeness.
Lin Fei blinked, still not quite recovered.
She returned the umbrella and jogged to the car.
I was so nervous that I forgot to say thank you.
I met a kind stranger on the road, but I couldn't tell if he was good or bad. Anyway, the car was fixed, so the safe thing to do was to drive straight back to the city and call my cousin to let him know.
In the rainy season in the south, the rain always falls inexplicably.
They come and go suddenly, like a mischievous child who won't be satisfied until the traveler is soaked to the bone.
Lin Fei cursed the unpredictable weather. A long warning line appeared in the distance, temporarily halting the flow of traffic. He hesitated whether to rush back to the city or listen to the man and meet at the service area. But his body reacted first—he turned on his left turn signal and turned into the service area.
After parking the car, she took off her coat, revealing a wet white shirt clinging to her chest, her bra barely visible. With no other clothes in the car, she had to put it back on and endure the discomfort of being wet as she got out.
In her haste, forgetting her phone and wallet, she returned to her car.
After she closed the car door, she found the man's car parked two parking spaces away from her.
The door to the gas station convenience store creaked open, and a man emerged, his hair slightly damp but dressed in clean clothes. He casually carried a bag in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.
He walked slowly towards the car, and Lin Fei instinctively pressed himself against it.
"The car is wet, don't get too close."
"Here you go, hot cocoa."
"If there's no brown sugar ginger tea, have some hot tea first."
Lin Fei took it, but then remembered that he shouldn't take things from strangers. He hesitated for a few seconds, thinking of handing it back, but then felt it would be too rash. In the end, he held it in his hand and didn't drink it.
"Are you here in Hong Kong for tourism?" It was Lin Fei's first time traveling alone, but she didn't show any timidity and spoke naturally with the man.
In reality, her inner unease slowly surfaced, but she was adept at putting on a brave face and perfectly concealing it.
His Mandarin is very standard, deep and magnetic, with no accent whatsoever.
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "Me, a passenger?"
Lin Fei: "The locals won't start speaking Mandarin to me right away, will they...?"
“You…” He chuckled softly, then said in a very low voice, “Never mind.”
Lin Fei crossed his arms in front of his chest and took half a step outward.
He didn't sense any awkwardness or impatience from her. He went back to his car, got a coat, and draped it over her shoulders.
White T-shirt and black windbreaker.
This jacket is different from the one he wore earlier; it smells nice with laundry detergent and is a freshly washed garment.
"Go change your shirt." He took the hot cocoa from her hand. "I'll wait for you at the seat over there."
The stranger was overly familiar with her; if he hadn't just helped her, he almost blurted out, "Are you a human trafficker?"
She shouldn't offend someone who helped her.
I repeatedly told myself to stay calm.
Lin Fei climbed into the back seat, changed his shirt first, and put on his T-shirt and windbreaker.
The man's aura surged from her clothes, enveloping her tightly.
She had never had overly intimate physical contact with a member of the opposite sex before. Now, wearing his clothes and smelling his scent, a surge of heat rushed to her cheeks and ears, gradually turning them red.
After getting used to it, Lin Fei pulled up his collar, sniffed it, and muttered, "So not all men smell bad."
A man who smells good can't be a bad person, right?
Lin Fei let his imagination run wild.
She got out of the car and walked towards the man sitting in the rest area.
He crossed his legs, leaned his arm against the table, and looked down at his phone replying to messages. His posture was casual, not like someone stuck at a gas station, but like someone on vacation in a Nordic country.
It wasn't a heavy downpour outside; it was just the bright afternoon sun.
He is enjoying his vacation in peace.
"Thank you," Lin Fei said, bowing slightly.
He held up two fingers and used his knuckles to push the coffee forward a little: "The temperature is just right."
"Thanks."
It seemed that besides thank you, she didn't know what else to say.
After finally replying to the message, he put away his phone, crossed his arms, and looked at the girl in front of him, who was trying to appear calm, with a smile. He asked in a gentlemanly manner, "Miss, would you like to address me?"
He spoke Cantonese, and his pronunciation was standard.
It's a very formal title, conveying a sense of politeness, restraint, and the beauty of classical Chinese poetry.
He suddenly spoke Cantonese not to joke with her, but to prove that he wasn't a tourist.
"Lin..." Lin Fei concealed his wariness, trying not to show it, and then said his full name: "Lin Feiwen".
She deliberately split the character "斐" into two parts. Before leaving home, her cousin Zhong Shuwen repeatedly reminded her not to tell strangers her real information on the way and to learn to protect herself.
On a sudden inspiration, she gave a false name.
“Lin Feiwen?” He gave a faint smile and repeated it in Cantonese.
Lin Fei thought the pronunciation sounded like Leng Feiwen's, and a bit silly.
"A local from Gangdu?" he asked.
Lin Fei: "My mother is a local; I didn't grow up here."
She wouldn't reveal any more details; unless absolutely necessary, she didn't like using one lie to cover up another. Men's minds were unfathomable, and she worried she wouldn't be able to maintain a false identity throughout their conversation.
"And you?" Lin Fei cleverly changed the subject.
"Liang Yanzhe." He added deliberately, "Just like you, three words."
“Three-character names are very common,” Lin Fei said.
Liang Yanzhe: "Hmm, two-character names are quite rare."
Lin Fei seemed to have been caught red-handed, and her heart was racing, despite her usual composure.
The unexpected phone call saved Lin Fei. She apologized and went next door to answer it.
Cousin Zhong Shuwen's loud voice was jarring, so Lin Fei put the phone away.
"Afei! It's raining heavily outside. Are you alright? Have you made it back to the city yet? It seems the rain has stopped, but there's a big typhoon coming tonight. It's too dangerous for you to rush home. Stay somewhere nearby for the night."
“It’s not safe for a young girl like you to stay here alone. I’ll give you an address that’s very close to the scenic spot you’re going to. My friend will take care of you.”
Zhong Shuwen kept talking, not giving Lin Fei a chance to interrupt.
“Cousin,” Lin Fei interrupted.
Zhong Shuwen suddenly fell silent: "W-what's wrong?"
Lin Fei: "You talk too much."
Even through the phone, Zhong Shuwen felt as if Lin Fei had stabbed him in the heart.
Zhong Shuwen: "Afei, say something..."
Lin Fei shook off the gloom and said with a smile, "It sounds a bit harsh, but bear with it."
Zhong Shuwen didn't really take it to heart. Before hanging up, he repeatedly told her to be careful and pay attention to safety when she was out and about.
After hanging up the phone, I suddenly found even the sound of heavy rain pleasant.
Lin Fei returned to the rest area next to the convenience store, intending to ask the man how much the clothes cost so she could transfer the money to him, since she wouldn't be seeing him a second time.
The man was long gone.
Looking out the window, the parking space next to her car was empty; the man had already left.
Lin Fei lowered his head, his chin brushing against his collar, thinking to himself, "Never mind, I don't know how to thank you. I've heard that most people in Hong Kong believe in metaphysics. I'll accompany Grandma to the temple to burn incense another day, and she can donate some money to pray that good people will be rewarded."
Following the address sent by Zhong Shuwen, we arrived at the hotel fifteen minutes later.
The hotel lobby was decorated in a lavish and extravagant style. Lin Fei felt bad about his wallet and was about to tell his cousin that they should just find another place to stay when the phone rang.
Zhong Shuwen's rambling has started again.
This time, there was a prior announcement.
“Afei, I know you find it annoying, but I have to finish what I have to say, otherwise Grandpa won’t feel at ease.”
"You've already informed the front desk of your room number, and they'll take you upstairs."
"Don't worry, our families are old friends, we know each other well... well enough to know a little bit about each other."
Lin Fei, having been nagging Zhong Shuwen, explained the situation to the front desk, and a waiter personally led her to the presidential suite on the top floor.
Expensive hotels are great; the signal was strong in the elevator, so there was no chance to hang up the phone.
"He is gentle, easy to talk to, and caring. You don't need to feel too much pressure when you're with him."
“He’s two years older than me and nine years older than you. We’re all of the same generation, so you can call him ‘elder brother’.”
The waiter escorted Lin Fei to his room and then left.
Lin Fei knocked on the door casually, his hands inside the pockets of his windbreaker.
Through the Bluetooth headset, Zhong Shuwen was still introducing this friend: "He was my grandfather's student when he was teaching abroad, and he currently works at Zhushi Hospital. I forgot to mention, his surname is Liang."
The door lock turned, and Lin Fei looked up, only to be plunged into a pool of warm water.
He had just finished showering; his hair was slightly damp, and he was wearing a black silk bathrobe. He hadn't had time to put on his glasses, but you could clearly see the gentle and refined smile on his face.
—The man I met at the service area.
No wonder he struck up a conversation with her so naturally.
Knowing her identity, he deliberately didn't reveal it.
Play with her.
Lin Fei felt uneasy for a couple of seconds when he thought about giving a false name, but fortunately, he was thick-skinned and didn't blush in front of him, managing to maintain his composure.
Zhong Shuwen continued nagging, "The other person has a very good temper, remember to be polite! Call him 'Big Brother'!"
Lin Fei hung up Zhong Shuwen's call, took off her earphones, and smiled, "Dr. Liang, hello."
Call me Brother Fart? Dream on!
In just a few seconds, the past events flashed through my mind.
Lin Fei glanced at the two of them, then his gaze fell unabashedly on Liang Yanzhe. Using the same tone he had used when he greeted him at the hotel, he asked, "Dr. Liang, would you like some popsicles?"
A note from the author:
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The story interweaves the past and present, but the length is limited, with the main focus on the present.
The key technical figure behind the female protagonist's intangible cultural heritage entrepreneurship is Grandma, which will be explained later. I don't know why I wrote about Zhuang brocade; perhaps it's because I, as a Zhuang person, am more familiar with these things. I wouldn't dare write about areas I'm not very familiar with, but my understanding mostly comes from customs and some materials, so please bear with me!
If you can't quite picture what the streets look like, you can search for "Three Streets and Two Alleys" in Nanning. The street layout is roughly like that, but there are many personal interpretations. As for the city divisions, I've simply divided all the stories in this series into Beijing North (North) and Jiangdu (South), plus some other cities. So, these are all my own interpretations and don't specifically refer to any particular province or region; it's just a hodgepodge. [Applause]
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