Chapter 22 Pressed down on a clump of grass, pressed down...
Li Jiacong pulled his school uniform up to the collar and locked it, while the lights from outside the car kept sweeping across his face.
Today is Li Mingda's birthday. As soon as school was over, Li Jiazong's parents came to pick him up, saying they were going out to eat, and they even bought a cake on the way. Li Mingda was very happy, humming a song. As long as he was happy, the family atmosphere was great. Li Jiazong was also in a good mood at the moment, just about to enjoy himself, when Chen Wen started nagging about the changes in the college entrance examination policy.
"I heard some universities will have independent admissions programs next year. Having artistic talents will be an advantage. Practice your flute well, and we'll participate in some high-level competitions." Chen Wen was well-informed.
Li Jiacong gave a perfunctory "hmm," while Li Mingda, driving the car, asked, "Son, do you have any goals for college?"
Li Jiacong cleared his throat: "I don't know yet."
Li Mingda: "When will you know?"
Chen Wen: "No rush, winter break isn't over yet. This winter break, let's visit various universities."
Li Mingda: "It's always better to plan ahead and think about things earlier. You should think about what career you want to pursue in the future."
Chen Wen: "Let Jia Cong study more. Let's put work on hold for now."
The atmosphere dissipated, and Li Jiacong's head began to ache. His parents had arranged a perfect life for him, but it was not his own at all, because no one had ever asked for his opinion. What made him feel even more powerless was that he had not learned how to say "no" to this kind of life.
The car stopped shortly after it started moving. As soon as Li Jiacong got out, his brow furrowed instantly—it was the Yunji Hotel.
His father had booked a private room in advance. When they entered, a hostess led them inside. They passed the koi pond in the lobby and went further in. The interior was decorated in a Chinese style. Li Jiacong watched the service staff coming and going, but he didn't see Li Sheng.
Since he rejected Li Sheng last week, Li Sheng hasn't called for a week.
Unconsciously, Li Jiacong was calculating these past few days. Not seeing each other was fine; it had its advantages. At least he felt he'd been a bit distant with Li Sheng. A sudden meeting, especially one where he was meeting Li Sheng with his parents, could easily cause awkwardness. But as he sat down and was ordering, he heard a familiar voice: "Sir, what would you like to drink first?"
When Li Jiacong looked up, he saw Li Sheng dressed in a service worker's uniform: a white shirt, cheap trousers, and an unusually large belt around his waist that tightly bound his thin waist.
At that moment, Li Sheng also saw Li Jiacong, and his expression suddenly froze.
Chen Wen, holding the menu, looked up and saw this scene. She noticed it very quickly and asked, "Jia Cong, do you know him?"
Li Jiacong came to his senses: "Oh, um... this is Li Sheng, from Fifth Master's family."
Li Mingda looked at him: "Li Sheng? Is that the one who lives on the front street?"
Li Sheng nodded: "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Chen Wen laughed: "Oh my, what are you doing here! Come on in! Sit down!"
Li Sheng couldn't sit down, so he didn't move: "I'm out at work."
Li Mingda immediately suggested that someone else order the food so that Li Sheng could sit down and eat with them. Li Sheng declined, saying, "Uncle and Aunt, let me order for you. I'm in charge of this private room."
Chen Wen: "Yes, yes, don't interfere with the children's work. If you take care of this room, you'll have more free time."
Li Sheng smiled and nodded. Li Jiazong sat there like a wooden statue, propping his head up and looking at the menu, not a single word of it entering his mind. It wasn't until his father finished ordering and Li Sheng went to get the menu back that he seemed to come back from another world, watching Li Sheng walk out of the private room to place his order.
Li Mingda: "You've grown so much. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have recognized you at all. I heard from your grandma that you played with him during the holidays."
Chen Wen looked at Li Jiacong with a somewhat surprised expression.
Li Jiacong gave a barely audible "hmm".
When Li Sheng returned, he brought drinks and, with a respectful, trained posture, filled each glass to the brim. Li Jiacong sat to his right, his expression remaining indifferent, a stiff smile playing on his lips, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or not; he sat ramrod straight.
Li Mingda: "Are you all alone here?"
Li Sheng: "Not really, there are some from the same village."
Li Mingda said to Li Jiacong, "Look at them, they can already support themselves. And look at you."
Li Jiacong shrugged with a fake smile.
The atmosphere was a bit strange.
Li Sheng noticed that Li Jiacong had barely spoken a word to him directly, only answering his parents' questions. He seemed very guilty. Feeling he should leave, he asked for an extra plate of longevity noodles after learning it was Jiacong's father's birthday, and used this as an excuse to leave the private room.
The longevity noodles were made quickly, but he asked Liu Quan to take them over, while he himself went to an empty private room and stayed there without turning on the lights—the waiters would hide in such places when they had a break.
The private room smelled of food and wine pickled in the wallpaper. Li Sheng sniffed it; he also smelled the mixed odor of food emanating from his own clothes. He closed his eyes in the darkness.
Not long after, the door to the private room was pushed open, and he saw Li Jiacong standing outside with a slice of cake in his hand. Li Jiacong, with his familiar look of disdain, asked, "Why aren't the lights on?"
Li Sheng turned on the light, and Li Jiacong placed the cake in front of him: "This is for you."
Li Sheng glanced at the cake: "Thank you."
“Your colleague just said you’ve been staying here,” Li Jiacong said. “Why don’t you go in and get something to eat?”
Li Sheng: "I'll go in? Would you welcome me in?"
Li Jiacong was taken aback: "I... welcome."
Li Sheng looked at him.
"Are you angry?" Li Jiacong was slow to react, and Li Sheng was always good at hiding his feelings. He couldn't read Li Sheng's expression on his face, so he could only look for clues in his words.
Li Sheng remained calm: "No, I don't want to bother you."
"I won't bother you." Li Jiacong was only timid in front of his shrewd parents. Li Sheng getting too close made him sensitive and insecure—he had absolutely no talent for putting on an act in front of his parents, and he couldn't see through his own heart either.
"You've been very busy this week, haven't you called me yet?"
Li Sheng's eyes held restrained emotion, and he remained silent. Li Jiacong awkwardly rubbed his hands, feeling for the first time in his life that he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet: "Remember to eat the cake."
"Jiacong, did I do something to make you uncomfortable?"
"No." Actually, it was Li Jiacong himself who felt awkward. He explained, "Don't overthink it..."
Li Sheng looked at him, his expression always deep, his dark eyes seeming to draw you in. Li Jiacong could never forget those eyes: "I just don't know..."
"What?"
"I don't know... I don't know how to handle our relationship."
Li Sheng roughly realized that it was his public hand-holding and the kiss in the phone booth that had frightened Li Jiacong. It had made someone as thoughtless as him hesitant.
He listened as Li Jiacong hesitated and said, "Contact me again when you have time. If you need anything here, just let me know. I'll definitely help if I can..."
"Do you pity me?"
Li Jiacong's expression froze completely; Li Sheng, on the other hand, smiled, a faint smile, yet for the first time, Li Jiacong felt the coldness emanating from Li Sheng. He knew Li Sheng's vulnerability, but he forgot that Li Sheng was someone who struggled to survive in such difficult circumstances; he would not grovel.
pity?
Li Sheng: "No need."
Li Jiacong wanted to say something, to explain himself, but found himself at a loss for words. Just then, his mother called his name from outside.
Li Sheng pushed open the door: "Auntie! I'm here!"
Chen Wen walked over: "Jia Cong, let's go!" She smiled at Li Sheng and said, "Come visit sometime!"
Li Sheng smiled and said, "Okay."
As the weather grew colder, the plane trees in the school began to shed their leaves. Li Jiacong was distracted during his self-study session at school on Sunday, and soon ran off to an internet cafe. The dazzling lights and vibrant atmosphere of the game world brought him immense joy.
He logged in in the morning and played until the afternoon, when he saw that Li Sheng was online on QQ.
Li Jiacong sent a message:
[淙] Where are you?
[Li Sheng] Hmm.
[Li Sheng] Your name has changed.
[淙] Your online name can be changed; you don't necessarily have to use your real name.
[Li Sheng] Oh
[Cong] I can never reach you because you don't have a landline.
[Li Sheng] You were looking for me?
Li Jiacong wanted to find, or perhaps he was waiting for Li Sheng to contact him. But in the past week, he hadn't received a single call from Li Sheng.
[Cong] I promised you I'd show you around here, but we haven't had a chance to eat together yet.
[Cong] I invite you
He waited for Li Sheng's reply, but a long time passed without any response.
Where is [淙]?
After a while, Li Sheng finally replied:
[Li Sheng] The second building entrance in Qingdong Lane, fifth floor.
He sent the address directly. Li Jiazong from Qingdong Lane knew it was the place where he and Li Sheng first met.
After replying, he got off the plane and took a taxi there. It was a very dilapidated old building, the stairs were crooked and the walls were covered with small advertisements. As he passed the first floor, someone was sitting by the window and knocking on the glass.
Upon reaching the fifth floor, he found the narrow hallway filled with small rooms. Looking inside, he saw Li Sheng waiting for him at the door of one of the rooms.
Li Jiacong walked over: "Is this your dorm?"
"no."
"Huh?" Li Jiacong was still puzzled when he walked into the room, which was less than ten square meters in size and contained a very small bed.
Li Jiacong turned around and watched Li Sheng walk over slowly, inch by inch, and then opened his arms to hug him, as if Li Sheng was telling him that he could back out at any time and resist his embrace at any time.
But Li Jiacong just watched, watching the embrace draw closer, and then being enveloped by the familiar scent. It was as if he had returned to the height of summer, touching the warm grass baked by the sun.
Li Jiacong put his arm around Li Sheng's back: "W-what's wrong?"
He sensed that Li Sheng looked somewhat sad, but his answer would most likely be "It's nothing."
"fine."
Li Jiacong looked at the small, filthy, and secluded room. He heard moaning coming from next door. The sound sent chills down his spine. And soon, from all directions, the same sounds began to emanate from somewhere else. It was practically a two-part harmony now.
Li Jiacong couldn't hold back any longer: "Holy crap! What kind of place is this?!"
Li Sheng kissed his cheek and suddenly shoved something into his hand. He looked down and saw it was a condom.
Li Jiacong lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard: "What...you...you..."
Li Sheng: "Use this."
Li Jiacong was suddenly a little stunned. After a few seconds of hesitation, Li Sheng had already pushed him onto the bed and pinned him down.
Li Sheng asked, "Is it okay to handle our relationship like this?"
"What?"
"What you said last time..."
"Ah!" Li Jiacong was still confused. This kind of "handling" was Li Sheng's answer to him.
Was he being told that they could just be a couple like this, a relationship without holding hands, hiding in a hotel where no one knew them, and continue their previous relationship? Li Jiacong asked himself this question softly, but the answer was drowned out by Li Sheng's still-warm body temperature.
He rolled over and landed on a clump of grass, on a pool of autumn water.
Shouts came from all directions.
A note from the author:
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