They say that what you think about by day, you dream about by night. That evening, Song Rong tossed and turned, unable to sleep, intermittently dreaming of various fragments of the time he used to live and eat with Gu Xuanlang.
When they first decided to live alongside humans, they had nothing and could only seek shelter in a dilapidated temple. Whenever night brought cold, rainy weather, Gu Xuanlang would drape his only warm fur outer garment over Song Rong. When freezing conditions made it impossible to catch game or trade for rice and flour, Gu Xuanlang would boil wild vegetables in water, scooping the slightly thicker portions entirely into Song Rong’s bowl.
Later, they drifted through numerous towns and settled in a place called Dajing. Gu Xuanlang went into the city to look for odd jobs, earned some money, and bought a small courtyard on the outskirts. Their simple life together was quite pleasant and fulfilling. On Song Rong’s birthday one year, Gu Xuanlang meticulously arranged a ceremonial hall according to the wedding customs of the humans at that time, coaxing him to wear a red bridal veil and complete the formal wedding bows together.
Those times were truly wonderful.
吵吵鬧鬧卻也歡歡喜喜— (Note: Even though they bickered and fussed, it was always joyful and happy.)
Early the next morning, Song Rong woke up with dark circles under his eyes. The temperature of his cheeks was noticeably higher than the rest of his face, and without even thinking, he knew a lingering blush still remained.
At first, he thought it was from shyness, but upon second thought, he felt it was from anger. After all, the time he spent all lovey-dovey with Gu Xuanlang was far shorter than the time they spent in a cold war. That feeling was like eating rice mixed with sand; no matter how hungry you were, after taking a few spoonfuls, you were left with nothing but a stomach full of resentment.
Getting from the staff dormitory to the main office building required passing through an old street.
The street was narrow, and the houses on both sides were a drab, dusty gray. Overhead, power lines were tangled into a messy clump like a worn-out wool sweater that had balled up. However, the mornings on this street were magnificent: soy milk, fried dough sticks, sesame flatbreads, and wontons—all affordable and delicious breakfast options.
The four little mushroom friends happened to be on the early shift. After filling their stomachs, they picked up their respective umbrellas and walked toward the second-hand market, chatting and laughing.
Yet, before they even reached the front gate, Song Rong’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.
From afar, he could see two men chatting near the entrance of the guard room. One of them was Zhou Jigan, and the other…
Could it actually be Gu Xuanlang?
Today, that guy was no longer wearing that ill-fitting Special Management Bureau uniform. Instead, he wore a thin, dark gray trench coat whose tailored cut accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, giving him an absurdly good proportion. The morning light struck the side of his face precisely, casting his cool, aloof facial features into even sharper relief.
For a moment, Song Rong did not know whether he should continue walking forward.
Instead, Xiang Xun beside him let out a cold, unceremonious snort, questioning why Gu Xuanlang would show up in this exact spot at this hour: “Why is that guy surnamed Gu back at the Special Management Bureau again?”
Song Rong was also puzzled.
Logically speaking, since the holding room had already released its detainee, Gu Xuanlang genuinely had no reason to come back here.
A-Jin glanced at their flustered roommate and teasingly suggested, “Maybe he came here specifically to find Xiao Rong?”
Xiang Xun dismissed the idea with disdain: “As if! I bet he just wants to freeload off our department cafeteria’s breakfast.”
Song Rong chimed in with a tiny voice: “The cafeteria does not serve breakfast to outsiders…”
It was as if he wanted to prove something with polite and subtle restraint.
Amid the idle chatter, Hua Zi, who had been sitting silently holding his phone for a long time, finally spoke up: “Now he has a reason.”
He shook his phone, working hard to prove that he had connections with the high-ranking senior from the “Whampoa Military Academy” of mushrooms: “Qing-ge just leaked a bit of information to me, saying that Director Zhou has hired Gu Xuanlang to work at the Special Management Bureau, and his appointment letter will be coming down in the next few days…”
The “Qing-ge” whom Hua Zi mentioned was none other than Kui Qing, who currently served as the head of the Records Division under the Supervision Department. Since he put it that way, it meant the matter was set in stone.
Xiang Xun looked completely incredulous: “Him? He is entering the Supervision Department?”
Hua Zi nodded: “He might even end up working directly under Qing-ge…”
Anyone who had spent any time at the Special Management Bureau knew just how wonderful the welfare and benefits were over at Qing-ge’s division.
To be able to enter the Records Division…
That man Gu Xuanlang certainly had some real capability.
Xiang Xun stopped picking fights and silently followed his three roommates as they moved forward.
In the blink of an eye, the little mushroom squad passed the guard room.
Even though Song Rong shrank his head to minimize his presence, Zhou Jigan still called out to him on the spot: “Song Rong, you came just in time. Gu Xuanlang will be starting work here in the next few days. Aren’t you two… well, old acquaintances? When you have time, take him around the department to get familiar with the environment here.”
Sensing that something was a bit off about their relationship, Zhou Jigan didn’t dare to use the word “partner.”
Not expecting to be assigned such a task by Director Zhou, Song Rong froze in place for a moment, unsure whether he should agree or not.
Gu Xuanlang, however, gave a few light coughs and politely declined: “…He has only been on the job for half a month himself; I’m afraid he might not be very familiar with everything either. We shouldn’t trouble him.”
Song Rong simply could not believe his ears: Was Gu Xuanlang really that unwilling to have any contact with him, refusing to step down from the polite opening provided by Director Zhou even out of basic courtesy?
Amidst the sympathetic glances of his roommates, Song Rong gritted his teeth and stiffened his resolve: “What a coincidence, I don’t have time either. The kitchen has a shift schedule this morning, and I am very busy!”
His tone was stiff and rigid, resembling a mantou left out at the cafeteria sample station for forty-eight hours. Having said that, he stubbornly grabbed Xiang Xun and the others, dragging them toward the cafeteria without looking back.
Left looking awkward on both ends, Zhou Jigan pinched the bridge of his nose: “Oh, oh, alright.”
Running a hand through his hair in embarrassment, he instructed Gu Xuanlang instead: “Then you can go report to Personnel by yourself and look around. If you need anything, find me or Kui Qing.”
The new recruit of the Special Management Bureau nodded, though his gaze continuously followed that lean, slender figure as it moved away.
As lunch hour approached, the back kitchen of the cafeteria clattered noisily.
Winter melon and minced pork meatball soup bubbled away in a large iron pot, the white steam carrying rich oily aromas straight upward, neutralizing the pungent smell of scallions, ginger, and garlic in the air.
The vegetable washing sinks were filled with fresh mushrooms. Xiang Xun rolled up his sleeves, scooped the thick, plump mushroom caps out of the water one by one, rubbed off the mud at the stems, and abruptly turned to question Song Rong, who had been brooding all morning: “Did you really date that guy surnamed Gu for three thousand years?”
Song Rong rubbed his fingers while seasoning the broth with powdered matsutake, replying, “Yes, I am very steadfast and loyal.”
That statement was true.
Three thousand years ago, he was still just a little mushroom deep in the mountains—back then, the name “matsutake” had not yet spread widely. The little mushroom worked hard to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon, finally gaining sentience on a certain rainy day. Later on, he met that piece of stone which had also gained sentience.
Gu Xuanlang took human form one step ahead of him. To fulfill the promise of “going together to live in the town at the foot of the mountain,” the little mushroom had to work doubly hard. Once he transformed into a human shape, the two of them naturally got together.
Later on, the little mushroom learned that he was a matsutake spirit.
And he acquired the name “Song Rong.”
During the three thousand years he spent with Gu Xuanlang, Song Rong’s heart and mind were entirely filled with the other person. He had never looked twice at anyone else… nor looked twice at any other creature. Of course, nobody else and no other creature looked as handsome as Gu Xuanlang anyway.
Xiang Xun curled his lip: “Then how long has this cold war situation of yours been going on?”
Song Rong calculated: “Two thousand years, I suppose.”
Xiang Xun let out a gasp: “How—how many years?!”
Song Rong repeated it once more in a tiny voice.
Xiang Xun pressed his throbbing temples: “Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the word ‘steadfast’? Or perhaps about what a ‘cold war’ is?”
Filled with exasperation at his lack of drive and worry over his obliviousness.
Song Rong uttered a bewildered “Ah.”
After placing all the washed mushrooms into a basket, Xiang Xun finally began lecturing his companion: “Is there any possibility that while you think the two of you are in a cold war, that guy surnamed Gu has already unilaterally announced that he broke up with you? After all these years, he has had no intention of taking the initiative to reconcile with you, which is why he is treating you so coldly now…”
Song Rong widened his eyes, denying it almost as a reflex: “Impossible! Gu Xuanlang has a stone head; it is absolutely impossible for him to break up with me. He must be waiting for me to take the initiative to ask to make up—it was the same way in the past!”
“And you have been waiting for over two thousand years?”
“H-He is pretty steadfast and loyal too.”
“This is not being steadfast.”
Xiang Xun paused: “This is purely being long-lived.”
Song Rong: “…”
At first, he remained completely unshakable, but the more he talked, the guiltier he felt. His confidence faded bit by bit, until finally his tone became soft and weak, leaving him without even the courage to raise his head and meet the gaze of his advisor.
Xiang Xun twisted the corner of his mouth into a smile and changed the subject: “You guys must have had a massive fallout before this cold war started.”
Really?
Song Rong only remembered Gu Xuanlang’s calm tone, indifferent expression, and resolute retreating back… As for the rest, nothing remained except the desolate ruins he found when he woke up.
He tried desperately to scrape together the remaining fragments of his memory, but no matter how much he pondered, his head throbbed with a buzzing ache, and he still could not recall a single complete sequence of events.
His fingers clenched unconsciously into fists, and the next second, several matsutake mushrooms popped right out of the top of Song Rong’s head with soft puffs—this was the exclusive trait of a mushroom after taking human form, impossible to hide no matter how hard one tried.
He let out an “Aiya” and raised a hand in embarrassment to cover them up.
Xiang Xun was just about to help his lacking companion deal with the trouble on his head when head chef Lao Ou happened to pass by. Catching sight of those various-sized matsutake mushrooms, he was overjoyed, stepping forward to harvest a handful enthusiastically: “My goodness, wild matsutake mushrooms that haven’t opened their caps! Ninety-nine percent grade, rare items. They must sell for tens of thousands of yuan per catty on the market, right? Everyone is going to be blessed with good food these next few days—it’s just a shame whether certain people will actually appreciate or understand them…”
He deliberately emphasized the word “people,” likely mocking humans like cafeteria supervisor Fan Shen who made a big fuss over nothing.
Clueless to the situation, Song Rong kept his head down and let the head chef energetically “pluck his wool.”
The other’s muttering still echoed in his ears: “Next time mushrooms sprout on your head, give me a heads-up beforehand! It’s just a pity that by regulations, these things aren’t allowed to be sold externally and can only be self-produced and self-consumed… Otherwise, Xiao Rong, you would have gotten rich long ago! Zhang Xiaojiao’s idea was better; we should just put you on a livestream shopping cart…”
Song Rong had no idea what a “livestream shopping cart” meant, only conjuring a mental image of himself being stuffed into a yellow delivery cart.
His head felt chilly.
His heart felt chilly too.
Once the matsutake mushrooms on his head were completely harvested by Lao Ou, he used helping out outside as an excuse and hurriedly slipped away.
At eleven-thirty in noon, the lights at the cafeteria serving windows lit up punctually.
Song Rong tied on his apron and donned his sleeve covers, standing at his usual serving station. Seeing supervisor Fan Shen swaggering nearby with his potbelly, he thought for a moment and obediently put on a transparent catering mask.
Today’s utility worker was somewhat absent-minded.
Although his hands kept up with the work, his gaze kept drifting toward the cafeteria entrance: Since Gu Xuanlang had joined the Special Management Bureau, would he come to the cafeteria for lunch just like everyone else? After all, there weren’t many good food delivery options near the second-hand market, and the departmental cafeteria was affordable and delicious…
Song Rong’s doubts were answered very quickly.
When he looked up again, Gu Xuanlang had already finished traying his food and was standing at the very end of the serving queue.
He froze for a fraction of a second, and half of the stir-fried broad beans and eggs in his serving spoon slipped out.
The female colleague waiting to swipe her card let out a soft “Eh?” Song Rong blushed furiously, quickly refilling her plate to a full spoonful before starting to internally curse his own lack of backbone: Wasn’t it just Gu Xuanlang? If other people could come eat normally, why couldn’t he serve food normally? Who knows, he might end up seeing him every single noon from now on!
If he really got to see Gu Xuanlang every single noon from now on…
Realizing his thoughts had wandered far away, Song Rong pulled his focus back in time, watching the slowly moving line out of the corner of his eye. A few minutes later, Gu Xuanlang stopped directly in front of him.