After passing through the shopping district with Ji An, Gu Ziyu handed him two red bean cakes. “One for you, one for your younger brother. These red bean cakes are delicious, not overly sweet. Give them a try.”
Ji An took one and handed it back to Gu Ziyu. “You have it. He doesn’t eat sweets.”
Gu Ziyu scratched the back of his head. “I thought all kids liked sweets.”
“He’s a bit different.”
As they walked back together, Gu Ziyu’s chatter seemed to draw more words out of Ji An than usual.
When they reached the building, Gu Ziyu took the red bean cake wrapper from Ji An and tossed it into the trash. He handed over a gift box of wine he had been carrying. “Brother An, this wine was brought over from abroad. Try it. If you like it, I can get more for you.”
Ji An thought about the trouble of reciprocating the gift but was curious about the wine’s reputed flavor, so he accepted it with thanks.
The moment he took the wine, a chill ran down his spine, as if he were being watched. He looked behind him but saw nothing.
Under Gu Ziyu’s watchful eyes, Ji An entered the apartment building, deliberately making noise to trigger the motion-sensor lights. He hid around the corner, waiting for the lights to go out, then peeked out to stare intently at the entrance.
A minute passed, then two, five, ten.
Aside from the distant sound of traffic and stray dogs barking, there was no movement at the door.
Ji An, holding his breath, exited the apartment and walked toward the direction where he had felt the chill.
There was only a dead-end alley there. If someone was indeed there and hadn’t come out by now, they must still be there.
Ji An carefully suppressed his footsteps, gradually hearing a faint rustling from the corner.
He reached the corner, held his breath, and quickly peered around it, only to find the alley empty.
Feeling puzzled, Ji An looked around for the source of the sound.
“Meow~”
Looking down, he saw a black cat licking its paw, its eyes glinting with a faint green light, staring at him with an intensity that felt like an icy spike.
Ji An felt uneasy under its gaze, yet it seemed familiar. After a moment’s thought, he realized it was the same look You Fu often gave him.
Standing at the corner, Ji An and the cat locked eyes, neither backing down. When Ji An took a step forward, the black cat bolted away.
Old folks said black cats were unlucky, though Ji An never believed that. They were just animals, after all. How could they bring misfortune?
Yet this black cat made him wary.
It was too much like You Fu.
Gloominess in a person might be normal, but when it manifested in an animal, it left only a chilling, human-like quality.
Ji An searched the depths of the alley but found nothing, leaving with a lingering unease.
In the shadows where the streetlights couldn’t reach, a figure dressed in black crouched on a wall, the wide brim of a hat concealing most of their face. Without a careful look, they were indistinguishable in the night.
Ji An had been right beneath the shadow. If he had looked up, he would have met the shadow’s gaze directly.
The shadow jumped down from the wall. The black cat, having fled earlier, returned at the sound, rolling over to expose its belly, rubbing against the shadow’s leg.
The shadow rubbed the cat’s belly, tore open a treat from their pocket, and fed it to the cat.
Then they removed their black coat, revealing a blue and white school uniform underneath, stuffed the coat into a backpack, and leisurely walked toward a room where the light had just turned on.
……
“Ji An, come say hi to my baby.” Xun Yi, holding a phone, leaned down to Lin Ningyuan’s pregnant belly. “Baby, let Daddy give you a kiss, mwah mwah.”
Lin Ningyuan tugged on his ear, teasing, “Why do you always share our love life with Ji An? You don’t do that with anyone else.”
Xun Yi grinned mischievously. “Because he’s a lifelong bachelor. What if we drive him crazy and he ends up finding someone out of spite? I’d be solving a societal problem by getting rid of a leftover bachelor.”
“You’re nuts.” Ji An laughed and cursed, switching screens to reply to someone’s message.
Xun Yi noticed a faint green reflection in Ji An’s eyes. “Who are you messaging?”
Ji An replied coolly, “Gu Ziyu.”
“Gu Ziyu? Still no progress with him?”
“No.”
“Oh, by the way,” Xun Yi said with a mysterious grin, “how did that test of your sexual orientation go last time?”
Recalling that night, Ji An shook his head. “Forget it. I still prefer being alone.”
Xun Yi sighed regretfully. “You really plan to live alone forever, huh? Honey, what are you looking at?”
At Xun Yi’s words, Ji An glanced at the screen, seeing Lin Ningyuan scrutinizing him with curiosity, almost as if she wanted to crawl through the screen. Her eyes were wide, and due to the backlight, her pupils appeared large and dark, staring so intently that Ji An felt a chill down his spine. What unnerved him more was that Lin Ningyuan seemed to be looking not at him, but behind him!
Lin Ningyuan’s voice was devoid of emotion. “Ji An, is there someone behind you?”
Ji An’s heart skipped a beat.
On the screen, Xun Yi also leaned in, and Ji An turned around.
Whoosh—
The door slowly opened.
Only a lamp was on in the bedroom, casting a dim light. You Fu stood at the door, the light from the living room casting a long shadow on the bedroom floor.
He was holding a dessert that Ji An often ate, Double Skin Milk.
Seeing it was him, Ji An touched his chest, still shaken. “Why didn’t you make any noise when you got home from school?”
“Maybe you were too engrossed in your video call.”
“Did I invite you into my room?”
You Fu tilted his head, his expression obscured by the backlight. “I haven’t come in yet.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“Seeking your permission to enter.”
With Xun Yi and his wife present, Ji An couldn’t bring himself to scold You Fu, despite his annoyance. “Come in.”
You Fu placed the Double Skin Milk on the table and greeted the two on the video call. “Brother Xun, Sister-in-law.”
Xun Yi waved. “Oh, it’s Little Fu.”
Lin Ningyuan stared at You Fu’s face without a word.
Until the call ended.
Xun Yi looked at Lin Ningyuan. “What’s wrong, honey? You seemed off just now and hung up with an excuse.”
Lin Ningyuan shifted her gaze to him, pondering. “I just feel like Ji An’s younger brother is odd.”
“Huh?” Xun Yi asked in surprise. “What’s odd? This is your first time seeing him.”
Lin Ningyuan shook her head. “Just odd. From the first glance, he seemed strange. And why was he standing at Ji An’s door the whole time?”
“He was delivering Double Skin Milk but didn’t want to disturb Ji An. Oh, honey, maybe you’re just being paranoid because of the pregnancy? They’ve lived together for years. If Ji An heard you, he’d be upset.” Xun Yi was used to Lin Ningyuan’s reactions. “Let’s focus on picking a stroller for the baby.”
“I’ve got my eye on a few.” The mention of the baby pushed aside Lin Ningyuan’s wild thoughts, and she eagerly browsed her phone with Xun Yi to choose a stroller…
Ji An stayed up all night, listening for any sound from the room across, wanting to test if You Fu could fall asleep.
In the early hours, footsteps crossed the living room, and the balcony door opened.
After a while, Ji An followed to the balcony.
Opening the door, he didn’t see You Fu. Confused, he heard a voice beside him. “Brother.”
Ji An turned to see You Fu leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers.
“Still can’t sleep?”
“Yeah.”
Ji An took the cigarette You Fu offered, intending to light it from You Fu’s, but You Fu handed him a lighter instead.
The discomfort of being directed made Ji An push his hand away. “I’ll light it how I want. I don’t need you to teach me.”
With that, he yanked You Fu’s collar down, lifting his head until their cigarettes touched, transferring the ember from one to the other.
Ji An blew a thin layer of smoke into You Fu’s face and released him.
“How do you think you’ll die? Suddenly or by your own hand?”
You Fu gazed into the distance, seemingly in thought. “Sudden death is more likely.”
“Why?”
“You won’t allow suicide.”
“I said I wouldn’t let you die.”
You Fu flicked ash from his cigarette, unafraid of death, speaking softly. “That’s not something I can decide.”
“That’s not something I can decide” echoed heavily in Ji An’s ears, creating a splash. You Fu couldn’t decide, but he could. He could ensure You Fu slept well. If he just asked, You Fu wouldn’t be at risk of dying, wouldn’t leave him.
But his mouth felt sealed, unable to invite You Fu to share his bed.
He disliked sharing a bed with others, felt uneasy, even though they had slept together before.
“Remember to take your medicine,” Ji An reminded, ultimately unable to speak up.
After some time in the wind, You Fu suggested, “Go back to sleep. It’s late, and you have work tomorrow.”
Ji An nodded, about to leave, but noticed You Fu had no intention of moving. “What about you?”
“It’s the same in the bedroom or on the balcony. No need to go back.”
Ji An felt a surge of anger at his words, unsure why, and stubbornly stood with him on the balcony all night, fighting sleep.
The night gradually lightened, the black sky turning deep blue, the morning star appearing. It was almost time for You Fu to go to school.
They returned to the room one after the other, Ji An unusually walking behind You Fu, watching his unsteady back.
As You Fu passed the small bar by the sofa, he swayed, reaching out to steady himself.
Ji An quickly supported him, the dim light obscuring the scene, only the sound of breaking glass echoing. Someone had accidentally knocked something off the bar.
Looking down, Ji An saw it was the wine Gu Ziyu had given him.
He hadn’t tasted it yet and felt it was a shame, but his main concern was You Fu. “Are you okay?”
“I am.” You Fu steadied himself, seeing the wine spilled like blood on the floor, feeling guilty. “I shouldn’t have leaned on the bar.”
Ji An scolded, “At least you know. I haven’t even tried it.”
You Fu asked, “Do you really want to know what the wine tastes like?”
“I want to, but…” Ji An’s words trailed off as You Fu lightly freed himself from his grip, crouched down, and picked up a shard of glass. Under Ji An’s shocked gaze, he extended his tongue, licking the wine droplets from the glass, savoring them.
“Sour, sweet, bitter, astringent. Initially fruity, with a lingering sweetness, the aroma is layered,” You Fu described the taste succinctly.
Ji An grimaced. “Isn’t that dirty?”
“Dirty, so I didn’t let you taste it.” You Fu stood up, casually tossing the glass back onto the floor, and went to fetch a broom to clean up.
“I’ll clean it. You go to sleep, take your sleeping pills. I’ll call in for you.” Ji An took out his phone to call Teacher Li. After a busy signal, the call connected, and he heard a heavy thud nearby. He looked up, his pupils contracting.
A few meters away, a figure lay on the floor, You Fu having fainted in front of the bedroom.
“You Fu!”