“I bought it when I had just started the eighth grade. It’s been many years, and the response time is very slow; we’ll have to wait a moment,” Xuan Congnan explained as he looked at the phone screen, which was still blank after quite a while.
He took good care of his belongings. From the exterior, the phone didn’t show any major issues and looked quite new, but the model was too old, and the system execution lagged severely.
Saving up to buy this phone back then took him an entire summer vacation. Few people dared to hire someone under the age of sixteen.
Gu Shi answered, “Hmm.”
The WeChat QR code scan timed out and exited. He clicked it open again, waited patiently, and asked, “How old were you back then?”
“Huh?” WeChat opened. Xuan Congnan presented the QR code, looking puzzled.
“Apologies,” Gu Shi said. “I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to answer.”
“Beep”
The QR code was recognized, and Xuan Congnan’s WeChat profile popped up on the screen. His avatar was a picture of a blue sky—blurry, and at a glance, clearly taken with his current phone due to the low pixel count.
His display name was “Nannan Is Not Hard.”
At the same time, Xuan Congnan received Gu Shi’s friend request. The two of them sat face-to-face, yet this person still meticulously filled out the application message for adding a friend: “I am Gu Shi, requesting your approval.”
His avatar was a picture of a rainbow after a cleared-up rain, and his display name was “Scavenger.”
Xuan Congnan glanced at Gu Shi, feeling that the colors of the avatar did not match his image at all. He clicked approve, and the system spun for ages before finally responding.
He answered, “Fifteen.”
He was fifteen years old when he started the eighth grade.
Xuan Congnan added, “I started school a year later than others.”
Gu Shi said, “Hmm.”
Buzz [“Gu Shi” transferred 20,000 yuan to you.]
Xuan Congnan looked at this figure; it was the real deal.
The most expensive oil painting he ever sold was only 18,000.
Clicking to accept the payment brooks no delay.
Gu Shi asked, “How old are you now?”
“You have a lot of questions,” Xuan Congnan glanced at him sideways.
Gu Shi lowered his gaze and said familiarly, “Apologies.”
Xuan Congnan said, “Twenty-two.”
Gu Shi said, “I am twenty-six years old.”
Xuan Congnan said, “Oh.”
Now that the 20,000 yuan lodging fee had been accepted, where should he let Gu Shi sleep? Xuan Congnan poured a glass of water, drank it slowly, and pondered this question with a calm demeanor.
The bedroom was too small; adding another bed would fill the room completely. Letting him sleep in the living room… paying 20,000 yuan just to sleep in a couch space wasn’t something Xuan Congnan could bring himself to do with a clear conscience.
They had just met and didn’t understand each other; sleeping on the couch was the most reasonable option. Xuan Congnan would just have to make sure to lock his bedroom door tightly tonight.
“Do you have pajamas?” Xuan Congnan asked.
Gu Shi was slightly startled and said, “No.”
Xuan Congnan said, “Order some takeout errands now and have someone deliver some basic toiletries to you. Go take a shower in the bedroom first, and lock the door while you shower. Today, you’ll just have to grievance yourself and make do on this sofa for a bit. If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll refund your money—there’s a five-star hotel not far to the left.”
Gu Shi said, “I’ll place the order now.”
He raised his head and asked, “Have you had dinner?”
This time, it was Xuan Congnan’s turn to be startled.
He said, “No.”
Gu Shi said, “I’ll order together. Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Xuan Congnan said, “None.”
Gu Shi replied, “Alright.”
Xuan Congnan told him the detailed address and asked him to fill it out.
It was past eleven o’clock; eating too much wasn’t good for the stomach. Gu Shi bought a portion of shrimp and scrambled eggs, a portion of seaweed and vegetable rice sushi, and two portions of shredded pork and vegetable noodles.
Xuan Congnan, having ordered takeout before, said, “Which restaurant did you order from? The portions are huge; we won’t be able to finish it.”
Looking at the food with a bit of distress, he said, “It’ll go to waste.”
Gu Shi said, “It won’t. I’ll take care of the leftovers.”
Xuan Congnan said, “If you really can’t finish it, put it in the small fridge and eat it tomorrow.”
Gu Shi said, “Hmm.”
As soon as the delivery worker left, Xuan Congnan unwrapped a pair of disposable chopsticks, and the door was knocked on once more.
Gu Shi stood up and said, “I’ll get it.”
When Xuan Congnan looked up and saw Gu Shi carrying back a cake, he stood there in a daze like a fool for a moment before looking back at Gu Shi.
Gu Shi said, “I wanted something sweet.”
Xuan Congnan recovered his wits and responded, “…Oh.”
The cake was exquisitely made. There was a layer of shimmering golden flakes right on top; pulling memories from a distant childhood, Xuan Congnan felt sure he wouldn’t mistake them they were gold leaf, alongside silver leaf.
Chocolate was sculpted with advanced craftsmanship into a gorgeous shape, surrounded by a ring of soft dark blue, resembling a slumbering ocean where the surface rippled slightly, illuminated very warmly by the sunlight.
Xuan Congnan liked this color scheme and lowered his gaze to gaze at it for a long time.
He said, “Which takeout shop sells custom cakes like this?”
Gu Shi thought for a moment and said, “It’s not from a takeout shop. Today is my birthday, so I had someone make it in advance.”
Xuan Congnan was surprised and said, “Today is your birthday?”
Gu Shi: “Hmm.”
Xuan Congnan muttered softly, “What a coincidence.”
Gu Shi understood: “Today is your birthday too, right?”
Xuan Congnan let out an “ah,” which served as his answer.
Gu Shi opened the cake and said, “Happy birthday.”
These words felt very distant to Xuan Congnan; he hadn’t heard this blessing in eleven years. Suddenly, he found it very unfamiliar and couldn’t snap out of it for quite a while.
“Thank you.” His voice was slightly tight. Then he cleared his throat and said the same words to Gu Shi: “Happy birthday.”
Pajamas, slippers, a toothbrush, a tooth mug, and a series of other supplies were complete; whatever should be placed in the bathroom, Gu Shi had put in.
Before being allowed to go in to take a shower first, Xuan Congnan said, “I’m going to buy you a simple wooden bed and mattress. The room is small, and the width is only one meter twenty.”
Gu Shi: “Alright.”
After locking the bedroom door and taking a shower—Xuan Congnan had already showered after running in the evening, but the contact with the drunkard had disgusted him both mentally and physically, so he washed up thoroughly once more.
Xuan Congnan lay on the one-and-a-half-meter-wide bed wearing a sleeveless undershirt and shorts that didn’t reach his knees, listening attentively to the outside.
Gu Shi was very quiet; separated by a door, not a single sound came from the living room. Only a sliver of light streamed out from beneath the crack of the door, proving that he hadn’t gone to sleep on the sofa yet.
Twelve o’clock had passed, and Xuan Congnan’s twenty-second year of life had begun.
A phone call came in—an unfamiliar number.
It wasn’t marked as scam or promotion.
Xuan Congnan answered, “Hello.”
“Nannan, let’s talk. You put my WeChat on restric”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Don’t use someone else’s phone to call me,” Xuan Congnan refused flatly.
Without waiting for Shen Qian to continue speaking, he hung up the phone directly and blocked the new number.
The old house wasn’t soundproof; every single syllable and sentence he spoke inside was heard crystal clear by Gu Shi, who was curled up sleeping on the sofa.
Several things had happened today, and every single one of them left Xuan Congnan exhausted.
Setting his phone to “Do Not Disturb,” his eyelids grew heavy with sleep, and he drifted off.
The airport, the crowds, the screams, and the contents of Shen Qian’s tablet suddenly surfaced in his mind. Xuan Congnan felt that Gu Shi looked familiar.
The police officer’s gaze, the passersby… everything was very strange. He wanted to turn on his phone to check, but he was too sleepy to move.
He hadn’t drunk much water after eating last night, and Xuan Congnan was dying of thirst. When he opened his eyes, it was already bright daylight outside the window.
He grabbed the doorknob and pulled inward to open it and get a drink of water, but it wouldn’t budge—it was locked from the inside.
Not fully awake early in the morning, Xuan Congnan found it strange why he would lock his bedroom door in his own home. Groggy, he unlocked it and went out, immediately locking eyes in a mutual stare with Gu Shi, who was lying on the sofa.
Gu Shi was very tall, and the sofa was very short. Sitting on it still looked cramped, and sleeping on it for the entire night was like sleeping on a toy. Half of his two long legs were stretched out off the edge.
Xuan Congnan stared blankly for a long time, recalling what had happened last night: “…There’s still someone else at home.”
Gu Shi had been watching him. At this moment, he suddenly turned his head away and said with a voice that had just woken up not long ago, “Good morning.”
He sat up with his back facing Xuan Congnan, his spine straight and rigid.
Xuan Congnan looked down at himself.
Both arms were completely exposed, and a large portion of his two legs were bare as well; it really wasn’t very polite in front of a newly acquired roommate.
However, Gu Shi’s reaction shouldn’t be what a normal male’s would be.
“Are you gay?” Xuan Congnan asked, turning back to close the door and digging out long sleeves and long pants from the bedroom wardrobe to put them on.
When the bedroom door opened again, Gu Shi had already turned around naturally, looking at Xuan Congnan as he answered honestly, “Hmm.”
Xuan Congnan furrowed his brow and said, “I’m gay too. Doesn’t two gay guys living together feel like a man and a woman living together? It’s rather inconvenient.”
“No,” Gu Shi said solemnly as he stood up. “Even if we’re gay, we’re still two men. Your analogy is wrong.”
Lowering his gaze, he said, “You aren’t going to kick me out because of this, are you?”
“I…”
“Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!”
The front door was pounded with great force, as if by an enemy.
Someone shouted from outside, “Xuan Congnan!”
Xuan Congnan’s eyebrows nearly knitted together.
Gu Shi frowned along with him: “Who is that? Should I open the door?”
Xuan Congnan said indifferently, “My cousin. I’ll get it.” When he reached the door, he inexplicably thought of the strange attitude everyone had yesterday upon seeing Gu Shi wearing a mask, and turned back to assess the current scene.
Gu Shi was in homewear pajamas and wasn’t wearing a mask; it seemed he couldn’t show his face like this.
“Go wait in my room first and lock the door,” Xuan Congnan said.
Gu Shi: “Hmm.”
Xuan Zhuoyao stood outside the door with a beaming smile, acting haughty as he said, “Usually at this hour, aren’t you running in the park? Why didn’t you even open the door today?”
He was a college sophomore and didn’t come home often except during winter and summer breaks. Looking at the smile on his face, Xuan Congnan figured he definitely had no idea how badly his parents were fighting at home.
Xuan Congnan: “Did you come over to act as a rooster crowing to remind me that it’s dawn and I need to go running?”
Xuan Zhuoyao said, “Don’t speak so excessively! Step aside, I’m going in.”
He shoved Xuan Congnan’s body, which was blocking the doorway, and barged aggressively inside, sitting down on the sofa as comfortably as if he were returning to his own home: “So rotten.”
When he came, Xuan Zhuoyao was carrying a school backpack that looked very similar to the one Xuan Congnan usually used, except it was much newer than his.
He pulled out a piece of oil painting paper similar in size to A4 paper and said proudly, “Look at how this drawing of mine turned out? My mom told you to teach me properly, so give me proper evaluation feedback. Don’t deliberately say irritating things just because you’re jealous.”
Xuan Congnan’s painting skills were delicate and beautiful, possessing an unreplicable uniqueness. Back then, he was admitted to a famous art academy with the highest art score nationwide, and after entering university, he started taking on some painting lessons for primary and middle school students to earn money. When Xuan Zhuoyao saw Xuan Congnan being heavily praised for drawing when he was little, he insisted on learning, but his work was always a mess.
Zhuoy found out about him working as a tutor, and she demanded that Xuan Congnan teach Xuan Zhuoyao how to paint, otherwise she would run to his school to cause a scene.
Faced closely and carefully with the artwork on the oil painting paper, Xuan Congnan said honestly, “It looks like something was drawn.”
Xuan Zhuoyao said, “What do you mean?”
Xuan Congnan said, “Baby doodles are better than you.”
Xuan Zhuoyao didn’t believe it and asked, “Compared to you?”
“Compared to me?” Xuan Congnan said coldly, trying to be as tactful as possible, “Dongshi.” (T/N: Referring to the idiom “Dongshi imitating Xishi,” meaning clumsy imitation).
The oil painting paper was abruptly ripped apart by Xuan Zhuoyao, who shouted frantically, “How dare you say I’m imitating clumsily! I’m going to tell my mom!!”
Xuan Congnan nodded and said, “You can tell your dad too.”
At this moment, the sound of something dropping to the floor came from the bedroom, which was very distinct in the small apartment.
Xuan Zhuoyao, who was about to burst into a tirade, instantly quieted down. Suspicious and sarcastic, he asked, “Xishi, there’s someone in your room.”
Xuan Congnan said indifferently, “So what if there is? I’m an adult.”
“Hmph,” Xuan Zhuoyao said. “It must be that boyfriend of yours. Shen Qian?”
Mentioning someone he knew could save the other person’s curiosity so he wouldn’t go looking further, so Xuan Congnan said, “Hmm.”
Xuan Zhuoyao grabbed the bag on the sofa, slung it over his shoulder, and said, “I’m going to tell my mom that you’re cohabitating with someone before even getting married! President Zhang came over to propose, yet you refused—what kind of high-and-mighty act are you putting on? I’ll paint another piece in a couple of days and show it to you then.”
Xuan Congnan said, “You aren’t high-and-mighty, you look alright, why don’t you accept the proposal.”
Xuan Zhuoyao’s face turned green, and he couldn’t speak for a long time. Burning with a belly full of grievance and anger, he turned around and left, slamming the front door so hard it shook.
“Apologies, just now… my phone dropped,” Gu Shi explained from the bedroom with a low voice.
Xuan Congnan: “Oh, it’s fine.”
Gu Shi: “You haven’t broken up yet?”
“Hmm?” Xuan Congnan looked at him as if he hadn’t heard clearly, looking somewhat surprised.
Gu Shi corrected himself: “I mean, do you have a boyfriend?”
Xuan Congnan fell silent for a moment: “I used to.”
Gu Shi let out a micro-sigh, very light, so that it wouldn’t be noticed: “Good.”
Xuan Congnan cast him a sideways glance and said, “What’s good?”
Gu Shi said, “Good that you broke up.”