“Brother.” Xie An’yu called out, and Wen Yan followed his gaze.
The man indeed didn’t seem like a bad person, wearing gold-rimmed glasses with an air of calm detachment.
“I came to take some photos,” Yu Feng said.
Wen Yan asked Yu Feng, “Are you a photographer?”
“Mm.”
“No wonder. You handle the camera with more flair than most people.” Wen Yan picked up the watermelon from the chair and gave it a little toss. Master Wen poked his head out the door just in time to see him playing with the watermelon and scolded jokingly, “You little rascal, don’t drop the watermelon I worked so hard to grow.”
Wen Yan cradled the watermelon in his arms. “If it breaks, we won’t even need to cut it. Everyone can just pick up a piece from the ground and bite right in—how convenient.”
“Only you could think of that. Go on, cut the watermelon.”
Master Wen had a daily morning ritual of drinking tea at his old friend’s place, rain or shine. After exchanging a few words with Xie An’yu, he didn’t even stay for the watermelon and left for his friend’s house, leaving Wen Yan to entertain them.
Tea time was scheduled, and he couldn’t be late.
Wen Yan picked up a slice of watermelon and couldn’t resist grumbling, “Who eats watermelon first thing in the morning?” He glanced at Xie An’yu and the others. “He just wanted to show off the watermelon he grew. Try it, though—it should be pretty sweet.”
Wen Yan finished his slice in record time, tossed the rind into the trash, wiped his hands with a napkin, and said to Xie An’yu, “There’s a barbecue at Maple Moon Bay tonight. Wanna come?”
“Organized by Sister Nan?”
“You know about it? So she’s already invited you?”
“Mm. Did Sister Nan invite a lot of people?”
“Pretty much everyone she knows. Boss Ding’s always generous with her money.” Wen Yan grabbed another slice. “Guess we’ll see you tonight then.”
Xie An’yu wasn’t looking forward to the evening, but what had to come would come.
***
By six in the evening, the crowd at Maple Moon Bay’s beach had grown—all friends invited by Ding Xiaonan, along with some guests from the guesthouse. Barbecue grills, stoves, tents, tables, and chairs were set up on the sand. The tents were for resting; when people got tired, they could lie down inside. Nearly every table had a tent behind it.
Ding Xiaonan made her rounds, greeting her friends and lingering at Xie An’yu’s table for a long time, chatting enthusiastically—mostly with Yu Feng. Even Zhou Yi noticed something was off and remarked bluntly after she left, “How come I feel like Xiao Fei’s cousin is into you?”
Yu Feng glanced at him over his beer. “Eat your fish.”
Earlier that day, Xie An’yu had taken them out on a boat to fish, and they’d had a good haul. The seafood was cleaned at the market and brought straight here for the barbecue.
Yu Feng turned to look at Xie An’yu, who was holding a can of ice-cold cola and hadn’t said a word since sitting down, looking like he was in a low spirits.
Xie An’yu’s palm was cold, condensation from the can dripping down his wrist. He tightened his grip slightly and suddenly asked, “Brother, what type of girls do you like?”
The result of being utterly flustered was speaking without thinking.
All three at the table froze, turning to look at him.
The question was too abrupt, especially following Zhou Yi’s earlier comment, making it seem as if Ding Xiaonan had specifically asked him to inquire.
Yu Feng thought Xie An’yu was trying to play matchmaker. He felt inexplicably irritated and replied coolly, “Definitely not someone like Ding Xiaofei’s cousin.”
Having the person you like play matchmaker for someone else and yourself would make anyone annoyed.
Zhou Yi also misunderstood. He glanced at Yu Feng, whose brows were furrowed—probably feeling pretty frustrated right now.
Ding Xiaofei brought over a plate of grilled scallops[mfn]烤扇貝 (kǎo shàn bèi): Grilled scallops.
[/mfn], personally prepared by his cousin, who had instructed him to serve them at Yu Feng’s table. But Ding Xiaofei was still looking out for Xiao Dao, so he wasn’t exactly thrilled about running errands.
“Come on, come on, eat some scallops,” Ding Xiaofei said, setting the metal plate on the table.
Zhou Yi smiled. “Thanks! You didn’t have to grill for us—this is too kind.”
Ding Xiaofei offered an awkward yet polite smile. “Don’t thank me. My cousin grilled these.”
Noticing Xie An’yu’s low spirits, Ding Xiaofei leaned over and whispered to him, “If you’re bored, just head back to my place. I’ll bring some food later, and we can eat and play games.”
Xie An’yu shook his head.
“Suit yourself.” Ding Xiaofei held out his hand. “Got any cola left? I’m dying of thirst.”
Xie An’yu handed him the can he was holding and grabbed a can of beer from the crate beside him.
Yu Feng noticed and warned, “That’s beer, not cola.”
“It’s fine, he can handle it,” Ding Xiaofei said. “He’s even downed baijiu with my dad before.”
Zhou Yi chuckled. “How much can he drink?”
Ding Xiaofei grinned. “No idea.”
Xie An’yu pulled the tab on the beer can. Someone must’ve shaken it earlier because the moment it opened, beer sprayed out, drenching his face.
Ding Xiaofei nearly spat out his cola laughing. “You hit the jackpot—some idiot definitely shook this. Who’d be that wicked?”
Xie An’yu’s bangs, collar, and even his eyelashes were soaked, his face reeking of beer. Yu Feng handed him a few tissues, Xie An’yu took them and wiped his eyes.
Beer wasn’t like water—getting it on your clothes left a nasty smell. Xie An’yu hated the smell. He walked straight to the shore, stripped off his shirt, and rinsed the collar in the seawater, scrubbing it a couple of times. Half the shirt was soaked now, but he pulled it back on anyway and sat on the beach to dry off. Fishing out a mini pack of Q.Q candies from his pocket, he tore it open and popped a handful into his mouth.
Wen Yan arrived late, showing up past seven. Ding Xiaonan was still happily grilling skewers, and Wen Yan grabbed a grilled shrimp[mfn]烤蝦 (kǎo xiā): Grilled shrimp.
[/mfn] from the plate next to the barbecue stand, taking a bite.
Ding Xiaonan glanced up at him. “Did you eat dinner before coming? You’re so late.”
Wen Yan chewed on the shrimp. “I can’t sleep without a proper meal. Where’s my junior brother? I didn’t see him.”
“No clue. He was sitting over there earlier.” Ding Xiaonan’s gaze drifted toward Yu Feng’s table, her hands busy but her eyes lingering.
Wen Yan turned to look where she was staring. “What’s so interesting over there? Let me see too.”
Ding Xiaonan laughed. “Get lost.”
“You’re grilling with your mind on other things. Don’t burn yourself.”
“I’m eyeing a hottie.”
“Oh?” Wen Yan turned to look again. They were all good-looking, but one stood out. “Are you talking about An’yu’s friend?”
“You know him?”
“He came by my place this morning.”
Ding Xiaonan handed Wen Yan a freshly grilled skewer. “I’m trying to figure out how to ask for his WeChat.”
“You’ve got a crush on him?”
“Just intrigued.”
“Then just ask An’yu for it.”
“An’yu is friends with him, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to ask. What if the guy isn’t interested? He might blame An’yu for carelessly giving out his WeChat ID.”
“Look how torn up you are. I’ll go ask for you.”
Wen Yan picked up a plate of grilled skewers and walked over to Yu Feng’s table.
“Hello there.” Wen Yan placed the skewers on the table and greeted Yu Feng.
“Just got here?” Yu Feng asked.
“Yeah.” Wen Yan pulled up a chair and sat down. He got straight to the point. “My family’s old man asked me to find you.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You took some photos at my place this morning, right? Could you send me a copy? The old man’s nostalgic and wants to keep them as mementos.”
“Sure.”
“Do I have to pay?”
Yu Feng chuckled. “No need.”
Wen Yan grinned. “I was thinking if you charged me, I’d just forget about it. Let’s exchange WeChat, and you can send them to me later?”
“Alright.” Yu Feng took out his phone and let Wen Yan scan his WeChat QR code.
“Much appreciated.” Wen Yan pocketed his phone with genuine gratitude and asked, “Where’s An’yu?”
“He got beer spilled on his clothes and went to wash them by the shore.”
“Washing them here?”
Just then, Xie An’yu had already returned. Ding Xiaonan spotted him and waved him over. “An’yu, come here.”
Xie An’yu walked over, and Ding Xiaonan handed him a bunch of sparklers[mfn]仙女棒煙花 (xiān nǚ bàng yān huā): lit. fairy wand fireworks. A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, colored sparks. It burns at a high temperature (over 1000°C), so it can be very dangerous.
[/mfn]. She had prepared plenty of fireworks—handheld ones, ground-based ones, all sorts. Nearby, some girls were already waving sparklers around.
Ding Xiaofei laughed. “Seriously, cousin? You’re giving these to us macho guys?”
Wen Yan returned after getting Yu Feng’s WeChat ID. “Got it.” He glanced at Xie An’yu, whose clothes were almost completely soaked. “You’re wearing your clothes while they’re still wet?”
“Look at you, all quick and efficient,” Ding Xiaonan said with a laugh.
Wen Yan took out his phone and forwarded Yu Feng’s WeChat contact to Ding Xiaonan. She opened it and took a look. “‘Xiao Zhou Sails Away’—what a poetic and handsome guy.”
Xie An’yu froze, then whipped his head around to stare at Ding Xiaonan. “What?”
“Hm?” Ding Xiaonan looked up at him. “What do you mean ‘what’?”
“What did you just say?”
Ding Xiaonan smiled. “Your friend’s WeChat ID. Your brother Wen just got it for me.”
“Xiao Zhou Sails Away?” Xie An’yu’s heartbeat quickened.
“Yeah.”
“Sister Nan, can I see his WeChat ID?”
Ding Xiaonan looked confused but handed him her phone anyway.
Xie An’yu took the phone and looked at the screen.
The same nickname, the same profile picture, even the WeChat ID was identical.
Xie An’yu stared at the screen in a daze, as if his soul had been ripped away. Ding Xiaonan was startled by his expression. “An’yu? What’s wrong?”
Xie An’yu’s stiff body finally moved. He handed the phone back to Ding Xiaonan without a word and turned to leave.
Yu Feng wasn’t at his seat. Xie An’yu asked anxiously, “Professor Zhou, where’s Brother Yu?”
“His phone died.” Zhou Yi pointed toward a tent in the distance. “He went to get a power bank.”
The tent was set up in a less crowded area, quite far from the tables. Xie An’yu practically sprinted over, still clutching the sparklers Ding Xiaonan had given him.
Yu Feng was Xiao Zhou—the person who had once passed through his life without leaving a single trace in reality.
Yu Feng must have known all along that he was Xiao Dao, right?
He definitely knew.
Yu Feng bent down and stepped out of the tent with a power bank in hand. Xie An’yu stood outside, still clutching a handful of fireworks in his hands, his hair and clothes still damp.
Yu Feng paused mid-step.
“Brother,” Xie An’yu said, a little out of breath. “‘Xiao Zhou Sails Away’—is that you?”
Yu Feng was stunned for a second and didn’t answer right away.
“Is it you?” Xie An’yu asked again.
After a moment of silence, Yu Feng confirmed, “It’s me.”
“Do you know I’m Xiao Dao?”
“I know.”
“Brother, you’re gay, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Xie An’yu fired one question after another, and Yu Feng answered each one in turn.
Xie An’yu’s emotions were in turmoil. He had been suppressing them to the breaking point these past few days, and now he was almost giddy with excitement. He stepped closer to Yu Feng and blurted out recklessly, “Then if I like you, you wouldn’t think it was disgusting, would you?”
Yu Feng’s expression froze.
“Brother—”
Yu Feng closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions as he said in a low voice, “How could I possibly think it’s disgusting?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Yu Feng yanked Xie An’yu into the tent.
Xie An’yu found himself pinned beneath Yu Feng, who gazed down at him, fingers lightly tracing the curve of his ear. “Xie An’yu, tell me—who’s the real fool here, you or me?”
“Probably still me.”
Yu Feng leaned down and captured Xie An’yu’s lips in a kiss.
Aaaaahhh~~
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 55″]
雷打不動 (léi dǎ bù dòng): one’s mind is made up, and cannot be changed; to rigidly adhere to an established arrangement, without any changes; not shaken by thunder (idiom); the arrangements are unalterable; to adhere rigidly to regulations; will go ahead whatever happens (of an arrangement or plan); not to be shaken by thunder―not to be altered under any circumstances; unshakable; unyielding; describes a firm attitude that cannot be shaken. It also describes strictly abiding by regulations and never changing them.財大氣粗 (cái dà qì cū): to be rich and act in a rude and overbearing manner; rich and imposing; rich and arrogant; money speaks louder; money carries weight; be purse-proud; to be wealthy and powerful, and to be overbearing by virtue of having a lot of money.
直言不諱 (zhí yán bù huì): to call a spade a spade; to speak without reservation; not to mince one’s words; to speak bluntly (idiom); give an honest opinion; make an unflattering remark; speak with frankness; be outspoken in one’s remarks; to speak frankly; to speak out facts, opinions or feelings without reservation and frankly; it describes a person who speaks directly and without hiding anything.
心煩意亂 (xīn fán yì luàn): lit. heart distracted, thoughts in turmoil (idiom); distraught with anxiety; to be terribly upset; to be perturbed; be terribly/emotionally upset; describes an agitated mood and confused thoughts.
口不擇言 (kǒu bù zé yán): to talk indiscreetly; to talk recklessly; to speak incoherently; to ramble; to talk irresponsibly; speak without careful diction.
樂此不疲 (lè cǐ bù pí): to ardently love doing something and not feel tired because of it; to enjoy sth and never tire of it (idiom); never tire of; enjoy something and never get bored; find endless joy in something; be enthusiastic about something without feeling fatigued; to be interested in it, indulge in it, and not feel tired or exhausted.
三心二意 (sān xīn èr yì): in two minds about sth (idiom); shilly-shally; half-hearted; without consistency or constancy; likely to change minds easily; flit from one thing to another; be fickle; be irresolute; be in two minds; be ambivalent; vacillate; unsteady and indecisive. It also refers to being hesitant and wavering between two ideas.
神情恍惚 (shén qíng huǎng hū): be in a trance; have a wandering eye; confused and uneasy.
大起大落 (dà qǐ dà luò): to go through the ups and downs of rapid change; (of market prices etc) to rapidly fluctuate (idiom); volatile; significant ups and downs ; roller coaster; great ups and downs; great/heavy/sharp fluctuations; big ups and downs, describing big changes.
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