The room fell completely silent.
Jiang Xinghuai clutched the bedsheet beneath him, motionless, staring at Fu Yan.
He didn’t even know how he had asked that question. He had been waiting for Fu Yan to come back, intending to ask what Fu Yan had been talking about with Zheng Yi for so long.
But… maybe it was Fu Yan’s breath lingering near his ear, or maybe it was Fu Yan’s hand gently brushing against his cheek.
It made his head feel hot, his thoughts muddled.
No, why isn’t Fu Yan saying anything?
Wait… what’s he doing with his tie?
Jiang Xinghuai blinked, holding his breath, clenching his fists even tighter, and stared at Fu Yan.
Fu Yan’s face was calm, expressionless, as he pulled the tie out from his collar. Nothing betrayed what he was thinking.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Fu Yan seemed to decide in that instant. He cleared his throat solemnly: “I—”
“Wait!” Jiang Xinghuai suddenly grabbed the blanket, buried his head inside, and shouted muffled through the fabric: “Don’t say it!”
Fu Yan tightened his grip on the tie, paused for a moment, and then smiled.
“What’s wrong?” Fu Yan poked at the blanket.
“I was just asking casually,” Jiang Xinghuai said, curling further into the blanket.
The room was quiet for a moment.
“Then go to bed early.” Fu Yan’s voice came from outside the blanket.
Jiang Xinghuai didn’t respond.
Click. The switch was pressed. The blanket was plunged into darkness as the light went out.
Jiang Xinghuai stayed curled up, not moving. Only when the sound of water came from the bathroom did he peek his head out from under the blanket.
The room was very dark, with only a faint glow coming from the bathroom.
He blinked, placing his hand slowly over his chest.
His heart was racing.
Before Fu Yan had even answered that question, he suddenly understood something.
And so he was afraid.
Afraid that the answer wouldn’t be him, and afraid that it would be him.
He didn’t even know what was happening to himself.
The sound of water stopped. Jiang Xinghuai quickly covered his face with the blanket again.
Click. The bathroom door opened. Footsteps drew closer.
Jiang Xinghuai closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Fu Yan spoke suddenly.
“…W-what…what are you doing?” Jiang Xinghuai was startled.
“Still not asleep?” Fu Yan patted his blanket. “Stick your head out. Don’t bury it inside.”
“Oh.” Jiang Xinghuai answered softly, but didn’t move.
It wasn’t until he heard the sound of Fu Yan lying down that he finally poked his head out, breathing quietly.
From the lower bunk, Fu Yan’s breathing was steady, like he had fallen asleep.
Asleep?
Jiang Xinghuai turned over lightly, slowly poking his head out from the upper bunk.
“What are you doing?” Fu Yan saw a head sticking out above, propped himself up, and frowned. “Pull your head back in.”
“Oh.” Jiang Xinghuai pulled his head back.
“What’s wrong?” Fu Yan finally asked.
“…Nothing.” Jiang Xinghuai’s voice was very soft.
Fu Yan stared at the bedboard, listening to Jiang Xinghuai toss and turn above. In the darkness, he let out a quiet sigh.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Fu Yan finally called out.
“Mm?” Jiang Xinghuai poked his head out again.
“I like people who can get full marks in math,” Fu Yan said.
“…Oh.” Jiang Xinghuai swallowed, not knowing what Fu Yan meant by that.
He didn’t dare to think about it, afraid of thinking about it. The more he thought, the drier his mouth became, and the hotter his whole body felt.
As soon as Jiang Xinghuai thought about how Fu Yan taught him math problems every day, his cheeks grew warm. He couldn’t help but imagine a certain possibility.
Then again, maybe he was just being too full of himself.
“Go to sleep early,” Fu Yan said again. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Jiang Xinghuai reached out and touched his own face. Touching his big face like that, he drifted off to sleep amidst his wild thoughts.
When he woke up again, it was already nine o’clock. The lower bunk was empty. On the desk sat a cup of milk and a bun. The bun was already a little cold.
Under the cup of milk was a slip of paper.
On it was written: I went to the Experimental Zone. I’ll come back at noon and join you for lunch.
Experimental Zone.
Jiang Xinghuai took a bite of the bun, recalling the tall, round building that Zheng Yi had introduced to them before. It was right behind their dormitory building, but you had to go deeper inside to reach it.
Very quickly, Jiang Xinghuai realized something else. If Fu Yan had gone to the Experimental Zone, then Zheng Yi must be there, too.
He blinked twice. His brain hadn’t figured out the reason yet, but his body had already reacted.
Tilting his head back, he gulped down the milk in one go, grabbed the bun, and rushed outside.
“Sorry, this is the Experimental Zone. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter or approach.” A soldier holding a gun stopped Jiang Xinghuai at the main gate.
“I’m looking for Fu Yan.” Jiang Xinghuai glanced at the gun barrel pointed at him and instinctively stepped back half a step.
“Fu Yan?” The two soldiers exchanged a glance. “You’re looking for Mr. Fu?”
“Yes.” Jiang Xinghuai nodded.
“What is he to you?” the soldier asked.
What is he to me… Jiang Xinghuai froze at the question. He didn’t know whether saying they were friends would give him a better chance of being let in, or if claiming a father-and-son relationship would be more convincing.
“Brother.” A girl’s small voice came from behind him.
Jiang Xinghuai turned around.
It was the little girl from yesterday, the one who had lost her cat.
“Uncle Li, I know him. He’s Uncle Zheng’s friend.” The little girl, carrying her small schoolbag, came over and took Jiang Xinghuai’s hand. “Can I bring him in?”
“Of course, if he’s Dr. Zheng’s friend.” One of the soldiers smiled and lowered his gun.
Jiang Xinghuai followed the little girl for a while before it sank in: “You’re pretty bold, just grabbing my hand like that.”
“You helped me save Little Orange.” The girl smiled. “My name is Qian Ranran. I came to find my dad.”
“My name is Jiang Xinghuai.” Jiang Xinghuai lowered his head, looking at her small curly hair, suppressing the urge to ruffle it. “I came to find… find Fu Yan.”
“They can’t come out right now.” Qian Ranran led him into a spacious room that resembled an open office. “We have to sit here and wait. When they come down from upstairs, they’ll come here first.”
“Oh.” Jiang Xinghuai nodded, sat down with her, and handed over the bun. “Want some?”
“No.” Qian Ranran opened her schoolbag and pulled out a thick stack of test papers. “I have to do my homework.”
Jiang Xinghuai glanced at that pile of papers and instinctively scooted a little farther away.
“Brother, I don’t know how to do this one. Can you teach me?” Qian Ranran asked.
Jiang Xinghuai: “……”
“Let me see.” Jiang Xinghuai carefully scooted over.
Seeing that it was first-grade level, he felt more than half relieved.
But after taking a closer look and realizing it was math, cold sweat started to bead on his forehead.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Xinghuai shook out his tired hand with effort and tossed the test paper back.
“Wow, you got all of them right.” Qian Ranran looked at the answers with amazement.
“Nonsense, it’s first grade. How could I get them wrong?” Jiang Xinghuai snorted coldly, feeling rather proud.
“Then does Brother know first-grade Chinese, too?” Qian Ranran eagerly pulled out another sheet.
“Wait…” Jiang Xinghuai suddenly realized, glaring at her. “You tricked me into doing your worksheets, didn’t you?”
Guiltily, Qian Ranran lowered her head and started working on the Chinese test paper herself.
Just then, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Zheng Yi walked in with surprise on his face. “How did you get here?”
“I came to find Fu Yan.” Jiang Xinghuai glanced at him, then added, “I’m waiting for him to go eat lunch together.”
“He’ll need a little while longer before he can come out.” Zheng Yi said as he took off his white coat and sat down with a smile. “You must’ve gotten bored staying in the dorms. In a few days, they should be organizing a civilian rescue team. You’ve got good skills, you could try signing up.”
Jiang Xinghuai nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Come sit in my workspace for a while,” Zheng Yi invited again. “Have you eaten? I’ve got food there.”
“No need.” Jiang Xinghuai scooted his seat closer to Qian Ranran and reached out to grab at her little curls.
“Ranran, do you want some cake? I have one on my desk,” Zheng Yi suddenly said.
“What flavor?” Qian Ranran lifted her head.
“Strawberry.” Zheng Yi smiled. “Come eat it in my office. Don’t bring it back here. If your dad comes down later and sees it, he’ll scold.”
Qian Ranran happily nodded and skipped out in little steps.
Jiang Xinghuai frowned, turned his head toward Zheng Yi, unsure what he was up to.
“You haven’t known Fu Yan for long, have you?” Zheng Yi asked with a smile.
Jiang Xinghuai didn’t answer.
“I’ve known him for over thirty years,” Zheng Yi said, meeting his eyes.
Jiang Xinghuai raised his hand and clapped a few times, the sound sharp and loud.
“I once pursued him,” Zheng Yi continued.
“I know.” Jiang Xinghuai frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
“Just chatting casually. But if he already told you I chased him,” Zheng Yi smiled, “then did he also tell you that I’ve always liked him. Even up to now.”
“Oh.” Jiang Xinghuai twisted the hem of his clothes uncomfortably.
He couldn’t figure out what Zheng Yi suddenly saying all this meant. Was it a declaration of war, or had the battle already begun one-sidedly?
Should he fight back? And with what identity?
The other was a childhood sweetheart, an old flame, a grand marshal. And him? Just a nameless nobody. It felt like a battle he couldn’t win…
“You’ve noticed, haven’t you?” Zheng Yi tilted his head at him.
“He doesn’t like you,” Jiang Xinghuai came back to himself and said.
“I know.” Zheng Yi nodded. “You’re too blunt. I don’t like you.”
“I don’t like you either. You’re too fake,” Jiang Xinghuai said.
Zheng Yi: “……”
This damn kid.
Zheng Yi took a deep breath and said slowly, “He and I have been neighbors since childhood. We grew up together. My mother… after my mother had an accident, it was Fu Yan who brought me to his home. He always looked after me, took me to school, and stayed by me when we went abroad. He’s a gentle person, even if most of the time he seems hard to approach.”
The childhood-sweetheart old flame grand marshal began using memory attacks.
The nameless nobody Jiang Xinghuai rolled his eyes.
“His parents are both medical professors, so since he was little, he’s always loved taking care of others, full of responsibility. Once you fall within the scope of his responsibility, he’ll do everything he can to protect you, spoil you… But that isn’t love.” Zheng Yi’s smile twisted as he said this. “I fell for it once. But I still don’t want to wake up.”
Zheng Yi suddenly turned his head toward him, scrutinizing. “You’re a lot like I was back then—young, without family, helpless, and suddenly entering his sight, into his territory. That’s why he wants to protect you. He’ll see you as his responsibility.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Xinghuai frowned, his fingers unconsciously picking at his palm.
“You like him,” Zheng Yi said.
Jiang Xinghuai froze for a moment, then awkwardly turned his head away, saying nothing.
“But just as he never liked me back then, he won’t like you right now either.” Zheng Yi’s words were sharp and precise.
Jiang Xinghuai’s brows knitted tighter. He wanted to say something, but his throat ached as if choked.
“Jiang Xinghuai.” Fu Yan’s voice came.
Jiang Xinghuai’s head jerked up. Fu Yan was just pushing the door open, still wearing a white coat. His eyes, when they fell on him, carried a smile.
“How did you get here?” Fu Yan took off the coat and walked over.
“He said he came to call you for lunch.” Zheng Yi smiled, even patted Jiang Xinghuai on the shoulder. “Perfect timing, let’s all go together.”
“I’m not eating with you.” Jiang Xinghuai slapped Zheng Yi’s hand away, meeting his eyes head-on, every word firm and clear. “I’m not you, and you can’t be me. Little Flying Man is one of a kind.”
The smile on Zheng Yi’s face faded.
After speaking, Jiang Xinghuai turned, picked up the finished math worksheet Qian Ranran had left on the table, and handed it to Fu Yan.
“For you,” Jiang Xinghuai said.
“First grade?” Fu Yan took it.
“Doesn’t matter what grade.” Jiang Xinghuai stared at him stubbornly. “Just tell me. Does what you said last night still count or not?”
“It counts.” Fu Yan nodded.
“Is it a full score, a hundred points?” Jiang Xinghuai asked again.
“Yes.” Fu Yan smiled.
“Then… do you like me?” Jiang Xinghuai’s voice was trembling.
Fu Yan let out a soft sigh, reached out and cupped his face, lifting it like holding an apple, making Jiang Xinghuai raise his head. He stared into those wide, bewildered eyes. At last, he compromised with his own heart, and with a smile said: “I like you.”
“I like you very much,” Fu Yan added.
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