Yu Feng hadn’t expected Xie An’yu to be inside the mascot costume; it was a surprise. He stared blankly for a few seconds, then pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and offered them to Xie An’yu.
Sweat trickled down Xie An’yu’s forehead, sliding along his hair and into his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, unable to wipe it away because his hands were occupied holding the mascot head. He couldn’t free a hand for the tissues.
Seeing this, Yu Feng simply opened the tissue pack, pulled out a sheet, and reached over to wipe the sweat from Xie An’yu’s eyelashes. Xie An’yu flinched, reflexively closing his eyes and drawing back slightly.
“…Thank you.”
Yu Feng continued wiping the sweat from Xie An’yu’s forehead until the tissue was soaked through.
Yu Feng wrapped the used tissue in a clean one, held it in his hand, and said, “Your entrance was quite unexpected.”
“I was handing out flyers here,” Xie An’yu replied softly.
Though the weather wasn’t particularly hot, Xie An’yu’s profuse sweating suggested he had been wearing the mascot costume for quite some time.
“Are you finished handing them out?” Yu Feng asked.
Xie An’yu nodded. However, his shift wasn’t over yet. The event was still ongoing, and he needed to stay as the mascot to attract crowds.
“Big Brother, my hands are full. Could you pick up the things on the ground? The money I owe you is inside.”
Yu Feng picked up the bag from the ground and saw a cake box inside, with a light brown envelope tucked beside it.
Yu Feng looked up at Xie An’yu.
“The money’s in the envelope. The cake is for you, to thank you for helping me earlier,” Xie An’yu said, stroking the fur on his mascot head. His voice was soft. “It’s been a long time, so it might have melted a bit.”
“You made this?”
Xie An’yu nodded.
Yu Feng was a bit surprised. The cake was beautifully decorated—it wasn’t one of those cakes adorned with simple piled-up fruit; the craftsmanship rivaled that of a professional pastry chef.
Xie An’yu’s sincerity left Yu Feng somewhat at a loss for words.
“This is amazing,” Yu Feng said with a faint smile. “Thank you. I know what I’m having for dinner tonight.”
Xie An’yu smiled back, his eyes curving slightly.
“Thank you for going out of your way to come here,” Xie An’yu said, lifting the mascot head to put it back on his head. “I should get back to work now.”
“Didn’t you finish handing out the flyers? Why can’t you leave?”
“I have to wait until the event ends.”
Seeing the sweat dripping from Xie An’yu’s forehead, Yu Feng couldn’t help but frown. “When will that be?”
“About half an hour.”
He still had to endure another half hour; the thought alone was quite exhausting. But it was the other person’s job, and Yu Feng had no right to say more. He nodded.
Xie An’yu said goodbye to Yu Feng, put on the mascot head, and turned to walk towards the center of the square. He walked against the setting sun, his shadow stretching long across the ground.
Yu Feng’s professional instincts kicked in. He pulled out his compact mirrorless camera from his bag and snapped a few photos of Xie Anyu’s silhouette against the setting sun.
The drive home took about half an hour. Yu Feng took the cake out and placed it on the dining table. The bottom of the cake had indeed melted a bit, but it didn’t affect its overall appearance. The cake’s color scheme was predominantly orange, with the buttercream frosting transitioning from pale to deep shades across its surface, creating a gradient. The darkest portion was adorned with several orange-brown maple leaves, made of fondant, meticulously crafted to be three-dimensional, remarkably realistic, and textured.
Yu Feng was genuinely surprised by the craftsmanship.
The four-inch cake wasn’t too big, just the right size for one person. As Yu Feng sat down to eat the cake, he received a call from Zhou Yi, who invited him out to eat.
The two often met for meals. Usually, Zhou Yi would seek out Yu Feng. Zhou Yi was very particular about food; if a new popular restaurant opened or someone recommended a good one, he would immediately drag Yu Feng along to try it.
Yu Feng didn’t like eating out. Apart from Zhou Yi, he rarely made dinner plans with others. If he didn’t have plans with Zhou Yi, he would just grab something casual at the company cafeteria, settling for that every meal.
Today, Yu Feng declined Zhou Yi’s invitation, explaining that dinner was already sorted.
“Are you eating at the company cafeteria again? You’ve probably memorized your company cafeteria’s entire menu, haven’t you, Teacher Yu?”
Yu Feng took a bite of cake and said, “What’s wrong? The food at our company cafeteria is pretty good.”
“No matter how good it is, eating it every day must make you want to throw up. Come on, I’ll take you for Japanese food. Teacher Zhou will treat you.”
“I didn’t eat at the company today; I’m already eating at home. Save the Japanese food for your next treat.”
“You ate at home? That’s rare. You actually eat at home.”
“Mm…” Zhou Yi sounded quite pleased. “That’s good. I’ve been worried about you not getting enough nutrients. You finally know how to take care of yourself.”
Yu Feng chuckled. “You make it sound like our company cafeteria serves pig slop every day.”
Truth be told, their company cafeteria’s dishes were several levels above typical restaurants. After all, it was the cafeteria of 《Charm》 magazine.
The cake Xie An’yu made looked good and tasted good too. Yu Feng didn’t usually eat many sweets, but he didn’t feel tired of it even after eating half.
After hanging up the phone, Yu Feng sent a WeChat message to Xiao Dao.
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Are you free?】
***
Xie An’yu had been home for a while. Tomorrow was the last day of his apartment lease, so he needed to take all his luggage to the internet cafe today. He had just finished showering when Yu Feng’s message arrived.
Wiping his hair with one hand, Xie An’yu replied: 【Yeah, what’s up?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Coming to collect a debt】
Xiao Dao: 【Watch movie?】
Xiao Zhou Sails Away: 【Mm】
Xie An’yu glanced at the time. He had to be at the internet cafe at ten, there were still two or three hours to spare. Enough time for a movie.
They were still using the same software that allowed them to watch movies together while connected via voice, but they remained as silent as mutes, barely exchanging a word. Xiao Zhou’s buyout service period was nearing its expiration date. After watching this movie today, they probably wouldn’t have any contact again.
An indescribable feeling stirred in Xie An’yu’s heart, like he was about to lose a friend who had helped him break out of his shell. He could occasionally show his true self to this person, yet he had no reason to maintain contact afterward.
Yu Feng was still eating cake, the chewing sounds coming through the phone speaker quite clearly. To ease the awkward silence, Xie An’yu casually asked, “What are you eating?”
“Cake,” the other person said.
Xie An’yu thought of the cake he had just given away. He wondered what the big brother thought of the taste.
“Xiao Zhou.”
“Mm?”
“Thank you.”
Yu Feng didn’t speak.
A moment later, Xie An’yu added, “I feel very lucky.”
Yu Feng couldn’t quite grasp what Xie An’yu meant by ‘lucky’. Was it lucky to sweat buckets while dressed as a mascot? Or lucky to buy a shoddy second-hand phone for 488 yuan?
Xie An’yu was so pure it felt almost unreal.
Sometimes, Yu Feng felt that Xie An’yu was as dazzling as the midday summer sun.
“Really, lucky in what way?” Yu Feng asked.
Lost in a whirlwind of emotions, Xie An’yu was in a daze, and didn’t even notice how similar the voice on the phone was to the one he’d heard by the fountain earlier that day.
“In many ways,” Xie An’yu said. “Just knowing you makes me feel lucky.”
The sun was dazzling, but it was also radiant. Yu Feng loved clear days and the sunlight.
Yu Feng looked at the cake in front of him and said, “Then I wish you eternal good luck.”
“And stop blowing rainbow farts[mfn]彩虹屁 (cǎi hóng pì): lit. rainbow farts; (neologism, slang) irrationally high praise of one’s idol; glowing terms; “彩虹” means “rainbow,” and “屁” means “flatulence.” Coined by Chinese netizens, this term describes the scenario where fans can see nothing but good in their idols. First catching on in 2017, this term jokingly points to the fact that in the eyes of a die-hard fan, even the bad-smelling flatulence from their idol can be compared to something as beautiful as a rainbow. In a word, this term is roughly equivalent to the English slang of “kissing one’s ass,” only in this case, the person who flatters another may have said their flatteries sincerely.[/mfn],” Yu Feng added. “I get carried away easily.”
“Ah?” Xie An’yu didn’t understand the term ‘rainbow fart’, so he took it literally and protested, “I wasn’t trying to flatter you.”
Yu Feng chuckled and hummed in acknowledgment.
“I meant everything I said,” Xie An’yu insisted.
Yu Feng rested his head in his hand and said casually, “This is the first time I’ve heard you say so much at once. You seem quite energized today.”
Xie An’yu mumbled something indistinct.
“Being energized is good,” Yu Feng said. “Your voice sounds nice.”
Xie An’yu’s ears flushed. After all this time, this was indeed the first time Yu Feng had said something with a hint of ambiguity. Compared to genuinely suggestive remarks, this was nothing, yet Xie An’yu felt inexplicably shy.
Yu Feng, however, didn’t think much of it; it was just a casual comment. He dragged the movie progress bar back a bit to rewatch a scene he hadn’t paid close attention to earlier.
Neither of them spoke again.
***
The money Xie An’yu had returned to Yu Feng remained in that light brown envelope. Several days later, Yu Feng finally opened it to take a look. As soon as he pulled out the bills, he realized Xie An’yu had returned more than he owed.
Not only that, Yu Feng’s Alipay account had also received a transfer of over five thousand yuan a couple of days prior. His phone had dual SIM cards, and the WeChat work and personal accounts were linked to different numbers. The Alipay account was tied to the ‘Xiao Zhou Sails Away’ number, so Xie An’yu was the only one who could have recently transferred money there.
Alipay transfers were different from WeChat transfers; WeChat allowed refunds, but Alipay did not.
Yu Feng thought to himself; this person hadn’t even used Taobao a few days ago, and now he’s already so adept at using Alipay.
He didn’t ask Xiao Dao if he was the one who transferred the five thousand yuan, nor did he want to ask why he transferred the money.
There was no point.
If Xie An’yu’s convictions could be easily swayed, he wouldn’t have secretly transferred the money via Alipay to Yu Feng in the first place. Yu Feng had long realized that Xie An’yu was someone who adhered firmly to his own will.
The five thousand yuan could be ignored for now, but the extra few hundred yuan he had returned couldn’t be dismissed so lightly.
Xie An’yu worked himself to the bone just to earn a little money, yet he had insisted on paying interest when returning the debt. Yu Feng felt helpless. He pulled out his phone and dialed Xie An’yu’s number, but a voice prompt informed him the phone had been disconnected.
The extra few hundred yuan Xie An’yu gave didn’t mean much to Yu Feng, but Yu Feng knew what that amount meant to Xie An’yu.
Unable to reach Xie An’yu, Yu Feng initially thought about topping up his phone credit but then felt it wasn’t appropriate and a bit intrusive. So, he scrolled through his call history, found Zhai Jing’s phone number by matching the date.
He called Zhai Jing.
“Hello, who is this?”
“Hello, I’m the one who took Xie An’yu to the hospital before.”
“Ah, it’s you… Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I need to reach Xie An’yu, but his phone is disconnected, and I can’t contact him. Are you still living with him? Would it be convenient to pass on a message for me?”
Zhai Jing’s guard went up. “What do you need him for?”
“He overpaid me for the medical expenses. I want to return the extra money. Could you ask him to call me back?”
“Oh, that’s what this is about. Sorry, I don’t live with him anymore…”
Yu Feng paused, then asked, “Did you move out, or did he?”
“I moved out.”
“Does he still live at the same address?”
“I’m not too sure about that. Why don’t I give you the address, and you can go check his place directly?”
“Okay, thank you for your trouble.”
Yu Feng found time to visit the address Zhai Jing had given him. In truth, contacting Xie An’yu would have been simple—he could just message Xiao Dao on WeChat. But Yu Feng hadn’t yet decided to reveal his ‘Xiao Zhou’ identity.
Yu Feng’s trip was fruitless; Xie An’yu no longer lived there.
Without parents, not attending school, how could a newly adult child possibly survive?
Yu Feng couldn’t resist topping up Xie An’yu’s phone credit. Standing outside the rental apartment, he dialed Xie An’yu’s number.
***
Xie An’yu’s phone had been out of service for two days. He barely used his phone anyway, so whether it was connected or not made no difference to him, which was why he hadn’t bothered to top up the credit.
With nowhere to go during the day, he had been arriving at the internet cafe extra early these past few days. The day shift workers also changed shifts early, and naturally, he was overjoyed to leave work early every day, sneaking out as soon as possible, practically giddy. Today, they even bought him a cup of milk tea.
Although Xie An’yu’s phone was disconnected, it could still connect to Wi-Fi. He sometimes needed to check messages in his part-time work groups, so his phone was always close at hand. Suddenly, the phone began vibrating continuously—not a WeChat notification, but an incoming call.
Xie An’yu jumped in fright, as if he’d seen a ghost.
How could someone call him when his phone was out of credit? Wasn’t this like seeing a ghost?
The string of numbers on the screen looked somewhat familiar to Xie An’yu. After a few more seconds, he remembered whose number it was. Taking a call while monitoring computers wasn’t a big deal, but Xie An’yu was extremely rule-abiding. Still, since he was at work, he initially didn’t intend to answer. But the moment he recognized the caller, his principles immediately went out the window.
He glanced around. It was dinner time, and the internet cafe wasn’t too crowded yet. He picked up his phone and walked toward the restroom in the back.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Yu Feng.” Yu Feng, perhaps from annoyance or urgency, blurted out a self-introduction. He clicked his tongue and corrected himself, “It’s me, that big brother.”
Xie An’yu pressed his lips together, barely suppressing a laugh. He composed himself, mentally noting down the name ‘Yu Feng’.
“Where are you right now?” Yu Feng asked directly.
Xie An’yu was taken aback. “…What’s up? Big Brother, do you need something?”
Realizing his question had been too abrupt, Yu Feng rephrased it. “Do you have a place to stay right now?”
Xie An’yu was working the night shift at the internet cafe. During the day, when he wasn’t working, he caught up on sleep in the storage room using the sleeping bag he’d bought earlier. He planned to stay there temporarily until he had enough money to rent a cheap apartment.
Getting permission to sleep in the storage room was something Xie An’yu had requested from the internet cafe owner. The owner had agreed, but with strict conditions: he could only use it for a week, and it was just for resting—he shouldn’t treat it like his own home and store all his belongings there.
“Yes,” Xie An’yu said.
“I went to your place to look for you, but the landlord said you’ve already moved out.”
“…You were looking for me?”
“You overpaid me. I came to return the extra money.”
“Do you really have a place to stay now?” Yu Feng asked slowly. “You’re not telling the truth.”
Xie An’yu didn’t know how to respond. Given his current situation, he couldn’t truthfully say he had a place to live.
“Where are you staying? With relatives, or did you rent a new place yourself? If you could stay with relatives, why didn’t you before? Renting a new place shouldn’t be that quick, either. The landlord said you only moved out a few days ago.”
“Brother Yu,” Xie An’yu’s voice was very low. “Aren’t you interfering too much?”
He suddenly changed his form of address to a more familiar form of address, making his reminder sound much gentler.
Yu Feng paused, then said softly, “I apologize.” He turned his back and leaned against the door, raising a hand to rub his temples, then repeated, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Xie An’yu said after a moment. “Thank you, Brother Yu.”
Interference was just the other side of caring, Xie An’yu knew this. It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of concern.
Yu Feng sighed, “Why are you thanking me again?”
“You don’t need to return the money to me; the extra I gave you is interest,” Xie An’yu said.
“The IOU didn’t say anything about interest. I won’t accept this money.”
Xie An’yu thought for a moment. He realized that giving extra money without permission was indeed a bit presumptuous. He should respect the other person’s wishes. He told Yu Feng, “I’m at an internet cafe right now—”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Feng said, “Tell me the address.”
Xie An’yu had such a favorable impression of Yu Feng that he saw him through a thick filter of admiration. Without hesitation, he gave Yu Feng the internet cafe’s address.
“Are you there to watch the machines?” Yu Feng asked.
Xie An’yu hummed in agreement, surprised. “How did you know?”
Yu Feng stepped into the elevator and said, “The internet cafe owner just called and told me.”
Yu Feng was talking nonsense, and Xie An’yu was startled. “What?”
“You believed that?” Yu Feng chuckled softly. “How could that be true? I was just teasing you.”
Xie An’yu, being such an earnest young man, didn’t seem like someone who would waste time at an internet cafe. What else could he be doing there besides watching the machines to earn money?
After a few seconds of silence, Xie An’yu quietly mumbled, ‘Boring’ with a hint of faint smile in his voice.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 22″]
出人意料 (chū rén yì liào): unexpected (idiom); to exceed people’s expectations; to be surprising; beat all; unpredictable; the result or development of something is beyond people’s prior expectations.豐衣足食 (fēng yī zú shí): having ample food and clothing; well-fed and clothed; wellclothed and wellfed; live in abundance; prosperity; affluence; live comfortably; abundant clothing and sufficient food—describes a life of plenty.
喜不自勝 (xǐ bù zì shèng): unable to contain one’s joy (idiom); be delighted beyond measure; be blissfully happy; be very pleased; be greatly delighted; you are so happy that you cannot control it, and describes your joy to the extreme.
不假思索 (bù jiǎ sī suǒ): to act without taking time to think (idiom); to react instantly; without hesitating; (respond) without thinking; to fire from the hip; used to describe someone who speaks or does something quickly.
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