TYAM Chapter 92

The incident happened suddenly. Ji Linqiu casually found an excuse to swap classes with a friend and drove alone towards Hongcheng.  

The newly opened highway this year took just over an hour to reach the outskirts of the old town. A short drive on the national road after that, and he would be there.  

As he wove through the fluttering leaves and blooming flowers, he could see vast fields of golden rapeseed flowers stretching endlessly outside the car window, like a painting.  

It felt like a lifetime ago.  

Now, he had a career that was not only free but a hundred times more successful. He had his own car and house, everything he needed to settle down.  

The gloom of his past before meeting Jiang Wang felt like nothing more than a fleeting, unpleasant nightmare — one that didn’t matter if it was forgotten.  

Jiang Wang.  

Ji Linqiu murmured his lover’s name under his breath and pressed down on the accelerator, speeding up.  

Many scenes flashed through his mind.  

The day they first met, Xingwang had just received his new school uniform, spinning around excitedly to show him.  

That man had stood at the end of the corridor but never walked toward him.  

Like an old acquaintance, yet a stranger at the same time.  

Peng Xingwang. Jiang Wang.  

A single name change, and so many things had shifted silently.  

The new name was pleasant enough, just like who he had become now, yet it carried an undeniable chill, distant and desolate.  

He had left early in the morning, arriving at 11:20 AM. Wandering aimlessly, he eventually stopped in front of Hongshan Primary School.  

Ji Linqiu held his keys and greeted the guard before slowly walking inside.  

Jiang Wang had told him many stories about his childhood.  

As if everyone had a strict homeroom teacher, as if everyone had fallen off their bike riding down a steep hill.  

As if everyone had once met a warm-hearted friend in elementary school, and couldn’t resist buying snacks from the little store.  

Each story was ordinary.  

Ji Linqiu followed the path of those words, his steps overlapping with the memories Jiang Wang had shared, without a single deviation.  

He couldn’t imagine what Jiang Wang’s life had been like after childhood ended, after he had left.  

Why hadn’t he gone to high school? Why had he chosen to enlist? How many times had he been buried in the snow in the howling northern winds?  

He couldn’t see Jiang Wang’s youth on the other side of time. He couldn’t see the days they had missed. He could only see last year and this moment.  

At some point, Jiang Wang had turned back. This time, he had chosen to look for Xingwang again, to find him and rewrite the struggle of a trapped beast.  

It was the weekend, and many children were laughing and playing games on the playground, flying kites. The gravel running track had yet to be replaced with rubber.  

Ji Linqiu sat slowly on a stone bench, his throat dry.  

He knew clearly that Peng Xingwang now and Jiang Wang at nine years old were not the same child.  

Even as he grew up, he would never be the same person.  

An indescribable ache filled his heart.  

Once a person feels love and attachment so deeply, they can let go of many things in an instant, yet at the same time, shoulder even more.  

It was as if fate had struck him in a single moment, making even his breathing feel scalding.  

Ji Linqiu took out his phone and opened Jiang Wang’s profile page again.  

His mobile network was slower than a computer. It took minutes for the photo thumbnails to load.  

He followed those pictures, searching for the places where Jiang Wang had once lingered.  

The old city wall, the locust tree forest, the wasteland that developers had now turned into piles of dirt. The narrow alley where Peng Jiahui had lived for years—crumbling yet full of life.  

Peng Jiahui had long since moved away, and even that shantytown was nearly demolished.  

Ji Linqiu stopped in front of a fried noodle stall. The vendor looked at him, unsure if he wanted to order.  

His phone rang.  

“Linqiu?” A man’s voice came through, clear and gentle. “Are you okay?”  

“Little Fu and the others said you suddenly took leave. Are you upset?”  

Ji Linqiu listened to his voice and, after a long pause, asked, “Do you like fried noodles?”  

“Fried noodles?” Jiang Wang chuckled. “I love them. If you want some, I can take you to an old spot when I’m free. Their noodles are extra thin, and I think they taste better than the ones in Yuhan.”  

Ji Linqiu glanced at the vendor’s glass cart sign and asked, “What do you usually order?”  

“I usually add an egg, go easy on the bean sprouts and green peppers, and maybe add a sausage.”  

Ji Linqiu nodded and told the vendor, “Thin noodles, one egg, less bean sprouts and green peppers, and add a sausage.”  

The vendor hurried to prepare the order, washing his hands and getting to work.  

Hearing the conversation, Jiang Wang froze for a moment.  

“You’re in Hongcheng?”  

“Yes,” Ji Linqiu said softly. “I just walked around Hongshan Primary School. After I finish eating, I want to sit at the train station for a bit.”  

There was silence on the other end of the line.  

After ten seconds, Jiang Wang took a deep breath and said, “Wait for me at the train station entrance.”  

“The wind is strong today. Do you want me to bring you a jacket?”  

“You can bring my mom’s set,” Ji Linqiu said with a relieved smile. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we wore the same thing?”  

The man gave a quiet reply.  

“Wait there for me. Don’t wander off.”  

The fried noodles were delicious.  

Cheap, cooked in oil that was far from fresh.  

Yet it was precisely this night-market-style taste that one could never forget.  

Ji Linqiu rarely ate greasy food, but today, for some reason, he finished even the side dishes.  

Knowing it would be a while before Jiang Wang arrived, he parked his car and walked alone to the train station.  

Not long after, a champagne-colored Audi A4 sped toward the entrance and came to a stop.

The train station security guard shouted, “Who parks their car right at the entrance? Hey, brother! The parking lot is over there!!”

“I’ll be quick, I’ll move it in a moment!” 

Jiang Wang was still wearing his business attire from the meeting, his hair slicked back today, but as he ran over, he inexplicably carried a youthful air. 

He rushed toward Ji Linqiu, a bit anxious yet deeply concerned. 

By the time he actually reached him, he was only able to catch his breath. Everything he had planned to say went blank, he couldn’t get a single word out. 

“What’s the rush?” Ji Linqiu took out a tissue to wipe his sweat, laughing. “Go park the car first.” 

“Okay, wait for me here.” Jiang Wang took a steady look at him, as if afraid he would disappear, then ran back to park the car. 

The security guard, now pleased, directed him, “That’s more like it. If you miss this one, just reschedule.” 

While Jiang Wang was parking, Ji Linqiu went to the ticket counter and bought two platform tickets, waving them at Jiang Wang like he was about to enter a movie theater. 

When Jiang Wang returned, he was carrying a bag with coats inside. 

Both coats were neatly folded, pressed tightly together, inseparable. 

Jiang Wang took the ticket from his hand and looked at him again. 

As if he had expected this from the beginning. Jiang Wang always had a feeling—this wasn’t something he could hide from Ji Linqiu. 

But he had feared it many times, just like in Ji Linqiu’s dream. 

Afraid that the moment he confessed, a truck would suddenly crash into him. Afraid that he would inexplicably fall into water. 

It was unlikely, but in the past two years, Jiang Wang had stopped swimming and had been extra cautious crossing streets. 

Now, he had a home he could not afford to lose. His heart was full of attachments and he couldn’t leave easily. 

They had no specific destination, nor was this a farewell. Entering the waiting hall together was simply sitting side by side on a wooden bench, drinking soda. 

Even though it was the weekend, the waiting hall was crowded. 

A mother holding her child glanced at the delay board, an old woman cracked peanuts in the corner, and a few men gathered for a game of cards. 

Everyone was either waiting to leave or watching someone else leave. 

As Jiang Wang drank his soda, he looked toward the ticket checkpoint he had passed through before. 

That day had been freezing, but today was actually quite warm. 

He even remembered where Ji Linqiu had stood back then, and where they had reunited. 

They didn’t speak, but they sat close— 

Shoulder to shoulder, hands brushing against each other, both a little uneasy, a little excited. 

The moment before and after a secret is revealed is always the most exhilarating. 

No more need for hiding, no more fear. From now on, they understood each other, with no room for doubt. 

After finishing half his Fanta, Ji Linqiu finally turned to look at him. 

“Will you turn into seafoam like a mermaid and disappear?” 

He had been reading that book in the bathtub earlier—who knew he’d ask such a fantastical question one day? 

Jiang Wang took a deep gulp of his drink, like he was bracing himself for a leap of faith. 

After a moment, he touched his face, then his hands. 

All intact. Nothing had disappeared. 

He burst into laughter. 

“Looks like I’m not a mermaid after all.” 

Ji Linqiu let out a long sigh of relief, still feeling a bit tense. 

People came and went in the waiting hall, yet he still reached out and held Jiang Wang’s wrist, as if afraid he would suddenly vanish. 

The fine ridges of his fingertips pressed against Jiang Wang’s palm, and he could feel both their pulses, alive and strong. 

Jiang Wang turned his hand over and held his firmly, not caring if anyone was watching. 

The feeling of being alive had never been so real. 

They are both alive. Exchanging warmth, listening to each other’s heartbeats. 

Fingers clasping fingers, breath touching breath. 

Every second, overflowing with silent love. 

Jiang Wang pulled out the two coats and unfolded them without hesitation. 

He helped Ji Linqiu put on the first one, then had him take it off, handing him the second. 

The first was one he had taken from his mother’s house last New Year, naturally a perfect fit. 

When Ji Linqiu put on the second, he found the sleeves were too long, the shoulders far too broad. 

“The patches are on the inside… you wouldn’t notice anything from the outside.” Jiang Wang smiled. “I’ve kept it so carefully, afraid you’d see it.” 

He loved him too much, so much that hiding anything felt like swallowing a thorn. 

There was nothing wrong with leaving things unsaid, but if too much time passed, he feared Ji Linqiu wouldn’t know just how deeply he was loved. 

Ji Linqiu swayed his sleeves and laughed along. Then he took off the coat and solemnly draped it over Jiang Wang’s shoulders. 

“Since it was my gift to you, it should be yours to wear.” 

Jiang Wang looked at him, his eyes filled with warmth and happiness. 

“Alright, it’s mine.” 

They didn’t need explanations. One look into each other’s eyes, and they understood everything. 

No need to revisit old wounds. No need to speak of past regrets. 

They understood. They both understood everything.