Back to 1988 112

Chapter 112: Lucky Person

The matter of the little thief was resolved, and Mi Yang was relieved.

He had only been back in Shanhai Town for a short time, but he had also brought two reference books. After all, he was going to take the college entrance exam early. Even though he had been through it once before, thinking back now, it was still a dark June. He always had to take a deep breath, gather his spirits, and work hard, not daring to relax easily.

Bai Luochuan was doing problems with him. He was not as nervous as Mi Yang, but he really liked the feeling of doing homework with Mi Yang.

A desk, with the two of them sitting opposite each other. When they looked up, they could see the other person seriously writing.

The young master Bai’s heart softened.

Zhou Tong was also in contact with them. He had sent them a photo of him skiing, saying that a very large ski resort had opened in Shanghai, a semi-outdoor one. He and many of his classmates from the first class had arranged to go skiing together. Almost all the students were there, but one class was missing its class monitor, and the other was missing its Youth League branch secretary. The people of the second class all thought that their Mi Youth League branch secretary had run off with class monitor Bai, and they were very worried.

Bai Luochuan replied, “Tell them they’re right.”

Zhou Tong’s side sent a series of shocked emojis of a hammer hitting a head, followed by a string of pleas from someone, “So he was really taken away. I knew it. Class monitor Bai, please be merciful. Our Youth League branch secretary is still young, he’s still a child!”

Bai Luochuan replied to him, “He’s not that young.”

The other person had probably watched too many police and gangster movies and, in a negotiating tone, said, “You name a price. How much to release our Mi Youth League?”

Bai Luochuan: “Prepare a hundred million tomorrow. We’ll talk after it’s in my account.”

The other person: “Hahahaha, no need. You can keep him. We’ll just choose another one!”

Bai Luochuan showed the phone to Mi Yang. “See, the people in your class have all defected. Am I the only one who’s good to you?”

Mi Yang nodded. “So I’m that valuable, huh? A hundred million.”

Bai Luochuan stood up from the desk, leaned over, and gave him a kiss, then smiled. “My Little Good Boy is the best. I wouldn’t trade him for a hundred million.”

Mi Yang looked up at him. The other’s eyes were sparkling, as if they could speak, and they were all saying the same thing. Just by looking, you could tell that he was about to say “I like you.” Mi Yang pinched his nose and smiled. “Do your problems. I’ll give you a reward when you’re done.”

The young master Bai was full of energy. To get more rewards, he would always complete the task beyond expectations.

On the seventh day of the new year, it snowed in Shanhai Town. It snowed all night and only stopped the next morning.

The snow was very thick. When you stepped on the flat ground, it would cover your ankles. Old Bai’s side had gotten up early to sweep the snow, clearing a path for people to walk. The rest of the snow was not touched, especially the pond and the stage in the backyard. The water had frozen and was covered with a thick layer of snow. In the silver-clad world, the mahogany stage was the most conspicuous, its flying eaves and upturned corners exquisite and cute.

Mi Yang found it interesting from upstairs and took out a notebook to draw two quick sketches. Bai Luochuan also followed suit and drew a little. He was too lazy to get his own paper and pen and squeezed into a corner of Mi Yang’s white paper, drawing crookedly and ugly, which made Mi Yang laugh for a while.

Bai Luochuan hugged him from behind, his chin resting on his shoulder, and also laughed. “I really can’t do this. You can teach me.”

Mi Yang then held his hand, looked up at the stage, and guided him as he drew, “Like this. First, draw a structure, just like doing geometry, and then draw the upturned corners of the roof…”

He was speaking seriously, but the young master Bai had no intention of learning. He didn’t look at the reference object at all and just looked down at the person in his arms.

After he had finished one, Bai Luochuan asked him, “Little Good Boy, do you want to go skiing?”

Mi Yang was taken aback for a moment. “Here? There’s not enough snow. And there are no flat hillsides. We probably can’t ski.”

Bai Luochuan smiled. “Not here. After we go back in a couple of days. Didn’t Zhou Tong say it was a lot of fun when they went? You like snow very much, right? When it snowed when you were a child, you wouldn’t go home and would always stay outside to play with the snow. You would be taken back by Auntie Cheng every time.”

Mi Yang rubbed the tip of his nose. “I do like it. But I’m not going now. After I go back, I want to study with Grandpa Wei for a few more days. I have to take the exam early, so I always feel that there’s not enough time.”

Bai Luochuan held his hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “Did I put pressure on you?”

Mi Yang shook his head. “No, this is very good. And I don’t really want to go and play. I can just watch skiing on TV. I also watched the Olympics with Grandpa yesterday. It’s only exciting to watch the professionals ski.”

Bai Luochuan chuckled, let go of him, and stretched lazily. “That’s right. Next time, we’ll be watching in Beijing. If you want to watch the Winter Olympics, we’ll just fly abroad for a few days. University should be quite free.”

Perhaps because he was thinking of university life, the corner of the young master Bai’s lips lifted a little. He put a coat on for Mi Yang, and the two of them went downstairs to run.

Mi Yang had good endurance and was sometimes even better than Bai Luochuan at jogging. But for explosive sports, he was not as good as the young master Bai. The two of them jogged together for a few kilometers, surrounded by snow, and the mountains and forests covered with snow. It was a bit like the border town back then.

Mi Yang mentioned a few of his former playmates to Bai Luochuan. The young master Bai remembered them all, but when he heard Mi Yang mention “Wang Yiyi,” he narrowed his eyes. “Why do you only remember the names of the female classmates? Are you thinking of the pretty school belle again?”

Mi Yang said, “No.”

Bai Luochuan said, “Speaking of which, when are you going to return the letter to Ningning?”

Mi Yang thought for a moment. “After we go back. I’ll ask her out before school starts, make things clear, and then I’ll study hard.”

Bai Luochuan immediately said, “I’ll go too.”

Mi Yang looked up at him and hesitated for a moment. “You… alright then. You can sit a little further away. Don’t let her see you. I don’t plan on letting anyone else know about this. You shouldn’t mention it either. The little girl is very nice. Try not to make her too sad.”

Bai Luochuan was jealous. “Am I not good?”

Mi Yang stood on his tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “You’re the best.”

He then continued to run forward. The young master Bai stood there and savored it for a moment. The little bit of jealousy in his heart completely dissipated, leaving only sweetness.

After staying in Shanhai Town for a few days, Bai Jingrong went back to the army first. His annual leave was only a few short days, and he only had this little time to be reunited with his family all year round. Before he left, Luo Jiangjing had Bai Luochuan serve him a cup of hot tea. Although she didn’t say it, it was the son who had bowed his head first. The father and son did not talk much, and it was only on this last day that they had eased up a lot.

Mi Yang had been with Bai Luochuan at the old residence for a few days, then went back to the old Mrs. Cheng’s. The old lady had also missed him terribly and would call him three times a day, asking him to remember to come home after he had had his fun.

Cheng Qing was the eldest in the family, so Mi Yang became the big cousin in the family. The few children who had been sent over for the winter vacation were all very close to him, especially the little cousin from the third aunt, Cheng Ru’s family. Before, he had always played with his sisters during the holidays. This year, he was ten, and he probably had a little sense of being a little man. He had started to like to follow his big cousin around like a little tail.

But he couldn’t follow for long. Mi Yang was too busy. Besides being at the old Mrs. Cheng’s, he would also often run to the small wooden house in the camphor grove to visit Mi Hong, staying to cook for him, talk with him, and restore books and such. Sometimes, he would come back early, but there would always be someone at home to compete with him—the young master of the Bai family was like he was on a timer, completely occupying the little time he had left. The reason was quite good: to study together.

He had even stayed at the Cheng family’s once and had slept in Mi Yang’s room.

This room was small, and the bed was not as big as the one at the Bai family’s old residence. But it was warmer to sleep together in the winter.

Bai Luochuan held him from behind and, in the dark, leaned close to whisper for Mi Yang to give him a kiss. He said it several times before Mi Yang turned his head to kiss him.

Mi Yang found that this person could not be spoiled. If he relaxed his guard a little, he would soon push his luck.

Mi Yang lowered his eyes and kissed him, then suddenly put his hand on his waist and said vaguely, “What are you doing? Get out.”

The young master Bai was still the one to complain first. “You’re not concentrating.”

Mi Yang ignored him, pulled his hand out, and placed it outside his pajamas. “Stop it. Let’s sleep.”

Bai Luochuan didn’t move his hand from his clothes. He kissed Mi Yang and whispered, “I’ll just touch your stomach. I won’t do anything else.”

Mi Yang dodged a little. “It tickles. I don’t want to. I have to send a book to Grandpa tomorrow. I have to get up early…”

Bai Luochuan said, “Just for a bit, okay?”

Mi Yang hesitated for a moment, then slightly relaxed his grip. The young master Bai then lifted the hem of his shirt and slipped his palm in, pressing it against his soft little belly. The touch of his skin was very good, and when he slid to the side of his waist, he could hold him even more intimately. Bai Luochuan thought this new position was very good and kissed him, satisfied. “Go to sleep.”

Mi Yang: “…”

Mi Yang was helpless. He closed his eyes to sleep, thinking, Fortunately, my waist isn’t ticklish.

This pile of bad habits of the young master Bai’s was all his fault for spoiling him. He could only endure it.

The old Mrs. Cheng had a slight cold. Cheng Qing was not at ease and stayed for a few more days, letting Mi Yang go back to Shanghai with the Bai family first.

Bai Luochuan was very happy. Luo Jiangjing had them take a car together. She also had business to attend to and was on the phone for over an hour. She didn’t keep the children in front of her and let the two of them go to the back to play.

Mi Yang had been by the bedside last night. Although the old Mrs. Cheng was getting an IV drip at her own home, which was a little more comfortable than in the hospital, she still needed someone to watch over her at night. Mi Yang was reluctant to let Cheng Qing get tired, so he had done it himself at night. Now, there were slight dark circles under his eyes. He had been sleeping with his eyes closed since he had gotten in the car. Bai Luochuan saw him swaying and had him lie down and rest his head on his lap, taking off his own coat to cover him and letting him sleep all the way.

Mi Yang answered a call on the way. He answered it in a daze and, after hanging up, rubbed his eyes. “Where are we?”

Bai Luochuan opened a bottle of water for him. “We’ve just entered Shanghai. Was that Uncle Mi’s call?”

Mi Yang nodded and drank a mouthful of water. “Mm, he said he was afraid Xiaoxue would cry again if she knew Mom wasn’t back yet, so he sent her to a winter camp.”

Bai Luochuan said, “Uncle Mi is also busy with work. What are you going to do by yourself for the next two days? Why don’t you go to my place?”

Mi Yang had just woken up and was very well-behaved. He nodded. “Okay.”

Bai Luochuan held his hand under his coat and squeezed it. “Then I’ll tell Bai’an. He’s asked several times and has been talking about eating.”

Mi Yang smiled. “He’s leaving in a couple of days, right?”

Bai Luochuan nodded. “Yes. It’s better to eat early. Otherwise, he’s always annoying. What do you want to eat, Japanese food or private kitchen?”

Mi Yang said, “Either is fine. You can decide. I’m not a picky eater.”

Bai Luochuan teased him, “Private kitchen is good. They have fried silkworm pupae. Do you want to try?”

Mi Yang: “…”

The young master Bai sat to the side and laughed, then ruffled his head. “I’m just teasing you. I’ll take him to a newly opened restaurant. I guarantee there won’t be any of these things.”

In the end, they still booked a Japanese restaurant.

Ji Bai’an was probably also bored. As soon as the call was made, he rushed over, arriving a little earlier than Mi Yang and the others. He was already sitting there and had ordered a lot of things. When he saw them come, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Brother, I’ve listened to you. I haven’t saved you any money. Is it all-you-can-eat today?”

Bai Luochuan sat down. “It is.”

Ji Bai’an then happily continued to choose, his finger sliding down, and he ordered seven or eight more things. “The foie gras at this place looks good. Let’s have two portions!”

Mi Yang said, “We can’t eat that much, can we?”

Bai Luochuan said, “He’s a pig. He can eat it.”

Ji Bai’an raised his eyebrows. “Nonsense, who’s a pig!” He closed the menu and said to Mi Yang with a smile, “I’m clearly yours.”

Bai Luochuan slapped his chopsticks on the table and narrowed his eyes at him. Ji Bai’an then rubbed the tip of his nose and didn’t dare to make any more trouble, muttering, “Can’t I just chat a little?”

Mi Yang sat to the side and drank his water. The private room was semi-open, and when he looked up, the environment outside was very charming. After looking for a while, he saw a familiar figure pass by. Ningning, in a red woolen short skirt, passed by from outside. She was also wearing a pretty little hat on her head, and she was exquisite and cute, smiling as she talked to another girl beside her.

Mi Yang put down his cup. “I have something to do. I’ll be out for a bit. I’ll be back in a while.”

Ji Bai’an was curious and was about to get up with him but was stopped by Bai Luochuan. “Where are you going?”

Ji Bai’an said, “I’ll go and have a look too…”

Bai Luochuan said, “Don’t go. He’s handling his own private affairs.”

“He has private affairs with you?” Ji Bai’an patted his chest with an exaggerated expression and smiled. “I thought you two were so close you’d been wearing the same pair of pants since you were little, and that you knew everything.”

This, to a certain extent, pleased the young master Bai. The corner of his lips lifted a little, and he didn’t say anything to him.

Ji Bai’an quickly understood, and the corner of his eyes lifted a little as he dragged out his voice, “Oh, you knew all along, didn’t you? Mi Yang has a little girlfriend?”

Bai Luochuan wiped the corner of his mouth, threw the napkin aside, and raised his eyebrows. “No.”

Ji Bai’an asked for a long time before he got a little out of him. His cousin was tight-lipped and only vaguely heard that Mi Yang had someone else he liked, but he couldn’t get any more information. Ji Bai’an switched to a provocative tactic. “Mi Yang didn’t tell you either, did he? He must have just told you that he has someone he likes, but he didn’t say who he likes, right?”

Bai Luochuan seriously recalled for a moment, then said proudly, “He has.”

Ji Bai’an looked at him with suspicion.

The young master Bai’s expression was open and honest. He sat there and smiled. “He’s said it more than once.”

He had heard the words “I like you” many times. When Mi Yang was happy, he would even say it in his ear for a long while, so sweet that his heart would tremble.

On the other side, Mi Yang and Ningning were talking.

Ningning had originally come out for a meal with an older sister from her family. She was taken aback when Mi Yang called out to her, and then her face flushed red with nervousness. She followed Mi Yang over, found a place where there was no one, and stood there, feeling both excited and nervous. She would look up at Mi Yang, then blink her eyes and lower her gaze, waiting for him to speak.

Mi Yang was silent for a while, then said carefully, “I’m very sorry.”

When Ningning heard this, her shoulders slumped. She wrinkled her little face. “Youth League branch secretary, don’t be like this. Just hearing those three words makes me feel that today is the worst day for me…”

Mi Yang still continued, “I’m really very sorry. I can’t return your feelings.”

Ningning’s eyes were already red, and she whispered, “Can I ask why?”

Mi Yang said, “Because I have someone I like. I like him very much. I’ve liked him since before, and I plan to be good to him alone in the future.”

Ningning sniffled. “How are you different from the others? You might as well just say that your studies are important and give me some motivation to get through my third year of high school… I really think you’re so handsome and warm. But this also sounds like something you would say. Our Youth League branch secretary is very upright and never lies.” The little girl stood there, both sad and wanting to say good things about Mi Yang. Even after being rejected, she was still on the side of the person she liked and couldn’t say a single bad word about him.

Mi Yang also stood there, a little at a loss, but he could only repeatedly say sorry to her.

Ningning was sad for a while, then sighed and recovered a little of her smile. She looked up at him. “Can I give you a hug?”

Mi Yang said, “No, how about we shake hands?”

Ningning chuckled, and the sadness of her heartbreak was diluted a lot. “Why are you so wary? Forget it. Then let’s just shake hands!”

The two of them shook hands like revolutionary comrades. Ningning was no longer crying. Mi Yang smiled at her. “You will definitely meet a very good person in the future, even better than me. And your letter, I’ll mail it back to you later. It will be sealed very tightly. Don’t worry.”

Just hearing this, Ningning remembered again how good this person was, so considerate and gentle. She was a little reluctant to let go of his hand, but the boy opposite her had pulled his back very quickly, their fingertips touching for just a moment before they separated. The person had also said goodbye to her and left.

Ningning looked at his back and felt that this person was really very good. Being their Youth League branch secretary’s girlfriend must be the happiest thing. She didn’t know which guy had gotten this luck.