Chapter 78
It was already evening when they returned home.
Jiang Heng went to take a shower first. When he came out, Lu Yichuan was making ginger tea, the small pot bubbling merrily on the stove, the spicy aroma filling the air.
Seeing him emerge, the man beckoned him over. “Come and drink this.”
Jiang Heng peered into the pot, then sneezed from the pungent smell. “Honestly, it looks like a bioweapon.”
Lu Yichuan turned off the stove and poured the ginger tea into a bowl. “If you don’t want to spend New Year’s Eve with a runny nose, you’ll drink this bioweapon.”
Little Jiang Heng frowned, reluctantly taking the bowl. Gulp, gulp…
Lu Yichuan watched him finish, tucked him into bed, then went to take his own shower.
By the time he came out, the boy in the bed was gone, replaced by a beautiful long-haired cat playing a game on a tablet.
Seeing him, the silver-white kitten took two wobbly steps, then tumbled into the soft blankets.
“Meow!”
Lu Yichuan walked over and picked up the cat. “Come, let’s measure your height and weight.”
Little Jiang Heng pushed against his chin with his paws, his fur bristling in protest. “Meow!”
He wasn’t wearing his collar, so Lu Yichuan took his silence as consent.
He had a notebook where he recorded the kitten’s height and weight, watching the numbers change from malnourished to healthy.
Whether as a cat or a human, he had taken good care of him.
On the last day of the year, Lu Yichuan weighed and measured the cat.
Weight: 4 kg.
Height: 15 cm.
Leg length: …
The kitten wriggled out of his arms, refusing to have its legs measured.
Lu Yichuan, his eyes downcast, slowly wrote “6 cm” in the notebook.
The kitten, having run away, then returned, saw the casually written number, and protested indignantly. “Meow!”
Lu Yichuan, sitting cross-legged on the carpet, slowly capped his pen. “Not satisfied?”
Jiang Heng slapped his paw on the floor, a loud thwack. “Meow!”
Not satisfied! Extremely dissatisfied!
The man pulled out a measuring tape. “Then let’s measure again.”
Jiang Heng hesitated, then realized it had been a month since the last measurement. He couldn’t have not grown even a centimeter in a whole month, could he?
The long-haired kitten hesitantly extended a paw towards Lu Yichuan.
His fur was long and smooth now, his paw almost hidden within it.
Lu Yichuan bent down with the measuring tape, parted the fur, and measured his leg.
Both the man and the cat were incredibly serious, as if engaged in some important task.
A minute later, Lu Yichuan pointed at the measurement on the tape. “I wasn’t very precise before.”
He said with a smile, “It’s not 6 centimeters, it’s 5.8.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
He peered at the tape, the number 5.8 clearly visible.
As if afraid he didn’t believe him, Lu Yichuan placed the cat on its back in his lap, pulled out a leg from its fluffy fur, and stretched it out, Jiang Heng’s toes splayed open, the measurement stopping at 5.9.
“…”
The kitten bit the measuring tape, its eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Meow!”
Lu Yichuan pulled the tape out of his mouth. “Don’t bite randomly, it’s dirty.”
So Jiang Heng bit his hand instead.
Lu Yichuan touched the kitten’s sharp canines. “5.9 does look a bit…unbalanced. We can round it up to 6 centimeters. But Rongrong knows, I’m a man of precision. Rounding up 5.9 to 6 feels…dishonest.”
Jiang Heng looked up at him, biting down harder.
The man chuckled, his fingers buried in the kitten’s soft fur. “But Rongrong can…bribe me.”
“Meow?”
“For example…”
“…by letting me see your legs.”
He held up the kitten, looking into its glassy eyes. “Be a good boy and transform, okay?”
…
Jiang Heng’s legs in his cat form were short and stubby, but his human legs were different – long, slender, and straight. Lu Yichuan extended his hand, his palm easily encircling Jiang Heng’s calf, the skin beneath his fingers smooth and warm.
His hand slowly moved upwards, his fingers gripping his thigh, his gaze lingering. “Very beautiful.”
The boy, naked, was in a rather compromising position, his legs pressed against the man’s waist.
The wind and rain outside continued, but the room was warm, almost too warm, making Jiang Heng’s palms sweat.
He pushed against Lu Yichuan’s shoulders, trying to get down, but he was lifted and placed on the bed.
A thick carpet covered the floor, and as the boy’s toes touched it, a hand grasped his ankle.
Lu Yichuan knelt beside him, his pajama top slightly undone, his glasses, which he had been wearing earlier while measuring the kitten, still perched on his nose.
The light above reflected off his glasses, softening the darkness in his eyes, his hair falling softly around his face. If one ignored his slightly disheveled pajamas, he looked calm and composed, a refined gentleman engaged in some scholarly pursuit.
He held Jiang Heng’s leg, his fingers tracing its length, then looked at him, his voice low. “Want this?”
Jiang Heng, clutching the bedsheet, his foot arching in the man’s hand, blinked slowly. “Want…want what?”
The man pushed up his glasses, the wind and snow visible through the window behind him.
“Want me to…taste it?”
Wh-what…
Jiang Heng froze for a few seconds, instinctively recoiling. “N-no…how could you…”
Lu Yichuan wiped his fingers, his eyes darkening. “Rongrong, look at me. Tell me, do you want this?”
Jiang Heng met his gaze, his limbs weakening, the words of refusal dying in his throat.
“Then tell me, does it feel good?”
The boy whimpered, his fingers clenching, his knuckles white. Although shy, under the man’s gentle gaze, he couldn’t help but tell the truth.
“Mmm…it feels good…”
Lu Yichuan chuckled, his voice a low murmur. “Want it to feel even better?”
Jiang Heng reached out, his slender fingers tangling in the man’s hair, pulling him closer.
The proud man, before his beloved, willingly lowered his head.
Jiang Heng gasped, his head thrown back, tears blurring his vision, the world fading away.
After a while, as the wind rattled the windowpanes, everything was still.
Lu Yichuan pulled away, and Jiang Heng, looking down, saw a few drops on his glasses, a strangely erotic sight.
It’s over…he thought, I’ve defiled Lu Yichuan.
Lu Yichuan took off his glasses and kissed him.
And so he was forced to taste himself.
…
The consequence of indulgence was that Jiang Heng didn’t wake up until the next afternoon.
His body felt clean and refreshed. He sat up, his hair still a mess.
He went to the bathroom, gathered his hair, and tied it up in a messy bun, revealing his slightly flushed face.
He leaned closer to the mirror. There were hickeys on his chest, some areas… particularly affected. He buttoned his pajama top all the way up, finally hiding the evidence.
After washing up, he slowly went downstairs.
The aroma of food wafted up from below.
The weather had finally cleared, although the sun wasn’t out, it was noticeably brighter.
Seeing him, Lu Yichuan beckoned him over. “Come here.”
Jiang Heng glared at him. “Come here, come here, am I a dog? You just beckon and I come running?”
Despite his words, he still went over.
He tilted his head and saw that Lu Yichuan was making dumplings.
Lu Yichuan untied his messy bun, his fingers gently combing through his silver-gray hair, just like he used to brush his fur when he was a cat and couldn’t groom himself.
His fingers against his scalp felt soothing, and Jiang Heng closed his eyes contentedly. “Just a simple lunch today. I’ll take you out for dinner tonight.”
Jiang Heng shrugged. “Anything is fine, I’m not picky.”
“Mm-hmm,” the man said casually. “Except for cilantro, lettuce, carrots, anything too salty, anything too bland, anything that looks…unappetizing.”
“Lu Yichuan, I’m going to bite you!”
Lu Yichuan, looking at his neatly tied hair, patted his head. “There, pretty kitty.”
The pretty kitty circled the pot. “What kind of filling?”
Lu Yichuan said, “Kitten filling.”
Jiang Heng: “??”
Seriously…
After their playful banter and a quick lunch, they finally left the villa in the evening.
The streets were crowded, and there was going to be a fireworks display by the river at midnight.
Lu Yichuan took Jiang Heng to a riverside restaurant, on the top floor, with a panoramic view.
Jiang Heng, hands in his pockets, stood by the window, his hair bun swaying slightly. “Being rich is great.”
“Hmph! Evil capitalism!”
The capitalist, holding a menu, looked at him. “Want to order some…evil capitalist food?”
“Coming, coming…”
Jiang Heng sat beside him. “I want this, and this, and this…”
The drinks menu was on the last page, and Jiang Heng flipped to it. “Whoa! Lu Yichuan, let’s have some wine!”
Lu Yichuan looked at him expectantly.
“I want a bottle of ’82 Lafite!”
Lu Yichuan took the menu back. “No ’82 Lafite, but we have ’24 cola.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
He protested, “I’m an adult! And it’s New Year’s Eve! We should celebrate!”
Lu Yichuan was unmoved.
Jiang Heng stood behind him, shaking his shoulders. “Order some! Order some! Please!”
The man sighed. “What if you get drunk?”
“This kitty can hold his liquor!”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
Where did this confidence come from?
Lu Yichuan peeled the clingy octopus off his back and opened the menu again. “Let’s get some fruit wine. It’s your first time drinking, you won’t be used to other types of alcohol.”
That’s fine too…
Jiang Heng rested his head on his shoulder, looking at the menu with him. “I want this! Explosive Passion Fruit! Sounds exciting!”
“Whoa~ Spicy Red Rose! Let’s see how spicy it is!”
Lu Yichuan vetoed his spicy and explosive choices, ordering a glass of plum wine, then, under Jiang Heng’s persistent pestering, a glass of Spicy Red Rose as well.
At nine o’clock, the crowd began gathering by the river, while upstairs, in the restaurant, their food was being served.
Jiang Heng looked longingly at the two glasses of wine, and Lu Yichuan placed some food in his bowl. “Eat something first before you drink. Just a taste is enough. Fruit wine is sweet, it’s easy to get drunk, and I don’t want to carry a drunkard around.”
“I told you, I can hold my liquor!”
Lu Yichuan didn’t comment.
After eating half a bowl of rice, Jiang Heng picked up the Spicy Red Rose and took a small sip.
“Hiss!”
Lu Yichuan raised an eyebrow. “How is it?”
“Hiss…so spicy! Truly spicy!”
Jiang Heng quickly ate a couple of shrimp to neutralize the spiciness.
Then he tried the plum wine. Although it was sweet, the bitterness and alcohol were still noticeable.
Little Jiang Heng wrinkled his nose.
He said, “I thought wine was supposed to be delicious. So many people like it.”
Lu Yichuan replied, “It’s not exactly delicious, but not exactly unpleasant either. But alcohol can help you forget your worries, at least temporarily.”
“Is that why you liked drinking so much back then?”
Lu Yichuan paused, then, realizing what he was referring to, chuckled. “Sort of. Only weak and incompetent people choose to drown their sorrows in alcohol. Rongrong shouldn’t learn from me.”
Jiang Heng’s face flushed easily, and after a couple of sips, a faint pink appeared on his cheeks.
He sat beside Lu Yichuan and smiled at him. “But people don’t only drink when they’re sad. You can drink when you’re happy too.”
He raised his glass of plum wine. “Like now. We’re together, celebrating New Year’s Eve, celebrating a new year.”
“Happy New Year, Lu Yichuan.”
Lu Yichuan raised his glass of Spicy Red Rose. “Happy New Year.”
Clink!
Their glasses touched, and the first fireworks exploded outside.
It was almost eleven when they finished eating, and Jiang Heng had finished his plum wine.
The boy’s face was flushed, his eyes slightly unfocused, but he was still relatively sober, not a lightweight after all.
Jiang Heng didn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve on the rooftop, so they put on their coats and joined the crowd by the river.
The crowd was dense, and Lu Yichuan held Jiang Heng close, protecting him. As they walked, Jiang Heng suddenly heard gasps and exclamations.
He looked up and saw sleet falling from the sky.
“Lu Yichuan, it’s sleeting again!”
His breath formed small clouds in the cold air, his eyes bright. “Do you think it will snow today?”
Lu Yichuan adjusted his hat. “It will. The weather forecast said it would.”
Everyone was looking up at the sky, anticipating the first snow.
Suddenly, a countdown appeared on a large screen across the river.
10
9
8
7
…
The crowd chanted,
“Three! Two! One!”
Boom! Fireworks exploded in the sky.
Jiang Heng yelled, “Happy New Year, Lu Yichuan!”
“Happy New Year, Rongrong.”
Fireworks exploded above them, Jiang Heng’s head tilted back, Lu Yichuan bending down, and like many other couples in the square, they kissed amidst the fireworks.
…
The fireworks continued, and Jiang Heng and Lu Yichuan moved away from the crowd.
The sleet turned into snowflakes, light and fluffy, falling steadily from the sky.
Jiang Heng looked up at the snow. He had seen snow many times before, but in City A, where it rarely snowed, it felt…precious.
“Lu Yichuan, it’s really snowing.”
“Mm-hmm, it’s snowing.”
“Hee hee!”
He jumped onto the man’s back. “Carry me!”
Lu Yichuan’s arms supported him. “Would you get down if I said no?”
“Hmph!”
The snowflakes melted as soon as they touched the ground, but they continued to fall, gradually accumulating, covering the ground in white.
A tall man in a black overcoat, carrying a boy on his back, walking against the flow of the crowd, the fireworks exploding behind them.
Jiang Heng took off his hat, letting the snowflakes fall on his hair, his silver-gray hair dusted with white.
“Lu Yichuan, if we share the snow together, does it count as…growing old together?” He quoted a line from Gong Zizhen’s poem.
[Translator’s Note: From Gong Zizhen’s “Miscellaneous Poems of the Year Jihai.”]
“It counts.”
Jiang Heng swung his legs.
“Have I told you how much I like you?”
“No.”
“Lu Yichuan, I like you so much…”
“Mm-hmm, Lu Yichuan also likes Rongrong very much.”
I love you.
“Hee hee!”
“I heard you!”
[End of Main Story]
