Hearing Fu Si Heng’s low, familiar voice, Tao Zhi inexplicably felt a sense of reassurance.
The corners of his lips curved up slightly, and he called out, “Brother Fu.”
It was quiet on Tao Zhi’s end, where the sound of wind and pedestrians chatting could be heard.
It felt a bit empty.
“Outside?” Fu Si Heng asked.
“Yeah.” Tao Zhi said, “The soundproofing at home isn’t great.”
In reality, the soundproofing was fine. He had come downstairs to take the call because he was sleeping on the sofa, in an open space without a door, which made him feel like he had no privacy. He worried that someone might suddenly open a bedroom door and hear him talking.
It felt safer downstairs, where no one was around.
But there was no need to tell Fu Si Heng about that.
“There are stars out tonight,” Tao Zhi said, tilting his head back.
“Really? They must be beautiful,” Fu Si Heng replied, looking up at the sky as well.
Only a couple of faint specks of starlight twinkled near the moon.
But to him, they seemed bright, as if he and Tao Zhi were gazing at the same night sky.
“Yes, very beautiful,” Tao Zhi said.
Fu Si Heng smiled.
After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why do you still have to tutor your cousin?”
“His grades aren’t good,” Tao Zhi answered.
Fu Si Heng said, “Bad grades have nothing to do with you.”
“That’s not how it works,” Tao Zhi laughed helplessly and explained, “My mom’s in the hospital, and my aunt has been helping out—cooking and bringing it over, letting us stay in the guest room. Tutoring my cousin is just me paying them back.”
Fu Si Heng: “.”
What kind of logic was that?
Fu Si Heng didn’t agree.
Even if it was about paying back a favor, it shouldn’t fall on Tao Zhi, who was still a student himself.
That was his parents’ responsibility.
Taking care of his sick mother was already exhausting enough—busy all day, and then at night, instead of resting, he had to deal with that disobedient high school punk.
How could they dump it all on Tao Zhi?
“It’s fine. I’m the older brother, so helping my younger cousin with his studies is only right,” Tao Zhi said nonchalantly.
Among all the siblings still in school at home, he was the oldest.
He had always done well in studies, gotten into a good university, and everyone told him that as the big brother, he should help take care of and discipline his younger siblings.
It was only natural.
“A brother who’s not even 19 yet,” Fu Si Heng scoffed.
“Almost, almost,” Tao Zhi replied earnestly, straight-faced. “After this month, June 1st is my birthday.”
“Then I’ll be 19.”
Fu Si Heng: “.”
That wasn’t what he meant at all.
Fu Si Heng didn’t say anything. He lit a cigarette casually and stood by the windowsill, smoking.
What he really wanted to tell Tao Zhi was that he could help him.
All the problems Tao Zhi was facing were no issues at all for him.
He could hire a caregiver for Tao Zhi, move his mom to a better hospital, get a tutor for his cousin— he could solve everything.
Tao Zhi wouldn’t have to pay any price for it.
He wouldn’t have to do anything; Fu Si Heng just wanted him to have it easier.
But Tao Zhi had refused his help.
He wouldn’t even let him book the flight ticket or come back to his hometown with him.
According to Tao Zhi, he couldn’t take advantage of him.
Fu Si Heng had found it amusing back then, thinking he was adorably foolish.
He wasn’t laughing now.
Fu Si Heng exhaled a puff of smoke.
“Brother Fu, have you been… no, over this period, has work been busy?” Perhaps because they were on this topic, Tao Zhi naturally thought back to recent events.
Ever since… he was exposed, Fu Si Heng had been coming to his school almost every day.
And Fu Si Heng had been working then too.
He must have been.
Because when Tao Zhi studied in the library, Fu Si Heng worked in his office. And when he was at the hospital caring for Fu Zheng, he saw Fu Si Heng taking calls from his assistant.
Fu Si Heng was busy, managing such a huge company—he should be very busy.
Yet he still came to find him every day, picking him up and dropping him off at the hospital to visit Fu Zheng.
Tao Zhi hadn’t realized it before.
He had asked, but Fu Si Heng brushed it off with “not busy,” and Tao Zhi hadn’t thought deeper about it. He believed whatever Fu Si Heng said.
Only now, experiencing it himself, did he empathize.
The kind-hearted, not-yet-19-year-old boy—still just a kid in Fu Si Heng’s eyes—after a busy and tiring day, didn’t complain. Instead, he empathized with Fu Si Heng, who had been in the same situation.
Feeling guilty, Tao Zhi lowered his head and told Fu Si Heng, “You shouldn’t come to my school so often anymore.”
Fu Si Heng: “?”
Fu Si Heng paused, the ash falling onto the back of his hand and burning a mark.
But he didn’t care.
How did it suddenly turn to this—
“We can meet on weekends,” Tao Zhi said, gripping his phone tightly and whispering, “Your place is so far from my school. Don’t come over so often—you’ll be running back and forth, and it’ll tire you out.”
“Weekends are fine.”
Fu Si Heng: “…”
Tired.
Connecting it to Tao Zhi’s earlier question about being busy, Fu Si Heng finally understood what he meant.
His heart skipped a beat in shock.
Fu Si Heng flicked the ash off the back of his hand.
“Brother Fu, are you listening?” Not hearing a response, Tao Zhi asked puzzledly.
The slightly echoing voice, combined with Tao Zhi’s soft, gentle tone, made Fu Si Heng feel like his heart was being wrapped in the world’s softest, fluffiest down feathers.
So gentle, filling every crevice.
Something swelled up, as if it might overflow.
Fu Si Heng took a deep breath and stubbed out his cigarette.
“I’m listening,” he replied. “Not tired. I can come find you every day.”
“You will be tired,” Tao Zhi insisted.
“Are you tired then?” Fu Si Heng asked him.
“Huh?” Tao Zhi was caught off guard.
Normally, if someone asked, he’d say no.
These were things he was used to doing—how could he be tired?
But now…
With Fu Si Heng, there was nothing to hide.
He didn’t really want to hide it either.
