“Mr. Fu originally planned to come,” the driver explained for Fu Si Heng. “But he got called to a last-minute dinner, so he asked me to take you home.”
“Oh, okay.” Tao Zhi nodded. “Thanks for the trouble, Uncle Zhao.”
When they got home, the auntie had already prepared dinner.
She made all of Tao Zhi’s favorite dishes, plus some little desserts.
It was his growth spurt, and Fu Si Heng always felt like Tao Zhi didn’t eat well at school, so every time he came home, the auntie prepared tons of his favorites.
After Tao Zhi finished eating, the auntie cleaned up and went home.
She didn’t live there—Fu Si Heng didn’t like strangers in the house. The auntie only came to cook when Tao Zhi was on break and to clean when Fu Si Heng wasn’t home. Once done, she left.
Tao Zhi walked the auntie downstairs, strolled around the neighborhood, played with the cats and dogs walked by the downstairs neighbors, then went back up, showered, and flopped on the sofa.
When Fu Si Heng wasn’t home, the huge house had only him in it.
Tao Zhi sighed quietly.
Fu Si Heng wasn’t usually like this.
After bringing him over, Fu Si Heng hadn’t neglected him due to work, leaving everything to the driver or auntie. On the contrary, he paid a lot of attention to Tao Zhi.
He took good care of him and tried to finish work within the week.
But sometimes, business trips were unavoidable.
Fu Si Heng had been away on this trip for half a month already.
Tao Zhi hadn’t seen him last week either.
But last week, Fu Si Heng had Fu Zheng come keep him company, so Tao Zhi hadn’t felt lonely.
This seemed to be the first time Tao Zhi was alone in such a big, empty house.
It was so quiet.
Quiet enough to make one sad.
Tao Zhi pouted, threw himself on the sofa, and covered his face to sleep.
…
When he woke again, Tao Zhi found himself being held.
He blinked his eyes groggily and saw that the one holding him was Fu Si Heng.
“…Back?” A voice thick with nasal tones sounded. Fu Si Heng stopped and looked down at the little one in his arms.
The “little one” rubbed his eyes. Upon waking, he nuzzled Fu Si Heng’s chest with his cheek, wrapped his arms around his neck, and clung stickily, like he was whining. “Waited so long for you. Why’d you come back so late?”
“…Sorry.”
Fu Si Heng hadn’t expected Tao Zhi to fall asleep on the sofa waiting for him.
When he got back, the living room had dim lights on.
At first, Fu Si Heng didn’t notice Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi was slim and delicate, curled up on the sofa under a blanket. Plus, Fu Si Heng had drunk a bit that night and didn’t look at the sofa, planning to shower, check on Tao Zhi in his room, and go to bed.
But as he passed the sofa, he heard Tao Zhi’s soft murmur.
“Brother…”
A faint whisper. Fu Si Heng’s steps halted abruptly as he looked at the sofa beside him.
Like an abandoned, fluffy little cub, curled into a ball under the thin blanket, calling his name even in sleep.
At that moment, Fu Si Heng found it hard to describe his feelings.
He half-squatted by the sofa and watched Tao Zhi for a long time.
Even though he smelled of smoke and alcohol—which Tao Zhi disliked—the little guy kept nuzzling into his arms.
Fu Si Heng picked him up.
A faint water peach scent lingered around his nose. The person in his arms slept soundly, soft black hair falling over his forehead, long lashes casting shadows on his eyelids, breathing even and steady.
It had been years since Fu Si Heng last carried Tao Zhi like this.
Once held, the murmurs stopped, as if he slept even more peacefully now.
Fu Si Heng watched for a long while before carrying him upstairs.
In this horizontal carry, he could clearly feel that Tao Zhi’s body had grown a lot.
No longer the chubby little dumpling from childhood.
The curves of his teenage body, along with his long arms and legs, showed he had grown up.
Though his personality was still clingy, he had truly grown.
He would keep growing.
In another year, he’d be eighteen.
–
The next morning, Tao Zhi woke with no memory of Fu Si Heng carrying him back to his room the night before.
He was confused to find himself in his room and blanked for a moment.
He slipped on his slippers and pattered downstairs, blanked again upon seeing Fu Si Heng making breakfast.
“Eat breakfast,” Fu Si Heng said when he saw Tao Zhi up, removing his apron.
Breakfast was sandwiches.
Fu Si Heng drank black coffee; Tao Zhi drank milk.
They sat facing each other.
“Yesterday… From now on, Fridays, I’ll come back early. Won’t be as late as yesterday.”
Fu Si Heng had originally wanted to ask why Tao Zhi slept on the sofa.
But he felt it unnecessary.
He could guess Tao Zhi’s answer.
So he gave it directly.
Tao Zhi looked up upon hearing this.
He swallowed his toast and thought for a bit. “No need. Work comes first…”
“Nothing is more important than you,” Fu Si Heng interrupted.
Tao Zhi froze and stared at him blankly.
His rosy lips parted slightly.
Last night, he had felt very lonely.
In the empty house at night, emotions amplified endlessly.
But that was just because it was night.
Nights made one feel emotional, but daytime was fine. Tao Zhi knew that himself—
“Okay, got it,” Tao Zhi said, pursing his lips in agreement.
Fine.
Those understanding words were all fake. Though from childhood, many praised him for being sensible and considerate of his parents, sometimes he didn’t want to be.
He didn’t want to go to school five days, finally come home, and find no one there.
Didn’t want to be picked up by the driver.
For the first time, Tao Zhi was this willful.
After finishing breakfast and setting down his milk glass, he asked Fu Si Heng, “Coming home early means… from now on, every Friday, you’ll pick me up after school?”
“Mm,” Fu Si Heng looked at him and answered. “Every Friday from now on, I’ll pick you up.”
