Qi Yang rifled through his twenty-eight years of life experience. The last time he’d been in an environment so quiet you could hear a pin drop was when his father, Qi Dahai, had abandoned his wife and children, taking all the family’s savings with him, and vanished into thin air.
Zou Meizhu had spent a whole week processing it.
A whole week. She ignored Qi Yang, who was about to take the college entrance exam, and ignored Qi Xing, who had just been diagnosed with autism and was barely three years old. She didn’t talk, didn’t cook. She just lay in bed, and the whole house was as silent as a tomb.
Just like the private room at this very moment, after Mu Yicong’s words hung in the air with a playful edge.
Cui Wu was the first to react.
Qi Yang heard his chair leg scrape against the floor. His voice was low and heavy. “Mu Yicong, that’s going too far.”
The expressions on the old classmates’ faces were a mixed bag. The fat guy, the sports commissioner, had his mouth wide open, big enough to fit a fist. A few girls’ eyes darted back and forth between Qi Yang and Mu Yicong. The other male classmates looked at each other.
Some were shocked, some were grimacing. Most were just watching the show.
Exactly like it was back in school.
Even Ren Wei seemed surprised that Mu Yicong would say something like that. He paused for a moment before speaking. “Yicong, you’re… serious?”
“Serious my ass!” Liu Dameng pushed the table and was about to stand up.
Before he could get up, Qi Yang leaned forward slightly, lowered his head, and took a drag from his cigarette. Then he dropped the remaining half into his glass. The spark hissed and went out.
“Right here, then.” He uncrossed his legs and stood up. “Alright.”
“Yangzi!” Liu Dameng was panicking. Together with Cui Wu, he tried to stop him.
“Don’t either of you move.” Qi Yang didn’t look back. He just stared at Mu Yicong as he walked forward. “Where am I crawling from? Point it out clearly.”
Mu Yicong tilted his head elegantly. “Exactly where you made me do it.”
Seeing that they were really going through with this, the stunned people at the table finally snapped out of it.
A few classmates who were closest immediately stood up. Some pulled, some mediated, frantically trying to push Qi Yang back into his seat.
None of them had dared to interfere back in school, but now they were all putting on awkward smiles, yelling things like “What are you doing? How old are we now? This isn’t school anymore.”
Ren Wei was playing dumb. He seemed to feel like the situation was getting out of control. He was still watching Mu Yicong.
Mu Yicong remained completely composed.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, as if he were sitting on a throne. With that arrogant, contemptuous gaze that Qi Yang knew all too well, he watched him with a half-smile.
“Haven’t changed a bit, have you, Qi Yang?”
He said it lightly, and the private room fell silent again.
“Alright, I was just messing with you. I’ve been drinking, so I can’t drive. You can take me home later.”
If Mu Yicong had said anything else, Qi Yang would have gone all the way with him today.
But he had to go and say “I was just messing with you.”
I was just messing with you.
Can’t you take a joke, Mu Yicong?
Alright, I’m just messing with you.
Don’t be such a poor sport, okay?
Mu Yicong, come here. I want to show you something fun.
What’s wrong? You’re not fun anymore.
…
The memories of his youth came flooding back like seawater, and Qi Yang suddenly felt completely drained.
He looked at Mu Yicong, his face expressionless, only annoyance.
“Let go.” He shook his arm, freeing himself from Liu Dameng’s grip on his shoulder.
“Then hurry up and eat.” Qi Yang plopped back down, crossed his legs again, and grabbed a slice of orange. “I gotta get home and look after the kid.”
Mu Yicong raised an eyebrow slightly, picked up his glass, and took a small sip.
After this little incident, the atmosphere at the table actually became more relaxed. Everyone was nursing their own little schemes, reminiscing about their youth.
But no matter how the rest of the meal went, Qi Yang completely stopped caring.
He never gave a shit in the first place.
A bunch of people who would never cross paths with him again anyway. They’d barely said a word to each other back in school, but now, pushing thirty, they were pretending to be close. What exactly were they gathering for?
Who was doing well, who was doing badly? Whether Mu Yicong’s watch was worth 1.5 million or 5 million—what did that have to do with him?
Dressed all in black, like he was going to a funeral.
Right now, Qi Yang would rather be home listening to Zou Meizhu’s nagging and making sticker art for Qi Xing.
Liu Dameng and Cui Wu had come to the reunion with the intention of getting things over with, but now they felt like shit too.
“Yangzi, come have a smoke with me.” Liu Dameng stood up and walked out.
Qi Yang knew he wanted to talk. He finished chewing the food in his mouth, wiped his mouth, and followed him out.
Cui Wu shot him a questioning look, and Qi Yang pressed a hand on his shoulder, indicating he should stay put.
The three of them leaving together made it look like something was up.
Liu Dameng stood at the end of the hallway on the small balcony, lighting a cigarette. He was frowning and flicking his lighter constantly.
“I thought you quit to prepare for a baby?” Qi Yang walked over and gave him a light, offering a flame. He looked at his expression and smiled.
“Sorry, Yangzi.” Liu Dameng leaned into Qi Yang’s hand to light his cigarette and took a long, deep drag. “My bad.”
Qi Yang knew what he meant. He felt like he was the one who had pushed Qi Yang into coming, and now he’d lost face in front of his old classmates.
“Bullshit.” Qi Yang didn’t care. “You think you could have dragged me here if I didn’t want to come?”
“Fuck.” Liu Dameng was just frustrated, hands on his hips.
“Forget it,” Qi Yang said. “It’s no big deal.”
“What if Mu Yicong hadn’t let it go just now?” Liu Dameng glared at him.
“Did you really think I was gonna crawl?” Qi Yang looked back at him like he was an idiot. “What the hell are you and Cui Wu for?”
“Get lost.” Liu Dameng finally laughed.
They’d been friends since they were kids. There was no need for a lot of words between them. They just smoked in peace for a while.
Qi Yang pushed the window open, rested his elbows on the sill, and looked out.
Gotta hand it to the Nanyang Star Hotel. The location was really something. From the top floor of this landmark hotel, you could see the best night view of the whole city.
Tall buildings stood everywhere, their lights shining brightly.
And at the very edge of the city, where the cone of lights narrowed into the distance, almost hidden in the darkness, was his own home.
“I just heard today that Mu Yicong has shares in the Nanyang Star Hotel too.” Liu Dameng lowered his voice. “This bastard’s got a lot of money, huh? You really couldn’t tell back in school.”
Qi Yang smoked in silence, flicking his ash with his fingers.
Even though they were tight, there were some things back in school that only Qi Yang knew about, things that Liu Dameng and Cui Wu had never even noticed.
Like Mu Yicong’s family background.
“But how’d he turn out like this now?” Liu Dameng’s guilt had been completely drained. Even thinking about it now, he was grinding his teeth. “Look at that unforgiving attitude of his.”
“He hasn’t changed at all,” Qi Yang said.
Liu Dameng didn’t catch it. He yelled “What?” a couple of times.
Seeing Qi Yang didn’t want to elaborate, he changed the subject. “So, are you really gonna take him home?”
“Sure.” Qi Yang smoothed his hair and walked back. “Wasn’t that the whole point of coming tonight? To apologize?”
“Fuck. And what about me?” Liu Dameng kicked at him from behind.
“Go die somewhere.” Qi Yang said.
Back in the private room, the place was in full swing. Everyone was chattering away, as harmonious as a pot of congee.
Even Cui Wu was huddled with two people, deep in conversation.
Qi Yang didn’t rejoin them. He grabbed his jacket, took out his phone and car keys, and asked Mu Yicong directly, “You coming or not? If you’re not, find someone else to take you.”
“What do you mean, Qi Yang? You’re leaving already?”
Ren Wei, probably a bit drunk, came over, his face flushed, calling out.
“Why are you still so anti-social? Don’t be a buzzkill. Just do us a favor.”
You don’t have a favor to give.
Qi Yang ignored him, just staring at Mu Yicong.
Mu Yicong didn’t make a fuss. He nodded at the table and stood up too.
“Yicong, you’re leaving too?” Ren Wei was stunned.
They were about to say more, but Qi Yang looked away, went to say goodbye to Cui Wu.
Liu Dameng and the other guy were still gonna drink for a while, so he ignored everyone else and just walked out.
The private room door cut off the noisy feast. After a moment, it opened and closed again, and Mu Yicong followed unhurriedly behind him.
Qi Yang didn’t look back. He walked straight to the elevator and stopped.
Mu Yicong stopped behind him. Through the polished, mirror-like metal panel, Qi Yang noticed with some annoyance that Mu Yicong was actually at eye level with him, maybe even a little taller.
Actually, they’d been about the same height back in school too.
But Mu Yicong was more bookish, always clean and tidy, which gave Qi Yang the illusion that he was smaller and more delicate.
In reality, the kid had a vicious streak when it came to fighting.
He was just straightening his back subtly in front of the elevator doors when Mu Yicong, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. “You have a kid now?”
Qi Yang hadn’t noticed how close Mu Yicong was until he spoke. His words, carrying the faint scent of alcohol, brushed past Qi Yang’s ear.
Just then, the elevator arrived. Qi Yang stepped in and pressed the floor number before responding. “My little sister.”
The elevator car was mirrored. They sized each other up through the reflections.
Mu Yicong thought about it for a moment, then recognition dawned. “Qi Xing.”
He remembered Qi Xing’s name. Qi Yang was a little surprised. He turned his head to look at him.
Mu Yicong turned his face to meet Qi Yang’s gaze.
“What were you doing at the andrology hospital?” Qi Yang suddenly asked, out of pure curiosity.
He admitted he was being deliberately provocative.
Even though he couldn’t be bothered to keep butting heads with Mu Yicong, there was something about him that just made him uncomfortable.
To put it bluntly, he made Qi Yang uncomfortable.
From the past to the present, if they didn’t snipe at each other when they were together, Qi Yang just felt off.
Mu Yicong didn’t say anything. His eyes, with an unreadable mix of drunkenness or something else, stared darkly at Qi Yang.
“Liu Dameng ran into you when he went for a checkup,” Qi Yang said. “What, are you preparing for a baby too?”
He looked Mu Yicong up and down with a hint of malice and provocation, smirking. “Or did you just… not work, even at a young age?”
This kind of boring question was something Mu Yicong would never bother to answer.
If he was still the same as he was in school.
So Qi Yang didn’t expect an answer from Mu Yicong. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, he just stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out.
“Yeah,” Mu Yicong answered, unexpectedly.
Same careless tone, same contemptuous manner of speaking to a piece of trash, but the words he said made Qi Yang freeze in his tracks.
“I haven’t worked since I was in school.”
Mu Yicong paced slowly up behind Qi Yang and lowered his voice, right by his ear.
“Whose fault is that?”
