How to Easily Capture a Long Aotian [Quick Transmigration] 103

Chapter 103: My One and Only (End of Main Text)

As thick layers of fallen leaves drifted down in the city, Chen Shizhou had finally managed to take his annual leave with great difficulty, and he had gone home with Yu Lin for the New Year.

The city where they had grown up had not changed much. The streets were straight and wide, and the zebra crossings had been newly painted, and they were particularly conspicuous in the old city.

The sky had a thin winter chill. Chen Shizhou was driving, and looking out through the car window, he could see the smoky stalls on the side of the street.

Even in winter, there were people who did not go home. They were guarding the side of the street, and they were quietly in a daze, and he didn’t know what they were thinking.

This city was not large, and the stories of ordinary people were quietly happening in the corners. Ever since his father had left, his mother had refused to come back to this city. Yu Lin had flown over to be with her for a long time a while ago.

Before she had left, his mother had stroked his hair, and she had smiled and had held back her tears, and only then had she dared to say to him softly, “You can go back and see him for me. He must miss us very much.”

His parents had been in a campus romance. His mother had a gentle but strong personality. In the past, his father had always been in front of her when something had happened, but after his father had left, she had not mentioned him once. Perhaps they had only met in their dreams after that.

Yu Lin had also not been back to this place where he had grown up for a long time. Chen Shizhou was driving, and the trees were flashing by outside the car window. Yu Lin was leaning against the glass, and he was looking at the familiar yet strange scenery outside the window, and he was in a daze for a moment.

“Do you want to eat chestnuts?” His palm was suddenly covered by a warmth. Yu Lin looked up, and Chen Shizhou had stopped the car at a red light, and he had suddenly come to hold his hand, and he had asked him in a low voice.

“Chestnuts?” Yu Lin’s fingers were lightly intertwined with Chen Shizhou’s, and he had withdrawn his gaze from the smoky snack stall, and he had remembered that there had been a very delicious roasted chestnut stall here when he was a child, the kind that tourists from other places would specially bring a bag of.

“Is it still there?” Yu Lin had subconsciously thought of this one, but he had not been back for more than ten years, and he did not know if this city had undergone a drastic change.

“It is.” The traffic light in front had jumped, and Chen Shizhou had ruffled his hair, and he had withdrawn his hand. “But it was renovated a few years ago, and it has changed its location. The owner wanted his son to take over, but he was always a little lacking, so now he is both scolding and teaching.”

As he was speaking, he had turned the direction, and a row of tall tree shades had passed by their ears, as if with the sound of the wind.

The scenery on the side of the road had gradually become old, and it had become the appearance of the old city. When they had reached a lively crossroads, Chen Shizhou had parked the car, and he had let Yu Lin sit and wait for him, and he had gone down to queue.

The queue was very long, and Chen Shizhou’s tall figure was submerged in it. Yu Lin was resting his head on the glass and was looking at him, and the street was filled with the fragrance of chestnuts.

Before he had gone home, Chen Shizhou had taken Yu Lin to see his father.

His father was sleeping on the mountain. In winter, there were not many people here, only a grave keeper, who was wearing thick gloves, and was sweeping the leaves on the ground bit by bit.

Yu Lin’s father had saved a person who had almost been hit by a car at that time, but he himself had been hit. He had not felt any pain, so he had not paid any attention to it. By the time he had started to get sick, it had been too late, and his mother had tried every means but had not been able to keep him.

Everything had happened very, very quickly, as if a tree that had been full of life a second ago had quickly withered and died in a short period of time. Yu Lin only remembered the last time he had seen him, and his father had no more strength, and he had looked at him with guilt, and he had said he was sorry.

Then he had become a thin photo on the mountain. The old people in the family had told his mother that with such a fate, she should not come to see him often, and she should not give him too many things, otherwise he would become a lonely ghost, and he would not be able to protect his own things, and he would be bullied.

So his mother had left from afar, and she had never dared to come again.

When they were young, it was always his father who had protected his mother, but after his father had left, his mother had also grown into a resilient tree.

“Mom said not to bring too many things for dad.” In the cemetery, where there were still a few leaves, Yu Lin was half-kneeling by the thin photo, and he was a lonely little thing.

The man in the photo was tall and handsome, and he was full of spirit. Yu Lin had not seen him for a long time. He had lowered his head a little and had said softly, “Mom can’t stand his things being snatched away. She doesn’t want people to bully him.”

Chen Shizhou had squatted down with him, and he had looked at the man in the photo, and he had said softly, “They won’t.”

He had said in a low voice, “When he sees you, he won’t let himself be bullied.” Even if he becomes a lonely ghost, he will not be able to bear it.

The rustling wind had blown from the mountains, and the tombstone had been wiped very clean. Yu Lin had gently touched his father’s photo, and he had let him see his current appearance.

“Mom and I are fine.” he had said softly, “You can rest assured too, okay?”

He and his mother had never become worse because of his father’s departure, but they had lived their own lives quietly.

For a long time, Yu Lin had always thought of the man who had been full of spirit on his sickbed, and his red eyes, and his gritted teeth, and his repeated apologies to them, so he and his mother had also not dared to let themselves live a bad life.

They were the most important people to each other, and they both had to let the other rest assured.

After they had come down from the mountain, Yu Lin had taken a nap in the car. Chen Shizhou had not woken him up, but he had driven around the city over and over again, and he had watched the sky gradually darken, and the streetlights were dim yellow.

The lights were flashing in the dark night, and they were illuminating the faces of the people who were not going home. Chen Shizhou’s mother knew that they had come down from the mountain, and she had gently sent him a message, and she had asked him if Yu Lin was hungry, and when they could cook.

Chen’s father was sitting on the sofa and was reading the newspaper. He had seen that she was not in front of her child, but her fingers were still gently tapping, and she did not dare to be too loud, and he had shaken his head helplessly.

She was a soft-hearted person. When she had heard that her son was planning to be alone for the rest of his life, she had shed tears once. When she had heard that her son had had a hard time in his secret love for a boy, she had shed tears again. When she had heard that the other had to go to the mountain to see his father, she had shed tears again.

Life was long, but it was also short. The city where they were was closed, and she was actually not used to it, and she did not even understand two boys being together, and she found it very strange.

She had also thought that if her son could marry a wife and have children normally, it would be good. She did not ask him to be very outstanding, or very powerful. She just wanted him to live a good life.

But her child had a person in his heart, and the other was also a good child. Thinking like this, there was nothing more important than a family being able to be together.

The phone had vibrated, and Chen Shizhou had said a time.

She was holding her phone, and after a moment of hesitation, she had still kicked her husband’s calf. “I’m warning you. Don’t show a particularly serious expression later, especially your unhappy look. Put it away! Don’t scare them.”

Chen’s father: “?”

Chen’s father was a little speechless. “I’ve always been like this, haven’t I? Didn’t you used to say that you liked me like this, that I wouldn’t even say a word if you kicked me, and that it made you feel particularly steady and reliable?”

“Uh…” His wife was suspiciously silent.

“Hmm?” Chen’s father had felt that something was wrong. He had put down the newspaper and had raised his eyebrows slightly. “What’s wrong? Have you changed?”

“I haven’t!” His wife had already run away quickly.

Chen Shizhou had brought Yu Lin home. Downstairs in the community were a few dim lights, and from time to time, a very faint sound of insects could be heard from the bushes by the road. Yu Lin had just woken up, and the two of them were not walking fast, as if they were taking a walk.

“Have uncle and aunt been waiting for us for a long time?” Yu Lin was a little annoyed. He had fallen asleep, and he didn’t know the time, and in the end, Chen Shizhou had taken him for a drive around the city.

“Not for long.” It really hadn’t been for long. Yu Lin had something to do and had not finished it. When he was sleeping, he had also remained vigilant, and he had woken up very quickly. It was just that he did not want the elders to wait.

“We’re here.” Seeing that he was pressing his lips together, and he had an annoyed look on his face, Chen Shizhou had held his fingers. “I’m sorry. I won’t make a decision on my own next time.”

He had wanted his boyfriend to rest a little more, but this was not necessarily what the other wanted.

Yu Lin was stunned for a moment, and he gently intertwined his fingers with his. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize. I’m not unhappy.”

“En.” The two of them’s fingers were intertwined.

They had slowly walked past the cobblestone path, and when the light in front of them had suddenly become bright, and it had become warm, Chen Shizhou had gently pulled the fingers by his side. “We’re here.”

“We’re here?” Yu Lin looked at the obvious main door in front of him and felt inexplicably nervous.

Before long, he had been hugged by a lady who had heard the commotion in the door and had come out. “Lin Lin is here.” she had said gently.

Chen Shizhou’s mother had a completely different personality from the cold father and son. Her voice was gentle, and she was always very happy.

At the dining table, she had secretly shared with Yu Lin, “It’s a good thing you’re here. Otherwise, I would have really been worried that this guy would be alone for the rest of his life.”

Yu Lin was stunned. “Alone for the rest of his life?”

“That’s right.” Chen’s mother had shaken her head gently, and she had imitated Chen Shizhou’s tone, and she had said in a rough voice, “Mom, I know what it’s like to like someone. I’ve already had it. I’m very happy. I’m also very good on my own. I don’t need something useless like companionship.”

As she had spoken, she had smiled, and she had raised her eyebrows slightly and had looked at Chen Shizhou, who had a placid expression on the other side, as if he hadn’t heard anything. “He even said that I don’t understand. Can I not know my own child? Is this really something useless?”

Chen Shizhou: “…”

Yu Lin had joined in the fun and had looked over with curiosity.

In the midst of the two of them’s gazes, Chen Shizhou had put down his chopsticks and had said placidly, “No.”

Seeing that he had finally admitted after being stubborn for many years, his mother was both angry and amused, and she looked at Yu Lin helplessly. “You see? Okay. From now on, the most important thing is that you two are well.”

“Okay.” Yu Lin replied softly. “We will.”

***

After staying in this city for a week, Chen Shizhou, who was always working overtime, could no longer stay, and he had to continue to go back to work overtime.

Before he had left, their last stop had been No. 1 High School.

It was the winter vacation, and there was only a lazy old man on duty at the entrance of No. 1 High School. It had snowed a little last night, and the ground was a thin layer of white.

No. 1 High School allowed graduates to come to their alma mater to reminisce. After they had registered the two of them’s information, the old man had quickly let them in.

After the two of them had walked away, the slow computer had displayed the two of them’s report cards, and the surprised old man had kept craning his neck.

The road was still the same road, and it had been renovated, but he could still see the shadow of the past. The branches of the trees were bare, and there were no pink flowers, but they had become fluffy white catkins.

There was no purpose to this trip, and there were no people. The two of them were just holding hands, and they had gone from the school gate to the teaching building, and then to the bulletin board, and they had glanced at the outstanding students of all previous years.

This wall was often changed, but it had generously left traces. In a not-so-conspicuous corner, Yu Lin and Chen Shizhou had seen the two of them’s figures.

Perhaps it was because their grades had been outstanding enough that year, and so many years had passed, but the school had still left a small corner for them, which told of the two of them’s differences.

Chen Shizhou had been standing by this wall and had been looking at him. Yu Lin looked at the inconspicuous, and even a little blurry, photo in the corner, and he was a little lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” A little bit of snow was falling from the sky. Yu Lin lowered his eyes and lightly bumped Chen Shizhou’s arm.

Chen Shizhou was holding his fingers, and he had lifted his chin, and he had lowered his eyes to look at the young Yu Lin, who was smiling naively on the wall. After a long while, he had said, “I’m thinking of you.”

I’m thinking of you. I don’t know what I’m thinking, but I’m just thinking of you.

My dear, it has been the eleventh year since I have liked you.

I’m thinking of you bumping into my arms in the bright spring sunlight.

The word ‘love’ in the world is full of twists and turns, and it is the most special when it is an unexpected encounter.