Chapter 65

The two of them stopped in front of an apartment building.

Lu Qingyuan opened the door with a key. It was a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, not very large, but with excellent lighting. From here, one could see The Sound of Oars and Lantern Shadows of Qinhuai.

Usually at this hour, the Confucius Temple area was already very quiet. But unexpectedly, tonight it was bustling with crowds. Small red lanterns were hung among the branches, clusters of festive lanterns seeming to stretch to the horizon.

Only then did Chen Annan remember: today was the Lantern Festival.

The river water, shimmering with countless lantern reflections, looked as if scattered with crushed diamonds. The sparkling light rippled into the living room.

Illuminating that piano by the window.

He walked over and sat down. The golden imprint “Steinway & Sons” on the piano entered his eyes. The pitch-black lacquered surface reflected a gleaming light, mirroring his dusty shadow.

Chen Annan opened his mouth in disbelief, his eyes wide and round, as if he’d forgotten how to speak.

Lu Qingyuan sat down beside him and said, “When you were fourteen, you told me your dream was to sit in front of a Steinway, playing while telling your story. You said you didn’t need a lot of money, just a lot of love.”

“Now, you can sit in front of the piano and say: you want money, and you want love too.”

He just looked at him like that. The smile hadn’t quite reached his eyes, but the love seeped out.

The watch hands aligned into a single line. Bathed in this gaze, Chen Annan heard him say softly, “Cub, happy eighteenth birthday.”

The hands separated, pointing again to 01, 02, 03…

The Lantern Festival had passed. Today was the little cub’s birthday.

Outside was a chaotic bustle, but Chen Annan could only hear his own heartbeat, resonating through his chest, through flesh and blood. Clear, fierce, deafening.

So it turned out that when a person was happy to a certain extreme, they really did cry.

Chen Annan blinked, and tears fell.

“Don’t cry.” Lu Qingyuan raised his hand to wipe the tears away for him. Chen Annan’s nose was red—very pitiful.

“I said that casually. I didn’t expect you to take it to heart, nor that you’d give me all this.” Chen Annan felt he was simply too happy. He hadn’t even imagined that a casual remark could be earnestly taken to heart by someone, kept for so long.

His heart softened into a complete mess.

The word “Brother” failed to come out of Chen Annan’s mouth; only a trembling breath of air escaped.

“I usually take your words seriously.” Lu Qingyuan smiled as he wiped his face clean. “Let’s move out and live here. You hate spending Mom and Dad’s money. How about spending my money?”

“I’ve saved up a lot of money. You don’t need to feel bad about spending it. If you finish it, I can earn more.” After finishing, he pulled a bank card from his pocket and pressed it into Chen Annan’s palm.

The savings he’d accumulated for so long: most went toward buying the piano, a small portion toward renting this place. All that was left, the scattered remnants, were all on this card.

Afraid he wasn’t giving enough, Lu Qingyuan added, “It’s a bit little right now. It’ll slowly grow.”

This was the thing he had persisted in doing all along. Their future had a very, very long road ahead. Lu Qingyuan wanted to use his own two hands to pave the most brilliant beginning for his lover’s dream.

The daily necessities in the little apartment had all been set up in advance.

After coming out of the shower, wearing only a small pair of underpants, Chen Annan threw himself onto the bed, shrinking under the warm quilt. Listening to his Brother showering inside, his eyeballs darted around restlessly.

When Lu Qingyuan came out of the shower, the moisture hadn’t even dried on his body before his waist was already seized.

“Can you hold me for a bit?” Chen Annan carried the lingering dampness of the steam.

Lu Qingyuan wrapped one arm around him. With the other hand, he folded the clothes Chen Annan had thrown around messily and placed them on a chair. Then, scooping him up with both hands, he lifted and carried Chen Annan.

…

When Chen Annan kissed, he always liked to bite the lower lip first. Not hard, like a little bird pecking his lip. He opened his mouth slightly, and wetness swept in along the seam of his lips—a soft tongue.

Lu Qingyuan kissed his lips, then moved from his neck to his chin. The tip of his tongue brushed past that small mole on his neck. Chen Annan trembled faintly. His whole body was ticklish; even a slight touch seemed to awaken every nerve, making him tremble uncontrollably.

Only a small desk lamp was left on in the room. Its light was sufficient to see his sweat-dampened neck, his familiar slender shoulders and thin back, down to his two legs. When he moved, the tendon in his ankle would also tense. The cyan blood vessels looked very fine under the lamplight.

Chen Annan’s palms were clammy. Lu Qingyuan kissed his earlobe, his voice so hoarse it was barely discernible. “I didn’t prepare anything…”

Chen Annan was jolted by this sentence, his whole body breaking out in goosebumps. He hugged his Brother and stopped moving.

He loved everything about this body, from scent to temperature. Just holding him was comfortable enough.

Lu Qingyuan didn’t continue either. Doing that could cause too much harm to the body. “Let’s stop here.”

“Kiss me some more,” Chen Annan said.

Lu Qingyuan gently touched his eyelid. Chen Annan’s eyelids were thin; the capillaries beneath were clearly visible.

Lu Qingyuan could almost feel those lashes trembling against his lips. Then he got up to tidy up, wrapping the used tissues and throwing them in the trash.

This act was too taxing on stamina, the nerves tensed on all fronts. Besides, it was so late. Chen Annan’s fingers had lost all strength. Buried in the quilt, he asked, “Can I not go to school tomorrow?”

“Mm.” Lu Qingyuan pulled him into his arms. After such intimacy, his voice was hoarse. “I’ll call your teacher tomorrow to ask for leave.”

The two of them lay face-to-face on the bed, chatting for a while. Whenever they closed their eyes, the scene of what just happened replayed. Chen Annan curled up. His mouth hurt a bit. He licked it and tasted a faint rusty, metallic taste. Probably had been bitten and broken earlier. The ends of his hair were also damp. At this point, he truly had no energy. Too lazy to wipe off, he just let the stickiness be.

Chen Annan slept deeply. So deeply that when he received the call the next day, his throat was hoarse. He hummed a sleepy “Hello?” that sounded completely off.

“Sick?” Lu Wenyuan’s voice came through from the other end of the phone.

Frightened, Chen Annan sat bolt upright in a flash. “No, no, no. I’m not sick. I was sleeping.”

The sticky scent inside the room hadn’t yet dissipated. Sunlight spread across his face, a dazzling golden hue.

Lu Wenyuan said, “How are you still sleeping, young master? What time is it? No class?”

Being asked this, Chen Annan shuddered. He glanced at the time on his phone—it was actually ten in the morning! Oh no, oh no, oh no…

As he frantically searched for his clothes, he heard Lu Wenyuan ask over the phone, “Did you and your Brother go out?”

Chen Annan replied guiltily, “No, I’m at school.”

“Oh, is that so?” Lu Wenyuan sounded equivocal. “Then how come when I called your teacher to ask for leave, the teacher said a parent had already requested leave for you?”

“Ah…” Chen Annan had forgotten about that. He stammered, unable to come up with an excuse. Wearing only his small underpants, he ran around the apartment in a panic but didn’t see any sign of Lu Qingyuan.

“Did your Brother pick you up?” Lu Wenyuan asked.

“Uncle, I today—” Chen Annan hadn’t thought of an excuse yet. His little brain was mulling over whether to just pretend to be sick.

“I guessed as much,” Lu Wenyuan interrupted him. A hint of laughter hid in his voice. The tone of feigned sternness completely dissolved. “It’s your birthday today. He got you out early. So tell me, where are you two right now?”

With a guilty conscience, Chen Annan answered, “At the Confucius Temple.”

Lu Wenyuan said, “Alright, then you two come back home soon. I’ve made lunch and I’m waiting for you. Don’t go running off anywhere else.”

“Mm, mm. Okay.”

When Lu Qingyuan returned, the call had already ended. Chen Annan let out a huge sigh of relief and burrowed back under the quilt, wrapping the little blanket around himself. “Scared me to death! Uncle just called me. I thought he’d found out! Good thing he didn’t ask anything more…”

“It’s fine. I already called Dad. He was just deliberately teasing you just now.” Lu Qingyuan placed the breakfast he’d bought on the nightstand. “Hungry?”

Chen Annan shook his head. Uncle was waiting at home for them to eat. Eating now would mean he couldn’t eat much later.

For this birthday, Chen Annan never expected it would be celebrated so grandly.

Chen Annan usually didn’t lack friends, but because today wasn’t a rest day, hardly any friends his age came to celebrate. The guests were all friends and relatives invited by Lu Wenyuan, whom Chen Annan was reasonably familiar with.

As soon as the little cub entered the house, he received a pile of red envelopes and gifts. Those uncles laughed and said he was already so grown up.

Lu Wenyuan had personally prepared a large table of dishes in advance. He also ordered a two-tiered cream cake by phone, full of fruit filling inside and topped with a layer of chocolate shavings. Actually, he had also tried to make one himself following an online video, but it was ugly and misshapen, incomparable to a professional cake shop. In the end, he simply didn’t bring it out.

At that moment, he was outside in the yard talking with someone. Chen Annan secretly ate a piece of freshly cooked spare rib. Lu Qingyuan took a tissue and wiped his mouth, saying he’d gotten his face all smeared like a little calico cat.

Chen Annan happily licked his lips and said he wanted cake too. Lu Qingyuan tapped his head, calling him too gluttonous.

Chen Annan grabbed his hand and swung it, saying, “I want it, I want it, I want it.”

After greeting the guests, Lu Wenyuan came in and casually placed a little golden crown on the kid’s head. “Now our family’s little cub is officially an adult too, huh.”

Chen Annan beamed beautifully at him, not even having had time to wipe the cream from his mouth.

There were many people that day. The candles were blown out amidst the birthday song. A whole group of uncles were wishing him a happy birthday.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Nannan!”

“Happy birthday!”

Chen Annan smiled until his eyes narrowed, saying “Thank you.”

Before they even had time to cut the cake, Lu Wenyuan first took advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention and dragged the little cub into the kitchen. He gave him a red envelope, very thick.

Opening it, it was actually a bank book.

Chen Annan let out a low gasp. Opening it to look, the amount of money was dazzling. He immediately said, “I don’t want it.” Lu Wenyuan nudged his arm, smiling, and said, “Don’t refuse it. Keep it safe.”

Chen Annan truly didn’t want it. A kid like him, living and eating in someone else’s home, what did he need so much money for?

Lu Wenyuan stuffed the item into his hand and whispered, “I’m not biased. I opened a savings account for both you and your Brother. Since you two were little, I put a little in every month. It’s not much, for when you need it in the future. If you don’t accept it, then I really will be playing favorites.”

Chen Annan pursed his lips and didn’t move.

Outside was very noisy. In this small, quiet space, Lu Wenyuan patted the kid’s shoulder. “You and your Brother are both Dad’s good children. Whatever Brother has, you must have too.”

After speaking, he cupped Chen Annan’s face and smiled. “Our little birthday star has finally grown up. Be happy every day from now on too.”

That meal lasted until nearly evening. Chen Annan nervously accepted a large sum of money, his heart pounding with every beat, afraid he’d accidentally lose it. He carefully placed the bank book away in the cabinet and stood stunned for a good while.

He received many gifts today. In the evening, after the guests had all left, Xiao Qingxiang also called him to wish him a happy birthday.

Lu Qingyuan was downstairs helping his dad clean up. Just as they were finishing, he received a special-follow notification.

He clicked it open. There was no message; Chen Annan had just posted a status update.

It was a photo.

The birthday boy stood at the very front, his face smeared like a calico cat from cake. He held up the phone with one hand, the other propping up his Brother’s face. His smile was very sweet. Lu Qingyuan stood beside him, slightly bent forward, resting his chin in his palm. He actually looked rather docile.

Lu Wenyuan was completely different.

He was holding Cotton Candy in the very back, making a funny face to scare his sons. Not a bit of adult decorum.

The early spring scenery of Xuanwu Avenue fell behind them, as if lending this photo a tint of faded, aged color.

Lu Qingyuan scrolled into the details and saw the caption—”Our family / cute emoji”

Smiling, he gave it a like, then saved the photo and casually set it as his wallpaper.

Warm yellow light enveloped the living room. Lu Qingyuan was untying his apron when suddenly a clattering crash of shattering sounds came from the kitchen. He rushed out and saw Lu Wenyuan collapsed on the floor, the bowls and chopsticks he’d just put away knocked down, shards scattered everywhere with a crash.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Annan also immediately rushed downstairs. Lu Wenyuan was helped by his son onto the sofa and lay down.

He let out an awkward laugh. “I was trying to get something from the top cabinet just now. The stool wasn’t steady, so I fell. It’s nothing.”

The stool Lu Wenyuan mentioned was indeed quite old. It had always been used on the balcony. The armrests were polished smooth and glossy—a stool with some years on it.

When Lu Wenyuan had just stepped on it, he’d heard a “creak,” as if it were crying out in pain. Before he could even try to get down, he was already falling.

Afraid he might have injured something from the fall, Lu Qingyuan wanted to take him to the hospital emergency room. Lu Wenyuan refused to go through the trouble, insisting again and again it was nothing. If he really felt something wrong, he’d be able to feel it himself.

Lu Qingyuan couldn’t out-stubborn his dad. He had no choice but to rummage through the medical kit for medicine, spraying and massaging the injured area.

It was very late. Lu Wenyuan told Chen Annan to go back and sleep. The teacher had only approved one day of leave; Chen Annan still had to return to school tomorrow.

The living room grew quiet again shortly after.

Lu Qingyuan sat on the sofa and rubbed the area for his dad for a long time, each spot massaged very carefully and thoroughly. “Your bones really don’t hurt?”

“They don’t hurt,” Lu Wenyuan said.

“What about your ankle?” Lu Qingyuan went to the fridge to get ice for a cold compress. If it was a sprain, heat shouldn’t be applied.

“Still alright. Feels like it probably didn’t hurt the bone.”

“A ligament strain is also very serious. How old are you?” Lu Qingyuan truly couldn’t handle his dad. “Too late, you don’t want the hassle. Then tomorrow morning I’ll take you to the hospital to have a look. You only just recovered from that fall in the shower a few days ago.”

“Ha, that healed ages ago,” Lu Wenyuan said. “If I was really in trouble, wouldn’t I be able to feel it?”

Lu Wenyuan felt it really wasn’t necessary. Who broke a bone and couldn’t tell? He was sitting here just fine. Other than his backside hurting a bit, he was full of energy and spirit.

Seeing Lu Qingyuan ignoring him, he patted his shoulder and said, “Tomorrow I’ll go to the hospital myself, okay? Your advisor has been looking for you a lot lately. It’s not good to fall behind at this critical juncture. Just do your old man a favor: take Nannan to school in the morning.”

Lu Qingyuan was uneasy and said, “Then I’ll drop him off at school and come back to take you to the hospital.”

Lu Wenyuan waved his hand. “Why go to all that trouble? I’ll go myself tomorrow.”

He didn’t take it seriously. After going back to his bedroom, he shooed Lu Qingyuan away to go to sleep.

That night, Lu Qingyuan slept restlessly, having a series of dreams. His tossing and turning woke Chen Annan up. Still half-asleep, Chen Annan burrowed deeper into his arms.

Lu Qingyuan gently patted his back, tapping a rhythm to soothe him.

Lu Wenyuan had no idea about his son’s worries. He himself slept extremely well that night. Perhaps because he had drunk a bit of alcohol at the birthday dinner, he felt a little dizzy.

After the dizziness, he sank into a heavy sleep. He didn’t even dream one dream, just a deep, dense darkness from start to finish. Quite comfortable.

The next day, he got up early, made breakfast for the two kids, and after they’d eaten, reminded them as usual to be careful on the way. Then he left the bowls and chopsticks in the sink and tidied up to go to school.

Lu Qingyuan sent a text reminding him not to forget to go to the hospital.

Lu Wenyuan replied, “Got it.”

His head still hurt a little.

Maybe because he hadn’t drunk in a while, and suddenly drinking some yesterday, his body couldn’t handle it.

Lu Wenyuan rolled his neck, preparing to head to school first.

Just at that moment, a sudden darkness seized his entire field of vision. A sharp ringing in his ears instantly swallowed all sound. He didn’t even have time to take a step before his whole body came crashing down with a thunderous thud.