Lin Fengqi was confused, and Wen Xia was equally at a loss.
What was Lin Fengqi talking about? What did he mean by “You chased me?” with that questioning tone?
Wen Xia finally stood up, and Lin Fengqi, still in a daze, sat up as well.
Wen Xia stared at him and, enunciating each word clearly, said, “I used to chase after you.”
Lin Fengqi: “Used to?”
Wen Xia’s face twitched: “…In high school.”
For a moment, the bewilderment on Lin Fengqi’s face gradually turned into a slow realization, tinged with shock.
He stared blankly, his eyes widening slightly, as if he had just heard the most impossible thing in the world.
“How could that be…” he finally muttered, his lips moving as if he were talking to himself, “Wen Xia… chased me?”
Wen Xia stared at Lin Fengqi, and Lin Fengqi stared back at him.
In the silence, the two of them locked eyes, neither blinking.
In the end, Wen Xia was the first to break the silence. “You can apply the ointment yourself. If there’s nothing else, I’ll… go to bed.”
He mumbled as he shoved the ointment into Lin Fengqi’s hand and quickly retreated to his room, carrying Wen Da Ge with him.
Lin Fengqi blinked, looking down at the ointment in his hand, then back at Wen Xia’s bedroom door. His expression gradually became blank again.
That night, Wen Xia tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. Although he was long past the phase of getting used to a new bed, he spent the entire night dreaming, all about Lin Fengqi. However, when he woke up, he couldn’t remember a single one.
He lay on the bed after waking up, feeling clear-headed but running through the events of the previous night in his mind.
Lin Fengqi had confessed.
But it seemed like he didn’t know that Wen Xia had chased after him in the past.
Was it because he was drunk? Not thinking clearly?
The phone on the bedside table vibrated, and Wen Xia carefully turned over, making sure not to disturb Wen Da Ge, who was curled up at his side, and reached for the phone.
It was Wen Shan Hai calling. “Still sleeping?”
Wen Xia: “Just woke up.”
“You slept like the dead,” Wen Shan Hai grumbled. “I brought your car back. I was going to call you down to get the keys, but you didn’t pick up after several calls. I even came up and knocked on your door, but you didn’t wake up. Are you even home?”
Wen Xia propped himself up, ignoring the question. “Dad, you’re not still waiting outside the door, are you?”
Wen Shan Hai snorted. “Do you think I’m an idiot? Look at the time. Do I look like someone who has two hours to spare waiting outside your door?”
“Then where are the car keys?” Wen Xia sighed in relief. If Wen Shan Hai had been standing outside, he would have had to rush over to open the door.
“They’re under the doormat by the door. Hurry up and get them. It’s pretty obvious, and I don’t want someone else to take them.”
After hanging up, Wen Xia checked the time. It was almost noon. Maybe because he had fed Wen Da Ge an extra meal before bed last night, the little guy hadn’t woken him up for breakfast.
As for the small robot, Xiao Wu, next to the bed, he had only set it to ring an alarm on weekdays.
Before opening the door, Wen Xia hesitated, unsure of how to face Lin Fengqi. Last night, when Lin Fengqi had confessed, Wen Xia had been so confident, thinking about how he would tease Lin Fengqi with the recording once he sobered up. But in the end, he had played the fool himself.
He still couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong.
After steeling himself, Wen Xia opened the door—
A’Mou came running over, wagging his tail to greet him, but other than that, the house was eerily quiet. Lin Fengqi wasn’t in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, or living room.
The house was empty, except for him.
Could it be that Lin Fengqi, remembering everything after sobering up and feeling too embarrassed, had simply run away to avoid him?
Wen Xia couldn’t stand that thought.
He immediately turned around, went back to his room, and called Lin Fengqi.
The call took about ten seconds to connect. When it did, neither of them spoke right away. After about five seconds of silence, Wen Xia got straight to the point: “Where are you?”
“At the nursing home.” Lin Fengqi’s tone was perfectly normal.
Wen Xia stroked Wen Da Ge’s head and made a noncommittal sound, unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
“…Lunch is on the table; it’s probably cold now, so you should heat it up before eating,” Lin Fengqi suddenly said. “The rice is in the rice cooker, still warm, I think. I made steamed pork with egg, too; it’s in there. Be careful not to burn yourself when you take it out.”
The man’s voice was low, almost hesitant, with pauses that made the sentence sound stilted and awkward.
Wen Xia was stunned. Before he could respond, the call was abruptly cut off.
—So, he remembered, huh?
A straightforward yet clumsy display of concern.
It seemed like a first for him.
Now the question was, how much did Lin Fengqi remember? Everything? Or just the more memorable parts?
Wen Xia wanted to know but decided to ask in person.
The food on the table was cold, so he reheated it a bit. When he opened the rice cooker, a fragrant aroma of egg, meat, and a hint of scallion wafted out. The bowl of steamed pork with egg was still warm. The bowl was hot, so he used tongs to lift it out. The rice beneath was also still warm.
The food hadn’t been touched, indicating it was made just for him.
As Wen Xia sat down to eat, he found himself wondering if Lin Fengqi was already trying to woo him.
—
After half a month, Wen Xia returned to his apartment. He had rented the place since graduating from college and had lived there ever since. The landlord was overseas and had rented the place to him for years, only checking in when it was time to collect rent. The landlord didn’t care about anything else, even allowing Wen Xia to keep pets. The only condition was that Wen Xia had to pay for any damage to the furniture, like scratches on the sofa.
Over the years, he had replaced two sofas.
There was no helping it. Sofas seemed to have a natural allure for cats, and even though Wen Xia had plenty of scratching posts around the apartment, Wen Da Ge had a particular fondness for the sofa. However, now that they were living at Lin Fengqi’s place, perhaps because A’Mou was guarding every nook and cranny, Wen Da Ge hadn’t managed to leave any marks on the sofa.
When Wen Xia lifted the doormat to retrieve his car keys, he thought about whether he should just give up the apartment. Now that his family’s financial situation had improved, and his father had nearly filled the hole left by that scam, Wen Xia had some savings. Buying a house with a mortgage wouldn’t be a problem.
Paying in full was still a bit difficult, though. It wasn’t impossible, but it would leave him without any liquid funds.
He still had a studio to support, and being a small business owner wasn’t easy.
The main thing was, now that he was living with Lin Fengqi, he probably wouldn’t be coming back to this apartment anytime soon. Keeping the place would mean paying rent and property fees, which was just a waste of money.
Better to save where he could.
Having made up his mind, Wen Xia did a thorough inspection of the apartment to make sure there was no damage he’d have to pay for. Since he was already there, he also decided to pack up some more clothes and things for Wen Da Ge.
By the time he finished packing, he had more stuff than expected. He even disassembled Wen Da Ge’s favorite cat tree and took it along. After all that, it was nearly dusk when he left.
Carrying all those bags, he made two trips to the car. On his last trip back, he ran into his neighbors.
The neighbors were a family of three. The couple had probably taken their daughter out for the day. The little girl was holding a cartoon helium balloon in one hand and a big chicken leg in the other, munching away with greasy lips. When she saw Wen Xia, her eyes lit up. “Big brother!”
Wen Xia had lived there for years, frequently crossing paths with the neighbors. When he first moved in, the little girl was only two. She had always been very social and had taken a particular liking to him for some reason.
The little girl ran over, chattering away. “Big brother, I haven’t seen you in so long! Where have you been?”
Wen Xia set down his things, pulled a clean tissue from his pocket, and squatted down to wipe her greasy little face. “Big brother was out wandering the world.”
The little girl’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Wen Xia: “Yes.”
“Like Chu Liuxiang?” she asked, referencing a famous martial arts character.
“Something like that.”
The little girl let out a delighted “Wow!” and cheered, “Big brother is so cool! I want to wander the world too!”
Her parents caught up, both amused and exasperated. This little girl wasn’t into typical things like most kids; she was obsessed with martial arts dramas. She was always talking about becoming a heroine, and while most kids had fairy tales read to them at bedtime, she asked her parents to read her martial arts novels.
Wen Xia greeted the couple, and the mother took the little girl home. The father lingered for a moment, then remembered something and asked Wen Xia, “By the way, have you not been home lately?”
“Yeah, I’m planning to move out soon, and then I’ll be giving up the apartment.”
“I thought so… This morning, when we went out, we saw a tall, skinny middle-aged man pacing in front of your door,” he said, gesturing, “We asked him, and he said he was your dad, here to drop something off for you.”
“That was my dad. He called me about it, so I came back.”
“Oh, that’s good. We were worried it might be someone suspicious, checking out the place or something,” the father apologized with a laugh. “Sorry if we caused any trouble for you and your father.”
Wen Xia smiled and said it was no problem.
Wen Shan Hai didn’t come by often. He must have missed running into the neighbors before, so they didn’t recognize him.
As he left, the little girl’s voice rang out from the crack in the door. “Bye, big brother!”
Wen Xia waved to her.
By the time he returned to Lin Fengqi’s place with all his stuff, night had fully fallen. The temperature had dropped rapidly over the past few days, and today marked the start of winter. According to the weather forecast, they were expecting the first snow of the year soon.
Thankfully, his cold was almost gone. Otherwise, he’d be worried about stepping outside and freezing his snot into icicles.
Lin Fengqi was already home. Wen Xia set down his things in the entryway and immediately turned to head back downstairs to grab the last bag, which contained Wen Da Ge’s cat tree.
“Where are you going?” Lin Fengqi called after him.
“There’s one more bag left. I’ll be right back.”
Lin Fengqi went to the entryway to change his shoes. “I’ll help you.”
Wen Xia watched him change shoes but still tried to stop him with words. “You don’t need to. It’s just one last bag, no need for both of us.”
Lin Fengqi didn’t say anything. Instead, he proved his determination by heading outside after putting on his shoes.
As expected, Lin Fengqi ended up carrying the last bag upstairs.
As he carried the bag, Lin Fengqi heard the sound of something clunking around inside. “What’s in here?”
“A cat tree,” Wen Xia replied. “I remembered it when I saw the one at Liao Xingchen’s place.”
Lin Fengqi paused, quickly apologizing, “I’m sorry.”
Wen Xia: “? Why are you apologizing again?”
“I completely forgot about it…”
Wen Xia had been living with him for so long, yet he’d never thought to prepare something as basic as a cat tree for Wen Da Ge. That was really inexcusable.
Inwardly, Lin Fengqi scolded himself.
Wen Xia opened the door, stepping aside to let Lin Fengqi go in first. “It’s no big deal. I also forgot my son needed a cat tree. Otherwise, I would’ve brought it over on the day I moved in.”
After putting everything in the room, Wen Xia caught a familiar scent as he passed the kitchen. He poked his head in and saw steam rising from a pot. “Did you make dumplings?”
“Yeah, I made them this afternoon at the nursing home,” Lin Fengqi replied as he entered the kitchen to scoop out the cooked dumplings. “Today’s the start of winter.”
He had spent the entire afternoon at the nursing home with Ye Shixue. On his way there, he had bought some flour, meat, and vegetables, and in the afternoon, he and Ye Shixue had made dumplings together. He left some at the nursing home and brought the rest home.
Wen Xia put the things away in his room, then returned to find Lin Fengqi setting the dumplings on the table. A’Mou and Wen Da Ge were already waiting eagerly by the table, lured by the aroma.
Wen Xia made his way to the kitchen. “What else are you making?”
“Just a vegetable soup. It’ll be done soon.”
Eating dumplings with dumpling soup was a tradition, but Wen Xia couldn’t handle the plain flavor. While he could drink plain water just fine, dumpling soup always tasted weird to him.
Lin Fengqi had taken the dumpling soup, added some seasoning, and turned it into a small pot of vegetable soup. Just a bit of salt made all the difference.
A plate of dumplings, a pot of soup, two bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, and two small dishes of dipping sauce made for a simple, comforting dinner.
The dumplings were filled with cabbage and pork, and with each bite, the sweetness of the cabbage and the tenderness of the pork melded together with the broth, creating an explosion of flavor in the mouth. If one wasn’t careful, they might accidentally scald their tongue.
Wen Xia had something on his mind, and he kept glancing at Lin Fengqi throughout the meal. The latter remained composed, his table manners as impeccable as ever.
“How’s your mom doing?” Wen Xia finally asked.
“She’s doing well,” Lin Fengqi said. “She’s made a few friends at the nursing home, and they often watch movies and go for walks together.”
Ye Shixue’s aversion to socializing with neighbors stemmed from their previous living environment. The place where they used to live was full of gossipers; no one had any secrets. Whatever happened at the east gate in the morning would be common knowledge at the west gate by noon, and people would even gossip about it right in front of you.
But the environment at the nursing home was much better. Ye Shixue had a bit of an artistic soul, and she had found neighbors who shared her interests. In such an environment, her complexion visibly improved, and she became more outgoing, shedding the constant look of worry she had while in the hospital.
Lin Fengqi hesitated, then added, “She asked about you.”
Wen Xia bit into a dumpling. “Hm? What about me?”
“She just asked how you’ve been doing,” he said, his hand pausing mid-air as he picked up another dumpling. His voice grew quieter, almost mumbling. “…She’s worried I might have upset you.”
Wen Xia didn’t respond immediately. He lowered his head and popped the rest of the dumpling into his mouth, then scooped up a bowl of vegetable soup.
The hot broth swirled around his tongue, and after savoring the tender sweetness of the greens, he swallowed. Then he set down his chopsticks and said, “I’m full.”
Lin Fengqi’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, but he merely nodded and watched as Wen Xia stood up and walked away toward his room.
Before he could relax, Wen Xia returned with his phone in hand, sitting back down without a word, seemingly waiting for something.
Lin Fengqi unconsciously started eating faster. Finally, when he had finished and got up to clear the dishes, Wen Xia, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. “Don’t rush. Sit down first.”
He set down the empty bowl and nervously sat back down.
Wen Xia looked at him with an unreadable expression. “You left pretty quickly today. Were you avoiding me?”
Lin Fengqi froze, then instinctively tried to look away. But Wen Xia’s voice cut through: “Don’t avoid my eyes. Look at me.”
Lin Fengqi’s long eyelashes fluttered, but he obediently returned his gaze to Wen Xia.
He was visibly tense.
When he was nervous, his face turned cold and stiff, making him look like an impenetrable block of ice, as if someone owed him a fortune. But Wen Xia no longer misunderstood this as he once had.
“Were you avoiding me?” Wen Xia repeated.
Lin Fengqi swallowed uneasily, his voice barely above a whisper. “…I just didn’t know how to face you.”
“So you remember what happened last night.”
“I…”
Lin Fengqi frowned, his expression conflicted, before finally surrendering. “I remember some of it…”
“What parts?”
“Just some parts…”
“What parts?”
Lin Fengqi licked his lips, his eyes blinking more rapidly. His fingers curled slightly on the table, and his voice was very low. “I said… I want to pursue you.”
“That’s not all, is it?”
“…”
“The first part?”
A faint blush started creeping up from his neck. Lin Fengqi didn’t dare to look at him, but he still obeyed the earlier command to “look at me,” his gaze trembling.
After a moment, he spoke softly. “I like you.”
Hearing those words again, this time while sober, was like being hit by a truck.
Wen Xia felt his ears start to burn. He forced himself to stay calm, pressing on. “That’s not how you said it last night.”
Lin Fengqi: “…?”
Wen Xia pretended to be nonchalant as he opened the recording on his phone and played it—
“Wen Xia, I like you.”
“I want to pursue you.”
There were two words missing this time.
Lin Fengqi’s expression turned to one of shock, and his face instantly turned beet red.
The icy facade crumbled. His fingers fidgeted with the tablecloth, and he stammered, “Why… do you have a recording?” He nearly bit his tongue.
“I was afraid you’d forget,” Wen Xia said. “And then you’d pretend it didn’t happen when you woke up.”
Seeing how red Lin Fengqi’s face had become, Wen Xia, although feeling like he wasn’t much better off, as if he were on the verge of overheating, knew this wasn’t the time to lose his nerve. “Good thing I recorded it.”
Lin Fengqi was too embarrassed to speak.
Wen Xia, seizing the opportunity, asked, “So besides this, do you remember anything else?”
“My head hurts…”
“The showerhead hit you. Do you remember that?”
Lin Fengqi nodded.
Pain was hard to forget.
His head was still swollen.
“And… after that?” Wen Xia asked.
Lin Fengqi frowned, shaking his head. “It’s all very fuzzy… I don’t really remember.”
He was partially blacked out, with only fragments of memory.
He remembered the important things but had forgotten others.
Wen Xia felt an inexplicable sense of relief that Lin Fengqi didn’t remember him saying, “I chased you.” If he did, the one feeling embarrassed now would be Wen Xia.
Chasing someone all through high school, only for the other person to have no idea he was being pursued.
It was embarrassing.
Though Wen Xia was still puzzled. He didn’t think he had been subtle when he was chasing Lin Fengqi. He was practically glued to him like a potted plant. So how could this have happened?
Wen Xia’s silence made Lin Fengqi even more uneasy. He remembered only bits and pieces from last night, mostly the important things he said when he first saw Wen Xia. The rest was a blur, with the showerhead incident standing out because it had hurt so much and had momentarily snapped him out of his drunkenness.
Had he… done something unforgivable after that?
Like that time in the hotel with Wen Xia back in Ancheng?
As his thoughts churned, Lin Fengqi suddenly clenched his fists.
“Wen Xia,” he called softly.
Wen Xia snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him.
“I want to… say it again,” Lin Fengqi took a shallow breath, his face still red, his gaze fixed on Wen Xia, filled with deep emotions and a nervous glint. “Can I pursue you?”
Before Wen Xia could respond, he added, “Even if you say no, I’ll still pursue you.”
Or rather, he had already been pursuing Wen Xia since he proposed the marriage. Unfortunately, he had done so clumsily.
So clumsily that he had only known how to secure a marriage with Wen Xia first and figure out the rest later.
Wen Xia stared at him, his expression unreadable.
Seconds ticked by.
Lin Fengqi became more and more uncomfortable, but he didn’t dare look away.
He had already said it, so whether or not he got an answer didn’t really matter.
After a while.
Finally, it was Wen Xia who broke first. He sighed and looked away, raising his hand to pinch his burning ear. “Fine. You can pursue me.”
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