The two people lying in bed don’t seem to have any intention of falling asleep. Due to jumping into the lake to save someone, Lu Hui’s entire body is soaked. He takes off his shirt and shorts, wraps himself in a blanket, and lies on the bed, staring straight at the ceiling beam.
Ji Fanyang rolls back and forth a couple of times, making Lu Hui even more uneasy. He looks at the restless young man and asks, “What’s wrong?”
“Just feeling a bit uncomfortable,” Ji Fanyang buries his head in the blanket. “Did I wake you up?”
“I wasn’t asleep,” Lu Hui says. After a moment of hesitation, he can’t hold back and adds, “I’m only 80% sure.”
“What?” Ji Fanyang asks in a muffled voice.
Lu Hui reaches out and lifts the blanket off the young man’s head. “It costs extra if you suffocate in bed,” he says, ruffling Ji Fanyang’s soft and fluffy hair. “I’m only 80% sure that you’ll be thrown into the lake in the back mountains.”
“And I’m 100% sure you would have died earlier,” Ji Fanyang says. He sits up, leans against the bed, and looks at Lu Hui, cursing him again, “You bastard.”
“I thought you were going to beat me up,” Lu Hui lazily turns his head to look at Ji Fanyang with confidence. “I wouldn’t blame you, though.”
“Hmph.” Ji Fanyang playfully hits Lu Hui’s shoulder. “Honestly, if it wasn’t for the lake, what if it was something like being buried alive?”
“That exciting?” Lu Hui laughs. “I’ll bring a shovel and dig you up.”
“Oh, thanks for that.” Ji Fanyang laughs with him, then he sighs in relief. “But I’m glad you’re still alive.”
“What, are you going to die with me?” Lu Hui jokes. “In my diary, ‘Go to the capital, find a mentally normal partner,’ which word don’t you understand?”
“I found a partner, just didn’t go to the capital,” Ji Fanyang defends himself. “Besides, you’re not my dad.”
“If I were your dad, I’d slap you now,” Lu Hui says. “Finding a mentally normal partner doesn’t mean becoming a gigolo trying to murder a rich woman.”
“Almost successfully murdered.” Ji Fanyang sighs, seemingly regretful. “Fan Zhe is dead, and now I need to create a new fake identity.”
“Create what, nonsense. What else do you want to do?” Lu Hui says impatiently. “Just rent a house and stay in Linhua honestly.”
“What about you?” Ji Fanyang asks.
“I’ll share the rent with you, just like before,” Lu Hui answers. “What’s the hurry, looking for a partner? Then live by yourself.”
“I just escaped from my fiancée’s banquet. Look for a partner? You think too highly of me.” Ji Fanyang says. His two arms rest neatly on the blanket. “You’re 35 already, still not looking for a partner?”
“You think I’m old?” Lu Hui frowns. “I’m forever eighteen.”
“Fine, fine, you’re forever eighteen.” Ji Fanyang follows his words, recalling old times with a gentle smile. “Lu Hui, have you ever thought about me?”
“…Is being a psychologist a profession that requires you to be narcissistic?” Lu Hui retorts. He raises his left wrist, and on it is a silver watch. “This watch is nice, and it’s waterproof.”
“I deliberately got the waterproof model,” Ji Fanyang says. “The cashier probably thought I was an old-fashioned guy, buying such an expensive watch and still asking for waterproof.”
“You’re 28 now, and you have no thoughts about the future?” Lu Hui asks.
“Wait until I reach your age, then consider the future,” Ji Fanyang says.
“No, don’t,” Lu Hui says with a grin. “You’ve had four ex-girlfriends, and I haven’t had any.”
“Because you always talk about irrelevant things,” Ji Fanyang glances at him. “Is your leg hurting now?”
“It’s fine; it stopped hurting once it warmed up,” Lu Hui says, arms behind his head. “Honestly, life has no meaning. Sometimes I feel like I should have died at the paper mill when I was fifteen.”
“I feel like I should have died in that lake outside the door,” Ji Fanyang says. “Maybe we’re both living for something inevitable.”
“I don’t believe in fate,” Lu Hui tilts his head, looking through the window at the twinkling stars. “I never thought I’d live this long.”
“I never thought I’d die for someone,” Ji Fanyang follows his gaze outside the window. “Anger is a strange thing.”
“Yeah, I like it when you get angry for me,” Lu Hui turns his head, smiling. “You seem like someone who never gets angry.”
“I do get angry. I sold your guitar and sound system,” Ji Fanyang responds with a smile. “Then I told Ding Xinyu that you and I aren’t a couple, and you pretended to be gay for a woman to deceive me.”
“What?” Lu Hui widens his eyes.
“Miss Ding said, ‘I’ll hit him every time I see him,'” Ji Fanyang says. “I used the money from selling the sound system to buy a ticket to the capital, but I didn’t go.”
Lu Hui remains silent for a moment, then says, “You talked to death, Ji Xuesheng. Go to sleep. Also, I wanted to say that I miss you, but I swallowed it back.”
“It was just a little joke,” Ji Fanyang regrets a bit. He puts his cold hand on Lu Hui’s neck. “Are you still awake?”
“Sss…” Lu Hui is annoyed by him and opens his eyes. “I miss you, miss you every day, hurry up and sleep.”
“Okay.” Ji Fanyang withdraws his hands, lies down, and wraps himself in a blanket. “Goodnight, Lu Zu.”
“Goodnight, Ji Fanyang.” Lu Hui closes his eyes.
Early in the morning, a call from the police station comes.
“Hello?” Lu Hui tilts his head, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear while putting on socks. “What’s up?”
“I heard that the richest man in Zhongchuan is hospitalized?” The voice of the high-ranking official comes from the other end. “Is it something you did?”
“Why is everything always something I did? I was on vacation fishing; what does it have to do with the richest man in Zhongchuan being hospitalized?” Lu Hui says. “I pulled Ji Fanyang out of the lake.”
“What?” The high-ranking official asks.
“There’s a Golden Ji Fanyang here, and a Silver Ji Fanyang. Which one do you think you lost?” Lu Hui still has the mood to make jokes.
Ji Fanyang can’t stand it, takes Lu Hui’s phone, and puts his ear to the receiver. “Hello, Chief Gao?”
“…Xiao Ji, you’re back,” Chief Gao says.
“Yeah, Lu Zu is back, so I came back too.” Ji Fanyang says, spraying ocean perfume on his wrist after snatching it from Lu Hui. “We’ll be back to Linhua later.”
“Alright, but it’s not very convenient for Lu Hui to appear at the city bureau. Call me when you get to Linhua, and I’ll come find you.” Chief Gao says.
“Don’t bother Chief Gao to make a trip.” Lu Hui’s voice appears in the call, sounding somewhat cheeky. “It’s too hard on the director.”
“Don’t be cheeky.” Chief Gao laughs. “I’ll report to Xiao Wei.”
“Alright, see you later.” Ji Fanyang says.
“Yeah, see you later.” Chief Gao hangs up.
Lu Hui picks up the phone and puts it in his pocket. He puts on his coat and says, “My identity is still valid. Let’s stay at a hotel.”
“Okay.” Ji Fanyang nods. Suddenly remembering, he warns, “No heavy metal music in the car.”
“It’s my car; I have the final say.” Lu Hui says.
“It’s the city bureau’s car, not yours.” Ji Fanyang follows Lu Hui out. “I don’t want to be reported for noise disturbance.”
“You sold my guitar; can’t you compensate me a bit?” Lu Hui asks.
“You faked your death to deceive me; how should that be counted?” Ji Fanyang retorts.
Lu Hui shrugs his shoulders, finally taking a step back. He mutters, “How long are you going to nag about this?”
“I’ll stop nagging when you’re really dead,” Ji Fanyang says.
