Xu Zhi only woke up for a while in the evening. After giving Zhou Mu the title of Xu Zhi’s boyfriend and having sex with Zhou Mu, he fell asleep again.
The next day, Xu Zhi woke up relatively early. Since the bedroom windows were not opened for ventilation during the night, the entire room was filled with a warm scent that lingered—a mixture of the lasting odors of both Zhou Mu and Xu Zhi.
Zhou Mu’s technique was very good. Xu Zhi was not in pain to the point of being unable to move. He just had some soreness in his waist.
Zhou Mu put his arm around Xu Zhi’s waist, and his steady, hot breath hit the back of Xu Zhi’s neck, making Xu Zhi feel that not only was last night good, but this morning was also good.
But the bad thing is that he has to get up early today.
As soon as he moved, Zhou Mu woke up.
Zhou Mu put the tip of his nose close to Xu Zhi’s ear, rubbed it, and asked Xu Zhi, “Are you getting up?”
Xu Zhi then turned around and looked at Zhou Mu, put his face against Zhou Mu’s chest, and said reluctantly, “The driver will pick me up in half an hour.”
Zhou Mu put his hand on Xu Zhi’s back and patted him, then picked up the clothes from the bedside table and put them on, “I’m going to make porridge.”
Xu Zhi pursed his lips, feeling that Zhou Mu’s attitude was somewhat perfunctory. However, expressing this might make it seem like he was burdened with many things, so he just responded with a sound of acknowledgment.
After getting out of bed, Zhou Mu adjusted the air conditioner temperature a bit higher with the remote control. Then, as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and turned back.
Xu Zhi was still lying on the bed, looking completely incapable of taking care of himself.
“Forgot,” Zhou Mu leaned down, kissed Xu Zhi on the lips, stood up again, walked to the door, and reminded Xu Zhi, “You don’t have to pay for this; it’s a boyfriend’s benefit.”
“Ah, okay,” Xu Zhi replied blankly.
Until Zhou Mu walked out of the bedroom, only then did Xu Zhi realize belatedly that Zhou Mu was quite a deceptive person.
Xu Zhi lay there for a while and then slowly got up.
Liang Yaqing repeatedly reminded him over the phone yesterday to wear formal attire. Even though he didn’t want to, Xu Zhi wouldn’t do something that Liang Yaqing considered childish.
So, after washing up, he obediently changed into a formal shirt.
Zhou Mu had soaked the rice for the porridge the day before and kept it in the refrigerator, so the porridge was quickly cooked. Xu Zhi sat at the dining table, and Zhou Mu had already brought the porridge.
“It’s a bit hot.” Zhou Mu picked up a boiled egg and knocked it gently on the table, then peeled it and said, “Eat it slowly.”
“It’s late,” Xu Zhi scooped out the porridge with a spoon and wolfed it down, “The driver has already arrived at the door.”
“Just woke up and already in a hurry,” Zhou Mu peeled the egg and handed it to him. “Take it easy and eat slowly now.”
Xu Zhi took the egg and said thoughtfully, “I could have gotten up very early.”
Thinking of the scene last night when Xu Zhi covered his face with his arms and told him to stop, Zhou Mu turned away with a guilty conscience.
Xu Zhi achieved his goal and continued to eat proudly, but then he thought of a question that he was somewhat concerned about, “Zhou Mu.”
“What’s up?” Zhou Mu asked.
Xu Zhi cleared his throat in embarrassment and said in a low voice, “You seem to be very good at it.”
After saying that, he picked up the bowl, and the bowl blocked more than half of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes unsure where to look, showing a somewhat embarrassed expression.
Zhou Mu seemed to have chuckled. He leaned closer to Xu Zhi, asking him, “Really?”
Zhou Mu’s appearance is very tough, and he has an innate sense of seriousness. Even when he and Xu Zhi are discussing sex-related topics at the dinner table, he still looks very upright.
Xu Zhi’s bowl was raised a little higher. He didn’t want to fall behind, so he said vaguely, “It’s not bad.”
“Mhm.” Zhou Mu leaned back on his chair and seemed to really think about it before saying, “I guess I get along well with you.”
Xu Zhi jumped very fast again, then he put down the porridge bowl, said that he was full, and ran away.
The driver arrived twenty minutes ago, but since he couldn’t enter the residential community, he just waited outside.
After Xu Zhi approached the car, the driver came down and opened the door for him.
Xu Zhi almost never went home after going to college, so he didn’t know how many times the driver at home had changed. The driver who came was a new face, and Xu Zhi didn’t recognize him.
He was not the type to chat with strangers, so he only said hello to the driver after getting in the car and then went to catch up on his sleep in the back seat.
Xu Zhi didn’t wake up until the driver called him softly after parking the car.
The car was parked outside the house. Xu Zhi saw the house he hadn’t seen for a long time through the brown car window, feeling a little confused.
The large flower bed outside the door that is shared with the Wen family has been turned into flat ground. According to Wen Shuyao, it is because his younger brother was diagnosed with mild pollen allergies this year.
Xu Zhi thought this was nothing, even though the only thing he could say he liked in high school, besides Wen Shuyao, was the sunflowers growing in the corner of the flower bed.
After Xu Zhi got off the car, the nanny standing at the door quickly ran over and took the suit jacket from Xu Zhi’s arm.
Another unfamiliar face, Xu Zhi thought to himself.
There are two meeting areas in the house. The first floor is a gathering place for adults, and the living room on the second floor is where Xu Zhi’s younger brother, Xu Yang, entertains children.
Xu Zhi was taken to the first floor. His mother, Liang Yaqing, was wearing a formal dress and chatting and laughing with the guests. When she saw him coming, her face was blankly stunned at first, and then she happily came over to hold his arm.
“Why so late?” Liang Yaqing asked him with a smile and a very friendly tone.
“I got up late,” Xu Zhi replied.
“You must have stayed up late at work.” A well-coiffed lady with delicate hair picked up the conversation, “Young people work so hard.”
Xu Zhi smiled stiffly and did not respond.
“He works very hard,” Liang Yaqing responded with a smile, then patted Xu Zhi’s arm and told him, “If your dad can’t come back from a business trip, please entertain your uncle and aunt more for your mother.”
After hearing this, Xu Zhi looked down at Liang Yaqing and caught an expression similar to nervousness on Liang Yaqing’s face.
Xu Zhi felt very ungrateful and found it ridiculous. Even though she was afraid that Xu Zhi would mess up, she still showed that she had not given up on her eldest son in front of the guests.
Xu Zhi’s mental illness is something that everyone in the city who has business dealings with his family knows, but everyone acts as if they have never heard of it at all. Furthermore, they all praise Xu Zhi as if they have never heard about it, maintaining a natural facade.
Such an occasion made Xu Zhi feel suffocated. He could not help but think of Zhou Mu. Zhou Mu would never be like this.
He would only say non-serious things in a serious tone to Xu Zhi, rather than saying many beautiful words, but inwardly, he sneers at it.
Xu Zhi started to get a little impatient. He flattened his lips and looked at Liang Yaqing.
Liang Yaqing immediately felt like she was facing a formidable enemy and called the waiter, saying that Xu Zhi was too tired from the journey and asking him to take Xu Zhi to the room to have a rest.
Xu Zhi got his wish and left the hypocritical world of adults.
The children’s happy place is in the living room on the second floor, and Xu Zhi’s room is on the third floor, so Xu Zhi inevitably saw the decoration on the second floor when he went upstairs.
Compared with the grand appearance of the first floor, the second floor only has a circle of colorful balloons hanging on it, and there are some stuffed toys on the ground that are much taller than the third and fourth grade children.
Xu Zhi withdrew his gaze and was about to walk to the third floor when he was stopped by someone.
Xu Yang called him in a low voice, “Brother.”
Xu Zhi turned around and saw Xu Yang, wearing a white shirt with a black bow tied at the collar, looking at him timidly while holding a balloon with happy birthday written on it.
“Hmm.” Xu Zhi responded coldly, turned around, and continued walking forward.
Xu Yang was stunned for a few seconds, then threw away the balloon and chased after him.
He was wearing very expensive leather shoes. When he ran, the heels of the shoes hit the floor, making a not-so-quiet sound.
“What’s the matter?” Xu Zhi stopped and asked him lukewarmly.
Xu Yang was not very tall, and he only reached Xu Zhi’s waist when he stood up straight. He seemed to be stopped by Xu Zhi’s question; he opened his mouth but did not speak.
They both look a lot like their mother. Their eyes are round and light in color. You can tell they are brothers just by standing next to each other.
“In a moment,” Xu Yang said hesitantly, “I’m going to perform a piano performance downstairs. Will you go and watch it?”
“Let’s talk about it later,” Xu Zhi said.
Although he didn’t hate Xu Yang, he really couldn’t like him very much. When he spoke without emotion, his cold voice would sound a little bored, as if he were driving people away.
“I’ve been practicing for a long time.” Xu Yang lowered his head, looking at the bright leather shoes, and muttered.
He looked very pitiful, which made Xu Zhi feel that he was too harsh, so he asked, “Do you really want me to go and see it?”
“Everyone will go and see it.” Xu Yang blinked and answered the question.
For some reason, Xu Zhi suddenly remembered that Xu Yang liked painting very much when he was four or five years old. When he went home to pick up things, Xu Yang even gave him a self-portrait.
Xu Zhi paused and said, “Follow me.”
Then he took Xu Yang to his room.
After Xu Yang came in, he looked around curiously, then stood by the desk in an educated manner, waiting for Xu Zhi to talk to him.
“I remember,” Xu Zhi said, “you liked painting very much when you were a child.”
Xu Yang’s eyes lit up, and he asked Xu Zhi in surprise, “Do you remember? I gave you a painting at that time, brother, do you remember?”
“Yeah,” Xu Zhi nodded, thinking of putting the painting in his drawer at home, and continued, “I still keep it.”
The child seemed to be particularly happy because of a word. He clapped his hands excitedly and continued to ask Xu Zhi, “You still keep it.”
Xu Zhi stopped talking to him about the wheel. He asked Xu Yang, “Why don’t you learn it again?”
Xu Yang blinked and said honestly, “Mom said playing the piano is better, and I can perform for everyone then.”
“Then what do you think?” Xu Zhi asked subconsciously.
Xu Yang tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand Xu Zhi’s question, and continued, “Mom said…”
Xu Zhi interrupted him, and Xu Yang stopped talking.
Xu Zhi suddenly felt that his brother seemed more tired than him.
Because Xu Zhi has a mental illness, Xu Yang came into this world and lived according to his parents’ plan. He may not become the next Xu Zhi, but he will never be himself.
Xu Zhi didn’t say anything more. He said to Xu Yang, “I will watch you when you perform.”
Xu Yang quickly became happy again. He said yes and ran out of Xu Zhi’s bedroom. After a while, the sound of the piano playing came from downstairs.
Before Xu Zhi was given up by his parents, he also learned piano at Xu Yang’s age, and he could tell that this was a very difficult piece of music.
Xu Yang talked very smoothly, and it seemed that he had really prepared a lot for this performance.
Xu Zhi walked to the window and opened it. He thought with some regret that maybe his brother shouldn’t have had so many cold words from him for no reason. He was just a child whose parents could replace him at any time.
Xu Zhi looked at the waiters walking around, carrying drinks downstairs, and the carpet outside the door that was spread all the way to the road. He suddenly remembered that he also celebrated his birthday in this way a long time ago.
A grand birthday party, a well-decorated living room on the first floor, uncles and aunts in fancy clothes, a living room on the second floor filled with balloons, and a few children who were not very good at playing.
The author has something to say: I apologize; it’s a little late.
