Chapter 13
There was a brief respite in the continuous rain, and the weather cleared up momentarily.
It wasn’t a sunny day, just a transition from cloudy to partly cloudy, with thick clouds still obscuring most of the sunlight.
Nevertheless, it was a rare opportunity. Yu Le wanted to take advantage of it and go for a walk. Since he had arrived here, he hadn’t had a chance to properly explore the town.
It was still early, and Zhao Xiaosong was likely still asleep, so without his little tour guide, Yu Le decided to explore on his own.
However, his solo plan was thwarted before it could even begin.
Lu Yao returned from outside and happened to run into Yu Le at the inn’s entrance.
“Where are you going?”
Lu Yao placed a heavy wooden bucket behind the screen, covered with a layer of white cloth, hiding its contents.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Yu Le answered honestly. “Since the rain has stopped, I thought I’d go for a stroll.”
Lu Yao nodded, turned around, and took a key and an umbrella from the counter. “Let’s go.”
Yu Le was surprised. “You’re coming with me?”
“Mm-hmm,” Lu Yao said. “I need to order some alcohol anyway.”
With the little tour guide gone, the big tour guide arrived. This was a definite win.
Seeing that Lu Yao only half-closed the front door, Yu Le asked, “Aren’t you going to lock it?”
Lu Yao replied, “No need here.”
Yu Le asked again, “There’s no one stationed in the hall. What if someone comes to book a room?”
“All the rooms are booked. No guests will check in today.” Lu Yao turned back and noticed Yu Le standing in the natural light, looking almost glowing.
He opened the oil-paper umbrella and handed it to Yu Le.
Yu Le instinctively took it. “It’s not raining now. Why do I need an umbrella?”
Lu Yao said, “To block the sun.”
Yu Le: “?”
The stone-paved ground was still damp, scattered with twigs and leaves blown down by the persistent rain. Occasionally, stepping on a piece would produce a crisp crunching sound.
The shops and residences along the road had begun to open, with steam rising from the edges of the steaming baskets, carrying the aroma of freshly cooked breakfast.
The sound of casual conversations, rich with local accents—jokes, complaints about the weather, mixed with the delicious smell of breakfast—created a warm, familiar feeling.
The mountain air was refreshing and clean. Yu Le loved the scent of green plants and soil so much that he even had a fleeting impulse to bottle the air and take it home to savor slowly.
The town was small, and everyone was familiar. As Lu Yao led Yu Le along, he greeted everyone they passed.
Wen Yuan had moved the wooden recliner from the courtyard to the stone steps outside the threshold. As Yu Le and Lu Yao approached, he was leisurely lounging with a tablet, looking quite relaxed.
Seeing them, he waved his hand and called out, “Hey, guys, out for a morning stroll?”
Damn, why did such a pretty face have to speak? It ruined the peaceful scene.
Lu Yao responded nonchalantly, “And you?”
Wen Yuan wiggled his toes, squinting his eyes with a hint of smugness. “Can’t you tell? I’m out here soaking up the sun.”
Lu Yao nodded, “On a cloudy day, getting sun.”
“What cloudy day? It’s just not very sunny, but there’s still UV, okay?”
Wen Yuan raised his tablet to block his face, refusing to engage further with this buzzkill.
Yu Le turned the well-crafted oil-paper umbrella in his hands, thinking that Lu Yao’s standards seemed a bit mixed up.
“Does Boss Wen run this inn by himself?” he asked.
Lu Yao replied, “No, his parents do. But they left last month to travel the world, so they called him back to manage the inn.”
Yu Le asked, “Won’t that interfere with his work?”
Lu Yao explained, “He’s an illustrator, a freelancer. It doesn’t matter where he works, so it won’t affect his work.”
As they walked, Lu Yao stopped in front of a rice cake shop. “This is Zhao Xiaosong’s family shop.”
A stove was set up at the entrance, with boiling water bubbling away and steam rising from the large steamer, carrying the aroma of coarse-grained food.
Yu Le recognized the smell immediately, recalling that the rice cakes Zhao Xiaosong brought him had the same aroma.
Sister Zhao was busy inside. When she turned around and saw Lu Yao, she smiled and came out to greet them. “Why didn’t you call me when you were just standing here?”
“Just passing by,” Lu Yao smiled and asked, “Do you have any freshly steamed ones?”
“Of course,” Sister Zhao said, opening a steamer lid. A large puff of steam escaped, and they had to wait for it to dissipate before seeing the neatly arranged white rice cakes inside.
“How many would you like?” Sister Zhao asked.
“One,” Lu Yao paid and added, “For now, don’t bother with a bag.”
“Okay!”
Sister Zhao wrapped one side of the rice cake in paper and handed it to Lu Yao, who then passed it to Yu Le.
The mist enveloping the rice cakes gave them a celestial appearance, greatly stimulating one’s appetite. Yu Le’s first reaction was not to take the rice cake from Lu Yao but to lower his head and take a bite directly from Lu Yao’s hand.
Lu Yao raised an eyebrow.
Yu Le swallowed and made a candid comment, “It’s definitely best when freshly steamed.”
Lu Yao agreed, “Would you like another bite?”
He didn’t retract his hand, clearly ready to feed Yu Le more if he liked it.
Yu Le looked at the rice cake with a bite taken out and realized his ears were turning a deeper shade of red.
What was he thinking?
Trying to maintain his composure despite feeling embarrassed, he thanked Lu Yao and quickly turned away.
It was fine; it wasn’t a big deal.
As long as I’m not embarrassed, the embarrassment falls on others.
A hint of amusement flickered in Lu Yao’s eyes. He clapped his hands and followed Yu Le.
Ahead were vegetable stalls, meat shops, and even a store selling pickled and cold dishes. Just passing by, one could already smell the salty and spicy aromas in the air.
Passing a supermarket, Lu Yao turned and walked inside.
Yu Le finished his rice cake, tossed the paper into the trash can by the supermarket door, and heard Lu Yao ask if the store had any cooling mats.
The store clerk replied, “Yes, what kind do you need?”
Lu Yao seemed to ponder how to describe it, “For a child.”
The clerk said, “Oh, then it needs to be the finest and smoothest mat, since children have sensitive skin…”
The clerk took Lu Yao inside, and Yu Le lost sight of them but saw Lu Yao emerge later holding a packaged cooling mat.
“Did you remember to order the alcohol?” Yu Le reminded him.
“Alcohol isn’t in the supermarket,” Lu Yao said, nodding ahead. “It’s over there.”
Ahead was a courtyard-style building, elevated significantly above the ground level, requiring steps to enter.
Lu Yao led the way. As they approached the entrance, Yu Le looked inside and saw that the courtyard was filled with large wine jars covered with red cloths. At the far end, something appeared to be cooked, with white mist rising and the aroma of wine mingling with the smell of rice.
Yu Le was amazed, both visually and olfactorily.
He had never experienced such a scene up close. It felt like stepping over the threshold into an entirely new world.
An uncle who greeted them was shirtless, bald, and had a hearty smile, “You’re here!”
Lu Yao addressed him as Uncle An.
Uncle An said, “You’re here to help your grandfather again this year, right? How’s he doing?”
Lu Yao replied, “He’s recovering well but needs more rest. He’s currently in the hospital.”
“Glad to hear that! I saved some of the rice wine he likes for you. Remember to take it back with you.”
Uncle An removed his apron, crumpled it in his hand, and fanned himself. “What are you planning to get this year?”
Lu Yao said, “The same as last year.”
“Alright!”
Uncle An then turned to Yu Le, “Is this your younger brother? He’s quite handsome.”
Before Lu Yao could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and temporarily entrusted Yu Le to Uncle An, “He’s new to the city and hasn’t seen this before. If you’re not too busy, could you show him around?”
Uncle An cheerfully agreed, “No problem. Young man, take a good look. When you get back to the city, help us promote a bit.”
Lu Yao went outside to take the call. Yu Le followed Uncle An, who first asked, “Uncle An, is that rice cooked inside?”
“Yes, it’s steamed glutinous rice for making rice wine,” Uncle An explained.
He took Yu Le inside and showed him around, then moved to the section with various types of alcohol, introducing each one. Seeing Yu Le’s interest, he cheerfully asked, “Would you like to try some?”
When Lu Yao finished the call, he noticed that it had started to rain lightly again.
Returning to the courtyard, Uncle An had presumably gone back to work, leaving Yu Le alone sitting on a bamboo chair under the eaves, engrossed in his phone.
With the quiet of the courtyard and the large wine jars lined up behind him, Yu Le seemed to blend into the scene, as if merging with the landscape.
Lu Yao watched for a while, and when he saw the rain getting closer to his shoulder from the wind, he stood up and said, “Let’s go. It’s time to head back.”
Yu Le responded with an “Oh,” put away his phone, and stood up. Lu Yao waited for him outside the door.
As Yu Le crossed the threshold, he didn’t lift his foot properly and almost tripped. Fortunately, Lu Yao was quick to steady him.
Yu Le heard a brief, soft laugh above him and frowned, “Lu Yao, don’t you have any manners, laughing at me in front of me?”
Lu Yao didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Do you know the rule in the mountains about who needs to trip over the threshold?”
Yu Le asked, “Who?”
Lu Yao said, “A newlywed bride.”
Yu Le tilted his head in confusion, “Why?”
Lu Yao explained, “Tripping over the threshold is to wake the door god, to let him know that a daughter has been married off from the family. When she returns, she is still considered part of the family, so she won’t be blocked or tricked.”
Is it really possible?
Yu Le, distracted, missed a step again as he went down the stairs.
“Ugh,” he frowned tighter. “Lu Yao, could you please not walk so fast? At least hold onto me.”
Lu Yao’s heart shifted slightly, and he stopped to take a closer look at him.
He was familiar with this sort of coquettish behavior, but last time it wasn’t because…
“Are you drunk?” he asked, tilting the umbrella over Yu Le’s head to keep the raindrops off.
“Not really.”
Yu Le was still relatively clear-headed, tapping his head. “I only had a few sips.”
Lu Yao was skeptical about his “few sips.”
Yu Le added, “There was a white wine that was quite good, so I drank a bit more.”
Lu Yao’s eyes narrowed as he thought of something. “Sweet and fragrant?”
Yu Le looked at him. “How did you know?”
Lu Yao didn’t answer, but he knew. The wine was called Ye’er Ci, a family treasure at Uncle An’s place. Initially, it tastes good and doesn’t make you drunk, but the aftereffects grow stronger over the next two hours.
“Let’s head back.”
Lu Yao supported him down the stone steps. Originally, he planned to take him to Uncle Lu’s place, but it seemed that would not be possible now.
Yu Le really didn’t feel drunk. He had only tasted a few sips, but as they walked, he started swaying more and more, feeling dizzy, and several times he rested his head on Lu Yao’s shoulder, unwilling to lift it.
Lu Yao, feeling both helpless and amused, bore all his weight.
Yu Le said, “Lu Yao.”
Lu Yao responded, “I’m here.”
Yu Le asked, “Have you ever been on a blind date?”
Lu Yao replied, “No.”
Yu Le said, “Coincidentally, neither have I.”
After a few seconds, Yu Le asked again, “Do you want to go on a blind date?”
Lu Yao turned his head. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t want to.”
Yu Le was actually not interested in Lu Yao’s answer. He just had a tendency to talk a lot and wanted to say something, “I’ve heard from my friends that people they met on blind dates were quite peculiar. Once you agree to a blind date, it’s the beginning of a torturous experience.”
He turned his face to look at Lu Yao and, after a moment of contemplation, said with a touch of melancholy, “I guess even if you went on a thousand dates, you wouldn’t meet someone like you.”
Lu Yao met Yu Le’s gaze for a brief moment before quickly looking away. “Then don’t go on blind dates.”
Yu Le laughed. “Yeah, if my mom tries to set me up again, I’ll tell her about you.”
Lu Yao suddenly stopped in his tracks, astonished. “What?”
Yu Le said, “I’ll show her your picture and ask her to find someone like you for me. If she can’t, then she shouldn’t make me go on blind dates.”
“…”
Lu Yao was momentarily at a loss for words.
Yu Le didn’t give him much time to think. Suddenly, he covered his mouth with his hand and leaned closer to him, whispering, “When can I play with your AK?”
Lu Yao struggled to follow his train of thought and patiently repeated his previous answer: “Yu Le, I don’t have an AK.”
Yu Le replied, “Oh right, but if you did have one, could you let me play with it? I’m a sharpshooter, a battle god.”
With that said, Lu Yao could only paint an unrealistic picture, “Sure.”
Yu Le immediately brightened up. “Then can I have it when we get back now?”
Lu Yao didn’t answer.
He chose to cover Yu Le’s mouth and said, “Be good. The wind is too strong. Let’s go back first.”
Back at the inn, Yu Le wasn’t ready to go upstairs.
A delivery person arrived with the alcohol. Lu Yao looked up at the sky; the rain wasn’t heavy, and the locust tree was still dry. He set Yu Le down on a stone slab and instructed, “Don’t wander around and bump into things. I’ll come back to take you to your room later.”
Yu Le gave a thumbs-up to indicate he understood.
With a childish aura from the locust flower wine, Lu Yao couldn’t help but pat his head, smiling slightly.
“You’re so childish.”
Yu Le ignored him because he had just noticed the large orange cat sitting on a tree branch.
As soon as Lu Yao left, the fat orange cat jumped down, proudly strutting around Yu Le as if patrolling its territory. It then jumped onto a nearby stone slab, sitting and staring at Yu Le.
Yu Le also stared back at it.
The scene of one person and one cat staring at each other was interrupted by Guan Zheng coming downstairs with an empty bowl.
“What are you doing? Where did this cat come from?”
Guan Zheng placed the bowl and chopsticks in the kitchen, then saw the fat cat had jumped to the top stone slab, sitting with its paws tucked in.
Having finished his work for the day and not wanting to return to his room so soon, Guan Zheng sat down next to Yu Le and picked up a fan that was nearby, beginning to fan himself.
Yu Le turned and tried to pet the cat.
Guan Zheng asked, “Oh, Yu Le, I haven’t asked you yet. Why are you here in such a remote place?”
Yu Le replied, “It’s quite nice here.”
“Indeed, it’s really nice.”
Guan Zheng leaned comfortably against the tree trunk. “Actually, I didn’t have high expectations before coming. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too desolate, but it turned out to be even better than I expected.”
“Oh, I haven’t asked you which school you’re from. Is it a local university in Xuan City? Your vacation started quite early.”
After a long silence, Guan Zheng turned to look, his expression suddenly frozen.
Yu Le, unknown whether fully awake or drunk, lay lazily beside the orange cat, his fingers idly brushing its tucked-in front paws. His chin rested on his arm, his half-closed eyes hazy with a mist that spread from his eyes to his temples.
Petals had fallen onto the stone, and one was pressed under his arm.
The wind was light, the tree shady, and the scenery was so mesmerizing that it was hard to tell whether the white and translucent was the flower or the person.
Guan Zheng was jolted back to reality when the orange cat’s leisurely tail brushed his shoulder. He realized the fan had fallen from his hand.
In a slight panic, he picked up the fan and placed it back on the stone, saying, “Be careful not to get wet,” and then hurriedly went back upstairs.
The locust flowers in the courtyard smelled too good.
He thought to himself that breathing in the fragrance for a while made his heart race.
