TL: Hua
At 11 o’clock in the evening, they finally set off.
Shen Boyan’s chosen holiday destination was a temperate island, and it took almost 12 hours to fly there directly; they left at midnight, and it was just morning there when they arrived.
The beautiful, secluded island lay dormant in the gray sky. The air was five or six degrees cooler than during the day, so they still needed to wrap themselves in jackets. Their group quietly disembarked from the plane, and two private cars had been waiting for a long time. The landing place was about ten minutes away from the residence, and along the way, one could see the natural charm of the island that had not yet been deeply explored.
Speaking of which, the sun also came up just in time on their way back. The scenery at dawn was magnificent and breathtaking. The sun slowly rose along the sea level, and the clouds on both sides were quickly dyed orange-red, turning the sea into a rosy color. Thousands of golden rays of light erupted, and the whole earth woke up with them: the trees, the fallen leaves, the sound of the grass drilling out of the soil, the birds’ calls gradually ringing in the ears….
They stopped to appreciate the sunrise before setting off again.
The resort facilities on this small island are very complete, including spa pools, sports halls, massage rooms, and private cinemas. The island can host up to ten people, but there are more than twenty staff serving them, including two chefs specializing in seafood, a pastry chef, and masters of Chinese and Western cuisine. The sightseeing car and yacht are always ready, and surfing, diving, and swimming professionals are by your side to ensure your safety.
Xia Shu’an and the others are used to the hustle and bustle of the city, and they don’t feel anything special about foreign cities. They preferred to relax and enjoy peaceful time with their family. They spent this whole vacation week on the island, playing sports in the morning, getting massages in the afternoon, watching movies in the evening, and going fishing when they had nothing to do. Then they brought the freshest ingredients to the chef for cooking.
It’s so free and comfortable. I don’t miss the city at all!
Mother Xia was very happy and said repeatedly, “In the past, your dad always said he was busy and didn’t even take us out. It’s great to have another son!”
In response to Xia’s mother’s good mood, Xia Shu’an was also in a good mood. The natural scenery here is beautiful, the air is fresh, and the sea is blue, reminding him of the time when his parents took him to the beach for a holiday when he was a child.
On the second day after arriving on the island, Shen Boyan found Xia Shu’an painting something. He sat by the seaside, with a small stool cushioned underneath, painting on the canvas facing the sea. He didn’t know whether Xia Shu’an had received professional training, but he painted very casually, which Shen Boyan could still see.
Xia Shu’an found it annoying to have other people wandering around in front of him while he was painting. When Shen Boyan swayed too much in front of him, Xia Shu’an didn’t want to let him see it anymore and shooed him away unhappily.
Shen Boyan narrowed his eyes behind Xia Shu’an and watched him. That night, Xia Shu’an found Shen Boyan in the yard. The man sat on a stool with a shelf next to him, smearing paint on it.
Two lifetimes, two whole lifetimes—this was the first time Xia Shu’an saw him painting, so he curiously went up: “Are you painting too? What are you painting?”
Shen Boyan blocked the drawing board with his hand, turned around, and smiled.
Xia Shu’an: “…”
What? This guy is so vengeful.
Originally, Xia Shu’an didn’t care much. He almost forgot about it after one night. However, the next night, Shen Boyan took out the drawing board again.
He looked at the scenery outside seriously and even appreciated it carefully. Xia Shu’an was really curious and secretly went to take a look while Shen Boyan was talking in the yard.
As soon as the canvas was turned over, Xia Shu’an’s mouth twitched. On the canvas, there was a painting of a small island that he thought was mediocre, and in the blank space above the island, there was a line of clear and medium-sized characters written: Those who peek are childish.
You’re the one who’s childish!
Shen Boyan returned from outside and happened to meet Xia Shu’an, who had walked out of the room. Xia Shu’an snorted at him coldly, while Shen Boyan smiled slightly, looking like a person with a big heart.
That day, Xia Shu’an unilaterally had a cold war with him for ten minutes.
That night, just as Xia Shu’an was about to go to bed, Shen Boyan suddenly pulled him out.
“What do you want to do?” The drowsy young man asked as he was pushed into the car.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to count the stars? The stars are especially pretty today; let’s count them.”
“It’s looking at the stars!”
“Okay, let’s look at the stars.”
…….
As Shen Boyan said, the night sky tonight is exceptionally bright and beautiful.
Unlike the gray night sky of the city, the sky viewed from an island far away from industry looks like a deep blue satin dotted with purple, with stars scattering randomly like diamonds, fine and spontaneous. A milky white band of the Milky Way stretches across the sky, reminiscent of those mysterious and vast legends.
There was silence all around, except for the sound of the wind mingling with the sound of the waves in his ears and the smell of dampness and a hint of fishy sweetness in his nostrils.
Xia Shu’an and Shen Boyan were sitting on the edge of the beach, under a temporary tent. Looking up, they could see the vast, starry sky. The endless sea in the distance seemed to be sleeping. All the worries about the world became insignificant under the majestic silence of the universe.
Shen Boyan brought over a cup of drink, and after handing it to Xia Shu’an, he draped the blanket over their shoulders, sitting side by side.
At night, the temperature on the island was still low, and the sea breeze blew a chill on his face. However, the blanket covering his body and the heat transmitted from their thighs are extremely warm. Under such a comparison, Xia Shu’an felt a little tipsy.
“Shen Boyan, tell me about your childhood.”
“My childhood? Ok. I grew up in my grandparents’ home in the countryside when I was very young…”
…….
“Once I went back to my hometown, that math teacher was very shocked to see me. He probably couldn’t believe that the kid who he thought would definitely be a gangster in the future could become a big boss…”
The man casually talked about interesting stories as if nothing were wrong. In his statement, there were childhood playmates, annoying teachers, and good teachers who didn’t dislike his naughty nature and genuinely wanted to teach him. But there were no parents present. Even classmates who bullied him or were beaten by him had a stronger sense of presence than his parents.
Xia Shu’an thought of Lu Cai’s words, and his lips wriggled, but in the end, he didn’t speak. He rested his head on Shen Boyan’s shoulder, yawned softly, and slowly closed his eyes in response to the man’s deep and distant voice.
“It wasn’t until last year that the house was demolished, and no one will ever break their legs due to boring adventures again… Xia Shu’an, Xia Shu’an?”
The beautiful young man leaned on his shoulder, his long black eyelashes trembling slightly. He muttered as if hearing a call and soon revealed his peaceful sleeping face.
“Xia Shu’an…”
The man’s fingers slowly slid across the young man’s cheek.
——”Boss, I’m sorry, I accidentally told Brother Xia about your family affairs…”
You know everything, but you still don’t ask a question?
The blanket on Xia Shu’an’s shoulders slipped a little, and Shen Boyan carefully put the blanket back on his shoulders, turning his head and placing a kiss on the young man’s soft hair.
“Xia Shu’an, you are so, so gentle.” …
…….
“Turn left, turn left; I’m telling you to turn left, not full left rudder!”
Xia Shu’an knew for the first time that he had “sea rage syndrome.” He turned around and shouted at Shen Boyan, “Can’t you see I’m driving a boat? Don’t talk!”
Shen Boyan didn’t give in: “It’s because you’re a lousy driver!”
“It’s because you’re too noisy!”
“…”
…….
“You’re so tall and strong, and I’m physically weak; how can I beat you if it’s not two to one?”
“Well, only two to one; three to one won’t do.”
“…… By two to one, I mean you and your parents, not the staff here!”
The young man looked confident: “But you didn’t make it clear beforehand; the tennis coach is also a person.”
“…”
…….
“I don’t want to eat sashimi anymore…”
“I don’t want to eat paella anymore.”
“I want to eat grilled fish.”
“I want to eat sweet and sour fish.”
“Steamed in clear soup.”
“And also the roasted one.”
“…”
Happy times always pass quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it’s time to return home.
They left at night, and that day, they first took a yacht to a nearby town.
It was an old town that retained quite a bit of medieval style, most famous for its sculptures and churches, and along the stone path, the group was introduced by their guide to sightsee a few of the local attractions. After having a late lunch at a local restaurant, Father Xia and Mother Xia separated from the two young people and went their separate ways to seek their own fun.
In this town, which is famous for its tourism and sea views, the people in the town live a relatively leisurely life. Along the way, Xia Shu’an saw many people sitting outside the pub, drinking wine slowly, and chatting about interesting things. The sun shines on their faces, and they seem to have no worries.
Xia Shu’an also wants to try this kind of dream life, but he has been through this kind of life for a whole week now and needs to work hard to restore his relationship with reality.
“There are seven people in the laboratory: Chu Wenzhi and… Shen Boyan, do you have anyone you want to give a gift to?”
Shen Boyan said without hesitation, “No.”
“All right.”
The local silver jewelry and some of the traditional costumes were famous and distinctive. They were shopping on a commercial street and occasionally stopped to look at the interesting things displayed in the store.
There is a saying circulating on the Internet that you can meet Chinese people all over the world. It was indeed true. Xia Shu’an met several Chinese people along the way. Perhaps foreigners can’t tell the difference between Asian looks, but as a fellow Chinese, Xia Shu’an has a keen intuition.
“Big! Bigger size!”
“Lo siento, diciendo de qué está hablando.” (I don’t understand what you are saying.)
A young man spoke and gestured to the shopkeeper, but the old shopkeeper obviously couldn’t understand and even looked anxious.
Xia Shu’an paused beside them, then stepped in sideways.
“El Caballero Quiere Un Tamaño Más Grande.” (He wanted a larger size.)
“…”
Seeing the shopkeeper finally get what they were saying, the young man and his companions breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, thank you; so you’re traveling too.”
“Yeah, the air is nice here.”
“We think so too…”
Meeting a fellow compatriot in a foreign land, the two young men enthusiastically chatted with Xia Shu’an for a while. After buying the gift they wanted, they profusely thanked Xia Shu’an once again before waving him goodbye.
Xia Shu’an turned to look at the person behind him. The man stood quietly one step away from him, neither interfering nor speaking. The tall figure stood at the edge, as if he were silently guarding him.
“…”
Xia Shu’an pursed his lips and said, “Let’s go.”
“En.”
They walked idly down the unfamiliar street like ordinary tourists or ordinary lovers. Regardless of whether there were any strange looks, they would no longer be here after today, so they couldn’t care less.
Time passed quickly as they walked through the bustling streets and quiet parks. They had already agreed where to meet Xia parents. As the sun set, the remaining clouds in the sky were burned into a brilliant orange by the afterglow. The colors layered on top of each other, spreading outward from lighter to darker. The tired bird returned to its nest, and the steeple at the top of the cathedral looked like some kind of ancient prophecy at dusk.
Shen Boyan was three or four meters ahead of Xia Shu’an. He had found a stall he liked half a minute ago and was selecting the accessories: “This silver jewelry is very unique. Mom will definitely like it…”
“Xia Shu’an.”
The orange-red beam of light that came from the side of the sea pierced through layers of clouds, enveloped in warm and decaying colors, and poured onto the man who was seriously discussing it with the merchant. His entire profile merged into the firelight, his cold eye sockets and cold lips completely obscured, leaving only a seemingly gentle face and slightly upturned lips.
It’s weird.
Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but wonder: could Shen Boyan also be like this?
“Let’s go.” The man who bought the gift walked to Xia Shu’an and looked down at the young man, who was in a daze.
“Oh.”
Shen Boyan took the lead to step out. Just as he took a step forward, his arm was suddenly grabbed.
Shen Boyan turned his head.
“Uh, Shen Boyan, I want to ask you a question?”
“What?” Shen Boyan casually said.
“Why do you like me?”
