On the first of the following month, Fu Mingchuan traveled to Germany under the pretense of delivering You Wen’s dog, Tiao Tiao.
The flight hadn’t suited Tiao Tiao, who looked exhausted and listless. After taking him back home, You Wen walked a few steps before glancing back, realizing Fu Mingchuan hadn’t followed. Tugging gently on the leash, he turned to ask, “Are you leaving now?”
Though he spoke casually, his gaze remained fixed on Fu Mingchuan.
Fu Mingchuan stood his ground. “I’m staying at a hotel.”
Without another word, You Wen took Tiao Tiao inside, handed him over to the housekeeper, and then stepped back outside about twenty minutes later. Fu Mingchuan was still there, watching him intently as he approached.
You Wen walked over. “Have you eaten?”
Fu Mingchuan studied him for a moment, relieved to see he hadn’t lost weight. “I ate on the plane.”
After a pause, he added, “It wasn’t very good.”
Catching the unspoken hint, You Wen said, “Alright, I’ll take you out to eat.” He started walking ahead, with Fu Mingchuan following closely, eventually slipping his hand into You Wen’s.
Glancing at him, You Wen met his gaze and heard him say, “Was the first of the month too early? I just wanted to see you every day.”
You Wen wasn’t used to this level of directness from Fu Mingchuan, and a faint blush tinged his ears. “Who taught you that?”
Fu Mingchuan was straightforward about it. “Chen An told me that if you’re dating, you should say what you feel, or the other person won’t understand.”
“I understand just fine,” You Wen replied.
“Then why do you always take so long to reply to my messages?” Fu Mingchuan’s tone softened, almost vulnerable. “I’m afraid you don’t want to talk to me.”
You Wen wouldn’t admit it. “Was it really that long?”
“The longest was five hours.” Having never dated before, Fu Mingchuan hadn’t known waiting for a message could be so hard. “Back then, did you keep checking your phone and thinking about me whenever I didn’t reply?”
Flustered, You Wen thought Chen An’s advice was a little too blunt.
“No, I didn’t keep looking at my phone, and I wasn’t thinking about you,” he denied, refusing to admit anything.
Fu Mingchuan had never intentionally ignored You Wen’s messages. If he didn’t reply within an hour, You Wen would call and playfully ask why he wasn’t responding. “That’s because you knew I’d answer the moment I saw your message.”
But with You Wen, it was different. He always seemed out of reach, never playful or needy. Fu Mingchuan often couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“You know, I reply right when I see your messages too,” You Wen said, sounding slightly defensive. “I’ve just been busy these days.”
Fu Mingchuan wanted him to explain, but You Wen resisted, so he asked outright, “Busy with what?”
“My aunt has been helping me arrange things for school. She wants me to go back to study,” You Wen replied, watching Fu Mingchuan closely. He hadn’t planned on hiding it, but he hadn’t wanted to discuss it over the phone or online.
True to form, Fu Mingchuan went silent, only breaking it once they reached the restaurant. “What will you study?”
While helping set the table, You Wen answered, “Animal psychology and early childhood psychology. I’m still deciding on the professors.”
Fu Mingchuan nodded. “If you want to study, you should. You’ve always liked this kind of work.”
They were eating Western food, and midway through, You Wen asked, “Didn’t you want me to go back to school? Why do you seem unhappy now?”
Fu Mingchuan’s expression was a little weary. “I didn’t mean for you to study so far away.”
At this, You Wen picked up the pace, finishing his meal quickly before looking down at his phone. But the moment Fu Mingchuan set his cutlery down, he noticed and asked, “Should I take you back to your hotel to rest?”
He added, “I called a car—it’s waiting outside.” It had been there for a while; You Wen had already tipped the driver twice.
After a slight hesitation, Fu Mingchuan agreed. He called the waiter over to pay, and You Wen made no move to insist on hosting him this time.
At the hotel entrance, Fu Mingchuan noticed that You Wen didn’t plan to go inside with him. Reaching out to tousle his hair, he said, “I brought something for you. Do you want to come up and get it?” You Wen didn’t shy away, looking just as he had before leaving the country—compliant and willing.
Without hesitation, You Wen replied, “Sure.”
Once inside the room, Fu Mingchuan handed him a pair of slippers with oversized bunny ears. While slipping on the second slipper, You Wen lost his balance slightly and tilted to one side, only to be caught by Fu Mingchuan, who held him in a tight embrace and didn’t let go.
When You Wen started to pull away, Fu Mingchuan murmured, “Naonao, let me hold you.”
You Wen stopped struggling and stayed in his arms. After a moment, Fu Mingchuan lifted him and carried him to the bed. In a soft voice, You Wen said, “Fu Mingchuan, I don’t want to do anything right now.”
“We won’t,” Fu Mingchuan whispered into his ear, his breath warm. “Just stay with me while I nap. I couldn’t sleep well on the plane.”
Knowing that Fu Mingchuan had access to a private jet for long trips, You Wen doubted his story about not sleeping well on the plane.
Eyes closed, Fu Mingchuan still seemed to read his thoughts. “I was worried you wouldn’t see me if I came, so I didn’t sleep much.”
Snuggling closer, You Wen murmured, “Then try to sleep well from now on.”
Fu Mingchuan opened his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. “How about I come see you next week?”
So relentless.
Playing with one of Fu Mingchuan’s shirt buttons, You Wen replied, “I’ll be busy next week.”
Without commenting on the wait, Fu Mingchuan simply said, “I’ll sleep well on the plane, so I won’t be tired.”
You Wen said nothing more.
Fu Mingchuan must have been truly exhausted; he slept through the night without showing any signs of waking. Meanwhile, You Shi kept calling, so You Wen finally silenced his phone and messaged her, asking her to look after Tiao Tiao.
She quickly replied: Did Fu Mingchuan come over?
After a moment of hesitation, You Wen replied: Yes, he’s asleep.
You Shi didn’t respond further, and neither did You Wen feel the need to explain. For once, they shared a silent understanding regarding Fu Mingchuan.
It wasn’t until the early morning hours that You Wen finally fell asleep, having spent the first part of the night watching Fu Mingchuan’s handsome face.
In his sleep, Fu Mingchuan unconsciously pulled You Wen close to him, and with his head against Fu Mingchuan’s chest, the sound of his heartbeat made You Wen feel safe, easing his fear of the dark.
When he woke up, he saw Fu Mingchuan sorting through a stack of paperwork. Rubbing his eyes, he walked over, and Fu Mingchuan, pen in hand, motioned him over. “Come pick a school.”
Fully awake now, You Wen randomly picked up a file and saw it was a list of schools specializing in psychology focusing on children and animals, with programs lasting four to six years.
It seemed that Fu Mingchuan always managed to quickly process and accept every decision he made. When he’d said he wanted to go abroad, Fu Mingchuan let him go. When he said he wanted to study, Fu Mingchuan helped him find a school.
Slightly speechless, You Wen asked, “You want me to study that long?”
Now it was Fu Mingchuan’s turn to be taken aback. He quickly countered, “How long is the program you’re considering?”
Then, You Wen finally answered the question that had bothered Fu Mingchuan since yesterday, though he’d conceded to it: “A six-month refresher course.”
Seeing how close he was standing, Fu Mingchuan pulled him onto his lap. “Only six months? Then I’ll make sure you have a good professor.” He added, “Just six months, no more.”
It was both a command and a plea.
You Wen huffed lightly. “I don’t want to be in school when I’m thirty.”
Finding him utterly endearing, Fu Mingchuan coaxed him, agreeing that he didn’t have to study long. Then he asked if he was hungry, though without waiting for a reply, he led him back to bed, and they spent the entire morning in blissful idleness.
Fu Mingchuan worked with remarkable efficiency. That very day, he arranged a meeting with the professor You Wen had been interested in, and after spending a few days taking care of all necessary arrangements, he finally left.
Even You Shi called to say that this professor was notoriously hard to reach, implying that Fu Mingchuan must have gone beyond money alone to secure the arrangement.
But You Wen didn’t ask, as he knew Fu Mingchuan wouldn’t seek credit for such efforts.
For the next few weeks, Fu Mingchuan flew to Germany every Saturday morning to spend the weekend with You Wen, leaving on Sunday evening. This became their routine, and You Wen grew accustomed to it—until, two months later, Fu Mingchuan suddenly missed a weekend.
You Wen didn’t say if it bothered him, but You Shi noticed his unhappiness and tried to comfort him, “With the distance, there will be times like this—this is only one week.”
But You Wen replied firmly, “He wouldn’t.”
And yet, Fu Mingchuan didn’t show up. Though he carried on with his usual tasks, You Wen’s day didn’t go well. He stumbled as he walked, forgot to pay while buying coffee, and things just didn’t fall into place.
Sitting on a bench by the roadside, he held his phone, head down, waiting. There was no message from Fu Mingchuan, no missed calls.
The last update from him was yesterday, saying he was about to depart.
Earlier that morning, he’d checked the flight route, only to find it had been canceled.
Fu Mingchuan hadn’t even notified him.
Then his professor called, asking why he hadn’t arrived for their scheduled animal protection fieldwork. Only then did You Wen remember the event.
Fu Mingchuan had always thought he should continue his studies, but this time, he hadn’t prepped him on the material, probably because he wanted him to learn on his own instead of relying on him.
In the past, this was exactly how things had gone. Whenever Fu Mingchuan learned something, he’d stop trying to figure it out himself, relying on Fu Mingchuan to solve it for him.
Last week, when Fu Mingchuan visited, he hadn’t even spent much time with him because he had a small exam to prepare for. He’d spent two full days studying in Fu Mingchuan’s hotel room.
He and Fu Mingchuan were different. You Wen was talkative and seldom gave those around him any quiet space, while Fu Mingchuan was the silent type. If You Wen didn’t speak, Fu Mingchuan could go hours without saying a word. So, in between problems, You Wen would chat with Fu Mingchuan, as if this might keep him from getting bored.
At one point, You Wen hesitated, chewing on his pen, and asked, “Do you want to go out for a walk?”
Fu Mingchuan took the pen from his mouth, his gaze steady. “Don’t bite.” Then he added, “No, you keep studying.”
Blushing, You Wen shot him a glare, then sent him off to walk Tiao Tiao. But when Fu Mingchuan took a while to return, You Wen couldn’t resist going to look for him. He found him in conversation with a young man who seemed to be chatting with him.
You Wen stayed back, watching, while Tiao Tiao spotted him and began tugging excitedly on the leash.
Fu Mingchuan, led by the leash, turned around and saw You Wen. After saying a few quick words to the guy, he walked over and took You Wen’s hand, asking why he’d come downstairs.
Glancing around the garden, You Wen replied, “Studying all day was getting boring, so I thought I’d come down for a stroll.”
Fu Mingchuan had no objections, taking him to wander around the hotel garden. Tiao Tiao, not wanting to be held by the leash, kept lunging at You Wen. Pulling him back, Fu Mingchuan explained, “That guy was just asking for directions. I didn’t know either, so I sent him to find the concierge.”
You Wen shot him a look, muttering, “I didn’t ask about that.”
Uncertain whether he really didn’t care, Fu Mingchuan asked how his studying was going, only to be met with another glare.
You Wen purposefully made it difficult for him. “The questions are hard—I didn’t get much done all day. I asked for your help, and you refused.”
It was clear he was giving Fu Mingchuan a hard time, but this time, Fu Mingchuan didn’t take the bait. “Knowledge only sticks when you learn it yourself.”
But You Wen didn’t continue the topic. It was ironic; back in the day, the moment he’d called something “hard,” Fu Mingchuan would solve it all for him without question.
