Wang Cheng leaned against the door, his chest heaving violently. In twenty-five years of life, it had been a long time since he had fought with everything he had. He did not even go all out when sparring with the old monk. The old monk was getting old and could no longer knock him down as easily as before, so Wang Cheng had eventually learned to hold back.
Chu Yifeng was in better shape. His hair was not mussed, his clothes were not wrinkled, and even the rise and fall of his chest was less pronounced. He recovered his breathing before Wang Cheng and looked at him with what seemed like a trace of heat in his eyes, as though ice had cracked open at that very moment. He had expected Wang Cheng to be reasonably skilled, but not this good at fighting.
Some things did not need much explanation. The answer had actually been sitting in their hearts for a long time.
Wang Cheng scooped up the things on the floor, turned around, and headed out. If he could not carry everything at once, he would simply come back for another trip. As for Chu Yifeng, he was going to pretend the man did not exist.
The elevator doors were about to close when a foot blocked them. Wang Cheng stared at that foot, debating whether to stomp on it, while Chu Yifeng stepped inside carrying the rest of his things.
“I didn’t ask you to help.”
“You did.”
Wang Cheng remembered what he had said before they started fighting. He really had asked for help, and in a tone that made it sound completely natural too. Absolutely infuriating. How had he managed to invite a wolf into his own house? Calling Chu Yifeng a wolf was still underestimating him. He was obviously a tiger that bit people. What kind of big boss needed to be that good at fighting anyway? Was he planning to rob people or kill them?
“What exactly do you want?”
“Haven’t you already guessed? Do you really need me to say it out loud?” Chu Yifeng looked perfectly calm.
Annoyed, Wang Cheng said, “You’re that sure I’ll agree?”
He was not stupid. Chu Yifeng was right: he had sensed something. He might have no firsthand experience, but that did not mean he was clueless. He simply refused to be the one to spell it out. Was he supposed to walk up and ask, Are you interested in me? He would have been asking to get smacked. Besides, they were both men. Just because he did not date women did not mean he liked men.
“You feel something too. You can’t deny that.”
Chu Yifeng did not say much, but every sentence struck straight at Wang Cheng’s heart. He had hit the mark again, which was one reason Wang Cheng was so irritated. The man talked as though everything was already under his control. Wang Cheng was the one who had gotten the short end of the stick here, so he had no intention of letting Chu Yifeng have everything his way.
The elevator opened on basement level one. Wang Cheng strode out without looking back. “Boss Chu, do you think you can read minds? Let me tell you honestly: this time, you guessed wrong.”
“If you’re a man, admit it.”
“Then just pretend I’m not a man.”
Following behind him, Chu Yifeng could not help laughing.
Wang Cheng happened to turn around and caught him smiling. “What the hell are you laughing at?” he blurted out. And why did he have to look so good doing it?
Wang Cheng opened the trunk and shoved the things in his arms inside. He wanted very much to slam the lid shut, but Chu Yifeng was still holding some of his belongings. Those were the supplements he had spent good money on. He was not about to let Chu Yifeng keep them. Once everything had been loaded, Wang Cheng got into the driver’s seat.
Chu Yifeng did not get in. Standing beside the car door, he said to Wang Cheng, “I’ll give you two days.”
So he meant Wang Cheng could have the Mid-Autumn Festival to think about it?
Wang Cheng’s answer was to drive away without looking back. Only when Chu Yifeng’s figure disappeared from the rearview mirror did his rigid back finally sink against the seat. While waiting at a red light at an intersection, he pulled out his phone and called Yuan Xia.
Yuan Xia’s university was on holiday too, so he did not need to work. The two agreed on a place to meet. Just as Wang Cheng hung up, the light turned green.
When Wang Cheng arrived, Yuan Xia was not there yet.
Wang Cheng parked in a temporary roadside parking space and took a box of mooncakes from the trunk. It was one of the two boxes Chu Yifeng had given him. The packaging was very high-end, making it perfect as a gift.
A short while later, Yuan Xia arrived. He lived nearby and had walked over. Perhaps he had hurried, because he was slightly out of breath.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Not at all. Two or three minutes at most, and I’m not in a hurry.” Wang Cheng handed him the mooncakes. “Someone gave these to me. I had an extra box.”
Yuan Xia accepted them. With Mid-Autumn approaching, exchanging mooncakes was common, and there was no need for friends to stand on ceremony. “I came down too fast and forgot to bring mine. Why don’t you wait a bit? I’ll go upstairs and get you a box. It won’t be as expensive as this one, but it’s still a token of goodwill.”
“No, no.” Wang Cheng waved him off. “I’ve still got several boxes in my trunk. My family won’t be able to finish them all anyway. They’ll just end up being given away.”
“This box of mooncakes wouldn’t happen to be from your boss, would it?” Yuan Xia suddenly asked. He had always been a little concerned about the relationship between Wang Cheng and his boss, and after learning something else not long ago, he had become even more curious. But it was Wang Cheng’s private business, and even as a friend, he had not felt it was his place to ask.
Wang Cheng rubbed his nose. “Why?”
Yuan Xia hesitated. “Are you and your boss still getting along okay?”
“Pretty well.” Homosexuality was no longer especially rare, but there were still plenty of people who could not accept it. Wang Cheng hesitated and decided not to tell him yet. What he forgot was that his tone sounded completely different from usual, and Yuan Xia noticed at once.
“Did something… happen between you two?” Yuan Xia asked tentatively.
Wang Cheng was a little surprised by how perceptive he was. He simply said, “Something did happen, but I haven’t figured it out yet. I’ll tell you once I have.”
Yuan Xia more or less understood. It seemed that unspoken layer between the two had finally been pierced. Wang Cheng’s reaction, however, was much calmer than he had expected. He had thought someone who had never had any contact with gay relationships before might find it difficult to accept, but Wang Cheng looked almost completely normal.
“There are some things I probably shouldn’t say too much about, but I hope you’ll follow your heart. It’s hard to meet someone in this life who feels the same way about you. If you don’t cherish that when it happens, you may never get another chance.”
Wang Cheng stared at him in astonishment. “How do you know?”
Yuan Xia smiled. “Because I’ve been through it too.”
Wang Cheng remembered that Yuan Xia had once mentioned the person he was currently seeing. He had always assumed it was a woman and had even wondered what kind of woman could capture Yuan Xia’s heart. Could it actually be a man? More importantly, why had Yuan Xia said too?
This Mid-Autumn Festival was clearly destined to be anything but peaceful.
Wang Cheng had called home in advance. It was already after four when he returned to Guanjia Village. He had only just gotten his license and did not dare drive too fast. A trip that normally took only an hour or two took him more than three. Papa Wang and Mama Wang came outside as soon as they heard the car.
This was Wang Cheng’s first time driving himself home, and both of them had been a little worried. After receiving his call, they had stayed at home waiting. Only when they finally heard the car did they relax.
“You’re home, so why did you bring all this stuff? It’s not as though we have nothing to eat here.” Mama Wang spoke while taking some of the things from his hands, but her face was full of smiles. This year, only their second son was home to spend Mid-Autumn with them, yet neither parent had ever been this happy, because it was the first Mid-Autumn Festival the three of them would spend together.
“It’s Mid-Autumn. What’s wrong with eating a little better?” Wang Cheng followed them inside.
When Mama Wang saw that he had brought three boxes of mooncakes, she decided Wang Cheng should take one box to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. She had learned how to make mooncakes from Grandma, so Grandma’s family rarely bought the beautifully packaged ones sold outside. Even the mooncakes they gave to others were homemade.
Wang Cheng picked the most expensive-looking box. It contained twelve mooncakes, enough to share among the children. Several children could split one, and a single box would last quite a while. Children loved sweets like these.
Only Grandma and Grandpa lived at Mama Wang’s family home now. Their children had long since married and established households of their own. Wang Cheng had two maternal uncles. His elder maternal uncle had died young, leaving behind one son who was now married with children of his own. Since he did not live in Guanjia Village, they rarely saw him. The elder uncle’s wife had run off with another man a year after her husband died and had never been heard from again.
His younger maternal uncle did not live in Guanjia Village either. His wife’s family lived in the city, so their whole family had moved there fifteen years ago. They were not especially wealthy, but they lived a happy, settled life. His younger uncle was filial and had once wanted to bring the two elderly people to live with him, but Grandma and Grandpa disliked city life, so he had no choice but to give up. Their family should be returning to Guanjia Village for Mid-Autumn this year, though they probably would not arrive until the day after tomorrow.
When Grandma saw Wang Cheng arrive, she immediately beckoned him inside. Seeing that he had brought mooncakes too, she told him not to waste money like this in the future, assuming he had bought them himself.
Wang Cheng quickly explained that a friend had given them to him. Only then did Grandma relax. She gave Wang Cheng several mooncakes she had made herself. They were not filled with salted egg yolk; instead, they contained meat. They were savory rather than sweet, Grandma’s own creation. Wang Cheng had eaten the version Mama Wang made when he lived on the mountain, and they were delicious. The old monk had loved them too.
Wang Cheng stayed inside chatting with the two elders for more than half an hour, talking about himself as well as his little sister and eldest brother. Elderly people loved hearing about the younger generations. The more smoothly and safely the children’s lives were going, the happier they became. It pleased them far more than putting a bundle of cash directly in front of them ever could.
He did not leave until his eldest maternal aunt arrived. She was seven years older than Mama Wang, and her life had been a tragedy.
Her husband had cheated on her and run off with another woman when their son was only one, leaving mother and child behind. She painstakingly raised her son until he was eight, only for him to fall and suffer an injury that damaged his brain. His mental development remained at the level of an eight-year-old. His mother stubbornly raised him to adulthood. Although he could take care of himself much like an ordinary person, going out into the world to earn a living was impossible.
Mother and son lived in Guanjia Village, not far from Grandma and Grandpa’s house. In the past, Grandma and Grandpa had often brought them food. Now that the two elders were older and increasingly limited in their mobility, his eldest maternal aunt frequently came over to help them with chores. Her life was hard, but at least it was peaceful enough.