By the time they finished packing their luggage and documents, it was already noon. Yan Yan ended work early and drove Su Xiao Mi, An Zi Yan, and Mai Ding to the airport. Su Xiao Mi smiled at Mai Ding. “Come visit again when you have time.”
“Okay. You too.” Normally Mai Ding could talk endlessly with Su Xiao Mi about anything, yet when the time came to part, he suddenly had no idea what to say. He wished Su Xiao Mi lived in the same city.
“Remember to mail me the good food from your place.”
“I know. Stop reminding me over and over.”
“Don’t send only cheap stuff. You ate plenty of meals at my house too.”
“Just let me leave!” It looked almost exactly like when they had parted in Sanya. Mai Ding would never regret going to Sanya that time, because that was where he had met Su Xiao Mi and Yan Yan. An Zi Yan said to Yan Yan, “I’ll return the favor next time.”
“We’ll talk about it then.”
“I’m leaving.”
“Mm.”
Their goodbye was much cleaner and shorter. After speaking, An Zi Yan caught Mai Ding by the wrist and pulled him toward check-in. Mai Ding turned back and waved at Su Xiao Mi. “Goodbye, Su Xiao Mi.” He had forgotten how exhausting the work itself had been. For some inexplicable reason, he only felt that this business trip had made him happy.
“Mail the food soon~~”
Watching them disappear into the distance, Su Xiao Mi sighed. “It feels strange now that they’re gone. Yan~~ I’m talking to you~~ wait for me.” He ran over to Yan Yan and kept talking to himself. “It’s such a shame the Great Immortal is gone. I went through so much for it. I brought it home in the rain, held the umbrella over it so it wouldn’t get wet, and ended up soaked myself.”
“The Great Immortal?”
“That SpongeBob plush you saw before.”
Yan Yan’s face darkened. “You caught a cold because of that thing?”
“It was worth it for the Great Immortal! And my cold is completely, completely gone now. Yan~~ you don’t have to worry. My body is ridiculously healthy. I can eat as much junk food as I want and nothing happens. Next time I’ll put even more in your car…” Su Xiao Mi continued boasting wildly. Yan Yan stopped walking and said through clenched teeth, “I let things slide because you had just recovered from your cold, and you’ve taken that as permission to get more shameless every day.” He grabbed Su Xiao Mi by the cheek. “Go clean out the car.”
“But, but, but…” Su Xiao Mi muttered, lowering his head and kicking at the ground. Acting pitiful came naturally to him. Unfortunately, it did not work. Yan Yan had already become numb to this routine.
“Enough nonsense.”
Kneeling inside the car and obediently cleaning up the trash, Su Xiao Mi screamed inside his heart: Why? Why doesn’t it work anymore? Is it because the Great Immortal left?!
Why was he still asking? Yan Yan had already explained it perfectly clearly. He had only indulged Su Xiao Mi more lately because Su Xiao Mi was recovering from a cold. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Great Immortal. The Great Immortal’s departure created only a brief sense of regret in Su Xiao Mi’s mind. With Yan Yan beside him, nothing about his life or love would change. In the end, every last bit of his passion belonged to Yan Yan.
After getting off the plane, Mai Ding swallowed nervously and stared at An Zi Yan’s back, preparing to test the results of the past few days. How exciting. They walked out of the airport and were waiting for a taxi when Mai Ding kicked An Zi Yan for absolutely no reason. An Zi Yan looked down at the dirty mark on his trousers, then stared at Mai Ding. “Are you trying to die?” The moment he reached out to grab him, Mai Ding bolted away, thinking in panic, Why? Why doesn’t it work anymore? Is it because the Great Immortal left?
Still, the Great Immortal had at least granted his most important wish: he hoped the wound on An Zi Yan’s arm would heal quickly.
Mai Ding looked back. An Zi Yan was still standing a short distance away, staring at him. “Come back.”
Should he go back? If he did, An Zi Yan might punish him.
Of course he was going back. Where else could he go?
Mai Ding had missed many things in his life, but he would never allow himself to miss this person.
The moment they entered the apartment, Mai Ding collapsed onto the sofa, too exhausted to move. All the fatigue he had not noticed before flooded into his body at once. Thinking about having to clean the place and cook soon made him sigh deeply. Strange. He had been full of energy when worshipping the Great Immortal. An Zi Yan brought a laptop out of the bedroom, called Guo Ping to give him a few instructions, then turned on both the television and the electric heater.
“An Zi Yan, how many times have I told you we need to conserve energy? Are you using the computer or watching television? And save the electric heater for when it gets really cold. That thing eats electricity.” Still lying on the sofa, Mai Ding reached out to switch off the heater. An Zi Yan slapped his hand away. Mai Ding sat up cross-legged, placed both hands on his knees, and said, “I’ve wanted to discuss saving money with you for a long time. Since we actually have time today, let’s have a proper conversation.”
An Zi Yan stared at the laptop screen and moved his fingers across the touchpad without reacting to a word. Mai Ding pursed his lips. “Sometimes I feel like I’m a ghost living in another dimension and need a medium just to communicate with you.”
“I can make that wish come true.”
“Even as a ghost I wouldn’t let you off! If that scares you, then talk to me about saving money.”
“I’m not scared.”
Mai Ding ignored him and continued. “Saving is a virtue everyone should have. For example, if you’re using the computer right now, turn off the television and you’ll save a little on electricity.” He sounded like a teacher educating an elementary school student. In Mai Ding’s mind, An Zi Yan had been spoiled since childhood and might actually know less about this than an elementary schooler, so Mai Ding was prepared to start with the basics. The elementary schooler in question replied, “That amount wouldn’t even buy a condom.”
“Small amounts add up, and I am not telling you to save money so you can buy condoms!”
“Birth-control pills?”
“I-I can’t communicate with you!” Mai Ding stood, removed his coat, rolled his sleeves to his wrists, picked up a rag, and soaked it. Wearing the expression of someone thinking If I don’t enter hell, who will?, he began cleaning the apartment. Sometimes he did not want to do it either, but he simply could not stop himself. It was practically a compulsion now. His body had already developed the habits of a servant.