Throughout the workday, Mai Ding did his best to avoid An Zi Yan. He felt he’d done something wrong, something that betrayed him. He kept telling himself nothing would ever happen between him and Guan Zhu, so he hadn’t really wronged An Zi Yan. He checked the time. Another hour until the end of work. Picking up his bag, he said, “Shifu, could you tell An Zi Yan I’ve got something to do and need to leave early?”
“Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
“There’s… there’s no time.” Before Guo Ping could question him further, Mai Ding hurried down the stairs while An Zi Yan was still away in another department. He prayed he wouldn’t run into him. He had no idea what he’d say. For once, his prayers were answered. Standing outside the office building, Mai Ding hailed a taxi. As he climbed inside, he looked up at the seventh floor through the window and gave the address of the new home he and An Zi Yan hadn’t even moved into yet. Was he going too far? An Zi Yan had bought that place. If An Zi Yan found out he’d brought Guan Zhu there, he’d probably kill him. Were people’s hearts really so easily swayed?
When An Zi Yan returned to Public Relations, he glanced at Mai Ding’s empty seat. Guo Ping, who was about to leave himself, quickly explained, “Mai Ding had something to do and left an hour ago. He asked me to tell you.” An Zi Yan said nothing and called Mai Ding’s phone. All he got was the maddening busy signal. Liu Wei checked the time, stretched, and stood up. “What could he possibly have to do? I heard him say he was taking an old classmate home for drinks. He’s never been that enthusiastic about inviting any of us. I hope he’s late tomorrow.”
“Count me in on that curse.”
“Yan, let’s go togeth… Huh? Where did he go? When did he leave?”
It was probably only the third time An Zi Yan had come here. The first was when he viewed the property, the second when Mai Ding had dragged him over, and this time… He opened the door. The curtains were drawn, and the dim apartment was silent. Unless he’d guessed wrong, Mai Ding ought to be here. The bedroom door was half closed, with clothes scattered beside it. An Zi Yan said coldly, “Mai Ding. Come out. Now.” There was no movement. He looked at the half-open door. Whatever awaited him inside, he didn’t especially want to know. But he walked toward it anyway. His shoes made the faintest sounds against the floor. He put his fingertips to the door and gave it a little push. The door slowly swung open. There was no one in sight, only a suspicious hump beneath the tangled bedding. Expressionless, An Zi Yan caught one corner of the quilt and yanked it toward the floor. In an instant, the thing beneath it sprang at him like a ghost. The apparition threw its arms around An Zi Yan’s neck and brought its lips to his ear. “An Zi Yan. Hap-py. Birth-day…”
An Zi Yan didn’t respond. Mai Ding let go and stepped back, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm. “If you’d taken any longer, I would’ve suffocated in there.” Standing on the bed, he planted his hands on his hips, looking unbearably proud. “Never thought you’d see this day, did you? Heaven’s finally shown some mercy! Even you got fooled! Ha! Do you know how long I’ve been planning this? Ever since that awful trick you played on me after graduation, I’ve been plotting my revenge. Two years! Almost a whole two years!” Like an impassioned hero on television, Mai Ding pointed at An Zi Yan. “And now I’ve finally managed to prank you, An Zi Yan. Me, Mai Ding!” Having achieved a long-cherished dream, Mai Ding was filled with satisfaction. He was so excited he wanted to do a somersault on the bed. How much effort and sweat had gone into this day! There had been so many obstacles. First, there was the question of An Zi Yan’s birthday. Bai Xiao Si had told him that someone had made a mistake reporting the birth date back then. An Xun and the others hadn’t thought it worth correcting, so the wrong date had remained on his household registration and identity card. Even Bai Xiao Si didn’t know his real birthday. An Su refused to tell him, and even Grandpa wouldn’t reveal it. Grandpa had said, “Xiao Ding, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. But Zi Yan very solemnly instructed me that if you asked, I absolutely mustn’t say. He doesn’t want you torturing him with birthday cakes and celebrations every year. Zi Yan rarely asks anything of his grandpa, so I have to agree.” Yet after overcoming obstacle after obstacle, Mai Ding had uncovered the date. It was June 21! Just one day before his own birthday. How had An Zi Yan managed to hide that for so long without leaving the slightest clue?
Mai Ding excitedly explained every detail. “I’d been wracking my brains trying to decide who could help me. Bai Xiao Si, Li Ming, and the rest were hopeless. They’d definitely sell me out. Then heaven came to my rescue! Who would’ve guessed I’d run into Guan Zhu? The moment I saw him, I knew he was the perfect choice. I was over the moon. He really is a good buddy, and he cooperated with everything. I’m honestly impressed with myself. Ha! When I argued with you in the office, I almost started laughing, so I made up an excuse to leave. And it wasn’t just you. I wanted revenge on Xiao Si, too. I found out which café she usually visits on her lunch break and waited there for her to overhear my conversation with Guan Zhu. What I didn’t expect was how terrifying she’d be when she got angry. If I hadn’t kept myself under control, I might actually have wet my pants. Ha! I’m satisfied. I’ve reached the pinnacle of my life! Hahahaha!” After delivering such a long speech without a single response, Mai Ding nervously looked at An Zi Yan. An Zi Yan was staring straight at him. Mai Ding’s courage collapsed.
“You’ve pranked me so many times. Compared with that time you pretended to sleep with Xiao Si, this wasn’t going too far, was it? I… I was only following your example. Besides, I tried really hard not to fight with you, and I gave you hints. Didn’t I tell you the story of Goujian sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall? I also said I could be good at pretending if I practiced enough. You… you were just too slow to catch on. You can’t blame me.” An Zi Yan folded his arms and stared at him through clenched teeth, still without a word. Mai Ding retreated a few more steps to put some distance between them. “Say something! You’re not actually angry, are you? You’ve pranked me so many times, and I never got mad. If you get angry, we won’t be able to have fun together anymore.”
“Quite the performance, Mai Ding.” Why did An Zi Yan’s praise sound so frightening? Why did he react like this to being pranked? Couldn’t he wail and pound the wall the way Mai Ding did?
“It was all right.”
“Since you’ve been planning it for two years, I assume you’ve thought about the consequences. Or have you already prepared yourself?” An Zi Yan put his left knee on the bed. Mai Ding shook his head. “I… I haven’t had a chance to think about the consequences.”
“Well, you’d better give them some serious thought. Though, unfortunately for you, it’s too late now.” An Zi Yan seized Mai Ding by the ankle. Mai Ding struggled to crawl away in the other direction, but no matter how hard he scrambled, he couldn’t move an inch.