With the road now closed, they had no choice but to get back on the bus. This time, however, Yang Shuyi kept his back rigid and didn’t lean against the seat.
Another ten minutes or so passed before they reached Yingxiu Town.
It was dark already, and lights dotted the town as far as they could see. Following the driver’s directions, they headed toward the town health center. Yingxiu’s streets were narrow but paved with smooth concrete. There was not the slightest trace of the earthquake in sight: everything had been rebuilt afterward. They passed restaurants and guesthouses, many with people inside eating. At others, with no customers, the owners played mahjong with acquaintances by the door. Seeing the two of them pass, someone called warmly, “Come in and have something to eat!”
Shao Wu even caught the smell of grilled fish. He sniffed and was suddenly hungry.
Luckily they hadn’t walked far when the glowing red characters for “Yingxiu Town Central Health Center” came into view, bright against the night. Shao Wu’s stomach growled twice. Let’s get grilled fish afterward, he thought.
They passed a white wall. Behind it loomed what seemed to be a low building, unlit and hard to distinguish. Shao Wu narrowed his eyes. By the weak light from farther away, he could make out a tall flagpole and a five-starred red flag stirring in the night wind.
“Is that a school?” Shao Wu asked Yang Shuyi. It was only a casual question. He had no idea whether Yang Shuyi had been to Yingxiu before and didn’t expect him to know for certain.
But after several seconds of silence, Yang Shuyi said, “Those are the ruins of Xuankou Middle School.”
Shao Wu stopped dead.
In the darkness, it was as though someone had dumped a basin of icy water over his head. A shudder went through his whole body.
Not because so many teachers and students had died there eight years ago.
But because the ruins were so close to the bustling restaurants and guesthouses. The closeness was almost disorienting. Or perhaps Shao Wu hadn’t truly grasped, after arriving in Yingxiu, that this town had been the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake eight years earlier. It looked much like any other little riverside town, even prettier and more prosperous, warm and peaceful. Where was any sign of the hell it had once been?
Yang Shuyi took his hand. “Shao Wu?” he called softly.
“Let’s go,” Shao Wu said. “I just… I just didn’t take it in at first.”
“Mm.”
“Have you been here before, since the earthquake?”
“I passed through once.” Hand in hand, they walked slowly past the ruins of Xuankou Middle School. “I didn’t dare get out of the car.”
At first Shao Wu had only been stunned, but those words suddenly brought tears to his eyes.
He had always known Yang Shuyi felt guilty toward his family, and he knew how strong Yang Shuyi was, so strong he sometimes seemed capable of anything, even acting out a marriage with Zou Xin. Yet Yang Shuyi had once been unable to get out of a car and look at this place? Of course. Like so many people here, he was a surviving family member of those who had died. Yingxiu was probably the cruelest nightmare of his life.
And now they had come to Yingxiu. Only a wall separated them from the earthquake ruins. Night covered everything, and the place somehow seemed peaceful.
At the health center, a doctor examined Yang Shuyi’s swollen ankle and the purple bruises on his back. Fortunately there was no major problem, and the doctor only prescribed two bottles of topical ointment.
Then they went back to the grilled-fish restaurant they’d passed for dinner. The Min River surged not far away, its rushing water deep and loud. The owner’s family of three sat by the register: the father watching television, the mother and daughter looking at their phones and discussing which dress to buy.
Shao Wu asked Yang Shuyi softly, “Shall we see the ruins of Xuankou Middle School tomorrow?”
Yang Shuyi nodded. “There’s also an earthquake epicenter memorial museum here. We could visit that.”
He looked tired but calm. Their eyes met, and after a few seconds they both looked away.
Looking at the steaming grilled fish, Shao Wu said, “Eat more.”
Yang Shuyi smiled. “After dinner, let’s buy some cherries. The cherries here are really good.”
But by the time they’d eaten their fill, the fruit shop at the end of the street had closed. They were both exhausted, so they simply went into the guesthouse across from the grilled-fish restaurant. Late March, with no holidays or festivals, was the tourist off-season, and the guesthouse had no other guests. The owner was playing Anipop and said distractedly, “We’ve got rooms with one big bed and rooms with two beds. Same price. Take your pick.”
Shao Wu felt a little awkward. “One twin room, please.”
“All right.” The owner opened a drawer, pulled out a key, and gave it to Shao Wu. “Room 288, second floor. Just go straight up.”
Guesthouses like this were usually people’s own homes, generally three-story buildings. The owners lived on the ground floor, while the second and third floors had been turned into guest rooms. Upstairs, the two of them found only two rooms on the second floor, one with a large bed and the other with two single beds. Both were spacious.
Shao Wu couldn’t understand why the owner had said to take their pick. When two grown men booked a room, wouldn’t they normally choose twin beds?
Yang Shuyi asked, “Which bed do you want?”
“…Either’s fine with me.”
Yang Shuyi sat on the bed by the window. “Then I’ll shower first?”
Shao Wu nodded quickly while fiddling with his phone. “You go ahead. I need to reply to my brother.”
Of course, Wang Yujun hadn’t sent him a message at all.
He was just desperate for an excuse to look away. What else was he supposed to do, sit there eagerly watching Yang Shuyi undress? Standing by the bed, Yang Shuyi took off his shoes, changed into the guesthouse’s disposable slippers, pulled off his sweater by the hem, then bent to remove his outdoor pants and woolen trousers. He was left in gray thermal underwear, top and bottoms. Even though the long johns were loose, whenever Shao Wu glanced down at his phone, he could still glimpse Yang Shuyi’s strong, long calves… Thank goodness. Thank goodness he didn’t take anything else off.
Yang Shuyi entered the bathroom. Water rushed noisily, and within a few minutes he came back out.
Heat rose from his body, and a few drops of water clung to his handsome face.
Shao Wu was about to say he’d take his own shower when he noticed the ointment on the table.
Oh, no. This was even worse.
“Let me put some ointment on for you,” Shao Wu managed. “You can’t reach your back.”
“…All right.” Yang Shuyi picked up one of the tubes, handed it to him, then turned around. “Thanks for helping.”
His voice had suddenly turned stiff too.
Shao Wu drew a deep breath and lifted the back of Yang Shuyi’s thermal shirt. He squeezed a dollop of ointment onto his fingertip, then very slowly and gently pressed the pad of his finger against one of the purple bruises.
“Does it hurt?”
“It’s fine,” Yang Shuyi said. “Just put it on. Don’t worry about me.”
Shao Wu repeated silently, He’s a wooden post. Just a wooden post that needs painting. I’ll apply the ointment and ignore him. But this was Yang fucking Shuyi. His attention slipped, and he pressed harder than intended. Yang Shuyi hissed.
“Are you okay?” Shao Wu stopped at once.
“…I’m fine.” After a pause, Yang Shuyi added with helpless exasperation, “Hurry up, Xiao Shao.”
This wasn’t applying medicine. It was like putting both of them through torture.
Finally Shao Wu finished rubbing in the ointment and fled into the bathroom. He stayed under the shower for a full forty minutes, even turning the water cold for the last half minute.
Only then could he push the door open and walk out with something resembling composure.
But Yang Shuyi was already asleep on his bed. He must have been exhausted. His breathing was a little heavy, the wings of his nose moving rhythmically.
He’d turned on the air conditioner, so the room was very warm. Shao Wu stood by the bed and watched him, thinking in a daze that this must be the first time Yang Shuyi had slept so peacefully in front of him.
The desire and romantic tension of a moment earlier suddenly ebbed away. Shao Wu leaned down and carefully stroked Yang Shuyi’s hair.
Yang Shuyi went on sleeping and didn’t wake.
That night, both of them slept soundly and peacefully.