The Scorching Sun - 43
Impulsiveness and stubbornness are the gifts of youth, and in the eighteenth Spring Festival of Fang Zhuo’s life, they arrived late.
Before this, Fang Zhuo would never have followed a fleeting impulse to appear in some unfamiliar corner of the city. She would never have indulged herself in so many useless, extravagant whims, nor spent half an hour or more wandering aimlessly through the night with someone by her side.
Those things seemed to be Yan Lie’s particular privileges. He possessed an abundance of innocence.
Losing track of the minutes and seconds, entertaining all kinds of impossible fantasies, letting expectation spread into vast blank spaces that could never be filled... all of these were aftereffects of Fang Zhuo’s belated youth.
And yet, by the time the last sliver of cold fire had gone out on the horizon and the countless stars were veiled beneath the white ash left behind by the fireworks, Yan Lie still hadn’t told her his wish.
The crowd dispersed, like a tempestuous sea finally settling after its waves had raged.
Yan Lie’s voice came clearly to her again. "It’s not a wish. It’s a goal."
The wind off the river had tousled his hair, baring his smooth forehead. He smiled, his eyes curving at the corners. "I’ll tell you once I’ve achieved it!"
Fang Zhuo stared at him speechlessly. "Then why are you giving me a preview now?"
Yan Lie answered shamelessly, "To test your patience!"
Fang Zhuo laughed. "Want me to test how much of a beating you can take?"
Yan Lie turned and ran.
After getting some distance, he looked back. Using the space between them as cover, he called out with a grin, "Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask you before the holiday, but I never finished asking."
Fang Zhuo said, "Then ask!"
Yan Lie asked with deliberately shameless seriousness, "If you get rich, would your family mind taking in one more person?"
Fang Zhuo was silent for a moment before giving him a serious look. "Dummy. You don't need money to afford one more person." Then she frowned, suddenly annoyed with herself. "Although you're a little expensive."
Yan Lie shouted back, "I am not! You're talking nonsense!"
-
Under the streetlights filtering through the swaying tree branches, a young woman walked along the tree-lined road, her gaze lowered as she typed on WeChat. She typed a line, reconsidered it, deleted it, and finally sent only a sticker.
The friend beside her leaned over. "Who are you messaging?"
"No one. Just a younger guy I met at dinner tonight, a friend's son of my dad's. He's pretty handsome, but he's ridiculously aloof." The woman left the chat and sent a few New Year wishes in several other group chats before casually adding, "He's starting university next year. I recommended B University to him, but he's been completely indifferent to me."
Her friend immediately lost interest. "He's still in his final year of high school? What's so special about an aloof guy at that age? Senior year is boring enough as it is."
The woman smiled and looked up. "I know you only like handsome guys."
"I like them cheerful and fun. Too bad a lot of guys like that are everyone’s sweetheart. They’re hopeless if you actually want a serious relationship." Her friend nudged her with an elbow, then tipped her chin toward the road ahead and lowered her voice. "Look at that handsome guy over there. He was watching the fireworks with us just now. I've been keeping an eye on him for ages. I wonder what year he's in."
The woman followed her gaze and saw a familiar face she'd encountered only a few hours earlier. There was nothing aloof or gloomy about him. Instead, his face was lit by a fresh, warm smile as he freely offered his kindness to the person standing before him.
Their eyes met for a brief moment. He should have seen her too. Maybe he didn't recognize her. Maybe he simply hadn't thought much of her. Either way, his gaze shifted away almost immediately, and he continued talking to the person in front of him.
White clouds of breath mingled in the air as the two walked slowly through the scattered orange glow beneath their feet. The scene was so gentle and harmonious that it almost seemed unreal.
The woman stood dazed for a moment, then returned to the chat she'd been in earlier. She unsent the sticker and quietly deleted the conversation as though nothing had happened.
Her friend caught the movement from the corner of her eye and teased, "What happened? Did you discover that aloof guys aren't as attractive as sunny ones?"
Without changing expression, the woman said, "Nothing. I thought about it and realized he's still too young. I don't want him to misunderstand and let it get in the way of his studies."
"That's true." Her friend sighed. "If we can't find someone worth holding in the palm of our hands, how about we go get some milk tea?"
-
Yan Lie didn't want to go home, so Fang Zhuo had no choice but to take him back with her. Halfway there, they found the bicycles they'd abandoned earlier and pushed them the rest of the way to Ye Yuncheng’s rented apartment.
Yan Lie hadn't eaten much that evening. Now that his temper had cooled, hunger came rushing back, leaving his stomach empty and aching.
Fang Zhuo told him to wait by the table while she carried the dishes over to reheat them.
She had barely poured water into the pot when Ye Yuncheng emerged in his pajamas.
"Uncle, did I wake you?" Yan Lie got to his feet. "Happy New Year!"
Still bleary-eyed with sleep, Ye Yuncheng smiled in surprise. "Happy New Year. Why are you here so late?"
Yan Lie grinned. "I came to mooch a meal!"
Ye Yuncheng sat down at the table. "Have you had dumplings? There are still some left in the freezer. I can cook them for you now."
Yan Lie rolled up his sleeves. "Sure. I'll cook them myself."
Ye Yuncheng opened the freezer and pointed out where they were before taking the dumplings out for him.
"Oh, right. There's also egg wine." Remembering it, he enthusiastically suggested, "There's still half a bottle of yellow rice wine in the fridge. I'll crack an egg into it and stew it for you."
Yan Lie hurriedly refused. "I don't drink!"
Ye Yuncheng asked, "Are you allergic to alcohol?"
Yan Lie answered vaguely, "Not exactly."
"Then just have a little. It's very nourishing." Ye Yuncheng's voice was gentle and coaxing. "It's sweet, not like ordinary alcohol at all. It tastes really good. If you don't believe me, ask Zhuo Zhuo."
Fang Zhuo turned on the range hood and vouched for him. "It's really good."
Yan Lie was still trying to think of a way to refuse when Ye Yuncheng suddenly reached out and touched his cheek. The unfamiliar sensation made him shiver.
He restrained himself from pulling away and saw the concern written all over Ye Yuncheng's face. "You two have been out in the wind for so long. You stayed out playing until this late, and your faces are practically frozen. All the more reason to warm yourselves up. Have a little."
Yan Lie's lips parted and closed again. His thoughts failed him, and before he could think of anything else, he found himself agreeing.
Both burners were lit. Slowly, the scent of alcohol seeped through the gaps in the steamer, unlike any he'd smelled before, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.
Fang Zhuo stood by the sink watching the stove and said, for no apparent reason, "Yan Lie likes sweet things."
Ye Yuncheng said, "Does he?"
"Yes." Fang Zhuo sounded completely certain. "He likes cake too. The desserts you used to make for me were actually eaten by him."
Yan Lie: "...Are you tattling on me?"
"What's wrong with that? You should enjoy the things your uncle makes for you." Ye Yuncheng remembered every little detail. "Zhuo Zhuo likes spicy and salty food, and she likes meat. Uncle can make those for you too."
Fang Zhuo turned around with a triumphant smile. Yan Lie rarely saw such a childish expression on her face.
He leaned lightly against the refrigerator door, basking in the warmth radiating from the stove, and wondered in confusion, Why is this home so warm? I really, really like this place.
Once the food was heated through, it was brought to the table, still steaming.
Fang Zhuo ate a little with him. Ye Yuncheng wasn't hungry and didn't touch his chopsticks, but he didn't leave either. He simply sat nearby and watched them eat.
He asked, "Are you going home tonight?"
Yan Lie hesitated before answering, "I'm not going back."
"Then are you sleeping in the living room or with Uncle?" Ye Yuncheng said. "Your mattress is still here. Want me to take it back to you tomorrow?"
"I'll sleep in the living room. Leave the mattress here too. Save me a spot."
Ye Yuncheng stretched his arms and laughed. "Then Uncle's going to have to rent a bigger place someday. With you and Xiao Mu, we've got quite a big family now.”
---
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