27

He Ning gave Li Xuan a call.

The message was brief, but the intent was clear: she invited him to visit her hometown in Ling'an.

She still couldn't quite bring herself to swallow her pride, so she used the excuse that the soy-marinated duck and beef were all cured and ready, and invited him to come try them.

Li Xuan was totally stunned when he got the call. Su Xingchuan said softly from beside him, 'Go if you want, don't go if you don't.'

Li Xuan thought it over and decided to go, but he still wasn't prepared and didn't know how to get along with He Ning in a peaceful way, so he shoved his phone at Su Xingchuan and told him to handle it.

Su Xingchuan happily took the phone.

After hanging up, Su Xingchuan walked over to the balcony.

Li Xuan was leaning over the balcony railing, letting the wind hit him. Su Xingchuan scooped him up from behind and pulled him into his arms. 'Aren't you cold?'

Li Xuan shook his head.

Su Xingchuan said, 'First, let me apologize to you on my mom's behalf.'

'You've said that eight hundred times already.'

Su Xingchuan chuckled softly. 'It feels like no matter how many times I apologize, it can never make up for it. Baby, what exactly did my mom say to you that day?'

'I can't remember.'

Li Xuan turned to look at Su Xingchuan and curved his lips up. 'Before we got back together, I held it in my heart the whole time. But after we met again, I forgot.'

He slumped into Su Xingchuan's arms. 'If you want to make it up to me, then—' He suddenly froze.

'Then what?'

Li Xuan thought for ages but couldn't come up with anything. He let out a long sigh. 'I don't think there's anything left for you to do.'

Su Xingchuan was already his caring husband, devoted servant, diligent driver, and bed-warming consort... To ask for more, Li Xuan himself felt a bit ashamed of himself.

Su Xingchuan nibbled on his ear. 'Think again.'

Li Xuan rolled his eyes. 'I want to eat some instant noodles.'

'Why the sudden craving for instant noodles?'

Li Xuan said, 'I don't know, I just suddenly feel like having some.'

So at half past ten at night, with the bright moon hanging high and stars twinkling, the whole city gradually quieted down. Li Xuan sat at the dining table, waiting as Su Xingchuan placed a steaming bowl of instant noodles in front of him. The noodles came with an egg and some ham sausage.

Su Xingchuan showed Li Xuan what 'home' meant in his own way. Li Xuan felt his whole heart swell with warmth. He stared at the bowl like an idiot for a long time before remembering to pull out his phone and snap a photo—walnut wood tabletop, warm yellow lighting, a creamy white noodle bowl.

The photo also caught Su Xingchuan's muscular arm.

Li Xuan was very satisfied with the photo's composition. He examined it left and right, then saved it to his album.

The album was a private one. Su Xingchuan noticed but couldn't make out the album name, so he leaned in and asked curiously, 'What other photos are in there?'

Li Xuan pouted. 'I'm not telling you.'

Su Xingchuan crooked his finger and tweaked his nose.

Su Xingchuan also cooked a bowl of noodles for himself. They sat face to face eating. Li Xuan found it too hot, so Su Xingchuan helped him cool it down.

Su Xingchuan was a master at boiling eggs—he could easily control the heat and timing to make a soft-boiled egg. Li Xuan loved the taste of runny yolk wrapped up with the noodles.

Su Xingchuan asked him, 'Is it good?'

Just like back in his school days, Li Xuan bobbed his head from side to side happily.

And under the table, he stepped on Su Xingchuan's foot.

Both his feet were resting on Su Xingchuan's instep. Su Xingchuan didn't get annoyed; he just let Li Xuan bully him.

Not long after they'd gotten back together, Li Xuan had already reverted to his old self around Su Xingchuan. His chatterbox opened up, and he talked about hospital matters—sometimes disdainfully, sometimes with a sigh—while Su Xingchuan listened quietly.

'Why did you choose the Men's Health Hospital in the first place?' Su Xingchuan asked.

'Specialist hospitals are relatively more laid-back.'

'So...'

Li Xuan knew what Su Xingchuan was about to ask. He snorted coldly and said, 'Yeah, after seeing so much, I've lost interest.'

Su Xingchuan chuckled. 'That won't do.'

Li Xuan pressed down on Su Xingchuan's instep. Su Xingchuan pretended to be in pain. 'Tsk—so fierce.'

Li Xuan was naturally the type who couldn't gain weight. Su Xingchuan didn't have that gift. After eating, he put the bowls and chopsticks in the dishwasher, and when he stood up, he suddenly felt unsure whether his abs were still there.

Since his health had gotten bad, he hadn't hit the gym.

He reached over and felt it.

The good news: the outline is still there;

The bad news: that's about all that's left of it.

He told Li Xuan, 'Starting tomorrow, I'm getting back to the gym. At least three times a week.'

Li Xuan was not thrilled. 'Then what time would you get home?'

'I'd be back before ten.'

Li Xuan shook his head. 'No, you're not going.'

Su Xingchuan sat on the sofa and pulled Li Xuan onto his lap. 'Didn't you say you love my abs the most?'

Li Xuan straddled Su Xingchuan's lap. He didn't want to be away from Su Xingchuan for too long. 'I can just pretend you have them.'

Su Xingchuan's face darkened. '...But I do have them.'

Li Xuan lay back in his arms. 'Then I'll go with you.'

Su Xingchuan joked, 'Sure, Xuanxuan can watch me work out by the side. If someone hits on me, Xuanxuan can rush up and shout, 'This is my boyfriend!''

Li Xuan actually nodded seriously.

Su Xingchuan's hand slid from the back of Li Xuan's neck all the way down, pausing briefly at his lower back. Li Xuan buried his face in the crook of Su Xingchuan's neck. Su Xingchuan whispered in his ear, 'Ten more days, right?'

Li Xuan said in a muffled voice, 'That's not how you count it.'

'Then how much longer?'

Li Xuan's breathing picked up. He clutched Su Xingchuan's collar and, barely calmly, reminded him, 'The follow-up checkup—let's wait until after the follow-up.'

—

On New Year's Eve, Su Xingchuan took Li Xuan home.

He Ning glanced at Li Xuan, smiled faintly, and then turned to go into the kitchen. Li Xuan shot Su Xingchuan a look for help.

Su Xingchuan was just about to go over and talk some sense into his mother when He Ning came back out with fruit. Li Xuan froze.

He Ning took the initiative and said to Li Xuan, 'Auntie owes you an apology. Seven years ago, what I said... I said it way too harshly.'

Li Xuan didn't say a word.

'After watching things these past few weeks, I really was too prejudiced. You're not how I had imagined at all. Just like your mother said, you're a good kid.'

Not a disgusting pervert who would tear Su Xingchuan's family apart, but a good kid.

He Ning set down the fruit and said to Li Xuan, 'I'm sorry.'

Li Xuan felt as if a stone that had been pressing on his heart for seven years was finally lifted.

Su Xingchuan held his hand.

It was just like Li Xuan had often dreamed: late at night, Su Xingchuan knocked on the door of his heart, walked up to that twenty-year-old Li Xuan huddled in the corner, and led him out.

Carefree, cute, lighthearted.

They returned to Li Xuan once more.

The atmosphere at Su Xingchuan's home was never quite as good as at Li Xuan's. On New Year's Day, Li Xuan brought Su Xingchuan back to his own home for a meal.

Su Xingchuan was helping in the kitchen.

Li Xuan just sprawled out on the sofa and ate snacks.

Xu Zhengdong walked in, took off his coat, and sat down next to him. He reached into Li Xuan's snack bag, but Li Xuan wasn't having it; he pinched the bag shut and wouldn't let Xu Zhengdong take more.

'These are chips and cookies Su Xingchuan made for me.'

Because the two of them spent so much time lounging at home and Li Xuan was snacking more and more, Su Xingchuan worried that too much puffed food would be bad for Li Xuan's health. He thought it over and decided to make snacks at home from scratch.

He made chips and cookies, and they tasted great.

Xu Zhengdong tsked. 'Got a husband and forgot your uncle, huh.'

Li Xuan asked, 'Uncle, did you change boyfriends again?'

'Yep.'

'Why'd you break up with the last one?'

'He was too much trouble. He was always on me to go abroad and get a marriage certificate with him. How was that supposed to work?'

Li Xuan was puzzled. 'Why wouldn't it work? Weren't you really into him?'

'Just 'cause you're into someone, you gotta get a certificate? Being into someone is just being into them.'

Li Xuan shook his head. 'Then it's not real liking.'

Xu Zhengdong smirked sideways at him. 'Then what's real liking?'

'Real liking isn't just wanting to get a certificate; it's wanting to be with him in this life and the next life too.'

Xu Zhengdong got goosebumps all over. He waved his hand. 'Never mind then. Your uncle still plans to play the field till he's fifty.'

No sooner had he said that than Xu Nianzhi's voice came from above his head. 'What? Fifty? You wouldn't dare!'

Xu Zhengdong was so scared he shuddered. He hurriedly explained, 'It's a joke, Sis! Don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously!'

Li Xuan used the chaos to snatch back his chip bag, hugged it to his chest, and got up to find Su Xingchuan. Su Xingchuan was mixing a cold dish.

Li Xuan said, 'I want to go on a trip.'

'Where to?'

'I want to go abroad and get married. On a snowy day, we'll find a church, bring our rings, and go.'

As Li Xuan painted the scene, Su Xingchuan stopped what he was doing and looked at him.

Li Xuan tilted his head and asked, 'What do you think?'

Su Xingchuan was all smiles. 'I think it sounds perfect.'

When the last dish was on the table, the family finally sat down. Xu Nianzhi asked, 'Is Xingchuan still at Zhongjin?'

'I'll be back at the company in a couple of days,' Su Xingchuan replied. 'All the pre-listing prep work is done. After this, I won't need to stay at Zhongjin anymore. If there's stuff to take care of, I'll just go back and forth.'

'That must be tiring.'

'Not at all. It's been pretty easy this time.'

Xu Nianzhi smiled. 'True, Zhengdong hasn't been making things hard for you, has he?'

'Of course not.'

Xu Zhengdong jumped to his own defense. 'What do you mean, making things hard for him? I had my eye on him the moment I saw him—'

Before he could finish, Li Xuan glared at him. 'What?'

'I had my eye on him as a boyfriend for Xiao Xuan.'

Only then was Li Xuan at ease.

'How could I make things hard for him? I've always taken good care of Xingchuan.'

Su Xingchuan spoke up for Xu Zhengdong. 'Yeah, Uncle here really looks out for me. Now my boss treats me really well.'

Li Xuan pounced on that. 'He didn't treat you well before?'

Su Xingchuan smiled. 'Not really.'

Li Xuan frowned and poked at his bowl with his chopsticks.

Xu Zhengdong watched him, then said to Su Xingchuan, 'Already holding a grudge. Our Dr. Li here is the champ at holding grudges. Better not let him run into your boss, or it could get ugly.'

Su Xingchuan smiled and placed a piece of spare rib into Li Xuan's bowl.

He whispered in Li Xuan's ear, 'I'm really valued at the company. Xuanxuan, don't let your mind go wild.'

After the meal, Xu Zhengdong called Su Xingchuan out.

Xu Zhengdong and Li Xuan's father had had a little too much to drink and were a bit tipsy. He waved Su Xingchuan over. 'Xingchuan, come here, let me show you something.'

Su Xingchuan walked over, curious.

'Let me show you a video, from five years ago, the year Xuanxuan had just graduated,' Xu Zhengdong said, smiling. His eyes on the Li Xuan in the video were full of tender affection. 'Didn't you two miss seven years? Here's a bit of a catch-up lesson for you.'

The video was shot by Xu Zhengdong.

His voice served as the background sound.

The footage started in the living room, bright and gleaming. Xu Nianzhi and Li Xuan's father were making dumplings together.

On the big TV in the living room, a New Year's gala was playing. Two little cats were bouncing around on the sofa.

The whole house was filled with the cheerful atmosphere of the holiday.

'What filling are we having today?' Xu Zhengdong asked.

Xu Nianzhi smiled. 'Three delicacies, and pork with shrimp.'

Xu Zhengdong turned the camera to the cats and teased, 'You two are so fat. You've turned into balls.'

The little cat rolled over and showed its belly to Xu Zhengdong.

'I'm not petting you. I don't like you guys.'

Even as he said it, Xu Zhengdong still crouched down and reached out to rub the cat's soft, pink belly. Then he asked, 'Where's Xuanxuan?'

Xu Nianzhi looked around. 'I don't see him.'

Xu Zhengdong's camera panned around the house, and finally found him on the balcony of Li Xuan's room.

Li Xuan was sitting on a stool with his knees hugged to his chest, staring blankly out the window. Hearing footsteps, he immediately sniffled, turned to face the corner, and had his back to Xu Zhengdong.

'Let's come have a look at this little crybaby over here.'

Li Xuan said in a muffled voice, 'Get out.'

'Crying again. Just a little heartbreak, and you've been crying from the start of the year to the end. You still want your eyes or not?' Xu Zhengdong said.

Xu Zhengdong moved closer to Li Xuan, and the camera edged closer too.

Li Xuan's eyes, swollen from crying, became even clearer.

'Tell Uncle, what's your New Year wish?'

Li Xuan hugged his knees, chin resting on his arms. His sobs gradually died down. He said, 'I don't have a New Year wish.'

'Do you still think about him?'

Su Xingchuan looked at the twenty-two-year-old Li Xuan, whose baby fat hadn't fully faded and whose face was still full of childish innocence. He watched as big, bean-sized tears rolled down one by one, and his heart ached so much he couldn't speak.

Li Xuan cried and asked, 'Uncle, will I never be able to get over it?'

Xu Zhengdong said, 'You won't. You only dated for a few months—how deep could those feelings be? Another half year at most, and you'll get over it. Then Uncle will introduce you to someone new.'

But Li Xuan shook his head. 'I'm not dating anymore.'

Xu Zhengdong was stunned. 'What?'

Li Xuan hugged his knees, crying so hard he could barely speak, and said pathetically, 'I'm done. I'm never dating again. I hate being in love.'

'—Uncle!'

Before the video finished, Li Xuan charged onto the balcony and snatched Xu Zhengdong's phone away. 'What are you showing him?'

Xu Zhengdong was startled.

From the phone, Li Xuan's crying voice still played: 'I don't want to date anymore...'

Li Xuan was so embarrassed his cheeks flushed bright red.

Xu Zhengdong burst out laughing. Su Xingchuan reached out to pull Li Xuan into his arms, but Li Xuan shoved him away. Li Xuan said, 'I hate you.'

He then looked at Xu Zhengdong. 'And you too.'

With a clang, Li Xuan slammed the glass door shut, leaving Xu Zhengdong and Su Xingchuan on the balcony to reflect on their wrongdoings.