After much difficulty, they finally finished helping each other bathe and returned to the bedroom.

Out of habit, Cheng Boyan sat down on the small sofa by the window and picked up a book.

Xiang Xi sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. "You know, we took a couple's bath together, and somehow we managed to do it this calmly."

"Otherwise?" Cheng Boyan smiled. "I can't exactly do much with one hand, and I was afraid of bumping your shoulder."

Xiang Xi chuckled a few times without replying.

"Want to talk for a while?" Cheng Boyan looked at him. "Or do you want to sleep?"

"I'll lie down," Xiang Xi patted the pillow. "I can't sleep right now. My head feels like a pot of mixed-bean porridge boiling away: it's all rambling and chaotic."

"You need to lie on your right side."

Cheng Boyan put down his book, walked over to the bed, helped him lie down, then took a thick quilt and pressed it against his back. "For the next few days you'll need to sleep on your side first. In a couple of days we'll go back to the hospital and I'll examine you again."

"Can I sleep at that end?" Xiang Xi asked, trying to sit up again after lying down. "I want you behind me when I fall asleep."

"My handsome face isn't something you want to look at?" Cheng Boyan pointed at himself. "What's wrong with you?"

"When you're asleep and your eyes are closed, who can see anything?" Xiang Xi laughed. "I just want to be able to lean against you."

"Alright. Stay still."

Cheng Boyan moved the pillow to the other end of the bed, then half-carried and half-dragged him around so he was facing the opposite direction. "Like this?"

"Yeah." Xiang Xi nodded.

Cheng Boyan had intended to return to the sofa, but after thinking about it, he didn't. He took off his clothes, lay down on the bed, and leaned against the headboard reading.

Xiang Xi comfortably leaned against him. After adjusting his position, he asked softly: "Your hand... is it serious? Will there be any lasting effects?"

"Not really. The wound wasn't deep." Cheng Boyan patted him. "I only grabbed it for a second. The moment he pulled the knife back, I let go. I'm a smart guy with quick reflexes."

"Today I really wanted to go over there and beat the hell out of that guy." Xiang Xi clicked his tongue.

After a moment of silence, he sighed. "I actually managed to hold myself back."

"There wasn't any need." Cheng Boyan said, "Little Xi Xi is a mature man now. He doesn't do things like that so easily anymore."

"I've always been pretty mature," Xiang Xi said with a grin. "It's only around you that I roll over and show my belly."

After thinking for a moment, he continued: "Do you think Dajian came on his own, or did Erpan send him?"

"What do you think?" Cheng Boyan turned a page.

"I think he came on his own." Xiang Xi closed his eyes and analyzed slowly. "If someone was going to come after me, it should've been Uncle Ping. He spent more than ten years raising a white-eyed wolf." (NT: Chinese idiom meaning an ungrateful person who repays kindness with betrayal.)

"He hates me the most. Dajian belongs to Erpan. A guy like Erpan would never stick his neck out for Uncle Ping. If he got caught, he'd probably be looking for ways to dump all the blame onto Uncle Ping."

"Dajian's love for Erpan sure runs deep." Cheng Boyan said.

Xiang Xi laughed for quite a while. "You're really mean. But you're not wrong. It's like brainwashing. There wasn't much in his head to begin with. Once it got washed, everything was fucking empty, and now Erpan's the only father he recognizes."

"It's good that he got caught." Cheng Boyan smiled.

"Yeah." Xiang Xi clicked his tongue twice. "Otherwise, after what happened today, Erpan would definitely kill that idiot."

"You got hurt today, and you had quite a scare too." Cheng Boyan gently touched his arm. "I'm not going to argue with you about it, but don't get too comfortable. You don't exactly lack places on your body where I can smack you."

"I just... said it without thinking." Xiang Xi rubbed his nose.

"The police were pretty friendly today, weren't they?" Cheng Boyan put down his book. "Not nearly as scary as you imagined."

"Officer Zhang was really nice." Xiang Xi smiled. "He spoke very gently."

Then suddenly he remembered something. "Oh right!"

"Hm?"

Cheng Boyan turned his head toward him.

"Today I asked him something." Xiang Xi twisted around slightly. "I asked whether, with my situation, I could still find my parents. He said that wasn't their department, but told me I could ask the household registration office or something like that.

"He said finding my parents might not have much hope, but things like getting an identity registration and household registration might actually be possible. It'd probably just involve a lot of paperwork."

"Really?" Cheng Boyan thought for a moment. "Tomorrow I'll ask around."

"Ask who?"

"My classmates. Friends." He paused. "And... patients' family members."

He spoke slowly. "We'll probably also need to make a trip to Zhaojiayao."

"Why?" Xiang Xi frowned.

"Because only the people in Zhaojiayao can prove that you were found and taken in there, and that you grew up there."

Cheng Boyan pinched his ear gently. "First I'll find out exactly what procedures are required."

"Yeah. Just tell me which offices I need to visit and I'll go ask myself." Xiang Xi suddenly became excited and started trying to turn over as he spoke. "Then—"

"Don't move around." Cheng Boyan pressed him back down. "I'll find out everything first. If there's anything that requires you to go in person, we'll talk about it then."

"Should I go get photos taken first? The kind they use for ID cards?" Xiang Xi asked. "The last time I took one was when I got that fake ID under the name Zhan Hongtu..."

He continued excitedly: "Say, if I actually manage to get it done, how old will I be? What will my birthday be? Will I use the name Xiang Xi? Should I change it? Uncle Ping said my surname was Xiang, so I probably shouldn't change that, right? It'll make it easier to find my parents later. But what about 'Xi'? Should I change that? Although everyone's used to calling me that..."

"You can do whatever you want." Cheng Boyan turned off the light and lay down on the pillow. "Change it however you like."

Then he turned onto his side, wrapped an arm around him, and said softly: "For now, go to sleep. We've been through enough for one night."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night." Cheng Boyan kissed him on the cheek.

Although Xiang Xi had said good night, he didn't settle down immediately. He kept muttering quietly, talking about one thing after another.

Cheng Boyan listened with his eyes closed, responding occasionally.

Only when Xiang Xi's voice gradually grew softer and finally disappeared did he carefully adjust the angle of Xiang Xi's injured arm and let out a breath.

Xiang Xi slept quite obediently. Only once during the night did he try to roll onto his back, and Cheng Boyan pushed him back onto his side.

But because he kept worrying that Xiang Xi might accidentally press on his fractured shoulder, he didn't sleep soundly all night.

Near dawn he finally dozed off for a little while.

He didn't even hear birds’ usual morning calls.

Instead, Xiang Xi shook him awake. "You're going to be late."

Xiang Xi patted his face. "Are you working today? Or did you take leave?"

"Working…" Cheng Boyan opened his eyes groggily. "Did I oversleep?"

"Not by much." Xiang Xi said, "You slept about twenty minutes past your usual time. You just slept through breakfast-making time. You'll have to eat out."

"Then what about you…" Cheng Boyan sat up.

The wound on his hand felt swollen and congested with blood, so he raised it.

"I'll eat something myself later." Xiang Xi smiled. "Your breakfasts aren't that irresistible anyway. If I miss one, I miss one."

Today there truly wasn't enough time to make breakfast. After washing up, Cheng Boyan checked the time. It was exactly when he would normally leave.

Xiang Xi stood in the living room stretching his right arm. "Man, only being able to use one arm is really annoying."

"Behave yourself and stay home today." Cheng Boyan said, "There's food in the refrigerator. Make do with that. One Dajian got caught. Who knows, maybe there's a Second Dajian or a Third Dajian."

"There probably won't be." Xiang Xi walked to the window and looked downstairs. "Anyone with half a brain knows I've already connected with the police. And besides, the bodyguards are already here."

"What?" Cheng Boyan froze. "Didn't the police say yesterday to stop doing this?"

"Didn't Brother Song say yesterday too? " Xiang Xi laughed. "No more following from a distance. Just walk around together openly. Friends hanging out together should be fine..."

"He actually meant it?"

"I'm impressed." Cheng Boyan sighed.

Still, after what had happened with Dajian, nobody would likely dare come after them so openly anymore. Now the smart move would be to stay as far away as possible. "Fine. If you go out today, stay with them."

"Okay." Xiang Xi nodded.

"Call your master and ask whether you can still attend classes with one arm." Cheng Boyan changed his shoes while speaking. "There were a lot of sausages yesterday. We can't finish them ourselves. Bring some over for him."

"Okay."

"Handle lunch yourself. I'll be in the inpatient department today. At noon I'll probably be eating with the department director. I won't order delivery for you." Cheng Boyan stood by the door.

"Okay." Xiang Xi nodded, then looked at the time. "Are you actually leaving or not?"

"I'm leaving." Cheng Boyan opened the door, then paused again. "Oh, right. Tomorrow I'm on duty—"

"You can tell me tomorrow's instructions tonight!" Xiang Xi shouted.

"I'm really leaving now." Cheng Boyan smiled and walked out.

Xiang Xi stood in the middle of the living room listening to the elevator chime.

Cheng Boyan had gone downstairs.

Just moments ago he had been urging him to leave. But now that he had left, Xiang Xi suddenly felt lonely. He stood there for a long time without moving.

Washing his face.

Brushing his teeth.

Using the bathroom.

He did everything slowly.

The moment he thought about spending the entire day alone, he seemed to freeze in place. His movements became even slower. How was he supposed to kill an entire day?

Making breakfast?

Didn't want to.

And he only had one usable arm.

Cleaning the apartment?

Didn't want to.

And he only had one usable arm.

Reading?

Didn't want to.

And he only had one usable arm.

In the end, he wandered around the apartment. Sitting here for a bit. Leaning there for a bit.

By the time he had wasted enough time to reach after ten o'clock, he was unbearably bored. At that hour television was nothing but shopping channels. After thinking about it, he grabbed his bag and headed downstairs for a walk.

If he stayed bored much longer, he felt he'd start obsessing over what Director Xu thought of him and how she viewed him.

Song Yi's three-man bodyguard team was still downstairs. When they saw him come out, all three walked over.

The tall one greeted him. "Little brother, heading out?"

"Just walking around. It's too boring staying inside." Xiang Xi smiled. "And... thanks for yesterday. What should I call you guys?"

"Don't thank us." The tall man shook his head. "I was the one saying we shouldn't follow too closely. Turns out we'd have been better off sticking right beside you from the start. Then none of this would've happened. My surname's Wang."

He pointed at the other two. "Those are Brother Liu and Brother Li."

"Thanks, brothers." Xiang Xi smiled. "No one expected someone would really come. So today..."

"Within two meters." Brother Liu answered. "You do your thing. Don't worry about us."

The situation felt strangely funny to Xiang Xi. He kept feeling like some gang boss walking around collecting protection money with his underlings.

The three men didn't talk much. They simply strolled about two meters behind him, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Xiang Xi wandered around the small garden. There weren't many people. Just a few elderly women chatting. He found a more secluded bench, sat down, and called Old Lu.

Old Lu knew Xiang Xi had no parents and was completely on his own. The moment he heard Xiang Xi was injured, he became worried. "Is it serious? You're not hospitalized?"

"Not serious at all, really." Xiang Xi laughed.

"My friend is a doctor. An orthopedic doctor, actually. Don't worry. He says I don't need to be hospitalized. This kind of injury just needs the arm in a sling and it'll heal on its own after a while. I'm even out walking right now."

"Walking?" Old Lu laughed. "If you're walking, why not walk over to the teahouse? The air here is great. How about coming over? Hu Hai's bringing me a lamb leg around noon. The three of us can eat it together. What do you think?"

"A lamb leg?" The moment Xiang Xi heard that, he was instantly tempted. He hadn't eaten breakfast. And the big meal they'd planned yesterday had fallen apart.

Still, he had three bodyguards following him. "I..."

Brother Wang had apparently understood enough of the phone conversation. He waved at Xiang Xi, signaling that he should go.

"I'll be there in a little while." Xiang Xi immediately replied.

After hanging up, he got into the car with the three men. Brother Liu drove.

"Don't worry about us." Brother Liu said. "The last time we came over here with you, we saw a barbecue place near the intersection. It looked pretty good. We were saying we'd try it someday."

"I'll treat you guys!" Xiang Xi slapped his bag confidently.

"No need." Brother Wang laughed. "Someone's already paying."

As soon as Xiang Xi heard that, he laughed too. Song Yi was obviously covering all the expenses. Thinking about it, once everything settled down, he really ought to treat Song Yi to an absolutely amazing meal.

After the weather turned a little cooler, walking along the small road outside the Tea Research Institute became extremely pleasant. A light breeze blew by, and Xiang Xi felt his steps growing noticeably lighter.

When he reached the tea house, he heard the sound of a qin being played. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw a window directly opposite him filled with lush greenery outside. Instantly, a wave of comfort washed over him.

“You're here?” Hu Hai, who had been playing the qin, stopped.

“Hello, Senior Brother,” Xiang Xi said quickly as he walked over. “Has your hand healed yet?”

“It's healed,” Hu Hai said with a smile. “By the next day, you couldn't even tell anything had happened. And don't call me Senior Brother—that sounds way too formal. Just be casual.”

“Brother Hai,” Xiang Xi corrected himself. “Where's my master?”

“He went back to get some vegetables. He said one lamb leg wouldn't be enough for all of us,” Hu Hai said as he plucked a few strings. “How did you hurt your arm?”

“It's not my arm.” Xiang Xi turned slightly and pointed at his back. “It's around the shoulder blade here. I fell.”

“You fell?” Hu Hai thought for a moment, then laughed. A string of casual, pleasant notes flowed from his fingertips. “That's a pretty advanced posture for a fall. Got into a fight, didn't you?”

“No,” Xiang Xi said.

“Really?” Hu Hai glanced at him.

“No!” Xiang Xi looked straight at him and repeated it more emphatically.

“Mhm.” Hu Hai smiled. “Then make sure you get some rest.”

“Really, I didn't!” Xiang Xi dropped into a chair and glared at him.

Hu Hai's fingers stopped moving across the strings. He looked up at Xiang Xi very seriously. “I know. You didn't get into a fight. Actually, I was just guessing randomly. If Master told me someone was injured, I'd probably ask whether they'd been in a fight too.”

Xiang Xi laughed. After a while, he asked another question. “Have you been with Master for a long time?”

“As for time... it's been quite a while,” Hu Hai said while continuing to play. “Even if you don't count studying tea with him, it's probably been ten or twenty years.”

“That long? I've only been alive for twenty years total,” Xiang Xi said in surprise. “Are you two actually relatives?”

Hu Hai laughed. He picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip. “No, we're not related. But I met him when I was in my teens, right here. Back then he hadn't become an immortal. He was just an ordinary middle-aged man.”

“Oh...” Xiang Xi glanced at the teapot on the tea table and the freshly brewed tea. He poured himself a cup, then topped off Hu Hai's cup as well. “So this place was already tea-covered hills back then, right?”

“Yes. It always has been. It's been here much longer than the Tea Research Institute,” Hu Hai replied.

Xiang Xi walked over to the window and leaned against it, looking outside.

Beyond the window was a terrace made of wooden planks. The floor and railings retained their natural wood colour. It had clearly been there for many years; even the knots in the wood had been polished smooth and shiny with age.

On the terrace stood a tea table and several stools. The sun wasn't too strong at this hour, so sitting outside with a cup of tea would probably be very pleasant. The sound of the guqin was gentle, the breeze cool and refreshing, and when he looked down all he could see were green tea-covered hills.

Hu Hai was really quite unusual… To come to a place like this at the age of ten or so. If it had been Xiang Xi, and he hadn't happened to start learning tea, he probably would never even have thought of wandering around tea mountains like these.

“People who can play the guqin really are different,” Xiang Xi sighed.

“Are you talking about me?” Hu Hai asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” Xiang Xi said. Seeing that he had stopped playing, he reached out and lightly plucked a string. “When I was that age, I was still... Well, anyway, I definitely wouldn't have come to a place like this to experience a different kind of life.”

“I wasn't here to experience life either, and I didn't know how to play the guqin back then,” Hu Hai said, continuing from the note Xiang Xi had struck. “My master taught me the guqin. He said it helped calm the mind, and that having something to focus on would keep me from overthinking.”

“Overthinking?” Xiang Xi asked, not quite understanding.

Hu Hai stopped talking and lowered his head to start playing the qin. The music gradually shifted from slow to fast. Xiang Xi stared at his fingers, and for a moment felt dazed, the kind of feeling where a flood of old memories suddenly comes back.

After that, the music gradually slowed again, making it feel as though one were sitting beside a small stream, with wind rustling through a bamboo grove, making people pleasantly drowsy.

When Old Lu pushed open the door carrying a bag of vegetables, Hu Hai’s music came to a stop.

« Master, I’m here, » Xiang Xi said as he looked at Old Lu. « I was only halfway through listening to the music, and you scared it away. »

« Halfway? Once he starts playing, there’s no end to it. If I waited for him to stop, I’d be standing outside all day today, » Old Lu said with a laugh, raising the bag in his hand. « Here, these are vegetables I grew myself. We’ll stir-fry them later. »

« I want to see, » Xiang Xi said with interest as he hurried over. Behind him, the music started up again. « Did you grow them in pots? »

« Yep. I grew a lot. More than I can even eat. A successful vegetable farmer, » Old Lu said proudly. Then he glanced at the splint on Xiang Xi’s arm. « And you call that “not serious”? »

« It really isn’t serious. If it needs immobilizing, this is just the standard setup, » Xiang Xi said, following behind him. « What needs doing? Want me to cook? »

« We’ve got Hu Hai. We can just sit and wait to eat, » Old Lu said as he set the vegetables in the little kitchen. « Hu Hai! »

« Coming, » Hu Hai answered.

« I can smell lamb leg already. It smells amazing, » Xiang Xi said, sniffing the air. When he spotted a lamb leg on the table, he immediately bounced excitedly on his feet and lowered his voice. « Can we eat it now? »

« What’s a “lamb-leg smell” supposed to be? » Old Lu laughed. « It still needs a bit more work. It’ll be ready soon. »

« Lamb-leg smell is cumin, obviously. And that meat aroma, with just a tiny bit of char from roasting… » Xiang Xi stopped halfway through, afraid that if he continued, he wouldn’t be able to keep the drool in his mouth.

« If you want some, I can slice off a piece for you to taste first, » Hu Hai said as he happened to overhear him. He went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, sliced a piece of meat from the lamb leg, placed it on a small plate, and handed it to Xiang Xi.

« Thanks, Brother Hai, » Xiang Xi said. He didn’t even take the plate, just grabbed the meat with his fingers and stuffed it into his mouth. Speaking unclearly around the food, he said, « Damn, this is really good… »

« Come on, let’s drink some tea while we wait for the food, » Old Lu said, patting his shoulder as he sat down by the tea table. « Since you’re here anyway, let’s also talk about tea. I’ll teach you how several different kinds are made. »

« Okay, » Xiang Xi said as he sat down and wiped his mouth. « But first, about this lamb leg—is this something he made himself? It tastes incredible. »

« Yep. Didn’t I tell you? He’s a great cook. As long as he’s around, nobody has to worry about food, » Old Lu said with a smile. « He comes over to my place during the New Year holidays. Every time he visits, my granddaughter waits eagerly for him to cook a whole table of dishes. »

« That’s really nice, » Xiang Xi sighed.

Then he thought about himself and Cheng Boyan, and the contrast suddenly became clear at a glance.

Would Cheng Boyan cook during New Year? No, definitely not. During New Year, Cheng Boyan would have to go home to his parents, right? Or maybe to his grandmother’s place?

Then... what about him? Go along with Cheng Boyan? Definitely not. Director Xu already hadn’t thought very highly of him before, and now even more so...

And bringing him home for New Year? That was simply wishful thinking.

Then what was he supposed to do? Spend New Year all by himself?

Just as he was feeling increasingly depressed, Old Lu said while preparing tea, « Hu Hai seems to get along with you pretty well. Then again, with your personality, you probably get along with everyone. »

« Do I? » Xiang Xi asked casually.

« I’ve taken on quite a few apprentices over the years. There hasn’t been a single one he was willing to talk to. After months, he wouldn’t even say ten sentences to them, » Old Lu said with a smile. « That kid doesn’t talk much normally, and he doesn’t really like interacting with people. »

« Huh? » Xiang Xi was genuinely surprised.

Hu Hai wasn’t exactly chatty, but he definitely wasn’t silent either. He was quite easygoing, and Xiang Xi had never noticed any sign that he disliked dealing with people.

« You’re not pulling my leg, are you? »

« Maybe it’s because of your age... you remind him of his younger brother, » Old Lu said, placing a cup of tea in front of him. « I’ve never taken on an apprentice as young as you before. »

« Oh, » Xiang Xi said, picking up the cup. The comment made him think of Cheng Boyan.

« If Hu Hai’s younger brother were still alive, he’d probably be about your age, » Old Lu said after taking a sip of tea. « A person goes through all sorts of things in a lifetime. Unless you get close to someone, you’ll never know what their life really tastes like. »

Xiang Xi fell silent. The old man’s words filled him with emotion.

That was true.

If he had never gotten close to Cheng Boyan—if any one of those chance encounters had been missed—then Cheng Boyan would never have known how the person who stole his wallet differed from all those other thieves. He would never have known about Xiang Xi’s past.

And Xiang Xi, in turn, would never have known that behind the serious, proper man in the handsome ID photo was another side: childish, goofy, and slightly crazy.

Life is really strange, isn’t it?

 

Translator : DarNan