Early in the morning, Xiang Xi was still tossing and turning in his dreams when his phone rang. Half-asleep, he rolled over, cracked one eye open, and had no desire to get up and answer it.

The phone rang a few more times. Cheng Boyan walked in from outside, picked up the phone and glanced at the screen. He hesitated as though he wanted to answer it for him, but in the end he handed it over instead. “Your... senior brother.”

“Hm?” Xiang Xi responded groggily.

“It’s your senior brother calling,” Cheng Boyan repeated before turning and leaving the bedroom. “This early in the morning…”

Yeah, this early in the morning. Through his blurred vision, Xiang Xi looked at the screen and answered, “Hello?”

“Still not out of bed?” Hu Hai’s voice came through, sounding remarkably energetic—as if he had already been awake for at least two hours.

“What time is it?” Xiang Xi mumbled. “What’s up?”

“Come over to the teahouse this morning. Your master has to go out this afternoon, and tonight you’ll have to take his place at Yunshui Fanxin. He wants to go over a few more things with you this morning,” Hu Hai said.

“What?” Xiang Xi instantly woke up and sat bolt upright.

“He can’t make it tonight, so he wants you to get more familiar with it. You did really well yesterday,” Hu Hai said with a smile. “You should be fine today too.”

“But there are a lot more people at night!” Xiang Xi said worriedly. Although he had bragged to Cheng Boyan yesterday that he wasn't nervous anymore and that performing at night would be no problem, now that his master wouldn't be there and he'd be on his own, he still felt uneasy.

“Come over and talk it through with Master,” Hu Hai said before hanging up.

Xiang Xi sat on the bed with his phone for another moment, dazed, before slowly climbing out of bed and walking out of the bedroom.

Cheng Boyan was busy making breakfast in the kitchen. Xiang Xi walked over, leaned against his back, wrapped his arms around his waist, and stayed there without moving.

“What did he want?” Cheng Boyan asked, reaching behind him to rub Xiang Xi's waist.

“He said I should go to the teahouse this morning. Master has something to do this afternoon and tonight, so he can't go to Yunshui Fanxin. He wants me to go instead.” Xiang Xi rubbed his face against Cheng Boyan's shirt.

“Isn't that a good thing?” Cheng Boyan said. “What time tonight? I'm not on duty today, so I can come over and watch.”

“A little after eight.”

Xiang Xi let go of him and slowly shuffled toward the bathroom.

“Move a little faster.” Cheng Boyan casually smacked him on the butt. “If you hurry, we can eat together before I leave.”

“Hey, don't slap it.” Xiang Xi rubbed his backside. “I can't move any faster.”

“Why not?” Cheng Boyan looked at him.

“My butt hurts.” Xiang Xi glanced back over his shoulder.

“It still hurts?” Cheng Boyan frowned, set down the pan, and followed him over. “I…”

“It's not that it hurts,” Xiang Xi shot him a sideways glance as he closed the bathroom door. “It's just... my butt doesn't feel very comfortable.”

“Seriously?” Cheng Boyan stood outside the door. “Considering how many times we've already…”

“Why don't you try it yourself then?” Xiang Xi called from inside. “Don't you always keep cucumbers around? Go give it a try.”

“You're getting pretty bold these days,” Cheng Boyan laughed.

“Can't help it. Once enough time passes, you can't keep up the act forever—you show your true colours sooner or later,” Xiang Xi replied. “Go away. Stop standing outside the door. Am I supposed to use the bathroom or not?”

“All right, all right, I'm going.” Cheng Boyan sighed. “You're the boss now.”

For breakfast that morning, Cheng Boyan had made sandwiches. The bread was fresh—he had probably gone downstairs early to buy it. They were filled with red sausage, egg, and a leaf of lettuce, with sauce spread inside. They tasted delicious.

“This is really good,” Xiang Xi said after taking a sip of milk. “Let's have this again tomorrow. Since you've finally made something this tasty, we've got to eat it until we're sick of it.”

“What do you want for dinner?” Cheng Boyan asked.

“You're cooking tonight? There won't be time.” Xiang Xi did the math. “You won't get back until almost seven. I have to be at Yunshui Fanxin before eight, so I'll have to leave around seven. You might not even make it back in time to drive me there.”

“If I don't take you, who's going to?” Cheng Boyan narrowed his eyes.

“My senior brother,” Xiang Xi immediately answered in a falsetto, batting his eyelashes flirtatiously. “Hu Hai.”

“All right then,” Cheng Boyan smiled. “Hu Hai can take you. I'll head over a little later myself. In the meantime, I'll give Peng Yunfan a call and invite her out for tea... Let me find her business card…”

“Business card?” Xiang Xi let out a cold laugh. “Don't bother looking. Last night, while I was taking a shower, I flushed it down the toilet.”

“What? You flushed it?” Cheng Boyan stared at him in surprise.

“So nervous all of a sudden!” Xiang Xi immediately became displeased when he saw his reaction. “I throw away one business card and look how panicked you get!”

“Throw it away all you want,” Cheng Boyan said, staring at him. “I'm talking about flushing it down the toilet?”

“Yeah! Right into the toilet. One push of the button and whoosh—gone. Whoosh, whoosh—washed away without the slightest hesitation.”

“Next time, don't throw things into the toilet.” Cheng Boyan pointed at him. “If it clogs, you can stick your own hand in there and fish it out.”

“As if it'd clog that easily. Modern toilets are good…”

“You think I have some fancy toilet?” Cheng Boyan put down his sandwich. “I'm still paying off my mortgage. When I renovated the place, I bought the cheapest thing I could. That toilet cost a hundred yuan.”

“A toilet that warms your butt only cost a hundred yuan? No way. Yours is covered with that... what's it called... TOTO? Is it pronounced TOTO?” (NT: Japanese company famous for high-end toilets)

Xiang Xi burst into loud laughter for quite a while before abruptly wiping the smile off his face. “Why are we talking about toilets while eating? Isn't that disgusting?”

“Oh? So you think it's disgusting?” Cheng Boyan said, then went into the bedroom to change.

Watching him leave half his sandwich unfinished, Xiang Xi grinned. “Did I gross you out so much you can't even finish eating?”

“You eat it,” Cheng Boyan said.

“Then make sure you eat more at lunch.” Xiang Xi finished his own sandwich, grabbed Cheng Boyan's unfinished half, and ate that too. “I'll wait for you to drive me there tonight.”

“Mm.” Cheng Boyan changed his clothes and got ready to leave. “I'll bring you something to eat on my way back. You can eat it slowly in the car.”

“Okay.” Xiang Xi nodded. Just as Cheng Boyan finished putting on his shoes and was about to go out, he suddenly called, “Wait, wait…”

Cheng Boyan stopped and looked back at him.

Xiang Xi wiped his mouth, ran over, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “There. That's better.”

Cheng Boyan smiled, then closed the door behind him and left.

When Xiang Xi arrived at the teahouse, Old Master Lu was already sitting on the terrace drinking tea, while Hu Hai stood nearby watching the fish.

It was still early. The morning breeze carried a pleasant chill, but the sight of lush greenery swaying in the wind made one feel refreshed and clear-headed.

“Those tea bushes,” Old Lu said, pouring him a cup of tea, “don't they look rather ordinary?”

“They do.” Xiang Xi looked toward the hillside. “They look just like the shrubs planted along highway medians.”

“They don't even smell particularly fragrant,” Old Lu said, lifting his cup to inhale the aroma of the tea liquor. “That's why, after the leaves are picked, they have to go through withering, shaking, pan-firing, rolling and kneading... Different teas require different processes. Layer by layer, little by little, that's how tea comes to be. So many fresh leaves, yet in the end they produce only this tiny amount of tea.”

“It's like people, isn't it?” Xiang Xi said.

“Exactly.” Old Master Lu glanced at him with a smile. “From the moment you pick up the tea leaves and begin brewing, you're experiencing that entire process. At the same time, you're reflecting on your own life—how, little by little, you've changed from an ordinary shrub into fragrant tea.”

Leaning back against his chair, Xiang Xi slowly turned the now-empty teacup in his hand and closed his eyes.

“Plain boiled water is simple and crystal clear—it's a wonderful thing. Tea, on the other hand, may taste bitter to some on the first sip, or astringent to others. But tea is complex, full of lingering charm, and worth savouring. Each has its own merits,” Old Master Lu's voice drifted gently through the cool morning breeze.

Xiang Xi remained silent. Perhaps Cheng Boyan's life was like plain boiled water—simple and transparent, something he might not always consciously notice, yet something he could never do without.

And what about himself? Was he the cup of tea Cheng Boyan slowly savoured? He supposed he was.

He smiled.

“A good tea—once it's picked, brewed, and poured into a cup—needs no explanation. Its colour, fragrance, and appearance speak for themselves,” Old Lu said, patting him on the shoulder. “Have confidence in yourself.”

“Master,” Xiang Xi tilted his head toward him, “are you telling me all this today because you're afraid I'll get nervous tonight?”

Old Lu laughed. “Whether you're nervous tonight is none of my concern. I'm not the one who's nervous. Whatever you do in life, you need confidence. You are you. I am me. Tea is tea.”

Xiang Xi nodded, only half understanding.

Every now and then, Old Master Lu became rather ethereal, speaking in riddles instead of explaining things outright, leaving others to ponder them on their own.

“Brew me a pot of tea,” Old Master Lu instructed.

“Sure.” Xiang Xi smiled.

Old Master Lu didn't actually have anything important to do that afternoon or evening. It was simply that an old friend was coming over, and several elderly friends planned to get together. Two of them weren't in very good health, and someone had remarked that this might well be the only gathering they would have in the rest of their lives.

“What a thing to say.” Xiang Xi smiled as he brewed the tea. “You're not even that old. When I reach your age, I might still be travelling around.”

That's right.

Once he had his ID card, he'd finally be able to travel! He'd travel for decades—make the most of it.

“As long as you have that frame of mind,” Old Lu said, “that's enough. Life is all about one's attitude.”

“Mm.” Xiang Xi smiled and lowered his voice. “Master, I'm about to get my ID card. It should be ready in a few days.”

“Now that's good news!” Old Lu clapped his hands and raised his voice toward Hu Hai. “Hear that? Your junior brother is finally getting his ID card! I was wondering why his mood's been all over the place these past few days.”

“Then let's make a couple of good dishes for lunch to celebrate,” Hu Hai said with a smile.

Hu Hai's “couple of good dishes” really did mean only two dishes—but they were truly excellent: squirrel-shaped fish in sweet-and-sour sauce and sweet-and-sour pork ribs. They were so delicious that Xiang Xi nearly cried while eating them.

“Brother Hai,” he said around a mouthful of ribs, “you're actually a chef, aren't you? The kind who works in a fancy hotel?”

“I just cook for fun,” Hu Hai replied.

“So you're not a professional chef?” Xiang Xi asked in disbelief. “I always thought you were some famous chef who'd made enough money to retire early and spend your days drinking tea up in the mountains. Then how do you support yourself?”

“I beg for food,” Hu Hai said with a smile. “I sit on the roadside with a box in front of me and play the guqin.”

“I'm being serious!” Xiang Xi clicked his tongue. “Well then, tell me where you beg. If I pass by, I'll toss you eighty cents.”

“A piano tuner,” Old Master Lu said with a chuckle. “He usually sets up on the street tuning pianos for people.”

“That's amazing,” Xiang Xi said sincerely.

He actually had no idea what a piano tuner really was. Pianos needed tuning? And it was a profession? Still, as far as he was concerned, if a job ended with “master” or “specialist,” it had to be impressive. He picked up another rib.

“So you're a real professional... What a waste that you didn't become a chef.”

“My younger brother…” Hu Hai hesitated before speaking softly. “He... really loved to eat. So I thought... if I learned to cook, then maybe, one day... if I found him... I could cook for him.”

Xiang Xi suddenly fell silent.

The indescribable disappointment he had felt the day he learned that Hu Hai wasn't his older brother came rushing back, mixed with a trace of sadness, leaving him unable to speak for quite a while.

That day at the identification centre, there had been parents hoping to give blood samples in the hope of finding their lost child.

And Mantou, who wanted to go home.

Hu Hai, and his lost younger brother.

And... himself.

Everyone was carrying the same mixture of helplessness and hope.

After a long silence, Xiang Xi suddenly said, “It's pretty nice cooking for me now too.” He paused, then looked at Hu Hai. “Ge .” (NT: older brother, expressing a feeling of closeness)

Hu Hai stared at him in surprise for a moment before smiling. “Is it because you don't like fish? You've been eating ribs the whole time.”

“I like fish too,” Xiang Xi said a little embarrassedly. “It's just that ribs are easier to eat.”

Old Master Lu chuckled beside them. “If I call you ge, will you make me a braised pork knuckle?”

“Calling me Master wouldn't help either,” Hu Hai replied. “Master’s wife told me not to let him eat fatty meat. Sneaking some ribs today is already pushing it, and you still want pork knuckle?”

Xiang Xi didn't dare tell Cheng Boyan that he had started calling Hu Hai ge, even though it had originally been Cheng Boyan's own suggestion that he acknowledge Hu Hai as an older brother.

So when Cheng Boyan called and asked him to come downstairs so he could drive him to Yunshui Fanxin, Xiang Xi kept quiet about it.

The man got jealous far too easily. If he set him off, Xiang Xi might end up unable to get out of bed tomorrow after a night full of inventive retaliation.

But honestly, the moment he called Hu Hai "ge," it felt as though his whole heart had lifted, as though he truly had an older brother.

It wasn't real, but that long-yearned-for sense of family still filled him with happiness.

He had called Cheng Boyan "ge" before, but it had been different. Back then, it had just been a way to become closer to him, to get on familiar terms, hoping someone would pull him out of his predicament.

Besides, now he didn't want to call Cheng Boyan ge anymore.

He was his boyfriend.

When he was being cheeky, he was still "Dad." He couldn't go messing up the family hierarchy.

“I bought you bamboo rice from that tea restaurant. Didn't you say once that it was really good?” Cheng Boyan handed him a takeaway bag containing a large bamboo tube.

“Mmm, it smells amazing. I only mentioned it casually, and you still remembered?” Xiang Xi was secretly touched. He opened the bamboo tube. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No. I'll order something once I get to the teahouse. I'll eat while watching you,” Cheng Boyan replied with a smile. “You're in a pretty good mood today, aren't you?”

“Not bad.” Xiang Xi took a spoonful. “You can actually tell whether I'm in a good mood or not?”

“Of course I can. Your mood is written all over your face. You're just like the mint leaves at home. When you're unhappy, the leaves droop. When you're happy, they all stand up.”

“The mint stands up because it's been watered,” Xiang Xi said. “That's a bad comparison.”

“Exactly. The elephant watered it, so it stood up,” Cheng Boyan said with a grin. “What's wrong with that?”

(NT: The “elephant” référence is a sexual joke: 大象 (dàxiàng, elephant) is used as a childish euphemism for a man’s penis, so “the elephant watered the mint” means Cheng Boyan sexually “watered” (aroused) Xiang Xi, making the ‘mint leaves’ stand up.)

Xiang Xi remained silent. After taking another couple of bites, it suddenly dawned on him, and he nearly choked. “You really spring your dirty jokes when you least expect them.”

“You can't blame me. Most people probably wouldn't even get it.” Cheng Boyan glanced at him. “You're the one who understood it. Is that my fault?”

“Oh, come on! I just got watered last night!” Xiang Xi glared at him for a moment before lowering his head and shovelling two spoonfuls of rice into his mouth. “…Forget it. I'm eating.”

Today Xiang Xi had come by himself. Peng Yunfan wasn't waiting at the back entrance to greet him. After getting out of the car, he entered through the rear courtyard, while Cheng Boyan went in through the front entrance.

To be honest, he was still a little nervous.

Especially when he passed the tea room and saw that nearly every table was occupied, with several waitresses moving busily from table to table serving tea—his nerves made him practically bounce on the spot.

Fortunately, as soon as he entered the lounge, he spotted Hu Hai. He hurried over and sat down beside him. “Ge.”

“Nervous?” Hu Hai asked.

“A little. But with you here, I feel a lot more at ease.” Xiang Xi steadied himself. “Tonight... play something cool.”

“For example?”

“Well... something more ordinary. Nothing too elegant. Hearing that kind of music makes me nervous.” Xiang Xi squeezed his hand. “Since I can't compete with Master's lofty, immortal-like style, I might as well go all the way in the opposite direction. You know what I mean?”

“I do.” Hu Hai smiled and nodded. “I'll give it a try.”

Hu Hai always went out first, casually playing a few pieces to warm up his hands. As soon as Xiang Xi heard the guqin begin, he took a deep breath and sent Cheng Boyan a text.

— Have you sat down yet?

— Yep. Just waiting to watch you. I found a table directly facing you.

Xiang Xi smiled.

Just knowing that he would see Cheng Boyan the moment he looked up made him relax instantly. He strolled down the corridor and into the tea room.

There were obviously many more people tonight than there had been yesterday afternoon. He recognized a few familiar faces, but most of them were new—probably people who had come specifically for Old Master Lu.

As expected, Cheng Boyan was seated at the large table in the centre, with several others sharing it. Knowing Cheng Boyan's personality, he would never have chosen to squeeze in with strangers unless it was so he could watch Xiang Xi.

As Xiang Xi took his seat behind the tea table in the middle of the room, everyone turned to look at him. He had already experienced those stares yesterday. Now, even with so many eyes fixed on him again, he no longer felt awkward or at a loss.

The young waitress, just as she had yesterday, brought over the tea leaves.

The moment Xiang Xi picked up the tea scoop to measure out the leaves, Hu Hai's music softened. After a few plucked notes, the melody changed.

Xiang Xi listened for a couple of seconds.

He had assumed Hu Hai would simply play one of the pieces he often practiced.

He never expected him to launch straight into Fireworks cool easily (NT: popular song by Jay Chou. Chinese Love Songs - 煙花易冷 (Fireworks Cool Easily) sung by Jay Chou 周杰倫).

If his hands hadn't been busy with the tea, Xiang Xi would have almost started singing along. Still, it really did sound wonderful.

As he poured the tea leaves into the pot and tested the temperature of the kettle with his fingertips, he couldn't help thinking to himself that he really was a hopeless philistine. Hu Hai's usual guqin pieces simply couldn't compare, in his ears, to Fireworks cool easily.

The brewing process was the same as the day before. Only the tea had changed, requiring a different water temperature. For Xiang Xi, though, it made little difference.

Once his heart settled, his movements naturally became much smoother.

When it came time to place the lid on the teapot, he even showed off a little, timing the motion perfectly with one of the heavy accented notes from Hu Hai's music, snapping the lid neatly onto the pot with a crisp click.

The moment he finished, he almost laughed at himself. He'd barely gotten started, and he was already showing off...

He glanced in Cheng Boyan's direction.

Cheng Boyan was eating a pastry, watching him with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Xiang Xi couldn't help curling his own lips upward, though he didn't dare grin too openly.

As he waited for the tea to steep with the pot covered, Hu Hai finished the first section of Fireworks cool easily. The music softened, then grew distinct again.

The smile Xiang Xi had been suppressing instantly broke free. He couldn't resist sneaking a glance toward Hu Hai.

Hu Hai still sat there with complete seriousness, head lowered as he continued playing.

Meanwhile, two tables of younger guests had already started laughing.

Hu Hai had switched to The Leekspin Song.

(NT: viral internet song based on Hatsune Miku swinging a green onion while singing Ievan Polkka, a Finnish folk song that became a famous meme. Hatsune Miku - Ievan Polkka cover by 美女一首《甩葱歌》Clean version ).

Cheng Boyan guessed that Hu Hai was playing those songs because Xiang Xi had requested them. The Leekspin Song had been unexpected enough, but somehow it suited Xiang Xi's temperament perfectly.

There was something about the slight arrogance and casual indifference that naturally showed whenever he focused on brewing tea, that fit the song in a way Cheng Boyan couldn't quite put into words.

He glanced over at Hu Hai. As for being jealous of him, Cheng Boyan figured he only did it half-seriously. All things considered, the man was actually a pretty good person.

“Mr. Cheng,” a woman's voice sounded behind him. “You came without even letting me know?”

Recognizing Peng Yunfan's voice, Cheng Boyan turned around. She had already sat down beside him, and a young waitress promptly brought over a pot of tea and placed it on the table.

“Boss Peng...” Cheng Boyan smiled.

“Just call me Yunfan—or Xiao Peng if you prefer,” Peng Yunfan said softly, raising a finger to her lips. “This is the tea I usually drink. Please give it a try.”

“I don't know anything about tea.” Before she could pour for him, Cheng Boyan picked up the teapot himself and filled both cups. “I just drink it because it tastes good.”

“With tea, there's no such thing as understanding it or not. You either drink it or you don't,” Peng Yunfan replied with a smile. “Did you come to watch Xiang Xi perform today?”

“Yes.” Cheng Boyan nodded, his gaze returning to Xiang Xi.

“He's quite special,” Peng Yunfan said, also looking toward him. “Just as expected of Old Master Lu's disciple. I especially like the effect he creates today. The guests are very interested too. There's a real sense of freshness... Mr. Cheng, are you close to him?”

“We're fairly close,” Cheng Boyan replied.

“Then if Xiang Xi is willing to come here regularly in the future, Mr. Cheng, you'll have to come and support him often,” Peng Yunfan said. “Does your wife enjoy tea? She could come too. We have excellent flower teas as well.”

“I... come alone,” Cheng Boyan answered. As his eyes met Xiang Xi's, he smiled.

Xiang Xi narrowed his eyes slightly, lowered his head, and lifted the lid off the teapot. At the same time, Hu Hai's guqin shifted back into the second half of Fireworks easily cool.

For more than an hour, Xiang Xi brewed tea at an unhurried pace. Hu Hai kept playing Fireworks easily cool, but what impressed Cheng Boyan was that not a single rendition sounded the same. The melody, the rhythm, and what were probably Hu Hai's own improvisations changed every time.

Cheng Boyan knew nothing about music, yet after listening for over an hour, he wasn't tired of it at all. In fact, it never even felt repetitive.

Watching Xiang Xi finish serving tea and begin tidying up, he turned to Peng Yunfan beside him. “Thank you for the tea, Boss Peng. I'll be leaving now.”

“Picking Xiang Xi up?” Peng Yunfan smiled. “I hope I'll see you again.”

“You will.” Cheng Boyan nodded.

If it weren't for work, he figured he would probably drive Xiang Xi here and back every single time.

Xiang Xi came out the back door together with Hu Hai. Hu Hai drove Old Master Lu's Audi Q7 away, while Xiang Xi ran over and climbed into Cheng Boyan's car.

“Today was really...” Cheng Boyan started to say that today had been amazing, but Xiang Xi cut him off.

“Today was great, huh?” Xiang Xi glared at him. “You got to chat with that beautiful boss all evening. Bet that felt wonderful! Did she give you another business card? You'd better throw it away right now, or when we get home I'll flush it down the toilet!”

Cheng Boyan couldn't help laughing. “She didn't give me another card. It's not like people hand out business cards every time they meet. She's not selling escort services.”

“So what did you two talk about all evening?” Xiang Xi fastened his seat belt. “I seriously wanted to come over and personally serve you a cup of tea!”

“We hardly talked,” Cheng Boyan said, leaning over to kiss the tip of his nose. “Honestly, I spent the whole time watching you. And really... you were unbelievably handsome tonight. If we hadn't been in a teahouse, I'd have wanted to walk over, pin you down on the table, and pull your pants off...”

“We're not at home now either!” Xiang Xi shouted. “Could you at least maintain a little dignity?”

Laughing, Cheng Boyan started the car. Just as he was making a U-turn to drive out, Xiang Xi's phone rang.

He fumbled with it for a while before pulling it out. One look at the screen and he shouted again. “Officer Zhang! It's Officer Zhang! Could it be...”

“Answer it,” Cheng Boyan urged.

Xiang Xi answered. His hand trembled slightly, and so did his voice. “Officer Zhang?”

“Xiang Xi?” Officer Zhang's voice came through. “I should have called you earlier, but I just finished dealing with everything...”

“Is it... Uncle Ping... do you have news?” Xiang Xi asked.

“Yes. It should be on the evening news tonight.” Officer Zhang sounded exhausted, but there was unmistakable relief in his voice.

“Why didn't you tell me sooner? It's already going to be on the news!” Xiang Xi burst out laughing and exclaimed loudly, “Did you really catch him?”

“We have procedures to follow. I couldn't say anything before,” Officer Zhang replied with a hearty laugh. “We've arrested all the principal offenders. There's something else, Xiang Xi. I need you to come in tomorrow. We still need your assistance with a few matters.”

“Sure! No problem!” Xiang Xi nodded vigorously.

After hanging up, he noticed that his fingers had turned white from how tightly he had been gripping the phone.

“They caught them!” He turned to Cheng Boyan. “They caught Uncle Ping! They caught Erpan too!”

“They did!” Cheng Boyan nodded.

“They caught all of them!” Xiang Xi tossed his phone into the back seat, grabbed Cheng Boyan's arm, and shook it hard. Tears shimmered in his eyes. “They caught all of them! From now on... no one will ever hold me back anymore! Never again!”

“No one will ever hold you back,” Cheng Boyan said, gently ruffling his hair. “No one can. No one ever truly could.”

 

Translator : DarNan

 

 

Author: Darkia1030