Oh, it's still three years later.

 

Gu Fei only had one class in the afternoon, but as a vice head teacher, he was still quite busy. Today, the head teacher was at the bureau, so he had to talk with two students and meet with a student's parent.

For the last self-study session, he had to go check the classrooms, just like Old Xu used to do, quietly appearing at the crack of the classroom back door.

Sometimes, he felt like laughing when standing at the door.

Watching a group of junior high school brats boasting, sleeping, or reading novels inside, he couldn't help but recall his own high school days not long ago, feeling like it was like a dream.

He pushed open the back door, which made a short "creak," and the buzzing noise in the classroom instantly quieted down as if the back door were the centre of the universe.

Junior high school kids were still young. In the eyes of most students, teachers still had authority. It was different in high school. Every time Old Xu emerged from the door crack, it was as if he had invisibility cloak on.

Of course, it might also be because this vice head teacher was rumoured to be the boss of the steel mill.

Gu Fei didn't know how his reputation spread among the students. He felt quite fierce hearing about it himself.

As he walked from the back of the classroom to the front, he saw a student lying on the desk with his eyes closed and a piece of paper stuffed in his nose.

He tapped on the desk, and the student opened his eyes, immediately sitting up straight when he saw it was Gu Fei.

"Is it a nosebleed or just a runny nose?" Gu Fei asked.

"Nosebleed," the student replied

"Did it stop?" Gu Fei glanced at him.

"I don't know," the student admitted, pulling out the paper from his nose. It was still bright red. When he lowered his head, a drop of blood slid out from his nose. "It hasn't stopped."

"Go wash your face," Gu Fei patted his shoulder. "If it doesn't stop, go to the infirmary."

"Okay." The student got up and walked out.

Gu Fei sat down at the podium.

"Fei Ge," a boy in the front row looked at him, "Aren't you teaching class?"

"Not today," Gu Fei answered.

"Then why are you sitting here?" the boy asked.

"Jealous? Then why don't you come up and sit here?" Gu Fei joked.

"I'd rather not," the boy said. "I was just asking."

"Is it inconvenient for me to sit here if you want to chat or do something special?" Gu Fei asked.

"Yeah," the boy laughed.

"Then hold it in," Gu Fei remarked.

The boy's laughter froze for a second, then he sighed.

"Why don't you still, um," Gu Fei pointed to the book on his desk, "bear the humiliation and write your homework?"

There was laughter all around.

Gu Fei ignored them, leaning back in his chair and observing them.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, probably a message from Jiang Cheng. He didn't take out his phone to check. Students weren't allowed to bring phones into the classroom, and he wouldn't take it out during class either.

It wasn't until the classroom became quiet, whether they were reading, doing homework, or sleeping, that he stood up and glanced down. Some were daydreaming, some were asleep, and a few were starting to do their homework, which almost moved him to tears.

He walked out into the corridor, to a place where the students couldn't see him, and took out his phone to glance at it.

Sure enough, it was a message from Jiang Cheng.

-When are you coming back? Get off work now! Don't waste any time!

He smiled and replied.

-Are you hungry? Go eat something with Pan first.

-Eat shit!

-No need to be so stingy.

Jiang Cheng didn't reply immediately, but after a while, he sent a photo.

Gu Fei was stunned when he saw the photo.

It wasn't a selfie from Jiang Cheng, but a picture of two people. One was Pan Zhi, and the other was a little boy who looked like he was being affectionately hugged by Pan Zhi but was actually being strangled and smiling awkwardly. He had never seen him before.

-Pan Zhi has been holding on for so many years, and now his orientation is finally revealed?

Jiang Cheng sent a voice message directly: "This is a suitor who followed Gu Miao back! A little kid from the club! He just fucking confessed right on the street, saying 'I like you, I love you'! I'm so damn furious!"

Gu Fei didn't know what to say.

Gu Miao was growing up day by day. Although her mentality was not exactly the same as that of an ordinary girl, she was still beautiful, and this wasn't the first time a little boy had liked her...

Of course, being caught red-handed was a first.

Usually, Gu Fei just told Gu Miao not to pay attention to those boys who confessed to her, and he didn't really do anything to those boys. He never expected Jiang Cheng and Pan Zhi to catch one and even take a picture.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but want to laugh a little.

After wandering around the classroom for a couple of laps, he came out and called Jiang Cheng downstairs.

"Off work?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"A few more minutes, I'll tidy up in the office and then head back," Gu Fei explained.

"No rush," Jiang Cheng sighed, "I let that kid slip away for a moment, and he ran off like he was on fast forward."

Gu Fei heard Pan Zhi's laughter. "You two didn't scare him to death?"

"He deserves to be scared," Jiang Cheng said, "He almost pissed me off! Daring to confess in front of me, I would've beaten him up if it were in the past."

"What about Er Miao? What was her reaction?" Gu Fei asked.

"Very indifferent," Jiang Cheng explained, "Very indifferent. This kid is in a miserable situation, from confessing to being caught and escaping. He put on a passionate drama, but Er Miao acted as if she didn't see it."

Gu Fei chuckled. "I'll talk to her when I get back. Where are you guys? I'll come find you and we'll go for hot pot."

"Just by the new fitness equipment on the small street downstairs," Jiang Cheng mentioned.

"Okay," Gu Fei smiled and hung up the phone.

Driving the small van downstairs, Gu Fei spotted Jiang Cheng and Pan Zhi from afar.

They were sitting on stone pedestals on the sidewalk, with Gu Miao skateboarding back and forth in front of them. They were probably bored, their heads turning back and forth with Gu Miao, like cats staring at a teasing stick.

Gu Fei whistled as he drove the van over.

Gu Miao didn't turn her head but responded with a loud whistle first.

"Let's go!" Pan Zhi turned his head and immediately jumped up. "Let's go eat!"

"You didn't eat much for lunch," Gu Fei chuckled. "Are you starving? Let me turn the van around."

"...Aren't you embarrassed to keep saying 'van van van'?" Pan Zhi looked at him.

"No," Gu Fei turned the van around halfway and parked it on the side of the road. "If you're not comfortable, take a taxi!"

"I was going to take a taxi anyway!" Pan Zhi yelled. "Is your van big enough to fit three people in the back?"

Although he said he was going to take a taxi, Pan Zhi squatted on the roadside, staring at his phone for almost twenty minutes without a driver accepting the order.

"I swear," he sighed, "Is this place too backward or too bustling?"

"It's hard to get a taxi during off-peak hours," Jiang Cheng leaned out of the window with Gu Miao, "Come up, squat in front of our legs for a while, we'll be there soon, there's no traffic police here."

Pan Zhi looked up at him and took a long time to say, "I swear, that's pretty advanced. Can this window open? I always thought it couldn't."

"Plus, you can open both sides," Jiang Cheng pushed the window glass back and forth a few times. "Why don't you come up and join?"

"...I'm amazed," Pan Zhi stood up, squeezed into the small van, stooped in front of Jiang Cheng and Gu Miao's legs, his arms resting on the backrest of the rear seat, and his butt leaning against Gu Fei's back. "Let's go!"

"Not far, just hold on," Gu Fei started the van, and it moved forward slowly. "It's only about ten minutes away. We're going slower today because we're overloaded, so maybe fifteen minutes."

"No need to comfort me," Pan Zhi complained.

*

This hot pot restaurant was a place Jiang Cheng often frequented, probably because it was off the beaten path, so the prices were reasonable, the meat was affordable, and there was a wide variety of dipping sauces.

As soon as the car stopped, Pan Zhi quickly opened the door and jumped out. Just as he got out, he immediately turned around and leaned back into the car.

"Hey!" Jiang Cheng was about to get out of the car and almost bumped into his chin. "What's up?"

"Is that Wang Xu?" Pan Zhi said. "And the one next to him is your class monitor? She's even prettier than in the photos!"

"Huh?" Jiang Cheng was stunned, and he and Gu Fei turned their heads together to look.

It was indeed Wang Xu and Yi Jing.

After graduation, Wang Xu often hung out with them, but Yi Jing's university was far away, and she worked part-time during vacations, so she rarely came back except during winter break. Usually, it was Wang Xu who went to accompany her.

It had been several years, and this was only the second time Jiang Cheng had run into her.

She had changed quite a bit, becoming more beautiful and a lot more stylish than before.

Seeing them, Wang Xu's eyes lit up, and he came over to Jiang Cheng, grabbing him and jokingly said, "I asked you to set a time for dinner, didn't I? I said a few days later! But today you guys come here for a feast and don't call me!"

"I wanted to go to your place for pies," Jiang Cheng said with a smile.

"Let's go then," Wang Xu said. "Let's not pick a time anymore. How about tomorrow? Let's go to the new store to eat. You haven't been to the one in the food court of Kai Cheng Plaza, right? Da Fei has been there, isn't it good?"

"Yes, it doesn't look like a pie shop at all," Gu Fei nodded.

"They don't just sell pies there," Wang Xu smiled, then turned to Yi Jing. "It's been a long time since you guys saw Yi Jing, right?"

When Yi Jing walked over somewhat embarrassedly, Jiang Cheng nudged Pan Zhi's shoulder and whispered, "I told you she's pretty! Don't you believe me yet?"

"...I didn't doubt it," Pan Zhi sighed.

"Hey," Yi Jing greeted them with a smile.

"Long time no see, Class Monitor," Jiang Cheng said.

"It's been a year since we last met, hasn't it?" Yi Jing tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded.

"It's been... quite a while," Yi Jing continued. "You're already in graduate school."

Jiang Cheng smiled.

"Let's eat together," Wang Xu suggested, then waved to Gu Miao, who was leaning against the car. "Queen Miao Miao, want to eat together?"

Gu Miao glanced at him without responding, then lowered her head to adjust the straps of her overalls.

"Okay, agreed," Wang Xu nodded. "Let's go!"

"Er Miao," Jiang Cheng saw Gu Miao still adjusting her overalls, probably because the lengths of the straps were different. He walked over. "Let me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Miao suddenly pulled on the straps, tearing open the front of her overalls and pulling off the brass buttons.

"You..." Jiang Cheng stared at her. Although these were old pants she had been wearing for over two years, Gu Miao was quite rough with her clothes, and the buttons were already worn out, but being torn off like this still shocked him. "What are you practicing skateboarding for? You should join a Hercules competition instead."

Gu Miao didn't understand what he was saying, so she just shook the straps, causing the buttons hanging on them to fall to the ground. She didn't bother with the half-torn front of her overalls and followed Wang Xu into the restaurant with her skateboard tucked under her arm.

"Damn," Pan Zhi picked up the button from the ground and looked at it. "I think that kid got internal injuries from being pushed by her earlier."

"These pants are quite old. Jiang Cheng bought them for her. She wears them whenever she gets the chance, and that button, she always yanks it hard," Gu Fei sighed. "It's quite resilient to have only been torn off today."

"Let it rip if it's going to rip," Pan Zhi accepted. "I'll give her some pointers later. Even wearing it like this is quite stylish."

The relationship between Yi Jing and Wang Xu had been somewhat unclear in recent years. Her feelings for Wang Xu were genuine, but her decision not to return to the steel mill was also firm. Wang Xu's family business was now quite large, with several branches opened, all doing well. Wang Xu had been helping out at home, so it wasn't easy for him to follow her.

The two of them had never made it clear, seemingly waiting until the last moment to make a decision.

It's tough, Jiang Cheng glanced at Gu Fei. When it comes to relationships, everyone encounters difficulties. How to get through them, whether to persevere or not, whether to continue or not, everyone's attitude is different.

He actually felt that both he and Gu Fei were lucky. He chose to persevere, while Gu Fei chose to move forward.

If either of them had made a different choice, they wouldn't be where they were today.

Gu Fei also glanced at him. Although he didn't know what Jiang Cheng was thinking, Gu Fei still gave him a slight smile.

It was always like this. Whenever Jiang Cheng looked at Gu Fei, Gu Fei would give him a little smile.

"Xiao Pan," halfway through the meal, everyone's mood was in place, especially Wang Xu. He hugged Pan Zhi's shoulder. "Stop burying your head in the books. It's not lively. When I open another branch, you come and manage it!"

"I've become immortal," Pan Zhi looked at him helplessly. "I don't need liveliness anymore. I'm stepping on clouds and floating in midair."

Wang Xu laughed. "Nonsense, you're still studying management!"

"I'm studying library management," Pan Zhi corrected.

"Well, that's still management," Wang Xu said.

"You should find something related to managing pies," Yi Jing remarked.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone burst into laughter, laughing for quite some time.

Jiang Cheng looked at Yi Jing and suddenly felt emotional. Yi Jing had changed a lot over the years. It was surprising that she could say such things to make everyone laugh.

He hoped that one day, Gu Miao could undergo such significant changes as well.

Jiang Cheng glanced at Gu Miao. For the sake of convenience, Gu Miao casually grabbed a handful of her ear-length hair and tied it into a small ponytail. This was the only hairstyle she knew how to manage.

For years, Li Yan had been trying hard to convince her to grow her hair longer and to teach her how to make a bun, but he hadn't succeeded. Gu Miao couldn't learn, and Li Yan's patience in this regard was far less than his patience in teaching her new skateboarding tricks.

However, Jiang Cheng thought her current hairstyle was quite good. It looked casual and rebellious, matching Gu Miao's personality well.

The girl was truly becoming more beautiful day by day, so it was no wonder the young boys were so excited...

"Oh, by the way," Jiang Cheng turned to look at Gu Fei, "remember to talk to her. That little brat looks decent. I'm afraid Er Miao might be into looks... that would be troublesome."

"You talk as if you're not into looks," Gu Fei picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in Jiang Cheng's bowl.

"Is that the point?" Jiang Cheng glared at him.

"Cheng Er, Cheng Er," Pan Zhi leaned on the table and leaned closer. "Don't be so nervous. Someone might think you're her dad."

Jiang Cheng turned to look at him again.

"Even if you're into looks, you're the kind of high-end look lover," Pan Zhi pointed to the two of them, then pointed to himself. "The looks she's seen since she was a child are all top-notch. Ordinary handsome guys don't catch her eye."

"Next time you want to praise yourself, just go ahead and do it," Jiang Cheng chuckled.

"I'm just stating an objective fact," Pan Zhi replied.

"Got it," Jiang Cheng nodded.

When they finished eating and were about to go home, Wang Xu offered to drive and said he would drop Pan Zhi off at the hotel.

Wang Xu's car was a real car, the kind with four wheels and a steering wheel.

After watching them leave, Gu Fei opened the door of the small steamed bun, chuckling as he leaned against the car roof. "Hey, how did we even fit in there earlier?"

"If you wanted to squeeze in, we could have fit one more," Jiang Cheng followed Gu Miao into the car. "I'm just worried the car won't move."

"The tires might burst," Gu Fei sat in the car, starting the engine of the small car. "Cheng Ge, do you want to buy a car?"

"Buy a car? What kind of car?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"A car with four wheels," Gu Fei chuckled.

"Why would I buy a car? I don't need one," Jiang Cheng said. "Do you want to buy one?"

"If you want to buy one..." Gu Fei's sentence was interrupted by Jiang Cheng.

"I don't want to," Jiang Cheng leaned back in the back seat, took off his shoes, and rested one leg on Gu Fei's back. "I don't need it, and neither do you. Let's talk about it after I graduate. Right now, the expenses for Gu Miao's treatments and training every year are not insignificant."

"To be honest, I wasn't planning on buying a very good car either," Gu Fei chuckled. "Liu Fan is working at a used car dealership now. If we're buying a used one, we can ask him. He can help us pick a good one."

"You should stick to driving the small steamed bun," Jiang Cheng said. "The contrast is particularly striking. When the small steamed bun stops by the roadside, and the door opens, out comes a tall, handsome guy. The visual effect is amazing."

"Alright," Gu Fei chuckled for a while, then reached over to pat Jiang Cheng's leg.

After dropping off Gu Miao at home, they drove around slowly in the small steamed bun.

Ever since Gu Fei's mom's relationship with Liu Li stabilized, Liu Li sold his house and opened a small supermarket. Gu Fei moved out of his family's home, letting Liu Li stay there, while he went in  Jiang Cheng’s place nearby. He added a small bed to the living room so Gu Miao could stay at either place.

The rented place only had one bedroom. If Gu Miao was included, it would be difficult for Jiang Cheng to stay there comfortably when he came back. But they never had the idea of moving to a different rental place. This place held special meaning for them, as most of their memories from the past few years were contained within its walls.

"If you leave in the future, we'll have to give up this place, right?" Jiang Cheng lay on the balcony's rocking chair, swaying back and forth, looking at the twinkling yellow lights outside the window. "During holidays, we'll stay in hotels."

"If you're reluctant, we can keep it indefinitely. The rent isn't expensive, and there's no pressure," Gu Fei leaned against the beanbag, resting his head on Jiang Cheng's legs.

"It's a waste of money," Jiang Cheng noted. "I'm even more reluctant to part with money."

Gu Fei closed his eyes and chuckled for a while. "I'll go over to your place next summer when Gu Miao is training. Lao Hu wants to go take some photos, and I can earn some money too. It won't matter if we pay the rent."

"We'll see then," Jiang Cheng stretched lazily. "But... do you remember that girl I tutored before? The one with the particularly high nose bridge and a big forehead?"

"The one whose dad works at that particularly impressive foreign company and wanted you to join after graduation?" Gu Fei asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded. "Maybe by then, I'll be particularly wealthy, so what's a bit of rent?"

"Li Yan has been saying he'll treat everyone to a big outing when Jiang Da Lawyer makes his debut in the company," Gu Fei chuckled. "If you join the company as a legal counsel, will he go back on his word?"

"I never really had the aptitude to be a lawyer," Jiang Cheng said. "I've always had a plan... Do you have any special expectations for me?"

"Not really, whatever you do will be awesome," Gu Fei opened his eyes and looked at him. "I like you in every way, and I trust any choice you make. You're particularly reliable in this regard."

"You're so good at flattering, you could come up with a whole set of gossip slaps with just one stroke of flattery," Jiang Cheng laughed.

"Do you like it?" Gu Fei asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded.

"Wait and see, in the future, I'll slowly compile shoots for you, and make up a secret manual of martial arts-style pictures," Gu Fei said.

Jiang Cheng lowered his head and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "Okay."

 

Translator : DarNan