Follow the light

 

Pan Zhi's bookstore was basically set up, now it was just cleaning up and moving various bookshelves, tables, chairs, and some decorations inside.

The bookshelves were not arranged in the usual way, they were placed in a disorderly manner, with cushions and bean bags thrown in front of them. Every pretentious corner strived to achieve mutual independence, with relatively standalone spaces, but without complete obstruction. After all, when you're really pretending, it's disappointing without an audience.

Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei stood at the entrance of the bookstore with Pan Zhi, watching as the workers unloaded bookshelves from the truck and then started moving decorations.

There were many abstract bronze sculptures, this style was obviously the work of Boss Xiao.

"Have you paid?" Jiang Cheng asked Pan Zhi, "Last time I went to her studio, the stuff inside, pick up one the size of a palm and it's worth thousands."

"And you're still asking, these are dozens of them," Pan Zhi replied, "Can I afford them?"

"On credit?" Jiang Cheng inquired.

"I said consignment," Pan Zhi explained, "If someone wants it, they buy it. If no one wants it, it stays here."

"Really shameless..." Jiang Cheng noted.

"Quite shameless indeed, and even more shameless," Pan Zhi looked at Gu Fei, "Remember to bring me a few pounds of beef jerky, the expensive kind recommended by Li Yan."

"Is ten catties enough?" Gu Fei asked him.

"I can't say for sure, the specific amount depends on our relationship, you figure it out." Pan Zhi said.

"Let's end our friendship." Gu Fei proposed.

"See, our friendship is defeated by beef jerky," Pan Zhi sighed, "When are you going back? It's your birthday and you're going back. It would be nice if we could all eat together."

"Let's eat when we come back, we can eat every day." Gu Fei said.

"Haven't we ended our friendship?" Pan Zhi immediately replied.

"Oh right." Gu Fei clicked his tongue and stepped three steps away from Pan Zhi.

Jiang Cheng was about to speak when Pan Zhi's gaze suddenly froze behind him. Without turning around, he knew it was Boss Xiao.

Boss Xiao had a very domineering name, Xiao Pan (NT: 肖磐 - Xiào pán, litt. like a rock), but since they met, they had been calling her Boss Xiao and had never changed it. Even though Pan Zhi has been chasing after her for more than a year, he still called her Boss Xiao.

"Boss Xiao is up?" Pan Zhi greeted.

"Yeah," Xiao Pan nodded to them, glanced into the store from the window, "Nice taste."

"Could be better." Pan Zhi said.

"This kind of question, stop asking all the time, you'll make yourself feel uneasy," Xiao Pan said, "Are you done? Want to come to my place for a sit?"

"We're going back to the steel factory today," Jiang Cheng said, "We need to go back and tidy up in a bit."

"Oh right, you guys mentioned that you're really going to drive that second-hand old car?" Xiao Pan said, "My car is not being used these days, you guys can take my car back?"

"No need, it's not far anyway," Jiang Cheng said with a smile, "Running a round trip is no problem."

"Okay, just let me know if you need a car," Xiao Pan said, "Anyway, you guys don't need it, Pan Zhi also needs it, he's got quite the face."

"I have a reason for using your car," Pan Zhi mentioned, "Seeing a car is like seeing a person."

"Am I that ugly?" Xiao Pan asked.

"To be honest," Pan Zhi replied, "Among the girls I've pursued, you're really the ugliest."

"You're really working hard," Xiao Pan sneered.

"Not hard," Pan Zhi said, "Painful but enjoyable."

"Come for coffee later," Xiao Pan offered, then waved to Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei, "Let's meet up when you're back."

"Okay," Jiang Cheng smiled.

After staying with Pan Zhi for a short while, Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei left because Xiao Pan invited Pan Zhi over for a chat, and Pan Zhi couldn't wait for even a second.

"As for this car," Gu Fei started their "second-hand old car" and said with a smile as he reversed, "Actually, the sound of the engine is not bad."

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded, "If it wasn't for you bumping the car and not fixing it, the exterior looks pretty good."

"I'm too lazy to fix minor scratches," Gu Fei explained, "Anyway, you will buy a good car later."

"Me?" Jiang Cheng looked at him.

"Yeah," Gu Fei said, "As a foreign company executive, you..."

"Do you think," Jiang Cheng laughed, "I would buy another car when I already have one?"

"No," Gu Fei sighed, "I don't think you even want to buy a bicycle."

"Yeah, let's just run this car for now. We'll see when the wheels fall off and can't be put back on," Jiang Cheng adjusted the back of the passenger seat to lean against it, "Actually, I used to really like this feeling."

"The feeling of me driving you?" Gu Fei asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng turned his head, "I've enjoyed it since I was little. In one space, just the two of us, it doesn't matter if it's cold or hot, windy or rainy outside, it doesn't affect us."

"I like it too," Gu Fei said, "But does it conflict with getting a better car?"

"It conflicts with our money," Jiang Cheng thought and then laughed, "The car you're talking about, it's relative to this car we're driving now, right?"

"Yeah," Gu Fei also laughed.

The car they were driving now was picked out with the help of the professional Liu Fan, it was less than eighty thousand yuans (NT: 10000 euros or 11000 dollars), and it was quite good in terms of overall conditions for the same price range.

"Are the good cars you're talking about also not over two hundred thousand?" Jiang Cheng asked with a smile.

"Otherwise, yeah," Gu Fei smiled, "Actually, I'm quite frugal too."

"That's fine, we can consider getting a car next year that's not over two hundred thousand," Jiang Cheng nodded seriously.

"A good car," Gu Fei added.

For the past few years, they had been celebrating their birthdays on Jiang Cheng's date because it was too close, celebrating twice in a month was a bit too complicated.

In the past, it was just eating and drinking, sometimes with gifts, sometimes without.

Perhaps because this year was Jiang Cheng's graduation, Gu Fei wanted to make it a bit more formal.

"Do we need to bring anything?" Jiang Cheng asked, "For your mom and Liu Li."

"No need, just give them a red envelope," Gu Fei said, "I can't figure out what they want to buy. Last time, I bought my mom a brooch, brought it back and put it on the bedside table, and she never used it. When I asked her why she didn't use it, she said it didn't match any of her clothes."

"What about a shawl or a wool coat?" Jiang Cheng suggested.

"So I don't know what she wants," Gu Fei replied, "I'll buy a shaver for Liu Li. He said his beard is too tough for electric shavers, it's easier to give a red envelope."

"Okay then," Jiang Cheng smiled and nodded, then looked at Gu Miao, "Gu Miao, are you going to pack your luggage yourself?"

Gu Miao nodded.

"Then..." Jiang Cheng was about to say "you go pack it", but Gu Miao had already turned around and brought out a big bag from her room, and threw it at his feet with a bang.

"Okay," Gu Miao said.

"Just for... two days," Jiang Cheng looked at the bag, which was bigger than the one he and Gu Fei had together.

Gu Miao didn't say anything, she just kicked the bag towards his leg.

"Okay, we have a car anyway," Jiang Cheng got up and picked up the bag. It was heavy, and he didn't know what was stuffed inside.

Gu Miao was a big girl now, and they couldn't possibly go through her things. Anyway, she brought a lot of stuff she wanted to bring, like the bag she usually carried when she went out, which could be startling to lift, like carrying a bag full of bricks.

After breakfast, they threw their luggage into the car and set off.

The back seat was Gu Miao's territory. Holding Rourou (NT: 肉 ròu, meaning meat), plugging in her earphones, looking out the window, she seemed as calm as if she could stare at it for an hour without moving.

Rourou was now a big fat cat. It was much calmer than when it was young, and it didn't like to move around much as he was fat, so the two of them on the back seat were quiet as if no one was there.

"Do you want to listen to the radio?" Gu Fei asked.

"Sure," Jiang Cheng turned on the radio, "I have some work to do."

"You might get carsick later," Gu Fei noted.

"I never get carsick when I'm in your car," Jiang Cheng took out his notebook from the bag, opened it, and put his legs up on the dashboard, "I get carsick in Pan Zhi's car, the way he drives always makes me feel like the police are going to come and check for drunk driving."

"You haven't ridden in my long-distance car yet," Gu Fei said.

"...Then maybe I should experience it properly," Jiang Cheng replied.

"Yeah, put your work away," Gu Fei retorted.

"It's due next week," Jiang Cheng laughed, "I'll just do my work while experiencing it."

Gu Fei lowered the volume of the radio slightly and glanced at Gu Miao, who was lost in thought in the back seat.

The sound system in this car was very poor, even listening to music felt dated, let alone listening to the radio. But at this moment, this kind of sound, more than ever, gave a sense of "being on the road".

Driving an old second-hand car, with a boyfriend, a sister, and a cat, speeding on the road.

Listening to the crackling radio, feeling the non-existent shock absorption of the car... an imperfect journey, even a bit hard, will always give people a feeling of dependence, like a story of wandering together.

Of course, although he felt that this was also very good, he still wanted to buy a good car for less than two hundred thousand.

After the car got on the highway, not long after, probably less than an hour, Jiang Cheng, who was busy with work in the passenger seat, became silent. Gu Fei glanced at him and found that he had fallen asleep holding his notebook.

Gu Fei sighed softly. He should not have slept well last night. Jiang Cheng had been busy until past two o'clock before going to bed, and he got up a bit early today.

Actually, he knew Jiang Cheng didn't think he was working hard. From the college entrance examination to undergraduate and then to school graduation, he had been maintaining such a pace of study and part-time work, never relaxing.

Although such a life was considered normal, he still felt sorry for him.

He himself was busy, as an assistant in the studio, there were many tasks, he also had to learn things, take photos himself, and also take various jobs, but he won't feel sorry for himself.

He just felt sorry for Jiang Cheng.

When they passed by the rest area and Gu Fei parked the car, Jiang Cheng woke up with a grunt. "Are we there?"

"Very optimistic," Gu Fei remarked.

Jiang Cheng looked out the car window, saw the sign of the rest area, and smiled, "I thought I had slept for a long time."

"Is Er Miao going to the restroom?" Gu Fei turned around and asked Gu Miao.

Gu Miao put Rourou back into the cat carrier and got out of the car.

" Cheng ge," Gu Fei leaned on the seat back and watched Gu Miao walk towards the restroom, "take a look."

"She's grown up," Jiang Cheng turned his head to look at Gu Miao, sighed, and after a while, clicked his tongue a few times, "Look at those guys."

"She's a beautiful grown-up girl. It's normal for people to stare at her," Gu Fei noted, " Cheng ge, if someone else pursues her, you can't chase them away again."

"I didn't hit anyone," Jiang Cheng laughed, "I just... cursed a bit."

"We have to get used to it, in this kind of situation," Gu Fei continued, "She's fine now, she can distinguish between others' affection and... nonsense."

The young men beside the car had been whistling at Gu Miao.

Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng didn't say anything, they both got out of the car directly.

When Gu Fei walked around the front of the car, Jiang Cheng had already rushed over there with big strides. Gu Fei quickly ran a few steps and pulled Jiang Cheng back: "Don't rush."

"I'll punch them," Jiang Cheng said, looking unhappy.

"First... I want to see how Gu Miao handles it," Gu Fei insisted.

Jiang Cheng glanced at him but didn't say anything. He turned around, went back to open the car door, and took out a cross wrench from inside, placing it next to the passenger seat, leaning against the car door while glaring over there.

Gu Miao was still quite petite, but she had become a beautiful young lady. Every time Jiang Cheng saw her, he would feel a bit worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up with the maturity reflected in her appearance and would be bullied.

Gu Fei said he wanted to see how she handled it, and he wanted to see it too. After all, they couldn't always be with Gu Miao, and she would encounter all sorts of things.

For example, the current situation. Most girls would ignore it, walk away, or curse when faced with more extreme actions. But for Gu Miao, whistling didn't necessarily mean malice in most cases. She just liked to whistle when she was idle.

However, after those guys whistled, she didn't react, walking forward without looking at them, and entered the restroom without turning her head.

"It's okay," Gu Fei came back and leaned against the door with Jiang Cheng.

"I can tell those guys aren't good people," Jiang Cheng told him, "They're just gangsters, not even up to the standard of the steel factory."

Gu Fei chuckled twice.

"Don't chuckle," Jiang Cheng smiled, "Back then, your group didn't seem like good people either."

"Must have misjudged," Gu Fei said.

"It can only be said that we didn't see the essence through the appearance at the beginning," Jiang Cheng retorted, took out a cup to drink some water, "Your essence is still very handsome."

When Gu Miao came out of the restroom, she had probably washed her face as well. She was always rough when washing her face, and now it was the same. She splashed water on her face, and her hair was wet in strands.

"Directly washed her hair," Jiang Cheng sighed.

"Going to the restroom?" Gu Fei asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng glanced at Gu Miao, who seemed fine, and closed the car door.

As they were about to go to the restroom, those guys said something to Gu Miao, but it wasn't clear what it was. Gu Miao stopped in her tracks and turned to look at them.

The men laughed and said something again, walking towards her, and glanced over here. But Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei were now standing behind a tree and a garbage can, so they probably didn't see them.

"This won't do, we have to go over there," Jiang Cheng said. The chance of encountering this kind of thing at a rest area was really small. Everyone was tired and busy eating and going to the restroom. Yet, there were still people in the mood to harass a young girl, which was simply incredible.

"Yeah," Gu Fei nodded.

They were just about to take a step when they saw Gu Miao swing her arm.

"Hey!" Gu Fei shouted and ran over there.

Gu Miao punched one of the men squarely in the jaw, causing him to jerk backward.

"Why are you fighting again!" Jiang Cheng was also startled and hurried to catch up.

The man was obviously shocked and furious. He raised his hand and slapped Gu Miao in the face.

Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei were still several meters away, and there was no way they could reach before this slap. Jiang Cheng felt his anger boiling up.

But Gu Miao's reaction speed was astonishing. She raised her arm to block the slap and, at the same time, leaned her body to throw a punch at the man.

Another hit to the jaw.

"Er Miao!" Gu Fei pulled Gu Miao behind him and stared at the group of men, speaking calmly, "What's going on."

"What's going on? You're asking us?" The man looked furious. "I want to ask her!"

"Er Miao," Jiang Cheng hugged Gu Miao's shoulder and pulled her aside, "Why did you hit him?"

"Stupid." Gu Miao said coldly.

"They're stupid?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"I'm stupid." Gu Miao frowned.

"They said you're stupid?" Jiang Cheng asked again.

Gu Miao nodded.

"We just wanted to say hello and ask for her contact information," the man smirked, "She just stared at us without saying a word, so I asked if she was dumb, and she fucking hit me!"

"What's your phone number?" Jiang Cheng looked at him.

The man hesitated and didn't speak.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Gu Fei followed up with a question.

"Damn it!" The man glared and was about to charge forward.

"Come." Gu Fei tilted his head, and there was a "click" in his neck.

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but glance at him. When did this guy pick up this skill?

But this "click," along with the kind of swagger Gu Fei would probably never erase in his lifetime, coupled with being at a rest area, made those guys restrain the one who was about to charge forward.

"Forget it, that girl seems crazy." one person said.

"What did you say?" Gu Fei's voice turned cold.

The men didn't say anything, turned around, and walked back to their own car. Gu Fei suddenly shouted, "I asked you what the hell you said!"

The men were first stunned, then moved as if on fast-forward, hurriedly opened their doors and got into the car. Before Gu Fei could say anything else, the car rushed away.

When Gu Fei turned to look at Gu Miao, she suddenly burst into laughter, laughing for quite a while before stopping.

"You go back to the car first," Gu Fei said, "Ge ge wants to talk to you later."

"What about?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Did you teach her how to fight?" Gu Fei looked at him, "That perfect right hook? And she even knows how to use lower-back strength?"

This question was more worrying than Gu Miao being whistled at outside.

They hurriedly returned to the car after finishing their business in the restroom.

"Who taught you?" Gu Fei asked.

"Xiao Wu. (NT: little Wu)" Gu Miao said.

"Xiao Wu?" Gu Fei was puzzled, glanced at Jiang Cheng, then turned to Gu Miao again, "Which Xiao Wu?"

"My friend." Gu Miao said.

"Why didn't I know you had a friend named Xiao Wu?" Gu Fei asked.

Gu Miao yawned, took out Rourou from the cat bag, hugged him, and closed her eyes.

Gu Fei had to take out his phone and call a friend from the skateboard club where Gu Miao was staying now. "Is there a Xiao Wu over there? No? Gu Miao mentioned him, Xiao Wu... Can you give me his number? I need to talk to him."

"Who's that?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Surname Wu," Gu Fei said while dialing, "They're next to the boxing club."

"Boxing?" Jiang Cheng was somewhat shocked.

"There are several boxing gyms or something like that in the building of their club," Gu Fei explained, "They're next door."

"Speakerphone," Jiang Cheng said.

Gu Fei pressed the speakerphone button.

After a few rings, someone answered the phone, "Hello."

The voice was very gentle and polite, completely different from what Gu Fei would expect from someone associated with boxing. Gu Fei glanced at Jiang Cheng, then turned to Gu Miao, "Is this Xiao Wu?"

"I'm Wu Yi," the other side answered, "Who is this?"

"Wu Yi?" Gu Fei was puzzled.

 

Jiang Cheng also paused for a moment. This name was very straightforward; he wondered if the nickname was "Labor." (NT: 伍一  wǔ yī can mean 1st May)

"Yes," Wu Yi replied.

"I'm Gu Fei, Gu Miao's brother," Gu Fei said.

"Gu Miao's brother?" This time it was Wu Yi's turn to be surprised. After a pause, he said, "Hello."

"You..." Gu Fei felt like he had rushed the call a bit. Now he didn't know what to say.

"Just now, Gu Miao got into a fight with someone," Jiang Cheng took the phone, "Well, to be precise, she hit someone."

"Oh?" Wu Yi was stunned again, then after a while, he asked, "You're... Jiang Cheng, right?"

"Yes," Jiang Cheng cleared his throat, "That's right."

While he was still wondering how this person knew about himself, Wu Yi added, "Gu Miao says 'Jiang Cheng' about eighty times a day."

"Oh." Jiang Cheng suddenly felt very proud and satisfied. He glanced at Gu Fei, who couldn't hold back a smile.

"She hit someone?" Wu Yi asked.

"Yes," Jiang Cheng answered, "Two punches, fast and accurate, and she even blocked attacks."

"That's not bad for practical use." Wu Yi commented.

Jiang Cheng almost followed up with "Yes, the effect is very good," but he remembered the reason for making the call and held back. "It's not about the effectiveness, Xiao Wu. She hit someone now, and the impact is significant. What we mean is, did you teach her?"

"Yeah, one hour every day. She learns fast, with excellent athletic talent," Wu Yi paused after saying this, "So... you mean I should stop teaching her?"

"Yes," Gu Fei said.

There was silence from Wu Yi's end. After a while, he spoke again, "Brother, this is how I see it. Practicing boxing is for fitness, and she's interested. So there's no need to change anything from here. It's important to teach her how to use her training correctly. She's different from other girls, and it takes time for her to understand that. I've been reminding her all along. Just give her some time and guidance."

After Wu Yi finished speaking, both Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei were stunned. The speed and tone of his speech almost simultaneously reminded them of someone.

"What do you do?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"I'm a junior student," Wu Yi said.

"Which university?" Jiang Cheng asked further.

"B University," Wu Yi replied.

"What's your major?" Jiang Cheng continued to inquire.

 

"Psychology. Wu Yi said.

"After hanging up the phone, Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei stared at each other face to face for a long time.

"We actually ran into a psychology student?" Gu Fei uttered.

"A psychology student going to practice boxing?" Jiang Cheng added.

"Er, Miao," Gu Fei turned to look at Gu Miao, "this guy Wu..."

Gu Miao opened her eyes and looked at him. Gu Fei suddenly didn't know what else to say.

"Is he handsome?" Jiang Cheng inquired.

"That's not what I wanted to ask," Gu Fei said quietly.

"I wanted to know," Jiang Cheng remarked, also quietly.

Gu Miao looked at them who stayed silent. She had never discussed who was handsome or pretty. Looks ranked low on her list of priorities, so she probably didn't know how to answer that question.

"Is he handsome or is Cheng-ge handsome?" Gu Fei asked.

"Cheng-ge," Gu Miao replied quickly this time.

Jiang Cheng didn't know why he felt relieved.

"You're childish," Gu Fei chuckled.

"Just like that," Jiang Cheng fastened his seatbelt, "Let's drive. This guy... seems okay. Let's meet up later and talk."

"Cheng-ge," Gu Fei started the car, "you... probably can't beat him."

"When facing someone I can't beat, I usually don't resort to violence, I use my brain," Jiang Cheng noted.

Gu Fei laughed for a while.

"Don't laugh," Jiang Cheng reacted, "Are you implying that I almost didn't use my brain just now?"

"No," Gu Fei chuckled, "My brain already failed before I said anything."

"The thing is," Jiang Cheng sighed, "it was too sudden."

As the car continued to move forward, perhaps the earlier incident had been quite invigorating, as Jiang Cheng was no longer sleepy. He continued to work on his laptop.

*

The scenery along the roadside gradually became familiar, a kind of familiarity that emerged from the unfamiliar.

After getting off the highway and seeing the license plates on the cars, this familiarity began to spread around them little by little.

Jiang Cheng closed his laptop and stretched lazily. "We're here."

Although Gu Miao had adapted to her new life and way of living, she still became very excited when returning to the place where she grew up. She leaned against the window, tapping lightly on the glass with her fingers.

Gu Fei drove to the shop first. Now Gu Fei's mom called this place the old shop, while the small supermarket opened by Liu Lixin was called the new shop.

"Er Miao!" From afar, Gu Fei could see his mom standing at the door of the shop, waving and bouncing.

Gu Fei honked the horn in response.

"Mom," Gu Miao tapped on the car window.

Gu Fei lowered the rear window, extending her arm out to wave.

The car stopped, and Gu Miao jumped out of the car with the cat in her arms. Mom ran over and hugged her. "Oh, it's only been a few months, my girl has become even more beautiful! Even Rourou has become prettier!"

"What about Liu Li?" Gu Fei asked.

"He's at the new shop, stocking up in the afternoon. He'll come over in a bit," Mom said. "Why don't you guys tidy up first and have dinner here tonight?"

"Yeah," Gu Fei nodded.

"Auntie, you've slimmed down," Jiang Cheng spotted.

"You noticed?" Mom was pleasantly surprised. "I've been dieting. Looks like it's working, huh?"

"The effect is quite obvious," Jiang Cheng smiled.

"Er Miao, stay here," Gu Fei said. "We'll unpack and take a shower, then come over later."

"Okay, Er Miao, come," Mom hugged Gu Miao. "Go see the new clothes I bought for you. I brought them from the shop..."

Back in the small rented apartment they hadn't returned, Jiang Cheng collapsed onto the sofa, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.

"Is it dusty?" Gu Fei asked, coming over to lie on top of him and kissing his eyes.

"No," Jiang Cheng said, "Li Yan is really a good buddy. He'll come over at the end of the month, and I really need to spend some quality time with him."

"Take a shower first," Gu Fei suggested. "You take a nap, dark circles are showing up. I'll go out for a bit. Li Yan is bringing beef jerky to the shop."

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded. "You go after you shower."

"Do I smell sweaty?" Gu Fei chuckled.

"Whenever I smell you, it always smells like Gu Fei," Jiang Cheng said, "Others might not think the same."

"Then I'll go shower first," Gu Fei patted his face.

As Jiang Cheng lay on the sofa, when Gu Fei came out after showering, he felt like he was already starting to dream.

He managed to get up and take a shower before going back to bed.

The bed in the bedroom hadn't been used for a long time. When Jiang Cheng lay down, he felt like he was slipping into memories. There were two familiar water stains on the ceiling, still in their original shapes. Next to them was a short piece of old wire, wrapped in black tape at the end.

Jiang Cheng closed his eyes. These were things he used to see every night before bed, never paying attention, yet always remembering.

Many details exist unnoticed, only to suddenly emerge one day, triggering memories.

He slept until Gu Fei came to call him for dinner.

"Damn," Jiang Cheng jumped out of bed, ran into the bathroom to wash his face, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? It's not good to sleep in until the food is ready."

"It's not like you just met, why bother about these things," Gu Fei said, "My mom knows you must have stayed up late."

"Did you give the red envelopes?" Jiang Cheng asked as he pulled up his pants.

"I did," Gu Fei confirmed.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng grabbed his phone, "Let's go, I suddenly realized I'm hungry."

Actually, as Gu Fei said, although Jiang Cheng hadn't spent much time with Gu Fei's mom and Liu Li, over the years, he had become quite familiar with them.

He greeted them as he entered the shop, washed his hands in the backyard, then helped with the cooking and sat down at the table naturally.

Sometimes, Jiang Cheng would feel a bit surreal. Gu Fei and Gu Miao were his family, and these two people who had been immersed in love should also be considered family.

Unfamiliar, yet relaxed when together, occasionally feeling a sense of warmth.

"Another year older," Liu Li said, "Almost middle-aged."

"Can you stop talking!" Gu Fei's mom shouted, "How can my son be middle-aged? What am I going to be if my son is middle-aged?"

"You're forever young," Liu Li assured her.

"Being sixty is middle-aged, do you know that?" Gu Fei's mom said.

"...Sixty?" Liu Li blinked, looking at her.

"Yes, sixty. Next year is eighty!" she said.

"You're the boss," Liu Li nodded.

"I'll ignore you," Gu Fei's mom turned her head, "Are you two spending Chinese New Year here or going back?"

"We haven't decided yet, depends on the situation," Gu Fei replied.

"If you don't come back, we'll come over. We're thinking of taking your mom on a trip and playing around the area for a few days," Liu Li said.

"That works too," Gu Fei agreed, "You guys should also take a break."

"Jiang Cheng," Gu Fei's mom looked at Jiang Cheng, "Do you... want to... I mean, do you want to go back there, your hometown, and take a look?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, "No."

"You haven't been back there since?" Gu Fei's mom asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng smiled.

"They need to see how successful you've become," she sighed, "They should see it!"

"There's no point in them seeing it," Jiang Cheng explained, gnawing on a rib, "As long as I know how well I'm doing, it's fine. I don't care what others think or how they see me."

"That's called being assertive, confident... or something like that," Liu Li remarked.

"You know a lot," Gu Fei's mom glanced at him sideways.

After finishing dinner and chatting for a while, the night had fallen. Gu Fei stood up, kicked Jiang Cheng's shoe lightly, "Let's take a walk, Cheng-ge."

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng stood up as well and followed him out of the shop.

The summer night at the steel factory was quite cool. As the sun set, the breeze felt comfortable against their skin.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

If Gu Fei invited him to spend his birthday at the steel factory, it wouldn't just be a simple dinner and chat with the family.

Taking him out for a walk now definitely meant more than just walking.

"Just follow me," Gu Fei smiled.

It had been many years since they had walked like this together. Both of them were quite busy, and Gu Fei often had to travel. Sometimes, he wouldn't see him for a week when he went out.

In the evenings, they would chat for a while and then get busy with their own tasks.

Walking in the cool breeze of the summer night, following the paths they used to walk years ago, felt like a luxury.

After a few rounds, Gu Fei turned onto a small dirty road.

Jiang Cheng chuckled when he saw it, "Are we going to the kindergarten?"

"Yeah," Gu Fei glanced at him, "You're not lost anymore? Technically, you shouldn't have any memories of this road, right?"

"I couldn't remember before my birthday, but after that, I won't forget," Jiang Cheng stretched lazily, "Did you put the gift there?"

"Yeah," Gu Fei sighed, "You guessed it, but you didn't have to say it. Can you ever have any romantic cell?"

"Nope," Jiang Cheng clapped his hands, "I know this is a special birthday, but I didn't prepare a gift... I just didn't know what to get."

Gu Fei leaned over and kissed him, "The gift you gave me, you'll never run out of in this lifetime."

After walking a bit further, Gu Fei circled behind him, one hand around his waist, and the other covering his eyes, "I'll lead you forward."

"What's ahead?" Jiang Cheng started to feel nervous and excited as Gu Fei's hand covered his eyes.

 

"You'll see in a moment," Gu Fei said softly as he led him forward, whispering in his ear, "Cheng-ge."

"Hmm?" Jiang Cheng responded.

"Happy birthday, Cheng-ge," Gu Fei said, "I hope you'll always be this happy."

"Hmm," Jiang Cheng smiled.

"Happy birthday, Cheng-ge," Gu Fei continued softly, "I hope you'll always laugh like a ray of sunshine. You are my sunshine."

Jiang Cheng smiled but didn't say anything.

"Happy birthday, Cheng-ge," Gu Fei kissed his ear, "Before, I hoped you wouldn't have any regrets when you remembered the days at the steel factory. Now, I hope that when one day you're old, looking back, you'll have no regrets about the life we spent together."

"Happy birthday, Gu Fei," Jiang Cheng smiled softly, "Follow the light."

Gu Fei stopped walking and removed his hand covering Jiang Cheng's eyes.

Jiang Cheng opened his eyes.

On the ground lay a colourful array of lights, stretching endlessly forward from beneath their feet, forming the infinite symbol.

Jiang Cheng stared at these familiar fluorescent bricks, his vision slowly becoming blurred.

He blinked, but the blur only intensified.

He had to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Where did these bricks come from?" he asked with a nasal tone.

"They're the same ones from before," Gu Fei hugged him, "I retrieved them the next day. They've been sitting in my family's cabinet, but the colours have been redone. The old ones faded a lot."

"Are you crazy?" Jiang Cheng couldn't contain his surprise, tears flowing again as he wiped them away.

Gu Fei smiled and didn't say anything, then he crouched down, gently pushing over the first brick.

From dots to lines, the colourful lights extended forward, just like they did all those years ago, forming a colourful painting in the night.

 

End of the extras available on jjwxc

 

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The author has something to say

Well, the extra chapters are also complete.

Thank you all so much for accompanying me through these past six months. I love you all. The author, finally standing up, rubbed his knees and smiled.

No one's life is perfect all the time, but no matter what, always look forward with hope, and you'll overcome anything.

 

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Note from the translator

There are 3 additional extras

 

Translator : DarNan