11
After three months of dating, Qi Shuitang visited the second floor of the jianbing shop for the first time.
The interior was narrow and dim, but Yi He had arranged the small space to be cozy and peaceful. A milky-white table lamp sat on the bedside, casting a warm, gentle glow that infused the room with an intimate, sultry atmosphere.
They kissed by the desk, and Qi Shuitang cupped Yi He’s face, reluctantly pulling away with a trail of saliva connecting them.
Yi He self-consciously wiped the corner of his mouth, mumbling, “It’s dirty.”
“No, it’s not.” Qi Shuitang pinched Yi He’s nose, setting down the backpack still slung over his shoulder. He buried his face in the other’s chest and closed his eyes wearily. He had been leading the school’s basketball team in a citywide tournament these past few days, and today was his first chance to rest.
Yi He remained motionless, straddling Qi Shuitang’s lap, his fingers gently stroking the other’s hair, like a quiet, still ragdoll.
After a long while, Qi Shuitang let out a faint snore.
Yi He carefully removed himself from Qi Shuitang’s lap and moved him onto the bed to sleep. Then he crawled onto the other side of the bed, staring intently at Qi Shuitang’s serene sleeping face for some time, before slowly, like a snail, inching his way back into the other’s embrace.
Qi Shuitang had a pleasant lemon scent mixed with a faint hint of sweat, like a refreshing lemon soda on a scorching day, enveloping Yi He’s heart, bubbling with joyful excitement.
Yi He gently propped himself up and placed a feather-light kiss on the corner of Qi Shuitang’s mouth.
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The merciless sun, the bustling crowd, the droplets of sweat flung from the young players’ hands onto the surrounding shrubbery, the leaves swaying slightly, followed by a gust of hot air.
“A University! A University! Aaaahhhh!!!” At first, only a few scattered people gathered on the side of the court. As classes let out, more and more people gathered, soon joined by the cheerleaders, who were chanting rhythmically.
Yi He rode Qi Shuitang’s electric scooter, wobbling to B University. He asked several people before finally finding the basketball court. He hurriedly parked the scooter in the shade of a tree and anxiously stood on tiptoe at the edge of the crowd.
With a surge of passionate cheers, the atmosphere reached a climax. Yi He was not tall and could only see a ball swiftly go through the hoop, followed by some girls calling out Qi Shuitang’s name as the crowd gradually dispersed.
Qi Shuitang, still in a state of high excitement, repeatedly scanned the crowd. His teammates were still excitedly embracing each other, but his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly rushed toward the sidelines.
“Yi He!” Qi Shuitang caught the young man in a tight embrace, spinning him around as the crowd cheered, then hurriedly pulled him away from the scene.
He rinsed his face at the edge of the field, water droplets sparkling as he tilted his head back. After hastily drying off, he pressed his now slightly cooled skin against Yi He’s reddened cheeks, like an affectionate large dog.
Yi He looked up, his eyes twinkling with a touch of silliness. He hugged Qi Shuitang’s waist. “Qiqi was amazing!”
Qi Shuitang nuzzled into Yi He’s neck, leaving a messy trail of water. His arms wrapped tightly around the smaller man, and he chuckled softly by his ear.
Yi He struggled to break free, then remembered to retrieve a chilled bottle of mineral water from his bag, the droplets running down his arm and dripping onto the red rubber track.
“Here.”
“Yi He, I’ve made up my mind. This summer, I’ll go home and tell my parents that I’m graduating next year, and I’ll start looking for a job. We have to stay together forever!” Qi Shuitang was clearly in an exceptionally excited mood today. He guzzled down half a bottle of water and then grabbed Yi He’s hand, chattering nonstop.
Yi He suddenly grew quiet. He stared intently at Qi Shuitang’s bright eyes for a long while before breaking into his usual somewhat silly smile and responding loudly, “Okay.”
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Qi Shuitang’s coming out process was surprisingly smooth, thanks in large part to his former neighbors.
Mother Qi, who was knitting a sweater, the gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a glimmer of sunlight, said calmly, “Do you remember the neighbor brother you used to play with when you were in elementary school? I heard he got caught dating a male classmate in high school, and your Aunt Xu locked him at home for a month, but it didn’t work.”
“And then?” Qi Shuitang asked curiously.
“And then?” Father Qi interjected, folding his newspaper as he passed by, letting out a cold snort. “Then Lao Li, that fool, sent the kid to some kind of sanatorium, and the child came out with his mental state not quite right.”
“That’s why your father and I discussed it before. If it were my son, I’d just want him to be happy. What’s the point of forcing the child to that extent?” Mother Qi adjusted her glasses and smiled. “I’m telling you in advance, you’re an adult now, so you have to be responsible for your own actions.”
Turning to him, she paused her knitting and asked seriously, “What kind of child is he?”
Qi Shuitang couldn’t help but break into a smile as he said, “Mom, he’s really good. I like him a lot.”
Mother Qi let out a “pffft” laugh, teasing her son’s foolish expression along with Father Qi. After laughing their fill, she wiped away her tears and said, “Mom trusts your judgment. Bring him over to meet us sometime.”
Qi Shuitang agreed, then immediately rushed to his bedroom to call Yi. He was unable to hold back his laughter at the beginning before finally conveying what he wanted to say.
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Less than two weeks into the new semester, Qi Shuitang had just received his part-time pay for the previous month and had brought a box to the jianbing shop.
Yi He was frying the meat for the next day. When he saw him coming over, he popped a piece of pork belly into the other’s mouth, asking, “Is it done?”
“Are you just using me as a taste tester?” Qi Shuitang raised an eyebrow questioningly, then couldn’t hold back. He placed the small box on the countertop and gestured, “Open it.”
Inside was a semi-new mobile phone and two payment code stickers.
“I got a new phone, so I’m giving you this old one,” Qi Shuitang took out Yi He’s old keypad phone, swapped the SIM card, and restarted it, helping him access his WeChat and Alipay accounts.
“This is the Alipay account I registered for you the other day. The login is your phone number, and the password is your birthday. You can bind your bank card here.” Qi Shuitang guided him step-by-step, half-embracing the other as he said, “The card currently linked is mine, but it has no money. You can use it, or you can open your own…”
Yi He listened intently, but even so, it took him several rounds to fully remember everything. Finally, Qi Shuitang held his hand, carefully writing on the new small card:
“Supports Alipay, WeChat Pay, and cash payment.”
Towards the end of summer, a gentle breeze carried away two dark green leaves. Yi He tested it repeatedly, but Qi Shuitang pulled him upstairs again and pulled out another box as if by magic. He sat cross-legged on the bed, fiddling with it.
About half an hour later, he lay down with Yi He, and the first subtitles slowly appeared on the white wall across from them.
In the cool summer night, a window connected two vastly different starry skies.
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