Chapter 28

Chapter 28

For the next month, Duan Zhuo would often see the out-of-place luxury car in their narrow, rundown alley.

Later on, whispers started to spread in the alley about Mu Yuman and the owner of this high-end vehicle. Even though Mu Yuman was well-regarded in the area, and most of the gossip was positive, being the topic of conversation still felt uncomfortable.

Eventually, Gu Ting seldom drove into the alley during daylight. Only occasionally at night, the black car would merge into the shadows, creeping in from the entrance.

Mu Yuman never brought it up directly and rarely mentioned him in daily conversations. But it was clear to anyone with eyes that they were in that awkward in-between stage.

Duan Zhuo watched as Mu Yuman and Gu Ting's interactions became more frequent, his emotions all over the place. He couldn't tell if he was relieved or worried for someone far away.

Every night, he would light a cigarette at his desk, staring at the two wooden carvings for a long time, clinging to a faint hope and imagining far-fetched fantasies.

What if Ji Mian found out...

What if he let go of Sis Yuman because of it...

What if he wasn't as opposed to same-sex relationships as Duan Zhuo imagined...

What if, what if...

*

Ji Mian didn't return home during the summer between his freshman and sophomore years. His university and a neighboring province had established an exclusive internship initiative for students that summer, part of the neighboring province's strategy to draw top talent from leading universities. The program lasted less than two and a half months, and the participating companies were highly regarded.

Joining would mean he could make at least five grand in internship wages before the semester started, and the experience would be a big plus for job searches after graduation.

But if he joined, he wouldn't be able to return home for at least half a year.

He was itching to go back and see Duan Zhuo, but at the same time, he wanted to stand on his own two feet and depend less on him. These mixed feelings always put Ji Mian in a tough spot.

Ji Mian hesitated for a long time between going home and taking the internship, but eventually, he signed up.

So, he was tied up with his internship all summer.

It wasn't until the start of his sophomore year, when he returned to school, that he finally relaxed.

While working at the company, he didn't feel it as much, but once he was back on campus and the pace slowed down, he began to feel the ache of missing home.

He hadn't seen Duan Zhuo for half a year, even though they talked on the phone several times a week. The long stretch apart still weighed heavily on him.

On the first Friday night after returning to school, Duan Zhuo's call came as usual.

Ji Mian answered the phone by the small lake on campus, where the autumn night breeze from the lake made him shiver.

He didn't have his earphones, so he held the phone close to his ear. "Hello? Brother."

"Mm. What are you doing?" Duan Zhuo's voice came through the receiver.

Ji Mian's eyes curved into a smile.

For some reason, since he started university, Duan Zhuo had begun asking these ordinary questions that he never used to bring up before.

"Just taking a walk."

Duan Zhuo asked again, "Alone?"

"Yeah, there's a mixer tonight, and my roommates all went out." Ji Mian lightly kicked a small pebble on the side of the road.

He didn't dare mention his homesickness to Duan Zhuo because, from the very beginning, Duan Zhuo had opposed him taking the internship.

"You're just a freshman; why the rush to intern? Wait until your junior year," Duan Zhuo had told him months ago when Ji Mian mentioned his internship plans.

The next day, he called again to ask, "You good on cash?"

Then, several thousand yuan appeared in Ji Mian's account, leaving him feeling uneasy.

Ji Mian rarely video-called Duan Zhuo. It just felt weird for two grown men to video chat.

Back in his freshman year, he’d video-called Duan Zhuo once, but it was super awkward. Maybe it was because Ji Mian rarely looked Duan Zhuo in the eye, and the video call made it feel like they were always staring at each other.

Being watched by Duan Zhuo made Ji Mian super uncomfortable, and Duan Zhuo seemed uneasy too, often looking down and avoiding the camera.

After that, they never video-called again.

The lakeside at night was dead quiet, with just the occasional couple strolling by, hand in hand.

Ji Mian could hear Duan Zhuo’s calm, steady breathing on the other end.

The autumn wind, heavy with lake mist, rustled the leaves.

Listening to the comforting yet lonely sound, Ji Mian whispered into the phone:

"Bro, I really miss you."

The other end went silent for a long time.

Ji Mian felt awkward, his face heating up.

Was that too much?

"So, uh, how’s Sis Yuman been?" he blurted, trying to change the subject.

Silence hung for a few seconds.

"She’s doing fine."

"...Oh. Okay."

Still embarrassed, Ji Mian mumbled something about needing to shower and quickly hung up.

After hanging up, he felt completely drained.

Duan Zhuo’s silence after his words made him feel utterly ashamed.

A couple passed by, giving Ji Mian, frozen by the lake, odd glances.

Ji Mian finally sat on a lakeside bench.

He leaned back, covering his hot eyes with his hand, unsure why he was so upset.

...

Meanwhile, Duan Zhuo stood by the window, his eyes moving from the call screen to the outside.

From where he stood, he could see Mu Yuman’s building across the street.

Downstairs, a black Maybach drove into the alley, its headlights on.

Mu Yuman got out of the passenger seat, bent down to say something, and waved goodbye to someone inside. But the car didn't leave. The man in the driver's seat also got out, walked around the front of the car, and took Mu Yuman's hand.

In the darkness, their silhouettes merged. The man named Gu Ting leaned down to kiss Mu Yuman, and she didn’t resist.

Duan Zhuo watched for two seconds, then drew the curtains.

He should’ve told Ji Mian—Sis Yuman had fallen for someone else.

But he didn’t.

As a fellow unrequited love, Duan Zhuo knew all too well the taste of having one’s fantasies completely severed.

He lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on the neatly listed call logs under “Ji Mian” for a long time.

Until the phone’s screen dimmed and went dark.

The dark screen mirrored Duan Zhuo’s half-lidded gaze.

He traced the phone’s edge, his lips forming silent words.

…I miss you, too.