Chapter 219

Chapter 219

"Welcome home, Master and Madam." The butler, along with the servants and bodyguards, greeted the return of the manor's owners in unison.

Tian Ruan looked at the familiar faces and the familiar estate—unchanged in both scenery and people, as if time had stood still. His eyes grew misty, and he laughed brightly, "Uncle Wang, Liu Ma, Auntie Zhang, I'm back."

Liu Ma turned her face away to wipe her tears and smiled, "Ah, it's good to have you back."

After two years abroad, Tian Ruan had grown fully accustomed to the custom of hugging. He embraced Liu Ma, the butler, and Auntie Zhang with natural ease, leaving them flustered.

Tian Ruan said, "Liu Ma, I want to eat your sweet rice porridge and shengjian bao. I’ve missed them so much." Though he hadn’t lacked good food abroad—even with Chinese chefs at home—no one could replicate Liu Ma’s touch.

He called it the taste of home.

Liu Ma’s face crinkled into a smile. "I knew Madam was coming back, so I prepared them for you in advance."

After returning, Tian Ruan indulged in feasting and lounging at home for three days, adjusting to the time difference before leisurely informing his old friends.

Wang Weiqi was the first to call. "Hell, why didn’t you tell me you were back? I could’ve picked you up at the airport."

Tian Ruan replied, "Mr. Yu came back with me."

"Let’s get drinks. The gang should get together—my treat, I’ll rent out the whole bar," Wang Weiqi declared with his usual extravagance.

"I don’t drink." Tian Ruan’s alcohol tolerance hadn’t improved over the years—he could handle light drinks in small amounts, but one glass of strong liquor would knock him out.

"You’re a grown man now, still acting like a high schooler?" Wang Weiqi’s tone was far more brusque than before, no longer the naive "Woof Woof" of the past.

Tian Ruan sighed wistfully. "Woof Woof, you’ve changed. You never used to snap at me like this."

"..." Wang Weiqi softened. "Sorry. I’ve been through too much deception and hurt these past few years. My temper’s gotten worse."

"A calm heart lives longest," Tian Ruan advised. "If you’re upset, go shout it out on a mountain. Don’t bottle it up."

"Alright, I’ll come over this afternoon and yell a bit at your place."

"?"

Seemed Wang Weiqi hadn’t changed too much after all. Tian Ruan felt relieved.

"Madam, there’s a letter for you," the butler announced as he entered.

Tian Ruan immediately took the thick envelope and checked the sender’s address—sure enough, it was from Lu Qiuyan. Eagerly, he tore it open and stepped outside to read in private, strolling through the garden as he absorbed each word.

Petals and leaves brushed against his legs, and the paper shimmered faintly under the sunlight, its black ink no longer the messy handwriting of his youth but steady and forceful, pressed deep into the paper—

"It’s good that you’ve returned. Correspondence will be easier now. I’m doing well. There’s nothing lacking here, except perhaps a bit of company. But over the years, I’ve gotten used to it."

"If you were here in these vast, snow-covered mountains, surrounded by nothing but beasts and birds, you’d surely find it dull. Sometimes I think, if only you were here, it’d liven up. Other times, I’m glad you’re not. The fires and smoke of war—I wouldn’t want you to see them. I only wish for peace at home and your well-being."

"Life is unpredictable. It seems I still won’t be able to return this year. If you’re upset, buy a KFC bucket and share it with Yu Shang. He dislikes ‘junk food,’ so watching him struggle might bring you some amusement—consider it my compensation."

"Eat this autumn’s osmanthus cakes on my behalf too. I miss Liu Ma’s cooking dearly—her pastries and meals are all wonderful. Perhaps next year, I’ll taste them again. Send her my regards. As long as you’re all well, my watch over the border of our homeland holds meaning."

"You said you envy my freedom to soar, but I envy your clear direction. The kite you flew—I can see it even from thousands of miles away. As long as the light remains, I will return."

...Osmanthus blossoms, blooming year after year, drifted onto the letter. Tian Ruan suddenly looked up to see a tree ablaze with gold, radiant and resplendent, its sweet scent drifting endlessly.

As if it could reach the snow-capped mountains, carrying a wisp of home to the sentinel in the storm.

Tian Ruan poured out a stack of leaves from the envelope—each one distinct in veins, variety, and vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and green, handpicked by Lu Qiuyan to be his "bookmarks."

Tian Ruan smiled, carefully folding the letter along with the osmanthus blossoms and tucking them back into the envelope.

...

In the afternoon, barking broke out at the manor gates—not from one dog, but a whole pack.

The relentless chorus of barks successfully roused Tian Ruan, who had just begun a belated nap. Barely half an hour into his rest, he opened the window in confusion and peered toward the manor entrance, where a dark, cloud-like mass—just dogs.

"??" Tian Ruan dashed downstairs. "What's going on?"

Did the bodyguards secretly feed strays, and now they’re all here begging to be adopted?

The butler was equally bewildered, shielding Tian Ruan protectively. "Madam, this old man will keep you safe!"

Tian Ruan shoved the old man aside, grabbed a dog prod, and strode out with swagger.

"Madam!"

"Quiet. Right now, I’m the Beggars’ Sect Chief."

This wasn’t an exaggeration. During his two years studying in France, Tian Ruan usually had bodyguards escorting him, but there were times he was alone. Whenever he saw homeless people, he pitied them, offering water and food.

But those foreign hobos not only failed to show gratitude—they grew bolder, demanding cash on top of food.

Seeing that they had neither disabilities nor mental illnesses, just sheer laziness, Tian Ruan firmly refused to be their sucker. The vagrants turned violent, attempting to rob him.

Tian Ruan wasn’t one to be bullied. He picked up a stick and fought back.

When the bodyguards arrived, they joined him in beating the hobos till they fled in shame.

After that, those vagrants didn't dare make a peep in Tian Ruan’s presence. He became the true boss of the Beggars’ Sect—wherever he went, the homeless bowed in submission.

"Down!" A rough young voice commanded from the pack. "Welcome back, our brainy king!"

The dogs instantly obeyed, sitting in unison.

Tian Ruan slowly lowered his stick, eyeing the pack skeptically. "Wang Weiqi, are these dogs yours?"

Wang Weiqi’s tan still hadn’t faded, but with his buzz cut and striking features, he looked energetic—less like a rich brat and more like a down-to-earth laborer...

"Yep, aren’t they cool?" Wang Weiqi flashed a grin, his teeth blindingly white. "This is a Husky, my favorite. That’s a Labrador, and this is a Samoyed—I dyed it black. And this one..."

Tian Ruan and the jet-black dogs stared at each other in mutual bewilderment. "You’re dark yourself, and now you’ve dyed your dogs black too? Real nice of you."

"Heh, flattered." Wang Weiqi grinned. "I’ve fed all my conscience to the dogs. From now on, I am Niohuru Wang-Weiqi-the-Husky."

"I can see you really love Huskies. Is it just because you share a character in your names?" Tian Ruan reached out to tease the Husky, which sat like a king with its front paws planted, its face solemn—until the moment it was petted, immediately tongue lolling and wagging its tail eagerly.

"Isn’t that enough?" Wang Weiqi extended his hand, and the Husky placed its paw in his palm. He grinned like a proud mom. "See? Little Husky’s so well-behaved."

Tian Ruan ruffled the dog’s head. "Aren’t Huskies famous for wrecking homes?"

"So what if they wreck things? It’s just a dog—what could it possibly do wrong?" Wang Weiqi’s tone oozed indulgence. Clearly, denied a goddess’s love, he’d poured all his love into his dogs.

Tian Ruan counted—twenty-two dogs in total, hauled over here by Wang Weiqi in a massive off-road vehicle.

"Woof woof woof!" Some of the dogs barked restlessly, eager for action. Wang Weiqi lost his grip, tripped, and ate dirt—then the pack surged forward, dragging him along in a frantic sprint. "Huh? Aah—stop!!"

The pack of dogs stormed into the estate, bolting toward the smell of meat. Wang Weiqi, pulled along by a leash, couldn’t handle so many dogs. Even with the husky's help trying to drag them back, it was hopeless.

"Woof woof woof~" The dogs, intoxicated by the aroma of meat, ignored their owner completely.

Wang Weiqi: "Shit! Sit!"

Some dogs sat, while others kept charging forward.

Tian Ruan raised his stick and struck, "First move of the Dog-Whacking Stick Technique—Head Strike!"

A cacophony of yelps erupted from the dogs, mingling with Wang Weiqi's shouts, creating total pandemonium. Yet Tian Ruan didn’t find it noisy; instead, he burst into laughter. "Wang Weiqi, you really haven’t changed a bit."

In the midst of being dragged, Wang Weiqi’s pants slipped halfway down, nearly exposing his backside. Turning beet red with embarrassment, he clung desperately to the leash and yelled, "Stop laughing! Help!"

Finally, the bodyguards managed to control the pack, averting the disaster of "dozens of dogs storming into the Yu family kitchen for a feast."

Panting heavily, Wang Weiqi took a sip of tea and said, "Screw this, I’m never keeping this many dogs again. Y’all need any dogs?"

Tian Ruan shook his head. "Mr. Yu doesn’t like keeping pets. First, he’s too busy to take care of them; second, they shed."

Though Yu Shang was quite fond of cats and dogs, Tian Ruan didn’t mention it.

Not long after the main couple got together, Lu Qiuyan brought home a stray cat, followed by a stray dog. The happy little family (sorta) lived blissfully with their furry companions.

Tian Ruan couldn’t promise on Yu Shang’s behalf—Lu Qiuyan had to find the pets himself for it to be fun.

Wang Weiqi called up all his buddies one by one and managed to give away over a dozen dogs. He warned, "They’re my precious babies. If any of you dare mistreat them, I will come after you."

"Relax, we’ll treat them like kings, okay?" his friend replied.

Wang Weiqi, satisfied, invited them all to a big dinner.

"Come on, join us," Wang Weiqi said to Tian Ruan.

Tian Ruan shook his head again. "I don’t really know your friends. I don’t feel like hanging out with them."

Wang Weiqi’s enthusiasm waned. "You’re such a buzzkill. Back in the country and still not hanging out with the boys? What’s the point of being a homebody all day?"

"Maybe I’ve been abroad too long. I’ve gotten used to solitude," Tian Ruan said, putting on airs. "Solitude is the fuel for creativity."

Wang Weiqi shuddered. "So poetic. Truly a scholar."

Mention of scholars made Tian Ruan think of Hai Chao, and his eyes lit up. "Did you know? Hai Chao got married."

"??? To whom?"

"Nan Huaiju."

"No way! They actually got together?"

"What’s with that face? Don’t tell me you still have feelings for Hai Chao?"

"..." Wang Weiqi looked utterly defeated. "Can we not bring up high school embarrassment?"

Tian Ruan cackled as they reminisced about the old days with their classmates and friends.

As they chatted, Wang Weiqi suddenly grew melancholic. "We wasted our youth and missed our chance when we had it."

"Bow-wow, you’re a regular poet too," Tian Ruan said.

Wang Weiqi waved his hand, "Just thinking out loud."

Liu Ma brought over freshly made pastries and said with a smile, "It's been ages since you visited, Young Master Wang. Try these chestnut osmanthus cakes."

"Thanks." Wang Weiqi ate the pastries and sipped tea, keeping his eyes fixed on Tian Ruan. "How come you haven't changed at all?"

Tian Ruan: "...I have. I've grown a whole centimeter."

"Oh." Wang Weiqi took a deep breath of the air of old money, a mix of sandalwood, agarwood, and floral scents. "The smell here hasn't changed either."

"Why should it change?" Tian Ruan countered.

Wang Weiqi nodded. "It's good that it hasn't. Many people around me have changed—some left, some got married, some cut ties. They barrel past me like semis."

Over these four years, maturity didn't come just to Tian Ruan—Wang Weiqi did too.

Watching people come and go around him, Wang Weiqi felt lost, as if he alone hadn't changed. Lazing about, shirking responsibilities, rounding up buddies to mess with cats and dogs, chasing women.

There's no rulebook for how an eighteen-year-old grows up.

But for a twenty-two-year-old to still be so aimless was pretty damn pathetic.

Wang Weiqi didn’t want to think about it, yet he forced himself to. The more he thought, the angrier he got, so he resorted to fighting and drinking, and before he knew it, he’d wound up with a whole pack of dogs.

His life became healthier and more structured. Every day, he was woken by barking and hauled outside for walks. Gradually, he seemed to make sense of all that gnawing frustration of growing up. It hit him like a ton of bricks—how immature he had been, causing so much trouble for his parents.

The moment he realized it, Wang Weiqi grew up.

Growing up comes with its own troubles, like relationships and marriage. The things he yearned for so much in his youth now only annoyed him—Wang Weiqi was done spending a single cent on women.

Why?

The 100% heterosexual guy asked himself this and concluded that his past self had been foolish, thinking money could buy anything, even a goddess’s love. Reality proved he couldn’t even love himself properly.

So he decided to love himself well, spend on himself. Maybe someday, he’d meet a girl worth giving his all to. And when that day came, he’d go broke chasing the most sincere love in the world.

"You're still the same—the best," Wang Weiqi said enviously.

Tian Ruan met his gaze. "If you think I haven’t changed, it’s because you haven’t either."

Wang Weiqi froze.

"That childlike heart of yours is priceless."

"..." Wang Weiqi chuckled and raised his teacup like a toast. "Cheers, brother."

Tian Ruan clinked cups with him, and they shared a smile.

Wang Weiqi said sincerely, "It’s only here with you that I truly feel at peace. Brother, if I ever meet a girl like you, I’d pull out all the stops to get her."

Tian Ruan joked, "Or maybe a boy like me."

After a beat, Wang Weiqi said, "Then I’d chase him too."

"..."

Some things were better left unsaid. From then on, beneath the same moon, their bond remained pure friendship.

The year preparing for grad school passed without much incident. Tian Ruan studied, took the entrance exam in December, the finals in May the next year, and enrolled in September—a steady, satisfying routine.

He joined a university to engage in teaching and research, working with his seniors to study linguistics from various countries and taking on translation and editing tasks for agencies and companies.

Tian Ruan thought he was pretty smart, but broadening his horizons made him realize there were always better people out there. His seniors were all far more accomplished than him.

Some worked as assistants to their professors, some became simultaneous interpreters in major corporations, and some had already earned their doctoral degrees.

As for Tian Ruan, he remained a nobody in the translation world.

Becoming a real translator would take at least seven or eight more years before he could even touch the fringes.

Seeing how outstanding his seniors were, he almost got discouraged. Returning home, he moped and complained in front of Yu Jingmo, hoping for some encouragement.

Yu Jingmo naturally asked, "What's wrong?"

Having found a listener, Tian Ruan immediately went off on a rant: "Blah blah... yadda yadda..."

Yu Jingmo listened expressionlessly, then removed the expensive watch Tian Ruan had gifted him from his wrist and placed it in the glass display case. His slender fingers undid two sandalwood buttons, and his teal shirt shimmered like water.

"Mr. Yu, what should I do?" Tian Ruan whined.

Yu Jingmo changed into a comfy white tee and asked, "How many languages do your seniors know?"

"English, French, Russian, Latin, Greek..." Tian Ruan counted on his fingers, "and Japanese and Korean."

"You're talking about the most impressive one, right?"

"Exactly."

"Seven languages—two less than me," Yu Jingmo said. "If you feel pressured by them, why don’t you feel pressured by me?"

Tian Ruan: "...Mr. Yu, did you secretly learn another language?"

"Not secretly. I spent a lot of time in that country recently, so I picked it up naturally."

"So if I want to learn eight languages, I have to visit eight countries??"

"You could do that," Yu Jingmo chuckled. "If you want."

Tian Ruan set his jaw. "If I live in each country for two months, talking to people every day, I refuse to believe I won’t learn them."

Yu Jingmo raised an eyebrow, imagining the young man in a foreign land like some RPG hero, venturing out daily to interact with NPCs, gathering information and knowledge—perhaps even collecting weird souvenirs like strangely shaped rocks, colorful feathers, a string of shell wind chimes, or a woven straw hat.

"It's decided then!" Tian Ruan declared resolutely.

Amused, Yu Jingmo mussed the young man’s hair. "Assuming you can take time off."

Tian Ruan: "...Then summer break it is."

Pursuing a Ph.D. would take at least four or five more years, so he could only squeeze in time for his language immersion trips during summer vacations.

Watching Tian Ruan’s earnest expression, Yu Jingmo grabbed his clean wrist, fingers brushing over the sandalwood bead bracelet and the cool jade charm. He leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose. "Wherever you go, I’ll go with you."

Preoccupied with his graduate studies, Tian Ruan hadn’t gotten close with Yu Jingmo for days. His gaze lingered tenderly on the ridiculously good-looking man before him. Despite their familiarity, he still got shy.

Perhaps because time had been exceptionally kind to Yu Jingmo—while Tian Ruan remained unchanged, Yu Jingmo, aside from a cleaner cut and a more formidable physique, seemed just the same.

Broadly speaking, the old Yu Jingmo had exuded a cool, polished vibe. Now, only the coldness remained.

With the further expansion of his family’s business, Yu Jingmo no longer needed smiles to mask his authority. When he didn’t smile, no one else would dare—except Tian Ruan.

And when he smiled, no one dared refrain from smiling except Tian Ruan.

"I haven't showered yet." After kissing for a long while, Tian Ruan slowly pushed Yu Jingmo away. His originally pale lips were now rose-red, shiny and wet.

Yu Jingmo picked him up bridal-style. "Then let's take a shower together."

"..." Tian Ruan didn’t refuse.

As for remembering they hadn’t had dinner only after finishing—that was for later.

Tian Ruan’s stomach growled loudly.

Still buried deep, Yu Jingmo asked, "Haven’t I fed you enough?"

Tian Ruan: "...Dragon meat isn't filling."

Yu Jingmo gave a punishing thrust. "Glutton."

"I... wasn’t... I want actual food!"

His Mr. Yu, over these years, had only grown more formidable but otherwise remained unchanged.

They say it’s lonely at the top, but standing beside Yu Jingmo, Tian Ruan truly understood how high that was. Back then, he had been like everyone else, afraid of Yu Jingmo. Now, he could ride the dragon while cursing it as a "big donkey dick."

"Big donkey dick! Stop getting bigger!" Tian Ruan slapped it twice.

The dragon trembled, still spilling its seed as if begging for more.

"..."

Yu Jingmo gripped the young man’s slender, supple waist. "Keep going."

By midnight, dinner had finally turned into a midnight snack.

It happened to be the weekend. Tian Ruan went to the city library to borrow materials. The autumn breeze was refreshing, carrying the faintest hint of osmanthus. Startled, he glanced up toward the window between the bookshelves and noticed an osmanthus tree planted outside the library, along with maples and phoenix trees. Apart from the flecks of gold, the rest was lush greenery.

He gazed wistfully at the osmanthus flowers. "Another year has passed."

The wind blew, and petals fell like rain.

"They’re almost all gone..." Tian Ruan selected a book from the shelf and headed to the checkout counter to register the loan.

He packed the borrowed books into his backpack—yes, he was still using Deyin’s backpack. It was an imitation leather satchel, custom-sized to fit his height. Deceptively compact, it was surprisingly spacious. Its retro design remained timeless even after years.

The librarian smiled. "Oh, from Deyin? I’ll extend your return deadline by 15 days."

Tian Ruan just smiled, shouldered his bag, and left the library. Suddenly, he felt like visiting Deyin. He drove down the familiar road—some shops along the street had changed, others hadn’t, but the rows of maple and phoenix trees still stood.

In the distance, the fairytale castle where princes and princesses lived was shrouded in hazy pink mist—the crabapple and late cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Tian Ruan parked his car in a temporary spot by the roadside and gazed at Deyin’s gates. The black wrought-iron gates, ornately wrought, were tightly shut. Along the main path to the academic building, the statue of Lord Wenchang still stood, and the fountain sprayed rainbows into the air, dreamy among the floral arrangements from the opening ceremony that hadn’t yet been cleared away.

For a moment, Tian Ruan felt as if he had never left Deyin—his classmates, friends, and teachers were still there, attending classes, sipping tea, chatting, showing off, horsing around, or playing outdoors.

We never appreciate youth while we have it.

How true—people only realize the beauty of the past after losing it.

Tian Ruan let out a quiet laugh, then suddenly spotted a tall figure approaching the gates.

At the same time, a young man on a bicycle skidded to a halt in front of the school.

The two locked eyes, exactly as they had as boys.