Chapter 79 Part 3

Chu Yi looked up at him. "Going home?"

Yan Hang looked back at him in surprise. After a moment he said, "Your mental connection is kind of freaky."

Chu Yi smiled faintly. "Figured you've been everywhere else. Nowhere else left you still want to visit."

"Yeah," Yan Hang pressed his head down to kiss him. "I never thought about going back before. Didn't feel any special connection to that place...But now, I kind of want to see it again. And see my mom too. It's not too far either."

"Then let's go," Chu Yi said.

"Okay," Yan Hang smiled.

Yan Hang didn't know why he suddenly had this urge to go back when he'd never once thought about it before. He had barely any memories of the place he was born.

Perhaps the peacefulness of his current life gave him the time and mindset to revisit the past - his mother he'd never met, his long disappeared father. The only connection back to them was that place.

And there was one thing he didn't tell Chu Yi. He had a nagging feeling his father would be there.

He was trying not to obsess over his father's whereabouts and current circumstances, but after all, that man had been his sole support and refuge through years of turmoil. He still wanted to find some trace to set his mind at ease.

Chu Yi's final exams went as smoothly as his current job - no surprises and predictable results.

"The liberal arts subjects were kind of tragic though," Yan Hang said as he packed.

"Can't help it," Chu Yi tossed his clothes in a pile on the bed, picking out a few items to bring. "I'm trained as a specialist after all. Good professional skills are what counts."

"Your shamelessness is something your whole university should learn from."

"Are you really driving?" Chu Yi looked at him.

"Don't change the subject."

"A top fighter who barely touched a car in over a year," Chu Yi said.

"But you're always touching cars, huh," Yan Hang said. "You've never touched a whole car before."

"Have too."

"Wrecked ones."

"How immature," Chu Yi tsked.

"Don't worry," Yan Hang sprawled on the pile of clothes. "I'll drive carefully with you in the car."

"Okay." Chu Yi pounced on him, hugging and nuzzling fiercely.

"Get off," Yan Hang said. "You're not a puppy anymore. I can hardly breathe with your weight on me."

Chu Yi got up and leaned against the wall. "I'm 1.82 meters..."

"Shameless, you're nowhere near 1.82 meters."

"1.82," Chu Yi insisted.

"I was already 1.82 meters three years ago."

"You grew 3 centimeters in three years. I grew 30."

"That's because you started from a low base. You were only about 1.2 meters in middle school. You've grown over 60 centimeters since then." Yan Hang looked Chu Yi up and down.

The kid didn't look very tall normally. It was only when he scrutinized Chu Yi that he realized the pitiful child from before was completely gone.

Damn, kind of scary.

Traveling was nothing new for Yan Hang after years of globetrotting with his dad. All kinds of trips - self-drive, his dad once bought a clunker and they drove it to a couple places before selling it to the ninth owner.

But for Chu Yi, this was his first exciting travel excursion.

They'd never gone on vacation, aside from the less than happy visit back home.

Chu Yi had dark circles under his eyes that morning from excitement and lack of sleep.

When they went downstairs to get the car key from Cui Yi, he laughed. "Haven't slept well in over half a month from excitement huh? Not tired?"

"Passengers sleep once on board. That's real travel."

"Drive slowly, stop to rest at service stations," Cui Yi instructed Yan Hang. "I already serviced the car...Not that it needs servicing with Chu Yi here right?"

"I can fix it." Chu Yi got in the car.

"Youth is bliss to be so cocky." Cui Yi smiled at him then patted Yan Hang's shoulder. "You have the address I gave you?"

Yan Hang nodded. "Yeah."

"Be safe."

"I know." Yan Hang got in the car.

"And safety in other respects too." Cui Yi looked at him meaningfully.

"I know." Yan Hang nodded again.

When they drove out of the residential compound, Chu Yi eagerly rolled down his window and stuck his head out to feel the moist, warm wind on his face.

"Roll up the window," Yan Hang said. "I'm turning on the A/C. It's hot as hell."

"No," Chu Yi refused outright.

"What are you doing?" Yan Hang glanced at him. "The wind will blow your bangs all the way to the back of your head once we get on the highway."

"That's what makes it feel like a road trip," Chu Yi said with half-closed eyes. "Warm wind, sunlight, the trees rushing by behind us, the radio, and...and..."

Chu Yi turned to look at him: "And couples."

Yan Hang laughed and turned on the car radio, randomly tuning it to a music station: "Like this?"

"Mm-hmm." Chu Yi nodded.

"You must have read too many pretentious artsy erotic novels," said Yan Hang. "How could you leave out steamy car sex?"

"And the backseat too," said Chu Yi.

"Damn," Yan Hang glanced at him. "I can see you've learned some bad habits. Did you pick them up from the rascals in your dorm?"

"No." Chu Yi rubbed his nose, somewhat embarrassed.

After the car left the city, there was some change in traffic on the road. Many cars with luggage racks drove past them - lots of people going on vacation for the summer.

Looking at everything, it really felt like the start of a road trip.

When a wave of hot, muggy wind blew into the car, Yan Hang whistled loudly out the window.

"You're crazy," Chu Yi said with a smile.

"Just happy," said Yan Hang.