Actually, "establishing a certain relationship" is a very magical thing. When you don't have it, you feel flustered, as if you can't find solid ground. But when you have it, you also feel flustered.

Afraid of losing it, afraid of it breaking.

Chu Yi sat on the sofa next to his dad, head lowered, carefully drilling a hole in that black stone.

His dad already had the red stone tied on his wrist, and was watching Chu Yi work with great interest.

Chu Yi's tools looked quite professional. He was using a hand drill, fixing the stone on a small black base, manually rotating the drill bit, slowly drilling a small hole in the stone.

"If you drill across like this," his dad said, "how do you ensure the two holes are parallel?"

"I measured it." Chu Yi continued rotating the drill bit.

"What did you measure it with?" his dad asked. "I didn't see you measure it."

"My big eyes." Chu Yi pointed at himself.

"Idiot." His dad started laughing.

Yan Hang brought out the prepared sandwiches and put them on the coffee table. "Eat first, did you run out so early because you have something to do?"

"Need to go to the market, buy a foot soaking basin for my grandma," Chu Yi saw the sandwiches and immediately put down what he was holding, reaching out to take one. "Looks great."

"Hey," Yan Hang quickly flicked the back of his hand, "wash your hands."

"Oh." Chu Yi rubbed the back of his hand, smiling, and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.

After finishing the second breakfast, Chu Yi was full of energy and quickly finished drilling the hole in the black stone, re-threading it with two red strings.

Yan Hang tied the stone back on his ankle. The previous feeling eased a little. He hesitated for a moment and asked Chu Yi, "What about that string?"

"Cut it off." Chu Yi looked at his ankle.

"Give it to me, I want to... keep it." Yan Hang felt a bit embarrassed saying this, feeling like a sentimental little girl.

Even his dad glanced over at him.

Chu Yi gave him the cut short red string. He originally wanted to take it inside to put away, but felt awkward. After hesitating for a moment, he could only put the string on top of the TV for now.

"Is it okay if I come over at noon?" Chu Yi looked at his dad and asked as he was about to leave.

"Sure, you can keep me company for lunch. Yan Hang won't be back at noon," his dad said.

"I'll bring food." Chu Yi said again as he opened the door.

Before his dad could say anything, he ran off.

"Where would he get money to bring food?" His dad looked at Yan Hang.

"Depends what food," Yan Hang smiled. "Let him bring it, otherwise if you don't let him spend some money, he'll be so pent up he'll grind you a custom stone every day."

His dad laughed a few times and leaned back on the sofa. "I'm going out for a bit this afternoon..."

Yan Hang was about to take the plates to the kitchen. Hearing this, he abruptly stopped and turned to look at his dad.

"Just going for a walk. I wanted to say you don't need to buy groceries today. I'll bring them back when I return," his dad said.

"Mm." Yan Hang responded and went into the kitchen.

This was the first time his dad told him before going out, and even said when he would be back.

But Yan Hang didn't feel at ease from knowing in advance. Instead, he felt a bit anxious.

Hands braced on the counter, head lowered, he couldn't calm down for a long time.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket. As he was feeling for a lighter, his dad suddenly reached over from the side, holding a lighter and lighting it.

Yan Hang leaned over to light his cigarette and turned to look at his dad. "When are we leaving?"

His dad glanced at him and was silent for a while before smiling. "It's up to you this time."

Yan Hang didn't say anything, cigarette in his mouth as he looked out the window.

Today Yan Hang ran to work to ease his mood. Otherwise, if he ran into a long-winded customer, he was afraid he might beat them up.

But there were especially many people on the weekend. He had changed clothes and before long, several tables had come in. It didn't let up until noon.

Once he really got busy, his emotions were temporarily set aside.

It's just that he didn't have much appetite at noon break. He drank a glass of milk and sat there listening to a few colleagues chat as they ate.

His phone vibrated. Chu Yi had sent a message.

He clicked it open and took a look.

It was a photo. Chu Yi was standing in front of a punching bag, striking a serious pose. It made him laugh.

- Where did my dad take you to go crazy?

- Boxing gym!

Yan Hang could feel Chu Yi's excitement overflowing from that exclamation point.

His dad would go to the boxing gym from time to time. If there was no boxing gym, he had to go to the fitness center. Each time, he had to exercise until he was exhausted before coming back.

Before, he thought his dad just liked these things. Now thinking about it, the pain his dad was suppressing probably could only be vented through such high-intensity exercise.

- Did he teach you any awesome moves?

Yan Hang sent a message back to Chu Yi.

- He taught me how to punch, and also how to block other people's punches

- Later he's going to teach me how to use my legs

- Uncle Yan Hang is really amazing!

Chu Yi sent three messages in a row. He was much more fluent at typing on his phone than speaking.

"Then practice well. Show me tonight." Yan Hang laughed and sent a voice message.

- I'm afraid I'll hurt you

Yan Hang looked at this message and laughed for a long time. "You're much more fluent at bragging than speaking. If you can land a punch on me, I'll admit defeat."

This time Chu Yi didn't say anything else, just sent back a little emoji.

- 【Strong】

Yan Hang also sent back a little emoji.

- 【Applause】

In the afternoon, a colleague wanted to switch shifts with him. Yan Hang agreed and got off work early.

Actually, which day he worked and which day he rested made no difference to him. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, this day, that day, any day.

When he got home, no one was there. He sat on the sofa in a daze for a while, then took the little red string from on top of the TV and put it in the compartment of his suitcase.

There were other things in this compartment - half of a broken bracelet, a paper filled with circles and dots from when he and his dad played gomoku.

After playing on his phone for a while lying on the bed, he sent a message asking Chu Yi for the location of the boxing gym.

Chu Yi quickly sent him the location. Before he could take a clear look, Chu Yi directly called him. "You're off work?"

"Switched shifts with someone," Yan Hang said. "I'm coming over to find you guys to hang out."

"You take the bus, the bus..." Chu Yi's voice was a bit breathless, probably from practicing enthusiastically.

"I'm taking a taxi," Yan Hang said. "Keep practicing hard. When I get there, you're done for."

Chu Yi laughed. "Please spare me, hero."

"Not stuttering when begging for mercy?" Yan Hang walked out the door.

"Afraid of stu-stuttering. Before I finish speaking, I'll get be-beaten up," Chu Yi said.

Sitting in the back of the taxi, Yan Hang had his legs crossed, fingers lightly flicking the small stone on his ankle.

He quite liked Chu Yi. It didn't matter whether they had a "friendship" before. He just found Chu Yi very interesting. Often when chatting with Chu Yi, his mood would unknowingly relax.

But after seeing the change in Chu Yi's father's expression yesterday, every time he thought of Chu Yi or saw him, his heart would panic.

This panic came with his heartbeat, pumping out with his blood the instant it rose.

"Boss," Yan Hang looked at the driver, "can I smoke a cigarette?"

"Go ahead, no problem," the driver said. "Just open the window a bit."

"Thanks." Yan Hang lit a cigarette.

He had been smoking a bit heavily these past few days. Before, his dad definitely would have scolded him. He sighed lightly, looking at the streets outside the car window that were still very unfamiliar.

When he arrived at the boxing gym, Chu Yi was kicking a sandbag, completely focused. Yan Hang walked right up to the sandbag but Chu Yi didn't even notice.

As Chu Yi raised his leg, Yan Hang suddenly stepped forward, using his right hand to brace against the back of Chu Yi's knee and his left hand to pull back Chu Yi's chin. Chu Yi immediately went airborne, falling back onto the mat.

Before he could get up, Yan Hang had already squatted down and tapped his forehead with a finger. "Bang."

When Chu Yi saw it was him, he was stunned at first, then very cooperatively sprawled his limbs on the ground. "...Ah!"

"Didn't even shout for the hero to spare you?" Yan Hang said.

"Are you stu-stupid? You already sh-shot me in the fore-forehead," Chu Yi said.

"Damn," Yan Hang laughed and flicked his finger at him. "Get up."

Chu Yi sat on the mat looking at his dad who was laughing on the side. "Uncle, isn't this gap too big?"

"It's a ten year gap," his dad handed Chu Yi a bottle of water and sat down beside him. "Your goal now is self-defense. Keep practicing. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to use your elbows."

Chu Yi nodded, stood up and continued kicking the sandbag, glancing over at Yan Hang every couple kicks.

Yan Hang took out his phone and snapped a bunch of photos of him, then picked a few with nice poses and posted them on Weibo.

"Swapped shifts with someone?" his dad asked.

"Yeah," Yan Hang glanced at the flood of comments that instantly appeared and smiled, then looked up at Chu Yi again. "Seems he's doing alright?"

"He has very good physical coordination and learns quickly," his dad said. "In the future, practice on your own when you have time. At least you won't let people bully you so easily."

Yan Hang smiled.

The few little moves his dad taught Chu Yi were all very simple, but as long as the timing was right, they were all very effective.

Three-in-one self-defense, offense, and style mini-tricks.

Yan Hang sat on a chair on the side, watching Chu Yi practicing earnestly in front of the sandbag, and his dad occasionally going up to correct his posture.

For a fleeting moment, Yan Hang felt contentment.

A leisurely afternoon with nothing to do, a dad who hadn't disappeared, and an interesting friend.

A contentment that felt unfamiliar yet warm and fuzzy like being sunbathed.

A contentment he would cautiously immerse himself in despite knowing how short-lived it was.

His dad said he wouldn't go out these days, and he really didn't, except for the occasional outing.

Yan Hang didn't know where he went, but he would always return before dinner.

This was the state Yan Hang had always wanted before.

No leaving without a word, no being gone for days. They were like the most ordinary father and son living in any city on any random street in any random neighborhood in any random house.

The most ordinary kind that exists by the thousands all over the world.

Doing the most ordinary work, without lofty pursuits or distant ambitions. One or two friends, maybe occasionally feeling lonely, but dispelled with a glass of wine.

But both he and his dad knew this was just an illusion, so fake that he couldn't ignore it, couldn't pretend not to care.

His dad seemed to be going through the motions.

Doing what he said he would, or perhaps saying it in order to do it.

Those doubts weighing on Yan Hang's heart were like fertilized seeds, growing more and more robust.

Many times he would look at his dad, all the questions lining up at the tip of his tongue, as if waiting for an opportunity to erupt, to pour out regardless of consequences.

Today was Wednesday, Yan Hang's day off. He lay in bed hugging an English version of "A Game of Thrones", slowly nibbling at it bit by bit, his mind pondering the lunch menu in his spare time.

Chu Yi was coming over for lunch. Recently his excuse for not going home to eat was that they had final exams coming up and he needed to study in the classroom. Since he had scored shit on the midterms, he voluntarily offered to review, so no one bothered him.

Chu Yi liked pizza. There was time today to make the dough and bake one himself.

Seafood?

Fruit?

A phone rang. Yan Hang casually picked up his phone and glanced at it, only to find the screen was black with no call. The ringtone wasn't his either.

This somewhat unfamiliar ringtone was his dad's phone.

His dad's phone that only rang once in a blue moon.

Yan Hang abruptly sat up, jumped out of bed and ran to the door. As he reached out to open it, he stopped.

His dad had answered the phone.

It wasn't a telemarketer or advertisement. His dad had answered the phone.

And then he heard his dad's voice, so it wouldn't be a scammer's call either.

Yan Hang's hand on the door shook a little. In just these few short seconds, his back had already started tingling from the tension and unease.

He couldn't make out what his dad was saying, and didn't dare open the door to listen.

He just stood there frozen behind the door, a wooden board between them, his body so stiff that even breathing was a bit difficult.

He didn't know how much time passed or when his dad hung up the phone. Only when he heard the click of a lighter outside did he come back to his senses.

After staring at the doorknob for a while, he reached out, opened the door and walked into the living room.

Dad was standing at the door, about to change his shoes.

In that instant, Yan Hang felt his hands and feet turn ice cold, and an unprecedented panic suddenly enveloped him.

"Where are you going?" he said.

Dad paused for a moment and turned his head to look at him. "Going... for a walk."

"Where are you going for a walk?" Yan Hang asked. "How long will you be gone?"

Dad didn't say anything.

"Whose phone call was it?" Yan Hang continued asking. "What did they want with you?"

Dad turned around, sighed, and slowly walked up to him.

"What are you going to do?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"Hang ah..." Dad gently patted his face but didn't say anything else.

After staring at him for a while, Dad turned and walked towards the door.