Yan Hang stared at Chu Yi.

Although he had recognized Chu Yi from his running style and shoes earlier, he had been a bit hesitant after being shocked by his beautiful escape move. Now, hearing this slightly stuttering sentence, he could finally be completely certain that this was indeed Chu Yi.

Even though Chu Yi had changed so much that Yan Hang was still reeling from hearing him speak, he just kept Chu Yi's wrist pinned against the tree like that. After a good while, he finally said, "Have you eaten?"

As soon as the words came out, Yan Hang felt like there was something wrong with him.

"Not, not yet," Chu Yi said, "The work isn't, isn't done."

"What work?" Yan Hang asked.

"Flyers," Chu Yi said, then suddenly seemed to remember something and struggled a bit, "My fly, fly, flyers..."

"Don't move!" Yan Hang lifted his wrist a bit, "Still want to run?"

"I didn't..." Chu Yi said softly.

"Young man, are you catching a thief?" a voice sounded behind them, "Need any help? Should we call the police!"

Yan Hang turned his head and saw a middle-aged man rolling up his sleeves behind them, glaring at Chu Yi with a righteous look.

"No, no," Yan Hang quickly let go of Chu Yi, but still held his wrist tightly, "We're just messing around."

"Oh," the man seemed a bit disappointed, probably feeling he didn't get to show off his skills. He looked at the two of them again, "Really don't need help?"

"Really don't," Yan Hang said, "Thank you, you're a good person."

"No problem, no problem," the man smiled and waved his hand, sauntering off, "You two carry on then."

"Run again and I'll beat you." Yan Hang turned to look at Chu Yi.

"Won't run." Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang let go of his hand.

Sure enough, Chu Yi didn't run again, standing there in silence.

Yan Hang's mind was filled with too much shock and too many questions. At the moment they were all churning and he actually couldn't find the first sentence to start with, falling into silence along with Chu Yi.

After a while, he spoke again, "You're doing part-time flyer distribution?"

"Mm," Chu Yi took a step forward, thought for a bit and stopped again, glancing at him and pointing to the flyers he had thrown far away by the roadside, "I... I need to, to pick them up."

"Pick up my ass, forget it." Yan Hang said.

"Then I won't, won't get paid." Chu Yi sighed.

Yan Hang didn't say anything. He took out two hundred yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into Chu Yi's, "I'll take you to eat."

"No, no," Chu Yi was a bit anxious, "I can't just, just take it, for no, no reason."

Yan Hang looked at him, thought for a bit, and felt that what he said made sense... So the two of them went together to pick up the flyers scattered all over the ground.

"Give me some," Yan Hang said, "I'll... distribute together with you, it'll be faster."

"Oh." Chu Yi hesitated for a moment, then split the flyers in his hands in half and gave half to Yan Hang.

Chu Yi returned to the supermarket entrance and started handing out flyers. Yan Hang stood three or four meters away from him, also handing out flyers.

On the chair beside them, there was still a bag of miscellaneous vegetables that Yan Hang had thrown into the flowerbed earlier and had just retrieved.

Chu Yi never dared to look in Yan Hang's direction. He was still dizzy, very dizzy, as if in a dream, not knowing what he was doing.

He had spent a year searching for Yan Hang, studying clues, and had nearly worn out the maps of this area. He knew where every store was and what the trash cans looked like.

Now Yan Hang had suddenly appeared like this.

And he didn't even feel the excitement, actually fleeing in defeat.

After failing to escape, he actually didn't excitedly catch up with Yan Hang either, and even had Yan Hang stand with him at the supermarket entrance handing out flyers.

What kind of long-awaited reunion plot was this?

Chu Yi, are you really poisoned?

Yan Hang might be poisoned too, actually not questioning it and just standing beside him handing out flyers.

Many hands make light work, and the flyers were quickly distributed. Yan Hang accompanied Chu Yi to report the completion of the task and collect half a day's pay.

When they came out of the office building, Yan Hang finally came back to his senses.

He took a step back and looked at Chu Yi, "You've grown taller."

"Mm." Chu Yi smiled a bit shyly.

"Can you still wear the shoes?" Yan Hang asked.

"Yes," Chu Yi nodded, "Don't need to add in, insoles."

"Why are you here?" Yan Hang asked again.

"School." Chu Yi replied.

Yan Hang looked at him. After a long while, he went over and hugged him, lightly patting his back twice, "Long time no see, mutt."

Chu Yi had really grown. Before, his face could be pressed against Yan Hang's chest, but now with this hug, the tip of Yan Hang's nose could be buried in his hair, smelling the scent of his shampoo.

Chu Yi paused for two seconds, then suddenly stretched out his arms and hugged him tightly, very forcefully, his arms trembling from the exertion.

Yan Hang patted him again, not saying anything.

Chu Yi grabbed his clothes tightly, fiercely clutching them.

Then he heard Chu Yi's very low crying.

"Crying again?" Yan Hang lowered his head, wanting to look at him. Chu Yi quickly turned his head away.

"Cry then." Yan Hang ruffled his hair.

It was completely dark now. They were behind an office building with no one around. Chu Yi could cry for as long as he wanted.

"You left without, without telling, me," Chu Yi's voice was very low, a bit hoarse, "Just suddenly, left."

"I'm sorry." Yan Hang sighed softly.

He had always felt uneasy about leaving without a word, but really didn't know what to do, afraid of getting Chu Yi involved again. He hadn't even opened WeChat since.

But he never imagined that Chu Yi would reappear before him in this way.

"Sorry my ass." This time Chu Yi spoke very fluently, just with a strong nasal tone.

"Don't learn how I talk." Yan Hang smiled.

"I will." Chu Yi said.

"Let's go, I'll take you to eat something," Yan Hang said, "And have a good chat."

"Mm." Chu Yi responded in a muffled voice.

It was a while longer before he let go of him and turned to wipe his eyes.

"What do you want to eat?" Yan Hang asked.

"Little Li's barbecue." Chu Yi said. Yan Hang glanced at him, and just as he was about to speak, the other person suddenly turned around, squatted down, and grabbed Yan Hang's ankle.

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang was startled.

Chu Yi felt the small stone on his ankle and stood up again somewhat embarrassedly, turning to walk towards the side of the street.

"I've never taken it off," Yan Hang said.

"Mm," Chu Yi responded without looking back.

Actually, it was a bit awkward to go eat at Little Li's barbecue place at this moment.

The uncle had just seen him yesterday and comforted him that little girls weren't easy to pursue nowadays. The next day he brought a handsome guy over. Wasn't his range of choices a bit too broad...

"Little bro is here again?" The uncle recognized him as soon as he saw him. "Brought a friend today... Hey little bro?"

Chu Yi felt very embarrassed and walked in with his head lowered. Yan Hang behind him greeted the uncle, "Uncle, any tables left?"

"Yes," the uncle said with a smile, "There's a table in the corner inside. This is your friend?"

"Yes," Yan Hang smiled. "What, you've seen him before?"

"He ate here yesterday, ordered a big plate," the uncle said. "Can eat quite a lot. But..."

The uncle lowered his voice, but Chu Yi still heard it, feeling extremely awkward.

"He was waiting for a girl yesterday but didn't catch her," the uncle said. "Comfort him a bit."

"...Oh." Yan Hang also sounded very surprised.

After sitting down and ordering, the uncle brought over a case of beer. "Didn't drink alone yesterday. Today with two people you can drink a bit."

"Thanks uncle," Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi stared at the case of beer, feeling too embarrassed to even lift his head.

"I'll make a call first," Yan Hang took out his phone.

"Mm," Chu Yi responded.

Not going back to eat but making a call to a friend?

That inexplicable sense of loss welled up in Chu Yi again, an indescribable feeling. He took a glass and poured himself some beer, gulping down two mouthfuls.

The cold beer going down made him feel a bit more comfortable.

"I'll be back later," Yan Hang made the call. "When I get there I'll call you to come down and get the milk tea. Mm... ran into a friend..."

Yan Hang glanced at him. "Mm, Chu Yi. Okay... I'll tell you the details later... Mm, alright."

Chu Yi looked at him, suddenly feeling a bit excited.

This person knew about Chu Yi. Yan Hang had mentioned him to this person.

"Just pour for yourself." After hanging up, Yan Hang reached for the beer.

Chu Yi came back to his senses and hurriedly took the beer, pouring a glass for him.

"Why don't we each get a bottle," Yan Hang waved to the waiter. "Too troublesome to keep pouring."

"I..." Chu Yi was stunned. He had never drunk beer like this before.

"After a while of drinking cold beer, you'll get cold," Yan Hang said. "That's enough drinking for now. I saw you drinking quite happily just now... Thought you couldn't drink before?"

"I'm t-thirsty," Chu Yi watched as the waiter put a bottle of beer on the table and quickly took the bottle that had already poured two glasses to his side. He pushed the newly arrived bottle in front of Yan Hang. "I can't, can't do it."

Yan Hang smiled and raised his glass to him. "Cheers, mutt."

Handsome.

When Yan Hang smiled, it was still the same as before. The corners of his mouth lifted and his eyes were very warm, extremely handsome.

Chu Yi picked up his glass and clinked it with him, gulping down the half glass of beer. Very refreshing.

"I'm staying with a friend of my dad's in the neighborhood behind here," Yan Hang pointed behind him. "Should be staying for quite a while."

"Ah." Chu Yi put down his glass, suddenly feeling relieved. His mood lifted in an instant as if he had just woken up. It was Uncle Yan's friend.

But the words "Uncle Yan" made his mood fall back down a second later.

"How did you end up coming here for school?" Yan Hang changed the subject.

"Well," Chu Yi glanced at him and then stared at the beer again. "You said to go, go to a vo-vocational school or something."

"I didn't tell you to run this far though?" Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi didn't say anything.

He suddenly felt very embarrassed, not knowing what to say. If Yan Hang knew that he had been searching for clues day after day after seeing that photo, he would probably think he was a pervert.

Yan Hang didn't speak. After staring at him for a while, he picked up his phone and tapped a few times.

"Don't tell me you..." Yan Hang turned the screen to him. "Saw this photo?"

"No." Chu Yi quickly denied, not even daring to look at the screen. He knew the screen must be showing the photo of Little Li's BBQ that Yan Hang had posted on Weibo.

"Saying no without even looking?" Yan Hang said. "Then how did you end up coming here alone to eat BBQ?"

"The boss let, let me in," Chu Yi said.

"Nonsense, the boss couldn't have turned you away, could he?" Yan Hang said.

"This is just, just fate," Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang was stunned for a moment, then laughed and flicked his forehead with his finger. "Spill it, how did you find me?"

That would be a long story then. For a stutterer, this story would be especially long.

Chu Yi didn't know how to say it.

"Did you see the photo?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi nodded.

Yan Hang didn't say anything.

He hurriedly grabbed the beer and took two sips.

"Then looked for where there was Little Li's BBQ?" Yan Hang asked again.

Chu Yi hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Yan Hang was silent for a long time.

Chu Yi didn't dare to lift his head, almost burying his face in the beer. He was very afraid that Yan Hang would find him annoying.

Someone he had only known for a few months, who had left and that was that, but he had chased after him from afar like a stalker. What was wrong with him?

"There are a lot of Little Li's BBQ places, right?" Yan Hang's voice was very soft.

"Not, not too many," Chu Yi said. "Just... a few."

"Did you search for a long time?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi paused. He could hear the change in Yan Hang's voice. He hesitantly lifted his eyes and quickly glanced at Yan Hang's face.

Yan Hang's eyes were red.

Chu Yi was stunned.

"What's wrong with you?" Yan Hang reached over and pinched his chin. "What's wrong with you, Chu Yi?"

"So-sorry," Chu Yi said.

"Sorry my ass," Yan Hang said.

The waiter brought up the skewers they had ordered earlier, two big plates. "There are two more plates. You guys eat first."

"Eat up." Yan Hang looked at him.

"I didn't eat much yesterday," Chu Yi said.

"I know." Yan Hang smiled.

Chu Yi took a bite of grilled fish.

"Which school are you at now?" Yan Hang asked, "What major?"

"Auto repair," Chu Yi said. When he tried to recall the school's name, he found he couldn't remember it clearly. He had to take out his phone and look through it, finding a photo of the admission notice.

"You changed your phone?" Yan Hang took his phone and looked at the photo, "It's not close to here."

"Not far," Chu Yi said, "Just an hour away."

"Auto repair, really," Yan Hang returned the phone to him, "Auto repair?"

"Yeah." Chu Yi smiled.

"Who designed your hairstyle?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"The barber," Chu Yi said, "But it's grown out again."

"It's good, better than before," Yan Hang stared at him for a while longer, finally leaning back in his chair and sighing lightly, "I feel like you've changed so much."

"How so?" Chu Yi suddenly felt a bit nervous, looking up as he chewed on the fish.

"Have you been practicing boxing this whole time?" Yan Hang took a sip of beer.

"Yeah," Chu Yi nodded. This past year, the boxing gym had become his favorite place growing up, "I go every day."

Yan Hang looked at Chu Yi.

Besides growing taller, his appearance had changed a bit too.

Before, Chu Yi had the look of a little kid, and although he could talk a lot, he gave the impression of being a little punching bag.

After not seeing him for a year, he had suddenly turned into a strapping young man.

Although they were only three years apart, this was the first time Yan Hang had the feeling of Chu Yi being a "peer" when looking at him.

But when eating, he was still the same as before, quite focused, with little beads of sweat appearing on the tip of his nose.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Chu Yi raised his head and asked.

"I am." Yan Hang took a sip of alcohol.

"You even ate the skewers?" Chu Yi looked at the table in front of him.

Yan Hang laughed and took a bite of a chicken gizzard skewer.

He hadn't eaten dinner and was originally quite hungry, but now he didn't feel much appetite.

Chu Yi's sudden appearance brought him not only pleasant surprise.

Shock, being moved, worry...many feelings welled up together, squeezing out any room for his appetite to express itself.

Chu Yi didn't talk much while eating. If Yan Hang didn't initiate, he would just silently eat, occasionally raising his head to pass over a skewer of meat.

"Has your school started yet?" Yan Hang asked.

"The day after tomorrow," Chu Yi said, "Military training."

"And you still came to hand out flyers, squeezing it in like this?" Yan Hang said.

"I've been working part-time this whole year," Chu Yi said, showing a slightly proud expression, "I paid my own tuition and transportation fees."

"What kind of part-time work?" Yan Hang was a bit surprised. Chu Yi used to hug the walls when walking, but he was actually able to work part-time now? And had been doing it for a year?

"Cleaning at the boxing gym," Chu Yi smiled, "The boss opened a back door for me."

"Pretty awesome," Yan Hang said with a smile, but after thinking about it, he couldn't smile anymore, "You came here for school, did your family not give you money?"

Chu Yi's smile quickly faded. After finishing a lamb skewer, he replied very softly: "Yeah."

"I can manage on my own," he added.

When paying the bill after finishing the barbecue, Chu Yi stuffed the money to the boss before Yan Hang could.

"Why are you pretending to be some tycoon with me?" Yan Hang said.

"Your money, tycoon," Chu Yi said, "You just gave it to me."

"Oh," Yan Hang looked at him, "Does the tycoon still need you to treat me?"

"I always wanted to treat you to a nice meal," Chu Yi said, "A big feast."

"Then today's meal was very big." Yan Hang said.

"There will be even bigger ones in the future." Chu Yi said.

When walking out of Little Li's BBQ, Yan Hang took out his phone to check the time. It was 10 o'clock and he was a bit anxious: "Does your school have a curfew?"

"I don't know." Chu Yi was stunned for a moment.

"It's 10 o'clock," Yan Hang said, "The buses are done for the night, I'll help you call a..."

Halfway through, he stopped and looked at Chu Yi. Chu Yi also looked at him but quickly averted his gaze, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"You're not going back, right?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi didn't make a sound, leaning against a nearby lamppost and watching the passing cars.

"Are you a stutterer or deaf?" Yan Hang kicked him.

"Deaf." Chu Yi turned his head back.

Yan Hang looked at him.

"Not going back," Chu Yi said, immediately following with, "Okay?"

"Okay, what's not okay," Yan Hang said, "No one will scold you for not going home now."

"Yeah." Chu Yi smiled.

"Let's go, first let's buy milk tea for Uncle Cui," Yan Hang said, "He's probably waiting like crazy."

"You live together?" Chu Yi suddenly felt a bit nervous. He was afraid that if he followed Yan Hang back, this Uncle Cui would see him and think he was a stalker.

"We don't live together, he lives in the building next to mine." Yan Hang said.

"Oh," Chu Yi breathed a sigh of relief, his steps becoming more relaxed, "An, uncle still drinks milk, tea?"

"Put your pauses in the right places." Yan Hang laughed.

"Milk tea?" Chu Yi said it again.

"Yeah, he can't survive the night without eating or drinking something," Yan Hang led him to the milk tea shop and knocked on the counter, saying to the little girl inside who was already asleep with her head on the table, "Hands up! Take out the money!"

"The boss just took the money away!" The little girl bounced up in a flash.

Seeing it was Yan Hang, the little girl laughed and slapped the table: "Are you crazy!"

"Do you have a template for that answer," Yan Hang said, "You said it so skillfully."

"Yup, what milk tea do you want?" the little girl asked.

"Lemon coffee." Yan Hang said.

"Coming right up," the little girl nimbly started making the milk tea, glancing behind him, "Your little brother?"

"Yeah," Yan Hang nodded, "Do we look alike?"

"No," the little girl said, "You look more amiable, he seems not so easy to provoke."

"No way." Yan Hang turned to look at Chu Yi. After not seeing him for a year, Chu Yi was actually able to give this impression?

Maybe the impression of Chu Yi being a punching bag in junior high was already deeply rooted in his mind. Even though he felt that Chu Yi had changed significantly, he still thought of him as the little kid who needed his "protection".

"Why don't you two brothers look alike?" the young girl asked.

"We just grew up randomly," Chu Yi said.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter that lasted for a long time.

When she finished making the milk tea, packaged it and handed it to them, she glanced at Chu Yi and started laughing again.

"You're flirting with this girl without leaving any traces at all," Yan Hang glanced at Chu Yi.

"I'm not," Chu Yi said, "I can't do magic tricks."

Yan Hang tutted.

"Do another one for me," Chu Yi turned his head to look at him.

"Why?" Yan Hang said.

"I want to see it," Chu Yi said, "It's not like you're trying to hook up with the girl anyway."

"Your smart mouth hasn't changed a bit," Yan Hang sighed.

"Here." Chu Yi took out a coin and handed it to him.

Yan Hang sighed, put the coin on his finger as he walked, "Watch closely."

"Mm-hmm." Chu Yi nodded.

Yan Hang did his old routine, flipping the coin back and forth a couple of times, then with a light shake of his hand, the coin disappeared.

"Wow!" Chu Yi exclaimed, continuing to play along, "Where did it go!"

Yan Hang reached around behind Chu Yi and lightly tapped his face, "Here it is."

Chu Yi turned his head and took the coin from his hand.

"No applause?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi didn't make a sound, just looked down at the coin in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang leaned over and asked.

"I really, missed you," Chu Yi said softly.