Yan Hang and Chu Yi were the last table to linger on the second floor terrace of the restaurant, with the other couples at nearby tables leaving before them.

Of course, those couples had many other places to go on a long weekend night, like getting coffee, watching a movie, eating barbecue, strolling the streets, and so on.

The two of them just kept gazing at the sea from the terrace.

"Ah," Yan Hang stretched lazily, turned to face the ocean, propped his legs up on the wooden railing beside him, took out a cigarette and put it between his lips. He lit it with the lighter Chu Yi had given him, then held up the lighter to examine it. "I wonder how long the wick and flint inside this will last..."

"Here," Chu Yi immediately fished out a paper bag from his own bag and handed it to him, "replacement set, a kit."

"Why didn't you take it out together just now?" Yan Hang looked inside and saw a small can of oil, as well as a set of flints and wicks.

"This one didn't, didn't have packaging, not, like a gift." Chu Yi said.

"Oh." Yan Hang started laughing.

After finishing a cigarette, Yan Hang stood up. "Let's go, want to stroll around the night market?"

"Okay." Chu Yi stood up too. Yan Hang never carried a bag, so he put the bag of accessories back into his own bag and sauntered out of the restaurant following Yan Hang.

After walking a short distance, they arrived at the night market. Besides beer and barbecue, there were many small stalls selling clothes, shoes, daily necessities, and all kinds of trinkets.

Chu Yi rarely had the chance to go shopping, except for that time buying shoes. He had never been to a night market before.

Since they didn't need to buy anything at the night market today, he kept his eyes glued to the various stalls. Yan Hang didn't stop him, making the stroll very enjoyable.

"This is more l-lively than where, where I live." Chu Yi kept looking around.

"What do you know about how lively it is where you live," Yan Hang said, "Isn't it also very lively during the music festival? How could a city that's truly not lively have a music festival?"

"...Oh," Chu Yi smiled, a bit embarrassed, "At night, I also don't, don't go to far, far places."

"During the day you just go to school, then jog to the vegetable market to buy a bucket of oil for your grandma." Yan Hang said.

"Yeah," Chu Yi said, "Not as impressive as you, running for h-hours."

Yan Hang didn't say anything, just smiled and put his arm around Chu Yi's shoulder, shaking his neck a few times.

As they passed by a shop selling various sports water bottles and cups, Yan Hang paused. "Want to go in and take a look?"

"You want to buy a c-cup?" Chu Yi asked.

"Mm." Yan Hang nodded.

"There's a stall, a stall up ahead..." Chu Yi said halfway then stopped, "Never mind, let's go, go in."

Yan Hang entered the store with a smile.

Once inside, Chu Yi first looked at the price tags. A plastic cup cost over a hundred yuan. It did look nice, much prettier than the ones at the stalls outside, but...

A plastic cup! Made of plastic!

Over a hundred!

"Which color looks good?" Yan Hang came up beside him.

"Do team leaders," Chu Yi looked at him, "pick, pick up money from the floor?"

Yan Hang held a sports water bottle and laughed for a while. "It's not all from picking up."

"Begging too?" Chu Yi said.

"I'm going to find a Band-Aid to stick on your mouth in a bit," Yan Hang tossed the water bottle, letting it spin twice in the air before catching it again, "I spend all my monthly salary anyway, don't save money... Which one looks good?"

Chu Yi agonized over a row of bottles for a long time before finally picking out a blue one with a yellow-orange lid. "This one then."

"Then it's this one," Yan Hang looked at it, "The pattern looks nice too."

The bottle had a white pattern printed on the outside, a dog, breed indiscernible, probably a mutt.

As they walked out of the store, Yan Hang stuffed the bottle into Chu Yi's bag. "Don't drink from that soda bottle anymore."

Chu Yi froze for a moment, then abruptly turned his head to look at him.

"A soda bottle doesn't fit your current persona at school." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi took the bottle out again, glanced back at the store, hesitated for a moment but didn't dare suggest going back to return it for a cheaper one.

He looked down at the bottle. It was indeed pretty, very fashionable, looking not rustic at all.

"Wasteful t-thing." He sighed.

"Mm." Yan Hang nodded with a smile.

Just as they were about to keep walking, a girl's voice sounded from the side, tinged with some hesitation, "Chu Yi?"

Chu Yi turned his head and saw three girls standing there.

The one in the middle looked a bit... familiar.

"You don't recognize me?" The girl waved at him, "It's me, Beike."

"...Ah." Only then did Chu Yi remember.

"Out shopping?" Beike walked over with a smile and glanced at Yan Hang, "Your friend?"

"Mm." Chu Yi responded.

"Hello." Yan Hang greeted.

"I'm also out shopping with my classmates." Beike pointed back at the two girls behind her, who also waved in this direction.

Chu Yi smiled at them a bit awkwardly.

What followed was an uncomfortable silence, just as he expected.

He glanced at Yan Hang's face from the corner of his eye. Although Yan Hang also didn't have many friends, he could definitely handle this kind of situation with no problem. Chu Yi was counting on Yan Hang to help him save face.

But Yan Hang remained silent, just resting his elbow on Chu Yi's shoulder and smiling, as if waiting to watch a show.

"How about..." It was still Beike who spoke first, pointing to a milk tea shop on the side, "I was just about to treat them to milk tea, want to join us?"

Chu Yi was about to say he couldn't drink any milk tea after downing a big mug of beer, when Yan Hang finally spoke up, "Sure."

Chu Yi turned his head and glared at him.

Yan Hang raised his eyebrows at him with a very cheerful smile.

As they followed Beike to the milk tea shop, Yan Hang whispered in his ear, "Quite pretty."

"You..." Chu Yi felt very exasperated.

"Go pay," Yan Hang lightly nudged him with his elbow, "Don't let the girl pay."

"Oh." Chu Yi hurriedly took out money while quickening his steps.

"I took the liberty of ordering for you all," Beike said with a smile as she stood at the cashier, "Every time I come here, I forcefully recommend my favorite one."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

After ordering five cups of milk tea, Beike took out her phone, ready to scan the code to pay. Chu Yi froze for a moment before reacting.

He was too rustic, it never even occurred to him that there was such a convenient and fast method like mobile payment.

To follow Yan Hang's suggestion, he quickly put the 100 yuan he was holding down on the table.

Perhaps he was a bit too anxious and used too much force, causing a loud thud.

The cashier and Beike were both startled and looked at him together.

"Take the money." Chu Yi endured his inner embarrassment and said briefly.

Beike paused for a moment, then smiled a bit awkwardly, "No need, I said it's my treat."

Chu Yi didn't say anything and looked at the cashier.

The cashier took the 100 yuan bill, "100 from you, sir."

As they walked over to the table together, Chu Yi heard Yan Hang unable to hold back his laughter behind him.

He turned his head to look at Yan Hang.

"Very cool." Yan Hang said softly.

Chu Yi didn't know what to say anymore. After everyone sat down, he could only continue staying silent.

"Which school are you from?" Yan Hang finally stopped spectating and spoke up to relieve the awkwardness for him.

"Not a good school," Beike said the name of her school. Chu Yi had never heard of it. He only knew their vocational school here. Yan Hang probably didn't know it either. Beike smiled and said, "It's a very ordinary junior college, just muddling through the days."

"What about you, Chu Yi?" Beike looked at Chu Yi.

"I'm in vocational school," Chu Yi said, "just..."

Before he could say the name of his school, Beike interrupted him in some surprise, "You're so young?"

"Huh?" Chu Yi was stunned for a moment.

"I thought you came for university," Beike laughed, "You look quite steady, not like a high school student."

He used to, used to look like an elementary school student at 1.58 meters tall.

Chu Yi smiled.

Beike and her two classmates were all quite cheerful and talkative. Chu Yi's continued silence didn't affect their chatting. With Yan Hang occasionally chiming in, the atmosphere was quite good.

Chu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and drank his milk tea earnestly.

After chatting for about half an hour, the group walked out of the milk tea shop together. Beike asked them, "Are you still going to hang out?"

"We were just about to leave actually." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi was very grateful that he didn't say they were going to hang out more.

"Alright then, we're going to wander over that way some more," Beike waved, "Chu Yi, next time I ask you to come out and play, don't refuse me again."

"Ah." Chu Yi responded.

After watching the three girls leave, he finally turned to look at Yan Hang, "Last time she wanted to ask me out to play?"

"What else? Who would ask if you're free on the weekend for no reason?" Yan Hang said.

"Oh," Chu Yi said, "I thought she was just chatting."

"When you're being a smartass, you think you're so clever," Yan Hang sighed, "At times like this, I wonder if your brain juice is a bit thin."

"Why don't you listen," Chu Yi leaned over to him and shook his head, "Is there a sound?"

"...Swishing." Yan Hang said.

"Then it might be a bit thin." Chu Yi nodded.

The two laughed all the way until they got into the taxi before finally stopping.

As long as he was out with Yan Hang, Chu Yi didn't really want to go back to school. Today was Yan Hang's birthday, so he wanted to go back even less.

Yan Hang probably already knew his habit long ago. He directly told the taxi driver the address of their neighborhood without even asking if he wanted to go back to the dorm.

When they got to the bottom of the building in the neighborhood, Chu Yi looked carefully into the bushes, "Where's Little Hedgehog?"

"Maybe over there," Yan Hang pointed to the small garden in front of the other building, "Running around at night. Its range of activity is larger than before. After all, it's a teenage hedgehog now, needs to explore the world."

Chu Yi laughed and walked over.

After circling around, he indeed found it in a clump of grass.

"It's grown up," Chu Yi said, "Really got fatter."

"Yeah." Yan Hang took out his phone and snapped a photo.

Last time he took his own set of clothes. Today after showering, he changed into Yan Hang's clothes again.

"How tall are you now?" Yan Hang looked him over, "My pants aren't too long on you anymore."

"Height has nothing to do with it," Chu Yi sat cross-legged on the bed, drinking water from the cup Yan Hang just bought him, "Leg length is what matters."

"I was just thinking," Yan Hang lay on the bed, propping his head up and looking at him, "When will you be this relaxed when talking to other people?"

"You see, I never think about these hopeless things." Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang laughed. After a while, he added, "That Beike likes you."

Chu Yi calmly took a sip of water. Only as he swallowed did he react to what Yan Hang said, choking and coughing for a long time.

Tears came out from coughing.

"What?" He wiped away the tears.

"You can't be that shocked," Yan Hang looked at him, "You never thought a girl would like you?"

"No," Chu Yi answered honestly, "I never thought a girl would pay attention to me at all."

"There will be more girls who like you in the future," Yan Hang smiled, "You need to adapt quickly, handsome boy."

"What about you?" Chu Yi asked.

"What about me?" Yan Hang leaned against the head of the bed, "Do I like you or not?"

"...No," Chu Yi sighed, "Is there..."

"There is," Yan Hang laughed, "You don't think a handsome guy like me has lived 19 years without any girls liking me, right?"

"Shameless." Chu Yi looked at him.

"My face isn't big at all when I say this," Yan Hang tutted, "Not just girls, quite a few guys too."

Chu Yi froze.

Guys.

Guys?

Guys!

Which guy?

Zhou...Chun...Yang...?

Chu Yi didn't know why he suddenly thought of Zhou Chunyang. Zhou Chunyang had merely eaten at Yan Hang's restaurant once.

But after all, it was because of Zhou Chunyang that he first startlingly realized such people truly existed around him.

Now, with anything related to this matter, he could only think of Zhou Chunyang alone.

It was really...doing Zhou Chunyang a great disservice.

"Shocked silly?" Yan Hang laughed, "Country bumpkin."

"Then have you," Chu Yi scooted closer to him, "Dated before?"

"No," Yan Hang sighed, "You are my only friend. Who else can I talk to? The longest I've ever stayed in one place is only half a year."

Chu Yi sighed along with him.

Yan Hang's words made him think of Uncle Yan again.

And also his own father.

Suddenly he felt a bit upset.

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang nudged him with his foot.

"Uncle Yan..." Chu Yi bit his lip, "Is there any news about him?"

"No," Yan Hang said, "If he's still alive, unless he's willing to show himself, it would be difficult for others to find him. And if he's dead...there definitely won't be any news."

Chu Yi was silent for a long time.

"Why keep thinking about these things," Yan Hang patted him on the arm, "Weren't we just talking about some girl who likes you? How did it suddenly turn to my dad?"

"If," Chu Yi looked up at him, "when I gra-graduate, my dad still doesn't show up, I'll go look for him."

Yan Hang furrowed his brows without saying anything, just looking at him.

"I want to find him and ask," Chu Yi said, "Why, why is he so irresponsible."

"Where will you look? How will you find him?" Yan Hang asked.

Chu Yi didn't reply.

He hadn't thought about it, just like when he wanted to find Yan Hang before, he didn't think about where to look or how, just that he would go find him.

"You were able to find me because I posted photos," Yan Hang said, "What if I hadn't posted any? How would you find me? How long do you plan to search?"

Chu Yi still remained silent.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Yan Hang said.

"Huh?" Chu Yi was a bit stunned.

"Go from city to city, look in places where migrant workers gather," Yan Hang said while lighting a cigarette, "Think of ways to get familiar with them, ask around, check the local news to see if there are any clues. Maybe you'll hear someone say a person matching the description went to some place, then you go there and continue..."

"Yan Hang." Chu Yi looked at Yan Hang. He could tell Yan Hang seemed to be talking about Uncle Yan.

"Will you spend one year, two years, or three to five years?" Yan Hang ignored him, "Or ten years? Hm?"

"Stop talking." Chu Yi grabbed his hand.

Yan Hang's mood was off, his hand was shaking, making Chu Yi very worried. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Yan Hang's voice suddenly turned a bit hoarse, "Have you thought about the price? The price of doing this?"

Chu Yi tightly grasped his hand.

"It could be a lifetime," Yan Hang said, "Have you thought about that?"

The two of them didn't speak anymore.

Chu Yi held Yan Hang's hand. Yan Hang didn't move either. He snuffed out his unfinished cigarette and used the remote to turn on the air purifier.

After running it for a while, there didn't seem to be much change. He wiggled the fingers Chu Yi was gripping. "Go open the balcony door."

Chu Yi jumped off the bed to open the floor-to-ceiling windows, then jumped back and grabbed his hand again.

"I might be overthinking it a bit," Yan Hang said, "I just...as soon as I heard you say you were going to look for someone, I got a bit..."

"I won't look anymore." Chu Yi said.

"My dad," Yan Hang tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling, "has been searching all these years for the person who killed my mom, searching just like this."

Chu Yi was startled. He was dazed for a while before asking in a trembling voice, "Was it my dad?"

"No," Yan Hang glanced at him and chuckled, "How could it be, even with ten times the guts your dad wouldn't dare."

"Then Old Ding?" Chu Yi let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't know," Yan Hang said, "This case is too old, even the police don't have many leads. I'm too lazy to think about it."

Chu Yi glanced at the two small medicine bottles on the bedside table.

They weren't there the last two times he came.

Is he really too lazy to think about it?

"Sing a song for me, little mutt," Yan Hang turned his head to look at him, "Anything is fine, even the national anthem."

"Let's forget about the national anthem," Chu Yi said, "I'm still quite patriotic."

Yan Hang laughed, looking at him.

"Let me think." Chu Yi said.

"Mm." Yan Hang nodded.

Chu Yi thought for a good while, then cleared his throat, "In front of the big bridge..." Have you heard it before?"

"You startled me, I thought you had started singing," Yan Hang laughed out loud, "I've heard it, counting ducks."

"Then I'll start." Chu Yi picked up his water glass.

"Please begin your performance." Yan Hang said.

"In front of the big bridge, a group of ducks swam by," Chu Yi grabbed the water glass and started singing, pointing at Yan Hang as he sang, "Come quick, come count, two, four, six, seven, eight..."

There was no one else around this time, and they weren't outside. Yan Hang had no reason to hold back his laughter, bursting out laughing at the earnest Chu Yi.

He had seen quite a few people who sang off-key, but someone like Chu Yi probably sang so rarely that being off-key wasn't even the issue - he simply had no sense of pitch at all.

Chu Yi was unfazed by his wild laughter and continued holding the water glass, chanting with great feeling, "Quack quack quack, so many ducks, can't count how many, can't count how many..."

Yan Hang laughed and wiped away tears. It had been a long time since he laughed so hard that tears came out.

Thank the heavens for giving him a Chu Yi.

"I forgot the rest," Chu Yi stopped halfway, frowning in thought, "Let me think..."

"No need to think anymore," Yan Hang leaned against the headboard holding his stomach, "If you really finish the song, I might have to call 120 (emergency)."

"Thank you everyone for your applause." Chu Yi put his glass-holding hand behind his back and bowed with his legs crossed.

"Enthusiastic applause." Yan Hang clapped.

"Why don't you sing one for me," Chu Yi smiled, "I want to hear you sing."

"Alright," Yan Hang slid down, leaning against the pillow, and turned off the light, "Go to sleep, I'll sing you a lullaby."

"Okay." Chu Yi fell onto the pillow, lying on his side facing Yan Hang.

Yan Hang opened the bedside drawer and felt around for a small bottle, spraying it twice in Chu Yi's direction.

"Sleeping fragrance," Chu Yi said, "I still have half a bottle."

Yan Hang paused, "Mine?"

"Mm." Chu Yi responded.

After a long while, Yan Hang patted his belly, "I'll sing you an English song. It's easier to fall asleep when you don't understand the words."

"Mm." Chu Yi closed his eyes.

"This song is called 'Look How Far We've Come'," Yan Hang said, lightly snapping his fingers to the rhythm. "One day, I won't be insane, won't play all their foolish games..."

Chu Yi, who had his eyes closed, opened them.

Yan Hang's voice was very low, with a slight hoarseness and laziness. When he sang softly, it was like a string of bouncing little breezes, hopping all the way over his hair, bringing up a subtle tickle.

He hadn't paid much attention to Yan Hang's voice before, only feeling that Yan Hang sounded very nice when he spoke English.

He had never imagined that singing could give people such a startling feeling in their hearts.

Maybe it wasn't that good, it was just that Yan Hang's every move was an unexpected surprise to him.

"We all need to pay for you to get yours and me to get my way," Yan Hang tapped the rhythm on his arm with his fingertips, "some days, I don't have the will..."

Chu Yi also tapped along with his fingertips on Yan Hang's arm.

He soon felt a little dazed.

But it was also at this time that he heard it. This was the song that Yan Hang and Uncle Yan had sung together at the music festival that time.

It sounded so good.

Chu Yi pulled Yan Hang's arm closer to himself.

Yan Hang's smiling face in his dream was no different from usual, always making people feel at ease.

As for Zhou Chunyang, it was about the same.

Zhou Chunyang?

Chu Yi was stunned for a moment.

How can you be here? he asked.

I'm here to find my boyfriend. Zhou Chunyang said in a squeaky voice.

Who is your boyfriend? he asked again.

Yan Hang. Zhou Chunyang replied in a squeaky voice.

When Chu Yi was startled awake by Zhou Chunyang, he saw Yan Hang standing on the balcony stretching.

He sat up and stared at Yan Hang's back.

"Awake?" Yan Hang turned his head.

"Ah." He nodded.

When going back to school later, he should bring Zhou Chunyang some breakfast. Chu Yi hugged the blanket, thinking all day long about him, even dreaming of him like that. He felt very sorry.