Chu Yi walked around the dorm room. When everyone left, it was like they were fleeing from a disaster, throwing things all over the place. He put everything in order, checked the windows and power outlets again, then grabbed his bag and stuffed in two sets of clothes...

Going to Yan Hang's place!

Haha, going to Yan Hang's!

Spending the National Day holiday at Yan Hang's place!

La la la! Haha!

Chu Yi hopped around while packing his things, occasionally throwing a few punches at the air. "Swoosh! Swoosh swoosh! Swoosh!"

After finishing his swooshing, he put on his backpack, left the dorm, locked the door, pushed on it to make sure it was locked, then ran downstairs.

There were no students left on their floor, all freshmen who had been looking forward to going home for a month.

There were still people in the dorms downstairs, some had just gotten food and were chatting and eating in the hallway.

If not for Yan Hang, he would have to spend the next few days alone guarding the empty fourth floor, spacing out every day. There wasn't even a tree hole here to pour his heart out to. He could probably only lie on the bed and write in his little spiral notebook.

Chu Yi slowed his steps, suddenly missing that tree a little, and the tree hole whose edges had been smoothed by his face and hands.

He was now in a beautiful big city, with Yan Hang, mountains, the sea, classmates... If he went back home, he could probably spend half an hour non-stop talking into that tree hole.

He didn't go to the cafeteria to eat. If he ate then went to Yan Hang's place, he would hit the evening rush hour and the bus would be too crowded. Better to leave early and go eat at Little Li's BBQ place.

After getting on the bus, he sent Yan Hang a message.

-I'm on the bus

-Okay, hang out by yourself for a bit, I'm getting off work late today

-Don't worry about me

After replying, Chu Yi held his phone and waited a while. As expected, Yan Hang didn't message him further, as he had said. Only then did Chu Yi put his phone back in his bag.

When he got off the bus, the sky had already darkened, and the wind carried a chill.

The restaurants on both sides were brightly lit, and people on the street walked hurriedly.

Chu Yi stood by the road waiting for the green light to cross, feeling the somewhat flustered loneliness of autumn.

However, compared to the feeling of wanting to rush home in the past, but still being unable to shake off that feeling even after getting home, the current "loneliness" was something he could experience.

Behind him was the dorm. Although everyone had gone home, at this moment his phone's WeChat was full of their messages. Ahead was Yan Hang's place. Although Yan Hang wasn't back yet, the key was with the security guard.

He ran across the street and all the way into the neighborhood.

The security guard at the main gate already knew him and smiled as he saluted. The security guard downstairs also knew him.

"Little brother is here?" The security guard standing by the bushes in the small garden greeted him.

"Yeah," Chu Yi glanced at the apple in his hand. "Feeding the hedgehog?"

"Yep," the security guard smiled. "I'll go get the key for you."

"No, no rush," Chu Yi swung his backpack behind him. "Where's the hedgehog?"

"Here," the security guard squatted down and handed a piece of apple into the grass. "See it?"

"Mm." Chu Yi smiled. The hedgehog didn't seem to have changed much since he last saw it, just looked a bit fatter. "Getting fat is good, really good."

"It eats a lot in the fall," the security guard said. "It needs to hibernate later."

"Where does it hibernate?" Chu Yi asked.

"It burrows into a pile of grass or wood," the security guard said. "When the time comes, I'll pile up some grass and leaves for it and it'll be fine."

For some reason, the security guard's description felt especially gentle to Chu Yi. A little hedgehog's own little nest, wood, grass, leaves, creating a tiny space.

Something he had always wanted to have but never could.

Now the dorm was pretty good. When the curtain was down, it was his own space.

After watching the hedgehog eat three pieces of apple, Chu Yi took the key and went upstairs.

The warmth that greeted him when he opened the door made him squint comfortably.

He tossed his bag on the sofa, stood on the balcony for a while, then went into the kitchen and opened the fridge to take a look.

There were plenty of ingredients inside, as well as various seasonings, but he couldn't make sense of them. He originally wanted to make something to eat before Yan Hang got back to score some points, but now looking at the fridge full of Western ingredients, he had to give up.

After hesitating for a bit, he decided to go pack food from Little Li's BBQ place.

When Yan Hang got back, the two of them could eat BBQ and watch TV together.

Absolutely perfect.

When Yan Hang returned to the restaurant, most of the customers had already left, and a few servers were cleaning up.

"I filled in today's work log for you," Zhang Chen handed him the log book. "Take a look and see if there's anything to add."

"Thanks." Yan Hang said.

"How were things on the customer side?" Zhang Chen asked quietly.

Today, the kitchen had sent a meal to a customer without preparing it according to the customer's notes. He and Manager Tang had just gone to the room to send a new meal and apologize.

"Not too happy," Yan Hang sighed softly. "Otherwise they wouldn't have made a fuss for nearly an hour."

"I saw it was an old lady and thought she would be easy to talk to." Zhang Chen stuck out her tongue.

"Especially not easy to talk to, but nothing we can do," Yan Hang looked at the work log. "We were in the wrong... Do you have any more of that tea? Give me a cup."

"Wait a sec." Zhang Chen took out her thermos and poured him a cup of tea.

Yan Hang didn't know what kind of tea it was. In any case, it had a bunch of flowers and herbs in it, and things that looked like little sticks, but it tasted pretty good and was energizing to drink.

"Hey, Brother Hang, let me ask you," Zhang Chen looked around to make sure no one was nearby and asked quietly, "What's going on with you and Idiot Ma?"

"Hm?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"He told Sister Wang that you have a gangster background," Zhang Chen said and started laughing. "He even told the people in his group."

"Does anyone believe it?" Yan Hang chuckled.

"Who would believe that," Zhang Chen covered her mouth, laughing as she spoke. "A gangster without even a tattoo."

"...Should I go buy some stickers tomorrow then." Yan Hang was impressed by Zhang Chen's simple and crude way of determining whether someone was a gangster or not.

"I think that would work." Zhang Chen nodded.

"Hurry and go clean up." Yan Hang closed the log book and put it in the drawer.

Today, Yan Hang arrived home about twenty minutes earlier than planned. As he passed by Little Li's BBQ shop, he hesitated for a moment and took out his phone, wanting to call Chu Yi to come eat some BBQ.

"Young man, craving some BBQ?" The shop owner walked out and leaned against the door, smiling.

"Why don't you wave your handkerchief again," Yan Hang said.

"No need to come in," the owner waved his hand, "your younger brother just came by and ordered a big bunch to take back."

"Huh?" Yan Hang was stunned.

"Not kidding, really," the owner said, "if you run a few steps now you can still catch up to him."

"Thanks," Yan Hang smiled, "let me try then."

Yan Hang hesitated for a moment before running towards the residential complex.

As he entered the gate, he asked the security guard: "Did my brother just go in?"

The guard nodded and gestured: "With such a big bag of BBQ, just looking at it made me hungry."

Yan Hang chased forward a bit more and saw Chu Yi walking ahead.

Holding a big bag of BBQ in one hand and pressing his phone with the other.

Yan Hang lightened his steps, quickly approaching while rummaging in his pocket, trying to find a weapon.

In the end, he only found the lighter Chu Yi gave him.

Just as he was about to reach out and grab Chu Yi's shoulder from just a step away, his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.

Yan Hang was startled.

Chu Yi was also startled and abruptly turned his head back.

Yan Hang ignored the call, the play had started so he had to finish the act.

He grabbed Chu Yi's shoulder and pressed the lighter against his head: "Don't move."

"Bro-, bro-, brother sp-, spare me," Chu Yi stammered.

At this moment, his stutter cooperated perfectly.

Yan Hang held back his laughter: "Hand over the money."

"Spent it all, on BBQ," Chu Yi said, "or you, you take the BB-, BBQ."

Yan Hang's finger slipped and lit the lighter.

A small flame shot out.

Then they both smelled a burnt odor at the same time and froze.

"Shit!" Yan Hang quickly retracted his hand and turned off the lighter, "Where did it singe?"

"Hair," Chu Yi said and immediately poked his finger into Yan Hang's belly, "Bam!"

"Ah!" Yan Hang covered his stomach and staggered back two steps, "Didn't expect you were this kind of person..."

"Bam bam!" Chu Yi pointed his finger at him and fired two more shots, then put his finger to his lips and blew.

Yan Hang started laughing: "Not bad acting skills."

Only then did Chu Yi start laughing: "Why didn't you, send a message when you got off work to, tell me?"

"Only thought of it after getting on the bus, too lazy to take out my phone in the crowded bus," Yan Hang said while taking out his phone, "The call just now, don't know..."

"I called," Chu Yi said, "The ring right after startled, me."

"Buying so much BBQ?" Yan Hang pulled open the bag and peeked inside.

"For late night snacks too," Chu Yi said, "I saw you, have beer there."

"BBQ, beer, movie," Yan Hang said, "Is that what you were thinking?"

"Yes," Chu Yi smiled, "I've never tried, it."

"Poor thing," Yan Hang put his arm around his shoulder as they walked towards the building together, "Besides going for a run and spending time at the riverbank tree hole in the evenings, what else did you do before?"

"Sit at my desk spacing, out," Chu Yi said, "I could space out a, whole evening."

Yan Hang sighed.

"But later it was at the boxing, gym," Chu Yi said, "Part-time job, I had to clean."

"How much did you make a month back then?" Yan Hang asked.

"One thousand three," Chu Yi thought for a bit, "no, one thousand, eight."

"One thousand eight for cleaning?" Yan Hang glanced at him, "Who are you trying to fool?"

"One time the coach, let me spar," Chu Yi suddenly seemed a bit proud, "Said I'd get five hundred more if I won."

"You won?" Yan Hang asked.

"Mm." Chu Yi nodded, suddenly feeling like he had become a boxing master.

A generation's boxing master, Mutt.

"Let's find a place and have a match when we have time," Yan Hang said, "I really need to see if you're actually that good."

"If I lose, I let, you win." Chu Yi said.

"Have you no shame, if you win you're awesome, if you lose you let me win?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"Mm." Chu Yi nodded solemnly.

Actually, when sparring or fighting others, he never considered these things, win or lose, he always assumed he could win.

Only with Yan Hang, he couldn't judge.

He had barely seen Yan Hang box or fight. The couple times Yan Hang got physical with others, the opponents were too weak, giving Yan Hang no room to show his skills.

Always felt like Yan Hang was the same as Uncle Yan, a master living in seclusion in the deep mountains, rarely showing himself.

When they got home, the sky was already completely dark. The curtains were open, revealing the dark sky outside and the patches of lights below.

Chu Yi stood by the window, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang stood behind him, resting his elbow on Chu Yi's shoulder.

"You," Chu Yi glanced at his elbow, "I'm not, growing taller."

"Really know how to complain," Yan Hang pressed down with his elbow, "Affecting your two-meter dream?"

"In our dorm, only, me and Wu Xu are the shortest." Chu Yi sighed.

"You should be happy there's someone shorter than you," Yan Hang laughed, turning to open the TV cabinet drawer, "Go stand by the wall, I'll measure you."

Chu Yi stood against the wall.

Yan Hang took a book, marked a line above Chu Yi's head.

Chu Yi glanced up.

For some reason, every time he saw Yan Hang's books, he would get a strange feeling. Usually he didn't feel any connection between Yan Hang and books.

Yan Hang was like a chivalrous swordsman wandering the martial world.

But hearing Yan Hang speak English, sing English songs, and seeing... Before he could make out the book title, Yan Hang had already taken the book away and started measuring the wall with a ruler.

Chu Yi looked at the purple-covered book placed to the side: "Is that your in-, in-, inter..."

Yan Hang turned to look at him: "Stop for a sec."

Chu Yi stopped.

"Always feel like you're about to blurt out some incredible word if you keep going," Yan Hang said, "That was recommended to me by a girl, an interpreting textbook."

"Interpreting," Chu Yi stumbled over the unfamiliar word, "What's that, incredible word?"

Yan Hang smiled without saying anything, glancing at the ruler: "One hundred and seventy... seven?"

"Taller!" Chu Yi was excited as soon as he heard it, slapping the wall, "Three! Three centimeters!"

"Is it necessary," Yan Hang looked at him, "People who don't know would think you grew three meters."

Chu Yi smiled without speaking.

Growing taller was really something that made him very happy. Before, he didn't have much feeling about it. Grandma said he wouldn't grow tall, because mom wasn't tall, dad wasn't considered tall either, and aunt was also worried, reasoning that his nutrition was lacking when he was young, and he was often frightened.

So after he started growing taller, he had always been quite worried, afraid that he would accidentally stop growing.

Now suddenly discovering he had grown a bit taller, he sat on the sofa, so happy he didn't even feel like working, just watching Yan Hang going in and out of the kitchen, taking out pots and seasonings one by one and placing them in front of him.

When almost everything was taken out, he finally jumped up: "I'll get it, get..."

"Sit," Yan Hang said, "It's all out, I was just about to time you, to see how long three centimeters can make you happy for."

"You don't understand." Chu Yi sat down.

"What do I not understand, I wasn't worried at all when I was 1.5 meters tall." Yan Hang turned on the induction cooker.

"Uncle Yan is tall," Chu Yi said, thought for a bit, "Are you still growing now?"

"Nonsense," Yan Hang said, "I'm only 19, pour some water on me and I can easily shoot up another one or two meters."

Chu Yi laughed out loud.

Yan Hang had set up a projector at home, able to project a large screen on the wall, sitting on the sofa felt like sitting in a movie theater.

There were also speakers. Chu Yi had been over several times, only discovering today that the two silver rod-like things next to the TV cabinet were speakers.

"Yan Hang," Chu Yi couldn't help but worry a little, "Is your money all spent like this?"

"Mm," Yan Hang adjusted the picture and sound effects, glanced at him, "I'm used to it, spend however much I have, don't keep money."

Chu Yi sighed.

"You're worried about me?" Yan Hang laughed, "I was just about to tell you, but got sidetracked and forgot, I asked around with my colleague, she has a job, at a small restaurant, looking for a dedicated evening shift waiter..."

"I can't do it," Chu Yi said, "I can't speak clearly."

"How much does a waiter need to talk," Yan Hang said, "In the evening they don't serve regular meals, mainly just for strolling couples to have a drink or some dessert, no need to speak."

Chu Yi didn't say anything.

This part-time job was very suitable, he really wanted to go, but... thinking of being a waiter, he felt a bit daunted again, what if a customer asked about something, and he hemmed and hawed for a long time unable to explain clearly.

"Go try it," Yan Hang said, "Many things you have to actually do before you know, if it doesn't work out then just quit, what's there to worry about."

After hesitating for two seconds, Chu Yi nodded: "Okay."

"Get ready to eat," Yan Hang put the butter in the pan to melt, and added a handful of skewers, "The remote is by your hand, pick a movie to watch yourself."

When Chu Yi reached out to take the remote control, he saw a silver sphere on the coffee table, with many fine little holes on it, looking very pretty, and with a quality feel.

"What is this?" Chu Yi asked.

"A little Bluetooth speaker, can also be used as a night light," Yan Hang took it, turned on the switch, waved his hand beside it, and fine yellow lights lit up in the little holes, "You don't know?"

"Never seen such a high-class thing." Chu Yi took the sphere and turned it around to look.

"I mean you don't know this..." Yan Hang looked at him, "This is the birthday present Zhou Chunyang gave me."

"What?" Chu Yi was stunned.

"After my birthday, he went to the restaurant to eat with his dad," Yan Hang said, "Brought it over, I thought you knew."

"I didn't know." Chu Yi stared at the sphere in his hand.

Zhou Chunyang!

Sure enough, one of those nights he wasn't in the dorm, he went to Yan Hang's restaurant!

He even secretly gave Yan Hang a birthday present!

How did he know Yan Hang's birthday!

Oh, he told him himself.

But how could he sneak over to give a present!

Why can't he?

...He just can't!

He just can't!

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang poked him, putting two lamb skewers on the plate in front of him, "You two don't have any conflicts right?"

"No," Chu Yi came back to his senses, put down the alarm clock, took a skewer and bit into it, "Does he go often?"

"Not often, two or three times, always with his dad," Yan Hang said, "I just found out his dad is a VIP at our hotel."

"Especially rich." Chu Yi said.

"Mm, quite well-off." Yan Hang smiled.

Chu Yi couldn't describe what he was feeling now, to say he felt stifled, not really, to say he felt depressed, seemed not quite accurate either, just always felt like something was stuck in some corner of his body, wanted to scratch it but couldn't find where it was.

Just felt especially out of sorts.

"I'll pick a movie," Yan Hang took the remote, "Want to watch a horror film? Helps with eating."

"Don't know any." Chu Yi was a bit dazed, he had almost no memory of movies. He had watched an anti-abduction educational film organized by the school when he was in elementary school, seemed he hadn't watched any others.

"Our country bumpkin probably hasn't seen a movie," Yan Hang sighed, "Let's just randomly pick one, I haven't seen this one either."

"Okay." Chu Yi glanced at the title, The Skeleton Key.

Probably a story about a locksmith.

Speaking of locksmiths, Chu Yi turned to look at Yan Hang: "I can pick locks."

"Hm?" Yan Hang looked at him, stunned for a moment before turning to glance at the movie title, instantly laughing so hard his chopsticks fell to the ground.

"Really." Chu Yi said.

"Hey," Yan Hang laughed and sighed, hugging him and rubbing his chin on top of his head, picking up the chopsticks and handing them to him, "Go wash them, you made me drop them from laughing."

Only after Chu Yi got up to wash the chopsticks did he react: "It's not about a locksmith?"

"Shut up." Yan Hang had just stopped laughing, as soon as he said this, he laughed so hard a shrimp skewer fell on the table. Chu Yi felt a bit embarrassed. Normally, he wouldn't be this foolish, but the sudden appearance of Zhou Chunyang's small speaker-slash-night light had thrown him off balance.

The movie seemed quite scary. Chu Yi ate while watching, still pondering about Zhou Chunyang, and it was enough to make his hair stand on end.

"Want a few more cans?" Yan Hang shook the empty beer can.

"I'll just have one, one more can is enough," Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang got up and went to the kitchen. Unable to resist, Chu Yi quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Zhou Chunyang.

- You sent Yan Hang a gift?

Zhou Chunyang was probably playing on his phone, as he replied very quickly.

- Yeah, it was something someone else gave me. I couldn't use it, so I just passed it to him since it was on the way.

It wasn't a gift bought specifically for Yan Hang?

Chu Yi suddenly felt relieved.

- Do you like it? I have another one here. I'll bring it to you when we're back at school.

Zhou Chunyang sent another message.

Looking at this message, Chu Yi didn't even know how to reply. He suddenly felt like an idiot.

- I can't use it.

- You can use it with your phone. It's Bluetooth. That one is black, perfectly matching the one I gave to Yan Hang.

......

......

Holding his phone, Chu Yi suddenly felt an awkward sense of not knowing how to explain things to Zhou Chunyang.