Chu Yi was speechless for a good while, just poking at a piece of meat while staring at Zhou Chunyang.

Zhou Chunyang had already made himself very clear.

Chu Yi didn't know how he should respond for the moment.

In this situation, the first thought that popped into his mind was actually a bit of envy towards Zhou Chunyang.

No matter what Zhou Chunyang did or said, he was always so confident and frank. This was something Chu Yi might never be able to do in his life. He suddenly felt very envious of Zhou Chunyang.

"Actually, I didn't have to tell you so clearly," Zhou Chunyang said. "If it were someone else, I'd probably just go confess directly. If it works, great. If not, then forget it."

Chu Yi looked at him.

"But you're different," Zhou Chunyang sighed. "In just over a month, you've helped me twice and even got injured. We have the best relationship in the dorm."

Chu Yi continued looking at him.

Slowly coming back to his senses, Chu Yi finally returned from his envy of Zhou Chunyang to the issue at hand.

But he wasn't clear about his own feelings right now.

He felt a bit disappointed in himself.

He never had any friends growing up. To him, Yan Hang was many "firsts".

The first person to want to protect him, the first to fight for him, the first to know about his tree hole, the first to bring him home for a meal, the first to jog with him every night...

The first person to make him want to start changing himself a little bit.

The first person to make him look at nearly every Little Li's BBQ storefront in the country.

Too many firsts. It was as if he had lived the first ten plus years of his life like a single-threaded idiot, with nothing. After Yan Hang appeared, he finally began to experience real life.

Yan Hang was extremely important to him.

But he couldn't be sure if this importance was the same as the "little something" Zhou Chunyang mentioned.

"How do you know," Chu Yi was still holding up his fork with a piece of meat, "if he likes you or not."

"I don't know," Zhou Chunyang said. "I don't even know if he is or not. I just see you two... anyway, I'll just ask and find out. If not, I'll apologize and leave."

Chu Yi furrowed his brow, thinking very seriously about what Zhou Chunyang said.

He had never considered whether Yan Hang might be the same as Zhou Chunyang. Strictly speaking, he had never thought there would be a second "homosexual" in this world besides Zhou Chunyang.

So when he suddenly realized that if Zhou Chunyang really went to ask, and if Yan Hang really was...

Thinking of the contempt and disgust on Fatty Bro's face when he said "homosexual, damn gay" to Zhou Chunyang, he couldn't help but shudder.

Zhou Chunyang sighed, "I'm just..."

"No." Chu Yi said.

"Huh?" Zhou Chunyang was stunned for a moment.

Chu Yi put the meat in his mouth, "No."

Regardless of whether there was a little something or not, it was just no. He couldn't let anyone say such things about Yan Hang.

Zhou Chunyang looked at him for a long time without speaking.

Chu Yi felt a bit unsure under his gaze, not knowing if his "no" was inappropriate or inaccurate.

He could only lower his head and continue cutting the meat.

"Hey," Zhou Chunyang suddenly laughed. "Your expression startled me."

"What, expression?" Chu Yi touched his face.

"The expression that looked like you were about to get up and hit me," Zhou Chunyang laughed and sighed again. "Alright, if you say no, then it's no."

Chu Yi didn't know what expression he had just now. His mental activity was probably too intense and overwhelming, piling up on his face since his heart couldn't contain it.

He drank some of his beverage, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Chu Yi," Zhou Chunyang looked at him, "you are really a miraculous person."

"Then you, haven't seen much, of the world," Chu Yi said. "Ah."

Zhou Chunyang laughed for a while, "Sometimes I feel you are especially simple, that I can see right through you. Other times I feel that being able to see through you is just an illusion."

"Try looking, a few more times then." Chu Yi also smiled.

This was the first time Yan Hang saw Chu Yi chatting with someone like this.

In his memory, Chu Yi never spoke to anyone. The previous two times when he came with classmates, he said very little, basically just listening while his classmates talked.

Even so, Yan Hang felt he had already undergone a miraculous change, at least being able to blend into the "classmate" circle.

And now, seeing him actually able to converse and laugh with Zhou Chunyang, it really surprised Yan Hang a bit.

He felt gratified.

And a bit... annoyed.

As the dinner time was about to end, the number of people in the restaurant finally began to decrease, with people only leaving and no one entering. Yan Hang leaned against the bar and let out a breath.

Zhou Chunyang's parents and Chu Yi's table finished eating and called the waiter for the bill.

Zhou Chunyang's father was a VIP. Yan Hang had prepared two boxes of mooncakes, had the waiter wrap them up, and personally delivered them over, then saw the family off to the door.

"Thanks Brother Hang." Zhou Chunyang walked at the very back and smiled at him.

"You're welcome." Yan Hang smiled.

Watching the family of three enter the elevator, he turned to head back and saw Chu Yi standing a bit uneasily at the restaurant entrance.

"Sit inside, it's fine." Yan Hang said.

"Taking up a table." Chu Yi said.

"There are no customers now," Yan Hang smiled. "You can take up three tables and it wouldn't matter, as long as you don't sleep on them."

Chu Yi laughed, hesitated for a moment, then returned to the table he was sitting at before.

Yan Hang went over, poured him a cup of coffee and brought it over, "I still have a bit more to do."

"No rush," Chu Yi glanced at the coffee and lowered his voice, "Is this the sixty-eight per cup kind?"

"You even looked at the price of the coffee?" Yan Hang also exaggeratedly lowered his voice.

"Didn't look on purpose. It mainly just shocked me so I remembered it." Chu Yi said.

"Don't be scared, this is our employee price coffee," Yan Hang smiled, habitually wanting to reach out and ruffle his hair, but remembering they were in the restaurant, he retracted his hand. "I'll pay, you just drink."

"Plain boiled water is fine actually." Chu Yi said.

"Do you have to be so annoying?" Yan Hang clicked his tongue.

Chu Yi didn't say anything, immediately lowering his head to pick up the cup and take a sip, then furrowing his brows.

"Add sugar and milk." Yan Hang said.

"Oh." Only then did Chu Yi pick up the sugar packet next to him.

"Brother Hang," Zhang Chen came over and placed today's work log in front of him, "This younger brother of yours, he's not your real brother right?"

"Mm," Yan Hang responded, glancing at the log. Zhang Chen would always help write the part she could, making things much easier for him. "What's up?"

"One look and you can tell he's not a biological younger brother, and not a cousin or anything like that either," Zhang Chen said, "Little cool guy."

"Cool?" Yan Hang glanced at Zhang Chen.

"He's quite cool and handsome, don't you think?" Zhang Chen said, "If he was a bit taller, he'd definitely be the cold and unrestrained type, making a bunch of silly sweet girls fall for him."

Yan Hang smiled without saying anything.

This wasn't the first time he had heard someone describe Chu Yi with words like this.

Sometimes he felt like he should jump out of his memories of Chu Yi and take a good look at this kid. No matter how he looked at him now, he always felt Chu Yi was still a droopy-eared puppy that hadn't grown up.

Occasionally he would feel Chu Yi had matured, but only for a little while.

Had he really become cool?

Had he really become fierce?

A big brother?

Yan Hang looked over at Chu Yi sitting at the table, one hand holding a coffee cup and the other playing with his phone.

Still a kid.

"You're not going to eat the staff meal?" Chu Yi asked as he walked out of the hotel with him after work.

"Then wouldn't you have to wait even longer? Eating a staff meal would take at least ten minutes." Yan Hang said.

"It's free," Chu Yi said, "Might as well, eat it."

"I'm actually not that hungry," Yan Hang smiled and put his arm around his shoulders, "When I'm especially busy, I can't eat much of anything."

"You guys are really, too busy," Chu Yi said, "I see you, haven't stopped at all."

"It's usually okay, but now it's the golden week right, there are especially a lot of tourists," Yan Hang stretched, continuing to lean on his shoulder, "I can't even jog at night... Let's stroll back, get some air and count it as exercise."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

"In the dorm, is your relationship with Zhou Chunyang the best?" Yan Hang asked.

"Don't know," Chu Yi thought for a bit, "They're all pretty good."

"I see you two talk quite a bit." Yan Hang said.

"Mm," Chu Yi glanced at him, "He's a chatterbox."

"If you didn't stutter, maybe you'd be the chatterbox." Yan Hang chuckled.

"It's him." Chu Yi insisted.

"Then between the two of us, who's the chatterbox?" Yan Hang asked.

"You." Chu Yi said.

Yan Hang laughed and ruffled his hair forcefully a couple times, "My colleague just said you're very cool, where are you cool? I really can't see it."

"Your colleague mentioned me?" Chu Yi asked.

"Yeah, said you're very cool and handsome." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi didn't say anything, just chuckled a couple times.

"What are you laughing at?" Yan Hang asked.

"Nothing." Chu Yi continued foolishly laughing to himself.

Yan Hang could more or less guess why he was so happy. The feeling of being brought up by a friend's friend, classmate's friend, or friend's colleague, Chu Yi probably didn't get to experience it often before.

"There's a supermarket up ahead," Yan Hang said, "I need to go buy some daily necessities."

"Isn't there one across from the neighborhood too?" Chu Yi looked ahead.

"This one has everything," Yan Hang said, "The one across from the neighborhood is a small supermarket."

"Oh." Chu Yi nodded.

There were quite a lot of people in the supermarket. He slowly walked with Yan Hang between the rows of shelves. As soon as there was a holiday, even the supermarket was this crowded.

Chu Yi stared a bit absentmindedly at the various mooncakes stacked in the aisles. He didn't know where the mooncakes Yan Hang had mailed to his family for him were. Would they arrive tomorrow, or the day after?

If they received the mooncakes, would his family be happy? Would they give him a call to tell him the mooncakes had arrived?

Yan Hang stopped in front of the shelf with the towels. Chu Yi glanced at the price of the towels. In his entire life, he had never used towels that cost several dozen yuan.

"Aren't your towels still in good condition?" He couldn't help but ask.

Although Yan Hang had said before that he didn't save money and spent however much he had, Chu Yi still felt a bit distressed.

"Towels should be changed monthly," Yan Hang said, "It's more hygienic."

"Oh." Chu Yi could only respond.

Change towels monthly? His towels were probably changed when they wore out.

Yan Hang picked up a pack of four, "Two for me and two for you."

Chu Yi froze for a moment.

"You use the pink ones and I'll use the blue ones." Yan Hang said.

"I want blue." Before Chu Yi could even ask why he was buying him towels, he protested the color first.

"I want blue." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi glanced at the shelf and picked up a pack with coffee and blue ones, placing it in his hand.

"Then you take blue and I'll take coffee." Yan Hang said.

"I want coffee." Chu Yi said.

"Is your hidden skill being contrary?" Yan Hang looked at him.

Chu Yi started laughing, not knowing why he was like this himself.

In the end, Yan Hang put that pack back on the shelf and picked up a pack of four coffee-colored ones, "This works, right?"

"The blue ones seem to look a bit better." Chu Yi said softly.

Yan Hang rummaged for a bit more and found what was probably the only pack of four blue ones, "Satisfied?"

Chu Yi nodded. He clearly didn't need towels, but picked them out together with Yan Hang. It was a bit silly, but he felt quite happy.

After walking a few steps, his phone rang in his pocket. He took it out to look. It was his aunt.

"Hello?" He answered the phone, "Auntie."

"When are you coming back? Your uncle has time these couple days and can drive to pick you up." His aunt said on the other end.

Chu Yi stopped in his tracks, mouth agape for a while, not knowing what to say.

Yan Hang turned his head to look at him and asked softly, "Who is it?"

"Auntie," Chu Yi covered the mouthpiece and said, "Asking if I'm going back."

"Just tell the truth, you don't want to go back." Yan Hang said softly.

"I'm not going back for the break." Chu Yi said.

"Not going back?" His aunt was a bit surprised, "You're not going home for the Mid-Autumn Festival either?"

"Mm." Chu Yi responded.

After a while, Aunt sighed, "I was worried before that you might not be willing to go home... Did you tell your mom and grandma that you're not going back?"

"No," Chu Yi said.

"Didn't say?" Aunt was probably a bit helpless. "Have you not been in contact with your family at all?"

"Mm." Chu Yi bit his lip.

"Give them a call," Aunt hesitated for a moment. "Your grandma was hospitalized a few days ago."

"Huh?" Chu Yi was stunned.

"I went to the hospital to check. They said she was dizzy. The doctors didn't find anything wrong, so they're just observing for two days first," Aunt said. "Give your family a call, so your grandma doesn't pick on you later."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

"If you really don't want to go back, then don't," Aunt said. "I'll have time next month. Your uncle and I will come visit you."

After hanging up with his aunt, Chu Yi stood there for a long time without moving.

He had probably been living a bit too happily recently. Even if he occasionally thought about his family and the past, it didn't really affect his mood too much.

He was like a little sparrow that had finally spread its wings and taken flight, flapping joyfully, only to be suddenly blown back to the ground by the wind.

He was a bit scared.

If it was just calling home, he could still handle it.

But now Grandma was hospitalized. Even though Aunt said they didn't find any issues, he was still afraid.

He might not be very filial. What he feared wasn't whether Grandma had some illness. What he feared was that in this situation, he would be scolded by Grandma and Mom.

This kind of fear was like it was engraved in the cracks of his bones. No matter how long, it would never disappear.

He could pretty much imagine what Mom and Grandma would say.

Ungrateful wretch, up and left, just like your dad not caring about this family, not caring if these people live or die. Why even bother calling back? To see if the people in this family are dead yet? Rest assured we'll notify you when we commit mass suicide...

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Aunt said Grandma is in the h-hospital," Chu Yi said.

"Hospitalized?" Yan Hang was taken aback. "Is it serious? What illness?"

"They didn't f-find anything," Chu Yi frowned. "Observing for t-two days first."

"Then give your family a call and ask about the situation," Yan Hang said. "If it's not good, then go back and visit."

Chu Yi raised his head to look at him. After a long while, he said softly, "I don't dare."

"Hm?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"I don't dare," Chu Yi said, his voice trembling a bit as he slowly squatted down beside the shelf. "I don't dare..."

"Chu Yi," Yan Hang also squatted down, gently patting his back. "Then don't call. Don't call, and don't go back either."

"My mom will scold me," Chu Yi's voice was very low. It could be heard that he was extremely upset. "Grandma will too."

"Let them scold," Yan Hang said. "Have they scolded you any less all these years?"

Chu Yi didn't make a sound, squatting on the ground hugging his legs, his chin resting on his knees.

Yan Hang tilted his head to look at his eyes. He wasn't crying, just in a daze.

It was good he wasn't crying.

Yan Hang didn't say anything more, just squatted across from him and watched.

Chu Yi seemed to have returned to that state in his memories. It made Yan Hang even more distressed than the Chu Yi in his memories, because at that time, Chu Yi had already accepted the reality of his life. He could seal himself off to withstand all the blows and horrors.

But the current Chu Yi could no longer return to that previous mindset of calmly accepting everything.

He had become stronger, but also more fragile.

"Let's go back first, then think about what to do." Yan Hang reached out and gently poked his chin, suddenly discovering that looking at him like this, Chu Yi's legs were indeed quite long.

"Mm." Chu Yi responded but didn't move.

Yan Hang stood up and waited for him on the side. After a while, Chu Yi slowly stood up too.

"Let's go," Yan Hang put an arm around his shoulders. "I'll go grab two more tubes of toothpaste and some laundry detergent."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

After getting everything and paying, they walked out of the supermarket. Chu Yi didn't say a word the whole time, a bit absentminded.

"Let's get a taxi." Seeing him like this, Yan Hang figured he probably wasn't in the mood to stroll back.

Chu Yi nodded.

Yan Hang had to flag down three taxis before one finally stopped. He put the things in the front passenger seat and sat in the back with Chu Yi.

As the car drove off, Yan Hang sighed softly and glanced out the window.

There were still a few people standing by the roadside hailing taxis. Good thing they got one first.

Otherwise...

Yan Hang saw a figure flash by behind the people hailing taxis, then disappear into the crowd.

It was dark now and crowded in front of the supermarket. He didn't see very clearly, but that gait of slightly tiptoeing on the left foot made him suddenly think of the person he saw at the restaurant today.

Was he seeing things?

Overreacting again?

Back home, Chu Yi still wasn't talking, sitting on the sofa in a daze.

Yan Hang went to take a shower. When he came out, Chu Yi had changed from sitting to sitting cross-legged, still looking a bit gloomy.

"Actually, it's not a big deal," Yan Hang sat next to him. "If you don't want to make this call, then don't. If you're worried, then call and ask. What's there to be afraid of getting scolded? You're Brother Dog now."

Chu Yi smiled a little.

"Some things, the more you dwell on them, the more scared you get," Yan Hang said.

"I'm afraid they'll tell me to go back," Chu Yi said.

"Then it's the same. If you want to go back, go back. If you don't want to, then don't. If you really have to go back, it's just for a day or two," Yan Hang said. "You still have classes."

"I..." Chu Yi raised his head to look at him.

"What is it?" Yan Hang got up and took a bottle of iced red tea from the fridge and handed it to him.

He didn't want to go home.

He didn't want to see Grandma and Mom. He didn't want to see Grandpa. He didn't want to see that home where everything exuded decay and hopelessness.

But what he wanted even less was... to be apart from Yan Hang.

Chu Yi squeezed the bottle of iced red tea over and over. He didn't know why, but he suddenly thought that if he went home, he wouldn't see Yan Hang for a few days, and he felt a rush of panic.

Although here now, it wasn't like he could see Yan Hang every day either. Sometimes he wouldn't see him for a week.

But it felt completely different.

It was as if he would be instantly thrown back to the old days, those days of constantly facing various Little Li's barbecues, days when his heart was never at ease.

He felt that he was a bit magical, and the points of worry and fear would suddenly go astray.

For example, he was now actually worried that if he went back and returned again, would Yan Hang suddenly disappear.

For example, he didn't know if he himself had "a little something" for Yan Hang, but he would worry if others had "a little something" for Yan Hang...

His brain seemed to often not work very well.

"Hey," Yan Hang kicked him, "What are you thinking about?"

"Zhou Chunyang said..." Chu Yi turned his head to look at Yan Hang.

After saying the three words "Zhou Chunyang", he was shocked to find that his point was actually still continuing to go astray, having already gone astray from whether or not to call home to here.

"Zhou Chunyang?" Yan Hang frowned slightly, "What does Zhou Chunyang have to do with this?"

"Zhou Chunyang, he, he said, said he," Chu Yi stopped. Every time this happened, he wanted to take off his tongue and put it on his leg to smooth it out properly. "Said he... likes you."

"What?" Yan Hang probably didn't react.

"He likes you." Chu Yi said.

"Oh," Yan Hang responded after a while, "I guessed it."