Chu Yi was just lowering his head to twist the cap of the iced red tea when he heard Yan Hang's words. His hand, which was gripping the bottle, subconsciously expressed his surprise and suddenly exerted force.

The red tea inside the bottle directly pushed open the cap, splashing out in a short and fat arc, splashing Yan Hang's leg.

"Ah!" Yan Hang was startled and jumped off the sofa, lifting his pant leg and shaking it.

Chu Yi quickly put down the bottle, grabbed two pieces of paper and first wiped the red tea off the sofa. Fortunately, it was a leather sofa and the water didn't soak in.

"I'll change my pants," Yan Hang looked at him, "You're so jumpy."

Chu Yi felt very embarrassed. When Yan Hang went to change his pants, he went to wring out a rag and wiped the sofa again before sitting down with a sigh.

Yan Hang changed his pants and sat back down beside him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Chu Yi rubbed his nose, "How did you... guess it?"

"I wouldn't say I guessed it. Before, I felt he was a bit overly familiar. Later, when you said he was gay," Yan Hang said, "I started thinking in that direction."

"Then you, you..." Chu Yi picked up the iced red tea, surprisingly there was still more than half a bottle left.

"If you want to drink it, just drink it. Don't keep fiddling with it." Yan Hang pointed at him.

Chu Yi took two big gulps and put the bottle down, "Then you..."

"What about me?" Yan Hang said, then narrowed his eyes for a moment, "You're not here to confess for him, are you?"

"Huh?" Chu Yi was stunned for about two seconds before exclaiming, "No! No! No!"

"Oh," Yan Hang was amused by his reaction, "If not then not, why are you shouting."

"I just..." Chu Yi really didn't know how he should express it. He actually just wanted to know Yan Hang's thoughts on this matter, but couldn't find a suitable way to ask.

"I don't have any particular feelings," Yan Hang smiled, "I don't dislike or feel averse to it. I see him as just your classmate, nothing else."

"Oh." Chu Yi nodded, relieved.

A few seconds later, he suddenly discovered that in an inconspicuous corner, there was actually a hint of hidden disappointment.

He had no idea why he felt this emotion or where it came from.

After watching TV for a while, listening to Yan Hang quietly practice interpreting along with the TV, Chu Yi took out his phone.

He wasn't a child anymore, not the little country dog from before who wanted to shrink away and hide from everything.

He was Brother Dog.

The fierce Brother Dog from the countryside.

It's just making a phone call, what's there to be afraid of?

He pulled up his mom's phone number and took a deep breath.

Yan Hang turned his head and glanced at him.

He looked over and Yan Hang smiled at him.

He pressed the dial button and brought the phone to his ear, listening to the dial tone.

After a few rings, the call was answered on the other end.

"Hello." His mom's voice came through.

Upon hearing this "hello", Chu Yi realized that he really hadn't spoken to his mom in a long time. This one short word suddenly made him recall many things, even pulling him back into past memories for a moment.

He was still very familiar with this voice, his mom's usual state - listless, uninterested. Just from hearing her voice, one could imagine the nasolabial folds stretching down to the corners of her mouth.

"Mom," Chu Yi spoke, "It's me."

"Oh, what do you want." There was no surprise in his mom's voice, let alone joy, as if this was his 186th call of the day.

"Is grandma sick?" Chu Yi asked.

"Yeah, she's in the hospital. I was thinking of waiting until we're all dead to tell you in a dream." His mom said.

Chu Yi let out a soft sigh. These words sounded all too familiar.

"Is there anything else? If not, I'm hanging up," his mom said, "I don't have your and your dad's ability to collectively disappear. I've been at the hospital for a day and I'm very tired."

"Is grandma's condition serious?" Chu Yi asked again.

"Not serious, she's still alive," his mom said, "Otherwise, I'll have her call you and ask when she's going to die so you can come back."

Chu Yi didn't make a sound.

His mom also didn't say anything more and directly hung up the phone.

Chu Yi held the phone against his forehead and closed his eyes, feeling stifled all over.

"What's wrong?" Yan Hang asked.

"I might still have to go back." Chu Yi frowned.

"Is your grandma's illness serious?" Yan Hang leaned over, placing his hand on Chu Yi's back and patting it.

"I don't know. The way my mom talks," Chu Yi sighed, "I can't tell."

Yan Hang also sighed along with him, not saying anything.

"My grandpa said," Chu Yi propped his elbows on his knees, head lowered, "To have responsibility, not to be like my dad who runs away whenever something comes up."

"Then what do you think, Brother Dog." Yan Hang looked at him.

"Brother Dog wants to go back and see." Chu Yi turned his face.

"Okay," Yan Hang didn't say anything else. He took out his phone and looked at the calendar, "Once you've decided, don't hesitate. I'll have my colleague book a plane ticket for you..."

"Plane, plane, plane..." Chu Yi was a bit anxious.

"Relax," Yan Hang glanced at him, "Don't worry, it's not too expensive. They can get discounted tickets. Is staying for one day enough?"

"Enough," Chu Yi thought for a moment, then felt another wave of gloom, "Won't be able, to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Who says," Yan Hang smiled, "Whenever you come back, that's when we'll celebrate. The moon is very round these past few days."

The moon tonight was indeed quite round and quite big.

Chu Yi and Yan Hang sat on the balcony, looking at the moon for a long time and even ate two mooncakes.

Chu Yi took out his phone to take a selfie, wanting to capture himself, the moon, and the mooncakes together. He tried for a long time but couldn't succeed. He felt a bit gloomy and looked at Yan Hang who had been laughing beside him, "Have some sympathy."

"I don't." Yan Hang said with a smile.

"I'll give you five bucks," Chu Yi said, "To buy one minute of sympathy."

"Okay." Yan Hang held out his hand.

Chu Yi rummaged in his pocket for a long time but could only find three dollars. He sighed, "Discount?"

Yan Hang took the money from his hand, sat down beside him, and held up his phone with one hand while sticking the mooncake next to Chu Yi's face with the other, "Let me show you how steady Brother Xiao Tian's hand is."

Chu Yi looked at Yan Hang in the viewfinder. Yan Hang is a very photogenic person, no matter how you take his picture, he always looks good.

"Do you want to smile or just stay cool like this?" Yan Hang asked.

"Cool." Chu Yi said.

"Okay, one, two, three." Yan Hang quickly counted and pressed the shutter.

The two of them froze with a cold look.

"Too cool." Yan Hang sent him the original photo, then photoshopped a mask on his own face and posted the photo on Weibo.

"Why, why don't I have a mask?" Chu Yi leaned over to take a look.

"Because you're handsome." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi started laughing, "Aren't you handsome?"

"I'm being modest." Yan Hang said.

"Very convincing indeed." Chu Yi nodded.

Chu Yi didn't sleep very well that night.

He kept dreaming and waking up, but he couldn't remember what he dreamed of or what he thought about when he woke up.

His mental fortitude still wasn't strong enough.

Wasn't it just going home to get scolded?

Wasn't it just being separated from Yan Hang for two or three days?

Wasn't it just... never having taken a plane before?

Yeah, never having taken a plane was the scariest part. How do you get the ticket? What do you do after getting the ticket? Where do you board the plane? How do you find your seat after boarding?

"Come on, come with me," Yan Hang had already washed up and was drinking a bottle of yogurt while talking, "My colleague has already booked the ticket, we'll go get the ticket in a bit and I'll send you to the airport."

As soon as he heard that Yan Hang was going to send him off, Chu Yi immediately felt much more at ease, but then he remembered, "Don't you have to go to work?"

"The flight is at 10:30," Yan Hang said, "I can send you there and make it back in time to start lunch service."

"Oh." Chu Yi got up, picked up his packed bag, and followed Yan Hang out the door.

After picking up the ticket at the hotel and taking a taxi to the airport, Chu Yi always had the illusion that he was going on a trip with Yan Hang.

He would suddenly get excited.

When he remembered that this wasn't a trip and that they would be separated for a few days after arriving at the airport, he would suddenly feel depressed.

After a while, his mind would wander and he would suddenly get excited again, going on a trip!

Then he would come back to his senses and continue to feel depressed.

"What are you thinking about?" Yan Hang asked softly in his ear.

"It, it feels a bit like going on a trip." Chu Yi replied in a low voice.

Yan Hang laughed, "We can go on a trip when I take my annual leave."

"Really?" Chu Yi looked at him.

"Mm," Yan Hang nodded, "You can start thinking about where you want to go now, I should have some free time around the end of the year."

"But I don't have any vacation." Chu Yi said.

"Your crappy school probably doesn't even care if you skip class," Yan Hang smiled, "Just buy a fake doctor's note and take a week off."

The airport was quite big and looked very high-end.

Chu Yi was in a state of a country bumpkin entering the city, with eyes not enough to look around and a brain unable to keep up. He followed behind Yan Hang, looking around. He had to quickly familiarize himself with this environment, as he would have to do it all by himself on the way back.

"Alright, the gate is written on the ticket," Yan Hang handed him the boarding pass, "Later just go in and follow the signs."

"Mm." Chu Yi nodded.

"Go line up, you can go in now." Yan Hang said.

"Oh," Chu Yi hurriedly went to the back of the security check queue, then turned his head to look at Yan Hang, "What about you?"

"I have to go," Yan Hang looked at the time, "I can't go in either."

"Oh." Chu Yi suddenly felt a bit flustered.

"Call me or send me a message when you get in," Yan Hang ruffled his hair, "Also call me when you arrive."

"Mm." Chu Yi responded.

"When you come back, let's go moon-viewing." Yan Hang said.

"Mm." Chu Yi smiled.

As Yan Hang turned to walk out, Chu Yi kept twisting his neck to stare at his back.

Yan Hang was very handsome, his back view looked tall and suave, very eye-catching. The airport was bustling with people coming and going, but he could always see Yan Hang.

When he had walked out twenty or thirty meters, Yan Hang suddenly turned around, made a gun gesture with his hand, and fired a shot in his direction, even mouthing a "bang" sound effect.

Chu Yi was instantly overjoyed, covering his chest and cooperating with an "ah".

The uncle next to him glanced at him nervously, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"No," Chu Yi quickly stood up straight, "No."

It wasn't until Yan Hang had walked out of the hall that he turned back around and slowly moved forward with the queue.

He only had a small bag, so he passed through security quickly. On the way to the gate, he originally wanted to go to the bathroom first, afraid that he wouldn't know how to use the one on the plane, but he was also worried about getting lost and not being able to find the gate. So he first ran all the way to the place to confirm it, before going to the bathroom.

Sitting in the chair waiting to board, he finally caught his breath and felt that he was becoming fashionable.

-About to take off, have to turn off my phone.

Chu Yi's message came through before Yan Hang had returned to the hotel.

-Get some sleep after takeoff, you were tossing and turning all night.

Yan Hang replied to his message, and then the phone from the restaurant rang. It was indeed busy these past few days. Today he had gone out to send Chu Yi off without daring to tell Manager Tang, and could only have Zhang Chen call him immediately if anything came up.

Returning to the restaurant, he didn't even have time to drink water before starting the busy lunch rush.

When lunchtime ended, he finally took out his phone and saw Chu Yi's several messages.

-Flight delayed!

-I've arrived, going to take the airport shuttle bus now, don't know which exit to go out from.

-Followed the crowd and came out.

-On the bus, smooth sailing.

Yan Hang called him.

"Done with work?" Chu Yi quickly answered the phone.

"Mm," Yan Hang laughed, "Are you home?"

"Just got off the bus," Chu Yi's voice was a bit shaky, probably walking and talking at the same time, "Going home first, then to the hospital."

"Mm," Yan Hang said, "Let your mom and them say whatever they want, just listen with one ear, no need to think too much about it."

"Okay." Chu Yi responded.

Actually, he hadn't been away from home for very long. The surroundings hadn't changed at all, except that the temperature was quite a bit lower and he felt a bit cold, everything else was still the same old look he had seen for over a decade.

"Oh, Chu Yi is back?" The owner of the small shop was a bit surprised to see him, "How long has it been since we last saw each other and you've grown taller again?"

"Uncle." Chu Yi smiled.

"Your mom just went in," the owner said, "You came back at quite the right time."

"Grandma..." Chu Yi hesitated for a moment before entering the store. "Two packs of cigarettes, please."

"Your grandma hasn't been doing well lately," the shopkeeper said as he handed over the cigarettes. "She doesn't even argue with people anymore."

Chu Yi didn't say anything. Ever since his father's incident, the whole family seemed to have been drained of all their energy. With him gone, Grandma didn't even have anyone to vent to.

As he opened the door to his home, the familiar musty smell of a place that hadn't seen sunlight for a long time greeted him, mixed with the stale oil smell from the kitchen.

His mother, hearing the door open, walked out from the room. When she saw him, a flash of surprise crossed her face, followed by a furrowed brow. "Here for the funeral? You're a bit early."

"Oh," his grandfather, sitting on the sofa, looked at him in surprise. "Who's this?"

Chu Yi didn't say anything and changed his shoes.

On the coffee table in front of his grandfather was a box of mooncakes, which Chu Yi immediately recognized as the one Yan Hang had helped him send back.

The mooncakes had already been opened, and one of them had been messily cut into pieces. Grandfather was pinching some and putting it into his mouth.

"Is it good?" Chu Yi asked.

"The skin is too thin and too oily," Grandfather said while continuously eating and smacking his lips. "Not as good as the ones from the vegetable market."

"Then later I'll go to the vegetable market and buy some for you." Chu Yi went over and packed up the remaining mooncakes.

"You've grown some guts, haven't you!" Grandfather slammed the table and shouted.

Chu Yi looked at him without saying anything.

"Put it down!" Grandfather shouted again.

Chu Yi reopened the mooncakes.

"You're just asking for it," his mother said from the side. "The hotel's name is printed on the box. You've never eaten mooncakes from a big hotel in your life, and you're talking about the vegetable market? Would my mother let you eat them if she were home?"

"Grandma..." Chu Yi looked at his mother. "Is she in the hospital?"

"Where else would she be, lying on the street?" his mother said.

"Which hospital?" Chu Yi asked.

"I don't know." His mother turned and went into the room, slamming the door, looking a bit irritated.

"Your grandma is most suited for a mental hospital," Grandfather said while eating.

Chu Yi stood in the living room for a few seconds, then turned around, changed his shoes, and went out the door again.

He suddenly couldn't quite understand how he had lived in this home for more than ten years before.

Perhaps it was because of his father's disappearance. The family, who had already been living very depressed lives, had now become even more strange and unbearable.

Chu Yi didn't know whether he should blame Old Ding, his father, or his grandmother, grandfather, and mother, these few people who always lived wrapped in a shroud of doom and gloom.

Actually, he had asked his mother unnecessarily earlier. Grandma's designated hospital was the Third Hospital right next door. Apart from here, she couldn't go to any other hospital.

Chu Yi went directly to the inpatient department, checked the name with the nurse, and asked for Grandma's bed number.

In the past, he would have had no confidence in doing these things. He wouldn't dare to open his mouth or ask people. In a place like a hospital with people coming and going, he would feel inexplicably nervous.

But now, as he walked towards the ward, he suddenly realized that he had really changed a lot.

Perhaps it was because he had just been angered by Grandfather and his mother, or perhaps it was because he had just come from the airport. As a fashionable dog, he actually didn't feel nervous or uneasy.

Grandma looked to be in good spirits, sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, talking loudly in a high-pitched voice.

The objects of her conversation should have been the two other old ladies in the next bed, but those two old ladies were both lying in bed with their eyes closed, looking helpless. One of them even raised her arm to cover her face.

Chu Yi stood at the door for a while. Grandma's state made him not want to enter the ward at all.

"Oh!" Grandma turned her head and saw him. The shock on her face made her eyebrows jump. "Look who it is! I told you about him, my grandson!"

The old lady in the next bed opened her eyes and glanced at the door, snorting. "Please tell your grandmother to stop shouting."

"What are you doing here?" Grandma looked at him. "What an honored guest!"

Chu Yi didn't say anything and walked over to stand by the bed.

"I'm doing well," Grandma said, looking at him askance. "Why did you run back here? Did your aunt tell you the good news?"

"Grandma," Chu Yi bent down to look at her. "Speak properly."

Grandma looked at him, not reacting for a while.

"Have you eaten?" Chu Yi asked.

"No, eat my ass," Grandma said. "Your mother doesn't even have a day off for the National Day holiday. These past few days at noon, I've had to rely on eating air to survive."

"I'll go buy some." Chu Yi said.

There was nothing written on the card hanging at the head of Grandma's bed about needing to avoid certain foods. Chu Yi packed a portion of twice-cooked pork from the restaurant at the entrance and brought it back to the ward.

This time, Grandma wasn't shouting anymore. She sat on the bed, her face drooping, in a daze.

"Eat first." Chu Yi said.

"Have you heard from your dad?" Grandma suddenly asked him.

"No." Chu Yi said.

"They all say he's dead," Grandma said. "Otherwise, why can't the police find him? If he's dead, they can't find him."

"Eat." Chu Yi said.

Grandma took the lunch box and picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks. "The food you got me is better than your mother's. She just wants to starve me to death so she doesn't have to worry anymore."

Chu Yi didn't say anything and leaned against the wall, watching her eat.

After she finished eating, he cleaned up and threw away the trash. He stood by the wall for a while longer, then left the hospital.

He didn't want to go home, and there was nowhere else to go. Chu Yi wandered to the riverside.

Everything was the same as before. Now that the weather had cooled, there was no unpleasant smell by the river. As long as you didn't look at the garbage on the riverbank, it was okay.

His tree hole was also still in its original place, as quiet as before.

He stood in front of the tree hole and touched the edge of the opening. The familiar, slightly warm feeling made his nose a bit sour.

"Look," Chu Yi took out the little coin in its leather jacket from his pocket and pressed it against the opening. "We meet again. You two chat for a bit."

He pressed his face against the opening without saying anything, just staying like that quietly for a while.

He had really grown up. Now, it was a bit of an effort to press his face against it. He smiled.

After staying by the river for an afternoon, when it was almost time for dinner, he went and packed a braised pork rice and brought it to the hospital room.

This time, Grandma didn't speak in a sarcastic tone, but her mood wasn't very high either.

Although he hadn't seen her for a long time, Chu Yi could feel that Grandma's mental state wasn't as good as before.

"That school of yours," Grandma asked while eating, "do they assign jobs after graduation?"

"No," Chu Yi said.

"Then where will you work? Find a job yourself?" Grandma asked.

"Mm," Chu Yi responded.

"You're a stutterer. Fat chance you'll find a job on your own," Grandma frowned. "Useless, can't even get into a school that assigns jobs."

His return flight was early the day after tomorrow. He originally thought he could stay home for a whole day, but unexpectedly, in just half a day, he was already feeling a bit irritated.

Tomorrow he planned to spend the day at his paternal grandparents' place, then go directly to the airport the day after.

For some reason, when he usually went a week without seeing Yan Hang, it wasn't too unbearable. But now, strictly speaking, not even half a day had passed, yet he started missing Yan Hang.

Missing him to the point of feeling a bit anxious and unsettled, pacing back and forth by the river, unable to calm down at all.

He managed to wait until Yan Hang got off work, then called him right on time.

"Mutt," Yan Hang answered the phone with a laugh.

As soon as he heard that voice, Chu Yi felt grounded, and plopped down on the stone bench beside him. "Are you off work?"

"Just got out, haven't even changed out of my uniform," Yan Hang said. "How are things on your end?"

Chu Yi clearly knew Yan Hang was asking about the situation at home, but upon hearing "how are things," his answer still went off track. "I miss you so much."

Yan Hang was stunned for a moment before laughing, "It's only been a short while. Missing me so much you're not even stuttering anymore?"

Chu Yi suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

This reflexive response, this yearning that even surprised Yan Hang a bit.

Certain emotions he had never paid attention to suddenly surged forth.

He didn't even have time to think carefully before feeling his body stiffen a bit.

"Why aren't you talking?" Yan Hang asked.

"I... I don't know," when Chu Yi spoke again, his voice carried an uncontrollable tremble. "I'm a bit... scared."