The summers in Rong City were especially hot. Zhuang Fanxin, wearing an apron, had been stuffily cooped up in his room painting for four hours without moving. Suddenly, he heard a burst of energetic barking, so loud it sounded like it was right outside his door.

Zhuang Fanxin put down his palette and looked out from the balcony. Outside the main gate, an old man was walking past with a German Shepherd. The old man's surname was Xue, and he lived alone next door. Zhuang Fanxin took the initiative to greet him, calling out, "Grandpa Xue."

Xue Maochen stopped and waved at Zhuang Fanxin. "Xiao Zhuang, come down and play!"

Zhuang Fanxin dashed downstairs in a flash, crossed the small garden in front of the building, and came to a stop right at the main gate. Before he could steady himself, he was pounced on fiercely by the German Shepherd. He had loved cats and dogs since he was little, but unfortunately, his mother wouldn't let him keep any.

Xue Maochen sized him up. "Your apron is covered in paint. Painting again?"

Zhuang Fanxin grunted in affirmation, the excitement in his eyes yet to fade. He asked, "Grandpa Xue, are you getting a dog?" The dog looked quite young. "How old is it?"

Xue Maochen said, "Just turned one. He's at that unruly age."

Zhuang Fanxin looked down at the dog's rear. A little male, already neutered. Destined to be single for life. He sympathetically stroked the dog's head and asked again, "Grandpa, what's its name?"

Xue Maochen said, "It doesn't have a name yet, I just brought it back." The old man's face couldn't hide his delight. He squatted down and, as if sharing a state secret, said, "This dog, it's for my grandson. I'm letting him name it."

Zhuang Fanxin looked up at Xue Maochen in surprise. It wasn't his fault. Despite being neighbors for many years, he had almost never seen any of Xue Maochen's relatives. The old man lived alone, had a driver and a housekeeper, and would be gone for two months at a time whenever he traveled. Everyone thought Xue Maochen had been childless in his youth and was now living in an empty nest in his old age.

Xue Maochen shot Zhuang Fanxin a look, calling him a little fool, then pulled a pack of biscuits from his pocket and said, "Xiao Zhuang, here, take this."

Zhuang Fanxin was great in every way, except for being a bit of a picky eater. After taking them, he looked at the words on the wrapper, hoping they weren't chocolate, as he didn't like chocolate.

Xue Maochen said cheerfully, "These are dog biscuits. I'm leaving a pack with you. If the dog ever runs off wildly, you can help me stop it."

'You should have said so earlier.' Zhuang Fanxin smiled sheepishly and put the biscuits into his apron pocket. He looked down at the German Shepherd's limbs. 'If this dog really takes off, can I even catch it? I doubt it.'

He tried to think on the bright side. "Grandpa, once your grandson is here, he should be able to take good care of it, right?"

Unexpectedly, Xue Maochen shook his head. "Hard to say. He's also at that unruly age."

The weather was hot and humid. The old man and the young boy chatted in front of the gate, both flushed and sweating. The German Shepherd couldn't even be bothered to bark anymore, lying in the shade with its tongue out, already half-dead from the heat.

Zhuang Fanxin wiped his sweat and said, "Grandpa, why don't you come to my place for some tea?"

Xue Maochen said, "No need to be so polite. My grandson should be here soon, I ought to get back."

The two families knew each other well, so there was no need for false pleasantries. Before leaving, Xue Maochen patted Zhuang Fanxin's shoulder and said, "Come to our place for dinner tonight? Sister Hu is making nothing but delicious food today. Steamed abalone with minced garlic, sweet water duck, coconut and taro ice..."

Zhuang Fanxin said regretfully, "I don't eat garlic, and I don't eat taro either."

Of the three examples given, he didn't eat two. Xue Maochen gave Zhuang Fanxin's cheek a hard pinch and chided, "Why are you so picky? Look how skinny you are. How come last year's typhoon didn't blow you all the way to Shenzhen?"

The old man's grip was strong. Zhuang Fanxin grunted and covered his face. Before he could even register the pain, he saw the German Shepherd suddenly leap up and bark furiously at a small intersection a dozen meters away.

An SUV turned in. The driver was Xue Maochen's chauffeur. The old man said happily, "They're back!"

Zhuang Fanxin, still covering his face, looked over. The windshield reflected the strong sunlight, making it hard to see clearly, but he could vaguely make out a silhouette. A red shirt, pigtails, holding a Disney backpack. 'This grandson really knows how to dress.'

Two or three meters away, the SUV pulled over and the engine cut out. The "grandson" in the passenger seat jumped out of the car. Only then did Zhuang Fanxin see clearly that it was obviously a little girl of seven or eight.

Xue Maochen hadn't expected his granddaughter to come as well; it was a truly pleasant surprise. Afraid of scaring the child, he carefully took two steps, opened his arms, and scooped her up for a little lift.

The little girl's name was Gu Baoyan. She pouted, taking a long while before shyly greeting him. A single "Grandpa" made Xue Maochen beam with joy, and he started asking her all sorts of questions, seemingly forgetting he had been waiting for his grandson.

Gu Baoyan looked down and saw the German Shepherd running around. "It's the kind of dog my brother likes," she said.

Xue Maochen finally remembered and asked, "Where's your brother?"

Gu Baoyan pointed at the car. "Sleeping in the back."

Just as she finished speaking, the rear car door opened, and a tall boy got out. His head was slightly bowed, making it impossible to see his expression. He closed the car door with one hand, while the other held a pair of headphones and his sister's stuffed toy.

The stuffed toy was a bit deflated, obviously having been used as a pillow for the whole trip, and was now being dangled by its ears. Zhuang Fanxin looked at the boy—shirt, jeans, sneakers. In other words, his entire outfit seemed simple, but nothing he wore cost less than four figures, and his watch likely added two more zeros to that.

He took a small step back. His dirty apron was really not a good look. But just as he retreated, Xue Maochen's large hand stopped him. "Xiao Zhuang, this is my grandson, Gu Zhuoyan."

Zhuang Fanxin had no choice but to respond, "Hi, I'm Zhuang Fanxin. I live right here."

After this introduction, Gu Zhuoyan's gaze fell upon Zhuang Fanxin.

He had watched the clouds from the plane cabin, looked at Rong City's lush trees from the SUV, and taken a nap. When he got out of the car, all he saw was the venomously scorching sun. At this very moment, he saw Zhuang Fanxin, a boy in an apron, his skin very fair, with a splotch of green paint on his exposed forearm.

Gu Zhuoyan's gaze was direct. It moved to Zhuang Fanxin's face, where he saw a pair of beautifully shaped large eyes, exceptionally defined features, and fluffy, curly hair.

His words were even more direct: "Mixed-blood?"

Zhuang Fanxin was taken aback. "Type A blood mixed with Type B blood..."

He raised a hand to touch his face. Only when his hand made contact with his cheek did he remember that the cheek that had been pinched still hurt. In that moment, Gu Zhuoyan walked closer. He was truly tall, enough to block out a patch of sunlight in front of him.

Xue Maochen was still immersed in his joy. He said, "Xiao Zhuang, he's new here. You two are about the same age, so show him around when you have time."

Zhuang Fanxin looked at Gu Zhuoyan and smiled. "No problem. Welcome to Rong City."

Gu Zhuoyan smiled faintly in response, but it was so light and fleeting that it was gone in an instant. He seemed to be in a bad mood and showed no trace of affection for this city.

The car was parked, and the suitcases were unloaded one by one. Xue Maochen asked, "By the way, Zhuoyan, how come Baoyan came too?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "I told her I was going to a Disney summer camp, and she insisted on coming with me."

Only then did Gu Baoyan realize. "Brother, you lied to me?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "Is there a day I don't lie to you?"

Gu Baoyan had a breakdown, jumping to the ground and chasing her brother to hit him. But Gu Zhuoyan was tall with long legs and didn't let his sister get near him. Xue Maochen couldn't stop laughing as he led the dog and followed them, heading home to enjoy some family time.

In the evening, after Zhuang Fanxin finished painting, he went to Xue Maochen's house for dinner as invited. His mother, Zhao Jianqiu, was a famous horticultural designer in the country, so their home was never short of flowers and plants. He picked out a few potted flowers to bring as a gift for the free meal.

There were only a few villas on this old lane, each separated by some distance. Zhuang Fanxin walked slowly, carrying a box, and heard the German Shepherd's barking before he even reached the gate.

The main gate of the Xue Family's house was open. Gu Zhuoyan was in the garden playing with the dog when he caught a figure in his peripheral vision. He looked up and saw Zhuang Fanxin standing by the gate. The angle was very clever; a stretch of sunset clouds was right above Zhuang Fanxin's head, so red that it was hard to tell if his shirt was white or orange. His face was truly defined, the light creating a well-proportioned play of light and shadow, like an oil painting.

Zhuang Fanxin moved his lips. "Can you give me a hand?"

Gu Zhuoyan walked over rather unwillingly and took the box. It was heavy, containing several pots of blooming flowers. He walked to the front of the house and placed the box on the steps. The two of them stood there with nothing to do.

Zhuang Fanxin had just showered. The ends of his hair were not yet completely dry, and his curly hair didn't have much of a wave. Gu Zhuoyan glanced at him and asked casually, "Naturally curly?"

He replied, "It's a perm. It's summer vacation, after all."

After he said that, the atmosphere grew cold again. Zhuang Fanxin said, "I have a tattoo, too. Want to see it?"

He figured someone as cool as Gu Zhuoyan would definitely not be interested, but since he'd already asked, it would be too embarrassing to back down. So, without waiting for an answer, he stepped up onto a stair to get closer, then pulled his collar to the side.

On his thin left shoulder was a small heart tattoo. The lines were very fine, and it seemed to nestle on his collarbone. Gu Zhuoyan lowered his eyes to look. Not only could he see it clearly, but he could also smell the scent of shower gel on Zhuang Fanxin.

Having forced the other to look, Zhuang Fanxin felt a little shy. He squatted down to play with the dog and changed the subject, asking what name had been chosen for it.

Gu Zhuoyan said, "PC39747."

Zhuang Fanxin was taken aback. 'Impersonating a police dog shouldn't be illegal, right?' Just then, Xue Maochen called them in for dinner from inside the house. He beckoned to the German Shepherd and commanded, "PC39727, time to eat!"

He couldn't even remember five digits correctly. Gu Zhuoyan, who had been expressionless all this time, frowned. But who knew that wasn't the end of it. Zhuang Fanxin looked up at him and said, "Xue Baoyan? Dinner."

He managed to get two out of three characters wrong, and even helped him take his mother's surname. Gu Zhuoyan said coldly, "My name is Xue Baochai."

All the way until they entered the dining room and sat down, Gu Zhuoyan's handsome face remained gloomy. Of course, he hadn't been happy since arriving in Rong City. Zhuang Fanxin, on the other hand, had a smile playing on his lips. When the champagne was opened, he even clinked glasses with Xue Maochen.

The dining table was laden with food. Besides the dishes cooked by their housekeeper, Sister Hu, Xue Maochen had also personally baked a pizza.

Zhuang Fanxin sensed Gu Zhuoyan's low spirits, so he didn't bother him and quietly ate his pizza. After dinner, he took Gu Baoyan to the garden to plant flowers, charming the little girl so completely that she almost adopted him as her sworn older brother.

A little later, Zhuang Fanxin washed his hands and headed home, saying goodbye to Gu Baoyan and the German Shepherd at the gate. He squatted down and said, "Little sis, flying is tiring. Go to bed early."

It's a universal truth that little girls like older boys. Gu Baoyan said obediently, "Brother Xiao Zhuang, I'll water the flowers as soon as I wake up tomorrow."

Zhuang Fanxin smiled, then said to the German Shepherd, "PC39787, come find me for some biscuits tomorrow."

Gu Zhuoyan came over to get the kid and the dog, happening to overhear, but he couldn't be bothered to correct anything and just stood to the side with his hands in his pockets. Zhuang Fanxin stood up, waved his hand, and joked, "Baochai, bye-bye."

Gu Zhuoyan asked, "What was your name again?"

Zhuang Fanxin answered, "Zhuang Fanxin. Can you remember it?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "The Fan from 'ordinary,' the Xin from 'heartbroken'?"

Zhuang Fanxin said, "It's the Fan from 'extraordinary,' the Xin from 'happy'."

'So that was his comeback.' Zhuang Fanxin pressed his lips together, a gesture that was both yielding and friendly. The old lamp on the gate wasn't very bright, only illuminating the scene within two meters. He walked backward, and just as he was about to step beyond that two-meter range, he suddenly stopped.

Zhuang Fanxin asked, "You don't remember me at all?"

For a moment, Gu Zhuoyan froze, staring at the other person under the dim light. He did seem a bit familiar. Gradually, a scene from three years ago surfaced in his mind. He had bumped into a boy outside Zhuang Fanxin's house.

It was during the Spring Festival back then. Zhuang Fanxin was heading to the countryside to sketch. He had caught a cold the night before and was dizzy when he set off the next day. He had just walked out his main gate when he ran smack into Gu Zhuoyan, who was passing by.

He was carrying a bulging bag and lost his balance, plopping onto the ground. Then he mumbled dazedly, "—You knocked me flying."

Gu Zhuoyan extended a hand to pull Zhuang Fanxin up, apologized, and even replied, "Who told you to be so skinny."

Zhuang Fanxin just assumed the other was a neighbor from nearby. It was the New Year, and besides, it wasn't intentional. He was in a hurry to leave, so he pulled a bag of candy from his pocket, stuffed it into Gu Zhuoyan's hand, and added a "Happy New Year."

He was gone in the countryside for a week, and by the time he returned, Gu Zhuoyan had already left. He didn't know that was Xue Maochen's grandson, and they never saw each other again. He never expected that they would meet again today, three years later.

After recalling the memory, Zhuang Fanxin asked, "Remember now?"

Gu Zhuoyan chuckled and said, "I remember now."

All things considered, this was his first genuine smile of the day.

Zhuang Fanxin waved his hand. "I'm going home."

He turned and left, the slightly curly strands of his hair trembling in the night breeze, like the tip of a feral cat's tail twitching as it slinks away.

Gu Zhuoyan also closed the gate and went home. In those few steps, the memory became strikingly clear: the boy he'd knocked over, the nasal-sounding "Happy New Year," and what he'd been given...

What candy? What Zhuang Fanxin had stuffed into his hand that year was clearly a packet of cold medicine granules.