“Stop fucking laughing.” Lian Yiming scrambled up from the floor. The doorbell had rung; it was probably the dinner they had ordered earlier.

After all the commotion, they were all hungry. The four of them sat around the dining table to eat, just like they used to at school. Lu Wen couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness, and said with a miserable look, “Next semester, I’m holding a concert in the auditorium at my own expense, and you won’t be there to hear it.”

Gu Zhuoyan frowned, “Your band hasn’t disbanded yet?”

“Fuck, we haven’t even officially debuted, disband my ass.” Lu Wen had harbored a dream of joining the army as a child, but after the military training in middle school, he never mentioned that topic again. Drifting into high school, he gradually developed his dream of being a singer. Relying on his family's wealth, he pulled some guys together to form a band. In the early days when they were short-handed, Gu Zhuoyan had even been his guitarist for a few months.

Su Wang asked, “When are you holding the concert?”

Lu Wen said, “Probably during the National Day holiday!”

School started in September, and the concert was in October. The early stage would require preparation, rehearsals, and practicing songs; basically, he had no intention of studying. Gu Zhuoyan sighed for Lu Wen’s parents, and after sighing, he remembered something. “Then I might be able to hear it.”

There was a math competition at the end of September. If Gu Zhuoyan signed up, he would have to go back to take the exam, which would be just in time to spend the holiday at home. Perfect. Su Wang had asked about the time for the same reason; he had signed up too.

The group of brothers chatted as they ate, the conversation drifting from Lu Wen’s band to Lian Yiming’s new motorcycle. It seemed the topic of Gu Zhuoyan coming out was completely over, ending so neatly it was almost anticlimactic.

They openly discussed the reason for Gu Zhuoyan’s transfer: an accidental coming out that caused a sensation throughout the school, enraging Gu Shibo, and then being sent to Rong City by Xue Manzi. But no one traced it back further—why he suddenly came out, some of the unclarified details at the time—the three of them never mentioned a word.

Since Gu Zhuoyan still wouldn’t talk about it, they, as his best friends, didn't even ask.

In the small villa in the old alley, Zhuang Fanxin was diligently doing his homework in the study, his phone placed to one side. He had actually hesitated when replying to Gu Zhuoyan, because he felt Gu Zhuoyan's three friends were a bit nuts. But they had come all this way, so there was no reason to refuse. This way, Gu Zhuoyan could also relax and clear his head. A win-win.

After finishing all his summer homework, Zhuang Fanxin went back to his bedroom to sleep, but not before playing on his phone for a few hours. The moment he turned it on, it was flooded with unread messages. He had dropped the bombshell in the group chat in the afternoon and then disappeared, leaving everyone hanging.

He couldn’t read through them all, so he just sent: “I’m here!”

Zhuang Fanxin was like a target that had suddenly appeared. A crowd of boys immediately opened fire on him, chewing him out for being unreliable. He lay lazily in his bed and explained, “I didn’t lie to you guys, the transfer student is my neighbor.”

The Class Monitor said: “Your neighbor is an old man, you think we don’t know that?”

Zhuang Fanxin: “The old man’s grandson. I went with him to the school for his exam last week, and we went to Yinan's Time for cake afterward.”

Class Monitor: “Summon the witness.”

Qi Nan immediately came online: “Witness present. My mom told me about it, it’s true.”

Only then did everyone believe Zhuang Fanxin’s scoop. Although the transfer student was real, the fact that he was a boy made him not very appealing. Like poles repel; the group of boys had little interest, and the questions they asked were tinged with a provocative flavor. How tall is he, how are his grades, how many points can he score in basketball, what level is he in games?

Zhuang Fanxin answered one by one: “Visually, 184cm. Full marks in math level. I don’t know about basketball, but he knows fencing and horse riding. As for games, with him leading, even I don’t die.”

Qi Nan: “Are you his paid promoter?”

Zhuang Fanxin: “I’m not making it up, it’s true!”

The group chat fell dead silent. After a long while, someone replied: “Getting sleepy, bye.”

After that, no one else popped up, as if they had all shut down their phones and left. Zhuang Fanxin sent an ‘angry’ emoji and exited the group chat. His finger unconsciously swiped through the chat list and saw that Gu Zhuoyan’s new profile picture was the German Shepherd he had taken a photo of, looking majestic.

Just then, a new message popped up from his head teacher: “Get your hair straightened before school starts!”

Zhuang Fanxin was so scared he dropped his phone on his face. He picked it up and immediately replied: “Teacher, I’m super straight right now, I can send a selfie.”

Xia Wei: “No need.”

“Okay, good night, Teacher.” Zhuang Fanxin let out a sigh of relief, stuffed his phone under his pillow, and quickly went to sleep. He didn't want the head of the department to send him a text this late at night.

In a blink of an eye, it was the last day of summer vacation. Zhuang Fanxin woke up very early. After packing his school bag, he went to the second-floor terrace to hang his freshly washed school uniform out to dry. From here, he could see outside the main gate. Looking up, he vaguely saw a few figures. It was Gu Zhuoyan and his friends.

They had agreed to go out yesterday. Zhuang Fanxin waved, then slung his bag on his back and ran downstairs. When he opened the main gate, the four of them were standing in a semicircle at the entrance, not speaking to each other. It was as if their friendship had shattered overnight.

Zhuang Fanxin and Gu Zhuoyan walked in front. He asked quietly, “What happened to you guys?”

“Nothing,” Gu Zhuoyan said. “We squeezed onto one big bed to sleep last night. I kicked Lian Yiming onto the floor in my sleep, Su Wang got punched by Lu Wen for grinding his teeth, and Lian Yiming, climbing back onto the bed in the dark, pressed on Lu Wen’s balls. That’s about it.”

Zhuang Fanxin suppressed his laughter. “So you’re the only one who’s fine?”

Gu Zhuoyan replied, “I’m not doing too well either. I dreamt that I was leaving Rong City, and it was a rainy day.” He hailed a cab, pulled open the door, and guided Zhuang Fanxin in by the back, saying in a volume only they could hear, “You didn’t come to the airport to see me off.”

He made this up. He had been pondering it since he woke up and brushed his teeth, through breakfast, and during the cab ride over. It had taken him all morning to fabricate this little scene, and he didn’t know how effective it would be.

Zhuang Fanxin was clearly taken aback. He was a little surprised and said, “Shouldn’t the flight have been canceled on a rainy day?”

‘...’ Gu Zhuoyan thought, ‘Fuck, I didn’t make it up well.’

Lian Yiming and the others had a two o’clock flight, so they only had the morning to hang out. Zhuang Fanxin first took them to a few of Rong City’s famous attractions, giving them a brief tour of some old buildings.

After seeing Jiefang Bridge, they stopped at a restaurant for authentic local cuisine, and then wandered near Student's Street. Student's Street was lively day and night, bustling with tourists, with long queues in front of many snack stalls.

Gu Zhuoyan walked side by side with Zhuang Fanxin and said, “It was just as crowded when we were at Temple Street, Hong Kong last year.”

“You have the nerve to bring that up?” Lian Yiming sidled over. “It was my birthday back then, and you just bought me a pair of underwear from Temple Street and called it a day. I thought your family was going bankrupt.”

Bringing up old scores like this was a bit embarrassing. Gu Zhuoyan said magnanimously, “I’ll make it up to you this year. What do you want?”

Lian Yiming said pointedly, “I want the new sneakers. We’ve known each other for over a decade, do you know what size I wear?”

It was a jab on the surface, but an assist in reality. Wasn’t this the essence of brotherhood? Once Lian Yiming ran off to find Lu Wen and Su Wang, Gu Zhuoyan remained silent, glancing at Zhuang Fanxin almost imperceptibly.

Zhuang Fanxin walked with his head down. He wasn’t stupid; of course, he caught the hidden meaning in Lian Yiming’s words. He decided to take this opportunity to make things clear. He stopped and said, “I plan to give you a gift in return.”

Gu Zhuoyan was stunned. “Why?”

Zhuang Fanxin said, “To thank you for the sneakers you gave me.”

Gu Zhuoyan said, “The sneakers were to thank you for the painting. Why are you giving a gift in return?”

“My painting isn’t worth much, but the sneakers are very expensive,” Zhuang Fanxin explained. “I accepted them because I really like them, and it was a kind gesture from you, but I’d feel burdened if I didn’t give you something back.”

It was the first time Gu Zhuoyan had encountered such a situation. He gave Zhuang Fanxin the gift out of sincerity, not as a way to pursue him... Since the topic of gestures had come up, he tried to reason, “The gesture is what’s most important. I like the painting, you like the sneakers, why bother with the price?”

“It’s different.” Zhuang Fanxin looked up, afraid the other might misunderstand that he only liked expensive things. “I’d like anything you gave me.”

A soft light appeared in Gu Zhuoyan’s eyes. Zhuang Fanxin’s words pleased him and also gave him an idea. “But I don’t like just anything. If you insist on giving me something of equal value, I might not like it. How about you get me something I want instead?”

Zhuang Fanxin hesitated for a moment. “What do you want?”

How would Gu Zhuoyan know? He didn’t lack anything. If you asked what he didn’t want, he could list a whole string of things. His gaze flickered to a stall up ahead. He steeled himself and said, “I want underwear. Buy them for me.”

They were surrounded by passing tourists. Zhuang Fanxin and Gu Zhuoyan walked up to the stall, faced with a vast array of men's underwear in all kinds of patterns. Cartoon prints, stripes, solid colors. Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but feel embarrassed, whispering “Are you sure?” for the eight-hundredth time.

Seeing that Gu Zhuoyan had no intention of backing down, Zhuang Fanxin moved closer. “Is black okay?”

Gu Zhuoyan didn’t know what he was thinking. “Okay.”

Zhuang Fanxin asked again, quietly, “Do you like briefs or boxers?”

“...” Gu Zhuoyan divulged a personal detail, “Briefs.”

Zhuang Fanxin picked out a box, which only cost thirty yuan, and Gu Zhuoyan stuffed it into his bag with lightning speed. “We’re even,” Gu Zhuoyan said in a low voice. “Don’t bring up the sneakers again.”

Before heading to the airport, Su Wang suggested taking a group photo. The four of them stood under a lush banyan tree. Gu Zhuoyan had his hands in his pockets, Lian Yiming leaned against the tree, Lu Wen was squatting, and Su Wang was lying on Lu Wen’s back. Once they struck their poses, Gu Zhuoyan handed his phone over, and Zhuang Fanxin took the picture for them.

One horizontal, one vertical. The moment was captured.

The four of them crowded around to see how the photos turned out. They opened the latest one in the album; the lighting and composition were both great. They swiped to the previous one; the vertical version was also good.

Lu Wen accidentally swiped one more time. “Whoa!”

Zhuang Fanxin froze. That photo was of him, taken up close, his hair still curly. If he wasn't mistaken, Gu Zhuoyan had taken it at the hair salon while pretending to take a selfie.

Su Wang started to jeer, “Hey, you two should take a picture together!”

Lian Yiming and Lu Wen pushed Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin under the tree. One camera, three photographers, but their opinions were highly unified: Get closer! Put an arm around his shoulder, we northern guys have to put our arms around each other’s shoulders in photos! Hey... good, say cheese!

The clamor amplified the already stuffy atmosphere. Zhuang Fanxin wiped his sweat. After the photo was taken, he stepped away from under Gu Zhuoyan’s arm and didn’t ask about the candid shot.

There wasn’t much time left. The five of them took two cars to the airport. After getting their boarding passes, they stopped outside the security check queue, looking like they were about to say goodbye.

Unexpectedly, Lian Yiming pointed to a convenience store not far away. “Zhuoyan, can you buy us some local specialties to take back?”

Gu Zhuoyan said, “There are more in the departure hall.”

Lu Wen said resentfully, “Who knows when we’ll see each other again? What’s wrong with you spending a little money on your brothers?!”

Gu Zhuoyan had no choice but to turn and go spend money for his brothers. Zhuang Fanxin thought that some of the local specialties weren't authentic, so he should go with him, but he was pulled back by Lu Wen as soon as he took a step.

In the blink of an eye, Lian Yiming, Lu Wen, and Su Wang had surrounded Zhuang Fanxin, all of them smiling. Zhuang Fanxin grew flustered. He had thought these three were strange from the start. What did this whole setup mean?

“Our friend and neighbor, forgive me for asking,” but the tone was surprisingly gentle. Su Wang asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Zhuang Fanxin replied, “Not yet.”

Lu Wen asked again, “Well, do you want one? Do you long for it?”

Zhuang Fanxin was dumbfounded. “Not really...”

Lian Yiming pushed the other two aside and said, “Gu Zhuoyan doesn’t have one either. Actually, guys understand guys best, so a girlfriend isn’t really necessary.” He reached out and grabbed Zhuang Fanxin by the shoulders. “He gave you sneakers, went with you to get a haircut, and saved your photo. It’s obvious he likes you a lot.”

“He’s a very nice person,” Zhuang Fanxin said politely. “I quite like him too, and his little sister.”

Su Wang said, “Why would you like that girl? Completely unnecessary. Xin, Zhuoyan is very lonely here. He’s spent countless nights getting by only by biting the corner of his blanket. Could you keep him company more, please?”

Lian Yiming added, “He’s not good at expressing himself. If you show him more care, he’ll respond with his actions. In short, please look out for him. At home, you rely on your parents. In Rong City, he’s relying on you!”

With everything else already said, Lu Wen chimed in, “Thanks!”

After this round of conversation, Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but be moved by the friendship between these guys, but amidst the emotion, there was a sense of confusion. He vaguely felt that something wasn't quite right.

Gu Zhuoyan returned with three large bags of local specialties, handing one to each of them. Before he could say anything, they were out of time. There was no time for a sentimental farewell, so simple hugs would have to do.

Lian Yiming was the first to step forward for a hug, reminding him, “Take good care of yourself.”

Su Wang was second, whispering, “We’ll wait for you to come back.”

Lu Wen was last, with a fake sob in his voice, “The little neighbor is really nice. Go for it!”

The three of them waved, took a few steps back to queue for the security check, and gradually disappeared from sight. Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin lingered for a moment before preparing to head home too. Gu Zhuoyan knew that when they had sent him away, the three of them must have laid the emotional stuff on thick with Zhuang Fanxin.

He put on a gentle demeanor and said, “Lu Wen and the others don’t have the best manners, and their upbringing is just so-so. If they offended you in any way, I apologize on their behalf.”

Zhuang Fanxin quickly denied it. “They’re very nice. They’re welcome to come visit again.”

The two of them walked through the airport terminal. Many strangers were parting, just as they had. As the sunlight from outside the airport's glass doors came into view, Gu Zhuoyan suddenly asked, “If there wasn’t a heavy rain, on a sunny day like this, would you come to see me off when I leave?”

Zhuang Fanxin hesitated for a second. He sometimes forgot the fact that Gu Zhuoyan was only staying in Rong City for a year.

“Of course,” he covered his regret with a joke. “We’ll hug then too.”

Gu Zhuoyan took a large step, blocked Zhuang Fanxin’s path, and opened his arms, bending down slightly to hug him. The hair brushing against his cheek was soft, the body under his palm was a bit bony, and he could hear Zhuang Fanxin's rising and falling breaths.

“What are you doing...”

Gu Zhuoyan was like a gentle big-tailed wolf. “I’m practicing.”