Unlike last time, Lu Wen came dragging a suitcase this time.

Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin were both stunned and hurried over. His usual boisterous nature was completely gone. Lu Wen watched them quietly, his tone exceptionally heavy: "Brother, little neighbor, I'm here again."

He hadn't made a sound during the group chat a few days ago, and then there was that ambiguous Moments post. Gu Zhuoyan asked, "What happened to you? How did you get hurt?"

Lu Wen said, "I got into a fight with the guys from my band."

Gu Zhuoyan flared up at once. "You fucking fed them and gave them drinks, and this is how they treat you? And then? You just ran straight here?"

Lu Wen dodged the question. "I didn't book a hotel."

Gu Zhuoyan put his arm around him and took him home, not feeling at ease letting this guy stay in a hotel by himself. Zhuang Fanxin helped drag the suitcase, feeling quite apprehensive. Among his friends, Qi Nan was the most unreliable, but that was just being addicted to pay-to-win games. How could he compare to Gu Zhuoyan and his friends, who came out of the closet publicly and got into group fights? Each one of them was so fierce.

Settled in the guest room, Lu Wen leaned against the headboard like a prodigal son, while Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin sat beside him like his two esteemed parents. "Let's hear it," Gu Zhuoyan began. "What exactly happened?"

Lu Wen said, "I had a falling out with my dad. I skipped class this afternoon and ran away from home."

Gu Zhuoyan was a bit dazed. "Didn't you fight with your band? What does your dad have to do with it?" For a rare moment, he felt a bit intimidated. "Brother, even my dad can't beat your dad. Why would you hit a rock with an egg?"

Lu Wen looked like he was about to cry. "Weren't there mid-term exams? I didn't do well, so my dad gave me a beating." He lifted his shirt, revealing some bruises on his body. "I can endure a beating. I can also endure him forcing me to study. But he actually disbanded my band."

"And then you had a falling out with him?"

"Of course. He has absolutely no respect for my dream." Lu Wen gritted his teeth. "He said that as long as my band existed, I'd never get into college. Does he think I can get in just because he disbanded the band? I think it's still a long shot."

Zhuang Fanxin almost laughed. Afraid he wouldn't be able to hold it in, he tore open a bag of chips to occupy his mouth. Gu Zhuoyan said, "It really takes two to tango in this matter. If your band was solid, how could your dad break it up?"

Lu Wen felt very wronged. "He cut off my card. I have no money. It fucking disbanded on its own without him needing to do anything." All along, they had only messed around with him for his money. He understood that, and everyone understood that, but it was still hard to take when the day actually came.

Zhuang Fanxin, who had wanted to laugh just a moment ago, now wanted to cry with him. He patted Lu Wen's shoulder. Lu Wen's build was similar to Gu Zhuoyan's, and he plunged his head down, about to rest it on Zhuang Fanxin's shoulder.

Watching them, Gu Zhuoyan probably understood how Zhuang Fanxin felt when he discovered his private contact with Pei Zhi. He asked, "So what's the deal with the fight?"

"I was so angry I went to find them. We argued a bit and then started fighting." It was one against three. If it weren't for the injuries on his body affecting him, Lu Wen wouldn't have gotten wounded. "My dad was at a parent-teacher conference, so I ran."

Gu Zhuoyan's brows were knitted with worry. "What about school? Won't it be exposed on Monday?"

"The sister of Su Wang's dad's secretary is a surgeon. She helped get a leave of absence note for ten days. Su Wang will give it to the teacher on Monday. Lian Yiming booked the plane ticket." Lu Wen said, "But here in Rong City, brother, little neighbor, I'll have to trouble you two lovebirds."

Gu Zhuoyan sighed. "Beaten black and blue, and you still ran all this way."

Lu Wen laughed. "You liked my post. I figured you missed me too, so I came."

After Lu Wen had roughly explained the situation, Gu Zhuoyan called his classmates from the fencing department and asked them to find those band members. Getting revenge wasn't the point; if Lu Wen's dad asked about anything, they shouldn't spill the beans about the fight.

"Does it hurt?" Zhuang Fanxin helped Lu Wen apply medicine. "Your dad hits this hard?"

When Lu Wen's dad was young, he attended a military academy in Russia. After getting married, he was stationed in the army and couldn't even come back when Lu Wen's mom gave birth. Lu Wen's mother died during a difficult childbirth. His dad later left the army to go into business and never served again. He hasn't remarried all these years.

After applying the medicine, Lu Wen took a box of pastries out of his suitcase. "Su Wang asked me to bring you this Phoenix Pastry. It's from an old, established brand, a Diaoyu Islands special supply. He said he wishes you a blissful union."

Gu Zhuoyan came in after finishing his call. "Ming-zi gifted 999, Su Wang sent celebratory cakes, what about you?"

"Didn't I come in person to congratulate you?" Lu Wen grabbed Zhuang Fanxin's hand. "Little neighbor, I feel at ease leaving Zhuoyan to you. If he bullies you... I can't beat him either, so if it really comes to it, just call the police yourself."

The three of them gathered in a circle to eat the Phoenix Pastry, scattering crumbs all over the bed. After it got late, Zhuang Fanxin went home. Gu Zhuoyan and Lu Wen lay side by side on the bed. Lu Wen raised his phone, took a selfie of them together, and sent it to the group chat to let them know he was safe.

Su Wang advised, "Go do some sightseeing on your own. Don't be a third wheel for them."

Lu Wen rolled over and hugged Gu Zhuoyan. The two tall guys, both over 1.8 meters, snuggled against each other, muscle against muscle, but the words he spoke were very soft. "Zhuoyan, there's another reason I came to find you."

"Speak."

"You had a falling out with your dad, came to Rong City, and then found love. So I had a falling out with my dad and came to Rong City too. What if..."

Gu Zhuoyan was worried sick. "Even your supplementary card has been cut off. Can you just not think about love?"

Lu Wen instantly deflated and let go. He believed this low point was only temporary; sooner or later, his dying embers would reignite.

The sun didn't come out for the two days of the weekend, and the sky was a grayish-blue. Lu Wen was afraid his dad would come charging over, so he was on pins and needles and didn't dare go anywhere. He stayed cooped up in the room playing games with Gu Zhuoyan. Among the four of them, Lu Wen was the best at games because when others were playing, he was also playing, and when others went to study, he was still playing.

"I have school tomorrow. What will you do?" Gu Zhuoyan asked.

Lu Wen said, "Write songs."

"..." Gu Zhuoyan sighed. His essays often went off-topic, and he wanted to write songs.

Of course, Lu Wen was just saying that. In the songs he wrote, half of every ten lines of lyrics were "Oh... yeah..." On Monday, when Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin went to school, he followed Xue Maochen around Rong City on a tour, hitting up all the major and minor attractions and good eateries.

With Lian Yiming and Su Wang covering for him, the week was calm and peaceful. There wasn't even a single phone call from home. After taking in the beautiful scenery of Rong City, on Friday night, the three of them squeezed together on the garden's swing chair, enjoying the breeze.

It had been a full seven days. If Lu Wen's dad had just gone to check at Su Wang's or Lian Yiming's house, he would've known he had run away. This meant his dad hadn't looked for him at all these past few days.

The atmosphere was a bit somber. Gu Zhuoyan had wanted to persuade Lu Wen to go back to school soon, but now was not a good time to bring it up. Zhuang Fanxin took the initiative to ask first, "Where else do you want to go? I'll go with you tomorrow."

Lu Wen wasn't in high spirits. "I've already seen all of Rong City. There's nowhere else."

Gu Zhuoyan suggested, "How about we play some games then?"

"We've almost beaten it. It's boring." Lu Wen gazed at the night sky. "I've never met my mom. When I was little, my dad would hold me and we'd look at the stars. He said the brightest one was my mom."

He lowered his head. "I'm not looking anymore. If my mom knew I was messing around so foolishly, she'd probably be too angry to even shine."

Gu Zhuoyan said, "Let's not think about that. We'll go out tomorrow to take your mind off things. Both of us will go with you. You've seen all of Rong City... what about Xiamen? That what-island?"

"Gulangyu Island!" Zhuang Fanxin said. "I'll book the train and ferry tickets. We'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Lu Wen looked at them gratefully and, being tactful, made an excuse about packing his things and went inside. Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin leaned against each other, watching the stars. A phone rang. Pei Zhi had sent a message asking Zhuang Fanxin what time they should meet tomorrow; his grandmother had brought back a gift from Shanghai.

Zhuang Fanxin had forgotten about this. He told Pei Zhi they were going to Xiamen to have fun tomorrow because Gu Zhuoyan's friend had come. Pei Zhi replied with a 'sweating' emoji: "You two are so lovey-dovey. What was that friend of yours thinking, wanting to hang out with you two?"

Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin exchanged a look. It was true. Zhuang Fanxin replied, "Why don't you come too?"

Afraid that Pei Zhi would be unwilling, Zhuang Fanxin described Lu Wen's situation with some embellishments. Gu Zhuoyan added to the drama from the side, and only then did they coax Pei Zhi into nodding in agreement.

The next day, before the sky had brightened, the driver took them to Rong City South Railway Station. Once everyone was there, Zhuang Fanxin introduced Pei Zhi and Lu Wen to each other. Pei Zhi was still drowsy. He reached a hand out of his pocket, his voice a little thick as if just waking from a dream.

"Hello, Pei Zhi."

"Hello, I'm Lu Wen."

Lu Wen reached out to shake his hand. His own hands had thick calluses from playing the guitar, so his grip was light. He looked up and saw Pei Zhi smiling casually, his eyelashes fluttering in the faint sunlight. He felt a bit awkward. The bruises on his face hadn't completely faded, and he didn't like meeting strangers who were excessively good-looking.

The train started, and beautiful scenery flashed by. After getting off the train, they boarded a boat. They couldn't get seats on the ferry, so the four of them held onto the railing, looking out at the sea and feeling the breeze.

Gulangyu Island is small, but it has over three hundred roads, even more winding than the hutong alleyways of the north. Zhuang Fanxin and Pei Zhi had come two years ago to sketch, and they both got sunburnt red, peeling a layer of skin after they returned. It was Gu Zhuoyan and Lu Wen's first time. They saw a vendor with a shoulder pole selling mulberries and each bought a box. They even video-called, livestreaming the entire Gulangyu Island trip for Su Wang and Lian Yiming.

There were many slopes on the island. Zhuang Fanxin's legs grew sore from climbing, and he squatted down at the base of a wall. A black and white cat came over and lay down at his feet. His petting made the cat meow and cry out, which in turn attracted two free-roaming dogs.

Here, when the sun was strong, you could hide under a tree. When you were tired, you could rest. All thoughts of homework, exams, and complicated problems were cast aside. The architecture and the sea, the fields of flowers, the young couples coming and going for wedding photoshoots—everything was brightly colored.

It was already afternoon when they came out of Shuzhuang Garden. There were lively little bars along the way. They found a booth to eat and drink beer. The stage was empty, and anyone who wanted to could go up and perform. Lu Wen was eager to try, and he went up and belted out a rendition of "The Day Doesn't Know How Dark The Night Is".

He started in too high a key, and his voice cracked, sounding like someone was squeezing his balls.

Zhuang Fanxin remembered video-chatting with Gu Zhuoyan during the competition in Los Angeles, when the other boy went on stage with a guitar slung over his shoulder to show him. Looking back, it was so fucking romantic. He bumped Gu Zhuoyan's leg under the table. "Boyfriend, I want to see you go up."

Gu Zhuoyan was enjoying his food. "I don't like to sing."

Zhuang Fanxin didn't force him, since he didn't like to either. He lowered his head to eat his steak. The spot beside him emptied, and Gu Zhuoyan wiped his mouth and stood up. "Then let me do something else for you."

Lu Wen came back. Gu Zhuoyan went to the front of the stage empty-handed, moved the mic stand to the piano in the corner with one hand, and sat down. Zhuang Fanxin froze, knife and fork in hand, and said in astonishment, "Gu Zhuoyan knows how to play the piano?!"

Lu Wen said, "He only knows one song. He was forced to practice it for a school performance in our first year."

The sound of the piano began. Gu Zhuoyan sat ramrod straight, giving a slight nod, his ten fingers skillfully pressing the keys. This was the only song he knew. Back then, he had practiced it so much he wanted to drop out of school. It was Joe Hisaishi's "Kikujiro's Summer".

He accidentally played a wrong note. Gu Zhuoyan smiled apologetically, turned his head to the microphone, and shirked responsibility, "This piano isn't very good."

Zhuang Fanxin stared without blinking, completely captivated. The melody, Gu Zhuoyan's smile, Gu Zhuoyan's confident complaint about the piano, Gu Zhuoyan looking up to meet his gaze... It was like being in a vortex; everything felt surreal.

There was a vase of small daisies on the piano. After finishing the lighthearted piece, Gu Zhuoyan casually pulled one out as he came off the stage. Everyone was watching him, and under their gazes, he walked back to the booth and offered the flower to Zhuang Fanxin.

Some people whooped and hollered, others clapped. They had been exposed as a same-sex couple.

Zhuang Fanxin took the flower. His head was hot, his heart and lungs were hot. He was timid and easily embarrassed, but nothing could overcome the throb of emotion in that moment. Before Gu Zhuoyan could sit down, he stood up, cupped Gu Zhuoyan's cheeks, and kissed him.

The bar erupted. Pei Zhi raised his camera and clicked away furiously. Lu Wen's sausage clattered onto his plate. "Fuck... you gays are so fucking awesome..."

Pei Zhi heard him and said in a low voice, "Not all of us gays are like this..." After all, no one was in the break room then.

After the commotion died down, Zhuang Fanxin was finally so ashamed he could have crawled into a hole. He stopped eating his steak and drinking his beer. He put on a straw hat and sunglasses he'd bought on the street, hiding his face, and took out a paper to do some English reading.

Gu Zhuoyan lifted the brim of his hat and leaned close to his ear. "Baby, there's something I want to say to you."

Zhuang Fanxin's whole body tensed up, his pores contracting. Baby. Even his parents had never called him that. Just as tears of excitement were about to wet his sunglasses, Gu Zhuoyan said, "The answer to question three should be C."

...His pores opened again. Life was truly full of ups and downs.

Leaving the little bar, they slowly ambled to the area with the most tourists, where many popular online shops were gathered. Gu Zhuoyan and Lu Wen went to buy pineapple cakes. After they were done, they couldn't see Zhuang Fanxin and Pei Zhi. They went into a nearby shop to look for them, and Lu Wen was captivated by the second-hand albums in the store.

He picked up a few, gradually walking over to the cashier's counter. On the counter was a basket of condoms.

When you're out and about, you have to pay attention to safety.

Gu Zhuoyan was pacing outside, just about to call Zhuang Fanxin, when Lu Wen came over, slung an arm around his shoulder, and shoved something into his bag. "What are you doing?" he asked as he dialed.

Lu Wen said, "Brother, you know I love you, right?"

"What the fuck..." Gu Zhuoyan struggled free. "I'm not calling Zhuang Fanxin. I'm calling your dad."

Lu Wen laughed meaningfully and went off, humming a tune, to buy an ice cream cone.

They spent the entire day wandering around Gulangyu Island. As dusk was falling, they passed a red, pointed-roof villa. The four of them went in and booked the only two empty rooms left.

They were the most ordinary standard rooms, but their saving grace was that they were clean, and you could see the distant sea from the window. Zhuang Fanxin collapsed by the window, exhausted, with a piece of seaweed hanging from his mouth, declaring as if he were in a commercial that he knew the taste of the sea.

Gu Zhuoyan couldn't help but laugh. He took out his camera to charge it, and upon opening his bag, he saw a box inside.

Okamoto 0.01.

On it was brazenly written—Passion Erupts, Love to the Point of Hallucination.