Standing in the hallway as punishment for an entire class period, Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin chatted, held hands, and exchanged flirtatious glances. In the middle of it all, Xia Wei came peeking through the back door and gave each of them a kick.

Back in the classroom during the break, Gu Zhuoyan opened an unread message from Lu Wen: 'Bro, how are things on your end? You haven't been dumped by your little neighbor, have you? If you're well, I'll be at ease.'

He really didn't want to deal with this guy, so he tossed his phone into his schoolbag without replying.

During the lunch break, Zhuang Fanxin and Gu Zhuoyan sat together, catching up on their biology worksheets. He had a lollipop dangling from his mouth, and when checking the answers, he exhaled a puff of lemon-scented air. Gu Zhuoyan sniffed and turned his head to look. The sun was at its brightest just then, and Zhuang Fanxin, one cheek puffed out, was bathed in the sunlight. His eyelashes were long and distinct, once again giving him a bit of a mixed-race look.

"Fanxin, you're so pretty."

The tip of his pen poked a hole in the worksheet. Zhuang Fanxin asked, "If Yu Yao were especially pretty, would you like him?"

'If I don't answer this well, he'll probably go crazy again.' Gu Zhuoyan said cautiously, "I care about looks, but not only about looks. Just like how I like that you're good-looking, I also like your personality, and your talent. Everything about you is especially moving to me."

Before he could even close his mouth, Zhuang Fanxin shoved the lollipop into it, disgusted by his corniness.

Gu Zhuoyan held Zhuang Fanxin's half-eaten lollipop in his mouth, a tingling numbness spreading up from his tailbone. He was suddenly a little dazed. "Damn, I get a reaction just from looking at you like this?"

Zhuang Fanxin's cheeks flushed bright red. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

His shock was mingled with the shyness of a virgin, and hidden within his shyness was the joy of being adored by his partner. He couldn't help but glance at Gu Zhuoyan's crotch, then said in disappointment, "So flat. Did you only grow taller?"

Gu Zhuoyan snapped another pen in half. "...I was fucking talking about my back!"

Bzz. Gu Zhuoyan reached behind him; it was his phone vibrating in his schoolbag. He ran out of the classroom with his phone. The little corner had a security camera, so he hid in the corner of the top-floor stairwell.

Zhuang Fanxin followed him out and sat on the steps to act as a lookout.

"Hello?" Gu Zhuoyan leaned against the wall. The call was from Xue Manzi. She was probably on a break too, and her tone was soft. "Mommy isn't disturbing you, is she? Have you had lunch?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "I have. Char siu bao and beef noodle soup."

He still hadn't called her 'Mom', unsure if this call was a friendly one. Xue Manzi said, "It's gotten windy and cold back home. Don't catch a cold in Rong City. Take care of yourself."

Gu Zhuoyan replied, "I'm doing fine."

He spoke casually, maintaining his usual stubborn and distant attitude, then seized the opportunity to add, "It's warm here. I don't even feel like coming back for Chinese New Year."

Xue Manzi laughed on the other end. "Are you still mad at us?"

Gu Zhuoyan wasn't planning to settle things in one go, lest his mom get suspicious, and he couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush any longer. "You're incredibly busy, why call me in the middle of the day? Is something up?"

Xue Manzi said, "Lu Wen is back, he went back to school today. At noon, your Uncle Lu treated us to a meal. He wanted to thank you for taking care of Lu Wen all this time and asked me to make sure I told you."

"Oh." Gu Zhuoyan got a headache just thinking about that unlucky bastard. "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. It's not convenient to talk on the phone at school."

"Zhuoyan," Xue Manzi suddenly called out.

He paused. "What is it?"

Xue Manzi said, "Christmas is this month. I've prepared gifts for you and Baoyan."

Gu Zhuoyan replied, "Then just send them via SF Express."

After the call, Gu Zhuoyan walked down the steps and sat beside Zhuang Fanxin. The harmony of his family was entirely dependent on Zhuang Fanxin's supervision, so he took the initiative to report, "We didn't fight. My mom said she's sending me a Christmas present, and I didn't refuse. A perfect picture of a kind mother and filial son, right?"

Zhuang Fanxin grinned. "Are you happy then?"

'Happy about what?' Gu Zhuoyan said, "I don't like celebrating Christmas. Back home, we never celebrated it at all."

His mouth snapped shut. Zhuang Fanxin asked why. Gu Zhuoyan said, "They were busy. When I was little, I always spent Christmas by myself. I believed in Santa Claus until I was ten because they told me this holiday was meant to be spent with Santa Claus, while they had to work."

"You must have been so disappointed." Zhuang Fanxin struggled to put an arm around Gu Zhuoyan's broad shoulders, his heart aching for him.

Gu Zhuoyan said, "It was alright. I got used to it. On that day, I would usually study or play games. I would never go out on the streets to join the crowds."

They sat on the steps until the lunch break ended. Gu Zhuoyan talked a lot, saying that throughout the year, he saw his parents less than the nanny and the driver. Sometimes, he would be feeding birds on the lawn and see Gu Shibo's car drive by, and he'd greet him like a mere acquaintance. Another time, Xue Manzi went swimming with him but was called away by a phone call before she even got in the water.

"That time you called me when you got to Los Angeles," Gu Zhuoyan said, "I was actually sitting by the fountain in front of the building. What you said made me feel guilty, so I went back inside the building and called out 'Dad'."

Zhuang Fanxin stared blankly at Gu Zhuoyan, stunned and bewildered. It took him a long while to react. "Are you talking about your house or a park..."

Gu Zhuoyan burst out laughing. He threw an arm around Zhuang Fanxin, pulling him into an embrace. "Marry me in the future, and I'll let you live in a big house."

Even after returning to the classroom, Zhuang Fanxin was still in a daze. Halfway through class, he foolishly said to Qi Nan, "Desk-mate, I might live in a big house in the future." Qi Nan pinched him under the desk. "You already live in a small villa, what more could you want?"

Zhuang Fanxin covered his mouth. "The kind with a lawn and a fountain." Qi Nan's heart was put at ease. "Oh, so you're going to live in a park. It can't be that miserable, can it?"

Back home in the evening, Zhuang Fanxin was on the balcony washing sea glass. He was squatting, his phone propped up on a stool and playing a movie. Only ten minutes in, a friend notification popped up at the top of the screen. He ignored it, but then Pei Zhi called him directly.

"Brother?" A Schrödinger's form of address, only used when he felt guilty or wanted something.

Pei Zhi said, "My grandmother and Professor Sun Hai are jointly holding an art exhibition. The premiere opens this month."

Zhuang Fanxin had heard Zhuang Xianyang mention it; preparations had been underway since before he went abroad for his competition, and Zhuang Xianyang had always regretted being unable to participate. He said, "I heard the exhibition is going to be grand, and it's even leading into an art festival. Grandma is amazing!"

Pei Zhi said, "Many guests will be there on opening day—about forty or so artists from home and abroad, as well as the media. The premiere is stipulated to not be open to the public. But..."

Zhuang Fanxin caught his drift. "Brother, I love you."

Pei Zhi's laughter came through the phone. "The volunteers there are all top students from the Art Academy. I applied for a spot, and if you're interested, I can help you apply for one too. But you'll have to come and help out every afternoon before the opening. The opening is on the 25th, so if you come, you won't be able to have a date with Gu Zhuoyan. After all, that day is—"

Zhuang Fanxin said excitedly, "I can go! Gu Zhuoyan doesn't like Christmas. I was just worrying about how I was going to spend it!"

"How could he..." Pei Zhi paused for a few seconds. "Alright then, I'll spend it with you."

Although the volunteer work was unpaid, the things he would see and learn were immeasurable. Zhuang Xianyang and Zhao Jianqiu were very supportive and helped Zhuang Fanxin request leave from school.

Zhuang Fanxin would leave school every day at noon, riding his bicycle to the art gallery to take inventory of artworks, check procedures, and coordinate the backup exhibition. After a week, he had used up an entire pocket notebook.

After PE class, back in the classroom, Gu Zhuoyan went to the front of the room to get some water. As he passed the third row, he instinctively grabbed Zhuang Fanxin's cup. It had become second nature; he kept forgetting the other boy wasn't there.

He had been going home from school by himself all week. Zhuang Fanxin returned at various times, early or late, so it wasn't easy to run into him. He tried to have some time for just the two of them by offering tutoring sessions, but that guy would be so tired he'd fall asleep within five minutes, his little snores even more rhythmic than the theme from Kikujiro's Summer.

Gu Zhuoyan felt like a left-behind child, or an empty-nester.

The water dispenser was next to the window, which looked out onto the street outside the school. Christmas carols were already being played out there. After getting his water, he sat down in Zhuang Fanxin's seat, neatly stacked the pile of worksheets, took out a half-eaten bag of crispy noodles from inside the desk, and started eating.

Qi Nan hummed along with the music from outside and called out to everyone, "Yinan's Christmas limited-time offer! Classmates, feel free to place your orders! On Christmas Day, you'll even get a gingerbread man baked by my mom herself!"

Gu Zhuoyan figured Zhuang Fanxin would like that and said, "I'll order one."

Qi Nan did some quick mental math. If his classmates bought something, his mom would give him a two-yuan commission. Even if the whole class went, he'd make less than a hundred yuan. He secretly logged into a game to look at a new skin. "Damn, this is so expensive. Not even a discount for Christmas."

Gu Zhuoyan glanced over. "Spent all your allowance again?"

Qi Nan patted his pockets. "Nah, I'm saving up to buy my deskmate a Christmas present."

"Fuck," Gu Zhuoyan couldn't hold it in. He felt that the relationship between Zhuang Fanxin and Qi Nan was extremely dangerous; it could cross the line from friendship at any moment. He said, "Just get him an apple. That should be fine."

"Of course not!" Qi Nan looked serious. "I gave him a snow globe last year. Inside were two little boys sitting in front of a little house. When you shake it, it snows, and it plays the music from Castle in the Sky."

Gu Zhuoyan's brows were knitted tightly. "Is it necessary for you two to be so romantic?"

Qi Nan said, "But that day is Zhuang Fanxin's birthday."

Gu Zhuoyan froze. The bell rang, but he was too shocked to move. 'Christmas Day is Zhuang Fanxin's birthday? Why didn't he tell me when we talked about it before?'

The Sports Committee Member in the front row turned around and said that every year on Zhuang Fanxin's birthday, everyone would get rowdy and make him go up to sing "Jingle Bells," otherwise they wouldn't sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

Gu Zhuoyan returned to his seat, almost going stir-crazy holding it in for the entire class. As Zhuang Fanxin's boyfriend, he was somehow the only one who didn't know his birthday.

He sent a text under his desk: "What time do you finish tonight?"

Zhuang Fanxin only replied near the end of class: "Not sure, what's up?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "I'll wait for you."

Zhuang Fanxin was very blunt: "No tutoring, don't wait!"

He could no longer tie the other's heart down with studying. Gu Zhuoyan sighed. After school, he went home, took a shower, and walked the German Shepherd back and forth in the alley.

He waited for a full two and a half hours. His phone went off once—it was Zhuang Fanxin in the group chat, reminding everyone to download the listening materials. Close to midnight, Zhuang Fanxin finally turned into the alley on his bicycle, an Oreo McFlurry hanging from the handlebars.

The German Shepherd barked loudly.

"Bond!" Zhuang Fanxin dismounted at the gate and lunged forward in the orange glow of the light. He didn't hug the person, but instead snatched the leash and started roughhousing with the dog, running in circles around Gu Zhuoyan.

Gu Zhuoyan's restraint failed, and he grabbed Zhuang Fanxin abruptly. "Stop worrying about him and look at me first!"

Zhuang Fanxin opened his arms and hugged Gu Zhuoyan, burying his face and nuzzling against him, revealing an unspoken exhaustion. Gu Zhuoyan hugged him back and pulled him into the shadows of a tree. In the darkness, he lowered his head and began to nibble at his temple and the back of his ear.

His left ear grew hot and flushed. Zhuang Fanxin bit his lip, making no sound, his hands clutching tightly onto Gu Zhuoyan's shirt. After a long moment, those thin lips finally released him, only to press close to his ear and ask, "Your birthday is on Christmas?"

"Ah... uh-huh." Zhuang Fanxin tilted his face up. "You found out?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "Everyone knew. You just kept it from me. What are we, just nodding acquaintances?"

Afraid he was angry, Zhuang Fanxin shot up and gave him a peck. "You said that one time that you were never happy on Christmas as a kid, so I didn't tell you."

"You idiot," Gu Zhuoyan said. "I've never liked celebrating Christmas because of my parents, but from now on, I'll like it because of you."

Zhuang Fanxin gazed into Gu Zhuoyan's eyes, afraid that he was just forcing himself. However, it was pitch-black, and he couldn't see anything clearly. Gu Zhuoyan rubbed the back of his head and remarked, as if in wonder, "So that means you're not even seventeen yet."

Zhuang Fanxin said, "I'm still in a puppy love relationship with you." With just those few words, his tone was as firm as if he were making a vow of eternal love. Then, he suddenly lost his nerve and turned his head away bashfully. "My right ear... can you kiss it too..."

The two of them hugged under the tree for a long time. Gu Zhuoyan kissed Zhuang Fanxin so much that he nearly fell asleep in his arms. If Zhuang Xianyang hadn't come out looking for him, he might have just thrown him over his shoulder and abducted him.

Zhuang Fanxin was already inside the door. Bond barked an enthusiastic bye-bye.

Gu Zhuoyan walked back to the end of the alley, step by step. He was truly bewildered. How did he end up with such a well-behaved little boyfriend? Just because he'd said he disliked it, the boy wouldn't even mention his own once-a-year birthday.

The lights were on in the house. Gu Baoyan, in her nightgown, was in the dining room eating a late-night snack. When she saw Gu Zhuoyan come in, she called out, "Brother, I video-chatted with Mom!"

"So you did," Gu Zhuoyan said, heading upstairs. "Give Bond some too."

Gu Baoyan shouted, "Mom said she bought Christmas presents—"

"She'll mail them when the time comes. Keep it down, don't wake Grandpa," Gu Zhuoyan said as he went up.

Gu Baoyan pouted and mumbled the rest of her sentence to herself, "—Mom said she's bringing the presents to come see us for Christmas."