It's been a long time. Part 1

Zhuang Fanxin was frozen as if he'd stepped on a nail. A piercing pain climbed from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, severing his meridians and crushing his insides. The lights were a firefly yellow, and nothing could be hidden—not the astonishment, the panic, or the color draining from his face inch by inch. It was all exposed.

Without the slightest warning or preparation, he met Gu Zhuoyan.

Zhuang Fanxin stood stiffly by the screen, his gaze nearly boring a hole through Gu Zhuoyan. What colleague, what Team Leader Cao, what they were supposed to discuss—he knew none of it. He just stood there, staring fixedly at Gu Zhuoyan.

And the same was true for Gu Zhuoyan.

He had never thought he would meet Zhuang Fanxin again. No, he had thought about it. Walking on the street, fantasizing that Zhuang Fanxin would suddenly appear; during class, fantasizing that Zhuang Fanxin would break down the door; on a plane, fantasizing that Zhuang Fanxin would materialize beside him... Like a man possessed, he thought about it day and night. This went on for half a year, a year, or even longer.

Gradually, as time wore on, he came to terms with reality and no longer harbored any illusions. But at this very moment, in China, in the city where he lived, on this ordinary evening, Zhuang Fanxin had burst into his line of sight, completely catching him off guard.

The two of them were locked in a stalemate like this, finding it too difficult to snap back to reality. What lay between them was not a square table and armchairs, but a ten-year blank.

They faced each other like this for a long while. As his emotions gradually subsided, Gu Zhuoyan's fist, clenched tightly under the table, loosened. The intensity in his eyes also faded.

He finally broke the silence: "This is quite a surprise. It's been a long time."

Before Zhuang Fanxin could reply, a waiter knocked and entered, asking, "Excuse me, both guests have arrived. May I take your order now?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "This gentleman is in the wrong room."

His tone was calm and undisturbed, as if the person in the wrong room was just some random stranger. Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but sway. No wonder. So he was the one in the wrong room. He was still watching Gu Zhuoyan, but the other man had lowered his gaze to sip his tea, no longer deigning to look at him.

"...My apologies." He apologized and turned to leave.

Zhuang Fanxin went back behind the screen and stopped, grabbing the carved frame to steady himself. Through the white gauze, he watched Gu Zhuoyan's hazy silhouette. The waiter called to him, asking which room he was supposed to go to. His gaze fixed, he said in a daze, "6037. The one I booked is 6037."

The waiter said, looking troubled, "This room was indeed booked by Mr. Gu. Could you have remembered it wrong?"

Zhuang Fanxin still wouldn't leave. "I didn't remember it wrong. It's 6037, anyway."

Gu Zhuoyan forced himself not to listen to the sounds from behind the screen, but the room was quiet, leaving only the sound of Zhuang Fanxin wrangling with the waiter. While they were still tangled in their dispute, his phone suddenly vibrated. He answered, "Hello? Wen Lin?"

"Brother Yan, I'm sorry," Wen Lin said. "I haven't finished my work from today, and I don't know what time I'll be able to leave."

Gu Zhuoyan said, "It's fine. Work is more important."

Behind the screen, Zhuang Fanxin heard clearly. 'Wen Lin? That assistant, Wen Lin? Gu Zhuoyan and Wen Lin know each other?' He wasn't sure. He let go of the frame and, at the waiter's tactful urging, left the room.

Startled by the sound of the door closing, Gu Zhuoyan turned his head to stare at the screen. The only thing that came to mind was the saying: "the tea cools once the person leaves."

In truth, the person hadn't left. Zhuang Fanxin stood pressed against the wall in the hallway, his mind a complete mess, unable to weigh the pros and cons. His desire to act was born purely out of a surging instinct.

He took out his phone, tapped the screen, and then made a call. "Team Leader Cao? This is Zhuang Fanxin. I just got off the plane... perfect timing, I've called a car for you. Go home and get some rest. Let's reschedule tonight's meeting for another day."

After finishing the call, Zhuang Fanxin leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, just as the waiter approached with the bill. He stopped him abruptly. "What are you doing?"

The waiter replied, "The guest inside wants to pay the bill."

"He hasn't even eaten. What bill is there to pay?" Zhuang Fanxin shooed the man away.

He straightened his collar and smoothed his hair, then pushed open the door and, mustering all his courage, walked back inside. Whether faced with resentment or anger, he was only there to admit his fault and apologize; he would accept whatever embarrassing situation came his way. He just wanted to go in and take another look.

This time, he didn't stop after walking around the screen. Zhuang Fanxin walked all the way to the table, pulled out an armchair, and sat down. Gu Zhuoyan lifted his gaze again. They looked at each other across the lamplit table, slightly stunned.

Zhuang Fanxin forced out an opening line: "You greeted me just now, but I didn't get a chance to reply." He met Gu Zhuoyan's eyes, which were like stars hidden in ink—dark and bright. "So many years have passed in a flash. I hope you've been well."

After he finished speaking, Gu Zhuoyan smiled at him.

The smile wasn't deep, but Gu Zhuoyan smiled for over ten seconds, as if he had heard a really great joke. After another moment of facing off, he asked, "You had an appointment, right? Aren't you afraid of being delayed?"

"Same as you, it was canceled." Zhuang Fanxin quickly adjusted his expression, blending into the harmonious atmosphere. "It's rare for us to run into each other. Since that's the case, shall we eat together? Would you do me the honor?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "Whatever. I don't mind."

Only then did they formally place their order. When a few dishes were brought to the table, the curling steam wafted over them, and some color returned to Zhuang Fanxin's pale face. He had no intention of hiding anything and took the initiative to clarify, "I really wasn't in the wrong room. My assistant told me this was the one. Oh right, his name is Wen Lin."

Gu Zhuoyan looked slightly surprised. Could it be such a coincidence, that Wen Lin just happened to be Zhuang Fanxin's assistant? He found it hard to believe, though it was unclear whether he didn't believe in such a coincidence, or if he simply didn't believe Zhuang Fanxin himself.

"When did you come back to the country?"

"Just two days ago." Zhuang Fanxin extended his left hand to scoop up some tofu. "I submitted my employment documents today. I'll be working in this city for the time being."

Gu Zhuoyan glanced at the watch Zhuang Fanxin was wearing. A wide band was wrapped around a slender wrist, looking somewhat mismatched. Furthermore, the leather was faded, and the hands on the watch face weren't moving at all. Zhuang Fanxin noticed his gaze and pulled his hand back, saying it was something left by an elder, so he always wore it, regardless of its condition.

Left by an elder. Gu Zhuoyan's thoughts turned to Zhuang Fanxin's grandfather; after so many years, the old man had likely passed away. He didn't respond to that comment, instead returning to the previous topic: "Since you immigrated, why come back here to work?"

Zhuang Fanxin said, "Pei Zhi's company needed people, so I came back."

Immigration, returning to the country—they chatted nonchalantly, but in reality, they were treading on the edges of old scars, every word and sentence a former sore spot. But neither of them lost control. With relaxed brows, if one smiled, the other smiled back. They even clinked their teacups together as if they were toasting with wine.

During a lull in the conversation, Zhuang Fanxin casually asked, "You and Wen Lin know each other?"

He speculated: their ages didn't match, so they couldn't be classmates. Maybe they were relatives, or friends from the same social circle of wealthy heirs? Gu Zhuoyan looked at him, his smile light yet charming. "We were here for a blind date."

Zhuang Fanxin almost dropped his chopsticks. His mouth fell slightly open, stunned as if he'd been punched by the words "blind date." After a long moment, he looked down at the soup in his bowl. "A blind date between two men... that's novel."

"It's one of my mom's crazy schemes," Gu Zhuoyan said. "But is your company that busy? He's only been an intern for a few days and he's already working overtime?"

His words sounded rather protective, as if he pitied him. Zhuang Fanxin looked up and smiled. "Since you've brought it up, from now on, I won't let him work overtime, even if I have to do his work for him."

Gu Zhuoyan chuckled, "That's not what I meant. He's still young; it's better for him to get more experience."

Zhuang Fanxin nodded. Wen Lin was indeed young; they themselves were already approaching thirty. 'All these years...' Afraid he might actually drop his chopsticks this time, he put them down before asking, "With your qualities, why resort to a blind date? Haven't you dated anyone?"

Gu Zhuoyan replied, "I have. I can't just get dumped once and stay single forever, can I?"

Zhuang Fanxin immediately said, "Right, right. You always deserved someone better. It was just your bad luck to have met me." He picked up a tender piece of shrimp for Gu Zhuoyan, concealing the trembling of his chopsticks with a joking tone. "Do you hate me?"

"How old are you? Don't be so childish." Gu Zhuoyan ate the shrimp. "But right after you dumped me, I really wanted to slap you."

Zhuang Fanxin leaned forward against the edge of the table, offering his cheek. "Today, you can hit or curse me as you please."

Gu Zhuoyan raised his hand, but just as the slap was about to land, he extended a finger and gave Zhuang Fanxin's forehead a push. "Just eat." Moving past the topic, he asked with perfect nonchalance, "Forget about me. You came back to the country for work, so what about your partner?"

Zhuang Fanxin's smile froze as he looked at Gu Zhuoyan.