Break Your Legs

The luggage was heavy and the weather was cold. Although Gu Qingzhou said he wouldn't lend a hand, he still drove Jiang Xu to the station. All around them were travelers carrying luggage, coming and going, ready to go home for the New Year. It had the feel of the Spring Festival travel rush.

Jiang Xu opened the car door and got out. Seeing the sea of people, he shook his head. He leaned against the car door and spoke to Gu Qingzhou through the window, "Sigh, it's definitely going to be packed later. I'm too lazy to even walk."

Unsure if it was intentional, he blocked the door so completely that Gu Qingzhou couldn't get out. Hearing Jiang Xu's words, Gu Qingzhou subconsciously wanted to say, 'Then don't go'. But then he felt that it wasn't easy to go home and see the elders, so what right did he have to stop him.

Gu Qingzhou reluctantly reminded him, "There are only ten minutes left until boarding."

Hearing this, Jiang Xu looked at him, propped himself up on the car roof, and leaned down to speak, "No rush. We'll talk when there are five minutes left. I used to win the long-distance running championship at sports meets."

For a moment, Gu Qingzhou really wanted to go back with Jiang Xu, but he ultimately lacked the courage. Li Si'ao was already a nervous wreck when he went to see Fang Qia's parents; Gu Qingzhou would only be more nervous and at a complete loss.

Gu Qingzhou's tone carried a hint of imperceptible frustration, "Remember to come back soon."

Jiang Xu nodded, "Alright."

Seeing the smile in his eyes and his persistently flippant demeanor, Gu Qingzhou suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of annoyance. He reached out, grabbed Jiang Xu's collar, forced him closer to the window, and then said willfully in a low voice, "Kiss me."

Jiang Xu subconsciously glanced around, "Aren't you afraid of being seen?"

'Let them see,' Gu Qingzhou thought. 'Who would recognize us?' He just pulled Jiang Xu closer and urged in a low voice, "Hurry up."

Hearing this, Jiang Xu let out a light laugh, then leaned over and gave him a kiss. Just as he was about to pull away, Gu Qingzhou grabbed his collar, preventing him from straightening up. The other's scorching kiss was tinged with dominance, swiftly invading his lips and tongue, as if trying to flay him and tear him apart, devouring him bit by bit.

With only five minutes left, Gu Qingzhou finally let him go. Jiang Xu first caught his breath, then subconsciously touched his lips. Seeing no broken skin or blood, he said to Gu Qingzhou, "Well, anyone who didn't know better would think you held some great grudge against me."

He looked at him again, his voice slightly lower than before, "I'm going then. I won't make it to boarding otherwise."

Gu Qingzhou's expression was visibly glum. He watched him for a long while before saying emotionlessly, "Come back soon."

Jiang Xu lowered his eyes with a half-smile, gave an OK sign with his hand, and then pulled his suitcase and walked away. His figure soon disappeared into the crowded throng of people.

Gu Qingzhou watched through the windshield for a moment before finally retracting his gaze. He sat in the car in a daze for a while, feeling for the first time that he had brought this upon himself. How great it would have been if he'd been a bit braver and gone back with Jiang Xu. Now he was all alone.

Back when Jiang Xu was in school, he lived with Mother Jiang in an alley not far from the school. Later, the area was demolished, and they moved. By then, Jiang Xu had already started working and could support himself, so Mother Jiang simply moved back to their old home in their hometown. She lived in the old house, chatting with neighbors in her spare time. Life was manageable.

Jiang Xu took a four-hour bus ride, arriving at the station just as it got dark. He didn't come back too often, nor too infrequently, but he always felt the scenery was different each time. Last year the road was full of potholes, but this year it was paved flat and smooth.

As the New Year approached, this place was, contrary to expectation, not as crowded as Hai City. There were pitifully few pedestrians on the street, yet it didn't feel deathly silent. Every household was brightly lit. The rhythmic clatter of pots and pans, the excited laughter of children playing, the sharp scolding of women, and the occasional clacking of mahjong tiles from a card table could all be heard clearly from outside.

Jiang Xu carried his luggage upstairs. Everywhere he passed was decorated with bright red couplets and "Fu" characters, making the dim corridor stand out. He walked to his front door and knocked on the security door. Before long, the door opened with a click.

"Aiya, why are you only home now? I thought you were a relative. You didn't even tell Mom beforehand. Come in, come in."

Mother Jiang was probably in the middle of cooking. Her sweater sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and she had a slight limp when she walked. Although her face was aged, one could still see traces of the delicate and resilient beauty of her youth.

She reached out to take the luggage from Jiang Xu's hand, but he moved it away. "I can carry it. Is your leg any better?"

Mother Jiang said, "Much better than last year. Hurry inside and wash your face. I've already tidied up your room for you. The quilt is brand new, so you won't be cold at night."

She usually nagged him a lot on the phone, but in person, she wasn't very fussy. She just wore a smile, sizing up Jiang Xu's height. Then she murmured that he'd gotten thinner, patted his shoulder telling him to go put up the couplets on the door, and then turned to continue cooking in the kitchen.

Jiang Xu was tall, so he didn't need to stand on anything to put up the couplets. He couldn't find any paste in the drawer, so he had to find a roll of clear tape. While tearing off pieces of tape, he stood in the hallway and chatted with Mother Jiang, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

Mother Jiang said, "I made dumplings for you, and there's pork rib soup simmering on the stove. I'll make a steamed fish in a bit. Remember to wash your hands and eat after you're done."

After putting up the couplets, Jiang Xu, for some reason, took a few steps back, snapped a photo, and sent it to Gu Qingzhou. Only then did he go inside to eat. Although the apartment wasn't large, Jiang Xu had it specially renovated a few years ago, so it looked more spacious and beautiful than the neighbors'. With the lights on, every corner was brightly lit.

Jiang Xu took off his coat and tossed it on the sofa. He habitually checked all over the place, then looked at the balcony railing and noticed Mother Jiang had planted a lot of flowers. But with the arrival of winter, they had all withered. He then asked, "Is there anything that needs fixing around the house?"

"What could need fixing?" Mother Jiang placed the dishes on the table. Then, as if remembering something, she wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Oh right, Da Hong opened a new auto repair shop. It's being renovated right now. You two have been good friends since school. Find some time to go help him out, lend a hand. His mom passed away a few years ago, and he's not married. It's not easy for him."

Da Hong and Jiang Xu's mother were from the same hometown, and the two boys could be considered childhood friends, having gone through elementary, middle, and high school together. When Da Hong was a freshman in high school, he worked as an apprentice at a car repair shop. To earn money, Jiang Xu also went to work part-time there for a while, so he had some experience.

Jiang Xu acknowledged her, then said, "He didn't tell me."

Mother Jiang shook her head, "He's not doing well, so how could he have the nerve to say anything?"

They were birds of a feather, after all. Jiang Xu was expelled before finishing high school, and Da Hong didn't get into any good schools either. He went out to mess around in society at a young age, ended up offending someone and had one of his legs broken. It was hard to find a job in the big city, so he simply returned to his hometown, borrowed money, and opened a repair shop to barely make a living.

As Jiang Xu was eating his dumplings, he heard Mother Jiang say, "I used to think you were a good-for-nothing for getting into fights. I felt uneasy and thought I was letting our ancestors down. But thinking about it now, among the group you used to hang out with back then, few are living well. You're doing alright, at least you have a decent job. Peace and safety are a blessing."

Jiang Xu clicked his tongue. 'She's my real mom, alright,' he thought.

Although there were only two of them at home, it didn't feel lonely. After dinner, Mother Jiang went to wash the dishes while Jiang Xu helped clean up. It was nearly eleven when he finally took a shower and rested. He had originally planned to sleep, but after some thought, he decided to call Gu Qingzhou. He dialed twice; the first call didn't go through, but the second one connected.

Regulations weren't as strict in a small place, and many people were setting off fireworks and firecrackers at night. With a swoosh, brilliant fireworks exploded one after another in the night sky. Jiang Xu had no choice but to put on his headphones and ask Gu Qingzhou in a low voice through the microphone, "Are you asleep? I called you just now, but you didn't pick up."

Unlike the boisterous noise on Jiang Xu's end, it was excessively quiet where Gu Qingzhou was. He had been sitting in the living room watching TV and had fallen asleep without realizing it. The night was now deep, and the only source of light in the room was the flickering screen of the TV. He gave a noncommittal "mm," his thoughts still muddled. It took a moment for him to wake up completely, get up from the sofa, and fumble for the light switch.

Gu Qingzhou's voice was a bit lazy, "I fell asleep just now."

The old house wasn't soundproof, and Mother Jiang was sleeping in the next room. Jiang Xu could only keep his voice as low as possible. Hearing him, he said, "Then won't you have trouble sleeping tonight?"

Not seeing the familiar figure in the room, Gu Qingzhou's heart felt a little empty. He rolled over on the sofa, clutching his phone, and didn't speak for a long time. Just as Jiang Xu was starting to check if there was a problem with the signal, Gu Qingzhou finally spoke, "When are you coming back?"

Jiang Xu thought for a moment and said, "Probably in three or four days."

If he had work, it would be fine; time would fly by in the blink of an eye when he was busy. But it was the New Year, and there was nothing to do. Gu Qingzhou had no plans to return to City A; things there were a complete mess now, and no one cared about him anyway.

Gu Qingzhou used the remote to turn up the TV volume slightly, to make it seem less desolate. "Spend more time with your mother. If you need anything, let me know, and I'll mail it to you."

Jiang Xu said casually, "Da Hong opened a repair shop nearby. I'll go help out tomorrow. The day after is New Year's Eve dinner, and then I'll help my mom deal with relatives. I should be able to come back the night after that."

Gu Qingzhou glanced at the night view outside the French windows. He knew Da Hong. After all, back then, Da Hong and Jiang Xu were the best of friends in the entire class, and Gu Qingzhou was always following Jiang Xu around. The three of them often hung out together. Hearing this, he said with amusement, "You're helping? Do you even know how to fix cars?"

Jiang Xu said with a grin, "What's there to not know? Back in high school, aside from being a gigolo, what haven't I done?"

He was more mature than his peers. Although he got into fights and skipped class during school, he also worked a lot to help support his family, busy with car repairs and deliveries. If you said he was a delinquent, he really was. If you said he was sensible, he was that too. But he was always smiling, making people unaware that Jiang Xu's past was also filled with hardship.

Gu Qingzhou closed his eyes, a faint ache inexplicably rising in his heart. He steadied his breathing and then said jokingly, "You sound pretty disappointed you didn't become a gigolo?"

"A little," Jiang Xu said. "After all, I wanted to make a living with my face."

Gu Qingzhou: "...It's a real shame we didn't launch your career."

He shifted slightly, sliding from the sofa to sit on the carpet. Then he pulled a pack of cigarettes from the cabinet under the coffee table and silently lit one with a lighter. As it was getting late, Gu Qingzhou figured Jiang Xu must be tired, so he didn't keep him on the phone. But just before hanging up, he asked through the receiver, "Don't you feel like something's missing?"

Jiang Xu raised an eyebrow. "Missing what?"

It was the New Year. Did Gu Qingzhou want a red envelope?

A cigarette dangled between Gu Qingzhou's fingers as he leaned lazily against the sofa. With his eyes lowered, smoke spilled from his thin lips. His profile looked somewhat cold under the light, then became blurred by the drifting white smoke. He flicked the ash and asked Jiang Xu in a low voice, "Aren't you going to give me a goodnight kiss?"

Jiang Xu hadn't expected this to be the reason. He chuckled at his words but didn't make a sound. Then he raised his hand and kissed his own arm loudly, asking him back, "How was that?"

Without even needing to see him, just from the sound, Gu Qingzhou could imagine Jiang Xu's expression was surely playful and teasing. He calmly stubbed out his cigarette, then frowned and asked, "What did you just kiss?"

Jiang Xu subconsciously looked at his own arm. "Don't worry, I won't cheat on you."

"I dare you to try," Gu Qingzhou narrowed his eyes, saying word by word, "Otherwise, I'll break your legs."

If that day ever came, breaking his legs would be getting off easy.

It was getting late. He hung up as soon as he finished speaking, and a busy tone sounded from the other end.

Jiang Xu unplugged his headphones. 'Is he really that vicious?' he thought.