He Lezhi froze on the spot, forgetting to even blink, just staring at Han Fangchi.

“And me.” Xiao Yao also picked up a lychee and tossed it over. He Lezhi caught it.

Many things had been overlooked with the passage of time. They weren't forgotten, just not thought of in daily life. Some memories had been weathered away.

He Lezhi finally, in a daze, understood why he felt that indescribable sense of belonging in front of Han Fangchi, and today. Being together didn't feel like socializing; instead, he felt a relaxation that came from the bottom of his heart.

“I...” He Lezhi opened his mouth, but suddenly couldn't say a word.

Han Fangchi was still frowning. He was different after drinking, seeming to be taking things seriously now. His angry expression was a little childish.

“I was wrong!” He Lezhi placed the lychee he had caught on the table and said sincerely, “I was wrong, Fangchi.”

Why did He Lezhi apologize?

Because he had indeed forgotten many things.

After he got together with Zhou Muyao, their circles of friends overlapped. Zhou Muyao loved to have fun and was on good terms with everyone. He Lezhi wasn't as playful, so he gradually marginalized himself from this circle. These friends slowly became more like Zhou Muyao's friends to him. He treated himself and Zhou Muyao as a single entity, rarely contacting or meeting people alone. That included Han Fangchi, and that included Xiao Yao.

He Lezhi wasn't apologizing because he had forgotten his friends.

It was because when he was marginalizing himself from that circle, he forgot to separate out the friends he was originally so close to, treating them all the same and leaving them behind in that circle, not bringing them out with him.

Xiao Yao was on good terms with Zhou Muyao, but Xiao Yao was also He Lezhi's classmate.

Han Fangchi was related to Zhou Muyao in some way; Zhou Muyao had called him 'brother' since he was little. But Han Fangchi was also He Lezhi's best, closest, and most compatible friend in high school.

...

“Fangchi, Fangchi!” During the second year of high school evening study hall, He Lezhi stood on his tiptoes in the hallway, popping his head up through the window on the side closer to the wall and calling out softly.

Han Fangchi was sitting by the window on the other side of the classroom that week. The window was open and it was windy, so he didn't hear He Lezhi calling him. It was other classmates in the room who called out for him.

Han Fangchi looked up and saw He Lezhi's head stuck there. Han Fangchi mouthed to him, 'What is it?'

“Come out,” He Lezhi mouthed back silently.

Han Fangchi was the class monitor. He stood up, left them with a “Study hard,” and went out the back door. Everyone in the classroom chuckled softly at the two of them.

Because He Lezhi was participating in a track and field competition, he was allowed to skip evening study hall. The school let them arrange their own study time or go out for a run. The front of He Lezhi's school uniform was bulging. With one hand lightly holding his jacket closed, he stood at the door, waiting for Han Fangchi to come out before mysteriously pulling him away.

“What are you doing?” Han Fangchi asked in a low voice as he walked with him.

“Hurry up,” He Lezhi said.

The two of them walked straight to the office area. It was empty during evening study hall. He Lezhi went to a stairwell in a surveillance blind spot, sat down, and patted the spot next to him. “Here.”

He pulled a huge, piping hot jianbing guozi from inside his uniform. It was wrapped in a plastic bag and wax paper, emitting an aroma that was extremely tempting at this time of night, and stuffed it into Han Fangchi's hands.

“Hurry, eat!” He Lezhi grinned slyly. “I knew you were hungry.”

“Oh god, I'm starving. I went to move basketballs during the evening break and didn't have time to eat. I was dying of hunger,” Han Fangchi said, sounding as if he’d been saved.

“I know, I saw you,” He Lezhi said, pointing to the jianbing guozi. “Go on, eat. It's super delicious! I ran three kilometers to No. 3 Middle School to buy it for you.”

Han Fangchi was already eating, his heart filled with sincere love for his brother.

“Three kilometers round trip? Or three kilometers one way?” Han Fangchi asked, his mouth full.

“Three kilometers one way, to the back gate of No. 3 Middle School!” He Lezhi said with a laugh. “But I took a taxi back. I was afraid it would get cold and not taste good. I had them add three eggs and a sausage. It would have tasted off if it got cold.”

“You're the best, Lezhi,” Han Fangchi said, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

“Of course!” He Lezhi lifted his chin proudly. “I originally wanted to buy you KFC, but it's not easy to hide. It would rustle loudly inside my jacket.”

“It's not like you haven't done it before.” Han Fangchi clearly remembered his friend's kindness. There was another time when he said he was hungry, and He Lezhi had also used running as an excuse to buy him a hamburger, smuggling it back inside his jacket.

He Lezhi said: “That's because I brought my own plastic bag! I didn't use their paper bag; it's too loud!”

Han Fangchi took a few large bites to line his stomach and felt like he was finally alive again. He didn't say thank you again, just bumped He Lezhi with his shoulder. He Lezhi bumped him back, and the two of them laughed and talked like a couple of silly boys.

Han Fangchi reached over and asked him, “Want some?”

He Lezhi waved his hand. “No, I still have to run later. I won't be able to run if I eat.”

Han Fangchi nodded, finished eating quickly in a few minutes, then stood up and stuffed the wrapper in his own pocket. “I'm heading back to class.”

“Give it to me.” He Lezhi took it out of his uniform pocket, put it in his own, and stood up. “I'll throw it out when I leave. If you take it back, it'll smell, and everyone will guess you came out to eat again.”

This wasn't the first or second time they'd done this. One had a legitimate reason to skip study hall, and the other was the class monitor who could come and go as he pleased. He was often not in the classroom during evening study hall, and no one knew what mischief he was up to outside.

The one with the biggest complaint about this was Xiao Yao. He was perfectly aware that He Lezhi always gave Han Fangchi special treatment and didn't include him. He had protested several times, but his protests were futile. He Lezhi said he was clumsy and would get caught easily, so even if he did bring him something, he would only give it to him after school.

When Han Fangchi returned to the classroom from outside, he looked prim and proper on the surface, but he was obviously full! Xiao Yao, sitting in the second row, glared at him resentfully.

As Han Fangchi walked past him, he flicked him on the forehead and gave him a provocative glance.

Xiao Yao glared back fiercely. He had moved the basketballs with Han Fangchi that evening, so he was hungry too. He Lezhi was just biased.

He Lezhi was biased, and openly so. He and Han Fangchi were deskmates in their first year, and the two of them were just that close.

Han Fangchi was biased toward him too. In their second year, they weren't deskmates anymore, but the class monitor had special privileges in class and could switch seats freely. After the weekly seat rotation, if He Lezhi felt uncomfortable or didn't like his seat, Han Fangchi would switch with him.

The few troublemakers in the class never dared to mess with He Lezhi, because he was on good terms with the class monitor. The moment He Lezhi’s expression turned sour, the class monitor would put on a long face too. Although this rarely happened; He Lezhi didn't get angry easily and was always smiling cheerfully.

But being good-tempered didn't mean he was close with everyone. In reality, He Lezhi still maintained a certain distance. He was polite, but not intimate. The only ones who were truly close to him were Han Fangchi and Xiao Yao.

“We're done, He Lezhi,” Xiao Yao said with a pout.

The corner of He Lezhi's eye twitched. He leaned over and asked, “How are we done?”

“You're only good to Brother Chi, not to me,” Xiao Yao complained. “You two are always sneaking around behind my back.”

He Lezhi laughed openly and said, “Well, who told you not to be the class monitor?”

“Pah!” Xiao Yao sat on the edge of the flagpole platform, swinging his legs. “You two are ganging up together.”

He Lezhi just smiled and ignored him.

Han Fangchi walked over from a distance with a bottle of water in his hand. When he got closer, he tossed it to He Lezhi.

Xiao Yao huffed even more angrily.

He Lezhi twisted it open and pretended to drink, winking at Han Fangchi to give him a signal and subtly tilting his chin toward Xiao Yao.

Han Fangchi understood in a second. “Hey,” he said, stopping him.

“What's wrong?” He Lezhi stopped.

Han Fangchi said, “That was for Xiao Yao. I gave it to the wrong person.”

“Why!” He Lezhi said, feigning indignation.

Han Fangchi replied, “He's thirsty.”

“When did I say I was thirsty!” Xiao Yao retorted, but he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.

“I guessed,” Han Fangchi said to He Lezhi. “You give it to him.”

“Forget it, you drink it,” Xiao Yao said, waving his hand. He didn't forget to make a sarcastic remark, turning his head to the other side. “See, you're biased toward him, but he doesn't even think about you.”

He Lezhi and Han Fangchi exchanged a look, both with laughter in their eyes. He Lezhi drank the water and said, “I'm so hurt.”

Back then, they were all still sunny boys. Compared to the He Lezhi who was with Zhou Muyao, the seventeen or eighteen-year-old He Lezhi was less like an adult and occasionally like a child. When he smiled, a small dimple would appear on one side of his face.

As for Han Fangchi, perhaps due to his personality, he had good grades, was sensible, and always seemed more mature than his peers, unlike other high school students who were always grinning foolishly.

Others knew he had two younger sisters at home and would say that being an older brother really made a difference.

Only He Lezhi knew his secret.

On a winter night in their second year of high school, the snow was falling its heaviest.

He Lezhi was already asleep when he was woken up by his phone.

He groggily picked it up and saw that the call was from “Fangchi”.

He Lezhi answered in confusion, “Fangchi?”

Han Fangchi's voice sounded hoarse, a dullness different from his usual tone. “Lezhi, are you home?”

“I am, what's wrong?” He Lezhi asked softly.

Han Fangchi didn't say anything. He Lezhi waited a few seconds, then asked again, “Are you outside? I can hear the wind.”

Han Fangchi hummed in affirmation, his voice sounding unsteady.

“What are you doing out? What time is it? Aren't you sleeping?” He Lezhi sat up, hugging his quilt. “What happened?”

After a moment, Han Fangchi said, “I have nowhere to go. Can I come find you?”

He Lezhi threw a down jacket on over his pajamas, grabbed his keys, and went downstairs to get Han Fangchi. He was afraid of waking his mother, so he closed the door very gently.

Outside, the snow was coming down in a thick blanket. When He Lezhi first stepped out of the apartment building entrance, he could barely open his eyes. The night looked like the static on a TV screen with a bad connection.

The wind seeped into his clothes from every possible opening. He Lezhi pulled his hood on, wrapped his jacket tightly, hunched his shoulders, and trotted forward with his back bent.

In the distance, he saw a figure walking toward him. He Lezhi called out softly, “Fangchi?”

Han Fangchi didn't make a sound, approaching in silence.

He Lezhi ran over and confirmed it was Han Fangchi. He was wearing his school uniform with a down jacket over it, and his head was already covered in a layer of snow.

He Lezhi reached up to brush it off, his hand becoming icy cold. He unfolded the school uniform he had hastily grabbed from a chair earlier and draped it over Han Fangchi's head, saying, “Let's go!”

Han Fangchi let him, looking somewhat sluggish and stiff. He followed He Lezhi upstairs without a word.

He Qi's door was closed; she was completely unaware that her son had brought a classmate home.

He Lezhi brought Han Fangchi to his room and had him sit on his bed. He Lezhi sat on a chair, his voice lowered as he asked with concern, “Fangchi, what's wrong?”

Han Fangchi was silent for a long time.

On that cold winter night, amid the wind and snow, Han Fangchi and He Lezhi were huddled in a small, warm room. Han Fangchi was in his school uniform, He Lezhi in his pajamas, and they shared one of Han Fangchi's secrets.

That night was one of the few moments of extreme vulnerability Han Fangchi had experienced since birth. And it was He Lezhi who was there with him through it.

He Lezhi was warm and radiated a gentle feeling. It was the first hug Han Fangchi had ever received from someone other than his parents when he was little. It wasn't the playful horseplay between boys, but a truly comforting hug, from his friend.

“Fangchi, I'm so sad,” He Lezhi said, his voice stuffy as he sniffled.