Chapter 31

It was completely dark by the time they reached the foot of the mountain. They found a nearby restaurant for dinner, and the chartered commercial vehicle took them directly back to the county town.

"Are you cold?" He Lezhi asked.

Three people sat in the last row: He Lezhi in the middle, with Han Fangchi and Xiao Luo on either side. The air conditioner hadn't warmed up yet, and a chill emanated from the window seat.

Han Fangchi shook his head and said, "I'm not cold."

"You can sleep for a while. I'll wake you up beforehand," He Lezhi told him.

"Don't sleep, we'll be there in about half an hour," Xiao Luo said from the other side. "If you fall asleep, I'll get sleepy too."

"Then you should sleep too," He Lezhi said with a smile.

Xiao Luo didn't sleep. He pulled He Lezhi into a conversation about trail running. They had common interests. He Lezhi spoke in an unhurried manner and answered questions earnestly, making the conversation very comfortable. Han Fangchi sat quietly on the other side, holding the backpack they had both carried during the day. The car gradually warmed up, the hot air making one drowsy.

He Lezhi, in the middle, was probably afraid of crowding them, so he sat with his back and shoulders perfectly straight. He swayed occasionally with the bumps of the car. The rustling sound of their clothes rubbing together had a hypnotic, white-noise-like effect, a warm and dry sound brushing against one's ears.

Han Fangchi scooted further in to give him more space. During a lull in the other two's conversation, he asked He Lezhi, "Why are you sitting so straight?"

"I'm fine," He Lezhi gestured to him. "Don't lean too close to the inside, the window is cold."

"Lean back. Are you in class?" Han Fangchi tilted his chin towards him.

He Lezhi followed his suggestion and leaned against the seatback. Now, his arm was against Han Fangchi's arm, and his leg against Han Fangchi's leg. He Lezhi reached a hand out towards Han Fangchi's side, and feeling no chill, he retracted it.

"Fangchi, you've started hiking too?" Xiao Luo craned his head over to look.

Han Fangchi grunted in affirmation.

"Should I add you to the group chat then?" Xiao Luo asked.

"I'm not joining," Han Fangchi immediately refused, then added, "It's enough that Lezhi is in it."

He Lezhi, beside him, said with a smile, "He's not free very often."

"So if Lezhi doesn't come, you won't come either, is that what you mean?" Xiao Luo asked.

Han Fangchi said with his eyes closed, "You could say that."

"Then I won't add you to the group," Xiao Luo said. "You're an accessory."

He Lezhi's eyes curved into a smile as he looked at his accessory.

The accessory even hummed an "mhm" in agreement.

Xiao Luo worked in finance. He was usually a relatively meticulous person, good at making spreadsheets and itemizing details, and rarely made mistakes when leading the team.

So when he handed them two key cards for the same room, and He Lezhi said that wasn't right, Xiao Luo stated with certainty, "It can't be wrong. You definitely signed up for a double room."

Everyone else had already stayed the previous night, so they took their key cards and went straight upstairs. Only He Lezhi and Han Fangchi hadn't gotten theirs yet.

"I didn't," He Lezhi said blankly.

Xiao Luo found the chat history and showed him, "Look, Lezhi 1, Fangchi 1."

"Right," He Lezhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Aren't these both 1s?"

Xiao Luo blinked, taking a moment to react. "Ah! Ahh, I got it mixed up! Mixed it up, mixed it up. It's mainly because everyone else who listed two names wanted a double room, so when I saw two names together, I just defaulted to a double room. Right, so it should have been 'Lezhi Fangchi 2,' huh?"

"It's fine, we can just get another room," Han Fangchi said.

Xiao Luo continued, "But it doesn't matter anyway. Even if I hadn't mixed it up, you two would still have to share a room. There aren't that many rooms left. Yesterday, two people with single rooms had to share a standard room."

He Lezhi and Han Fangchi exchanged a look, neither speaking for a moment.

Han Fangchi asked Xiao Luo, "Who are you rooming with?"

"I already have a roommate," Xiao Luo said. "You want to room with me? I can ask Xiao Qi to go to Xiao Tao's room. They know each other well, and Xiao Tao has a single room."

"That's not necessary," He Lezhi said from the side.

Xiao Luo added, "If you two don't mind the trouble, one of you could walk two hundred meters to another hotel and get a room. It's not far, just a little older."

"I'll go," Han Fangchi said.

He Lezhi had already used the key card to open the door and turned back to glance at him.

Xiao Luo yawned and said, "Alright, I'm leaving it to you guys. Why don't you two just make do? Don't go to all that trouble."

"Thanks, Xiao Luo," He Lezhi said to him. "Get some rest."

Xiao Luo waved at them and returned to his own room.

He inserted the key card, and the room lights turned on.

Han Fangchi was already searching for the location of the other hotel, standing at the doorway without coming in.

He Lezhi put his things on the sofa. He didn't say anything at first, just took off his jacket, then took out his charger and plugged in his phone.

The two of them, one inside and one out, minded their own business.

"You sleep—"

"Why don't you—"

They both spoke at the same time, their words colliding.

He Lezhi pressed his lips together, then finished what he was saying first, "Why don't you come in?"

Han Fangchi asked, "The two of us, one room?"

"What else?" He Lezhi retorted.

Compared to when they were teenagers, they were on good terms now, but there was definitely a sense of boundaries. They couldn't be like kids, patting and touching each other at every turn, nor would they be overly intimate.

All of this was based on their desire to make the other more comfortable in their interactions, a tacit understanding of respect.

But this didn't stop a small feeling of unease from bubbling up inside He Lezhi just now, and at this moment, after Han Fangchi had shown he wanted to room with Xiao Luo.

This bit of unease grew as the silence between them stretched on.

The age when they could just toss their backpacks into the same tent was long gone. Now, let alone a tent, even sharing a standard room was difficult.

"Rooming with Xiao Luo is fine, and getting a room at another hotel is also fine," He Lezhi said. "But rooming with me isn't."

He looked at Han Fangchi, recalling the words Han Fangchi often said, and asked calmly, "Because you're not familiar with me, is that it?"

Han Fangchi looked at He Lezhi's tense jaw, gradually raising an eyebrow. Under He Lezhi's gaze, he stepped inside and closed the door with a backhand motion.

"Turning the tables on me," Han Fangchi said. "I wonder who's the one being petty."

"Was I being petty with you?" He Lezhi retorted. "Did I say I couldn't room with you?"

"We'll stay." Han Fangchi took off his backpack and threw it on the sofa. "I don't care."

This rare bit of minor friction, not quite a conflict, made it so that although there were two people in the room, no one spoke. They each packed their own things. In the small, square room, they could bump into each other with a single turn if they weren't careful.

They hadn't changed out of the clothes they wore during the day. The side of the bathroom facing the bed was a pane of frosted glass. You couldn't say you could see through it, but you couldn't say you couldn't see anything either, as it showed blurry shadows.

Han Fangchi held his phone and said, "I'm going out to make a call."

With that, he opened the door and left, not even taking the key card.

He was on the phone for twenty minutes and still hadn't returned. He Lezhi, having finished his shower and dressed in a T-shirt and pants, went over and opened the door.

Han Fangchi was standing in the hallway right outside the door. Opposite him was a fake window. Han Fangchi was facing the door, one elbow propped on the windowsill, the other hand holding his phone, hanging casually at his side.

The moment the door opened, their eyes met directly.

He Lezhi smiled and asked knowingly, "Finished your call?"

Han Fangchi shook his phone in response.

He Lezhi made the gesture of a waiter showing a guest in and said with a smile, "Please, come in."

Han Fangchi lowered his eyes and walked in. As he passed by He Lezhi, he caught a whiff of fresh soap, carrying damp water vapor that washed over his face.

"I've put all the toiletries inside. You can use mine. I also brought an extra bath towel for you." He Lezhi sat on the edge of the bed and said to him, "You need to let the water run for a bit before it gets hot."

Han Fangchi grunted in acknowledgement.

He Lezhi said with a small smile, "I'm going to make a call too."

"You don't need to." Han Fangchi glanced at him and went in with his change of clothes. "I'm not as particular as you."

He Lezhi didn't insist. "Oh."

When Han Fangchi came out of the shower, He Lezhi was sitting on the inner bed with his back to him, looking down at his phone.

Hearing the sound, he turned his head to look.

"The room is a bit cold," He Lezhi said to him. "Don't catch a chill."

Han Fangchi asked, "Is the AC on?"

"It's on," He Lezhi said.

Han Fangchi sat on the other bed. There was a gap of less than a meter between the two beds. It was a distance where, even without looking directly, they could see each other in their peripheral vision.

The room had no main light, only four not-so-bright, warm-colored downlights. The lighting was dim, casting a vintage, soothing tone.

The dry, hot air from the air conditioner blew on them, and the surroundings gradually warmed up.

Neither of them spoke. They each occupied one bed, staying there quietly.

He Lezhi was sitting at first, but later lay on his stomach on the bed. He wasn't playing on his phone, just resting his head on his arm and staring into space.

Han Fangchi glanced at him, and seeing him lying there so obediently, he let out a laugh.

He Lezhi looked over and asked him, "What are you laughing at?"

Han Fangchi asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Because he wasn't wearing his glasses, He Lezhi couldn't see clearly. Han Fangchi was a hazy blur in his vision. He squinted and said, "Nothing."

"Sleepy?" Han Fangchi asked.

He Lezhi said, "A little."

Han Fangchi then lifted the covers and lay down. "Sleep. I'm turning off the lights."

Once the lights were off, the room became completely dark.

The sounds of the air conditioner and the bathroom exhaust fan became very prominent in the darkness. They couldn't hear each other's breathing, but if either of them turned over, the rustle of fabric would be very noticeable.

Time passed quietly in the peaceful night, flowing in a soothing way.

Later, He Lezhi seemed to have fallen asleep. Han Fangchi could start to hear his breathing, steady and deep. Their breaths intertwined rhythmically in the space between them.

Han Fangchi closed his eyes, feeling as if He Lezhi was very close to him.

"Fangchi?" He Lezhi's voice sounded softly.

Han Fangchi answered him, "What is it?"

"Are you asleep?" He Lezhi asked.

"No," Han Fangchi said. "I thought you were."

"Me neither," He Lezhi chuckled lightly.

He turned his head. Although it was too dark to see, he still looked in Han Fangchi's direction and said with a hint of a smile, "Do you remember that time you stayed over at my place and slept on my bedroom floor?"

Han Fangchi hummed and said, "I remember."

"I feel just like I did that night," He Lezhi said with a smile. "That night, I kept wanting to look down at you, to say something to you. I couldn't bear to fall asleep."

Han Fangchi asked him, "Do you feel uncomfortable?"

"Not at all," He Lezhi said. "It's very comfortable."

The darkness concealed them; no one could see the other's eyes or expression.

In an environment like this, one could say things they would normally be too embarrassed to say.

"Just now, when you wanted to room with Xiao Luo ... although it's because I'm usually fussy, and because I'm gay," He Lezhi paused, then continued with some frustration, "I still felt a little upset."

Before Han Fangchi could speak, he said with a smile, "I think I might have been jealous."