[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: I forgot to remind you just now. Your mom is still in recovery, so if you’re going to ask her things, don’t be too pushy.
Chen Jian quickly typed this sentence as he walked to the kitchen. He only put his phone back in his pocket after he saw Shan Yu’s reply.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Your teachings will be followed.
“Hey, are you the manager?” Two girls walked in from the side door of the garden and called out to Chen Jian.
“Yes.” Chen Jian responded and stopped.
“I just wanted to say,” one of the girls pointed outside, “can your employees not smoke right in front of people in the yard? We were taking pictures there, and he just stood there with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.”
“I’m very sorry. That’s a lack of service awareness on our part. I’ll deal with it immediately.” Chen Jian looked outside but didn’t see anyone, so he didn’t know who the girl was talking about. However, it was most likely one of the guys from the Pigsty Gang. Although Hu Pan also smoked, he usually hid away.
“It’s not that we want to get him in trouble,” the girl was quite reasonable, “it’s just that it’s a bit uncomfortable. We hope you’ll pay attention to it.”
“Thank you very much,” Chen Jian said. “We will definitely improve.”
“Then that’s all,” the girl tapped her phone a couple of times and handed it to her companion. “Can I take a picture with you?”
“Huh?” Chen Jian was stunned, not registering the question.
“A picture, the two of us,” the girl said. “I have a hobby of collecting photos with handsome guys. If it’s okay, I’d like to take a picture with you. I’ll post it, but I’ll explain the context when I do. I won’t write anything random. Is that alright?”
The girl was quite direct and polite. Chen Jian had never encountered something like this before and didn’t know what to say. After a pause, he could only nod. “Okay.”
“Thanks.” The girl immediately stood next to him, making a V-sign with her fingers under her chin.
Chen Jian rarely took pictures with people and didn’t really know what expression to make when he did.
But he was in a pretty good mood at the moment, so he smiled at the camera.
After taking the picture, Chen Jian didn’t go to eat. He went directly out the side door to the garden again, circled around, and then went out the back gate of the garden to take a look. That’s when he saw Lao Wu squatting in the pavilion with a cigarette in his mouth.
“Didn’t you just finish smoking in the garden? You’re smoking again?” Chen Jian walked over and said.
“I’m in a bad mood,” Lao Wu said.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Jian asked, sitting on the bench next to him.
“It’s about money, don’t ask,” Lao Wu said with a frown.
“What kind of money issue?” Chen Jian didn’t stop asking. He was very sensitive when it came to money: borrowing money, owing money, being scammed, or gambling.
If it were someone else, he might not have pressed further, but the guys from the Pigsty Gang, while they had submitted and were working hard at Dayin, had not lived proper lives for the past few years. It wasn’t so easy for them to become upstanding young men right after walking through the door.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t gamble,” Lao Wu glanced at him, clearly understanding what he wanted to ask, and then exhaled a puff of smoke. “I’m just moping by myself.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian stood up, his stomach growling with hunger. “Smoke outside, not in the garden. It’s not good if customers see you, especially non-smoking customers.”
“Damn,” Lao Wu frowned. “Did those two girls from just now complain about me?”
Chen Jian didn’t say anything.
“I was just passing by and thought they were pretty, so I looked a little longer, stood there for a bit…” Lao Wu said. “Why didn’t they tell me to my face? I would have definitely apologized to them.”
“They definitely rolled their eyes at you, and you just didn’t get the hint,” Chen Jian said.
“…Maybe,” Lao Wu said. “I have no luck with women.”
“How are those two things related?” Chen Jian felt it wasn’t that Lao Wu had no luck with women, but mainly that he had no brain. No brain means no anything. “I’m going to eat first. You… if you have any problems, just tell me. Or if you just want to talk, that’s fine too.”
“Yeah,” Lao Wu nodded.
Chen Jian turned to walk back.
“Chen Jian,” Lao Wu said from behind him. “I never really noticed before. I used to just think you had a cold face and didn’t talk, and that you were really fierce when pushed. But you’re actually a pretty good person.”
“Don’t smoke in the garden!” Chen Jian said. “If I find you again, I’m docking your pay!”
“I’ve discovered you’re not that great of a person after all,” Lao Wu shouted.
“Hurry up and finish smoking so you can get to work!” Chen Jian said.
When the boss wasn’t at the restaurant, the manager didn’t have to bring him food and could eat peacefully in the kitchen.
“Go sit in the dining room to eat,” Sun Nana said, coming into the kitchen to find some fruit.
“It’ll be gone in a few bites. I wouldn’t even have made it to the dining room by then,” Chen Jian said.
“Eating too fast is bad for your stomach,” Sun Nana said, taking an apple to the sink to wash it. “No one’s going to fight you for it.”
Chen Jian smiled without saying anything, just watching her wash the apple. He really couldn’t bear to watch; she was holding the apple with just three fingers from each hand, rubbing it with great effort.
“Let me,” Chen Jian put down his food container, took the apple from her hand, and washed it deftly. “Will your hands melt if they touch water?”
“I just put on hand cream,” Sun Nana laughed. “You really are a worrier. No wonder Shan Yu doesn’t do anything.”
Chen Jian didn’t say anything. As he handed the washed apple to Sun Nana, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
“I’m off,” Sun Nana said, flicking her hair back with her fingertips. “Eat slowly.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian replied.
He felt like there was a hidden meaning in Sun Nana’s words, but he had no proof.
But the mention of Shan Yu made him unable to resist taking out his phone to look.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a message from Shan Yu in such a short time. He had just started eating. Even though it was just takeout, eating with his parents meant he wouldn’t be playing on his phone, even if they ate in silence.
Chen Jian sighed.
He hadn’t really felt it that much before, but when Shan Yu suddenly asked if he missed him just now, the feeling became incredibly clear.
Even though it had been less than a day, the sense of longing was very strong, a kind of pain from not knowing how to pass the time.
Before this, he had only experienced missing his mother. He didn’t even miss his father this much when he couldn’t see him.
But it was different from when he missed his mother. In the period just after his mother passed away, he knew clearly that he would never see her again in this life. The physical traces of her existence were disappearing bit by bit, leaving only memories. And slowly, even the memories began to blur… It was desperate and terrifying.
The current longing for Shan Yu, however, was composed of countless questions.
Has he arrived? Where is he? Has he eaten? What is he doing? Is he still at the hospital? Is he home yet? Has he contacted Yue Lang? When will he be back? Is he going to meet up with friends? Is he in a good mood?
Is he…?
Is he…?
It had a rhythm, like he was about to curse someone out.
“Are you staying here tonight?” Shan Yu asked as he gathered the takeout containers back into the bag.
Doing these things, he felt as if he were Chen Jian.
“No,” his mom said. “We’ll go home in a bit.”
“Coming back tomorrow?” Shan Yu asked.
“Yes,” his mom nodded. “I can’t sleep here. When I was in the hospital for the surgery, I had to take medicine every day to sleep…”
His mom stopped halfway.
“Then I’ll come with you tomorrow,” Shan Yu said.
After cleaning up, his mom received a call from his uncle, who said he wanted to come over. His mom refused.
“Go home. If you come and stand around at the hospital, I’ll have to chat with you,” his mom said as she walked out. “Tomorrow? Tomorrow…”
His mom looked at Shan Yu. “Do you have time to have a meal with your uncle and them?”
“Yeah,” Shan Yu nodded. “I don’t have any plans for tomorrow.”
“Alright,” his mom said. “Don’t come too early. Shan Yu can’t get up that early. He might not even be able to sleep tonight.”
Shan Yu carried his mom’s bag and followed behind her, feeling an indescribable emotion. Maybe it was because he really hadn’t seen his parents for too long, but he suddenly had a desire to get closer to them.
He was never like this before. Except for the first year or two after he was sent away to live elsewhere, right up until he went to prison, he had always felt that it wouldn’t matter if he never saw his parents again in this life, as long as he knew they were safe.
“Liu Wu wanted to come over first thing in the morning,” his mom said after hanging up. “I told him to come later.”
“It’s a good thing he didn’t just come and stay at our house tonight,” his dad said. “That kid hasn’t matured a bit even after starting college.”
“He’s spoiled at home, a big baby of over 200 months,” his mom said.
After saying that, she fell silent again. After a moment, she sighed.
The family car wasn’t the one Shan Yu remembered. He followed his parents to the car, and only when he saw the headlights flash did he ask, “You changed cars?”
“We changed it the year before last,” his mom said. “The old one is at the company.”
Shan Yu hesitated for a moment. “Does anyone drive it?”
“No,” his mom said, getting into the driver’s seat and looking at him. “Do you want it?”
“Yes,” Shan Yu said, getting into the back seat.
“What kind of car are you using at the B&B now?” his dad, in the passenger seat, asked, turning to look at him.
“A second-hand Mazda,” Shan Yu said.
“That has a bit of a ‘son following in his mother’s footsteps’ feel to it,” his dad said with a smile.
“How so?” Shan Yu didn’t understand.
“Your mom’s first company car was a second-hand Mazda,” his dad said.
“Really?” This was the first time Shan Yu had heard this. “I don’t remember.”
“You weren’t at home back then. You never even rode in that car,” his dad said.
After these words, the family of three fell silent.
“You must be Liu Wu’s real dad,” his mom said.
Shan Yu couldn’t help but laugh, turning to look out the car window.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: I’m on my way home. I might not be able to call you until later.
Shan Yu sent a message to Chen Jian, staring blankly at Chen Jian’s profile picture in the chat window. The guy had changed his picture to a mushroom, so Shan Yu had to click on his own profile picture to get his fix.
[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: It’s fine, be with your parents first. I’m playing cards with the guys in the dorm.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Playing for money?
[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: One mao.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Then what’s the point? You could play all night and buy a cheap pack of cigarettes.
[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: Anything over 500 is considered gambling, boss.
Shan Yu chuckled to himself for a long time.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: Isn’t that a bit of a big price gap? The manager is so cautious.
The house hadn’t changed much; it was still the familiar place Shan Yu knew. His room was also kept as it was, very clean. The cleaning lady usually tidied it, and it had probably been specially cleaned knowing he was coming back.
Shan Yu opened the closet and looked inside. There were still many clothes hanging there, arranged from summer to winter. He casually flipped through them; some of the clothes he didn’t even remember anymore.
He closed the closet and went into the adjoining study. Everything was the same there too. The pile of psychology-related books on the desk hadn’t been touched.
He turned on the desk lamp, leaned against the desk, and sighed softly.
This place that felt strange at first glance, but was filled with countless familiar scents.
In the past, when he came home, he would usually just stay in his own suite, and no one would come to bother him.
It was the same now. After he entered his room, neither his dad nor his mom came to find him.
He took a set of pajamas from the closet, took a shower, and changed.
The sky outside was completely dark, but it still looked very bright. The sky was illuminated to a gray color by various lights, completely different from the black or bluish night sky in the small town, where you could even see the Milky Way.
He never used to pay attention to these things before, but now he was leaning against the window, lost in thought.
He was about to take a picture for Chen Jian. After searching in and out of both rooms eight times, he finally found his phone in the closet. He had no idea why he had put his phone there.
Just as he raised his phone and took a picture, he heard a knock on the door. A single knock.
It was his mom.
His dad knocked with his knuckles. His mom would flick the door lightly with two fingers.
“Come in,” he replied out of habit.
The next second, he quickly walked towards the door. This wasn’t Dayin…
His mom opened the door and poked her head in. “CEO Shan, are you resting?”
“No,” Shan Yu smiled.
“Want to chat?” his mom asked.
Shan Yu was stunned for a moment. This was something that rarely happened before. His mom never had the time, and perhaps she didn’t feel it was necessary to “chat” with him. And he wasn’t very willing to “chat” either.
The blank years had changed them both a little.
“Okay,” Shan Yu nodded.
“Wine or coffee?” his mom asked.
“Wine,” Shan Yu said.
“Come,” his mom tilted her head. “Try a new cocktail I made.”
“Can you drink?” Shan Yu asked, following her towards the home bar.
“I’ll just have one glass,” his mom said.
Shan Yu took out his phone, sent the picture he just took to Chen Jian, and added a message.
[Fa Dan Ke Chen]: I’m going to chat with my mom for a bit, it might be a while. Don’t wait up.
[Chen Yu Luo Yan]: What an ugly sky.
Shan Yu smiled. That was irrefutable.
He sat down at the bar and placed his phone on the counter.
His mom skillfully picked out a bottle of liquor from the cooler and got an iced glass. “Is there a lot to do at the B&B?”
“It’s okay,” Shan Yu said, watching her movements. “There’s usually not much to do at night. Most guests arrive around noon.”
“Your phone was ringing non-stop. I thought it was something about the B&B,” his mom said.
“That was a roundabout way of asking,” Shan Yu said.
As his mom slowly poured the drink, she glanced at him. “Boyfriend?”
Although this was something his family had known for a long time, because he had never really had feelings for anyone, this was the first time in many years that his mom had talked to him about this.
When the word “boyfriend” came out of her mouth, Shan Yu’s heart sped up. He was caught off guard, a mix of shyness, awkwardness, and perhaps a little excitement.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“Did you meet him there?” his mom asked, pushing the iced glass in front of him.
The golden-orange drink, gradually turning transparent from top to bottom, swirled slightly in the light. Shan Yu looked at the drink and nodded. “Yeah, he’s… the manager of the B&B.”
“Try it,” his mom said.
Shan Yu picked up the glass and took a small sip. It was sweet with a hint of sourness.
“It’s good.” He took another sip and looked towards the living room. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’ll go to sleep after reading for a bit. I told him not to come over,” his mom said, drinking her wine. “I haven’t had a proper chat with you in so many years. It’s rare that we get to talk, and if he comes over, he might ruin it.”
Shan Yu smiled.
“Do you have a picture?” his mom asked. “Can I see?”
“Yes.” Shan Yu picked up his phone, opened his photo album, picked out a solo picture of Chen Jian that Yao Yi had taken, and handed it to his mom.
His mom casually took a pair of glasses from a nearby storage box, put them on, and leaned in to look closely.
“Do you have presbyopia?” Shan Yu asked.
“Just a little when the light isn’t good enough. I’m over fifty, after all,” his mom said. “This kid is quite good-looking.”
“Yeah,” Shan Yu nodded.
“How old is he?” his mom asked again.
“Twenty,” Shan Yu said.
“Oh,” his mom nodded, leaning back in her chair and taking off her glasses. “He looks quite mature. Is his family’s situation not very good?”
Shan Yu raised his eyebrows. “CEO Liu has a good eye.”
“I’m still good at reading people,” his mom smiled, looking at him. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. “It feels like you’ve suddenly grown up.”
“I’ve been grown up for many years,” Shan Yu said.
