After the meal, Shen Xinning had to rush back to her company and departed first.
"Murun, let me take you back," Si Bin said, calling a car through a ride-hailing app.
Lin Murun kept Shen Xinning’s earlier words in mind. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Was that call just now from your father’s side of the family?"
Si Bin smiled and gave a soft "mm."
"...Are you going to Z City today?" Lin Murun asked.
Si Bin shook his head slightly. "Not today."
"Then what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Lin Murun asked. "Do you want to come to my house?"
"Hmm?" Si Bin thought for a moment. "Shouldn't your uncle and aunt be off for the holidays?"
"Not my uncle and aunt's place." Lin Murun looked up at Si Bin and said softly, "My home. It’s in the neighboring N City. It’s a very short trip by bullet train."
Si Bin looked at Lin Murun, stunned.
People bustled past them on the street. Lin Murun waited quietly for Si Bin’s answer, the afternoon sun rippling like amber in his tea-colored irises.
Looking into his eyes, Si Bin felt as though the sunlight gathered there was flooding into his own heart, warm to the point of burning.
"Just the two of us?" he asked softly.
"Yes." Lin Murun smiled and said slowly, "I want to take you to my home."
Yesterday’s shower of fireworks, falling like a cascading galaxy, had reminded Lin Murun of the Little New Year’s Eve Si Bin had once spent in a flowerbed.
A drunken boy lying alone in a planter, watching the lights of ten thousand homes and the fireworks blooming in the sky—how lonely his heart must have been...
"Okay." Si Bin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He smiled and took Lin Murun’s hand. "Let’s go to your house."
The two bought bullet train tickets and took a car directly to the station.
During the trip, Lin Murun called his uncle to explain that he wouldn't be home for dinner.
Knowing that Lin Murun was celebrating a classmate's birthday, his uncle didn't ask many questions. He simply told him not to stay out too late and to come home early.
Lin Murun agreed to everything. Sitting beside him, Si Bin rested his chin on his hand and smiled as he listened.
After hanging up, Lin Murun asked in confusion, "What is it?"
Si Bin lowered his arm. "Nothing."
He just felt that having an elder waiting for you to come home was a very happy thing. He squeezed Lin Murun’s hand gently, keeping the thought to himself.
Lin Murun’s home was located in the faculty housing area of N University’s South Courtyard. The residential complex was separated from the campus by only a single wall.
Because of the winter break, there weren't many students on campus, but the snack street was as lively as ever.
Lin Murun led Si Bin through the N University campus and slipped into the complex through the back gate.
They entered a residential building and stopped in front of the door to Unit 301.
"We’re here." Lin Murun pulled out his keys and opened the door, which was covered in a thin layer of dust.
The furniture inside was draped with dust covers. Although the light-colored curtains were drawn, the living room didn't feel dark because the balcony faced south.
"No need to change shoes," Lin Murun said, seeing Si Bin move to take his off after closing the door. "No one has lived here for a long time, so it hasn't been cleaned."
Si Bin nodded and followed Lin Murun into the living room.
Lin Murun’s home wasn't large, but it was elegantly decorated. The walls were a warm beige, the TV wall was covered in pale yellow wallpaper, and a piece of calligraphy hung on the wall facing the living room.
The characters "Gentle Breeze, Pleasant Weather" were laid out in a spacious, balanced style—warm but not weak, and very beautiful. Si Bin couldn't help but look at it a few more times.
Noticing Si Bin’s attention on the calligraphy, Lin Murun said, "My grandfather wrote that."
"Your grandfather’s handwriting is beautiful," Si Bin praised.
Lin Murun smiled. "If he could hear you, he would be very happy."
Although the light in the room wasn't dim, a home that had been uninhabited for a long time inevitably smelled of dust. Lin Murun walked to the balcony, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window.
Warm light streamed directly into the living room. Lin Murun’s movement with the curtains stirred up tiny specks of dust that shimmered like gold in the sunlight.
"You can see the snack street from here," Lin Murun said, pointing to the street outside the window.
Si Bin stepped forward and indeed saw the bustling little street.
Students who hadn't gone home for the break were weaving in and out of the small shops. From a nearby basketball court came the sounds of students dribbling and shooting hoops.
"After my father passed away, my grandfather brought me here. He was an associate professor, and the faculty housing was a sort of benefit," Lin Murun said softly as he looked at the scene. "After my father left, Grandfather became even more silent than before. But he still chose this apartment, which others might find a bit noisy, because here he could always see young students and hear the sounds of vendors cooking."
"To him, that noise probably felt full of life and human warmth," Si Bin said.
"Yes." Lin Murun pointed to a dusty wooden tea table nearby. "He used to love making tea and reading here. He would sit for the whole afternoon."
Si Bin smiled. "My maternal grandfather also likes drinking tea, but he prefers silence and doesn't want anyone to disturb him."
"My grandfather used to be like that too," Lin Murun said. "There are photos of him when he was young in the study. Would you like to see them?"
"Of course," Si Bin replied.
Lin Murun led Si Bin into the study, drew the curtains, and took an old photo album from the bookshelf.
The photos were quite old; the white borders had turned slightly yellow. Lin Murun pointed to a middle-aged man holding books in a photo. "This is my grandfather."
Si Bin followed his finger. The man in the photo shared about fifty percent of Lin Murun’s features. He wore a white shirt and metal-framed glasses, looking steady and quiet.
"You look a lot like him," Si Bin noted.
"Many people have said that, but I look more like my father." As he spoke, Lin Murun flipped through a few pages and pointed to one. "These are my parents."
The photo showed a young couple holding hands under a willow tree, their smiles bright. Behind them was a large expanse of blooming lotuses.
"Your eyes look like your mother's." Si Bin looked at the young woman in the photo, then turned to Lin Murun. "What about photos of you?" he asked.
"I rarely took photos when I was little," Lin Murun said, closing the album. "So there aren't many. They're all in my room."
"Can I see them?" Si Bin asked with a smile.
Lin Murun hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Lin Murun’s bedroom was right next to the study.
Opening the door, the room was filled with traces of Lin Murun’s past life.
The books in the cabinet were neatly arranged. A small desk lamp and a pen holder still sat on the desk, as if the room's owner might return after school at any moment to diligently finish his homework.
Lin Murun stood on his tiptoes to retrieve a small photo album from the upper shelf and handed it to Si Bin.
Si Bin flipped to the first page and saw a sleeping infant wrapped in a small blanket.
The baby’s chubby little hand was outside the blanket, tightly clutching the edge of the pillow. His soft hair was plastered against his clean forehead. His features hadn't fully formed yet, and he looked like a tiny ball huddled in the blanket. Si Bin’s heart felt as if it had been struck, turning into a complete mess of tenderness.
This was Lin Murun as a baby.
He continued flipping through.
In the second photo, Lin Murun had grown quite a bit. He was standing under a tree with a large blue parrot perched on his head, his large, watery eyes looking at the camera with a sense of helplessness.
Si Bin asked, "Was this at the zoo?"
"Yes." Lin Murun scratched his nose sheepishly and tried to take the album back.
Taking advantage of his height, Si Bin held the album up high.
In his attempt to grab it, Lin Murun pressed quite close to him. With every breath, he could smell the familiar woody scent on Si Bin.
Si Bin looked at Lin Murun and suddenly laughed. He leaned down, kissed Lin Murun on the cheek, and whispered, "Murun, let me look a bit more."
His warm breath brushed against Lin Murun’s ear. Lin Murun flinched slightly and withdrew his hand.
Having gotten his way, Si Bin smiled happily and continued browsing the album.
Just as Lin Murun had said, he didn't like taking photos as a child, so there weren't many. However, it seemed the elders in his family had taken photos to commemorate every important stage of his life.
Kindergarten graduation, the first day of elementary school, the first time he was named a Merit Student, his first essay award, entering middle school, middle school graduation, getting into high school...
Si Bin flipped through the photos one by one, imprinting Lin Murun’s features and expressions from every period into his mind. It was as if he were trying to catch up on all the parts of Lin Murun’s growth that he hadn't been able to participate in.
Finally, he finished the album and looked at Lin Murun standing across from him.
After entering high school, Lin Murun hadn't taken any more photos. Si Bin looked at the blank pages at the end of the album. After a moment of thought, he pulled out his phone. "Murun, let’s take a photo together."
Lin Murun: "Huh?"
Then, he was pulled onto the sun-drenched balcony.
Si Bin put his arm around Lin Murun’s shoulder, opened the front camera, and said, "Smile."
Though Lin Murun didn't know why Si Bin suddenly wanted to take a photo, he instinctively curled his lips into a smile.
*Click.*
The photo captured the two boys' smiling expressions.
"Murun, wait for me a second!" After saying this, Si Bin dashed out the door.
Lin Murun was baffled, but soon, through the balcony’s glass door, he saw Si Bin’s back as he ran into a color printing shop on the small street.
Lin Murun blinked, seemingly understanding Si Bin’s intention.
A short while later, Si Bin returned home with a color photo printed on photo paper.
Taking Lin Murun’s hand, he returned to the bedroom and tucked the photo of the two of them into a blank page of the album.
"From now on, this album will have photos of us together." Si Bin smiled as he handed the album back to Lin Murun.
Lin Murun opened the album and saw the image clearly.
Si Bin had his arm around him, smiling warmly. Behind the two boys was the bustling snack street and a corner of the basketball court.
The sunlight was warm, leaving faint halos on their hair.
"Before, it was your father and grandfather taking photos for you. From now on, let me be the one to do it. Is that okay, Murun?" Si Bin had run back quickly, and his heart hadn't fully settled yet. He leaned close to Lin Murun, his voice still slightly breathless.
Lin Murun slowly closed the album and gave a soft "mm." "Thank you, Si Bin."
Si Bin smiled and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
The two sat in the empty house for the whole afternoon before leaving. Just as they were about to go, Si Bin suddenly received a call from Shen Xinning. He gave Lin Murun a quick sign and stepped out of the house first.
Lin Murun gripped the doorknob and looked back at the balcony where the curtains had been drawn again.
"Grandfather, we’re leaving now."
The house was silent; there was no answer.
Lin Murun lowered his eyelashes and gently closed the door.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
N市 | N City | Lin Murun's hometown.
N大 | N University | The university where Lin Murun's grandfather worked.
南院 | South Courtyard | A specific residential area for faculty at N University.
惠风和畅 | Gentle Breeze, Pleasant Weather | A common four-character idiom often used in calligraphy.
三好生 | Merit Student | Literally "Three-Good Student," a Chinese student honor for being good in ethics, study, and health.
滴滴 | Didi | A major Chinese ride-hailing service.
动车 | Bullet train | High-speed rail.
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