Li Qiang continued, "They’re thinking: 'Oh, Zhang Jin'an is such a homebody, there's no way he'd step foot outside during a typhoon.' So, they just don't bother posting!" Li Qiang was completely amused by his own logic and burst into a loud laugh after finishing his sentence.
Zhang Jin'an wasn't particularly amused by the words themselves, but he was defeated by Li Qiang's infectious laughter and let out a couple of chuckles.
Once Li Qiang finished laughing, Zhang Jin'an said, "I'm hanging up now. I need to give my family a call in a bit."
"Sure," Li Qiang said and ended the call.
Zhang Jin'an then went to check Jiang Siyang's Weibo. He remembered that Jiang Siyang didn't post very often. When he clicked on the profile, sure enough, the latest post was from September 15th—and today was already September 29th.
To Zhang Jin'an's surprise, the comments under Jiang Siyang's post were filled with warnings for him to stay safe.
[@Little_niuniu]: Hubby, be careful! Don't let the typhoon blow you into the sea, I don't know how to swim! I can't save you!
[@Xiao_He_by_the_River] replied to [@Little_niuniu]: If you’d had even one peanut with your drink, you wouldn't be this drunk.
[@Luo_Luo_Luo_Wont_Fall] replied to [@Little_niuniu]: You wouldn't be hallucinating like this.
[@Round_Face_Fat_Heart]: Yang, even though I know the typhoon will probably be over by the time you see this, I still want you to stay safe. Just be careful when crossing the road.
[@Work_Four_Sheep]: Siyang, stay indoors lately. Watch out for the typhoon.
...
And so on; they were all posted today. Zhang Jin'an had to scroll down quite a bit to see the comments from when the post was originally made.
He then checked Tuan Yuan's Weibo. As expected, Tuan Yuan had shared her thoughts on the matter.
[@System_Limited_Tuan_Yuan]: I'm dying of laughter. Yang doesn't check Weibo, but everyone is leaving so many comments; Dage checks Weibo, but because he never leaves the house, no one comments hhhhhhhh. Why are the fans of the CP I like so funny? hhh [Image] [Image]
Tuan Yuan had screenshotted both his and Jiang Siyang's Weibo pages and placed them side-by-side. Zhang Jin'an was genuinely amused; he found it quite funny himself.
[@Guoguo's_Yangyangyang]: It's true. Seeing the two side-by-side killed me.
[@XSLW_is_Real]: Siyang's post date: Sept 15, comments are all "Stay safe." Dage's post date: Sept 28, comments are all "As expected of you."
[@Plum_Blossoms_Only_in_October]: Why is everything about my CP so hilarious? [Face with hand over mouth emoji]
...
Tuan Yuan had become somewhat of a minor celebrity; her posts now consistently garnered over a thousand comments. This was considered a very good performance in any fandom circle.
Zhang Jin'an closed Weibo and finally called Zhang Qingyue.
Feeling thirsty, he sat up from the sofa to pour himself some water while the call connected. Before he could finish pouring a glass, the call was picked up.
"What's up? Is something wrong?"
Zhang Jin'an set the kettle down and blew on the surface of the hot water in his cup. "Are you at work right now?"
"Mm," Zhang Qingyue hummed in response. "I'm on duty today, still at work. But it's fine, just tell me if you need something."
"Do you know about the typhoon?" Zhang Jin'an asked.
"Yeah, I know. I've already talked to Mom and Dad about it. Xiaoyu knows too."
Zhang Jin'an heard a laugh through his Bluetooth earpiece.
"Guess what Zhang Shuyu said when I told her?" Zhang Qingyue asked.
"Based on your tone, it definitely wasn't anything normal," Zhang Jin'an deduced.
"I wouldn't say it's abnormal," Zhang Qingyue laughed again before revealing the answer. "She said that by the time the typhoon flies over to her place, it'll probably have been blown out of existence."
Zhang Jin'an wasn't surprised. Zhang Shuyu loved saying things that sounded logically sound but were actually ridiculous. Last Chinese New Year, when the city banned fireworks, Zhang Shuyu downloaded a firework app and sent it to everyone, telling them to open it at the same time so they could feel like they were watching fireworks together despite being in different places.
When they opened it—good grief—the firework sounds were recorded by her. If you turned the volume to the max, you could even hear her popping the mic.
Zhang Jin'an nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like something she'd say."
"But it's not just us; you need to be careful too. I saw that the typhoon will pass through Shanghai. Hangzhou and Shanghai are quite close, so stay alert," Zhang Qingyue said.
"Yeah, I know," Zhang Jin'an replied.
"Oh, there's one more thing I haven't told you. Ever since your production crew visited, the hotel's buffet sales have been increasing day by day. Our CEO said he wants to thank the crew and you," Zhang Qingyue lowered her voice. "The implication is that he wants to treat you all to a meal. He might contact Brother Li Qiang later. Check your schedule and try to give a reply early. That way, if you don't want to go, I can tell the CEO."
"Okay, I got it," Zhang Jin'an replied. "I'll come if I have time. It counts as a trip home, after all."
"Alright, I'll wait for your answer," Zhang Qingyue said.
Zhang Jin'an swirled the water in his cup. After thinking for a few seconds, he finally spoke. "Qingyue, there's something I need to tell you."
Perhaps because his tone had shifted from their previous conversation, becoming a few degrees flatter, she thought something major had happened. Her voice dropped significantly. "What is it?"
Zhang Jin'an quickly added, "You don't need to be so nervous. It's not a huge deal... but for the family, it might not be a small matter."
"..."
After a few seconds of silence on the other end, she replied, "Then give me a hint first. Is this something we can tell Mom and Dad, or not?"
"I'll tell them personally once things are settled. I'm just telling you first. I thought it would be better if you knew before anyone else," Zhang Jin'an said.
Zhang Jin'an had always communicated with Zhang Qingyue first whenever something came up. Only after she understood the situation would he go to Zhang Shuyu.
Zhang Qingyue was different from Zhang Shuyu. Zhang Shuyu was more emotional and would charge ahead the moment something happened, whereas Zhang Qingyue would rationally consider the consequences of any action before deciding on the next step.
In gaming terms, Zhang Shuyu was the Damage Dealer, while Zhang Qingyue was the Support.
"Alright, go ahead," Zhang Qingyue replied.
"I have someone I like," Zhang Jin'an said.
Zhang Qingyue was a bit surprised, her tone clearly rising. "Really? Isn't that a good thing?"
Zhang Jin'an replied in the next second, "It's a man."
"..."
It was the silence he had expected.
Zhang Jin'an didn't show a hint of impatience, quietly waiting for her to speak again. This waiting time was already considered short; if he didn't endure this now, the future wait wouldn't just be a few seconds.
It could be half a year, a year, or ten years. After all, cases of being kicked out after coming out to the family and only being accepted years later were not uncommon.
The seconds ticked by.
After half a minute, a voice finally came through Zhang Jin'an's earpiece.
"No wonder you said it's neither a big deal nor a small one."
Zhang Qingyue's voice was calm, no different from her tone earlier in the conversation.
Zhang Jin'an smiled. "Yeah."
"What kind of person is he?" Zhang Qingyue asked.
She respected him; she wouldn't ask who it was, only why he liked him.
"Him?" Zhang Jin'an looked toward the window.
Because the lights were on, the window reflected the interior of the room, along with a faint image of himself.
Zhang Jin'an walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window. The closer he got, the less clearly he could see his own expression, but the scenery outside became increasingly vivid.
"His fans often praise him—how he looks good, how he's upright, how he's humble. They've said everything I want to say. If I had to give my own evaluation, I think there's one sentence that fits him perfectly." Zhang Jin'an looked up at the night sky. "He holds the serene moon in his arms, more dazzling than any beauty you have ever seen."
As if savoring the words, Zhang Qingyue remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "That's high praise. I've never heard you compliment someone like that. I can tell you really like him."
*Yes,* Zhang Jin'an answered in his heart. *I love him deeply.*
"This path is indeed not easy to walk, and it won't be easy to tell Mom and Dad. But Ge, you should know that as long as it's something you want to do, I will always support you. You'll always have my vote of approval." There was a smile in Zhang Qingyue's voice. "Let's leave it at that for now. I'll hang up first, and we can have a proper talk about it later."
"Mm," Zhang Jin'an acknowledged.
After hanging up, Zhang Jin'an picked up his phone again and realized he had received several messages. Upon seeing the sender's name, he opened WeChat without a moment's hesitation.
[Jiang Siyang]: Ge
[Jiang Siyang]: I just heard from Sister Liu that there's a typhoon coming.
[Jiang Siyang]: I was afraid you didn't know, so I came to tell you.
[Jiang Siyang]: Be careful these next few days. Don't go out if you don't have to.
[Jiang Siyang]: You should wear more clothes too.
[Jiang Siyang]: I saw you weren't wearing much today. Be careful not to catch a cold.
[Jiang Siyang]: Also, the moon is very beautiful tonight. I took a photo for you to see. [Image]
[Jiang Siyang]: Goodnight.
Zhang Jin'an read through them one by one and clicked on the photo. It was a crescent moon framed by layers of tree shadows.
He stared at the photo for a long time before finally replying with a simple "You too, goodnight." Then, he let his hand drop.
The air conditioning in the room was comfortable, and the lights illuminated the entire space without being harsh. Outside, the city lights were dim and scattered. Everything felt as peaceful and beautiful as the passing years.
Without even changing his clothes, Zhang Jin'an sprawled out on the bedsheets. He picked up his phone again and looked at the photo.
The
