Su Jingming returned to Liangcheng once more and moved into Wen Yan’s apartment as a matter of course. It was only after moving in that he realized Wen Yan had taken out a loan to buy the place quite some time ago.
The apartment wasn't large—a simple two-bedroom, one-living room layout.
Su Jingming’s belongings had been sent over early by Cheng Hui. Although she still spoke with a cold indifference, she hadn't missed a single thing Su Jingming might need.
When Su Jingming saw the clothes and daily necessities he had never even seen before, he crouched down and tapped his fingers against the edge of the box. An indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.
A bittersweet ache crept through his chest.
"When there's a chance in the future, we should invite Lawyer Wen back for a meal," Su Jingming said softly. "Chen Yue really wants to see you, too."
As for when that would be, he wasn't entirely sure.
Wen Yan pulled him up from the floor, their fingers interlocking as they walked toward the bedroom. "I only have one bedroom here; the other is a study. You can use whatever you like. If you’re missing anything, just tell me."
At this, Wen Yan paused, pulled a card from his pocket, and handed it to him.
Su Jingming looked at the card in his hand and remained silent for a few seconds. "Why do I feel like I’m being kept by you?"
"...Then why not give me the chance?" Wen Yan laughed. "Keeping an elite student from A University—it wouldn't sound too good if word got out."
Su Jingming didn't respond. A second later, Wen Yan continued, "Once we make things official, it won't count as being kept anymore."
"Lawyer Wen, I didn't realize you were so desperate to get married," Su Jingming teased, his grip on Wen Yan's hand tightening slightly.
"Yes, yes, I am *desperate* to get married." Wen Yan deliberately elongated the words, his deep eyes reflecting Su Jingming’s silhouette. He leaned closer, enunciating every syllable: "It just depends on when my Little Hero is coming to claim me."
Su Jingming pursed his lips, trying to turn his face away to avoid his gaze.
Seeing Su Jingming’s ears turn visibly red, Wen Yan let out a soft "tsk" and lowered his eyes, pressing a kiss onto his lips.
The kiss wasn't gentle; it was a rough reclamation of territory. Su Jingming’s hand instinctively gripped the fabric of Wen Yan’s shirt, his entire weight leaning into the other man.
Wen Yan placed a hand on his waist to support him. Shifting from his earlier roughness, he began to kiss the corners of Su Jingming’s mouth with tender softness.
The kiss left Su Jingming lightheaded from a lack of oxygen, leaving only his body to give the most honest reaction.
Wen Yan moved his kisses from the corner of his mouth to his ear, his exhaled breath ambiguous and teasing. Su Jingming felt an itch in his heart; a numbing sensation traveled from his scalp down to his toes, piercing every nerve in his body.
He was pressed against the wall, but the cold surface did nothing to dampen the heat rising within him. Coming back to his senses, he realized Wen Yan was pinching the flesh at his waist, frowning. "We really need to feed you well. You're too thin."
"I've been eating a lot," Su Jingming said, the corners of his eyes flushed red. His voice was hoarse. "Stop touching."
"Mm." Wen Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "I want to see just how thin you’ve become."
"...Wen Yan!!" Flustered and exasperated, Su Jingming lowered his head and leaned his forehead against Wen Yan’s chest, his face burning.
"Mm," Wen Yan replied nonchalantly, his hands not stopping their movement.
Su Jingming bit his lip and suddenly reached out to grab the hands wreaking havoc at his waist. Wen Yan chuckled softly, intertwining their fingers. Before Su Jingming could speak, Wen Yan pinned their joined hands against the wall.
Wen Yan lowered his gaze. "Look up."
Su Jingming remained silent.
Wen Yan clicked his tongue, his patience seemingly reaching its limit. His slow, deliberate words drifted into Su Jingming’s ear: "Little Hero, do you want to?"
It was the bursting of countless fireworks, a storm rising from the sea—wave after wave of ripples that refused to settle for a long, long time.
I am sinking into the deep sea, where only a sliver of moonlight slowly permeates the depths.
***
For the first month after Su Jingming returned to Liangcheng, Wen Yan practically kept him shut inside the house. It wasn't until he had gained a few pounds that Wen Yan finally allowed him to go out.
The dinner Ren Wei had arranged long ago was finally happening today.
"I made plans with you last time, but you actually stood me up?" Ren Wei complained as soon as he saw Su Jingming, his dissatisfaction unchanged from the old days.
Su Jingming smiled. Ren Wei’s hand paused while pouring water. "Ming-ge, I’ve wanted to say this for a while—the vibe you give off now is incredibly comfortable."
"Did I make you uncomfortable before?"
Just as Su Jingming finished speaking, a noisy commotion erupted outside the door.
"I heard Su Jingming is back! He’s been back this long and only just contacted us? That’s so damn cold. We were 'wine and meat' friends back in the day, after all!"
"At most, you guys were 'meat' friends. You can skip the wine."
Hearing the voices, Su Jingming’s eyes crinkled into a smile. Song Yifei and Li Yang walked in carrying bottles of alcohol. When they saw Su Jingming’s gentle expression, a flash of surprise crossed their faces before they returned to their usual selves.
Song Yifei spoke first. "Su Jingming, you haven't changed in years. How the hell did you get even better looking? Why aren't you wearing those glasses of yours anymore?"
Su Jingming replied, "I'm not wearing them. They're bad for the eyes."
Li Yang took off his coat and draped it over a chair. "Song Yifei, if you eat a little less meat, you’ll get better looking too."
Over the past few years, Song Yifei’s alcohol tolerance hadn't improved, but his weight certainly had. At first, Su Jingming thought he was seeing things and took a few curious glances. Song Yifei glared back. "Stop looking, stop looking! I know I’ve lost my figure. How unlucky, truly unlucky!"
"It is pretty unlucky. You don't even have a girlfriend yet."
"Li Yang, how come I never realized you were such an annoying person before?"
Just as Song Yifei was about to speak up to reclaim some of his dignity, Ren Wei interrupted. "How are you guys still this noisy?" He turned to Su Jingming. "Ming-ge, when is your Wen Yan coming? Is the big lawyer really that busy? Can he make it to this dinner?"
Su Jingming nodded. "He can. He’s coming over as soon as court adjourns."
"Tsk," Li Yang said. "Lawyer Wen is something else. Even before he graduated, he was using his brains to consult on so many cases. How else could he afford a house at such a young age? Right?"
He arched an eyebrow as he looked at Song Yifei.
Song Yifei immediately chimed in. "Exactly! Lawyer Wen worked day and night after getting into that major, busy with a thousand things. Wasn't it all just to save up for his 'wife fund'?"
"Thinking back to Lawyer Wen’s university days... he was practically putting his life on the line."
Hearing their banter, Su Jingming felt as if he had returned to No. 2 High School, to that summer years ago. The ceiling fan whirred with its old, rhythmic sound; Ren Wei and Li Yang would secretly play mobile games under their desks, and Song Yifei would drop by for no reason.
As soon as the bell rang, Ren Wei and Li Yang would curse themselves for being "useless" while simultaneously coming over to borrow his homework to copy.
That summer, the cicadas chirped noisily, and the June sun was scorching, soaking into everyone's hearts.
Su Jingming watched his childhood friends go back and forth endlessly. His fingers traced the rim of his cup. It had been too long since he had heard these familiar voices, and for a moment, too many unidentifiable emotions flooded his mind.
Suddenly, the group fell silent, everyone looking in unison at Su Jingming, who had been wearing a constant smile.
Song Yifei was the first to speak. "I told you, people in love lose their brains. Look at Su Jingming’s silly expression. He looks exactly like that idiot who used to pass out after one bottle of beer and then scream about wanting to transform."
Su Jingming: "..."
"I beg to differ. No matter what, my Ming-ge’s brain is still top-tier. An elite student from A University, a psychology major... if he joins a hospital later, the psych department will probably be overflowing." Ren Wei’s flattery was laid on thick.
"With Su Jingming studying psychology, won't a bunch of young girls start developing 'illnesses' just to see him? With that face, the outpatient clinic won't even be able to fit everyone." Li Yang paused. "How does Lawyer Wen have no sense of crisis at all?"
"...Who are you saying has no sense of crisis?" Wen Yan, looking travel-worn after court, hurried in. He pushed open the door just in time to hear Li Yang’s rumors. "Why do I hear a hint of schadenfreude in your voice?"
Wen Yan took off his coat and naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Su Jingming, picking up Su Jingming’s water cup to take a sip.
The others raised their eyebrows, letting out a few teasing "ohs."
Wen Yan kept the situation under control. A waiter entered and handed them the menus. After the others ordered their favorite dishes, the menu passed to Wen Yan. Just like when they were teenagers, he bypassed the cilantro and onions that Su Jingming disliked and skillfully ordered several dishes that suited Su Jingming’s palate.
Before the food arrived, Li Yang opened the alcohol he had brought. He asked the waiter for glass cups and filled one for everyone. "This stuff was a gift from a client. I couldn't even bring myself to drink it. Supposedly, it’s quite expensive."
They raised their glasses in a silent understanding. Li Yang said, "Welcome back, Su Jingming."
In the years since graduation, Li Yang had gone into sales, making a name for himself in his company despite his somewhat clumsy way of speaking.
At the mention of work, Song Yifei sighed. "Fuck, don't even get me started. It pisses me off. Just because I put on some weight, they fired me."
Su Jingming looked over curiously. "Then why don't you have Wen Yan file a lawsuit?"
"Lawyer Wen is too expensive; I can't afford him." Song Yifei gave a silly grin. "Actually, my boss had a bit of a thing for me. I got scared, so I ran."
Ren Wei suddenly had a realization. "So it’s like that saying: 'You flee, she chases, you find it hard to fly away'?"
"Fuck? Are you an idiot?!" Song Yifei cursed Ren Wei with a laugh before continuing. "My boss is a forty-year-old career woman. She liked me because I look like her late husband! It totally threw me off. When I was writing my resignation letter, my hands were shaking so much people would've thought I had a kidney deficiency."
Wen Yan raised his glass toward Song Yifei. "You do look a bit deficient. Get some rest."
Song Yifei cursed and toasted Wen Yan back. The curve of Su Jingming’s lips deepened. He leaned back in his chair; a man who rarely laughed out loud, he finally let out a genuine laugh in front of them.
Ren Wei’s hand holding his chopsticks froze. His eyes instantly reddened, and he grabbed the alcohol beside him, gulping it down. Li Yang, still somewhat sober, tried to stop him. "Dammit, this wine is expensive! Can you drink it slowly?!"
"You already brought it, why drink slowly? While Song Yifei and Su Jingming aren't drunk yet, shouldn't we hurry up and ply them?"
Li Yang: "You actually have a point..."
Su Jingming tilted his head back, leaning slightly toward Wen Yan. "Are they always like this?"
Wen Yan hummed in affirmation, taking the opportunity to press a kiss to Su Jingming’s forehead. "Always."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
凉城 | Liangcheng | The city where the story takes place.
程慧 | Cheng Hui | Su Jingming's mother.
陈月 | Chen Yue | A character mentioned by Su Jingming.
A大 | A University | The prestigious university the characters attended.
小英雄 | Little Hero | Wen Yan's affectionate nickname for Su Jingming.
恨嫁 | Desperate to marry | Literally "hating that one is not yet married"; usually used for women, used here playfully for Wen Yan.
任伟 | Ren Wei | Su Jingming's high school friend.
宋依斐 | Song Yifei | Su Jingming's high school friend.
黎阳 | Li Yang | Su Jingming's high school friend.
酒肉朋友 | Wine and meat friends | Fair-weather friends; people one only socializes with for fun/drinking.
老婆本 | Wife fund | Savings intended for marriage expenses/starting a family.
二中 | No. 2 High School | The high school the characters attended.
明哥 | Ming-ge | "Brother Ming"; a respectful/friendly address for Su Jingming.
