Fei Cheng blinked, nodding as he repeated, “Fei Cheng, you’re drunk.”
Yu Qing suddenly felt as if he’d discovered a whole new world. He tested him, “Chengcheng, do you like Qiu Minmin?”
Fei Cheng continued to nod. “Chengcheng, do you like Qiu Minmin?”
Yu Qing: “...” Was he actually drunk or just faking it?
He deliberately tried to stir up trouble. “Fei Cheng likes Qiu Minmin super much!”
Fei Cheng kept nodding. “Fei Cheng likes super much—”
Cheng Yifei covered Fei Cheng’s mouth again, casting a cold glare at Yu Qing. “Do you have a death wish?”
Emboldened by the alcohol, Yu Qing didn’t back down. He whispered, “What’s the big deal? It’s not like letting him speak will hurt anything. You’re not actually threatening Chengcheng not to like Qiu Minmin, are you?”
“You’re delusional.”
Cheng Yifei opened a bottle of mineral water and fed it to Fei Cheng.
Fei Cheng took two sips before pushing it away. He looked at Yu Qing and said, “You’re delusional.”
Yu Qing: “...”
He turned away to play with Li Haoran, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing. What kind of nonsense was this—forming a united front even while wasted?
Across the table, Liu Yucong suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, “Fei Cheng! Dichlorvos! Right?!”
His shout drew the attention of all the surrounding customers.
Lai Xinhui quickly covered Liu Yucong’s mouth. “Holy shit, have these two lost their minds tonight? They’ve really gone overboard with the drinking.”
Fei Cheng’s brain finally reconnected. He picked up a beer bottle and gestured toward Liu Yucong. “That’s right! Dichlorvos and rat poison! Just don’t drink Paraquat. There’s no saving you from Paraquat.”
The two of them started drinking again as they spoke, leaving Cheng Yifei and Lai Xinhui to press their palms to their foreheads in exasperation.
Liu Yucong stood up, swaying slightly before steadying himself. He solemnly clinked his glass against Fei Cheng’s. “We’ve graduated! I, Liu Yucong, today, have to say to you, Fei Cheng... I’m sorry! Sorry, brother. I didn’t hit you, I just glared at you and cursed you out, right? Thank you. When I get back, I’m drinking Dichlorvos. Dichlorvos!”
Everyone: “...”!!!
Fei Cheng didn’t seem to understand what he was saying. After a moment, he shook his head. “It’s okay. Don’t drink Dichlorvos. If you have to drink it, add lots of sugar.”
Liu Yucong clinked his glass again. “Deal!”
“Stop drinking.” Cheng Yifei took the bottle out of Fei Cheng’s hand.
Fei Cheng was bewildered. “Why won’t you let me drink?”
Cheng Yifei: “Because you’re drunk.”
Fei Cheng: “Am I drunk? Then you drink it.”
Cheng Yifei: “...”
Fei Cheng: “You won’t drink? Then I will.”
Cheng Yifei: “...”
Yu Qing slapped his leg and laughed from the side. “Exactly! Chengcheng is the best. Hurry up, make Cheng Yifei drink for you!”
Fei Cheng looked at Cheng Yifei with misty, drunken eyes.
Cheng Yifei met his gaze, then tilted his head back and downed the rest of the bottle.
Yu Qing quickly opened a new bottle and handed it to Fei Cheng, who obediently passed it to Cheng Yifei.
Cheng Yifei shot a glare at Yu Qing, who was clearly enjoying the chaos.
He wasn't actually much of a drinker, but Fei Cheng was persistent in handing him bottles.
After three bottles, Cheng Yifei felt he couldn't handle any more. He gripped Fei Cheng’s wrist tightly, not daring to let go for fear of losing him. Using what remained of his sober consciousness, he stared coldly at Yu Qing, who was still popping open cans.
Yu Qing was having a blast. After all, no matter what excuse he’d used before, Cheng Yifei had refused to drink. Even when Chengcheng was in a drinking match with Liu Yucong, Cheng Yifei hadn't stopped him, which basically meant there was no chance of getting him to join in. He hadn't expected Chengcheng to be this effective!
Just as he was about to hand another drink to Fei Cheng, he looked up and met Cheng Yifei’s gaze. His hand trembled, and he brought the drink to his own mouth instead.
*Yikes, he’s actually angry.*
Fei Cheng let out a yawn, his eyelashes damp with physiological tears. He rubbed his eyes uncomfortably and looked up at the star-filled night sky, tugging at Cheng Yifei’s clothes. “It’s dark. Brother Cheng, it’s dark. Brother Cheng.”
“Yeah, what is it?” Cheng Yifei forced himself to stay alert to respond.
“It’s dark and I’m sleepy.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his head dropped. He almost slammed his forehead onto the table.
Cheng Yifei was quick, catching him and pulling him into his arms. He felt Fei Cheng’s forehead to make sure he was okay before holding him a bit tighter, mumbling something under his breath that no one could hear.
While Yu Qing chatted with Li Haoran and the others, he kept an eye on the two brothers huddled together, worried they might fall off their chairs in their sleep.
His tolerance was quite high—ten bottles in a row was nothing to him—so his mind was still very clear.
Liu Yucong and his group were also mostly wasted. The only ones still capable of drinking were Yu Qing, Li Haoran, Li Donghai, and Lai Xinhui.
Once the rowdy ones quieted down, the four of them ate skewers and drank beer, slowly exhausting every topic they could think of.
Late into the night, the four clinked their glasses for the last bottle of beer. One by one, they began to haul their respective friends away as the gathering dispersed.
Yu Qing called a taxi, intending to drop everyone off one by one. However, Cheng Yifei held onto Fei Cheng with a death grip, glaring at anyone who tried to touch him. His protectiveness was starting to get on Yu Qing’s nerves.
He asked Li Haoran for help, and together they dragged the two of them into the car.
Yu Qing hopped in as well, rolling down the window to talk to Li Haoran and the others. “I’m taking these two idiots back first. Let’s get together again when we have time. Since we’re all still in the county, I’m available whenever during the holidays.”
Li Haoran and Li Donghai nodded. “No problem.”
Yu Qing gave a shout to Lai Xinhui. “Dahui! Don’t go around saying you guys are just thugs or whatever. I don’t like hearing it, and neither does Chengcheng. He even got mad at me once for calling you guys thugs. I don’t even know when you guys got so close, but take care! We’ve finally graduated.”
Lai Xinhui grinned. “Fei Cheng is a very loyal guy. Don’t worry, he told us a long time ago that we weren’t thugs. We all remember that; we just say it for fun usually.”
“Got it. Sounds like you guys have been served a dose of Cheng-style ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ too.”
Yu Qing glanced at Fei Cheng, who was being held by Cheng Yifei, and waved at Li Haoran’s group with a smile. “We’re off.”
***
It took Yu Qing an immense amount of effort to get the two dead-tired drunks into Cheng Yifei’s room. He had no choice; if he went home smelling like a brewery, he’d probably be skinned alive.
Seeing Cheng Yifei collapsed on the sofa while still clutching Fei Cheng, he couldn't help but wonder. He muttered to himself, “Brother Cheng, just hug a pillow. Stop squashing Fei Cheng.”
He’d just said it offhandedly, but Cheng Yifei actually moved.
Cheng Yifei pushed himself up from the sofa, pulling the sleeping Fei Cheng into his lap and gently patting his back. His expression was serious and his movements were tender. If it weren't for the lack of his usual coldness, one might not even realize he was drunk at first glance.
Yu Qing curled up in a single armchair, watching them for a long while with his head resting on his hand. He asked, “Yifei, you seem especially happy today?”
Cheng Yifei looked at Fei Cheng for a long time before nodding.
“Is it because of Chengcheng?”
“Mm.”
“Why?”
“He doesn't like Qiu Minmin.”
Yu Qing pondered this for a moment. He looked around Cheng Yifei’s room to confirm there wasn't a fourth person present before gathering his courage to ask, “Then... do you like Fei Cheng?”
Cheng Yifei slowly raised his head to look at Yu Qing. His gaze was so clear that it gave Yu Qing a physical jolt. He jumped up from the sofa. “Holy shit, you’re not drunk?!”
Cheng Yifei didn't answer. Yu Qing stood there like a statue.
His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat—it was agonizing. Was Cheng Yifei drunk or not? Could he keep asking?
He couldn't!
Dammit, he’d used up all his courage!
“Yifei, I’m going to take a shower first. You watch over Chengcheng, okay?”
Yu Qing practically fled into the bathroom, locking the door in one fluid motion.
He gave himself a light slap on the face and whispered, “Are you crazy? You must be drunk too. What kind of messed-up question was that! Who are you trying to gross out? Maybe Cheng Yifei just likes holding onto things when he’s drunk!”
Muttering to himself, Yu Qing turned on the water.
Five minutes later, he finally convinced himself. Realizing he hadn't brought a change of clothes, he just used a towel to cover himself before heading out. Since there was no one else in Cheng Yifei’s house anyway, it wouldn't matter if he just dashed back to the room to get dressed.
Yu Qing ran a hand through his hair, stepping out of the bathroom with a relaxed expression. He looked up and stepped out with his left foot, but before it could hit the floor, he was struck by a massive shock. His hand at his waist trembled, and the towel slipped through his fingers...
“H-h-h-holy shit!”
He bent down to snatch the towel off the floor. He didn't know whether to stay or go. Finally, he haphazardly wrapped the towel around his waist and lunged forward to pull the two people on the sofa apart, giving Cheng Yifei a shove.
“Cheng Yifei, wake the fuck up! Look at who you’re kissing!”
Yu Qing tried to rescue the still-unconscious Fei Cheng from Cheng Yifei’s clutches, but Cheng Yifei wouldn't let him touch him at all, holding Fei Cheng with a look of pure vigilance.
“So you *are* still drunk...” Yu Qing was annoyed to death by this state. He scratched his head and said again, “If I’d known, I wouldn't have let you drink so much. I was wrong, I was really wrong! Cheng Yifei, calm down. If you touch Fei Cheng again, you’ll regret it! Fuck, I’m going to put some clothes on first. Don’t move! You’re not allowed to move!”
Yu Qing looked down and realized he was stark naked. He scrambled upstairs to get dressed. Wow, there was no way to stay calm! This was too terrifying!
The moment he’d stepped out of the shower, he’d seen Cheng Yifei pressing Fei Cheng down on the sofa and kissing him. He’d gone completely numb; his brain had short-circuited for three whole seconds!
He hastily grabbed a set of clothes and pulled them on as he walked, not even bothering with underwear. He rushed back downstairs and saw that the two hadn't done anything more extreme, which allowed him to breathe a faint sigh of relief.
Yu Qing stood before them, glanced at Fei Cheng—who had slept through the entire ordeal—swallowed hard, and called out, “Cheng Yifei?”
“...”
“Cheng Yifei, give Chengcheng to me and go take a shower, okay?”
“...”
“Fine, you won’t shower. But Chengcheng is asleep; you have to at least get him into bed, right? Otherwise, he won’t be comfortable.” Seeing that there was still no reaction, Yu Qing decided to just go for it and try to snatch him away. “Give Chengcheng to me!”
Chengcheng was drunk and knew nothing. If he woke up and found out Cheng Yifei had been pawing at him while he was out, what if he felt uncomfortable and stopped being friends with them? Even if he knew it was just drunken behavior, it would still be awkward as hell. He had to separate them and keep watch before they both sobered up!
During the struggle, Cheng Yifei punched Yu Qing in the stomach, picked Fei Cheng up, and carried him upstairs without saying a single word the entire time.
Yu Qing winced in pain, clutching his stomach as he followed closely behind. He watched as Cheng Yifei placed Fei Cheng on the bed and then lay down beside him, still refusing to let go.
*My god, man, it’s the middle of summer. Aren't you hot holding onto a whole person like that? Aren't you hot?!!!*
Yu Qing turned on the fan. He had given up the struggle. He climbed onto the other side of the bed, clutching a pillow and keeping a sharp eye on the two of them, terrified that Cheng Yifei might do something else R-rated.
From dusk till dawn, from the first cock-crow to the chirping of birds, until the sun rose in the east, Yu Qing didn't close his eyes for a second.
Having drunk alcohol and stayed up all night, his eyes were bloodshot and his expression was vacant, making him look utterly haggard.
The bright morning light filtered into the room, waking Cheng Yifei. He frowned, raising a hand to shield his eyes. Feeling a splitting headache, he turned over irritably, only to realize there was someone in his arms. His nose twitched.
*Huh? The smell of stale booze??*
Cheng Yifei opened his eyes in disgust. Only after his eyes adjusted to the light and he saw it was Fei Cheng in his arms did he retract his revulsion.
He touched Fei Cheng’s face, slowly recalling the events of drinking with Li Haoran and the others last night.
“If you keep touching him, he’s going to wake up,” Yu Qing said in a raspy voice. Combined with his "done with life" expression, he looked like he’d aged a decade.
Caught off guard, Cheng Yifei immediately turned around. Coming face-to-face with Yu Qing’s bloodshot eyes, he didn't even think—he just sat up and delivered a kick, sending Yu Qing tumbling off the bed.
Yu Qing had been sitting still all night; his legs had long since gone numb. After being kicked to the floor, he couldn't get up for a long time.
“Cheng! Yi! Fei!” He ground his teeth, struggling to crawl up from the floor to glare at the culprit.
Cheng Yifei: “...”
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 敌敌畏 | Dichlorvos | A common organophosphate pesticide (DDVP), often used in dark humor. |
| 百草枯 | Paraquat | A highly toxic herbicide known for being fatal if ingested. |
| 走火入魔 | Lost their minds | Literally "to be possessed by a devil," used here to mean acting crazy. |
| 丞式鸡汤 | Cheng-style Chicken Soup | Refers to "Chicken Soup for the Soul"; inspirational or "healing" platitudes. |
| 限制级 | R-rated | Content that is restricted or explicit. |
