Chapter 1

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Future\nOnce, he’d thought he could spend the rest of his life together with someone until they grew old and their hair turned white. But as it turned out, the emotions of someone who didn’t yet understand life very well were just like graffiti on the walls of a demolished building—windswept and battered by rain, it gradually fades, day after day. When you came back to visit a couple months later, that wall would no longer be there, and only a pile of bricks and rubble would remain. And in another couple of years, even the foot of the wall would have been completely removed.\n

<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nZhou Luoyang quickly went downstairs, shaking apart the tangled wires of his headphones. At the bottom of the residential building was a broken, dusty mirror that had been tossed out by another resident. He straightened out his clothes and roughly brushed his hair in front of it. He wheeled his bike out and hopped on, then put on his headphones.\n

It was September seventh. The brilliant noon sun shone high; the setting sun was resplendent. The scorching gusts of early autumn heat rushed at him in an instant. Reflected in the glass sides of the countless tall buildings, Wan City looked like a huge laser cage in some fragmented dreamscape.\n\n

Zhou Luoyang hummed to the rhythm of his music. From time to time, he stopped at the intersection of traffic lights. Bobbing his head to the music, he put in the address of a restaurant into his GPS. Amongst the rush hour crowd, he was like a stubborn fish swimming against the current as he set off toward the Second Ring¹ for his appointment.\n

“Make the most of this,” the person who’d set them up said through the phone. “Don’t crack any inappropriate jokes again.”\n

Zhou Luoyang leaned on the handlebars and said helplessly, “I know. Isn’t it just a meal? Why are you more worried than I am?”\n

From the phone came: “I’m trying to get you to find a way to pay me back soon.”\n

Zhou Luoyang parked his bike on the curb. He twisted the lid off of his water bottle and said, smiling, “Does this little young master seem like someone who doesn’t pay back the money he owes? I’ve arrived. Talk to you later. I’m hanging up now.”\n

In the half year since he’d come to Wan City, Zhou Luoyang had taken care of what he needed to take care of. He repaid some of the money he owed, borrowed some money from his friends, and rented an apartment between the Third and Second Ring. After he made inventory of the inheritance his grandfather left behind, he moved here to try to establish himself in this big city and provide for himself and his younger brother.\n

Private room 12…The other party of this appointment was a male executive. Zhou Luoyang checked his phone and knocked on the door. From within the room, a firm voice said, “Come in.”\n

Zhou Luoyang entered the private room and smiled at the man. He was currently on the phone with someone, and he gestured to Zhou Luoyang to take a seat first and wait just a moment.\n

The man was about forty and was currently in the middle of talking business on the phone. Zhou Luoyang cast another glance at his own phone. From what he could gather from the “supplementary info” that the person who’d introduced them had just texted him, this person was the boss of a real estate company. He was successful in his business but was gay, and he wanted to find a suitable male partner with whom he could spent the rest of his life…\n

What does that mean? Zhou Luoyang wondered. I’m not here for a blind date. I’m here to look for a business partner!\n

“Hello, Zhou Luoyang,” said the middle aged man. “My name is Yu Jianqiang.”\n

Since he had already come, Zhou Luoyang could only nod. After he’d biked the whole way here, his white shirt was soaked in sweat, revealing the pale, vague outline of his muscles. As the air conditioning inside the room ran, he shivered, suddenly a little bit cold. With a keen smile in his eyes, Yu Jiangqiang looked him up and down several times. He seemed to be quite pleased with his appearance. Zhou Luoyang felt a little bit uncomfortable under his scrutiny.\n

“It’s quite hot today,” Yu Jianqiang said. “Did you walk here?”\n

Just as Zhou Luoyang was about to respond, Yu Jianqiang received another phone call, and gestured for him to take a seat. He passed him the menu and indicated for him to order first, before getting up and standing off to the side to answer the phone.\n

Zhou Luoyang perused the menu while listening closely to what Yu Jianqiang was saying over the phone—basically, he was discussing bids and buying land.\n

“I’m terribly sorry.” Yu Jianqiang hung up once again. “I’ve been wanting to buy a plot of land. The auction is tomorrow.”\n

Zhou Luoyang nodded hastily. The other man presumably was very busy with work, yet he’d kept this appointment, which showed how much he valued Zhou Luoyang—or the person who’d introduced them. \n

“I hear you moved to this city very recently?” Yu Jianqiang put his phone on silent. “Have you found a job?”\n

“No.” Zhou Luoyang handed the menu back to him. “You can order whatever you want. I’m okay with anything. I’ve been back for half a year. Been busy moving in and taking care of some household stuff.”\n

“What do you study?”\n

“Mechanical engineering.”\n

“You’re from here?”\n

“Well…my grandpa’s from here. After he passed, there was no one at home anymore. My mom and dad passed a long time ago. I came here with my little brother to make a living,” Zhou Luoyang explained.\n

“You have a little brother?” Yu Jianqiang was a bit surprised. He hadn’t heard about this from the person that introduced them. Smiling, he asked, “Is he as handsome as you?”\n

“He’s better-looking than me.” Zhou Luoyang was grinning again, revealing even, pearly white teeth. “He just turned sixteen. He’s going to be a first year in high school.”\n

Yu Jianqiang nodded leisurely. “What kind of work are you going to look for? It’s not easy for undergrads to find jobs these days…”\n

“I have a Master’s.”\n

“Oh!” Yu Jianqiang was taken by surprise again. As their food was being served, Zhou Luoyang said, “Originally, I’d wanted to take over my grandpa’s shop, but business these past few years has only been so-so, and now we’ve racked up quite a bit of debt. We had no choice but to close up shop for the time being and figure something out. I hope we’ll have a chance to reopen in the future.”\n

Yu Jianqiang nodded sympathetically. “What kind of shop?”\n

“Clocks and antiques,” Zhou Luoyang replied after a moment of contemplation.\n

“How much is the debt?”\n

“Over six million.”\n

A question, an answer. Zhou Luoyang’s tone was very laid-back, as if they were discussing someone else’s affairs. Yu Jianqiang brought out a bottle of red wine, and Zhou Luoyang hurried to his feet to take it so that he could pour for them. Yu Jianqiang watched this kid, and found himself automatically going along with it.\n

“Can you drink? If you can, drink a little with me.”\n

Zhou Luoyang didn’t ask him whether or not he was driving; he assumed he had a chauffeur or could hire someone to drive for him. He nodded and poured the wine.\n

“When I was your age,” Yu Jianqiang said, “I was still learning how to do business from my big brother in the trade. I came from nothing. You could probably say my life has been filled with twists and turns…”\n

After they’d downed a bit of red wine, Zhou Luoyang could tell that Yu Jianqiang was a little bit domineering and not very suitable for his needs. Or rather, Zhou Luoyang hadn’t held very high hopes for today’s meeting to begin with. He understood what the person who’d introduced them had meant: Yu Jianqiang could solve his most pressing financial problems and help him through these most challenging times.\n

And after that? Zhou Luoyang wasn’t sure either.\n

Flushed from the wine, Yu Jianqiang wouldn’t stop talking. He prattled on and on to Zhou Luoyang about how he’d built himself up from nothing. Like an interviewer, he kept interrogating Zhou Luoyang, mostly about his plans for the future. Finally, he lit a cigarette, and smoke curled around the room. With his cigarette dangling between his fingers, he tapped at Zhou Luoyang with his middle finger.\n

“Let big bro get to the point,” Yu Jianqiang said. “My words don’t sound so pretty—that’s just the kind of person I am, so don’t take offense, little brother.”\n

Zhou Luoyang coughed and forced a smile. “How could I?”\n

“You’re probably quite in need of money at the moment, right?”\n

Zhou Luoyang earnestly agreed, “Yeah, I don’t even know how I’ll scrounge up the funds to cover my living expenses next month.”\n

“Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground—be realistic. Don’t think about the shop your grandpa left behind anymore. The proper thing to do is to look for a job.”\n

Zhou Luoyang nodded, and Yu Jianqiang said, “You academics are all haughty. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say so, but I found you quite spirited at first sight. All full of smiles, with a good and honest character, and ignorant of society’s ruthlessness.”\n

“Ah…” Zhou Luoyang trailed off.\n

Yu Jianqiang continued, “I know you’d feel awkward bringing it up first, so I’ll bite the bullet instead. I’ll give you twelve thousand a month, and you can rent a place. In my free time I’ll come to you, two or three times a week.”\n

“Uh…”\n

Zhou Luoyang thought to himself, Looks like he means to keep me for twelve thousand a month. How did my search for a business partner turn into a blind date halfway through? When I get back, I’ll have to beat up the guy who set us up.\n

But he had very good self-restraint, so he didn’t immediately walk out.\n

After mulling it over for a beat, Zhou Luoyang asked sweetly, “Gege, will I be on top or bottom?”\n

Yu Jianqiang: “……”\n

“If I’m on the bottom,” Zhou Luoyang said, to be difficult, “twelve thousand a month seems a bit low.”\n

This wasn’t the first time Yu Jianqiang had used money to humiliate someone, but Zhou Luoyang was the first to haggle with him. He was rendered speechless on the spot. He stared blankly for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. “You’re pretty amusing, little guy.”\n

“I’m not sure what the current market price is. I remember that undergraduate students got twenty thousand a month last year,” Zhou Luoyang said with feigned curiosity.\n

With a smile, Yu Jianqiang sized Zhou Luoyang up. By now it was clear he was tipsy. “Alright, you drive a hard bargain. How much do you want?”\n

“I have a Master’s. At the end of the day, you’ve got to add another four thousand,” Zhou Luoyang said resolutely.\n

Yu Jianqiang could tell that Zhou Luoyang was mocking him, but he wasn’t angry. \n

“Then how about sixteen thousand? Why don’t you think it over?” he asked lightly.\n

From the moment he’d said “twelve thousand,” Zhou Luoyang had known that today’s meeting was a waste of time. Out of courtesy, he smiled and didn’t say anything, though he couldn’t resist a quiet sigh.\n

Yu Jianqiang called someone over to pay their bill, then called his chauffeur. Just before he left, his competitive nature kicked in, and in the face of a young twenty-something’s mocking smile, his anger wouldn’t dissipate, and he couldn’t resist getting in the last word. \n

“If you want money, earn it yourself,” Yu Jianqiang said casually. “No one in the world would pay off your debts for you if you aren’t friends or family. Besides, you aren’t that kind of quality goods.”\n

“I’m earning my money. No need to worry yourself over it. The food’s not finished yet. President Yu, you’re not taking it with you?” Zhou Luoyang smiled. “That’s a bit wasteful, isn’t it? You could totally take it home and feed it to your dog. What’s the principle behind building yourself up from nothing? It’s to increase revenue and reduce costs, right?”\n

Yu Jianqiang was at a loss for words.\n

He wasn’t sure why, but he kind of wanted to hit him.\n

“President Yu, let’s meet up again some other time!”\n

Zhou Luoyang didn’t give him the chance to. Instead, he pulled the door open and walked out.\n

Right at the same time, someone else headed in from the other side of the door. Zhou Luoyang was caught off guard and, unable to stop himself in time, abruptly collided into him.\n

A tall, slender, fair-skinned man was holding the already settled bill. He handed it over to Yu Jianqiang. \n

Zhou Luoyang immediately apologized, backing up half a step. Their eyes met, and he froze, stunned.\n

“Pack up the food for him to take home and feed to his dog, then send him home.” Yu Jianqiang didn’t even look at Zhou Luoyang as he passed on these instruction to the male assistant and then brushed past the two of them. \n

In the small little world left behind in the room, all was quiet.\n

The man was wearing a well-ironed suit and a pair of sunglasses. He stood by the door. His face was slim, his eyebrows thick and dark. There was a ghastly scar that ran across his cheeks and nose, as if someone had taken a knife to the tall, strong bridge of his nose.\n

In the lighting of the room, the scar appeared particularly distinct. \n

“Pack it up to go?” the man asked, his voice deep.\n

“Du Jing?!” Zhou Luoyang was shocked. He mumbled, “Why are you here?”\n

Zhou Luoyang unconsciously took a half step toward that assistant. He wanted to pull at him, or to pat him, but froze with his hand in midair. The man didn’t try to deny his identity. After all, his face was an awfully clear declaration of who he was, and it would be pretty pointless to pretend otherwise. \n

A server came inside to pack up the leftovers. Zhou Luoyang and Du Jing stood there, facing each other. Time seemed to come to a standstill around them. \n

Zhou Luoyang wanted to reach out and take off Du Jing’s sunglasses. But when Du Jing noticed his hand reaching up, he took went ahead and plucked them off first.\n

“You’re that guy’s assistant?” Zhou Luoyang was stunned stupid. He looked Du Jing up and down. “Surely not!”\n

Du Jing didn’t reply. He broke eye contact and watched as the server packed the food.\n

“You have a dog now?” Du Jing suddenly asked.\n

Zhou Luoyang didn’t answer the question. Instead, he said, “After you quit school, there was no news of you anymore. Where have you been all these years?”\n

Du Jing took the packed paper bag from the server, put on his sunglasses, pushed open the door, and headed out first. Zhou Luoyang quickly hurried after him. For a moment, countless memories welled up in his mind. As he watched Du Jing’s back, those memories, like shattered fragments, rushed forth once more under the early evening glow of the street lamps. \n

“Where did you park?” Du Jing asked.\n

“Want to go somewhere for a couple drinks?” Zhou Luoyang asked.\n

Ever since the two of them had reunited, each had been saying their own thing. Now, finally, Du Jing gave Zhou Luoyang a proper answer. \n

“No, I’m busy.”\n

Du Jing stood on the side of the road and held the paper bag out to Zhou Luoyang, but Zhou Luoyang didn’t take it. \n

“You can toss that out,” he said. “Will you leave me your contact info?”\n

Du Jing didn’t reply, and Zhou Luoyang didn’t press. He’d learned five years ago that in order to deal with this guy, you couldn’t simply employ normal methods.\n

“Then I’ll be going,” Zhou Luoyang said instead. “I hope we can meet again.”\n

He headed over to where he’d left his bike, but it was nowhere to be found. After double and triple checking, he had to accept the truth—his bike had probably been stolen.\n

Off to the side, Du Jing silently watched as Zhou Luoyang looked for his bike. A moment later, he said, “President Yu told me to send you home.”\n

“That’s not necessary. I’ll rent a bike.”\n

But Du Jing had already fished out his phone. “Address.”\n

Zhou Luoyang stood there for a moment and finally told him his address. Du Jing called for a car on his phone.\n

Zhou Luoyang glanced over at him. There was a rubber band on his left wrist.\n

He reached out to tug at the rubber band, but Du Jing edged away almost imperceptibly so that Zhou Luoyang wouldn’t touch him.\n

Wan City was especially hot and stuffy at night. As the two of them stood on the side of the road, Zhou Luoyang found that his shirt was already soaked through with sweat. He glanced at Du Jing, who was in a suit, and asked, “Are you hot? If you are, take off your jacket.”\n

Du Jing didn’t reply.\n

“How have you been these past couple years?” Zhou Luoyang asked again. “Still wearing it? Has your illness gotten a little better?”\n

“I did as you said and tried to get treated,” Du Jing responded. “I couldn’t. It can’t be treated anymore.”\n

Zhou Luoyang looked at Du Jing with his brows gently furrowed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Even if everything else that had happened today bombarded him all at once, they still wouldn’t be able to take him by surprise as much as this unexpected reunion with Du Jing.\n

“Come over to my house for a bit?” Zhou Luoyang offered.\n

Du Jing was unresponsive again. Zhou Luoyang combed through his countless memories. Du Jing’s condition came in intervals, and this reaction was exceedingly similar to when they were in school together, when they fought in their dorm—back then, Du Jing would say, “Don’t talk to me. Let me be alone for a while.”\n

But right now, Zhou Luoyang had finally found him again after a great deal of trouble. How could he not say anything at all?\n

“I…” Zhou Luoyang thought it over and over again, and finally said, “Du Jing…”\n

The car pulled up. Du Jing opened the door, and Zhou Luoyang climbed inside. He’d initially thought Du Jing would slide in after him—after all, he’d previously said he would “send him home.” Instead, Du Jing closed the door behind him.\n

<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nFootnotes:\n

<ol>The Second Ring Road (二环) is a big, ring-shaped expressway at the heart of the city. The layout of the the city goes like this: the First Ring is built at the heart of the city, the Second Ring wraps around that, and subsequent Rings are built farther and farther out from the city center. [Back]</ol>\n<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nTranslated by beansprout. Edited by grape seed.\n

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