After the wedding, Ji Mian was sent downstairs by Gu Ting's assistant.
On this wedding night, Gu Ting and Mu Yuman wouldn't be back for a while, not tonight and not for the next few days.
Ji Mian was sent back alone, and the wooden carving shop downstairs was dark. The second-floor room was also dark, and Duan Zhuang hadn’t returned.
He stood at the door of the shop, holding Duan Zhuang's coat, feeling lost.
After hesitating for a long time, he ultimately didn’t go upstairs to rest. He didn’t even know how serious his brother’s illness was…
Ji Mian had the key to the wooden carving shop, so he decided to unlock the door, turn on the lights, and find a small stool from the corner to sit down behind the door, intending to wait for Duan Zhuang to come back.
[Are you not afraid of encountering him now?]
Ji Mian shook his head, [I’m still a bit scared.]
But he couldn’t forget the sound of the sirens and breathing from that phone call.
And...
Ji Mian lowered his head, resting his chin on the suit fabric he was holding, which had a faint scent of tobacco.
He still had to return Duan Zhuang's clothes to him.
Suddenly, the view in front of him brightened.
Two beams of warm, bright light sliced through the night from outside the shop, accompanied by the sound of a car engine.
Ji Mian looked up and saw a gray car parked in front of the door.
Thinking about the person inside, his legs felt a bit numb for a moment.
But he still stood up.
The moment he opened the door and walked out, Sun Qi happened to get out of the driver's seat, opening the rear door and reaching in, seemingly wanting to assist someone.
Before Ji Mian could think about the reason behind this series of actions, he saw Duan Zhuang lean forward from inside, his right hand resting on the car door, avoiding Sun Qi’s outstretched hand.
He stepped out, his body slightly unsteady.
“Brother, take it slow.”
Duan Zhuang ignored Sun Qi's voice behind him.
As if sensing something, he raised his eyes and looked towards the entrance of the wooden carving shop.
When their eyes met, Ji Mian's pupils constricted, and his heart stopped.
Duan Zhuang’s shirt was covered in marks from being scraped by gravel, and beneath the fabric, there were at least a dozen abrasions on his skin.
He looked like he had been fished out of the water, completely soaked from head to toe, with his short hair frozen stiff by the winter wind.
It was as if he had just walked through a deep abyss of despair, and when his gaze met Ji Mian’s, the daze in his dark eyes pierced Ji Mian’s heart like a dull knife.
Neither of them moved again.
Ji Mian stared blankly at Duan Zhuang, with a vague intuition that at that moment, Duan Zhuang wanted to come over and hold him tightly.
But Duan Zhuang never approached him.
Driven by an inexplicable impulse, Ji Mian slowly took a step forward, wanting to get closer to Duan Zhuang. He wanted to hug him.
Just as Sun Qi closed the car door and turned around, he saw Ji Mian standing in a daze and seemingly raising his wrist towards Duan Zhuang.
He felt a rush of relief and hurried over, wrapping his arms around Ji Mian tightly.
“You little rascal!!”
“... Brother Sun Qi?” Ji Mian came back to his senses.
Sun Qi patted his back vigorously, his voice still carrying a childish whine, “You scared me to death, you little rascal!”
Ji Mian was confused by his nonsensical words.
Scared? But he... hadn’t done anything at all?
Sun Qi cried and cursed, occasionally mixing in a few profanities, but his tone held no blame.
Ji Mian was lost in thought, his emotions tangled up.
He just wanted to see his brother.
When he cast his gaze back, however, Duan Zhuang had already looked away, lowered his head, and turned to leave.
Ji Mian could only see his back, solitary and desolate like the cold winter river.
His heart suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if it were being squeezed, but he was utterly confused by the current situation.
“... What happened to my brother?” he could only ask Sun Qi, “Didn’t you say it was an allergic reaction?”
“... Well, we went to help! You know about the West City Bridge, right? Tonight, someone jumped into the river, and my brother and I went to save them.”
Sun Qi didn’t mention that he and Duan Zhuang had mistaken the jumper for Ji Mian, feeling it sounded a bit silly.
Ji Mian's eyes widened in surprise.
His brother was actually such a warm-hearted person?
“My brother and those firefighters fished around for a long time and rescued a middle-aged man, saving his life. I can’t swim; otherwise, I would have jumped in too.” Sun Qi’s expression shifted from sorrow to joy. “If the newspapers are efficient, maybe tomorrow, your brother will be listed as a kind-hearted citizen!”
He imagined the “kind-hearted citizen Duan” in the newspaper, or perhaps his full name, and found it amusing, unable to help but chuckle.
But Ji Mian couldn’t laugh.
Just thinking of the wounds on Duan Zhuang’s body, those tiny scars felt like they were covering his own heart.
“I want to go up and see my brother.”
“Oh right, you should go up. My brother should be…”
What should he be? Sun Qi didn’t say it.
Ji Mian closed the wooden carving shop's door, holding Duan Zhuang's coat as he went upstairs, knocking on Duan Zhuang's door.
The door was tightly shut, and Ji Mian knocked for a long time. He shouted Duan Zhuang’s name until his voice went hoarse, but the person inside didn’t respond.
What he didn’t know was that the person he urgently wanted to see was sitting behind the door, back to him, with only a door’s thickness separating them.
---
Ji Mian stayed for only two nights before taking the high-speed train back to school.
When Duan Zhuang wanted to avoid someone, no one could find him.
Before leaving, Ji Mian neatly folded Duan Zhuang's coat, put it in a bag, and hung it on the doorknob of Duan Zhuang’s room on the second floor.
After returning to school, Ji Mian suddenly regretted signing the tripartite contract so early.
During his senior year, once he resolved the issues of employment and further studies, life at school became empty and dull.
This enviable long vacation felt like a torment to him at that moment. He constantly thought of Duan Zhuang and that heated kiss.
After Mu Yuman's wedding, Duan Zhuang hadn’t called him again, and Ji Mian hadn’t contacted him either. They hadn’t communicated for two months, and their once-close relationship had changed because of a single kiss.
But this time, unlike the previous cold wars, it felt as if there was a thread connecting them, tugging painfully at their hearts.
Before the winter break, the company Ji Mian signed with asked if he wanted to start his internship early during the holiday.
Ji Mian agreed.
The internship thing was not mentioned to anyone; it was only halfway through the winter break, approaching the Spring Festival, that Mu Yuman cautiously asked, “Why didn’t you come back for the holiday?”
“I started my internship early, Yuman Jie.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yeah.”
“... Ji Mian,” Mu Yuman’s voice slowed down, “Did you have a fight with brother?”
Ji Mian laughed a bit. “No, just an internship.”
Mu Yuman was silent for a moment before saying, “That’s good.”
“Well, it’s almost New Year; when will you come back?”
“I... couldn’t get a ticket back this year, so I might not go home for the Spring Festival.”
Ji Mian lied.
Although the tickets were tight, he could have bought a ticket for the New Year’s Eve a couple of days ago. But when he got to the personal information section, Duan Zhuang’s cold eyes appeared in his mind, and after hesitating for a long time, Ji Mian ultimately exited the purchase page.
“Oh, I see. Tickets before the New Year are hard to get.” Mu Yuman said understandingly.
Not long after, he received a call from Sun Qi, and it was already the first day of the New Year.
He was much more straightforward than Mu Yuman: “Ji Mian, why didn’t you come back for the Spring Festival? Did you have a fight with big brother?”
“No, I’m interning at the company and couldn’t get a ticket home for the holiday.” Ji Mian was in his rented apartment, standing in front of the window, poking at the foggy glass with his finger, “Is... something wrong with brother?”
“No, it’s not that he’s in trouble, but it feels like something’s off with him...” Sun Qi sighed, “He won’t let me call you, so don’t let it slip.”
Sun Qi was overthinking; Ji Mian and Duan Zhuang hadn’t been in touch for two months, so how could there be an opportunity to slip up?
As for the matter of Duan Zhuang and Ji Mian no longer being in contact, Sun Qi was unaware.
As for Mu Yuman, she might have had some suspicions, but it remained at the level of speculation. After all, she had seen how close the two of them once were.
Ji Mian nodded and agreed, “Hmm, I will.”
“Well, the winter break is still long. Are you coming back after the New Year?”
Ji Mian fell silent for a few seconds.
“I don’t know, Brother Sun Qi.”
“Hey, it’s okay if you don’t come back. It’s fine for Big Brother too, so don’t think too much about it.” Sun Qi asked a few more questions about Ji Mian’s internship, mostly about whether the work was hard and if he had found a place to rent.
Yet, the person Ji Mian most wanted to tell had never come to ask him.
“Are you really not coming back this year?” Before hanging up, Sun Qi stubbornly asked once more.
It was clear he wanted to play the role of an understanding parent, but when he didn’t receive a satisfactory answer, his impulsive nature would always give him away.
“I… I’ll check the tickets and see if I can get one,” Ji Mian gave a vague answer, feeling uncertain himself.
“Alright!” Sun Qi’s voice immediately rose by an octave. “Then I won’t tell Big Brother for now, in case you can’t come back and he gets disappointed.”
He hung up the phone after that.
Leaving Ji Mian alone to contemplate the words in his last sentence.
“Disappointed.” Would Duan Zhuang be disappointed if he didn’t go back?
The mist on the glass was wiped away by Ji Mian’s finger, leaving a small area very bright.
Through it, Ji Mian could see the light snow drifting outside and the silver frost covering the ground.
The surroundings fell into an eerie silence in an instant.
"Do you want to go back?"
"..." Ji Mian sighed softly, "I don't know, system. I want to go back to see him, but..."
He didn't know how to face Duan Zhuang.
"Since you can't make up your mind, let's let luck roll the dice for you." The system said, "I checked for you, and there are standby tickets available the day after tomorrow. If you're lucky, you might snag one. Want to give it a try?"
After a long while, Ji Mian slowly nodded.
"Yeah."
—
After waiting for a full two days, just three hours before the standby train he booked was about to depart, someone canceled their ticket.
Ji Mian got the ticket. It's hard to say whether it was good luck or bad luck.
He hurriedly packed his things, using only a lightweight bag due to the limited time, which contained his ID card, student ID, and other essentials.
Then he quickly took a taxi, entered the station, and waited for the ticket check.
The anxiety throughout the journey left him no time to experience the complex feelings that came with making this decision.
Once he got on the train, the tension and a strange sense of excitement hit him all at once.
The train carriage was warm, but his hands and feet remained cold, and his heart raced.
The train arrived at 9:30 PM. To his surprise, it was also snowing here, and the snowfall was heavier than where he worked, with a thick layer of snow already covering the ground.
By the time Ji Mian took a taxi to the entrance of the old neighborhood, it was already past ten.
Only about one-fifth of the houses in the neighborhood had their lights on, but the streets weren't very dark, as some front doors downstairs were adorned with red lanterns.
The wood carving shop was dark, and it seemed that the living room on the second floor was also unlit.
Ji Mian knew that Duan Zhuang usually rested between ten and eleven o'clock, and at this moment, he couldn't figure out if the person in the room upstairs was asleep.
He bit his lower lip, grasped the doorknob of the entrance, took a deep breath of cold air, and then swiped his access card.
The sensor light in the corridor lit up, and Ji Mian's heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly, a wave of fear rose within him, fearing that his arrival would be detected by Duan Zhuang.
But he came back to see Duan Zhuang, didn't he?
Ji Mian seemed to understand the profound truths that the system often liked to preach; humans are indeed contradictory beings.
Ji Mian thought that he was also a contradictory human.
He carefully closed the entrance door, making almost no sound as he locked it.
He moved lightly, like a scheming thief.
The sensor light moved from the first floor to the second.
Ji Mian stood in front of Duan Zhuang's door, his body frozen.
He couldn't just go upstairs without saying a word to Duan Zhuang, could he?
Maybe, his brother is already asleep? he thought to himself.
His right hand lifted and dropped, and after a while, this process repeated itself.
On the third attempt to raise his hand, Ji Mian, feeling reckless, closed his eyes and knocked on the door.
The sound wasn't loud, but if Duan Zhuang wasn't asleep, he should be able to hear it.
But half a minute passed, and no one answered.
He must be asleep.
“...”
Ji Mian couldn't tell whether he felt more disappointed or relieved.
But the feeling of relief was real.
He lowered his head, and the tension in his shoulders and back relaxed instantly.
Ji Mian went up to the third floor.
He took out his keys from his backpack, still moving lightly. The tension had passed, but he forgot that he was now returning to his own room, so there was no need to be stealthy.
The door clicked open.
He pushed the door in but froze for a moment.
The room wasn't dark.
No, the living room was indeed pitch black, with no lights on.
But a warm yellow beam of light was seeping through the crack in his bedroom door, like a sword cutting through the night, standing out sharply in the dim environment.
Ji Mian even began to suspect that he had forgotten to turn off the desk lamp when he left two months ago.
He hesitated for a moment, did not turn on the light, and walked toward the ajar bedroom door.
Tap.
Tap.
A faint sound resembling metal clinking drifted through the crack of the door.
Ji Mian's palm pressed against the door, hesitating for a few seconds before pushing it open.
He clearly saw the scene inside the room.
In the bedroom, only a small warm-colored lamp on the low cabinet at the upper right corner of the head of the bed was on.
Beneath the lamp sat a figure leaning against the edge of the bed, back facing Ji Mian, casually playing with an aluminum lighter in his hand.
Ji Mian's pupils shrank as he gazed at this familiar and longed-for back.
Duan Zhuang was completely unaware of Ji Mian's arrival, the metallic lighter clicking open and closed in his hand, producing a "tap-tap" sound intermittently.
In the empty room, the sharp sounds were particularly clear and solitary.
Duan Zhuang did not light a cigarette.
There was no smell of smoke in Ji Mian's bedroom, only a faint scent of fabric detergent. Duan Zhuang never smoked in his room.
Ji Mian involuntarily held his breath, staring at the back that was only three meters away from him. He didn't make a sound or take any action.
Tap.
Tap...
When the aluminum lid was closed again, Duan Zhuang paused his movements.
The room fell into silence.
After a few seconds, he seemed to sense something and slowly turned his head.
Duan Zhuang blinked, his deep black eyes fixed on the person appearing at the door, his expression no longer the calm clarity it once was, but shrouded in a layer of mist, as if doubting whether Ji Mian's presence was just an illusion.
This expression reminded Ji Mian of Duan Zhuang's eyes when he returned soaking wet on the night of Mu Yuman's wedding, filled with a despair as if he had walked through hell.
A sudden pain stabbed at Ji Mian's heart.
"Brother."
Ji Mian's voice gave Duan Zhuang the answer. It wasn't an illusion.
Duan Zhuang didn't react for several seconds, his eyes fixed on Ji Mian's face until Ji Mian spoke again—
"...I've come back."
"..."
Duan Zhuang suddenly jumped up as if awakened, his back hitting the bedside table behind him, producing a muffled thud.
Then the air returned to silence.
They stared at each other, both caught in astonishment, and no one spoke first.
Ji Mian wanted to ask Duan Zhuang why he was here, but before he could speak, he realized that he already knew the answer. Just like the seemingly obscure gaze of Duan Zhuang, the truth was actually quite clear.
They exchanged glances for a long time before Duan Zhuang was the first to look away.
He approached Ji Mian, his gaze landing on the swirl of his hair, and spoke in a casual tone, "How long are you staying?"
"..."
"I don't know. I haven't bought a return ticket."
"Hmm." Duan Zhuang replied nonchalantly, shoving the lighter into his pocket and preparing to walk past Ji Mian.
"Brother."
Duan Zhuang's footsteps suddenly halted.
But Ji Mian hesitated to say the next sentence, as if he had called him on impulse.
In fact, he truly was acting on impulse.
Even now, Ji Mian wasn't sure why he had called out to Duan Zhuang.
"...Hmm."
Duan Zhuang's gaze fell from Ji Mian's hair swirl to the strands of hair falling over his forehead, then to Ji Mian's brows, eyelashes, and finally to his amber eyes.
He stopped moving, as if Ji Mian's voice had rooted him in place.
Duan Zhuang's gaze felt tangible, pressing heavily on Ji Mian, making it hard for him to breathe. He raised his eyes to meet Duan Zhuang's fiery and direct gaze.
The love in Duan Zhuang's eyes was no longer hidden; he gazed at Ji Mian intently, calmly awaiting a judgment.
Ji Mian's heart began to race.
The thick snow outside quieted the world, and inside the room, the tranquil intimacy made the atmosphere a bit delicate.
An unspoken tension hung in the air. Ji Mian felt as if he understood something, but when he tried to grasp it, he fell into a quagmire of confusion.
He vaguely realized that he shouldn't speak anymore, especially not call out Duan Zhuang's name again.
"Ji Mian." Duan Zhuang suddenly spoke, his deep, husky voice possessing an alluring charm.
Ji Mian was mesmerized, dazed, and in a trance, he called out to him.
"Brother..."
As the words fell, the two breaths in the room intertwined.
He was kissed by Duan Zhuang!
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