This year's winter in Nancheng is not too cold compared to the past, and it has snowed off and on a few times. For a while, it was sunny until the Spring Festival.
Chen Jingshen woke up in a dark and silent room. There was a problem with the program last night, and he was at the company fixing and testing it until midnight before he went home. That's the way it is in this business, when something goes wrong, you still have to work overtime even during the Spring Festival holiday.
He reached out to the side with his eyes closed, but missed.
Chen Jingshen turned around in the house and didn't see anyone, before picking up his cell phone to make a call. Before dialing, I looked at the time, it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
The opposite side answered quickly, "Awake?"
Chen Jingshen bowed his head to catch the water, and with a hmmm, his voice was hoarse as he asked, "Where is it?"
"Hospital." Yu Fan said, "Yu Kaiming is dead, I'll do the paperwork."
"..."
"Just sign here? ... Uh-huh." There was a murmur of voices from the other side, and Yu Fan finished signing and asked, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll bring it back."
Chen Jingshen put down his water cup, "I'll go pick you up."
"No, you get some sleep, I'll be done with it in a minute."
"No sleep." Chen Jingshen took off his t-shirt with one hand, and pulled a piece of clothing from the closet, "Be there soon, wait for me there."
The process went quickly, Yu Fan paid what he had to pay and kept everything simple, if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't want to cause trouble for the hospital.
After everything was done, Yu Fan took the bill and went downstairs in the elevator. It's New Year's Eve and there are not many people in the hospital. Standing alone in the elevator, he unconsciously remembers a conversation he heard among the nurses when he came here.
Said Yu Kaiming actually could have lived for a while longer if he had good control, but he didn't know what he was afraid of, he had insomnia and couldn't sleep all night, and he left in less than a month.
The person who helped Yu Kaiming to pay the medical fee did not care about anything, paid the money and then no sound, people do not come, caregivers are not invited, said that when she changed the needle and water for Yu Kaiming also heard the other side and Yu Kaiming's phone, is a woman, actually let Yu Kaiming slowly simmering in pain, do not die so quickly.
Said that the other party was also notified today, so I don't know if that person will come.
The elevator doors slid open and Yu Fan snapped back to his senses, tossing all the payment slips into the trash can on his way out.
When Chen Jingshen arrived, Yu Fan was standing in front of the hospital, his hat and mask covering half of his face, and carrying a plastic bag in his hand.
Yu Fan opened the door and got into the car, wrapped in a cool winter breeze.
Because of some small accidents in front of the traffic jam, Chen Jingshen moved half a day to move to the hospital door, the car is not moving again. Chen Jingshen lazily rested his hand on the steering wheel and turned his face to look at him, "What is it?"
"Sha Xian, bought a random portion, padding." Yu Fan directly pinched the steamed dumplings and brought them to his mouth.
Both of them perfunctorily took a few pieces, and the car hadn't moved by the time they were done eating. Yu Fan threw the box back into the plastic bag, hesitant to get out of the car and throw it away so it wouldn't smell all over the car.
A woman passed by the window as Yu Fan twisted his head to look out.
He subconsciously glanced at the other man, misplacing his eyes as he tried to continue looking for directions to the garbage cans, and then snapped to attention a few seconds later.
Chen Jingshen's car was playing a very quiet song, and finally someone in front of and behind him couldn't help but start honking the horn, and some pedestrians turned around and complained when they were startled by the sound. Yu Fan twisted his head around a little in the midst of all the noise and kept pace with the woman.
The woman, wearing a khaki cashmere coat and carrying a handbag, was walking slowly towards the hospital.
Yu Fan stared tightly at that back, raging instigating emotions coldly rushing towards his brain, and then being pressed back by him forcefully and vigorously. His lips slightly opened, and he did not make a sound for a long time.
In a few breaths, he saw a short figure running towards the woman, who turned sideways, but because of the distance, it was no longer distinguishable from Yu Fan here. In fact, he couldn't be sure if he had seen it or not in his hasty glance just now.
The woman touched the little boy's face, followed by a middle-aged man. The other person very gently put a mask on her, the two people did not know what to say, and then the man led the little boy away, leaving her standing alone in front of the hospital again.
Seemingly more sensitive to sight, or sensing something, the woman stood in the doorway for a few seconds before suddenly turning to look.
Yu Fan darted to collect his eyes before she turned around.
"What are you looking at?" Chen Jingshen asked, noticing his reaction.
"Nope. Looking for the trash can."
Chen Jingshen turned back, meeting eyes with a certain woman who looked soft and frowned ...
Yu Fan reached out and broke his face back, "The car in front of us is moving."
Chen Jingshen hmmm, pivoted the steering wheel and drove out of the hospital.
Yu Fan's face was calm, his eyes staring lazily at the sky in front of him, and he didn't know how long he had been lost in thought when the back of his hand was pressed against it, and then his hand was pulled to rest beside the gear lever.
Yu Fan looked back and frowned, "Chen Jingshen, drive properly."
"Red light, hold it for a while."
"Annoying."
Saying so, Yu Fan's fingers moved, and he clasped Chen Jingshen in reverse.
He likes Chen Jingshen's hands, broad, calm and warm. It's comfortable to hold, and you'll feel at ease when you put it on.
Yu Fan's sight gradually came into focus, and the burst of emotion just now dissipated a little, leaving only the sleepiness of an early start.
"Where to, the restaurant or home?" Chen Jingshen asked.
Yu Fan pressed his back into the seat, squinting at the daylight as he yawned lazily.
"Go home."
-
On New Year's Eve, the old lady personally called Chen Jingshen early in the morning to ask her to come home for the New Year's Eve dinner. As a rule of the Ji family, this meal is unavoidable every year, and Chen Jingshen has to go back and show up.
Before he left the house he put a couple pieces of bread in Yu Fan's mouth, "I'll be right back."
Yu Fan was sitting on the couch playing video games. He had recently bought a PS5, and for the past few days on his annual vacation, he had been playing two-player games on the couch with Chen Jingshen, and occasionally, when Chen Jingshen or he had a job to take care of, the rest of us played single-player games on our own.
Yu Fan didn't look back, biting into his bread and slurring, "Well, come back and I'll break your record."
Chen Jingshen glanced at the new game he had just opened, then suddenly turned back before leaving the house, walking behind Yu Fan, lifting his face, kissing him on the nose, and watching his game character fall to his death because he hadn't operated it before turning around and heading out the door.
The poor door panel was slammed with a hugging pillow just as it closed, and the inside yelled, "You owe a beating, don't you Chen Jingshen!?"
Chen Jingshen's smile didn't tighten until he got off the elevator.
New Year's Day in the South Side of the city than the weekdays are cooler, the road did not traffic jam, the street along the lights, red.
Red lanterns were hung at the entrance of Ji's house. When Chen Jingshen entered the house, several relatives were playing in the garden with their children.
Several elders want to come up and stuff red envelopes when they see him, Chen Jingshen refused: "It's too old to take red envelopes."
"Aiya, the rules of the family, not married are considered juniors, all have red envelopes! Here, take it. Happy New Year, and good luck at work this year. ..."
"It's knotted, so there's no need." Chen Jingshen says, "Happy New Year."
Chen Jingshen handed out red envelopes to a few cousins and turned around to go into the house amidst the dumbfounded expressions of the relatives.
Ji Lianyi and the old lady were sitting on the sofa in the living room, listening to the sound of the TV and chatting. Seeing him come in, Ji Lianyi looked out the window without saying a word, and the old lady waved her hand at him, "Jingshen, you're back? Come here."
"Uh-huh." Chen Jingshen sat down next to the couch, "Mom, Grandma."
"Hey, good boy, come." The old lady smiled as she pulled out the red envelope from the red lucky bag beside her.
Chen Jingshen: "No need."
"I know you're past your prime, and I know you're married." The old lady lifted her chin and pointed to the open window, "I heard it all."
"But the red envelope Grandma still has to give, no matter what age you are, whether you have a family or not. This is my thought for you and my blessing for your year." The old lady put the red envelope into his hand.
Chen Jingshen was about to say something, but after touching the red envelopes, he gave a beat. He looked down, and two red envelopes were lying quietly in his hand.
Chen Jingshen watched in silence for a moment before looking up and saying in a low, solemn voice, "Thank you, Grandmother."
Ji Lianyi was self-consciously out of place. She stood up, scanned her watch, and said coldly, "It's almost time, let's eat."
She had just passed by Chen Jingshen when she was stopped.
"Lian Yi." The old woman said, "Don't you have something for your son as well?"
Mother and son stood and sat in a silent stalemate for a while. Finally Ji Lianyi turned back first, she took out the two red envelopes in her pocket and put them on the arm of the sofa.
She said hurriedly, "I'll go to the kitchen and tell them to bring the food up ..."
"Thanks mom." Chen Jingshen said.
Ji Lianyi's voice paused, her chest heaved very heavily twice, and she said, "Wash your hands for dinner."
I don't know if it's a psychological effect, but Chen Jingshen felt that this year's New Year's Eve dinner was much more lively than usual.
Maybe the old lady said something before she came to the table, no one at the table to talk about the "marriage" thing he talked about when he came here. The TV has been playing the Spring Festival Gala, his peers occasionally chat with him a few words, older, at that time on the "school bully" rejection almost no longer, there are a few juniors in the side of the game, occasionally the elders wrinkled eyebrows reprimanded them, the old lady waved her hand and said that New Year's Eve, let it go, let them play.
After a quick bite to eat, Chen Jingshen was just about to head home when his seven-year-old niece tugged at his shirt again, asking him to take her to the firecrackers.
"Leave your cousin alone!"
"Nothing." Chen Jingshen said, "Wanna go play somewhere?"
Ordering two fairy wands for his cousin's niece, Chen Jingshen sat in the garden, but his mind flew a little far away. He took out his cell phone and looked at the chat in front of him for half an hour.
[S: The New Year's Eve dinner I ordered has been delivered. Have you eaten?]
[-: Chen Jingshen, how many people did you order for New Year's Eve dinner? Eat up, hang in there.]
[s: Broken record yet.]
[-: It's not playing. It hasn't started yet on your end?]
[s: It's been starting for a while.]
[-:?
[-: Then why do you keep messaging me? Eat your food.]
Chen Jingshen finished reading, lowered his eyes and tapped the words again: [I might have to go back later.]
[-: Oh, whatever.
What are you doing? Are you bored?
[-: Watching the Spring Festival Gala is not boring, it's fun. You play your game and come back after you cross the New Year with your family.]
[-: All right, don't keep bothering me to watch TV, Chen Jingshen.]
-
After coaxing his cousin's niece into a good mood, Chen Jingshen said goodbye to his family and headed home. At night, there are even fewer cars on the road, obviously it is a festival, the joyful decorations in the empty streets seem to be lonely.
Chen Jingshen drove into the underground parking lot just before the snow fell.
Because of Yu Fan's words, Chen Jingshen thought that when he came home, he would hear the background noise of the Spring Festival Gala, and Yu Fan would poke his head out of the sofa to inform him in a coolly triumphant manner that the record had been broken.
So when Chen Jingshen opened the door and entered the house and saw a room of darkness, he paused in the doorway for a long time.
The house was as quiet as if no one was there. It was only when Chen Jingshen heard tiny, steady breaths from the other end of the couch that he relaxed and closed the door very gently.
Chen Jingshen took off his jacket and walked over to the couch, and saw that the person who had said in WeChat that he was watching the Spring Festival Gala and that it was interesting was sleeping on his side, half-curled up, with his cell phone next to his cheek.
The curtains were wide open and the cold white moonlight shone on his face, a loneliness that did not belong to this holiday season.
-
Yu Fan's first reaction to being straddled up was to swing his fist, and then he was stunned when he snapped his eyes open to see the person.
The strength in his body abruptly finished loosening, sleepiness vine-like wrapped around his head, he was held on Chen Jingshen's lap, certain memories evoked by this position made his body ache and tingle for a moment.
Yesterday was a bit hard, Yu Fan has no strength to move today. But he couldn't say I can't, so he gritted his teeth, smothered his face in Chen Jingshen's neck, and lazily instructed, "You go get a condom."
"No fiddling." They pressed together and he felt the tremor in Chen Jingshen's voice as he said, "Just a hug."
Yu Fan hmmm'd with his eyes closed, and just lay there for a while before coming to his senses completely.
He sat up and got up close to Chen Jingshen face to face, frowning as he asked, "Chen Jingshen, go home and get yelled at?"
"Nope."
"So what are you doing now." Yu Fan jabbed the corner of his cold mouth, "And the lights aren't on."
"Aren't you also not driving?" Chen Jingshen asked, "What's so good about the Spring Festival Gala?"
Yu Fan locked eyes with him for a few seconds, "Cai Ming's skit was okay."
"Uh-huh." Chen Jingshen said, "Cai Ming hasn't been on the Spring Festival Gala since '19."
"..."
Yu Fan thought for a moment about how to round up the lie he had made up, and without realizing it, simply lowered his head to kiss Chen Jingshen.
Chen Jingshen's mouth tasted of cake, sweet, and Yu Fan scavenged it all, rubbing his lips a few times afterward.
Turning the man loose, the room dark and unable to see anything, Chen Jingshen passed the object in his hand between them.
Yu Fan looked down and scanned, "What is it?"
"Bonus."
Yu Fan frowned: "This is from the elders to the juniors, Chen Jingshen, taking advantage of me?"
"No." Chen Jingshen pointed to the left and explained in a low voice, "This is from my grandmother."
"..."
"This is from my mom." Chen Jingshen points to another.
"..."
Yu Fan froze in Chen Jingshen's lap for a long time before finding his voice: "Forget it, it's not too good, you find time to send it back for me ..."
"There's nothing wrong with it, they give, we take." Chen Jingshen held out his own, "I got two too."
Yu Fan hasn't touched a physical red envelope for a long time. In fact, Wang Yue would send him red envelopes during New Year's Eve in Ningcheng, but they were all direct transfers from WeChat.
He took the red envelope and held it for a long time, "You, then, say thank you to them for me."
"Good."
"And New Year's fast ..."
"A loud bang interrupted Yu Fan's words. They subconsciously turned their heads to look out the window and saw fireworks exploding in the air in a grand and brilliant manner.
It's zero hour, it's a new year.
Yu Fan's face was reflected in colorful colors by the fireworks, he raised his eyebrows unexpectedly, stared out the window and asked, "Chen Jingshen, aren't fireworks banned in the South City?"
"Uh-huh." Fireworks roared in the night sky, and the falling stars shone with brilliant light. After a few sounds, the night sky returned to calm, and Chen Jingshen said, "It should be being chased by the city police now."
"..."
Yu Fan gripped his sleep-disheveled hair and was just about to get up from Chen Jingshen's lap when his waist was suddenly wrapped around. The palm of his hand was pressed against his back through his clothes, hot and reassuring.
"Yu Fan."
Yu Fan gave a hmmm and lowered his eyes to meet his gaze. Chen Jingshen called out his name and then stopped talking, Yu Fan reached out and pinched his mouth, "Speak, Chen Jingshen."
Outside the window suddenly exploded several fireworks, this time the formation is more violent than just now, the color changes continuously, illuminating the entire night sky. Yu Fan laughed at the sound of the fireworks and said, "Chen Jingshen, the city police don't seem to have caught up."
"Uh-huh." Chen Jingshen looked at his smile and couldn't help but tilt his head and kiss his chin, "Yu Fan, Happy New Year. I love you."
Yu Fan's expression suddenly paused, and he looked at him in a slight daze.
Chen Jingshen leaned back on the sofa and looked at him with openness and relaxation. The room was dimming with the fireworks, but Chen Jingshen's eyes were always bright.
Yu Fan's smile narrowed, his ears reddened and burned, and his hand still pinched Chen Jingshen's cheek. He was speechless for a long time before he said without any undulation, "Chen Jingshen, don't be so melodramatic."
In the next instant, the room was illuminated by fireworks. Yu Fan lifts his face up and kisses him, his voice blurring into the sound of the fireworks, chintzy, whispery but sincere, "... But so am I. I love you."
--The full text is finished--