The digital clock on the microwave glowed 00:30. Past midnight. Yang Zi paced the living room, a frown etched on his face.
"Yu Han? Where did that guy disappear to?" He'd checked every room, even the balcony, but Yu Han was nowhere to be found. Annoyed, he finally slumped onto the plush sofa, pulling out his phone.
The screen immediately exploded with a cascade of colorful Chinese New Year's greetings, each one vying for attention.
He sighed, intending to call Yu Han, but his thumb slipped, mistakenly clicking on a vibrant firework animation. It rerouted him to Instagram.
The first post that loaded made his eyes widen. It was from a fan account, a perfectly curated photo of Shi Wang, impeccably dressed. The caption read: *From Shi Wang... Happy Chinese New Year, guys!! *
Yang Zi stared. "This Shi Wang... he has a fandom? That's crazy."
He scrolled down, his disbelief growing as he saw the comments.
"OMG, Shi Wang gege, you're so handsome! Happy New Year!"
"My heart just skipped a beat! "
"Wishing my amazing Shi Wang a prosperous New Year! You're the best!"
"He looks so good even in a picture! Marry me, Shi Wang!"
Yang Zi scoffed, then, almost unknowingly, or perhaps knowingly, clicked on Shi Wang's actual account.
It was surprisingly sparse. Four posts in total, mostly quotes. One picture, clearly a tagged post from a magazine, showed a professional shot of Shi Wang looking rather brooding. He scrolled through the quotes. They were all rather melancholy, tinged with a quiet sadness.
"Is this man heartbroken?" Yang Zi thought, a strange ache stirring in his chest.
Then, Shi Wang's words from earlier echoed in his mind: "just signing pile of documents." The ache intensified. He sat there for a long time, the festive greetings on his phone forgotten.
Finally, with a sudden resolution, he shot up from the sofa. He went to the kitchen and began packing some leftover Chinese New Year dishes – a fragrant assortment of dumplings, longevity noodles, and braised pork. He quickly made his way to his room, draped a warm jacket over his pajamas, and was about to exit when a small hand caught him.
"Uncle Zi... uncle Zi... where are you going?" Tian, Yu Han's nephew, stood there, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
Yang Zi picked him up. "Tian? Why aren't you asleep? It's so late. Go to your bed now."
Tian yawned widely. "But uncle Zi... you're also awake, and you're even going outside at this time... Don't you have to sleep?"
"Tian, I'm your uncle, and I'm old enough to go out at this time," Yang Zi said, trying to sound firm.
"Uncle, I've grown up now too! Take me with you... please?" Tian pleaded, his big eyes twinkling.
Yang Zi immediately denied. "Tian, it's so cold outside. You can't come with me. Go back to your room."
Tian's face crumpled, on the verge of tears.
"Ughh, don't cry now," Yang Zi rushed, worried he'd wake everyone up. "You'll wake up everyone."
Tian insisted, his voice rising. "Uncle Zi... I also want to go outside! It's boring here! Mamma is sleeping, snoring!" Then, he delivered his trump card. "I'm going to Grandmother's room! I'll tell her that you are going outside at this time!"
Yang Zi frowned. "Geez... the kids these days..." He sighed in defeat. "Okay... okay, I'll take you outside... but promise me you won't trouble me and behave like a good boy."
Tian's face instantly brightened. He nodded vigorously and hooked his small arms around Yang Zi's neck, giggling.
____________
A short while later, they reached Shi Wang's lavish house. Yang Zi, holding Tian's little hand, hesitated at the imposing front door.
He thought, panic rising, "I should go back... What if he feels uncomfortable seeing me? I think it's embarrassing... Okay, no worries, I'll just hand him this food and get back home." He pressed the doorbell.
He waited for a minute, heart thumping. Then, the door cracked open.
Shi Wang was in silk pajamas, a pair of spectacles perched on his nose, looking disheveled but still strikingly handsome. He blinked, clearly shocked, seeing Yang Zi at his doorstep at this ungodly hour.
"Are you for real? Yang Zi... what are you doing here?" Shi Wang asked, his voice thick with surprise.
Yang Zi didn't say anything, just stretched out his hand, offering the packed food. "This is for you... my mother cooked these dishes. I want you to try these." He paused, then added quickly, "I'm going now."
"Yang Zi, please, come inside," Shi Wang immediately said, pushing the door wider. "It's cold here. Just for some time."
As Yang Zi was about to deny, a bright, cheerful voice came from behind him. "Happy Chinese New Year, uncle!" It was Tian, who had peeked around Yang Zi's leg.
Shi Wang looked down, his expression instantly softening. "Hey, who is this cutie? Come here, little boy." He scooped up Tian with surprising ease, holding him in one arm.
"I'm Uncle Zi's nephew!" Tian announced proudly.
"You are so cute," Shi Wang chuckled, gently bouncing him. "What is your name?"
"My name is Tian."
Yang Zi reached for Tian, intending to take him back. "Shi Wang, we really should go..."
But Shi Wang stopped him. "Yang Zi, please come inside for some tea. You've come this far at this time... you can't leave like this."
And before Yang Zi could protest further, Shi Wang gently but firmly took Yang Zi's hand and pulled him inside, Tian still in his arms.
As they reached the spacious living room, Yang Zi's earlier thoughts were confirmed. Piles of documents were indeed scattered across the large coffee table and even on the elegant sofa. Shi Wang quickly gathered them, making space.
"I'm really sorry for disturbing you at this time," Yang Zi blurted, feeling an awkward flush creep up his neck.
"It's nothing, Yang Zi," Shi Wang said, waving a dismissive hand. "You didn't disturb me. In fact, I was so bored." He then turned to Tian.
"Tian, do you want to drink hot chocolate milk?"
Tian immediately refused, shaking his head vehemently, remembering the condition Yang Zi had put on him earlier about not causing trouble.
Shi Wang laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "You are just like your uncle!" He patted Tian's head.
"Wait here for a moment." Yang Zi wanted to stop him, to say they didn't need anything, but it was Shi Wang, who, once he decided on something, seemed unable to listen to anyone.
After a short while, Shi Wang returned with a tray. On it were two steaming hot chocolate milks and a cup of aromatic tea. He placed the tray on the large table, then took out two straws and put them into the chocolate milk glasses.
He passed one glass to Tian and the tea to Yang Zi. Yang Zi was amused, watching Shi Wang pick up the other hot chocolate milk and sip it through a straw.
"You like chocolate milk?" Yang Zi asked, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah," Shi Wang replied, taking another sip. "I always drink it before sleeping."
Yang Zi didn't say anything, just watched him.
"What's wrong?" Shi Wang asked, noticing his gaze.
"Nothing," Yang Zi said. "I just thought you'd like some more 'mature' stuff, like coffee or tea."
"Yeah, I drink tea when I catch a cold," Shi Wang clarified, still sipping his chocolate milk. "Did you have your dinner, Yang Zi?"
"Yes, I did. Did you have your dinner?"
Shi Wang paused, thinking. "Umm, maybe yes or maybe no."
"Is it yes or no?" Yang Zi pressed, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Actually, I went to Mr. Li's house for dinner... but the dinner didn't go well, so I had to come back," Shi Wang admitted, a faint shadow crossing his face.
"Mr. Li?" Yang Zi questioned, surprised. "Li Hao's father?"
"Yes... Li Hao's father," Shi Wang confirmed.
Another question immediately made Yang Zi's mind restless: What happened during the dinner at Mr. Li's house?
But he didn't ask, realizing he was perhaps going too personal.
Meanwhile, Shi Wang had already opened the lunch boxes Yang Zi brought. The rich aroma of the Chinese food instantly filled the room.
Shi Wang didn't wait a minute; he picked up the chopsticks and attacked the food, clearly famished. The food was indeed scrumptious, and he dug in with relish. Yang Zi felt a sense of relief as he saw the satisfying expression on Shi Wang's face.
"You liked the food?" Yang Zi asked, unable to hide his pleasure.
"It's delicious!" Shi Wang exclaimed between bites. "I've eaten house-made food after so many years."
On the other side, Tian was yawning heavily, his eyelids drooping. He leaned against Yang Zi's lap, already half-asleep.
Yang Zi gently covered Tian with a scarf he'd brought along and softly patted his head.
"Take Tian into my room," Shi Wang suggested, noting the boy's drowsiness. "He's drowsy, and it's too late; he should sleep peacefully."
"Don't worry, we're just going home," Yang Zi said, already beginning to shift.
"Stay with me for a while, Yang Zi," Shi Wang's voice was softer now, almost a plea.
"It's Chinese New Year. I don't want to be alone."
He said this and then, with surprising tenderness, carefully picked up the sleeping Tian. He paced towards his bedroom and gently placed Tian into the soft and plush bed, covering him with a warm blanket.
He came back to Yang Zi. "Do you want to watch a movie?"
"Movie?" Yang Zi was bewildered.
"Yes, movie," Shi Wang replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He sat near Yang Zi, close enough that their knees almost brushed. "What's your favorite genre?"
"I don't watch many movies," Yang Zi admitted, "but I think I quite like horror movies."
Shi Wang, who seldom watched movies, suddenly found an excellent excuse to spend more time with Yang Zi.
He put on a horror movie on the big-screen TV.
After a while, the movie didn't even reach halfway when the person beside Shi Wang dozed off, his head unconsciously landing on Shi Wang's shoulder, and then, as he shifted, softly resting in Shi Wang's lap.
Shi Wang was momentarily shocked, but then he chuckled, a soft, warm sound in the quiet room. He gently adjusted Yang Zi's head.
"Like nephew, like uncle!"
he whispered, a contented smile spreading across his face.