In mid-August, Fei Shengxiao and Jia Qing organized a trip to the seaside.
Song Yang's family happened to have a beachfront villa in that city, so they decided to spend a few days there.
That evening, at six o'clock,
the barbecue grill was set up outside. The aroma of charcoal and barbecued meat filled the air, making the whole place salivate with the mere smell.
Waves crashed against the beach, and the sea breeze blew.
It had been over two months since they left Smiley City.
Although they kept in touch on WeChat, the reunion was filled with endless conversation.
You Ye carried the washed vegetables outside and, as they walked, said to Fei Shengxiao and Li Mian, "So you're all from K City? That's pretty close to me. I'm in M City. You can come visit me when you're free."
Fei Shengxiao exclaimed in surprise, "I often go to M City for work. I didn't expect you, Sister You, to be there!"
"What do you do for a living?" You Ye asked curiously.
"I'm a model," Fei Shengxiao said sheepishly.
Fei Shengxiao was tall and beautiful, and You Ye wasn't surprised by this answer.
She asked with interest, "Is Li Mian a model too? You're both quite tall."
"Mian Mian isn't. She's a fashion designer. The clothes she's wearing are from her own brand," Fei Shengxiao enthusiastically recommended.
Li Mian had just set down her plate of meat when, sensing the two men's gazes, she coughed lightly and, somewhat shyly, showed off her casual T-shirt and jeans.
While the style looked simple at first glance, it was actually a sophisticated design. Wearing it on Li Mian herself, it was the perfect introduction.
"It looks great, doesn't it?" Fei Shengxiao said excitedly. "Mianmian and I have a dream: one day her brand will be featured at one of the four major fashion weeks, and I can walk for her. Hehe, although that's a bit pretentious..."
You Ye smiled and said, "We've already escaped the clutches of Smiley City, so why would such a dream be impossible?"
The three girls had a lot to talk about. You Ye said, "I run a restaurant in City M. Come over someday, I'll treat you to dinner."
Elsewhere, Jia Qing was caught in the wind, and the smoke from the barbecue filled his eyes. His
eyes flushed, and he cried out pitifully, "Brother Yang, Brother Feng, I can't see! Ah, my eyes have been chemically attacked!"
Lu Chenfei's mouth twitched,
and he couldn't help but complain to Song Yang, "How the hell did this guy get into your university?" Song Yang's university was one of the top universities in the country. Although Jia Qing didn't study medicine at Song Yang's top-tier medical school, the fact that he even got in was amazing.
Jia Qing had been crying miserably, but upon hearing this, his chest puffed out and he began to reminisce. "Well, that brings me back to that extraordinary performance I had on the college entrance exam. During those two days, I felt like I had divine help, opening up my Ren and Du meridians..."
Jia Qing spoke incoherently as Song Yang wordlessly fed the skewers to Xia Jing's mouth. Xia Jing listened and ate with the composure of a lazy cat.
Song Yang had a certain talent for grilling meat; whether it was beef, mutton, or pork belly, he grilled them all to perfection.
Eating wasn't essential for Xia Jing's body; he hadn't eaten much in a long time since his physical body was destroyed.
Xia Jing licked his lips and glanced at Song Yang.
Perhaps it should be said that in every way... this man was delicious.
He chuckled and casually said, "Song Yang, would you like a beer?"
Song Yang said, "No."
Seeing that Xia Jing seemed about to go inside to get some, he whispered softly, "Don't drink too much."
Xia Jing raised his hand and walked inside.
Bian Ya was the only one in the room. He was washing fruits. When he saw Xia Jing come in, he looked up and smiled.
His grass-green hair had long been dyed gray.
This man was so handsome. He seemed to be able to control any hair color. No matter what hair color, it seemed to make his face look whiter and his features more delicate.
After he appeared with this gray hair today, Feng Shi probably couldn't help but glance at him hundreds of times. Everyone noticed the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.
Xia Jing greeted him, walked over, opened the refrigerator, and took out two cans of beer.
The moment he turned around, Xia Jing noticed the two marks on Bian Ya's wrists.
The two marks were very clear, as if they were left recently.
Bian Ya noticed Xia Jing's gaze.
He knew Xia Jing's character and knew that Xia Jing didn't care much about other people's experiences. He would take a second look probably because he was interested.
He smiled and said, "It's the mark left from playing with Feng Shi."
Xia Jing asked with interest, "Does it hurt?"
"A little, but for me, it has to hurt to feel anything?" Bian Ya couldn't help but smile at this.
He had once told Feng Shi that masochists only enjoyed pure pain, unrelated to love games.
But recently, he had suddenly felt that enjoying pain within the confines of love games wasn't so bad.
Outside the house,
seeing the two young men standing together and talking, Song Yang suddenly thought of something and curiously asked Feng Shi, "What's going on between you and Bian Ya?"
He still didn't know how the two of them ended up together.
Feng Shi was a very reserved person, usually a man of few words, and the topic of love had never crossed his mind.
However, he clearly had a lot to say to Bian Ya.
He looked at the young man in the house, his eyes soft and gentle. "Actually, I've been in touch with him since returning to the real world."
He had been the one who initiated it at first.
There was no reason, just a sudden urge to speak to that mysterious young man, the one he kept thinking about.
So one night, he sent a message without thinking, just to make conversation.
After sending it, Feng Shi read over his own words, struggling with the awkwardness of their response. He wasn't exactly a communicative person.
For a moment, he even considered retracting the message and carefully considering how to formulate this rather abrupt opening line.
Fortunately, Bian Ya was very cooperative.
This made Feng Shi breathe a sigh of relief, and also brought a tinge of joy to his heart.
Later, on their free nights and weekends, they would chat late into the night.
They would talk about life, studies, and work.
They would talk about what they had eaten today, what the weather would be like tomorrow, and what books they were reading recently.
Feng Shi had once been curious about how Song Yang, who had always been apathetic towards love, could have become so passionate about Xia Jing.
But then, he suddenly understood. Sometimes, emotions can seep into the heart without even realizing it.
The signs had already appeared when he first began to pay attention to this figure.
Later, Bian Ya suddenly mentioned that the apple trees in his yard had ripe fruits.
The young man asked if he wanted to eat, and if so, he could send some.
Feng Shi read this, and for some reason, impulsively asked, "I'll come find you, okay?"
That was undoubtedly the most impulsive moment of Feng Shi's life.
Miraculously, he no longer regretted his rashness, doubted his words, hesitated, or hesitated about being too abrupt, as he had done the first time he took the initiative to message Bian Ya.
In that moment, he stared at the line "The other party is typing," his heart racing. His throat dry, his ears unable to hear anything else, his body unable to feel anything.
Until Bian Ya sent a message: "Okay, I'll wait for you."
The young man then jokingly said, "Jiang Ying's assessment of you isn't accurate."
You're not boring.
Feng Shi understood Bian Ya's subtext.
That night, he was as happy as a fool, amused for a long time.
...
Bian Ya was a tattoo artist.
He had a tattoo measuring 20cm x 30cm on his back.
It was a bird bathed in flames, perhaps not a phoenix, but with equally dazzling feathers. Its expression suggested pain, perhaps numbness.
Feng Shi knew that many masochists were driven to this path by a trigger.
Sometimes, however, that trigger wasn't a pleasant one.
Later, when he stepped into the courtyard where Bian Ya lived alone and opened up to him about his past, he learned that Bian Ya's trigger stemmed from a troubled childhood.
His abusive parents had beaten him almost daily.
One day while Bian Ya was in elementary school, the couple died in a car accident.
To others, Bian Ya seemed to have become a pitiful child without parents, but only Bian Ya knew that he had found liberation.
While the shadow that had once loomed over him had passed, the one that lingered within him remained. It had
even become distorted and deformed.
Bian Ya resisted at first, but then, realizing it was difficult to force, he chose to accept it.
On that exhausted night, Bian Ya collapsed beside him and rested for a long time before he closed his eyes and said, "Feng Shi, actually, every time I finished self-torture, I would go to the toilet and vomit for a long time, until my stomach was empty. It seemed like all three meals a day were in vain..."
Bian Ya smiled, opened his eyes and looked at him, and said, "But I don't want to vomit tonight."
"You are very gentle."
"Thank you," he pinched Feng Shi's fingertips and said drowsily, "I feel like I can sleep well tonight..."
...
At this moment, Feng Shi recalled that night and fell into silence.
Then he turned his head and said to Song Yang, "Do you feel the same way about Xia Jing? It's just..."
"You know he is actually very powerful and can protect himself well, but you just want to protect him? You want to give him everything you have? You can't wait to put him in your pocket?" Song Yang turned the skewers over, "Congratulations, you've got it."
Feng Shi paused.
Lu Chenfei, standing by, suddenly grumbled, "You're obviously not much quicker than Feng Shi at coming to your senses, so why do you act like a seasoned veteran?"
Song Yang chuckled, "A day earlier is still a day's worth of rice."
Such a boast.
Lu Chenfei rolled his eyes.
Feng Shi laughed.
Jia Qing, blinded by the smoke again, sobbed and began to cry.
Elsewhere, Fei Shengxiao, Li Mian, and You Ye were already planning a three-woman hot spring trip.
Inside, Bian Ya pulled a brand new bundle of rope from his travel bag and said to Xia Jing, "This bundle has never been used. If you're interested, you can give it to Song Yang and try it out."
Bian Ya gave Xia Jing an enigmatic smile. "Rope is the simplest prop, but it can be used in the most diverse ways. It's very interesting."
"Really?" Xia Jing took it, tossing the bundle of shiny, unique black rope in her hand, her eyes lighting up with interest. "Thank you. I'll try it."
Outside, a breeze blew by.
Song Yang, who was grilling skewers, suddenly shuddered.
After finishing their barbecue, the group strolled through the island's night market.
This night market was bustling with activity, crowded with people, and lively.
A girl was getting a manicure, Lu Chenfei and Jia Qing were playing ring toss, and Feng Shi and Bian Ya paused to listen to an amateur playing guitar and singing on the sidewalk. As
Xia Jing and Song Yang strolled, they stumbled upon a stall selling handmade masks.
Song Yang smiled at the sight of the stall.
Xia Jing's gaze clearly felt a tender touch, then a fleeting lingering presence.
Amidst the clamor of the night, the young man said,
"Song Yang, you don't have to worry about me getting bored in the real world."
"I always find it fun to be with you,"
the young man in the strange mask said.
"I like you very much."
In that instant, all sound faded away.
Song Yang's heart seemed to freeze, his mind lost.
He remained frozen in his seat, unmoved for a long time.
...
In fact, from the time they met until now, as Song Yang's understanding of Xia Jing gradually deepened, he was slowly able to interpret the young man's inner thoughts from Xia Jing's every move.
Without Xia Jing saying it, Song Yang knew that Xia Jing had him in his heart.
However, when the young man really uttered these words, Song Yang truly felt it. It was as if the whole world had exploded with fireworks, which was really hard to describe in words.
He came back to his senses from the dazzling fireworks and raised his lips and said, "...Shouldn't I take off my mask before saying this?"
The smile on Xia Jing's lips gradually deepened.
"No," Song Yang shook his hand, "Let's say it again when it's just the two of us."
He stood up, took Xia Jing's hand, and quickly walked through the crowd. The sky
was full of stars, and the moon was high in the sky.
Under the moonlight, the quiet beach, and two tiny figures ran across the beach.
When Xia Jing had first stepped from the safe house into his private space, Song Yang's heart had only one voice: a desire to bring this person back to their true home, to show this person the real ocean, to see the real world again.
Now, together, they had achieved this.
This feeling was one of incomparable contentment and peace.
That night was filled with a sleepless night.
As the sun rose above the sea, Xia Jing threw on his pajamas and pushed open the door of the cabin.
Barefoot, with a languid pace after a satisfying meal, he stepped onto the fine sand and entered the cabin.
Song Yang followed him out and hugged him.
Song Yang gazed into the distance and said, "It's sunrise."
"Hmm," Xia Jing leaned against Song Yang's chest, feeling the sea breeze, and sighed, "What a beautiful view."
How many other views like this could there be in the world?
It seemed there was no need to rush.
They still had much, much time.
...
September, autumn, university campus.
Song Yang hurried down the teaching building.
A familiar figure was already waiting under the tree.
The young man was originally observing the surrounding scenery with great interest, but when he noticed his figure, he turned his head.
Song Yang walked over quickly, raised his lips and said, "From today on, can I officially call you my junior fellow student?"
Xia Jing raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Schoolmate..." Song Yang's heart seemed to be stuck in the air, forgetting where it was.
He also stayed in his seat, forgetting to move for a long time.
...
In fact, from the time they met until now, as Song Yang's understanding of Xia Jing gradually deepened, he was slowly able to interpret the young man's inner thoughts from Xia Jing's every move.
Without Xia Jing saying it, Song Yang knew that Xia Jing had him in his heart.
However, when the young man really uttered these words, Song Yang truly felt this whole trajectory.
And after that, they will find another colorful journey that belongs to them in this ordinary yet extraordinary real world.