Chapter 16: A Time Away

Ye Yao's answer was a bit surprising to Lu Ming.

Of course he has many friends, but the friendship between him and his friends is a form of expression where you give me a punch and I give you a kick back, not a sticky one like Lu Xun and Ye Yao.

Lu Ming has no doubt that if he were to put this story on his head and tell the guys about it, he would get a lot of gloating jeers. Maybe he'd get some bullshit like, "It's only because Ming is so handsome that he's got Zero's heart in his mouth" or "I've got my heart in my mouth too, can Ming wash my socks for me?

In short, no one would be so calm as to analyse what that hairdresser did wrong.

What kind of person thinks from the perspective of a hairdresser?

But Ye Yao's answer was a million miles away from what he expected from a fishing system! This is not fishing, this is like taking apart a fishing rod.

Or is this the way of thinking of a rational academic?

The two conflicting points made Lu Ming hesitant to make an easy judgement, and he had to laugh: "You're right, Brother Ye is a real talent!"

Lu Ming was about to ask more when he was suddenly slapped on the head from behind.

"Why are you staring at someone's face like that? It's not polite." Lu Xun's voice came from the back, after he had finished lecturing his cousin in the toilet, he slowly returned to his seat and asked Ye Yao, "Did he bully you while I was away?"

Ye Yao shook his head, but Lu Xun was satisfied.

As the order was served, Lu Ming picked up his chopsticks and said angrily, "What the hell, I'm a nice guy, how can I bully people?"

Lu Ming has long been used to the rules at home and the snatching and grabbing when out with friends.

It's better to make the first move than the last! We're all friends, what's the point of talking about letting or not letting?

Although Lu Xun is his cousin, they have always been friends and Lu Ming has no qualms about going straight for the piece of meat he likes.

But before he could get to it, Lu Xun, who was sitting opposite him, made a lightning-fast move and took away what looked like a delicious gem.

"Ha, I haven't seen you for a while, but you're getting faster..." Lu Ming stopped mid-sentence, staring at the man across the table as if he had seen a ghost.

Lu Xun didn't eat what he grabbed, but put it in Ye Yao's bowl and said softly, "Try some of this, it looks delicious."

Ye Yao looked a little helpless, "No need to help me with this, you can just eat it yourself."

"That won't work, you certainly can't grab him, and you won't have any food if I don't help you." Lu Xun decisively refused.

Lu Ming, sitting across the room watching all this: "......"

What's happening, how he's about to be drowned in non-straight male light again! Ah, it's blinding!

Lu Xun is not even interested in giving food to others, isn't it true that Lu Xun doesn't bother with this kind of humanism?

Lu Ming recalls a document he once wrote, the title of which was - "How to tell if someone around you likes you".

There's a clause in there that seems to be about showing specialness and only giving food to a certain person at dinner?

Lu Ming thought about it and said in a joking tone, "Don't be so affectionate, I'm just here to eat dog food?"

In the face of this, Ye Yao wanted to say something, but Lu Xun laughed: "You are very self-aware, good, I will give you a big red packet when you go home in the New Year.

Lu Ming: "......"

Oh my God, do you have to be so quick to respond to a joke like that?

How is it that Lu Xun's behaviour is so consistent with the documented experience?

Lu Ming's mind was so confused by the meal that when Ye Yao went to the toilet, he immediately seized the opportunity to ask Lu Xun, "I haven't seen you for a while, are you still a straight man?"

Lu Xun's face changed slightly and he sneered, "Your skin is itching, isn't it? I can't even bend if you bend."

"But ......" Lu Ming paused for a moment, carefully picking out a few appropriate words to use, "Brother, have you noticed that you sometimes act a bit gay ah, especially when it comes to people Ye Yao. "

Lu Xun frowned.

He tapped his fingertips on the desk one at a time, as if he was thinking about what to say, and finally he raised his eyes.

"You haven't met friends who are so close, you don't understand." Lu Xun said slowly, "It's like when your mother gives you a dish out of affection, not out of love."

"But ......" Lu Ming subconsciously tried to make a retort, and was interrupted by Lu Xun.

"How can something like feelings be summed up in a raw and rigid way. Your experience pack is out of date and it's time to update it. Do I bend or not, don't I know better than you?"

Lu Xun was so sure of himself that Lu Ming was left with a sense of self-doubt.

Is that so, it seems to make sense?

If Lu Xun is really bent, there is no need to hide it.

If Lu Xun is still a straight man, what about Ye Yao?

A straight guy who can calmly analyse what the guy who has a crush on Lu Xun is doing wrong?

He still felt that something was wrong with Ye Yao.

One day's contact is too short to make a definitive statement; he needs a longer period of observation.

Lu Ming thought about it and said to Lu Xun, "Brother, do you have any plans to bring Ye Yao over to our place for the winter holidays?"

"There is that idea." Lu Xun didn't hide it, "It doesn't snow during New Year over there and said he didn't know what Chinese New Year was like when it did, so I'll see if I can bring him over this year."

Lu Ming nods happily.

It would be easy for him to visit the Lu Xun family during the Chinese New Year, when he would be able to see Ye Yao more often.

He continued to observe, if he could be sure that Ye Yao really had a crush on Lu Xun ...... then what could he do, as Lu Xun's brother, he could of course only tell Lu Xun, who hated men, about it. Or he could have a heart-to-heart talk with Ye Yao and tell him to stay away from Lu Xun.

It's not that he's trying to stick it to the man, it's that the lesson from the past is there.

Lu Xun doesn't like men, so it's better to quit early and automatically than to wait until the end to tear up the scene.

*

After sending Lu Ming off, it was time to do revision and prepare for the final exams.

Ye Yao studied hard for every exam and prepared for it because he wanted to win a scholarship.

Going to the library early and staying late is basic, and Lu Xun is always there for him.

There was no heating on the way from the dormitory to the library, and it took will to keep the cold out on one trip.

Lu Xun tucked Ye Yao's hand into his pocket and held it, but was a little distressed by the other hand he couldn't hold.

"I bought you small hand warmers so that one hand is warmed by me and the other hand is warmed by a hand warmer so that it won't be cold." Lu Xun's expression is deep.

"I'm not cold." Ye Yao whispered back.

"You can only fool other people with that argument, but not me." Lu Xun grunted, "Do you know why you can't fool me? Because the cold is on your body and the pain is in my heart."

Ye Yao's eyelashes tremble slightly.

The winter snowflakes fell on their shoulders and on their black hair, slowly attaching a layer of snowy white to the surface, giving them a real sense of growing old.

Lu Xun's hands are warm, like a fire in the middle of winter, but they belong to one person only.

Without the physical contact, Ye Yao still felt a certain uncontrollable stirring as the two walked quietly side by side.

Lu Xun's fingers crossed between his fingers, and when he moved a little, Lu Xun's fingers tightened in a domineering way. Two hands clasped together in a pocket that is not very spacious.

Ye Yao spoke in a soft and slow voice: "I think I told you last time ...... not to be too fleshy when talking, I'm not comfortable with that?"

"I forgot, I didn't mean to, it's my normal style of speech." Lu Xun said vaguely.

He certainly remembered what Ye Yao had said before, but also what he had deduced - Ye Yao actually liked hearing him say and do this, but was just being tough-mouthed and stubborn. And continuing to see what was said might be a bridge to bring them closer together further.

He did it on purpose.

Ye Yao did not answer, he was being held by Lu Xun's hand as he walked step by step through the school lane. Every foot he stepped on the white snow was like a step on his heart.

Soon, after the final exams, there will be a month-long winter break, during which he will not see Lu Xun and will be able to take his time to collect himself and adjust his mood.

He was like a man walking on a tightrope high in the air, not daring to make a mistake at every step. And now there are cracks in the tightrope that must be mended, or one day he will step off.

A month or so to initially sort myself out and get away from Lu Xun was enough.

Without this month, he himself doesn't know what would have happened. Fortunately, there was still time.

*

While Ye Yao is taking a shower, Lu Xun hums and takes out his mobile phone and taps on Ye Yao's mother's WeChat.

He came up with a series of kind words that made Ye Yao's mother laugh and then threw out his ultimate goal.

[Auntie, I'd like to visit your place for Chinese New Year, and I'd also like to take Ye Yao to see the Chinese New Year in the north, is that convenient?

Ye Yao's mother said gently, [It's convenient, we don't go out as a family, you're welcome to come whenever you want].

Lu Xun: [Thank you, Auntie, I will go there on the second day of the Lunar New Year. I'd like to give Ye Yao a surprise then.

Ye Yao's mother was surprised: [On the second day of the year, won't your family have a problem with it?

Lu Xun: [No, they also like Ye Yao and they know that we have a good relationship. I hope I can cherish it.

Ye Yao's mother lost his smile: [Indeed, it is not easy to have such a relationship in this age, I hope you can keep this relationship well.

After the conversation with Ye Yao's mother, Lu Xun happily booked a flight from home to Ye Yao's house on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Last winter break he found it too hard not to see Ye Yao for a month, even if he could video every day.

This time he went over on the second day of the year, pinching his fingers so that they would have a short time apart.

Ye Yao will be delighted to see him arrive out of the blue.