After half a year, Wu Chun once again sat shoulder to shoulder with Xu Shi Yao on the pine tree.
The current season was in the midst of scorching summer. The continuous croaking of frogs echoed from below the mountain, while the faint lights of fireflies searching for cicadas flickered among the treetops. In the distance, it almost seemed like one could hear mothers calling out to their children.
In an instant, it felt as if they had returned to four years ago.
The path leading to Shili Mountain was still the same narrow roadside overgrown with weeds. On summer nights, frogs would frequently leap out from the thickets. Not far from the roadside, the fields remained planted with corn. Between two sections of cornfields, there was still the sweet potato patch that stirred Wu Chun’s emotions.
Everything remained just as it was four years ago.
If it weren’t for the four years of accumulated longing that had left Wu Chun unable to mend himself for quite a while, perhaps he would truly feel that the longing, intertwined with the busyness of those four years, was like a dream.
“This place is still the same as four years ago, hardly changed,”
Wu Chun exhaled slowly, his mood pleasantly spoken.
Wu Chun always had a feeling that only with this return did it feel like coming home. Perhaps from now on, he would put down roots here and no longer just make a temporary stop. This change would also lead to some subtle shifts in his mindset.
“But my Wu Chun has grown up.”
An unexpected statement from Xu Shi Yao caught Wu Chun off guard. He first slowly adjusted his glasses, then gave Xu Shi Yao a faint smile.
“These years, you’ve put in quite an effort to remember me, haven’t you?”
How can an unmemorable brain keep up with the aging pace of the face before it?
Wu Chun fixed his gaze on him, and he saw a faint curl at the corner of his mouth.
“It’s alright, easier than I imagined.”
“What do you mean?” Wu Chun was somewhat surprised by his response.
“It’s very simple,” Xu Shi Yao said as he embraced Wu Chun, habitually placing a light kiss on Wu Chun’s forehead. Then, he said with deep affection, “Just remember the person Wu Chun, not the face of Wu Chun. Faces change, but you as a person won’t change.”
As time flowed on and the years ran wild, the moment he appeared was like pulling time back to that summer four years ago, to that “person” he had struggled to etch onto the tree bark.
And so, in each moment of reunion, the person he had in mind and the person he saw were perfectly aligned.
Xu Shi Yao could recognize that the young man growing increasingly mature with the passage of time, compared to the portrait he had drawn, was his own Wu Chun.
Even if he forever remained eighteen, he still felt the sense of “growth.”
From Wu Chun, he felt the growth that might also happen to himself.
Perhaps certain traits in the other person had gradually softened with age, but fundamentally, they would remain unchanged.
He wasn’t sure when it started, but Xu Shi Yao no longer needed to continue sketching Wu Chun’s likeness on the tree bark. His records of Wu Chun were sufficient for him to immediately call out his name when Wu Chun appeared before him.
Even the feeling of love, as if never remembered yet never forgotten, might experience moments of haziness, but when I recall Wu Chun based on the contents on the tree bark, the feeling of love rushes back to me.
When Xu Shi Yao draws Wu Chun now, it’s simply because he finds a certain moment of his actions particularly adorable and wants to remember it, so he spends time capturing it on a separate piece of tree bark.
“So, you mean that no matter how my appearance changes, you won’t fail to recognize me, right?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
We Vtl Tjb rwlifv jcv cbvvfv.
Qe Jtec lwwfvljafis ygfjatfv j rlut bo gfilfo.
“Qts vlvc’a sbe afii wf fjgilfg!” Qe Jtec ilutais qjaafv We Vtl Tjb klat vlrqifjregf. “Tbe tjv wf jczlber jybea ugbklcu bivfg. Qfii, fnfc lo P aegc lcab jc biv wjc, sbe kbc’a yf gfqeirfv ys wf, gluta?”
Xu Shi Yao chuckled softly, his hand lightly tugging at Wu Chun’s nose, then he affectionately said, “As long as you’re Wu Chun, I will love you forever.”
Wu Chun was taken aback, staring at Xu Shi Yao in a daze.
Xu Shi Yao’s last sentence caught him off guard.
In Wu Chun’s impression, Xu Shi Yao had never been this direct in expressing his emotions before. He had told him he liked him, but the word “love” was rarely brought up.
Yet at this moment, Xu Shi Yao could naturally say it without anyone prompting him.
“Can you say it again?”
Wu Chun pleaded, looking at Xu Shi Yao with slightly swollen eyes. He even felt a bit melodramatic about it himself.
But he wanted to hear it.
Xu Shi Yao paused, a hint of confusion passing through his eyes. After a brief moment of contemplation, he suddenly cupped Wu Chun’s face with both hands and kissed him.
After the kiss ended, Xu Shi Yao let go of Wu Chun, his fingers lightly brushing against the bottom of Wu Chun’s eyes as he softly said, “I love you.”
In that very moment, a tear escaped from the corner of Wu Chun’s eye. He turned his head to the side and quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.
“Gosh, being all grown-up and still so sentimental,” Wu Chun self-deprecatingly remarked.
After saying that, he felt a pair of hands grip his shoulders and then gently knead them.
“So, any plans now that you’re back?”
Is it time to get down to business already?
Can’t we enjoy the sweetness a bit longer?
Wu Chun internally grumbled, but he still obediently turned around and told Xu Shi Yao about what he had discussed with the village head that afternoon.
“The village head agreed to give me a piece of land, right below this mountain, next to the lake.”
Wu Chun cheerfully informed Xu Shi Yao, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
Just below the mountain, if you looked up at that spot, you could see the treetop of this very pine tree.
It was as if, when taking a break from the busyness of life, you’d lift your head and see Xu Shi Yao.
“Land below the mountain?” Xu Shi Yao remarked, and he casually drew a square on a piece of tree bark, “What do you want to do with it?”
“I want to grow some high-value commercial crops there,” Wu Chun confidently replied without hesitation.
Though located in a mountainous area, Shili Village’s land was still relatively cohesive. However, based on Wu Chun’s observations, most of the people here used their land to cultivate crops like peanuts, corn, sweet potatoes, and wheat, resulting in a rather scattered planting approach.
According to Wu Chun’s understanding, the annual income from these staple crops wasn’t particularly high. During his four years in college, he had spent his free time visiting various rural areas and even successful impoverished villages to learn.
Considering the local topography, Wu Chun wanted to experiment with different crops now.
“This experiment is related to whether my road construction can be successful.”
“Road construction?”
Seeing Xu Shi Yao’s puzzled expression, a mischievous thought crossed Wu Chun’s mind.
“Have you ever heard of a certain saying in this village?” Wu Chun asked mysteriously.
Xu Shi Yao shook his head, puzzled.
“Come closer, I’ll tell you quietly.”
After Wu Chun finished speaking, Xu Shi Yao’s body tilted slightly, and his ear came closer to Wu Chun’s mouth.
“They say that in a household, when they’re marrying off their daughter, they should widen the path in front of their house. That way, when the daughter-in-law comes, the couple’s path will gradually widen as they walk together. So, I’m building this road to come and marry you!”
“Marry me?”
Looking at the utterly baffled expression on the other side, Wu Chun almost couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Yeah, marry you. Do you know the meanings of ‘marry’ and ‘get married’?” Wu Chun asked.
Xu Shi Yao shook his head.
Right.
At this moment, Wu Chun found himself having to explain these matters to Xu Shi Yao. Due to their differing backgrounds, Wu Chun had hardly ever discussed some of the things that were involved in human love, even marriage.
Up until now, Xu Shi Yao’s perspective on “liking” and “loving” probably revolved around following his own feelings, without any complaints about sticking together.
That was a part of their relationship, but not the entirety. Love carried so many complexities, and Wu Chun had sometimes thought that perhaps he and Xu Shi Yao should keep things purely simple.
Yet, being human also meant having desires.
Wu Chun always thought about how he could have more with Xu Shi Yao.
But as humans, desires are inevitable.
Wu Chun always thought about having more with Xu Shi Yao.
Wu Chun stared at Xu Shi Yao with puzzled eyes, pursed his lips, and began to educate Xu Shi Yao about marriage. As he continued talking, he eventually delved into the topic of “intimacy.” By the end, even Wu Chun himself found it hard to say those words. He could feel his cheeks burning, and he dared not look directly at Xu Shi Yao.
For a few seconds, the atmosphere was quiet. Just as Wu Chun was about to gauge the situation, he suddenly heard Xu Shi Yao say in a matter-of-fact tone, “Why can’t it be me marrying you?”
Wu Chun was taken aback, “You marrying me?”
“Is that not allowed?”
“Did you understand what I just said?” Wu Chun cautiously asked.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Shi Yao replied, “I’ll tell you the answer in a little while.”
Wu Chun: “…”
The teasing mood instantly vanished because of Xu Shi Yao’s words.
“Never mind, never mind,” Wu Chun waved his hand and began to discuss the main point with Xu Shi Yao. “Repairing the road is necessary. Just look at the main road in the entire village – it becomes impassable when it rains, and the other roads are so narrow that vehicles can’t even get through, let alone any development projects.”
“What does the land have to do with repairing the road?” Xu Shi Yao pondered, but before Wu Chun could respond, he continued, “Are you thinking of planting high-profit crops first to attract the villagers with money? While they make money, they’ll also be affected by the road issue and might suggest repairing it themselves?”
“No wonder you’re my Xu Shi Yao,”
Wu Chun couldn’t help but praise. He wasn’t sure if Xu Shi Yao was naturally this intelligent or if there was an unspoken understanding between them, but his words always aligned with what Wu Chun was thinking.
Based on the experience of protecting the trees on Shile Mountain last time, Wu Chun learned that reasoning might not always work, but if he could target what the villagers cared about the most, he could achieve half the success.
But Wu Chun had to experiment first, as the approaches that worked in other places might not necessarily be suitable here.
“Just a long road ahead,” Wu Chun sighed and said slowly, “We still have to keep working hard!”
After finishing his words, Wu Chun remembered the topic Xu Shi Yao had brought up earlier and hadn’t finished explaining. Unable to hold back, he hastily asked, “Can you tell me now? Did you understand what I said earlier?”
Just as Wu Chun’s words fell, he suddenly felt everything spinning, and the next second, he found himself lying on the treetop.
The pine tree next to this one shifted towards the center in that instant, forming something like a bed.
Once again, Wu Chun found himself so close to the starry sky.
“What… what are you doing?” Wu Chun stammered.
In contrast to Wu Chun’s nervousness, Xu Shi Yao had an innocent expression as he said, “Just following your instructions from earlier.”
Looking at Xu Shi Yao’s innocent and simple expression, Wu Chun experienced for the first time what it meant to be caught off guard.
Does this guy even know what this means?
“Are you… are you sure?” Wu Chun asked a bit nervously, “Is this so sudden, and in the place we’re at now… um.”
The rest of Wu Chun’s words were drowned out by the sound of a kiss.
…
Tonight’s night felt exceptionally long…
A Soybean:
Chun Chun’s counterattack dream was shattered before it even began! Hahaha!
