Even though Duan Yuche didn’t like this refined and polite fiancé, he still went with him to have a few meals and listen to the orchestra’s performance. Since the orchestra was going to perform in two other cities, Duan Yuche insisted on bringing his aunt back home first.
She had brought a gift for Duan Yuche – chocolate, in a flavor that he had never tried before.
The day Duan Yuche took her home, Duan Shumin happened to not be there, so she asked, “Is your father always so busy at work?”
“No…it’s probably because it’s the end of the year, so there are a lot of things happening with the bank.”
“But you’re usually at home. Who cooks for you then?” In fact, she had not been very satisfied with Duan Shumin taking the sponsored child home, but now that Tommy had a gege and was quite dependent on him, she thought it was a good thing.
At least he had someone to be with him.
“I eat at school when I’m there, and he cooks it for me when I get home.” Duan Yuche pointed at Cao Feng, who had been silent all this time. “His cooking is better than dad’s.”
“Really?” His aunt looked at Cao Feng and said, “Tommy has called me before and often spoke of you.”
Cao Feng smiled shyly, feeling very excited but also not sure what to do: “I’ll go wash some fruits.”
His aunt had a very good impression of Cao Feng and thought that this child was a good and sensible child from first glance. She asked Duan Yuche in a low voice: “Our Tommy didn’t use to have a gege before, but now he does. Are you happy?”
“……Happy.”
When Cao Feng came back with the plate of fruit, he heard two people talking about some kind of exam.
“You need to prepare a Chopin etude, a complete Beethoven sonata, or you can choose Haydn, and another work by Brahms or Liszt. The higher the difficulty, the better…”
Duan Yuche seemed a little resistant: “I don’t want to practice, I don’t want to learn this, I don’t want to study abroad…”
Cao Feng’s heart sank and he put down the fruit plate: “Will Tommy go abroad to study in university?”
Duan Yuche’s aunt said helplessly: “I want him to, but he doesn’t seem to want to go.”
Duan Yuche shook his head stubbornly, and his aunt stroked his hair. She said, “But this is good too, staying in the country is good too.” After all, Duan Yuche still had the inheritance left by her sister and grandfather, which would be enough for him to live in luxury for the rest of his life. Even though she felt that life should be about living up to one’s potential, this kind of carefree state was very suitable for this kid who had been born with melancholy. If he could find his other half, who loved him, that would be even better.
Auntie only stayed for a week, and then left.
The school was preparing for the final exam at the end of January. Most students were reviewing and preparing for the exam seriously, and the same was true for Cao Feng. He liked to burrow into extracurricular knowledge, but he didn’t dare to be careless when it came to exams. After all, this represented his scholarships, and poverty grants.
Winter in Linzhou was bitingly cold. The humidity was inescapable, and sunlight was nowhere to be found. The weather was so gloomy that it made people not want to study.
That morning, Duan Yuche was sleeping with his beloved blanket when Ma Xiaobo came in with a stack of envelopes.
“Students.” He first called the class monitor over to hand out those envelopes, and then said, “The school has organized a meaningful activity. Write a letter to yourselves ten years from now. You can speak freely and put it in the envelope after you finish it. On the envelope, write your address.”
“What kind of writing…isn’t this just an essay?” Some students complained, holding a white envelope with the school’s logo printed on it.
“It’s not about writing an essay,” Ma Xiaobo explained patiently, “No teacher will check your letter. You can write whatever you want.”
“This letter will be kept in the school’s storage room and mailed on January 1, 2016.”
“Wow.”
“For free?”
Ma Xiaobo nodded: “It’s free. The mailing costs will be borne by the school. Students who are willing to participate should submit it to the class monitor next Monday.”
The envelopes were passed to Cao Feng. Seeing that Duan Yuche was sleeping, he took one for him without waking him up.
Cao Feng only remembered it again when he got home at night and saw the envelope in his school bag. He took the envelope and knocked on Duan Yuche’s door.
“Cao Feng? What’s the matter?” Duan Yuche was the same as always. Half of his puzzle was completed, and he very patiently looked for a new piece every day. When he had time, he could spend an entire afternoon on this game.
“The school was giving this out, but I forgot to give it to you.”
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.
“An envelope? What’s it for?”
“Cc jmalnlas bgujclhfv ys atf rmtbbi…ab kglaf j ifaafg ab sbegrfio afc sfjgr ogbw cbk.” Jjb Mfcu ujnf j gbeut vfrmglqalbc.
Gejc Temtf rtbkfv jc lcafgfrafv fzqgfrrlbc: “Vb atlr ifaafg klii gfjiis yf rfca ab wf lc afc sfjgr?”
“Qfii, la klii yf rfca bc Ajcejgs 1, 2016.”
Gejc Temtf gjlrfv tlr tfjv jcv jrxfv tlw: “Ktfc, vb sbe kjca ab kglaf la?”
“Yes.” This was Cao Feng’s hobby; he liked to write letters.
“How are you going to write it? What do you think you’ll be like in ten years?” Duan Yuche suddenly began to discuss it with him. “Ten years from now, that will be… twenty-six, seven, eight years old. If I can pass the exams for university, then you and I should have graduated from college by then, and you should be married, and might have children!” And, based on Cao Feng’s hard-working and diligent character, he must have achieved some success.
Duan Yuche could easily think of Cao Feng’s future, but he couldn’t think of his own. Maybe he was still like this, doing nothing, squandering adults’ money, and living the best and most boring life.
Cao Feng shook his head. Ten years later was too far away. He didn’t know what he would be like. He just hoped that by then, he would have achieved something to repay Uncle Duan, and that he and didi were still good friends. Maybe he could make money to buy an even bigger house, and let Duan Yuche live there. If Cao Feng started dating then, he could let his partner move in too…Cao Feng thought up to that point, and frowned involuntarily.
He couldn’t help but ask Duan Yuche: “What about you, Xiao Che, what do you think? What do you want to do in ten years?”
Duan Yuche thought for a while and said, “My dad is too busy at work now. He’s so tired. I want to let him retire early and take him to play everywhere. He’s never been abroad.”
Cao Feng lowered his head and smiled, thinking that Duan Yuche was so filial but also feeling a little bitter. Didi’s plans really didn’t include him. “Uncle will be very happy to hear that.”
“I’ll just write it in the letter. I won’t let him know.”
Cao Feng returned to his room, took out the notebook he couldn’t bear to use, and removed a piece with a meter ruler.
“Hello to the Cao Feng who is reading this letter now.” He wrote on the letter paper.
“The me of right now lives a happy life that I could never have imagined before. I have a new family, with Uncle and Didi, so I can’t imagine what kind of life I will have in ten years. Will it be as happy as right now?”
“…I also have hidden troubles that I can’t tell others about. If I tell the me from ten years later, it might be easier.”
“……”
“Dear Tommy, I love you. Please love me back.”
Cao Feng was timid and did not dare to read this lengthy letter again. After putting it in a sealed bag, he put it into the envelope and glued it with 502 glue.
At the same time, Duan Yuche also put aside his puzzle pieces, opened his notebook, bit the tip of his pen, and began to think about how to write this letter.
He wrote in English at the beginning: “Dear Tommy.”
He read aloud as he wrote.
In the second row, he wrote in German: “Thank you for writing this letter to me when you were seventeen years old.”
The third row was written in scrawled French: “You are the only person in the world who can understand this letter.”
The fourth row wrote in Chinese: “I hope the you reading this letter isn’t lonely.”
After turning the letter into Morse-code-level difficulty, Duan Yuche put it in the envelope with satisfaction, and filled in his current address.
The envelopes were handed in on Monday. Art class was a self-study session, and Duan Yuche, who was playing backgammon with Airplane, suddenly saw a message on his phone.
Zhou Zeliang: “!!! Guess what happened!!”
“My goddess just said yes!!!”
Duan Yuche: “Who?”
“I told you, the sophomore senior in high school I like, but her birthday is in the same month as mine and she’s one day younger than me, so I can’t call her senior anymore. Now she’s my girlfriend hahahaha.”
Duan Yuche: “Really? Congratulations.”
“Hahahaha I have to accompany my girlfriend this afternoon. You and Cao Feng can go to the cafeteria together.”
“Okay.”
If it were in the past, after suddenly receiving such a message, Duan Yuche would have been terrified about not being able to find love, while also being terrified about losing his friend. Even his best friend had found love, what was he going to do?
But now, perhaps because Cao Feng was always around, he no longer had such thoughts. He was just happy for Zhou Zeliang.
In the afternoon, as Cao Feng was going to the office, he met Zhou Zeliang by chance. He was not like before, rolling his eyes arrogantly whenever he saw Cao Feng.
Cao Feng took the practice questions from the office and went out. Zhou Zeliang stepped forward and chased after him: “Cao…Cao Feng, wait!”
Cao Feng slowed down, and looked at Zhou Zeliang. Zhou Zeliang scratched his head and said, “That…brother, I’ll treat you to a meal next week. What do you want to eat?”
Of course Cao Feng knew why he was doing this, and shook his head and said no.
“How can that be done! You’ve helped me so much. How I treated you before…I’m really sorry!” Zhou Zeliang said with shame. “I didn’t expect you to be so kind to me, and even help me chase girls.” Zhou Zeliang had learned from Sun Miao that Cao Feng had helped a lot in this matter.
He was very puzzled and asked Sun Miao: “I don’t know him that well, why would he help me pursue someone? He also imitated my handwriting and wrote love letters for me. This is too…” Even a real blood brother wouldn’t do such a thing!
“Feng-ge said that you are his didi’s friend, and he saw that you were in trouble so he helped you. Be grateful.”
“I really thank you.” Zhou Zeliang grabbed Cao Feng’s wrist. “Really, I really mean it. You have to accept my sincere gratitude, and you have to eat this meal.”
Cao Feng calmly pulled his hand back and said with a smile: “It’s nothing. I wish you a long life with her.”
Although he refused, somehow he still could not avoid this meal.
It was Zhou Zeliang who called Duan Yuche and wanted to treat him to dinner: “By the way, please bring Cao Feng out too.”
Even Duan Yuche was surprised. Zhou Zeliang said: “I have discovered now that I was really a bit bad to him before and targeted him all the time. Ai, humans can’t be like this.”
Zhou Zeliang himself felt that it was a bit embarrassing for others to help him chase someone, so he didn’t mention it, but he still had to pay for a meal.
Cao Feng followed him to a lively Chongqing hotpot restaurant. To accommodate Duan Yuche’s taste, they got a Yuanyang pot.
“You finally came, it wasn’t easy to get you here!” Zhou Zeliang’s attitude towards Cao Feng was very obviously different. “Come, order, what do you like to eat? Do you drink? Xiao Che, do you want to drink? Can I order a Snowbeer?”
Cao Feng said: “The final exam is next week. Xiao Che and I won’t drink.”
“Ay! That’s next week, there are still so many days till then. Plus, the weather’s so cold, you’ve got to drink to keep warm! How’s this, I’ll order a bottle, and each of us can just have a small cup.”
Cao Feng said “En”.
Zhou Zeliang spent the meal taking a bite of food, insisting for Cao Feng to drink some beer, then sending a message. The whole time he had a silly, lovestruck smile on his face.
Suddenly, he stood up: “She said she’s coming over!”
Duan Yuche fished out a piece of tofu: “Your girlfriend?”
“Yeah! She’s nearby…hey, I said I was having dinner with you, and she said she knew you? Eh? Do you actually know each other?”
Duan Yuche raised his head in confusion.
Zhou Zeliang said: “Hui Shi said that there was an English competition last year and their team was short of one person. After hearing about you, they came to ask you specifically, but you ignored them…”
Duan Yuche had completely forgotten about it: “…Did that happen?”
But Cao Feng remembered it and said, “It happened.” Last year, he and Duan Yuche had had a small conflict. When he had followed Duan Yuche outside, he saw a senior sister giving his younger brother a letter.
At the time he thought it was a love letter, but later he saw it on Duan Yuche’s desk, and it turned out to be something like an invitation.
“You guys eat first,” Zhou Zeliang grabbed his down jacket. “She can’t find us, I’ll go out to pick her up.”
Cao Feng picked up a piece of shrimp paste and put it into Duan Yuche’s bowl.
Duan Yuche lowered his head to eat, turned around and saw the rice grains on Cao Feng’s face, and didn’t remind him, thinking that he would find out by himself later.
Then, Cao Feng gave him another piece of ham, and Duan Yuche also ate it. He ate very gracefully, one bite at a time, leisurely and pleasingly to the eyes.
Immediately, Cao Feng fished out a full bowl of food for him until his bowl was overflowing. Duan Yuche said: “That’s enough, that’s enough. Eat it yourself, stop bothering with me.” At that, Cao Feng finally put down the colander and lowered his head to eat vegetables and rice. No matter what he ate outside, Cao Feng must eat it with rice.
After a while, Zhou Zeliang came back with his girlfriend. Cao Feng had just cleaned up the dining table. All the food waste was thrown into the trash can. The table looked very clean.
When he saw the senior sister, Duan Yuche seemed to faintly have some impression. The senior sister asked him, “Do you still remember me?”
“I remember.”
“When Zeliang was talking to me today, I suddenly remembered. How about it, classmate Duan, do you want to participate in this year’s competition with us?”
This time, Duan Yuche said: “Let me think about it. Will this take time?”
“For us, it takes time. But for you, it’s nothing. It’s just a matter of taking the exam.”
“Senior, I don’t like exams.”
Zhou Zeliang said: “Oh, Xiao Che, just give me some face and go and participate. If you get a prize, your father will be happy too, right?”
Duan Yuche thought for a while: “Then…I’ll go back and ask my dad.” To be honest, he really didn’t want to go, but after his friend said this, he couldn’t directly say no.
After eating, they each went their separate ways, and Duan Yuche and Cao Feng took a taxi home.
Sitting in the taxi, Cao Feng said: “Xiao Che, if you don’t want to go to that competition, just refuse.”
Duan Yuche looked at him and caught a glimpse of the grain of rice on his cheek.
Cao Feng hadn’t discovered it yet.
Cao Feng continued: “Although Uncle will be happy if you participate, since you don’t want to do it, there’s no need to even consider it.”
“En…” Duan Yuche tapped his face with his fingertips, indicating that there was something on Cao Feng’s face.
Cao Feng didn’t understand. The two looked at each other for a while, and Duan Yuche pointed to his cheek again. Rice grains, he almost said.
Cao Feng hesitated for a second, as if to confirm what he meant, but also couldn’t believe it.
Taxi…there was a driver in the taxi.
And…wasn’t that a farewell and hello gesture?
Duan Yuche saw that he was so stupid and hadn’t realized it yet. He was about to tell him, but before he could say anything, he felt a warmth on his cheeks.
Soft and warm to the touch.
Cao Feng only paused for a second and left quickly. Duan Yuche was left stunned. He turned to look at him, and met Cao Feng’s evasive gaze. The light in the backseat was very dark, and Cao Feng’s eyes were black as night, yet bright and crystal clear. His face was pink from drinking, and his lips were pursed, as if he were shy and flustered.
Duan Yuche knew that Cao Feng must have misunderstood. Cao Feng’s shyness was kind of funny, but Duan Yuche didn’t say anything. After all, this gege was so pure and innocent.
I’M GONNA CRY THEY’RE SO SILLY
duan yuche calling cao feng stupid TTuTT
i know i don’t update consistently but wow, every time i come back to this story i fall more in love with these boys. duan yuche is so relatable, and cao feng is ofc the most precious, purehearted kid ever
i just love how the only thing that cao feng knows he wants in the future is to be able to keep this happy life with uncle duan and yuche TT and duan yuche being able to see this bright future for cao feng while having no idea what he himself wants, and how he’s not lonely anymore because cao feng is here TT TT TT
Same translator san, same.🥲
+1
❤ thank you for reading !
Hahahaha they are so cute🥺
they really are ! 😭thank you for reading! 💜