Chen Feng thought to himself: how should I know what it means? Su Zi Yi had feelings for you, but all these years you neither accepted nor rejected her, keeping her hanging. Who knows what schemes you, such a dark-hearted man, had in mind?
However, Chen Feng smiled and said: “It means you’re very close friends.”
Yin Feng: “Oh… but I don’t want to be friends with her anymore now. I don’t know why, but seeing her just annoys me. I feel like I probably really disliked her before. Now Ming Xu is my only friend. Tell her to leave, I don’t want to see her.”
Chen Feng hesitated: “But… she definitely won’t want to. During the time you were missing, she was very worried and searched everywhere with me…”
Yin Feng, putting on a new pair of white sneakers by the bed, pondered the logic and relationships involved, then asked: “Chen Feng, am I your boss, or is she your boss?”
Chen Feng: “You, of course.”
Yin Feng stared at him: “Will you be loyal to me?”
Chen Feng was silent for a few seconds. Somehow, even though Yin Feng had become simple-minded, as he sat there in his ridiculous clothes asking this question seriously, Chen Feng could still feel a familiar pressure from those pitch-black eyes.
Suddenly, Chen Feng felt both alertness and warmth flowing through him. He answered: “You are my boss. Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but I was once in a terrible state, planning to commit suicide. With no hope left before dying, I wrote you a letter pouring out my heart. You read it, met with me, and said that just from analyzing that one letter, you determined I had talent and potential. You told me not to rush into death and hired me as your assistant for five years with a high salary. I long ago stopped wanting to die, and now I live a very fulfilling life. Before your accident, you told me: that no matter what you become or what you do in the future, I should stand behind you without questioning right or wrong or asking reasons. I promised you I would. So now, whatever you say goes. I won’t let Su Zi Yi disturb you anymore.”
After speaking, Chen Feng was nearly in tears. Then he watched as Yin Feng filled his cheeks with air, puffing up his handsome face like a bun, before letting it all out in one breath.
Chen Feng’s expression remained unchanged.
Yin Feng said: “I understand. Seems I was quite farsighted before. Just now I looked at my old social media posts and thought I looked quite stupid.”
Chen Feng smiled and said: “You weren’t stupid before, and you’re not stupid now.”
These words warmed the writer’s fragile young heart, and he broke into a brilliant smile, bright as spring moonlight. For a moment, Chen Feng seemed to see the young Yin Feng of years past, and couldn’t help smiling too.
Yin Feng said: “Pack up the luggage, I’m going to find Ming Xu.”
Chen Feng said: “Alright. Shall we find a hotel near her place?”
Yin Feng’s eyes flickered as he asked: “Do you think she’ll let me stay at her home?”
Chen Feng said: “Probably not.”
They were both quiet for a moment, then Chen Feng said: “I have a way to pressure her, maybe make her agree. Want to try it?”
Then he watched as the clean-faced boy, looking almost newborn, looked away, thought for a moment, and said expressionlessly: “Mm, do it.”
Chen Feng thought: Even with a mental age twenty years younger, his true nature hasn’t changed at all. That’s… perfect.
So that day when You Ming Xu returned home from work, just as she reached the stairway corner, she saw someone sitting on the ground by her door, knees pulled up to his chest, with a carry-on bag beside him.
She stopped.
Yin Feng looked up at her.
They stared at each other silently for a moment before she continued up the stairs while he remained motionless.
She walked up to him, sighed internally, and crouched down saying: “Why are you here?”
Yin Feng smiled brilliantly: “My stitches are out, and the doctor said I can recover at home.”
You Ming Xu, suppressing the throbbing vein in her forehead, continued asking calmly: “So where is your home?”
He immediately lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, hands tightly clasped over his knees, and said: “I don’t want to go there, I don’t remember anything about it. You said once I got better, I could come find you. Even though I’m tall, I won’t take up much space. I can sleep on the couch, or the floor, anywhere is fine.”
You Ming Xu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had always been soft-hearted rather than harsh, and she could feel Yin Feng’s timidity, hesitation, and hidden eagerness. But this absurd farce wasn’t over yet – he’d been discharged and came to her home!
She felt helplessly unable to push back, collected herself, and looked at the man before her. Perhaps because of his fluffy hair and clothing, his usually sharp mature features now appeared soft and almost comical. Especially since he was wearing all green – a man over 180cm tall wearing all green! Who knew who picked his clothes, but he looked just like a big caterpillar?
You Ming Xu finally laughed, patted his head, and said: “Yin Feng, I can’t take you in, not because I don’t consider you a friend, but because you’re a man and I’m a woman. An unmarried man and woman can’t live together, it’s not appropriate. Understand?”
Yin Feng said nothing, just silently gazed at her with pleading eyes. You Ming Xu felt uncomfortable under the simpleton’s stare and stood up saying: “I’m going in now, you should go home too. Let Chen Feng come get you.”
“Ming Xu…” he called softly, his voice full of entreaty.
You Ming Xu didn’t respond or look back, just opened her door, went in, and closed it.
Then she looked at her watch – it was already past 9 PM.
You Ming Xu first took a shower and changed into home clothes. Passing through the living room, her face expressionless, she walked to the door, unconsciously lightening her steps, and looked through the peephole.
He was still sitting there, head down, eyes wide open, looking dazed.
You Ming Xu left the door.
She watched an episode of TV, temporarily forgetting everything. After it ended, she still had a smile on her lips, but almost immediately thought of the person at her door, wondering if he’d left.
She got up to use the bathroom, but her feet seemed to move of their own accord back to the door for another look. Well, at least he’d changed position, now sitting cross-legged, one hand propping up his chin, the other playing with the handle of his bag.
You Ming Xu watched him repeat this mechanical movement for three minutes, suddenly feeling annoyed and turning back to her room.
She turned off her tablet, lay down, and looked at the bedside clock – it was already 12:30 AM. Being a disciplined police officer, she closed her eyes to sleep.
After lying there for half an hour, she suddenly sat up, not even putting on slippers, and walked barefoot to the door.
She yanked it open to find him lying down, head resting on his bag, curled up like a real caterpillar probably because of the night chill. Hearing the sound, he turned his head, and those clear bright eyes seemed to contain no impurities at all – there was nothing in them except the reflection of the light and her silhouette.
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
You Ming Xu spoke in an unfriendly tone: “Get in here, sleep on the couch, and get out first thing tomorrow morning.”
He said nothing, scrambled up, and grabbed his bag. You Ming Xu walked straight to her bedroom and closed the door without a single glance at him.
Yin Feng stood alone with his luggage at the entrance for a moment, then efficiently took off his shoes, put on slippers, sat on the couch, and quickly changed into his pajamas. There was a neatly folded thin blanket on the couch; he stared at it for a moment before quickly shaking it open, lying down, and wrapping himself tightly in it. He glanced at You Ming Xu’s bedroom door again, thinking about how she was less than ten meters away from him and felt incredibly sweet inside. Closing his eyes, he quickly fell into fragrant dreams.