Chapter 10 - 2#

In the recording, Yan Xi did not answer. The hissing static continued for over a minute, followed by the sounds of going downstairs and closing the door; Cui Dong had left the villa.

After this, faint footsteps sounded in the house. The sound moved out of the study, and the muffled thud of the piano lid being lifted was indistinct, but the piano sound was crystal clear.

The melancholic and anxious fast melody was like sleeping on the sea, with waves attacking one after another. The fear of sinking into the deep sea at any moment made one’s forehead covered in sweat.

The music soon soothed again, like bathing in sunlight, being gently wrapped.

Amidst the rustling static, this Fantaisie-Impromptu seemed to have magic power; it struck the nerves clearly and accurately. Reaching out from the answering machine, it forced others’ ears to become its resonance organs.

Until the piano sound once again surged like monstrous waves, dark clouds loomed, and the hesitant movement tore through the silence. Cui Dong knew Yan Fengxiang almost wanted to turn it off. This monstrous music made it impossible to associate with Yan Xi’s severe hearing loss.

When everything quieted down, the piano lid closed with a “bang”, even making people flinch. Yan Xi finished his last performance, but both of them knew this was not the end.

His footsteps went towards the kitchen, paused for forty seconds, presumably choosing the fruit knife he would use to cut his wrist, and then returned to the study. With the muffled sound of pulling out a chair, he sat down and made the first cut here. The sound of water dripping was not very fast; this cut was not deep.

Just at this moment, Yan Xi’s voice was recorded for the first time. He shouted: “Yu Lin, it hurts.” Then there was more than ten seconds of silence. Cui Dong trembled, almost visualizing Yan Xi sitting there, pitifully looking around. He habitually looked for Yu Lin, only this time, no one answered him.

Yan Fengxiang suddenly reached out and turned off the answering machine.

Cui Dong sat there blankly, hearing the man say: “I want to go see Yan Xi.” Only then did he come back to his senses, “Xiao Xi is still under observation in the intensive care unit. In a few more days, after the critical period passes…” Yan Fengxiang nodded.

“Where is Yu Lin?” Anyone could see that Yan Fengxiang was truly angry, “Take the recording and let him listen to it.” The atmosphere of Christmas shrouded the city like mist. Various Christmas wreaths were displayed in front of shop windows. The weather was moody, with heavy rain pouring down from time to time.

When Yu Lin came out of the shop holding a wrapped small gift box, a thin layer of water had already accumulated on the ground.

Watching his shiny leather shoes step down, not only wetting the soles but soon splashing raindrops onto the uppers, he couldn’t help looking up at the sky.

Against the pitch-black canopy overhead, raindrops looked like glowing silver threads, thousands of them, falling profusely and unsparingly.

Yan Wei saw Yu Lin running back in the rain looking disheveled from upstairs, hurriedly went downstairs, opened an umbrella, and welcomed him in.

The lights in the hall were dim. Yu Lin sneezed lightly. His shoes sank into the newly purchased carpet at the entrance, leaving dark watermarks, but they would dry soon.

Wet bangs stuck to his fair and full forehead. While loosening his tie, Yu Lin brushed them back.

He heard Yan Wei’s angry scolding: “Why do you always run around?” Yu Lin smiled at him: “I went to buy something.”

Yan Wei’s eyes widened, and he reached out his hand towards him, “What did you buy?” Yu Lin’s gift was in his pocket. He dodged while laughing, “I’ll give it to you at Christmas, don’t snatch.” After a while, seeing Yan Wei still following closely behind him, he deliberately took out the gift box, flashed it before Yan Wei’s eyes, then put it into the drawer of the TV cabinet, chuckling: “I’ll put it here first, no peeking.” Yan Wei wanted to pull the drawer open but had his hand lightly slapped by Yu Lin. He glared at Yu Lin dissatisfiedly and complained: “You did it on purpose, who can resist.” He went to find a large towel, covered Yu Lin’s head with it, and roughly dried his hair.

Yu Lin laughed muffledly under the towel: “It’s so cold outside.”

Yan Wei’s movement paused. His free hand grabbed Yu Lin’s cold left hand, warmed it for a while, and then said impatiently: “Right hand?” Yu Lin laughed muffledly and handed him his right hand too.

They were like two fledglings, huddled tightly together, thinking their nest was the whole world.

Cui Dong rang the doorbell several times before the person inside opened the door.

Yan Wei looked at Cui Dong, stunned for a moment.

Cui Dong spoke first: “Yu Lin is here with you, right? I know he must be.” Yan Wei looked at him silently. Cui Dong hesitated for a while, took a small answering machine out of his briefcase, “Can you let him listen to this? You… you can listen together too!” He whispered: “If he is willing to go see Yan Xi, Yan Xi will definitely be able to…” Yan Wei slowly took it. His lips moved a few times, wanting to say something, but Yu Lin had already closed the door.

Yu Lin’s hand pressed on the iron door. After a while, he noticed what Yan Wei was holding. “Weiwei, throw it away.” “It’s okay, let’s listen.”

“Throw it away.” Yu Lin said, reaching out to grab it.

Yan Wei took half a step back, “Blockhead, you said you wouldn’t leave.” Yu Lin stopped there. After a while, he nodded, “I won’t leave you.” Yan Wei burst out laughing: “Then what is there to be afraid of?”

Yan Wei sat on the sofa and pressed the play button. The small answering machine began to emit a rustling noise. The two lit wall lamps were insignificant in the darkness, and the rain outside was getting heavier. The window was blown open by the wind, and a flash of lightning streaked across outside, illuminating the dark night as if it were day.

The pressed play button popped out gently; the recording finished playing. Only the sound of pouring rain remained around. Yan Wei sat there stiffly, shivering, as if cold rain had splashed on his face. “Go and see him.” Yu Lin called Yan Wei’s name. “Weiwei.”

Yan Wei leaned his head back and smiled: “I’m fine.”

Yu Lin said: “Do you believe I will come back?”

Yan Wei said: “I believe.”

Only then did Yu Lin stand up and walk towards the door with some hesitation.

Yan Wei followed behind him and asked in a low voice: “Blockhead, which row were our seats in, do you remember?” Yu Lin said: “Fourth row, you sat next to me.”

“And during the sports meet, the number tag on the back…”

“Remember it all. You ran in front of me. You were 104, I was 37.” Yu Lin looked at him, was silent for a while, and finally went downstairs.

Rain drifted in, making the ground slippery. The fear of slipping at any time made it hard to breathe.

Yu Lin went downstairs. Cui Dong’s car was still waiting downstairs. As soon as he saw him, he opened the car door. Yan Wei watched blankly from the balcony. Another flash of lightning illuminated the street pale white. The dark red taillights flashed and gradually disappeared into the night.

Yan Wei’s feet sank into the rose bushes, his shoes filled with muddy water. He seemed to see them crouching on the track, the number tags on their backs billowing in the wind. The starting gun banged, white dust rose, and the track was lifted like a carpet, causing people to fall forward uncontrollably.

He stood there, his heart icy cold.

Yu Lin sat by the hospital bed. Cui Dong looked at Yan Xi wearing an oxygen mask, held his hand, his eyes red.

They sat like this for a long time, looking at Yan Xi lying on the bed, pale-faced and eyes closed tight.

As if seeing Yan Xi sitting up again, waiting for Yu Lin to bring food, blowing it cool mouthful by mouthful to feed him.

As if hearing Yan Xi’s hysterical pleading voice again: “I can’t leave him, Yu Lin is my air.” As if hearing Yan Xi asking: “If I did something wrong…” “Yu Lin, I’m scared.”

He always looked up at Yu Lin, one in front and one behind, stumbling along like a toddler, until Yu Lin stopped to wait for him.

In the beginning, no one took it seriously.

When Yan Wei took off the soiled fabric cover from the sofa and stuffed it into the washing machine, he spaced out for a while again.

On Christmas Eve, Yu Lin still hadn’t returned. Yan Wei walked outside, wearing a dark grey wide-collared long-sleeved shirt with a long coat of the same color over it, both made of soft, form-fitting fabric that made him look slim. The shops downstairs all displayed a row of poinsettias; they looked like they were on fire, merging with the dancing lights on the glass doors.

Pairs of young couples wearing funny red hats stood by the roadside waiting for the clock tower to chime. In the center of the square was a huge Christmas tree two stories high, decorated with colorful lights and ribbons of all sizes.

At twelve o’clock, fireworks bloomed at the top of the tree. Young men and women kissed under the sky lit by fireworks.

Yan Wei looked up at the sky, the colorful lights reflecting in his eyes.

When he lowered his head and saw the couples kissing around him, he was stunned for a while.

After a long time, he quietly hid his hands in his warm pockets.

Yan Wei returned home and booked a flight ticket online. In the middle of the night, he packed his luggage into a suitcase and sat on the sofa until dawn. On Christmas Day, he started a major cleaning, changed to a clean sofa cover, washed the dirty bowls in the sink, put away the spare toothbrush set, dug out old newspapers and transparent tape, and taped up every place that might be invaded by dust.

Yan Wei dragged his suitcase to the door, ready to close the room door. He looked back at the living room covered with newspapers, his gaze suddenly freezing on the drawer of the TV cabinet.

Yu Lin hid the gift inside but wouldn’t let him see.

Yan Wei hesitated for a while, walked back slowly, squatted down, and pulled open the drawer.

He glanced at the suitcase still standing at the door, then looked at the gift box in the drawer, reached out to touch the beautifully wrapped ribbon, then withdrew his hand. After a long time, he gritted his teeth: “What am I afraid of? It’s Christmas, it was meant for me anyway!” He roughly untied the wrapping paper, opened the lid, and saw a pair of silver rings inside. Yan Wei stared blankly, then took out one of them, tried the fit on his finger, looking at it left and right for a long time.

He held the ring and looked at it against the sun for a long time. After a good while, he reluctantly put it back in the box and wrapped it up again.

Yan Wei ran out to drag the suitcase back into the room, took out the clothes from the box one by one and hung them back in the closet, and finally started tearing the newspapers off the wall. The room was filled with gentle rustling sounds.

He crumpled dozens of newspapers into a ball, stuffed them into the trash can, then sat on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow and giggling.

With only a little over an hour left before Christmas ended, Yu Lin knocked on the door. He stood at the door holding a large bouquet of poinsettias. They looked like they were on fire, their color more magnificent than maple leaves and warmer than roses.

Yan Wei stood on tiptoe and confirmed behind the peephole for a long time.

Yu Lin said outside the door: “Weiwei, it’s me. I said I wouldn’t leave.” Yan Wei opened the door with a straight face. The room behind him was clean and brand new.

Yu Lin placed the fiery red flowers on the dining table, pulled open the drawer of the TV cabinet, looked carefully at the gift box for a while, and whispered: “Weiwei, did you open it and look?” Yan Wei rolled his eyes, “I don’t have that leisure time, just that broken thing…” Yu Lin couldn’t help but want to laugh seeing Yan Wei completely unaware that he had given himself away.

He looked at the suitcase Yan Wei forgot to put back under the bed, then looked at the messily wrapped gift box, pretending to leave, “Then I won’t give it.” Yan Wei instantly exploded, lying on Yu Lin’s back, trying hard to stretch his hand to snatch the box. “Give it to me, give it to me quickly!” Yu Lin smiled quietly. Yan Wei snatched for a while, suddenly saw Yu Lin’s smile, and involuntarily smiled foolishly with him. Yan Wei held his breath, watching Yu Lin peel off layer after layer of wrapping paper, his eyes gradually becoming moist.

“Weiwei, at that time I could only afford silver ones.

“This is the most similar one I could find.

“Is it too late to give it this year?

“Merry Christmas, Weiwei.”

When the head nurse entered the hospital, the janitor shouted: “There’s a postcard for you.” She walked over, signed for it, took the item, and sat down in the office before looking at it carefully.

This was the first one this year. The ones from last year and the year before were still stacked on the top shelf of the bookcase. Yu Lin sent one every month, writing a few words to let people know where he and Yan Wei had gone.

She took out the glasses case from the drawer, wiped the glasses, put them on carefully, brought the postcard close to her eyes, and smiled while reading.

Cui Dong had moved to the house next to Yan Xi for more than a year. He liked to stand at the door, waiting for Yan Xi to come out sleepily to get the newspaper, so he could say hello when they met.

Yan Xi’s spirits had not been very good, and he was terribly thin. Fugui was raised by Cui Dong most of the time. That day, Cui Dong squatted in the living room, cutting open the newly bought cat food bit by bit with small scissors. As soon as he poured it into the plate, Fugui rushed up as if crazy with hunger.

This old cat had reached the end of its life. It didn’t move much most of the time. Only when the sun was strong would it walk to the balcony, lie down, and lick its fur over and over again, but occasionally it would be very energetic.

Cui Dong hugged this old and heavy cat, occasionally thinking of its former owners. Thinking of how it lay on the piano, or even earlier times. Cui Dong looked at it and said: “You must have been caught stealing fish.” Cui Dong carried it upstairs, “Or maybe you were rummaging through trash cans and got discovered. So heavy.” Fugui made a comfortable purring sound in its throat. No one knew if it still remembered the rainy night, the dark alley, two teenagers hugging together, its wet fur squeezed against two burning chests, meowing softly.

Entering the room, Cui Dong teased the cat while chatting on the phone with a colleague. The phone was sandwiched between his ear and shoulder. The room was filled with bright sunlight, and the voice on the other end was blurry. Cui Dong had sharp eyes and saw Fugui jumping onto the bed. Ignoring the phone, he pounced over, shouting: “Just peed, don’t get on the bed!” Yan Xi took out the newspaper that day and also found a postcard in the mailbox. The back of the postcard showed beautiful scenery of mountains and clear water, with familiar handwriting: Wish you well.

Yan Xi saw the signature with two names, and tears flowed down instantly.

Those two people held an umbrella in the streets of a small town with beautiful scenery. They turned the corner. Yan Wei, as if provoking, kept bumping his shoulder against Yu Lin’s shoulder, tilting the umbrella to one side. He pretended to have a hoarse voice, humming a song. The face under the umbrella was radiant, and when he smiled, he revealed tiger teeth like glutinous rice.

They squeezed under one quilt, looking at each other’s just-woken faces.

Yan Wei said Yu Lin’s catchphrase was “I don’t know.”

“Mumu, why do I have to nourish my kidney?”

“I don’t know.”

“What did you and that who… say at the end?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hey, do you think my dad will settle accounts with you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Mumu, I think you don’t even know who you like yourself.”

“I know.”

Yu Lin said Yan Wei’s catchphrase was “I know.”

“Weiwei, come drink fresh milk, just bought it back.”

“I know.”

“Fasten your seatbelt, don’t be lazy, Weiwei, did you hear?”

“I know.”

“Don’t move heavy things, let me do it.”

“I know.”

“Weiwei, do you know I love you?”

Yan Wei turned his head away, snorted, but the corners of his mouth turned up. “I don’t know.” Everyone has similar stories. Someone breaks into the softest corner of the heart, spreads a small mat, sits down comfortably, and never leaves.

The saddest thing is not remembering how that person cried, but suddenly recalling his brilliant smiling face.

In the layers of dark rain clouds, a glimpse of the sun was seen. The sound of rain suddenly quieted. In the scorching light, it was dyed into thousands of golden threads. The morning light burst forth, and the sky gradually brightened.

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