Chapter 3 - 1#

When they found Fugui, it was during a fierce rainy season.

The most exciting event that year was the ‘98 World Cup. The small shop downstairs had a TV, and if you bought a drink, you could sit there and watch the live broadcast all afternoon. Yan Wei had the match schedule taped to his desk, and when the time came, he didn’t even care about class.

When the old teacher turned around to write on the blackboard, he would sneak out.

Once Yan Wei slipped away, most of the boys couldn’t sit still. The old teacher bent down to pick up a piece of chalk, and another one went out. The old teacher flipped through his lecture notes, and another one went out. Ten minutes later, the classroom was half empty.

After school, when Yu Lin found Yan Wei, he had already finished writing his letter of repentance and was holding a cue stick, playing pool with others. The rain battered against the tin roof, sounding like someone pouring water from upstairs. The pockets, woven from cheap green yarn, were bulging with balls.

The cue ball was too far away, so Yan Wei found a bridge stick to support his cue, standing on his tiptoes with half his body lying on the table.

When Yu Lin came in, he was holding a stray kitten, two or three months old, in his arms. He was wearing a hooded jacket and was soaked through. Just as Yan Wei sank a ball, his hand flipped the score marker on the scoreboard.

Yan Wei saw Yu Lin and was surprised. “Little Lin.” He squatted down halfway and poked the cat’s head with his finger. “Where did you find it?” “Picked it up,” Yu Lin said. He resisted for a moment but eventually took off his jacket under Yan Wei’s pulling and tugging.

The kitten curled up its body. Its fur was a mix of white and gold, beautiful like a little princess. Someone over there called Yan Wei. He answered casually, threw his school uniform, which he had tossed aside, to Yu Lin, and sat down to chalk his cue stick.

“I want to keep it,” Yu Lin said.

Yan Wei laughed. “Come on, with that fancy place of yours, the sofa would get scratched to pieces.” He thought for a moment, picked up the kitten with both hands, and touched his nose to the cat’s nose. “It’s better off with me. Hey, little tail, little sweetheart, little darling.” Yu Lin draped the uniform over himself, water still dripping from his hair, and helped rack the red balls with the triangle.

One of Yan Wei’s buddies took out a few one-inch photos with a red background and said, “Weiwei, take a look, what do you think?” Yan Wei held the cat with his left arm and took the photos with his right. After looking at them for a long time, he squeezed out a sentence: “This girl is not bad.” The guy, smoking a cigarette, chuckled muffledly. “She’s even better in person. This sister says she wants to get to know you. Are you interested?” Yan Wei laughed foolishly for a while, subconsciously glancing at Yu Lin. The kitten slipped out from under his arm. That kid Yu Lin seemed to have gone deaf; he bought a carton of milk at the counter and squatted down to feed the cat.

Later, they played a few more games, with wins and losses on both sides, chatting about rumors and gossip. When the rain outside let up, they waved goodbye, still wanting more.

Yu Lin walked in front holding the kitten, and Yan Wei followed, humming a little tune. When they turned the street corner, there was no one on the road.

Yu Lin suddenly turned around, pressed Yan Wei down, and bit his lips fiercely, with enough force to almost draw blood.

Yan Wei pushed him a few times but couldn’t move him. The kitten’s soft fur was squeezed between their burning chests, and it mewed softly.

Yan Wei made muffled sounds, clenched his teeth, and refused to give in.

After a stalemate for a while, Yu Lin still couldn’t find a way in and gave up resentfully, both of them panting.

Yu Lin reached into his pocket, took out the photos, and tore them up.

Yan Wei cursed him, “What kind of madness has gotten into you all of a sudden!”

“I’m not crazy.”

The two of them walked forward with their heads down for a while. Yan Wei kept his head buried, wiping the corner of his mouth. It seemed a bit of skin had been broken; when he squeezed it, a few drops of blood came out. Yu Lin’s face didn’t look friendly at all; when he was expressionless, he looked like he was angry. He suddenly turned his head and said with a straight face, “But if you really get together with someone, I’ll show you what crazy is.” Vows are always more pleasant to hear than the life actually lived.