Chapter 47#
The snow outside had stopped.
Directly in front of the villa garden was a large lawn, with a waist-high fence. Withered rose vines were entwined on the wooden lattice, overlooking the scattered lights in the distance.
It was a small town some distance from the foot of the mountain, with not many permanent residents, but there was a New Year fireworks show every year. Many citizens came from the city to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
Hearing the crunching sound of footsteps on snow behind him, Lu Lin looked sideways.
Only one light was on in front of the villa door, and the garden was dimly lit. Yan Heqing wore an overcoat, his scarf wrapped tightly, looking down at the path and walking slowly.
His shoes were slippery.
As Yan Heqing was about to approach, Lu Lin withdrew his gaze. A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the fence railing. He raised his hand and calmly pushed the snow in front of him, causing it all to fall silently.
His fingers were cold, and he put them behind his back.
At this moment, Yan Heqing also arrived, but he didn’t lean on the fence. He just stood beside Lu Lin, exhaled softly, tilted his head, smiled, and said, “Mr. Lu, do you come here every year to watch the fireworks?”
“No.” Lu Lin also looked back at Yan Heqing. He was eight centimeters taller than Yan Heqing and lowered his head slightly. “I’m not interested in these things. What about you? Do you like them?”
His eyelashes fluttered lightly, and Yan Heqing’s eyes curved slightly. “I can’t say whether I like them or not, but beautiful things are always pleasing to the eye.”
The scarf covered up to the tip of his nose, hiding half of his face, revealing only those clear and bright eyes. Lu Lin didn’t look away. “Don’t you think they are fleeting?”
“The definition of short is defined by humans.” Yan Heqing’s eyes curved even more. “Compared to time, life is also fleeting.”
Lu Lin’s eyes darkened gradually. “Your answers surprise me every time.”
“Really? Then I’m very happy.” Yan Heqing smiled and turned his face back. He reached out to grasp the fence railing, looking at the lights in the distance. “It shows that I am a unique person.”
Lu Lin was silent for a moment, then also turned his face to look into the distance.
Bang!
Countless beams of light instantly shot up into the sky in the distance.
12 o’clock, it was the New Year.
Fireworks bloomed into golden sparks filling the sky, blossoming like flowers, then falling slowly like rain, illuminating the entire night sky, like a grand and lingering golden misty rain.
Buzz buzz.
The phones in their pockets vibrated simultaneously.
Every New Year’s Eve, Lu Lin’s phone would receive more than 99 blessing text messages per second.
But for Yan Heqing’s phone, it was the first time.
He took out his phone. There were several messages: from the coffee shop manager, the welfare home, and a strange number.
“Little Yan, Happy New Year!” (Note: Typo in original text “块乐” instead of “快乐”)
The next second, another message came in, “Sorry, wrong typo, it’s Happy, Happy New Year!”
Yan Heqing didn’t reply immediately; he put his phone back.
Lu Lin hadn’t intended to check his messages, but suddenly a call came in.
He took out his phone; it was a call from Xie Yunjie.
Lu Lin was still looking at Yan Heqing from the corner of his eye. The young man was gazing intently at the fireworks. The sky full of firelight illuminated a layer of soft fluorescence on his cheeks.
He didn’t notice that the call was disconnected at that moment, and another call came in. Lu Lin swiped to answer.
“What is it?”
“!” Lin Fengzhi instantly sprang up from the bed.
Approaching midnight, he used a stomachache as an excuse to go back to his room first to make the first New Year blessing call to Lu Lin. He hadn’t held out hope; every time he sent a text message to Lu Lin, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, never receiving a response. But unexpectedly! He answered! Uncle Lu answered his call!
Lin Fengzhi also heard the sound of fireworks through the receiver.
Was Uncle Lu watching fireworks?
The Lin family servants were also setting off fireworks in the backyard, right below Lin Fengzhi’s room.
He covered the receiver, cheered excitedly a few times, ran barefoot to the French window, pulled open the curtains, and looked at the splendid fireworks outside.
Rounding up, he was watching fireworks and chatting with Uncle Lu together!
Lin Fengzhi pressed his surging chest, took several deep breaths, finally released the receiver, and the corners of his mouth flew up. “Uncle Lu, it’s me—”
Beep, beep, beep…
Lu Lin had already hung up.
“…” Lin Fengzhi’s smile froze.
What the hell!
He quickly redialed, but other people kept calling Lu Lin, and the line was continuously busy.
Lin Fengzhi had to give up.
He pulled a long face, threw the phone aside, and kicked the air unhappily. But seeing the splendid and beautiful fireworks outside the window, he became happy again.
Uncle Lu answered the first call of the New Year!
His cheeks were burning red. He put his palms together and made a sincere wish to the fireworks outside the window. “Bless me that on this day next year, Uncle Lu and I will be alone anywhere, just him and me, watching fireworks together!”
The other party didn’t speak, so Lu Lin hung up the phone. He saw it was a strange number, not Xie Yunjie. Lu Lin casually added it to the blacklist, set the phone to silent, and put it back in his pocket.
Just then, Yan Heqing beside him called him, “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Lin turned sideways. A pot of crystal-clear, jade-carved translucent lotus appeared before his eyes.
Yan Heqing held a small potted plant in one hand.
He had pulled his scarf back down to his neck, revealing his entire face. His pupils reflected the intermittently bright fireworks.
Seeing Lu Lin look over, a warm smile rippled from his lips. “Happy New Year.”
Lu Lin’s pupils contracted sharply, and his Adam’s apple moved violently. A moment later, he took the potted plant. “It looks like a lotus. What’s it called?”
“Haworthia cooperi (Jade Dew).” Yan Heqing smiled and said, “Just water it once every 8 to 10 days. Keep it in a cool and ventilated place, and don’t expose it to direct sunlight or rain.”
At this time, the fireworks were coming to an end. The night sky had been brilliant for ten minutes and was about to return to calm.
Yan Heqing stretched his arms slightly and was about to return to the villa carrying the empty paper bag.
Something stopped him.
In the not-so-bright light and shadow, it seemed to be an envelope.
Looking closely, it was a red envelope.
The red envelope left at Lu Lin’s place last time? Yan Heqing didn’t take it. “Mr. Lu…”
“It’s a New Year red envelope for you.” Lu Lin looked at him deeply. “Not much, just for good luck.”
Yan Heqing then took it, put it in his pocket, looked up, and curved his eyes gently. “Thank you, Mr. Lu. This is the first red envelope I’ve received.”
——
The servant had already tidied up the guest room on the second floor.
It wasn’t big, but the layout was warm and felt like home. Most importantly, there was a floor-to-ceiling solid wood bookcase filled with books.
Just a rough scan, and he had already seen many out-of-print books.
Yan Heqing didn’t touch them. He quietly looked at the book titles for a while before entering the bathroom.
He was going to take a shower. While taking off his clothes, he touched his pants pocket and felt the red envelope.
Taking off his outer clothes downstairs, he had taken out the red envelope and put it in his pants pocket.
The red envelope prepared by Lu Lin was similar to the one he bought, a standard style.
Opening the red envelope, he pulled out a not-too-thick stack of banknotes.
As Lu Lin said, not much, just for good luck, 888.
All new banknotes.
Yan Heqing leaned close and sniffed lightly. There was a scent of very new ink, very pleasant.
Separated by a few walls, Lu Lin sat at his desk. Only the desk lamp was on in the room. The translucent leaf petals were dyed with a faint orange light. His slender fingers slowly turned the small flower pot.
After a long time, Lu Lin put down the potted plant. He pulled out the chair, stood up, and walked into the bathroom.
Hot water poured down from overhead. The image of the young man smiling flashed through his mind.
And that voice.
“Happy New Year.”
Lu Lin closed his eyes. The hot water ran over his hard, protruding Adam’s apple. Like a sigh, three words silently spilled from his lips.
“Yan Heqing.”
——
A dreamless night. When Yan Heqing woke up, a faint light shone through the gap in the curtains. He felt for his phone; it was actually 8 o’clock. It was the first time he had woken up so late.
There were two missed calls on his phone.
One from two minutes ago, and one just now.
The next second, Lu Muchi’s call came in again.
Lu Muchi attended a card game last night, which was actually a blind date. He lacked interest, but the other party took a fancy to him and kept chatting and drinking with him.
In previous years at midnight, he would make the first New Year call to Lin Fengzhi.
Having missed it this year, he got drunk, went home, and slept until now. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to make a call.
But he dialed Yan Heqing.
Lu Muchi listened to the ringback tone, his chest heaving violently.
Since last night, he had been looking forward to hearing Yan Heqing’s voice.
However, the ringback tone ended, and the call remained unanswered.
Lu Muchi’s face darkened a bit. He was about to continue when a call came in from the housekeeper of the holiday villa.
Lu Muchi’s eyes darkened, and he answered the call. “Speak.”
“Young Master, please come over when you have time. Madam still refuses to eat.” The housekeeper complained, “We’ve exhausted all methods. She even went into brief shock this morning. We gave her a nutrient injection; there’s really no other way.”
Lu Muchi threw off the quilt and got out of bed, walking quickly outside. “Watch her, I’ll be there soon.”
When Yan Heqing came out after washing up, his phone was already quiet.
It was about time. He replied to the New Year text messages except for Lu Muchi’s, and then called Old Fang.
Old Fang was the old man who taught him fishing.
Receiving Yan Heqing’s New Year greeting call, Old Fang was particularly happy. “Thank you, thank you! Happy New Year, young man!”
Yan Heqing smiled. “Happy New Year to you too. May you never come back empty-handed from fishing this year.”
This was a phrase Old Fang often said: never come back empty-handed, fishing never in vain!
Old Fang immediately grinned from ear to ear. “Haha, I accept your good words! Let’s make an appointment to fish together when the weather gets warmer. It’s too cold this winter, and my family won’t let me go out fishing. I’m suffocating. If you find a good fishing spot, you must tell me immediately!”
Yan Heqing agreed to everything one by one. After chatting for a few more sentences, Old Fang hung up the phone.
Putting the phone back in his pants pocket, Yan Heqing opened the door and went downstairs.
The hallway was quiet. A servant had mentioned that Lu Lin’s room was also on the second floor. Glancing briefly ahead, Yan Heqing went downstairs silently.
Servants didn’t have to get up early for the New Year. The first floor was equally silent; it seemed no one had gotten up yet.
Yan Heqing walked into the living room. His gaze swept across the floor-to-ceiling glass doors before he saw Lu Ruchan.
Lu Ruchan was alone in the garden.
Pausing slightly, Yan Heqing walked towards the glass door and pushed it open silently.
Just as he pushed it open, Yan Heqing stopped in his tracks.
He was dazed for a moment.
Lu Ruchan was singing.
[Green bricks accompany tile paint, white horses tread on new mud, mountain flowers and banana leaves dye the red scarf in the twilight.
Raindrops sprinkle from the eaves, cooking smoke rises curling up.
Wasted time turning and tossing, where are you, seemingly there.
Searching and seeking, cold and cheerless.
The moon sets and crows cry, the crescent moon falls into the lonely well.]
The tune was soft and melodious, like a gurgling stream quietly flowing through spring.
Gradually, it overlapped with the soft language in his memory.
The faded memory suddenly became vivid.
Yan Heqing remembered the following lines.
[Bits and pieces, drips and drops.
Flowers in the dream, green grass in the dream.
Long hair causes ripples, white cloth spreads on the stone jetty.
The river kappa poles the boat, ferrying the long boat across the ancient rare age.
Raindrops sprinkle from the eaves, cooking smoke rises curling up.
Wasted time turning and tossing, where are you, seemingly there.]
“Baby.” Yan Qiushuang held him, gently kissing his cheek. “This is called Pingtan. When you and your brother are a few years older, Mom and Dad will take you back to our hometown to listen to authentic Pingtan.”
Only he didn’t have time to grow up, and they didn’t have time to take him back to their hometown to drink mint mung bean water and listen to authentic Pingtan.
Yan Heqing quietly watched Lu Ruchan’s back.
After a good while, Lu Ruchan realized someone was there.
She turned her head and saw it was Yan Heqing. She was very surprised. “Up so early? It’s rare to have a holiday break; you could sleep a bit longer.”
Yan Heqing walked forward. He squatted beside the wheelchair, his hand resting gently on the armrest. He looked up slightly. “I’m not sleepy. Your Pingtan is very pleasant to listen to.”
A slight blush appeared on Lu Ruchan’s pale face. “You heard it. A-Lin’s grandmother taught me; she sang it well.” Lu Ruchan fell into nostalgia. Coming back to her senses, she met Yan Heqing’s still curved eyes. Her heart warmed. She reached into her pocket and slowly took out a red envelope.
She placed it in Yan Heqing’s hand. “Happy New Year. You’re not allowed to refuse.” She was smiling盈盈. “This is lucky money. A-Lin has one too.”
Yan Heqing was just about to answer when his phone rang again.
This time it was Lin Fengzhi.
Going downstairs in the morning, Mother Lin mentioned it again, inviting Yan Heqing to be a guest at home on the second day of the New Year.
“On the third day, we have to visit your Sister Xiaowei’s family. Your dad and brother have social engagements for the next few days.” Mother Lin said tactfully, “On the first day, you young people want to go out and play. Only the second day is free.”
Unexpectedly, Lin Fengzhi agreed readily. “Okay!”
Lu Lin answered his call last night, so he was in a great mood now. Let alone inviting Yan Heqing as a guest, even if he was invited to live in the Lin family permanently, he would agree!
The call connected, and Lin Fengzhi’s tone was full of joy. “Brother, come to my house for dinner the day after tomorrow!”