Chapter 4
Fang Yingchun was startled by the sudden appearance of a head, and as his legs turned to jelly, he stepped into a puddle behind him. With a splash, his right leg could no longer support him, and it really looked like he was about to fall backward. Fortunately, Yin Yuli swiftly moved forward, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him right back up.

Immediately after, Yin Yuli's own feet slipped and he fell directly into an old sofa behind him, raising a plume of dust that immediately had them coughing.

"Damn it —" Yin Yuli wanted to curse, but seeing the slightly embarrassed Fang Yingchun, he swallowed back the rest of his words.

"Are you okay?" Fang Yingchun steadied himself.

"Thank God for this old sofa," he jumped out, dusting off the dirt from his body, "or else my butt would've been bruised."

Fang Yingchun chuckled. "That would've been something. It'd keep you from running away from home every few days, and your brother wouldn't have to come looking for me all the time. Am I like your shadow or something?"

"Sure, then the dog —"

"That’s enough!" Fang Yingchun’s face scrunched up into a frown. When he checked last, his watch showed 4:50 p.m. He didn't want to be late and lose his perfect attendance award for the month. "Let's head on over to my place. My mother should be waking up now."

"Is it time?"

"Yeah. It's almost time," Fang Yingchun replied.

Yin Yuli didn't argue anymore, suddenly aware of how much he was being a bother. "Let's go. Just don't tip off my brother about my whereabouts."

"— Come on, do you really think I'd do that? Does your brother really not know your every move and where you're likely to go?" Fang Yingchun walked out, carefully avoiding each puddle, having grown accustomed to the rain and dirty water splashing on his shoes by now.

Yin Yuli followed behind, watching Fang Yingchun's rotating legs as if watching the movements of a dancer. Gradually, he fell silent, no longer putting up a fight and challenging Fang Yingchun's words.

"You've been close with your brother since you were kids. I've seen how much he cares about you. Why are you so stubborn and thoughtless? You're 22 but throw tantrums like a three-year-old. If I were your brother, I'd break your legs and confine you at home. Only letting you out once you've learned your lesson.

"It's only because of your brother that you’re able to get away with so much, since he’s always cleaning up your messes.

"Do you think your family's small construction business isn't busy?" Fang Yingchun pointed out.

Yin Yuli pursed his lips, holding back words. He looked everywhere but directly into Fang Yingchun’s eyes. After a moment, he muttered, "I've never shared a pair of pants with him."

"..." Fang Yingchun simply shot him a look.

The spring rain was heavy but short-lived. By evening, the sky was clear, revealing some distant clouds on the horizon.

As Fang Yingchun bent down to remove his shoes in the entranceway, Yin Yuli kicked his shoes off and settled back on the sofa. Fang Yingchun tidied up the shoes and went over to the kitchen. The rice in the rice cooker had cooled, so he reheated it. He also washed the dishes left over from lunch.

With the TV on at a low volume (to not disturb his still-sleeping mother), Yin Yuli watched a repetitive family drama. Finding it uninteresting, he began browsing through Fang Yingchun’s DVD collection, searching for something worthwhile he could watch.

After tidying up the kitchen, Fang Yingchun came back into the room. Yin Yuli asked if he had rented any new DVDs lately, but Fang Yingchun shook his head, stating that he hadn't had the time.

"When my mother wakes up, feed her the warm porridge. An hour after eating, give her medicine and help massage her limbs. Got it?"

“You say that every time. How long have I taken care of Auntie? Do you still need to remind me?" Yin Yuli didn't look up, took out a science fiction movie he hadn't seen before, and placed it into the DVD drive of the TV.

"I just want to remind you so that you don’t forget."

"Auntie is like my second mother. How can I forget?" Yin Yuli sat back on the sofa. "You should leave now. Don't be late for work."

Fang Yingchun clearly trusted Yin Yuli. Over the years, without Yin Yuli, perhaps Fang Yingchun wouldn’t even be able to find a convenience store job. Balancing between earning money and caring for his mother was an extremely difficult task.

He had thought about hiring a caretaker. Initially, he did, paying a hefty fee, but they didn’t take good care of his mother. It was more loss than gain. So, in the end, he had to give up on that idea and do it himself.

Fortunately, later on, Yin Yuli went to university and had more free time. This helped Fang Yingchun a lot, easing some of his burdens and stress.

"There are leftovers in the fridge from lunch. Remember to heat them up and eat."

Fang Yingchun put on his shoes, grabbed his umbrella, and got ready to leave, but Yin Yuli quietly called out to him, "Hey, Little Ying, what if I just move into your place? I can pay you rent every month and also take care of Auntie. It also means I don't have to face my family. Isn't it a win-win situation?"

Fang Yingchun looked at him for a long moment before replying, "Don't even think about it."

The air became much clearer after the rain, filtering out much of the dust and stains of small-town life. Breathing it in felt refreshing. Soon, this coolness would turn into a thick, soup-like consistency, heating up the blood within. Summer was fast approaching.

Fang Yingchun hurriedly arrived at the convenience store just in time. Out of breath, he panted at the entrance. Due to physical constraints, he never did intense exercise as a child, so he was never very fit.
"Little Brother Ying!" Xiao Jihe had already changed out of his work uniform. "I was worried you'd be late — I've already checked the stock three times, making sure there's no discrepancy."

"Thanks," Fang Yingchun replied with a smile, "you worked hard."

The two chatted briefly about the day's earnings and every day matters before Xiao Jihe left.

Inside the convenience store, Fang Yingchun was left all alone. Night shifts were generally quieter. He was browsing his social media feed when suddenly a notification popped up out of nowhere.

He hesitated, then clicked on it. It was a friend request.

The profile picture was of a ragdoll cat held by a beautiful hand. The nickname was a random string of letters.

After thinking about recent acquaintances and coming up with no matches, he decided to decline the request.

But then, another friend request from the same profile popped up with a note: “It's me, Fu Peihang.”

Startled, Fang Yingchun took a deep breath. Even though no one was around, he felt a tide of awkwardness. After calming himself, he accepted the request.

— At the convenience store?

Yeah. Coming to collect the medical fee?

— No.

Should I transfer it to you via WeChat?

— There’s no need.

Confused by the firm "There’s no need" response, Fang Yingchun thought, ‘Why does giving him money feel like I'm the one who still owes him something?’

He should just take the money. After all, they weren’t close. Besides, it wouldn’t be right if they carried on like this.

Night shifts at the convenience store were usually relaxed. Fang Yingchun often found himself lost in thought, occasionally rearranging the shelves absentmindedly. A few pedestrians would come in to buy water or rice balls. As the night deepened, drunken men emerged, reeking of alcohol as they staggered inside.

These shirtless middle-aged men, with their strong accents, would raise their voices, breaking the peaceful silence of the night.

This reminded Fang Yingchun of Fu Peihang, an elegant drunkard. Even when intoxicated, he somehow managed to maintain a calm demeanor. It was rare — actually, Fang Yingchun had never met someone like that in real life.

Chaozhou was a place to the south, near the sea, hot and humid, with a long rainy season, a bit isolated and backward.

Someone like Fu Peihang seemed out of place in Chaozhou's atmosphere.

Fang Yingchun instantly snapped back to reality upon hearing the voices of the customers, taking payments, and checking out. After a moment of commotion, the drunken men staggered out of the convenience store, leaving it silent again with only the sounds of Fang Yingchun's breathing audible.

Yin Yuyi showed up at the convenience store at 10:45 p.m. Why was Fang Yingchun so certain of the time? Because at that very minute, he received a message from Fu Peihang. Before he could even slide his phone screen to read it, Yin Yuyi called out to him.

He had always called him "Little Ying" since they were kids.

Yin Yuyi probably just got off of work, still in his suit and holding a briefcase, the signs of fatigue evident in his eyes. He looked nothing like Yin Yuli, with broad brows and a high nose bridge, wearing thin-framed glasses and clean-cut short hair, exuding the aura of an ordinary working man.

"Why are you here, Brother Yuyi?" Fang Yingchun was shocked to see him there. "You could've told me in advance."

"Just passing by and brought some fruits for you." Yin Yuyi lifted his right hand, showing him some oranges, and placing them on the counter. "I know you love oranges. These are very sweet."

"Ah, thank you, Brother Yuyi," said Fang Yingchun, licking his dry lips, feeling slightly embarrassed as he accepted the oranges.

"So, is Yuli with you?" asked Yin Yuyi, his eyes darting around.

"Ah, yes." Fang Yingchun nodded his head, always truthful. "He wanted to stay a few more days."

"I see." Adjusting his glasses, Yin Yuyi released a subtle sigh. He seemed in a rush when he arrived, beads of sweat already collecting on his forehead. "He won't tell me anything."

"Don't worry about it." Fang Yingchun reassured him. "He'll come around."

"Thanks for looking after Yuli for me lately." Yin Yuyi said tiredly, "If you face any difficulties, be sure to reach out. Don't treat me as an outsider, okay?"

"Okay." Fang Yingchun nodded, looking down at his feet.

As he watched Yin Yuyi's receding figure vanish into the night, memories of their shared past came flooding back. There was a time when the distance between them wasn’t so great.

Yin Yuyi, older by five or six years, was calm and steady, while Yin Yuli was naughty, always dragging Fang Yingchun into mischief. The messes they made were always cleaned up by Yin Yuyi. Back then, Yin Yuli was also very close to him, always calling him "brother.”

Remembering this, Fang Yingchun furrowed his brow and let out a long sigh. Just then, his phone screen lit up.

Sliding to view the message, it was once again from Fu Peihang.

He scrolled up and read his last message. "Give it to me next time we meet."

This was in response to his previous message: "Off work?"

Seeing this, Fang Yingchun hesitated for a moment before typing.

"Not yet. Soon. Why?"

"I'll pick you up after work."