CH 13

8-10 minutes 04.06.2023

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Fate has always been an inexplicable thing.

That night, Ling Yunfan saw Ji Canghai again.

Every Friday and Saturday night, Ling’s father would take Ling Yunfan to the park near their community to play basketball.

After finishing playing basketball that night and on their way home, Ling Yunfan casually glanced at a skinny boy sitting in a dark corner behind a flower bed near a small community. The boy was idly playing with his toy model.

The boy was Ji Canghai.

Since that day, Ling Yunfan started paying attention to that spot and could always see Ji Canghai squatting near the flower bed in the community, sometimes lost in thought and sometimes reading a book.

After summer vacation began, Ling Yunfan started going to the park to play basketball more often.

On this day, in the sweltering and humid evening, a loud thunder echoed through the sky, followed by pouring rain catching everyone off guard.

Ling Yunfan, who had just arrived at the park with his ball, was screaming and running home while being drenched in the rain.

Halfway through his run, while passing by the flower bed in that small community, Ling Yunfan caught sight of Ji Canghai standing in the rain, staring blankly at the sky. He was completely soaked, with his black hair sticking to his cheeks, and his skinny body shivering in the cold wind.

Ling Yunfan’s running figure paused.

The ground rippled, and in an instant, Ling Yunfan changed his direction, treading on the accumulated water that seemed to make the tall buildings and big mansions sway and ran towards Ji Canghai.

His arrival clearly startled Ji Canghai.

The rain was too heavy for Ling Yunfan to bother with introductions. He put his hands over his head meaninglessly to shield himself from the rain and shouted over the thunder, “Why aren’t you going home in this heavy rain?”

Ji Canghai stuttered, “I, I can’t go back.”

Ling Yunfan asked, “Why not?”

Ji Canghai repeated, “I just can’t go back.”

Ling Yunfan said, “Do you want to come to my house and take shelter from the rain?”

Ji Canghai widened his eyes, unsure of what to do.

“Forget it, come with me.” Ling Yunfan decided that if they continued to be soaked in the rain like this, they would both catch a cold and have a runny nose the next day. He grabbed Ji Canghai’s arm and pulled him in the direction of his house.

The two drenched rats caused chaos for Ling’s mother.

As she rushed to get towels from the bathroom, Ling Yunfan’s mother asked him, “Fanfan, who is this?”

Ling Yunfan wiped the water from his face and said, “My friend.”

Ji Canghai looked at Ling Yunfan incredulously, then lowered his head in confusion.

Ling’s mother said, “Quickly, go take a hot shower.”

The two of them took a refreshing hot shower, changed into clean clothes, and came out to be given a bowl of hot ginger and brown sugar soup by Ling’s mother, which made them feel warm both physically and mentally.

Ji Canghai was wearing Ling Yunfan’s clothes, which were loose and baggy on him because of his small size.

Ling Yunfan found it funny and kept pulling at the clothes, making Ji Canghai unsure of what to do, with a flushed face and no words.

As she saw Ling Yunfan pull the collar of Ji Canghai’s clothes to his shoulders, Ling’s mother acted justly and slapped Ling Yunfan’s misbehaving hand, sanctioning him.

The summer rain was fierce but brief.

After the two finished drinking the ginger soup, the rain outside also stopped.

Ji Canghai glanced at the clock on the living room wall and said politely, “The rain has stopped, and I should be going home now. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

“Not at all,” Ling’s mother smiled kindly. “You can wear these clothes and take your wet ones with you in a plastic bag.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Ji Canghai replied.

“Aww, so polite,” Ling’s mother said.

Ling Yunfan walked Ji Canghai to the entrance, but they were not familiar with each other. Their previous actions could only be described as impulsive, so for a moment, neither of them spoke.

But as they walked out the door, Ji Canghai lowered his head and softly said, “Thank you” to Ling Yunfan.

Ling Yunfan grinned and replied, “You’re welcome.”

The next day, Ling Yunfan went to the park, as usual, to play basketball in the evening and once again saw Ji Canghai at the flower bed in the neighboring community.

Ji Canghai was not standing in the shadows as before, but instead, he looked around. When he saw Ling Yunfan, he ran over and handed him the bag of clean clothes, saying, “Here are your clothes. I washed them for you. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Ling Yunfan smiled and took the bag.

Ji Canghai nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait.” Ling Yunfan stopped him and said, “Why do you stay here every night? I’ve seen you several times.”

Ji Canghai stuttered, “B-because… because…” He fidgeted with his hands and finally managed to say, “My… my dad is here.”

“Huh?” Ling Yunfan didn’t hear clearly.

But Ji Canghai didn’t intend to say it again and fell silent.

Ling Yunfan said, “Forget it. It’s boring to be alone. Do you want to come with me to the park ahead? I’ll teach you how to play basketball.”

Ji Canghai suddenly looked up, his eyes full of disbelief and shock. He said, “Can… we really do that?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Ling Yunfan pulled Ji Canghai to his side and put his arm around his shoulder with a friendly and sunny smile. “Let’s go.”

After that day, although they never made a verbal agreement, the two boys always met in the park in the evening, playing basketball, climbing mountains, drinking soda, watching old men play chess, and being caught by old ladies to learn square dancing. The summer was thus colorful, and their companionship left the most carefree and enthusiastic memories of their youth.

Perhaps because he followed Ling Yunfan and monkeyed around all day, Ji Canghai not only grew taller but also became more muscular after more than a month.

After playing basketball that day, Ling Yunfan tilted his head and drank half a bottle of water, exhaling with satisfaction and looking at Ji Canghai.

Ji Canghai was drinking water with his head down, his half-long hair sticking to his forehead because of sweat, casting a shadow that covered his eyes.

“Your hair…” Ling Yunfan reached out to Ji Canghai, “Doesn’t it bother you? Why don’t you go and get a haircut?”

As he spoke, he naturally lifted up Ji Canghai’s bangs.

Ji Canghai raised his head in a panic and looked at Ling Yunfan.

Ling Yunfan was taken aback.

Because Ji Canghai habitually lowered his head, Ling Yunfan had never stared into his eyes for a long time.

Now upon closer inspection, whether it was his fan-like lashes or his ink-black eyes that seemed to hold the rhythm of the stars and moon, they were exquisitely beautiful. Ling Yunfan stared fixedly and inexplicably thought of a clear summer night, looking up and gazing at the Milky Way flowing across the sky.

Ji Canghai bowed uncomfortably, feeling his forehead where Ling Yunfan had covered it suddenly heating up. “No, it’s not a problem. Why…why?”

“You…” Ling Yunfan said solemnly, “Let’s go get a haircut, okay?”

Ji Canghai, “Huh?”

Ling Yunfan prattled on, “Are you going? Are you going? Let’s go, Let’s go, okay?!!”

Ji Canghai, “Uh…uh…go, go? Alright, let’s go…”

“Let’s go!” Ling Yunfan grabbed Ji Canghai and went to find a hair salon.