CH 31

13-16 minutes 05.02.2023

Xin Yi fell asleep, Zhou MuHui waited a long time after giving him a piggyback ride home, but he didn’t wake up at all.

There was a big patch of rose bushes in front of Xin Yi’s house, April was almost gone, and the roses were also slowly blooming*, Zhou MuHui knew that it was his birthday tomorrow, the little kid drank a lot, pulled him during the evening and blabbered it all out. 

(* was originally put by the author with no note)

Probably because he still wanted to be with Zhou MuHui, nagging on the whole way, saying that he only wants that gift, Zhou MuHui didn’t speak, he also didn’t react, then repeated it a few times again after turning and tossing around. 

Zhou MuHui called him next to the fence, his voice was very low, Xin Yi moved, just like a child, hugging his neck, arched the back of his neck, rubbing against him stickily, then changed direction and continued to sleep.

Zhou MuHui paused, and couldn’t help but let out a sigh. 

The evening breeze was cool, but people’s hearts were impetuous. Zhou Mu turned to block the wind coming on his way, and opened his mouth after a while.

“Happy birthday, Xiao Yi.”

No one accepted the soft whispers, taken away by the wind of the spring night, Xin Yi who was on his back smacked his lips, and grunted twice, Zhou MuHui was startled, carefully listened to it, and noticed that he was saying “There are bugs.”.

Zhou MuHui was dumbfounded, carried his bare calves, and lowered his head to laugh.

The little kid has drunk an unknown amount, and still carried a faint smell of alcohol, but it didn’t smell bad, Zhou MuHui rang the doorbell, and called him once again, “Xin Yi.”

He didn’t lower his voice on purpose anymore, the little kid was awakened by the series of movements, dizzily opened his eyes while on his back, and called him, “Zhou MuHui…”

Zhao MuHui let out a hum, said, “You’ve arrived home.” 

Xin Yi hasn’t quite sobered up, pasting his face against his neck, and asked, “What?”

The moment he opened his mouth and drew his breath, the hot air sprayed on Zhou MuHui’s ear, Zhou MuHui stiffened, and avoided him in quite an unnatural way. 

“Don’t mess around.”

The drunk little kid was pestering, Zhou MuHui already have seen it, he put Xin Yi down, but Xin Yi was wrapped very tightly around him, his two legs wrapped around his waist, and anxiously said, “… I’m about to fall down.”

“……”

“Won’t.” 

Zhou MuHui stopped his movements, and spoke in a low voice.

Hasty footsteps came from the corridor not far away, someone shouted in a loud voice, “Xiao Yi?”

Zhou MuHui quieted down, and silently patted him.

The little kid sobered up slowly, after hearing that voice, he slowly turned his head, and after seeing the person, he dumbly smiled.

“It’s my dad.” 

His body was dyed with some rose freshness, when he stuck it to Zhou Mu’s neck it made his mind wander, Zhou Mu avoided him calmly, and nodded.

“You’re going home.” 

Xin Yi confusedly let out a hum, “Not going back.”

He rested his head on Zhou MuHui’s shoulder, as if deliberately acting dishonestly, “Not going back, not going back.”

He said it again and again, wrapped very tightly around Zhou MuHui, not letting the person go, not caring at all about the person striding over from the other side.

Zhou MuHui couldn’t get away from him, and called him several times in a low voice, the little kid was unwilling to let go, and the sound of footsteps on the side was getting closer and closer, Zhou Muhui was helpless, just about to take him and turn into the corner, Xin Yi yelled, “Dad!”

“Running out just after finishing drinking alcohol.”

“The black iron door was forcefully opened, Yu TingYun scolded him, “Still not getting down.”

Yu TingYun saw him with one glance, his own family kid’s alcohol tolerance isn’t good, liking to stick to people after drinking, so he didn’t think much about it, only dragging him by the waist and pulling him down.

Xin Yi got stunned, and anxiously shook his head.

“Not getting down.”

His pair of arms were wrapped around Zhou MuHui’s neck, hastily hiding from the hands that Hu TingYun stretched over.

“Don’t pull me, I’m about to sleep.”

v“Yu TingYun found it awkward yet funny, making a face to scare him, “Xin Yi, Yu NanShan is coming.” 

“……”

Xin Yi immediately let go, “I am getting down!”

He was wobbling and standing unsteadily, Zhou MuHui could only reach out to support him, but that thought only lasted for a moment, and he immediately took it back.

Yu TingYun caught him, and hated iron for not becoming steel1, “Bully the weak and fear the hard, revolting behavior.”

He scolded Xin Yi and turned around, then looked at Zhou MuHui, and said, “Xiao Yi’s friend?”

Zhou MuHui said yes, he put his mask on his way here, the half-revealed brows and eyes were profound, but he lowered his head slightly when the eyes met.

Yu TingYun glanced at him, his own child was making a fuss, and kept moving while being held by him, Yu TingYun didn’t really pay attention to him, and only said.

“Troubled you, wait for a little, I’ll tell someone to send you back.”

“No need.”

Zhou Mu shook his head, but was stuck in the next second, Xin Yi didn’t behave, and was messing around under Yu TingYun’s eyes, grabbing his arm. 

Zhou MuHui couldn’t help but look at him, the little kid became obedient, looked up and smiled at him.

“Going home!”

Xin Yi suddenly dragged him over, and said to Yu TingYun, “Dad, I’m leaving!”

He didn’t wait for Yu TingYun to speak, leading Zhou MuHui toward the house, the two men were stunned by his actions, and Zhou MuHui only returned to his senses, after following him by taking three or four steps.

“Xin Yi.”

“Xin Yi!”

Yu TingYun pulled him, his face became black2, gnashing his teeth, “What are you doing?”

Xin Yi lifted his head ignorantly, “Going home ah-.”

“People have their own home.”

Zhou MuHui’s hand was forcefully torn down, Yu TingYun’s eyes were sharp, as if he saw something, almost wanting to cut him up alive.

“……”

“No!” Xin Yi was anxious, “I want to take him home, I want to buy a big house to put him in!”

“……”

“You’re going home.”

Yu TingYun was about to faint from anger, lifting Xin Yi over his shoulders.

He didn’t realize who Zhou MuHui was until now, some time ago Xin Shao said that Xin Yi got himself a little girlfriend, always running out to find her, but his mother hadn’t realized that, that said girlfriend has a scar.

Zhou MuHui and Xin Yi were forced to come out of the closet, among the rose bushes void of people, Zhou MuHui chased behind wanting to explain, but Yu TingYun stopped him.

“Tomorrow afternoon, come here.”

Yu TingYun stared at him viciously, “The matters of two people, I don’t want it to be explained by a single person.”

Zhou MuHui was left behind, the little drunk ghost did not notice anything, hanging on Yu TingYun’s back and smiling at him, “Zhou MuHui, I’ll take you home.”

The impatient Yu Tingyun slapped his leg ruthlessly.

“You are going to anger me to death.”

Zhou MuHui left very late, it was the middle of the night, the villas turned off all the lights, the spring night is quiet, and the bugs’ buzzings were almost inaudible, Zhou MuHui didn’t turn his head back, and turn back following the path he took to come here.

On the way, Zhou mother called him, asking him why he still wasn’t back yet, Zhou MuHui looked at the Bluestone road in front of him, and cast his eyes down, “Almost there.”

But it actually wasn’t true, Xin Yi’s house was very far, he also walked very slowly, and at this pace, he doesn’t even know when he will get home. 

But even if it was the case, Zhou MuHui still didn’t want to speed up.

Tonight he made a confession to the drunk little kid, the little kid was very obedient, maybe heard a bit of it, but perhaps he would forget everything by tomorrow, but it didn’t matter to Zhou MuHui. 

He only wanted to speak to Xin Yi. 

Xin Yi is too young. 

Younger than him by almost ten years old, and stupid as hell, saying to Zhou MuHui that he likes him, saying that he will take him home, and asking him pitifully, why he still doesn’t like him. 

Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at his mottled palm, thinking.

How could he not like him. 

In countless long fragments of time, Zhou MuHui wanted to push him away, wanted to be fiercer with him, nastier, say some harsh words to force him to leave, do bad things to intimidate him, or even just ignore him, and never see him again.

But without exception, he never succeeded. 

The nonsense spoken by the kid, obviously should be regarded as a joke, and should not be taken as the truth.

But Zhou MuHui’s heart just had to be shaken.

His heart got shaken, setting his death sentence.

He is a flower that bloomed from mud, and what he handed out was his rotten heart.

Zhou MuHui closed his hand, thinking, only he was willing to accept it, only he was willing to take a glance at it.

Zhou MuHui took a day off the next day, Zhou mother paused when seeing him at noon, saying, “Going out?”

Zhou MuHui put on an over-shirt jacket, and hummed.

Zhou mother looked at him weirdly, staring at him for half a day, and suddenly asked, “Made friends?”

“……”

“No.”

Zhou MuHui avoided her, and repeated once again, “Nothing of the sort.”

But Zhou mother smiled, “It looks quite good, go.”

As if ignoring his denial.

Thus Zhou MuHui paused, and didn’t refute anymore.

Xin Yi called him before he left the house, he didn’t say everything, that he swallowed his saliva first, Zhou MuHui thought that he would be afraid, or will tell Zhou MuHui not to come, but it was neither of them.

“I told my family, that I am the one who is chasing you, you did not agree, my father made a mistake… Don’t be afraid.”

Zhou MuHui stopped for a moment, “It’s alright.”

They didn’t continue to speak, the electric current deepened each other’s breathing, Zhou Mu leaned against the wall and lowered his head, listening to the kid’s long and pleasant voice on the other end.

Very light, very slow, tugging at one’s heartstrings.

“Are you going to come?”

Xin Yi asked, his voice slightly astringent, “Zhou MuHui, do you know what it means if you come?”

Xin Yi said very seriously, “If you come, you can only be together with me.”

“……”

Zhou MuHui ground the red brick beside him, his fingertips were stained with red, it was then lightly rubbed off by him.

“I know.”

He took his hand back, and didn’t speak anymore, only telling Xin Yi to be obedient, and wait for him.

Those two words were very heavy, Zhou MuHui thought, Xin Yi can probably hear it very clearly.

Zhou MuHui admitted defeat at the end of the spring, going to his little friend’s house to find him to go to play, Zhou MuHui thought, maybe Xin Yi will regret it one day, will be afraid, but it’s alright.

He is only nineteen, Zhou MuHui is willing to become the first stepping stone on his way to growing up.

If it is right, Xin Yi will be happy, if it is wrong, Zhou MuHui will help him carry it.

It will be alright anyway, Zhou MuHui will always be there.

Notes:

Author’s note (translated): Brother Zhou’s eight years refer to recent anti-homicide cases, Kunshan/Shandong/Lijiang/Shaanxi cases, etc. Zhou’s point is whether he advocates legitimate defense, or excessive defense and manslaughter.

Moreover, novels are not writing about reality, and the progress of contemporary social civilization rarely causes situations like Brother Zhou’s to appear, I understand everyone’s uncertainty and not understanding, if you find it really not understandable, then the reason is the author’s writing skills and insights are not good, thank you for reading (bowing seriously. 

I am finally back!! Since I transferred, my new position requires me to go to the office earlier than my old position, and it’s killing me because I am not a morning person at all, it’s making me sleep almost an hour less than before. So although I’m done with work earlier, it’s not helping at all since the first thing I do is take a nap… I am withering and cannot find time to work on translations at all. (TT_TT)