The next morning, Xie Dongcheng quickly completed the discharge procedures and left the hospital with his luggage.

During the day, Yu Zi went to the shop, dealt with some outstanding matters, and had a long phone call with that month’s business partner to discuss procurement issues. Xiao Liu was happier than anyone else to see him back and quickly had chef Zhao prepare some delicious dishes.

It wasn’t until evening after dinner that he took a taxi to Fangjiayuan. His luggage was still at Xie Dongcheng’s house, and the new rented house was still empty. This situation couldn’t go on.

When Yu Zi arrived and knocked on the door of room 506 on the fifth floor, Xie Dongcheng quickly opened it for him.

Xie Dongcheng knew the reason for his visit. He didn’t say anything, just asked, “Have you had dinner?”

“I had something at the shop,” After answering, Yu Zi went straight to the bedroom.

Xie Dongcheng followed him and stood by the door.

After pushing open the bedroom door, Yu Zi looked around. The bed was very clean, maintaining the same appearance as the day he left, even the items on the bedside were arranged exactly as they were, without any signs of disturbance.

After he left, Xie Dongcheng didn’t sleep in the bedroom.

Yu Zi went out again, brought a box from the balcony into the bedroom, put the small items on the bedside into the box, neatly arranged them one by one, and then sealed the box with transparent tape.

There was a small table at the foot of the bed in the bedroom, which Yu Zi didn’t often use. There was always a photo frame on the table, and Yu Zi had never opened it.

While organizing his things, he accidentally bumped into the table corner, and the photo frame fell off with a sound.

Xie Dongcheng quickly stepped forward to catch the photo frame before it shattered.

He put the photo frame back on the table, facing outward.

It was the first time Yu Zi saw the photo inside the frame. It was a middle-aged man standing with a young boy in front of a park. He vaguely remembered the park, it should be a botanical garden in the old city area, but it had closed down many years ago.

He recognized the young boy at a glance—it was a young Xie Dongcheng. He had the same short haircut, and his eyes were deep and dark.

“Who’s this?” He pointed to the middle-aged man next to him and asked, “Is this your father?”

Xie Dongcheng shook his head: “It’s Uncle Wu.”

Yu Zi had some impression of the name Uncle Wu, Xiao Liu had mentioned it casually before.

Xie Dongcheng pushed the photo frame to the innermost position on the table, against the wall.

Yu Zi looked at the photo. “Is he your…”

Xie Dongcheng interrupted him, “Foster father.”

Yu Zi was taken aback. He had always wondered why Xie Dongcheng rarely mentioned his family, and now he heard for the first time that he had a foster father.

“What about your biological parents?” He turned to look at Xie Dongcheng.

But Xie Dongcheng avoided his gaze.

After a moment of silence, Xie Dongcheng spoke, “Do you want to take a walk downstairs?”

Yu Zi felt a bit strange about Xie Dongcheng’s sudden invitation, but he didn’t refuse. “Sure.”

The sun had already set, and the sky had turned from pink to a dark blue approaching black. After it got hot, the stray cats in the neighborhood would only come out to cool off when it was dark, lying in groups on the cement ground.

There was no property management in Fangjiayuan, and there were no street lights automatically turning on at night. The path in front of the apartment building looked a bit dim.

Xie Dongcheng walked ahead, with Yu Zi following behind him.

Xie Dongcheng stopped by a bench and bent down to brush off the dust with his left hand: “Do you want to sit for a while?”

Yu Zi sat down first. Xie Dongcheng thought for a moment and then sat down on his left.

Xie Dongcheng took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and placed it between his lips, then took out a lighter and pressed it with his left hand. With a click, a cluster of golden flames lit up in this dim corner. The fragile flame flickered in the evening breeze. It took Xie Dongcheng some time to fully ignite the cigarette.

“When did you start smoking?” Yu Zi was somewhat surprised by his actions. He remembered that Xie Dongcheng didn’t have the habit of smoking before. The first time he accompanied him to smoke a cigar, he almost choked on it.

Xie Dongcheng’s fingers paused for a moment, seeming a bit embarrassed, and quickly put the lighter back in his pocket. “…just recently.”

Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, he handed the cigarette box to Yu Zi. “Want one?”

But after just two seconds, he retracted his hand. “Forget it, it’s far worse than your cigars.”

However, Yu Zi grabbed it anyway and took out a cigarette.

“Give me a light.” Yu Zi held the cigarette butt in his mouth and gestured towards him with his finger.

Xie Dongcheng pulled out the lighter again, but after several attempts, it failed to produce a spark. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head. “Out of gas.”

Ignoring him, Yu Zi leaned in with his own dry cigarette and lit it from Xie Dongcheng’s already lit cigarette.

In the dim light, Xie Dongcheng could see Yu Zi’s face close to his. The two cigarette tips touched, and a faint flame passed between them. Yu Zi’s eyelashes drooped, feeling the faint warmth of the flame on his cheek.

After a dozen seconds, Yu Zi’s cigarette finally lit.

He raised his head satisfactorily, a few scattered golden lights reflecting in his pupils again. Xie Dongcheng’s heart tightened suddenly, feeling like he was back on New Year’s Eve watching fireworks with Yu Zi.

Taking a deep drag, Yu Zi exhaled a slow stream of white smoke. Holding the cigarette butt between his fingers, he continued the conversation from earlier: “What about Uncle Wu?”

Xie Dongcheng hesitated for two seconds. “He passed away more than three years ago. This small house in Fangjiayuan used to be his.”

Remembering something, Yu Zi asked, turning to him, “So when you told me you encountered some difficulties back then, was it about this?”

“Yes,” he nodded, saying nothing more.

“Did they come looking for you?” Yu Zi asked.

“Who?”

“Your parents.” Yu Zi corrected himself, “I mean, your biological ones.”

Mentioning his biological parents, Xie Dongcheng remained silent for a while.

After a moment, he finally uttered two words: “They haven’t.”

Seemingly trying to assert his nonchalance, he glanced at the darkening sky above. “I don’t want to find them either, it’s meaningless, I’ve almost forgotten what they look like.”

He was about to tentatively ask Yu Zi whether he hoped for Yu Qing to come back and find him, but seeing the look in Yu Zi’s eyes, he refrained from asking.

At that moment, an orange stray cat passed between them, its soft fur brushing against Xie Dongcheng’s calf and then rubbing against Yu Zi’s ankle. It made him feel a bit itchy, and he subconsciously twitched his foot.

The cat left with a lazy purr.

Both of them stared at the cat’s back for a while. Yu Zi changed the subject: “This watch was left to me by my mother.”

Xie Dongcheng had only known that the villa in the western suburbs had changed its female owner, and he hadn’t inquired further. This was the first time Yu Zi had voluntarily mentioned his mother.

“She’s the one you mentioned, your deceased?” Xie Dongcheng recalled that Yu Zi had said this watch was given to him by someone from his past, and he had even speculated whether it was an acquaintance of his. Now, he felt a bit childish for thinking so.

Yu Zi smiled, “Yes, my dearest deceased.”

“Thank goodness you didn’t sell it,” Xie Dongcheng said with some relief.

Yu Zi’s smile had not faded when he suddenly turned to look at him. “But you mortgaged the house Uncle Wu left you, Xie Dongcheng, you’re really heartless.”

Xie Dongcheng was suddenly caught off guard by his remark and felt a bit embarrassed. “I just mortgaged it, I didn’t sell it.”

“Wow, Dong ge, you’re really confident. What if you run out of money in the future, the bank will take away this house.” Yu Zi deliberately teased him, calling him “Dong ge” to mock him. But what he said was true. After all, he was too familiar with the process of bankruptcy, almost to the point of knowing it by heart.

Xie Dongcheng, however, didn’t look at him and shook his head. “That won’t happen.”

The sparks at their fingertips burned down slowly, getting closer and closer to the cigarette butts, like some kind of countdown known only to the two of them.

“I heard there’s a meteor shower tonight,” Yu Zi suddenly changed the subject.

“Really?” Xie Dongcheng finally looked up at the empty night sky.

“Yeah,” Yu Zi nodded confidently and glanced at the time on his phone, “It’s coming soon.”

Xie Dongcheng stared earnestly at the night sky above his head. “Can we see it with the naked eye here? Do we need to climb to the rooftop or something?”

Yu Zi didn’t answer his question, but suddenly pointed to a certain direction in the sky and nudged his arm. “There it is, there it is! Make a wish!”

Xie Dongcheng looked in the direction he pointed, but couldn’t even see a streak of light. “Where? I didn’t see anything.”

“Oh, it just passed by. Make a wish quickly, it’s still effective now!” Yu Zi hurriedly extinguished his cigarette and patted his back.

Xie Dongcheng quickly looked up, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and moved his lips as if saying something. He looked very devout.

After he opened his eyes, he found Yu Zi staring at him with his arms crossed.

“What did you wish for?” Yu Zi asked.

Xie Dongcheng turned his head away, his ears visibly reddening. “They say wishes won’t come true if you say them out loud.”

Yu Zi couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, bending over to look into his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Xie Dongcheng didn’t understand why he was acting like this.

“What do you mean?”

“I lied to you. Where would there be any meteor shower with this weather?” For the first time in many days, Yu Zi revealed that mischievous smile again.

But Xie Dongcheng didn’t get angry. Instead, he looked up into his eyes. Yu Zi felt a bit nervous under his gaze and quickly straightened up, looking elsewhere.

Xie Dongcheng looked at him and asked softly, “Is my wish still valid then?”