To get from Pingliang Village to S City, you first had to take a minibus to the town, then transfer to a train or a larger bus at the neighboring county-level city. On the day Yun Han left, Du Yunyan proposed to ride his motorcycle to send him off.

“You might as well use my car,” Gu Wenxi meant that he would drive, accompanying them.

“No need,” Du Yunyan declined his suggestion, “I made some rice wine again, you can take it to Uncle Sheng and Aunt Liu this afternoon.”

His refusal reason was completely untenable; delivering the wine could be done at any time, there was no need to rush it now. Presumably, he hoped to send Yun Han off alone. Gu Wenxi saw through his intention and decided not to insist further.

Aunt Liu’s health was good. After recovering from her illness last time, she soon regained her usual vitality. Following Du Yunyan’s instructions, Gu Wenxi went to her house in the afternoon. The old lady leaned on the open door frame, greeting loudly as they entered: “Come in and have a seat!”

As it was cold outside, they didn’t stay in the courtyard but went straight into the living room. The windows in Aunt Liu’s house were not as large as those in the inn’s dining room, making the room a bit dim. She turned on a small lamp, invited Gu Wenxi to sit down, and set up a complete tea set on the low table in front of them.

Having learned of Du Yunyan’s whereabouts, she nodded and repeated, “Yunyan went to see off Xiao Han!”

“Mm.”

“The two of them have been very close since they were young,” Aunt Liu sighed, “Once someone goes to the big city, they won’t want to come back! My own son was like that…”

She had just fried some turnip cakes, and when Gu Wenxi arrived, she asked Uncle Sheng to bring a small plate and some tea, saying, “Here, have something to eat.”

Gu Wenxi was quite familiar with the two old people by now and didn’t hesitate to accept. Although the turnip cakes were fried, they weren’t too oily, crispy on the outside but not greasy.

“Aunt Liu, have you ever thought about living in the city?” Gu Wenxi, idle, began chatting with her.

“No,” she waved her thin hand, “We’ve been here for decades, we can’t get used to a different place. Occasionally, we’ll go stay for a few days, see our grandson, that’s enough!”

“But—isn’t it more convenient to be near your children?” He didn’t say it directly, but as they got older and their bodies had more problems, being in the big city not only meant having their children to look after them but also much better medical conditions. Any sudden illness wouldn’t result in a frantic rush.

Aunt Liu sensed the meaning behind his words, chuckled, and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay… at this age, we’ll live as long as the heavens allow!” As she spoke, she pointed her right index finger toward the sky.

Gu Wenxi blushed a bit. Compared to the elderly woman, his thoughts seemed petty: “A broad mind is good. Everything should be taken lightly.”

“Ah, that’s the truth,” Aunt Liu sipped her tea, “We mountain folks are simple; my sister-in-law had the same mindset back then.”

“Sister-in-law?” He had just talked to Du Yunyan about his mother a few days ago, so Gu Wenxi knew this was the woman.

“That’s Yunyan’s mother!” Aunt Liu introduced.

“Aunt Liu, is Mr. Du and his mother from here?” He asked, instinctively raising the question that had been on his mind all along.

“His mother was, when I just got married, she hadn’t even finished elementary school yet. After a few years, she went away to study, and when she came back, she brought back such a handsome child…”

Gu Wenxi understood roughly; Du Yunyan probably grew up in another city. “What about Mr. Du’s father—”

“Don’t ask about that,” Aunt Liu interrupted him, her expression serious, “My sister-in-law never mentioned it, and we wouldn’t dare to ask. If someone wants to tell you something, they’ll do it naturally. If they don’t want to, asking is like poking them in the heart…”

This might be the insightful aspect of old people. Actually, in the eyes of outsiders, Gu Wenxi was probably just as much of a mystery as a traveler, but the familiar villagers didn’t intentionally pry, allowing him to live as relaxed and comfortable as a local.

“I understand,” he felt relieved in his heart, “You’re right.”

The winter sun set quickly. After drinking a few cups of tea and chatting for a while, the sky began to darken. Gu Wenxi thought Du Yunyan would be back soon,so he got up and bid the elderly couple farewell.

“Why don’t you have dinner here!” Uncle Sheng warmly insisted.

“I won’t bother today,” he declined, “I’ll come another day with Mr. Du.”

After returning from Aunt Liu’s house, Gu Wenxi went to the backyard and saw an extra egg in the chicken coop, fortunately, it wasn’t damaged by the hen, so he picked it up.

The vegetables in the vegetable garden had already been harvested, considering that the temperature might drop below zero soon, the two of them had covered the vegetable patch with plastic film a few days ago.

Not sure when Du Yunyan would return, Gu Wenxi glanced at the time on his phone. If he continued to wait, dinner might be too late, so he decided to cook himself, and also let Du Yunyan see his progress. However, he couldn’t quite handle complex dishes on his own. After tossing around in the kitchen for a while, he decided to cook two bowls of noodles for dinner.

The noodles were pressed by Du Yunyan himself and stored in plastic bags, and one bag was about enough for two people. Gu Wenxi made soup with tomatoes and mushrooms, boiled it until it was almost ready, then added the noodles, cracked two eggs, added a few leaves of bok choy, some chopped scallions and cilantro, seasoned with soy sauce and rice wine.

Just a month ago, he didn’t believe he could make soup noodles so skillfully. Listening to the sound of boiling soup, waiting for the return of the other person, a strange sense of satisfaction surged in his heart.

When the noodles were ready, it was completely dark outside.

---

“Take care in the city,” Du Yunyan helped the young man fasten the top button of his coat, “Make sure to take care of yourself.”

“Yeah, ge, I’m leaving.”

The two of them had a quick meal at the fast food restaurant at the station, then slowly walked over to catch the bus. Yun Han waved to him through the car window, and from time to time, people rushing by brushed against Du Yunyan’s shoulder.

As it got darker and darker, the noise of the engine drowned out the noisy voices of the crowd. Du Yunyan’s gaze followed the disappearing vehicles in the twilight, and fragments of his life since he was fifteen flashed through his mind. Rather than feeling sad, it felt more like a piece of emptiness inside.

When his mom Du Yaning was still around, he dared not show a hint of sadness or vulnerability, lest it might trigger her sudden mania and breakdown without warning. People in the village praised him for being sensible at fifteen, but he had long forgotten how to act spoiled and express his desires. He had become so mature that he seemed to be the parent taking care of Du Yaning.

He withdrew from the bustling crowd and left the station, heading towards his motorcycle.

Riding back to the inn, the dining area was lit up, becoming the only source of light in the pitch-black courtyard; Du Yunyan pushed open the door, and the wind chimes above rang, and the rich aroma of sauce rushed into his nostrils.

“You’re back?” Gu Wenxi was sitting at the table where they often dined together, “Perfect timing, let’s eat.”

Du Yunyan immediately realized when he saw the two bowls of noodles placed on the table. He didn’t expect Gu Wenxi to prepare dinner proactively, and it was enough for two people.

He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. He felt a bit guilty for forgetting to tell the other person that he had dinner outside, but pretending he hadn’t eaten was also unrealistic, given his small appetite, he could easily be exposed.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Wenxi’s eyes revealed obvious anticipation, “Don’t worry, it’s all made with vegetables.”

“I already ate outside… Sorry, I don’t have your phone number, so I didn’t have a chance to tell you.” Although he hadn’t thought of it at all, the fact that he didn’t have the other person’s contact information was true.

Gu Wenxi was stunned for a moment, quickly lowering his head, “I see… then I’ll eat by myself.”

His words were said very lightly, making it difficult to detect any disappointment, but Du Yunyan wasn’t used to this kind of Gu Wenxi, as if he were deliberately hiding certain emotions. He originally wanted to go back to his room, but when he reached the stairs, feeling increasingly uneasy, he turned back and returned to the dining table: “I didn’t eat much just now, let me have some more.” He sat down opposite, preparing to eat together as usual.

“Really?” Gu Wenxi raised his face.

Du Yunyan tried to ease the awkward atmosphere, “You rarely cook, so it’s a pity to miss it.”

“Hmph,” Gu Wenxi immediately put on a look of seeking praise, “Then try what I made?”

Du Yunyan’s mood slightly relaxed, he picked up a chopstick of noodles and put it into his mouth – it tasted ordinary, but for the person in front of him, it was definitely not a bad dish.

“Yeah, you’re improving.”

In his opinion, Gu Wenxi was a bit strange: good family background, handsome, eloquent… he was probably quite eye-catching in the crowd and should have been pampered, yet somehow he stubbornly remained here, doing things that he didn’t need to do as if he were trying to prove something.

---

Du Yunyan insisted on eating until there was only a small portion left. Gu Wenxi had already guessed that he couldn’t eat that much.

“Are you unable to finish it?” He looked at the almost empty bowl in front of him, not waiting for a response as he pulled the bowl over. “I’ll finish the rest.”

Gu Wenxi’s mood changed very quickly. Initially, he was somewhat unhappy when he heard that Du Yunyan had eaten outside. However, seeing that Du Yunyan would rather eat extra than not eat with him, he immediately became lively again. He even scooped up the remaining noodles that Du Yunyan couldn’t finish to his side.

After taking a couple of bites, Gu Wenxi suddenly realized that he never ate leftovers from others, including friends and family.

Accidentally eating it was one thing, but the crucial part was that he didn’t feel any disgust. In fact, he felt quite good, almost wishing that the other person had left him more.

He raised his head slightly and glanced at Du Yunyan. The man also seemed puzzled by his actions and looked back at him. His face flushed suddenly, and he coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment. “By the way, you don’t have my phone number, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll tell you now.” Gu Wenxi not only gave him his own phone number but also asked him to call back so he could save the number quickly. After a series of operations, “Du Yunyan” appeared in his phone contacts.

“I’ll go wash the dishes.” Both large porcelain bowls on the table were empty. Du Yunyan stacked them up and prepared to take them away. When he reached for the chopsticks next to Gu Wenxi, their hands accidentally touched.

A cool sensation brushed against the back of his hand, and Gu Wenxi’s heart skipped a beat.

The emotions that had been off all night, coupled with this brief flutter, made the alarm bells in his mind ring loudly: it seemed like he was developing feelings similar to a crush on a man.