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Yu Zi stared at the man’s face, his fingers blindly typing the payment password. He entered the wrong password twice in a row, until the prompt appeared asking if he had forgotten the password, Yu Zi woke up as if from a dream.
“Is it paid?” The man was a bit impatient, urging him.
Yu Zi swallowed and said in a low voice, “Paid, three yuan fifty.”
Yu Zi took the water he bought and got into the car. There were a few minutes of silence. The mineral water in the freezer in winter was particularly cold, and he put the bought mineral water in the glove compartment without opening it to take a sip.
Xie Dongcheng restarted the car and drove towards the empty main road. However, after turning two intersections, he sensed that Yu Zi’s mood was a bit off.
“What’s wrong? You seem absent-minded,” Xie Dongcheng asked.
Yu Zi turned his head to look at him, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “You said before that some questions may not have answers.”
Xie Dongcheng didn’t know why he suddenly brought this up, “What do you mean?”
“If I give you a chance now, could you get an answer?” Yu Zi asked.
His tone made Xie Dongcheng feel like something was happening. Xie Dongcheng lightly tapped the brakes, slowing down the car, and looked ahead, asking, “What chance?”
Yu Zi placed his phone on the center console, “Is your father’s name, the last word Hua?”
Almost instantly, Xie Dongcheng slammed on the brakes, and the wheels made a sharp screech against the ground.
Five seconds later, the deep blue sports car stopped on the desolate roadside.
He looked at Yu Zi incredulously, “How did you know?”
He had only mentioned sporadic memories about his parents to Yu Zi, never mentioning their names or appearances.
Yu Zi took a deep breath, then turned on the screen of his phone, displaying the payment screenshot from the small shop they were just in.
Xie Dongcheng glanced at it and froze on the spot.
“Could it be a common name?” His first reaction was, “There should be many people with such a name.”
Yu Zi shook his head and gently touched his own nose, “He looks very similar to you.”
The car fell silent, and Xie Dongcheng’s breathing became irregular. Yu Zi noticed the slight redness in the corners of his eyes and fell silent, accompanying him in silence.
Suddenly, a heavy truck passed by the side, making a loud noise. The truck gradually moved away, leaving behind flying dust.
Xie Dongcheng suddenly started the car, turned the steering wheel sharply, and the car turned around completely, speeding away in the opposite direction.
Yu Zi was startled by this sudden change and quickly fastened his seatbelt.
Xie Dongcheng didn’t speak but continued to accelerate, passing through an intersection and leaving the street completely.
Xie Dongcheng finally glanced at the rearview mirror outside. The man seemed to still be standing on the roadside, but had turned into a blurry black spot.
As the sun set, the road gradually disappeared into darkness. It was like another world that had been completely sealed off.
The car returned to a steady speed, and the trees outside the window slowly passed by.
Yu Zi’s heart finally calmed down, and he turned to ask, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to get off and see him?”
Xie Dongcheng’s lips were a bit dry. He looked ahead and said, “I don’t want to know the answer anymore.”
“I don’t want to anymore,” he repeated.
If a question had long been unsolvable, then what was the point of knowing the answer on the other side?
Xie Dongcheng didn’t want to be like a stupid horse chasing after a carrot that he could never catch. There were more worthwhile puzzles to solve in his life.
The deep blue sports car drove from the flat road in the suburbs to the winding mountain road, spiraling upward. Yu Zi found that this was not the way back home.
He looked out of the car window and felt that this mountain road was somehow familiar.
About fifteen minutes later, Xie Dongcheng parked the car in an unnamed suburban green space. This green space was quite high, almost overlooking half of the city.
As dusk approached, the pink-purple evening glow gradually dyed the sky.
“What are we doing here?” Yu Zi looked at the scenery outside, somewhat puzzled.
“Just wait a moment.” Xie Dongcheng didn’t answer, opened the car door, and got out.
Yu Zi didn’t know what he was waiting for and didn’t continue to inquire. The two of them leaned against the car door like that, aimlessly waiting.
There was still half a pack of cigarettes in Yu Zi’s pocket. He took one out but forgot to bring a lighter.
Xie Dongcheng found a lighter from the car and lit it up for him.
Facing the wind, Yu Zi let the sparks burn on his fingertips, then quickly exhaled a burst of white smoke. The smoke seemed to veil his features.
He looked through the smoke at Xie Dongcheng’s face, then extended his finger, “Want one?”
Xie Dongcheng leaned over, just like that year when they finished the last cigar together by the fireplace.
Warmth passed between their lips and teeth. The cigarette quickly burned to the end.
Xie Dongcheng still didn’t explain why he brought him here.
Yu Zi wasn’t wearing gloves, and his hands were exposed to the cold air, making his joints slightly red.
Seeing his fingers trembling, Xie Dongcheng immediately took the cigarette butt from his hand, then put his hand in his own coat pocket.
At that moment, he whispered in Yu Zi’s ear, “Aren’t you going to stop me anymore?”
Yu Zi knew what he was referring to and smiled, “Not stopping you.”
At his words, Xie Dongcheng felt relieved and relaxed his shoulders. Then he unzipped his coat and wrapped Yu Zi completely from behind. Their chests and backs were tightly pressed together.
As night fell, the lingering light of the sunset gradually dissipated. The night fell completely, and the sky turned into a deep blue close to black.
Ten minutes later, Yu Zi suddenly saw a golden light rising in the distance. Just a few seconds later, with a bang, that burst of fireworks exploded in the sky, a magnificent display of golden light spreading across the sky.
“It’s starting,” Xie Dongcheng said in his ear.
“Why did you bring me here to see fireworks?” Yu Zi felt this scene was somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall when or where he had seen it before.
Xie Dongcheng chuckled softly, “I’m not telling you.”
Then one after another, countless fireworks shot into the night sky. Neon lights filled the sky, turning the night into day.
Pink, purple, and gold intertwined, turning the black night into a bright day.
Xie Dongcheng held the person in front of him tightly. He turned his face and saw the light reflected in Yu Zi’s eyes, just like it did years ago.
The winters in North City were always long, usually starting in October and not ending until April of the following year. The endless cold gave birth to countless lonely souls.
At the age of five, Xie Dongcheng once stood on a road that seemed to have no end, waiting for two people who would never come back.
And at the age of thirteen, Yu Zi stood at the end of another road, seeing off someone who would never return.
This winter-to-spring fireworks lasted for more than half an hour. Their hearts resonated, their skins pressed together, absorbing each other’s warmth.
As the colors of the fireworks faded and the sky returned to calm, neither of them suggested leaving the mountain. They just stood there on the unnamed high ground, beneath the bustling night of the city.
The next day, the two of them got up early, packed their heavy suitcases, and drove to North City International Airport. An hour later, they completed the check-in procedures and boarded the flight heading towards Bai Cheng.
The flight attendants were earnestly conducting safety demonstrations, occasionally accompanied by the laughter of children in the cabin.
Yu Zi and Xie Dongcheng sat in the first-class cabin. Yu Zi looked out of the window at the tarmac, exhaling slightly.
Over the years, they had traveled back and forth between Bai Cheng and North City countless times, but this time was different from the past. It was a completely new adventure.
Xie Dongcheng turned to him, fastened his seatbelt for him, and looked at his profile. “The resort hotel project in Bai Cheng will require a lot of money and time.”
Yu Zi nodded with a smile. “I know.”
Xie Dongcheng chuckled with him and, just before the plane took off, confirmed with him one last time, “I just want to ask, are you sure you want me to accompany you?”
The plane gradually left the runway, gaining speed, and then suddenly left the ground, flying into the endless azure sky.
Yu Zi answered with actions. He held Xie Dongcheng’s hand back, caressing his slightly rough skin with his fingertips.
The two of them shared a silent gaze.
Xie Dongcheng: “Once we go, there’s no turning back.”
Yu Zi: “Then we’ll never look back.”
They bid farewell to all the unbearable past and set foot on an unknown path once again.
Life is like the sea, with mountains and rivers.
If you want to take risks, I’ll be with you at any time.
(End of the main text)
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So beautiful. Thank you so much wishing them well.