The night was deep, and the room was quiet. Li Wenshui carefully moved the arm that was draped over his waist to the side. He turned over and sat up, unable to sleep.

His phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up, flashing brightly in the darkness. He bent down to grab it, but the pain from his waist spread all the way to his tailbone. Li Wenshui’s body stiffened for a moment, then he rubbed his sore, numb waist with one hand and picked up the phone with the other. The screen showed five missed calls.

Li Wenshui looked back at the sleeping Liang Jin, then bent down painfully to pick up his clothes from the floor. His thin body was marked with traces of desire, a visible sign of the intensity from earlier. He put on his clothes one by one. Though it was autumn, Li Wenshui was still wearing a thin long-sleeve shirt, and the round collar couldn’t completely hide the red marks on his neck.

He walked out of the room, down the long empty hallway, and reached the window. The window was open, and the autumn wind blew gently in. The lights downstairs were brightly shining. He redialed the phone, and as soon as it connected, his friend’s voice came through, urgent:

“Xiao Li, Leo said you were taken by someone else. We were about to call the police. He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

Li Wenshui ran a hand through his hair, which had been tousled by the wind, and coughed awkwardly. “I’m fine, that was just a friend. Sorry about disappearing for so long. Has the boss said anything?”

His friend let out a sigh of relief. “The boss didn’t say anything. Glad you’re okay. Otherwise, I’d have been the one to blame. Xiao Li, where are you now? It’s busy around this time. You’re coming over? Anyway, it’s paid by the hour.”

“Great, I’ll head over now!” Li Wenshui’s body still hadn’t fully recovered from the lingering effects of the drugs, but just the thought of earning more money made his fatigue disappear. He walked out, pocketing his phone.

As he looked up, he locked eyes with Wen Yushu, who was walking toward him.

Li Wenshui didn’t have a bad impression of Wen Yushu. They had worked together seamlessly during a competition and had won first place for their group. Occasionally, they chatted in their alumni group. Wen Yushu was the type of young master who had been very well protected by his family. Even when Li Wenshui had the worst reputation, Wen Yushu would always greet him whenever they met at school. What he hadn’t expected was that Wen Yushu also liked Liang Jin. The world was too small.

Now that Li Wenshui had come to understand his own feelings, he felt awkward facing his rival.

“Um…” Wen Yushu spoke first, “Do you know where Liang Jin is?”

It was so late, and Wen Yushu was still looking for Liang Jin? Li Wenshui frowned slightly. “Room 305.”

Wen Yushu’s gaze swept over the kiss marks on Li Wenshui’s collarbone, his eyes carrying a strange look. He called out to Li Wenshui, who was about to leave. “Li, it’s been a while. What are you doing now?”

Li Wenshui glanced at the work uniform he was wearing, which had the words “xx Ski Resort” prominently printed on it. A hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes, but he straightened up and raised his head, trying to make his lie sound more convincing. “I’m working for my family’s company. Just helping a friend cover a shift because I was bored. Just experiencing life.”

Wen Yushu nodded. “I thought you were going to continue with graduate school. I wondered why I didn’t see you at school. So you’re working now. What a pity.”

‘Is it?’ Li Wenshui thought, but didn’t say it out loud.

The counselor said it was a pity he wasn’t pursuing further studies, and Wen Yushu said it was a pity he wasn’t going to graduate school. How could Li Wenshui not understand that it was a pity?

But he never gave much thought to it. Unlike them, he didn’t have the luxury of choice. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, he preferred to focus on doing the things he could do well. Li Wenshui changed the subject. “What about you? Are you working?”

“No, I’m continuing with graduate school. Occasionally, I participate in a few businesses that don’t require much effort.”

“That’s pretty good too.”

The conversation felt dry, and Li Wenshui was about to leave when Wen Yushu hesitated and asked, “You and Liang Jin…?”

The truth was right in front of him, but Wen Yushu still wanted confirmation. Li Wenshui suddenly thought he was being stubborn. “What do you think?”

Wen Yushu sighed, “Well, it’s quite unbelievable.”

“Why unbelievable?”

At this point, there wasn’t really a need to continue the conversation, but Li Wenshui felt sensitive, thinking that Wen Yushu, like Pei Zhi and the others, probably thought he wasn’t worthy of Liang Jin. His almond-shaped eyes revealed some displeasure.

“It’s just that you and Liang Jin are different from his past boyfriends.”

Li Wenshui asked, “What were his past boyfriends like?”

Wen Yushu thought for a moment and described, “Gentle, obedient, gracious, and well-mannered.”

Li Wenshui raised an eyebrow, realizing that he didn’t fit those descriptions, while Wen Yushu seemed to embody them. Wen Yushu suddenly smiled, “So I thought I had a chance.”

Seeing the bitter expression on Wen Yushu’s face, Li Wenshui, almost instinctively, patted his shoulder. “Alright, there are plenty of fish in the sea. There’s no need to hang everything on Liang Jin. Look at you—you’re wealthy, good-looking, and smart. You’re best suited to find a young college student. Why bother with Liang Jin? He has so many admirers around him; it’s not worth your heartache.”

“You’ve thought this through. You’re doing fine, no need to get hurt,” Wen Yushu said, looking at Li Wenshui with a touch of envy.

Li Wenshui chuckled awkwardly. It was easy to advise others, but when it came to his own situation, everything was a chaotic mess.

“Alright, enough of this. I need to get to work,” Li Wenshui said as he took a few steps forward. He soon realized Wen Yushu was following him, seemingly having given up on looking for Liang Jin.

“Li, can I ask you something?” Wen Yushu asked with a curious expression.

Li Wenshui thought to himself, how can I still not shake him off? He responded, “What is it?”

“From what you said, you don’t seem to like Liang Jin that much. So why are you still with him? You must’ve seen me with him today… doesn’t it bother you?”

Li Wenshui let out a light sigh. It was because he liked him that he felt distressed, and now, just thinking about it made his chest tighten.

He said randomly, “He’s good-looking, rich, and sleeping with a handsome guy isn’t a loss.”

Wen Yushu responded, “…What if you break up?”

These questions were sharp, and Li Wenshui couldn’t help but quicken his pace, pretending to be relaxed, “Break up, then find a new one.”

“How cool!”

Receiving Wen Yushu’s praise, Li Wenshui didn’t care much about the reality of the situation; he decided to keep up the act, “Love isn’t a big deal. Wen, you should let it go.”

Wen Yushu nodded, “Alright, I’ll learn from you.”

—

When Li Wenshui returned to the bar, it was twice as crowded as in the daytime. This time, he was more cautious and wore a mask, claiming it was because of a cold. With so many people, no one paid him much attention once he wore the mask, and he managed to have a smooth shift through the night.

At midnight, a heavy autumn rain began to fall. After three o’clock, the crowd dispersed, but the rain hadn’t stopped. Li Wenshui stood at the door, watching the torrential downpour. Suddenly, as he detached himself from the busyness, he became incredibly calm. His heart also quieted as he stared at the rain.

He found himself unable to understand when exactly he had fallen for Liang Jin. At eighteen, he had his first crush on Liang Jin. It had hit him unexpectedly and intensely, spreading from his heart throughout his entire body. He had known in that moment that he liked this stranger who had helped him. Later, he didn’t see Liang Jin again, and his feelings gradually faded.

Li Wenshui closed his eyes, the sound of the wind howling through his eardrums. — On that rainy night, Liang Jin had held him, wet and helpless. The other’s embrace had been warm and dependable. He had coughed from the smoke, and Liang Jin had tossed the cigarette aside. Their gazes had locked, and his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. It was his first love, one he had thought about but never received, and that night it had triggered a massive emotional change.

Li Wenshui opened his eyes, suddenly feeling confused. What should he do next? Should he just continue being with Liang Jin in this unclear way, and wait for Liang Jin to get tired and dump him? Or should he try to fight for this relationship?

Li Wenshui, who had never struggled with decisions before and could quickly analyze pros and cons, now faced the most complicated dilemma. He hadn’t had many relationships; most of them were with people who had pursued him, leaving him no time to think about this kind of situation.

Li Wenshui opened WeChat, and for the first time, he wanted to ask for advice from the relationship expert Lin Yumo. When he opened the chat, he saw the encouraging words on his WeChat wallpaper:

【Only by giving will there be a return, and only by striving will there be a chance.】
【Make money, make money, do whatever it takes to make money!】

Li Wenshui stared at these two lines and suddenly felt enlightened.

He always competed in everything; to retreat in this matter was not like him, Li Wenshui. He still needed to make money, and winning Liang Jin over was just a way to make money! Once he had figured this out, Li Wenshui stopped overthinking. He set a goal and moved toward it. The key to his optimism was always focusing on doing things rather than wasting energy on inner conflict.

At 7 in the morning, Li Wenshui finished his shift and collected his wages. His boss asked him, “Xiao Li, how are you getting back? Want a ride on my motorcycle?”

Li Wenshui looked at the luxury car parked by the roadside and politely declined, “No, I’ll take my friend’s car back.”

His boss, following Li Wenshui’s gaze, saw the extravagant car, which immediately looked quite flashy, and exclaimed, “Xiao Li, your friend must be really rich.”

Li Wenshui bid his boss farewell and quickly walked to the car, getting into the passenger seat. Liang Jin noticed Li Wenshui’s swollen eyes and started the car. “You woke up in the middle of the night to work? Can’t stay still? Haven’t you learned your lesson about getting drugged again?”

“I’m worried about food or clothing, Young Master Liang, I’m trying to make money, okay?” Li Wenshui replied.

Liang Jin lazily asked, “How much did you make?”

Li Wenshui patted his pocket, teasing, “Guess.”

“One thousand?” Liang Jin guessed.

“…”

“Eight hundred?”

Liang Jin tried a more conservative guess.

Li Wenshui felt that Liang Jin didn’t understand the hardships of ordinary people. “Five hundred.”

Liang Jin was speechless…

For a part-time job paid hourly, five hundred was already very high. Li Wenshui had previously worked a job that paid ten yuan per hour, and even working 24 hours, he only earned 240 yuan. Moreover, he hadn’t even worked a full 24 hours this time and had disappeared for so long; his boss was actually very generous.

The car drove onto a dirt road, bouncing for a while before stopping at the entrance of an alley. When the door opened, Li Wenshui didn’t get out as decisively as usual. He stayed in the passenger seat, turning to look at Liang Jin.

Liang Jin lazily leaned on the steering wheel, his finger tracing over Li Wenshui’s slightly flushed lips. “Is there something?”

“Liang Jin, you haven’t eaten, right?” Li Wenshui’s cheeks turned a bit red. He hesitated, pointing in the direction of his home. “Want to come over to my place? I’ll cook for you.”

His eyes sparkled, and his lips unconsciously formed a smile.

Liang Jin had taken Li Wenshui home several times, but despite being so close, he had never thought about visiting Li Wenshui’s house.

“Want to come?” Li Wenshui asked again.

Liang Jin thought about how every time Li Wenshui looked at him with that kind of hopeful gaze, he had been waiting for a gift. This was the first time, aside from gifts, that he had seen this emotion in Li Wenshui’s eyes.

Li Wenshui tilted his head forward, blinking his eyes now and then, patiently waiting for his answer, his black hair tousled by the wind, looking like a cat waiting to be petted.

Both car doors opened automatically, and Liang Jin’s spotless shoes stepped onto the muddy ground. The heavy rain from last night had left the alley full of unclear water.

Li Wenshui stood at the entrance of the alley, glancing at Liang Jin’s expensive sports shoes. He suddenly felt a bit unsure. Along the wall, there was a narrow path with relatively less water, where a few scattered red bricks had been placed by the neighbors in the alley.

“Wait a minute.” Li Wenshui dug out a few loose bricks from the nearest crumbling wall. As he walked, he tossed the bricks into the water. Some of the bricks were unstable, and he accidentally stepped into the water. This kind of thing was nothing new to him; it happened every year. He hadn’t worn expensive shoes for his part-time job, so it wasn’t a big deal.

He made two trips to move the bricks, and soon enough, a brick path was laid out.

Li Wenshui waved at Liang Jin. “Come on over.”

This was Liang Jin’s first time in a commoner’s neighborhood. Used to the flashy, extravagant life, this was the first time he encountered such an environment. The alley was narrow; even a car couldn’t pass through. The walls, battered by the wind and rain, were covered with lush ivy, and two dirty street dogs were chasing each other in the water. Plastic bags floated on the surface of the water.

An old man with white hair was sitting on a rocking chair in the courtyard. When he saw Li Wenshui pass by, he greeted him, “Wenshui, brought a friend over?”

“Yes,” Li Wenshui answered generously.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you bring a friend home, looks like you two are quite close.”

“Yes, we’re pretty close!” Li Wenshui replied, stopping at the rusty gate. When he pushed the door open, it let out a loud, screeching sound.

Liang Jin was greeted by a small courtyard that was clean and tidy. On the left side of the yard, various vegetables were planted, and on the right, a simple shed had been built.

As they passed the shed, Liang Jin glanced inside. It contained some cheap pastry-making tools. Entering the house, the space inside was even smaller, cold, damp, and shabby.

Li Wenshui said, “You can sit on the bed. The house leaks, and the sofa is wet, so no one can sit on it.”

Liang Jin sat on the bed. Despite Li Wenshui being a glamorous, brand-name-clad person, his living conditions were surprisingly poor.

“How long have you lived here?” Liang Jin asked.

“Almost five years,” Li Wenshui replied. Noticing that Liang Jin’s shoes were covered in mud, he rolled up his sleeves and said, “Take your shoes off. I’ll clean them for you.”

Liang Jin took off his shoes, and Li Wenshui placed them in a basin, filled it with cold water, and crouched down with his back to Liang Jin as he scrubbed the shoes.

Liang Jin continued to look around. “There’s only one bed. Do you live here with your sister?”

“No, when she’s home, I sleep on the sofa,” Li Wenshui answered, pouring laundry powder onto the shoes. The sofa was only about one and a half meters long. No wonder the little trickster always curled up when he slept.

Then Liang Jin noticed a small refrigerator tucked away in the corner. It looked familiar, and he could see the words “Ankang Welfare Institute” printed on it.

Li Wenshui glanced over at the refrigerator and noticed that Liang Jin was staring at it. He hesitated, not sure how to explain. Although Liang Jin had seen his humble living conditions and knew about his slightly embarrassing habit of borrowing clothes, he didn’t want to admit that the refrigerator was something he had found.

He couldn’t bring himself to say he had picked up trash, so he said, “That refrigerator… was a gift from the orphanage director. I didn’t want to reject her kindness, so I took it. It’s not broken, so it’s better not to waste it.”

“Mmm,” Liang Jin responded, praising him, “You’re so thrifty, baby. Whoever marries you in the future will live a good life.”

“Well…” Li Wenshui slowed down his pace of cleaning the shoes, then hesitantly asked, “Do you want to enjoy that life?”

Usually, based on Liang Jin’s usual behavior, he would respond to such teasing remarks and even coax the other person. But this time, Liang Jin didn’t reply.

The room suddenly fell silent. Li Wenshui, seeing that his probing was unsuccessful, changed shoes and continued cleaning them.

“Why aren’t you wearing the shoes I gave you?” Liang Jin naturally changed the subject.

“Why wear such expensive shoes for part-time work?” Li Wenshui replied.

Li Wenshui was wearing a pair of knockoff Converse shoes bought for twenty yuan at the market. Since he had stepped into some muddy water earlier, the shoes were now covered in a layer of grime. The expensive shoes that Liang Jin had given him were carefully stored in his cabinet, only worn on very rare occasions.

Liang Jin didn’t speak again. At that moment, his gaze was fixed solely on Li Wenshui. Li Wenshui was wearing a pair of short-waisted pants, and as he squatted, his small, round, and perky butt was accentuated. His snow-white waist was exposed, and a small part of his hips shyly showed. Li Wenshui was just about to finish cleaning the shoes when he suddenly felt someone hook him by the waist and push him against the table. Li Wenshui was a bit dazed, only realizing what was happening when his pants were pulled down. They had just done this last night; why was it happening again?

Li Wenshui put one hand behind him to push against Liang Jin. “Young Master Liang, I’m cleaning the shoes!”

“I know, I can see,” Liang Jin said, turning Li Wenshui’s face and aggressively kissing his lips.

Li Wenshui’s eyes widened. In Liang Jin’s eyes, he saw something — very faint, fleeting, something resembling desire. He wasn’t sure how to describe it. It was normal for someone to have desire in their eyes while doing this kind of thing. That was human nature. But he had never seen desire in Liang Jin’s eyes before. Although they frequently did this, and Liang Jin would say sweet things to coax him, sometimes many times, Liang Jin’s gaze always seemed calm, detached, and lazy, as if he had full control over everything. It was like Liang Jin’s physical desires were separate from his emotional desires — his body had needs, but his mind was indifferent.

Li Wenshui was completely different from Liang Jin. He was someone with strong emotional desires. He wanted money, a house, a car, luxury brands, and all the expensive items that money could buy in the material world. He couldn’t understand someone like Liang Jin.

The long, deep kiss ended, and Li Wenshui was left with teary eyes. The shoe brush he was holding swayed in his hand, and his long legs trembled uncontrollably in distress.

“Ugh…” Li Wenshui collapsed onto the table, feeling utterly exhausted. How much energy did this person have?

The result was that Li Wenshui didn’t feel like cooking anymore. He just collapsed on the bed. But counting on Liang Jin to cook was even more unrealistic, so Liang Jin ordered takeout. To reward himself for the energy he had expended, Liang Jin said to him, “I’m going to treat you to a big meal.”

Liang Jin handed his phone to Li Wenshui, laughing casually, “Order whatever.”

Li Wenshui ordered what he usually wanted but couldn’t bring himself to buy. Afterward, he handed the phone back to Liang Jin. “This.”

His throat was still a bit hoarse, and his eyelids were swollen and red from crying earlier.

Liang Jin took the phone and paid — including the delivery fee, it was eighty-nine yuan.

“This is the big meal you were talking about?” Liang Jin asked, doubting whether Li Wenshui understood what “treating” meant.

“Huh?” Li Wenshui looked up at Liang Jin. “Isn’t sixty yuan for a box of food expensive? And it’s such a small box.”

Liang Jin looked at Li Wenshui, genuinely not understanding what was wrong. “If you think it’s too little, why didn’t you order more?”

“One box isn’t enough, but two boxes would be too much,” Li Wenshui always had his own way of reasoning.

Half an hour later, the delivery driver had a hard time finding the place and handed the food container to Liang Jin.

“I didn’t order this much,” Li Wenshui leaned forward, trying to peek inside the box. Liang Jin flicked his head playfully.

“Am I not eating?”

Li Wenshui asked, “Do you have such a big appetite? Are you going to eat all this?”

Of course, Liang Jin wasn’t eating. He was very picky and never ate takeout. He bought it for Li Wenshui, guessing that Li Wenshui probably hadn’t had these things before. In addition to the meal, there were also out-of-season fruits and desserts. Li Wenshui, while saying that it was too wasteful to eat so much, had a great appetite and ended up eating more than half. He didn’t eat much of the fruit, though; he washed a few cherries to taste, and thought they didn’t taste any different from the small cherries sold at the market, yet they were so expensive. He wrapped the rest up and put them in the fridge, thinking of giving them to his sister tomorrow when he rode his bike.

Liang Jin kept watching him, a faint smile in his eyes.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Li Wenshui noticed that Liang Jin hadn’t eaten a single bite. He was amazed at how much self-control Liang Jin had. He hadn’t eaten breakfast and had exercised for so long; surely he would be hungry. How was he able to resist eating?

On the other hand, Li Wenshui thought that Liang Jin was being a bit too fussy. It wouldn’t hurt to eat a bite of takeout occasionally! So, in the end, Li Wenshui made Liang Jin a bowl of noodles. The noodles were hand-made by Li Wenshui himself, with vegetables from the garden and an egg from the neighbor’s old hen. Only then did Liang Jin pick up his chopsticks.

Later, Liang Jin didn’t leave but stayed, lying on the small bed with Li Wenshui and taking a nap. Li Wenshui slept deeply, his body exhausted from working all day and night. Liang Jin held Li Wenshui and felt that he seemed thinner than before. When they woke up again, it was already evening. The room, located on the shady side of the house, was dim and lacked light. Li Wenshui opened his eyes to find the room empty, with Liang Jin gone. He thought Liang Jin must have gone home. People like him, who were used to a life of luxury, wouldn’t be able to sleep in such a place.

But Liang Jin had left without saying anything, and Li Wenshui felt a little lost. He put on his shoes, got out of bed, and walked out of the room. It was much brighter outside than inside.

Li Wenshui stood in the yard, lost in thought for a while, before climbing up to the roof. When Liang Jin returned, he saw this scene. Li Wenshui, when “being taken,” always couldn’t help but struggle, awkwardly not changing positions, but when climbing the wall, he was quick and agile, much like a cat. In two or three moves, he had already reached the roof.

“What are you doing?” Liang Jin looked up at him.

Li Wenshui looked down, his face full of confusion, but with a hint of surprise. “Liang Jin, you’re still here? I thought you left. There’s nothing going on, I just came up to look at the view. Do you want to come up too? The view from my roof is really nice.”

Liang Jin was a bit curious. He climbed up. There were two small stools on the roof, which seemed to be places where Li Wenshui and his sister often came to enjoy the view. Li Wenshui patted the stool beside him. “Sit.”

Liang Jin walked over. “Now I understand why your house leaks.”

He implied that Li Wenshui and his sister had probably stepped on the roof too much.

“We haven’t stepped on the roof for so long; it’s getting old,” Li Wenshui said as he sat properly, hugging his knees and looking into the distance.

Liang Jin followed his gaze and saw the distant blue ocean crashing against the coastline, with the sky covered in fiery clouds that extended into the sea. Further away, a vast, green wilderness connected with the horizon. In the dimming sunset glow, the land was bathed in a golden light, vast and beautiful. Liang Jin observed the scene, and for the first time, he felt the beauty of the world, not just the landscape but the warmth of life.

“How is it? Not bad, right?” Li Wenshui asked, even though he had had enough of the dilapidated house, the muddy alleys filled with garbage, and the water that accumulated every time it rained. He also liked the view here. Every time he saw it, it brought him a sense of peace that he hadn’t felt before, sometimes making him think that living in this little broken place wasn’t so bad after all.

Liang Jin turned his head, his gaze landing on Li Wenshui’s face. The autumn breeze gently lifted Li Wenshui’s slightly messy hair and the white edge of his clothes. In the afterglow of the setting sun, his calm expression reflected the golden coastline. Liang Jin looked at him, his normally steady chest suddenly rising and falling rapidly with his heartbeat.

He turned away and looked ahead. “You should move to a new place.”

Li Wenshui didn’t understand. “Why?”

“This place is going to be demolished,” Liang Jin said.

Li Wenshui was shocked and confused. After a long pause, he finally reacted. “What did you say? Demolished?”

“It’s going to be demolished to build a scenic area,” Liang Jin explained.

“No, no!” Li Wenshui panicked, grabbing Liang Jin’s hand. “Where will my sister and I live if it’s demolished?”

Liang Jin’s hand was cool as he asked, “Isn’t there a big compensation fee when it’s demolished? It will be enough to make sure you and your sister don’t have to worry about food and clothing.”

“Demolition is fine, but…” Li Wenshui was both anxious and angry. He couldn’t help but curse. “Damn it! This house isn’t mine! I’m renting it! The money from the demolition won’t be given to me!”

“Liang Jin, is there a way to stop the demolition?” Li Wenshui squeezed Liang Jin’s hand tightly, his fingertips turning white. “I’ll never find another house this cheap!”

Liang Jin pulled Li Wenshui into his arms, his palm running down his back. “I can’t stop it.”

Although the project was under his control, this area had been designated for demolition by higher authorities. Even if he didn’t do it, someone else would. The demolition was inevitable.

“What should we do?” Li Wenshui asked, feeling helpless.

“The keys to the apartment are with you, right?” Liang Jin rested his chin on Li Wenshui’s shoulder, playfully pinching his soft waist. “You can move there. Just don’t sell the things inside.”^[1]T/L’s Note: I don’t know but I burst out laughing at this one hahahaha

His last sentence carried a bit of teasing. But at that moment, Li Wenshui wasn’t concerned with Liang Jin’s tone. His mind was full of thoughts about the house. Moving to Liang Jin’s spacious apartment, which was bright and well-equipped, with a cleaning lady coming regularly, sounded like a great choice. But…

That wasn’t his home.
It was Liang Jin’s house, and he was just a temporary resident, not even a tenant, lacking stability and peace of mind. If one day Liang Jin lost interest in him, he would be kicked out, and someone new would move in. What Li Wenshui wanted wasn’t any of this. He wanted a home, a stable refuge that could shield him from the wind and rain. But he didn’t have one. Everyone else had a home, but he didn’t.