As soon as the sound from outside subsided, Gu Wenxi’s tense heart settled back into his stomach, and he quickly opened the door.

Du Yunyan was holding a bedsheet in his arms and got straight to the point as soon as he entered, “It’s getting colder, do you want a thicker blanket?”

Gu Wenxi was feeling cold and didn’t refuse. He accepted the blanket Du Yunyan brought, saying, “Thank you.”

“Hey, Du Yunyan—” Gu Wenxi grabbed Du Yunyan, who was about to leave, “Can you not leave just yet?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m a little scared by myself.” He didn’t care about saving face, especially since he had a selfish motive.

“You’re scared?” Du Yunyan frowned, not entirely believing him.

“I just watched a horror movie, where seven or eight people died,” he exaggeratedly said, “It was also in a desolate village, and the protagonist was as handsome and young as me…”

This reason seemed illogical to Du Yunyan: “There are no ghosts or bad people here, and I’ve locked the door.”

“It’s psychological,” Gu Wenxi said helplessly, “Haven’t you watched horror movies before?”

“No.”

“Then should I watch it again with you?” He had a sudden idea, “Then you’ll understand.”

“I’m not interested,” Du Yunyan vetoed without thinking, “Forget it, what do you want me to do here?”

“Just accompany me!” Gu Wenxi was happy to see him relent. He put away the old blanket and spread out the new one. The new blanket was soft and light, and indeed warmer, like being wrapped in cotton.

Du Yunyan didn’t sit on his bed. Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat beside him.

“Why are you sitting on the chair?” Gu Wenxi was somewhat displeased with this distance, feeling like he was being watched, “Come and lie on the bed with me!”

“What did you say?”

“We’re both men, what’s there to be afraid of,” Gu Wenxi said openly, moving closer to the edge of the bed, “You said you’re not interested in me, so we’re just good buddies!” The bed was originally for two people, and it wouldn’t be crowded with both of them.

Du Yunyan glanced at him indifferently, unmoved: “No need, I’m not used to it, and I haven’t changed my clothes.” He was still wearing his usual sweater and casual pants, unlike Gu Wenxi, who changed into pajamas.

“Oh—” Gu Wenxi snuggled back to the edge of the bed near him, feeling sour, thinking that if Yun Han, who had left, said that, Du Yunyan would definitely not refuse.

But he didn’t dare to be too presumptuous, otherwise, this person might just leave, so he behaved a bit more honestly. He squinted his eyes, sneakily glancing at Du Yunyan’s side, and found that the other person was also observing him.

Unlike his probing and cautious scrutiny, the other person’s gaze was very pure, as if he was just guarding him, hoping he would fall asleep soon.

This wouldn’t do, he couldn’t calm down like this: “If you keep staring at me like this, I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Then should I go back?” Du Yunyan immediately responded.

He didn’t want Du Yunyan to leave, not because he wanted to cling to him, but because the scenes from the horror movie were still replaying in his mind, and he didn’t want to be alone.

“How about you bring a book to read?” He remembered that Du Yunyan liked reading.

“Okay, that’s fine.” Du Yunyan agreed and walked out of the room.

Gu Wenxi regretted a bit. What if he didn’t come back?

His worry was unnecessary. In less than two minutes, Du Yunyan pushed the door open again and sat back on the chair by the bed.

Gu Wenxi glanced at the cover of the book, which was the same one he had seen before, “Border Town.”

He seemed to really like this one… But Gu Wenxi couldn’t see what was so good about it, and he had forgotten most of the plot.

After Du Yunyan started reading, he didn’t lift his eyelids once.

“What’s the outcome of that novel?” Gu Wenxi genuinely couldn’t remember, so he asked casually.

“Border Town?” Du Yunyan’s gaze returned to the bed.

“Yes, did the girl end up with the young man she liked?”

“It didn’t say whether she did or not.”

“What?”

Du Yunyan flipped to the last page of the story and read the last two paragraphs: “But when winter came, the collapsed white tower was repaired again, and the young man who sang under the moon, causing Cuicui’s soul to gently rise in her sleep, never returned to Chayao.”

His voice was already pleasant to hear, and when he read these two paragraphs, he poured even more tenderness into it. Gu Wenxi, after listening, felt like he was floating on a light cloud, taking a long time to come back to his senses.

But, this was equivalent to no ending, wasn’t it?

“Do you like stories without endings?” Gu Wenxi asked.

“Yes, that’s the most real,” he continued to speak to the somewhat bewildered Gu Wenxi, “A tragedy or comedy with a clear ending is an exaggeration of reality. However, real-life encounters, the fate between people, cannot be predicted at all, and it’s even irrelevant to joy or sorrow.”

Gu Wenxi remembered his indifference when Yun Han left. “Like you and Yun Han?”

Du Yunyan didn’t expect his thoughts to jump like this. “How did you come up with that?”

“Just curious, can’t I ask?” he retorted.

“Nothing, but I’m not just referring to him, I should say—anything in life is like this.” Du Yunyan looked down at the pages of the book. “Just like what happened in this story…”

He intermittently recounted some of the plot in the book, the love and death of Cuicui’s parents, the two brothers falling in love with Cuicui, Nuosong singing for Cuicui, Tianbao’s accidental death, the old boatman’s death, Nuosong leaving… Some parts were read verbatim from the original text. Gu Wenxi listened with some sadness. Clearly, so many sad things had happened, but the words portrayed a kind of plain and detached tone, as if the heaviness of life and death partings were easily dissolved.

“I feel uncomfortable,” he said bluntly, “Do you really think someone can be so submissive to fate?”

Du Yunyan didn’t mention the things in the book again, just said softly as if to himself, “Compared to human desires, the laws of nature are insignificant.”

I don’t believe that at all, Gu Wenxi protested in his heart, thinking of something else.

“How are you spending New Year’s?” he asked.

“Me?” Du Yunyan didn’t understand what he meant, “Of course, I’ll spend it here.”

“I mean, with whom?”

“Oh,” he sighed slightly, “In previous years, I was with Yun Han’s family, but now it’s probably just me. Uncle Sheng and the others are going to the city, and the villagers all gather with their families. It’s not quite appropriate for me to go to someone else’s place…”

“What do you mean, just you?” Gu Wenxi almost wanted to jump up. “Aren’t I someone?”

“You’re spending New Year’s here?” Du Yunyan looked at him incredulously.

“Why not?”

“Are you and your family—”

“I’m not considering my family issues right now,” Gu Wenxi interrupted him, “My dad and I don’t have such a big conflict.”

“Then you’d better go back early.”

“Do you think that if you ask me to go back, I’ll go back? I won’t…” Gu Wenxi muttered softly.

Du Yunyan temporarily closed the book in his hand and, like before, sat silently without saying a word. When he entered the room just now, he turned off the main light, leaving only the bedside lamp on, casting irregular shadows on his fair face.

Gu Wenxi met his gaze for a moment, then withdrew his eyes. The intense heartbeat from two days ago seemed to weaken slightly, but he found that his liking for him was even greater than he had imagined, and he didn’t want this moment to pass too quickly.

“You should rest first,” Du Yunyan dimmed the light a little. It seemed that he didn’t intend to read anymore. He didn’t stare at him anymore, rubbed his brow, closed his eyes, and rested.

Gu Wenxi turned around, closed his eyes, and was enveloped in a kind of tranquility that seemed to freeze time. He felt a little sleepy, dispelling the distractions in his mind, and his breathing became even smoother.

After a few more minutes, in a semi-conscious state, he heard a voice behind him, “Gu Wenxi? Are you asleep?”

Gu Wenxi mumbled sleepily.

Without waiting for an answer, Du Yunyan got up.

Behind Gu Wenxi came the sound of someone rising from the chair, faint and soft, followed by the turning off of the table lamp, plunging the entire room into darkness.

“Then I’ll go back first,” Du Yunyan paused, “Wenxi.”

Gu Wenxi suddenly woke up, half-opening his eyes, looking towards the window.

The sound of wind in his ears ceased, there was no moonlight outside, and it was pitch black.

His right hand was hidden under the blanket, tightly clutching his pajamas. It was only when the door closed that he gradually loosened his grip.

He silently recited the syllables of his own name in his mind.