Orange Storm chapter 94
Extra 4
After finishing the last subject of Engineering Mechanics, Fang Xing handed in his exam paper ahead of time and walked out of the examination hall.
It was the coldest time of winter in the north, with the snow from the previous days not completely melted yet, making a crunching sound underfoot. The cold wind mixed with light snow blew dryly and piercingly, causing Fang Xing to furrow his brows.
Even after a semester had passed, he still hadn’t fully accustomed to this weather. He wore a black down jacket with the zipper pulled up to the top, and a matching cold hat on his head, leaving only his well-defined face exposed.
It wasn’t until his phone vibrated twice in his pocket that his expression eased significantly. He adjusted his hat and began striding towards the dormitory building, braving the piercing cold wind.
The examination building wasn’t far from the dormitory, about a seven to eight-minute walk. With the holiday season approaching, there were many people coming and going at the dormitory entrance. Some were not yet ready to go home, while others had just finished their exams and returned, shivering while hugging their loved ones.
Even so, Fang Xing immediately spotted Jiang Zhijin standing in front of the dormitory building’s glass door.
Jiang Zhijin didn’t seem to mind the cold much, wearing a blue and white coat that was unbuttoned to reveal a beige knit sweater underneath, paired with light-colored jeans, giving off a fresh and clean appearance among the university students bustling around.
As if sensing each other’s presence, Jiang Zhijin raised his head the next second and spotted Fang Xing not far away, immediately smiling at him. Fang Xing shook off the snow on his shoes, took a few steps, and climbed the steps of the dormitory building to reach Jiang Zhijin.
Jiang Zhijin didn’t move, waiting until Fang Xing reached him before brushing off the snow on his collar and smiling, “Finished the exam, handsome?”
“Yeah.”
There were quite a few people around, occasionally passing students glancing at the two of them. Fang Xing didn’t move, just looked at Jiang Zhijin and said, “Everything is packed and in the dormitory.”
Fang Xing’s dormitory was on the fourth floor, in a four-person room. He tried knocking on the door but got no response. Two of his roommates were locals and had already gone home. There was one roommate from out of town who probably hadn’t returned from the exam yet. Fang Xing opened the door and let Jiang Zhijin enter first.
“Pretty clean,” Jiang Zhijin remarked as he walked in, “I thought the environment in boys’ dormitories would be hard to describe.”
Before he could finish, Fang Xing slammed the door shut with a bang, then turned and took a couple of steps forward, throwing himself into Jiang Zhijin’s arms.
“What the heck,” Jiang Zhijin was almost knocked off balance by Fang Xing’s sudden hug. The unfinished words turned into a grunt, and he turned to look at Fang Xing, saying, “Your roommate might come back later.”
“He won’t,” Fang Xing replied confidently.
Fang Xing’s things weren’t much; he had already packed up almost everything. A backpack and a suitcase were all he had. When they were leaving, they happened to encounter the roommate from out of town who had just returned from the exam. He looked at Jiang Zhijin in surprise when he saw him, then turned to look at Fang Xing.
Fang Xing introduced, “My brother.”
The roommate quickly nodded at Jiang Zhijin and casually shouted, “Ge, here to pick up Fang Xing?”
Jiang Zhijin responded with a “yeah” and added, “Taking him home for the New Year.”
This semester, with a sudden lull in business and the addition of new staff in the company, plus a few capable team leaders, there was no need for Zhou Ling to handle everything herself. With Fang Xing going to university and being away from Fang Chenglin, she seemed to have lightened her load considerably, starting to go out with friends for trips and relaxation. Sometimes, she would even bring back gifts for Fang Xing and Jiang Zhijin.
This Chinese New Year, a few of her close girlfriends invited her to go abroad for a vacation during this time. Zhou Ling wanted to go but was also a bit reluctant to leave Fang Xing behind. She called Fang Xing to ask if he wanted to go together.
“It’s okay, you go with your friends, just be safe and have a good time for a few days,” Fang Xing said over the phone.
Jiang Zhijin was also fine with it, so Zhou Ling assured them to remember to call if there was anything.
“Sure.” Jiang Zhijin paused for a second when he received the news, “But I was planning to go home originally… How about you go back to Shaojiang and stay with Gu Xun and the others for a few days?”
“Go home?” Fang Xing didn’t catch on immediately.
“Yeah, to my hometown, for tomb-sweeping,” Jiang Zhijin said.
“Oh.”
Previously, Zhou Ling would bring Fang Xing back to their hometown for tomb-sweeping every other year, usually after the New Year. Fang Xing thought for a moment before speaking up, “Let’s go together, I want to visit my grandparents too.”
In the end, the two of them went back to their hometown together.
It didn’t take much time to travel to their hometown, but it was a bit troublesome. They first took a plane, then transferred to a high-speed train, and finally took a local bus back to the town.
The bus was quite crowded during the Chinese New Year, filled with locals returning to their hometowns with their families. Inside the carriage, people were eating, talking, and some even played videos loudly on their phones. The driver was driving quite aggressively, navigating through winding mountain roads as if he were in a race. Jiang Zhijin and Fang Xing sat in the corner at the back, getting thrown around every time the bus made a turn.
“Oh my, goodness,” Jiang Zhijin chuckled with his eyes closed, sounding a bit resigned.
“I feel like I’m about to throw up here,” he remarked.
“We’ll be there soon, at most half an hour,” Fang Xing immediately turned to look at him. Jiang Zhijin’s complexion indeed didn’t look good, despite his smiling tone, his brow was slightly furrowed.
Fang Xing frowned as well. He took out a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and held it to Jiang Zhijin’s lips, feeding him a couple of sips. He whispered, “How about leaning on me and taking a nap for a while?”
Jiang Zhijin, not being one to stand on ceremony, probably really felt unwell. He leaned his whole body against Fang Xing’s, burying his face in Fang Xing’s shoulder. Fang Xing let him lean and held his hand.
Their position was quite secluded, and no one on the bus paid them any attention. Only a couple sitting nearby glanced at them a few times. Fang Xing turned to look at them, and they immediately smiled. The man among them spoke up, “Feeling unwell?”
“Yeah,” Fang Xing replied, “Motion sickness.”
The man immediately showed an understanding expression, “Ah, that’s how it is on mountain roads. We’re heading back for the New Year, I’m taking my partner home to meet my family.”
The girl next to him smiled shyly and gently patted her boyfriend. Jiang Zhijin raised his head as he smiled and said, “Us too.”
The man was taken aback for a moment, not understanding Jiang Zhijin’s meaning. Even Fang Xing was puzzled, turning his head to look at Jiang Zhijin.
Jiang Zhijin’s tone was lazy as he continued, “It’s the Spring Festival, going home to celebrate, and meet the elders.”
This seemed normal, and the man suddenly realized, thinking that Jiang Zhijin and Fang Xing were brothers. He smiled and said, “You two brothers have a good relationship.”
Neither Jiang Zhijin nor Fang Xing responded. After some simple small talk, Fang Xing looked back at Jiang Zhijin, who had closed his eyes again.
Fang Xing moved slightly, adjusting Jiang Zhijin’s position to make him more comfortable, and lightly squeezed his fingers.
By the time they arrived in the town, it was already evening. Since it had been a long time since they returned, neither Jiang Zhijin nor Fang Xing’s families could accommodate them. So, the two found a clean little inn and booked a double room, then went out to grab some dinner.
In this unfamiliar southern town, the inn was average, and there was no heating or air conditioning in winter. Fortunately, the room was equipped with an electric heater and a thick blanket. When Fang Xing finished showering and came out, Jiang Zhijin was already lying on the bed with his eyes closed, his right arm covering his eyes, not sure if he was asleep. Fang Xing walked over and leaned down to watch him for a while, until Jiang Zhijin spoke up.
“What are you looking at?”
“Seeing if you’re pretending to sleep again.”
Fang Xing didn’t go to the other bed, he turned off the light, pulled back the covers on Jiang Zhijin’s side, and got into bed, then casually wrapped his arm around Jiang Zhijin’s waist.
The double bed in the room was a standard single bed, and Jiang Zhijin sighed, “You’re not afraid we’ll be squeezed?”
“Not at all, I’m afraid you’ll be cold.”
With the residual warmth of the electric blanket and Jiang Zhijin’s body temperature, he wore cotton pajamas. As he shifted, a small corner of his clothes lifted, exposing a bit of his waist. Fang Xing couldn’t help but pinch it, his hand resting there without moving.
“Hey,” Jiang Zhijin’s voice carried a hint of weariness, “being naughty, huh?”
Fang Xing immediately retorted, “If I were really being naughty, things wouldn’t be like this now.”
Jiang Zhijin, tired after a day, was quite sleepy originally, but upon hearing Fang Xing’s words, he laughed, shaking himself awake. He turned to look at Fang Xing, suppressing his smile, “You responded quite quickly. Then, show me what being naughty is like.”
Jiang Zhijin said this in a low voice, probably because he was tired, his voice was a bit hoarse, which made Fang Xing’s throat itch just listening to it.
Jiang Zhijin seemed to have lost some weight compared to before, his chin a bit sharper, but still as fair as ever. It was probably due to his continued reluctance to go out. His hair had grown a bit longer, falling onto his forehead and ears…
In the darkness, Fang Xing gazed at him for a while, then sighed and lay back.
“Forget it, you’re quite tired today—and the soundproofing in this room isn’t good. Just now, I heard the guy next door teaching his son to do homework, and I was following along with the questions.”
Jiang Zhijin laughed so hard he was shaking, but Fang Xing continued without missing a beat, “Wait until we’re back in Shaojiang—”
“Go back to Shaojiang and then get naughty?” Jiang Zhijin interrupted.
Fang Xing’s tone was serious, “Let me correct you. Between partners, it’s not called being naughty, it’s called being in love!”
Jiang Zhijin smiled and then nodded in agreement.
“Alright, let’s save the love for later. Can I have a kiss from my boyfriend now?”
Fang Xing decisively propped himself up and leaned over, and Jiang Zhijin turned his head towards him. Fang Xing first touched his face with his hand before bending down to kiss Jiang Zhijin’s forehead.
“Sleep tight, handsome.”
The next morning, the two of them woke up early, had breakfast, bought the necessary items for ancestral worship, and then set off for the cemetery.
Jiang Zhijin’s parents and grandparents’ graves were halfway up the mountain. The two of them tidied up the overgrown weeds in front of the graves, burned incense, and bowed.
Fang Xing had never seen Jiang Zhijin’s parents and grandparents, but he was very serious when bowing. Jiang Zhijin’s parents were buried together, and their photo was on the tombstone, looking young and happy. Next to them was Jiang Zhijin’s grandmother’s grave, with no photo, only a stone tablet inscribed with her life story, with “Respected grandson Jiang Zhijin respectfully erected” written in the lower left corner.
These were Jiang Zhijin’s family.
They should be his family too.
The tomb of Fang Xing’s grandparents is a bit further up.
The two continued to climb.
When Fang Xing’s grandparents passed away, Fang Xing had just started junior high school. Every two years, he used to come back with Zhou Ling to sweep the tombs. At that time, Jiang Zhijin had already joined the army, so he never met Jiang Zhijin.
“Who said that?” Jiang Zhijin raised his eyebrows in surprise at the words. “I met you when you were a child.”
Fang Xing immediately looked at him, somewhat bewildered. Jiang Zhijin smiled and continued.
“You probably don’t remember. You were probably three or four years old at the time—”
Jiang Zhijin paused and gestured with his hand.
“About this tall.”
“At that time, I ran into a kid crying alone at the wall when I came back from school? Crying so loudly without saying a word.”
“I can’t believe it—” Fang Xing was shocked. “Could it be me?”
“Yes. Your mother said she scolded you, and you ran out crying alone, and refused to go home.”
Jiang Zhijin chuckled. “A stubborn little kid, three or four years old. Your mother, grandfather, and grandmother all tried to coax you back, but you wouldn’t budge.”
At this moment, Fang Xing felt a strange mixture of emotions, realizing that he had met Jiang Zhijin when he was so young and embarrassed himself in front of him. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “And then?”
“Your mother also had a temper, and she happened to see me. She said, ‘Don’t want to go home, huh? Fine, I won’t have you then. Let this big brother take you away.'”
“…That sounds exactly like her style.”
Jiang Zhijin continued, “Then I took you back.”
Fang Xing stared at Jiang Zhijin for a few seconds, seriously suspecting that he was making up stories to tease him, but although Jiang Zhijin spoke with a smile, his face remained serious.
“Really,” Jiang Zhijin said. “I saw you crying so pitifully, so I took you back, helped you wash your hands and face, and let you play in my room. You fell asleep on my bed, and your mother came to take you back. But back then, you were quite obedient, even calling me ‘big brother’ on your own initiative—”
“That’s enough.” Fang Xing felt a rush of heat to his ears, clearing his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“Before, I was afraid of undermining your confidence as a high school academic achiever, and later I was afraid of undermining your confidence as my boyfriend. After all, you were crying your eyes out with snot and tears. Quite…”
Jiang Zhijin pondered for a moment. “Innocent.”
Fang Xing: 😑
Well, now the mystery is gone, leaving only embarrassment.
They continued their conversation as they arrived at Fang Xing’s grandparents’ tomb. Jiang Zhijin squatted down and cleared away the fallen leaves and debris from the tomb. Fang Xing didn’t speak anymore, he cleared the weeds and fallen leaves, put down the yellow paper and offerings, and respectfully kowtowed three times.
“Sorry, Grandpa and Grandma, for not coming for so long,” Fang Xing said. “I’m in college now, doing well, in Beijing. My mom got divorced, but she’s happy, happier than when she was with Fang Chenglin. You don’t need to worry about her.”
Jiang Zhijin listened quietly, not saying a word.
It was evident that Fang Xing was not used to confiding in anyone like this. He spoke very simply, like reporting on work, casually mentioning a bunch of things. Jiang Zhijin liked him in this state, relaxed and confident, as if everything would be fine.
As they walked down the mountain, there were few people around. It wasn’t yet time for tomb-sweeping, so they had returned early. There was no wind on the mountain, and the sun was setting, warm and cozy.
“Do you come back every year?” Fang Xing asked.
“More or less.” Jiang Zhijin replied. “When there’s nothing much going on at the bar, or when there’s something significant to tell my family, I come back.”
He didn’t have many living relatives, and when he encountered something,
He was accustomed to finding someone to share the burden. But when something big happened, regardless of the outcome, he would come to the grave to inform, as if there was a place of solace and explanation.
“The year of your college entrance exam, I came back,” Jiang Zhijin said casually.
“I just wanted to tell my family that I was in a relationship and to tell your grandparents.”
Fang Xing was stunned, turning to look at Jiang Zhijin.
There was a bird call from somewhere unknown, and Jiang Zhijin’s voice mingled with the faint chirping, sounding quite calm.
“I felt quite guilty at the time. After my grandma passed away, your grandparents took care of me, as did your mom, for so many years, and in the end, I ended up dating their child…”
Jiang Zhijin chuckled and paused for a few seconds before continuing.
“I felt quite guilty, so I came back to apologize.”
“You—”
Fang Xing had no idea about this. He looked at Jiang Zhijin, wanting to say something but unable to. Jiang Zhijin, on the other hand, seemed as casual as ever, continuing his narrative as if nothing had happened.
“That night, I dreamed of your grandparents. They were standing at the door of your old house, looking at me, looking quite unhappy, saying that I had corrupted you. I said I was sorry, that I was wrong. They scolded me and even hit me, but it didn’t work. Then they said, ‘Then you’re not allowed to come see Fang Xing at our house anymore.'”
At this point, Jiang Zhijin smiled slightly, his tone neither fast nor slow.
“I said, ‘That’s not possible, I love him too much.'”
….
On New Year’s Eve, after the two of them went back to Shaojiang, Zhou Ling, who was still in Thailand, called them, seeming to be in a good mood. She even mentioned that she bought them gifts.
After not seeing each other for a semester, Jiang Zhijin had learned a few dishes from somewhere. He steamed fish, fried shrimp, and even made a coconut chicken hotpot. Fang Xing helped him, cleaning up the mess he made in the kitchen due to his lack of skill. On New Year’s Eve, they also bought new rice bowls for Tang Yuan, ceramic ones with little blessings and Chinese knots printed on them. Fang Xing poured a can of fruit cocktail into one of them.
The two of them, along with the cat, ate from seven o’clock to nine o’clock. Although Cloud Seven was closed for vacation, he received two or three calls during dinner. Someone called to ask him out for a drink to celebrate the new year. Jiang Zhijin politely declined, saying, “My boyfriend is back, so I can’t go out.”
After drinking some soup, Fang Xing watched him finish the call.
“You’re ruining my reputation,” he said. “Everyone probably thinks I’m fierce and possessive now.”
Jiang Zhijin looked at him. “So should I go out? I’ll say my considerate and generous boyfriend doesn’t need me for New Year’s Eve and lets me go out for a drink.”
Fang Xing nonchalantly reneged, “Forget it, I’m just being petty.”
His petty boyfriend didn’t let him do anything. After finishing the dishes himself, Jiang Zhijin had already laid down on the bed, playing with his phone. It was still his Candy Crush, and Fang Xing seriously doubted whether this game had an end. He went over and took Jiang Zhijin’s phone away.
“Don’t play anymore,” Fang Xing stared at him, slowly speaking. “Let’s do something else.”
Jiang Zhijin laughed as soon as he heard that. “Oh, you’re so impatient.”
Fang Xing kissed him and said, “You’ll see in a bit.”
Outside the window, more and more people were setting off fireworks. Although the light and shadows had dimmed, Fang Xing lowered his head to kiss Jiang Zhijin’s sweaty collarbone amidst their low moans.
…
The sound of clock chimes came from somewhere, accompanied by the loud bangs of firecrackers and the lively sound of fireworks. It was already midnight, and the new year had arrived.
Jiang Zhijin lay down on the bed, slowly calming his breath. Fang Xing wiped the sweat from his forehead and hoarsely said, “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year.”
“I love you,” Fang Xing said.
“I love you,” Jiang Zhijin immediately responded.
“Tsk.”
Fang Xing raised an eyebrow in amusement, his breath still uneven. He said softly, “You repeated what I just said.”
Jiang Zhijin laughed, his chest trembling slightly. He turned slightly and hooked his hand around Fang Xing’s neck, pulling him down and planting a kiss on his lips.
“I love you so so much, kiddo.”