It's a nice autumn day with clear sky, wind and no clouds.
Wearing a white sports suit, Lu Zhen looked as beautiful as if she had just stepped off a catwalk.
"Morning, Mr. Fan." He greeted Fan Xiao, who was watching the fish swimming in the water, "Am I late?"
"Not too late." Fan Xiao retracted his gaze, "I arrived too early." He looked at the lunch bag in Lu Zhen's hand and asked with a smile, "What did you bring?"
Lu Zhen was a little embarrassed: "Some food I made myself. The wetland is very big. We can eat some to replenish our energy during our rest time."
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." Fan Xiao smiled perfunctorily and thanked him absentmindedly.
"So are we going in now?"
Fan Xiao glanced at his watch. It was ten past nine. You Shulang would be arriving soon.
The joy in his eyes became genuine. He took out his cigarette box and shook it: "I'll smoke one more cigarette. Smoking will be prohibited when I go in."
You Shulang is always punctual and arrives fifteen minutes early for an appointment. Now there are still five minutes of gap, which is just enough time for Fan Xiao to smoke a cigarette.
He was wearing a white plush wool coat, and if you ignore the gender, he and Lu Zhen, who was wearing a white sportswear, looked like a perfect match.
The movements of lighting a cigarette and extinguishing the match were full of joyful rhythm. Fan Xiao held the cigarette between his teeth, and the smoke rose. He squinted his eyes and asked, "Zhenzhen, what do you think will happen to a person who appears to be perfect on the outside if his secret is exposed in public?"
"Ah?" Lu Zhen was stunned. He didn't understand what Fan Xiao meant for a moment, and said hesitantly, "You will be angry out of shame, right?"
Fan Xiao chuckled, clicked his tongue and shook his head: "It shouldn't be the case. That person is good at pretending. He will swallow the food with a smile even if his teeth are broken."
"That person? Who is he?"
The smoke turned from thick to thin, and then dispersed into the gentle wind. Lu Zhen was a little embarrassed because he had no answer to the question.
The weather in autumn was hot, and he started to lose his temper just after nine o'clock. The entrance to the scenic area was unobstructed, and Lu Zhen felt a little hot. He looked at Fan Xiao, who was wearing a cashmere coat, and couldn't help wondering: "Mr. Fan... aren't you hot?"
Now Fan Xiao no longer needs to maintain his gentle persona, but he is in a good mood and is willing to reply: "I don't feel hot, I just feel dry."
The hand without the cigarette reached into his coat pocket, and his fingertips touched a round bottle of face cream.
The slightly cool touch made his heart suddenly tense, as if he had pressed a button to open the floodgates, and some inappropriate thoughts poured out like a spring...
The warmth of the man's fingers on my face; his concentration when comparing face creams in the mall; the smile on the corners of his lips when he gently told me to "shut up"; the lust in the car that could drive me crazy, and the voice "Fan Xiao" that I would only hear when I was in a hurry, will they all disappear from my life after today?
You Shulang will draw a clear line between himself and himself and drift away from him.
The fingertips holding the cigarette paused, and the smile on Fan Xiao's face slowly faded.
So what? He was a little angry, because that person had returned to his initial politeness and respect, no longer indulging his nonsense, no longer rummaging through his pockets for cigarettes, and no longer allowing him to hang out with him in the name of brotherhood.
That's all.
Fan Xiao took two long puffs of his cigarette and repeated "that's all" several times in his mind.
He looked towards the end of the road and saw rows of vehicles moving slowly in front of the scenic area. Fan Xiao was biting the cigarette butt with his teeth, not realizing that the cigarette had burned out and the remaining smoke was gradually extinguishing.
At 9:15, Fan Xiao saw You Shulang's car turn into the scenic area avenue on time.
He withdrew his gaze, picked up the cigarette and took a deep puff, only to find that only a short cigarette butt was left in his hand.
After a hundred meters, Fan Xiao threw away the cigarette butt and repeatedly crushed it with his high-end leather shoes; after eighty meters, he took out a match and kept turning it between his fingers; after fifty meters, his slender and powerful fingers stroked the Buddha amulet on his chest; after thirty meters, Fan Xiao suddenly chuckled at himself, and then pushed Lu Zhen and walked quickly to the side of the road.
A taxi had just unloaded a passenger and a new passenger came in before the meter even started to turn up.
Fan Xiao stuffed Lu Zhen into the car, and apologized with great guilt but eagerness: "Sorry, I suddenly remembered an urgent matter and I need to go back to the company, so today's garden tour has to be cancelled. I will make it up to you, Zhenzhen."
He closed the car door, patted the car, and urged: "Drive."
Lu Zhen was in a daze from the beginning to the end. He leaned out of the car window and held up the lunch bag in his hand: "These..."
Fan Xiao's eyes lit up, he took the bag of food from him and said with a smile: "Thank you, I will enjoy it."
The taxi turned on the right turn signal, turned into the driving lane, and slowly glided out.
The exhaust fumes had not yet dissipated when the white Audi stopped in the parking space it had just occupied. The car window slowly rolled down, and You Shulang tilted his head in the car to look at Fan Xiao standing by the road.
"Am I late?" the man teased.
Fan Xiao leaned forward and held the car window: "No, I came too early."
He opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, pointing forward: "The parking lot is in front, about thirty meters ahead."
You Shulang started the car and turned the steering wheel to the left, then asked casually, "I saw you talking to someone in the taxi just now?"
Fan Xiao poked his tongue against his teeth and replied casually, "The old man asked for directions, and I helped him get into a taxi."
You Shulang looked ahead with a faint smile on his face: "A person with poor sense of direction is giving directions to others?"
"That's why I sent you in a taxi."
The atmosphere in the car was good, relaxed and natural. You Shulang raised his chin and asked, "What's in your hand?"
Fan Xiao raised his eyebrows and then lowered his eyes, hiding the teasing and badness in his eyes, and said softly: "Food, I heard it's quite big inside, you can have a bite to eat when you are free."
You Shulang glanced over and asked, "Did you do this?"
"There is a parking space in front." Fan Xiao patted the control panel and cleverly changed the subject.
After parking the car, the two entered the wetland park.
Since we came early, there weren't many people. The reeds in the garden were dancing and the river was rippling. In autumn, the grass and trees were already showing signs of withering, but the last bit of their glory was still full of charm. A gust of wind blew and the reeds fluttered, a vast and yet gentle beauty.
The two people walked along the wooden corridor that spanned the wetland, stopping from time to time. When they found a view, they leaned on the railings and relaxed.
Fan Xiao attracted attention all the way, firstly because of his tall and handsome appearance, and secondly because of his inappropriate wearing of a woolen coat.
However, she did not get a single glance from the man next to her. You Shulang was a man of few words. His ordinary grey pullover unexpectedly made him look as white as jade. He liked to lean on the railing and watch the tourists passing by. The smile on his lips was not strong, but one could tell that he was content.
"What are you looking at?" Fan Xiao asked him.
This simple question made You Shulang feel troubled. He thought for a moment before replying, "They are all very happy."
"They are happy, so you are happy too?" Fan Xiao tilted his head to look at him, "So Director You is so... loving."
You Shulang sighed and looked back at him with a smile: "Fan Xiao, you are always so unreasonable."
He cast his eyes on the tourists passing by: "I'm not that great, but I can also be infected by the simple joy of the people around me. Aren't you the same?"
"Someone beside you?" Fan Xiao took a step forward and got closer to You Shulang. "I should be the one beside you. Do you think I am feeling pure joy right now?"
You Shulang stretched out his hand to push away his enlarged handsome face and said jokingly: "I don't know whether you are happy or not, but I know you are not innocent."
Fan Xiao choked up. Thieves are often guilty.
You Shulang glared at him: "How did I get it right?"
Fan Xiao reacted and loosely wrapped his arms around You Shulang, feeling his muscles and bones gradually stiffening.
"Yes, Director You is the best." In the sunlight, the soft hair on You Shulang's earlobe was clearly visible. His ears were burned by the hot and humid air, and slowly turned red.
Kind of cute.
Fan Xiao was like a three-year-old kid who had found a new toy, rubbing against it all over the covered bridge, making You Shulang unable to pretend to be a straight man anymore, so he forcefully pushed his arms open.
"It's hot, stay away."
Fan Xiao was not annoyed when he was pushed away. Looking at You Shulang who was avoiding his gaze, he finally felt pure joy.
"Since it's hot, go find some shade on the shore."
The elm tree has strong vitality and remains lush and green even in autumn. Its branches are twisted and straight, casting a not-too-thick shadow.
There were no chairs, so the two of them sat on the ground. Before Fan Xiao sat down, You Shulang clicked his tongue and asked a passerby for a plastic bag to spread evenly on the ground before allowing him to sit.
He tugged at Fan Xiao's snow-white wool coat and ordered lazily, "You can only sit, not lie down."
After saying this, You Shulang stretched out his waist and lay down on the grass.
Fan Xiao was obedient. He sat there quietly, supported himself with one hand and looked sideways at the comfortable man beside him.
There is no shortage of vines in places with lush aquatic plants. The winding vines climb up to the ceiling along the willow branches, casting the sunlight into vague and mottled shadows.
This shadow was now projected onto You Shulang's face, swaying slightly, making him look very unreal, and as if it had isolated Fan Xiao in a different place.
So he made small talk: "Won't you introduce this place to me?"
"What are you introducing? Wetland Park?" You Shulang didn't open his eyes, and only raised a thin slit on his lips. "What's there to introduce? It used to be just a reed marsh and stinking water bubble."
"There is only one benefit, which is that in summer and autumn, we can go fishing to catch some fish and shrimp to improve our diet." He frowned, as if thinking of something unpleasant. "It's not always possible to get a good harvest. Sometimes it depends on luck."
"Did you do this kind of thing as a child?"
"I started fishing and catching shrimps when I was five, and continued until I was fourteen." You Shulang opened his eyes and pointed, "The water is deep and the fish are big in that place. Greedy children have drowned there before."
Fan Xiao looked in the direction of the finger and saw abundant water and lush grass, forming a beautiful scene.
He withdrew his gaze calmly and asked, "Are you not greedy?"
"Greedy." You Shulang looked at the ceiling with a somewhat empty gaze, "But I want to live a good life more."
"Is it really that important to be alive?" Fan Xiao looked at the place where the corpse had been buried again, and the haze that could not be suppressed appeared in his eyes, "How tiring it is to be alive."
"It's tiring, but there are also places worth cherishing."
"Indeed," Fan Xiao smiled gently, "For example, having a wonderful love affair, or enjoying delicious food in a pleasant time."
There was a smile in his tone, but there was frost in his eyes.
With full of malice, Fan Xiao opened the lunch bag expressionlessly, glanced at the things inside, and picked out a box of sushi.
"Come and try it to see if it tastes good."
The sushi roll was brought to You Shulang's mouth, but the man turned his head away and said, "I can do it myself."
"Why are you being so polite?" Fan Xiao was a little bit competitive, and put the food in his hand on You Shulang's lips again, "You helped me apply the cream, so I have to serve Director You."
You Shulang frowned, but felt that he couldn't explain it clearly to Fan Xiao, so he could only open his lips, avoid the man's fingers, and swallow the sushi carefully.
The sushi rolled around in his mouth and he swallowed it carelessly. He said coldly, "Stop being so sticky. I won't do it again."
Fan Xiao felt that You Shulang's cursing had an accent that sounded quite pleasant, making people feel so tempted that they wanted to bite him hard on the flesh.
Take a bite!?
As soon as the "evil thought" came out, Fan Xiao was stunned! Take a bite? What kind of crazy idea is this?! Damn, his hairs were spinning with a chill, and he gritted his teeth and asked, "Is it delicious?"
As a lover, how could he not taste Lu Zhen's cooking skills? Fan Xiao waited for You Shulang to be surprised and puzzled, and the prepared words could be blurted out at any time.
However, his abnormal hobby was not satisfied. You Shulang replied indifferently: "It's OK. Did you make it? Or did you buy it?"
Fan Xiao was surprised. He was silent for a moment and then asked casually, "How is your skill compared to your girlfriend's?"
You Shulang bent his arms and pressed them over his eyes, sighing, "Fan Xiao, you should find a girlfriend. It's better than always being interested in other people's partners."
He was helpless and resigned to his fate and replied: "My partner rarely cooks, so I cook for him."
"You cook it for him?" Fan Xiao suddenly raised his voice.
Grass!
He got angry for some reason, threw the sushi in his hand into the lunch bag, slapped his hands in disgust, and spat fiercely, "It's fucking disgusting!