Zhong Weishi’s ear pressed directly against Gu Lizhou’s fingertip.
A man’s voice came through the phone.
“Alright, I’ll send someone to pick you up at the airport.”
“No need, no need. I booked an afternoon flight. By the time I get there, it’ll be evening. I’ll just take a taxi back and head to your company the next day.”
“Okay, then make sure to call me in advance. I’ll have a driver pick you up.”
“It’s fine, I can go by myself. It’s not like I don’t know the way…”
Zhong Weishi frowned and asked, “Where are you going ah?”
“Back to B City ah.”
Zhong Weishi stared into his eyes, feeling as if all the blood in his body had been drained in an instant.
He had expected that Gu Lizhou would leave the apartment sooner or later, but he hadn’t thought it would happen so suddenly.
“Isn’t your home in Qingfeng Garden?”
“No. Qingfeng Garden is my mom’s place. My parents are divorced. I live with my dad,” Gu Lizhou said.
“Ah.” Zhong Weishi was still dazed, barely able to find his voice.
“I moved to B City after middle school. I just came here for a break, but now I have to go back to work.”
Gu Lizhou’s tone was calm, devoid of any emotion, but it left Zhong Weishi with an inexplicable sense of sourness.
“Then why did you have me help you look for a job before ah…”
“My friend only reached out to me recently, after you helped me look for work,” Gu Lizhou said, meeting his gaze. “We’re developing a new game.”
“I see ah.”
Zhong Weishi recalled a conversation they had before about work. Gu Lizhou had mentioned that his job was related to online games.
So he was a programmer.
So awesome.
Gu Lizhou completely shattered the image of an IT guy that Zhong Weishi had in his mind.
The first thing Zhong Weishi did after snapping out of his thoughts was search for B City on the map.
Approximately 1,830 kilometers from Yucheng…
So far away…
He had only ever lived in two cities his entire life, never more than 50 kilometers apart. Now that the high-speed rail was in service, it only took about half an hour to travel between them.
But 1,800 kilometers was totally beyond his imagination.
A place completely out of his reach.
“Do you have to go back?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhong Weishi realized how stupid the question was.
B City was the person’s home, so going back for work was the most natural thing in the world.
“It sounds really far,” he awkwardly changed the subject. “How long does the flight take ah?”
“It’s not too bad. A little over two hours.”
In truth, Gu Lizhou had considered turning down the job to focus on his own creative projects. But Cheng Hang had urged him multiple times, putting him in a tough spot.
Back when he was in investment, Cheng Hang had provided him with a lot of valuable connections, most of which were profitable. Now that the person needed his help, outright refusing would be pretty ungrateful.
Friendships were built on mutual exchange. Otherwise, people won’t bother to help you next time
Besides, Cheng Hang’s younger brother was in the entertainment industry… It was more or less a doorway.
Gu Lizhou wasn’t sure yet if he could do anything for Zhong Weishi, but if an opportunity arose, he would definitely give it a shot.
Before anything was certain, he didn’t dare make any promises—he didn’t want to disappoint his little friend.
Of course, the one next to him could not comprehend these little thoughts of his.
Zhong Weishi lowered his gaze, staring blankly at his shoes.
All the strength had been drained from his body, a heavy gloom settling around him. Behind him, it was as if a pale, sorrowful soul was floating up into the air.
A heavy rain had fallen at noon, and now, as the wind blew through the corridor, it carried a faint chill.
Ever since he had given Gu Lizhou that free performance ticket, they often sat in the hallway together, enjoying the breeze.
Gu Lizhou liked watching him play with flower trick and would even join in.
He also liked yo-yos, but his skills were so terrible that he often hit himself in the head when retracting the string and then blamed it on the yo-yo’s poor quality.
Gu Lizhou usually like to drink yogurt, but has recently switched to coffee; sometimes with milk foam, sometimes with a slight tang.
Today’s coffee was a light color and tasted very bitter.
The thought that no one would be sitting here watching him flip around anymore made Zhong Weishi’s eyes suddenly burn, his nose stinging with an ache.
Instead of blowing away his fatigue and irritation, today’s penetrating wind made him even more lost.
His mood plummeted from the heights of Mount Everest into a bottomless abyss.
He hated rainy days. And he hated goodbyes even more.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Gu Lizhou tilted his head to look at him.
Say what ah?
What was there left to say ah? You’re leaving anyway.
Frustrated, Zhong Weishi turned his face away and reached up to fiddle with a cactus on the windowsill.
“Why are you plucking its spines ah? Still don’t think it’s bald enough?” Gu Lizhou grabbed his wrist and tugged him back slightly.
Zhong Weishi let out a huff and kept plucking. “I want to pluck its spines. I’m going to strip it bare.”
“Alright, alright, alright.” Gu Lizhou sighed and let go. “Then pluck it.”
The moment the one on the side’s attention shifted away, Zhong Weishi’s expression turned resentful.
What ah…
Did he not notice his bad mood at all?
Could he really not tell that this was reluctance!
But then again, how could an old man like him understand something like reluctance? The person was only here to clear his mind anyway.
He came when he felt like it, and he left when he didn’t.
Who would care about him?
All that heartbeat nonsense—what a load of bullshit!
Was he really going to let his heartbeat revolve around just one person for the rest of his life?!
Gu Lizhou chuckled and nudged his elbow. “Still drinking your coffee?”
“No.” Zhong Weishi didn’t look at him. “That stuff tastes awful.”
Gu Lizhou picked up their earlier conversation. “When are you filming that super badass explosion scene? I’ll come watch.”
“I don’t know. It depends on the director. We have to wait for the weather to clear up first,” Zhong Weishi said.
“I see ah”
Something crossed Zhong Weishi’s mind. “Give me your bank account number. I’ll transfer you the rest of the money.”
“Just send it to my WeChat. There’s not much left anyway.”
“Oh.”
Another long silence.
Gu Lizhou wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Usually, it was Zhong Weishi who took the initiative to keep the conversation going. Now that this little parrot had shut his mouth, Gu Lizhou had nothing to say.
Zhong Weishi also found the atmosphere strange—even more awkward than when they first met.
After half a day, he shoved aside his uncomfortable feelings, summoning all his strength. “You’ll come back at some point, right? If you do, don’t just sneak in quietly—make sure to let me know ah.”
“Alright.” Gu Lizhou smiled. “But I’m afraid by the time I come back, you won’t be here anymore.”
“How is that possible! I’ll always be here!” Zhong Weishi straightened his back, eyes burning with determination.
Gu Lizhou chuckled. “Don’t you want to be a big star? Once you start getting roles and make a name for yourself, you won’t still be stuck in this broken place ah.”
Zhong Weishi’s head drooped again, like a wilted blade of dogtail grass.
Four years ago, when he had just moved to Yucheng, everything was unfamiliar. He had to learn how to cook and do laundry on his own, how to make his bed and dry his blankets in the sun, how to take the bus and squeeze into the subway, how to haggle with street vendors, and how to hold back tears…
With both confidence and uncertainty, he tried, little by little, to find his place in this world.
He wanted to shoot a movie, to work hard like the others in his group, to fight his way into the ranks of 18-line actors.
He wanted to earn money to support his grandmother’s old age. He wanted to make a name for himself, to make the people who abandoned him regret it, to live a life that was a little easier…
Back then, every single moment he had wanted to escape this place. But ever since Gu Lizhou arrived, that thought had never crossed his mind again.
Now, he looked forward to coming home every day, to sitting in the hallway under the moonlight with the old man, listening to him tell stories.
Fairy tales, romance, suspense, horror… every kind of genres.
It had become a habit—something as essential as eating and sleeping.
And a comforting habit like that wasn’t so easy to break…
Even if he went somewhere else and met new people, no one would be as understanding and helpful as Gu Lizhou.
To him, Gu Lizhou was like a steadfast evergreen pine—lush and enduring. Most days, he seemed warm and gentle, but when it truly mattered, he could shield others from the wind and rain with a quiet, unwavering strength.
“Just don’t forget me ah.” Zhong Weishi’s slipper swayed twice, knocking against the tip of Gu Lizhou’s shoe. “No matter where I go, I’ll let you know.”
At the moment of parting, all other emotions felt insignificant. The only thing that mattered now was making sure Gu Lizhou would remember him—remember that there was someone here in Yucheng who considered him a close friend.
“En.” Gu Lizhou reached out and ruffled his hair.
Zhong Weishi thought about it and still felt it wasn’t enough. “If you ever go back to live in Qingfeng Garden, make sure to let me know too ah. It’s not far from here.”
“If I come back, I’ll probably just stay at Old Cao’s place. I’m not used to living with my mom—she nags too much.” Gu Lizhou paused before adding, “But next time, I might have to stay in a hotel. His girlfriend is moving in, so it’d be inconvenient for me.”
“Then you can stay with me ah,” Zhong Weishi blurted out.
As soon as he said it, Gu Lizhou seemed to freeze, as if someone had hit pause on him.
A suffocating wave of awkwardness crashed over Zhong Weishi.
What the hell was he saying!
Why was he so desperate for him to come back?!
This is way too weird!
It wasn’t until Gu Lizhou chuckled and replied with an “alright ah” did he finally breathed again, a crescent-shaped smile spreading across his face.
“There’s still an empty room here. I used to have a male roommate, but he moved out after the New Year.” Zhong Weishi said.
Gu Lizhou: “But when I first met you, you said you had a roommate.”
Zhong Weishi: “Well, we weren’t familiar with each other back then. I was afraid you would plot against me.
“Oh, please.” Gu Lizhou laughed so hard his gums almost showed. “With a phone balance in the negatives? Who would be interested in you ah?”
Zhong Weishi patted his shoulder. “I’ll treat you to a meal sometime as a send-off.”
“Good ah.” Gu Lizhou nodded.
Zhong Weishi had originally planned to take Gu Lizhou out for lunch on his birthday according to the solar calendar, then see him off at the airport for a proper farewell.
But things didn’t go as planned. That morning, he got a last-minute notice from a new production crew asking him to come in for an audition.
It was an opportunity he had waited for a long time.
A second male lead.
A role that would let him live from the start to the end.
He agonized over the decision for a long time, torn between sending Gu Lizhou off and attending the audition. His brain hurt from the stress. In the end, he cautiously sent a message to test the waters.
[Weishi]: I have to head to the set later, not sure when I’ll be back. What time are you leaving in the afternoon ah?
[Pretty Boy 0229]: It’s fine, just focus on your work. No need to see me off.
[Weishi]: I might be able to make it back in time.
[Pretty Boy 0229]: Really, don’t worry about it. I’ll start packing now.
What ya…
Zhong Weishi sulked, gnawing at his thumbnail.
When he reached the line at the subway entrance, he sent another message.
[Weishi]: Be careful on your way back.
[Pretty Boy 0229]: En.
Zhong Weishi received the message and let out a heavy sigh at the subway entrance.
That single “en” felt perfunctory to him.
A pessimistic thought even crept into his mind—once Gu Lizhou left, would he also become just as insignificant as that “en” to him? Light and meaningless.
Like encountering a stray puppy during a walk—one might sigh and think, ‘how pitiful’ then pat its head and buy it some food. But in the end, reality would push that puppy out of sight and out of mind.
It was so unfair ah.
Because, in the puppy’s eyes, the only thing that mattered was the person who fed it.
But his pessimism didn’t last long. After sulking for five minutes, he finally typed out what he thought was an elegant, poetic, and deeply heartfelt message.
—If you ever come back, I’ll be there to pick you up! Not even thunder and lightning can stop me!
The original line was actually from Liang Shiqiu: I won’t see you off when you leave, but no matter the wind or rain, I will be there to welcome you back.
He felt it was the perfect fit for the situation.
He had to admire how romantic people from that era were.
And, of course, he believed that his slight modification made it even wilder.
Then, as he squeezed into the overcrowded subway car, a delayed sense of embarrassment washed over him.
Ah, ah, ah! No, no!
This is way too cheesy! Way too cheesy!
Panicked, he hurried to unlock his phone and retract the message—only to be jostled by someone nearby and accidentally hit “Delete” instead.
Dear heavens ah!—
It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the world.
A round, chubby little soul once again floated above his head.
For a long moment, there was nothing. Then—his phone vibrated.
Standing in the subway car filled with the overwhelming scent of chive and egg pancakes, he took several deep breaths, bracing himself for the inevitable teasing. Hands trembling, he picked up his phone.
[Pretty Boy 0229]: Alright ah, it’s a deal.
Zhong Weishi pressed his lips together and grinned foolishly at the screen, his forehead lightly knocking against the subway handrail again and again.
All his gloomy little emotions instantly vanished into thin air.
Ah.
He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to do a backflip.