In a Relationship With the Rugged Guy Next Door - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: “Yes, Baby is back.”

Five minutes later, Chu Feng emerged with a bowl of noodles. He used local dried noodles and, knowing Chen Jingming had a poor appetite, kept it light. There were no heavy toppings—just a splash of light soy sauce, a small amount of lard, and salt.

Bright green pea tips and chopped scallions garnished the simple clear broth, emitting the faint aroma of lard. It was a flavor Chen Jingming had eaten often as a child. Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten well lately and his nerves had taken a toll on his stomach, he managed to finish only a little over half despite his best efforts.

Chen Jingming picked at the pea tips in the bowl, intending to finish the vegetables at least.

“The Qingming Festival is the day after tomorrow, Baby,” Chu Feng said, sitting opposite him the entire time.

“Yeah. My mom…” Chen Jingming looked up, but seeing the shirtless Chu Feng, he immediately looked back down. “Where is the cemetery?”

Chen Jingming was only eleven when he left home and didn’t understand the rituals of mourning. As he grew older, whenever he followed his adoptive parents to pay their respects, he only missed Chen Chunyi more.

“Everyone is in the public cemetery now.” Chu Feng rested his thick arms on the table, scratching a small scar on his forearm as he spoke. “They were moved six years ago. Your aunt is in the same row as my dad.”

Chen Jingming nodded. Having finished the pea tips, he began to pick idly at the noodles.

“Can’t eat anymore?” Chu Feng asked. “No.” Chen Jingming felt embarrassed; he wasn’t one to waste food, but his stomach just wasn’t up to it.

Chu Feng: “If you can’t finish, give it to Ge.” Chen Jingming: “That’s… probably not a good idea.” The bowl at the lamb noodle shop had been mostly untouched, but he had made a mess of this one.

“What’s wrong with it?” Chu Feng smiled and pulled the bowl over. “What of yours haven’t I eaten? When we were kids, you’d shove lollipops into my mouth after you were halfway through them.” Chen Jingming: “…”

Chu Feng finished the noodles in a few large gulps, went to the kitchen to clean up, and then came back to tell Chen Jingming to shower and sleep. It was already 3:00 AM. Chen Jingming hurriedly grabbed his pajamas from his suitcase.

The second-floor bathroom was at the end of the hallway—clean, sparse, and empty save for a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, and a bottle of 3-in-1 body wash. Having left in a rush, Chen Jingming hadn’t brought much besides a bath towel.

Just as he was about to ask Chu Feng for a spare toothbrush, the bathroom door swung open. Chen Jingming let out a yelp and spun around, covering his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Feng asked, looking back over his shoulder. Chen Jingming: “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?!” Chu Feng was puzzled: “Why would I wear clothes to take a shower?”

“But…” Chen Jingming lowered his hand in frustration, only to see Chu Feng’s reflection in the mirror. He said despairingly, “You… you go first.”

Chu Feng grabbed his hand. “Let’s wash together, Baby. Ge will scrub your back.” Chen Jingming: “Who washes together?! I’m going out!”

“Baby.” Chu Feng stood there completely naked, thought about it for a second, and said, “Fine, I’ll go out. You go first.”

Chu Feng stepped out and stood guard right outside the door, thinking to himself that his little brother had grown up and was just shy after so many years apart. A few more days of getting used to each other should fix it.

Inside, Chen Jingming sighed at his reflection. How was he supposed to tell Chu Feng he was gay? He wondered if Chu Feng had seen the rumors online—though even if he had, he probably didn’t believe them.

He stripped off his clothes and, before taking off his last layer, turned around and firmly locked the bathroom door. Click.

Chu Feng: “…”

…

Since they couldn’t shower together, Chu Feng assumed they certainly wouldn’t sleep apart. He hadn’t even considered “sleeping separately” as an option, so the other bedroom hadn’t been touched in years. Aside from Chu Feng’s room and his father’s old room, there was only a small storage closet.

Chen Jingming had no choice but to lie in Chu Feng’s bed.

The rain outside faded to a whisper. Though his body was exhausted, sleep wouldn’t come. The pillow was filled with Chu Feng’s scent—faint and fresh, like the smell of a shaded path lined with freshly pruned trees in late spring.

Turning on his side, Chen Jingming noticed a photo frame on the nightstand. It was a picture of him and Chu Feng. He couldn’t remember exactly when it was taken—maybe Labor Day when he was six or seven—when their two families had gone rowing in the city park. He remembered making up a story about two little ducks escaping from a restaurant that day.

As he was reminiscing, Chu Feng returned. Fearing the man was still naked, Chen Jingming didn’t dare look and pulled the blanket over his eyes.

“What are you doing, Baby?” Chu Feng asked, amused. Chen Jingming’s voice was muffled: “Are you wearing clothes?” Chu Feng roared with laughter. “I am, I am.”

Relieved, Chen Jingming poked his head out and opened his eyes. “…” He immediately turned back to face the wall and scurried further to the edge.

—He was wearing underwear. Tight underwear.

Chu Feng crawled under the covers. “Why are you being so distant with Ge now?” Chen Jingming: “We’re adults now.” Chu Feng adjusted his position and pulled Chen Jingming directly into his arms. “No matter how old you are, you’re my brother. Look at you, your feet are freezing. Tuck them in here.”

“No,” Chen Jingming said. “Hurry up, you’ll catch a cold. The rain made the temperature drop,” Chu Feng insisted.

Chen Jingming remembered how, when they were kids, he used to stick his cold feet between Chu Feng’s thighs in the winter because it was the warmest spot. When Chen Jingming didn’t move, Chu Feng’s large hand landed on his waist and gave it a playful squeeze.

“Ah!” Chen Jingming curled into a ball, shouting, “Stop, stop! Ahahaha, that tickles!” Chu Feng laughed too, stopping the tickling but keeping him held close. “Quick, put your feet here.” Exhausted and out of strength, Chen Jingming let Chu Feng maneuver him. His icy feet were clamped between Chu Feng’s warm thighs, making it impossible to pull them out.

“Sleep,” Chu Feng said. “Mm.”

Chu Feng was like a furnace. The bed warmed up quickly. Chen Jingming had expected another night of insomnia, but listening to Chu Feng’s steady, rhythmic breathing, he unexpectedly drifted off.

…

Chen Jingming woke up with a start.

He had dreamed of receiving a new package, thinking it was a local specialty from his hometown, only to open it and find a bloody cat.

“…” He sat up for a long time, calming his heart. He realized he was in Changxi, with Chu Feng. He checked his phone; it was after 9:00 AM.

The house was quiet. He didn’t know if Chu Feng was home. Chen Jingming walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight from after the storm flooded the room. He instinctively shielded his eyes; he hadn’t seen such bright light in a long time. To hide his tracks in Shanghai, he had kept his curtains tightly shut.

He blinked through the gaps in his fingers and took a deep breath. The warm sun and the view outside made his nose prickle with emotion. A small river ran through Changling Town, lined with thick willow trees. His mother used to tell him she had planted some of them when she was a girl. It was April, and the new green willow shoots swayed in the breeze.

He pushed the window open. The spring breeze carried the scent of wet earth. He closed his eyes to savor it. The scent of rapeseed flowers… the smell of toon sprouts…

Suddenly, the iron gate downstairs clanged. Chen Jingming looked down. Chu Feng was back. Before Chu Feng even entered the house, Chen Jingming saw seven or eight children across the street looking up at him with curious smiles.

His reflex was to hide behind the curtain, but he slowly stepped back out. A brave little girl asked, “Big Bro, who is that?”

Chu Feng poked his head out from under the eaves and saw Chen Jingming at the window. “You’re up? Baby.” The kids chimed in: “Ooh~ Baby!” Chen Jingming: “…”

Chu Feng laughed. “No, that’s my younger brother.” The kids nodded: “Oh~ Little Brother!” Chen Jingming: “?”

Chu Feng burst out laughing. “Still wrong. You guys have to call him ‘Gege’ (Big Brother).” The kids had a sudden realization: “Ah~ Gege!”

Chen Jingming smiled, remembering how he used to roam the town with his friends like a little “Paw Patrol” team. He waved at them. His skin, naturally fair, had become ghostly pale from staying indoors and eating poorly, making him look almost translucent in the sun.

Changling Town was a settlement for the Bouyei people. Many old houses were made of wood or stone bricks. Because it was a protected cultural zone, the houses couldn’t be demolished, only renovated. Chu Feng’s house was stone and brick, and the roses on the first floor had grown so high they reached the second, making it look like Chen Jingming was standing in a bed of flowers.

“Baby!” Chu Feng shouted from below. To stop him from shouting “Baby” again, Chen Jingming replied immediately: “Coming!”

Without even changing out of his pajamas, he hurried downstairs.

“I went to the ranch this morning.” Chu Feng held several shopping bags. “Today is Sunday, so I went to the market to get some food. Have you washed up? I bought poshu buns.”

“Not yet. I’ll go brush my teeth first.” “You can wash on the first floor too.” Chu Feng gave him a gentle tug, and Chen Jingming was led into the downstairs bathroom.

It was more spacious, and Chen Jingming’s eyes lit up when he saw the built-in blue tile bathtub. He looked at Chu Feng and smiled. Chu Feng’s father had built that tub himself for the two boys to soak in.

“Yes, it’s still here,” Chu Feng explained as he unwrapped a new toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste onto it. “Brush your teeth, Baby.” Chen Jingming gestured with his arms. “It felt so huge when I was little.” “It’s because you grew up,” Chu Feng replied.

Chen Jingming was becoming numb to the “Baby” nickname and just started brushing. As he did, Chu Feng tidied the sink beside him. Chen Jingming couldn’t help but wonder if a man as large as Chu Feng even fit in that tub anymore.

“Sleep well?” Chu Feng placed his large hands on Chen Jingming’s neck for a quick massage. “You were tossing and turning all night. If I hadn’t been there, you definitely would have fallen off the bed.” Chen Jingming mumbled through the foam, “I would not.”

Someone called out for Chu Feng from the yard. “Over here!” Chu Feng yelled back.

Before Chen Jingming could even rinse, a man walked in. He looked about the same age as Chu Feng—tanned, with a buzz cut, wearing a T-shirt, and carrying a bundle of fragrant vines.

The man looked so shocked to see Chen Jingming that he looked like he had just walked in on a crime scene. “Holy crap! Holy crap, holy crap!” The man looked at Chu Feng for confirmation. “Is this…? Is this… Chen Jingming?!”

The man clearly knew him, but Chen Jingming didn’t recognize him at all. The man shouted excitedly, “It’s me, Chen Lang!” Chen Jingming was stunned. Chen Lang had been such an ugly kid!

Chen Lang looked at Chu Feng. “This is your ‘Baby,’ right?” Chu Feng smiled with pride. “Yes, Baby is back.”