The Long Night - Chapter 22

While Tang Shaocheng was chatting with the B&B owner, Yan Liao stood idly by, like a child out with their parents, unable to understand what they were saying.

“I’ve been running this place for five years. I used to work for an internet company, but I couldn’t stand it. I prefer to have my own little business.”

The owner, who didn’t look very old, was wearing a dark green coat and was standing behind the counter, boiling tea. The air was thick with the rich, warm fragrance.

Tang Shaocheng easily took over the conversation. “The current policies must be supportive of tourism. I saw a lot of B&Bs on the way here, but this location is the best.”

“That’s right, I chose it very carefully,” the owner said with a smile, handing him the room key. “There were some support policies a few years ago, but the regulations are strict. Fire safety and hygiene checks are very thorough. But you can rest assured about this place. You saw the good reviews, right? They’re not fake.”

He was in a good mood and willing to chat a little longer. “Business has been much better this year than in the past two years. Even the tax bureau came to audit my books. I was thinking of registering a company to save on taxes.”

Tang Shaocheng took the room key. “It depends on the scale and annual profit. For a small business, being a sole proprietor is actually simpler.”

Yan Liao listened, wondering if they were even speaking Chinese. Why had the school never taught him these things? He glanced at Tang Shaocheng’s natural expression, and anyone who didn’t know them would think they were the same age.

“There’s a wet market nearby. If you guys like to cook, go there to buy some seafood. It’s the freshest. My kitchen has gas, a wok, and everything else you need, including a microwave and a fridge.”

The owner had a great personality and enjoyed the chat. He habitually pulled a cigarette out of a pack and offered it, then smiled. “You two look very young. Are you university students who just graduated? Traveling together.”

“Yes,” Tang Shaocheng said, declining the cigarette. He glanced at Yan Liao, who was waiting impatiently. He said goodbye to the owner. “We’re heading upstairs now.”

Yan Liao watched Tang Shaocheng’s practiced gesture of refusal and suddenly had a hunch that this person definitely smoked. He subtly pursed his lips. Every time he saw Tang Shaocheng smile at someone else, he felt unhappy.

“Oh, don’t go just yet. Let me change your room,” the owner said, winking and handing over a new room key. “It’s far from the hallway, not on the street, so it’s quiet. You can also see the ocean from there. You can’t book this room on the app; I save it for my regulars.”

Tang Shaocheng smiled as he took it. “Thank you very much.”

The two of them went upstairs. The entire B&B was decorated in a classical style, and even the lampshades were embroidered with lotus ponds and moonlight.

“Do you travel often?”

Yan Liao asked, then immediately thought better of it. This person was like a permanent fixture at the study hall during winter and summer breaks. How would he have time to travel?

But Tang Shaocheng had everything from food and lodging to transportation and attractions perfectly planned out, like a thoughtful tour guide. They didn’t have a single bad experience.

Yan Liao didn’t even realize that he was habitually relying on this person for everything. He was about to lose his ability to think for himself and had become more and more accustomed to being clingy. He would suddenly stick to Tang Shaocheng in the middle of a conversation, as if his voice had to be transmitted through their skin.

“I travel a lot for business,” Tang Shaocheng said, still pushing the suitcase but managing to spare one hand to hold his. “You go take a shower first, and I’ll get us settled.”

The B&B’s decor was very cozy, unlike the impersonal feel of a business hotel. The room’s location was also great. It was surrounded by mountains and seas. From the bedroom window, you could see lush green mountains, and from the living room, you could see the vast, endless blue ocean.

Tang Shaocheng opened his suitcase and neatly hung up all the clothes he had brought. He then opened the window to let in some air.

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom, and a blurry silhouette could be seen through the misty glass door. Yan Liao was always quick to shower, as if he didn’t want to be alone for a single minute. He came out wearing a towel and bumped into Tang Shaocheng, who was laying out a disposable sheet. He looked up and asked, “Did you miss me?”

“I missed you,” Tang Shaocheng couldn’t help but laugh for a long time.

Yan Liao stood on his tiptoes and wrapped his arms around Tang Shaocheng’s neck, his mouth slightly open. Tang Shaocheng’s tongue skillfully slid inside, gently nibbling on the other’s lips and tongue, and licking the inner membranes and teeth of his mouth. Yan Liao tilted his head back slightly, and the fair skin from behind his ears to his neck turned red. When they separated, he subconsciously swallowed the exchanged saliva. He gripped Tang Shaocheng’s clothes. “I’m so hot.”

…

By the time they were done with their activities, it was already late afternoon.

It felt unbelievably good.

Afterward, Tang Shaocheng was still thinking about the beautiful lines of Yan Liao’s slender, pale back when it tensed, and his sunken dimples. He took a moment to recover, got out of bed, and opened the curtains. The dim room instantly became bright. Yan Liao was still curled up under the comforter, belatedly worrying about the soundproofing.

The window was opened to let in some air, and the scent that had made their hearts race slowly dissipated.

Yan Liao changed into a white cashmere sweater and jeans with a light gray jacket. His hair had grown a little longer and was almost covering his eyes. It was fluffy from the wind. He hadn’t cut it yet because his uncle was at home. He was complaining about it in his head when his mom called, as if he had been caught red-handed.

He put the phone on speaker. “Did you pass your makeup exam? Isn’t it embarrassing to fail a class in your first year? Your school is something else, calling students back for exams before the Lantern Festival is even over.”

Yan Liao was standing in front of the mirror, carefully combing his hair. He answered with a raspy “Mhm” in a dazed tone. His mom suddenly became alert. “Are you at school?”

“No… Tang Shaocheng and I are out traveling.”

He couldn’t tell her they had moved in together, but he could tell her this much.

Sure enough, as soon as his mom heard he was with Tang Shaocheng, she felt relieved no matter where they were. She nagged him a few more times to “learn from him” and finally sighed, “You should work hard to catch up to Xiao Tang. You grew up together, so how can there be such a gap…”

Yan Liao didn’t hear the rest. He almost burst out laughing. “Work hard to catch up to Xiao Tang”—He suddenly wanted to salute the phone. “Please rest assured, I have fulfilled my mission and have already caught up to him.”

As Yan Liao held back his laughter, Tang Shaocheng also smiled a little helplessly. The phone was on speaker, so he could hear everything. Yan Liao didn’t care who he was talking to; he was so comfortable with Tang Shaocheng that he didn’t have any secrets or privacy anymore.

When Yan Liao hung up, Tang Shaocheng slowly asked, “Did you tell her you came back early for a makeup exam?”

Yan Liao, who was still conscious of his appearance, sprayed some setting spray on his hair. He didn’t think too much about the question and casually said, “I wasn’t lying. The exam is after school starts…”

It was only a moment after the words left his mouth that he realized he had spilled the beans.

Tang Shaocheng put down his tablet and stood up from the sofa, walking toward him.

“A gentleman uses his words, not his fists!” Yan Liao grabbed his wrist to stop him from doing anything else. He used his other hand to cleanly cover his mouth. “Don’t use your words either…” He gave an awkward laugh. “I’m about to faint from hunger. Let’s go out and buy some groceries, okay?”

Tang Shaocheng’s eyebrows softened. He sighed. “Let’s go.”

The navigation said the market was two kilometers away. It was hard to get a taxi nearby, and there was no public transportation, but the weather was nice, perfect for cycling.

Tang Shaocheng wore a casual coat and trousers. A turtleneck sweater showed off his long neck. The simple clothes on him gave off a unique, distinguished vibe.

When they left, the owner smiled and watched them go. Yan Liao felt that his gaze lingered on Tang Shaocheng, and he felt a little unhappy again. It was as if his attitude towards most people was cold and resistant, and he didn’t see anything wrong with it.

There was a tree-lined path in the mountains. Evergreen trees lined both sides, and you could see the deep blue sea below the guardrails on the side of the road. They scanned two shared bikes and rode one behind the other. The road had no cars or people, only a comfortably warm breeze brushing against their faces.

Yan Liao rode up to Tang Shaocheng. “Let’s race.”

Tang Shaocheng didn’t even think about it before refusing. “It’s dangerous. No.”

How boring. Yan Liao clicked his tongue. “You’re scared of losing to me.”

Tang Shaocheng glanced at him. “I am.”

“Wow.”

For some reason, Yan Liao was excited to hear those words. In his excitement, he squeezed in next to Tang Shaocheng. They had just arrived at a downhill section, and the wind made their clothes balloon out.

For a moment, he felt slightly out of breath. Yan Liao tightened his grip on the brake and then slowly let go. The sense of freedom when going downhill was like a bird gliding.

But the freedom only lasted for a moment. When they returned to flat ground, Tang Shaocheng brought up the past. “Why didn’t you tell me about failing your classes?”

“…You didn’t ask.” Yan Liao slowed down his bike, his voice a little guilty.

“Shouldn’t you have confessed on your own?”

“You were so busy at the time,” he tried to pretend to be considerate, but what he said came out sounding a little resentful. “You didn’t have time to look after me.”

“You’re how old and you still need someone to look after your studies?” Tang Shaocheng paused, then suddenly thought of something. “How many classes did you fail?”

…

Yan Liao swallowed and quietly said a number that was not very conservative. He then quickly closed his mouth.

Both of them were silent for a long time.

Tang Shaocheng’s voice sounded like he was laughing out of anger. “Tell me yourself, do you deserve a spanking?”

“…”

Yan Liao took a deep breath and couldn’t help but yell, “What are you doing? My butt still hurts because of you!”

A few startled birds flew out of the trees, flapping their wings and screeching. A few feathers fell.

The person next to him held his breath and said nothing.

Yan Liao coughed, his face red. He tried to act cute and get away with it. “I’ll definitely study hard next semester… Is that okay?”

Tang Shaocheng gave a reluctant “Mhm.” He heard Yan Liao confidently promising he would work hard, like he was taking an oath.

The breeze carried the scent of the trees and mixed with the fresh sea air, creating a unique smell.

Sometimes, he would have a very strange feeling.

It was as if he had put an invisible collar around the other’s neck, and the other end of the leash was firmly in his own hand.

When they arrived at the seafood market, all they saw were brightly colored stalls. Trucks came and went, and the fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs they brought were still jumping around.

Tang Shaocheng was very skilled at picking things out and could even haggle with the vendors. Yan Liao followed him like a little tail, but he got lost after a while.

He was so angry when he got lost, as if he had been deliberately abandoned. Yan Liao was too lazy to look for him. He squinted and looked around the unfamiliar place before entering what looked like an interesting aquarium park.

The boardwalk under his feet wobbled.

On both sides were glass-separated marine ecosystems. There were no animals performing, just a display of seafood products. He didn’t know why it was called an “aquarium park.” Why would an aquarium be in a seafood market?

Because it was free, there were a lot of people. In the bustling crowd, he could hear a few local dialects, but he couldn’t make them out clearly.

Just as Yan Liao was getting bored and was about to turn back, he suddenly looked up and saw a shark with its mouth wide open.

He almost died right there.

It was just an inflatable toy floating overhead, but it was so realistic. The air from the blower made it look like it was constantly closing in on him.

Yan Liao felt his breathing become a little strained, as if his throat had been squeezed, and his lungs had been sucked into a vacuum. He stood still, and then his wrist was suddenly grabbed by a cool hand. He was pulled into a warm embrace.

“It’s okay, don’t be nervous,” Tang Shaocheng said, gently stroking his hair and the back of his neck to soothe him. “You’re afraid of this. We won’t look anymore.”

He coaxed Yan Liao out and patiently explained that it was just megalophobia and didn’t blame him for wandering off. “From now on, no matter where we go or what you want to do, tell me first.”

Yan Liao didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he said. He gripped Tang Shaocheng’s clothes tightly. “How did you know I had… what was it… phobia?”

His voice was still a little hoarse, and his tone sounded a little defiant, as if he thought it was embarrassing to be afraid.

Tang Shaocheng rubbed his head, unable to explain.

One winter, on Yan Liao’s birthday, the art exhibition organizers gave him a gift box that contained a projector lamp. Yan Liao had specially turned off the lights in the room, but the pitch-black ceiling suddenly lit up with a huge, menacing shadow, and he almost stopped breathing.

That night, after some research, they learned that it was megalophobia. It was an “irrational state of fear towards objects that are too big.” They also looked up some news and found out there were many other strange phobias in the world.

After all, he was in his twenties. Yan Liao didn’t show any panic. After he calmed down, he turned off the projector and put it back in the box. After a while, he gave it to the high school girl who lived downstairs.

He wasn’t as pale as he was now.

Tang Shaocheng patted the back of the person in his arms. He didn’t pick him up until Yan Liao’s breathing had stabilized, and he helped him straighten his slightly messy hair. He saw the boy’s tightly furrowed brows and his lips that were bitten almost raw. It was then that he suddenly remembered that Yan Liao was only eighteen.

The past few days of being away from the school environment always made Tang Shaocheng feel like they were back in their previous life.

The orange-red sunset was about to dip below the horizon. They returned, loaded with two bags of seafood, and went to the washroom.

The B&B owner followed them, wanting to teach them how to prepare everything. When he got to the door, he saw that Tang Shaocheng was already skillfully shucking shellfish. Yan Liao sat on a small stool next to him, his fluffy head resting on his shoulder, his face close. They looked much more intimate than friends.

The owner narrowed his eyes and watched them leaning against each other for a while. He smiled meaningfully.

The crabs in the pot almost pushed the lid off and escaped. Tang Shaocheng professionally rolled up his sleeves, revealing a strong, muscular forearm. He quickly took some cotton string and tied the crabs up, making a beautiful cross knot.

Yan Liao didn’t know why, but when he saw Tang Shaocheng’s skilled hands wrapping the string around the crab, his face felt a little hot. He unnaturally swallowed, but his eyes found it hard to move away from Tang Shaocheng’s long fingers. His mind was starting to wander.

They prepared the seafood in the sink downstairs and then returned to the kitchen to steam it. Following the owner’s suggestion, they didn’t add too many seasonings.

As Tang Shaocheng was busy, Yan Liao also showcased his skills by stir-frying a plate of green peppers and pork belly. He confidently took a bite, and the bitterness almost made him bite his tongue off. He used his Oscar-worthy acting skills to put on a sincere smile. “Try it. I did a pretty good job.”

Tang Shaocheng glanced at him with a half-smile, picked up the chopsticks Yan Liao had used, and took a bite. As he chewed slowly, his expression was even more natural than Yan Liao’s. “Mhm, you’ve improved.”

“…You can’t taste anything, can you?” Yan Liao’s attempt to play a trick didn’t work. He was angry for a second, then he tilted his head, sizing Tang Shaocheng up. “Did you mutate?”

Tang Shaocheng couldn’t hold back his laughter. “You know that, so why aren’t you running away?”

“Bite me,” Yan Liao said, eager to mutate with him. “We’ll team up and go on a killing spree.”

Tang Shaocheng put his arm around Yan Liao’s waist and bit his neck. Yan Liao’s face turned red in an instant, like magic. He covered his neck and ran away, his back hunched like a little shrimp. Tang Shaocheng took a deep breath. The boy’s cuteness almost made him lose his self-control again.

As evening approached, a thin mist rose over the place where the mountains and sea met, and tiny water droplets clung to the windows.

After steaming the seafood, Tang Shaocheng took out a separate plate of crabs and shrimp and called Yan Liao over. “Take this to the owner downstairs.”

“You’re so nice to him,” the person who was slowly and unwillingly walking over said with a pout and a very unhappy expression.

Tang Shaocheng looked at him.

Yan Liao was like a puffed-up pufferfish. Their eyes met, but he quickly looked away.

“Show some manners,” Tang Shaocheng said, pinching his face with a serious expression. “He was kind enough to change our room. Go now.”

“Okay—”

Yan Liao dragged his slippers on the floor, making a deliberate shuffling sound, and went downstairs reluctantly.

“Is he your brother?”

The owner smiled and accepted the plate of hot seafood. He then got gossipy. “Your parents’ genes are so good, they don’t leave any room for ordinary people.”

“No.”

Yan Liao didn’t give him any more opportunities to continue the conversation. He felt like the man was just trying to get information about Tang Shaocheng. The owner didn’t ask any more questions. He kept smiling and even enthusiastically gave them a can of black tea. Yan Liao felt like a messenger of love as he carried the tea upstairs. He was so angry he almost died. The moment he entered the room, he headbutted Tang Shaocheng’s chest and said he was going to fight him.