The Long Night - Chapter 31

Early in the morning, Yan Liao tidied his messy hair in the mirror and suddenly noticed a small red mark on his neck. Thinking it was a mosquito bite, he pressed it with his hand. It didn’t itch, but it stung a little.

He stood in front of the mirror, squinting, trying to remember what it was, and then he recalled Tang Shaocheng kissing him there last night.

“Tsk.”

He could cover it with a turtleneck in the winter, but in the summer, he couldn’t. He thought a bandage was too hot, so he just left it.

As soon as he got to the classroom, his classmates noticed it. It was very obvious because his skin was fair. They laughed hysterically, making “yikes” and “ohs” with eighteen twists and turns, saying how good his relationship with his girlfriend was.

Yan Liao slightly tilted his head, his face as nonchalant as ever, and he didn’t correct them.

Tang Shaocheng received a last-minute notification that he had to attend a dinner that night. He no longer had to chug glasses of alcohol like he did two years ago, but he couldn’t get out of these kinds of dinners.

He was well-liked in his circle. He was always good-tempered and highly skilled professionally. Many people were watching where he would go after graduation, and it was even rumored that several top law firms had extended offers to him.

Tang Shaocheng, who was in a good mood, was in the steamy tea room on the phone, saying in a gentle, coaxing voice, “I’ll pick you up tonight, okay, baby?”

“Don’t talk to me like that. Am I that easy to persuade?” Yan Liao scoffed. He was already a very mature adult and felt it was necessary to emphasize this point. “I’m no longer at an age where I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

He had originally wanted to say, “I’m no longer a dog on a leash who listens to your every command,” but he was too shy to say it.

Tang Shaocheng felt a laugh bubble up at Yan Liao’s awakening, but he fully respected his wishes. “Okay, then I won’t go, alright?” He even consciously left out the two repeated words in the name to show his respect for a mature adult.

“No!”

The mature adult was very unhappy that he hadn’t heard those two words. He was just looking in the mirror in the bathroom and saw the small, light red hickey on his neck. He decided to settle all old and new grudges tonight.

Finally, he lowered his voice and threatened, “You have to come for me early.”

In the evening, there weren’t many people in the art studio. Yan Liao slowly walked out, determined to show off his mature charm tonight. He would be stoic and serious, using only a few words.

When he saw Tang Shaocheng waiting at the school gate, it was like a straight beam of light had suddenly appeared in the darkness, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Yan Liao ran forward two steps and jumped onto Tang Shaocheng, expecting him to stumble and lose his balance. He even maliciously thought of making him fall onto the grass next to them and land under him. But Tang Shaocheng seemed to have an inkling and steadily caught him. He held him firmly and took two steps. “Why didn’t you wait inside?”

Yan Liao lowered his head and rubbed his neck against his. “The air conditioning in the studio was turned off. It was too hot.”

It had been like this all summer. Even after the sun had set, the city, which had been scorched all day, felt like a steamer. Even the wind was hot.

Yan Liao was very disappointed in his cheapness. When they walked home together, he forced himself to use a cold attitude to make the other person deeply reflect on his mistakes and indignantly warned himself not to act spoiled again. But when Tang Shaocheng asked him, “What flavor ice cream do you want?” Yan Liao’s mouth, quicker than his brain, blurted out, “Matcha chocolate.”

…He decided to be a cold and ruthless person tomorrow instead.

Doing adult things while resting his head on Tang Shaocheng’s leg that night was also like licking ice cream.

His third year of college passed quickly. From summer to winter, and from winter to summer again, the clothes in his closet were constantly being replaced, and the plants bloomed and shed their leaves. Writing papers, preparing for exams, internships… all the things that seemed difficult to get through were over.

He didn’t have to return to school in September after applying for the first semester of his senior year. The books in the study rooms were gradually moved out. He no longer had to attend classes. The class meetings were held via video call, and the entire class had not gathered in person for a whole year.

It was as if there was a brief black screen in a movie with “Ten Months Later” written on it in flashy white letters, or even longer. Life could be described as having undergone a huge change.

For example, the first time he saw Tang Shaocheng in a well-fitting suit, it was as if a mushroom cloud had exploded in his head. For example, he designed his business card in a proper and serious black and white style, yet he insisted on drawing aquatic plants and tropical fish on Tang Shaocheng’s business card. For example, the professor who took a sharp breath when he saw that his thesis’s innovation was “filling a gap in the history of world art” and who kept saying, “The most urgent thing for your thesis is not to revise the framework, but for me to remove my name as the advisor,” suddenly told him, “Okay, go ahead and defend it.” For example, a group chat he hadn’t opened for a long time suddenly sent a message for everyone to fill out their sizes for graduation gowns, announcing that graduation photos would be taken next week.

For example, Tang Shaocheng had obtained his legal professional qualification certificate, shortening his internship period by a year through an accelerated track. Li Yi-yun suddenly said he wanted to open a new law firm and asked if he would be willing to join.

For example, Tang Shaocheng asked Yan Liao where he wanted to go after graduation. They had paid the last quarter’s rent, and they would be leaving the place they had lived in for four years at the end of July.

Yan Liao shuffled along in his slippers. He had only intended to get ice cream from the fridge, but when he heard Tang Shaocheng’s words, he suddenly stopped and felt the living room become empty in an instant.

“I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”

Yan Liao walked to the sofa and sat down. Tang Shaocheng was looking at his tablet and took the other person’s hand. “Or we can travel around after graduation and see which city you like?”

“I’ll go wherever you go.”

Yan Liao looked down at his hand intertwined with Tang Shaocheng’s. He wasn’t in the mood to think about the future. His mind was filled with the fact that they were moving out of here. He impulsively had the thought, “Let’s buy this place.” But they weren’t in a financial situation where buying a house was as easy as buying groceries, and the houses near the university town were not cost-effective to begin with.

Yan Liao stopped talking. He walked around in a depressed mood, quickly taking in the entire fifty-square-meter apartment from beginning to end. He had chosen most of the furniture and decorations. He had good taste, so this broken down place was also very good. Yan Liao stood against the wall in frustration, and then he had a whimsical idea. “Do you think we can negotiate with the landlord to leave everything here and come back to buy it when we have a lot of money?”

Tang Shaocheng sat on the sofa, trying to cheer him up by talking about the future. “You’ve always said you wanted to live in a big villa. How about we save up and buy a big villa?”

…This person had to bring up his vulgar dreams at such a sentimental moment. Yan Liao stood in the living room, looking at the coffee table, the sofa, the wall, and the green potted plant on the windowsill. He said in a dramatic, melodramatic voice, “As long as I’m with you, living in a thatched hut is fine.”

He was so love-drunk that he said such an outrageous thing.

Tang Shaocheng beckoned him over. “Come here.”

Yan Liao walked over with his head down, straddled his lap, and rested his head in the crook of his shoulder, his voice muffled. “I just don’t feel ready yet.” His fingers picked at Tang Shaocheng’s clothes. “It feels like a wall has been pushed down.” He had to face some things he could have avoided with the excuse of “let’s talk about it after graduation,” his own business and their business together.

Tang Shaocheng raised his hand and stroked the boy’s soft hair on the back of his head. “I know,” he said, turning his head to kiss Yan Liao’s face. “No matter where we go, I’ll be there.”

Yan Liao held his neck and said, “Mm.” Tang Shaocheng added, “When we move into our new home, let’s decorate it just like this, okay?” Yan Liao rubbed his shoulder and whispered, “Okay.”

A light rain fell that night. The raindrops tapped on the window, and the room felt filled with dampness.

Yan Liao’s breathing was unsteady as he tilted his head back. In the depths of his consciousness, a wave of moist heat was rolling. He narrowed his eyes and saw a halo of orange light refracted from the ceiling. He heard the continuous, close-by sound of waves crashing. The light was swaying like a small boat in a storm. The boat was in the sky, and the whole world was upside down. The world was the home he and Tang Shaocheng had lived in for many years but were leaving in a few days. In his blurry vision, Yan Liao tasted a little bit of his back-flowing tears. In this upside-down world, only one person was right-side up. Tang Shaocheng leaned down, cupped his face, and covered the salty taste with a gentle kiss.

It was also a rainy and gloomy day on graduation day.

In July, at the Intermediate People’s Court, Civil Tribunal.

Tang Shaocheng wore a well-pressed black suit, making his posture look straight and proper. It was his first time participating in a trial as a trainee lawyer. Li Yi-yun, his mentor, sat with him at the plaintiff’s representative table.

On the defendant’s side sat the well-known Lawyer Zhang, whose hair was meticulously combed and whose eyes held a sense of superiority that came from years of being immersed in the courtroom and knowing everything. He stood up to make his statement, and his words seemed to carry an unquestionable authority.

The clerk was typing quickly on the computer. He glanced at Tang Shaocheng and felt a little worried for him. He had heard that this was a new lawyer’s first time in court, and he had to face such a formidable opponent.

It was Tang Shaocheng’s turn for the cross-examination and statement. He stood up, slightly bowing to the judge’s bench. His movements were standard and restrained. When he raised his head, there was no timidity of a newcomer. There was only a professional focus that came from respecting his job.

“Your Honor, members of the court.”

Tang Shaocheng’s voice was not loud, but it was clear and steady, as if it had traveled back in time to some eternal space, overlapping with countless calm and composed voices of the past.

“Regarding the statement just made by the defendant’s representative, my party has a different opinion and would like to draw the court’s attention to a few key details.”

His speaking speed was well-controlled, with just the right amount of emphasis and pauses, making it impossible for people to look away. The logic was tightly linked, accurately hitting every loophole in the opposing party’s evidence. He didn’t make a passionate speech or a deliberate performance. There was only an extremely calm and professional analysis and irrefutable facts.

There was no sign of inexperience on his face, only a maturity, sharpness, and powerful ability to control the room that was beyond his age.

The people in the courtroom had different expressions. Lawyer Zhang on the opposite side of the table went from looking dismissive to having a profound expression. Finally, Tang Shaocheng slightly nodded.

“In conclusion, my party believes that the defendant’s defense lacks factual and legal basis, and we humbly request the court to dismiss it according to the law.”

Yan Liao had arrived a little early and was waiting for Tang Shaocheng outside the courthouse, his expression as serious as if he were the defendant’s family member. An old man who had just come out of the gate, wiping away tears, started talking to him. “How many years did they get?” Yan Liao didn’t have time to react before the old man continued on his own, talking about his gambling son, his cheating daughter-in-law, and his grandson who was a bad influence. Sure enough, the most exciting stories in the world were at the courthouse entrance.

In just five minutes, he had listened to the entire life story of the old man’s family, like watching a movie summary that began with “This man’s name is Xiao Shuai.” The old man’s taxi arrived after he had waited for a while. As he left, he advised Yan Liao to look on the bright side. The person would be out in a few years, and there was still time for everything.

Yan Liao nodded along. In reality, he didn’t want to wait for even a minute. If he were a lawyer, he would be the most impatient one. If the other person talked too much, he would want to say, “Forget it,” and “Just sentence my client however you want.”

He was getting bored standing outside. A little later, he heard someone talking on the phone mention “Lawyer Tang” and instinctively looked up. It was a woman in a smoky pink dress whom he had never met.

Zhou Yu-nan, however, had an impression of Yan Liao. Before she resigned, she worked in the same office as Tang Shaocheng. She would occasionally see the wallpaper on his tablet, and it was the same boy standing in front of her. She hung up the phone and smiled as she greeted Yan Liao. “Are you waiting for Tang Shaocheng?”

Yan Liao was startled and nodded. “Yeah.”

Zhou Yu-nan probably guessed their relationship. She smiled imperceptibly and deliberately teased him. “You must be Lawyer Tang’s younger brother.”

“…” Yan Liao wanted to say he was his older brother but didn’t. He stared at Zhou Yu-nan for a couple of seconds and asked, pretending to be very nonchalant, “Are you two very close?”

“Yes,” Zhou Yu-nan said, watching his expression with interest. “We used to be good colleagues. We only had work-related interactions and didn’t spend much time together in private.” She saw Yan Liao’s eyes relax a little, and as if she were teasing a child, she asked with feigned curiosity, “What’s Lawyer Tang like in private?”

It was like a blind date where an intermediary was being asked for information. Yan Liao unconsciously pursed his lips and his cheeks tightened.

He put his hands in his pockets, avoiding the scent of Zhou Yu-nan’s perfume. He remembered when he first started university, a classmate had also asked him, “Are you and Tang Shaocheng from the law school good friends? What’s he like? What are his hobbies?” Yan Liao would always reply without changing his expression, “Oh, he has terrible character. He smokes and drinks and has a bad temper and a tendency for violence. You’d better be careful and stay away from him.”

The classmate who came to get information was so scared that their face turned pale, and from then on, they would walk around Tang Shaocheng with a strange expression.

Yan Liao inherited the excellent tradition from his university days and said calmly, “Lawyer Tang has very low character. He still steals my blanket.”

Zhou Yu-nan blinked a few times, then laughed as if she had seen everything. Her smile was even happier than before. Her hand seemed to be about to pinch Yan Liao’s face, but she caught a glimpse of the person walking toward them from the corner of her eye. So, she naturally changed direction and patted his shoulder instead. She smiled and sighed, “You’re so cute, little brother.”

Yan Liao had a bad temper, but he couldn’t be angry when someone said “you’re so cute” to his face like that. He took a step back to leave but suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. He looked up and met a pair of eyes that were smiling but not smiling.

He saw Tang Shaocheng in a black suit. He felt a thrill, like a jolt of electricity, run through his scalp. He even forgot to feel guilty. He swallowed and stared at this person walking toward him against the light.

Tang Shaocheng held his briefcase in one hand and rubbed his hair with the other. “What nonsense are you talking about now?”

“…Nothing.”

Yan Liao stopped talking, as if he had been caught red-handed. Lawyer Tang, who had “very low character,” was decent enough not to hit him. After greeting Zhou Yu-nan, he came out smoothly. “This is my boyfriend.”

It was the first time he had acknowledged their relationship in front of an outsider. Yan Liao was silent on the outside, but his heart was suddenly thundering. Then he heard Zhou Yu-nan laugh and say, “I guessed. He’s really adorable.”…He wanted to lower his head and find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

His face turned red, then even redder. He stood there silently, doubting himself. Zhou Yu-nan and Tang Shaocheng chatted for a few more minutes about the trial.

Yan Liao came back to his senses when he heard the sound of high heels walking away. He tugged on Tang Shaocheng’s clothes. “How did it go today?”

“It was fine. It went very smoothly.”

When they were back in the car, Tang Shaocheng asked slowly, “What’s this about me stealing your blanket?”

The underground parking lot was quiet and empty. The usual sounds and auras in the confined space of the car seemed to be magnified several times. Yan Liao looked at the white lights, gray walls, and red fire hydrant outside. He frowned and said in a very dignified and serious tone, “Don’t bring up old things. It’s not good.”

Yan Liao thought he had said it well and couldn’t help but nod.

Tang Shaocheng raised his hand to pinch his ear. Yan Liao instinctively leaned back to dodge it, forgetting he was in the car. The back of his head hit the window with a loud “bang.” He gasped in pain and rubbed his head.

Tang Shaocheng found it funny. “Dodging again?”

Yan Liao, as usual, spoke toughly and argued, “I’m not dodging.”

Tang Shaocheng rested his arm on the car seat back, his hand still suspended in the air. Yan Liao leaned in and moved back to his original position, his cheek resting on the palm of the other’s hand. He complained softly, “You’re so annoying. You’re so petty and hold grudges. You’re upset that I said bad things about you? Then why did you come out? You should have just said I was your brother,” he said, and when he saw Tang Shaocheng narrow his eyes, he quickly changed the subject with a guilty conscience. “…Sometimes I just wake up in the morning and can’t find the blanket.”

“I’m not upset.” Tang Shaocheng pinched his face, unable to hold back his laughter. “You’re the one who kicks,” he said, now seriously bringing up old things. “Last winter, you kicked a six-pound blanket onto the floor and made me get a cold with you. Anyone would think you’re running a marathon in your sleep.”

…