True or False - Chapter 14

After sending the boy off, Shen Hengxi lay on his bed but found sleep elusive.

The kid could act as though nothing had happened after being drunk, carrying on as usual, but as a twenty-six-year-old man who had already entered society, Shen Hengxi couldn’t be quite so nonchalant.

The words Chu Xi-ang spoke last night had opened a fissure in his heart. Previously, he had been unwilling to look back at certain things, but now that the gap was open, memories came flooding back like a tilling tide. Some things, no matter how much you avoid them, will reappear when the time is right.

Shen Hengxi let out a sigh, got out of bed, and walked toward the tea table on the balcony. Subconsciously, he was accustomed to thinking while brewing tea. As he took out the tea set and the leaves, his mind gradually cleared as he looked down.

The kid was right: he had been bottling up too much lately. He had started thinking about it after that phone call to his mother. It was true that he had come to this small town with a lot of emotions; this was the place where his grandfather had lived, but now the man was gone, leaving an empty shell that only added to his nostalgia and regret.

Hot water poured from the pot, cascading over the tea leaves, and the rising steam carried a faint fragrance. Shen Hengxi smelled it, and his heart calmed down. He couldn’t stay here for long; he had realized that last time. The things he cared about weren’t here, and he couldn’t stay forever. But whether or not he was ready to take that step forward  he truly hadn’t decided.

The tea was brewed. The phone lying beside him rang. Shen Hengxi looked at it and suddenly let out a laugh. Perhaps Heaven secretly arranges things sometimes.

Looking at the message on the screen, Shen Hengxi picked up his cup and blew on it.

Brother, when are you coming back? The entertainment industry still has your spot reserved. If you don’t return, who dares to climb up there?

The tea entered his mouth. The initial taste was slightly bitter, but the aftertaste grew more and more fragrant. Shen Hengxi poured himself another cup. After finishing the whole pot, he picked up his phone and replied:

Wait for me.

The tea leaves at the bottom of the pot had settled, their fragrance spent. Shen Hengxi stood up, took a deep breath, and decided that since he had sorted things out, he could go back to sleep.

A sentence from the kid had struck a chord in the depths of his heart: No matter what emotions you’re carrying, you have to move forward.

Chu Xi-ang was a bit distracted during class. The drink last night had been far too sudden. Thinking of this, the symbols in his textbook seemed to grow legs, coalescing into the nonsensical, grandiose words he had spouted.

The students in the front row were whispering about something, their heads close together, letting out occasional snickers. Chu Xi-ang shifted his right arm and decided to set aside the thoughts in his head for now. Just as he lowered his head, Ling Wu turned around to call him. He looked up slightly but didn’t speak.

Ling Wu asked with a smile, “Chu Xi-ang, did you hear what we were talking about?”

Chu Xi-ang lowered his eyes. “No.”

“Ah, I guess we were being very quiet then,” Ling Wu continued. “We were just discussing who likes whom.”

In that moment, Chu Xi-ang’s eyes fixed on a specific spot in his book, motionless, while Shen Hengxi’s face flashed through his mind. It was a completely unconscious thought, and by the time he realized it, even his breathing hitched. The alcohol from last night really was powerful.

Returning to his senses, Chu Xi-ang didn’t look up, only offering an “Mhm.”

Ling Wu asked again, “So, do you have someone you like?”

“No.” He used his left hand to circle an answer in his book, refusing without a second thought.

The topic should have ended there, but sometimes the infinite imagination sparked by a single sentence keeps a conversation going. Someone else joined in, “No one? I guess that makes sense; you’re so handsome, there must be many people who like you instead.”

Chu Xi-ang didn’t respond. When one person stops participating in a conversation, they lose their right to speak within it.

Chu Xi-ang barely moved his right arm today; he had subconsciously taken Shen Hengxi’s words from the morning to heart. Perhaps because the man was rooted in his mind all day, he brought back a portion of fried noodles when he went home. The school had recently started a late-night snack service to provide an extra meal for students after their evening self-study sessions. Chu Xi-ang had heard someone say the fried noodles in the cafeteria were delicious.

Carrying the steaming container, he knocked on Shen Hengxi’s door, not giving even a glance toward the other door behind him. The door opened quickly, and Shen Hengxi turned back toward the apartment without even looking at him.

“You knew it was me?” Chu Xi-ang asked.

“Who else would come looking for me in this town at this hour?” Shen Hengxi walked over with the first-aid kit. “Except you.”

Chu Xi-ang smiled and placed the fried noodles on the table. He sat on a chair, took off his jacket, and pulled up his sleeve. “Fried noodles from school. People say they’re great; try some.”

“Leave it there; I’ll eat it in a bit.” Shen Hengxi took out gauze and cotton swabs, looking down with a smile. “You’re quite obedient today.”

No matter how much he tried not to think about it, Chu Xi-ang couldn’t withstand that comment. Moreover, his “thick skin” was nonexistent in front of Shen Hengxi. He lowered his head further. “Brother, stop teasing me.”

Shen Hengxi laughed and said nothing. When the kid first called him “Brother,” it was a bit awkward, but now, every time he opened his mouth, it started with “Brother.” Thinking of this, he glanced at Chu Xi-ang. “I’m not teasing. Aren’t you eating the noodles?”

Chu Xi-ang pulled his sleeve down and shook his head. “No. There are onions in it; I don’t like them.”

The sense of closeness between people develops invisibly. Shen Hengxi let out a soft sound and put away the medical kit, leaving the table space for the boy to do his homework.

The room was very warm; Chu Xi-ang was only wearing a thin shirt. Sharing the same roof, neither of them spoke, yet an invisible thread seemed to bind them together.

Shen Hengxi sliced some fruit and brought it over, then took the bowl of fried noodles to the coffee table to eat. For a moment, the room was filled with the aroma. Chu Xi-ang turned around and asked, “Is it good?”

“Not bad,” Shen Hengxi gave an honest evaluation.

Chu Xi-ang laughed at that. “The school has a lot of items on the menu. Should I bring you something different every day?”

Shen Hengxi shot him a glance. “How does that work out?”

“It doesn’t have to ‘work out’. You’re sheltering me, and I’m making up for it with a late-night snack. It’s only natural.” Chu Xi-ang rested his chin on the back of the chair.

Shen Hengxi neither refused nor agreed, only lifting his chin. “There’s fruit on the table; help yourself.”

Chu Xi-ang turned back, used a toothpick to pop a piece of fruit into his mouth, and said indistinctly, “Someone’s calling you.”

The phone had been tossed on the table when he brought out the fruit. It had been on silent since he napped in the afternoon. Shen Hengxi walked over, looked at the screen, and stepped out onto the balcony.

When he answered, he didn’t speak first, just listened quietly to the person on the other end, his eyes fixed on the view outside. The distance from the living room to the balcony was just enough for Shen Hengxi to see Chu Xi-ang’s back. Because the kid’s clothes were thin and he was leaning down, his shoulder blades were visible through the fabric.

Still so thin.

He didn’t know what was said on the phone, but he lowered his eyes and let out an “Mhm,” followed by “Wait until I get back to discuss it.”

The balcony window was cracked open, and the wind drifted in. Tonight’s wind seemed cooler, brushing against his skin like a cold compress after a burn, sending goosebumps down his arms. Shen Hengxi lit a cigarette and held it in his mouth. He hadn’t even processed why there were cigarettes on the balcony; he only knew that after taking a deep drag, the smoke he exhaled rose to merge with the moonlight, hazy and mysterious.

The apartment was only so big. Chu Xi-ang, smelling the smoke, walked over and blurted out, “You smoke too?”

The sudden voice startled Shen Hengxi, who was lost in thought. The cigarette fell to the floor. “You scared me.”

The cigarette slowly went out on the ground. Chu Xi-ang felt a bit of heartache for it and pointed. “Is that cigarette expensive? Should we pick it up and light it again?”

Shen Hengxi’s somber thoughts were completely dispelled by the interruption. He knelt to pick up the cigarette and tossed it into the trash. “It hasn’t come to that yet.”

Chu Xi-ang nodded and looked out the window. After a moment of quiet, he couldn’t help but sniffle. “Brother, do we have to stand here in the cold wind? The smoke in the room should be mostly gone by now.”

“Sigh, I really…”

Shen Hengxi didn’t finish his sentence. He closed the window, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Are you stupid?”

Chu Xi-ang rubbed his left hand vigorously, unable to bear the cold, and returned to the living room first. “I was just curious. I’ve never seen you smoke, Brother.”

“Seen it now?” Shen Hengxi followed him back.

“Seen it.” Chu Xi-ang nodded. “As expected, only handsome people should do that. If someone took a picture of you standing there and posted it online, you’d definitely go viral.”

Shen Hengxi only smiled.

Feeling the cold fade, Chu Xi-ang began packing his things. “Thanks for letting me stay a bit, Brother. I’m heading back now. I’ll bring you a snack again tomorrow.”

Watching the boy’s retreating back, Shen Hengxi let out a whisper of a sigh. “Wear more tomorrow; the temperature is going to drop.”

“Mhm. I’m off, Brother.” Chu Xi-ang waved a hand.

The door opened and closed. Even if a bit of cold air drifted in, it wasn’t felt. The kid was like a mirror; he understood things but didn’t say them out loud, always knowing how to help someone take that step forward.

Thinking about the phone call, Shen Hengxi sat on the sofa and dialed his brother’s number, but hung up quickly. Shen Tingci sent a message asking what was wrong. He looked at it for a long time and thought for even longer before replying:

Preparing to come back. Giving you a heads-up so you can arrange the welcome banquet in advance.

There wasn’t an immediate reply. About ten minutes later, his brother wrote back:

A welcome banquet for you? What are you dreaming about?

Shen Hengxi looked at the words and didn’t reply, but the stone that had been weighing on his heart finally seemed to hit the ground. He thought that tomorrow he should ask the kid if there were any local specialties. After being away from home for so many days, it wouldn’t be right to go back empty-handed. He just didn’t know what the kid would think when he left.

After all, they had said it was just a chance encounter.

But in that short time tonight, Chu Xi-ang had also picked up on a few things. He was naturally sensitive to emotions; with just a little attention, he understood the situation. Lying in bed without drawing the curtains, his eyes fixed on the moon, he felt the bright orb change from yellow to white, then to red, until finally, he remembered the cigarette butt on the balcony.

Chu Xi-ang wasn’t slow. He knew that no matter how many people moved in and out of the apartment opposite, it was just an empty shell.

Before closing his eyes, he thought: This is enough. This is already enough.