True or False - Chapter 8

It is never ideal for people to get too close, especially in a place where one does not intend to stay for long.

Shen Hengxi understood this logic deeply, yet he subconsciously felt it was a social tenet meant only for adults.

It was already the fourth day without his morning dining partner. Shen Hengxi thought about this as he walked toward the soup dumpling shop.

The moment he entered, the proprietress’s voice called out, “You’re here!”

After learning that Shen Hengxi wasn’t a local, Auntie Li made an effort to speak in her somewhat broken Mandarin whenever she saw him. “The usual?”

Shen Hengxi nodded with a smile.

The shop wasn’t very crowded at this hour, and the kitchen wasn’t overly busy, so Auntie Li sat down to chat with him. “Xiao Ang went back to school, didn’t he?”

“Mhm?”

“The National Day holiday is over. Xiao Ang is in his third year of high school now; he must have headed to school early this morning.” Auntie Li placed the soup dumplings on his table.

Perhaps because Chu Xi-ang always gave off an air of maturity, Shen Hengxi had genuinely forgotten that the kid was still a high school student. He let out a soft chuckle as he poured his vinegar. “Right, of course.”

“Xiao Ang is quite a pitiful one, sigh. Neither his father nor his mother are good people, yet they somehow produced such a sensible child.” After saying this, Auntie Li gave Shen Hengxi a polite nod. “Enjoy your meal; I’m going back to work.”

Shen Hengxi didn’t feel much toward Auntie Li’s comment, but he surmised that this seventeen-year-old kid must be very well-liked in his daily life. Then again, with a face like that, even the angriest person would likely calm down upon seeing him.

He had a lot on his mind today, likely because he was eating alone.

When he first decided to come to this small town, he hadn’t thought about how long he would stay. He had arrived with a burst of hot-blooded determination, but now, after two weeks, that emotion had dwindled to a mere exhaust fume. If asked when he planned to return, Shen Hengxi couldn’t say. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to leave, but rather that the things he carried in his heart hadn’t been sorted out yet.

He finished his breakfast slowly, paid the bill, and went into the shop next door to buy a pack of cigarettes.

He didn’t smoke often, but he felt a bit restless today.

On the way home, Shen Hengxi lit a cigarette, taking a puff and then letting it rest. He only ended up taking three puffs from the entire cigarette. Crushing the butt and tossing it into a trash can, he let the wind blow on him for a while before finally turning into the alley.

He knew his own character; once he decided on something, he had to straighten everything out from beginning to end. Emotions were the same. He knew why his mood was poor—it was purely because he missed home. Even at twenty-six, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with that, but he just couldn’t bring himself to lower his pride and make a phone call.

He let out a sigh, and for some reason, the kid came to mind again.

He was much better off than that kid. Setting aside their family backgrounds, his parents had never laid a hand on him in all his years. He even had an older brother who fussed over him constantly. Looking at it that way, Shen Hengxi felt a bit of heartache for the boy.

How did he end up with such a personality?

The chemistry between people is a strange thing. If you had asked Shen Hengxi if he ever imagined becoming dining partners with a kid nine years his junior, he truly wouldn’t have considered it. Thinking back to the scene when they first met, Shen Hengxi wanted to laugh.

With these thoughts, he arrived home. Once he opened his door, the homesickness vanished.

However, the moment he stepped inside, that hollow feeling returned. Only then did he feel that the days were becoming a bit monotonous.

As was his habit, he brewed tea and carried it to the balcony. Looking down, he noticed a cluster of fallen leaves had gathered on the ground.

He didn’t know how he managed to pass the entire day, but the moment he heard footsteps outside the door, Shen Hengxi opened it without a second thought, coming face-to-face with Chu Xi-ang who was walking upstairs.

Shen Hengxi tilted his chin up and snapped his fingers. “Haven’t seen you in a few days. I thought you were avoiding me.”

Chu Xi-ang had a smile on his face, and his pace up the stairs quickened slightly. “I’m a high school senior, Brother.”

“You don’t give me that impression,” Shen Hengxi replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Chu Xi-ang’s eyes widened a bit. “I originally wanted to tell you, but I leave so early in the morning, I figured you’d still be sleeping.”

“Sigh, I thought I’d lost my dining partner just like that,” Shen Hengxi joked.

Chu Xi-ang squinted his eyes as he laughed. He didn’t mind the comment and didn’t feel the need to answer it directly. “Are we going to eat now?”

“Forget it. You’re a high schooler; I’m afraid of disturbing your studies.”

Chu Xi-ang let out a laugh. “It’s not like that. Let’s go, let’s get barbecue.”

“It really won’t affect you?”

“It really won’t.”

The back-and-forth was somewhat comical. Chu Xi-ang turned first and hopped down the steps. “Let’s go, Brother. Barbecue again?”

Shen Hengxi followed behind him. “Since it’s a late-night snack, barbecue is the most appropriate.”

Because of the cold weather, the boy was wearing a hoodie over his clothes. As he hopped down the stairs, the hood bounced up and down. Shen Hengxi watched this, reached out to hook the tip of the hood, and the boy turned back to look at him, his eyes filled with silent inquiry.

“I see you’re in a good mood today.” Shen Hengxi didn’t let go; he walked up to his side and smoothed out the hood.

Chu Xi-ang continued to smile. “Ah, you could tell, Brother?”

Shen Hengxi only smiled in return.

“I just went to the hospital.” Chu Xi-ang lowered his head as he continued walking down. “The doctor said I’m recovering very well. I can have the stitches removed in two weeks.”

The boy stared at his own arm as he spoke. Shen Hengxi also looked over. “Did you get stitches?”

Perhaps not expecting him to ask that, Chu Xi-ang froze for a moment before nodding. “Mhm.”

“Then don’t eat barbecue today. You’re having a bowl of noodles,” Shen Hengxi continued.

Chu Xi-ang’s mouth hung open. “And just watch you eat?”

“Mhm. Just watch me eat.”

Hearing Shen Hengxi say “Mhm” [rendering of the casual en-ne], Chu Xi-ang let out a laugh. Shen Hengxi had a very pleasant voice; the first note of every word he spoke had a slight magnetic quality low, raspy, and gentle.

“That works too.” Chu Xi-ang hopped down the last step.

When they arrived at the barbecue shop, there were still a few tables occupied. Chu Xi-ang’s gaze swept over them before he said to Shen Hengxi, “Brother, take whatever you want to eat.”

Shen Hengxi gestured with his chin toward an empty table. “Go sit down. I’ll order you a bowl of noodles.”

“Alright.”

After Chu Xi-ang sat down, he didn’t look anywhere else; he just stared at Shen Hengxi’s back.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for a few days, Shen Hengxi didn’t seem distant. For instance, when he walked upstairs earlier, he hadn’t expected to run into Shen Hengxi. When he looked up at that door, he had collided with the other’s smiling eyes. Thinking of this, Chu Xi-ang pursed his lips and subconsciously looked over again.

Shen Hengxi turned around to find the kid with the sling staring at him with blinking eyes.

“Ordered you a bowl of beef noodles.” He walked over and snapped his fingers again.

Chu Xi-ang crinkled his eyes again. “Thanks, Brother.”

He wasn’t someone who enjoyed talking much, especially at the dining table. But looking at Shen Hengxi, who was propping his arm up and playing with a pair of chopsticks, Chu Xi-ang asked anyway, “Brother, what have you been up to these past few days?”

Shen Hengxi didn’t look up. “Being bored. I went to eat soup dumplings in the morning, then went back home. Thanks to you, the proprietress knows me now. Every time I go, she chats with me for a while.”

“Ah, and you can understand her?” Chu Xi-ang’s gaze also landed on those chopsticks.

“What?” Shen Hengxi asked.

“Auntie Li, the shop owner.” Chu Xi-ang looked into Shen Hengxi’s eyes. “Auntie Li’s Mandarin isn’t very standard. You’re okay talking with her?”

Shen Hengxi lowered his hand and leaned back against the chair. “It’s fine. It’s crowded there in the morning; she can’t say much to me anyway. It’s mostly just a greeting and then it’s over.”

Chu Xi-ang nodded and didn’t speak again.

The continuation of a conversation is built upon the emotional foundation between people. Between him and Shen Hengxi, it was just a nodding acquaintance, and at most, a neighborly connection. Although Shen Hengxi always used the term “dining partners,” he knew in his heart that this was only a temporary arrangement.

Growing up in such a family environment, Chu Xi-ang knew how to read faces. He knew what to say and when to say it, and he also knew that he wouldn’t truly connect with anyone. This was something he had learned a principle he kept at the bottom of his heart.

The two were silent for a moment, making the surrounding tables seem quite noisy. Chu Xi-ang sat upright, lowering his head slightly to look at Shen Hengxi’s hands resting on the table.

How is it that every part of this person looks so good?

The silent atmosphere was truly agonizing. Just as Chu Xi-ang was thinking of a way to continue the topic, his beef noodles were served.

The large bowl of noodles was placed in the middle. Shen Hengxi pushed it slightly toward him and handed him chopsticks. “Can you eat with your left hand?”

“No problem.” Likely afraid the other wouldn’t believe him, Chu Xi-ang used his left hand to fork a large portion of noodles. Before he could get them to his mouth, they slid back into the bowl with a splash, splattering soup all over his face.

Shen Hengxi was amused. He covered his forehead with one hand, laughing softly, while handing him a tissue with the other.

“Fine, I believe you. It’s ‘no problem’ indeed.” Saying this, he went to the front counter to ask for a small bowl and portioned out some of Chu Xi-ang’s noodles. “Eat.”

Looking at the small bowl in front of him, Chu Xi-ang felt an unprecedented sense of embarrassment. He squeezed his earlobe and muttered a thank you.

The two finished their meal in silence, neither knowing what the other was thinking. When Chu Xi-ang wanted to pay the bill, he was stopped by Shen Hengxi. “Just pretend I have money with nowhere to spend it and wanted to treat you to a late-night snack.”

Chu Xi-ang withdrew his hand, staring at the man as he calmly took out his phone to scan the QR code and pay, his lips pressed tight.

After returning and saying goodbye to Shen Hengxi, Chu Xi-ang went home. The moment he opened his door, he saw light leaking from the room next to his through the closed door. He said nothing and went straight to his own room.

The old residential area truly lived up to the word “old.” Lying on his bed, Chu Xi-ang could hear the sound of rot separated only by a wall.

His eyes saw nothing, yet even with headphones on, the nauseating sounds like maggots in a gutter always found a crack to crawl through, wantonly violating every part of his body.

Chu Xi-ang’s arm began to throb in waves, and sweat broke out at his temples. He clenched his molars tight, desperately suppressing his anger, but the giggling from the other room crawled into his withered, broken places.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Xi-ang grabbed the desk lamp from his bedside and hurled it violently at the wall, roaring, “Get the fuck away from me!”

For a moment, the startled cry of a woman and the cursing of a man intertwined. Chu Xi-ang’s chest heaved as he turned his MP3 music up louder, trying to drown it out.

Chu Hui’s cursing continued. A bedroom door opened, making his voice even louder.

“Fucking pockmarked brat, ruining my good time. You have a mother to raise you but you don’t recognize your father, do you? Stupid piece of shit, wasting my goddamn time…”

Too many foul words bombarded him. Chu Xi-ang pulled his quilt up over his head, turning his back irritably. He wasn’t afraid of Chu Hui opening the door; after all, that man’s meager courage was entirely spent on his affairs. But being separated only by a wall felt genuinely disgusting.

Another door slammed; Chu Hui must have taken the woman out.

Chu Xi-ang didn’t pull back the quilt; he kept his face covered. In the confined space, even breathing was a luxury. Actually, it felt quite good to be smothered like this—no one knowing, no one thinking. How nice. But for some reason, Shen Hengxi’s face suddenly flashed through his mind.

He said they were dining partners.

Dining partners… they have to eat together every day, don’t they?

Chu Xi-ang’s grip on the quilt loosened slightly. The air didn’t seem so thin anymore. Let’s eat together again tomorrow, he thought dizzily.