Watching the Setting Sun Along the Same Path - Chapter 12

The poor bicycle stand had been saddled with Lu Ketong for several days now, abandoned there.

But over these past few days, Lu Ketong felt like he had been abandoned too. Ever since that fight, Fei Yuan hadn’t paid him any attention—neither forgiving him nor scolding him. He hadn’t even reacted when Lu Ketong skipped school.

What’s more, Fei Yuan barely spoke in their group chat, so Lu Ketong couldn’t even read into anything.

“Lulu, aren’t you going home yet? Why are you always hanging around my place because of that Fei guy?” Qiu Luomin was getting seriously annoyed and issued an eviction notice as soon as he got home.

Already in a bad mood, Lu Ketong retorted, “I even folded your blanket today, and you’re kicking me out?”

“Well, you ate my family’s food too, and you eat so much.” Qiu Luomin leaned against the headboard, looking as if he were in postpartum confinement, and said, “You can’t keep skipping school over such a trivial matter. It makes it seem like you care too much.”

Lu Ketong leaned against the other side of the headboard, staring blankly. “But I do care.”

Qiu Luomin was speechless and shut his mouth, too lazy to deal with it anymore. Sensing the situation, Lu Ketong said, “I’ll let you win every time we play games from now on. What do you want for your birthday this year? I’ll get it for you.”

“Let me win? I win every time anyway.” Qiu Luomin got up and put on his jacket. “My birthday wish this year is to live a peaceful life. Can you make that happen for me?”

Lu Ketong pouted. “That’s basically the same as cutting ties with me.”

After dinner, Qiu Luomin escorted Lu Ketong home, reminding him to study hard. Before leaving, as if remembering something, he lowered his voice and said, “Lulu, if you break up, of course that’s even better. But if you don’t, don’t let him bully you.”

“He’s already bullied me. He said he’d hit me.” Lu Ketong’s heart was broken.

Qiu Luomin whispered even softer, “Not that kind of bullying! You haven’t even figured things out yet, and you’re already trying to date like others! Holding hands is fine, but nothing else, got it?”

Lu Ketong nodded, watching Qiu Luomin leave, thinking to himself that Fei hadn’t even held his hand—he’d just kissed him directly.

In the morning, Fei Yuan left without eating. Fei Dean looked at the pastries and cake on the table, unwilling to touch them because they were too sweet. Lin Yuzhu peeled a salted duck egg and said, “If you don’t like sweet things, why did you buy so much? We’ve been eating them for days and still can’t finish them. What a waste.”

“Didn’t you buy them?” Fei Dean reluctantly ate with the salted duck egg. “I always thought you bought them. Anyway, it wasn’t me.”

Lin Yuzhu was puzzled too. “That’s weird. Oh well, let’s just eat them anyway.”

It was still early when Fei Yuan arrived at the classroom, but surprisingly, Lu Ketong had arrived even earlier. As Fei Yuan passed by, he glanced over and then walked on. Lu Ketong was itching with anxiety but had to pretend to be completely calm.

There was no helping it. Fei Yuan always followed the principle of “a beating solves everything,” no matter who it was. Lu Ketong, on the other hand, was used to the rule of “just coax me and I’ll be fine.” The two were simply incompatible. And Fei Yuan refused to listen to his ways, insisting on teaching him a lesson.

They didn’t exchange a single word all day. When it was time to hand out homework after school, the class monitor passed by Lu Ketong and asked, “Such a pleasant Friday, why aren’t you happy?”

Lu Ketong stacked his test papers one by one, deliberately speaking loudly. “Someone hurt my feelings and ignored my efforts.”

The class monitor patted his shoulder, comforting him. “I understand. If you didn’t do well this time, just try harder next time. The biology teacher didn’t fail you on purpose.”

“What?” Lu Ketong had been lovesick all day, completely oblivious to anything else. He unfolded the rolled-up test paper and exclaimed angrily, “How could I fail?! Do I have to buy my way through biology class too?!”

He turned around and realized Fei Yuan had long since disappeared, probably having left while he was talking to the class monitor. Heartbroken in love and defeated in exams, he felt so pained he wished he could forget everything.

He picked up his bike and headed home. As the wind blew on the way, he suddenly understood a truth: being tough with Fei Yuan was useless. When he turned into his street, memories flooded back, and he realized something else—he really liked Fei Yuan.

“That day, he wouldn’t let me leave here, and today he just walked away on his own.” He was utterly heartbroken.

Early Saturday morning, before Wen Ning woke up, Lu Ketong quietly sneaked into the greenhouse and stole a few small potted plants. Carrying the box, he hailed a taxi on the street, sweating from the effort.

“Driver, to Qiuye Alley.”

He had no idea whether Fei Yuan was awake or not, but he couldn’t care less. Fei Yuan couldn’t keep ignoring him—what if Shen Duoyi took advantage of the situation?

The driver dropped him off at the entrance of the alley. Carrying the box of potted plants, he huffed and puffed his way inside. When he reached the courtyard gate of Fei Yuan’s house, he didn’t go in. Instead, he took out the plants, placed the box on the ground, and sat down against the wall.

He sat there for over an hour until someone finally came out of the courtyard. Lu Ketong looked up and thought, “Damn, what are the odds?” It was Shen Duoyi again.

Shen Duoyi was also stunned. He walked over and asked, “What are you doing here? And what’s with the display?”

Lu Ketong tilted his head up and said, “What’s it to you? My dad’s from the city management team!”

Shen Duoyi went back inside after throwing out the trash. Lu Ketong lowered his head again, looking at his potted plants, and quietly arranged them into the shape of a heart. Before he could finish, another middle-aged man approached.

“How much are these?”

“No bargaining,” he said without looking up, waving his hand. “Fifty per pot, a hundred for two.”

Lin Yuzhu was preparing to make dumplings for lunch, kneading dough while watching TV. Fei Dean returned from having tea and said, “There’s a kid selling potted plants at the door, fifty per pot. Pretty funny.”

Lin Yuzhu was too focused on the TV to listen, her eyes fixed on the screen as she shouted, “Fei Yuan, my bike pedal isn’t working right. Take it out to get it fixed and pumped up.”

Fei Yuan came out of the room wearing a short-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, then pushed the bike out to get it repaired. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he saw Lu Ketong. Lu Ketong had finally waited for him, sitting up straight and staring at him eagerly.

“How long have you been here?”

“Since this morning.” Lu Ketong didn’t know if Fei Yuan had noticed the heart he’d arranged and asked obediently, “Are you still dating me?”

Fei Yuan ignored him and pushed his bike toward the alley entrance. Lu Ketong’s straight posture slumped as he buried his face in his knees, feeling both sad and confused. Why wouldn’t Fei Yuan respond to either toughness or softness?

When Fei Yuan returned after fixing the bike, he didn’t even glance at Lu Ketong before going inside.

Around noon, the aroma of food wafted through the alley. Lu Ketong was starving. He angrily plucked a leaf from one of the potted plants and muttered, “Who’s frying meat? It smells so good!”

“You’re still here?”

Shen Duoyi was heading out to work and was surprised to find Lu Ketong still there and that Fei Yuan hadn’t done anything about it. He glared at Lu Ketong before turning back inside.

Lu Ketong thought to himself, “Mind your own business,” but within two minutes, Shen Duoyi came out again, walking over to stand above him and look down. “Don’t starve to death,” Shen Duoyi said, then raised his hand and tossed a large pear into Lu Ketong’s lap.

“For me?” Lu Ketong was stunned. He lowered his head and took a bite, still stubbornly asking, “Did you wash it?”

Shen Duoyi replied, “No, hope it gives you diarrhea.”

After finishing the meal, Lu Ketong went to the courtyard to collect the laundry. Lin Yuzhu noticed the kid at the gate and felt she hadn’t seen him before. As she went inside to fold the clothes, Fei Yuan happened to come out of the bedroom. She said, “This pile is yours, put it in the closet yourself.”

After Fei Yuan put them away and came out again, Lin Yuzhu asked, “Who’s that kid at the gate? Why has he been sitting there all this time?”

Fei Yuan said, “My boyfriend.”

Lin Yuzhu picked up another pile of clothes and asked again, “What did you say? Who?”

“My boyfriend. He’s reflecting on his mistakes.” Fei Yuan said as he walked out, turning back to ask her, “Isn’t he super cute?”

Lin Yuzhu hadn’t processed it yet. What? Boyfriend? She hurried into the bedroom and said, “Fei Dean, your son says the kid at the gate is his boyfriend. Is he messing with me?”

Fei Dean was changing into a new belt and replied calmly, “Of course he’s messing with you. That kid is clearly selling potted plants at a stall. Are you done yet? Weren’t we supposed to go to Old Zhou’s place?”

Lu Ketong had fallen asleep with his face buried in his knees and didn’t notice Fei Yuan walking up to him. He only woke up when Fei Yuan ruffled the back of his head. Upon waking, he asked the same question again: “Are you still dating me?”

Before Fei Yuan could answer, Fei Dean and Lin Yuzhu came out of the courtyard. They were heading out, and Fei Dean said, “Bargain for two pots. A hundred bucks is just fooling around.”

Lin Yuzhu didn’t say anything, just glanced back several times.

Fei Yuan crouched down and gently wiped the reddened corner of Lu Ketong’s eyes with his thumb. “Is this the heart you arranged for me?”

“Yeah.” Lu Ketong went to hug Fei Yuan’s shoulders. Fei Yuan helped him up, and Lu Ketong wobbled a bit, his legs sore and numb from sitting too long. Fei Yuan took his hand and led him back home for the second time.

Lu Ketong stood in the courtyard waiting as Fei Yuan brought the potted plants inside.

“Let me arrange them, let me arrange them.” Lu Ketong ignored his numb legs, picked up a pot, and placed it under the tree. “Put the Purple Pearl here, so when you see it in the courtyard, you’ll think of me.”

“Put the Winter Beauty on the windowsill, so you’ll think of me when you come and go.”

“This Black Mage goes inside. I’m going in now,” he said as he entered the house, with Fei Yuan smiling and following behind. “Next to the floor lamp, so the light makes it look nice.”

“And the String of Hearts, this one has to go in your room.”

Fei Yuan watched as Lu Ketong placed the last pot of String of Hearts on his desk. Then he walked over and wrapped his arms around Lu Ketong, whispering, “Where should I put you?”

Lu Ketong pouted. “Wherever. It’s not like I can control you.”

“You’re still acting aggrieved.” Fei Yuan pinched him lightly. “You never had good intentions from the start, trying to catch my attention and scheme against me, right? Now that you’re caught, you’re still not convinced, yelling at me. Lu Ketong, do you even have any shame?”

His tone wasn’t harsh at all, as if he were teasing a child. Lu Ketong leaned against him and nuzzled. “I was wrong. I just want you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Fei Yuan’s kiss landed on his temple, pressing his head against his shoulder. Lu Ketong wrapped his arms around Fei Yuan’s waist, relieved that the matter was finally over, when suddenly he jolted.

Fei Yuan’s hand slipped inside his clothes and rested on his back. Remembering what Qiu Luomin had said—at most holding hands, nothing more—Lu Ketong whispered, “You’re touching me.”

Fei Yuan asked calmly, “Not allowed?”

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Ketong replied with a hint of grievance, “I didn’t say it’s not allowed. Don’t accuse me wrongly.”

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