Watching the Setting Sun Along the Same Path - Chapter 15

It was just past nine when they left KFC. Lu Ketong looked at Fei Yuan expectantly, his eyes practically twinkling with little stars. Fei Yuan slung an arm over his shoulder and led him down the street, saying, “Come on, let’s go on a date.”

Lu Ketong pressed his lips together, grinning foolishly. After a moment, he said, “I want to go to an internet cafe!”

Two great joys in life: the wedding night and surfing the web. Lu Ketong was still at the age where he was obsessed with the latter—easy to please. In the morning, the place wasn’t too crowded, so they booked a small private room to play games. Lu Ketong logged into his account and angrily slapped the table again. “I asked him to level up for me, and he just went and got me killed!”

Fei Yuan had originally planned to just keep the kid company for a while, but hearing this, he changed his mind. He walked over, pulled Lu Ketong up, and said, “You ask someone to level up for you and still complain? From now on, I’ll do it for you.”

“No way. If I complain, won’t you beat me up?” He scooted his chair closer, craning his neck to look at the screen. Seeing how awkward his posture was, Fei Yuan grabbed him by the waist and lifted him, placing him right in front of himself.

Lu Ketong felt like he was on fire again, unsure how to put it out. He flopped face-first onto the table, burying his face completely.

Fei Yuan gently patted the back of his head. “Don’t be shy. How am I supposed to play if you’re blocking the keyboard?”

No choice but to sit up, still steaming. Fei Yuan wrapped his arms around him, his chest brushing against Lu Ketong’s back—it was just too embarrassing. Lu Ketong no longer cared whether his character was leveling up. “I’ll go buy something to eat.”

“Didn’t we just eat?” Fei Yuan knew exactly what was going on. He deliberately bounced his bent leg up and down, making Lu Ketong nearly lose his mind before he collapsed onto the table again.

“Such good gear, such a low level—aren’t you a bit dumb?”

“Dumb,” Lu Ketong admitted, lifting his head to look at the screen. “Qiu Luomin doesn’t take me seriously. When we run dungeons, he complains I’m holding him back.”

Fei Yuan leaned down slightly, his lips brushing against Lu Ketong’s hair as he continued playing. “Why should he accommodate you? For things like this, you need a boyfriend. Got it?”

Lu Ketong’s heart melted. He just wanted to lie down and roll around, overflowing with joy he didn’t know how to express, so excited he started scratching the table.

By noon, Lin Yuzhu had finished cooking and set the table. She went to the courtyard gate to peer outside, then came back muttering, “He’s been out all morning. Who knows where he’s run off to?”

Shen Duoyi had come back and gone straight to sleep, only getting up now to cook. He went to the courtyard sink to wash vegetables. “Fei Yuan ran into a classmate. They might be hanging out together. You and Uncle shouldn’t wait for him.”

“He didn’t even say anything. We’ll save food without him.” Lin Yuzhu walked over and took the basin of greens from Shen Duoyi. “Call Grandpa over to eat with us. We won’t leave any for him.”

Fei Yuan and Lu Ketong strolled along the pedestrian street, snacking as they went. Lu Ketong really could eat—like a goose leaving traces, he left money behind wherever he went. Fei Yuan held a large cup of chocolate milk for him, occasionally offering him a sip.

“I saw your dad when I was doing the orientation the other day. I even said hi to him.”

“Yeah? Excited?”

“Of course!” Lu Ketong stuffed two small meatballs into his mouth, chewing twice before swallowing. “He invited me over to your place. Once I start studying hard in senior year, what if he asks about my grades then?”

Fei Yuan said, “You’ve already been to my place twice. It’s my turn to go to yours.”

Lu Ketong’s heart skipped a beat. He knew Fei Yuan was deliberately teasing him, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Amid the bustling crowd and noisy surroundings, he tugged at Fei Yuan’s arm and stopped, asking, “No matter what mistake I make, will you always forgive me?”

“That depends on your luck.” Fei Yuan pulled his arm free, took his hand instead, and said, “I’ll set up a points system for you. Good behavior earns five points, throwing a tantrum deducts five, and making a big mistake costs two hundred. As long as your points aren’t negative, you’re safe.”

Hearing this, Lu Ketong quickly took the milk carton back into his own hands. He couldn’t risk being penalized for laziness or greediness.

They reached the commercial street, crowded with weekend shoppers, every shop bustling with business. Only then did he remember their original plan: to buy a DSLR camera.

He wasn’t very knowledgeable about cameras, and even the salesperson’s explanations left him confused. Fei Yuan asked, “Is Qiu Luomin getting into photography again?”

“Do you think I have no mind of my own?” Lu Ketong was annoyed. Fei Yuan could see through everything he did, and it was embarrassing. “I just want to buy one to take pictures of you every day, or you take pictures of me. We can hang them up on a photo wall later—it’ll be so meaningful.”

Fei Yuan pinched the back of his neck and asked, “Hang it at your place or mine?”

Lu Ketong turned his head and whispered, “Our place, of course.”

After picking one out, Fei Yuan was about to pay, but Lu Ketong wouldn’t allow it. He rushed forward with his card in hand. After paying, he hugged the camera and declared, “I paid for it, so I can take pictures of whatever I want. You can’t stop me from photographing others either.”

Fei Yuan found this amusing. “Who else do you want to photograph?”

“Anyone who likes me.” He lowered his head, fiddling with the camera, and started listing names. “You’re number one, then my mom, Qiu’er, Qiu’s mom, and the class monitor. Oh, and Jian Xin too—he definitely likes me. Wang Haoyan can forget it; he only likes Jian Xin.”

“Hey, do you think Shen Duoyi likes me?”

Fei Yuan was utterly exasperated. He hung the camera strap around Lu Ketong’s neck and said, “Who wouldn’t like you?”

They discussed where to go for photos and finally decided on the beach. The weather was warm, making the seaside comfortable and scenic. As soon as they got out of the car, Lu Ketong dashed off like a fool, plopping down on the sand and pressing the shutter repeatedly.

Fei Yuan walked up from behind, holding his jacket in one hand. Lu Ketong twisted around to take over a dozen shots. Though technically lacking, he was utterly captivated.

“Are you going to take pictures of me? I’m ready.”

Fei Yuan took the camera, adjusted the focus, and raised it to his eye. Lu Ketong waved and asked, “Can you lie down to take the shot? It’ll make my legs look longer.”

“Don’t push it.” Fei Yuan finished taking the photos, put the camera away, and handed it to Lu Ketong to carry. “Take off your shoes and go play.”

Lu Ketong neatly placed his shoes aside, rolled up his pant legs, revealing his pale, slender calves, and ran toward the sea. He let the incoming waves wash over his feet and then sprinted along the shoreline.

Fei Yuan followed slowly behind, watching a young father playing with his child on the sand. The child had just learned to walk, and the father stretched out his arms, saying, “Come here, baby. Daddy will hold you.”

Fei Yuan lowered his eyes and chuckled, then broke into a run toward Lu Ketong. When they were about ten meters apart, he stopped and called out, “Lulu, come here.”

Lu Ketong turned and saw Fei Yuan with his arms open, understanding immediately. He pursed his lips, took a few steps back, then started sprinting, shouting as he ran, “What did you just call me?!”

“Lulu, run faster.”

Fei Yuan was right in front of him. With a forceful leap, he sprang straight onto Fei Yuan’s back. As Fei Yuan caught him, he said, “Daddy’s got you.”

“Damn!”

Holding him steady, Fei Yuan asked, “Want me to lift you high?” Without waiting for a reply, he tossed him up and down a few times. Clinging tightly to Fei Yuan’s shoulders, he giggled with delight.

They stayed until dusk. Lu Ketong sat on the beach with his legs bent, while Fei Yuan held his ankle and brushed the sand off his feet, asking if he was cold. He shook his head, unable to resist curling his toes.

“Ticklish? Your face is so red.”

“It’s just the sun,” Lu Ketong refused to admit it, though his own blush blended seamlessly with the glow of the setting sun, making it hard to distinguish. He shifted closer to Fei Yuan and pulled out the camera again. “Let’s take a photo of the sunset.”

Fei Yuan wrapped his arms around him, his hand enveloping Lu Ketong’s, and said, “Adjust the focus first, make sure it’s clear.” Lu Ketong stared into the lens, the horizon awash in a fiery orange, like an oil painting.

“Look,” Fei Yuan said, and he nodded, replying that he saw it. Fei Yuan chuckled softly by his ear and whispered, “Look at me.”

Just as he turned his head, Fei Yuan kissed him, then pressed the shutter with his finger against Lu Ketong’s. In that moment, what they captured was perhaps the most beautiful dusk.

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