Watching the Setting Sun Along the Same Path - Chapter 17

From the moment he walked into the classroom with a bag full of photos, Lu Ketong once again became the star of Class 3, Grade 11.

This class was full of flashy boys and fangirls, with Fei Yuan being the only one as cold as a teacher. Surrounded by a circle of classmates, Lu Ketong clutched the bag and asked the girls, “Who do you want to see?”

“Fei Yuan and the freshman boys!”

“So straightforward. Why don’t you want to see me?” He had always considered himself a beauty, so this felt like a blow. The class life committee member, who acted like his big sister, even patted his cheek and said, “We could draw your little face with our eyes closed. We treat you like our own little brother.”

Fine. He pulled out the photos and tossed them on the desk, handing each boy a group photo as a keepsake. The classroom was chaotic—some complained about their poses, others said their eyes weren’t wide enough.

Lu Ketong took another bag from his backpack and quietly handed it to Fei Yuan. “I printed the ones from our beach trip too. One for you, one for me.”

Fei Yuan reached out and scratched his chin, as if he were about to toss him a biscuit.

During the long break, Lu Ketong took the photos to the freshman floor. Peeking through the back door of a classroom, he spotted Wang Haoyan and Jian Xin chatting and laughing.

“Jian Xin, come out, come out.”

Jian Xin turned around, smiled when he saw him, and hurried out. “Lulu, did you come just to deliver the photos? Thanks.” Seeing Jian Xin automatically turned Lu Ketong into a little sweetheart. Leaning against the railing, he said, “I really missed you.”

“Why are you missing our Jian Xin?” Wang Haoyan followed him out, his tone half-dead.

Lu Ketong wasn’t fond of anyone surnamed Wang. The girls in his class fangirled over Fei Yuan, but they even skipped him to fangirl over this guy. He wrapped an arm around Jian Xin’s shoulder and asked, “Do you think I took good photos?”

Jian Xin nodded. “Yeah, I think they’re really good.”

Imitating Fei Yuan’s usual expression which was basically no expression and lowering his voice, he said, “That’s because you’re good-looking, so the photos turned out well.”

Wang Haoyan couldn’t take it anymore. “Lu Ketong, could you just stop?”

After school, he had to rush home for dinner and tutoring. Lu Ruopei was busy, so only he and Wen Ning were home. “Lulu, it’s English class today. Did you finish the homework from last week?” Wen Ning was always worrying.

“Finished. I really hate English class.” Lu Ketong carefully placed the photos into an album, all seventy of them. As he finished, he remembered Qiu Luomin, who was excellent at English, and quickly sent a message before the teacher arrived: “Autumn’s Fairy Tale, any secrets to learning English well?”

Qiu Luomin replied instantly: “Listen, speak, read, write, practice. Being handsome is key.”

Goodness, how shameless.

The lights in the courtyard were brighter now because Fei Yuan had replaced them with higher-wattage bulbs. With Old Master Shen inside, Fei Yuan claimed the lounge chair for himself. Shen Duoyi came home a bit later and had just finished dinner. He came out with his textbooks, ready to do his homework.

“No work today?”

“Quit. Found a small tutoring gig after school for elementary kids.” Shen Duoyi noticed the test papers on the table and asked, “Why are you always resting? Done studying?”

Fei Yuan stood up, pulled a small stool closer, and sat down. “Just taking a break after watering the flowers. You’re stricter than my mom.”

Shen Duoyi pursed his lips and focused on his work. Just as he was about to finish, Fei Yuan moved closer, took the test papers, and said, “Explain these problems. I’ve been thinking about them for a while.”

“Got any scratch paper?” Shen Duoyi had always been a top student, the kind who could settle down and study all day. After explaining a few problems, he twirled his pen and asked, “What’s gotten into you, studying on your own?”

Fei Yuan couldn’t help but smile. “The kid’s been putting in effort lately, so I’m keeping him company.”

“Ugh, that’s so cheesy,” Shen Duoyi teased, then noticed the kraft paper bag on the corner of the desk, curious about what was inside. Fei Yuan pulled out the photos from the bag, examining them one by one under the light.

Sky and sea.

Fei Yuan, Fei Yuan, and more Fei Yuan.

Lu Ketong grinning foolishly.

Sunset at dusk.

Shen Duoyi stared blankly after looking through them. “You took this many photos of just these things?” Fei Yuan picked up the one of Lu Ketong’s silly grin and sighed helplessly. “If you count the blurry ones, there’d be enough to fill a shopping bag.”

Just then, Lin Yuzhu called him from inside the room. He put down the photos and went in. Lin Yuzhu was watching TV with Fei Dean and said, “We’re going to burn paper offerings for your grandma this week. Are you coming?”

“No.” Usually, their generation didn’t need to go for such things. Even if they did, it was mostly just eating, chatting, and playing cards afterward.

Fei Dean had been waiting for this answer and immediately said, “Then go scrub the bamboo mat. It’s getting hot, and we’ll need to lay it out soon.”

After the elders finished assigning tasks, Fei Yuan came out to find Shen Duoyi had already finished reciting his vocabulary words. He packed the photos back into the bag—it was almost time for bed. Shen Duoyi still hadn’t moved. “I’ll read a bit more. I’ll clean up the desk.”

On Friday after school, Fei Yuan walked Lu Ketong home. When they arrived, the stubborn kid still didn’t want to get out of the car, so Fei Yuan let him lean on his back, and the two of them just stayed by the roadside like that.

“Boss, wanna go on a date tomorrow?”

It had been a while since Lu Ketong called him that, and he asked so pitifully. Fei Yuan knew his tricks. “Sure, come find me tomorrow.” Lu Ketong said eagerly, “I want to eat the tofu pudding sold at the entrance of your alley.”

“I’ll buy you a whole pot.”

“I don’t like fried dough sticks. How are their sugar pancakes?”

“Not as sweet as you.”

Those three words kept him smiling all night, and he woke up early the next day. Already familiar with the way, he passed a fruit shop on the road. Lu Ketong had been taught since childhood not to visit empty-handed—except when going to Qiu Luomin’s house. He did a quick mental calculation and bought seven dragon fruits.

Fei Yuan was about to scrub the bamboo mat. He had just moved it outside, and even Shen Duoyi, who helped, was sweating. Seeing Lu Ketong come in, Shen Duoyi let go and said, “Perfect timing. I’m outta here.”

Lu Ketong had never been quick on the uptake when it came to chores. He went straight to the point: “Is the tofu pudding inside?”

“Help yourself.” Fei Yuan leaned the bamboo mat against a tree, then connected a plastic pipe to the faucet in the yard and started rinsing it. After a while, he glanced back and saw Lu Ketong sitting on a small stool by the door, eating from a bowl, looking utterly well-behaved.

After finishing, Lu Ketong washed the bowl, put it away, and sat back down properly. Fei Yuan swung the hose, spraying water all over him. When Lu Ketong lunged at him, flailing wildly, Fei Yuan caught him with one arm and said, “Be my pet at my place.”

Lu Ketong wiped the water off his face onto Fei Yuan’s clothes. “You spray me when I don’t work—if I were your pet, you’d abuse me all day!” With that, he picked up the brush nearby and started scrubbing the bamboo mat. He had figured it out: dating someone surnamed Fei cured all ailments, forcing him to become independent twenty years ahead of time.

After scrubbing the mat, he finally got to rest inside. He kicked off his shoes and sprawled on Fei Yuan’s bed, wriggling to make room when Fei Yuan came in. Fei Yuan slapped his butt and asked, “Happy with today’s date?”

“Happy? I was almost heartbroken.” Lu Ketong rolled over, saw the photo album on the table, and hugged it to his chest as he opened it. “Let me see what photographic art is all about.”

He flipped through the pages one by one, growing happier with each turn. But when he reached the last page, his mood suddenly darkened. He asked, extremely displeased, “Why are two missing?”

Fei Yuan didn’t even know how many there were in total. “Missing? That shouldn’t be.”

“You know it shouldn’t be?” Lu Ketong’s eyes shifted, and he closed the album. “There were seventy in total, and I remember every single one. I printed them all for you, and you don’t even cherish them.”

After saying that, he went to put on his shoes and walked out. From happy to unhappy to exploding, it took only half a minute. Fei Yuan followed him out and said, “They probably fell somewhere. I’m sure we can find them.”

“You can look for them yourself!”

Lu Ketong walked out with a sullen face, stopping only after turning the corner outside the courtyard. He waited for two minutes, but no one came after him. He had finally caught Fei Yuan making a mistake, hoping to gain the upper hand for once—had it all been for nothing?

All that fake anger for nothing.

He turned back and went inside. Fei Yuan stood with his arms crossed, watching him. “Calmed down?” Annoying. Lu Ketong picked up the bag of dragon fruit he had bought and said, “I’m not looking for you. I’m looking for Shen Duoyi.”

He walked to Shen Duoyi’s door and called out, “Shen Duoyi, I bought dragon fruit for you. Can I come in?”

Old Master Shen answered, and Lu Ketong went inside, placing the dragon fruit on the table. “Grandpa, can I stay at your place for a while?” Shen Duoyi called him from inside the room, and he picked the largest dragon fruit before heading over.

“You’re reading?” Lu Ketong pulled up a chair and sat next to Shen Duoyi, then began peeling the dragon fruit. “Actually, I counted when I bought them. Three for Fei Yuan’s family, one for you and Grandpa each, one for me, and one more for him.”

“What were you two arguing about?”

“Nothing much. He lost two of our photos.” Lu Ketong sighed. “They probably fell somewhere. But it’s rare for him to make a mistake, and I thought he’d try to make it up to me.”

Shen Duoyi lowered his head, pursing his lips. “It’s ripe, easy to peel.” He glanced at the book on the table, it didn’t seem like a textbook and asked curiously, “Are you reading a novel? I like martial arts stories.”

He reached out to flip the book, wanting to see the cover. Shen Duoyi reflexively brushed his hand away, but he had already touched it. With a rustle, the pages scattered and fell to the ground, revealing a photo tucked inside.

It was a photo of Fei Yuan.

Shen Duoyi picked up the book and the photo, placing them on the table, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment after being exposed. The atmosphere was too awkward. Lu Ketong hadn’t expected this either. He awkwardly held up the dragon fruit in his hand and asked, “…Do you still want it?”

Shen Duoyi shook his head, but Lu Ketong kept holding it out, so he leaned down and took a small bite.

“I meant for you to take it, not for me to feed you.” Lu Ketong muttered, then took a big bite himself. Sadly, he said, “I can’t even tell if it’s sweet anymore.”

Shen Duoyi whispered, “I’m sorry.” After saying that, he turned to look at Lu Ketong, noticing his pouting expression as if he were about to cry. Remembering what Fei Yuan had said—it was too amusing—he couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Lu Ketong watched Shen Duoyi smile at him, hesitated for a moment, and finally smiled too.

After laughing, he asked quietly, “Do you like him? I could tell at a glance.”

“I don’t even know myself,” Shen Duoyi replied somewhat despondently. Lu Ketong tucked the photo back into the book and said, “I’ll give it to you. Anyway, there are others in the class who like him—one more won’t make a difference.”

Shen Duoyi asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

“No, as long as the photo isn’t lost. I’ll be going then.” He stood up and left, but as soon as he stepped out of the room, his spirits sank. He wasn’t afraid of others liking Fei Yuan; he was afraid that Fei Yuan didn’t like him enough.

Hearing the noise, Fei Yuan came out of the room and walked up to him. “Are you going to cry?”

“I’m too handsome to cry.”

“Come on, let’s go back and vent.” Fei Yuan wrapped an arm around him and led him back to the bedroom. Looking at the messy desk and bed, Lu Ketong guessed that Fei Yuan must have been searching for the photo all along.

“I remembered wrong. There were sixty-nine photos, and now one is missing. But it’s fine if it’s gone.”

His tone was so pitiful that Fei Yuan couldn’t understand why he was so upset—he wasn’t even throwing a tantrum. Fei Yuan pulled Lu Ketong into his arms, patting his back, and whispered, “Lulu, check under the pillow.”

Lu Ketong, still dazed, reached under the pillow and found the missing photo—the one with his silly grin. It turned out Fei Yuan had kept his photo under the pillow.

Suddenly, he felt afraid of nothing.

He broke into a wide grin, but after laughing, his face flushed bright red. He asked softly, “Did you do that while looking at my photo?”

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