Watching the Setting Sun Along the Same Path - Chapter 23

An occasional car passed by on the street, perhaps its occupants casting a curious glance.

Lu Ruopei strode forward, his usual composure and calm shattered—likely the first time his expression had changed so drastically. He scrutinized Fei Yuan from head to toe, his gaze sharp enough to bore a hole through him. Recognizing that Fei Yuan also appeared to be a student, he loosened his clenched fist and commanded angrily, “I don’t care who you are. I’m Lu Ketong’s father. Let him go now.”

Fei Yuan remained remarkably calm. Still holding Lu Ketong’s arm, he tilted his head slightly and asked, “Lulu, is that true?”

Lu Ketong no longer hid behind him. He stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Fei Yuan, looking at Lu Ruopei but saying nothing. Lu Ruopei reached out to grab him, growling in a low voice, “Come home with me! I want a proper explanation!”

Lu Ketong struggled. Seeing this, Fei Yuan pulled him into his embrace and said to Lu Ruopei, “Uncle, it’s best not to resort to force.”

“What’s your name? Where are your parents?” Lu Ruopei glared at Fei Yuan, surprised that this young man showed no trace of panic. In fact, he seemed unnervingly composed. “Which school do you attend? The consequences of your actions are serious. You’ll regret this one day! Let him go!”

Lu Ketong kept his head raised. Suddenly, he asked, “How do you feel right now?”

“How do you feel seeing me with my boyfriend?” He stared into Lu Ruopei’s eyes, trembling as he leaned against Fei Yuan’s chest. Slowly, his weakness gave way to hysteria as he shouted, “Why did you break your promise?! You couldn’t even wait two more years! You gave it, and now you regret it!”

Lu Ruopei froze, his grip on Lu Ketong loosening. “Lulu, let’s go home first. We can talk properly once we’re home, okay?”

“I’m not going home. That house will be yours alone from now on.” He yanked his hand free, turned, and clung tightly to Fei Yuan, murmuring, “You should be relieved. I like men too—I’m just like you.”

A patrolling traffic officer approached in the distance and stopped beside Lu Ruopei’s car. The dense plane trees of summer obscured most of the streetlight, making it hard to see the situation clearly. The officer called out, “No parking here. Please move your car and motorcycle as soon as possible.”

Lu Ruopei didn’t move; he was beyond caring about such things. Lu Ketong released Fei Yuan but still clutched the hem of his shirt, pleading sorrowfully, “Fei Yuan, I’m sorry.” Then, slowly, he let go.

Fei Yuan didn’t know what had happened in Lu Ketong’s family, but he could sense that Lu Ruopei deeply cared for him. Still uneasy, he whispered, “If anything happens, call me. I’ll come get you right away.”

Without pausing as he passed Lu Ruopei, he walked straight to the motorcycle, mounted it, and started the engine.

Lu Ruopei approached Lu Ketong, his expression still stern. “Lulu, let’s go home first.” Lu Ketong glanced at Fei Yuan, then took a step back, mustering all his strength to shove Lu Ruopei away. Caught off guard, Lu Ruopei nearly stumbled.

He ran toward Fei Yuan, climbed onto the motorcycle behind him, and wrapped his arms tightly around Fei Yuan’s waist. The motorcycle roared to life, and Fei Yuan sped away with him, leaving the quiet street behind.

By the time Lu Ruopei reacted and got into his car to chase them, they had already vanished after he turned around and reached the intersection. In the back seat of his car were many of Lu Ketong’s favorite snacks, which he had bought from several places on his way home.

The phone rang—it was Wen Ning calling. “Ruopei, are you almost back?” Her voice was filled with worry. “Lulu said he was going to the convenience store to buy ice cream, but it’s so close and he still hasn’t returned. I just saw the study door open, and I’m afraid he found out.”

Lu Ruopei turned the steering wheel and said, “He did find out, and he ran off with someone else.”

“With who? Where did they go?” Wen Ning panicked instantly, her voice rising involuntarily. “I’ll head out right now. Let’s go look for him together.”

Wen Ning moved quickly, likely leaving as soon as she hung up. After getting into the car, Lu Ruopei said, “Let’s go to the police station to check the street surveillance footage. They were riding a motorcycle.”

“A motorcycle? Could it be one of his classmates?” Wen Ning remembered Lu Ketong mentioning a classmate who rode a motorcycle. “Did he say who it was? Could they hurt him…”

Lu Ruopei fell silent for a moment before replying, “He said it was his boyfriend.”

Wen Ning’s mouth fell open, unable to utter a word. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she turned to gaze blankly out the window, tears falling onto her lap. After a long pause, as they entered the police station courtyard, she murmured to herself, “…It must be fake. He’s just trying to upset you.”

After parking the car and turning off the engine, Lu Ruopei sighed and said, “Let’s find out where they went first. I need to make sure he’s safe.”

They went to the main surveillance room to review the footage. The cameras showed the motorcycle disappearing on Qiuye Street. The officer operating the system said, “There are many alleys over there without surveillance, so once he turned in, we lost sight of him. But the people living there are likely locals.”

“Ruopei,” Wen Ning’s heart was still in knots. She asked anxiously, “Should we go look for him right away? But he’s upset, and I’m afraid forcing things will only make it worse. Besides, there are so many neighbors in those alleys. What if we cause a scene?”

Lu Ruopei frowned deeply, suddenly remembering that Lu Ketong had called the other person by name. He quickly said, “Call Lulu’s homeroom teacher and ask if there’s someone named Fei Yuan.”

While Wen Ning made the call, he instructed the officer, “Contact the police station in the jurisdiction covering Qiuye Street and pull up Fei Yuan’s household registration records, including his parents and relatives.”

“How did it go?” he asked Wen Ning in the hallway after giving the order. Wen Ning looked slightly relieved and replied, “He’s Lulu’s classmate. He transferred last semester, and they get along very well. That boy also gets along with the other classmates. His mother seems to work at the Quality Inspection Bureau.”

Lu Ruopei felt temporarily reassured. Having parents with local jobs meant there were adults at home.

The noisy alleyway finally quieted down. Light of varying brightness shone from the gates of each courtyard. Fei Yuan’s motorcycle was parked against the wall, and everything seemed as peaceful as usual.

Lu Ketong stood awkwardly in the living room, timid and uncertain.

“You’re here?” Shen Duoyi walked to the window, spotted him, and called out, “Fei Yuan, I put your takeout in the fridge.”

“Got it.” Fei Yuan was changing clothes in the bedroom. After finishing, he came out and saw Lu Ketong still standing there. He pulled Lu Ketong over to sit at the dining table. “You’re too handsome to cry.”

Lu Ketong pressed his lips together tightly, holding back tears. “Are you hungry? When you called me, I was actually on my way to pick up the takeout.” Fei Yuan stood up and went to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he remembered Lu Ketong couldn’t handle spicy food.

“Have this, it’s chilled and will cool you down.” He placed a box of Longjing tea cakes on the table, then sat down. Seeing Lu Ketong still unresponsive, he said, “Come here, sit on my lap.”

Lu Ketong slowly stood up and was pulled onto Fei Yuan’s lap. His arms hung limply in front of him, his thumb nail digging rhythmically into the pad of his index finger. “Stop that.” Fei Yuan took his hand and kissed it, then handed him a piece of cake. “Have one.”

It was cool, with a bitter tea flavor. After finishing it, he started digging again.

Fei Yuan forced another piece into his mouth. Once he finished it, Fei Yuan said, “Let’s take a bath first. After washing, if you’re tired, you can go straight to sleep.”

He led Lu Ketong to the bathroom and showed him how to use it. “Wait until I bring you some clothes before you wash.” Fei Yuan turned to leave, but Lu Ketong suddenly grabbed his hand.

“Why aren’t you asking me?”

Fei Yuan pinched his chin. “You’re so listless, what’s there to ask? I might just ask you to death.”

Clean clothes hung on the wall. Lu Ketong closed his eyes under the shower, unable to stop wondering: Would Lu Ruopei be going crazy with worry? What about Wen Ning? Did Wen Ning miss him at all?

After the bath, he sat on a chair hugging his knees while Fei Yuan stood behind him, drying his hair. The clothes were a bit too big, making him look thin and small. His gaze was empty as he stared at the tabletop, blinking only occasionally.

“Alright, go to sleep.” Fei Yuan flicked the back of his head.

He didn’t move, looking at the potted plant on the table instead. “Has the String of Hearts grown?”

“Yes, and you’ve grown up too.”

Lu Ketong, who had been listless all this time, finally erupted again. Gripping the edge of the table, he stood up, his feet on the cold wooden floor, and shouted, “I haven’t! I don’t want to grow up!”

Fei Yuan wasn’t afraid of his outburst—it was the silence that worried him more. Kicking the chair aside, he grabbed Lu Ketong’s shoulder and pressed him against his chest, while his other hand cupped the back of Lu Ketong’s neck, soothing him.

“Do you want to talk now? If you do, I’m listening.”

Lu Ketong panted softly, then gently wrapped his arms around Fei Yuan’s waist and shook his head.

Fei Yuan bent down, lifted Lu Ketong by the hips, and carried him to the bed. Once set down, Lu Ketong grew listless again, reverting to his timid demeanor.

“Lulu, what are you afraid of?”

Lu Ketong burrowed under the covers, turning his back to Fei Yuan, and whispered, “I’m so tired. Can we just sleep?”

Fei Yuan went to take a shower. After finishing, he turned off the lights and got into bed, assuming Lu Ketong was already asleep. He lay down without even pulling the covers over himself. Just as he turned on his side, Lu Ketong suddenly turned over, wrapped in the blanket, and snuggled into his arms.

Fei Yuan pulled back the corner of the blanket and slipped inside, noticing that Lu Ketong’s clothes were twisted all over. “Are they too big? Are the underwear too big too?” he asked with a laugh, tugging at the fabric.

Lu Ketong pressed his forehead against Fei Yuan’s shoulder and said, “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

“Don’t roll around in the middle of the night and lose your shorts, or you’ll end up bare-bottomed.” He wrapped his arms around Lu Ketong and whispered, “Sleep now, and no snoring.”

The quiet room was filled only with the sound of cicadas chirping in the yard. Lu Ketong closed his eyes and leaned against Fei Yuan’s shoulder, opening them only after Fei Yuan’s breathing had evened out. In the faint light, he couldn’t make out Fei Yuan’s face clearly. He moved his lips and whispered “I’m sorry” once more.

In the middle of the night, Fei Yuan turned over, wanting to hold the person beside him tighter, but his hand met only empty air. Reaching out further, the sheets were cold too. Fei Yuan opened his eyes instantly—Lu Ketong was no longer by his side.

He immediately turned on the light and sat up, only to see Lu Ketong sitting on the chair again in that same posture. “Why are you up?” he asked as he walked over, gently stroking Lu Ketong’s hair.

Lu Ketong held the pot of String of Hearts in both hands, struggling to catch his breath. “Do you know why I act so childish? Because I want to stay a kid forever.”

“I don’t want to grow up, I don’t want to turn eighteen, because once I’m an adult, Wen Ning will leave.” He touched the leaves of the String of Hearts, his fingertips trembling slightly, tears falling onto the table. “But now, she won’t even get to see me become an adult.”

“Lulu…”

Lu Ketong turned and hugged him, saying so pitifully, “Fei Yuan, I’m going to lose my mom again.”

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