The lights in Luo Wenzhou's house were not only on, they were on rather aggressively, pouring out of the living room onto the balcony.
Luo Wenzhou stared, got out of the car and looked around, and not far away found a very familiar car. "Strange, today isn't Friday."
"Today is Friday," Fei Du said helplessly.
Luo Wenzhou: "…"
So-called Friday was like a beauty set off by family background and splendid attire; remove the meaning of its name, and the thing itself was worthless. For someone who had to work on festivals and holidays and had gotten the days of the week confused, it would instead become a source of increased grief and indignation.
Luo Wenzhou sighed. As he urged Fei Du to hurry up and not dawdle outside, he casually said, "It's fine. It's because there aren't many parking spaces. The neighbors leave to spend the weekend in the countryside on Friday and Saturday evenings, so we can get by using one of their spots for a while—my parents sometimes come over on Friday evenings to bring me some stuff, though they may not have time to come more than once every few months. Then they come sit for a while and leave."
Fei Du's steps suddenly stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
The corridor's sound-operated lights hadn't been working very smoothly lately; you had to stamp hard to awaken them. Now they were still.
Fei Du was standing half inside and half outside, the glow of the streetlights surrounding his shoulders in a pale halo.
What would his parents think, coming over and suddenly seeing a strange man living here?
Fei Du hesitated, not knowing how he should introduce himself.
A colleague? A friend? A roommate? Or… In a flash, Fei Du remembered seeing Mu Xiaoqing at the hospital that day; what had her last meaningful words meant? Had Luo Wenzhou officially come out of the closet to his parents? Or had that lady just been relying on a mother's instincts and sounding him out?
This was Luo Wenzhou's private business. Fei Du had never asked about it, and he had nothing to judge from.
Exchanges between physical bodies were after all only a brief expression of desire. Fei Du thought that the relationship between him and Luo Wenzhou was a tangle of unclear ambiguity; it became more confused with each step. He was accustomed to carefully analyzing and arranging everything about himself. He only now realized with a start that in this, he didn't even have a sense of boundaries or any plans; he'd just let things develop as they would. It was as though he were going downstream in a little boat, not caring about the direction, not caring about the hidden reefs; if he encountered a whirlpool and was swallowed by it, he wasn't planning on struggling6.
Luo Wenzhou looked back, looking right into his eyes. "What's wrong?"
Luo Wenzhou's expression was so matter-of-fact that it seemed he hadn't noticed at all that there was anything inappropriate in this scene.
Fei Du paused, then tactfully tried, "With your parents here, won't I be a little in the way?"
The tips of Luo Wenzhou's eyebrows moved slightly. Perhaps it was because it was too dark all around and Fei Du couldn't see his subtle expression clearly, or perhaps it was because Luo Wenzhou was accustomed to not showing his emotions on his face, and the more genuine feelings he had, the more unmoved he looked… At any rate, Fei Du actually couldn't tell for a time what his meaning was.
Then, as though nothing were the matter, Luo Wenzhou said, "It's fine. They know you're here. The two of them came to look at you when you were in the hospital, though you weren't entirely conscious then. And my mom came to bring you food afterwards, you must remember?"
Fei Du gave a brief affirmative and relaxed, thinking he'd understood Luo Wenzhou's implication—it seemed that to Luo Wenzhou's parents, he would be a friend who had saved their son's life, "friendless and uncared for," with no one to mind him, and since they were both single young men, he was staying here as a rent-reducing roommate until his wounds were completely healed. Probably the couple had heard that he'd gotten out of the hospital and come over especially to have a look at him out of gratitude and politeness.
Having determined his own position, Fei Du's faltering state of mind immediately settled, and he became easy again, once more becoming the President Fei who could talk to anyone in their own language.
He didn't see the hand hanging at Luo Wenzhou's side tighten.
In previous days, when the door had opened, it had been Luo Yiguo coming out to welcome them. Now circumstances had changed, and Mu Xiaoqing herself came out. As soon as she saw Luo Wenzhou, she quickly began to grumble. "Why so late? I was just about to call you."
Before Fei Du could speak, Mu Xiaoqing was very familiarly pulling him inside, comfortably rebuking him, "It's freezing cold outside and you're going out dressed like that without anyone to mind, hurry in and get warm.—Have you two eaten?"
"We ate." Luo Wenzhou looked around. "My goodness, have you two come to aid the poor or to visit a prisoner in jail? There's no place to stand. What's this about?"
His entrance hall was nearly stacked full of all kinds of big and small boxes. There wasn't even anywhere to change shoes. Luo Wenzhou looked through them. He found that there were mushrooms, prepared foods, tea leaves, fruit, snacks…and a pile of wantonly extravagant cans of cat food.
In all honestly, Luo Yiguo weighed nearly fifteen jin!
"Why is there so much milk, I don't drink the stuff… Oh, and there's a set of cat toys, wonderful. You picked your son up off the ground, but the cat is your own flesh and blood."
"We didn't buy the milk for you, don't flatter yourself," Mu Xiaoqing said. "What could there be at your dining hall that's good to eat, it's all oily and salty. It's fine if a crude and robust specimen like you eats slop two meals a day, but how could you wrong an injured person by making him eat it along with you?"
Luo Wenzhou rolled his eyes towards Fei Du—as if he would let himself be wronged. He not only ordered take-out for himself, he also had to drag the whole Criminal Investigation Team into corruption along with him; it was rather vicious. But in the end, after restraining himself for a moment, he snorted and silently swallowed down this singular injustice throughout the ages, angrily shouldering the stack of things in the entrance hall and putting them away without complaint.
From the moment the two of them had walked through the door, the mother and son had been going seamlessly back and forth, like a comic crosstalk. An outsider couldn't get a word in at all. Only when Luo Wenzhou left carrying the stuff did Fei Du have an opportunity to calmly stick out his hand and say to Mu Xiaoqing, "If I had known earlier that you were going to come over, I would have gone ahead to pick you up. After all, I'm only learning on the job. I can't help out at all at the City Bureau."
Mu Xiaoqing loved listening to his mouthful of entirely unreserved graceful talk. Because she felt that this young man was cut from same cloth as her son, she had no sense of guilt that the pig she'd raised had ruined a cabbage and happily took him into the living room.
Fei Du immediately saw Luo Cheng sitting on the living room couch. Unlike Mu Xiaoqing, you could see this gentleman's blood relationship to Luo Wenzhou from his features.
There was gray at Luo Cheng's temples. Unlike ordinary middle-aged men, he hadn't put on weight and grown a belly. His back was straight, and there was a sober crease between his brows. He had an unfathomable sense of presence just sitting there on the couch, the sort of character that would be given the seat at the head of the table as soon as he walked into a private room at a restaurant…only the atmosphere was somewhat spoiled by the fact that he was holding a cat in his arms.
Luo Cheng and Fei Du exchanged a look; in a very short space of time, these two sophisticates from two different generations examined each other. Fei Du overlooked the fact that the venerable fellow was playing a paw-catching game with the cat and greeted him very suitably. "Hello, uncle. Sorry to disturb you."
Luo Cheng nodded. Then, in an unprecedented event, this "retired emperor," who would matter-of-factly make his own lamed son give up his seat for him, stood up and quite amiably said to Fei Du, "You're looking better. Come and sit down, quickly."
Luo Yiguo yowled, rolling in the retired emperor's arms, aggressively climbing up onto his shoulder and licking its paws in this lofty position.
"We've wanted to come see you for a long time, but that blockhead Luo Wenzhou kept saying we'd disturb your rest," Mu Xiaoqing said very warmly. "Are you comfortable living here? If you need anything, just order him around. It won't kill him."
Fei Du choked, because he faintly felt that Mu Xiaoqing's tone was too intimate. Then he very cautiously said, "Shixiong takes pretty good care of me."
Hearing this form of address, Mu Xiaoqing didn't say anything, but the corners of her eyes were full of a meaningful smile.
When Luo Wenzhou had finished ungrudgingly clearing the entrance hall and somewhat worriedly stuck in his head to have a look, he found that their high-maintenance Master Fei and even more high-maintenance elderly gentleman were already chatting.
Fei Du had pulled out a "youthful talent" face; he was very well-acquainted with dealing with this sort of middle-aged man. He'd entirely restrained his air of an idle son of the wealthy, leaving not a shred behind. He and the old man each occupied one corner of the couch, looking just like an investing businessman and a government representative preparing to collaborate on developing the city center.
Fei Du had said something that was making Luo Cheng nod repeatedly; there was a hefty cat sitting on his head, his brow was for once smoothed out, and he was earnestly remarking, "That's a very good idea of yours, I'll flesh it out carefully when I leave and write a detailed report and send it to…"
Mu Xiaoqing hurriedly gave a dry cough and stuck a tangerine segment in his mouth, interrupting her old man's inopportune babble.
It really was late. Hearing that tomorrow would be another day of catastrophic overtime at the City Bureau, Luo Cheng and Mu Xiaoqing didn't stay long. They sat for a while, then stood up and got ready to leave. Fei Du's etiquette was complete; of course he wanted to see them out. He was pushed back by Mu Xiaoqing.
"Stay inside," Mu Xiaoqing said. Then she turned to Luo Wenzhou and ordered, "You're a few years older than he is, you should take some more responsibility and restrain your spoiled temper at home, do you hear me?"
This speech was so domestic as to make it suspect. Luo Wenzhou agreed indolently, but Fei Du froze.
Then Luo Cheng spoke, saying to Fei Du, "I hear your parents are both not around. If you encounter anything in the future that you really can't deal with, you can come to us."
Fei Du was surprised and bewildered. Meeting those eyes that resembled Luo Wenzhou's, he saw that Luo Cheng was actually smiling faintly at him, the expression on his imposing face almost kindly.
Mu Xiaoqing waved at him and stuck her hand into Luo Cheng's pocket to keep warm. Beaming, she said, "Our son has been heartless since he was little. It's been years since I saw him cry…"
Not waiting for her to finish, Luo Wenzhou yowled and cried out, "See you!" then closed the door, shutting out the rest of Mu Xiaoqing's words.
With Mu Xiaoqing and Luo Cheng gone, the tumultuous living room at once quieted down. Luo Wenzhou knew that the old things hadn't been able to contain themselves and had run over to see Fei Du. At first it had been all right, but in the end they'd sounded like they'd been enjoining a daughter-in-law. Fei Du had a monster-revealing mirror in his heart; he could see clearly through a conspiracy with only the slightest clue, never mind such an obvious demonstration.
Luo Wenzhou hadn't let them come all this time because he'd been afraid they would rashly pierce through the window paper, but now that it had come to this, in spite of himself he was rather expectantly awaiting Fei Du's reaction—never mind whether it was a good reaction or a bad reaction; at least it would resolve the anxiety of hesitating in place.
In contradictory fashion, he didn't dare to look at Fei Du's expression. He only seemingly indifferently complained, "They came without even calling ahead. They really know how to make trouble. I'll go heat up some milk."
Fei Du's gaze, which seemed to have physical presence, bored heavily into his back, watching him tear open a box of milk, pour a bit into a saucer for Luo Yiguo, then pour the rest into a cup, mix in a spoonful of honey, and stick it into the microwave.
Luo Wenzhou knew that Fei Du was watching him, but he couldn't determine the meaning of that gaze. His tongue moved; he thought over and over of bringing the subject up, breaking the awkward silence, but searching his guts and belly he still couldn't think of what he wanted to say. A thin layer of sweat broke out on his back. In the whole kitchen, the only sound remaining in the silence was the whirring of the microwave.
Then the microwave beeped. Luo Wenzhou pulled himself together and reached out to open the door. Suddenly, a hand reached over from behind him, catching his wrist.
Luo Wenzhou gave a start. He'd been lost in thought just now and hadn't noticed Fei Du approaching.
"What did you tell your parents?" Fei Du asked, teasing, carefully stroked his wrist. "I think there's been a big misunderstanding."
Luo Wenzhou's throat moved slightly.
Fei Du laughed quietly, pecking at the most sensitive place at the base of his ear, his other hand untucking Luo Wenzhou's shirt. "I just got a scare. Shouldn't you make it up to me, shixiong? My technique really is very good. Just try it, I guarantee…"
Luo Wenzhou held down his groping paw.
Fei Du was planning to cover this awkwardness up. Luo Wenzhou was perfectly well aware of the situation and knew what was tactful; of course he understood. If he only went along with this, he could enjoy a bit of unburdened sex before the miserable weekend of overtime, then everyone could cheerfully carry on with the previous ambiguity, happily going on…
Until at long last the conditions were right…or the two of them parted ways.
"Too rash," Luo Wenzhou told himself.
Then he peeled Fei Du's hand off of himself, turned, and said to him a word at a time, "My parents have always been fairly permissive towards me, especially after I became an adult. As long as my general direction was all right, they wouldn't come to interfere—as for who I hung out with, whether I had boyfriends or girlfriends, how I did my job, that was all my business. They wouldn't ask about it."
Fei Du faintly sensed what he was going to say and stared dumbly at him.
"There's nothing to misunderstand." Luo Wenzhou's hand tightened involuntarily, encircling Fei Du's wrist hard enough to hurt a little. "They came over on purpose to see you today and behaved that way because I formally told them…"
Fei Du was inexplicably somewhat panicked and tried subconsciously to interrupt him. "Shixiong."
"…that you're the person I'm planning to spend a lifetime with."
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Author's Note:
(6) Useful note: The second character of Luo Wenzhou's given name (舟) means "boat"; the same character is used in the paragraph above. Fei Du's given name (渡) means "ferrying across."