CH 101

the clear moonlight silently bathed the stone pathway. not far away, the children had already grown tired of the slide and begun singing nursery rhymes with incomprehensible lyrics.

their innocent humming blended with the night, gradually becoming a part of the cool evening.

qi yanbai’s breathing grew gradually deeper. he stood on his tiptoes, leaning against lu ye’s arm, like a delicate flower, greedily and urgently drawing nourishment from him.

“lu ye—”

as their lips and tongue intertwined, qi yanbai mumbled lu ye’s name indistinctly in between kisses. lu ye responded with a soft grunt, tightening his grip around qi yanbai’s waist.

“what?” lu ye asked.

“you think we look like we’re having an affair like this?” qi yanbai’s mind wandered freely when he was excited, and he appeared more audacious than usual. he pinched the firm muscles beneath his hand, feeling lu ye’s heightened tension compared to usual. unable to resist, he squinted seductively  and said, “i think you’re more nervous than usual.”

“is that so?” lu ye chuckled and followed up on his words, “so with your experience, have you ever had an affair before?”

“of course, after all, you’re the one i stole.” qi yanbai’s eyes curved as he reached out to cup lu ye’s face, leaning in to kiss the corner of his lips, his words somewhat unclear. “you’re my treasure.”

qi yanbai never spared affectionate words; he was always extravagant and passionate, eager to assign every term symbolizing “treasure” to lu ye. lu ye, as a grown man who had received a reserved upbringing, initially found it a bit cheesy. however, after hearing it countless times, he had surprisingly grown used to it.

while they spoke, the innocent nursery rhymes from outside had disappeared without a trace, replaced by the clear voice of a child. qi yanbai’s attention was momentarily diverted as he heard a little girl clapping her hands.

“let’s play hide and seek!” she said. “you guys run, and i’ll catch you.”

as soon as she finished speaking, there was a sudden rush of hurried and chaotic footsteps from outside, with most of them running in the opposite direction. only one set of footsteps seemed to be getting closer, almost reaching the edge of the flowerbed.

“how about hiding here?” qi yanbai heard a half-grown boy mutter to himself. “but it’s too dark here…”

the voice was too close, almost as if there was only a narrow electrical room separating them. qi yanbai, who still had some dignity left, felt a sudden tightness in his heart upon hearing this and subconsciously tried to separate from lu ye. however, before he could put some distance between them, the hand behind him suddenly exerted force, pulling him back into lu ye’s embrace.

“ye ge—mmm!”

qi yanbai’s eyes widened suddenly. he didn’t even finish his sentence before lu ye firmly silenced him with a kiss.

lu ye clearly held a grudge, and he seemed to have been influenced by qi yanbai, kissing him passionately and boldly without hesitation. he pried open qi yanbai’s lips without a second thought, trapping him in place, unable to move.

qi yanbai had been daring when teasing lu ye before, but now he was the one feeling nervous. he tensed up, his body becoming rigid, and even his breathing became shallow.

lu ye’s hand slid up and down his waistline while grabbing his butt, feeling his tense muscles. he chuckled softly and asked in a husky voice, “…who’s more nervous now, hmm?”

qi yanbai, who had always been under his control, couldn’t speak. he could only look at lu ye, pleadingly, making a faint, animalistic whimper from his throat.

this kiss was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. qi yanbai’s adam’s apple bobbed for a moment. in just a few seconds, his legs grew weak, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his back, sticking his shirt to his body.

“you weren’t afraid earlier, were you?” lu ye asked with a smile. “why are you nervous now?”

qi yanbai thought to himself that it was completely different. before, he had at least walked in the open, unlike now, where he was hanging onto lu ye and couldn’t tear himself away.

fortunately, the child outside perhaps feared the dark and gave up after lingering around the bushes for a while. in the end, they didn’t gather the courage to come in.

as qi yanbai listened to the fading footsteps, he unconsciously relaxed and nestled in lu ye’s arms.

this kiss lasted for a long time, only ending when the playful noise in the small garden had completely disappeared. lu ye and qi yanbai walked out of the bushes behind the electrical room one after the other.

it was dark, and the ground was slippery. when qi yanbai came from behind the electrical room, his clothes were messed up, his collar was open, and his pants were covered in dry leaves. at first glance, it was hard to tell where he had come from, but his entire appearance was like a “crime scene.”

“we’re in trouble,” qi yanbai said nervously as lu ye smoothed his collar for him. “it’s going to be hard to explain this.”

lu ye had always been an upright and honest person, and this was the first time he had “committed a crime.” it seemed that he had been influenced by qi yanbai and was now stuck in this situation with no way out.

“it’s better if we can’t explain,” lu ye chuckled and said, “congratulations, with your possessiveness, your wish will probably come true soon.”

he lifted his leg to step out of the flowerbed and turned to face qi yanbai, extending his hand. “alright, we’ve had enough fun. should we go home now?”

“go back to my place?” qi yanbai asked, feigning ignorance.

“where else?” lu ye raised an eyebrow and said, “am i supposed to take a taxi to my sister’s place now?”

most of lu ye’s belongings were in his sister’s house, and he had initially planned to stay at lu wenyu’s villa for a month or two. but now that he and qi yanbai had reconciled, he had no intention of making a long-distance relationship work.

qi yanbai hurriedly held onto lu ye’s hand, jumped down from the flowerbed, and shook his head, acting playful. “going home with me is the best option.”

the neighborhood was quiet in the late night, and the adults and children had already gone home, leaving only a few street lamps standing by the small square in the distance, emitting a soft white light.

unlike the previous noise, now the entire neighborhood was so quiet that they could only hear each other’s footsteps. moonlight gently spread across the night, casting a hazy glow over everything.

qi yanbai didn’t let go of lu ye’s hand. he looked up at him for a while, then suddenly his expression changed, becoming dreamy and absent-minded.

“it’s really nice,” qi yanbai said softly. he gazed at lu ye affectionately for a moment, then smiled and whispered, “it feels as if happiness is just like a dream.”

“do you feel like it’s not real again?” lu ye asked.

over twenty years of fixed thinking couldn’t be changed overnight, and qi yanbai occasionally still felt a lack of security. but this time, he didn’t have to carry that heavy black hole in his heart. instead, he could rely on the person beside him confidently and boldly.

“not exactly,” qi yanbai said, pursing his lips as he looked at lu ye. his eyes were bright and filled with soft love and contentment.

“i know that all of this is real,” qi yanbai said. “but i never imagined i could be this happy, that the outcome could be this good.”

lu ye was real, and the love was real. qi yanbai could clearly feel the weight of these feelings, like a thick blanket on a rainy day, heavy, warm, and providing endless security, draped over his heart and soul.

qi yanbai knew that all of this was real; he was simply marveling at his own good fortune.

lu ye gazed at him for a while, and the watery light in qi yanbai’s eyes seemed to act as a catalyst, falling into his heart and igniting a growing desire.

“well then,” lu ye suddenly smiled and said, “i can see you’re not in the mood to sleep tonight. so, let’s go.”

he grabbed qi yanbai’s hand, and without another word, walked away.

qi yanbai hadn’t reacted yet and followed him in a daze until they reached the parking area of their building. there, he watched as lu ye wheeled out his motorcycle and then suddenly realized what was happening. he grabbed lu ye’s arm in confusion.

“what’s going on?” qi yanbai asked. “where are we going?”

“to dongshan,” lu ye said, tossing a helmet into his arms. he instructed, “put this on.”

qi yanbai was willing to go anywhere with him, even to the ends of the earth, even if lu ye wanted to sell him. he didn’t hesitate and put on the helmet, all while stealing a glance at lu ye’s expression, unsure why he had this spontaneous change of heart today.

“why are we going there?” qi yanbai asked still confused.

without saying a word, lu ye had already mounted the motorcycle. he held the helmet in his hand, glanced back at qi yanbai upon hearing his question, and then smirked boldly. he smiled at him with an air of excitement.

“i’m making your dream a little longer,” he said.

before this, qi yanbai had never sat on the pillion seat of lu ye’s motorcycle.

lu ye was considerate and cautious. he probably thought qi yanbai wouldn’t handle the excitement of a motorcycle well. so, whether he came to pick him up from work or invited him to go out, they either walked or took a taxi. even if they occasionally rode bicycles, lu ye would always park his motorcycle at the police station or training center and walk home together with qi yanbai.

in the past, when qi yanbai pretended to be a refined and gentle teacher, he would occasionally watch lu ye come to find him in a motorcycle jacket. he couldn’t help but imagine whether lu ye looked more handsome while riding a bike than when wearing a uniform.

he had imagined countless similar scenes back then, but it wasn’t until now that he realized that lu ye was even more handsome than he had imagined.

the motorcycle roared down the highway, its bright headlights cutting through the night like a glaring beam. qi yanbai held onto lu ye, listening to the wind howling in his ears as the motorcycle sped along. he could feel lu ye’s warm body transmitting through the fabric, providing a continuous source of heat.

the visibility at night was low, and besides the illuminated road ahead, the surroundings were blurred by the speed of the motorcycle. qi yanbai unconsciously tightened his grip on lu ye’s waist, feeling as though they were racing through time together.

the roaring wind isolated him from everything else, and his entire field of vision was filled with lu ye’s back, as though he were embracing the entire world.

after about an hour and a half, lu ye slowed down the motorcycle, and the roaring wind gradually subsided. qi yanbai lifted his head to take a look, realizing that they had unconsciously arrived at their destination: the middle section of dongshan road.

this road was mainly used for scenic purposes and was deserted at night. lu ye parked the motorcycle at an observation platform by the roadside and gestured for qi yanbai to get off.

dongshan was far from the city center. despite having lived there for a long time, qi yanbai had never been before. unfortunately, it was still dark outside, and everything was shrouded in darkness, with nothing visible.

but the atmosphere here was great. it carried a refreshing mountain and water fragrance. qi yanbai stood by the railing, looking at the pitch-black scenery outside. he suddenly felt an unusual sense of tranquility.

“the first time i rode here, it was to see the sunrise,” lu ye said as he leaned against the railing, still in his motorcycle jacket. he continued, “i had just turned eighteen, didn’t have a motorcycle, so i rode a bicycle here.”

“a bicycle?” qi yanbai asked.

“yeah, an old-style one. i don’t know if you’ve seen it before. it had a horizontal bar in front,” lu ye said, laughing as he demonstrated with his hands. “i bought a second-hand one for fifty bucks at a scrapyard. the wheels were crooked, but i fixed it myself.”

at that time, neither he nor lu wenyu had much money. they both came from humble backgrounds and had to make ends meet. they had to pay tuition and cover their living expenses with the meager earnings from summer jobs. even that fifty bucks was scraped together from their meager savings.

“i had a dream that night and couldn’t sleep afterward,” lu ye continued. “so, i came out on a bicycle to clear my mind. i rode for more than four hours, and i ended up here.”

qi yanbai turned to look at him, wanting to ask if it was a nightmare, but before he could speak, lu ye seemed to understand his thoughts and shook his head with a smile.

“i forgot it as soon as i woke up,” lu ye continued. “i spent several hours here, feeling the cool breeze. i don’t know why, but my heart gradually felt more at ease.”

“but there’s nothing here,” qi yanbai said.

“who said that?” lu ye smiled.

qi yanbai looked around, thinking he might have missed something. after scanning the surroundings, he saw nothing except the pitch-black night.

lu ye seemed to enjoy teasing him. he smiled and didn’t provide a direct answer.

he took out a small flashlight from his jacket pocket and shone it on the ground, revealing a piece of white paper with some writing on it.

qi yanbai took the flashlight and read the words on the paper: “the place where the future begins.”

he looked at lu ye, puzzled.

“that’s what i wrote that night,” lu ye said. “i still don’t know what it means, but it felt right at the time.”

qi yanbai was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. “you’re such a mystery.”

lu ye chuckled and winked at him. “mysterious enough to keep you interested, right?”

qi yanbai nodded. he didn’t know what was so special about this place, but with lu ye by his side, it felt meaningful.

they stood there for a while, enjoying the tranquility of the night. the wind carried a faint scent of the forest, and the sound of leaves rustling was soothing.

as they continued to chat, the eastern sky gradually began to brighten. dawn was approaching, and the first rays of sunlight were about to break through the darkness.

qi yanbai looked at the horizon, his heart filled with anticipation. he didn’t know what the future held, but he was ready to face it with lu ye by his side.

look,” lu ye said.

as that line of light appeared, the night sky began to show its colors. the vast lake gradually gained a thin layer of silver, and the air became more humid. dewdrops formed on the roadside grass, and leaves hung gracefully.

qi yanbai’s gaze moved away from lu ye’s face, and he took a few steps forward, reaching out to grasp the railing. he leaned out slightly, his eyes following the gradually brightening lake surface, looking towards the distant horizon.

the cigarette scent on lu ye’s jacket had faded, replaced by the cool and refreshing fragrance of vegetation. qi yanbai took a deep breath, feeling the coolness flow into his limbs and chest.

he had stayed up all night, but he still felt refreshed. his eyes scanned everything within sight, and finally, he turned his gaze back to lu ye’s face. he looked at him expectantly and asked in a soft voice, “what am i supposed to see?”

lu ye smiled, reached out to pinch qi yanbai’s chin, and turned his face toward the lake. he said, “you’ll find out in a moment.”

as soon as lu ye finished speaking, a bright color suddenly leaped from the gray surface of the water.

the orange-red glow rapidly deepened within a few minutes, spreading at a visible pace. the hazy and dim lake surface was instantly dyed with a brilliant red, and the ripples on the water reflected a beautiful and colorful spectrum.

then, a thin line of sunlight emerged from the horizon.

qi yanbai was almost stunned.

everything within his sight seemed to be painted with the colors of the sunrise—the sparkling water surface, the lush greenery, and the unidentified white birds that crossed the sky—all were gradually tinted with the bright colors, as if they were being reborn, infused with new vitality.

“i used to stand here to watch the sunrise,” lu ye said, still leaning against the railing but turning his head to gaze at the rising sun. he spoke softly, “until i saw the sky gradually light up, i knew that the night had passed.”

spectacular scenery often touched the heart. qi yanbai’s hand, gripping the railing, tightened slightly, almost transferring the coldness of the railing into his palm.

he looked at everything in front of him, experiencing this magnificent and brilliant performance, as if he had suddenly understood the meaning of “seeing the light.”

as the distant sun rose higher, his magnificent and dreamlike dream finally extended from the long night into the early morning.

the orange-red sunlight spilled onto the earth, and lu ye was bathed in a thin layer of light. he turned his head to look at qi yanbai’s profile, and after a moment, he smiled and asked, “so, is the sunrise beautiful?”

“beautiful,” qi yanbai’s eyes shimmered slightly, and he whispered, “this dream is too long and beautiful—it’s long enough to last a lifetime.”