Having all three together was definitely not going to work. Not getting past censorship was one factor, but more importantly, Xin Hexue neither had the guts to take on two at once, nor did he possess the skill to “handle you and then you” like that.
A wind had picked up by the time the three of them went out at midnight. Xin Hexue bundled up in his down jacket and even added an extra loop of scarf outside to cover up the ambiguous marks.
He was pinned down by Lu Yang, and his legs were still a bit soft when walking. Other than that, there were no major issues.
Lu Yang, on the other hand, was much worse off. He had been abruptly frightened into going soft by the mistress, and then left hanging. Now he was worried about whether he might end up with impotence and premature ejaculation because of this. He even found himself empathizing with those middle-aged men who tear up colorful urology clinic flyers in righteous indignation, cursing their lack of decency, only to secretly go home and make phone calls.
Zhuang Tongguang still didn’t fully understand what had happened. Seeing Xin Hexue hugging his down jacket, he became a little worried that he was cold due to the temperature difference between day and night. “Are you very cold? Let me check, are your hands cold?”
He took Xin Hexue’s hand, his fingers slipping between Xin Hexue’s without a gap.
Zhuang Tongguang was full of energy, and even his hands were warm, almost feverish. He held Xin Hexue’s hand in his palm and even managed to induce a slight sweat. “Big Brother’s hands are warm. Let me hold your hand all the way,” Zhuang Tongguang said, looking at their joined hands with a contented smile. “If I don’t let go, you won’t feel cold either.”
He would have loved to hold both hands, but unfortunately Xin Hexue wasn’t willing to be a pair of crab brothers walking sideways with him. Helpless, Zhuang Tongguang could only return the warmed hand to Xin Hexue’s own down jacket pocket and tuck it in snugly.
The gathering spot for setting off fireworks was on the large open ground in front of the ancestral hall in the village center. The Xin family lived at the end of the village, which was a bit of a walk. Lu Yang alone carried three tubes of festival fireworks, sixty shots total. The three tubes stacked together were taller than his head when he steadied them. Forget seeing people’s shadows…he couldn’t even see the road.
The village paths had no streetlights, so people relied on the moonlight or using a strong flashlight to get around at night.
It was at this moment that Lin Oufei, taking advantage of the hazy moonlight, moved past Lu Yang and stepped up to walk side by side with Xin Hexue.
The shadows of the three merged together on the road. The night dew was heavy, and wild overgrown grass stems stuck out from the roadside, brushing against people’s hands.
The back of Xin Hexue’s hand itched. Looking down, he realized Lin Oufei was lightly scratching his hand with his fingernail.
Zhuang Tongguang was watching the road ahead with a flashlight. Xin Hexue tilted his head and mouthed an instruction for Lin Oufei to see.
Lin Oufei lowered his eyelids, giving a reserved, slight smile, then took the hand before him and slipped it into the side pocket of his own down jacket.
His movements were light and quick, indicating it was not the first time stealing an intimate moment.
He tilted his head again. The line of his jaw was distinct, his Adam’s apple rolling in the ambiguous moonlight. He brought his mouth close to Xin Hexue’s ear, his voice suppressed and hoarse as he spoke. “I poked holes in the remaining condoms Lu Yang has. If you don’t want to be cummed inside, don’t let him fuck you.”
“If you still want it tonight, call me over. I can do it better than him.” Lin Oufei’s voice was cool and deep. While locking eyes with Xin Hexue, he licked his lower lip. The implied meaning was hardly concealed, and his gaze was almost blatant.
Xin Hexue only patted the back of Lin Oufei’s hand, his eyes curving into crescents, neither saying yes nor no.
On New Year’s Eve, the adults were out visiting relatives, and the children, who could only let loose during these few nights of the New Year celebration, were running wild inside and outside the village until the wee hours of the morning. They lit sparklers and threw firecrackers, creating a lively scene.
The young people in the village gathered in twos and threes on the open ground, waiting for the moment approaching midnight to count down the seconds and light the fireworks when the time came.
When leaving the house, Zhuang Tongguang took two segments of honey pomelo from the living room fruit tray. The red flesh was distinct and plump. He picked out the seeds and gave them to Xin Hexue to eat.
It was sweet and sour, perfect for waking up the senses.
Li Hu had also come with a few village friends, accompanied by his ten-year-old younger brother. Whether it was because of his brother’s presence or because he saw Xin Hexue surrounded by three guys, Li Hu only waved from afar and didn’t come over to chat enthusiastically like he had in the afternoon.
The seconds on the clock ticked by, and the sounds of the Spring Festival Gala playing on TV came from the nearby homes.
To show that he was the person who had been by Xin Hexue’s side the longest, Lu Yang counted the New Years he had spent with Xin Hexue just like counting down the seconds. He even included the years during their childhood when they were connected only by long-distance phone calls. “So, I’ve spent fourteen New Years with you already, and now the fifteenth is just around the corner, haha… hahaha…”
He laughed, flushed with pride.
“You counted well,” Xin Hexue smiled, humoring his pointless competitive spirit.
Lu Yang squeezed Lin Oufei aside and stood closer to Xin Hexue, saying, “I feel like I’m only truly alive when I’m by your side. Don’t leave my side, okay? Xin Hexue.”
His expression was unusually serious. His thick, dark eyebrows weren’t raised as usual but were calm like his eyes, fixed intently on Xin Hexue’s face. “I promise to make you happy every day, and to never let you suffer grievances. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, I’ll be the first to rush up and beat them up!”
His relationship with Xin Hexue had started with a promise about protection, after all.
Xin Hexue’s gaze shifted from the moon and transferred to Lu Yang’s face.
Lu Yang pledged his loyalty: “To ensure that my master can live a life of luxury and comfort, this little dog will strive hard from now on!”
Xin Hexue shook his head helplessly, laughing at him. “Thirty-six seasons all passed in idleness, yet from this night I cherish the years.”
***This is a poem.
The surrounding noise of laughter and play felt sometimes near, sometimes far, and from the TVs came the countdown.
“As the New Year’s bell rings, let us welcome the arrival of 2005…”
“Five, four, three, two…”
“One!”
Firework shells shot up like arrows, and the light balls burst into brilliant colors upon reaching the high sky…cyan green, smoky blue, peach red…
Countless colors reflected in Xin Hexue’s eyes, making him feel a brief but intense resonance with this land and these people.
He looked at the colors between heaven and earth for a long time.
The rays of light scattered, slowly descending toward the ground like colored ribbons. Compared to the fireworks, the moon was merely a shallow shadow in the pond beside the banana leaves.
Lu Yang turned to look at Xin Hexue, and took his hand that was hanging by his side.
Then he heard Xin Hexue’s response beside his ear: “En, I promise you.”
………
The wall calendar was replaced with the numbers of the new year. In Licheng, people don’t visit relatives on the first day of the lunar new year, but they go to the ancestral hall early in the morning to offer incense.
Xin Hexue didn’t sleep until 1 a.m. the previous night and was woken in the morning by the sounds of firecrackers, roosters crowing, and dogs barking.
Zhuang Tongguang came to his room to wake him, and the smell of sulfur and smoke from burnt firecrackers also followed Zhuang Tongguang into the room.
“It’s time to get up.”
His hand, carrying the scent of dew, touched Xin Hexue’s cheek.
With long, thick eyelashes and a slightly pink nose tip exposed to the cold air, Xin Hexue wrinkled his nose and pulled the blanket over himself before rolling over.
Suddenly, a damp, warm cloth was pressed against his face.
Zhuang Tongguang took care of him like a young child, and his gaze toward Xin Hexue was just like in their childhood. He pulled Xin Hexue up and used the towel to rub his face.
“If you don’t get up now, we’ll miss the time to offer respects to the gods,” Zhuang Tongguang said. “Grandpa has already killed the chicken.”
Xin Hexue was pushed and pulled by Zhuang Tongguang into putting on a sweater, jacket, socks, and shoes one by one. Only when brushing his teeth at the doorway, facing the wind, did his eyes crack open a slit, his thin eyelids tinged with a layer of pink.
Immediately after, he received a big kiss by Lu Yang that smelled of mint toothpaste.
He no longer bothered questioning how this person appeared as unpredictably as Small Yellow. Wherever there was Xin Hexue, a Lu Yang was sure to follow.
Thinking of this, Xin Hexue couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh while eating congee.
He felt that what he had with Lu Yang wasn’t like being in love. Lu Yang was his slave, his shadow, his dog.
Just not like a lover.
And that was fine.
Because Lu Yang only hoped to become his favorite, not his only favorite.
*
After breakfast, they went to the Xin family ancestral hall to offer respects to the gods. Grandpa led them there, carrying a bamboo basket. Inside the basket was a whole plucked and cooked chicken, two ounces of white liquor, incense sticks and candles, and a stack of red firecrackers.
Early in the morning, the ancestral hall was already bustling with people. After crossing two tall wooden thresholds, they came to a skylight design in the middle where “four waters return to the hall”. People flowed like water too, one family after another offering worship at the main altar.
The ancestral hall still had couplets pasted on the pillars for protecting descendants, red backgrounds with black ink characters. Touching them would leave the hand covered in gold-red powder which was hard to wash off.
Lin Oufei and Lu Yang, being from different surnames, also went along to share in the incense offering.
While burning incense, Lu Yang still carried a bit of reverence and respect, remaining silent and bowing respectfully three times. But once off the stage, his true colors showed.
He chased after Xin Hexue, whispering close to his ear, “What should I do? The Xin family’s brightest lineage ends at my hands…what should I do? Will the ancestors get angry? I’m so scared.”
Xin Hexue sighed. “Then why did you go pay respects just now?”
Lu Yang said, “I had to beg the ancestors not to be angry, especially not to be angry with our Xin Hexue, the best person in the whole world. As ancestors, they must protect their descendants and keep Xin Hexue healthy, safe, worry-free, and live to a hundred years. All other thousand wrongs and ten thousand mistakes are the faults of a petty person like me, they must not be blamed on the young master.”
Xin Hexue was amused by his improper, mismatched words and let out a chuckle. “What young master? Nonsense.”
Lu Yang wrapped an arm around him affectionately, speaking softly so that no one else could hear. “Of course you are the young master. Good young master, call me to your room tonight, let me serve the Xin family’s offspring well.”
Firecrackers were lit and thrown onto the open ground, making a crackling sound. Zhuang Tongguang covered Xin Hexue’s ears from behind, blocking out the noise of firecrackers and also Lu Yang’s squealing and yelling.
………
They returned home from the ancestral hall and from afar, saw a Porsche Cayenne parked incongruously at the front gate.
Xin Hexue had an idea in mind.
Then they saw Xin Zhiying and Zhuang Ping appear at the doorway. Zhuang Ping offered a cigarette to a tall man in a trench coat. Xin Zhiying’s expression was strange, and it was hard to tell whether she was embarrassed or that she didn’t know what attitude to adopt toward this person.
The man, however, chatted politely.
Another boy, wearing a thick sweatshirt and jeans, jumped down from the car in studded boots. He seemed to be searching for a phone signal. Looking up, he happened to see Xin Hexue returning at the intersection.
“Brother…”
Jiang Tongchen froze and called out, irritably running a hand through his hair. He had dyed it before the New Year, adding a few streaks of blue over black hair.
On hearing this, Jiang Heguang’s handsome face showed an unclear anticipation as he also looked toward Xin Hexue.
He stepped forward a few paces to meet him, explaining to Xin Hexue, “I didn’t insist on coming to find you. It’s just that on the way, I happened to encounter Uncle and Auntie’s car broken down, so Tongchen and I gave them a ride over.”
Was there such a coincidence in this world?
It was more likely that Xin Zhiying and Zhuang Ping had just set off from the Zhuang family when the Jiang family car followed behind.
Xin Hexue only smiled and didn’t say anything.
Jiang Heguang said sincerely, “I hope my arrival hasn’t caused you any trouble.”
But he looked like the type who wouldn’t regret it even if Xin Hexue said it had caused trouble.
Xin Hexue’s expression brightened only when Jiang Heguang led Xiao Hei down from the Cayenne.
As soon as Xiao Hei was out of the car, he and Xiao Huang pounced on each other.
The arrival of the Jiang family created an indescribable, awkward atmosphere. But since it was the New Year and the Jiang family had brought a car full of New Year goods. One doesn’t hit a smiling face, so they could only invite the Jiang brothers inside as well.
Jiang Tongchen looked around everywhere. Seeing live chickens and ducks running around outside the house filled him with amazement; this might be his first time seeing live poultry.
As soon as Jiang Heguang entered, he handed out gifts like Santa Claus.
“Grandpa, these are American ginseng and bird’s nest gift sets. I wish you a long life full of vitality and good health.”
“Grandma, this is a cashmere sweater. Wishing you a warm body in the new year, peace and smooth sailing.”
“Uncle, this is Maotai, Wuliangye, Tieguanyin tea, Zhonghua cigarettes, Huanghelou cigarettes…”
“Auntie, these are soft-soled leather shoes, sugar-free pastry gift boxes, Thai mangosteen, American cherries, New Zealand kiwifruit, supermarket shopping cards…”
After several rounds, even the Xin family’s chickens and ducks passing by would have to carry away two loads of corn bran.
Xin Hexue and the others were also given the latest model mobile phones, MP3 players, limited edition sneakers, high-end badminton rackets, table tennis rackets, and a whole series of PSP handheld game consoles.
Jiang Heguang said, “Tongchen, come greet everyone, say some auspicious words.”
Jiang Tongchen was irritable but had no choice. He obediently called out to each person one by one, each time following with a line of blessings.
For a moment, he felt embarrassed, realizing he was like a son forced to perform on stage during the New Year. But to be honest, after his father passed away, his status was actually not as good as Jiang Heguang’s “son”.
Right now, that black dog who only knew how to bark felt more like the crown prince of the Jiang family.
Xin Hexue couldn’t easily take Xiao Hei with him when leaving Beijing. Now he was quite satisfied that Jiang Heguang brought him over for a mother-and-child reunion. He even felt that Jiang Heguang looked human the more he looked at him.
But there was still something Xin Hexue needed to ask Jiang Heguang to clarify.
While everyone was busy with their own tasks, Xin Hexue, holding Xiao Hei, met Jiang Heguang’s eyes and asked, “What you said last time…”
“‘No matter who I choose, whether it’s them, or me, it’s all the same’. What did you mean?” Xin Hexue repeated the sentence Jiang Heguang had once said. The situation was too bizarre at the time when he first heard it; the Red Prince was trapped in the dead end of not being able to commit incest with Xin Hexue, so Xin Hexue had only listened with one ear and let it pass.
Looking back now, Xin Hexue realized that Jiang Heguang’s words had a deeper meaning.
A strange red light filled Jiang Heguang’s eyes, and his inhuman characteristics gradually became apparent. Xin Hexue knew that he was now facing his other side as the Red Prince, and subconsciously became solemn and restrained.
“Rather than asking me, wouldn’t it be better to ask that Mr. K? Isn’t he watching you all the time? He’ll surely tell you everything he knows…” He stopped his words at an unfinished meaning, then the crimson in his eyes gradually faded. His appearance returned to black hair and black eyes, his smile gentler and more natural, like a true human. “Grandpa invited me to go fishing by the river together. I can’t keep the old man waiting.”
‘…K?’
‘Why does he know about you?’
Xin Hexue looked puzzled, as if he had discovered that the usually meek and incompetent husband had secretly hidden a shoebox full of personal savings.
………
A long, long time ago, there was a little prince who lived on a small planet called B3081. He was beautiful and kind, with a resilient personality. The monster fell deeply in love with this prince the first time it saw him.
However, his body was plagued by illness, his parents treated him poorly, his planet was barren and impoverished, and his people lived in extreme hardship.
The monster saw all of this, but all it could do was stay by the little prince’s side.
On the eve of Planet B3081 declaring war on another planet, the monster’s molting period also arrived. A molting monster was useless; even a child with a dagger could kill it. Unable to protect the little prince, the monster could only advise, hoping the prince would not participate in this war, at least not as the commander exposed to gunfire and battle.
But that was clearly impossible.
His prince was this planet’s future master, destined to ride the wind and bathe in the heavy golden-red rain of blood.
When the monster awoke again, its beloved prince had perished. His mere eighteen years of life were brief and brilliant, like a fleeting meteor.
It could not accept this. It gathered the prince’s corpse and preserved it. In its dying moments of self-destruction to follow him in death, it saw a hazy light and shadow resembling the prince. Later it learned that it should be called the soul.
The monster shed tears.
A miracle occurred.
It was reborn into an unfamiliar world, an unfamiliar dynasty.
It found the prince earlier and faster than in the previous life. In this land, calling him “imperial prince” was more appropriate.
It assisted him in ascending the throne, watching the officials bow and praise the new emperor’s name.
Yet what the monster did not anticipate was that the new emperor died young again, leaving it behind.
It simulated countless reincarnations but could not bring its beloved back to life. There was always an unyielding, irresistible force that repeatedly snatched away its beloved’s life and its happiness.
Only then did the monster understand that all living beings are not born equal; every life has its own background.
If these three thousand worlds were compared to a complete human body, its beloved was the transient neutrophil, living only a few hours or days, while the so-called people of the Big World were the neurons that lived as long as the body.
Fortunately, the monster’s power was almost like a malignant cancer cell, breaking the Hayflick limit and allowing it to divide infinitely. In theory, as long as the universe did not perish, it was infinitely close to immortality.
If the Big World did not want the entire universe to be occupied by the monster, it had to offer suitable bargaining chips to trade.
It had only one demand: it hoped for his (Xin Hexue’s) happiness.
The price was that its soul was diluted countless times from its original state. It could be a complete stranger to the little prince, his friend, lover, or even husband…
But statistically speaking, the countless versions of it were more likely to be passersby unrelated to Xin Hexue.
“I, the bionic, was the last one to see it,” K said. “You knew it as Ling Ji and also Youyi, and now they are data stored in my memory strip.”
“But please don’t regard me as them.”
K’s voice was tense, and one could even hear nervousness.
K said, “It stored their memories within my system. But when I woke up, it was also my first time seeing you.”
Xin Hexue’s mind was in turmoil, a jumble of threads he couldn’t grasp.
Whether it was Ling Ji or Youyi, their faces in his memory had become somewhat due to the passage of time. He tried to recall: Was the weather good the first day they met? On the day they parted, was there rain or snow?
Xin Hexue was not good at bearing heavy emotions. Part of the reason he could cleanly and neatly detach from worlds was that such vivid emotions made him feel pressure, so he turned away as if escaping.
Now having a dripping, blood-red heart laid bare before his eyes made Xin Hexue’s vision blurry and his head spin.
He sat by the window, an unfinished collection of essays from the night before last spread open before him. It felt as if he had returned to his early childhood days when he couldn’t read, staring at each character and struggling to recognize them, not knowing what story filled the pages.
But they also seemed to be insignificant stories of other people. What was important was his own story.
K’s voice woke him.
“Making you happy is my responsibility.”
“In the future, whether you move forward or backward, I will always be with you.”
K spoke solemnly, as if making a vow at a wedding, but the output was a somewhat mismatched mechanical voice, which instead allowed Xin Hexue to relax a bit, freeing his mind to organize his thoughts.
His happiness?
What he wanted?
Xin Hexue examined this question that no one had asked him before, and one that he himself didn’t care about.
He wanted to have a healthy body, a loving family, an ordinary life, the ability to pursue his studies and a career of his choosing…
“After this small world, the big world will fulfill its promise. As long as you wish, you will be healthy physically, and live a long life.” K said.
Xin Hexue recalled everything he had in this small world. What he wanted, he now possessed.
He even had a transparent husband and a few energetic boyfriends now.
His hand was suddenly held and Xin Hexue could feel K’s body temperature.
“You still have a lot of time to confirm and search for your own happiness. It doesn’t matter how much effort it takes.”
Confused, warm, floating…
Xin Hexue felt as if he was enveloped in the warmth of amniotic fluid, and his body was filled with an expanding emotion.
But he didn’t dislike this feeling.
Suddenly, someone tapped on the window from outside. Lin Oufei came to the window and called out to him, “Xin Hexue, come take a family photo together.”
He stepped out into the world outside the room and discovered that the sunlight was just right today, warm and pleasant.
Zhuang Tongguang leaned aside, leaving the way to the reserved spot for him. Lu Yang secretly placed his hand behind Xin Hexue’s waist outside the camera frame.
Xiao Hei and Small Yellow stuck out their tongues, sitting at the very center. Old people, adults, young people, and dogs all crowded noisily into the same picture.
“Everyone stand properly. Brother, save a spot for me.” Jiang Tongchen set up the camera tripod and adjusted it. After pressing the timer, he took two big steps into the frame.
“Three, two, one…”
“Eggplant!”
A dimple bloomed at the corner of Xin Hexue’s lips, and the image froze.
— End of Main Text—
Author’s Note:
The main text ends here. The planned side stories are:
1. Ancient Alternate Universe: Hen Zhen Turns Into a Donkey Story;
2. Sentinel-Guide Alternate Universe: Wei Zhuo is reborn, reborn before breaking off the engagement with Xin Hexue;
3. Twin Senses Vampire Alternate Universe: Where Can the Vampire Hunter Little Cat Escape;
4. K Special Side Story: Do Bionic Men Dream of Electronic Cats?
