Chapter 35 Xiao Muzi

Feng Ran found time to go to the bar.

It had indeed been so long since he'd been to such a vibrant place, so the new table games were completely unheard of.

Fortunately, the rules were largely the same, so he wasn't at a disadvantage.

Besides, the games were secondary; the main purpose was drinking.

He could drink just as well as ever, and a boy at the same table clearly had a soft spot for him, edging closer and closer, practically nuzzling into his arms.

Feng Ran smiled and put his arm around his shoulders.

Encouraged, the boy planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, the crowd erupting in laughter. His ears flushed red, and the ruby pendant on his choker's neck swayed gently with his movements.

"Xiao Muzi is finally open!"

The boy glanced over. Feng Ran was still smiling, silent. The boy then scolded him, "Stop talking nonsense."

Feng Ran downed his drink. Xiao Muzi said, "Keep going. Who's dealing the cards?"

At twelve o'clock, He Chuan called.

He released his grip on Xiao Muzi and slowly walked to the bar entrance, answering the phone. "Hmm? He Chuan?"

"Where are you?" He Chuan's tone subtly cooled. "It's so noisy."

Feng Ran said, "Outside. I'll be back soon."

There was a long silence on the other end. Feng Ran grew impatient and was about to hang up, but He Chuan said, "Come back now."

"Why?"

He Chuan seemed unable to come up with a reason. The bar door opened, and loud music and noise poured out like a tide. As the door closed, silence returned.

Xiao Muzi, standing behind him, said, "Are you leaving?"

Feng Ran was still on the phone, but He Chuan showed no sign of hanging up. He thought for a moment, put down the phone, and said, "I don't know."

Xiao Muzi read a few numbers: "My phone."

"Hmm?"

He glanced back before pushing the door open and smiled at Feng Ran. "Remember to come find me."

When Feng Ran picked up the phone again, the call was over.

He took a cab home. Just as he reached the stairs, the door opened. A beam of incandescent light shone into the dark hallway, dividing the space into two distinct worlds. He Chuan stood in the doorway, facing the light. Feng Ran said, "Oh, you're still awake?"

He Chuan replied, "You're back too late."

Feng Ran hesitated at the doorway. "Then go to sleep. I won't bother you."

"If I hadn't called you, what time would you have called back?"

Feng Ran thought seriously. "Three o'clock? Probably not."

The two of them stood in a perplexing standoff for a long time, until He Chuan finally lowered his head and stepped aside.

Feng Ran had won, but for a moment he felt guilty, as if he had been a bit of a bully.

He hummed a song as he went to change clothes and shower. When he came out, the light

in He Chuan's room was still on. He called out, "Aren't you going to bed yet? Did I bother you?" He

got no response, so he pressed his ear to the door. He could hear a distinct noise from inside.

He hated when He Chuan ignored him, so he kicked it in a fit of anger, and the door swung open.

He Chuan was lying in bed, watching a movie on his screen with his headset on. When Feng Ran saw him, he took off his headset and frowned slightly. "You?" He

said, "Sorry, I went the wrong way."

He contacted Xiao Muzi three days later.

Xiao Muzi was still in college, and Feng Ran waited for him at the school gate. Watching the young people come out, laughing and talking, Feng Ran's long-held gloom finally lifted a little, as if he had grown younger. As soon as

Xiao Muzi saw him, he ran over and said, "Sorry for the wait. I'm so glad you came to see me."

Feng Ran shook his head. "No problem. Where do you want to eat for lunch?"

Xiao Muzi said, "How about we treat you to the cafeteria?"

Feng Ran was amused. "Why, you're afraid of spending my money?"

"I don't want to put pressure on you. I think it might not be that convenient for you. You're from out of town, right? You've just settled down here, and there are a lot of things that require money." Xiao Muzi had been very tactful in saying that he was poor, but he didn't mind at all, because it was the truth.

Feng Ran patted his head and said, "If you lose money, you can earn it again. Don't be polite to me."

Feng Ran took him to hot pot, then they spent the afternoon shopping at the mall, and in the evening,

they took a cautious walk on the frozen lake. A crack opened beneath their feet, and they smiled at each other, then fled in panic. Under the hazy moonlight, a hidden thrill rose with the rhythm of their heartbeats, their rapid breathing.

Before leaving, Feng Ran walked him to the school gate. Xiao Muzi, carrying a large bag, asked, "Can we still hang out tomorrow?"

"You're not going to class?"

"You can skip it. " "

Forget it, just go to school."

"That's boring." Xiao Muzi wrinkled his nose. "Tomorrow is Monday, and I have class in the morning."

"Well, go back and get some rest."

Xiao Muzi leaned in and said, "Really? Do you really want me to go back? You bought me so many things, and you're willing to let me go now?"

His eyes were bright, a shy and cunning glint in them. Under Feng Ran's gaze, something was about to come out.

Feng Ran lost his mind for a moment, the captivatingly beautiful eyes in his memory flooding his mind. Smiling, tearful, lost, gloomy, eyes that had made him fall in love at first sight, eyes that had consumed him day and night, eyes that belonged only to that person. "

Devotion"—for a moment, he almost blurted out the words. Those two words, like magic, instantly pulled him into the abyss of painful yet captivating memories.

He turned his head away, feigning casualness, "Stop joking. Go ahead. I have to go back too."

Xiao Muzi left, disappointed.

After returning home, He Chuan was drinking tea on the coffee table. Feng Ran glanced at the time and asked, "It's already past ten, and you're still drinking tea. Aren't you afraid you won't sleep?"

He Chuan said, "Where did you go today?

" "I went out to play. " "

With that guy at the bar?"

"Yeah."

"Are you together?"

Feng Ran didn't understand why he kept asking, but he patiently replied, "No, he's too young, five or six years younger than me. It's not suitable."

"Then

why are we going out together?" "It shouldn't affect him. He's not losing anything by going out with me."

"Aren't you losing anything?"

"Me?" Feng Ran wanted to laugh. "What's wrong with you lately? You're so sharp with your words. You're like a cactus. You prick me whenever I get close."

He Chuan seemed to have reached the limit of his patience and said, "When are you leaving?"

Feng Ran stood there, blinking slowly. The air froze for a few seconds, and the silence was unnatural, with only the sound of the loose faucet in the bathroom dripping.

He said, "Are you trying to kick me out?"

He Chuan stood up and went back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Feng Ran finished the remaining tea on the table and walked over.

After knocking for five minutes, the door finally opened. He Chuan had already changed into pajamas and asked, "What's the matter?"

Feng Ran said, "What do you want?"

"...Are you drunk?"

"Take whatever you want." Feng Ran opened his arms, "If you can be happy."

Something exploded quietly. Feng Ran was pushed by a brute force, and the back of his head hit the wall, and he was dizzy for a short time. He Chuan was close at hand, and his tone was frightening: "What do you mean by that?"

Feng Ran said, "That's what I mean. I'm very poor now, and there are some things I can't give you, but I have something, so just take whatever you want."

He Chuan's hand holding his arm gradually tightened and loosened. His eyes were extremely sharp, as if Feng Ran had committed a huge mistake and wanted to cut him in half.

Feng Ran didn't run away, and looked at him frankly. Neither of them had the personality to give in voluntarily. Feng Ran thought that He Chuan might punch him, or be a little more gangster and force a kiss. It didn't matter, he admitted it.

Debts should be repaid, it's only natural.

To his surprise, He Chuan lowered his head, rested his forehead on his shoulder, and his gentle breath swept across his collarbone... Perhaps in He Chuan's understanding, this was the most out-of-bounds behavior. Body temperature was transmitted on the contacted skin, and Feng Ran had an urge to hug this person.

But he restrained himself and just stroked his back. This body was tough and slender, and the bones were as hard as iron under his hands.

"What you want to give me and what you want to give to others. You know best whether it is right or not."

Feng Ran said blankly: "I'm sorry."

Life went on as usual.

Feng Ran spent most of his time helping out in the silver shop, occasionally meeting with Xiao Muzi and playing as a substitute at night. Ren He called and said that Shen Zhi had chased him all the way to his hometown, pestering him every day, and he was really busy and couldn't get away and couldn't contact him.

Feng Ran expressed his understanding and briefly talked about his situation, without mentioning Xiao Muzi and the secret conflicts with He Chuan.

He broke up with Xiao Muzi - maybe it can't be considered a breakup, after all, it never started.

Xiao Muzi couldn't believe it, tears fell one by one, Feng Ran had no choice but to accompany her.

"They all said that I couldn't beat you, but I didn't believe it."

Feng Ran smiled bitterly and thought, there is no such thing as who can beat you, it's just that some people prefer you a little more.

After it was over, He Chuan mentioned casually: "What about the students in the bar?"

"I don't know. I don't keep in touch."

"Oh."

Feng Ran felt that he seemed a little happy.

They went home for the weekend, drank and played games as usual. This day, they came back from his roommate's bar, and as soon as they went upstairs, they found a person squatting at the door.

This scene was a little familiar, very much like Shen Zhi squatting. He stomped his feet in desperation, and then remembered that the voice-controlled lights in the corridor had been broken for a long time, and the person raised his head in the dark.

"Xiao Muzi," he said, "Why are you here?"

Xiao Muzi slowly stood up and saw him and He Chuan clearly, with disappointment in her tone: "Who is this?"

Before Feng Ran could answer, he said again: "You just separated from me and you were with him... Or am I the third party?"

"You misunderstood," Feng Ran pushed He Chuan, "You go up first, I want to talk to him alone."

He Chuan refused: "What do you want to say? Can't I listen?"

Xiao Muzi also said: "What do you want to say, say it."

Feng Ran pulled the corner of He Chuan's clothes and said anxiously: "Go back quickly, why are you making trouble."

He Chuan said: "If you want to go back, let's go back together."

These words were very suggestive, and Xiao Muzi's heart was also half cold. She left a word "scumbag" and passed by them.

Feng Ran chased downstairs and said: "It's too late, I'll take you home."

Xiao Muzi stretched out her hand to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist. She couldn't resist and stared at him with bloodshot eyes.

He let go of her hand and said, "He is my friend... just a friend, and also a roommate."

"I don't believe it. If he is just a roommate, why would he interfere in our affairs?"

"He just likes gossip."

"I don't care. I want you to accompany me tonight. Just one night."

"Be good, come back soon. If you don't listen, don't even think about seeing me again." He

used both soft and hard tactics and finally drove Xiao Muzi back.

But Xiao Muzi persisted, far beyond his imagination. He began to follow Feng Ran for a long time, squatting on the road they had to pass every day. Even He Chuan found out and asked him how to deal with it.

He said, "You can only deal with it coldly. After all, they are children, and their feelings come and go quickly."

On an unknown day, Xiao Muzi finally couldn't stand it anymore, and suddenly rushed out from the intersection and stood in front of them. This time He Chuan didn't bother him and turned away.

Feng Ran asked, "It's you. Do you have something to talk to me about?"

Xiao Muzi had dark circles under his eyes and reeked of alcohol. He said, "I missed you."

"Have you reviewed for your final exam?"

"I really miss you."

"I think you'd better not fail. It's hard to find a job nowadays. Employers sometimes look at grades."

"Feng Ran!" Xiao Muzi's chest heaved violently, "How am I inferior to him?"

"I said, you misunderstood, we're just roommates."

"Just because I'm younger?"

"..."

"He likes you, I don't believe you can't see it. You knew he likes you, yet you still live with him, on what basis?"

"This can't be my fault,"

Xiao Muzi said dejectedly, "Yes, I like you too... You're not wrong, I'm wrong. Why are you so cruel to me?"

Feng Ran went to the side of the road to stop a car for him and said, "You've drunk a little too much. Tell me when you get back, I won't see you off."

Through the glass, Xiao Muzi looked straight at him until he disappeared from sight.

Feng Ran wandered back home and said to He Chuan, "Maybe I should leave. I can't help you with anything if I stay here, and I'm always causing trouble for you."

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing."

"Wait a little longer," He Chuan poured the water in the cup into the flowerpot. Although these were flowers that Feng Ran brought back, he never took care of them. The flowers thrived under He Chuan's care, full of vitality. "It's too cold now. Wait until spring before you leave."

Feng Ran nodded: "Okay, I'll leave when spring comes."

[Author's Words]

Don't walk on the ice, it's very dangerous.