Chapter 78: Chasing the Moon

. Ren He, unaware of their entanglement, had booked a king-size bed room to save trouble. Feng Ran swiped the door open, hesitating whether to book another one.

Then he thought: while he and Shen Zhi weren't officially reconciled, they'd already done everything they should and shouldn't have done. Why should they be polite?

Shen Zhi seemed to read his thoughts and said, "Don't worry. I won't do anything if you don't like it."

Feng Ran said, "You talk like a fart. Who was it that sent me to the hospital that day? A dog?" Shen

Zhi made an unsure expression: "It's different..."

Feng Ran didn't bother to pay attention to him. He quickly took a shower, lay down, and slept peacefully with his hands folded on his stomach.

He opened his eyes soon after, hearing the sound of running water in the bathroom.

What did Ren He's final instructions mean? He felt vaguely uneasy.

After Liu Mang was released from prison, it was Shen Zhi who dealt with him, but he had no idea how he'd done it.

When Shen Zhi emerged from his shower, Feng Ran was already asleep. The night passed peacefully.

The next day, Song Xiling invited them to dinner. Feng Ran tried to decline, but Chen Zhi said he'd go anyway, and Feng Ran couldn't resist, so he went.

Throughout the meal, he remained listless, mute, his head buried in his chest. He texted He Chuan, saying he'd be back to pack up that night. He Chuan asked how many days he'd be staying, and he said about one.

He Chuan then asked why he wasn't in Jiang City anymore. He typed "I don't like it," looked at it, deleted and revised it, and typed "

I have nothing to do." "Feng Ran, what's wrong?" someone suddenly asked.

Feng Ran looked up: "Huh?"

It was Song Xiling. "Is the food not to your taste?" He looked at him worriedly. "I blame you for not asking. Let me show you the menu. Order two more."

Feng Ran quickly shook his head: "No, I'm not hungry."

Song Xiling had no choice but to say, "Okay, Chen Zhi, take a look at what you want to order." Chen

Zhi took the menu, added a snack, and a noodle dish for Feng Ran.

By then, the other three had almost finished their meals, leaving Feng Ran alone, leisurely devouring a large bowl of clear noodle soup.

They were talking about the art of photography. Although Feng Ran had worked with Song Xiling in a photography studio, he didn't respond to a single word and turned his attention back to He Chuan's messages. While he was not replying, He Chuan sent three messages in a row.

"You're leaving now and never coming back?"

"?"

"My grandfather's death anniversary is in a few days."

Feng Ran took a look and understood what he meant: "Do you need me to go?"

"Yes." He Chuan replied.

Although he didn't know why He Chuan wanted him to go, but this way, he would have to stay in Jiang City for a few more days. It didn't matter. It wouldn't be too late to ask for the specific reason when they met.

He typed: "No problem."

Suddenly, a foot kicked him lightly under the table. He raised his head and met Chen Zhi's gaze, which was a little blaming.

Feng Ran lowered his eyes, put the phone in his pocket, and continued to eat noodles.

He was rarely so ignorant. He showed his outsider status at the dinner party and wrote "I don't want to come at all" on his face.

The couple across the square table noticed the subtle atmosphere between them. Song Xiling couldn't help but said, "Did you two have a fight?" Shen

Zhi's expression relaxed: "We didn't have a fight..."

Feng Ran felt annoyed and said, "Actually, we broke up a long time ago. It's my fault that I didn't tell Ren He." Shen Zhi turned his head to look at him from the corner of his eye, but Feng Ran couldn't bear to look back at him. It goes without saying that this expression must be enough to soften his heart. He continued, "Thank you for treating me today. If there's a chance I--"

There was a sound of a stool beside him, and Shen Zhi stood up and left.

It's hard to say who offended whom, but Song Xiling looked as if he had been slapped on the spot, and his face flushed. Feng Ran felt a little more at ease.

He stirred the remaining noodles with his chopsticks, too lazy to chase after Shen Zhi--he couldn't walk far anyway.

Fu Hengzhi tried to smooth things over by saying, "Don't you want to go and have a look?"

"Let's talk about it later,"

Song Xiling whispered, "I said the wrong thing. I'm sorry. I thought you were just having a quarrel."

"What does it have to do with you?" Feng Ran suddenly smiled. "

We've become estranged. You never apologized like this before." "Maybe we don't keep in touch much. We really..."

"That's normal," Feng Ran consoled. "People change. Besides, we really haven't seen each other for a long time." He

didn't know what the meal tasted like. After saying goodbye to the two, Feng Ran walked down the street. Sure enough, a few moments later, Shen Zhi followed him unnoticed. Feng Ran turned around and saw that they almost bumped into each other.

Shen Zhi didn't get angry or complain, but stood still.

Feng Ran said, "I'm going to Jiang City to pack my luggage."

"Have you contacted He Chuan?"

"Yes."

He hailed a taxi, told the bus station as his destination, and Shen Zhi followed.

The weather was stuffy and the car was shaking. Feng Ran fell asleep unconsciously and fell asleep. When he opened his eyes, he found himself resting his head on Shen Zhi's thigh. Shen Zhi put his hand on his shoulder.

Shen Zhi said indifferently: "You're awake. We're almost there."

Feng Ran sat up straight immediately, but his waist and spine were so painful that they felt like they were about to break, and his legs were numb, as if they were pricked by thousands of needles.

He stretched his body with a grin, and Shen Zhi saw it, reached out to massage him, and said: "I've bought the ticket. You can have a good rest on the high-speed train later."

"Thank you so much for troubling you." Feng Ran was inexplicably uneasy about Shen Zhi's excessive consideration.

Shen Zhi didn't say anything. It was not until they were waiting in the waiting room that he seemed to be unable to help himself and asked: "Why did you say that?"

"What?"

"When you refused to drink, you said we were friends, and when you were having dinner, you said we had broken up."

Feng Ran, who had closed his eyes to rest, yawned and said: "I was just telling the truth."

"So that's what you think?" Shen Zhi said, "

Then what am I?" "You know what you are."

Shen Zhi's heart was pinched hard, like a wet sponge being squeezed tightly, and a sour liquid oozes out.

Still holding onto a glimmer of hope, he asked, "Who do you think I am?"

Feng Ran lost his patience, opened his eyes, and said, "Ex-boyfriend, sex buddy, friend, friend's brother, brother without blood or relationship—there are so many, there must be one you'd like, right? Pick one."

Shen Zhi's breathing became heavier as his emotions swirled. During the meal, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he still loved Feng Ran, but Feng Ran had been blunt and unreserved, not giving him any face.

He was just trying to make a move, hoping Feng Ran would say something nice to placate him and the matter would be over. But he refused.

He refused to say a single pleasant word to make him feel a little more satisfied.

Shen Zhi wanted to ask why he could pretend to be Chen Shuze's boyfriend in front of his parents, and who was Chen Shuze? Why?

But he swallowed it all in his stomach.

He was afraid that mentioning Chen Shuze would only add fuel to the fire.

Sadly, he shifted his gaze to his shoes, slowly digesting the surging emotions. It was worse than swallowing a needle.

Seeing him so sad, Feng Ran felt very upset. He stood up and walked away, out of sight, out of mind.

He went to the bathroom and came out to buy two more bottles of soda water. Finally, it was almost time to line up. He called Shen Zhi and they went to check their tickets and get on the bus together. They

didn't arrive at the station until ten o'clock in the evening. Feng Ran slept soundly all the way. When he woke up, Shen Zhi was staring at the glass in a daze.

Shen Zhi saw him from the reflection, turned around and handed him some water.

Feng Ran said, "Where are we?"

"Ten minutes to Jiang City."

After getting off the bus, Shen Zhi still followed him. He said he was going to He Chuan's place. Shen Zhi said, "It's so late, let's go directly to my rental house."

Along the way, all the worries finally disappeared. He was finally able to talk to Feng Ran normally and control himself from having random thoughts.

"There's only one bed where you are."

"I'll sleep on the floor." Shen Zhi risked it.

"Ah? Keep your word then." Feng Ran couldn't help laughing. This wasn't his original intention. Suddenly, he remembered something. "You still rent that house?"

"I rented it for a year." Shen Zhi looked embarrassed.

"It would be a shame if you left. Why don't you just live here?"

"No." Shen Zhi regretted telling the truth. This gave Feng Ran another reason to persuade him not to be with him.

When he arrived at the rental house, Shen Zhi remembered that before going to Feng Ran's hometown, he had made a plan to leave no way out. He sent all his clothes to Feng Ran's house. Shen Yuan asked him for the quilt and pillow, and let him take them. The electricity bill was not paid, and the house was pitch black. Feng

Ran stood in the empty bedroom: "What do you say? Let's sleep on the floor together?"

In the end, the two of them ran to the hotel and booked a room.

When he woke up the next day, Shen Zhi was not there, which was rare. It was almost noon, and the hotel urged check-out, so Feng Ran rushed directly to He Chuan's place. He sent a message to Shen Zhi on the way, but there was no reply from the other party.

Even after not seeing each other for a while, the cat still remembered him. He Chuan watched him playing with the cat and said calmly, "Chu Ming wanted to keep him, so

we gave him away." "Oh, just like that?" Feng Ran was surprised. "Is he reliable?"

He had a poor impression of Chu Ming.

"I'll visit regularly,"

Feng Ran petted the cat reluctantly. "Your owner is sending you away. Eat less snacks in your new home, or they'll hate you. Why send him away? Isn't it good here?" The last part was addressed to He Chuan.

He Chuan said, "I move a lot, and he suffers with me."

"Moving again?"

He Chuan didn't answer, and Feng Ran didn't ask further.

This trip to Jiang City would probably be his last for the foreseeable future. So he went to visit Master Li and the group of kids at the car dealership. These young people hadn't been there long, so there were a lot more unfamiliar faces, and Feng Ran didn't recognize many of them. Xiaofu, upon learning he was returning home, was envious and wanted to go with him, but was forced to deal with new clients. After a few reluctant jokes with Feng Ran, he finally said goodbye.

Feng Ran gave his detailed address and contact information to Master Li, and told him to contact him if he had anything. He also took out a new mobile phone and some banknotes. Master Li smiled, took the phone, and didn't ask for the money.

He lost track of Shen Zhi.

After waking up from the bed in the hotel, he never saw Shen Zhi again.

Sometimes he sat on the sofa in He Chuan's house and drank alone. When the alcohol came up, he often thought of Shen Zhi and how he left without saying goodbye. He even wondered if everything that night was just an illusion. Maybe Shen Zhi didn't leave Hai City at all?

Shen Zhi no longer bothered him, which should be a good thing. But he was always worried and called Shen Yuan to ask if Shen Zhi had contacted him. He

got a sarcastic tone from the other end: "Contact me? He wishes there were only you and him left in the world, and no one would bother you."

Feng Ran was very unhappy: "Do you think I like it? You'd better persuade him to leave as soon as possible and stop bothering me."

After that, he hung up the phone and realized that Shen Zhi hadn't bothered him for two days.

It wasn't like they'd completely lost contact. Chen Zhi would still text him good morning and good night, asking what he'd eaten for three meals a day, but he never mentioned anything about himself.

Feng Ran vaguely sensed something was amiss and suggested a video call. Chen Zhi called back, saying he'd been invited to an exhibition and would be back soon. Seeing him fine,

Feng Ran felt relieved. The day before He Chuan's grandfather's death, He Chuan somehow managed to get a used car for 98,000 yuan. He'd just gotten the license plate and everything, and was taking Feng Ran for

a drive. "Grandpa's grave is in the mountains," he explained.

"How did you get there before?"

"With my dad."

"How's your dad this year?"

"Hiding from debt,"

Feng Ran sighed. "It's been tough having a dad like that. Is everything okay at home?"

"Everything's fine."

He Chuan mentioned a mountain, not a specific area. As Feng Ran sat in the car, time seemed to slow down. As he drifted off, darkness fell outside the window. He glanced at the map on his phone and jolted awake.

In another hour, the car would reach his hometown.

"You sent me straight home!" He nearly jumped out of his seat. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, it's so far?"

"You didn't ask."

"You did it on purpose." Feng Ran frowned. "Where were you taking me?"

The highway was completely silent. Theirs was the only car going back and forth. A light rain pattered outside, and the mountains were hazily shrouded in fog. Even He Chuan's face was barely visible under the constant light from the car. Feng Ran stared at the dark shadow beneath the brim of his hat. "Speak."

He Chuan said calmly, "I'm not lying."

"Why did you take me there? Was it just because you didn't want to be alone, or...?"

"Don't you think it's too late to ask now?"

As Feng Ran pondered, He Chuan recounted a story. His voice was intermittent, calm. He said it was also an autumn night, an autumn night, and the moon was round and large. Just like today.

At this point, Feng Ran really looked up at the night sky. The moon was at the end of the road, a round circle discernible through the mist. Their car was speeding towards it.

He Chuan continued, describing a young high school student who had been beaten by a group of thugs and, upon returning home, received a beating from his grandfather.

He ran out in a huff, wanting to find the culprit, but he didn't know where to look.

He waited patiently for three hours, and finally, he showed up. The man applied medicine to him and walked him home.

Feng Ran, of course, wasn't so forgetful as to forget even after being reminded. He said, "That was the time I applied medicine to you. I remember. I saw your back at the school gate and it looked familiar, so I wanted to see what you were doing."

He Chuan said, "There's the second half. When I got home, Grandpa had a heart attack, and it was too late to rush to the hospital."

Feng Ran looked back at him, his breath catching.

"When I left in a huff, that was the last time I saw him," He Chuan said flatly, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him. "He knew I was helping you and was furious. We had a fight."

"S-Sorry..."

"It's my fault. Grandpa had just been released from the hospital, and I should have listened to him."

Feng Ran was speechless for a moment.

Cause and effect, fate is unpredictable.

After a moment, he said cautiously, "Then I'll go. Is that appropriate? What if they don't want to see me?"

From what He Chuan said, his grandfather treated him like a plague.

He Chuan said, "No."

His face, illuminated by the lines of reflective tape, a cacophony of light and shadow. The scene of Feng Ran speeding home with He Chuan so many years ago gradually replayed itself in this moment, only this time it was He Chuan who was driving him. Both times, they raced towards the old man, their emotions differing greatly.

He had to hide one thing from Feng Ran: his grandfather's anger that night wasn't solely due to him helping Feng Ran.

He confessed everything to him: his feelings, his preferences, the person he loved.

Someone close to his grandfather had tipped him off; he might have known about Feng Ran's deeds. Back then, their family wasn't just famous because of Feng Ran's father.

He scolded him, "Who cares if you like someone? You better get away from him!"

"Impossible," He Chuan said, storming out. Those three words had haunted him for ten years.

He'd hated his parents, and even Feng Ran, who loved him, because he loved his family, but in the end, he hated himself the most.

He hadn't followed his grandfather's advice, and he hadn't turned back even after hitting a wall.

Feng Ran whispered, "Your condolences. If you're tired of driving, let me take over."

Even so, the mountain road was winding and winding, and he didn't recognize it at all. There were still no other cars or pedestrians on the road, and it was late at night, and Feng Ran was terrified.

He Chuan suddenly said, "I was held back in high school. Because I couldn't afford it, the school put me in the same classroom for three years."

"So you taught yourself?"

"Yes."

"It wasn't easy. Three classes in three years. You must have known a lot of people, right?"

"Yes. By the third year, I was in the same class with Feng Qing."

Feng Ran blinked slowly. Was there such a special person in Feng Qing's class? He didn't think she'd ever mentioned him.

— No. A thin string deep in his memory was gently plucked, and Feng Ran's eyes flickered.

Everything suddenly fell into place, crystal clear.

[Author has something to say]

I really can’t help but rant. The following is irrelevant to the main text, so you don’t have to read it

—

this book is such a flop for

no apparent reason. This is the second book I’ve written, and I thought I was making progress, but I didn’t expect… ah… the collection is less than one-third of the previous book, and the profit is not even a fraction of that book… I’m so frustrated and unwilling to accept this… I can’t figure it out.

I personally like the two protagonists very much, and I was very confident when I started writing… Now I’m completely slapping myself in the face qaq

Now that it’s not far from the end, I always feel sorry for the protagonists and feel that I messed up. Sometimes I give up on myself and think, “If it was written by a big shot, it might be better, and more people would like it”

— But please rest assured that I will do my best to finish it well, because I really love the two protagonists and their stories.

These thoughts are just some emotions, they are meaningless and won’t change anything. You can just treat it as a failure and complain.