The last time Zou Yang was carried on someone’s back was during the fun sports meet in middle school, when Liu Wenrui, who lacked the strength to even truss a chicken, insisted on carrying him to pop balloons.

The whole process had been extremely tragic. At first, Liu Wenrui’s hands could still hook under the backs of Zou Yang’s knees, but later, he could only grab onto Zou Yang’s pants. It entirely relied on Zou Yang wrapping his arms around Liu Wenrui’s neck to choke him, and pulling his own legs up.

Pure core training.

Although comparing middle school rookie Liu Wenrui with 24-year-old martial arts instructor Fan Jun was manifestly unfair, the feeling of lying on Fan Jun’s back was completely different.

Besides not needing to choke his neck with his arms, not needing to engage his core, and being able to completely relax…

To be honest, it was also completely different from the feeling of hugging Fan Jun that day.

Compared to hugging, this feeling of lying prone on a person’s back, feeling the warmth of Fan Jun’s palms on his legs, and being passively pressed tightly against his body to a certain extent, suddenly brought an indescribable, ambiguous sense of security.

It gave him the illusion that Fan Jun’s back could perceive his heartbeat.

Zou Yang really couldn’t figure out why he suddenly had such an outrageous feeling.

Fortunately, his phone rang. It should be a message from the private kitchen.

Zou Yang quickly took out his phone. In this moment and posture, he could only wrap his arms over Fan Jun’s shoulders to hold the phone and reply to the message.

“…You’re blocking my vision,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang quickly pulled the phone he was holding in front of Fan Jun’s eyes to the side, rapidly replying to the message.

He had the private kitchen reserve a private room in the furthest corner; it had the best view and was quiet.

Today’s menu was also pretty good, all things he liked to eat.

“Take a look at the menu.” Zou Yang tapped open the menu and held the phone in front of Fan Jun’s eyes.

“…I can’t see it clearly,” Fan Jun said. “You’re practically shoving your phone into my eyes.”

“Sorry about that.” Zou Yang began to laugh.

“Isn’t the menu fixed? It’s the same whether I look at it or not, right?” Fan Jun asked.

“One or two dishes can be swapped out. For example, if someone is allergic to seafood or doesn’t eat cilantro, we can swap them for something else,” Zou Yang said.

“I eat everything, and I have no allergies,” Fan Jun said.

“Mm.” Zou Yang rested his hand on Fan Jun’s shoulder, looking at the menu. “Let me see what else to drink…”

Fan Jun suddenly tilted his head and rubbed his face against his own shoulder.

“Are you sweating?” Zou Yang asked immediately.

“…It itches,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang looked at his face, taking a long time to realize that he had been talking right next to Fan Jun’s ear the whole time just now.

It was also at this moment that he realized he had been constantly smelling a very refreshing grassy scent on Fan Jun.

He suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed and couldn’t pick up the conversation for a moment…

Fan Jun also went silent. He looked down at the road beneath his feet, suddenly walking with exceptional concentration.

But he still knocked Zou Yang’s plaster cast against the gatepost as they were exiting the hospital gate.

He abruptly stopped and grabbed Zou Yang’s leg, pulling it upward, wanting to check the condition of the cast.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s fine.” Zou Yang patted his shoulder. “If you go any higher, you’re gonna snap my hip joint.”

“Then your…” Fan Jun quickly returned his leg to its place and continued walking outside, “…flexibility is a bit poor.”

“Well, that’s because I’ve always… failed to book a class,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun made no further sound.

Zou Yang sighed inwardly.

The group reached the hospital entrance. Fan Jun let Zou Yang down, and Zou Yang leaned on his shoulder. The group lined up side by side, watching the cars and people on the street.

After standing for quite a while, Fan Jun asked, “What are we doing here?”

“Waiting for a car,” Liu Wenrui said.

“Who…” Zou Yang looked left and right, “…called a car?”

“The current me.” Li Zhiyue let out a sigh, pulled out his phone, and started hailing a car.

“Damn,” Zhang Chuanlong lamented. “If Brother Fan hadn’t asked, we would have stood here until tomorrow morning.”

“Only you would.” Zou Yang also pulled out his phone. “You three take one car, I’ll take one with Fan Jun.”

“Prairie Restaurant, right?” Li Zhiyue asked. “Why can’t I find it in the search?”

“Grass-side Hut!” Liu Wenrui said. “With a brain like yours, you still dare to take the CET-4…”

“I just took it, and my score will definitely be higher than yours,” Li Zhiyue said.

“Didn’t I say that the CET-4 matter is a flipped page once the exam is over, and we shouldn’t mention it again!” Zhang Chuanlong interrupted them. “Absolutely no tacit understanding…”

Fan Jun smiled as he listened to them chat and bicker. Although he couldn’t really interject most of the time, he really liked this kind of relaxing atmosphere.

A natural, rightful joy and ease.

He glanced at Zou Yang.

At the same time, Zou Yang’s gaze returned from his face to his phone. “Five hundred meters away.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun replied.

The car Li Zhiyue hailed arrived first. As soon as the three of them left, Zou Yang looked at his phone with exceptional immersion.

“Did your exam go smoothly today?” Fan Jun asked.

“Pretty good, I’ll definitely pass,” Zou Yang said. “I just don’t know the score, but it doesn’t matter.”

“With your leg like this,” Fan Jun said, “is it okay not to tell Sister Shan?”

“She hasn’t been home for over half a month,” Zou Yang said. “It’s the same whether I tell her or not. Hasn’t she been worrying about things with her boyfriend recently? I won’t add to her mess.”

Zou Yang’s originally decent mood had sunk a bit because of his dad’s arrival.

Even receiving a transfer notification while sitting in the car didn’t raise his excitement levels much.

“When your dad left, he said he had an appointment with someone this afternoon,” Fan Jun said.

“Who knows? That’s practically his catchphrase.” Zou Yang leaned against the car door, his left leg in a cast stretched out right in front of Fan Jun.

Fan Jun wanted to say something more, but there really wasn’t much to say. His impression of Zou Yang’s dad wasn’t good, and he didn’t want to speak up for him either.

“He said he was going to say hi to the director, and call the attending doctor over to ask about the situation,” Zou Yang said. “Actually, it’s all just talk. He waits for me to say ‘no need, no need, no need.’ If I don’t say anything, after a while, he’ll just act like he never said it…”

Fan Jun glanced at him and wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but Zou Yang was leaning against the car window, a bit too far from him. So he gently patted Zou Yang’s leg instead.

Just as his hand was about to move away, Zou Yang grabbed it, gripping very tightly.

You really couldn’t tell just by looking at his hands, but this student’s grip strength was astonishing.

Zou Yang’s hand trembled very slightly; it was unclear whether it naturally trembled or if it was because of the force.

“But he doesn’t feed empty words to Zou Tianrui. Even if Zou Tianrui just gets a cold, he’ll arrange for an acquaintance,” Zou Yang looked at him, his voice very low, probably not wanting the driver to hear. “Don’t ask me how I know.”

Fan Jun looked at him. Although Zou Yang was on his right, at this volume—with the driver also listening to an audiobook—he had to rely on Zou Yang’s lip movements.

He didn’t ask why. He could guess, and he felt that in Zou Yang’s current state, he would say it himself.

“When I found out about these things of his, I dragged Liu Wenrui along to track down the mistress,” Zou Yang’s brows slowly knitted together. “We even stormed into that woman’s house…”

Fan Jun didn’t speak, but just forcefully squeezed his hand back.

“We got into a physical fight, smashed the stuff in her house,” Zou Yang said. “I also hate my dad, but I still want a family. I want him to come home. It’s very pathetic, but that’s exactly how I felt… Later on, I wouldn’t say I completely figured it out, but I realized it’s truly impossible anymore. It’s more practical to just get some money instead.”

Zou Yang’s eyelids drooped. Fan Jun couldn’t clearly see if he was crying, so he slid down a bit against the backrest to look into his eyes.

Zou Yang raised his eyes, glanced at him, and mouthed, I didn’t cry.

Fan Jun smiled.

“So I actually don’t want to see him. Except for necessary occasions, or times when I won’t get money if I don’t see him, I avoid seeing him whenever possible,” Zou Yang said. “When we meet, I can feel the difference, and it makes me very uncomfortable.”

“Just treat it… like going to work,” Fan Jun said. “I also have students I particularly hate. No matter how many classes they buy, I won’t give them a discount…”

Zou Yang started laughing. “Do you hate them that much?”

“Mm,” Fan Jun nodded. “They also talk a lot of bullshit. I have to see them at least twice a week, an hour each time, and I don’t even make as much money as you…”

Zou Yang smiled, tilting his head back against the seat, and gently let out a breath.

There were some things that, if he told Liu Wenrui, he would feel embarrassed, feeling like they were too familiar to act melodramatic.

But telling Fan Jun felt very natural, without any pressure. After saying it, it felt like he had been beaten up—his body and mind felt thoroughly relaxed.

He looked out the car window, still holding Fan Jun’s hand.

Although the air conditioning was on in the car, their palms had started to sweat by now.

It was just that… Fan Jun hadn’t moved this whole time, as if he had already forgotten about this matter, tilting his head back against the seat, entering his usual dozing state.

Zou Yang didn’t move either, and didn’t really want to.

The car drove onto a small road. After passing through, the cars on the road slowly dwindled, and country paths and large expanses of green grassland began to appear on both sides, as well as quite a few small villas enclosed by green hedges.

This kind of environment made Fan Jun abruptly breathe a sigh of relief. Unlike the chaotic sense of security in Nanzhouping, this kind of empty tranquility allowed people to let out a long breath.

The car stopped at the end of a crushed stone road. Ahead was a very simple wooden gate, and dogs could be heard barking in the courtyard—judging by the sound, at least three of them.

“We’re here,” Zou Yang said, sitting up straight.

Fan Jun didn’t move; his hand was still being held by Zou Yang.

Throughout the journey, he hadn’t known whether he should let go of the hand, but Zou Yang hadn’t moved the entire time. He was afraid Zou Yang would feel awkward if he let go.

“Let’s go.” As Zou Yang opened the car door, he let go of his hand, stepping his right leg out of the car.

As Fan Jun helped support his left leg, he saw that his own hand was now a bit pale from being tightly clasped for half an hour.

He darted a quick glance at Zou Yang’s hand.

Zou Yang was clenching and unclenching his fingers to exercise them, and his hand was also blotchy red and white.

“Here!” The courtyard gate opened, and Liu Wenrui and the others came out pushing a wheelchair.

Li Zhiyue was sitting in the wheelchair.

“There’s even this?” Fan Jun was stunned.

“Didn’t expect it, right?” Li Zhiyue stood up. “I just casually asked just now, and they actually had one. But this kind of folding one isn’t very easy to push, the wheels are small.”

“Well, I’m not the one pushing it anyway.” Zou Yang immediately hopped twice over and sat down.

The group pushed Zou Yang in front, with Fan Jun following behind them. He took off his hat and looked around; he had never eaten a meal in this kind of environment before.

This courtyard was very large. Following the pebble-paved path inward, there were small houses on both sides.

Three little spotted dogs enthusiastically followed by Fan Jun’s legs.

Fan Jun patted his pockets, took out a small packet of Xiaobai’s teething snacks, and tossed them one piece each.

Because the menu was fixed, the waiters were already serving the dishes by the time they reached the door of the private room. The aroma filling the room could be smelled from outside the door.

“I’m starving to death.” Zou Yang stood up, not needing anyone’s support, and hopped directly toward the table.

The little spotted dogs were still by his feet, so Fan Jun fed the entire packet of snacks to them.

“Brother Fan! Hurry and come in! Are you drinking juice or alcohol?” Liu Wenrui shouted from inside.

“Juice,” Fan Jun said as he entered the room.

Habitually, he glanced at Zou Yang, wanting to sit next to him, but discovered that Li Zhiyue and Liu Wenrui were already sitting on Zou Yang’s left and right.

“Then this passion fruit juice,” Liu Wenrui poured juice into the glass at the seat next to him.

“Okay.” Fan Jun walked over and sat next to him.

He didn’t know why, but because of this one person’s distance, he suddenly felt a bit constrained and… disappointed.

However, the food at this restaurant was exceptionally delicious. It was the most delicious food Fan Jun had ever eaten in his life—the kind of deliciousness you couldn’t possibly imagine before eating it.

Outside the window, tiny flowers bloomed on the green grass, the little spotted dogs ran wildly on the lawn, the wind blew through the wooden window grilles, and the tree shadows outside swayed gently with the wind.

Fan Jun felt that this scene before his eyes, and the taste of this meal, were things he would probably remember for a very, very long time.

“I have to go back home to grab some clothes,” Zou Yang sat on a lounge chair outside the private room, looking at his phone. “I have no clothes to change into. I haven’t been home for two weeks.”

“You really don’t like washing clothes, huh,” Li Zhiyue sighed with emotion.

“I only take them home to wash when I have nothing left to wear,” Zou Yang said. “You guys head back to the university first. I’ll hail a car, drop Fan Jun off at Nanzhouping first, then go back to get my clothes and return to school.”

“Alright,” Liu Wenrui took out his phone. “I’ll hail a car.”

It was only when the others went to the side to play with the dogs that Fan Jun sat on the lounge chair next to Zou Yang and said in a low voice, “Go to…”

He glanced at the navigation on his phone, which showed the starting point of his taxi ride today. “…this whatever arcade first.”

“Hm?” Zou Yang was momentarily stunned. He leaned over to take a look. “What are you going there for?”

“I need to pick up my scooter.” Fan Jun originally didn’t want to say anything, but if they went straight back to Nanzhouping, he didn’t know if he would still be willing to go that far alone just to get his scooter.

Zou Yang looked at him, not speaking for a long while, and finally nodded.

Fan Jun’s scooter was parked right at the intersection. Among a row of electric scooters, the mecha-style new scooter could be spotted at a glance.

“You should just let that car take you home,” Fan Jun said, looking at the car driving away.

“I’ll drive your scooter and take you back first,” Zou Yang said, reaching a hand out toward him. “Keys.”

Fan Jun didn’t speak.

“I’m afraid you’ll dump the scooter halfway again,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun was stunned for a moment before laughing. “Actually… it’s fine now. I’m not always… it’s just that I was a bit… that’s why I asked you to come with me.”

Zou Yang didn’t speak; his hand remained outstretched.

Fan Jun took the key out of his pocket and placed it in his hand.

Just as Zou Yang was about to turn around and get on the scooter, a girl ran over from diagonally behind Fan Jun, constantly tilting her head to look at Fan Jun’s face.

Just as Zou Yang wanted to alert Fan Jun, the girl called out, “Fan Jun!”

Fan Jun paused for almost two seconds before turning his head.

“It really is you!” The girl walked over with a smile and patted his arm. “Do you not recognize me anymore?”

Judging by this action, she should be someone very familiar.

Fan Jun looked at her, not speaking and showing no expression.

But it was obvious that he wasn’t very tense.

“It’s me, Sun Jing!” The girl leaned close to Fan Jun’s right ear and said. “Do you really not remember?”

“I remember.” Fan Jun smiled. “You’ve… changed quite a lot.”

He smiled.

A very natural smile.

She really must be an acquaintance.

Fan Jun has acquaintances outside of Nanzhouping? And it’s a girl?

“You haven’t changed much at all, except you’ve grown even taller than you were in high school…” Sun Jing took a step back and sized him up. “…And still just as cool.”

Fan Jun smiled. “Why are you… here?”

He seems to be in a good state, he can even smile.

Zou Yang hopped over to Fan Jun’s scooter and straddled it.

“I work over there…” Sun Jing pointed to a building across the street. Probably only recovering a bit from the joy of reuniting with an old classmate now, she noticed Zou Yang next to them. “This is your friend, huh?”

Zou Yang didn’t turn his head, looking at the dashboard.

“My friend,” Fan Jun said.

“Is he also…” Sun Jing stopped halfway.

Right, also hearing impaired.

“We still have things to do,” Fan Jun walked over. “So…”

“Alright, go get busy then, bye-bye!” Sun Jing waved her hand as she walked forward. “Let’s keep in touch when you’re free, and pop your head into the group chat occasionally.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun replied. Supporting himself on Zou Yang’s shoulder, he straddled the back seat.

When Zou Yang got on the scooter, he sat quite far back, so the space left for him now was rather limited.

He pushed Zou Yang, but Zou Yang didn’t move.

“How about I just run behind you guys?” Fan Jun said.

Only then did Zou Yang scoot forward a bit.

“My high school classmate,” Fan Jun said. “Her family used to live east of Beixiaojie.”

“Oh,” Zou Yang replied.