Fan Jun held Zou Yang’s motorcycle key, standing at the intersection and watching as Zou Yang got into a taxi.

It was a long while after the car drove away before he finally moved from his spot.

He had originally thought that if Zou Yang wanted to stroll around a bit more, stay in the gym a bit longer, or go see Da Hei and Xiao Bai, he could actually keep him company.

But Zou Yang had already seen through it, and had already understood.

He stood at the intersection.

He felt the surroundings were completely empty.

It wasn’t until a familiar voice floated vaguely past him from behind that he snapped back to his senses, turned around, and shouted: “Li Mao!”

Li Mao, who was chatting happily with several classmates, immediately shrank his neck when he saw him: “Brother Fan.”

“Come here.” Fan Jun pointed at him. It was obvious just looking at this kid that something wasn’t right.

He had already felt that Hou’er was acting a bit off today. Before he had the chance to carefully mull it over, taking one look at Li Mao now confirmed that something was even more wrong. These three kids hung out together all day, they definitely knew something.

“What’s the matter, Brother Fan?” Li Mao walked over unwillingly.

As soon as he started walking this way, his classmates all ran off immediately, as if afraid that if they ran too slowly, Fan Jun might conveniently give them a beating.

“What do you think I’d be looking for you for?” Fan Jun looked at him.

“How would I know, I haven’t been to the martial arts gym in a month…” Li Mao scratched his head. “I’ll go once I’m on break…”

“I don’t care whether you go or not,” Fan Jun said.

Li Mao fell silent.

“Do you want me to call Hou’er over to jog your memory?” Fan Jun said.

Li Mao froze, abruptly snapping his head up: “He told you?”

Fan Jun didn’t make a sound.

Li Mao realized he had let something slip and also stopped talking.

“Where did Sun Xulei go?” Fan Jun stopped beating around the bush.

Li Mao pressed his lips tightly together.

Fan Jun directly reached out, grabbed his face, and gave it a squeeze. Li Mao’s mouth instantly popped open: “Ahhh hey…”

“Tell me, or go to the police station and tell Uncle Liang, you choose,” Fan Jun said.

Li Mao held it in for a moment, his eyes suddenly turning red: “I really don’t know…”

“Tell me whatever you know,” Fan Jun said.

“He just said he had to run, that if he didn’t run he’d be beaten to death by Sun the Fifth,” Li Mao said, his voice thick with tears. “So Hou’er and I pooled some money together to give him…”

“Are you guys crazy!” Fan Jun grabbed Li Mao by his collar.

“He really was going to be beaten to death, every time was worse than the last. He didn’t let you see the injuries on his butt and back, they were completely mutilated, scars layered upon scars…” Li Mao finally started crying. “You don’t know how miserable he was…”

How could I not know.

How could I not know!

“Where is he?” Fan Jun pressed his voice low.

“I don’t know, he didn’t tell us. He only said he would leave this city and come back to find us once he made something of himself,” Li Mao said as he cried. “Later on, his phone wouldn’t connect anymore…”

“Come with me to the police station,” Fan Jun’s hands were trembling slightly as he dragged Li Mao back the way he came.

“Don’t arrest me, Brother Fan, don’t arrest me, I really don’t know.” Li Mao struggled desperately.

“Who’s arresting you!” Fan Jun half-carried him. “Go and explain clearly to the police what you two know!”

---

Hou’er was also called to the police station.

With one glare from Officer Liang, the two kids trembled and confessed everything.

But there were no new clues.

They only knew that Sun Xulei not only wanted to leave Nanzhouping, but also wanted to leave the city. Aside from three thousand seven hundred yuan and a phone, he hadn’t brought anything else, nor had he left any information that could be used to find him.

He left without leaving himself any way back.

Later on, Hou’er had tried calling Sun Xulei, but the phone was always turned off.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you knew he was leaving!” Fan Jun couldn’t help but yell.

Hou’er and Li Mao were so frightened they squeezed together. Even Officer Liang was startled and quickly blocked him: “Hey hey hey hey hey…”

“He only told us the day before he left,” Hou’er said softly. “We didn’t think he would actually be able to leave… and he didn’t let us tell you…”

“He didn’t let you tell me so you just didn’t tell me?!” Fan Jun pointed at him over Officer Liang’s shoulder, his voice hoarse from yelling. “Is he your father that you listen to him so obediently?!”

“Fan Jun!” Officer Liang pushed him toward the outside of the office. “Go outside and calm down.”

“We were all afraid of causing you trouble again!” Hou’er also raised his voice and yelled. “You spent several days in the detention center because of him!”

“Am I afraid of that little bit of trouble! Am I afraid!” Fan Jun roared.

What I’m afraid of is that he has no chance left.

Officer Liang pushed him out the door and closed the office door.

Fan Jun stood outside the door for a while, then turned and sat on the bench nearby.

His hands were shaking, not knowing whether it was out of anger or fear.

Or the despair of powerlessness.

Sun the Fifth walked into the police station lobby and started shouting as soon as he entered: “What! Why did I hear that someone knows…”

Fan Jun, who had been staring at the floor, raised his head and swept a glance at him.

In this second, Sun the Fifth and Fan Gang had a certain bizarre overlap in front of him.

Sun the Fifth stopped in his tracks, his voice dying in his throat as he glared at him.

It took a long time before he finally said: “What do you want to do?”

“Scram,” Fan Jun said.

“…On what grounds? I heard my son was kidnapped by those two…” Sun the Fifth kept his body in a slightly backward-leaning posture, watching him warily.

“If you dare to cause trouble for them,” Fan Jun stared at him. “I’ll kill you.”

Sun the Fifth glared at him, seeming to be frightened. Two seconds later, he cursed “Fuck,” turned around, and jogged away.

Fan Jun continued staring at the empty doorway.

He was also frightened by himself.

I’ll kill you.

For a moment, he thought he had heard Fan Gang’s voice.

---

After Hou’er and Li Mao’s parents arrived, Fan Jun got up and left the police station. He went to the intersection and rode Zou Yang’s motorcycle back to the old gym.

“Zou Yang came?” Sister Shan was startled when she saw the bike, looking out toward the courtyard.

“No, he rode the bike over for class this afternoon, I didn’t let him ride it back,” Fan Jun said. “He took a cab back.”

“His leg doesn’t even have the cast off yet, what class is he coming to take?” Sister Shan frowned.

“He was probably bored alone at home,” Fan Jun smiled.

“He’s never bored. He and Liu Wenrui have been hanging out since they were little, you couldn’t beat them apart,” Sister Shan said halfway before realizing. “He finished his exams?”

“Yeah, he said he’s already on break,” Fan Jun said.

“And he didn’t even tell me,” Sister Shan clicked her tongue.

“Do you… want to go back and check on him?” Fan Jun asked.

Sister Shan had been at the old gym for a few years. He had never taken the initiative to ask her if she wanted to go home, afraid she might think he was trying to chase her away. But he still couldn’t hold it back this time and asked carefully.

“What would I go back for, it’s not like there’s anything going on,” Sister Shan turned back to the kitchen to get her grocery cart. “Isn’t the new gym about to move? There’s a ton of things to do here…”

Fan Jun couldn’t see her mouth to read her lips for what she said after, so he didn’t hear it. He followed her into the kitchen: “Go back… and see Zou Yang.”

“Oh my,” Sister Shan started laughing. “Really now, what big young man wants to hang out with his mother.”

That big young man who has longed for his parents’ warmth since he was little.

Fan Jun didn’t say anything more. He took out his phone, reading it as he walked toward the training hall.

Lü Ze had just returned and was teaching a class.

“I’ve already arranged for the truck,” Lü Ze said. “We’ll go pull the stuff over tomorrow afternoon.”

“Can the new venue take things in now?” Fan Jun asked.

“The floors have been cleared. We’ll just confirm the positions for the equipment first, the rest can be set up quickly,” Lü Ze said.

“Mm,” Fan Jun nodded.

“In a few days, I’ll arrange for some of my members to go over there for classes first,” Lü Ze said. “Your members… those who are willing to follow can be notified in advance. Those who don’t want to follow will be arranged at the old gym until their class hours are used up. You’ll just have to temporarily run between both places.”

“Okay, no problem,” Fan Jun responded.

It was uncertain how many members would follow. But kids like Hou’er and Li Mao were all kids from Nanzhouping. The new venue was almost five kilometers away from here, so there was a high probability they wouldn’t go.

However, they wouldn’t be attending high school here afterward anyway, so they would all slowly disperse eventually.

Fan Jun suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. It felt like the familiar people and things around him were unstoppably disappearing bit by bit, or were about to disappear.

His phone beeped.

[Zou yang]: Booking a class for tomorrow.

Fan Jun looked down at his phone, let out a soft sigh, tilted his head back, and leaned against the wall.

[Fan]: Let’s do 3 o’clock, 2 o’clock is a bit tight.
[Zou yang]: What’s tight about it?
[Fan]: Eating.
[Zou yang]: ?
[Zou yang]: Did you not eat lunch today?
[Fan]: Didn’t eat.
[Zou yang]: Tomorrow at 2 o’clock. Whenever you finish eating is whenever we start.
[Zou yang]: Anyway, with that hellish intensity you set up, I can’t even last a full hour of training.

---

“Why do we have to have class at two o’clock?” Fan Jun sat behind the front desk, his head buried in his food.

Today it was pickled cabbage and pork belly again. He felt like if he didn’t eat more, this place might quietly disappear just like the milk tea shop downstairs without him knowing.

“Bored,” Zou Yang sat in the chair next to the front desk.

“Aren’t you going out to play with Liu Wenrui?” Fan Jun asked.

“He’s been practicing driving with his cousin these past few days,” Zou Yang said. “He’s very diligent, even tried to drag me along.”

Fan Jun smiled: “When does your cast come off?”

“A few more days. I’ll get an X-ray first, and then it can come off,” Zou Yang swung his plastered leg. “It’s been a month, I’m starting to suspect if it’s necrotic, it doesn’t even itch anymore.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Fan Jun said. “Liu Wenrui can drive you to the hospital then.”

“I don’t need him to drop me off,” Zou Yang looked at his leg. “I’ll go by myself.”

He glanced at Fan Jun again: “Hurry up and eat.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun lowered his head and continued eating.

Zou Yang’s class today still could only consist of upper body exercises. Fan Jun used ten minutes to eat, and for the remaining fifty minutes, they trained back.

For several days in a row, Zou Yang booked the two o’clock class, leaving a little time for Fan Jun to eat and training for the rest of the time. Fan Jun went through a lot of effort to arrange training programs for this continuous half-body student.

But he could feel that Zou Yang wasn’t training seriously, even though he completed all the movements as required.

Just like he said himself, he came to class because he was bored and didn’t want to stay home alone.

Zou Yang’s mood had remained low, and it wasn’t entirely because of what happened on his birthday; it was also because of Sister Shan.

These past few days, the new venue had started its trial operation, and Uncle Lü and Sister Shan had been running between both places to help out.

Since Zou Yang’s break started, he hadn’t met with Sister Shan or contacted her, almost as if he were competing in a battle of wills.

If he never showed up, how long would it take for his mother to notice that this son had not appeared in her life for a very long time.

---

“Sister Shan,” Fan Jun stood by the stove, helping Sister Shan as she cooked. “Zou Yang gets his cast off tomorrow.”

“Ah, he can get it off already? Doesn’t he have to wait a full month?” Sister Shan paused, holding the spatula.

“It’s already been a month,” Fan Jun said.

“Oh my,” Sister Shan sighed. “I’ve been so busy lately I didn’t even pay attention to this… Why didn’t he even tell me! It’s been a month and he still goes to his dad’s to report once, but he gets his cast off and doesn’t tell me!”

“How about…” Fan Jun looked at her. “You give him a call?”

“He’ll just complain that I’m annoying again,” Sister Shan continued stir-frying.

“He won’t,” Fan Jun said.

Sister Shan didn’t speak.

“I’m going with him to get his cast off tomorrow,” Fan Jun said. “Your home address… give it to me.”

Sister Shan was a very carefree person. She didn’t even wonder why Fan Jun was accompanying her son to get his cast off, yet had to ask her for the address.

---

Fan Jun parked the motorcycle on the sidewalk next to the main gate of Zou Yang’s residential community. He lowered his head, pulled the brim of his hat down, closed his eyes, and tried his best to adjust his breathing…

The ride over had been quite smooth, but the panic still came suddenly, without any warning.

The area around Zou Yang’s home was very bustling, and the street outside the community had all sorts of shops and supermarkets. Even the colors of the storefronts were much richer than the small streets of Nanzhouping.

The noisy chatter of people, the honking of electric bikes, the music from both sides of the road, the urgent beeping when the traffic light turned green at the intersection, the people and cars constantly sweeping past his eyes and his sides, even the swaying shadows of the trees…

Fan Jun looked down at his feet.

He hadn’t told Zou Yang he was coming. He had only asked what time Zou Yang was going to get his cast off.

Zou Yang had said ten o’clock, so it wouldn’t affect his afternoon class.

Fan Jun didn’t say anything more. First, he wasn’t sure what state he would be in when arriving in yet another entirely new area. Second, he didn’t know if Zou Yang was really going to the hospital alone; if he was going with Liu Wenrui, he would just head back to Nanzhouping…

Someone approached beside him.

Fan Jun could instinctively sense someone drawing near, but he didn’t move.

He kept his head down, looking at the ground.

An electric scooter stopped almost right against his foot.

“Hey, handsome.”

Zou Yang’s voice wasn’t loud, and it came from his left, but it pierced clearly through the chaos and entered his right ear.

The breath that had been held tightly in his chest was abruptly exhaled at this moment.

Fan Jun felt his breathing suddenly smooth out.

He turned his head and saw Zou Yang standing next to him, holding onto an electric scooter.

“Hi,” he smiled. “Handsome.”

“Are you a psycho?” Zou Yang said.

“You are,” Fan Jun glanced at the scooter beneath his feet. Aside from that, there was no other vehicle, nor was there Liu Wenrui.

“What are you doing here?” Zou Yang asked.

“Taking you to the hospital to get your cast off,” Fan Jun said.

“If I hadn’t seen you, I would have just left,” Zou Yang said. “How would you have taken me?”

It was true.

“…Good thing you saw me,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang didn’t speak. He reached out and lightly lifted the brim of Fan Jun’s hat: “How are you holding up? My neighborhood is pretty chaotic.”

“I’m fine,” Fan Jun smiled.

“Then let’s go,” Zou Yang said. “I’ll navigate for you.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun responded.

Zou Yang folded up the scooter and placed it on the floorboard of the motorcycle, then straddled the back seat and pointed at the loudly beeping intersection ahead: “Turn left there.”

“Okay,” Fan Jun nodded.

Zou Yang rested his hand on Fan Jun’s shoulder just like before. When Fan Jun slightly turned his head, he could see the splash of green on Zou Yang’s wrist in his peripheral vision, very eye-catching under the sunlight.

“Were you planning on riding that scooter to the hospital?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang leaned close to his right ear. “It has a 30-kilometer range. Not only could I ride it there, I could also ride it to my dad’s place.”

“You’re going to your dad’s place later?” Fan Jun asked.

“Their whole family is flying to Europe tomorrow,” Zou Yang said. “I have to seize this little gap of time to go show my filial piety and get the money.”

“This afternoon…” Fan Jun hesitated. “Let’s go have a meal at the old gym. Sister Shan has been pretty busy lately. Yesterday when I said I was coming over, she… was actually quite anxious. You didn’t tell her you were getting your cast off either.”

It took a long time before Zou Yang responded: “Mm.”

Fan Jun didn’t say anything more and focused on looking ahead. To be honest, his skill at riding an electric bike was far inferior to Zou Yang’s. After all, he rarely had the chance to ride one.

“Turn into that side road before the traffic light,” Zou Yang said behind his ear.

“Mm,” Fan Jun responded.

He felt as though Zou Yang’s voice had a certain tangible weight to it. It slid down his right ear, landed on his shoulder, and rolled lightly all the way down his back.

After turning into the side road, Zou Yang rested his hand on his shoulder and pointed forward past his face with a finger: “Drive straight all the way to the end, turn at the T-intersection, and we’re there.”

“Okay,” he nodded. There were noticeably fewer cars and people on this road, making driving in the slow lane very comfortable.

Zou Yang didn’t speak anymore.

After a while, Fan Jun suddenly felt a burst of warmth on the back of his neck.

Zou Yang seemed to be a bit sleepy, lowering his head and resting his forehead against the back of his neck.

Fan Jun couldn’t describe this feeling. He couldn’t tell if it was panic or something else. His hands subconsciously tightened their grip on the handlebars, and his thumb, which was always resting on the horn button, pressed down.

The motorcycle let out a loud “Beep—” toward the empty slow lane ahead.