Compared to the bustle up on the mountain just now, the cemetery felt exceptionally quiet. There were no cars, no people, and hardly any sound.

Since they hadn’t driven over, they had to walk the stretch from the parking lot into the cemetery. It was a fairly long walk and still an uphill climb, but there were no stairs, and the incline was gentle.

The entire cemetery was cast in the mountain’s shadow right now. Free from the glaring sun and with a breeze occasionally blowing past, the walk wasn’t tiring, even while carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

“There’s a map. It’s pretty detailed.” Spotting a map by the roadside, Zou Yang walked over to take a look. “Which section are we going to?”

Fan Jun walked over and pointed to the very top of the map. “This area. It’s a bit far.”

“That’s fine, we’ll just take a slow stroll over,” Zou Yang said. “Are you hungry?”

“We just ate. I shouldn’t be hungry again this quickly,” Fan Jun smiled.

“I’m hungry,” Zou Yang rubbed his stomach, speaking as he walked forward. “I saw a vegetarian restaurant back where we got off the cable car. Let’s go try it later.”

“Vegetarian?” Fan Jun asked.

“Can’t survive without meat, huh?” Zou Yang shot him a look.

“Not exactly,” Fan Jun laughed. “As long as we have meat for dinner, one vegetarian meal is fine.”

As they walked a bit further, the tombstones by the road began to multiply, standing row after row in the dappled light woven by the sun and the tree branches.

The cemetery was quite large. From the outside in, the tombstones shifted from new to old. It felt like walking through time, surrounded on both sides by the long or short, joyful or tragic lives of strangers.

But no one knew the stories behind the headstones.

Just like how no one knew what the woman behind the tombstone of Fan Jun’s mother had experienced, what she had thought about, or what she had hoped for…

Would she want to know what happened afterward?

Maybe that was why people visited graves—to tell them what happened next.

At first, Fan Jun kept up idle chatter with him, but as they neared the spot, he began to fall silent.

The only sound around them was their footsteps.

Zou Yang reached out, touched Fan Jun’s arm, and then took his hand.

Fan Jun turned to look at him, smiled, and squeezed his hand tightly. “I’m a little… nervous.”

“What’s there to be nervous about?” Zou Yang said. “I’m this handsome and excellent, are you afraid your mom won’t like me?”

“That wouldn’t happen,” Fan Jun squeezed his palm. “No one could dislike you.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Zou Yang said.

“Who doesn’t like you? Tell me,” Fan Jun immediately raised his voice. “Your ‘Uncle’ will beat them up for you!”

Zou Yang took a step to the side, looking at him.

“Hmm?” Fan Jun looked back at him.

“You pervert,” Zou Yang laughed.

“Can’t compare to you,” Fan Jun replied.

He really was a bit nervous. Even though he knew rationally that it was just a stone engraved with his mother’s name, emotionally, he still needed his mother. He needed her to know about his life now.

When she chose to pass away over a decade ago, even if all she saw in front of her was darkness and despair, she must have held hopes and expectations for the person he was today.

And he felt the same way. He wanted to repeatedly, constantly, sort through his current life, savoring every tiny bit of peace and happiness.

The narrow path leading to his mother’s grave was exactly the same as before. Feeling a bit anxious, he slowly approached.

The sun was bright, and the sound of cicadas echoed in the distance.

Zou Yang followed behind him, his footsteps so light they were almost silent, but their hands remained clasped the entire time.

“It’s right…” Fan Jun stopped and turned slightly, “here.”

Zou Yang quickly took a step forward and placed the bouquet he had been holding in front of the tombstone.

He glanced at the inscription: Tomb of Chen Xiaohui, Erected by her beloved son, Fan Jun.

Walking all the way here, this was the simplest tombstone he had seen.

The only things written on it were Chen Xiaohui and her only remaining tie to this world.

Seeing this stone, Zou Yang felt he could suddenly and clearly understand the terror in that little Fan Jun’s heart all those years ago.

The only person in this world who loved him had disappeared for his sake.

Little Fan Jun had lost the only person in the world who could give him a sense of security.

He straightened up and looked at Fan Jun beside him, unsure if he should say something or wait for Fan Jun to start.

Fan Jun looked a bit awkward too. He pinched one of Zou Yang’s fingers, rubbing it from the tip to the base before finally saying, “Mom, this is the boy I told you about… the one I really, really want to spend the rest of my life with… Zou Yang.”

Zou Yang looked at him, speechless for a long time. It wasn’t until Fan Jun turned to look at him that he slowly squatted down, facing the tombstone. “Auntie, I’m Zou Yang.”

“He’s very handsome, very smart, and can recite…” Fan Jun squatted down as well.

“Wait…” Zou Yang tried to interrupt him.

But Fan Jun continued on his own: “…a lot of poetry.”

Zou Yang kind of wanted to laugh, but was also a bit speechless.

“He has beautiful handwriting, both with a pen and a brush,” Fan Jun continued. “He’s also very kind-hearted. The little kitten I’m raising was brought home by him…”

“I picked the cat up, you’re the one raising it,” Zou Yang whispered. “Doesn’t that make you the kind-hearted one?”

“He’s also very cute,” Fan Jun looked at him.

For some inexplicable reason, Zou Yang felt like blushing. He was clearly just facing a tombstone, but somehow, he felt the genuine nervousness of actually meeting Fan Jun’s mother.

“And a little bit of a pervert,” Fan Jun added.

“Shouldn’t you watch what you say?” Zou Yang couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t think my mom would mind,” Fan Jun smiled. “As long as I’m living comfortably now, anything goes.”

“I’m not exactly a huge pervert anyway,” Zou Yang said.

“Yeah, just a little bit,” Fan Jun nodded. “You’re mostly just really cute.”

“…Alright then.” Zou Yang gave up struggling and simply sat down on the ground.

Fan Jun sat down too. “The first time I ever went to an amusement park, he took me. It was really fun… Except when we rode the roller coaster, he insisted on sitting in the front row, and I almost threw up…”

Zou Yang smiled and didn’t say anything more, just listening to Fan Jun softly rambling to his mother about all sorts of tiny details he had almost forgotten himself.

Even though Fan Jun talked a lot more now than when they first met, Zou Yang had never heard him speak for this long without anyone prompting him.

Chattering away like a little kid who had just been picked up from school by his mom.

He kept talking until the sun moved away from directly overhead, and the shade of the tree behind them could no longer block the sunlight. Only then did Fan Jun finally finish.

“The shop I partnered with He Chuan on is probably going to start getting busy soon,” Fan Jun said, pulling a cap out of his side pocket and popping it onto Zou Yang’s head. “I’ll have to wait until this busy spell is over before coming to see you again… Probably right before Uncle Lu and Sister Shan get married… Mom, we’re leaving now…”

“Auntie, we’re heading out,” Zou Yang chimed in.

She must be tired from listening to you ramble, he thought. Let her get some rest.

As the two of them returned to the main road and slowly walked back, Fan Jun let out a long sigh.

“Tired from all that talking?” Zou Yang asked.

“Just thirsty,” Fan Jun looked at him. “Do you have any water left?”

“Yeah.” Zou Yang pulled a bottle out of his leg pocket and handed it to him.

“Are you not going to drink?” Fan Jun tilted his head back and took a few big gulps.

“You finish it, I’m not thirsty,” Zou Yang said. “You sure can talk…”

“My voice is gone,” Fan Jun finished the water in the bottle and wiped his mouth. “I don’t know why, I just wanted to talk. If I didn’t say it out loud, I wouldn’t even have realized I remembered so many things.”

Zou Yang smiled, reaching out to pinch his cheek. “Then don’t always complain about me chattering from now on.”

“I definitely can’t chatter as much as you,” Fan Jun said. “It’s mainly because… I didn’t seem to know who else I could…”

“Hmm?” Zou Yang immediately reached out and turned Fan Jun’s face toward him.

“Before,” Fan Jun quickly clarified. “I meant before.”

“And from now on?” Zou Yang asked.

“From now on, I’ll tell you everything,” Fan Jun said.

“If there’s anything you want to say, as soon as you think of it, as soon as you want to say it,” Zou Yang looked at him, “tell me.”

“Mhm.” Fan Jun nodded.

Zou Yang let go, adjusted the cap on his head, and waved his hand. “Let’s go, time to eat.”

“That vegetarian place?” Fan Jun asked.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang replied.

There was parking near the vegetarian restaurant. They figured they should go to the lot and drive the car over while they still had the energy to walk.

Otherwise, once they got lazy after eating, the walk to the parking lot would feel twice as long.

“Honestly, even walking this stretch right now feels exhausting,” Zou Yang stretched lazily. “I’m hot and hungry… I should have just gone to the restaurant to order first, and you could have gone to get the car. Or I could wait in the restaurant after we eat while you go get it…”

“Zou Yang.” Fan Jun’s voice came from behind.

“Hmm?” Zou Yang paused, turning around to realize Fan Jun had stopped walking at some point. He blinked. “What? I’m just kidding.”

“You just said, as soon as I think of it, as soon as I want to say it, I should tell you,” Fan Jun said.

“Yeah.” Zou Yang looked at him and nodded.

“I thought of something… I thought of it a while ago…” Fan Jun furrowed his brows. “I’ve been thinking about it for at least a month… but…”

Zou Yang took two steps back toward him, watching him, unable to guess what Fan Jun was trying to say.

“I didn’t dare…” Fan Jun hesitated, then reached into his pocket.

Zou Yang stared at his hand.

This scenario…

No way, right?

A ring?

Here?

Couldn’t be, right?

Fan Jun pulled his hand out, holding his own phone.

…Fuck.

Zou Yang inexplicably felt the urge to laugh.

But Fan Jun’s expression as he looked down to unlock his phone was incredibly serious. Zou Yang bit the corner of his mouth with his canine, swallowing that sliver of a laugh back down.

“I’ve always wanted to say it, but I never dared to,” Fan Jun raised his phone toward him. It looked like he was recording a video, but because he was so nervous, his words stumbled a bit. “But you… you just said, say it as soon as I think of it…”

“Yeah.” Zou Yang nodded, sensing that what Fan Jun was about to say wasn’t going to be simple. He started to feel a bit nervous too.

“Zou Yang.” Fan Jun lowered the phone and looked at him.

“Hmm?” Zou Yang tilted his head.

Fan Jun’s gaze remained locked onto his face. After two seconds of silence, he took a deep breath.

“I love you.”

Zou Yang froze.

His breathing stopped with him.

Everything around them ground to a halt.

An afternoon on a sun-scorched sidewalk.

Above them was the monotonous, rising and falling drone of cicadas. To their left was a street with the occasional passing car. To their right was some unknown wall.

There was no romantic setting, no romantic pretext, no romantic buildup, not even a romantic temperature.

Just those three simple words.

Spoken out of the blue, without any warning, from Fan Jun’s mouth.

On this utterly ordinary, sweltering afternoon.

A few seconds later, the violent pounding of his heartbeat echoed in his ears, vibrating against his eardrums until they ached.

Only then did his breathing startle awake.

Zou Yang’s throat felt tight. When he opened his mouth, his voice was hoarse.

“I love you,” he said.

Fan Jun stepped up to him, opened his arms, and pulled him into a hug.

A scorching body, scorching air, and scorching breaths buried into the crook of his neck.

It was so hot it made him dizzy. He closed his eyes.

“I originally wanted,” Fan Jun whispered, “to prepare a bit more before saying it, but… I don’t know what time or what state… counts as being ready. Just now, I suddenly… couldn’t hold it back anymore. I really, really, really wanted to say it…”

“You don’t need to prepare for this kind of thing,” Zou Yang hugged him tight.

“If I had held it in a little longer and said it at the restaurant,” Fan Jun said, “would that have been better…”

“No, right now,” Zou Yang said. “Right now is the best.”

After rising and falling for countless rounds, the cicadas overhead suddenly reached a synchronization.

It was as if a chaotic, tune-deaf choir had finally found a unified pitch during the chorus. Who knows how many off-key cicadas simultaneously let out the exact same “Bzzzz—” in that instant, deafening to the ears.

The noise made their heads throb. After enduring the stares of three passersby while holding each other, they finally let go.

“Is every cicada in the world gathered here right now?” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang didn’t speak. He smiled, turned around, and continued toward the parking lot.

Fan Jun caught up, grabbed his hand, and looked down at his phone.

“Reliving the moment?” Zou Yang shot him a glance.

“No, just checking if it recorded. I…” Fan Jun shoved the phone back into his pocket. “I’m actually too embarrassed to watch it again.”

“Send it to me later. I’m not embarrassed,” Zou Yang said. “I’ll watch it eighty times right away.”

“Okay,” Fan Jun replied. Thinking for a second, he squeezed Zou Yang’s hand. “Just don’t… send it to Liu Wenrui to edit.”

Zou Yang couldn’t help but laugh. “I won’t. A video like this, not a single second can be touched. It has to stay exactly as it is.”

Back in the car, Fan Jun didn’t drive off immediately. He blasted the AC and pointed the vents right at himself.

Zou Yang leaned back in the passenger seat, staring blankly at the flowerbed ahead.

He didn’t know if the sun had fried his brain earlier, robbing him of his ability to process things, but now that he had cooled down, Fan Jun’s “I love you” started rapidly replaying on a loop in his head.

After zoning out for a moment, he couldn’t resist pulling down the sun visor and looking at himself in the mirror.

Sure enough.

He had a smile on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Fan Jun asked.

Zou Yang turned to look at him. “Say it again.”

“I love you,” Fan Jun said.

“I love you,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you.” Zou Yang brushed his thumb over Fan Jun’s lips.

“Should we go eat?” Fan Jun asked.

“Let’s go,” Zou Yang said. “I’m starving to death.”

The vegetarian restaurant was right next to the cable car station, so it got a lot of tourists. Even though it was past two o’clock, there were still quite a few people dining inside.

The exterior looked average, but upon walking in, the interior design was quite upscale.

They found a small table on the second-floor terrace. It was very comfortable, offering a panoramic view of the mountain scenery with cool breezes blowing through every so often.

After sitting down, Fan Jun stared into space for a moment, then clicked his tongue.

“Hmm?” Zou Yang looked at him.

“It would have been better to say it here,” Fan Jun sighed. “It’s so nice here.”

“Right there, just now, was the best place,” Zou Yang said. “The fact that you couldn’t hold it back in that exact moment makes it the best.”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun rested his elbows on the table, staring at him. A moment later, he said, “Zou Yang, you’re really… great.”

“I’m only great because you’re great,” Zou Yang replied.

A waitress brought over some lemon water. As she poured it for them, she introduced the restaurant’s menu.

“Any recommendations for two people?” Zou Yang asked.

“If you’re ordering a la carte, anything marked ‘recommended’ on the menu is one of our signature dishes,” the waitress said. “Or you could take a look at our set meals for two…”

“A couples’ set meal?” Fan Jun asked.

Zou Yang raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

“You don’t have to be a couple to order it,” the waitress opened the menu and began explaining. “We have three types of set meals for two…”

“Then let’s get this couples’ set meal.” Fan Jun pointed to a picture on the menu.

Zou Yang couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, so you’d like the number three…” the waitress paused. “Couples’ set meal, correct?”

“Yes.” Fan Jun nodded.

“Great, I’ll place that order for you,” the waitress tapped on her handheld device. “The… drinks in the couples’ set meal can be swapped out. It comes with one apple juice and one grapefruit juice. Would you like to change them?”

“Make them the same,” Fan Jun said.

“Both grapefruit juice,” Zou Yang added.

After the waitress walked away, he looked at Fan Jun and asked with a laugh, “What’s wrong with you?”

“What?” Fan Jun said. “I just wanted to eat a couples’ set meal.”

“Mhm.” Zou Yang chuckled in response.

“The waitress might be nearsighted,” Fan Jun said. “We’re wearing the same bracelets. Didn’t she notice?”

“Mhm.” Zou Yang hummed again.

“What is it?” Fan Jun looked at him.

“Nothing,” Zou Yang curled his lips into a smile. “I’m just very… happy.”