FF CH104

Chapter 104: Like a miracle, becoming a part of your life…

The video wasn’t long—less than twenty minutes.

Yet in those brief twenty minutes, Fan Jun relived the entire past year all over again.

Through the perspective of Zou Yang’s world.

Watching himself through Zou Yang’s eyes, seeing the events of this past year unfold in Zou Yang’s life, and taking in every single detail and emotion he had never known before, bit by bit.

When the video ended, none of them spoke, nor did anyone move.

A faint itch lingered on Fan Jun’s face as tears continuously spilled from the corners of his eyes. He didn’t lift a hand to wipe them away, simply letting the tears stream and drip down.

In this moment, he was no longer the Fan Jun who was always steady, reliable, and reserved in everyone else’s eyes.

He was the Fan Jun who needed Zou Yang more than anyone else in the entire world.

Zou Yang gently hooked a finger under his chin, brushing away a few teardrops.

Then, standing up in front of Fan Jun, he reached out and gently ruffled his hair.

Fan Jun wrapped his arms around Zou Yang’s waist, burying his face directly against Zou Yang’s stomach.

Tears quickly soaked through the fabric of the T-shirt. Zou Yang could feel a patch of warm wetness seeping through against his skin, accompanied by the faint, subtle trembling of Fan Jun’s body.

The man who had tried so hard to maintain his composed “Coach Fan” persona moments ago had completely cast it aside, clinging to him and crying like a vulnerable child.

Zou Yang said nothing. He gently patted Fan Jun’s back, his fingers looping through a stray lock of hair at the crown of Fan Jun’s head, slowly twisting it.

Liu Wenrui pulled out a tissue, pressed it against his own eyes, and let out a soft, emotionally heavy sigh.

Li Zhiyue took a tissue as well, dabbing at his face over and over.

Zhang Chuanlong hadn’t moved at all. He probably wasn’t crying, just staring blankly at the screen, lost in thought.

Zou Yang had initially assumed he would break down and cry his eyes out during this part, but for some reason, the tears didn’t come.

A tidal wave of emotions surged through his chest, yet he didn’t shed a tear.

He was simply deeply moved.

Profoundly touched.

Touched for himself, and touched for Fan Jun—a man who had almost never shown raw, intense vulnerability in front of others, yet was trembling right here, right now.

Fan Jun wept so hard. In front of Zou Yang and his classmates—whom he normally viewed as kids—he cried openly, without holding back in the slightest.

On the opposite bank, the campers who had finished breakfast were returning. People began packing up their gear; some were likely heading home, while others were heading to their next stop.

No one paid much attention to the motionless tableau across the water; they were all absorbed in their own affairs. As a group finally packed up to leave, an older guy waved toward their side.

Zou Yang lifted his hand and waved back.

Watching the people depart from the far bank, an inexplicable feeling suddenly welled up inside him.

How many people does a person cross paths with in a lifetime?

How many people simply pass through your world?

They walk through your peripheral vision, brushing past your shoulders. Occasionally you hear their voices; occasionally your gaze sweeps past their faces, yet you never remember a single one…

Or perhaps with some, you exchange a word or two, a brief chat or an argument. With others, you might know their names, you might know they exist out there somewhere, but your lives will never truly intersect…

Yet among those countless near-misses, a few people stay by your side.

They become your friends, your confidants.

And among those countless passing souls, one person will appear—like a miracle—and become an irreplaceable part of your very life.

A lover. A boyfriend.

He looked down at the swirl of hair atop Fan Jun’s head.

Just then, Zhang Chuanlong, their good friend who had remained frozen in complete silence this whole time, pulled out a tissue. In the now-empty clearing, accompanied only by the soft babble of the river, he lowered his head and blew his nose with a loud honk.

“Fuck,” Liu Wenrui cursed under his breath. “Scared the shit out of me!”

“Why are you so easily spooked?” Zhang Chuanlong’s eyes were rimmed with red as he blew his nose once more. “Go work on your courage.”

Zou Yang felt Fan Jun stiffen slightly against him before burying his face deeper into Zou Yang’s stomach, chuckling softly.

“Damn it,” Zou Yang laughed, reaching back to pull two tissues from the pack and shoving them into Fan Jun’s hands.

Taking the tissues, Fan Jun let go of his waist, buried his face into the paper, let out a deep, shuddering breath, and wiped his face clean.

When he finally looked up, the rims of his eyes and the tip of his nose were flushed red, and the small scars across his face were tinged with pink. Zou Yang couldn’t resist reaching out to gently touch his cheek.

“Let’s pack up,” Fan Jun said, his voice a little hoarse. “It’s still over an hour’s drive back.”

“Yeah,” Zou Yang nodded.

Fan Jun used a clean tissue to dab at Zou Yang’s T-shirt. “It’s completely soaked through. Did you bring a spare?”

“The breeze will dry it in a minute.” Zou Yang rubbed his hair affectionately.

Once everything was packed, the group dragged the cart back across the wooden plank laid out by the owner and returned to the parking lot.

When returning the tents, they had to pay the owner twenty yuan because one of the support poles in Zou Yang and Fan Jun’s tent had snapped under pressure.

Fan Jun drove on the way back. The moment the others got in the car, they all pretended to fall fast asleep. Watching them sleep so aggressively, Zou Yang couldn’t shake a guilty conscience, wondering if these guys had stayed awake all night eavesdropping on their tent.

When they reached the trade center, Fan Jun got out and let Zou Yang take the wheel to drive back to campus.

“Text me when you get to school,” Fan Jun said softly, leaning his arms on the car window.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang nodded. “Did you take all the gifts? You grabbed the one they gave you too, right?”

“Everything’s in the bags.” Fan Jun shook the two bags in his hand.

“Okay,” Zou Yang acknowledged.

“Go on, then.” Fan Jun glanced at the backseat passengers who were still feigning sleep and added, “Thanks, everyone.”

As much as Zou Yang wanted to skip class, he gritted his teeth and held it together. After Fan Jun turned and walked away, Zou Yang rolled up the window and buckled his seatbelt.

Liu Wenrui hopped from the back into the passenger seat, and Zou Yang started the engine, heading toward the university.

“Ah—” Liu Wenrui let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

“What’s wrong with you?” Zou Yang glanced at him.

“Just getting sentimental,” Liu Wenrui said. “Celebrating this birthday has left me full of deep thoughts.”

“It’s mostly because of the two of them,” Zhang Chuanlong chimed in from the back, equally emotional. “It really wasn’t easy. So many people would have drifted apart during that kind of rough patch.”

“Yeah…” Liu Wenrui and Li Zhiyue echoed in unison.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Zou Yang cut in. “We didn’t just meet yesterday. Are you guys getting this sappy because you want to sever our friendship?”

“Fine, then I’ll say something that isn’t sappy,” Liu Wenrui clicked his tongue. “That mark Fan Jun chewed into your neck? Go put a band-aid over it in a bit. I’m worried people will see it and start asking questions.”

“Wh—” Zou Yang felt his face burst into flames instantly.

“What do you mean, ‘wh-‘?” Liu Wenrui retorted. “You’re the kind of person who leaves a massive red patch just scratching an itch. Do you have any idea how glaringly obvious it is?”

“…Got it,” Zou Yang mumbled.

“Actually, it’s fine. It’s just a hickey,” Zhang Chuanlong noted. “At least it proves he’s off the market. He’s the pride of our dorm.”

“Don’t give me that pride bullshit,” Liu Wenrui scoffed. “The guys in the neighboring dorms got taken one after another—the fast ones in freshman year, the slow ones in sophomore year. Meanwhile, our dorm is like some kind of bachelor conservation sanctuary… Pride? Are you trying to advertise to everyone that three of us are still miserably single?”

Li Zhiyue laughed so hard he couldn’t speak, breaking into a coughing fit.

“So much resentment,” Zhang Chuanlong sighed.

[Zou yang]: I’m at school. Getting ready for class.

[Fan]: Can you send me that video?

[Zou yang]: Want to watch it again?

[Fan]: I want to keep it as a keepsake.

Zou Yang sent the video over to Fan Jun.

[Fan]: Coming over today?

[Zou yang]: Yeah.

[Fan]: Pick you up?

[Zou yang]: My bike’s at school, I can just ride over.

“It should be wrapping up soon,” He Chuan said, glancing at the small desk calendar. “Normally, between the lawsuit and enforcement, compensating everything shouldn’t take more than two or three months.”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun agreed.

“I had another chat yesterday with Boss Li, the guy running the coffee shop,” He Chuan said as he brewed tea. “He’s transferring the lease to me this week.”

“He held out this long, and business still didn’t pick up at all?” Fan Jun asked.

“Let me tell you, that’s just business. You can’t turn a bad venture around just by stubbornly hanging on.” He Chuan waved a hand, then fixed his gaze on Fan Jun. “So, what about you? Have any thoughts?”

“Hm?” Fan Jun looked at him.

“Thinking about putting in some cash to partner up with me?” He Chuan asked.

Fan Jun remained silent.

“The other day when I mentioned borrowing money, you already had that idea in mind, didn’t you?” He Chuan chuckled. “Given our friendship, I won’t beat around the bush with you.”

“How much do you need?” Fan Jun asked.

“Up to you,” He Chuan replied. “Though on that note, there’s a question I need to ask you first.”

“Go ahead,” Fan Jun said.

“You and Zou Yang,” He Chuan looked closely at him. “You guys aren’t just regular friends, right? Like, not just bros or best buds, but… something more along those lines…”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun answered evenly.

“Alright, that works,” He Chuan nodded. “How much you want to invest depends entirely on your situation. A hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, whatever works. More is always welcome, of course.”

“You want to use me to keep a connection with Zou Yang, don’t you?” Fan Jun asked directly.

“Well, that’s definitely part of the consideration,” He Chuan admitted freely. “Since the two of you are close, bringing you in is basically expanding my business reach in that direction. I’m not trying to hustle you guys; it’s purely a financial calculation.”

Fan Jun said nothing.

“Take your time to think it over,” He Chuan said. “No rush. If you have any concerns, just tell me. Just remember one thing.”

He Chuan raised an index finger, staring earnestly at him.

“What thing?” Fan Jun asked.

“Just based on how you were only making a few thousand a month back then and still dared to jump out of that car to face down those guys for me,” He Chuan stated with fiery conviction, “I, He Chuan, will never, ever screw you over, no matter what!”

He Chuan delivered this with such impassioned vigor that his own eyes actually welled with tears of self-induced sentiment.

“…That, I believe,” Fan Jun said.

“So think it through. If you’re not sure, talk it over with Zou Yang,” He Chuan added. “He’s a college student; he’s got a sharp head on his shoulders.”

Fan Jun had the evening off. After Zou Yang finished class, he headed to the shop to find him. The two grabbed a quick bibimbap near the residential compound, walked Xiao Bai for two laps, and headed home.

The moment they walked through the door, Da Hei was already perched atop the shoe cabinet. Seeing Zou Yang, the cat immediately rubbed its face against his arm.

Zou Yang petted Da Hei’s head. Before he even changed his shoes, his eyes caught the wall directly above the living room table, where two hanging scrolls were mounted:

Love begins without knowing its origin, yet runs so deep; the living may die for it, and the dead may return to life.

I wish to become the southwest wind, soaring endlessly into your embrace.

“You…” Zou Yang froze. “Why did you hang them on the wall?”

“They’re already mounted. Why wouldn’t I hang them?” Fan Jun said, pointing toward the wall behind the sofa. “The picture frame is hung over there.”

Zou Yang turned his head and saw a long horizontal frame above the sofa. Inside was the collage he had pieced together from shredded scrap calligraphy papers.

This one isn’t bad—at least you can’t tell what it actually says.

“What about that…” Zou Yang asked.

“In the bedroom,” Fan Jun replied.

“Oh.” Zou Yang breathed a sigh of relief. As he swapped his shoes, he couldn’t help asking, “Did you really have to hang them all up?”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun nodded firmly. “An absolute must.”

“Alright then.” Zou Yang smiled, walking over to the table to admire the framed calligraphy on the wall.

“I really like these little doodles of yours,” Fan Jun pointed to the tiny sketches drawn at the end of the scrolls.

One was a drawing of Xiao Bai; the other was Da Hei.

Each was about the size of a single character. They were simple to draw—just a few rough strokes, but capturing their exact likeness.

“You’re pretty talented. Just a few casual strokes, and anyone can tell Da Hei is a white cat,” Fan Jun praised.

“Naturally.” Zou Yang flopped onto the sofa, sprawling his arms wide.

“There’s something,” Fan Jun walked over to the sofa and sat down on the rug, “I want to talk over with you.”

“Go on.” Zou Yang reached out, trailing a finger playfully across his cheek.

“That coffee shop He Chuan wanted to take over earlier? The owner agreed to transfer the lease to him,” Fan Jun said. “He asked if I wanted to partner up with him.”

“How much money do you need to put in?” Zou Yang asked.

“Any amount works,” Fan Jun glanced at him. “Mainly… he wants to tie in his connection with you.”

Zou Yang said nothing. Resting his head on his arm, he pondered for a moment before speaking. “What do you personally think? Leaving aside the fact that he wants to use that connection.”

“Back when he went to negotiate and said he didn’t have enough money… I was already tempted to…” Fan Jun admitted.

“Then do it,” Zou Yang cut him off before he could finish.

Fan Jun looked at him. “But back then, if I had offered, he might not have agreed. He’s coming to me now because he wants to…”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Zou Yang said. “If you think he’s a viable partner and the business makes sense, and he’s approached you, just do it. Don’t sweat the rest. Whether it’s about connections or not, the initiative is in your hands, understand?”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun hummed softly.

“Where’s your hesitation coming from?” Zou Yang asked.

“Just… it feels like I’m using you as leverage,” Fan Jun murmured quietly.

“Did he figure out we’re not just friends?” Zou Yang asked.

“That… is pretty hard to miss,” Fan Jun said.

“Well, with our relationship, a lot of things are going to be tied together. There’s no separating them,” Zou Yang said.

“Mm.” Fan Jun reached up and gently pinched his cheek.

“How much are you planning to invest with him?” Zou Yang asked.

Fan Jun considered it. “I’ve saved a little over a hundred thousand. I’m thinking…”

“Holy shit,” Zou Yang propped his head up and stared at him. “Fan Jun, you’re pretty damn good at saving money, aren’t you?”

“I started working right after high school. Business was booming for a couple of years—lots of students, decent income,” Fan Jun smiled. “Plus, I don’t usually spend much, and Uncle Lu never charged me for meals or living expenses.”

“Don’t throw all of it in. A hundred thousand is enough,” Zou Yang advised. “If it’s short, I can chip in some for you.”

“No need,” Fan Jun said. “What if it loses—”

“Hey!” Zou Yang immediately pointed a warning finger at him. “Don’t jinx it! Spit it out, quick!”

“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey,” Fan Jun complied obediently.

“Then just use your own money to partner up,” Zou Yang didn’t press further. “If things run smoothly, you can always invest more later.”

“Mm.” Fan Jun leaned his head back, resting it against Zou Yang’s lap. “Zou Yang.”

“Yeah?” Zou Yang answered softly.

“It’s so good having you,” Fan Jun said. “It makes everything feel so steady.”

“That’s why you have to tell me whenever something comes up. I might not be able to solve your problems, but I have plenty of logic, plenty of twisted logic,” Zou Yang swung his legs slightly, “and I can be completely unreasonable if needed.”

Fan Jun broke into a laugh.

The phone Zou Yang had left on the shoe cabinet rang. Xiao Bai trotted over, picked up the phone in its mouth, and trotted back to deliver it.

“Hey, Bai,” Zou Yang took the phone and wiped Xiao Bai’s drool onto Fan Jun’s shoulder. “Should you consider enrolling in school or something…”

“Where are you wiping that?” Fan Jun tugged at his T-shirt with a fond glare.

“It’s Lawyer Cao…” Zou Yang answered the call. “Hello, Lawyer Cao.”

“Hello, Zou Yang. Apologies for disturbing you at this hour,” Lawyer Cao spoke with her usual crisp, direct cadence. “I’m calling to notify you regarding the division of your father Zou Yanqing’s estate…”

Zou Yang remained quiet, listening intently.

The enforcement phase of the compensation lawsuit was officially settled. Now, Zou Tianrui’s side had requested a meeting at the law firm to divide the remaining assets.

After hanging up, Zou Yang sank back into the sofa, closed his eyes, and let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Time to negotiate the division?” Fan Jun asked.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang frowned slightly. “Tomorrow afternoon at three. Such a headache.”

“Do you have class?”

“No. Even if I did, I’d take leave,” Zou Yang yawned. “Better to get this over with as fast as possible so I can finally live my own life in peace.”

“Want the guys from your dorm to go with you?” Fan Jun asked.

“Even if I told them not to, they’d still show up. With this kind of drama, guys from neighboring dorms would try to tag along to watch,” Zou Yang smiled faintly. “You have to come with me.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun nodded. “Will things get physical again?”

“Lawyer Cao already requested police presence on-site to maintain order,” Zou Yang said. “There shouldn’t be too much trouble this time. At this stage, throwing a tantrum is completely useless…”

“Honestly, there’s no need to trouble the police officers,” Liu Wenrui remarked from the back seat. “With the few of us standing there, if it’s the same bunch from last time, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on us.”

“Isn’t that just because of Fan Jun?” Li Zhiyue countered.

“Brother Zhiyue,” Liu Wenrui said, “some truths don’t need to be stated out loud. Knowing it in your heart is enough; saying it out loud hurts feelings.”

“Understood,” Li Zhiyue laughed.

It wasn’t the weekend, so the parking lot was packed with cars. Fan Jun had to circle around before finally snagging an open spot.

The moment they got out of the car, they scanned their surroundings, but saw nobody.

Zou Yang called the law firm’s front desk to let them know they had arrived, asking in passing whether his eldest aunt and the others were there. The receptionist replied that no suspicious individuals had been spotted.

“Let’s go, nobody’s here,” Zou Yang said.

“They didn’t come?” Liu Wenrui said. “Won’t that make it look like we’re the ones here to cause trouble?”

“No,” Fan Jun said. “Bodyguards.”

“Right!” Zhang Chuanlong immediately marched forward, taking the lead in front of Zou Yang.

“…Watch it, you’re stepping on my shoes,” Zou Yang muttered.

Their timing was impeccable. The moment they entered the law firm, Zou Yang was escorted into the conference room.

Zou Tianrui and her aunt were already seated, waiting.

Hearing him enter, Zou Tianrui turned her head to glance at him. He gave a brief nod and sat down across from her.

Having not seen each other for over two months, Zou Tianrui had lost a considerable amount of weight. However, her mental state seemed noticeably better than before.

“Let’s begin,” Zou Yang said.