Everything was loaded into the truck. Lao Si and the others initially wanted to ride along to help deliver it, but Fan Jun refused—he had already asked the people from the shop next door over there to help carry it upstairs.

The moment everything was loaded and they stood by the vehicle, a different kind of feeling suddenly washed over them.

Sun Xulei, who had rushed over to join the fun right after school dismissed, looked at the fully loaded truck and instantly looked like he was about to cry.

“What are you doing?” Hou’er nudged him. “Brother Fan is just moving houses, why are you crying?”

“It feels like he won’t be coming back,” Sun Xulei said.

“Bullshit,” Hou’er glared at him. “It’s a relocation, not an emigration!”

Hou’er talked tough, but the scene unfolding before them indeed carried a touch of melancholy.

“Come over to play when you guys are on break, I’ll show you around,” Fan Jun said, patting Hou’er and Sun Xulei on the shoulders.

Lao Si and Datouyu also spoke to Fan Jun with wistful undertones.

“We really thought you’d be the last one of us to stay here,” Lao Si patted his shoulder. “But this is good. It’s time for you to go out and make something of yourself.”

“Come visit me whenever you’re free,” Fan Jun said.

“That’s for sure,” Datouyu replied. “Once this area gets demolished, I might actually head over to the Commercial City side to check things out.”

“Go scout it out ahead of time then,” Fan Jun suggested.

Sitting in the car, Zou Yang felt a bit of an indescribable sensation. He still couldn’t say he was very familiar with Nanzhouping; the only roads he knew were right around the martial arts gym, and he hadn’t ventured anywhere further out.

Yet, because it was intertwined with his emotions and he had experienced so much here, he unexpectedly felt a strange, inexplicable sense of wistfulness.

Fan Jun pulled open the passenger door and sat inside. Uncle Lu stood outside the window, giving final instructions: “Let me know once you’ve settled in.”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun nodded, then turned to Zou Yang. “Let’s go.”

“We’re off, Uncle Lu,” Zou Yang said.

“Alright, drive safely and slowly,” Uncle Lu waved.

By the time the car reached the intersection, the neighbors were still standing outside the entrance of the old gym.

“Do they still have something to take care of?” Zou Yang asked.

“No,” Fan Jun said. “Usually, this many people don’t gather around. Since they’re all together today, they’ll definitely chat for a while—they might even end up eating lunch out in the yard.”

“Pretty interesting,” Zou Yang made a turn. “Do you feel even a little bit sad?”

Fan Jun thought about it: “A little, but…”

“Hmm?” Zou Yang glanced at him.

“I used to be very afraid of leaving Nanzhouping,” Fan Jun said, “but if I spent my whole life here, it would feel quite hopeless.”

“I’m taking you away,” Zou Yang said, stepping on the gas pedal. The car surged forward.

“Zou Yang! What are you doing!” Fan Jun swung his head around and shouted.

“Hey, I just hit 50!” Zou Yang eased off the accelerator. “The speed limit on this road is 60!”

“Oh,” Fan Jun glanced out the window. “Then how slow were you driving before? Accelerating to 50 actually gave me a sensation of being pushed back into my seat…”

“I don’t know,” Zou Yang shrugged. “Twenty or thirty, maybe? I’m a novice driver, shouldn’t I be cautious?”

Fan Jun smiled.

Over at Commercial City, the people helping with the move were two employees from the brassware shop next door. They used a dolly to wheel the items from the shop’s second floor to the parking lot first, and then transported them to the rented apartment to carry them upstairs.

These two helpers were different from the neighbors back in Nanzhouping; they spoke very little, behaving exactly like hired movers, and their work was just as efficient. In no time at all, all the items found their proper places inside the apartment.

As the two left, they simply dropped a line: “Let us know if you need anything.”

Only after hearing that phrase did Zou Yang feel certain that these were indeed people Fan Jun knew, rather than hired professionals.

“It’s starting to look like a home.” Zou Yang stood in the living room, looking around. The apartment had been tidied up beforehand, so the floors and walls were very clean, and the windows had been wiped spotless. Now that the furniture and belongings were in place, it instantly felt cozy.

Da Hei, who had been hiding inside the cat carrier all this time, finally ventured out, cautiously jumping onto the sofa to inspect the perimeter.

“Yeah,” Fan Jun emerged from the kitchen holding a mop and began cleaning the floor. “The slippers are in that bag by the door. Take a pair out and put them on.”

“In a bit,” Zou Yang stood still, making no move to shift.

“Put them on,” Fan Jun glanced at him. “I’m mopping the floor here.”

“Hey!” Zou Yang called out, “You haven’t changed your shoes either! Why are you rushing me?”

“I’m mopping backward, so I’ll change once I’m done,” Fan Jun explained. “You’re running all over the place.”

As Zou Yang changed his shoes, he watched Fan Jun mop. It looked quite effortless for him to handle it single-handedly without needing help, so Zou Yang collapsed onto the sofa, reaching over to scoop Da Hei into his arms: “Jun-er.”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun responded.

“Are you a bit of a germaphobe?” Zou Yang asked.

“No,” Fan Jun said.

“Really?” Zou Yang swung his legs.

“Compared to someone like you who throws stuff everywhere, maybe I am a little bit.” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang looked at his own jacket tossed carelessly on the sofa, then at Fan Jun’s jacket neatly hanging on the hook behind the door. He couldn’t help but burst out laughing: “Hey, do you think we’ll end up fighting over this kind of stuff in the future?”

“What is there to fight about?” Fan Jun asked.

“There was a news story before about a newlywed couple who argued over which end of the toothpaste tube to squeeze until they got a divorce,” Zou Yang said, laughing.

“Can’t we just buy two tubes and each use our own?” Fan Jun said.

Pillowing his head on his arms, Zou Yang let out another sigh: “My parents used to fight over tiny details too, the really insignificant kind. Before I could even register what was happening, they’d mysteriously start bickering.”

“We won’t,” Fan Jun said.

“Is that so?” Zou Yang looked up at him.

“We aren’t a married couple,” Fan Jun said.

“…Screw you,” Zou Yang blinked, unable to stop himself from laughing. “You psycho!”

“I can’t out-argue you on major matters, and I’m too lazy to argue with you over minor ones,” Fan Jun stated.

Smiling, Zou Yang gestured to him: “Babe, come here.”

Fan Jun walked over to the side of the sofa: “Hmm?”

“Closer.” Zou Yang reached out his hand.

As Fan Jun bent down closer to him, Zou Yang hooked his hand behind Fan Jun’s neck and pulled him down firmly, planting a kiss on his lips.

The pull was quite strong; Fan Jun had to prop his hand against the sofa to avoid crashing his entire weight onto him.

It took a good while before Zou Yang released his grip, brushing the back of his hand against his mouth: “Get back to work.”

Fan Jun smiled, picked up the mop beside him, and finished cleaning the remaining floor: “Hungry? I’ll order takeout.”

“So you finally remember we haven’t had lunch yet?” Zou Yang glanced at the time on his phone. “It’s already three o’clock.”

“Takeout or eating out?” Fan Jun asked.

“Eating out,” Zou Yang sat up. “Don’t you still need to go to the supermarket to buy supplies?”

“Yeah.” Fan Jun nodded.

The little street outside the residential compound was lined with small shops, offering everything needed for food, clothing, and daily use. It was far more bustling than Nanzhouping—an entirely new, unfamiliar territory.

This time, it was the two of them together.

They randomly picked a small diner and had a plate of rice with toppings. Zou Yang looked up the nearest supermarket; it was only a three-minute walk.

“Let’s drive there,” Fan Jun said.

“A three-minute walk! Big brother, your morning runs start at five kilometers, yet you want to drive for a three-minute walk?” Zou Yang exclaimed.

“Carrying loads of stuff back for three minutes is also very annoying,” Fan Jun argued.

“…Oh, right,” Zou Yang realized. “We’re going to the supermarket to stock up… Is it a lot?”

It was a lot.

Although Zou Yang had always lived in the dorms, the items required for a dormitory were nothing compared to setting up a household in a rented apartment.

With great organization, Fan Jun filled an entire shopping cart with everything from bedding to oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and various foods.

Once they returned home and put everything away, Zou Yang collapsed onto the sofa yet again: “I’m exhausted to death.”

“Take a nap,” Fan Jun said. “I need to head over to the shop.”

“Hmm?” Zou Yang looked at him.

“Including today, I’ve taken a week off,” Fan Jun said. “No matter how easygoing He Chuan is, he’s still the boss, and things have been quite busy these past few days.”

“Go ahead then. I’ll take a quick snooze and then I have to do my homework,” Zou Yang reached over to pull his bag closer, pulling out his laptop and resting it on his stomach. “Liu Wenrui is still waiting for me to rescue him.”

“Do you want to come over to the shop to have dinner together later?” Fan Jun asked.

“No,” Zou Yang tapped his fingers against his laptop. “I reckon I’ll have to write this thing until midnight tonight since it’s due tomorrow…”

“And you still wanted to tag along to Nanzhouping today?” Fan Jun frowned.

“Do I need to repeat my reason again?” Zou Yang raised an eyebrow at him. “Have you already forgotten what I said?”

“…Then work on your homework,” Fan Jun said. “I’ll bring dinner over to you.”

“Okay.” Zou Yang raised his eyebrows again. Having a boyfriend deliver food to him felt pretty great.

When Fan Jun arrived back at the shop entrance, he noticed that the door curtain—which usually stayed rolled up—was tightly drawn, and a “Temporarily Closed” sign hung on the door.

He peeked through the window facing the street. He Chuan and a bald, stout man were sitting at the tea table.

Meanwhile, a large fellow in a black jacket stood by the window, watching him.

Quite a grand display.

He wondered what kind of boss this was.

Fan Jun walked back to the entrance, pushed open the door, lifted the curtain, and stepped inside.

“What are you doing here!” Someone was actually standing right behind the curtain, dressed similarly to the fellow by the window.

Extending an arm to block Fan Jun’s chest, the man immediately used his elbow to shove him outward.

If Fan Jun hadn’t been wearing his medical brace right now, that elbow would have rammed directly into his wound.

Fan Jun instantly felt a surge of annoyance. He was already irritated that his left shoulder and arm hadn’t fully recovered, and having someone shove him right after he had the bone fragments removed made him even more disgruntled.

He raised his right hand, parrying the man’s arm, then slid his grip down from the forearm to the wrist and twisted downward. The man spun half a turn along with the movement. Just as he tried to struggle, Fan Jun gave him a firm push inward and let go.

“Hey! Watch out for my merchandise!” Hearing the commotion, He Chuan turned around and called out across the display shelves just as the man was pushed aside.

Fan Jun hadn’t used too much force, and the man came to a halt after stumbling forward a couple of steps.

“He’s my guy,” He Chuan added quickly as the man made a move to head back toward Fan Jun.

Fan Jun cast a glance at him, reached back, and neatly closed the door and curtain again.

“Fan Jun,” He Chuan called out to him. “Come, let me introduce you to Boss Luo, a friend of Boss Sun.”

Fan Jun walked over and nodded at the bald man: “Boss Luo.”

“Ah, my bad, just a misunderstanding,” the bald man smiled, then looked at He Chuan. “Your bodyguard?”

“Not at all,” He Chuan poured a cup of tea for Fan Jun, gesturing for him to sit. “I’m not as valuable as you, I don’t merit a bodyguard. At most, I hire a cleaning lady… This is my Sanda coach, Fan Jun, he’s just helping me out around here.”

“Oh…” Boss Luo sized up Fan Jun. “You’ve got some moves. These two bodyguards of mine are also trained martial artists.”

Trained in what? Which school?

Zou Yang could probably flatten both of them together.

“They are quite… impressive,” Fan Jun offered a forced compliment.

“To be able to exchange a couple of moves with them means you’re a pretty good coach,” the bald man nodded.

Boss, care to say that one more time?

Fan Jun smiled, not even bothering to reply.

He Chuan continued chatting with the bald man while Fan Jun sipped his tea and listened.

The most interesting part of working here was encountering all sorts of peculiar characters—far more bizarre than the people he used to see back at the martial arts gym.

After listening for a while, he could basically figure him out: this was a superstitious, cowardly, wealthy boss who had clearly done a lot of underhanded things. He was keeping a mistress while simultaneously worrying that she might somehow steal his life force.

Exactly the kind of boss He Chuan loved dealing with. With a mix of bluffing and scare tactics, He Chuan could easily unload quite a few of the unprofitable items he had mistakenly acquired. Just looking at those two bodyguards who possessed nothing but raw bulk showed how easily duped the man was.

When He Chuan chatted for the sake of money, he was incredibly smooth. The bald man thoroughly enjoyed talking with him and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, so Fan Jun got up to walk the dog, intending to take it back with him later.

He also went up to the second floor to pack up some remaining odds and ends.

Just as he was about to leave, the bald man called out: “Coach Fan, don’t leave just yet, join us for dinner.”

“He won’t be joining,” He Chuan intervened. “Someone needs to keep an eye on the shop later. My small business doesn’t have as much manpower as your place, Boss Luo.”

“Ah,” the bald man waved it off. “Fair enough.”

Fan Jun ordered a few dishes to-go from a restaurant outside the residential compound and brought Xiao Bai back home.

When he opened the door, he was astonished to see Zou Yang sound asleep, sprawled across the sofa with his laptop still resting on his stomach. His posture was identical to how it was when Fan Jun left, except that Da Hei was now asleep right by his legs.

He walked over and touched the laptop; it was ice cold.

Zou Yang had been sleeping the entire time since he left for the shop.

It looked like he hadn’t written a single word of his homework!

Although Fan Jun had attended No. 21 High School for six years and could count the number of times he completed assignments on one hand, Zou Yang didn’t go to No. 21 High School—Zou Yang attended a proper university.

Leaving assignments unwritten probably wouldn’t fly.

“Hey!” Disregarding everything else, Fan Jun reached out and started patting Zou Yang’s face. “Zou Yang!”

“Ah…” Zou Yang frowned, waving his hand in the air to bat Fan Jun’s hand away before rolling over while clutching the laptop.

“Homework! Get up and do your homework!” Fan Jun placed the takeout containers on the table. “Xiao Bai, go tell Brother Xiao Yang to get up and do his homework.”

Xiao Bai immediately pounced over, resting its paws on Zou Yang’s arm and pressing down repeatedly, letting out a low growl every now and then.

By the time Fan Jun went into the kitchen to transfer the takeout food into proper plates and brought them back to the living room, Zou Yang was finally awake, rubbing Xiao Bai’s head with a dazed expression.

“Bai… good boy.” He let out a yawn, looking at Fan Jun. “Have you eaten?”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun looked back at him. “Have you finished your homework?”

Zou Yang stared at him without speaking or moving.

A good ten seconds passed before he finally uttered a single word: “Fuck.”

“Hurry up and eat, then get to writing,” Fan Jun said.

“Liu Wenrui is going to murder me,” Zou Yang hurriedly got up to wash his face, then sat down at the table. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“How was I supposed to know you’d sleep straight through until now?” Fan Jun countered.

“Why didn’t you know?” Zou Yang demanded.

“Huh?” Fan Jun was stunned.

“Do you know your boyfriend that little?” Zou Yang added.

“…I know a bit more now,” Fan Jun gave him a thumbs-up. “When it comes to being unreasonable, you easily rank first in your dorm.”

Zou Yang sighed, picking up his bowl to wolf down a couple of mouthfuls of rice: “It’s fine, at worst I’ll just sleep a bit later.”

“Yeah.” Fan Jun pushed a plate of pork ribs with pickled cabbage toward him. “This one’s delicious.”

“It’s fine, at worst I won’t sleep at all,” Zou Yang picked up a rib with his chopsticks. “Mmm, it really is good!”

“Want something to drink?” Fan Jun asked.

“Coconut water, please,” Zou Yang said.

Just as Fan Jun was about to get up to grab it, Zou Yang already stood up: “I’ll get it myself, you stay seated.”

“Coconut water, please,” Fan Jun smiled.

Zou Yang fetched two bottles of coconut water, unscrewed the caps, and set one down by Fan Jun’s hand: “Are you heading back to the shop later?”

“Not necessarily,” Fan Jun said. “He Chuan got a big client today. He’ll probably have to keep him company and chat even after dinner, and that guy won’t let any other customers into the shop.”

“Such grand airs?” Zou Yang clicked his tongue. “Watch them chat all night only to buy a two-hundred-yuan vase.”

“No, people who are unwilling to spend money don’t chat like that,” Fan Jun said.

“You understand them quite well?” Zou Yang looked at him.

“After working in the shop for so long, I’ve pretty much seen all kinds of people,” Fan Jun said.

“Do you have any plans to change jobs?” Zou Yang asked while eating.

“Not for now. I’ve gotten the hang of this job, and the pay is decent,” Fan Jun took a sip of his coconut water. “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing, just wondering,” Zou Yang said.

“Do you have any ideas?” Fan Jun looked back at him.

“No, I also thought it’s good to keep doing this for now,” Zou Yang said. “If your…”

He glanced briefly at Fan Jun’s left hand: “…if it can recover, would you still consider working as a coach?”

“Then we’ll have to see how things are going with my current job by then,” Fan Jun replied.

“Mm.” Zou Yang nodded.

After resting a bit after dinner, Fan Jun called He Chuan. The bald man indeed hadn’t left and was eating right inside the shop; He Chuan had even called Old Sun over. Under such circumstances, there was generally no need for Fan Jun to head back.

He Chuan preferred to handle many of the business details himself.

Zou Yang cleared the dishes and took them to the sink to wash. Fan Jun sat in the living room holding a grip ball in his left hand, squeezing it repeatedly while listening to the harsh, clumsy clattering sounds of the dishes in the sink.

He felt a bit of regret; it had been entirely unnecessary to transfer the food from the takeout boxes onto plates today.

After battling the dishes for over ten minutes, Zou Yang returned to the living room, collapsing down beside him and pulling his laptop over: “I’m going to start writing my homework.”

“Yeah,” Fan Jun squeezed the ball. “Aren’t you going to use the desk?”

“Just like this.” Zou Yang opened his laptop, sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

“Do you need me to… move away?” Fan Jun asked.

“Stay here and keep me company.” Zou Yang reached out, letting his hand rest on Fan Jun’s leg.

“…Keep you company how?” Fan Jun looked down at his hand.

Zou Yang turned to look at him, smiling: “The innocent kind of company!”

“Mm.” Fan Jun leaned back into the sofa. “Can I watch a movie?”

“Put on headphones,” Zou Yang said.

“Okay.” Fan Jun nodded.

Although Zou Yang had forgotten about his assignment because of his nap, once he actually started writing, he became incredibly focused.

Fan Jun pulled up a random movie, but though he held his phone, he wasn’t really watching it. Resting against the arm of the sofa, his gaze lingered on Zou Yang’s profile and his slender fingers typing rapidly across the keyboard.

It was evident that this assignment wasn’t something that could be completed by just mindlessly copying. Every so often, Zou Yang would knit his brows, staring blankly at the screen for a long stretch, or switch tabs to skim through various reference materials.

For some reason, Zou Yang in this state…

Was very sexy.

The blank screen slowly filled with rows of text, along with quite a few diagrams, squares, and circles.

By the time the movie ended, Zou Yang was still typing away.

Fan Jun selected another movie at random, only to realize after it started playing that it was the same one he had just finished. He backed out and picked a different one.

“Thirsty,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun didn’t hear a sound, but he caught the lip movement.

“What do you want to drink?” Fan Jun removed his headphones and stood up.

“Just plain water is fine,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun fetched a bottle of water and handed it to him: “Want to rest for a bit?”

“No, once I take a break I won’t want to move, and I’ll definitely fall asleep instantly,” Zou Yang threw his head back and gulped down some water. “Almost done, probably another half hour. You go wash up first.”

Fan Jun headed into the bathroom, removed his brace, slapped a waterproof film over his wound, and took a shower.

Having not had a proper shower for a week, he hadn’t initially felt too uncomfortable, but the moment the warm water sprayed over him, a sudden wave of sheer relief washed over him.

When he returned to the living room after his shower, Zou Yang was on the phone with Liu Wenrui: “Glance through it roughly. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll explain it to you when I get to school tomorrow… Yeah, alright.”

“Finished writing?” Fan Jun asked.

“Yep.” Zou Yang snapped his laptop shut, tossed it onto the sofa, jumped up to plant a swift kiss on Fan Jun’s face, and then dashed into the bathroom. “Wait for me in bed.”

“What?” Fan Jun stood frozen for a moment.

By the time Zou Yang ran back into the bedroom wrapped in a bath towel, Fan Jun was leaning against the headboard looking at his phone.

Zou Yang tossed the towel aside and lunged onto the bed: “Whew!”

Fan Jun glanced at him: “There’s underwear in the drawer…”

“Mmm…” Zou Yang remained face down, offering a muffled response into the blanket.

Fan Jun shifted his gaze away from him, got out of bed to fetch a pair of underwear, but when he turned back to hand them over, he discovered that the man had already drifted off to sleep.

Wait for me in bed.

Wait for what.

To watch you master the art of falling asleep in seconds.

“Zou Yang,” he stood by the bedside, somewhat speechless, “you really are something else.”

He hauled Zou Yang onto the pillow to adjust his posture, then pulled the quilt over to cover him. Throughout the entire process, Zou Yang didn’t wake up once.

Fan Jun switched off the light, climbed into bed, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.

Forget it.

The whole process of moving houses today had actually been quite draining. As he lay there listening to the steady, soothing sound of Zou Yang’s breathing right beside his ear, a wave of sleepiness surprisingly began to creep over him as well.

A perfectly healthy young man, actually getting sleepy under these circumstances.

He eventually drifted off at some unknown point.

When Zou Yang suddenly thrashed around on the bed beside him, Fan Jun jolted awake instantly, reaching back to pull Zou Yang firmly into his arms.

“Zou Yang?” He patted Zou Yang’s tense back repeatedly. “Zou Yang, it’s fine, it’s alright…”

Zou Yang’s breathing was incredibly ragged, and his entire body felt rigid.

It took a good while before he slowly came around, his voice laced with grogginess: “I think… I had a nightmare.”

“Yeah, you did,” Fan Jun rubbed his back firmly. “You’re awake now, it’s over.”

Zou Yang didn’t say anything, leaning close to him as his still somewhat unsteady breath fanned across Fan Jun’s face.

“It’s fine,” Fan Jun kissed him on the forehead. “Go back to sleep.”

Zou Yang remained silent, but his hand suddenly reached out, sliding down onto Fan Jun’s lower abdomen.

“Hmm?” Fan Jun froze slightly.

Zou Yang’s hand moved further down, his fingertips hooking into the waistband of Fan Jun’s pants, pulling gently as he murmured in a very low voice right against his ear: “Take them off.”