The two boys left school during the evening rush hour. The road in front of Tian High was packed with cars. Opposite the school was a row of shops and tuition centres, their signs bright and colourful. One of these was a dessert shop called "Yinan Time".
"Next time you want to buy a drink, go to Yinan. Understood?" said Zhuang Fanxin.
"Is it better than the rest?" asked Gu Zhuoyan.
Zhuang Fanxin laughed. "Because it's run by my deskmate's family." He pushed Gu Zhuoyan's shoulder, winding their way through the bumper-to-bumper traffic. "Come on, I'll treat you to cake."
At this reminder of that post on Wechat, Gu Zhuoyan explained. "I was just kidding, I don't really like sweet things."
"His family makes really good cakes, you'll like them the moment you try them," said Zhuang Fanxin warmly. Plus, he hadn't been here all summer, so he was craving it himself.
Gu Zhuoyan didn't demur any further. He followed Zhuang Fanxin through the door. The shop wasn't big, but the decor was done with care, and every corner was impeccably clean.
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged lady: Qi Nan's mother. She sat behind the counter over the mini-bar doing their accounts. Raising her head, she looked as if she had sighted a rare customer. "Fanxin, is that you? I haven't seen you all summer."
Zhuang Fanxin leaned on the countertop. "Did you miss me, Auntie?"
"Of course I did, and you never came." The shopkeeper took out a lollipop, but when she caught sight of his uniform, her face dropped. "Has school reopened? Why is Qi Nan still out having fun?"
"Oh no, don't worry," said Zhuang Fanxin. "I was just walking my friend to school for his exam."
Hearing this, the shopkeeper looked over and saw Gu Zhuoyan sitting at the long table by the window. "What a tall boy," she exclaimed, "how do kids grow so big?" As she spoke, she handed over the menu. "Have a look. This one's on me."
"Thanks, Auntie!" Zhuang Fanxin held the lollipop in his mouth and looked at the menu. "Auntie, is Qi Nan home?"
Behind the shop front was a residential block. Qi Nan's family lived on the fourth floor, so if he was home, they could call him down to hang out. The shopkeeper replied, "Nope, he went out to play basketball in the afternoon."
Zhuang Fanxin oh-ed, disappointed. Why did this guy remember him when it came to copying homework, but not when it came to playing basketball? He pursed his lips, and finally ordered two cakes and two drinks.
The wait wasn't short, so Zhuang Fanxin said, "Auntie, give me something to do."
The shopkeeper brought him a small chalkboard and a few menus. "School's reopening soon, help me make a new sign."
Zhuang Fanxin loved doing this sort of thing. He sat at the table and began to sketch earnestly. Gu Zhuoyan watched for a while, but he was suddenly drawn by the photos on the wall. The wall was covered with several polaroids that all seemed to feature boys and girls in school uniforms.
Right in the middle was a photo of Zhuang Fanxin and Qi Nan. In the photo, Zhuang Fanxin held a large cup of milk tea. His hair was straight and his eyes an inky black, making him look a little different from his current appearance.
Gu Zhuoyan initially thought the curls looked better, but now he wasn't quite sure. Then again, it wasn't his hair, so his opinion didn't matter. On the other wall hung a few comic strips in different styles, each and every panel related to the shop.
"You did those?" he asked.
Zhuang Fanxin nodded. It was his birthday present to Qi Nan; from its initial conception up till the actual drawing and painting process, it took about two weeks. Gu Zhuoyan pondered this. He thought of how Zhuang Fanxin had proactively helped him to decorate his room and gave him a drawing even when they barely knew each other.
"Are you this nice to everyone?" he said.
"You haven't seen how many free cakes I've had," Zhuang Fanxin chuckled.
As he said this, the two servings of cake arrived, right as Zhuang Fanxin finished drawing on the slate. "Try it," he urged, pushing one of the cakes over to Gu Zhuoyan. "I ordered their signature cake for you. If it isn't good, you have to leave Rongcheng."
"I wouldn't dare say it isn't good, you'd chase me straight back home," said Gu Zhuoyan. He ate a forkful of cake. It was fluffy and cold, with a layer of ice cream.
He had eaten many desserts in many restaurants, in the country and abroad, both high-end and regular. This cake was quite good, but it didn't wow him. Still, he expressed a strong liking for it and asked, "Is it called the signature cake?"
"Firstly, it has very little butter, so it isn't too greasy," said Zhuang Fanxin. "Under the buttercream is a layer of blancmange, and under that is a layer of ice cream, which cools you down in the summer. Then in the middle of the cake you have red beans, which symbolize mutual yearning. And finally, there's dark chocolate on top, to symbolize bitterness."
Gu Zhuoyan grew dizzy. "What a meaningful cake."
"Fresh, cool, bitter, sweet, yearning," said Zhuang Fanxin. "This cake is called Summer's First Love."
Gu Zhuoyan suddenly found it hard to swallow. He had never experienced a summer's first love, but he had experienced a "summer's coming out" a month or so ago. He glanced over at Zhuang Fanxin's cake. It was green. "What's yours called?" he asked. "Mongolian Grasslands?"
Zhuang Fanxin almost choked. His had kumquat, mint, matcha, and grass jelly; it cooled the mouth and sobered the mind. "This is called Waking From a Dream."
The shopkeeper really had a talent for names. As Gu Zhuoyan was laughing, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and looked at it. The laughter immediately disappeared from his face.
Zhuang Fanxin inadvertently caught sight of the screen. The caller ID read "Mum". He ate his cake quietly so the other boy could take his call in peace, but Gu Zhuoyan didn't pick up. The phone vibrated until the call dropped, then a second call came soon after.
"Are you not picking up?" he said, puzzled.
Gu Zhuoyan didn't reply. When the third call came, he finally pressed the Accept button with an air of helplessness, slowly putting the phone to his ear. The voice of his mother, Xue Manzi, came through the earpiece. "Zhuoyan, have you finished your exams?"
"Yeah," he answered.
"Are you tired? You've had exams all day," said Xue Manzi. "I called your grandfather and asked Ms. Hu to make you soup. Have some when you get back and then rest early tonight."
"Okay," said Gu Zhuoyan.
The phone fell silent, as if there was nothing more to be said. After a moment, Xue Manzi spoke again. "Your dad said you want to go to the third Science class?"
Gu Zhuoyan stayed quiet. Xue Manzi continued. "I got in touch with the principal. The first class has the best grades, so why—"
"My old school was even better," Gu Zhuoyan said, cutting her off.
Without waiting for Xue Manzi to speak again, he said, "My battery's running out."
No "Mum", no proactive attempts at conversation, just a cold reply every time. He hung up directly and turned the phone off in one go, then massacred the "Summer's First Love" with his fork. Zhuang Fanxin was incredibly curious. Why was Gu Zhuoyan so cold to his mother? Was it a stepmother?
He mentioned his old school. So Gu Zhuoyan didn't want the transfer?
The atmosphere was unsuited to conversation, but Zhuang Fanxin couldn't hold it in. "What's wrong?"
Gu Zhuoyan ignored him. "Was that your mum?" asked Zhuang Fanxin.
"You fought with your family? Does it have something to do with your old school?" Zhuang Fanxin's brakes were faulty. "Was it serious? Why did you have to change schools?"
He moved closer. "Are you okay?"
Gu Zhuoyan couldn't take it anymore. "God, you're annoying."
He didn't raise his voice, nor did he look angry; the cool and calm tone alone shocked Zhuang Fanxin into silence. He flushed, shamed by these words, and turned to look out the window as if nothing had happened.
The two didn't interact after this. After demolishing his "Summer's First Love" and watching all the ice cream melt, he put two hundred yuan down and picked up his bag to leave.
They had come by rail, but Gu Zhuoyan didn't have much patience at the moment, so he hailed a taxi. The taxi pulled over and he opened the door. He looked behind him and saw Zhuang Fanxin two metres away. Maybe he was angry at him, or even afraid; either way, Zhuang Fanxin looked quite pitiful.
Not waiting for Gu Zhuoyan to speak, the driver wound the window down and urged, "Hey kid, I can't stop here, can you hurry up and get in?"
At this, Zhuang Fanxin finally moved and got into the car. He and Gu Zhuoyan leaned against their respective sides, each looking out the window. They kept quiet for the whole journey. When they reached their street and got down, Zhuang Fanxin ran a few steps ahead, keeping some distance between himself and Gu Zhuoyan as he walked home.
Gu Zhuoyan watched Zhuang Fanxin's back. It was thin, but looked somewhat unyielding when he was upset. He thought about the boy's barrage of questions earlier. He had such big eyes, how come he couldn't read the atmosphere in the slightest?
When he passed the Zhuangs' gate, Zhuang Fanxin had already entered, and the sound of the doors closing had long since faded.
Over the next two days, Gu Zhuoyan didn't see the other boy. When he paced back and forth in front of their gate while walking his dog, he didn't run into anyone. This seemed a bit too improbable. He later found out that Zhuang Fanxin left early in the morning and had come back quite late, spending his whole day at the studio.
Was he avoiding him? Gu Zhuoyan wondered.
He was even planning to woo this guy. His plan had bombed so soon.
Who could he blame? Only Xue Manzi, for calling at such an inopportune moment.
Zhuang Fanxin really was avoiding him. He wasn't sure whether Gu Zhuoyan was still angry, but since the other hadn't sent him a single message, it would probably be awkward to meet. By sheer coincidence, a new group of students had come to the studio, and the teacher had asked him to act as an emergency teaching assistant for a few days.
It was still bright in the afternoon today, but the studio's air conditioning was broken, so Zhuang Fanxin had to go home early. Before he reached his gate, he saw the German Shepherd tied to it. Looking closely, he noticed the jerky on the ground.
It was the same trick as before, but Zhuang Fanxin wasn't willing to take the bait this time. He ran forth and picked up the jerky, then untied the leash, inviting the German Shepherd into his house.
Gu Zhuoyan waited and waited in his yard. When dusk came, he couldn't hold back any longer and went to look. His loyal dog was gone from the gate. He had to go into battle himself. Arriving at the Zhuangs' gate, all he saw was a dog leash waving in the wind.
The gate was unlocked. He pushed it open and stood in front of the building.
"Zhuang Fanxin?" yelled Gu Zhuoyan.
Zhuang Fanxin was in the living room watching TV. He quivered when he heard the shout, then opened his pack of dog biscuits and tied up the German Shepherd. He rose and went outside, standing at the top of the steps as Gu Zhuoyan stood at the bottom.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I'm looking for my dog," answered Gu Zhuoyan.
"Your dog isn't here," said Zhuang Fanxin.
"Then I'm looking for you," said Gu Zhuoyan.
For a moment, Zhuang Fanxin couldn't speak. He looked at the sky, at the sunset clouds, acting oblivious. Gu Zhuoyan walked over and up a step, one step apart from him, looking into his eyes.
Zhuang Fanxin broke eye contact. "Why are you looking for me?"
Gu Zhuoyan pulled out a card. "To show you something."
Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but look, immediately recognizing it as a Tian High ID. After handing in the documents and taking the exam, it did seem about time that they sent it. He went down a step and grabbed the card. Name, student ID number, upper secondary, Year Two….
"Science Class Three!"
In a blink of an eye, Zhuang Fanxin no longer held back, his face shining with surprise and joy. After beaming for a while, he remembered the situation they were in, then bit his lower lip and suppressed his feelings.
"I'm sorry about the other day," said Gu Zhuoyan softly.
Zhuang Fanxin let go of his lower lip. The unhappiness of the past few days subsided like the evening tide. "I wasn't being tactful."
He's easy to talk around, Gu Zhuoyan thought. His card in his left hand, he reached out with his right, and said ceremoniously, "Well then, Zhuang Fanxin, my fellow student, please do take care of me."
Zhuang Fanxin reached out and shook his hand. As they shook, Gu Zhuoyan felt the palm of the boy's hand; it was warm, wet, and slick. Amused, he asked, "Why are you sweating so much?"
"I had a feeling you would start talking to me again," replied Zhuang Fanxin, "…so I got nervous."
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1. Yinan pronounced "e-naan", same "nan" as in Qi Nan.
2. These are red adzuki beans, which are commonly sweetened and used in desserts in East Asia. There's a famous Tang poem (相思) by Wang Wei that relates "red beans" (红豆) to mutual yearning, but though this is often understood to mean rosary peas/jequirity beans (相思豆), people still use red adzuki beans to represent love/pining/yearning etc.