AFMWDX Chapter 25

TL: Hua

“They’re kissing! They’re kissing!”

“Second Uncle and Uncle Yu are kissing!”

“Uncle Yu is going to kiss Second Uncle!”

The intimacy that was about to begin was interrupted by the innocent chatter of children. Yu Qingtang turned his head and withdrew his hand, holding the bare dandelion stalk, unsure whether to throw it away or keep it.

He regretted and was annoyed that he hadn’t sat on the other side of the hay bale.

Xu Baizhang was unusually calm, like a passerby who had nothing to do with the situation. They each minded their own business, not disturbing the other.

When the children were all called home for lunch, Yu Qingtang felt a lingering sense of disappointment. He asked, “Was that also a ‘good intention’ this time?”

“No.” Xu Baizhang felt that wasn’t enough, so he added, “Simply asking for a beating.”

Yu Qingtang laughed, deciding to make peace with the children.

He turned his head and noticed something new with Xu Baizhang. The other man pulled some wheat stalks from the hay bale, deftly manipulating and twisting them in his hands.

This reminded him of the elderly people weaving bamboo baskets by the roadside. In Yu Qingtang’s eyes, these were rare examples of intangible cultural heritage.

Yu Qingtang propped his chin up and watched him weave. The regular wheat stalks were first folded into irregular shapes, and finally, a rabbit emerged.

Before long, Xu Baizhang created a butterfly. The wings had striped veins, looking as if they would fly away with a gust of wind.

Yu Qingtang held the rabbit in his left hand and the butterfly in his right. “That’s amazing! If you set up a stool outside the elementary school gate, you could earn at least two hundred yuan in an afternoon.”

“It’s not impossible.” Xu Baizhang twisted a wheat stalk, like braiding rope. “But it might be a bit of a waste.”

The thought of a medical school PhD sitting on a small stool outside a school gate weaving small animals made Yu Qingtang laugh at himself.

Since that was the case, he decided to keep them for himself. Yu Qingtang asked, “What else can you weave?”

“Anything you name.”

“Dr. Xu is a little boastful.” Yu Qingtang scanned the area, yet felt that the whole world could be folded in Xu Baizhang’s hands, as if he was about to lose this round.

He looked down, saw their golden wedding rings, and then slid his gaze to his empty wrist. “Then weave a bracelet that I like.”

Xu Baizhang: “Are you sure it’s that easy?”

“Don’t be so confident yet. I said, It has to be a bracelet that I like. If I don’t like it, you lose.”

“Give me ten minutes.” Xu Baizhang dusted the bits of straw off himself and walked away quickly.

The sun was scorching. Xu Baizhang’s shadow moved through the wheat field, merging into the golden light.

When he returned, he was clutching a large handful of fresh grass stalks and a bunch of colorful flowers.

Xu Baizhang split the grass stalks to the required width and smoothed the frayed edges, as if making a toy for a baby. He then crushed the petals of different colors, applying the floral juice to various stalks.

Under the sunlight, the dried grass stalks took on different colors, overall having a muted, retro texture.

With the preparation work complete, the weaving was the fastest step. Straw stalks of different colors were layered and intertwined, quickly gathering into a long strip before finally being bent into a circle. The seven-color combination looked just like a rainbow after the rain.

He had originally only wanted a bracelet, but it felt like Xu Baizhang had given him an entire garden.

Xu Baizhang handed the finished product over. “Want to try it on?”

Yu Qingtang slid the bracelet onto his hand. It had clearly never been measured, yet the size was a custom fit.

“Do you like it?” The way Xu Baizhang awaited praise made him look like a child in kindergarten.

Yu Qingtang gently grasped the bangle. The smooth inner edge of the wheat straw rotated around his wrist; the spinning was addictive, and he couldn’t bear to stop.

“I had actually planned to say I didn’t like it, just to trick you into weaving me another one.”

Xu Baizhang pulled out another stalk of wheat. “I’ll weave you another even if you like it.”

“No, just the one.” Yu Qingtang plucked the stalk from his hand. “One of a kind is best.”

Yu Qingtang tucked his wrist into his cuff, blowing lightly to flap the butterfly’s wings. “Did you teach yourself this craft?”

Xu Baizhang, so focused on his weaving, was the center of the world. He was immersed in the moment, doing something he truly loved.

“My mom taught me.” Xu Baizhang pinched the straw stalk, twisting it meticulously. “She had very clever hands. She could weave anything.”

“When she was still alive, she would take me to sit in the shade in the corner of the courtyard every afternoon. In no time at all, she could weave an entire zoo. The next morning, she’d take me to the market to sell them. Fifty cents apiece, and they’d sell out very quickly.”

Yu Qingtang said, “Mom was so impressive.”

Xu Baizhang gazed into the distance. “Especially impressive.”

When Xu Baizhang talked about his mother, there were stars in his eyes. That look of longing belonged to a child missing his mother.

Yu Qingtang remembered Xu Baizhang mentioning that his mother had passed away when he was eight years old.

Yu Qingtang gripped his cuff, hesitating but wanting to understand him better. “So, how did Mom…”

“Suicide.”

In that instant, Yu Qingtang detected hatred in his eyes. One second he was a child with stars in his eyes, and the next, he had been dragged down into hell.

Yu Qingtang leaned closer, letting the butterfly fly past his eyes. “Baizhang.”

The scarlet in the depths of his eyes dissipated, and Xu Baizhang recovered. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Not wanting to discuss that topic any further, Yu Qingtang casually changed the subject. “With hands this deft, you’d certainly be amazing as a surgeon.”

Xu Baizhang stiffened for a split second, then became as calm as room-temperature water. “Chinese medicine isn’t bad, either.”

“Of course.” Yu Qingtang fiddled with the rabbit ears. “As long as it’s you, you’d be good at anything.”

Xu Baizhang stood up. “Let’s go. Time to head back.”

“What’s the rush?” Yu Qingtang remained sitting in the thick layer of dry hay, stuffing dandelion stems one by one into the gaps of the haystack.

After inserting the dandelion stems, Yu Qingtang gently pressed his leg. His eyes held three parts seduction, while the remaining seven parts were all in his voice. “I’m a little sore. I can’t get up.”

Xu Baizhang turned back around and pulled the dandelions out of the haystack.

The wind chilled Yu Qingtang’s wrist, and the shape of a man’s hand pressed against his wrist joint. He turned it, the bones moving, the flesh nestled in his palm.

Xu Baizhang walked beside him, a green stalk clamped in his mouth, the flower end swaying in the wind.

Looking sideways, he seemed to be smiling, yet also not. The flower stem pressed his lips into a straight line, disguising the surging tide of his emotions.

They weren’t young anymore, yet they were acting as childish as two kids in the throes of first love—looking left and right, worried that some mischievous child hadn’t gone home for dinner and would flap their wings, spreading gossip all over the village with claws and fangs bared.

***

They had come with bags big and small, and they left with a mountain of them, giving the feeling of returning to the city from a hometown visit.

It was all local specialties prepared by the villagers: Third Aunt’s sausages, Fourth Uncle’s smoked meat, Uncle Wang’s jarred pickles, and many more than they could count.

Fortunately, they had empty suitcases at home. They packed two large cases, stuffing them full.

With the specialties mostly packed, Yu Qingtang went upstairs to gather their clothes. They had only stayed for one night, so there wasn’t much else, but that large box of condoms on the bedside table was a bit of an eyesore.

Like a hot potato, Yu Qingtang hesitated for a moment before leaving it there.

On the drive back, Yu Qingtang only drove for about half an hour; Xu Baizhang drove the rest of the way.

When the car stopped in front of their home, Xu Baizhang slowly unbuckled Yu Qingtang’s seatbelt. Seeing the man sleeping soundly, he didn’t have the heart to wake him.

The sleeping man’s breathing rose and fell gently. He was still wearing the woven bracelet on his wrist, and the woven animals were resting between his legs.

Xu Baizhang carefully pinched the tip of Yu Qingtang’s finger. He had felt it when they were holding hands before—there was a small, irregularly shaped scab here, formed after he had bitten it.

Xu Baizhang rubbed it secretly, terrified of being discovered.

The sounds of children playing drifted through the glass window. Yu Qingtang stretched, revealing Xu Baizhang’s jacket on his back. “Have we arrived?”

Xu Baizhang averted his gaze from Yu’s body. “Yeah.”

Outside the window was the entrance to their apartment unit. The sun was about to set. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You were sleeping so soundly.”

Yu Qingtang gathered the woven items on his lap, speaking in a half-joking tone, “I thought you were going to carry me back up.”

Xu Baizhang felt bumps forming on his heart like the scab on the finger; each scab was engraved with double the regret.

“Next time, I’ll carry you.”

Yu Qingtang opened the door, his voice light and airy, like a cloud that couldn’t be grasped. “Dream on. I won’t let you carry me.”

***

Immediately upon returning from Yulong Village, Yu Qingtang submitted an interview application to the TV station.

While it is simpler for the media to obtain visitation rights to suspects than it is for the general public, they still must submit an application in advance. It requires approval from both the TV station and the detention center, followed by the issuance of an interview letter before visitation is granted.

After work that day, Yu Qingtang went to Liao Wenfeng’s office. “Director, you were looking for me?”

Liao Wenfeng put down his pen. “The detention center has responded to your application. It’s approved, but they need to verify the authenticity of the video you provided.”

The case Xu Hao was involved in wasn’t just burglary; the other fugitive suspects aside from him were all burdened with serious crimes. Not only did the police attach great importance to it, but every station wanted to get the scoop.

It was rumored that a certain local station had even used a fake video to try and bluff their way into getting interview rights. Everyone knew perfectly well that the recording of Xu Hao’s grandmother might be the key to the case’s progress.

Yu Qingtang completely understood. “No problem, I can send it over right now.”

Liao Wenfeng: “They want to see it in person.”

Yu Qingtang confirmed the time. “Can I deliver it tomorrow? I’ll take it there myself.”

“No need. I’ve already made an appointment for you. We’ll meet at the dinner table.”

Yu Qingtang hesitated. “Today?”

Liao Wenfeng adjusted his tie. “Do you have plans?”

“No. Which restaurant is it? I’ll head over now.”

“I’ll go with you.” Liao Wenfeng stood up and put on his coat. “Section Chief Jiang from the detention center has been very accommodating to our station. Since there’s an opportunity, I should thank him in person.”

“Thank you for your trouble.” Yu Qingtang took out his phone. “Where is the specific address? I’ll set the GPS.”

Liao Wenfeng: “I’ll give you a ride.”

Yu Qingtang: “No need, I drove.”

“That works too; I’ll sit in your car,” Liao Wenfeng said. “Reduce carbon footprint.”

Yu Qingtang put his phone away. “Then let’s take your car after all.”

He didn’t want to be responsible for driving his boss home after dinner.

It was evening rush hour, and the traffic around the TV station was completely gridlocked.

Yu Qingtang sat in the back seat. At this time, Xu Baizhang should be on his way home. He switched to WeChat to send a message.

[I’m going to meet the Section Chief of the detention center where Xiao Hao is being held tonight. Don’t wait for me for dinner.]

The reply came very quickly.

Baizhang: [Where are you eating? Roughly when will you be done?]

Yu Qingtang sent the name of the restaurant and replied, [Not sure yet, but it shouldn’t be too late.]

Liao Wenfeng looked at him through the rearview mirror. “Still so busy after getting off work?”

Yu Qingtang turned off his screen. “No, just telling my husband I won’t be home for dinner.”

Liao Wenfeng stared straight ahead, then glanced at the ring finger on Yu Qingtang’s hand. “Does your husband keep you on a tight leash?”

“He doesn’t really control me.” Yu Qingtang added, “I just told him to come pick me up later.”

Liao Wenfeng: “Why go through all that trouble? I can drop you off.”

“Thank you, Director, but my husband enjoys picking me up.”

It was Yu Qingtang’s first time at this restaurant. The decor was opulent, and they had arrived early.

Liao Wenfeng handed him the menu. “Section Chief Jiang is on his way. Let’s order first.”

Yu Qingtang opened the menu, scanned it briefly, and closed it. He looked around. “Director, is Section Chief Jiang actually coming?”

“Would I fake something like this?” Liao Wenfeng took out his phone. “I’ll ask him where he is.”

The call wasn’t even dialed; Liao Wenfeng merely swiped across the screen a couple of times. “What an unlucky coincidence. Chief Jiang says something urgent came up at the center. He can’t make it today and asked you to send the video directly to him.”

Yu Qingtang pushed his chair back and stood up. “In that case, I’ll be going too.”

Liao Wenfeng stopped him. “What’s the rush? You’re already here. Let’s eat before you go.”

As he spoke, Liao Wenfeng flipped through the menu. “I remember you like spicy food. The spicy stir-fried king crab here is quite good. Want to try it?”

Yu Qingtang’s tone was like water that refused to boil. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m leaving.”

“Yu Qingtang, stand still.” Liao Wenfeng adopted his commanding tone of voice. “Is eating a meal with me really that difficult?”

“Director, your excuse was too clumsy.”

It was just interview rights. Even if Xu Hao’s case was troublesome and the process complex, it didn’t warrant a visit to a restaurant with four-digit prices.

They had worked together for four years. Casting aside the rumors, Liao Wenfeng had always been businesslike in professional matters. Yu Qingtang hadn’t expected to have overestimated him.

“If I didn’t make up an excuse, I wouldn’t even have the chance to sit face-to-face with you,” Liao Wenfeng said. “Qingtang, you have such a good memory. Do you not know how many times I’ve invited you over the years? And have you ever said yes once?”

Yu Qingtang tried to stay calm. “Director, our workspaces are only three floors apart. One phone call from you, and I can be knocking on your office door within five minutes. Is there anything that absolutely requires an after-work dinner to resolve?”

Liao Wenfeng: “We are both adults. I don’t want to beat around the bush. The whole station can see how I feel about you. Is it necessary for you to play dumb here?”

“Mr. Liao, as you said, we are all adults. Out of respect for you as my leader, I saved face for you before. But since you insist on bringing it into the open, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly,” Yu Qingtang said. “You have been married for many years. Do you not understand marital responsibility? Do you not know you should avoid suspicion?”

“I’ve already divorced,” Liao Wenfeng emphasized. “Not only did I have no feelings for my ex-wife, but there was also no reality to the marriage. I never loved her. Marrying her was entirely out of helplessness.”

Yu Qingtang had no desire to gossip about Liao Wenfeng’s marriage, but people inside and outside the station always discussed it.

Years ago, Liao Wenfeng had been admitted to the Communication University with top scores, but his family was dirt poor. To scrape together tuition and living expenses, his family arranged an engagement with a girl from a neighboring village, using the 30,000 yuan from the girl’s family to send him to the city to study.

Liao Wenfeng left for four years, only returning after graduation. He brought back 60,000 yuan, wanting to cancel the engagement, but the girl’s family refused, turning the village upside down with the scandal. Unable to withstand the pressure, Liao Wenfeng registered the marriage with the girl. The day after the wedding, he left again.

After finishing grad school, he entered the provincial station, starting as a reporter and fighting his way up until he finally sat in the director’s chair.

Liao Wenfeng said, “You grew up in the city with intellectual parents. You may not be able to understand a rural child’s thirst for knowledge and the outside world. Without that money, I would still be facing the soil with my back to the sky.”

In Yu Qingtang’s eyes, this excuse was incredibly laughable. “I admit I don’t understand your mindset, and I believe your childhood wasn’t easy. But there are many ways to make money. You could have set up a street stall, delivered packages, worked as a cleaner, or even…”

Yu Qingtang clenched his fist. “Or even carried cement at a construction site, rather than deceiving another person’s feelings for 30,000 yuan of tuition money.”

Liao Wenfeng: “I didn’t deceive her. Before we married, I told her I liked men and would never fall in love with her.”

A few years ago, Liao Wenfeng had tried every method to divorce. Later, his mother’s rheumatism became so severe she couldn’t get out of bed, and she relied on his nominal wife’s meticulous care. His mother lived in the countryside, and Liao Wenfeng was rarely around. Considering his ex-wife never disturbed him and helped care for his mother, the divorce was shelved.

It wasn’t until he brought his mother to Yangcheng and cured her rheumatism that Liao Wenfeng finally proposed divorce to his ex-wife again, paying her a large sum in compensation.

Liao Wenfeng said, “I didn’t mistreat her. That money is enough for her to live affluently for a lifetime.”

Yu Qingtang: “You measure feelings with money?”

“Qingtang, I was wrong in that matter, but I hope you can understand me. I really am…”

“Don’t say anymore. Your love life has nothing to do with me, and I don’t want to know about it.” Their values were not on the same frequency, and Yu Qingtang really couldn’t listen anymore. “Director, I am already married. I hope we can respect each other. Aside from work, let’s not have any extra interaction. Thank you.”

“Married?” Liao Wenfeng’s laugh was full of mockery. “Do you think wearing a wedding ring on your ring finger is enough to fool everyone?”

Yu Qingtang felt he was being unreasonable. “I really am married. You saw my husband pick me up the other day.”

Liao Wenfeng: “In the past, you were able to invent a Ph.D. boyfriend who studied abroad for three years to trick your mom. Now you could just as easily hire someone to fake a marriage—trick your mom first, then trick me.”

Yu Qingtang: “…”

Although the theory was absurd, he had actually considered doing exactly that.

Yu Qingtang stood up. “Believe it or not. Aside from work, we have nothing to talk about.”

Leaving the restaurant, Yu Qingtang regretted looking for an online ride-hailing service. He should have driven here and left Liao Wenfeng at the restaurant, which was better than waiting for a cab himself.

It was the weekend evening rush hour in the city center; the driver who finally accepted the order was four kilometers away. Not wanting to be spotted by Liao Wenfeng, Yu Qingtang specifically set his location on a narrow adjacent street.

Within a few minutes, a black business car stopped in front of Yu Qingtang. His mood felt like he had drunk expired milk.

The window rolled down, and Liao Wenfeng poked his head out. “Get in. It’s hard to get a taxi here. I’ll drop you off.”

“No need. My husband will be here very soon.”

The next second, a white car stopped right in front of the black car. A man stuck his head out and shouted at him, “Hello, did you book a ride? Are you the passenger with the phone number ending in 9876?”

Yu Qingtang: “…”

However intriguing Liao Wenfeng’s expression was, Yu Qingtang’s face was equally unsightly. The milk hadn’t just expired; it had gone sour.

Ignoring both of them, Yu Qingtang huffed angrily and pulled open the door of the taxi.

Dammit!

The restaurant wasn’t far from home, and even with traffic, it didn’t even take half an hour.

Yu Qingtang opened the door, and the aroma of food rushed over him. Xu Baizhang was wearing an apron, holding a soup ladle. “Back so soon?”

“Didn’t get to eat. What are you making? It smells so good.” Yu Qingtang walked into the kitchen and peeked into the pot. “You did this on purpose, making such delicious soup while I wasn’t home.”

“I made it just for you.” Xu Baizhang turned off the stove. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be used to the food outside.”

Since getting married, Yu Qingtang’s palate had indeed been spoiled. Greasy delicacies from land and sea couldn’t compare to Xu Baizhang’s home cooking.

Yu Qingtang rubbed his belly. “It’s not just that I’m not used to it; I’m starving.”

Xu Baizhang: “Dinner will be ready in a second.”

Yu Qingtang rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll go wash my hands and get the bowls.”

His phone buzzed on the entryway cabinet. Yu Qingtang saw the caller ID and muted it.

He went to get the bowls while Xu Baizhang carried out the dishes. The phone rang again.

Xu Baizhang: “Not answering?”

Yu Qingtang: “No need.”

The caller was persistent. Xu Baizhang passed by and saw the contact name on the screen. “Calling so many times, maybe it’s urgent.”

Yu Qingtang picked up the phone, resting his arm on the sideboard, his back to Xu Baizhang as he answered. “Hello.”

The person on the phone said, “Still angry?”

Yu Qingtang was cold as an ice pick. “Is there something you need?”

Xu Baizhang untied his apron and slowly, methodically unrolled his cuffs.

He picked up an orange, leaned against the window, and peeled the skin strip by strip.

Yu Qingtang was still on the phone with his back turned. Xu Baizhang took off his glasses and popped a segment of orange into his mouth.

The person on the phone said, “You’re home?”

Yu Qingtang: “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

Xu Baizhang could hear the voice on the phone. His gaze was fixed and unblinking as he slowly approached, as if attempting to carve Yu Qingtang’s silhouette into his own flesh and blood.

“Qingtang, don’t be so hostile toward me. I just feel…”

“Ah… um…!”

Without warning, Yu Qingtang was pulled tight from behind, slamming into a chest.

Xu Baizhang’s arm slid across flatly, tightening around his waist and abdomen like a packing strap. Yu Qingtang felt a fruit-scented breath at the base of his ear, like stepping into a soggy orange grove on a rainy day.

“Qingtang, what’s wrong?”

“N-nothing.” Yu Qingtang could feel the texture of lips pressing against him.

His collar was pulled down, opening like an orange peel. The tip of a tongue, wrapped in scalding hot wax, rolled layer by layer over the third joint of his cervical spine. With every roll, Yu Qingtang trembled.

Xu Baizhang could feel the spasms of the vertebrae under the skin. Yu Qingtang’s head hung low, the back of his neck as pale and addictive as a drug. The veins on Xu Baizhang’s hand bracing against the sideboard bulged; his fingertips turned an enticing white with force, then a blatant red when relaxed.

Hearing the suggestive sounds, Liao Wenfeng was both suspicious and worried. “Qingtang, what on earth is happening?”

There was the sensation of teeth grazing the back of his neck, accompanied by Xu Baizhang’s threatening whisper, “Tell him.”

Yu Qingtang held the phone, collapsing into Xu Baizhang’s embrace, and said to the person on the other end, “What do you think?”

The voice on the other side was horrified. “You… you’re home?”

Yu Qingtang: “Yes… mmph… ah!”

A sharp pain pierced straight into the back of his neck. Yu Qingtang could hear the faint sound of blood flowing from his body; it felt like being forcibly sucked from the outside, like high-voltage current moving from a positive pole to a negative one.

Xu Baizhang’s tongue circled the back of his neck, then slowly migrated to the rim of the ear where the receiver was held. He licked from the tip of the ear down to the lobe, then slowly back up to the tip. Finally, right at the base of his ear, he breathed out, “Did I hurt you?”

Yu Qingtang’s breathing was unsteady, his voice so soft it sounded as if it had been steeped in water for three days and nights. “No, it’s okay.”

Liao Wenfeng was still in shock on the other end of the phone—or perhaps it was horror, suspicion, and sheer disbelief. “Is… is your husband right there?”

The soup pot bubbled away, releasing wisps of hot steam that drifted through the air, leaving one feeling limp and weak.

Yu Qingtang’s tongue felt as if it were drowning in his ragged breathing, but he tried his best to enunciate clearly. “Who else could it be but him?”