BTMDY Extra 18

Ningchang City Airport, International Arrivals.

 

International flights weren’t as frequent as domestic ones, and since it was already late at night, the arrivals hall wasn’t crowded with people waiting.

 

But Lin Wangye couldn’t wait. He had shown up at the airport hours early. The flight was expected around 12:30 a.m., and he had been there since ten.

 

There were plenty of empty seats in the waiting area.

 

Still, to Lin Wangye, the door leading to the exit felt at least fifty meters away—an impossible distance.

 

What if he blinked and missed it, what if he didn’t see him the moment he appeared?

 

After thinking about him for so many years, he had to see him the instant he came through that door.

 

If it weren’t impossible to cross that door, Lin Wangye would have dashed straight onto the runway and pulled him out the moment the plane touched down.

 

Almost ten years of longing had led to this, and the hardest part was the last twenty hours.

 

He couldn’t wait any longer.

 

Not one more minute, not a single second.

 

Having stood so long near the exit, Lin Wangye’s legs had gone numb without him realizing. Minutes before the plane landed, he crouched against the wall, refreshing the flight info on his phone again and again. Finally, he saw the words ‘Arrived’ flash in real time and immediately dialed.

 

The call couldn’t get through. Thinking that the flight info updated in real time, and that it might take a while for the plane to taxi and stop, he tried calling again every few minutes.

 

Just as Lin Wangye gripped his phone tightly, impatient beyond words, the call came from the other side.

 

His heart skipped a beat, and he picked up at lightning speed.

 

“Uncle Shi, did you get here?”

 

“Look up.”

 

The faint electrical hum in the voice crackled through the phone. In that instant, Lin Wangye’s mind went blank. He instinctively raised his head—and there he was. The person he had thought about day and night, standing just three or four meters away, watching him.

 

Shi Yuan wore a dark gray wool coat, glasses glinting on his high nose bridge. In the instant the boy looked up, he loosened his grip on the suitcase handle, a gentle smile spreading across his face as he opened his arms.

 

In that moment, it felt like the world had paused.

 

Everyone around them, the bustling hall, even the lights—all vanished.

 

In Lin Wangye’s eyes, there was only him. At the same time, he felt his heart stop for a beat before racing uncontrollably, his breathing catching in a chaotic rhythm.

 

Before he even realized how his brain had sent the signal, he was already on instinct, pushing off the floor, sprinting toward him.

 

By the time his awareness returned, he was already wrapped in a warm embrace.

 

The height difference was even more obvious in reality than he had imagined.

 

Lin Wangye’s head reached roughly to Shi Yuan’s shoulders, and as they hugged face to chest, his cheek pressed against the soft warmth of him.

 

A faint, pleasant scent lingered at his nose.

 

The first scent was obviously fruity, but if you focused, it had a hint of grapefruit peel, faintly mixed with the smell of laundry soap dried in the sun.

 

The light fragrance teased his senses, and Lin Wangye couldn’t help but take two deep breaths. Their body heat seeped through their clothes, making the boy’s cheeks and blood burn even hotter.

 

When breathing became a little difficult, Lin Wangye belatedly realized that his nose was tingling and his eyes a bit watery.

 

The few steps he had sprinted only took seconds, far too short a time to clearly see the face in front of him. He lifted his head and met the gaze of the one who had been looking down at him.

 

Noticing the redness around the boy’s nose and eyes, Shi Yuan’s gaze softened, warm and gentle. He deliberately feigned a teasing tone as he smiled and ruffled his hair: “Strange… Lin Wangye, even after ten years, you still cry like when you were little?”

 

Lin Wangye laughed through his tears, pressing his face into Shi Yuan’s chest to wipe them away. When he lifted his head again, his lips curled high, and he stared at him without blinking.

 

“I didn’t cry!”

 

For Lin Wangye, the events of his early childhood were already blurry, but Shi Yuan saw things a little differently.

 

A whole ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.

 

The little kid who had once stumbled along behind him seemed to have grown up in an instant.

 

The moment the boy threw himself into his arms, Shi Yuan could even recall the first time he carefully took this child from Lin Shen, holding him gently, feeling his weight.

 

Years of video calls hadn’t stopped, and he had watched Lin Wangye grow little by little, right before his eyes.

 

He knew the boy’s face and temperament inside out.

 

But sometimes, he couldn’t help imagining how tall or heavy he had become.

 

When imagined scenes suddenly became reality, the feeling it brought was always strangely intense.

 

Every adult knows that growing up comes with unavoidable changes.

 

When Lin Wangye went abroad, he was still very young.

 

Shi Yuan had wondered whether, after leaving, memories of him would fade from the boy’s mind, slowly slipping away with time.

 

But, as expected, that never happened.

 

A child that young didn’t understand separation.

 

Sometimes, that ignorance turned into a stubbornness even deeper than an adult’s.

 

In those first days abroad, Shi Yuan was the one answering calls from home every day, spending hours calming the boy, coaxing him to sleep.

 

Years later, the way Lin Wangye looked at him was still full of blatant affection and dependence.

 

The moment this kid saw him, he smiled and reached out, wanting to be held.

 

Even Shi Yuan didn’t know why.

 

Perhaps fate, feeling it had been too cruel, had sent a little warmth his way.

 

There was no denying it: after losing family one by one, he had once fled abroad to escape it all. Yet now, he had returned, facing the familiar environment and the potential wounds it carried.

 

Over those long ten years, it wasn’t time that healed him.

 

It was the boy on the other side of the ocean, who had never stopped calling.

 

Now, watching Lin Wangye’s eyes redden, Shi Yuan finally felt a pang of regret, an overwhelming guilt for the years of lost companionship.

 

How could he have waited until the boy’s aunt got busy with her career to finally make a decision?

 

After being apart for so long, both of them carried their own complicated feelings.

 

Shi Yuan couldn’t help but feel emotional. He reached out to pinch Lin Wangye’s cheek, smiling softly: “Looks a bit thinner than in the videos.”

 

At fifteen, in the middle of puberty, if Lin Wangye had been a little naive about emotions before, the rapid heartbeat and the flutter in his chest from being touched made his feelings crystal clear now.

 

“People look fatter on camera! Aunt said so!”

 

The intimate gesture, combined with the pleasant scent around Shi Yuan’s nose, made Lin Wangye’s face burn hotter. Not wanting to give himself away, he quickly loosened his arms wrapped around Shi Yuan’s waist and grabbed the handle of his suitcase instead.

 

“It’s so late already, let’s go!”

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

Shi Yuan nodded with a smile. As he turned, his hand naturally rested on Lin Wangye’s shoulder, half-hugging him as they walked forward.

 

The gesture was casual enough, and their height difference made it feel natural. But Lin Wangye’s heart raced like a wild deer. He lowered his head, pressing his lips together, avoiding eye contact.

 

“How did you get here?” Shi Yuan asked.

 

“By subway.”

 

“Why didn’t you have the driver bring you?”

 

“Subways don’t get stuck in traffic.”

 

Only after saying it did Lin Wangye realize he might have said a little too much.

 

“The last subway must’ve been around ten…” Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled, but then quickly understood, tilting his head with a faint smile: “It was right not to tell you immediately after landing. Waiting for luggage takes forever—you’d have been more anxious.”

 

Lin Wangye didn’t mention that he had refreshed the flight tracker so often his phone nearly exploded, and quickly changed the topic: “Why do you have so little luggage?”

 

“I didn’t bring much with me. The big stuff went through international shipping.”

 

“Oh.”

 

In just a few sentences, they stepped through the glass doors of the airport hall. It was early December, almost the start of winter. Lin Wangye had carefully chosen his favorite outfit from his wardrobe.

 

A plain white shirt.

 

But the vest-style sweater was hand-knitted by Uncle Shi, with a cute little paw print on the shoulder—one of a kind in the whole world.

 

He had, however, forgotten the season.

 

Late autumn in Ningchang was sunny during the day but had a huge temperature difference between day and night.

 

Lin Wangye, flushed with excitement when leaving, hadn’t noticed at all. Especially since the subway went directly into the airport, he completely ignored the outdoor chill.

 

So the moment the cold wind hit him, he froze, drew in a sharp breath, and shivered. Before he could react, a warm coat was draped over his shoulders, wrapping him snugly.

 

Shi Yuan bent slightly, fastening the buttons from the top down, his voice indulgent yet helpless:

 

“Why are you dressed so lightly?”

 

Lin Wangye’s eyelashes trembled in the wind. Staring at him blankly, he answered, dazed: “I… thought this looked nice.”

 

After straightening the buttons, Shi Yuan’s eyes fell on Lin Wangye’s neatly ironed white shirt and the tie perfectly knotted at his neck. With his handsome face, he looked every bit the obedient student, and Shi Yuan couldn’t help but smile more warmly.

 

“You look nice, but you can’t freeze yourself like this.”

 

Saying that, he took off his scarf and wrapped it around Lin Wangye’s neck, cutting off the cold wind completely.

 

Because of the height difference, when Shi Yuan draped his knee-length coat over Lin Wangye, it almost touched the boy’s ankles. Once the warm scarf circled him, Lin Wangye was completely enveloped in that fresh fruity scent. Even though it was faint, it hit him with such force that his head felt dizzy.

 

He tugged the scarf up just enough to hide his burning face.

 

Lin Wangye had already arranged for Wang Xiaoshuai to pick him up. He had been waiting in the parking lot earlier, and within two minutes, the familiar car stopped right in front of them.

 

Lin Wangye had intended to sit in the front seat, but his hand paused on the door handle. Instead, he went around to the back.

 

Shi Yuan opened the rear door and, seeing him come over, lifted his hand to shield the roof. After Lin Wangye got in, Shi Yuan bent down, picked up the luggage, placed it in the trunk, and climbed in after him.

 

Wang Xiaoshuai had interacted with Shi Yuan before, but they weren’t particularly close. After a few polite words, Wang Xiaoshuai asked where to go. When Lin Wangye answered, he set the GPS and drove to Shi Yuan’s property in China.

 

Calling it ‘Shi Yuan’s property’ wasn’t exactly accurate, since the legal owner was Lin Wangye.

 

Shi Yuan, being abroad, couldn’t handle all the paperwork conveniently. So, although he paid for the house in full, the property was registered under Lin Wangye’s name.

 

Shi Yuan didn’t care at all. In his eyes, giving Lin Wangye a house for free wouldn’t hurt him, so whose name was on the deed didn’t matter.

 

Lin Wangye didn’t care about the house either.

 

To him, the fact that Shi Yuan bought a house in China was a sign that he was thinking of returning—and he was so happy he just wanted to make it happen as quickly as possible.

 

The car’s heater was on. The coat, a bit oversized for Lin Wangye, made him look bulky. Soon he felt warm but was reluctant to take it off.

 

Only when Shi Yuan noticed sweat forming on his forehead and pointed it out did Lin Wangye finally unbutton the coat. He carefully removed the coat and scarf but didn’t want to leave them elsewhere, so he pretended calm and tucked them in his arms.

 

The Lin Wangye on the phone usually had a lot to say, so his quiet reaction surprised Shi Yuan.

 

He glanced at the boy, sitting up straight like a meticulous student, eyes lowered, saying nothing. Naturally, it piqued his curiosity.

 

“Not talking? I thought Xiao Lin would have tons to say.”

 

Lin Wangye looked up, blinking quickly. Under Shi Yuan’s calm and gentle gaze, he swallowed nervously.

 

He had imagined he’d have so much to say…

 

But his mind was completely blank!

 

He had no idea what to say. Suddenly becoming mute—what was that about?

 

Desperately hiding his panic and racing heart, he racked his brain. After a long moment, he finally managed a topic. Clearing his throat lightly, he said:

 

“Your… your scent… smells really nice. Like… freshly peeled grapefruit.”

 

Oh no.

 

So awkward.

 

How could he have come up with something so dry, meaningless, and random?

 

Shi Yuan, however, didn’t think Lin Wangye’s words were strange at all. He listened as if hearing a child ask ‘Why is the sun so hot? Why can’t we put it out?’—taking in every nonsensical thought with complete acceptance, never letting his words fall flat. Naturally, he responded, matching him perfectly.

 

“The first time I smelled this perfume, I thought of you. I didn’t hesitate and bought it. When you were little, you loved the smell of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit peel—even though you didn’t really like eating those fruits. You still don’t like them?”

 

Lin Wangye obediently nodded. “Mm… too sour.”

 

“Just as I thought.” Saying this, Shi Yuan seemed to remember something and added, “By the way, check the pocket of my jacket—see what’s inside.”

 

Hearing that, Lin Wangye rummaged through the coat he was holding, feeling for the pocket. He reached in and discovered something inside.

 

He pulled it out, turning his wrist, and saw a few milk candies resting in his palm.

 

For some reason, even though it was a memory from long ago, it now emerged faintly from the river of time, forming a vague outline in Lin Wangye’s mind.

 

The candies’ wrappers had English on them, clearly prepared before boarding the plane.

 

He wanted to grow up quickly.

 

Yet at the same time, he desperately wished to remain the person’s most cherished child.

 

Lin Wangye unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth, feeling the rich, creamy sweetness gradually soften and melt. Without thinking, he held out the wrapper to the side.

 

As if it were only natural, the person sitting next to him opened his hand and took it.

 

Lin Wangye froze for a moment, then, panicked, grabbed the wrapper from Shi Yuan’s hand and tossed it into the car’s trash bin.

 

Shi Yuan, clearly delighted by the familiar, almost subconscious gesture reminiscent of childhood, laughed and withdrew his hand.

 

“So good… I always worry you’ll grow up too fast, Xiao Lin.”

 

Lin Wangye glanced at him and muttered softly, “…I wanted to grow up quickly.”

 

Shi Yuan stroked his head, his voice gentle.

 

“No rush. Take it slow.”

 

Lin Wangye didn’t argue but obediently lowered his head, letting him run his fingers through his hair. Then he continued, “If you had come back last month, you could have caught my fifteenth birthday.”

 

“No choice. Time was too tight; it was impossible,” Shi Yuan admitted with a hint of regret. “But my gift arrived on time. Do you still like that limited mechanical keyboard?”

 

“Of course! I love it!” Lin Wangye replied eagerly, turning toward him with anticipation. “So… what will you give me for my sixteenth birthday?”

 

“Whatever you want—you can make a wish.” Shi Yuan smiled at him.

 

Lin Wangye thought carefully, then said, “Something I can carry with me anytime, anywhere.”

 

“Something you can carry anywhere…”

 

Shi Yuan paused, pondering, then suggested a few possibilities, seeking confirmation: “A watch, a bracelet, a necklace?”

 

“No watch, too common.” Lin Wangye crossed out the option and stated his wish clearly: “A bracelet or a necklace. Not something you can just buy—something unique in the world, made by your own hands!”

 

“Hm… jewelry isn’t really my strong suit.”

 

Shi Yuan deliberately showed a helpless expression. When Lin Wangye shot him a look that basically said ‘Stop pretending’, he just lifted the corner of his mouth.

 

“Alright, alright, whatever you want.”

 

Lin Wangye immediately switched to a self-satisfied expression, the joy in his eyes so full it seemed about to overflow.

 

He hadn’t slept much last night because of excitement, and now it was already past midnight. The ride from the airport to the city wasn’t short, but in the cozy space of the car, with the person he had been longing for so close, the tension in Lin Wangye’s heart slowly eased. His eyelids began to droop, fighting sleep.

 

In a haze, it felt like his head bumped against something.

 

Lin Wangye woke up slightly. Before he could even open his eyes, a warm hand gently cradled his head. Then he was half-hugged, laid down, and shifted to rest his head on the other person’s leg.

 

In that instant, Lin Wangye was fully awake, his drowsiness gone.

 

He didn’t open his eyes or move, lying completely obediently, afraid of giving anything away.

 

In the darkness, someone slowly, almost painfully slowly, took the coat from his arms and gently draped it over him.

 

Lin Wangye focused on keeping his breathing steady.

 

He wished time would slow down—just a little, just a little more.

 

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