CFHE Chapter 82

“Yu-ge.”

 

Fu Yuhan was somewhat worried and turned to look at him.

 

“It’s fine, I…” Wen Yu took a deep breath, clenched his hand into a fist, then quickly loosened it, taking out his phone to check.

 

Sure enough, there was a message from the driver on his phone. He called back, talking to the other party across the street: “…Mm, I know.”

 

He hung up and glanced at Fu Yuhan: “I probably… can’t eat the food you cook.”

 

“We can do it another day.” Fu Yuhan said.

 

“Good.” Wen Yu responded, “I still need to go back to the classroom to get my certificate. Do you want to go back first?”

 

Fu Yuhan lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment: “I’ll accompany you.”

 

The way back was much more somber than when they came out. Along the way, familiar faces from other classes and grades saw them, constantly greeting them, followed by “why are you walking back?”

 

“Forgot to take something.” Fu Yuhan calmly handled all the questions, occasionally glancing at Wen Yu.

 

Wen Yu showed no expression, as if he had no emotions. However, this appearance made Fu Yuhan even more worried. Wen Yu had been much more cheerful recently, learning to naturally display his emotions on his face, but now, he was like a craft piece locked in a box again, his emotions so restrained they were unreadable.

 

“Yu-ge.”

 

At the corner of the last step, Fu Yuhan caught up and squeezed his fingertips through a natural pulling motion.

 

“Yu-ge,” Fu Yuhan’s calm, indifferent voice was crystal clear, falling into Wen Yu’s ears, “I’m here.”

 

Wen Yu took a deep breath: “Let’s go open the door.”

 

“Mm.”

 

When Fu Yuhan was around, he and Ge Ran would take turns locking the door. By now, Class 6’s classroom had long been empty. Fu Yuhan took out his key to unlock the door and pushed it open; Wen Yu followed behind and closed the door.

 

Then he grabbed Fu Yuhan’s wrist and pressed him against the windowless area where the back door connected to the wall, kissing him.

 

“Mmph—”

 

Fu Yuhan’s back hit the wall hard, and he smelled the other person’s forceful invasion in his breath.

 

His lips were caught, and he instinctively startled, but quickly realized the current situation. Instead of resisting excessively, he reached behind Wen Yu’s back and gently caressed him.

 

This kiss was intense and persistent, almost like biting, mixed with some negative emotions.

 

It seemed only through such biting could Wen Yu gain a little strength to calm himself down.

 

Windows on the left, windows on the right, windows across—if any busybody dared to peek into Class 6’s classroom, they could discover their entangled daytime affair. Fu Yuhan’s heart couldn’t help but pound, but he didn’t dare push the other away because he knew his boyfriend’s emotions weren’t quite right.

 

“Yu-ge…” Fu Yuhan endured the slight pain between his lips and teeth, comforting him while saying unclearly, “I’m here, I’m here.”

 

“I have to go back again.” Wen Yu gripped Fu Yuhan’s clothes tightly behind his back, saying hoarsely, “I have to see him again, put myself back into an ill-fitting shell, calculate the angle of every smile and frown, unable to relax any movement… I hate this, I really hate this…”

 

“Yu-ge.” Fu Yuhan kissed him back repeatedly, “It’s okay, take it slowly.”

 

Wen Yu held him tightly, burying his head in his shoulder, the atmospheric pressure around him dropping to rock bottom.

 

“Even if there’s no way now, in ten or twenty years, there will be a day to escape his control… I’ll stay with you.” Fu Yuhan hugged him back, “Yu-ge, I’ll earn money to support you.”

 

“No,” Wen Yu said in a muffled voice, “how can I let my wife support me?”

 

Fu Yuhan’s voice immediately turned cold: “…Who’s the wife?”

 

“You didn’t fight for it in bed, why fight for this now?” Wen Yu looked up, his expression still calm, but Fu Yuhan could feel he was much calmer, “It’s fine, I’m much better. I’ll get my certificate… then let’s go down.”

 

He let go of Fu Yuhan, walked to his seat, found a brand new certificate with a cover from his desk drawer, and stuffed it into his backpack.

 

Fu Yuhan watched and thought for a while: “Why do you have to take this?”

 

“If he’s looking for me about the competition, then this is all he cares about.” Wen Yu said, “Just in case.”

 

Fu Yuhan made an “oh” sound: “Where are you eating dinner tonight?”

 

Wen Yu named a restaurant.

 

Wen Ziming always chose from only those few restaurants because his and Wen Yu’s tastes really didn’t align.

 

In choosing restaurants, Wen Ziming gave him some respect, so to simultaneously satisfy both father and son’s tastes as well as “class,” there really weren’t many places to choose from in the city.

 

“Good.” Fu Yuhan nodded.

 

Wen Yu reluctantly pulled his consciousness from his emotions, thus noticing Fu Yuhan’s face, and was stunned. He touched the other’s lips with his hand, his tone somewhat careful: “Did I bite so hard just now?”

 

Fu Yuhan’s lip color wasn’t deep, making the blood-red wound particularly conspicuous.

 

“Don’t you know how hard you bit?” Fu Yuhan raised an eyebrow, reached out to poke his shoulder, and chuckled, “I owe you one. Someday I’ll bite back.”

 

“…Good.” This attitude relaxed Wen Yu, so he finally smiled.

 

Wen Yu used the walk from the classroom to the school gate to adjust his emotions. When he saw that Maserati again, he had already returned to his usual composed, steady, and effortless appearance when meeting Wen Ziming. He said goodbye to Fu Yuhan at the school gate, crossed the street alone, and got into the car.

 

The black Maserati merged into the evening rush hour traffic.

 

Fu Yuhan watched until he could no longer see it before withdrawing his gaze.

 

Wen Yu didn’t speak the entire way—he was really not in high spirits because of that missed loving celebration meal.

 

However, at the same time, he wasn’t very nervous either. For some reason, Wen Yu had a strange intuition that Aunt Fang probably wouldn’t tell about him and Fu Yuhan.

 

But it was hard for a puppet who had finally escaped from bondage to convince himself to calmly walk back.

 

The car quickly arrived at the destination. Wen Yu got out and entered, counting the private room numbers.

 

Those two had already arrived. Seeing him enter, Wen Ziming cast his gaze over, waiting leisurely.

 

“Dad,” Wen Yu called him quietly, paused, then said, “Aunt Fang.”

 

Wen Ziming frowned: “What are you calling?”

 

Wen Yu’s long eyelashes drooped slightly, his thumb pressing against his index finger joints one by one, considering whether to pretend again and call “Mom.”

 

Calling her was fine—he had called her that many times before.

 

But the rebellious spirit in his bones commanded him to walk in another direction.

 

“It’s fine,” Fang Wanjing smiled gently, “calling me Auntie isn’t wrong either.”

 

“It’s because you spoil him like this that he’s become spoiled.” Wen Ziming said, his tone becoming more serious, “Wen Yu, what should you call her?”

 

“…” Wen Yu took a deep breath, “Mom.”

 

Fang Wanjing’s mouth twitched, and that gentle smile immediately showed some awkwardness. Wen Yu was actually more comfortable than her, which allowed him to take his seat.

 

Once seated, Wen Ziming naturally had to ask about his competition results.

 

When transferring schools, Wen Ziming had used many connections. The head of Third High’s academic affairs office was one of his old acquaintances, and congratulatory calls had reportedly been received during company meetings during the day.

 

Wen Yu wasn’t very surprised and calmly took out his certificate to hand over.

 

This thing was like waste paper to him, and it seemed Fu Yuhan didn’t want to keep it as a memento either.

 

Simply put, people were more important than awards, not the other way around like Wen Ziming.

 

Wen Ziming took the certificate but didn’t look at it, casually tossing it aside and calling the waiter to serve the dishes.

 

The three didn’t make small talk while eating. After a series of clinking sounds from cups and plates, Fang Wanjing was the first to put down her chopsticks.

 

She waited until Wen Ziming finished eating, then took a deep breath.

 

“I want to say something.”

 

Wen Ziming looked up.

 

“Ziming,” she turned her head, still smiling gently, “let’s get divorced.”

 

Wen Yu: “…”

 

Huh?

 

“What did you say?” Wen Ziming frowned, as if he suddenly couldn’t understand Chinese, “Did I hear wrong?”

 

Fang Wanjing said word by word: “I said, let’s get divorced.”

 

This couldn’t possibly be misheard. Wen Ziming frowned even more: “Reason?”

 

“Incompatible personalities, disharmony in that aspect, broken relationship… you can pick any reason.” Fang Wanjing said, “Anyway, I’ve already thought it through and consulted a lawyer. I have no demands—we can divorce normally. If that really doesn’t work, you can discuss me leaving with nothing… anyway, I don’t want to continue.”

 

These sentences were direct enough, so direct they didn’t conform to Wen Ziming’s aesthetics.

 

He was quite dissatisfied: “You never used to talk like this. Did something happen?”

 

“Nothing happened. If I had to say… it’s because nothing happened.” Fang Wanjing looked at him, “Ziming, I’ve been unwilling to admit before… actually you don’t love me… no, that’s not right. I should say, actually you only love yourself.”

 

“What are you saying? What more do you want me to do to love you—am I not good enough to you?” Wen Ziming said, “I told you before, if you think the money isn’t enough, just tell the life assistant, he will…”

 

“Life assistant,” Fang Wanjing interrupted him, laughing helplessly and self-mockingly, “which normal couple communicates through a life assistant?”

 

Someone said that good love makes two people achieve each other and gradually become better.

 

She used to think this was like the grand principles in books—theory was theory, practice was practice, with deviations.

 

Because she thought the girlfriends and wealthy wives she knew around her also seemed to have their own unhappiness after marriage—those lacking money lacked money, those with money lacked love, those with love had incompatible values, those with compatible values were cold as water… compared like this, her life didn’t seem so bad.

 

But that day, when two boys stood hand in hand before her, the determination in their eyes moved her.

 

People who have expectations for life have light in their eyes.

 

And when she returned home that day, facing the empty villa, walking into the room that should house two people but often only had herself, sitting down at the dressing table and facing herself in the mirror, she discovered that life had long since erased the light from her eyes.

 

Youth was wonderful.

 

Young people faced their love fearlessly.

 

She had once been brave too, marrying Wen Ziming despite all the criticism. At that time, she was getting married for the first time, his ex-wife had just died not long ago, one had an ordinary family background, the other was a famous local group CEO… she had married under pressure, however—

 

However.

 

Before getting older, she wanted to be brave once more.

 

–

 

Fang Wanjing lived up to her name—she was a gentle and quiet person, remaining calm even when arguing; while Wen Ziming was himself a textbook of “putting on airs,” maintaining intellectual high ground even in disputes, being unreasonable in a refined manner.

 

Divorce was a shameful thing, and for Wen Ziming, he would definitely not agree.

 

The two erupted in intense argument in the restaurant’s private room. Wen Yu finished eating, put down his chopsticks, and took out his phone with little interest.

 

Usually, after eating, Wen Ziming would talk with him, and taking out his phone wasn’t allowed at such times.

 

But Wen Yu felt that today the other party probably didn’t have the energy to manage him.

 

On WeChat, Fu Yuhan had sent him an emoji: a bear lying adorably.

 

This was probably a silent signal meaning “I’m here.”

 

Wen Yu finally felt a bit of comfort, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving up as he replied.

 

Wen Yu: Finished eating?

 

Fu Yuhan replied almost instantly.

 

Fu Yuhan: Finished, what about you?

 

Wen Yu: Sort of finished.

 

Fu Yuhan: Sort of…?

 

Wen Yu: Originally there would be routine lecturing after eating, but Aunt Fang suddenly proposed divorcing my dad. Now they’re arguing. Want to listen?

 

Without waiting for Fu Yuhan’s answer, he pressed the record button and recorded over ten seconds under the table.

 

Fu Yuhan: …

 

Fu Yuhan: They’re arguing quite intensely. Did she suddenly figure it out?

 

Wen Yu: How would I know? Maybe she was moved by our love?

 

Fu Yuhan: …Have some shame, good big brother.

 

Wen Yu: Which part of what I said was wrong? Are we not loving enough or am I

 

“Wen Yu!”

 

Wen Yu hadn’t finished typing when he suddenly heard an angry roar. His hand trembled, and the unfinished line was sent out.

 

“What are you doing?” Wen Ziming stared at him, “Looking at your phone?”

 

Wen Yu pressed his lips together: “…”

 

“Hand over your phone.” He said sternly, “Have I not told you not to play with your phone while eating?”

 

“Don’t be like this, Wen Ziming, Xiao Yu is still a child…” Fang Wanjing tried to persuade him.

 

“What kind of child is he at eighteen? Besides, do children not need to learn manners?” Wen Ziming said irritably, “Anyway, I won’t agree to the divorce. I don’t know what you’ve seen recently or what nonsense someone has told you, but during this time, you’d better calm down at home. Also, Wen Yu—”

 

Wen Yu looked at him.

 

“Your mom has been going to your place the most this past month. You’d better explain to me.”

 

“Explain what?” Wen Yu said, “I’ve been studying the whole time.”

 

“If there’s nothing to explain, that’s fine too. From today on, you’re moving back home until after the college entrance exam.”

 

“…” Wen Yu looked up, “Huh?”

 

“I’ll have lawyers handle the divorce matter.” Fang Wanjing’s expression also didn’t look good, “You can be unhappy, but why trouble Xiao Yu? What does it have to do with him?”

 

“You have no say here!” Wen Ziming sneered, “Besides, asking him to come home is troubling him?”

 

“…?” Fang Wanjing was incredulous, “I can’t even speak now?”

 

Another round of arguing.

 

On his phone, there were messages from Fu Yuhan.

 

Fu Yuhan: You what?

 

Fu Yuhan: …Yu-ge? What happened?

 

Wen Yu quickly typed while the two were arguing.

 

Wen Yu: Turns out our love isn’t moving enough.

 

Wen Yu: Just got scolded by my dad, now he wants me to live at home until the college entrance exam.

 

Fu Yuhan: …

 

Fu Yuhan: So what do you plan to do?

 

Wen Yu: I really can’t stand it anymore.

 

A wild horse that had escaped its cage would never willingly be bridled again—

 

Wen Yu: Xiao Han, will you really stay with me no matter what?

 

Fu Yuhan: What do you think?

 

Wen Yu: Then

 

Wen Yu: I’m going to rebel, my highness.

 

After sending this message, he put away his phone, looked up at the two people arguing, and took a deep breath.

 

“I don’t want to go home.”

 

His calm, steady voice seemed somewhat abrupt amid the back-and-forth arguing. Both adults stopped and looked at him simultaneously.

 

“I don’t want to go home,” Wen Yu stared at his tall, imposing father, saying word by word, “Living at my place is more convenient for school. It’s the senior year sprint period, I think living near school is more convenient.”

 

“Do you have problems with the college entrance exam?” Wen Ziming frowned.

 

“No problems,” Wen Yu said, “but I think you don’t like accidents either.”

 

Wen Ziming snorted coldly: “If there are no problems, what reason do I have to listen to your arrangements?”

 

“Because—”

 

Wen Yu paused, recalling what Fu Yuhan had said that day, “The Earth has revolution and rotation, its own rhythm. No matter what you think, this world isn’t what you expect it to be. Dad, I like living alone, you should know that.”

 

“Ever since Mom died, the person I hate most is you.”

 

“…” Wen Ziming flew into a rage, pointing at his nose and scolding, “Wen Yu! You’ve gone too far!”

 

He had wanted to rebel for a long time.

 

Wen Yu thought sullenly—he had been cowardly for so many years, where was any trace of being a king?

 

His phone vibrated continuously. He glanced at it and could no longer sit still.

 

Fu Yuhan: [Location]

 

Fu Yuhan: Yu-ge, I’m here.

 

Fu Yuhan: There’s a McDonald’s downstairs, I’m sitting inside. If you need me, I’m waiting here for you.

 

“I need to go back for evening self-study.” Wen Yu looked at his phone and slowly stood up, grabbing his backpack and backing away while speaking under Wen Ziming’s shocked gaze, “There’s a second mock exam in a few days. I don’t want to listen to you two argue here.”

 

“Wen Yu! I’ll go to your school tomorrow!”

 

Wen Yu stopped, turned back to look at him: “You can punish me, and I have the right to turn in a blank paper—or you can find someone else to give you a child you can show off?”

 

“Wen Yu!!!”

 

Wen Yu ran for it.

 

–

 

For the first time in his life, he ran away while eating with Wen Ziming, to meet someone who was waiting for him.

 

It was too joyful—every pore in his body seemed to open up. He ran downstairs all the way, ran to the hotel entrance, and when he breathed in the first gulp of cold, fresh outdoor air, he suddenly had an epiphany—

 

This was freedom.

 

Across the street, the brightly lit McDonald’s had a conspicuous tall boy sitting by the spotless floor-to-ceiling glass wall, his movements casual yet inexplicably elegant.

 

—It was his handsome and excellent boyfriend.

 

Wen Yu took a deep breath and ran across on the green light.

 

His phone was vibrating frantically in his pocket—he guessed it was Wen Ziming’s angry calls. He didn’t want to answer, didn’t want to care, just focused on running to the other side. Fu Yuhan quickly saw him, his naturally cold features softening somewhat, walking toward the store entrance with his unfinished coffee.

 

They met at the store entrance, and Wen Yu opened his arms and hugged him.

 

This was on the street, with countless passersby around.

 

On a weekday evening, in the busiest CBD area of the city center, two tall, handsome boys embraced on the street.

 

This action indeed drew others’ attention.

 

Fu Yuhan was hugged and staggered, barely managing not to spill his coffee: “Let go.”

 

“Won’t let me hug?” Wen Yu let go and looked at him, “Afraid of people watching?”

 

“Not afraid, just awkward. You know I don’t like being stared at.” Fu Yuhan looked away.

 

As if to prove he wasn’t afraid, he hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and gently kissed Wen Yu’s cheek, handing him a cup of coffee: “How did you get out?”

 

“I talked back and then escaped.” Wen Yu was so pleased by his initiative kiss that his eyes crinkled with laughter, “I’m done for.”

 

“Your expression doesn’t look done for at all.”

 

“Because I’m happy.” Wen Yu said, “Xiao Han, we might have to ‘go into exile.'”

 

“Mm?” Fu Yuhan tilted his head, his calm gaze showing no trace of fear.

 

So Wen Yu laughed heartily.

 

“You’ve always told me to tell the truth.” He gripped Fu Yuhan’s free hand, “My only truth right now is this—I don’t want to go home, I don’t want to not see you before the college entrance exam, I want to be with you.”

 

He looked up at the other person, a faint light in his eyes, “Run away with me.”

 

“Where to?”

 

“I don’t know.” Wen Yu asked, “Will you?”

 

“Yes.” Fu Yuhan narrowed his eyes and said lightly, “Anywhere is fine.”

 

A promise kept is the most romantic declaration of love; companionship is the longest confession.

 

In that instant, his heart felt like fireworks exploding, as brilliant as the mountain fireworks that day; a moment that felt like eternity.

 

“Come on,” he took his hand, “let’s go home first.”

 

“Is going home okay?” Fu Yuhan asked.

 

“Even if he wants to explode, he’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I know he has work tonight.” Wen Yu shook his head, “Tomorrow’s problems can wait until tomorrow. Anyway, we—”

 

“Are together.” Fu Yuhan finished the second half of the sentence.

 

“Mm, we’re together.”

 

Nothing could be more reassuring than this.

 

##

---

 

 (advanced chapters available on kofi)