5 Celebration

Chapter 5

“It’s the phone I bought when I just started eighth grade. It’s been many years, so it’s very slow; you have to wait a bit,” Xuan Congnan explained, staring at the phone screen that remained blank for a long time.

He took good care of his belongings, so the phone looked fairly new on the outside, but the model was outdated, and the system ran sluggishly.

Back then, it took him an entire summer to save up for this phone. Few people dared to use a phone before turning sixteen.

Gu Shi nodded in acknowledgment.

The WeChat scan timed out and exited. Xuan Congnan reopened it and patiently waited, then asked, “How old were you then?”

“Hm?” When the WeChat finally opened, Xuan Congnan showed a QR code, puzzled.

“Sorry,” Gu Shi said, “I’m not trying to pry. You don’t have to answer.”

“Beep—”

The QR code was recognized, and Xuan Congnan’s WeChat popped up on the phone. His profile picture was a blurry blue sky—a low-resolution shot obviously taken with a modern phone.

His username was “Nan Nan Not Hard.”

At the same time, Xuan Congnan received Gu Shi’s friend request. Sitting face to face, Gu Shi carefully filled out the request message: “I’m Gu Shi, please approve.”

His profile picture was a rainbow after the rain, and his username was “The Scavenger.”

Xuan Congnan glanced at Gu Shi and thought the colors in the avatar clashed with his image. He clicked accept, and the system took a long time to respond again.

He replied, “Fifteen.”

He had been fifteen when he started eighth grade.

“I started school a year later than others,” Xuan Congnan said.

“Mm,” Gu Shi responded.

“Buzz”—[“Gu Shi” transferred 20,000 yuan to you.]

Xuan Congnan stared at the number—genuine money.

His most expensive oil painting only sold for 18,000 yuan.

He clicked to accept the payment without hesitation.

Gu Shi asked, “How old are you now?”

“You ask too many questions,” Xuan Congnan shot him a sidelong glance.

Gu Shi lowered his eyes and skillfully said, “Sorry.”

Xuan Congnan replied, “Twenty-two.”

Gu Shi said, “I’m twenty-six.”

“Oh,” Xuan Congnan said.

Having accepted the 20,000 yuan for accommodation, the question was where Gu Shi would sleep. Xuan Congnan poured himself a glass of water and drank slowly, calmly pondering the matter.

The bedroom was too small; adding another bed would fill it completely. Asking him to sleep in the living room... spending 20,000 yuan for a sofa spot was something Xuan Congnan couldn’t bear to do.

Since they’d just met and didn’t know each other well, sleeping on the sofa was the most reasonable option. Xuan Congnan would make sure to lock the bedroom door at night.

“Do you have pajamas?” Xuan Congnan asked.

Gu Shi was taken aback. “No.”

Xuan Congnan said, “Order delivery now; get someone to bring you some basic toiletries. You go wash up in the bedroom and lock the door while bathing. You’ll have to rough it on this sofa tonight. If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll refund you. There’s a five-star hotel not far from here.”

Gu Shi said, “I’ll order now.”

He looked up and asked, “Have you eaten dinner?”

This time, it was Xuan Congnan’s turn to be surprised.

“No,” he admitted.

Gu Shi said, “I’ll order together. Do you have any food restrictions?”

“No,” Xuan Congnan replied.

“Okay.”

Xuan Congnan gave him the detailed address to fill out.

It was already past eleven; eating too much wasn’t good for the stomach. Gu Shi ordered shrimp scrambled eggs, a portion of rice with seaweed and vegetable sushi, and two servings of noodles with shredded meat and vegetables.

Xuan Congnan, having ordered takeout before, said, “Where did you order from? That’s way too much; you can’t finish it.”

He looked at the food gloomily. “It’ll go to waste.”

Gu Shi said, “No, I’ll finish the leftovers.”

Xuan Congnan said, “If you really can’t eat it, put it in the small fridge and eat it tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

The delivery person had just left when Xuan Congnan opened a disposable pair of chopsticks. Then, the door was knocked again.

Gu Shi stood up. “I’ll get it.”

When Xuan Congnan looked up and saw Gu Shi returning with a cake, he was stunned as if struck dumb, then stared at him.

Gu Shi said, “I felt like something sweet.”

Xuan Congnan snapped back, “...Oh.”

The cake was exquisitely made, topped with a layer of shimmering gold. Xuan Congnan reached back to distant childhood memories and recognized it as gold leaf, mixed with silver leaf.

The chocolate was sculpted with advanced craftsmanship into beautiful shapes, surrounded by a soft deep blue that resembled a sleeping ocean, its surface gently rippling and bathed warmly by sunlight.

Xuan Congnan liked the color scheme and stared at it for a long time.

He asked, “Which delivery shop sells custom cakes like this?”

Gu Shi thought for a moment. “Not a delivery shop. Today’s my birthday; I had someone make it in advance.”

Xuan Congnan was surprised. “Today’s your birthday?”

“Mm.”

Xuan Congnan whispered, “What a coincidence.”

Gu Shi understood. “Today’s your birthday too, right?”

Xuan Congnan responded with an “Ah,” as if answering.

Gu Shi opened the cake and said, “Happy birthday.”

The words felt distant to Xuan Congnan—he hadn’t heard that blessing in eleven years and suddenly felt very unaccustomed, frozen for a long moment.

“Thank you.” His voice tightened, then he cleared his throat and said the same to Gu Shi, “Happy birthday.”

Pajamas, slippers, toothbrush, cup, and other supplies were all prepared and placed in the bathroom where they belonged.

Before Gu Shi was allowed to shower first, Xuan Congnan said, “I’ll buy you a simple wooden bed and mattress. The room is small, only 1.2 meters wide.”

“Okay,” Gu Shi said.

After locking the bedroom door, Gu Shi finished showering—Xuan Congnan had showered after his evening run, but the encounter with a drunken man left him disgusted mentally and physically, so he showered again thoroughly.

Xuan Congnan lay on the 1.5-meter-wide bed wearing a sleeveless tank top and shorts, attentively listening outside.

Gu Shi was very quiet; no sound came from the living room beyond the door. Only a strip of light seeped under the door, showing he hadn’t fallen asleep on the sofa yet.

It was past midnight; Xuan Congnan’s twenty-second year had begun.

A call came in on his phone from an unknown number.

It wasn’t marked as spam or telemarketing.

Xuan Congnan answered, “Hello?”

“Nan Nan, let’s talk. You added me on WeChat...”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Don’t use someone else’s phone to call me,” Xuan Congnan refused.

Before Shen Qian could continue, he hung up and blocked the new number.

The old house was poorly soundproofed. Every syllable and sentence he spoke was clearly heard by Gu Shi curled up on the sofa.

Several things had happened today, each draining Xuan Congnan.

He switched his phone to Do Not Disturb mode, eyelids heavy and drowsy.

The airport, the crowd, the screams, and the contents on Shen Qian’s tablet suddenly flashed in his mind. Xuan Congnan felt Gu Shi looked familiar.

The police officer’s gaze, the passersby... all were strange. He wanted to check on his phone but was too tired to move.

After dinner last night, he hadn’t drunk much water and was parched. When he opened his eyes, dawn was already outside the window.

He reached for the door handle to go out and get water but couldn’t open it—it was locked from the inside.

Still groggy in the morning, he wondered why the bedroom door was locked at home. Sleepily, he unlocked it and opened the door, locking eyes with Gu Shi who was lying on the sofa.

Gu Shi was tall, and the sofa was small. Sitting on it looked cramped; sleeping there was like sleeping on a toy. Half of his long legs stretched outside.

Xuan Congnan was stunned for a long moment and recalled last night: “...There’s someone else at home.”

Gu Shi, who had been watching him, suddenly turned his head aside and said in a barely awakened voice, “Good morning.”

He sat up with his back to Xuan Congnan, spine straight and stiff.

Xuan Congnan looked down at himself.

Both arms were fully exposed, and more than half of his legs were bare—indeed impolite for a newly shared roommate.

But Gu Shi’s reaction wasn’t what a normal man’s would be.

“Are you gay?” Xuan Congnan asked, turning to close the door and rummaging out long sleeves and pants from the bedroom cabinet.

When the bedroom door opened again, Gu Shi had naturally turned around and looked at Xuan Congnan honestly. “Yes.”

Xuan Congnan frowned and said, “I’m gay too. Two gay men living together—isn’t that about as inconvenient as a man and woman living together?”

“No,” Gu Shi said seriously, standing up. “Even if we’re both gay, we’re two men. Your analogy isn’t right.”

He lowered his eyes and said, “You wouldn’t kick me out because of this, right?”

“I...”

*Bang bang bang, bang bang bang—*

The door was pounded fiercely, like an enemy.

Someone outside shouted, “Xuan Congnan!”

Xuan Congnan’s brows nearly knit together.

Gu Shi frowned, “Who? Are you opening the door?”

Xuan Congnan said indifferently, “My cousin. I’ll get it.” He walked to the door, strangely recalling the strange attitude everyone had when they saw Gu Shi wearing a mask last night, then looked around at the current scene.

Gu Shi was in home pajamas, no mask—he probably shouldn’t be so exposed.

“You go to my room and lock the door,” Xuan Congnan said.

“Okay.”

Xuan Zhuoyao stood outside the door with a beaming smile, arrogantly saying, “You usually run in the park around this time, right? Why isn’t the door even open today?”

He was a sophomore in college, seldom home except during winter and summer breaks. Seeing the smile on his face, Xuan Congnan was sure he had no idea how his parents had fought.

Xuan Congnan: “Are you here to crow like a rooster, telling me it’s daylight and time to run?”

Xuan Zhuoyao: “Don’t talk nonsense! Move aside; I’m coming in.”

He pushed past Xuan Congnan blocking the door and barged in as if it was his own home, sitting down on the sofa with ease. “So lame.”

Xuan Zhuoyao had brought a backpack that looked quite similar to Xuan Congnan’s usual one, only much newer.

He pulled out a piece of paper about A4 size and proudly said, “Look at this painting I did. Mom told me to have you teach me properly and give honest feedback. Don’t say anything deliberately hurtful out of jealousy.”

Xuan Congnan’s painting skills were fine and unique in a way that couldn’t be replicated. He had ranked first nationwide in arts and was admitted to a prestigious art academy. After entering university, he started tutoring elementary and middle school students to earn money. Xuan Zhuoyao had seen Xuan Congnan’s paintings since childhood and often wanted to learn, but his results had always been mediocre.

Facing the painting carefully, Xuan Congnan honestly said, “It looks like you drew something.”

Xuan Zhuoyao asked, “What does that mean?”

“It looks more like a baby’s scribble than anything else.”

Xuan Zhuoyao didn’t believe him and asked, “Compared to you?”

“Compared to me?” Xuan Congnan said coldly but tried to be gentle, “Dong Shi.”

Xuan Zhuoyao suddenly tore the painting violently and shouted, “How dare you say I’m like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi! I’m telling Mom!”

Xuan Congnan nodded. “You can also tell your dad.”

At that moment, a sound of something falling echoed from the bedroom, quite distinct in the small house.

Xuan Zhuoyao was about to curse but suddenly quieted, suspicious and sarcastic: “Xi Shi, you’ve got company in your room.”

Xuan Congnan replied nonchalantly, “So what if I do? I’m an adult.”

“Hmph,” Xuan Zhuoyao said, “That’s your boyfriend, right? Shen Qian?”

To save the other person from curiosity, he wouldn’t look anymore. Xuan Congnan said, “Yes.”

Xuan Zhuoyao grabbed the bag on the sofa, slung it over his shoulder, and said, “I’m telling Mom you’re living together without being married! You refused Mr. Zhang’s proposal but pretend to be noble! I’ll paint another picture in a few days and show you.”

Xuan Congnan said, “You’re not noble. You’re good-looking, so you accepted the proposal.”

Xuan Zhuoyao’s face turned green. He couldn’t say a word for a long time, full of resentment. He turned and left, slamming the door loudly.

“Sorry, my phone just fell,” Gu Shi came out of the bedroom and explained in a low voice.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Xuan Congnan said.

Gu Shi asked, “Not broken up yet?”

“Hm?” Xuan Congnan looked at him in surprise.

Gu Shi corrected himself, “I mean, do you have a boyfriend?”

Xuan Congnan was silent for a moment. “I did before.”

Gu Shi exhaled softly, quietly enough to be unnoticed. “Good.”

Xuan Congnan glanced at him askance. “Good what?”

Gu Shi said, “Good that you broke up.”