Chapter 29

With plenty of time left on the high-speed train, Xu Er started chatting with Song Ruichi.

Of course, it wasn't about any secret crush; since Song Ruichi had said he didn't want to talk about it, they wouldn't. Xu Er was currently using Song Ruichi’s tablet, admiring the works of Song Ruichi himself, those of his master, and some of his students. Unlike the pieces displayed at the exhibition, this photo album was filled entirely with wood carvings—some large, some small—and many were truly breathtaking.

It was only then that Xu Er learned Song Ruichi came from a family of artists. His father was a painter, his mother a dancer, and his grandparents were also well-known in the industry. Having been exposed to these things from an early age, he had displayed immense talent since childhood. He was one of those legendary figures who achieved fame at a remarkably young age—a small shock to an ordinary, stable, working-class professional like Xu Er.

Xu Er didn't know anyone in the arts; all his life, he had been surrounded by people who, like him, simply went to school and worked. Talking to Song Ruichi like this opened his eyes to so much. It was novel and fascinating.

"We aren't going to some kind of family gathering today, are we?" Xu Er asked.

Song Ruichi chuckled. "Mr. Xu, you are very humorous."

"I think so too," Xu Er replied.

Song Ruichi explained, "It’s just a small competition today. They didn't come."

Xu Er made an "ah" sound. "Then wouldn't that make our Teacher Song the most heavyweight guest of all?"

Song Ruichi played along, adjusting his coat.

Xu Er laughed out loud. "Then I am the assistant to the most heavyweight guest."

"Work hard today, little assistant," said Song Ruichi.

"Absolutely. Just give the order, Teacher Song."

Xu Er truly felt the weight of Song Ruichi’s status the moment they got off the train and exited the station. The competition organizers had sent a car specifically to pick them up. Xu Er recalled a time in college when he had worked as a judge for a minor competition; he and a classmate had to transfer between buses and subways, leaving two hours early, and even then they almost couldn't find the place, wandering around with a map for ages.

Of course, the "small competition" he spoke of could never compare to Song Ruichi’s, and just as certainly, he could never compare to Song Ruichi.

As soon as they got in the car, Song Ruichi’s phone rang. The car was quiet, making the voice on the other end sound quite loud.

"Did you pick him up?" the voice was bright. "I heard from Xiao Zhang there’s someone else."

"Xu Er," Song Ruichi replied.

The person on the other end let out a series of "Ohs" and "Ahs." "So you brought him along, huh?" Then they asked, "Do I need to book an extra room?"

Song Ruichi looked like he didn't know how to respond. "No need."

The caller laughed heartily. "Alright then, I’ll be over in a bit."

"Good," said Song Ruichi.

Clearly a close friend, Xu Er asked, "Who was that?"

"The one you saw at the art exhibition last time," Song Ruichi answered.

"Oh," Xu Er said. "What’s his name? I don't think I know."

"Zhang Cheng."

"Why did he talk like that?" Xu Er mimicked the tone. "'Oh, ah, so you brought him along, huh?'" He asked, "Is it strange?"

Song Ruichi nodded. "It is quite strange."

"Why?"

"I never bring friends to work."

Xu Er laughed. "Hearing that makes me quite happy."

"Happy about what?"

"Isn't that special treatment for me?"

Song Ruichi pinched Xu Er’s cheek. "You’ve only just realized that?"

Xu Er really had just realized it, especially since Song Ruichi was so direct. He leaned in closer and asked, "Is there anything else? Tell me."

Song Ruichi looked at Xu Er with extreme helplessness. "Are all straight men like you?"

His words were mumbled, and Xu Er didn't hear him clearly. "What did you say?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Xu Er’s smiling face went blank. "You’re the idiot," he shifted away. "Fine, don't tell me."

He was just embarrassed, he understood that.

The "weight" of Song Ruichi was further evidenced by the fact that three people were waiting to greet him when he got out of the car. Xu Er glanced around, noting that the friend who had called earlier wasn't among them. Thinking that an assistant probably didn't need to do anything in such a situation, he stayed in the background.

What followed was a standard exchange of pleasantries between Song Ruichi and the others. As it was wrapping up, a woman suddenly called out Xu Er's name. At first, he thought she was just another one of Song Ruichi's friends, but he quickly realized.

"Zheng Niannian?"

"I thought it looked like you," Zheng Niannian said, walking over. She told the people around her, "He’s my high school classmate."

Xu Er smiled at Song Ruichi, mirroring Zheng Niannian’s introduction.

"You cut your hair short; I didn't recognize you," Xu Er said.

Zheng Niannian sighed, "I’m used to it, many people say that." She glanced at Song Ruichi. "Are you a friend of Teacher Song?"

"I’m his assistant," Xu Er replied.

Clearly, no one believed he was an assistant. When he said this, everyone’s expression shifted slightly. But then, Song Ruichi added, "That’s right, he’s my assistant for the day." He said it with a smile, and suddenly, everyone understood.

The pleasantries ended, and Zheng Niannian led them inside. What followed was a process Xu Er couldn't quite follow, but he listened anyway to broaden his horizons—talk of rules, standards, whose student was competing this time, and so on. They walked around and chatted, and time passed quickly.

Then, it was time for lunch. Dining with the organizers of the competition was inevitable while following Song Ruichi. Fortunately, they had Zheng Niannian sit on the other side of Xu Er.

Zheng Niannian had been the class monitor in high school. She was exceptionally organized, disciplined, and had a great relationship with every student in the class. The bond wasn't necessarily deep, but it wasn't shallow either—it was just right for a table full of strangers.

"How many years has it been?" Zheng Niannian asked shortly after they sat down. "Four years, right?"

The small talk they hadn't had time for earlier was now being caught up on.

Xu Er calculated, "About that. We had a reunion during the Spring Festival of our junior year."

"Right, I organized that," Zheng Niannian smiled. "Everyone is working now. You’re an engineering designer, right?"

Xu Er was surprised. "How did you know?"

Zheng Niannian wore a proud expression. "Is there anything I don't know?" But she quickly added, "Yang Jian told me."

Yang Jian was Xu Er’s old high school seatmate. Meanwhile, the strangers at the table were chatting with Song Ruichi, waiting for the dishes to arrive. As the soup was served, Zheng Niannian asked, "Are you still in touch with Yang Jian?"

"I suppose so," Xu Er replied.

Zheng Niannian nodded, looking as if she had something more to say. "This soup is delicious, let me get you a bowl."

Before Xu Er could decline, a hand reached out. Song Ruichi beat Zheng Niannian to it, taking Xu Er’s bowl to serve him the soup.

Xu Er looked at Song Ruichi’s hand and smiled. "Do you have ears growing on me?"

"How did you know?" Song Ruichi countered.

But back to Yang Jian. Xu Er asked curiously, "When did you run into him?"

"Yang Jian?" Zheng Niannian thought for a moment. "Around the New Year. Do you know how he’s doing lately?"

"Isn't he pursuing his PhD?" Xu Er asked.

Zheng Niannian raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know?"

"What happened?"

"It seems he had some conflict with his classmates, so he stopped. He’s working at a private company now."

Xu Er shook his head. "I didn't know."

Zheng Niannian laughed. Dishes arrived one after another, and the conversation among the strangers shifted to C-City’s local delicacies and how they were prepared. Xu Er and Zheng Niannian continued to talk—still about Yang Jian.

Xu Er even checked his phone, scrolling through his chat history with Yang Jian. It was June of this year; Yang Jian had gone on a trip and proactively shared photos and sent local specialties to Xu Er. Xu Er remembered asking if he had a good time and thanking him for the gifts, saying how delicious they were. But Yang Jian hadn't been very enthusiastic, replying with things like "Hahaha" or "It was alright," and the conversation had just fizzled out. He hadn't mentioned anything about school or work.

Zheng Niannian said Yang Jian started work in June; calculating the timeline, he probably started his job right after his trip. They chatted a bit more about their high school days, interspersed with memories of Xu Er and Yang Jian. There were many fun and happy times in high school that Xu Er had almost forgotten, which Zheng Niannian helped him recall.

"Maybe he’s just really busy," Zheng Niannian said, defending Yang Jian.

"Maybe," Xu Er agreed.

Zheng Niannian glanced at Song Ruichi. "When did you and Teacher Song meet?"

"Just last month," Xu Er said.

Zheng Niannian suddenly asked, "Does Yang Jian know?"

Xu Er was puzzled. "Huh? No, why?"

Zheng Niannian shook her head quickly. "Nothing, nothing, just asking, haha."

As soon as she finished speaking, something else was dropped into Xu Er’s bowl: a shrimp that Song Ruichi had already peeled for him.

Zheng Niannian opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. Forget it, she thought—every time they talked about Yang Jian, Teacher Song would drop food into Xu Er’s bowl. Who could handle that?

The conversation wound down, and everyone focused on eating. Once lunch was over, Song Ruichi’s friend finally arrived. He greeted Xu Er first, then began complaining to Song Ruichi about all the frustrating things he’d encountered that morning.

Xu Er suddenly realized that Song Ruichi’s friends were quite interesting—they were all easygoing, fun to talk to, and all very tall and handsome. Ah, of course, Song Ruichi was still the most handsome of them all. So, the saying that "handsome people flock together" had some truth to it.

After they were full, Zhang Cheng took them to a room in a nearby hotel. Along the way, he kept calling out "Teacher Song, Teacher Song." At first, Xu Er thought he was teasing, but after hearing it so many times, Xu Er began to doubt his own doubts.

Zhang Cheng had other things to attend to and left after settling Song Ruichi and Xu Er in their room. The room was quite nice, with windows overlooking C-City’s largest river, offering a view of the high-rise-filled skyline on the opposite bank and a grand bridge.

Only...