Chapter 8

Tong Yan declined several times, but failedto persuade Zhuo Xiang Ming to not pick him up. Hoisted by his own petard wasthe perfect way to describe this outcome.

If only he hadn’t tried to delay the time till night. To be honest, Tong Yang was home tomorrow, he would’ve probably sent him over at 4 or 5pm. Now, Zhuo Xiang Ming was coming for him at noon. What time was noon? It depended on when Zhuo Xiang Ming finished his meeting.

Zhuo Xiang Ming always got up early, by estimate, he would come pick himup at no later than twelve o’clock.

However, Tong Yan wasn’t tangled up with whether or not Zhuo Xiang Ming camefor him early, it was the fact that Tong Yang was obviously home, but he’d draggedZhuo Xiang Ming to come pick him up from so far away. He felt very ashamed.

Tong Yan clenched the cellphone in his hand, andsaid in a barely audible voice: “I, I was lying.”

“Huh?” Zhuo Xiang Ming didn’t seem to expect him to say this.

“Tong Yang has nothing to do tomorrow,he can drive me … I, I wanted to leave a little later, I didn’t mean to deceiveyou.” Tong Yan paused, then said sincerely, “I’m sorry, I won’t do itagain.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming also paused for a while, remaining silent. Tong Yanwaited nervously, but unexpectedly, the other man just chuckled, and there wasno reproach in his tone: “Okay, then Tong Yang will drive you overtomorrow, I won’t meddle.”

Tong Yan felt even more ashamed: “I didn’tmean that …… Brother Xiang Ming, I’m sorry.”

“Isthere something to apologize for?” Zhuo Xiang Ming said, “I wasn’t beingconsiderate. I forgot that children will always be reluctant to leave theirhome.”

TongYan didn’t know what else to say, just as he was thinking about ending the call,Zhuo Xiang Ming said seriously: “Your brother is driving you over tomorrowbecause you want him to, but it also isn’t strange for me to come pick you up. Youdon’t have to feel embarrassed, or think that you’re inconveniencing me, okay?”

Afterthinking about it, Tong Yan also said very seriously: “I understand.”

“Good.” Zhuo Xiang Ming’s gentle tone returned as he said to him,“It’s late, go to sleep.”

——

Forthe two days he stayed at home, except for the dinner with Zhuo Xiang Ming, TongLi Qin was absent. Before leaving the next day, Tong Yan waited all day forhim. He called him several times, but only his assistant answered, saying thathe was in a meeting. It wasn’t until after five o’clock, when he couldn’tpersuade Tong Yang any longer, that they finally left.

Halfwaythrough the journey, Tong Li Qin called Tong Yang, Tong Yang unplugged hisheadset, and his voice came out from the car stereo. He spoke directly to TongYan: “Tong Tong, dad forgot that today’s Sunday. I can’t come back rightnow, let your brother take you there, OK?”

Tong Yan didn’t want to talk to him, Tong LiQin also didn’t take offense, patiently warning him: “The hospital called aboutyour physical condition, they said you can start school tomorrow. Listen to whateverthe doctor says. Didn’t they order you to carry a medicinal spray bottle and thesign? When you get up tomorrow morning, remember to check your school bag. I’llhelp you cancel all your Phys ed classes, you’ll re-take the exam next year.”

TongYan only lowered his head, Tong Yang elbowed him, but he immediately leaned away.

TongLi Qin: “Tong Tong, you haven’t replied to Dad, Dad is getting worried,Tong Tong?”

“I got it.” Tong Yan said.

“Good.” Tong Li Qin smiled. “Listen to Brother Xiang Ming, andstudy hard, Dad will call you when he has time.”

BeforeTong Yan could reply, there seemed to be someone calling “Mr. Tong” onthe other end of the line, and Tong Li Qin hung up.

The car fell into silence. After driving for awhile. Tong Yang freed one hand and reached over to vigorously rub Tong Yan’shead: “It’s okay.”

Tong Yan dodged his hand and said: “Don’tmess with me.”

“Am I the one who angered you?” TongYang said, “Brat.”

Tong Yan pretended to browse his classmates’activities on OUKM. Tong Yang said to himself: “Don’t ignore me, we won’t beable to meet for another week, you’ll definitely regret it.”

TongYan didn’t look up, scoffing.

——

The road to return home was always long, and the road to leave homealways felt short. While Tong Yan unreasonably gave Tong Yang the cold shoulder,the distance to Zhuo Xiang Ming’s house got shorter and shorter, and he wasgetting farther and farther away from home.

It didn’t take long before they arrived.

TongYang had an appointment in the evening, so he was in a hurry. He didn’t pull intothe driveway, stopping at the curb.

He got out first and pulled Tong Yan’s luggageout of the trunk. He’d brought back his favorite pair of pajamas, and some sneakerswith his name on it, packing them all in the 20-inch suitcase. Except for hisschool bag, his water bottle, stationery and so on were all new, still wrappedin the supermarket’s paper shopping bag.

WhileTong Yang was busying himself, Tong Yan stayed in the car, not certain what hewas angry about. A few moments later, Zhuo Xiang Ming walked out, and he gotout of the car. However, Zhuo Xiang Ming was already carrying everything, thebig paper bag in one hand, and pulling the suitcase with the other. He waslistening attentively to Tong Yang’s instructions.

“Thisis his clothes, stationery, etc. Everything is all laid out, he can manage it byhimself, but I must trouble you to remind him to carry his warning card everyday. The school also said that he must wear it on the front side of hisuniform. Also, because the classes are AO mixed, he can’t take any Phys ed, he won’tbe able to handle the scents. We’ve already applied for it in the system, but youstill need to sign it off. Each course needs to be signed off on, Tong Yan willgive you the list. What else … if he’s naughty … … “

Tong Yan thought that Tong Yang would tellZhuo Xiang Ming to lecture him as he saw fit, but unexpectedly, he said: “He isn’tvery naughty, just talk to him if he makes a mistake, he’ll get it right away.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming nodded along, when he heard this, he confirmed, “TongYan is very obedient.”

“Yes.” Tong Yang’s expressionsuddenly lightened up, he smiled, his face full of pride. He turned to look at TongYan, but Tong Yan turned his face away.

Havingsaid all that needed to be said, Tong Yang said, “I have something to do tonight,so I’ll leave first.”

“Okay, drive safe.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming sent Tong Yang to the car. The car was started, and itmade a U turn, as it started moving away, Tong Yan’s sadness also reached its peak.

But the car suddenly stopped, and Tong Yang pokedhis head out of the car window: “Good-bye, Tong Tong. I’ll pick you up atthe school gates on Friday afternoon.”

TongYan had already forgotten his inexplicable grumpiness, and took two stepsforward. However, Zhuo Xiang Ming grabbed his arm, stopping him from walking infront of the car. He stood next to Zhuo Xiang Ming, and obediently nodded at TongYang.

“Good-bye.” Tong Yang said again.

TongYan felt like he was going to cry. Afraid of losing face, he lowered his head,but when the car drove out, he couldn’t take his eyes off the car’s tail lightsuntil Zhuo Xiang Ming called out to him: “It’s cold outside, let’s go in.”

XuanGui had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Tong Yan, he immediatelywent up to say hello: “Welcome home! “

It followed behind Tong Yan and roved around:“Did you watch Sailor Moon? I asked you to share episode progress with me, didyou forget?”

TongYan said: “I forgot. I watched a few episodes on Friday, but not later.”

XuanGui sighed grumblingly, pretending that it didn’t matter, it said in a businesslikemanner: “I heard that you’ll start school tomorrow, I need your schedule.”

TongYan was about to agree when Zhuo Xiang Ming said: “Xuan Gui, be quiet fora moment.”

XuanGui answered “Yes”, and sure enough, it didn’t talk anymore, silentlyhovering behind them as they walked upstairs.

The two carried the luggage to Tong Yan’s bedroom on the second floor. Afterasking Tong Yan’s permission, Zhuo Xiang Ming opened the suitcase and startedto tidy up.

Tong Yan was indeed depressed, but he stillwouldn’t go as far as to treat Zhuo Xiang Ming coldly.

After putting the paper bag aside, he also squatted beside the suitcase,took out his socks and three pairs of athletic shoes, then got up to put theminto the shoe cabinet.

“They’re very pretty.” Zhuo Xiang Ming said, adding when TongYan stared at him, “Your shoes.”

TongYan also looked back at his shoes: “Tong Yang bought them.” He pickedout a sequin on the laces of one of the shoes, not sure where it came from,then said, “This pair is from his university days. His team won the match,and the sponsor gave each team member a pair of shoes embroidered with a name.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming: “He gave them your name?”

TongYan nodded: “Uh-huh.”

“Your brother loves you very much.”

TongYan hummed, saying in a low voice, “I love him too.”

He arranged his socks, and closed the small drawer, then he turned back tosit on the bed, trying his best not to droop his head, or expose an unhappyexpression.

But, he thought, vexed, isn’t Zhuo Xiang Ming’s EQ very high? Why doesn’the see that he urgently needed to be alone right now?

Fortunately, a few moments later, Zhuo XiangMing opened the door and left.

TongYan could finally throw himself into the mattress. The sky was already dark, butthe lights in the room still hadn’t turned on. The September temperature wasn’tthat high, and in the dimly lit and slightly cold room, he felt a burst ofintense discomfort.

ButZhuo Xiang Ming was back again very soon, and the mattress next to him sank. He’dtaken a seat on the bed next to Tong Yan.

TongYan thought that he probably hadn’t noticed his gloomy mood. Although he knew thatit was rude, Tong Yan didn’t sit up immediately.

Then he felt a warm palm on the crown of his head: “Tong Yan?”

“Hm?” Tong Yan turned his head, exposing his profile, whichwas half covered by messy hair.

Zhuo Xiang Ming had a bottle of coconut milk in his hand. He pushedaside his disheveled hair, then handed it to him. Tong Yan whispered, “Idon’t want it.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming silently took away the coconutmilk, but, shocking Tong Yan, he switched hands and handed over a bowl of mashedpotatoes and gravy.

TongYan couldn’t hold back a smile, turning around completely, he faced Zhuo XiangMing on his side: “What are you trying to do?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming was originally sitting upright, but Tong Yan’s bed wastoo soft, so his posture was a bit distorted. But when he looked down at TongYan, his expression was still as convincing and dependable as it has alwaysbeen: “I’m trying to make you happy. At least a bit.”

TongYan was silent for a moment, not denying that he was upset, he lowered his eyesand said: “Thank you.”

Zhuo Xiang Ming touched his head again: “Canyou tell me why you’re sad?”

TongYan covered his face with his hands, his voice muffled: “I don’t know.”

“There’s only the two of us here, are you lonely?” Zhuo XiangMing tried to guess.

TongLi Qin and Tong Yang were very busy people, at home, Tong Yan was frequentlythe only one present. So, when it came to more people or less people, his home mightprobably lose to this one.

TongYan shook his head.

“You haven’t gone to school for a while, are you afraid you won’tfit in?”

TongYan still shook his head.

Zhuo Xiang Ming’s voice lowered, smiling ashe said: “You’re making things awkward for me.”

Heleaned closer to Tong Yan, gently poking the isolation patch on Tong Yan’s nape:“Does it feel painful here?”

“Tong Yan?” Zhuo Xiang Ming sensed that something was wrong, he turnedtowards Tong Yan’s face and lifted his bangs, revealing his tearful eyes, “Whyare you crying?”

Zhuo Xiang Ming was also anxious, he pulled Tong Yan up and hugged him. TongYan was immersed in crying, so he let him shift him around, putting his chin onZhuo Xiang Ming’s shoulder. After the tear gates opened, it was difficult to closethem. Later on, even he wouldn’t be able to explain what was making him upset, inbrief, he was just crying incessantly.

Whydid Zhuo Xiang Ming feel like the more he coaxed him, the harder he cried? Hehad a younger omega brother, but the brothers were only a year apart. He’d nevercared for someone as young as Tong Yan before. He could only pat Tong Yan’s back,flustered: “What’s wrong? Tell me, do you want to go home? I’ll take youback, okay?”

“But it’s still going to be like this.” Tong Yan leaned backand touched his neck, sobbing.

Zhuo Xiang Ming understood, and immediately said, “That won’t takemuch longer. I’ll pick you up after school and take you home, okay?”

How could Tong Yan be capable of this? He had already calmed down fromhis sudden cry session and now felt embarrassed, how could he really make suchan unreasonable request?

ButZhuo Xiang Ming was obviously still worried: “Why did you cry?” Afterasking this, he added: “As soon as you returned today, you looked miserable.”

Whenhe said the last part, Tong Yan thought he heard a hint of… hurt? But hiseyes were blurred from the tears, he couldn’t see clearly, and Zhuo Xiang Ming hadspoken too quickly, so Tong Yan soon dismissed this idea.

Besides,he was now facing a more important problem, which was, he was sitting on Zhuo XiangMing’s lap while he hugged him face to face. Tong Yan wasn’t considered shortamong his peers, but Zhuo Xiang Ming was almost 6’3, with long arms and legs. Insidehis embrace, Tong Yan looked like a child being held by an adult. It was very easyto move him around … Tong Yan didn’t realize that he was blushing until Zhuo XiangMing frowned and said: “Your pheromones are coming out again. This isolationpatch needs to be replaced before you go to school tomorrow. It’s not veryeffective.”

============================================

T/N:

Meddle – lit.to go beyond the sacrificial altar and take over the kitchen (idiom); fig. toexceed one’s place and meddle in other people’s affairs

I get it TongTong. Been there, done that. Sometimesyou just miss your family.