It was very quiet all around, and only the breathing sounds of the two people in the carriage could be heard.
An He lay on the back of the car seat, with Na Chen still pressing on his back, his fingers gently stroking his waist, and his breath sweeping across his neck itchily.
"Uncle An," Na Chen licked his earlobe, "Do you feel good?"
"Can you get up first?" An He sighed and moved his arms. "You're almost squeezing me out."
"I don't want to move." Na Chen rubbed his back and lay there motionless again.
"Can you please pull up your pants first?" An He was helpless. "Although it's getting warmer, the night breeze is really cold. Besides, if someone passes by... we'll be too conspicuous if we both stick our butts out against the car door."
Na Chen lay on his back and laughed for a long time, then slowly stood up, helped him pull up his pants, and lowered his head to adjust his own pants: "There is no romance at all, don't I have to comfort you after we're done? It's not my style to just draw my gun and leave."
“… Thank you,” Anhe said as he buttoned his shirt. “I will comfort you after I collect the bills, little Daisy.”
"Where are we going?" After packing everything up, Na Chen jumped into the driver's seat and took the steering wheel and asked An He.
"You drive?" An He walked around to the passenger seat and got in the car. "Go back to sleep. It's not the weekend. You still have to work tomorrow."
"Can I go to your place? I'll stay overnight. It's closer to the funeral home from your place." Na Chen started the car.
"Well," An He touched his face, "where are you interning now?"
Na Chen nodded: "Help with chores, learn while doing internship, there are many rules."
"Can you adapt? Are you scared?" Na Chen, who was wearing black clothes and holding a black umbrella, flashed before An He's eyes. He looked quite handsome.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm on duty alone at night, 20 meters away from the morgue," Na Chen smiled, "There are girls doing the body beautification next door, so if anyone is afraid, they should be the ones."
"Then..." When mentioning this, An He looked at him but still didn't say anything.
"Your grandpa will also tidy it up. They are very careful, so don't worry." Na Chen turned the car onto the Fourth Ring Road.
An He smiled, leaning against the car window and looking at Na Chen's profile in the light of the street lamp. He hadn't seen him for a few months, and he didn't know if it was because of the working environment, but Na Chen seemed to be a lot calmer.
However, calmness probably depends on the situation. As soon as he returned to An He's place and entered the door, Na Chen's calmness was gone.
He first jumped back and forth on the sofa for a few rounds, then ran into the bedroom and rolled on the bed for a few rounds, and finally ran into the kitchen.
When An He changed his clothes and came out of the bedroom, Na Chen was standing in the kitchen holding a pot and smiling at him: "Uncle An, is this the proof of your rapid improvement in cooking skills?"
"What's wrong? I haven't had time to wash the pot. If you are really too energetic, please help me wash it." An He poured a cup of hot water and took a sip.
"How can you wash this clean? Just throw it away. You must have messed it up at least three times," Na Chen poked at the blackened bottom of the pot, "It can't be scrubbed off even with a brush."
An He sighed, "I wanted to stir-fry some shredded potatoes, so I shredded three potatoes and put them in. When I took them out of the pot, there was probably only one left."
"Even shredded potatoes can be so mushy," Na Chen put the pot aside, "Besides, shredded potatoes can't be shaved, they have to be cut..."
"Come on, forget it. I've been planing for half an hour. If I have to cut it, I won't be able to sleep." An He went into the bathroom to take a shower. "What are we having for breakfast tomorrow morning?"
“Eat me. Yawen8w·w=w·.=” Nachen patted his crotch without thinking.
"Damn." An He closed the bathroom door, and Na Chen leaned against the door and laughed for a long time.
An He didn't take a bath today. He just took a shower and went back to the room. He lay on the bed and took out his cell phone to call his mother, but after thinking about it, he hung up and sent a text message.
My mother replied with two words and went to sleep.
An He put the phone aside, resting his head on his arms and looking at the light on the ceiling.
Every night before going to bed, he would stare at the lamp for a while, with nothing in his mind, just staring blankly.
His mind was very full today, but this full feeling made him feel comfortable, and his whole body felt relaxed and soft.
The bedroom door was pushed open, and Na Chen came in with a bath towel around his waist and wet hair.
With beautiful body lines and a face covered with water drops, An He liked to see Na Chen like this. He clapped his hands, lay on the bed and opened his arms to Na Chen: "Come and let me hug you."
Na Chen pushed back the hair on his forehead, stared at him for a few seconds, suddenly tore off the bath towel from his waist, and jumped over in two steps naked.
Before An He could dodge, he jumped up and threw himself on An He, kissed him loudly on the face, and shouted, "Uncle!"
"Get down!" An He shouted with all his strength, "I'll spit all over your face, believe it or not!"
Na Chen smiled and slid off him and got into the quilt. He put his arms around him and touched his stomach. "You usually look like a very stylish teacher, how come you always say such disgusting things?"
"It depends on who you are talking to." An He turned off the light and put his legs on Na Chen's legs. "Aren't you going to blow dry your hair? You have a cold."
"It's okay, it's just once in a while, I'm too lazy to move," Na Chen hugged him tightly, "I just want to be next to you now."
"Go to sleep, good night." An He squeezed his hand.
"Good night," Nachen rested his chin on his shoulder and closed his eyes, "Good night."
An He slept so soundly that his biological clock went out of control. Na Chen pulled his arm and made him sit on the bed. He then opened his eyes with squinting eyes and asked, "What time is it?"
"Six thirty," Na Chen opened his closet, "What are you wearing?"
"It's all the same, just any shirt." An He stretched and got out of bed, took two steps towards the bedroom door and then stepped back, pinched Na Chen's chin and kissed the tip of his nose, then turned around to wash up.
"Take me to the bus stop later." Na Chen followed him to the bathroom door and said.
"Well," An He said indistinctly while brushing his teeth with a mouthful of toothpaste foam, "Are you driving your tricycle to work now?"
"No." Na Chen shook his head.
"So you always take the bus?" An He asked again after spitting. An He's home is not close to the funeral home. If there is no traffic jam, it will take an hour to take the bus.
"I bought a battery-powered car," Na Chen snapped his fingers, "low-carbon and environmentally friendly."
An He was stunned. He couldn't imagine what the effect would be if he replaced Chen's Bombardier with a small battery. He just wanted to laugh: "I'll drive it over someday and take a look."
"Okay, I can take you for a spin."
"I'll just take a look. We both weigh nearly 300 pounds. I'm afraid its small wheels won't be able to support it."
An He sat at the table waiting for Na Chen to serve him breakfast. It was the first time in several months that he sat and waited for his meal so calmly. It felt wonderful.
"I got up late today too," Na Chen brought out breakfast and put it on the table, "You only have potatoes in the refrigerator, so you can just make do with them."
A plate of shredded potatoes, a pot of minced meat porridge, and steamed buns. It looked simple, but An He felt hungry as soon as he smelled it.
This is the difference between a poor cook and a master chef...
An He finished three bowls of porridge and two steamed buns, and finally he ate all the soup in the plate of shredded potatoes by dipping the steamed buns in it.
"When you come back this afternoon, go to the supermarket to buy flour. I'll come over after work to make you shortbread. I'll need low-gluten flour. Just tell the people at the supermarket that they want shortbread." Na Chen quickly cleaned up the dishes and told him while putting on his coat.
"Well, what else do you want?" An He nodded, and in an instant he felt like "living".
"Grained sugar. If you want stuffed ones, just buy stuffed ones. Mung bean, red bean, or coconut flakes. Take your pick," Nachen whistled. "I'll show you what a shortbread is."
An He smiled, opened the door and walked out. Na Chen followed him and suddenly lowered his voice when he entered the elevator: "Tomorrow is Saturday, right?"
"Well, what?" An He pressed the elevator button.
"I'm going to the Fifth Hospital to see my mom tomorrow," Na Chen looked at the elevator door, "Are you... going?"
"Okay, what time?" An He remembered that the last time he accompanied Na Chen to the Fifth Hospital, Na Chen seemed unwilling to let him see his mother.
"Any time in the morning is fine. I'll pick you up." Na Chen looked very happy.
An He smiled and looked at him with his arms folded: "That's too fake, will you go back after you finish making the pastries tonight?"
"I won't leave even if you kill me," Na Chen laughed and patted his shoulder vigorously, "Uncle An, you really understand me."
An He only had one class today. He sat in the office drinking tea and listening to his colleagues chatting about this and that. Not long after they started chatting, Teacher Yang, who had not participated in the conversation, suddenly turned around and said to him, "Teacher An, you don't have a girlfriend, right?"
An He didn't expect that Teacher Yang, who was always serious and always thought that he was too casual with his students, would suddenly ask him such a question. He was stunned for a moment before answering: "... No."
"You are not young anymore, 28 or 29?" Teacher Yang looked at him, "My neighbor's daughter just graduated from graduate school..."
An He looked at her, not sure what Teacher Yang meant. Seeing Cheng Yu standing behind Teacher Yang and waving at him, he quickly interrupted Teacher Yang and said, "I'm not in a hurry. Thank you. I... I'll wait for two years."
Teacher Yang wanted to say something else, but the bell rang and she stood up: "Well, I have to go to class first."
Watching her walk out of the office, An He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Cheng Yu: "Why is Teacher Yang suddenly so enthusiastic?"
"Don't mention it. Her neighbor introduced this girl to all the unmarried male teachers in our school," Cheng Yu whispered. "At first, she introduced her to the new math teacher Zheng. She had to give him face. He went to meet her, but she ran away after half an hour. The girl started with quantum physics and taught him a half-hour lesson in a very serious manner... Hey, Anhe, what kind of girl do you like? I'll pick out a few from my classmates for you to see?"
"Please forgive me," An He was a little overwhelmed and quickly changed the subject, "If you don't want me to, I'll find two for you among my classmates first. You are 27, right?"
"Can you chat? Alas..." Cheng Yu let out a long sigh, turned around and started complaining to other colleagues that her classmates' children were all able to recite Mulan's name, but she still had no place to go after she resigned.
An He ran out of the office holding the cup and went to the consultation room on the fifth floor.
It's quite free today, with few classes, and no students came to the counseling room to take out the trash in the afternoon. Only * came during the last class, entered the room, closed the door, and then took out a cigarette and lit it.
"Hey!" An He slapped his hand, "You are so polite. You come here to smoke?"
"I'm heartbroken! Mr. An, can you have any sympathy?" * shouted, rubbing his hands.
"Broken heart? Who did you fall in love with that made you broken heart..." An He took the cigarette from his hand and put it out.
"Xu Jingyao officially rejected me, and said in a very dignified manner that I was shameless," * sat on the sofa with a sad face, "Boss An, do you think I am particularly miserable?"
"She's not wrong, you're just shameless," An He tried to hold back his laughter, "Are you feeling bad?"
"It hurts! How can I not feel uncomfortable? I even dare to smoke in front of you, tell me if I feel uncomfortable or not!" * frowned.
"You're just craving for cigarettes," An He poured a cup and handed it to him, "You just think that according to the development rules in the movie, the male protagonist should be smoking deeply all night and then his heart should be broken into a hundred pieces looking at the cigarette butts on the ground..."
"Boss An," * made him laugh, "Why are you like this?"
"I wasn't wrong."
"But it's pretty depressing, isn't it?"
"I am depressed. I have been working hard for two semesters, but I am still bullied by others. It is embarrassing," An He sat down next to him. "Can you save some of your energy? The person who should be working hard is in front of you. Even if it is Xu Jingyao, what else can you do besides working hard? What on your body is worthy of others' nod?"
*Glanced at him, said nothing, and after a while whispered, "It's really depressing."
"You are very good at taking blows anyway," An He smiled, "Anything else? If you are, go back to the classroom."
"Boss An," * didn't move, "You seem to be in a good mood today. I haven't seen you like this for a long time."
"It's pretty good," An He took the cup and took a sip of water, "Are you not convinced?"
"Is it because your relationship is going well?" *stared at him, "You're like this when you're having a good time in a relationship."
An He smiled and said nothing.
"Is it... the person I saw last time? Maybe... never mind," * stood up and picked up the cigarette that An He had put out, "You only have this one and you put it down like this."
"Don't hide in the toilet to smoke." An He looked at him.
"Oh, I see." He ran out of the office.
An He stretched out and leaned back on the sofa.
He was in a good mood indeed, so good that he was not even nervous about *'s speculation.
Or rather... he no longer cares as much as before.
Certain things were loosening up little by little, no longer strangling him so tightly that he had to take every step carefully and cautiously.
Only by freeing yourself can you free others.
Only by facing yourself calmly can you face everything calmly.
An He knocked on the cup, his thoughts were getting higher and higher.
Before leaving get off work, he went around the class. A classmate who was so heartbroken over a breakup that he had to smoke in front of the head teacher was playing Landlord with someone sitting on the table in the back seat. When they saw him standing outside the window, several of them covered the cards with their books and lowered their heads without moving.
"Do you know why there are traffic rules? They are not to fine you, nor to make you compete with the police and surveillance cameras, but to keep you alive," An He stood at the back door, "Think about it with the little IQ you brought to fight me."
When he turned around and walked downstairs, his cell phone rang. An He took it out and took a look. It was a text message from Na Chen.
Flour flour flour flour flour flour flour don’t forget.
He smiled and poked a button on the screen saying "I know, I know, I know, I can't forget it."
An He bought flour from the supermarket, and after choosing for a long time, he bought a bag of coconut flakes. He liked to eat coconut flakes. When he was a child, he would grit his teeth and get a slap from his mother in the face in order to buy a small coconut bread.
Thinking of his mother, he sighed. Grandpa's cremation would be held next Monday. His second aunt had checked the almanac and decided the date. Given his mother's current condition, he didn't know whether she would go.
He opened the flour bag, grabbed a handful of flour and put it in a bowl, then added a little water and rolled it into a ball. He played with it in his hands, trying to shape it into a shape, but after twenty minutes of trying, it was still a lump.
Just as I was sighing, Na Chen called me: "Come to the window!"
"What? Are you here?" An He walked to the window and opened the curtains.
"Didn't you want to see my handsome electric bike? Did you see it?" Na Chen said.
An He looked down. It was already dark. He could only see Na Chen sitting astride a white bike and looking up. He waved his hand: "White?"
"Well, is it sexy?" Na Chen said with a smile.
“I can’t see clearly.”
"Wait a minute," Na Chen lowered his head.
An He saw a flash of fire in Na Chen's hand, and then a ball of golden light flashed, jumping and popping out star-like sparks.
"Shit!" An He was stunned, "Where did you get the fireworks?"
"I bought some for the New Year but didn't set them off," Na Chen raised his hand and drew a circle with the fireworks, "Anhe."
"Um?"
"I love you."
An He fell silent. Staring at the ball of golden light, he suddenly felt his eyes getting hot and his nose getting sore.
"Why aren't you talking? Are you crying?" Na Chen asked with a smile and started to draw fireworks in the air.
An He couldn't see the trajectory of the light clearly, but when Na Chen drew the first stroke, he saw it was an l, and he knew what the rest was without looking.
He took a breath and whispered, "I love you."