Lang Feng's first 29 years of life were smooth sailing. He never made anyone worry about his studies, and Lang Renning, a university professor, could not find fault with him. He was also much better at dealing with people than other children of the same age. The only minor setback was when he started middle school and had a "girlfriend" who held his hand, and then he realized that he didn't like girls.
This discovery itself was not a setback. After Lang Feng knew this fact, he took a few weeks to digest it, and then he told his parents and sister immediately. After that, Lang Renning continued to read his book, and Jiang Ying continued to chat on the phone with her friends, as if what he said was as common as "not having dinner at home".
The youth church he and Lang Yi attended held keynote speeches on weekends, giving young people an opportunity to express their understanding and views on faith, and it was also a good social occasion. A few weeks later, it was Lang Feng's turn. He patiently prepared for several nights and then shared his understanding of homosexual love and Christian doctrine.
After he finished speaking, the pastor who was in charge of hosting the event was obviously stunned for a moment, and then in an awkward silence, he thanked him, did not comment or allow everyone to discuss, and invited the next person to come on stage.
After everything was over, Lang Feng chased him and asked him what he thought of what he shared. The church leader couldn't say anything in front of other children, so he had to give a perfunctory answer. After returning home, he told his father Lang Renning about it with a sad face.
Lang Feng was sixteen years old at the time. He would argue for everything and seek a black-and-white answer.
He remembered that Lang Renning was preparing for the lesson, but he put down the handout in his hand and asked Lang Feng to repeat the lesson as if he were the audience. After he finished, Lang Renning praised him. Lang Feng asked him again: "So I was wrong?"
Lang Renning said: "You are not wrong."
Lang Feng was puzzled: "But I can't find the answer in the book."
He remembered Lang Renning's response very clearly, not only his response, but also his expression and tone when he spoke.
Lang Renning said: "The answers to some things are not in books, but in the heart."
The next day, Lang Renning and Jiang Ying took Lang Feng and Lang Yi to a new church. That church was farther from home, so Lang Renning had to get up 20 minutes earlier every time to drive them there, but he was unbearable in the wind and rain, and he continued to do so until Lang Feng went to college.
When Lang Feng told Zhou Qichen this story, they were riding bicycles in Amsterdam to see tulips. Lang Feng said he came at the right time, as tulips were just beginning to bloom in mid-March, and there was no need to go to any tourist attractions, as there were tulips in many gardens. They rode and stopped along the way, and when they were in the north of the central area, Lang Feng took him on a detour and stopped in front of a church. That was the church he had been attending for three years.
There is also a rainbow flag hanging outside the church.
Zhou Qichen suddenly said, "Want to go in and take a look?"
It was a midweek afternoon, so there were no activities at the church and it was open to the public. Lang Feng took him to park the car and walked in. The building where the church was located was unexpectedly modern, which was completely different from what Zhou Qichen had imagined in his mind - light shone in through the skylight and colored windows, and the dust in the air reflected countless beams of light, some colorful or warm yellow, as if the gods had overturned the palette. The cramped, gloomy, and dullness he had imagined were not there, only light.