One moment, his heart was as calm as still water; the next, Xia Yu’s thoughts were tangled like a chaotic web.
Xia Yu slightly lowered his head, pressing his lips together, his dark blue eyes flickering subtly.
Hearing “Xiao Xia” from Mo Yidong sparked a bit of nostalgia.
The summer night breeze felt like a return to a decade ago, when under the white gauze curtain, a shadow appeared, and the moment it was pulled aside, it revealed the young man who had once cared for him so attentively and stayed by his side for some time.
“Though they share the surname Xia, she’s called Xia Yue. I don’t know if she changed her name, but I can’t find any information about her identity.”
The unfamiliar name stunned Xia Yu for a moment, his mind instantly filled with questions.
His first reaction was:
Who is Xia Yue?
At the time, he hadn’t paid attention to the registration information at the sanatorium.
Xia Yu began to suspect—could the doctor have mistakenly recorded his name as Xia Yue instead of Xia Yu?
He only remembered crying heavily when the doctor questioned him and wondered if his name was misheard during that.
But on the bright side, the registered name wasn’t Xia Yu…
Xia Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Since he was waiting for the car anyway, he was also curious about what Mo Yidong planned next.
“You said you came looking for her, right? Have you figured out how you’re going to find her?”
“I’m planning to visit the doctors or nurses who worked at the sanatorium on my day off, ask them some questions first.”
“That’s a pretty good idea.”
The mention of Xia Yue from the sanatorium piqued Xia Yu’s curiosity, but he didn’t want to go with Mo Yidong.
What if Mo Yidong really found something out from the doctors—like a mistaken registration showing that Xia Yue was actually Xia Yu?
Standing there next to the real person would be incredibly awkward.
Xia Yu scratched his head, feeling a headache coming on.
He didn’t even want to think about it, yet here he was, trying to cover up his identity.
Though it would be convenient to explain things away by saying there were many people with the same name, it wouldn’t stay hidden forever.
Besides, so what if Mo Yidong knew?
After all, only a few people knew about the monthly changes his body went through; having Mo Yidong in that circle wouldn’t hurt.
He could just come clean to Mo Yidong openly—that he was the person Mo Yidong was searching for.
“Actually, you…”
The person you’re looking for… is me.
Xia Yu decided to try telling the truth but already felt sweat breaking out down his back.
Looking at Mo Yidong’s indifferent expression, he imagined the answer he’d get after speaking up.
“What are you standing there for? Get in the car!”
Gong Zijun interrupted Xia Yu’s words abruptly, nearly scaring the life out of him.
The two got into the car, and Xia Yu rested his head against the window, planning to close his eyes for a bit to calm his racing thoughts.
The noisy city scene outside gave him a headache.
Gazing at the familiar sights, this was the route he took to school every day—the closer they got, the nearer to his home.
His headache worsened, and Xia Yu suddenly remembered he had forgotten to take his medicine again.
He had even left the pills inside the school without bringing them out.
Mo Yidong’s appearance made Xia Yu feel as though he had lost something—something he could never put into words.
“We’re here.”
Xia Yu opened his tired eyes, looking at the familiar underground parking lot with a hint of puzzlement.
Isn’t this my home?
He looked up to see the sign that read Building 51, a bad feeling creeping over him.
This building only had seven floors, with five households on each floor.
Each unit was about sixty square meters, including one bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, and a small balcony, with excellent lighting.
On the third floor, they passed his own home’s doorplate, 303.
Xia Yu’s unease grew stronger until Gong Zijun opened door 305, handed them shoe covers, and warmly introduced the place to the new tenants.
“Come take a look?”
After Gong Zijun finished his introduction, Xia Yu caught sight of Mo Yidong inspecting the electrical appliances and furniture in another room.
Immediately, he grabbed old Gong and pulled him onto the balcony, leaning close to whisper in the tiniest voice:
“Wait a second—you said it was close to The School, but you never said it was close to my home!?”
“So? You two know each other?”
Under small round sunglasses, Gong Zijun’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
It was the first time he’d seen this playful side of Xia Yu.
It was like catching someone red-handed—a clear expression that anyone could read.
Gong Zijun didn’t want Mo Yidong to move in.
“Sort of?”
“Well, that’s perfect! You can walk home together after school.”
“Who wants to go home with him!”
“He’s right. You can go home together.”
Like eavesdropping on Xia Yu and Gong Zijun’s conversation, Mo Yidong calmly joined in.
“Do you want to look at anything else?”
Xia Yu squinted at Gong Zijun, desperately hinting for him to recommend another place since Mo Yidong seemed set on staying.
“I think this place is great.”
Xia Yu wasn’t going to say more, so Gong Zijun leaned toward Mo Yidong, curiously probing:
“You two are classmates?”
“Yes. Same class and even seatmates.”
Gong Zijun squinted and clapped his hands approvingly.
To a businessman, this deal was practically done.
“Well then, that’s perfect—you can walk home together after school!”
“Let’s go with this one.”
“Quick and easy deal—I like it.”
“Hey…! Don’t ignore me!”
Standing between the two, Xia Yu felt invisible.
No matter how much he shouted or objected, it couldn’t stop their transaction.
Gong Zijun smiled contentedly, then pulled out his phone.
“Since you’re Xia Yue’s classmate and seatmate, I’ll give you a ten percent discount on the first three months’ rent. Add me as a friend, and we’ll discuss the rest on WeChat.”
After adding contacts, Gong Zijun said he’d send Mo Yidong all the required documents and payment details later.
“Want to grab a meal together? Or I can give you a ride back?”
Seeing Xia Yu’s sour expression, Gong Zijun chuckled,
“You don’t have to go back; I didn’t ask you.”
“No thanks. I’ll take the chance to check out the nearby restaurants and supermarkets.”
“Sounds good. You should have Xia Yue show you around; he knows this area best.”
I know nothing!
The two walked down the street, eyeing the barbecue stands and noodle shops—both apparently off-limits to Mo Yidong.
“What do you want to eat?”
Xia Yu looked toward a sushi place.
“I remember you don’t like hot food. Something cold, like salmon?”
“I don’t eat seafood.”
Mo Yidong’s pickiness was on another level.
Just as Xia Yu was at a loss, he noticed a dumpling shop nearby.
“Then let’s go for potstickers! They have cold dishes too—perfect for you.”
Inside the small restaurant, Xia Yu ordered two servings of potstickers and two portions of braised dishes, meat and vegetables, making sure they didn’t add garlic.
After finishing, Xia Yu accompanied Mo Yidong near the bus station.
As the bus neared the stop, Mo Yidong suddenly recalled that Xia Yu seemed like he wanted to say something earlier.
“Oh, right…”
The bus came to a halt before them, and Mo Yidong looked at Xia Yu’s deliberately composed face hiding something underneath.
“What were you about to say to me just now?”