“Hey, what’s the big deal?” Song Lang paused for a moment, then laughed. “Go ahead and study hard there. I’ll personally pick you up from the airport next year. If you don’t come, I’ll go to America and kidnap you back.”
Shen Zhifei pursed his lips and remained silent. Looking at the radiant smiling face under the dappled light, he suddenly didn't want to leave.
"Why do you look like you're about to cry?" Song Lang put his arm around his shoulder, leaned close to him and whispered, "This time it's my turn to wait for you."
A year is neither a long nor a short time, and the first parting was the hardest.
Song Lang would stay up until midnight every time, just to have a video chat with Shen Zhifei for a few minutes.
They fell in love across the twilight zone.
But later, after receiving the admission notice, packing my bags and leaving home alone to start university life, I had to study my major, join clubs, and get to know more good and bad people and things. So the longing settled down and became a gentle stream in my heart.
Calm and lingering.
"Feifei, I really want to open a dojo, what do you think?" Song Lang said to the person on the other end of the screen while holding his phone. "Actually, I've had this idea since after the college entrance exam, and I've been researching it for the past six months. The more I research, the more determined I become."
"Hmm, did you take the coaching certification exam?" Shen Zhifei drew back the curtains, letting in a ray of sunlight onto the screen.
“I’ve already passed the rank exams, so that’s easy.” Song Lang lay on the bed, kicking his legs in the air. “Besides, I’ve already thought of a name for my dojo: Fei Lang or Lang Fei. You’re the one counting the money in our family, what do you think?”
Shen Zhifei laughed and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to get good grades in math and manage the money yourself so I wouldn't have to work too hard?"
“That’s different. After we open the dojo, I’ll be General Manager Song, and you, this top student, will be my hired financial director.” Song Lang steered the conversation back on track. “I’ve already talked to our parents about this, and they suggested I wait until my junior year to do it. What do you think? I’ll listen to you.”
"I'll talk to you tomorrow." Shen Zhifei took her phone and walked outside. She whispered a few words to someone in English, then looked at the camera and said, "I'm logging off now, baby. See you tomorrow."
"Oh, okay, you go ahead and get busy." Song Lang hung up the video call, took off his headphones, turned over and lay flat on his back, staring blankly at the top bunk of the bed.
He thought that when he was a junior in college, Shen Zhifei would be graduating soon. They could choose a city they liked, buy a house there, and then he could choose a location to open a dojo.
Once their careers are stable, they'll bring their parents to live with them, so they need to buy a bigger house, and ideally, the two bedrooms should be far apart so they don't disturb each other.
Lost in thought, he fell asleep.
The next evening, as he walked out of the teaching building and headed to the cafeteria, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
He turned around and was embraced by a gentle embrace.
A bank card was slipped into his pocket, and Shen Zhifei said with a smile, "This is your start-up capital. Take good care of it, President Song."
"Holy crap! Why the hell are you back? Aren't there still two months left?" Song Lang hugged him tightly, laughing and scolding, "Why do you always have to pull surprise attacks?"
"I can't help it, I miss you so much." Shen Zhifei let go of him and put her arm around his shoulder so that they wouldn't stand out in the crowd.
Song Lang pulled out the card from his pocket and asked, "Why are you giving me this card? I have enough for living expenses. My mom even gave me some money the other day."
"Didn't you want to open a dojo?" Shen Zhifei asked, pulling his suitcase with one hand and putting her arm around him as they walked out of the school. "I'll invest."
"...How much money is here? It's not the money you or your parents left you, is it?" Song Lang was a little uneasy.
"No, it's what I earned from stock trading over the past two years, only 100,000 yuan," Shen Zhifei said. "There's a lot of preliminary work involved in choosing a location for the dojo, decorating it, and handling the paperwork. If you really want to do it, I suggest you wait until you have more time and energy before you start. I can also invest more then."
"Damn, my boyfriend makes so much money, I might as well just stay home and be a freeloader." Song Lang laughed and ruffled his hair. "Anyway, there are three of us in the family who can earn money, so we don't need me, right?"
"Okay, I'll take care of you."
The two walked out of the school hand in hand, and Song Lang was led to a nearby residential area. Watching Shen Zhifei take out his keys to open the door, he exclaimed in shock, "No way? You bought a house?!"
“It’s rented. It’s close to both of our schools. You’ll live here with me until graduation.” Shen Zhifei carried her suitcase into the house. Song Lang was still in a daze: “Didn’t you just get back to China today? When did you rent this place?”
"When I enrolled last year."
Shen Zhifei pulled Song Lang into his arms, pinned him against the wall, and kissed him.
"I've said it before: I want to be in the same city as you, live in the same house, and do the things we love."
Song Lang held Shen Zhifei's hair tightly and responded passionately to his kiss.
The two embraced and kissed as they walked through the bright and clean living room toward the bedroom, where they fell together onto the soft bed.
The bright sunlight shone through a large glass window onto their intertwined bodies. The tinkling sound of the broken jade pieces strung on their wrists with black ropes colliding was eventually drowned out by their shameful moans.
"Damn, no, I can't take it anymore..."
"Brother, I want more."
"You fucking... stop acting all cute with that blank expression..."
"……baby……"
"Oh dear, this is the very last time! We still have to eat later."
—End of text—