My Two Dads - CH 52.2

Shou Cheng University had a retro park. It was replicated from the style of old Beijing, with several old lanes hung with cultural heritages on both sides. There was also a small, antiquarian library build deep within the park, surrounded by silence, for students to do their research at.

Old men and women enjoyed strolling in that park, playing Tai Chi or Erhu as well.

No one knew where this old man came from, wearing shoes made up of clothes while playing ‘Departure at the Yang Pass’ so intoxicatedly.

Han Shi Yu and Xie Chen Min leaned on the railing while quietly making a wish in their hearts. But in the midst of this long tune, they were also surrounded by children’s frolics and old ladies’ chattering. It was undoubtedly the time where kids were on their way to school and these housewives were out to buy groceries.

Xie Chen Min held an unlit cigarette as Han Shi Yu who was standing next to him, had been on the phone for half the day already.

His tone was really calm as he answered, “…Doesn’t matter if you’re poor or rich, but you shouldn’t get in the way of how I live my life, right?”

“The money I own didn’t rain down from the sky for free either. No one has it easy…how long have you been in the industry?”

Xie Chen Min handed him a cigarette. Han Shi Yu held it between his fingers and continued talking, “Where are you working at now…remember to go back home and visit your parents more often. They don’t even know how you’re doing after you left home for so many years. Think about how worried they would be. Oh, your hometown is that far away?”

Xie Chen Min continued to listen to their conversation thoughtfully as Han Shi Yu continued to ramble on and on with life lessons. He was affected by the sentiments and the atmosphere as well, so when Han Shi Yu hung up the call, he handed him the lighter and asked, “Who’s that? Your relative?”

Han Shi Yu dialled another number and while waiting for it to be connected, he replied, “A phone scammer.”

Han Shi Yu then contacted a police officer he knew, “Uncle, I just received a scam call. I’ll send the number and address over, so you can notify your colleagues to check it out.”

Xie Chen Min: “.”

It seemed like this guy just did a chicken soup for the soul session with the scammer, coaxing him with pretty, comforting words before turning around and reporting him to the authorities. The mournful Erhu tunes here might even had elevated the scammer’s emotions.

Xie Chen Min said, “Do you have too much time on your hands or something?”

Han Shi Yu took the lighter and chewed on the cigarette, “I do.”

He held on to the lighter for a long while but did not light it up. In the end, he passed it back to Xie Chen Min, “I’ve quit a long time ago.”

Xie Chen Min said, “Brother Mo is leaving anyways, just break your own rules for once.”

Han Shi Yu stared at the unlit cigarette in his mouth and asked, “Why aren’t you lighting yours then?”

Xie Chen Min tucked the lighter away and said lightly, “I’ve quit a long time ago.”

Han Shi Yu: “…Yet you have the gall to talk to me like that.”

Xie Chen Min: “Likewise.”

Two men leaning on the fence, each chewing on a perfectly fine cigarette, curbing their addictions on the surface level.

They didn’t know what to say so they only stared silently at the sparse crowd in front of them.

Today was quite the special day for them. Lin Chu and Yang Mo both graduated.

Xie Chen Min said, “What are you planning to do from now on.”

Han Shi Yu: “I’m going to start my own business after graduation.”

“Well, good for you. There’s only one more year left.” Xie Chen Min said, “I still have to go for graduate school.”

Han Shi Yu rested his cheek on his hand and said, “Four years is too short. I still want to study here with senior for the rest of my life.”

Xie Chen Min: “Shou Cheng University isn’t a retirement home.”

He sighed, “Why do we have to graduate.”

“Tsk,” With that, he suddenly got up and walked forward.

Xie Chen Min looked at him in confusion, only to see Han Shi Yu negotiating with that old man who had been playing Erhu for some time now as the old man agreed with him.

When Han Shi Yu came back, the background music for them turned into a cheerful ‘Horse Racing’ song.

Han Shi Yu said, “Changing it up to something more festive.”

Xie Chen Min didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. He had lived in the dormitory with Han Shi Yu for three years now, but he still couldn’t fully grasp how this youngest dormmate often thought. He patted his shoulder, and along with the cheerful melody, he said, “Once you’ve built your company up, I will join you over there with Brother Lin.”

Han Shi Yu laughed, “Sure.”

“Han Shi Yu.”

Hearing someone call his name, both of them turned their heads in that direction.

Yang Mo stood there in his graduation robes. He was holding his graduation cap in his hands as he looked at Han Shi Yu.

Xie Chen Min called out, “Brother Mo.”

Yang Mo nodded towards him before asking, “Sorry for interrupting you two. Do you still have anything going on?”

Xie Chen Min raised an eyebrow at that before pointing at Han Shi Yu. “Nope. Go ahead.”

Han Shi Yu secretly removed the cigarette from his mouth and hid it behind him, although it didn’t quite help.

Yang Mo answered with an ‘en’ before dragging Han Shi Yu away.

Han Shi Yu rubbed his hands together and as they walked quite a distance away, he finally said: “Ge, I didn’t smoke it.”

Yang Mo stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at him.

Han Shi Yu: “Really, there’s no cigarette scent. Try smelling it?”

He looked like a nervous child who had been wrongly accused. The sight of that felt a little amusing to Yang Mo as the corners of his mouth turned upwards. He said, “I’m here to have a serious talk with you.”

Han Shi Yu threw the cigarette into the trash can before congratulating him, “Ge, happy graduation.”

He rubbed the tip of his nose and explained, “I really had something to do earlier on. I…didn’t intentionally not go…”

Yang Mo sat down on the field as he said that. There was a willow tree planted next to where he was seated, and its hovering shade fell on him.

He said, “En.”

Han Shi Yu also sat down with him.

After a long time had passed, he asked, “Ge, when are you leaving.”

Yang Mo: “Really soon. I’ll go back home and greet my dad. Then I’ll leave after that.”

Han Shi Yu punched the small leaves on the ground as he mumbled in a whisper, “How about I go together with you this time? I’m on summer vacation anyways. I’ll visit you again over winter break too…”

He heard the rustling sounds from Mo pressing a hand on the ground. His ramblings stopped in that moment. Yang Mo tipped his chin towards him and planted a kiss on his eye.

It was very light, like a thin-winged dragonfly taking a nap, surrounded by all the other branches. Han Shi Yu’s eye fluttered close as his eyelashes trembled slightly.

Yang Mo said, “Be good and stay here.”

Han Shi Yu blinked a few times blankly. When he came back to his sense, he gently grazed the spot on his eye that had been kissed by Yang Mo. He said, “But I don’t want to.”

Yang Mo: “We still have a lot of time in the future.”

Han Shi Yu stubbornly said, “I don’t want to.”

Yang Mo specialized in sternness, not gentle coaxing. “Han Shi Yu.”

Han Shi Yu pointed at his lips with his index finger and nodded. What he was implying was very obvious.

Yang Mo reached out and pinched his lips together with two fingers, as if sealing them away. He said, “It’s settled. You can still contact me, but you can’t come over. Stay here and study hard.”

“Ugh…” Han Shi Yu, who failed to receive a kiss, said, “Yang Mo, oh, Yang Mo. You’re so cruel. Letting your inexperienced, naïve boyfriend all alone over here. Aren’t you afraid that someone would steal him away?”

Han Shi Yu was waiting for his sarcastic reply, but what came was an unexpected silence. Then, Yang Mo said, “I am.”

Han Shi Yu froze up again.

Yang Mo was never skilled in expressing his feelings. After holding it in for a while, his ears slowly reddened from the bottom to the tip. He didn’t know what to say either, so he could only say dryly, “Be good and wait earnestly for my return.”

Unblinkingly, Han Shi Yu took in all of the subtle changes in Yang Mo’s expression. Then, his eyes curved upwards with joy as he smiled widely, “Okay.”

Yang Mo let out a deep breath and after carefully observing the surroundings.

He bit down on his lower lips lightly, tilted his body and was planning to lean in closer to give this guy a reward. But it was at that moment that Han Shi Yu’s phone rang.

Yang Mo immediately righted himself and covered his mouth with his fist, pretending to be coughing lightly.

But Han Shi Yu did not notice that small action from Yang Mo. He pulled out his phone and realized the phone number seemed familiar.

After picking up the call, he didn’t even have the chance to say ‘hello’ as a voice with a strong accent entered his ear. He was crying, “Bro, I’ve figured it out. I’ll hand over the ransom money I have and stopped being a scammer. I’ve never met such a good man like you in my life before. Bro, thank you…”

Han Shi Yu: “……”

He said, “No worries.”

The guy over the phone sounded all choked up. That voice was so infectious that Yang Mo frowned and asked curiously, “What’s wrong.”

Han Shi Yu hung up the call as if nothing was wrong at all. He turned back into an innocent, gentle little puppy in a blink of an eye, wagging his tail towards Yang Mo. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a wrong number.”