Gu Zhuoyan had insomnia.

A month later, just like the night he first arrived in Rong City, he couldn't fall asleep no matter what. At one in the morning, after tossing and turning a few times in bed, he sat up, went to the kitchen to pour a glass of milk, and drank it. After finishing, he brushed his teeth, and the minty flavor in his mouth made him even more awake.

Mint, matcha, and was it kumquat? Gu Zhuoyan thought of the piece of cake Zhuang Fanxin had eaten.

To be precise, he was actually thinking about Zhuang Fanxin. He had been thinking about him all night.

Gu Zhuoyan sighed to himself. Without turning on the lights, he felt his way in the dark to the balcony to get some air. He sat on the wicker rocking chair, swaying with the night breeze. His thoughts were already a jumble, and now they were even more of a tangled mess.

A thousand words could be summed up in one sentence: Zhuang Fanxin knew his sexual orientation.

Gu Zhuoyan was brave enough to come out publicly, so he wasn't afraid of one more person knowing. But he hadn't expected Zhuang Fanxin to find out so quickly. He had envisioned revealing it himself with a handsome posture when their relationship was close enough and the effect he was aiming for was significant enough.

He had wanted to do it with style and flair, but who knew he wouldn't make it in time, getting exposed while eating junk food.

Gu Zhuoyan couldn't close his eyes. The moment he did, all he could see was Zhuang Fanxin's face—smiling at him, comforting him—frame after frame, like a movie that would never end.

But watching other movies made him sleepy, while watching the one starring Zhuang Fanxin left him unable to sleep.

Gu Zhuoyan picked up his phone, just something to do out of boredom, but his actions were a step ahead of his brain as he tapped on Zhuang Fanxin's profile picture on his own accord. It was so late; the other person was most likely already asleep, so of course he wouldn't send a message to disturb him.

The lit screen attracted a few flying insects. Gu Zhuoyan paid them no mind and tapped into Zhuang Fanxin's photo album. No wonder he said he posted a lot of photos; Zhuang Fanxin's Moments feed had very little content, with months between each picture.

He scrolled through them. The newest photo was still the one from the "transaction scene." Scrolling back, the previous one seemed to be an art studio, posted at the beginning of summer vacation. A nice art exhibition, a sun hat blown away by the wind while sketching, a beloved paintbrush that was worn out... these made up Zhuang Fanxin's Moments feed.

Besides that, Zhuang Fanxin would also post some text-only updates without pictures. The air conditioning on Line 1 is broken today, everyone take the bus! Getting ready to quit potato chips, my mom is always on my case. Lost a tube of red paint, whoever finds it doesn't need to contact me, I bought a new one. A little advertising for a friend, try the new products at Yinan's Time, super delicious cake!

There were no pretentious, sentimental words, nor were there any depressing complaints. Every post was real and vivid. Gu Zhuoyan read them carefully, deepening his understanding of Zhuang Fanxin bit by bit. Sometimes cheerful and naive, sometimes gentle and meticulous, and with a pair of romantic eyes that saw the world through an artistic filter.

Gu Zhuoyan had to admit, aside from being a picky eater, he hadn't found anything bad about Zhuang Fanxin. And even if he was picky, it wasn't like he had to cook for him anyway.

Gu Zhuoyan pondered quietly, then what was Zhuang Fanxin's sexual orientation?

Some people were sure if they liked men or women, like him. There were also those who had never liked anyone and might not know their orientation before their heart was stirred.

Did Zhuang Fanxin like men, women, or was he still naively unaware?

Gu Zhuoyan fell into thought. He hadn't even considered why he was thinking about this question. A clap of thunder rolled through the night sky, and the storm that had been brewing all day finally arrived. He came to his senses, got up, and returned to his bedroom, drifting off into a groggy sleep to the sound of the rain.

The rain didn't stop until morning. After the rain, Rong City was filled with fresh green, and the air was unbelievably fresh. Gu Zhuoyan, having gone to bed late and woken up late, was prepared to be tardy, but it turned out Zhuang Fanxin was waiting to go to school with him.

Outside the main gate, Zhuang Fanxin was wearing a trench coat-style raincoat. It was bright yellow, like the safety vests elementary school students wear when crossing the street. He had already been waiting for ten minutes and had nearly finished the sandwich Zhao Jianqiu had made for him.

Gu Zhuoyan wheeled his bike out and said, "Let's go."

Zhuang Fanxin said, "How could you oversleep on the first day of school?"

'It's nothing, just thinking about you,' Gu Zhuoyan thought. He barely looked at Zhuang Fanxin's eyes. He originally thought he'd be more open and bright after waking up, but who knew that he would still feel a bit flustered upon meeting his gaze.

"Have you eaten?" Zhuang Fanxin asked.

Gu Zhuoyan said, "Didn't have time."

There was a large bite left of the sandwich, which had egg and shrimp—both filling ingredients. Zhuang Fanxin walked closer and offered it, saying, "Have this to tide you over. You won't have time to buy anything from the cafeteria when we get to school."

Gu Zhuoyan wouldn't even eat his own leftovers, let alone someone else's. It wasn't that he found it disgusting, but a habit cultivated over a dozen years couldn't be broken just because Zhuang Fanxin was good-looking, right?

He gripped the handlebars and demurred, "It's a hassle to hold it. You eat it."

Zhuang Fanxin let out an "Aiya," and since his hands were already full anyway, he raised the sandwich and fed it to Gu Zhuoyan's lips. Gu Zhuoyan froze for a moment, then hesitantly opened his mouth and ate the large bite of sandwich. It was surprisingly delicious...

By the time Gu Zhuoyan came back to his senses, Zhuang Fanxin had already gotten on his bike and set off.

Gu Zhuoyan fell behind, following at an unhurried pace, his gaze trailing the back of Zhuang Fanxin's round head. It shifted slightly downward, and he saw the red slogan on the back of Zhuang Fanxin's raincoat.

—The road is slippery on rainy days, please maintain a safe distance.

Zhuang Fanxin had once been rear-ended on a rainy day. Afterward, Zhuang Xianyang left his calligraphy on the back of his raincoat, hoping the vast number of road maniacs would give his son a way to live.

Gu Zhuoyan caught up to the figure and glanced sideways. He saw that the raincoat's hood hid Zhuang Fanxin's side profile, revealing only his long eyelashes and the pert tip of his nose. And whenever they hit a red light, his slightly pouting lips.

'Was it because he fed me? Why do I find him so cute?'

They were lucky. Just as they arrived at school, the rain started to fall sporadically again. High school life was always more or less the same, with no fundamental differences. Gu Zhuoyan had no trouble adapting.

He sat alone in the last row. If he was interested, he would listen for a bit; if not, he would quietly do competition problems to pass the time. Occasionally, he would look up and see Zhuang Fanxin's head across several others—sometimes tilted up at the blackboard, sometimes bowed down taking notes, always looking quite well-behaved.

By the fourth period, that head had grown restless. It turned to the left to whisper a few words to Qi Nan, then turned to the right to make a few faces at the Class Monitor across the aisle.

Gu Zhuoyan was living like a surveillance camera, his gaze lightly fixed on the back of Zhuang Fanxin's head, taking in all of his small movements.

This period was their head teacher Xia Wei's chemistry class, but not even a class taught by the Jade Emperor himself could stave off the hunger that came as noon approached. Zhuang Fanxin looked at his watch and mouthed to the Class Monitor across the aisle: "What are you eating for lunch?"

The Class Monitor said, "Claypot rice."

Zhuang Fanxin made an "OK" sign and asked, "Cured meat?"

The Class Monitor shook his head: "Beef brisket."

Zhuang Fanxin couldn't decide what he wanted to eat and turned back to think. Just then, the teacher glanced over the students and gave a light, warning cough. Gu Zhuoyan hadn't had time to pull his gaze back. The one making small movements escaped unscathed, but he, the detached observer, was caught red-handed.

"Gu Zhuoyan." Xia Wei called on him. "What are you thinking about instead of looking at the problem?"

Swish. More than half the class turned to look. Gu Zhuoyan seriously suspected these people were just waiting for a chance to stare at him. He answered calmly, "I was thinking about what to eat for lunch."

Someone snickered. Xia Wei asked, "Figured it out yet?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "I'll have claypot rice."

Zhuang Fanxin's back stiffened, and he blushed from guilt. After Xia Wei issued a warning and continued with the lesson, he secretly turned his head to glance at the last row. Coincidentally, Gu Zhuoyan was waiting for him, and pursing his lips, he raised his eyebrows at him.

They ate lunch together. A light rain was falling, making the sports field and garden unusable, so they could only hole up in the classroom for their lunch break. Zhuang Fanxin moved to Qi Nan's seat, propped his legs on both their chairs, and leaned against the wall to read his mystery novel.

Another person was dead, died while soaking in a hot spring.

But the yukata was missing.

Zhuang Fanxin thought of the yukata Pei Zhi had given him, which he surprisingly hadn't worn yet. He glanced at his feet; since it was raining today, he also wasn't wearing the sneakers Gu Zhuoyan had given him.

He turned his head to look at him. "Excuse me."

Gu Zhuoyan was just about to take a nap. "At your service."

Zhuang Fanxin asked in a low voice, "The underwear I gave you, have you worn it?"

Thirty yuan for a pack of four. Gu Zhuoyan was afraid wearing them would be bad for his physical development, but since he was the one who had asked to buy them, he dodged the question. "What's wrong, you want to see?"

"Who wants to see?" Zhuang Fanxin covered the lower half of his face with his book. "Are they comfortable to wear?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "...Comfortable."

He was a little intimidated by Zhuang Fanxin. This person looked completely natural and harmless, but the moment he opened his mouth, he either went straight for your sexual orientation or interviewed you about the comfort of your underwear, leaving one with no sense of protected privacy.

But... it was quite stimulating.

Gu Zhuoyan quickly put his head down on the desk to sleep, lest Zhuang Fanxin ask him even more probing questions later.

The rain lingered all day. Many people hoped it would stop before school let out, but instead, it came down even harder during evening self-study. Just before the bell rang, Zhuang Fanxin brought over a stack of English test papers to distribute, a skinny figure dashing back and forth between the aisles.

He walked to the teacher's podium and said, "I've sent the listening materials to the class email. Remember to listen to them, okay?"

"When did you send it?" everyone immediately reacted. "You were on your phone during class!"

Zhuang Fanxin ran off the podium with a smile just as the bell rang. The classroom instantly erupted into the chaotic noise of dismissal. He packed his bag and left with Gu Zhuoyan. After walking alone for a whole school year, he finally had a companion.

Just after they left the academic building, a text from Zhuang Xianyang arrived, telling Zhuang Fanxin to take a taxi home. Zhuang Fanxin hesitated on his way to the bike shed. Gu Zhuoyan had bought a bike to ride with him, so for him to take a taxi on the very first day didn't seem right, did it?

By this time, Gu Zhuoyan had already wheeled his bike out, thinking to himself that riding together was to increase their intimacy. If Zhuang Fanxin took a taxi, who was he supposed to get intimate with? The bicycle?

The two of them walked out of the Tianji High School gate and reached the street. Zhuang Fanxin stood there foolishly without hailing a cab. Gu Zhuoyan straddled his bike, slung his backpack over, and asked, "How about I give you a ride? You can get a taxi if the rain gets heavier."

Upon hearing that, Zhuang Fanxin said, "Then I'll hold the umbrella for you!"

Through the wind and rain, Gu Zhuoyan gave Zhuang Fanxin a ride home on his old-fashioned roadster, weaving through the crowds of people and streams of traffic. Zhuang Fanxin held the umbrella high from the back seat. He was steady at first, but his slender arms lacked strength, and after three or five minutes, the umbrella started bobbing up and down.

The head-on rain couldn't be blocked. Gu Zhuoyan wiped the rainwater from his face and snatched the umbrella with his backhand. He gripped the handlebars with one hand and held the umbrella with the other, yet he rode with perfect stability. Zhuang Fanxin clutched the springs under the bike seat. His hands were cold, and the smooth metal was hard to grip, so occasionally he had to steady himself by touching Gu Zhuoyan's waist.

After being touched a few times, Gu Zhuoyan said, "Hold on to me."

Zhuang Fanxin said, "I'm afraid my raincoat will get your clothes wet."

Gu Zhuoyan didn't reply and suddenly sped up. Zhuang Fanxin let out a cry of surprise and grabbed his waist, making getting wet an inevitability. It wasn't just the side; the rain was coming down harder and harder, and it was only a matter of time before his front was soaked too.

Halfway there, it was as if the sky had sprung a leak.

Red light. Gu Zhuoyan pulled over to the side. Forgetting all about intimacy, he turned his head and said, "The rain's too heavy. You should get a taxi home now."

Wouldn't that be failing to share the hardship? Zhuang Fanxin deliberately asked, "Are you getting too tired to pedal?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."

Zhuang Fanxin got off the bike and stood on the curb. He reached out and touched Gu Zhuoyan's arm. It was soaked, yet here he was, worried that the one wearing a raincoat would catch a cold. He moved closer, huddling under the umbrella, unzipped his raincoat, and said, "But I want to go with you."

Zhuang Fanxin took off his raincoat and immediately shivered as the wind and rain hit him. He put the raincoat on Gu Zhuoyan from the front, then took the umbrella himself and sat on the back, shielding both his and Gu Zhuoyan's backs.

"Stop messing around, you'll definitely catch a cold like this—"

Before Gu Zhuoyan could finish, Zhuang Fanxin interrupted, "I have a way. The light's green, let's go!"

The red light turned green. Gu Zhuoyan pedaled through the intersection. The dense lines of rain were visible under the streetlights. The raincoat in front of him blocked the wind and kept him warm. He turned his head and asked, "Are you cold?"

Zhuang Fanxin answered, "I'm not cold, I have a way."

How could Gu Zhuoyan believe him? "What way could you possibly—"

Suddenly, the back of his shirt was lifted up, and then a patch of slightly cool skin pressed against his back. His unfinished words froze in his throat. He went completely stiff, only understanding what had happened several seconds later.

Zhuang Fanxin had slipped under Gu Zhuoyan's shirt. One arm snaked under the fabric and wrapped around Gu Zhuoyan's waist. His cheek was pressed against Gu Zhuoyan's back, his palm resting on Gu Zhuoyan's abs. He wasn't cold at all anymore.

Gu Zhuoyan's body was rigid. He could even feel the breath Zhuang Fanxin exhaled.

He rang the bike bell, but it was like plugging his ears while stealing a bell—it couldn't cover up the pounding of his heart at all.

The author has something to say: Zhuang Fanxin is provoking gays every day.