—Have you landed?

—Yes.

—I've arrived too. Should I send you a photo of myself?

—No need.

Han Xiaogong had a backpack on his back, was pushing a huge suitcase with one hand, and held his phone with his free hand. Feeling the phone vibrate again, he glanced at it.

The other person sent him a message: Waiting for you at the third exit, I'm wearing blue clothes.

Han Xiaogong put away his phone. This person came quite early. Luckily the airport wasn't big and baggage claim was quick, otherwise they would have had to wait for a while.

At this time, there weren't many people at the airport, with only a few coming to pick up arrivals. The one coming to meet him stood out - very tall, wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt that was easy to spot, as he was the only one in blue among the few people waiting.

Han Xiaogong pushed his suitcase towards him and asked, "Lin Chuan?"

The other person's gaze lingered briefly on Han Xiaogong's face, then he nodded: "That's me. Xiaogong, right?"

Han Xiaogong made an affirmative sound and said, "Thank you for the trouble of picking me up so late."

"It's no problem." Lin Chuan took the suitcase from Han Xiaogong's hand. He did this naturally, as if just casually taking it, so Han Xiaogong didn't refuse.

Lin Chuan's car was a pickup truck, but he didn't throw all of Han Xiaogong's things in the back. Instead, he put them in the backseat. Han Xiaogong said, "You can put them in the back, the suitcase is a bit dirty from being checked."

Lin Chuan moved efficiently, lifting the suitcase into the back and pushing it in, then putting his backpack in as well. He said, "I was carrying sand yesterday, if I put it in the back your suitcase would get scratched."

Han Xiaogong glanced at him and said, "It's just for carrying things, it's not that precious."

Since the backseat was occupied with luggage, Han Xiaogong sat in the front passenger seat. At 1:30 in the morning, they only occasionally encountered another car on the airport expressway. Lin Chuan said to him, "You should get some sleep, I'll wake you when we arrive."

Han Xiaogong said, "I'm not tired, I slept on the plane."

In fact, Han Xiaogong didn't really want to talk to anyone right now. He wasn't tired, but he was a bit exhausted. He hadn't been very talkative lately, but since someone had specifically driven to pick him up in the middle of the night, regardless of whether this was something they would have done anyway, Han Xiaogong didn't want to appear too aloof.

They had added each other on WeChat a few days ago because Han Xiaogong had booked Lin Chuan's place. He had chosen a place that looked nice on a homestay app, read through the reviews praising the owner, and so added the owner on WeChat.

This was who knows how many places he had been to now, he had been drifting like this for a while. He didn't have any particular place he wanted to go, everywhere was the same, so he often went to unfamiliar cities and then left at some unknown time.

They communicated smoothly, and Lin Chuan wasn't an unpleasant person. Han Xiaogong booked a room with him for a month and they agreed on a time.

Lin Chuan asked when he would arrive, Han Xiaogong told him the time, and Lin Chuan said he would pick him up at the airport. Han Xiaogong said there was no need, it was too late. Lin Chuan said it would be difficult to get a car that late and it wouldn't be safe.

After that, they hadn't communicated further. Once things were settled, that was it.

Today was their first time meeting in person; they hadn't even seen photos of each other before.

Lin Chuan looked different from what Han Xiaogong had imagined. He had thought someone running this kind of homestay would be a young, artistic type, or someone with an artistic flair.

But he     wasn't. Lin Chuan was tall, quite handsome, not artsy. His skin was quite dark, probably from the sun. He wore an ordinary short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, and there wasn't a hint of hipster in his speech or movements. He walked very straight.

The drive from the airport to the lodging took over an hour, and they didn't talk much on the way, just exchanging a few words now and then. Finally, Lin Chuan stopped the car and said, "We're here."

Then he opened the door and got out, going to the back seat to get the luggage. Han Xiaogong walked silently behind him as Lin Chuan carried his suitcase through the door, talking to him in a low voice as they walked: "Your room is on the second floor. If you're not comfortable, let me know and I'll change it for you."

Han Xiaogong said "Okay."

They passed through an entryway. Since everyone else was asleep at night, only a small lamp was left on. The front hall looked a bit like a café, with a few small round tables near the windows and two comfortable-looking rocking chairs. On the other side was a long bar and a media area, with a projector screen facing a set of sofas.

"Usually there are people here, you can come down to hang out if you're bored," Lin Chuan said, half turning his head to speak to him.

Going out through the glass sliding doors, there was a courtyard, also lit by two small lamps like the front hall. There were flowers on both sides, wooden trellises, a swing, a long bench with a blanket that someone had lain on but hadn't put away yet. There was also a tea area sectioned off with bamboo. It was beautiful, just like in the online photos.

The flowers reminded Han Xiaogong of Si Tu's flowers. As they crossed the courtyard, Han Xiaogong kept looking at them.

Lin Chuan carried the suitcase up to the second floor and led him into a room, turning on the light.

Lin Chuan asked, "Where should I put the suitcase?"

Han Xiaogong told him, "I can take it from here."

Lin Chuan said, "Let me do it, your suitcase is quite heavy."

Han Xiaogong looked at him, then suddenly smiled and shook his head, saying, "You..."

Lin Chuan didn't know why he was smiling. Han Xiaogong scratched his head and said with certainty, "You thought I was a girl."

Lin Chuan's movements paused imperceptibly, then he looked at Han Xiaogong and smiled too, not denying it: "I'm sorry, I did get a bit confused."

Han Xiaogong took the suitcase from his hands, pushing it in, and said, "It's normal."

His appearance could be confusing at first glance. He didn't really look that much like a girl, but with his long hair falling down his back and his fair, beautiful skin, it would make people feel a strange sense of confusion even knowing he was a man.

Lin Chuan might have still felt a bit awkward, so he said to him, "Well, goodnight then. If you need anything, just message me. I might sleep in late tomorrow, but there will be people downstairs. If I'm not up, you can just talk to them, it's the same."

Han Xiaogong made an affirmative sound and said, "Thanks, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Lin Chuan smiled at him again, then turned and left, closing the door behind him.

It was already past 3 am. Han Xiaogong tidied up a bit, took a shower, and changed into pajamas. He had stayed in many such guesthouses over the past few years. Lin Chuan's place wasn't the most beautiful, but it was nice.

He lay on the bed next to two long windows that overlooked the small courtyard they had just passed through. He didn't draw the curtains, looking at the moon outside.

Lin Chuan had decided to get up early the next day, worried that Han Xiaogong might need something and not be able to find him. But he had worried unnecessarily.

He didn't get up until noon, and not only had Han Xiaogong not come downstairs, but Lin Chuan didn't see him come down for the next two days either. It was as if Han Xiaogong hadn't left his room since entering it.

That day, Lin Chuan brought a tree back from outside and called someone to help him move it into the courtyard. The person helping him was a thin, small man who said to him, "Chuan-ge, that little painter on the third floor just left. Did he tell you?"

Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow: "No, he left?"

"Yeah, said to keep his things for him and he'd use them next time. He's not asking for a refund on the remaining rent either. He just... just left suddenly."

Lin Chuan made an affirmative sound, positioning the tree in the right spot, and said, "Keep track of how many days he has left, we'll sort it out next time."

"Okay." The young man crouched down and said quietly, "Chuan-ge, that person you brought back that night... he still hasn't come down."

"He didn't come down today either?" Lin Chuan asked him, "Has anyone sent anything up to him?"

"No, and I haven't seen anyone deliver food either. Should I... go up and check? It's too quiet." The young man hesitated, not daring to say more.

Lin Chuan said, "It's fine, no need."

The young man muttered under his breath: "What kind of person doesn't eat for three days? Our place has always been quiet, but I hope we don't get some... some troublemaker ruining the place."

Lin Chuan glanced at him, and he stopped talking. You couldn't really blame him for being concerned.

Last year, there was a place nearby where a couple overdosed on drugs, though it wasn't clear if it was intentional or accidental. In any case, they didn't make it, and the place went out of business.

That afternoon, Lin Chuan made a bowl of noodles with two side dishes and brought it upstairs. Han Xiaogong's door was always closed, without a sound.

Lin Chuan knocked on his door, but there was no response for a long time. Lin Chuan frowned slightly, took out the key from his pocket, and slowly opened the door.

Han Xiaogong was lying on his side on the bed, facing the door. Lin Chuan put the food on the table and walked closer. He could already see Han Xiaogong's chest rising and falling with his breathing. He was sleeping so deeply that he didn't wake up even when someone came in.

Lin Chuan didn't move any closer. He stood by the table and cleared his throat, making a little noise.

Han Xiaogong still didn't wake up.

Lin Chuan had to try calling him: "Xiaogong?"

Han Xiaogong responded with an "Eh" almost immediately, but his eyes remained closed.

Lin Chuan said: "Get up and eat something?"

Han Xiaogong still had his eyes closed: "Eat what?"

"I made you a bowl of noodles," Lin Chuan said, looking at him.

Han Xiaogong had slept too long, his voice was hoarse: "Your noodles are too bland, I don't want to eat your health-conscious noodles."

Lin Chuan laughed: "How do you know they're bland if you've never eaten them?"

"I eat them every day," Han Xiaogong said, "Yan-ge says you don't add salt."

......

Lin Chuan stood in place, looking at Han Xiaogong's constantly closed eyes, and later called him again: "Xiaogong, wake up, you've slept too long."

Han Xiaogong didn't react. Lin Chuan said in a deep voice: "Wake up, I'm Lin Chuan."

A few seconds later, Han Xiaogong suddenly opened his eyes. Lin Chuan was standing by the table directly in his line of sight. He stared straight at Lin Chuan, his eyes empty.

Lin Chuan didn't move, afraid that Han Xiaogong would be startled upon waking. Han Xiaogong wasn't startled, he just stared at Lin Chuan with empty eyes, and then his eyes slowly turned red.

Han Xiaogong kept looking at him, his eyes alarmingly red, and then he suddenly buried his face in the pillow for a moment.