The bed was indeed a bit small, it was a challenge for two guys to squeeze in and sleep.

But fortunately they were both thin, and they slept soundly hugging and holding each other, so it was still manageable.

They both slept quite deeply, not closing their eyes until almost dawn after all the activity, and then slept until the afternoon. In the beginning they could still hear the occasional sound of fireworks, but later they couldn't hear anything at all.

When Qin Fang opened his eyes, it was bright outside. He was sleeping with his back to the window, and Xing Yan had his face nestled against Qin Fang's neck, still fast asleep. Xing Yan was curled up, and Qin Fang's arm was around his back. As Qin Fang regained consciousness, he felt no discomfort at all, only fondness, and his fingers lightly scratched Xing Yan's back.

They were both bare on top, with the blanket messily wrapped around their legs. Fortunately, they still had the sense to put on shorts before going to bed, mainly because they weren't used to sleeping naked.

Qin Fang originally wanted to just lie there holding Xing Yan a bit longer, but the sound of footsteps in the courtyard made his scalp tingle. He looked back and was instantly shocked. Si Tu was sweeping the yard with a big broom, and Han Xiaogong was strolling around talking to him.

They had only half-heartedly pulled the curtains halfway, and as two guys, they weren't in the habit of drawing the curtains when sleeping separately. They hadn't remembered this last night, and everything was very obvious through the transparent glass.

"Fuck." Qin Fang instantly jumped out of bed.

There were several wads and sheets of used tissues on the floor from last night, their red t-shirts were thrown on the ground, and Xing Yan's jeans were also tossed beside the bed. The room was full of the aftermath of their tryst at a single glance, it didn't take a second look to know what had happened here last night.

Xing Yan was awakened by the movement of Qin Fang getting out of bed. His eyes still couldn't open fully, and he asked in a half-closed state, "What's wrong?"

Qin Fang stood on the floor bare-chested, feeling a bit helpless. It was the first time he had experienced this situation and he really had no experience. He pointed to the window and said to Xing Yan, "We didn't close the curtains."

Xing Yan frowned and looked at the window, then at the floor, with a sleepy expression. He said in a low, hoarse voice, "Then just close them..."

"Is there any point in closing them now?" Qin Fang said with a wry smile. "They've already seen everything."

"So," Xing Yan patted the pillow and said with his eyes closed, "come back to sleep."

At this point, Qin Fang felt like a straight man again, without the thick skin of the gays. How shameless must one's soul be to be so calm?

He went over and kissed Xing Yan on the face. The window was still open with only a screen, so he didn't dare speak too loudly. Qin Fang said softly, "You sleep, I'll clean up a bit."

So Xing Yan slept a while longer.

When Qin Fang came back from washing up, Xing Yan was already up and had changed into a new set of clothes. He was folding the blanket. Hearing Qin Fang come in, he looked back at him.

Now that they were both awake, having just done intimate things last night, their eyes met with a mutual understanding of ambiguity and sweetness.

This person is mine, I touched him, I held him all night. This feeling of marking the other person as one's own was very satisfying, and their gazes collided with bubbles in their hearts.

"Finally willing to get up?" Han Xiaogong came in from outside and leaned against the doorframe, asking.

Although they had cleaned up, Qin Fang still felt a bit guilty. The window had been open the whole time, so there shouldn't be any lingering smells. He turned his head and made an "ah" sound.

Xing Yan was much more at ease. He rolled up the clothes they had worn yesterday, took them out and directly stuffed them into the washing machine.

Qin Fang also followed him out. Han Xiaogong chuckled lightly behind them, with a tone of seeing through everything.

Yesterday was too happy, a lively New Year's Eve. Qin Fang was preoccupied with his new relationship and didn't pay attention to anything else. Last night he only talked to Jian Muyang and sent him a red envelope, not replying to any other messages.

Gong Qi heated up a meal for them. After eating, Qin Fang sat on the sofa and started replying to messages.

Qin Fang was too lazy to reply to Hua Tong's group New Year's greeting. The guy sent the same thing every year, so Qin Fang just copied a generic New Year's message from someone else and sent it back to him.

Hua Tong: 10-meter reflex arc?

Qin Fang: Just woke up.

Hua Tong: Daytime debauchery?

Qin Fang: Fuck off.

Xing Yan also sat beside him looking at his phone. Han Xiaogong poured a glass of water and drank it next to them. Qin Fang asked him, "When did you get back?"

Han Xiaogong retorted, "Where did I go?"

Qin Fang: "Didn't you go out with your flower-sending little brother?"

Han Xiaogong laughed, "I was back when things were still hot and heavy in your room."

"..." Qin Fang looked up at him. Han Xiaogong raised his eyebrows, and the topic ended there.

Everyone was there except Zhou Siming. Later, Qin Fang casually asked, "Is he still not up?"

Han Xiaogong said, "He left."

Qin Fang nodded, recalling what Zhou Siming had said last night. Actually, despite cursing harshly and seeming to dislike everyone, from their interactions, Qin Fang always felt that Zhou Siming cared a lot about this small group. Whether it was initially him finding Qin Fang to fight for Si Tu's sake, or them mentioning Zhou Siming standing up for Han Xiaogong, he wasn't as sharp as he claimed.

He actually cared a lot and had some dependence on them.

But Xing Yan looked up at Han Xiaogong and slightly raised an eyebrow, "Left?"

Han Xiaogong nodded, "Left."

Xing Yan frowned faintly. Neither of them said anything more.

It took Qin Fang a while to react. He sat up straight and asked, "Left... in what sense?"

Han Xiaogong unlocked his phone, pulled up WeChat and tossed it over, "This kind of leaving."

—I'll pay you back the money later

—Contact me if anything comes up

There were only two messages, sent around 7 am, ten minutes apart. At that time, no one in the building should have been awake yet. They had all gone to bed late yesterday, and the two of them had just fallen asleep not long before.

Zhou Siming had taken all his things with him, leaving nothing behind except some old items. Originally, none of them had many belongings here, and most of his stuff was probably at school.

The message he sent ten minutes later showed his reluctance to let go, even though he had said a bunch of harsh words. He also knew that as adults, no one needed him to protect them with force anymore, but he still had to leave this sentence. He probably deleted it back and forth a few times before sending it out, otherwise it wouldn't have taken ten minutes.

Actually, they had all anticipated that Zhou Siming would leave before this. Perhaps when Han Xiaogong and Si Tu decided to pay back the debt for him, they had already thought about it. With Zhou Siming's personality, he definitely wouldn't continue staying and living with them.

The debt had been dragged on for so long before they decided to repay it, after all, that bit of tacit understanding was broken.

When someone really wants to leave, there's no need to stay, and you can't make them stay anyway.

When they came back, there were four people. When they left, it became five. One left, and two came. Gong Qi had already signed a job, in the city where Si Tu and the others originally lived. This time she went back with them to wait for graduation at the school, and then come to this city to work and live.

That flower-sending younger brother of Han Xiaogong's was originally going to follow them too, but he wasn't from C City. Han Xiaogong had met him when he went out before, and there was no point in bringing him back with them.

Besides, Han Xiaogong didn't want to keep him too close. It was clear that Han Xiaogong didn't like being stuck to too tightly, it didn't suit him.

After more than a dozen hours on the high-speed rail, the familiar numbness in the waist and legs returned. When they got on the train, they were wearing just a single shirt and pants.

The moment they got off, they were frozen through, even though they had all put on a cotton layer on the outside. Si Tu had been coughing from time to time since getting off the train, his scarf and mask wrapped tightly.

Xing Yan and the others went back together to the house Si Tu rented, while Qin Fang had to go back and see his younger brother. He hadn't been home for the whole winter vacation, too busy hanging out with friends and losing himself.

He also sent a message in the WeChat group, saying that he was back. Feng Zhe and the others hadn't caught a glimpse of him all vacation, and as soon as he spoke, they all exploded. The messages in the group scrolled very quickly, and the phone kept buzzing endlessly, so Qin Fang later set it to do not disturb mode.

Qin Fang said they should go out and have a meal together another day, his treat.

He really should treat them. Every year, they had the most complete pre-New Year gathering, Qin Fang was absent this year, so he had to make it up.

No matter when he came back, the Jian family home was always as lively as ever. A huge snowman stood in the front yard, with a red cylinder hanging on its arm, looking like it was carrying a bag from a distance. Inside the door, the house was still full of people, and the nanny was steaming fruit puree for the baby in the kitchen.

Jian Muyang had already seen Qin Fang's car coming in and was standing at the door waiting for him. Qin Fang patted his head and shook it. Dong Yin greeted him and told him to go see his younger brother. Qin Fang washed his hands and held the child for a while.

A few-month-old baby was too soft, and Qin Fang didn't dare hold him for too long. He supported the head with his hand, held him for a while, and then put him down.

The little baby looked a lot like Jian Muyang when he was little. He had grown a lot since he was born, with very big eyes, a beautiful little kid. Qin Fang put a red envelope under his pillow.

The little one couldn't really smile yet, staring at Qin Fang with his eyes, kicking his arms and legs, still like a frog. Qin Fang felt quite soft-hearted and kissed his little arm.

Qin Fang hadn't come back for the whole vacation, and Jian Muyang actually missed his older brother a lot, but didn't say much. Recently, he had changed his WeChat profile picture to a photo with Qin Fang. Qin Fang stayed at home and played with him for two days.

On the day he was going to eat with Feng Zhe and the others, Qin Fang took him along. Among that group of people, some also brought their younger siblings, so they could play together.

Jian Muyang was quite happy. He liked Xing Yan very much. Sometimes children like or dislike someone based on intuition. Jian Muyang had seen Xing Yan twice and liked him a lot. Maybe it was because Xing Yan was so gentle that day, or maybe it was because he sensed Qin Fang's feelings for Xing Yan, so he felt he liked him.

Xing Yan was also going to the meal. Qin Fang specifically invited him. When Xing Yan got in the car, Jian Muyang took the initiative to greet him, "Happy New Year, Yan-ge!"

"Happy New Year." Xing Yan sat in the passenger seat, turned his head and smiled at him, handing him a gift box.

Jian Muyang thanked him and took it.

This was the first time the two of them had met since getting off the train. Qin Fang actually had the urge to kiss him, but he had to restrain himself. He just glanced at him.

Xing Yan pulled the seat belt over and buckled it, asking him, "When are you going to pay back the star you owe me?"

Qin Fang immediately laughed and said, "I'll pay you back when school starts."

In the red envelope Qin Fang gave for the New Year, there was only an IOU. Until now, he still hadn't given the item, mainly because he still hadn't received it. The store was too unreliable, not working or shipping during the New Year period.

"I thought you were going to drag it out until next year," Xing Yan said lightly, looking straight ahead. "Give an IOU this year, redeem it next year, using one red envelope for two years."

Qin Fang shook his head with a smile, "Don't embarrass me."