Only after getting up did Qin Fang laugh and say, "How are we going to get down later if we didn't bring a ladder?"

Xing Yan said, "Jump down."

There was no overhang or foothold at the entrance of the small building here, and Qin Fang had never jumped directly down from the second-floor roof. He said with a smile, "Then I'm a little scared."

"Don't be afraid," Xing Yan patted his head. "I'll go down first and get a ladder for you."

Qin Fang really liked the weather here, it wasn't cold all year round. At this moment, the two of them were sitting on the roof, and the sky was full of stars. The night breeze blowing on their bodies felt very comfortable. Qin Fang touched Xing Yan's arm and said, "I like it here."

Xing Yan "mm-hmmed", and after a while said, "I like it too."

Qin Fang turned to look at him. Xing Yan said, "I've been with you for so long, if I still haven't learned to like it, then I would be too much of a failure."

"Mm, not to brag, but Fang-ge is very sunny." Qin Fang laughed and bumped against Xing Yan. "Lovers complement each other. You learn from me to become sunny, and I learn from you to become a better person."

"The mutual admiration session is starting again?" Xing Yan lowered his head and asked with a chuckle.

Qin Fang was about to speak when the courtyard gate suddenly sounded, and someone pushed the gate and came in.

"The door wasn't locked?"

"I remember locking it."

"The fact is you didn't lock it."

There was a dull thud of a body hitting the door, followed by the sound of the courtyard gate closing heavily. A voice followed, "...That hurt."

There was laughter in the other person's voice, and he said in a low voice, "Don't pretend, I know you like it when I kiss you like this."

After a long, ambiguous sound, someone whispered with a laugh, "Then you bit me and it hurt."

A man's laughter mixed with panting is always charming, and coupled with the night, it was seductive and romantic. The other person kissed his lips again and said, half-holding, "Biting you and hurting you is a reward for being good."

"Bullshit..." The one leaning against the door laughed very alluringly. He knew how to smile in the most attractive way, and of course also knew how to smile in a way that would make the other person more desirous.

The other person's fingers were inserted into his hair, and he gently kissed his ear. There was tenderness amidst the lust.

The two of them lingered at the door for a while, when suddenly someone asked with narrowed eyes, "Is that your bedding hanging out?"

"It's not mine," said the other short-haired man.

Han Xiaogong stood frozen in place, staring at the bedding hanging in the yard, and then suddenly laughed. He pushed the person in front of him away, said "fuck", closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and said, "...Get out here."

Qin Fang and Xing Yan poked their heads out from the rooftop. Qin Fang smiled ambiguously, "Hi."

Xing Yan imitated him and said, "...Hi."

"What the hell are you saying hi for?" Han Xiaogong laughed and cursed, looking at the two of them, "Couldn't you guys make a sound?"

"I didn't get a chance to before... you guys started first," Qin Fang was also helpless, "I was just about to say hello when you already... well, I was too embarrassed to say hello again."

Han Xiaogong had a look of helplessness on his face. He said to the person beside him, "The white one on the left is Xing Yan, the not-so-white one on the right is Qin Fang. Today you get to meet them in person."

So Qin Fang said "hi" again to the tall, handsome guy.

Xing Yan still repeated his "hi".

The other person looked a few years older than them, and had a very free and easy smile. It was quite embarrassing to be caught in an intimate moment, but this person didn't seem awkward at all. He smiled and greeted them, "Lin Chuan. Come on down, want me to get you two a ladder?"

"Thanks," Xing Yan said.

The heavy ladder could be lifted with one hand by this person. Before Qin Fang went down, he looked at Han Xiaogong again. Han Xiaogong was sitting on the edge of the flowerbed. Lin Chuan didn't look back, he just said, "Stand up."

"I'm tired." Han Xiaogong ignored his words.

"I told you to stand." Lin Chuan repeated again, "If you're tired, go sit inside."

"No." Han Xiaogong gave a simple and direct response.

Lin Chuan looked back at him, his face expressionless, just a glance. Han Xiaogong smiled at him. Lin Chuan asked lightly, "Haven't had enough of a fever?"

The two people above came down from the rooftop and shook hands with Lin Chuan respectively. Xing Yan said, "Thanks for the trouble."

Lin Chuan smiled and shook his head without saying anything.

Han Xiaogong walked over to them, looked at Xing Yan, then at Qin Fang, and asked, "When did you get back?"

"This morning," Qin Fang said, "I thought no one was home. You're back early?"

"I've been back for more than half a month," Han Xiaogong said.

The few of them opened the door and went into the house. Lin Chuan asked, "Have you two eaten yet?"

"We have," Qin Fang said with a smile.

Han Xiaogong was still the same as before, no matter when you looked at him, you couldn't see any changes. Qin Fang and Xing Yan didn't expect him to be back, and Han Xiaogong expected it even less, otherwise he wouldn't have been caught in a passionate kiss.

No matter how long they hadn't seen each other, they didn't need to make small talk.

There was no rush to chat, and they each went back to their rooms to sleep that night. After closing the door, Qin Fang said to Xing Yan, "That Chuan-ge seems to get along well with Xiaogong."

Xing Yan nodded, then said, "He likes that type."

"Seems pretty good," Qin Fang said.

The next day, Qin Fang once again felt that Lin Chuan was a good person.

This guy's cooking was too delicious.

If it weren't for Lin Chuan, they would have to eat out or order takeout every day. Now they didn't have to, and he made different dishes every day without repeating. Qin Fang and Xing Yan freeloaded off him for several days, but they didn't seem embarrassed at all.

Chinese New Year was coming, and the necessary preparations had to be made.

On this day, Qin Fang and Xing Yan took down the curtains in each room and were about to wash them in the washing machine they had moved to the courtyard. Suddenly, the courtyard door was pushed open, and Zhou Siming walked in with a backpack.

As soon as he looked up and saw the people in the courtyard, his footsteps paused and he almost tripped.

Zhou Siming blinked, looking a little incredulous, raising his eyebrows, "You're all back?"

"What do you think?" Han Xiaogong snorted, "You think you can come back but we can't?"

Zhou Siming gave him a sideways glance, ignoring him, then his expression was a little hard to describe, "...What a coincidence."

"Quite a coincidence," Xing Yan added.

None of them had made plans with each other in advance, they all intended to come back and take a look on their own. Come back and look at Si Tu, look at the nest they grew up in.

They said this place was their rotten roots, that they had no nostalgia for it.

Yet at this moment, they had all returned here.

Life seems to be a constant series of farewells, parting ways to each become better people, and then reuniting at a suitable time.

Qin Fang looked at the few of them looking at each other, smiled, and said softly in a rising tone, "Then... Happy New Year?"

Zhou Siming smiled and shook his head, "Happy... New Year."

Han Xiaogong took the hair tie handed to him by Lin Chuan and casually tied up his hair, "...Happy New Year."

Xing Yan raised his eyebrows and continued washing the curtains, "Happy New Year."

Author's Note: It's the end. It's been exactly three months since the serialization started. Thank you for being with me these three months. I say I'm grateful every time, and this time is no different. I'm grateful to have you read my story.