Chapter 108 Part 2

Perhaps he was reluctant to part with Gu Fei, or perhaps he just wanted to do something, share something, for his boyfriend.

He opened the closet and put the red envelope in the pocket of one of Gu Fei's jackets.

Just thinking about Gu Fei wearing this jacket some day and discovering the red envelope made him grin foolishly at the closet for a good while.

Gu Fei's worry that they might oversleep and miss the train the next day turned out to be unnecessary.

They definitely wouldn't miss the train, because they barely slept that night.

Jiang Cheng had pretty much kept count of how many times Gu Fei tossed and turned. He also lightly stroked Jiang Cheng's face several times in the middle of the night. Jiang Cheng persevered and stayed still, afraid Gu Fei would worry if he realized Jiang Cheng wasn't sleeping, just like he was extremely distressed knowing Gu Fei was awake all night.

Near dawn, Jiang Cheng couldn't hold out any longer. He turned over and hugged Gu Fei tightly.

"Awake?" Gu Fei asked softly.

"Mm." Jiang Cheng grunted.

"Sleep a bit more, it's not time yet," Gu Fei patted his back, "I'll wake you when it's time."

"Mm." Jiang Cheng closed his eyes.

He finally fell asleep when it got light out.

But it felt like he had just closed his eyes when Gu Fei shook him awake, "Brother Cheng, get up and eat breakfast."

Get up, get dressed, wash up, eat breakfast, check luggage, head out.

The two of them were silent the whole time, even knowing Gu Fei would go with him to the station, get on and off the train together, and go to school together. But Jiang Cheng was still feeling down.

Gu Fei could only accompany him for two days. Tomorrow after he checked in, the morning after, Gu Fei would have to go back.

Go back alone.

Just thinking about that scene made Jiang Cheng feel somewhat unbearable. Two people going, one person returning, he didn't dare imagine Gu Fei's mood.

There were quite a lot of people at the station, this rundown, perpetually dirty and desolate looking station that seemed to never change, was livelier because school was starting. In and out of the station, many students dragged luggage.

The students around them all had anticipation written on their faces. At this time, whether they tested well or poorly, whether the school was ideal or not, it had all faded. Most were filled with excitement for the unknown new life about to come.

The train ride to school wasn't too long. Jiang Cheng bought a seat ticket. Even if it was a long ride, he still would have bought a seat ticket.

Sitting together, they could lean on each other, arm against arm, leg against leg. A tilt of the head and they could rest on the other's shoulder. With bunks, doing these things wouldn't be so natural.

Two guys from different bunks squeezing together would look very indecent.

After finding their seats in the noisy carriage, they put away luggage and sat down, heaving long sighs.

Only then did Jiang Cheng regret not buying tickets earlier. Maybe he could've gotten a two person seat. Now they got a three person seat, not even by the window.

"This is good enough," Gu Fei leaned over to press his arm against Jiang Cheng's, "With us not separated by the aisle, we should thank the heavens."

Jiang Cheng looked ahead to where Gu Fei pointed. There was a couple in front of them, clearly similar to them, the guy seeing the girl off to school.

Sitting on opposite sides of the aisle, holding hands stretched across. Letting go when people passed, then immediately grabbing hands again once people went by, tirelessly repeating it over and over.

"Should we sit like them, holding hands?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"A bit contrived." Gu Fei said. "We can gaze longingly at each other."

Jiang Cheng looked at him and laughed.

"Right?" Gu Fei looked into his eyes, laughing as he spoke, "Just like this, four eyes meeting, I see your yearning, you hear me say, I will be by your side... Thank you for listening to Gu Fei's cheesy poetry hour."

"Piss off," Jiang Cheng laughed hard, "Don't imitate me."

"Jiang Cheng, that's not right. You can't monopolize." Gu Fei said seriously.

They kept laughing until the big sister in the window seat came over, before finally stopping.

Jiang Cheng took out his phone and took a picture of the platform, posting it to his Moments.

Very quickly there were tons of replies, all kinds of well wishes and goodbyes.

Wang Xu was the first to reply, saying see you October 1st, we'll eat stuffed buns.

Jiang Cheng laughed for a long time, then put his phone back in his pocket and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

Not long after, the in-train broadcast reminded that the train would depart soon.

Jiang Cheng opened his eyes. In the instant the train moved slightly, Jiang Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

He quickly looked out the window. There was no one left on the platform, and the scenery slowly receded into the distance.

The train really departed.

The window was like a screen, the scenery flashing by like a ticker tape, the station disappearing quickly, then rows of dilapidated small houses, with some tall buildings in the distance.

Finally the houses grew sparser and sparser until they disappeared completely, and the window showed endless stretches of farmland.

Jiang Cheng's heart felt somewhat empty too.

When he first came here alone dragging his luggage, his mood was completely different than now. He didn't even look out the window more than a few times.

This tiny city that he didn't want to stay in for even one more day, that he only wanted to escape from - now that it disappeared behind him, he unexpectedly started to feel reluctant to leave it.

Although he was still determined not to stay here, and it was impossible to stay here anyway, this place now held precious memories he would never forget, and someone he would cling to no matter what.

It wasn't until his phone rang that he drew his gaze back, taking out his phone to see it was Pan Zhi.

This guy really did like he said before the gaokao - even though his scores weren't great, he still got money from his family to smash into the same school as Jiang Cheng.

"It's Pan Zhi right?" Gu Fei asked.

"Mm," Jiang Cheng answered the call, "He insisted on coming to pick me up..."

"If I really didn't come pick you up, would you say you'd be disappointed?" Pan Zhi heard him and was very unsatisfied. "Cheng'er, don't get me wrong, but your attitude toward me right now is very much like an scum male."

"You're the certified scum," Jiang Cheng said, "How can you shamelessly criticize your grandpa for being an scum?"

"I can't? I've been wholeheartedly devoted to you, can you find any fault?" Pan Zhi said. "It's only afternoon and you'll arrive this evening, but I'm already wandering around your school area. "

"Wait," Jiang Cheng said, "When you say pick me up, do you mean at the train station, or the school gate?"

"Of course the train station! How can you not know me so well, are we still bros or not," Pan Zhi tsked, "I'm just here to take a look around your school for now, lots of beauties..."

"Oh right, did you mention to Gu Fei that I'm coming to get you?"

"I brought it up briefly," Jiang Cheng said. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to tell him that this lightbulb will have to endure a bit longer. After all, you ignored this lightbulb all summer, pretending you didn't even recognize him," Pan Zhi said. "But I'm quite understanding, if you two want to hold hands or kiss I won't peep..."

Jiang Cheng held the phone to Gu Fei's ear to let him listen. Gu Fei laughed when he heard: "Then you should get Best Lightbulb Award."

The two of them hadn't talked much this whole trip, just sitting together with their eyes closed most of the time.

Jiang Cheng was certain they had both fallen asleep, and kept knocking heads with Gu Fei when they lolled over. They would open their eyes and glance at each other then continue sleeping.