That big heart-shaped steamed bun was giving Miao Jiayan a headache. His grandma had put it in a plastic bag and hidden it in a drawer in Miao Jiayan's room.

The steamed bun was so big that Miao Jiayan could eat it for all three meals a day and still have enough.

Grandma said a big one looked better and was more festive.

Since he was little, Miao Jiayan had liked to keep his hair long, wear skirts, and play with the things little girls loved. If there was anyone in the world who truly held no prejudice or judgment against him for it, it was only his grandpa and grandma.

Not only did his grandma not interfere, but she even indulged his little preferences. She would hang up the pale yellow curtains that girls liked, lay out sky-blue bedsheets for him, and even secretly make him a pink, heart-shaped steamed bun like this one.

So, even though Miao Jiayan received a lot of gossip and scornful looks for his unusual preferences, and even though his own parents didn't want him, he was still a happy child with lots and lots of love.

In his grandma's little house, he had his own dream world, a place that was both quiet and beautiful.

Miao Jiayan tore off a piece of the bun and chewed it. The steamed buns his grandma made were always a little sweet because she added a custard filling, and they had a gentle fragrance. But he really couldn't eat anymore. He tore off a corner, twisted the plastic bag shut, and put it back in the drawer.

As he closed the drawer, he looked up and saw the small window opposite. It was Grandma Chen, who had come up to open the window for ventilation. The curtains in that room were never drawn, always wide open.

Actually, there was one other person who was genuinely unprejudiced and unconcerned about Miao Jiayan's "abnormalities." Besides his grandparents, he was the only one Miao Jiayan had ever met.

Chen Chao's Second Uncle and his family returned on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month. Second Uncle's youngest son was two years younger than Chen Chao and was still in junior high. Chen Chao's dad and Second Uncle, the two brothers, looked very much alike, but Chen Chao and his younger cousin didn't resemble each other in the slightest.

Chen Chao took after his mother by half, while his younger cousin completely resembled Second Aunt. The cousin's face was very round, his eyes were large, and everything about him seemed round.

The day Second Uncle's family came back, Chen Chao went to the parking spot to pick them up. He was looking down as he came out of his house and happened to run into Miao Jiayan, who was on his way to the greenhouse.

Miao Jiayan was visibly startled to see him. He froze for two seconds, then dodged back to let him pass.

Chen Chao glanced at him, said nothing, and walked past him with a blank expression on his face.

This was the second time Miao Jiayan had seen Chen Chao since he'd returned. The first time, he had at least managed to call out "Chen Chao." This second time, Miao Jiayan didn't even dare open his mouth.

The younger cousin's temperament was also unlike Chen Chao's; he was an extrovert. He used to love coming over to play when Chen Chao lived here before. Ding Wentao was also an extrovert. When these two extroverts got together, Chen Chao was finally liberated. Top Dog would take the younger cousin wandering around everywhere, allowing Chen Chao to lie around peacefully at home or paint.

Chen Guangda ambled into Chen Chao's room. Chen Chao was sitting cross-legged on the bed reading a book when Chen Guangda came in and flopped down diagonally on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Chen Chao asked.

"Lying down for a bit." Chen Guangda let out a long, contented sigh and stretched.

"Why are you lying down here in my room?" Chen Chao scooted to the side, annoyed that his dad was crowding him. "Go lie down in your own room."

"What room do I have? You think I'm like you, with my own room?" Chen Guangda shifted his head to use Chen Chao's leg as a pillow. "We all have to sleep squeezed together."

"I told you to sleep with me, but you wouldn't listen," Chen Chao said.

"I'm not sleeping with you. You're too fussy," Chen Guangda scoffed. "If I crowd you or bump into you, I can't afford to offend you."

Chen Chao didn't argue back.

Chen Chao's looks were half from his mom, and his temperament was more than half from her too. Fussy, bad-tempered, not easygoing—he hadn't been a likable kid since he was young.

Chen Guangda's rather heavy head kept pressing on Chen Chao's leg, which was unbearable. After a short while, Chen Chao grabbed a pillow and swapped his leg out with it.

Chen Guangda dozed for over half an hour. It wasn't until that evening that Chen Chao found out why Chen Guangda had wanted to sleep in his room.

At dinner, Grandma Chen brought up the topic, asking Chen Guangda: "Are you and Jiang Li just going to leave things like this? Are you getting back together or not?"

Chen Guangda immediately looked at Chen Chao, but Chen Chao just kept his eyes lowered, sipping his soup and ignoring him.

"Why do you always bring this up?" Chen Guangda said evasively. "We'll see."

"How many years has it been?" Grandma Chen clearly wasn't going to let him brush it off this time. "You're in your forties now, how can you still not be serious about things?"

Second Uncle and Second Aunt were smiling on the side; they knew the old lady wouldn't let it go. Chen Guangda nudged Chen Chao with his knee. Chen Chao nudged him back but didn't help him.

"Don't look at the boy. Why are you looking at him?" Grandma Chen waved her arm vaguely in their direction, not letting Chen Guangda cause trouble. "It was fine when the boy was here with me, but now he's back home and in high school. Who's going to take care of him?"

"He's so grown up, who does he need to take care of him," Chen Guangda said dismissively, glancing at his son. "When I was his age, I didn't need you two to take care of me either."

"Nonsense!" Grandma Chen shot him a glare and reached across the two people between them to smack his arm. "What are you talking about? Are kids today the same as you were back then?"

"How are they different? Aren't they all kids?" Chen Guangda said with a cheeky grin. "My son is low-maintenance."

Chen Guangda and Jiang Li had been divorced for over four years. For the past two years, Grandma Chen would ask about it every time she saw him, to the point that Chen Guangda dreaded the question. He never said what he really thought, and Chen Chao had never asked him.

Chen Chao didn't care whether his parents got remarried or not; he was indifferent. He didn't want to participate in this topic, so he went upstairs as soon as he finished eating.

On the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Guangda and Miao Jian, two childhood friends, sat down for a meal and had a few drinks. Miao Jian came over by himself. The two of them sat in Grandma Chen's small kitchen and drank for half the afternoon. They didn't drink much alcohol, though; most of the time, they were just talking.

As Chen Chao passed by the doorway, he heard Miao Jian say in a heavy voice: "It's not that I want to control him, it's useless even if I do, but it's just so vexing to watch..."

Chen Guangda advised, "If you really can't control him, then just let it be. Maybe he'll grow out of it when he's older."

"What if he's still like this then?" Miao Jian rubbed his face and sighed. "What will become of him..."

"Well, what else can you do? You're just getting hung up on it." Chen Guangda had always been indulgent with his own child, so he couldn't really understand Miao Jian's worries. In his view, while it was strange, it wasn't some earth-shattering matter.

"I heard a ruckus in your courtyard this morning. You didn't hit the kid, did you?" Chen Guangda said disapprovingly. "Don't hit him. If you do, he won't be close to you, and there'll be a wall between you two."

"I didn't hit him, just said a few words. My parents protected him," Miao Jian said. "We're not close to begin with. He's afraid of me."

"It'd be strange if he wasn't," Chen Guangda said.

Actually, Chen Guangda had intentionally invited Miao Jian over for this meal. Grandma Chen had also asked him to, fearing that Miao Jian would lose his temper at home and hit his son, which would create an unpleasant atmosphere during the New Year.

Miao Jiayan had been told off by his dad that morning. It started because the hairdryer was broken. Miao Jiayan came downstairs with his hair still half-wet, just as he was about to go to the greenhouse, when his father, returning from outside, saw him.

Miao Jiayan walked past with his head down, but his dad grabbed him by the elbow and yanked him back. He used a bit too much force, and Miao Jiayan was jolted by the pull, bumping his shoulder against the door.

"What are you doing!" Grandma Miao heard the noise and rushed out from the kitchen. "Don't you touch him!"

Miao Jian had been holding it in for so many days and could no longer bear it. He stared at Miao Jiayan and said, "Go get your hair cut today. If I see that it's still not cut tonight, then you can just wait for me to do it."

Miao Jiayan's shoulder was hurting badly, but he didn't dare reach up to rub it under his father's gaze. He just stood there with his head down.

"Did you hear what I said to you?" Miao Jian grabbed Miao Jiayan's collar. "Are you deaf?"

Grandma ran over and slapped Miao Jian's hand away. "Let go! What's gotten into you so early in the morning!"

"Miao Jiayan, I'm at the end of my rope with you. Don't provoke me into dealing with you." Miao Jian glared at him and was about to say more, but Grandma pushed and shoved him away.

Grandma looked back and signaled to Miao Jiayan with her eyes, telling him to leave quickly.

So Miao Jiayan stayed in the little greenhouse for the whole day. Before dinner, his grandpa brought over two insulated lunch boxes and told him to go back later.

He stayed in the greenhouse until ten o'clock. The damp air of the greenhouse clung to him, and even his breath felt moist.

Early the next morning, Miao Jiayan got up, took the big steamed bun from the freezer, steamed it, and left with it in hand.

When he left, only his grandma was awake. Grandma said she would have Grandpa bring him his meals again, telling him not to cross paths with his dad and that they would all be gone after the New Year. As she spoke, her eyes grew a little red. "Next New Year, Grandma won't let them come back," she said.

"It's okay," Miao Jiayan said with a smile, putting an arm around her shoulder. "I quite like staying in the greenhouse. I even planted a box of seedlings yesterday."

"They're all at home eating and drinking well, while my grandson is forced out with nowhere to stay and can't even eat a proper meal." Grandma said, wiping her eyes. "Next year, they can all get lost."

"Why, Grandma..." Miao Jiayan bent down to look at her at eye level. "What's wrong... It's the same for me no matter where I stay. Don't be unhappy."

"What's there to be happy about," Grandma said, extremely displeased. "Next year, no one is coming back. Just the three of us will celebrate the New Year at home."

Miao Jiayan coaxed her with a smile, "Okay, okay, you call the shots. Cheer up, I'm leaving now. My dad will be up soon."

"Go on, hurry. We won't even look at him!" Grandma gave him a little push. "Go on."

Miao Jiayan left, carrying his sliced steamed bun. Outside, the sky was just getting light, and there wasn't a single person in the alley.

The freshly steamed bun was still giving off steam. Miao Jiayan took a slice from the bag and ate it as he walked. It was still warm now, but by the time he got to the greenhouse, it would be completely cold.

Passing by Chen Chao's house, Miao Jiayan glanced over. The main gate was still closed. Chen Chao wouldn't be up at this hour; he liked to sleep in.

Miao Jiayan walked on, chewing his bun. When he heard a gate creak open behind him, he instinctively glanced back.

That one glance made his steps falter.

Miao Jiayan was still holding half a slice of the bun. He turned and swallowed the piece he was chewing.

Chen Chao had come out to get medicine for his younger cousin, who had a slight fever.

The two of them walked one after the other. Miao Jiayan kept walking and eating his bun, his steps slow. He didn't dare to look back. The alley was quiet, with only the sound of their two sets of footsteps.

"Stop right there."

Chen Chao spoke suddenly, startling Miao Jiayan, whose feet instantly stopped moving.

He quickly turned to look. Chen Chao walked over in a few steps and asked with a deadpan expression, "You don't know me?"

Miao Jiayan's eyes went wide. With his mouth still full of un-swallowed bun, he mumbled, "No... I don't know you."

"What are you eating, bite after bite," Chen Chao said.

"Steamed bun..." Miao Jiayan popped the remaining piece in his hand into his mouth, then opened the plastic bag he was carrying and offered it to him. "Want some?"

Chen Chao reached out, tore off a corner, and put it in his mouth. "What color is this."

"Dragon fruit. My grandma steamed it," Miao Jiayan said in a small voice, a little apprehensive.

Chen Chao started walking. Miao Jiayan paused for a moment, then followed, walking beside him. He didn't dare to speak, just quietly kept pace.

"I thought you didn't recognize me," Chen Chao said without looking at him. "You see me but don't say anything."

Miao Jiayan looked up at him and only spoke after a two-second pause. "I didn't dare."

"What are you afraid of," Chen Chao glanced at him. "What did I do to you?"

"The first day I called out to you... you ignored me," Miao Jiayan said, blinking. His timid, soft-spoken manner held a hint of innocence. "So I didn't dare to again."

"You called out to me?" Chen Chao raised an eyebrow. On his handsome face, an expression like this always made him look a little different from usual.

"I did..." Miao Jiayan said in a low voice, looking at him.

"What did you call me?"

"I called your name," Miao Jiayan answered.

When Chen Chao suddenly wrapped an arm around his neck, Miao Jiayan was completely stunned. Chen Chao's arm was hooked around his neck, and he used his other hand to grab his chin, forcing his face up as he asked fiercely, "Is 'Chen Chao' what you should be calling me?"

It took Miao Jiayan a good ten seconds to react. His eyes slowly lit up, and he called out with a smile, "Brother Chao."

"I'm gone for a year, and when I come back you're all 'Chen Chao' this and that. Is 'Chen Chao' what you're supposed to call me?" Chen Chao scolded, walking with his arm still hooked around Miao Jiayan's neck.

Miao Jiayan was still smiling even though his face was squished from the hold. His eyes curved into a slight, beautiful arc, and his voice was laced with laughter as he called out again in a low voice, "Brother Chao!"

"No respect for your elders." Chen Chao roughly ruffled Miao Jiayan's hair a couple of times before finally letting him go.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore." Miao Jiayan touched his hair, looking a little embarrassed.

They had reached the intersection. Chen Chao flicked Miao Jiayan on the head with his middle finger, said "So dramatic," and then walked off toward the clinic.

Leaving Miao Jiayan standing there with his little bag of buns. He walked on slowly, looking back every few steps, seeming very happy.