Are You Addicted?

Gu Hai brought Bai Luoyin back to his home, while Bai Han Qi was chatting with other people at the entrance of an alley. When he saw Gu Hai and Bai Luoyin had already came back, he immediately picked up his folding stool, there was a wrinkle on the corner of his eyes because of his smile.

“Da Hai ah, just eat dinner here. Don’t go.”

Bai Luoyin glanced at Bai Han Qi, obviously intending to drop a hint at him, why would you let him eat here? He’s not a person who can comprehend words of courtesy, if you ask him to eat here then he will definitely eat here.

“That’s great! Uncle is so kind to let me eat here, it would be impolite of me to go.”

Sure enough, it turns out this way!

Bai Luoyin furrowed his eyebrows, he looked at Bai Han Qi with eyes full of hostility.

“Today, Aunt Zou is cooking for us, we won’t treat him shabbily.”

“No need to let Aunt Zou cook today, it’s your turn!”

Bai Han Qi just stood there stunned for 15 minutes, is he actually praising me or cursing me?

When Gu Hai entered the kitchen, Aunt Zou was in the middle of making the noodle dough, thick and big rolling pin rolled back and forth on the dough’s surface, after the dough was folded evenly into several layers, dang dang dang….. neat and concentrated chopping skills, between the dough is sliced well, the thickness is the same, the length is similar, basically it was unable to tell if the noodles was made by hands, because it was completely like it was made by a machine.

“Aunt Zhou, your chopping skill is really amazing, how long have you been practicing?”

Aunt Zhou just smiled gently, “Does this even need to be practiced? If you’ve been cooking for more than 20 years, anyone would be able to do this.”

“Do you need my help?”

“No need, just go to your room and do your homework, I will be done with this soon.”

Gu Hai saw there were two cuc.u.mbers on the chopping board, he took a bite and it was really crisp, he couldn’t help but to say a few words of praises. “Aunt Zhou, where did you buy this cuc.u.mber? The taste is really great.”

“These are the cuc.u.mbers we planted at our home, later when we go back you could pick one bag, bring them home and give them to your parents. Our cuc.u.mbers are not sprayed with pesticide, you can eat them without worries.”

“Okay, when we go back, I’ll go to your home to pick some!”

Between talking and laughing, Aunt Zou had already cut the cuc.u.mbers nicely, they were cut perfectly straight, laying on the plate like small door curtains; beside that, there were fried diced meat in soy sauce, the scent of the sauce was really rich, the diced meat was fresh and tender. On one side, the amount of vegetables were also, there were soya beans, Chinese toona, radishes….. all together they made a captivating view, just by looking at it would make people to feel greedy and craving for it.

“Aunt, do you want me to taste it first in your place?”

“Have you finished or not?”

Gu Hai hadn’t even stretched out his chopstick towards the noodles yet, when he heard someone’s angry rebuke from the doorway, “Go out and work! You dare to eat without doing anything?”

When Aunt Zhou saw Bai Luoyin and Gu Hai’s figures from behind, she couldn’t help but to wonder, these two boys, why are they so achingly sweet and lovely?

During dinner, Gu Hai drank a bottle of beer, then he ate while chatting happily with Grandma Bai.

This time Grandma Bai found a best friend, even after the dinner had finished she still doesn’t want to let Gu Hai go, she pointed towards the yard and said to Gu Hai happily: “This piece of land is filled with the crops that comrade Liu Shao Qi [1] guides us to plant…”

Gu Hai: “…..”

Bai Luoyin pulled over Grandma Bai’s hand, persuaded her kindly, “Grandma, you should wash your feet. Come on, let’s go back to room.”

Taking advantage of the gap when Bai Luoyin went out to take the cloth for wiping his Grandmother’s feet, Gu Hai grabbed him.

“I know what your grandmother means, she doesn’t want me to go back.”

Bai Luoyin patted Gu Hai’s shoulder firmly.

“You think too much!”

After strolling two laps around the yard, Gu Hai went to the doorway of Grandma Bai’s room, then he quietly watching the dim light inside. Don’t know how long this bulb has been used, the brightness is even less than a phone screen’s light. However, when Gu Hai looked at the light bulb, and looked at the people under the light, he suddenly felt that his heart was filled to the brim with warmth. This is home. Night time at home shouldn’t be as bright as the daytime, it should be dim and silent, where the silhouettes of your dearest people are constantly lengthening and shortening on the wall.

Grandpa Bai drank a gla.s.s of white wine, and he fell asleep long ago, his snores drifted faintly into Gu Hai’s ears. Grandma Bai was still mumbling endlessly, sitting in front of her grandson who was patiently wiping her feet.

Sometimes, Gu Hai felt that Bai Luoyin is really cold, but there are times when he felt that Bai Luoyin is especially full of warmth.

He can be warm and cold towards people, it’s so clear. When he’s being cold, you’ll think that he is completely incompatible with the sunlight on top of your head. Nevertheless, when he’s being warm, even just for once in a while, no matter how much snow acc.u.mulates inside your heart, it will melt in a flash. This kind of person, will grab your heart at all times. When you move forward, he’ll retreat, and when you move backward he’ll turn his head and expect you to come, it causes you to you lose your mind. Even if he and you were of the same gender, and both of you are only friends, but when he isn’t here, your life simply becomes incomplete.

Except drug, Gu Hai couldn’t think any other word to describe Bai Luoyin.

When Bai Luoyin came out from his grandmother’s room, his surroundings had already quieted down, he only heard dog’s barks occasionally, he didn’t know when Aunt Zou went back. The courtyard was very neatly divided, inside the bathroom built with plastic covering was the tired posture of Bai Han Qi, who was in the middle of washing the clothes, Bai Luoyin went back to his own room.

He didn’t know who turned on the lights in his room, Bai Luoyin barely stepped his foot inside when he was struck speechless.

Gu Hai had already taken his shoes off, laying on his bed, resting his head on his pillow, covered with his quilt, and he didn’t feel awkward even for a bit.

“You better scram back quickly!”

Bai Luoyin kicked Gu Hai.

Gu Hai’s voice sounded like he was mumbling, but when he opened one of his eyes, it shined brightly.

“I am drunk!”

Bai Luoyin’s face darkened, “Cut your c.r.a.p! You only drink one bottle, who are you fooling? Quick get up!”

“I can’t get up!”

“Don’t be foolish!”

Bai Luoyin leaned over to pull Gu Hai up, but Gu Hai forcefully pulled him to the bed, the bed plank gave a creaking sound, Gu Hai used both of his hands to hug Bai Luoyin’s shoulder, both of his legs desperately pressed Bai Luoyin down. Gu Hai’s eyes were similar to an intoxicated snake, wriggling and crawling on Bai Luoyin’s body, both were entangled together and Gu Hai was reluctant to leave Bai Luoyin’s body, causing the other person to shiver and not letting them to escape easily.

Bai Luoyin’s body was somewhat stiff.

Gu Hai captured Bai Luoyin’s hesitant eyes, firmly grabbed on Bai Luoyin’s shoulder, and clashed his teeth together.

“I might be……. really drunk.”

Translator Note:

[1] Liu Shao Qi (1898-1969) is a Chinese communist leader and a martyr of the Cultural Revolution.

Are you addicted?