CFHE Chapter 53.2

“You still know to come back? You still know you have a home? Didn’t I tell you that if you’re staying overnight at a classmate’s house, you should at least let the family know? Huh? I thought your wings had grown strong enough that you were ready to fly away!”

 

Strangely, perhaps because he had found Wen Yu as a “comrade-in-arms” who could compare miseries with him, the usually grating scolding didn’t affect Fu Yuhan’s mood much. He listened quietly to the end and asked: “How is Xiao Lu?”

 

“Alright, you go in first, don’t let Xiaolu wake up and not find anyone.” Uncle Qin came out and pushed He Yan into the hospital room, then looked up at Fu Yuhan. “She just finished her examination, we got Xiaolu to sleep. It’s not easy for her to get a good sleep now, so let her sleep if she can.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“You didn’t need to come today. I’m not working tomorrow, so I can watch her tonight and let your mother go home to rest later.”

 

They only had Fu Yuhan stay overnight at the hospital when Uncle Qin had to go to work early the next day, since he was young and could handle it. But today it wasn’t necessary.

 

“It’s fine, I can help out here too.” Fu Yuhan looked at the medical records and pile of forms Uncle Qin was clutching. “Do you need to pay fees?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Give them to me, I’ll go pay.” Fu Yuhan said, “Don’t run up and down the floors.”

 

Uncle Qin wasn’t young anymore, so he didn’t argue with Fu Yuhan about this kind of thing. He handed over the forms and the money he’d prepared, hesitated for a moment, then advised: “Go home early after paying the fees. You’re in your senior year, your mother is counting on you to get into a good university… don’t let Xiaolu’s situation interfere with your studying.”

 

“It won’t interfere, I know what I’m doing.” Fu Yuhan glanced at him. “Uncle Qin, give it to me straight.”

 

“What?”

 

“Xiaolu’s illness… is the outlook optimistic?”

 

Uncle Qin was stunned. Life had carved deep furrows on his face like tree rings, and in this moment they revealed a certain tragic weariness.

 

“…Let’s leave it to fate.” He smiled.

 

Fu Yuhan lowered his eyes, licking his lips thoughtfully. After a moment, he nodded slightly: “I understand.” Then he turned and left.

 

The payment office was on the second floor of another building in the hospital. After paying, Fu Yuhan discovered there were several test results and lab reports to collect, so he simply made a round trip up and down the floors.

 

Uncle Qin was a taciturn and simple man. His way of avoiding seeing the mother and son argue was to advise Fu Yuhan to go home early.

 

Fu Yuhan didn’t say anything, sat in the hospital to keep them company for a while, and left when he saw it was about time.

 

Only then did he think to check his phone.

 

That’s when he saw the message Wen Yu had sent about an hour ago.

 

For some reason, his mood, which had just been heavy due to Qin Xiaolu’s condition, suddenly improved a bit. Fu Yuhan thought for a moment and sent back a message.

 

Fu Yuhan: Just left the hospital.

 

But Wen Yu didn’t reply; he directly called.

 

Fu Yuhan was startled.

 

Although he didn’t quite understand what urgent matter the other person had that required a phone call, he still answered. However, what Fu Yuhan didn’t expect was that a completely unfamiliar voice came through.

 

“Hello? You’re… Fu Yuhan, right? Wen Yu’s friend?”

 

“Uh, yes.” Fu Yuhan said in confusion, “I’m his classmate—what happened to him?”

 

“Are you free right now? Could you come pick him up?” the person said. “He’s had too much to drink.”

 

Had too much to drink?

 

Didn’t this person claim to have a high alcohol tolerance?

 

“I can, I can…” The situation left him a bit confused, but picking someone up really wasn’t a big problem. Fu Yuhan agreed, “Where is it? I’ll take a taxi over.”

 

“I’ll send you the address, through this WeChat, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Fu Yuhan heard the other side hang up. Soon after, his WeChat buzzed, and an address was sent from Wen Yu’s interface.

 

XX Road XX Number Blue Encounter

 

Fu Yuhan’s brow furrowed.

 

…Hadn’t he heard this bar’s name somewhere before?

 

There were many bars in the city, and Fu Yuhan didn’t think much of occasionally hearing a familiar bar name. Having gotten the address, he used his phone to call a car and headed over.

 

The person told him to contact them after arriving at the entrance.

 

Fu Yuhan had left the hospital after eleven o’clock, and by the time he reached the bar it was close to midnight. The neon lights on the street had become desolate, but the bar was hiding liveliness within.

 

Fu Yuhan had never been to this kind of noisy bar where you could dance and drink. Seeing the entrance after getting out of the car, he felt somewhat repulsed.

 

He called back: “Hello? I’m here.”

 

“Oh, wait a moment.”

 

The other person quickly hung up. Fu Yuhan stood in the chilly night wind waiting, thinking to himself that Wen Yu was really something, going to bars right after finishing midterm exams.

 

Midnight was both the end of the first half of the night and the beginning of the second half.

 

People came and went from the bar entrance in twos and threes. Fu Yuhan was tall and slender with long, straight legs. Standing there, almost everyone passing by would glance at him a few times, and some drunk people even whistled at him.

 

Without exception, all these people were men.

 

Fu Yuhan’s brow furrowed bit by bit—

 

What kind of bar had Wen Yu gone to?

 

Fortunately, before his patience ran out, a man in comfortable, homey clothes emerged from an inconspicuous small door beside the bar. He looked to be about thirty, with a cigarette in his mouth.

 

“You’re Fu Yuhan?” The other person squinted, whether because he couldn’t see clearly in the darkness or because he was sizing him up.

 

“Yes.” Fu Yuhan nodded.

 

Although this person’s attitude was casual, he gave a better impression than the people going in and out of the bar earlier. Thinking that Wen Yu might know him, Fu Yuhan didn’t show impatience.

 

“Follow me.” The person said, walking into the small door.

 

Fu Yuhan hesitated for a moment, but still followed him in.

 

Inside the door was very dark—a long corridor. Fu Yuhan felt oppressed as soon as he entered. He paused and asked: “Should I close the door?”

 

“Whatever, you’ll have to come down again in a bit anyway.” The person didn’t turn back, yawning as he spoke. “Hurry up and take him away, I want to sleep.”

 

“Um… may I ask who you are?”

 

“Me?” The person’s footsteps paused, he turned back to glance at him and smiled. “Oh, forgot to introduce myself. I’m the owner of this bar, surname Chen. I’m an old acquaintance of your little… Wen Yu.”

 

What kind of way to address someone was “little” Wen Yu?

 

Fu Yuhan got goosebumps out of nowhere. He paused, but still couldn’t help correcting: “He’s not mine.”

 

“Ah? Oh, sorry, I misunderstood then.” Chen Feifan licked his teeth, smiled mischievously in the darkness, his tone calm and natural, as if saying casually, “I just saw him drunk, still holding onto your WeChat conversation waiting for a reply, so I thought you two were a couple.”

 

“…”

 

Fu Yuhan finally remembered where he’d heard this bar’s name before.

 

Blue Encounter… this seemed to be a gay bar.

 

Although Fu Yuhan’s sexual orientation wasn’t exactly straight, apart from Wen Yu, he really hadn’t met any other “kindred spirits” in all his years, and he’d never been to this kind of place.

 

He suddenly felt a bit awkward, just wanting to quickly pick up the person, send him back and settle him so he could retreat successfully.

 

At the end of the corridor was an upward staircase. After turning two corners, at about the third floor height, you could see a wooden door with glass, with dim yellow light inside.

 

Fu Yuhan followed Boss Chen all the way up. Opening the door, he saw Wen Yu sleeping with his head on the wooden table.

 

The room was decorated compactly and warmly, full of Gypsy-style decorations at first glance. Only one man sat by the wooden table, quite far from Wen Yu. After Boss Chen entered, he walked to that man’s side and openly embraced him.

 

Having already figured out this was a gay bar, Fu Yuhan didn’t have any particular reaction to this scene.

 

The situation was better than Fu Yuhan had imagined. At least Wen Yu wasn’t drowning his sorrows in the environment downstairs—this looked more like friends having drinks together—

 

He just didn’t know why he had to get so drunk.

 

Chen Feifan leaned against his boyfriend, squinting and yawning again, waving his hand: “I’m sleepy, you guys leave quickly. With him lying here, I can’t even go in to sleep.”

 

“What happened to him?” Fu Yuhan thought and asked, “Didn’t I hear he could really drink… how did he end up like this?”

 

“You’ve never drunk with him?” Chen Feifan raised an eyebrow, smiled, and pointed at the seven empty whiskey bottles on the table. “His alcohol tolerance is pretty good, but… look, we two probably shared about three-quarters of a bottle, and he drank all the rest by himself.”

 

“…” Fu Yuhan was speechless. “Why drink so much for no reason…”

 

“Who knows? Probably has something sad on his mind. He started drinking alone as soon as he got here, won’t say anything when asked.”

 

Chen Feifan spoke while observing Fu Yuhan’s reaction.

 

Fu Yuhan didn’t notice; he was still looking at how to carry Wen Yu away—drunk people were a bit heavy, he’d probably have to carry him.

 

Hearing Chen Feifan’s words, he unconsciously muttered: “He seemed fine during the day…”

 

Chen Feifan smiled and didn’t respond, asking him: “Can you manage? How about I help you get him downstairs first—once you get a taxi downstairs it’ll be easier. But you’ll still have to trouble yourself to help him upstairs when you get to his place.” He nudged his boyfriend. “Lao Lu, help out.”

 

“Thanks then.” Fu Yuhan said.

 

Lao Lu quickly stood up.

 

Chen Feifan was probably really tired, curling up on the sofa, watching his boyfriend and Fu Yuhan carry the unconscious drunk Wen Yu out.

 

After ten-some… maybe twenty-some minutes, Lao Lu came back from outside, closed the door, and locked it.

 

“Was it okay to call that kid over?” Lao Lu still looked back, even though there was no one at the door anymore. “I can see Xiao Qi hasn’t figured things out himself yet. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to forcibly push him? Didn’t you see, when they were getting in the car just now, that kid wanted to put Xiao Qi in the front seat, but Xiao Qi was clinging to his neck and wouldn’t let him go—”

 

Chen Feifan had an unlit cigarette in his mouth and laughed for a long time when he heard this: “And then?”

 

“Then they had to sit in the back seat together.” Lao Lu shook his head. “Xiao Qi is such a proud person, if he knew…”

 

“What’s the problem?” Chen Feifan smiled with squinted eyes. “He should thank me when he wakes up… isn’t being drunk the perfect time for something to happen?”

 

“What could happen when he’s that drunk?” Lao Lu said helplessly.

 

“Isn’t it good to let the kid take care of him? Where is your mind going?” Chen Feifan rolled his eyes at him, then curved his lips in a somewhat roguish smile. “Besides, I called him over because I wanted to see for myself… with Xiao Qi’s high standards, what kind of kid did he fall for?”

 

“So? Did you figure anything out?” Lao Lu sat down beside him, casually pulling him into his arms. “The person seems pretty clean, looks good too, but I didn’t see anything special.”

 

Chen Feifan shook his head: “He matches Xiao Qi quite well.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Those two,” Chen Feifan said, “are the same type of people deep down.”

 

“You can tell that too?” Lao Lu raised an eyebrow.

 

“Trust me.” Chen Feifan leaned against him a bit more.

 

“Sleep if you’re tired.”

 

“Mm… what about you?”

 

“I’m awake now, I’ll keep you company, it’s fine.”

 

“Okay.”

 

…

 

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)