WBAI Chapter 38

Tomorrow is Xie An’yu’s birthday. Yu Feng only remembered when he saw the date on his phone while lying in bed preparing to sleep. He had seen Xie An’yu’s ID before and had an impression of his birthday.

Xie An’yu’s aunt suddenly called him over for dinner tomorrow, probably to celebrate his birthday.

Before going to bed, Yu Feng also received a WeChat message from Sheng Tao, saying the old phone had been repaired.

After so long without news, Yu Feng had thought it was beyond saving.

Yu Feng asked Sheng Tao on WeChat: 【What about the data inside?】

Sheng Tao: 【Not lost. There wasn’t much in there anyway—just call logs, texts from 10086[mfn]10086: 10086 is the customer service hotline number for China Mobile, one of the largest mobile network operators in mainland China. This number is widely recognized and frequently used by customers to inquire about services, resolve issues, or seek assistance with their mobile accounts. In online contexts, particularly in gaming communities or chat platforms, mentioning 10086 may refer to Chinese players, as it is a number deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and daily life.[/mfn], and two photos】

Yu Feng: 【Thanks. I’ll pick it up tomorrow】

Sheng Tao: 【So, pretty much a miracle, right?】

Yu Feng: 【Mm, I’ll send you a commendation banner later】

Sheng Tao: 【[Smile] A real one?】

Yu Feng: 【The banner comes with Grandpa Mao】

Sheng Tao: 【Forget it, no need to trouble yourself. Just Grandpa Mao will do】

Yu Feng asked how much it cost, and Sheng Tao gave him a fair price. Yu Feng transferred the money via WeChat, but Sheng Tao didn’t accept it immediately, saying he’d wait until Yu Feng inspected the phone the next day.

***

Xie An’yu still spent his days doing various part-time jobs—all temporary, daily-wage work. Once today’s job was done, he could find another one tomorrow. Though gig work was unstable, it offered flexibility, allowing him to drop everything if a higher-paying opportunity came up.

Jiang Ting would arrange specific shooting schedules for 《Charm》, and Xie An’yu only needed to wait for her notifications.

Today, Xie An’yu had some free time and picked up two cat-sitting jobs from a WeChat group. Aside from feeding the cats, he also had to pet them for their owners—one in the morning, one in the afternoon, keeping his schedule packed.

The pet cats were all very gentle and friendly. After feeding both of them, Xie An’yu’s clothes were covered in fur by the end of the day. He went home, took a shower, and changed his clothes before taking the subway to his aunt’s house.

His aunt’s house was quite far from the city center. Xie An’yu had to transfer twice and rode the subway for an hour to get there.

He stopped by a gift shop and picked out a large strawberry bear plush for Wu Meng. He wasn’t sure what girls her age liked, but he remembered most of the items in Wu Meng’s room were pink and soft—she probably liked the color.

It had been too long since he last visited. It was impossible to say his feelings hadn’t changed at all. Xie An’yu stood at the door holding the bear for a long moment before finally ringing the bell.

Hurried footsteps sounded from inside. The door opened, and Wu Meng peeked out, half her face visible.

“Cousin,” Wu Meng said in a very soft voice, clinging to the door. She was still as shy as before, but her eyes were smiling.

Xie An’yu smiled and handed her the strawberry bear. “Happy birthday.”

Wu Meng’s eyes lit up. She took the bear with a hint of surprise and said in a small voice, “Thank you, cousin.”

Wu Jie walked over from behind her and grinned at Xie An’yu, raising an eyebrow. “Long time no see.”

“Long time no see.”

“Wu Meng, don’t block the door. Let your brother in,” Wu Jie called from inside.

“Oh, oh.” Wu Meng quickly stepped aside.

Xie An’yu stepped into the house. Xie Li’s voice came from the kitchen. “Is that An’yu?”

“It’s him,” Wu Jie answered, heading toward the kitchen.

Xie Li quickly set down what she was doing, wiping her hands on her apron, and instructed Wu Jie, “Help me chop these water bamboo shoots.”

“An’yu’s here?” Uncle Wu came over from the living room and looked Xie An’yu up and down. “Have you grown taller again?”

“Uncle,” Xie An’yu greeted him.

Wu Guosheng responded with a cheerful ‘Hey!’ His complexion looked much better than before, and he appeared more energetic.

Wu Meng, hugging her teddy bear, whispered, “I think he’s taller too.”

Wu Guosheng glanced at the stuffed animal in Wu Meng’s hands and asked Xie An’yu, “Did you buy that for her?”

“Mm.”

“Ah, what are you spending money for? It’s enough that you came.”

“An’yu.” Xie Li walked over and immediately embraced Xie An’yu. He was so tall that she had to stand on tiptoe just to barely reach his shoulders.

Xie Li rested her head against Xie An’yu’s arm, sniffled, and nearly cried. “Good, you haven’t lost weight.”

Xie An’yu patted her back gently. “Auntie, I’m doing fine.”

Xie Li let go of him and gave his arm a few light punches. “You refused to tell me where you were staying, insisted on disappearing, made me worry sick!”

“Oh, Mom,” Wu Jie interjected, stepping out of the kitchen to intervene. “Why bring that up now? An’yu already said he’s doing well.”

“Lao Wu, go finish cooking. I want to talk with An’yu for a bit,” Xie Li said to Wu Guosheng.

“Alright, alright, you chat with the kid.” Wu Guosheng said as he walked toward the kitchen.

“Should I stir-fry the water bamboo or make soup with it?”

“Make soup! Can’t you see I’ve already started stewing the ribs?”

Wu Guosheng nodded repeatedly. “Got it, got it…”

Wu Meng skipped back to her room, still clutching her strawberry bear. Wu Jie went to the kitchen to help her dad, while Xie Li pulled Xie An’yu into the living room, bursting with things to say but unsure where to start.

Xie An’yu spoke first. “Auntie, are you and Uncle in good health?”

“We’re perfectly fine. Can’t you see I’ve put on some weight?”

Xie An’yu smiled. “Not really, I can’t tell.”

“Where are you staying now?”

“A friend’s place.”

“What friend? That high school classmate of yours?”

“No.”

Guo Tianyang was busy with his studies. After Zhai Jing left Beicheng, he had visited Xie An’yu once, but they rarely kept in touch after that. At the time, Guo Tianyang had wanted to help him look for affordable rentals again, but by then, Xie An’yu was already staying at Yu Feng’s place.

“He’s a friend I met here—a really good person. I’m staying at his place for now and paying rent every month.”

Xie Li nodded, relieved. “That’s good… What are you doing now? You mentioned before that you mostly take odd jobs. Do you have enough money?”

Xie Li had once transferred Xie An’yu 2,000 yuan[mfn]T/N: Around 278 USD[/mfn] via WeChat—the only way she could send him money—but he returned it, saying he had work and could support himself.

“It’s enough. Don’t worry about me. I really am doing fine now.”

Looking at Xie An’yu, Xie Li felt a pang of guilt. “I was the one who asked you to come to Beicheng, but I didn’t help you at all.”

“Even if you hadn’t told me to come to Beicheng, I would’ve left the island eventually,” Xie An’yu said. “I would have left that place sooner or later.”

Xie An’yu gently rubbed her arm. “Today is Wu Meng’s birthday. Don’t look so upset on a happy occasion. Cheer up.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. No more dwelling on the past.”

A person’s physical and mental state can’t be faked. Xie An’yu’s complexion was noticeably rosier than before, and Xie Li believed he must genuinely be doing well now.

Actually, today wasn’t Wu Meng’s birthday—her real birthday was still three days away. But since she’d been boarding at school since last month and needed to return tomorrow for Monday classes, they celebrated early.

This meal was more harmonious and relaxed than any previous dinner at his aunt’s house. Returning to this home as a guest, Xie An’yu found everyone had shed their burdens and become more at ease.

***

In the afternoon, Yu Feng went to the electronics market to retrieve Xie An’yu’s old flip phone. As Sheng Tao had mentioned, aside from some call logs and text messages, there were only two photos stored on it.

The most recent photo was of a smartphone. Yu Feng remembered this photo—back when he was still chatting with Xie An’yu online as Xiao Zhou, Xie An’yu had used his old phone to take a picture of his new smartphone and then used the smartphone to take a picture of the flip phone’s screen to send to him.

The other photo was of Xie An’yu with an elderly woman—undoubtedly his grandmother.

This was the only photo of Xie An’yu and his grandmother on the old phone. The low-resolution image showed the two leaning their heads together, smiling warmly. Judging by their poses, his grandmother must have been the one holding up the phone to take the picture.

Since Xie An’yu had plans today, their hotpot gathering was postponed. Yu Feng called him from his car, saying he was off work and would swing by his aunt’s place to pick him up.

Xie An’yu hadn’t intended for Yu Feng to come, but Xie Li overheard the call. Guessing the person on the other end was the kind friend Xie An’yu had mentioned and tipsy from drinking, she insisted Xie An’yu invite him over to have a piece of birthday cake.

Xie An’yu had no choice. Yu Feng was planning to go pick him up anyway, so he drove directly to Xie Li’s house.

When Yu Feng arrived, Xie An’yu answered the door. Xie Li hurried out from the living room.

“Auntie,” Yu Feng greeted her politely.

“Oh, hello, hello,” Xie Li said, warmly shaking Yu Feng’s hand and pulling him inside. “Come in and sit down.”

“No, thank you, Auntie. I just stopped by to pick up Xie An’yu on my way. I still have some work to finish, so I need to go home and get it done.”

In this regard, Yu Feng was a bit like Xie An’yu—he maintained deliberate distance with strangers, unlike Zhou Yi who could chat effortlessly with anyone. This was true even if this person was Xie An’yu’s aunt.

“Oh, why did you come to pick him up then? Isn’t this delaying your work? I could’ve had Lao Wu take him back.”

“It’s no trouble—the detour wasn’t far.”

“Then, please take a piece of cake with you,” Xie Li said before turning back into the house. Xie An’yu couldn’t stop her in time.

“My aunt had too much to drink,” Xie An’yu explained to Yu Feng. “She’s being unusually excitable today—normally she’s not like this.”

“I can tell,” Yu Feng said, nodding as he looked at Xie An’yu. “How was your meal today? Was the blender working as usual?”

“It doesn’t always activate,” Xie An’yu replied with a laugh.

Xie An’yu’s tone was very cheerful. It seemed like the birthday celebration had gone well.

As they were talking, Xie Li walked over holding a disposable food container with a large, neatly cut slice of cake inside, adorned with several bright red strawberries.

Yu Feng was slightly taken aback when he saw the cake.

“Here, take this cake with you,” Xie Li said, clearly having had a bit too much to drink. Normally, she would never serve guests with leftover cake from her own family—at most, she’d cut a few slices for the neighbors before anyone had touched it.

Yu Feng took the cake from Xie Li’s hands. “Thank you, Auntie.”

“Then, Auntie, we’ll be heading off now,” Xie An’yu said.

“Alright, alright. Take care on your way.”

As they descended the stairs, Xie An’yu turned to Yu Feng. “Brother, give me the cake. You don’t have to eat it.”

“Isn’t it your birthday today?” Yu Feng suddenly asked.

Xie An’yu froze mid-step and turned to look at him.

Yu Feng glanced at the cake in the container. He had initially thought Xie An’yu’s aunt had invited him over to celebrate Xie An’yu’s birthday, but the cake had pink frosting with frilly decorations—clearly meant for a girl.

No matter how careless Xie An’yu’s aunt might be, she wouldn’t have specifically bought a girly cake for him, especially when there were so many simple fruit cakes to choose from.

Yu Feng quickly put the pieces together. “They’re not celebrating your birthday?”

“Today’s my cousin’s birthday,” Xie An’yu said.

Yu Feng fell silent for a long time. The lights in the stairwell were motion-activated, and after a long moment of silence, the corridor suddenly plunged into darkness.

Before coming to Beicheng, Xie An’yu and his aunt hadn’t seen each other for over five or six years. It was normal for Xie Li not to remember Xie An’yu’s birthday.

What Xie An’yu hadn’t expected was that Wu Meng’s birthday was just three days apart from his, and the early celebration happened to fall on his actual birthday.

“Brother, how did you know today was my birthday?”

“I saw your ID card before. Don’t you remember?”

“You have such a good memory.”

The lights in the stairwell turned on again. Yu Feng took the repaired old phone out of his pocket and held it out to Xie An’yu.

“Happy birthday.”

Seeing the fully restored phone in Yu Feng’s hand, Xie An’yu was momentarily stunned. He looked up at Yu Feng, his eyes suddenly stinging.

After all this time, he had long given up hope.

Xie An’yu took the phone from Yu Feng’s hand. He stared at it blankly for a moment before quickly flipping through the photo album to check.

Thankfully, everything was still there.

“I didn’t have time to tie a ribbon around it—”

Before Yu Feng could finish his joke, Xie An’yu suddenly and unexpectedly pulled him into a tight embrace. The stairwell was narrow, and with that sudden embrace, they both almost lost their footing—one misstep and they could have tumbled down the stairs. Instinctively, Yu Feng steadied himself with one hand on Xie An’yu’s back.

“Thank you, Brother…” Xie An’yu wrapped his arms around Yu Feng’s neck, holding him very tight. His voice was low and hoarse as it resonated in Yu Feng’s ear. “This phone is really important to me.”

The hug was warm and sincere. In that moment of pure warmth, Yu Feng could feel Xie An’yu’s joy, and he was genuinely happy for him as well.

[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 38″]
妙手回春 (miào shǒu huí chūn): (of a doctor) to have superb medical skills and bring the dying back to life; magical hands bring the dying back to life (idiom); miracle cure; brilliant doctor; (of a doctor) effect a miraculous cure and bring the dying back to life; to praise a doctor for his medical skills and ability to cure a dying patient.

隨時隨地 (suí shí suí dì): at any given time and in any given place; anytime and anywhere; at any time and in any place.

完好無損 (wán hǎo wú sǔn): excellent and undamaged; intact; in good condition; unwounded; indicates that something remains intact and undamaged. This term is a positive term, often used to describe the state of physical preservation, the maintenance of abstract relationships, or the integrity of cultural relics.
[/dropdown]

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