WBAI Chapter 82 Extra 1

T/N: Mild NSFW Alert.

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Xie Anyu opened his eyes, picked up his phone from beside his pillow, and glanced at it.

There were still two minutes until midnight.

Usually, he would be asleep by this hour, but today was special. After midnight, it would be Yu Feng’s birthday.

Beside him, Yu Feng’s breathing was slow and steady. Xie An’yu kept his eyes open, waiting for those two minutes to pass.

A moment later, the time on his phone screen changed to “00:00.” Xie An’yu turned his head and whispered into Yu Feng’s ear, “Brother.”

“Happy Birthday.”

His voice was soft—he hadn’t intended to wake Yu Feng, just wanted to say ‘Happy birthday’ right at the stroke of midnight, to be the first person to wish him.

Xie An’yu kissed Yu Feng’s cheek, and Yu Feng’s eyelids fluttered as he woke up.

Yu Feng was a light sleeper; he had already been semi-awake when Xie An’yu spoke by his ear. He turned his head and murmured softly, “Thank you, Baby.”

Xie An’yu usually went to sleep at ten o’clock, but tonight he had forced himself to stay awake until now just to say ‘Happy Birthday’.

Yu Feng asked him: “Have you been awake this whole time?”

Xie An’yu hummed in affirmation and lowered his voice: “Sorry for waking you.”

“If I hadn’t woken up, how could I hear you say ‘Happy Birthday’?”

“Happy Birthday, Brother,” Xie An’yu repeated.

Yu Feng rolled over and pulled Xie An’yu into his arms, saying, “Thank you.”

“Are you sleepy now?” Yu Feng asked Xie An’yu.

“Not really.”

“Neither am I.”

Xie An’yu glanced up at him.

Yu Feng added, “Since we’re not sleepy, let’s do something else.”

What that something was went without saying.

“Mm…”

Yu Feng turned on the bedside lamp, stroking Xie An’yu’s head as he said, “The birthday boy wants to lie down today. Is that okay?”

Xie An’yu didn’t immediately grasp the meaning: “…What do you mean?”

“Ride me. Play by yourself.”

***

The bedside lamp was small, casting only a faint glow. Yu Feng was born in winter, and although the weather had already turned chilly, the indoor heating made it very warm and cozy. Xie An’yu closed his eyes, his breathing unstable, and his forehead already damp with sweat.

Yu Feng held his waist and asked, “Tired?”

Xie An’yu opened his eyes and shook his head, his breath ragged as he spoke. “Didn’t you want to do it by the bay window—shall we go?”

They were currently in the master bedroom, which had a small balcony but no bay window. They would have to go to the second bedroom.

“Then we’ll have to change locations,” Yu Feng said.

Xie An’yu rested his hands on Yu Feng’s lower abdomen and nodded: “Change…”

Yu Feng suddenly sat up, wrapping his arms around Xie An’yu’s waist. Xie An’yu let out a muffled groan, his Adam’s apple trembling.

“Just like this?” Yu Feng asked.

Xie An’yu wrapped his arms around Yu Feng’s neck and asked, “Can you walk while holding me like this?”

Yu Feng chuckled softly. “We can try.”

Yu Feng lifted Xie An’yu’s legs and scooped him up, carrying him toward the second bedroom while continuing what they were doing.

The bay window was a good spot—though the space was narrow, its compactness had its advantages.

It was late at night, and the world outside was pitch black, but Yu Feng thoughtfully drew the curtains anyway. Xie An’yu knelt on the bay window ledge, his forehead pressed against the cold glass through the curtain, his warm breath fogging the windowpane with a layer of white mist.

“Do you like it?” Yu Feng asked from behind him, his fingers gently tracing his shoulder blades.

Sweat dripped down Xie An’yu’s forehead, falling onto his eyelashes. He blinked, his consciousness hazy as he murmured, “I like it.”

***

Winter had arrived, and the bed was especially cozy, making it easy to linger in the mornings. Xie An’yu rarely skipped his morning run, but today was an exception—mainly because they had stayed up too late the night before—the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak[mfn]心有餘而力不足 (xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú): the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; to be unable to do what one wants very much to do; to have the ambition but lack the ability; the will is there, but not the strength; have the will but not the strength; willing but unable; desire exceeds ability; heart willing but strength lacking; he heart is willing but the strength is insufficient; describes a strong subjective desire that cannot be realized due to objective limitations.[/mfn].

Yu Feng had to go to the studio today to reshoot a set of photos, so he still got up on time. He rolled over to grab his phone, and squinted at the time. There were many birthday wishes displayed on the screen. He opened them to reply one by one, thanking each sender. Zhou Yi’s messages were buried at the very bottom—he had been the first to send birthday wishes and had even included a generous red envelope.

Zhou Yi: 【Happy Birthday】

Zhou Yi: 【Congrats】

Zhou Yi: 【You’re thirty now】

Yu Feng accepted the red envelope and replied: 【Thanks, you’re almost there too】

Zhou Yi quickly responded: 【Didn’t expect to miss your thirtieth birthday. Feeling a bit regretful that I can’t witness you turning thirty in person】

Yu Feng wasn’t in the habit of celebrating birthdays. In the past, he’d just have a meal with Zhou Yi to mark the occasion. Zhou Yi had been away attending a teaching conference and couldn’t make it back.

Zhou Yi: 【I’ll definitely, absolutely, will not miss your eightieth birthday】

Yu Feng: 【You’d better live that long first】

Zhou Yi: 【Don’t curse me】

When Yu Feng returned to the room after washing his face, he saw Xie An’yu holding a large gift bag.

Xie An’yu handed it to him: “Birthday gift.”

“Giving it now?” Yu Feng took the bag. “Not waiting until dinner tonight?”

“Couldn’t wait.”

“Should I open it now?”

Xie An’yu nodded.

The bag was quite heavy. Yu Feng untied the silk ribbon on top—inside was a black, long wool coat that carried a faint, pleasant scent.

Yu Feng glanced at Xie An’yu: “This must’ve been expensive, right?”

Xie An’yu said: “I have money.”

Yu Feng smiled.

“Do you like it?”

“I like it,” Yu Feng unfolded the coat. “You knew my size?”

They slept in the same bed every night, hugging and holding each other—it would be strange if he didn’t know.

“It’d be weird if I didn’t know,” Xie An’yu said.

Yu Feng chuckled and slipped the coat on. Because of his work, he usually wore casual clothes and rarely donned long coats like this in winter.

Underneath, Yu Feng wore a smoke-gray turtleneck sweater. With the coat over it, his demeanor instantly transformed. He was incredibly suited for this kind of mature style—Xie An’yu couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“Is it okay?” Yu Feng asked Xie An’yu.

Xie An’yu nodded: “It looks good.”

Yu Feng walked to the mirror to take a look and said, “You’ve got good taste.”

“You’d look good even in a burlap sack,” Xie An’yu said, glancing at Yu Feng’s reflection. “Brother, you look really handsome dressed like this.”

Yu Feng pulled a wool scarf out of the wardrobe and said, “Then I’ll try this style more often in the future.”

***

On his way to the company, Yu Feng received a call from his mom.

“Happy birthday,” Wang Minying said over the phone.

“Thank you, Teacher Wang.”

Wang Minying clicked her tongue lightly: “Can you stop being glib?”

Yu Feng chuckled and didn’t reply

“How are you celebrating your birthday today?”

“With Xiao Xie,” Yu Feng said. “I booked a restaurant.”

“Just the two of you?”

“Mhm, two people’s world.”

Wang Minying hummed in acknowledgment: “I’ll order you a cake. Send me the restaurant address later.”

“Alright.”

“What flavor do you want?”

“Chocolate.”

“Since when did you like chocolate?”

“Xiao Xie likes it.”

Wang Minying fell silent for a moment, then said: “Don’t get too deeply invested in anything. Keep your expectations at the lowest level so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Yu Feng placed too much importance on Xie An’yu—his heart and eyes were full of him, thinking of him even in the smallest matters, as if he had become the entire foundation of his life.

If anything were to change in the future, she feared Yu Feng would get hurt.

Yu Feng actually understood what his mother was implying, but he still asked: “What do you mean?”

“I mean don’t make him your entire focus. Pay some attention to yourself when appropriate.”

Yu Feng caught her meaning—his mother was worried he was becoming lovesick.

“I do pay attention to myself.”

Truth be told, it was only after meeting Xie An’yu that he gradually learned to care about himself.

“As long as you understand what I mean.”

“Mm, I understand.”

Yu Feng wore the new coat Xie An’yu had given him when he went out. The moment he arrived at the company, his rate of turning heads was two hundred percent. With the coat and scarf, he looked refined and elegant, walking with an air of confidence. Since this wasn’t his usual style, everyone found it quite novel.

Yu Feng had lunch at the company cafeteria. As he was leaving, the front desk staff called out to him. The young woman smiled faintly: “Teacher Yu, there’s something for you.”

Yu Feng walked over. The young woman took out a bouquet from under the counter—a pale blue arrangement featuring blue hydrangeas as the main flowers, complemented by lisianthus as the accent[mfn]T/N: Something like this:
[/mfn]. The colors were very fresh.

During lunch hour, with people coming and going at the company entrance, the front desk girl holding such a beautiful bouquet attracted curious glances from passersby.

“Who sent it?”

“Not sure. It was delivered by a florist.”

Yu Feng took the bouquet and opened the card tucked inside—

[Happy birthday. May you have peace year after year.]

The card wasn’t signed, but beneath the words was a simple drawing of a chubby, adorable cartoon puppy.

There was no need to wonder who sent the flowers now. With such a cute signature, who else could it be?

Carrying the bouquet upstairs, his rate of turning heads wasn’t just two hundred percent anymore—it must have doubled.

***

Liang Huaiyu’s studio was located in a very quiet area. Aside from some old friends who would visit, outsiders could hardly find this place. Xie An’yu sat at the workbench, unaware of the footsteps in the courtyard. It wasn’t until someone entered the room that he heard voices from the front hall.

“Uncle.”

“You’re off work quite early today,” Liang Huaiyu said.

Qiu Mengchang chuckled: “How could I be off work at this hour? I had a major surgery yesterday and only got home this morning. I’m resting this afternoon.”

Qiu Mengchang had come to pick up something for his mother. His mother had an old friend who particularly liked wood carvings. Since that friend’s birthday was approaching, his mother had commissioned Liang Huaiyu to create a custom wood carving piece.

Liang Huaiyu rarely accepted custom orders—his works were typically auctioned off at exhibitions. Qiu Mengchang wasn’t aware of this, but when he first brought up the matter with Liang Huaiyu, the latter agreed without hesitation.

“I’ll have Xiaoyang carry the piece out to your car in a bit. Sit down and have a cup of tea with me.”

Qiu Mengchang smiled. “Alright.”

Liang Huaiyu glanced at the clock on the wall and said, “You’ll be able to go home for dinner soon. Is Liang Tong coming over later too?”

“Yes, he should be here shortly.”

“He never visits me on ordinary days, but the moment you’re here, he moves swiftly.” Liang Huaiyu handed him a teacup. “Try this.”

Qiu Mengchang took a sip with a smile and glanced toward the workshop in the back. “Do you have a new person at the studio?”

Liang Huaiyu nodded. “A talented young fellow. I took a liking to him, so I decided to take him on.”

Xie An’yu heard his master call out from outside, “Xiao Yu, take a break. Come out and have some tea.”

Xie An’yu checked his phone—it was almost five o’clock. Yu Feng would be coming to pick him up soon. He responded and walked to the front hall.

A man was sitting on the sofa, and at first glance, his appearance was exceptionally striking.

Liang Huaiyu introduced, “This is Xiao Xie, Xie An’yu. This is Dr. Qiu.”

Qiu Mengchang gave Xie An’yu a slight smile: “Hello.”

Xie An’yu nodded: “Hello.”

Liang Huaiyu glanced at Xie An’yu. “It’s almost time to clock out. Take off your apron and leave the work for tomorrow. Sit down, have some tea, and rest.”

Xie An’yu hummed in agreement, went back inside to remove his apron, and tidied up the table a bit.

***

Yu Feng had just parked his car when a Rolls-Royce suddenly pulled up next to him. He got out of the car, and the the person driving the Rolls-Royce stepped out as well. This person was a chauffeur. He walked around to the back seat and opened the door. The owner of the car was a very young man. After getting out, he glanced at Yu Feng, his expression cool and detached.

Yu Feng took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Xie An’yu. When he looked up, he saw the man walking into the courtyard.

Xie An’yu stood up upon receiving Yu Feng’s message. “Master, I’ll be leaving now.”

“What’s the matter? Do you have something to attend to?”

“Someone is waiting for me outside.”

“Yu Feng?”

“Mm.”

“Alright, go on.”

Xie An’yu had met Liang Tong a few times and knew he was Liang Huaiyu’s son. As they passed each other, Xie An’yu politely greeted him, “Brother Tong.”

The first time Xie An’yu addressed Liang Tong this way, Liang Huaiyu nearly laughed himself breathless. Xie An’yu wasn’t sure how else to address him—Liang Tong was older than him, and aside from ‘Brother’, any other form of address would have been inappropriate. Fortunately, Liang Tong’s reaction wasn’t as exaggerated as his master’s, so Xie An’yu continued using the term.

Liang Tong nodded at Xie An’yu in greeting. Without exchanging a word, Xie An’yu walked out. Yu Feng stood by the car, wearing an elegant overcoat with a wool scarf draped around his neck and gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose—he was incredibly handsome.

“Quite a crowd here today,” Yu Feng remarked.

“My master’s son came over, along with his… friend.” Xie An’yu asked Yu Feng, “Did you get the flowers?”

“Yes, they’re beautiful.” Yu Feng habitually reached out and gently touched the back of Xie An’yu’s neck. “Thanks to you, I’ve been floating on cloud nine all day.”

Xie An’yu chuckled softly.

Yu Feng had just turned thirty today. It would be another eleven years before Xie An’yu reached that age.

Time was not romantic—it was actually quite cruel.

Fortunately, starting from now, from the very second he met Xie An’yu, while their time flowed away, it also began to intertwine.

“Brother, happy birthday. May you have peace year after year.”

Both Qiu Mengchang and Liang Tong is the main characters in another novel by the same author; 越界, Crossing the Boundary.

[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Extra 1″]
歲歲平安 (suì suì píng ān): may you have peace year after year (New Year’s greeting); there be peace all year round; may you have peace and safety every year.

說不過去 (shuō bu guò qù): to be unable to explain away; cannot justify morally; inexcusable; be unjustifiable; be unreasonable; be indefensible; be untenable; one is indebted to or unable to explain oneself in terms of reason or morality; unacceptable to one’s sense of propriety of justice.

人來人往 (rén lái rén wǎng): people are hurrying to and fro; an excited coming and going of people; many people coming and going; people are coming and going; people come and go continuously; also describes being busy with social activities.
[/dropdown]

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