LHKE Ch40

“Hey, Shen Xiao Li!”

A deep, resonant male voice came from the other end of the phone. Shen Li, still groggy from his afternoon nap, glanced at the caller ID before smiling and responding, “Du Heng, what made you think of calling me today?”

“I’ll be heading back to S City soon. Just wanted to give you a call and reconnect before I end up homeless on the streets.”

“Back to S City?” Shen Li first felt a hint of joy, but then his brow furrowed slightly. “Is it for work?”

“What work? I’m in a 996 job.” Du Heng laughed cheekily. “I quit. Isn’t that cool?”

Du Heng worked for a gaming company in B City, a well-known name in the industry. Although the overtime was long, the salary and benefits were pretty good. He had been with the company since he graduated, working his way up from a junior tech position to team leader. Quitting so suddenly made it seem like something was up.

Shen Li knew Du Heng probably didn’t want to talk about it now, so he didn’t press. He just laughed and said, “That’s classic Heng-ge, truly cool.”

“What day are you coming? I’ll pick you up,” Shen Li asked. “And where are you staying?”

Du Heng’s family lived in a nearby county, which would be inconvenient for commuting. Plus, his mother passed away early, and he didn’t have a great relationship with his father, so going home wasn’t an option.

“I’ll be there on the 5th of next month,” Du Heng said. “I’ve looked at a few places, but since I’m still in B City, I was hoping you could check them out for me. Let me know which one you think is good, and I’ll lock it in as a short-term rental. That way, I won’t end up on the streets when I get back.”

Since he’d quit his job and wanted to take a break before finding a new one, Du Heng couldn’t move into his own place yet since it wasn’t renovated. He’d need a short-term rental in the meantime.

Shen Li quickly agreed, “Send me the addresses and the landlords’ contacts, and I’ll check them out for you.”

“I’ll send them to you on WeChat,” Du Heng added. “Oh, and I’ve got some stuff to bring back from B City. Can I ship it to your place and store it there for a couple of days?”

“I’ll send you the address later,” Shen Li explained. “I’ve been staying at my boyfriend’s place recently.”

Du Heng knew Shen Li’s home address, but since Shen Li was living with Lu Changting and Cheng Zhao was at school, there’d be no one at home to receive the packages.

Du Heng chuckled. “I was just about to ask. From your WeChat posts, I figured you were dating someone.”

Recently, Shen Li had been posting a lot about his daily life with Lu Changting, though he hadn’t posted any pictures showing his face. Besides, the Lu Changting of their teenage years was quite different from the man he was now, so Du Heng hadn’t connected the dots. He was just happy Shen Li had moved on and found new love.

“Yeah,” Shen Li smiled. “I’m dating someone.”

Du Heng laughed heartily, congratulating him, “Congratulations! When I get back, we have to meet up. I’ll treat you both to dinner!”

Shen Li felt a little helpless at Du Heng’s protective attitude but also couldn’t help wondering how Du Heng would react when he found out that the person Shen Li was dating was Lu Changting. The thought of seeing his surprised face made him look forward to it.

“Alright,” Shen Li agreed with a laugh, “when you get back.”

That evening, Shen Li told Lu Changting about Du Heng quitting his job and returning to S City. Lu Changting was a bit surprised.

The air conditioner was on in the room, but the two of them were standing on the balcony, enjoying the breeze. The crescent moon hung among sparse trees, and the cool moonlight, coupled with the gentle night breeze, dispelled some of the lingering summer heat.

After a long day of work, this was Lu Changting’s time to relax. He lit a cigarette, the glow at the tip flickering like a tiny star, and the scent of tobacco wafted away with the wind.

“Wasn’t Du Heng doing well in B City?”

“He was doing fine before,” Shen Li replied thoughtfully. “But he’d already planned to return to S City in a couple of years. This just moved up the timeline.”

Otherwise, Du Heng wouldn’t have bought a property in S City at the end of last year. He always intended to return.

Lu Changting didn’t ask further. “When are you planning to check out the places for him? Want me to go with you?”

“This weekend, probably,” Shen Li said. “I’ve got time, so I’ll check them out early. That way, if none of them are good, we’ll still have time to find something else.”

He added, “No need to come. You should enjoy your rare time off.”

Lu Changting gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re certainly putting a lot of effort into this.”

Shen Li caught the slight jealousy in his tone and burst out laughing. “Back in high school, he looked out for me.”

Shen Li had been introverted in high school. At an age when boys typically hung out in groups, he was often alone, buried in his studies. Isolated and shy, he’d also harbored feelings for Lu Changting that he couldn’t express. His self-doubt and difficulty fitting in made him seem aloof to his classmates. Only Du Heng, with his open and straightforward nature, would speak to him.

Du Heng had been close to Lu Changting in high school and had noticed all those “coincidental” encounters Shen Li had with him. Over time, he pieced together Shen Li’s hidden feelings. But he never brought it up, understanding that it was a sensitive secret best kept under wraps. In the years that followed, Du Heng had even tried to persuade Shen Li to let go. Shen Li knew his love was hard, but giving it up would have meant tearing his heart out. Love was painful, and not loving was equally painful. It was a bitter burden he had to bear alone.

Perhaps the heavens, seeing how much suffering he had endured in life, showed mercy and fulfilled his long-held wish.

Shen Li thought to himself that he should find time to return to the Temple of Yue Lao to repay the vow he made.

While Shen Li was thinking about the past, so was Lu Changting.

Friendships during school days are easily forged—a basketball game, a shared meal, and after exchanging names and class information, they were friends.

He couldn’t remember how many basketball games he had played with Du Heng, but he did remember that Du Heng always brought him water. He also remembered that one of Du Heng’s basketballs was confiscated while in his possession, so later, he gifted Du Heng a basketball for his birthday. However, he never saw Du Heng use it.

Back then, when they would hang out and chat, Du Heng would talk about how he wanted to study computer science and make video games. He even joked about how, when Lu Changting inherited his family business, he should invest in him. What did he say back then? He said that inheriting a family business sounded exhausting and that he just wanted to open a bar, gather friends together, and drink without anyone urging him to stop or judging him if he got drunk. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful life?

In the end, he did inherit the family business… but Du Heng did study computer science and ended up making video games.

Lu Changting bit down on his cigarette and exhaled deeply.

Still, he managed to find a boyfriend who owns a bar, so if he wants to drink or gather friends, he can do so anytime. In that sense, he is living the life he once dreamed of.

Nostalgia easily stirs a person’s emotions, and Lu Changting chuckled in understanding. “On the 5th, I’ll come with you to pick him up.”

Over the weekend, Shen Li went to check out the short-term rental places Du Heng had selected. One location had both a good environment and excellent conditions. The landlord, a woman in her thirties, left a positive impression on Shen Li during their brief conversation. The apartment was tidy, fully furnished, and the balcony even had some potted aloe and cacti.

It was a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment near a university. It was about a ten-minute walk to the subway station, with a 24-hour grocery store and a pharmacy nearby. Since Du Heng wasn’t in a rush to find a new job, this place seemed ideal for him to stay for a while and rest.

After visiting, Shen Li sent Du Heng some photos and descriptions of the surrounding area, and afterward, he went to the university to see Cheng Zhao and had a meal with her.

That evening, Du Heng replied, saying he had decided to rent the apartment near the university. He then asked Shen Li if he could go pick up the keys from the landlord the next day.

Shen Li agreed, thinking that once he had the keys and Du Heng’s belongings arrived, he’d move them into the apartment and buy some basic supplies so that Du Heng wouldn’t be missing anything when he returned.

Coincidentally, Jiang Chifeng was at the bar that evening. Wei Wenxing was away on a business trip, and since Jiang was bored at home alone, he had come to find Shen Li for a drink.

However, Shen Li kept pausing to reply to Du Heng’s messages, making Jiang feel a bit neglected.

Jiang Chifeng assumed Shen Li was chatting with Lu Changting, so he teased in a mock-serious tone, “I never knew you were so clingy, Shen Xiao Li.”

Shen Li responded, “… I’m talking to Du Heng. He’s coming back to S City.”

Jiang Chifeng knew of Du Heng through Shen Li, having met him a few times. Though they weren’t close, he knew that Du Heng had been Shen Li’s good friend for many years. So, Jiang didn’t continue his teasing and casually asked, “Is he on a business trip?”

“No,” Shen Li said. “He quit his job and plans to move back.”

“S City is great,” Jiang Chifeng replied. “Why’d he ever go to B City?”

Wei Wenxing had also gone to B City on a business trip. Separated by mountains and rivers, it was easy to miss someone.

Shen Li smiled. “When your heart is tied here, no matter how far you go, you’ll always come back.”