Early morning, the sun rose from the east, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the mist, illuminating the room. Pei Hao struggled to open his eyes, paused for a few seconds, and gradually recalled some of the scenes from last night. His head still hurt. He sat up, rubbing his temples, and looked at the other half of the bed, which was empty, lost in thought.
Could yesterday have been another dream he had? Were all those words of affection he had spoken for a long time just a soliloquy that no one witnessed?
Pei Hao climbed down from the bed with his heavy head, walked to the window, and pulled the curtains open. A thin layer of mist hung over the city, and the air was damp.
"Bang!"
At that moment, a sound of something breaking came from outside. Pei Hao followed the sound.
Mo Xi was crouched in the kitchen, picking up broken glass. Hearing Pei Hao's footsteps, he looked up and shrugged apologetically. "Oops, I broke a bowl."
He had woken up early this morning, thinking he could make congee for Pei Hao to soothe his stomach. Unexpectedly, in his haste, he ended up sweeping the bowl off the table with his sleeve.
Pei Hao frowned, walking over to pull Mo Xi's hand away. "Don't touch the shards with your hands."
Especially the tiny fragments, which could easily cut his hand.
"It's fine," Mo Xi said in a hushed tone as he continued to pick up pieces. "There aren't any particularly small pieces."
In the time it took for him to speak, he picked up a larger piece, accidentally brushing his index finger against the sharpest edge, and it quickly cut through his skin, causing his finger to bleed.
Mo Xi: "..."
Seeing a tiny red streak on Mo Xi's fingertip, Pei Hao hurriedly grabbed the hand and put it in his mouth, gently sucking on it a few times. Mo Xi instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Pei Hao held it firmly, preventing any movement.
A moist, warm sensation spread from the fingertips, a tingling warmth that spread like ants from the palm throughout his body.
Though there was no affection or desire in this action, Mo Xi's heart went through a tumultuous experience. He dared not even look at Pei Hao until he finally released his hand. If he were to meet Pei Hao's tender gaze again, he might willingly lose himself and be unable to extricate himself.
"Be more careful next time," Pei Hao's full attention was on the wound. He didn't notice the subtle shift in Mo Xi's emotions. "Why use your hands when you have a broom?"
"Yeah," Mo Xi withdrew his hand while Pei Hao was speaking. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and he turned his face away, avoiding Pei Hao's gaze. He lowered his head and said, "I've made congee. Have some."
"First, let's put this on," Pei Hao said, wrapping a band-aid around Mo Xi's finger with great care.
The congee was plain millet porridge, but it had a special quality to it. Mo Xi always knew how to achieve the right consistency without making it too runny or too thick. The texture and taste were just right.
Like the porridge, Mo Xi couldn't find another person in the world who suited his taste so well, no matter where he searched.
The air after the rain was especially fresh. Mo Xi opened a small gap in the window, allowing the fresh air to flow in.
He drank the congee while advising Pei Hao, "Remember to go to the hospital this afternoon to have your stomach checked. Do you remember vomiting blood last night?"
He understood Pei Hao's temperament very well. If he didn't remind him, Pei Hao wouldn't take the initiative to see a doctor.
"Huh?" Pei Hao looked at him in surprise. "I thought it was a dream..."
"It really was vomiting blood..." Mo Xi gave him a reproachful look, but his tone was gentle when he continued, "Drink less in the future."
"Oh," Pei Hao propped his chin on one hand and seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, he grinned, looking at Mo Xi without blinking. "So, that reaction you had yesterday, was that jealousy?"
Mo Xi shifted his gaze uncomfortably, tapping the table and pretending to be annoyed. "Hurry up and eat! I won't have time to see my sister later."
"You're right," Pei Hao calmly nodded several times in a row. He struggled to suppress his smile. From Mo Xi's evasive eyes, he found the answer he was looking for — everything that happened yesterday was real!
It was like an unexpected burst of dazzling fireworks in his heart, explosions of color and beauty that felt almost unreal. After the laughter, there was a brief moment of daze. Although the fireworks were beautiful, they were as fleeting as a shooting star, impossible to hold onto.
Almost involuntarily, Pei Hao took out his phone and took a screenshot.
Mo Xi was in the middle of sipping his congee when he heard a "click" sound. Pei Hao had taken a screenshot and then put his phone away.
"What are you doing?" Mo Xi asked curiously.
"Taking a screenshot," Pei Hao fed him a spoonful of congee. The soft, millet flavor melted in his mouth, and he spoke without thinking, "I want to capture this moment."
The mist in the city had now completely dissipated, and bright sunlight flooded into the room, almost blinding.
In Pei Hao's phone album, a new photo had been added. His screensaver was a chibi self-portrait of Mo Xi, and the time was forever frozen at 8:23 AM on November 3, 2018.
In the days to come, they would encounter some troublesome situations, but as long as Pei Hao took out the screenshot that seemed to have been saved by accident, his heart would always be warm.
After a heavy rain last night, most of the leaves on the sides of the road had fallen, leaving many bare branches. Mo Xi's flight was at 1 PM, so after breakfast, he quickly packed his luggage and headed to the hospital to visit Mo Zi.
Mo Zi can now get out of bed and move around. She took Mo Xi to a small garden downstairs at the hospital to have a chat. She straightforwardly asked three questions that left Mo Xi at a loss:
What's the situation between you and Pei Hao now?
Do you really like Pei Hao?
What are your plans for the future?
Mo Xi was taken aback by the questions. Mo Zi looked at her younger brother's clueless expression, neither crying nor laughing. To be honest, she liked Pei Hao as a person, but she understood that Mo Xi wouldn't break up with someone for no reason.
The stone benches in the garden were still wet from the rain that fell last night. The two of them walked around the garden a few times. Mo Zi found a bamboo chair under a shelter and sat down, gently swaying. She looked up at the sky with a pensive expression. "Actually, I've also broken up with your sister-in-law before."
"Oh?" Mo Xi didn't know about this part.
"When we first got together, I felt like he lacked ambition. He played video games at home every day. So, after being together for six months, I broke up with him," Mo Zi placed her right hand on the chair's frame, tapping her index and middle fingers up and down alternately. She sighed softly, "Then one day, he knelt in front of me and begged me while crying. I softened. Later, he really stopped playing games much. Look, from the time I got pregnant until I gave birth, he was busy taking care of everything, even more than I was."
Mo Zi paused for a moment before continuing, "What I mean is, not everyone is perfect. Having flaws is normal in life. Some people are worth a second chance. We both like Pei Hao, but the decision is yours. If you think his past actions are unforgivable, then end it cleanly and don't waste time. If you think there's room for reconciliation, then give each other a chance."
"Okay," Mo Xi nodded with a somewhat unclear understanding, his eyes fixed on a small butterfly fluttering its wings on a flower ahead. He didn't say anything more.
Mo Zi knew that Mo Xi was still hesitating, so she didn't press further. The two of them remained quietly in the garden for a while, watching a butterfly fly from one flower to another, splashing dew drops from the petals. When it was time, Mo Xi helped Mo Zi back to her hospital room. As he was leaving, the siblings exchanged a few words of mutual encouragement.
Xiao Jun drove Mo Xi and Pei Hao to the airport entrance. As he left, he turned to look at the two of them walking towards the airport with smiles on their faces, feeling that the scene was very heartwarming for no apparent reason.
Before getting to know Mo Zi, he had actually felt some aversion towards homosexuality, especially male homosexuality. However, when Mo Zi said that her own brother was gay, he approached Mo Xi and Pei Hao with a desire to understand.
What truly changed his perspective was the day of Mo Zi's mother's funeral, when a sudden heavy rain poured down. Everyone's umbrellas weren't enough, and Xiao Jun held an umbrella over Mo Zi the whole time. Her feet got a bit wet, while he was completely soaked. He turned around and saw that Pei Hao was doing the same for the tearful Mo Xi. The two drenched men exchanged a glance for the first time, nodding at each other.
In the pouring rain, Xiao Jun suddenly realized that there wasn't much difference between being gay and being a straight man like him. They could laugh and cry, and they would protect the people they loved. They were all living, breathing beings, and no one was nobler than anyone else. Sexual orientation wasn't the standard for defining a person's goodness or badness; it was the soul.
The sky was very blue that day. Xiao Jun hummed a tune as he drove away from the airport. He silently wished Pei Hao good luck in his heart.
The airport was bustling with people. Mo Xi took half an hour to complete the check-in process. He walked to the entrance of the security checkpoint and turned to look at Pei Hao. He gave a faint smile. "Well, I'm leaving. These past few days... thank you for taking care of me."
Pei Hao felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. Even though Mo Xi was still in front of him, his longing had already begun to grow uncontrollably. He raised his hand and smoothed Mo Xi's disheveled bangs caused by walking too quickly. He sighed sadly. "Take care of yourself when you get back. If you need any help, remember to reach out to me."
Mo Xi was momentarily stunned. He knew Pei Hao wasn't just saying that out of politeness. After a pause, he replied, "Okay."
"Well, then..." Pei Hao grabbed the hem of Mo Xi's clothes with one hand, lowered his head, and whispered, "Can I come to the United States to find you in the future?"
A young couple nearby was bidding farewell. The girl was crying softly in the boy's embrace. Mo Xi followed the sound and felt a strange sensation. It was as if he and Pei Hao were also a couple saying goodbye, and now Pei Hao was holding onto him, being a bit clingy.
"Don't..." The harsh words got stuck in his throat. Mo Xi was afraid of seeing Pei Hao's pitiful look again, so in the end, he just rubbed his nose and said, "Do as you please."
The airport was crowded with people dragging their luggage back and forth. Announcements for flight information were being broadcast in several languages. In the midst of the crowd, Pei Hao stepped forward and embraced Mo Xi. He didn't care about the curious glances from a few people around them.
"I will really come find you," Pei Hao held Mo Xi tightly, buried his nose in the crook of Mo Xi's neck, and took a deep breath. His eyes were filled with reluctance. "I'm already starting to miss you."
"Please have your boarding pass ready!" At that moment, an airport staff member's voice came over the loudspeaker. A group of people pushing luggage walked past. Mo Xi pushed Pei Hao away and quickly walked into the line at the security checkpoint. He waved at Pei Hao. "I'm leaving, bye!"
"Goodbye!" Pei Hao watched as Mo Xi disappeared into the security area. Then, with a sense of desolation, he turned to leave.
Meanwhile, in the airport, Mo Xi wasn't completely leaving. After passing through security, he took out a safety charm from his bag and held it in his hand, gently rubbing it.
Yesterday, he got a charm for Pei Hao at the temple, but he hadn't taken it out yet. Mo Xi looked down at the item in his hand – a golden pouch with the words "Safety and Health" embroidered with red thread at its center. The design was very traditional and the color scheme was quite rustic, not at all matching with Pei Hao's style.
Oh well, he wouldn't like this kind of thing anyway. Why did I suddenly decide to get this for him?
With that thought, Mo Xi put the item back into his pocket.