Sun Rain Chapter 61
byThe snow fell all night.
Shi Meng slept late and woke up late, so it was already noon when he went downstairs.
Li Bihan came out of the kitchen. Seeing Shi Meng standing in the living room looking around as if searching for someone, she said, “He’s outside building a snowman.”
Shi Meng walked to the window and looked out. Sure enough, he saw Fu Xuanliao squatting in the yard, his back to the house, tinkering with something.
As he watched, a jacket was draped over his shoulders from behind.
“Go play,” Li Bihan stepped forward, also looking out the window, and said with a smile, “We can eat a little later.”
Shi Meng went out, bringing an extra jacket for Fu Xuanliao and casually covering his head with it.
Fu Xuanliao was engrossed in building the snowman and hadn’t heard the footsteps. He was startled when the jacket descended from the sky and covered his eyes. He turned his head, saw it was Shi Meng, and smiled, “Good morning.”
Shi Meng took that as him mocking him for oversleeping. Ignoring him, he walked to the other side and squatted down to mess with the snow on the ground.
Fu Xuanliao worried he might catch a cold. He handed him the small shovel and took off his own scarf to wrap it around Shi Meng’s neck, earning a cold glance from Shi Meng.
Thinking there was something wrong with his attire, Fu Xuanliao looked down to check himself and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Shi Meng turned his face away and continued playing with the snow, “If you get a fever again, no one will look after you.”
Though it sounded like disdain, Fu Xuanliao thoroughly interpreted it as concern.
“It’s fine, I’m perfectly healthy.” As he said this, he sneezed. Fu Xuanliao awkwardly rubbed his nose and, intending to change the subject, pointed to the finished snowman, “Look, doesn’t it look like you?”
Shi Meng had already seen the snowman.
Rather than a snowman, it was more like a mushroom made of snow, with a short, plump stalk topped by a round, bulbous cap. Because it was top-heavy, it looked like it was about to tip over, which was what Fu Xuanliao had been trying to stabilize just now. Two dead branches, stuck in it as arms, appeared out of nowhere, adding a layer of foolishness to the already bizarre mushroom.
Shi Meng couldn’t bear to look at it and muttered, “Childish.”
Fu Xuanliao wasn’t offended by the insult. He went back under the porch, picked up the umbrella from yesterday, opened it, and placed it on the ground, letting the snow mushroom shelter beneath it.
“This is me,” he said, pointing at the umbrella, “Do you think it looks like me?”
Shi Meng thought Fu Xuanliao might have been burned silly by a fever.
That afternoon, Fu Xuanliao demonstrated the lower limit of his childishness.
The cause was the reappearance of Mr. Wei Liangji, who had visited last time. He claimed to have heard from Jiang Xue that Shi Meng was about to make a comeback and had come specifically to congratulate him.
Li Bihan had met Mr. Wei at a banquet in Fengcheng before and heard he was a “loyal fan” of Shi Meng. She exclaimed that fate was truly marvelous and quickly invited him inside.
“It snowed in Fengcheng last night too,” Wei Liangji said, looking at the snowy scene outside the window, “But not as heavily as in Xuncheng. There was only some snow on the grass and tree branches.”
He then took out his phone to show Shi Meng photos he had taken that morning.
Shi Meng hadn’t returned to Fengcheng for a long time, and the familiar streetscape stirred up a bit of nostalgia, making him look at the photos for a while longer. Seeing his focused gaze, Wei Liangji tentatively extended an invitation: “There’s an art exhibition and New Year’s Eve party being held in Fengcheng this Saturday night. If Mr. Shi is free, perhaps…”
“He’s not free.”
A sudden voice cut in. Shi Meng looked up and saw Fu Xuanliao’s displeased, frowning expression.
Wei Liangji was also stunned. After recovering, he sized up Fu Xuanliao, who was standing nearby with his arms crossed, and asked, “This is…”
Shi Meng was about to speak but was a step slower than Fu Xuanliao.
“Hello, my surname is Fu.” Fortunately, he hadn’t completely lost his mind. He stepped forward, extended his hand, and said with a forced smile, “We’ve met in Fengcheng.”
With the reminder, Wei Liangji recalled, “Ah, CEO Fu.”
The two shook hands, politeness masking underlying hostility.
Wei Liangji, being older and more experienced, managed to remain composed: “Then, CEO Fu, perhaps you could bring your family to the party next Saturday.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Fu Xuanliao said slowly, “New Year’s Eve should be reserved for important people.”
The statement was both subtle and direct: first, reminding Wei Liangji that he was merely a guest and not “important”; second, implicitly urging Shi Meng to decline, as it was Saturday.
“I see.” Wei Liangji looked at Shi Meng with a gentle smile, “Then, Mr. Shi, what are your thoughts?”
Under the scrutiny of two pairs of eyes, Shi Meng pursed his lips for a moment, then said, “I’ll consider it.”
Five minutes later, the door of the neighboring Pan family was knocked.
Pan Jiawei, who was playing a game at home, asked who it was but heard no reply. He shuffled over in his slippers, opened the door, and stared wide-eyed at the person outside before finally managing, “What are you doing here?”
“I need to borrow your window.”
Fu Xuanliao said this while putting on shoe covers. Clearly, he had no intention of explaining his purpose. He flashed into the house like a gust of wind and ran upstairs.
Pan Jiawei followed him upstairs, bewildered, and saw Fu Xuanliao standing by the window in the second-floor living room, craning his neck to look across the way.
“What are you looking at?” Pan Jiawei followed his gaze, then exclaimed, “Holy crap, why is that old man here again!?”
Fu Xuanliao wanted to ask the same thing, but it was inconvenient to do so face-to-face. Now, he could only observe the situation from across the street like a peeping tom.
“That old man isn’t seriously interested in him, is he?” Pan Jiawei was full of questions, “Is he here to take him away?”
Fu Xuanliao was annoyed, “If anyone’s taking him, it’s me.”
Pan Jiawei pouted, “Tch, then why were you kicked out?”
“I…” Fu Xuanliao, who had indeed been ushered out by Shi Meng, who was worried he would say something shocking, was speechless. “I came out for some fresh air.”
“Fine, fresh air.” Pan Jiawei saw through him but didn’t say anything, even opening the window. “I feel hot too.”
The two hot-headed young men opened the window and let the cold air blow in the snowy winter. As they cooled down, they finally had a chance to talk properly.
“Big Brother, you like him too, huh?” Pan Jiawei asked.
Fu Xuanliao gave him a look reserved for the mentally challenged, “What do you think?”
“He likes you too, right?” Pan Jiawei became melancholic, “He told me that he… used force on you before.”
Strangely, something that Fu Xuanliao had once found deeply embarrassing now filled him with a strange sense of pride when mentioned directly.
He suddenly felt that there was no need for such a fuss. What old man, what college student—Shi Meng would only treat him differently.
“That’s right,” Fu Xuanliao raised an eyebrow, “He only used force on me.”
Hearing this, Pan Jiawei indeed showed envy.
He even lamented not being born a few years earlier: “Sigh, I wish I could be treated like that just once.”
Fu Xuanliao: “…”
After spending some time persuading the college student to steer his increasingly dangerous thoughts back on track, Fu Xuanliao ran into Aunt Pan, who was returning from shopping, as he made his successful exit.
The enthusiastic neighbor was surprised to see him, “Oh, young man, you’re out of prison.”
Fu Xuanliao spent some more time explaining that he hadn’t been to prison, only detained for investigation. Aunt Pan waved her hand, “Hey, it’s all the same. According to our hometown customs, you have to jump over a fire basin when you get out of jail.”
Then she actually set up a fire basin in front of the gate of Shi Meng’s yard and called everyone to jump over it.
The man surnamed Wei had already left. Fu Xuanliao took the lead, jumping back and forth. Then, as Shi Meng jumped, he caught him steadily, muttering incantations about attracting good fortune, warding off evil, turning misfortune into blessings, and keeping bad luck far away—completely unlike a modern person who had received a higher education.
But when it came to good luck, everyone was just looking for a good omen. Facing the blazing flames in the auspicious snow, they prayed for favorable weather and freedom from worries in the coming year.
Since they had run into each other, the two families decided to have dinner together.
Aunt Pan brought over some cured, air-dried preserved meats she had just finished, and Li Bihan showed off her skills with several signature dishes. The small round table was packed, the aroma enticing everyone to sit down early. The windows were covered with a layer of warm condensation.
It was common for ordinary families to chat about everything during meals, and the Shi mother and son gradually adopted this habit. Through their back-and-forth conversation, their background and history were finally clearly revealed.
Hearing that the Shi family was the legendary leader in the construction industry, with many real estate projects in Xuncheng having Shi family investment, Aunt Pan exclaimed, “Incredible! So Young Shi is an heir to a wealthy family.”
She then referenced plots she had seen on TV to speculate: “So, Young Shi came here to avoid trouble because of family infighting?”
Shi Meng didn’t know how to answer, so Li Bihan explained for him, “No, Mengmeng came here to relax. He’s a painter and doesn’t get involved in business matters.”
Aunt Pan nodded, then turned to Fu Xuanliao, “And what about you, young man? Did you travel all this way just to go to jail?”
Fu Xuanliao nearly choked. He maintained his composure amidst Pan Jiawei’s teasing laughter, “I came to keep him company.”
Aunt Pan sighed, “What a good friend.”
“We’re not just ordinary friends,” Fu Xuanliao said.
“Then you are…?”
Catching a warning look from Shi Meng, Fu Xuanliao leisurely took a sip of soup and ultimately didn’t say anything earth-shattering.
“We grew up together,” Fu Xuanliao looked at Shi Meng and smiled, “You always treated me like an older brother, right?”
After a few rounds of drinks, Shi Meng went to the restroom.
His cheeks were still a little hot. He splashed them with cold water, which helped slightly.
Looking at his face in the mirror, he remembered when he first arrived at the Shi family. He hadn’t known what to call this person, who was not related but was always present. He had indeed called him “older brother” under his aunt’s guidance. Later, as their relationship grew distant, he started calling him by his name. If he hadn’t been reminded just now, he would have almost forgotten.
Shi Meng attributed this feeling, similar to shyness, to being taken advantage of. He thought, this person is two years older than me, yet he’s been so improper for twenty years. What kind of older brother is he?
No sooner had he finished his mental complaint than he ran into someone even more improper outside the door.
Fu Xuanliao had been waiting by the door without Shi Meng noticing. As Shi Meng came out, Fu Xuanliao grabbed his hand and led him around a corner into a secluded hallway.
Before Shi Meng could speak, a raised index finger pressed against his lips.
“Shh—” Fu Xuanliao lowered his voice, “Someone’s coming.”
When Shi Meng realized this was his own home and that Fu Xuanliao was clearly imitating him, he felt both embarrassed and annoyed but dared not move, because someone was indeed approaching.
It was Pan Jiawei. After using the restroom, his phone rang, and he answered it in this deserted spot.
He first talked about school matters, projects, and experiments. Towards the end, he chatted about other things. Perhaps he was asked about his love life, as Pan Jiawei sounded dejected, “No, he rejected me.”
A moment later, he added, “But he agreed to go to the art exhibition with me next week and even bought me snacks.”
“If it weren’t for that crazy Big Brother interfering, maybe I’d have a chance.”
Only after the footsteps faded did Fu Xuanliao release his hand.
“Interfering?” He let out a laugh, “That brat is clearly trying to steal my love.”
Shi Meng ignored his jealous remarks and turned to leave.
Fu Xuanliao pulled him back again.
“Did you look at the things in the cardboard box?” he asked once more.
Shi Meng stiffened his neck, “No.”
Fu Xuanliao seemed to sigh, then offered a compromise, “Then, next week, let’s go back to Fengcheng together.”
“Why go back?”
“To show you something.”
“I don’t want to see it.”
“…”
Fu Xuanliao was anxious, “Are you really going to the art exhibition with that kid?”
Shi Meng nodded, “Yes, we agreed.”
“But that’s Saturday.”
“What about Saturday?”
“We agreed that Saturdays belong to me.”
“Who said that?”
“It’s written in black and white in the contract.”
“You always broke your promises,” Shi Meng looked up at Fu Xuanliao, “Why should I keep mine?”
That one sentence completely silenced Fu Xuanliao.
The little mushroom had turned back into the stubborn little mushroom of the past. While relieved, Fu Xuanliao couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
“I didn’t… always break them,” he counted on his fingers, saying without much conviction, “Just twice.”
Shi Meng looked away, biting his lip, “It was three times.”
His birthday once, the strawberry farm once, and another time when he had to threaten him with illness before he would come back.
Fu Xuanliao didn’t know that Shi Meng had once rented out an entire strawberry farm for him. He only remembered the night Shi Meng fed him strawberries, when he had said something very hurtful in a fit of anger after being threatened again.
Even though Shi Meng had retaliated later, asking him if he was despicable while standing in the rain, Fu Xuanliao only felt he deserved it. He wished Shi Meng would curse him more, or even beat him up.
Fu Xuanliao finally conceded, “Then, I’ll wait a little longer.”
He slowly stepped forward and hugged Shi Meng, burying his face in his neck, “In the future, you won’t wait for me; only I will wait for you.”
They stood in the dark for a long time.
Fu Xuanliao was thinking about how to express his long-overdue apology. Shi Meng was vaguely wondering what constituted a “stable, healthy” relationship.
Later, Fu Xuanliao said “I’m sorry” again.
Shi Meng said he didn’t want to hear it, so Fu Xuanliao began to repeat “I love you” endlessly, in his ear, in his heart, over and over.
So much so that Shi Meng felt all the love he had ever received in his life was concentrated in this bleak end of the year.
So much so that he felt it wouldn’t matter if he died right now.
But he couldn’t die, because the book said that the body is the vessel of memory, and if he died, all memories of love would vanish.
He had finally obtained it; how could he be willing to lose it?
Shi Meng felt like his madness might truly be recurring. He was so crazy that even though he knew he shouldn’t soften so quickly, knew he should remain aloof and distant, he still wanted to respond, not wanting the person in front of him to be hurt by sinking into memories.
He was even starting to feel anxious and afraid of loss.
As if sensing his struggle and fear, Fu Xuanliao’s hands moved down, grasping Shi Meng’s narrow waist on both sides. Then, he exerted force and lifted him up.
The wall against his back was insufficient to support his entire body. Shi Meng lifted his legs and wrapped them around Fu Xuanliao’s waist, crossing his ankles behind him. The subconscious movement was overly practiced, causing Fu Xuanliao to curve his lips into a slight smile, just like on many Saturdays in the past.
He tilted his head back, the line from his jaw to his Adam’s apple taut and sharp, but his lips formed a soft curve. He lightly touched the corner of Shi Meng’s mouth, retreating quickly as if afraid of profaning him.
As they pulled apart, Shi Meng suddenly realized that Fu Xuanliao also had a pair of very bright eyes.
So bright that Shi Meng suspected this was a change in tactics—a honey trap.
Fu Xuanliao knew this physical appearance was somewhat useful; at the very least, it caught Shi Meng’s eye and made him show infatuation.
Beyond that, he wanted to give his all to reassure Shi Meng.
The book also said that love that is too easily obtained leads to condescension, contempt, and disrespect.
Shi Meng had already lost once, but Fu Xuanliao was not afraid to retreat again and again, even if it meant losing face.
So Fu Xuanliao personally reversed their positions, tilting his head up.
At this moment, he finally understood the source of his almost blind pride and confidence.
“Don’t be afraid,” Fu Xuanliao told Shi Meng, who was looking down at him, “In the future, I won’t look down on you; only you will look down on me.”
So many people love you, but only I understand your timidity and fear.
And only I am willing to submit to you and worship you as my eternal deity.