Summer in Rongcheng was especially hot. Wearing an apron, Zhuang Fanxin¹ was holed up in his room, painting. He hadn't moved from the spot for the past four hours. Suddenly, he heard a dog's lively bark, so distinct it sounded like it came from their front door.
Zhuang Fanxin put down his palette and went to the balcony to take a look. At the gate stood an old man with a German Shepherd. The old man's name was Xue²; he lived alone next door. Zhuang Fanxin called out to him in greeting. "Grandpa Xue!"
Xue Maochen paused and waved at Zhuang Fanxin. "Xiao Zhuang, come down and play!"
Zhuang Fanxin dashed down the stairs and ran through the small garden in the front of his house, stopping abruptly at the gate—the German Shepherd leapt upon him before he could find his balance. Zhuang Fanxin had liked small animals ever since he was a child, but his mother never let him keep any pets.
Xue Maochen took measure of him. "Your apron's stained all over. Have you been painting again?"
Zhuang Fanxin mhm-ed in response, the excitement on his face still unsubsiding. "Grandpa Xue, you're getting a dog?" he asked. Thinking the dog was rather young, he added, "How old is it?"
Xue Maochen replied, "A year old, a difficult age."
Zhuang Fanxin bent down to look at the dog's behind. It was a male dog, already neutered, destined to be single for life. He stroked the dog's head with pitying affection, then asked, "What's his name, Grandpa?"
"He hasn't been named yet, I just brought him home," said Xue Maochen. The old man's face glowed with undisguised joy. He squatted down and spoke in the tone of one divulging a great state secret, "This dog is for my grandson, so I'll leave the naming to him."
Zhuang Fanxin was slightly surprised. He looked up at Xue Maochen, completely astonished. But who could blame him? Though they had been neighbours for many years, he'd never seen Xue Maochen's relatives. The old man lived alone, hiring a driver and a housekeeper; whenever he went on holiday, he would go for months at a time. Everyone assumed that he'd had a dual-income, childless marriage, leaving him alone in later life.
Xue Maochen rolled his eyes at Zhuang Fanxin, calling him a little fool. Then he reached into his pocket and retrieved a pack of biscuits. "Xiao Zhuang, take this," he said.
Zhuang Fanxin was a decent person, but his one shortcoming was his pickiness when it came to food. The first thing he did when he received the pack was to look at the label: hopefully it didn't have chocolate in it, since he didn't like chocolate.
Laughing, Xue Maochen said, "These are dog biscuits. I'll leave them with you, so if one day the dog escapes, you can help me to get him back."
Why didn't you say so earlier? Zhuang Fanxin chuckled, embarrassed. He tucked the biscuits into his apron pocket. Looking down and studying at the German Shepherd's four limbs, he thought, would I even be able to catch him if he runs? That'd be a hassle.
Optimistically, he said, "Grandpa, since your grandson is coming, he'll be able to take care of him, right?"
Unexpectedly, Xue Maochen shook his head. "Hard to say. He's at a difficult age, too."
The day was hot and humid. The old man and the youth stood chatting at the gate till their faces were red and covered in sweat. Even the German Shepherd grew too tired to bark, lolling its tongue out and hiding in the tree's shade, half-dead from the heat.
Zhuang Fanxin mopped his sweat. "Grandpa," he said, "why don't you come in for tea?"
"It's fine. My grandson should be here soon, so I should get back," said Xue Maochen.
The two households were quite close, so there was no need to put on a show of excessive politeness. Hurrying off, Xue Maochen patted Zhuang Fanxin's shoulder. "Come have dinner with us tonight? Ms Hu is cooking up a feast, there's garlic abalone, roast duck, coconut taro dessert…"
Regretfully, Zhuang Fanxin replied, "I don't eat garlic or taro."
Of the three examples, he didn't eat two. Xue Maochen prodded Zhuang Fanxin's cheek rather viciously, scolding, "How can you be so picky? Look how skinny you are! It's a wonder last year's typhoon didn't blow you straight to Shenzhen!"
The old man's pinch wasn't weak. Zhuang Fanxin held his face with an "argh", but before he could even think about the pain, the German Shepherd jumped up, barking loudly at the end of the road over ten metres away.
An off-road vehicle turned in, driven by Xue Maochen's driver. "He's here!" the old man exclaimed happily.
Zhuang Fanxin turned to look. The windshield reflected the harsh sunlight, so it was hard to see, but he could make out a vague silhouette. A red blouse, a pair of pigtails, carrying a Disney school bag… this grandson certainly knew how to dress up.
About two or three metres away, the off-road vehicle pulled over and killed the engine. The "grandson" in the front passenger's seat jumped down from the car. Zhuang Fanxin could finally see that it was actually a seven or eight year-old little girl.
Xue Maochen hadn't expected his granddaughter to come along, so this was a pleasant surprise. Afraid of startling the child, he took two careful steps before spreading his arms wide and pulling her up into a hug, bouncing her up and down gently.
The girl, whose name was Gu Baoyan³, twitched her lips for a long time before greeting him haltingly. Hearing the word "Grandpa" put a large grin on Xue Maochen's face. He asked her all sorts of questions, almost forgetting that the one he was waiting for was his grandson.
Gu Baoyan looked down at the gambolling German Shepherd. "Gege⁴ likes that kind of dog."
Xue Maochen remembered at last. "Where's your brother?"
Gu Baoyan pointed at the car. "Sleeping in the back."
As soon as she spoke, the back door opened. A tall boy stepped down, bowing his head slightly, his expression unseen. He closed the door with one hand. In the other, he held a pair of headphones and his sister's plushie.
The plushie seemed rather deflated, bearing signs of having been slept on for the whole journey. Even now, it was held by the ear. Zhuang Fanxin looked at the boy, his shirt, jeans, and sneakers—the entire outfit looked simple enough, but not a single item cost less than four figures. The watch probably cost another two.
He took a quiet step back. The dirty apron he had on was quite unsightly. But no sooner had he backed away than Xue Maochen blocked him with a large hand, saying, "Xiao Zhuang, this is my grandson, Gu Zhuoyan⁵."
Zhuang Fanxin could only reply, "Hi, I'm Zhuang Fanxin. I live here."
After he finished this introductory line, Gu Zhuoyan's eyes fell upon Zhuang Fanxin.
From the plane cabin he had watched the clouds outside; from the all-terrain vehicle he had watched the lush greenery of Rongcheng passing by, until he closed his eyes and fell asleep; when he got down from the car, all he could see was the fierce glare of the sun. At this moment, he took in Zhuang Fanxin, a boy in an apron, with his very pale skin and green paint staining his exposed forearms.
Gu Zhuoyan's gaze was direct. When it shifted to Zhuang Fanxin's face, he saw a pair of large, prettily shaped eyes, exceptionally defined features, and a mop of fluffy curls.
His words were even more direct. "Mixed?⁶"
Nonplussed, Zhuang Fanxin responded, "Mix of blood types A and B…"
He raised a hand to touch his face. Only when his hand reached his cheek did he remember the pain of his prodded cheek. Just then, Gu Zhuoyan approached. He really was very tall—he even blocked out the sunlight before him.
Xue Maochen was still bathing in joy. "Xiao Zhuang, he's new here, and you're about the same age, so bring him around when you have the time."
Zhuang Fanxin looked at Gu Zhuoyan and smiled. "Sure thing. Rongcheng welcomes you."
Gu Zhuoyan smiled in response, but it was faint and fleeting, as if he wasn't in good spirits; not a shred of interest in the city was apparent.
After the car had been parked and the luggage unloaded, Xue Maochen asked, "By the way, Zhuoyan, why is Baoyan here too?"
Gu Zhuoyan replied, "I said I was going to a Disney summer camp, so she insisted on coming."
Only then did Gu Baoyan realize: "Ge, you tricked me?"
"Don't I always?" said Gu Zhuoyan.
Gu Baoyan fell to pieces. She jumped down and chased after her brother, trying to hit him, but Gu Zhuoyan was long-legged and didn't give his sister the slightest chance of touching him. Xue Maochen laughed long and hard, walking home behind them with the dog in tow as he enjoyed the bliss of being with family.
As evening fell, Zhuang Fanxin finished his painting. He decided to accept the invitation and go over to Xue Maochen's house for dinner. Since his mother Zhao Jianqiu⁷ was a nationally renowned interior designer, their house didn't lack for plants. He chose a few of these as thank-you gifts for dinner.
There were just a few villas on their old street, each separated by some distance. Zhuang Fanxin carried the plant box and walked slowly, but he heard the German Shepherd before he even reached the gate.
The Xues' main gate was open. Gu Zhuoyan was in the garden teasing the dog. Seeing a figure in his periphery, he raised his head and caught sight of Zhuang Fanxin standing by the gate. It was a curious angle; right above Zhuang Fanxin's head was the blaze of sunset, deep red, and he couldn't quite tell whether Zhuang Fanxin's shirt was white or orange. The boy's face really was sharply defined. When the light fell upon it, the delicate contrast made him look like an oil painting.
Zhuang Fanxin spoke. "Can you give me a hand?"
Gu Zhuoyan walked over rather unwillingly and took the box. It was very heavy, filled with several pots of fresh flowers in full bloom. When they reached the stairs, they put the box down on the steps, then stood around aimlessly.
Zhuang Fanxin had just showered. His hair wasn't completely dry, and his curls were somewhat loose. Gu Zhuoyan glanced at him and asked casually, "Natural curls?"
He replied, "Ironed. It's the summer holidays, after all."
Feeling the atmosphere gradually cool after he spoke, Zhuang Fanxin added, "I have a tattoo as well, wanna see?"
Given that cold attitude, he reckoned that Gu Zhuoyan wouldn't be interested, but since he'd asked, it was too embarrassing to back down. So without waiting for a response, he climbed up a step and leaned close, pulling his collar open to the side.
On his thin left shoulder was a small, finely lined tattoo of a heart, as if cupped in his collar bone. Lowering his gaze, not only could Gu Zhuoyan see it clearly—he could even smell the fragrance of Zhuang Fanxin's shower gel.
Having forced him to look, Zhuang Fanxin felt rather embarrassed. He stooped to play with the dog and changed the topic, asking what the dog was named.
"PC39747," Gu Zhuoyan replied.
Zhuang Fanxin was taken aback. It shouldn't be illegal to impersonate a police dog, right? Just then, Xue Maochen called them in for dinner, so he beckoned to the German Shepherd and ordered, "PC39727, time to eat!"
He couldn't even remember five digits. Gu Zhuoyan's usually expressionless face formed a frown. He had barely finished the thought when Zhuang Fanxin turned to him and said, "Xue Baoyan? Let's eat."
He misremembered two of the three characters, even giving him his mother's surname instead. Coldly, Gu Zhuoyan said, "My name is Xue Baochai⁸."
All the way till he sat down in the dining room, Gu Zhuoyan's handsome face remained cloudy. Then again, he hadn't been happy since he arrived in Rongcheng. On the other hand, Zhuang Fanxin's lips curved into a smile—he even clinked glasses with Xue Maochen when they opened the champagne.
The dining table was heavily laden. In addition to the housekeeper Ms. Hu's dishes, Xue Maochen had even baked a pizza himself.
Sensing Gu Zhuoyan was in a bad mood, Zhuang Fanxin didn't bother him, silently chewing his pizza. After dinner, he took Gu Baoyan to the garden to plant the flowers, charming the little girl so much that she almost adopted him as her own brother.
It was getting late. Zhuang Fanxin washed his hands and got up to leave. At the gate, he wished Gu Baoyan and the German Shepherd goodbye, bending down to say, "Flights are very taxing, so you should sleep early, xiao mei⁹."
It was a truth universally acknowledged that little girls liked older geges. Gu Baoyan answered obediently, "Xiao Zhuang gege, I'll water the plants as soon as I get up tomorrow."
Zhuang Fanxin smiled. He turned to the German Shepherd and said, "PC39787, come look for me tomorrow, I'll give you biscuits."
Right then, Gu Zhuoyan had come over to collect the child and dog. Overhearing this, he couldn't be bothered to correct him, simply standing aside with his hands in his pockets. Zhuang Fanxin rose and waved, saying playfully, "Bye, Baochai."
"What are you called?" asked Gu Zhuoyan.
"Zhuang Fanxin," Zhuang Fanxin replied. "Can you remember it?"
"Fan as in ordinary, Xin as in sad?" said Gu Zhuoyan.
"It's the Fan in extraordinary, and Xin as in happy,¹⁰" replied Zhuang Fanxin.
That was a sharp retort. Zhuang Fanxin pursed his lips. It'd be friendlier if I just took it lying down. The lamp at the gate was none too bright, only illuminating within a two-metre radius. He backed away, but as he reached that two-metre limit, he suddenly paused.
"Do you really not remember me at all?" Zhuang Fanxin asked.
Gu Zhuoyan instantly froze. In the hazy lamplight, the boy did seem to look slightly familiar. Gradually, the scene from three years ago appeared before his eyes, and the image of the boy he had run into outside Zhuang Fanxin's house.
It was Spring Festival¹¹ then, and Zhuang Fanxin was going to the countryside to sketch, but caught a cold the night before he was due to leave. In a daze the next morning, he ran out the gate and straight into the arms of the passing Gu Zhuoyan.
With his bulging rucksack, he lost balance and tumbled to the floor, sitting flat on the ground. Muddle-headed, he grumbled, "You sent me flying."
Gu Zhuoyan stretched a hand out to Zhuang Fanxin and pulled him up, apologizing. He added, "It's your fault for being so thin."
Zhuang Fanxin guessed that he was someone living on a street nearby. It was Chinese New Year, and he didn't mean to knock into him after all. He was in a rush—he reached into his pocket and fished out a pack of sweets, tucked it into Gu Zhuoyan's hands, and wished him a happy new year.
He went to the countryside for a week. By the time he returned, Gu Zhuoyan had left. He had no idea that this was Xue Maochen's grandson, and hadn't seen him again. But three years later, they met once more.
Done reminiscing, Zhuang Fanxin asked, "Do you remember now?"
Gu Zhuoyan couldn't help but laugh. "I do."
This was the first time he had actually laughed today.
Zhuang Fanxin waved. "I'm heading home."
He turned to go, his curls bouncing in the night breeze, like the tip of a stray cat's tail flicking as it ran.
Gu Zhuoyan closed the gate and returned to the house. After a few steps, his memory suddenly grew clear. The boy he had knocked over, the nasal "happy new year", and the thing the boy had given him…
What sweets? The thing Zhuang Fanxin gave him that year was a pack of cold medicine.
—
1. Pronounced "joo-uhng fun sheen"
2. Pronounced like "shoo-eh"
3. Pronounced like "yen"
4. Gege (哥哥) or Ge means older brother, but it is also used to refer affectionately to older boys/men.
5. Pronounced like "joo-orh yen"
6. He means to ask if Fanxin is of mixed ethnicity, because large eyes and curly hair are not very common features in Han Chinese people. The literal translation here is "mixed blood", which is a common phrase and not considered offensive in Mandarin. Props to Dani for reminding me that this might not make sense to a lot of readers.
7. Pronounced "jow" (to rhyme with "now") "ts-yen chew". In most Chinese families, women do not change their surname upon marriage.
8. Xue Baochai is a major character in the Chinese literary classic, Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦).
9. Mei (妹) means younger sister, but is also used to refer to younger girls/women affectionately.
10. Fan (凡) means mundane, which can be combined to form the phrase 平凡 (ordinary) or 不凡 (not-ordinary). Xin (心) means heart, which can be combined to form the phrase 伤心 (sad, lit. hurt heart) or 开心 (happy, lit. open heart).
11. Also known as Chinese/Lunar New Year.