Chapter 1 - Reunion

  (Redick) "We can't go on like this, Xiao Lei..."

  I looked at Redick sadly, my arms falling limply from where they had been folded across my chest.

  (Che Lei) "So this is it. You're leaving me too."

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei..."

  (Redick) "My family... my mom... they'll never accept our relationship..."

  Redick sighed, and his expression grew just as sorrowful.

  (Redick) "I know this is hard for you to accept, but being apart for now is the best choice we have..."

  (Che Lei) "Redick, do you remember what you said to me that night at the planetarium?"

  Redick said nothing, but he avoided my eyes.

  (Che Lei) "You told me that even if one day you really did go pro, even if one day you really became a sports star, you'd still be you, and nothing between us would change."

  (Che Lei) "I really was stupid."

  (Che Lei) "I actually believed those words were true."

  I turned my back to him. My voice trembled, and hot tears kept dripping from my eyes.

  (Redick) "I never wanted to leave you behind, Xiao Lei..."

  (Redick) "It's just that I..."

  Redick put his paw on my shoulder, but in the end he still did not say the comforting words I had hoped for.

  (Redick) "You don't understand, Xiao Lei."

  (Redick) "I can't give you the kind of life you want. You deserve someone better than me."

  I cried silently with my back to him.

  My tears mixed with the blood from the lip I had bitten open and slid slowly down my cheeks.

  I could almost hear them striking the floor.

  I shook off the paw he had placed on my shoulder.

  But he only stood where he was, silently watching me walk away from him.

  (Sound of rain)

  At some point, rain had begun falling from the sky again.

  I lifted my head toward the gray, murky sky and felt the cold raindrops land in my warm palm.

  My hot tears mixed with the cold rain and ran down my face.

  I could no longer tell which were raindrops and which were my tears...

  (Transition)

  (Sound of sparrows chirping)

  Something damp was pressed against my back, as if my clothes had been soaked through by rain.

  I slipped a hand beneath myself, only to realize it was merely the bedsheet, gone clammy from poor ventilation.

  What had just happened was only a nightmare.

  Yet I still felt as though a boulder were pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

  I lifted my eyelids, and very quickly found the source of that pressure.

  Redick, whose blanket had long since vanished to who knew where, was lying spread-eagled on my bed, one arm rudely weighing down on my chest.

  Now I knew why I had spent the entire night having nightmares.

  I really should have thrown him outside.

  Suppressing the urge to punch him twice, I laboriously moved his paw away.

  Then I sat up and glared furiously at Redick, who was still sleeping like a log.

  I kept staring at his sleeping face until that stupid look of his made me laugh out loud.

  His wide-open mouth released even breaths, and a wet patch of drool had been left on the pillow.

  Compared with the lively, restless way he was when awake, he seemed so quiet in his sleep.

  His tough, masculine face had softened now, like that of a big child.

  Would anyone believe this version of him was the same guy on the screen?

  I continued looking at Redick's sleeping face.

  It reminded me of the days when we had squeezed together in that cramped rental room.

  It reminded me that I had seen him in his most ordinary form.

  I had always felt that seeing someone simply be themselves was an intimate thing.

  But sometimes that was not a good kind of intimacy, especially when it came to someone you liked.

  I did not know how to describe it.

  It was like... seeing your older brother cry.

  You would feel awful.

  Because you admired him so much.

  And that would ruin the way you felt about him.

  Until, in the end, you accepted the truest version of him...

  I could not help using the back of my hand to gently rub Redick's cheek, feeling his stubble scrape slowly across my skin, itchy and prickling.

  His bare chest rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing. Amid the soft white fur, a solitary patch of dark brown-black fur stood out especially clearly.

  The area it covered was much larger than I remembered, perhaps one of those natural changes that came with age.

  I gently stroked his chest. Although the shape and placement of that dark fur looked very much like human chest hair, it felt no different from the soft fur on his belly.

  A large double bed took up almost all the space in this rental room of only a few square meters, and Redick's mountain-like body occupied most of the bed.

  Even so, he could only lie on his side if we were both to have enough room.

  Clearly, that posture had not lasted long after he fell asleep.

  I really loved his terrible sleeping habits to death.

  I glared angrily at Redick, who was still asleep, but my gaze could not help wandering over his high, swelling pectorals, his vein-corded arms, and his thick, solid thighs.

  Not all beastmen were stronger than humans.

  But tiger beastmen were clearly not among the exceptions.

  Redick, in particular, had a gift when it came to his body.

  When I first met him, his build had not been as exaggerated as it was now.

  But even then, he was already a full head taller than me.

  So much so that when I first saw him, I had always felt a faint fear in my heart.

  Because if he wanted to, he could easily overpower me and do whatever he wished.

  But his smile was sincere.

  And his skin was truly ridiculously thick.

  You could never associate the word "shy" with him.

  Like most carnivorous beastmen, Redick was thoroughly sexually active. Even when we were only chatting on an app, he was always bragging to me about all sorts of sex he'd had.

  I found it quite easy to understand. After all, baseball-obsessed as he was, he had not only an almost perfect body, but also an even more impressive "thing."

  I mean, who would refuse to have sex with such a tempting guy?

  Looking at the tent pitched high at his crotch, I could not help wickedly pinching it.

  Redick, who was dreaming of who knew what, merely mumbled vaguely.

  I convinced myself this was just a little joke between brothers, then, quite unconsciously, put my hand back between Redick's legs.

  I lightly pressed it down toward his belly, then let go and watched it spring back up.

  Redick's body moved with it, and he let out a muffled groan.

  He used to generously let me touch his body however I liked, even encouraging me to do so regardless of the occasion.

  But back then we had been lovers, and now we were only "brothers."

  Those thoughts began to give me a strange sense of profanity.

  Yet my pants were beginning to tighten slightly.

  Would Redick mind if I kept touching him...?

  He probably would not, right?

  No.

  That was obviously not something you should be considering when your friend was lying in your bed.

  So I shook my head and drove those strange thoughts from my mind.

  After enjoying that brief prank, I glanced at the time on my phone.

  We had overslept a little, so I decided to wake up Redick, who was still sleeping soundly.

  (Che Lei) "Redick~"

  (Redick) "Mmph..."

  The big cat on the bed mumbled vaguely, but showed no sign of waking up at all.

  (Che Lei) "Get up, stupid cat~"

  I half sat on Redick's belly and began kneading his face with my hands.

  His face felt furry and soft in my palms.

  (Redick) "Don't call me that..."

  (Che Lei) "Get up already. You still have a flight this afternoon~"

  I continued rubbing his face at random, pinching that handsome face into all sorts of ridiculous shapes.

  At last, Redick was made somewhat impatient by my childish behavior.

  (Redick) "I canceled my whole schedule yesterday!"

  (Redick) "Let me sleep a little longer!"

  He angrily pushed away the hand I was using to rub his face, then buried his face under the pillow.

  (Che Lei) "Hm?"

  But I still had no intention of letting him go.

  (Che Lei) "How come I didn't know about that?"

  (Che Lei) "I think you just want to stay in bed."

  I began trying to steal his pillow with my hands.

  (Redick) "Aaaah...!"

  (Redick) "You're so annoying!"

  Just as I was about to start rubbing his face again, Redick suddenly rolled over and pinned me beneath him.

  He put almost his entire weight on me, leaving me nearly unable to breathe.

  I struggled, trying to escape from under him, but he had no intention of moving off me.

  Then he clamped both my hands with one paw.

  His half-naked body was pressed tightly against mine, his soft fur rubbing over my skin.

  That strange yet comfortable sensation made me unable to stop laughing.

  He had not showered before going to bed last night, so now I could clearly smell him.

  A faint scent of tobacco mingled with alcohol, along with a bit of that musk that belonged only to him.

  Compared with most beastmen, Redick's body odor was truly light.

  Somewhat like the smell of dry dust.

  And the reason I remembered this at all was because he had my head clamped under his arm and was now roughly rubbing my hair.

  That big paw soon mussed it into a mess.

  Then he rubbed his sideburns hard against my face.

  His coarse hair made me both hurt and itch.

  Finally, he suddenly took the side of my neck into his mouth. He licked my skin with his rough tongue, violating my neck with the papillae on it.

  (Che Lei) "Don't..."

  I resisted and tried to push Redick away, but he did not budge at all.

  And my body began to go numb and tingling.

  He let out a loud snort, and soon that kiss turned into gentle biting.

  I could clearly feel his sharp tiger fangs touching my skin...

  For humans, kissing someone's neck is a romantic and intimate gesture of affection, often ending with a love bite.

  But for beastmen, gnawing on someone's neck usually meant biting through the throat, tearing open the artery, and ultimately ending with one party's death.

  I really did not like anyone putting their mouth near my neck now.

  So when Redick began lightly biting my neck, I nearly instinctively tensed every muscle in my body and reflexively drove my knee upward.

  Then I felt my knee touch a pair of furry spheres...

  Redick almost immediately let out a wail.

  He sprang away from me like lightning and curled up painfully into a ball.

  As a male creature just like him, I could personally understand that pain.

  I even began to feel certain parts of myself ache faintly in sympathy.

  Holding back my laughter, I tentatively touched his back, trying my best to sound apologetic and concerned.

  (Che Lei) "Redick, are you okay...?"

  Redick spared me a look that said, "Do you think I'm okay?" and continued curling into a ball.

  (Che Lei) "Um... should I rub it for you?"

  (Redick) "..."

  (Che Lei) "Or do you want to hit me a couple times to vent?"

  Only after clutching his stomach for a long while did Redick turn over and look at me resentfully.

  He clenched one paw into a fist and weakly punched me in the belly, while his other paw remained tightly covering his crotch.

  I cooperated by letting out an exaggerated cry.

  (Che Lei) "Ah!"

  (Redick) "Cut it out!"

  (Che Lei) "You almost punched last night's dinner out of me!"

  Grinning shamelessly, I pretended to rub my stomach.

  (Che Lei) "Really!"

  But Redick narrowed his eyes, then suddenly pinched my thigh hard.

  My smile immediately froze on my face, and the dull pain from my thigh made me bare my teeth.

  (Che Lei) "Why did you pinch me!"

  I lifted the hem of my shorts, revealing an obvious bruise on the inside of my thigh.

  (Che Lei) "You pinched me purple!"

  (Redick) "Serves you right for gloating. That's your punishment~"

  Redick rolled his eyes at me in irritation.

  (Che Lei) "I solved your morning-wood problem for you!"

  (Redick) "And isn't this me properly thanking you?"

  (Che Lei) "Petty jerk!"

  Only after rolling his eyes at me again did Redick slowly sit up on the bed.

  He took a few unsteady steps on the floor, then sat back down on the bed.

  (Che Lei) "Um... still hurt?"

  Redick's tail swayed slowly.

  Then he sighed.

  The awkward scene I had tried to avoid finally arrived.

  It was just like the moment before the parent-teacher meeting at the end of every semester.

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, why did you suddenly..."

  (Che Lei) "Um..."

  I began to fidget uneasily with my fingers.

  But Redick's expression suddenly grew nervous.

  (Redick) "I didn't mean it that way, Xiao Lei."

  (Redick) "I know I was a little..."

  (Redick) "But I was just messing around with you. I wasn't really trying to do anything to you!"

  (Che Lei) "It's not because of that..."

  I said it quietly.

  That did not convince Redick at all.

  (Redick) "Then what else could it be?"

  He grabbed my wrist.

  (Redick) "I just wanted to tease you. Didn't I always roughhouse with you like that before?"

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, I really didn't mean anything else..."

  (Che Lei) "I already said it wasn't because of you!"

  I pulled my wrist out of his paw.

  (Che Lei) "It's because of something else..."

  Then I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

  (Che Lei) "It's because of work."

  The last trace of a smile disappeared from Redick's face, and his eyes filled with worry.

  (Redick) "What happened, Xiao Lei?"

  He took my hand in his paw again.

  And this time, obviously, he did not plan to let go before getting an answer.

  So I lowered my eyelids and let out a long sigh.

  (Che Lei) "I was attacked by a beastman. He nearly bit through my neck..."

  (Redick) "What?!"

  Redick's paw suddenly tightened, and the sudden pressure on my hand forced me to stop.

  (Redick) "When did that happen?!"

  (Che Lei) "During my first year in the Lower District."

  Redick's eyes widened. He frowned, and his tail kept twitching.

  He suddenly pressed both paws to my shoulders.

  Then he brought his face close to my body. Only after carefully looking me over in a full circle did he let me go.

  (Redick) "Fuck, how did I never notice all these scars on you before?!"

  (Redick) "All of these are from that?!"

  I said nothing, only looked at Redick in silence.

  That seemed to make him even more agitated.

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, what am I supposed to say to you!"

  (Redick) "What were you thinking, actually running off to become a cop?"

  His words lit an unnamed fire in my chest.

  (Che Lei) "You can go play professional baseball, but I can't be a cop?"

  (Che Lei) "So you've finally said what you really think, right?"

  (Che Lei) "You think I can't do this because I'm just a human."

  (Redick) "What? I don't..."

  Redick covered his forehead in vexation, then opened his palms toward me.

  (Redick) "You know that's not what I think, Xiao Lei!"

  (Redick) "I just don't want you putting yourself in such dangerous situations!"

  (Redick) "I don't want anything to happen to you! Because you really are important to me!"

  (Redick) "Seriously, can't you stop doing this, Xiao Lei?"

  Seeing his sincere expression, my own softened a little.

  But I still slowly shook my head.

  (Che Lei) "I'm different from you. I don't have a choice."

  (Che Lei) "At least the police salary is decent. It's only because of it that I can pay back my student loans."

  (Redick) "Or at least transfer somewhere else. Wesley is huge. Can't you not go to a place like the Lower District?"

  (Che Lei) "I told you, I don't have a choice."

  (Redick) "Then just quit?"

  (Che Lei) "And then what, Redick?"

  (Redick) "Find a job at a company or something?"

  (Redick) "I don't know. But anything has to be better than this, right?"

  (Che Lei) "If only it were really as easy as you think."

  I gave a bitter smile and shook my head.

  (Redick) "I can help you with these things, Xiao Lei."

  (Che Lei) "Are you planning to have me take your money for nothing? Or do you want me to freeload in a company run by your family?"

  (Che Lei) "Forget it. I still have that much pride."

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, you're twisting what I mean again!"

  Redick furrowed his brow.

  (Redick) "How could I possibly think of you that way?"

  (Redick) "Besides my family, I have some friends who could help too."

  (Redick) "Uh, I mean, if you're willing to let me help."

  (Che Lei) "Thank you for the offer, Redick."

  Then I shook my head.

  (Che Lei) "But I'm not willing."

  (Che Lei) "I can't end this kind of life yet. I have my own reasons."

  (Redick) "What reason could make you ignore even your own safety? I can't imagine..."

  I looked at Redick and sighed.

  (Che Lei) "Why do you like baseball?"

  (Redick) "Huh?"

  (Che Lei) "Why are you willing to spend a whole day swinging a bat at a machine? Why are you willing to train day after day, year after year? Why, when you're injured and your arm hurts so much you can't even lift it, do you still refuse to rest?"

  (Redick) "That's different..."

  (Che Lei) "But to me it's the same."

  (Che Lei) "I'm good at this, so I like doing this."

  (Che Lei) "I also have things I have to do."

  (Redick) "But..."

  (Che Lei) "I know my limits."

  Redick seemed to want to say more, but I cut him off with finality.

  (Che Lei) "And you should know, I have safeguards far more reliable than all your worries."

  (Redick) "Um... did you buy professional insurance?"

  I laughed loudly, then made a gun gesture with my hand.

  (Che Lei) "No matter what kind of guy it is, in front of a bullet they're all the same."

  (Che Lei) "I'm not that little kid who needs someone to look after everything for him anymore."

  (Redick) "You never were..."

  Redick muttered softly, his ears folding slightly backward.

  He frowned tightly, leaving me unable to guess what he was thinking.

  Then he took a deep breath, moved a little closer, and gently patted my back with his thick paw.

  Although I knew I should not, my heartbeat began to quicken beyond my control.

  (Redick) "Mm. I can try to worry about you a little less..."

  (Redick) "But you have to promise me you'll take care of yourself out there."

  (Che Lei) "I know~"

  Then I deliberately dragged out my voice.

  (Che Lei) "I'll be veeeeery careful."

  Redick scratched his head as if suddenly remembering something.

  (Redick) "Then next time, can I still, uh... mess around with you like that?"

  (Redick) "You're not going to suddenly pull out a pair of handcuffs or something, are you?"

  (Che Lei) "In your dreams."

  I glared at Redick in disgust, but he burst into loud laughter.

  Then he stretched his body and arms, letting out a satisfied groan.

  (Redick) "I'm going to wash up now~"

  (Che Lei) "Someone should have done that twenty minutes ago."

  Redick sprang up from the bed and walked into the bathroom.

  So I picked up my phone and began checking the unread messages from the morning.

  Bank: Your credit card statement for this month has been issued. For billing details, please visit...

  Without even thinking, I knew it had to be a number that would give me a headache.

  Landlord: Nobody has it easy.

  Landlord: But you're not local, and you don't exactly have a proper job.

  Landlord: One month deposit and three months rent is the rule. You need to make up the rest of the rent quickly.

  My mood began to grow more and more irritable.

  (Message alert)

  A new message.

  With a dark expression, I opened the contact with the blank avatar.

  Lane: You'd better have found somewhere to live.

  (Message alert)

  Lane: Don't fucking turn around and come crying back to me again.

  Me, go back?

  Dream on.

  I snorted coldly and unceremoniously sent the messages to the trash.

  Then I went back a level and created a new text message.

  Content: *43#

  I closed my eyes and thought for a while, then sent it to a number that was not saved in my phone.

  (Message alert)

  Unknown Sender: Sorry, your contract is still suspended, so your request cannot be completed. The time of contract restoration will be notified separately. We wish you a pleasant life.

  (Che Lei) "Pleasant my..."

  I swallowed the curse on the tip of my tongue, then angrily tossed my phone aside.

  Still no good.

  My recent expenses had been greater than I expected, and I had almost no savings.

  Go back to Wesley?

  All the places I could afford were in the slums of the Lower District.

  I would have to be insane to go back there.

  Did I really have to go back and find that guy?

  No, absolutely not.

  There had to be another way.

  (Sound of urinating into a squat toilet)

  An impossible-to-ignore sound of running water came from the bathroom, making it impossible for me to focus on my wandering thoughts.

  (Che Lei) "Hey! Can you pee with a little civilization?!"

  (Redick) "It's not like I'm trying to make it this loud."

  There was a hint of pride in Redick's words.

  (Che Lei) "At least close the door, okay?"

  (Redick) "It's not like you haven't seen me pee before~"

  (Che Lei) "What?"

  (Che Lei) "Who the fuck would want to see that?!"

  (Redick) "Tsk, plenty of people want to~"

  (Redick) "Seriously, Xiao Lei, are you upset because mine is bigger than yours?"

  (Redick) "Don't get discouraged. By human standards, you're pretty good~"

  (Che Lei) "I do not want to discuss this topic with you right now!"

  I got up from the bed and stormed toward the bathroom.

  Redick looked at me with a wicked grin and showily shook his dick. The liquid still clinging to it dripped with the motion into the water in the squat toilet, which had already turned pale yellow.

  (Redick) "And you say you don't want to..."

  (Slam of a door)

  Before he could spit out the last few words, I slammed the bathroom door shut with a bang, then flopped back onto my bed in a huff.

  But Redick's voice still squeezed through the crack in the door.

  (Redick) "Why is the shower above the toilet?!"

  (Che Lei) "Oh, I'm soooo sorry about that!"

  At last, the sound of the shower came from the bathroom, but after a short while it stopped, and a wet tiger head poked out from the bathroom doorway.

  (Redick) "Do you have body wash? The kind I can use?"

  (Che Lei) "I don't have anything like that here."

  (Redick) "Fine, then I'll make do with yours."

  He pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, then withdrew his head.

  I watched him leave a large puddle of water on the concrete floor, and my blood pressure gradually rose.

  "Don't get angry, don't get angry."

  I comforted myself this way, then raised my voice.

  (Che Lei) "There are new toothbrushes in the sink drawer. Take one yourself!"

  (Redick) "I... mmph... just... yours..."

  He answered me in an indistinct voice.

  Then the sound of water started again, accompanied by his humming.

  I really was done with him...

  I sighed.

  It looked like the bathroom would be occupied for a long time, so I had better find something to do in the meantime.

  1. Make the bed

  I really should not have chosen dark sheets.

  When I bought them at the store, it was because they were cheap, and the sheet left by the previous tenant reeked of suffocating sweat.

  I needed something to cover that filthy mattress.

  I had planned to stay here for quite a long time, so I wanted to make it as comfortable as possible.

  Now the solid-colored sheet was messily covered with red and orange hair. As I smoothed it with my hands, I sighed with feeling.

  How did he shed this much every day without going bald?

  Then I picked up the pillow Redick had flattened and patted it, letting it return to its original shape.

  This was my spare pillow. My own was a bit harder.

  Now there was a large circular dark stain on it, left by Redick's drool.

  I lifted it and sniffed it. Besides dampness, it now still held a faint smell of saliva.

  I wrinkled my nose in disgust, then decided to ignore it for now and threw it back where it belonged.

  Then I grabbed the quilt and shook it out. There was not the imagined scene of hair flying everywhere.

  Even in the coldest part of winter, he would at most cover himself with a single thin quilt.

  That made me, more or less, a little envious.

  Honestly, aside from the shedding, there were many things about him that made me envious.

  When I rented the place, the landlord had specifically warned me that I could not keep animals.

  Would anyone really keep pets in a place like this?

  And I guessed Redick probably did not count.

  After all, he was much more troublesome than any cat or dog.

  Thinking irritably, I finished making the bed.

  2. Open the curtains

  I pulled those two heavy curtains all the way open, but no sunlight poured into the room.

  The window of the side room I rented faced the shade and saw no sunlight all year round, so a damp smell hung everywhere in the room.

  In a big city, even sunlight was a luxury.

  Fortunately, I had always been suited to this kind of life.

  Because various reasons had always made my sleep poor, I needed an absolutely dark environment to help me fall asleep.

  Outside my window was a wall, covered in green moss.

  Because it always gave off a strong reek of urine, I rarely opened the window.

  Looking at the character "demolish" painted on that wall, I sighed.

  After drifting outside for so many years, I had actually fallen back to a place like this.

  But this was the only home I could afford right now.

  Before this, I had never realized that the house I had lived in as a child had been a palace.

  You're really good at making a mess of your own life, aren't you?

  Thinking this, I could not help giving a bitter smile.

  You should not have brought Redick back.

  This should have been an ordinary catching up.

  Like two straight lines that, after briefly intersecting, would never meet again.

  Redick was a baseball star. With his current worth, how could he appear in a place like this?

  What would people think if they saw him?

  And what should you yourself think...

  None of this had needed to happen.

  The place I lived before had been much more respectable than this.

  But that was that guy's place.

  Patrick, that bastard, had kicked me out.

  Or perhaps I had left in a fit of anger.

  I had considered simply going back to my hometown.

  But I really did not want to return alone to that old building.

  Because I hated that feeling.

  So all this trouble was self-inflicted.

  The court had already found me not guilty.

  So before long, they would restore my contract and let me go back to work.

  It had to be like that, right?

  But the text just now had also begun to shake my certainty.

  If... if there really was no other way, I would temporarily move in with Hyde.

  He definitely would not mind taking me in.

  I should go back and see him.

  After all, since we last parted, it really had been a very long time since we had seen each other.

  Thinking that, I pulled open the other curtain, then sat back down on the bed.

  3. Check the floor

  On the few remaining patches of floor in the room, clothes were scattered messily, most of them Redick's.

  There was almost nowhere to step.

  So I picked them up one by one and gathered them into a bundle in my arms.

  I could not help placing them under my nose and giving them a light sniff.

  (Che Lei) "Ugh."

  It was the smell of sweat and alcohol fermented overnight.

  Then I sniffed myself. I did not smell much better.

  I urgently needed a shower and a clean set of clothes.

  That reminded me of the first time I drank with him. I had also made a complete mess of myself.

  It had been at his team's party.

  At first, I had simply hidden at the edge of the crowd, as I did at other parties.

  Until I saw one person after another, none of whom I knew, clinging to him.

  I drank a lot, said many things I should not have said, and finally even threw up on Redick.

  When I regained consciousness, it was in a small hotel near school, with Redick lying spread-eagled beside me.

  I had thought he would do something to me.

  But that night, the only things I lost were my public image.

  And perhaps my dignity.

  It really had been a disaster...

  4. Open the wardrobe (appears after completing 1, 2, and 3)

  (Sound of wardrobe door opening)

  T-shirts, hoodies, jeans...

  Inside the rusty metal wardrobe were only a few pieces of summer and autumn clothing.

  All casually bought online.

  Most of my clothes were still at that stupid dog's place.

  Thank God, because there was not enough room here to hold them.

  Although there was nothing valuable inside, I was still a little worried that he might pack all my things and stuff them into a trash can.

  This was not the first time Patrick and I had fallen out.

  But I was certain this time was different from all the others.

  Because I was tired of how he always thought he knew best.

  He thought he understood me. He said he knew what kind of person I was.

  No. I would never do the kind of thing he said.

  I did not do it on purpose.

  I moved the hangers with my hand, upset and distracted.

  I randomly took out a piece of clothing, planning to put it on later.

  Then I pulled open the drawer full of underwear and socks.

  They had all been neatly folded and sorted by category.

  I had always kept this habit.

  Almost all of my things were like this.

  It gave me a little sense of security, especially when I did not know what day I would have to start running around again...

  (Transition)

  (Sound of bathroom door closing)

  Just as I took out clean underwear and was about to close the drawer, a big paw reached over from behind me.

  (Redick) "Camouflage underwear?"

  (Redick) "Look at you."

  (Redick) "Let me see what else you're hiding."

  Then Redick squeezed his tiger head over and, ignoring my protests, began inspecting my private belongings.

  (Redick) "And here I thought you might have learned a little more about taste than before."

  (Redick) "I'm telling you, don't you have a jockstrap or cutout underwear or something?"

  (Redick) "Come clean. Where are you hiding your uniform?"

  (Che Lei) "Don't rummage through my things!"

  (Sound of wardrobe door slamming)

  Somewhat annoyed, I slammed the sliding wardrobe door shut with force. Redick nimbly pulled his paw back before it could be caught.

  (Redick) "So stingy~"

  (Redick) "It's not like I've never seen a cop in a jockstrap before~"

  Redick crossed his arms and gave an unhappy little snort through his nose. I had been about to head to the bathroom, but could not help turning back on my heel.

  (Che Lei) "You... you haven't really slept with a cop, have you?"

  Redick's ears twitched, and a sly smile hung on his face.

  (Redick) "Guess?"

  (Che Lei) "It's none of my business anyway."

  I snapped at him irritably, then turned back toward the bathroom.

  (Redick) "Really~?"

  (Redick) "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

  Redick's amused voice drifted over from behind my head.

  (Sound of door slamming)

  What he got in response was another heavy slam of the door.

  What a bastard...

  I brushed my teeth angrily while relieving myself over the squat toilet, imagining it as Redick's stupid face.

  That bastard actually had not chewed up my toothbrush this time.

  Wait, why had I not just changed to a new one?

  I slapped myself in annoyance and nearly peed outside the squat toilet.

  I cursed Redick a few more times in my heart, then casually tossed the toothbrush he had used into the trash.

  (Sound of rinsing mouth)

  After rinsing my mouth, I walked into the shower area.

  (Sound of shower)

  I turned on the shower and casually grabbed the body wash.

  It was much lighter than before.

  Clearly another one of Redick's fine deeds.

  I quickly finished showering, only to discover that the hanging bath towel was completely soaked and had a lot of tiger fur stuck to it. But I had no spare.

  So I sighed and picked up that wet towel covered in tiger fur.

  When we had first lived together, we had argued plenty over trivial matters like these.

  And now, life itself was already enough to leave me exhausted.

  I walked out of the bathroom while drying my hair, and Redick was lying belly-down on my bed, fiddling with something.

  His tail swayed leisurely back and forth.

  (Redick) "Hey, look what I found."

  Seeing me come out of the bathroom, he grinned and tossed what was in his hand toward me.

  I instinctively reached out and caught it.

  It was a somewhat yellowed baseball. The cowhide on its surface had begun to curl at the edges, and several English letters were written crookedly on it in marker.

  "Redick"

  I threw the baseball back to him, and Redick caught it with one paw.

  (Redick) "It's the one we picked up when I took you to Willis to watch the TIGERS play the Cardinals, right?"

  (Che Lei) "Mm."

  Redick grinned.

  (Redick) "I remember back then we were also squeezed together on a rental-room bed."

  (Redick) "Looking back, it feels like it happened yesterday."

  (Redick) "I remember that day you told me I would definitely join the professional league someday, that I would have a bright future."

  As Redick spoke, he raised the baseball in front of his face and studied it carefully.

  (Redick) "Honestly, I didn't really believe it back then."

  (Redick) "But now I've actually done it..."

  Staring straight at the baseball in his paw, Redick suddenly gave a silly smile.

  (Redick) "God, my handwriting used to be so ugly."

  (Redick) "I really didn't expect you to have kept this all this time..."

  (Che Lei) "Well, you know."

  (Che Lei) "I'm a bit sentimental..."

  (Redick) "Ha, so have you been carrying it with you this whole time?"

  My face flushed all at once.

  (Che Lei) "Stop talking nonsense!"

  (Redick) "I found it by your bedside~"

  (Che Lei) "I... I just had nowhere to put things when I moved!"

  (Che Lei) "When you really become some kind of superstar one day, I'll hang it online and sell it!"

  Redick laughed brightly, making my face burn even more.

  I dried my hair with the towel, then changed the subject.

  (Che Lei) "Oh, right. What are we doing after this?"

  (Che Lei) "Do you have any plans, or anywhere you especially want to go?"

  (Redick) "I don't, so I'll leave it to you."

  (Che Lei) "Then... shall we go eat first?"

  (Redick) "But I want to buy some clothes first. Everything from yesterday smells like alcohol. I can't wear any of it!"

  Half-naked Redick complained loudly in front of me, as if I were the one who had decided to get dead drunk in a cafe yesterday.

  I did not argue with him. Instead, I took out my phone and opened a ride-hailing app.

  I set the destination to the nearest large shopping mall.

  After we dawdled a little longer, Redick finally got ready and left with me.

  I had planned to sit in the back seat by myself, but Redick squeezed in without the slightest politeness.

  The back seat, already not spacious, instantly became very cramped.

  On the way, he again began displaying an unusually strong curiosity about my life.

  (Redick) "By the way, why did you quietly settle down in Miri?"

  (Redick) "Though I guess it is pretty close to me."

  (Redick) "But why did you buy a place like that? It looked like it was about to be demolished~"

  (Che Lei) "I rented it."

  Are you kidding? Do you know how much demolition housing in an urban village costs per square meter?

  Who would be willing to sell...

  (Redick) "Oh."

  (Redick) "You never told me..."

  (Redick) "Then you should have rented somewhere better. At least it would be more comfortable."

  (Che Lei) "I can't afford it."

  I gave the most straightforward answer.

  (Che Lei) "Besides, I only planned to stay there temporarily."

  (Redick) "Hm?"

  (Redick) "Then where were you living before?"

  (Che Lei) "Uh..."

  I did not know whether I should answer that question.

  (Redick) "What?"

  (Che Lei) "At a colleague's place..."

  While pretending to be casual, I secretly watched Redick from the corner of my eye.

  Redick only tilted his head slightly and looked at me. I did not know what he was thinking. After a long moment, he merely said, "Oh," again.

  (Redick) "So when are you planning to come back?"

  (Che Lei) "Come back?"

  (Redick) "Back to work sooner, I mean. You're always running east and west. It must be exhausting."

  (Redick) "Why not find a place and settle down? Then I could come visit you often~"

  I shook my head.

  (Che Lei) "Unfortunately, that isn't something I get to decide."

  Redick's smile faded, and a trace of disappointment showed in his expression.

  So I sighed.

  (Che Lei) "Maybe later. After I've finished dealing with what I have on hand."

  (Redick) "Then have you thought about where you'll stay after that? Like a place you like, or a city?"

  (Che Lei) "Uh..."

  (Che Lei) "Snow State or Wesley, I guess."

  (Che Lei) "I do like big-city life, but Wesley's housing prices are probably something I couldn't afford in this lifetime..."

  (Che Lei) "So Snow State is more likely."

  (Redick) "Snow State is good~ I like Snow State too~"

  Redick's ears suddenly perked up, and he smiled.

  I had almost forgotten that this guy lived there now too.

  (Redick) "Then what kind of house do you want?"

  (Che Lei) "I don't know. It's still too early."

  (Che Lei) "My work always has me running around. I can't settle down."

  (Redick) "But didn't you once tell me you really wanted to live in one of those loft apartments with stairs, then raise a dog or something?"

  Redick carefully stole a glance at me, then shifted his gaze away before I noticed.

  His words made me freeze for a moment. Then I shrugged.

  (Che Lei) "Back then I was just a kid who didn't understand anything. People's ideas change."

  (Che Lei) "I don't have that much money. I probably won't be able to save that much in this lifetime."

  (Che Lei) "Besides, housing prices are so expensive now. Are you going to buy one for me?"

  (Redick) "I also get paid a salary. I don't have that much money."

  (Redick) "But..."

  After speaking, Redick propped up his head, as if he had begun thinking.

  Just when I was starting to wonder whether he was seriously trying to conjure money from somewhere to buy me a place, we arrived at our destination.

  Liu Die Plaza was probably the largest shopping mall nearby, but because I was away all year round, it was also my first time here.

  I had always felt that the strange name sounded like some sort of red-light district.

  (Che Lei) "Do we eat first, or buy clothes first?"

  (Redick) "Clothes. This outfit is sticky and uncomfortable as hell."

  As he spoke, he raised his arm to sniff himself, then wrinkled his nose.

  (Che Lei) "I thought with your temperament you'd definitely eat first."

  (Redick) "You have no idea how uncomfortable this is. I almost wanted to come out naked."

  (Che Lei) "Haha, in that case I'd actually look forward to tomorrow morning's news."

  Chatting and laughing, we walked into a clothing store, and a clerk immediately came forward to greet us.

  Curious, I flipped over the tag on a piece of clothing. The long string of numbers on it made me click my tongue in surprise.

  After Redick picked out a few pieces, he went into the fitting room. Before long, he came back out in them.

  I looked at Redick and raised an eyebrow.

  (Che Lei) "A baseball jersey? Seriously?"

  (Redick) "What's wrong with it?"

  (Che Lei) "You might as well print the words 'I am Redick' across your forehead."

  (Redick) "Uh..."

  Redick froze, then also realized the problem that he was a public figure.

  After his tail twitched about a few times, he turned unhappily and went back into the changing room.

  A little while later, Redick came out again, this time wearing a bomber jacket and a plain white base T-shirt, with loose jeans on his lower half.

  This time I nodded approvingly.

  The clerk who had been following him immediately busied himself. One helped him adjust the clothes and cut off the tags, while another respectfully took his credit card to the counter.

  Redick waved his hand, and the old outfit he had been wearing was thrown directly into the trash by the clerk.

  That made me unable to stop myself from frowning.

  After we walked out of the clothing store, I nudged Redick with my elbow and asked irritably,

  (Che Lei) "What are we eating?"

  Redick's ears moved. Then he lifted his head and closed his eyes, sniffing the air.

  Immediately afterward, he took my arm.

  (Che Lei) "Where are you taking me?"

  I grumbled in complaint, but my body was involuntarily pulled along by him.

  He led me up the mall escalator and directly to the floor full of restaurants.

  At times like these, I always felt a little envious of beastmen. A keen sense of smell was much more convenient than looking at a map.

  But when we reached the destination, I widened my eyes and could not help doubting what I had just thought.

  (Che Lei) "This?!"

  (Redick) "Hehe, but it smells so good."

  I stood at the entrance to "Big Shark" and glared angrily at Redick. He twitched his nose a little sheepishly.

  "Big Shark" was a chain burger restaurant. Just as its name suggested, its logo was a shark with its bloody mouth wide open, biting toward a hamburger.

  The place had always used oversized burgers as its selling point, but aside from that, it was really no different from any ordinary fast-food restaurant.

  In any case, it was quite far from my understanding of fine food.

  (Sound of stomachs growling)

  Both our stomachs growled in complaint at the same time.

  Fine. As long as it filled us up.

  Redick gave me a kitten-like look, so I sensibly began lining up at the counter.

  Honestly, I actually quite liked this sort of fast food.

  Because when I was small, this imported junk food had a price that had absolutely nothing to do with junk. So to me, it counted as a rare delicacy.

  My hometown had once briefly had a knockoff Western fast-food place. It had terrible taste and service that left much to be desired.

  But it still brought some rare enjoyment to the deprived taste buds of my childhood.

  I looked at the many items on the electronic menu and, for a moment, did not know what to choose.

  But the tiger clerk at the counter was looking increasingly impatient, so I hastily ordered several things at random and hurried away from the front of the line.

  When the pickup counter called the number in my hand, I realized I had seriously underestimated the size of the burgers here.

  Those burgers were far beyond what I could eat.

  I guessed that was also why there were almost no human customers in the shop.

  I carried two trays at once like a juggler, searching the restaurant with my eyes.

  Before long, I found Redick sitting at the communal long table.

  Only, he now seemed to have run into a situation.

  (Little boy) "Dad, Dad! Look, it's Redick!"

  A little boy wearing a baseball cap waved his small hand excitedly at Redick.

  (Little boy) "Dad, can I take a picture with big brother Redick?"

  The little boy looked up expectantly with watery eyes at the man standing beside him. That man should have been his father.

  (Man) "Silly kid. Dad has to ask first whether big brother Redick is willing to be bothered."

  I smiled helplessly, then found a nearby seat and sat down, placing the trays in my hands on the table.

  I watched Redick take off his cap and use his paw to messily fix the flattened hair on his head.

  He pulled the corner of his mouth into a smile and began chatting with the father and son, then stiffly reached out a paw to pat the little boy's head.

  After Redick began signing an autograph for the little boy, more people gathered around him, and more and more people raised their phones.

  He looked at me through the crowd with pleading eyes. I only shook my head helplessly and earnestly dealt with the burger in front of me.

  I even found time to take out my phone and gloatingly send him a message.

  (Sound of phone typing)

  Me: Relax, my big star.

  Buzz...

  I was surprised Redick had gotten free so quickly, but the top of the message list did not show his red tiger head. Instead, it was a hyena with his tongue out.

  Hyde: Heard you're back?

  Hyde: How come you didn't even tell me~

  This guy was a friend of mine from many years back. More precisely, I had known him for more than half my life.

  Of course, I had known many of my friends for more than half my life; only, in the end, they had all gradually faded out of my life for one reason or another.

  But Hyde was different.

  Even the separation after we grew up had not diluted the bond between us.

  (Sound of phone typing)

  I tapped the screen with my fingers and replied to his message.

  Me: I just got here last week.

  Hyde: Last week?

  Hyde: Then why didn't you tell me until now?

  Me: I've been so busy I couldn't get away, so I forgot.

  That explanation made my face heat slightly.

  Hyde: Mm...

  Hyde: Busy with work?

  I knew he would ask that...

  I freed one hand to pick up the cup, took a hard sip of diet cola, then thought for a moment and decided to change the topic first.

  Me: Pretty much.

  Me: But speaking of that, how did you know I was back?

  Hyde: Because I installed GPS on you.

  Me: ......

  Hyde: Haha.

  Me: Don't scare me!

  Hyde: Don't tell me you really believed it~

  Hyde: Seriously, when are you planning to come home?

  Hyde: Everyone's waiting for you to come back.

  Seeing that message, I curled my lips.

  Because I knew that the "everyone" he mentioned basically meant only himself, and this home referred to my hometown, Nia.

  It was a small town not far from Miri. The whole town had only three main streets and a long-distance bus station.

  For as long as I could remember, it had looked run-down.

  I heard that last year, even the town's little screening hall had closed down.

  I guessed that was why all my other classmates had left as soon as they graduated.

  In fact, most of the young people in the entire town had done the same.

  Hyde was one of the few young people who had chosen to stay there.

  He always showed great enthusiasm about making me come home, though such opportunities had become fewer and fewer after I went to work in Wesley.

  He was also probably the only remaining reason I still returned to Nia.

  (Sound of phone typing)

  Me: Not sure yet. I'm still busy with some things for now.

  Me: But I'll be back in two days at most.

  Me: We can meet up then.

  Hyde: Then I'll wait for you~

  Hyde: Ha, I've already thought of what we can do together.

  Hyde: I've been holding back from touching our last save file, just waiting for you to come back so we can play together.

  Hyde: We can also go fishing.

  Hyde: There are a lot of fish in that little lake now.

  Me: But I don't know how.

  Hyde: Don't worry, I'll teach you.

  A faint smile appeared at my lips, because even through the screen I could imagine Hyde's delighted face.

  But just as I was about to continue replying, a huge body plopped down beside me.

  (Redick) "Whew..."

  (Redick) "Finally done. I'm starving."

  Redick took a burger from the tray in front of me and bit into it hard. His other paw grabbed a huge handful of fries and shoved them messily into his mouth.

  His cheeks bulged because they were stuffed full of food. A slice of pickle was rebelliously trying to escape from his mouth, but luckily Redick pushed it back in with one paw in time.

  (Che Lei) "Can you pay a little attention to how you eat?"

  (Che Lei) "There are people watching nearby..."

  (Redick) "Mmph... mmph... who cares?"

  Redick spoke unclearly with a mouth packed full of food.

  Then he swallowed everything down in one go and took big gulps of cola from the cup.

  (Redick) "Athletes don't need to eat?"

  Redick glared at me resentfully.

  I let out a bright laugh.

  (Che Lei) "Your fans are really lucky~"

  Buzz...

  The phone in my pocket began vibrating again.

  Hyde: Hey, where'd you go~

  Me: Sorry.

  Me: A friend came over. I'm hanging out with him right now.

  Hyde: Friend?

  Hyde: Is it that colleague of yours?

  Me: No.

  My fingers paused above the keyboard as I thought for a moment.

  Me: Just a college classmate.

  Hyde: Okay...

  Me: I'll stop chatting for now. We're eating.

  Hyde: Then... see you when you come home?

  Me: Mm!

  Me: See you then.

  Hyde: See you then~

  (Redick) "Who are you texting?"

  (Redick) "You're grinning while you type."

  Redick, chewing his burger, leaned his tiger head over.

  (Che Lei) "My childhood friend!"

  (Redick) "Oh~"

  After that "oh," he leaned his head even closer.

  (Redick) "Which boy has taken a liking to you this time?"

  Unhappy, I shoved away Redick's curious big head and glared at him fiercely.

  (Che Lei) "Eat your food. Stop worrying about things that don't exist!"

  (Redick) "Tsk, I'm not that interested anyway!"

  Redick snorted heavily through his nose and turned his head away.

  His tail, however, lashed disobediently against my arm as if venting anger.

  I ignored his cub-like behavior and locked my phone before stuffing it back into my pocket.

  (Che Lei) "Are you done eating?"

  (Che Lei) "After you finish, what are we doing?"

  Redick still had his head turned away and ignored me, but his tail hit me even harder.

  I let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  (Che Lei) "Fine, fine..."

  (Che Lei) "He really is my childhood friend. His name is Hyde. I've told you about him before."

  (Che Lei) "Don't you remember?"

  Redick finally turned his head back, but he suddenly began complaining loudly.

  (Redick) "The fries are cold!"

  (Redick) "Now I can't even go to the arcade!"

  (Redick) "I'm just eating, and you're already rushing me!"

  Redick angrily smacked my cheek with his tail. I hurriedly cooperated and pretended to cry out in pain.

  Then I coaxed him in a tone one might use with a child.

  (Che Lei) "Be good. Who told you you're our favorite big star~"

  (Redick) "I told you not to call me that!"

  He glared at me fiercely, then turned his head away again.

  Holding back laughter, I gently stroked his back, but Redick wiggled away.

  I smiled and stood up from the seat. Redick secretly glanced at me from the corner of his eye, then hurriedly looked elsewhere when I turned back.

  Before long, I returned to the seat again.

  (Che Lei) "Stop sulking. Look what this is~"

  As I spoke, I magically produced two ice creams from behind my back.

  Redick stared at them for a moment, and a smile bloomed on his face again.

  (Redick) "That's more like it."

  I handed him the ice cream in my left hand, but he snatched the other one from my hand as well.

  (Redick) "None for annoying people~"

  After saying that, Redick walked out of the fast-food restaurant, licking the ice cream again and again with his big tongue. I shrugged helplessly and followed behind him.

  (Redick) "Now we can't even shop. So annoying."

  (Redick) "It's all because I'm too eye-catching."

  Yes, but besides the mall, where else could we go?

  There were so many people everywhere on the weekend...

  Unless there were not so many people...

  Redick suddenly punched his palm, then tilted his head and looked at me.

  (Redick) "How about I go home with you?"

  (Che Lei) "Hm? Home?"

  (Redick) "Mm!"

  (Che Lei) "Do you really want to squeeze into that tiny rental room with me for the whole weekend?"

  Redick shook his head hard.

  (Redick) "No, not your rental room. I mean your hometown, Nia."

  (Che Lei) "Um..."

  I hesitated, yet truly could not find a good reason to refuse.

  (Che Lei) "I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

  (Redick) "It'll definitely be fine. Your hometown doesn't even have half a baseball field. Nobody there will recognize me."

  (Redick) "I haven't been to your place in ages~"

  (Redick) "Isn't your childhood friend there too? We can all go out and play together."

  (Che Lei) "But... but we don't have a car right now. How are we supposed to get back?"

  (Redick) "That's not a problem~"

  (Che Lei) "Um, and you didn't bring any toiletries."

  (Redick) "They sell those everywhere, don't they? Besides, I can make do with yours~"

  I truly could not out-argue him. In the end, I could only slowly nod.

  Redick excitedly pulled me along and left the mall with me.

  (Transition)

  I had originally planned to take the bus back with Redick, but he shook his head like a rattle-drum.

  I guessed it was because of what had just happened in the mall.

  In the end, he dragged me by force to a rental car agency.

  Through the glass curtain wall, I saw all sorts of cars with gleaming paint displayed in the showroom.

  I could not name most of them, but I had no doubt about their prices.

  A sharply dressed salesperson invited us to sit in the lounge's armchairs, and soon two steaming cups of coffee were brought over from the pantry.

  Redick slid his paw left and right across a tablet computer, and before long, he had chosen the model.

  He signed his name on the bill with a flourish, then continued sitting in the armchair, enjoying his coffee.

  I looked at the long string of numbers on the bill and could only shake my head inwardly.

  (Redick) "If we're going out to have fun, having a car is more convenient~"

  (Che Lei) "That's true, but this car is too..."

  I looked at the luxury SUV in front of me with a complicated expression, but Redick burst out laughing.

  (Redick) "You think it's a bit flashy?"

  (Redick) "Then you really should see our team's parking lot."

  (Che Lei) "And this rental fee is ridiculous."

  (Che Lei) "Didn't you just complain that your dad doesn't pay you much?"

  (Redick) "That's different. This can be charged to the team account."

  (Redick) "Come on, it's rare for me to go out and have fun with you. Be kind and stop nagging me..."

  Redick took the car keys from the tray and pushed my butt to make me get in.

  After leaving the rental agency, he drove me along the highway back home.

  High-rises and skyscrapers receded continuously behind us, and the surroundings around the road grew more and more desolate.

  Probably because it was a workday, there were almost no cars on the road, so Redick drove very fast.

  Unlike the excitement I had felt when I had just reunited with Redick, now I only looked at the scenery flying past outside the window and stayed quietly silent.

  Although I had never told anyone, I was actually very resistant to going home.

  I hated those silent journeys sitting alone in a vehicle.

  When you were surrounded by silence, it was hard not to recall things from the past.

  Everything lay before your eyes, refusing to leave.

  I used to be very good at forgetting unpleasant things. I could forget them cleanly overnight.

  But after that day, none of this was so easy anymore...

  Fortunately, now I had Redick's company.

  Just as he had said, this was not Redick's first time going home with me.

  I still remembered the surprised look on his face the first time he came to my home. Perhaps, having grown up in a stone castle, he had never seen this kind of 1970s corridor apartment building.

  I could tell that he was uncomfortable all over. But he really liked the food I cooked, and he watched TV with me.

  Perhaps because he was shy, he did not shower at my place. He simply brushed his fur hastily with waterless body wash.

  At night, we squeezed together on one bed, and he merely snored beside me all night long.

  Back then, both he and I had been so simple.

  I could not help feeling moved. To return here with him again, so many years had already passed...

  Before I knew it, our car had already been on the road for over an hour, and the sky outside had begun to darken.

  The setting sun shone in through the car window, dyeing his fur golden.

  Without his baseball cap, the hair on his head had returned to a soft and free state. Stirred slightly by the air conditioner in the car, it seemed like golden flames dancing.

  His face, too, was veiled in light and shadow by the afterglow of the sunset.

  All of it felt a little unreal.

  (Redick) "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

  Redick's somewhat displeased voice suddenly pulled me back to reality.

  I looked at his opening and closing mouth, but I was still a little absent-minded.

  (Che Lei) "Hm?"

  (Redick) "I just said, are we almost there?"

  I looked out the window at the broad fields and the intersection in the distance, then nodded.

  Redick turned the steering wheel and took us off the road at the nearest exit.

  The road gradually narrowed, and clusters of buildings began appearing on both sides.

  Redick slowed down, looking around as if searching for something.

  (Che Lei) "What's wrong?"

  (Redick) "I'm dying of thirst!"

  (Redick) "After making me drive all this way, shouldn't certain people take the initiative?"

  As Redick spoke, he stopped the car by the roadside and lifted one paw, pointing at a milk tea shop along the road.

  I sighed, unbuckled my seat belt, and prepared to get out.

  But Redick sat in the driver's seat with absolutely no intention of moving his butt.

  (Che Lei) "You're not planning to come with me?"

  (Redick) "No way. What if someone recognizes me again~"

  (Che Lei) "I don't even know what you want to drink, and..."

  (Redick) "I don't care. I drove the whole way."

  Before I could make any further argument, Redick all but shoved me out of the car.

  I helplessly dragged my feet toward the milk tea shop, while Redick's lazy voice rang out behind me.

  (Redick) "I want sea-salt milk tea, thanks~"

  And so I stood alone in the milk tea shop, frowning.

  Because I was annoyed that they refused to add ten times the sea salt to the sea-salt milk tea I ordered.

  At that moment, a voice sounded behind me.

  (???) "Che Lei!"

  Hearing my name so suddenly made me instinctively turn around.

  But when I saw the owner of the voice, my smile still froze on my face.

  Even so, I quickly and skillfully put on a polite, hypocritical adult smile and greeted the thin, small human in front of me with lukewarm indifference.

  (Che Lei) "Mitch. Long time no see."

  (Mitch) "Oh my, I can't even remember when I last saw you."

  (Mitch) "How are you doing these days?"

  (Che Lei) "Getting by."

  He stepped forward and stretched out his arm as if wanting to shake my hand, but I silently took a step back.

  He could only awkwardly pull it back.

  (Mitch) "Hey, are you working in Miri now too?"

  (Che Lei) "More or less."

  (Mitch) "I heard you went to the police academy after graduation. I didn't believe it at first."

  (Che Lei) "Oh? Who told you that?"

  I narrowed my eyes and looked at Mitch.

  But his eyes rolled around, as if he were plotting something.

  (Mitch) "Hey, what classmate wouldn't know?"

  (Mitch) "But now that you're a cop, you'd better behave yourself. I hear they don't exactly like homosexuals in there."

  He deliberately emphasized the last few words loudly, making me furrow my brow.

  (Mitch) "By the way, how come I don't see that little boyfriend of yours?"

  (Mitch) "I saw him at the hotel last time. All dressed up like a proper person."

  After saying that, Mitch started laughing.

  (Mitch) "Haha, you have no idea what he looked like when I tossed him my car keys and told him to park for me."

  (Mitch) "He even tried to pretend he didn't know me."

  Mitch laughed even harder as he spoke, while the smile disappeared completely from my face.

  He still had not changed at all. He would not miss any chance to cause trouble for me.

  (Che Lei) "Are you done?"

  I took a deep breath and let the smile return to my face.

  (Che Lei) "If you're done, I have other things to do."

  A smug smile appeared at the corner of Mitch's mouth.

  Just as I decided to turn away and end this pointless farce, the door of the milk tea shop was shoved open with a violent bang.

  (Sound of door being violently opened)

  That drew all our attention over.

  (Redick) "Why are you taking so long!"

  Redick stood in front of me with his arms crossed unhappily. His powerful body made the already narrow shop seem even more cramped.

  (Che Lei) "Ran into a friend. It delayed me a little."

  (Redick) "Friend?"

  (Redick) "What friend?"

  Redick's voice grew increasingly displeased.

  (Redick) "I waited in the car for ages! You didn't even reply to my messages!"

  I sighed wearily.

  (Che Lei) "I was chatting just now and didn't see your messages."

  (Che Lei) "It'll be ready right away. Go wait in the car first."

  But Mitch's eyes rolled, clearly thinking he had found an opportunity to cut in.

  (Mitch) "Yo, found a new boyfriend so fast?"

  (Mitch) "Haha, another beastman."

  (Mitch) "You've got pretty heavy tastes."

  (Redick) "Who is this guy?"

  Redick frowned and looked at Mitch, then at me.

  (Redick) "Is there something wrong with him?"

  Mitch had never taken this kind of loss, and immediately began threatening Redick.

  (Mitch) "How are you talking to me? Do you know who I am?"

  (Mitch) "Believe it or not, one phone call from me and I'll make sure you pay for it."

  Redick said nothing. He only advanced toward Mitch step by step.

  Only when Redick, his face dark, stood before him did Mitch realize something was wrong.

  He swallowed and looked at Redick fearfully.

  (Mitch) "You... what do you want?"

  Redick first smiled slightly. Then he grabbed Mitch by the clothes and slammed him down onto the nearest table.

  (Sound effect)

  A customer in the shop cried out in alarm.

  (Mitch) "You... how dare you! You're done for!"

  Pinned to the table, Mitch was still shouting loudly.

  (Redick) "Oh?"

  (Redick) "Is that so?"

  Redick tugged his clothes and lifted him up like a chick, then slammed him heavily back down onto the table again.

  Mitch was knocked dizzy and began making sounds almost like wailing.

  (Mitch) "Waaah..."

  (Redick) "Not so tough now, you little bastard?"

  Mitch, sprawled on the table, immediately stopped making noise. He did not even dare look at Redick.

  (Redick) "Thought so."

  Redick released his paw, and Mitch's body collapsed limp on the floor like an overcooked noodle.

  Then Redick ignored the clerk's mouth, which had opened into a huge "O," and grabbed the already packaged milk teas from the counter.

  When he passed by Mitch on the floor, he took his wallet from his pocket, pulled out several bills, and tossed them onto Mitch's face.

  (Redick) "Take that and buy yourself some new clothes."

  Finally, he gracefully stepped over Mitch's body, which lay across the aisle, and headed for the door.

  Just as we were about to leave together, Mitch's voice sounded behind us again.

  Only now his voice had become sharp and piercing, as if someone had stepped on his neck.

  (Mitch) "You! You wait! This isn't over!"

  (Mitch) "I'm calling my dad right now. I'll have him throw a poor bastard like you in jail!"

  Redick took a deep breath and stopped the leg he had been stepping out of the shop with.

  Just as he was about to turn back, I grabbed him and shook my head at him.

  (Che Lei) "Forget it."

  (Redick) "What?"

  (Redick) "Didn't you hear that he's still not convinced?"

  (Redick) "I heard what he said about you from outside. If I don't teach him a proper lesson, how will he remember it?"

  After speaking, Redick clenched his fist and tried to head straight toward Mitch.

  But I blocked the space between them.

  (Che Lei) "I'm begging you, Redick. Let's go back."

  Redick looked at me with incomprehension, but I had no intention of yielding.

  (Redick) "Suit yourself."

  He snorted through his nose, turned, and pushed the door open to leave.

  Seeing Redick turn away, Mitch hurriedly crawled up from the floor and chased after us a couple of steps, stopping in front of me.

  Then he glared at me viciously and said through gritted teeth,

  (Mitch) "Don't you stand here pretending to be a good person!"

  (Mitch) "You think you can hit me and just call it quits? It's not that cheap!"

  (Mitch) "Just you see how I'll settle accounts with you later!"

  (Mitch) "My dad knows people in the police force too. You can forget about making a living in Miri after this!"

  Faced with Mitch's cursing, I said nothing.

  I only shook my head, then pushed open the door and left the milk tea shop.

  Redick, sitting in the driver's seat, silently started the car. I could not tell what expression was on his face.

  Several times he wanted to speak but stopped.

  Only when we stopped again at a red light did he seem unable to hold back any longer and ask me,

  (Redick) "What was with you just now?"

  (Redick) "Who was that guy?"

  I hugged my arms tightly and sighed.

  (Che Lei) "A high school classmate."

  (Che Lei) "Or rather, a little bastard who relied on his family's bit of dirty money to do whatever he wanted."

  (Redick) "Did he trouble you back then too?"

  (Che Lei) "Mm. And not just me."

  (Che Lei) "Students whose parents weren't around, or whose families were poorer, basically all got bullied by him. Some endured it silently for a few years, and some simply transferred to other schools."

  (Che Lei) "The one he bullied the worst was a boy, but he didn't even have a friend who could speak up for him. In the end, he dropped out."

  (Redick) "By that little bastard?"

  (Redick) "Didn't anyone at your school do anything?!"

  Redick looked utterly incredulous.

  I, however, let out a light laugh.

  (Che Lei) "Who would care about this kind of trouble?"

  (Che Lei) "Not to mention, his dad really counted as someone important in a small place like ours. Not everyone was willing to get involved in that kind of mess."

  (Redick) "So you just let him talk to you like that?"

  As Redick spoke, he slapped the steering wheel hard with his paw.

  (Redick) "I really don't get it. Yesterday, when those guys blocked the road, I didn't see you scared. And now you're telling me you're afraid of one little bastard like this?"

  (Che Lei) "You don't understand."

  (Che Lei) "Not everyone is like you, Redick."

  (Redick) "What's that supposed to mean?"

  I shook my head in silence.

  Redick's tail lashed against the leather seat, and his expression grew more and more agitated.

  Then he suddenly slammed on the brakes and stopped the car by the roadside.

  (Redick) "I know that shitty car of his. I'm going back with you right now to settle accounts with him again."

  (Che Lei) "Don't look for trouble, Redick."

  (Redick) "Look for trouble?"

  (Redick) "He talked to you like that and bullied you before! And somehow I'm the one looking for trouble?!"

  (Redick) "If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. What are you afraid of?"

  (Che Lei) "Violence doesn't always solve problems."

  (Che Lei) "If you really injure him, the police will come after you."

  (Redick) "You think I'm afraid of that?"

  I sighed deeply, then shook my head.

  (Che Lei) "Even if you can get out of it, and even if I can get out of it, what about my friends?"

  (Che Lei) "They and their families still have to live here."

  (Che Lei) "I'm not afraid of him. I want to teach him a lesson even more than you do."

  (Che Lei) "But I won't drag my friends into it over something meaningless, because it isn't worth it."

  (Redick) "So you're saying we just let it go?!"

  (Che Lei) "The past is already past, and he hates me this much for a reason."

  (Redick) "What reason?"

  (Che Lei) "Because I'm gay."

  Redick froze for a moment, showing a disgusted expression.

  (Che Lei) "But speaking of it, it's pretty ironic. His dad is gay too."

  (Redick) "What? How do you know?"

  (Che Lei) "Rumors among students."

  I shrugged at him.

  (Che Lei) "But that doesn't matter."

  (Che Lei) "In any case, I'm very grateful that you stood up for me, but let's leave it here today."

  (Che Lei) "Is that okay with you, Redick?"

  Redick looked at me with a complicated expression and sighed, saying nothing more.

  He held the steering wheel with one paw and used the other to pick up a milk tea from the bag and insert a straw.

  (Redick) "Fuck, what is this stuff?!"

  Then he handed the milk tea in his paw to me.

  I took a small sip through the straw. That cloying, artificial sweetness made everything in my stomach start to surge upward.

  (Che Lei) "Tastes awful."

  I returned the milk tea to Redick, and he threw it back into the bag in disgust.

  (Navigation voice)

  "You are 200 meters from your destination."

  We drove down the road, and soon arrived near our destination.

  It was an old corridor apartment building. In some places, saplings had even grown out from the peeling exterior walls.

  It should have been built in the sixties or seventies of the last century, and now there were already very few residents left in it.

  We had Redick find a place to park on a nearby side road, because I was afraid his flashy car would attract too much unnecessary attention downstairs.

  After getting out of the car, Redick suddenly grew quiet, but the tail behind him trembled lightly as if it had thoughts of its own.

  I was too lazy to care, because right now I only felt very tired.

  I reached into the mailbox hanging by the door, which had accumulated who knew how many years of dirt, felt out the spare key from inside, and used it to open the door.

  Redick followed close behind me into the apartment.

  First he looked around, then lifted his head and sniffed.

  (Redick) "Still smells damp..."

  (Redick) "I remember your home didn't used to be this empty."

  I did not answer him, only found two pairs of slippers from the cabinet.

  Seeing that I ignored him, he clicked his tongue, changed into slippers too, then went straight to the sofa and threw himself onto it.

  His huge body pressed the sofa cushions deeply down.

  Then his lazy voice came through the cushions.

  (Redick) "I'm starving. What are we eating tonight?"

  (Che Lei) "Didn't we just eat this afternoon?"

  (Redick) "And we ate last night too!"

  Redick's shamelessly unreasonable manner made me involuntarily remember the electronic pets that had been all the rage when I was in primary school.

  It was a strange game in which you raised a pet that knew only to demand food and drink from you every day, and would die on you at the drop of a hat.

  The difference was that back then I had actually enjoyed it, while now I was absolutely doing this under duress.

  After letting out a long sigh, I still resigned myself and walked to the kitchen.

  The top shelf of the food cabinet was empty except for a few somewhat shriveled carrots, but on the lower shelf I did find some packaged sausages.

  They were probably left by Hyde.

  When I decided to work in Wesley, I had left the key with him. When he needed to rest after a night shift, he would come here to stay, and at the same time help look after the house.

  Then I rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. Fortunately, I discovered a whole pack of instant noodles.

  I decided this would be what we ate tonight.

  So I lit the gas stove and set water to boil, then put the sausages in the microwave to thaw.

  With both hands busy, the aroma of food soon filled the room.

  When it was done, I set it on the table.

  (Redick) "Um... instant noodles?"

  Redick looked at the pot in front of him and pondered for a while, seeming resistant.

  (Che Lei) "Try it first before you say anything!"

  After speaking, I demonstrated by picking up a chopstickful of noodles and stuffing them into my mouth, exaggeratedly making sounds of deliciousness.

  The corner of Redick's mouth twitched, but in the end he still scooped up a large chopstickful of noodles.

  (Redick) "Mm..."

  Seeing the change in Redick's expression, I could not help curling my lips smugly.

  (Che Lei) "I didn't lie to you, did I?"

  (Redick) "This... this is a little different from the instant noodles I remember..."

  (Che Lei) "I have a secret technique!"

  (Che Lei) "After making it many times, I finally discovered that if you cook the noodles by pouring hot water over them and then run them through cold water, they'll become especially springy and smooth. As for the seasoning, you have to..."

  (Redick) "Wait. Why do you know so much about this?"

  Redick seemed to suddenly remember something and interrupted me.

  (Redick) "Do you usually eat this all the time...?"

  I, however, was somewhat confused and did not understand what he was trying to say.

  (Che Lei) "Hm? What's wrong?"

  (Redick) "That's too pitiful..."

  Redick's concerned expression made my face feel hot.

  It was true that because of work, I often did not get the chance to properly cook myself a meal.

  But that had nothing to do with being pitiful, right?

  (Redick) "Seriously, how's your salary now?"

  (Redick) "Is it not enough?"

  My life had indeed been tight recently, but it was not so bad that I was wronging myself over meals.

  So I shook my head like a rattle-drum.

  (Che Lei) "It's not as bad as you think. I just... I'm just saving money!"

  (Che Lei) "It's not like I eat this every day!"

  (Redick) "You'd better not."

  (Redick) "Either way, next time I'll treat you to something good."

  (Che Lei) "Uh, eat your food!"

  Redick smiled noncommittally, then continued focusing on the noodles in his bowl.

  Very quickly, they were all swallowed into his stomach.

  Perhaps out of some strange sympathy, after the meal Redick volunteered to clear the dishes for me.

  By then, it was completely dark outside.

  After eating and drinking our fill, he and I chose to curl up on the sofa together and watch something.

  I placed my laptop on the coffee table, opened a video site, and randomly clicked on a currently popular movie.

  I think its title was A Noble Steed of a Generation.

  Redick spread his legs and comfortably leaned against the sofa back.

  I sat beside him, quietly watching the images on the screen.

  (Movie sound effects)

  (Old woman) "Hey, aren't you that famous racehorse?"

  (Steed) "Not today."

  (Steed) "Today I'm just an ordinary customer who wants a warm pie."

  (Old woman) "Then may I ask you one more question, Mr. Steed?"

  (Steed) "All right."

  (Old woman) "I want to know, when you keep running forward on the track, are you running away from something?"

  (Steed) "Do you want the truth?"

  (Steed) "The truth is, I'm not running away from anything."

  (Old woman laughs)

  (Old woman) "Everyone is running away from something, dear."

  (Steed) "No. I'm not running away from anything."

  (Steed) "I'm afraid of nothing."

  (Steed sighs)

  (Steed) "People come to me. They want my autograph, they want my picture, they think they understand me..."

  (Steed) "I want to be the person they think I am too..."

  (Steed) "But I'm not."

  (Steed) "They see my fame and think it's virtue."

  (Steed) "But I know I have nothing."

  (Steed) "No matter how fast I run, I can never escape that..."

  (The television continues)

  Redick suddenly began gently stroking my hair with his big paw. I had been a little uncomfortable and wanted to move away, but the feeling of him touching me was so comfortable that I almost fell asleep.

  (Redick) "Your hair is really stiff, Xiao Lei."

  His deep voice came from above my head.

  (Redick) "Feels pretty nice to touch, though."

  (Che Lei) "Mm..."

  I answered vaguely and yawned.

  He continued gently stroking the back of my neck with his paw.

  Just as I was growing drowsy, he suddenly began mischievously rubbing my hair at random, pushing it this way and that.

  Sleepy as I was, I was too lazy to make a sound.

  But he actually pushed further, sticking his paw into my shirt and starting to tickle my belly.

  That woke me up all at once.

  (Che Lei) "Hey! Why are your paws wandering again!"

  I began complaining loudly in dissatisfaction.

  (Che Lei) "Looks like you want me to treat you again, huh?"

  Then I retaliated by reaching toward his crotch with my hand.

  The sensation of a pair of furry spheres came through the fabric and into my palm.

  Redick immediately clamped his legs together, trapping my hand.

  Not to be outdone, I still pretended that I was about to pinch.

  (Redick) "You don't want to do that~"

  Redick looked at me and gave a sly smile.

  Then he suddenly stood up.

  Sensing danger, I hurriedly guarded my hands in front of myself and assumed a defensive posture.

  But Redick soon easily broke through my fragile "defense." He used one paw to deal with both my hands, then reached his other paw toward my body.

  He began tickling me.

  (Che Lei) "Hahahahaha!"

  That strange prickling itch made me start laughing uncontrollably, and I could only resist Redick's attack with both hands and feet.

  (Redick) "Are you wrong? Are you wrong?"

  Redick laughed as he launched a great offensive against me.

  (Che Lei) "I'm not wrong!"

  I laughed until I was curled into a ball, simply wrapping both arms around my sides to protect my ribs while twisting with my back against the sofa.

  (Redick) "Oh? Still not giving in?"

  Redick quickly found the sensitive spots I could not protect. His furry paw and slightly rough pads made everything worse; many places that had not been sensitive at all now began to itch.

  (Che Lei) "Still... not... giving... still... not... giving!"

  I began laughing so hard I could barely breathe, but I did not want to surrender so easily.

  (Redick) "Then don't blame me for showing no mercy."

  Redick seized an opening and directly straddled me. He easily pinned both my hands, then began wildly pinching between my ribs with his free paw.

  For me, this was simply torture!

  (Redick) "Are you wrong? Are you wrong?"

  Redick laughed even more smugly. I continued twisting, gritting my teeth and refusing to beg for mercy.

  (Redick) "Oh? Pretty tough, huh."

  (Redick) "Then I'm using my ultimate move."

  Redick's expression gave me a very ominous feeling, and then a tiger face suddenly drew close. He began using his whiskers to stab at the sensitive parts of my neck, while madly pinching the ticklish flesh at my waist.

  I twisted violently, dodging this way and that, but whenever I turned my head, he seized the gap and blew hot air into my ear.

  That warm current beside my ear made me tremble involuntarily. He even licked my earlobe with his wet tongue, and from time to time lightly nipped it with his teeth...

  It made me laugh until tears came out.

  (Che Lei) "I can't take it! Hahaha!"

  (Che Lei) "Stop!"

  (Redick) "Hm? Weren't you pretty tough before~"

  Redick smiled but did not stop rubbing me ticklishly.

  (Che Lei) "Fuck! I was wrong! I really was wrong!"

  Only when I felt like my stomach was about to cramp from laughing did Redick finally smile and let go of me, freeing my hands.

  (Redick) "Ha. Then tell me where you went wrong."

  (Che Lei) "I..."

  I wiped away the tears I had laughed out, then suddenly reached my hands toward Redick's ribs as well.

  (Che Lei) "I wasn't wrong anywhere!!!"

  (Redick) "Hahahaha!"

  Redick was startled by my sudden attack, then laughed loudly while putting up a limp resistance.

  I seized the chance to change positions and straddled his belly, but Redick suddenly opened his mouth and lay motionless on the sofa.

  (Che Lei) "Now you've been tickled to death?"

  I leaned closer to his face with a smile, but he suddenly lifted his head and wrapped one arm around me.

  Before I could react, he kissed my lips...

  My mind went blank, and I did not know how to respond.

  Perhaps this was just another intimate joke, just like what we had been doing a moment ago...

  But as a joke, this kiss was far too long.

  Could we still do this?

  I mean, brothers could kiss each other like this too, right?

  I did not know.

  But this feeling really...

  I gave up resisting and hugged him tightly.

  As if encouraged, Redick deftly slipped his tongue into my mouth.

  He teased the tip of my tongue, lightly swept over my teeth, and from time to time used his tiger fangs to gently bite the edge of my lip.

  I had forgotten that he was such a skilled kisser.

  His passionate kiss almost made me forget how to breathe.

  To me, this embrace and kiss felt as long as half a century.

  After the kiss ended, he looked like a child who had done something wrong, turning his head aside and avoiding my eyes.

  (Redick) "Uh, I just remembered I haven't showered yet."

  Redick took a step back, then fled the living room as if escaping.

  My heart tightened sharply, as if pricked by a thorn.

  Yet I did not know what exactly made me sad.

  My mind was blank. I leaned weakly against the sofa, until Redick's voice appeared in the living room again and interrupted my thoughts.

  (Redick) "Hey, can I use this?"

  As he spoke, he waved a sea-blue bottle in his hand at me, making me snap back to myself.

  (Che Lei) "Um..."

  (Che Lei) "I guess?"

  (Redick) "This is for beastmen. Why do you have it at home?"

  Redick shook the bottle in his paw again, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wicked smile.

  (Redick) "Did you bring some wild boy home?"

  (Che Lei) "What are you thinking!"

  (Che Lei) "Hyde left it here!"

  Redick circled the room once, scratched his head, and looked at me in confusion.

  (Redick) "Right, where was the bathroom again...?"

  (Che Lei) "Outside."

  (Che Lei) "The three in the middle of the corridor. Remember to lock the door."

  (Redick) "Oh! I remember now!"

  Redick slapped his forehead in sudden realization, then carried a pile of things and dragged his long tail out the door.

  I sighed, then took out my phone.

  As expected, it was packed with unread messages.

  All of them were from Hyde.

  Hyde: Hey, I found a new song this afternoon. Want to give it a try?

  Hyde: It's called Slow Dance in the Dark.

  Hyde: You'll definitely like it!

  Hyde: Ah, overtime again today!!!

  Hyde: So annoying!

  Hyde: Have you eaten? What did you two have for dinner?

  ...

  I smiled and shook my head, scrolled to the bottom of the message list, and sent Hyde a text.

  (Sound of phone typing)

  Me: I'm home. Just got here.

  Hyde: ?!!

  Hyde: Then should I come over now?

  Me: Better not.

  Me: It's a little late today.

  Me: And my friend is here too. We've both eaten.

  Me: Tomorrow morning works. It's the weekend anyway.

  Hyde: Is it that friend you mentioned?

  Me: Mm.

  Hyde: Okay.

  Hyde: Then I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning.

  Hyde: We can take him out with us.

  Me: Then I'll think about where we can go tomorrow.

  (Alert tone)

  Redick: Xiao Lei~~

  Che Lei: What?

  Redick: Can you come here for a second?

  Che Lei: Did your head get caught in the shower-room door?

  Redick: No.

  Che Lei: Did your tail get stuck in the floor drain?

  Redick: No!

  Redick: Just come here!

  I frowned, not knowing what Redick was up to now.

  After sending Hyde one last reply, I stuffed my phone into my pocket, lifted my butt off the sofa, and walked into the corridor.

  The showers and toilets in the corridor apartment were shared by everyone, so I remembered that when I was small, every night there had been long lines to shower or use the bathroom.

  But I had long since grown used to it.

  Now, almost all the original residents on this floor had moved away, leaving only one household on the south side.

  That saved a lot of the trouble of waiting in line.

  The corridor was pitch black.

  Following the sound of water, I found the first shower room.

  (Knocking)

  I gently knocked on the door.

  After a burst of water-shaking sounds, the sliding bolt moved, and the bathroom door opened.

  Redick stood completely naked under the shower, the fur all over his body wet.

  I quickly slipped into the shower room.

  (Che Lei) "Why did you call me in here?"

  (Che Lei) "And... did you really need to take another shower?"

  (Redick) "I just jerked off."

  Redick looked at me with a wicked grin.

  (Redick) "Hyenas have sharp noses. I don't want to be smelled."

  (Che Lei) "Why would you tell me something like that!"

  My face could not help reddening, and I shoved Redick's shoulder hard.

  He looked innocent.

  (Redick) "You're the one who asked!"

  (Redick) "Right."

  (Redick) "Can you help me wash my back?"

  (Redick) "I'm too muscular. There are some places I can't reach..."

  (Che Lei) "Um..."

  (Redick) "Please~"

  I sighed, then took the body wash from Redick's hand.

  The shower room was meant for one person, so it was somewhat cramped.

  I carefully adjusted my posture, but my butt still pressed tightly against the door.

  Redick took a step forward and obediently turned his back to me, bending his knees slightly.

  He lowered his body a little so I would not have to stand on tiptoe.

  His powerful back and tight, perky glute muscles were all displayed before my eyes.

  What an enticing sight this was.

  My heart began pounding wildly.

  I covered my hands with body wash and vigorously helped Redick scrub his back.

  The wet tiger fur clung heavily to his body, then was covered by white foam.

  Redick let out a comfortable snort, while my crotch began tightening again.

  I lowered my head and adjusted my pants, working hard not to let my imagination run wild.

  I rubbed both hands up and down his back several times, then firmly patted his waist.

  Redick turned his head and looked at me, appearing unsatisfied.

  (Redick) "Hm? That's it?"

  (Che Lei) "If I keep washing you, I'll have to shower myself."

  I turned my back to Redick so he could not see my reddened face.

  (Redick) "Hm?"

  (Redick) "You missed a good opportunity~"

  (Redick) "I was originally planning to let you help wash down below too~"

  He smiled and swayed his hips, making the thing in the middle swing toward me.

  (Che Lei) "You'd better quit while you're ahead."

  I turned back and fiercely rolled my eyes at him, then left the shower room.

  (Transition)

  After leaving, I did not return to the living room. Instead, I entered the bedroom.

  Redick would probably take quite a while to dry himself.

  So I threw myself onto the bed.

  It was that familiar feeling.

  This bed really was so comfortable...

  I hugged the quilt on the bed.

  I recalled the last time Redick had come to my home, when he and I had once fallen asleep in each other's arms on this bed.

  Right, how had I met that idiot again?

  Oh, I remembered.

  It was on that gay social app called "Looking," just after I had entered the police academy.

  Coming from a small town, I had seemed out of place here, and because Hyde had gone into the army, I had also lost contact with him.

  I began spending all day on all sorts of forums.

  By coincidence, I learned about this app on a gay website and downloaded it.

  I felt like I had opened the door to a new world.

  For the first time, I learned that there were actually so many "people like me" around me.

  I mean, when I was little, I had even thought I was the only "freak" in the world who liked the same sex.

  Full of anticipation, I talked with everyone who contacted me, only to discover that this was not at all the beautiful new world I had imagined.

  The people on it only knew to send you pictures of their dicks, or else they were in a hurry to meet you at a cheap hotel.

  Just as I was disappointed and preparing to uninstall it, his avatar appeared in my list.

  It was a red chibi tiger avatar, looking kind of dumb.

  He was about my age, very close to me, and seemed to be a student as well.

  He had no photo of himself, did not mark his "role," and did not even write his height or weight.

  Ordinarily, nobody would waste time on such a guy, but I gathered my courage and greeted him.

  He was the only person I met that day who did not send me his dick or his ass within three sentences.

  He simply kept complaining to me about why advanced mathematics was so hard, and about how the cafeteria food never filled him up.

  I quietly listened to his endless grumbling while imagining what kind of person was behind the screen.

  He suddenly asked where my hometown was. In my panic, I lied and said I was local.

  Then I asked him where he was from.

  He said he was from Gedili.

  I said I had never heard of the place.

  He suddenly got angry and stopped replying to my messages.

  And so our first conversation ended unhappily.

  Later, I searched Gedili online. It was a small place similar to my hometown.

  So he was just like me, a poor kid from the countryside.

  That made me feel a rare trace of closeness in that unfamiliar city...

  And my story with him probably began there.

  Who could have imagined everything that would happen later? Who could have imagined that now we would actually come back here together?

  I dug through my pocket and took out a cigarette.

  I took a deep drag, then watched the exhaled smoke slowly drift before me.

  The sound of the hair dryer in the bathroom stopped, and then Redick's footsteps came from the corridor.

  I hurriedly put out the cigarette and tossed it into the trash can nearby.

  (Redick) "Drying fur with a hair dryer is such a pain. If only your place had a drying machine."

  Redick complained while rubbing his not-quite-dry hair.

  (Che Lei) "Those things aren't cheap. I don't have that kind of spare money."

  Redick tossed the towel aside and sat his bare butt on my bed.

  His weight pulled my body toward him, and I immediately began complaining loudly.

  (Che Lei) "Hey! Who said you could sit on my bed with your bare butt!"

  (Redick) "It's not like this is my first time doing it~"

  Redick lay down beside me, propping one paw behind his head and placing the other on my back.

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei..."

  His low voice sounded behind me. It had been a very long time since I had heard him call me so gently, not since we broke up...

  (Che Lei) "Mm..."

  I answered softly.

  Warmth came through his palm, bringing a strange comfort.

  Then he brought his nose close to my shoulder and sniffed lightly.

  (Redick) "When did you pick up smoking too?"

  (Che Lei) "I don't have a smoking habit. I only smoke occasionally."

  I tried to defend myself, but Redick only repeated word by word,

  (Redick) "I asked, when did you pick up smoking?"

  I looked back at Redick and saw that he was also gazing at me with his red eyes.

  (Che Lei) "Do you really want to know?"

  Then I gave a light laugh.

  (Che Lei) "Starting from the day you left."

  The paw Redick had been using to stroke my back stopped. Then he avoided my gaze.

  His tail drooped beside the bed, its tip swaying back and forth.

  Damn it. That made me want another cigarette.

  I rummaged through my pocket, but this time it was empty.

  So I looked at him and sighed.

  (Che Lei) "Sorry."

  (Che Lei) "I didn't mean to say it like that."

  (Redick) "Uh... it's okay..."

  (Che Lei) "I guess it's because I haven't been home in too long."

  (Che Lei) "I'm just a little tired."

  (Redick) "I know."

  His eyes flickered. I did not know what he was thinking.

  After a brief silence, Redick once again placed his paw on my back.

  (Redick) "By the way, Xiao Lei."

  (Redick) "Were you serious about what you said before?"

  Redick swallowed hard, as if his lips were dry and his tongue parched.

  (Redick) "When you said you think you and I are different..."

  (Che Lei) "That's not what I meant, Redick."

  (Redick) "My dad never gave me a cent before, unless I agreed to play professional baseball."

  (Redick) "Even my college tuition was money I saved from working during summer vacations."

  (Redick) "I'm the same as you. I also came from a small place, I also had no money, and nobody treated me like I mattered."

  (Redick) "You clearly know all of that."

  (Redick) "So how can you still think I'm the same as those rich second-generation kids, the same as that bastard in the shop?"

  After Redick finished speaking, he looked at me, his whiskers drooping.

  I gazed at Redick and gave a bitter smile.

  (Che Lei) "You know, when I was little, I could actually play basketball."

  (Che Lei) "And I was pretty good at it, better than several friends around me."

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, I don't know what that has to do with what I said..."

  (Che Lei) "Listen to me first, Redick."

  (Che Lei) "Later, one time when I went out with friends, I saw a very cool pair of basketball shoes. They were placed in the most conspicuous display case in the store."

  (Che Lei) "I thought I would definitely look handsome wearing them, just like those real stars on TV."

  (Che Lei) "I saved money for more than half a year for them."

  (Che Lei) "But when I finally saved enough money and went to the store, they were gone."

  (Che Lei) "The clerk said someone else had bought them long ago."

  (Redick) "Uh, and then?"

  (Che Lei) "I cried and went home to tell my dad about it, but he took my money and scolded me."

  (Che Lei) "He said raising me, a burden, was already hard enough. He said we couldn't afford that kind of thing."

  (Redick) "Uh, I remember you telling me about this before."

  (Redick) "You said your dad scolded you, but in the end he still brought those shoes home."

  (Che Lei) "Yeah. What a nice story..."

  Then I sighed.

  (Che Lei) "It's just a pity that part was something I made up."

  Redick looked at me, his eyes widening in surprise.

  (Redick) "But why...?"

  (Che Lei) "Because I didn't want you to pity me."

  (Che Lei) "I still remember how heartbroken I was crying back then."

  (Che Lei) "It wasn't because he took my money, and it wasn't because he scolded me."

  (Che Lei) "It wasn't even because, in the end, I didn't get the shoes I wanted."

  (Che Lei) "It was because he made me feel like I had no right to get good things. He made me feel like I wasn't worth loving..."

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei..."

  Redick let out a short sigh, then placed his paw on my shoulder comfortingly.

  But I only smiled and shook my head.

  (Che Lei) "I don't think you're some rich bastard."

  (Che Lei) "But working odd jobs, cramped rental rooms, worrying over bills... those things became part of life for me a long time ago."

  (Che Lei) "When you're at the end of your rope, you always know your family is still behind you."

  (Che Lei) "But behind me, there is nothing."

  (Che Lei) "My life is like a swamp, and all I can do is keep it from swallowing me."

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei, why did you never tell me about any of this before..."

  (Che Lei) "Because there was nothing to say."

  (Redick) "You can't carry everything alone."

  (Redick) "I want to understand you. I want to share these things with you, Xiao Lei."

  (Redick) "But you never agree to tell me anything."

  (Che Lei) "..."

  (Che Lei) "I'm really a little tired today, Redick..."

  Redick still wanted to say something, but I only shook my head, not letting him continue.

  I sat on the bed for a little while longer, then silently stood and walked toward the door.

  (Che Lei) "I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."

  But Redick suddenly called out to me.

  (Redick) "Xiao Lei."

  (Che Lei) "Mm."

  (Redick) "Good night..."

  (Che Lei) "Good night, Redick."

  I turned off the light for him, then turned and left the room...