He Nuo took out the items from the bag, a shoebox and a set of clothes that looked like sportswear. He Nuo could not distinguish who gave him the shoes and who gave him the clothes. He suddenly remembered that his 174cm height was similar to Wang Feng’s and that they wore the same size. He took out the shoes to look at it, Lao Liu with his sharp eyes rushed over and said, “It’s Nike!”

He Nuo didn’t know about what Nike and whatnot, it was just a pair of sport shoes. It should be quite practical, as He Nuo never had a pair of sport shoes. Several roommates also rushed over and took the shoes to look at it. Lao Liu looked at the corners of the shoe, distinguishing it, “It’s real, it costs a few hundred dollars. Your cousin really treats you well.” He Nuo felt a little uncomfortable the moment he heard that it was so expensive, he hesitatingly asked Lao Liu, “What about that?”

Lao Liu took a glimpse at the clothes he was holding, “Also branded, it’s Adidas. Your cousin doesn’t buy stuff that’s not branded?”

He Nuo packed the items to the way it was before, placing it into the bag when he noticed a slender box in one of them. He opened it to see a fountain pen. Er Ge took it over and looked, “It’s Parker fountain pen!” He Nuo was made nervous by the western brand names, each one of it sounded expensive and he was not used to such valuable gifts.

On the road back home, Shi Yan told the other two, “I’ll return the money to you later on.”

“San Ge, don’t need ba. You already know that our dads overstated an extra person for the volleyball competition, we didn’t specially buy it for He Nuo.”

“Exactly, I just took my 41 to the shopping mall and changed it to a 40.” Because of the three major competitions (Volleyball, Basketball, Football) between the local large enterprises, even the public security bureau was included in it. So everyone’s father’s units purchased sports equipment this summer. And of course, the three of them added an extra set. On New Year’s Day, some people gifted them Nike, Adidas, so it wasn’t rare to like it. What’s more, the units bought it in bulk, naturally it won’t be the latest and most expensive. When Shi Yan said he wanted to visit He Nuo, the both of them talked and discussed on what to gift He Nuo.

Qiu Linsong put in an extra pen, and there was not much meaning to it. That pen has been in his drawer for almost a year already, it was given to him by someone when he passed the entrance examination for university last year. Firstly, he wasn’t fond of using a fountain pen. Secondly, he felt that he needed to be careful when using that fountain pen, and he didn’t have that in him. For him, a pen is just a writing tool, it’s fine as long as it was suitable for him. Therefore, although Parker was good, it just didn’t suit him. That day when he saw it, he remembered He Nuo’s words that were like floating clouds and flowing water¹. He felt that he was the only one suitable to use, letting the fountain pen serve its proper purpose, he sent it to him here.

“San Ge, I’ll take you up on your offer when there’s a chance next time, why mind about such trifling matters. Besides, although you and He Nuo are the closest, but his relationship with the others isn’t that bad either.”

Shi Yan thanked his buddies for their kindness and didn’t bother with this matter anymore, the simple two words ‘thank you’ which everyone knew the weight of. For He Nuo, Shi Yan was the one who owed them, waiting for the chance to return the favour in the future. In addition, it’s his lover so he should bear the burden himself. Needing his buddies to help, he felt depressed and felt uncomfortable as if he was choking. To put it bluntly, he disliked that He Nuo had other people’s marks on him.

While everyone was chatting, He Nuo took the chance when the others weren’t paying attention to him and organized the things in the cabinet which Shi Yan brought for him. His hands trembled more and more, his back became stiffer. He didn’t dare to turn around and face his roommates, he gritted his teeth as he dared not make any noise. Two boxes of Chunghwa’s soft-shelled turtle essence, four boxes of royal jelly, two sets of pure cotton underwear, six singlets, six pants, six pairs of socks, a small box filled with band-aids, cold, fever, anti-inflammatory medicine and a thermometer. The items in front of He Nuo were blurred, the deep and painful thorn in his heart was stirred. Shi Yan, just let me miss you okay? I beg you, please don’t show up again!

After dinner, the first freshmen meeting was organised by the Student Council President, meeting several instructors. This time, the Military training will last for two months, a battalion commander will be in-charge and all of the instructors are ranked officers. Seeing real soldiers’ manners, standing straight like a pine, sitting like a bell, commanding with dignity, the freshmen below admired them endlessly. Of course, they didn’t know that they will cry starting from tomorrow.

Everyone was originally continuing the spirit after the end of the meeting, discussing about the Military training, but not knowing which topic He Nuo’s cousin was brought back again. Shi Hao suddenly remembered, “Lao Wu, did you forget to eat the supplements that your cousin talked about?”

After this reminder, everyone remembered and for a while, they asked He Nuo whether he and his cousin had such a good relationship since young. They also advised He Nuo to not find it troublesome, that he should drink the supplements. Because during He Nuo’s college entrance examination period, mental torture was far greater than the suffering from revising. After the results came out, everything that was overlooked really made the originally not strong He Nuo squeeze away the last drop of essence and blood. He was really thin.

“You’re a grown man, arms like reed sticks, in the future you wouldn’t even be able to carry your girlfriend…” That’s what we’re talking about.

He Nuo yielded to drink. He was familiar with royal jelly, taking one out and picked up the Chunghwa turtle essence to read the instructions and find the way to take it. A white envelope entered his sight, He Nuo thought it was money at first and was a little angry. After picking it up, it didn’t feel like it because of the thinness. Taking it out with suspicion, to only get a shock and shoved it back in. His heart thumping, afraid that his roommates would see what shouldn’t be seen, throwing the enveloped back inside the cabinet as if scalded, even taking out a box of turtle essence out to look.

Only until when it was lights out, He Nuo then took the envelope and went to the pantry. He was shocked and confused in Shi Yan’s arms. He had one hand around his neck and the other only had time to grasp his front. Shi Yan bowed down to himself, his smile had the pride of being successful in a sneak attack. He Nuo still remembered being lifted up in the air and exclaiming out of dizziness; and also remembered that Shi Yan laughing and said, “Take a picture, hurry!”

This was a year ago, after He Nuo decided to repeat a year. It was taken in the park on a rockery after being sneakily lifted up. This was the first time He Nuo saw this, although of course the pictures already came out long before. Because of Shi Yan’s selfishness, He Nuo didn’t get to look at it. The reason was because of his hands. When Shi Yan saw this picture at that time, he didn’t feel anything beyond friendship, yet he felt guilty. The black cuts on the back of He Nuo’s hands clearly condemned the wrongdoings Shi Yan committed. He Nuo’s tragic “indentured labourer” experience, Shi Yan would rather it to be deleted from He Nuo’s memory, so this picture did not see the light of the day.

Shi Yan made another copy of this image now to give to He Nuo, there was two purposes. Yearning between two lovers, it was given to He Nuo as a comfort. Shi Yan firmly believed that even if He Nuo was unwilling, he would appear in his mind from time to time, Shi Yan considers this He Nuo’s love for him. Shi Yan wanted him to see himself as a thorn, it also had to be a thorn that was at the bottom of his heart all the time. What more? After that incident, the two of them were so happy and sweet to reconcile as before, Shi Yan hoped for blooming flowers and full moon² days to come.

t/n:
I was thinking about my translation speed and internally cried, it’s so slow rip ;; the chapters are longggg but thankfully this chapter was shorter. if there are mistakes do point it out, I might have missed it out while I was editing it haha

¹ floating clouds and flowing water: natural and smooth words.
² blooming flowers and full moon: perfect conjugal bliss.