The sun had risen to its highest point, illuminating the backyard in the afternoon.
Ye Mingxuan finished hanging the curtains, sat on the marble bench to catch his breath, rubbed his aching waist, and felt only melancholy.
His face was slightly sweaty, and Ye Mingxuan raised his arm to wipe it, but no matter how much he wiped, the sweat kept flowing under the scorching sun.
“Here.” A handkerchief was handed to him.
The wind paused for a moment, and butterflies danced lightly in the garden. Ye Mingxuan trembled as he took the handkerchief, his face lit up with joy: “Yu Sen, it’s been a long time.”
Yu Sen smiled and sat down beside him: “How wonderful. I remember the first time I saw you, it was also in this scene.”
The first time Yu Sen met Ye Mingxuan, he was 13 years old, not very tall, and had to tiptoe to help his mother hang clothes. He was so eager that his cheeks turned red.
“I heard from Aunt Zhao that Aunt Liu went back to her hometown to visit her family?”
“…Yeah.” Ye Mingxuan lied nervously.
“Then when Aunt Liu comes back, please give her my regards.”
“Okay.”
The beige curtains fluttered in the breeze, carrying the fragrance from the garden.
Yü Sen looked at the curtains and shook his head with a smile: “Although Yufan is two years older than you, he still has a childish nature. You are much more mature than him, so don’t bother arguing with him.”
Ye Mingxuan lowered his head, his eyebrows and eyes drooping. After a moment, he nodded silently.
He was even more handsome and composed than three years ago.
“Aren’t you just darker?” Yu Sen tilted his head and smiled, “The sun abroad is harsh. I’ve been exposed to it every day, and my skin has become rough.”
Ye Mingxuan curved his eyes.
“Yu Sen!” Ye Yufan ran over, feeling annoyed seeing the two of them sitting together. “Yu Sen, we’ve been waiting for you!”
“Let’s go out and play this afternoon,” Yu Sen said to Ye Mingxuan, “We haven’t played together in a long time.”
Ye Mingxuan pursed his lips and nodded obediently.
Yu Sen smiled as he stood up, wiped the sweat from his palms, and reached out his hand to Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes flickered, and he raised his hand slightly.
The next moment, the phone vibrated twice.
Ye Mingxuan turned around and saw the lit-up phone screen. The wallpaper had been changed to his photo at some point.
In the photo, he was sleeping with flushed cheeks, his hair messy and stuck to his face, his body **, only loosely covered by a blanket, revealing his fair shoulders.
It was clearly taken by someone while he was asleep.
“!!!” He frantically covered the phone.
“Alright, I’ll wait for you at the door,” Yu Sen smiled. .
Ye Mingxuan realized he had come secretly today and couldn’t be discovered by President Tan, so he tremblingly tapped the red dot, silently stuffed the phone into his pocket, and ran out.
At the entrance to the Ye family’s house, he found not only Yu Sen but also several of Ye Yufan’s friends. Ye Yufan was leaning against the side, waiting for them to load the picnic supplies into the car.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan, Ye Yufan complained, “So many people are waiting for you, why are you acting like a big shot?”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone else curiously looked at Ye Mingxuan.
Wang Zilu was surprised, “Are you the younger brother who delivered ice cream and milk tea to us last time?”
Ye Mingxuan fidgeted nervously with his fingers: “I…”
Yu Sen walked over to comfort him, then turned back and sighed, “Yufan, Mingxuan was helping you wash the curtains in the backyard. He just finished and came out.”
“Brother Yu Sen,” Ye Yufan blushed.
“Why are you defending him? Never mind, I won’t hold it against him.”
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes flickered, and he obediently nodded.
Yu Sen talked to him, and he endured the rising nausea, smiling as he replied to Yu Sen’s words.
The people in the car looked forward. Ye Yufan unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around: “I want to sit in the back row!”
The scenery outside the window flew by quickly. The sunlight shone directly into the car, causing the temperature to rise. The driver turned on the air conditioning, and soon the temperature inside the car dropped.
Ye Yufan was delighted to be sitting next to Yu Sen, and her cheerful laughter echoed from the backseat to the front.
Ye Yufan pretended to be annoyed and tried to grab Wang Zilou’s phone, but the latter refused to give it up. Ye Yufan leaned forward, and Yu Sen worriedly urged him to sit back down, saying it was too dangerous.
The car drove along the highway, surrounded by green hills and fields.
Ye Mingxuan leaned back in the leather seat. He noticed that the motion sickness wasn’t as severe as before since he was sitting in the passenger seat. So, while the car was still moving, he tilted his head and dozed off briefly amid the loud laughter from the backseat.
The car arrived at the forest park, where there were lush forests with dense foliage, and in the distance, many tourists had set up tents and were barbecuing.
Yu Sen hesitated for a moment, glancing at Ye Mingxuan, who had gotten out of the car ahead.
Ye Yufan noticed his gaze and said discontentedly, “Yu Sen, big brother!”
Yu Sen couldn’t resist him and said, “Okay.”
Ye Yufan was pleased and said to Ye Mingxuan, “You, go prepare something to eat for us.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and went to the trunk to get a picnic mat.
Yu Sen wanted to go over: “Mingxuan, let me help you—”
“No way!” Ye Yufan pulled Yu Sen back, “This is his job anyway, Yu Sen Brother, you promised to accompany me!”
Yu Sen sighed helplessly, “Yufan… you still act like a child who never grows up.”
“Yu Sen!”
“Alright, don’t be upset. I’ll accompany you to explore the surroundings.”
“That’s more like it.”
Ye Mingxuan diligently laid out the picnic mat, arranged the food, and sat down to cut the cake.
Nearby, several children were chasing and playing, while their parents gathered together and watched them affectionately.
Wang Zilu and Hu Xiang were both wearing pretty dresses today, and they were taking selfies on the grass nearby.
After taking photos for a while, Wang Zilu turned her head and glanced over at Ye Mingxuan’s side. She walked over curiously and said, “Brother, you’ve arranged the table so nicely.”
Hu Xiang also came over: “The color scheme is so soothing.”
“Can we take a photo with you?”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and stood to the side.
The sun was strong, casting his shadow on the picnic mat. Ye Mingxuan stepped back a few paces until the shadow disappeared.
After taking the photo, Wang Zilu and Hu Xiang huddled together to edit the photo and post it on WeChat Moments, then sat down to eat fruit.
A moment later, Ye Yufan called them over from a distance to take a group photo. Wang Zilu and Hu Xiang put down their forks and hurried back.
Once again, Ye Mingxuan was left alone.
Ye Mingxuan pursed his lips, sat down, and looked at the plump, juicy fruits on the plate and the neatly arranged, attractive desserts. The air was filled with the aroma of food.
He sniffed and felt a pang of hunger, but he could only look at the food and try to satisfy his hunger with his imagination.
“Mingxuan!” Yu Sen called out to him, “Come over here.”
Ye Mingxuan responded and walked over. Ye Yufan was surrounded by a group of people.
“It’s so beautiful! I’m going to take a photo and post it on my social media to praise you!”
“It’s simply a work of art!”
Ye Yufan raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Thank you for the compliment.”
He looked up at Yu Sen, “Yu Sen, what do you think?”
Yu Sen said, “I think it’s beautiful.”
Ye Yufan blushed, glanced at Ye Mingxuan, and her expression changed instantly: “What are you doing here?”
Hu Xiang and Wang Zilu stood beside him, looking at Ye Mingxuan, wanting to say something but keeping their mouths shut.
It was Yu Sen who spoke first: “I asked him to come over. Yufan, we all came out together, so it’s more fun to play together.”
“… ” Ye Yufan didn’t want to lose her temper in front of Yu Sen, so she pointed to the pen holder on the grass and said to Ye Mingxuan, “Go wash my paintbrushes.”
Ye Mingxuan was staring at the oil painting in a daze. Upon hearing this, he nodded quietly, bent down to pick up the pen holder and paint palette, gently held them in his arms, and walked to the sink in the back.
He placed the brushes, each stained with different paints, under the clear flowing water. The various colors flowed into the sink, blending together.
A bouquet of flowers was planted in the recessed area beside the sink. Despite being right next to the sink, the soil in the recessed area had cracked and dried out, and the petals were wilting and curling.
Ye Mingxuan’s attention was drawn to the flowers. He put down his brush, washed his hands, and poured a handful of clean water over the flowers.
The drooping flowers suddenly came to life, their leaves trembling with droplets of water, as if thanking Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan smiled faintly and continued washing the paint off his brush.
The paintbrush in his hand was suddenly snatched away, and Ye Mingxuan looked up in surprise.
Yushen smiled at him: “Let me help you.”
“Thank you, Yushen.” Ye Mingxuan pursed his lips.
The two stood by the sink, the sound of flowing water echoing around them.
Yu Sen washed the paintbrush and recalled some memories: “I remember when you were a child, you really liked drawing.”
“…,” Ye Mingxuan lathered the brush with soap, his voice soft, “I don’t draw anymore.”
Yü Sen: “Why?”
Ye Mingxuan paused: “It’s just… I don’t draw anymore.”
Yü Sen pondered: “That’s true. Hobbies from childhood don’t necessarily continue into adulthood.”
“Like how I used to like Ultraman when I was a kid, but now I like Transformers.”
“Yu Sen! Come play with me!” Ye Yufan’s voice called out.
Hearing this, Yu Sen sighed and turned around, “I’m coming.”
He put down his paintbrush and said to Ye Mingxuan, “I’ll go over there first.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded.
Yu Sen wiped his hands, ruffled his hair, ran a few steps, then turned back: “Yufan is spoiled. Don’t take it personally.”
He left, and Ye Mingxuan exhaled a long breath, staring silently at the cascading water.
Laughter came from behind him, and Ye Mingxuan knew without turning around that they were having a good time.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes flickered.
He recalled many years ago.
“Dad, my classmates went to art class today. Their watercolor brushes are so beautiful. I want to learn to paint too…”
In the cramped construction site dormitory, an eight-year-old boy sat on a rusty iron bed, with a small table set up in front of him, talking to the man in front of him.
The man wore a work cap, his fair face and hands covered in dirt, but he smiled dashingly at his son: “Sure, once Dad earns a little more money, I’ll let Mingxuan learn to paint!”
“Really?!”
“Of course. When has Dad ever lied to you?”
The little boy’s eyes sparkled: “Dad is the best! Dad is the best dad in the whole world!”
Tick-tock.
Warm droplets of water fell into the sink. Ye Mingxuan quickly wiped away his tears, secretly checked his surroundings to make sure no one was watching, and rinsed the paintbrush clean before taking it back.
Everyone had gone to the picnic area to eat. The painting area was left with only the easel, chairs, and some scattered items.
Ye Mingxuan squatted down, carefully laid the items on the mat, and looked at Ye Yufan’s painting.
The other person seemed to have lost patience, randomly scribbling a few strokes on it, making the entire sheet of paper look messy and disheveled.
Ye Mingxuan felt as though he had pressed the pause button, staring at the painting for a long time with a jumble of thoughts.
Just then, his phone vibrated. Ye Mingxuan’s heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, he took it out and opened it.
Sizhe: [1602]
“…”, Ye Mingxuan was confused, not knowing what the man meant by sending this string of numbers. He was considering whether to send a question mark back.
Sizhe: [My room number.]
【Come find me now.】
【There’s only one hotel around here, you know.】
…
Yu Sen and Ye Yufan had been playfully arguing for a few minutes when he remembered that Ye Mingxuan hadn’t returned yet.
He turned his head and glanced at the sink, noticing no one was there. He worried, “Where’s Mingxuan?”
Everyone looked over, but no one knew where Ye Mingxuan was.
Yu Sen stood up worriedly, “I’ll go look for him.”
“How could someone so big get lost?” Ye Yufan pulled Yu Sen back, “Come on, come on, it’s your turn to move.”
Yu Sen: “Yufan…”
“Maybe he went to the bathroom. He’ll be back soon. You don’t need to worry.” Ye Yufan pouted.
…
Room 1602.
Ye Mingxuan stood at the door, feeling increasingly nervous.
He didn’t know why Tan Sizhe was here, especially since Aunt Fu had said he was very busy these days.
Tan Sizhe knew he was with Ye Yufan, so did he know about their relationship? How much did he know?
Ye Mingxuan covered his chest, where his heart was racing wildly, almost as if he were being sentenced to death, and pushed open the door.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his forearms resting on the sofa arms, and his Patek Philippe watch gleamed with a metallic sheen.
Hearing the door open, Tan Sizhe’s voice was cold: “Come here.”
Ye Mingxuan walked over with numb legs: “Sir.”
He caught the scent of soap on the man’s body; Tan Sizhe seemed to have just taken a shower, his hair still slightly damp, his skin pale and cool.
Tan Sizhe glanced at him with his handsome eyes and gently patted his thigh, which was covered in a suit pant: “Sit here.”
