Chapter 10: Meeting again at the Cemetery

Qin Yan heard Zhou Langxing’s words, his fingers curled slightly, and he shook his head slightly. He had never heard that Zhou Shurong had any particular fondness for a specific type of flower.

 

Zhou Shurong had only given him red roses, so he had assumed…

 

“Actually, these are my mom’s favorite flowers, and later they became ours too. If there’s no special preference, we would subconsciously choose yellow roses.”

 

There was no need for Qin Yan to feel guilty for not knowing Zhou Shurong well. As they walked, Zhou Langxing explained to him.

 

“Then why didn’t you use yellow roses that day?”

 

“Everyone in the family knows my mom loved yellow roses. But they didn’t know that we ended up loving them too.”

 

“Didn’t you mention it?”

 

“…” Zhou Langxing lowered his gaze, “I had nothing to do with the funeral arrangements. I was unconscious in the hospital for two or three days after the accident.”

 

During those days, the family was in chaos—on one hand, they were busy planning Zhou Shurong’s funeral, and on the other hand, they were worried about Zhou Langxing who was unconscious in the hospital.

 

Zhou Shurong’s passing caused his father immense pain. But ultimately, the living are more important than the dead, and his attention was mostly on Zhou Langxing.

 

The butler handled the funeral arrangements, ensuring everything went smoothly and without error.

 

“I heard you and your brother had the accident on the same day. Was he driving the car?”

 

“No, you misunderstood.” Zhou Langxing gazed at the hillside, “When he was in the car, I was at home. It’s like the special connection between twins. When the accident happened, I just happened to feel uneasy and fainted.”

 

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan pursed his lips and lowered his gaze to the black plastic bag hanging from his wrist.

 

Should he tell him? About the strange experience at the Fushou Store. The wooden box…

 

Maybe not. What if it’s useless? What if it’s all a scam? Wouldn’t that be a waste of hope?

 

He changed the subject, “That day… did you give me the umbrella?”

 

Zhou Langxing stiffly replied with a “Hmm,” “You didn’t accept it.”

 

“Thank you. I didn’t have the strength then, everything seemed unreal. I accidentally ignored you, I’m sorry.”

 

“I had already forgotten. You didn’t mention it, and I wouldn’t have remembered. It’s fine, you don’t need to apologize.” The man’s words were tough, not admitting that he still regretted not having the courage to walk Qin Yan back that day.

 

Next, they had to climb the stone steps. The West City Cemetery was built on a mountain, and Zhou Shurong was buried halfway up the mountain in the best position.

 

Qin Yan grabbed Zhou Langxing’s arm and said, “Let me help you up, don’t push yourself. If you fall, you’ll suffer a lot.”

 

Zhou Langxing, holding the flowers, turned his head and joked, “If my brother’s spirit is watching, do you think he’ll get jealous seeing you help me?”

 

Qin Yan’s eyelashes trembled. He was holding the plastic bag, and the wooden box inside was surprisingly heavy.

 

He hesitated and released his hand.

 

Zhou Langxing smiled. It should’ve been a moment to show off, but as Qin Yan supported him and they appeared in front of Zhou Shurong’s grave, it felt like the right opportunity to flaunt was lost… Alas, with so many gravestones around, his heart grew solemn.

 

Zhou Shurong had always been a man of sharp wit. He’d known since childhood.

 

He’d let it go this time. Next time, he’d proudly hold Qin Yan’s hand to pay respects to him, just to anger him!

 

“I still think you shouldn’t climb the stone steps.”

 

“I’ve been recovering for a long time. My leg’s almost healed, the cast will be off in a few days. Do you believe me when I say I can climb faster than you?”

 

Zhou Langxing said this as he started walking, swiftly and energetically. Qin Yan almost couldn’t keep up.

 

“Slow down, don’t act recklessly!”

 

Zhou Langxing turned around and threw the flowers into Qin Yan’s arms.

 

“Flowers for you. It’s only fair if you carry something too. Let’s race and see who gets there first!”

 

Qin Yan looked at Zhou Langxing’s energetic yet limping back, a little helpless, but he couldn’t help but smile.

 

He chased after him, “Is this fair? I should let you win, I promise I won’t run!”

 

Before he knew it, they had arrived at Zhou Shurong’s grave.

 

The petals scattered on the ground were still fresh.

 

Zhou Shurong was smiling at them.

 

Qin Yan stared at the photo of the man.

 

“Why must it be a black and white photo?”

 

“To distinguish… He’s no longer a person of this world.”

 

“It sounds so sad.” Qin Yan’s eyes felt hot, and he lowered his head to place the bouquet down. “These are the yellow roses you loved. I can’t believe I only just found out.”

 

After Zhou Shurong passed away, there were many things Qin Yan only learned later. He only found out how wealthy the Zhou family was, and how much their father had coldly neglected them.

 

“I should have worn the white suit you gave me. I could tell you liked it. But that day you didn’t show up for our appointment, I wore it and went to many places, and it accidentally got caught by a branch at your school. I ran to many places, but they all said they couldn’t repair it. Only then did I realize it was a luxury item.”

 

I truly didn’t have the ability to possess such noble clothes, or people. Even you were lost.

 

Qin Yan rambled on, swallowing the words he didn’t finish, knowing that Zhou Shurong wouldn’t like hearing them.

 

Once he squatted down, he couldn’t get up. The distance was so close, almost touching that cold photo.

 

It seemed like a cold cage, and Zhou Shurong was trapped inside, losing all his color.

 

But that faint smile was frozen, unchanged forever.

 

Zhou Langxing was behind him, gazing at the photo that seemed timeless. A strange feeling of discomfort suddenly stirred in his heart.

 

It felt as if the tomb was an empty shell, and Zhou Shurong was no longer inside.

 

***

 

“Why suddenly want to come to the cemetery?”

 

Zhou Langxing treated Qin Yan to a simple meal of fried sauce noodles, with no fixed place, just a mobile stall, a folding table, and two folding chairs.

 

The owner was still sprinkling various seasonings, coriander, and crushed peanuts into a stainless steel bowl, stirring them together.

 

Qin Yan was afraid Zhou Langxing would break the wobbly chair.

 

“I just suddenly wanted to see him, so I came. No particular reason.” Zhou Langxing hid his intentions, pretending to be indifferent as he pulled out disposable chopsticks from the wooden tube and handed a pair to Qin Yan.

 

Qin Yan had already understood Zhou Langxing’s background. Seeing him not care about the humble stall, he couldn’t help but say, “You, a young master from a wealthy family, actually invited me to eat fried sauce noodles. How unusual.”

 

“Just treat it as me being curious, wanting to experience your life.”

 

“Hah. You and your brother’s thinking is quite similar.”

 

Zhou Langxing smiled. It wasn’t that coincidental, it was just following Zhou Shurong’s traces.

 

The two brothers always had many admirers. One night, a strange photo appeared in Zhou Shurong’s social circle—under the dim yellow light, a strange roadside stall with a folding table, two bowls of wontons floating with seaweed, the wonton skins almost transparent, wrapped with pink meat.

 

This photo spread, and schoolmates exclaimed that it was from a local special wonton stall in a certain city, moving around the streets late at night.

 

Therefore, in the absence of Zhou Shurong, who had already graduated early and joined the company, his admirers at school started a trend of searching for the roaming wonton stall late at night.

 

After leaving the cemetery, Zhou Langxing unexpectedly saw a mobile stall slowly pass by. It felt like fate, and he called out to the owner.

 

“Too bad, it’s fried sauce noodles, not wontons.”

 

Hearing Zhou Langxing mumble, Qin Yan was surprised. “You want to eat wontons? I know the owner’s route! But… he only comes out at night.”

 

Zhou Langxing blinked. Qin Yan’s words seemed to be up for debate, and he tentatively asked, “But you said yesterday that you didn’t want to meet me today.”

 

He said it so pitifully that Qin Yan awkwardly responded, “That wasn’t what I meant.”

 

“No, you didn’t want to meet me. Not just today, maybe tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that… Anyway, my face will make you sad.”

 

Whether it would make Qin Yan sad was beside the point. Clearly, Zhou Langxing was the one who was sad.

 

Qin Yan silently reflected, then blinked his innocent eyes. “But we’re still meeting.”

 

Zhou Langxing sighed, “Yeah, for Zhou Shurong’s sake.”

 

The fried sauce noodles arrived, and Zhou Langxing, sitting across from him, seemed to have lost his appetite. He sighed, “Too bad it’s not wontons.”

 

“Enough already. What’s your obsession with wontons? The owner’s looking over!”

 

Qin Yan glanced at the black plastic bag on his lap. The wooden box inside made its presence known. After midnight, it would be Zhou Shurong’s seventh day.

 

It was hard to get through this time, and tomorrow would be work again, so he might as well indulge Zhou Langxing’s obsession.

 

Qin Yan compromised.

 

“I’ll go with you to find the wonton cart, okay? Just don’t keep harping on what I said yesterday.”

 

Zhou Langxing succeeded. After taking a bite of noodles, he praised, “Boss, the noodles smell so good!”

 

The boss, without turning his head, sighed, “Too bad it doesn’t smell like wontons.”

 

Zhou Langxing: “…”

 

Qin Yan couldn’t help but laugh at him.