OAS Extra 5 – Daily Life Pt 4

Wish

As the end of the year approached, snow fell in M City. Thin flakes drifted down in scattered patches, leaving a faint layer on the ground. He Ziwei pressed himself against the living room window, eyes shining with excitement as he turned and shouted, “It’s snowing! Let’s go outside!”

“Are you sure it’s snow? Might just be rain.”

Southern snow never lasted long. Ten minutes if you were lucky, maybe a day, then it all melted away. Tang Zhou had just finished washing the dishes and walked out of the kitchen. When he heard that, he didn’t think much of it and came over to lean behind He Ziwei and look outside.

“Can you northern people shut up for once? You don’t get it. Snow in the south is shy. It doesn’t like to be seen,” He Ziwei snapped, giving him a glare. Before he could finish his rant, Tang Zhou scooped him up.

He carried him to the sofa and sat him down, then reached down and grabbed both of He Ziwei’s bare feet. Sure enough, they were cold as ice. His face darkened. “Why are you running around barefoot again? Do you even know what the temperature is right now?”

There was no heating in the south, and while the air conditioner could warm the air, the floor stayed cold. The place had wooden flooring, and He Ziwei had gotten used to walking around barefoot in the summer. Now that it was winter, the habit hadn’t changed. He’d even gotten sick for days from it once. Tang Zhou had nagged him several times, but in his excitement just now, He Ziwei had forgotten again.

Feeling guilty, He Ziwei pulled his feet back and curled up on the couch, head lowered, looking obedient for once. Tang Zhou shot him a look and turned to the bedroom. A while later, he came back with a clean pair of thick socks, crouched down, pulled He Ziwei’s feet onto his thigh, and carefully put them on for him. When he was done, he still wasn’t satisfied, and flicked him on the forehead.

“Run around barefoot again and see what happens.”

He Ziwei yelped and covered his forehead, peeking up at him with a pout. “That hurt…”

“You deserved it. Maybe you’ll remember next time when you’re sick in bed.” Tang Zhou rolled his eyes and sat down beside him. He Ziwei rubbed at his forehead a bit, then lowered his hand. A bright red mark had already appeared. His skin was pale to begin with, so the contrast looked even more dramatic. Tang Zhou knew this was probably just a trap, but he still felt bad. He reached out, pinched his chin, and leaned in to take a closer look.

He Ziwei kept his eyes down, lashes fluttering just enough to look helpless. Just as Tang Zhou was about to apologize, he suddenly lifted his head and gave him a quick kiss on the corner of the lips. “I was wrong,” he said softly.

Tang Zhou lost all his momentum instantly. He pulled him into a kiss, and didn’t let go for a while. When they finally broke apart, He Ziwei’s breathing was a little unsteady. He hugged Tang Zhou around the waist, resting against his chest, and didn’t forget the reason he’d started all this. “Let’s go outside.”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore?” Tang Zhou glanced sideways at him.

“It never hurt. I lied,” He Ziwei muttered. “I just wanted you to kiss me.”

Tang Zhou felt his heart melt into syrup. He kissed the spot he had flicked earlier, then gave his ass a light pat. “Go get dressed. Wear something warm.”

He Ziwei slipped on his slippers and padded toward the bedroom, a sly little grin hanging on his lips. Tang Zhou never responded well to force, only softness. That trick worked like a charm both in bed and out of it. Best Actor He would like to state that this performance has already been refined to perfection, no acting required.

Maybe it was just bad luck, but the weather that day was really too cold. After walking one loop around the nearby park, He Ziwei and Tang Zhou both ended up a little chilled. That night, He Ziwei came down with a mild fever. Tang Zhou fed him some medicine and held him close through the first half of the night. He Ziwei whimpered in his ear for a while before falling asleep.

By the next morning, the fever was gone. As soon as He Ziwei opened his eyes, he found Tang Zhou staring at him with a stern, unfeeling expression. After a moment, he declared heartlessly, “Starting tomorrow, I’m taking you on morning runs. Your immune system’s garbage. You need more exercise.”

No matter how much He Ziwei wailed, pleaded, or cursed the heavens, Tang Zhou stuck to his word and carried out this completely one-sided decision. When He Ziwei was dragged out of bed, he couldn’t even open his eyes. The moment Tang Zhou yanked the covers off him, cold air attacked every pore on his body. He Ziwei squirmed under the sheets, grumbling, “It’s cold!”

“Then hurry up and get dressed.” Tang Zhou tossed a pair of pants onto his head.

By the time they actually made it outside, fifteen minutes had already passed. Tang Zhou led him onto the main path in the park. “Inhale every third step, exhale every third step. Keep your breathing steady. Go slow if you need to.” He Ziwei nodded wildly, pretending to listen. Tang Zhou took the lead, setting the pace ahead. He Ziwei followed half a step behind.

But he hadn’t gone more than a few hundred meters before he started lagging. He stumbled through a couple of shaky strides, already wheezing like crazy.

“Baby, you need to stop panting like that,” Tang Zhou said calmly. “Another two breaths like that and I’ll be hard.”

He Ziwei flushed bright red with rage, but had no strength to deal with Tang Zhou’s flirting. He forced out the words, “How… how much… longer… do we have to run…?”

“Let’s do two laps,” Tang Zhou replied.

The park wasn’t huge, but one lap was almost two kilometers. Two laps meant four kilometers. He Ziwei stopped in his tracks immediately and yelled, “I’m not running anymore!”

Tang Zhou jogged back a few steps and stood in front of him. “Really done?”

“Done.” He Ziwei was gasping for breath, face full of stubborn defiance.

“Keep this up and your lung capacity will improve. You won’t even be out of breath when we’re kissing,” Tang Zhou said, dead serious in his attempt to bullshit.

He Ziwei was very sensitive about this weakness. In college, his lung capacity during the physical test was only 3,600 milliliters. Even the more athletic girls had scored higher.

The park was fairly empty in the early morning, but plenty of nearby aunts and uncles were already out doing their routines. One older man jogged steadily past the two of them and even gave them a curious glance, seeing the way they stood together, not quite touching but definitely close.

“Even the old man laughed at you,” Tang Zhou said, continuing his favorite tactic of provocation. It worked like a charm on He Ziwei. He grimaced and muttered after a moment, “Then slow down. I can’t keep up.”

Dragging his feet like a mule on a grindstone, He Ziwei finally completed the two laps. It felt like a thousand-pound weight was tethered to him, dragging him down with every step. His legs had turned to jelly, stumbling forward in slow motion. Tang Zhou stood ahead with arms open and caught him, planting a kiss on his lips. “Baby, you did great.”

In broad daylight, He Ziwei shoved him away in a panic. While running, he had been relying purely on muscle memory. Now that he had stopped, the numbness set in all at once. It was like his legs no longer belonged to him. By the time they finally made it back to their complex, He Ziwei stood at the base of their building and stared up at the stairs in horror. Their apartment was on the fifth floor, and at this point, he wasn’t sure he’d ever make it home.

Tang Zhou crouched down in front of him, back turned. “Get on, baby.”

He Ziwei was genuinely touched. He didn’t hesitate for even a second and flopped right onto his back, planting two kisses on the side of his neck.

But as they reached the second floor, a door beside them suddenly opened. Auntie Zhang, who had been retired for years, stepped out with her shopping tote, ready to buy breakfast. The moment the door opened, she caught sight of the two men stuck together. One of them clearly nibbling the other’s ear. The scene was… a bit off.

He Ziwei locked eyes with the auntie. After two seconds of stunned silence, he turned away abruptly and blurted, “Are you tired, ge? The doctor said it’s just a minor sprain. I can still walk.”

After spending enough time with the great actor Tang Zhou, even He Ziwei, who used to suck at improvising, could now win awards.

“Give it a rest,” said Tang Zhou, fully in character. “If I put you down and you fall down the stairs, it’ll be more than a sprain.”

So, two days later, Auntie Zhang once again saw this same man trudging up the stairs after work, face twisted in pain. And this time, He Ziwei wasn’t faking it. His legs really did hurt.

The morning jogs had barely lasted a few days before New Year’s arrived. It was the season for family reunions. People working far from home began returning in waves. Since He Ziwei and Tang Zhou still hadn’t come out to their families, they had no choice but to follow the same routine. Each returned to their hometown separately. The tickets had been purchased in advance. Tang Zhou deliberately booked his train an hour later than He Ziwei’s so he could see him off at the station.

As soon as He Ziwei found his seat, Tang Zhou sent a message:
What now, baby? We just parted and I already miss you.

Miss me all you want.
He Ziwei looked out the window at the bustling crowd rushing to catch trains. A sudden ache of reluctance stirred in his chest.

When the clock struck midnight, He Ziwei was in his bedroom, on the phone with Tang Zhou. Firecrackers exploded everywhere. It was impossible to tell whether the sounds were coming from his end or Tang Zhou’s. The TV volume was loud. The host began the annual countdown.

“Five, four, three, two, one—”
Together with the host, He Ziwei and Tang Zhou said to each other, “Happy New Year.”

Outside the window, fireworks bloomed. Dozens of families were setting them off at once, so it was impossible to tell where each burst came from. They lit up the sky one after another.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Their breaths, carried over the signal, tangled together like strands of silk woven into a single thread.

After a while, He Ziwei lowered his gaze and asked softly, “Do you have any wishes for the new year?”

Tang Zhou seemed to think about it for a moment. Then he answered, his voice gentle but steady, as if it carried the power to tear through darkness like a dawn breaking: “I hope next year I can spend New Year’s with you. I hope I can spend every year with you.”

“I have a wish too.” He Ziwei’s vision suddenly blurred. He lifted his head and looked off into the distance. “I hope all of your wishes come true.”

The celebrations carried on into the night. It had been a long time since He Ziwei had felt the new year so deeply. Firecrackers echoed through the dark, and fireworks blurred together in the sky, scattering like stars across a midnight canvas. Just like Tang Zhou, they lit up his life, burning bright and becoming the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

END