SG 25

Yan Anqing’s mother once complained that Grandma spoiled him too much, and Grandma didn’t argue, because it was true.

People always forget their pain after healing. After remarrying, Yan Anqing’s mother had a happy life, and her younger son was a normal child. Over time, she forgot what she had gone through before.

Her other grandson had parents and grandparents who loved him. He didn’t need her love. But Yan Anqing only had her and Grandpa. How could she not spoil him?

Only she understood that the kind of life other children could live easily required a thousand times more effort from Yan Anqing just to be treated with a little respect. Everyone else could forget, but she couldn’t.

Autism had no complete cure. Even though Yan Anqing could live normally now, he was only imitating what a “normal person” did, because he wanted Grandma and Grandpa to feel at ease. He never expressed his emotions, but he understood everything inside.

Sensing that his mood was down, Grandma changed the subject. “Has Xiao Chu come to see you lately?”

Yan Anqing still answered with a quiet “mm,” but his tone lifted slightly, showing it was something he liked.

“So my baby has a good friend.” Hearing his tone, Grandma’s voice softened with happiness too.

“He gave me four starfish. I really like them.” Yan Anqing stared at the four starfish through the tank.

“He’s my best friend. He likes being with me too.”

“How do you know he likes being with you?” It was rare for Yan Anqing to speak this much. Seeing how sure he sounded, Grandma asked with a smile.

“He doesn’t hate me, and he doesn’t think I’m strange or crazy.” Yan Anqing could sense how people felt toward him. In the past, he had often heard people call him crazy.

“You’re not strange at all, baby. We don’t have to be like everyone else. Look at your hand. Even fingers have different lengths, but no one thinks it’s strange that your thumb and pinky aren’t the same as the others.”

When he stayed silent, he looked no different from anyone else. He was good-looking too, and as a child, he’d been the kind who made people want to protect him. But once anyone talked to him more than a few words, they noticed something different.

In earlier years, people had often said behind his back or to his face that he was crazy or not normal. Hearing him say that now made Grandma’s chest ache again.

“If Xiao Chu wants to be your friend, that means my baby’s a good person.”

While listening, Yan Anqing opened his hand and looked at his palm. His pinky wasn’t bad at all. A few days ago, he had even hooked pinkies with Chu Baiyan.

He answered softly, “Mm,” to show he understood. Later, when Grandma asked Aunt Zhou to send him some food, he refused. Chu Baiyan already bought him breakfast and cooked him dinner. The food Grandma had sent before still filled the fridge.

On Sunday afternoon, the waterproofing in Chu Baiyan’s bathroom was finally finished. After filling it with water, they started a leak test. The foreman tagged him in the group chat, reminding him to ask the downstairs neighbor at night if any water had leaked, and to send a photo to the chat, so there’d be no argument later.

Chu Baiyan didn’t see the message until after his last performance. He opened his chat with the neighbor and asked when they’d be home so he could check whether it still leaked after the waterproofing.

The neighbor replied that they were out having barbecue and would be home after nine thirty. That worked out well since Chu Baiyan had another evening performance and wouldn’t be back at the complex before nine anyway.

The event was on the opposite side of Jindu, a club opening where he performed in the middle of a decorative water column in the lobby. The show started at eight. Counting travel and prep time, there wasn’t enough to go back to Yan Anqing’s place for dinner.

He had already told Yan Anqing the night before that he wouldn’t return until around nine. By the time he came back to “Starfish Pottery,” the day’s business was nearly done.

“Did you have any chatty customers tonight?”

“Two.” The crease between Yan Anqing’s brows disappeared the instant he saw Chu Baiyan.

“I need to stop by my rental later to check the waterproofing.” The performance had gone great, and afterward the organizer had offered him extra pay to do another set, but he refused despite the high price.

Yan Anqing had a strong sense of time. He didn’t like plans changing. Since Chu Baiyan had said he’d return around nine, if he hadn’t, Yan Anqing would have worried.

“You’re going out?”

“You can come with me.” Seeing his mood drop, Chu Baiyan suggested it.

“To your place?”

“Yeah. We just need to take a few photos, then we can come back.”

Yan Anqing never went out at night, but since Chu Baiyan would be with him, he nodded without hesitation.

After they checked the shelves and turned off the lights, Chu Baiyan locked the store from outside.

The sky was thick with clouds. There was no moon, and the air felt heavy and hot, like it might rain. They walked side by side toward the gate of the complex. Even though the shop was right outside the complex, Yan Anqing had never been inside before.

When they reached the building where Chu Baiyan lived, a small cat ran out of the bushes and meowed at them, circling him once before brushing against Yan Anqing’s pant leg.

“I didn’t bring any cat food. I’ll get some when we go upstairs.” Chu Baiyan spoke to the cat.

“The cat knows you.” Yan Anqing looked down at it circling around him.

“I feed it every night when I take out the trash. It’s used to me now. It was tiny at first, just a palm-sized kitten with its mother.” Chu Baiyan gestured to show how small it had been.

“There were four kittens in the litter. The others got adopted. Only this one’s left. Maybe because it’s a tortoiseshell, people thought it wasn’t pretty.” He explained that as he opened the door and led Yan Anqing inside.

“It’s pretty.” Yan Anqing disagreed softly.

Chu Baiyan turned his head and smiled. “I think so too. It looks like caramel chestnut.”

They entered the elevator together. It was just the two of them at first, but before the doors closed, someone outside pressed the button again. A few men came in, reeking of alcohol after a dinner gathering.

The elevator wasn’t spacious, and once they entered, it felt crowded. Yan Anqing tensed and backed into a corner.

The men talked loudly, filling the enclosed air with the smell of grilled meat and liquor. The tight space made him uneasy. A shadow fell in front of him, and when he looked up, he saw Chu Baiyan standing close, shielding him from the others. Only then did he start to relax.

Chu Baiyan stood very close, close enough that if he lowered his head, his lips would touch Yan Anqing’s forehead. Normally, that distance would make him uncomfortable, but this time it didn’t. Instead, the closeness made him feel safe.

The elevator stopped at the twentieth floor. Chu Baiyan stayed by him the whole time, guiding him out as he opened his apartment door and turned on the light. Yan Anqing looked around curiously, taking in every corner.

The broken tiles from before had already been cleared, and the place was barely livable. Chu Baiyan took several photos of the bathroom, which was filled with water for testing, then pulled a jar and a small bag of cat food from the desk cabinet.

“Where’s the plate?” Yan Anqing looked around and didn’t see the “Merman” plate he had given him.

“In my suitcase. I carry it with me. I don’t leave it here since workers come in during the day.” After finishing the photos and grabbing the cat food, Chu Baiyan turned off the light and led him out.

“We just need to go downstairs and take two pictures at the neighbor’s place, then we can go home.”

Yan Anqing nodded.

Since it was only one floor down, Chu Baiyan didn’t wait for the elevator. He went straight down the fire stairs. The lights in the stairwell were dim, and Yan Anqing got nervous. He instinctively reached out and grabbed Chu Baiyan’s wrist.