Chapter 39

Yan Bozong decisively jumped into the water to save Qi Liangqin, not necessarily out of love—Qi Liangqin was well aware of this. However, Yan Bozong had saved his life, and he couldn't help but feel grateful. The debt of gratitude combined with love was like adding fuel to a fire, and Qi Liangqin fell even deeper.

The debt of saving a life, the man had no way to repay, but was willing to offer himself in return.

In his sleep, he thought this way, and when he woke up, he was stunned for a while. The air conditioning was turned up high, and he had a thin layer of sweat on him.

Yan Songwei was still sleeping beside him, his white bandage on his head very noticeable, and there was a faint smell of medicine.

If Yan Bozong hadn't saved him, Qi Liangqin probably would have still been shaken, consumed with the fear of drowning. But now, his heart was filled with love, and all he could think about was the fact that Yan Bozong had saved him.

Qi Liangqin got up and drank a glass of water. It was already dawn outside. After finishing his morning routine, he put on his clothes and went out. The mountain air was exceptionally fresh, and the birds chirped crisply in the misty air. The trees were lush, and most people had not yet woken up. The ground was damp, as if there had been a light rain last night.

In the southwest corner of the hotel, there was a construction site in operation. With the sky barely lit, there was only one large light shining down, but no one was around. Qi Liangqin saw a white-headed wagtail land on a cement-filled water tank ahead, drinking water. He quietly took out his phone, intending to take a photo.

Just as he was about to take the shot, he faintly heard the sound of running. The wagtail was startled and fluttered its wings, flying up to a power pole. Qi Liangqin turned his head toward the sound and saw Yan Bozong running back.

No wonder Yan Songwei said he was a man of perseverance. Even on vacation, he was still running.

Yan Bozong only had a scratch on his face, not deep or shallow. After cleaning it up, he put on a band-aid. Qi Liangqin slightly bowed and nodded at Yan Bozong, calling out, "Big Brother."

Yan Bozong stopped to catch his breath and simply grunted in response, walking straight toward the hotel entrance. Qi Liangqin stood there for a moment, then walked toward the direction Yan Bozong had come from, a path down the mountain.

When Yan Bozong reached the hotel entrance, he looked back at Qi Liangqin for a moment. Qi Liangqin didn't know this. He only saw Yan Bozong glance back at the hotel entrance after turning the corner, but by then, Yan Bozong had already entered. All Qi Liangqin saw was a couple walking out of the hotel. He didn't know what the man had said, but the woman burst out laughing, and her laughter sounded particularly crisp in the quiet early morning.

He aimlessly walked down the mountain path. The trees by the side of the road were dense and disordered, with wildflowers growing along the way. The air was moist and refreshing. He thought living in a place like this wouldn't be too bad, extending one's life.

After walking for about half an hour, he turned back. On his way back, he saw the couple from earlier, secretly hiding in the woods and kissing.

Qi Liangqin was startled and quickly hid. He felt a little dirty, sneaking a few glances. The man not only kissed but also groped the woman's chest, which made Qi Liangqin feel flustered.

It was his first time seeing real people being intimate. He had only seen it on TV before and didn't think much of it. Now, seeing it in real life, he felt a rush of heat. And this was in the woods, almost like returning to nature's rhythm.

After watching for a few moments, he felt too embarrassed to keep walking forward, afraid of the awkwardness for both himself and the couple. So, he hid behind a rock for a while, then peeked out. The couple had already walked deeper into the woods.

What were they...

Qi Liangqin started to imagine wildly, his face turning red, but he didn't dare follow them. Instead, he ran back to the hotel.

Yan Songwei was brushing his teeth when he saw him return. He stuck his head out from the bathroom and, still brushing his teeth, asked, "Woke up so early. Where did you go?"

"I went for a walk. Guess what I saw?"

Qi Liangqin was quite excited.

"What did you see?"

"I saw a couple kissing in the small woods. Then they went deeper, pulling and hugging, definitely heading off to have sex in the grass!"

Yan Songwei laughed so hard that he spit out toothpaste foam: "They're going to have sex, what's got you so excited? Why didn't you follow them?"

Qi Liangqin felt embarrassed and said, "It's the first time I've seen a couple being intimate."

"Does that mean Tan Qingqing and I aren't a couple then?"

Qi Liangqin suddenly remembered that Yan Songwei and Tan Qingqing had kissed in front of him before. He still remembered that wet sound: "Oh, I forgot. But you and Qingqing are different. When I saw you and Qingqing being intimate, I felt awkward, but when I saw them..."

"You got excited watching them?" Yan Songwei interrupted.

Qi Liangqin sat down on the bed: "It's just... weird."

"I think you're just thirsty. Watching people kiss and you're getting all worked up like this."

After having breakfast in the hotel lobby in the morning, they set off to climb the mountain. Bixia Mountain is most famous for its morning and evening clouds, and the highest peak, Luoxia Peak, is a must-visit spot for tourists. Madam Yan had originally planned to take advantage of the climb to give Yan Songwei and Qi Liangqin some more time to be together, but since Yan Songwei was injured, he wanted to stay in the hotel and rest. Since the family had already arrived, there was no reason to skip the hike. Besides, Madam Yan also wanted to visit the temple to pray, so she asked Yan Songwei to rest well while she, Yan Yuan, Yan Bozong, and Qi Liangqin went up the mountain together.

Madam Yan, being of an older age, was soon out of breath after climbing for a short while. Bixia Mountain has hired porters who carry tourists up and down the mountain in bamboo chairs. Qi Liangqin asked Yan Yuan, "Why don't we let mom sit in one of those chairs to go up? She's old. Can she really walk all the way up?"

"Mom won't sit in it. She says that she can only have her heart be sincere if she climbs step by step. That way, the Bodhisattva will see her."

She's quite a devout old lady.

"Just go ahead and climb, don't worry about me. I'm fine as long as I have your big brother with me," said Madam Yan.

Qi Liangqin and Yan Yuan sped up after hearing this. The sun had just risen, and it was said that Bixia Peak was the most beautiful at this time of day. If they were lucky, they might even see a rainbow, so they needed to reach Luoxia Peak as soon as possible. Madam Yan looked at the two of them running ahead without even catching their breath and sighed, "Young people really have no fear of exhaustion. Little Qin looks so frail and weak, but his strength is impressive."

Yan Bozong looked up at the two people ahead who were getting farther and farther away and said, "He looks fragile, but his abilities are substantial."

Sometimes, that momentum could almost devour him, Yan Bozong thought to himself.

"It's a pity that Yan Songwei got injured and couldn't come with us," Madam Yan continued as she climbed up the stairs. "I was hoping that the young couple could take the opportunity to get closer, but now, Yan Songwei might be lying in his hotel room, talking to some little temptress."

A mother knows her son best. At that very moment, Yan Songwei was indeed lying on the bed, talking to a woman.

This woman was not Tan Qingqing, but someone he had just met, named Su Ruanruan. Her name sounded like "Su Soft Soft," and she lived up to it—plump, fair, with a round face, and when she spoke, her voice was soft, almost like a high school girl trying to be coquettish.

Yan Songwei was flirting with Su Ruanruan.

Recently, he and Tan Qingqing had some issues, but nothing serious. His flirtation with Su Ruanruan wasn't intended to develop into anything inappropriate, but for Su Ruanruan, Yan Songwei was an irresistible piece of good meat. How could she easily let it go? And as for the beautiful women who came to him, Yan Songwei had always been unable to refuse.

Men often find it hard to resist a woman's flirtation. In this world, perhaps only one in a hundred men would be like Yan Bozong, but the other ninety-nine would be more like Yan Songwei.

Through the phone, Su Ruanruan's voice sounded even more sticky. Having been used to Tan Qingqing's fiery enthusiasm, Su Ruanruan's coquettishness made him feel itchy inside. As he chatted with Su Ruanruan, his phone suddenly indicated an incoming call. He looked at the screen and was startled to see it was Tan Qingqing calling. He hurriedly made up an excuse to hang up and wiped his face before calling Tan Qingqing back.

Tan Qingqing asked, "Why are you still on the phone on the weekend? You were just talking to someone."

"Oh, just some work stuff. Don't you sleep in on weekends? Why are you up so early?"

Tan Qingqing said, "What are you doing? Haven't you gotten up yet?"

"Yeah, didn't I get injured yesterday? You told me not to climb again today, so I'm listening to you."

Tan Qingqing laughed and said, "I have a surprise for you. Open the door and take a look."

Yan Songwei immediately sat up in bed, "You're here?!"

"I'm downstairs in the lobby. What's your room number?"

Less than ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Yan Songwei, barefoot, quickly got up and opened the door. He saw Tan Qingqing, dressed in a white dress, carrying a black bag, wearing black sunglasses, and with bright red lipstick—simple yet stunning.

"Come in."

Tan Qingqing took off her glasses, then immediately shoved him against the wall and kissed him passionately. Yan Songwei couldn't resist her advances, so he immediately lifted Tan Qingqing up and threw her onto the bed. Tan Qingqing laughed wildly, and the two immediately rolled into a tangle.

The sunlight outside the window grew brighter and brighter. On the mountain path, Qi Liangqin and Yan Yuan had already reached the temple gate. Qi Liangqin was out of breath, so he went to a service station and bought two bottles of water, handing one to Yan Yuan. "Let's rest here and wait for them."

"Mom is going in to pray, and if we wait for her, we'll have to go pray together too, so we won't be able to see the last of the sunset glow. Let's go up first, and when we come down, we can meet Mom and Big Brother here. What do you think?"

Qi Liangqin also wanted to reach the highest peak to have a look. By now, they could already see the red cloth tied to the railings at the top of the peak.

So, they continued climbing, and finally reached the summit. There were already quite a few people at the top, all busy taking pictures. Looking down from the peak, they could indeed see mist swirling around, with early morning clouds in the east, and colorful fog floating where the sky and mountains met. The view was breathtaking.

They took turns taking pictures for each other, with Qi Liangqin taking more since it was his first time here. No matter how he posed, he looked great. A few shots taken against the light were so stunning that even Qi Liangqin himself felt a little shaken. At the peak, there was a person with a table selling wish locks. On the western side, a row of iron chains was covered in wish locks, forming a wall. A couple was writing notes there, and Qi Liangqin curiously asked, "Aren't wish locks supposed to have wishes written or engraved on the lock surface? Why are they writing on paper?"

"They're using hollow locks," Yan Yuan explained, "You can close them and write your wish on a piece of paper, then put it inside the lock. These locks don't have keys, so once they're locked, they'll never be opened again. I think it's better than engraving on the surface because it protects your privacy. Didn't they say that wishes aren't effective if you say them out loud? Come on."

Yan Yuan pulled him over to the wish locks and looked closely, as if searching for something. Qi Liangqin asked, "What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for our family's wish lock. The year before my dad passed away, our whole family climbed this mountain, and each of us made a wish... Ah, here it is! Look!"

Qi Liangqin followed Yan Yuan's finger and indeed saw a row of wish locks with familiar names written on them. Perhaps the locks had been there for a long time, and the names were a little faded, but they were still legible. Yan Yuan said, "Maybe you should get one too and lock it here. Let's take a photo."

Qi Liangqin nodded and went to buy a wish lock. Yan Yuan asked, "What wish are you making?"

Qi Liangqin smiled, "You just said it yourself, saying it out loud makes it not come true."

"Okay, okay, I won't look, you write your wish," said Yan Yuan, as she took out her phone to take pictures. Qi Liangqin watched as the vendor carved his name on the lock, then painted it with lacquer. He looked up and smiled at him, "Don't just look at me, write your wish and I'll lock it for you."

After thinking for a moment, Qi Liangqin wrote a wish on the paper. As soon as he finished, he heard Yan Yuan's laughter behind him, "Hey, what a coincidence!"

He was startled, quickly covering his paper, and turned to look at Yan Yuan. "How did you peek?"

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret," Yan Yuan laughed. "But it's funny, someone in our family wrote the same wish as yours."

Qi Liangqin put the paper inside the lock, looked it over again, and the vendor smiled, "Don't worry, even if you smash it with a hammer, it won't break. Even if the mountain collapses and it gets buried underground, this lock will last for hundreds of years!"

Qi Liangqin laughed at the vendor's joke and took the lock to secure it next to Yan Bozong's. In fact, there was more space next to Yan Yuan's lock, but he still squeezed it between Yan Songwei and Yan Bozong, afraid that Yan Yuan would notice his little intentions. He quickly called out to Yan Yuan, "Hurry, let's take a photo!"

They took a photo in front of the wish locks, and Yan Yuan said, "Post it on Moments."

She posted two photos: one of the two of them in front of the wish locks, with the handsome man and beautiful woman looking perfect. She even edited the photo a little to enhance their appearance. The other was a photo of six wish locks, with five of them showing signs of age, while Qi Liangqin's lock was brand new, gleaming with golden hues under the sunlight.

After taking the photos and enjoying the view for a while, they started heading back down. While walking, Qi Liangqin asked, "You said someone wrote the same wish as mine, who was it?"

"Guess."

"I can't guess," Qi Liangqin thought it might be Yan Bozong, and his heart raced, but he didn't dare to say it.

"You and Big Brother wrote the same wish," Yan Yuan said.

Qi Liangqin's face instantly turned red, and his heart pounded. He pretended to stay calm and said, "Oh, what a coincidence. I just wrote something casually."

Yan Yuan laughed, "Do you want to know what wish my second brother made?"

"How do you know everything?"

"I saw it. I know what wishes they made."

"What did your second brother wish for?"

Yan Yuan squinted and smiled, "I'm not telling you. You can go back and ask your second brother."

Qi Liangqin acted as if he didn't care and quickened his pace down the mountain. Yan Yuan took out her phone and called Yan Bozong, asking where they were.

"Mom and Big Brother will be at the temple gate soon. Let's hurry."

Qi Liangqin nodded, but as he walked down, he thought to himself that he and Yan Bozong had made the same wish.

It seemed like some mysterious fate, and this mysterious connection made him feel a deep joy. Were he and Yan Bozong after the same thing? As he was thinking, Yan Yuan suddenly called out, "I see them!"

He looked up and saw, through an old pine tree, that Yan Bozong and Madam Yan were standing near the temple gate, waving at them. Qi Liangqin smiled, his face damp with sweat, but his eyes were filled with the pure joy and contentment from deep within.

He hoped that the wish he and Yan Bozong made would eventually come true.

The temple on Bixia Mountain worships the Queen Mother of the West, and the incense offerings were very strong. Even though it was still early in the morning, the temple was already filled with people.

Qi Liangqin had always had a respectful attitude toward the gods, so he closely followed Madam Yan into the temple. When they went to offer incense, he stood behind respectfully. However, when they entered the main hall to bow, he didn't dare to go in, standing at the door instead.

Would the gods see his impure heart? His body full of desires—would the gods forgive him? In the eyes of the selfless, loving gods, was homosexuality still a sin?

As an ordinary gay person, a sense of inferiority began to take root the moment his sexual awareness arose, growing steadily over the years in the careful concealment of his true self. The inferiority of being different seemed both nonexistent and omnipresent at the same time. He was grateful that he had come into this world, a world more tolerant of homosexuality, where gay people could love openly, get married, and though they might still face mild criticism, it was a utopia for someone like him, from another world.

Madam Yan and Yan Yuan clearly often accompanied Madam Yan to worship the gods. They knelt beside her and bowed their heads in unison. Qi Liangqin looked up at the statue of the Queen Mother of the West, so dignified and compassionate, as though capable of embracing all the varied lives and situations of this world.

"Queen Mother of the West, please bless me," Qi Liangqin silently prayed. "Please grant me a soulmate for life, and please grant me this man, Yan Bozong."

After the prayers, Madam Yan took him to meet the abbot, and the four of them had lunch at the temple before Madam Yan went off to chant sutras.

Her devotion was profound, and every time they came to the mountain, she would stay at the temple for most of the day. The scent of sandalwood incense filled the temple, and even the meditation room wasn't exempt. Qi Liangqin sat with her, though he didn't chant, simply quietly accompanying her. He found his mind calming, occasionally glancing at Yan Bozong, noticing how the serene light filtering through the yellow paper windows added a layer of tranquility to his face.

Yan Bozong had a handsome profile, his features slightly rugged but softened by the light, with a high, smooth nose bridge and long lashes, making him seem as though time had slowed down, bringing peace.

They stayed until almost five in the afternoon before making their way back down the mountain.

On the way down, Madam Yan and Yan Yuan both rode bamboo chairs. "You men can walk back slowly," Madam Yan said with a smile.

Qi Liangqin nodded and bowed slightly. "Please be careful."

The sedan bearers creaked as they began their descent, and Qi Liangqin turned to look at Yan Bozong, only to find that Yan Bozong had looked back at him.

Yan Bozong's expression held a hint of wariness, clearly still haunted by the intense flirting Qi Liangqin had subjected him to earlier.

Qi Liangqin pursed his lips and said, "Let's go."

He started down the mountain first, with Yan Bozong following behind. Suddenly, Yan Bozong asked, "Have you figured it out?"

Qi Liangqin was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood what Yan Bozong meant. A wise man knows when to yield. He nodded, "I've figured it out."

Yan Bozong didn't say anything else. The two of them walked down the mountain. They had rushed up earlier, but after resting at the temple, Qi Liangqin felt his legs aching. Going down the mountain now felt harder than climbing up, so he slowed his pace and gradually lagged behind. Yan Bozong noticed his slow pace and could tell his legs were sore, so he too slowed down, walking behind him.

He saw the sweat-soaked back of Qi Liangqin, his t-shirt clinging to his skin, leaving behind a faint trace of his scent wherever he passed. Perhaps the lingering scent of sandalwood from the meditation room mixed with the smell of sweat, creating a slightly warm fragrance.

This was the first time Yan Bozong looked at Qi Liangqin's body so carefully. His arms were slender and pale, his legs long but too thin, while his hips were firm and rounded. With every step down, his hips stretched the fabric of his pants. Sometimes, Yan Bozong would see beads of sweat dripping down Qi Liangqin's forearm, and he thought that Qi Liangqin was a little too thin, that he needed to put on a bit more weight.

This was the same person who had once been madly obsessed with him, chasing after him, holding onto his legs and begging, greedily inhaling his underwear, recklessly pushing his limits, like a flood or a beast. It had almost overwhelmed him.

Now, everything was silent, as if it had never happened. But the image of someone who had once tried to invade him, someone who had carried a powerful, sexual intensity, was perhaps no longer capable of returning to a familial position in his heart.