The Reappearance of Lin Yan

Lin Yan?

Chu Nian froze for a second, his brow furrowing slightly as he scrutinized the man before him. The man stared back just as intently. His pupils weren’t pure black, but a very light shade of brown. Lin Yan pulled back his lips into a grin, revealing the sharp tips of his canines.

Instantly, a memory buried deep in his mind was unearthed. The silhouette of a small child gradually overlapped with the tall man standing there.

Chu Nian and Lin Yan had met in the orphanage. Lin Yan was two years younger; when he first arrived, he could barely walk steadily, naturally becoming the “baby” of the group.

He was constantly picked on by the older children. With so many kids in the orphanage, the director and teachers couldn’t keep an eye on everyone. The children at that age were cunning, knowing to wait until the adults were gone to lay a hand on Lin Yan. Consequently, every time Chu Nian encountered him, he was curled in a corner with a bruised face, tears and snot smeared together.

Chu Nian still remembered the day they met. He had only gone out to deal with a group of kids because their shouting outside his door was annoying. After chasing them off, he realized a tiny figure had been hiding behind him the whole time.

The boy was hunkered on the ground, his fair little legs covered in purplish bruises and his clothes filthy. When Chu Nian approached, he flinched in terror, wrapping his arms around himself and hiding half his face in his elbows. He stared at Chu Nian with watery eyes, looking like a pathetic kitten that had been abandoned and then tormented.

Looking at those eyes made Chu Nian angry—because it felt like looking at his former self.

The child trembled, and soft whimpers reached Chu Nian’s ears. He could feel the boy trying to suppress his sobs, but the more he resisted, the more aggrieved he felt, and the harder he cried.

In the next moment, Lin Yan broke down completely. Tears fell like strings of pearls. The child’s wailing was loud and piercing; other children playing nearby kept glancing toward Chu Nian.

Chu Nian knew those looks. They were definitely going to spread rumors again that he was a bully.

Other kids didn’t dare provoke him. Although Chu Nian was thin and frail back then, every child in the orphanage knew he had a strange, explosive temper. He never played games with them, slept alone in a single room in the east wing, and rumors said he would bite someone’s ear off if he got angry.

To avoid losing their ears, they always steered clear of him.

Chu Nian sighed. He raised his hand, imitating the way the teachers comforted him by gently stroking his head. The child, however, didn’t know what was good for him; he dodged every time Chu Nian reached out. Eventually, Chu Nian had to use his other hand to firmly hold the boy’s head in place to forcibly complete the “head-patting mission.”

“What are you crying for,” Chu Nian said, his long lashes fluttering as he blinked. “I’m not going to hit you.”

The child looked up at the older boy. Though not much older, that youthful face carried an inexplicable maturity. He sobbed a few times, eyes rimmed red, and stammered: “I… I thought… y-y-you were going to bite my ear.”

Chu Nian found it funny. “Who said that?”

“They did,” the boy said.

“They bully you, and you still believe them.” Chu Nian snorted, thinking the kid was a bit dim.

Perhaps the tone was too harsh; the corners of the boy’s eyes reddened further, his mouth wobbled, and he was about to cry again.

Frowning, Chu Nian raised his hand and covered the boy’s eyes. Startled, the child let out a hiccuping sob and, unable to resist his curiosity despite his fear, asked what he was doing. Chu Nian replied gruffly: “Plugging your tears back in.”

“Besides, I’m not a man-eating monster. Why would I want to bite your ear?”

As he spoke, the child blinked. His eyelashes brushed against Chu Nian’s palm, making it itch. His hand felt damp—likely from the boy’s tears.

Then, the child began to laugh for no apparent reason. Chu Nian looked at the moody little fellow with a speechless expression, shook his head in distain, and turned to leave.

Before going, he pressed a milk candy into the boy’s hand.

From that day on, Lin Yan was no longer bullied. The other children assumed Lin Yan was under Chu Nian’s protection; they didn’t dare mess with Chu Nian, so naturally, they left Lin Yan alone.

And Lin Yan became Chu Nian’s little tail. Wherever Chu Nian went, he followed.

“Are you… really Lin Yan?” Chu Nian looked at the familiar yet very strange man before him in utter shock.

Lin Yan nodded, the excitement in his eyes uncontrollable. “Just now, I thought you looked familiar, Brother, but I wasn’t sure. I can’t believe it’s really you! What a coincidence!”

Chu Nian gave an “Mhm.” He had been adopted by Liao Ling when he was seven. He hadn’t seen Lin Yan in over a decade; seeing him again, the child who used to follow him around crying had grown into a mature adult.

For some reason, a strange emotion welled up in Chu Nian’s heart—a feeling he couldn’t describe, something bittersweet.

The two fell into a mutual silence, the passing evening wind seeming to vent for them.

“Brother, how have you been?” After a long while, Lin Yan spoke up. He proactively shared his own situation, as if afraid Chu Nian wouldn’t want to talk to him. “A few days after you were adopted, I was taken too. The couple who adopted me couldn’t have children, so they’ve been very good to me.”

Finished, he turned to look at Chu Nian. Under his expectant gaze, Chu Nian nodded: “I’ve been alright too.”

Like Lin Yan and the other orphanage children, he had been abandoned. Chu Nian was there because his parents died in an accident and his relatives refused to raise him; Lin Yan had been left at the orphanage gates by his biological parents.

They were both duckweed in a pond, unable to take root. Being caught by a passing hand was considered lucky. Most children were trapped in that courtyard for a lifetime, drifting with the ripples, never finding a place to belong.

The two chatted idly about mundane things. Despite the long separation and the countless potential topics, neither of them brought up anything else.

The sky grew darker. Chu Nian stood up to leave. He and Lin Yan exchanged phone numbers. Before leaving, Lin Yan looked down at his phone, then raised his head, his lips parting slightly: “Brother…”

Chu Nian paused and turned back.

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He struggled for a long time before continuing: “Actually, I…”

[Missed you very much.]

He didn’t say the words out loud.

The summer evening wind wasn’t nearly as turbulent as the emotions in his eyes. It still stubbornly blew Chu Nian’s black hair into a mess.

************************************

“Beep beep—”

A car horn blared unexpectedly. In the next second, a black car pulled up on the road beside Chu Nian. Chu Nian stopped and turned; the window slid down, and Lu Jinnian, sitting inside without even looking at him, dropped a single command: “Get in.”

The wind surrounding him grew stronger, scattering Lu Jinnian’s voice. Chu Nian opened his mouth to say something but ultimately swallowed the words. He saw Lu Jinnian shift to the side, then opened the door and climbed in.

Once the door closed, the clamorous wind was locked outside. The interior light flickered on for a moment then died. In the dark car, Chu Nian and Lu Jinnian sat on opposite sides. In that moment, they were as synchronized as twins, treating each other like non-existent air.

Even the usually annoying inner voices were absent. Lu Jinnian was silent. Chu Nian stole a glance at him; the man was leaning his head on one hand, eyes closed, fingers rhythmically massaging his temples.

Even without words, Chu Nian could feel the resentment radiating from Lu Jinnian. But he didn’t know what Lu Jinnian was actually angry about. If it was because he hadn’t come home so late, Lu Jinnian had never cared before—what right did he have to start now?

The strange atmosphere made Chu Nian feel miserable. He turned away to face the window, focusing on the street scenery flashing by. Under the high speed, it blurred into a phantom image that made his head spin if he stared too long.

Until they got out of the car, Lu Jinnian remained silent. It was inconvenient for him to exit; Chu Nian thought he might as well soften up and give him a graceful way out. He reached out to help him, but Lu Jinnian’s hand was like a magnet with the same pole—he accurately dodged Chu Nian and grabbed Zhou Ze instead.

Chu Nian’s hand hung in mid-air. The howling wind in his ears sounded like it was mocking his unrequited concern. He took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and followed Lu Jinnian inside in silence.

The house was pitch black. Zhou Ze only turned on the light in the foyer; further in, the darkness only made the night feel heavier. Chu Nian watched Lu Jinnian being supported upstairs by Zhou Ze, his movements wobbly. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to help laughing.

But now, Chu Nian didn’t even have the energy to smile. He felt a heavy blockage in his chest and a wave of grievance. I was the one who got harassed all night and nearly didn’t make it back—what right does Lu Jinnian have to give me attitude?

He got angry just thinking about that icy face. Unbeknownst to him, his footsteps grew heavy. His soles slapped against the wooden floor with a “thud-thud” sound, like a silent protest.

Lu Jinnian entered his room and closed the door without hesitation. After the “bang,” the house fell silent again.

Chu Nian blinked, standing alone in the dark-shrouded hallway. He bit his lower lip and walked toward his own room without a word.

Just as he was about to turn the handle, Lu Jinnian threw his door open. Another “bang” startled Chu Nian, pinning him to the spot.

He turned his head to see Lu Jinnian limping over, face expressionless, yet his warm palm gripped Chu Nian’s wrist, forcing him to hold out his hand.

In the next second, Chu Nian felt a coolness in his palm. He looked down; Lu Jinnian had pressed a tube of wound ointment into his hand.

Only then did he realize there was a cut on his arm from who-knows-when. The dark red blood had already dried. He hadn’t felt anything, but the moment Lu Jinnian touched him, it began to sting like fire.

Whether it was because the wound hurt too much or he was just too overwhelmed, Chu Nian’s nose suddenly felt sore, and his vision blurred.

Lu Jinnian looked up and caught sight of Chu Nian’s reddened eyes. His “ice block” face shattered instantly, a flash of panic appearing in his eyes.

[Lu Jinnian!]

[You actually scared your wife to tears!]

The rebuking tone of the inner voice made Chu Nian daze for a moment.

Crying?

He blankly raised a hand to touch his cheek. It was indeed damp. As if his eyes couldn’t hold them, tears were still streaming out.

Lu Jinnian frantically cupped his face, his warm thumbs wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes. Seeing the person in his hands sobbing in hitches, he finally laughed helplessly: “I’m the one who spent the whole night looking for you.”

“What are you crying for?”