Flying Ash

That day was actually Yi Hui’s birthday, the Yi Hui who had died.

Returning home after a seven-hour high-speed rail ride from S City, Yi Hui was so tired that he fell asleep at once. When he woke up, he glanced at the calendar on the table and remembered it when he saw the familiar date. He thought secretly that Dora-Hum-Hum had picked the right day. The fireworks and cake would be considered his birthday gifts.

His birthday was only one day away from his brother’s. In the morning of February 13th, Yi Hui logged on to his Weibo account that he had just applied for and went to his brother’s homepage for a stroll.

Because his sister-in-law was a public figure, his brother’s Weibo also attracted a lot of attention. If you clicked on recent Weibo comments, you’d see that many fans with his sister-in-law’s avatar had already come to congratulate their idol’s husband a happy birthday. Yi Hui gave them all likes one by one.

His sister-in-law Ye Qin naturally also came and sent his congratulations “Happy birthday, big brother [heart]” at 0:00 sharp. Yi Hui knew that this was his sister-in-law’s nickname for his brother. When he saw that everything was going so well for the two of them, he was deeply gratified. At the same time, he felt that he shouldn’t rob them of the intimate name they used. After struggling for a while, he came up with a good idea and wrote a comment: Happy birthday, eldest brother, forever happy with sister-in-law [praise]

Coming up was Valentine’s Day.

Yi Hui himself had no special feelings about this holiday. No one had shared it with him before, and now he was a single dog, so there was no need for it at all. He stayed at home and worked the whole day. When the sun was about to set, he stood up and stretched. Along the way, he went to the fridge to find food. When he saw the half-plate of chocolate that he hadn’t finished, he remembered what day it was.

He rushed to send a message to Dora-Hum-Hum: Happy Valentine’s Day [so happy]

The two talked from the morning up to this time. In the afternoon, Yi Hui encountered difficulties in painting and discussed it with Dora-Hum-Hum for half an hour. No one mentioned Valentine’s Day. The boyfriend who ran away from home obviously had not yet returned.

Sure enough, Dora-Hum-Hum replied: I forgot it until you said it. [sweat]

After staring at the drawing paper for a whole day, his eyes were sore and swollen. Yi Hui used the eye drops and laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes and replied in a voice message: “A lone man can also live a life ah, after work, go out to eat a good meal.”

Dora-Hum-Hum: What do you want to eat?

Yi Hui“ “Huh? I have a lot of food here, so take care of your stomach.”

Dora-Hum-Hum: Just tell me what you want to eat, so I can make a reference.

Yi Hui thought for a while: “Well… it’s been a long time since I drank milk tea. If it were me, I would buy a cup of full-sugar pudding milk tea, and also cook a small hot pot at home with many crab sticks in it!”

An hour later, Jiang Yimang came back from school, carrying milk tea in one hand and some raw ingredients in the other, saying that they should catch the tail of winter and eat hot pot at home. Yi Hui took out her purchases from the bag and took a look. There were three large boxes of crab sticks.

“My sister is amazing.” After eating, Yi Hui sent a voice message to Dora-Hum-Hum, “She bought exactly what I wanted. She is not a human being, she is a fairy who has come down to the world to cross her tribulation, right?”

Dora-Hum-Hum switched the focus: What about me?

Yi Hui knew that he wanted to be praised, smiled and said, “Hum-Hum is also very good, who wouldn’t want such a cute little brother.”

Dora-Hum-Hum sent a string of emoticons and then said: Not a little brother, I’m taller than you.

Yi Hui asked him how tall he was, and he replied that his height was 1,87 meters. Yi Hui stood up and measured it. The familiar perspective when he raised his head reminded him that the man was about that tall. He also had long legs and walked quickly and every time Yi Hui followed him, he had to run to keep up.

“Hum-Hum, when you get back together with him in the future, if you go out together, remember to walk slowly and take smaller steps.” Yi Hui, who reached just 1.75 meters in both lifetimes, persuaded bitterly, “He will be very sad if he can’t keep up with you.”

Dora-Hum-Hum solemnly replied: Okay, I’ll remember.

As a senior, Yi Hui taught Dora-Hum-Hum all the life truths and emotional experiences he had compiled over the years, but that little boy didn’t know how to fight and hadn’t managed to coax his boyfriend back by spring.

Yi Hui felt anxious for him: “Aren’t you usually very smart? How come you are stupid when you encounter this kind of thing?”

Dora-Hum-Hum：……

Yi Hui came up with an idea and said, “Why don’t you set off fireworks for him too?”

On the way back that day, he asked Dora-Hum-Hum about the price of fireworks and Dora-Hum-Hum said it was not expensive. Yi Hui thought that since it was not expensive, it would be okay to set them off again. Such a great romantic gesture was given by Dora-Hum-Hum to him as a friend; it made his heart pound.

Dora-Hum-Hum: Did you like it very much?

Yi Hui“ “Who wouldn’t like it?”

Dora-Hum-Hum: Do you want to see it again?

Yi Hui didn’t notice that the topic deviated: “Yes… But I want someone to watch it with me. Sitting in the yard during summer with a fan and eating watermelon while watching fireworks, wow, can there be anything happier than that?”

So on the night of Lixia (Start of Summer, May 5-20), Yi Hui was called out by Jiang Yimang: “Brother, look at the sky!”

He didn’t know who was so generous in handling their happy event, but this kind of firework comparable to national celebrations that could only be seen on TV was going on for a full 20 minutes and the location happened to be opposite the small courtyard of the Jiang family.

Jiang Xuemei cut the watermelon and placed it on a small wooden table in the yard. The watermelon that had been frozen in the fridge all afternoon was sweet and refreshing. Yi Hui was happy. Accompanied by his mother and sister, he ate two more pieces of watermelon, disregarding his physical condition, but he didn’t have diarrhea or fever the next morning.

Of course, he had to share such good news with his good friend Dora-Hum-Hum: “My physical fitness has really improved. It must be due to the recent exercise!”

Dora-Hum-Hum exposed him very shamelessly: Oh? Who was too lazy to go out yesterday and begged God for some rain?

Yi Hui blushed: “I, I can also exercise at home.”

Dora-Hum-Hum: The yoga mat is all covered in dust, right?

“No, fortunately, I put it by the bed…” Halfway through speaking, Yi Hui suddenly realized something was wrong, “Hey, how do you know I have a yoga mat?”

Dora-Hum-Hum: You said that your sister gave it to you.

Yi Hui scratched his head and thought for a long time, but he didn’t remember when he told Dora-Hum-Hum that.

But this was not the point. He held down the voice button and asked mysteriously: “Actually, you are not Dora-Hum-Hum, are you?”

In the capital far away, Zhou Jinheng, who was being fiddled with by a makeup artist in front of the mirror, suddenly heard this sentence and asked calmly: If I’m not Dora-Hum-Hum, who am I?

Not long after, Yi Hui’s smiling voice came from the earpiece: “You’re my lucky star. Since I met you, my luck has been particularly good and is getting better every day!”

Hearing the unexpected answer, Zhou Jinheng was taken aback for a moment and then smiled, replying: You deserve it, it has nothing to do with me.

The online chat between the two had been going on for half a year. Recently, Zhou Jinheng deliberately revealed some information from time to time, intending to pave the way for confession. However, he didn’t know whether Yi Hui trusted him too much or was too nervous. He missed several obvious hints, foolishly regarding him as an enthusiastic online friend, which made his heart feel even more uncertain.

After finishing work that day, Zhou Jinheng drove to the jewelry store.

In the afternoon, he received a call saying that the ring was ready and he couldn’t wait to get it. Knowing that there was a car full of fans following him, he didn’t bother to avoid it. His car stopped at the door, he got out and went straight upstairs.

Anyway, it had to be made public, so it was better to prepare the outside world for it as soon as possible.

He just didn’t expect to meet Fang Yuqing here again.

When he looked at the design drawings three months ago, Zhou Jinheng learned that the main designer of this store was Fang Yuqing’s acquaintance. The ring had already been ordered and made; it was too late to change to another one, and Yi Hui liked the design style of this one, so he didn’t plan to change to another one.

In fact, Fang Yuqing did not do anything to overstep the borders. He had always been gentle and indifferent. Zhou Jinheng couldn’t find an excuse to resist, so he had to avoid him as much as possible.

While he waited for the staff to bring the ring, Fang Yuqing sat aside, casually stirring the coffee in the cup with a spoon, “When I was studying abroad, I minored in jewellery design for a while. Maybe I didn’t have the talent in that area, but the things I made were not very good,” he said.

Fang Yuqing had been studying fine arts since he was in elementary school. His outstanding talent created an impression that he was always proud of himself, so it was surprising to hear these self-depreciating words from him.

Zhou Jinheng didn’t say anything, so Fang Yuqing continued as if talking to himself: “Later, I knew why. Because the things I made, even if others said they were good, without the right person to wear them, they had no value in my eyes.”

The staff took the ring to the counter and Zhou Jinheng couldn’t wait to look at it. The low-key platinum studded with tiny diamonds was shining brightly. Just looking at it, one could tell how beautiful it would be worn on the slender white finger of the little fool.

Fang Yuqing leaned over to take a look, smiled and said, “I also made a pair of rings back then and no one had tried them on yet.”

Zhou Jinheng had been pretending to be deaf and dumb for a long time. It was not appropriate to keep silent anymore. Before leaving, he thought for a while and said to Fang Yuqing, “Find someone who matches them. I have found that person, and I wish you find that one as soon as possible.”

He turned around to leave and Fang Yuqing behind him said anxiously: “I regret it.”

Zhou Jinheng was startled and paused for a moment.

“I regret giving up you for my future prospects back then, I regret it.” Fang Yuqing that he knew had never bowed his head to show weakness. The words must have been very difficult to say for him, so his voice was a little choked, “I returned home early for you. And it’s for you I learned jewellery design. Since the marriage with the Tan family is a false rumour, then… Would you still like to try on the ring I made for you?”

Speaking of the surnamed Tan, after getting the ring, Zhou Jinheng went to the Zhou family’s house.

Zhou Huarong was at home. Thinking that his son had thought things through and wanting to use the momentum to pressure him, he didn’t give him any face: “Still know how to find your way back home?”

Zhou Jinheng ignored him and sat down to accept the tea handed by the housekeeper.

Seeing that his mood was stable and there was no table in front of him to overturn, Zhou Huarong cleared his throat and began to give orders: “The Tan family said they like a European style. You will live here these days. I will send someone to redecorate the new house.”

Zhou Jinheng drank tea slowly and calmly: “What new house?”

Zhou Huarong said, “Just the duplex under your name.”

Zhou Jinheng sneered: “That’s my and Yi Hui’s new house, with half of the Yi family’s money in it, what does it have to do with the Tans?”

One sentence was enough to make Zhou Huarong irate. Thinking about Zhou Jinheng not coming back home for the New Year, he felt even more angry: “The guy has been dead for more than half a year, you’ve given it enough buffer time. Do you really want to guard that empty house for the rest of your life alone?”

“Who said I would be alone?” Zhou Jinheng finished drinking his tea, stood up and stretched out lazily, “This time coming back, it is for the second half of my life. Before my mother died, she said that her things would be left for me to handle. I believe you must respect her will. You haven’t touched those things, have you?”

Without waiting for Zhou Huarong to react, Zhou Jinheng went upstairs and entered his mother’s room. His younger sister Zhou Jinyue would always clean it up very neatly, making it look no different from the time when their mother was still alive.

He found a big red box emblazoned with dragons and phoenixes in the drawer of the dressing table. He put it in his pocket and left.

Zhou Huarong chased him to the door angrily: “Where are you going?”

Zhou Jinheng didn’t look back, patted his pocket and said, “Taking the heirloom to pick up your daughter-in-law.”

He said it with ease and and even a kind of chic, but in fact, there was still a lot of preparatory work to be done.

Taking advantage of a two-day break at the end of his schedule, Zhou Jinheng cleaned up his and Yi Hui’s home.

In addition to the paintings that were framed and hung on the wall, he replaced almost all personal items in the house with matching pairs. In order to match the little fool’s preferences, he even changed the toothbrush to the same cartoon version: Yi Hui’s was Doraemon and his was Nobita.

Thinking that the little fool would be happy to see that when he returned home, every cell in Zhou Jinheng’s body was full of energy, and the busier he was, the more excited he became.

While admiring the fruits of his labour, Zhou Jinheng took out his mobile phone, clicked on the dialog box with Xiao Hui Xia and saw that the other party was sending messages to him. Seeing the word “Hum-Hum”, he suddenly felt his rising excitement stop abruptly at the highest point. It was as if he was dragged out of an illusion by force.

He was Dora-Hum-Hum, and he was not Dora-Hum-Hum.

He was the b*stard who made the little fool cry again and again.

When he heard Fang Yuqing say “regret”, the first thing he did was not reminisce about the first love that ended in failure, but to remember the futility of regret that he had already understood.

He still thought that things could only get better for him and his little fool.

Turning on the faucet and splashing his face with cold water, Zhou Jinheng looked at his confused reflection in the mirror, raised his hand to rub his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath.

Wait a little, wait a while. When he does everything he can for the little fool, when he is sure that the little fool will not be harmed, it will not be too late to confess.

He couldn’t bear to fail a second time.

He was really scared.