Unbridled 30

The train left right on schedule. As Ding Ji settled into his seat, he glanced out the window, unexpectedly feeling a rush of excitement. Despite always traveling during summer and winter breaks with family, this journey seemed unlike any he'd experienced before—the platforms outside appeared entirely new and vibrant.

He felt a bit foolish.

Lin Wuyu, glancing knowingly at him, asked, "Have you not traveled much?"

"I've traveled countless times within the country," Ding Ji replied. "Leaving home is a daily routine for me."

"I've never been abroad," mused Lin Wuyu. "Honestly, my travels have been limited too. I didn't get to travel much when I was younger. It wasn't until middle and high school that I started exploring on my own."

"I'll take you next time," Ding Ji offered. "Me and Pengpeng… Oh, he's working now. Can't just drop everything."

"But this trip is an opportunity," observed Lin Wuyu.

"Okay," Ding Ji agreed, pulling out his phone. "Pengpeng listed all the places to eat, have fun, and shop. We could have over a hundred must-visit spots."

Lin Wuyu chuckled. "Save some for when school starts."

Though they changed seats for conversation's sake, they didn't talk much. Ding Ji dozed off without realizing it. When he woke up, his head was on Lin Wuyu's shoulder, who was also dozing, using his versatile little starfish pillow.

He readjusted, but soon found his head returning to the same position.

It felt like he was bowing to a mountain deity, constantly nodding against Lin Wuyu's shoulder.

They continued this until they were close to their stop. Two men arguing over luggage jolted Ding Ji awake.

Surprisingly, Lin Wuyu was already awake, watching the argument while Ding Ji's head was on his shoulder, cushioned by the starfish.

"Is this thing good?" Ding Ji asked, picking up the starfish.

"I always carry it when I travel," Lin Wuyu whispered. "Do you think those two might start a fight?"

"Unlikely," Ding Ji replied. "We're about to arrive; starting a fight now wouldn't be worth it."

"Right," Lin Wuyu smiled. "We're almost there. Do you have a place to stay?"

"We'll just find…" Ding Ji began, then looked at him. "Did you book a room in advance?"

"Nope," Lin Wuyu shook his head.

"Then why are you smirking?" Ding Ji asked. "I thought you'd tease me about booking a room."

"I've rented a place," Lin Wuyu revealed.

"…What?" Ding Ji was bewildered.

"I've rented it for two months," Lin Wuyu explained. "Regardless of whether I find someone or not, I just need to inform my parents. When the test results are out, I'll go back to meet the class teacher, sort things out, and then come here. He'll send me the notice."

"So, you won't be at home for this summer vacation?" Ding Ji clarified.

"I wasn't at home; I was in the dorm," Lin Wuyu corrected. "I came early to spend time with Ben's friends."

"Ah," Ding Ji pondered. "And you'll be doing part-time jobs to earn money, right?"

"Unlike some people," Lin Wuyu remarked, "who owe tens of thousands but still dare to tell their creditors they're off to watch the flag-raising ceremony."

"…I'll find somewhere to wash dishes as soon as I get off," Ding Ji said.

"The magnificent top student of No. 3 High, known as the little prodigy in this realm, and you're positioning yourself to wash dishes?" Lin Wuyu pointed out.

Ding Ji thought for a moment. "Honestly, my survival skills are not even close to Liu Jinpeng's. He can sell watermelons and do some small business. I'll just set up a booth and tell people's fortunes."

Lin Wuyu stayed silent, smiling.

Being around Lin Wuyu made Ding Ji realize these differences. Despite his strained relationship with his parents, he had grandparents and an aunt to support him. He lacked parental affection but had a sanctuary when stressed. The security he lacked due to parental absence, he found some compensation in his grandparents' home, letting him act spoiled, not worrying like most of his classmates—a regular high school student.

But Lin Wuyu was different. There was an emptiness around him. He had to move forward without a safety net.

Lin Wuyu wasn't overly outgoing, yet he got along with everyone, preparing for his future part-time work during summer vacation.

And Ding Ji felt confined to washing dishes.

The contrast was stark.

Ding Ji sighed. He could distribute flyers, walk dogs, feed cats…

When could he repay that thirty thousand?

Before Lin Wuyu arrived, Ding Ji had connected with the landlord via video chat to see the suite—new, with a private bathroom and a simple kitchen. It was a bit costly due to the short-term lease, but Lin Wuyu rented it anyway—it was close to the subway, just a short walk away.

As they disembarked, Ding Ji checked for hotels on his phone, but Lin Wuyu stopped him. "Staying in my place is fine."

The bedroom had a bunk bed—a double below and a single above—set up for a family of three.

Though Lin Wuyu hadn't planned for Ding Ji to come, now that he was here, Lin Wuyu couldn't let Ding Ji seek another place. To Ding Ji, this would be unkind.

"What sort of place did you rent that accommodates two people?" Ding Ji inquired. "Can a single room house two people? I'm guessing the beds are single-sized."

"You could sleep on the floor," Lin Wuyu suggested.

"…Or maybe the couch?" Ding Ji proposed. "Why push me to the floor?"

"Who said there's a couch?" Lin Wuyu retorted.

"Thanks," Ding Ji quickly pulled out his phone, lowering his head to continue the search for rooms.

"Let's go," Lin Wuyu reached out and turned off his phone. "No squeezing into a single bed, no sleeping on the floor."

Following the subway route provided by the landlord, they maneuvered through the crowd and finally reached their destination.

Exiting the subway station, they could see it was the place Lin Zhan was photographed at. Lin Wuyu stood outside for a while. The traffic here was incredibly dense; many people passed by without a second glance, disappearing instantly.

"If we wait here," Ding Ji observed the surroundings, "we can only stand around. If he walks by, we might not even recognize him."

"It's fine. We’ll just stand here every day," Lin Wuyu said, walking ahead.

Ding Ji followed. After a while, he said, "If he's here and willing to be found by you, he'll show up after you wait for two days."

"Okay," Lin Wuyu acknowledged.

"Can he recognize you?" Ding Ji asked. "You were only eight when he left, right? What did you look like when you were little?"

"Ugly," Lin Wuyu stated.

Ding Ji suddenly turned. "No way! How can someone who was ugly as a child look like you now?"

"Why not?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"No reason," Ding Ji pointed to himself. "My grandmother said I was adorable as a kid, like a small pastry. So now I'm handsome."

Lin Wuyu couldn't help but look at him several times.

Ding Ji was quite handsome, but the street-smart vibe he carried had nothing to do with resembling a little pastry. Moreover, which little pastry grew up after a few years? If there were any comparisons to be made, he’d be like a piece of brown sugar rice cake…

Thinking about it made him suddenly hungry.

Lin Wuyu burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Ding Ji was a bit annoyed.

"You remind me of brown sugar rice cakes," Lin Wuyu said with a smile.

"Am I that dark?" Ding Ji looked at his arms. "I'm pretty fair. What's with that look? I think I'm fairer than you."

"Okay, talented little milk cake," Lin Wuyu said.

"…If you're going to call me that, I'd rather be a little rice cake," Ding Ji sighed.

Lin Wuyu took out his phone and, while walking, scrolled for a while. Eventually, he handed the phone to Ding Ji. "Look, this is from my elementary school performance. The teacher took a picture of each child."

Ding Ji immediately took it, showing great interest.

Then, he frowned. "Gosh, quite ugly, aren't you? Did you have plastic surgery?"

"Get lost," Lin Wuyu said.

"Are there any other pictures?" Ding Ji zoomed in on that photo again. It was clear it was Lin Wuyu, but indeed not good-looking – thin and a bit timid, no smile.

"Just two," Lin Wuyu said. "The one behind is… a picture with Lin Zhan."

Ding Ji hesitated for two seconds, scrolled back, and saw a photo – a bit earlier than the previous one, with a smaller and even more timid young Lin Wuyu, still looking unattractive.

Next to him squatted what seemed to be Lin Zhan, much better-looking.

Strangely, neither of the brothers smiled. Lin Zhan even seemed a bit melancholic, quite different from the candid shot. After all, it was a look from over a decade ago.

"He might not recognize me," Lin Wuyu said. "I'm not the same as back then…"

Ding Ji nodded. After all, he wasn't the same skinny kid from back then; he was a handsome guy now.

"So hot," Lin Wuyu said.

Ding Ji choked a bit, coughing before finally laughing. "What's wrong with you?"

"I’m feeling a bit lost," Lin Wuyu chuckled. "Not sure if I want to find him or hope not to."

Ding Ji didn't say anything, just placed his arm over Lin Wuyu's shoulder, giving it a nudge.

The landlord left the keys with the building's security. After verifying their IDs, they took the keys and went straight into the building.

The elevator was under maintenance today, so they climbed up to the fifth floor using the stairs, which wasn’t too high.

The room was just like in the video call; simple furniture, tidied up neatly.

The first thing Ding Ji did was check the bed. "Perfect, there are actually two beds. I'll take the upper one."

"Okay," Lin Wuyu put down his luggage, standing by the window and looking outside.

"What now?" Ding Ji checked the time. "It's past office hours now. If he's a working person, he might already be on the subway."

"Dinner," Lin Wuyu said. "I'm starving."

"Can I take a quick shower first?" Ding Ji said. "Change my clothes…"

"Nope," Lin Wuyu insisted. "I want dinner."

"…Fine, fine, fine! Let's eat!" Ding Ji was helpless. "Eat, eat, eat!"

Though they said they were urgently going to eat, as they stepped out, they both subconsciously headed towards the subway direction, only stopping when they reached the subway entrance.

Ding Ji felt Lin Wuyu probably didn't even realize it himself, but he really wanted to find Lin Zhan.

"Where to eat?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Somewhere nearby, not too far," Ding Ji said.

"Alright," Lin Wuyu pointed to the side. "Just saw a roast duck place over there."

"Okay," Ding Ji agreed straightforwardly.

The place was crowded. Lin Wuyu wanted a table near the window, but there were none left. After a moment's hesitation, perhaps hunger prevailed over his thoughts of finding Lin Zhan. He finally sat down at a table that didn't have a street view.

When Lin Wuyu placed an order, Ding Ji asked for the candid photo and set it on the table, leaning in to examine it closely, hoping to uncover some clues.

As the waiter left, Ding Ji nudged the photo toward Lin Wuyu. "Not entirely sure, but do you see him holding a bag here?"

Lin Wuyu glanced at Ding Ji, then focused on the photo.

Honestly, he hadn't scrutinized this photo much before, fearing to delve too deeply into it.

But prompted by Ding Ji's observation, he swiftly noticed a figure resembling Lin Zhan in the photo. A corner of a white plastic bag peeked beside his right trouser leg, and faintly, on the other side, a bag with green stripes was visible.

"When we arrived here," Ding Ji said, "there was a supermarket."

"Really?" Lin Wuyu looked at him.

"Yes," Ding Ji affirmed confidently.

"Are you certain?" Lin Wuyu inquired. He had walked this way but hadn’t paid much attention to a supermarket.

"Absolutely. Trust me, I'm good at spotting these things," Ding Ji said. "There's a big billboard in front of the subway exit, and just past it is the supermarket. On the left is a bookstore, on the right is a stationery store. I can list all the shops in order from where you rented the place."

In that moment, Lin Wuyu admired Ding Ji's powers of observation.

"Did you notice the supermarket's logo?" he asked.

"Chain supermarket, white background, green letters," Ding Ji described. "Quite similar."

Lin Wuyu looked at him.

"This supermarket is widespread; there's one just outside the residential area's gate," Ding Ji added. "With so many nearby, if he shopped here, he probably lives close. Who would go far to buy from a supermarket downstairs?"

Lin Wuyu felt his pulse quicken.

"But it's still uncertain if that logo truly is," Ding Ji said. "After dinner…"

"I'll go check now," Lin Wuyu stood up.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait!" Ding Ji grabbed his hand. "Don't rush. I'm not finished."

"Go on," Lin Wuyu felt a bit disoriented.

"There's another possibility," Ding Ji said, meeting Lin Wuyu's gaze. "He might have just used that bag to carry things. If so, he might not necessarily live nearby."

Lin Wuyu furrowed his brow, leaning back over the table to scrutinize the photo again, almost pressing his nose onto it.

"Where are your glasses?" Ding Ji asked.

"Oh," Lin Wuyu realized, taking his glasses out of his pocket and putting them on.

"Lin Wuyu," Ding Ji called softly, "Lin Wuyu?"

"Hmm?" Lin Wuyu looked at him.

"You don't look much like a scholar now," Ding Ji lightly tapped his hand twice.

Lin Wuyu remained stunned for a while, then grasped Ding Ji's hand and rested his forehead on the back of it, whispering after a moment, "I'm feeling a bit anxious."

"Figured that out," Ding Ji responded.

"Let’s call it a day, Fortune-teller Ding," Lin Wuyu suggested, "Can you tell my fortune?"

"Watch your words!" Ding Ji raised his voice.

"How about you give it a try," Lin Wuyu playfully corrected himself, "Fortune-teller Ding."

"What do you want to know?" Ding Ji asked.

"Can I find Lin Zhan?" Lin Wuyu murmured.

"That's hard to predict," Ding Ji replied, "I can only tell if your venture will be successful."

"You and your tricks," Lin Wuyu chuckled, "you can't predict anything accurately, can you?"

Ding Ji clicked his tongue and retrieved three coins from his pocket, aligning them on the table. "See that? I carry my grandma's money everywhere. She’s not just a fortune-teller, she's the real deal."

Lin Wuyu nodded with a smile.

Ding Ji gathered the coins, tossing them onto the table. After a few moments, he began contemplating.

Finally, he looked up at Lin Wuyu. "You'll have an unexpected gain."

"Unexpected?" Lin Wuyu blinked. "How unexpected?"

"Don't know," Ding Ji pocketed the coins.

"Find myself a sister-in-law?" Lin Wuyu joked.

"Ha!" Ding Ji laughed, "That's not entirely impossible."

Lin Wuyu chuckled but remained silent, feeling like he was gradually returning to his previous state of mind.

He felt a bit disoriented. Was it because his mom suddenly fell ill or because of Lin Zhan's sudden news? Maybe it was because this journey had made him feel the weight of loneliness. The emotions he had suppressed for years became unbalanced due to these small details.

Without Ding Ji by his side, he didn't know how he would feel at this moment.

The meal was delightful, and the food was delicious.

Exiting the restaurant, Lin Wuyu patted his stomach. "I haven't been running lately; I might be gaining weight."

"With your eating habits, you'd need to run a full marathon, not just a half one, to stay slim," Ding Ji frowned.

"Let's check out the supermarket, grab some snacks and drinks for tonight," Lin Wuyu suggested.

"Go ahead. Just hearing about food makes me queasy," Ding Ji declined.

While heading to the supermarket, Lin Wuyu observed carefully. Ding Ji's mentioned shops were indeed there, and the supermarket had a sign with a white background and green letters.

The deli section had discounts at the moment, making the supermarket quite crowded.

Inside, Ding Ji initially grabbed a basket but, considering Lin Wuyu's appetite, switched to a cart. As they were about to enter, Lin Wuyu suddenly glanced towards the entrance.

Ding Ji promptly followed his gaze.

A few people were leaving—three men and a woman. Their backs were visible, making it impossible to determine if they were together. Carrying shopping bags, it seemed they had bought quite a lot.

Ding Ji wasn't sure why Lin Wuyu was focused on these people. Unable to see their faces or even a side profile, the only certainty was that two of the three men were tall and thin.

"Is that him?" Ding Ji returned the cart.

"Don't know," Lin Wuyu rushed back.

Ding Ji started forward, but a supermarket staff member halted him, saying, "Exit without purchase is over there!"

"Sorry," Lin Wuyu apologized and hurried towards the exit.

Ding Ji followed, but by then, the people they'd spotted outside were no longer visible.

It was already dark, with plenty of bustling activity under the streetlights. Each person hurried along, merging with the crowd, vanishing within seconds.

Lin Wuyu paused, feeling inexplicably relieved.

The unfamiliar surroundings, the bustling crowd, the strange noises—all of it felt unfamiliar. Everything he was accustomed to vanished into the unknown.

He felt surprisingly unburdened.

"What now?" Ding Ji asked.

"Let's get some snacks," Lin Wuyu turned and walked back to the supermarket, "I'll grab you a lollipop."

"A single lollipop for me?" Ding Ji eyed him.

"A pack," Lin Wuyu grinned.