Unbridled 36

Lin Wuyu felt like Ding Ji's sudden hug might break his back muscles, but he managed to hold steady without backing away.

Without wanting Ding Ji to feel awkward, Lin Wuyu hugged him back, giving his back a couple of light pats. "No worries."

Ding Ji sighed and let go. "You're being too formal."

"You said thanks first," Lin Wuyu pointed out.

"Your clay skills are like those kung fu masters who can break a pot with a single punch," Ding Ji commented, eyeing the small black chicken in his hand. "To shape something that gives a hint of what it's meant to be in just a few days isn't easy."

"Are you complimenting me or dissing me?" Lin Wuyu teased.

"Both, I guess," Ding Ji chuckled. "It's just… so ugly. Can't you make a dough ball that's not a weird shape?"

"Then you give it a shot," Lin Wuyu challenged, grinning.

"Nah, I'll pass," Ding Ji declined. "If I change it, then it's not yours anymore. I'll let my grandma have a look."

Ding Ji took the rubber clay chicken to the kitchen, and Lin Wuyu could hear his grandma laughing.

"Oh my, what talent, little genius!" his grandma praised. "Old Ding, take a guess, what's this?"

"Sesame dumplings?" his grandpa ventured.

Lin Wuyu chuckled to himself.

"It's a chicken! Surprised, huh?" his grandma declared proudly.

As Lin Wuyu entered the living room laughing, she added, "And it's even a black chicken."

Ding Ji burst into laughter, doubling over on the sofa.

Lin Wuyu couldn't stop laughing either, sitting on the armrest of the sofa, tears rolling down his cheeks as he wiped his eyes.

"Ha…" Ding Ji laughed for a while, finally calming down a bit. He leaned in to Lin Wuyu and whispered, "Um, my grandma didn't mean to poke fun at you…"

"I know," Lin Wuyu replied, still chuckling.

"I've got a question," Ding Ji said, eyeing the small black chicken, "You said you gave me a chicken, I'll let that slide, but I just gotta ask, why's it black?"

"I thought black… is cooler," Lin Wuyu said, "aren't you the lonely¹ king of the plaza?"

"What king?" Ding Ji asked.

"The only king around here," Lin Wuyu corrected himself.

"Alright, let's leave it at that," Ding Ji said, shrugging as he took the little black chicken to his room. "So, red for the comb, yellow for the beak, got it?"

"Yeah," Lin Wuyu followed him.

"What about these two green blobs?" Ding Ji asked, putting the black chicken next to the serious little clay chicken. The rubber one, which was supposed to look like a black chicken, didn't resemble any chicken anymore.

"Are they wings or… eyes?" Lin Wuyu looked around but couldn't find the small bookshelf Ding Ji had made.

"These two can be swapped?" Ding Ji was surprised.

"I meant to make them wings, but they turned out too high. If I moved the eyes higher, it would be too crowded, and getting them off would be a pain," Lin Wuyu explained. "So, I decided to make them swapable. It's just a circle anyway, the body and head are the same, so the eyes and wings can be swapped too."

"Okay, that makes sense," Ding Ji nodded. "Wanna check out the bookshelf? It's ready."

"Sure," Lin Wuyu said. "Where is it?"

"On the rooftop, still sanding it. I didn't want sawdust all over the place," Ding Ji said.

The small bookshelf sat in his grandpa's courtyard, beside a big umbrella tied with ropes in circles, with an ice cream ad on it.

"The umbrella looks cool," Lin Wuyu remarked.

"It's a freebie from the ice cream stand downstairs," Ding Ji said, placing the small bookshelf on the table. "Take a look at my work."

Lin Wuyu walked up to the table and touched the small bookshelf.

This bookshelf, compared to the small stool Lin Wuyu had seen in Ding Ji's room before, looked like it wasn't made by one person at all. It was like comparing the rubber chicken he made with the serious clay chicken.

"You…" Lin Wuyu bent down, checking out every part of the bookshelf. "This is pretty unexpected."

The bookshelf had a simple design, with three shelves, but all the wooden edges and corners were rounded and smooth to the touch. The top shelf even had some wavy shapes carved into it.

The hardest part was the bottom drawer. Lin Wuyu didn't expect there to be one. The right side of the bottom shelf had a small locked drawer, and when he pulled it out, he saw that the tracks were just wooden grooves and thin lines, but it slid smoothly.

"This drawer can't hold much, but I thought an empty shelf looked kinda boring," Ding Ji said.

"No nails at all for this shelf?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Nope, just glue," Ding Ji said. "The level wasn't even, so without glue, some places wouldn't fit right. It's been airing out here for a bit."

"It doesn't smell anymore," Lin Wuyu tapped on the shelf.

"You like it?" Ding Ji asked.

"Don't ask such a silly question," Lin Wuyu smiled. "Of course, I like it. Can I take it with me tomorrow?"

"…Let's not," Ding Ji hesitated. "You, by yourself, carrying a shelf… wouldn't that be kinda weird?"

"Are you saying you and your uncle carrying a shelf together wouldn't be weird?" Lin Wuyu teased.

Ding Ji laughed. "Never mind, it's up to you. But there's a little surprise on top, you haven't found it yet. I wonder how long it'll take you to notice."

"Just a sec," Lin Wuyu picked up the shelf, flipped it over, and found a few small characters underneath the bottom shelf.

Little prodigy, the final summer of some year².

Lin Wuyu had only seen Ding Ji's handwriting in palmistry books and his messy scribbles during divinations on paper. This was the first time he'd seen Ding Ji write something seriously. Surprisingly good-looking.

"Nice handwriting," Ding Ji complimented. "Though not as good as yours."

Lin Wuyu glanced at him.

"I spotted your papers when you were studying in the hospital," Ding Ji mentioned.

"They were just scribbles," Lin Wuyu brushed it off.

"Don't be so humble!" Ding Ji urged. "It won't hurt you to accept a compliment."

"I'm just stating the facts, not being falsely modest," Lin Wuyu clarified.

"Fair enough," Ding Ji gave him a thumbs up. "I like that about you."

His grandma had set up a big spread of dishes, and Lin Wuyu was already used to helping Ding Ji carry stuff and chatting with his grandparents, feeling relaxed.

"It'd be great if you two could go to the same school," his grandma suggested, "watching out for each other."

"We're in the same major," Ding Ji replied, "but being in the same school doesn't mean we'll always be able to look out for each other, the place is huge."

"You should look out for the little genius more, help him out if he needs anything," his grandma said, "you've been running around since you were little, this little genius seems like a good kid, he can't even handle a cucumber properly."

"…Grandma, it's not that bad," Lin Wuyu sighed, feeling a bit labeled as kitchen-challenged just because of a plate of cucumbers.

"He's good at flying a small drone to make money," his grandpa chimed in, "you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."

"What's wrong with flying a small drone? Just because he can't fly a plane doesn't mean he's clueless about life!" his grandma retorted, "taking care of each other is important. Even if Little Ji doesn't fly a plane, if you toss him out, he won't die."

"True," his grandpa agreed, "if we're talking about being useless, it's still Peng Peng."

"Absolutely," his grandma nodded.

Lin Wuyu chuckled. Liu Jinpeng was really unlucky, always getting beaten up by Ding Ji since they were little, and always being teased.

"You're going too far," Ding Ji said, "Liu Pengpeng is doing well in his classes now and earns quite a bit of money each month."

"He's not here," his grandma said, "I'll praise him when he's here. Remember to invite him over for dinner when he's off duty. Last time he said he wanted fried pancakes, I bought the flour, but he didn't show up!"

"I'll scold him!" Ding Ji promised.

"What's with the fried pancakes?" Although Lin Wuyu was munching on ribs, he couldn't help but feel a bit greedy when he heard about fried pancakes.

"They're stuffed with red bean paste inside," Ding Ji explained, "just a small piece, and when fried, whoosh—they puff up, crispy on the outside, and fragrant and soft on the inside."

"…Oh," Lin Wuyu resisted the urge to drool, took a bite of rice, and said, "They must be delicious?"

"They're amazing," Ding Ji confirmed, then leaned in and whispered, "They're not hard to make. Just ask grandma, she can whip them up for you tomorrow morning."

Lin Wuyu hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed to ask.

"It's fine," Ding Ji nudged him with his elbow, "It's a reasonable request in our family."

"Grandma," Lin Wuyu called out.

"What's up?" his grandma looked at him.

Lin Wuyu couldn't speak again. This was Ding Ji's grandma, not his own, and he hadn't met her more than a few times…

"Ah," Ding Ji slapped the table, "He wants fried pancakes! Can you make them for him tomorrow morning?"

"Sure," Grandma agreed, "I can fry you a couple now if you want. It's no trouble at all. This child…"

"No need, no need, no need," Lin Wuyu quickly waved his hand, "Not now. There's so much food on this table. Grandma, please make me some pancakes tomorrow morning."

"Alright," his grandma nodded with a smile.

After his grandma promised to make the pancakes, Lin Wuyu ate more than usual, showing his love for his grandma’s cooking. Although his grandma’s dishes were indeed delicious, Lin Wuyu's sudden increase in appetite surprised Ding Ji. Before Lin Wuyu finished eating, Ding Ji got up and took away Lin Wuyu's bowl.

"What are you doing!" his grandma scolded, "You're not letting him eat?!"

"You've already had three big bowls of rice and so many dishes…" Ding Ji frowned.

"I can't eat anymore," Lin Wuyu held his stomach with one hand and gestured to Grandma with the other, "I really…"

Then he burped.

"See," Ding Ji clicked his tongue, "If he eats another bite, he'll explode!"

"Watch your language!" his grandpa chided him.

"Ah," Lin Wuyu chuckled, "Don't make me laugh, my stomach hurts."

After clearing the table, Lin Wuyu washed dishes and rearranged tables and chairs to aid digestion. However, it didn't help much, so Ding Ji and he went for a walk together for seven or eight laps before Lin Wuyu felt better.

"I don't think I can handle fried pancakes tomorrow morning," Lin Wuyu said.

"You're acting silly," Ding Ji said, "Your school's genius is just like this."

"Don't be envious," Lin Wuyu remarked. "This time, the top 50 of No. 3 High can't compete with the top students from the best high school, and the top two scholars are all from there."

"Hey, who's the second?" Ding Ji asked. "Do you know him?"

"It's Xu Tianbo," Lin Wuyu replied. "He's in the dorm next to ours, and he's my best friend at school."

"Just one point difference," Ding Ji clicked his tongue. "I just needed to get one more multiple-choice question right."

"Your multiple-choice questions might all be correct," Lin Wuyu said.

Ding Ji chuckled, "That's what I'm banking on."

"To be honest, you really live up to the title of little genius," Lin Wuyu observed. "Although Xu Tianbo isn't the typical bookworm type, he's always been diligent. You only scored one point higher than him in the end. He should be the one feeling frustrated."

"Is he frustrated?" Ding Ji inquired.

"I don't know," Lin Wuyu smiled. "Ask him when school starts. He applied for the Aerospace Engineering department at our school."

"At least you have a classmate you're close with," Ding Ji sighed. "I don't even know anyone at our school…"

"Aren't we close?" Lin Wuyu pointed out. "We're in the same major. What does it matter who your classmates are?"

"…True," Ding Ji nodded, seeming relieved. "If you change your mind about your choice in the end, I'll probably feel a bit frustrated."

"If I hadn't made up my mind, I wouldn't have told you in the first place." Lin Wuyu teased, pinching his shoulder.

Tonight, Lin Wuyu probably ate too much, and his movements were restricted. He slept obediently all night, without tossing and turning, but he did drop his pillow on the floor.

When Ding Ji woke up in the morning, he found Lin Wuyu's head on his pillow.

"Could you get a sleeping bag for yourself in the future?" Ding Ji nudged him.

"What time is it?" Lin Wuyu sat up abruptly.

"Your alarm just went off," Ding Ji said, "That’s what it feels like with you jolting like that. My grandma says it's easy to die suddenly if you get up like that. You have to get up slowly."

Lin Wuyu didn't say anything, just lay back down and closed his eyes.

Before Ding Ji could ask what he was doing, he opened his eyes again, then stretched lazily, taking at least ten seconds to sit up.

As he slowly crawled to the edge of the bed, he said, "This should help me live a few more days."

Ding Ji laughed, "Nonsense."

His grandma had already made the fried pancakes and cooked a pot of porridge, and his grandpa brought back a pot of soy milk.

The fried pancakes were indeed delicious, with crispy and soft outer layers, and translucent, soft pancakes filled with red bean paste inside. Lin Wuyu felt uplifted with every bite.

"Delicious?" his grandma asked.

"Mm," Lin Wuyu nodded.

"Eat a couple more," his grandma urged. "They won't be as crispy after a while, and you won't be able to take them with you. Eat more now."

"You might get a stomachache on the way." Ding Ji dragged Lin Wuyu's luggage out.

"What about the bookshelf?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Can you manage it?" Ding Ji said, "You already have two suitcases here, plus a shelf…"

"I can manage," Lin Wuyu said.

"Alright." Ding Ji brought out the small bookshelf, "You'll have to stuff this drawer into your bag."

When they arrived at the station, it was almost time. In another five minutes, the train would arrive.

Ding Ji placed the luggage next to Lin Wuyu, "Be careful on the way."

"Mm," Lin Wuyu carried a backpack, dragged the luggage with one hand, and held the bookshelf with the other, managing quite well, "You can go back. Don't just stand here."

"It's okay," Ding Ji said, "I'm not missing these few minutes."

Lin Wuyu didn't say anything, and the two of them watched the crowded queue together.

They usually had plenty to talk about, and even if Lin Wuyu stayed silent, Ding Ji could always find a topic. But now, suddenly, the conversation seemed to elude them.

After a moment of awkward silence, Ding Ji broke it, "Aren't you going to join the line?"

"This is the last group to go through," Lin Wuyu explained. "There's no point in queuing up now."

"Mm," Ding Ji agreed.

Then silence descended again.

Lin Wuyu glanced at him, "You should head back. Standing here like this makes me feel uneasy."

"Huh?" Ding Ji was confused.

"It feels like a farewell," Lin Wuyu explained. "As if I'm leaving for ten years, with uncertainty about what will happen…"

"Aren’t you reading too much into it?" Ding Ji chuckled.

"It's the first time someone has seen me off like this. I'm not used to it," Lin Wuyu admitted with a smile.

"Alright then," Ding Ji nodded thoughtfully. "The train is about to arrive. Shoot me a message when you arrive safely."

"Okay." Lin Wuyu nodded.

"Then I'll head off," Ding Ji waved to him and turned away.

"Ding Ji." Lin Wuyu called him back.

Ding Ji turned around, and Lin Wuyu handed him a lollipop, "Unexpected, huh?"

"…What were you expecting?" Ding Ji laughed, "You're quite proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"Goodbye," Lin Wuyu waved.

Ding Ji popped the lollipop into his mouth, waved back, and headed toward the exit.

He didn't look back, but after Lin Wuyu's remark, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of reluctance.

Before, Liu Jinpeng had mentioned that the station had a kind of magic to it. Whenever someone stood there and observed the people around them, feelings of parting would inevitably arise.

Now, he understood.

The unexplainable sensation of parting.

Even though it was just for a month, he was leaving. He'd be in the same major as Lin Wuyu, maybe even the same dormitory, but this feeling lingered, refusing to dissipate.