FLME Ch92

Chapter 092 – Childhood Friends IF Route: (2)

“I’m heading out first!”

In the afternoon, after finishing his assigned cleaning duty, Yu Wen waved goodbye to his classmates. As he turned the corner, he unexpectedly spotted Xie Heyu.

Yu Wen blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Xie Heyu was carrying his backpack over one shoulder, dressed in the freshly issued First High School uniform. He leaned against the wall, avoiding the crowd. When he saw Yu Wen come out, he stepped forward and said, “Uncle and Auntie won’t be home tonight. They asked me to take you out for dinner.”

“Oh.”

Yu Wen responded casually, grabbing Xie Heyu’s sleeve and pulling him along.

This wasn’t unusual. Their families were close neighbors, and over the years, it had become common for the adults to entrust their kids to one another when they weren’t home.

For some reason, even though Xie Heyu was two years younger, he always seemed more reliable in their parents’ eyes. They would rather hand him the allowance money than trust Yu Wen, even though he was technically the older one.

Yu Wen didn’t mind.

In fact, he saw it as a win—one less responsibility for him, hehe.

By the time they finished cleaning up, the school hallways had emptied, returning to their usual after-school quiet.

Yu Wen had a habit of grabbing onto Xie Heyu’s clothes when they walked together, afraid of getting separated in a crowd. But now that there weren’t many people around, he let go.

“Where are we eating?”

Thinking Yu Wen had simply lost his grip, Xie Heyu reached back and grabbed his backpack strap instead. The rough nylon fabric rubbed against Yu Wen’s hand as Xie Heyu lightly tapped it against his skin—like a silent reminder.

“A new ramen shop opened near our neighborhood.”

“Wow.” Yu Wen acknowledged absentmindedly.

He finally noticed the annoying backpack strap brushing against him and grabbed it to stop the irritation.

“Is it good?”

“It’s alright.”

Yu Wen’s overly picky palate was a well-known family headache.

At home, things were fine, but eating out? Finding a restaurant that met his standards was as difficult as an emperor choosing his consorts.

But Yu Wen wasn’t worried—whenever Xie Heyu suggested a restaurant, it meant he had already tested it.

It was basically the imperial selection process—the best of the best had made the cut.

Ah.

Now he understood why their parents always trusted Xie Heyu with important matters.

So reliable.

—

As they rode out of the school gates, they passed a small supermarket shaded by large phoenix trees.

A few students from First High, wearing the same school uniform, were gathered outside buying ice cream.

Upon spotting them, one of the boys grinned and waved, “Xie Heyu, heading out? See you, gege!”

Two miles later, Yu Wen remarked, “They all call me gege.”

Xie Heyu: “…Mm.”

Xie Heyu didn’t have many friends.

Because his older brother, Xie Jialin, was frequently relocating for work, Xie Heyu had been shuffled between homes—sometimes staying with his aunt, sometimes elsewhere.

He had moved so often that if it weren’t for the family’s old house anchoring him, Yu Wen suspected they might have lost touch long ago.

During the first few days of school, worried that Xie Heyu might feel isolated, Yu Wen had made it a point to check in on him every day.

He visited so frequently that when classmates asked, he simply grinned and said he was Xie Heyu’s older brother.

In just two days, half of Xie Heyu’s class recognized him.

Whenever he showed up, the boys near the windows would turn and call out, “Xie Heyu, your gege is here!”

Afterward, Yu Wen would bring them ice cream as thanks for their enthusiasm.

Xie Heyu never seemed particularly interested in making friends.

But in a school environment, even if he didn’t seek them out, people would naturally be drawn to him.

He had a unique presence—silent but commanding.

Yu Wen wasn’t worried.

Xie Heyu had his own way of existing in the world.

—

As their bike rolled over fallen leaves, Yu Wen lazily caught one that drifted onto him.

Suddenly curious, he asked, “Everyone calls me gege. Why don’t you?”

Xie Heyu kept his eyes on the road, his side profile sharp and defined.

Whenever he didn’t want to answer a question, he would pretend he didn’t hear it.

Yu Wen sighed dramatically, putting on an exaggerated, melancholic tone.

“Ah, fine, don’t say anything. It’s not like I’m anyone special to you, anyway. We’re just neighbors who grew up together. Nothing important…”

This was a tried and tested move.

Yu Wen had used this trick on Xie Heyu countless times.

And every single time, it worked.

Sure enough, Xie Heyu finally spoke.

“Here we go again.”

Yu Wen smirked. “Then give me a reason.”

“Don’t want to call you that.”

He said lazily, “You’re not that much older than me.”

Yu Wen protested, “Even if it’s just one day, I’m still your gege.”

Xie Heyu: “Hearing’s bad. Didn’t catch that.”

Yu Wen burst into laughter, giggling uncontrollably.

“Then I’ll make it my birthday wish this year—for you to call me gege.”

Xie Heyu suddenly stepped down hard on the pedal.

The bike sped past Yu Wen like a gust of wind.

His voice, carried away by the breeze, was calm yet distant—

“Talk about it when your birthday comes.”

Of course, that year, Yu Wen didn’t make a wish to hear Xie Heyu call him “gege.”

Because that year, on his birthday, Xie Heyu wasn’t there.

The Xie family had a tradition: no matter where they were throughout the year, they always returned to their hometown for the Lunar New Year. Every year around this time, the house next door would come alive with festivity.

Even though Xie Heyu didn’t have a traditional, complete family, he had many relatives who loved him.

Since Yu Wen’s birthday was just before the new year, Xie Heyu was always in Nancheng around that time.

They hadn’t spent every moment of their lives together over the years, but one thing had remained constant—Xie Heyu had never missed Yu Wen’s birthday.

This year was an exception.

Xie Heyu’s aunt was getting married. Her wedding date was close to the holiday, and his older brother, Xie Jialin, figured it would be too much hassle to travel back and forth.

So, he decided to take Xie Heyu along for the whole celebration, staying in that city through the New Year.

Xie Heyu called to apologize. His voice was low, speaking more than usual.

“…I’ll make it up to you when I get back… I’m sorry…”

It was rare to hear him like this—sounding genuinely human.

There were pauses, hesitations, filler words. Even through the phone, Yu Wen could feel the careful way he chose his words.

Everyone knew that Xie Heyu wasn’t the most expressive person.

He was too silent, keeping his thoughts locked away.

His uncle often worried about his emotional well-being.

Compared to others, Yu Wen probably understood him the most—at least enough to tell whether Xie Heyu was happy or annoyed just from his otherwise expressionless face.

“Why are you so nervous?” Yu Wen said, stretching out lazily on his bed.

“Birthdays happen every year. It’s not that big of a deal. If you’re not here, you’re not here.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his voice turned playful.

“But! I want two presents. The moment you get back to Nancheng, you owe me double!”

Xie Heyu fell silent for a while.

“…Weren’t you going to wish for me to call you ‘gege’?” His voice dropped even lower, laced with an unreadable undertone.

Yu Wen froze.

Then, he laughed, carefree and lighthearted.

“You actually remembered? I forgot all about that—it was just a joke!”

They talked for a little while longer, but Xie Heyu didn’t seem very engaged. Soon, he hung up.

—

That night, while cutting his birthday cake, Yu Wen received a message from Xie Heyu.

Xie Heyu: What do you want for your birthday?

His mother, in her usual absentmindedness, had forgotten to buy birthday candles for the cake.

Yu Wen glanced at the text and replied:

Yu Wen: A sparkler.

They only had plain white candles at home, which felt unlucky.

In the end, his family improvised, lighting his birthday cake with a lighter instead.

It was a patched-up, makeshift celebration.

They didn’t have a tradition of staying up until midnight for birthdays.

After dinner, Yu Wen’s dad simply said he’d make longevity noodles for him in the morning.

With that, everyone went about their nightly routines, washing up and going to bed.

—

But what high schooler actually went to sleep early?

Yu Wen curled up under his blankets, playing games on his phone.

Just as he was about to queue for a match, his phone screen lit up—

Xie Heyu was calling.

He answered, “Hello?”

Through the receiver, he could hear the noise of a bustling crowd—chatter, movement, and faint background music.

Yu Wen perked up.

“Did your aunt’s wedding happen already? Was it today?”

Xie Heyu’s voice was steady.

“No. I’m at the mall, picking something out.”

“Oh…”

Yu Wen dragged out his response, rolling onto his side.

“Tell aunt I said congrats.”

“Mm.”

Another silence followed.

Just as Yu Wen was about to ask why he called, Xie Heyu finally spoke.

“The second gift.”

Yu Wen blinked, then quickly realized what he meant.

He grinned.

“My second present? Hmm, let me think… Oh! I got it! I want you to light a sparkler for me!”

Imagining Xie Heyu’s deadpan face holding a sparkler, waving it around, was too hilarious to pass up.

It was bound to be entertaining.

Xie Heyu, unfazed by the mischief, clearly had no intention of indulging him.

Without arguing, he simply ended the conversation.

Just as he was about to hang up, Yu Wen hurriedly called out—

“Wait! Aren’t you going to say ‘happy birthday’ to me?”

The line went quiet again.

Another pause.

Then, finally, Xie Heyu left him with three words:

“Sleep later.”

Sleep later?

Oh, he’s trying to hit the midnight mark.

Yu Wen rolled back onto his bed, continuing his game.

—

At this age, staying up late was practically a universal skill among high schoolers.

Yu Wen was well-practiced.

By the time it was nearing midnight, his phone had already been buzzing non-stop—birthday messages from friends flooding in.

He had to pause his game multiple times just to reply to them all.

The constant pings and vibrations filled his room.

Which was why he didn’t notice the faint tapping from outside.

Thud, thud, thud—

The sound was louder this time.

Yu Wen suddenly poked his head out from under the blanket, eyes wide.

What the hell?

Middle of the night… is this place haunted?!

Grabbing the nearest object—a plastic mosquito swatter—he cautiously got out of bed.

Just then, his phone vibrated again.

Xie Heyu: Come to the balcony.

In an instant, all the eerie possibilities faded from Yu Wen’s mind.

A deep premonition surged through him—his heart skipped a beat.

He tossed the mosquito swatter aside and rushed to push open the sliding door to the balcony.

Before his eyes—

A sparkler flared to life, its golden sparks flickering in the darkness.

His phone buzzed nonstop, louder and more frequent than before, signaling the flood of birthday wishes arriving from the internet.

The second hand on the wall clock pointed to twelve.

Midnight.

Xie Heyu said, “Happy birthday.”

—

Tonight, there was a moon but no stars.

Xie Heyu leaned against the balcony railing, slightly out of breath.

The house lights were off, and his thin, lean figure was wrapped in the cool night wind.

Before him, the sparkler burned bright—and he was smiling.

“Yu Wen,” he said.

“Sparkler, and me.”

—

He climbed over from the bedroom next door.

Their houses were built close together.

Originally, there had been a thick dividing wall, but the previous owner had torn it down.

When their families moved in and got along well, they never bothered to build a new one.

Instead, there was only a short fence between them, lined with the flowers Yu Wen’s mother had planted.

When Yu Wen was ten, he loved climbing over that fence to find Xie Heyu.

“Xie Heyu, Xie Heyu, Xie Heyu—!”

He used to call out just like that, bright and eager, voice stacking higher and higher.

Back then, Xie Heyu was shorter than him—an introverted little boy who didn’t like talking or making friends.

He would always be by himself, doing his own thing.

Standing in the courtyard, watching trees. Watching flowers. Watching ants.

And every time Yu Wen saw him alone like that, he would climb over—to stand beside him.

To watch the trees, watch the flowers, watch the ants—together.

Back then, he was too young to understand what this feeling was called.

He didn’t know it was pity or affection—

So every time Xie Heyu asked him why he kept coming over, he would just say, “I missed you. I came to play with you.”

And whenever Xie Heyu asked why he always stuck to him—

Yu Wen would reply, “Because I like you.”

—

The quiet, withdrawn boy grew up.

Still quiet, still withdrawn.

But he never asked why Yu Wen came looking for him anymore.

Because now, Yu Wen didn’t need to call out—

The moment he peeked his head over, Xie Heyu would open the door.

He would prepare snacks and drinks in advance.

And he would set out a pair of warm, comfortable slippers by the entrance, waiting for him.

—

But Yu Wen still preferred climbing the fence.

It was low, easy to cross—one step on a stool from either side, and he was over.

Much faster than walking around through the front door.

His mother used to say, “Yu Wen is the laziest person in the world. The only thing he works hard at is figuring out how to walk fewer steps.”

And then—he took it even further.

One day, he decided even the fence was too far.

So—

He set up a ladder outside his balcony.

A direct bridge, leading straight to Xie Heyu’s balcony.

—

The first time he climbed over, Xie Heyu’s expression changed completely.

Afterward, his mother gave him a proper beating with a feather duster.

Yu Wen had no choice but to apologize—

But in secret, he told Xie Heyu to keep the ladder stored safely.

Because one day—sooner or later—he was going to use it again.

—

And now, here it was.

Being used.

—

Yu Wen turned his head, glancing at his “Stairway to the Heavens.”

Then, he smirked.

“Back then, I was always the one climbing over to find you.”

“And now—it’s your turn.”

—

(Author’s Note: This IF route will be around six or seven chapters long…)