MDPWU Chapter 4

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The door closed. Tong Tong took a deep breath and was about to walk away.

But the door behind him suddenly opened again.

"Hey, Big Eyes?" Zhou You’s hesitant voice called out.

Hearing that ridiculous nickname again, Tong Tong’s face darkened, and he stopped in his tracks.

Zhou You stepped forward and stood in front of him. After confirming it was really him, he was surprised. "It’s really you, Big Eyes! What are you doing here?"

Tong Tong solemnly introduced himself. "My name is Tong Tong."

Zhou You was stunned for a second. "That’s your nickname?"

Tong Tong: "…That’s my real name."

"Your name is pretty cute." Zhou You smiled. "You still remember my name, right?"

Tong Tong had no idea why this guy was being so enthusiastic. They had just fought not long ago.

But… Tong Tong looked at his bright, toothy grin and sighed. "…Zhou You."

"That's right!" Zhou You snapped his fingers. "So, you are…?"

"Your neighbor." Tong Tong handed over a porcelain plate filled with buns and pancakes.

"Fate!" Zhou You took it.

"Eat." Tong Tong said.

"Together!" Zhou You said.

"…No." Tong Tong just wanted to go home and breathe some fresh air. This guy’s enthusiasm was abnormal.

"Why not! Come on, don’t be shy!" Zhou You swung his arm over Tong Tong’s shoulder and dragged him toward his small house. "A meeting like this is fate!"

Before Tong Tong could react, he found himself seated on a cold sofa. In front of him was a huge sack, and beside him, a large heat source was pressing in.

"What do you want to eat? A bun or a pancake? Let’s go with a bun. It's still warm." Zhou You shoved a bun into his hand.

Tong Tong stared at the bun, feeling his patience reach its limit.

He suddenly stood up.

"Water?" Zhou You took a bite of a pancake and looked up at him. "I just carried a barrel of water up here, but I don’t have any cups."

Tong Tong paused. "I don’t need water."

"I don’t either." Zhou You said.

"…………"

"Wait…" Tong Tong was speechless. "Can I leave now?"

"Of course!" Zhou You took another bite of his pancake, swallowed, thought for a moment, and stood up. "…Should I walk you out?"

"…………"

Tong Tong turned and left immediately.

Zhou You followed him to the door, grinning and waving as he watched him enter his house before closing his own door.

Turning around, he raised an eyebrow at the plate of buns, thinking this big-eyed guy was pretty easy to tease.

Though… those eyes were really big.

Tong Tong stepped into his house and let out a long sigh, then downed a glass of cold water.

Pei Yun came out of the small kitchen. "Why did you bring back a bun? Didn't eat enough?"

Tong Tong sighed, placing the bun in his mom’s hand. "Don’t bother with that guy. He’s not normal."

Pei Yun blinked. "Baby… you're not jealous that he looks more… masculine than you, are you?"

Tong Tong’s weak spot was hit, and he immediately lost his composure. "What do you mean I’m not masculine?! I’m stainless steel! My biceps are rock solid!"

Pei Yun laughed. "You’re tough! The toughest."

Tong Tong clenched his biceps in frustration for a while, then suddenly realized why he had fought Zhou You at the hospital in the first place.

Normally, he wouldn’t impulsively start a fight with someone he clearly couldn't beat. He’d at least think for three seconds before making a move.

But this time, he hadn't hesitated for even a second.

Because Zhou You had said in the bathroom stall that he looked like a girl.

His whole life, he had been irritated by comments about his looks.

He desperately admired his dad’s chiseled, rugged, and rough "old-brewed liquor" face. But unfortunately, he kept growing to look more and more like his mom.

Luckily, in high school, he shot up like crazy, at least gaining some height so he didn’t look so weak.

But still—no one was allowed to bring it up. Anyone who did, he’d step on their toes. No exceptions.

Tong Tong stood in the living room fuming for three and a half minutes before slowly calming down.

"Bang, bang, bang—"

There was a knock at the door. Tong Tong went to open it.

"Hi—" Zhou You beamed.

"Bang—"

Tong Tong slammed the door shut without a second’s hesitation.

Zhou You: "…"

"Who was that? Why’d you shut the door?" Pei Yun heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen.

"An insurance salesman." Tong Tong said.

"Open the door, baby, that’s rude." Pei Yun said.

Tong Tong gritted his teeth and reluctantly opened the door again.

"Hi." Zhou You was still smiling brightly. "Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."

Tong Tong took back the plate, which had been washed so clean it almost sparkled.

"If you liked it, eat more next time. If Auntie cooks something good, we’ll call you over again." Pei Yun smiled as she approached.

"Thank you, Auntie." Zhou You dramatically wiped a tear from his eye. "I’m new to this place, and you’re like a mother to me. If you don’t mind, I’ll just—"

"I mind." Tong Tong cut in. "I mind very much. Go home."

"Tong Tong." Pei Yun gave him a disapproving look, then smiled again. "It’s fine. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask. My Tong Tong is about the same age as you, so if you have any questions, you can ask him."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Tong Tong clenched his teeth and finally waited for the door to close.

"I told you, that kid is polite. He even washed the plate so clean before returning it." Pei Yun sighed as she packed her bag, then turned to the sulking Tong Tong. "I’m heading to the music store. I won’t be home for lunch. Remember to heat up your dad’s meal and take it to him."

Tong Tong pressed his forehead against the wall, muttering, "Got it."

Pei Yun blinked. "Big men shouldn’t be petty."

"I’m not a big man." Tong Tong dragged his voice, "I—am just—a little man—"

"Alright, little man, your mom’s saying goodbye now." Pei Yun said.

"Goodbye—" Tong Tong drawled.

After Pei Yun left, Tong Tong went back to his room and started reviewing for the new semester.

By noon, he heated up the meal and dashed down the narrow staircase like a gust of wind.

Holding his breath, he didn’t stop for a second as he rushed through the alleys.

The winding, crowded alleys were hot and stifling, blending into a blur of dark lines at the corners of his eyes.

The hospital’s inpatient department was still bustling with people, and the smell of disinfectant was everywhere.

Tong Tong watched his dad drink the soup and handed him a napkin.

"You haven't eaten, have you?" Tong Jingshen put down the spoon and ruffled his hair.

"I have," Tong Tong replied.

"Bulls-." Tong Jingshen laughed. "My son wants to lie to me?"

Tong Tong laughed too.

"Is it hard?" Tong Jingshen suddenly asked.

Tong Tong understood what he meant. He shrugged and boasted, "Not really."

"Impressive." Tong Jingshen gave him a thumbs-up.

Tong Tong's eyes curved with amusement.

"We’ll talk more about this later," Tong Jingshen said. "But you have to promise me one thing."

"Anything," Tong Tong grinned.

"I want you to always have a brave and fearless heart," Tong Jingshen said. "No matter the circumstances—whether things are going well or filled with challenges."

"…I don't understand." Tong Tong lowered his head.

"Just like you've always done before." Tong Jingshen smiled and patted his shoulder.

Tong Tong remained silent.

"Yesterday at noon, Qian'er and the others came to see me," Tong Jingshen tilted his son's chin up. "You’re acting nothing like my son right now."

"…I didn't mean to hide it from them," Tong Tong said.

"You wouldn’t have been able to hide it anyway," Tong Jingshen smirked. "If your old man just quietly collapsed like this, your mom would be furious enough to follow me to the grave."

"I just… didn't know how to say it," Tong Tong admitted. "I was scared."

"Don't be scared." Tong Jingshen slapped his shoulder. "Whose son are you?"

"Yours," Tong Tong answered.

"Louder! Whose son?"

"Tong Jingshen's!" Tong Tong shouted.

"That's more like it!" Tong Jingshen laughed. "If Dad is afraid, then the young man should be standing tall, head high, and marching forward."

On the way home from the hospital, Tong Tong suddenly felt less afraid of the upcoming school term.

He still felt uneasy—but not afraid.

For once, as he walked through the messy, dirty alley, his steps were light and relaxed.

His fingers, resting on the outside of his thigh, tapped out a rhythm with his steps.

A ray of sunlight pierced through the towering, crisscrossing tube buildings and landed right on Tong Tong's forehead.

He lifted his head and took a deep breath of the crisp air above.

Zhou You leaned against the window, listening to the scolding coming from the phone with a sullen face.

It had been ten minutes already. His sister could talk endlessly—no surprise there, considering she was their dad's best assistant.

Looking down, Zhou You spotted a pair of bright eyes bouncing around below like a little puppy.

The unbearable noise in his ear seemed like it would never end.

Irritated, Zhou You pinched his throat and shouted downstairs, "Hey, handsome! Come up and play~"

Startled by the voice that sounded neither male nor female, Tong Tong stumbled, then picked up his pace and dashed into the building.

Zhou You burst into laughter. The voice on the other end of the call became increasingly distant and irrelevant.

Inside the stairwell, Tong Tong patted his chest, muttering, "Psycho." Then, he happily skipped his way home.

_

That evening, Pei Yun came home from work and was shocked to see Tong Tong humming while doing his homework.

It was then that she realized—her son hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

She also noticed something else.

It had been ages since Tong Tong last asked, "When will Dad get better?"

Instead, he had simply become… more obedient. More silent.

Like a young tree not yet fully grown, he had already begun using his soft but fragile shoulders to quietly shield her from above.

"Mom?" Tong Tong tilted his head, looking at Pei Yun, who had returned without him noticing.

"Tonight, we're having pork rib and corn soup—plus roast duck!" Pei Yun winked and held up a peace sign.

Tong Tong followed his mom to the small kitchen, helping with the final preparations before heading back to his room to finish his homework.

Half an hour later, Pei Yun called him for dinner.

Tong Tong finished his last math problem before getting up. When he stepped out of his room and saw Zhou You setting the table, he froze. "Why are you here?"

"I—"

"I invited Zhou You over for dinner," Pei Yun said, smiling as she brought over the last bowl of soup. "It's his first day here, and his place has nothing in it. He told me he didn't even have lunch today."

"Thank you, Auntie. I didn't bring anything for my first visit," Zhou You grinned and flicked his wrist. Out of nowhere, a fiery red rose appeared in front of Pei Yun like a magic trick.

Pei Yun gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.

Tong Tong rolled his eyes. Seriously? He saw him stuffing that thing in his back pocket—he wasn’t blind.

While Zhou You and his mom chatted and laughed, Tong Tong pouted and sat down by himself.

He didn’t like Zhou You.

Too… too friendly. It wasn’t normal.

He didn’t understand—his family was already in this situation, so why was this guy still acting so warm and enthusiastic?

However… during dinner, the usually lively Zhou You was unexpectedly quiet. He only answered when Pei Yun asked him something.

Tong Tong quickly finished his meal and retreated to his room, shutting the door.

He sat at his desk, ears perked up, listening to the sounds outside.

Talking—laughing—talking—finished eating—talking—laughing—

"Alright, Auntie, I'll head back now. Rest early!"

Finally!

Tong Tong jumped up from his chair and silently cheered.

The front door clicked shut, and Tong Tong yanked off his shirt, twirling it in the air.

Then—

Knock, knock.

Thinking it was his mom, Tong Tong called out, "Come in."

The door opened just a crack.

Zhou You poked his head in. "Uh…"

Half-naked, Tong Tong: "…"

"Your mom told me to sleep here with you," Zhou You said innocently.

Tong Tong: "…………"

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