'Hao Shui-Jiao Apartments.' A four-story building at Re Mian Avenue, located south of Paiwan Road, with a distance of a one-hour drive.
Gu Wei lived there with his good friend of many years Ha Xing, who had grown to be a talented Manhua translator, editor, and proofreader.
Master Ha Xing was doing great things indeed, offering his matchmaking skills where they were most needed, in the entertainment industry.
Although, from an outsider's perspective, Ha Xing was not contributing, but looking over already completed work.
What that outsider doesn't know is, Master Ha Xing was a multi-talented potato, and an active staff for the storyboarding team.
Great things indeed. Master Ha Xing had been participating in golden opportunities since his childhood, a feat only a true son of the Song family could portray.
Yes, that's right, Song Ha Xing was the son of the well-known politician, Song Kai Ming, popular for his numerous owning of real estate apartments including the one Ha Xing himself was occupying.
This young master was truly a treasure that appeared once every century. T
he list of fans fawning over the great politician's son would've feasted their eyes on the handsomely proportioned male if he was not always cooped up at home, hunched over his computer.
It was with such a position, that Gu Wei found Ha Xing when he arrived from his long journey. Curved over his sticker-bombarded desk, dark-circled eyes squinting at the screen.
As soon as the bedroom door clicked behind him, Gu Wei shed his outerwear, leaving his pants on, and collapsed on the made bed.
The click of a mouse and scattered typing echoed in the big rectangular space with two king-sized beds.
Gu Wei was lying on the bed by the door and his breathing evened as out as sleep threatened to overcome his senses.
However, the feeling was interrupted when something small landed on his back and bounded off.
Grunting, Gu Wei protested. Another assaulted his bare back in the next second, and tears pricked his eyes as the sweet feeling of sleep gradually escaped him.
"Oi, you better take a shower first, don't taint the bed."
Ha Xing said, his attention unmoving from his work as his hand hovered on top of another ball of A4 paper, scribbled with his calligraphic handwriting.
"Master, have mercy. This little didi has dragged his feet around today. He wants to rest." Gu Wei replied.
Ha Xing laughed. This boy was exhausted indeed, calling himself didi like he wasn't three days older than Ha Xing.
The concert this time must've been quite tiresome.
Still, Gu Wei was reclining on the bed Ha Xing had lovingly fixed in his absence this morning, without showering, and Ha Xing preferred clean bodies on clean sheets.
The Master glanced briefly at Gu Wei.
"Aiyaa, didi didi, what didi? Am I not the didi here? I know you're tired but at least put some effort into taking a bath first. My nose is itching from the thousand smells of perfume you're carrying. The bathroom's not that far, just shy of your feet. Put some effort and don't choke this master to death, okay?"
Ha Xing's mention of perfumes piqued something in Gu Wei.
He suddenly remembered the faint scent hanging in the air when he'd sat with Zhai Mei that night, a warm lemon smell that reminded Gu Wei of lemongrass and tea.
Lemon tea. Speaking of Zhai Mei, the girl had disappeared like a phantom.
One moment she was on her phone, the next, the chair she'd occupied was empty. Like she hadn't been there to begin with.
Gu Wei felt a bit guilty. He'd been the one watching a video while sitting with her, maybe she'd felt he was being dismissive?
But Zhai Mei had been the one on the phone first. She could've at least called him or tapped his shoulder while leaving.
She was the rude one, not him.
Rolling unto his back, Gu Wei sighed heavily and rubbed his face. People were so confusing and he didn't have the energy for analysing at the moment.
Heeding Ha Xing's words and deciding to wash before he fell completely asleep, Gu Wei grabbed fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom, throwing Ha Xing's papers back at him.
The person didn't even flinch, just patted the area where it landed and went back to work. Gu Wei shook his head. Workaholic.
He should probably tell Ha Xing he'd met one of their classmates from high school that night, his roommate was always interested in gossipy news.
Also, maybe he could tell Gu Wei why Zhai Mei was so quiet.
The thought had been nagging him ever since he'd noticed, and Gu Wei couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something.
As expected of the Master's advice, Gu Wei felt refreshed after taking a long hot shower and he regained his energy when he came out.
Washing up before did do wonders for the human spirit.
Gu Wei checked his phone and saw that it was already 11:00 PM. Fu Yuan Jie Jie would've retired to sleep by now, and Gu Wei should also do the same.
Thinking of his idol brought happy memories to Gu Wei and a grin stretched his face as he prepared for bed.
Ha Xing did not miss the change in his friend and rolled his eyes at the lovestruck puppy.
"So how was today? Anything fun happen at the meeting?" Ha Xing asked, still clacking away on his laptop.
Gu Wei sighed happily and started applying his skincare products. He recounted all the goodies of the day.
From his interactions with the other excited fans to the staff who'd recognised him from countless events and gifted him a free merch.
The T-shirt was carefully folded in his bag.
He ranted about when Fu Yuan had to choose a fan to ask a random question and he'd been picked, how his Jie Jie had flowed perfectly with the beat when she danced, how she had teased them for their fan accounts and funny usernames, and the group selfie they had all taken.
Half-listening, Ha Xing nodded and hmm-ed at the right places. When Gu Wei got like this, praising his idol as if she existed alone, Ha Xing was there to be his ears.
Ears that would start bleeding if he heard anymore 'Fu yuan Jie Jie, Fu Yuan Jie Jie' from Gu Wei's lips.
The boy spouted it every time like a special prayer.
Ha Xing resigned himself to his fate that night, he'd given up on begging the higher beings up above to tamp down on Gu Wei's obsession a long time ago, so he was surprised when Gu Wei stopped halfway through his speech.
"That reminds me, I met a classmate of ours today. Zhai Mei from school, you remember her?"
Gu Wei said, suddenly imputing a totally different topic. Ha Xing looked away from his laptop and gave Gu Wei his full attention.
"Zhai Mei? I don't know… Is it from university? What major?"
Gu Wei dismissed Ha Xing's notion and corrected him, "No no, not university. High school. The quiet girl, uhh, full brown hair, curly, small figure?"
Ha Xing furrowed his brows before it clicked. "Ahhh! The mute girl!"
"Nooo!" Gu Wei rolled his eyes in exasperation at Ha Xing's assumption.
"No stupid, not mute. Just quiet, really quiet, a
nd keeps to herself, remember?"
The brows that had smoothed on Ha Xing's face returned fully scrunched, and he scratched his head.
"What do you mean no? Isn't it Zhai Mei we're talking about? The full-haired girl in our class. We were class 13 right? So I'm not getting it wrong. She was mute. Didn't interact much because of this and people assumed she was rude. That Zhai Mei right?"
Gu Wei slowly sank into his bed in despair. She was mute. Didn't interact much and people assumed she was rude.
Ha Xing's words circulated through his mind and Gu Wei placed his head in his hands. Embarrassment washed through him.
This was worse than embarrassment.
A hole opening up and swallowing him whole couldn't save him from the terribly stupid mistake he'd committed.
How could he not know? How had he not realized?
No wonder she had left. If it were him, he would've done the same thing plus a wake-up slap to the face.
"What's wrong?"
Gu Wei lifted his head at Ha Xing's question. What was wrong? Everything was wrong. He was wrong.
Gu Wei swallowed, "I-I didn't, I didn't know… I didn't-" Words failed him as he stared at Ha Xing pleadingly.
Unfortunately, the Master couldn't save him this time. Even the heavens would turn their backs on such a child.
Ha Xing grabbed his stomach and let out a deep belly laugh, almost sliding off his chair as his shoulders quaked.
He pointed a finger at Gu Wei, laughing harder at the boy's miserable expression, and tears sprang from the corner of his eyes.
Gu Wei's face heated in another kind of embarrassment. He buried his face in his palms again.
Death would've been a simpler punishment. Ha Xing's laughter were knives sinking into his already bruised ego.
Stopping for a moment to catch his breath, Ha Xing righted himself on his chair.
"So what did you do? Kept talking till she grew tired and left? Gu Wei ah, you're really something."
"Shut up and work." Gu Wei mumbled into his hands, enunciating more giggles from Ha Xing.
He didn't have to rub salt in his wounds. Gu Wei was feeling already miserable without his mocking words.
Righting himself on the chair, Ha Xing tutted at the hunched boy.
"Tut tut tut, poor Gu Wei. He can't even remember such an important thing about his first crush."
The boy in question lifted his head in shock, his ears snaking on the last two words of Ha Xing's sentence. He blinked in confusion as he tried to process
…First crush?