Twenty-five
–Oscar Wilde, The Star-child
The red traffic light turned green. Huang Fan stepped on the pedal and zipped through the intersection among the flow of bicycles. After turning right onto a small road in front of the University of X’s back entrance, the number of bicycles on the road decreased substantially. The white flowers of the pagoda tree on either side of the street were on the verge of withering, and when the wind blew the petals swirled around in the air like snowflakes.
But Huang Fan was not in the mood to appreciate this. Residential houses lined the road. Laundry and some plants could be seen from the fifth-floor deck. He turned at a certain metal gate. After parking his bicycle, he grabbed his backpack from the basket and ran up the stairs, taking multiple steps at once. Soon, the hand stopped rummaging in his pockets for the keys. There was someone sitting in front of Room 302. Short, luscious, black hair. White shirt, black pants. Head buried between his knees, showing his slender, pale neck, it was like a crane landing in the yard on a snowy night. Huang Fan held his breath for some time and then called softly, “Xu Ping?” Xu Ping’s fingers twitched, and he slowly raised his head from his knees. Seeing the younger man’s face, Huang Fan’s eyes narrowed, but he stopped himself, only smiling. “What a surprise. Why did you come all of a sudden?” Xu Ping pushed on his knees and stood up, dusting off his pants. “Sorry, I didn’t even give you a heads up. I just wanted to grab the study materials from you, and I didn’t have anything to do on Saturday, so…” Huang Fan fished out his keys to open the door. “You really should’ve told me beforehand. What if I came back really late? Then you would’ve come for nothing. You didn’t wait for long, did you?” Xu Ping faced away. “Not long. I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I’d give it a shot. If you weren’t here, I’d have left.” Huang Fan eyed the tiny white petals on Xu Ping’s shoulders, but he didn’t want to expose the lie. The unit had one living room and two bedrooms and was very tidy. On the coffee table were many books on quantum mechanics and advanced calculus and a very thick English-Chinese dictionary. Huang Fan closed the door behind Xu Ping and took off his dark jacket. “You picked a bad time to come. My roommate just so happens to have gone back home and wasn’t here the entire day today. Otherwise, he could’ve let you in.” Xu Ping smiled a little stiffly. Huang Fan gestured at the couch. “Sit. Anything to drink?” Xu Ping shook his head. “No, thanks. You must be busy. I’ll get the materials and go.” Huang Fan faltered for a moment. “We can’t have that. I’ve been looking forward for your visit this whole time.” He went in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “How’s beer?” Xu Ping didn’t want to be picky since this wasn’t his house, so he nodded. “Sure.” Grabbing two bottles of Tsingtao, Huang Fan easily uncapped the bottles and placed one in front of Xu Ping. Xu Ping said thanks. The dark green glass was icy to the touch. Holding the bottle, Xu Ping hesitated before taking a sip. It was cold and bitter, and the smell of alcohol shot up his nostrils. He couldn’t hold back a cough. Huang Fan chuckled. “What, don’t tell me it’s your first time drinking beer?” A little embarrassed, Xu Ping chuckled and nodded meekly. Huang Fan stared steadily at the younger man from another couch on the side. “Nobody’s used to the taste at first, but you’ll learn to enjoy it after a few more sips. Some days when I get home and I’m stressed or tired, I just need a nice bottle of beer.” Since it was a kind offer, Xu Ping could only oblige. The golden liquid slid down his throat, and if he ignored the bitterness, he did find a certain refreshing taste. He had sat outside the door for some time and indeed was thirsty. Before he knew it, he had finished the bottle. Huang Fan pushed his own bottle towards Xu Ping. Xu Ping felt self-conscious. “No, thanks. One’s enough.” “No worries.” Huang Fan flashed a smile. “I don’t have much here, but I never get low on beer.” He then slapped his own thigh and stood up. “Hang on a second.” Xu Ping assumed he was going to fetch the study materials, so he nodded. Then he sunk into the comfy couch cushion, feeling his body relax. The room was very quiet. Outside the window, the gentle sunset shone on the green trees, and a tree sparrow was hopping on the balcony pecking at its food. He turned to the table and flipped through the books on the coffee table. Turning over the cover of Quantum Physics, he found the dedication page: I dedicate this book to my dear wife, Kathleen, for thirty beautiful years of my life.
“I could lend it to you if you’re interested.”
Chapter end
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