Black Stone Forest

Still recovering from a serious illness, Cheng Yue had given in to temptation and drunk two glasses of red wine. On the way home, he found the taxi stuffy and cracked the window for some air, only to feel a little dizzy when he got out.

After getting home, showering, and putting on a sheet mask, he leaned back on the sofa and picked up his phone. Only then did he discover that someone had liked his latest Moments post.

In an age when nobody could live without their phone, Cheng Yue was scrupulously polite. He never checked his phone while eating with someone, only glancing at it after the meal to see whether anything urgent had come up.

Of course, anyone with a real emergency would call. A message, by comparison, meant it wasn't quite so urgent.

The profile picture attached to the like was unfamiliar. Puzzled, Cheng Yue tapped through to the person's profile and discovered it was the debt collector he couldn't avoid fast enough.

The normal thing to do would have been to pretend he hadn't seen it and have nothing to do with the man.

Not Cheng Yue. As far as he was concerned, never mind Ji Huaijin-even if some stranger he'd added who knew when suddenly liked his Moments post, he would still be curious about what they wanted.

It was like knowing perfectly well that a call was a scam, yet answering it anyway and pretending he knew nothing.

Cheng Yue was terrifyingly direct.

[Why did you like my post?]

The reply came quickly, as though the other man had been waiting for his message all along.

[Finished dinner?]

Rather than answering, Ji Huaijin asked a question of his own. A slim black cigarette rested between his long fingers, its white smoke carrying a faint, sweet, elegant fragrance.

Black Stone Forest was a top-tier cigarette that was no longer produced domestically. Apart from the stock still circulating among collectors, its scarcity had made it valuable enough to appear on auction lists.

Ji Huaijin was refined, almost otherworldly, and widely renowned. Unlike those idle, ignorant rich kids, he had been the exemplary child other parents held up to their own since birth.

Even at the few gatherings he occasionally attended, he knew when to stop and kept his own counsel. Never mind smoking-it was rare to see him drink.

Of course, even without his family background, his own standing in society was enough that he never needed to humor anyone.

As far as he remembered, the last time he had smoked had been in Washington. He had just finished working on two projects, and caffeine had stopped doing the trick. Ji Huaijin still remembered his colleague's astonished expression when he'd asked to borrow a cigarette.

Cheng Yue sat up cross-legged and seized the initiative again.

[Do you want to know where this place is?]

Drawing out the other man's hand naturally required plenty of patience.

Several packs of cigarettes that money could scarcely buy lay scattered across the dark gray marble countertop. From the way they had been left there, they didn't seem particularly prized.

Ji Huaijin stubbed out his cigarette. His damp hair fell softly over his brows, dispelling a little of the night's loneliness.

[Did you drink?]

Brilliant.

Cheng Yue suddenly had the illusion that he wanted another drink.

[Chunxi South Road. The owner's private homemade wine collection. It really is good.]

A cautious hunter wouldn't take the bait so easily, of course. Cheng Yue didn't mind upping the dose to give the final celebration a little extra kick.

Hmph. Let's see you stay so unruffled now.

Unfortunately, he had overlooked the fact that the other man was a master at turning the tables in negotiations.

A few flecks of cigarette ash had settled on the gray leather sofa at some point. With a sweep of his hand and a barely perceptible breeze, they drifted through the air for a few seconds.

Then they vanished without a trace.

Ji Huaijin smiled casually, his fingers tapping over the keyboard. [Are you home?]

The WeChat notification sounded. Cheng Yue leisurely peeled off his sheet mask and picked up his phone, certain of victory. Then-

The upturned corners of his mouth froze.

[Hello, may I ask if you're a bot?]

Be civilized and set a good example: bow before you curse someone out.

Cheng Yue instantly forgot all about baiting him and launched into a furious barrage.

"I set aside ten minutes to play along with you, and you treat me like thin air? All you do is ask, ask, ask!"

"If you love asking questions so much, why don't you write A Million-No, Ten Million-Whys? Don't worry, when you're done, I definitely won't read it!"

Phew. Sure enough, getting that out felt much better.

Cheng Yue solemnly tapped send, then tossed down his phone and ran into the bathroom to wash his face.

[Mr. Ji, people need to respect each other. When I ask you something, you should answer, rather than only doing whatever pleases you /smile.jpg.]

This invisible battle had begun for no apparent reason, its course had been far from pleasant, and its ending left much to be desired.

He thought he'd been more than accommodating. Yet even after he'd washed his face, applied his skincare, crawled into bed, and watched videos until he grew sleepy, the answer he wanted still hadn't come.

The god of dreams was impatient for their rendezvous. Without a second's hesitation, Cheng Yue cast aside every stray thought, found a comfortable position, and eagerly went to meet him.

He disliked the dark, so he left a small lamp on even when he slept. Its warm yellow glow suffused this little corner of the world, making it feel wonderfully safe.

The clock ticked on, and the bright moon shone radiantly, illuminating the entire sky.

The phone beside his pillow suddenly gave a brief chime. The man in bed breathed steadily, oblivious.

As the screen lit up, it displayed the time.

03:01.

[Camel is certainly good, but I still think Black Stone Forest would suit your taste better.]

A bloodbath sparked by curiosity, followed by both sides pushing and pulling each other to the limit, had made it impossible to tell who the ultimate winner was.

The next morning, after a full ten hours of sleep, Cheng Yue stared at the message with a bedhead and a baffled expression, full of questions.

What did that mean? He knew Camel, but what the hell was Black Stone Forest? What did either of them have to do with him?

The question plagued him all the way to work, and he still couldn't figure it out. Eventually, he chalked the whole thing up to Ji Huaijin retaliating for his sarcasm the night before.

See? Not everyone was as magnanimous as he was, with a heart broad enough to sail a boat through.

Cheng Yue nodded in affirmation of himself. After all, someone had taken liberties with his backside, and he still hadn't done anything to the man.

Having figured it all out, Cheng Yue promptly put it behind him and devoted himself diligently to his work as a gate guard.

The weather was growing hotter. At two in the afternoon, with the sun shining brightly, Cheng Yue had just gone to the property management office to fetch a jug of water. A colleague had ridden off on the self-balancing scooter, leaving him no choice but to carry it back to the guardroom himself.

He had just taken off his cap to fan himself when he spotted a gray-haired old man in the distance, tottering toward him with a walking stick.

Cheng Yue took a look. Well, if it wasn't a familiar face. He hurried over to help him.

"Thank you, young man."

"It's nothing. Come inside and rest for a bit."

Seeing the old man's legs trembling and hearing him gasp for breath, Cheng Yue was afraid he might pull the ultimate move and collapse right there. He abandoned any thought of walking slowly alongside him and half carried, half dragged him into the guardroom.

"Here, Uncle Li. Have some water."

Honestly, in that short stretch of time, he'd sweated more than he had carrying the water.

"Ah, I'm old now. My body can't keep up anymore."

Once he'd rested and had enough to drink, Uncle Li handed his cup to Cheng Yue, signaling for a refill, and started stirring things up.

"Young man, you're working as a security guard at such a young age?"