Dressed entirely in black, Shao Ke knelt before the grave, his head turned as he stared steadily at the figure approaching with flowers in his arms.
Fine drizzle dampened his hair, leaving strands hanging over his forehead. The emotions in his eyes were impossible to read.
Yan Ningke gave him a faint smile and said nothing. He crouched down and placed the bouquet before the headstone, then knelt and solemnly bowed his head to the ground.
"Hello, Uncle, Auntie. This is our first meeting. My name is Yan Ningke. I hope you won't blame me for coming to disturb you uninvited."
Shao Ke watched him silently the entire time. Amid the autumn wind and chilly rain, Yan Ningke was like a sudden splash of color in a mottled pencil sketch, painting himself soundlessly into his heart.
For some reason, when Yan Ningke lit the incense, the raindrops failed to extinguish the flame, and it caught without any trouble.
"I've been talking all this time without introducing who I am. Let me apologize to you first. I'm Shao Ke's boyfriend, and the person who'll always stay by his side in the future."
Yan Ningke placed the incense sticks into the burner one by one, stepped back twice, and bowed his head to the ground again.
Shao Ke rubbed his fingers lightly together, ripples stirring in his dark eyes.
"Today is also Shao Ke's birthday. I brought a cake, so let's celebrate it together."
Yan Ningke took the cake, set it in the middle, and began opening the box. "He hasn't celebrated his birthday in years. I imagine you wouldn't want him to stay trapped in self-blame forever either, would you?"
After unpacking the cake, Yan Ningke bowed his head to the ground once more.
Three firm bows: one out of courtesy,