Chapter 102: Catch Me If You Can
Xu Huazhang had studied chess under great masters—one a royal chess tutor, the other a reclusive expert. In any lifetime, those who could defeat him were few and far between.
But Mu Lantu enjoyed the process of playing with him. Every move was a tug at the limits of wit, a clash at the bottom of the soul. Sometimes it was like a tender waltz; other times, like a sharp duel on the battlefield.
Winning filled Mu Lantu with accomplishment; losing still left him joyful.
They played five matches in total, taking four hours.
Mu Lantu only won two, but both of them felt the improvement.
“Lost again…” Mu Lantu stretched and glanced at Xu Huazhang’s pocket. What a pity—he had hoped to win all of Huazhang’s money.
A trace of amusement gleamed in Xu Huazhang’s eyes as he feigned regret. “I thought I’d get the chance to play that little game. Never played it before.”
Oh? A chance to win money after all!
Mu Lantu slid over, hugging Xu Huazhang’s waist and leaning his head on his shoulder, coaxing sincerely, “If you want to play, we can always play. No need to stick to the rules.”
Xu Huazhang considered it. “You’re right. But since I won… let’s make a little change. From now on, neither of us can say the word ‘I.’ If I slip, I’ll pay one yuan. If you slip…”
“What?” Mu Lantu narrowed his eyes, suspecting mischief.
Xu Huazhang tightened his hold around his waist. “If you slip, you’ll kiss me once. A deep kiss.”
Mu Lantu’s heartbeat quickened. Exciting.
“Alright. Starting now?”
Xu Huazhang nodded. “Now.”
Mu Lantu looked outside—the sky was already dark.
“Time to make dinner. Who’s doing the prep?”
Xu Huazhang patted his back. “Up you get. Your big brother will wash the vegetables.”
Mu Lantu sighed in disappointment—Xu Huazhang adapted too quickly. He thought he’d say, “I’ll wash the vegetables.”
Putting on his fluffy slippers, Mu Lantu followed him into the kitchen, watching him wash and chop, waiting for a chance.
“Baby…”
Mu Lantu bristled with caution. “What?”
“Hotpot again for dinner?”
Mu Lantu felt a pang of guilt—he’d misjudged him.
“Not in the mood for hotpot? Then how about a few stir-fries?”
“Either’s fine. Depends on you. If hotpot, then no shredded potatoes.”
After several hotpots, Mu Lantu wanted a change.
“Slice the potatoes instead. We’ll make dry-pot potatoes.”
“You’ll cook?” Xu Huazhang obediently sliced them, indulgence glinting in his eyes.
“Not me (me=I)—” Mu Lantu started, then realized his mistake, eyes widening.
Xu Huazhang set down the knife and opened his arms. “Baby, you know what to do.”
Mu Lantu stomped over, “accidentally” stepping on his foot.
It hurt, but Xu Huazhang said nothing, instead scooping him up by the thighs.
Mu Lantu hooked his arms around Xu Huazhang’s shoulders, fixing his hair, touching his face, tugging at his ears—deliberately stalling to see how long he could hold him.
Xu Huazhang leaned casually against the stove, not rushing him. One hand slid up to the back of Mu Lantu’s neck, fingers pressing lightly, sending a tingling current that made Mu Lantu shiver.
Looking into his focused eyes filled with affection, Mu Lantu’s gaze dropped to those waiting lips. Breathing quickened, he leaned in until—
They kissed.
Afterward, Mu Lantu slumped weakly on his shoulder, ready to admit defeat.
Xu Huazhang was too good at this—he couldn’t take it.
“Maybe we should…”
Xu Huazhang, savoring the taste, sealed his lips again, not letting him finish.
“It’s cold here. Go wait on the bed. I’ll stoke the fire and call you.”
Mu Lantu’s eyes lit up. “Penalty! You said the word!”
Xu Huazhang might have let him win one on purpose, but still felt oddly sulky. He smacked Mu Lantu’s hip. “Got it. Out you go.”
Since he’d just earned money, Mu Lantu wasn’t mad. He stayed rooted, though.
“Answer one question, then I’ll go.”
Xu Huazhang chuckled. “Brother has to chop vegetables. Brother’s not going.”
Mu Lantu turned and stormed off.
He couldn’t win against Xu Huazhang. Why?
Because Xu Huazhang had thicker skin. After all, he’d once been a regent prince.
But Mu Lantu didn’t give up—already plotting more tricks.
From cooking to bedtime, they sparred back and forth. By night’s end, Mu Lantu had emptied Xu Huazhang’s pockets, and Xu Huazhang had kissed Mu Lantu’s lips until they were swollen and red.
That night, the sci-fi horror story Mu Lantu had promised never got told. Both forgot…
Bang bang bang! “The snow’s stopped, everyone get up! Time to clear the village road!” Bang bang bang!
Mu Lantu cracked open an eye. “Huazhang, someday let’s donate a loudspeaker to the brigade?”
That banging, followed by the gong’s echo, nearly scared his soul away.
Xu Huazhang had been woken too. He murmured “Alright,” while fumbling under the quilt for the clothes they’d warmed overnight.
He found Mu Lantu’s first, then his own.
Only after dressing did they notice—the clothes were swapped. Mu Lantu wore Xu Huazhang’s long johns and cotton pants; Xu Huazhang wore Mu Lantu’s.
Since Mu Lantu was shorter, Xu Huazhang’s outfit felt a bit tight but wearable.
Neither bothered switching back. They laughed, then pulled on their padded coats and got down from the bed.
Outside, the village was already bustling.
Xu Huazhang cooked two bowls of instant noodles. They wolfed them down, cleared the snow at home, then went out with a shovel and yoke.
The youth point lacked enough tools, so they had to borrow from the brigade office.
“Come on, everyone! Work harder! More snow’s coming in a few days!” the brigade leader’s son shouted as he circled the village.
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang started at their own gate, clearing paths to the village and to the well.
[Ding, you cleared a patch of snow. Points +500.]
[Ding, you cleared a patch of snow. Points +500.]
[…]
In less than half an hour, both were drenched in sweat and shed their heavy coats, as did the others.
As Mu Lantu shoveled, he kept sneaking glances at Xu Huazhang’s pants.
Xu Huazhang straightened and changed position. Passing by, he leaned close, his magnetic voice teasing in his ear.
“Little perv. Staring at me there the whole time.”
Mu Lantu’s face flushed crimson. He wasn’t! He was just worried Xu Huazhang might rip a seam from working too hard!
“Xu—Hua—zhang!”
Grinding his teeth, Mu Lantu spotted a snow pile nearly waist-high. Dropping his shovel, he launched himself like a cannonball onto Xu Huazhang’s back.
Xu Huazhang toppled into the snow, face full of it, but his left arm hooked back instinctively, clutching Mu Lantu to keep him from rolling into anything hard.
The snow was soft but unstable. Mu Lantu tumbled in too, leaving only four flailing legs visible.
“Hahahaha!”
The nearby youths burst into laughter.
Mu Lantu noticed dirt mixed in the snow and panicked. If Xu Huazhang had swallowed some, he’d be furious. Scrambling up, he bolted.
Xu Huazhang spat out snow—no dirt, but a dead leaf and a clump of mud clung above his eyebrow.
Miao Jiaze heckled, “Brother Xu, don’t just stand there—get him!”
Others sided with Mu Lantu. “Run, Comrade Mu, run!”
Xu Huazhang eyed the fleeing rascal—legs pumping so fast he looked about to take off. Xu Huazhang’s lips curled as he packed a snowball the size of a football and hurled it.
Gasps rose—the aim was dead on, tracking Mu Lantu like a missile!
Mu Lantu veered sharply left, narrowly dodging. The snowball exploded on the ground.
He turned back to jeer, “Come on, catch me if you can!”
He grabbed snow and flung it, hitting Xu Huazhang, though weakly—it only dusted his head white.
Quickly he scooped more, packing them tightly.
Xu Huazhang chuckled, just as fast at rolling snowballs.
“Coming—just as you wish!”
The two chased and pelted each other, snowballs flying.
The other youths, unable to resist, joined in.
A duel became a full snowball war.
They played wildly, everyone sweating despite the cold.
Mu Lantu’s cheeks flushed rosy, making him even more alluring.
The girls couldn’t help staring.
Xu Huazhang stepped in front of him, displeased.
“Enough. Stop now, or you’ll all catch cold.”
Xu Jincheng laughed. “Right, let’s get back to shoveling. If we want to play again, we’ll make a day of it.”
With everyone working together, the youths and villagers finished clearing the village paths before noon.
Exhausted and hungry, they returned the tools and went home to continue wintering indoors.
Xu Huazhang heated two pots of water. He and Mu Lantu bathed and changed into clean clothes.
Outside, the north wind whipped the bare branches, tearing away the last leaf and sweeping it into the sky.
After lunch, the two nestled on the bed.
Mu Lantu asked 005 to play a drama, retelling the “horror story” from the night before.
“A plane about to crash makes an emergency landing. Afterward, everyone aboard dies of a mysterious virus…”
On the table sat a snack tray divided into sections—sunflower seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, cherries, and cherry tomatoes.
Beside it were two steaming cups of milk tea.
Xu Huazhang cracked some nuts and fed them to Mu Lantu.
Mu Lantu nodded in approval, then fed him a cherry while continuing.
“The FBI and various investigation teams got involved. But that was only the beginning. Next, the female FBI agent…”
