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acacia

Acacia flowers have always symbolized silent love, the love that you will never be able to reveal Zang zihao was cursed by his silence and cursed by his love. He couldn't bear to keep him any longer, but he couldn't risk revealing it either, so he decided to run away... very far. Now, after 5 years, he decided to return again, but that love that he once thought had faded has reappeared

min_jasmine · LGBT+
Pas assez d’évaluations
9 Chs

Meeting old friends

2023

Zhang Zehao stood in front of the old restaurant door, the place where their regular meetings used to take place when they were just university students. His heart raced with both excitement and nostalgia. He knew he would find his old friends there, but also someone else.

Lu Yong.

Zhang Zehao had tried to forget him, to move on from his past and start anew. But he couldn't. Lu Yong was always on his mind and in his heart, haunting him every moment. And now, he was about to face him again, after receiving an invitation to this meeting.

His usual instinct was to hesitate and escape, the only thing he excelled at.

But this time, he couldn't run away. He heard a familiar voice calling him from inside. "Zhang Zehao, where are you going? Come here!" It was Tao Mo, one of his close friends and a fellow student, who looked mischievously at him through his glasses with fox-like eyes. Tao Mo had clearly seen Zhang Zehao hesitating at the door and stepped out to usher him inside. "Come on, don't be shy. We're all waiting for you!"

Zhang Zehao pinched his nose, he had no choice but to follow Tao Mo, who led him enthusiastically into the restaurant.

Inside, he saw other familiar faces, welcoming him with hugs. There was Song Hanming, the gentle giant who always protected them from bullies and joked around. And there was Chen Yu, the handsome and intelligent young man who now sat in a wheelchair. Chen Yu had changed significantly after the accident, becoming quieter and colder, no longer smiling as he used to.

Zhang Zehao exchanged polite smiles with his friends and sat down at the table with them. But his eyes searched for another person, someone who wasn't there yet. Someone who filled his heart with hope and fear simultaneously. Someone named Lu Yong.

"Where is he?" Zhang Zehao asked in a low voice, not wanting anyone else to hear.

"Who?" Tao Mo innocently inquired, well aware of whom Zhang Zehao meant.

"Lu Yong, where is he?" Zhang Zehao's tone revealed his frustration.

"Oh, Lu Yong. I don't know, maybe he's running late, or perhaps he's upset with you"

"Don't say that, don't be annoying Tao Mo. He's not angry or any of that. He was the one who wanted to celebrate your return, I think he's a little busy. You know he's a married man now, not like the rest of us," Song Hanming said gently, trying to calm it down.

"Yes, yes, I know. We're happy for him. But we miss him too, don't we?" Tao Mo said that with his eyes flipped, that idiot since his marriage no longer meets them as usual.

"Yes, we do." Zhang Zehao replied sincerely.

"Don't worry, he'll be here soon." Chen Yu's calm voice broke the silence as he looked at the empty chair beside him. That chair was reserved for someone else.

In that moment, they heard another voice calling to them from the door. "I'm here!" It was Lu Yong, who entered the restaurant with a bright smile and a gentle tone. He was dressed in formal attire, carrying a briefcase. He looked as if he had just come from an important meeting.

"Lu Yong, you finally made it!" Tao Mo exclaimed joyfully, stepping forward to embrace him. "We've been wondering when you'd arrive. Did you have important work?"

"Yes, I did. Sorry for the delay. I had to finish some things at the office and put my child to sleep before coming out. You know how parenting is, right?" Lu Yong chuckled lightly, glancing at his friends. "How are all of you? I'm thrilled to see you!"

"We're doing well, Lu Yong. We're happy to see you too. Come, sit with us," Song Hanming said warmly, gesturing toward the table. "We've already ordered food, and it's about to arrive. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I'm very hungry. Thanks for caring," Lu Yong replied gratefully, taking a seat next to Zhang Zehao. "Hello, Zhang Zehao. How are you?"

Zhang Zehao felt shocked when he saw Lu Yong sitting beside him. He had hoped to keep his distance as much as possible, but he lacked the courage to say so. He simply looked at him with intense eyes, trying to conceal his emotions.

"Hello, Lu Yong. I'm fine. And you?" Zhang Zehao's voice wavered as he attempted to appear casual.

"I'm fine too. Thanks for asking," Lu Yong responded with a friendly smile, feeling the awkwardness and unfamiliarity between them.

Had five years truly been enough to create this sense of estrangement?

At that moment, the waiter arrived and began serving the food. Plates were placed on the table, and each person received their chopsticks. The waiter then glanced at the empty chair and asked, "Will there be another guest joining? Should I leave the chopsticks there?"

"Leave them," Chen Yu replied dryly, looking at the vacant chair.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, tension hanging in the air. Tao Mo broke the silence, saying, "That chair is for a friend."

"Apologies, I didn't know," the waiter stammered, leaving the chopsticks on the empty chair and quickly stepping away.

"No worries, it's not your fault," Lu Yong said.

Tao Mo glanced at Chen Yu and found him still gazing sadly at the empty chair.

"Do you all know who I met yesterday?" Tao Mo said loudly, attempting to change the subject. "Professor Chu, our math teacher. Remember him, don't you?"

"Professor Chu?" Song Hanming exclaimed in surprise. "How is he doing? Is he still giving them tough assignments and long exams?"

"No, no. He no longer works at the university. He's retired now. But there's something else. Do you know what it is?" Tao Mo teased.

"What?" Zhang Zehao asked curiously, momentarily forgetting about Lu Yong.

"He's completely bald!" Tao Mo burst into laughter. "Not a single hair left on his head. He looked like a boiled egg!"

"Bald?" Lu Yong said in astonishment, joining the conversation. "How did that happen? Was it due to aging? Stress? Genetics?"

"I don't know, but I think it's because of us!" Tao Mo said playfully. "Remember how we used to play various pranks on our professors? How we'd put gum on their chairs, hide their books, or send annoying messages?"

"Yes, yes. We did that a lot. We enjoyed it," Song Hanming reminisced with a smile.

"And remember how Professor Chu was always the angriest and most emotional? How he'd yell at us, punish us, and threaten us, saying we'd never succeed in life?" Tao Mo continued mockingly.

"Yes, yes. He said that all the time. He seemed to dislike all of us," Zhang Zehao confirmed.

"And recall how he had thick, black hair, and how he took pride in it and cared for it? How he used shampoo, conditioner, comb, hairdryer, and gel?" Tao Mo marveled.

"Yes, yes. He loved his hair a lot. He believed it gave him personality and confidence," Lu Yong remembered.

"Well, imagine what happened to him now. He lost all his hair! He's as bald as an egg! He looks like a different person!" Tao Mo burst out. "I think it's because of all the pranks we played on him. We made him worry so much that he lost his hair. We're responsible for that!"

Laughter filled the air as each of them shared funny and endearing memories from their university days.

Finally, the meal ended with everyone in high spirits, egged on by Tao Mo.

"Lu Yong, carry Zhao Zi, and I'll take Song Hanming," Tao Mo said, struggling to lift the taller man and toss him into a car, winking at Lu Yong. "It's time to mend some things between you."

Lu Yong hoisted Zhang Zehao onto his back, wondering if he should deliver him.