In the Dalton’s.
After the reunion dinner, Ferne sat on the sofa for a moment and then walked out the door with car keys.
Ferne’s mother, Lisa, chased after him and grabbed at his arm. She lowered her voice and said discontentedly, “What’s wrong with you? Are you going to hang out on New Year’s Eve?”
“I have something to do.” Ferne was a little impatient. He was required to come here early in the morning by a phone call, but he had no fun here. All he could do was sitting and watching them make dumplings.
Lisa was so angry, so she poked him in the stomach. However, when it occurred to her that her son had lost weight, she unclasped her grip on her son and said with anger, “You are busy? You always have something to do! How many days you have stayed at home in a year? Your wife has just returned, so hurry up and to be with her!”
Armando had no choice but to come back with his mother.
No one could tell what was wrong with Lili. She ran to a plastic surgery hospital and took out all the prostheses that had been filled before. Then, she spent two month for her convalescence. After she came back, at the first glance, Ferne couldn’t recognize her anymore and felt something strange.
During the dinner, he couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Lili.
Lili was too shy to ask during the dinner. After the dinner, when her parents-in-law went to the kitchen, she came to Ferne’s side and asked, “How is it? Do I look good?”
Ferne’s expression was wry. “What’s wrong with you? Are you insane? Is this what you looked like? How ugly you were before!”
Lili was shocked by his words.
“You are not ugly. I just need some time to get used to it.” When Ferne saw Lili changed her expression, he explained, “Do you know there is a saying that although a new haircut appears to be ugly, it will be good when you get used to it.”
Lili pushed him with anger, “Get lost.”
Ferne availed himself of the opportunity to sneak away. However, his mother grabbed at him. He had to explain resignedly, “She asked me to go away.”
Lisa loosened her grip. Just as Ferne was about to run away with giggles, Lisa’s eyes were rimmed with tears and she began to sob.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Ferne turned around with resignation and wiped away her tears with his sleeve. “What’s up in such special day? Did Dad irritate you?”
“It’s you!” Lisa was so angry that she began to cry, “Are you going to drive me crazy? You have you wife for several years, but you spent more time with the waitress in hotels than your wife. What on earth do you want? Tell me, my dear? Am I wrong to get you married? Why would you punish me in this way?”
“Mom…” Ferne sighed. “How could you be wrong? It’s my fault. It’s my fault.”
Lisa’s stopped crying and said, “Alright, since you admit your fault, then make up for it. Go now and have a child with your wife. Then you can go everywhere and you can do as you please in the future.”
Ferne didn’t know how to respond. He said, “You are so unpredictable.”
The car was parked in front of a row of furniture stores.
Ferne was about to make a call when a window on the second floor opened. A man in short black T-shirt stood by the window. He pinched cigarette and then dusted off the cigarette ashes. After that, he put that cigarette around his lips with his slender fingers. Ferne laughed at that man in his heart, but he had to admit that the way that guy smoked was so cool.
He took a bag of special purchases for the Spring Festival and went upstairs. When he reached the second floor, he saw a door open on the right. Noah had already walked over, after his cigarette had been finished. He stopped at the door and took over the bag in Ferne’s hand. Then, he asked, “What’s your finding?”
Last night, Ferne called Noah, because Ferne thought that the next day was New Year’s Eve and Noah may ask him to stay to have a meal. Ferne loved to do so, because Noah was good at cooking. However, he didn’t expect that things would go against his wishes.
“Branden Potter, chairman of Zayne Science and Technology, also showed up in the GY Temple when that accident happened.” Ferne closed the door and saw that the corridor was carpeted. After thinking for a while, he took off his shoes.
The room was warm when he entered, so he took off his down coat too.
In fact, Noah wanted to say something, but when he saw Ferne took off his down coat, he commented, “You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“Really?” Ferne lifted his sweater and said, “How is it? Can you see my abdominal muscles?”
Noah snorted.
Ferne did lose weight. Not only had gone his beer belly, but also he appeared to be sprightlier. Actually, he was handsome even though he was chubby. Now, he was cooler with his statuesque face.
“I just finished my meal. Otherwise, I could have shown you my Apollo’s Belt.” Ferne took a deep breath, but the fat on his belly was still there, and there wasn’t the so-called Apollo’s Belt.
“You suspect that Branden has something to do with this, right?” Noah had already walked to the table and opened a laptop. He typed the words “Branden Potter of Zayne” in the search box and asked, “The reason?”
Ferne spelled out his thoughts, and then added, “Although it’s a bit far-fetched, I think we can follow this lead. We may find something out.”
Noah did not say anything, but his gaze fixed on the computer screen.
Ferne stepped forward and stood behind him. He lowered his head and smelled the sweat on Noah. Strangely, this ardor was mixed with the fragrance of soap on his clothes and it smelt good. Ferne sniffed again and then found that his behavior was abnormal, so he silently took two steps back. He looked around and asked, “Where’s your sister?”
“She is making dumplings.” Noah replied without raising his head.
Ferne exclaimed in surprise, “Did you guys make dumplings by yourself?”
“I bought them.”
“If I knew it, I would have invited you to my home to have the ready-made dumplings.” Ferne shrugged.
“I can’t leave her alone.”
“No, you can bring her along.”
Noah said indifferently, “She won’t go. Even if she had an invitation, she won’t leave me alone. We agreed to celebrate the New Year together, every year.”
Ferne was stunned. For a while, the scene came into his mind when his mother questioned him with something like, “My dear, won’t you have pity when you left your wife alone to be with us in this spacious house? Won’t you feel pity for her when she tossed and turned lonely on her big bed every day?”
“Doing charity, making donations to schools, funding temples, donating medical equipment worthy of one million four years ago when the earthquake struck. Branden is acclaimed as a great philanthropist and even built many schools for the deaf.” Noah stared at the last four words on his computer screen and thought for a moment.
Ferne leaned over and said, “What’s wrong? What have you found?”
Christy’s voice came from behind, “Noah! It’s time for meal!”
Noah tilted his head. Just as he was about to reply, he saw Ferne turning around. Coincidentally, they were facing each other so closely, and there was only about a centimeter between their lips. That was what Christy saw when she came out.
There was a long silence.
Ferne covered his chest with his hand. That was close. They almost kissed each other.
Noah stepped back and then stood up. He drew up his coat on the chair and put it on. As he walked towards the kitchen, Christy, stood in the aisle, gently bumped into his shoulder. She smiled and asked in a low voice, “Brother, should I go out and leave some room for you tonight?”
Noah patted her head with his big palm and said, “What’s in your mind?”
Christy covered her mouth and smiled, “Why didn’t I think of that before? Ferne is quite good and funny. Besides, he is pretty good-looking when he lost weights. Yet, we don’t know whether he could bear to have … with you?” Christy covered her mouth and smiled. “You have to take it easy. I think he can’t stand to do that thing with you, even for once.”
Noah was stunned.
Ferne, who strolled into the kitchen, only heard the last word and asked confusingly, “For what once?”
Christy doubled over with laughter.
Noah had a dour face at the beginning, but when he saw his sister was laughing out of control and Ferne, who was at a loss but laughed like an idiot, he was amused too.
Ferne was still confused. However, he followed suit on seeing Noah laughing. Christy laughed out loud and she even laid her back on the ground with one hand covering her stomach. Noah smiled and reached out to pull her. Two plates of hot dumplings on the stage were steaming.. This New Year’s evening was the happiest one they had.
