Only then did the villagers watching nearby realize that the tall, handsome young man was Tang Yi, the village layabout. They clicked their tongues in amazement and pointed at him. Tang Yi simply turned, gave everyone an easy smile, and left without further explanation.
The five eggs were an unexpected windfall. Tang Yi wondered how he might prepare them so that both he and Wen Yan could eat their fill. There was next to nothing left in the house. He remembered a little vegetable patch in the courtyard, with a few lonely scallions growing in it. Perhaps those could be stir-fried. Then again, wasn't this the season for Chinese toon shoots? He wondered whether any grew on the mountain. Still turning such thoughts over in his mind, he returned home. As he stepped through the gate, he caught sight of a small figure about to leave the house. The moment the figure spotted him, it fled back inside.
Tang Yi: “…” Unless I'm mistaken, wasn't that a bundle tucked under his arm?
The former owner had lain in bed for three days, barely alive. Wen Yan had had the perfect opportunity to leave then. Why had he suddenly decided to run away now?
Tang Yi began to suspect that the young man was not nearly as lifeless as he had first imagined. All kinds of strange ideas seemed to be running through that little head.
He entered the house and set down the basket of eggs. At once he spotted Wen Yan huddled in a corner. The young man's freshly washed face still held a trace of childishness, and his large eyes stared at Tang Yi in helpless terror. His hands twisted together as though he had committed some terrible wrongdoing and was dreading punishment. Behind him, the pile of straw lay in disarray, with the corner of a cloth bundle sticking out.
Clearly, he had tried to hide it in a hurry and had not quite managed.
Tang Yi approached and bent down as Wen Yan grew increasingly uneasy. The young man grabbed his arm and shook his head frantically. “No… I didn't…”
Tang Yi stopped. He could feel Wen Yan's hand trembling.
Oh, dear. Tang Yi knew this could not go on. He had to talk properly with the young man. They had a long road ahead, and life would be unbearable if things stayed this way.
So he flopped down casually onto the straw pile, patted the empty spot beside him, and said, “Sit down. Let's talk.”
Wen Yan hesitated, uncertain what Tang Yi meant. But all he could do was sit and wait for whatever came next—an explosion of anger, a beating, or the news that he was about to be sold.
The moment he sat down, Tang Yi asked bluntly, “Why did you suddenly decide to run away?”
Wen Yan almost sprang up in fright. His lips moved for a long time, but no words came out.
Tang Yi had not expected an immediate answer. He continued, “I know I treated you badly before. If you wanted to run away, I wouldn't object. What I don't understand is why you didn't leave while I was unconscious in bed. Instead, after I woke up and promised not to hurt you anymore, you suddenly decided to go.”
“Is it because you don't believe me? Or do you think I'm plotting something?”
Tang Yi looked at him patiently and gently, waiting for an answer.
Wen Yan pressed his lips together and met his gaze. At worst, he would be beaten to death or sold off. His fate was already sealed, so he might as well say exactly what was on his mind.
He drew a deep breath, gathered his courage, and asked, “Are you planning to sell me?”
Tang Yi was baffled. “What?”
Having found the courage to speak, Wen Yan rushed on. “You cleaned yourself up and made me wash too. You even gave me decent clothes. Aren't you planning to take me to a brothel in town and sell me? I've… I've been with you for a year. You haven't treated me well, and you've beaten and cursed me, but I've always done my duty and looked after you without a single complaint. How can you be so cruel as to sell me to a place like that? I'd… I'd rather starve on the street than go there!”
Tang Yi: “…”
At last, he understood what had been going through the young man's head. The sudden changes had frightened him senseless. Because scarcely anything good had ever happened to him, he had naturally connected those changes with the worst possible outcome.
Tang Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry. He was a rich second-generation heir, not a scumbag or a useless wastrel. His family had raised him strictly, thank you very much. How could he do something so filthy he would never even consider it?
He looked helplessly at Wen Yan. The young man seemed quite fierce when angry, but his constantly twisting fingers and darting eyes gave away his fear.
“I haven't thought about selling you,” Tang Yi said. “I really have decided to turn my life around. I cleaned myself up because I wanted to look for work. I helped you get clean because I wanted you to have a fresh start too. Where did you get all these ideas?”
Wen Yan plainly did not believe a word.
Tang Yi continued, “I know you're afraid of me, and that you hate me. That's perfectly understandable, considering what a bastard I used to be. If you want to leave, I won't stand in your way. But you're thin as a stick and haven't a coin to your name. Where would you go? And as a man of the third gender, you'd be particularly vulnerable. So how about we make an agreement?”
Wen Yan echoed, “An agreement?”
“That's right.” Tang Yi certainly could not allow Wen Yan to simply walk away. Apart from his genuine concern for the young man's safety, there was also that month-long feeding mission. “Give me one month. You can see with your own eyes whether I've really changed, and then decide whether you still want to leave. If you do, I'll agree to a peaceful separation so you can marry again, and I'll give you some money to help you get by. For this month, you can stay here without worrying. I won't bully or mistreat you. You can even use the time to meet other men and make plans for your future. I won't interfere.”
Wen Yan stared in astonishment. Had this fellow lost his mind?
“What do you want in return?” Wen Yan asked. He refused to believe Tang Yi would suddenly be kind to him for no reason. There had to be some terrible trick waiting at the end.
Sure enough, Tang Yi smiled faintly. “You're quite clever. I have just one condition.”
Wen Yan straightened his back and listened intently, staring at him with tense anticipation.
“You have to make sure you eat until you're full every single day!”
Wen Yan: “???”
Tang Yi knew his condition sounded absurd, but he could hardly explain it. He scratched his head. “It's settled, then. Big Brother gave me five eggs. Let's stir-fry them for lunch. Can you cook? Eggs go well with scallions or Chinese toon shoots. Oh, speaking of which, are the toon shoots out yet?”
Wen Yan said nothing. He only stared at Tang Yi with his large, beautiful eyes.
Tang Yi sighed. “I can't cook either. Looks as though we'll have to eat boiled eggs.”
Wen Yan remained silent.
Tang Yi figured the young man needed time to absorb all this. He said nothing more, turned toward the stove, and prepared to boil the eggs.
Then a voice unexpectedly spoke behind him, almost frightening the soul out of him.
“Are you… possessed by a ghost?”
