May 18, 2014, Sunday. At around 10 a.m., Guan Xuchen arrived at the entrance of Xiangjiang Safari Park. Seeing Gao Xinglang looking at his phone, Guan hurried over and said, "Lang, I'm sorry. There was a small delay on the subway. Have you been waiting long?"
Gao Xinglang looked up and smiled. "It's okay. I just got here myself not long ago. Actually, I should be the one saying sorry. I was supposed to celebrate your birthday on May 20th, but Mingming..."
"May 20th is the Internet Valentine's Day. You should definitely celebrate it with your girlfriend..." Guan Xuchen joked, then added with a touch of emotion, "Actually, I'm really happy you're celebrating my birthday early with me today. Thank you, Lang."
"No need to thank me. It's only right to celebrate a good brother's birthday." Gao Xinglang said cheerfully, then held up a small box and said to Guan Xuchen, "Soupy, here's your birthday present. Happy early birthday."
"Thank you, Lang. Can I open it now?" Guan Xuchen asked happily.
"Of course you can. Go ahead." Gao Xinglang gestured.
Guan Xuchen opened the box and saw an elegant watch inside. He looked closely at the words on the dial and realized it was a Swiss brand. He quickly closed the box, handed it back to Gao Xinglang, and said uneasily, "Lang, this watch is too expensive. I can't take it. You should keep it for yourself."
"Soupy, don't stand on ceremony with me. On my birthday last year, you gave me that expensive leather gift set, and I gladly accepted it, didn't I?" Gao Xinglang chuckled and gently pushed the box back, adding, "Besides, I haven't given you a birthday present in years. Think of this watch as making up for all the ones I missed.
Then he pretended to be annoyed and said, "If you don't accept it, you don't consider me a good friend or brother."
"Okay then, thank you, Lang," Guan Xuchen said gratefully, his voice filled with emotion.
"Why don't you put it on now?" Gao Xinglang suggested.
"It's such a valuable watch. I'd hate to accidentally damage it. I'd rather save it for important occasions." Guan Xuchen said, carefully placing the box with the watch into his shoulder bag.
The two entered the zoo, and Gao Xinglang asked, somewhat puzzled, "Soupy, why did you want to come to the zoo for your birthday?"
Guan Xuchen smiled as he looked at the animals. "I don't know. I just love watching animals. Besides, I haven't been to this safari park in years. By the way, Lang, do you remember the first time we came here?"
"Of course I do. We came the summer after we graduated from senior middle school. The zoo had only been open for a little over a year back then." Gao Xinglang recalled excitedly, then sighed with emotion, "I can't believe more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye..."
"Lang, look! That monkey is so funny!" Guan Xuchen said, running happily toward Monkey Hill.
Gao Xinglang watched Guan Xuchen's back, as if seeing again the young, joyful boy he had been years ago.
The two watched the monkeys, the lions, the tigers, the pandas, the rhinos, the goats, the giraffes, the koalas, and many other animals. At every stop, Guan Xuchen was thrilled, pulling Gao Xinglang to take photos together. Seeing Guan Xuchen so happy, Gao Xinglang felt glad too, yet he vaguely sensed something was wrong with his friend.
At noon, when the two were eating at a restaurant inside the zoo, Gao Xinglang asked tentatively, "Soupy, are—are you alright?"
Guan Xuchen smiled and asked in return, "What could possibly be wrong with me?"
YOU ARE READING
Love Me in Another Universe
General FictionIt was such a long time ago that you don't even remember why you fell for that person in the first place. You just remember stubbornly that you were once deeply in love with someone with that name... It's a story about the bond between two Chinese b...
