HNYWEF -Chapter 69 Luoyang

Zhenguan Year Two, Seventh Month, Nineteenth Day.

Luoyang.

The weather was still hot. But it was different from Chang’an.

Chang’an’s heat was stifling, pressing down overhead until it was hard to breathe. Luoyang’s heat was open and airy—the sun blazed, but the wind blew too. Sweat came quickly and dried just as fast.

Zhou Yi stood by the roadside, head tilted up as he stared at the city gate before him.

The gate was taller than he had imagined. Built from gray bricks, darkened with age, with several cracks creeping across the surface.

He didn’t move.

Just stood there.

This was his first time leaving Chang’an.

The first time he had ever seen another city.

Zhou Xiong stood beside him.

He carried a bundle in one hand, stuffed with a few changes of clothes and that hammer of his—something his father always brought whenever he went out. No one could tell whether it was for self-defense or simply because his hands itched without it.

He looked at Zhou Yi’s expression but said nothing.

After waiting a while—

Zhou Yi finally turned to him.

“Dad, this is Luoyang?”

Zhou Xiong nodded.

Zhou Yi glanced back at the gate.

“Smaller than Chang’an.”

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

“And there are still a lot of people.”

Still nothing.

He lifted his foot and started walking forward.

Zhou Yi hurried after him.

The two passed through the gate and entered the city.

The streets inside were even livelier than outside the walls. Shops stood shoulder to shoulder, signboards hanging one after another. Cloth sellers, grain sellers, general stores—everyone shouted at the top of their lungs to attract customers.

Zhou Yi’s eyes couldn’t keep up.

One moment he looked here, the next there, his head turning like a spinning rattle drum.

Zhou Xiong walked ahead at an unhurried pace.

There was no expression on his face.

But his eyes—

They were different.

Following behind, Zhou Yi suddenly felt that his father seemed a little strange today.

He couldn’t quite explain what was strange.

It was just—

As if he seemed lighter than usual.

Zhou Yi couldn’t really define what “lighter” meant.

It was just that the way his father walked felt different from normal.

His steps weren’t as heavy.

His back wasn’t held quite so rigidly straight.

It was just—

Relaxed.

Zhou Yi thought about it for a moment but couldn’t figure it out.

That rush the other night—it turned out they had only come out here to avoid trouble for a while.

In the end, he stopped thinking about it.

And simply followed along.

After walking for some time, Zhou Xiong suddenly stopped.

In front of a food stall.

Zhou Yi leaned over for a look. It was selling hu cakes. Fresh from the oven, golden and glistening with oil, covered densely in sesame seeds. The aroma drifted straight into his nose.

Zhou Xiong stared at the hu cakes.

For three breaths.

Then he spoke.

“Two.”

Zhou Yi froze.

His father—voluntarily buying snacks?

Back in Chang’an, his father had never taken the initiative to buy things like this.

But now—

Zhou Xiong accepted the cakes and handed one to Zhou Yi.

“Take it.”

Zhou Yi took it, immediately switching it from hand to hand from the heat.

He looked at the hu cake, then at his father.

Zhou Xiong had already taken a huge bite and was chewing as he walked ahead.

Zhou Yi stood there in a daze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

And chased after him.

Walking and eating at the same time.

The hu cake was fragrant and crisp, the sesame seeds bursting in his mouth, rich with oil and flavor.

Zhou Yi had never thought hu cakes could taste this good.

After another stretch of walking, Zhou Xiong stopped again.

This time in front of a general shop.

Inside hung all sorts of trinkets—clay figurines, pinwheels, sugar paintings, cloth tigers—brightly colored and packed everywhere.

Zhou Xiong stood at the entrance, looking inside.

Zhou Yi leaned closer and followed his gaze.

He was looking at the clay figurines.

Each one was palm-sized and adorably clumsy-looking. Some rode horses, some carried sabers, some hugged wine jars while grinning foolishly.

Zhou Xiong watched them for a while.

Then suddenly he laughed.

An actual laugh out loud.

“Dad?”

Zhou Yi froze.

He stared at his father.

Zhou Xiong was still laughing.

Laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

Zhou Yi had never seen his father like this before.

Never.

Once Zhou Xiong laughed enough, he turned and looked at him.

“When I was young, I made these too.”

Zhou Yi opened his mouth slightly.

Zhou Xiong said, “Mine were even uglier than these.”

After saying that, he laughed again.

Not as hard this time—just the corners of his mouth curling upward, so high he couldn’t suppress them even if he wanted to.

Zhou Yi stood there, watching his father like this.

And suddenly—

His eyes stung a little.

He didn’t know why they stung.

They just did.

Zhou Xiong didn’t notice.

He turned around and continued walking.

After a few steps, he glanced back.

“What’re you standing around for? Move.”

Zhou Yi quickly followed after him.

He walked beside his father, secretly glancing at him several times.

That face was still the same face.

But the expression on it—he had never seen it before.

It wasn’t empty.

It wasn’t cold.

It was alive.

The kind that was truly smiling.

Zhou Yi suddenly realized something.

His father was thirty-six this year.

In those thirty-six years, how many years had his father smiled like this?

He didn’t know.

But he knew that right now, his father was smiling.

And that was enough.

After walking for a while, Zhou Xiong spoke again.

“What’re we eating tonight?”

Zhou Yi froze for a moment.

“Dad, what do you want to eat?”

Zhou Xiong thought for a bit.

“Mutton.”

“Alright,” Zhou Yi said.

Zhou Xiong added, “Find a good restaurant.”

“Alright.”

Zhou Xiong glanced at him.

“You’re paying?”

Zhou Yi was stunned.

“I don’t have any money…”

Zhou Xiong laughed.

“I don’t have any either.”

Zhou Yi stared at his father, mouth hanging open.

Zhou Xiong’s smile widened.

“I’m messing with you.”

Then he continued walking forward.

Zhou Yi stood there blankly for quite a while.

Then he hurried after him.

“Dad!”

Zhou Xiong didn’t turn around.

Zhou Yi caught up beside him.

“Dad, were you joking just now?”

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

But the corners of his mouth were still raised.

Zhou Yi looked at that faint smile tugging at his lips.

And suddenly, he smiled too.

Smiling like an idiot.

After walking a while longer, Zhou Xiong suddenly said,

“There’s a place over there. Smells pretty good.”

Zhou Yi followed his gaze.

It was a mutton restaurant. A huge pot was set up at the entrance, bubbling with steam.

Zhou Xiong was already heading over.

Zhou Yi followed.

When they reached the entrance, Zhou Xiong stopped.

He turned around and looked at Zhou Yi.

“You cover the bill first. I’ll pay you back when we get home.”

Zhou Yi froze.

“Didn’t you say you had no money?”

Zhou Xiong replied, “I really don’t.”

Zhou Yi opened his mouth, his expression complicated.

Is this never going to end?

Zhou Xiong had already lifted the curtain and gone inside.

Zhou Yi stood at the entrance, looking at the swaying door curtain.

He watched it for a while.

Then he smiled.

Lifted the curtain—

and followed him in.

The restaurant was thick with steam, filled everywhere with the rich aroma of mutton.

Zhou Xiong had already found a seat and was looking up at the menu board.

Zhou Yi sat across from him.

He looked at Zhou Xiong.

Zhou Xiong raised his head and glanced at him.

“What’re you looking at?”

Zhou Yi shook his head.

“Nothing.”

Zhou Yi sat there, looking at his father.

For a long time.

Then he suddenly spoke.

“Dad.”

Zhou Xiong didn’t look up.

“Mm?”

Zhou Yi said, “You’re different today.”

Zhou Xiong’s hand paused.

Just for a moment.

“What’s different?”

Zhou Yi thought about it.

“You smiled a lot today.”

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

Zhou Yi waited for a while.

Then quietly asked another question.

“Dad… do you feel a little better inside now?”

Zhou Xiong lifted his head.

And looked at him.

There was still mist in those eyes.

But beneath the mist, something was glowing.

He looked at Zhou Yi for three breaths.

Then he spoke.

“Mm.”

One word.

Zhou Yi froze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Smiled until his eyes narrowed into crescents.

Zhou Xiong went back to looking at the menu board.

But the corners of his mouth were still raised too.

Raised so much he couldn’t suppress them.

He had already forgotten the last time he’d felt this carefree.