A pure-hearted, gullible country boy who herds cattle at the village entrance, paired with a pretentious, artsy jerk from the big city.
Cheng Feng spent the first ten-odd years of his life in the village and had never seen much of the world.
He thought the fanciest houses in the world were two-story buildings, the coolest cars were BMWs, and the most exotic snacks were sachima.
The most pretentious people were those idiots from the city.
Then a city boy named Wan Li showed up in their village.
You could say he was pretentious: he spent all day following Cheng Feng around, herding cattle, farming, climbing trees, and getting into fights. But you could also say he wasn't: he was always using words Cheng Feng had never heard, like "sexual minorities" and "BT."
Cheng Feng asked him, "What's BT? Does it mean pervert?"
Wan Li said, "It means gay. I'm gay. If you want to know more, I can teach you."
Looking at this handsome "gay," Cheng Feng thought: The most pretentious people really are those idiots from the city...
But Wan Li was an exception.
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Later, Cheng Feng secretly watched the lips that patiently described the world to him move lazily as Wan Li said:
"A little country dog is way easier to take care of than a pet dog. Toss it some scraps and it's happy. It costs you nothing."
Cheng Feng decided that the most pretentious person of all was probably Wan Li, who had been deceiving him for so long.
He'd built Cheng Feng a beautiful dream, then torn it apart with his own hands.
Then Cheng Feng's dream would end here.
"Wan Li, say some more ambiguous things to me. If I hear them often enough, I'll become immune and you won't be able to fool me again."
-
Watching too many stories about heroism can make you feel like you've saved the whole world, and cause you to overlook how you used to be a jerk who toyed with people's feelings.
Wan Li had clearly overlooked that.
By the time he realized it, the little dog he'd rescued and toyed with wagged its tail at him insincerely, then slapped him.
It's fine. He deserved it.
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* The early part covers their school years as teenagers. Though they are students, much of their lives take place outside school. The later groveling arc takes place after graduation, when they are working.
* The older one is three years older (I don't think that age gap needs to be called out on its own, but just in case anyone wants to know qvq).
* Desensitization therapy: An allergen is prepared in solutions of varying concentrations and injected under the skin of patients who test positive for sensitivity to it. Starting with a small dose and low concentration, the amount and concentration are gradually increased to help patients develop tolerance without triggering an allergic reaction. (From Baidu Baike)
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Theme: It's never too late to plant a tree.
