Category: Love Genius Qian Xiaoke (Page 1 of 5)

       Even though he had slowly savored Jiang Tongyan’s ‘lovingly prepared ginseng chicken soup’ the night before, when Qian Xiaoke got up the next morning, this delicate and frail flower Qian Xiaoke still woke up to find himself with a cold

       It was October—autumn had arrived. In their city, this was the time of year when it was warmer outside than indoors, especially at night. It was already cold to begin with, and Qian Xiaoke had spent all that time soaking in cold water. This delicate flower really couldn’t handle that kind of tossing.

       He got out of bed to find his nose completely stuffed up and he couldn’t breathe through it at all. He rubbed it hard, then had no choice but to breathe through his mouth.

       His whole body felt fuzzy and floaty. Stuffy nose aside, he was also running a bit of a fever—a textbook case of the common cold.

       Though Qian Xiaoke didn’t always seem very sharp, he had lived on his own for long enough to have the basic life skills down.

       He slowly shuffled off to wash up, then slowly shuffled off again to make himself a bowl of noodles.

       Even just eating the noodles had him short of breath, and he felt incredibly pitiful.

       After finishing the noodles, Qian Xiaoke rummaged through all the compartments of his suitcase until he finally found his last two cold medicine tablets. He casually snapped a photo and posted it to his Moments with the caption: Yay!

       After posting that, he took the meds and headed off to work. Even though he was sick, he was still in an excellent mood—because the night before, he had had that delicious ginseng chicken soup.

       Qian Xiaoke found that he was really easy to please; just give him something tasty to eat, and all his troubles vanished.

       Well, he didn’t have that many troubles to begin with. The only thing bugging him these days was that little quirk of Jiang Tongyan’s.

       Okay, fine—it wasn’t that little of a quirk.

       Anyway, even though his physical condition wasn’t great, his spirits were high, and he still had a great time at work.

       Cheng Sen saw him and asked, “So? How was that ginseng chicken soup?”

       “Delicious, delicious, so delicious!” Qian Xiaoke had actually forgotten to thank Chairman Cheng last night. “Thank you, Chairman Cheng!”

       After saying thank you, Qian Xiaoke suddenly remembered something and asked mysteriously, “Chairman Cheng, why did that guy ask you to order the food for him?”

       That guy.

       Cheng Sen laughed to himself, and thought if Jiang Tongyan knew he was calling him that guy, he would probably pass out from sheer frustration.

       “He’s just shameless,” Cheng Sen said. “That guy’s abroad and didn’t know how to order delivery here, so he just told me: ginseng chicken soup, expensive, tasty—I took care of it.”

       Expensive.

       Tasty.

       Qian Xiaoke felt a little embarrassed.

       Seeing the bashful little smile bloom on Qian Xiaoke’s face, Cheng Sen couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the two of them.

       He waved his hand. “Tell your guy not to make me order takeout in the middle of the night again. He should just download an app and learn how to use it.”

       With that, he turned and walked away coolly, leaving Qian Xiaoke sitting there pondering over that phrase—your guy.

       “He’s not my guy…” Qian Xiaoke mumbled but then sat down, grinning like an idiot.

       He might’ve said he wasn’t his, but he was smiling brighter than anyone.

       By the time Jiang Tongyan woke up, it was already nighttime over on Qian Xiaoke’s side. He had never been one to check Moments before, but ever since adding Qian Xiaoke on WeChat, he had gotten into the habit of taking a peek every morning and night just to see what kind of random nonsense the guy had posted.

       And that was when Jiang Tongyan saw the cold medicine photo.

       Wait—he caught a cold?!

       Jiang Tongyan instantly snapped awake and messaged him right away: You caught a cold? What happened? Didn’t you have the ginseng chicken soup?

       At that moment, Qian Xiaoke was squished in the subway, basically levitating from how packed it was. His phone buzzed, but he couldn’t check it. It wasn’t until he got off that he finally fished out his phone—by then, twenty minutes had passed since Jiang Tongyan’s message.

       Qian Xiaoke: Yep, I caught a cold! Ginseng soup isn’t magic, okay? Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes: Waste of money.

       Qian Xiaoke chuckled and picked up a portion of cold noodles from a street vendor on his way home.

       Because Qian Xiaoke was sick, Jiang Tongyan became increasingly restless, like Qian Xiaoke hadn’t just caught a cold but some kind of incurable disease. Jiang Tongyan was this close to booking a flight home on the spot.

       Ah, love—how it could make a man completely lose his grip on logic.

       That night, Qian Xiaoke suggested they have another ‘video interaction’ again. They had nearly succeeded the night before; maybe things would go more smoothly this time.

       However, he was sternly rejected by Jiang Tongyan.

       Jiang Tongyan snapped, “Qian Xiaoke, can you not make me worry so much?”

       Qian Xiaoke blinked and was bewildered, “What did I do?”

       Jiang Tongyan ordered him straight to bed. It was only 9 p.m., but he barked,  “Sleep! You little pervert, quit thinking about that kind of stuff. You’re sick—rest properly and stop getting ideas!”

       He sounded so righteously indignant that Qian Xiaoke was left speechless.

       He kept yelling about going to sleep, but in the end, Jiang Tongyan couldn’t bring himself to hang up the video call.

       He quickly placed an online order for a phone stand and had it express-delivered to Qian Xiaoke’s home. This way, Qian Xiaoke could free up his hands, and even if he fell asleep during their video calls, it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

       Jiang Tongyan found it all a bit surreal that he actually wanted to watch Qian Xiaoke sleep.

       Had he lost his mind?

       Whether it was love or witchcraft or just his brain short-circuiting, one thing was clear: in the days that followed, the two of them video-chatted almost every day. And every few days, they had ‘interact’ a little.

       Jiang Tongyan’s mental state gradually improved. He wasn’t sure if it was thanks to Qian Xiaoke or because the therapy sessions he had been paying for were finally working. Either way, he could feel a dramatic shift for the better.

       And it wasn’t just him—Qian Xiaoke was having a great time too.

       From initial shyness to growing familiarity, the two of them seemed to fall into a natural rhythm. Throughout that whole autumn, they happily played the roles of each other’s ‘online hookup buddy’.

       Of course, that was just Qian Xiaoke’s thought. Even though Jiang Tongyan treated him quite well, Qian Xiaoke wasn’t the type to daydream. There were many things he didn’t dare to hope for.

       He might not dare to think about it, but Jiang Tongyan was thinking about it—he just hadn’t said anything yet.

       Not because he didn’t want to, but because he was too embarrassed to bring it up and couldn’t find the right moment.

       Still, he was enjoying the whole situation. Being clingy to Qian Xiaoke every day like this—wasn’t it basically the same as dating? He even found himself wondering if perhaps Qian Xiaoke had already assumed they were dating. In that case, Jiang Tongyan thought that there might not be a need for a formal confession at all.

       Just skip straight to the proposal and call it a day.

       As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Jiang Tongyan got embarrassed with himself. He scolded internally: What the hell are you thinking? Wake up, Jiang Tongyan! You’re not some man who’d get tied down by a little brat that easily!

       He was supposed to be like the wind—free, unbound, untouched by emotional nonsense!

       …And yet, that was all just talk. One moment, he was vowing to be a cool, untouchable lone wolf; the next, he was already daydreaming about when he could fly back to China.

       Winter had officially arrived in New York, and his relationship with Qian Xiaoke had grown steadily—so steadily that it was practically an old married couple’s relationship.

       Right now, Jiang Tongyan felt like he had things pretty well in hand. Aside from being just a tiny bit desperate to finally sleep with Qian Xiaoke properly, he felt their relationship was secure and was practically locked down.

       So, on the day New York got its first snowfall, Jiang Tongyan was lounging in a cosy café, leisurely flipping through a newspaper and thought that in a couple of days, he could head back. However, he shouldn’t see Qian Xiaoke right away and he needed to keep him guessing, to spook him a little.

       Lately, Jiang Tongyan had been studying The Thirty-Six Stratagems¹The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court have drawn comparisons to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, and number sixteen was ‘Feign madness but keep your balance’—basically, the art of playing hard to get.

       He had it all planned out. He would ghost Qian Xiaoke for a couple of days right after flying back. He would let the kid panic a bit, thinking he didn’t care anymore. Maybe—just maybe—Qian Xiaoke would end up crying and calling him ‘hubby’.

       It was a beautiful plan.

       Jiang Tongyan sipped his coffee with a satisfied grin, even picturing the scene of Qian Xiaoke clinging to him and sobbing.

       So cute.

       Ridiculously cute.

       From the next table over, a young woman glanced sideways at him. This man was smiling in a way that could only be described as… suspicious. It was as if he was plotting something indecent.

       But alas—plans were just plans. Jiang Tongyan himself had said before that Qian Xiaoke was his kryptonite.

       And not just in terms of emotions. The guy could nuke any plan he had.

       Just as Jiang Tongyan was getting smug about his ‘trap’, his phone buzzed with a message from Qian Xiaoke, all giddy with excitement.

       Qian Xiaoke: Chairman Jiang! I have BIG news!!

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t buy it. Ever since they met, Qian Xiaoke had sent him ‘big news’ announcements that included things like finding a 23-yuan shirt that was shockingly good quality, returning a lost wallet to its rightful owner, and successfully predicting rain and bringing an umbrella that morning.

       Those were all the ‘big’ things he shared.

       So it was no wonder Jiang Tongyan didn’t take this one seriously either.

       Jiang Tongyan replied indifferently: What, someone proposed to you or something?

       He was joking, of course. Who else would even dare to marry Qian Xiaoke?

       But what Jiang Tongyan definitely didn’t expect was—

       Qian Xiaoke: How did you know?! Did Zhou Mo already tell you?!

       It was like a bolt of thunder in a clear sky.

       Or was he hallucinating from heatstroke?

       Wait… Could he even get heatstroke in winter?

       Jiang Tongyan frowned and stared so hard at his phone he practically burned a hole in the screen. A barista passing by even asked politely, “Sir, would you like a pair of reading glasses?”

       READING GLASS MY EYES.

       Jiang Tongyan’s eyes were wide as saucers. He immediately hit the call button.

       “Good morning!” Qian Xiaoke greeted brightly, then paused. “Oh wait—it’s night where you are.”

       “Night your ass,” Jiang Tongyan snapped. “What’s going on? Who is it? Who’s the blind bastard that proposed to you?!”

       “…Chairman Jiang,” Qian Xiaoke replied in a warning tone, half-asleep, “I suggest you watch your mouth.”

       Jiang Tongyan knew he had been out of line. But he couldn’t help it—he was pissed. Really pissed.

       Who the hell is this? So blind to dare try to steal my person!

       Qian Xiaoke replied, “I don’t really know. I woke up just now and saw a message from Zhou Mo. He said one of his friends has a huge crush on me, like really bad, and asked if I wanted to meet him.”

       Qian Xiaoke yawned. “I thought, well, I’m single, so I might as well get to know him.”

       “Qian Xiaoke!” Jiang Tongyan gritted his teeth.

       Qian Xiaoke chuckled. He sat up and pulled back the curtains.

       “Ah, it’s snowing,” Qian Xiaoke murmured as he leaned on the windowsill. “But I turned him down.”

       “Huh?” Jiang Tongyan was taken aback. “You turned him down?”

       “Yeah,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I figured I would wait until you’re better. Right now, I’ve got you to take care of, and if I go after someone else, they might have issues with that. So, I turned him down.”

       Qian Xiaoke smiled at the falling snow outside the window as he spoke. He sighed softly, “This year’s first snow is really heavy, huh?”

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       Countless facts have proven that Qian Xiaoke actually wasn’t stupid at all. The reason he didn’t get into a good university, couldn’t land a decent job, and was still just a lowly receptionist at the age of twenty-seven wasn’t because he lacked intelligence—it was because he used all his smartness to use elsewhere.

       He used them…on things that couldn’t be described.

       Qian Xiaoke had read way too many novels. And the more he read, the more he learned. Even though his real-life experience was far from extensive, and the few encounters he had were hardly worth showing off his theoretical knowledge was pretty solid. He could switch roles in an instant, embodying any seductive bottom one could imagine.

       Jiang Tongyan was stunned. “Qian Xiaoke, it’s a waste you’re not an actor.”

       A real waste.

       He could get into character at the drop of a hat, and there was no need for any emotional build-up. With talent like that, wouldn’t his acting fee easily hit tens of millions in no time?

       Qian Xiaoke had taken the wrong path in life, Jiang Tongyan thought. If he had gone into acting, he would’ve been rich by now. Forget buying spicy skewers by the roadside—if he felt like it, he could’ve bought an entire skewer shop on a whim.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Gege, cooperate a little, will you? With the way you’re positioned, it’s hard for me to do anything~”

       He was a little too coquettish, making Jiang Tongyan break out in goosebumps all over.

       “Can you act a bit more normal?” Jiang Tongyan said. “Too much of anything is bad, you know?”

       Qian Xiaoke chuckled. “Wow, you know idioms? Pretty cultured, aren’t you!”

       “Cut the crap. Hurry up.” He was already hard.

       After returning to New York, Jiang Tongyan discovered something; it wasn’t as difficult for him to get hard anymore. Sometimes, in the dead of night, when he thought of a stark-naked Qian Xiaoke, just the memory would do it. The feeling of being able to ‘rise and fall at will’ was so satisfying that he started to think maybe he really was getting better.

       One morning, he even woke up with a proper morning erection.

       He did wonder what was going on—why did he seem fine after leaving Qian Xiaoke? Could it be that Qian Xiaoke was cursed, like… specifically doomed to sabotage his lovers’ sex lives?

       But then again, when he tried to ‘take care of it’ himself, he still couldn’t last until the end.

       Okay, maybe it wasn’t that Qian Xiaoke was cursed. Maybe he just really had a problem.

       Originally, Jiang Tongyan felt pretty hopeless about it. But then he remembered what Qian Xiaoke had said to comfort him, that it was okay and that everything would get better eventually. And honestly? He had improved a lot already.

       Jiang Tongyan realised that he really had been influenced by Qian Xiaoke—he was starting to turn into an overly optimistic fool too.

       Anyway, whatever. He could get hard now, and that was what mattered.

       If one could get hard, you’re a real man. A true man.

       Qian Xiaoke was very well-behaved and even brought out his ‘doctor’s compassion’ persona to justify to himself that there was nothing wrong with doing these indecent things with Jiang Tongyan.

       He said, “If you don’t like the way I talk, I can change my character.”

       If the seductive bottom wasn’t his type…

       “Do you like the soft, clingy kind? The ones who cry easily?”

       “…I like you being more normal,” Jiang Tongyan muttered in his heart. Can you stop reading those weird books already?!

       Normal?

       Qian Xiaoke muttered to himself: I’ve always been normal.

       He just had a strong ability to extrapolate. And maybe…a bit of an acting addiction.

       Since Jiang Tongyan didn’t want him to mimic characters from books, he could only play this role as himself.

       No more calling him gege—now it was Chairman Jiang.

       No more helping unbutton his shirt—he would leave that to Jiang Tongyan to do however he liked.

       Jiang Tongyan said, “Qian Xiaoke, you’d better fix your attitude. What good would it do me if you piss me off to death?”

       Qian Xiaoke just felt a bit uneasy. He was still worried that if he helped cure Jiang Tongyan’s problem, the guy would never come back to China. Jiang Tongyan would just stay in New York and happily have a homosexual relationship with some perky-assed, blue-eyed little boy over there.

       Wouldn’t that be such a loss for him?

       “What are you thinking about?” Jiang Tongyan was getting anxious. He was about to lose it.

       Most people couldn’t hold out because they were too turned on. Him? He couldn’t hold out because he was about to go soft.

       Jiang Tongyan really felt he really had it rough. If only he had found a boyfriend with a slightly more normal brain, maybe he wouldn’t be in this mess.

       It was tragic.

       He, Jiang Tongyan, was too miserable.

       “Chairman Jiang,” Qian Xiaoke finally gave in, and he had made peace with it, “It’s so big.”

       Jiang Tongyan was instantly overwhelmed.

       This time, Qian Xiaoke really was cooperating seriously and patiently ‘assisting’ Jiang Tongyan like a little angel flapping his wings beside him, cheering him on.

       Even though he had things on his mind, Qian Xiaoke tried his best not to show it. Meanwhile, Jiang Tongyan was in a blissful state and utterly unaware that Qian Xiaoke wasn’t nearly as into it.

       By the time Jiang Tongyan finally finished, it was a bit of a tragedy, but also kind of expected.

       Jiang Tongyan said, “I think next time I’ll be good to go. Just say more sweet stuff near the end. Otherwise, the pressure’s too much, and it still doesn’t work.”

       By now, the water in the bathtub had already gone cold.

       It was already October, fully into autumn, and yet Qian Xiaoke had spent forever soaking in cold water in the bathroom.

       Qian Xiaoke muttered, “Got it. You don’t have anything else, right? Then I’m hanging up.”

       “…You got something to do?” Jiang Tongyan was a little reluctant.

       They hadn’t seen each other in days, and it was rare for Qian Xiaoke to video call him. He wanted to look at him a little longer.

       That’s just the kind of person Jiang Tongyan was. He wouldn’t directly say when he missed someone; he was too proud to admit it.

       “The water’s cold!” Qian Xiaoke snapped. “All your fault!”

       He splashed his hand in the tub again. The water sloshed loudly, and the sound sent ripples through Jiang Tongyan’s heart.

       “If I catch a cold and run a fever tomorrow, it’s all your fault!”

       Even when Qian Xiaoke was mad, it came off like he was being coquettish.

       Jiang Tongyan laughed, so happy he wished he could crawl right into the phone screen and kiss him.

       “Alright then,” Jiang Tongyan said, “go warm yourself up.”

       Qian Xiaoke huffed. He had originally planned to hang up the video call with an air of cool detachment, but in the end, he just waved softly and said, “Bye-bye~”

       Jiang Tongyan couldn’t handle him being like that. He quickly waved his hand in front of the screen and tried to play it off casually. “Yeah yeah, later,” he said and then ended the call.

       After the video chat ended, Jiang Tongyan lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He thought about the way Qian Xiaoke panted. The more he thought, the more he missed him.

       He couldn’t wait anymore. He wanted to go back to China, to live next door to Qian Xiaoke, to grab him every day and make him cook smashed-up instant noodles for him.

       As for Qian Xiaoke—after the call ended, he didn’t get out of the bathtub right away. He just stared at the now-silent phone and suddenly felt a little lonely.

       What was that saying again? Something about how the scariest kind of loneliness is the emptiness that comes after a grand fireworks show.

       That was exactly how he felt now.

       He was gazing up at a night sky where brilliant fireworks had once bloomed. Now the fireworks were gone, not even a trace left behind—only the hollow emptiness that followed all the excitement.

       It was a really awful feeling.

       Qian Xiaoke sighed, thinking he really was acting kinda weird.

       After finishing his bath, he came out feeling genuinely chilly. He changed into thicker pyjamas but still let out a huge, earth-shattering sneeze.

       It was already late. He was not in the mood to sleep and lay sprawled on the couch, charging his phone while playing Candy Crush.

       The more he played, the more awake he felt—until suddenly, he heard the doorbell ring. His whole body jolted in shock, and he sprang up from the sofa like a spring-loaded cat.

       Just when Qian Xiaoke thought it was either a burglar or a ghost, his boss, Cheng Sen, sent him a WeChat message.

       Cheng Sen: Jiang Tongyan ordered some chicken soup delivery for you—it should be there now. Go open the door and get it.

       Chicken soup?

       Delivery?

       Jiang Tongyan?!

       Qian Xiaoke sent Cheng Sen a pig-headed shock meme in response.

       Cheng Sen ignored him.

       The delivery guy was still ringing the doorbell. Qian Xiaoke rushed to open the door—letting someone wait outside in the dead of night while suspecting them of being a ghost? He felt genuinely guilty.

       Once he had the delivery in hand, Qian Xiaoke stared at the heavy bag and fell into thought.

       XX Ginseng Chicken Soup.

       He swallowed his saliva involuntarily.

       Then, a voice message from Jiang Tongyan came through. When Qian Xiaoke tapped on it, he heard Jiang Tongyan’s smug voice: “How is it? Tastes good?”

       Qian Xiaoke’s ears burned red. “What are you doing this for?”

       “You just took a cold bath, didn’t you?” Jiang Tongyan said. “Have some chicken soup to warm up.”

       Qian Xiaoke carried the ginseng chicken soup into the dining room. The packaging was so pretty he almost didn’t want to open it.

       He sent a voice call request to Jiang Tongyan—his first time ever initiating a call to him.

       Sure enough, when someone gave you something, it was hard not to soften up.

       Jiang Tongyan was delighted. “Well? Is it good?”

       “I haven’t opened it yet,” Qian Xiaoke mumbled shyly. “It’s so late… if I eat now, I’ll get fat.”

       His voice was soft and gentle, filling Jiang Tongyan with joy.

       “It’s fine, you’re not fat,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I just didn’t want you catching a cold from that cold bath. If you blame me, then I would have no way to defend myself.”

       Qian Xiaoke giggled, and fingers gently twisted the thick string around the packaging.

       “Alright then, hurry up and eat,” Jiang Tongyan said. He was a little reluctant to hang up, even though he knew it was already late in China. “Eat and go to bed soon—don’t you have work tomorrow?”

       “Mm, yeah. I’ve got work.” Qian Xiaoke said, “Then… I’m hanging up, okay?”

       “Mm. Eat up. Eat a lot.”

       After ending the voice call, the two of them sat there grinning at their phones like a pair of silly idiots.

       Qian Xiaoke had never eaten ginseng chicken soup before.

       There was a place near his office that sold it, but a single chicken cost over a hundred yuan, and he couldn’t bring himself to splurge.

       He glanced at the delivery receipt and almost fell out of his chair. This chicken soup was even more expensive than the ones near his office—what kind of ginseng chicken soup was this, costing two hundred and thirty?!

       This is killing me! Wasn’t this like eating actual money?!

       Qian Xiaoke felt like he really owed Jiang Tongyan now. As he opened the packaging, he started wondering how he would ever repay him.

       It was a serious question. Since he was a kid, his parents had always taught him not to owe people and not to take advantage of others.

       Though, in his eyes, Jiang Tongyan didn’t really count as ‘other people’ anymore—they had already taken advantage of each other in plenty of ways. But still, this felt different. It made him feel guilty.

       Qian Xiaoke frowned, thinking maybe he should find a way to repay the favour once Jiang Tongyan was back in China.

       But he quickly forgot all about that because the chicken soup smelled too good. He was fully immersed in the joy that came with ginseng chicken soup. All the guilt, the moral dilemma, the ‘no gain without effort’ stuff was gone and tossed aside.

       It was delicious.

       Jiang Tongyan really was a good guy.

       I kind of…want to see him again.

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       Qian Xiaoke felt he was being ridiculously pretentious. The two of them had already seen everything and had done everything twice. Sure, both times had failed, but there was no need to act all fake and reserved now.

       But still!

       He was just shy, okay?

       Seeing someone in person was totally different from watching those kinds of videos. Who could even talk about that stuff with straight face?

       Qian Xiaoke asked, “What did you want from me?”

       On Jiang Tongyan’s side, his face was red—not just red, his heart was pounding too.

       He realised he was seriously hopeless, to be worked up like this by someone like Qian Xiaoke.

       That flat ass of Qian Xiaoke’s—was it really worth getting excited over?

       …Okay, fine. It was.

       “Can’t I call you for no reason?” Jiang Tongyan said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You owe me.”

       Qian Xiaoke thought about it and figured that was fair. “Alright then. As long as you don’t bother me during work, I’m good with it.”

       “……” Jiang Tongyan really wanted to roast him a bit—what work did Qian Xiaoke even have that was worth interrupting?

       But on second thought, he felt that this kind of work-loving and dedicated spirit was truly something the public should learn from—including himself. So, he held his tongue and showed respect.

       Respect for this young man who loved work and lived to serve.

       “You’re free now, right?”

       “Yeah,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Just trying to focus on soaking in the bath.”

       As soon as the bath got mentioned, Jiang Tongyan’s head started to overheat.

       Perfect,” he said, clearing his throat. Even though those feelings were already rising, he forced himself to act calm. “I went to see the doctor again today.”

       “How did it go?” Qian Xiaoke was genuinely curious.

       He had heard from Jiang Tongyan that he had been seeing a doctor recently. It had been confirmed that there was no problem physically, and it was a psychological problem. As long as he could untangle the knot in his heart, everything else would fall into place.

       Qian Xiaoke was actually kind of looking forward to it.

       Though… he also felt conflicted.

       He knew it probably wasn’t right to think this way, but still, he was worried. What if Jiang Tongyan got cured in New York and just started having the time of his life over there? Then what about him…

       Well, it didn’t matter.

       He curled his lips and muttered inwardly: It has nothing to do with me.

       But even as he told himself that, he still felt sour inside.

       The sourness at the tip of his heart bled into his words.

       “Now that you’re well, do you not need me anymore?” Qian Xiaoke pouted a little as he said it.

       That question hit Jiang Tongyan right in the heart and made him laugh out loud.

       “What do you think?” Jiang Tongyan thought for a second, then decided to tease him. “There are so many blue-eyed boys over here with round little asses, I…”

       Before he could finish, Qian Xiaoke hung up the video call.

       He was mad.

       Qian Xiaoke felt angry to the point of being completely out of control.

       Even though there wasn’t really anything between the two of them, Qian Xiaoke had still been that guy’s attending physician for a while. And besides, it was his first time—he’d practically broken it into pieces and offered them all to Jiang Tongyan. And in the end, not even one piece had been properly claimed. Yet now that guy was over in New York thinking about sleeping with blue-eyed and perky-assed boys?

       Qian Xiaoke was not happy.

       He splashed around in the bathtub like a little water duck.

       A very angry water duck, who puffed up like a tiny river pufferfish.

       Jiang Tongyan blinked at the ended video call and smacked his lips.

       He’s jealous.

       Qian Xiaoke is definitely jealous!

       Jiang Tongyan burst out laughing and called him back again.

       Qian Xiaoke had splashed so much the bathroom floor was soaked. He was now lying over the edge of the tub and stewing in frustration, thinking how much trouble it was going to be to clean up later—and all because of Jiang Tongyan.

       His phone rang again. He glanced at it and, out of pure spite, didn’t want to pick up.

       But Jiang Tongyan’s persistence ended up winning over the soft-hearted Qian Xiaoke. He answered and said, “What do you want? Go find your blue-eyed and perky-assed little boys!”

       Jiang Tongyan was so smug he was practically wagging his tail in the air. “What’s with you? Jealous, huh? Tell you what—once I’m cured, I won’t go looking for anyone else. Just you. How about that?”

       Qian Xiaoke still had his camera facing the bathroom wall, so even if he pouted, Jiang Tongyan wouldn’t be able to see it.

       But Jiang Tongyan missed him, and he wanted to see him.

       “Let me see you,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Don’t be so stingy.”

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t think it was about being stingy. This was a matter of principle.

       He didn’t do video sex.

       That was a principle.

       “Then say something nice to make me happy,” Qian Xiaoke said loftily. “Cheer me up, and I’ll consider showing you.”

       Jiang Tongyan honestly didn’t have much experience with sweet-talking people, except for Qian Xiaoke.

       The last time he made Qian Xiaoke mad, his method of making it up to him was to buy him a meal. At that time, Qian Xiaoke took him out to eat snail noodles.

       “When I get back to China, I’ll treat you to something good,” Jiang Tongyan said seriously, trying to coax him. “Whatever you want to eat—ten bowls of spicy hotpot, ten bowls of snail noodles—whatever else you feel like, it’s on me.”

       Qian Xiaoke bursted out laughing.

       He wasn’t laughing at the food, but because he suddenly realised that Jiang Tongyan actually remembered all the messy little things he liked to eat. And he even knew that he could coax him with it.

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, blaming himself for being too easy to please.

       He raised his hand and wiped his fingers dry on a towel, then tapped the screen lightly. The camera view switched from the wall to his face.

       Soft and pink-cheeked, with a misty haze over the lens—it looked like a little fairy had just dropped down from heaven.

       Jiang Tongyan’s palms immediately broke into a sweat.

       “Couldn’t you give me a warning first?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I wasn’t mentally prepared at all!”

       Qian Xiaoke hadn’t shown anything inappropriate. He had a good sense of boundaries. Even though he usually acted careless and goofy, he wasn’t clueless. After all, he had seen enough outrageous stories online like people getting threatened with nudes after a breakup, so he had developed some awareness.

       Qian Xiaoke was on guard against Jiang Tongyan. He was afraid that one day, the guy might blackmail him. And he didn’t have the money to buy back his own nudes.

       “Not mentally prepared?” Qian Xiaoke said innocently. “Then I’ll turn it off, okay?”

       “…Qian Xiaoke! Be serious!”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed. “How am I not being serious? You’re the one who insisted on video calling me while I was in the bath. You’re the weirdo here.”

       “Well, wasn’t this just perfect timing…” Jiang Tongyan muttered under his breath.

       He really didn’t do it on purpose—it was just a coincidence. And hey, sometimes good timing beats early timing. Since he was already here, couldn’t he at least have a look?

       “So, what exactly do you want?” Qian Xiaoke asked, lounging comfortably in the bathtub. “In a bit, the water’s gonna get cold. Once it’s cold, I’m ending the call. If you can’t say it in time, then too bad.”

       “I went to see the doctor again today,” Jiang Tongyan said. “The doctor said my issue is just too much mental stress, and that I should try again with, you know, that kind of person—just try it in a relaxed way.”

       “Hm? That kind of person?” Qian Xiaoke didn’t get it. “What kind of person? Try what?”

       Jiang Tongyan’s ears turned red. Even domineering CEOs get shy.

       “That is…” Jiang Tongyan tried to sound calm, cleared his throat, and mumbled vaguely, “A lover.”

       At those words, Qian Xiaoke heard his chest ‘thumped’. The leg he had propped up on the tub’s edge slipped back into the water.

       “You know I don’t have a boyfriend right now,” Jiang Tongyan said. “And given who I am, it’s not really appropriate for me to just go out and find someone random.”

       He looked at Qian Xiaoke seriously and said, “I have mysophobia, and I’m very self-disciplined in this regard.”

       Mysophobia?

       Not a chance.

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t believe a word of that.

       Self-discipline?

       Wasn’t this the same guy who just talked about blue-eyed, perky-assed little boys?

       “What are you thinking about?” Jiang Tongyan asked.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “So, you came to me?”

       “The doctor said if it’s a long-distance situation, I could try video,” Jiang Tongyan completely made it up. The doctor never said that—he was just spinning a story to reel Qian Xiaoke in. “I figured, it’s not really suitable to find anyone else.”

       Qian Xiaoke listened with his lips pursed and his free hand absentmindedly stirring the water.

       Jiang Tongyan could hear the splashing sounds and clicked his tongue. “Quit messing around.”

       “What am I messing around with?” Qian Xiaoke replied. “I haven’t even said anything.”

       “Your hand. Keep it to yourself,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Don’t go getting me all worked up when you’re not even gonna do anything.”

       As soon as he said it, Jiang Tongyan felt ashamed and rushed to explain, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not the type to get ho-ny at the drop of a hat.”

       Well…

       That part, Qian Xiaoke actually believed—since Jiang Tongyan’s, uh, functionality had been compromised.

       “So basically, I’m your boyfriend substitute,” Qian Xiaoke said. “From a certain angle, that’s basically the same as a hookup buddy.”

       That line caught Jiang Tongyan completely off guard.

       Hookup buddy?

       How did it suddenly turn into that?

       “I don’t mind,” Qian Xiaoke added. “Tell you what, I’ll make a deal with you—if you agree, I’ll help you.”

       Jiang Tongyan thought to himself: Wait a minute, isn’t helping me his responsibility?

       But before he could say it out loud, Qian Xiaoke had already laid out his condition.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Even if you get better in New York, you’re not allowed to find someone else over there.”

       Jiang Tongyan froze for a moment, then broke into a grin.

       What was this?

       This is possessiveness.

       Qian Xiaoke is totally into him!

       Jiang Tongyan thought he was about to get a love confession—but instead, Qian Xiaoke said, “You have to save your virginity for me. You owe me that.”

       “Huh?” Jiang Tongyan was dumbfounded. “I owe you? How do I owe you?”

       “You just do,” Qian Xiaoke said. “We’ve done it twice, and both times we didn’t go all the way. You already took two-thirds of my virginity—so you better make up for the remaining one-third. And there better not be any trace of someone else’s perfume in between!”

       Jiang Tongyan was completely confused. “Perfume? Whose perfume?”

       “That’s not the point,” Qian Xiaoke said. “The point is—you must stay chaste for me while you’re over there!”

       Jiang Tongyan was both amused and bewildered by all this, but in the end, he still nodded.

       He wasn’t planning on doing anything with anyone else anyway.

       “Alright, it’s settled then.” Qian Xiaoke finally felt satisfied. Looking at Jiang Tongyan through the phone screen, he gave a tiny smile and bit his lip. He then said softly, “Gege, then let’s begin.”

       The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Tongyan suddenly felt a surge of desire shoot straight to his core. He glanced down and saw it was hard as a rock.

       As expected of Qian Xiaoke.

       The little devil who lived in the center of Jiang Tongyan’s heart.

       Having read all the novels in the world, this seductive little bottom knew every move.

       Seductive Qian Xiaoke—just one look, one coquettish sentence, and Jiang Tongyan, this old house, was instantly set ablaze.

       Qian Xiaoke lifted a hand and subtly revealing his collarbone. “Gege, aren’t you hot wearing all those layers? Want me to help you unbutton your shirt?”

---

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       Qian Xiaoke, of course, knew the meat of these poultry wasn’t as tasty as his own, but: Chairman Jiang, you’re really bold—wanting to eat human meat!

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t sure if he was serious or joking, but it cracked him up.

       A few back-and-forth WeChat messages in the morning were enough to boost Jiang Tongyan’s mood so much that he ate an extra egg. Qian Xiaoke really had some magic.

       Jiang Tongyan gave Qian Xiaoke a tip: Since you eat so much, pick the heaviest one.

       So, bored out of his mind, Qian Xiaoke actually grabbed a scale and started weighing them one by one. But the poultry wouldn’t stay still, running all over, and he hadn’t marked them. Soon, he couldn’t tell which he had weighed and which he hadn’t.

       Qian Xiaoke’s mom came out and asked, “What are you doing?”

       “I’m checking which one’s fattest—I want to eat the fattest.”

       “You’re the fattest,” his mom said. “Eat yourself.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted. “How’re you just like Jiang Tongyan?”

       “Who’s that? Your partner?”

       “No,” Qian Xiaoke said. “A clueless rich person—not my partner.”

       His mom glared at him. “Yeah, I figured—no hope of you finding someone.”

       Faced with his mom’s distrust, Qian Xiaoke thought she was right. He figured he wasn’t exactly boyfriend material either.

       So sad.

       No looks, no skills.

       Who’d fall for him?

       Qian Xiaoke grabbed a chicken at random. “Tonight, it’s you!”

       But his mom slapped his hand and snatched it back.

       She said, “I’m keeping this hen to lay eggs. Your dad cooked instant noodles inside—go eat that!”

       So wronged.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t find a boyfriend, and now couldn’t even eat chicken.

       He messaged Jiang Tongyan to complain. Jiang Tongyan, sipping coffee, laughed so hard he nearly broke the window.

       Feeling the vibe was right, Jiang Tongyan asked a question he’d been dying to: Qian Xiaoke, what kind of person do you like?

       Qian Xiaoke was glumly heading inside to eat his noodles. At least his dad had made him chicken-mushroom flavor, so he got a whiff of chicken.

       Slurping noodles, he checked Jiang Tongyan’s message and replied without thinking: Didn’t I tell you before? A sunny, handsome younger top who would join me at a street stall after work without complaining!

       Jiang Tongyan sent a machete emoji.

       Qian Xiaoke laughed and saved it.

       Seeing no further reply, Jiang Tongyan felt a bit down. This kid gave him no face. He couldn’t figure out whether his brain was too dense to get it or playing dumb on purpose.

       His good mood was gone. Jiang Tongyan finished breakfast, tidied up, and was about to head out when Shen Huiming called as he got into his car.

       “Rare,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I thought you’d forgotten me.”

       “I really don’t think of you at ordinary times,” Shen Huiming chuckled. “But I have something to tell you today.”

       Jiang Tongyan assumed it was work-related. “I’m going back to China at the end of the year.”

       “I’m with Suo Yang now.”

       Suo Yang?

       Who’s Suo Yang?

       It took Jiang Tongyan a solid minute to recall—that was the blind date Zhou Mo set him up with! The perfect ideal type of flight attendant tailored for him!

       “For real?” Damn it, snatched again?

       That was his first thought.

       But he quickly realised this time it wasn’t Shen Huiming’s fault—he had never taken it seriously himself.

       Weird thing was, that Suo Yang guy ticked every box for Jiang Tongyan’s dream partner—handsome, classy, with that cool and sexy edge.

       Logically, he should’ve clung to him like glue, shamelessly if need be.

       But Qian Xiaoke had scrambled his brain, and he forgot about it.

       His taste had gone full fantasy mode.

       “For real,” Shen Huiming said. “I’m off lately—we’re hitting New York in a couple of days. Free? Let’s grab dinner.”

       “Sure,” Jiang Tongyan agreed readily. “I wanna hear how you snagged him.”

       After setting plans with Shen Huiming, Jiang Tongyan found an excuse to message Qian Xiaoke.

       He sent: Shocked! Shen Huiming’s with my blind date!

       Qian Xiaoke was sipping soup from his noodle bowl when he got it—he loved this chicken-mushroom flavor.

       Content and happy, he wiped his mouth and let out a satisfied burp.

       Picking up his phone, he replied to Jiang Tongyan: My condolences.

       Jiang Tongyan nearly died of frustration—Qian Xiaoke’s brain was hopeless!

       He decided to ignore Qian Xiaoke for a while and let Qian Xiaoke reflect on himself.

       But Qian Xiaoke didn’t catch Jiang Tongyan’s noble intent—he went outside to chase chickens instead.

       So childish.

       Childish enough to make his mom roll her eyes.

       When Qian Xiaoke got tired and returned inside, he showered, flopped lazily on the sofa, and grabbed his phone to play a match-three game. Only then did he see Jiang Tongyan’s later message.

       Jiang Tongyan said: They got together so suddenly—how’s it so sudden?

       Qian Xiaoke really wanted to say he didn’t want to talk, but he knew if he did, Jiang Tongyan’s petty temper would flare up again.

       So he replied perfunctorily: They clicked and jumped in with passion, I guess. Condolences.

       Condolences again!

       Jiang Tongyan thought: Yeah, condolences for me—how’d I fall for you?

       But he only griped inwardly, his eyes lingering on ‘passion’.

       He suddenly wanted to ask what he and Qian Xiaoke were. Was it passion too?

       If it were passion, it would be the kind that was excited halfway and then died down.

       This morning, Qian Xiaoke had him all mixed up again.

       Qian Xiaoke put down his phone and lay on the sofa, rubbed his full and round belly and pondered life a bit. He felt bad for Jiang Tongyan—his blind date snatched away.

       A few minutes later, Qian Xiaoke sent Jiang Tongyan another message to cheer him up: Chairman Jiang, look on the bright side—there’s plenty of fish in the sea. You’ll find your flower someday!

       Jiang Tongyan: Thanks, not comforted.

       ========

       While Jiang Tongyan wrestled with his clueless little dummy here, over there he had to face a lovey-dovey new couple flaunting their happiness.

       When he met Shen Huiming and Suo Yang, he was oozing sourness.

       Suo Yang was still handsome—damn handsome. Next to him, Qian Xiaoke was just a fluffy bunny. But if Jiang Tongyan had to choose now, he would grab those bunny ears and drag him home.

       He liked him—no helping it.

       Even if the guy didn’t match his ideal partner checklist anywhere, he still liked him.

       Chatting with Shen Huiming and Suo Yang over dinner, Qian Xiaoke came up—along with how to tell ‘passion’ from ‘love’.

       Jiang Tongyan figured maybe it was just the novelty—he had never met a Qian Xiaoke before, so it was passion. But on second thought, passion my ass—what passion did he and Qian Xiaoke even have?

       He just liked him.

       Jiang Tongyan was hooked by Qian Xiaoke, and he felt so wronged.

       After meeting Shen Huiming and the others, Jiang Tongyan felt off. He felt like he had been slapped with their PDA and was borderline depressed.

       He called Qian Xiaoke on the phone to vent, but Qian Xiaoke was asleep. His phone was on silent—nothing could wake him.

       When Qian Xiaoke woke up and saw the late-night voice call from Jiang Tongyan, he sweetly sent back a cute pig-head emoji.

       Normally, he might not reply hours later, but Jiang Tongyan was ‘heartbroken’ now—heartbroken folks need comfort and love.

       Qian Xiaoke planned to pamper Jiang Tongyan the next few days.

       As for why? He didn’t think too hard—just didn’t want him too sad.

       How could Jiang Tongyan not be sad? However, he was not sad because his blind date was with Shen Huiming, but because the person he liked was not on the same wavelength as him.

       The National holiday passed with Qian Xiaoke chasing chickens and coaxing Jiang Tongyan. Back home, he did a big clean, then kicked off another round of corporate slave life.

       Jiang Tongyan’s resignation process was nearly done—just some paperwork left for returning to China.

       Lately, with little to do, he had phone meetings with Cheng Sen for work prep, messaged or called Qian Xiaoke, and worked on his indescribable ‘mental condition’.

       The effect of the treatment was not seen, but Jiang Tongyan was indeed not as stressed as before.

       The doctor suggested trying again with his lover.

       Jiang Tongyan: “Lover?”

       Qian Xiaoke chasing chickens popped into his head, and he laughed out loud.

       A ‘lover’ was a stretch, so doing it with Qian Xiaoke wasn’t an option. But Jiang Tongyan had his sneaky ways.

       He was a sly one—knowing Qian Xiaoke felt guilty about this, he morally guilt-tripped him.

       One idle moment for him, deep night for Qian Xiaoke, Jiang Tongyan sent a video call invite.

       Qian Xiaoke was soaking in the tub, playing a match-three game. He had just discovered how nice baths were.

       He hadn’t known before because his old place had no tub. Since he had no experience, he had no clue.

       The sudden video invite startled him. He didn’t want to answer, but his hand slipped, and somehow he hit accept.

       The screen lit up—Jiang Tongyan’s face loomed huge, freaking him out.

       “What’re you doing?” Qian Xiaoke looked spooked.

       Jiang Tongyan: “…Where’re you at?”

       Qian Xiaoke’s camera wasn’t on selfie mode—Jiang Tongyan saw the foggy mirror in Qian Xiaoke’s bathroom.

       “Right here,” Qian Xiaoke said, waving a hand in front of the lens.

       “Properly! Let me see!”

       “Why?” Qian Xiaoke muttered. “I’m bathing—can’t just show you!”

       Bathing.

       Bathing!

       No need to look—Jiang Tongyan’s face was already red just imagining it.

---

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       Qian Xiaoke had, of course, met Shen Huiming before—he just couldn’t put the name to the face.

       Not only had he met him, he had even danced with him!

       Back at Zhou Mo’s birthday party, a tipsy and cheerful Qian Xiaoke had started dancing with Shen Huiming. Midway through, he noticed his dance partner’s eyes were glued to someone else. The sweet and kind-hearted Qian Xiaoke naturally wanted to help out, so when the song switched and partners swapped, he took the initiative to swap places with that person.

       That’s when his new dance partner became Jiang Tongyan.

       At the time, Qian Xiaoke didn’t know these people’s names. Later, after drinking more and getting dizzier, all those mix-ups happened.

       But he had never known about Jiang Tongyan’s ‘curse’ with Shen Huiming. When he had called out the wrong name during their first time, causing trouble, he thought it made sense—anyone would go soft hearing their partner call someone else’s name in bed.

       Jiang Tongyan, naturally, had no intention of telling Qian Xiaoke about his ‘grudge’ with Shen Huiming. Spill that just to let this kid mock him? No way.

       Still, lately, Jiang Tongyan, swept up in ‘love’, had almost forgotten Shen Huiming. He even had this feeling that once he fixed his embarrassing issue, he could confidently sweep Qian Xiaoke off his feet.

       That is, until Qian Xiaoke suddenly said, ‘I know who Shen Huiming is now.’ Standing by the roadside, Jiang Tongyan felt like he’d been smashed into the underworld with a hammer, chills giving him goosebumps.

       Clearly, to Jiang Tongyan, that sentence from Qian Xiaoke was scarier than a ghost story.

       A love rival at the door—Jiang Tongyan had no patience to dawdle with WeChat texts. He called via WeChat voice—too scared to call directly, lest Qian Xiaoke reject it.

       But Qian Xiaoke rejected the WeChat voice call too.

       Qian Xiaoke texted: What’s up? I’m at work!

       It was past 8 p.m. for Jiang Tongyan, with a twelve-hour time difference from Qian Xiaoke.

       Jiang Tongyan sent a voice message: “Don’t give me that! You start at 8:30—you’ve still got twenty minutes!”

       Qian Xiaoke said: Special circumstances today. Chairman Cheng has a big morning meeting at the company. As one of the most important employees, I’m in place by 8!

       Yeah, the company receptionist—pretty crucial.

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes.

       It seemed like Shen Huiming was there for the meeting, probably about a collaboration project.

       Jiang Tongyan felt like he had chomped ten lemons and was sour from head to toe.

       He told Qian Xiaoke: “Behave yourself. That Shen Huiming has a boyfriend—don’t go crushing on him!”

       Qian Xiaoke felt so wronged. How could Jiang Tongyan make him sound like some lovestruck fool?

       Okay, he admitted he kinda was—who didn’t like hot guys? If Jiang Tongyan weren’t good-looking, he wouldn’t have bothered with him either!

       Qian Xiaoke pouted and didn’t reply.

       After waiting ages for a response and getting none, an anxious Jiang Tongyan spammed ten pig-head emojis.

       Qian Xiaoke muted his phone, shoved it in the front desk drawer, and got busy with work.

       He was working—who had time to flirt with some guy across the globe?

       Qian Xiaoke was diligently on duty here, while Jiang Tongyan was restless over there.

       Now, Jiang Tongyan finally got what ‘a kite with a snapped string’ meant. Right now, Qian Xiaoke was that kite, and who knew whose arms that free spirit was flying toward?

       Jiang Tongyan was gloomy.

       By the time Qian Xiaoke finished and checked his phone, the gloomy Jiang Tongyan was sitting by his window, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

       He felt so wronged.

       He felt the heavens ought to pour down a heavy rain just for him.

       Just as Jiang Tongyan was indulging in his melancholy, he suddenly heard his phone vibrate. He looked down—ah, Qian Xiaoke!

       He was no longer melancholy and sprang back to life instantly.

       Jiang Tongyan felt pathetic—he couldn’t let Qian Xiaoke know he was like this.

       He had to be a CEO, the kind who walked with swagger.

       Qian Xiaoke replied: What do you take me for?

       What do I take you for?

       A scammer!

       Jiang Tongyan grumbled inwardly: You’re a little con who scams bodies and hearts!

       Jiang Tongyan asked Qian Xiaoke: What’re you up to now?

       Qian Xiaoke: Nothing for me to do—going to the bathroom.

       Bathroom?

       Perfect.

       Jiang Tongyan called via voice.

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t want to pick up, but since he was free, fine, he’d take it.

       He put on earbuds and answered Jiang Tongyan’s WeChat voice call.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “I’m working—don’t disturb me!”

       “What did you do today?” Jiang Tongyan asked, feeling sourness ooze out. Good thing phones couldn’t transmit smells, or he would be busted.

       “Busy—so busy,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Haven’t stopped since I got here. I’m so hardworking—I’m awesome.”

       Jiang Tongyan couldn’t hold back a laugh.

       “Why’re you laughing at me?”

       “Not laughing at you—it’s a compliment,” Jiang Tongyan said. “So, uh, you saw Shen Huiming?”

       He couldn’t let it go!

       “Yeah, so hot,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Tall and handsome.”

       “He’s one centimeter shorter than me.”

       Qian Xiaoke was stunned for a moment, then laughed like a goose.

       “…What’s so funny?”

       “Your tone’s so sour—jealous much?”

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes sky-high, “Jealous of him? I’m better than him in every way—what’s there to be jealous of? Qian Xiaoke, are you blind?”

       Qian Xiaoke honked like a goose, laughing so hard he nearly forgot to pee.

       “What’re you laughing at? Hold it in!”

       “You control the sky, the earth, and now my laughter too?” Qian Xiaoke said.   “I’m happy—can’t I laugh?”

       “Now you’re talking back?”

       “It’s not talking back—it’s facts,” Qian Xiaoke said, full of logic. “You can’t control me.”

       Jiang Tongyan was mad and flustered—he realised Qian Xiaoke was right; he couldn’t control him.

       “Qian Xiaoke, you’re such a disappointment.”

       “How?” Qian Xiaoke said. “Jiang Tongyan, cover your ears.”

       “What’re you up to now?”

       Qian Xiaoke dragged out an ‘mm’, then said shyly, “I’m gonna pee—you listening makes me embarrassed.”

       Now Jiang Tongyan laughed, mimicking Qian Xiaoke’s goose honk, sounding like a dumb one himself.

       “Cover them quick!” Qian Xiaoke snapped, half-angry, half-coy—it sounded adorable to Jiang Tongyan.

       Jiang Tongyan couldn’t fathom how he’d fallen for this guy.

       What was going on?

       Had Qian Xiaoke hit him with some western region sorcery, hexed him or something?

       Jiang Tongyan still couldn’t figure out why he liked Qian Xiaoke, but he’d stumbled into it anyway.

       He liked him, but too shy to say it.

       He was too prideful.

       As the saying goes, pride means suffering—too embarrassed to let him know, so he just sulked alone.

       “Qian Xiaoke, I’m seriously doubting your IQ,” Jiang Tongyan said. “If you don’t want me to hear, just cover the mic.”

       Qian Xiaoke slapped his thigh, “Oh, right!”

       Then he hung up the voice call.

       Jiang Tongyan, fuming, flopped onto the floor, staring at his chandelier, questioning life.

       Truth be told, Qian Xiaoke didn’t completely brush Jiang Tongyan off. After hanging up, he sent a cute emoji to play sweet.

       Jiang Tongyan got it—he was too soft. No matter what Qian Xiaoke did, one little coy act, and he would forgive him instantly.

       He was too nice, Jiang Tongyan thought. I’m this great, and Qian Xiaoke doesn’t appreciate it—truly blind.

       It was the last workday before the National Day holiday. After cheering Jiang Tongyan up, Qian Xiaoke returned to his post, working hard.

       Cheng Sen finished up and came out to see the guests off. Once they were gone, he smiled and asked Qian Xiaoke, “Any plans for the holiday?”

       “Going home!” Qian Xiaoke hadn’t been back in ages. He used to rush home every break, but the past couple of years, his parents got a wild itch, retired early, sold their city place, and bought a little courtyard in the countryside.

       His folks were living it up—raising chickens, ducks, geese, tending flowers and plants, too busy to miss Qian Xiaoke out on his own.

       Qian Xiaoke had sulked, testing how long it’d take them to remember their son. Turns out, they never did.

       In the end, he caved first—time to go home.

       “Oh… I thought you’d go to New York.”

       “Huh?” Qian Xiaoke tilted his head at Cheng Sen. “New York? Chairman Cheng sending me on a business trip?”

       That line felt oddly familiar, like he’d asked it before.

       Cheng Sen laughed, waving it off, “Nothing, forget I said it.”

       Come quitting time, Qian Xiaoke clocked out and bolted—he had bought an evening ticket to head home tonight.

       Back at his place, Qian Xiaoke tidied up, grabbed his suitcase, and was about to leave. At the door, he glanced at the clothes hanging on the balcony, stared for a moment, then snapped a photo with his phone.

       It was that outfit Jiang Tongyan had left behind—they had eaten stinky tofu at home. Jiang Tongyan complained of the smell and ditched it there.

       Qian Xiaoke, ever diligent, washed it for him.

       The new place’s washing machine was great. After disinfection, the first batch of clothes he washed was Jiang Tongyan’s clothes.

       Qian Xiaoke proudly sent the pic to Jiang Tongyan, fishing for praise.

       Jiang Tongyan saw it the next morning when he woke up. He wanted to complain—those clothes weren’t machine-washable!

       But he held back and dutifully praised Qian Xiaoke: You’re one diligent little bastard!

       Qian Xiaoke got the ‘praise’ after arriving home, squatting in his courtyard, picking tonight’s meal.

       Fat chicken or fat duck?

       That was the question.

       Qian Xiaoke snapped pics of his courtyard’s chickens, ducks, and geese, sending them to Jiang Tongyan: Pick one—I’m gonna kill it for meat!

       Jiang Tongyan: …None of that meat looks tastier than you. Stew yourself!

---

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       The perfectly good idol-drama vibe was ruined the moment Jiang Tongyan opened his mouth, turning it into a comedic skit.

       In fact, he did it on purpose—he didn’t want to see Qian Xiaoke cry. That kind of melodramatic role didn’t suit someone so cute.

       “How can you say that?” Qian Xiaoke swatted him, then wriggled out of his arms. “Don’t curse my husband.”

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled inwardly: Protecting me, huh?

       Little did he know, in Qian Xiaoke’s mind, the ‘husband’ role wasn’t his yet.

       “Alright, wipe your snot,” Jiang Tongyan said, taking the tissue from him and rubbing his nose hard. “Gross.”

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him, still mumbling apologies.

       “Stop it, or I’ll cut your tongue off,” Jiang Tongyan said, finishing the wipe. He held the tissue in one hand and grabbed Qian Xiaoke’s umbrella-holding hand with the other, leading him to a trash can to toss it. “Cry again, and I’ll throw you in here.”

       Qian Xiaoke saw him seriously threatening him and burst into a teary laugh. “Then I’ll see you off tomorrow.”

       “You? Seeing me off? Forget it.” Jiang Tongyan actually wanted Qian Xiaoke to send him off, but Qian Xiaoke didn’t have a car. The airport was far—sure, he could pay for a cab there, but the return? Qian Xiaoke, that penny-pincher, wouldn’t shell out for a ride back, switching buses and subways multiple times. Just thinking about it sounded exhausting.

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t want him to go through that—he was being considerate.

       But to Qian Xiaoke, it sounded like he was being called a bother, so he just pouted and dropped it.

       They stood under the umbrella at the neighbourhood gate. The rain poured fiercely, making it hard to hail a cab.

       Waiting by the roadside, Jiang Tongyan said, “I’m fine. I’ve already booked a doctor—going back, I’ll get a proper one to check me out.”

       Proper doctor?

       Qian Xiaoke tilted his head at him. “You saying I’m not proper?”

       “What do you think?” Jiang Tongyan grinned at him.

       Whether Qian Xiaoke was proper or not, they both knew the answer.

       Qian Xiaoke turned back, staring at a nearby puddle. He heard Jiang Tongyan say, “You don’t need to feel guilty. I’m partly to blame too.”

       It was true, their beginning was a mistake.

       Not entirely alcohol’s fault—they’d drunk a lot the night before, but the next day, they weren’t so out of it that they couldn’t think. Looking back, they both had impure intentions, each trying to take advantage of the other, which led to this huge mess.

       It was a lesson from fate.

       Good, in a way—it taught them something, though the cost was steep.

       “Xiaoke.”

       Qian Xiaoke looked at Jiang Tongyan. It was the first time he’d called him without his surname—pretty intimate.

       “Hm?”

       “Let’s call our treatment done here,” Jiang Tongyan said. “We both know what this time’s been about.”

       Jiang Tongyan had misunderstood—he thought Qian Xiaoke was also out to take advantage of him. But really, Qian Xiaoke’s goal was pure and simple: just healing him.

       “Tomorrow, when I’m back, the doctor will give me a plan. You don’t need to worry,” Jiang Tongyan said. He found the rainy day annoying, making his heart feel damp. “Forget what should be forgotten, let go of what should be let go.”

       Now it was Jiang Tongyan’s turn to play the tragic lead, but Qian Xiaoke wasn’t buying into the drama.

       “The taxi’s here,” Qian Xiaoke said as a taxi pulled up. Jiang Tongyan got in and looked at Qian Xiaoke standing there, reluctant to leave but forced to go. “Head back.”

       At that moment, Jiang Tongyan felt a bit dead inside. He resolved not to contact Qian Xiaoke again until he was fully healed.

       But men’s resolutions are sometimes like a fart—released, sniffed, and gone.

       One hour after parting with Qian Xiaoke, back at his hotel, Jiang Tongyan missed him so much he got hard.

       Ten hours after parting, on the way to the airport, he suddenly realised he didn’t even have Qian Xiaoke’s phone number. He immediately called Cheng Sen to get it.

       Twenty hours after parting, at 30,000 feet, staring at the clouds, he pictured Qian Xiaoke rolling happily on them.

       Barely separated, Jiang Tongyan missed Qian Xiaoke like crazy.

       All his prior decisions vanished the moment he landed in New York.

       Off the plane, he tried contacting Qian Xiaoke right away. However, Qian Xiaoke looked at the strange string of numbers and searched on the computer. He found that it was an international call and refused to answer.

       He figured no one from abroad would call him—until half an hour later, it hit him: Could it be Jiang Tongyan?

       Probably not.

       Qian Xiaoke thought: Why would Jiang Tongyan call me? He wouldn’t think of me.

       At that thought, he felt a tiny pang of disappointment. Even if Jiang Tongyan said he would come back someday, who knew how long ‘someday’ was? Back in New York, with all his friends and family, he would soon forget a boring, useless guy like him. By their next meeting, Jiang Tongyan might not even recall his name.

       That thought stung a bit.

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t answer Jiang Tongyan’s call. Both clutched their phones, lost in their own wild thoughts.

       Back home, unpacking, Jiang Tongyan suddenly spotted a small coin pouch with a husky face on it in his suitcase.

       Qian Xiaoke had given it to him that night they ate barbecue.

       They’d stuffed themselves, strolling back to Qian Xiaoke’s place, passing street stalls with cheap trinkets. The pouch was 12 yuan—Qian Xiaoke said the dog face had his vibe and bought it for him.

       Back then, Jiang Tongyan had scoffed at it. Now, it felt precious.

       He sat on the carpet, holding the pouch and grinning stupidly. His phone rang—work, notifying him about tomorrow’s meeting.

       The last handover meeting at this company—after that, he would start the resignation process.

       Jiang Tongyan got up, circled a date on his calendar.

       He planned to return to China two months from then, though he wasn’t sure it would pan out.

       After the call, he checked his phone again, added Qian Xiaoke on WeChat—no response from the kid.

       Jiang Tongyan panicked, messaging Cheng Sen: Tell Qian Xiaoke to hurry up and accept my friend request!

       Cheng Sen was floored: What? You two haven’t even added each other yet? What’ve you been doing?

       In Cheng Sen’s mind, they were already a thing. But Jiang Tongyan was asking for Qian Xiaoke’s number before leaving, and now begging him to push Qian Xiaoke to accept his request—what was this?

       Were they playing some game?

       Had he misunderstood? Were they not dating, just casual hookups?

       It didn’t add up, no matter how he looked at it.

       Cheng Sen couldn’t fathom that his sharp-minded work friend and future partner turned brain-dead around his company’s little receptionist.

       Burdened with duty, Cheng Sen had to go to Qian Xiaoke. As a friend, he was truly breaking his heart for Jiang Tongyan.

       Jiang Tongyan, having unpacked, didn’t want to move. He sat on the carpet, sipping water, staring out the window, waiting for Qian Xiaoke to approve his request.

       The trip had been tiring—he should’ve showered and slept, but until Qian Xiaoke accepted his request, he couldn’t relax for a minute.

       That song got it right—love’s a tormenting thing.

       Way too tormenting.

       By now, Jiang Tongyan had totally forgotten his vow not to contact Qian Xiaoke until he was healed.

       His phone pinged. He grabbed it fast.

       Qian Xiaoke had accepted his friend request and sent a pig-head emoji.

       A pink pig with a question mark.

       Question mark my ass! Jiang Tongyan thought. Shouldn’t he send a kiss emoji instead?

       He sent a voice message: “What’re you up to? Why didn’t you pick up my call?”

       Qian Xiaoke was at work, glanced around to make sure no one was near, then listened.

       He replied in text: At work. You need something?

       I need something to be able to call you? What kind of person are you!?

       Jiang Tongyan started getting mad again.

       After all this time together, he’d figured it out—if he ended up with Qian Xiaoke, he might age prematurely from the stress, maybe even hit menopause early.

       Knowing that, he still couldn’t stop himself from wanting to reach out.

       Jiang Tongyan roasted himself inwardly, then kept chatting.

       “Can’t I call you for no reason?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon.”

       Hearing about the doctor, Qian Xiaoke got nervous early.

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to chat more, but after a few lines, Qian Xiaoke got busy.

       Fine, be busy—Jiang Tongyan huffed, rolled his eyes, and went to shower.

       He suddenly felt like he was in a long-distance relationship with Qian Xiaoke. Far apart, but… kinda fun.

       In the shower, he checked himself in the mirror, poked at his frustrating organ, and sighed.

       With the time difference between China and New York, Jiang Tongyan started adjusting his clock. Whenever he remembered, he would message Qian Xiaoke on WeChat.

       He used to only use WeChat for work with people back home—no emojis ever. But for Qian Xiaoke, he had saved a bunch, sending one whenever he remembered.

       So childish.

       The next day, Jiang Tongyan saw the doctor. He got a physical first, confirming the issue wasn’t there. He was relieved and then went to a psychologist.

       It was embarrassing, but he laid it all out—how he went limp, how he had half risen then flopped, how he had nearly triumphed only to wilt at the last second.

       He held nothing back, spilling every detail.

       He wasn’t sure if the therapist was just comforting him, but she said it was just stress—relax, and he’d see big improvements.

       Jiang Tongyan didn’t buy it. With a wave, he booked a full therapy course, then messaged Qian Xiaoke to report.

       Jiang Tongyan: What’re you doing? I saw the doctor.

       Qian Xiaoke replied: Whoa, whoa, whoa! I know who Shen Huiming is now!

---

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       Qian Xiaoke wasn’t a stranger to kissing—he wasn’t that inexperienced.

       Take last time, for instance. When he and Jiang Tongyan had just met, on that big hotel bed, they were kissing pretty passionately.

       But later, Qian Xiaoke thought it over and figured he might’ve still been buzzed from the alcohol. Otherwise, how could he have done something so bizarre?

       Yes, he’d reflected on it. He knew he was odd.

       He was a reserved and pure person—when his head was clear, he wouldn’t just hop into bed with anyone.

       That said, it was exactly because of that time that the two of them ended up with this messy fate.

       But to be honest, kissing Jiang Tongyan was still pretty… comfortable.

       It was like steaming in a sauna. Sure, he only went once a year during company outings—since it was kinda pricey—but that weird, wonderful feeling stuck with him.

       His pores opened, limbs went weak, and he felt pure bliss—he wanted to hit the sauna again.

       Qian Xiaoke felt comfortable like he had turned to little ball of cotton, letting Jiang Tongyan knead and shape him however he pleased.

       As for Jiang Tongyan, he felt like he wasn’t kissing Qian Xiaoke’s mouth but drinking some secret brew Qian Xiaoke had stashed away. No—Qian Xiaoke was the brew, a high-proof liquor that hit hard with one sip.

       Jiang Tongyan was drunk on it.

       Kissing boosts blood circulation—there’s science behind it. Jiang Tongyan wasn’t making it up to trick Qian Xiaoke.

       With better blood flow, his whole state perked up. What started as a ‘treatment’ slowly turned into something tender and sweet.

       Jiang Tongyan had always felt his current problem wasn’t physical. He knew his body—robust as hell! It was purely psychological, sparked by Qian Xiaoke pissing him off back then, leaving him with a mental block.

       A heart ailment needs a heart cure.

       The one who tied the bell must untie it.

       Now, the heart ailment was healing bit by bit, and the person who tied the bell was in his arms. Jiang Tongyan was getting a little c0cky.

        Kissing was really comfortable, but only with someone you liked.

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke didn’t have this awareness. He was just feeling it, while Jiang Tongyan was the only one overthinking and getting all worked up.

       What treatment?

       What doctor-patient relationship?

       Bullshit.

       Jiang Tongyan got it—he was messing around with Qian Xiaoke every day because he liked this little bastard!

       Because he liked this little bastard, kissing became extra meaningful.

       At some point, rain started falling outside, and the sky darkened. Raindrops pattered against the glass window—outside, the temperature must’ve dropped, but the two in the room were burning up.

       The ears were burning.

       The cheeks were burning.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Jiang Tongyan! You…”

       “Don’t speak,” Jiang Tongyan said, one hand covering his mouth, the other resting on his soft hair. “I’ll ask you a question—just nod or shake your head.”

       Qian Xiaoke’s heart was racing, his brain barely functioning.

       He hadn’t expected that after all his research and prep, none of his tricks would matter—just kissing Jiang Tongyan, and this guy… seemed fine!

       Maybe he was fixed.

       He wasn’t sure.

       Qian Xiaoke’s eyes darted to Jiang Tongyan, waiting for the question.

       “Do you want it?” Jiang Tongyan hadn’t meant to ask this—confessing outright would’ve been way cooler!

       But he was scared, afraid of rejection. A CEO getting rejected? It’s a major loss of face!

       Wanna date me?

       Or wanna do that thing?

       Qian Xiaoke, figure it out yourself—Jiang Tongyan could only get this far with words.

       Jiang Tongyan, this guy, had taken too many emotional losses. He had failed in every relationship he pursued. Anyone would end up with psychological trauma.

       He was already a proud guy, but after constant setbacks, and now with Qian Xiaoke, after being limp for so long, some things just couldn’t be said out loud.

       Jiang Tongyan hoped Qian Xiaoke could read minds, picking up his truest feelings from this simple ‘Do you want it?’

       But obviously, Qian Xiaoke was just an ordinary 27-year-old broke corporate slave. If he could read minds, he would have struck it rich ages ago.

       When Jiang Tongyan asked, Qian Xiaoke hesitated.

       He was torn, unsure what to choose.

       Qian Xiaoke saw himself as a pure and innocent boy.

       Sure, his age didn’t quite fit ‘boy’ anymore, but emotionally, he was still pure.

       Okay, maybe not emotionally pure either—a pure innocent boy wouldn’t have hooked up with a hot stranger he had just met while still tipsy.

       Back then, he could blame the lingering buzz, but now he was stone-cold sober.

       Rationally, Qian Xiaoke knew he shouldn’t.

       But humans are emotional creatures!

       He craved a taste of adult happiness too!

       In those few seconds, Qian Xiaoke was overwhelmed, like he was back in the college entrance exam hall, unsure whether to follow the judgment of reason or the call of emotion.

       Seeing him waver, Jiang Tongyan got nervous. He was terrified his freshly improved state would crash again. He leaned down, kissing Qian Xiaoke through his own hand—basically kissing his own hand back.

       It actually came off pretty romantic and pure, straight out of a BL novel.

       Jiang Tongyan gazed at Qian Xiaoke with tender eyes, but his words were cold and ruthless.

       He said, “I’ll count down from three. If you don’t answer, I’m leaving.”

       He barely got ‘three’ out before Qian Xiaoke threw his arms around his neck. “Gege, hurry up already!”

       Humans are emotional animals—why overthink it? Just go for the joy!

       Later, Qian Xiaoke wrote in his diary:

       I think it’s worth reminding all my friends and family that there are risks and you need to be cautious. When picking partners, be careful—choose someone you really know, don’t be reckless.

       That was his rational takeaway, meant to tell everyone he didn’t endorse one-night stands.

       Beyond the rational summary, he added a deeply emotional line: Jiang Tongyan’s condition improved, and this attending physician felt a tiny bit of joy and relief today.

       Just a tiny bit, because while Jiang Tongyan’s condition was improving, they still couldn’t go all the way.

       The scene had turned super awkward.

       They had scrambled to find a KY substitute in Qian Xiaoke’s place, managed a friendly ‘deep exchange’ before Jiang Tongyan went soft again, and just when it seemed they’d reach an understanding, at the last second, Jiang Tongyan wilted.

       So close.

       After, Jiang Tongyan sat on the bed’s edge, staring at the cold rain outside, smoking a cigarette called ‘sorrow’.

       Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoke, the ever-thoughtful ‘little doctor’, patted his shoulder gently from behind. “Healing takes time—can’t rush it. A little progress each time, and one day, you’ll fire all cannons here with me.”

       Fire all cannons?

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him.

       “Fire all cannons,” Qian Xiaoke said, grabbing his hand, cheering him on firmly. “Keep going—you can do it!”  

       ========

       When Jiang Tongyan left Qian Xiaoke’s place, he felt a bit off.

       His condition had improved, and under his whatever, Qian Xiaoke had even let out little cat-like mewls.

       But he still couldn’t fully satisfy the other, and besides smoking, he didn’t know what else to do.

       It sucked.

       It hurt his pride.

       As Jiang Tongyan stepped out, the rain kept falling. Qian Xiaoke offered to see him off, but he shoved him back inside.

       Qian Xiaoke asked through the door, “Should I send you off to the airport tomorrow?”

       Jiang Tongyan felt something lodge in his throat. He would love for Qian Xiaoke to see him off, but he also felt too ashamed to face him.

       Funny thing—Qian Xiaoke messed up first and caused this, yet now Jiang Tongyan felt he couldn’t hold his head up around him.

       Where’s the justice in that?

       “No need,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Cheng Sen’s sending a car.”

       “…Oh,” Qian Xiaoke said, standing inside, pursing his lips.

       Yeah, true—what could he do if he went? Without a car, it was just a hassle.

       Qian Xiaoke could clearly sense Jiang Tongyan’s mood swings today—starting off happy and excited because things were better, then steadily sinking. It felt rough.

       He didn’t know how to comfort Jiang Tongyan. For the first time, he felt his mouth was too dumb.

       Qian Xiaoke’s nose stung—he genuinely felt bad for the guy.

       After Jiang Tongyan went downstairs, Qian Xiaoke stayed at the door, frozen, like someone had hit his pressure points.

       Meanwhile, Jiang Tongyan stood at the building entrance, watching the pouring rain, thinking he had been a bit rash. In such heavy rain, he would inevitably get wet if he went to the entrance of the community to take a taxi.

       He sighed, feeling impulsive.

       But it was already like this—going back to borrow an umbrella would be even more humiliating.

       Jiang Tongyan pulled out his phone, sent another message to his therapist to confirm their meeting, and even considered a full physical checkup. After sending it, he sighed long again and stepped out.

       The rain was heavy and cold, kinda like that day Lu Yiping¹from Romance in the Rain drama went to her dad for money.

       A few steps out, someone called him.

       This idol-drama-like?

       Jiang Tongyan turned—yep, it was.

       Qian Xiaoke ran out with an umbrella, and stepped into a puddle. He slipped in his flip-flops, and nearly fell flat. Lucky Jiang Tongyan reacted fast, grabbing him into his arms.

       “What are you doing?” Jiang Tongyan frowned at him. “Filming an idol drama?”

       “Yeah,” Qian Xiaoke said, feet and pant legs wet. Since Jiang Tongyan was taller, he had to hold the umbrella high. “It’s pouring—I’ll walk you out.”

       Under the umbrella, they were like a little safe haven.

       Qian Xiaoke looked up at Jiang Tongyan, pulling neatly folded tissue from his pants pocket.

       He wiped the rain off Jiang Tongyan’s face. “So pitiful.”

       Jiang Tongyan looked down at him, and the longer he looked, the harder it was to hold his emotions.

       It sucked, but Qian Xiaoke somehow moved him too.

       The cold autumn rain had chilled Jiang Tongyan, but Qian Xiaoke warmed his heart.

       “A CEO can’t look this lost,” Qian Xiaoke said, realising he really pitied Jiang Tongyan. “People would laugh if they saw.”

       Just as he finished, Jiang Tongyan pulled him into a hug.

       Now it was straight-up idol drama.

       Qian Xiaoke froze, then held the umbrella with one hand and patted his back with the other.

       “There, there, I know you’re upset,” Qian Xiaoke said, coaxing him like a kid. “Sorry—it’s all my fault.”

       As he spoke, Qian Xiaoke’s eyes reddened. He was so mad at himself—it was his fault Jiang Tongyan ended up like this.

       Qian Xiaoke comforted Jiang Tongyan but ended up crying himself. “Sorry… it’s all because of me… don’t be like this… it hurts to see…”

       Both of them were hurting.

       Neither of them felt okay.

       Jiang Tongyan was already down about his body issues, and Qian Xiaoke crying doubled it.

       “Don’t cry,” Jiang Tongyan said. “People might think your husband died.”

---

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       Qian Xiaoke had known from the start that Jiang Tongyan would leave, but because they met almost every day and talked nonsense every time they met, he had come to see Jiang Tongyan as a colleague, a neighbor, a random somebody—a constant presence in his life. So he had automatically ignored that this person would actually leave, and leave far away.

       He had even overlooked that Jiang Tongyan wasn’t from here at all. This man’s home was in distant New York, America—a place he had never been to and might never go in his lifetime.

       What was New York to Qian Xiaoke?

       To him, it was a place that only existed on a globe or in the news. Before meeting Jiang Tongyan, he had never thought he would have any connection to someone living there. If he had to force a link, it’d be something like ‘we all live in the global village’.

       “To…tomorrow?” Qian Xiaoke was completely unprepared, hit with a feeling of ‘you think there’s plenty of time ahead, but in a flash, it’s goodbye forever’.

       His grip on Jiang Tongyan’s hand tightened unconsciously.

       Jiang Tongyan noticed the change and was secretly pleased. He suddenly felt that Qian Xiaoke might not want him to go.

       “Well,” Jiang Tongyan said, “what’s wrong?”

       Qian Xiaoke’s eyes were dull and lifeless, his head slightly lowered as he looked at their clasped hands, his face full of disappointment.

       “It’s so sudden,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I thought it would be a long time.”

       Jiang Tongyan saw the fluffy bunny’s ears droop. It was cute, but a little heartbreaking. He wanted to comfort him, but then he suddenly glanced at Qian Xiaoke’s pot. “Hey, hey, hey! Water, water, water!”

       Qian Xiaoke hurriedly turned back, lowering the heat.

       His wontons were almost done. This might be the last meal he would eat with Jiang Tongyan.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t quite describe how he felt—a sour ache at the tip of his heart.

       He carefully stirred the wontons in the pot with a spoon while thinking it over.

       “Jiang Tongyan,” Qian Xiaoke muttered, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

       “…Are you unhappy?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I thought you knew.”

       He really thought Qian Xiaoke knew, since the hotel he stayed at was arranged by Cheng Sen’s company. He had assumed an employee like Qian Xiaoke would have his whereabouts very well.

       “I didn’t know,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I’m in the administrative department. They only tell me things when they need me to run errands.”

       His position was important in a way, but not really—there was a lot about the company he didn’t actually know.

       Qian Xiaoke felt his current mood might be because Jiang Tongyan’s departure was so sudden, leaving him no time to prepare.

       What kind of person was he?

       The type who, once he got close to someone, quickly bared his heart to them.

       Truth be told, Qian Xiaoke had been pretty lonely since starting work. His old close friends were in different cities. Here, his colleagues had their own lives and friends—he hadn’t met anyone he really clicked with. The only person he had stayed decently close to, Zhou Mo, was busier, caught up with career and love, leaving him all alone.

       Qian Xiaoke was someone who liked liveliness, being forced to be alone like this was tough.

       Jiang Tongyan’s appearance had cheered Qian Xiaoke up a lot. Sure, their meeting was a bit indescribable, and every encounter since had been awkward, but Qian Xiaoke really liked hanging out with Jiang Tongyan.

       Taking a clueless rich guy to eat snacks and drink beer had suddenly made his after-work hours way more fun.

       With Jiang Tongyan leaving out of the blue, Qian Xiaoke would be alone again, and it was hard not to feel down.

       Jiang Tongyan stood diagonally behind him, watching him fiddle with the wontons.

       Qian Xiaoke was a simple guy—his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all showed right on his face. Jiang Tongyan wasn’t truly heartless; he could see Qian Xiaoke didn’t want him to go.

       He poked Qian Xiaoke’s shoulder with a finger. “Just say it if you’ll miss me.”

       “A little,” Qian Xiaoke said honestly, at least more honest than Jiang Tongyan. “When you’re gone, I won’t have anyone to hang out with after work.”

       Jiang Tongyan thought: Well, damn, so in your mind I’m just a playmate!

       But fine, a playmate then—Jiang Tongyan accepted it.

       Mainly because he had no choice; it wasn’t up to him.

       But thinking it over seriously, Jiang Tongyan actually felt he could be happy about this. At least Qian Xiaoke had him in his heart.

       “I didn’t expect that,” Jiang Tongyan said, his mouth incapable of sweet words. “You’ve actually got a heart and would miss me.”

       Qian Xiaoke sighed, pouring the cooked wontons into a big bowl. “Chairman Jiang, is this dinner tonight our farewell dinner?”

       “…Can’t you say something lucky? Farewell what? It’s not like I’m never coming back.” But then it would be months before he could return.

       Jiang Tongyan calculated with his fingers—at least over two months.

       It was only late September now. The soonest he could be back was late November or early December. By then, this city might even be snowy.

       Two months.

       Jiang Tongyan suddenly worried—after two months, would Qian Xiaoke forget him?

       “You’ll come back?” Qian Xiaoke was surprised. “I heard Chairman Cheng say your home’s in New York!”

       Jiang Tongyan eagerly carried the big bowl of wontons to the table, nearly burning his hands into roasted pig hooves.

       “Who says living in New York before means I can’t come back later?” Jiang Tongyan said, twisting his words eight hundred ways. “I didn’t sell myself to America.”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed, grabbing chopsticks and a spoon as he walked to the table, asking weakly, “So when will you come back?”

       “End of the year, probably,” Jiang Tongyan said, glancing at him sideways. “What? Have you secretly fallen for me, counting the days ‘til I’m back?”

       “No,” Qian Xiaoke answered flatly. “I just think you’re pretty fun, and there’s still lots of good food I haven’t taken you to eat.”

       What to say? Jiang Tongyan should’ve rolled his eyes at that ‘no’, but the follow-up sentence somehow moved him a little.

       Liking someone meant wanting to take them to eat all the world’s best food.

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke might not have the money or brains for that—he just saw Jiang Tongyan as a ‘food buddy’.

       “And our treatment’s not done yet,” Qian Xiaoke said, most concerned about this. “If you’re not better, I won’t rest easy.”

       That made Jiang Tongyan awkward.

       He coughed lightly, rubbing his hot ears.

       “Let’s try again later—maybe it’ll work,” Jiang Tongyan said, coming over today with his sneaky little thoughts.

       A bit sleazy, a bit crude, a bit shameless.

       But he really wanted to try—give himself something to hold onto for the next two months. He was leaving soon, gone for two months—couldn’t he snag a little sweetness before going?

       “En,” Qian Xiaoke sat down to eat, saying seriously to Jiang Tongyan, “I checked today—impotence means you should eat more kidney-tonifying, essence-boosting foods, like bull’s pen-s, sheep’s pen-s, ginseng, or deer antler.”

       Qian Xiaoke ate a big wonton, not seeing Jiang Tongyan’s expression, chewed, swallowed, then continued, “The good stuff’s too expensive. I’ll save up to buy some for you—don’t rush.”

       “…Cough, no need,” Jiang Tongyan said, torn between laughter and tears. How did this guy manage to be both maddening and cute?

       Jiang Tongyan took a deep breath to calm down, then mumbled, “Just touch me—that’s fine.”

       Though it was probably useless.

       Jiang Tongyan felt Qian Xiaoke’s touches didn’t actually do anything. He kept coming every day, honestly, because he was sleazy, crude, and shameless. He was just taking advantage.

       He had reflected and decided he couldn’t keep this up. It wasn’t something a gentleman would do.

       Jiang Tongyan had resolved—today was the last time. After this, he would wash his hands of it, go back to New York, and see a doctor properly.

       Truly, the righteous path was the hard road.

       Qian Xiaoke sighed. “Well, touching is a must, but you’ve got to have some supplement too.”

       He was worried—worried about everything. So worried he could only eat more wontons to ease the gloom.

       Qian Xiaoke was a little out of shape that night.

       After dinner with Jiang Tongyan, they both showered. They were clean and comfy, then went to the bedroom together.

       The bed was cozy, and after a shower, he should’ve felt good, but Qian Xiaoke couldn’t perk up.

       Jiang Tongyan leaned on the bed while Qian Xiaoke petted him, his touch lifeless.

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “What’re you thinking about?”

       Qian Xiaoke snapped back, muttering, “Nothing, just anxious.”

       Jiang Tongyan licked his lips and said, “I saw a science fact today.”

       “Hm? What fact?”

       “It said… kissing boosts blood circulation,” Jiang Tongyan started setting his trap. “When kissing, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, triggering lots of adrenaline.”

       Qian Xiaoke said, “Just say it straight.”

       “Though it’s a bit embarrassing, wanna try kissing?” Jiang Tongyan’s ears were not the only ones red at this time; his whole body turned red. “Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything else—just treating a dead horse like it’s alive. What if it works?”

       Qian Xiaoke knelt on the bed, looking at him. His blinking eyes seemed to see everything but were really full of question marks.

       Seeing no response, Jiang Tongyan thought he would refuse, so he quickly explained, “If you don’t want to, it’s fine—I won’t force you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not—”

       “Let’s try then. It’s not like we haven’t kissed,” Qian Xiaoke said. After all, the day they met, they had done this and that. Without the later mishap, their relationship might’ve gone a whole different way.

       Qian Xiaoke licked his lips. He was serious, like he was doing research, and asked, “How do we kiss? Does it need to be one of those sticky French kisses?”

       Jiang Tongyan was shocked. “You know French kissing?”

       “Read it in novels, but never tried.”

       “…What novels do you read?”

       “Various,” Qian Xiaoke answered solemnly. “After we’re done, I’ll recommend some I’ve liked lately. Remember to download a reading app for the legal versions—if you like them, toss the authors some votes.”

       Jiang Tongyan had no interest in those novels and didn’t get the reading app or thunder stuff—he’d just sighed casually.

       “Shall we start now?” Qian Xiaoke said. “Should I chew gum first?”

       Jiang Tongyan was annoyed—this guy was too talkative. It was just a kiss, yet he had so many questions.

       While Qian Xiaoke wondered if he had brought gum when he moved, Jiang Tongyan pulled him into his arms, flipped him over, and pinned him to the bed.

       Qian Xiaoke sank into the soft bed, blinking innocently up at Jiang Tongyan.

       “You got a bit of that domineering CEO vibe,” Qian Xiaoke said, wrapping his arms around Jiang Tongyan’s neck. “Let’s start, I… mmph…”

       Shut up, Qian Xiaoke!

       To stop him from talking, Jiang Tongyan had no choice but to reluctantly block his mouth with his own.

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T/N:
Lmao author is subtly saying to not read in non legal site (ᵔ́∀ᵔ̀)
Well to support the author work please click the link provided below~!

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       Qian Xiaoke didn’t know how he had upset Jiang Tongyan again. However, since the other party told him to shut up, shutting up was the best choice. After all, listen to advice and you’ll eat your fill¹It implies that taking good advice from others will benefit you.

       The two stood in the elevator. Qian Xiaoke did not say anything more, focusing instead on observing the elevator in his new home.

       He had to admit. The new place… Even the elevator outside looked high-class!

       Tears welled up again. Qian Xiaoke bit his sleeve and felt like he was truly a lucky little boy.

       Jiang Tongyan sulked beside him, inwardly grumbling that Qian Xiaoke had no taste.

       What was so great about a poor kid?

       So many people wanted to marry into wealth and never got the chance!

       He had figured it out—Qian Xiaoke’s brain wasn’t just off; it wasn’t merely a missing screw anymore!

       Leaving the complex, Qian Xiaoke asked considerately, “Chairman Jiang, want to go to the company with me?”

       It seemed like an invitation to travel together, but in fact, he was thinking if Jiang Tongyan was heading to their company too, he could hitch a ride again.

       Qian Xiaoke had plenty of little tricks up his sleeve!

       In the end, he was coldly rejected.

       Jiang Tongyan hadn’t planned to go in the first place, and now, wearing wrinkled clothes with nothing under his pants, he definitely couldn’t. Plus, Qian Xiaoke had just pissed him off—angry people don’t work!

       So they parted ways at the neighbourhood’s gate. Qian Xiaoke said, “See you tonight then.”

       Jiang Tongyan, still unhappy, didn’t respond and walked off.

       Watching Jiang Tongyan’s retreating back, Qian Xiaoke worriedly thought: Tonight’s treatment—I wonder if it’ll work!

       Doctor Qian was really dedicated!

       ===========

       Qian Xiaoke went to work, while Jiang Tongyan returned to his hotel. He took another shower, changed clothes, and called Cheng Sen to get busy with work.

       He was flying back to New York tomorrow, and the project here would be finished today.

       In the end, there wasn’t much important left to do—most things had been handled. Cheng Sen visited him at the hotel and casually suggested celebrating tonight, but Jiang Tongyan made up an excuse about rescheduling.

       Though Jiang Tongyan didn’t say it, Cheng Sen guessed what he was up to.

       A date, obviously—with Qian Xiaoke.

       Valuing romance over friendship—that was Jiang Tongyan for you.

       Cheng Sen asked him, “How’s it going?”

       “I’ll handle the paperwork when I get back, but I won’t be here until year-end.”

       “Who’s asking about that?” Cheng Sen said with a gossipy look on his face. “You and Qian Xiaoke—things going alright?”

       He smiled and said, “You’re leaving—didn’t he cry and beg you to stay?”

       Hearing Qian Xiaoke’s name, Jiang Tongyan instantly turned red from his ears to his neck. “Qian Xiaoke? Who’s that? Progress with what? Why would he cry?”

       Cheng Sen laughed heartily. He waved his hand dismissively and left. “No idea who that is—just some unimportant extra, I suppose.”

       An unimportant extra?

       Better not let Qian Xiaoke hear that.

       But after Cheng Sen left, as Jiang Tongyan packed his bags, he did feel some reluctance.

       Would Qian Xiaoke be reluctant to be apart from him?

       If he knew he was leaving, would he have broken down and cried?

       If he did cry, what then?

       He got serious stuff to handle back there—no matter what, he had to go!

       Did Qian Xiaoke even have a passport?

       Getting him a visa now… he’s so poor—could he even get a U.S. visa?

       Jiang Tongyan packed while his mind ran wild. Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoke was at work, full of energy, sneaking off to the bathroom to study on his phone.

       Studying how to treat impotence.

       So diligent, it could move heaven and earth.

       Near the end of the workday, Qian Xiaoke started thinking about what to eat tonight. Since he and Jiang Tongyan had agreed to meet earlier at his place for the treatment, why not cook at home?

       No instant noodles this time—maybe wontons.

       He was mulling it over when Cheng Sen stepped out of the elevator.

       “Hello, Chairman Cheng!” Qian Xiaoke flashed his pretty eight-tooth smile.

       Cheng Sen glanced at him and casually asked, “Any plans tonight?”

       “Huh? Overtime?”

       “Nah, just asking.” Cheng Sen sauntered back to his office and left him with, “Leave quickly after work—don’t linger around here.”

       Qian Xiaoke didn’t get it. Confused, he sat down, pondering his boss’s words.

       Could it be that… he was going to fire me?

       Qian Xiaoke succeeded in scaring himself to death again.

       After the work ended at six o’clock, Qian Xiaoke didn’t dawdle this time—he left right on time. He had to follow the boss’s orders, after all.

       As soon as he stepped out of the office building, he saw Jiang Tongyan standing there with a bag of fruit, waiting for who-knows-who.

       Pretty handsome.

       “Chairman Jiang!” Qian Xiaoke greeted him politely.

       Jiang Tongyan turned at his voice and glanced at him. “Rushing out the second work ends—if I were your boss, I would be mad at you.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, ignoring him.

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to say more but hesitated, switching to, “Let’s go—what’s for dinner?”

       “Huh?”

       “Didn’t you say earlier today?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I came specially for you—don’t tell me you’re bailing on me!”

       “You were waiting for me?” Qian Xiaoke was surprised. “I thought you were here for Chairman Cheng.”

       “The project’s done—why would I need him?” Jiang Tongyan shoved the bag of fruit into Qian Xiaoke’s hand. “Too heavy—you carry it.”

       It wasn’t until they were in the taxi that Qian Xiaoke realised Jiang Tongyan had said, “You carry it.”

       You.

       “Chairman Jiang, you bought this for me?”

       The bag had some apples, a few bunches of gr4p3s, and a couple of gorgeous pomegranates.

       “For a pig.”

       Qian Xiaoke burst out with a ‘pfft’ laugh.

       “Chairman Jiang, I can’t accept gifts without merit.”

       Jiang Tongyan sat in the front passenger seat and was too shy to look back. However, his ears were red like they’d been soaked in chili oil.

       “I said it’s for a pig—you’re owning up to it?”

       “You’ve called me a pig before,” Qian Xiaoke said, holding back laughter as best he could.

       He realised Jiang Tongyan was actually pretty fun—the classic type who says one thing but means another, giving gifts but too embarrassed to admit it. On closer thought, it was kinda cute.

       Qian Xiaoke sat in the back, hugging the big bag of fruit, and heard Jiang Tongyan ask, “So, uh, when I call you a pig, you don’t get mad?”

       “Nope, I’m not angry,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Pigs are pretty cute too.”

       What kind of logic was that?

       Jiang Tongyan was stunned.

       But then he thought, fair enough—nothing Qian Xiaoke said was surprising anymore.

       “So it’s really for me?” Qian Xiaoke poked at the pomegranates, practically drooling. “But I…”

       “Don’t give me that ‘no merit, no reward’ line,” Jiang Tongyan said. “It’s for you; take it. If you don’t want it, toss it when we get out.”

       The driver, who’d been eavesdropping and snickering, couldn’t hold back anymore.  “Don’t toss it!”

       He looked at Qian Xiaoke in the rearview mirror. “Hey, kid, if you don’t want it, leave it in the car—I’ll take it home for my son tonight.”

       Jiang Tongyan shot a glare—not at the driver, but at Qian Xiaoke, the subtext being: Dare to toss it, and I’ll toss you out first!

       Qian Xiaoke obviously couldn’t throw it—nowhere was an option.

       Hugging the fruit, he grinned at the driver. “No way! Chairman Jiang bought this for me—it’s precious!”

       That one line cheered Jiang Tongyan right up, his mood soaring. He was so easy to please!

       They went straight to Qian Xiaoke’s place, stopping at the supermarket downstairs to grab a bag of frozen wontons.

       “Is this okay?” Qian Xiaoke said. “I feel like eating it.”

       “If you want it, eat it,” Jiang Tongyan said. “If you like it, buy a few more packs.”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed. “Almost twenty yuan a pack! Why buy so many?”

       Jiang Tongyan followed him home, muttering, “Don’t be so stingy. Eat what you want—don’t be too hard on yourself.”

       Once inside, Qian Xiaoke told Jiang Tongyan to rest while he changed and ran into the kitchen.

       Jiang Tongyan followed anyway, watching Qian Xiaoke boil water for the wontons, suddenly feeling a bit sentimental.

       “Qian Xiaoke.”

       “Hm?” Qian Xiaoke, in his Pikachu T-shirt, turned to look at Jiang Tongyan.

       “Um… if I left, would you miss me?”

       “Leave? Where are you going?”

       “Back to New York,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Once the project here’s done, I’m heading back.”

       Qian Xiaoke puffed out his cheeks, looking like a little squirrel.

       He thought for a moment and said, “I would really think about you a lot.”

       Jiang Tongyan almost smiled, but then Qian Xiaoke added, “If you leave and I haven’t fixed your problem, wouldn’t that hold you back?”

       “…That’s the only reason you’d think about me?” Jiang Tongyan frowned.

       Qian Xiaoke carefully poured the wontons into the boiling water, suddenly feeling a bit melancholic.

       “Chairman Jiang, I’m really sorry.”

       It was rare for Qian Xiaoke to apologise so seriously, his tone so downcast that it pinched Jiang Tongyan’s heart.

       “Why the sudden apology?”

       “I just feel like it’s all my fault,” Qian Xiaoke said, head down, gently stirring the wontons. “I was the one who made the mistake in the beginning.”

       His sudden seriousness threw Jiang Tongyan off balance.

       Qian Xiaoke had always wanted to apologise to Jiang Tongyan properly but never knew how to say it.

       He had no brain, was dumb, and couldn’t handle anything well.

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips. “Chairman Jiang, I know I made a huge mistake, turning you into this. Sometimes I wake up from nightmares about it.”

       Jiang Tongyan sighed, thinking: You’re not the only one.

       “I’ve thought about how this must affect your future relationships.”

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to roll his eyes.

       Qian Xiaoke sighed. “I’ve considered that if you don’t mind, I’d be willing to be with you—I don’t care if you can’t get it up.”

       That line left Jiang Tongyan unsure whether to laugh or cry.

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to say he didn’t mind and that he’d definitely get it up eventually!

       But before he could, Qian Xiaoke muttered to himself, “But then I think, nah, how could you not mind? Who am I? Ugly, poor, uneducated—how could I ever climb up to someone like you?”

       “Huh?”

       “Ugh, if this were a BL novel, I’d be the cannon fodder bottom who never gets love,” Qian Xiaoke said woefully. “Not to mention this is real life—turning into a phoenix from a branch²climbing social status like how Cinderella did? That kind of thing doesn’t exist. I’d better not dream.”

       He turned and held Jiang Tongyan’s hand.

       “Chairman Jiang, I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you regain your confidence as a man before you leave. You’ll go back to New York and shine. Don’t worry—I won’t hold you back!”

       Jiang Tongyan’s hand was squeezed hard, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if this guy was joking or serious. He really wanted to crack open Qian Xiaoke’s head to see what kind of wiring let him stage an entire drama by himself.

       “Qian Xiaoke.” Though Jiang Tongyan had been mentally roasting him, he somehow got swept into the act too, frowning dramatically as he said, “It’s too late—because tomorrow I’m heading back to New York.”

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       Qian Xiaoke hadn’t slept this soundly and comfortably in a long time.  

       Even though he had been living in his previous place for over a month, he still couldn’t fully relax and rest, constantly feeling anxious and on edge.  

       In fact, Qian Xiaoke really envied those who could afford to buy a house. He knew that owning a home wasn’t everything, but for people like him who worked and lived away from their hometowns, renting always came with a sense of drifting, as if nowhere was truly home.  

       But he also understood that, let alone buying a house, with his current financial situation, even being able to rent a decent place was already fortunate. Thankfully, he was lucky enough to have met a good boss.  

       Qian Xiaoke slept soundly, completely unaware that it wasn’t because of his good boss, but because…  

       Jiang Tongyan was woken up by Qian Xiaoke’s alarm—a cheap, old-fashioned alarm clock he had bought online for 12 yuan, with a sound so loud it could practically take a person’s life.

       The moment the alarm rang, Jiang Tongyan jolted awake in shock, almost sending his skull flying up to the ceiling. He sat up abruptly, nearly knocking Qian Xiaoke, who was in his arms, onto the floor.  

       Qian Xiaoke had long been accustomed to the alarm and didn’t react much. The only reason he got startled was because of Jiang Tongyan.  

       “What are you doing?” Qian Xiaoke frowned, his little face scrunched up in confusion.  

       Jiang Tongyan was also in a daze, his nerves frazzled by the alarm.  

       It was Qian Xiaoke who came to his senses first and turned off the alarm.  

       “Why didn’t you leave last night?” Qian Xiaoke tilted his head at him, then raised a hand to rub his eyes vigorously.  

       After he finished rubbing his eyes, he accidentally caught sight of a certain part of Jiang Tongyan’s body. Instantly, he let out a soft ‘Hya~!’ and shyly turned away.  

       “What are you ‘Hya’-ing about?” Jiang Tongyan got out of bed, calmly straightening his clothes and pants. “You’ve already touched it, what’s with the innocent act?”

       “That’s different,” Qian Xiaoke chuckled. “That was for treatment. We were in a doctor-patient relationship back then. How can it be the same now?”  

       Jiang Tongyan also laughed. “Then what’s our relationship now?”  

       Qian Xiaoke turned slightly and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Only when he confirmed that Jiang Tongyan had put his pants on did he turn back around.

       “A debtor-creditor relationship,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You still haven’t paid me for crashing at my place before, and now you’ve slept in my new home and on my new bed. I need to calculate exactly how much you owe me!”  

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes where he stood, too speechless to respond.  

       Qian Xiaoke sniffed. “I need to take a shower. I have work later.”  

       He felt like he smelled like stinky tofu. Plus, when he woke up just now, it seemed like his hand had been gripping Jiang Tongyan’s… unspeakable part.  

       Ugh, it was a complicated feeling.  

       “I need a shower too,” Jiang Tongyan shamelessly said. “You got your stinky tofu all over me last night.”  

       “How dare you say that? Who was the one insisting on eating it?!”  

       “I don’t know.” Jiang Tongyan walked out. “I’m showering first!”  

       A new home, a new bathroom, and yet the first person to use it wasn’t the owner, Qian Xiaoke, but the freeloading Jiang Tongyan!  

       Qian Xiaoke was a little unhappy, but in the spirit of being a ‘kind and considerate person’, he lowered his head and let it slide.  

       Jiang Tongyan was secretly pleased and even called out to Qian Xiaoke, “What am I supposed to wear after my shower?”  

       He remembered that Qian Xiaoke should have some of his clothes here. After their first failed attempt at doing it, Qian Xiaoke had left wearing Jiang Tongyan’s clothes.  

       “I’ll look for them,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Hurry up and shower, I need to get to work.”  

       Jiang Tongyan obediently turned and went into the bathroom.  

       Qian Xiaoke really did find the clothes Jiang Tongyan had given him to wear before, but they had been stuffed at the bottom of a box all this time. Though they had been washed, they were a bit wrinkled.  

       He felt a little embarrassed. Not only had he not returned them, but he had let them become like this.  

       Even though he knew full well there was no iron in his house, he still wandered around, hoping to find something to use instead.  

       Before he could find anything, Jiang Tongyan came out.  

       “What are you rummaging around for?” Jiang Tongyan stood there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. “Why don’t you even have a bath towel in your house?”  

       Qian Xiaoke, holding Jiang Tongyan’s clothes in his arms, turned around to look at him. “They’re expensive, and there’s no real use for them. A regular towel is good enough.”

       Jiang Tongyan could not refute it.  

       Their lives were simply too different—they were people from completely different worlds.  

       At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Jiang Tongyan’s mind: If he and Qian Xiaoke got together one day, would it be Qian Xiaoke accommodating him, or would he be the one accommodating Qian Xiaoke?  

       Could two people from entirely different worlds trying to be together really lead to a good outcome?  

       Jiang Tongyan felt a little lost.  

       But now was clearly not the time to dwell on such thoughts.  

       He said, “Let me put on some clothes first.”  

       Jiang Tongyan covered his important parts with a towel and walked toward Qian Xiaoke. He then asked wickedly, “Why aren’t you feeling shy?”  

       “Why should I be shy?” Qian Xiaoke remained completely unfazed by the so-called ‘macho man stepping out of the shower’ scene. He casually shook out Jiang Tongyan’s shirt and commented, “It’s a bit wrinkled.”  

       His voice dropped toward the end of the sentence—feeling a bit guilty. The shirt was honestly in an embarrassing state, and it was his fault, though not entirely.  

       After parting ways that day, Qian Xiaoke never expected to see this man again. Besides, his own clothes were all cheap market buys. His T-shirts cost twenty or thirty yuan and weren’t anything precious. He could toss them on the sofa without worrying about wrinkles. But Jiang Tongyan’s clothes? Couldn’t touch, couldn’t fold, couldn’t even look at them the wrong way.  

       So this was what brand-name clothes were like? Like this?  

       Having never owned any, Qian Xiaoke was bewildered.  

       Jiang Tongyan glanced at the shirt Qian Xiaoke handed over—wrinkled beyond belief, making his head hurt. But in the end, he reluctantly decided to wear it.  

       He didn’t have much of a choice anyway. It was clear there were no other options.  

       And so, the refined and polished Jiang Tongyan transformed into the scruffy and unkempt Jiang Tongyan.  

       The shirt issue was settled, but another problem arose.  

       “Qian Xiaoke, do you… have large-sized underwear?”

       Now, that was a soul-searching question.  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips and glanced at a certain part of Jiang Tongyan’s body.  

       “You wearing mine… doesn’t seem appropriate.”  

       Jiang Tongyan thought: No way. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t fit into them!  

       With his nearly 1.9-meter height compared to Qian Xiaoke’s 1.75 meters, their sizes weren’t even remotely compatible. If he tried wearing Qian Xiaoke’s underwear, it’d probably cut off his circulation.  

       “Then I don’t have any,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You’ll just have to go without.”  

       Fine, I’ll just accept my fate.  

       Ever since meeting Qian Xiaoke, Jiang Tongyan had been through all kinds of situations. His life experience had definitely been enriched. He figured that one day when he was old and flipping through the memories of his life, the most exciting chapters would all be written by Qian Xiaoke.  

       Qian Xiaoke—what a legend.

       After dealing with Jiang Tongyan, Qian Xiaoke rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower. Since he had no idea where to find a good breakfast stall near his new place and didn’t want to take any chances, he took the initiative to invite Jiang Tongyan to have breakfast at his place.  

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “Do you even have ingredients?”  

       Qian Xiaoke shook the pack of instant noodles in his hand.  

       Jiang Tongyan really wanted to refuse. However, his mouth completely ignored his brain’s protests and blurted out, “Sure.”  

       Excited, Qian Xiaoke rubbed his hands together—finally, a chance to showcase his cooking skills.  

       “Do you have a pot?”  

       Of course, Qian Xiaoke did!

       He had a small cooking pot—worked like a charm, but it was a pity he couldn’t use it at his previous place.  

       Fresh out of the shower, Qian Xiaoke’s hair was still dripping wet as he grabbed the instant noodles and dashed into the kitchen. Jiang Tongyan stood there watching him move around, watching the droplets from his hair slide down onto his shoulders and soak into his shirt. Without realising it, he started to smile.  

       All those thoughts about lifestyle differences.

       All those concerns about coming from different worlds.  

       Suddenly, they didn’t seem so impossible to overcome.  

       Qian Xiaoke’s world was actually kind of interesting. At least right now, Jiang Tongyan didn’t feel like he was accommodating anyone at all.  

       And so, on this fresh and pleasant morning, the two of them shared a bowl of instant noodles—boiled and eaten with spoons because all of Qian Xiaoke’s noodles had been crushed to bits.  

       Qian Xiaoke’s apartment had a small dining area with a modest square table. The two of them sat across from each other.  

       Jiang Tongyan found the whole scene a bit ridiculous—he had never seen anyone eating instant noodles with a spoon before.  

       “What are you laughing at?” Qian Xiaoke looked up at him.  

       “I’m laughing at you,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Laughing at how dumb you are.”  

       “Why are you picking on me first thing in the morning?!” Qian Xiaoke pouted. “Can’t you say something nice for once?”  

       Jiang Tongyan suppressed a smile and looked at him. “What’s there to compliment?”  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips and thought about it. It seemed that there was really nothing.  

       He fell silent, looking dejected as he continued eating his breakfast.  

       Jiang Tongyan hated seeing him like that. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Your cooking skills are actually pretty good.”

       “Huh?”  

       “Huh what?” Jiang Tongyan said. “I just complimented you.”  

       Qian Xiaoke froze for a second, then broke into an arrogant grin. After laughing to his heart’s content, he said, “Jiang Tongyan, you’re such a tsundere!”  

       Jiang Tongyan frowned. “Of course. I’m excellent—why wouldn’t I be proud?”  

       “Not proud¹jiāo’ào! It’s Tsundere²àojiāo!” Qian Xiaoke said. “Don’t you know what ‘Tsundere’ means?”

       Even if Jiang Tongyan didn’t, he wasn’t about to admit it. He couldn’t let Qian Xiaoke think he was an idiot.  

       If a fool thought he was a fool, then what did that make him? A double fool?  

       What kind of nonsense was that?  

       Swiftly changing the subject, Jiang Tongyan asked, “What time should I come over tonight?”  

       “Huh?” 

       “What do you mean by ‘huh’? Don’t think you can get out of this,” Jiang Tongyan said. “Last night, you fell asleep halfway through—I’m keeping track of that debt.”  

       “Oh!” Qian Xiaoke suddenly understood. “Last night was an accident. Let’s start earlier tonight so that I won’t fall asleep again out of boredom.”

       Bored?

       Jiang Tongyan instantly caught onto the key point.  

       “You were bored? While you were touching me?”

       Qian Xiaoke knew he had said something wrong and hurried to coax him. “Ahh, no, that’s not what I meant! I misspoke. You can scold me!”

       He blinked his big eyes at Jiang Tongyan. “If scolding me isn’t enough, you can hit me too!”  

       Faced with this version of Qian Xiaoke, Jiang Tongyan was utterly helpless.

       He was done for. Completely and utterly done for. He had been completely wrapped around this careless idiot’s little finger.  

       For what?  

       What was the appeal?  

       His poverty?  

       His sharp tongue and lack of brain cells?  

       Jiang Tongyan was filled with regret. He should have hooked up with that flight attendant at Zhou Mo’s birthday party. If he had, Qian Xiaoke wouldn’t have had the chance to take advantage of him.  

       But it was too late for regrets. Not only had Qian Xiaoke taken advantage of the situation, but Jiang Tongyan had also sunk into this mess so deep he couldn’t get out.  

       Qian Xiaoke watched the man sitting across from him, whose face was twitching weirdly as he ate. He wondered if something was wrong with him. Should he suggest that Jiang Tongyan go to the hospital for a check-up?  

       Did Jiang Tongyan even have domestic health insurance?

       The two of them sat across from each other, eating breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts—completely out of sync.  

       Once they finished eating and Qian Xiaoke cleaned up, they left the apartment together.  

       As they stepped out, Qian Xiaoke casually mused, “I wonder what kind of neighbour I would have. Hopefully, they’re easy to get along with.”  

       “What kind of neighbour do you hope for?” Jiang Tongyan asked deliberately as they entered the elevator.  

       Qian Xiaoke pursed his lips, seriously considering it. The more he thought about it, the redder his ears became.  

       Jiang Tongyan raised a brow. “What are you thinking about?”  

       His ears were red—surely, it wasn’t something decent! Probably something dirty.  

       Qian Xiaoke smiled shyly. “I’m thinking about my neighbour.”  

       Jiang Tongyan chuckled. “Thinking what about your neighbor?”  

       “I was just thinking… it’d be great if my neighbour were a hot guy,” Qian Xiaoke mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his T-shirt. “I read a novel once where the protagonist ended up with his neighbour.”  

       Jiang Tongyan instinctively straightened his back.  

       “I like younger tops,” Qian Xiaoke continued. “Ideally, someone in their early twenties, a bright and sunny type. Someone who could go out and set up a street stall with me at night to make money!”  

       Jiang Tongyan’s smile instantly vanished.  

       “Why?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with a mature, successful man? Wouldn’t that save you at least fifty years of struggling?”  

       “That’s not for me,” Qian Xiaoke said matter-of-factly before launching into complete nonsense. “Marrying into a rich family sounds great, sure, but I could never handle the life of a wealthy housewife. Too much pressure! What if they expect me to have kids? I definitely can’t deal with that! I’d much rather be with someone I can struggle and grow with—supporting each other, facing hardships together, and weathering every storm side by side! Chairman Jiang, don’t you think I’m absolutely right?”  

       Jiang Tongyan was so furious he nearly saw red. The urge to strangle this little bastard surged through him.  

       He snapped, “Qian Xiaoke, shut the hell up!”

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