Category: What to Do When You Run into Your Crush? (Page 1 of 2)

Li Qingze looked up when the library bell rang for the second time. Still dazed, he glanced at the time and realized it was already nine o’clock.

The night outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was deep and quiet. The late autumn breeze rustled the treetops, and only the vague figures of a few students returning late could be seen.

Li Qingze turned to look at Yan Han, who was wearing headphones, and poked his arm with a finger.

Yan Han took off his headphones, turned to him, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Li Qingze asked in a low voice, “Why did the bell ring? Is it a fire alarm?”

Yan Han froze for a moment, only then realizing the sound around them. The bell didn’t sound like an alarm, it was soft and low-pitched.

Yan Han glanced at the time and chuckled. “It’s nine o’clock. They’re closing the library.”

Although Li Qingze often came to the Business School library, he had never stayed this late before. He was stunned and exclaimed in surprise:

“They actually close the library?”

“Yeah.” Yan Han smiled with his eyes curved. “Still want to study? Reid Library is open all night.”

Li Qingze was actually quite sleepy, but he frowned, looking at the review materials in his hands with a bitter expression.

He looked up at his boyfriend, gritted his teeth, and said, “Go!”

As they walked, Li Qingze moved like a little kitten that had run out of energy, tail dragging, swaying as he walked. Yan Han carried his backpack and water bottle, then offered his free hand.

“I’ll pull you.”

Li Qingze grabbed his boyfriend’s arm and leaned most of his weight on him.

Even exhausted like this, he still had to be a little mischievous.

“Giddy-up!”

Yan Han looked at him with helpless amusement, and Li Qingze burst into a boxy laugh.

The night breeze was gentle. The two of them wore matching hoodies in different colors, swaying as they walked.

Compared to the smaller departmental libraries, the main campus library was brightly lit. The five-story building, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, looked bustling from the outside. Even the café inside was packed, and there wasn’t a single empty seat in the library.

The slogan for finals week might as well be: Tonight, no one sleeps!

The first floor was packed with no seats in sight. Standing by the elevator, Yan Han made a quick call, responded with a few “mm”s and “uh-huh”s, then hung up and looked at Li Qingze. “Come with me. I know a good spot.”

When Yan Han stepped into a secluded corner cubicle on the fourth floor, it felt like entering a zombie apocalypse—he was immediately surrounded by a group of scruffy international students.

“Boss Yan, you’re here!”

“Old Yan, save me, my econ2202 is about to kill me…”

“You’re our only hope, big thigh!”

Li Qingze followed behind Yan Han, watching the sleep-deprived, red-eyed students and feeling a bit alarmed.

He saw Yan Han being swarmed by three people he didn’t really know, so he found a seat on his own. The person next to him looked up—and whoa—it was an old friend.

“Liu Leyao, why do you look so haggard?”

Liu Leyao stared blankly at him. “Why are you here?”

Li Qingze pulled out his laptop and gave a subtle nod in Yan Han’s direction, indicating: I came with him.

Liu Leyao froze, then stood up with her laptop in her arms and wailed, “We’re saved…”

These people were kind of terrifying.

Li Qingze really didn’t understand why business students always pushed themselves to the absolute limit. Wouldn’t it be better to just start studying earlier?

He opened the lecture notes for the first unit of his major course.

Well, at the very least, he was almost done with the first unit.

He studied for a while, then felt someone sit down next to him. He turned to look—it was Ma Jiaming, looking perfectly awake and energized.

Ma Jiaming clearly had just woken up, even styled his hair a bit. In this zombie den, he looked like a fashion model.

He was on a phone call, speaking in his local dialect. Fortunately, Li Qingze could understand it, so he tilted his head slightly to listen.

Ma Jiaming raised an eyebrow in greeting at Li Qingze, but his tone on the phone was pitiful and full of complaints.

“Yeah, I’m at the library. Gotta pull an all-nighter today.”

“It’s tough, really. Your son’s having a hard time here.”

“Alright, just transfer the money to my card. I need to nourish myself a little. I’m hanging up now, Mom.”

Mission accomplished, Ma Jiaming ended the call.

Li Qingze looked at him, completely speechless. “Have some shame, will you?”

Ma Jiaming grinned, striking a rather carefree pose. “It’s my own mom—what do I need shame for?”

Half an hour later, Yan Han came over and sat across from Li Qingze. He smiled at Li Qingze, who looked up at him, then put on his blue-light-blocking glasses and Bluetooth earphones. He told him, “If you want to go home, just let me know.”

As the all-nighter went on, time flowed quietly, like water.

Li Qingze buried himself in his lecture notes, and when he looked up again, it was already past midnight.

He stretched his neck a bit and glanced around. Everyone in the room was still studying diligently. A few conversations drifted through now and then, but none were idle chatter.

Even Ma Jiaming, who sat beside him, was completely focused, silent and absorbed in his work.

This small study room felt like a utopia for international students.

With reliable companions and friends who got along, they held back the chill of the night wind outside and provided each other with warmth and refuge.

Li Qingze smiled faintly and glanced at Yan Han across from him, who was frowning at his laptop screen. He didn’t say anything more and lowered his head again, studying until the break of dawn.

The library still held more than half its crowd. Li Qingze and Yan Han left the study room and bought two cups of hot orange juice from a vending machine.

The two walked side by side out of the library, heading across the lawn.

The morning air was as pure as it could get, carrying a crisp chill, the scent of fresh grass, and the dampness of lake water.

If one could describe being twenty in terms of scent, perhaps it would be the smell of that first breeze after an all-nighter, brushing softly across his cheek.

That’s what Li Qingze thought.

He reached out and held Yan Han’s hand, speaking softly. “Want to grab some breakfast?”

Yan Han nodded with a smile and held his hand as they walked toward the parking lot.

The sky grew brighter, and though the night had passed, the university did not sleep. The still-standing library welcomed a new wave of visitors.

---

Author’s Note:

Wishing everyone to ace what you studied and guess right on what you didn’t!

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Jie Jie: New extra chapter was added again this month :blobrofl:

Sorry for not updating! :blobsmilesweat:

As of now, all the extra chapters have been translated. I won’t tag this as completed yet and maybe wait till next month to see if Author would post another one :blobblush:

Who I am doesn’t matter. I just want to write about the two babies from the perspective of a passerby. Wishing everyone an early happy Labor Day~

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Who in their right mind would go traveling during the Golden Week of Labor Day?

Oh, right. Me.

After working overtime for N days, on the first day of the Golden Week, I was dragged onto a high-speed train to W City by my best friend. We squeezed our way out of the overcrowded station.

I shouted at her, “Where the hell are we going?”

She kept pushing forward, didn’t even turn her head. “First stop, guo zao!”

“Guo what?!”

Oh. Guo zao means breakfast.

God knows what kind of person eats breakfast at almost 11 a.m., but the whole alley was packed wall to wall. I was so shocked I took three steps back.

But we were already here, right?

Besides, my idiot best friend had already thrown herself into the crowd, waving at me like a fool. “Come, come, come!”

After lining up for twenty minutes, we finally got bowls of hot dry noodles and eggnog. We found a little table under the eaves and sat down to eat.

The sun was blazing today, practically melting my makeup off. After a while, a shadow suddenly covered us both.

My best friend and I looked up at the same time, trying to figure out what obedient cloud had done us a favor.

“Holy shit…”

It wasn’t a cloud. It was a ridiculously hot guy.

Tall and broad-shouldered enough to cast shade, wearing a gray T-shirt from some trendy brand, his sunglasses flipped around and hooked behind his ears. Even against the backlight, you could still see how handsome he was, and those dark, gleaming eyes of his.

Handsome enough to make my useless best friend draw a breath of cold air.

He spoke in perfectly clear Mandarin, voice deep and magnetic. “Mind if I share the table?”

He was holding a bowl in each hand and lifted his chin slightly to gesture at the two empty stools across from us.

“Y-y-yeah, of course,” stammered the beauty sitting next to me.

“Alright, thanks.”

“Yay!” a voice piped up behind him. That’s when we noticed there was another person standing just behind the hot guy. This one peeked out with his head tilted, eyes big and bright, pumping a tiny fist in the air with glee.

Whose adorable baby is this?!

The two of them sat down side by side. The space here was ridiculously cramped, and the two of them were sitting very close.

The big-eyed baby was staring eagerly at his boyfriend, waiting for him to mix up his bowl of hot dry noodles. His whole face screamed longing. They were leaning in close, his fair, delicate arm casually dr4p3d over the cool guy’s thigh—but the two acted like it was completely normal.

“Eat up.”

“Yay!”

The three people around me were all focused on eating, while I put down my chopsticks and just looked at this insanely well-matched couple in front of me.

I mean, yeah, I was eating too—but who could focus?

My best friend could really eat, though. Not a bad thing, eating well is a blessing. She got up and ordered another bowl of eggnog..

“You here on vacation too?” Big-Eyed Baby struck up a conversation with me while his husband finished off the rest of his noodles.

“Uh, yeah.”

He smiled with crescent-moon eyes. “Us too.”

I smiled back at him.

In my heart, I thought: Good baby.

They finished eating even faster than we did. We exchanged a few quick goodbyes before they stood up to leave.

As the cool guy stood, I noticed his brows knit slightly. He drew in a sharp breath and used his wife’s shoulder to steady himself as he straightened up.

His wife gave a soft “hmph,” and muttered helplessly, “I told you not to train legs right before a trip…”

As the two of them walked off into the distance, I saw the cool guy lean over and whisper something into his wife’s ear, and the baby’s face instantly turned bright red.

No way that was anything broadcast-approved, I thought.

Today’s itinerary was a city walk, since we couldn’t get into any tourist attractions.

What a coincidence, seriously.

In front of a milk tea shop on the pedestrian street, we ran into that same couple from this morning again.

My best friend and I exchanged a glance and lined up at the end of the queue, with a few people between us and them.

When it was their turn, the two of them huddled close together, ordering from a phone. I watched as the adorable baby tapped randomly all over the screen with his slender fingers, only for his husband to take the phone and helplessly delete a few items.

The baby was cold-faced and upset.

The cool guy reached out with his index finger and playfully hooked the soft flesh under his partner’s chin. He smiled dotingly, handed the phone back in a coaxing manner.

By the time we got our drinks, they were standing by the roadside. Both wore sunglasses under the sun. The taller one had a striking and handsome profile, while the shorter one had delicate, beautiful features.

Just standing there on the street, they drew countless looks.

The cool guy held two signature drinks topped with snow cream. The little cutie had an ice cream cone in his hand and was holding it up to his lover’s lips.

I think he said, “You eat first.”

“[tn content=Kdl]磕到了 (kē dào le) means I ship it.[/tn].”

“[tn content=Szd]是真的 (shì zhēn de) means They’re real.[/tn].”

I whispered to my best friend.

She turned to look at me. “What kind of incantation is that?”

In the evening at East Lake, and later on Bar Street at night.

I felt like I saw their familiar figures again.

They were strolling along the lakeside boardwalk, or maybe standing at the bar counter, sharing a special c0cktail.

The two of them were always inseparable, showing up in unfamiliar streets and alleys, enjoying their holiday together.

Li Qingze’s second-year graduate courses were relatively light, with very few theoretical classes. Professors left students to their own devices for the most part.

After confirming that there would be no classes this week, Li Qingze packed his laptop and the peripherals he used for drawing and headed to B City to visit Yan Han.

After all, homework could be done anywhere, but being in a long-distance relationship and sleeping in the same bed were two entirely different experiences.

Yan Han arrived at the airport early to pick him up, wearing a gray hoodie and dark blue jeans. He had his hands in his pockets, coolly waiting. But the moment he saw Li Qingze, his face lit up like a bright sunflower, and he spread his arms wide, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Baby!”

Li Qingze had taken a red-eye flight on a budget airline just to see Yan Han a few hours earlier. He didn’t check any luggage, only brought a large backpack.

When Yan Han tried to lift the bag, he hadn’t expected it to be so heavy and nearly dropped it.

“Why is this so heavy?”

Li Qingze cheerfully clung to his other arm. “It’s my drawing equipment. I need to do homework.”

Such a small person carrying such a heavy bag, Yan Han’s heart ached for him.

But Li Qingze didn’t mind at all. The moment he saw Yan Han, all the troubles from the journey disappeared.

The two began a week-long cohabitation.

Yan Han was very busy this semester, spending almost five days a week at school.

To spend more time with him, Li Qingze brought his heavy backpack every day and followed Yan Han to their department’s study room to do his homework. That way, they could carve out time to be together during breaks and lunch.

But whenever Yan Han was around, Li Qingze didn’t have to carry his backpack himself, his husband would do it for him.

Every morning, Yan Han would even prepare a bottle of passion fruit honey water for him to take along.

(Smug.jpg)

Because of his excellent grades and strong English skills, Yan Han had secured a position as a teaching assistant for a freshman-level management course. He was responsible for three small classes, totaling around a hundred students.

During lectures, Yan Han would dress more formally. After all, he wasn’t much older than the undergrads, and it helped him maintain authority.

Li Qingze sat in the study room, watching as Yan Han, just finishing a class, walked down the hallway from a distance with two cups of coffee in hand.

He was wearing a light blue dress shirt, his broad shoulders and slim waist neatly tucked into his dress pants, highlighting his tall and striking figure. His dark brows and eyes looked even more handsome with his bangs brushed back, giving him a refined and composed aura. Among the tall white students around him, he stood out with his uniquely graceful presence, not at all overshadowed.

When Yan Han saw Li Qingze resting his chin in his hand and looking in his direction, he smiled indulgently and shook the coffee cup in his hand.

It was the mocha Li Qingze had mentioned he wanted that morning—he understood immediately.

Yan Han always remembered everything he said.

“Teacher…” Before Yan Han could walk over, three Chinese girls stopped him. All three were quite pretty, dressed in trendy designer brands, carrying high-end luxury bags. Their polished appearance showed their meticulous care, right down to their hair. Two of them stayed behind, nudging the long-haired girl in front forward.

“Teacher, I’m a student in MNGT1001. I don’t know if you remember me?” The girl gathered her courage and spoke to Yan Han.

Yan Han was momentarily surprised. He glanced at Li Qingze first, then replied to the girl, “I remember. You guys are in the Wednesday class.”

“Yes, yes.” The girl was delighted and quickly followed up, “I’m having a bit of trouble understanding the material. Can I add you on WeChat… to ask questions…”

Even she probably didn’t believe her own excuse, but she forced herself to say it anyway. The two girls behind her bowed their heads, giggling.

Yan Han had already guessed what she was getting at before she even opened her mouth, but he didn’t reject her directly. Instead, he said, “You all have my staff email. If you have any questions, just email me, and I’ll reply when I see it.”

“Ah…” Disappointment showed on the girl’s face. She looked like she wanted to say more, but Yan Han cut her off.

“I usually use email for work-related matters.”

If she still couldn’t understand what he meant by that, then her emotional intelligence would be truly lacking. Fortunately, she did get the message and was tactful enough to back off.

The three girls thanked him and said their goodbyes.

“See you next Wednesday!”

“Mm.” Yan Han nodded. “See you Wednesday.”

Yan Han walked over and handed the coffee to Li Qingze.

Li Qingze gave a theatrical sigh. “Sigh, after half a day of chatting,  the coffee’s gone cold.”

“No, it hasn’t.” Yan Han found it amusing and poked his wife’s soft, delicate hand. “Angry?”

“I’m not that petty,” Li Qingze huffed and took a sip of the mocha. The milk foam clung to his soft pink lips. “That response was acceptable. Say the same thing next time too, oh.”

The two of them didn’t head home until the sun had set.

Yan Han was in the kitchen making dinner, having changed into his loungewear. Meanwhile, Li Qingze ran into the room and put on the blue dress shirt Yan Han had just taken off. With his long, fair legs exposed and the collar hanging wide open, he tiptoed into the kitchen and leaned against the island counter.

“Teacher Yan, can you give me a high score on this week’s quiz?”

Yan Han turned around and saw Li Qingze propping himself up on the island counter. His long, pale legs were crossed—his calves were slender and delicate, but his thighs were still soft and had a pleasant amount of flesh. The way they pressed together as he crossed them gave off a kind of sweet, indulgent allure.

Forget dinner, might as well eat this little treat first.

(1)

Yan Han was an excellent cook—Northern cuisine, Hangzhou-style dishes, and even Western food were all effortless for him.

Sometimes, when he had nothing to do, he would make buns for his wife, shape dumplings, or fry some pancakes.

Tiramisu and strawberry daifuku were also rotated into the menu.

Ever since their long-distance relationship ended, Li Qingze had visibly gained weight.

The once sharp chin had grown a bit of soft flesh. From the side, his cheeks looked pale and tender, his eyes big and round, and his curled eyelashes made him resemble a kitten.

“Ah!”

Li Qingze let out a scream because Yan Han, finding him simply too adorable, had taken a bite at his cheek.

Covering his face, Li Qingze glared at him. “Why did you bite me?”

Yan Han teased, “I was craving a bun.”

That one sentence backfired—Li Qingze instantly sensed that he had gained weight. His face clouded with worry, delicate brows furrowing as he rested his chin in his hands, like the world’s greatest trouble had just landed on him.

“Baby, you’re not fat,” Yan Han said sincerely.

“No!” Li Qingze threw the half-eaten chocolate cookie into the trash. “I’m going on a diet!”

At thirty years old, Li Qingze was nowhere near the age where he should be worrying about getting fat. But struck by resolve, he began dieting and exercising—doubling his efforts.

And successfully drove himself into a bout of hypoglycemia.

After a set of mountain climbers in a bent-over lunge position, a wave of heart palpitations hit, followed by a head full of stars, and he collapsed onto the yoga mat.

He lay there for a while before regaining enough strength to prop himself up against the wall and went to find Yan Han, who was working in the study.

“Husband…”

Yan Han looked up and rushed over to support the pale-faced Li Qingze, alarmed. “What’s wrong? Why do you have an ugly complexion?”

Li Qingze pouted. “I’m hungry.”

Yan Han let out a frustrated laugh and twisted a red mark into his cheek. “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”

“Steak!”

Yan Han handed him a chocolate bar so Li Qingze could pad his stomach a bit, then went into the kitchen to fry the steak for his wife.

“Eating beef won’t make you fat at all,” Yan Han said, glancing at the sluggishly walking Li Qingze and lecturing him sternly.

“What if you hit your head next time you faint from low blood sugar?” Just the thought made Yan Han fearful. He frowned darkly at him. “You absolutely must not diet anymore, got it?”

“Got it…” Li Qingze responded obediently, trying to act cute.

The steak was seared to a perfect medium-rare. Yan Han expertly plated it, then headed to the fridge to get some juice.

Having just been scolded by his husband, and feeling a bit guilty, Li Qingze reached out to grab the baking pan they had used earlier to clean it.

“Don’t touch that, it’s hot!”

“Ah! It’s so hot!”

Yan Han immediately set down the bottle he was holding and rushed over to grab Li Qingze’s hand. But the thumb and index finger that had touched the pan were already turning red. Li Qingze pressed his fingertips together and looked up, blinking. “It’s burning.”

“…” Yan Han held his hand under the faucet, letting the cool water run over it. He helplessly said, “Don’t you know that the baking pan is hot?”

Li Qingze looked at him. “I haven’t had any carbs in days. I think I’m getting stupid.”

“You are a little stupid…” Yan Han sighed, kissed his forehead, and said, “Wait for me. I’m going out to buy some burn ointment.”

He had just walked a few steps when Li Qingze suddenly called out behind him, “Husband!” Yan Han turned back to see Li Qingze lift his chin and gesture. “Bring the steak over and set it next to me. I want to eat it while it’s hot.”

“…”

When Yan Han returned with the burn ointment, the kitchen was already empty, and the steak had been eaten clean.

He followed the sound of running water to the bathroom and saw Li Qingze sitting on the edge of the bathtub, holding his burned fingers under the running tap. When he saw Yan Han return, he tilted his chin proudly.

“Perfect timing, I was going to take a bath anyway. This way the water doesn’t go to waste.”

Li Qingze’s pale, tender feet were already soaking in the tub. He wiggled his toes smugly. The water had already covered the tops of his feet. Yan Han reached in to feel it and found that it was ice cold.

“You’re taking a bath in cold water?” Yan Han turned on the hot tap and then pulled Li Qingze’s hand out. “Come here, let me put on the ointment.”

“Okay oh.”

“We’ll bathe together in a bit.”

“…Okay oh.”

(2)

For people in the restaurant business, there was no such thing as a Spring Festival vacation. On the contrary, from the end-of-year gatherings all the way to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, it was their busiest season—especially New Year’s Eve dinner.

Even though Yan Han’s family ran a hot pot restaurant, society had progressed to the point where many people now chose hot pot for their New Year’s Eve meal.

From New Year’s Eve to the fifth day of the new year, every seating at Yan Hotpot was packed to capacity.

Father Yan held the fort in Z City, overseeing the overall operation, while Yan Han was managing his newly opened three branch stores in H City.

In the few days before New Year’s, Yan Han had stayed with Li Qingze at the Li family home. It wasn’t until the afternoon of New Year’s Eve that Li’s parents, being very considerate, cooked a pot of dumplings for him at 4 p.m.

“Xiao Yan, try the dumplings Mom made. Are they different from how you Northerners make them?”

Yan Han ate several in a row, then gave a thumbs up. “Delicious, Mom.”

That’s right—both of them had long since changed the way their calling each other’s parents. Each family gained a son, and the two of them gained an extra set of parents.

Father Li watched how heartily Yan Han was eating and sat down at the table too. “We cooked fifty. Is that enough?”

Yan Han was caught off guard and nearly choked.

Thankfully, Li Qingze came to his rescue. “He can’t finish that many, no way. Ten more at most. He’s got to go to work at the store later.”

Yan Han did indeed have work that night, but when he was about to head out, he saw Li Qingze also all dressed up, waiting by the door with his fluffy mohair scarf wrapped snugly around him.

“…What are you doing?” Yan Han gave him a sideways glance—though in truth, he had already guessed.

Li Qingze ran up and hugged him with a grin. “I’m going with you to work!”

“No way. You should stay home and keep mom and dad company.”

“They don’t need me to,” Li Qingze said, turning to look at his parents standing to the side. “Right?”

Mother Li was a CP fan of the two. Seeing how affectionate they were, she couldn’t stop smiling. “No need, no need, let him go with you. He can help out too.”

Yan Han sighed helplessly. “He’s not needed for any actual work…”

“Take me with you,” Li Qingze said, pouting. In the blink of an eye, he looked all pitiful.

Yan Han couldn’t stand him acting like this—despite the fact that eight out of ten times it was fake, he still fell for it every time.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

“Let’s go!”

Turnover rate was low during New Year’s Eve dinner, and the store’s service ran in a calm and orderly manner, covering everything thoroughly. Yan Han and Li Qingze sat at the front counter and helped out when manpower ran short, like checking out customers or grabbing drinks.

It was warm in the store, and Yan Han didn’t do well with heat. He took off his down jacket, leaving only the white short-sleeved T-shirt with the store logo underneath. His well-defined deltoids and biceps filled out the shoulders of the shirt, and with that handsome face of his, he looked sleek and striking.

Li Qingze was sitting in a corner, curled up with an iPad and a bottle of yogurt, binge-watching a drama. He only looked up when he heard voices. It was a few girls gathered at the counter, trying to strike up a conversation with Yan Han.

“Mhm, I’m the boss.”

“No, I’m not single,” Yan Han said helplessly, shaking his head. He pointed toward Li Qingze. “The boss’s wife is sitting right over there.”

The girls looked disappointed, but one of them had eyes that lit up even more. She glanced at Yan Han, then at Li Qingze, then back at Yan Han…

“Whoa! I totally ship them!”

After she left, she posted her encounter with the handsome CP at the hotpot restaurant on Weibo. She’d snapped a candid photo—it showed Yan Han’s handsome side profile and, in the distance, Li Qingze’s big round eyes looking over. The post attracted a lot of attention, and soon many CP fans came to Yan Hotpot to check it out, bringing Yan Han a flood of business and profits.

But that was all something for later.

At this moment, Yan Han sat down next to Li Qingze with a bottle of yogurt, and together, they shared a hotpot-flavored New Year.

During the Qingming Festival holiday, the five-person team led by Yan Han, along with two family members who later joined them, went to Ma Jiaming’s territory in T City for a spontaneous trip.

However, they soon found out that all the tourist attractions and historical sites during the short holiday required advance reservations. Hence, the seven of them had nowhere to go. They ended up staying inside the luxury hotel Ma Jiaming had booked for them.

When Liu Leyao lost all her chips for the second time, she became annoyed. “Stop playing mahjong! You’re all grown adults, and all you know is how to play mahjong every day!”

Xu Pengpeng looked up at her. “Then what should we do?”

Liu Leyao said, “Let’s go drink.”

Everyone: …

Ma Jiaming contacted a friend and found a bar with decent live music. The group grabbed a booth and started eating and drinking.

Li Qingze ordered a c0cktail, which Xu Pengpeng mocked. In a fit of anger, Li Qingze downed two vodka shots and quickly got drunk.

He giggled as he leaned into Yan Han’s arms, grinning foolishly, and kissed his side like a little puppy.

Yan Han held him and swapped the alcohol in his hand for a glass of lemon water.

Li Qingze picked up an empty beer bottle from the table and suggested, “Let’s play Truth or Dare!”

Before anyone could agree, he stood up with bright eyes, cleared a space in the center of the table, and started spinning the bottle.

The bottle mouth pointed at Ma Jiaming, and the bottom pointed at Liu Leyao, who was sitting opposite him.

Ma Jiaming gave a command, opened a bottle of beer, and raised it toward her. “Drink!”

Liu Leyao cried out twice, “Can’t I choose? I pick Truth.”

Ma Jiaming was stunned, then turned to his wife. “You ask then.”

Ma Jiaming’s wife gently asked a harmless question, and Liu Leyao answered easily, ending the round.

They played another round, and this time Xu Pengpeng faced Yan Han.

“You ask. I’ll choose Truth,” Yan Han said, raising his dark eyebrows at him.

Without hesitation, Xu Pengpeng asked, “Back then, what was the deal between you and Li Qingze ah? Who chased who?”

Yan Han thought for a moment. “We liked each other mutually. There wasn’t really a case of who pursued whom.”

He lowered his head and looked at Li Qingze beside him, asking in a soft voice, “Right, baby?”

With the alcohol surging through him, Li Qingze’s cheeks were flushed red. His watery eyes stared at Yan Han, and after frowning in thought for a moment, he said, “No, it was me who had a crush on you first?”

Yan Han was stunned. “When did you have a crush on me?”

Li Qingze laughed a little foolishly. “When I first heard your voice.”

Yan Han thought for a moment. “Was it at Xu Pengpeng’s house? The first time we met?”

“No,” Li Qingze shook his head. “Even earlier. I was looking for a roommate to rent a place with back when I was still in the country. I added your WeChat, and you sent me a voice message.”

Li Qingze’s eyes softened as he recalled the past, smiling to himself.

“I still have those voice messages!” Li Qingze picked up his phone, fiddled with it for a bit, and pulled up the chat history that he had apparently transferred countless times. He showed it to Yan Han. “Look!”

It was a chat log Yan Han had long forgotten.

Just a few short texts and voice messages, yet Li Qingze had carefully preserved them for over ten years.

He played one of Yan Han’s old voice messages and heard the voice of his twenty-year-old self, unfamiliar and youthful.

Back then, when talking to a stranger, his voice still carried a trace of coldness.

But to Li Qingze, it was a treasure he had guarded for years.

Yan Han listened to them one by one, and an overwhelming tenderness and love surged in his chest, so intense he could hardly bear it, wishing he could peel open his heart and show it to Li Qingze on the spot.

Li Qingze had once harbored an unrequited love for him, keeping it buried all these years without ever mentioning it.

A sharp, aching sourness gripped Yan Han’s heart.

“F*ck, Old Yan is crying,” Ma Jiaming whispered, only to get elbowed by his wife.

Yan Han pulled Li Qingze into his arms, pressing his face against him and wiping his tears into Li Qingze’s soft hair.

He whispered quietly into his lover’s ear:

“Baby, you’ve worked so hard.”

“I’ll love you forever.”

Li Qingze, still grinning drunkenly, said, “I know. Me too.”

(1)

After I resigned, for the sake of making Yan Han’s work easier, he packed both me and the dog up and brought us back to Z City.

Thus began our life in Z City.

Spicy soup! I missed you so much!

On the very first day back, I drowned a basket of fried dough sticks in a bowl of soup, and then ended up with carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms from early morning, staying dizzy all the way until the afternoon.

A festive welcome to National Day.

Ma Jiaming brought his wife to visit us, and in the evening, we found a quiet bar to sit down and have a couple of drinks.

Ma Jiaming leaned over to whisper to me.

“Have you noticed that when Yan Han talks to you, he switches to a clip voice?”¹Tone of voice that sounds very soft, high-pitched, or extra gentle, almost like someone deliberately ‘clipping’ their voice to sound cuter, sweeter, or more affectionate when talking to someone they like.

“What?” I didn’t quite understand. “What clip voice?”

Ma Jiaming lifted his chin. “Say something to him.”

I cooperated and called out to Yan Han, “Yan Han?”

Yan Han put down his phone, looked up at me with a smile, and spoke very gently, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Nothing.”

I turned to look at Ma Jiaming, completely clueless. He gestured for me to wait.

Yan Han lowered his head again to reply to messages. Ma Jiaming called out to him, “Old Yan?”

Without even lifting his head, Yan Han answered coldly, “Speak if you have something to say.”

Ma Jiaming made a face at me, then continued calling him, “I’m heading out to buy a pack of cigarettes.”

Yan Han lazily lifted his eyelids. “Okay.”

Ma Jiaming spread his hands, wearing a see, I told you so expression. “See this damned clip voice? He only clips for you.”

I could only respond helplessly, “What else can I do?”

At that moment, Ma Jiaming’s wife walked over carrying three c0cktails and called out to him, “Ma Jiaming, come help me carry these!”

“Okay wife!” Ma Jiaming cheerfully trotted off.

Aren’t you the same?

Ma Jiaming.

(smile.jpg)

(2)

There was another major event during this National Day holiday.

Liu Leyao was getting married. After graduation, she moved to B City, but her family was in Z City, so she came back to host the wedding banquet.

To celebrate the grand occasion of the only little princess of our five-person group, Yan Han and I, Ma Jiaming and his wife, and the lone king Xu Pengpeng gathered together again after many years.

We got up early in the morning to help Liu Leyao block the door and attended the ceremony at noon. By the afternoon, when I was still immersed in the warmth and emotions of the wedding, Liu Leyao called and jolted me awake.

“You and your husband, come out right now and play cards!”

Yan Han dragged me along to the chess room that Liu Leyao had booked. It was called a chess room, but it was actually a private dining room with a fully automatic mahjong table.

Since I had gotten up too early in the morning, I was already so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open.

I watched as Liu Leyao, who had removed her bridal makeup, and her husband, who was already sitting by the table dividing up chips and still full of energy, prepared to start.

I felt a deep sense of inadequacy.

Those who survive the 996 work culture at big companies²996 means working from 9am-9pm, 6 days a week, It’s a famously exhausting schedule common in China’s tech industry and other major corporations. are truly monsters of stamina.

Ma Jiaming and his wife, along with Xu Pengpeng, also arrived from the hotel, carrying a bag full of snacks.

We looked at each other, then at the upgraded automatic mahjong table.

Everyone laughed.

I’m the sentimental type, so I laughed until tears came out.
Don’t laugh at me.

We had two new friends now, but we were still us.

The readership of the novels I wrote wasn’t exactly great.

Many people commented that my writing was too immature, saying it sounded like something a primary schooler would write.

In order to improve my writing skills, I started reading literary classics.

When I dozed off for the third time on the second page, I decided to give up.

Nothing in this world is truly difficult.

Right?

Fortunately, I did have one skill, I was pretty good at drawing. So I decided to turn the half-finished story into a comic.

After posting it on Weibo, a comic platform reached out to me wanting to sign a contract.

The editor privately messaged me, curiously asking, “Is the story you wrote really based on your own experience?”

“Yeah.”

“Is the real-life version of Yan Leng really that handsome?”

I glanced at Yan Han, who was sitting next to me wearing rimless glasses and working, and confidently replied:

“I can only capture about a tenth of his handsomeness.”

“Oh…” She didn’t seem to believe it.

It wasn’t until a year later, when my editor and I met offline to discuss publication matters, that she finally saw Yan Han in person.

“It’s actually true.” She was dumbfounded.

“Hmph.” I secretly laughed in my heart, but on the surface stayed cool. “I told you, my husband is very handsome.”

Yan Han overheard and hid the at the corner of his lips. He handed us the menu.

“What would you like to eat? My treat.”

Later on, my comic book was successfully published. During a signing event in Z City, Yan Han waited outside the venue to pick me up.

When I walked out, I handed him a copy of the comic. He took it, thinking I just wanted him to help carry it.

“Open it and take a look,” I said with a smile.

He flipped to the first page, where I had written a to-sign for him.

[To the real-life Yan Leng,

Our story will never end.

Looking forward to many more decades together.

From Li Xiaocao, who loves you]

Li Qingze was already thirty years old and had never been in a relationship.

Although he was as happy as a little bird every day, it still worried Father Li and Mother Li terribly.

During a family gathering once, Mother Li grabbed Li Qingze by the ear, anxiously saying:

“Bodhisattva, don’t run away the moment we bring this up. When are you going to find a partner ah?”

“Mom, I’m gay ya. It’s not that easy for gays to find a partner,” Li Qingze blurted out an excuse.

“Who says so?” Mother Li was unhappy. “I’ve been lurking on CP Literature City for years. People in the novels always find partners.”

“Your brain’s been ruined from reading too much of that,” Li Qingze said as he took his mother’s phone and uninstalled her CP app.

Mother Li couldn’t take it anymore and started setting up blind dates for him.

Li Qingze had come out of the closet during college. He thought that being gay would spare him from the fate of blind dates, but who would’ve thought…

In the end, Li Qingze still embarked on the blind dating path.

The first one he met wore white socks and had a scruffy beard.

“Mom, we’re not the same kind of gay!”

The second one was a top student from an Ivy League school who held chopsticks with a delicate orchid hand gesture. Li Qingze endured even that, but there was one thing he couldn’t tolerate.

“He said the QS ranking of my alma mater was bought!”

While cooking, Mother Li turned her head to glance at her son, her eyes practically spelling out:

[Isn’t it?]

The third one had dyed hair like a boyband member and wore clothes full of holes.

Out of kindness, Li Qingze recommended a tailor shop to him for mending clothes. The guy left angrily, cursing him as a country bumpkin.

The matchmaker also got upset and refused to introduce anyone to Li Qingze anymore.

Mother Li watched her son bury his head in eating, full of worry.

“Baby, are you sure you’re really gay? Could it be that you like girls ya?”

“Impossible. I’m gay. I’m sure.”

“Fine,” Mother Li pouted. “Since there are no blind dates recently, don’t just idle around. An old classmate of mine has a son coming to visit here. I want you to show him some hospitality.”

Li Qingze arranged to have his first meal with this friend’s son at a hotpot restaurant.

The other party arrived first and sent him the table number on WeChat.

Li Qingze entered the restaurant and followed the server’s directions to look over.

A man was sitting there wearing a black shirt, his shoulders broad and straight. His black hair was styled in a way that looked handsome yet effortless.

He lifted his eyes and glanced toward Li Qingze’s direction, a pair of deep, bright eyes, so handsome that Li Qingze’s knees went weak.

Nervously, he stumbled a little as he walked over and sat across from him.

“Sorry, I’m late, hehehe,” Li Qingze said, feeling his cheeks so hot that he could probably fry an egg on them.

Mom, how could you not mention such a good-looking guy beforehand?

If I had known, I wouldn’t have just come in Crocs (smile.jpg).

The handsome guy also smiled at him, but didn’t respond.

“Hello, I’m Li Qingze. We chatted over text,” Li Qingze said awkwardly, pulling out his phone and giving it a little shake when he saw the other didn’t say anything.

“Hello, I’m Yan Han,” the man said.

Li Qingze’s smile froze, because his friend’s son was supposed to have the last name Wang.

This Yan Han was…

“Old Yan?” a guy with thick brows and big eyes walked over to the table. However, his hairstyle looked like it had been shaved bald by a Tony. He glanced at Li Qingze with some surprise. “New friend?”

Yan Han didn’t answer.

Li Qingze had nothing to say either.

Just then, his phone rang. It was the friend’s son calling, and as soon as he answered, a loud voice came through:

“Hey, I’m at D02 ah, D02. Not B02. I told you wrong earlier.”

“Mm, I found out.”

Li Qingze hung up the phone, stood up, and apologized with a flushed face, “Sorry, I got the wrong table.”

After speaking, he turned around and left immediately.

There was no way he could stay in this restaurant anymore. Whoever wanted the hotpot could have it.

“Li Qingze!” someone called out from behind him. It was the handsome guy named Yan Han. He was holding his phone, smiling as he said to the Li Qingze who turned around, “Even getting the wrong table is fate. Want to add me on WeChat?”

“Yes ya, yes ya!”

Mom, I’ve found my dream guy!

---

Author’s Note:

Xu Pengpeng: You gays, honestly (cracking melon seeds)

---

Jie Jie: I haven’t been checking the raw site lately since I got the raw chapters saved up, but today, I found out there are new extras posted by the author. One posted today!

Now, there are 8 extras in total :blobcheer:

(1)

I never used to believe in love at first sight.

I know I’m good-looking. I’ve had quite a few confessions from childhood till now. Beautiful boys and girls alike have come and gone.

Sorry, that probably sounded a bit arrogant.

But it’s true.

Even the most beautiful faces get dull after you’ve seen enough of them.

(2)

I take back everything I said just now.

I fell in love at first sight.

Turns out people aren’t born beautiful, it’s that I like him that made him beautiful.

You know.

I really mean that.

Because I met someone like that.

His name is Li Qingze. On his small face were a pair of big, round eyes.

When he’s startled, his eyes go even wider. When he hears a joke, he squints them and laughs.

His eyes curve like crescents, and his thin eyebrows arch the same way.

He speaks in a soft tone.

I was really impressed.

I think this might be love at first sight.

(3)

He’s so cute.

Why does he blush when he talks? Why does he puff out his cheeks when he’s mad, like a little squirrel?

I really like him.

(creepy obsessed smile.jpg)

(4)

He’s such a hardworking person.

Every time we hang out with friends, he always helps the host clean up afterwards, and he even takes the trash out with him.

Looking at him, I originally thought he’d be the delicate type.

Turns out he wasn’t.

He was thoughtful, kind, and considerate.

Every good quality you can think of seems to exist in him.

I really like him.

(5)

In twenty years, this is the first time I’ve truly liked someone, and I was determined to take the initiative.

Added him on WeChat, walked him home, asked him to study together. He never said no.

I think he might like me too.

But I’m not sure.

After all, gays are minority.

I’m scared that if I say something, we won’t even be able to stay friends.

(6)

He frowned when he saw me smoking.

Okay, I’ll quit.

He likes the food I cook.

That’s easy, I’ll cook like crazy.

(smug.jpg)

(7)

He came to Z City to find me!!!

God.

This is in the bag!

(8)

We kissed.

(9)

I’m from Yumi province.

I know we don’t have the best reputation. Let’s just say it’s outrageous.

I was born there, went to school there, and didn’t leave home until college.

So all the harsh words, I’d only seen them online.

Besides, my family struck it rich early.

I never really suffered because of it.

Who would’ve thought that once I went abroad, I’d get hit with regional slander all the time?

Being in a foreign country means guarding not just against discrimination from your own people, but also racism from the locals.

Damn. I’m tired.

Life is a struggle.

But fortunately, I have my salvation.

There’s someone who looks at me with those big eyes, full of concern, and tells me not to be upset.

(10)

Compared to the time we spent apart, the days we saw each other every day weren’t that many.

Maybe that’s why the happy days always felt short.

I remember the road from the apartment to the university.

It ran alongside a river. On sunny days, the water sparkled; on rainy days, there was almost always a rainbow.

We’d pass by a small sculpture, and a little blue house that later appeared in a Jay Chou lyrics

And in the passenger seat, there was Li Qingze.

Always smiling.

(11)

That was when I was twenty.

(12)

Then came two years of long-distance.

Every time he took a red-eye flight, my heart ached for him.

I always wanted him to come the next day, or wait until I handed in my assignment so I could go to him instead.

But he was stubborn.

When he said he was coming, he meant it.

Sometimes those budget flights didn’t even include luggage allowance and he’d come out of the airport with just a big backpack, worn and travel-weary.

All I could do, was wrap him in a tight hug the moment I saw him.

(13)

We returned to China, and broke up.

I don’t want to think about it.

It hurt too much.

I thought he’d gotten together with someone else.

It hurt so much, I wished someone would just put me out of my misery.

(14)

I couldn’t let go just like that, so I started laying the groundwork for a new store in H City.

I was going to find him.

The project was almost ready to launch.

I heard his voice on the phone.

He was crying so hard, heartbroken, and kept repeating:

I don’t want a long-distance relationship.

I don’t want to break up.

I don’t want to break up either.

(15)

When we turned thirty, we returned to where the story began.

Ma Jiaming and his wife were playing frisbee nearby, running around like they were teasing a dog.

Li Qingze and I sat on the beach.

He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, side profile radiant and clear.

When he turned to look at me, his eyes were soft.

In the distance, the sky was glowing crimson, the sea shimmering.

I will love this person forever.

---

Author’s Note:

This story is complete.

Thank you for reading!

(1)

I quit my job.

Ever since the new department head found out I was gay, he gave me a hard time every single day.

I’m someone who’s always been dedicated to my job. Back then, I even gave up my boyfriend for this position.

I endured and endured, but in the end, I couldn’t take it anymore.

When I resigned, I still thought:

Why didn’t you show up earlier?

If you had, I would’ve left sooner ah!

I actually went through a long-distance relationship and even broke up with my husband for this sh*** job!!

I truly felt it wasn’t worth it.

(2)

The day I packed up my things, my teammates got me a small cake.

We secretly shared it while the boss was out in a meeting.

There was a little sign on the cake that read:

“May the road ahead be filled with clear skies, and may everything go as you wish.”

I really love them.

(3)

Yan Han was waiting at the entrance of the office building. When he saw me come out, he reached out to help carry the stuff in my hands.

I glanced back at my old office with some reluctance.

This was where I spent my four years.

This was my first job.

I stared at it for a long time.

Yan Han stood beside me, holding my things, silently keeping me company.

When I sniffled and looked at him, he finally spoke, eyes full of heartache.

“Let’s go, baby. Let’s go home.”

(4)

Even though my family didn’t rely on me to earn money, and the allowance Yan Han gave me every month had an extra zero compared to my previous salary, after I resigned, I really was in a slump for a while.

For quite some time, I lived a life where clothes were handed to me and meals were served.

Yan Han tried his best to get off work on time every day, so he could play with me and the puppy, then cook for me.

Half a month later, we were lying in bed, with me nestled in his arms.

“I’ve always dreamed of becoming a writer. How about I start writing a novel?”

Yan Han looked pleasantly surprised. He hugged me tighter, excited.

“Sure ah, I’ll support you!”

“Then, what should I write about?”

I pondered for a long time. “How about I write our story?”

Yan Han smiled happily. “Sounds great.”

(5)

The next day, Yan Han went to work. I stayed home watching TV dramas.

In the afternoon, someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, I saw two technicians in work uniforms.

“Hello, are you Mr. Li? We’re here to install your desktop computer.”

A high-performance CPU, one horizontal monitor, one vertical, plus a sound system I couldn’t even make sense of and a keyboard and mouse that obviously looked expensive.

After everything was set up, Yan Han called me.

“Try it out. If it’s not good enough, we’ll just buy another.”

“What are you doing?” My face was dark.

“Aren’t you going to start writing?” Yan Han sounded confused.

I glanced at the iPad charging on the nightstand.

I was originally planning to type on the iPad.

(smiles.jpg)

(6)

[Li Xiaocao’s English was so-so, but his boyfriend’s English was excellent. So at home, Li Xiaocao would sometimes ask Yan Leng to speak with him in English. But that often led to misunderstandings—for example, when Yan Leng asked, “Do you have the key?” Li Xiaocao misheard it as “Do you have the tea?” So he brought the thermos but forgot the key, and the two of them ended up locked outside.]

[But Yan Leng never got mad. He was the most patient boyfriend.]

“Hey!” One night before bed, Yan Han got a call from Ma Jiaming. He still sounded as casual and carefree as ever.

Yan Han glanced at me and turned on the speaker so I could listen in.

Before I could say anything, Ma Jiaming’s rant came through loud and clear.

“Is Li Qingze writing CP fiction now? My wife saw it and even asked me—‘Is that Ma Mingming in the story supposed to be you?’”

I was feeling smug and just about to say something—

“Don’t let him keep writing, Old Yan.”

“If words are his wings, break them. What kind of nonsense is this?”

Yan Han hurried to turn off the speaker, but I was already erupting like a volcano.

“Ma Jiaming, you $#@ of a &^%$!!”

“If you don’t know how to appreciate it, then shut up!!”

(7)

What I wrote was pretty cute, right?

You guys read this far already—give me a little encouragement, okay? Hehe.

(8)

After that fight, Ma Jiaming wanted to make up with me, so he invited Yan Han and me to go on a trip to Australia.

He wanted to take his fiancée there, revisit old places.

His old places, for his fiancée to visit.

I agreed.

He booked business class tickets for the two of us.

I immediately forgave Ma Jiaming.

My best friend, Ming.

(9)

Once again, we flew to that loneliest city.

Retracing the paths we walked at twenty.

To see the coastline at the western edge of this continent, to watch its sunrise and sunset.

“Everything feels so different now,” I sighed, sitting on the beach.

“The scenery we saw at twenty does look a bit different through the eyes of a thirty-year-old.”

Yan Han turned to look at me, his gaze as gentle as ever.

“But you haven’t changed.” I gently cupped his face and gave him a soft kiss.

Sunrise to sunset, the glow of the clouds painted the sea red.

I would forever love this ocean.

---

Author’s Note:

Sunrise to sunset, the glow of the clouds shining down. I will forever love this ocean.

(41)

After the breakup, I lost over ten jin.¹More than 13lbs. My mom got super worried and dragged me to the hospital for a check-up.

When I came back from the hospital, I couldn’t hold it in and told her about me and Yan Han.

She looked really surprised and said repeatedly, “Baby, why didn’t you tell Mom? Aren’t we the closest?”

I pulled myself together and tried to comfort her.

She was coaxed into a good mood and smiled as she spoke.

“So he’s a young man from Yumi province ah? Is he tall? If you two had a baby, it’d even be a mixed one.”

Mom, let me emphasize a few points:

First, a baby born to someone from Jiangjiang province and someone from Yumi province really doesn’t count as mixed-blood.

Second, I can’t give birth. And I don’t think he can either.

Third, Yan Han and I have already broken up.

I couldn’t help it and burst into tears again.

Luckily, this time Mom was there to hand me tissues.

(42)

Ma Jiaming:

Fyi

My parents don’t mind me dating someone from another province.

But I no longer have anyone.

(43)

I hesitated and didn’t delete the weather forecast for Z City from my phone.

Because I was afraid that if a natural disaster hit over there, I wouldn’t know in time.

I also didn’t have the heart to delete Yan Han. His chat had already been unpinned and was now buried under new conversations.

But every now and then, while looking for something else, I’d catch a glimpse of it.

And it made my heart ache in waves.

I struggled to get back to my normal life. I started meeting friends for meals, going on spring outings, taking pictures of flowers and plants by the roadside, asking my mom to take side-profile shots of me looking at flowers, and then posting them on my Moments.

I waited for that person to like them but he never did.

(44)

“Yo, nice car.”

I picked Ma Jiaming up at the airport. He was dressed in a full suit, carrying a briefcase, looking all proper and human.

He was here on a business trip.

He talked nonstop the whole way—stuff about economic transition, catching market trends and whatnot.

It felt like I was back in a lecture hall.

“Oh right,” Ma Jiaming twisted open a bottle of water from my armrest compartment, “what’s going on with you and Yan Han?”

I was stunned and turned to look at him.

“We broke up.”

“Huh?” Ma Jiaming exclaimed, “What? He didn’t tell me anything ah.”

My heart jolted. I didn’t dare think too deeply about it.

“You,” I cleared my throat, “when did you last talk to him?”

“Just a few days ago. I told him I was coming to see you, and he said you were pretty busy.” Ma Jiaming looked confused. “He didn’t say you two broke up.”

I froze, saying nothing.

“When did you guys break up?” Ma Jiaming pressed.

“Over half a year ago,” I replied.

Ma Jiaming looked even more puzzled. “So those pictures you posted on your Moments, they weren’t taken while you were with Yan Han? I thought they were from your dates.”

“What?”

“Yeah, those kinds of pictures are really sour and rotten romance ai. As a single dog, I really couldn’t bear to look at them.”

(45)

I felt like I was sensing something. But I didn’t dare think too much.

Because I was afraid of disappointment.

(46)

The next night, after finishing his business, Ma Jiaming came to my unit and said he wanted to take me on a bold adventure through the bars of H City.

I had stuff on my mind and wasn’t paying attention, so I ended up drinking too much.

I vaguely heard Ma Jiaming talking to someone on the phone nearby, and I leaned over to listen.

It was Yan Han’s voice.

His voice was hoarse, and he sounded really down.

I can’t remember what happened after that.

I think I cried.

(47)

The next day was Monday. I endured a headache to get up for work, then dragged myself out of the office when it was time to leave.

When I got to the parking lot, I saw a tall figure standing next to my car.

Black windbreaker, dark gray utility pants, a baseball cap.

That silhouette. I’d never forget it in my life.

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was him.

I ran over and hugged him tightly.

His strong arms clutched me close, and his trembling breath brushed against my ear.

At that moment, Yan Han was real, not a hallucination.

(48)

We didn’t even bother to finish our dinner. He half-hugged, half-carried me into my rental apartment.

My waist hit the shoe cabinet by the door, but before I could even cry out in pain, the sound was swallowed into his mouth.

Very soon, another part of me was taken into his mouth as well.

I trembled, gasped, and finally reached the peak, clutching at his hair.

He stood up and kissed me, my taste still lingering in his mouth.

“I thought you were in a new relationship…”

Yan Han bit hard at my neck, like he wanted to devour me whole.

“I was going crazy.”

(49)

I was going crazy too.

(50)

We got back together.

Yan Han told me that over the past six months, he had been planning to expand the business into the East China region and shift the company’s focus there.

But the other shareholders had a lot of objections, thinking he was too reckless for someone so young.

He played it off by saying he was expanding the market, but in reality, it was just so he could come find me sooner.

As I listened to him, I leaned over, pulled the blanket over his shoulder, and hugged him.

“That does sounds pretty risky.”

Yan Han chuckled, his deep voice reverberating in his chest and tickling my ear.

“It’s exactly because it’s risky that I want to do it. I want to make a name for myself.”

He looked so handsome, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I hugged him and kissed him several times.

“I’ll definitely support your business!”

“Alright, lady boss.”

(51)

When Yan Hot Pot opened its first branch in H City, Yan Han came to oversee the setup. He had also secured an office location in H City, and his team had arrived one after another.

I went to the airport to pick him up.

He came out through the glass doors carrying his luggage, wearing that black leather jacket I bought him years ago in Australia. His short hair was neat and sharp, and his eyes were bright.

He waved at me with a smile and strode over.

I waited until he got close, then opened my arms for him to hug me.

Just like he always did.

We ended our long-distance relationship in the sixth year of loving each other.

Do people really fall in love at first sight?

I’ll tell you the truth based on my personal experience. Yes, they really do.

Then, can a person fall in love with the same person over and over again?

I can’t say for sure.

Because I’ve always been in love, never changed.

(Main story complete. Extras to follow.)