The next afternoon, Luo Tian and Fang Chong had arranged to meet up at Bai Cheng’s house. Luo Tian first picked up Pharaoh from his parents’ place, then drove to the gym to pick up Ling Xiang.
After grabbing Pharaoh, Luo Tian realized he’d forgotten his phone at home. He drove back to retrieve it, and as he got out of the car, Pharaoh trotted off to play in the bushes by the building. When Luo Tian came back downstairs with his phone, Pharaoh ran up to him with something in his mouth—the ring Luo Tian had thrown out the window a few days earlier.
Luo Tian took the ring from Pharaoh’s mouth and casually put it into his jacket pocket, then headed to the gym to pick up Ling Xiang.
Just like two years ago, Fang Chong, Lin Fei, and Da Liu all shared a car, while Ling Xiang and Luo Tian rode together. Both cars pulled up to Bai Cheng’s house, and once she got into the passenger seat of Luo Tian’s car, they all headed to Kang He’s villa.
When they arrived at Kang He’s place, everyone acted as if they were at home, hanging out in the lounge area. After learning from last time’s mistake of not having enough ingredients for Laba porridge, Kang He had ordered plenty of frozen barbecue supplies online. Lin Fei and the others had stored everything in the fridge upon arrival, while the grill equipment Fang Chong and the gang had brought was stowed in the trunk.
They spent the entire afternoon playing and later had a light dinner to fill their stomachs before lounging on Kang He’s large and luxurious couch. Around 9 PM, Kang He messaged the group saying he had wrapped up filming and was on his way, estimating he’d arrive around 10.
Lin Fei told him not to rush, and Fang Chong and the others started setting up the barbecue on the terrace. Bai Cheng and Lin Fei wheeled the frozen supplies from the fridge to the terrace using Kang He’s elevator.
Once the grill was ready, everyone took turns grilling meat. The rich aroma soon filled the air. After eating a few skewers, Kang He finally arrived, fashionably late. As his car drove down the estate’s main road, he could see the group standing and sitting on the terrace, grilling and eating meat. He urged his driver to speed up and hopped out of the car, taking off his hat as he entered. He tossed it onto the couch, ruffled his hair, and rushed up to the terrace.
His hair was slightly messy from all the rushing, but with his good looks, it didn’t matter much.
Just as he was about to apologize for being late, Ling Xiang handed him two lamb skewers and said, “Here, eat these to warm up.” He threw an arm around Kang He’s shoulders and pulled him into a seat.
Kang He nodded to everyone in greeting and, after finishing the two lamb skewers, got up to take over grilling from Luo Tian.
Luo Tian assumed Kang He wanted to eat something fresh off the grill, so he said, “There’s more on the table; it’s all freshly grilled.”
“No, bro, let me take over.”
“No need. You just rushed over from the set. Sit down and relax.”
“Exactly, young master,” Lin Fei chimed in. “We’re here at your place, so you just sit back and let us handle everything.”
Kang He stopped resisting and obediently sat down. Da Liu and Da Li took over the grilling from Luo Tian and Ling Xiang, who then sat down together.
“Xiao Cheng, which do you like better, living abroad or living in An City?” Lin Fei asked while munching on some potato slices.
“They’re both good,” Bai Cheng replied.
“Did you date anyone while you were abroad? Got yourself a boyfriend?” Lin Fei teased, waggling her eyebrows.
Bai Cheng just smiled and kept eating her skewer without answering. She stole a glance at Luo Tian, who showed no reaction, quietly chewing on his grilled meat.
Bai Cheng turned her focus back to her food as well.
“So, do you have any plans now that you’re back in China?” Lin Fei asked.
“I’m planning to open a psychology consultation office,” Bai Cheng replied.
“Oh, that sounds great! If you ever need any help, don’t hesitate to ask us.”
“Yeah, I can refer some clients your way. I know quite a few celebrities who are dealing with depression. I could send them to you.”
“Thank you both,” Bai Cheng said with a smile.
The group continued eating, chatting, and laughing as the night wore on. Ling Xiang pulled out his phone to respond to a VIP client message, but his phone suddenly died. Frustrated, he shoved it back into his pocket and turned to Luo Tian. “Let me borrow your phone for a second. I need to reply to Wang Tao—yeah, that super difficult guy they assigned to you.”
Luo Tian was brushing some sauce onto a freshly grilled batch of vegetables, so he told Ling Xiang to grab the phone from his pocket himself. As Ling Xiang reached into Luo Tian’s jacket pocket, the ring that had been placed there earlier fell out, rolling across the floor and landing at Bai Cheng’s feet.
Bai Cheng picked up the diamond ring, held it up to the light, and studied it for a moment before asking, “Are you married?”
Luo Tian stared at the ring, feeling caught off guard and unsure how to explain. Ling Xiang, still typing his reply, casually said, “Married? Him? Who would he marry? Over the past two years, countless female students have tried to throw themselves at him, but he’s been dodging them like the plague. That ring? He bought it himself to wear on his ring finger and pretend to be married, just so women would stop bothering him. First time I’ve seen a tactic like that.”
“Female students?” Bai Cheng raised an eyebrow as she spoke, her tone playful.
Luo Tian, slightly flustered, took the ring from her hand and put it back in his pocket. “I don’t teach female students, only males—and only the most difficult ones with the worst tempers, right?” He nudged Ling Xiang with his elbow, using a bit of force.
“That’s only because you used to be the captain of the narcotics squad. No matter how bad-tempered the clients are, they all fall in line when they meet you. Who else could handle them?” Ling Xiang handed back the phone. “I’m heading to the living room to charge my phone,” he added before leaving.
Bai Cheng smiled quietly into her drink as she sipped some juice.
By the time everyone had eaten their fill, it was nearly midnight. The air was warm and slightly humid, typical of late spring. The night sky was dotted with only a few large clouds, which appeared even whiter against the dark blue backdrop. The moon was full, bright, and low in the sky, almost within reach.
“The moon is so round tonight,” Lin Fei remarked, pointing up at it.
“Yeah, and it’s so big and bright. I didn’t see a moon this beautiful once in the two years I was abroad,” Bai Cheng said.
“There’s an old saying: ‘The moon is brightest in one’s hometown,’” Kang He commented, snapping a picture of the moon with his phone.
“True,” Bai Cheng agreed.
Luo Tian took a picture of the full moon as well and posted it on his social media without any caption.
Lin Fei, always quick on the draw with her phone, noticed immediately. “Luo Tian, you finally posted on social media after two years!”
Her exclamation prompted everyone to check their feeds at the same time.
“The moon tonight must be extra special, huh?” Ling Xiang teased, giving Luo Tian a knowing look.
Luo Tian didn’t respond, choosing instead to sit down beside Bai Cheng.
Bai Cheng liked his post and then said, “The moon really is beautiful tonight. And it’s a rare full moon.”
“Yeah. Not only is the moon full, but so are we—everyone’s together again,” Luo Tian replied, gazing at Bai Cheng. His eyes were steady, and he didn’t look away. Bai Cheng met his gaze and saw so much within it.
Luo Tian’s eyes were dark, with a hint of blue around the edges, as if they held another moonlit night within them. The longer she stared into them, the more it felt like she could see endless mountain ranges reflected in his pupils.
A gentle breeze blew by, snapping Bai Cheng out of her trance.
Just then, Pharaoh, full and content, got up and wedged himself between Luo Tian and Bai Cheng, resting his head on Bai Cheng’s lap. She affectionately petted Pharaoh’s head. Luo Tian, annoyed by the interruption, gave Pharaoh a light smack on the backside. Pharaoh turned and barked at him loudly.
“Hey, looks like you’re taking sides now that she’s back, huh?” Luo Tian said.
Pharaoh wagged his tail and barked again.
“You traitor…” Luo Tian muttered, then, after a brief pause, said softly, “Bai Cheng, if you don’t mind, would you consider taking care of Pharaoh for a while again? He’s already 10 years old now, and with his lung issues… He really likes you. If it’s too much trouble, or if you’re too busy, you don’t have to…”
“Let’s take care of him together, just like before,” Bai Cheng interrupted, looking into Luo Tian’s eyes.
“Just like before?”
“Just like before,” Bai Cheng confirmed with a nod.
“Alright.”
After a moment of silence, Luo Tian asked, “These past two years abroad… did you…”
He had originally wanted to ask if she had dated anyone, but then he thought, what does it matter? She’s back now, and that’s all that counts. So instead, he changed his question: “Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah, it was great. My mentor and classmates were wonderful, and the scenery in the UK was beautiful. Everything was really nice.”
“No boyfriends, huh?” The question slipped out before Luo Tian could stop himself.
“No, the PhD program kept me too busy for that.”
“Really?” Luo Tian said. “So, do you have time now… to date me?”
Bai Cheng smiled at him. She reached out her left hand, intertwining her fingers with his right. “Sure. My personal shooting coach.”
Luo Tian squeezed her hand in return. “Do you still need a coach? I’ve got plenty of experience and am available anytime.”
“Hm… I probably don’t need a coach anymore. You forgot, I’ve already graduated. But once my office opens, I might need a personal bodyguard. Former Captain Luo, would you be interested in the job?”
“Of course. I’d be honored. For life, if you’ll have me.” Luo Tian pulled the ring from his pocket and handed it to Bai Cheng. “My life is in your hands now.”
Bai Cheng took the ring, slipped it onto Luo Tian’s left ring finger, and said with a smile, “Deal.”
That night, before going to sleep, Luo Tian posted another picture on social media. This time, it was a close-up of his left hand, the ring on his finger gleaming in the light.
“Whoa, Luo Tian’s showing off tonight! Two posts in one day!” Lin Fei messaged in the group chat without realizing she had sent it to the group where both Luo Tian and Bai Cheng were members.
Curious as to why no one had replied for a while, Lin Fei finally noticed her mistake. Just then, a new message popped up from Luo Tian—it was a pistol emoji.
Realizing her blunder, Lin Fei quietly sent a “goodnight” sticker to the group and let the chat fall back into silence.
