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The next day, they met at a mutton hotpot restaurant. As soon as Xiao Cheng pushed open the door, he was immediately enveloped by a warm, fragrant aroma.
He shook off the chill from his body; the hem of his coat was still dotted with tiny water droplets, and even his hair was damp. It had started raining without him noticing when he left home, but thankfully most of the journey was by car. He only got a little wet walking from the parking lot to the restaurant.
Xie Zhao spotted Xiao Cheng at the entrance and waved to him, “Xiao Cheng, over here.”
Xiao Cheng smiled as he walked over. Xie Zhao noticed his empty hands and had suspicions about them.
“Didn’t bring an umbrella?” Xie Zhao asked, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and offering it to him.
Xiao Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, saying, “Hardly anyone carries handkerchiefs anymore.”
He said this while lightly pushing Xie Zhao’s arm with his fingers. He pulled two napkins from the box nearby and casually wiped his hair with his other hand.
“No worries, it’ll dry in no time.”
Xie Zhao naturally put his handkerchief away, but his fingers clenched slightly, “My mom had that habit when I was young, and I guess I picked it up from her.”
“Your mother must be quite particular,” Xiao Cheng said, tossing the damp napkins into the trash and pulling a USB drive from his coat pocket. “Thank you for the USB, senior.”
Xie Zhao accepted the silver USB, which still held some of Xiao Cheng’s warmth. He rubbed it between his fingers and smiled, “No need for thanks between us.”
“Some things deserve a thank you,” Xiao Cheng said seriously. “You’ve helped me a lot.”
The conversation was starting to feel distant.
Xie Zhao looked deeply into Xiao Cheng’s eyes and suddenly noticed that his eyelids seemed slightly puffy. The smile on his face felt surface-level, polite but carrying a hint of detachment.
Xiao Cheng didn’t seem to be in a good mood.
Xie Zhao licked his lips, a guess forming in his mind. Had Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu fought?
As he added some mutton to the hotpot, Xie Zhao casually asked, “You seem down. Did you fight with your boyfriend?”
Looking at the floating wolfberries and dates in the soup, Xiao Cheng felt his appetite grow with the rich aroma surrounding him.
“Hmm, something like that.” As the broth bubbled gently, he ladled some soup into a white porcelain bowl.
His attention was briefly focused on the mutton soup, when Xie Zhao’s voice reached his ears again, “Did you two break up?”
Xiao Cheng snapped out of his thoughts. He slowly sipped the soup, its rich flavor filling his mouth and warming his cold body, driving away the chill.
“Yes, we broke up.”
He didn’t see a reason to hide it from Xie Zhao.
In fact, whether or not he and Luo Jingshu had broken up, he was planning to have a serious talk with Xie Zhao.
Xie Zhao’s heart raced, a surge of joy swelling inside him. But his face remained calm and collected. “You two seemed fine a few days ago. What happened?”
He maintained a concerned expression, like a senior genuinely looking out for his junior, without a hint of any ulterior motives.
Xiao Cheng’s expression stayed calm, and mentioning the breakup didn’t seem to upset him. But the soup he had been so interested in moments ago suddenly lost its appeal.
He put down the bowl, the clink of porcelain against the stone table sounding particularly sharp.
“We argued. Our personalities don’t match, so we decided to split.”
He couldn’t very well tell Xie Zhao that it was because Luo Jingshu didn’t love him.
Saying that aloud would make him feel strangely small and pitiful, and he didn’t want to see pity on anyone’s face.
Xie Zhao didn’t doubt the truth of this. No one understood better than him how incompatible their personalities were.
Xiao Cheng was warm and sincere, treating people with genuine kindness. Luo Jingshu, on the other hand, took pleasure in toying with emotions, never truly understanding love.
Ever since Xie Zhao had found out that Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend was Luo Jingshu, he had a feeling they would break up eventually.
Luo Jingshu had never been honest with Xiao Cheng. He had merely relied on his masterful acting to fool Xiao Cheng, but eventually, Xiao Cheng would catch on.
Xiao Cheng had always emphasized how his boyfriend was obedient and harmless, which meant he was attracted to the version of Luo Jingshu that was merely a facade. The real Luo Jingshu was something else entirely, and Xiao Cheng probably wouldn’t be able to accept that.
Xie Zhao hadn’t expected the breakup to come so soon, though.
But there was something strange. Xiao Cheng never had any romantic interest in him, and he wouldn’t have shared the details of their relationship with Luo Jingshu. Their conversations were ordinary, even more distant than what you’d expect between close friends.
So why had Luo Jingshu been so certain that Xie Zhao liked Xiao Cheng?
Was it because he had invited Xiao Cheng to a Christmas exhibit, which had raised Luo Jingshu’s suspicions? That seemed plausible enough.
As early as their first meeting, Luo Jingshu had devised a way to send Xie Zhao away. Could Luo Jingshu have known about Xie Zhao’s feelings since then?
But how did he know?
Xie Zhao couldn’t figure it out, so he maintained his facade as a caring senior. Using communal chopsticks, he picked up some mutton for Xiao Cheng and gently advised, “Relationships are all about working through personality differences. It’s normal to have arguments. Are you really willing to break up with him?”
It was no surprise that Xiao Cheng hadn’t given it much thought before. Xie Zhao had hidden his feelings so well.
If Xiao Cheng hadn’t already sensed Xie Zhao’s intentions, these words could easily have sounded like he was trying to persuade him to reconcile with Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Cheng moved his bowl aside and replied to Xie Zhao’s comment, “Some people are simply not meant to be together. It’s not just about personalities; there are many other reasons too.”
At this point, Xiao Cheng paused for a moment, then glanced at Xie Zhao, speaking with a deeper meaning, “Maybe it’s just because there wasn’t love.”
Just as Luo Jingshu didn’t love him, he didn’t love Xie Zhao either.
Even people who are in love can break up; those without feelings are even less suited to being together.
Xie Zhao’s hand, which was reaching out to serve Xiao Cheng more food, paused. Xiao Cheng’s rejection was so clear that Xie Zhao had no choice but to redirect the food into his own bowl.
Then, hearing those words, Xie Zhao’s heart sank even further. The joy he had felt earlier slowly dissipated, replaced by a growing unease.
“You won’t know if you like someone until you give it a try. Feelings aren’t something that happens instantly. Sometimes, with enough time together, love can grow.”
Xiao Cheng smiled at this and responded, “Then, senior, you should find a girlfriend soon. It’s always better to be with someone who likes you than to chase after someone else.”
That comment was rather irresponsible.
Xie Zhao hadn’t expected Xiao Cheng to play dumb to such an extent, even pretending to be oblivious to his own sexual orientation.
He smiled and replied, “If I don’t like her and still get into a relationship, wouldn’t that make me a jerk?”
To his surprise, Xiao Cheng immediately nodded and looked straight at him, “You’re absolutely right, senior. I was being foolish earlier.”
“Being with someone you don’t like is extremely irresponsible.”
At that moment, Xie Zhao realized Xiao Cheng had outmaneuvered him. From the beginning, Xiao Cheng rejected him, even making him dig his own hole.
All of this boiled down to one clear message from Xiao Cheng: he didn’t like Xie Zhao, and he wouldn’t be in a relationship with him.
After a long silence, Xie Zhao sighed, “Xiao Cheng, it’s a shame you never joined the debate team.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t respond to that, only quietly lowering his head to eat.
He had merely taken advantage of Xie Zhao’s momentary lapse in focus, or rather, it was because Xie Zhao cared about him that his words had trapped him.
Xie Zhao silently picked at his food. Just moments ago, hearing about Xiao Cheng’s breakup with Luo Jingshu had filled him with excitement, even making him consider confessing his feelings.
But now, it was clear that rushing things would get him nowhere. Xiao Cheng clearly wasn’t ready to accept him.
The more Xie Zhao expressed his feelings, the more Xiao Cheng would likely distance himself.
Both of them ate silently, and when it was time to leave, Xie Zhao asked, “We’re still friends, right?”
Xiao Cheng looked at him with surprise, then smiled, “Weren’t we always friends?”
Xie Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that Xiao Cheng hadn’t completely cut ties and still saw him as a friend.
But hearing those words also left Xie Zhao feeling a bit down.
Xiao Cheng had already made his intentions clear. They had always been friends and would only ever be friends.
Still, Xie Zhao wasn’t entirely discouraged. He had seen how much Xiao Cheng had loved Luo Jingshu. Now that they had just broken up, it was only natural that Xiao Cheng wasn’t ready to accept him.
As the saying goes, even an iron rod can be ground down to a needle with enough perseverance. Pursuing someone was never easy.
Xie Zhao had patience; he could wait.
There was hope as long as Xiao Cheng didn’t completely shut him out.
Xiao Cheng wasn’t aware of what was going through Xie Zhao’s mind, but he felt he had made his point clear.
After all, Xie Zhao was still his senior and had helped him out, even contributing to some of the work he was currently doing, based on Xie Zhao’s suggestions.
He couldn’t completely cut ties with Xie Zhao. Otherwise, it would feel like burning bridges.
After parting ways with Xie Zhao, Xiao Cheng returned to the Xiao family home.
Last night, He An had sent him a message saying that a family friend was visiting today. The friend’s daughter had been his childhood friend.
Xiao Cheng had no memory of her, but He An had repeatedly emphasized that he should make sure to come home today.
When Xiao Cheng arrived, the guest hadn’t arrived yet, but his sister, Xiao Ziyue, had already returned.
Xiao Cheng washed up and changed clothes before sitting on the couch and asking her, “No classes today?”
Xiao Ziyue sat down beside him with a mysterious look on her face, “Brother, I have a question for you.”
“How are things with my sister-in-law?”
Xiao Cheng’s smile faded slightly as he picked up an orange from the table and began peeling it slowly, “For now, you don’t have a sister-in-law.”
Xiao Ziyue’s eyes widened in surprise. “You broke up with her?”
“Yeah,” Xiao Cheng replied casually.
Why was everyone so shocked about his breakup?
Seeing that Xiao Ziyue still had more questions, Xiao Cheng stuffed an orange slice into her mouth. She mumbled through the orange, “When did you break up?”
Before Xiao Cheng could answer, she added, “This orange is so sweet! Give me two more slices.”
Xiao Cheng: …
He handed the remaining slices to Xiao Ziyue and took a wet wipe to clean his fingers. “A couple of days ago.”
Xiao Ziyue sighed and comforted him, seeing that her brother wasn’t in high spirits, “There are plenty of fish in the sea. Why focus on just one? You’ll find someone better.”
Hearing her speak with such an air of experience, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but laugh, feeling some of the tension in his heart ease. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Xiao Ziyue stared at him for a while and suddenly sighed, “I feel like you’ve really changed.”
Xiao Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. “In what way?”
“When you were dating before, you felt so distant. We weren’t close anymore,” Xiao Ziyue said, a hint of complaint creeping into her voice. “I felt like I wasn’t your favorite sister anymore.”
Xiao Ziyue used to always hope Xiao Cheng would find a girlfriend, but recently she had changed her mind. Now, she wished he wouldn’t date so soon. After he started dating, it felt like her brother didn’t care about her anymore, and she even felt like she wasn’t part of the family, like Xiao Cheng was pushing her away.
She was upset, knowing full well that her brother would eventually belong to someone else, but she didn’t want to be treated like an outsider.
Of course, she didn’t know that Xiao Cheng’s distance wasn’t because of the relationship, but because he had been adjusting to the unfamiliarity of living in this “novel” world. Subconsciously, he hadn’t fully considered himself a member of the Xiao family yet.
Listening to his sister’s complaints, Xiao Cheng stayed silent for a moment before gently ruffling her hair. “That won’t happen anymore. You’ll always be my favorite sister.”
He could clearly feel that, after saying these words, the weight in his heart had lightened a bit more. Just like when he had decided to accept He An the day before, the more Xiao Cheng embraced his current identity, the more at peace he felt inside.
He should have done this long ago.
Xiao Ziyue finally smiled. They ate fruit silently before she suddenly asked, “Do you remember Sister Chu An?”
“Who?” Xiao Cheng honestly had no recollection of this person.
Xiao Ziyue looked at him like he was a scumbag. “You once said you would marry her, but now you don’t even remember her name.”
Xiao Cheng: ???
You can’t just throw accusations like that.
“When did I say that?”
Xiao Ziyue thought for a moment. “Probably when you were five.”
Xiao Cheng: …
“You remember something from when I was five?”
“I don’t remember; Mom told me about it,” Xiao Ziyue replied confidently.
Xiao Cheng had no response to that. He later learned that Chu An was the daughter of the family friend who was visiting today.
She had the typical features of a beauty: big eyes, an oval face, and long black hair. When she smiled, two dimples appeared, giving her a gentle and quiet aura.
Xiao Cheng had no memory of Chu An or her father, but fortunately, Chu An was also quiet by nature and didn’t speak much. Their brief greeting was enough to make Xiao Cheng feel relieved.
While dinner was being prepared, Xiao Cheng sat next to He An, listening to her chat with Chu An’s father. He didn’t have much to contribute, so he just listened quietly.
Xiao Ziyue pulled Chu An upstairs, probably to have some girl talk.
After a while, Chu An returned, and He An nudged Xiao Cheng. “Take Xiao An for a walk. It must be boring just staying indoors.”
Xiao Cheng stood up, and Chu An smiled at him. The two of them maintained a polite distance as they walked outside.
It was already completely dark. The rain had stopped earlier in the afternoon, leaving the air heavy with moisture.
Xiao Cheng pulled his clothes tighter around him and, noticing that Chu An was dressed lightly, asked, “Are you cold?”
Chu An looked up at him, smiling faintly. “What if I say yes?”
Xiao Cheng blinked. “Then let’s go back. Xiao Ziyue has clothes you can borrow.”
Chu An couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I’m not cold.”
She said, “Xiao Cheng, you’re still as funny as you used to be.”
Xiao Cheng exhaled softly, the cold wind hitting his neck, making him shiver. “Sorry, I’ve forgotten most of the things from back then.”
Chu An didn’t seem to mind. “That’s okay. We were both very young.”
“You even said you were going to marry me back then.”
Xiao Cheng suddenly started coughing violently, the cold air irritating his throat, making it feel dry and sore.
Chu An laughed. “Why are you so worked up? You don’t feel that way, do you?”
Xiao Cheng quickly shook his head, taking deep breaths. “Just childish talk.”
“Exactly,” Chu An nodded, then unexpectedly added, “Besides, you like men, don’t you?”
Xiao Cheng: ???
How was that so easy to figure out?
“You…”
“You want to ask how I know?” Chu An turned to look at him. “If I said it was intuition, would you believe me?”
Xiao Cheng finally managed to ease the itch in his throat. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes, tinged with red, were still slightly moist.
With Chu An standing backlit by the streetlight and Xiao Cheng facing the light, his tear-brightened eyes were in full view of her.
In her heart, she sighed, thinking, What a shame—such a beauty, wasted on a jerk.
Xiao Cheng had no idea what this warm-smiling girl in front of him was thinking. He calmed his breathing and responded, “Maybe it really was just your intuition.”
Why did she suddenly bring this up?
Xiao Cheng lowered his gaze slightly and continued walking along the road.
Chu An asked, “I heard from your sister that you broke up?”
Xiao Cheng’s thoughts raced, but his face remained calm, showing no emotion. “We broke up a couple of days ago.”
“You’re so good-looking. How could he bear to break up with you?”
Chu An sighed. “If it were me, I wouldn’t have let you go.”
Xiao Cheng remained unfazed. “That’s why I was the one who ended it.”
Chu An: …
Classic you, always managing to kill a conversation.
“Did you stop liking him?”
Xiao Cheng glanced at her, wondering her motive, but he answered calmly, “Who would like someone who’s heartless?”
Chu An couldn’t agree more but still probed, “Maybe you just had bad luck, running into a jerk. But how are you so sure he didn’t care about you?”
Xiao Cheng said, “If I said it was intuition, would you believe me?”
Chu An: …
This conversation is going nowhere.
She stopped asking about his love life and instead began reminiscing about childhood memories. Unfortunately, Xiao Cheng had no recollection of them and responded rather perfunctorily.
Chu An assumed he was still affected by their earlier conversation. Maybe Xiao Cheng hadn’t moved on as quickly as he claimed?
Chu An paused, glancing around at the scenery. “This place has a nice view. Why don’t we take a photo together?”
Xiao Cheng looked at the dimly lit surroundings and asked sincerely, “Are you sure?”
Chu An: …
I’ve been rendered speechless more times today than in a month.
“I’m sure,” she replied, with a slight edge to her voice.
She pulled out her phone, determined. “We’re taking one right here!”
“For the sake of our friendship.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t say anything but stood behind her, though they kept a bit of distance.
“Can you come a little closer?” She wasn’t going to bite, and she certainly wasn’t interested in him. Why was he acting so defensive?
When Xiao Cheng finally moved closer, Chu An added, “Could you smile a little?”
Xiao Cheng complied without a word, doing whatever she asked.
After she finally seemed satisfied, he asked, “Who are you going to send this to?”
“Huh?”
Chu An froze, then turned to look at Xiao Cheng, her face innocent and clueless.
“I wasn’t planning to send it to anyone.”
Xiao Cheng stared at her. “Really? So, who is it for?”
What the hell? How does this seemingly naive guy know I plan to send it to someone else?
Chu An clenched her phone tightly. “You’re overthinking it. I just wanted a keepsake.”
Xiao Cheng nodded, then asked again, “So, it really was intuition?”
“Huh?” Chu An was momentarily confused, then realized what he meant. Thoughts raced through her head before she sighed. “Fine. Actually, I heard it from Jiang Ying.”
Sorry, Mr. Jiang.
Jiang Ying?
Xiao Cheng was a bit surprised but quickly understood. In their social circles, people knew each other, and it seemed Chu An and Jiang Ying were close.
“Jiang Ying told me you had a little boyfriend.”
Xiao Cheng’s suspicions eased somewhat. He nodded. “Yeah, we broke up a couple of days ago.”
“So…” Chu An was about to probe again.
Xiao Cheng glanced at her. “Aren’t you cold?”
Chu An: …
She bit her lip. “Yes, I am.”
Fine, don’t ask. At least I got the photo.
Xiao Cheng started leading her back. Whatever she planned to do with the photo didn’t bother him as long as it wasn’t harmful.
After all, the photo didn’t show them being particularly close. At most, they looked like good friends.
Xiao Cheng glanced at Chu An thoughtfully. “You remember our families are quite close, right?”
Chu An felt speechless again. “I’m a good person, okay?”
Don’t be so paranoid, young man!
Once Xiao Cheng turned away, Chu An quickly lowered the brightness on her phone and sent the photo to someone in her contacts.
[Chu An: I spent a lot of effort to take this photo. If you don’t introduce me to ten or eight beauties, you owe me, big time:)]
The reply came quickly: [Got it. Thanks.]
Chu An pocketed her phone and, when she looked up, saw Xiao Cheng silently watching her. Her expression stiffened, and she nervously brushed her hair back. “Why aren’t we walking?”
Xiao Cheng: “Let’s go.”
—
Under the dim and colorful lights, in the midst of a lively and chaotic atmosphere, two people sat quietly in a corner.
Fu Ju glanced at Luo Jingshu, the person next to him, and chuckled, “Mr. Luo, why don’t you have a drink?”
Luo Jingshu turned to him with an icy glare. “Shut up.”
Fu Ju cleared his throat. Luo Jingshu had wanted a drink earlier, but he said it wasn’t appropriate for minors, so he got him a glass of orange juice instead.
It was supposed to be grape juice, but the person beside him had pulled a face, claiming to hate grapes.
Sure, like you’re not frustrated enough to drink.
Trying to ease the tension, Fu Ju continued, “C’mon, Mr. Luo, cheer up. Your family’s in your hands now. Isn’t that something to celebrate?”
Fu Ju grinned cheekily. “All because your little canary flew away? Just find another one.”
Luo Jingshu’s face darkened, his eyes full of stormy fury. “If you can’t speak properly, then sew your mouth shut.”
Fu Ju clicked his tongue. “I’m just stating the obvious.”
He shoved his phone in front of Luo Jingshu’s face. “Look, isn’t that your little ‘grape’?”
“Looks like someone’s moved on without you. Like a bird out of its cage.”
The photo showed Xiao Cheng smiling brightly, standing behind a woman, the two looking close. The woman leaned back slightly, as if about to rest in Xiao Cheng’s arms.
Both were smiling radiantly at the camera, their expressions almost blinding.
Luo Jingshu’s face tightened, his expression cold and unforgiving, as he stared at Xiao Cheng’s smiling face. “Who is she?”
Fu Ju, enjoying the drama, stirred the pot. “That’s his childhood sweetheart. They were so close, Xiao Cheng even said he’d marry her.”
Better hurry and get him back before it’s too late, you stubborn fool.
Luo Jingshu slammed his glass down heavily, fury and frustration evident on his stunning face.
Seeing the tension rise, Fu Ju began to worry he might’ve pushed too far. The last thing he wanted was for Luo Jingshu to lose it in public.
But before he could say anything, Luo Jingshu abruptly stood and stormed off.
“Hey, where are you going, Luo Jingshu!”
“Stop right there!”
Oh no, he’s really going to lose it.
—
After Chu An left, Xiao Cheng finally had some time to talk with his mom, He An. They had a heart-to-heart, and Xiao Cheng decided to rest at home for the night and return to school the next day.
Just as he was getting ready for bed, Jiang Zihe called.
“Hello?”
The noise on the other end was deafening. Xiao Cheng moved the phone away from his ear, confirmed it was Jiang Zihe, and then asked, “Jiang Zihe?”
A few seconds later, a boy’s voice came through. “Is this Xiao Cheng?”
“And you are…?”
It wasn’t Jiang Zihe’s voice.
The boy explained that Jiang Zihe had gotten drunk and kept calling out Xiao Cheng’s name. He wanted to ask Xiao Cheng to come pick him up.
A vague figure popped into Xiao Cheng’s mind—was this the senior who had been pursuing Jiang Zihe?
“Let me speak to him,” Xiao Cheng said.
Jiang Zihe was indeed drunk, mumbling incoherently. He kept saying, “Xiao Cheng, you… lied to me!”
If someone didn’t know better, they might think Xiao Cheng had broken his heart.
Xiao Cheng massaged his temples, his head throbbing. “Send me the address. I’ll be right there.”
The boy breathed a sigh of relief and hung up, sending the bar’s location shortly after.
He lowered his phone and gently reassured Jiang Zihe.
Another person was sitting not far away, looking at them with a gloomy face.
It was Luo Jingshu.
TN: hi everyone, long time no see! i’m so sorry for the super late updates (┬┬﹏┬┬) im super busy rn but dont worry i’ll try to update this story at least twice a week. thank you so much for reading and please dont get bored cz Luo Jingshu wife chasing crematorium arc will be super long~ >:D
