Xiao Cheng had already taken the first step when he heard this question and, for a moment, didn’t know whether to continue walking forward. He didn’t expect Bai Yiheng to suddenly ask this, and his expression showed some surprise.
Bai Yiheng chuckled softly in his ear, his footsteps halting as well. “Why aren’t you moving forward?”
Xiao Cheng turned to look at him. The man’s expression remained warm, with a natural smile in his eyes, as if the person who had just asked that question wasn’t him at all.
“Why did you suddenly ask me this, Mr. Bai?” This didn’t seem related to their work at all, did it?
Bai Yiheng pointed to a strand of hair that had fallen beside Xiao Cheng’s cheek, responding casually, “In the future, it might get busy, with frequent business trips and overtime. If you have a partner, it’s best to explain this to them in advance.”
His answer was flawless, and Xiao Cheng didn’t delude himself into thinking that Bai Yiheng might be interested in a kid like him who hadn’t even graduated from college yet.
He brushed aside the hair from his cheek and replied, “I don’t have a partner.”
Bai Yiheng chuckled lightly. When Xiao Cheng looked over, he met his gaze openly, “Haven’t you thought about dating?”
His tone was gentle and casual, like a chat between friends, making it hard for Xiao Cheng to feel resistant. Despite this being their first meeting, Xiao Cheng answered honestly, “I’ve dated, but we broke up.”
He wasn’t very fond of sharing this part of his life, as the reason for the breakup wasn’t glamorous and made him feel foolish to recount.
Bai Yiheng didn’t press further. Xiao Cheng genuinely heard his laughter, and his face lit up with a smile that softened his features.
Feeling the warmth of Bai Yiheng’s emotion, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but laugh a little and ask, “What are you laughing at, Mr. Bai?”
Bai Yiheng looked straight into his slightly curved eyes, “There’s no rush in matters of the heart; it’ll happen naturally when the time is right.”
Xiao Cheng nodded seriously, “Mr. Bai is definitely speaking from the heart.”
Bai Yiheng paused, realizing that Xiao Cheng was teasing him.
Xiao Cheng had cleverly pointed out that Bai Yiheng was single.
“I’ve always felt that in matters of love, you can’t rush. When the right moment comes, it will come,” Bai Yiheng said while looking directly at Xiao Cheng, his expression focused and sincere.
Xiao Cheng nodded, “You’re right, Mr. Bai.”
He felt as if he were facing a grown-up, his words carried a hint of awkwardness, so he added, “Mutual affection is really important.”
A person’s passion is always limited, and if it goes unreturned for too long, even the strongest feelings can fade away.
There was one crucial point Xiao Cheng didn’t voice.
Deceit has no place in relationships.
The biggest reason he decided to break up with Luo Jingshu wasn’t that he didn’t love him, but rather that Luo Jingshu had been deceiving him from the start. Even when confronted, he refused to admit his wrongdoing.
As he removed the scarf from around his neck, Xiao Cheng pondered this in his heart.
He had never stopped loving Luo Jingshu; even now, Xiao Cheng couldn’t say he didn’t love him.
It was just that before this, he cared more about the manipulation and deceit that Luo Jingshu had subjected him to.
Bai Yiheng didn’t respond to his words, sensing that Xiao Cheng didn’t need his answer. The youth seemed to have fallen into his own thoughts.
Though Xiao Cheng hadn’t shared his past relationship with Bai Yiheng, from the tone and demeanor of Xiao Cheng’s earlier words, Bai Yiheng could guess that it likely wasn’t a pleasant experience.
He had no intention of prying into Xiao Cheng’s privacy; the thought barely flickered through his mind before he pushed it down.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was quite pleasant. Xiao Cheng quickly set aside that slight feeling of loss and focused on listening to Xu Yu and Bai Yiheng converse.
He had to admit that the walk they had taken earlier was indeed effective; even though he and Bai Yiheng hadn’t exchanged many words, the distance between them had noticeably decreased.
When Bai Yiheng spoke about some interesting anecdotes from his past, Xiao Cheng was able to contribute his thoughts and even tease him good-naturedly.
After a few exchanges, Xiao Cheng noticed that Bai Yiheng had a very good temperament in daily life. There was hardly any negative emotion on his face; even when sharing his embarrassing moments, there was a hint of laughter in his eyes.
This man was adept at controlling his emotions and expressions; it was nearly impossible to gauge his true thoughts just from his demeanor.
Xiao Cheng admired such people, as he himself found it difficult to hide his inner feelings.
“What are your plans for living, Cheng Cheng?” He An asked, using the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork rib for Xiao Cheng, and then asked quietly.
Xiao Cheng didn’t own much real estate. When he came of age, He An had gifted him an apartment, where he had previously intended to let Luo Jingshu stay.
But Xiao Cheng couldn’t possibly live there, as Bai Yiheng worked in A City, so Xiao Cheng would also have to live in A City.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yiheng paused his conversation with Xu Yu and turned his attention to Xiao Cheng. “If you don’t mind, you can stay with me.”
He winked at Xiao Cheng, “I have a guest room in my apartment that’s empty and usually unoccupied.”
He An thought for a moment and said, “That works. Cheng Cheng is only staying for two months, so he can live at Yiheng’s place for now, and we can discuss it later.”
“Isn’t this too much trouble for Mr. Bai?” Xiao Cheng tried to swallow a piece of pork rib but almost choked.
Bai Yiheng handed him a napkin. “It’s not a bother at all. I live alone, and the place feels pretty empty.”
And just like that, it was settled.
Speaking of living alone, He An brought up Bai Yiheng’s dating situation again.
Bai Yiheng was not only a high-ranking executive at the company but also a close friend of Xiao Cheng’s parents. He An treated him like a younger brother and cared a lot about his personal life.
“Last time, I introduced you to a very beautiful girl. She’s cultured, graceful, and gentle. Why didn’t you take a liking to her?”
Bai Yiheng was wiping his fingers with a wet napkin when he couldn’t help but smile in exasperation. “It’s because she wasn’t interested in me.”
He An snorted. He knew very well how things really were; the girl had expressed her regrets when talking to her.
She described Bai Yiheng as gentle, polite, thoughtful, and considerate, but she simply didn’t like him. They had only met twice, and after the second meeting, Bai Yiheng rejected her.
“You’re thirty now and still don’t want to date? Are you really planning to stay single for life?” He An chided, then suddenly glanced at Xiao Cheng and jokingly added, “Cheng Cheng, don’t follow Yiheng’s example. Your mom looks forward to you bringing a partner home for us to see.”
“Cough cough.” Suddenly being brought into the conversation, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but cover his mouth and cough softly. Looking up, he saw Bai Yiheng watching him with a slight smile.
Xiao Cheng felt an inexplicable urge not to meet his gaze, so he averted his eyes and gave He An a pleasing smile. “Mom, I’m still young.”
He An thought about it and then warned, “You can start looking, but don’t mess around, okay?”
Xiao Cheng would never dare! The thought of Bai Yiheng hearing all this made his cheeks turn slightly red.
It felt like being embarrassed while others were watching.
When Bai Yiheng was about to leave, Xiao Cheng exchanged contact information with him.
Bai Yiheng’s WeChat profile picture was a large image of SpongeBob SquarePants. When Xiao Cheng saw it for the first time, he almost thought he had added the wrong person.
“My niece changed it,” Bai Yiheng explained. “This is my personal account, and there aren’t many people in it—just friends. I don’t plan on changing it.”
It was clear he loved his family very much.
Xiao Cheng gave him a thumbs-up. “It looks great and matches Mr. Bai’s personality.”
Bai Yiheng winced and suddenly reached out to gently tap Xiao Cheng’s forehead with his fingertip, touching him briefly before pulling away.
Xiao Cheng was taken aback, his eyes wide as he looked at him.
Bai Yiheng’s voice lowered as he fixed his gaze on Xiao Cheng, “How many times did you tease me tonight?”
Xiao Cheng didn’t dare to rub his forehead. He was just sending Bai Yiheng off and was slightly nervous, “Are you mad, Mr. Bai?”
Bai Yiheng looked at him for a moment, and his tense expression suddenly relaxed, a smile spilling from his eyes.
“I’m not that petty to hold a grudge against a kid.”
Xiao Cheng realized a moment too late that Bai Yiheng had deliberately tried to scare him.
“Childish,” he muttered, but he didn’t hear the man next to him say anything after a while.
Xiao Cheng stopped walking and looked up, but Bai Yiheng reached out again and quickly tapped his nose with his fingertip.
Xiao Cheng suddenly felt a coolness at the tip of his nose—Bai Yiheng had smeared a bit of snow on it.
This year’s snow had just arrived, and it wasn’t very heavy yet, with only a thin layer on the ground. They would likely see a scene of silver-coated landscapes in a little while.
Xiao Cheng held back and pulled out a piece of tissue from his pocket to wipe off the melted snow, but his expression was somewhat complicated.
Bai Yiheng made a fist and held it to his lips, lightly coughing. “Are you upset?”
With a red nose, Xiao Cheng looked seriously at Bai Yiheng and said with a hint of annoyance, “Where did the snow come from?”
Bai Yiheng was taken aback. “It’s from the leaves.”
Xiao Cheng sighed in relief, thinking Bai Yiheng had picked it up from the ground.
The cold wasn’t the issue; Xiao Cheng just disliked the dirt, after all, the snow on the ground could have been trampled by shoes.
Bai Yiheng finally understood his meaning and couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’m not the type to do something like that.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t realize how ambiguous the earlier interaction had been. Partly because he viewed Bai Yiheng as a senior, he felt comfortable as long as it wasn’t too excessive; and partly because He An had just mentioned that she introduced a girl to Bai Yiheng, Xiao Cheng subconsciously assumed Bai Yiheng was heterosexual.
Bai Yiheng himself didn’t know why he had acted so childish. Perhaps it was because Xiao Cheng’s tone had been too light when he complained earlier, almost like a pout, and he couldn’t resist.
As he sent Bai Yiheng off to his car, Xiao Cheng looked down at the handsome face reflected in the window, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Mr. Bai, I’m going to trouble you in the future.”
Bai Yiheng looked up at him, his dark eyes holding a barely noticeable pleasure. “I’m looking forward to our time together in the coming days.”
Xiao Cheng watched the car drive away. Scattering snowflakes landed on his shoulder, which he brushed off with his hand.
He stared at the vehicle disappearing into the night, his lips slightly parted as he exhaled, feeling a little more at ease in his heart.
The future will surely get better.
Since the last time he was mocked, Luo Jingshu hadn’t sent him any messages. Xiao Cheng quietly went through two weeks, but his mood grew heavy again on the day of Luo Jingshu’s birthday.
The gift for Luo Jingshu had long been prepared, sitting on Xiao Cheng’s desk.
Jiang Zihe had asked several times, both directly and indirectly, but Xiao Cheng never revealed what it was.
Though the item wasn’t heavy, he felt as if he were carrying something weighing a thousand pounds, his arms nearly unable to lift it.
Ten minutes ago, Luo Jingshu had sent him a message: [Brother Cheng, I’m at the gate of S University.]
Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the bag in his hand, and walked forward with heavy but resolute steps.
His face was slightly stiff from the cold wind, leaving him unable to show any expression; only his eyes were a bit red.
From a distance, Xiao Cheng spotted Luo Jingshu.
The young man wore an oversized hoodie, with jeans hugging his long, straight legs and white sneakers on his feet. He stood tall, exuding a youthful and vibrant aura resembling the “little puppy” type described in novels.
But Xiao Cheng knew that Luo Jingshu was never just some harmless little puppy.
He was more like a wolf cub that bites silently.
When the wolf cub spotted him, a smile suddenly broke out on his otherwise expressionless, beautiful face. His peach blossom eyes were fixated on Xiao Cheng.
“Brother Cheng.”
Xiao Cheng felt as if he was transported back to a month ago when he had sprained his ankle while playing basketball, and Luo Jingshu had come to find him at the same time. In the dark of the night, seeing Luo Jingshu’s face filled him with boundless energy.
So he bore the pain, pretending to walk normally, not wanting to show even a hint of his discomfort in front of the younger man.
His few steps almost exhausted him, and when he returned to his dormitory, his ankle was swollen and took several days to recover.
Recalling that incident made Xiao Cheng’s eyes prick with tears. A wave of complicated emotions surged in his heart. He lowly hummed in acknowledgment, turning his head to avoid letting Luo Jingshu see the redness in his eyes.
“Let’s walk a bit further,” Xiao Cheng said, striding ahead, the hem of his coat sweeping through the air with a somewhat indifferent gesture.
Luo Jingshu quickly caught up with two long strides. He had grown rapidly recently; he used to be about the same height as Xiao Cheng, but now he seemed slightly taller.
Walking side by side, Luo Jingshu turned to look at Xiao Cheng’s long lashes, feeling an inexplicable itch in his heart.
“Brother Cheng, have you had dinner?” His voice was soft and gentle.
“Yeah.” Xiao Cheng replied casually, stopping when he felt they were far enough.
He was mostly worried that being too close to the school gate would attract the security guards if they got too loud, so they walked a bit further away.
Fortunately, it was cold, and there weren’t many people out. This area had some light, so it wasn’t too dark—a perfect place for a conversation.
Luo Jingshu gazed deeply at his face. He felt that Xiao Cheng had lost weight; the contours of his face looked sharper, and when facing him, there was not a trace of a smile in his eyes.
While he observed Xiao Cheng, Xiao Cheng also assessed the young man in front of him.
Luo Jingshu’s face was flawless, with exquisite and vibrant features; even his lips were a shade redder than others, making his skin appear as white as jade.
He stood upright, like a tall pine tree, his legs impressively long, even more perfect than a girl’s.
Xiao Cheng consoled himself; at least he hadn’t lost out here. Although Luo Jingshu’s character left much to be desired, at least his appearance was attractive.
Stripped of the deliberately soft facade he usually put on, Luo Jingshu’s voice was deeper than usual, yet it wasn’t the husky magnetism of a mature man like Bai Yiheng; it was a gentle warmth characteristic of youth.
“Brother Cheng, why didn’t you wear an extra layer?” Luo Jingshu pinched Xiao Cheng’s earlobe with his icy fingertips, startling him a bit.
He couldn’t help but regret wearing just a hoodie today; he couldn’t take it off to lend to Xiao Cheng in this weather.
Xiao Cheng tilted his head, avoiding his hand. “It’s unnecessary. I just have a few words to say.”
He handed the bag to Luo Jingshu, softly saying, “Open it and take a look.”
Luo Jingshu reached out to take it, his fingers brushing against Xiao Cheng’s hand but he quickly withdrew.
His brow furrowed slightly as an unsettling premonition washed over him. “What did Brother Cheng get me?”
“You’ll know when you open it.”
Xiao Cheng rubbed his fingertips and shoved his hands back into his pockets. He had spoken lightly earlier, but now he couldn’t help but regret not wearing a thicker coat.
This damn weather was too cold.
Xiao Cheng’s thoughts drifted; he really didn’t understand how Luo Jingshu managed to wear only a hoodie in such temperatures.
As Luo Jingshu opened the box, he held his breath slightly.
He looked down at the items inside, his expression suddenly freezing. His long eyelashes trembled lightly, and his fingers tightened around the contents with enough force that the edges of the box started to warp.
Inside were two small receipts and two torn plane tickets.
A suffocating sensation rushed to Luo Jingshu’s chest. After a moment, he extended his hand, pinching the receipt to read the information clearly.
It was for a Christmas-themed necklace.
The other receipt was for a pair of couple watches.
Luo Jingshu recalled this; he had seen an advertisement for this watch on a big screen while on a date with Xiao Cheng.
So, he was already planning to buy it back then?
Luo Jingshu released his fingers, letting the receipt gently fall back into the box. He looked up at Xiao Cheng, his eyes glistening with tears, “Where is it?”
His voice was hoarse and shaky.
Xiao Cheng clearly saw the redness in his eyes. He closed his eyes for a moment and tightly clenched the hand in his pocket into a fist, “I threw it away.”
Luo Jingshu gripped the box tightly, “Was it on Christmas night?”
Luo Jingshu’s lips were tense, and the delayed pain weighed heavily on his heart. He couldn’t help but think, no wonder Xiao Cheng could hear what he said; maybe he was nearby at that time.
What kind of emotions did Xiao Cheng come to him with, only to throw away the gift he had prepared after hearing those words?
Luo Jingshu always thought he didn’t care, but upon hearing Xiao Cheng say he threw it away, his first reaction was regret.
This was the first gift Xiao Cheng had prepared for him, yet he didn’t even know what it looked like.
But before Luo Jingshu could continue regretting, Xiao Cheng reminded him, “There’s still something else.”
Luo Jingshu had only seen the two flight tickets earlier, and after reading the information on them, he was utterly speechless.
These were two tickets from S City to Rome.
Xiao Cheng had once made a romantic promise to him.
It was the morning they first started dating when Xiao Cheng woke up from a drunken stupor. After Luo Jingshu confessed to him, the young man knelt in front of him and asked, “Nian Nian, can you go to Rome with me when you have time?”
He remembered laughing at that time, asking, “What will we do in Rome?”
Xiao Cheng told him, “There’s a beautiful legend about the Trevi Fountain in Rome: if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you can make three wishes.”
“I once made a wish in front of the sculpture of Poseidon, saying that if I ever had someone I liked, I would take him back to Rome to throw a coin into the fountain and wish for us to love each other forever.”
When Xiao Cheng said this, his eyes sparkled, and his cheeks had a slight flush, probably embarrassed that, at his age, he still believed in such legends.
But he was indeed asking Luo Jingshu, his eyes filled with hope, longing, and expectation for the future.
Luo Jingshu remembered his reaction at that moment. He caressed Xiao Cheng’s eye corner, reddening the young man’s eyes, and when his expression shifted from expectation to anxiety, he casually nodded.
“Sure, if there’s a chance.”
The opportunity had come to him, but he had let it slip away.
Xiao Cheng tore up the tickets.
If he hadn’t said those words that night, Xiao Cheng would have given him the necklace and the watch, and they would have boarded an international flight, facing away from the fountain, throwing a coin in.
But all of that was gone.
Luo Jingshu’s expression became confused, his eyes seemed to be glistening. He panickedly placed the tickets back, trembling as he called out, “Brother Cheng!”
Xiao Cheng wanted to take the box back; after all, Luo Jingshu keeping it would be useless.
However, the boy reacted strongly, hurriedly holding the box to his chest, his red-rimmed eyes looking at him like a lost puppy.
“Brother Cheng, don’t do this.”
Xiao Cheng withdrew his hand, “Fine, if you want to keep it, then keep it.”
After all, it was just a few useless scraps of paper.
He sniffed, his body feeling stiff from the cold, “Luo Jingshu, I’ll say it one last time: let’s break up.”
“I’m serious.”
Luo Jingshu blinked, his eyelashes damp with tears, his eyes filled with panic, “I know I was wrong, but you promised to give me another chance.”
Luo Jingshu had never been so clear-headed as he was now, and he realized Xiao Cheng really wanted to break up with him.
He could no longer deceive himself; Xiao Cheng was just angry.
A great sense of fear and grievance surrounded Luo Jingshu, the pain in his heart turning his face pale. He didn’t know how to react, so he could only grab Xiao Cheng’s wrist, fearing that he would disappear if he weren’t careful.
Xiao Cheng shook off his hand, his tone cold and heavy, “I was lying to you.”
Luo Jingshu would rather Xiao Cheng’s words were lies at this moment, but he also knew in his heart that every word Xiao Cheng had just said was true.
“Brother Cheng, are you really going to abandon me?” He croaked, staring at Xiao Cheng’s expression, not wanting to miss a single reaction.
Xiao Cheng frowned, “Don’t make yourself sound so pitiful, Luo Jingshu. Haven’t you realized your mistakes?”
Luo Jingshu opened his mouth, his eyes filled with despair, “You can’t give me even a single chance to make amends.”
“There’s no need.” Xiao Cheng rubbed his temples; his head started to hurt again.
“You don’t love me, so why are you clinging to me?” There was an unmistakable exhaustion in his words. “Luo Jingshu, ask yourself, have I ever done anything to let you down since we met?”
The calm Xiao Cheng had maintained for an entire evening finally shattered. He also felt the heat in his eyes, and his tone was much more agitated than before.
“If you feel wronged, do you think I don’t feel wronged?”
“What did I do to offend you, that you have to go to such lengths to toy with me?”
Luo Jingshu stubbornly grabbed Xiao Cheng’s arm, quietly admitting his mistakes, “You didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one who messed up.”
He was finally willing to admit his faults, but it was too late.
Xiao Cheng was utterly exhausted: “If you truly felt guilty towards me, we could part on good terms.”
Luo Jingshu pursed his lips, “We can’t break up, Brother Cheng.”
His voice was soft: “I like you.”
He liked Xiao Cheng.
At first, it was indeed with a mindset of playing with him, but he didn’t know when the young man became an indispensable presence in his life. He had just been too defensive, unwilling to admit he had really fallen for him.
Only when Xiao Cheng truly wanted to sever ties did Luo Jingshu realize this belated affection.
Perhaps when he agreed to go to Rome with Xiao Cheng back then, his heart had already been touched?
He was so foolish.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Cheng could no longer tolerate it. He grabbed Luo Jingshu’s arm, clenched his fist, and punched his cheek.
Xiao Cheng had held back for a long time; now that Luo Jingshu had turned eighteen, he did not hold back at all.
Luo Jingshu didn’t dodge. The punch made his head tilt, a tearing pain spreading from his lip, likely bleeding. But he didn’t care, only looking at Xiao Cheng with sorrow in his eyes.
“Luo Jingshu, how long are you going to keep lying to me?!”
Xiao Cheng seized his collar and pushed him forward with force.
Luo Jingshu stumbled back two steps, his back hitting the tree, the protruding bark jabbing painfully against his back.
Xiao Cheng’s angry voice rang in his ears:
“Who are you trying to disgust by saying you like me now?”
Luo Jingshu let out a low groan, the pain on his face was nothing compared to the agonizing pain in his heart upon hearing those words. His expression turned despondent, tears sliding down the corners of his eyes.
Xiao Cheng was unwilling to believe him anymore.
