On the first day of the new year, Wen Ruqing woke up in Bai Xizhou’s bedroom. The hangover left him a little dazed. The heavy curtains blocked the light, making it hard to tell what time it was. There was a glass of water on the bedside table—still warm.
His clothes had been changed, probably into Bai Xizhou’s, which were a bit oversized. The quilt was warm and carried a faint scent. Wen Ruqing sat up, stretched, and got out of bed to wash up.
The house was quiet. Bai Xizhou wasn’t in the living room or kitchen. Wen Ruqing found it strange—how could he not be home on the morning of New Year’s Day? He crouched in front of the rabbit cages, watching the two little bunnies eat. After finishing a full glass of water, he was just about to call Bai Xizhou when he heard the door open.
Snow dotted Bai Xizhou’s shoulders and hair. Last night, while Wen Ruqing was asleep, it had snowed again in Xincheng. The room was warm, causing Bai Xizhou’s glasses to fog up. He took them off and casually placed them on the cabinet. When he looked up, his eyes met Wen Ruqing’s.
“I didn’t even know you wear glasses.” During their time in Yunduan Town—even though they were together every day—he had never seen Bai Xizhou wear glasses. Seeing it now felt oddly fresh.
“They’re plano lenses. I just wear them because I think they look good,” Bai Xizhou explained. “Your aunt called last night. I picked up for you. You should return her call.”
Wen Ruqing nodded in acknowledgment.
“You went grocery shopping?” His eyes moved to the bags in Bai Xizhou’s hands. “Are we having guests tonight?”
“Yeah, a friend’s coming over.” Bai Xizhou set the groceries down on the table. “We’re having hotpot tonight. Wanna stay and join?”
Wen Ruqing’s eyes lit up instantly. Ever since Bai Xizhou found out about his stomach problems, he hadn’t eaten anything heavy or spicy. Even when eating at home, Bai Xizhou strictly enforced dietary restrictions.
Wen Ruqing didn’t have particularly strong tastes, but going without flavorful food for so long made him crave it even more.
“Don’t even think about it—you’re only allowed to have clear broth.” Bai Xizhou saw right through him and immediately shattered his fantasy. “Coincidentally, my friend also has stomach issues. His partner specifically told me to prepare clear broth.”
“Forget it, I’ll go home. I don’t want to eat plain hotpot.” Wen Ruqing was speechless.
Even his aunt didn’t micromanage him like this. Yet Bai Xizhou was banning this and forbidding that. Not that it was a bad thing… it just felt weird.
“Stay.” Bai Xizhou chuckled softly, looking like he’d gotten what he wanted.
“No thanks. At least at home, I can sneak something in. If I eat here under your watch, I really won’t get to enjoy anything.” Wen Ruqing shook his head.
“I let you drink, didn’t I? Why wouldn’t I let you have something spicy?” Bai Xizhou dropped the teasing tone. “Just not too much.”
That was probably the biggest concession Bai Xizhou was willing to make. Wen Ruqing thought about it: even if he went home, he probably wouldn’t cook. There was no food delivery during the New Year anyway—it’d be a hassle.
Since Bai Xizhou had already invited him to stay, he might as well stay reluctantly.
Wen Ruqing believed in the principle of never eating for free, so before the guests arrived, he kept busy in the kitchen—washing and prepping vegetables, handling nearly all the chores.
The guests arrived in the evening. When the knock came at the door, Wen Ruqing was just placing dishes onto the table. Everything was almost ready. Bai Xizhou was still in the kitchen and asked Wen Ruqing to open the door.
When he opened it, he saw two familiar faces. He remembered the taller man standing behind—Dr. Qu from the hospital. The other man looked familiar, too, but Wen Ruqing couldn’t recall his name.
The familiar-looking man greeted him, walked in, and smoothly changed into house slippers. Qu Qingchen nodded slightly, acknowledging Wen Ruqing.
“Wen Ruqing, you look confused—do you remember who I am?” the man asked after changing his shoes.
“I remember your face, but not your name,” Wen Ruqing admitted honestly. “I think we met in a video call once.”
“Then let me properly introduce myself. I’m Teng Yuan, Bai Xizhou’s childhood friend.” Teng Yuan reached out for a handshake.
Now Wen Ruqing remembered—he was the guy in the video who’d jokingly claimed to be Bai Xizhou’s “new lover.” Feeling a little guilty for forgetting, Wen Ruqing rubbed his nose and was about to reach out to shake hands, but before he could, Qu Qingchen forcibly pulled Teng Yuan’s hand back.
He was thankful he hadn’t had the chance to reach out yet.
“It’s not like it’s our first time meeting—no need for a handshake,” Qu Qingchen said coolly. “And don’t just stand at the door. Isn’t it cold?”
Only then did Wen Ruqing realize they had been standing at the doorway the whole time with the door open. Cold air was creeping into the house, and he shivered, quickly shutting the door.
It was strange. Dr. Qu hadn’t acted like this at the hospital—there, he was a caring, professional young doctor. But now, he seemed like a different person. His attitude toward Wen Ruqing even felt vaguely hostile.
“Still being protective?” Bai Xizhou came out from the kitchen and couldn’t help teasing when he saw the scene. “You’ve already got him in your hands—what are you worried about?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone slipped away,” Qu Qingchen replied matter-of-factly, glancing at Teng Yuan as he spoke.
Teng Yuan covered his face like he wanted to disappear. He backed away and led Wen Ruqing toward the dining table, tugging him along. Wen Ruqing followed, confused, feeling like someone was glaring daggers into his back.
Like pins and needles on his spine.
Bai Xizhou patted his shoulder gently, as if to comfort him, and ushered him to the table to get ready for dinner.
On the table, spicy red broth was bubbling away, giving off a mouthwatering aroma. The other pot was a mushroom broth—also fragrant, but not nearly as appetizing as the spicy one.
Qu Qingchen frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the spread. Bai Xizhou ignored his look completely.
“Can we eat now?” Teng Yuan asked Bai Xizhou but looked at Qu Qingchen instead.
Bai Xizhou nodded, signaling for everyone to sit. Teng Yuan smiled brightly and was just about to sit when Qu Qingchen grabbed him.
Wen Ruqing was close enough to see Teng Yuan’s face clearly—besides confusion, there was a trace of barely noticeable hurt.
“Sit on the other side.” Qu Qingchen pointed to the seat across from Wen Ruqing. “We agreed—no spicy food today.”
Just like when Wen Ruqing heard he could only eat from the clear broth pot, Teng Yuan’s excitement visibly deflated. He resignedly sat on the other side.
The clear broth pot had more dipping sauces around it than the spicy one—as a small consolation for Teng Yuan’s wounded heart.
Unable to sit still, Teng Yuan chatted while eating, often teasing Bai Xizhou or asking Wen Ruqing questions—mainly about their time in Yunduan Town.
“But it’s still kind of amazing,” Teng Yuan whispered as he sneakily grabbed a piece of meat from the spicy pot while Qu Qingchen was distracted talking to Bai Xizhou. “You only spent a month with him, and he still can’t get you out of his head. I’ve known him for over a decade and never seen him like this.”
Just as he thought he’d gotten away with his sneaky move, Qu Qingchen caught him. Before the meat reached his mouth, Qu Qingchen used his chopsticks to block Teng Yuan’s and gave him a warning look.
“That just means they were meant to be friends,” Qu Qingchen said, answering on Wen Ruqing’s behalf. “We agreed—no spicy food.”
Wen Ruqing could sense something else beneath this back-and-forth.
The vibe between Qu Qingchen and Teng Yuan wasn’t like that of simple brothers. Even though Qu Qingchen called him “gege” (older brother), there was something indescribably intimate there.
What was different exactly?
As he distractedly ate his cabbage, Wen Ruqing suddenly noticed the ring on Qu Qingchen’s finger—a simple band on his ring finger. Teng Yuan wore a similar one.
They’d arrived together, looked close in the video before, and now they had matching rings on their ring fingers. No way that was just for fashion. Add in Bai Xizhou’s cryptic comments earlier…
His thoughts were interrupted by a piece of meat suddenly appearing in his bowl—Bai Xizhou had placed it there from the spicy pot. Wen Ruqing turned to look at him, and Bai Xizhou met his gaze.
“If you want something, just tell me—I’ll cook it for you,” Bai Xizhou said simply before turning his head.
Just as Wen Ruqing thought he was getting closer to the truth, the moment passed. He turned his focus back to the hotpot and pointed at a few ingredients for Bai Xizhou to cook for him.
The spicy meat really did taste better.
“Oh, so you’re also under strict supervision, huh?” Teng Yuan said, watching their interaction like he’d found a kindred spirit. Even though he only had juice in his cup, he raised it for a toast.
“We really are miserable,” he continued. “They eat spicy food right in front of us, while we sit here drooling. Right, Ruqing?”
“You keep micromanaging him like that and he’ll rebel,” Bai Xizhou joked as he continued adding food to Wen Ruqing’s bowl.
“You don’t get to talk,” Qu Qingchen said sharply. “You forgot how he couldn’t sleep the other night because of stomach pain after drinking too much?”
The doctor in him had fully taken over. He looked at both of them with the stern gaze of someone dealing with stubborn patients. “Stomach problems might seem minor, but if you ignore them, they’ll become serious. Are you really going to wait until it’s too late to regret it?”
Both patients bowed their heads silently and obediently ate from the clear broth. Teng Yuan didn’t bring up spicy food again, and Wen Ruqing, after finishing the portion Bai Xizhou gave him, quietly cooked vegetables in the plain pot. Occasionally, Bai Xizhou would sneak him something tasty—but always in moderation.
By the end of the meal, the only one who looked unhappy was Teng Yuan.
After dinner, Wen Ruqing helped Bai Xizhou clean the table. Both were in the kitchen, and the sounds of running water mingled with the voices of the other two from outside—making it impossible to ignore.
“Lawyer Bai,” Wen Ruqing asked while washing dishes—not out of nosiness (or so he claimed), just curiosity—“Dr. Qu and Teng Yuan… they’re not just friends, right?”
“Mm. They’re a couple.” Bai Xizhou wasn’t surprised Wen Ruqing figured it out. After all, those two weren’t exactly subtle.
It was a long story, but Wen Ruqing only responded with a quiet “mm,” clearly not interested in hearing the full version.
“I should head home,” Wen Ruqing said after drying his hands. “Thanks for the dinner, Lawyer Bai. Happy New Year.”
He smiled cheerfully as he stepped out, but quickly turned back around. Bai Xizhou, who had been about to walk him out, looked confused. “What is it?”
Wen Ruqing pointed stiffly toward the door.
Nothing much, really—just that when he stepped outside, he’d caught Teng Yuan giving Qu Qingchen a quick peck on the lips, only for Qu Qingchen to grab him and kiss him back, far more deeply.
Wen Ruqing wasn’t sure if they’d seen him, but he decided not to risk it. Qu Qingchen had seemed annoyed with him earlier—if he interrupted their moment, who knew what kind of death glare he’d get.
Cherish life. Stay away from couples.
Bai Xizhou, unfazed, noticed the pink tinge on Wen Ruqing’s ears and found it both cute and a little odd. Hadn’t he dated before? Why was he still getting flustered?
“You’ll get used to it. Qu Qingchen was angry earlier at dinner, so Teng Yuan’s making up for it,” Bai Xizhou said, amused. “He once drank so much during a startup phase that he ended up with a stomach bleed. Scared Qu Qingchen half to death.”
Back then, Bai Xizhou had been abroad. It was Qu Qingchen who took care of Teng Yuan, day and night. By the time Bai found out, Teng Yuan had already bounced back like nothing happened. But ever since then, Qu Qingchen had strictly managed everything Teng Yuan ate—years of care had finally healed his stomach.
Thinking about Wen Ruqing’s stomach issues, Bai Xizhou figured it probably wasn’t much better than Teng Yuan’s had been. He wanted to say something but held back. After all, they were just “friends.” He didn’t want to overstep.
“I’ll start eating on time from now on.”
Wen Ruqing suddenly declared, looking serious.
Whatever he had taken from Bai Xizhou’s story, that promise alone was enough to bring comfort.
They lingered in the kitchen a bit longer before finally stepping out. After seeing Qu Qingchen and Teng Yuan off, the house fell silent again.
Wen Ruqing was leaving too. Bai Xizhou didn’t ask him to stay—unlike New Year’s Eve, when the alcohol gave a perfect excuse, tonight there wasn’t one.
After walking him to the door and saying goodbye, Bai Xizhou closed the door behind him. Alone again, the earlier noise and warmth felt like a fleeting dream. He collapsed onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling in a daze.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
[After the New Year, I’ll start my new job. I’m free until then—want me to help finish fixing up that book?]
Bai Xizhou’s eyes lit up.
[Sure. I’ll bring everything over tomorrow.]
Author note:
Frozen Starlight:
Wen Ruqing: Taking the Initiative
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")
