After the high school entrance exams, Xiao Pang finally achieved his wish. He and his deskmate were admitted to the same school.
After the exams, the two agreed to visit the new school together. Yu Zhi had originally planned to arrange for a driver to take them, but Yin Xu said, “I want to go with them too. No need for a driver; I’ll drive them myself.”
The high school wasn’t the one Yin Xu had attended before, and Yu Zhi didn’t quite understand why he wanted to see it. He wondered if Yin Xu had once favored this school more than the one he’d actually gone to.
Yin Xu leaned in and kissed him effortlessly. After a moment, he smiled and said, “Don’t overthink it, sir. I’m just a little nostalgic for my younger days, and I had some errands to run, so I went out.”
Yu Zhi softened and reached to touch his cheek. “You’re still very young now,” he said gently.
He wasn’t wrong. Yin Xu was only 22, while Yu Zhi was 20 years older.
Yu Zhi didn’t feel insecure about that, but he did think rationally about the possible problems and consequences, and what measures to take. Since they had decided to be together seriously, they needed to plan for the future.
They went to the office as usual. The assistant reported, “Sir, Lawyer Zhou is waiting for you in the reception room.”
“Understood. Please let him in.”
Lawyer Zhou entered and took the documents out of his briefcase, pushing them toward Yu Zhi.
“Mr. Yu, this is the will our firm drafted according to your instructions. Please review it and let us know if anything needs to be added or revised.”
Yu Zhi looked over it and replied politely, “Thank you. I’ve reviewed it, and there’s no problem.”
After this, the notarization process would follow, which didn’t take long given Yu Zhi’s status.
Even a top-tier lawyer, accustomed to dealing with wealthy clients, was impressed by this tycoon’s decisiveness. To make a will at this age, it was hard to tell whether it was prudent foresight or a nonchalant attitude toward life and death.
More than that, he was curious about the young Mr. Yin, who had been gifted the bulk of Yu Zhi’s assets and shares.
As a lawyer, he of course knew the relationships between his client and the beneficiaries, but he couldn’t help wondering about this young man who had won Yu Zhi’s trust and generosity. What kind of person could receive such a gift, one so substantial that even Yu Zhi’s own son had to make a living under him?
Meanwhile, Yin Xu was driving the two kids to school. After confirming with the school that they were only there for a visit, he used the excuse of an errand to leave early, letting the staff escort the children around.
“I’ll be at the beverage shop across the street. Call me if you need anything,” he told Xiao Pang.
Xiao Pang waved dismissively. “Got it, Brother Xu. Go ahead. I won’t tell my dad you’re doing sneaky stuff behind his back.”
Yin Xu: “…”
This kid really never changed.
Thanks to Yu Zhi’s generous donation to the school, the staff treated Xiao Pang with extra care and attention, so Yin Xu didn’t have to worry about their safety.
He went to the beverage shop across the street, where someone had already been waiting and waved at him.
Yin Xu stepped forward, sat down, and got straight to the point: “Is it ready?”
“If you need it, Mr. Yin, we could have delivered it straight to your door,” the man said with a smile, handing him a gift bag.
After inspecting the contents, Yin Xu signed the receipt with satisfaction and said softly, “There’s someone at home.”
Someone who couldn’t know, at least, for now.
The delivery man understood immediately and nodded knowingly. “Congratulations!” he said.
Yin Xu smiled faintly. “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Xiao Pang and his deskmate were being shown around the school by a teacher. Both felt a little awkward, mostly because they weren’t used to having someone else around, so they couldn’t chat freely.
After listening to the teacher explain the functions of each area, Xiao Pang politely said they’d like to explore on their own.
The teacher didn’t insist, just exchanged numbers and said to call if anything came up.
As the teacher walked away, Xiao Pang let out a long breath. “Ah! Finally gone!”
He usually didn’t care who overheard him talking to his deskmate, but this was a teacher, a professional who could make him instantly stop joking around just by being there.
His deskmate laughed. “You’re really that scared?”
“I’m not scared, I’m nervous! Nervous, you know?” Xiao Pang protested.
“I’ve seen you relaxed around your dad,” the deskmate said.
“That’s different,” Xiao Pang replied cunningly. His dad was his dad, he’d accommodate him. Why should a stranger have to?
The deskmate knew he was just bossy at home and couldn’t be bossy outside, so he didn’t call him out. The two wandered through the school. Since it was still the school term for first- and second-year students, the campus was fairly full, and they blended in, assumed to be regular students.
During lunch break, they wanted to avoid the sun and headed under the shade of some trees. Other students were nearby.
“Look over there!” Xiao Pang exclaimed, tapping his classmate in shock, eyes wide, but deliberately keeping his voice low.
Following his gaze, the deskmate saw two students hiding behind a tree, quietly holding hands. Their heads gradually leaned closer together, and though the rest of their bodies were obscured by the tree, it was clear that they were kissing.
Xiao Pang’s face lit up with curiosity and envy. “So high school couples are this bold? Aren’t they afraid of getting caught by the school staff?”
In fact, it wasn’t just a boy-girl couple, but there were also a pair of girls and a pair of boys.
The deskmate curled his fingers slightly, his gaze deepening as he looked at Xiao Pang, a stronger smile playing on his lips. “Who knows?”
Xiao Pang was still staring, completely mesmerized. “When school starts again, I’ve got to hurry and find a girlfriend too!”
He didn’t notice the sudden drop in atmosphere around them.
Xiao Pang turned to his deskmate and saw him looking unsettled. He couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, why don’t you seem curious at all? Same thing happened last time when you saw your dad and Brother Xu kiss.”
Could he be asexual or something?
The thought that his childhood friend might have such a terrible condition filled Xiao Pang with worry and sympathy. Should he even try to advise him not to ignore it?
The deskmate gritted his teeth. “What are you imagining?”
“N—nothing, I wasn’t thinking,” Xiao Pang hurriedly replied. He thought, maybe his friend really does have that kind of problem, and by mentioning finding a girlfriend, hadn’t he just hit a sore spot? No wonder his expression had been so dark.
After thinking it over, Xiao Pang reluctantly made a decision: he’d just hold back, wait until his childhood friend got better, and then look for someone. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be stressing him out unnecessarily?
“Why do you want a girlfriend?” the deskmate asked, taking a deep breath.
“To date someone, of course!” Xiao Pang said matter-of-factly.
The deskmate pushed up his glasses. “I mean, why does it have to be a girlfriend?”
“Huh?” Xiao Pang looked utterly confused.
The deskmate pressed further. “Wouldn’t a boyfriend work?”
Xiao Pang froze, instinctively scratching his head. Sure, his dad had come out as gay, but he’d never thought of himself ever having a boyfriend. The question caught him completely off guard.
Right… why a girlfriend?
He thought about it and figured it was just how he’d been raised. Besides, he’d never considered the possibility of being interested in the same sex.
“So a boyfriend wouldn’t work?” the deskmate pressed, step by step.
Xiao Pang was about to reply when someone shouted, “The vice principal’s here!” The vice principal, famous for catching students in early relationships, had arrived!
The couples under the tree scattered instantly. The vice principal came up empty-handed. Only a few boy-boy and girl-girl pairs were left behind.
After scanning the scene and finding nothing, the vice principal had no choice but to leave.
Then one boy in the boy-boy pair kissed the other lightly. “Let’s go back to the dorm,” he said.
Xiao Pang: “……”
The deskmate remained expressionless. “See? Dating boy-girl couples at school is way too risky. Boy-boy or girl-girl relationships are safer. If you insist on dating, why not try a boy?”
Xiao Pang: “……You’re… actually making sense?”
The deskmate pressed on. “So, do you want to consider me? After all these years as brothers, aren’t you tired? Why not try being a couple?”
Xiao Pang: “…………”
It hit him so suddenly that his brain didn’t even register thoughts like: I’m being confessed to; my childhood friend secretly likes me; I thought we were just brothers but he wants more…
Instead, all he could think was: ‘Try it’? Once we try, can we even go back?!
And what’s this about being tired? Has this guy not wanted to be my brother all along?!
He stayed silent for a long moment, probably frozen in disbelief. When he finally snapped back to reality, he stammered, “Why would I agree to be your lover?”
The deskmate said, calmly: “We could play games together.”
Xiao Pang: “I could also find a girlfriend to play games with me.”
Deskmate : “I can tutor you in your studies.”
Xiao Pang: “……” Damn, that’s not a perk at all!
Deskmate: “I can also help you earn pocket money when your dad restricts your spending.”
Xiao Pang: “……” Well… that actually makes sense.
Over the years, his dad had controlled every penny he had. If it weren’t for his deskmate quietly finding ways to support him, he’d probably have been stuck learning business from his dad and suffering ever since.
Deskmate pressed on: “Do you want a girlfriend to drag you shopping when we’re supposed to be gaming?”
Xiao Pang froze.
Deskmate: “Do you want to be with me but have a girlfriend complaining that you don’t pay attention to her?”
Xiao Pang thought for a moment.
Deskmate: “Do you want to cut me off for a girl you don’t even know where she is?”
Xiao Pang frowned.
Seems… he didn’t want any of that.
Deskmate drew a conclusion: “So we’re meant to be. In this world, no one values you or understands you better than I do, and you’re the same.”
Xiao Pang thought about it. Yeah… seems about right.
When dating, you want someone you like, someone you want to spend time with. After so many years with his deskmate, he wasn’t about to switch to some stranger.
Still, he had to be sure.
“So, if we’re together, you’ll really play games with me all the time?”
The deskmate’s face stiffened. Games… that’s what’s important?
“I will,” he said with difficulty.
Xiao Pang suddenly grinned. He was actually happy. Now he had a boyfriend and didn’t have to split time with friends. Feels like he gained something after all.
He draped a big hand over his deskmate’s shoulder. “Alright, I agree. From now on, we’re a couple.”
The deskmate’s gaze darkened, then he let out a cold laugh. “I’m afraid that’s not enough yet.”
Xiao Pang’s eyes went wide. “Why? You were the one who suggested it!”
The deskmate calmly smoothed out his sleeve, wrinkled from being grabbed too tightly.
“We’re not adults yet. Doesn’t align with the core socialist values.”
Xiao Pang: “……”
He glared. “Then why say anything at all?”
Of course, it was a preemptive move, to make sure no one else could swoop in first.
“I’m just giving you a heads-up,” the deskmate said lightly.
“Sorry for jumping ahead, by three years, actually. But I trust you won’t back out, right?”
Xiao Pang: “……”
Yeah right, you’re not sorry at all!
Time flew. Soon, the holiday was down to half a month, and Qixi Festival[mfn]Chinese Valentine’s Day[/mfn] had arrived.
That day, Yin Xu had already told Yu Zhi he wanted to get home early. Yu Zhi had no intention of neglecting his boyfriend, so after finishing work, he left early and rushed home.
After dinner, Yin Xu led him to the balcony. Yu Zhi smiled and asked, “What’s got you so serious?”
He turned and froze. There was a familiar telescope on the balcony.
Seeing his reaction, Yin Xu laughed as he stepped closer. “You remember this?”
Yu Zhi nodded. “Of course.”
“And… why dig it out now?” he asked.
Yin Xu said, “I want to watch the stars with you. Today’s Qixi Festival, maybe the Cowherd and Weaver Girl[mfn]based on the legend of the Cowherd (Niulang) and Weaver Girl (Zhinü), who reunite once a year at this day[/mfn] are together tonight?”
Yu Zhi smiled and nodded. “Probably.”
Though it hadn’t been used in years, the telescope was still pristine. Looking through it at the stars, they still shone bright and brilliant, just like before.
“Sir, why do you think so many people like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl myth, even though it’s not exactly a happy story?” Yin Xu asked softly, sitting in Yu Zhi’s lap.
Yu Zhi smiled. “Most people don’t actually care about the Cowherd and Weaver Girl or even the story itself. What matters is the special significance of Qixi Festival.”
“Have you seen how many people genuinely bless the lovers? Or how many take the day as an excuse to wish, to strive, to make themselves happy? In the end, holidays exist for people, not the other way around.”
“Like me,” Yin Xu suddenly said.
Yu Zhi looked at him.
Yin Xu turned to face him, smiling. “Sir, I’m just an ordinary person too. I want to do something meaningful on this day.”
“I don’t care about the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, but I love the Magpie Bridge[mfn]Magpie Bridge (鹊桥): Symbol in the myth where magpies form a bridge across the Milky Way, letting the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet annually[/mfn]. It crosses the Milky Way, connecting both sides. I want something like that, something to connect us, no matter where we are, so we can always meet.”
Yu Zhi was silent for a long moment, staring at Yin Xu with eyes so deep they seemed to hold infinite time and space, carrying a boundless emptiness.
In an instant, he collected himself, returning to his refined, gentle demeanor, and his eyes now overflowed with warmth and affection.
“It will,” he said.
He didn’t know if it truly would, but at this moment, he hoped it would. He realized he cared far more about this lifetime of love than he had imagined.
Yin Xu smiled.
From behind his back, he pulled out a small, sapphire-blue box; tiny, delicate, and clearly valuable.
At a glance, Yu Zhi already guessed what was inside. His heart skipped; he hadn’t expected this. And Yin Xu hadn’t reminded him; today, he’d taken the initiative.
The box opened, releasing a faint, intoxicating scent. Two exquisite rings gleamed under the moonlight.
Tulip-shaped rings, entwined, each adorned with a tiny star-shaped black diamond resting like a star returning home.
“Yu Zhi, sir, will you share the joys and sorrows of the rest of your life with me?”
Yu Zhi gazed at the rings for a long moment, until the one waiting for a reply grew a little restless. He smiled softly, took out the rings, slipped them onto both their fingers, and pressed a kiss to the star on Yin Xu’s ring.
“With pleasure.”
May your life ahead hold only joy, and no sorrow.
Outside the glass door, the two boys watched the couple on the balcony kissing freely, then quietly turned and left.
For Xiao Pang, it was the first time he’d tasted what dog food felt like.
He thought of his dad and Brother Xu, then glanced at his still-unmoved deskmate and couldn’t help nudging him. “It’s Qixi today! Aren’t you going to do something? Not even half as sweet as my dad, that old man.”
His deskmate pushed up his glasses. “I want to kiss you… but age doesn’t allow it.”
Xiao Pang felt a pang of regret. He realized he’d been tricked by his deskmate; it was no surprise, the guy was a genius.
But seeing the old man so sweet, for a moment, he even thought about switching boyfriends.
His soon-to-be boyfriend wasn’t sweet at all!
Their Qixi plan was simple: play all the festival events in their favorite games, then watch a movie together. Halfway through the film, Xiao Pang got bored and fell asleep.
The deskmate watched him shrink little by little against the headboard, lowered the volume, glanced around carefully, and then leaned in to press a gentle kiss on the sleeping Xiao Pang’s cheek.
Next thing he knew, his wrist was grabbed. Xiao Pang opened his eyes, grinning. “Caught you!”
The deskmate’s ears turned red. He opened his mouth to explain, but the next second, Xiao Pang kissed him back properly, without hesitation.
The sensation of lips was so real.
Xiao Pang’s eyes lit up. “So soft!” he exclaimed, full of delight.
His deskmate’s heart spun into chaos, the line ‘not in line with socialist core values’ flashing in his mind.
Yet seeing this idiot—no, this total goof—grinning at him, his tension eased.
Forget it. In line or not, it doesn’t matter.
As long as it felt right.
Time flowed like a river.
After high school, Xiao Pang took the initiative to come out with his boyfriend. Yu Zhi agreed, on one condition that his friend and boyfriend, Ji Fei, had to work at Yu Group.
No matter how much Yu Yuan complained about Yu Zhi’s cunning exploitation, he couldn’t stop his dad and boyfriend from making this arrangement.
Yu Yuan alternated between crying over his boyfriend’s future as a corporate drone and happily running off to play esports.
When they grew up, Yu Zhi handed Yu Group over to them and settled into a retirement life.
Because of him, Yin Xu had no ambition for fame or achievements; he lacked nothing, and he refused to let worldly things distract him from what truly mattered.
So he began spending a retired life with Yu Zhi, only producing work when inspiration struck and handing everything over to the two cheap sons.
Even as his name grew famous in the industry, he never minded.
Yu Zhi wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Yet his body was only human, which is subject to aging, illness, and death.
No matter how well he later took care of himself, decades of wear and tear could not be fully undone.
At seventy-eight, his body finally gave out.
He looked at Yin Xu and forced a smile. “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t cry…”
Then he finally closed his eyes.
Yin Xu knelt by his bedside, holding his gradually cooling hand, yet no touch could fill the emptiness in his heart. Tears fell without his noticing.
Even knowing this day would come, he could hardly bear it.
“Sir, you taught me to face joy, sorrow, love, and desire, but never how to face death. Is the road to the underworld cold?”
After burying Yu Zhi, Yu Yuan and the others insisted Yin Xu move in with them. Later, they moved out, adopted two children, and raised them as their own. By now, the children were grown, they simply couldn’t leave Yin Xu alone.
Yin Xu smiled. “No need to worry. I have Sir with me.”
“Brother Xu, my dad’s gone,” Yu Yuan said cautiously, worried he might be losing his mind.
Yin Xu looked at him. “As long as I remember him, he’s still here in my heart, he never leaves.”
No one could persuade him otherwise. He continued living alone in the house where Yu Zhi had spent decades, with only a caretaker to help and occasional visits from the kids.
When the children left and the caretaker departed, leaving Yin Xu alone in the empty house, he sat calmly, gazing at the silent rooms.
“Sir… are you still here?”
A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, brushed his face, as if answering his question and call.
At some point, tears streamed down his face.
In a daze, he could almost feel someone softly cupping his cheeks, wiping away the tears.
Two years later, Yin Xu, feeling unusually alert one day, seemed to sense something and drove to the cemetery.
He sat before Yu Zhi’s grave, leaning gently against the tombstone.
Warm sunlight spilled over him, relaxing his entire body.
He whispered, “I kept all my promises to you.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “So, Sir… could you… wait for me?”
“Not too long, really…”
He closed his eyes gently, as if resting for a while.
A translucent figure appeared by his side, the man’s elegant features as sharp and familiar as ever. Though slightly unfamiliar, the aura was unmistakable, if Yin Xu could see, he would know instantly.
Yu Zhi watched as Yin Xu drifted into sleep, until finally, he stopped breathing.
Just as he moved, tiny sparks of light flew from Yin Xu’s body and vanished almost instantly. Yu Zhi barely caught a handful, but opening his hand revealed nothing.
He froze for a moment, feeling a deep, empty ache.
………………
A lively party in City A: glasses clinked, laughter rippled through the crowd, and the scent of fine perfume mingled with elegant attire.
In a quiet corner, a young man in a white suit idly swirled the wine glass in his hand. His long, pale fingers were beautifully sculpted, carrying a faint chill, and his delicate features and perfect bone structure gave him an ethereal refinement. His thin lips glimmered with moisture, and his eyes, shrouded in a dense mist, seemed to conceal emotions he had no wish to reveal. His cold, brooding brows and overall aura added an extra layer of mystery.
The champagne in his glass shimmered under the lights, dazzlingly bright, but not a flicker of it reflected in his eyes.
A man in a burgundy suit spotted him and finally let out a relieved sigh. “What are you doing here? I had such a hard time finding you!”
“Brother, I get it. You’re hiding here to enjoy some peace now that I’m engaged. Didn’t think about it, huh? Better watch out next time…” His voice suddenly faltered.
The young man glanced at him coolly and asked in a low, cold tone, “Next time, what?”
The man waved his hands frantically. “Nothing, nothing!”
Why did he have to bring up the one thing not to mention? He knew perfectly well that this man carried an untouchable, unattainable white moonlight in his heart and yet he mentioned it anyway.
He hesitated, then thought he should offer some advice. “I mean, really, it’s not a big deal. Everyone has someone unattainable. At least pick someone decent-looking…”
At that, Ji Xingyu’s gaze suddenly sharpened, locking onto a specific direction with unblinking intensity, his voice tinged with urgent tension.
The man turned to look and saw a young guy in his early twenties. Even standing in the crowd, he carried himself with calm composure; the way he held his wine glass was elegant and refined. Even in front of countless influential figures and veterans, he showed no hesitation. His eyes were calm and gentle.
“I want him,” Ji Xingyu said firmly.
“What?” the other man stared, dumbfounded.
Yu Zhi felt someone watching him and followed the gaze, suddenly locking eyes with a man whose stare was aggressively intense.
Instinctively, he frowned and was about to look away, but paused when he noticed something on the man’s ear.
That moment of pause was all it took, the man strode toward him.
“What’s your name?”
Yu Zhi, slightly irritated that this stranger demanded his name but hadn’t introduced himself, furrowed his brow but replied, “Yu Zhi.”
It was just a stranger. No obligation to explain anything. He had just arrived in this world and still needed to figure out the plot.
After speaking, he was about to leave when the man pulled a keycard and business card from his pocket.
“Come to my room later.”
Yu Zhi: “…”
He looked at the items forcibly handed to him, then at the man standing before him.
After a moment, he concluded: this was either a hookup or some kind of setup.
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