Jiang Heng’s new bar was set to open earlier than planned. Although Liang Xiao had initially agreed to start working in September, he owed Jiang Heng a significant favor. Starting a few days early was a small gesture he couldn’t refuse.
When Lu Ze learned that Liang Xiao would be starting work earlier, he was reluctant to accept it. After all, they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship and had spent the entire summer together without much separation.
That night, they were particularly intense. Lu Ze, lying on his bed afterward, tapped the mattress and said hoarsely, “I’ve slept on this bed for over ten years. Is it about to give out?”
Liang Xiao kissed the sweat off his nose and laughed. “It feels pretty sturdy. It should last another ten years.”
“If we stop being so rough with it, it could last twenty,” Lu Ze said. “But the way we’ve been going at it, I was scared it might collapse just now.”
Liang Xiao laughed against his shoulder for a moment before saying, “Don’t worry—it won’t collapse. I’m leaving tomorrow anyway.”
After a pause, Lu Ze suddenly asked, “Your bed isn’t anything fancy, right?”
“…No, just a regular old bed,” Liang Xiao replied with a laugh. “But as long as we don’t go as hard as today, it should hold up.”
Lu Ze turned his head to look at Liang Xiao. The light reflected in Liang Xiao’s eyes made them sparkle, and there was a faint smile in them.
Leaning in for a kiss, Lu Ze said softly, “I’ve realized something—you laugh so much more now, Xiao Xiao.”
Liang Xiao blinked in surprise. “Really?”
Lu Ze smiled and pinched his cheek affectionately. “Yes! You’re so much more cheerful than when I first met you.”
—
The next morning, Liang Xiao went to the bar. Jiang Heng’s new establishment had a straightforward name: **“One.”** Its décor was flashy and extravagant—difficult to define but undeniably impressive—perfectly matching Jiang Heng’s free-spirited personality.
Since the bar wasn’t officially open yet, Jiang Heng had someone show Liang Xiao around the premises. Afterward, he attended a staff meeting to meet the team and familiarize himself with his office.
Before Liang Xiao could fully process his new role, two groups of people arrived—friends from Jiang Heng’s wealthy social circle. Without even wearing his proper uniform yet, Liang Xiao found himself introduced casually by Jiang Heng as the bar’s manager.
Jiang Heng’s nonchalant attitude often left Liang Xiao exasperated, but he had no choice but to go along with it and greet everyone politely.
Over the next few days, Liang Xiao was repeatedly thrown into situations where he had to adapt quickly. He soon settled into his role as manager. That day, after sending Lu Ze a message, he looked up to see Jiang Heng walking toward him with a group of well-dressed individuals—clearly close friends from his circle.
Quickly putting his phone into the pocket of his suit pants, Liang Xiao adjusted his tie—a piece of attire he still wasn’t entirely comfortable with.
One of the people in the group, whose shoulder-length hair stood out, nudged Jiang Heng with an elbow and asked, “Is this the manager you mentioned?”
Jiang Heng stopped in his tracks and introduced Liang Xiao to the group beside him. “This is Manager Liang. If I’m not around, just go to him for anything.”
Liang Xiao nodded politely. “Liang Xiao. You can just call me Xiao Liang.”
Jiang Heng clicked his tongue. “No need to be too polite with them. If anyone drinks too much and causes trouble, you’ll have to keep them in check.”
It was still only the afternoon, and even though the bar wasn’t officially open yet, Liang Xiao wasn’t sure what kind of alcohol they were already drinking. He simply replied, “Got it,” and led the group to a private room.
The task of serving drinks didn’t fall under his responsibilities, as each private room had its own assigned server. Just as Liang Xiao was about to leave, someone reached out to block the door. Liang Xiao quickly said, “Apologies.”
The person waved it off. Their previously loose hair was now casually tied up. Without hesitation, they introduced themselves: “Manager Liang, I’m Zhang Xiao—‘Xiao’ as in solemn.”
Despite the rugged-sounding name, Zhang Xiao exuded an artistic vibe. He politely bowed slightly and extended his hand toward Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao shook his hand briefly and said in a businesslike tone, “Hello. Is there something I can help you with?”
Zhang Xiao smiled faintly and leaned against the wall, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. “Want one?”
“Sorry, I don’t smoke,” Liang Xiao declined.
Zhang Xiao studied him as if observing something unusual and said with a smile, “Where did Jiang Heng find someone like you? Interesting.”
Liang Xiao remained silent, standing calmly before him, clearly unwilling to entertain unnecessary questions.
Zhang Xiao put away the cigarettes and straightened up. “Then I won’t smoke either. It’s going to get smoky inside soon anyway, and I don’t feel like going back in. Show me around?”
Liang Xiao didn’t agree. “Apologies, Mr. Zhang. I have other tasks to attend to. I can find someone else to show you around if you’d like.”
Zhang Xiao clicked his tongue and tilted his head at him. “Can I say no?”
Meeting his gaze directly, Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “You can.”
Zhang Xiao smirked. “Then no.”
“Alright,” Liang Xiao said immediately. “I’ll go ask the boss for approval then.”
“Hey, hey,” Zhang Xiao stepped in front of him to block his path. “Why are you being so harsh?”
Liang Xiao’s expression remained calm as he replied, “Because I’m not single, and showing you around isn’t part of my job.”
Zhang Xiao stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough—what a shame. I’ll wait until you’re single to ask again.”
Without further engagement, Liang Xiao turned and walked away.
A short while later, Jiang Heng stepped out of the private room while Zhang Xiao was lighting a cigarette.
Zhang Xiao glanced at Jiang Heng and asked, “Does Liang Xiao have a boyfriend?”
Jiang Heng didn’t seem surprised by the question—it was as if he already knew why Zhang Xiao had come out. “Yeah, he does—and they’re doing great together. Don’t mess with him.”
Zhang Xiao held the cigarette between his fingers and said skeptically, “If their relationship is so great, why would he work in a place like this?”
Jiang Heng shot him a look and replied, “This is a legitimate bar with a legitimate manager—he just happens to be good-looking. Not everyone’s like you.”
Zhang Xiao chuckled lightly and said teasingly, “Did you hire someone like that on purpose to be your manager?”
Jiang Heng took a cigarette from Zhang Xiao, holding it unlit between his lips. “Why not? At least it keeps me from getting tangled up with people like you who aren’t serious.”
Zhang Xiao, being labeled as “not serious,” didn’t get upset. He clicked his tongue a few times and shrugged. “Let’s see how long he lasts.”
—
Not long after Liang Xiao started working, Lu Ze also began his new semester. His schedule was unusually packed, leaving the two of them so busy that they could only exchange a few words during mealtimes.
Sitting in the cafeteria, Lu Ze sent Liang Xiao a voice message: **[Xiao Xiao~ Are you still busy?]**
Across the table, Mao Xin rubbed his arms exaggeratedly as if he had goosebumps. “Ze-ge, could you not be so cheesy?”
“Probably not…” Lu Ze said as he quickly ate while waiting for Liang Xiao’s reply. “I miss him so much. If you weren’t here, I’d be even cheesier.”
A moment later, his phone vibrated twice. Lu Ze immediately picked it up to check.
Liang Xiao: **[Just about to eat. Can we do a voice call?]**
Lu Ze replied with a quick “Sure,” and before he could put his phone down, Liang Xiao’s voice call came through.
“Baby,” Liang Xiao’s first words were dripping with affection. “I miss you so much.”
Lu Ze ignored the emotional damage this caused Mao Xin and responded immediately, “I miss you too! It’s so noisy in the cafeteria—let me put on my headphones.”
“Okay.”
While Lu Ze fumbled for his headphones, Mao Xin hurriedly stuffed two more bites of food into his mouth before picking up his tray and saying, “I’m done eating—won’t interrupt your cheesiness anymore!”
Lu Ze chuckled softly as Liang Xiao asked, “What are you laughing about?”
“We’ve officially become the kind of couple single people hate the most,” Lu Ze said as he adjusted his headphones. “What are you having for lunch?”
“Jiang Heng treated me to some crayfish,” Liang Xiao replied. “What about you?”
“Cold noodles,” Lu Ze said. “The classroom was so far from the cafeteria—I was dying from the heat just walking over here.”
“I want cold noodles too,” Liang Xiao said with a laugh.
“Tsk tsk tsk, eating crayfish while thinking about cold noodles? If you don’t like it, we can switch.”
“Let’s switch,” Liang Xiao said immediately.
Both of them fell silent for a moment before Lu Ze sighed first. “Xiao-ge, I haven’t seen you in three days—not just seen you but touched or kissed you… Are you going to be busy late again today?”
“Yeah,” Liang Xiao admitted. “It’s just opened—there’s so much to do. Even when there aren’t customers, there’s still plenty of work…”
Hearing the guilt in Liang Xiao’s tone, Lu Ze seamlessly changed the subject. “That’s how it is for working people. But no matter how busy you are, drink more water and eat more fruit! Didn’t you say your place has free fruit? Eat more—pick the expensive ones.”
Liang Xiao chuckled softly. “Alright, I’ll grab a box later.”
After finishing his meal, Lu Ze walked out of the cafeteria with his phone in hand—the call with Liang Xiao still ongoing as he listened to him talk to colleagues in the background.
Suddenly, a male student walked up and stopped in front of him. Lu Ze looked up and realized he didn’t recognize the person—it didn’t seem like someone he knew.
The person introduced himself first, “Hello, Senior Lu Ze. I’m a freshman majoring in English, and my name is Liang Fei.”
Out of politeness, Lu Ze removed one side of his earphones and nodded. “Oh, hi. What’s up?”
Liang Fei smiled awkwardly, looking a bit shy. “I… don’t really have anything specific. I just really like you and wanted to get to know you.”
Half of Lu Ze’s attention was still on Liang Xiao, so the other half was a bit slow to react. He hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet. “You want to get to know me?”
Liang Fei nodded. “Yes, just… get to know you. Would it be okay to add you on WeChat?”
Hearing this, Lu Ze finally caught on. This was exactly like when girls used to approach him for his WeChat number—just with the genders swapped.
After coming out last semester and quickly getting together with Liang Xiao, no one from the gay community had tried pursuing him. But now, here was a bold freshman making a move so soon after the semester started? Impressive.
Lu Ze’s expression turned more serious. “When you say ‘like,’ do you mean that kind of like?”
Liang Fei’s tone grew nervous. “Yes… that kind of like… Senior, aren’t you—”
Lu Ze cut him off directly. “If your information network is sharp enough to know I’m gay, shouldn’t you also know I have a boyfriend?”
Liang Fei froze in place as Lu Ze raised his hand holding the earphone and waved it slightly. “Here’s an idea—why don’t you ask my boyfriend? If he agrees, I’ll give you my WeChat.”
Liang Fei’s hands moved frantically in refusal as he blushed furiously. “No, no need! Sorry for bothering you, Senior—I’ll leave now…”
Before he even finished speaking, he had already run off.
Lu Ze put his earphones back on and smiled. “You heard all that, didn’t you?”
Liang Xiao’s tone was tinged with jealousy. “I heard it loud and clear—my boyfriend is very popular.”
Lu Ze clicked his tongue twice. “Not as popular as my boyfriend though! He’s now Manager Liang, mingling with wealthy elites every day—on a whole different level from us campus sweethearts.”
Liang Xiao couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Shouldn’t this be my time to feel jealous?”
“This is what they call ‘walking in your boyfriend’s shoes and leaving him no path to walk,’” Lu Ze teased.
They laughed for a while before Lu Ze said seriously, “That guy’s name was Liang Fei, right? It sounds a lot like yours. When Aunt Jiang named you, was that her intention? Though his name feels a bit plain—yours sounds much better.”
Liang Xiao replied, “My name wasn’t given by my mom—it was given by the person who gave birth to me.”
Lu Ze’s smile faded slightly. Every time Liang Xiao mentioned these things, he seemed calm and indifferent about it. But Lu Ze couldn’t help feeling both angry and sad whenever he thought about how someone as wonderful as Liang Xiao had been abandoned when he was just a soft little baby.
Why have a child if you’re not going to raise them?!
Still, Lu Ze felt conflicted because he also wanted to thank those irresponsible people for allowing Liang Xiao to be born.
Knowing that Lu Ze would feel upset for him, Liang Xiao kept it brief. “When I was abandoned at the market, I was placed in a vegetable basket wrapped in a small blanket. Inside the blanket was a note with my name and birthdate written on it. It even specifically mentioned that I was a boy and hoped someone kind would adopt me. My mom said it was probably some young girl who got pregnant out of wedlock and couldn’t afford to raise me.”
Lu Ze remained silent for a long time. Just as Liang Xiao was about to change the topic to cheer him up, Lu Ze suddenly said, “Auntie Jiang was also a young woman when she adopted you, wasn’t she? And yet, she raised you so well. That ‘can’t afford to raise a child’ excuse is total nonsense—it’s just selfishness!”
Liang Xiao was startled by his outburst. After venting, Lu Ze quickly reined in his emotions, not wanting to upset Liang Xiao. “But luckily, you met Auntie Jiang. Xiao Xiao, do you have any birthday gifts in mind?”
The sudden shift in topic left Liang Xiao momentarily stunned. “…Anything is fine. As long as it’s from you, I’ll love it.”
Lu Ze clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Liang Xiao chuckled and added, “I mean it, baby. You know me—I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Alright, I got it. Don’t forget to drink more water and eat more fruit later,” Lu Ze reminded.
“Got it, baby,” Liang Xiao replied.
Lu Ze shook his head with a smile. “I still can’t believe my boyfriend is now Manager Liang.”
Clearing his throat, Liang Xiao’s tone turned cold. “That’s how I am in front of others.”
Very cool, very authoritative, and exuding an intense sense of presence.
Lu Ze imagined Liang Xiao speaking to him like that while wearing a suit…
Damn, he couldn’t picture it at all.
