Since he barely got to see his boyfriend, Lu Ze spent most of his free time brainstorming ideas for Liang Xiao’s birthday gift.
Unable to come up with anything particularly unique, Lu Ze shifted his focus. The gift itself didn’t need to be extraordinary—what mattered was the way he presented it. For example, performing a magic trick could turn an ordinary gift into something special.
With this new perspective, things became simpler. All he needed to do was decide on a gift and then create a magic trick around it.
Liang Xiao never wore accessories, aside from the red couple’s bracelet he had recently started wearing. With Liang Xiao’s cool demeanor, he didn’t need accessories to stand out—his simple style was enough. In fact, poorly chosen accessories might even feel unnecessary or burdensome.
Initially, Lu Ze planned to choose a watch that matched Liang Xiao’s vibe. But while browsing online, he came across a silver necklace with a pendant shaped like a handgun. The gun’s body was engraved with a delicate rose design.
It was both cool and romantic—perfect as a birthday gift from him to Liang Xiao. He imagined how sexy it would look hanging around Liang Xiao’s neck.
Excited, Lu Ze was about to buy it when he realized it was from a niche French brand and only available in overseas stores.
Immediately, Lu Ze thought of Fang Di, Aunt Lin’s daughter, who had moved to France with her family years ago. Recently, she had posted on social media about returning to China soon. Though their interactions had dwindled to liking each other’s posts over the years, Lu Ze shamelessly reached out for help—and Fang Di agreed without hesitation.
Fang Di: [This is such a cool design! Your girlfriend must be super cool too.]
Lu Ze: [It’s not for a girlfriend—it’s for a male friend.]
Fang Di guessed correctly: [Is it that super handsome guy from your social media?]
Lu Ze: [Yeah.]
Fang Di: [Wow, that makes it even cooler. This necklace suits him perfectly.]
Lu Ze: [I think so too—thank you so much!]
Fang Di: [Leave it to me—I’ll check the store tomorrow.]
With the birthday gift sorted out, Lu Ze finally felt relieved. Exiting his chat with Fang Di, he opened his pinned chat with Liang Xiao and saw that Liang Xiao hadn’t replied yet.
Leaning on his desk, Lu Ze muttered to himself, “This is the kind of trouble you have when your boyfriend is amazing.”
—
When Jiang Heng wasn’t around, Liang Xiao personally greeted guests with gold memberships at the bar. Zhang Xiao had been showing up for several consecutive days and arrived again this time with a group of people.
Liang Xiao led them to a private room. The man at the front wore silver-framed glasses and had an elegant demeanor but spoke with an unfriendly tone. “Where’s Jiang Heng?”
“I’m not sure,” Liang Xiao replied.
The man frowned as he scrutinized Liang Xiao. “Then stay here and have a drink with us.”
Liang Xiao didn’t refuse—he couldn’t. Gold members were VIP clients, and with Jiang Heng absent and this man clearly not in a good mood, Liang Xiao couldn’t simply walk away like he had done with Zhang Xiao previously.
Liang Xiao seamlessly took over the server’s duties, handling drink orders, opening bottles, and pouring drinks.
The man with silver-framed glasses sat silently in the center, drinking alone. Someone leaned in beside him and said, “Qin-ge, why don’t you just give Jiang Heng a call? He won’t know you’re here otherwise.”
Silver-framed glasses glanced at the speaker, swirling his glass of wine. After a moment, he looked up at Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao stepped forward and bent slightly.
“Can you get in touch with Jiang Heng?” Silver-framed glasses asked. “Send him a message and tell him I’m here.”
Sitting nearby, Zhang Xiao chuckled. Silver-framed glasses shot him a cold glare and was about to speak when Liang Xiao interrupted, “Sir, may I ask your name?”
Silver-framed glasses lifted his eyelids to glare at him, but someone next to him answered instead, “His last name is Qin. Just tell Jiang Heng that Qin-ge is looking for him.”
“Understood.”
Liang Xiao pulled out his phone and sent Jiang Heng a message. This “Qin-ge” didn’t seem to be here to pick a fight with Jiang Heng. Instead, he looked like one of the many admirers who liked Jiang Heng but weren’t taken seriously by him.
Ignoring the attention focused on him from most of the room, Liang Xiao took this opportunity to quickly check Lu Ze’s messages.
Lu Ze: [Auntie said the scar cream works really well—her scar has faded a lot.]
Lu Ze: [Photo]
Lu Ze: [Look! This is our school’s puppy. His name is Emperor, and he follows me every time he sees me.]
Lu Ze: [Worked up a sweat running—I’m going to shower.]
Lu Ze: [All done.]
Lu Ze: [Miss you, Xiao Xiao—sending you a kiss!]
Trying to keep his face neutral, Liang Xiao replied calmly: [I miss you too, baby. Mua.]
Switching back to his chat with Jiang Heng, he saw Jiang Heng’s reply: [Which Qin?]
Just as Liang Xiao was about to describe the man’s appearance, Jiang Heng sent another dismissive message: [Tell him my WeChat was hacked.]
Seriously? Liang Xiao laughed inwardly. If he really said that, Qin-ge would probably glare him to death—and who knows if he’d even get off work on time.
“Did he reply?” Qin-ge asked nonchalantly.
Clearing his throat, Liang Xiao replied, “Yes. The boss said… he encountered a thief and lost his phone.”
Qin-ge looked at him in disbelief. “Someone actually dared to steal from Jiang Heng?”
Liang Xiao remained silent but thought to himself that this was more like an inside job by Jiang Heng himself.
Fortunately, Qin-ge didn’t press further and left after sitting for less than an hour.
—
Although Jiang Heng was one of the more capable and reliable individuals among the wealthy second-generation crowd Liang Xiao had encountered, he still shared many of their typical traits: acting on whims when there were no major consequences and maintaining a laid-back attitude. He flirted freely but never seemed to take anyone seriously. Even though Liang Xiao worked under him now, he still couldn’t fully grasp Jiang Heng’s true personality or preferences.
Such an unpredictable boss could be frustrating at times, but so far, Liang Xiao didn’t mind it—especially since Jiang Heng occasionally let them leave work early on a whim.
Liang Xiao declined an invitation to join others for dinner. A group of people surrounded him, unwilling to let him go, until Jiang Heng stepped in to rescue him. “You guys go ahead without him—he’s in the middle of a honeymoon phase with his boyfriend,” Jiang Heng teased.
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “Thanks, Heng-ge.”
“I’m heading out too. Where are you going? If it’s on the way, I’ll drop you off.”
“I’m heading home,” Liang Xiao replied. “Near Yuren…”
“I know the area,” Jiang Heng said, gesturing for him to get in. “Hop in—it’s on the way.”
Liang Xiao didn’t hesitate. The subway’s Line 3 would be crowded at this hour, and Lu Ze was probably already waiting for him at home. He was eager to get back.
Jiang Heng was driving a red convertible that day, with Sun Yanzi’s songs playing on repeat. He occasionally hummed along, clearly in a good mood.
At a red light, Jiang Heng glanced at Liang Xiao and asked with a smile, “Your boyfriend is still in college, right?”
Liang Xiao put down his phone and nodded. “Yeah, he just started his junior year.”
Jiang Heng tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and clicked his tongue. “I’m envious.”
Liang Xiao looked at him curiously. “Envious of what?”
“Of how happy being in love makes you,” Jiang Heng said. “I thought you were like me—finding all of this stuff boring.”
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “I used to think it was boring too, but it’s not when you meet someone you really like.”
He paused before adding, “Maybe you just haven’t met the right person yet, Heng-ge.”
Jiang Heng chuckled. “Hearing that from you sounds so strange.”
Shaking his head, he said, “It’s not that I haven’t met the right person—I just don’t want to be in a relationship even if I do.”
“Then maybe you just don’t like them enough,” Liang Xiao said absentmindedly while looking at his chat with Lu Ze, his tone unconsciously soft.
Jiang Heng glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and said flatly, “Liking someone is temporary—I don’t want that kind of liking.”
Liang Xiao froze for a moment, not fully understanding what Jiang Heng meant. He frowned slightly as he thought about it before asking hesitantly, “But if you like someone long enough, doesn’t it turn into love? And love isn’t temporary, right?”
“No,” Jiang Heng replied coldly and indifferently. “It can also turn into dislike. From the start, I want love—not just liking.”
—
Liang Xiao pondered Jiang Heng’s logic all the way home but couldn’t make sense of it. The moment he saw Lu Ze after arriving home, though, he stopped caring altogether.
After all, he and Lu Ze had their own way of doing things—liking each other wouldn’t turn into dislike; it would only grow into more liking, then into deep love.
Lu Ze was cooking in the kitchen with the door closed and didn’t hear Liang Xiao come in. Liang Xiao quietly walked over to the kitchen, opened the door, and hugged Lu Ze from behind.
Startled, Lu Ze exclaimed, “Damn… Why didn’t you make any noise when you got back?”
Resting his chin on Lu Ze’s shoulder, Liang Xiao murmured softly, “I missed you so much, baby.”
Lu Ze immediately turned his head and rubbed his cheek against Liang Xiao’s face with a smile. “I missed you too! Are you hungry? Dinner’s almost ready.”
Liang Xiao didn’t reply; he just clung to Lu Ze affectionately. Laughing lightly, Lu Ze asked, “What are you doing—”
Liang Xiao kissed his neck and whispered in a low voice, “I really missed you.”
Lu Ze quickly stirred the dish with a spatula, turned off the heat, and turned around to hug Liang Xiao, planting several kisses on his face. “I also, really, really missed you.”
Liang Xiao smiled contentedly as Lu Ze cupped his face and gave it a playful squeeze. “Why didn’t you come back in a suit?”
“Do you want to see me in one? I’ll wear it next time,” Liang Xiao replied.
As Lu Ze prepared the last dish, Liang Xiao continued hugging him tightly. After a while, Lu Ze said, “Xiao’er, do you know what month it is now?”
Liang Xiao paused for a moment. “…September.”
Lu Ze nodded. “And do you know how hot it is today?”
Liang Xiao seemed to understand what Lu Ze was hinting at but still didn’t let go.
Lu Ze continued, “Do you know what I’m doing right now?”
Finally, Liang Xiao reluctantly loosened his grip but still stood close to Lu Ze.
“Farther,” Lu Ze said helplessly.
With a sigh of frustration, Liang Xiao stepped back slightly. “How about we install an air conditioner in the kitchen?”
Lu Ze burst into laughter. “What are you going to do with all that money? Besides, where would we even put it? Let’s wait until I graduate—then we can rent a bigger place.”
Liang Xiao froze for a second before softly replying, “…Alright.”
“A place with lots of sunlight and higher floors—otherwise, it’s always so dim inside.”
“Alright,” Liang Xiao agreed again.
Every time they talked about their shared future, Liang Xiao felt his heart fill—not just with sweetness but with a deep sense of security. It made him feel grounded, like he wasn’t floating aimlessly but stepping firmly on solid ground.
During dinner, Lu Ze kept piling food onto Liang Xiao’s plate. “Eat more—you’ve only been working for a short time, but you’ve already lost weight.”
“Really?” Liang Xiao asked with his cheeks puffed out from all the food in his mouth. “Things should calm down after these first few months post-opening.”
“You weren’t lying when you said you don’t drink much at work, right? No one’s forcing you to drink?” Lu Ze asked.
“No,” Liang Xiao reassured him. “After all, I work for Jiang Heng…”
He trailed off mid-sentence as Lu Ze smirked and raised an eyebrow. “What’s that? Go on—you work for Jiang Heng, and then what?”
Liang Xiao chuckled. “I misspoke, baby. I don’t work for Jiang Heng—I belong to you.”
Lu Ze snorted. “Oh really? Yet you’re always working for Jiang Heng while I have to struggle just to see you.”
He knew he sounded unreasonable—after all, his boyfriend was now part of the working world and couldn’t control how busy he was—but he couldn’t help complaining because he missed Liang Xiao so much.
After taking a few bites of food in silence, Lu Ze heard Liang Xiao say softly, “Baby, I’m sorry. I just thought… this job pays really well. Jiang Heng offers high salaries, and I…”
Hearing Liang Xiao apologize made Lu Ze’s heart ache. He quickly interrupted him. “Why are you taking this so seriously? I was joking! Earning more money is great—how else are we going to afford that big sunny apartment when I graduate?”
Liang Xiao quietly looked at Lu Ze without saying a word. Lu Ze picked up a small piece of rib with his chopsticks and brought it to Liang Xiao’s mouth. “Come on, open up—ah—”
Liang Xiao obediently opened his mouth.
Lu Ze smiled. “No more saying sorry about this, okay?”
With the rib in his mouth, Liang Xiao nodded.
