That night at the bar, the group had a blast. By the end of the night, only a few people were still sober. Most were sprawled out in various states of drunkenness. Thankfully, the sofas in the private room were large enough for those who passed out to sleep on.
Liang Xiao only rested for an hour before getting back to work. Watching him, Lu Ze suddenly realized how much he had always trusted Liang Xiao without question. As long as Liang Xiao called him “baby,” he believed everything he said. But now he wondered—what if Liang Xiao had been forced to drink and didn’t tell him? What if he had thrown up alone before coming back?
Although Liang Xiao firmly denied it, Lu Ze wasn’t entirely convinced. So he decided to spend his vacation accompanying his boyfriend at work—after all, it would be a waste not to use the fingerprint locks Jiang Heng had specially installed in every office.
“You’re still not leaving?” Jiang Yijie asked. “Waiting for Liang Xiao so you can go back together?”
“Yeah, I’m worried about him,” Lu Ze replied. “Are you planning to take someone home?”
Jiang Yijie glanced at Shen Tang, who was leaning against his shoulder—whether genuinely drunk or faking it was unclear—and grumbled irritably, “I feel like just leaving him here.”
Lu Ze laughed lightly. “Don’t do that. One less person means less work for my boyfriend.”
Jiang Yijie glared at him. “Damn it! I’m not interested in you anymore—stop trying to push me into a relationship!”
Lu Ze clicked his tongue teasingly. “What are you saying? Am I that kind of person? Jie-ge, haven’t you noticed that you treat Shen Tang differently?”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Yijie stubbornly replied, “Nope.”
Lu Ze suddenly burst out laughing, leaving Jiang Yijie staring at him in disbelief. “How did I not realize before that you’re this ridiculous?”
Rubbing his face to ease his laughter, Lu Ze sighed dramatically. “You’re just like Liang Xiao back in the day. Should I arrange for you two to share some tips?”
“What?” Jiang Yijie asked, completely confused.
Standing up with a teasing grin, Lu Ze drawled, “Stubborn as hell—just all talk—”
“Damn it!” Jiang Yijie cursed.
—
For the entire vacation, Lu Ze practically lived at the bar. He got to know the department heads and even the waitstaff, adding quite a few of them on WeChat.
One evening during dinner, Liang Xiao sighed helplessly. “Baby, weren’t you here to supervise my work? Why are you having so much fun yourself?”
“Jealous?” Lu Ze asked with a grin.
Clicking his tongue, Liang Xiao replied, “Can’t I be?”
“Well,” Lu Ze said playfully, “I’m just getting to know your coworkers better so I can gather intel on you later. Don’t even think about lying to me.”
“I’ve never lied to you,” Liang Xiao said seriously.
Lu Ze stared at him for a moment. Liang Xiao’s face and the way he looked at him with such earnest eyes seemed to have a magical power that made him impossible not to trust.
Reaching out with both hands, Lu Ze cupped Liang Xiao’s face and gently squeezed it. “Xiao-ge, if you keep talking to me like this, I might not even doubt you if you cheat on me one day.”
Liang Xiao froze for a moment before frowning. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
Lu Ze laughed for a while before replying, “It’s a compliment.”
Liang Xiao’s expression turned serious. “I would never cheat on you.”
“I know,” Lu Ze said immediately. “I was just giving an example.”
He lowered his head and ate a few bites of food before Liang Xiao spoke again. “Lu Ze, I really wouldn’t cheat on you. You have to believe me.”
Hearing his full name startled Lu Ze for a moment. He looked up at Liang Xiao, who walked around the table to stand beside him. Leaning down to meet his gaze, Liang Xiao said softly, “I know my job doesn’t look great from the outside—smoking, drinking, messing around. A lot of people in bars live like that… but I’ve always tried my best to avoid it. I’ve never smoked. I only drink when I absolutely have to. And as for messing around—I’ve never done it and never will.”
Looking into Liang Xiao’s eyes, Lu Ze felt his heart ache slightly. Liang Xiao bent down further and cupped Lu Ze’s face in his hands. “I love you so much—more than anything else. Please… trust me, okay?”
Liang Xiao couldn’t even remember how he used to juggle conversations with multiple clients at once. Now, every time he wanted to share something heartfelt with Lu Ze, he felt clumsy and tongue-tied, as if he had no words left in his vocabulary.
Frowning in frustration at himself, he muttered anxiously, “Baby, aren’t you supposed to have magic powers? Can’t you just look into my heart?”
Taking Lu Ze’s hand and placing it over his chest, Liang Xiao said almost reverently, “It loves you—only you.”
Lu Ze finally snapped out of his daze and stood up, tears glistening in his eyes. “When did I ever say I didn’t trust you? The reason I got close to your coworkers was because I’m worried about you. I’m scared that if you drink too much or overwork yourself and feel unwell, you won’t tell me—you’ll just endure it alone. As for cheating or messing around… those thoughts never even crossed my mind.”
Liang Xiao didn’t say a word. Lu Ze leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, his voice choking with emotion. “Are you stupid, Liang Xiao?”
Liang Xiao was completely flustered. He reached out clumsily to wipe Lu Ze’s tears, his own eyes reddening. “I was wrong. I’m sorry, baby, sweetheart—please don’t cry.”
Hearing his words, Lu Ze’s tears fell even harder. He wiped his eyes with his hand and sighed. “I get this from my mom—can’t help it. When I feel too much pain for someone, I just want to cry.”
Lowering his head to calm himself, Lu Ze took a deep breath before looking back at Liang Xiao with reddened eyes. “Liang Xiao, do you believe me? I can make sure you only ever have one relationship in your life.”
Liang Xiao’s voice was hoarse as he replied, “I believe you.”
Lu Ze pulled him into a tight hug, ruffling the back of his head affectionately. “I’ve never doubted you—not even once. Look at Jiang Heng—he’s so handsome, rich, and clearly values you. If I were going to doubt anyone, it would’ve been him ages ago. But that Qin idiot? Not only is he stupid, but he’s also blind…”
Liang Xiao chuckled softly and kissed Lu Ze on the collarbone. Lu Ze pushed him away slightly and teased, “Didn’t you wipe your mouth after eating?”
Liang Xiao froze for a second before retorting, “What the hell… You kissed me earlier too! You didn’t wipe your mouth either!”
Lu Ze burst out laughing. “Really? My bad then! Let me check—did I end up kissing a face full of grease?”
Just then, Liang Xiao’s phone rang on the table. He picked it up and answered, “Hello… Yeah, okay, I’ll be there right away.”
Lu Ze overheard part of the conversation and asked, “Jiang Heng’s back?”
Liang Xiao nodded and gently wiped the corners of Lu Ze’s eyes with a tissue. “No more crying now, baby. I need to go to Jiang Heng’s office—it might take a while. Don’t wait for me; go ahead and eat.”
“Can’t it wait until after dinner?” Lu Ze asked.
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “It’s fine. Don’t eat too much though—there might be supper later.”
“Alright then,” Lu Ze said reluctantly.
Just as Liang Xiao reached the door, Lu Ze called out to him. “Hey! Wait a second—wipe your mouth!”
Liang Xiao glanced at the tissue he’d just used to wipe Lu Ze’s tears and casually used it to dab at the corner of his own mouth. “Done.”
“Damn…” Lu Ze muttered in disbelief.
—
Liang Xiao spent over an hour in Jiang Heng’s office. By the time he returned, Lu Ze was sprawled out on the sofa in a starfish position. The moment he saw Liang Xiao, he sat up straight with excitement. “Back already?”
Liang Xiao loved how his boyfriend’s eyes lit up whenever he saw him. He bent down and kissed Lu Ze on the cheek. “Jiang Heng wants to take us out for dinner.”
“Jiang Heng? Taking us out? For dinner?” Lu Ze asked in surprise.
Liang Xiao chuckled and nodded. “Yes—Jiang Heng is taking us out for dinner.”
Lu Ze clicked his tongue in disbelief. “Is this because he wants to praise you or settle some scores?”
“Neither,” Liang Xiao replied with a smile. “He said it’s just a casual meal—and that he wants to meet you.”
Lu Ze smiled as he got off the sofa. “Let’s go. Good thing I didn’t eat too much earlier—I saved some room.”
“Anything you feel like eating?” Liang Xiao asked. “Jiang Heng said we could pick the restaurant.”
“We get to pick?” Lu Ze raised an eyebrow. “Do you think he’ll approve of what we choose?”
“He will. He’s not picky about this kind of thing.”
“Ohhh,” Lu Ze drawled, dragging out the word. “You seem to know him pretty well.”
Liang Xiao looked at him and replied, “Just a surface-level understanding—nothing compared to how deeply you know Jiang Yijie.”
“Damn,” Lu Ze laughed, throwing an arm around Liang Xiao’s shoulder as they walked out. “So it’s mutual destruction now, huh?”
“You started it,” Liang Xiao said.
As soon as they stepped out and closed the door, they noticed Jiang Heng waiting for them not far away. Lu Ze quickly dropped his hand and greeted him with a smile. “Heng-ge, we’ve met once before. I’m not sure if you remember…”
Jiang Heng nodded slightly. “I remember—outside Fool’s Gate, right?”
Lu Ze was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected Jiang Heng to recall such a minor event from so long ago.
Jiang Heng gave a faint smile. “We never had the chance to properly meet before. Let’s go—dinner’s on me tonight, and you two can pick the place.”
Lu Ze nudged Liang Xiao with his elbow and whispered, “You pick—I don’t know what Heng-ge likes to eat…”
Liang Xiao whispered back, “I don’t know either…”
They followed Jiang Heng to the car. This time, Jiang Heng wasn’t driving himself—he sat in the front passenger seat while Liang Xiao and Lu Ze took the back.
“Where should we eat?” Jiang Heng asked.
“How about you decide?” Liang Xiao suggested.
Jiang Heng clicked his tongue lightly. “Let’s go for barbecue then. Young people like that, right?”
“Love it,” Lu Ze replied with a grin. “Heng-ge, you’re young too!”
“I’m several years older—not young anymore,” Jiang Heng said with a faint smile. “I’ve already decided what to eat, but you two can pick the place. The barbecue spots I know don’t have much atmosphere.”
This time, Lu Ze didn’t hold back and gave the driver the address of a barbecue place he frequented.
The ride was quiet after that. Jiang Heng seemed a bit tired—he leaned back with his eyes closed, resting comfortably, clearly unbothered by Liang Xiao’s presence.
Lu Ze’s phone buzzed a few times in succession. He put it on silent and glanced at it—it was messages in a group chat discussing an upcoming sports event in a few days.
After replying briefly, he put his phone away and turned to look at Liang Xiao, who immediately leaned closer with his ear.
In a quiet voice, Lu Ze said, “Our college has a sports day coming up in a few days. I’ll probably join some random event—can you come watch?”
“I can,” Liang Xiao replied without hesitation. “I’ll take time off if I have to.”
Lu Ze smiled silently and pointed toward the front seat, whispering even more softly, “Your boss is right there.”
Liang Xiao whispered back just as quietly, “My boyfriend is more important.”
When they arrived at the barbecue restaurant, Lu Ze initially planned to book a private room out of consideration for Jiang Heng. However, Jiang Heng waved it off and said, “Let’s sit outside—it’s livelier.”
So, they sat down in a corner by the wall. Most of the dishes were ordered by Lu Ze, and neither Liang Xiao nor Jiang Heng added anything to the list. Lu Ze asked, “Should we get some cold beer?”
“Sure,” Jiang Heng replied.
Once they sat down at the table, the conversation flowed effortlessly. Liang Xiao barely spoke, leaving most of the talking to Lu Ze and Jiang Heng. Their chat was casual, jumping from one topic to another as things came to mind.
“You don’t need to worry about Qin Sheng,” Jiang Heng said proactively. “This was my mistake for not handling it properly. He won’t be coming to the bar again.”
“That’s good,” Lu Ze said. “That idiot almost pissed me off to death…”
As he finished speaking, he glanced at Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng’s expression remained unchanged. “Go ahead and curse him; I have nothing to do with him.”
Lu Ze chuckled. “Let’s not talk about him anymore.”
“The meat’s ready,” Liang Xiao interjected. “You two stop chatting so much and eat.”
Lu Ze quickly ate a few pieces of meat before glancing at Liang Xiao’s plate. “You shouldn’t just focus on grilling either. Eat something—their meat is really delicious.”
Seeing how Lu Ze was eating, Liang Xiao leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “Baby, don’t forget we already ate earlier. Pace yourself.”
“Damn,” Lu Ze muttered, patting his stomach. “I really forgot.”
Jiang Heng took a sip of his drink, silently watching the two of them whispering to each other like no one else was around.
In this lively and noisy environment, enjoying a meal of smoky barbecue felt like something from a lifetime ago for him. Watching Liang Xiao and Lu Ze across the table reminded him of his younger self.
“Heng-ge? Heng-ge?”
Lu Ze called Jiang Heng’s name twice before he snapped out of his thoughts. “Hmm?”
“Are you too tired?” Lu Ze asked.
“No,” Jiang Heng replied with a faint smile that felt different from his usual nonchalant demeanor—it carried a hint of coldness. “I just suddenly thought of some unpleasant things.”
Lu Ze poured more wine into Jiang Heng’s glass. “If it’s unpleasant, don’t think about it for now. Come on, let’s have a toast.”
Liang Xiao raised his glass as well, and the three clinked glasses together. Lu Ze said, “Here’s to Heng-ge’s business thriving and my boyfriend’s career taking off.”
Liang Xiao turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow as if questioning something. Lu Ze noticed and asked, “What? Is there a problem?”
“What about your own?” Liang Xiao asked.
Lu Ze grinned and replied, “Yours is mine.”
Liang Xiao smiled but still insisted on adding one more wish: “Here’s to my boyfriend being happy every day.”
Jiang Heng tilted his head back and downed his drink in one go before setting the glass down with a faint smirk. “Don’t you two think you’re being a bit much? Wishing for success while offending your boss?”
Now more comfortable around Jiang Heng, Lu Ze teased, “Heng-ge, if you wanted to date someone, it’d take you no time at all! You’re single by choice—you can’t blame us for showing off our relationship.”
Jiang Heng’s lips curved into a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Why would dating be so easy for me?”
“As long as you want it, there’d definitely be a line of people waiting for their chance—like that Qin…”
Lu Ze paused mid-sentence, struggling to remember that idiot’s name. Jiang Heng finished it for him in a calm tone: “If they’re all like Qin Sheng, I’d rather die alone.”
Lu Ze sighed. “To be disliked by you to this extent, he must be a real failure.”
“By the way,” Jiang Heng said, looking at Liang Xiao, “give your boyfriend a break in a few days. He hasn’t had any rest for over a month—it’s been tough.”
“It’s not tough,” Liang Xiao smiled. “The paycheck makes it worth it.”
“It is tough,” Lu Ze said, giving Liang Xiao’s leg a light slap. “No amount of money makes it less exhausting. He’s lost several pounds—he needs a proper break before continuing to work.”
Liang Xiao immediately changed his tune. “You’re right, it’s been pretty tough. I do need some rest.”
Jiang Heng chuckled at their exchange. “Lu Ze, what are you studying? How about coming to work for me after you graduate?”
Lu Ze was momentarily stunned. “I’m studying English. What could I even do at your place? Translation?”
“English major? That’s a bit tricky,” Jiang Heng said thoughtfully. “How about this—you just work directly under me.”
“What?” both Lu Ze and Liang Xiao said at the same time.
Before Jiang Heng could elaborate, Lu Ze laughed and politely declined. “We can’t both work for the same person. If one of us screws up, we’d both end up in trouble.”
Jiang Heng looked at him for a few seconds and then said, “I think you’re better suited to being a manager than Liang Xiao.”
Lu Ze shook his head. “No way—I don’t have his presence. Right, Manager Liang?”
“Right,” Liang Xiao agreed playfully. “Too young—needs to be older for that role.”
Jiang Heng chuckled. The Liang Xiao in front of Lu Ze was someone Jiang Heng didn’t recognize—a far cry from the mature and composed person he usually saw. Here, Liang Xiao was so genuine, even a bit childish.
Even though Jiang Heng didn’t fully believe in such things, he silently gave them his blessing.
May it last forever.
Aww, thats so sweet T^T