TBS Chapter 18

The phone number memorization challenge ended in Xu Miao’s defeat.

Liang Dong appeared with the dishes, unintentionally yet perfectly playing mediator between Xu Miao and Xie Ge.

The square table was only occupied on two sides. Xie Ge squeezed in next to Xu Miao, sharing the narrow edge of the table with him.

Xie Ge deliberately pressed his arm against Xu Miao’s, making it inconvenient for Xu Miao to reach for food, just so he could take the chance to show off his thoughtfulness by adding dishes to Xu Miao’s bowl.

He forgot that he wasn’t the only one at the table harboring ulterior motives—Liang Dong always managed to beat him to it with calculated precision.

A sudden phone call sent Xu Miao to the balcony. Seizing the moment, Xie Ge shamelessly snatched the food Liang Dong had just put into Xu Miao’s bowl, stuffed it into his mouth, and raised his chin in provocation, crunching the vegetables loudly, bite by bite.

“Careful you don’t break a tooth,” Liang Dong glanced at Xu Miao’s back and kindly reminded Xie Ge, “Miaomiao will probably have to work late today. He won’t have time to go to the dentist with you.”

“Can you not call him ‘Miaomiao’?”

“Why?”

“Why else? He’s my boyfriend. Don’t you think it’s a bit too intimate for you to call him that?”

Boyfriend…

Even if this was exactly the result Liang Dong had expected, so what? “Boyfriend” wasn’t some untouchable title—it was just a label Xu Miao had chosen to give someone.

Liang Dong lowered his eyes, hiding the complexity in them, and said calmly, “The world doesn’t revolve around you. Aside from his boyfriend, Xu Miao has family, friends… plenty of people who can call him by that name intimately.

If you really respect him, you can’t expect him to abandon his social circle because of you. And honestly, I think I hold about the same weight in his heart as you do.”

Xie Ge couldn’t imagine what Liang Dong had been through in less than a year. He was so different from the Liang Dong in Xie Ge’s memories—awkward, covered in soft little thorns that didn’t hurt much but still couldn’t be ignored.

Defending one’s title and position can happen anytime, anywhere. Xie Ge felt a bit smug—whatever Liang Dong’s relationship with Xu Miao was, when the three of them were together, Xu Miao only acknowledged Liang Dong as a friend.

Boyfriend is just a little nobler than friend, Xie Ge thought.

But wearing your emotions on your face meant being easy to read. One glance and Liang Dong knew exactly what Xie Ge was thinking. He sneered, “If I remember correctly, Miaomiao’s never actually admitted you’re his boyfriend.

If self-proclaimed titles count, you’ll always be second to me.”

How could Liang Dong be so infuriating? Xie Ge gritted his teeth, wishing he could kick Liang Dong out while Xu Miao wasn’t looking.

But even if he did, Liang Dong wouldn’t leave—Xie Ge knew exactly how thick-skinned he was. And most importantly, he didn’t want to make Xu Miao upset.

When Xu Miao came back from his call, the air was so heavy that if a single dark cloud drifted in, it would start raining. Xie Ge looked sour, and Liang Dong—fresh off reading a text—didn’t look much better.

Xu Miao glanced at one, then the other. “What’s wrong with you two? Why the long faces?”

Xie Ge muttered, listless, “You don’t remember my phone number.”

Liang Dong, irritated, said, “One of the team members accidentally deleted the data. I have to go back to the office now.”

Neither of them told the truth.

Before Xie Ge could even kick him out, the man left on his own. Xie Ge’s gloom instantly cleared—his face lit up with a grin as he happily walked Xu Miao to the door to see Liang Dong off.

He couldn’t resist kicking someone while they were down.

“Wow, so miserable. Is this what being a corporate slave is like? One text and you have to run.”

Xu Miao sympathized: “Yeah… it’s really tough.”

After nearly seven years of knowing Liang Dong, Xu Miao knew many of his struggles. He had refused to follow the life plan his family arranged, clashing with his parents, and after graduation, he suffered the same hardships as Xu Miao.

From the perspective of playing the “bad guy,” Xu Miao was secretly grateful to have Liang Dong sharing the burden with him, helping to shoulder the financial pressure he couldn’t bear alone.

The touch on his cheek pulled Xu Miao back from his thoughts. He caught Xie Ge’s fingers pressed against his face and blinked at him, as if he didn’t understand the meaning behind the gesture.

“Can we not talk about him anymore? If you have time, memorize my phone number, Xu Miao. Otherwise, I’ll keep getting jealous.”

Xie Ge thought again of the phone call Xu Miao had just received. He finally had some time alone with him; he didn’t want Xu Miao to leave him behind. On top of that, he didn’t even know the passcode to Xu Miao’s front door.

Following the tips he’d read online before coming over, he furrowed his brows slightly, putting on a pitiful look.
“You’ll stay with me this afternoon, right? I really can’t be left alone in the house.”

Xu Miao couldn’t figure out why Xie Ge always pulled expressions that didn’t quite suit his face yet somehow felt weirdly natural.

Xie Ge didn’t have the soft, gentle looks people usually associated with being pitiful—his features were sharper, a little aggressive. But right now, staring at him with those pleading eyes, he made it impossible for Xu Miao to say anything harsh.

Clearly, lucky Xie Ge always drew the trump card with Xu Miao.

Facing each other, Xu Miao reached out to touch the furrow between Xie Ge’s brows, as if his fingertip were a tiny iron, trying to smooth away his worries.

“I just have a tiny bit of work this afternoon. Once I’m done, I’ll come back and keep you company, okay?”

Xu Miao held his thumb and forefinger close together, showing Xie Ge exactly how tiny “a bit” meant.

“Just this much. I’ll be back really soon.”

Xie Ge understood perfectly—but he didn’t want to understand. So he pretended not to.
“Then… where am I supposed to be this afternoon?”

Xu Miao froze for a second, confused.
“At home, of course. Where else would you want to go?”

Not hearing the answer he wanted, Xie Ge stared at him without blinking, as if trying to pressure Xu Miao with his eyes until he said the words he was waiting for.

When Xie Ge said nothing, Xu Miao hesitated, meeting his gaze.

“If you want to go out this afternoon, you can just wander around. The house code is 321123… and you can register your fingerprint if you want.”

Still not the answer he wanted. Xie Ge casually dropped a hint.

“Then how will I know when you’re coming back? What if you come home when I’m not here—how would you find me?”

Xu Miao almost blurted it out: “I’ll call you as soon as I get home—”

Xie Ge nodded very seriously: “So… did you memorize my phone number?”

Xu Miao: “…”

Xie Ge: “You even deleted me on WeChat. What am I supposed to do now? I can’t even send you a message.”

Xu Miao: “…”

Xie Ge: “Wow… blocked my number, deleted my WeChat, and now you don’t even want to talk to me.”

The two of them stared at each other.

The one who surrendered first, unsurprisingly, was Xu Miao.
“I don’t feel safe leaving you home alone. Just come with me—I’ll find a place for you to wait.”