Xie Ge, beaming with triumph, hummed a random song the entire way from the passenger seat.
Before leaving, Xu Miao personally removed his number from the blacklist and added it to the whitelist, noting “baby” right under his nose.
His WeChat number also returned to Xu Miao’s friend list, starred and pinned to the top of the chat list.
What a beautiful day today, Xie Ge thought.
He completely ignored the sudden, increasing intensity of raindrops on the windshield and recited his feelings like poetry: “What a beautiful day!”
People often do surprising things when they’re in a good mood.
Xie Ge first complimented Xu Miao on his driving prowess and how effortlessly he drove. Then he remarked on the beautiful and fragrant lucky bag Xu Miao had hung on the rearview mirror.
“Do you like this?” Xu Miao smiled. “Then I’ll ask Liang Dong where he bought it.”
Xie Ge was stunned for two seconds, his expression strange, a mixture of annoyance and speechlessness. “Who likes it? I’m just being polite. I don’t think it looks good.”
Xie Ge emphasized, “It’s just ordinary! It’s not really good!”
“Why is he so haunting me? Stop talking about this. I’ll buy you something better.”
“Hmm…”
“What are you talking about?” Xie Ge asked, surprised. “You don’t like what I bought, but you like what he bought?”
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb! Xu Miao!”
As they were talking, they arrived at their destination. Xu Miao parked the car and turned off the engine.
“We’re here. Get out first.”
Xie Ge remained motionless, lingering in the passenger seat. “Explain yourself clearly. If you don’t, I won’t get out.”
“Is mine prettier, or is his prettier?”
Xie Ge didn’t even want to say Liang Dong’s name.
Xu Miao spoke frankly. “You haven’t bought it yet, so how can this compare?”
“Don’t you believe I can buy something better? I—”
Without warning, Xu Miao suddenly leaned in, his nose almost touching Xie Ge’s.
Even though Xie Ge had experienced many similar incidents with Xu Miao before, he was still startled into silence, his eyes fixed on Xu Miao.
He felt that Xu Miao completely disregarded reason and rules, constantly breaking them and using such dishonorable tactics to force him to admit defeat and shut up.
Those with impure motives see nothing as impure. Xie Ge lowered his eyes, avoiding Xu Miao’s gaze, no longer meeting it. He said, principled, “Even if you kiss me, I won’t pretend nothing happened. That’s not how you change the subject.”
Xu Miao turned his head away, gave a short laugh, and tilted his head to rest his forehead on Xie Ge’s shoulder. “Who said I was going to kiss you? I’m almost late, you know? And you keep wasting my time.”
With that, Xu Miao got out of the car without a care in the world. Through the window, Xie Ge saw Xu Miao answer a phone call.
Xu Miao smiled brightly.
Xie Ge felt a tinge of jealousy creeping in.
The rain had stopped by the time they left the underground garage. The air smelled of earth, and Xie Ge could detect the faint fragrance of osmanthus.
Xu Miao led Xie Ge to a bookshop he frequented and told him to wait there.
The distance wasn’t far, but they passed several flower shops along the way.
Xie Ge visibly turned his head to glance at every shop they passed, diligently hinting.
He displayed his prowess all the way, only to find Xu Miao completely oblivious, entirely focused on getting him to the temporary storage area.
In the car, Xie Ge had only remembered to look at Xu Miao, paying no attention to the road conditions.
He didn’t know that the book café was actually located on Xu Miao’s way to the office. If Xu Miao truly wanted to get him there quickly, they could have parked on the side of the road, eliminating the need to go to the underground garage and then walk back together.
The shop door opened, and the wind chimes chimed a few times.
Xu Miao walked inside with familiarity, and Xie Ge followed listlessly.
He couldn’t get Xu Miao’s flowers, couldn’t buy a lucky bag prettier than Liang Dong’s, and was still being perfunctorily dealt with by Xu Miao through threats and inducements.
No.
Can it be considered inducement if they didn’t kiss? It was just pure intimidation.
Xie Ge’s heart was filled with resentment until Xu Miao called him “Brother Cheng.”
This was the second time since they’d met that Xie Ge had heard Xu Miao use such a rather affectionate term of endearment for a man. The previous one had been Xu Miao’s apartment mate for almost seven years…
“Who is this?” Xie Ge couldn’t help but frown.
Xu Miao smiled softly. “My former boss. He worked here part-time for a while during his freshman year, serving coffee and finding books for customers.”
Xu Miao never denied his luck in certain areas. He always encountered people who showed him kindness without asking for anything in return.
He didn’t think he received it because he was kind; it was clearly the other person’s kindness that led them to give unconditionally, willing to lend a hand.
A difficult and arduous past was not something to be ashamed of; Xu Miao never considered hiding it from Xie Ge.
Xie Ge nodded. “If I’m spending money here now, can you bring me coffee and find me your favorite book?”
“Of course. I can help you find a book even if you don’t spend money.”
“What about bringing me coffee?”
“I remember someone saying they were allergic to caffeine.”
Xie Ge’s face lit up. “It’s because I’m so chaste,” he said, as if he’d been complaining all day. “Why do you keep bringing up the past?”
“You’re a good teacher,” Xu Miao smiled.
Xu Miao, in a good mood, led Xie Ge inside. After stopping in front of the man, he introduced him: “My friend, Cheng Yuan.”
He then pointed to the side and said, “This is Xie Ge.”
A subtle introduction, but one that would make Xie Ge feel a little different. He felt Xu Miao should introduce him to the man like this: “My boyfriend, Xie Ge.”
Xie Ge stealthily moved forward, shielding half of Xu Miao’s left shoulder. He swiftly extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Xie Ge, and Xu Miao is my boyfriend.”
“Hello,” Cheng Yuan smiled, returning Xie Ge’s handshake.
Having once again successfully established himself in front of others, Xie Ge’s mood suddenly cleared, returning to the time he’d been admiring the beautiful weather when he’d left the house.
But Xu Miao’s happiness didn’t last long.
Xu Miao leveled up behind him, and a voice filled with laughter echoed in Xie Ge’s ear. “Did you do what you promised, Boss Cheng? I’ve been waiting for you all the way here.”
No wonder Xu Miao had been so absent-minded when they’d been talking.
Xie Ge thought, Xu Miao is a bit annoying.
“Of course,” Cheng Yuan said, bending down to retrieve the bouquet hidden under the table and handing it to Xu Miao. “I specifically asked Xiaocheng to cut in line and help me. I watched him wrap it and bring it back. Do you like it? Take a look and see if it’s what you’re looking for.”
The bouquet was large, a bouquet of champagne roses, with a few sprigs of osmanthus inserted somewhat awkwardly in between.
The osmanthus was fragrant; Xie Ge had already smelled it before he brought it out, but at the time he’d thought it was just a smell drifting in from the street.
The osmanthus was also beautiful, its leaves almost all removed, leaving only a few scattered green petals. The slender branches were covered with small, pale yellow flowers, crowded and lush.
Xu Miao reached out and took the flowers in his arms, lowering his eyes and smiling at them. “It’s much more beautiful than I imagined. I love it.”
Beautiful again! Why did Xu Miao like beautiful things so much?
That Cheng Yuan wasn’t particularly beautiful either, just a little better looking than an average person.
His eyes itched, and Xie Ge slowly rolled them from side to side, trying to ease the inexplicable discomfort.
“Whoever likes it, I don’t…”
Xie Ge’s mumbling coincided with Xu Miao’s movements. Before the last syllable of the word “like” had even fallen, Xu Miao had thrust the bouquet into his arms.
“Don’t you like it? Then—”
“I like it,” Xie Ge realized, immediately stopping Xu Miao from taking the bouquet. “I like it. I love it.”
He held on tightly, refusing to let go.
As if doubting something, he turned his head to look at Xu Miao, seeking confirmation. “Did Xu Miao give it to me?”
Xu Miao then realized Xie Ge’s thoughts. He met Xie Ge’s eyes, then exchanged a sincere, trusting gaze. “It was given to me by Xu Miao.”
“The roses are something I wanted to give you, and the osmanthus is something I promised you.”
“I will fulfill all the things I promised you.”
