TBS Chapter 20

Xie Ge finally sat in the spot Xu Miao usually took. On the table was the bouquet Xu Miao had given him, and next to it, the osmanthus rice wine latte Xu Miao had ordered for him before leaving.

Now playing the role of “caffeine-allergic Xie Ge,” he took a sip.

The taste was unexpectedly good—maybe even enhanced by Xu Miao’s extra touch.

First came the floral aroma, then the sweetness of the rice wine, followed by the bitterness of the coffee. The layers were rich…

But maybe it was a little too sweet. The coffee’s bitterness vanished instantly, while the sweetness of the rice wine hit him straight in the head.

As expected, he still couldn’t handle overly sweet foods very well.

While the latte still held its pretty layers, he took several photos, picked the best one, and sent it to Xu Miao.

Without warning, the chair opposite him was pulled out. Xie Ge lifted his eyes from the droplets clinging to the glass and looked up.

Cheng Yuan’s gaze was full of scrutiny, but Xie Ge didn’t flinch. He met Cheng Yuan’s eyes directly and offered a polite smile.

“Hello,” Cheng Yuan said first, taking a seat across from him.

“Hello,” Xie Ge nodded, not cold but not overly warm either, simply stating his thoughts: “It looks like you have something to say to me. You can just say it.”

Cheng Yuan couldn’t deny that his first impression of Xie Ge was fairly good in some respects—but perfection doesn’t exist, and people are naturally biased toward those they know well.

Since Xie Ge had invited him to speak frankly, there was no need to beat around the bush. Cheng Yuan got straight to the point:
“You and Xu Miao aren’t compatible. He’s busy and works hard; he can’t take care of all your emotions. Rather than ending up in a messy fight, it’s better to separate now and limit the damage.”

Xie Ge was slightly taken aback. Cheng Yuan’s words were blunt and impolite, but he didn’t want to dwell on it. He didn’t want to be petty; he had told Xu Miao he was a generous person.

Cheng Yuan was Xu Miao’s friend. He couldn’t cause a scene—he needed to be respectful, polite, and not make Xu Miao lose face in front of his friend, Xie Ge thought.

He lowered his gaze to the now slightly murky latte. Its beauty was gone—the rice wine and coffee had been mixed together haphazardly, forming an unappealing mess.

“There’s no such thing as compatible or not. If Xu Miao thinks it’s right, then it is. You don’t get to decide,” Xie Ge said stubbornly, stirring the drink thoroughly, forcing the ingredients to blend harmoniously. He spoke elegantly: “As long as he’s willing, it’s right.”

Cheng Yuan looked at Xie Ge with a complicated expression.

When he first met Xu Miao, Xu Miao was only nineteen. He was thin, with dark circles under his eyes, a pale face weighed down by life, barely able to breathe.

That Xu Miao reminded him inexplicably of Ji Hui, his former lover.

The first time he met Ji Hui, Ji Hui had also been thin, fragile, and on the verge of collapse. So when Xu Miao asked if the shop needed a part-timer, he had said yes.

His affection for the small details made Cheng Yuan pay extra attention to Xu Miao. Even without Xu Miao saying anything, people around him could see he was struggling. Over the past two years, Xu Miao had finally gotten back on track, leaving the past behind. Cheng Yuan couldn’t bear to see him fall into a new trap.

Cheng Yuan had seen Xu Miao transfer money to Xie Ge multiple times. Once he asked about it, and Xu Miao said it was because his boyfriend’s family situation was as difficult as his used to be.

He had witnessed enough of these transfers, and the ones he hadn’t seen were probably just as many.

“The clothes you wear, the watch on your wrist—Xu Miao has to work for a long time to afford them. You know how hard he works for his money, but you spend it so freely, letting him pamper you.”

Xie Ge bristled at Cheng Yuan’s words. That money wasn’t something he asked for. Xu Miao wanted to be good to him—so why shouldn’t he accept it gratefully?

Was refusing the only way to be ‘good’? Xu Miao clearly enjoyed taking care of him, enjoying the feeling of being a boyfriend.

Outsiders wouldn’t understand. Xie Ge didn’t want to go to great lengths just to prove to someone else how unshakable his relationship with Xu Miao was. There was no need—people only believe what they want to believe.

Xie Ge simply retorted: “He’s willing to be good to me.”

“He can’t play any romantic games with you. Finding someone for fun shouldn’t be hard for you. If you just want to play, don’t involve him.”

“You’re meddling too much.”

That ended the conversation. Xie Ge didn’t want to stay there any longer. Holding the large bouquet of roses Xu Miao had given him, he followed the GPS back to Xu Miao’s home.

When he opened the door, Liang Dong—who had disappeared at noon—was back, taking over the sofa, the water cup, and the slippers at Xu Miao’s place.

Xie Ge had nothing to say to Liang Dong.

Ignoring him, he carefully placed the bouquet on the dining table and went door to door, looking for Xu Miao’s bedroom.

When he opened the first door, Liang Dong suddenly said, “The second door on the left is Miao Miao’s bedroom. The first is the study. On the right is the wardrobe, my old room.”

Liang Dong was just stating facts in a calm tone, with no hint of emotion.

Xie Ge paused. “I don’t need you to tell me. I can find it myself. And I told you—don’t call him ‘Miao Miao.’”

The bouquet demanded attention. Liang Dong turned his head and immediately saw it.

He stared at the ribbon tied around the flowers, printed with a string of special English letters, and stated matter-of-factly, without questioning: “Miao Miao took you to see Cheng Yuan, right?”

“What does that have to do with you?” Xie Ge’s patience was nearly gone. “Where he takes me, who I meet—it has nothing to do with you.”

Liang Dong said, “I was the first one he ever took to see Cheng Yuan.”

He added, “He introduced me to his friends, gave me half the apartment to live in, remembered my birthday, gave me flowers, stayed up all night taking care of me when I was sick…”

Every detail was recited as if they were treasures to him.

Xie Ge wouldn’t let him finish, cutting him off: “The reason he treats you well isn’t because you’re special—it’s because he’s a good person. Do you get that? Can you understand? Do you even know the difference between a friend and a boyfriend?”

He almost blurted out what he wanted to say—that being treated specially by Xu Miao meant more than these gestures. Xu Miao would kiss him, hold him, even sleep beside him. That was special.

What Liang Dong had experienced, Xie Ge could experience too in the future. But what Xie Ge had with Xu Miao—Liang Dong could never get from him.

Still, in the end, Xie Ge said nothing. That was private between him and Xu Miao. He didn’t want anyone listening or prying.

Liang Dong said, “You’re wrong. Both Cheng Yuan and I are people who are important to Miao Miao.”

Xie Ge wanted to know what kind of person counted as “important” in Liang Dong’s eyes. Did you have to know Xu Miao for a very long time? Did you have to help him in some way?

Would it count as meaningful if you made Xu Miao angry sometimes? If you annoyed him?

None of them could do that.

For example, Liang Dong—he wouldn’t dare.

Arguing with Liang Dong was pointless. It only wasted time. Xie Ge thought for a moment, picked up the bouquet he had meant to leave on the table, and prepared to end the conversation.

Liang Dong wouldn’t let it go.

He hadn’t wanted to be so blunt, but he couldn’t help resenting Xie Ge, who had suddenly appeared by Xu Miao’s side and taken over everything: “You shouldn’t have shown up. Miao Miao and I were living fine like this…”

“That’s just your imagination,” Xie Ge cut him off, leaving those words as his last, and went to Xu Miao’s bedroom, locking the door behind him.

Meanwhile, Xu Miao, stealing a moment from his busy day, checked his phone, which had been vibrating repeatedly.

[A little clumsy]: Everyone’s bullying me.

[A little clumsy]: All of them are bullying me.

[A little clumsy]: All of them are bullying me.

[A little clumsy]: All of them are bullying me.

[A little clumsy]: I miss you so much.