Cen Wei only realized that his message had been sent after seeing the response. The first two messages were marked with red exclamation points, meaning they hadn’t gone through. He sat there in shock for a good while, which made Jiang Liyong, sitting next to him, look over suspiciously.

Though this behavior was rather rude, Jiang Liyong, who had grown up with Cen Wei, wasn’t too bothered. He thought the bigger issue was not that Cen Wei had been cheated on, but rather Cen Wei’s self-professed asexuality.

In Jiang Liyong’s view, intimacy was closely linked to sexual connection, and without that, a breakup was inevitable—unless the love was so deep it could transcend physical needs. He felt that Cen Wei being cheated on wasn’t such a big deal, but he was more sympathetic to him because of the pressures from his family.

The Cen family was old-fashioned but had a decent parent-child relationship. Normally, there was no rush for Cen Wei to marry, but with his grandfather’s deteriorating health, the old man didn’t want to go abroad for further treatment, opting for conservative care instead. His remaining time was limited, and one of his last wishes was to see his grandson get married—regardless of gender.

Older people could be very set in their ways, but in today’s world, the idea of “till death do us part” was rare, and many simply lived for the present.

Jiang Liyong had only just mentioned the idea of a marriage of convenience that morning, but now it seemed Cen Wei had, after initially rejecting the suggestion, gone ahead and proposed to someone. Who was this “CII”? There wasn’t even a note attached to the contact. He could rule out the idea of it being a casual fling.

Curious, Jiang Liyong asked, “What’s going on? They didn’t even ask you why?”

The bar was dimly lit, the dance floor crowded, and they had to raise their voices to be heard. In the flickering light, Cen Wei’s sharp features stood out even more. Dressed in a style that appealed to uniform-loving and reserved types, he caught the eyes of many passersby. Even the servers asked for his contact info.

Cen Wei hadn’t been to a place like this in years, and he looked serious, his brows furrowed. He didn’t seem at all pleased by the success of his spontaneous proposal.

Jiang Liyong teased, “Should I be the officiant at your wedding?”

Cen Wei was genuinely surprised. “Shouldn’t I have been scolded for sending that?”

It was already 3 a.m., and Cen Wei hadn’t expected Chu Lai to reply so quickly. They had only met once, and their “overnight stay” didn’t really count as one—it was just a night of crashing at his place. He had even walked Chu Lai’s dog for him once.

Jiang Liyong shrugged. “Not necessarily. You’re a good-looking guy; maybe they’ve had a crush on you.”

Though Jiang Liyong was a doctor by profession, his refined looks were completely different from Cen Wei’s tall and rugged appearance.

Cen Wei replied, “Impossible. We’ve only met once.”

Jiang Liyong was curious about how Cen Wei had met someone new. With Cen Wei’s background, his family business was a top brand in its field. After his father’s early death, it was clear that Cen Wei would inherit the business, and his time studying abroad had been to prepare him for that role.

The circumstances surrounding his father’s death had made Cen Wei’s adolescence very bleak. He didn’t enjoy deep relationships with others, and outside of work, he avoided socializing, preferring a stable and predictable life.

Jiang Liyong analyzed the situation deeply, then concluded, “It’s love at first sight.”

Cen Wei held his phone, but there were no other replies from Chu Lai. Shaking his head, he said, “We first met when I broke up with Xiao Ke. He was also getting dumped.”

Jiang Liyong’s mouth twitched. He had always believed that Cen Wei didn’t truly love Shen Ke. Who breaks up so calmly, even if physical issues were part of it? And then, Shen Ke ended up cheating on him with a childhood friend.

Jiang Liyong couldn’t help but think Cen Wei’s composure was too generous—it was Shen Ke who had been embarrassed, feeling as if he had pursued a relationship in vain. During a recent gathering, a drunken Shen Ke had even complained about how dating Cen Wei had made him feel less attractive, blaming the “asexuality” on being unappreciated.

Jiang Liyong had a hard time arguing against that.

From an outside perspective, Cen Wei was calm, reliable, and handsome, with no obvious flaws. He seemed perfect. In all the years they had known each other, Jiang Liyong had never seen him particularly passionate about anything. Even after so long, there was no sign of any special hobbies or interests.

“So, is he single?” Jiang Liyong asked. “What does he do?”

Meanwhile, Chu Lai was still staring at his phone in a daze.

Liu Yuan had been tirelessly introducing him to potential matches, practically wearing himself out with his enthusiasm, while the person in question remained completely distracted.

Liu Yuan nudged him with his elbow. “Can you at least pretend to respect me? I’m trying to find you a good match here.”

Chu Lai shook his head. “Knock it off. You can keep them for yourself. I don’t need it.”

Liu Yuan wasn’t deterred. “You can’t just rely on your dog for cuddling forever.”

Chu Lai stood up, grabbing his coat. “I’m heading out.”

Liu Yuan grabbed his sleeve. “But we don’t have work tomorrow.”

Chu Lai nodded. “But I still have to walk my dog in the morning.”

His life was incredibly stable. He walked his dog before work, ate lunch and dinner at the office, and came home to walk the dog again. His weekends were often the only time available for dating, a routine that Liu Yuan had once mockingly compared to military discipline.

Despite Liu Yuan’s anger at Shen Quanzhang’s complaints about Chu Lai, he had to admit that Chu Lai was truly clueless when it came to romance and flirting. He was naturally bad at it.

Liu Yuan didn’t try to push him further and simply walked him out. The booth was dim, and as they passed by a table, a couple started arguing, shoving each other.

Chu Lai was still feeling uncomfortable with his contact lenses. As he blinked, he realized one of them had fallen out, making things even worse.

“You’re cheating on me, and you think that’s okay?”

“You’re cheating too!”

The table was full of young men and women pushing and shoving, using more force than expected. Chu Lai thought about heading to the restroom to take out the other lens, but before he could, someone was shoved his way.

He stumbled, hitting his waist on another table, knocking over a few bottles. On the other side, Jiang Liyong, who had been asking Cen Wei about his mystery proposal target, was startled by the commotion.

Chu Lai hissed in pain, his phone slipping from his hand and hitting the ground. In the dim light, someone reached out to pick it up for him.

He took the phone, glanced at the person, and said, “Sorry, tha—Mr. Cen?”

Right then, the overhead lights pulsed pink, casting a nostalgic glow that felt like a scene from another era, wrapping them both in a surreal filter.

The live singer on stage was singing with hoarse intensity, as if love had to be all-consuming and destructive.

Cen Wei was stunned too. “Mr. Chu?”

Liu Yuan, startled by the noise, turned around to look for Chu Lai, only to find him standing there, staring at a man.

He glanced at the man seated in the booth and blurted out, “Hubby, what are you doing here?”

Jiang Liyong raised an eyebrow, and only then did Liu Yuan realize he’d made a mistake—it wasn’t his boyfriend, Jiang Mingchen. It was his boyfriend’s half-brother, whom he had met once before.

The situation was awkward, to say the least.

Jiang Liyong nodded in acknowledgment of being called “brother” but didn’t comment. He looked at Cen Wei and the unfamiliar man with shoulder-length hair standing next to him and asked, “Who’s this?”

Liu Yuan asked Chu Lai, “Do you know him?”

Chu Lai glanced at Cen Wei. Thinking about the message he had received, he felt a bit awkward. He hadn’t expected to run into Cen Wei here of all places.

Jiang Liyong adjusted his glasses. “Since you know each other, why don’t you sit down and chat?”

Chu Lai turned to Cen Wei. “Should we talk privately?”

Having lost one contact lens, Chu Lai could barely see Cen Wei’s face in the dim light. From Cen Wei’s perspective, Chu Lai’s eyes looked slightly red, as if he were about to cry.

Cen Wei asked, “Are you angry?”

Both men at the table were puzzled by the question, unsure of the relationship between Cen Wei and Chu Lai.

Chu Lai shook his head.

Feeling regretful, Cen Wei pulled out his phone and said, “I didn’t send the other two messages. You should take a look.”

Jiang Liyong was shocked as he watched Chu Lai closely.

This is the guy Cen Wei proposed to?!

Liu Yuan, still confused by the situation, sat there awkwardly. He didn’t know much about the half-brother dynamics, and this sudden revelation was too much to process.

Cen Wei handed his phone to Chu Lai, who leaned in closer to read it, unable to see the screen clearly.

As they moved closer, Cen Wei could smell the light scent of perfume on Chu Lai. The last time they met, Cen Wei had been more focused on their shared breakup and the conversation they had while eating barbecue, so he hadn’t noticed much else.

Now, even with the noisy surroundings, all he could focus on was the young man standing in front of him. Chu Lai’s bangs were a little long, his hair slightly disheveled, but it didn’t make him look feminine. Instead, he appeared exceptionally delicate and pure.

With his glasses off, Chu Lai’s upturned eyes were more noticeable, especially when he squinted slightly, drawing attention to the sharp corners of his eyes. He had worn black-framed glasses before, which had covered up the mole near his eye. But now, in this dim light, Cen Wei noticed it clearly for the first time.

The man in front of him seemed even younger than he had imagined.

Chu Lai read the unsent messages and responded directly, “Single. Convenient.”

He looked up at Cen Wei, their faces so close they were almost touching. The tension between them was palpable, like ripples on the surface of a lake. Chu Lai took a step back, trying to break the awkwardness. Liu Yuan, sensing the atmosphere, couldn’t help but ask, “Do you two know each other?”

Chu Lai nodded, his voice calm but cold. “Ah Yuan, I’m going to marry him.”

Liu Yuan fell silent for a long moment.

Jiang Liyong stood up from his seat. “Wait, are you serious?”

Cen Wei hadn’t expected Chu Lai to agree so quickly. He had already considered retracting his proposal.

Liu Yuan, still bewildered, wanted to say something, but Chu Lai cut him off. “I’ll explain it to you later. For now, we’re leaving.”

With that, he walked out, gesturing for Cen Wei to follow him.

The arguing couple next door had been escorted out by security, and the music had shifted from rock to a slow ballad from the 90s. A soft female voice crooned about watching the rain in winter.

Sure enough, it was raining outside.

The bar was tucked away in a narrow alley, and despite the late hour, the street was still lively, the sounds of music mixing with the rain. People huddled at the alley’s entrance, waiting for cars to pull up. Chu Lai didn’t have an umbrella and glanced at Cen Wei, whose formal attire seemed out of place for a bar.

He was still wearing the same suit and tie from the last time they met, complete with a perfectly ironed vest, looking entirely out of place.

The young man casually tied his long hair into a small ponytail at the back of his head and asked, “Mr. Cen, working late again?”

There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “Didn’t you say the last time we had barbecue that you didn’t need to dress this formally for work?”

The rain fell harder, forming a curtain of water that separated the world. Rain splattered on Cen Wei’s polished leather shoes and soaked through the fabric of Chu Lai’s canvas sneakers.

The man, who looked every bit the business elite, seemed troubled, his handsome features tinged with a sense of helplessness caused by the out-of-nowhere proposal.

Cen Wei explained, “I came here after attending a banquet.”

Chu Lai nodded. He couldn’t bear the discomfort of his contact lens any longer, so he rudely pried open his eye and pulled out the other lens, making Cen Wei wince slightly.

His vision blurred, and the rain became louder, drowning out the world. Chu Lai asked, “So, you’re being forced into marriage?”

Cen Wei nodded, then shook his head. “Not quite. It’s more of a last wish from my elders.”

The man was tall, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow in the rain. Standing beside him, there was an undeniable sense of safety and protection, though Chu Lai felt an odd sense that despite his imposing physique, Cen Wei seemed somewhat easy to bully.

Cen Wei said, “Sorry, my proposal was selfish.”

Chu Lai shook his head. “It’s your family’s wish. Fulfilling it is a good thing.”

Half a month had passed since their first meeting, and while Cen Wei should have forgotten about Chu Lai by now, his voice still lingered in his mind, clear and distinct.

He turned slightly to look at Chu Lai, the young man’s delicate face barely reaching his shoulder. His slightly long hair was tied into a small ponytail, held together by a pale yellow hair tie—different from the grayish tones of the bar they had met in before.

Cen Wei explained, “I was planning to retract the message.”

“I sent it on impulse.”

Chu Lai shook his head. “I understand.”

He glanced down at his now-soaked shoes and added, “I suddenly really want to get married too.”

Cen Wei had his reasons for wanting to marry, but he was surprised by Chu Lai’s sudden desire. “But shouldn’t marriage be with someone you love?”

Chu Lai chuckled and looked up at him.

He had already known that Cen Wei was tall and handsome, with a broad frame. When they had bumped into each other before, Chu Lai had almost been knocked over.

The cold rain felt more like a summer downpour than a winter drizzle.

Chu Lai’s coat was oversized, while Cen Wei’s long coat made him look even more like a sturdy pillar of support, radiating a sense of security.

“If you want to marry someone you love, then I’m sorry—I don’t love you,” Chu Lai said bluntly. He added a half-hearted apology, though his tone lacked any real regret, while pulling out his phone to call a cab.

Cen Wei asked, “I have a reason to marry. What’s yours?”

Chu Lai’s phone case had changed with the season, and seeing it now reminded Cen Wei of the maple leaf case he had seen at the barbecue stall. The young man smiled slightly, and under the streetlights, he looked more alive than he had in the bar.

Chu Lai looked him up and down, his gaze scanning him like a scanner.

He imagined that hugging Cen Wei would feel really nice.

“I prefer hugging over sex—strong, tight hugs,” Chu Lai said earnestly.

Standing under the light, Cen Wei could see Chu Lai’s expression clearly. When he smiled, his face, usually delicate and reserved, transformed into something strikingly beautiful.

For some reason, Cen Wei smiled too.

He nodded. “Then I should tell you something.”

Chu Lai asked, “What?”

Cen Wei suddenly leaned down, whispering into his ear, “I don’t like it either.”