Qian Wang felt a bit embarrassed to admit that his fragile mind had been overwhelmed by a chaotic romance dream all night, leaving him drenched in cold sweat. But when he woke up at 5 a.m., the quilt on his body provided deep comfort, and the initial sense of loss seemed to have faded somewhat.

He tiptoed to Zhao Ziqiang’s slightly ajar bedroom door. The curtains were drawn, the room was shrouded in darkness. Qian Wang, slightly disappointed, pulled his head back.

The puppies were still sound asleep in the box at his feet, covered with an old pillowcase. Seeing this scene, Qian Wang felt a wave of dejection.

He sat back on the couch, waking up early for the first time but not wanting to go back to sleep. Instead, he held his ears up, listening intently to any sounds from Zhao Ziqiang’s room. But Zhao Ziqiang slept as soundly and peacefully as ever, without a hint of movement or sound.

It wasn’t until 7 a.m. that a faint ‘creak’ came from inside the room. Qian Wang, still feeling weary straightened up, his attention sharpening as he waited.

Zhao Ziqiang stepped out, shirtless, wearing shorts, with his hair in a messy knot.

Qian Wang found it difficult to look directly at him, but when he pretended not to notice and glanced over, he suddenly realized how empty Zhao Ziqiang’s eyes seemed, with dark shadows lingering beneath them.

He was filled with uncertainty, and more than that, a sense of unease. He didn’t know what kind of verdict Zhao Ziqiang would give him after laying everything bare, but deep down, he hoped it wouldn’t be to ignore him.

Zhao Ziqiang, eyes fixed intently, walked up, grabbed a glass from the coffee table, went to the water dispenser, and filled it up. With a quick gulp, he downed the entire glass like it was beer, wiping his lips with a sharp swipe, much like the scenes from a movie.

Qian Wang stood there, stunned, watching Zhao Ziqiang’s every move, struggling to understand the meaning behind his actions, especially when his gaze seemed so reluctant to give anything away.

Zhao Ziqiang drank several cups of water, standing there for a moment, then suddenly turned to look directly at Qian Wang.

“I’ve thought it through.”

Qian Wang heard those words and felt the scene become almost theatrical, as if everything around them had faded into chaos, leaving only Zhao Ziqiang’s face and voice sharp and clear.

“I’ve thought it through,” Zhao Ziqiang said. “I don’t plan on starting over from the beginning.”

Qian Wang immediately felt as if his heart had been tightly gripped, and he couldn’t even muster the strength to swallow.

But before he could fully crumble, Zhao Ziqiang continued:

“Let’s start from when you lured me, when you pursued me. Let’s pretend we’ve had no past and don’t know what the future holds.”

What did it feel like to truly be relieved? Qian Wang felt it, at that very moment. The guilt, regret, and sorrow that had tormented him for months were suddenly released, filling him with a sense of lightness that gradually set him free.

He knew he had been saved by Zhao Ziqiang’s words. This person, in the end, was merciful.

Zhao Ziqiang finished speaking and went to the bathroom. Though he felt dizzy, it didn’t matter; he believed that, for the first time, he had truly been generous—not just toward Qian Wang, but also toward himself, toward the emotions he was hoping would grow anew.

———-

It was hard to say just how much power Zhao Ziqiang’s words gave Qian Wang, but anyone who saw him in the following days would swear he was running on some kind of motor, full of energy for everything he did.

Especially when Zhao Ziqiang was within ten meters, he acted like a young pioneer trying to be the leader, running around and almost getting in the way, to the point where the staff might have had to shoo him away.

In the past few days, there were ribbon-cutting events, staff preparations, tasting sessions, and finally, the shop’s grand opening.

Given the investment, everything looked impressive and ready to make an impact.

Zhao Ziqiang was also eager to learn real cooking skills from the professional chefs. For the past few days, he’d been busy in the kitchen, helping out with everything.

On the other hand, Qian Wang seemed the least busy in name, but he wasn’t idle. At least standing at the shop’s entrance and stopping Sun Wanjue was no small task.

Sun Wanjue stood stiffly, as more and more customers and passersby turned their attention to the two of them.

“I told you, I just came to eat.”

“You don’t know that a restaurant can have a list of people they refuse to serve?”

“And the reason?”

“I don’t like you.”

The young waitress, seizing the rare moment of peace, stepped out to watch. When she saw the big man and the younger one in the midst of a heated argument, she quickly ran back to the kitchen to fetch Zhao Ziqiang, their human fire extinguisher.

“Brother Zhao, Brother Zhao, the boss and Xiao Sun are arguing at the door again!”

Zhao Ziqiang put down the dish in his hands, furrowing his brows as he casually grabbed a rolling pin and walked out.

After seeing this scene every day, he no longer had the energy to get angry. Initially, he had planned to use the rolling pin to intimidate, but when he saw Qian Wang’s pitiful look, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he handed the rolling pin to Qian Wang.

“Boss, could you please help me with the noodles in the kitchen?”

“I can’t—”

“I want to eat hand-pulled noodles.”

“Oh.”

After getting rid of the recently unusual obedient man, Zhao Ziqiang began dealing with this troublesome kid. The daily conversation began as usual.

‘Sun Wanjue?’

‘…’

“Sun Wanjue?”

“…What is it?”

“Come on, smile a bit.”

“…”

Zhao Ziqiang sighed. Right now, Sun Wanjue was in the complete “I won’t speak unless I feel like it” attitude, making it impossible for him to figure out how to crack this stubborn rock of a person.

“You’re not saying anything, so how am I supposed to know what you’re here for?”

While teasing Sun Wanjue, Zhao Ziqiang surveyed the surroundings—tree trunks, utility poles, and trash cans, a series of hiding spots. The clumsy young man who had been hiding for days didn’t seem to be around today.

Seeing Zhao Ziqiang glancing around, Sun Wanjue furrowed his brows.

“Today’s my birthday.”

Zhao Ziqiang suddenly realized, no wonder the kid was extra quiet today.

“Oh, I see. I’ll treat you to KFC after work tonight.”

It was just a casual suggestion, something Zhao Ziqiang came up with on a whim, ignoring the fact that he was pretending not to care.

Deep down, while he understood that kids always take birthdays seriously, he still didn’t really think much of it.

Sun Wanjue clearly noticed this. He clenched his fists, then suddenly, in a low voice, said,

“Forget it! None of your business.”

With a huff, Sun Wanjue turned and stormed off, crossing the street without a second glance. The rush of cars made Zhao Ziqiang break into a cold sweat. He wanted to say something, but by the time he opened his mouth, Sun Wanjue had already hopped into his locked mountain bike on the opposite side and sped away.

Zhao Ziqiang stood there, frozen for a moment, before shaking his head helplessly.

“Why is it that everyone I run into these days is so thoughtless? Do I really look like a mother hen?”

Back in the kitchen, Qian Wang was still earnestly using the rolling pin to knead a lump of dough. Chef Xiao Zhang, watching his clumsy movements, couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhao Ziqiang walked over. Seeing the serious expression on this person’s profile, he suddenly couldn’t bring himself to send him away. He had no choice but to wait while Qian Wang was still focused on the noodles—kneading, slicing, and preparing.

The final product, when placed among ordinary home cooks, might seem acceptable, but under the watchful eyes of professional chefs, it was almost too tragic to look at.

Zhao Ziqiang had high standards when it came to food. Eating the noodles felt like chewing on something tasteless. He forced himself to eat half a bowl. As it was nearly closing time, he signaled to Qian Wang to wrap things up.

“I see you haven’t eaten yet. I’m full, why don’t you have some?”

Qian Wang happily took the bowl and started eating eagerly.

Seeing how much he was enjoying it, Zhao Ziqiang couldn’t help but joke,

“You’re eating it so happily even with my saliva on it?”

To his surprise, Qian Wang looked up and nodded seriously, making Zhao Ziqiang feel a bit embarrassed.

Since that day, everything they said or did seemed off, almost laughable, like they were a pair of shy, lovesick teens playing a game of chase.

Even though Zhao Ziqiang knew the reason behind it, he still felt his ears burn. So, he quickly turned and headed to the kitchen to help out.

Behind him, Qian Wang grinned slightly, feeling like life was getting better and better.

After several months of pursuit, Qian Wang believed his progress was good.

Recently, he mentioned that he was starting to take an interest in cooking. Zhao Ziqiang, of course, didn’t think much of it. However, seeing that Qian Wang was genuinely serious about spending every day in the kitchen, observing and learning, Zhao Ziqiang reluctantly tolerated it.

Also, those little dogs were really adorable. Though once they got close, their mischievous nature started to show, it still didn’t stop Zhao Ziqiang from loving them deeply.

Oh, and Sun Wanjue had finally entered the stressful second year of high school. He clearly didn’t have much time to bother Zhao Ziqiang anymore, and both Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang were very pleased about that.

Qian Wang originally planned to put in some hard work during the early days of the restaurant to recoup the losses, without expecting much from the new shop at first.

However, perhaps due to good luck, from the very first day of opening, customers seemed to pour in continuously. Qian Wang felt right at home with the work and decided to change his leave of absence from school to a resignation instead.

Although Zhao Ziqiang had some complaints, seeing the business thriving like this, he reluctantly accepted it.

————–

Recently, Qian Wang would often come by after work with little ‘boosters.’

After treating him to late-night walks in the park, fancy dinners, and cozy meals at local eateries, he continued with his usual routine.

Today, Qian Wang unsurprisingly presented the most clichéd move Zhao Ziqiang had expected—two glaringly obvious cinema VIP tickets were handed to him.

Such high-class lover treatment? I wouldn’t enjoy it? Impossible. Zhao Ziqiang smiled, took the tickets, and then went upstairs to change his clothes.

After such a long time, Zhao Ziqiang thought Qian Wang would drag him to watch the movie they didn’t finish before their breakup, the typical melodramatic choice. But this time, he was wrong.

It was the latest horror movie, in 3D no less. Well, for an old man who always had lewd thoughts, this was a pretty cliché move.

Both Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang were known to be unafraid of horror, but clearly, Qian Wang was on a whole other level. He had already watched a pirated version of this movie online repeatedly, more than ten times, in the middle of the night.

He knew every moment that could spark some tension or excitement.

The 3D effects were in full force. As expected, Zhao Ziqiang didn’t disappoint Qian Wang. By midnight, the horror theater was not very crowded—only about twenty or so people scattered around. Qian Wang had even chosen the most secluded row, creating an atmosphere that was heightened to its peak.

Ten minutes into the movie, their hands were already intertwined. Half an hour in, Qian Wang had moved the armrest between their seats out of the way.

An hour later, Qian Wang pretended to help calm his nerves, resting his arm on the person’s shoulder and gently massaging it.

An hour and a half later, even in a horror movie, there’s room for romance, right?

When the couple on the screen embraced and kissed after overcoming all the strange and terrifying challenges, Qian Wang’s long arm reached over, and their breaths were drawn close together.

A kiss is the strongest catalyst for emotions.

Breathless, they pulled away from each other…

“Qian Wang…”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to… try what it feels like in a hotel?”

END