Cheng Zhou had said he found it disgusting, so Nie Shanglin tried to stop the private investigator from tracking his every move. But after a few days, he couldn’t help himself.

He was already used to seeing Cheng Zhou’s photos every day, knowing his every move—it was the only thing that brought him peace, as if they hadn’t broken up at all.

Not being able to see a photo of Cheng Zhou that day or know what he was doing or who he met left Nie Shanglin restless all day. He even had the impulse to storm into Cheng Zhou’s home and lock him up.

It was an overwhelming longing, mixed with regret and affection, almost becoming a pathological obsession.

So a few days later, Nie Shanglin decided to let the private investigator continue tracking Cheng Zhou, just from a distance to avoid detection. In truth, Nie Shanglin didn’t fear Cheng Zhou discovering this; he wished he could tie Cheng Zhou up to make him understand how much he wanted to see him. But he was afraid Cheng Zhou would find it disgusting.

— — — —

That day, Nie Shanglin sat in his office, staring at a photo on his desk. It was a cutout from a photography magazine featuring Cheng Zhou when he received an award. In the picture, Cheng Zhou wore a brilliant smile that revealed his subtle tiger teeth, exuding a vibrant, sunny energy that made anyone who saw it smile in return.

The magazine praised him, stating, “This person’s work is as pure and clear as his smile. Though there may be occasional clouds, if you wait a bit, you will always see the beautiful sunny days ahead.”

Nie Shanglin kept looking at that smile over and over.

“Click—”

The office door swung open, and Mu Chenfeng and Cheng Yuze walked in.

Nie Shanglin frowned.

“Get out,” he said coldly.

What a wonderful compliment.

Nie Shanglin kept looking at that smile.

Click—

The office door swung open, and Mu Chenfeng and Cheng Yuze walked in.

Nie Shanglin frowned.

“Get out,” he said coldly.

Mu Chenfeng was taken aback, thinking he was the target of those words. “Did you take the wrong medicine?”

“I’m not talking about you,” Nie Shanglin turned to Cheng Yuze. “You get out.”

Cheng Yuze widened his eyes in surprise. “What… did I do?”

Seeing him, Nie Shanglin felt an overwhelming sense of irritation. A few months ago, he had completely severed all ties with Cheng Yuze. After coming to realization, he recognized how foolish he had been—he had wasted so many years simply because of a youthful self-definition that he “should like this kind of person.” In doing so, he had hurt those he loved and ultimately lost them as well.

His so-called “liking” for Cheng Yuze was just a misguided idea. He never did anything inappropriate with him because he wasn’t genuinely interested, so when he was rejected later on, he felt nothing. He knew he could never spend his life with someone like that; it was just a way for him to label himself as “infatuated.”

He had become so accustomed to setting a path for himself that he ended up trapping himself.

In his life, the biggest variable was Cheng Zhou. He underestimated Cheng Zhou’s significance, thinking that even if he developed feelings for him, he could easily distance himself. In the end, he realized that he had lost his heart.

After all, as he glanced at the photo on his desk and thought about how wonderful Cheng Zhou was, he wondered who wouldn’t like him.

Beside him, Cheng Yuze followed Nie Shanglin’s gaze and spotted several photos of Cheng Zhou on Nie Shanglin’s desk, some of which were clearly taken secretly. His expression darkened as he recalled how Nie Shanglin had withdrawn all of his shares in the Cheng family company months ago and had not been in touch since.

Cheng Yuze adjusted his tone and said hopefully, “Brother Nie—”

Nie Shanglin immediately interrupted him, “Get out!”

Cheng Yuze’s presence served as a constant reminder of what Nie Shanglin had done in the past, reminding him that his own foolishness had cost him Cheng Zhou.

He knew that ultimately, the blame for the past lay with him. No matter how vain and pretentious Cheng Yuze acted, it was all under his own acceptance. However, when he thought about the scars on Cheng Zhou’s body and the countless lonely and helpless nights he had endured, he couldn’t help but resent himself and loathe Cheng Yuze.

The more Nie Shanglin thought about it, the harder it became to suppress his urge for violence. He shut his eyes, rubbed his temples, and picked up the phone to call security. Soon, someone came to drag Cheng Yuze out, who had intended to stay.

After silently observing the whole scene, Mu Chenfeng broke the silence and asked, “Did he forgive you that day in F country?”

Both of them understood who he was referring to.

Nie Shanglin remained silent, his eyes fixated on the photo on the desk.

“I’ve known it all along,” Mu Chenfeng said, unfazed by Nie Shanglin’s silence. “You were bound to regret this.”

Nie Shanglin lifted his gaze to meet Mu Chenfeng’s eyes.

Mu Chenfeng shrugged. “Haven’t you noticed? Ever since a long time ago, the way you looked at Cheng Zhou was different. It wasn’t like how you looked at Cheng Yuze, which was more like viewing an object or a pet. Your gaze at Cheng Zhou was focused, as if he truly mattered to you.”

Nie Shanglin responded, “Go on.”

“Many times, when you’re around him, you actually seem more like a person. You act calm, but you don’t even realize it,” Mu Chenfeng said.

Nie Shanglin’s gaze turned sharp as he looked at him.

Mu Chenfeng chuckled. “I came to see you today to discuss business, but I ran into Cheng Yuze downstairs, watched a scene unfold, and ended up bringing up old matters with you. You might be wondering why I didn’t tell you sooner, considering I noticed you felt differently about Cheng Zhou.”

“Why not?” Nie Shanglin asked.

Mu Chenfeng shook his head. “Just think about it. If I told you, would you believe me? Besides—” he paused and smiled at Nie Shanglin, “I like Cheng Zhou too.”

As soon as he said that, Nie Shanglin punched him to the ground. Mu Chenfeng, frustrated for a long time, immediately fought back in anger. “We’ve known each other since childhood! I’ve been annoyed by your self-righteous attitude for ages. Do you think the whole world should revolve around you? Why should the person I care for, the one I treat well, be mistreated by you? He’d be so much happier with me!”

Nie Shanglin was furious. “So you took the initiative to propose merging with the Cheng family for what reason?”

Mu Chenfeng’s lip swelled with a bruise, but he didn’t mind, still smiling. “Of course, it was to show him what kind of person you are. He’s been so stubborn for so many years, never living for himself. Nie Shanglin, you’re really a piece of work. You know he was hospitalized, right? I actually knew he was in that hospital at the time. He was looking for you everywhere, but you didn’t just ignore his calls once; you hung up on him multiple times. In the end, he called me and told me the hospital’s address. You have no idea how heartbroken I was, but I could only stand by as a friend.”

Mu Chenfeng stared directly at Nie Shanglin, continuing, “Actually, back then, I also gave you a chance. I told you in the hospital that it was time to take action against the Cheng family, and you tacitly agreed. Then I mentioned, ‘That day, Cheng Zhou was also there,’ but before I could finish, you interrupted me. You see, when he’s with you, he doesn’t even have the most basic care, so I didn’t tell you. Leaving you is the best choice for him.”

Upon hearing this, Nie Shanglin’s eyes turned red, and he once again grappled with Mu Chenfeng.

The two fought fiercely, overturning the tables and chairs in Nie Shanglin’s office. The commotion was so loud that Nie Shanglin’s assistant came in to check. He tried to intervene but was swiftly sent away by Nie Shanglin.

When both of them were panting and collapsed on the floor, Mu Chenfeng casually said, “I’m sorry.”

Nie Shanglin replied with a soft “Mm.”

Mu Chenfeng struggled to stand up, and before leaving, he didn’t forget the reason for his visit: “I came to discuss the Wenlin case with you. I’ve placed the documents on your desk.”

After saying this, he walked out, closing the door behind him, thinking to himself, he finally said it.

Nie Shanglin, with several bruises on his face, lay on the ground in a daze. After a moment, he took out his phone and opened a social media app.

He didn’t know whether Chen Zhou had changed his account or simply didn’t care; he hadn’t blocked or deleted Nie Shanglin from his social media. Nie Shanglin had added him to his special attention list and would often scroll through to see if he posted any new updates.

A few months ago, Nie Shanglin changed his note to “I’m sorry” and posted a status with just one sentence: “I hope to make amends.”

He opened the social media app and discovered that Cheng Zhou had just posted an update not long ago, which was also only one sentence: “Making mistakes and missing out often happen at the same time.”

Nie Shanglin’s throat tightened as he covered his reddened eyes with his arm, hiding the moisture within.