Yu Ju, feeling quite helpless, stared at the words “Little Juhao” that Gu Qianxing had sent for a long time, until the characters no longer looked like the words they were supposed to be. Only then did he snap out of it.

The nickname was clever, as if it instantly bridged the gap between them.

It was also subtle, and Yu Ju couldn’t deny that it made him feel just a tiny bit happy.

But his hands, however, typed this reply to Gu Qianxing:

[Hello, I’m Yu Ju.]

This time, Gu Qianxing replied almost immediately: [I’m Gu Qianxing.]

Yu Ju: [Mhm.]

How nice, so formal—Gu Qianxing really wasn’t going to reply any further.

The brief moment of happiness vanished instantly, and Yu Ju stared at the pointless exchange for several seconds before exiting the conversation.

Outside, Sister Xiao had sent her a lot of messages.

Sister Xiao: [Why did Gu Qianxing post this picture too?]

Sister Xiao:[Isn’t Gu Qianxing smiling at you in this photo?]

Sister Xiao: [If not, then why would he post this picture?]

Sister Xiao: [You should check the comments under both of your Weibo posts.]

Sister Xiao: [I’m going crazy.]

Sister Xiao: [Gu Qianxing… he’s not into you, is he?”]

The last message appeared just as Yu Ju clicked into the conversation. It only stayed on the screen for a few seconds before Sister Xiao deleted it.

She probably also thought that comment was a bit ridiculous.

As for all of Sister Xiao’s messages, Yu Ju only replied with: [I’ll check it out.]

After replying, Yu Ju went to Weibo.

He had created this account after joining Xinli, and with Sister Xiao’s management, he had gained several hundred thousand followers.

It had probably been a while since he last posted, and with his sudden appearance, in just over ten minutes, the comments were already approaching a few hundred.

【Ahh, our baby is back in business!】

【Ughhh, long time no see, baby!】

【Wow! Babe, you went to the HIC anniversary, huh? You’ve made it!】

【Wow, the last photo looks so classy, it has such a great atmosphere.】

【Who is the man in the last photo? Why is he smiling at our baby so affectionately?】

【What the heck, the last photo… I’m going to fangirl a little.】

…

Because of some pinned comments, Yu Ju clicked on the last photo again.

He couldn’t help but press his lips together, revealing a slight dimple that betrayed his smile.

The post had nine photos, and most of the comments still focused on Yu Ju himself, with people continuing to shower him with compliments.

He quickly scanned through the comments and then went to Gu Qianxing’s Weibo.

Gu Qianxing had more followers than Yu Ju—over ten times as many—but interestingly, the post he had just made had fewer than a hundred comments.

Ha, could he have bought followers?

Like Yu Ju, Gu Qianxing wasn’t someone who posted often. A quick glance through his account revealed mostly promotional posts and ads, with sometimes months between updates.

Yu Ju clicked into the comments and couldn’t help but chuckle.

The comments were incredibly uniform—different users had posted the exact same thing.

【Hubby, who’s this little seductress?】

The top comments were all the same, with each one getting more likes than the comments themselves.

Yu Ju scrolled down several pages before finally seeing some different replies.

【Everyone, disperse. Qianxing spent an hour explaining to me at noon that this little seductress is just a regular friend.】

【Hubby, since this little seductress is so gorgeous, I’ll allow you to cheat for one second.】

【Whoa, hubby’s Weibo is posting a photo of another man for the first time, what’s going on?】

【Xiao Wang, I need all the information about this man within one minute.】

【Am I the only one fangirling here?】

…

Although the quantity of comments was small, compared to Yu Ju’s rainbow praise-filled comment section, Gu Qianxing’s were far more entertaining.

It turned out that Gu Qianxing was being called “hubby” by everyone on Weibo.

These days, the terms “online husband” and “online wife” had become quite common, so it wasn’t that surprising. However, Yu Ju couldn’t help but wonder how Gu Qianxing felt about seeing so many fans—possibly even male fans—calling him “hubby.”

Yu Ju went back and scrolled through the comments, taking a screenshot of the screen full of identical remarks.

He wasn’t really sure why he took the screenshot, almost as if there would one day be a chance to ask Gu Qianxing about it.

Maybe it had created a bit of a ripple, but not much of one. Yu Ju didn’t respond to Sister Xiao, and she didn’t message him again either.

Lack of sleep, forcing himself to post, and then running into Gu Qianxing—all these things made Yu Ju’s mind feel completely foggy. By the time it was almost time for dinner, he had no appetite, felt unusually tired but just couldn’t fall asleep.

After lying in bed for half an hour, Yu Ju still took his phone out.

He was the type who didn’t open Weibo for hundreds of days, but this time, with his eyes barely open, he clicked on Weibo, carefully using his left hand, afraid he might accidentally tap “like.”

Yu Ju went back to Gu Qianxing’s Weibo, looking at the comments again. He clicked on the image of their gazing moment and zoomed in on Gu Qianxing’s face.

This man really was handsome. Comparing him to the Gu Qianxing he had met years ago, there was something different, yet still the same.

The word “mischievous” wasn’t entirely wrong, though a bit outdated—it was still somewhat fitting.

Gu Qianxing’s eyes were deep, with the corners slightly lifted, giving him an air of world-weariness. He hadn’t changed much since then, though his features had become sharper and more mature.

Without thinking, Yu Ju opened a certain app on his phone and began searching for the outfit Gu Qianxing wore today.

He had barely found the jacket before he couldn’t help but curse under his breath, “Damn.”

How was it this expensive…

He went on to search for the white shirt he wore underneath.

Well… it was even more expensive.

Yu Ju kept searching through the watch, pants, and shoes, until finally, he felt exhausted. He started thinking—if he took all of his savings and tried to buy the same jacket that Gu Qianxing was wearing, what would happen?

He would just end up being the biggest fool in A City, wearing an xxxl size.

Yu Ju pouted and sighed lightly, resigned to the gap between people, and continued admiring Gu Qianxing.

Then, suddenly, he noticed that the pattern on Gu Qianxing’s neck wasn’t part of the clothing but a necklace.

Yu Ju, familiar with the process, proceeded to identify the necklace, only to be surprised when he found out that it only cost a little over a thousand.

So, this broke college student, who usually thought twice before buying anything over 500, didn’t hesitate for a second. He clicked straight through to the official website.

Sold out.

Of course, that didn’t stop Yu Ju. He saved the picture and sent it to his friend Zhao Yi.

Yu Ju: [Bro, I want to buy this necklace. Got any way to get it?]

Zhao Yi wasn’t exactly a big shot, but his boyfriend was. 

According to Zhao Yi, his boyfriend was well-known in the fashion industry in A City—pretty much everyone involved in the business knew him. Since they’d been together, Zhao Yi had never had to worry about his skin care routine. 

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before Zhao Yi proudly responded: [Leave it to me!] 

Zhao Yi’s speed was impressive. Within just five minutes, he replied. 

Zhao Yi: [This necklace is limited edition. It’s long gone.” ]

Yu Ju: [But is there a but?]

Zhao Yi: [But!]

Zhao Yi: [My husband has a friend who bought a pair of them last year.]

Yu Ju: [A pair?]

Yu Ju: [Is this a couple’s necklace?

Zhao Yi: [Yeah, didn’t you know?]

To be honest, Yu Ju felt his hand go numb, like that ball that would pop up on the screen during the Tuesday cartoon slot when he was younger.

Couple’s version?

Does Guo Qianxing have a girlfriend?

Well… it’s not surprising if he does.

Zhao Yi: [This necklace hasn’t been promoted in China. How did you know about it?]

Yu Ju: [Saw someone else wearing it.]

Yu Ju added, [I didn’t know it was a couple’s necklace.]

On the other end, Zhao Yi continued: [His friend didn’t know either. They only realized it was a couple’s design after buying it. The other one’s still at home, never been worn. Do you want it? If you do, I can check with him for you.]

Zhao Yi: [Image: Picture]

Zhao Yi: [The other one looks like this]

Yu Ju clicked on the picture, but to his dismay, he couldn’t tell the difference.

Yu Ju: [Are these two different?]

Zhao Yi: [This one’s smaller, and the direction of the leaf is the opposite side.]

Yu Ju mentally noted that, gritting his teeth as he replied, [I’ll take it. How much? I’ll transfer the money to you later.]

Zhao Yi: [You know the price, right? This thing’s pretty expensive.]

Yu Ju: [I know.]

Then Zhao Yi disappeared again.

Three minutes later, Zhao Yi popped up again.

Zhao Yi: [Bro! You really need to thank me properly!]

Zhao Yi: [That guy said he’s giving it to you. It’s just collecting dust at his place anyway.]

Zhao Yi: [And what a coincidence, he’s also from A City, so you’ll get it in half an hour.]

Yu Ju: [I’ll treat you to a meal!]

Zhao Yi: [No need for a meal. Are you free tonight? Come out and hang out.]

Zhao Yi: [We’ll go to a nice place.]

Yu Ju paused for a moment.

This was the fourth time this month Zhao Yi had asked him to hang out.

The first three times, Yu Ju had a legitimate excuse—not feeling well, classes, or experiments. But tonight, he couldn’t say he was too tired to go out, especially when it was only just past 7.

It wasn’t that Yu Ju didn’t want to hang out with Zhao Yi, but the thing was, every time they did, he ended up being the third wheel.

When there were more people, it was fine, but usually, it was just the three of them—Zhao Yi and his boyfriend being all lovey-dovey while Yu Ju was left standing awkwardly by the side, unable to join in.

Yu Ju really felt like his head was spinning.

If it weren’t for Zhao Yi constantly pestering him to meet, whining about how he missed him and couldn’t live without him, Yu Ju wouldn’t even consider agreeing to such a cringe-worthy meetup.

Plus, Zhao Yi’s boyfriend was always bringing up how he should introduce Yu Ju to someone, despite Yu Ju repeatedly telling him he was straight—it didn’t make any difference.

But, you know, when someone does you a favor, it’s hard to refuse.

Yu Ju: [Okay.]

Zhao Yi: [No need to worry about the same city thing anymore. That guy will be in the same car with us. He’ll personally deliver it to you.]

Yu Ju saw the word “us” and knew he was still going to be the third wheel.

Yu Ju: [Alright.]

Zhao Yi: [I’ve heard that guy is super handsome!]

Yu Ju: [I’ll believe it when I see it.]

Zhao Yi said it would take twenty minutes, so Yu Ju simply decided to take a shower.

After lingering for a while, by the time Zhao Yi said he was downstairs, Yu Ju still hadn’t finished drying his hair.

He couldn’t be bothered anymore. He wiped his hair quickly, tossed his phone in his pocket, and headed downstairs.

As soon as he walked out of the community gate, Yu Ju spotted a very flashy car by the roadside, its color strikingly bright.

Zhao Yi’s boyfriend, Zhou Jinye, was a very high-profile second-generation rich kid, so Yu Ju didn’t need Zhao Yi to tell him. He just walked straight over to the car.

When he reached the car, Zhao Yi rolled down the window in the front seat to greet Yu Ju.

“Finally got you out here,” Zhao Yi waved his hand. “He’s in the back.”

Yu Ju gave Zhao Yi an “OK” gesture, then looked down and greeted Zhou Jinye.

When he opened the back door and sat down, Yu Ju froze completely as soon as he saw who was inside.

What?

Gu Qianxing?

The car door hadn’t even closed yet, and Yu Ju was frozen, his scalp tingling.

Gu Qianxing wore a smile at the corner of his mouth. He was holding a box in his hand and lightly raised it toward Yu Ju, saying, “Is this what you wanted?”

Yu Ju felt incredibly stiff and couldn’t move.

In that instant, his mind began to replay everything in a blur.

And Gu Qianxing’s expression seemed to say, I know everything.

“Close the door.” Zhao Yi’s voice suddenly came from the front.

Yu Ju’s face heated up to his ears, and he hurriedly lowered his head, mumbling an acknowledgment.

Gu Qianxing’s hand still hovered in the air. Yu Ju’s mind went blank as he watched his own hand reach out, probably intending to take the box first.

But just as his fingers touched the box, it felt as if it had burned Yu Ju. He jerked his hand away quickly and turned to shut the door.

When he turned back around, Yu Ju had calmed down a little. He didn’t dare look at Gu Qianxing as he took the box from him, quietly saying, “Thank you.”

Gu Qianxing replied, “You’re welcome.”

Then Zhao Yi spoke up from the front again.

“Yu Ju, where did you find this necklace?”

“It doesn’t seem like something you’d come across.”

“I didn’t even know about this necklace.”

“When did you start wearing necklaces?”

Yu Ju: “……”