Yuan Zhitao suddenly arrived in B City. It wasn’t really sudden, but rather, Chen Qianqing didn’t inform Lu Zhengfei when she arrived.

So, when Lu Zhengfei came home, he saw Chen Qianqing sitting on the sofa chatting with a strange woman. Both of them had bright smiles on their faces, and it was clear they were enjoying their conversation.

When Chen Qianqing saw Lu Zhengfei come in, he turned and looked at him, then introduced, “Zhengfei, this is Yuan Zhitao. Zhitao, this is Lu Zhengfei. You two should have met before, right?”

When Lu Zhengfei heard the name Yuan Zhitao, he remembered that she was Chen Qianqing’s bothersome childhood friend. However, over the course of more than a decade, the girl who was just in her twenties back then had become a mother. Her appearance and demeanor were somewhat different now.

While Lu Zhengfei was sizing up Yuan Zhitao, she was also looking at him. She had met Lu Zhengfei before, but her memory of him was now a bit hazy. Seeing him again now, she noticed that he had changed a lot compared to the Lu Zhengfei she remembered.

Time could change many things. Yuan Zhitao smiled and said, “I really didn’t expect you two would end up together.”

After meeting Chen Qianqing in their hometown that year, Yuan Zhitao lost contact with him. When she returned to B City, she heard about the car accident that had taken the lives of Chen Qianqing’s parents. After the funeral, Chen Qianqing disappeared without a trace.

Yuan Zhitao then went to the university where Chen Qianqing had studied. After some inquiries, she learned that he had dropped out. The phone number he left her had become inactive.

Thus, their contact was completely severed.

Originally, Yuan Zhitao thought they would never meet again, but unexpectedly, more than a decade later, she received a call from Chen Qianqing. By then, she had already become the mother of a three-year-old child.

Things had changed, and Yuan Zhitao had been worried about Chen Qianqing’s life. However, when she saw him, she realized that her childhood friend was doing just fine.

It seemed like time had stood still for Chen Qianqing. His face was still handsome, with no signs of aging. When Yuan Zhitao entered the house, she saw Chen Qianqing holding a cat. He looked at her, and a gentle smile appeared on his face, a smile so familiar to Yuan Zhitao.

The two of them talked about the past until Lu Zhengfei returned.

When Yuan Zhitao expressed surprise at their relationship, Lu Zhengfei seemed quite pleased with himself. He said, “In this world, the only person who can be with him is me.”

Such an arrogant statement, yet surprisingly, Chen Qianqing didn’t refute it. He just smiled indifferently.

Yuan Zhitao also smiled and said, “Before I came, I was really worried about Qianqing, but now, not so much.”

Lu Zhengfei felt quite pleased by this and began to view Yuan Zhitao in a more favorable light. He asked, “What would you like to eat tonight? Do you want to go out or should I cook?”

Lu Zhengfei was quite skilled in cooking, but he didn’t cook often. Usually, they hired a chef for meals.

Chen Qianqing replied, “You cook.”

Lu Zhengfei hummed in acknowledgment. After changing his clothes, he put on an apron, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, smiled at Chen Qianqing, and then headed to the kitchen.

Yuan Zhitao looked surprised and asked, “He usually cooks?”

Chen Qianqing nodded. He wasn’t lying. His health wasn’t great, and Lu Zhengfei never let him do any work. Moreover, Lu Zhengfei’s cooking skills were about the same as his, so it didn’t matter who cooked.

After a brief silence, Yuan Zhitao asked, “His family must be very wealthy, right?” She could tell from Chen Qianqing’s residence and his attire that Lu Zhengfei’s family was not ordinary.

Chen Qianqing nodded.

Yuan Zhitao let out a sigh, and her eyes turned red. She said, “I was so worried during the time you disappeared, wondering if you had suffered. You’ve always been so stubborn, you should have changed…” Despite saying this, seeing her childhood friend truly change left her with an indescribable sense of loss.

Yuan Zhitao had once liked Chen Qianqing, but now that feeling had transformed into something akin to familial affection. They had grown up together, only to be separated when they went to university. Who would have thought that their separation would last for more than a decade?

Chen Qianqing looked at Yuan Zhitao and said, “I’m doing well.” And it was true. Since he had met the real Chen Qianqing and received his forgiveness, he had let go of many things.

The present time was comfortable for him. He didn’t have to worry about too many things; he could live however he liked.

Yuan Zhitao said, “My son is three years old now. Maybe I can bring him to see you sometime…”

Chen Qianqing hummed in agreement.

Yuan Zhitao hesitated and then glanced cautiously toward the kitchen. After a moment, she asked softly, “Don’t you plan on having a child?” This was a common concern for many people who chose same-sex relationships.

Chen Qianqing had already discussed this matter with Lu Zhengfei. He said, “Maybe we’ll find a surrogate, or we’ll adopt.”

Yuan Zhitao replied, “Hmm, then… I’m relieved.”

They chatted about some trivial matters until Lu Zhengfei finished preparing the meal and brought it to the table, inviting Chen Qianqing to come and eat.

Chen Qianqing and Yuan Zhitao washed their hands before sitting down and picking up their chopsticks.

Lu Zhengfei’s cooking skills were impeccable. Chen Qianqing had jokingly said that if the Lu family business ever went bankrupt, Lu Zhengfei could always work as a chef at a restaurant.

Yuan Zhitao hadn’t expected much from Lu Zhengfei’s cooking, but after tasting it, she was surprised by how good it was.

Lu Zhengfei was helping Chen Qianqing with the soup and asked, “It’s not bad, right?”

Yuan Zhitao said, “It’s delicious! Qianqing, you’re really lucky.”

Chen Qianqing smiled, and Lu Zhengfei wore a proud expression.

As they ate, the conversation shifted to the situation with Chen Qianqing’s family. Yuan Zhitao mentioned that Chen Qianqing’s aunt, Chen Qingyu, had been struggling. Apparently, her daughter, Chen Xiaohui, had somehow gotten addicted to drugs, secretly selling off their belongings and borrowing money from loan sharks. The family had been harassed by people daily, and in desperation, Chen Qingyu sold their house and tried to move away. But Chen Xiaohui was arrested for drug dealing.

Lu Zhengfei was actually aware of all these things, but he hadn’t told Chen Qianqing. He hadn’t even mentioned that Chen Qingyu had come to see him, but he had just had her thrown out.

Chen Qianqing listened to the story while drinking his soup, treating it as if it were a joke. He had no feelings for that family. When they showed their true faces after the death of Chen Qingyu and Liu Huamei, any remaining ties were completely worn out. Now, other than during the Qingming or the Spring Festival, Chen Qianqing never went back.

Yuan Zhitao also knew about the problems with Chen Qianqing’s family, so when she spoke of Chen Qingyu, there was a hint of schadenfreude in her tone.

Lu Zhengfei had initially worried that Chen Qianqing might soften, but seeing his expressionless face now, he was reassured.

After dinner, Yuan Zhitao said it was time to leave.

Chen Qianqing invited her to stay the night, but Yuan Zhitao smiled and declined. She said, “I have a child at home, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving him with his father. Let’s get together another time.”

Seeing this, Chen Qianqing didn’t insist. He knew that Yuan Zhitao wasn’t as carefree as she seemed. But sometimes, it was unnecessary to care so much about how the world saw things.

Lu Zhengfei arranged for someone to take Yuan Zhitao to the airport. When he saw Chen Qianqing staring at the closed door in a daze, he said, “This is why I didn’t want you to meet your old friends.”

Chen Qianqing raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Lu Zhengfei walked over and hugged him tightly, sighing, “Are you going back to the past?”

Chen Qianqing froze for a moment before letting out a silent laugh. He said, “Lu Zhengfei, you really don’t have any confidence in yourself.”

Lu Zhengfei nestled his face into Chen Qianqing’s neck, whining and taking advantage, “Who told me I can’t figure out what you’re really thinking?” He looked so lost in thought that it seemed as if his soul had left his body.

Chen Qianqing shook his head, “I was just lost in thought.”

Seeing that Chen Qianqing didn’t want to talk, Lu Zhengfei decided not to press further. He asked, “Do you want a boy or a girl?” They were discussing the issue of having a child through surrogacy, a child that would belong to Chen Qianqing. Chen Qianqing had agreed.

Chen Qianqing replied, “Either one is fine.”

Lu Zhengfei said, “Then let’s have a boy first, and then a girl. I like both.” If anyone thought that Lu Zhengfei didn’t mind if Chen Qianqing had children, they would be mistaken. However, as he grew older, he wasn’t as extreme as he was when he was younger. He could tell that Chen Qianqing liked children, so he brought it up himself.

Chen Qianqing said, “Let’s do this, let’s not deliberately choose the gender. You can get a surrogate for me first, and after three years, we’ll talk about the rest.”

Lu Zhengfei asked, “Why?”

Chen Qianqing sighed and said softly, “This way, my child will have an older brother or sister to care for them.”

Lu Zhengfei said, “That makes sense!”

Seeing that Lu Zhengfei seemed to genuinely not mind, Chen Qianqing asked, “Lu Zhengfei, do you really not mind if I have children?” If he were being honest, he still felt a bit uneasy about it.

Lu Zhengfei replied, “Of course, I mind.” Even though it was his idea, it was purely because he had to give Chen Qianqing something to hold onto.

Chen Qianqing was in his thirties, but he was living like someone retired.

Lu Zhengfei was really afraid that one day he would come home to find that Chen Qianqing had already passed away in his bed.

Chen Qianqing stared at Lu Zhengfei and smiled, “You still don’t feel secure, do you?”

Lu Zhengfei didn’t respond.

Chen Qianqing tilted his head and gently kissed the corner of Lu Zhengfei’s lips. He said, “I’ve given you my whole life, what else could you be unsure about?”

Lu Zhengfei murmured, “But I don’t know how long your life will last.”

Chen Qianqing paused, seemingly understanding Lu Zhengfei’s thoughts. It was just that he wanted to give him something to hold onto, so that Lu Zhengfei wouldn’t feel so at ease about his departure from this world.

Chen Qianqing said, “Lu Zhengfei, if it will make you feel a little more secure, I can do that.” The life he was living now was the one he liked, but it made Lu Zhengfei feel uneasy. So, if it would ease his worry, Chen Qianqing felt he could accept it.

Lu Zhengfei held Chen Qianqing without saying a word. He suddenly felt that, in front of Chen Qianqing, being a little willful wasn’t a bad thing. This person seemed like someone who would tolerate everything about him.

(END)