Chapter 29

Ten years later.

Song Wenzhou had been feeling quite troubled these past few days. After hearing Xu Chu’s words and reflecting on his past experiences, he increasingly felt that his personality was flawed.

How did Mu Chi manage to put up with him all these years?

“Sigh—” Song Wenzhou leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply, so stressed that he had started losing hair.

While lost in thought, the phone on his desk buzzed. He picked it up, a little surprised to see that it was a call from Qi Ling.

When he answered the phone, Qi Ling’s cheerful voice came through: “Song Wenzhou, is Brother Chi there with you? I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer.”

“He’s not here,” Song Wenzhou pinched the bridge of his nose. “What’s up?”

“I’m getting married next Saturday,” Qi Ling’s voice was filled with clear happiness, “The invitation has already been sent to your house. Remember to come and give me a gift, both you and Brother Chi.”

Song Wenzhou smiled and sincerely said, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, thank you!” Qi Ling said joyfully, “Help me pass the word to Brother Chi. I won’t call him myself.”

Song Wenzhou hummed in acknowledgment.

“Well, I won’t keep you. I still have to notify other people,” Qi Ling hurriedly added, “We’ll talk more when you come.”

Qi Ling had been preparing for the wedding for quite some time. About three months ago, Mu Chi had mentioned that Qi Ling was planning his wedding.

Mu Chi had remembered that Song Wenzhou promised to prepare a big gift for Qi Ling, and after hearing about the wedding, he suggested that Song Wenzhou join him as a groomsman. However, Qi Ling had firmly rejected the idea.

The reason was simple: Qi Ling thought both of them were too eye-catching and didn’t want their presence to steal the spotlight on his wedding day.

When Song Wenzhou learned the reason, he recalled that back in school, Qi Ling once told him that his brilliance had always been overshadowed by Mu Chi. He had even joked about it with Mu Chi, who had teased Qi Ling, saying that he had lowered the average IQ of Mu Chi’s friend group.

But it wasn’t hard to understand why Qi Ling felt that way. Qi Ling had been dating his partner for several years, and, coincidentally, their relationship had started just in the second year after Mu Chi went abroad.

This coincidence led Qi Ling to firmly believe that Mu Chi had been blocking his romantic prospects. Otherwise, why would he have been single for so many years, only to meet his true love after Mu Chi left?

So, Qi Ling didn’t want them as groomsmen, primarily because of Mu Chi. Song Wenzhou, by extension, was also rejected.

After agreeing to pass on the message to Mu Chi, Song Wenzhou hung up and opened his contacts list. It had been a while since he last called Mu Chi after their breakup.

The first person in his contacts was Mu Chi, with the note “Lover.” Song Wenzhou paused when he saw the label, realizing that he hadn’t even thought about changing it during this time.

It was a note Mu Chi had set himself. Meaningful and able to stay at the top of the contacts list… The only reason it remained at the top was because Mu Chi had eliminated anyone who could threaten his position.

Song Wenzhou once had an assistant named Angela. After he added her to his contacts, she pushed Mu Chi to second place. Mu Chi, upon discovering this, wasn’t happy, and that night in bed, he “punished” Song Wenzhou severely.

Afterward, while half-asleep, Song Wenzhou changed Angela’s note to her Chinese name to make it right.

The next day, Song Wenzhou was rubbing his sore back at his desk, staring at the incoming call reminder showing “Zhang Xiaocui^[1]“Zhang Xiaocui” (张小翠) is a random, generic Chinese name,” unable to remember who it was. It wasn’t until he answered the phone and heard the voice that he realized who it was.

Too much has happened, Song Wenzhou thought as he shook off the memory and dialed Mu Chi’s number.

Qi Ling had just said he called Mu Chi but couldn’t get through. Song Wenzhou was only trying to test it, but to his surprise, the call connected after only two rings.

“Zhouzhou?” Mu Chi’s voice, upon hearing Song Wenzhou’s special ringtone, was first filled with joy, then with concern. He had told Song Wenzhou to contact him if anything came up, and a sudden call inevitably made him worry. “Is something wrong?”

Song Wenzhou hesitated for two seconds before blinking and replying, “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to let you know that Qi Ling is getting married next Saturday and asked me to tell you to go give him a gift.”

Mu Chi let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, pausing in the act of picking up his coat to head out. He asked with concern, “That’s all?”

“Mm,” Song Wenzhou replied, afraid that a single word might sound too indifferent. “That’s all.”

“Alright,” Mu Chi lost interest immediately since it wasn’t about Song Wenzhou, “Where’s it being held?”

“Uh… I don’t know,” Song Wenzhou had forgotten to ask, “He said he sent the invitation to your house.”

Mu Chi hummed in acknowledgment, raising an eyebrow as if to ask knowingly, “Are you going?”

“I’m going,” Song Wenzhou said.

Mu Chi couldn’t help but think, “Why is he still speaking like that?” He smirked, “But you don’t know the address.”

Song Wenzhou was about to say he could ask Qi Ling again, but before he could, Mu Chi quickly suggested, “How about this, why don’t we go to the wedding together?”

The way he said it made it sound as though the wedding was being held for the two of them. Song Wenzhou hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly but without wanting to refuse, he agreed.

Mu Chi hadn’t expected Song Wenzhou to agree so quickly. Delighted yet worried that he might change his mind, he hurriedly added, “Then I’ll come pick you up when the time comes.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Mu Chi seemed to shake off all his fatigue, feeling rejuvenated. He walked around the office area and casually waved to invite all the staff on duty for bubble tea.

After leaving the company, Mu Chi picked up the invitation Qi Ling had sent. He thought to himself that Qi Ling’s wedding had conveniently done him a good turn, so he decided to add an extra two hundred to the money he’d prepare as a gift for Qi Ling.

—

On the day of Qi Ling’s wedding, Song Wenzhou woke up as early as he would for a workday. Last night, Mu Chi had called to remind him that Qi Ling wanted them to arrive early.

At a close friend’s wedding, it’s important to dress formally, especially since he was going with Mu Chi. With a few extra thoughts in mind, he couldn’t afford to be careless with his outfit.

After finishing his morning routine, Song Wenzhou stood in front of the mirror, struggling to choose between two suits.

In the midst of his indecision, Mu Chi sent a message saying he had already arrived downstairs. Song Wenzhou looked out the window and, sure enough, saw Mu Chi’s car parked behind his own, with Mu Chi himself getting out and looking up, as if sensing something. He immediately found the window where Song Wenzhou was standing among the many others.

Without thinking, Song Wenzhou instinctively stepped back, but then remembered he couldn’t act like he used to. Gritting his teeth, he waved at Mu Chi, signaling him to check his phone.

【Song Wenzhou: I’ll be a while, you go up first.】

Having been in a relationship for years, Mu Chi knew Song Wenzhou inside and out and immediately understood where he lived and which floor he was on. After receiving Song Wenzhou’s approval, he wasted no time in taking the elevator up.

During this time, Song Wenzhou went to the door, waiting for the doorbell to ring before immediately opening it.

Standing outside was Mu Chi, wearing a deep blue, tailored double-breasted striped suit. His broad shoulders and narrow waist, long legs, and perfectly styled natural curls all highlighted his sharp facial features, which were even more defined than when he was younger. When he wasn’t expressing any emotion, he looked like a perfect domineering CEO.

But now, as he looked at Song Wenzhou, smiling broadly, all the domineering CEO aura disappeared, leaving only a… silly dog vibe.

Song Wenzhou took a moment to silently admire Mu Chi, who had always been strikingly handsome. Even after so many years, he still occasionally found himself stunned by Mu Chi’s looks.

“Come in,” Song Wenzhou moved aside, “Wait for me a moment.”

After giving a couple of instructions, Song Wenzhou went to change in his bedroom.

Left in the living room, Mu Chi took in the surroundings of Song Wenzhou’s apartment, growing more and more pleased with what he saw. There were only traces of Song Wenzhou’s life here, which meant no one had visited recently, and he was the first one to come.

Song Wenzhou didn’t even offer Mu Chi a drink of water before heading to the bedroom, indicating that he didn’t consider him a guest and naturally felt close to him.

If it weren’t for the fear of being kicked out by Song Wenzhou, Mu Chi would have almost laughed out loud.

In the bedroom, Song Wenzhou finally chose one of the two suits, the one that matched Mu Chi’s in color.

He quickly changed clothes and, thinking about whether he should style his hair like Mu Chi, realized he couldn’t.

Mu Chi liked to mess with his hair. Before they were together, Song Wenzhou had stopped him many times, but it was futile. After they started dating, Mu Chi became even more bold, always laughing as he ruffled Song Wenzhou’s hair into a mess, then using his fingers to smooth it out when Song Wenzhou shot him a warning glance.

Therefore, Song Wenzhou usually only trimmed his hair when it got too long and never tried other styles, since it would always get messed up by Mu Chi anyway.

On a few important occasions that required styling, Mu Chi would do it for him. He only needed to sit in front of the mirror and doze off, and in the time it took for him to open and close his eyes, Mu Chi would have it done.

So, he really didn’t know how to style his hair himself.

Song Wenzhou decisively gave up and casually ran his hands through his hair, ensuring it wasn’t messy, then called it done.

Coming out of the bedroom, Song Wenzhou saw Mu Chi looking up at a painting on the wall. He spoke up, “I’m ready.”

Mu Chi turned to look at him, his eyes sparkling.

Song Wenzhou unexpectedly thought of how haggard Mu Chi had looked the first time they met in the parking lot after their breakup, feeling a twinge of guilt. Mu Chi used to smile brightly no matter how busy or tired he was.

“Let’s go,” Mu Chi said with a smile.

“Mm.”

Although this was Song Wenzhou’s home, Mu Chi still let him go out first, then followed behind to close the door. When they reached the elevator, Mu Chi instinctively reached out to block the space between the two doors. Once they reached the ground floor, Mu Chi opened the passenger side door, placing his palm between Song Wenzhou’s head and the doorframe. Only after confirming that Song Wenzhou was seated did he close the door and walk to the driver’s seat.

These actions seemed to have become ingrained habits for him. Song Wenzhou had never noticed anything unusual before, but now, as he paid attention, he realized how thoughtful Mu Chi was.

The wedding venue was located in the suburbs, nearly a 40-minute drive from Song Wenzhou’s current neighborhood.

In the car, Song Wenzhou half-leaned against the passenger seat, feeling a bit sleepy.

This seat was so familiar to him, and the scent of the car air freshener was one he had gotten used to, making him relax as soon as he got in.

“If you’re tired, take a nap,” Mu Chi said softly, noticing his expression in the rearview mirror. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Song Wenzhou shook his head, forcing himself to stay alert, “I’m not sleeping.”

Mu Chi smiled and joked, “Don’t worry, I won’t sell you.”

Song Wenzhou glanced at him briefly, then returned his gaze to the road ahead, deep in thought.

Since their breakup, the few times Song Wenzhou and Mu Chi had met had been rushed, with little time for conversation. Today, with time to spare, Song Wenzhou wanted to say something, but he was used to being the passive one and didn’t know what to say.

“You…” The more Song Wenzhou tried to think of a topic, the more his mind went blank.

“Hmm?” Mu Chi saw the conflicted expression on his face and asked with a smile, “What’s up?”

Forget it, Song Wenzhou gave up, “Nothing.”

“Is it that hard to say something?”

It wasn’t that it was hard to speak, it was that he didn’t even know where to begin.

“You look really handsome today,” Song Wenzhou blurted out.

This unexpected compliment took Mu Chi by surprise. He widened his eyes and turned to look at Song Wenzhou.

Song Wenzhou felt extremely embarrassed, his ears faintly burning. He pretended to be calm and pointed to the road ahead of the car, saying, “Focus on the road.”

Mu Chi stared straight ahead, his lips involuntarily curling into a smile, the smile growing wider and wider.

Song Wenzhou was acting a bit strange today… No, he was acting very strange, in a cute way.

Song Wenzhou saw the smile at the corner of his mouth, and although it felt awkward, he also found himself amusing. He simply leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, deciding he might as well sleep.

And sleep he did. In a light sleep, he vaguely heard Mu Chi saying something like “wait.”

Song Wenzhou opened his eyes from his shallow sleep, and he didn’t know when, but he had turned his head toward the driver’s seat where Mu Chi was. As soon as he opened his eyes, his gaze met Mu Chi’s, who was leaning on the steering wheel, staring at him.

Mu Chi got caught secretly looking, and he quickly straightened up, flustered. In his panic, he honked the horn, startling two birds in the trees by the roadside, which also completely woke up Song Wenzhou.

Song Wenzhou didn’t point out Mu Chi’s little secret. He rubbed his eyes and asked, “Are we there?”

“Mm.” Mu Chi nodded.

“Didn’t you say you’d wake me when we got there?” Song Wenzhou asked again.

Mu Chi answered nonchalantly, “We just arrived.”

However, this lie was immediately exposed when they saw Qi Ling.

As soon as Mu Chi and Song Wenzhou arrived at the wedding venue, the groom, dressed in a white suit with flowers pinned to his chest, came over to greet them.

“You’re finally awake,” Qi Ling said with a half-smile, looking at Song Wenzhou. “Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?”

Song Wenzhou: “?”

Mu Chi wasn’t happy. Protectively, he half-blocked Song Wenzhou behind him, saying, “Xiao Qilin, can you please stop being so sarcastic on such a happy day?”

“I can’t afford to mess with you two,” Qi Ling raised an eyebrow, “I’m going to find my wife~”

Mu Chi was annoyed by his smug look, as though everyone didn’t have a wife… He turned to glance at Song Wenzhou. Well, he didn’t have one right now.

So Mu Chi was even more irritated with Qi Ling, “Go away.”

Qi Ling was in a good mood today, not minding Mu Chi’s rude words. Before leaving, he even pointed out their seats.

Song Wenzhou and Mu Chi exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat uneasy.

As Qi Ling’s good friend, Mu Chi arrived earlier, and by this time, only a few guests had arrived, scattered and chatting in pairs.

After sitting in their assigned spots, Mu Chi got up again not long after.

“You sit for a while,” he told Song Wenzhou. “I’ll be right back.”

“Oh,” Song Wenzhou replied, then seemed to think of something and corrected himself. “Okay.”

Mu Chi was satisfied and left. After asking around, he found his way to the kitchen where the food was being prepared, entering in his suit and leather shoes and bringing back a plate of steaming pastries.

Having woken up early, Song Wenzhou likely didn’t have time for breakfast.

Mu Chi returned to their seat and placed the plate in front of Song Wenzhou. “This is all there is for now, eat something to fill your stomach.”

Song Wenzhou froze for a moment, then picked up a piece and took a bite, softly saying, “Thank you.”

Mu Chi frowned. He didn’t like it when Song Wenzhou said that word to him, but in the end, he nodded and didn’t argue.

Before long, after checking on his wife, Qi Ling came over to Mu Chi and Song Wenzhou’s side and began talking about the wedding details with Mu Chi.

It was then that Song Wenzhou learned that Qi Ling’s wedding was planned with the help of a professional planner, as part of the big gift Mu Chi had promised him.

While they were talking, Song Wenzhou continued eating the pastries, gradually finishing most of the plate Mu Chi had brought.

Mu Chi, while seriously going over details with Qi Ling, kept an eye on Song Wenzhou out of the corner of his eye. When he saw Song Wenzhou choking, he immediately got up, fetched a cup of hot water, and handed it to him.

Song Wenzhou naturally took the cup. Qi Ling, watching the interaction, clicked his tongue and said, “Why do I have to eat dog food on my wedding day?”

Mu Chi raised an eyebrow. Who told Qi Ling to show off about having a wife earlier?

Qi Ling, wanting to show his generosity, didn’t press the issue. After discussing his wedding, he sneaked a few glances at Song Wenzhou, leaned closer to Mu Chi, and lowered his voice to ask, “How’s things going on your side?”

Mu Chi glanced at Song Wenzhou before turning his head away without answering Qi Ling’s question.

Song Wenzhou sensed Qi Ling’s furtive looks at him. When he saw Mu Chi look at him as well, he wiped his mouth out of habit but didn’t find anything unusual.

Looking up at them, Song Wenzhou asked, “What’s going on?”

Mu Chi and Qi Ling both shook their heads.

Song Wenzhou pressed his lips together, understanding. It wasn’t him who was strange, it was Qi Ling and Mu Chi.