On the last night of Xu Er’s short holiday, he invited the four of them to have dinner together.

It had been a while since they were all gathered like this, and as they ate, their conversation stretched on for so long that they sounded like wild people just released from the mountains.

It’s true what they say—birds of a feather flock together. Who isn’t a fan of gossip? By the end of the meal, Xu Er had heard all about Xu Chen’s roommate who had spent two months as a “flatterer,” about Chen Nan’s friend who was always showing off on social media, and about Ke Lin’s boss’s friend who was still dealing with a mistress scandal. He also shared a few stories about his own company’s two managers.

After dinner, they went up to the shopping mall upstairs.

Normally, their destination would be the game hall on the second floor, but tonight, Xu Er led the way, guiding them up to the third floor.

As they stepped off the escalator, the three boys only realized where they were.

Chen Nan asked, “Hey, why are we here?”

Ke Lin replied, “I didn’t really pay attention.”

Xu Chen said, “Then let’s go back.”

But Xu Er stopped them. “No, I’m going to buy a few clothes.”

The three of them hesitated before turning back.

Chen Nan asked, “Why the sudden urge to buy clothes?”

“Since we’re here,” Xu Er thought for a moment and added, “The season’s changing.”

Ke Lin nodded. “True, I’ll take a look too.”

Chen Nan chimed in, “I’ll take a look as well.”

Xu Chen grinned, “Since the older brothers are looking, then the younger brother can look too.”

He added, “But I really do need new clothes. I was planning to buy some online.”

Chen Nan asked, “What’s up? Do you have something big coming up?”

Xu Chen, with a mischievous grin, replied, “I’m having dinner with Song Ruichi on Saturday.”

The only one clueless in this conversation, Ke Lin, was completely confused. “What Song Ruichi? Aren’t you Song Ruichi?”

Xu Chen clarified, “I mean the real Song Ruichi.”

Ke Lin paused for a moment to process. “Holy crap, in just a few days, you got to know Song Ruichi?”

Xu Chen, now stepping back, said, “My brother, he helped me meet him.”

Ke Lin’s confused gaze shifted to Xu Er.

Xu Er laughed. “Haha, it was an accidental meeting.”

Chen Nan raised his hand. “Count me in too.”

Ke Lin was stunned. “Huh? You knew about this too?”

Xu Chen eagerly explained, “They both went to add him on WeChat, and my brother added him too.” He proudly added, “My brother even spent the night at Song Ruichi’s place.”

“Wait, what?” Both Chen Nan and Ke Lin were now in shock.

“You two actually slept together?”

“You stayed at his house?”

Xu Er nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Chen Nan squeezed closer to Xu Er. “What’s going on here? You’ve been getting along so well with Song Ruichi behind my back?”

“It’s not that great,” Xu Er thought for a moment. “To make a long story short, we just bumped into each other.”

Ke Lin raised an eyebrow. “Bumped into him and went to his place to sleep?”

Xu Er chuckled. “No, no, I got drunk and blacked out.”

Chen Nan was stunned. “What? You went drinking with him?”

Xu Er hesitated. “Uh…”

Things were getting stranger by the second.

It seemed that a short version wasn’t going to work, so Xu Er decided to stick to the important details, telling them about the events that had happened with Song Ruichi over the past few days.

The three of them reacted after hearing the story.

Chen Nan blinked. “A LEGO typewriter! Can it actually type?”

Ke Lin grinned. “You really found someone who drinks coffee without sugar.”

Xu Chen grinned. “I told you, he’s really handsome. Even more handsome in person, right?”

Xu Er responded one by one.

“Can’t type.”

“You don’t understand—coffee without sugar.”

“Definitely more handsome.”

Once he finished answering, Xu Er found his first target of the night. He took a bold step forward, leading the other three into the men’s clothing store on the left.

The trench coat he liked was on the mannequin right by the entrance. Luckily, as soon as he touched the fabric, he felt that it was exactly what he wanted.

After asking the sales associate to take it down, the other three took a quick glance at the price and looked uncomfortable.

But as soon as Xu Er put the coat on, all three of them spoke in unison.

“Buy it!”

Xu Er was quite decisive. Less than ten minutes after entering the store, he had the trench coat in hand. And because some sauce had gotten on his jacket earlier, he simply swapped it for the new one, stuffing the old jacket into the garment bag.

“Don’t say it, but it really suits you.”

Once they were out of the store, Chen Nan couldn’t help but comment.

Ke Lin followed up, “Yeah, you usually wear sportswear, but this—suddenly, you look a lot more mature.”

Xu Er smiled lightly.

Xu Chen asked, “What made you decide to try this style?”

Xu Er felt a bit shy. “Just felt like it.”

Chen Nan suddenly asked, “You’re not secretly into someone, are you?”

Xu Er immediately replied, “No way.”

Chen Nan raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really,” Xu Er sighed. “What is it that you don’t know about me?”

Chen Nan said, “Guess so.”

Buying the trench coat went smoothly, and so did buying the pajamas.

At the checkout, just as Xu Er was paying, a message from Song Ruichi popped up on his phone.

It was at that moment that Xu Er truly felt the weight of Chen Nan’s words about how close they were.

It really did seem pretty good.

The most recent message had been sent just an hour ago, when Xu Er shared a picture of some delicious rice cakes with Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi must have been busy, because it was only now that he was replying.

He wrote: [Looks so delicious.]

Xu Er replied: [Super delicious!]

Then Song Ruichi sent another message: [Your hands are so dry.]

Xu Er zoomed in on the photo and noticed the hangnail on his thumb.

It was indeed dry. Xu Er glanced at his own hand, and not only was there the hangnail, but the back of his hand had cracked a little too.

Xu Er: [I’ll just rip it off.]

Song Ruichi quickly replied: [Don’t.]

Xu Er: [Why?]

Song Ruichi: [It’s so painful.]

Xu Er laughed: [I’ll just rip it off to my shoulder.]

Song Ruichi: [I’m dead.]

Xu Er: [Hahaha.]

Xu Er: [Alright, I won’t do it.]

Song Ruichi: [Use a nail clipper.]

Xu Er: [Okay, okay, I’ll use it when I get home.]

After finishing the conversation, Xu Er looked up, wanting to say something, but he found the three of them staring at him.

Xu Er froze. “Huh?”

The three of them were either squinting their eyes, making crooked faces, or stroking their chins.

Xu Er laughed. “What’s going on?”

Chen Nan took the lead, asking, “Who are you chatting with?”

Ke Lin joined in, “Laughing like that.”

Xu Er pinched his own face. “Did I laugh?”

Well, it seemed like he had.

Xu Chen asked, “Who is it?”

Xu Er immediately confessed, pushing his phone a bit forward as if to prove his innocence. “No one special, just Song Ruichi.”

Chen Nan snorted. “I told you, you and he are pretty close. You wouldn’t admit it before.”

Xu Er retorted, “I didn’t deny it, did I?”

Chen Nan paused, then turned to ask Ke Lin, “Did he deny it?”

Ke Lin suddenly lost interest. “Ah, I don’t know. Are we heading home now?”

Xu Chen said, “Let’s go. I have to do room checks tonight, so I need to head back.”

Ke Lin added, “My girlfriend also wants me to go back early.”

Chen Nan quipped, “Having a girlfriend makes you special, huh?”

Ke Lin proudly responded, “Of course.”

Chen Nan teased, “My girlfriend also tells me to come home early.”

Ke Lin responded with a playful, “Hehe.”

As they chatted, Xu Chen suddenly threw a curveball. “Bro! What were you talking about with Song Ruichi? You were laughing so much.”

Xu Er replied with an “Oh,” then showed Xu Chen his hand. “I told him I was planning to rip off this hangnail, from here all the way to my shoulder.”

“Eh~”

All three of them simultaneously let out a disgusted sound.

Xu Er couldn’t help but laugh.

Except for Xu Er, the other three had all bought a full set of season-change clothes, and they left the mall feeling quite satisfied.

Their destinations were different. Xu Chen’s school was farther, so he headed to the subway first. Ke Lin took a taxi by himself, while Chen Nan and Xu Er shared a ride.

As soon as they got in the car, Xu Er received another message from Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi asked, [Are you home yet?]

Xu Er sent him a picture of the view outside the window, [On the way.]

Song Ruichi replied, [I’ll be passing by the entrance to your neighborhood soon.]

Song Ruichi continued, [I’ll return your headphones, is that convenient?]

Xu Er responded, [Sure.]

“Is it Song Ruichi again?”

After putting down his phone, Chen Nan asked.

Xu Er answered, “Yeah.”

Chen Nan teased, “It’s like you’re reporting to your significant other, even sending him pictures of the view outside.”

Xu Er explained, “He’s passing by my neighborhood soon. I dropped my headphones at his place the other day.”

Chen Nan nodded, not bringing up Song Ruichi again, but suddenly asked, “What about that junior who had a crush on you? How’s she doing now?”

Xu Er sighed, “That was a long time ago. She graduated and went back home to work.”

Chen Nan asked, “So you gave up on her?”

Xu Er replied, “We lost contact.”

Chen Nan said, “She’s really pretty, though.”

Xu Er nodded in agreement, “Yeah, she’s very good-looking.”

Chen Nan smiled, “I’ve noticed something about you…”

Xu Er asked, “What’s that?”

Chen Nan continued, “Why didn’t you like her?”

Now it was Xu Er’s turn to laugh, “Do I need a reason for that?”

Chen Nan replied, “But it seems like you think she’s a really good person.”

Xu Er explained, “She is a great person, that’s just a fact. She’s really excellent, both inside and out. She got a top-tier job, they picked her out of a hundred candidates. She’s impressive.”

Chen Nan looked at Xu Er, “Do you even have feelings for her?”

Xu Er chuckled. “What’s wrong with me?”

Chen Nan glanced out the window. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

The car first arrived at Chen Nan’s neighborhood, and five minutes later, they would reach Xu Er’s neighborhood.

As soon as he got out of the car, Xu Er spotted the familiar SUV. He picked up his bag and jogged over, but as he ran, something felt off.

Wait a minute.

What was he wearing again?

There was no time. Song Ruichi had already gotten out of the car.

Xu Er stopped dead in his tracks, feeling the warmth of embarrassment spread from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

Let me ask you, how would you feel if you saw a friend wearing the same outfit you wore two days ago?

Haha.

But just standing there awkwardly wasn’t going to help, so Xu Er steeled himself and walked over.

Why couldn’t it be that he just happened to have that same outfit?

Don’t be guilty!

“Good, good evening.”

After saying that, Xu Er coughed twice.

Don’t feel guilty!

Song Ruichi said, “Good evening.”

He handed over a bag he was holding.

It was a bag that seemed a bit too large for just headphones. Sure enough, when Xu Er took it, the weight inside was far more than just headphones.

“What’s this?” Xu Er peered inside.

Song Ruichi replied, “A humidifier.”

“A humidifier?” Xu Er looked up, surprised. “Huh?”

Song Ruichi explained, “It’s a bit dry in City A.”

Xu Er instantly understood.

Well, time to add a bit of humor.

He slowly raised his hand and performed a mock “hand-scratching prickle” for Song Ruichi.

However, before his fingers even made contact, Song Ruichi had already grabbed his wrist.

Song Ruichi sighed, “Please spare me.”

Xu Er burst into laughter. “Hahaha.”

Song Ruichi said, “The humidifier is the same model as mine. It’s pretty good.”

Xu Er silently told himself, “Alright, fine,” and glanced at the humidifier.

Then, he noticed the headphones beside it.

It wasn’t just a pair of headphones.

Xu Er took them out and saw they had a case around them.

“Ah?”

Song Ruichi casually replied, “It’s the same model as mine.”

Xu Er chuckled. “You really want me to use the same things as you, don’t you?”

Song Ruichi asked, “Don’t you like it?”

Xu Er was about to say something, but Song Ruichi’s eyes flicked to his trench coat.

Alright.

Alright, fine.

Not just the trench coat, Mr. Song. There’s also your matching pajamas in this bag.

This is really something.

Xu Er’s face turned red, thankfully the lighting here wasn’t too strong.

“Thanks,” Xu Er said, placing the headphones back in the bag.

Song Ruichi replied, “You’re welcome.”

Xu Er set the bag down. “Alright, I’m heading back.”

But Song Ruichi stayed silent for a while before asking, “Is that it?”

Xu Er, confused, asked, “Well, what else?” He thought for a moment. “Do you want to walk me up?” He turned to glance at him. “You still need to park.”

Song Ruichi let out a small laugh but then fell silent again for a while.

Finally, he ruffled Xu Er’s hair. “Go on, head back.”

Xu Er chuckled, “I’ll say goodnight to you when it’s time.”

Song Ruichi grinned, “You’re heartless.”

Xu Er had already started to turn away, but hearing those words, he stopped. “Huh? What’s wrong with me?”

Song Ruichi replied, “Nothing.”

“Huh?”

Why did this person sound a bit aggrieved?

Xu Er asked, “What’s wrong?”

Song Ruichi sighed, “Just go back, don’t worry about me.”

Xu Er pursed his lips.

Xu Er asked, “Should I guess?”

Song Ruichi chuckled. “Go ahead and guess.”

Xu Er furrowed his brow and made a guess, “Could it be…?”

Song Ruichi teased, “Could it be…?”

Xu Er deflated. “What’s this? What did I do?”

Song Ruichi’s smile deepened as he patted Xu Er’s head. “Nothing, just teasing you. Go on, head back.”

Xu Er raised an eyebrow. “Should I really go back?”

Song Ruichi replied, “If you’re not going back, then get in the car.”

Xu Er frowned. “Get in the car for what?”

Song Ruichi said, “I’m taking you back to my place.”

Xu Er laughed. “Then let’s go.”

Song Ruichi gestured to the car. “Get in.”

Xu Er made a feigned motion as though he would hesitate, then burst into laughter.

This time, he really did leave, but once he entered the neighborhood, Xu Er secretly found a spot where no one could see and watched as Song Ruichi’s car drove away.

Back home, Xu Er immediately started unpacking the humidifier and began examining it. As soon as the mist started spraying out, he quickly took a photo and sent it to Song Ruichi.

With the caption: [Thank you, thank you, thank you.]

After setting it up, he noticed there was something else in the bag besides the headphones.

Hand cream.

Xu Er read the words on the box aloud.

Then he sent another message to Song Ruichi: [Found the hand cream.]

Xu Er: [Sakura scent, is that something you like too?]

Song Ruichi replied: [No.]

Song Ruichi: [This brand only has a nice scent in Sakura.]

Xu Er: [Got it.]

Xu Er: [Next time we meet, you’ll be smelling a Sakura-scented me.]

Song Ruichi: [Alright, now I like it.]