After thinking all night, Yu Nian still couldn’t come up with a solution. The next day at work, even the tunes he played on the piano sounded hesitant and melancholic, his expression lost.

So much so that some customers in the restaurant suspected he had a broken heart. They even secretly asked other staff, wondering why the piano player looked so miserable.

Yu Nian finished playing “Under the Fuji Mountain” and then “Castle in the Sky,” both melancholic tunes.

He really wanted to find someone to talk to. As a novice in love matters, he had no experience in confessing, nor did he have the courage to be indifferent if rejected.

However, he did have plenty of experience being confessed to.

Although his older siblings always thought he looked too young and not very tall, with delicate features even prettier than many girls’, fearing he wouldn’t be popular with girls at school.

Before knowing his sexual orientation, Pei Zhao and Yun Xinli once secretly discussed this issue, worrying about it for a while.

But the reality was entirely different.

Yu Nian had always been quite popular among girls.

Today’s girls no longer just liked princes or knight-type guys. As Yu Nian grew up, he especially attracted the attention of strong-willed girls.

There was even an older girl who once pushed him onto the wall, her soft long hair carrying the pleasant scent of grapefruit, falling beside him.

Yu Nian often wondered, in a daze, if he wasn’t gay, being with these girls wouldn’t be bad.

Unfortunately, he was.

What’s even more unfortunate was that he didn’t draw any courage from these girls.

He didn’t have their light-hearted attitude, nor their calmness and indifference after rejection.

He was afraid he would burst into tears in front of Qi Wang, and eventually sneak back home without saying goodbye, making a mess of everything.

But who could he talk to?

Yu Nian looked around.

In the restaurant, Qi Wang was making coffee methodically, Song Yunchun was collecting feedback from customers, and Xiao Gu and Chu Hejun seemed patient with him, but they were currently engrossed in their own conversation, and the atmosphere was so intense that everyone in the restaurant could sense it, so he probably couldn’t interrupt.

As for Ying Quanshen… that was even worse.

His unreliable childhood friend in England only knew how to impress girls by treating them to dinner and shopping, with roses, jewels, and luxury cars, using very cliché methods of flirting.

Yu Nian doubted whether he had ever truly liked anyone. Otherwise, after being dumped so many times, why hadn’t he seen Ying Quanshen truly sad?

Feeling discouraged, Yu Nian collapsed onto the piano cover, feeling more helpless than Robinson Crusoe stranded on a deserted island, surrounded by a group of unreliable teammates, without a single reliable one.

But some things were like a coincidence, as if predetermined. Although surrounded by unreliable teammates, there was one person shining like a morning star, giving him inspiration.

Yu Nian surveyed the people around him, even considering disturbing his middle school classmates.

But he overlooked someone in the guise of his student, Zhang Yunyao, who was two years younger than him.

For no reason other than Zhang Yunyao was only sixteen, a young sapling of the motherland.

Although Yu Nian was also a young man, since he left school, he automatically considered himself a member of society, never thinking about polluting innocent teenagers with his complicated issues.

But Zhang Yunyao had figured it out on his own.

Yu Nian still came to teach Zhang Yunyao on time, and during class, he was still attentive and responsible, but during breaks, he often found himself lost in thought.

He absentmindedly looked at the chat records between him and Qi Wang on his phone. Qi Wang still occasionally came to pick him up after class, as long as he had time, showing that he cared about him even though he was familiar with the route.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but show a faint smile.

That’s how it is with crushes; when someone likes you even a little bit, they wish to collect every bit of evidence of your liking in a crystal box, as if to prove that the feeling is mutual.

Zhang Yunyao, holding a glass of cold milk, observed coldly. When Yu Nian sighed for the third time obliviously, he suddenly asked, “What’s up with you lately? Seems like you’re distracted?”

Yu Nian was taken aback, before he could organize his thoughts, he casually replied.

He heard Zhang Yunyao chuckle again, a hint of mockery in his tone.

“You seem like a lovesick cat.”

Yu Nian widened his eyes in disbelief, staring back at Zhang Yunyao.

Both of them were about the same age and height, and today they were both wearing white sweaters, so at first glance, it looked like they were looking into a mirror.

Zhang Yunyao raised an eyebrow, looking composed, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes, as if he could see right through Yu Nian and knew exactly what he was thinking.

Yu Nian suddenly deflated again.

He didn’t deny it, his fingers unconsciously tapping a few notes on the piano.

The first time he learned to play the piano was when he was a child, his father was his first teacher.

At that time, his father played “Wedding in a Dream” very melodiously, because his mother was nearby listening, and they exchanged loving glances, completely ignoring their youngest son.

Yu Nian sighed and asked Zhang Yunyao, “Do I really seem distracted?”

Zhang Yunyao nodded silently.

The two fell silent for a moment.

Yu Nian said, “If, hypothetically, you have a… well, a good buddy, and he recently fell for someone. But that someone, although treats your buddy well, is rather cold in nature. Despite being caring and gentle, going as far as picking up after work, watching movies together, making your buddy feel warmer than spring compared to others, it might just be simple care for a friend. What would you do?”

He was venting, suffocating inside.

After all, Zhang Yunyao was one step removed from his current social circle.

He couldn’t go to his siblings to tell on him, nor to Qi Wang.

In a sense, it was perfect; he was a great listener.

He asked, “If your buddy confesses, and it fails, they might have a falling out and never see each other again, unable to interact normally. If he doesn’t confess, perhaps they could continue as they were, still friends.”

Zhang Yunyao also tapped on the piano keys, but unlike Yu Nian’s restless tapping, he played Étude Op. 10, No. 3 in E major.

He said, “You’re quite imaginative. Others would say ‘I have a friend’, but you say ‘if you have a good buddy’.”

Yu Nian chuckled, “Aren’t we considered as such?”

He made friends freely, as long as they got along and there were no awkward silences, they were considered compatible.

Zhang Yunyao chuckled again, not denying it.

He really didn’t know much about Yu Nian’s circle, so he didn’t want to speculate unnecessarily.

But the characteristics Yu Nian mentioned made him think of someone.

It was the young man who often came to pick up Yu Nian after work, seemingly with a bad temper, yet unconsciously taking Yu Nian’s bag.

But he was a smart man; he wouldn’t pry into things without evidence, especially if Yu Nian didn’t want him to know.

He propped his chin with both hands, his face showing a maturity beyond his years.

He wasn’t really in the mood to practice the piano this afternoon anyway, and Yu Nian coming over was a welcome distraction. He was more than willing to play the role of a spiritual guide.

He asked, “Besides the possibility of a falling out, are there any other reasons you can’t confess?”

Yu Nian hesitated for a moment, struggling internally.

He nodded.

He said, “I might simply not be their type at all. Can you understand? It’s like a girl liking James Bond, but you’re just a nerdy recluse. And… there’s a huge difference in our lifestyles, I know almost nothing about him. If we were to really get together, it’s likely that my family would object.”

These reasons were very practical.

The tone suddenly shifted from a youthful campus movie to a gloomy documentary.

Zhang Yunyao looked at Yu Nian curiously, gazing into his eyes, “How much do you like them?”

Yu Nian confessed, “I don’t know.”

If he did know, perhaps he wouldn’t be so conflicted.

The degrees of liking ranged from innocent ambiguity to being willing to die together. There were countless levels in between.

But he didn’t know where he stood.

If he could confirm that the other person was his soulmate, it would actually make things easier.

For the sake of a soulmate, it wouldn’t be too much to take a chance.

A faint smile appeared on Zhang Yunyao’s lips. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly stood up, walked to a small table nearby, and rummaged through a golden cat-shaped piggy bank, searching for something.

He asked Yu Nian, “If you don’t confess, what would be the outcome between you two?”

Yu Nian pondered for a moment.

“Maybe we’ll just remain friends like this. After half a year, I’ll go back to school to study, and he’ll have his own life. Maybe we’ll still meet, but it probably won’t be very frequent. Perhaps we’ll gradually, slowly drift apart.”

He would be going abroad for studies later, gone for several years, and Qi Wang was living far away from him. Life would gradually get busy for both of them, and even if he wanted to keep in touch, he might not have a place in his life.

Like some classmates he had gradually drifted away from.

But when Yu Nian talked about this outcome, he felt uneasy, filled with reluctance.

Zhang Yunyao finally found what he was looking for.

It was a coin.

He sat back down on the chair and showed the coin to Yu Nian.

He smiled at Yu Nian, seemingly indifferent, but upon closer inspection, there was a hint of schadenfreude in his expression.

“Alright, let’s go to the extreme,” Zhang Yunyao placed the coin in Yu Nian’s palm, “Heads, you confess to him, you might be accepted, or you might be rejected, but either way, you’ll get a result.”

“Tails, you don’t confess, and the outcome is that you’ll gradually drift apart, he’ll fall for someone else, maybe even invite you to his wedding in the future, where you’ll be introduced to others as his good friend. Perhaps by then, you’ll have moved on and genuinely congratulate them. And maybe by then, you’ll have found your own partner, everything will be fine, a happy ending.”

Yu Nian looked bewildered, not understanding Zhang Yunyao’s meaning.

But Zhang Yunyao had already placed the coin on his thumb.

He heard Zhang Yunyao say, “Anyway, both situations have risks, so why not flip a coin and let fate decide whether you should confess or not. Come on.”

Yu Nian’s eyes widened when he understood. No, this was too hasty. For such a life-changing matter, you want me to flip a coin? Is my first love worth only a coin? This is too much of a farce. He almost couldn’t stop himself from shouting.

But Zhang Yunyao remained calm. Lazy and two years younger than him, he sat on the piano stool, looking serene, his eyes fixed on Yu Nian without blinking.

He suddenly deflated again.

He rubbed the rough texture of the coin’s pattern against his palm hesitantly. “Fine.”

There was a hint of reluctance in his voice, but for the moment, he couldn’t think of any other way.

“I’ll give it a try.”

He really threw the coin into the air.

The silver coin spun in the air, like a baton he used to toss in physical education classes.

But the coin was too small. Even if he stared at it intently, he couldn’t make out which side the pattern landed on. The short moment felt incredibly long.

Finally, with a snap, the coin fell back onto the back of his hand, and he covered it with his other hand.

He didn’t immediately look. His face was conflicted, and his mind was in turmoil.

Zhang Yunyao, filled with gossip curiosity, leaned in beside him and urged, “Look, why aren’t you looking?”

Yu Nian bit his lip, his heart beating as if it were about to leap out of his throat.

Slowly, he moved the hand covering the coin aside. As he saw the pattern clearly, his heart sank to the bottom.

Tails.

Don’t confess.

“Ah…” Zhang Yunyao sighed softly beside him, like an audience member who had just witnessed the ending of a movie.

“Alright,” he patted Yu Nian’s back, “Don’t think too much. You don’t have to confess. Preserve this friendship. It’s not meant to be, and your true love will be waiting for you in the future. You can also attend his wedding.”

But Yu Nian bit his lip tightly. Was it really decided so simply? A result from flipping a coin? Hastily arranging the outcome of his first love?

Who would go to Qi Wang’s wedding? He thought, What would I do there? Am I really going to watch him marry someone as stunning and glamorous as Monica Bellucci?

He couldn’t imagine expressing his congratulations. If Qi Wang dared to make him a groomsman, he would definitely snatch the bouquet from the bride and throw it fiercely at Qi Wang’s face.

Seeing Zhang Yunyao about to take the coin from his hand, Yu Nian suddenly recoiled and took the coin back into his palm.

Facing Zhang Yunyao’s puzzled gaze, he said gloomily, “I’m going to flip it again.”

He didn’t accept this result.

He wanted to try again.

Zhang Yunyao’s eyebrows raised high, wanting to say something but then closing his mouth.

He sat on the piano stool, watching Yu Nian throw the coin high again.

With a snap, the coin fell back.

This time it was still tails.

Yu Nian paused for a moment, then threw it again in disbelief.

Still tails.

Tails again.

And again.

As if there were an invisible hand guiding it, Yu Nian threw the coin five times, and all five times it landed on tails.

By the time the last tails landed on his hand, Yu Nian was about to cry.

How could this be?

He returned to the piano stool, his face full of sadness and confusion. Did he and Qi Wang really have no fate?

Five tails.

What were the odds?

It was simply unbelievable.

But it happened to him.

His nose felt a bit sour, clutching the coin tightly but unwilling to let go, biting his lip and remaining silent.

Zhang Yunyao was probably also shocked by his misfortune, sitting quietly beside him, observing him from top to bottom.

After a while, Yu Nian suddenly said, “I don’t care.”

He forcefully adjusted the coin in his palm to reveal the side with “1” on it.

“I don’t care whether it’s heads or tails, I don’t care if it’s fate or not. I’m going to confess to him.”

A hint of stubbornness appeared on his face.

To hell with his wedding.

To hell with his gorgeous bride.

He couldn’t accept such a lukewarm, silent ending. To do nothing and completely lose the right to have the other person.

He thought Zhang Yunyao would say something to persuade him, but instead, he heard Zhang Yunyao laugh softly.

Taking the coin from his hand, Zhang Yunyao bounced it in the air, caught it, and showed Yu Nian his open palm. It was still tails.

“Even if you toss it a thousand times, this coin will only land on tails. The probability of heads or tails isn’t 1:1 because this coin has been tampered with.”

Yu Nian widened his eyes, looking at Zhang Yunyao incredulously. “Then why did you…”

Zhang Yunyao shrugged and smiled.

“This is about what you really want to do.”

He said to Yu Nian, “Tossing a coin isn’t really about letting fate decide your path; it’s about the moment when the coin flips, you’ll know in your heart which side you truly want to see.”

There was a kind of maturity on his face that didn’t match his age as he smiled at Yu Nian.

He handed the coin back to Yu Nian. “Consider this coin a gift. Go confess. Regardless of the outcome, at least it’s your own choice.”

Yu Nian tightened his grip on the coin.

He felt a moment of weakness, but soon, he smiled too.

A sense of relief washed over him.

“Yeah.”

At the end of the day, Qi Wang still came to pick him up, as he had promised before. But it started raining heavily as he was about to leave. So, he parked his motorcycle beside the restaurant and went to pick up Yu Nian in a taxi instead.

Yu Nian stood at the entrance of Zhang’s house, waiting for Qi Wang. He stood under the eaves, raindrops falling like a hazy mist around him. Though he wasn’t getting wet, the chill in the air made his hands and feet cold.

The taxi Qi Wang was in squeaked to a stop in front of Yu Nian.

The door opened, and Qi Wang stepped out of the car, his long legs clad in boots landing firmly on the ground. He held a black umbrella as he emerged from the vehicle, his hand gripping the handle of the umbrella as fair as jade, slender yet powerful.

He walked over, sheltering Yu Nian with the umbrella.

“Why were you waiting outside? Don’t you know it’s raining?” Yu Nian thought, ‘Of course, I do. That’s why I had to stand outside, to make you worry.’

But the rain wasn’t heavy anyway.

He let Qi Wang shield him, and they walked towards the car together.

The weather had indeed turned colder. He leaned against Qi Wang’s chest, trembling slightly.

As the rain intensified, droplets cascaded down the black umbrella, creating a curtain that separated them from the outside world.

In the misty rain, Yu Nian looked up at Qi Wang’s handsome face and felt the strength of Qi Wang’s arms around him.

He thought to himself, ‘I must confess to this person.’

Regardless of the outcome.

What Zhang Yunyao said was right; he couldn’t bear to just be friends with Qi Wang.

When they first met, Yu Nian couldn’t help but feel flustered, his heart pounding like a deer in his chest as he looked at Qi Wang’s face and fingers.

But later, they didn’t get along well, even had some conflicts.

There could never be a calm ending between them.

They couldn’t just be friends.

They were either estranged strangers or lovers embracing each other.

His leaving home was originally to rebel against his family.

But now, thinking back, it seemed like there was a bit of destiny in it, to meet Qi Wang.

If he had gone to the wrong door, walked down the wrong street that day, and didn’t enter the restaurant named “Morning Ten,” they would never have met.

So, no matter what their final outcome would be.

He was determined, absolutely determined, to let Qi Wang know that he liked him.