Yan Chen walked to the porch.

In winter, the night fell early. At this moment, the courtyard was desolate and quiet. The warm yellow light from the dining room window illuminated the pomegranate tree in the corner of the courtyard, making the bare branches look like a monster baring its fangs and claws.

Yan Chen leaned against the wall, took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.

Just as he was about to flick the lighter, a hand reached out, and the blue flame flickered in the cold wind.

Yan Chen lifted his eyelids, and the firelight reflected the gentle and handsome face of Xie Nancang in his eyes. Xie Nancang looked at him and moved the fire closer.

With a slight “crackle,” the cigarette tip lit up with a red spark.

Xie Nancang lit his own cigarette as well, stood two steps away from Yan Chen, and quietly took a few puffs before saying, “An An wanted to come out just now. I asked him to wait.”

Yan Chen bit the cigarette, squinting slightly.

Xie Nancang said, “Let me apologize on Neil’s behalf. He didn’t mean any harm. It wasn’t intentional.”

Yan Chen pinched the cigarette between his fingers, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thin cloud of white smoke.

“I know,” he said.

Xie Nancang nodded, flicked off the cigarette ash, and looked at Yan Chen again.

“As for what happened before, I won’t apologize to you. An An and I didn’t end up together; it’s because we weren’t meant to be. I don’t owe you, and he doesn’t owe you either. I hope you understand that. Treat him well in the future; taking this step wasn’t easy for him.”

Between his handsome brows, a trace of annoyance emerged. Yan Chen glanced at him sharply. “What position do you have to say these things to me?”

“The position of an elder brother, An An’s family member,” Xie Nancang extinguished the cigarette, brushed off the smell of smoke on his body, “Alright, I’ll take Xiao Xie back to the hotel first.”

As he twisted the doorknob to enter the house, he heard Yan Chen unexpectedly call out to him.

Xie Nancang turned back and saw Yan Chen leaning against the wall, half of his face submerged in the dark, obscure night.

“Thanks,” Yan Chen muttered, his words somewhat ambiguous.

The word was not only spoken for Xie Nancang’s rescue of An Yi, but also for Xie Nancang’s willingness to tell him about these matters—although that phone call, which would haunt him in nightmares for a long time afterward, had made him break out in a cold sweat. But he still felt fortunate that on the day he lost contact with An Yi, he made that call to Xie Nancang. Otherwise, he might have forever been a confused and unfaithful person.

Yan Chen was neither good at apologizing nor good at expressing gratitude.

There was a clear sense of awkwardness in his tone, sounding reluctant, but Xie Nancang was understanding and accepted it readily, genuinely feeling happy for An Yi.

To make someone as proud as Yan Chen bow his head was practically as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Yan Chen continued to smoke against the wall.

As the cigarette burned down, Xie Nancang came out carrying the slightly tipsy Xiao Xie, followed closely by Qin Muye and Lin Yuming, who were arm in arm. An Yi trailed behind them, supporting Lin Yuming’s arm as they descended the steps.

“I’m not drunk,” Lin Yuming waved his hand, “You don’t need to see us off. The four of us will walk around for a bit to sober up.”

Qin Muye mimicked him and also waved his hand. “Yi ge, you go back. You still have a dog to take care of. You’ve worked hard.”

“A dog?” Xiao Xie perked up his ears, looking around. “An An, do you have a dog?”

Xie Nancang covered his mouth, laughing as he nodded to An Yi, gesturing with his chin, “I’ll let you know when we arrive at the hotel.”

An Yi nodded. “Okay, be careful on the way.”

Watching the several of them walk toward the outside of the community, An Yi stood at the door lost in thought. Suddenly, his shoulders felt warm, and a coat with residual warmth draped over him.

He glanced back, smiled at Yan Chen, and said, “I’m not cold. You should wear it back and be careful not to catch a cold.”

“I’m fine,” Yan Chen wrapped the coat tightly around him and naturally put his arm around An Yi’s shoulder. “Do you want to take a walk?”

After a moment of contemplation, An Yi said, “Let’s sit outside for a while.”

The two of them sat down on the bench by the porch.

This wrought-iron bench had cushions and backrests, so it wasn’t cold in winter. An Yi leaned forward to smooth the edge of the cushion and said, “My grandfather used to love sitting here, soaking up the sun and smoking.”

“Yeah,” Yan Chen draped his long arm behind An Yi, loosely embracing him.

After a moment of silence, An Yi turned his head to look at Yan Chen. “I also want to smoke one.”

Yan Chen stared at him with his dark eyes, pulled out a cigarette, and offered it to An Yi’s lips.

An Yi held it between his lips, and as Yan Chen lit it for him, his thick eyelashes blinked. After the flame extinguished, he used his slender, knuckle-defined fingers to hold the cigarette, taking a deep drag.

This was the first time Yan Chen had seen him smoke.

Clearly not very skilled, like a typically obedient and well-behaved honor student, encouraged to try rebellion and experience excitement.

His youthful appearance didn’t prevent Yan Chen from finding him very sexy.

An Yi arched his back, resting his elbows on his knees, and took another puff.

The strong stimulation of nicotine circled in his mouth, choking his throat a bit. He covered the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and coughed.

Yan Chen gently patted his back to ease his discomfort.

An Yi shook his head and said, “I’m fine.”

After a moment of silence, he continued, “I know you still mind about me and Xie Nancang,” he never felt guilty about this, but he could also understand why Yan Chen would consider it a thorn in his heart, “If it really bothers you, then…”

“It’s not about that,” Yan Chen suddenly interrupted him.

An Yi was taken aback and looked at him sideways.

Yan Chen leaned over to him in the same posture, his gaze piercing through the swirling smoke, looking into An Yi’s eyes. He repeated, “I don’t mind that.”

An Yi’s throat tightened, and the cigarette butt between his fingers burned slowly, forming a small piece of ash that seemed about to fall.

“I did feel uncomfortable when I first found out, but it’s been five years… An Yi, being able to be with you again makes me happier than anything else. I can’t let something like this cloud our relationship anymore.”

An Yi’s fingertips trembled slightly.

He lowered his eyes, watching the ash fall to the ground, “But you’re still not happy.”

Indeed, Yan Chen wasn’t happy.

“I’m mad at myself,” he stared at An Yi’s profile, unwilling to miss any of An Yi’s subtle expressions, “Do you still blame me for what happened before?”

An Yi raised his eyes and looked at him again.

Yan Chen’s pitch-black, profound eyes, like a layer of thin ice covering them, concealed the cautiousness and restraint swirling beneath. He thought he hid it well, but An Yi could see it clearly.

An Yi suddenly curved his lips and his eyes softened. “Didn’t we agree to let bygones be bygones, silly?”

But this didn’t ease Yan Chen’s tension. He wanted to pull out the thorn of this long-standing issue from his heart all at once. He said, “In these five years, I haven’t been with anyone else. Even if you don’t care, I still want you to know… you’re the only one in my heart.”

“Mmm.”

In the cold wind, as the cigarette burned faster, An Yi felt his heart pounding faster too.

He flicked the cigarette ash and said softly, “I understand.”

Yan Chen moved closer.

Resting his chin on An Yi’s shoulder, he gently rubbed his forehead against An Yi’s hair tips.

“I’m not happy today because everyone at the table is a rival. They all like you, and I feel threatened.”

An Yi felt like he was listening to a fairy tale. He had never imagined that Yan Chen would one day become the kind of person who felt anxious and insecure.

Yan Chen reached out and hugged his waist, murmuring, “What are you laughing at.”

Only then did An Yi realize he was smiling.

He took a deep drag on his cigarette before exhaling, extinguishing the butt. He turned his head and gently bumped his chin against Yan Chen’s head, sighing softly, “But I still chose you.”

“Hmm?” Yan Chen tilted his head and met his gaze, “Say it again, I didn’t hear you clearly.”

An Yi’s smile spread a bit wider, and he said, “I still love you.”

Yan Chen tightened his grip with both hands, directly holding An Yi in his lap, domineeringly enclosing him in his arms.

An Yi felt this position was a bit awkward, so he laughed and asked Yan Chen to let go, but Yan Chen didn’t release him. Instead, he went a step further, making An Yi’s legs spread apart, facing each other.

Yan Chen wrapped his arms around An Yi’s waist, and their chests pressed against each other.

The sudden closeness brought a hot breath, tinged with excitement and trembling.

“Say it again,” Yan Chen stared at him intently.

An Yi didn’t want to say it anymore. Instead, he leaned in to kiss Yan Chen’s mouth, but Yan Chen dodged to the side.

Their eyes locked.

In Yan Chen’s dark, deep pupils, An Yi’s handsome face was reflected.

“An Yi,” he held him tighter, feeling their intense heartbeats against each other’s chests, “I love you, only you.”

This confession took Yan Chen five years to utter.

And An Yi waited for it, also taking ten years.

He thought he wouldn’t feel the same as before, but his tears came without warning and couldn’t be stopped.

Yan Chen held his face and kissed him gently, again and again.

“Don’t cry,” Yan Chen’s hand trembled, his voice not calm, “I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you. I mean it, An Yi. I love you. From now on, I’ll love you twice as hard every single day. Do you love me too? I don’t need much, just a little.”

An Yi hugged him back, closing his teary eyes to kiss Yan Chen’s lips.

As their lips met, Yan Chen heard An Yi’s response, “There will be plenty.” An Yi never hesitated to give love to him.

Yan Chen deepened the kiss excitedly.

As the night breeze began to rise, Yan Chen lifted An Yi’s legs and effortlessly carried him inside.

He pressed An Yi against the door and kissed him deeply, their bodies pressed tightly together, every reaction clearly transmitted to each other.

Continuing the kiss, Yan Chen felt like he was about to explode.

But he didn’t want to force An Yi.

Their last time together wasn’t wonderful, leaving An Yi with deep psychological scars. He wanted to wait until An Yi was ready.

He fiercely bit down on An Yi’s soft lower lip, reluctant to actually hurt him. When An Yi furrowed his brow slightly, Yan Chen reluctantly released his grip, burying his head in An Yi’s warm neck, repeatedly kissing and nibbling with unfulfilled desire.

An Yi tilted his head back, his teary eyes hazy and enticing in the lamplight.

He slid one hand into Yan Chen’s hair, gently encouraging, while his legs wrapped around Yan Chen’s lean waist even tighter.

“I want it,” An Yi said.

Yan Chen thought he misheard.

He lifted his head and saw An Yi’s slightly flushed cheeks from the alcohol.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” An Yi’s hands encircled Yan Chen’s neck, meeting his longing gaze, “I want to be with you.”