In his previous life, he hadn’t come here many times, and even when he did, he never had the mood to really take a good look at the place.

Just over a hundred meters south of the studio, there was a decent-sized garden. At this time in the evening, many residents nearby were out for a stroll or exercising. Some young people were strumming guitars and singing, drawing quite a crowd of onlookers.

Xie Ci rarely had the chance to experience this kind of ordinary, everyday vibe. In his youth, he hadn’t taken the time to appreciate it, and later, he was caught up in the hustle and bustle of fame and fortune, leaving him with nothing but work and no life. Even after marrying Gu Yufeng, it was just having another workaholic by his side, which didn’t make much of a difference.

Clearly, he had everything, yet he felt something was missing in terms of fun.

Perhaps it was the lively atmosphere around him that made Xiao Fang particularly excited, wagging its tail and darting around everywhere.

His phone in his pocket buzzed incessantly, and when Xie Ci checked, it was all group messages.

Jiang Ye: [Who’s coming to my place tonight to watch the NBA game? I’ll cover the car, snacks, and accommodation! [image]]

Chuan Chuan: [I can’t, I’m at my grandparents’ house in the countryside with my parents, and I’m currently in the yard feeding chickens.]

Jiang Ye: [Such fat chickens!]

Chuan Chuan: [They’re worth more than I am. My mom told me to take good care of them; if they get unhappy, they won’t lay eggs, and I’ll be crying.]

Wei Wei: [I’m learning Taekwondo with my best friend.]

Jiang Ye: [Awesome, she’s the sister I wouldn’t dare mess with.]

Old Fang: [I’m at a drinking party with my parents, and I’m playing Ludo with three eight-year-old little brothers.]

Jiang Ye: [You’ve got it tough.]

After a hundred messages back and forth, Jiang Chenyu suddenly tagged Xie Ci: [Old Xie, what are you busy with? They’re all tied up, so why don’t you come? It’s so lonely watching the game by myself, boo hoo.]

Xie Ci looked at the new messages popping up below, aimed his phone at Xiao Fang, and snapped a picture, sending it out in their format.

[My dog took me out for a walk, very busy, no time. [image]]

In the photo, the dog was running ahead of Xie Ci, the leash taut, its neck stretched out as it looked around, its tail wagging like a blur, clearly very busy.

Jiang Ye: [Is it a fighting dog?! How dare it take you for a walk!]

Chuan Chuan: [This dog’s physique rivals that of my chickens.]

Wei Wei: [The atmosphere in the square is really nice!]

Jiang Ye: [Where’s Old Gu? Haven’t seen him for two days @Gu Yufeng]

But the person tagged never showed up.

Wei Wei: [Does anyone have Old Gu’s contact? Send him a message and ask.]

Jiang Ye: [Just applied, hasn’t been approved yet. Old Xie, do you have it? @Xie Ci]

Xie Ci had been added as a friend by Gu Yufeng on the first day he switched phones.

He switched to the chat window with Gu Yufeng, the last message still lingering from the day before their hiking trip.

Sending a message was easy, just a tap of the finger.

But Xie Ci hesitated for a moment and closed the window.

He didn’t have the habit of inquiring about Gu Yufeng’s whereabouts, feeling it wasn’t his place to ask. It would be an invasion of their independent spaces and might upset the other person.

Similarly, Gu Yufeng had never inquired about his whereabouts either.

In their previous life, they occasionally sent a message, mostly just asking when the other would be home. At other times, they treated each other like air.

Even when they got married, he couldn’t bring himself to ask, and now that he and Gu Yufeng were just classmates, he felt even less able to ask.

Xie Ci casually chatted with them in the group for a bit, then returned to the studio after walking the dog.

As he passed through the corridor, he glanced at the art studio, which was dark and unlit.

Thinking about what he had said to his dad in the afternoon, he felt a bit uneasy and tiptoed to the door, discovering it wasn’t closed tightly.

Inside the studio, only a faint light from outside illuminated the space, and it was empty.

Back in the small yard behind, he looked up and saw the light on in the bedroom next door.

At this hour, his dad must have returned to his room.

Xie Ci didn’t want to disturb him, so after settling Xiao Fang, he returned to his own room.

The next morning, Xie Ci was awakened by the vibrations of his phone. Jiang Chenyu was asking in the group what they wanted for breakfast to take to the court.

With the league approaching, the team had scheduled training for today.

Xie Ci casually replied, only to find Xiao Fang had run off again.

Every time, it would accompany him to sleep, but in the morning, it would vanish without a trace.

The bedroom door was open, and Xie Ci heard the dog moving outside, quietly getting out of bed and heading out.

On the first floor, Xiao Fang was proudly carrying its food bowl, trotting off to the dining room to find Xie Qian.

Xie Qian had filled a bowl to the brim with dog food and even added a large plate of raw meat.

Xie Ci leaned over the handrail on the stairs to sneak a peek and saw that the plate contained chicken wings, lamb chops, and beef bones, looking better fed than he was.

“……”

With that appetite, it was no wonder it had gotten so fat.

After Xie Qian finished breakfast, he brought out another portion and placed it on the table, just as Xiao Fang finished eating, and both dog and human headed out together.

Only after they left did Xie Ci go downstairs. When he looked, the breakfast on the table was also quite impressive, enough for a family of three.

An unexpected thought flashed through his mind.

Not growing up by his dad’s side might have spared him from a disaster.

At nine in the morning, at the gym near the high school.

A group of teenagers was sweating it out on the court, their figures darting around quickly, the sounds of shoes squeaking against the floor, basketballs thumping against the ground, and the excited shouts of the boys filled the air.

“Pass the ball! Watch your positioning!”

“Old Fang, keep an eye on the opposing power forward, Old Zhang, get ready to grab the rebound! Wang Hao, go to the perimeter!”

“Damn! Old Xie grabbed the rebound!”

“Get back on defense!”

“No one’s guarding Wang Hao! Quick!”

Xie Ci dribbled the ball, swiftly maneuvering past three opposing players, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Wang Hao closing in on the opponent’s basket, passing the ball over.

“Wang Hao!”

Wang Hao was about to catch the ball but was intercepted by a defender coming back.

A moment of distraction cost him the chance to reclaim it.

“Guard the opposing small forward!” The defender dribbled back, preparing to find an opportunity to pass to his own team’s forward, when suddenly, he was blindsided, the ball slipping from his hands.

Zhang Ruochuan quickly snatched the ball and passed it back to Xie Ci: “Old Xie!”

Xie Ci had already reacted when Zhang Ruochuan ran over, taking two steps back to the three-point line, noticing two opponents closing in to steal the ball. He jumped to catch it and shot towards the opposing basket.

The basketball arced beautifully through the air, landing straight in the hoop.

“Nice!” Zhang Ruochuan shouted excitedly, high-fiving Jiang Chenyu, “You can always trust the captain’s three-pointer.”

Jiang Chenyu wiped his sweat and chuckled, “Xie’s shooting accuracy is so high, even I’m scared.”

Zhang Ruochuan looked at Wang Hao: “Haozi, you’re not on your game today, get it together!”

Wang Hao replied, “Got it!”

By ten in the morning, the second high school’s practice team was panting heavily, leaning on their knees, looking like they were about to collapse.

“I can’t take it anymore, let’s take a break.”

“Xie Ci is too hard to deal with; three of us can’t guard him!”

“Unless we tire him out first, otherwise we can’t play.”

“You make it sound easy; we’re all exhausted, and he looks like he could run a marathon on the side.”

“I’ve been chasing him all morning! I can’t keep up with his stamina or speed; it’s driving me crazy.”

“Isn’t that why he’s the pillar of the first high school?”

Xie Ci wiped his sweat with a towel and took a sip of water, noticing the captain of the second high school walking over.

The captain, Fu Yicheng, had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a bit narcissistic, and was also a rich second-generation kid whose family owned a tech company. In his previous life, they had collaborated before.

This guy was quite frivolous, changing girlfriends more often than he changed clothes, and was known as a playboy in the rich second-generation circle of Blue Sea City, but he was reliable when it came to work.

“Can’t you let us have a break?” Fu Yicheng sat down on the bench, drinking water.

Xie Ci replied, “Then what’s the point of training?”

Fu Yicheng glanced at Wang Hao not far away: “Is your team’s power forward not doing well? He’s made several mistakes this morning.”

Xie Ci followed his gaze and retorted, “Aren’t you busy enough with your own team?”

“That’s called strategy.”

Fu Yicheng shrugged and smiled, “Disrupting the enemy’s morale gives us a chance to win.”

Xie Ci casually said, “Your team’s stamina isn’t great; can they last the whole game? Are you planning to swap in backup players midway?”

Fu Yicheng’s smile froze.

That was a sharp observation.

Training continued until eleven, and the two teams disbanded on the spot.

Xie Ci packed his things and went to the bathroom to wash his hands, hearing the sounds of a heated argument between Fang Sizhe and Wang Hao inside.

Fang Sizhe’s tone was a bit harsh: “I heard you were working as a waiter at a black bar last night? Do you even know what you’re doing? If the school finds out, you’re done for!”

Wang Hao chuckled bitterly: “Your news travels fast as always.”

Fang Sizhe: “Stop doing stupid things! The only thing you should focus on now is your studies; get through the college entrance exam first!”

“There’s no time!”

Wang Hao retorted loudly, his voice trembling slightly, “My dad has a tumor in his brain and needs surgery soon; the total cost is thirty thousand! He can’t wait!”

Fang Sizhe paused, his tone softening: “But even if you work part-time, you can’t raise thirty thousand.”

“Every little bit helps.”

Wang Hao’s expression fell, “They’ve been keeping it from me, afraid it would affect my studies. I overheard them; apparently, studying is more important than my family’s life.”

Fang Sizhe tried to comfort him: “Because they know that even if they tell you, you can’t do anything about it. It’s better to let you focus on your studies.”

Wang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes reddening: “If I were twenty-seven, even if I couldn’t earn it, I could borrow it, but I’m only seventeen and can’t do anything!”

Standing outside the door, Xie Ci listened to Fang Sizhe trying to counsel Wang Hao, not rushing to go in.

He always did what he wanted, and most of the time, he got the results he wanted. He had forgotten the awkward problems faced at seventeen, forgotten the countless nights spent working late and returning home in the dark and silence, that feeling of helplessness and anxiety creeping from his bones, and the confusion about the future.

Seventeen was a time on the cusp of youth and adulthood, facing the troubles of adolescence while also bearing the pressure of impending adulthood. They always tried to shoulder responsibilities that shouldn’t belong to their age, fighting against the world with their frail bodies.

After Wang Hao left, Xie Ci exchanged glances with Fang Sizhe, both unsure of what to say.

After leaving the gym, the five of them had planned to grab a meal, but Wang Hao said he had to head home first.

The four of them went to Lao Li’s small stir-fry restaurant behind the first high school, finding a corner table to sit down.

At the table, Jiang Chenyu asked about Wang Hao, and Fang Sizhe hesitated before recounting the situation, leaving everyone silent.

“I said he’s been acting strange lately.” Zhang Ruochuan frowned, “He used to play so fiercely; only Old Xie could keep him in check, but now he’s leaking like a sieve.”

“Thirty thousand?”

Jiang Chenyu asked Fang Sizhe, “Did he say the total is thirty thousand?”

Fang Sizhe nodded: “I’ll ask my parents when I get back to see if the government has any support policies that could ease their burden.”

“If it comes to it, we can pitch in some money.” Zhang Ruochuan said, feeling a bit down, “But that amount is really too much.”

Xie Ci thought about the balance on the card his dad had given him and felt troubled.

In his previous life, thirty thousand wouldn’t have been a problem for him, but now he couldn’t even scrape together that much.

“It’s a small matter.”

Jiang Chenyu said lightly, “Don’t all look so glum; I’ll take care of it.”

Xie Ci: “How will you solve it?”

Jiang Chenyu chuckled: “I have my ways, don’t worry.”

Thirty thousand was no small sum, and Xie Ci couldn’t feel at ease at all.

Dishes started coming to the table, and suddenly, Xie Ci’s phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and unlocked it, seeing a message from Gu Yufeng, his eyes flickering.

Gu Yufeng: [Have you eaten?]

It was such a casual greeting, completely unlike the kind of message Gu Yufeng would usually send.

Xie Ci thought to himself, editing a reply: [Eating.]

Just as he was about to hit send, he paused, deleted the dry two words, and retyped: [Just finished training with Old Fang and the others, having a meal at Lao Li’s. How about you?]

The reply came quickly.

Gu Yufeng: [Just got up; I went out with my mom last night and didn’t sleep until two.]

Gu Yufeng: [What good food are you having? Send me a picture.]

Xie Ci snapped a photo of the table and sent it over: [Today’s snail rice is really flavorful, and the lamb skewers are very tender.]

Gu Yufeng: [Damn.]

Gu Yufeng: [You guys are eating so well, and I’m here gnawing on dry bread.]

He even added an angry cat emoji at the end.

Xie Ci glanced at it, his mind automatically translating it into Gu Yufeng’s annoyed face, and replied: [You could join us for a meal.]

He attached a photo of Xiao Fang, who was eyeing a full bowl of dog food with a sly look.

“Old Xie, who are you messaging?” Zhang Ruochuan asked curiously.

Jiang Chenyu: “You’re smiling so happily; it must be a girlfriend.”

“What girlfriend? It’s Old Gu.” Xie Ci replied while sending the message, casually adding.

“Old Gu? He finally popped up?!”

Jiang Chenyu leaned over Xie Ci’s shoulder to look at the screen, “Hahaha… Does he also complain about Western food? I thought he wouldn’t be able to adapt to domestic cuisine.”

Hearing this, Xie Ci found it quite reasonable.

Most people could only adapt to their own country’s eating habits, so Gu Yufeng should prefer the flavors of D Country.

In his previous life, he and Gu Yufeng mostly ate Western food too.

“Isn’t Old Gu’s dad in the country? He should be used to domestic food by now since he travels back and forth between the two countries.” Zhang Ruochuan added.

Xie Ci thought for a moment: “Maybe.”

Another message popped up on the screen.

Gu Yufeng: [I accidentally took your shirt the other day when I left in a hurry.]

[No wonder I couldn’t find it.] Xie Ci hadn’t finished typing when another image suddenly came through.

Instinctively, he clicked to open it, and just one glance made him quickly flip the screen down onto the table.

Jiang Chenyu was talking to Fang Sizhe and only caught a glimpse. Seeing Xie Ci so nervous, he teased, “What did Old Gu send? Let me see!”

Zhang Ruochuan and Fang Sizhe were also curious.

“Old Xie hid it so quickly; there must be something fishy.”

“What picture?”

Xie Ci maintained a straight face: “Nothing.”

Jiang Chenyu rubbed his chin, recalling, “I vaguely saw a person wearing very little; it wouldn’t be some risqué picture, would it?”

Xie Ci: “……”

Zhang Ruochuan laughed mischievously: “I didn’t expect you two to have this kind of exchange; Old Xie always seems so aloof; I thought you weren’t interested in this stuff.”

Fang Sizhe adjusted his glasses, looking serious: “Share with your good brother.”

“It’s not that kind of thing.”

Xie Ci patted Jiang Chenyu behind him, “Let’s go eat.”

Xie Ci refused to let them see, so Jiang Chenyu could only regretfully return to his seat.

Once no one was behind him, Xie Ci picked up his phone again and opened the photo.

In the picture, Gu Yufeng was lounging on a cream-colored sofa, wearing only a white shirt that hung loosely on his shoulders, the open collar threatening to slide down and reveal his well-defined shoulder and collarbone, along with a generous expanse of chest.

The camera only captured Gu Yufeng’s jawline and the tousled hair behind his ear, with the focus of the image on the half-covered little red dot on his chest, giving off a vibe of wanting to hide yet revealing.

Xie Ci’s eyelids twitched: “……”

What a show-off.

Xie Ci: [What do you mean by sending me a revealing photo? Are we that close?]

Gu Yufeng: [I was showing you the shirt; all you saw was my chest?]

Xie Ci: [If you didn’t want me to see, you should’ve buttoned it up.]

Gu Yufeng: [Do I have to dress so formally at home? You’re the one being inappropriate.]

Xie Ci: [Who’s being inappropriate?]

Gu Yufeng: [Be honest, you took a long time to reply just now because you were staring at my chest, right? You’re such a closet perv.]

Xie Ci: “……”

Gu Yufeng: [Is it nice?]

Xie Ci: “……”

Gu Yufeng: [Don’t save that photo secretly; I’ll find out.]

Xie Ci: “……”

Who would save it? It’s not like he hadn’t seen it before.