Yu Nian was startled for a moment, instinctively smiled, but his ears were a little hot. On the way back, he remained quiet like a chicken.

Qi Wang thought he was just tired and didn’t bother him, but when they got home, Yu Nian refused to go to his room to sleep. Instead, he insisted on making longevity noodles for Qi Wang.

The house they rented had a small kitchen, but they usually ate in the restaurant or ordered takeout, rarely using it.

Leaning against the door frame, Qi Wang watched as Yu Nian clumsily lit the stove, and with suspicion, asked him, “Do you really know how to cook?”

Of course, he didn’t really know how to.

Yu Nian had only watched their family chef cook; he had never tried it himself. But back in middle school, he had a few home economics classes. He hadn’t skipped those, and he had made dumplings with Ying Quanshen a few times, as well as some cookies.

He figured it should be about the same.

While waiting for the water to boil, Yu Nian said to Qi Wang, “Longevity noodles are a must for birthdays. My parents used to make them for me when they were still around.”

He blinked as he said this.

He didn’t talk much about his family. Occasionally, when chatting with others in the restaurant and family was mentioned, he always spoke vaguely, brushing it off casually.

He hadn’t told Qi Wang about his own background either.

But today, perhaps because he had been drinking, his mind became sluggish, but his emotions became much more sensitive.

“I don’t know if I’ve told you, but my parents have actually been gone for a long time,” he said to Qi Wang.

Qi Wang glanced at him, even though he already knew, and said, “No, you haven’t.”

Yu Nian nodded.

As he awkwardly put the noodles into the boiling water, he continued, “They passed away when I was thirteen. It felt like the sky was falling at that time, but in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed.”

“My parents were good people, excellent at their jobs, and very responsible for the family. After they passed away, the family fell apart, but fortunately, I have my brother and sister to look after me.”

Yu Nian stirred the noodles with chopsticks, not really good at cooking, and almost got splashed.

Qi Wang frowned as he watched, but when he offered to help, Yu Nian refused.

His reason was, how could the birthday person make noodles themselves? It lacked ceremony.

So, he could only watch from the side.

Fortunately, after a while, the noodles gradually softened. Yu Nian scooped them all out and rinsed them in cold water.

He also fried a slightly burnt egg pancake and placed it on top of the noodles, then proudly handed it to Qi Wang, saying like offering a treasure, “Look.”

Qi Wang took the bowl of noodles with one hand and supported Yu Nian with the other.

The two of them moved to Qi Wang’s room.

Qi Wang grabbed two bowls, served some noodles for Yu Nian, and Yu Nian didn’t stand on ceremony.

Eating someone else’s birthday longevity noodles was also auspicious, but he insisted that Qi Wang take the first bite.

“Is it delicious?” Yu Nian, feeling a bit tired, leaned on the table and yawned.

Qi Wang took a bite.

It wasn’t cooked very well.

The noodles had been boiled for too long and had stuck together a bit, but he didn’t change his expression and quickly finished half a bowl.

“Very delicious,” he said.

“Really?” Yu Nian was half in doubt and took a bite himself, only to grimace immediately.

He had put too much salt; it was too salty.

But looking at Qi Wang, who had already finished his bowl, eating quickly and neatly, with the chopsticks neatly placed together, Yu Nian was dumbfounded.

“You’re really supportive,” Yu Nian was still a little confused. “For me to make something so bad…”

Qi Wang picked up a tissue and wiped his lips.

After putting it down, he glanced at Yu Nian and said softly, “It’s not bad. Plus I have nothing to compare it to because this is the first time someone has made longevity noodles for me.”

Yu Nian was stunned.

At this moment, he still hadn’t understood the meaning of this sentence, his mind wandering elsewhere.

“Ah, so your family doesn’t eat longevity noodles,” he scratched his head, actually knowing nothing about Qi Wang and not knowing where he was from or who was in his family, “then what do you eat?”

But he quickly saw Qi Wang shaking his head.

“No.”

Qi Wang’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyelashes drooped slightly, and his face, as sharp as a knife, seemed to be veiled in mist.

He raised his head, his voice calm and emotionless.

“I’m an orphan, I have no family.”

Yu Nian was dumbfounded by this news.

He had indeed never heard Qi Wang mention his family, but Qi Wang was originally aloof, and he had never thought about it.

But after hearing it, once the initial shock wore off, he seemed to be more accepting of it than he initially thought.

Indeed.

He remembered the scars on Qi Wang’s arms, having started working at such a young age.

Since he didn’t run away from home like he did, he probably grew up in a less-than-ideal environment.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

Losing his parents was already tough enough for him, but at least he had twelve or thirteen years of happiness with them. After his parents passed away, although the family underwent drastic changes, his older brother and sister always protected him and never let him suffer.

He sat uncomfortably on the cushion, feeling restless and wondering what to say.

But the next moment, he felt a gentle hand brushing aside the strands of his hair.

Qi Wang looked at him.

Yu Nian’s shoulders were thin, and he wasn’t very tall. Sitting on the cushion in the room, he seemed quite small compared to Qi Wang, even his wrists were slender.

He had the face of someone naive and inexperienced.

Yet, despite this, he was more sensitive and tender-hearted than most people.

As bright as the sun, yet as gentle as moonlight.

He gently curved his lips. “Thank you for the longevity noodles.”

Yu Nian was stunned.

He looked up at Qi Wang. The light in Qi Wang’s room wasn’t very good lately, with one bulb flickering. So they only turned on the table lamp.

Qi Wang’s back was against the window, with sparse moonlight shining through, casting a silver halo on his silhouette.

He felt Qi Wang’s gaze on him.

Qi Wang’s fingertips were still touching his ear, slender and beautiful, the fingers that had captured his attention from the moment they met, touching his skin.

For some reason, Yu Nian suddenly heard his own heartbeat.

Thump-thump-thump—

One beat after another.

Noisy and clamorous.

On that day, Yu Nian almost fled back to his room.

He lay on his bed, the lights in the room were off, leaving only a star-shaped night light on the wall emitting a faint glow.

He was buried under the covers. It was already late autumn, and the nights were particularly cool. Yet, his face flushed with heat, and even his palms seemed to be burning. His heart hadn’t calmed down since earlier, beating forcefully.

He tried to close his eyes.

But all he could see was Qi Wang’s smiling face.

Clear eyes, under the shimmering stars and moonlight.

This is bad…

Yu Nian thought, peering out from under the covers, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Since meeting Qi Wang, this person had always been aloof and cold.

Even though their relationship had improved later on, Qi Wang never showed much affection towards him. But whenever he saw Qi Wang, he felt like there was a shadow hanging over him.

It wasn’t that Qi Wang was gloomy, like a villain in a TV show.

It’s just that every time he quietly observed Qi Wang, he felt that this person exuded a kind of aloofness and composure from his bones, indifferent to anyone, like a footless bird in the sky, never lingering anywhere, destined to disappear like smoke one day.

He had to admit.

He was attracted to this side of Qi Wang.

This kind of Qi Wang was quite attractive, unlike those noisy young men, like a spring hidden in the deep green forest, profound and serene.

But just now, Qi Wang smiled at him.

It was faint.

But it seemed to momentarily shed the complexity and darkness, like spring blossoms.

He could clearly hear a soft thud.

As if something had been crushed into his blood, flowing into his limbs.

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah…”

Yu Nian rolled in his blanket, his heart racing, and finally leaned against the wall, motionless.

But the ears peeking out from the strands of his hair were red, almost dripping with blood.

The places touched by Qi Wang seemed to be on fire.

He really had no backbone.

Yu Nian thought.

He had planned to warm up to Qi Wang, to thank him for taking care of him these days, and had put a lot of effort into it, giving gifts and cooking noodles.

But how did it end up like this?

The person who was making him flustered and confused in the end was Qi Wang…

Yu Nian slowly raised his hand, covering his chest. His body curled up even more, as if he could conceal the tumultuous emotions in his heart.

He had never experienced first love.

At the age of eighteen, when hormones were surging, there were not only friendly relationships among classmates but also unabashed malice.

Before he could even begin to understand love, he was troubled by the unpleasantness of school life.

But he wasn’t stupid.

Having seen pigs run, he had also tasted pork.

Back then, he had witnessed countless pairs of lovebirds in school, as well as his dear childhood friend, Ying Quanshen, that little bastard, chasing after girls diligently, only to be dumped time and time again.

He had gained experience just by watching.

How could he not recognize what he was feeling at this moment?

Yu Nian blinked, and somehow, he thought of the scene when he first met Qi Wang.

At “Morning Ten” restaurant.

Qi Wang pushed open the door.

The sunlight was scorching hot, the wind chimes on the door gently tinkling in the breeze, the banyan tree outside the window flourishing, and a chiffon cake was being made in the room.

He raised his eyes, first seeing Qi Wang’s hand, then his gaze slowly moving upward, amazed.

Yu Nian covered his eyes with his hand.

Who could have imagined?

He had only rebelled against his family and wanted to run away from home once, but it seemed like he had encountered someone he liked?

Like.

Just thinking about this word, his body trembled lightly, like a feverish patient, his cheeks abnormally red.

His tongue held a name.

But he hesitated to utter it.

As if once spoken, it would be settled, irreversible.