December 28th, nearing New Year’s Day.

Qi Wang made the final transfer to a certain bank account.

Standing on the street corner on a winter day, he hesitated for a moment before sending a message to a rarely contacted number, saying he wanted to visit recently.

“Thank you for your help.”

He typed lightly, feeling a bit awkward despite being the only one standing in this deserted corner.

But after sending the message, he felt a sense of relief.

He put his phone back in his pocket and walked to the small shop selling candied chestnuts and roasted chestnuts at the corner of the street.

The owner was a kind middle-aged woman, and judging by reputation, this was the best place nearby for candied and roasted chestnuts.

As Qi Wang approached the glass counter, the owner saw him and smiled, asking, “The usual?”

Qi Wang nodded. “One pound of candied chestnuts.”

“Alright,” the owner replied, then chatted, “Didn’t your little brother come with you today?”

She was referring to Yu Nian.

Because Yu Nian often came with Qi Wang, she once curiously asked if they were brothers.

Yu Nian burst into laughter but didn’t deny it. On the contrary, he nodded vigorously.

“Yes, he’s my brother,” Yu Nian had hugged Qi Wang and deliberately said, “Don’t we look alike?”

The owner couldn’t really see much resemblance, but she nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”

Yu Nian chuckled even more.

That night, when they returned home, he clung to Qi Wang in bed, calling him ge, causing Qi Wang’s throat to tighten slightly, and he even held his hand a bit tighter.

Thinking back to that scene, Qi Wang’s ears couldn’t help but feel a bit hot, but his face remained expressionless.

He paid and left with the bag of chestnuts.

When he got home, because he had been in a hurry all the way, and the package had been tucked inside his down jacket, the chestnuts were still warm.

He entered his room.

The curtains were drawn, casting a dim light in the room, and there was a round bulge on his blanket.

He walked over and lifted the blanket, and sure enough, Yu Nian was awake, playing with his phone under the covers, and smiled when he saw him.

There was a hint of laughter in Qi Wang’s eyes.

“Get up,” he said. “Don’t you want to eat chestnuts?”

Yu Nian hummed as he sat up, but refused to get out of bed, still wrapped in the blanket.

Seeing him like this, Qi Wang just sat on the edge of the bed and helped Yu Nian peel the chestnuts.

Yu Nian liked to eat them but didn’t like to do it himself. With Qi Wang’s nimble and skilled fingers, the task was quickly done.

Qi Wang soon peeled a small bowlful and let Yu Nian eat.

He noticed that the room wasn’t very warm and glanced at the nearby air conditioner remote.

“Is the air conditioner broken again?” he frowned. “It doesn’t seem to be heating properly.”

Yu Nian hadn’t noticed, but soon after, he sneezed.

“It seems so,” Yu Nian rubbed his nose. “This air conditioner hasn’t been heating well recently. I almost froze last night.”

Qi Wang touched Yu Nian’s face.

A sense of guilt rose in his heart.

When he first rented this room, it was narrow and cold, but he couldn’t bear to let Yu Nian stay here for long.

He said, “When we find a suitable place, I’ll take you out. I’ve looked at a few places, but they’re all a bit unsuitable. We need a two-bedroom apartment, with a big enough bedroom, facing the sun, and the other room can be your study.”

Yu Nian grinned.

“No hurry,” he emphasized his adaptability, although he was tender and delicate, he could still force himself to adapt. He shrugged, “I’m used to it anyway.”

He felt a bit sorry, “And the houses you’re looking at are a bit expensive, this one is fine.”

Qi Wang felt the same way.

Yu Nian had talked until he was blue in the face about having money, but Qi Wang wouldn’t let him spend it, and he took on most of the household expenses, which made Yu Nian quite frustrated.

He wanted to shout and take off his coat, let Qi Wang see what kind of rich second generation he was.

But he was also a bit cowardly.

He dared not.

Besides… Yu Nian rubbed his face, feeling a bit embarrassed about his own little thoughts.

His boyfriend might also have a bit of a saintly father in his attributes. Qi Wang thought he was just an ordinary son from an ordinary family, who had lost his parents early, although he didn’t mention it, he cared for him to the point of pampering him, almost always doting, and thoughtfully planning for him in every aspect.

Yu Nian even discovered that Qi Wang was calculating the expenses he would need for university, and was even considering whether he should attend cram school before returning to school.

Every little thing reflected a sense of responsibility similar to that of an older brother or sister, as if raising him well was the most important thing in the world.

It made him both amused and touched.

But the page of expenses he had seen was one he peeked at, and after reading it, he quietly put it back for Qi Wang.

He thought, let’s wait a little longer, give him some more time to prepare. When he was about to return to school, he would snuggle into Qi Wang’s bed again, sticking to this person, and gradually reveal all his family background and experiences over the years to Qi Wang.

He was willing to share everything related to him with Qi Wang.

He was also willing to take care of Qi Wang, allowing Qi Wang to pursue the life he wanted freely.

Thinking of this, Yu Nian slowly leaned his head on Qi Wang’s shoulder, smiling particularly sweetly.

When Qi Wang asked him why he was smiling, he didn’t say anything, just thinking to himself, “I want to give you a big surprise.”

But he didn’t expect.

The surprise he wanted to give Qi Wang had not been fulfilled.

His older brother and sister, however, gave him a “surprise”.

---

When Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao arrived, it was just after New Year’s Day.

The restaurant was lively, with New Year decorations everywhere, as well as special New Year cookies and cakes. Cute little ingots were shaped, wishing everyone a prosperous new year.

Yu Nian picked a strawberry-flavored one and was just nibbling on it when he received a call from his brother.

“Hello, ge?” Yu Nian munched on his biscuit, feeling quite good, “What’s up?”

Pei Zhao sat in the car, his brow slightly furrowed, listening to Yu Nian’s carefree voice, not knowing what to say.

He glanced at the passenger seat.

Yu Xinli’s face was frosty, with a few thin photos on her knee, all of Yu Nian and another tall young man, the two of them leaving work together, shopping, sharing snacks… even kissing in the hallway.

Pei Zhao sighed silently, asking Yu Nian, “Have you finished work? Your sister and I are here to pick you up and have something to discuss with you.”

Yu Nian hesitated.

But at this moment, he hadn’t realized the crisis yet and foolishly agreed.

“Okay, I’ll be off in half an hour, I’ll tell the boss and…” he almost said Qi Wang’s name, then abruptly stopped, “and my colleagues.”

“Good.”

Pei Zhao’s tone remained unchanged.

After hanging up the phone, his expression sank, his eyes revealing helplessness.

He looked at Yu Xinli beside him, worried, “When we see Yu Nian later, don’t scold him first, he’s still young…”

Yu Xinli gave him a cold look, the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

She sneered, seeing the few photos on her knee, feeling quite angry.

“He’s young? Your little brother is dating a guy behind your back, and you still think he’s a child.”

Pei Zhao was speechless.

His expression froze for a moment, and after a moment, he didn’t know what to say, sighing deeply.

They received a report about Yu Nian’s abnormal behavior a week ago.

Although they indulged Yu Nian outside, they arranged bodyguards for him out of concern for his safety, who kept watch from afar outside “Morning Ten” and Yu Nian’s residence.

To avoid affecting Yu Nian, these bodyguards would not approach, only observing from a distance and only appearing when absolutely necessary.

But just a week ago, this group of bodyguards faced a tricky problem.

In theory, they were only responsible for Yu Nian’s safety and only needed to report on a regular basis.

However, as they watched, they suddenly found that the boss’s younger brother seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with another man.

The leader of the bodyguard team hesitated repeatedly, not knowing if this fell within the scope of safety issues. In the end, he took a risk and chose to report it.

As soon as this report landed on Yu Xinli’s desk, she was furious.

In the photos, Yu Nian was kissing Qi Wang on the cheek. Behind them was a dim and old residential building, with dim and rusty street lights illuminating Yu Nian’s face and the joy in the corners of his eyes and brows.

Yu Xinli’s blood pressure was rising.

When she was tasked with taking over the group in a crisis, it seemed that she had never had such a headache before.

That morning, she even canceled a scheduled meeting and sat in the high-level office, her face pale with anger. If Pei Zhao hadn’t stopped her, she would have almost immediately sent someone to the small restaurant and brought Yu Nian back home.

It was Pei Zhao who held her back, asking her not to be hasty, thinking about the mistakes they had made before.

“You should at least understand the relationship between Yu Nian and this person, whether it’s a misunderstanding or not. If Yu Nian really likes him, you should also understand what kind of person he is,” Pei Zhao said helplessly, “You’re so anxious, it will only backfire.”

But now, the two of them still appeared outside “Morning Ten”.

Yu Xinli’s face grew colder and colder. Besides those few photos, there were also a few thin sheets of paper in the folder underneath, sharp as a knife, detailing everything about Qi Wang that could be found.

“Such a headache,” Yu Xinli said softly, her voice devoid of emotion, but with a cold exhaustion, “You told me not to get angry, but when you look at the person he chose, when you look at this person’s background and character, can you not be angry? If you really can be forgiving, would you come here with me to pick up Yu Nian?”

Pei Zhao opened his mouth, but couldn’t say anything.

He rubbed his brow, feeling quite a headache himself.

Although he was a bit softer than Yu Xinli, after all these years of ups and downs in the business world, managing such a large group with Yu Xinli, he was not a pushover.

Qi Wang was originally entrusted by Song Yunchun to take care of Yu Nian, so he should have a good understanding of their family background.

In such a situation, Qi Wang formed a couple with Yu Nian, who was completely different from him.

It was really hard for him not to suspect this person’s intentions.

Thinking of this, he didn’t advise Yu Xinli anymore, just said, “Even if you educate Yu Nian, speak nicely, don’t scare him.”

Yu Xinli snorted, whether she agreed or not was unclear.

---

More than half an hour later, Yu Nian came out of “Morning Ten” restaurant without any awareness.

He crossed the street and when he saw Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao, he happily greeted them.

Opening the car door, he got into the back seat. As soon as he entered, he felt the warmth inside the car and shivered instead.

“So cold today,” he said with a smile, asking his brother and sister, “Why do you have time to pick me up today? What’s the hurry?”

Pei Zhao pointed to the steering wheel casually, “It’s not a big deal, just missed you, so we’ll take you to dinner first, then talk about choosing a school abroad.”

Yu Nian didn’t suspect anything, nodded happily, “Oh, I’ve missed you guys too, was just thinking of coming back for a couple of days. It’s like we’re telepathic.”

He leaned forward, hugged Yu Xinli from behind, “Sis, why are you ignoring me, not saying anything, feeling bad?”

While the car wasn’t moving yet, he leaned towards the passenger seat, his eyes shining as he looked at Yu Xinli.

When Yu Xinli glanced at him and saw his cold expression almost unable to hold, she thought to herself that she probably owed Yu Nian a lot of money in her past life, which was why she ended up being Yu Nian’s sister, worrying about this and that.

She reached out and twisted Yu Nian’s ear, but couldn’t bring herself to do it too hard.

She said coldly, “The only one who can make me angry is you, the one who never listens to me.”

Yu Nian chuckled, “That’s not necessarily true, I’m much easier to deal with than your other clients, right? Besides, I’m so well-behaved.”

He acted cute towards Yu Xinli, blinking his eyes, suddenly becoming childish, as if he hadn’t grown up yet, making Yu Xinli’s emotions even more complicated.

---

Pei Zhao drove to an old Italian restaurant. Yu Nian had always loved the pizza here.

When parking, he self-deprecatingly thought that he was giving a gift before the stick, but unfortunately he knew that Yu Nian was no longer a child, and a pizza couldn’t just appease him.

Because of this, Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao couldn’t eat much during the meal, and stopped after just a little.

Yu Nian, on the other hand, was completely unaware, secretly texting Qi Wang. He was clingy and shameless, calling him “husband” and engaging in dirty talk, sweet and wild.

He had no idea that he was about to face a great crisis.

Qi Wang was still at work, and when he saw Yu Nian’s message during his break, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his icy face. But his lips curled up slightly, his eyes softened, as he introduced the restaurant’s new dishes to the incoming customers.

In the many years to come, Qi Wang would often recall this day.

He always remembered the frost on the windows that day, the red New Year decorations in the restaurant, the hot mulled wine bubbling on the counter, and the quiet and peaceful atmosphere everywhere, as if everything was beautiful and would never be broken.

As he made a fruit platter at the counter, he was unusually absent-minded, thinking that after New Year’s Day, he could take a break again and accompany Yu Nian to see some snow. This northern city wasn’t cold enough, and this year only saw a few scattered snowflakes, which Yu Nian wasn’t satisfied with.

He was so focused on his thoughts, feeling happy.

But little did he know, this would be the happiest day of his next seven years.