Yu Zi wasn’t actually going out to drink; he was going to see off Sheng Chuan, who was taking the late-night flight to Australia.

Sheng Chuan was going back for an executive meeting, a result of the recent success at the South Suburb Garden party. Thinking about it, Yu Zi decided to send him off. After all, who knew when they would have the chance to meet again.

Sheng Chuan had sent Yu Zi the flight information during the day. Yu Zi had originally planned to come to the airport on his own after leaving the boxing gym, but Xie Dongcheng intervened.

It had been about a year since Yu Zi last went to the airport. This was his first time taking the airport express instead of his family’s car. After getting off the airport express, he followed the signs and found his way to the international departure entrance.

As soon as he stood still, he saw Sheng Chuan coming out of the black nanny car, followed by another man.

The man was about the same height as Sheng Chuan but looked more refined and handsome. Yu Zi guessed that he was Sheng Chuan’s secretary.

Sheng Chuan also saw Yu Zi and walked towards him, waving his hand. The man behind him went to the check-in counter first to handle the boarding procedures.

“With all your money, you’re still taking a red-eye flight?” Yu Zi couldn’t resist teasing him.

“You really have a foul mouth,” Sheng Chuan pushed his luggage and raised his middle finger at him, “I have to hurry back for an executive meeting.”

“You came all the way here to send me off, and you’re not even being nice?” Sheng Chuan suddenly remembered something, “What about that boy, didn’t he come with you?”

“Who?” Yu Zi shook his head, “People have their own business.”

“The tall guy with the crew cut.”

Yu Zi shrugged, “He has things to do.”

“What things? Doesn’t he follow you around every day?”

“Why do you care so much? I’ve done my part, now get going.” Yu Zi didn’t bother explaining further; otherwise, Sheng Chuan would start probing.

Although he said so, he kept following Sheng Chuan, escorting him into the departure lounge.

Sheng Chuan put his bag on a chair in the waiting area and turned to look at Yu Zi.

“But seriously, what’s wrong with you?” He pointed to Yu Zi’s face.

Yu Zi touched his cheek, “What’s wrong with me? Am I missing an eye or growing an extra mouth?”

Sheng Chuan clicked his tongue, “Haggard, miserable. You’re opening a restaurant, not risking your life, right?”

Yu Zi rubbed his eyes, laughing at himself. He knew he looked tired, “It’s not about the restaurant.”

“Oh, I see. Love troubles.” Sheng Chuan slapped him on the back twice, “Our great love expert, Yu Zi, has fallen in love.”

“Okay, shut up.” Yu Zi saw that the male secretary had finished the procedures and was walking towards them. He pushed Sheng Chuan’s shoulder, “Hurry up and board.”

“Hey, Yu Zi.” Sheng Chuan didn’t move.

Yu Zi looked up at him, “Any last words to say?”

“I’m telling you seriously. Be careful, even if you’re in love, be cautious. Think more for yourself.” Sheng Chuan’s expression was unusually serious, “Don’t be foolishly sincere…”

“Alright, I got it. Stop being my life coach. Your man is looking for you.” Yu Zi didn’t wait for him to finish speaking, reaching out to push him towards the man and turning to leave.

“Young Master Yu.” The secretary approached and greeted him politely.

Yu Zi nodded in response, “No need to be so formal. Just call me Yu Zi.”

“Of course. Let’s go board now. I’ll visit you next time I come back to China.” He smiled at Yu Zi.

Yu Zi smiled back. This secretary was much more sensible than Sheng Chuan, at least in his speech and manners.

Yu Zi watched them leave. Just a few steps outside, he saw the secretary push Sheng Chuan’s back with his right hand, seeming impatient with his slow pace, and scold him. Sheng Chuan looked bewildered and hurried to catch up with him.

Truly a perfect match.

Yu Zi glanced at his phone; it was almost midnight. Through the window, the sky outside the terminal presented a ghostly hue.

Despite the late hour, there seemed to be a reflection of twilight in the distance. At the end of the night sky was a deep purple glow.

Yu Zi walked into the cold early spring night.

The late-night airport express had already stopped, so he had to wait for a taxi in the parking lot.

The bone-chilling wind made him shiver as he leaned against the cold platform billboard. His body was awake, but his mind was chaotic.

Half an hour later, he finally flagged down an empty taxi. He opened the door and sat in the back seat, where the warmth of the car allowed him to catch his breath. The driver played rock music to stay alert, causing the car to vibrate slightly.

“Where to, handsome?” the driver asked him.

“Home…” Yu Zi blurted out before abruptly stopping himself, “Go to Xiping Road.”

Xiping Road was a commercial street about four or five kilometers away from Fangjiayuan. Since he had told Xie Dongcheng he was going out for drinks, he might as well go and have some before heading back.

It was almost 1 a.m. when he got out of the taxi. There were a few drunken men squatting on the roadside, reeking of alcohol and muttering curses.

Yu Zi frowned, holding his breath and stepping back a couple of steps.

He didn’t want to talk to anyone; he just wanted to drink. So, he found a quiet bar and settled into an extremely secluded corner.

Looking at the drink menu, he finally ordered a cheap martini.

He chuckled to himself inwardly, realizing he was now a certified poor person, acting like a penny-pincher in everything he did.

Dinner had long been digested, leaving his stomach empty. As the alcohol flowed down his throat, he felt a cool and tingling sensation. He was already very tired, and even keeping his eyelids open felt exhausting.

“Are you here alone?” suddenly someone tapped his shoulder from behind.

Yu Zi hated being disturbed, so he gave the person behind him a stern look.

The person was initially startled by his expression, taking a step back instinctively. However, after seeing his face clearly, he took a step forward again.

His gaze lingered on Yu Zi’s face for a long time, as if admiring a beautiful and enchanting scene, and couldn’t help but show a frivolous smile.

“Drinking alone so late?” he asked.

Yu Zi was too tired to be patient and waved his hand dismissively, hoping the person would take the hint and leave.

Instead, the person mistook his fatigue for drunken confusion and dared to touch his hand.

This infuriated Yu Zi. He stood up abruptly from his chair, grabbed the person’s wrist, and twisted it hard, causing a crisp sound of bone on bone.

The person winced in pain, “Damn it! Just chatting, was that necessary?”

“Get lost,” Yu Zi said curtly.

The person, grimacing in pain, quickly pulled his hand away and ran off like he had seen a ghost, muttering curses under his breath, “Freak.”

For the first time, Yu Zi felt incredibly foolish, wasting his time with someone like that in such a place.

He finished his drink and looked at his reflection in the transparent glass. His facial features remained the same, but the boldness and arrogance were gone, and he could hardly recognize himself.

Freak. Perhaps the person was right, and he was indeed a freak at this moment. He was truly neurotic, staying up late at night to drink cheap alcohol.

What’s more unsettling was that Sheng Chuan was also right; he was troubled by love.

He found himself, like those foolish people he used to despise, being troubled by love.

If the anchor of time were thrown to any point in his life, he would never have believed that, at the age of twenty-five, he would fall for a straight man.

And yet, here he was, in the dark of night, yearning for love just like those he once looked down upon.

Yu Zi felt like his body had been completely drained by fatigue and alcohol, and all the moisture had evaporated into the deep purple night.

At 2:30 a.m, He finally returned to Fangjiayuan. The light bulb in the hallway was broken again. It had been repaired countless times over the past six months, but it always broke again shortly afterward. This old-fashioned apartment building was covered in scars, and even the load-bearing walls seemed as fragile as cardboard.

Yu Zi pushed open the door, and the living room was pitch black, with the fish tank also silent, devoid of the sound of water. He didn’t turn on the lights, casually took off his coat and threw it on the table. Then he headed straight to the bedroom. However, as he passed the sofa, he suddenly noticed someone lying on it.

He walked over and looked down, only to find that Xie Dongcheng had somehow taken out a blanket and a pillow and fallen asleep in the living room again.

Yu Zi was instantly filled with an inexplicable rage. He stood by the sofa, lifted the thin blanket covering the person, and sat down on him.

Xie Dongcheng woke up completely.

“What’s wrong?” he smelled a faint alcohol scent on Yu Zi’s body. His hand was cold, as if he had just come in from the cold wind.

“Let’s do what we said,” Yu Zi looked down at his neck, then unbuttoned his own shirt, revealing his cold chest.

“What do you mean?” Xie Dongcheng asked.

“Sleep with me,” Yu Zi replied.