Exiting the room, Tang Shujie seemed hesitant to speak.

Cen Zhisen and Ning Zhiyuan walked side by side on the boardwalk, studying a tropical shrub nearby, discussing its species.

Engaged in a natural and intimate conversation, they seemed to be in a world of their own.

Ning Zhiyuan reached out to pluck a leaf, but Cen Zhisen held his hand back, saying, “Be careful, don’t touch it; it has thorns.”

“I know,” Ning Zhiyuan replied, “I just wanted to take a look.”

Tang Shujie: “…”

He couldn’t watch.

He had known these two brothers since childhood. When Ning Zhiyuan just learned to speak, Tang Shujie found him cute and always wanted to tease him into calling him “brother.” However, Ning Zhiyuan didn’t buy it. If provoked, he would even bite. Strangely, when facing Cen Zhisen, he would sweetly say “brother,” with a completely different attitude.

Yes, this Xiao Cen was a cunning one from a young age.

Later, their brotherly relationship soured. Whenever Cen Zhisen mentioned his little brother, it was always with a sense of helplessness. Tang Shujie even gloated about it. But now, it turned out?

If he didn’t know about Cen Zhisen’s sexual orientation, he might not think much. However, he knew.

Cen Zhisen’s companions were people he had seen, and they were completely different from Ning Zhiyuan in terms of type. If there was anything in common, it was that they were all men.

Cen Zhisen liked men, and his non-blood-related brother happened to be a man.

“Why are you standing there? Do you want to come back and look at the trees later?” Tang Shujie couldn’t help but urge.

Ning Zhiyuan turned around, glanced at him, and smiled, “Why didn’t I hear that you were getting married before? Moving pretty fast.”

“It’s an engagement, not marriage. That’s still a long way off,” Tang Shujie shrugged. “Let’s talk about it later.”

Cen Zhisen also asked, “If you’re unwilling, why did you agree?”

“It’s my parents’ idea,” Tang Shujie explained nonchalantly. “Both families decided it. I don’t really care. I talked to her privately, and she doesn’t mind either. So, let it be. If the feelings develop, that’s great. If not, we can go our separate ways.”

Ning Zhiyuan, hearing this, glanced at Cen Zhisen with a meaningful look.

Cen Zhisen knew he was teasing him. Coming out was just that—directly coming out without any reservations or caring about what the elders thought.

But when it came to rebellion, he and Ning Zhiyuan were actually quite similar.

With a hand on Ning Zhiyuan’s back, Cen Zhisen lightly pushed him and said, “Let’s go, let’s eat first.”

A few friends were already waiting for them in the restaurant. Two of them brought their girlfriends, while the other person managed to hit it off with a girl on the plane, sitting together as well.

Tang Shujie’s fiancée was absent, as she went to the SPA with some friends.

After the three of them sat down, Tang Shujie looked around. To his right were three couples, to his left was a pair of gay men. Although he was the main character of the engagement, he appeared to be the one left out, quite comical.

While eating, everyone chatted about various topics, from leisure and entertainment to business. They were all interested in Ning Zhiyuan’s venture capital fund, asking about the projects he was currently investing in. Ning Zhiyuan casually mentioned a few, and one person regretfully said, “I should have invested some money earlier.”

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “There will be a chance when we raise funds for the second phase.”

Tang Shujie curiously asked, “Are you already thinking about the second phase now?”

“Within two years. The target scale for the new phase should be at least twice as large,” Ning Zhiyuan said confidently. He always had this level of self-assurance.

Someone laughed and sighed, “By then, personal investments like ours probably won’t catch your eye anymore.”

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t deny it. He didn’t want funds to be too scattered, so during subsequent fundraising, he would indeed prioritize institutional investors with larger investment amounts.

“If you’re willing to contribute more money, you’re welcome too,” he added.

Cen Zhisen looked at him and smiled slightly.

He liked Ning Zhiyuan’s absolute confidence, both in the past and now.

After dinner, the others went to explore the nearby night market. Tang Shujie didn’t wait for his fiancée, feeling a bit frustrated. He tried to pull Cen Zhisen to accompany him to the bar for a drink, but Cen Zhisen refused, bringing him back to the room instead. They drank on the terrace overlooking the sea to prevent things from getting out of hand when he got drunk.

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t follow and returned to his own room.

He enjoyed the night view alone for a while. When he wanted to take a bath, he realized that the lighter Cen Zhisen had given him was missing.

After searching the room without success, he frowned, thinking for a moment before heading to Cen Zhisen’s room.

The terrace didn’t require passing through Cen Zhisen’s room; it was just around the corner from the boardwalk. Ning Zhiyuan admired the night view, walking lightly.

“It has nothing to do with you; stop asking.” Cen Zhisen’s voice came with the night wind.

Ning Zhiyuan stopped, his figure hidden behind the corner.

Tang Shujie took a big sip of beer. “I’m just gossiping. What’s going on with you and that person? What’s the deal between you two? Although you’re not biological brothers, aren’t you… uncomfortable? Cen Zhisen, you really surprise me. You even dare to get involved with this kind of forbidden relationship.”

“You said it yourself; we’re not real brothers,” Cen Zhisen replied.

“So what are you two then?” Tang Shujie was dissatisfied and insisted on making him feel uncomfortable. “Have you two slept together? Your past partners never lasted more than a year; can he handle it? Also, it’s strange. I’ve seen him change girlfriends more frequently than I do. How did you manage to deceive him into being with you? Aren’t you two incompatible?”

“We are not incompatible,” Cen Zhisen’s tone faded a bit, and he seemed unwilling to answer further.

“You’re heartless,” Tang Shujie scoffed.

Cen Zhisen ignored him.

Ning Zhiyuan stood in place for a moment, silently sneered, and then left.

Ten minutes later, he found the dropped lighter at the restaurant’s front desk. Just as he was about to leave, someone called his name—it was the woman who had greeted him on the plane.

“Are you alone?” she asked. “Interested in having a drink together?”

“I don’t feel like drinking,” Ning Zhiyuan declined. “I plan to take a walk by the seaside. If you’re interested, join me.”

Walking from the restaurant to the beach took only a few minutes. In the night, the lights illuminated the area, and more people were present than during the day.

The soft white sand crunched beneath his feet. After dark, the color of the sea turned into a rich deep blue, shimmering under the night lights.

The sea breeze tousled his hair, lifting a corner of his shirt. Ning Zhiyuan stopped, gazing at the distant sea, and the deep blue of the ocean blended into his eyes under the night sky.

“You seem to be in a bad mood.” the woman beside him said.

“No,” Ning Zhiyuan smiled. “Just a bit tired.”

“Really?” she said somewhat regretfully. “I wanted to invite you for a couple of drinks.”

Ning Zhiyuan turned his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Have a few drinks, and then what?”

The woman’s slender wrist lifted, and her fingertips, adorned with brightly colored nail polish, lightly touched his shoulder. In her lowered, flirtatious voice, she added, “How about going to my room?”

Ning Zhiyuan looked at her without answering, his eyes still reflecting the deep blue of the night sea, as if he were looking at someone else through her.

Maybe not just her, but many forgotten and blurry faces. Ning Zhiyuan was only thinking about the question Cen Zhisen had asked earlier—was it an aphrodisiac or a lifesaving straw?

He didn’t know; he just felt lonely, as he always had.

“Never mind,” Ning Zhiyuan said. “I have company now.”

The woman looked slightly surprised, withdrew her hand, and stared at him for a moment before asking, “Are you in a relationship then?”

Ning Zhiyuan shook his head with a smile. “No.”

On the terrace, Tang Shujie, still drinking and complaining, suddenly heard Cen Zhisen speak, “You just asked me what to do when the excitement is over.”

Tang Shujie burped, “Yeah? Don’t tell me you want to date your little brother?”

Cen Zhisen leaned back in his chair, looking up at the night sky. Slowly swallowing the beer in his mouth, he said, “If that day really comes, I will wait for him to get tired of me first.”

The woman, puzzled, asked, “Having company but not dating?”

Ning Zhiyuan asked her in return, “What does it feel like to be in love?”

“Xiao Cen, haven’t you ever been in love?” She laughed. “If people hear you say that, it would break their hearts.”

Ning Zhiyuan thought, indeed, he hadn’t. He seemed to lack the ability to love.

Because he hadn’t received much love from childhood to adulthood, he didn’t understand how to love others, whether in terms of family or romance.

He could make Cen Shengli happy, get along well with Ning Zheng and Sun Xiaoqing, all based on his versatile personality, and that’s all.

The only person he cared about and even had an obsession with was Cen Zhisen.

Longing for this brother, and hating the unfairness he suffered because of him, competing with him, snatching from him, trying to win over him, and wanting to be seen in his eyes.

When Cen Zhisen personally uncovered his origins, most of his frustration came from being “abandoned” by Cen Zhisen.

Without this brotherly relationship, he lost all reasons to chase after this person.

The desire to go to a foreign place to find himself was just an excuse. Only he knew that he had already fallen into the abyss of despair.

Fortunately, just before drowning, he managed to grasp another lifeline.

His brother, who had developed an inappropriate affection for him.

He had known early on that Cen Zhisen liked men. Confused, non-understanding, and even resentful, he never thought that after their relationship changed, Cen Zhisen would silently pursue him.

He didn’t reject it; he was even pleased. In the relationship between him and Cen Zhisen, he was no longer completely at a disadvantage. If this was what Cen Zhisen wanted, he was willing to cooperate.

Playing ambiguous games for him was like picking up something within arm’s reach. All the push and pull, the back and forth, were all within his calculations.

But it was not enough.

He wanted to see Cen Zhisen lose control, lose composure, lose his calmness, just these were not enough.

“The feeling of being in love is bitter and sweet, with a bit of heartache, and there’s also the physical desire. Just seeing that person, you can’t help but want to hug, kiss, and go to bed with them.”

The woman said, “you’ll understand it after experiencing it once.”

Ning Zhiyuan slowly played with the lighter in his hand and said softly, “Is that so?”

If he ended up in bed with Cen Zhisen, he would probably be the one playing a certain role, which he could accept.

He raised the corner of his lips and asked, “What if the other person only wants to go to bed with you?”

The woman was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.

Things that are too easily obtained are often easy to get tired of. So, let him become addicted and savor it.

Ning Zhiyuan lost interest in the conversation.

The woman left first, and he was left alone by the seaside, watching the night scenery and feeling the sea breeze until the night became quiet.

On the way back, he rarely encountered anyone. The light and shadow of street lamps intertwined with swaying tree shadows. With the wind coming from an unknown direction, Ning Zhiyuan felt his heart fluttering until he saw Cen Zhisen.

That person was on the wooden path ahead, waiting beside the tropical shrub.

Ning Zhiyuan stopped, looking up.

Cen Zhisen’s figure was tall, standing at the dividing line between light and shadow. His eyes seemed to be enchanting, looking at him.

Afterward, Cen Zhisen walked down the wooden path and approached.

“Where did you go?”

When the voice was close, Ning Zhiyuan returned to his senses, and a smile appeared on his lips. “You haven’t slept yet?”

“Where did you go?” Cen Zhisen asked again.

“Just went out for a walk, met an old acquaintance,” Ning Zhiyuan said, looking directly into Cen Zhisen’s eyes. “She invited me to her room, I went, and we went to bed.”

Cen Zhisen first frowned, staring into his eyes, silent for a few seconds, then leaned over and sniffed near his neck.

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t move, maintaining eye contact with him.

“Liar,” Cen Zhisen said in a low voice. “There’s no one else’s scent on you.”

Ning Zhiyuan said, “Didn’t fool you either.”

“Zhiyuan,” Cen Zhisen murmured his name, sighed softly, and said, “I don’t know what to do with you.”

Ning Zhiyuan continued to smile, “Ge, that sounds pretty cheesy.”

“Seriously,” Cen Zhisen said, not minding being teased.

He said it seriously, and Ning Zhiyuan also restrained his joking thoughts for a moment. He looked up and said, “Have you ever cared about someone? The ones from before?”

Cen Zhisen looked into his eyes, trying to discern the depth of his words. “I seem to have said more than once; I didn’t have a romantic relationship with them.”

“Okay,” Ning Zhiyuan said.

“If you must ask,” Cen Zhisen continued, “yes, you.”

Only now did he gradually realize that he did care about this younger brother, even though his performance as an older brother wasn’t great. However, this care had changed in quality, and saying it out loud seemed to lack persuasive power.

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t believe it, “Stop kidding, liar”

He intentionally emphasized the last word, adding a touch of mockery.

Cen Zhisen remembered the question Tang Shujie had asked earlier, about what to do when the excitement faded. Looking at Ning Zhiyuan in front of him, he suddenly felt that maybe that day would never come.

Ning Zhiyuan was special. This person had been in his life for over twenty years, and regardless of the type of relationship, his presence could not be erased.

“You’ll know in the future,” Cen Zhisen said.

Ning Zhiyuan patted his chest with his hand, “It’s late; go back and sleep.”

Parting ways at the wooden path, Ning Zhiyuan bid him goodnight, “Good night, Ge.”

Cen Zhisen also said, “Good night.”