Early the next morning, they set out with Kuang Yaoting to the New Ocean Container Port on the west bank of Tuen Mun.

Developed by the Kuang family’s Huizhan Shipping and jointly invested in by Cen An, it received strong support from the local government. It connected the entire Greater Bay Area, a large-scale smart port, and within just a year, the first phase of the project had taken shape and would be completed before the next summer.

Ning Zhiyuan lowered the car window, looking at the newly transformed port ahead, feeling somewhat nostalgic.

Last year, when he came here with Kuang Yaoting, this place wasn’t like this. Now, various large machinery structures had been set up, and not far away, the control center building had just been completed half a month ago, shining brilliantly in the sunlight with its glass exterior.

Ning Zhiyuan recalled his state of mind at that time—ambitious, full of heroic aspirations, eager to be displayed. Perhaps at that time, he hadn’t imagined that he would be in his current situation today.

“We’ve arrived, get out of the car.” When the car stopped, Cen Zhisen’s voice brought him back from his thoughts.

Ning Zhiyuan slightly composed himself and opened the car door.

The head of the control center welcomed them inside. In the industrial and technologically modernized remote control room, he provided a detailed introduction and demonstration of the operation procedures of these remote control platforms.

Ning Zhiyuan was very familiar with these intelligent systems and interactive platforms, all of which were provided by Cen An’s technical support. Even the person in charge was transferred from Cen An’s headquarters, and he recognized him.

He resigned from Cen An right after signing this project, and the subsequent matters were entirely handled by Cen Zhisen, who personally supervised the coordination. Perhaps only Cen Zhisen could keep up with his train of thought and arrange the follow-up in an orderly manner, not wasting the project he signed.

Afterward, they went up to the rooftop of this ten-story building and looked out at the harbor.

Beyond the industrial machinery, there was the blue sky, white clouds, and occasionally passing seabirds.

Once this port officially started operations, large ocean liners would dock here, and countless containers would be loaded and unloaded, transforming this place significantly.

Ning Zhiyuan remembered the last time they were here, also standing here. At that time, this place was just a low hill, and the view was not as expansive as it is now.

At this moment, he suddenly felt relieved. At least, everything they saw now did not disappoint the fervor he had back then. Cen Zhisen continued his aspirations.

The person next to him raised the camera and captured this scene.

Ning Zhiyuan looked over, and Cen Zhisen didn’t bring his DSLR today; he had a polaroid borrowed from the center in his hands.

Kuang Yaoting was on the other side, listening to the report on the construction of the terminal. The accompanying subordinates were making their respective records. However, the two of them, who walked to the edge of the rooftop, started a conversation unrelated to the topic.

Cen Zhisen looked at the just-developed photo. Although it was a polaroid, the image quality was ordinary, but he was quite satisfied.

Ning Zhiyuan looked at it, not quite understanding. “Why are you taking this? If it’s for documentation, there’s no need for you to personally do it.”

Cen Zhisen didn’t answer. His gaze shifted from the photo to Ning Zhiyuan’s face, took a quick glance, and then returned. He took out the pen he carried with him, uncapped it, bit it between his teeth, and wrote a line on the back of the photo.

Then he handed the photo to Ning Zhiyuan, saying, “It’s for you.”

Ning Zhiyuan looked down, and he wrote a sentence in Spanish—

Este es un puerto.

Ning Zhiyuan could understand Spanish; he had taken this language as an elective before. The meaning of this sentence was also simple and straightforward.

This is a port.

What puzzled him was that Cen Zhisen took this photo, wrote this sentence, and said it was for him. It seemed a bit inexplicable, yet it appeared particularly solemn.

But Cen Zhisen’s expression suggested that he didn’t plan to explain it clearly.

Ning Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, accepted the photo, and didn’t ask more.

The itinerary was nearing noon.

Cen Zhisen had other work arrangements and needed to stay here for two more days. On the other hand, Ning Zhiyuan had to take a flight back around two in the afternoon.

“I’ll take you to the airport.” Before getting in the car, Cen Zhisen said.

“Don’t you have other plans in the afternoon?” Ning Zhiyuan looked at his wristwatch. “No need; besides, it’s quite close from here to the airport. Just arrange a car to send me there.”

“Since it’s close, let me send you.” Cen Zhisen insisted.

After considering it, Ning Zhiyuan decided to go along with it. There was no need to persuade him.

He informed Kuang Yaoting, and upon hearing this, Kuang Yaoting turned his head, looked at Cen Zhisen giving instructions to his assistant behind, and asked Ning Zhiyuan, “Aren’t you waiting for him to go back together?”

“No, I have other work to do when I return, and he also has plans here. What can I do by following him? Love isn’t carried out like this.”

Kuang Yaoting nodded in understanding. “Indeed, you two are not like ordinary people. I used to think that with your current identity, you might be bullied by him, but it seems I was overthinking.”

“It’s not to that extent. With long legs on my body, if I get bullied, wouldn’t I just run away?” Ning Zhiyuan chuckled.

After a few jokes, Kuang Yaoting concluded, “I hope to see more surprises on you the next time we meet.”

Ning Zhiyuan smiled again, “It’s probably difficult to win a million in horse racing again.”

Cen Zhisen also came over and shook hands with Kuang Yaoting, bidding farewell with grace.

Afterward, they got into the car together, heading towards the airport.

As the car pulled out, Ning Zhiyuan was playing with his phone. Suddenly, Cen Zhisen asked, “Have I ever bullied you?”

Ning Zhiyuan: “How come you eavesdrop on my conversations again?”

“It’s not eavesdropping,” Cen Zhisen said, “Your voices are naturally loud.”

He persisted, “Zhiyuan, have I bullied you?”

“You haven’t?” Ning Zhiyuan reminded him, “Speak with your conscience.”

There were indeed incidents in their childhood, but calling it “bullying” was more about teasing his younger brother. As they grew older, the distance between them increased, and even the chance for this kind of “bullying” disappeared.

After a brief thought, Cen Zhisen said, “If you let me bully you willingly, I’d like to do that.”

He said it with a meaningful look, pretending to be serious.

Ning Zhiyuan almost immediately understood. The “bullying” he mentioned was that kind of “bullying,” and the timing for it.

His brother was indeed a sly old fox.

Especially in front of him, he was becoming less and less discreet about his true nature.

Suppressing a smile, Ning Zhiyuan averted his eyes.

Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at its destination, precisely at noon.

Cen Zhisen glanced at the time and got out of the car with Ning Zhiyuan.

“Let’s find a restaurant first.” He suggested.

They found a local tea restaurant near the airport. While waiting for the dishes, Ning Zhiyuan looked again at the photo Cen Zhisen had just given him, still unable to discern any deeper meaning.

“Cen Zhisen, what does this really mean?”

Cen Zhisen poured himself a cup of tea, “I thought you weren’t planning to ask.”

Ning Zhiyuan: “So, are you planning to say or not?”

“Not planning to,” Cen Zhisen shook his head, “Take your time to think about it, or I’ll tell you when I feel like it.”

“Do you find this amusing?” Ning Zhiyuan sighed.

Cen Zhisen looked at him, smiled, took a sip of tea, and felt content, “It’s rare to see you not so all-knowing; it’s quite interesting.”

Ning Zhiyuan was both amused and annoyed, “Alright, let’s forget about it.”

He took a book from his luggage and casually inserted the photo into it.

Seeing Cen Zhisen drinking tea, Ning Zhiyuan also picked up the teapot, intending to pour himself some. However, Cen Zhisen stopped him, “Don’t drink it, or you won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“It’s okay. I drank a lot last night, and I slept well.” Ning Zhiyuan said.

Last night was a rare night of good sleep during his business trip. He still wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else, but perhaps the words Cen Zhisen said before going to bed had an effect. He did sleep quite well last night.

Cen Zhisen warned him, “Drink some tea if you want, but avoid coffee.”

“No—” Ning Zhiyuan was about to retort, but when he met Cen Zhisen’s gaze, he changed his words, “Alright, fine.”

He actually didn’t like others telling him what to do, but this person was Cen Zhisen. Even if it was like when they were kids, with him repeatedly giving advice and teaching simple truths, Ning Zhiyuan was willing to listen.

After finishing the meal, when it was almost time, they left the restaurant. Cen Zhisen’s car was waiting on the roadside, and Ning Zhiyuan planned to enter the airport.

It seemed like an ordinary farewell, with not much to say. They nodded to each other, and Cen Zhisen spoke first, “Call me when you get back.”

Ning Zhiyuan: “Okay.”

His attention shifted to the other side of the street, where a young couple was hugging on the sidewalk. They had suitcases by their sides, and a taxi with its door half-open was waiting for them.

The couple, in each other’s arms, was reluctant to part, and they began to kiss.

Cen Zhisen turned his head, following Ning Zhiyuan’s gaze, then looked back at the person in front of him.

Ning Zhiyuan also withdrew his gaze, meeting Cen Zhisen’s eyes. He smiled and said, “It seems like that’s the right way to say goodbye.”

“Zhiyuan,” Cen Zhisen also smiled, “We are both here for work. You’re just going back a bit earlier. Is that necessary?”

“Oh, forget it then.” Ning Zhiyuan said, sounding either regretful or something else.

“Enough with the jokes; I’m really going in now.”

After saying this, he waved, bidding farewell, and left confidently with his luggage.

Cen Zhisen watched him, and just as Ning Zhiyuan was about to enter, he called out, “Zhiyuan.”

Ning Zhiyuan turned around, and Cen Zhisen walked briskly over, extending his hand and pulling him into a tight embrace.

It was not a lingering farewell, but a strong and robust hug, exclusive to the camaraderie between men.

In just a moment, Cen Zhisen released him, restraining himself and stepping back.

Ning Zhiyuan regained his senses, his smiling face particularly dazzling in the sunlight. “So, what was that all about?”

Cen Zhisen raised his chin slightly. “Just go in. See you when you’re back.”

Ning Zhiyuan still looked at the person in front of him, smiling, but he didn’t speak or move.

Then he released the suitcase in his hand, took a step forward, wrapped his arms around Cen Zhisen’s neck, planted a kiss on his lips, and then stepped back.

Cen Zhisen smiled again.

This time, it was Ning Zhiyuan who said, “Really leaving now. See you.”

He turned around without lingering and walked into the airport.

While waiting to board, he received a message from Cen Zhisen on his phone: “Have a safe journey.”

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “Focus on your work; we’ll talk tonight.”

Cen Zhisen: “Send me a message once you land.”

Ning Zhiyuan scrolled through his chat history with Cen Zhisen. Initially, he didn’t pay much attention, just exchanging a few meaningless messages every day. However, over time, these accumulated into a significant volume.

He only started using domestic chat apps after returning to China. When Cen Zhisen asked for his contact information, he only provided his phone number, mainly out of stubbornness towards Cen Zhisen.

As for the reason, he didn’t quite remember anymore. It might have been an unintentional remark from Cen Zhisen, or maybe it was because of someone around him. No wonder Cen Zhisen used to find him unlikeable. Though he seemed carefree, facing Cen Zhisen was always awkward and stubborn.

After some thought, he sent another message, “I forgot to tell you something just now.”

Cen Zhisen replied, “What is it?”

“Finishing this project today makes me happy. This is the last project I handled at Cen An, and it took a lot of effort to secure it. Thank you for valuing it.”

A new message arrived. Cen Zhisen read the lines, leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and smiled silently.

Half a minute later, Ning Zhiyuan received his response, a simple “You’re welcome,” accompanied by a curled finger emoji pressed against the lips, conveying a similarly amused expression.

Before boarding the plane and stowing his carry-on luggage, Ning Zhiyuan came out with a book, planning to read it after takeoff to pass the time.

The photo tucked in the book fluttered out and fell to the ground.

He reached out to pick it up but was preempted by someone passing by. A gracefully aging foreign woman, who happened to pick up the photo with the back facing up. When her gaze fell on it, she casually read out the Spanish sentence written on it.

“Este es un puerto, aquí te amo.”

Ning Zhiyuan looked up in surprise.

The woman handed the photo back to him, saying in English, “Sorry, I happened to see it, so I read it out.”

Ning Zhiyuan asked, “What about the sentence on the back?”

She smiled and winked, “It’s a line from a poem.”

A few minutes later, Ning Zhiyuan, looking at the search results on his phone screen, couldn’t help but chuckle.

He didn’t have many artistic cells, unlike Cen Zhisen. Therefore, he didn’t know that this was actually a line from a famous Spanish poem.

Este es un puerto,

This is a port,

Aquí te amo.

Here, I love you.

His gaze returned to the photo in his hand, looking at the panoramic view of the harbor taken by Cen Zhisen. Suddenly, he had a feeling that this wasn’t a simple confession.

When Cen Zhisen wrote this poem, perhaps he had already sensed Ning Zhiyuan’s fluctuating emotions. So, he used this method to tell him that it wasn’t just for the sake of the company’s interests. Cen Zhisen truly valued this project because of him.

Recalling the scene of Cen Zhisen biting the pen cap and writing this poem in the sea breeze and sunlight, his focused eyes while holding the pen still seemed vivid in his mind.

What used to seem cruel now felt gentle.

—Cen Zhisen loved him, and he was sincerely in love with him.

His heart warmed, beating vigorously with vitality.

After the initial encounter, what followed might be called a sinking.