The atmosphere between Chu Lai and Cen Wei remained odd until Chu Lai got home.

He declined Cen Wei’s offer to walk him upstairs, but before he even entered the building, Cen Wei came over, carrying the stuff from the back seat.

“Chu Lai.”

Chu Lai was still waiting for the elevator. He had taken a day off today, but he couldn’t escape work and would have to reply to messages later. While holding a blueberry cake and thinking about how to respond to the intern, Cen Wei approached him, “These are for you.”

The Cen family was wealthy, and these gifts—whether clothes or food boxes—were something Chu Lai couldn’t comfortably accept.

Chu Lai shook his head, “You keep them; I don’t need them.”

He could shove a five-million-dollar card into Cen Wei’s pocket without a second thought, looking on the surface like he didn’t care about money. But in reality, he was desperate for wealth, like a dog that barks at fortune, perfectly showcasing his yearning for riches.

Cen Wei refused, “Just keep them. My grandma might do a surprise inspection.”

Chu Lai was stunned for a moment and asked, confused, “Inspection?”

At that moment, the elevator arrived, and when he stepped inside, so did Cen Wei. He explained, “Like after-sales service, she might call to ask how the food tasted or something.”

Chu Lai hooked his finger around the cake and let out an “Oh”: “So that’s why your grandma asked for my number.”

Cen Wei replied, “That’s not the only reason.”

After that, the two of them fell silent. Chu Lai stared at the elevator’s red, ascending numbers for a while before glancing at Cen Wei. He pressed his lips together and hesitated, “Um…”

Cen Wei already knew what Chu Lai wanted to say. Normally, he would be sensitive to Chu Lai’s emotions and reassure him, saying it was fine.

But at that moment, curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see what Chu Lai would say.

Chu Lai sighed, “Sorry.”

He let out a breath, “What I said earlier might’ve been sexual harassment.”

Back when he had asked, Cen Wei had hesitated for a long time before Chu Lai hastily changed the subject. The awkwardness between them still lingered.

Cen Wei shrugged it off, “It’s okay. I told you it was fine to ask.”

The elevator door opened, and he followed Chu Lai out. As they entered the apartment, a Shiba Inu pounced on them. Cen Wei added, “Did my mom say something to you?”

Chu Lai hugged the dog, swayed a bit, and mumbled, “Yeah.” Then, turning to Cen Wei, he said, “Go ahead and change shoes and come in. I bought new ones that I haven’t opened yet, you can wear those.”

Chu Lai wasn’t into sneakers; he didn’t seem like someone who liked sports. The shoes he bought were all canvas or skate shoes, and always classic styles.

The ones Cen Wei had worn previously were guest shoes. These new ones looked much better in quality.

As he put them on, Cen Wei said, “Sorry, I…”

Chu Lai interrupted, “But I’m still curious, is this why you and Mr. Shen broke up?”

Their relationship was in a peculiar state—they were married but had only seen each other three times. Other people might have had a whirlwind romance before a flash marriage, but their “romance” was purely tied to their exes.

The question was too personal. After asking it, Chu Lai quickly added, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Cen Wei poured himself a glass of water and didn’t bother asking which glass he could use, “Can I exchange a question with you?”

Chu Lai was playing with the dog, “Ask away.”

Cen Wei didn’t remember much about his ex-boyfriend. Now, the house didn’t have any traces of his ex either. He thought Chu Lai, like him, wasn’t fully invested in the relationship, but then Chu Lai mentioned he had thought about marriage.

So, he asked, “If your ex-boyfriend hadn’t cheated, would you have married him?”

Chu Lai shook his head decisively, “No.”

Cen Wei was a bit surprised, “Why not?”

But Chu Lai reminded him, “That’s a second question.”

Cen Wei straightforwardly answered Chu Lai’s first question, “I’m a normal man…”

After saying that, he paused, looking a little troubled, “Would it be weird if I said you don’t need to worry?”

He glanced at Chu Lai, who was now smiling, “I’m relieved.”

Cen Wei raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

Chu Lai set the dog down and went to look for its leash to take it for a walk, “If there were really an issue, it’s rare to remain emotionally stable, right?”

“What if that’s why you broke up? Then maybe I’d be in danger too?”

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Cen Wei chuckled and shook his head, “Isn’t your sense of crisis a little late? What if I really did have that problem? You’re already married to me; if something happened…”

Chu Lai strapped the leash onto the dog and let out an “Oh”: “We’re both men, can’t I just punch you?”

Cen Wei glanced at Chu Lai’s slender back, “Are you sure you could beat me?”

Of course, Chu Lai couldn’t beat him, but at times like this, dignity was important. He stiffened his voice, “Don’t underestimate me, my endurance is strong.”

Just as he was about to open the door to take the dog out, his phone rang—it was a colleague calling. He had to let go of the leash and open his laptop instead.

Seeing that Chu Lai had something to do, Cen Wei glanced at the dog, which was sitting patiently by the side, and hesitated before asking, “Should I take the dog out for you?”

Chu Lai was still talking to his colleague. On the other end, it was the same coworker who had previously teased him, and upon hearing this, they exclaimed, “Wait, I remember your boyfriend’s voice didn’t sound like that.”

A shiver ran down Chu Lai’s spine. The last time he and Shen Quanzhang had bumped into this colleague was half a year ago.

All he could do was mumble, “I got a new one. This is my husband.”

He had only shared the news with his college friends, carefully blocking his coworkers.

He had taken the day off to register, but the news hadn’t spread to everyone. His colleague on the other end blurted, “Are you serious?”

Chu Lai shook his head, then glanced at Cen Wei, asking, “Can you?”

By this time, Cen Wei had already grabbed the dog leash. He knelt down, shook the dog’s paw, and said, “Let’s get along, alright?”

The colleague, still incredulous, asked, “Wait, you broke up with your college boyfriend?”

Chu Lai replied, “We’re just colleagues, why are you asking so much?”

Coming from anyone else, this would sound rude, but Chu Lai’s personality was well-known. His blunt tone only confirmed it was him.

His colleague was used to his attitude, “What’s the big deal? You’re married now, so we should at least get some wedding candy, right? We’re all in the same team.”

Chu Lai said, “There won’t be a wedding. I’m not planning to hold one.”

The colleague, stunned, asked again, “So, this is really your husband?”

Chu Lai couldn’t be bothered to continue discussing this and urged them to get to the point.

Meanwhile, outside, while walking the dog, Cen Wei received a call from a friend.

Dr. Jiang took some time out of his busy schedule to check in on his friend who had recently met the parents, “So? How did it go? What did your grandpa think?”

Normally, Chu Lai walked the dog either within or just outside the neighborhood. The little one was excited, making it difficult for the inexperienced Cen Wei to keep up.

After a long while without hearing a response from Cen Wei, Jiang Liyong finally heard his friend’s exasperated voice and asked, “What are you doing?”

Cen Wei replied, “Walking the dog.”

Jiang Liyong was silent for several seconds before asking, “Are you crazy, or am I going deaf?”

The puppy ran around excitedly. Though inexperienced, it didn’t stop people in the neighborhood from recognizing the dog and giving curious glances at the man walking it today.

Amused, Cen Wei chuckled, “I think I’m crazy too, but everything’s fine so far.”

Jiang Liyong said, “If I hadn’t witnessed your madness that night, I’d think you’ve fallen for this Mr. Chu you married.”

Reflexively, Cen Wei denied it, “No way.”

Jiang Liyong teased, “Your reaction is strange. Shouldn’t you be more certain it’s impossible?”

Cen Wei let out a breath, “Maybe it’s because I took Chu Lai home today, and I feel…”

He paused, “It seems my mom told him about my dad.”

Jiang Liyong understood, “That’s normal. You’re married, legally recognized partners.”

“And someone you personally certified. Telling him is pretty reasonable, right?”

Not many people knew about Cen Wei’s father’s situation. Publicly, it was said he had fallen from a building in an accident.

Those who knew the truth pitied Cen Wei, witnessing his father’s tragic fall firsthand. Most would have had their minds shattered by such a sight.

Despite undergoing psychological counseling, Cen Wei found himself losing the ability to feel affection.

During his youth, he kept a distance from the concept of “love” fearing hormones and avoiding emotional attachment. He was unmoved by others’ advances.

He always thought back to that scene—his father’s brains splattered, dying with his eyes open.

Then there was his mother fainting when she learned the truth, his grandfather falling ill in anger, and his grandmother wailing in sorrow.

All because his father had been having an affair with a married woman.

Yet his father and mother had once been the picture of a perfect young couple, seemingly deeply in love at home.

The brutal consequences of infidelity completely shattered Cen Wei’s expectations for the future. He lost hope, even becoming self-loathing, trapped in that memory.

Hearing the noise on the other end of the phone, Jiang Liyong sighed, “Actually, Shen Ke asked me about it after you two broke up.”

He paused, “It was probably Yuan Chen who told him.”

“Don’t be mad, though. It’s…”

Cen Wei shook his head, “I’m not mad. I was the one who wronged him.”

Jiang Liyong sighed, “Did you ever really like Shen Ke?”

The puppy kept walking in front, its little butt wobbling as its tail wagged. Its fluffy appearance was nothing like the dog that had bitten young Cen Wei.

Back then, after getting a shot, Cen Wei had said, “I hate dogs the most.” As he grew older, though he didn’t show it as much, he still kept his distance.

He glanced at the red anti-pull leash he was gripping, finding it all rather absurd.

When he first met Chu Lai, he had caused trouble for him, and this marriage was another burden Chu Lai had taken on. He owed him a lot.

Walking the dog was no big deal, right?

But Jiang Liyong’s question was so direct that without thinking, Cen Wei responded with a simple “Yeah.”

Jiang Liyong sighed, “You and Shen Ke never…”

Due to his profession, Jiang Liyong didn’t feel awkward asking this question. His father had once been Cen Wei’s therapist, after all.

The man walking the dog on the other end of the line responded with another “Yeah.”

Jiang Liyong groaned, “Then I understand why he cheated. You left him hanging. Who dates and remains celibate?”

Cen Wei replied, “I told him before we started dating that I wasn’t interested in that. He said it was fine.”

That sounded like an empty promise to Jiang Liyong. He figured Shen Ke had just been caught up in desire and crashed and burned.

As for why Cen Wei had agreed to the relationship, it was probably an attempt to move on—a failed one.

Jiang Liyong said, “There’s no way you can be in a relationship without that kind of thing, right? Don’t you feel uncomfortable? Never mind, you don’t.”

The puppy ran over to sit by Cen Wei’s feet. They had already done several laps, and the little dog panted as it gazed up at him.

Cen Wei talked to the dog, “Ready to go home?”

The puppy wagged its tail.

Listening to this made Jiang Liyong feel all sorts of uncomfortable. The idea of Cen Wei walking a dog was terrifying to him.

Just before he hung up, Cen Wei suddenly said, “I found it.”

Jiang Liyong asked in surprise, “Found what?”

But the call ended, leaving Jiang Liyong holding his phone in silence for a few seconds. “Really? Does Mr. Chu have the same issues as Cen Wei?”

“If that’s true, they’re a perfect match.”

On his way back, waiting for the elevator, a girl holding a greyhound glanced at him several times.

When he met her gaze, she smiled apologetically and explained, “I saw someone new walking Da Cai today, so I…”

Looking down, Cen Wei noticed that the two dogs were already huddled together.

He was tall, and after changing out of his suit jacket, he threw on a coat, giving off a lazy yet stylish vibe. His messy hair fell over his forehead, and his sharp features were quite handsome.

The apartment complex where Chu Lai now lived had been introduced to him by a member of the neighborhood dog-walking group. That girl was the girlfriend of that group member and had met Shen Quanzhang before. At this moment, she thought, “Why do I remember Da Cai’s owner’s boyfriend looking different?”

It was like Cen Wei had read her mind. His gaze lingered on the dog sitting by his feet after finishing its greeting with its fellow dog, and he said casually, “I’m his new dad—the legal kind.”

New dad.

The girl caught on and, with some surprise, asked, “Mr. Chu got married?”

For some reason, that question amused Cen Wei, and he nodded, “To me.”