They didn’t say much on the way, and Cen Wei just quietly followed Chu Lai as they transferred trains.

It was clear that Chu Lai’s usual commute was just like this—head down, playing on his phone, or putting on his headphones to shut out the world.

Maybe Cen Wei’s gaze was too obvious, because amid the subway announcement, Chu Lai asked, “What’s up?”

It was so crowded there were no seats. The two of them squeezed into a corner, with Cen Wei making space between them, while Chu Lai comfortably held his phone, only taking a moment to ask.

Then he said, “Stop staring at me.”

Cen Wei replied, “I’m bored.”

Chu Lai: “Look at the menu and pick what you want.”

Cen Wei asked, “Weren’t we getting satay beef?”

Chu Lai: “There are other options too. Check the link I shared with you.”

Chu Lai was busy gaming, barely sparing a glance at Cen Wei. After a few seconds of admiring Chu Lai, Cen Wei pulled out his phone to look at the menu.

“What’s Penghu cuttlefish balls?”

“Do you want a chocolate parfait?”

“What about pork floss pineapple rice?”

They were so close they were practically touching. Cen Wei listed the dishes as if he were reciting a menu, and by the time he finished, Chu Lai finally concluded with a simple, “Let’s get everything.”

Finally, he raised his eyes and looked at the person in front of him. Behind Chu Lai, the red lights of the subway station signs flickered, but Cen Wei’s gaze remained calm. For a brief moment, Chu Lai felt the urge to kiss him.

But there were too many people, so he lowered his head and avoided looking at Cen Wei.

Cen Wei, however, noticed that momentary distraction and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Lai opened the chat window with Cen Wei, typing right in front of him: I just realized you’re really good-looking.

After reading it, Cen Wei glanced back at Chu Lai, who calmly put his earphones away and shoved them into his pocket without showing any special expression. Instead of replying through his phone, Cen Wei directly asked, “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

He sounded like someone who’d been hurt before.

Chu Lai remembered his firm rejection at the beginning and typed again: I like you.

They arrived at their stop just in time, and before Cen Wei could react, Chu Lai had already stepped off the train.

The subway was crowded, and even though they were only one step apart on the escalator, they were separated by many people. Cen Wei stood behind, watching Chu Lai, thinking about how big S City was. Even though their companies weren’t far apart, the chance of running into each other was slim.

At the top, Chu Lai waited for Cen Wei. When he caught up, Chu Lai tried to move ahead again, but this time, Cen Wei grabbed him, making it hard to escape.

“What do you like?” Cen Wei asked.

Amid the noisy crowd, his voice was just loud enough for Chu Lai to hear. “My face?”

Chu Lai responded, “What else?”

He sounded so casual that noticing anything unusual about him required sharp observation. Only then did it dawn on Cen Wei that Chu Lai had been admiring him earlier.

Without saying a word, Cen Wei followed him out of the subway station.

The two, who were getting married tomorrow, wandered around outside. They still had to wait in line for satay beef. After taking a number, Chu Lai asked, “Have you ever waited in line to eat?”

Cen Wei replied, “Of course, there have been times.”

Chu Lai asked again, “Does it happen often?”

There was a 30-minute wait ahead. Chu Lai bought a hot drink from a nearby shop and leaned on a railing, chatting with Cen Wei while sipping his drink.

Chu Lai naturally drew attention with his striking appearance. People passing by would glance at him.

Cen Wei was used to it. Chu Lai, however, wasn’t so accustomed and tried to move to the side, but Cen Wei pulled him back.

“Not often,” Cen Wei answered.

“How can you run away like that?”

Chu Lai looked at him while biting his straw, his bangs soft and wispy. Even with glasses, his face was exceptionally delicate.

Because of a cold, Chu Lai had a habit of sniffing, which made him seem a little pitiful.

He shook his head, saying, “I’m not running. It’s just that people keep staring at you, and I’m not used to it.”

Cen Wei paused, feeling a bit wronged. “That’s not my fault.”

He looked at Chu Lai and took a sip of the milk tea Chu Lai had ordered for him. Then he asked, “Why did you order full-sugar for me?”

Without looking at him, Chu Lai’s eyes fell on a new product sign hanging in the mall. “That cream puff looks pretty good.”

“Why did you order full-sugar for me?” Cen Wei repeated.

Chu Lai mumbled, “Didn’t you say you’d listen to me?”

Before Cen Wei could respond, Chu Lai took the opportunity to tease him further. “Or were you lying?”

“I just wanted to make you choke on the sweetness.”

He was clearly doing it on purpose.

But Cen Wei wasn’t angry at all. Watching Chu Lai nibble on the straw, lost in thought while staring at the cream puff advertisement, made him want to laugh.

“Are you happy now?”

Chu Lai replied, “Give it to me.”

“What?”

Before he could finish his sentence, the milk tea in his hand was swapped, with Chu Lai handing over his own cup. Chu Lai seemed to realize his habit of biting straws wasn’t great, so he suggested, “Change the straw.”

But Cen Wei shook his head. “No need.”

“Oh,” Chu Lai muttered, “I guess so. You like biting my lips anyway.”

There wasn’t a hint of excitement in his voice. He said it so matter-of-factly that it unexpectedly made Cen Wei feel a wave of heat rising inside him.

“You probably don’t come to places like this to wait for food often, right? Feels like you don’t even have time to eat.”

Chu Lai frowned at the sweetness, looking down at the crowd gathered around a performance on the first floor. He casually chatted with Cen Wei. “When you were abroad, it wasn’t like this, right?”

“I still ate meals,” Cen Wei replied.

“Did they have grilled green peppers abroad?”

Chu Lai’s question seemed random, but it reminded Cen Wei of how Chu Lai had never even left the province.

Chu Lai was a homebody in part. While he appeared to tolerate loneliness, he didn’t actually like traveling alone, especially since he had a little dog at home, which he always worried about.

“Which country do you want to visit? Maybe we can…” Cen Wei trailed off and checked the calendar on his phone. “How about during the next vacation?”

Chu Lai tilted his head slightly, surprised. “Isn’t that a bit sudden?”

“You posted about a new indie game on Weibo. How about we visit the headquarters?” Cen Wei suggested.

For a solid minute, Chu Lai stared at Cen Wei, long enough to make him uneasy. “What’s wrong?”

The same youth who had just complained about attracting too much attention suddenly threw himself into Cen Wei’s arms, drawing curious glances from the people waiting outside the restaurant.

Chu Lai hugged his waist and said, “You’re just too good.”

Cen Wei felt a pang of heartache. “That’s all it takes? We haven’t even gone yet, and just saying it makes you feel this way…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. “So, should we set a date?”

“We need to spend more time with Grandpa,” Chu Lai said.

“Grandpa has Grandma to keep him company. It’s fine if we’re away for a while. We can video call him every day,” Cen Wei reassured him.

“Really?” Chu Lai asked.

“Really,” Cen Wei confirmed.

“What about your work?” Chu Lai pressed.

“Maybe I can take you to visit some of our subsidiary stores?” suggested Cen Wei.

“You haven’t even shown me your headquarters yet,” Chu Lai retorted.

This reminded Cen Wei of how knowledgeable Chu Lai was about woodwork, and that shared post from Liu Yuan’s circle, all the way at the bottom of his feed.

He remembered the birthday gift Chu Lai had given him, a beautifully carved wooden willow tree with the words “To my best friend” engraved at the base.

“How about we go check out the shop after dinner?” Cen Wei proposed.

Chu Lai nodded and couldn’t help but glance at Cen Wei again.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Wei asked, smiling.

Even the way he held his drink was casual. It was only then that Chu Lai realized there were so many things to admire about Cen Wei, and he found himself stealing more glances.

After a while, he finally said, “No wonder people stare at you.”

The compliment was so offhand that it came out oddly, making Cen Wei feel a bit awkward. He asked in a low voice, “And what have you figured out?”

Chu Lai replied, “On the way back, can you hold my wrist so I can figure it out?”

Of course, Cen Wei couldn’t refuse.

With “going back” as an excuse, Chu Lai kept Cen Wei hanging for a long time. Even when they went to the Lianxin umbrella store after dinner, Cen Wei still seemed a bit absent-minded.

Tomorrow marked the start of the New Year’s holiday, and the streets were packed with people.

It wasn’t often that Cen Wei visited this direct-sale store. There weren’t many customers inside, and some were just there to look around.

A staff member approached to ask if they needed help, but Chu Lai simply said they were browsing, and the staff didn’t bother them further.

Chu Lai noticed the umbrella repair counter on the other side and asked, “Do you know how to fix them?”

“Only if it’s one of our umbrellas,” Cen Wei replied.

Though Chu Lai rarely paid attention to brands when buying umbrellas, he did have a habit of losing them frequently. Wandering around the store, he felt like buying one.

The century-old company’s interior decor had a distinctive vintage style, reportedly preserved to maintain the original charm from years ago.

The store manager was repairing an old lady’s umbrella when he looked up and saw two men standing together in the store…

And one of them was his boss.

The store employees were knowledgeable about the brand’s history, having heard many times about the first generation of Cen’s family who started it all. The store currently displayed photos of Cen Wei’s great-grandfather.

A black-and-white photo of his great-grandfather and grandfather when they were young hung on the wall, though the image wasn’t very clear. Most customers wouldn’t be able to tell that the man standing in the store was the current owner.

The store manager had just attended a meeting at the company’s headquarters last month, where Cen Wei had shown up for about five minutes. His good looks were hard to forget, his features striking and sharp.

Quickly, the store manager stood up and greeted him, “Hello, young Master Cen.”

Instinctively, Chu Lai took a step back. He had never liked attention growing up, and standing next to Cen Wei now felt like it shattered all his usual routines.

“Hello,” said Cen Wei.

They exchanged a few words, and Cen Wei assured the manager that this wasn’t an inspection—he was just here with his fiancé.

The store manager glanced over at Chu Lai, who was still looking at the umbrellas on the shelf, appearing youthful with one hand holding a hot drink.

Chu Lai asked, “Can I open this umbrella to take a look?”

“Are you sure drinking so many cups won’t be a problem?” Cen Wei asked.

“This is tea,” Chu Lai replied.

“I’m worried it’ll keep you up all night,” said Cen Wei.

Shaking his head, Chu Lai responded, “I wouldn’t be able to sleep well anyway, since we have to wake up at four in the morning tomorrow.”

The two of them chatted like there was no one else around, clearly showing how close they were.

The store manager couldn’t help but recall seeing a much younger version of Cen Wei years ago, back when he had accompanied the old Master Cen. At that time, Cen Wei had just hit a growth spurt, his face still full of defiance, and his demeanor gloomy.

The old Master Cen had often sighed back then, worried that his grandson didn’t like the family business.

But Cen Jianxun wasn’t too concerned about the company’s future, often ending their conversations with “we’ll take things one step at a time.”

Now, Lianxin Umbrellas had grown even more successful. Their headquarters had stayed the same, but during their mid-year inspection of the subsidiary companies, they found that the business had kept up with the times.

The grandson, whom old Master Cen had worried would never return after studying abroad, had eventually come back.

Chu Lai whispered, “Why does the store manager keep staring at us?”

Holding up the open umbrella, Cen Wei showed it to him. Lianxin’s umbrellas were top-notch, and their reputation as one of the best in the industry was well-deserved. Spinning the umbrella under the bright store lights, it seemed to shield them from the gazes of others.

“He’s close with my grandpa. He probably remembers me from when I came here as a teenager…”

After a pause, Cen Wei added, “That day, I had a huge argument with my grandpa. I was pretty pissed off.”

Surprised, Chu Lai looked at him. “You? Arguing?”

“Pissed off? You had that kind of phase?”

He looked skeptical, and Cen Wei nodded, countering, “Didn’t everyone go through that as a teenager?”

Chu Lai answered firmly, “Not me.”

That left Cen Wei speechless.

Chu Lai thought back to his high school classmates and their typical behavior, asking, “Were you rebellious?”

“A little,” Cen Wei admitted.

He didn’t want to discuss it there, but Chu Lai wouldn’t take his eyes off him. So, clearing his throat, he lowered his voice, “I’ll tell you later.”

Chu Lai opened a few more umbrellas, feeling a bit disappointed to learn that the direct-sale of paper umbrellas wasn’t implemented yet.

“We’ll visit the workshop the day after tomorrow. It’ll be busy these next few days,” Cen Wei suggested, showing Chu Lai his phone. “See? Another call.”

“None of them are calling me,” Chu Lai noted.

“That’s because everyone knows you’re with me,” replied Cen Wei.

They called for a car, but even that took a long time to arrive. Chu Lai wasn’t bothered at all, standing next to Cen Wei on the sidewalk.

The festive atmosphere was thick, and the crowded streets meant people kept bumping into each other. Several times, Chu Lai’s hand brushed against the back of Cen Wei’s.

Finally, after one last brush, someone grabbed his hand. The movement was firm and a bit possessive, fingers interlocking with his as the man asked, “Does Lai Lai mind this?”

Chu Lai shook his head, leaning closer to Cen Wei. “Of course I don’t mind.”

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have taken you home in the first place.”

“Yet you said at first you weren’t interested in me at all,” Cen Wei teased.

People are like that—once they’ve taken the plunge, they start reflecting on the past. Now that they were in a relationship, Cen Wei realized that the childishness of love was something you couldn’t avoid, even when you knew it was immature.

Feeling the warmth of their fingers intertwined, Chu Lai lowered his head, remembering the sensation of Cen Wei kissing the side of his neck late at night. For the first time, he found himself impatient for tomorrow night, their wedding night.

Impatient to bring Cen Wei home.

To open that old iron gate and, in doing so, open himself up completely.

“At the time, I really wasn’t interested. Who’d be interested in someone who can’t even hold their liquor?” Chu Lai muttered.

The streets were lively, music playing cheerfully from the stores, their shadows long and stretched across the ground.

“Really?” asked Cen Wei.

Chu Lai remained adamant, nodding, “I already told you, you’re not my type. I wouldn’t have considered it.”

With a sigh, Cen Wei asked, “And now? Have you changed your mind?”

Looking up, Chu Lai stared at the face in front of him under the bright streetlights. It was as if he was going through the motions, even a bit perfunctory. “Too handsome.”

Cen Wei couldn’t help but laugh. “And then?”

Chu Lai said, “I really can’t wait to get married.”

Bending his head, Chu Lai quickly turned away. “Kissing in public isn’t a good idea.”

The man draped an arm over his shoulder and asked, “Not even this?”

“Tomorrow,” Chu Lai replied.

“Tomorrow when?” Cen Wei asked, smiling.

Chu Lai’s response was vague, “Anytime works for me.”