This kind of workshop felt fresh and new to many online viewers.

On the walls within view hung many tools, resembling more of a workshop someone might visit on the weekend to try their hand at crafting, rather than a professional space. At the moment, the livestream camera could only capture the umbrella cabinet behind the two people. Even though the umbrellas were not open, the placement of the light strips gave off the feel of a gallery exhibit.

[Is this the private workshop of a century-old umbrella company?]

[No way, I saw Boss Cen come out of that room not too long ago. Isn’t this just their house?]

[I’m really curious, isn’t Cen’s umbrellas collaborating with luxury brands overseas? Why doesn’t the domestic line seem so high-end?]

[My relatives bought Cen’s umbrellas overseas. The umbrella heads were dragon-shaped, and there was a collaboration with a crystal brand where the handles were encrusted with crystals. It’s totally different from what we see here!]

Shen Yangxu even called a few people over to discuss the company, working harder than the boss himself to promote it.

As it turned out, Cen Wei’s face was a great selling point, and Chu Lai was also a well-known content creator. Their earlier wedding video had gained them quite a bit of fame. Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, the two of them were casually chatting at the workbench during the livestream. Chu Lai was twirling a pencil, keeping his drafted script hidden from Cen Wei’s view. Cen Wei didn’t push him, instead inviting Chu Lai to choose a piece of satin.

Chu Lai was confused, watching as Cen Wei pulled out a thick leather-bound book filled with fabric samples, with names of brocades written on the side. These seemed to be treasures from the Cen family.

Chu Lai: “What’s this for?”

Cen Wei: “Didn’t we sew umbrella covers here last time? Every year we make a new umbrella. I used to just throw something together.”

Propping his chin under the light, Cen Wei looked at Chu Lai. The man who typically livestreamed puzzle games always gave off the impression of someone who didn’t like talking, appearing cold and distant, as if forced to explain things. But now, his eyes were filled with warmth. It seemed like the coldness was just a facade because his gaze was solely focused on Chu Lai.

Chu Lai glanced at the umbrellas in the cabinet behind them and went ahead to open a few. His fingers brushed over the designs, from stars and moons when Cen Wei was ten to the more complex traditional patterns from later years. Each design told a story of Cen Wei’s growth.

Cen Wei: “This year is different. We’re making it together.”

Chu Lai, already knowing the answer, asked, “Why?”

He put the umbrellas back and slowly walked over. The wood shavings rose from the roses they had crafted last time had been encased in a glass cover as a decorative piece on the table, with their names and the date of creation etched at the base, one of many proofs of their love. The Cen family gave Chu Lai a deep sense of warmth, far from the coldness Cen Wei’s appearance suggested.

The man wrapped his arm around Chu Lai’s neck and asked him to choose again: “Why do you even ask? You’re my love, and we’re going to spend a lifetime together.”

[Who eats dog food on New Year’s Day?! I came here to watch a game livestream!]

[I’m still caught up in the three-hour speedrun that spooked the game studio into going online.]

[This couple is something else.]

[Cen’s umbrella company’s livestream halftime break is watching Laic’s livestream. Do I get paid to watch the boss flirt with his wife? Sign me up for the job! Part-time is fine!]

Chu Lai had gotten used to Cen Wei’s cheesy lines in private, but it suited his taste. Before meeting Cen Wei, he thought he didn’t need such things, but later realized that no one dislikes being loved. Being loved was an innate desire, something to aspire to after loving oneself enough—and it came with mutual respect.

Chu Lai glanced at the rankings on his stream, which were still holding high. This left him a bit taken aback since he usually felt invisible in crowds. He flipped through the fabric book and asked, “Do I have to do it too? I don’t know how to embroider.”

Cen Wei: “Just poke a few stitches for show.” He laughed at something, “You could even stitch a green pepper.”

The audience watching the livestream didn’t understand, and some even started thinking strange thoughts. Chu Lai happened to catch on and, after a long silence, explained, “We both really like eating green peppers.”

Cen Wei raised his eyebrows, watching as Chu Lai picked a piece of white satin and flipped through another pattern book. Meanwhile, in Cen’s livestream, a host was explaining the tradition of handcrafting umbrellas in the Cen family. They didn’t expect the couple to make an umbrella together either. Shen Yangxu, knowing that Cen Wei’s phone was streaming, sent a WeChat message to Chu Lai.

Chu Lai had added Shen Yangxu on WeChat during their wedding banquet, where Cen Wei’s friends had sat at one table, jokingly offering their blessings while pulling Chu Lai into their childhood friends’ group chat. Shen Yangxu sent a request, and seeing that some viewers had asked about it, Chu Lai, now a shareholder in the company, didn’t refuse.

Chu Lai: “Can I take a look at Grandpa and Grandma’s umbrella cabinet?”

Cen Wei nodded, preparing to grab the satin for cutting. Chu Lai simply took the phone and filmed the umbrella cabinet.

/

This was Shen Quanzhang’s most miserable New Year.

He had been fired before the holiday, breached the contract, and knew he would be facing lawsuits after the holiday. His reputation was in tatters both online and in real life. His classmates mostly spit on his name, and even some old university classmates who had added him on WeChat sent messages late at night to curse him out before blocking him.

Shen Quanzhang could only be thankful that his parents didn’t follow the news online, but he didn’t dare return home either. His younger cousins, who used to look up to him as a role model, were now asking if the rumors were true. Information spreads too fast nowadays, and with Cen Wei determined to retaliate, any of Shen Quanzhang’s tricks had been met with a backlash a thousandfold.

Blocking all messages, he spent New Year’s alone in his rented apartment. Even friends who hadn’t kicked him while he was down left after a few drinks to spend the holiday with their families, leaving him a few voice messages on his phone.

“Why did you even provoke him?”

“You were the one who cheated, and now your ex is your boss’s new partner. You should’ve known better than to stir things up. You know how hard it is to get a job offer from Cen’s company.”

“I don’t know what you were thinking, turning down money like that. If the boss is really petty, knowing you’re his wife’s ex-boyfriend, he could’ve made your life a lot harder.”

“So what if you had a partner? You used to complain to me that Chu Lai was unromantic, and now you regret it?”

His friend even scrolled back through their chat history, pulling up messages where Shen Quanzhang complained that Chu Lai was dull, unadventurous, and boring in bed. He had also said Chu Lai didn’t care when he stayed out all night.

“I saw the news online too. Some people say your former company’s boss’s grandfather isn’t in good health, and the marriage between Cen’s boss and his wife might have been a contract.”

“But let’s not get into that. You know Chu Lai’s temperament—he’s hard to get close to. This has nothing to do with cheating. Remember how hard you worked to win him over back then?”

…

New Year’s Day in the rental apartment was cold and lonely. Shen Quanzhang lay on the bed, still listening to the voice messages from his friend. He opened Chu Lai’s Weibo and scrolled through it post by post. Happy? Why did he get to be happy?

Why am I spending the coldest New Year of my life alone, while Chu Lai is enjoying himself and receiving red envelopes?

Notifications popped up on other apps, including one that read, “The content creator you follow, @Laic, is livestreaming now…”

When Shen Quanzhang saw Chu Lai in the livestream, he was so angry that he smashed his phone. In the next moment, he picked it back up. On-screen, the two were gazing at each other affectionately. The hickey on Chu Lai’s neck left no room for doubt—he and Cen Wei were not in a contract marriage. They were genuinely in love.

Meanwhile, viewers continued to flood the chat with virtual gifts, and the usually stiff and camera-shy Chu Lai was introducing Cen’s umbrella products on stream.

Since when do you like being on camera? A different man comes along, and suddenly you’re all eager to perform? Is it just because Cen’s family is rich?

Shen Quanzhang furiously spammed negative comments in the livestream, but he was quickly banned. He fell back onto the bed and neurotically refreshed his WeChat Moments.

His New Year Moments feed was full of festive posts. His parents, after receiving his red envelope, didn’t say much beyond wishing him good health and subtly encouraging him to start a family. It seemed they had heard some rumors and were gently urging him to return home and get back to work.

Shen Quanzhang didn’t want to go back. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a post from a former classmate, showing off an electronic invitation.

“Didn’t expect to receive such a meaningful e-invitation. Thanks to our department’s star student! I’m amazed at how successful he’s become in game development!”

There were comments from mutual friends below:

—Is it that guy who makes indie games?! I remember him!

—Your classmate Chu Lai is pretty famous too. I’ve even seen his livestreams. Is he going?

—He is! We’ve already organized everything.

Shen Quanzhang recognized the classmate. They had been in the same class as Chu Lai. Back in junior year, when he went to support Chu Lai during fitness tests, he had even brought water for the classmate and added him on WeChat.

The picture showed the event’s location—an expensive bar in S City known for hosting corporate events and private parties. The place had been featured by influencers online and had great reviews, though the common complaint was how pricey it was.

And yet, Shen Quanzhang thought: Even after everything, you still get to attend a grand class reunion?

Didn’t you always hate these kinds of events?

He called the bar and, without hesitation, spent his last bit of savings, waiting for the day after tomorrow.

That night, Cen’s umbrellas had another small explosion in sales on shopping platforms. Many aesthetic bloggers even reposted about Cen Wei’s overseas luxury collaborations, where the umbrellas and handles were considered works of art. This led many people to visit Chu Lai’s livestream for a closer look. Some even mistook Chu Lai for the star promoter of Cen’s umbrella brand.

Watching the viewer count climb higher and higher, Chu Lai became more and more annoyed, grumbling, “I’m just an amateur gamer. Why are there so many people?”

While sketching patterns, Cen Wei, who had studied abroad for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, grinned. He had studied several fields, including art, and now both Chu Lai and the viewers were admiring his work. He lowered his head, chuckling, “Only an amateur, huh?”

Chu Lai fiddled with the unfinished wood shavings from earlier, mimicking how Cen Wei had glued them together to make wood flowers. “I’m thinking about going back to study a major I actually like.”

In the past, he hadn’t chosen his ideal major due to tuition costs and emotional baggage. After spending so much time alone, there were many things he had left unsaid.

The Cen family was different. They filled in all the gaps in Chu Lai’s life, offering the things he had been missing for years. Even his friend Liu Yuan noticed that he seemed more cheerful than before.

Cen Wei put down his pen and looked at him, “Really?”

Chu Lai was startled. “Is that bad? I mean, I’m not that young anymore, and I’ve been working for several years…”

Cen Wei shook his head. “Of course not. If you want to do it, then go for it.”

Chu Lai, still a bit nervous, said, “Then why did you stop drawing all of a sudden? You freaked me out.”

Leaning in, Cen Wei placed the phone face-down on the table. The screen went dark, but the sound of kissing filled the silence, followed by a low, but still audible, “I just suddenly wanted to hug you.”

[What the heck, I might not be able to see, but I’m not deaf. You totally kissed him!]

[I was really getting into watching the drawing process, and suddenly, you just stop? Hmm, someone’s a little distracted.]

[I’m so jealous! Having someone unconditionally support you like that is true happiness!]

[Remember when people were bashing Laic for cheating, and a classmate said he had a really tough upbringing?…]

Chu Lai realized that his need for constant hugs had disappeared. Even if Cen Wei got caught up in something and couldn’t be there to hold him, it no longer kept him up at night. Instead, it was Cen Wei who had become more clingy, now wanting to nuzzle Chu Lai’s cheek after every kiss.

Pushing him away, Chu Lai said, “Go finish your drawing.”

Glancing at the time, Cen Wei replied, “It’s almost midnight. We’re on vacation, remember? Isn’t it about time for bed?”

Picking up his phone, Chu Lai noticed the number of viewers was still high, and many of them were asking for a chance to win umbrellas. He pretended not to hear Cen Wei’s invitation and instead asked, “Can we do a giveaway for some of your company’s umbrellas?”

Cen Wei: “What do you mean your company? My company is your company too.”

[This is great, dumping the cheating ex and scoring a wealthy husband is exactly the kind of storyline I love.]

[Please pick me! My favorite design is already sold out! Could we win one of the handcrafted umbrellas? I don’t even expect one made personally by Mr. Cen! The ones you gave out at your wedding would be fine too!!]

Chu Lai didn’t really feel like streaming anymore, so he asked, “Do we still have any of the wedding gift umbrellas left?”

Cen Wei: “None in stock, but if they’re willing to wait, we can make more.”

“How many should we give away?” Chu Lai asked.

“Up to you,” Cen Wei replied, not taking his eyes off him.

By now, Chu Lai seemed immune to his stare. “Alright, let’s pick 16 winners since today’s the 16th.”

“Okay, I’ll post the giveaway details on Weibo, and we’re done here. Thanks, everyone. Bye-bye.”

He spoke so quickly, like an emotionless AI, making everyone feel the strong sense of indifference. After putting down the phone, Chu Lai let out a sigh of relief.

Cen Wei came over again for a hug, and while Chu Lai was editing the giveaway post, he asked, “I think your idea is great. Are you planning to study woodcarving?”

Chu Lai nodded. “My dad wanted to study it back in the day, but the family didn’t have the money.”

However, Chu Lai hesitated, feeling self-conscious about being 26 years old.

“If we live until we’re 96, you still have 70 years left after turning 26. It’s never too late to learn anything,” Cen Wei said with a smile. “No one says you have to work in the same field just because you majored in it.”

“You talk too much,” Chu Lai grumbled, pushing him.

Breathing against Chu Lai’s neck, Cen Wei murmured, “Have you gotten tired of me already?”

“You used to be pretty happy with my hugs,” he teased.

As Chu Lai finished writing the giveaway post, he replied, “Not at all.”

After posting it, he turned around and leaned back against the workbench. Genuinely, he praised, “You’re amazing. You’re way too fast at video games.”

Cen Wei smirked, “Not fast in everything.”

Chu Lai: …

“I’m sorry, I just love talking to you,” Cen Wei chuckled.

His eyes were fixed on Chu Lai, causing the latter to lower his gaze slightly. “Me too.”

Lifting Chu Lai onto the table, not caring about the satin fabric getting wrinkled, Cen Wei said, “Don’t worry. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”

“Mhm,” Chu Lai replied. “That’s what you’re supposed to do.”

He thought about how many blessings had scrolled across the chat and laughed before adding, “My dear husband.”

Cen Wei grabbed his hand and pressed it to his chest. “But…”

“No,” Chu Lai interrupted, “You have no idea how embarrassing it was. Grandma even teased me about it, and it was all your fault.”

“It was my fault,” Cen Wei admitted, kissing Chu Lai’s hand. “Then just one kiss?”

“Only one,” Chu Lai relented.