Yu Ju returned to the same repetitive routine, where each day felt like a copy of the last.

Another week passed. On Friday, while at the library, he received a call from his mother. She asked if he wasn’t coming home this week.

His family lived in a county within A Province, just a half-hour high-speed train ride from A City. Normally, if there were no school matters or obligations at Xinli, Yu Ju would go home.

[I’m not going back this week. My group has a project, and we have a meeting on Sunday morning. I’ll be heading out in the afternoon,] Yu Ju said, finding a quiet spot to take the call.

His mother responded with a simple [Mm,] then added, [That works out. Your aunt asked me today if I wanted to go to the seaside.]

[Go, of course you should go,] Yu Ju said without hesitation.

His mother chuckled. [Alright, then I’ll call your aunt back.]

Yu Ju asked, [Do you have enough money?]

His mother replied, [I do. How much could a trip to the seaside cost?]

After hanging up, Yu Ju thought for a moment and still decided to transfer her 5,000 yuan.

Not long after, his mother sent a voice message.

Mom: [Didn’t I already say that the money was enough? Why did you transfer so much more to me?]

Yu Ju lowered his head and typed: [I’ve been making too much money lately and have nowhere to spend it. Help me use some.]

His mother’s next message carried a smile: [Oh wow, look at you. You have too much money and don’t know how to spend it yourself?]

Mom: [You should also go out with friends more. I checked your Moments, and it’s practically empty. Don’t just stay at school all the time.]

Mom: [Other kids your age have such exciting lives. Take He Ayi’s child, for example—he goes to the bar every night.]

Yu Ju: [Got it. I’ll head to the bar tonight.]

His mother laughed in a voice message: [You kid, is that what I meant?]

Mom: [But if you do go to a bar, make sure you go with reliable friends and don’t drink too much.]

Yu Ju: [Alright, got it.]

Yu Ju added, [Take some photos at the beach and send them to me.]

His mother mimicked him, [Alright, got it.]

Putting down his phone, Yu Ju continued organizing the materials in front of him.

Ever since the HIC event, when Sister Xiao had Yu Ju step in on her behalf, Lin Jian’s work performance had improved significantly. He was now handling his own tasks more diligently and even going out of his way to compete for work that wasn’t originally his.

Especially when it came to any potential clients Yu Ju might secure—Lin Jian would blatantly try to snatch them away.

A few days ago, Ah Ling had been complaining to Yu Ju about this, every sentence punctuated with exclamation marks. Even through the screen, Yu Ju could practically feel Ah Ling gritting his teeth.

“Absolutely insane! Outrageous!”

In the end, it was Yu Ju who had to comfort Ah Ling, saying it didn’t matter—after all, it was just a few advertising shoots. As long as he was alive, there would always be more ads to shoot.

To Yu Ju, those extra jobs were just a bonus. His attitude had always been to take them seriously if they came his way, but if not, then so be it.

Lately, his mother’s health had improved a lot, and she had stopped taking many of her medications. With no urgent financial needs, Yu Ju cared even less about these disputes. Lin Jian could do whatever he wanted.

But according to Ah Ling, Lin Jian had been sulking for days because of that photo of Yu Ju and Gu Qianxing, which was extremely satisfying.

Even after so many days, seeing Gu Qianxing’s name still made Yu Ju pause for a moment.

But he quickly refocused on his computer.

After carefully working through the materials for two days, he had finally finished everything. He gave it one last review before sending it off to his advisor.

Once the email showed as successfully sent, Yu Ju glanced at the bottom right corner of his screen and realized he had been sitting in the library for nearly seven hours.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but now that he did, his back ached, and his stomach let out a loud, dissatisfied growl.

It was mealtime.

Yu Ju packed up his laptop, slid it into his bag, then pulled out his phone and opened Zhao Yi’s messages.

Half an hour ago, Zhao Yi had asked if he was free that evening.

If Zhao Yi was reaching out, it could only mean one thing—they were going out to have fun.

In the past, whether Yu Ju was free or not depended entirely on his mood—if he wanted to go, he was free; if he didn’t, then he wasn’t. But just now, he actually spent a long time thinking about whether he was free tonight.

The main reason? Someone in that group was friends with Zhou Jinye.

Yu Ju: [Tell me what it’s about first.]

Zhao Yi replied instantly: [Just hanging out. What else would I be asking you for?]

Yu Ju thought for a moment and asked, [Who else is going?]

Zhao Yi: [Zhou Jinye’s friends. It’s someone’s birthday tonight. Didn’t you tell me last time you wanted cake? Come have some.]

Yu Ju: […That was last year. You sure have a good memory.]

Zhao Yi: [Hahaha, so are you coming or not?]

Zhao Yi: [It’s been ages since we last met.]

Yu Ju: [Are we even close enough to need to meet up so often?]

Zhao Yi: [Wow, that’s harsh.]

Zhao Yi: [Come on, are you coming or not?]

Yu Ju casually threw out, [If it’s a strawberry cake, I’ll go.]

Zhao Yi suddenly went silent for several minutes.

When he finally reappeared, he said, [Strawberry cake is arranged!]

Yu Ju: [??]

Yu Ju: [Wait… is it my birthday today?]

Zhao Yi: [Hahaha, guess whose birthday it is?]

Yu Ju swallowed instinctively, feeling a bit uneasy.

A certain figure suddenly popped into his mind.

Before Yu Ju could type a response, Zhao Yi sent another message: [Forget it, you wouldn’t guess anyway. It’s Zhou Jinye’s cousin’s birthday. As his sǎozi (sister-in-law), ordering you a strawberry cake is no big deal.]

Yu Ju: “…”

Good thing he hadn’t asked.

Otherwise, that would’ve been incredibly awkward.

Zhao Yi added, [Just come empty-handed.]

Zhao Yi: [The birthday gifts for rich second-generation kids aren’t something we can afford anyway.]

Yu Ju: [Got it, got it.]

After sending that, Yu Ju hesitated for a long time in front of the screen before finally asking, [Is Gu Qianxing going to be there tonight?]

Zhao Yi: [Why? If he is, you’re not coming?]

Yu Ju: [No, that’s not it…]

Even he wasn’t sure why he asked.

Zhao Yi: [Since we’re talking about Gu Qianxing, let me show you something.]

Zhao Yi: [Image]

The image was a screenshot from an 11-person group chat, dated the day after that night at the bar.

The conversation went as follows:

Monkey: “@Gu Qianxing, that little cutie Zhou Jinye brought last night—he’s not your someone, right?”

Monkey: “Can I get his WeChat?”

Gu Qianxing: “No.”

Monkey: “Why not?”

Gu Qianxing: “Go look in a mirror.”

Monkey: “Damn, if you don’t want to share, just say so—why the personal attack?”

Monkey: “Ping you a hundred times and you don’t show up, but the moment someone says ‘little cutie,’ you appear instantly.”

Gu Qianxing: “Got a problem with that?”

Zhao Yi followed up the image with a simple: [Hehe.]

Yu Ju finished reading, and though he told himself he felt nothing, his lower lip unconsciously pushed up.

But in his reply to Zhao Yi, his fingers typed: [So?]

Zhao Yi: [Ah, just showing you. No shipping intentions here, I swear.]

Zhao Yi: [I don’t, I don’t, I don’t.]

Yu Ju: “……”

Zhao Yi: [Why does Gu Qianxing look cooler the more I see him?]

Yu Ju: [He’s always been cool.]

Right after sending it, Yu Ju retracted the message.

On the other side, Zhao Yi hadn’t noticed: [What’d you take back?]

Yu Ju: [Nothing, just a typo.]

Zhao Yi didn’t suspect anything. [Alright then.]

So Zhao Yi didn’t mention whether Gu Qianxing was there or not.

Yu Ju couldn’t bring himself to ask again—it would make him seem like he cared too much, like he really wanted to know.

Which he absolutely didn’t.

Zhao Yi then asked where Yu Ju was, saying that someone would come to pick him up later. He was busy setting up the venue and didn’t have much time.

Yu Ju originally wanted to say he could go on his own, but when he asked Zhao Yi for the location, Zhao Yi didn’t reply for a long time.

No address, no time, not even who was coming to pick him up.

Yu Ju was left standing there awkwardly. He had already told Zhao Yi he was at the library, but now neither leaving nor waiting felt like the right choice.

Minutes passed. His phone remained silent. In the end, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed to the fifth floor, to the classics section. He might as well find a book to pass the time—whatever happened next was up to fate.

Just as the elevator doors opened, Yu Ju’s phone chimed.

Seeing the sender’s name, he froze for a moment.

It was Gu Qianxing.

Gu Qianxing: [I’m at the library entrance.]

Gu Qianxing: [Finish up first, no rush.]

Yu Ju blinked lightly. Without thinking twice, he immediately turned around and pressed the button before the elevator could go down.

But by the time he reached the first floor, his mind caught up with him. He deliberately slowed his pace and even pretended to be busy, wandering around inside for a bit.

By the time he stepped out of the library, it was already six o’clock. The setting sun cast a warm golden-orange glow over the earth. As the automatic doors slid open, the first thing Yu Ju saw was Gu Qianxing standing by the roadside.

The weather had been warm for a while now. He was dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and long pants, standing next to a car. One hand was tucked into his pocket, while the other held his phone, head lowered as he looked at the screen.

Behind him, a row of trees stretched out, as if framing him into a scene from a painting.

Knowing that this person was waiting for him, Yu Ju felt a strange mix of emotions stir within him. He suddenly recalled the bubbles he had absentmindedly lathered up while showering the night before—iridescent under the white light.

At about three meters away, Gu Qianxing was still looking at his phone, typing with one hand.

Yu Ju’s steps unconsciously slowed. He wondered how he should greet him. Should he say “Sir Gu,” “Mr. Gu,” or just a casual “hey”?

Or maybe he didn’t need to say anything at all—just poke him on the arm.

Or, better yet, he could jump right in front of him and give him a little scare!

…But jumping over like that seemed a bit too cute, and someone as fierce as him shouldn’t be doing something so playful.

The uncertainty of how to start made Yu Ju hesitate for a long time, keeping him frozen in place.

In the end, it was Gu Qianxing who broke the stalemate.

He looked up.

It wasn’t completely unexpected, yet the moment their eyes met, Yu Ju still froze. He didn’t even know what expression he should be making.

Ugh, this is bad. Why is Gu Qianxing always so damn handsome?

Shit.

“You’re here.” Gu Qianxing said as he put away his phone.

After speaking, he stepped closer to Yu Ju and reached out his hand.

Yu Ju’s brain hadn’t even processed what Gu Qianxing was trying to do before his body reacted instinctively—his hand naturally passed his backpack over.

Gu Qianxing took it. “Get in the car.”

Turning around, he opened the passenger-side door. Yu Ju ducked his head and slipped inside, while Gu Qianxing shut the door and then moved to the backseat, placing Yu Ju’s bag there.

The whole process was unbelievably seamless, as if this was something they had always done.

Soon, Gu Qianxing got into the driver’s seat, entered the destination into the GPS, and turned the car around.

After driving for a while, they left the campus and merged onto the city roads.

It was rush hour, so Gu Qianxing’s driving speed wasn’t particularly fast. The car’s soundproofing was excellent—despite the traffic outside, only a faint murmur of noise made its way to Yu Ju’s ears.

In such a quiet space, there was no reason for Yu Ju to feel uncomfortable.

He wondered if he should say something.

But then again, maybe it wasn’t necessary.

If he did speak, though… what would he even say?

Hello?

It’s Zhou Jinye’s cousin’s birthday today.

You’re going too?

Right. All meaningless chatter.

As he kept debating with himself, time slipped by. The car had been moving for quite a while now. The once vibrant sunset had fully spilled into the car, bathing Yu Ju’s white pants in its golden glow.

“I need to find a way to make the person next to me talk.”

In the quiet car, Gu Qianxing finally spoke.

Yu Ju froze for a second, then instinctively pressed his lips together. “What?”

Gu Qianxing said, “Not bad. That’s one sentence.”

Yu Ju lifted his chin slightly. “Two sentences, three, four, five.”

Gu Qianxing let out a low chuckle. Yu Ju stole a glance at him—his eyes had curved into a smile.

Turning back, Yu Ju noticed a car ahead trying to cut into their lane.

Then he felt Gu Qianxing lightly tap the brakes, making way.

Great. One car squeezed in, then another, and another after that.

For a long time after, Gu Qianxing’s foot barely left the brake.

“You’re really generous,” Yu Ju commented.

Yu Ju had ridden in many people’s cars before. Nine out of ten drivers refused to let others cut in, and the one who did usually did so begrudgingly, cursing under their breath.

Gu Qianxing seemed to understand what Yu Ju was getting at. “I’m not generous,” he said. “I’m just in a good mood today.”

Yu Ju followed up naturally, “Why are you in a good mood?”

Gu Qianxing’s brows lifted slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement. “Take a guess, and you’ll figure it out.”

Yu Ju hesitated for a moment—he didn’t dare guess.

It felt like Gu Qianxing was hinting at something. But at the same time, he couldn’t assume that Gu Qianxing was hinting at something.

Before long, the cars in the other lane cleared out, and Gu Qianxing moved forward.

By sheer luck, his car was the last one to make it through the green light.

After crossing the intersection, Gu Qianxing spoke again.

“I heard someone was curious about how I turned down a confession from a beautiful girl.”

Yu Ju was dumbfounded.

What? What? What?

Zhao Yi, you bastard!

Damn it!

Yu Ju instantly felt a rush of heat.

Gu Qianxing pressed on, cursing, “Do you know who wants to know?”

His tone was teasing, deliberate.

Yu Ju leaned back slightly, slipping into Gu Qianxing’s blind spot. He tried to sound as natural as possible. “Maybe it’s me.”

So what?

Gu Qianxing: “You’re this curious about me?”

Yu Ju: “……”

Gu Qianxing had every right to say that.

The last time they met, Yu Ju had wanted to know how it felt for him to be called “husband.” This time, he wanted to know how he reacted to a confession from a beautiful woman.

Damn it, both times, the questions had been ridiculously sensitive.

“It’s not a big deal,” Yu Ju said. “I was just asking casually.”

Gu Qianxing responded with a simple “Mm” and said nothing more.

Gu Qianxing actually just “Mm’d” and then went silent.

The car remained quiet for a few seconds. Yu Ju unconsciously bit down on his back teeth, then finally threw out a question. “Not going to answer?”

Gu Qianxing: “If you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

Yu Ju held back for half a second before giving in. “Then say it.”

Gu Qianxing chuckled, looking a little smug.

The car stopped at a red light again. With the final press of the brake, Yu Ju’s body lurched forward slightly.

“If a beautiful woman confessed to me,” Gu Qianxing said, “I’d tell her—I’m gay.”