A little past six in the evening, the city streets looked like they could stay jammed forever.

The car crawled forward at a turtle’s pace. Ten minutes had passed, and they still hadn’t cleared a single red light.

After the second wave of traffic moved, Yu Ju finally caught sight of the crosswalk ahead.

Perhaps to keep the silence from feeling too heavy, Gu Qianxing had turned on some music a moment ago.

Unlike Zhou Jinye’s car, which always felt like a nightclub with its pounding beats, Gu Qianxing listened to slow jazz.

Coincidentally, in the pause between two songs, the cars ahead started moving.

Gu Qianxing’s car followed suit, and Yu Ju, swayed by inertia, leaned back into his seat. The comfortable atmosphere lulled him into a daze.

Before he even realized it, he had started watching Gu Qianxing.

This was someone who, no matter how many times Yu Ju met him, always struck him as incredibly handsome.

That summer—back when he still understood nothing—Yu Ju had already learned how to properly look at Gu Qianxing.

He would always find a spot slightly behind Gu Qianxing, watching straight ahead while stealing glances at him from the corner of his eye.

Gu Qianxing had a face Yu Ju could never get tired of. Every single feature seemed to align perfectly with his tastes. If he focused on any one part individually, he could admire it for ages.

That probably sounded a little creepy—but it was the truth.

Gu Qianxing’s thin lips were especially captivating. When he smiled, they pressed into a fine line, but when he truly laughed, the corners of his mouth lifted effortlessly.

Yu Ju had a secret he had never told anyone—he had dreamed of kissing Gu Qianxing before.

It was that summer.

And in the dream, Gu Qianxing had been the one to initiate it.

When Yu Ju woke up, he had been so flustered he couldn’t even look Gu Qianxing in the eye for the entire day.

Even after all these years, he could still instinctively find the perfect spot behind and to the side.

Gu Qianxing didn’t blink often. When waiting at a stop, his index finger would absentmindedly tap against the steering wheel. And right now, his body was ever so slightly leaning in Yu Ju’s direction.

But before Yu Ju could keep watching, a sudden twist of pain cut through him.

His stomach.

To get all the data sorted out today, Yu Ju had gone straight to the library after his morning classes.

For lunch, he had only managed to gulp down a piece of bread and some milk, barely holding out until now.

He was starving…

The current wave of traffic was finally moving efficiently. Judging by a rough estimate, Gu Qianxing’s car was now among the top seven in line—it should make it through the next green light.

But the bad news was that the car’s navigation screen still showed forty minutes left until their destination.

Great. At least forty minutes wasn’t long enough to starve to death.

Yu Ju felt like his lips were turning pale.

He took a slow, steady breath and exhaled quietly.

Just as he was about to close his eyes to conserve energy, Gu Qianxing’s voice drifted over.

“Hungry?”

Yu Ju’s eyes shifted slightly before he glanced down—only to realize that, without even noticing, he had been tapping his stomach with his fingers.

Yu Ju swallowed a mouthful of air. “A little.”

Gu Qianxing didn’t say anything in response. At the next green light, their car finally left the congested street.

But just after crossing the intersection, instead of following the navigation’s route, Gu Qianxing started signaling left, maneuvering the car through the heavy traffic.

He kept going until he reached the nearest U-turn spot and drove into the opposite lane.

“Where are we going?” Yu Ju asked.

Gu Qianxing: “To eat.”

Yu Ju frowned in confusion. “Aren’t we going to their place?”

Gu Qianxing asked instead, “What do you want to eat?”

Yu Ju hesitated. “They should have food there, right?”

Gu Qianxing said, “Let’s just stop at this mall.”

Yu Ju reminded him, “It’s Zhou Jinye’s cousin’s birthday today.”

Gu Qianxing: “Chinese or Western?”

Yu Ju: “…”

Yu Ju laughed helplessly. “Does this conversation even make sense?”

“Chinese food. I want rice,” he relented.

Gu Qianxing: “Okay.”

Yu Ju didn’t ask how Gu Qianxing had figured out he was hungry. He simply withdrew the hand that had been tapping his stomach.

The mall Gu Qianxing mentioned was already on their right. By the time Yu Ju finished speaking, the car was making its way into the underground parking lot.

At the moment the vehicle plunged into darkness, Yu Ju couldn’t help but recall something—

Back then, after finishing the college entrance exams, he had wanted to relax. Plus, the new game was just too good. He often crashed at Zhang Qiming’s place, playing for hours, forgetting to eat properly.

And when he was hungry, he had a subconscious habit—tapping his stomach with his fingers.

The first time Gu Qianxing saw it, he had asked, “Are you playing the piano?”

The second time Gu Qianxing saw it, Yu Ju had plenty of food in front of him.

Everything was bought by Gu Qianxing—everything Yu Ju liked to eat.

After getting out of the car and stepping into the elevator, Yu Ju still couldn’t help but ask Gu Qianxing, “Is it really okay for us to go out and eat like this on our own?”

Gu Qianxing answered without hesitation, “It’s fine.”

Yu Ju thought for a moment before adding, “It doesn’t seem right. We’re already late.” He emphasized, “It’s a birthday, you know.”

Gu Qianxing paused for a few seconds before asking, “Do you really care about Jin Zhitao?”

Yu Ju was taken aback. “Who’s Jin Zhitao?”

Gu Qianxing replied, “It’s his birthday today.”

Yu Ju shook his head. “I don’t know him.”

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Gu Qianxing pressed the button to hold them open and said, “Zhou Jinye’s cousin. Relax and eat. The fact that you’re even planning to show up is already doing him a huge favor.”

Yu Ju was so stunned that his mouth hung open.

You can say it like that?

Gu Qianxing added, “Why are you so well-behaved?”

“Being late isn’t good,” Yu Ju explained softly. Then, all of a sudden, he lifted his head and looked at Gu Qianxing. “What? I’m sensible and polite—is that a problem?”

Gu Qianxing chuckled and raised his hand slightly, but just as it reached mid-air, he pulled it back down.

He nodded. “No problem.”

Yu Ju licked his lips. Why did it feel like that unfinished gesture was meant to pat his head?

Gu Qianxing used to love ruffling his hair, never stopping until it was a complete mess.

So annoying.

Since Gu Qianxing had said so, Yu Ju felt reassured. And from his tone, it was clear that the group had a good relationship.

So being late wasn’t a big deal.

The streets weren’t the only lively place—the shopping mall was just as bustling.

They arrived at the fourth-floor restaurant area, where every entrance they could see had long lines of people waiting.

Just as Yu Ju was worrying about what to do, Gu Qianxing made a call.

“We’re at the entrance… two people… mm, thanks.”

After hanging up, Yu Ju looked at Gu Qianxing expectantly.

Gu Qianxing seemed like he wanted to say something but instead just smiled at Yu Ju.

Yu Ju was confused. “Huh? What are you smiling at?”

Gu Qianxing asked, “Do you want to eat?”

Yu Ju replied, “Of course.”

Gu Qianxing said, “Then what should we do?”

It was only then that Yu Ju realized—Gu Qianxing had been looking at his dimples.

Damn it. Yu Ju immediately understood and flashed Gu Qianxing a bright smile.

“Heh—”

Gu Qianxing’s gaze softened instantly, and in the next second, his large hand landed on Yu Ju’s head.

His touch was light, and his thumb patted twice. “Bribery successful.”

Gu Qianxing took Yu Ju to the high-end restaurant tucked away at the far end of the fourth floor. The entire way there, they barely spoke, as if they were just strangers sharing a table rather than acquaintances.

Midway through, Gu Qianxing received a call from Zhou Jinye.

Since the private room was too quiet, Yu Ju could hear every word from the other end.

Zhou Jinye asked why Gu Qianxing still hadn’t arrived. Gu Qianxing replied, “Traffic jam.”

“Bullshit! You’re probably on a damn date with your little sweetheart, aren’t you?!” Zhou Jinye yelled from the other side.

Gu Qianxing remained unfazed, not the slightest bit flustered. He simply repeated, “Traffic jam.” Then he added, “Believe it or don’t.”

As if he were the one being wronged.

Yu Ju felt that Gu Qianxing’s ability to lie so smoothly was something he needed to learn.

By the time they finished eating and stepped outside, the roads had cleared up quite a bit. After getting in the car, Yu Ju saw that the estimated arrival time had been reduced to just ten minutes.

Ten minutes—long if you think about it, but short enough to pass in just three songs.

Dinner had delayed them by nearly an hour. By the time they arrived and opened the door, a chorus of teasing voices erupted from inside.

Most of them were complaints:

“Why are you only getting here now?”

“Wow, stuck in traffic for this long?”

“Yu Ju, you’ve been led astray by him!”

“Where exactly did you take our little sweetheart?”

Gu Qianxing didn’t respond to a single one of them. He simply picked up a glass of liquor from the table and downed it as an apology.

Seeing this, Yu Ju thought for a moment, then reached for an empty glass.

Just as he was about to pour himself a drink, Gu Qianxing pressed down on his hand. “What are you doing?”

Yu Ju said, “I’ll have a drink too.”

“No need.” Gu Qianxing took the glass from his hand and placed it back on the table. “It counts as if you’ve already had one.”

The person sitting directly across stood up. “Qianxing-ge, sit next to Cai Yan-ge.”

The one speaking wore a paper crown on his head, presumably today’s birthday star, Jin Zhitao.

Judging by the cake on the table and the scattered bits of colored paper, it seemed that the Happy Birthday part had already passed.

Beside that Cai Yan-ge, there was only one empty seat.

Meanwhile, there was also an empty seat next to Zhao Yi, which appeared to be reserved for Yu Ju.

Yu Ju looked up at Gu Qianxing, just as Gu Qianxing was looking at him. Their eyes met for a second, and they instantly understood each other’s meaning.

Yu Ju was saying, “I’ll move over.”

Gu Qianxing replied, “Go ahead.”

“That’s odd.”

As soon as Yu Ju sat down, someone asked, “Taotao, you call all of us ‘gege,’ but why do you only call Gu Qianxing ‘ge’?”

Jin Zhitao let out an “Oh” and handed the freshly cut piece of cake to Gu Qianxing. “Qianxing-ge told me not to call him ‘gege,’ just ‘ge’ is fine.”

The person who had asked turned to Gu Qianxing. “What’s the difference?”

Gu Qianxing picked up his fork and scraped off a small bite with deliberate ease. “There is a difference.”

That person scoffed. “What kind of nonsense is that?”

Meanwhile, Jin Zhitao cut another piece of cake and handed it to Yu Ju. “I heard from saozi that you like strawberries, so they’re all yours.”

He really did give all of them to Yu Ju, even switching to a larger ceramic plate—a whole plate of strawberries.

Yu Ju was caught between amusement and surprise. “Thanks.”

Jin Zhitao grinned. “No need to be polite.”

At that moment, Zhou Jinye spoke up. “Taotao, Yu Ju is a graduate student in the chemistry department. You should ask him for help with your lousy chemistry.”

Jin Zhitao immediately pulled a pained expression, the kind that said, Why am I still being made to study when I’m just here to have fun?

Zhao Yi added, “Yu Ju isn’t just good at chemistry—he’s an all-rounder. He ranks first in our major every year.”

Jin Zhitao let out a couple of chuckles. “That impressive, huh?”

Zhou Jinye said, “Now that you know how impressive he is, go ahead and add him on WeChat. You can ask him for help in the future.”

Jin Zhitao pulled a dramatic pained expression but still took out his phone.

Just then, someone in the crowd called out, “Taotao, if you want to add Little Cutie on WeChat, did you ask Gu Fox first?”

Jin Zhitao gave an “Oh” of realization, then turned to Gu Qianxing. “Is it okay, Qianxing-ge?”

Yu Ju: “…”

Shouldn’t he be asking me instead?

But Gu Qianxing actually did turn to him. “Is it okay?”

Yu Ju: “…It’s okay.”

Gu Qianxing let out a hum in acknowledgment before turning to Jin Zhitao. “You can only ask him questions—no casual chatting.”

Jin Zhitao suddenly let out a meaningful chuckle. “Why no casual chatting?”

Gu Qianxing replied calmly, “He’s busy. He doesn’t have time.”

After the WeChat exchange was done, Yu Ju heard Zhao Yi beside him stifling his laughter, covering his mouth as he let out muffled chuckles.

Even without thinking too hard, Yu Ju knew exactly what Zhao Yi was laughing about.

This guy actually dares to laugh.

Once everyone’s attention shifted away from him, Yu Ju reached out and hooked an arm around Zhao Yi’s neck, pulling him down toward the table.

“You little—” Yu Ju muttered under his breath, “You went and asked Gu Qianxing what he says when beautiful women confess to him?”

Zhao Yi had originally planned to yell for help, but the moment he heard that, he burst into laughter instead.

Clutching Yu Ju’s wrist, Zhao Yi defended himself, “Hey, I was asking Zhou Jinye! How was I supposed to know he’d turn around and tell Gu Qianxing?”

Yu Ju tightened his grip a little more.

“Alright, alright, I was wrong!”

Only after giving him one last squeeze did Yu Ju finally let go.

But the moment Zhao Yi straightened up, he had the audacity to mutter, “I’d still do it again next time.”

Yu Ju raised a hand as if to smack him.

But there was still something else on his mind.

Leaning in closer, Yu Ju lowered his voice and asked, “Why did that person call him ‘Gu Fox’?”

Zhao Yi replied, “I was about to ask you the same thing. How did you know that one of his old nicknames was ‘Gu Fox’? Everyone used to call him that back in the day.”

Yu Ju let out an acknowledging “Oh.”

Zhao Yi added, “Maybe it’s because I casually mentioned it yesterday, and now everyone’s calling him that again today.”

Yu Ju: “What exactly did you say?”

Zhao Yi: “I said you wanted to call him ‘Fox.’”

Yu Ju: “…”

This bastard—why does he have to say everything out loud like that?!

Now it sounded like he actually cared about Gu Qianxing or something.

Yu Ju shot Zhao Yi a fierce glare, making him quickly avert his gaze.

But it didn’t take long before Zhao Yi scooted back over, grinning mischievously. “Gu Qianxing sure seems to care about you~”

Yu Ju: “Get lost.”

“Little Cutie!”

Suddenly, someone called out from across the table.

Yu Ju: “Hm?”

Huh?

Wait…

Why did he just respond to that?

And so naturally, too—like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Who the hell was Little Cutie here…?

“Come on, play a round of Truth or Dare,” the person said.

Yu Ju raised a brow in confusion. “Huh?”

Why the sudden game of Truth or Dare?

This time, at least, there was a proper explanation. The person added, “You were late, and you’re not drinking. Gotta do something to make up for it.”

Yu Ju immediately turned his gaze toward Gu Qianxing.

But that sly fox, Gu Qianxing, suddenly said, “I’ll be the one asking.”

Yu Ju: “??”

Who decided you get to ask the questions?!

Gu Qianxing set his glass down. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Yu Ju paused for a second. “No.”

Gu Qianxing nodded. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Yu Ju, without hesitation: “No.”

Gu Qianxing continued, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”

Yu Ju: “No.”

Gu Qianxing paused for half a second before asking, “Do you like someone?”

Yu Ju froze for a moment, hesitating for a long time before answering—caught between yes and no.

Tss—

Beside him, Zhao Yi suddenly let out a chuckle, breaking his train of thought. Leaning in, he whispered, “Are you an idiot, Yu Ju? How many questions has he asked already? Why are you just answering whatever he asks?”

Yu Ju: “……”

Fuck.