This was Zhao Ziqiang’s first time accompanying Brother Sun on a shopping trip. The seller was a vegetable supplier they had cooperated with for many years. It was his second ride in a bouncing vehicle, and Zhao Ziqiang silently felt relieved that it wasn’t a convertible, so he wouldn’t freeze in the wind like last time.

Packed into a compartment with various vegetables, he amusingly thought he had turned into a big cabbage, waiting to be stripped of its leaves and thrown into the pot to cook. After this bizarre thought flashed through his mind, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It seemed he had gotten up too early that morning; his brain hadn’t fully woken up yet.

In the future, he would have to take over the purchasing tasks. Thankfully, Brother Sun had a car, and he could drive. Zhao Ziqiang felt fortunate because he really couldn’t imagine the scene of himself running to the vegetable supplier in the morning with two baskets if those two conditions weren’t met.

As he mused on various thoughts, they arrived. They entered through the back door. Sun Yan and Sun Wanjue were still sleeping, but Sister Wang had come out early to receive the vegetables. The meat would be delivered by the store in another hour, which certainly made things a lot easier.

While arranging the vegetables, Sister Wang apologetically said to Zhao Ziqiang:

“Do you think you can handle it? If it’s too much, I can have your Brother Sun go instead; you don’t need to go.”

“I can manage; it’s no big deal.”

Sister Wang smiled, “Quick, go take a nap; your Brother Sun is catching up on sleep.”

Zhao Ziqiang looked at the bustling woman and felt a warmth deep inside. He thought of his mother—hardworking and strong.

“No need, I’m not tired after all this work; I’ll help with picking the vegetables.”

The vegetable picker hadn’t arrived yet, so Sister Wang had already started. Zhao Ziqiang pulled over a small stool to sit and help. Sister Wang was a lively person, almost non-stop in her chatter. She talked about her marriage story, then moved on to the hardships of her family, from the difficulties of starting the shop to the pride of having saved up a bit over the past two years.

Zhao Ziqiang occasionally chimed in with a few comments, but for the most part, he listened quietly. Even though he had only been living this life for a few weeks, he felt as though he had already started to wholeheartedly immerse himself in it.

He had always thought that some habits, when they weren’t dug deep into the heart, were hard to change. At first, he had to force himself not to think about it, and he never expected that he would soon be able to think about it less and less, even though it still felt bitter when the memories occasionally resurfaced.

It turned out that he had always viewed himself too lightly, seen life too superficially, held that person too highly, and thought of love as too great.

Watching Sister Wang and Brother Sun bicker from time to time, seeing their little gestures of care for each other, watching the eager and affectionate Sun Yan who seemed to want to etch her fondness for him on her face, and observing Sun Wanjue, who seemed indifferent on the surface but was actually looking at his mother’s hands with deep concern, he finally felt that happiness was nothing more than this, and that it should be like this.

However, Qian Wang was not so relaxed. Sun Kan had stirred up two problems—neither too big nor too small. First, he had brought the Sun couple to meet him, and second, he had tracked his family and showed up at their door to ask for their blessing to be together.

Qian Wang certainly didn’t think that Sun Kan was the partner he wanted to gain his parents’ approval and grow old together with. To be honest, he had been contemplating when to bring up the topic of breaking up with Sun Kan. In reality, they had never formally expressed their desire to be together.

The attitudes of Qian Wang’s family—his father, mother, sister, and younger sisters—were quite straightforward:

“If you really need to find a man, we only accept Zi Qiang.”

The Sun family was even more direct:

“Please let go of my son.”

In response to the intervention from both sides, Qian Wang calmly and decisively agreed in front of Sun Kan, “Sure.”

Sun Kan’s face drained of color at the cruelness of the response.

Qian Wang truly felt no guilt towards Sun Kan. He had once felt sorry for Zhao Ziqiang because he had seduced him and led him astray; Ziqiang had genuinely been pulled into the water by him. In contrast, Sun Kan had willingly submitted to him, especially since the young man was already inclined that way.

After discussing this with Lao Wang at the bar, Lao Wang seriously turned his face away from Qian Wang, who was enjoying his drink alone.

“How come I’ve never realized you’re such a jerk?”

Then he threw down some money and left.

Qian Wang watched his brother storm away in anger and shook his head in confusion.

“Why are you only just realizing it, I am really a jerk.”

Stumbling out, Qian Wang pushed away the women who tried to pull him back, mumbling, “I’m gay, don’t touch me,” completely losing his gentlemanly demeanor.

Sitting at the bar entrance, he refused the doorman’s assistance and fished out his phone, searching and searching. After flipping through it several times, he slapped his forehead; he had always remembered that person’s number in his mind. He muttered to himself as he typed it in, and when the call connected but no one spoke, he was surprised to find that Zhao Ziqiang hadn’t changed his number.

Since he had been very tired during the day, Zhao Ziqiang had been going to bed early for the past few days. Eleven o’clock felt almost like midnight to him. However, due to the experiences of being caught accompanying the young master to the bathroom at random times every night, he had gotten used to it. When he finally answered his phone, which hadn’t received a call in a long time, he didn’t fully wake up until he heard the murmurs from the other end.

“Qian Wang?”

“…Yeah.”

Qian Wang was using alcohol to mask his foolishness. He couldn’t find a way out of this situation because Zhao Ziqiang had put him on such a high pedestal, one that was several dozen meters high. Zhao Ziqiang had just abandoned him up there, and he had no way to pursue or even had time to catch his breath.

“Is there something you need?” Zhao Ziqiang asked.

“I’m drunk…”

“Oh, do you want me to call someone to help?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Then I’ll hang up.”

“Come pick me up…”

“Beep… beep…”

“Come pick me up…”

Silently repeating those words, Qian Wang put down his phone. He truly regretted it. He couldn’t say whether he had only fallen for Zhao Ziqiang after he left. All he knew was that he couldn’t stand it anymore—Zhao Ziqiang no longer cared for him, no longer treated him kindly.

Zhao Ziqiang tossed his phone aside, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. He knew Qian Wang hadn’t really gotten drunk; that person had never been able to get drunk. He pulled out his notebook, powered it on, but without any internet connection, he could only play a mindless game of Solitaire.

In the center of the game screen, the king’s face turned back and forth with the loyal subjects beside him, but when he cleared a level, he found everyone had scattered. While others celebrated with their own fireworks, he was left all alone.