Zhao Ziqiang couldn’t pinpoint when Qian Wang had become so irritating, as if every word he spoke held some hidden meaning. But perhaps he was just overthinking it.

When he got home, he greeted his mother, who was cooking, and while helping her, he mentioned his work and his thoughts about moving out. Of course, he left out anything related to Qian Wang.

As expected, his mother didn’t raise any objections. Zhao Ziqiang slowly went back to his room to pack his things. After so many trips back and forth, this kind of task was second nature to him.

Actually, the place wasn’t far to begin with, who knew when something might happen again? He only needed to bring a few toiletries and some clothes. Summer made it much easier—clothes were light and simple.

Zhao Zili went a bit wild every summer. Teaming up with friends and heading out from 9 to 5, always on the go. Zhao Ziqiang, on the other hand, was relieved to have escaped his sister’s endless interrogation.

He packed his things which amounted to just one travel bag. He didn’t really intend to call his boss for help. After lounging around until the afternoon, waiting for the sun to lower, he finally grabbed his bag and said his goodbyes.

In the cool of the evening, the scenery along the way was actually quite pleasant. Zhao Ziqiang leisurely carried his bag, strolling slowly down the road toward the shop.

He thought about a lot along the way. He knew exactly why Qian Wang was making such a big fuss and going to so much trouble. Who couldn’t guess why?

But a sense of quiet detachment, one that had never surfaced before, left him feeling confused. From birth until meeting Qian Wang, his life had been a steady, uneventful progression, without any major changes. His parents were easygoing, adapting to whatever came their way. No one ever imposed pressure on him. Each day was simply about eating well, sleeping soundly, studying, and playing—this was life.

When he met that person, the focus of his life somehow shifted. How had he been so single-minded back then?

Zhao Ziqiang considered himself someone who wasn’t particularly good at maintaining things over the long term. He was more of a carefree type of person. Those long-ago days—those endless nights of holding down the household, working hard, and repeating “I love you” every single night—he really didn’t know what had kept him going.

So, even though he left that relationship with wounds, gritting his teeth and walking away, he never considered coming back, never thought about diving back in—no matter what.

Now, it was the same. After his mindset had shifted, he truly felt how foolish it was to once treat love as everything.

When Zhao Ziqiang looked back at that person, he realized they weren’t the perfect, proud figure he had once idolized He has his weaknesses, confusion, and doubts too.

Because once something was missed, no one could know if it would come back.

So, Zhao Ziqiang moved forward, not planning to get back together, even though his feelings were still there. Despite this, Qian Wang was now acting as quietly obedient as the little things he had let go of before.

Zhao Ziqiang dragged his feet to the shop’s entrance. It was already dark, but the warm light spilling from inside made him unconsciously smile.

There was someone sitting on the steps, their head buried in their arms, making it hard to tell who they were. However, Zhao Ziqiang had a good memory for faces, and although he couldn’t recall exactly, he felt like he had seen this person before.

The person, hearing the footsteps, raised their head to look at Zhao Ziqiang. Their expression shifted from vacant to confused, then… to panic, and finally… to tears?

The young man’s skin appeared pale, his body and face oddly thin, but his eyes were striking, with a faintly colored hue.

Zhao Ziqiang was momentarily stunned by the person’s reaction, staring blankly at the young man who seemed to have been “scared to tears” by him. Feeling a bit flustered, he was about to step forward and offer some comfort when a cold voice came from inside the door:

“Hey! If you’re done, just get lost.”

The sudden voice startled Zhao Ziqiang, making him stop in his tracks. The young man quickly got up, stumbling away, his steps looking a bit unsteady from Zhao Ziqiang’s view.

Zhao Ziqiang instinctively glanced into the shop and saw Sun Wanjue sitting at the entrance with a stern expression, arms crossed, looking like he was ready to lecture.

Feeling a bit helpless, Zhao Ziqiang walked in and forced a warm, friendly smile as he asked,

“It’s been a while. How did you find this place?”

Sun Wanjue raised an eyebrow and looked around the shop, finally fixing her gaze on the prominent sign at the cashier.

‘With a name like this, how could I possibly miss it?’

Zhao Ziqiang ruffled his hair. The strange dynamic between him and this kid was really his own impulsive doing, so he couldn’t really blame anyone. Once he thought about it that way, there was no reason to get angry.

He could only change the subject.

“Do you know the person from earlier?”

“No.”

“…”

Zhao Ziqiang knew that Sun Wanjue was usually very quiet, so he wasn’t sure what to say next. He decided to avoid the conversation for now.

“Well… I’ll go upstairs and drop off my stuff.”

The shop was still closed, and with no one around, the quiet atmosphere made Zhao Ziqiang speed up his steps.

As soon as he reached the stairs, Qian Wang, who was lost in thought, startled him again. Zhao Ziqiang rolled his eyes and pushed the person blocking his way.

“What are you staring at? Move aside.”

Qian Wang didn’t seem to mind his blunt tone. He followed, taking the bag and preparing to help organize things.

“Hey, don’t bother. I’ll sort it out later. You just go ahead and do your thing.”

Qian Wang paused, a bit downcast, as he placed the bag back on the sofa and then walked over to the water dispenser to get some water.

“Well, the upstairs hasn’t been fully renovated, and the stuff isn’t all here yet, so just make do for now.”

Zhao Ziqiang glanced at him.

“It’s fine. Thanks.”

He thanked him while taking the cup of water, drinking it in one go before heading downstairs again.

“I’m going to talk to that kid. Don’t worry about me, go ahead and do your thing.”

Though it wasn’t the first time Qian Wang had seen Zhao Ziqiang’s polite and distant attitude, he still felt frustrated and almost wanted to bang his head against the wall. When that kid came earlier, he had actually wanted to kick him out, but then he thought about the possible trouble it might cause if someone complained. So, he reluctantly held back his irritation and let the kid sit downstairs.

Who knew that Zhao Ziqiang wouldn’t even bother talking to him, instead focusing on chatting with that kid? But thinking about the relationship between employee and boss, Qian Wang knew he had no place to intervene. Still, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

He quietly went downstairs and, as soon as he left the kitchen, saw the two of them.

The two of them didn’t seem to be doing anything extreme. Zhao Ziqiang was sitting across from Sun Wanjue, his legs propped up, looking a bit troubled. Sun Wanjue remained silent, and though the atmosphere was calm, it felt far from harmonious. Qian Wang thought to himself, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction.

Zhao Ziqiang had thought it over and decided that Sun Wanjue was old enough to fully understand what was being said. Letting things drag on wasn’t helpful. Since he was already here, it would be better to be direct and clear about things.

“Uh… Wanjue, look, I know what you’re thinking. I’m about to turn twenty-eight, and you’re only fifteen.”

He noticed Sun Wanjue frown, and immediately felt that his words weren’t quite right. He knew he needed to be more straightforward with his point.

“Forget it, I’ll be straightforward. I don’t think you’re gay, and even if we set our age difference aside, the kind of person I’d be interested in has to be older than me. That’s a priority.”

He turned his body slightly.

“Secondly, even if I were to look for someone, it would have to be someone I can settle down with—someone with a career, stable income, life experience, and who understands the daily grind.

I’m different from you. When my life reaches the point where it needs to settle down, I have to think about my future, about taking care of my parents, having money, and living a stable, comfortable life.

You’re fifteen, young and full of possibilities. Your future is uncertain and likely to be very different from what you think. When you’re young, you don’t fully understand what it means to live day-to-day. You tend to assume things like, ‘I like him, I have to chase him, I need to express my feelings, I want to have him.’ But, in the end, we just…are on different paths.”

Zhao Ziqiang spoke in a somewhat disorganized manner, but the meaning was still somewhat clear.

Sun Wanjue didn’t speak a word. His gaze remained fixed, never moving as he silently listened to the man’s long-winded explanation.

After Zhao Ziqiang’s voice completely faded, the room returned to silence. Only then did Sun Wanjue speak, his tone calm and composed. With his mature appearance, he looked every bit the part of an adult.

“So, you still want to be with him.”

Zhao Ziqiang rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“I was just giving an example, I didn’t say who it was. It’s not him, but it’s definitely not you.”

“He fulfills all the conditions.”

The tone was cold and harsh.

Zhao Ziqiang was stunned, surprised by the maturity of this child’s perspective and the pressure he gave off at such a young age.

“Anyway, you should go back and think carefully. Put me aside and think about your classmates—both the girls and the boys. Take some time to reflect, alright?”

Sun Wanjue remained silent, lowering his head to glance at his fingers. After adjusting his clothes neatly, he stood up without a word or a farewell, walking briskly out of the shop.

Seeing that the person had left, Zhao Ziqiang felt a bit lost. He didn’t know if his lengthy speech had done any good, all he knew was….

“How much longer are you going to hang around here?”

Qian Wang’s face was filled with undeniable joy, and even when he was called out in a harsh tone, it couldn’t be wiped away. He took a long step forward, standing in front of Zhao Ziqiang, waiting for his next words.

Zhao Ziqiang continued:

“Did you hear everything I just said?”

Qian Wang nodded quickly, his eyes shining with excitement.

Zhao Ziqiang raised an eyebrow and replied sharply:

“Then why do you look so happy?”

Qian Wang’s expression shattered as he watched the person leave calmly, completely stunned. The meaning behind those words was…

“I won’t look for that kid, nor will I look for you.”