When I got out of the car, I still wanted to get closer to him, even though he remained distant. He looked at me with his beautiful eyes and said slowly, “We’ll… talk… when we… get… home.”

I didn’t question the way he spoke. In fact, I thought it made him seem cool and aloof. Men in love aren’t always rational.

Once we got out of the car, he still acted cold toward me. I was worried he wouldn’t let me into his place. That would have been extremely awkward and probably left me with a lifelong embarrassment, forever hindering my chances of finding a boyfriend. Fortunately, he wasn’t that heartless.

I followed him into his home, which wasn’t the minimalist cold space I had imagined. Instead, it was cozy with warm tones and neatness, which surprised me. Despite being clearly drunk, the first thing he did when we got in was pour me a glass of water. So polite! My affection for him went up even more.

But I didn’t come over just to be a polite guest. If it had been someone more outgoing, we would probably already be all over each other by now, maybe even moving toward the bathroom or the bedroom. Meanwhile, I was panicking inside.

After pouring the water, he sat next to me, and I wondered if he was expecting me to make the first move. So, I shifted a bit closer to him.

He turned to look at me, stared for a while, and finally spoke: “Do… do you… mind… that I… stutter?”

It was the first time I had heard him stutter, and honestly, I was shocked. I’d never encountered someone who stuttered in real life, and I certainly didn’t expect such a handsome guy to have a stutter (not that there’s anything wrong with it).

While I was frozen for a few seconds, he seemed disappointed and started to get up to leave. I panicked, though. I didn’t see his stutter as a dealbreaker, just a surprise. Instinctively, I reached out, pulled him back, and kissed him.

He didn’t respond. No reaction, no resistance either.

I used my limited kissing skills, awkwardly moving my lips against his for about a minute. When I still didn’t get any response from him, I started to feel tired. I’m not the type to initiate things, and I swear this was the boldest move I’ve ever made.

Just as I was about to give up, I suddenly tasted something bitter and salty, so I stopped the kiss. That’s when I noticed he was crying, staring blankly at me.

I must have looked equally stunned. After all, it had been a night full of surprises. My first instinct was to comfort him, but as soon as I touched his shoulder, he pulled me into a tight hug.

Since I’m shorter than him, and he didn’t lower his head, what should have been a scene of him crying in my arms turned into me sunk in his chest. He cried loudly, and I felt my heart break. I really wanted to know what had caused such a strong man to cry in a stranger’s arms like this.

That’s when he started telling me about his ex. That day marked the third day since they had broken up.

I’m someone who loves listening to others and is pretty good at it too. I chimed in when appropriate and comforted him when necessary. I’m also a very patient person, or perhaps I should say tolerant. But, of course, if you had a handsome guy crying in your arms, no matter how slow he spoke, I believe you’d be patient too.

We talked for a long time that night, and only when he mentioned being cold did we move to the bed. He was quite drunk, and he opened up a lot, not just about his ex but also his childhood, college days, work—so many things.

By the end of that first day, I already knew so many of his secrets.

Some of the stories he shared were so shocking they could probably go viral on social media. And they later became my secret weapons whenever I wanted to annoy him.

We didn’t do anything that night. After saying he was tired, he fell asleep in my arms. I secretly kissed him a few times, but I had no other urges.

Before falling asleep, I remember thinking that I was still a “good boy” who had never had a one-night stand.

Then, in my half-asleep state, a funny term popped into my head: “platonic hookup.”

What a strange phrase.

---

The next morning, as soon as he woke up, the memories of the previous night seemed to flood his mind, and he looked extremely embarrassed. Whenever we made eye contact, I could see the shyness and regret in his eyes.

Quietly, he prepared some toiletries for me and then hurried off to the kitchen to make breakfast.

After I finished freshening up, I sat at the table watching him rush around. He didn’t say a word, and I didn’t either, just resting my head on my hand and smiling at him.

I must say, the sight of this tough guy acting all domestic was irresistibly cute. His innocent, slightly pitiful look made it seem like I had bullied him the night before.

I started to wonder if maybe being the dominant one could be fun (just kidding).

Usually, I don’t eat much for breakfast, and if I do, it’s just something simple. Besides my mom, no one had ever prepared such a variety of food for me.

Once he finished everything, he sat down beside me, took off his apron, and simply said, “Eat.”

I held back a smile, took a sip of milk, and asked, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

“I… I… I remember… I’m… I’m sorry.”

He seemed really nervous now, acting so sweet that it made me want to tease him.

“Sorry for what? For not satisfying me? Or for crying so much?”

“I… I… I…”

“You said you wanted to be my boyfriend. You’re not going back on that now, are you?” As soon as I said that, my heart started to race. Was I being too pushy?

“I… I… I was drunk.”

“So, you’re taking it back?”

“N… no.”

Wait, what? What does “no” mean?

“So, are you really going to be my boyfriend?”

“We… we can… try. But… but… I just… just broke up…”

“And so? Do you want to get back with that jerk ex of yours?”

“Of… of course not.”

“Then it’s settled. You’re my boyfriend.” I kissed him quickly on the lips and stood up to leave. “I’ve got to go to work now. Talk to you later tonight.”

He hurried after me, grabbing my arm. “I… I… I still don’t… know… know your… name.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yu Hong’an.”

Then I pulled out my phone, opened the add friend QR code, and watched as his face turned red while he scanned it.