At times like these, just a second of silence and hesitation was enough for Xie Nancang to understand the answer.

He handled it appropriately, gently squeezing An Yi’s fingertips. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“…I’m sorry.” An Yi lowered his head. “I’m still not ready to start a new relationship.”

If he got together with Xie Nancang in a daze, it would be irresponsible to Xie Nancang. He had once seriously liked someone, and he deeply understood how much harm it would cause if the other party couldn’t fully invest. Xie Nancang was so good; he deserved a more abundant and healthy relationship, not to be a tool for repairing emotional wounds.

At the same time, An Yi also looked down on himself a bit. Because of a little fondness and impulse, he ended up in bed with Xie Nancang in a heated moment, which made him no different from Yan Chen in the past.

Xie Nancang was afraid he might overthink, so he rubbed his hair. “I understand how you feel now, it’s just that I got a little impatient. It’s strange, though. Clearly, I’m not young anymore, but I’ve been feeling a bit restless lately.”

An Yi looked up at him. “I’m sorry, I messed up.”

“How could that be?” Xie Nancang remained gentle even when rejected. “Falling for you is easy; you don’t have to apologize for being loved.”

An Yi blinked in confusion, and Xie Nancang let go of his hand, taking clean bandages to rewrap his wound. “And you haven’t explicitly rejected me, does that mean I still have a chance? I can pursue you, and this time I’ll be more patient.”

“Ge… Nancang…” An Yi choked up. “I’m not as good as you think.”

“No one is perfect,” Xie Nancang said. “Me included. Let’s start as friends, okay? I just beg you not to deliberately distance yourself from me because of what I said tonight. Let things happen naturally. Give me a chance, and give yourself a chance.”

An Yi hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Okay, give me some time.”

Xie Nancang was right; he should give himself a chance, try to move forward, and try to accept new people.

Dinner time, Xie Nancang tied an apron clumsily, chopped the vegetables, and then let An Yi take over the cooking. The two of them made three dishes, drank some beverages, and chatted while eating with the TV on.

After dinner, Xie Nancang washed the dishes, then went to the balcony with An Yi to arrange the freshly bloomed white roses in a round porcelain vase. The white flowers and green leaves clustered together elegantly and nobly, resembling Van Gogh’s “White Roses.”

The two of them agreed to move together on the weekend, and Xie Nancang got up to say goodbye.

An Yi escorted him downstairs.

It started to drizzle lightly at night. Xie Nancang hadn’t brought an umbrella, and An Yi wanted to go back to get one for him, but Xie Nancang held his hand.

“No need, it’s just a few steps away. This little rain won’t matter,” Xie Nancang adjusted the hood on An Yi’s hoodie, then gently kissed his cheek, leaving a light peck like a dragonfly touching water. “Go back, goodnight.”

“…Goodnight.” An Yi pursed his lips, took a few steps, then stopped and said to Xie Nancang, “Let me know when you get home.”

Xie Nancang smiled. “Okay.”

Watching An Yi enter the elevator and turn back, Xie Nancang walked towards his car.

Suddenly, a strong light hit him in the face, causing him to black out for a moment.

Xie Nancang raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light.

The light moved aside a couple of steps, and then a cold and handsome young face appeared behind the windshield of the Grand Cherokee.

The Grand Cherokee was parked next to his car. Xie Nancang walked over and saw a laptop on Yan Chen’s lap. The faint glow of the screen illuminated his face, but it couldn’t penetrate the darkness in his eyes.

Yan Chen rolled down the car window, closed the laptop, and looked straight at Xie Nancang.

“Stay away from him.”

“I’ll return your words exactly as they were said,” Xie Nancang replied calmly.

After a few days of contemplation, Yan Chen was much calmer than before. His gaze was stern, vowing that the other party would pay the price for messing with An Yi. “Let’s wait and see, to see if your feelings for him are really as strong as steel.”

Xie Nancang’s brow twitched slightly. He felt there was more to Yan Chen’s warning, but Yan Chen didn’t give him a chance to ask further questions. He raised the car window, stepped on the gas, and drove away.

Soon it was the weekend, and they had agreed to move together, but An Yi hadn’t seen Xie Nancang around.

He was worried that something might be wrong, so he called Xie Nancang. It took a long time for Xie Nancang to answer the phone, and his voice sounded tired. “An An.”

“Did I disturb your rest?”

An Yi checked the time; it was ten in the morning. Xie Nancang was usually disciplined and wouldn’t still be in bed at this time.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and Xie Nancang’s tone became clearer. “Sorry, I stayed up all night and fell asleep. I’ll come over to see you right away.”

“If you’re too tired, just rest. I’ve arranged for a moving company, and I can handle it alone,” An Yi said. “Why did you stay up all night? Is the company very busy?”

“…Yeah, there’s a bit of a situation that needs urgent attention,” Xie Nancang said lightly, but the actual situation was much more serious.

He had underestimated Yan Chen’s vengeful nature and overestimated his own capabilities.

Over the past few days, several key technical personnel in his company had resigned one after another, causing a halt to important projects in development.

Meanwhile, Yan Chen, relying on the powerful financial resources of the Yan family, had been targeting him in the foreign exchange futures market, forcing him to close positions and stop losses, resulting in the evaporation of millions in just a few days.

With internal and external troubles, Xie Nancang hadn’t slept well for several days. The top priority now was to restart the stalled projects in his company to avoid delays and be held responsible by partners.

“An An, can you handle it alone?” Xie Nancang’s voice was hoarse. “I really can’t get away right now, and I’ll probably have to go on a business trip to Guangdong and Hong Kong this afternoon.”

“I can manage,” An Yi reassured him, “Take care of yourself. Let me know when you’re back, and I’ll make you some soup.”

“Great,” Xie Nancang said with relief. “Having you is really great.”

An Yi smiled and gave him some instructions before hanging up. He didn’t have many belongings, and he didn’t need to hire a moving company, but most of them were tools used for pottery making and porcelain painting—space-consuming and fragile. It wasn’t convenient to take a taxi, so a small pickup truck from the moving company would suffice to move all of his belongings.

The new place he was moving to wasn’t far from the training institution. After turning a few corners, he could walk there without passing through main roads.

An Yi had been very cautious every day, guarding against Yan Chen’s surveillance. After half a month passed without any incidents, he gradually relaxed.

But Xie Nancang had been extremely busy lately. Every time they video called, An Yi could hear Xie Nancang coughing. He specially made some snow pear syrup for him, and although Xie Nancang was happy, his tiredness was still evident. An Yi asked worriedly, “Is it very difficult?”

“It’s okay, I’m solving it,” Xie Nancang rubbed his temples, “It just takes some effort, I need to socialize and drink every day, and I haven’t had time to see you.”

“I’m fine,” An Yi said. “Drinking is bad for your stomach. Prepare some honey at home.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Xie Nancang paused.

Rarely having some free time, they had dinner together outside. As they finished, thunder rolled through the night sky, with the early autumn cold rain falling in bursts. He drove An Yi home.

Passing by the flower shop, An Yi received another bouquet of white roses, still in bud.

This was Xie Nancang’s first time coming to An Yi’s new home, but due to having to go back to work for a video conference later, he didn’t have much time to stay.

“An An,” Xie Nancang held an umbrella while walking with An Yi downstairs. “Can I have a hug? I’ve been feeling a bit exhausted lately, and I always think of finding some comfort in you. Just one, is that okay?”

Usually composed and steady, it was rare for him to show vulnerability. An Yi hesitated for a moment but didn’t refuse.

He reached out and hugged Xie Nancang’s waist. “Will this make you feel better?”

“Of course,” Xie Nancang buried his head in An Yi’s neck, the faint scent of white roses lingering around his nose. He smiled. “Much better, thank you, An An.”

An Yi patted his back and asked softly, “Nancang, tell me the truth, is there any connection between your company’s problems… and Yan Chen?”

Xie Nancang remained silent for a few seconds before smiling again. “Don’t worry too much, everything is under control, and it will get better after this period.”

An Yi frowned and let go of the hug. Xie Nancang’s assistant called about a meeting arrangement, and he didn’t stay any longer, exchanging a few words with An Yi before driving back to the company.

An Yi stood in the hallway, holding the flowers, and looked into the bushes for a long time.

For the past two days, he hadn’t seen the stray cat that he often saw nearby. He didn’t know if it had been caught in the rain. After waiting for a while and not seeing it, he turned around and went upstairs.

The apartment he rented was a two-lift, five-house structure. Exiting the elevator, turning left to the east, the room he rented was the one closest to the elevator, with its own entrance and no neighboring rooms. So when he saw the dark figure at the door, his heart skipped a beat in fear.

The bright light in the hallway was always on. Yan Chen sat against the door, one leg curled up and the other stretched out, drenched in rain, his black hair covering half of his face in the shadows.

Desolate and pitiful, like a stray dog without a home.

Hearing footsteps, Yan Chen raised his eyelids. His handsome face was also wet, his eyes red, as if he had just cried.

His voice sounded a bit nasal, filled with grievances. “You’re avoiding me.”

An Yi took out the key, feeling powerless. “What’s the use of avoiding you? You’re here anyway.”

Yan Chen, sitting by the door, didn’t move. As An Yi approached, he raised his chin, and An Yi could see the tear marks on his face more clearly.

Yan Chen stared at the bouquet in An Yi’s hand, his eyes even redder. “Did he give this to you?”

An Yi frowned without answering, coldly saying, “Excuse me, I need to open the door.”

Yan Chen pushed himself up with one hand on the ground. Because he had been sitting for too long, he stumbled a bit when he stood up.

He leaned against the wall, reaching out to grab the hem of An Yi’s clothes as he opened the door.

“Can I come in for a while? Just for a moment.”

“No,” An Yi refused, “It’s inconvenient.”

“…”

Yan Chen withdrew his lonely hand. When the door was about to close, he couldn’t help but speak again, unwillingly, “Today is my birthday, do you remember?”

The door paused slightly.

Under the wet hair, his black eyes showed a hint of excitement at this momentary hesitation.

He reached out, but heard a “bang,” the door closed heavily in front of him.

The gust of wind blew out the spark of hope that had just ignited in his eyes.