Wen Qi didn’t know what Pei Yanchu was thinking: “What kind of reward do you want?”

Pei Yanchu shamelessly replied, “I haven’t decided yet, consider it on credit for now.”

“You’re still on probation, don’t think about rewards,” Wen Qi scoffed, casually feeding the last freeze-dried piece to Yuanbao. “If you don’t do well, I don’t keep idle people around here. I’ll just kick you out.”

Pei Yanchu looked at the little white dog and felt a bit irritated. Wasn’t it just a lazy dog? What difference would one more person make?

Wen Qi didn’t want to argue further and took a wet wipe. Slowly and methodically, he wiped the moisture from his long fingers, which had been licked by the little dog, and continued speaking. “The guest bedroom’s duvet was changed just last week, you can use it directly. Keep an eye on any supplies you might need; there’s a supermarket nearby, you can go buy things tomorrow. Do you know how to use the washing machine and dryer?”

His tone was light and casual, with a hint of playfulness. After finishing, he didn’t hear Pei Yanchu respond.

Wen Qi lifted his long lashes and cast a puzzled glance, only to find that Pei Yanchu was staring intently at his own hand. Slightly displeased, Wen Qi asked, “Did you hear me?”

Pei Yanchu snapped out of his daze, his gaze drifting. “Hmm?”

“What do you mean, ‘hmm’?” Wen Qi was speechless. “I asked if you know how to use the washing machine and… never mind, just wait for me on the balcony.”

He couldn’t expect much from this young master.

Wen Qi returned to the bedroom bathroom, bringing out a laundry basket filled with clothes he had just changed out of. Pei Yanchu was already standing on the balcony, fiddling with the light fixture. Upon hearing footsteps behind him, he asked, “Why isn’t the light on here?”

“It’s broken,” Wen Qi answered briefly.

Pei Yanchu asked, “Aren’t you going to fix it?”

The ceiling light on the balcony had been broken for half a year, but the apartment faced the morning sun. It wasn’t necessary to turn on the light during the day, and at night, the living room’s light illuminated the balcony, which was dim but still enough.

“Too lazy to bother, just leave it,” Wen Qi didn’t feel like explaining. “Come here, I’ll show you how to use the washing machine and dryer. When I take Yuanbao out for a walk, when the clothes are done, you can put them in the dryer.”

Pei Yanchu replied with a simple “Mm,” and walked over to stand beside Wen Qi. He stood so close that he almost encroached on Wen Qi’s personal space.

Wen Qi slightly furrowed his brows but said nothing, ignoring the slight discomfort. He pointed to the positions of the laundry detergent, fabric softener, and fragrance beads, then explained the buttons on the machine. The operation of household appliances was simple and straightforward, and Pei Yanchu quickly nodded, saying he understood.

“Alright, you can stay here. I’ll take Yuanbao for a walk,” Wen Qi found the leash for the dog. Yuanbao immediately recognized that it was time to go out and excitedly wagged his tail, running around him in circles.

Wen Qi crouched down, a gentle expression crossing his face as he attached the leash to Yuanbao’s paw, preparing to take him outside.

Pei Yanchu followed him to the hallway, asking, “It’s windy tonight. Do you want to take a jacket with you?”

Wen Qi couldn’t help but think that Pei Yanchu’s actions resembled a young wife sending her husband and child out. But what kind of wife was this, standing so tall, giving off such an overwhelming presence?

“Don’t stand so close to me,” Wen Qi couldn’t help but say, “How tall are you, exactly?”

Pei Yanchu took two steps back, like a giant dog unintentionally scaring someone, being scolded by its owner, with a slightly aggrieved expression. “Just 189.”

Just 189? How did he grow even taller than in high school?

Wen Qi, choosing to ignore it, turned his gaze away, “…No need for a jacket, I’m leaving.”

“Okay,” Pei Yanchu replied.

Wen Qi went out with Yuanbao. In the evening, the gentle breeze was refreshing, and there were few people in the nearby park. Wen Qi took Yuanbao for a slow stroll, his thoughts drifting. Leaving Pei Yanchu alone in the apartment always made him worried that the dog would cause chaos while he was gone. He returned home earlier than usual and opened the door, only to find the apartment in darkness, with the only light coming from the balcony.

Pei Yanchu was standing on a stool, shirtless and wearing dark gray pants, holding a flashlight in his mouth and a screwdriver in his hand, changing the ceiling light on the balcony. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights glittered, casting faint shadows on him.

Hearing the door open, Pei Yanchu turned and looked, the flashlight in his mouth flashing like a star.

“You’re back?” His words were muffled with a smile. “Wait two minutes.”

Wen Qi didn’t reply, feeling his way in the dark and first unhooking the leash from the dog. Pei Yanchu quickly finished changing the light, nimbly jumping off the stool and walking to the entrance, turning on the main power switch. Several machine startup sounds rang out in succession, and the apartment lights suddenly lit up, bright as daylight. Wen Qi instinctively squinted his eyes.

Pei Yanchu went back to the balcony. With a click, the light fixture was secured, and a bright light shone down on the balcony.

“Alright, it’s done,” Pei Yanchu said with a proud look, meeting Wen Qi’s curious gaze.

Wen Qi slowly walked over and asked, “You know how to change a light bulb?”

“If I can learn to cook, changing a light bulb isn’t hard,” Pei Yanchu replied nonchalantly. “Aren’t there tons of tutorials online?”

“Where did you get the new light bulb?”

“I bought it downstairs. There’s a hardware store 500 meters away according to the GPS. The shopkeeper was friendly, even added me on WeChat and said I could get delivery next time. I also stopped by a convenience store on the way back and bought disposable underwear. It felt a bit weird swinging it around.”

Who wanted to hear about his odd feelings about the situation? Wen Qi pursed his lips and asked again, “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

Pei Yanchu replied, “Your white hoodie is too clean. The balcony light hasn’t been cleaned in at least half a year, and it was covered in dust. I was afraid I’d dirty your clothes when I took it down.”

The new ceiling light now had a pristine white cover, and the old round cover, which had been removed, lay on the floor covered in dust, obscuring its original color. Pei Yanchu picked up the old light cover and threw it into the living room trash can, then washed his hands at the balcony’s faucet, put the hoodie back on, and carried the stool back to the dining room.

Wen Qi hadn’t said anything, his gaze following Pei Yanchu. When he came over, Wen Qi finally spoke slowly, “You have dust on your face.”

“Really?” Pei Yanchu responded.

Pei Yanchu reached up and wiped his face, but didn’t quite wipe the right spot.

Wen Qi said, “It’s the wrong side, on your right cheek.”

Pei Yanchu didn’t follow his instructions and instead slightly bent down, grinning shamelessly. “I changed the light bulb, shouldn’t I get a reward? How about you wipe my face as a reward?”

Wen Qi didn’t move. “I didn’t ask you to change the light bulb.”

“I’ve already changed it, I can’t just take it down and return it to the store, can I?” Pei Yanchu said, “Besides, the house is all bright now, it’s great.”

The word “house” made Wen Qi’s fingers subtly curl.

Pei Yanchu added, “The kitchen faucet should be replaced too, it turns awkwardly. Unfortunately, that hardware store didn’t have the same model. I ordered it online, it’ll be here in a couple of days. Oh, by the way, the light bulb was 35, and the faucet was 72.8, reimburse me.”

“Reimburse?” Wen Qi was surprised. “Didn’t you tell me at dinner not to transfer money?”

“You asked me to order food again at dinner, so that’s different,” Pei Yanchu replied with confidence. “The light on the balcony and the faucet in the kitchen are things we use in daily life, so I shouldn’t have to pay for them.”

Wen Qi said, “…What daily life? Don’t make it sound so strange.”

“Yes, yes,” Pei Yanchu laughed. “So, are you going to reimburse me?”

Wen Qi relented, “Give me your payment QR code.”

Pei Yanchu refused. “I want a red envelope.”

Asking for reimbursement for such a small amount, his demands were quite high. Wen Qi wasn’t interested in arguing over these small matters and opened the red envelope page. Pei Yanchu reminded him from the side, “One hundred and seven eighty.”

It was an amount with both digits and cents.

Wen Qi sent him the money. Pei Yanchu happily opened it, then asked, “What about my reward?”

“You didn’t break your hand, did you? Wipe it yourself.” Wen Qi said coldly, “If you can’t see, just pee and use it as a mirror.”

Pei Yanchu let out a small hiss.

Wen Qi frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Pei Yanchu swallowed the adjective he was about to use. “You have such a face, but you say such vulgar things. It’s kind of…”

Wen Qi finished for him, “Ear-piercing?”

Pei Yanchu smiled slightly. “Feels pretty good. It’s nice to hear, keep cursing at me a bit more.”

“…You really have a problem,” Wen Qi said. “I’m going to my room. If there’s something, message me on WeChat.”

Pei Yanchu responded, “Okay.”

Wen Qi went back to his bedroom, locked the door, and relaxed mentally in the solitude. He changed into his sleepwear and picked up his phone again. There were 99+ messages in the group chat, asking if they had fought.

Wen Qi: [No fight.]
Wen Qi: [We’re adults, it’s not like we’re high schoolers throwing punches.]

Although, several times, he really did want to punch Pei Yanchu’s annoying face.

The group was lively, and Wen Qi replied to a few messages. He was feeling a bit tired and was about to put down his phone when a message from an unfamiliar profile picture popped up. It was from Pei Yanchu, who had just been added recently, and it was an emoji that didn’t seem to have any meaning.

Wen Qi, confused, replied with a question mark.

Pei Yanchu: [Say something, I just want to make sure I didn’t add the wrong person.]
They had scanned each other’s QR code face-to-face; how could he have added the wrong person?

Wen Qi: [If you’re bored, just go dump some water from your brain.]
Pei Yanchu: [Hmm, didn’t add the wrong person.]

He seemed to be in a good mood and sent: [Are you going to sleep? Sweet dreams.]

How could Pei Yanchu say something so peaceful? Wen Qi politely replied: [You just got out of the hospital, you should rest early too. Good night.]

He waited for a while, and when Pei Yanchu didn’t reply, he was about to exit, but then a screenshot popped up on the conversation page.

The browser search page: [Does “Good night” mean “I love you”?]
AI Response: [Hello, “Good night” doesn’t always mean “I love you.” Here are some possible explanations: 1. A polite phrase to end a conversation…]

Wen Qi: ?

The screenshot was quickly retracted.

Pei Yanchu: [Accidental send, I sent it by mistake.]

Pei Yanchu: [You didn’t see it, right?]

Wen Qi couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. Just because he said “Good night,” Pei Yanchu went to search if it meant “I love you?”

Wen Qi: [Don’t tell me you’re still wondering if I have a secret crush on you.]

Seeing that Wen Qi had seen the screenshot, Pei Yanchu was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he started encouraging him: [If I secretly like you, I’d admit it openly. No shame in that. I’m so outstanding—tall, handsome, rich, and popular, I can understand it.]

Wen Qi took a deep breath. He didn’t know whether liking Pei Yanchu was shameful, but he was sure Pei Yanchu had no shame at all.

Wen Qi’s expression didn’t change. He quickly typed on his phone screen:
[No matter how tall or handsome you are, with all that debt, who would dare to like you?]
[Why not make the most of your age while your face is still acceptable, join a club and work as a male model? Maybe some rich woman will take a liking to you and pay off your debts.]
[For the sake of being high school classmates, I’ll reserve a champagne tower for you and cheer you on. How about it?]

Wen Qi sent the messages in one go and didn’t see any response from Pei Yanchu. Did he say something too harsh…?

Wen Qi felt a bit regretful.

Pei Yanchu had woken up from the car accident in the hospital, abandoned by everyone, with no one to take care of him, and burdened with a heap of business-related debts. He was basically at a dead end… Then a new message popped up in the conversation.

Pei Yanchu was very pleased: [You think I’m tall and handsome, enough to be a male model? You have good taste.]

His tone changed: [What you said makes sense, but since you spent 25,000 to “buy” me, I guess I should take care of you first, gather some experience. Otherwise, when I meet a rich woman, I won’t know how to serve her, and that would be a wasted opportunity.]

Who “bought” him? Wen Qi rubbed his temples, reflecting on why he wasted time arguing with Pei Yanchu.

Pei Yanchu: [Wait, but how do you know about the champagne tower at the club? Have you been there before?]

Wen Qi decided not to reply. Pei Yanchu was really like a dog—endlessly energetic. If he didn’t want to deal with him, he absolutely couldn’t give him any attention, or else he’d be pestered endlessly. Even Yuan Bao was more sensible.

Pei Yanchu was still sending messages relentlessly.

[You haven’t really hired a club male model, have you? Was it just for drinks?]
[How do they look, are they more handsome than me?]
[I asked a friend, champagne towers start in the five-digit range, is that true?]
[Haha, I’m not really that concerned, just asking casually, getting a feel for the market [sunglasses]]
[Where are you?]
[Wen Qi?]
[Little Qi?]
[Wen School God??]
[Are you already asleep??]

Wen Qi placed his phone on the bedside table, and the phone buzzed and vibrated, almost shaking itself off.

He then picked it up again and set it to Do Not Disturb.

The world became quiet.

He curled the corners of his lips, picked up a book from the pillow beside him, and leisurely flipped through the pages.

Outside the bedroom, footsteps sounded, like an anxious dog pacing in circles before reluctantly retreating. The smile in Wen Qi’s eyes deepened. The constant back-and-forth, and today, it seemed like Pei Yanchu had spoken more than he had in an entire month. Exhausted, the sleepiness in his body surged like a tide.

Wen Qi closed the book, settled into the pillow, and, for the first time in a long while, quickly fell asleep.

He dreamed of scenes from school. The century-old ginkgo tree outside the window had turned golden, shimmering and rustling. The two of them looked disheveled, covered in grass roots and dirt. The director of the school angrily scolded them, forcing them to stand in the office to reflect, and hurriedly left.

Inside the office, a few other young intern teachers were whispering to each other.

“Isn’t today the day the Pei family’s heir starts school?”
“I heard the principal went to the gate with a group of people to wait, but they still haven’t arrived.”
“Which class will he be assigned to?”

They whispered as the two boys stood side by side in the corner of the wall. One of them had a wolf-tail haircut, his features youthful and a bit rebellious. He rubbed his purple mouth with the back of his hand, looked at Wen Qi, and half-jokingly said, “You’re pretty rough.”

Wen Qi didn’t respond.

The boy muttered, “You get angry when I compliment you, and you get angry when I ask your name… You’re hard to please.”

He looked at him coldly. “You’re the one who grabbed me first. I didn’t say my name, and you wouldn’t let me go.”

The boy didn’t think he was at fault at all. “Yeah, you just needed to tell me, and that would’ve been fine, right?”

No way to explain. He turned back around, irritated, and stood straight again. The boy looked around, bored, and then looked back at him, handing him his phone.

On the screen was a QR code for WeChat.

“Well, we’ve met now, right? Want to add me as a friend?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

The boy, as if he had never been rejected before, was deeply struck by the rejection.

He asked back, “We’re not close, why would I add you as a contact?”

“Didn’t you just get pinned to the ground by me? What if you get hurt somewhere, and need to ask me for medical expenses? By the way, are you really a guy? Your waist is so slim, I can wrap my hand around it…”

Memories surged up. He was grabbed by the wrist on a small road, unable to walk. He couldn’t take it anymore and punched. The boy wasn’t prepared, lost his balance, and they both fell into the grass. The two young men, full of energy, got tangled together on the slanting grass, and the world seemed to spin with the sound of the chaotic wind.

Pei Yanchu was a head taller than him and quickly pinned him down, twisting his arm into the soft dirt. He suddenly leaned over, his nose buried in the back of Wen Qi’s neck, sniffing deeply. His breathing was ragged, and he asked in surprise, “Why do you smell so good? Did you put on perfume?”

Now, here he was again, questioning whether he was really a guy. Old grudges and new resentment mixed together. Wen Qi stared at the boy in front of him and sneered.

In the office, the other teachers stared at them in shock, exclaiming, “Why are they fighting again?”

“Stop fighting! If you keep going, you’ll get a discipline deduction! Which class are you from—!”

In the darkness, Wen Qi suddenly opened his eyes, breathing rapidly, his chest rising and falling, feeling suffocated and annoyed, the feelings as strong as they had been back then.

He turned on the light, got out of bed, not even bothering to put on slippers, and directly left the bedroom, standing at the door of the guest room.

He pressed the doorknob, and it opened smoothly. Not locked.

With a click, the guest room light blazed on. Pei Yanchu was startled awake by the sudden light.

The man’s disheveled black hair, sitting up, his eyebrows and eyes even more profound and mature than in his dreams. His voice was deep and hoarse, his expression puzzled as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Qi, with a cold face, crossed his arms, “Get down.”

Then he added, “Kneel.”