Yin Xin watched as Fu Shicang’s face turned pale in an instant.

His skin was already pale, but now the color drained completely from his face, even his lips lost their color. His eyes stared at him with a look of confusion, but it seemed as though he was looking through him, seeing something too difficult to accept.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?” Yin Xin anxiously set down the drawing tools in his hand and wanted to help him, but hesitated.

“I’m fine,” Fu Shicang frowned tightly, his voice sounding as though it was forced out, “I had a bit of low blood sugar this morning, I’ll be fine after a rest.”

The man in front of him appeared to be simply pale, with no other visible issues. But at this moment, Yin Xin could sense that a strong emotion was growing and swirling inside Fu Shicang, like a storm rapidly forming over the sea, and it made him instinctively uneasy.

“Then, let me get you some sugar!” Yin Xin turned and ran toward the villa.

The hot summer sun radiated heat, yet Fu Shicang only felt as though the blood in his body was evaporating, making his vision go white. He gripped a small tree beside him tightly, forcing the rough branches into his palm, using the pain to push his blood slowly back to his heart.

A few minutes later, his body finally straightened again, and he released the tree branch from his grasp. He staggered around the villa and drove away.

In the production team’s surveillance cameras, Yin Xin was rummaging through the kitchen, eventually finding a jar of white sugar. But by the time he returned to the backyard, only the summer breeze brushed past the unfinished painting.

The scene from earlier still left him with a racing heart.

Fu Shicang had stood there weakly, but it felt like something inside him was trying to burst out.

That intense emotion was exactly what he had been longing for, the very reason he had joined this dating show.

He stood under that tree, for a long time, repeating, trying to relive the experience.

---

At Mo Cang Mountain, Wang Xiaoyu, panting heavily, climbed up to the observation platform and greeted the man holding a telescope.

“What is he up to again? I finally have a day off. And it’s not like he doesn’t have money—couldn’t he just install an elevator?”

The observation platform of the mountain bike club had over a hundred steps, and with Wang Xiaoyu’s lack of exercise, he climbed up with a face full of disdain for life.

The man didn’t speak, just handed him a telescope and pointed to the mountain road not far away.

A black Porsche GT3 screeched as it drifted around the bend, losing almost no speed, and shot down the road like lightning, heading toward the next curve.

“Tsk, why does it feel faster than before?” Wang Xiaoyu clicked his tongue. “Isn’t this dangerous?”

The man continued holding the telescope and shook his head.

“It’s safe.”

“Well, that’s good.” Wang Xiaoyu sighed in relief, then looked puzzled. “What’s that light flickering by the mountain? A new protective fence?”

The fence was quite noticeable, and it did seem pretty safe.

Just then, the Porsche passed by, leaving a trail of light. The man finally spoke up.

“Speed radar. If it exceeds the speed limit by more than double, the light flashes.”

“Huh?” Wang Xiaoyu was stunned and quickly raised the telescope, following the speeding car with his eyes. He couldn’t help but push the man beside him. “Are you crazy? Isn’t that radar supposed to be for decoration? It’s flashing like a neon light, and you’re letting him keep driving?”

“It’s fine, he’s Fu Shicang.”

Wang Xiaoyu rolled his eyes. “Right, right, he’s Fu Shicang. I’m still Emperor Qin Shi Huang! Even if he’s the king of kings, he can’t drive like this!”

He grabbed the man’s sleeve. “Call him back, quickly!”

The man looked at him expressionlessly.

Wang Xiaoyu nodded. “Fine, you believe in him, right? What about your physical exam report from last month? Did you get it? If you didn’t say anything, I can still find a way…”

“Ah Cang, take a break. This car has been in service for a while, and the suspension system is likely worn out,” the man said flatly as he lifted the walkie-talkie.

There was no answer, only the sound of the man’s slightly heavy breathing coming from the walkie-talkie, as if he was suppressing something.

Suddenly, the Porsche accelerated again. In Wang Xiaoyu’s terrified gaze, the car sped like lightning down the mountain road beneath them, drifting sharply before turning up the mountain slope. After several intense drifts, the car finally stopped in the maintenance area.

Wang Xiaoyu glared at the man beside him. “He’s in such a bad mood, and you still let him drive? If he doesn’t care about his life, why are you going along with this madness?”

He stopped talking to the man and immediately rushed down the observation platform.

In the racetrack club’s bathroom, steam filled the air as Fu Shicang turned the hot water to its maximum, washing away the sweat from his hair and body.

After speeding down the mountain road for two and a half hours, the extreme speed had pushed his adrenaline to its limits, just barely suppressing the storm inside him. But now that he stopped, that feeling of his soul being drained returned with full force. He bent slightly, his palms pressing against the smooth ceramic wall, but he felt like he couldn’t hold onto anything.

That person… how could it be An Le Yan?

That kid was only, what, eighteen or nineteen? When I was tormented by those nightmares, how old was he? How could it possibly be him?

But those eyes, they were exactly the same, even the curve of the corners of his eyes was identical!

It’s a coincidence. It must be a coincidence!

Even though he kept telling himself that, a voice in his heart screamed:

It’s him, it’s definitely him!

From leaving the villa until now, he had replayed every moment spent with An Le Yan, every detail of their interaction, every expression from the other side, and every feeling of his own.

Fu Shicang lowered his head, letting the water spray on his shoulders and back. He gave a self-deprecating smile.

He knew very well that the moment he saw An Le Yan for the first time, he was drawn to him.

It was a natural closeness, as though the other person wasn’t a stranger, but someone closely related to him, as if at some point in time, they had been inseparable.

So when An Le Yan occasionally showed familiarity with him, his first reaction wasn’t disgust or wariness, but rather, a sense of it being natural.

Of course, he should understand him, of course, he would care for him, of course, he would choose him…

But it wasn’t all like that.

After seeing the boy rejected by him, finally having the courage to reject him, and then shining with unique brilliance among the guests, Fu Shicang didn’t feel anger but a sense of relief.

Yes, this should be his life—complete, autonomous, without having to put the needs of others before his own.

He deserves this, he deserves every choice he made.

Why… do I care so much about him?

In the first twelve years of Fu Shicang’s life, his thoughts were filled only with hatred.

He prided himself on being smart, always calm in the face of problems, never involving emotions with people, and wrapping himself tightly in an elegant gentleman’s exterior. Even those closest to his revenge plan, like Wang Xiaoyu and Assistant Fang, were just a little more cared for than others.

As he repeated and chewed over the events from earlier, he had to admit that his special feelings for An Le Yan had no other reason, it was simply because he liked him.

What if he wasn’t the person from my dream? Fu Shicang asked himself.

He tilted his head back, letting the hot water pour over his forehead and eyes.

After a long pause, he bitterly smiled.

It’s still because I like him. That’s why I hesitated so much when I decided to let go.

Moreover, he knew clearly that when he saw the boy in the painting, shock was not the only thing he felt—he was also overcome with joy.

He secretly rejoiced, thinking that if An Le Yan was related to his revenge, could he treat him specially? Could he avoid letting go? Could he use this reason to bind him to himself forever?

Fu Shicang, you scoundrel!

“Fu Shicang, are you in there? If you can take a shower, just turn off the water!” Wang Xiaoyu’s voice came from outside, followed by a loud bang on the door.

“Hey, why did you lock the door? Where are you? Talk to me! You didn’t faint in there, did you?”

The noise from outside interrupted his thoughts. Fu Shicang sighed and wrapped himself in a bathrobe before stepping outside.

The noise outside was like a hundred angry baboons. Fu Shicang slowly put on his pants, took off the bathrobe, and revealed the waterproof patch on his abdomen.

The baboon-like noise suddenly caught in Wang Xiaoyu’s throat. After a long pause, he finally said, “Why are you so well-equipped?”

After a moment, it seemed like he regained his voice and was ready to continue talking.

“It’s from An Le Yan,” Fu Shicang answered him. “Also, he’s the person from my dream.”

Wang Xiaoyu was left speechless, his mouth hanging open.

After a long while, Wang Xiaoyu seemed to wake up, stepped closer to Fu Shicang, and reached out to touch his forehead.

Fu Shicang avoided his hand in disdain. “I’m not running a fever, and I’m not talking nonsense.”

The two of them stood facing each other for a few seconds when the voice of the club owner came from outside the bathroom: “It’s hot inside, come out for tea.”

On a summer afternoon, the shade of trees in the mountains provided a cool refuge. In the distance, the cicadas chirped for a moment before falling silent.

“Are you really that sure?” After hearing Fu Shicang’s account, Wang Xiaoyu opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally saying this.

“I’ve dreamed of him for five years. There’s no way I could forget something like this.” Fu Shicang put down his tea cup.

The golden silk Dianhong tea emitted a faint aroma, and the bright red tea soup complemented Fu Shicang’s long, fair fingers.

“Didn’t you say you haven’t seen his real face yet?” Wang Xiaoyu took a sip of tea, wrinkling his face, then casually shoved the cup into the man beside him. “Add some milk, please. Thanks!”

The silent man glanced at him, took the large cup that had been prepared earlier, and made a cup of milk tea, handing it over.

“Yinxin wouldn’t lie to me. I trust his judgment,” Fu Shicang caressed his tea cup. “Of course, I’ll continue observing. He should be gradually rebuilding his image, and he will only get closer to the person I saw in my dream.”

“But… who exactly is this person? And what exactly was that dream about?” Wang Xiaoyu held the milk tea and nudged the man beside him. “What do you think, Yan Shu?”

The man firmly grasped his elbow, steadying the swaying milk tea in his hand, and then spoke seriously as if discussing national affairs: “In the past life.”

“Past life?” Wang Xiaoyu rolled his eyes. “What era is this? How can you still believe in such things?”

He patted the man’s head in frustration. “Are you stuck in quantum mechanics, or what? Why don’t you use your brain more? Who believes in that stuff?”

Yan Shu, however, was unaffected by him. He accurately grasped the doctor’s wrist, his tone still serious as if discussing a national policy: “My grandmother used to say she wanted to show him his past life. She must have thought the same thing back then.”

Wang Xiaoyu immediately fell silent.

When Fu Shicang was twelve, he was involved in a car accident. His father died on the spot, and his mother was severely injured. He fell into a coma for more than a month before waking up.

Not long after, the dream began to haunt him.

While still in the hospital, the attending physician diligently arranged for psychological counseling. After his injuries healed, Fu Shicang continued therapy, but no one could solve the issue.

Eventually, he sought help from Yan Shu’s grandmother, who finally helped him make peace with the dream and live in harmony with it.

Five years later, the dream suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again.

Even so, Wang Xiaoyu still wasn’t entirely convinced by his friend’s judgment. “This is way too mystical. If you put it like that, it sounds more like a premonition dream!”

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He couldn’t help but get excited. “Look, you met Xiao An now, and maybe one day you’ll meet him somewhere, and then…”

“And then I’ll watch as he looks for me, while I can’t help but get farther and farther away from him.” Fu Shicang spoke quietly. “It does sound very reasonable. If I can’t beat Fu Xinghuai, this will probably be my fate.”

“Ugh!” Wang Xiaoyu jumped up. “No way! Take that back!”

Fu Shicang ignored him, but Yan Shu reacted. He quickly made a hand gesture behind Fu Shicang.

Wang Xiaoyu sighed in relief and patted Yan Shu’s shoulder. “Thanks, buddy.”

Not wanting to watch their back-and-forth, Fu Shicang stood up and stretched lazily. “Whether it’s the past or the future, I’ll continue doing what I need to do. So, what the answer is doesn’t really matter.”

He took out his car keys and twirled them around his finger. “I’m leaving. Enjoy your tea.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Wang Xiaoyu finished his milk tea in one go and shoved the cup into Yan Shu’s hand. “Take me with you!”

His attempt to get up was blocked by the man next to him. He watched helplessly as Fu Shicang got into the car and drove off.

“Why are you stopping me?” Wang Xiaoyu glared at Yan Shu. “Do you know how hard it is to get a taxi in this place?”

Yan Shu didn’t respond. He just pointed toward the mountain below.

On the distant mountain road, a Lexus the size of a toy car turned onto a road leading away from the city.

“Tsk, he’s not going back,” Wang Xiaoyu sat down again, poking at the milk tea cup in Yan Shu’s hand. “Hey, Yan Shu, do you think he likes that An Le Yan? The way he talks about him, it’s like a past-life connection.”

Yan Shu carefully poured milk into his cup, his voice as smooth as the milk tea. “Meeting someone from a past life is fate. How to handle it is his own choice.”

He looked toward the direction the car’s taillights had vanished into, a slight frown of concern on his face. “He seems carefree, but I don’t know if he’s figured things out. Let him have some time alone.”

The summer city by the sea was bustling with people, mostly tourists. The crowds concentrated at several beaches within the city and outskirts.

The LS600 was unremarkable, blending into the traffic as it slowly made its way. Finally, it found a parking space. The taxi driver who had been following it in the rearview mirror let out a whistle in his mind. As the traffic stopped, he leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of which low-key millionaire was behind the wheel.

Just as he was about to pass the luxury car, an outstanding figure appeared beside the car.

“Damn.” The driver slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration.

Rich, young, and handsome—heaven was really unfair!

Fu Shicang, however, didn’t feel the least bit special.

Unconsciously, he arrived at this beach.

Why was it Baiyue Lin Beach? He paused for a moment.

Probably because the message he sent last time had been nagging at him.

He couldn’t help but feel curious about this place. He wanted to see if it was really as beautiful as he had imagined, even more so than the Fountain Park.

Blue skies, coconut trees, the deep blue sea, and the relaxing sea breeze.

Colorful sails dotted the water, and the beach echoed with laughter, but Fu Shicang thought, It’s nothing special.

It was even less interesting than the wild ducks in Fountain Park.

He wandered along the breakwater, the July sun warming his shoulders, though the heat wasn’t too overwhelming.

Suddenly, he stopped walking.

Far from the pristine beach and the crowds, away from the noise, near the end of the breakwater, in a quiet old town plaza, a clean young man in a white shirt and blue pants was handing out cups of bright red, chilled watermelon juice to the sanitation workers resting by the wall.

Someone said something, and he pointed to a food truck parked nearby, smiling happily.

In that moment, the sunlight illuminated an unnoticed corner.

It also illuminated Fu Shicang.

For some unknown reason, at that moment, all his thoughts were pushed out of his mind, leaving only one question that kept circling in his mind.

Why can’t I love him?

This question, if asked before, would have had a hundred answers in Fu Shicang’s mind.

For example, he is young now and should focus on his career. People in the entertainment industry who fall in love so early are essentially ruining their future.

But then a voice in his mind retorted: Stop pretending, do you really care so much about the so-called career in the entertainment industry? You even participated in a variety show and still expect to say you’re not in a relationship? Do you think your fans are idiots?

He paused and found another reason.

For example, he still has family grudges to settle. If he indulges in love now, when will he ever get revenge?

The voice sneered: You think you’re a hero just because you’ve made a few period dramas? Are you trying to cultivate a martial arts skill or pursue immortality? Who said that love will fool the uncles? If you’re going to fall in love, find someone unreliable to pretend with and worry about your uncle buying them off. Wouldn’t it be better to fall in love for real?

Fu Shicang got a little angry and used his trump card.

For example, revenge is too dangerous. Having this weakness means he will always have to be on guard. What if his uncle uses him to threaten him? How can the revenge plan still proceed?

The voice became even angrier: You’re a grown man, you can’t even protect the one you love, and you’re still talking about revenge. Who can be satisfied with this kind of tragic victory? Are you even ashamed?

Is Fu Xinghuai a god? Can he summon the wind and rain, or control the machinery of society?

Is it really so hard to take back the company? Are those old parasites at home that difficult to deal with?

Is it so hard to care for the other person? Can’t you redirect all the security forces to protect them?

The voice mocked: Yes, just a few days ago, someone rushed to catch a witness and got hurt, almost letting them escape. So now you don’t have confidence in yourself, right? Assistant Fang can even bring people back, but you’re so cowardly. Why don’t you just give the opportunity to Assistant Fang? He’s a fine young man, handsome, high-ranking, and can make money…

Shut up! No, shut up your brain!

Fu Shicang closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze still followed that figure, but his heart slowly sank.

“He rejected me.” He said with difficulty.

The voice didn’t rebut this time, as if it also felt the difficulty.

The sea breeze blew gently, bringing a light salty dampness, tousling his hair.

When the sunset painted the sky, and the tourists who had enjoyed themselves left the beach, the handsome man who had been sitting on the breakwater stood up.

He gently pushed his glasses and muttered to himself, “Getting discouraged after being rejected once is not my style.”

---

An Le Yan regretted coming to the Baiyue Lin Beach.

The program team’s food truck had already been exposed online, and with so many tourists at Baiyue Lin Beach, it was inevitable they would be recognized. Today’s workday was essentially ruined.

But the message he received the day before still lingered in his mind.

Knowing it was just a metaphor, he still insisted on coming to see if Baiyue Lin Beach was really more beautiful than the Fountain Park.

However, when they arrived at the beach, they were greeted by curious onlookers, and both of them couldn’t help but feel their scalps go numb.

Luckily, there were few parking spaces at the beach. Mu Wei, who had been about to park with the team, shook his hand and followed the passing cars, driving past Baiyue Lin Beach.

Both of them let out a deep sigh of relief, and An Le Yan apologized sheepishly, “Sorry, I underestimated the number of tourists during the holiday. There are too many people on the beach.”

Mu Wei slowly followed the car: “The peak of the tourist season usually doesn’t start until half a month later. Maybe the elementary school students are on vacation earlier?”

He joked, but secretly he was relieved: Thankfully, Le Yan didn’t insist on going to the beach. Otherwise, with so many people, the whole day would have been spent making juice. Did they really think today was a workday?

He pointed to the old town area ahead. “I know a place. It’s a popular spot for artistic youth. Not many people go there, but there’s definitely business. Shall we go there?”

The place Mu Wei recommended was the graffiti corridor in the old town area, located at the end of Baiyue Lin Beach.

This area was originally a slum, and the houses were built haphazardly, with crooked walls that resembled a maze.

Later, during the overall urban renovation, this place was designated as urban green space.

A lot of the second-generation local residents had nostalgic feelings for the maze-like area of their childhood. They jointly applied to preserve the walls, got sponsors, repaired them, and painted graffiti on them.

As a result, it became a popular spot in the city, thriving for a while.

Of course, compared to Baiyue Lin Beach, the number of people here was disproportionately small, making it a good place for the food truck to do business.

Mu Wei parked the car under the shade of a tree, helped An Le Yan set up the sunshade, and placed the sign. He then asked An Le Yan, who was preparing inside the RV, “Do you want to shout for customers?”

An old man sitting under the wall nearby smiled, “Oh, young man, you can shout? That’s a rare skill.”

Mu Wei: “Isn’t it just calling out a few times… is it really that valuable?”

An Le Yan glanced at the old man, smiling, “The art of street shouting in Haicheng dates back to the Song Dynasty. It’s said to be a variation of the ‘Ge Chao Guan Pu’ from the Southern capital Lin’an, combined with local theatrical singing tones. It’s very pleasant to hear.”

“Well said!” The old man was excited, “Young man, you know so much! Can you sing? Come, let’s hear a couple of lines.”

At this moment, An Le Yan had quickly made a cup of watermelon juice. He took out a salt jar from the RV cabinet, sprinkled a little salt on the juice, and handed it to the old man with respect, “In Old Zheng’s territory in Haicheng, how could I dare to show off? Please don’t joke, sir.”

The old man didn’t refuse, drank the salted watermelon juice, and his eyes immediately brightened, “I thought today’s young people didn’t know anything about our old traditions. You’re not bad.”

“Not only do I remember, but there’s also a movie!” An Le Yan made a few more cups of watermelon juice and distributed them to the sanitation workers chatting with the old man. “The movie ‘Ling Long’ that was released a couple of years ago invited Old Zheng as a consultant, and it got great feedback online.”

Unexpectedly, this elderly man who frequently chatted with them turned out to be an inheritor of an intangible cultural heritage and a movie consultant, causing the sanitation workers to show expressions of surprise.

“The watermelon juice is on me,” An Le Yan pointed to the food truck, “If any colleagues come later, just have them come directly to get it.”

In just a short while, young people had already gathered in front of the food truck, looking at the menu. An Le Yan smiled at the old men and started getting busy.

“Le Yan, do you know that Old Zheng?” During a break while preparing the food, Mu Wei curiously asked, “And why does he put salt in the watermelon juice?”

“I learned about him from watching ‘Ling Long,'” An Le Yan handed a cup of watermelon juice to a girl who was scanning the QR code, smiling. “They mentioned it in the behind-the-scenes footage.”

“I see.” Mu Wei, cutting watermelon and passionfruit, said, “I watched that movie too, but I don’t remember anything about that. You really pay attention when watching movies.”

“Of course,” An Le Yan nodded seriously, holding up a small watermelon, “When eating melon, you eat the whole thing.”

When he said that, the young people who had been ordering at the food truck also started laughing. Many of them went to take pictures with Old Zheng, and the small plaza was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

In the evening, the two of them finished their sales tasks. An Le Yan made one last round of watermelon juice and then returned to the food truck to help Mu Wei clean up.

Mu Wei leaned over the food truck window, watching the young man smile as he approached, feeling secretly happy in his heart.

He was a little reluctant to go back just like this. He picked up the handheld camera provided by the production team and suggested, “There’s an ice cream restaurant over there that looks pretty good. Shall we go sit there?”

A workday was basically a disguised date, which was the charm of the show Delicious Relationship. An Le Yan nodded in agreement.

Summer ice cream was always particularly popular, and there was a long line in front of the counter. The two of them found the only remaining two-person table and sat down. Mu Wei took out his phone to scan the QR code, “What flavor do you want, sour plum? Pineapple?”

He remembered that on the first day they arrived at the villa, An Le Yan gave everyone water, and the drink he had was a sour mixed fruit juice.

An Le Yan quickly glanced at the menu, “Chocolate, I think this panda ice cream looks cute.”

After placing their orders, the two of them couldn’t find a topic to talk about and fell into silence.

Mu Wei took out his phone. “You mentioned behind-the-scenes footage earlier, but I couldn’t find it.”

An Le Yan was a bit taken aback and leaned over to look at the keywords Mu Wei was searching.

“Probably gone,” he raised his head to explain. “After all, it wasn’t really exciting content. I just happened to stumble upon it. After a while, if no one watches, they usually take it down.”

“That’s true. But your memory is really good,” Mu Wei put his phone away. “You saw how happy Mr. Zheng was earlier. It seemed like he had met someone who truly understood him.”

As he spoke, he looked up and glanced at An Le Yan.

The young man in front of him was smiling slightly, listening intently, seemingly just like his own kindred spirit.

A kindred spirit… Does it really exist?

He thought back to his childhood, where his parents’ relationship was cold and distant. The ugliness of their arranged marriage had long sown the seeds of doubt in his heart.

Lovers were nothing but temporary comfort. The joy of loving and being loved was too easily obtained, so why focus on just one person?

But now, the beliefs he had built up over the years started to waver.

He felt a sense of confusion, yearning, and realization. Perhaps, happiness, like others spoke of, truly exists.

But could this happiness really come to him?

His thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his phone. It was his partner. He smiled apologetically at An Le Yan and answered the call.

An Le Yan glanced at the large screen. Their number was up next, so he made a gesture to Mu Wei and stood up to walk toward the counter.

“Ah, sorry,” the lady at the counter checked his order. “The pearls in the mango red bean smoothie are out of stock, but the prep guy is already rushing to get more. Can you wait for two minutes?”

An Le Yan nodded and turned back to look at the table.

Mu Wei was still on the phone, so he decided to wait there.

He boredly took out his phone.

The screen lit up, and the video he had been watching earlier resumed without sound. On the screen, there was an interview with Mr. Zheng.

Earlier, when Mu Wei asked, he hadn’t shown this video, not because it was hard to find, but because it wasn’t behind-the-scenes footage of a movie at all. It was actually an interview with Fu Shicang.

The filming of Ling Long was set in the old city of Haicheng, where Fu Shicang had a cameo role for less than ten minutes.

However, to better understand his character, he had interviewed many of the elderly locals and intangible cultural heritage inheritors. The latter half of this video even included him and Mr. Zheng eating salted watermelon together.

“Ah, Fu Shicang!” The lady at the counter came over with their ice cream and, seeing his phone screen, sighed sincerely. “He’s the most handsome person in the world, no contest. Do you like him too?”

Like him? That’s Fu Ge! Who wouldn’t like Fu Ge?

An Le Yan took the tray and smiled at the lady. “Yeah, I like him the most.”

The ice cream date ended under the dazzling sunset. Mu Wei wanted to invite An Le Yan to dinner, but after thinking about it, he decided not to overdo it.

Even if An Le Yan didn’t mind, if he did the same on another colleague’s workday, wouldn’t he feel anxious?

Besides, with the foundation of today’s time together, he could be more proactive next time.

“Le Yan, do you need to buy vegetables today?” He fastened his seatbelt and noticed An Le Yan was staring out the window at the breakwater, seemingly lost in thought.

“What are you looking at?” He leaned a little closer.

An Le Yan snapped back to reality. “Nothing, just thinking the sunset is really beautiful. Should I ask Director Zhang about buying vegetables? Last time when I bought vegetables, they weren’t even used that night.”

Mu Wei happily made a call to Director Zhang, and An Le Yan turned back to glance outside.

Just now, did it seem like he saw Fu Ge?

By the time they returned to the villa, the stars were already twinkling. Anderson and Bai Jingchen had coincidentally brought back dinner for several people, so there was no need to buy vegetables.

Soon, hamburgers, fries, spicy stir-fried pork, pasta, steak, and boiled meat slices were all laid out together. There were also bottles of rice wine and cola side by side, which made An Le Yan laugh out loud.

“Come on, come on!” Nie Changxing called to An Le Yan. “Today, you sit in the middle. Every time you sit on the side, there’s never enough food on the table. What if you go hungry?”

Everyone laughed as they pushed An Le Yan to the center seat at the table.

Nie Changxing immediately sat beside him, Yin Xin sat on the other side as usual, and Mu Wei shrugged and took the corner seat across from them.

With Anderson joining, the number of people became odd, so after Anderson and Bai Jingchen sat across from each other, Fu Shicang, who had come downstairs a bit later, took the seat at the far end of the long table.

An Le Yan glanced at him and felt a bit regretful.

According to the usual seating arrangement, he would have sat next to Fu Ge, but unfortunately, the seat had been taken.

However, Fu Shicang still had his usual gentle demeanor. After sitting down, he stood up again. “I forgot to bring a dish, please wait.”

He got up and walked toward the fridge, taking out a large box of salmon sashimi.

The table was already full of a mix of Chinese and Western food, and as soon as his dish appeared, everyone burst into laughter.

Fu Shicang joined in the laughter as well, casually placing the sashimi in front of him, not far from his seat.

“Ah, salmon!” Yin Xin’s eyes were practically glued to the bright, fresh fish, but the box of salmon was just out of his reach.

He swallowed, pinched his chopsticks, and walked over to Fu Shicang. “Can I switch seats with you?”

Fu Shicang glanced at him and shook his head.

Yin Xin swallowed again. “I’ll trade you the painting I did this morning!”

He instinctively felt that Fu Shicang would take the bait.

“The one from this morning, and any photos you take later. Let me pick first,” Fu Shicang replied slowly, setting his conditions.

“Deal!” Yin Xin quickly sat down and stretched out his chopsticks toward the salmon.

The guests were all staring in disbelief at their interaction. When did these two become so close?

Fu Shicang shrugged and, holding his own bowl and chopsticks, casually sat down beside An Le Yan.

“Ge, what painting were you talking about?” An Le Yan asked curiously, leaning in to whisper to Fu Shicang.

The young man had worked hard under the scorching sun for most of the day, yet still looked clean and fresh. As he leaned in, a subtle sweet fragrance wafted over, lingering around them.

“Beautiful woman,” Fu Shicang replied seriously, lowering his voice. “My ideal type.”

“Wow—” An Le Yan was stunned. His mind was almost twisted from the gossip. “I really want to see it.”

He turned to look at Yin Xin, who was still lost in the delicious taste of salmon.

“It’s not finished yet,” Fu Shicang placed a hand on An Le Yan’s arm, as if preventing him from asking Yin Xin right at the table. “Once it’s done, I’ll show you first.”

“Oh, okay! Anyway, we share a room, so I’ll see it first.” An Le Yan also whispered back.

“Le Yan, what are you two talking about?” Mu Wei, sitting across from them, smiled and asked, though his gaze lingered on An Le Yan’s arm, which Fu Shicang had just touched. “What’s all the mystery about?”

“Mm, it’s a secret.” An Le Yan proudly raised his head. “As a fan, I have to keep my idol’s secrets.”

He turned to Fu Shicang and grinned. “Right, Ge? Look how good I am to you!”

Fu Shicang released his hand and lightly adjusted his glasses. “Very good. You’re now my big fan.”

The little fan, who had just been granted fan status, happily took a bite of chicken leg.

After the meal, Zhang Mao came over.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, so no work for anyone, right?” His gaze swept over the guests, then paused for a moment.

Why were Fu Shicang and An Le Yan sitting so close to each other?

At this point, the guests were all sitting on the living room sofa. An Le Yan had just been serving everyone, bringing over a fruit platter, but Fu Shicang, who was sitting on the two-person couch, had pulled him closer, so now An Le Yan was sitting beside him.

Zhang Mao clicked his tongue inwardly and withdrew his gaze. “Everyone’s been here for a week, but we haven’t gone out to have fun together. Tomorrow, we’re going to the amusement park for a team-building activity. We’ll also help bring in some visitors for the newly opened amusement park in the south of the city. Of course, since everyone here is now famous, we need to get in early before it gets crowded.”

“Don’t worry, even though the equipment is new, it’s definitely safe. The staff tests it every day.”

“We won’t be sending heart-throbbing texts tonight, so get some rest. The amusement park is a bit far, and we need to leave early tomorrow morning,” Zhang Mao said as he left amidst everyone’s groans.

Despite the complaints, the amusement park had always been a place young people loved.

Once Zhang Mao left, the group immediately started enthusiastically discussing the plans.

“Amusement park! I’m going on the roller coaster!” Nie Changxing said excitedly. “Le Yan, are you afraid of those rides?”

“Not really,” An Le Yan answered with a smile. “We’ll see tomorrow. As long as it’s not too terrifying, I’m okay with it.”

He looked at Yin Xin, who looked a bit confused, and patted him on the shoulder. “The amusement park is really fun. We’ll take you around tomorrow. Maybe it’ll even give you some new inspiration.”

“Are we just playing on the rides?” Anderson interjected. “Actually, when we get tired, we can have a picnic, find a shady spot, and eat. When I was little, my mom and I used to do that.”

“Sounds good!” Bai Jingchen nodded. “Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve been out to play. The last time I went to an amusement park was in high school, right Fu Ge?”

Fu Shicang pressed a blank spot in his memory and smiled gently. “Yeah, it’s been a long time.”

Once the talk turned to playing, everyone was in high spirits, quickly diving into discussions about the picnic, what to eat, and what to bring, more excited than elementary school kids going on a field trip.

At one point, Fu Shicang got up and left the living room, but he didn’t return for quite a while.

At first, An Le Yan thought he had gone to the bathroom, but over half an hour passed, and he still hadn’t come back. He started to get worried.

Hadn’t he heard the villa door creak earlier? Could it be that his wound was bothering him again?

He stood up, gestured toward the bathroom, but turned a corner in the hallway and walked out of the villa.

In the night, Fu Shicang was walking back from the program crew’s side. Behind him, Xiao Jing was pulling a small trolley with several picnic tents and moisture-proof mats stacked on top.

“We were just talking about this, and you’ve already found the tents and everything,” An Le Yan smiled as he approached. “I was planning to go get them from the crew tomorrow morning.”

“Aren’t we supposed to leave really early tomorrow?” Fu Shicang exhaled lightly. “I saw how excited they were, so I thought I’d just prepare things earlier.”

He didn’t finish the sentence, thinking that those rich kids would only talk about it, but when it came time to actually arrange things, it would be him running around.

At that moment, Xiao Jing spoke up: “Fu Ge is really thoughtful. He’s already prepared tents, moisture mats, picnic mats, and even a barbecue grill. He was helping me move the stuff just now.”

He pushed the trolley toward the parking area. “Don’t tire yourselves out. This is the crew’s job. I’ll get these on the car, and you guys don’t need to worry about the rest.”

Xiao Jing busied himself enthusiastically. An Le Yan took a couple of steps back and lowered his voice to ask Fu Shicang, “Why are you moving stuff? Does your wound hurt?”

The summer night sky was dazzling, but it seemed to fall into the young man’s caring gaze.

Fu Shicang lowered his eyes, gazing at the beauty in An Le Yan’s eyes, then slightly turned his head away, suppressing the curve of his lips, and quietly answered:

“A little.”