After finalizing the dormitory arrangements, Yu Yan also messaged Cao Yuanye, asking if he wanted to move in. He mentioned that Cao could bring his mom along, which would save some money and help pay off debts.

Cao Yuanye agreed without hesitation and even sent Yu Yan a few boxes of locally grown oranges, which had already been delivered to the company.

Squatting by the roadside while waiting for a car, Yu Yan felt like someone was watching him from the shadows. He carefully scanned his surroundings but found nothing unusual.

Could it be someone from the Qi family?

Qi Mo was already in prison, and Qi Ke was busy liquidating assets to leave the country, so it seemed unlikely they would target him.

When Yu Yan returned home, Yu Lin and Jiang Mo were in the yard planting flowers. Both of them were wearing aprons, hats, and gloves. Yu Lin was digging soil with a small trowel while Jiang Mo placed the seeds. Off to the side, Yu Chen was watering the soil.

“What kind of seeds are these? Are they the same as the ones on the rooftop terrace?”

Yu Yan leaned closer to take a look but couldn’t figure it out.

Jiang Mo smiled and explained, “The greenery here had all withered. Your dad and I discussed whether to plant flowers or succulents. Your brother suggested planting red roses.”

“Why red roses?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

The terrace and greenhouse were filled with fresh, elegant flowers, which Jiang Mo liked. The family had never grown such bold-colored flowers before.

Yu Chen sneered. “If we grow more at home, you’ll see plenty of them. That way, you won’t need to accept flowers from others.”

Yu Yan: “…”

It had been days, and the red rose incident still hadn’t blown over!

Yu Yan naturally took over the watering task and elbowed his brother.

“Bro, are you still mad? It was just a bouquet of flowers. No big deal, right?”

“Just a bouquet?” Yu Chen paused, then cut himself off mid-sentence.

“What is it?” Yu Yan asked as he continued watering the garden.

Yu Chen muttered vaguely, “Anyway, from now on, you’re not allowed to accept his flowers.”

Yu Yan casually replied, “It’s just flowers. Mom gives me flowers too.”

“That’s different!”

“How is it different?”

Yu Chen was momentarily at a loss for words. Frustrated but unable to speak plainly, he retorted, “Doesn’t matter. If you accept his flowers and his significant other finds out, how would they feel?”

Clatter! The watering can fell to the ground and rolled, spilling water everywhere.

Jiang Mo hurried over. “Sweetheart, what happened? Are you hurt?”

It took Yu Yan a moment to recover. “No, I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into a branch.”

After thoroughly checking and ensuring there were no injuries, Jiang Mo finally relaxed. “Be more careful. I’ll go refill the watering can.”

Yu Yan’s hands felt empty, and his heart did too.

After hesitating briefly, he asked hoarsely, “When did Chen-ge get a significant other?”

He’d been in frequent contact with Shen Yuchen. If Shen Yuchen was dating someone, he would’ve told him, right?

Shen Yuchen was already twenty-seven, so dating was perfectly normal. But why did Yu Yan feel a little uncomfortable? Was it because Shen Yuchen had kept it from him?

He hated being lied to.

“He doesn’t, but maybe soon,” Yu Chen replied vaguely, without elaborating.

Yu Yan let out an “Oh,” pushing down the faint discomfort in his heart.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the flowers in the yard were quickly planted.

“Mom, did you go shopping this afternoon? Why didn’t you take me? I could’ve helped carry the bags,” Yu Yan asked casually when he saw shopping bags on the sofa.

Jiang Mo handed him one of the bags. “I went with Aunt Zhang. Go ahead, try it on and see if it fits.”

“What’s this? Clothes for me?” Yu Yan quickly swallowed the apple in his mouth and pulled out the outfit.

Unlike the casual clothes Jiang Mo usually bought for him, this outfit was more luxurious and elegant. It didn’t have an obvious logo, but the tailoring and fabric quality screamed high-end.

Was this because his career was taking off, and he needed fancier clothes for appearances?

Yu Yan shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa, only for it to slide off onto the carpet. Yu Lin picked it up and neatly draped it over the sofa’s backrest.

Just as Yu Yan was about to try on the clothes, he glanced at the other bags. His movements suddenly became cautious.

“Are these… just for me? Doesn’t my brother get anything?”

The clothes in his hands suddenly felt a bit too much to handle.

Yu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. He didn’t care about these things, but hearing Yu Yan ask like this sparked a playful mood in him, so he deliberately asked, “Mom, don’t I get new clothes?”

Jiang Mo quickly explained, “This is a gift from Aunt Zhang for Yu Yan. She bought clothes for you before, so this time, she didn’t.”

Yu Chen’s smile faded. These two mother and son! They’re everywhere!

“Zhang… Aunt Zhang? She bought this for me?” Yu Yan blinked a couple of times, looking incredulous.

No wonder he felt this style looked so familiar—it’s exactly the kind of style Shen Yuchen often wears, even down to the brand he likes.

The first time he stayed over at Shen Yuchen’s place, wearing Shen Yuchen’s clothes, even Song Yunjing could tell it wasn’t his usual style.

“Yeah, what about it?” Jiang Mo asked, puzzled.

Yu Yan fell silent for a moment before saying, “I argued with her a bit at the dinner table last time. It’d already be great if she didn’t scold me, so why would she buy me clothes?”

He briefly recounted the incident, thinking Aunt Zhang would find him difficult to deal with. He didn’t expect her to buy him clothes instead.

These clothes looked expensive. If he accepted them, wouldn’t that mean he owed her a favor?

Jiang Mo explained, “Your Aunt Zhang isn’t the type to hold grudges. She’s planning to stay in the country long-term this time, probably hoping to improve her relationship with Yuchen, which is why she bought you the clothes.”

“So… can I accept them?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

Yu Lin interjected, “If an elder gifts you something, just accept it if you like it. Later, find a suitable opportunity to return the favor.”

With that said, Yu Yan didn’t refuse. He happily tried on the clothes and even directed Yu Chen to take a few pictures for him.

Jiang Mo neatly folded the clothes and, gazing at the two children, let out a light sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Lin noticed her mood.

Jiang Mo explained, “Today, Aunt Zhang mentioned that Yuchen isn’t close to her. At most, he goes back to the family home for a meal but doesn’t stay over. It made me think of our two kids—if they get married and move out, and it’s just the two of us left at home, wouldn’t it feel so lonely?”

“The kids have their own lives to live, and we can enjoy our time together as a couple,” Yu Lin said with a smile.

“That’s true, but I still can’t bear the thought,” Jiang Mo sighed softly.

Yu Lin came up with an idea, “How about this—let’s ask Yuchen if there are any new houses available in Bihui Bay. We could move there and live closer to the kids.”

Yu Chen and Xi Yuan’s new home was in Bihui Bay, and the house Yu Chen gifted to Yu Yan was also there. If Yu Lin and Jiang Mo moved there too, the family would all live in the same neighborhood, which would indeed be much closer.

Yu Yan immediately chimed in, “Great idea, great idea! If we move, I can still drink Mom’s milk tea.”

Since he didn’t drive, he always had to rely on a driver or taxis to go anywhere, so a commute of over an hour was a hassle.

Yu Chen immediately pulled out his phone. “I’ll ask him.”

Jiang Mo quickly stopped him, “I was just casually mentioning it. We can’t disrupt your lives. Besides, we’ve lived in this house for over twenty years and have grown attached to it.”

“Then I won’t move. I’ll live here with you guys and let my brother move out,” Yu Yan said with a cheeky laugh.

“You silly child! If you get married and bring your wife to live with your parents, won’t you be worried about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts?” Jiang Mo’s earlier melancholy was swept away, and her tone carried a hint of playful scolding.

Yu Yan casually replied, “Then I just won’t get married. Problem solved, right?”

“Sure, whatever makes you happy,” Jiang Mo said indulgently.

Marriage was something Yu Yan had never thought about before. Now, it felt even more out of reach.

After dinner, he went back to his room and looked through the photos Yu Chen had taken for him. After picking the best one, he sent it to Shen Yuchen.

[Yu Yan: Brother Chen, this is the outfit Auntie bought for me. Can I accept it?]

The price of the clothes wasn’t the main issue—it was more about not knowing Shen Yuchen’s attitude toward Zhang Shujun. If Shen Yuchen didn’t want him to accept the clothes, Yu Yan would quickly find a local courier to send them back.

Shen Yuchen was probably working overtime. Instead of making a video call, he responded to the message after a long while.

[Shen Yuchen: You can keep them. I have one too.]

[Shen Yuchen: (Image)]

The image showed a piece of clothing identical to the one in Yu Yan’s photo, except for the color. Unfortunately, Shen Yuchen didn’t share a photo of himself wearing it but instead sent a picture of a model wearing it.

[Yu Yan: Then I’ll keep it. Next time, let’s wear them together.]

Yu Yan liked going out in matching outfits with people who mattered to him. It was like when his family attended charity galas in coordinated attire, making it obvious at a glance that they were a family of four.

After sending the message, he waited for a long time without receiving a reply from Shen Yuchen. Knowing he was busy, Yu Yan didn’t disturb him and went to handle his own matters.

He had a general idea for a new movie, but since it was subjective and he wasn’t a professional, he sought help from Yang Chao and Lu Zhuo.

After the call, more than 40 minutes had passed. When Yu Yan opened WeChat, he realized Shen Yuchen had replied about ten minutes earlier.

[Shen Yuchen: Sure, couple outfits.]

Couple outfits!!!

Yu Yan shot up from his bed like a spring, rereading those three words over and over again to confirm he hadn’t misread.

Shen Yuchen had actually suggested wearing couple outfits!

A wave of heat rose in his chest, leaving Yu Yan unsure of what he was feeling.

He paced back and forth in his room seven or eight times, then went to the balcony to let the cold breeze cool him down for another ten minutes, but it still wasn’t enough to calm him.

Shen Yuchen wanted to wear couple outfits with him!!!

Why would he joke about something like this?

Yu Yan rolled around on his bed several times, typing and deleting countless messages in the chat box before erasing them all.

After much hesitation, Yu Yan decided to seek advice from his friends.

He searched for the “Keep the Music Going (5)” group chat but couldn’t find it. After looking closely, he realized the group name had been changed to “Springtime Blooming Fourteen or Fifteen (6).”

As soon as Chen Qingyu was added to the group, He Zhiyu had immediately renamed it.

To avoid exposing himself, Yu Yan cautiously and carefully deliberated for over ten minutes before sending the first message.

[Yu Yan: Are you guys there?]

[He Zhiyu: | ]

[Yu Yan: ???]

System prompt: He Zhiyu has recalled a message.

[He Zhiyu: Don’t ask if we’re here. Just say what it’s about, and I’ll know if I’m here or not.]

[Yu Yan: I have a friend…]

[Song Yunjing: Mhm, mhm, mhm. A friend. And?]

[Yu Yan: My friend has a friend…]

[Chen Qingyu (He’s Little Bro Version): Classic. Truly classic.]

[He Zhiyu: Mhm, mhm, mhm. Your friend has a friend. And then?]

[Yu Yan: Someone gifted my friend and my friend’s friend two identical outfits. My friend said they could wear them together, and then my friend’s friend said, “couple outfits.” What does that mean?]

[Chen Qingyu (He’s Little Bro Version): Your friend is shading you.]

[Yu Yan: ???]

System prompt: Chen Qingyu (He’s Little Bro Version) has recalled a message.

[Chen Qingyu: Oh, no. Your friend’s friend is shading your friend, calling them a copycat.]

[He Zhiyu: What shading? Are you sure this isn’t a confession?]

[Song Yunjing: Your friend likes you.]

[Song Yunjing: Oh, wait. I mean, your friend’s friend likes your friend. They’re testing your friend’s feelings.]

[Yu Yan: …]

[Jian Ran: Likes +1.]

[Yu Yan: No, you’ve got it all wrong. My friend and I are both guys.]

[Song Yunjing: …]

[He Zhiyu: …]

[Jian Ran: So what? Guys can’t like each other?]

[Chen Qingyu (He’s Little Bro Version): Bro, he’s trying to bend you.]

[He Zhiyu: Bold question—your friend isn’t President Shen, right?]

[He Zhiyu: Would he really say something like that?]

[Yu Yan: …]