Since things had already come this far, Xu Er felt that he might as well say everything.

He nodded at Song Ruichi. “Yeah, he really likes you. He’s known about you for a long, long time. You’re like his little idol.”

“How long?” Song Ruichi asked.

Xu Er thought about it seriously.

When did Xu Chen first mention Song Ruichi?

“Probably…” Xu Er roughly calculated, “about two years ago.”

Song Ruichi raised an eyebrow. “Then you’ve known about me for a long time too?”

Xu Er nodded. “Yeah.”

Song Ruichi’s hands suddenly paused again. He looked up at Xu Er.

Xu Er blinked. “What’s wrong?”

Song Ruichi asked, “When you asked for my WeChat, did you already know who I was?”

Xu Er let out an “Ah” and admitted, “Yeah.”

Song Ruichi continued, “What about this morning? When we watched the sunrise?”

Xu Er shook his head. “No, not then.”

For some reason, something about this conversation seemed off. Song Ruichi frowned slightly, glancing at Xu Er, then at the flowers Xu Er had given him on the table.

Then he asked, “Does your cousin know about us?”

Xu Er nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty happy about it.”

Song Ruichi lowered his head and chuckled before returning to his task.

Whatever coffee beans he was using, the aroma was incredible.

At this moment, the scene before Xu Er’s eyes could be framed and played directly as an ending scene on TV. What kind of ending? Well, that’s another story.

Anything works — the coffee ending, the outfit ending, even the hands ending. There’s no need to force any particular “ending.” Just let it play out naturally.

To avoid seeming too obvious, Xu Er deliberately stayed quiet for a few minutes.

When the timing felt right, he spoke again. “My cousin wants your signed photo.”

Song Ruichi chuckled. “I don’t have any signed photos.”

Xu Er raised his hands, forming the shape of a camera with his fingers and leaning back slightly. “Take it now, print it now, sign it now.”

Surprisingly, Song Ruichi played along. He held up the coffee cup within Xu Er’s imaginary frame, smiled at him, and after freezing for a second, pretended to sign his “air autograph” with an invisible pen.

This silent, prop-less performance made Xu Er laugh out loud.

The aroma of coffee grew stronger. Xu Er leaned in a little. “Is it ready?”

Song Ruichi handed him the first cup. “It’s ready,” he said. “Sugar?”

Xu Er shook his head. “No sugar.”

Song Ruichi commented, “Not bad.”

Xu Er tilted his head and looked at him. “You don’t add sugar either?”

Song Ruichi replied, “Nope.”

This resonated with Xu Er. The moment Song Ruichi poured his own cup, Xu Er quickly raised his cup and clinked it against his.

Taking a sip, Xu Er nodded three times in a row. “Tastes amazing.”

Song Ruichi remained calm, offering only a slight smile.

Xu Er took another sip. “None of my friends understand why I drink coffee without sugar.”

“You’ve met me now,” Song Ruichi said.

“Yeah,” Xu Er sat up straighter. “I’ve met you.”

Xu Er’s happiness was written all over his face, especially in the way his eyes curved with joy.

While grinding the coffee beans earlier, Song Ruichi had already turned off the living room lights, leaving only the soft glow from the bar lamp. He had even turned on some music.

The atmosphere was just right. The gentle music provided a perfect background for conversation, and the dim light was enough for them to see each other clearly. Even the cat had climbed onto the bar counter, not causing trouble, just lying there, its tail swaying lazily from side to side.

“I overheard your conversation with your friend when we watched the sunrise,” Xu Er said, already leaning against the counter without realizing it.

Song Ruichi was tidying up the table. “What did we say?”

“You were being teased,” Xu Er replied. “Your friend said a sunrise is a sunrise, no matter where you watch it. Why go so far just to see one?”

Song Ruichi scoffed, “What does he know?”

“Exactly,” Xu Er agreed, smiling. “What does he know?”

Then Xu Er asked, “So, why did you go there to watch the sunrise?”

But Song Ruichi countered, “And you? Why did you go there to watch the sunrise?”

Xu Er’s mind seemed ready to respond, but when his eyes met Song Ruichi’s, the words faded away.

In that moment of eye contact, everything was silently understood.

In the not-so-quiet environment, the two of them exchanged smiles.

“We seem a little alike,” Xu Er shifted his posture, resting his head on his hand.

Song Ruichi replied, “Just a little?”

Xu Er’s eyes curved into a smile, “Two little, three little, four little, five little.”

He was starting to ramble. Song Ruichi reached out and pinched Xu Er’s cheek.

“Why do you keep pinching me?” Xu Er pressed the pinched flesh back into place.

Song Ruichi’s response was to pinch him again.

“Can I pinch you?” Song Ruichi asked.

Logically, the answer should be no.

But Xu Er’s mouth said, “Go ahead.”

Song Ruichi didn’t brew much coffee. After finishing a cup, it was about time to leave.

Of course, Xu Er enjoyed sitting like this — with a handsome guy and an adorable cat. He could sit there all day, zoning out without repeating a single thought.

But, oh, but…

Xu Er didn’t know how many times he’d checked his phone screen. It wasn’t until he saw the time hit exactly eleven o’clock in his heart that he slowly sat up straight.

“Time to go home,” Xu Er said.

Song Ruichi responded with a soft “Mm” and withdrew his hand from the cat’s head.

Without anyone petting it, Soso opened its eyes for a moment but quickly shut them again out of drowsiness.

“I’ll drive you home,” Song Ruichi offered.

Xu Er replied, “Okay.”

Yesterday, when Xu Er watched the sunrise, he never would have imagined that the owner of the voice he accidentally overheard would now be sitting right beside him.

He also never would have imagined that the SUV that once hurried past his eyes was now the very one he was sitting in, right in the passenger seat.

What a strange and wonderful twist of fate.

The playlist in Song Ruichi’s car was the same as the one at his place, and there was a faint fragrance lingering in the air. The quiet night seemed to carry the cozy atmosphere from the bar just moments ago.

The only unfortunate thing was that the distance between their homes wasn’t far. After just three songs, Xu Er had already arrived.

The moment he saw the entrance to his neighborhood, a subtle feeling of disappointment crept into Xu Er’s heart.

But before he could even analyze that emotion, Song Ruichi’s car passed the entrance and pulled into a nearby parking space.

Xu Er hesitated and guessed, “Are you walking me to the door?”

Song Ruichi unfastened his seatbelt and replied, “With that tone… you’re not letting me?”

Xu Er quickly said, “Of course, you can. I’m just surprised.”

With that, Song Ruichi turned off the engine.

Song Ruichi was swift with his movements. Xu Er also unfastened his seatbelt and teased, “What if I say no?”

Song Ruichi replied, “I’ll insist.”

Xu Er chuckled, “Alright, alright.”

No one had ever walked Xu Er all the way to his doorstep before.

But if it was Song Ruichi, Xu Er could understand.

After all, they were alike. Whatever they did or wanted to do wouldn’t seem strange.

Halfway there, Song Ruichi suddenly brought up Xu Chen.

“Your younger brother,” he paused for a moment, “about the signed photo… forget it, it’s too awkward.”

Xu Er smiled faintly, “What if he insists?”

Song Ruichi turned to look at him and, without warning, pulled Xu Er into his arms and pinched his cheek from the other side.

Xu Er burst into laughter and slipped out from under Song Ruichi’s arm.

“It hurts,” Xu Er said.

Song Ruichi casually pressed his palm against the spot he had just pinched.

“Let’s find a time to have dinner with your brother,” Song Ruichi suggested.

Xu Er raised an eyebrow.

Well, that sounded pretty good.

But he couldn’t resist teasing a little more, “What about the signed photo?”

Song Ruichi sighed, “Is it really necessary?”

Xu Er responded with a firm, “Yes.”

Song Ruichi sighed helplessly, “Since Mr. Xu asked, how could I refuse?”

Xu Er grinned, “Make it two. I want one too.”

Song Ruichi gave in, “Alright, alright.”

Xu Er’s steps instantly became lighter.

Song Ruichi chuckled, “That happy?”

“Of course,” Xu Er replied, even more cheerful.

Song Ruichi glanced at him, “Is it because of the signed photo or because you managed to mess with me?”

Xu Er thought for a moment and answered, “Both. But messing with you makes me a bit happier.”

Song Ruichi laughed, “Mr. Xu really knows how to get to people.”

Xu Er, who never thought he had such skills, looked even more pleased, “Did I get to you?”

Song Ruichi raised an eyebrow, “What do you think?”

A few more steps and they’d reach the entrance of Xu Er’s building. Xu Er was about to point the way but then remembered—when he was drunk, they’d already been here. So, he quietly closed his mouth.

Sure enough, Song Ruichi followed him into the elevator with ease, like he’d been here countless times.

As the elevator doors closed and the numbers slowly ascended, that faint sense of disappointment from the car crept back into Xu Er’s heart.

It was strange. Was this the result of quickly forming a friendship with someone you really liked? That feeling of being unable to let go.

If he asked Song Ruichi to stay over at his place right now, how would he react?

Crazy.

Xu Er laughed at himself internally.

Then, all of a sudden, he felt Song Ruichi’s hand brush against his.

Startled, Xu Er instinctively pulled away, thinking they must’ve been standing too close. He tucked his hand into his pocket.

When they reached the door, Xu Er suddenly recalled what Song Ruichi had mentioned about him forgetting the password when he was drunk.

“I once gave the code to a colleague to grab something for me,” Xu Er explained as he entered the numbers. “I changed it afterward.”

With that, he opened the door and turned around, “Alright, thanks for walking me home, Mr. Song.”

Song Ruichi replied calmly, “You’re welcome.”

Xu Er flashed him a friendly smile, “Then… goodnight.”

The moment the words fell, the motion-sensor light went out.

In that instant, a memory from a less sober moment crashed into Xu Er’s mind.

The same hallway, the same dim lighting, the same scene—him looking at Song Ruichi.

But what exactly happened back then, his mind couldn’t give him a clear picture.

“Goodnight,” Song Ruichi echoed softly.

But after saying goodnight, Song Ruichi didn’t leave. The two of them stood there in the darkness, eyes locked.

Then, Xu Er felt his wrist being gently grabbed.

Song Ruichi took a step closer, closing the distance between them.

With the proximity, Xu Er instinctively tilted his head up to meet Song Ruichi’s gaze. From eye contact to a slow downward glance, Song Ruichi’s eyes traced downwards.

Song Ruichi tilted his head slightly and lowered it.

Xu Er followed suit, lowering his head as well, unsure of what Song Ruichi was looking at. He followed his line of sight but couldn’t quite grasp it. “What is it?” Xu Er asked softly.