The lively living room suddenly fell silent.

Everyone exchanged glances, eyes darting from one person to the next.

Shi Ziyi turned to Song Ruichi. “Who is it?”

Song Ruichi didn’t seem to know either. He simply said, “No idea,” and stood up.

Shi Ziyi said, “You’re kidding, right?”

Ying Jing echoed, “You’re kidding, seriously?”

Three pairs of eyes followed Song Ruichi as he walked to the door, craning their necks to see what was going on. They watched as he opened it.

“Hello! Good evening!”

Outside the door, Xu Er wore a dazzlingly bright smile—completely unfazed by the fact that it was late at night.

Song Ruichi paused for a few seconds before speaking. “What are you doing here?”

Xu Er lifted the bag in his hand. “I brought you something tasty.”

He went on, “I was wondering whether you were already asleep. I was going to message you first, but then I thought it’d be better to give you a sur—prise…”

Xu Er’s words trailed off as he noticed the three heads peeking from the living room.

“You have guests?” he said, lowering his voice.

Song Ruichi replied, “Just a few friends.”

Xu Er froze awkwardly.

Song Ruichi stepped aside to let him in, but Xu Er hesitated.

“I probably shouldn’t come in,” he said—though even as he spoke, his feet were already carrying him into Song Ruichi’s apartment. “You’ve got friends over.”

In response, Song Ruichi simply closed the door behind him.

The heads that had been peeking out from the living room went from three to two, then one, and finally vanished altogether.

“Uh,” Xu Er pulled his gaze back, “I’ll just say what I came to say and then I’ll go.”

Song Ruichi: “Go ahead.”

“When you were playing the game earlier today, you asked me…” Xu Er’s voice grew quieter with each word, “…if I play games when I’m in a bad mood.”

After saying this, he sneaked another glance toward the living room.

“They can’t hear us,” Song Ruichi said.

Xu Er broke into a smile. “Oh.”

Song Ruichi: “Is it something they shouldn’t hear?”

Xu Er thought for a moment. “Not really,” then paused again, “…or maybe, yeah, it could be.”

Song Ruichi: “Go on.”

“I’ll go on.”

Even though Song Ruichi had assured him that the others couldn’t hear, Xu Er still leaned in and spoke the next part in a whisper.

“Games aren’t something I play when I’m feeling down,” he said, then poked the bag in Song Ruichi’s hand. “But this—this is something I used to buy whenever I was in a bad mood.”

He let out a little embarrassed sound. “Actually, I’d buy it when I was in a good mood too. Especially after payday.”

Song Ruichi hooked a finger through the handle of the bag. “Then tell me—how is this different from playing games?”

“It’s totally different!” Xu Er realized his voice had gotten a bit too loud and quickly lowered it again. “Totally different. Games are something you play when you feel like it. But this—” Xu Er looked directly into Song Ruichi’s eyes, “—this is delicious.”

“And talk about timing,” Xu Er said, “The guy who makes these just got back from a vacation. Took time off to travel a while ago, came back yesterday, and today was his first day back at work.”

His expression was all smug satisfaction, like he’d just scored something rare. “The moment I saw his post on my feed, I thought of you and rushed to buy it.”

Song Ruichi: “So you bought it just for me?”

Xu Er thought for a second. “Sort of.”

But Song Ruichi caught the tiny shift in his expression. “So… not exactly just for me.”

“There was someone at the office having a problem during overtime, so I stepped in to help—” Xu Er made a sheepish noise. “Close enough, right?”

Song Ruichi didn’t press the issue any further. He opened the bag. “Vanilla ice cream.”

Xu Er quickly added, “Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s just vanilla ice cream—”

Song Ruichi: “So what is it, then?”

Xu Er: “It is—!”

He suddenly choked on his words, but amusingly, Song Ruichi finished the sentence for him: “—a really delicious vanilla ice cream.”

Xu Er burst out laughing. “Exactly! And super expensive, too.”

“And,” he added, still not done with his grand introduction, “this ice cream is only available in City A. Only that one shop makes it. It’s totally different from anything you’ve had before.”

Song Ruichi let out a drawn-out “Wow.”

Xu Er bumped a fist lightly against Song Ruichi’s arm and continued, “The shop owner had actually finished work for the day when I saw the post—it was already late. But I told him I had a really important friend who was feeling down today, and he said luckily he still had some ingredients left, so he made it for me. I picked it up right after.”

Song Ruichi: “A really important friend?”

Xu Er: “Yeah! Of course I said that—otherwise, why would the owner go out of his way to make it?”

Song Ruichi: “So am I?”

Xu Er: “Of course you are! I wasn’t lying.”

He sneaked another glance toward the living room. “But there are only two scoops in there. How many friends do you have over?”

Song Ruichi: “They’re not having any.”

Xu Er flashed an OK sign. “In that case, I’ll take off.”

Song Ruichi’s tone suddenly returned to normal. “You’re leaving?”

Xu Er still kept his voice low. “Yeah, I should go.”

But before he could even say goodbye, someone from the living room suddenly rushed over.

“You’re leaving?”

Xu Er instinctively pressed his back against the front door. “Uh… yeah.”

He recognized the guy—it was one of Song Ruichi’s friends, the one who’d been there when he asked for Song Ruichi’s WeChat.

Didn’t know his name, though.

“Shi Ziyi,” Song Ruichi suddenly introduced.

Okay. Now he knew.

Shi Ziyi came around the dining table toward them, followed by the other two friends.

Xu Er already knew Ying Jing, so he gave him a polite smile.

“Don’t go,” Ying Jing said cheerfully, clearly emboldened by the few minutes of conversation he’d had with Xu Er earlier. He swaggered to the front. “Come on in, come on—we were just talking about you.”

Xu Er gave a little laugh. “Oh? What were you saying about me?”

All three of them immediately turned their eyes in unison to look at Shi Ziyi.

Then, just as quickly, their gazes shifted in perfect sync toward Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi gave the tiniest shake of his head.

Okay.

No questions, then.

Shi Ziyi smiled. “What brings you here this late, looking for Song Song?”

Before Xu Er could answer, Song Ruichi lifted the bag in his hand. “He came to surprise me.”

The three friends responded in unison: “Oooh~”

That oh carried a barrage of unsaid commentary, like scrolling bullet chat:

— Wasn’t someone acting all reserved earlier? Now look who’s showing off.

— Well, well, someone brought you food, huh?

— Oho, not brooding and melancholy anymore? Suddenly he’s just a guy with a crush.

“Yeah,” Xu Er looked like he really was about to leave, “I’ve got to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Shi Ziyi: “Just sit for a bit—we’re pretty much wrapping up anyway.”

Ying Jing: “It won’t take long.”

Xu Er hesitated, clearly unsure, and looked over at Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi said, “Come in, it’ll just be a moment. I’ll wash my hands and walk you out after.”

Xu Er hesitated, then nodded. “Alright.”

Song Ruichi added, “Let me see where you got hurt.”

Xu Er pulled up his sleeve. “It’s nothing, really.”

And so, the whole group entered together—some excited, some amused, some a bit nervous, and some indifferent.

Everyone was more than welcoming, urging Xu Er to take a seat.

Meanwhile, the real host of the house paused on his way to wash his hands.

His mind filled with imagined scenes:

—Xu Er surrounded by questions like “Why the flowers?” “Why bring food this late at night?” “Why are you trying to seduce our Song Song?”

Just as Xu Er sat down, Shi Ziyi—clearly familiar with the place—expertly peeled a crayfish and placed it in front of him.

But before Xu Er could even move, a hand gently took hold of his wrist.

Everyone looked up at once.

Song Ruichi, who had said he was going to wash his hands, now stood behind Xu Er. With a light tug, he pulled Xu Er to his feet.

Song Ruichi said, “Come wash up with me.”

Shi Ziyi: “…”

Chen Yu: “…”

Ying Jing: “…”

Shi Ziyi sarcastically commented, “You need someone to accompany you to wash your hands?”

Song Ruichi: “Does it matter to you?”

Shi Ziyi muttered in a tone that only Xu Er didn’t understand, “If you want to ask, you ask. If I don’t let you ask, then I’m not letting you ask.”

Xu Er remained completely silent, as if he were invisible.

As Song Ruichi went to wash his hands, Xu Er watched from the side. Once Song Ruichi finished, Xu Er followed him out. When Song Ruichi said goodbye to everyone, Xu Er did the same.

It might not be the best atmosphere, more like a little accessory to the scene.

Before they left, Shi Ziyi called out, “Song Song, are we still here when you come back?”

Song Ruichi tossed back casually, “Whatever.”

With that, the door slammed shut.

Shi Ziyi popped the small lobster he had peeled for Xu Er into his mouth.

Ying Jing shook his head, “Ah, it’s over.”

Shi Ziyi also shook his head, “Ah, Song Song…”

Chen Yu also shook his head. “Ah, this is bad.”

The three of them laughed, raising their glasses for one last toast before drinking it down.

On the other side, it wasn’t until Song Ruichi called for a ride that Xu Er realized the man had been drinking.

When the car arrived, Song Ruichi got in as well, and Xu Er said, “I didn’t know you had so many friends here.”

Song Ruichi asked, “What if you had known?”

Xu Er replied, “Then I would’ve bought more.”

Song Ruichi: “I thought you’d stop bringing it if you knew.”

Xu Er said, “Well, I would still bring it.”

Song Ruichi: “Do you always do what you set your mind to?”

“Pretty much, if I can do it,” Xu Er said. “If it’s something I want to do on a whim, I’ll do it right away. If I don’t do it now, I might not feel like doing it later. And over time, I might lose the fun of doing something on impulse.”

Song Ruichi smiled. “That makes sense.”

Then, Song Ruichi said, “I thought it was because you wanted to comfort a sad me.”

Xu Er smiled. “That’s what I thought at first, but now you don’t seem sad at all, so I’ll take it back.”

Song Ruichi placed his hand on his chest. “I am sad.”

Xu Er turned to look at Song Ruichi. “So, what made you sad during the day?”

Song Ruichi replied, “Because of you.”

Xu Er froze. “Me?”

Song Ruichi asked, “Do you believe it?”

Xu Er’s expression clearly showed disbelief. “What did I do to you?”

Song Ruichi responded, “Yeah, what did you do to me?”

Xu Er was still confused. “Huh?”

Of course, Song Ruichi didn’t add, “I’ll go home and eat the ice cream, and both scoops will be mine.”

Xu Er laughed lightly. “After you finish, give me an 800-word review on it.”

Song Ruichi asked, “Me?”

Song Ruichi’s words were full of Xu Er’s tone.

Xu Er burst into laughter. “Hahaha.”

He lazily leaned back in his seat. “Ah, it’s really fun hanging out with you.”

Song Ruichi opened his mouth, then closed it again, his unspoken words turning into six ellipses: “……”

“On a whim.”

Song Ruichi suddenly brought up what Xu Er had said earlier.

Xu Er asked, “What’s up?”

Song Ruichi was silent for a moment. “What if I’m on a whim right now?”

Xu Er straightened up. “What do you want to do?”

Song Ruichi smiled. “Why are you so excited?”

Xu Er shrank back into his seat. “It’s fun, this kind of thing,” he asked, “What do you want to do?”

Song Ruichi shrugged. “Nothing,” he smiled again. “I don’t want to do anything.”

Xu Er didn’t believe him. “You definitely do.”

Song Ruichi said, “I won’t tell you.”

Xu Er gasped dramatically. “That’s too much.”

Song Ruichi teased, “What about it?”

“Well, same here,” Xu Er clicked his tongue. “No choice.”

A moment passed.

“Really not going to tell me?” Xu Er asked.

Song Ruichi laughed, but quickly made a gesture as if to zip his lips.

Xu Er sighed. “Alright, alright.”

At night, there weren’t many cars, but the green lights seemed endless.

With the smooth flow of traffic, Song Ruichi drove Xu Er right to his doorstep.

It’s kind of funny—this back-and-forth every time.

But it wasn’t all fake care. As they were about to part ways, Xu Er still asked, “You really won’t tell me?”

Song Ruichi’s expression seemed like he was about to say something, but instead, he said, “I really don’t want to do anything.”

Xu Er pouted. “Fine.”

Song Ruichi added, “If I tell you, it’s over.”

Xu Er gritted his teeth. “So there is something!”

Song Ruichi burst out laughing.

“Go back,” Song Ruichi ruffled Xu Er’s hair. “You have to wake up early for work tomorrow.”

Xu Er pointed at Song Ruichi. “You really know how to tease people.”

Song Ruichi admitted directly, “I am.”

Xu Er clenched his fist. “Alright, alright.”

Song Ruichi also said, “Alright, alright, good night.”

Xu Er replied, “Not good night!”

After saying that, Xu Er quickly entered his password, and with a loud thud, slammed the door shut.

With that kind of momentum, once the door was closed, he still sneakily peeked through the peephole, waiting until Song Ruichi left before heading back inside.

He had already brushed his teeth earlier, but because of the ice cream, Xu Er brushed them again.

By the time he came out, it was already past one in the morning, and after all that, Xu Er was so, so tired.

When he climbed into bed, Xu Er noticed that Song Ruichi had sent him a message.

Xu Er thought maybe Song Ruichi was going to tell him about his sudden impulse or explain why he was feeling down earlier, but it was none of that.

Well, he wasn’t exactly his best friend, at least not in this moment.

What Song Ruichi sent was a video.

In the video, there was Xu Er, Song Ruichi, and Soso.

Xu Er had already climbed into bed, and after a yawn, his mind began to grow foggy. He could barely piece together the idea that this was likely a video from the living room camera of Song Ruichi’s place, and that it was from that night when he had drunk too much.

Because he had been building Lego.

The video lasted a full two minutes, and Xu Er’s mind just couldn’t hold up for that long. Besides, the first part was all him mechanically putting together pieces, which was especially hypnotic.

So, within ten seconds, Xu Er drifted off to sleep.

But the video kept playing.

At around forty seconds, Xu Er stirred. He shifted to a different spot.

It wasn’t just any spot; it was Song Ruichi’s lap.

Then, a minute into the video, Xu Er stretched lazily and leaned against Song Ruichi’s shoulder.

At the end of the stretch, Xu Er tilted his head and rested it on Song Ruichi’s neck.

There was no sound in the video. Xu Er looked up, gazing at Song Ruichi’s chin, and playfully poked it with his finger. Then, he lifted his head, replaced his finger with his lips, and kissed him.