Soso had absolutely no interest in the little bear they’d won the other night.

Xu Er, unwilling to give up, tried playing with Soso using the bear several times. Soso either dodged it or batted it away—eventually, it even looked annoyed.

When Song Ruichi came back, Xu Er of course asked, “Why did you say Soso likes little bears? I don’t even see any other bear toys around here.”

Song Ruichi replied without missing a beat, “The one he liked got ruined from playing too much.”

Xu Er asked, “What did it look like? I’ll buy him another one.”

Song Ruichi said, “It was white. He played with it so much it turned black.”

Xu Er picked up the little brown bear. “So he doesn’t like brown?”

Song Ruichi: “Maybe not.”

After playing with Xu Er for a bit, Soso curled up on its own.

Xu Er sat down on one of the bar stools, watching as Song Ruichi took out an unopened canister from the cabinet.

The canister was dark green, covered in foreign text that looked like Spanish. As Xu Er stared at it, he asked, “Can I have the can once it’s empty?”

Song Ruichi looked at him, puzzled. “You want this?”

Xu Er said, “To use as a pen holder,” then gave a sheepish smile. “The one I use at the office is a milk tea can—this one looks a bit nicer.”

Song Ruichi nodded.

Xu Er propped his head up with one hand. “That way, maybe my pens will carry the scent of coffee.”

Song Ruichi added, “That way, maybe you’ll think of me every time you use them.”

Xu Er burst out laughing. “How are you better at saying cheesy things than I am?”

Song Ruichi finished pouring the beans and put the remaining ones back into the cabinet.

“Come on,” he said.

Xu Er sat up straighter. “Do I need to go inside?”

Song Ruichi: “You can.”

So the two of them switched spots.

Once he was seated, Xu Er realized that the drinks Song Ruichi had taken from the fridge earlier were actually bottles of alcohol.

“You’re drinking?” Xu Er asked.

Song Ruichi seemed to think about it for a moment before answering, “You are.”

Xu Er: “Me?”

Song Ruichi: “Do you want to?”

Xu Er thought for a moment. “I guess it’s not a bad idea,” he said. “I’ve been curious to know how much I can handle.”

Song Ruichi replied, “The alcohol content isn’t high.”

Xu Er nodded. “I saw that, so it should be fine.”

Right?

He added, “If I get drunk, I’ll just sleep at your place—it’s not like it’s the first time.”

“But this time,” Xu Er said, “Don’t agree to anything I ask for. Just tell me to go wash up and go to sleep.”

Song Ruichi asked, “What about the other stuff?”

Xu Er responded, “What other stuff?”

Song Ruichi: “Never mind.”

Without further ado, they got started!

It wasn’t like Xu Er had never seen coffee beans being ground before.

Oh, of course, he didn’t mean to imply that Song Ruichi was a pig.

Xu Er recalled watching Song Ruichi grind coffee beans, and now he was mimicking the first step.

Of course, with each step, Xu Er had to glance at Song Ruichi for approval before he dared to proceed.

Naturally, this came with a fair share of “What’s next?” questions from Xu Er.

It was a bit awkward, but still a small success—Xu Er managed to make the coffee and poured two cups.

After letting it cool for a brief moment, he wasn’t afraid of the heat and took the first sip himself.

Song Ruichi asked, “How is it?”

Xu Er smacked his lips, took another sip, and then, uncertain, said to Song Ruichi, “You should try it.”

Song Ruichi also picked up his cup.

Xu Er watched expectantly.

Song Ruichi held the cup with the same flair—sniffing it, inspecting it, even giving it a little swirl.

Xu Er, of course, knew he was teasing him. “Come on, hurry up.”

Song Ruichi smiled and finally took a sip.

Xu Er watched him eagerly, waiting for his verdict, and heard him say, “Not bad.”

Xu Er pursed his lips and took a large gulp himself.

“No wonder some people can’t tell what’s wrong with their own cooking,” Xu Er refilled his cup. “There’s still a bit of a filter effect, I really can’t tell if it’s good or bad.”

Song Ruichi, hearing this, asked, “Can you cook?”

“Good question,” Xu Er replied. “I’m exactly the kind of person who can’t tell if my own cooking is good or bad.”

Song Ruichi asked, “When did you cook?”

“In high school, I think. My parents went away for a few days, and I decided to try cooking for myself,” Xu Er chuckled. “Actually, I thought it wasn’t bad, but Xu Chen said it tasted terrible, and he couldn’t eat a single bite.”

Xu Er added, “I’m really strict about food, and yet I could still eat my own cooking.”

Song Ruichi handed over his empty cup. “I almost said I’m actually pretty good at cooking.”

Xu Er refilled Song Ruichi’s cup. “Go ahead, say it.”

Song Ruichi: “I won’t dare now.”

Xu Er grinned. “You’ve already said it. So when are you going to cook for me?”

Song Ruichi: “Why wait for a special day when you can do it right now?”

Xu Er raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Song Ruichi: “Right now.”

Xu Er: “Alright!”

They both laughed.

Song Ruichi added, “Tomorrow, I’ll clear my schedule for it.”

Xu Er caught the undertone in his words. “So, you weren’t free tomorrow originally?”

Song Ruichi nodded. “Mm.”

Xu Er laughed, “Then I should feel so embarrassed.”

Song Ruichi replied, “That’s exactly the point. I want you to feel embarrassed.”

Xu Er chuckled, “You’re something else. What are you up to?”

Song Ruichi took another sip. “Should I choose the dishes, or do you want me to go all out?”

Xu Er responded, “You go ahead.”

Song Ruichi: “Alright.”

Since it was Xu Er’s first time making coffee, he didn’t make much—just one cup at a time for each of them, and they finished it quickly.

Next came the much-anticipated drinking time.

Unlike the last time at the bar, where the focus was purely on the little bear, this time, if they only drank, it would have felt a bit dry.

So, following Xu Er’s suggestion, Song Ruichi ordered some crayfish and skewers.

Yes, it was almost the same setup as when Song Ruichi’s friends came over a few days ago.

“You have no idea,” Xu Er began to recount, mixing in a bit of a complaint, “Your friend had already peeled the crayfish and put it into my bowl. My hands were already reaching for it—just this little bit was left.”

Xu Er made a small gesture with his fingers, indicating a tiny distance. “I was just about to eat it,” he suddenly grabbed Song Ruichi’s wrist, “and then you pulled me away.”

Song Ruichi found it amusing. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Xu Er replied, “How could I?”

Xu Er continued, “Ever since that day, I’ve been craving crayfish. I had just finished eating ice cream, and my mouth was still full of that sweet taste. When I saw the crayfish, it made me crave it even more.”

Song Ruichi placed the bottle of alcohol on the coffee table. “I ordered a lot.”

Xu Er grinned. “Then I’ll have to eat the crayfish first. In case I drink too much later and forget everything, it’ll be a wasted opportunity.”

Song Ruichi turned off the main lights and turned on the ambient lighting, allowing Xu Er to choose a movie.

They sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa.

Xu Er picked an art film, intending to eat the crayfish without worrying about watching the movie later.

The film began with a handsome foreign man appearing on screen.

Xu Er turned his head to look at Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Xu Er grinned. “I’ve noticed that you look a little bit like a foreigner. Do you have some foreign genes?”

Song Ruichi replied, “No.”

Xu Er suddenly asked, “Do many people chase after you?”

Song Ruichi didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “Do many people chase after you?”

Xu Er replied, “Not now, but there were some when I was in school.”

Song Ruichi smiled. “Quite straightforward.”

Xu Er chuckled. “Heh heh.”

He had learned that from Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi added, “No one chases after me.”

Xu Er clicked his tongue, clearly not believing it.

At that moment, Xu Er couldn’t help but think about what Xu Chen had mentioned about the guy who was chasing Song Ruichi on Weibo.

Should he ask about it casually?

Xu Er awkwardly sniffed, then checked his pulse on his watch.

Damn, this is strange—his heart rate had already jumped to over 100 even though he hadn’t even thought things through yet.

Xu Er stared at the beating heart icon on his watch, thinking to himself that if his heart rate dropped to the 80s, he would ask.

One second, two seconds… 103.

Four seconds later, 98.

Five seconds later, 93.

Ding ding…

The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.

Xu Er jumped in surprise, watching his heart rate shoot back up over 100.

Their takeout had arrived.

Forget it.

What was he even thinking, asking?

Xu Er turned off his watch and looked up— the movie had already started to unfold.

On the other side, Song Ruichi had brought in the takeout.

It smelled so good. As Song Ruichi set everything up, Xu Er eagerly put on his gloves.

However, the first dish he reached for was swiftly snatched by Song Ruichi.

Song Ruichi said, “I’ll peel it for you.”

Xu Er asked, “Why?”

Song Ruichi replied, “To make up for it.”

Xu Er nodded, “Then I definitely need it.”

But the first one was a compensation. Xu Er tried to take the second, but Song Ruichi snatched it away.

The same with the third one, and the fourth as well.

Xu Er had no choice but to start eating the skewers.

After peeling a few small lobsters, Song Ruichi opened the drink as well.

There was no need to worry about food or drinks. The time felt incredibly pleasant, and if only Song Ruichi could feed him…

Before Xu Er could finish imagining the scene in his mind, Song Ruichi brought the freshly peeled small lobster to his lips.

If a smartwatch could measure dopamine, Xu Er would probably be receiving a vibration alert right now.

Master, you’re so happy.

At this point, Xu Er’s mouth didn’t stop. Skewers were being eaten, small lobsters were being eaten, and the drink was being sipped. Even the movie seemed more enjoyable.

Xu Er could even recall the plot. The handsome guy wrote a love letter to the girl he loved, but by mistake, it never reached her hands.

Now, what was he supposed to do next?

Who is the handsome guy knocking on the door of?

Xu Er couldn’t quite remember, so he lifted the bottle again.

“Mm,” Xu Er shook the bottle in his hand. “There’s no more alcohol.”

Song Ruichi was peeling another small lobster. “Do you want more?”

Xu Er answered, “Yes.”

That “yes” was so affected that even Xu Er could hear it himself.

Song Ruichi stopped his actions and turned to look at Xu Er.

Xu Er briefly closed his eyes. “Song Ruichi, can I still drink?”

Song Ruichi replied, “It seems like you can’t.”

Xu Er mechanically opened his mouth and bit down on the small lobster that Song Ruichi had offered.

Xu Er turned to look at Song Ruichi. “I licked your hand.”

But Song Ruichi didn’t look at Xu Er. “Mm.”

Xu Er said, “Sorry.”

Song Ruichi replied, “It’s fine.”

Xu Er then asked, “How much alcohol do you have left?”

Song Ruichi answered, “I haven’t drunk much.”

Xu Er fell silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned forward, casually throwing out a “I still want to drink,” as if afraid Song Ruichi might stop him. He grabbed the bottle and gulped down a big swig.

He finished nearly half the bottle, set it down, and met Song Ruichi’s gaze, which Xu Er hadn’t noticed until now had been fixed on him.

Xu Er asked, “Why do you want me to drink?”

Song Ruichi actually repeated his words, “Why do I want you to drink?”

Xu Er smiled. “I’m asking you.”

Song Ruichi stopped looking at Xu Er and lowered his gaze to the small lobster in his hands. He spoke softly, “I don’t have good intentions.”

A sudden silence fell. The only sound left was from the movie.

Song Ruichi asked, “Do you believe that?”

Xu Er replied, “I guess.”

Song Ruichi asked, “Believe what?”

Xu Er was confused, “What?”

There was still food on the table, but Song Ruichi had taken off his gloves and wiped his hands with a few wet tissues.

“Xu Er.”

Xu Er turned his head and opened his mouth.

Song Ruichi said, “No food.”

Xu Er closed his mouth again. “Oh.”

They continued watching the movie.

Song Ruichi stared at Xu Er’s profile, reaching out to brush aside the bangs that were nearly covering his eyes.

“Xu Xiao’er,” Song Ruichi called him again.

This time, Xu Er didn’t open his mouth. “Mm?”

The scene in the movie began to blur, showing the male and female leads reminiscing about their past happy times.

The curtain cast a warm orange glow, lighting up their faces.

Seeing that Song Ruichi still hadn’t spoken, Xu Er turned his head. “Mm?”

From this angle, Song Ruichi could see Xu Er’s long eyelashes.

Very long eyelashes.

And his lips, slightly glistening, the ones made even more radiant by the alcohol.

“Do you like me?” Song Ruichi looked into Xu Er’s eyes.

Xu Er blinked lightly twice, then smiled. “I like you.”

Song Ruichi seemed unmoved by the response.

“How much do you like me?” Song Ruichi asked.

Xu Er said, “I just like you, I guess.”

Song Ruichi smiled.

What was he expecting?

Suddenly, Song Ruichi reached out and cupped Xu Er’s face in his hands.

“Can I cheat?” Song Ruichi asked.

Xu Er looked puzzled. “Are you taking an exam?”

Song Ruichi replied, “I’m not taking an exam.”

Xu Er asked, “Then what are you cheating for?”

But Song Ruichi still insisted, “Can I?”

Xu Er thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

Song Ruichi softly said, “Good,” and then added, “Kiss me.”