The meal was eaten in complete silence.

Song Ruichi seemed perfectly normal, which only made the person sitting next to him—Ying Jing—appear all the more unusual in contrast.

Even Xu Er, who hadn’t been paying much attention to Ying Jing, could tell that something was off. Though Ying Jing remained silent for most of the time, there was a moment when he suddenly smiled—a look that suggested he had something to say but was holding himself back with great effort.

Naturally, Xu Er said nothing. He simply pretended not to notice and kept his head down, focusing on his noodles.

Toward the end of breakfast, Song Ruichi and Ying Jing exchanged a few words. Song Ruichi mentioned he had to leave for City B, with his train departing in an hour. In response, Ying Jing complained a little about his work.

When they finally left Song Ruichi’s place, Xu Er found himself reluctant to go.

Even though Soso had followed them to the door because of Song Ruichi, in the end, it was Xu Er who walked away. And for a brief moment, it felt like Soso was following him instead—seeing him off.

Soso was truly adorable. He would nuzzle against Xu Er’s hand with his head and roll around in his arms.

He was also the most beautiful cat Xu Er had ever seen—so stunning.

But Xu Er didn’t say anything, nor did he show much emotion. Because of Ying Jing’s presence, he remained quiet, positioning himself as nothing more than a passerby who had happened to end up here by chance. All he did was follow Song Ruichi’s lead, only speaking when Song Ruichi asked him a question.

Ying Jing was the one driving on the way back. It was a ten-minute ride, during which he and Song Ruichi exchanged only a few casual remarks in the back seat.

When they arrived, Xu Er first thanked Song Ruichi, then turned to thank Ying Jing.

After closing the car door, he watched the vehicle for a brief moment before finally turning back toward his apartment complex.

Inside the car, the previously composed Ying Jing suddenly reacted.

“Oh yo, oh yo, oh yo.” His voice carried a deliberately exaggerated, mocking tone.

Song Ruichi didn’t respond—he knew there was no need. Ying Jing would run his mouth on his own.

Sure enough, Ying Jing barely lasted two seconds.

“He’s so well-behaved.”

That, Song Ruichi could agree with.

“He is.”

Ying Jing glanced at Song Ruichi through the rearview mirror. “Is he the one Shi Zi mentioned?”

Song Ruichi: “Mm.”

Ying Jing let out an exaggerated tsk. “What’s with this little clingy thing? Look at him this morning—stuck to you the entire time. What, is he your personal accessory now?”

Song Ruichi chuckled lightly. “Why? Can’t he be?”

“Oh, sure, sure. I’ll stay out of you little lovebirds’ business,” Ying Jing grinned so wide it was as if his face would split. “But did you see the way he looked when he left your place? That reluctant gaze—wow—like you two were about to be separated for ages.”

As he spoke, he stole another glance at Song Ruichi through the rearview mirror. “So what’s the deal? How long have you even known each other? Already glued at the hip like this?”

Song Ruichi responded with a sound that could’ve been either a dismissive heh or an indifferent mm.

Ying Jing’s curiosity was piqued. “Come on, spill. What happened last night?”

Song Ruichi gazed out the window. “Nothing much. We spent the night building LEGO.”

Ying Jing took a moment to process that. “Wait… what? Building LEGO?” He thought back for a second. “The typewriter one?”

Song Ruichi: “Mm.”

Ying Jing raised an eyebrow. “What kind of kink is this? Is LEGO-building part of your wholesome romance too?”

Song Ruichi replied, “He has a low alcohol tolerance. Blacked out last night.”

Ying Jing let out a confused “Huh?” before bursting into laughter. “Kid’s got some real skills. So he got drunk, and the grand finale was building LEGO with you?”

Song Ruichi said, “It was his first time at a bar.”

Ying Jing whistled. “Oh wow, special treatment, huh?”

Song Ruichi gave a half-smile, neither confirming nor denying.

Then, all of a sudden, a thought hit Ying Jing, sending a shiver down his spine. “Wait, you guys didn’t seriously do nothing, right?”

Song Ruichi: “Take a guess.”

Ying Jing: “You at least kissed, right?”

Song Ruichi seemed to think for a moment before lazily tossing out a single word: “No.”

No?

Ying Jing clicked his tongue twice. “Wow, truly wholesome romance, huh?”

Song Ruichi: “Fake wholesome.”

Ying Jing burst out laughing. “Man, I cannot keep this to myself.”

Song Ruichi continued gazing out the window. “Do as you please.”

Ying Jing smirked. “Oh? You’re not secretly waiting for me to spread the word, are you?”

Song Ruichi looked like he was holding back something mischievous. “Did I say that?”

Ying Jing was thoroughly entertained. “Didn’t get a good look at the bar last night, but now that I see you two standing together—gotta say, you actually look pretty good as a pair. Who’d have thought a sweet, obedient-looking guy like him could handle you?”

Song Ruichi: “How good of a match?”

Ying Jing responded instantly, “A perfect ten!”

A few more minutes passed before he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Just now—” Ying Jing swayed slightly as he spoke. “Didn’t you ask him what he planned to do tonight? He said he hadn’t made any plans yet, then added that he had a three-day break and nothing scheduled for the next two days. Hahahaha!”

Hearing this, Song Ruichi’s eyes curved slightly in amusement.

“I’m telling you, he’s totally into you,” Ying Jing teased. “At this point, if you don’t ask him out, that’d just be rude.”

One car sped out of A City.

One person flopped onto a bed.

Then, Xu Er placed an order for a protective case for the LEGO typewriter on his phone.

He had brought the typewriter back with him—Song Ruichi had told him to. Now, it sat neatly in the center of his desk.

He was happy about it, but there was a small regret—he had completely forgotten the process of assembling it. It felt like he had just bought someone else’s finished product.

After placing the order for the case, Xu Er went to the LEGO website to check the typewriter’s price. Then, he opened WeChat and pulled up Song Ruichi’s chat.

At this moment, Xu Er’s feelings for Song Ruichi were a bit strange.

It felt familiar, yet not entirely so. The familiarity came from Song Ruichi’s behavior—this morning’s interaction had made it seem like they had been friends for a long time. But on the other hand…

They really weren’t that familiar with each other.

So Xu Er wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. Should he be more polite, or should he be more casual?

He wasn’t sure how they communicated last night.

Maybe he should have a drink and then message him.

Just kidding.

After thinking for a while, Xu Er decided to be straightforward and just sent over the payment for the LEGO.

Then, he said, “Thank you for taking care of me yesterday. Sorry for the trouble.”

Then, he sent an emoji: [Thank you, bro].

Song Ruichi immediately replied, [What’s this?]

Xu Er: [The money for the typewriter.]

Song Ruichi: [I’ll return the transfer.]

Xu Er: [Huh?]

He thought for a moment. [Isn’t this the price?]

Song Ruichi: [It’s a gift for you.]

Xu Er: [Ah, no need. I’ll buy it.]

Song Ruichi: [You’re getting mad again.]

Xu Er’s hands, which were typing, immediately froze. He stared at the message Song Ruichi had sent, and one by one, he deleted the words in the box, “Sorry for troubling you the whole night.”

Then, he changed it to: [Don’t be mad.]

What Xu Er didn’t know was that, on the other side, when Song Ruichi saw those three words, he instantly smiled.

Song Ruichi: [Are you tired?]

Xu Er hadn’t felt it at first, but after Song Ruichi asked, it was curious, and suddenly, he felt exhausted.

Xu Er: [How did you know I was tired?]

Song Ruichi: [Stayed up until four, woke up at nine. How could you not be tired?]

Xu Er was surprised: [Did we sleep that late?]

Song Ruichi: [Only now are you realizing?]

That sentence seemed to have a sound to it, almost as if it were right by his ear, and even more so, Xu Er could almost hear Song Ruichi’s “Mr. Xu.”

It seemed that Xu Er had already figured out Song Ruichi’s way of speaking. He instantly understood that there was something behind the words.

No wonder Song Ruichi had been so tired when he woke up in the middle of the night yesterday.

Xu Er smiled awkwardly. “Mr. Song, you’re such a good person.”

Song Ruichi replied, “I think so too.”

Xu Er’s smile deepened.

Song Ruichi was quite amusing.

Xu Er: [Are you in the car?]

Song Ruichi: [I’m in.]

Xu Er: [Okay.]

It seemed like Song Ruichi had gotten busy. After waiting for a few seconds on the interface, and seeing that Song Ruichi didn’t reply, Xu Er left the chat.

Then, he saw that Xu Chen had sent him a message.

He asked: [Are you awake, bro?]

Xu Er: [I’m awake.]

The moment the two words were sent, Xu Er’s phone suddenly rang. It was a voice call from Xu Chen.

The slight drowsiness he had was instantly shattered.

He answered the call and heard Xu Chen’s voice, speaking softly on the other end: “Hello?”

Xu Er: “Why are you talking like that?”

Xu Chen laughed, his tone returning to normal: “Where are you?”

Xu Er: “At the apartment.”

Xu Chen let out a long “Ah” sound: “Are you by yourself?”

Xu Er: “What else?”

Xu Chen: “Where’s Song Ruichi?”

Xu Er was puzzled but still answered first: “He went to B City.”

On the other end, Xu Chen let out a very long “Oh.”

Xu Er, curious: “How do you know about Song Ruichi and me?”

Xu Chen burst into laughter, a sound Xu Er couldn’t quite understand: “Wasn’t it you shaking people in the group yesterday? Later, after I finished my game and tried to reach you, you never replied, so I called you. Guess what!” Xu Chen suddenly yelled loudly: “Who answered the phone!”

Xu Er thought for a moment: “Song Ruichi answered.”

Xu Chen: “Exactly!”

Xu Chen was clearly excited: “Damn! You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard it! I almost couldn’t say anything, but then Song Ruichi picked up the phone! I had to act all composed.”

Xu Er asked, “What did you two talk about?”

“What was that again?” Xu Chen seemed too caught up in his excitement: “Oh, nothing much. He just said you had a bit to drink and were at his place or something.”

Suddenly, Xu Chen raised his voice again: “Tell me! Where did you sleep last night?!”

“In his place,” Xu Er explained. “I ran into him at a bar near my place yesterday. There was a drinking event at the bar, and I ended up drinking too much.”

Xu Chen dragged out a long “Ah~”

Xu Er chuckled, confused: “What’s going on?”

Xu Chen: “Nothing.”

Xu Er: “You sound like it’s not nothing.”

Xu Chen returned to a normal tone: “Alright, fine, it’s really nothing,” he asked Xu Er, “Are you okay now?”

Xu Er: “I’m fine now.”

Xu Chen: “You’re hilarious. You don’t even know how bad your alcohol tolerance is?”

Xu Er: “I probably really didn’t know,” he smiled helplessly. “Now I know.”

Xu Chen: “Drink less next time.”

Xu Er: “Got it.”

The drowsiness wasn’t quite enough to make him fall asleep immediately, so after hanging up, Xu Er casually watched a movie and had some lunch.

Then, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

His nap lasted quite a long time, and when he woke up, it was nearly dark outside.

Autumn sunsets come early, and when Xu Er pulled open the curtains, he was greeted by a beautiful evening glow. He took a quick photo.

Then, he sent it to Song Ruichi.

No particular reason, just because Song Ruichi had also sent him a photo.

It was from half an hour ago, a shot of a conference room projector, with the text: [So tired.]

So, Xu Er replied with the text: [Look at the sunset.]

He casually added: [Just woke up from a nap.]

And then asked: [Are you done?]

It wasn’t until after Xu Er had finished dinner that he received Song Ruichi’s response.

He said: [Done.]

Then, he added: [Tired.]

Xu Er typed “Good work” in reply.

Then, remembering the way Ying Jing had addressed Song Ruichi this morning, he added three more words: “Mr. Song.”

Xu Er: [Mr. Song, good work.]

Xu Er then remembered what Song Ruichi had said to Ying Jing earlier about whether he would be back in the evening depending on the situation, so he followed up with: [Will you be coming back tonight?]

Song Ruichi’s reply was a photo, taken from inside the car. The view was through the glass, showing the blurred shadows of trees and the road rushing by.

Song Ruichi: [Coming back.]

Xu Er: [Get some sleep.]

Song Ruichi: [Can’t sleep.]

Xu Er: [Well, then what should we do?]

Song Ruichi: [What are you doing?]

The messages appeared simultaneously on Xu Er’s screen.

As he had mentioned before, he really liked this kind of mutual understanding.

So, he smiled lightly.

Xu Er: [Just woke up, chatting with you.]

Song Ruichi: [Just finished work, chatting with you.]

“Hahaha.”

Xu Er couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

But then, what should he say next?

Xu Er stared at the screen, planning to exit just like the previous times when Song Ruichi stopped sending messages. But just as the screen was about to darken, a new message appeared at the top.

Song Ruichi had sent a message.

Song Ruichi: [Are you free?]

Xu Er: [Yeah, I’m free.]

Song Ruichi: [Call me.]

Xu Er raised an eyebrow involuntarily, but obediently and without any hesitation, he dialed the phone.

Song Ruichi picked up quickly. On one end was a quiet bedroom, and on the other, a quiet car.

Xu Er stared at the “soso” on Song Ruichi’s profile picture, watching the seconds tick by.

Finally, at 00:05, Xu Er spoke.

“Song Ruichi.”

The next second, a soft laugh came from the other side.

“I’m almost at the station,” Song Ruichi said.

Xu Er: “That fast?”

Song Ruichi: “I’m hungry.”

Xu Er was about to suggest he grab something to eat.

But for some reason, a sudden chill ran through him, and he sat up straight.

“What do you want to eat?” Xu Er asked, with a hint of hesitation. “Let me treat you to dinner tonight.”

Song Ruichi asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Xu Er: “Anything’s fine, what do you want to eat?”

Song Ruichi: “I just want to know what you want.”

Xu Er paused.

Well, in that case…

He quickly came up with an idea: “I want to eat fish.”

“Okay,” Song Ruichi responded readily. “I’ll be in City A in 45 minutes.”

Xu Er calculated the time—he had nothing much to do at the moment. It would take him a little over thirty minutes to reach the high-speed rail station by subway.

So, how about…

“I’ll come pick you up,” Xu Er said.

On the other side, Song Ruichi propped his head up with his hand, his fingers gently pressing against his temple. “Alright.”