After gathering his things, Liu Sizhen specifically went to the shop where he worked part-time to resign and collect his wages for the past half month.

Although the amount of money he received was barely enough to buy a few of his favorite chocolates, it felt different since Liu Sizhen had actually worked for it and earned it himself.

A colleague who worked with him in the front lobby joked, glancing at Lin Bosheng outside, and then lowered their voice to ask him.

“Hey, Liu, the man outside seems like he’s afraid you’re going to run away. Is he your creditor from back in China? Did he follow you here?”

Liu Sizhen, hearing this, almost laughed but managed to hold it in. “No, that’s not it. I don’t owe him any money.”

“Ohhh—”

The state he was in had long legalized same-sex marriage, and both the locals and the Chinese community who had lived there for a while were far more accepting of homosexuality. Even mentioning it was no different than talking about heterosexuality.

Most of the people who worked in the front lobby were quite good-looking, including his colleague, who seemed to be of mixed heritage, probably with some Chinese blood. As for the other half, Liu Sizhen wasn’t sure.

This colleague spoke much better Chinese than the other locals. “Since it’s not a financial debt, then it’s an emotional debt, right? Was he your ex-boyfriend back in China?”

The colleague raised an eyebrow and said with a suggestive tone, “Not bad…”

As soon as those words were said, other colleagues who were resting nearby joined in.

“Yeah, yeah, didn’t see that coming… Xiao Liu…”

“I think he looks older than you. How did you two meet?”

The middle-aged Chinese uncle from the kitchen suddenly added, “So it was Xiao Liu who ran away on his own… Not that I’m saying anything, but you young people these days… tsk tsk tsk…”

Liu Sizhen, who was waiting to collect his modest paycheck and sipping some water, was so startled by this comment that he choked. He began coughing violently, and, naturally, Lin Bosheng, who had been paying attention from a short distance away, immediately stepped over.

When he came over, he casually patted Liu Sizhen’s back, then grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth. His movements were smooth and practiced, as if he had done them a hundred times before.

Anyone looking could tell their relationship was close.

As they were leaving, Liu Sizhen happened to glance back. Seeing their expressions clearly, he started coughing even harder.

Lin Bosheng quickly adjusted Liu Sizhen’s collar. “What’s wrong? Are you coming down with another cold?”

Having just left the hospital, he certainly didn’t want to go back. Liu Sizhen gently shook his head.

But Lin Bosheng still seemed a bit uneasy.

“I’m really fine…”

On the fourth day after reuniting with the male lead, Liu Sizhen was brought back to the country by him.

On the way to the airport, Lin Bosheng watched him closely. It seemed like, whenever Liu Sizhen simply stood up to go to the bathroom, Lin Bosheng would immediately ask where he was going, as if he were worried Liu Sizhen might slip away.

The private waiting room was very quiet, and the atmosphere felt somewhat awkward.

Lin Bosheng was different from before. When he was still in school, he never smoked, or at least Liu Sizhen had never seen him smoke. But this time, when they met again, Liu Sizhen noticed the faint smell of tobacco on him.

It wasn’t particularly unpleasant, and there was a touch of a men’s fragrance with a woody undertone, very composed. In contrast, before, he always smelled faintly of laundry detergent.

—Huh, he’s even wearing cologne now.

Of course, it wasn’t just the scent. Many of Lin Bosheng’s habits had changed too.

He used to often ask Liu Sizhen’s opinion in an uncertain tone. But now, probably because he had gotten used to being in a higher position, his speech and actions carried a sense of authority that didn’t allow for refusal. Yet, he still restrained himself in front of Liu Sizhen.

Liu Sizhen felt a bit unfamiliar with him, but upon reflection, it was normal. Although to Liu Sizhen it felt like just a few days had passed, to Lin Bosheng, they had been separated for eight years.

In eight years, it was only natural for habits to change.

The awkward atmosphere between them was also partly due to Lin Bosheng’s subtle questions about Liu Sizhen’s love life. At first, Liu Sizhen didn’t understand what he meant and truthfully said he wasn’t seeing anyone.

Afterward, he felt something was off and asked, “What if I start dating someone?”

Lin Bosheng pressed his lips together, his expression unchanged, and his tone normal. “Then I’ll take him away.”

After saying it, he realized he had misspoken.

“Hahaha, I’m just joking.”

“…”

But Liu Sizhen didn’t think he was joking from his serious tone.

A rhythmic knock on the door interrupted the delicate atmosphere between them, followed by the voice of a flight attendant informing them that it was time to board.

It seemed that Lin Bosheng had also received an invitation to a class reunion. After sitting down, he muttered quietly, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance.

“I sent you so many emails and you didn’t reply…”

This was completely unreasonable, but Liu Sizhen didn’t want to argue about it with him. He closed his eyes and pretended to doze off. He had never worried about such things before. Firstly, he had always been a loner with no particularly close friends.

Secondly, he wasn’t very good at handling these things.

Liu Sizhen wasn’t gay, and he didn’t have any prejudice against gay people. He just didn’t understand why Lin Boshen liked him, especially since he had liked him long ago.

He thought back to their time in Changning No. 2 High School and tried to remember what he had done that made Lin Bosheng like him. He didn’t think he had been particularly nice to Lin Boshen back then. Even if he had done a few kind things, they were small and insignificant.

It didn’t seem like something worth remembering for so long.

After thinking for a long time, he still couldn’t figure it out.

He didn’t realize his brow was furrowed. He wasn’t particularly sleepy, even though the first-class cabin was quiet, the seats were spacious and comfortable, and the flight attendants were very warm and attentive, offering tea and water.

But the gaze beside him was too intense, and Liu Sizhen found it hard to ignore. Lin Boshen was just too close.

Although they had sat next to each other in high school, Liu Sizhen had never felt it was odd, as they were both boys. Back then, being close didn’t matter.

Now, though, it felt… strange.

He turned his head to look out the window at the clouds. It was midday, and the soft, cotton candy-like clouds were especially clear.

Sometimes, it was easier to ask certain questions without looking directly at someone.

“Why… why do you like me?”

He asked this question with great care, and to avoid Lin Bosheng thinking he was discriminating against gay people, he added, “Of course, I don’t think it’s anything…”

Thinking Liu Sizhen had been troubled by something, Lin Boshen smiled silently.

“Do you really want to know?”

Liu Sizhen slowly shifted his gaze from the soft clouds outside and finally focused on Lin Bosheng’s face. The first time they met, he had thought Lin Bosheng would never become unattractive. Even now, he could still see the old features in his face.

—He was still quite handsome.

Liu Sizhen nodded obediently on the outside.

“I do.”

Then, Liu Sizhen listened as the male lead began to recount the details of their past interactions. The more he listened, the more stunned he became, realizing that every little thought he had once believed went unnoticed had, in fact, been seen by Lin Bosheng.

There were even moments when Liu Sizhen had no such intention, but after Lin Bosheng’s interpretation, it seemed awkward. As he listened, Liu Sizhen couldn’t hold back and interrupted, “Actually, that time, I really thought the sun was just too hot…”

He remembered that it had been because Lin Bosheng hadn’t bought the proper sports shoes for PE, and the teacher had scolded him. At that time, no one thought anyone couldn’t afford them; everyone assumed Lin Bosheng had just forgotten.

While the teacher kept nagging, Liu Sizhen suddenly raised his hand and lazily said, “How much longer do we have to stand here…”

He successfully drew the teacher’s attention away from Lin Bosheng to himself.

“You know, back then, you were standing behind me, I…”

“And that time, it wasn’t like that, and I clearly remember you didn’t say that either, right?”

“And also… that time wasn’t like that…”

He had indeed treated Lin Bosheng to many meals, and he had secretly stuffed money, snacks, and candies into his bag many times. There were even a few times when, to avoid being noticed, he wrote awkwardly on pink notes, trying to disguise them as from someone else.

But Lin Bosheng had also once treated him to a meal… at a street stall.

That time, Lin Bosheng had saved up money for a long while and wanted to take Liu Sizhen to a newly opened dessert shop. Liu Sizhen, feeling that Lin Boshen had worked hard to save, said he wanted to go to the street stall where Lin Bosheng usually ate.

He remembered that the small table was covered in grease, and its original color was barely visible. Lin Boshen wiped it down with tissues, repeatedly cleaning the places Liu Sizhen would touch.

That was Liu Sizhen’s first time eating from a cheap street vendor. The bright red spicy oil floated in the clear plastic container, looking quite appetizing, so Liu Sizhen ate quite a bit.

The main reason wasn’t Lin Bosheng, but because Liu Sizhen was curious about the taste. After all, his mother would never have allowed him to eat such “dirty oil” before, believing it was unhealthy.

Because he had never eaten such food before, that night Liu Sizhen suffered from diarrhea and ended up dehydrated in the hospital the next day, spending the entire day there and had to take a sick leave.

Lin Bosheng came to visit him, but since he couldn’t enter the VIP area on the top floor, he stayed downstairs, as if punishing himself, not going up but just looking at a certain window.

Of course, Liu Sizhen didn’t know about these things, so he didn’t understand that Lin Boshen’s actions carried a different meaning in his eyes.

The precious young master, in order to care for him, deliberately ate street food with him… From the way Lin Bosheng looked around, it was clear it was his first time eating such cheap food.

—So it was because of… me?

Liu Sizhen didn’t know that this event had stayed in Lin Bosheng’s mind for many years. Lin Boshen wasn’t particularly interested in cooking, but after that incident, he began to learn how to cook, to pick ingredients carefully.

He wasn’t bad at it and learned quickly. It seemed as though everything he did, all the efforts, were just for Liu Sizhen to say, “Not bad,” eight years later.

“I was just… craving it at the time.”

Liu Sizhen tried to explain away the misunderstanding, thinking that would clear things up. But the more he spoke, the more Lin Bosheng’s expression grew not relieved, but increasingly animated, more…

“You… you still remember?”

Lin Bosheng’s voice came out softly, his gaze lingering in a daze.

“It’s been so many years… and you still remember where I stood, what I wore, what I said…”

As he spoke, there was a hint of moisture in his eyes, and his voice became slightly husky, “I… even I can barely remember some of it.”

After so many years, Lin Bosheng had long forgotten the memories of his student days. He didn’t remember what he wore that day, what shoes he had on, or what the teacher had said to him.

The brain tends to selectively forget things that are not considered important, leaving room for more meaningful memories.

So, what did Lin Bosheng remember?

He didn’t remember where he stood or what he wore, but he clearly remembered Liu Sizhen being two rows ahead of him. He remembered what Liu Sizhen wore, even what kind of drink Liu Sizhen wanted.

And he remembered Liu Sizhen’s face, illuminated by the light that day.

He had thought that Liu Sizhen would never remember such trivial things. But the more he heard him speak, the more Lin Bosheng felt like he was floating, as if immersed in honey.

So, he remembered…

Those tiny details that he himself hadn’t even noticed, but that the person he was watching had remembered. This was a feeling that Lin Bosheng couldn’t describe with words, an overwhelming rush of emotions in that instant.

In that moment, fireworks seemed to burst in his heart.

From the male lead’s expression, it was obvious that he was imagining something again.

Liu Sizhen wisely decided not to argue. After he explained himself point by point, not only was Lin Bosheng not swayed, but his gaze also became even more intense.

At that moment, Liu Sizhen deeply understood one thing:

The more he said, the worse it got. The more he tried to explain, the more he dug himself into a hole. It was better to just stay silent.

And so, Liu Sizhen silently followed Lin Bosheng off the plane. He had intended to stay silent the whole time, but as they left the airport, he couldn’t help but be slightly surprised. Changning had really changed a lot. In just a few years, a new airport had been built.

The people on the streets were dressed very differently from what he remembered. Liu Sizhen recalled that before, most people still had those old-fashioned mobile phones, but now everyone had a smartphone.

The first-class passengers had a dedicated exit. As they walked out, a very low-key black luxury car was waiting silently. Before the driver could get out, Lin Bosheng opened the car door and gently placed his hand on the frame, as if worried Liu Sizhen might bump into it.

The roads in Changning seemed to have been rebuilt; they looked a bit newer.

The domestic temperature was slightly lower than outside. Given the dampness of the roads, it was probably because it had been raining for a week. As soon as they stepped off the plane, the cold air hit Liu Sizhen’s face.

After Liu Sizhen settled into the car, the male lead entered from the other side. Liu Sizhen looked out the window, initially unsure of where they were headed, but as they continued, the route became more and more familiar.

It wasn’t until they entered the villa district of Half Moon Bay that Liu Sizhen realized Lin Bosheng had brought him to the villa where he had once lived for a short time.

The villa was well-maintained, and if it weren’t for the slight rust visible on the tall iron gate, Liu Sizhen would have almost thought it had only been a week since he last saw it.

When he saw Aunt Wang again, she had aged quite a lot.

Her hair now had visible white strands, and when she first saw Lin Bosheng walking ahead, she didn’t seem very surprised, as if Lin Bosheng frequently visited this place when Liu Sizhen wasn’t around.

It wasn’t until she saw Liu Sizhen’s face peeking out from behind Lin Bosheng that she was shocked. “It’s… it’s the young master! It really is the young master!”

“…”

The scene was so emotional that it almost brought tears to Liu Sizhen’s eyes. Aunt Wang was the one he spent the most time with; she cooked delicious meals and was always genuinely kind to him.

She pulled Liu Sizhen aside and kept saying he had gotten thinner. It was clear that Aunt Wang was trying to avoid talking about things at home.

“I haven’t lost weight, I’m still the same as before…”

In the past few days, Liu Sizhen hadn’t felt much, but now, for the first time, he truly felt the weight of time. For him, it had only been a few days, but for everyone else, it had been a solid eight years—eight years of sunrises and sunsets.

It wasn’t just a few simple words.

Liu Sizhen also remembered when Lin Bosheng had first found him. At that time, the male lead seemed to be gritting his teeth, trying to suppress something, his eyes filled with red veins. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn’t squeeze out a single sound.

Even the sound of his voice was strange—his throat moved, and his lips trembled.

When they first met, Lin Bosheng probably wanted to hug him, but he feared it was just a hallucination.

He probably wanted to say so many things to Liu Sizhen, but in the end, all that came out between his clenched teeth was:

“You haven’t changed at all…”

After returning to the country, Liu Sizhen found that his former friends, as expected, all knew about the troubles in the Liu family, but they avoided him, even pretending not to hear when they found out he had returned.

However, Liu Sizhen didn’t mind being a stranger to them.

“Is that… Liu Ge?”

The first old acquaintance he ran into after coming back was Lu Xu.

To be honest, Liu Sizhen didn’t have a strong impression of Lu Xu at first, but he often came around and was very persistent, so Liu Sizhen still remembered him.

When Lu Xu called out his name, Liu Sizhen realized how much he had changed. He hadn’t recognized him at first.

“Is… is it really you? What a coincidence.”

“Yeah…”

It was truly a stroke of luck to run into him near their old school.

Lu Xu was also quite surprised when he saw Liu Sizhen.

Back then, Lu Xu was one of Liu Sizhen’s most active followers. This was mainly because his family had a business partnership with the Liu family, and his father had specifically told him to maintain a good relationship with Liu Sizhen.

Before Liu Sizhen came, Lu Xu had a decent social life at school. He had a group of people around him, and logically, after Liu Sizhen transferred, Lu Xu should have disliked him, right? But he didn’t.

Although Lu Xu always called him “Liu Ge” (Brother Liu), if you were to count their ages, Liu Sizhen was actually a few months younger than Lü Xu. Technically, Liu Sizhen should have called L Xu “Ge” (older brother).

But among students, calling someone “Ge” wasn’t really about age.

Lu Xu glanced at Lin Bosheng, who was standing next to him.

He had already sensed something was off about the atmosphere between them back when they were in school. Being a straightforward guy, he couldn’t put a name to the feeling until later in university, when he witnessed his roommates on dates with their first loves and saw the same kind of atmosphere between them.

Lu Xu couldn’t help but think of Liu Sizhen and Lin Bosheng. He felt there was a slight, subtle similarity, especially considering how every time he went to find Liu Sizhen during class breaks, he would always receive Lin Bosheng’s unfriendly glare.

He never expected that after all these years, they would end up together again.

Lu Xu’s family had been doing well in recent years. The domestic economy had been booming, and their family had risen several steps. Though they had been helped by the Liu family when they were first starting out.

But now… who remembered that? After the Liu family’s fall, his father had distanced himself from them. If he found out Lu Xu was still in contact with Liu Sizhen, he would definitely scold him.

Lu Xu himself was a lazy, pampered “shack-up” type, with very little extra money. He didn’t know exactly what Liu Sizhen planned to do after his return, and he was still unclear about what had happened with his family.

But he knew one thing—whatever Liu Sizhen planned to do, it would require money.

And in the past, Lu Xu had received quite a bit of help from Liu Sizhen…

Lu Xu casually slipped a card into Liu Sizhen’s hand.

“This is just a private savings card I’ve been keeping for myself, no password. You know how I am with money, I never manage to save much. After saving up for a while, it’s only about 500,000 or so… you can use it for now.”

“Really don’t need it… I can’t take it.”

Lu Xu looked Liu Sizhen up and down, as if checking if he was injured or something.

“The outside world’s security is so chaotic, and I haven’t heard from you in years. I was really worried about you back home. It’s a relief to see you’re safe and sound.”

“I’m fine…” Liu Sizhen purposely frowned. “What, are you hoping I’m not fine?”

Lu Xu still called him “Liu Ge” with a grin, just like in the past.

“Of course not, I definitely want Liu Ge to be safe and sound,” Lu Xu said as he moved closer to Liu Sizhen, perhaps curious about Liu Sizhen’s skin, unable to resist reaching out to touch it.

“Ah, I was wondering how Liu Ge could keep himself in such good shape!!”

At this point, something seemed off with the male lead again. With a serious face, he pushed them apart and insisted on squeezing next to Liu Sizhen.

Liu Sizhen shot him a glance secretly, but the male lead acted as if he didn’t see it at all. Whether it was intentional or not, he suddenly leaned very close to Liu Sizhen, almost whispering in his ear, but the sound was just loud enough for Lu Xu, who was not far away, to hear. The warm breath tickled Liu Sizhen’s ear.

“Stop fooling around.”

Lu Xu noticed the interaction between the two of them, his gaze shifting back and forth between Liu Sizhen and Lin Bosheng. He wasn’t stupid; he could clearly see they were marking their territory.

He had been around, interacted with enough men who liked playing with other men. Internally, he thought to himself, ‘Fucking gay. Just because you like men doesn’t mean everyone does.‘ He had pure brotherly feelings for Liu Ge.

On the surface, he stepped back a few paces, maintaining a respectful distance from Liu Sizhen, then turned to Lin Bosheng with a grin.

“How funny, meeting you here. Actually, I’ve been meaning to apologize to Mr. Lin for a while. Back then, I was too young and naive, did some foolish things… I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Lin Bosheng didn’t respond, just pressed his lips tightly together in a thin line.

Liu Sizhen, sensing something was off with Lin Bosheng’s mood, noticed his expression was slightly different from the smile he showed when he was with Liu Sizhen. Although the smile was still there, the feeling was clearly not the same.

Liu Sizhen wasn’t aware of the tension between Lü Xu and Lin Bosheng. He didn’t know that he wasn’t the first person to bully Lin Bosheng. There were others before him.

Lu Xu was more aware of this, but like most people, he justified his past actions. He told himself that it was all in the past, and they were just kids at the time, didn’t know any better.

That’s right. They were just naive, just young.

At the time, because of the environment, they were all somewhat influenced by peer pressure. Seeing others do it, it felt natural to follow along, without much hesitation or guilt.

So, they didn’t really have some unsolvable blood feud… right?

Lu Xu continued speaking, his words almost apologetic, but his expression was calm, clearly showing that over the years, not only his appearance but also his mindset had matured quite a bit.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for a long time, just didn’t find the right opportunity until now…”

He and Lin Bosheng now belonged to completely different circles.

After Lu Xu graduated from the second high school, he went to an overseas language school to get some extra polish. Although he could say he was a returned student from studying abroad, making it sound very prestigious, Lu Xu knew better than anyone how little substance there was behind it.

During his years abroad, he didn’t really learn anything useful. His English didn’t improve much, just enough to order food. However, he definitely mastered the art of eating, drinking, and partying.

He wasn’t too worried, because he had an older brother. He wasn’t the pillar of the family, and his family didn’t expect much from him—just don’t get into trouble… After a few years of playing around, he would likely get married, as arranged by his parents.

Lu Xu came back to the country a few years before Liu Sizhen did, and when he returned, he had heard Lin Bosheng’s name several times. They said the guy had good luck and always seemed to catch the right opportunities. Lu Xu initially thought the same, but over time, his opinion changed.

The boy who had once been bullied in the restroom had transformed into a rising star. When Lu Xu learned of it, many people, seeing him as young, tried to befriend him, thinking they could take advantage of him. Lu Xu also considered approaching him but decided to wait and observe first.

Sure enough, it was said that those people who tried to get close ended up losing out. Lin Bosheng, despite his young age, could clearly see through their intentions. His actions were ruthless and decisive, without hesitation.

Perhaps it was because he had started from nothing, which made him naturally bolder and more determined. While others could always retreat when they didn’t want to continue, he had no choice but to move forward, with no backup plan.

Lu Xu had also seen a replay of Lin Bosheng’s interview. At the time, he had been cozying up with his girlfriend at a small villa in Mingyue Bay, and while lounging on the couch, he had accidentally turned on the TV remote.

On screen, Lin Bosheng spoke calmly and slowly, occasionally saying some grandiloquent words with the host’s prompting. When asked about his entrepreneurial journey, Lin Bosheng responded:

“Yes, because I wanted to be worthy of someone.”

The host immediately picked up on the gossip and bombarded him with sharp questions, but no matter how much the host prodded, Lin Bosheng refused to share any details about that person.

“Who is this person?”

“Oh… just an old classmate.”

Lu Xu had wondered if Lin Bosheng would seek revenge.

His concern wasn’t baseless; it had some grounding.

Ever since Lin Bosheng became successful, many of the classmates who had bullied him back in school began facing troubles, one after another. Even Lu Xu, who usually didn’t pay attention to his family’s affairs, had heard that some of them were having major issues.

They either got their businesses hijacked or had problems exposed in investigations—just a series of unfortunate events.

He and his classmates all came from families with some background and status. Once they reached a certain level, no one had a clean slate. Everyone had some skeletons in the closet.

But how could it be that their dirty laundry was being aired now?

It felt like bad luck, as if fate was working against them.

When Lu Xu heard this, the first name that popped into his head was Lin Bosheng. He remembered the first time he had seen him—back in the men’s restroom, before Liu Sizhen transferred to their school.

Back then, he was still young, influenced by gangster movies, trying to form cliques and eliminate rivals. They didn’t bully Lin Bosheng like Liu Sizhen did, playing games.

No, this was real bullying and humiliation, and unlike Liu Sizhen, Lin Bosheng didn’t just stand there. Instead of being a victim, it was more like a mutual fight. They only had the upper hand due to their numerical advantage!

A long time ago, he still vividly remembered those eyes that showed no emotion. Just thinking about them sent a chill down his spine, as eerie and cold as a venomous snake with its tongue flicking.

Later, he heard that Lin Bosheng’s father had been drunk when he came home. He stumbled on the stairs, not seeing where he was stepping, and seemed to have stepped on something. His foot slipped, and he fell straight down the stairs, dying on the spot.

Bright red, almost black blood dripped down the old staircase, step by step, as Lin Bosheng stood at the scene.

He watched his biological father die in front of him with no significant reaction. From start to finish, there wasn’t even the slightest change in his expression, as if he were watching a stranger. He observed coldly, detached.

This was just part of the rumors Lu Xu had heard. The people who said this would only whisper behind his back, never daring to say it to Lin Bosheng’s face.

“Lin, I’m really sorry…” Lu Xu continued, still wearing a playful smile as he tried to strike up a conversation with Lin Bosheng.