Back at the company from the hospital, Fan Qing ran into a group of young rookies.
The leader, Hua Er, immediately became courteous upon seeing him.
“Manager Fan Qing.”
The other boys followed suit.
“Hello, Manager Fan Qing.”
“Good evening, Manager Fan Qing.”
“Mm.”
Fan Qing nodded.
He glanced at the group, eyes flickering with a subtle sharpness.
“Your clothes… they look pretty clean, hmm?”
He prided himself on his perception.
Several pieces of clothing among them had been tossed carelessly on the floor the last time he checked.
Hua Er and the boys all flushed red.
Yuan Jing, hiding slightly behind Hua Er, let out a quiet hum.
“…How did he notice?”
He was shocked too!
Hua Er subtly tugged on Yuan Jing’s hand, signaling him to keep quiet.
Fan Qing caught the movement in his peripheral vision but said nothing.
Let them be a little clueless—sometimes that’s fine. As long as they follow company arrangements obediently, this face could still prove useful.
After casually asking a few more questions about their training progress, Fan Qing returned to his dorm.
After several days in the hospital, he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in a long while.
He took a shower, carefully shaving off the faint stubble.
He tidied up other body hair slightly too—though Fan Qing wasn’t overtly masculine, he was still a young man in his prime, and neglecting grooming would clash with the image he wanted to project.
Besides…
He licked his lips lightly while applying shaving foam.
At this pace, perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he could meet Nie Luo openly and honestly.
He planned to find the right moment to test the waters—see which touch Nie Luo preferred.
With that thought, Fan Qing lay down and closed his eyes.
His breathing gradually slowed, and he fell asleep quickly.
“Done with work?”
Nie Luo’s call surprised him.
Hearing those words filled him with delight.
He pushed aside the unfinished files without hesitation, wearing a natural expression.
“Of course I’m done. What’s up?”
Nie Luo’s voice was concise.
“Car keys. I’ll take you out for a spin.”
The promise made earlier—Nie Luo would take Fan Qing out to drive.
Fan Qing’s mood immediately brightened.
“Okay. Where are you? I’ll come right over.”
“No need.”
Nie Luo glanced at the place he was at, voice calm.
“I’m just downstairs in your residential complex.”
Downstairs in his complex?
Fan Qing froze mid-motion, suddenly realizing Nie Luo probably didn’t know he now stayed in the company dorm.
So Nie Luo came to the old place to wait for him?
And only now called him?
He really, really got more adorable every day.
Fan Qing quickly straightened his collar, deftly undoing two buttons as if by magic.
“Nie Luo, come to the company side instead.”
He reached the elevator, glanced at it, hesitated, then turned toward the stairwell.
Normally he wouldn’t care, but at a time like this, if anything went wrong, Nie Luo would worry.
And what if there was no signal in the elevator?
“Company?”
Nie Luo frowned slightly.
“Weren’t you done with work?”
Sensing the seriousness in Nie Luo’s tone, Fan Qing let out a soft laugh.
“Really done. I’m living in the company dorm now; I forgot to tell you.”
Nie Luo put on his helmet.
“Got it. Give me a few minutes.”
“Mm? Mm?”
Fan Qing was already stepping down the stairs when the call abruptly ended.
Such an impatient one.
He sighed, holding his phone.
Not long after, the familiar roar of an engine broke the quiet night.
“Hey, Captain, isn’t this the engine sound of the car you said was your favorite? Sounds kind of like it.”
Yuan Jing, covered in scraps of white paper, nudged Hua Er lightly.
It did sound familiar.
After all, they had watched that car’s videos countless times; now hearing it, they could recognize it immediately.
“What?”
Hua Er pulled off the single earphone he had on, wiggled his ear slightly, and the next moment, he leapt to his feet.
“Seems like it really is! Damn, someone here actually drives this beauty? I need to take a look.”
He shoved his cards behind him, excitement written all over his face, and bolted outside.
The other guys, still in the middle of their game, stared blankly. They glanced at Hua Er’s retreating back, then flicked Yuan Jing lightly on the forehead.
“Come on, if it’s like this, we might as well see for ourselves.”
Instantly, the group rushed out of the dorm hallway in a chaotic flurry.
Hua Er peeked cautiously and saw it—a familiar motorcycle rolling in from outside, stopping not far from their building.
Before he could fully admire it, Yuan Jing’s eyes widened.
“Is that… Manager Fan Qing?”
He pointed at the figure waiting by the bike, shocked.
Hua Er froze, face going pale.
He spun around and, like a mother hen gathering chicks, corralled everyone back inside.
“Alright, alright, stop staring! Go play cards!”
Inside, he secretly felt tears prick his eyes.
How could this happen?
He always felt that one day, knowing too much might make it impossible for him to stay at Teng Huang!
The bike stopped, and Fan Qing’s smile deepened.
He reached out to remove Nie Luo’s helmet, noticing the faint displeasure hidden in Nie Luo’s eyes.
Fan Qing paused.
“What’s wrong?”
Why did Nie Luo seem… unhappy?
Nie Luo glanced at him.
Their eyes met.
Nie Luo glanced again.
Fan Qing’s mind clicked.
“Is it because of me?”
Had he upset Nie Luo by moving without telling him?
Why…
Suddenly, Fan Qing realized.
It was because of that, wasn’t it?
He held the helmet halfway with his left arm, eyes sparkling like laughing stars as he leaned close to Nie Luo.
“Are you mad at me? Because I moved and didn’t tell you?”
“…No.”
Unexpectedly, Nie Luo denied it.
Not because of that?
Then why?
Fan Qing leaned closer.
He whispered into Nie Luo’s ear, like a siren on a rocky shore, luring a prey with song.
“Then why? Will you tell me?”
“Where’s your dorm?”
Nie Luo didn’t answer, instead taking back the helmet.
Ah—so it failed?
Fan Qing was a little surprised.
But…
His eyes flicked to the few figures on the dorm balcony. Nie Luo hadn’t refused, after all—this just wasn’t the right place to talk.
“Come with me.”
He handed the helmet back to Nie Luo, calm and collected, and gently took Nie Luo’s hand.
Nie Luo hesitated, slightly pulling back.
Not letting him hold hands?
Was he really angry…?
Nie Luo’s fingers, now bare, reached out, slightly larger than Fan Qing’s, and grasped his hand firmly.
Fan Qing’s body froze, and his steps slowed by two.
Nie Luo matched him stride for stride, and under the light, their slightly mismatched heights stretched into perfectly aligned silhouettes.
Once inside the dorm, Fan Qing realized a small inconvenience—the dorm’s soundproofing wasn’t great.
If they wanted to… do anything, he had to be mindful of the other kids nearby.
He let out a small sigh.
Still, better to hurry up and buy a proper apartment, he thought.
A hint of regret, but he masked all emotion.
“Here we are.”
Nie Luo nodded, pushing the door open.
He paused just before entering, turning back to Fan Qing.
“Can I come in?”
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow.
Nie Luo explained, “Even though we’re boyfriends, I’ve heard some people like a bit of…”
He furrowed his brows slightly.
“Private space.”
Fan Qing chuckled softly.
He stepped forward and kissed Nie Luo’s lips.
“Come in. Everything I have belongs to you.”
So everything Nie Luo had also belonged to him.
Fan Qing suppressed the deepest emotions in his eyes, appearing harmless.
Nie Luo gave a soft nod and stepped into the modest space.
Being a company dorm, the place wasn’t very big.
Inside was a simple, narrow living room, with a few thriving plants and a tea box on the coffee table that had clearly been opened.
Fan Qing seemed to enjoy tea, perhaps?
Nie Luo glanced around, moving his gaze to the kitchen.
The kitchen looked more frequently used than the living room.
Everything was neatly arranged, and Nie Luo immediately recognized several seasonings—they were low-calorie staples the artists often ate.
Fan Qing cared about maintaining his figure?
Nie Luo recalled the way Fan Qing’s waist felt during a previous kiss.
Slim, but not frail—core strong and toned.
So Fan Qing must have been working out.
Nie Luo’s steps instinctively led him toward the bedroom.
The beds were standard—four in total, only one showed signs of being slept in, neat but clearly used.
…A little too neat, Nie Luo thought.
But it did reflect Fan Qing’s personality.
“How is it? Satisfied?”
Fan Qing’s hand slid freely into Nie Luo’s slightly larger palm, obediently staying in place.
Nie Luo turned around and spoke.
“Why don’t you have many clothes?”
Nie Luo said it plainly.
Honestly, Fan Qing absolutely adored the tone in which Nie Luo spoke.
No accusation, no question—just a statement.
It sounded a little indifferent, but if you didn’t pay close attention, how could you know how certain he was?
“Mm-hm?”
Fan Qing shook the hand being held, letting out a soft, intimate murmur.
Of course there weren’t many clothes.
Fan Qing cared a lot about his appearance, but managing his finances always took priority—especially now, when he was itching for a proper new place to live.
Nie Luo squeezed his fingers, his tone still calm.
“You also don’t have a study.”
“…Mm-hm?”
Fan Qing nodded, his eyes gradually lighting up.
Could it be what he thought it was?
Nie Luo looked down at him this time with a questioning tone.
“Why make do with less?”
Then, more puzzled:
“Aren’t we… in a relationship?”
Fan Qing’s smile nearly spilled over.
He rubbed against Nie Luo’s chest, voice low and velvety.
“Yes. So… what do you want to say?”
He was practically waiting.
Waiting for Nie Luo to utter the sweet, perfect words he longed to hear.
And Nie Luo did.
His tone was full of sincerity.
“Then why don’t you come to me for a place to stay? For a house?”
Fan Qing froze, stunned.