Fan Qing was drunk.
At least, that was how he felt.
His limbs were weak and heavy, impossible to lift, and his vision was a little blurry.
But…
His gaze settled on Nie Luo, who was bustling anxiously around him.
“Ah Qing, do you want some water?”
Nie Luo had just brought over a glass of honey water.
“No, wait—maybe I should get a towel and wipe your face first.”
He turned and hurried into the bathroom.
Before long, a warm towel was gently pressed against Fan Qing’s face.
“Ah Qing, do you feel any better?”
Nie Luo’s face was full of concern.
Was Nie Luo nervous?
Even in his hazy state, Fan Qing found it interesting.
Was he really nervous?
What was there to be nervous about?
And…
“Ah Qing?”
Nie Luo paused, instinctively lowering his head.
His finger had been hooked.
Fan Qing’s little finger had caught his.
Seeing that he had finally stopped fussing around, Fan Qing smiled faintly.
“Ge, come closer.”
He beckoned Nie Luo with a slight curl of his finger.
“What is—”
A kiss landed on his face.
The rest of Nie Luo’s words jammed in his throat.
Success!
Fan Qing let out a soft, mischievous laugh.
That smug look made him resemble a cat that had just stolen cream.
“Ah Qing, you…”
You are drunk and still teasing me!
This person really is…
For a moment, Nie Luo found himself at a loss for words.
He grumbled inwardly, yet a faint flush crept up his face, clearly not displeased.
Fan Qing watched him for a while, then beckoned again.
Nie Luo snorted lightly, brows knitting together.
“Ah Qing, I will not fall for it again. You are drunk. You need to rest.”
Oh? Not falling for it?
Whether he fell for it or not was not up to him.
Fan Qing braced his abdomen and suddenly sat upright.
Nie Luo jumped in shock.
“Ah Qing, are you not drunk?”
“I am. But I only had a small glass.”
As he spoke, his breath brushed against Nie Luo’s ear.
“Ge, are you not curious what I would do when I am drunk? For example… the things we do after not seeing each other for so long.”
Or did Nie Luo not want to?
Of course he wanted to.
He and Fan Qing were always apart more than together. Their chances to meet were already few.
And the chances to do anything after meeting were even fewer.
To say he did not want to would be a lie.
But—
Nie Luo’s gaze drifted somewhat stiffly to Fan Qing’s abdomen.
“But I remember that when someone is drunk, they cannot… you know…”
Fan Qing’s body stiffened.
He slowly loosened his teeth from where they had been pressing against Nie Luo.
…Tsk.
Was there really a need to remind him of that?
The strength left his abdomen, and he lay back down slowly.
“…Then we will talk about it next time.”
Only then did Nie Luo belatedly realize—
Had what he just said sounded completely unromantic?
A total mood killer?
He sneaked a glance at Fan Qing’s expression.
Ah Qing really did seem dejected.
Maybe men simply could not stand hearing that sentence?
Nie Luo hesitated for a moment.
Then he suddenly scooped Fan Qing up.
“Ge—Ge?”
Fan Qing instinctively wrapped his arms around him. What was this about?
So sudden?
Nie Luo set him down against the back of the sofa.
Why here—
Before Fan Qing could finish the thought, he heard the familiar sound of metal shifting.
The next second, a cool draft brushed over him.
What was Nie Luo—
Before the thought could fully form, he was engulfed in warmth.
All five of his fingers dug into the sofa at once.
“Ge—Ge?!”
This was too sudden!
Why was Nie Luo suddenly—
…Forget it, whatever!
Fan Qing’s hand slid from the sofa into Nie Luo’s thick hair.
His fingertips pressed slightly, unconsciously guiding him closer.
Since when had Nie Luo learned this?
Fan Qing did not even have time to think before his fingernails pressed so hard they turned white.
“Ge!”
His already muddled mind went completely blank.
The next second, he felt his body lifted into the air.
A little dazed, he murmured, “Wh-what is it?”
Nie Luo’s voice was steady. “Ah Qing, that is just a rumor. You can.”
Fan Qing had no idea what he was talking about.
Still lost in hazy thoughts—until he felt that familiar closeness.
His eyes widened slightly.
It was rare for him to lose composure.
His limbs were so weak and pliant that he could only yield, unable to take control of anything.
“Ge?”
So what Nie Luo had meant just now was—
Even drunk, he still could?
Was Nie Luo actually trying to prove that?
Fan Qing almost laughed despite himself.
But soon enough, he had no room left in his mind for anything else.
Come to think of it… Nie Luo did seem to like the way he looked when he was completely at his mercy.
The next day.
When Fan Qing opened his eyes, the ceiling above him was very white.
He lay there for five minutes.
Completely still.
Half an hour passed.
He had no desire whatsoever to get out of bed.
An hour later, his phone rang explosively beside him.
…Tsk.
His pleasant afterglow was abruptly interrupted, and he felt faintly annoyed.
Let him see which unlucky soul dared to call him at a time like this…
Sheng-ge?
Fan Qing slowly picked up.
“Sheng-ge?”
The moment he spoke, Tang Sheng fell into a subtle silence.
“…What were you doing last night?”
As soon as Tang Sheng spoke, Fan Qing’s expression turned just as subtle.
What a coincidence.
The same hoarseness in both their voices—clearly men who had “seen battle.”
“And you, Sheng-ge?”
They both went quiet.
This topic was evidently impossible to continue.
After a moment, they spoke at the same time, smoothly changing the subject.
Fan Qing: “Did Sheng-ge need something?”
Tang Sheng: “I need something from you.”
Fan Qing: …
A useless tacit understanding had increased.
Tang Sheng: …
Useless indeed.
Another stretch of silence followed.
After a while, Tang Sheng took a deep breath.
“You probably did not have time to check Weibo last night, I am guessing?”
Last night?
Weibo?
Fan Qing forced himself a little more awake.
“What happened?”
“I knew it,” Tang Sheng replied.
“Go check Weibo yourself. It is not a big deal, just a small stir.”
As for why he was only telling Fan Qing about last night’s “small stir” now—
Fan Qing had been busy. Was he not busy too?
Tang Sheng glanced down at his arm.
Mottled marks trailed all the way to his fingertips.
A headache crept in.
Just how much energy did that man have?
Before he fell asleep, those marks had not been there.
Which reminded him…
Tang Sheng sank into thought.
With that kind of stamina, had that beast really been injured before?
“I understand,” Fan Qing said briskly.
Something happened last night?
What exactly?
Judging from Sheng-ge’s tone, it did not seem serious.
There had indeed been a small issue.
And it involved Fan Qing.
Though “involved” might not be entirely accurate.
Because the main target was actually Miss Yuan, who had just gotten engaged.
Someone had exposed that Miss Yuan already had a lover long before her engagement.
The post claimed she had boldly sent an invitation to this so-called “unpresentable” lover, who had appeared at the engagement banquet.
It went on to say that the lover mysteriously disappeared midway, allegedly sneaking off for a private rendezvous with her.
Fan Qing slowly typed out a question mark in his mind.
Do not tell him—
That this so-called lover was supposed to be him?
He scrolled through the posts, full of confusion, when his phone rang again.
The caller ID flashed Jin Er Shao.
The moment he answered, Jin Yi’s unrestrained laughter exploded through the speaker.
“Hahahahaha! Fan Qing, did you see Weibo? I am dying! Someone actually exposed you as Miss Yuan’s secret lover—hahahahaha!”
His laughter was earthshaking.
Fan Qing sat expressionless on the bed, feeling as though even the mattress was vibrating.
After a long pause, he spoke faintly.
“Er Shao, is this very funny?”
Jin Yi wiped at the tears in the corners of his eyes and nodded vigorously.
“Of course it is! Why would it not be?”
Fan Qing remained blank-faced.
“Is that so? Then let me interview you. Exactly what is so funny?”
“Obviously it is funny because they are saying you are involved with a woman! You like men—and you are the one on the bottom at that—how could you possibly—”
Wait.
Murderous aura detected!
Sensing the familiar chill, Jin Yi slammed on the brakes mid-sentence.
“No, no, no—I mean, you obviously like Lao Nie. How could you possibly like that Miss Yuan, right?”
That barely passed.
Fan Qing’s expression warmed slightly.
“As long as you know that. When did this start spreading? Has the company handled it?”
Jin Yi made a confused sound.
“Aren’t we waiting for you to come to the office and handle it? What, are you trying to make me do it? I cannot. I can eat melon and watch the drama, but actually solving things? Not my skill set.”
“…I understand.”
Fan Qing sighed.
And then sighed again.
At this rate, he could only hope Hua Er would mature soon—mature enough to grant him a sweet, worry-free vacation.
He had just swung his legs off the bed when a call from Miss Yuan came in.
“Do not worry! I already know who did this. I am going to deal with them right now!”
The murderous tone in her voice startled him.
“Them?”
“Yes, them.”
Miss Yuan was still fuming.
She had felt something was off about those two women last night. And sure enough!
If it had been any other kind of gossip, she might have let it slide. In their social circle, who had not been the subject of rumors before?
But dragging Fan Qing into it?
Absolutely not.
That was her red line.
Those two wretched women could just wait.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. After three seconds of forced composure, she said,
“You do not need to handle this. I will make them understand why flowers are red. Just wait for their apology!”
With that, she hung up in a blaze of fury.
Fan Qing: …
Well.
In that case—
He slowly slid back under the covers.
Perhaps he could still enjoy his lazy morning after all.
Not for any particular reason.
Just to savor, in his dreams, the memory of Nie Luo’s unusual initiative last night.
It had been… unexpectedly delightful.
Fan Qing closed his eyes.
Miss Yuan, good luck.
On the other end, Miss Yuan wasted no time.
First, she arranged for someone to contact the gossip blogger who had posted the scoop, offering a high price in exchange for the identity of the original source.
Then she prepared a second move—she would personally pay a visit to the families of those two women that afternoon.
Once the evidence was in hand, she would make them understand exactly why flowers were red.
Did they think this engagement alliance of hers meant nothing?
After making arrangements, she rushed into her group chat.
“Li Li Yuan Shang: Everyone calm down! I have already gotten confirmation from a friend. None of it is true! Fan Qing belongs to Nie Luo alone! I swear on my head!!!”
Tang Sheng, who happened to be idly scrolling through the chat: …
That might be… a bit excessive.
Miss Yuan’s bold declaration stunned more than just Tang Sheng.
The rest of the group was equally shocked.
“Let us just say… it is not that serious?”
“I just saw the Weibo post and then opened the group chat. The moment I saw Li Li-jie’s message, my heart went right back into my stomach (?).”
“I am dying laughing. I never believed those rumors anyway, but Li Li-jie really did not have to go that far.”
Not have to?
Miss Yuan pouted.
She knew this bunch. They were the fastest when it came to shipping couples, and just as fast to flee when things fell apart.
Unlike her.
If this pairing collapsed, could she even look at anyone else?
Just thinking about Nie Luo and Fan Qing’s combined visual impact made her log onto Weibo immediately.
There was no collapsing here.
This couple was locked tight. She had already swallowed the key.