Pei Qingjian felt a sudden warmth in his ears. He instinctively rubbed them and shook his head. Of course, back then he hadn’t even crossed over yet.
He had only recently picked up the term from fans on social media. Though not a fan himself, he occasionally browsed recommended celebrity posts. Sometimes he’d see unedited photos, click to adjust them, and notice comment sections filled with girls shouting “husband, husband” or “my darling husband.”
Having seen it often, he remembered it perfectly, ready to use it on the spot.
He tiptoed closer to Lin Xingchen’s ear and whispered softly, “No, I only just called you that.”
Lin Xingchen was satisfied.
Geng Wangqi watched them whisper to each other, feeling humiliated—as if Pei Qingjian was flaunting their affection right in front of him.
“You have a new guy now, naturally you’d say that,” he muttered to himself.
Pei Qingjian: ???
What kind of tone was that? As if he had wronged him!
Wasn’t it him who had eagerly abandoned the original owner?
Pei Qingjian looked at Li Xin, frowning. “Control your kappa husband, okay? What does he mean by this—still thinking of his ex after a breakup? That’s inappropriate, isn’t it?”
Li Xin: …
He felt utterly humiliated and glared at Geng Wangqi.
Geng Wangqi quickly said, “Don’t listen to him. I like you, really.”
Pei Qingjian nodded. “Mm, I promise he didn’t peek at me, didn’t get jealous of my boyfriend, and didn’t make any sarcastic remark like ‘You have a new guy now, naturally you’d say that~’”
“Pei Qingjian, stop provoking,” Geng Wangqi said angrily.
Pei Qingjian kept nodding. “Ah, right, right. All my fault. You two are truly in love. You said nothing, no sarcasm—entirely my fault!”
Geng Wangqi: …Is this still the same Pei Qingjian he knew?
He had no idea Pei Qingjian could be this sly and sarcastic!
“Isn’t it just fifteen thousand? I’ll pay it back now!” Geng Wangqi said, desperate to end this and send Pei Qingjian away.
Pei Qingjian quickly grabbed his phone. “WeChat, Alipay, or mobile banking?”
Geng Wangqi: …
He couldn’t help but glance at Li Xin.
Li Xin realized only now—Lin Xingchen had just transferred forty-five thousand casually, while his boyfriend? He wanted him to cover fifteen thousand!
He tugged at his lips, feeling a sticky tension on his face.
It dawned on him that Lin Xingchen had splashed two glasses on him just now.
And it was because he had first splashed Pei Qingjian.
But he had failed, because Lin Xingchen had protected Pei Qingjian.
So Pei Qingjian stood there perfectly clean, while he stood dripping in front of them.
All the vanity and pride he had built up instantly crumbled.
What use was it to him to have taken Geng Wangqi?
Pei Qingjian had, in a matter of minutes, found someone better, more handsome, wealthier, and who loved him more.
So Geng Wangqi, to him, was utterly insignificant.
Perhaps he had even been glad to get rid of Geng Wangqi, which allowed him to meet his current boyfriend.
Li Xin’s chest tightened at the thought. Looking at Geng Wangqi now, all he could see was disdain and dissatisfaction.
And Geng Wangqi, who was on the receiving end of that disdain, equally felt discontent toward him.
It was only fifteen thousand! And he wasn’t even willing to help pay it back. Did he know that, at most, Geng Wangqi had seventeen thousand? That was all he had earned from selling the luxury goods Pei Qingjian had once bought for him.
And yet, he had professed love, but in the end, wouldn’t part with a single cent.
Geng Wangqi now understood that whether someone truly loves you isn’t determined by words but by actions.
Pei Qingjian, back then, had truly loved him—willing to give him everything.
And it was all Li Xin’s fault. If not for this little trickster flirting with him, how would he have ended up with him? How would he have broken up with Pei Qingjian?
Geng Wangqi’s eyes flicked toward Lin Xingchen.
He didn’t want to lose face in front of him, so he pressed “confirm” and sent the money to Pei Qingjian.
Yet as the money transferred, so too did a part of his heart.
If his boyfriend had been Pei Qingjian now, Pei Qingjian would have gladly helped him pay.
So why had he broken up with Pei Qingjian back then?
If he tried to go back now, would Pei Qingjian agree? Would he be willing to be with him again?
Geng Wangqi looked at Pei Qingjian, words caught in his throat.
Pei Qingjian: ??? What’s with that look? Why are you staring at me like that? Your darling is right here!
Lin Xingchen, of course, noticed the glance. He lifted a hand to shield Pei Qingjian’s face, speaking with mild disdain, “What are you looking at? Don’t you have your own boyfriend?”
He nodded slightly, “Well, your boyfriend looks like that, no wonder you keep staring at Qingqing.”
Geng Wangqi’s remaining balance was just twenty thousand, and he still hoped to sponge off Li Xin—he dared not offend him now, so he hurriedly denied, “Nonsense, I’m not staring at him. Our Li Xin is clearly better looking.”
Lin Xingchen smirked, eyes filled with mockery. “Then in the future, don’t donate your eyes—or it might ruin someone else’s sense of aesthetics.”
Finishing that, he let go of Pei Qingjian, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as they walked out.
Li Xin, seeing them leave like that, could hardly believe Pei Qingjian had really found someone better. Muttering “I’m going to the bathroom,” he hurried after them.
Geng Wangqi exclaimed, “I’ll go too!”
He ran after Li Xin, but Li Xin ignored him, carefully following Pei Qingjian instead.
Lin Xingchen tilted his head slightly, peeking through the bar’s glass wall at the two sneaky figures, yet made no move to stop them. He continued walking calmly with Pei Qingjian toward the exit.
Pei Qingjian, still delighted, thought that though fifteen thousand was trivial for Lin Xingchen, it was a significant amount for him—both before and after entering this story.
“I’ll treat you to a meal,” he said happily.
Lin Xingchen glanced at his watch. “At this hour? Night snack?”
“Then I’ll treat you tomorrow,” Pei Qingjian replied.
“What do you want to eat?” Lin Xingchen asked.
“You decide,” Pei Qingjian said.
Lin Xingchen thought for a moment. “Barbecue, then.”
“Okay,” Pei Qingjian agreed without hesitation.
Seeing Pei Qingjian so obedient and soft, Lin Xingchen reached up and patted his head.
They talked all the way into the car. Lin Xingchen started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.
Only then did Pei Qingjian notice Li Xin and Geng Wangqi in the rearview mirror.
“They followed us out?”
“Perhaps they’re reluctant to leave us,” Lin Xingchen said.
“I think they want to see if you’re really rich,” Pei Qingjian guessed.
Lin Xingchen shrugged. “Let them see, then.”
He deliberately circled past Li Xin and Geng Wangqi before slowly driving off.
Li Xin felt hopeless when he saw Lin Xingchen’s car, and when he saw the license plate, his envy practically squeezed the life out of him.
Why had Pei Qingjian met such a big shot?
Why couldn’t it be him?
He hated it.
Li Xin turned and saw Geng Wangqi staring at Pei Qingjian as he drove away.
Anger surged again in his chest. “What, you’re really reluctant to let him go? Wish you could sit there yourself and take his place?”
Of course Geng Wangqi did!
He never imagined Pei Qingjian would have a new boyfriend, let alone one who seemed so well-connected.
But he and Pei Qingjian were already broken up; no amount of regret would change that now.
Despite his disdain for Li Xin, Geng Wangqi forced a smile. “What are you talking about? You know I like you.”
Li Xin sneered. Really? And what was the value of that “like”?
From someone who couldn’t even muster fifteen thousand?
From someone Pei Qingjian now looked down on?
And then he thought of Lin Xingchen.
Tall, handsome, wealthy, and gentle with Pei Qingjian.
If he could snatch Geng Wangqi from Pei Qingjian once, could he do the same with Pei Qingjian’s current boyfriend?
Li Xin’s heart was already restless. He clenched his fists, filled with desire.
Pei Qingjian, of course, had no idea that in just a short moment, Li Xin was already planning to poach him again.
At this moment, Pei Qingjian was preparing to return the forty-five thousand Lin Xingchen had transferred to him earlier.
Lin Xingchen, however, was unconcerned. “Keep it. Consider it an early partial payment.”
“That’s too much,” Pei Qingjian said, embarrassed. “You’d already given me three million before.”
Adding this forty-five thousand made it a total of 3.45 million, and he hadn’t even stepped into the car yet. It felt extravagant.
“No problem. You’re not going anywhere anyway.”
Pei Qingjian: ……
He figured, since he would eventually return all the money to Lin Xingchen, keeping it temporarily wasn’t an issue. He could just repay it along with the remaining down payment later.
“Alright,” he said obediently.
By the time they returned home, it was nearly midnight.
Lin Xingchen had work early the next morning, so he quickly showered and lay down.
Pei Qingjian, of course, stayed with him.
In the darkness, Lin Xingchen’s embrace came as expected.
Pei Qingjian was held in his arms, silently wondering when Lin Xingchen would discover what he’d been doing. What would his expression be? Would he be surprised?
Thinking this, Pei Qingjian smiled softly.
“Good night,” he whispered, hugging Lin Xingchen tightly.
—Before his patron realized he was being used as a human pillow, he’d secretly hold him a little longer. Otherwise, if Lin Xingchen found out and didn’t like it, he couldn’t force him.
He gently rubbed his head against Lin Xingchen’s shoulder, closing his eyes in contentment.
Meanwhile, Chen Xuanting waited two days before finally receiving her photos on Thursday afternoon.
“Finally,” she said with disdain. “Let’s see what this Sea can really do.”
She opened the folder prepared with mocking remarks, ready to unleash them once she saw the photos.
However, upon opening them, she froze.
Three photos, each edited in a different style by Sea.
The first had a Hong Kong vibe—chaotic streets, a faint yellow tint. A boy sat on a bicycle, impatiently glancing at a convenience store, as if about to hear his own prompting the next second.
The photo was full of life, though the original snapshot had just been a casual click when she saw her cousin. Now, it looked like a photo report preserving old memories.
The second was edited in black and white.
The boy pulled the brim of his baseball cap over his eyebrows, revealing only a striking jawline and neat nose. He seemed to be smiling, or perhaps self-satisfied, radiating an inexplicable charisma.
Chen Xuanting stared, wondering, Is this really my cousin? He’s this handsome?
She compared it with the original—clearly, the original lacked such a strong “handsome vibe.” How did this feeling appear?
Even though Sea hadn’t heavily retouched it, it was still unmistakably her cousin. The effect was extraordinary.
The third photo differed again, displaying a vibrant, sporty energy to match the boy in the basketball scene.
Even someone like Chen Xuanting, who wasn’t fond of sports, couldn’t help marveling at the life and youth captured in the shot.
Three photos, three styles, each seeming like it had always been meant to look this way since creation.
How could she mock them now?
At that quality and price, she might as well have kicked her own conscience out—she couldn’t even throw shade at them.
Sighing, she collapsed onto the desk.
After debating all afternoon, by evening she finally decided to follow her heart—she wanted beautiful photos, regardless.
She picked up her phone, happily selecting her favorites, placed them into a folder, and messaged:
“Master, look look look! The three photos before were amazing, I love them so much! Can you edit a few more for me?”
She waited, expecting a simple “sure” so she could send over her selected photos.
But all she received was: “Sorry, I’m not accepting orders at the moment.”
Chen Xuanting: !!!
Shocked, she replied: “Why, master? Too many people recently? It’s fine, I can wait!”
Sea: “I’ve taken on other work, so I probably won’t have time for now.”
Chen Xuanting: “Then when will you be accepting orders again?”
Pei Qingjian thought for a moment. This drama would take three to four months to film. During that time, he needed to focus completely, so at least five to six months would be unavailable.
Sea: “Half a year from now.”
Chen Xuanting: !!!
Half a year?!
She felt she couldn’t bear it!
If she hadn’t seen these three photos, it wouldn’t matter—but she had, and at such a fair price!
Chen Xuanting: Sniff sniff, can’t it be sooner? Or maybe just take one more order this time? I really love your skills, master!
Pei Qingjian felt helpless as well: “Thank you for liking me, but there really isn’t any way.”
He tried to comfort her kindly: “But at least I already edited three photos for you. Thinking about it this way, doesn’t it make you a little happier?”
Chen Xuanting: …this only makes my heart hurt more!
She sobbed inwardly—there had once been a rare opportunity before her, but she didn’t cherish it. Now that it was gone, she regretted it bitterly. She had used her only chance to have photos edited on her cousin!
Heavens! What was she thinking?!
Lying in bed, Chen Xuanting wished she could slap herself twice: “You doubted the master’s skills! You didn’t appreciate it! And now, even holding money, you can’t buy the master’s time!”
Indeed, she should have realized—the master was so talented that he only edited for others when he had free time. Once busy, there would be no time for them at all.
I truly deserve punishment!
Chen Xuanting couldn’t help but confess: I doubted him! I wanted to slap his face! How dare I! I judged a noble soul with a petty heart! I’m not even human!