Lin Hening sensed someone behind him. He already knew it was Gu Fei. Subconsciously, he slowed his pace, waiting for Gu Fei to catch up.
When they were finally walking side by side, neither of them spoke.
Lin Hening stopped. Gu Fei stopped as well. The cigarette between Gu Fei’s calloused fingers continued to burn slowly, nearing its end.
Lin Hening didn’t smoke. Never had. But at this moment, as if under some kind of spell, he suddenly thought the scent of tobacco smelled… nice. He had the fleeting urge to try it.
The thought passed just as quickly as it came.
Gu Fei pulled a full pack of cigarettes from his pocket, giving it a practiced shake. A single cigarette slid out, an unspoken offer for Lin Hening to take it.
Smoking because of a man who pissed him off? That would be pure self-sabotage. Lin Hening despised that kind of weakness.
Not that smoking was some kind of mortal sin—just that it was bad for health. The government had always promoted quitting, after all.
Even if, one day, Lin Hening wanted to smoke or drink himself into a stupor, the reason should never be: “Because Xia Zhile pissed me off so much that I gave up caring.”
He waved his hand in refusal. “No, thanks.”
Thinking of calling a cab, he glanced down the street. Barely any taxis in sight. And the ones that passed were all occupied.
“It’s hard to get a cab here,” Gu Fei commented.
Lin Hening wanted to try his luck a little longer, but the lack of available taxis was disheartening. Resigned, he asked, “Is there a subway station nearby? I’ll just take the train back.”
Gu Fei paused, as if caught off guard. Maybe he hadn’t expected someone like Lin Hening—a high-ranking prosecutor, rich enough to drive a four-million-yuan Ferrari—to be so down-to-earth. Able to switch effortlessly between luxury cars and a four-yuan subway ride.
Gu Fei flicked away some ash. “Walk east five hundred meters, then turn left. It’s right there.”
“Thanks,” Lin Hening said.
One hand in his coat pocket, the other adjusting his collar, his long fingers—set against the dark fabric—looked strikingly pale, almost translucent, as if carved from fine jade.
And his face—so fair, so delicate, so pristine—it was like porcelain. Like a piece of cold, flawless jade.
Gu Fei suddenly asked, “Haven’t had dinner yet?”
Lin Hening glanced at him and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
At this time, he should have been at an elegant French restaurant with Xia Zhile, enjoying a black pepper steak and sipping on a bottle of ’82 Lafite. If the mood was right, they might have even danced a waltz to the live music.
And now?
The little vixen was off being comforted, while he—the legitimate boyfriend—was left out in the cold, literally.
Tch…
His stomach ached a little.
Lin Hening pressed a hand against his abdomen, unsure if it was hunger or just pure frustration causing the dull pain. Hopefully, it was the former—if it was the latter, that would be too pathetic.
He took a step toward the subway station, but suddenly, his vision blurred.
A wave of dizziness hit him.
The next second, a firm hand caught him by the arm.
Gu Fei said, “Come with me.”
Where to?
Lin Hening had no choice—he was being half-dragged forward.
As they crossed the street, Gu Fei’s grip was strong and steady, giving Lin Hening an odd sense of security that he couldn’t quite explain.
Just a thought—if he suddenly collapsed in the middle of the road, Gu Fei would probably be able to scoop him up single-handedly and sprint off, no problem.
Gu Fei led him into Xinghua Restaurant.
The storefronts in this area were all the same size, but Gu Fei’s restaurant looked narrower. That was because he had rented out a third of his space to another shop—probably to cut down on rent expenses.
Inside, the restaurant was bright, clean, and modern in a minimalist way. The overall color scheme was warm, making the space feel cozy and inviting, almost like home. The decor was varied—elegantly balanced ink paintings on the walls, a large two-meter-tall potted plant by the cashier, and a small vase of apricot blossoms on every table.
Lin Hening leaned in for a closer look. The flowers were incredibly lifelike but fake, of course. It made sense—real flowers could trigger allergies for some customers.
A waiter came over and grinned, “Boss, had your fun watching the drama? What happened—who was fighting?”
“They got taken away in a police car,” Gu Fei replied. Then he turned to Lin Hening. “What do you want to eat?”
Nothing. He was already full—full of anger.
But the dizziness was getting worse, and his body was growing weaker by the second. He had no choice but to sit down. From this spot, he could see his reflection in a mirror across the room. His complexion was pale, with a faint bluish tint, and a light layer of cold sweat had formed on his forehead.
Gu Fei didn’t say anything. He just poured Lin Hening a cup of hot water before shrugging off his jacket and heading to the kitchen.
The waiter sat down across from Lin Hening with a friendly grin. “Boss’s friend? Just call me Fatty.”
True to his nickname, this “Fatty” was over 1.7 meters tall and easily weighed at least 300 pounds. But his skin was clear, and though he wasn’t exactly handsome, he had a warm, jolly look—like a living, breathing Maitreya Buddha.
Lin Hening nodded politely in greeting.
Fatty’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, bro! You look insane!”
Lin Hening: “?”
“Sorry, I got too excited, haha! My little sister keeps going on and on about her ‘god-tier handsome gege.’ Do me a favor—stop by more often. Let her see you in person and break her out of this toxic fangirl delusion!”
“…”
Lin Hening couldn’t help but chuckle. This guy was hilarious.
It was hard to imagine that someone as serious and reserved as Gu Fei had such a jokester as an employee.
And honestly, Lin Hening had expected Gu Fei’s restaurant to have a colder, more industrial aesthetic. Who would’ve thought—behind that tough, no-nonsense exterior, the man actually had a warm, almost sentimental taste?
After about half an hour, Gu Fei came out carrying a bowl of noodles. Fatty, sensing it was time to leave them alone, busied himself elsewhere.
It was a bowl of noodle soup, loaded with toppings.
Like Gu Fei himself, the dish wasn’t flashy or eye-catching at first glance, but it had depth. The noodles were fine and delicate, soaking in a clear, golden broth with tiny droplets of oil floating on the surface—just enough to enhance the flavor without feeling greasy.
There were fresh green bok choy, a perfectly pan-fried golden egg, and an entire half-bowl of tender braised ribs. Finally, a generous sprinkle of scallions and cilantro added the finishing touch.
Lin Hening hadn’t been hungry, but the sight and smell of the dish made his stomach growl on cue.
“No matter how busy or tired you are, you still have to eat,” Gu Fei said as he pulled a pair of chopsticks from the sanitizer and handed them over. “Eating is the most important thing in life.”
Well, coming from a restaurant owner, that made sense.
But… he wasn’t wrong. At the end of the day, wasn’t eating really the most fundamental part of being alive?
Lin Hening was often so busy with work that he frequently skipped meals, eating inconsistently—sometimes full, sometimes starving, sometimes hot food, sometimes cold. At a young age, he had already developed stomach issues and low blood sugar from neglecting his diet.
Xia Zhile had felt sorry for him and once promised to cook for him, to bring him homemade meals. She had said that drinking soup was good for the stomach and vowed to make him fresh soup every day.
And for a while, she did. But eventually, she got busy too, and that promise faded away.
Lin Hening came from a well-off family and had always been particular about food. But after starting work and hanging out with colleagues, he gradually got used to cafeteria-style meals. Under Xia Zhile’s influence, he even started eating cheap instant food and street snacks.
Before picking up the chopsticks, Lin Hening took off his coat.
Gu Fei couldn’t help but glance at him deeply. People always said that wearing a uniform could make someone look three times more attractive—but Lin Hening, with his natural looks, was already at the top of the scale.
Gu Fei got up and shut the glass double doors, sealing off the chilly late-autumn breeze.
It had been a long, long time since Lin Hening had eaten homemade food.
The last time had been a bowl of braised chicken with rice.
Not exactly home-cooked, but it had the comforting taste of home.
Just like this bowl of noodles—no artificial flavoring, no excessive MSG, just pure, natural taste. One sip of the broth warmed him from the inside out. Even the ribs were simply stewed—fragrant but not greasy, tender but not chewy. The thin, delicate noodles were easy to chew and digest. Before he knew it, he had already eaten three big bites.
Gu Fei asked, “Does it taste okay?”
Lin Hening, busy with his fourth bite, replied, “It’s perfect.”
A moment ago, he hadn’t felt hungry at all, but the delicious food had awakened his appetite. Only now did he realize how empty his stomach truly was.
He didn’t eat too fast, but it was obvious he liked the food and was starving. Unlike Zhou Zhou and Fatty, who devoured their meals like ravenous beasts, Lin Hening ate with a refined grace—just like his looks, pleasing to the eye.
Gu Fei commented, “You even eat noodles so elegantly?”
Lin Hening: “?”
Gu Fei instructed, “Do you know how to slurp your noodles? Give it a try.”
Seeing that Lin Hening looked confused, Gu Fei explained in detail, “Grab a big mouthful, bring it to your lips, gently bite down—don’t break the noodles—then slurp them up. The key is making that slurping sound.”
Lin Hening: “…No, thanks.”
Gu Fei, dead serious, said, “Don’t worry about looking cool. Just try it—the flavor doubles.”
…Really?
What was that about looking cool… Okay, fine, maybe he was a little self-conscious. But seriously—slurping noodles loudly? That was just not elegant.
Gu Fei smirked. “This is a restaurant. People come here to slurp and munch. It’s not a courtroom.”
Lin Hening had no rebuttal. Because… well, that actually made sense.
So he gave it a try—grabbing a big mouthful, following the instructions, and slurping.
…Hmm.
……Wait.
……Was it just his imagination, or… did it really taste better?
Damn. This guy was a true chef—not only did he know how to cook, but he had even mastered the art of eating to maximize flavor!
Gu Fei added, “But don’t slurp when eating spicy food—you’ll choke.”
Lin Hening burst out laughing.
He had always thought Gu Fei was the aloof and distant type—who knew he actually had a sense of humor?
Boss Gu continued his real-time guidance: “Do you eat garlic? Eating noodles without garlic cuts the flavor in half.”
Lin Hening slammed the table decisively. “Sure!”
Gu Fei: “You have gastritis, don’t eat it this time. Just remember for next time.”
“???” He got him all excited about it, only to say he couldn’t have any? Was he doing this on purpose just to make him crave it more?
After finishing the bowl of noodles, his stomach felt warm, his blood sugar had stabilized, and all his worries seemed to disappear.
Lin Hening was actually quite worried that Gu Fei might ask about Xia Zhile and An Nian. Even though there was no solid proof, it was still a bit of a family scandal—and family scandals weren’t meant to be aired.
Fortunately, Gu Fei didn’t ask. Not a single word.
Instead, once Lin Hening was full and back to his usual self, Gu Fei finally brought up the real business—compensation.
His Ferrari had been damaged in the accident. At first, it was still repairable, but then it got a direct hit from the Happiness Comes Knocking billboard. At that point, Lin Hening decided it wasn’t worth saving anymore.
Total loss. The full amount? 4.7 million.
Rather than wasting time and effort on repairs, he might as well just pick a new one from his garage. He had so many cars waiting for their turn—there weren’t even enough seasons in a year to drive them all.
As for the compensation, Lin Hening was surprisingly lenient. Taking into account that the billboard had been knocked loose before the wind sent it flying—and that Gu Fei had pried open the car door with his bare hands in an emergency—and that Gu Fei had driven a second-hand van to rush him to meet the ambulance…
After all those considerations, Lin Hening decided to cut the amount in half and round it down—2 million.
As for the hospital bills, insurance had covered most of it, leaving only 3,500.
Lin Hening said, “I need to add Zhou Zhou on WeChat and send him the bill.”
Gu Fei pulled out his phone. “Just tell me. I’ll pay.”
Lin Hening was stunned. “Huh?”
“You…” Lin Hening was completely thrown off, trying to figure out a reason for Gu Fei’s bizarrely generous behavior. “Did Zhou Zhou have something on you? Are you super rich? Are you some kind of saint?”
Gu Fei got up to clear the dishes and casually dropped a bombshell. “I’m his brother.”
…Huh?!
A real brother? Clearly not.
He didn’t seem like a cousin either, so that meant he was the other kind of brother—the kind that had your back.
Covering 2 million just like that? What kind of god-tier big bro was this? Could he get a whole truckload of these?
“Mr. Gu, I really…” Lin Hening laughed in disbelief. Shaking his head, he sincerely said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone as generous as you.”
Gu Fei was unexpectedly modest. “Thanks.”
Lin Hening: “…”
Shifting his posture, he said, “Look, debts should be settled by those responsible. No need for you to take it all on. Wasn’t the whole accident caused by a dog? Let’s check if it has an owner first.”
Gu Fei replied, “Already did. The owner tried to argue that it had nothing to do with his dog. Then I showed him the dashcam footage—smacked him right in the face with it. He got so pissed off that he said we could do whatever we wanted with the dog, even kill it and eat it if we felt like it.”
Anyway, there was no money to be had.
Gu Fei took the dishes to the back kitchen, then returned and said, “So, I hired a lawyer.”
Lin Hening let out a sigh of relief. While the bulk of the compensation would be covered by the vehicle at fault, the dog owner still had to pay a small portion. It was money, no matter how little, and there was no reason to be taken for a fool. Besides, Gu Fei and Zhou Zhou weren’t exactly rich.
The important thing was upholding justice—whoever was responsible should take responsibility. No one should think they could just disappear after causing trouble, and they certainly shouldn’t expect to get away with it by throwing a tantrum.
Lin Hening glanced at his watch, then stood up. “Thanks for the meal. How much? My phone’s about to die—will cash work?”
Gu Fei’s lips moved as if to say “No need,” but what came out instead was, “I don’t have change.”
“I’ll transfer it to you later, then.” Lin Hening checked his phone’s dwindling battery, wondering if it would even last until he got home.
Gu Fei nodded. “Alright.”
He seemed about to say something else when Lin Hening’s phone rang.
Gu Fei caught a glimpse of the caller ID.
The name on the screen read: “My Little Lele Puppy.”
