The next day at noon, Pei Qingjian and Lan Xingchen went together to the hot pot restaurant Ning Rong had recommended.
One was an ordinary person, the other not very famous—so even if they entered openly, no one would pay them much attention.
Ning Rong, on the other hand, was very popular. Naturally, she couldn’t enter with them; she had already taken her seat in a private room before Pei Qingjian and Lan Xingchen arrived.
“What do you want to eat?” Ning Rong asked, handing the menu to Pei Qingjian and Lan Xingchen.
Pei Qingjian ordered the meats and vegetables he usually liked, and also picked a few dishes for Lan Xingchen.
Lan Xingchen didn’t speak much, simply sitting beside Pei Qingjian and waiting for the food to arrive.
Misunderstandings, once cleared, still waste time—like with Lan Xingchen and Ning Rong. They had hardly spoken over the years, so sitting together now, they weren’t quite sure what to say.
Luckily, Pei Qingjian was there. He spent a lot of time with Lan Xingchen and got along with Ning Rong, so he actively started a conversation about movies.
Lan Xingchen liked films, and Ning Rong was an actress—they had both seen many movies, so they had a natural topic to discuss.
Soon, the three of them were sharing opinions on movies they had seen or similar genres. The atmosphere was comfortable.
Their meal lasted about an hour and a half.
Ning Rong paid the bill, and the three of them left the hot pot restaurant one after another.
This was definitely the most enjoyable hot pot meal Ning Rong had ever had. It was not that the food itself was especially good, but the people she was eating with were truly rare.
She sent a message in the group chat she shared with Zhou Man and Ning Yuan:
【Had hot pot for lunch today 😊】
Zhou Man replied:
【Didn’t you just have hot pot the day before yesterday?】
Ning Rong:
【This time is different—this time I went with Xingchen and Xiao Pei!】
Instantly, both Zhou Man and Ning Yuan perked up.
Zhou Man:
【You went with Xingchen? And Xiao Pei was there too?】
Ning Yuan:
【Xingchen actually agreed to eat hot pot with you?!】
Ning Rong smiled as she typed:
【Yeah, I invited them both, and they agreed, so we went together.】
Ning Rong:
【Good thing Xiao Pei was there—the meal never got awkward. I even found out what kind of movies Xingchen likes 😂】
Zhou Man was delighted:
【That’s wonderful.】
Ning Rong:
【Mm, but Sis, I think the reason Xingchen suddenly went back that night probably had something to do with Xiao Pei. He asked me some related questions on set before, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. Now that I think about it, he must have sensed something was off between us, so he asked.】
Zhou Man had not expected that. She had wondered why Lin Xingchen suddenly went home that day, but if that was the case, then it made sense.
She had already liked Pei Qingjian to begin with, and hearing Ning Rong say this made her feel even more grateful toward him.
Zhou Man:
【Then you have to take good care of Xiao Pei from now on—treat him well.】
Ning Rong nodded:
【I know, don’t worry!】
Just based on how close Pei Qingjian and Lin Xingchen were, she would naturally look after him more—let alone the fact that Pei Qingjian had helped the three of them so much.
Ning Rong practically wished she could push every resource she had into his hands, and even then, she felt it would not be enough to express her gratitude.
She happily chatted with Zhou Man and Ning Yuan for quite a while before finally putting her phone down.
Meanwhile, Pei Qingjian and Lin Xingchen had returned to the hotel.
Pei Qingjian tilted his head, studying Lin Xingchen’s expression. “How do you feel?”
“How do I feel about what?”
“Ning Rong,” Pei Qingjian said. “Did it make you uncomfortable? Do you not like her?”
“It’s fine,” Lin Xingchen replied in a calm tone. “It’s just… I really can’t remember anything from when we were kids.”
“That’s okay,” Pei Qingjian comforted him. “People lose memories every day. And you were so young back then. As long as you create new memories, that’s enough.”
Lin Xingchen smiled. “I’m not lamenting the past.”
After all, he no longer remembered those childhood moments with Ning Yuan and Ning Rong, so there was nothing to regret.
What he regretted was forgetting the version of his parents that existed in those memories.
They had so few memories together to begin with, and every single one was precious—yet he had still lost some of them.
Hearing this, Pei Qingjian finally understood.
He squeezed Lin Xingchen’s hand. “It’s okay. As long as they’re always in your heart, that’s enough.”
Lin Xingchen smiled, lifted his hand, and kissed it.
Pei Qingjian felt a little embarrassed and tried to pull away, but could not.
“Let’s sleep,” Lin Xingchen said, looking at him. “There’s still some time before your afternoon shoot. You can get some rest.”
Pei Qingjian nodded, trying to free his hand, but Lin Xingchen kept holding it. In the end, he could only pull him along to the bed, and the two of them lay down together.
He slept until nearly three before getting up and heading to set.
After redoing his makeup and styling, he sat to the side with his script, waiting for his scene.
When Ning Rong came over, she handed him a milk tea. “Here.”
She passed him his drink and, noticing that Lin Xingchen was not there, gave him the other cup as well.
“I can’t drink that much,” Pei Qingjian said. “Just leave it—give it to him when he gets here.”
“Okay,” Ning Rong agreed.
Looking at her, Pei Qingjian suddenly remembered what Lin Xingchen had told him before about his past with her and Ning Yuan.
Curious, he told her about those incidents.
Ning Rong was surprised. “So that’s what he thought.”
“That’s pretty normal,” Pei Qingjian said. “If he believed you didn’t like him, of course he wouldn’t interpret things in a positive way.”
Hearing this, Ning Rong lowered her head in reflection.
It was true. From the very beginning, under Zhou Man’s misleading words, Lin Xingchen had believed that the two of them were Zhou Man’s children. On top of that, neither she nor Ning Yuan were particularly talkative, and they had been especially cautious around him.
That caution had backfired—either they did not know what to say and stayed silent, or when they did speak, they failed to express themselves clearly. In the end, it might have been better not to say anything at all.
Thinking of this, Ning Rong felt a pang of sympathy for Lin Xingchen.
She and Ning Yuan had each other—whatever they did, they could discuss and analyze together. But Lin Xingchen had only himself.
Even if he wanted to talk things through with someone about their attitude toward him, he could not turn to anyone else in the family. And since he had to keep the secret he had overheard, he could not fully confide in his friends either.
So he could only analyze everything on his own, draw his own conclusions, and quietly distance himself.
Ning Rong sighed. When she looked up, she saw Lin Xingchen walking toward them.
After thinking for a long time, she finally stepped forward and said to him, “I have something to tell you.”
Lin Xingchen: ????
He glanced at Pei Qingjian in the distance, who simply smiled.
Lin Xingchen: …What is that supposed to mean?
He followed Ning Rong to the side. “What is it?”
Ning Rong looked at him gently. “I’m sorry.”
“Huh?” Lin Xingchen was confused.
Fortunately, Ning Rong did not leave him guessing and directly explained everything.
As Lin Xingchen listened, he felt speechless. Well then—it was almost exactly what Pei Qingjian had guessed. If Pei Qingjian had actually been his uncle’s son, the three of them probably would not have had so many misunderstandings.
“I never thought those words and actions would lead to such a misunderstanding. A lot of the time, when my brother and I were around you, we wanted so badly to get closer to you that we overthought everything and worried too much. In the end, it only pushed us further apart.”
“I’m sorry.”
“But I promise it won’t be like that anymore. I’ll do my best to explain myself clearly so you can understand what I mean. Is that okay?”
Lin Xingchen had not expected her to apologize over something like this.
The matter was already in the past. Back then, although he had been angry, he had only thought of it as the inevitable friction between children in a blended family, especially when they were so close in age.
He could understand it. And since he did not have much emotional attachment to them anyway, there was no real sense of hurt or sadness.
What he had felt more was confusion and dissatisfaction—confusion over why they seemed to target him in everything, and dissatisfaction over why they could not, like him, get along peacefully for the sake of their parents.
But now, he understood. It was precisely because they wanted to get along that they overthought things, making their already delicate relationship even more complicated.
“Okay,” Lin Xingchen said.
“Then if you have any thoughts, could you also take the initiative to tell us?” Ning Rong asked. “Or you can tell Xiao Pei and have him pass it on to me—that works too.”
“It’s just… I’m afraid we might have misunderstandings again.”
Probably not, Lin Xingchen thought.
“Okay,” he agreed.
Ning Rong relaxed. “Thank you.”
She looked at him, wanting to say that she would try to be a good older sister from now on, but felt that might be a bit too self-congratulatory.
So she simply smiled. “Then go find Xiao Pei. I won’t disturb you two.”
“Alright.”
Ning Rong walked off with a smile, while Lin Xingchen slowly made his way back to Pei Qingjian.
Pei Qingjian handed him the unopened milk tea. “Ning Rong got this for you.”
He shook the cup he had already been drinking. “Of course, she got me one too.”
Lin Xingchen looked at him. “You told her what I said before?”
Pei Qingjian nodded. “I figured since it was all a misunderstanding, it would be best to clear everything up—ask what really happened, so you could understand what they were thinking back then.”
Lin Xingchen smiled faintly and pierced the lid of the milk tea.
He took a sip, then glanced at the label—70% sugar, just the way he liked it.
“She apologized to me,” Lin Xingchen said. “Said she’ll try to explain herself clearly in the future, and hopes I can express my thoughts too. And if I feel awkward telling her directly, I can tell you and have you pass it on.”
Pei Qingjian smiled, his eyes curving. “Then I’d be more than happy to.”
Lin Xingchen reached out and ruffled his hair, his expression gentle.
That night, Ning Yuan called Ning Rong and told her he planned to visit her the next day.
“Are you coming to see me, or Xingchen?” Ning Rong teased.
Ning Yuan did not deny it. Instead, he asked, “Can you help me ask Xingchen if he has time tomorrow to have a meal with me?”
“Of course, if he already has plans, that’s fine. I can wait.”
Ning Rong did not think she had that much influence, so she directly sent Pei Qingjian a message, asking him to help inquire.
【Thank you!】 Ning Rong added politely.
Pei Qingjian looked at the message on his phone, then turned to Lin Xingchen and conveyed Ning Yuan’s intention to visit and have a meal with him.
Lin Xingchen gave a slight nod. He had already met Zhou Man and Ning Rong—there was no way Ning Yuan would just sit still.
Fine. Might as well settle everything at once.
“Sure,” he said.
After hearing this, Ning Yuan came early the next morning.
Following Ning Rong’s example, he politely invited Pei Qingjian as well. Pei Qingjian did not refuse, and the four of them went to a different restaurant for a meal together.
This time, Pei Qingjian again took the initiative to start the conversation. Ning Yuan was not very familiar with films, but he enjoyed reading, so Pei Qingjian steered the discussion toward books. Eventually, they got onto science fiction, and Ning Yuan and Lin Xingchen finally found common ground, exchanging thoughts about their favorite sci-fi novels.
During the meal, Ning Yuan also apologized to Lin Xingchen for the misunderstanding he had unintentionally caused, emphasizing that he had never meant what Lin Xingchen had thought.
Looking at his expression—and thinking about the plate of fries he had once specially made for him—Lin Xingchen felt a quiet sense of wistfulness.
If they had just communicated properly back then… if he had not avoided him, if Ning Yuan had not been so careful with his words—if, even at that moment outside the kitchen, when he overheard Ning Yuan, he had simply pushed the door open and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Maybe they would not have misunderstood each other for so long.
Each of them had thought they were being considerate, each had taken a step back—until they finally realized they had drifted far apart.
“So sometimes, being too cautious in relationships isn’t a good thing,” Pei Qingjian remarked.
As he said this, he was nestled in Lin Xingchen’s arms.
Lin Xingchen agreed. Lowering his head, he kissed his cheek. “Then make sure you remember that.”
Pei Qingjian laughed. “You’re the one who should remember. I’ve never had this kind of misunderstanding with anyone.”
Lin Xingchen: ???
He immediately reached out to tickle his waist. “Daring to laugh at me? You’ve got some nerve.”
Pei Qingjian laughed as he tried to dodge in his arms. “I’m not—I’m just telling the truth.”
Hearing that only made Lin Xingchen tickle him even more.
It was not until he finally lifted Pei Qingjian into his arms that the laughter—forced out of him—came to a stop.
“Sleep,” Lin Xingchen said, carrying him to the bed.
Remembering what he had gotten up to the previous night, Pei Qingjian took two steps back. “I have scenes early tomorrow morning. Tonight, you’re not allowed to do anything.”
Lin Xingchen looked a little regretful. “Alright.”
He sat on the bed, pulled the blanket over, and drew Pei Qingjian into his arms. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Pei Qingjian smiled and kissed him.
Lin Xingchen stayed with Pei Qingjian for seven days before finally leaving, reluctant to go.
When it was time to part, Pei Qingjian watched him get into his car and drive off. Suddenly, he felt a hint of loneliness.
Even though the other man had already stayed with him for quite a long time, he still found himself wishing he could stay just a little longer.
“We’ll see each other again once filming wraps,” he told himself.
But to his surprise, five days later, he saw Lin Xingchen again.
Pei Qingjian: ???
“Didn’t you just come last week?”
Lin Xingchen set the pastries he had bought on the table. “Mm.”
“Then why are you here again?”
Lin Xingchen: …
“Am I not allowed to come?”
“Of course you are. I just think it’s kind of soon.”
Lin Xingchen let out a soft huff. “Soon? It’s been five days—how is that soon?”
To him, those five days had crawled by unbearably slowly.
If not for his strong sense of responsibility toward his work, he would have come much earlier!
“Didn’t you say the day before yesterday that you wanted to eat the pastries near my company? Here.”
Pei Qingjian had not expected that a casual remark would make Lin Xingchen go out of his way to bring them over. The surprise on his face instantly melted into a smile.
He picked one up, took a bite, and then fed one to Lin Xingchen. “It tastes just like before—so good.”
Lin Xingchen took a token bite. “You eat. I bought these for you.”
Pei Qingjian looked at him, his heart even sweeter than the pastry in his mouth.
The moment Zhou Pengyue saw Lin Xingchen show up again, his head started to ache.
What he did not expect was that his headache was only just beginning. From then on, Lin Xingchen maintained a steady routine—showing up every Friday and leaving every Sunday, punctual and consistent.
Zhou Pengyue: …And you still say you’re just friends?!
He had never seen any “friends” interact like this—visiting set this often!
Zhou Pengyue looked at Pei Qingjian. “So… he’s coming every Friday from now on?”
Even Pei Qingjian felt that Lin Xingchen’s visits were a bit too frequent.
“Wouldn’t it be tiring for you to come every week?” he asked, concerned. “How about once every two weeks instead?”
“Two weeks?” Lin Xingchen refused immediately.
Right now, he simply liked being with Pei Qingjian. Especially when he went home each day and saw the places where they had once eaten and slept together—now empty of him—he missed him even more.
Two weeks. Half a month. Fifteen days before seeing him again. Lin Xingchen did not think he could handle that.
“Anyway, I’ve got nothing to do at home on Sundays. Might as well come see you.”
“You could go visit your uncle.”
“I see him during the week.”
“What about Fang Junhao and the others?”
“I see them during the week too.”
Pei Qingjian: …
Lin Xingchen spoke with complete confidence, “So you should cherish my weekends, got it?”
Pei Qingjian: …Got it. His sugar daddy had entered a clingy phase—he was sticking to him now.
Pei Qingjian sighed inwardly. What do you do when your sugar daddy is too clingy? You let him be clingy, of course.
“Alright,” Pei Qingjian said with a smile. “Then come every Friday from now on~”
Zhou Pengyue: ???!!!
Is that what I told you to say?!
Manager Zhou continued to have a headache as always.
—
Author’s Note:
President Lin: Cuddle.
Qingjian: Cuddling permitted.
Zhou Pengyue: …
President Lin: What’s wrong with wanting to see my wife every week?
Qingjian: Nothing wrong.
Zhou Pengyue: Hah, what wife? Aren’t you just “good friends”?! [side-eye][doge]