Lan Xingchen didn’t let Pei Qingjian move again; he went outside to bring in the rest of the luggage and boxes.
He then went to the parking lot to retrieve the remaining bags.
Pei Qingjian watched him work and wanted to help, but Lan Xingchen gently pushed him back. So he went to the kitchen instead, grabbed some vegetables, and started cooking.
To celebrate moving back in, he made six dishes in one go.
Looking at the spread, Lan Xingchen couldn’t help but recall the day Pei Qingjian had decided to leave—he had cooked so much that day too.
If only he had realized sooner, he thought, he wouldn’t have had to cook so much—or leave at all.
That night, Pei Qingjian lay back in the bed he had been away from for so long.
In a way, he felt far more at home on this bed than his own—after all, he had spent more time here since moving.
He closed his eyes and drifted into a wonderful dream.
The next day, as planned, Pei Qingjian and Lan Xingchen went to watch a play with Xiao Jin.
Having moved back in, Pei Qingjian called Xiao Jin to let him know he didn’t need a ride—Lan Xingchen would take him, and they would meet at the theater.
Xiao Jin had no objections.
Pei Qingjian wore sunglasses and a mask to avoid being recognized and walked out with Lan Xingchen.
Xiao Jin was already waiting outside the theater.
At this point, their movie hadn’t premiered, and he was still an unknown actor, so he didn’t mind being seen.
—After all, a not-yet-famous actor is no different from any passerby.
Pei Qingjian spotted him from a distance and walked over.
Xiao Jin reached out to guide him inside, but before he could touch him, Lan Xingchen intercepted, politely extending a hand to shake.
“Hello,” he said seriously.
“Hello,” Xiao Jin replied politely, a little confused.
He then turned to Pei Qingjian. “Be careful not to be recognized inside.”
Pei Qingjian nodded, lowering the brim of his hat, and followed him in.
Thanks to Xiao Jin’s senior brother, they had VIP seats.
Pei Qingjian remained seated, only removing his hat, glasses, and mask after the lights went down.
The play was captivating.
Pei Qingjian was completely absorbed, moved by the performance.
Unlike TV or film, theater demanded immediate improvisation and presence, and Pei Qingjian wondered if he himself could perform as flawlessly as Xiao Jin’s senior brother had.
He spoke quietly with Xiao Jin, and Xiao Jin laughed, “If you’re interested, you could try performing in a play sometime. It’d help with your acting skills.”
Pei Qingjian was surprised. “I can?”
“Of course. You’re so popular—if you joined a performance, the tickets would sell out, so they definitely wouldn’t refuse you.”
Pei Qingjian nodded to himself.
He glanced at the stage in the distance, a faint thought stirring in his mind, but he didn’t rush to try it out.
From photography, to TV, to film, and now to the theater stage, Pei Qingjian realized for the first time that in this world, he had far more options than he had ever imagined.
Before, there had been only one path: study. He had pursued it relentlessly, without hesitation.
Now, multiple paths lay before him, giving him room to make mistakes and choices along the way.
And who could say that ending up in this world wasn’t itself a stroke of luck, or perhaps another choice guided by fate?
Pei Qingjian followed Xiao Jin backstage after the play, feeling cheerful.
Xiao Jin was as warm as ever. Upon seeing his senior brother, he immediately introduced Pei Qingjian: “Senior, this is Qingjian, the one I told you about a couple of days ago.”
Xiao Jin’s senior nodded.
Pei Qingjian exchanged a few polite words with him. Afterward, he, Lan Xingchen, and Xiao Jin headed to their dining spot together.
Xiao Jin’s senior didn’t join; he had other commitments and couldn’t leave.
The restaurant was Lan Xingchen’s choice. The food was excellent, and Pei Qingjian was in a good mood. He chatted with Lan Xingchen and Xiao Jin in turns, and soon the three of them were happily talking together.
After the meal, Lan Xingchen prepared to pay.
He pulled out his wallet, took a card, and handed it to the server.
Pei Qingjian, sitting beside him, noticed the wallet had opened, revealing a brightly colored photo of him and Lan Xingchen—taken during a trip abroad.
Pei Qingjian was a bit surprised. Lan Xingchen caught his glance out of the corner of his eye and smiled warmly.
Xiao Jin, sitting opposite, curiously asked, “What are you two smiling about?”
Pei Qingjian hurriedly replied, “Nothing, nothing.”
Lan Xingchen, however, quietly handed over the wallet. “Nothing. Just developed a photo from our trip together.”
Xiao Jin took it, flipped through, and admired the pictures. “These turned out really well.”
Then his finger touched something slightly raised. Out of habit, he looked closer.
In the second layer, where money was kept, it wasn’t money at all—it was a protective charm.
“Is this the safety charm Qingjian got for you a couple of days ago?” he asked.
Lan Xingchen nodded, inwardly glad he had pushed the charm upward so it wouldn’t be missed—fortunately, Xiao Jin hadn’t overlooked it.
“Yes,” Lan Xingchen said gently, “I didn’t expect him to get a charm for me.”
Xiao Jin hadn’t expected that either, assuming Pei Qingjian had gotten it for himself.
“He really cares about you,” Xiao Jin commented.
Lan Xingchen lightly nodded. “I think so too.”
Pei Qingjian quietly looked at Lan Xingchen, who picked up his teacup and took a sip as a tactical move.
Pei Qingjian couldn’t help but smile at how subtly Lan Xingchen wanted to show off without fully daring to, and the slight guilt in his expression made him even more endearing.
He picked up his own cup and drank as well.
Lan Xingchen, seeing Pei Qingjian stop staring at him, peeked subtly—but Pei Qingjian caught him red-handed.
Lan Xingchen nearly choked on his tea, hastily averting his gaze.
After the meal, Xiao Jin prepared to leave.
The three split ways and got into their own cars.
Finally, Pei Qingjian had a moment to ask Lan Xingchen, “When did you get the photo developed?”
“Just yesterday,” Lan Xingchen replied.
When he had opened the drawer, he noticed the wallet and the slot for a photo.
He immediately gave it to his secretary and sent the photo over, asking her to make a properly sized print.
Lv Jing, seeing the photo appear in their chat, nearly laughed out loud.
A wallet, a developed photo… their boss really liked little Pei Qingjian.
That afternoon, Shao Kang had the privilege of witnessing Lan Xingchen stride across the office to personally give an additional thousand-yuan full-month gift to his niece, already three months and five days old.
He didn’t transfer the money electronically but took bills from the wallet one by one, the photo of the two of them facing him directly as if afraid he wouldn’t notice.
Shao Kang: …
He once again thought he shouldn’t have tried to reason with Lan Xingchen during the breakup!
Served him right.
Maybe he should break up again!
Pei Qingjian, of course, knew nothing of any of this. He only glanced at the photo in Lan Xingchen’s wallet, then at the protective charm tucked inside.
“You’d better carry this with you every day from now on.”
“Of course,” Lan Xingchen replied without hesitation.
Not only would he carry it, but he’d also show it off to others—Shao Kang included, haha.
Pei Qingjian watched the subtle, playful smile at the corners of Lan Xingchen’s eyes and couldn’t help but smile too.
He returned the wallet to Lan Xingchen’s pocket, thinking it might be time to tell Xiao Jin and Zhou Peng about his relationship with Lan Xingchen.
Previously, due to the “patron and muse” arrangement, it couldn’t be public. Now that they were openly boyfriends—especially with Lan Xingchen so eager to show their love—continuing to maintain a “friend” façade would only frustrate him.
And with an official boyfriend status, Lan Xingchen would feel more secure, and Pei Qingjian wouldn’t have to approach friends with the constant anxiety that they might secretly be his boyfriend in disguise.
Of course, all of this hinged on passing the “assessment.”
So, when exactly would that assessment be considered successful?
Pei Qingjian pondered for a moment.
He flipped through his phone’s calendar, seeing a dense schedule looming ahead.
Looking at it, he could already imagine Lan Xingchen’s frowning expression when the time came.
Ah, better not make things difficult for his former patron, now boyfriend.
That evening, Pei Qingjian officially announced to Lan Xingchen, “After a long three-day, two-night assessment, the preliminary evaluation is in: you’ve passed.”
Lan Xingchen immediately seized the opportunity. “So, does this mean we can have some in-depth communication?”
Pei Qingjian: ???
He thought Lan Xingchen was pretty good at climbing the social ladder.
But… fine. After all, he would soon have work obligations, so deep communication wouldn’t be possible later anyway.
“Marginally approved.”
Lan Xingchen hadn’t expected him to actually approve it. Overjoyed, he grabbed Pei Qingjian and showered him with a series of kisses.
“Thank you, my great wife!” Lan Xingchen exclaimed happily.
Pei Qingjian: !!!
His eyes went wide—what did he just call him?!
Lan Xingchen’s face suddenly flushed, a bit of surprise mixed with embarrassment.
It took him a moment to realize he had just spoken his heart aloud.
Even though he had been silently calling Pei Qingjian “wife” in his head for days, it had always been private, a little indulgence he hadn’t dared say out loud. Yet now… he had actually said it.
Lan Xingchen felt a twinge of shyness.
But he also felt there was no reason to be embarrassed—he had passed the assessment, after all. That meant Pei Qingjian was his wife.
So he wrapped an arm around Pei Qingjian’s waist, gently calling out, “Wife~”
Pei Qingjian felt his cheeks burning fiercely.
“Shut up,” he said, face red.
Lan Xingchen didn’t press him further; he smiled softly, simply watching him.
Pei Qingjian, flustered under that gaze, could only divert the topic. “Aren’t you going to take a shower?”
Lan Xingchen suddenly remembered that tonight’s “in-depth communication” was still on the agenda.
He nodded quickly. “Right, right, I’ll go now.”
Then he scooped Pei Qingjian up in his arms.
Pei Qingjian: ???
“Let’s shower together,” Lan Xingchen said with a smile.
Pei Qingjian: ???
“Who wants to shower with you!”
“Of course, my wife does.”
“Who’s your wife?!”
“Obviously… you~” Lan Xingchen leaned down to look at him.
Pei Qingjian: …this isn’t even a question!
Lan Xingchen chuckled, leaning down to kiss Pei Qingjian’s still-blushing face and brushing against his forehead.
Pei Qingjian: …
Turning his head, he could feel the gentle touch left on his forehead.
Goodness, how was he this skilled at being cute?
Thinking that, Pei Qingjian couldn’t help but feel a sweet warmth spreading through him.
He glanced back, their eyes meeting, and saw that Lan Xingchen had been quietly watching him the whole time.
Pei Qingjian: …
He lowered his gaze, shyly saying, “Are we going to shower or not?”
Lan Xingchen laughed again at his bashfulness, his affection swelling uncontrollably.
“All right, let’s go.”
He lowered his head once more, kissing Pei Qingjian’s face gently.
His boyfriend really was just too adorable!