He Xiaoyuan decided to dig into the story right there. “This ‘love at first sight’—did it happen? In the past?”
Like the previous discussion about crushes, he asked, “This ‘love at first sight’ and your crush—are they the same person?”
Lu Chen didn’t respond, or perhaps he was dodging the question like in Tai Chi.
He Xiaoyuan pressed: “Come on, tell us.” He gestured toward Yang Yun and Guan Xingping: “We all want to know, right?”
Yang Yun raised his hand, refusing: “I don’t want to know.”
Guan Xingping cooperated: “Me neither.”
He Xiaoyuan: “……”
He quickly adjusted: “Fine, I’m the only one who wants to know.”
Assuming it likely happened in the past, he asked, “In the past?”
Lu Chen smiled but didn’t comment, and He Xiaoyuan took it as tacit confirmation.
Just as he was about to ask further, Yang Yun interjected: “Game on, game on. I’ve never had love at first sight.”
He put down a finger, and Guan Xingping did the same.
Yang Yun then looked at He Xiaoyuan: “Your turn.”
He Xiaoyuan, still enjoying the gossip from Yang Yun and Guan Xingping, asked: “You two never had love at first sight?”
Guan Xingping: “No.”
Yang Yun: “Never.”
He candidly explained, “With Teacher Guan, it was enemies-to-lovers. No love at first sight—back then, if I didn’t throw a bunch of lab chemicals at him every time he saw me, he was being polite.”
He Xiaoyuan: “I don’t want to play anymore, I just want the gossip.”
The game continued. He Xiaoyuan shared, “I once had three consecutive years where I worked every day and didn’t sleep before midnight.”
“Wow.”
Yang Yun, not fully aware of He Xiaoyuan’s situation, commented, “Teacher Guan worked hard back in school, and you even more so.”
Guan Xingping lowered a finger and asked, “Was that during your college internship?”
He Xiaoyuan shook his head casually: “High school.”
He explained: “Back then I needed money, so I studied and worked part-time. Daytime jobs weren’t possible, so I skipped evening study sessions, worked late, and didn’t get back to my aunt’s until after midnight. I kept it up for three years, earning my living expenses for high school and college tuition and living costs.”
Yang Yun and Guan Xingping were both surprised.
Lu Chen then spoke: “I’ve done the same.”
He Xiaoyuan, surprised: “Ah? When?”
Lu Chen: “College.”
Yang Yun jumped in, staying on topic to avoid awkwardness: “You mean it was a time difference between home and abroad?”
Lu Chen calmly replied: “No, you just don’t believe me. I worked for years to avoid spending my family’s money.”
Yang Yun: “Alright, alright, I believe you.”
He Xiaoyuan murmured, chatting with Lu Chen: “I knew you traveled on a budget, but you still worked?” He was genuinely surprised.
Lu Chen replied steadily, “I even washed dishes at a Chinese restaurant with classmates.”
Though only for two days.
He Xiaoyuan widened his eyes in disbelief.
Then, finding common ground, he happily said, “I’ve done that too!”
…
After the game ended, it was too cold outside at night, so the four went indoors.
It was already past midnight. No one was sleepy, so they kept playing—mahjong, billiards, indoor golf.
He Xiaoyuan knew how to play mahjong, having watched his aunt and uncle play during holidays. Observing made it easy to pick up, and soon he could play himself.
He was also good at billiards, having worked as a waiter in a billiards hall. He could pocket every ball in one shot, surprising Yang Yun and the others. Lu Chen hadn’t expected it either.
“How come you never mentioned this before?”
Lu Chen stood by, cue in hand, intrigued.
He Xiaoyuan bent over the edge of the table, his hands and stance perfect, back arching gracefully, hips strong. He pocketed the ball in one shot and looked up with a “surprised, right?” expression.
He explained: “In college, I tutored an elementary student. Every weekend I had to accompany him to two golf lessons. The parents thought I wouldn’t be a good example, so they enrolled me in lessons too.”
Lu Chen, interested, said: “We should play together sometime.”
Play golf together.
He Xiaoyuan scanned the table, moved to the other side, and leaned down. “Sure.”
Yang Yun and Guan Xingping sat nearby. Guan Xingping yawned, and Yang Yun glanced at the two at the table’s edge, whispering with a smile: “Being young is really nice.”
In their twenties and thirties, energy was abundant.
Yang Yun draped his arm around Guan Xingping’s shoulder. “Tired? Want to head to the bedroom?”
Guan Xingping yawned again. “Let’s play a little longer.”
Yang Yun was probably really tired—half his body leaned over the billiard table while pushing his cue, his leg bent and resting on the edge. Guan Xingping teased that he looked like a frog.
He Xiaoyuan laughed so hard, feeling completely relaxed and happy. The indoor heating was warm, and alcohol was practically water.
Lu Chen reminded him: “Don’t drink too much.”
He Xiaoyuan raised his beer, smiling. “It’s fine, it’s not spirits—I’m not drunk.”
Later, when they went downstairs to play indoor golf, Guan Xingping fiddled with a phonograph on the decorative table. He had thought it was just for display, but it worked. The vinyl spun, filling the room with rich, mellow music.
He Xiaoyuan stood on the green carpet, lightly pushing a golf ball. He glanced up and saw Yang Yun helping Guan Xingping to stand from the sofa. Guan Xingping’s expression was helpless but smiling, and Yang Yun held him, their steps moving rhythmically with the soft music.
He Xiaoyuan just watched, smiling, a hint of envy in his eyes. They seemed so close, so perfect together.
Lu Chen, standing nearby, asked: “Can you dance?”
He Xiaoyuan turned, momentarily confused. “Hm?”
Lu Chen: “Dance. I’ll teach you.”
He set the cue against the sofa, stepped forward, and held out his hand, palm up, inviting He Xiaoyuan.
He Xiaoyuan’s cheeks flushed with color, the warm room and alcohol adding to his glow.
He was shy. He could handle games, rock-paper-scissors, billiards—but dancing was entirely unfamiliar.
Lu Chen encouraged: “Try it. Come on.”
He Xiaoyuan shook his head, refusing.
“I’ll guide you,” Lu Chen said, moving closer, taking He Xiaoyuan’s hand in one of his, while removing the golf cue from his other hand.
He Xiaoyuan followed him, laughing shyly: “I really don’t know how.”
They moved to an open space, facing each other. Lu Chen said: “You’ve seen this, right?”
He took He Xiaoyuan’s hand and placed his other hand on He Xiaoyuan’s waist, guiding the boy’s arm onto his shoulder.
He Xiaoyuan laughed and shook his head, saying, “No, no,” quickly breaking into laughter.
Lu Chen held him gently. “What’s wrong?”
He Xiaoyuan laughed uncontrollably, light and joyful.
Lu Chen, catching the infectious mood, laughed along.
Gradually, He Xiaoyuan leaned into Lu Chen’s shoulder, and the two swayed slowly to the music, arms loosely around each other, reminiscent of Yang Yun and Guan Xingping.
Lu Chen tilted his head, noticing He Xiaoyuan’s head resting on his shoulder for a while. Worried he might have passed out from the alcohol, he asked softly: “Xiaoyuan?”
He Xiaoyuan, leaning lazily against Lu Chen: “Mm.”
Lu Chen felt the weight on his shoulder and the warmth of his breath through the fabric.
“Sleepy?” he asked.
He Xiaoyuan: “Not really.”
“Drunk?” Lu Chen pressed.
He Xiaoyuan murmured into his shoulder: “Why don’t you ask me what 13,641 plus 198,005 equals?”
A memory of a time when he’d drunk too much.
Lu Chen remembered and laughed.
He Xiaoyuan laughed too, body shaking lightly.
Eventually, the music stopped. They no longer danced, sitting together on the sofa, listening to Yang Yun recount how he and Guan Xingping went from enemies to lovers.
Yang Yun’s storytelling was humorous, the whole group laughing like they were watching a comedy. He Xiaoyuan laughed so hard his stomach hurt, leaning against Lu Chen’s shoulder, who smiled softly and reached over to pat the back of He Xiaoyuan’s head.
Close to four in the morning, everyone finally dispersed. They paired off—Yang Yun with Guan Xingping, Lu Chen with He Xiaoyuan.
Lu Chen escorted He Xiaoyuan back. The boy, excited after a full day and night of games and alcohol, stumbled and laughed, dragging along, speaking and laughing nonstop.
Lu Chen held and steadied him multiple times, finally looping an arm behind He Xiaoyuan’s neck, guiding him back to the bedroom.
Inside, lights on, He Xiaoyuan continued talking animatedly: “Qin Chengfei kept bending over, butt out, taking photos of me, and Lao Chang walked by and used files to hit him—it was like a rocket launch, I laughed so hard!”
Approaching the bed, Lu Chen prepared to place him gently down, but He Xiaoyuan tripped slightly, bumping into Lu Chen. They both tumbled onto the bed.
Lu Chen worried for him, but He Xiaoyuan found it amusing, giggling and rolling slightly. Seeing he was fine, Lu Chen exhaled, lay back, and turned to smile at him.
He Xiaoyuan snuggled closer, resting his face near Lu Chen’s neck, wrapping an arm around him.
Lu Chen tilted his head. “Hm?”
He Xiaoyuan, still laughing and tipsy, murmured after a while: “I’m so happy today… This New Year is really wonderful.”
It was the happiest he had been in years, ever since his mother passed away.
Lu Chen understood. He adjusted his hold, threading his other arm under He Xiaoyuan’s neck, gently pulling him close, patting softly.
“From now on, you’ll always be happy,” he whispered.
He Xiaoyuan closed his eyes, drowsy, murmuring, “I used to think about Mom.”
During New Year, when everyone was with their families, he had missed her especially.
“This year… I didn’t think about her much.”
Lu Chen understood and comforted him softly, “You’ve grown up.”
He Xiaoyuan’s warm breath brushed against Lu Chen’s neck. “I’m so happy… really so happy.”
“Mm,” Lu Chen replied.
His voice low and hoarse, He Xiaoyuan continued, “Are you happy, Ge?”
Lu Chen: “Happy.”
He Xiaoyuan: “Really happy?”
Lu Chen: “Very happy.”
He Xiaoyuan let out a soft, catlike hum, nuzzling closer into Lu Chen’s embrace.
After a moment of quiet, he murmured again, “You’re really good to me… how can you be this good to me?”
Lu Chen tilted his head, his nose brushing the soft crown of He Xiaoyuan’s hair. Lifting the arm draped over him, he gently stroked the hair, knowing the boy was drunk, and said softly: “Because I like you.”
He Xiaoyuan suddenly lifted his head, opening his bright, clear eyes to look straight into Lu Chen’s. They held each other’s gaze.
Lu Chen knew he was drunk and wasn’t worried that his words would be misinterpreted. “Hm?”
He Xiaoyuan lay back down, pressing his head closer against Lu Chen’s neck, arms tightening, legs draped over him, hugging him like a koala, completely trusting and relying on him.
Then He Xiaoyuan’s soft voice reached him: “I like you too.”
Lu Chen knew He Xiaoyuan’s feelings weren’t the same depth as his own, but hearing it directly still made his heart stir.
Wanting to hear more, Lu Chen coaxed, “Really?”
He Xiaoyuan’s small, catlike nose nuzzled Lu Chen’s neck. “Really.”
“How much do you like me?” Lu Chen teased.
He Xiaoyuan hugged him tightly. “So much… very, very much, completely.”
Lu Chen chuckled, chest vibrating with quiet amusement.
At that moment, He Xiaoyuan lifted his head again, this time pressing a gentle kiss on Lu Chen’s face. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and snuggled back into Lu Chen’s arms.
Lu Chen hadn’t expected it, his brows lifting in surprise.