Spring sunlight was soft, the warm breeze creating ripples on the water. Yellow-and-red floats bobbed up and down.
The fishing rod rested on the rod stand. Fang Dinghao stretched out his long legs, crossed one over the other, leaned back in his chair, ignoring the rod and the fish. He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, focused on the water at the end of the line. He looked like he was thinking—or like he wasn’t thinking at all—just daydreaming.
A little farther from the river, He Xiaoyuan stood by the trunk of the car, sipping water, squinting toward Fang Dinghao in the sun. He had a sense that Fang Dinghao had heard some of what he’d said.
But He Xiaoyuan knew one thing clearly: if Fang Dinghao decided to join, it would likely be because of the endorsement and commitment from Zhongshi and the big boss Lu Chen—not because of his sincere words.
What he said had no practical effect—it was just a few small stones tossed into an already wavering mind, pushing the ripple along.
He trusted that Fang Dinghao, as a tech genius, had already considered his choice after yesterday’s dinner, his discussion with Zhongshi, and chat with Lu Chen.
To be or not to be.
He Xiaoyuan drank his water and watched Fang Dinghao from a distance.
Returning to the riverside and sitting down, Fang Dinghao glanced at He Xiaoyuan, removed the cigarette from his mouth, tucked it behind his ear, and asked: “What kind of person do you think your boss is?”
He Xiaoyuan tidied the bait and small mixing bowls at his feet: “Not sure. I have little interaction with him at work.”
Fang Dinghao: “Privately?”
He Xiaoyuan leaned back, gazing at the lake, then turned: “He’s a very good person.”
Fang Dinghao, gossiping: “Do you like him?”
He Xiaoyuan shrugged, not answering.
Fang Dinghao: “Does he like you?”
He Xiaoyuan shrugged again, staying silent.
Fang Dinghao smiled, looking at the river in the distance, muttering softly: “Baiting me again.”
Then he turned back to He Xiaoyuan: “Do you know what’s different between you and those people who came trying to poach me before?”
He Xiaoyuan joked: “They probably aren’t as good-looking as me.”
Fang Dinghao used one word: “Vulgar.”
“They’re especially vulgar.”
“They talk about salary, shares, and career growth—it’s annoying to hear.”
He Xiaoyuan smiled: “Am I different?”
Fang Dinghao, matter-of-factly: “You’re different. Do you know what you’re like?”
He Xiaoyuan tilted his head: “Like what?”
Fang Dinghao described it with a phrase: “Like a child holding a balloon.”
“Pure, clean, and innocent.”
“Then they walk up to me, blinking, and ask, ‘Uncle, I have a balloon, but I can’t fly. Can you create something that takes me up to see the stars?’”
Fang Dinghao: “That’s the feeling you give me.”
He Xiaoyuan was surprised—Fang Dinghao’s description didn’t make him sound like a typical tech person.
Fang Dinghao added: “Someone like you is much easier on the eyes than all those people who tried to poach me.”
He Xiaoyuan thought for a moment and said, “Do you know what effect your words have on me?”
Fang Dinghao: “What effect?”
He Xiaoyuan: “You don’t sound like someone who writes code for a living.”
Fang Dinghao smiled, pride flickering across his expression, and snorted: “Writing code is inherently a creative output.”
He Xiaoyuan felt he understood: “So that’s why you don’t want to go to work?”
Fang Dinghao: “It’s not that I don’t want to work. There’s nothing wrong with working. I just refuse to mix with idiots.”
At that moment, He Xiaoyuan realized that Fang Dinghao was someone inherently proud.
Someone like that—talking to him about salary, shares, or career growth would be pointless. Those things simply didn’t matter.
He Xiaoyuan considered carefully and asked slowly: “Haoge, do you think ‘Zhongshi’ is a work of art? Does it have high creative value?”
Fang Dinghao immediately turned his head.
He Xiaoyuan continued: “Or do you feel that if ‘Zhongshi’ were in your hands, it could become more artistic?”
The depth of Fang Dinghao’s gaze darkened.
That evening, while dining with Lu Chen at a revolving restaurant atop a high-rise, He Xiaoyuan shared his personal theory that Fang Dinghao saw coding as an act of artistic creation.
Lu Chen listened thoughtfully, considering it reasonable.
While eating, He Xiaoyuan remarked: “He’s probably already wavering—ever since you had him communicate with ‘Zhongshi.’”
Lu Chen calmly replied: “I’ll give him at most two weeks.”
He Xiaoyuan froze—two weeks? There was a deadline?
Lu Chen added: “Every creation has a submission date.”
He Xiaoyuan laughed, picking at his food: “Nicely put. But basically, you just want him to answer quickly.”
He nodded: “Got it. I’ll pass the message along.”
Lu Chen then calmly studied He Xiaoyuan’s face.
He Xiaoyuan noticed and wondered: ? What now?
Lu Chen curved his lips: “Too much sun while fishing lately? You don’t look as fair as before.”
He Xiaoyuan blinked: “Really?”
He smiled casually—men being slightly darker wasn’t a big deal.
Lu Chen continued examining him, his tone soft: “Fieldwork is fine, but don’t overwork my boyfriend. I’d feel sorry for him.”
He Xiaoyuan couldn’t help but smile—sweet talk from Lu Chen again.
He looked up: “Don’t worry, I won’t get ruined. Sitting in the office all day made me numb; being outside lately has refreshed my mind.”
Lu Chen hummed: “You do look better in spirit.”
He Xiaoyuan grinned with a told you so expression: “See?”
While eating, He Xiaoyuan glanced around and realized something odd—there was no one else in the restaurant; it was just the two of them.
He Xiaoyuan, surprised: “Did you book the whole place?”
Lu Chen, unhurried: “Yes. I wanted a private dinner with you.”
This was He Xiaoyuan’s first proper encounter with Lu Chen’s “go all out” style.
He looked around, estimating the number of tables, minimum spending, and the cost of booking the entire place. He turned back, amazed: “Isn’t this overkill?” Private booking must be expensive.
Lu Chen replied with a calm expression: “Exactly.”
He Xiaoyuan asked with a smile: “Does it have to be like this?”
Lu Chen countered: “How does it feel?”
He Xiaoyuan considered: “Spacious.”
But without the crowd, sitting by the window with a view of the city’s neon lights, it was actually a pretty nice date setting.
He nodded sincerely: “It is nice.”
Lu Chen smiled, picking up chopsticks to serve He Xiaoyuan.
While eating, He Xiaoyuan teased: “Will all future dates be like this?”
Knowing Lu Chen was a big boss, he could afford it.
Lu Chen calmly: “If you want.”
He Xiaoyuan shook his head: “Better not. Occasionally is fine.”
He added: “If it’s just the two of us, I prefer home-cooked meals—eat, brew some tea, sit on the sofa and chat.”
Lu Chen responded: “What can we do about that?”
He Xiaoyuan looked up: “Hmm?”
Lu Chen: “You thought having a boyfriend meant finally spending money. Turns out, still can’t spend it.”
He Xiaoyuan almost choked—a statement that was subtly provocative.
He quickly replied: “No worries. Don’t you have the Ma Chang horse ranch losing money every month? Add a few more, and your money will definitely get spent.”
Lu Chen: “That barely scratches the surface.”
He Xiaoyuan sighed: “Alright, alright, I get it. You really have a lot of money, I truly understand now.”
He added: “Later I’ll see if those luxury brands sell cat food—buy some more for your son.”
Lu Chen laughed, and He Xiaoyuan laughed along. The atmosphere was warm, filled with laughter and conversation.
Later, He Xiaoyuan held up his phone to photograph the restaurant and night view, while Lu Chen stayed focused on the young man.
As He Xiaoyuan snapped photos through the window, Lu Chen said: “Xiaoyuan, let’s discuss something.”
Hmm?
He Xiaoyuan shifted his gaze from the phone to Lu Chen, whose eyes, clear and bright under the restaurant lights, seemed to see right through him.
Lu Chen looked into those clear, beautiful eyes, his tone gentle yet steady: “If Fang Dinghao agrees to come over within two weeks, would you move in and live with me?”
He Xiaoyuan was taken aback, stunned at what he had just heard.
The next day, by the riverside, He Xiaoyuan was fishing, and so was Fang Dinghao. He Xiaoyuan remained quiet, just sitting there, which made Fang Dinghao a little uncomfortable.
“Hey, aren’t you going to fish for me today?”
Fang Dinghao couldn’t help but speak first.
He Xiaoyuan didn’t respond, staring at the lake.
Fang Dinghao: What’s going on?
They continued fishing in silence for a while.
Then Fang Dinghao turned his head: “Aren’t you going to try to convince me again? Weren’t you trying to get me to join the Zhongshi project?”
He Xiaoyuan still didn’t respond.
Fang Dinghao: “Hey, He Xiaoyuan… Manager He… Xiao Yuan?”
He Xiaoyuan seemed completely absorbed, as if nothing could reach him.
Fang Dinghao: ???
Used to chatting and gossiping, Fang Dinghao felt flustered.
After fishing a little longer, he couldn’t hold back any longer: “Hey, go tell your ex-boss… just say I agree—”
He Xiaoyuan, wearing sunglasses, turned to him and interrupted: “Can you tell me that in two weeks instead?”
Fang Dinghao: ???
What’s the matter?
With his seasoned gossip skills, Fang Dinghao made a guess and cheerfully said: “Why two weeks? What’s so important about two weeks?”
Two weeks—was it some critical deadline?
Fang Dinghao, now excited by the gossip, straightened up: “No! I want it now! I don’t want to wait two weeks!”
He Xiaoyuan: “….”
Fang Dinghao: “Go tell your ex-boss that I agree and have him bring the contract to me.”
He Xiaoyuan, still wearing sunglasses, looked back at Fang Dinghao. When Fang Dinghao finished talking, he turned away just as easily, as if he hadn’t heard a word.
Fang Dinghao: “Hey!”
He pulled out his phone and muttered: “If you’re not going to say it, I’ll say it myself.”
After all, they had added each other on WeChat during their last dinner.
Fang Dinghao had just taken out his phone when He Xiaoyuan reached over: “Haoge, haoge, think about it again. Really, think about it again.”
Fang Dinghao raised his phone high: “Think about what? You keep pointing me out every day, don’t I get the hint?”
“Oh! So the ‘two weeks’ is really crucial, huh?”
He Xiaoyuan stopped Fang Dinghao from contacting Lu Chen immediately.
The two went back and forth:
Fang Dinghao: “Why is it crucial? What’s going on with your ex-boss? Something happened?”
He Xiaoyuan: “Haoge, don’t send it yet.”
Fang Dinghao: “Are you going to say it or not? Fine, I’ll send it now.”
Not long after, under the sunshade, He Xiaoyuan and Fang Dinghao settled down, no longer fussing, each sitting quietly on their own little chair.
He Xiaoyuan removed his sunglasses, and Fang Dinghao crossed his arms, rubbing his chin, pondering: “So~ it’s like~ this~ huh~”
Fang Dinghao clicked his tongue and asked: “So… do you want it, or not?”
“Want it, then fine. If not…”
Fang Dinghao patted He Xiaoyuan’s shoulder: “Tell me the reason, I’ll help you figure it out.”
His face was full of curiosity and excitement—eager to gossip.
When He Xiaoyuan typed out the reason on his phone and handed it over, Fang Dinghao’s expression lit up with exhilaration, as if he had just caught a massive piece of gossip.
Fang Dinghao widened his eyes: “Wait… you weren’t naturally… bent?”
Straight?
Fang Dinghao: Wow, this gossip is explosive!
In that instant, Fang Dinghao felt that just for the sake of the “Zhongshi big boss and his handsome junior employee” story, he’d dive straight into Zhongshi without hesitation.
He Xiaoyuan quietly worried: living together…
Sigh.
He wasn’t sure if he could handle it.