Shen Yuan was completely stunned.
Ever since meeting Li Chen, he had never once cursed in front of his uncle! He had always maintained the image of a polite, well-mannered good kid.
And now, he had intended to scold Qiao Hailou, but instead he had mistaken his respected Li Chen for him—and cursed at him! Shen Yuan desperately wished this were a terrible dream, but it seemed all too real. He wanted to run, but it was clearly too late.
Li Chen asked, “Are you talking to me?”
Shen Yuan’s face turned crimson as he stammered denial after denial: “No, no, I—I mistook someone…”
Li Chen didn’t doubt him and immediately said, “Mm.”
Having been cursed at, Li Chen wasn’t angry—just a little surprised. Who would have thought Shen Yuan, the ever-polite boy, would ever speak that way? Li Chen walked over, curious. A few days ago, Qiao Hailou had mentioned he could offer Shen Yuan a full-time, fully paid job at his company, and today, since he was passing by near K University, he had thought to stop by and see Shen Yuan, to ask his opinion, wondering whether Qiao Hailou had already mentioned it.
Li Chen asked gently, “What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with someone? You’re so flustered.”
He glanced at the cup in Shen Yuan’s hand. “Whose cup is this?”
Shen Yuan was mortified, wishing he could vanish into the floor. “S-sorry, uncle… I didn’t mean to curse at you, I—I… I… it was an accident…”
He fumbled over “I” for what felt like an eternity, heart racing. He feared his uncle would scold him for being so rude, and even more that Li Chen would ask who he had actually cursed.
Li Chen said calmly, “You wouldn’t curse someone without reason. Who made you angry?”
Shen Yuan mumbled a vague lie: “Someone you don’t know… someone really annoying.”
Li Chen replied, “Oh,” and seeing Shen Yuan frightened, he didn’t press the matter, realizing how scared the boy was. “Alright, I won’t ask further. No need to be afraid. Go home.”
Shen Yuan reluctantly carried the thermos back, following Li Chen cautiously. His mind was in chaos. How had he mistaken Li Chen for Qiao Hailou, and earlier, Qiao Hailou for Li Chen? It was too embarrassing. He had sworn after the first mistake he would never confuse them again—but here he was, repeating it months later.
And then he remembered another potentially disastrous detail: what if Qiao Hailou realized he had left the thermos behind and came back? Why would he visit at this hour—was it about some business secret?
Shen Yuan had no choice. Secretly, he took his phone, removed Qiao Hailou from the blacklist, and quickly sent a message:
【My uncle came! I’ll send your thermos to you! Don’t come over!!!!!!】
Qiao Hailou, already seated in his car and buckled in, heard the notification and casually glanced at it—only to see a string of exclamation marks.
If Shen Yuan hadn’t reminded him, he wouldn’t have realized he’d left the thermos behind.
Qiao Hailou had imagined many scenarios, but never that Shen Yuan would unblacklist him just to prevent his uncle from discovering their affair. Smiling, he replied:
【I won’t come. I’m driving. Keep the thermos—it’s yours now.】
Shen Yuan: 【You used it, you give it back!】
Qiao Hailou: 【…Then I’ll buy a new one for you another day.】
Shen Yuan: 【I’m not asking you to give me anything! Who wants you to?】
Qiao Hailou chuckled softly. The conversation felt like it had before their quarrel—Shen Yuan still easily lost his temper, still loved to push back, but at least he was talking to him. A small breakthrough.
Qiao Hailou pondered who now knew about them: Wang Ziqin, Lin Zhihui, Li Lin, probably Secretary Bai—basically everyone except Li Chen. And Li Chen was the trickiest of all.
If Shen Yuan’s uncle thought he was being disrespected, how could he openly date Qiao Hailou? Eventually, Li Chen would find out. What if he didn’t approve? How could Qiao Hailou make him agree? He massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on—but first, he hadn’t even fully won Shen Yuan back.
Shen Yuan, meanwhile, made tea and prepared fruit his uncle had brought, a fruit plate filled, the rest stored in the fridge. He felt despair—the years he had worked to maintain his obedient image had crumbled. First with his brother, now with his uncle… if he continued ambiguously with Qiao Hailou, total collapse was inevitable.
But Li Chen hadn’t reacted harshly to the curse.
Li Chen chatted about mundane matters: “…A few days ago, Uncle Qiao asked if you wanted to go to his company over winter break. He can offer a full-time position, which would suit your schedule during the second half of your junior year. You wouldn’t need to search for another internship.”
Shen Yuan was stunned. Qiao Hailou was cunning—playing the pitiful card on him while subtly applying pressure through his uncle.
Li Chen asked, “He didn’t tell you? Weren’t you staying at his guest room to help him recover? I thought your relationship was fine now.”
Shen Yuan replied, “Uh… Uncle Qiao is busy. I shouldn’t disturb him.”
Li Chen said, “Why would that matter? There’s no reason not to ask. When did you start feeling so hesitant?”
Shen Yuan thought about the tangled, illogical excuses he always made in front of his uncle. The paper-thin layer concealing his secret with Qiao Hailou could be pierced any moment. To avoid further questioning, he diverted the topic: “Uncle, when are you and Auntie Huai planning to get married?”
Li Chen blushed, suddenly shy. “We haven’t decided yet. Miss Lin is busy this year, and next year… we’ll see. Just let it happen naturally.”
Shen Yuan teased: “You’re not young anymore—you should consider it.”
Li Chen sipped tea awkwardly. “You’re just a kid, don’t meddle so much.”
That got him through the conversation.
Once Li Chen left, Shen Yuan flopped on the couch, exhausted, then messaged Lin Zhihui:
【Auntie Huai, Qiao Hailou came to see me again today. It was raining, so I had no choice but to talk to him.】
Lin Zhihui: 【What did he say?】
Shen Yuan: 【He apologized sincerely, said he wants to start pursuing me again… What should I do?】
Lin Zhihui: 【This is your relationship, you decide. I won’t intervene this time.】
Shen Yuan: 【If I forgive him so quickly and get back together, am I being pathetic?】
Lin Zhihui: 【Saying no isn’t cold-hearted, saying yes isn’t pathetic. Don’t make a decision out of stubbornness. Do you still like him?】
Shen Yuan remembered Qiao Hailou’s eyes in the rainy night—burning, alive. He replied:
“I know you like me. Adult love carries desire.”
The thought lingered, making him flush.
Shen Yuan fretted: 【I feel he’s not my type. I used to like steady, dependable men, the type who showed care through actions, not words. Qiao Hailou is the complete opposite.】
【He argued with me again today, criticized me as immature and petty, then praised me and said he liked me. I can’t understand him—I can’t beat him at all.】
Lin Zhihui: 【I agree, you can’t outsmart him. Personally, I’d prefer you to stay away—but it’s your choice. At least your uncle and I are here, you’ll always have a place to return.】
Shen Yuan added: 【After he left today, my uncle came. I meant to scold Qiao Hailou but ended up mistaking my uncle for him and cursed at him… I’m worried he might’ve noticed something.】
Lin Zhihui: 【Your uncle is smart but sometimes slow. He doesn’t even consider homosexuality. He probably didn’t notice, don’t worry.】
Reassured, Shen Yuan felt a little calmer. But Lin Zhihui added: 【If you truly want to officially date Qiao Hailou, you’ll have to go public. Your uncle will find out eventually—have you thought about how to tell him?】
Shen Yuan froze at the thought.
No. His uncle would be disappointed, and he had promised Li Lin not to date before next year’s exams. He couldn’t break that promise.
Winter break? No going to Qiao Hailou’s company. Before exams? No dating. He needed space to think, to focus fully on school and his career.
At school, Shen Yuan was told the preliminary results for the Jewelry Design Tian Gong Award were out—his work had made the top twenty.
As he celebrated, a sudden inspiration reminded him to check the sponsors. The first sponsor was Cuican Jewelry.
Shen Yuan: “……”