Shang Wang froze.
Zhang Taining… that’s him, right?
He instinctively glanced at the waiter in front of him, who was wearing a hat.
At that moment, the waiter pressed the hat down, mumbling something, and tried to slip away.
“The customer must have the wrong person, I’ll go take your order first.”
“Wrong person? Are you kidding? Even if you turned into ashes, I’d still recognize you!” Tang Chen shot forward like a cannonball, swiftly yanking the hat off Zhang Taining’s head.
The face hidden beneath the hat—if not Zhang Taining, then who else?
Tang Chen smirked proudly.
“Hmph, trying to hide from my eyes? In your next life, maybe!”
He knew it had to be Zhang Taining—there was no way he could get it wrong!
In this moment, Shang Wang glanced at Tang Chen, then at Zhang Taining in the server’s uniform, which made his posture look even taller and straighter.
He felt a twinge of regret—Zhang Taining was exactly his type. But Tang Chen was also his little benefactor.
He decided not to interfere with this childhood-friends-turned-couple situation.
With that thought, Shang Wang leisurely stood up.
He looked at Zhang Taining and spoke gently:
“You’re just here because you were worried about Tang Chen, right? Sit down. I just had a small question I wanted to ask him. Once we finish eating, I’ll send him back myself.”
Huh?
Tang Chen’s eyes widened in confusion. Is that really it?
Shang Wang smiled without replying.
Zhang Taining scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
“No way, you two eat first. I’m here—remember, we agreed I have to work a full hour before leaving.”
He’d changed into this outfit only after arranging it with Tang’s mother. Didn’t expect Tang Chen to recognize him instantly—it felt like a wasted sacrifice.
And being caught face-to-face like this… awkward beyond words.
“Heh, dragging you along for a run—you’re not my mom, why so worried? Now you see the price of your actions!”
Tang Chen immediately guessed how Zhang Taining came and why.
He pulled out his phone and, while Zhang Taining wasn’t paying attention, snapped a few photos.
Afterward, he mercilessly shoved him toward the door.
“Alright, you can go now! We have dinner and conversation to get back to!”
Zhang Taining scratched his head, a bit sulky, but obediently left.
And if that person was just there to consult Tang Chen, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Five minutes later, Zhang Taining returned with Tang Chen’s duck jaw—bones removed.
Tang Chen was animatedly chatting with Shang Wang.
Ten minutes later, Zhang Taining brought in a plate of pre-sliced, chilled watermelon.
Tang Chen talked so fast that drool almost flew, while Shang Wang quietly leaned back a bit.
Thirty minutes later, Zhang Taining carried a warm pot of fruit tea in.
Tang Chen gestured while speaking, Shang Wang’s eyes began to wander, growing more hopeless.
Fifty minutes passed.
Zhang Taining opened the door—Tang Chen still jabbering, Shang Wang half-exited his body from despair.
An hour later, Zhang Taining hadn’t even pushed the door open yet, when Shang Wang, forcing a smile, quickly opened the door from inside.
Tang Chen?
Zhang Taining wondered, but Shang Wang solemnly patted his shoulder.
“Brother, you’ve worked hard.”
Then he quickly greeted Tang Chen inside and went out to settle the bill.
That posture…
Zhang Taining couldn’t help but feel Shang Wang was making a hasty escape.
Come to think of it—what did he mean by “worked hard”?
He entered the room; Tang Chen was still holding the last duck jaw between his lips.
“Full now?”
Zhang Taining handed him a napkin, noticing his hands covered in oil.
“Hic~”
Tang Chen hiccupped in response. He touched it and smacked his lips with a slight savoring gesture.
“Full and satisfied, and the conversation’s been great!”
He glanced at Zhang Taining.
“What about Shang Wang? I haven’t finished chatting with him yet!”
He still hadn’t discussed the important subject of personal care for a little 0!
Shang Wang, planning to say goodbye after settling the bill, stopped at the door.
Leave! Right now!
Immediately leave! No breaks!
He felt like staying any longer and he’d be completely flattened!
Shang Wang had never realized that being a 0 was such a refined art!
The ocean of knowledge he had absorbed tonight suddenly made him long for the simplicity of being a normal person.
Tang Chen and Zhang Taining changed back into their clothes, then received a message from Shang Wang saying he had to leave for something, a tiny bit of regret lingering.
But Shang Wang was nice—he’d arranged a car outside to take them home.
Once in the car, Tang Chen leaned close to Zhang Taining.
“Heh heh, heh heh heh, tell me, how was your experience as a server tonight?”
If anyone was skilled, it was Zhang Taining! One hour as a server—only he could pull it off!
…
“Not bad,” Zhang Taining mumbled, scratching his nose. “Pretty simple, I guess.”
“Just that? No slip-ups, no chaos for a newbie?”
Tang Chen sniffed sharply, skeptical.
“…No. I’ve done similar work before. Consider me experienced.”
Otherwise, even with Tang’s mother, the restaurant wouldn’t have agreed to such a reckless arrangement.
Zhang Taining knew this well.
“Tch, I see…”
Boring. Completely uninteresting.
Tang Chen sank back into his seat.
After a while, as his blood sugar dipped, he started noticing something off.
He looked at Zhang Taining, puzzled.
“Wait—you didn’t even have dinner before running over, did you? What were you thinking? Did you really think someone like me could be fooled and whisked away?”
Zhang Taining countered.
“You wouldn’t? You told me before you weren’t in contact with him, yet as soon as he invited you, you ran off to eat together?”
He said it, and then couldn’t help but add:
“…and he even made you dress so… so…”
“So… so what?” Tang Chen frowned, puzzled.
“Didn’t you just say this outfit looks really good? Isn’t it perfect for meeting Shang Wang?”
And just like that, he felt completely outshone!
If he hadn’t put in some effort, wouldn’t that betray his title of “refined little gaygay”?
“This outfit’s perfect for meeting Shang Wang?” Zhang Taining felt strangely stifled, a mix of frustration and anger rising inside him.
“What’s perfect about it? Why would you wear that to see him? The clothes you wear when you eat with me—aren’t they good enough? Why not just wear those?”
If he wore those to meet Shang Wang, wouldn’t he look like dust and dirt by comparison?
Tang Chen thought Zhang Taining was completely unreasonable.
He rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt, remembering that Zhang Taining was basically a big straight man at heart, and said:
“You don’t get it. You’re not in our circle—you don’t understand my intentions.”
Intentions? What intentions?
Was it the intention of trying to get close to Shang Wang?
Zhang Taining felt like his head was about to explode.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the look in Tang Chen’s eyes clearly said, “You won’t understand, so don’t even try.”
He stuttered. He tried to speak several times, but no words would come out.
What was he going to say? That he understood Tang Chen’s circle? Or that Tang Chen shouldn’t get involved with Shang Wang?
But… on what basis?
For a moment, Zhang Taining felt like he’d had a small awakening.
Yet in his mind, thoughts floated up and down, but he couldn’t make sense of them.
The two of them returned silently to the BZ base.
Tang Chen, seeing Zhang Taining so cold, got a little angry.
What was wrong with him going out with his “sisters” to have a little style competition and a meal?
Who was Zhang Taining showing that face to?
The angrier he got, the faster he strode inside, not even waiting for Zhang Taining.
Zhang Taining pulled out his phone to pay, staring at Tang Chen’s retreating figure, standing silently for a moment.
“Hey, little brother.”
The driver, who hadn’t started the car yet, suddenly called out to him.
Zhang Taining turned, a little dazed.
“You calling me?”
The driver nodded, glanced inside, then at Zhang Taining, and offered him a cigarette.
“Look, you’re doing it all wrong. That’s your boyfriend, right? I get why you’re worried seeing him go out so late, but you can’t fight or give him the cold shoulder. Whatever’s wrong, you have to talk it through. If you like him, it shows in your worry. Go hug him, coax him a little, say a few soft words, and then you can handle everything else.”
The driver lit his own cigarette, blew a smoke ring, and continued:
“I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me. I used to have a temper too. If it weren’t for my wife being easy to soothe, I’d be single a long time ago. Trust me—young people get impulsive, but if you’re grown-ups, a wife getting mad shouldn’t be too much for your heart, right? Apologize first, make him soft, and then everything else is negotiable.”
He stubbed out the cigarette and pressed the accelerator.
“Listen to an old pro—you really don’t want a cold war with your partner!”
The engine roared, and the car disappeared.
Zhang Taining froze in place, body stiffening.
Partner?
Him… and Tang Chen?
But… weren’t they…
Even if he hadn’t said it aloud, the thought flashed through his mind and got stuck on that weren’t they…
He replayed the driver’s words over and over, and finally it hit him.
Why was he so upset Tang Chen dressed like that to meet Shang Wang?
In short—he liked Tang Chen.
Because he liked him, he always wanted to tease him.
He liked to fool around with Tang Chen, loved monopolizing all his training time.
Even during livestreams, he always had to poke his nose in whenever he could.
So, he didn’t want Tang Chen going on blind dates.
He didn’t want Tang Chen eating out with Shang Wang.
He didn’t want Tang Chen with any other man.
Zhang Taining touched his suddenly racing heart.
So… that’s what liking someone feels like?
So simple?
Back at the base, Tang Chen stormed into the room, immediately grabbing his phone to call Mrs. Tang to complain.
“Zhang Taining is such an idiot! I was eating with Shang Wang, and he went there dressed as a waiter! He said I was wrong! He even said I shouldn’t wear this outfit!”
Mrs. Tang was watching TV.
Upon hearing this, she hummed in agreement:
“Yes, yes, yes. He’s just an idiot.”
As for who picked up the phone and let that idiot vent? Certainly not her.
Tang Chen, still fuming, began listing Zhang Taining’s offenses one by one.
Mrs. Tang continued watching her show, occasionally murmuring her agreement.
Finally, after the call ended, Tang Chen received a call from Shang Wang. His eyes lit up as he picked up, already ready to vent about Zhang Taining to his “sister.”
Shang Wang hadn’t expected to be bombarded for an hour just for a courtesy call—and now being fed “dog food” on top of that!
Tang Chen, be a person!
He sighed weakly.
“You know they’ve got a childhood-friends-turned-couple vibe going on, right? He’s just jealous you’re eating with me. Tell him we’re in sync, and he won’t get jealous anymore.”
No sooner had he said this than the line on the other end went silent for a solid minute.
Then Tang Chen’s voice came through—shocked, extremely shocked, and with a hint of small pride:
“You mean… Zhang Taining likes me?”