By the time the city lights came on, the rain still hadn’t stopped.
The lights on the third floor were off. In the enormous house, only scattered wall lamps remained lit; the rest of the rooms were dark. Only the kitchen glowed brightly, almost like daylight.
After plating the dishes and turning off the stove, Song Cheng carried them over. Qin Wunian, wearing an apron, was still struggling with the salad bowl. Chengfeng this time didn’t sit—it stood on the floor, eyes sharp, fixed on the kitchen island.
Qin Wunian glanced at it, paused for two seconds, then secretly tossed it a piece of chicken breast.
Chengfeng’s eyes gleamed. Instead of picking it up with its mouth, it quickly extended a paw and pinned the chicken under it.
Song Cheng hadn’t seen this, but when he looked up and noticed Qin Wunian and the dog’s head peeking above the counter, something felt off.
He asked suspiciously, “You didn’t feed it anything else, right? Dogs can’t eat processed food.”
Qin Wunian stirred the salad calmly. “Of course not. You said it, so how could I?”
Song Cheng finally relaxed and turned to bring another dish. Qin Wunian’s hands didn’t stop moving; he lightly kicked toward Chengfeng’s direction with his leg.
Without needing a hint, Chengfeng moved its paw and snapped up the chicken in one bite.
Hearing the sudden chewing from behind, Song Cheng muttered: “…”
“Qin Wunian!!!”
Song Cheng still couldn’t figure out whether Qin Wunian liked Chengfeng or not.
He had never seen Qin Wunian smile at the dog. He rarely showed any expression, silently staring at it as if engaging in some mental communication.
Yet, secretly, he would feed it what it wanted and gently toss its toys to the floor to test it. Each time, Chengfeng would watch the toy roll, then look up at Qin Wunian with a puzzled, almost idiotic gaze.
After dinner, Song Cheng curled up on the sofa, laughing at their interactions. “You’re too childish. You have to throw it farther—at least a hundred meters—so it’ll want to play.”
Qin Wunian, holding the ball, returned his gaze expressionlessly. “If I could throw this a hundred meters, why be an actor? I’d go defeat Ichiro Suzuki for the country instead.”
Song Cheng blinked. Sliding off the sofa, he sat beside Qin Wunian, taking the plastic ball and inspecting it. Then he realized, “I was wrong. It should be a frisbee thrown a hundred meters.”
Seeing Qin Wunian giving him a complicated look, Song Cheng lightly tossed the ball at him. Since it was plastic, it bounced back.
“What’s wrong? Why are you giving me that look? I don’t remember anything, and I’m not a professional trainer—forgetting details for a moment is normal.”
Qin Wunian: “I didn’t say anything yet.”
Song Cheng laughed. “But your eyes said a lot.”
Qin Wunian snatched the ball back and tossed it aside. “By the way, you never told me—what did you do in the military?”
Thinking of his daring climb over the wall, Qin Wunian hesitated a bit. “Don’t tell me… it was some special ops work?”
Song Cheng stared at him blankly. “Do I look like that? I’ve never heard of a special ops person risking themselves just to save a kid.”
Qin Wunian didn’t reply directly. “In real life, it’s not like in the movies. People fail sometimes.”
Song Cheng shook his head. “You’re wrong. In real life, capable people are always even more impressive than in the movies. But even if they are, it has nothing to do with me—I’m just a very ordinary college soldier.”
Hearing that, Qin Wunian reached out and stroked Song Cheng’s head. “Even so, that’s impressive.”
“Many people in there can’t even last four years.”
Song Cheng rested his head on Qin Wunian’s shoulder. Chengfeng, watching the two get cozy again, showed a hint of disdain on its dog face before flopping down again.
Qin Wunian ran his hand along Song Cheng’s back. As the atmosphere grew warmer, he casually asked, “These four years… you stayed in the same place the whole time?”
Song Cheng had nearly closed his eyes, but at that question, he opened them again and gave a small, subtle smile.
He nodded. “Most people stay in one place unless they plan to transfer; otherwise, you basically don’t move.”
Qin Wunian nodded, his chin brushing through Song Cheng’s hair, mussing it slightly without noticing. “Military life is always tough. I hear there aren’t many vacations, and seeing family or friends is rare.”
He added casually, “It must be hard to get married in the military too, right?”
Song Cheng’s face nearly broke into laughter, but he swallowed it, sat upright, and replied seriously: “Not at all. It’s simple now—both people agree, no family or background issues, you get married. No one stops you.”
Qin Wunian: “…”
Song Cheng leaned closer innocently. “What’s wrong? Why are you asking me this?”
Qin Wunian: “…Just asking.”
Song Cheng made a knowing “oh” sound, making Qin Wunian feel slightly unsettled, though he didn’t dare voice the real question in his mind. He’d handle it gradually.
After all, he already had his suspicions; even without asking, over time he could verify their truth from little details.
Qin Wunian avoided Song Cheng’s gaze, while Song Cheng silently laughed at him.
Let’s see how long you can hold it in.
Ever since discovering the diary was fake, Song Cheng understood why Qin Wunian had reacted so strongly that day. Even though they’d reconciled that night, a small resentment remained about Qin Wunian leaving him behind—but now it had completely dissipated.
Honestly, in reverse circumstances, he couldn’t have acted like Qin Wunian—returning that same night. With his temper, it would have taken at least ten or fifteen days to get over it.
That was the difference between them: Qin Wunian could suppress even great matters for him, turning them into tolerable small issues. Song Cheng, for Qin Wunian, magnified small things, cautiously navigating every step to secure a bright future.
Song Cheng got a bit distracted until Qin Wunian called him. “What did you say?”
Qin Wunian: “I said I’m joining the crew next week. Want to come with me?”
Song Cheng opened his mouth. A few days ago, he would have eagerly said yes. Now, glancing at Chengfeng lying on the floor, he hesitated and shook his head. “It’s inconvenient with Chengfeng.”
Qin Wunian glanced at the dog. “Your aunt can take care of it.”
Song Cheng: “Then I’d be leaving it with someone else for so long. I’d be afraid it wouldn’t recognize me when I come back.”
He paused. “Also, the crew doesn’t allow outsiders. If I go with you, people might gossip about you.”
Qin Wunian scoffed. “What does that have to do with me?”
Song Cheng: “…”
He shook his head. “I can’t follow you forever. It’s fine, you go ahead.”
Qin Wunian: “You said it as if I’m the one leaving, not joining the crew.”
Song Cheng noticed the slip too and laughed awkwardly. “Slip of the tongue. Don’t leave, okay? I finally got you back—if you go, what will Chengfeng and I do, orphaned and single?”
Qin Wunian: “You can survive doing stand-up.”
Song Cheng: “….”
Clearing his throat, he composed himself. “Alright, seriously. Don’t worry about me. You go to work; I won’t just sit around. With Chengfeng and Han Congzhou, I’ll keep myself busy.”
Qin Wunian glared. “Why Han Congzhou? Didn’t you already take the dog back?”
Song Cheng looked confused. “The dog’s back, but that doesn’t mean I stop contacting him. He’s still my friend. He invited me to see his company today—it sounds interesting. Apparently, his office is luxuriously decorated. I want to check it out and reconnect.”
Qin Wunian: “You really have to reconnect with him? Not anyone else?”
Song Cheng looked at him silently. “I only know him.”
Qin Wunian: “…What about that law intern, Tong?”
Song Cheng: “You know I’ve complained about him before. Our relationship isn’t that close; if I reach out, it wouldn’t be strange.”
Qin Wunian was momentarily speechless, unable to argue. He could only guess wildly: “I don’t think Han Congzhou is a good person!”
Song Cheng whispered back: “Funny, he thinks the same about you.”
Qin Wunian didn’t catch that. “What did you say?”
Song Cheng cleared his throat. “It’s nothing. I promise I won’t go often, and I’ll tell you every time. After all, he’s my friend, and he hasn’t done anything wrong. Can you just set aside this little bias for me, pretend he’s a good person, just for me? Okay?”
Qin Wunian stared at him for a long while before finally relenting. “No being alone with him.”
Song Cheng nodded. “No problem.”
At worst, he’d just bring the dog along.
Qin Wunian added, “Be home before dark.”
Song Cheng: “Definitely.”
It was summer now, so it stayed light for a long time.
Qin Wunian: “Send me a message every ten minutes, even while I’m filming.”
Song Cheng nodded vigorously, like pounding a drum. “Mission accepted!”
He knelt on the sofa, cupping Qin Wunian’s rugged, masculine face. “Satisfied now?”
Qin Wunian cast him a reserved glance and finally allowed himself a small smile.
Five days later, Qin Wunian arrived at the set. The opening ceremony was already over, and filming had officially begun. After changing into the crew costume and finishing a scene with others, his first thought was to check his phone. Xiao Zhao knew exactly what this meant—he was checking in on Song Cheng—and quickly handed the phone over.
Drinking the iced mung bean soup Xiao Zhao had brought, Qin Wunian scrolled through messages from Song Cheng. True to schedule, every ten minutes there was a message, with text and photos. This was Song Cheng’s first visit to Han Congzhou’s company, and he had been raving about it.
The office was luxuriously decorated, everyone was warm and welcoming, and they even invited him to participate in training.
Training?
Qin Wunian froze and scrolled down, finally spotting the new photo Song Cheng had sent. In the training room, over a dozen muscular men stood shirtless, and Song Cheng was the only one fully dressed. Like a drop of pure cream in a pool of chocolate, he smiled brightly at the camera, two shoulders draped by others’ arms, and a hand resting annoyingly on his head.
Qin Wunian stared at the photo, ready to explode in fury.
Xiao Zhao, standing nearby, also saw the picture. Seeing Qin Wunian’s trembling hands, he hurriedly tried to calm him. “Don’t get mad! Don’t! If you make yourself sick, no one can help, Teacher Qin!”
Qin Wunian: “…Get out!!!”
Next second, his tone shifted: “Go book a flight home!!!”