Jin Yi felt something was off.
Very off.
He hadn’t figured out exactly what yet.
But!
Something was definitely wrong.
But where…
Jin Yi’s gaze fell on the empty car.
The car wasn’t completely empty after all.
Jin Yi and the driver were still inside, of course.
And even though the car was a bit bare, a catering truck followed closely behind.
Chosen personally by Fan Qing…
Wait a minute!
Jin Yi’s eyes widened.
Damn it! He finally knew what the problem was.
Right here!
He scrambled for his phone and quickly called Fan Qing.
“Hey, the celebration dinner for old Nie—aren’t you coming?”
Even though a catering truck had been ordered and paid for,
This was Old Nie’s celebration dinner! And Fan Qing actually wasn’t coming?
Impossible, right?
Jin Yi couldn’t understand.
“You were going to… chase Old Nie, weren’t you?”
He really wanted to.
Fan Qing didn’t want to go? No.
He had heard the call just now.
Was it that he didn’t want to go because someone was angry?
Fan Qing’s eyes held a trace of helplessness.
But just thinking about why Nie Luo was upset made a smile creep onto his lips.
He really had been too slow, no wonder Nie Luo got angry.
“Hey hey hey, is anyone there? Hello?”
Jin Yi shouted excitedly into the phone.
“Stop yelling. You’re going to scout out some intel for me.”
Fan Qing thought for a moment, deciding he should probably adjust his strategy.
Advancing and retreating isn’t wrong,
But… maybe he had been moving too slowly?
“Scout?”
The moment he heard that word, Jin Yi was fully awake.
He straightened up eagerly, brimming with energy.
“What do you mean? Scout what? Are you trying to land a big deal or something?”
He imagined it for a moment and muttered in disbelief.
Fan Qing wouldn’t… try to seize this opportunity to propose or something, would he?
Hiss—! How would he even “scout” that?
Could he quickly google some tips to prepare?
“You’ll know when you get there. Just go and you’ll see.”
Fan Qing said this while beginning to pack his things.
“Fan Qing, you’re leaving?”
One of the company staff noticed his movement and hurried over.
“Yeah, I’m heading out for a bit.”
Fan Qing nodded, undoing his cufflinks while nonchalantly pulling out a bottle of cologne from his pocket.
The staff instinctively stepped back when he raised his hand, but then saw him undo his buttons?
Undo his buttons???
The employee froze in shock.
Even a little scared… and a little thrilled!
Oh my, could Fan Qing be about to… seduce me?
No, not really.
But if it were Fan Qing…
A pink blush crept across the employee’s mind as they subtly peeked at him from the corner of their eye.
Fan Qing stretched his arms as if casually running his hands through his hair.
The slight tug of his shirt revealed a firm chest underneath, completely still.
He slicked back his bangs, exposing a smooth forehead.
Then he loosened his cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves.
He switched to heavier glasses and blinked once.
In just a few minutes, he looked like an entirely different person.
The whole PR team witnessed this transformation.
Several jaws dropped, some almost hitting the desk.
Is this… really the same cold, aloof, impossible-to-approach Fan Qing we knew?
Could this really be a top-tier, first-line celebrity?
In an instant, many hearts stirred.
Could… could Fan Qing be interested in a little office romance?
As they were fantasizing, Fan Qing, ready to leave, suddenly turned back.
“Oh, and tonight, if any rumors about Nie Luo and me come up, I want the first notice. Overtime pay is on me.”
Finished speaking, he pondered briefly what gift might be best to bring.
The employees left behind exchanged glances.
After a moment, one voice cautiously spoke up.
“Fan Qing… could it really be true between you and Mr. Nie?”
Instantly, everyone indulging in naughty daydreams turned to glare at him.
Say something like that and ruin everyone’s little fantasy!
Nie Luo’s studio wasn’t fully set up yet; everyone was gathered at the villa to work.
Jin Yi drove the catering truck, scrolling through hundreds of hashtags on his phone:
#MyGoodBuddyIsBeingChasedWhatDoIDo
#GoodBuddyIsBeingSnatchedByTheBigDemonWhatDoIDo
#HowToHelpMyBuddyDateSafely
#HowToProposeToMyBuddy
#HowMuchMoneyShouldTheBestManGive
#WeddingVenueSetup
#DoTwoGroomsNeedFlowerKids
The searches were thorough and meticulous, enough to almost move Jin Yi himself.
But when he arrived, Nie Luo’s first words were:
“Why are you the only one here?”
What did I just search?
What am I supposed to do?
Who said I had to do anything?
Jin Yi gradually lost his bearings.
After a long pause, he looked at the obviously annoyed Nie Luo with a gloomy expression.
“No, man, you told me to come alone. Who else did you want to see?”
“None.”
Nie Luo was silent for two seconds, then went to get the food.
That face… and he still says none?
Jin Yi clicked his tongue.
He chased after him, full of gossip.
“Wait, are you thinking Fan Qing came with me? You wanted to see him, didn’t you?”
Nie Luo’s expression twitched slightly at the mention of Fan Qing’s name,
but he quickly regained his composure.
“Ah, this is… interesting,” Jin Yi muttered to himself. “Definitely interesting.”
He was curious.
Why, then, had Nie Luo asked him to come alone?
He couldn’t figure it out.
Was this some kind of newfangled little quirk?
It was strange. He didn’t understand.
Nie Luo glanced at him again.
Jin Yi: ?
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing.”
Nie Luo denied it.
Jin Yi: ???
That subtle look in his eyes and he says it’s “nothing”?
Doesn’t Jin Yi understand people’s expressions?
He wasn’t satisfied.
He kept pestering Nie Luo with questions.
After a long while, Nie Luo finally shot him an impatient glance.
“…It really is just you?”
“Just me…”
Jin Yi didn’t even get to finish when Nie Luo turned and walked away.
“After you finish eating, you can leave.”
Jin Yi: ???
He was completely baffled.
He glanced down at the catering truck.
Whoa!
Were these people Nie Luo hired reincarnated wolves?
Was it already over?
What about his portion?
Fan Qing really didn’t come?
Nie Luo furrowed his brows as he turned back.
Why wasn’t he here?
Could Fan Qing be angry?
But clearly, it was Fan Qing himself…
Nie Luo couldn’t make sense of it.
Meanwhile, Jin Yi received a message from Fan Qing:
“Second Young Master, please come open the door for me.”
Fan Qing’s here?
Jin Yi’s eyes lit up.
I knew it!
Fan Qing would never actually skip this.
He was about to dash off to open the door when he froze.
Heh-heh~
Jin Yi leaned close to Nie Luo.
“Then I’m really going now, okay?”
Nie Luo was still thinking, irritated, and waved him off.
“Go on.”
“…Tch.”
Jin Yi wasn’t completely upset either.
He cheerfully turned to fetch the guest.
“Where is he?”
Just as he received Fan Qing, Jin Yi was caught off guard by his question.
He rolled his eyes.
“I swear, you two are made for each other. Here I am standing right in front of you, and the first thing you ask about is someone else.”
Fan Qing removed his mask and exhaled a cold mist in response.
“He asked you too?”
Jin Yi rolled his eyes skyward.
“Of course!”
He even complained a little.
“Not just asking you—looks like he didn’t see you come, so he didn’t want to talk to me either. I didn’t even get a bite to eat before he tried shooing me off.”
What the hell?
Does this make any sense?
Nie Luo must be really angry.
Fan Qing couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Let’s go. Take me in to see him.”
“Sure thing.”
Jin Yi happily led the way.
Approaching the villa gate, he leaned over and whispered to Fan Qing.
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow but didn’t refuse.
Jin Yi grinned mischievously and went in first.
Nie Luo was still deep in thought.
He pinched his phone, staring at it carefully, wondering…
What if Fan Qing was trying to call him?
Even though he was busy, he technically had the time to answer.
“Heh-heh~ Brother, I brought someone else! Surprised? Shocked?”
Jin Yi suddenly appeared from behind him.
Nie Luo’s veins throbbed on his forehead.
He calmed himself and stated clearly:
“I almost had to flip you over into a hold.”
“And… weren’t you already gone?”
Jin Yi grinned cheerfully.
“Gone, yes, but I never said I wasn’t coming back, right?”
Nie Luo was speechless.
Jin Yi moved closer.
“Actually, it’s nothing else—today’s your special day. I have a gift for you. I just… forgot earlier.”
Nie Luo gave him a strange look.
“What’s the point of giving a gift?”
Now it was Jin Yi’s turn to be speechless.
Why wasn’t he following the expected script?
He scratched his head, stubbornly insisting:
“I don’t care. It’s your big day. I am giving you a gift, like it or not.”
Nie Luo looked at him, unimpressed.
“…Fine. But it’s unnecessary.”
He paused, then added,
“And there’s nothing I lack. I have money.”
Jin Yi: ???
Why flaunt wealth in front of a friend?
He laughed in frustration.
“Well, you definitely can’t buy this gift.”
Nie Luo’s eyes grew even stranger.
“If I can’t even get it, then you absolutely shouldn’t give it to me.”
He thought for a moment, subtly asking:
“Does your brother know about this?”
“? Why would he need to know if I’m giving you a gift…? Damn it! My gift isn’t stolen from him, okay?!”
He stomped angrily.
He gave Nie Luo a glare, then waved toward the door.
“Aren’t you coming in? I really don’t know what you see in him. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get frustrated if you end up with him?”
Who was outside?
Nie Luo tensed, then caught the words “end up with him” and turned to look.
Fan Qing was walking in.
“I won’t get frustrated. I think he’s really adorable.”
Fan Qing entered, speaking as he looked at Nie Luo,
immediately noticing the way Nie Luo’s gaze followed him.
“You’re here.”
Nie Luo looked at him, and it was visibly clear that his expression had softened considerably.
Fan Qing let out a small sigh of relief.
Good thing I came.
He stepped closer to Nie Luo and handed over a small box.
“I’m here. But I thought… Nie Ge, you might not want to see me?”
Nie Luo frowned.
“Why would you think that?”
Fan Qing studied his expression carefully.
“I thought… after what happened just now, you were upset with me?”
Nie Luo held the box, his expression even more puzzled.
“Shouldn’t I be upset?”
Fan Qing paused, startled. “That’s not what I meant.”
Nie Luo furrowed his brow.
“But that’s exactly what you meant just now.”
Despite being nearly six-foot-two, there was a trace of grievance in his words.
“It’s your problem. Shouldn’t you come explain yourself clearly?”
He said it seriously.
And only now did Fan Qing truly understand what Nie Luo was thinking.
“I see…”
Fan Qing muttered, silently scolding his own foolishness.
He had known from the start.
Nie Luo was innocent and pure.
His thoughts were simple. Misunderstandings should just be explained.
That’s how it should be.
Fan Qing let out a light chuckle.
“Nie Ge, you’re right. That’s why I came to explain.”
Nie Luo glanced at him.
“Wait a moment.”
“Hm?”
Fan Qing was puzzled.
Nie Luo looked at the box in his hands, uncertain.
“And this gift… what identity are you giving it with?”
He was serious.
“I can’t just accept a gift from anyone. Not from ordinary male friends.”
He added, even more seriously, “Nor female friends.”
So… that left only…
Fan Qing spoke, his voice low and melodic, like a siren singing in his ear:
“With the identity of your boyfriend.”