Nie Luo’s expression visibly softened.
Even though Fan Qing had been prepared, he was still captivated by the sight of Nie Luo under the lights.
His ears were slightly red, yet he nodded earnestly.
“Then I’ll accept it.”
So easy to please.
A thought flickered through Fan Qing’s mind, and he sought confirmation.
“So… you’re not mad at me anymore?”
Nie Luo looked at him in surprise.
“You haven’t explained yet.”
The implication being… he was still a little angry?
Even if he was, he made sure to accept the gift first?
Fan Qing stifled a laugh, recognizing that this was simply Nie Luo’s way.
Of course, he didn’t forget to give the proper explanation.
He leaned in closer, their breaths mingling in the faint glow.
“It’s because I really like you, Nie Ge, that I couldn’t believe you’d actually agree. So… don’t be mad at me, okay?”
“Mm.”
Nie Luo hummed softly in response.
“You should be more confident.”
He paused, then added,
“You’re excellent. No one could refuse you.”
Fan Qing was genuinely stunned.
He followed Nie Luo’s gaze, framed by long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings under the light.
“…Nie Ge… can’t refuse me either?”
Nie Luo looked even more surprised.
His expression said, of course.
And his words made it even clearer:
“I can’t either.”
For a moment, Fan Qing felt a twinge of regret.
If they weren’t here, or if there weren’t so many people around making Nie Luo self-conscious, he might not have been able to resist doing something.
Even if just a passionate, deep kiss.
…Tch.
Jin Yi, standing nearby, suddenly felt completely useless.
He thought for a moment, then turned to join the others who were sneaking glances.
“What should we eat? Today’s a good mood for me—I’m treating.”
Those who had been quietly watching exchanged a glance.
A free meal? Of course they’d take it.
And if they could eat normal food, why bother indulging in more puppy-dog love?
“Thanks, Second Young Master. How about barbecue?”
“Barbecue in the villa? You just want to clean up afterward. Better order sushi, Second Young Master.”
“Sushi’s good. Easy to handle, no strong smell, everyone can pick their own flavors.”
The crowd chatted excitedly, when Fan Qing suddenly stepped forward.
“I’ll cover this meal, Second Young Master.”
Everyone froze.
Whoa?
So these two dating men just wrapped up their confession?
Someone accidentally blurted out:
“So this is the bride’s personally handed out wedding candy?”
Jin Yi’s face showed deep respect.
A brave soul!
The others all looked on with admiration.
Invincible.
Impressive.
They lit candles.
Blessings.
…Farewell?
That last one left the speaker helpless.
Fan Qing: …
“It’s just a normal dinner invitation. But…”
He glanced at Nie Luo behind him, a subtle smile tugging at his lips.
“They’re calling me ‘wife.’ What do you say?”
The employees: !
So bright! Even if their ears went deaf, their eyes would go blind!
Jin Yi slowly drew in a sharp breath.
Damn!
Fan Qing really was a little demon.
Absolutely lethal!
Lethal for him, lethal for Nie Luo.
“Are you asking me?”
Nie Luo, busy unpacking the box behind him, froze for a moment at the cue, a trace of confusion crossing his face.
He furrowed his brow, the center of his forehead creased in genuine puzzlement.
“You’re a man… why are you calling yourself ‘wife’?”
Clueless about romance.
Almost everyone else present seemed to wear the same expression of utter bewilderment.
Before the words even fully left his mouth, Nie Luo, holding the gift, leaned a little closer to Fan Qing.
His brows knitted tightly, his expression serious.
“If we’re both men, after marriage… what should I call you?”
The onlookers: …Wait, is it too late for Mr. Unromantic to swallow his own words from just now?
Jin Yi’s pupils nearly dilated.
You two just confirmed your relationship… how can you already be talking about marriage? Isn’t that a little extreme?
Nie Luo, unexpectedly bold, actually caught them all off guard.
Fan Qing only felt his ears tingle slightly.
He glanced at everyone else’s stunned faces, then indulged in a quick look at Jin Yi, who had managed to stuff a goose egg into his mouth—a rare skill. He couldn’t hide his smile.
Fan Qing looked back at Nie Luo, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course you’d call me husband. Otherwise, what else would you call me?”
Everyone else: !
Jin Yi: !!!
This… is this for real?
Fan Qing couldn’t help but twitch his ears in shock.
No matter who called whom “husband,” it sounded unusual, right?
And… would Nie Luo actually agree to it?
Nie Luo was initially taken aback.
“Husband?”
He muttered the word to himself several times, considering it carefully… then actually nodded.
“You’re right. If everyone else calls it that, we should do the same.”
Jin Yi: ??? Wait, who’s everyone? Are there really other couples like you two? Oh… there are quite a few, and even a lot of young women.
But that’s not the point!
Nie Luo, why does it sound so natural to you—‘if everyone calls each other husband, we should too’—when in reality it’s completely abnormal and ridiculous?
Nie Luo nodded, but that wasn’t all.
He lowered his gaze slightly and asked Fan Qing, like a fierce predator bowing before an equally strong rival, soft and approachable in a way that belied his natural ferocity.
“What do you think?”
What could Fan Qing say?
He was utterly flustered by Nie Luo’s posture.
Especially when it was his boyfriend Nie Luo, asking him about marriage.
“I think it’s perfect.”
“Mm.”
Since Fan Qing agreed, that settled it.
Jin Yi: …
Could you two stop acting like you’re deciding tomorrow’s lunch menu so casually?
Seriously, the topic you two just discussed is… very ‘advanced.’ Have some self-awareness!
He couldn’t help but look for someone to discuss this with.
He turned around.
And saw a group of people clustered together, chatting…
Carefully listening, he realized they were listing menu items.
Jin Yi: …
Jin Yi, on the verge of tears.
Isn’t there anyone I can share my current emotional state with?
Damn it!
Meanwhile, Nie Luo opened the gift.
When he saw what was inside, his ears flushed.
“…Why this?”
Of course he immediately recognized it.
It was the key to Fan Qing’s car.
“No reason. I just wanted to give my favorite thing to make my boyfriend happy. Is that so wrong?”
Fan Qing said.
Nie Luo looked at him. “But you really like it.”
Since it was his favorite, why give it away?
“Because I like seeing it with the person I like.”
Fan Qing’s tone was soft, yet sincere.
Nie Luo looked at him, slowly nodding.
He hadn’t been wrong—he truly couldn’t refuse Fan Qing.
Just as he was thinking this, Nie Luo lowered his gaze.
There was still a hint of puzzlement and discontent in his eyes.
“Why did Jin Yi say… you’re his gift?”
Jin Yi: …?
Not a friend? At a time like this, you’re asking this?
You could have just shared a kiss, and yet, now you’re keeping score?
If it weren’t for him, could you two have resolved things this quickly?
Jin Yi glared at Nie Luo, utterly wronged.
He shouldn’t… not at all!
“It doesn’t matter who it came from. What matters is that it’s mine.”
Fan Qing said it plainly.
Nie Luo considered this.
True.
Jin Yi, standing beside them, was left speechless.
Just… that simple?
He looked at Fan Qing in awe.
Of course. Naturally, this was the human bewitcher.
The dinner didn’t last long.
Even though Nie Luo had mentally prepared, he quickly returned to being swamped with work.
Jin Yi was fine, but Fan Qing now, besides his manager role, also had to oversee all of Tenghuang.
Compared to Nie Luo, their workloads were almost equal.
Fan Qing even found time to clear away the paparazzi who had been tailing him.
Still, he couldn’t return to his old residence.
After considering the exposure of the previous address, the long commute to Tenghuang, and the fact that he and Nie Luo were now officially boyfriends,
he knew that all future visits between them would require maximum privacy and security.
Naturally, this limited his options for a new place.
Especially in some of the neighborhoods he favored—almost all were high-end residential areas.
Even if the residents didn’t live there, very few would rent out their units.
Unless… he bought one outright.
Fan Qing calculated his assets and let out a quiet sigh.
Had he really been moving too slowly?
Or… perhaps he could first make use of one of the company’s vacant dorm rooms.
He thought it over carefully and decided it was feasible.
Tenghuang had been busy lately, and he had already spent several nights sleeping at the company.
He didn’t have a huge amount of cash at the moment, but once he had firmly established himself at Tenghuang, he could consider asking Jin Yi for an advance to buy a unit.
Recalling the new car Jin Yi had recently mentioned, Fan Qing’s lips curved into a sly smile.
Jin Yi… would probably be more than willing to help, right?
Decision made, Fan Qing quickly called over his assistant—who had originally been Jin Yi’s.
Since the assistant had followed Fan Qing after switching over, Jin Yi was now free to move about unrestrained.
With the assistant now under his wing, Fan Qing could handle things more efficiently.
“Go cancel my current lease, pack up my things, and check if the company dorms have any available rooms for me,” he instructed, handing over the keys.
The assistant hesitated for a moment, a little flustered.
“You… want to stay in the company dorm?”
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
The assistant paused briefly.
“…It’s not a huge issue.”
He said candidly, after a moment of thought.
“You asked the company to hire some new talent recently, right? Well, a lot of promising candidates were brought in, and the dorms quickly filled up. Only one room next to this batch is currently empty.”
Fan Qing wasn’t concerned.
“Then just set me up there.”
The assistant nodded.
“As long as you don’t mind.”
Fan Qing smiled.
“Why would I? They’re all the company’s future cash cows.”
By the night before his move-in, that thought had already completely faded from his mind.
Rubbing his forehead, sore from reviewing documents all day, he slowly made his way to the dorm.
From inside came blaring music, the wild noises of young boys, and a faint, odd smell lingering in the air.
Together, all of it made Fan Qing’s blood pressure spike.
A predatory grin appeared on his face as he knocked on the door.
“Who’s there? Huh… could the company have allowed a delivery this late…”
The boy who opened the door had a snack dangling from his mouth, which fell to the floor with a squelch.
“F-Fan… Fan Qing?”