When they headed back, it was the same small street as before. The temperature had dropped significantly and the cold wind had also blown the pedestrians away, turning the street even quieter. On the ground, two shadows advanced at the same pace, shaking, bumping against the shadows of the trees every now and then. Xu Tangcheng lowered his head and stared for a while; then, unable to hold back, he fumbled in his pocket and lit a cigarette.

"You don't let me smoke but you're always smoking yourself."

The person beside him suddenly grumbled softly. There was a hint of a rebuke in his tone but while speaking, he went over to Xu Tangcheng's other side.

All at once, the wind was no longer as prominent.

After a pause, Xu Tangcheng finally lit the cigarette. He turned his head and asked curiously, "When did I stop you from smoking?"

"At the billiards hall."

The billiards hall.

Hearing this phrase at this time, the first thing Xu Tangcheng thought of was that group brawl that made him have his heart in his throat. Perhaps the shock and terror from that scene had been too intense, when he tried to recall now what had happened before that, he was actually faced with a complete blank.

"Did I say that?" he asked.

"You didn't say it directly." Yi Zhe thought for a while, then corrected himself. "But you confiscated my cigarettes."

Cigarettes?

Like a button had been pushed, a single visible image set the memories of that night into motion.

That was right. Soft pack Chunghwa, this little rich boy.

Recalling how Yi Zhe had carefully lit the cigarette for him, Xu Tangcheng couldn't help laughing quietly. Afraid that the person next to him would notice, he even brought his hand that was holding the cigarette up and rubbed his mouth with the back of that hand.

Unexpectedly, Yi Zhe still said very quickly, "You're laughing. I see you."

Feeling that he was truly an idiot back then, Yi Zhe had kept an eye on Xu Tangcheng from the time they brought up the billiards hall. True enough, he saw the corners of Xu Tangcheng's lips curving up secretly.

"I'm not," Xu Tangcheng hurried to explain. "I just suddenly remembered that at that time, you…."

He paused. Looking at Yi Zhe's obviously upset expression, he held back his smile. "...were quite fierce."

Hadn't he been quite fierce? With one look, he sent a young lady retreating. When Xu Tangcheng interrupted his game, the way he turned around was like he wanted a fight.

Those words rendered Yi Zhe speechless. After all, he was very clear what kind of shitty temper he had when he was outside in the past. However, after a few steps, he turned his head again in discontent. His voice defending himself was not loud, and in this quiet and dark night, it also sounded very gentle.

"But I've never been fierce to you."

That was true.

Xu Tangcheng confirmed it in his heart. Without realising it, he was also nodding his head.

The wind lifted a lock of his hair, making it stand on his head. When he nodded, that tuft of hair also wobbled along. Yi Zhe inclined his head to the side and watched it with interest. He reached out to brush it, lighting patting it back down.

As they chatted, they reached the car. Xu Tangcheng fastened his seatbelt, then realised that Yi Zhe was already holding the camera up again and playing the video. He tilted his head in resignation, wanting to remind Yi Zhe to first fasten his seatbelt. But before he could open his mouth, he was interrupted by the sound of a text notification.

Xu Tangcheng shifted his gaze to his lit-up phone. The name on the screen made him let out a small doubtful sound.

At this hour, what could there be that required Yu An to look for him?

His phone was between the two of them. Xu Tangcheng picked it up, wanting to check the message, but when he moved, he saw Yi Zhe staring at his hand.

His mind stalled momentarily. All of a sudden, he felt something amiss.

Those brows were so furrowed together they seemed to contain endless force in them. The gaze falling down seemed to want to dig a hole in the phone, to gouge out that message from inside.

There seemed to be a very obvious hostility.

As he analysed this in his heart, the movement of his hand slowed down.

Xu Tangcheng was rather caught by surprise by his thoughts at the moment because he realised that Yi Zhe showing an atypical emotion in front of him could actually make him feel reassured. It had nothing to do with affection or jealousy; it was just that compared to his constant silence and lowered head in the past, Xu Tangcheng wanted even more to see his likes and dislikes, his happiness and unhappiness.

This made him feel that this was real, this was something with strength behind it.

He opened the message. Yi Zhe wound down the window and turned his head towards the outside without saying a word. Xu Tangcheng read the contents of the message; then, after a long while, he looked at Yi Zhe.

"Yi Zhe."

When called, Yi Zhe turned back, facing him with an expression that was once again calm.

"Hmm?"

"You don't like Yu An, do you?"

Even though there was some hesitation, it wasn't a lot. After a very brief silence, Yi Zhe gave his honest answer. "No, I don't."

Xu Tangcheng had already arrived at a conclusion regarding this dislike and wasn't surprised now. But as before, he didn't understand where this dislike came from. No matter how he thought about it, Yi Zhe and Yu An shouldn't have interacted much.

"Why not?" he asked.

"No reason."

Yi Zhe's answer was almost rude, the kind of answer a child in preschool would give. But Xu Tangcheng didn't continue asking. He only laughed, one hand resting on the steering wheel and tapping a couple of times. He asked, "Then, does that mean I shouldn't let you see this message?"

When Xu Tangcheng spoke those words, Yi Zhe's heart sank abruptly. After that, he did not move an inch and remained staring at the person in front of him rather stiffly.

Xu Tangcheng did not tease him any further. He extended his hand, made the phone screen light up and showed it to him.

On the small screen, there were a few black-coloured words.

Are you dating someone?

After reading it, Yi Zhe immediately sat up straight, even more unhappy than before. "What does he want?"

"I don't know," Xu Tangcheng said frankly. Then, after mulling it for a while, he felt even more curious. "I didn't tell him, and we usually… don't really bump into him, do we?"

To him, Yu An was just his shixiong at the lab and his senior in the student council. Even though the two of them were familiar with each other, their interactions focused on their research, the lab or the student council work. They had never talked about anything involving personal feelings.

"How are you going to reply to him?"

"Hmm…"

Xu Tangcheng didn't hurry to reply. Instead, he put his phone down and also placed this hand on the steering wheel.

Sirens were going off loud and clear in his heart, yet Yi Zhe still stared at Xu Tangcheng's hands in a daze.

How could there be such beautiful hands?

These hands should be in car commercials.

His gaze traced the lines of Xu Tangcheng's hands for a long while, following the ups and downs of Xu Tangcheng's index finger tapping on the wheel before slowly climbing up his arm.

"I don't plan to tell him."

His gaze had just reached that section of his neck when the throat twitched, startling awake the person whose thoughts were wandering. Yi Zhe gripped the camera in his hands and swallowed deeply.

"Sorry?"

Yi Zhe hadn't heard him clearly. After calming himself down with the help of the ice-cold thing in his hand, he asked Xu Tangcheng again.

"I don't plan to tell him that we're together."

Thinking that he hadn't stated it clearly just now and Yi Zhe hadn't understood, Xu Tangcheng didn't avoid the topic anymore and, for the first time, said the word "together."

Don't plan to tell him.

When he understood this, Yi Zhe's heart turned blank unexpectedly, because he was suddenly overwhelmed by disappointment.

Like he had noticed his emotions, Xu Tangcheng let out a soft cough to signal that he was about to say the main point.

"I'm telling you this because I want to explain." Xu Tangcheng brought his hand up and rubbed his nose. Strangely, this movement looked rather unnatural to Yi Zhe. There was a fair bit of caution and it was also superfluous; this was something that he rarely saw on Xu Tangcheng.

"I've only told Cheng Xu about us. I'm not telling Yu An and the rest, not because I don't want to acknowledge my relationship with you, but because I feel that we should know how to protect ourselves."

Yi Zhe's gaze on Xu Tangcheng was rather doubtful. Xu Tangcheng noticed it and his words came to a pause.

He couldn't help wondering if Yi Zhe had ever considered these matters.

"A lot of people still can't accept love between two people of the same gender. If we told others about us, who knows whose ears it might spread to. That's why I think that if it's trouble that we can avoid, we should not be caught up in it for now."

When in senior high, reading comprehension was Yi Zhe's weakness. Hence, he also failed to keenly detect any kind of information in Xu Tangcheng's words. He only felt that what Xu Tangcheng had said made sense, so he immediately nodded and said, "I understand. On my side, only Zheng Yikun knows, no one else does."

After looking at him for a while, Xu Tangcheng nodded slightly and smiled.

Yi Zhe probably really didn't have any idea of these things.

In actual fact, Xu Tangcheng was also extremely unwilling to talk about these matters with Yi Zhe. He had never talked about the future with Yi Zhe, or about his family. There were a lot of things that existed in reality, things that constricted them, that even if they would have to face them one day, he had never thought of making Yi Zhe understand them now.

This kind of mentality was very conflicting. Or, in other words, it was close to running away.

But the reason why he was not talking about these things with Yi Zhe wasn't because he didn't have faith in Yi Zhe, nor was it because he didn't have faith in himself. He was purely wishing for Yi Zhe to have a period of time when he could enjoy this relationship without any burdens, and not constantly having to worry about "sooner or later there will be a day when..." and also not, when it was late in the night and all was quiet, having to still think about how to give the two of them a beautiful future.

He had offered him the very best, so he did not want the pressures on himself to weigh on those shoulders too quickly. Before they reach that step, he would first keep them suppressed.

Furthermore…

The car stopped at an intersection. Xu Tangcheng looked at the decreasing number beside the red light and spaced out.

Yi Zhe had not noticed that "we're together" phrase just now but Xu Tangcheng himself remembered his voice that had weakened for no reason. It was clearly a sweet and moving phrase, yet his cowardice and shame had sent it into a cowering state.

He turned his head and looked at Yi Zhe.

He was still smiling at the video of the two of them from this evening.

When he turned his head back, Xu Tangcheng waited silently for the remaining three seconds of the red light.

Furthermore, he himself was already shrinking back and cowering. That was why he selfishly wished that Yi Zhe could be more courageous, more fearless.

It would be best if he could advance bravely like he had in the past.

And take him along.

At the turning, Xu Tangcheng stepped lightly on the brakes, slowing the car down. He glanced out the window and accidentally caught a glimpse of a strange sight in winter.

"I suddenly want to eat McDonald's ice-cream."

He muttered out this line carelessly. Yi Zhe heard him and immediately turned his head, looking at the two people who passed by just now. A girl was turning her body to the side and saying something to the boy beside her, her hand holding an ice-cream cone, the white swirl at the top newly gone.

"Let's go and get it," he immediately said.

"But," he thought better of it and asked hesitatingly, "your stomach isn't well. Can you eat this?"

"I had gastroenteritis only because I ate something wrong, it's not like I can't eat anything cold." However, after explaining, Xu Tangcheng backed down. "But it's too late now, never mind."

"Don't, let's go get it if you can eat it. I'm just afraid you won't feel well after eating." Yi Zhe peered around the street. "I saw a McDonald's at Blue Harbour just now, we should have gotten it there. Is there one nearby? Or should we go to the one near campus?"

He spurred Xu Tangcheng on with all he had, racking his brains for the locations of all the McDonald's that he knew. But Xu Tangcheng took a quick look around and after confirming that there was no McDonald's within view, he still decided to drop the matter.

He wasn't a child unable to hold himself back. It was just an ice-cream, he wasn't so bothered about it.

On top of that… he lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. 10.35 p.m.

When they were nearing the university, Yi Zhe insisted on not letting Xu Tangcheng send him to the south gate. Xu Tangcheng didn't understand why. Yi Zhe spoke evasively for a long while, then said, "I just want to send you back to your dorm."

There were times when Xu Tangcheng felt that the indulgence he showed Yi Zhe was a lot. No matter how strange or how childish the reasons Yi Zhe gave him were, he seemed able to accept them. And it was for no reason other than every time after he nodded, when he saw Yi Zhe pressing his lips together in a taut line and the corners curving up very slightly, he would be in a very good mood.

In the dorm room, Cheng Xu was sprawled on the bed watching an American T.V. series. When he saw that Xu Tangcheng was back, he pointed at the sugar-roasted chestnuts on the desk and said, "Have some chestnuts. I bought them today, they're super good."

Xu Tangcheng went over and peeled one. He put it in his mouth. It was indeed very soft and very sweet.

The American T.V. series was Lie to Me. Cheng Xu had recently gotten hooked on it. Xu Tangcheng had also watched this series. At the start, he thought it was very interesting but after watching one season, he felt that the plotlines were basically the same. It was in the format of an anthology series, the techniques used to solve the cases were rather similar and the suspense in each case wasn't very strong. From watching the opening scenes of each episode, the killer and the motive for the crime could be mostly deduced.

Despite that, Xu Tangcheng still shifted a chair over and sat down, accompanying Cheng Xu to watch an episode. When the crime was just beginning to take place, Xu Tangcheng received Yi Zhe's message telling him that he had reached his dorm. Xu Tangcheng gave him a simple reply and put down his phone, continuing to peel chestnuts for Cheng Xu.

As Cheng Xu savoured this most supreme level of treatment and grabbed another chestnut, he said with a sigh, "I'm so envious of Yi Zhe."

He was young. In the past, when he was in primary school and junior high school, the boys in class all didn't like playing with him. The many years of carrying his school bag on his back while walking around the school grounds on his own made his naturally introverted character even more reserved. After so many years of studying, Xu Tangcheng could be considered his closest friend, and it was the kind of intimacy that had no pressure at all.

When Cheng Xu said that he was envious, Xu Tangcheng recalled what happened two nights ago. Fortunately, Cheng Xu had been very normal after that and even took the initiative to explain to him, saying that he was just suddenly a little too emotional at that time and that Xu Tangcheng shouldn't worry. Since he had put it that way, Xu Tangcheng felt that he couldn't ask further and only told him again like he had that night, that he could talk to Xu Tangcheng at any time if there was anything.

The chestnut shells cracked open, revealing the very soft and fine hairs underneath. Xu Tangcheng stared at that little fluffy lump and suddenly thought of Yi Zhe again.

Who knew what kind of idea Yu An had gotten in his head; after that message, he didn't stop. Xu Tangcheng got up to wash up and his phone buzzed upon receiving yet another one of his messages.

Even if you don't answer, I can tell. It's your private matter so I shouldn't say much in the first place. But I still want to remind you to consider things carefully. Being together with him, you might encounter a lot of problems in the future. Don't think that the environment around you is so open.

Xu Tangcheng didn't know how Yu An found out or figured out this piece of information. But since he couldn't hide or evade anymore, he also did not spend so much thought on it.

Thank you, but you need not worry.

A tone that very clearly drew a boundary, yet it did not have any effect.

To be honest, when I first realised it, I was quite surprised. You might not like what I have to say next but as someone who appreciates you a lot, as your shixiong, I still want to say it. He's too immature, he does as he wishes too much. I don't think he is a suitable choice for you.

If the earlier two messages were to test the waters and to advise him tactfully, then this one was totally rudely and impulsively crossing boundaries.

Xu Tangcheng frowned at Yu An's assessment of Yi Zhe. His good mood for the night was thrown into disarray just like that.

Did as he wished? He had never felt that this phrase had anything to do with Yi Zhe.

Placing the cup he used when brushing his teeth on the desk, Xu Tangcheng thought for a bit, then began tapping on the keypad. But after typing out a couple of words, he was interrupted by the phone's sudden ringing.

He saw the name and immediately accepted the call. "What's the matter?"

"You're not asleep yet, right?"

"No, I was watching an American series with Cheng Xu just now. I'm going to wash up now." The sound coming from the receiver made Xu Tangcheng feel suspicious because this breathing sound was a little too loud. "What are you doing?"

"Mm," Yi Zhe responded but avoided the question. "Then, can you come down for a while?"

"Hmm?"

His thoughts had yet to form a response.

But he was only dazed for a short while. Xu Tangcheng immediately guessed what it was. And while it was only a guess and not yet proven, his heart was beginning to race. He could feel a very obvious feeling of warmth spread from his chest.

To have a guess that had yet to be validated was the stage where a person was even more excited and full of anticipation than when they were seeing the results.

"You bought an ice-cream cone?"

As he spoke, he turned towards the window.

"Ai…" On the other end, Yi Zhe let out a soft sigh. His voice was a little vexed. "Why are you so hard to trick? I wanted to give you a surprise."

The dorm window swooshed open, drawing Cheng Xu's curious look.

Xu Tangcheng opened the window and looked down, immediately seeing the person downstairs. Under the yellow glow of the streetlight, he straddled the bike that was parked all year round at the bottom of his dorm building, one long leg propped idly against the ground. He had adjusted the seat so high yet his legs still maintained a splendid and subtle curve at the knees.

At first glance, Xu Tangcheng was already sighing feelingly in his heart: Whoa, who is this handsome guy?

Meanwhile, the handsome guy was holding his phone in one hand while his other hand was gripping two ice-cream cones in a totally uncool way.

Like he had felt something, the momentary silence in the call made Yi Zhe lift his head.

Two delighted gazes met, the resulting light bright enough to overwhelm the streetlight.

He suddenly broke out into a smile and lifted the hand holding the cones, waving at him.

Like he was holding the Olympic torch.

In the phone call, Yi Zhe was still going on about how the cones were a little out of shape from his handling. They were squeezed together the entire way there and the ice-cream on top was crooked. Xu Tangcheng had already turned around, heading swiftly for the door with his phone gripped in his hand.

He opened the door. He heard Cheng Xu call out from inside the room, asking him where he was going.

Xu Tangcheng turned to mouth at him that he was going out.

"You're not wearing your coat!"

But he was holding his phone, and there was someone waiting for him.

He couldn't be bothered with putting on a coat.

He stepped out the door in his slippers. The rushing slip-slap of the slippers echoed in the empty corridor.

But when he reached one floor down, the person holding the phone grabbed hold of the railing at the side and came to a stop with a few quick steps. He turned, then climbed up two steps at a time.

He pushed the room door open with a palm. Under Cheng Xu's curious gaze, Xu Tangcheng patted his shoulder and reached into the packet on the desk.

"Lend me two chestnuts."

Cheng Xu had said he was envious just now, but Yi Zhe had clearly never eaten chestnuts peeled by Xu Tangcheng.

He was walking too fast. His slippers had worked industriously for so long in the winter's day and were already a little loose. He had to secretly curl his toes to prevent them from being kicked away.

What was it like to have a boyfriend six years younger than yourself?

Probably something like this: he's sometimes childish, but in a way that makes people fond of him; he's sometimes impulsive, but in a way that's just perfectly right.

"Makes people fond of him" and "just perfectly right" were not words said carelessly; instead, they came with very rigorous definitions—enough to make the six years older him suddenly become childish, suddenly become impulsive, and with two chestnuts in his hand, slippers on his feet and a sweatshirt on his body, he was running to his side.