Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• After their confrontation in the restaurant restroom, Qin Ci tells Xie Zhitan he knows the apartment next door has been empty since its former tenant was murdered. He offers to take Xie home and asks him to unblock him on WeChat; Xie gives no answer.
• Xie refuses Qin’s sports car and walks home with him. Qin’s alertness—and the gun at his waist—helps them pass safely through a dangerous part of Fog City.
• At their apartment building, Qin catches Xie around the waist to stop him walking into a corner. Xie recoils, but Qin pretends to be hurt and keeps hold of him. Their struggle ends with Qin pinning Xie against the hallway wall.
• Qin challenges Xie’s claim that drunkenness would never make him sleep with him, then kisses him. Xie is angry and flustered, while Qin teases him and threatens that they will have sex either way.
• Xie privately admits he is tempted, reasoning that giving Qin what he wants might make him stop pursuing him. Just as Qin believes Xie has yielded, Xie reverses their positions, declares that Qin asked for this, and kisses him fiercely.

Character developments

• Xie Zhitan remains outwardly cold, but his desire and attachment to Qin break through his defenses. His decision to take control marks a shift from resisting Qin to actively engaging with him.
• Qin Ci is bold, possessive, and manipulative, using concern and exaggerated pain to keep Xie close. Beneath the teasing, he is deeply eager for Xie’s affection and becomes shy when Xie takes the lead.

Significant themes

• Desire versus self-control: Xie’s rational resistance clashes with feelings he can no longer suppress.
• Pursuit and power: Their physical struggle mirrors their shifting emotional dynamic, with Qin first dominating and Xie ultimately taking control.
• Memory and enduring attachment: Qin’s familiar grin recalls their school days, suggesting that Xie’s connection to him has lasted far longer than he admits.

Character interactions

• Their banter mixes resentment, teasing, and lingering affection. Qin pushes for reconciliation and closeness; Xie avoids answering directly.
• The wall confrontation turns their verbal sparring into a first kiss. Qin initiates it, but Xie’s forceful return kiss becomes the chapter’s emotional turning point.

Plot points

• After drinking, Xie Zhitan loses his usual self-control and kisses Qin Ci. Qin Ci, who has long been fascinated by Xie, eagerly reciprocates.
• They struggle with the apartment’s fingerprint lock before getting inside, where Qin Ci turns the tables and takes the lead. The night ends with them together.
• The next morning, Xie wakes with Qin clinging to him. Qin makes clear he won’t accept their intimacy being dismissed as a drunken mistake.
• Xie tries to retreat to the shower, but Qin follows, asks him to help wash, and finally says he wants them to shower together.

Character developments

• Xie Zhitan reveals a passionate, less controlled side beneath his “model student” composure. Despite his discomfort with mess and closeness, he is affected by Qin and struggles to hide his embarrassment.
• Qin Ci shows that his attraction is longstanding: he moved near Xie years earlier partly to watch him. He is bold and playful, but also emotionally serious about what happened.

Significant themes

• Hidden desire breaking through restraint.
• The uncertainty of intimacy after a drunken encounter—and the need to acknowledge what it means.
• The contrast between outward composure and private vulnerability.

Character interactions

• Their teasing and physical push-and-pull shift as each takes the lead in turn.
• The morning scene contrasts Xie’s guarded, practical manner with Qin’s affectionate insistence, leaving their relationship at a newly intimate but unresolved turning point.

Plot points

• After spending the night together, Xie Zhitan is an hour late for work for the first time. Qin Ci jokes that they should call themselves boyfriends and says he’ll move in.
• Xie Zhitan stays home, makes Qin Ci noodles, and buys him ointment for his soreness. Qin Ci realizes what it is and teases him about it.
• At breakfast, Qin Ci asks for a date and declares himself Xie Zhitan’s boyfriend. When Xie Zhitan hesitates, Qin Ci threatens to keep pursuing him and move in.
• Xie Zhitan agrees to let Qin Ci move in as a trial, but sets rules: be home by nine, don’t return drunk, no smoking or drinking at home, no guests, and don’t interrupt his work.

Character development

• Xie Zhitan shows concern for Qin Ci by staying home, cooking, and buying ointment, though he remains guarded and frames living together as an experiment.
• Qin Ci is bold and persistent, but beneath his jokes he is sensitive to Xie Zhitan’s apparent disdain. Xie Zhitan’s agreement quickly restores his optimism, and he is eager to follow the rules.

Themes

• Intimacy and commitment: Their physical relationship pushes them toward defining what they are to each other.
• Vulnerability beneath humor: Qin Ci’s teasing hides his fear of being unwanted, while Xie Zhitan’s care contrasts with his reluctance to admit affection.
• Negotiating boundaries: Their trial cohabitation begins with practical rules, setting up a test of compatibility.

Character interactions

• Qin Ci playfully pressures Xie Zhitan to acknowledge him as a boyfriend; Xie Zhitan responds cautiously but ultimately makes room for him in his home.
• Xie Zhitan’s quiet caretaking and Qin Ci’s affectionate teasing reveal their different ways of expressing attachment.

Plot

• After moving in with Xie Zhitan, Qin Ci repeatedly tries to initiate intimacy, but Xie Zhitan pushes him away. Frustrated by the rejection—especially because Xie seems aroused but still refuses—Qin Ci leaves for his apartment, takes his passport, and drives away.
• Xie Zhitan remembers a gift he meant to return to Qin Ci and tries to message him. Looking through their chat history, he sees that Qin Ci had sent nearly all their messages. When his message fails, he realizes Qin Ci has blocked him. He tells himself that returning Qin Ci’s things will let them make a clean break.
• Four months later, Xie Zhitan returns to the Imperial Capital for a holiday. At a family welcome dinner, he keeps watching the door, apparently hoping Qin Ci will arrive. Cui Lengyun notices his distraction and takes him outside to talk.
• As Xie Zhitan and Cui share a cigarette, Qin Ci arrives with an acquaintance. He sees them leaning close together, passes without greeting Xie, and overhears Xie tell Cui that they are “not close.” Qin Ci stops, visibly stung.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Ci goes from openly affectionate and persistent to angry and hurt. Blocking Xie and leaving are attempts to stop pursuing someone who continually rejects him, though seeing Xie with Cui clearly still affects him.
• Xie Zhitan tries to frame their separation as a practical “clean break,” but his fixation on their message history, shock at being blocked, and anxious expectation that Qin will appear suggest he is less indifferent than he claims. He nevertheless maintains emotional distance in public.
• Cui Lengyun recognizes that something is troubling Xie and gives him space to talk. Their familiar, comfortable cigarette-lighting moment is misread—or at least painful—to Qin Ci.
• The chapter’s central interaction is a pattern of mismatched signals: Qin Ci makes his feelings explicit, while Xie withdraws; after the separation, Qin’s silence and Xie’s “not close” response deepen the hurt between them.

Significant themes

• Unrequited or uneven affection: One partner’s openness meets the other’s restraint.
• Pride and miscommunication: Both men conceal vulnerability behind anger, distance, or dismissive words.
• The gap between words and feelings: Xie claims detachment even as his behavior suggests longing, while Qin’s decision to leave does not mean he has stopped caring.

Key plot points and events

• After Qin Ci leaves, Cui Lengyun confronts Xie Zhitan about his feelings for him. Xie Zhitan insists they “barely know each other,” but his strained behavior gives him away. He leaves rather than continue the conversation.
• A few days later, Xie Zhitan is invited to his middle-school reunion. He initially intends to decline, then changes his mind.
• At the reunion, Xie Zhitan recalls watching Qin Ci play basketball as a boy, though they had barely interacted. He mistakes another man for Qin Ci and is visibly disappointed when he realizes the man is a stranger.
• The class president tells Xie Zhitan that Qin Ci refused to attend and called them enemies. He also recalls that Qin Ci once rejected a boy’s confession by joking that the boy’s poor grades made him unworthy of Xie Zhitan.
• Qin Ci eventually arrives at the school with Jiang Penghui. When Xie Zhitan approaches to talk, Jiang steps between them, and Qin Ci says he has nothing to discuss.

Character developments

• Xie Zhitan continues to deny his attachment to Qin Ci, but his jealousy, longing, and disappointment reveal how deeply he cares. Revisiting the school brings back memories he had thought were settled.
• Qin Ci presents himself as hostile and determined not to give in to Xie Zhitan, yet he admits internally that a simple offer to talk almost makes him surrender.
• Cui Lengyun recognizes Xie Zhitan’s feelings despite his denials and teases him about them.
• Jiang Penghui plays the protective sidekick, interrupting before Qin Ci can agree to speak with Xie Zhitan.

Significant themes

• Denial versus emotional truth: Both men claim distance or hostility, while their reactions expose unresolved feelings.
• Longing and jealousy: Xie Zhitan’s disappointment at mistaking someone else for Qin Ci and his resentment toward Qin Ci’s companions show his possessiveness.
• Memory and the past: Returning to their school recalls their childhood distance and highlights how much their relationship has changed.
• Pride and vulnerability: Qin Ci tries to resist Xie Zhitan, but fears how easily he may yield; Xie Zhitan masks his hurt with indifference.

Character interactions

• Cui Lengyun needles Xie Zhitan about Qin Ci and exposes his emotional investment.
• The class president’s recollections reveal Qin Ci’s past fixation on Xie Zhitan and pass along Qin Ci’s claim that they are enemies.
• When Xie Zhitan asks to talk, Jiang Penghui blocks him on Qin Ci’s behalf. Qin Ci backs Jiang’s refusal, leaving the two men’s conflict unresolved.

Plot points

• After Xie Zhitan insists on speaking with Qin Ci, Qin rejects him sharply, saying they are barely acquainted and that he had only indulged Xie before. He leaves with Jiang Pengju, whose playful, familiar behavior with Qin makes Xie realize how much he has lost.
• Shaken, Xie leaves school. Jiang Pengju later learns from his brother that Xie was Qin’s former “darling,” and realizes he had provoked a painful conflict.
• Qin drops Jiang Pengju off, then gets into a roadside collision with a drunk driver. The other man calls a lawyer and threatens to involve reporters.
• Cui Lengyun, the lawyer, contacts Xie and warns him that Qin is in trouble. Xie tries to call Qin but discovers he has been blocked, so he goes to the scene himself.
• Xie finds Qin unharmed and berates him for supposedly drinking and driving. Qin assumes Xie sees him as a reckless, worthless rich kid. Xie urges him to leave before reporters arrive and, in a panic, offers to be with him.
• Qin rejects the offer as pity, admits that he still likes Xie, and tells him to stay away for a while before leaving.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Zhitan is distressed by Qin’s rejection and jealousy over Qin’s easy closeness with Jiang Pengju. Despite trying to act detached, his concern for Qin overrides his resolve; he even offers a relationship under pressure, then regrets the impulsive remark.
• Qin Ci remains hurt by Xie’s earlier rejection and believes Xie fundamentally despises him. Though he pushes Xie away, his feelings persist, and his concern softens his anger briefly.
• Jiang Pengju shifts from boldly confronting Xie to recognizing that he has stumbled into a sensitive former relationship. His joking familiarity with Qin contrasts with the strained bond between Qin and Xie.
• Cui Lengyun acts as the practical intermediary, alerting Xie to the accident and helping keep reporters at bay.

Significant themes

• Miscommunication and entrenched assumptions: Both men interpret each other through past hurt—Xie assumes Qin is reckless, while Qin believes Xie sees him as worthless.
• Love, pride, and rejection: Their mutual feelings remain, but neither can easily accept vulnerability; Qin refuses what he sees as charity, while Xie’s concern emerges in an impulsive offer.
• Jealousy and loss: Seeing Qin protect and share familiar gestures with Jiang Pengju makes Xie feel that their former closeness is slipping away.
• Care beneath conflict: Despite their harsh words, Xie goes to protect Qin, and Qin’s anger falters when he recognizes Xie’s concern.

Plot points

• Qin Ci’s roadside breath test proves he was sober; Xie Zhitan realizes he accused him unfairly, while Cui Lengyun takes the blame for the collision.
• Qin Ci’s father, worried about political fallout, orders him abroad. Qin Ci agrees without resistance and leaves by private jet, feeling unwanted and disillusioned.
• Bo Lin returns home early and reunites with Hua Jian. Their intimate moment is interrupted by Qin Ci’s messages inviting Hua Jian out. Bo Lin replies for Hua Jian, then messages Xie Zhitan with a location.
• Drunk and longing for Xie Zhitan, Qin Ci imagines a tender reunion with him. He wakes alone with a hangover, regrets their argument, and assumes their relationship is beyond repair.
• A week later, Hua Jian tells Xie Zhitan that Qin Ci is thriving abroad, sharing photos of his activities. Xie Zhitan sees Qin Ci pictured with a blond man and reacts despite maintaining a calm expression.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Zhitan recognizes his arrogance and misplaced suspicion, but remains emotionally guarded. Qin Ci’s photos stir jealousy or longing.
• Qin Ci responds to being sent away with apparent indifference, though he feels rejected by both his father and Xie Zhitan. His regret and dream reveal how deeply he still wants Xie Zhitan.
• Bo Lin and Hua Jian reaffirm their affectionate, playful relationship. Bo Lin is possessive and protective, intervening in Hua Jian’s messages and quietly nudging Xie Zhitan and Qin Ci toward contact.
• Hua Jian acts as a link between the separated men, passing news about Qin Ci to Xie Zhitan.

Significant themes

• Miscommunication and pride damage Qin Ci and Xie Zhitan’s relationship, even as both remain attached.
• Family and political pressure make Qin Ci feel like a burden and force him away.
• Jealousy, regret, and longing surface indirectly through dreams, messages, and photos rather than honest conversation.

Key plot points and events

• While vacationing in Hawaii, Qin Ci finds that surfing and his other favorite activities no longer hold his interest. He is also trying not to think about Xie Zhitan.
• Lah, a persistent Italian surfer, keeps pursuing Qin Ci despite repeated rejection. Qin Ci insists he has no interest in him and is angered when Lah makes suggestive remarks.
• Xie Zhitan appears and asks to speak privately with Qin Ci. Lah misreads the situation and hints that he would be interested in both men; Qin Ci angrily tells him off.
• Qin Ci explains that Lah’s advances are unwanted and that he rejected him for his own reasons. Xie says he believes him.
• Xie apologizes for previously assuming Qin Ci was driving drunk and for saying hurtful things. Qin Ci has already let go of that grievance, but their conversation quickly becomes tense.
• When Qin Ci pulls away from Xie’s touch and tells him not to bother him, Xie questions whether Qin Ci likes Lah and whether they have slept together. Qin Ci grabs Xie by the collar, furious.
• Xie’s jealousy and tenderness become apparent. He apologizes for speaking badly, asks whether Lah has touched Qin Ci, and kisses him before Qin Ci can respond.

Character developments

• Qin Ci tries to distance himself from Xie, but his waning interest in surfing and his strong reaction to Xie’s arrival show how much he still cares. He is pleased by Lah’s praise, yet remains focused on why Xie does not recognize his good qualities.
• Xie Zhitan comes to find Qin Ci and offers a sincere apology. His jealousy surfaces when he learns about Lah’s pursuit, revealing a more openly possessive and emotionally vulnerable side.
• Lah functions as an unwanted suitor and a catalyst for Xie’s jealousy. His persistent advances contrast with Qin Ci’s clear lack of interest.

Character interactions

• Qin Ci repeatedly rejects Lah, while Lah continues to flatter and pursue him.
• Xie and Qin Ci’s reunion moves from awkward apology to confrontation: Qin Ci resists Xie’s touch, and Xie presses him about his relationship with Lah.
• Their argument shifts when Xie’s jealousy becomes unmistakable. Qin Ci recognizes it, and Xie answers with a kiss.

Significant themes

• Jealousy as an expression of attachment: Xie’s questions reveal feelings he has not openly acknowledged.
• Miscommunication and reconciliation: Xie apologizes for his earlier assumptions, but both men still struggle to express what they want without provoking conflict.
• Desire and emotional vulnerability: Qin Ci’s bravado masks his lingering hope for Xie’s affection, while Xie’s jealousy breaks through his usual restraint.

Key plot points and events

• Lah watches Qin Ci and Xie Zhitan kiss on the beach. Intrigued by Qin Ci’s apparent surrender to Xie Zhitan, he pays a waiter to spill champagne and ice on Qin Ci.
• Xie Zhitan pulls Qin Ci close, but Qin Ci pushes him away when the contact becomes too intense in public. Xie Zhitan proposes returning to Qin Ci’s suite, and they head back hand in hand.
• In the suite, Qin Ci briefly thinks Xie Zhitan has left again and breaks down. Xie Zhitan returns with his luggage, revealing he intends to stay.
• Qin Ci clings to him, crying with relief. Their reunion turns tense when Qin Ci makes a careless sexual joke, then refuses to shower together because he feels self-conscious about his darkened tan.
• Xie Zhitan takes the refusal as another rejection and, fearing Qin Ci may have feelings for someone else, warns him he will regret refusing. He kisses Qin Ci before hearing his answer.

Character developments

• Qin Ci is exhilarated by Xie Zhitan’s affection but remains emotionally vulnerable and unsure of where he stands. His insecurity about his appearance and habit of speaking impulsively make him pull back despite wanting closeness.
• Xie Zhitan shows tenderness by returning with his luggage and comforting Qin Ci, but his need to be chosen is intense and possessive. Qin Ci’s refusals trigger jealousy and flashes of panic and instability.
• Lah becomes fascinated by both men and wants to involve himself, prompting the interruption on the beach.

Significant themes

• Desire versus hesitation: Qin Ci welcomes intimacy but retreats when it feels too exposed or when he feels unattractive.
• Reassurance and fear of abandonment: Qin Ci fears Xie Zhitan will leave, while Xie Zhitan fears Qin Ci will reject or replace him.
• Possessiveness and consent: Xie Zhitan’s longing for closeness turns into pressure when Qin Ci says no, creating tension beneath their romantic reunion.
• Insecurity and self-image: Qin Ci’s concern about his tan shapes his decision to refuse the shower.

Character interactions

• Lah secretly arranges the spill, interrupting Qin Ci and Xie Zhitan’s kiss.
• Xie Zhitan alternates between passionate pursuit and gentle reassurance, while Qin Ci responds with affection, embarrassment, and fear of losing him.
• Their reunion is intimate but unsettled: Qin Ci seeks comfort, while Xie Zhitan interprets his reluctance as rejection and presses him for a choice.

Plot and key events

• Xie Zhitan kisses Qin Ci passionately, then pins him down and teases him, repeatedly asking why Qin Ci turned him down earlier and whether he still likes him.
• Qin Ci becomes overwhelmed by the teasing and finally declares that he loves Xie Zhitan. He also unleashes years of hurt: Xie Zhitan had slept with him, shut him out, and left Qin Ci believing he was unwanted.
• Qin Ci breaks down in tears and pushes Xie Zhitan away. While Qin Ci tries to compose himself at the sink, Xie Zhitan embraces him from behind, apologizes for his past behavior, and admits, “I think I like you too.”

Character development and interactions

• Qin Ci moves from embarrassed desire to emotional honesty, revealing both the intensity of his love and how deeply Xie Zhitan’s rejection has hurt him. Despite his anger, he admits he has readily forgiven Xie Zhitan because of his feelings.
• Xie Zhitan begins the encounter assertively and uses teasing to draw out Qin Ci’s feelings. Qin Ci’s confession stops him short; seeing Qin Ci cry, he panics, releases him, apologizes, and finally voices his own affection.
• Their interaction shifts from flirtatious provocation to a vulnerable confrontation about past pain, ending with a tentative step toward reconciliation.

Significant themes

• Unspoken feelings and miscommunication: Qin Ci has mistaken Xie Zhitan’s past distance for contempt, while Xie Zhitan has not clearly expressed his own feelings.
• Love, hurt, and forgiveness: Qin Ci’s devotion persists despite feeling rejected, but his confession also exposes the cost of that devotion.
• Emotional vulnerability: Beneath the sexual tension, the scene centers on admitting love, confronting hurt, and taking responsibility.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Zhitan confesses, “I like you,” while holding Qin Ci in the restroom.
• Qin Ci pulls away, leaving Xie Zhitan fearing his feelings are no longer returned. He privately considers extreme measures to keep Qin Ci from leaving.
• Instead, Qin Ci asks Xie Zhitan to repeat the confession. Xie Zhitan does, three times in total.
• Flustered, Qin Ci tells him he can’t take the words back. Xie Zhitan answers that he won’t—and reminds Qin Ci that Qin Ci said he loved him.
• They share several tender kisses, and the encounter turns intimate.

Character developments

• Xie Zhitan is revealed as deeply anxious and possessive beneath his gentle confession; he fears rejection and struggles with the intensity of his feelings. Qin Ci’s response brings him relief.
• Qin Ci is embarrassed and guarded, but clearly receptive. His insistence that Xie Zhitan repeat the confession suggests he wants reassurance and is ready to acknowledge their feelings.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and reassurance: Both men need confirmation that their feelings are genuine and lasting.
• Love amid uncertainty: Xie Zhitan’s fear of losing Qin Ci contrasts with Qin Ci’s hesitant but affectionate response.
• Tenderness and intimacy: Their physical closeness reflects a gradual softening of their emotional defenses.

Character interactions

• Xie Zhitan confesses while embracing Qin Ci; Qin Ci initially pulls away, heightening Xie Zhitan’s anxiety.
• Qin Ci then prompts him to repeat the confession, and Xie Zhitan responds sincerely.
• Their teasing, blushing exchange gives way to tender kisses and intimacy.

Plot points

• After an intimate night together, Qin Ci wakes sore and worries Xie Zhitan may have left. Xie Zhitan quickly comes to his side and carries him back to bed.
• Qin Ci jokes that Xie Zhitan seems completely unaffected, while Xie apologizes for being too rough. Their teasing turns into a serious conversation about their relationship.
• Xie Zhitan admits he has often been slow to express himself and says he wants them to be together, adding that he is willing to marry Qin Ci.
• At Xie Zhitan’s request, Qin Ci tells him, “I love you.” Xie Zhitan returns the declaration and holds him close.

Character developments

• Qin Ci tries to hide his embarrassment and vulnerability behind jokes and bravado, but is deeply moved by Xie Zhitan’s affection and offer of marriage.
• Xie Zhitan shows greater openness and commitment, recognizing that his past emotional reserve has made Qin Ci doubt him.

Significant themes

• Love expressed openly: The couple moves beyond implied affection to saying “I love you.”
• Reassurance and commitment: Xie Zhitan’s words address Qin Ci’s fear of being left or treated as unimportant.
• Past longing meeting present intimacy: Qin Ci’s declaration echoes the younger version of himself who longed for warmth from Xie Zhitan.

Character interactions

Their exchange shifts from playful teasing to sincere vulnerability. Xie Zhitan comforts and reassures Qin Ci, while Qin Ci gradually lets himself accept the affection he has wanted for years.