The next day, Shan Ye was groggily awakened by the sunlight.
He squinted and rolled over, draping an arm to the side, only to find it empty.
He opened his eyes. There was no one beside him anymore. The pillow still bore an impression, and half the sheets had gone cold.
Shan Ye froze for two seconds, then bolted upright. Had Fan Jin left?
The room was quiet. A glass of water sat on the bedside table, with a note tucked beneath it.
He picked it up. Fan Jin's handwriting was neat and precise: "I went to the café. Breakfast is in the pot. Congee. Message me when you wake up."
Shan Ye read the note several times, then flopped back onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow.
It all felt so unreal. He and Fan Jin were really dating.
Fan Jin's scent still lingered on the pillow. He hugged it and breathed it in, but everything kept reminding him that this was real.
He rolled over, held up his phone, and sent Fan Jin a message: "I'm awake."
About two minutes later, Fan Jin replied: "Have you had the congee?"
"Not yet. Just woke up."
"Heat it up if it's cold."
Shan Ye stared at the messages, unable to stop smiling.
He climbed out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and went to the kitchen.
A small pot sat on the stove with its lid on. He lifted it to find thick white congee. Two steamed buns sat on a plate beside it, covered with plastic wrap.
He reheated the congee, carried it to the dining table, and sat down to eat it slowly.
The congee was beautifully cooked, the grains soft and fluffy, fragrant and sweet. Shan Ye took a mouthful and suddenly remembered Fan Jin kissing him breathless in bed last night.
They were together now. Today was their first day as a couple, and before he had even adjusted to his new role, he already felt so happy.
He buried his face in his bowl, his ears burning.
After finishing the congee and washing the dishes, Shan Ye picked up his phone and sent Fan Jin a voice message: "Fan Jin, the congee was delicious. Why did you get up so early? Did you sleep well last night?"
After sending it, he thought for a moment and added another: "Was I really heavy last night? You probably didn't sleep well with me lying on you."
This time, Fan Jin replied quickly with a text: "It was fine."
It was fine.
Shan Ye couldn't help smiling at those words.
He tidied up, changed, and left. He had planned to go straight to the café, but halfway there, he turned back. He went home, changed into another outfit, and ruffled his hair, studying himself in the mirror for ages before leaving again.
The wind chime rang as he pushed open the café door.
Zhang Nan looked up, saw him, and smiled. "Mr. Shan's here!"
Shan Ye nodded, his gaze sweeping behind the counter. Fan Jin stood behind the coffee machine with his back to the entrance, his apron neatly tied.
He walked over, leaned on the counter, and tilted his head to look at him. "Fan Jin, I'm here."
Fan Jin turned and glanced at him. He had come over in a new outfit.
"What would you like?"
"A latte." Shan Ye's eyes curved with his smile.
Fan Jin said nothing and turned to make it.
Shan Ye leaned on the counter and watched him make his coffee. Fan Jin's arm moved in gentle little motions as he poured the latte art, tracing out a rose stroke by stroke.
Fan Jin pushed the coffee toward him. There was something different about the way he looked at him now, something not quite so innocent.
"What is it?" Shan Ye touched his face. "Is there something on my face?"
"No." Fan Jin looked away and turned to wash the cups.
Shan Ye carried his coffee to his usual seat. He noticed that Fan Jin now glanced over at him from time to time.
He took out his phone and messaged Fan Jin: "Fan Jin, are you looking at me?"
Shan Ye sent another message: "You're my boyfriend now. Look all you want. Be bolder. You can even come over and touch my hand."
Fan Jin: "Drink your coffee."
Shan Ye laughed aloud at the message. Zhang Nan was wiping cups nearby, watching them curiously, wanting to ask but not daring to.
He secretly tipped off his BL comic group: "Guys, the way these two are looking at each other today is practically dripping with affection. Something's up!!"
Shan Ye spent the whole morning at the café, grading a few student assignments and drinking two cups of coffee. At one point, Fan Jin came over to refill his cup, and Shan Ye seized the chance to catch his sleeve.
"Fan Jin, shall we have dinner together tonight?"
Fan Jin looked down at the fingers clutching his sleeve and fell silent for two seconds. "We'll see."
Shan Ye wasn't happy. He wrinkled his nose. "What do you mean, 'we'll see'? You're my boyfriend. Why do we have to 'see' about dinner?"
Fan Jin pulled his arm free. "We'll talk when I'm done."
Shan Ye pouted at his retreating back, then lowered his head to message him: "Then I'll buy groceries, and we can cook at your place tonight. Let me know when you're done."
Shan Ye put his phone away and saw Fan Jin head into the kitchen to work. He packed up his laptop and lesson plans, said goodbye to Zhang Nan, and left.
That afternoon, he went to the supermarket, pushing a cart around for several laps and buying a pile of things.
He wasn't actually very good at grocery shopping. He picked up whatever caught his eye: ribs, leafy greens, tomatoes, eggs, noodles, and a box of strawberries. He wasn't sure what Fan Jin liked, so he got a little of everything.
The shopping cart was packed full.
At checkout, he messaged Fan Jin: "I bought loads. What do you still have in your fridge?"
Fan Jin sent a photo of the inside of his fridge. It was very clean: a few cartons of milk, a bag of bread, a few eggs, and half a jar of chili sauce in the corner.
Looking at the photo, Shan Ye felt something he couldn't quite describe. Fan Jin's life was far too bare-bones.
He typed: "Wait for me. I'll be right there."
When he arrived downstairs at Fan Jin's building carrying two large bags, Fan Jin was already waiting at the entrance. He glanced at the bags in Shan Ye's hands and took them. "You bought this much?"
"I didn't know what you liked, so I bought a bit extra." Shan Ye shook out his hands, reddened by the handles, and followed him upstairs.
Fan Jin walked ahead at a brisk pace, but stopped at the door to wait for him. When Shan Ye caught up, Fan Jin stepped aside to let him enter first.
As soon as the door closed, Shan Ye sidled up again, wrapping his arms around Fan Jin's waist from behind and resting his chin on his shoulder. Fan Jin stiffened, then relaxed.
"Fan Jin."
"What is it?"
"What are we now?"
Fan Jin rested a hand on the arms around his waist and patted them twice. "What do you think we are?"
"I'm asking you." Shan Ye's voice was soft, the last words carrying a slightly coaxing lilt. "Last night, you asked me to be your boyfriend. Does that still count?"
Fan Jin turned around, and Shan Ye's hands slid down. They stood face-to-face, very close.
"It counts," Fan Jin said, his voice low but serious.
After saying it, he stared at Shan Ye's lips for two seconds, then leaned in almost involuntarily and kissed him. It was a fleeting brush, yet intensely intimate.
Once Shan Ye registered what had happened, his eyes curved into crescents, and he flung himself forward to hug him again.
"You stole a kiss!" Shan Ye protested indignantly.
Fan Jin laughed. "You call that stealing a kiss?"
He had kissed him openly, after all.
Shan Ye buried his face in the crook of his neck. "So, boyfriend, what are we making for dinner?"
"Sweet-and-sour ribs. Want some?"
"Yes!"
Shan Ye made a nuisance of himself in the kitchen for a while, splashing water all over himself while washing the vegetables and tearing up while chopping onions. Fan Jin couldn't stand watching any longer and shooed him into the living room.
As Fan Jin took ingredients out of the shopping bags, he suddenly spotted something that decidedly wasn't food. He picked it up to look: a sleek blue box with the words-ultra-thin, barely there.
Before you continue