Xiao Ying

There was a small balcony at the south end of the living room, with the kitchen opposite it. Since the apartment was too small to fit a dining area, a little island beside the stove served as a dining table.

The bedroom and bathroom were between the living room and kitchen. The bathroom was small but just big enough. In the bedroom, a row of floor-to-ceiling wardrobes lined one wall, and there was a double bed about 1.8 meters wide. There were no nightstands; a floor lamp stood where one should have been.

Shi Yuan toured the apartment, which measured just over fifty square meters, three whole times. Then he looked at Wei Zelin, hesitating before he spoke. "One bedroom?"

"Yes. You might have to live here on your own for now. I'll move in after I get back from S City," Wei Zelin said as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The refusal hovered on Shi Yuan's tongue, but he couldn't get it out. Wei Zelin had rented the apartment, so it was perfectly normal for him to live here. What wasn't normal was how meticulously this guy advanced their relationship: first a kiss, then a confession, then straight to living together. He hadn't given Shi Yuan a moment to catch his breath.

Call him overbearing, yet he asked for Shi Yuan's opinion at every turn and did everything according to his wishes.

Call him scheming, yet he told Shi Yuan all his plans.

But aside from a little unnecessary reserve, Shi Yuan really didn't want to be apart from Wei Zelin. These days, even a glance at him sent pink bubbles floating through his heart. There were still a few days left, anyway, so Shi Yuan fooled himself by pretending he hadn't heard.

"Do you have to stay at the Wei Family's place these next few days to finalize the trip to S City?" He didn't know why Wei Zelin insisted on getting involved, but he was sure he had his reasons.

"Mm. I'll probably go on the second day of Magic Cube Technology's celebration."

Wei Zelin took out his phone and sent a QR code to Shi Yuan on WeChat.

"This is their admission code. You can go have some fun too. It should be interesting."

Shi Yuan saved the QR code. "You Gui invited me too. I might go a day earlier." Since You Gui had invited him, she probably had an admission code as well, but now that Wei Zelin had one, he wouldn't need to mooch off his friend.

After all, mooching off his boyfriend was better.

Shi Yuan thought this with a beaming smile and a faint blush on his cheeks.

Wei Zelin reached out with his long fingers and gently kneaded Shi Yuan's smooth cheek.

"Sorry I can't go with you this time."

Shi Yuan thought for a moment. "That's fine, but if I run into you at the anniversary celebration, should I pretend I don't see you?"

"I have people in the Wei Corporation too. If the person going with me this time is one of mine, it'll be fine. I went to university in S City, and I have plenty of friends there. I'll take you out when we're there." He had promised not to lie to Shi Yuan, and there were things he could gradually reveal to him now.

Shi Yuan didn't overthink it. "Sure," he said happily.

They talked for a long time. It was almost midnight when they finally went downstairs and returned to the Wei Family's house. There were no changes of clothes here, so Shi Yuan still had to go back for the night.

He was so excited that he barely slept all night, starting to pack right away. He didn't have much luggage, and even fewer clothes. He packed whatever toiletries he could bring and threw out anything too old, planning to buy replacements.

Wei Zelin also planned to bring over some of his luggage. With only a few days left before his trip to S City, he wanted to move everything before he left rather than deal with it after he returned.

Shi Yuan wasn't the only one delighted. If not for him, Wei Zelin might have kept entangling himself with the scum in the Wei Family forever. Now he had someone more important to protect. Aside from delivering the outcome he had already planned for the Wei Corporation, so much else was no longer necessary, or important.

What mattered was making Shi Yuan happy.

Wei Zelin knew very well what mattered most to him, and he was good at seizing opportunities.

Being his boyfriend really did mean different treatment. Shi Yuan got up early that morning, and Wei Zelin drove him to Shuxiang Gardens first and carried all his luggage upstairs. Shi Yuan joined him for breakfast at a little stall beside Clearheart Lake, then Wei Zelin drove to work while Shi Yuan stayed home to clean. It almost felt like they were a young married couple settling into their life together.

Although the apartment was fully furnished, they still hadn't bought many household necessities. Shi Yuan wiped down every cabinet. Even in the pleasantly cool weather of mid-October, he worked up a clammy sweat.

Then, when he wanted to mop the floor, he discovered there was no mop. He checked the map and found a large chain supermarket eight hundred meters to the left of the complex's entrance. He listed everything the apartment needed in his notes, showered, changed out of his cleaning clothes, and headed out.

As he picked things out and pared them back at the supermarket, he realized he had overestimated himself. All the large furnishings in the little apartment were already in place, clearly custom-made during the renovation, but plenty of odds and ends and daily necessities still needed filling in. Some things would also have to be bought at a mall. He probably couldn't carry everything home in one trip, so he could only buy the most urgently needed items first.

Cleaning supplies, towels, toothbrushes, and other everyday necessities-Shi Yuan swept them up as he walked, filling an entire cart.

"Shi... Shi Yuan?" An uncertain female voice came from behind him.

Shi Yuan looked back. Well, what a coincidence.

"Xiao Ying?"

It was Zhang Xiuying, whom he had run into at the night market a while ago. Beside her stood a middle-aged woman in her fifties.

Xiao Ying immediately noticed the daily necessities piled high in his cart. "What a coincidence! You're shopping too? Are you moving into a new place?"

They had run into each other at a nearby night market last time, so Shi Yuan guessed Xiao Ying lived in the area too. "Yes. Do you live around here too?"

Xiao Ying linked arms with the middle-aged woman. "We live in Shuxiang Gardens, right over here."

Shi Yuan said in surprise, "I live there too?"

Xiao Ying's eyes widened as well. What a small world. Her brother had been wailing about his broken heart just a few days ago, and now this guy had practically appeared on their doorstep. Wouldn't this stir up her brother's shallow little stream of feelings all over again?

Xiao Ying's mother looked at her daughter, then at the exceptionally handsome Shi Yuan in his sweatshirt and trousers. Suddenly, she broke into a radiant smile and said warmly, "Xiao Ying, is this a classmate of yours? What a handsome young man! Did you just move here? Would you like to come over for a visit?"

Shi Yuan scratched his head awkwardly. "I won't trouble you today, ma'am. I'll visit another time."

Xiao Ying knew exactly what her mother was thinking. "Mom! He's not my classmate. We've only met twice before."

"It doesn't matter if he's not your classmate. There's nothing wrong with coming over for a little visit."

Xiao Ying knew Shi Yuan's sexual orientation. Afraid her mother would say something else that might make him uncomfortable, she hurriedly pulled her away.

Even from far away, Shi Yuan could still hear the mother and daughter arguing. "Stop saying things like that. I barely know him."

"You'll know him once you chat! What a handsome boy."

"He likes men!"

"Oh, then I really should go back and ask for his number. Wouldn't he be perfect for your brother? How long has he been single now?"

"Just give it up. He's already married!"

Shi Yuan's eyes crinkled with amusement. What an open-minded family. Their mother was funny and entertaining, and both her children had been raised to be cheerful and outgoing.

Carrying a huge bag of things along with a mop and bucket, Shi Yuan struggled his way home. Downstairs, he actually spotted his brand-new boyfriend.

"Why are you back?"

Wei Zelin took the things from his hands. "Everything's been finalized. Wei Ming told me to take Sun Yixuan shopping this afternoon, so he let me leave."

Even though Shi Yuan knew nothing would happen between Wei Zelin and Miss Sun, he was still annoyed. His brows knitted. "You still have to keep spending time with that pretty Miss Sun over the next few days? Are you taking her to S City too?"

Wei Zelin enjoyed Shi Yuan's jealousy, his eyes behind his glasses gleaming with amusement. But he still had to explain what needed explaining. He couldn't let Shi Yuan misunderstand.

"I don't need to spend any more time with her, and she won't be able to go to S City either." His last words carried a deeper meaning.

Shi Yuan figured this man was quietly devious and had probably pulled some trick again. He wanted to offer a few words of caution, but he wasn't so generous that he felt no resentment toward Sun Yixuan. All he could say stiffly was, "Just be careful with whatever you do. Don't do anything illegal."

Wei Zelin's smile deepened. The corners of his mouth hadn't dropped since he had seen Shi Yuan. He pinched Shi Yuan's nose. "Understood. I'll listen to my Yuan Yuan."

Shi Yuan pulled out the long mop and carried it upstairs. Wei Zelin followed him with the bucket and the large bag of supplies.

Once inside, Wei Zelin looked around the spotless apartment and frowned. "Didn't we agree to do it together when I got back? You wiped everything down on your own?"

Shi Yuan said guiltily, "I had nothing else to do at home. The sooner it's clean, the sooner we can feel comfortable here."

He changed the subject. "I'm hungry. You haven't had lunch either, have you? I didn't buy any groceries earlier. Should we eat out or order delivery?"

Wei Zelin turned the question back on him. "What do you think?"

Shi Yuan considered it. "Why don't you come to the mall with me? We can eat there and shop afterward. We still don't have quilts, sheets, or duvet covers."

Having Wei Zelin around saved Shi Yuan a lot of trouble. With so many things to buy, even taking a taxi wouldn't have been very convenient.

That afternoon, Wei Zelin drove to the mall. They found a nearby restaurant for lunch, then began shopping once they had eaten.

It was a mid-range mall geared toward ordinary shoppers. Shi Yuan had bought his discounted clothes here last time. He first bought a set of sofa covers and pillows, and was now looking at sheets and duvet covers.

"Buy this one."

Wei Zelin took the single duvet cover out of his hands and replaced it with a double.

Shi Yuan understood what he meant almost instantly, and his face flushed bright red.

As though Shi Yuan wasn't embarrassed enough, Wei Zelin picked out a double quilt too. "It's getting cold. We need a new quilt as well."

What could Shi Yuan say? With his head practically hot enough to smoke, he kept his gaze lowered. "Fine, buy them all."

Men were quick shoppers to begin with, so it was only two in the afternoon when they got back. After dropping everything off, they made another trip to the supermarket to buy oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, rice, flour, vegetables, eggs, and meat.

Their little home was finally filled. Shi Yuan put away their purchases while Wei Zelin took the new quilt out to the balcony to air in the sun. He also put the sheets and duvet covers into the washing machine to wash and dry.

"Yuan Yuan, come help me put the sofa covers on."

Shi Yuan answered weakly, "Okay, coming."

They had been busy for most of the day without taking a break. Although Wei Zelin had carried most of their purchases, Shi Yuan didn't have his stamina and had started getting tired long ago.

He came out of the kitchen and said in surprise, "You've already put them on? What did you call me for?"

After washing and drying the sofa covers, Wei Zelin had already fitted them onto the sofa.

"To get you to come rest for a while. I can handle the rest."