In the café.
The girl sitting across from Jiang Chiyan was his childhood friend, Fu Man.
Fu Man held her dessert, her face full of excitement, and asked Jiang Chiyan, "So... the Gunpowder Smoke CP I ship is real?"
Fu Man was the head moderator of the Gunpowder Smoke CP supertopic.
Jiang Chiyan smiled. "Of course."
Just then-
A gloomy, low, husky male voice sounded beside Jiang Chiyan's ear. "Sir, the coffee you ordered."
Jiang Chiyan froze for a moment. "I didn't order cof..."
His words abruptly cut off.
Because Jiang Chiyan saw that the man before him wore a café server's shirt and vest, along with a work cap and mask, covering himself up completely.
But Jiang Chiyan could still tell at a glance that he was...
Xiao Cheng.
Hearing Jiang Chiyan say he hadn't ordered coffee, Xiao Cheng leaned forward, bracing himself against the table and blocking Fu Man's view of Jiang Chiyan. He lowered his voice. "Then, sir... are you drinking this coffee or not?"
The threat was unmistakable, the danger coming straight at him.
Jiang Chiyan smiled and said obediently, "I am."
Then he picked up the coffee in front of him, took a small sip, and was startled.
Yet Xiao Cheng still asked ominously, "Does it taste good?"
Jiang Chiyan fought the urge to spit it out and said through gritted teeth, "Very. Good."
Who knew how much soy sauce and vinegar had been added to this coffee? It seemed...
There was plenty of wasabi, too.
Jiang Chiyan tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, the heat almost bringing tears to his eyes.
Xiao Cheng smiled in satisfaction, then pressed him aggressively. "If it tastes good, why aren't you finishing it? There's still so much left."
Jiang Chiyan's tongue was numb. "Can I wait a little before..."
Xiao Cheng's tone grew harsher. "Drink it now!"
As soon as Xiao Cheng finished speaking...
Without hesitation, Jiang Chiyan picked up the coffee from the table and slowly brought it to his lips.
It seemed that as long as Xiao Cheng told him to drink it, he could swallow even poison without batting an eye.
Jiang Chiyan felt he had lost his mind.
He had actually tasted sweetness in that revolting culinary disaster of a coffee.
Because he liked seeing Xiao Cheng get jealous over him.
Just then-
Fu Man, sitting across from Jiang Chiyan, couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. "I never thought I'd see the day, Jiang Yuan! You're this afraid of your partner, hahahahaha!"
Xiao Cheng stiffened, the chill in his eyes deepening.
Jiang Yuan...
This girl even knew the name Jiang Yuan.
What exactly was her relationship with Jiang Chiyan??
Jiang Chiyan stood up, put an arm around Xiao Cheng's shoulders, and said to Fu Man, "Let me introduce you..."
"Xiao Cheng, my man."
"Fu Man, my childhood friend."
Jiang Chiyan openly acknowledged his relationship with Xiao Cheng.
Most of the pent-up frustration in Xiao Cheng's heart instantly dissipated.
Fu Man held out her hand to Xiao Cheng. "Brother Cheng, could you give me an autograph later? My Weibo ID is Gunpowder Smoke Rose. It should look pretty familiar to you."
Xiao Cheng paused.
Gunpowder Smoke Rose was a devoted fan who had followed him ever since his debut. Back then, she hadn't gone by that name.
Only after the Gunpowder Smoke CP burst onto the scene had she changed her name to Gunpowder Smoke Rose.
And Gunpowder Smoke Rose had once posted her marriage certificate with her husband on Weibo.
The remaining bit of frustration and jealousy in Xiao Cheng's heart dissipated, too.
Embarrassed and sheepish, he reached out his hand to Fu Man.
Just as they were about to shake hands...
Jiang Chiyan caught Xiao Cheng's wrist and said, "No need for a handshake."
Fu Man smiled brightly. "You're awfully jealous, Jiang Yuan."
Jiang Chiyan pulled Xiao Cheng more tightly into his arms. "What can I do? My little boyfriend is as pretty as a flower."
Just as Fu Man was about to speak, a WeChat notification sounded on her phone.
Fu Man glanced down at it and said to Jiang Chiyan, "Xi Hanchu's here. I'll go out and get him. You two sit here and wait for me a moment."
Then Fu Man picked up her clutch and went out.
Xiao Cheng asked Jiang Chiyan in surprise, "Xi Hanchu?"
He remembered that there had once been a veteran best actor in the entertainment industry named Xi Hanchu.
The Xi Family was also a family on equal footing with the Jiang Family.
Jiang Chiyan nodded. "Xi Hanchu and Fu Man are both my childhood friends."
Xiao Cheng paused. "Today... you weren't meeting that Miss Fu alone for coffee?"
Jiang Chiyan chuckled. Beneath the table, his hand had already mischievously settled on Xiao Cheng's thigh. He said, "With such a jealous little boyfriend, how would I dare?"
Xiao Cheng asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to meet up with your childhood friends?"
Jiang Chiyan didn't hide it from him. "Being with me while we can't announce our relationship publicly yet is already unfair enough to you. I should at least let my best friends and the person I love most get to know each other."
Xiao Cheng's heart burned with warmth.
Jiang Chiyan scooped up a spoonful of dessert and brought it to his lips. "Best Actor Xiao, if you're really touched... let's go take wedding photos tomorrow."