It wasn’t just hugging.
The man’s collar was wide open, one hand braced at the girl’s waist, the other pressing firmly against her back.
He held her so tightly that the girl leaned forward, almost plastered into his chest.
It seemed they had just pulled apart—Xie Dingyuan’s gaze was dark and heavy, his breathing unsteady; Jiang Fuyue’s lips shone, cheeks flushed scarlet.
What they had been doing—obvious at a glance.
“…You two?”
For an instant, Zhong Ziang thought he hadn’t woken up yet, that the sight before his eyes was just a dream.
But one second, two seconds passed…
Time went on, and he didn’t wake up. The “dream” didn’t fade.
So—it was all real.
The girl he liked was at this moment being held in his uncle’s arms, kissed and touched.
The corners of their mouths still carried traces of lingering smiles.
Zhong Ziang had never once seen his uncle entangled with a woman. But the first time he did, it was with the girl he liked.
His eyes burned hot, his nose stung. “You two… are you dating?”
The teenager’s gaze shattered, his face pale. Every word he spoke trembled with grievance.
Jiang Fuyue looked between nephew and uncle, calmly retreating from Xie Dingyuan’s arms. “You didn’t tell him?”
“Didn’t get the chance…” before they were caught.
Xie Dingyuan had imagined the worst-case scenario. Now, all of it was happening.
His eyes flickered. He lifted his gaze to Zhong Ziang. “Yes. We’re together.”
“The day you came back, I was going to tell you. But you left too quickly…”
Zhong Ziang’s whole body trembled, but his tone was eerily calm. “When did it start?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…The day I returned from F Continent.”
So after rejecting him, Yici, and Ling Xuan, Jiang Fuyue had chosen his uncle?!
Why?
Emptiness spread in the boy’s eyes.
Was it because he wasn’t good enough?
Xie Dingyuan stepped forward. “Ziang, let’s talk privately in the study.”
“No need!” the boy suddenly raised his voice, eyes sharp, his expression turning from shock to defiant arrogance, though it couldn’t hide the wound beneath. “There’s nothing to talk about! Losing is losing! I don’t need your comfort!”
With that, he spun around and bolted out the door.
Xie Dingyuan’s brows drew into a hard knot. He pulled out his phone. “Yiming, send someone to follow Zhong Ziang. …Don’t bring him back, just make sure he’s safe.”
—
Zhong Ziang ran out of the community, flagged a cab.
Driver: “Where to?”
Covering his eyes, voice choked, “…Anywhere.”
The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Another lovesick youth.
These kids nowadays—at the best age, yet instead of striving hard, they wallowed in love affairs. Clearly too well-fed, never tasted real suffering…
The driver drove him in circles along the riverside. They said looking at the sea helped heal heartbreak.
Linhuai had no sea, but it had a river.
Water was water—the effect should be about the same, right?
After the third circle, the driver couldn’t help asking, “Young man, the meter’s already at three hundred. You got enough cash?”
Zhong Ziang immediately whipped out his phone. “I lack anything but—”
Uh!
The word “money” stuck in his throat. He froze.
Empty pockets.
After fumbling, he pulled out only about three hundred yuan—the deposit the internet café owner had refunded him.
Two minutes later, he got off.
Three hundred went to the driver. Twenty-three yuan remained—his entire fortune now.
He walked along the riverside road. The river breeze carried a hint of coolness into the summer night.
Streetlights lit the road bright as day. Passing cars roared by, leaving streaks of wind.
He didn’t know how long he walked, or where. By the time he realized it, he was standing at the entrance of the internet café.
He had reserved it first, even paid a deposit. Yet in the end, the owner lent the venue to his buddy instead, refunding triple the deposit.
Just like how he was the one who first met Jiang Fuyue, the one who confessed first—but in the end, she chose Xie Dingyuan.
Suddenly, Zhong Ziang felt like a stray dog. Couldn’t book a venue, couldn’t win a girl.
Everything ended up belonging to someone else.
His lips pressed tight. He squatted in the corner, staring at the ground.
Now, he looked even more like a dog.
The café owner came out in slippers and shorts to buy cigarettes. Paused mid-step, turned toward the corner.
“…Young Master Zhong?”
Zhong Ziang ignored him, shifted further away.
The boss chuckled. “Really is you! About today, sorry. He’s my brother in arms, I couldn’t refuse.”
But the boy who had been silent and dejected suddenly shot to his feet. “A single sorry? I was here first! Ever heard of first come, first served?! Of honest business practices?! You think I just lost a booking?!”
The boss: “…Otherwise?” What else could he lose?
Zhong Ziang roared, voice cracking, “I lost my love—!”
The boss nearly got goosebumps. Tentatively: “You… broke up?”
So fast, in just a few hours?
Like a cat with its tail stepped on, Zhong Ziang exploded. “You’re the one who broke up! Your whole family broke up!”
The boss: “…”
“I never even dated!”
Jiang Fuyue had never accepted his confession.
It had always been him—fooling himself, deceiving himself.
The boss’s eyes softened. “You look miserable. Come inside, sit down?”
Zhong Ziang snorted. “Didn’t you give the place to your buddy?”
“I’m still the boss. Letting one person in isn’t a problem.”
“…I’ve got no money.”
“Don’t worry, won’t charge you.”
“That’s better.” He brushed past him, heading in.
The boss: “…”
“Oh, right—you’re going to buy cigarettes, right?”
“So?”
“Bring me two packs of instant noodles.” His stomach growled; he hadn’t eaten dinner.
The boss: “Didn’t you just say you had no money?”
Zhong Ziang, righteously: “You’re treating.”
“…F*ck.”
In the end, the boss really did buy him two bowls of instant noodles—different flavors, plus sausages and spicy strips.
Zhong Ziang sat in a private booth with three computers on, playing different games. “Where’s the hot water? Can’t make noodles without it.”
The boss: “I take you in, and you really think you’re my ancestor, huh?!”
“Weren’t you the one who invited me?”
The boss: “?”
“If you hadn’t stolen my booking, I wouldn’t have gone home. If I hadn’t gone home, I wouldn’t have… bumped into that. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have stormed out without wallet or phone. So—”
Zhong Ziang bellowed, “It’s all your fault! You’re responsible for my suffering!”
The boss: “??” What kind of ghost logic was this?
“…Fine, hot water it is!”
“Not just hot—boiling! Otherwise the noodles won’t cook.”
“…F*ck me.”
Ten minutes later, Zhong Ziang happily slurped noodles, sausage in one hand, fork in the other.
After finishing, he belched. “Ah~ full.”
The boss, arms crossed, coldly watched him.
Zhong Ziang: “Got dental floss?”
The boss: “…”
“Then a toothpick. Grab me one.”
“…!”
After flossing, Zhong Ziang ordered him to throw the containers out. “Smells too strong, ruins the air.”
By the time the boss came back, the boy wanted to speak again. The boss cut him off: “Stop right there, ancestor!”
The teen rolled his eyes. “Scaredy-cat. Come on, play a few rounds with me.”
Boss: “I’ve got a shop to run.”
“What shop? The place is booked out anyway. Sit, log in, play—whether you want to or not!”
Boss: “You’re only acting this way because you’re miserable!”
“Bullsh*t—you’re the reason I’m miserable!”
“…D*mn.”
So they played. Zhong Ziang was like on steroids, headshotting everyone, ruthless.
Boss: “Bro, we’ve got no car, let’s team up! Why kill them?”
Zhong Ziang sneered, “I need alliances? I’ll just rob a car.”
Boss: “…” Fine, you’re badass.
Two chicken dinners in a row. Just as they queued a third match, someone knocked. “Boss, Brother Song wants you.”
Zhong Ziang: “Who’s that?”
“My buddy.” He tossed the mouse aside, went out. “Keep playing.”
Zhong Ziang played alone, movements furious, jaw tight. Finally he slammed the mouse, kicked over the chair, yelling:
“F*ck it all!”
Collapse sometimes takes just one moment.
The boss rushed in. “Young master, if you’re gonna go crazy, go smash cars outside, not my shop!”
Having vented, Zhong Ziang finally breathed easier. He asked, “Got booze?”
Boss: “You paying?”
Skipped the question entirely: “Bring four bottles. You’re drinking too.”
“…Great. I pay and drink.”
Minutes later—clink!
Beer cans collided, froth spilling.
Zhong Ziang tilted back, gulping wildly.
The boss snatched it away. “Who drinks like that? Half the can’s gone already!”
Zhong Ziang brushed him off, sneering, “You don’t get it. I’m not drinking beer, I’m drinking loneliness. Know what loneliness is?”
Boss shook his head.
“Loneliness is liking someone you can’t have. Wanting to do things you can’t do. Just lying on the ground like a dead dog, and no one even spares you a glance. Not even one.”
“…They were right—heartbroken men are philosophers.”
“I told you—I’m not heartbroken!”
“Then what?”
Zhong Ziang gritted his teeth. “…My love was stolen, cut down by the blade.”
“Whoa. Who could steal a girl from you? You’ve got money, looks, body—should be easy.”
“My uncle.”
“…Who?”
“My blood uncle!”
“…F*ck.”
Boss blinked. “No wonder.”
Zhong Ziang: “?”
“Think about it. You’re already a rich second gen. Your uncle must be first gen rich, right? And if you’re handsome, he must be even more so—older, steadier… More money, more looks—what girl wouldn’t choose him?”
“But he’s older than me!”
“You don’t get it. Young girls these days love older guys—‘uncle’ types. Feels like a drama, fulfills their romantic fantasies.”
“She’s not that shallow.” Zhong Ziang’s tone was firm.
To him, Jiang Fuyue was dazzlingly capable, strong, brave. She’d never cling to anyone.
Boss: “…Then it’s not dependence. It’s being equals.”
“Equals?”
“Yeah. Outstanding people are drawn to each other. Same values, synchronized thoughts, soul resonance. In plain words—they’re a match.”
Only a match could stand side by side.
No one chasing, no one depending.
Zhong Ziang’s eyes dimmed. After a long while, he muttered, “So… she doesn’t like me because I’m not good enough?”
Boss: “Not that you’re not good. Just that your kind of good doesn’t attract her. But your uncle’s does.”
“What should I do then?!” His eyes lit up.
“Come on. She’s basically your aunt now. You still want to steal her back?”
“She almost became my girlfriend first! He made the move, why can’t I? He struck first, I’ll strike back. Let’s see who wins!”
Zhong Ziang straightened. He hadn’t lost yet. Not until they married—he still had a chance.
Boss eyed him. “Like this? Forget it. You’ve no chance.”
“What’s wrong with me now?”
“Look at the mirror.”
One glance—he was startled. Bloodshot eyes, slumped face, messy clothes, hair like a bird’s nest, scallion stuck between his teeth.
“See? You couldn’t win before. You can’t win like this either.”
“…Then what should I do?”
Boss thought a moment. “Actually, you’ve got one huge advantage.”
“What?”
“You’re young. That means endless possibilities, time to grow. You can become her equal. Only then will you have the right to fight your uncle.”
Zhong Ziang’s eyes burned. Yes—he had to become better, better than Xie Dingyuan. Only then could he take Jiang Fuyue back!
“Thanks. I know now!” He gulped beer, leapt up, stormed out—then paused, ran back, and slapped down his last twenty-three yuan.
“For the beer. My treat.”
The boss stared. Not enough, but—he had money?!
D*mn. Fooled again.
—
Zhong Ziang returned home past midnight.
The living room light was on. Xie Dingyuan sat on the sofa.
In nearly a year of living together, this was the first time Zhong Ziang had seen him up this late, not upstairs.
Hearing the door, the man looked over.
Black eyes, cold as stars.
This time, Zhong Ziang didn’t avoid him. He changed shoes, calmly walked forward.
“Uncle, don’t get cocky. You’ve only won for now.”
Xie Dingyuan had words prepared, but seeing the boy’s fighting spirit, his restored vigor, he realized they weren’t needed.
The man’s lips curved faintly. “Relax. I’ll keep winning.”
Zhong Ziang clenched his fists. “Not while I’m here!”
“Good. I’ll be waiting.” He turned, went upstairs.
—
Zhong Ziang didn’t storm back to the capital. Instead, he stayed in the villa, steadied himself.
All his past recklessness—overnight internet cafés, street fights, racing, clubs—he gave it all up.
Xie Dingyuan noted it silently.
Housekeeper Aunt Liu returned from leave, caring for both nephew and uncle.
For three days, Zhong Ziang shut himself in his room, meals brought to him.
Aunt Liu fretted. “What’s wrong? Such an active boy, suddenly quiet. Something happened while I was away?”
Xie Dingyuan said nothing. How could he admit: I’m dating the girl he likes, and he can’t take it? Even Professor Xie had pride.
On the fourth day, Zhong Ziang emerged, announcing: “I’m enlisting.”
Xie Dingyuan froze.
The news spread to the capital. Grandmother, Xie Yunzhao, six doting aunts—everyone was shocked.
“Ziang, what happened? Why so sudden?”
“Military life is too harsh. With our family’s conditions, you don’t need it. Don’t be impulsive.”
“Is it something you wanted and your mom refused? Tell Third Aunt, I’ll buy it!”
“Limited Lamborghini? Already ordered, arrives next week. Graduation gift from Fourth Aunt!”
Xie Yunzhao: “Your overseas school’s been arranged. What nonsense?”
Grandmother: “Ziang, did someone bully you? Tell Grandma, I’ll make it right!”
Everyone thought he was just rebelling, or bargaining. Only he knew how determined he was.
“I’ve already submitted my enlistment form.”
Grandmother was stunned.
Xie Yunzhao, dumbstruck.
The aunts fell silent.
“I’ll return to the capital tomorrow. Day after, medical checkup. If all clear, I’ll officially enlist in September.”
If they doubted before, the checkup notice screenshot ended it. The Xie women were speechless.
That evening, Zhong Yunyi called.
Before, he’d hang up without hesitation. This time, he answered calmly. “You’re enlisting?”
“Yeah.”
“…Really decided?”
“Decided.”
“…Just don’t come crying back.”
“Heh.”
Both hung up.
It was settled.
—
Ling Xuan heard, asked to meet.
“…Because of her, right?”
Silence.
Boys sometimes grow in an instant. He was still him, yet no longer the same.
Ling Xuan smiled faintly. “I’m going abroad.”
Zhong Ziang blinked. “I thought you’d stay for her.”
“Pointless. Proximity can’t close the gap. Only standing higher will let her see me.”
So he’d go. Return stronger.
The two boys locked eyes.
They understood each other.
To become better men—
That was their way of liking her.
For boys, liking someone means becoming a better version of themselves, just to win her gaze—even for a single glance.
