Qin Shu waited for a long time, but Chu Cheng and Xu Ning didn’t say anything further. He leaned forward slightly and saw them sitting at separate tables, each with a cup of coffee in front of them. Xu Ning was absentmindedly stirring his coffee, eyes lowered, lost in thought. Chu Cheng, meanwhile, was pretending to play with his phone, yet his gaze would sneak over to Xu Ning from time to time. When Xu Ning happened to sense it and lifted his head, meeting his eyes, Chu Cheng would immediately dart his gaze away.
Qin Shu was both speechless and heart-sore. This baby was truly silly—he didn’t even dare to look openly, yet when his mouth ran cheap he could make people explode with anger. With emotional intelligence like this, no wonder he got suppressed so hard by the other factions.
His son and son-in-law were rarely in the same frame, and there weren’t any passersby around; aside from the café staff, it was basically the two of them alone together. Qin Shu held himself back again and again, but in the end couldn’t resist—he pulled out his phone, wanting to snap a picture of the two of them alone, something he could secretly fangirl over later. He opened the camera, searching for the perfect angle. Just then, a voice sounded behind him:
“If you go any closer, they’ll notice.”
Qin Shu jumped so hard he nearly dropped his phone; whipping around, he saw the senior he’d only recently met, leaning casually against the wall, arms folded, face tilted slightly as he watched him at leisure.
Qin Shu instantly bloomed into a smile, but still remembered to lower his voice so as not to disturb the rare alone time between Cheng and Ning. “Senior, senior! What are you doing here?”
Xie Lanzhi paused. “Passing by.”
From school to home, there was a small road that cut through the night market. He had refused his roommates’ invitation to shoot a crime film, but on the way home had, for some reason, chosen that small road.
“Wow, what a coincidence.”
“Quite the coincidence.” Xie Lanzhi glanced toward the café. “Not going to explain?”
Qin Shu thought for a moment. “Let’s talk over there.” With that, he pulled Xie Lanzhi aside.
The night market was thick with mingling scents—barbecue, milk, spicy-hot… but Qin Shu could still faintly catch the fresh lemon scent clinging to the senior, probably from his laundry detergent.
That thought of scent suddenly made Qin Shu realize—eating the snail noodles, baby wasn’t the only one who’d just eaten snail noodles.
He cursed silently in his heart and quickly let go of the senior’s arm. Reeking of snail noodles, he was not worthy of touching his male god’s arm!
Seeing him withdraw his hand, Xie Lanzhi was puzzled. “Hm?”
“Mosquito bite,” Qin Shu said smoothly, and naturally pulled a bottle of floral cologne he’d just bought from his plastic bag, spraying himself seven or eight times in quick succession. After spraying, he even bent down to sniff himself.
Cr*p—it seemed like he smelled even worse now.
The corners of Xie Lanzhi’s lips curled. “Mosquito gone?”
Because of embarrassment, Qin Shu’s ears burned a little. He wanted to rub them but thought rubbing ears was too stupid, so his raised hand passed over his ear and ruffled his hair instead. “Gone.”
The two returned to the bustling street. With the senior at his side, Qin Shu felt his turn-head rate rise from fifty percent to ninety-five.
Before the senior could speak, Qin Shu took the initiative: “I know what I was doing looked really suspicious, but I had my reasons.”
Xie Lanzhi didn’t say anything, waiting for Qin Shu’s “reasons.”
Qin Shu decided to stick with the original plot and put on a look of deep affection. “Senior, I like Xu Ning.”
Xie Lanzhi froze, then slowly said: “You like Xu Ning, and you’re telling me?”
“Uh?” Qin Shu was a bit dumbfounded. “Didn’t you ask me to explain?”
“…Go on.”
“Oh, oh. I like Xu Ning, but there are too many people chasing him. Any boy who shows up around him could be my love rival. I’m afraid someone will steal him away, so I have to keep a close eye.”
Xie Lanzhi let out a small laugh. “That’s your reason for stalking people?”
“It’s not stalking,” Qin Shu glanced at the takoyaki stall nearby, “I just happened to see them, and couldn’t resist listening in for a bit.”
Xie Lanzhi thought a moment. “You think Chu Cheng is also your rival in love, so you moved back into the dorm to keep watch on him.”
That reason is great! Qin Shu kept staring at the takoyaki stall. “Ah, so you saw through me.”
Xie Lanzhi followed his gaze. “Want to eat?”
“N-no.” I was just looking for somewhere to rest my guilty eyes.
Xie Lanzhi walked over to the stall. “One order, please.”
The lady boss was especially enthusiastic. “Sure thing! Big or small?”
“Big.”
“Big one has ten pieces. Handsome boy, you’re so good-looking, I’ll give you two extra. Come often, okay?” She swiftly packed twelve takoyaki into a box, squeezed salad dressing, sprinkled bonito flakes, and handed it to Xie Lanzhi.
Qin Shu stared, thinking, So the senior eats takoyaki too, even though it doesn’t match his vibe at all.
Xie Lanzhi took the box and turned, handing it to Qin Shu.
Qin Shu thought he just wanted him to hold it, so he carefully took it. But after paying, Xie Lanzhi said: “Is that enough?”
Turns out he’s the one takoyaki truly matches. “…Enough.”
“After you eat, stop eavesdropping on people.” With that farewell, Xie Lanzhi left. “See you, little paparazzi.”
Qin Shu, clutching the takoyaki, watched the senior’s departing back, once again grateful he wasn’t part of the stock-attack lineup.
Watching that back with him was also the stall lady. “That handsome boy’s from the film academy, right? He’s definitely going to be famous someday—hey, doesn’t holding that box burn your hands?”
Qin Shu looked down at the takoyaki box in his hands and belatedly exclaimed: “Cr*p—”
Although the senior told him not to eavesdrop on others, that was his baby, not “others.” Qin Shu silently apologized to the takoyaki, and while eating it, returned to the café. But he hadn’t even been gone ten minutes and the whole scene had flipped upside down. The person Xu Ning was waiting for had arrived—a tall, slim boy in glasses, refined and elegant, with a gentle smile. He looked every bit the warmhearted type.
Qin Shu’s stock-radar instantly picked up something odd. Could it be that finally, someone besides Chu Cheng had appeared? Was this a miniature battlefield of love?
“I didn’t know you’d bring someone along,” the warm boy’s voice was warm too. “Didn’t we agree to talk alone?”
Chu Cheng said coldly, “I wasn’t brought by him.”
The warm boy smiled. “Then could you step aside? Please?”
“No,” Chu Cheng said. “I’ll sit wherever I want. This café isn’t yours.”
Xu Ning stood up. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
The warm boy replied gently, “Alright.”
Xu Ning called the waiter for the bill, about to leave with him. Chu Cheng, too proud to follow, sat fuming in place, his face black as the bottom of a pot.
Qin Shu couldn’t take it anymore. He decided to step into the battlefield as the stock-attack role and stir up the mess.
“Ning Ning!” Qin Shu strode into the café with a big smile. “Did you just crawl out of my head?”
Xu Ning was startled. “Huh?”
Chu Cheng rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out. He muttered, “Here he goes again, acting crazy.”
“Because just now my head was full of you, and then you showed up,” Qin Shu said.
Xu Ning: “…”
Chu Cheng made a gagging gesture at his half-finished coffee.
The “warm guy’s” voice finally lost its warmth. Calmly, he said, “He’s also your friend?”
Qin Shu took the initiative. “Qin Shu. And you?”
The warm guy gave a predictable name. “Wang Youyu.”
Lightning flashed in Qin Shu’s eyes—sharp, cunning. He’s here! The third-ranked stock has entered the game!
Wang Youyu: Xu Ning’s high school classmate, first love, and ex-boyfriend. Now attending the same university, majoring in Japanese. Outwardly a gentleman, inwardly black-bellied, with a touch of yandere. Among fans, the “You-Ning” ship had double the support of “Cheng-Ning,” thanks mostly to “broken mirror reunited” fans and “first love” shippers.
Their breakup? Largely Wang Youyu’s fault. His “warm boy” persona was too perfect. During their relationship, Xu Ning always thought his boyfriend was like a golden retriever, so the romance had a sweet, wholesome vibe (of course it did—early love in high school; if it wasn’t wholesome, this novel would’ve been locked long ago). But after graduation, more and more admirers swarmed around Xu Ning. He made it clear he already had a boyfriend, but they wouldn’t back off—Qin Shu, in the original timeline, was one of them.
At first, Wang Youyu kept wearing his gentle mask, suppressing his jealousy and possessiveness. But the more he held it in, the worse the eventual explosion. One time, Xu Ning was forcibly kissed by a pesty suitor, and Wang Youyu happened to witness it. Jealousy and fury shattered his mask. He pushed up his glasses, rolled up his sleeves, beat the guy to a pulp—and then went off the rails: confinement, ropes, the full course on Xu Ning. Though he snapped out of it before crossing the final line, the damage was done. Xu Ning, soft-tempered as he was, couldn’t accept almost being forced by his own boyfriend. Despite pain, reluctance, and Wang Youyu’s sincere apologies, Xu Ning broke up with him.
Got to admit, this kind of “refined scum, gentleman outside, beast inside” was compelling. But Xu Ning didn’t seem the type to take back an ex. Qin Shu considered Wang Youyu harmless. He hadn’t even fought “You-Ning” fans back then—sometimes he’d even allied with them against the most powerful rival, the “Lan-Ning” ship. With a common enemy, they were friends.
Feigning ignorance, Qin Shu asked, “You’re also at our university?”
Wang Youyu gave him a discreet once-over, then smiled. “Mm. I’m in the School of Foreign Languages.”
Qin Shu laughed boldly. “Since we’re all classmates, and all friends of Ning Ning, why don’t we get a meal together? My treat.”
Chu Cheng perked right up. “I’ve got no problem with that. I’m starving anyway.”
Wang Youyu turned to Xu Ning, smiling. “Ah Ning, what do you say?”
Chu Cheng frowned. “‘Ning Ning’ is bad enough. What the hell is this ‘Ah Ning’? Why does everyone have to call him by some sappy nickname? Annoying.”
Xu Ning said, “But Chu Cheng already ate.”
“Who said that? I haven’t eaten a thing tonight.”
Xu Ning went quiet, then asked, “So it was snail noodles you ate at lunch?”
Chu Cheng: “…”
Qin Shu covered his eyes. The scene was too beautiful to watch.
This round of the battlefield? His little baby, utterly defeated. Cause of defeat: a bowl of snail noodles.
Author’s Note: Feels like the baby is getting more and more “uke” the more Little Love Letter raises him. Is this the legendary “close to uke becomes uke”? (contemplating.jpg)
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