Standing behind Mu Chengguang was a handsome guy named Liu Zhi, who couldn’t help but notice the tall and striking figure of Shuai Chang. He stood up with a mischievous grin, winking at Mu Chengguang, “Hey, Chengguang, is this your boyfriend? He’s really good-looking; you really embody the reputation of a beauty lover.”
Mu Chengguang laughed proudly.
“Hello, Nan Yu,” Shuai Chang said, extending his long-fingered hand.
It was only then that Liu Zhi turned his attention to him properly, lazily mimicking the handshake as their hands briefly touched before pulling away.
“Damn, this feels a bit weird.” After taking two days to digest his childhood friend’s preference for men, Liu Zhi felt uneasy watching them interact, wondering if his friend was the one taking the bottom position.
“Liu Zhi, you haven’t introduced this beautiful lady next to you.”
“Oh, this is Lin Xi, my girlfriend. Didn’t you say you would introduce your partners to us? We agreed to bring our dates today to avoid you feeding us dog food.” The truth was, he didn’t know how to face his childhood friend’s boyfriend, so bringing a girlfriend was to ease the atmosphere and prevent any awkwardness.
Lin Xi gracefully greeted Mu Chengguang and Shuai Chang, showing no signs of discomfort at their relationship.
Mu Chengguang nudged Liu Zhi’s shoulder and said, “Hey, your girlfriend is pretty good; she has good taste.”
“Do I need you to tell me that?”
The four of them settled on the sofa, and Liu Zhi began discussing matters about their companies. Recently, they had a collaborative project they were both involved in, hoping to make a good impression on others.
Being a teacher, Nan Yu didn’t understand their conversation, but Shuai Chang did, having been in the business world for a lifetime.
Seeing the two of them not getting to the point, Shuai Chang decided to intervene. At first, Liu Zhi felt a bit displeased at being interrupted, but after thinking it over, he found what Shuai Chang said to be quite insightful and began to change his perception of him.
Mu Chengguang looked on proudly, and Liu Zhi couldn’t help but say, “It’s not like you said it; why are you so pleased?”
Mu Chengguang shook his head, “I’m happy. What Teacher Nan says is like what I say.”
Liu Zhi felt a pang of jealousy at Mu Chengguang referring to him as “Teacher Nan.”
“Hey, I wonder when Qian Xiang will arrive. He’s just hanging around because Qing He has something going on.”
“What’s going on with Qing He?” Mu Chengguang wasn’t informed.
“He’s performing surgery. Appendicitis, and he’s been ordered to handle it personally because the patient has connections and can’t be refused. Honestly, any doctor could handle such a minor operation; it’s a waste of talent for Qing He. When it comes down to it, having money and talent is not as good as having power.” Liu Zhi sighed as he sipped his tea.
Footsteps echoed in the courtyard as a medium-built man entered. He had a dark complexion, small, sharp eyes, and full lips, walking with an imposing presence.
“Qian Xiang, you finally made it!” Liu Zhi shifted on the sofa to make room for Qian Xiang.
Qian Xiang did not stand on ceremony and sat down abruptly. “I finally arrived; Qian Zhen insisted that I take her along. How could I bring her? I was so anxious that I broke into a sweat.”
After a couple of cups of tea, Qian Xiang finally had time to pay attention to the others. He noticed Shuai Chang first; after all, such a handsome man was rare even on TV. “Hello, I’m Qian Xiang, Chengguang’s childhood friend.” His gaze flickered as he extended his hand.
“Nan Yu,” Shuai Chang said as they shook hands.
“Mr. Nan is quite a talented person, may I ask where you work?” Qian Xiang asked with a smile.
Shuai Chang saw through his probing and replied calmly, “I’m not that impressive; I teach at Xuan Cheng High School.”
“Oh, so you’re a gardener. I remember Chengguang attended Xuan Cheng High School. How did the gardener and our Chengguang flower meet?” Qian Xiang asked slowly.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
Author’s note: Chengguang flower: I pursued him actively!
Nan Yu, the gardener: If coercion and temptation count as pursuing…
Qian Xiang’s tone was somewhat aggressive, and Liu Zhi pulled his girlfriend aside to watch the drama unfold. Mu Chengguang frowned, wanting to say something, but Shuai Chang stopped him, “I happen to be the math teacher in Chengguang’s class, that’s how we know each other.” He wisely chose not to mention the complexities of Mu Chengguang’s feelings for Nan Yu.
Mu Chengguang pushed Qian Xiang, angry, “I brought you all here to meet my boyfriend; is this how you treat someone I love?”
Qian Xiang’s attitude straightened as he immediately bowed and apologized, “It was my fault earlier. Master Mu, feel free to punish me as you like.”
“You should apologize to Teacher Nan; there’s no need to apologize to me,” Mu Chengguang said with a sulky face.
Shuai Chang didn’t want their long-standing friendship to suffer because of him, lightly patting Mu Chengguang’s back with a smile, “I know you meant well, there’s no need to apologize further; let’s discuss heroes over drinks.”
Nan Yu’s family was poor. In the coldest winter months, he could only drink a bit of low-quality liquor saved up for warmth. The strong liquor would ignite a fire from his throat down to his stomach; it was uncomfortable, but it would at least keep him warm. By the end of winter, Nan Yu had developed a good tolerance for alcohol. He would often have drinks with Mu Chengguang and wouldn’t get drunk easily.
“Good, that’s straightforward. Mr. Nan, I’ll think more highly of you. Let’s discuss heroes over drinks.” Qian Xiang turned to Liu Zhi, “Liu Zhi, I’ll have the boss lady serve the dishes, you get the drinks. I won’t leave tonight until I’m drunk with Mr. Nan.”
They had brought their own champagne and liquor. Liu Zhi agreed and stepped out to retrieve them, while Lin Xi offered to help him.
Soon, the food and drinks were served. Qian Xiang plopped down next to Shuai Chang and placed four cups in front of them, filling them to the brim. He set down the bottle and polished off three cups in quick succession, showing the empty cups to Shuai Chang to prove he didn’t leave a drop. “I was late, so I’ll self-punish with three cups, and Mr. Nan only needs to share one with me.”
“Hey, aren’t the three of us human? Why are only you two drinking? Come on, let’s have a toast together.” Liu Zhi wanted to avoid any conflict between Qian Xiang and Nan Yu; after all, it seemed that Mu Chengguang really liked Nan Yu, and they might get married one day. For Mu Chengguang’s sake, they couldn’t ruin their relationship with Nan Yu.