The commotion at the entrance of the residential compound alerted the security guards.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the dark figure let go and vanished without a trace.
The person who had thrown the water was a slightly plump middle-aged woman. She was emotionally agitated and was apprehended by the security guards who rushed over.
Han Ji and Gu Han each grabbed one of He Wenqi’s arms, both asking at the same time: “Are you okay?”
Half of Gu Han’s face was dripping with water, and his hair hung down, looking somewhat bedraggled.
Han Ji was not much better off; his neck and shoulders were completely soaked, even extending to his trousers.
Fortunately, it was only water.
He Wenqi had been shielded by the bodies of the two men; not a single drop of water had splashed on him.
Seeing that He Wenqi was unharmed, Han Ji turned and walked over to the woman restrained by the guards. After he spoke a few words, the woman temporarily quieted down.
Gu Han pulled out his phone intending to report the incident to the police, but Han Ji returned and pressed down on it with a large hand. Looking at He Wenqi with an expression that said “trust me,” he said: “It’s Fang Zhenkang’s wife. Don’t call the police; I will handle it.”
Gu Han did not understand the underlying reason, but perceiving that there was a cause behind the incident, he stopped his actions and consulted He Wenqi for his opinion.
Hearing it was Fang Zhenkang’s wife, He Wenqi understood most of the situation in his heart and nodded in agreement.
Having received a response, Gu Han looked down at Han Ji’s hand pressing on the phone: “Can this friend let go of his hand now?”
Han Ji released his hand without looking at Gu Han and checked He Wenqi from head to toe once more: “You weren’t frightened, were you?”
“Excuse me, may I ask who you are?” Gu Han spoke first, politely.
Han Ji acted as if he had only just noticed there was another person beside him and straightened his posture: “Han Ji.”
“Gu Han.” Gu Han extended a friendly hand.
Han Ji ignored it, but let out a long “Oh” from his mouth: “So you are his…”
“Our clothes are all wet; it’s better to go to my place to get sorted out.” To prevent more from being revealed, He Wenqi cut the conversation short.
“Fine, you two go up first. I will wait a moment,” Han Ji said.
He Wenqi led the way, taking Gu Han away first.
Han Ji watched the two of them from behind, the corner of his mouth curling up almost imperceptibly.
…
By the time Han Ji finished handling the matter and opened the door to enter the apartment unceremoniously, he heard Gu Han asking in the bathroom: “Xiao Qi, where is the hairdryer?”
He Wenqi had taken off his coat, turned on the heating and air conditioning, and brought out two glasses of water: “In the very bottom drawer of the bathroom cabinet.”
Seeing Han Ji: “Don’t you ever knock?”
Han Ji did not answer him. He took off his wet clothes, unreservedly picked up a water glass and took two sips, glancing sideways at He Wenqi: “Boyfriend? First time at your house? He’s not even as familiar with it as I am.”
He Wenqi did not answer, only asking: “Why were you downstairs at my house?”
“I wasn’t at ease; I came to supervise the work.”
He wasn’t supervising work; he was conducting surveillance.
He had followed them since leaving the company, curious about who this so-called “boyfriend” actually was. That was until he saw He Wenqi get into a car with a man whose every gesture was refined.
Han Ji could not suppress himself; with a surge of sourness in his heart, he had followed them all the way.
“What is going on with Fang Zhenkang’s wife?” He Wenqi asked him, leaning against the table.
Han Ji sat down on the sofa: “You should have heard—she misunderstood that you and Fang Zhenkang have an improper relationship. Fortunately I was there today, and fortunately it was only water. If it had been some other unknown liquid…”
“Han Ji, why do you always like to interfere in my business?”
The question left Han Ji a bit stunned.
He Wenqi spoke with some urgency: “Fang Zhenkang did have designs on me, but he didn’t actually do anything…”
Han Ji was also angry: “Were you waiting for him to do something? He Wenqi, don’t mistake a good heart for ill intent; I was worried about you.”
“So you intentionally forced the man to leave?”
“No,” Han Ji denied righteously. “His conduct was flawed; someone would eventually deal with him. It wasn’t my turn to act.”
He paused for a second, then added resentfully: “If I were the one to act, it wouldn’t have ended as simply as letting him resign voluntarily.”
Indeed, Han Ji had disliked Fang Zhenkang for a long time. Seeing the way his eyes wandered over He Wenqi made him want to gouge the man’s eyes out, but he wouldn’t let He Wenqi get dragged into the mess.
He had looked into Fang Zhenkang’s past. Professionally, he was mediocre; personally, there were rumors, but no solid proof—one could not fabricate things out of thin air.
He also didn’t know why Fang Zhenkang’s wife would mistake it for being He Wenqi and make such a scene at the company by name.
This matter definitely needed investigating.
But right now, He Wenqi was certain he had done something.
“Han Ji, at the company you are the top boss. I don’t want colleagues to misunderstand that we have any private relationship. If it weren’t for…” He Wenqi grit his teeth and did not finish.
If it weren’t for wanting the recommendation slot for Sniford University of Art, he could completely change companies to avoid any suspicion with Han Ji.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Stop always treating me like a child. I have my own considerations for my own affairs; you don’t need to do unnecessary things.”
“Unnecessary? Is my helping you unnecessary?”
“I don’t need your help.”
The more the two argued, the more they clashed.
Gu Han, hearing the commotion outside, opened the door and came out to try and mediate: “Gentlemen…”
He had barely spoken two words when both men turned and roared at him: “You shut up!”
The mediation was ineffective, but with an extra person there, the two suddenly ceased fire.
Han Ji grabbed his coat from the sofa and slammed the door as he left without looking back.
He Wenqi also sat down heavily on the sofa, grabbed the water glass and took a sip, remaining silent.
Gu Han noticed the glass he took seemed to be the one someone else had drunk from. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Naturally, he could not stay any longer either. Gu Han also said his goodbyes to leave.
“Gu Han, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to run into these things,” He Wenqi saw him to the door.
“It’s no problem. But is it really okay not to call the police? That Mr. Han Ji is your… friend?”
“He’s my company boss.”
Gu Han nodded thoughtfully, remaining skeptical. Looking at the way they treated each other, it didn’t seem as simple as a boss.
Since it was only their first meeting, he could not pry too much.
…
After seeing Gu Han off, He Wenqi turned back and received a message from Mr. Qin. It wasn’t about the drawing; the movie for which he had created the promotional art was premiering next week, and he was invited to the premiere tomorrow night—he could bring a friend.
The movie was titled Hishi (Mirage).
He Wenqi thought of inviting Gu Han.
Tonight had involved a ride and hospitality, yet the man ended up being splashed with water. Inviting him to a movie would serve as an apology.
He pulled out his phone to send a message but then hesitated.
Han Ji—why did he suddenly appear? He had also been splashed with water and left soaked; a man who was usually so meticulous…
And that dark-clothed person who slipped away in the chaos—though they wore a hat and mask, He Wenqi felt they looked familiar.
Were they in league with Fang Zhenkang’s wife, also catching him to vent anger?
Feeling restless, He Wenqi tossed his phone aside and went to the bathroom to shower.
The next morning, the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling curtains onto the floor, clearing away the gloom of the previous night.
After much thought, he still sent a message to Gu Han, inviting him to the movie premiere that evening.
He then called Liu Ping to ask about He Yanqiu’s condition and arranged to visit her tomorrow.
He Wenqi took a trash bag downstairs to toss into the recycling bin. As he turned around, his peripheral vision caught a dark shadow. He focused his gaze, but there was nothing there.
He probably just saw a blur.
At home, He Wenqi sent the line art for the custom drawing to Mr. Qin. If there were no issues, he could continue. However, based on previous collaborations with Mr. Qin, he would likely have many requests.
The other party had not replied yet, so He Wenqi started working on the company’s design topic. What he lacked was project experience; drawing line art presented no difficulty.
After finishing that, he picked up the project proposals he had brought back and started reading. These materials Han Ji gave him were all very classic cases.
The whole day passed just like that.
…
In the evening, Gu Han arrived as agreed to pick him up for the theater.
Once seated in the car, a figure appeared in the rearview mirror again. He Wenqi whipped his head around inside the car, but outside there was still nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Han saw his movement.
“Nothing, let’s go.” He Wenqi buckled his seatbelt.
Was I really seeing things?
In the cinema lobby, three men stood out among the crowd.
“What are you doing here?” He Wenqi asked Han Ji.
Han Ji was holding two warm drinks and handed one to He Wenqi: “If you’re here, why can’t I be?”
He Wenqi did not take it.
In the afternoon, Han Ji had sent a message to He Wenqi with a photo of a premiere ticket for Hishi.
As I Have Heard: “You also have a premiere ticket for this movie?”
Han Ji immediately caught the information; the word “also” made him knit his brows.
Han Ji: It’s an animation; you’ve liked them since you were little. Will you give me the honor?
As I Have Heard: Unlucky timing, I already have plans.
Han Ji: The “boyfriend” again?
Han Ji had intentionally put it in quotes.
He Wenqi ignored him.
And now, just as he and Gu Han arrived, Han Ji appeared.
Han Ji forced the warm drink into He Wenqi’s hand and turned to Gu Han: “Sorry, I only bought two cups. I didn’t know Mr. Gu Han was here as well.”
Gu Han maintained his poise with a smile: “President Han, what a coincidence.”
Han Ji also gave a polite nod: “Such a coincidence. Then let’s go in together, if you don’t mind?”
Gu Han: “I don’t mind.”
The three followed the crowd inside. He Wenqi leaned toward Han Ji, lowering his voice: “Han Ji, what are you trying to do?”
“Watch a movie. What could I be doing?” He lowered his head and leaned in. “Why do you think I have to be doing something? Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you and your ‘boyfriend’.”
When he spoke those three words, he intentionally emphasized his tone.
The two were whispering close together, subconsciously continuing to walk forward until they were very near to each other. Gu Han fell a few steps behind.
He watched from behind as their heads were almost touching, making his own judgment in his mind.
After taking their seats, He Wenqi was naturally sandwiched between the two.
Before the main feature, the creative team came out to introduce the film, interact with the audience, and take media questions.
In the first row, a middle-aged man in a hat looked back several times as if searching for something. Finally, his gaze landed on their position.
He then smiled and reached out to wave at them, then pointed with his phone.
He Wenqi smiled and waved back.
Han Ji was curious: “Who is that now?”
He Wenqi: “A friend of the director.”
“A friend of the director is very familiar with you?”
“We’ve collaborated before.” It was the Mr. Qin who bought his art and remained a private client.
He did not explain further and checked his phone. It was a message from Mr. Qin, saying he would mention him when introducing the promotional art and asking if he’d like to come on stage.
He Wenqi took a sip of the warm drink on his armrest while replying to Mr. Qin.
Putting his phone away, he found Gu Han staring at him.
“What is it?”
Gu Han smiled, shaking his head to indicate it was nothing, and turned to look straight ahead.
He Wenqi put his cup down. Looking up, he saw Han Ji also staring at him.
“What is it, really?”
Han Ji’s chin gestured slightly, his eyes looking down: “You drank my water.”
He Wenqi looked down and realized that both the left and right armrests had identical warm drink cups. His own was on the right; the one on the left was Han Ji’s.
After talking to Han Ji earlier, his right hand had reached for his phone, and his left hand had naturally picked up the cup without checking carefully.
Drinking the wrong one was just drinking the wrong one—what else could happen? He didn’t back down: “What of it? Am I not allowed to drink it?”
Of course he was allowed; Han Ji could not be happier. He remained calm and sat up straight.
On stage, the director was talking about being gifted the promotional art by a friend, and the image was displayed on the large screen.
The director spoke with a mix of joy and regret: “Thanks to Teacher Hua Wuque for providing the promotional art. Unfortunately, he is unwilling to come on stage. I hope to collaborate with him again next time.”
Then the main feature began.
Hishi told a story of a miraculous adventure seeking immortals overseas. The production team wasn’t famous, but the bold use of color and creativity in the “National Style” received unanimous praise on the spot.
He Wenqi was very excited after watching it but had his own thoughts—if only he could lead an animation of his own one day, even a short film would be fine.
This swelling thought deepened his firm conviction that he must go to Sniford University of Art.
…
The movie ended late at night.
He Wenqi had been drinking water constantly during the film. Having finished in the restroom, he saw Han Ji still holding half a cup of the warm drink. He smacked his lips and asked: “Is there any left in your cup?”
All the businesses in the cinema had closed; if he wanted to buy water, he’d have to walk all the way out.
Han Ji handed it to him.
Gu Han watched coldly from the side, remaining mostly silent throughout.
The cold midnight wind swept toward them, and the shops in the business district were all shut.
He Wenqi was only wearing a fleece-lined denim jacket and felt a bit cold. Han Ji suddenly suggested: “At this hour, we can still have some supper. Are you hungry? How about hot pot?”
Hearing the words “hot pot,” He Wenqi’s body immediately felt a surge of warmth. He nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Gu Han did not refuse either.
Gu Han went to get his car. Han Ji had also driven, but at this moment he pulled He Wenqi into the back seat of Gu Han’s car with him.
The three went to a relatively high-end buffet hot pot restaurant—Han Ji’s suggestion, so naturally his choice of location.
A server greeted them warmly. There weren’t many people in the shop; besides them, the empty hall only had two other tables.
Han Ji proactively went to get the food.
Gu Han brought hot tea to He Wenqi: “Warm your hands. Your eyes are red from the cold.”
“Thank you.” He Wenqi took it and cupped his hands around the edge of the teacup.
“Xiao Qi,” Gu Han had been silent for much of the night, but now that they were alone, he spoke up. “Although we’ve only met twice, I have a very good feeling about you.”
He spoke directly, which wasn’t quite his usual style.
He hadn’t intended to reveal his attitude so urgently, but Han Ji’s appearance had made him change his plan.
Gu Han continued: “I am twenty-seven years old this year, in good health, with no bad habits. I’ve had two boyfriends and want to settle down, but it hasn’t worked out as I wished.”
“Xiao Qi, it’s not easy to meet someone who feels so right. From the first moment I saw you, my intuition told me you are the one I’m looking for. I usually act steadily, but meeting you, I don’t want to keep testing the waters. If you have the same thoughts as me, we can officially date. Will you be my boyfriend?”
Having only met twice, Gu Han had laid his heart bare so frankly.
He Wenqi was momentarily stunned, his mind unable to process it.
His gaze subconsciously shifted, landing on the person getting food in the distance.
Han Ji was dressed very casually today. The shop was well-heated, so he had taken off his coat; underneath was a cream-colored cashmere pullover. He rarely wore light colors. The usual sense of pressure had completely vanished, and with a relaxed expression, he was now picking out food as he walked, looking like a meticulous and top-tier “warm man” of a household.
“I…” He Wenqi had a good impression of Gu Han, but regarding a further relationship, his heart was refusing.
“I haven’t thought it through,” He Wenqi said truthfully.
At that moment, Han Ji, not knowing what he was looking at, suddenly turned his head and glanced at them. He smiled and continued to put a plate of beef into the buffet cart.
“Xiao Qi, I can feel that you have a good impression of me too. Trust me, we can definitely get along well.”
“We’ve only met twice; we don’t understand each other enough…”
“What more do you want to understand? Qiao Yuan should have told you my general situation. Whatever else you want to know, I can tell you. I’m serious.”
“No, Gu Han, we’ve just met.”
“Then what about him?”
“What?”
“Han Ji. What about you and Han Ji? He isn’t just your boss, is he?”
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you noticed? You have a lot of subconscious reliance and habits with him.”
“I didn’t explain that clearly. Besides being my boss, Han Ji was a neighbor I grew up with. Having spent a long time together, naturally there are some habits, that’s all.”
“It’s more than that, isn’t it?”
A piece of He Wenqi’s heart suddenly felt as if it had been uncovered. That hidden thing was discovered by Gu Han, and he felt a flash of panic.
Gu Han continued his judgment: “Whether you like someone or not, your body will help you make the answer.”
“Mmh?” He Wenqi didn’t understand what he meant.
“If picking up the wrong cup was an unconscious move, just now when you were thirsty, you specifically wanted to drink the water he had already drunk.”
He Wenqi was stunned once again. He had never even considered that question.
“Your body tells you that you don’t reject physical intimacy with him. Perhaps, you even like it very much.”
He Wenqi was speechless. He picked up the tea and took a big gulp; it was scalding, and with a pssh, he spat it out.
He gave a couple of dry laughs to ease the embarrassment of having his thoughts guessed: “Gu Han, aren’t you overthinking it?”
“No.” Gu Han looked at him steadily. “Xiao Qi, if you like him, why did you accept being introduced to me?”
He Wenqi finally stopped defending himself, his eyes dimming as he stared at the floral pattern on the edge of the dining plate: “I’m sorry, Gu Han.”
Having been proven right, Gu Han actually let out a sigh of relief: “It’s okay.”
“Han Ji doesn’t like men,” He Wenqi said with a bitter smile.
Gu Han narrowed his eyes at the returning Han Ji, asking in confusion: “He doesn’t like men?”
He Wenqi gave a slight nod.
“What are you chatting about? I saw you talking the whole time.” Han Ji pushed the buffet cart to the table and picked out the plates.
All the various meats were placed within He Wenqi’s reach. While putting them down, he said: “You need to eat more meat; look how thin you are. I got five portions of the beef you like; that should be enough, right? It’s all tender beef with no fat.”
Both Gu Han and He Wenqi stared at him without speaking.
Han Ji said to himself: “What is it? Aren’t these all things you love?”
He then said to Gu Han: “Mr. Gu Han, please help yourself.”
Gu Han turned to look at He Wenqi. He did not speak but narrowed his eyes slightly.
After eating, Gu Han drove his car over to drop He Wenqi off. Han Ji pulled the man back and waved goodbye to Gu Han: “Mr. Gu Han, you go ahead. I’ll drop him off.”
Gu Han’s eyes held a deep meaning. He nodded and gave He Wenqi a slight smile: “Xiao Qi, seriously consider what I said. We’ll meet again later.”
The midnight blue engine roared and sped away.
Han Ji assumed a bit of a victor’s stance, his head slightly tilted as he looked down with smugness curling at the corner of his mouth.