For the first time in his life, Jiang Yichi stepped foot into a bar, only to witness a scene that struck him with immense force.
From his vantage point, he could clearly see Xun Wenyao leaning in and Xu Qiushi closing his eyes. That posture… it looked exactly as if… as if they were about to kiss.
Logically, this had nothing to do with him. If he were tactful, he should have left silently instead of ruining the atmosphere.
But his body acted faster than his brain. He couldn’t control the interrogation that burst from his lips, looking at Xu Qiushi with an expression of anger and hurt that even he didn’t recognize: “What are you doing?”
Xu Qiushi looked back at the sound. Seeing Jiang Yichi standing at the entrance, he rose from the bar and walked over: “Why did you come up?”
To Jiang Yichi’s ears, this sounded like the guilty reaction of a thief caught red-handed. His face grew even colder: “Am I not allowed to? Am I interrupting your ‘good time’?”
“What good time?” Xu Qiushi didn’t realize what Jiang Yichi had misunderstood.
In Jiang Yichi’s view, Xun Wenyao had initiated the closeness while Xu Qiushi had closed his eyes—perhaps truly unaware. So, he bypassed Xu Qiushi and walked straight to Xun Wenyao, demanding: “Are you gay?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Xu Qiushi frowned, stepping in front of Xun Wenyao to shield him.
This movement instantly reignited Jiang Yichi’s fury: “Nonsense? You were being taken advantage of! Do they have to lock lips before you understand?”
“What kiss… You saw wrong. We didn’t.” Xu Qiushi denied it awkwardly.
“You think you didn’t, but who knows what filthy intentions others are hiding?” Jiang Yichi’s gaze toward Xun Wenyao remained full of hostility.
Seeing this, Xun Wenyao—who originally intended to explain instantly lost the desire to do so. He leaned back against the bar leisurely, remaining silent.
“Don’t speak about Brother Wanyao like that,” Xu Qiushi said, his face darkening.
“Am I wrong? You think he’s helping you, but I see someone with bad intentions. He only let you live at his place because he has designs on you.” Jiang Yichi had always been brooding over this, and now he was spewing malicious speculation.
“Jiang Yichi!” Xu Qiushi barked. His face showed uncontrollable anger.
“Why are you yelling? Does it hurt your heart when I talk about him?” It was the first time Jiang Yichi had been called by his full name by Xu Qiushi. He let out a cold laugh. “I guess I really did misunderstand. It turns out you two are perfectly willing. But wouldn’t it be better to do this at home? A bar is a public place, not your hotel room.”
“You!” Xu Qiushi was truly angry. More than being insulted, he cared that the person saying these things was Jiang Yichi. How could that beautiful mouth utter such vicious and crude words?
“What about me?” Jiang Yichi tilted his chin up, his attitude arrogant.
“Apologize to Brother Wanyao,” Xu Qiushi demanded.
“What did you say?” Jiang Yichi looked at Xu Qiushi in disbelief.
“I said, apologize to Brother Wanyao,” Xu Qiushi repeated.
“Xu Qiushi, have you forgotten your place? You are just a nanny I hired. What right do you have to speak to me like that?” Jiang Yichi’s features were naturally sharp and striking; currently, his exquisite face was as cold as ice, his brow exuding the natural, intimidating pressure of someone in a position of power.
Xu Qiushi did not back down. He looked straight into the boy’s eyes: “Regardless of my status, you were the first to hurt someone with your words. That is wrong. If you feel I have offended you, I can resign at any time.”
Jiang Yichi’s calm collapsed again. He pointed at Xun Wenyao: “You would resign for this person?”
To Xu Qiushi, Jiang Yichi was the boss. Who he chose to employ was entirely up to him; Xu Qiushi’s own desires didn’t matter.
But to Jiang Yichi, Xu Qiushi’s silence felt like a threat—as if he would leave immediately if Jiang Yichi didn’t apologize.
“Heh, you think I can’t find another nanny? Do you think I can’t survive without you? If you don’t want to work, then don’t! Plenty of people want this paycheck!” Anger, sadness, and a sense of grievance pulled at Jiang Yichi’s sanity. He wanted to use the sharpest words possible to break the seemingly indestructible armor Xu Qiushi always wore.
But when he looked up and met Xu Qiushi’s eyes, he found disappointment and hurt. That armor seemed to have been pierced by him long ago.
Jiang Yichi looked away as if burned. His thoughts were a mess. He couldn’t bring himself to continue hurling insults at the man, so he could only flee.
Xu Qiushi instinctively chased after him.
But the Little Master’s long legs carried him fast. In the blink of an eye, he was in the car. Xu Qiushi didn’t catch him. He stared at the retreating taillights for a moment before turning back into the bar.
“Sorry. I didn’t expect your Little Master to misunderstand,” Xun Wenyao sighed. This young master was too hot-headed.
“It’s not your fault. He shouldn’t have said those things to you.” Xu Qiushi was already considered part of the Xun Wenyao family; he couldn’t stand by while he was humiliated.
“What if you lose your job because of this?” Guilt appeared on Xun Wenyao’s face.
“I’ll just find another one.” Though he might not find such good pay again, Xu Qiushi had plenty of strength.
“Actually, there’s one thing the Little Master didn’t get wrong.” Xun Wenyao looked at Xu Qiushi, a trace of an indefinable gentleness in his smile.
“What?” Xu Qiushi asked.
“I am gay.” Xun Wenyao’s gaze was open. He dropped this bombshell in a tone as flat as if he were saying “The weather is nice today.”
The casual sentence hit Xu Qiushi like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find words for a long time.
“Are you that surprised?” Xun Wenyao waved a hand in front of Xu Qiushi. “Earth to Qiushi!”
“No, I…” Xu Qiushi had never thought about it in that way, and he certainly didn’t expect Xun Wenyao to be so blunt.
“What era is it? Is there a difference between liking men or women? It’s just an orientation. Don’t be so old-fashioned. You aren’t homophobic, are you?”
“No, I’m not.” Learning that Xun Wenyao was the same as him actually gave Xu Qiushi a subtle sense of relief.
“Now you know why I haven’t gone home for all these years, right?”
Xun Wenyao had never mentioned his family. Xu Qiushi guessed there were conflicts, but since it was a private matter, he hadn’t asked.
“Was it because of this?” Xu Qiushi was surprised.
“Yeah. Six years ago, I came out to my family. I was almost beaten to death. My dad said it was a family disgrace. He said if I insisted on liking men, he would act as if he never had a son.” Xun Wenyao’s tone was calm, like he was telling someone else’s story. “I told him I couldn’t change it. If they couldn’t accept it, I had no choice. The result was naturally being kicked out. They thought I was embarrassing and told me to get far away—and that if they ever saw me again, they’d beat me.”
Xu Qiushi clenched his fists as he listened.
“I hadn’t graduated from university then. I worked part-time jobs like crazy while living on campus. The main branch of ‘Mishima’ was one of those jobs. Later, the boss saw I was capable and kept me on as a branch manager. I don’t have much ambition, so I’ve just been doing this ever since.”
“You are very impressive.” Xu Qiushi didn’t know how to comfort people, but he sincerely felt Xun Wenyao was strong.
“I can’t compare to you. You’re the impressive one,” Xun Wenyao said modestly. He had heard Xu Qiushi’s story from Qiang-zi and Xu Qiuze so many times he knew it by heart.
Xu Qiushi shook his head. When he said “impressive,” he didn’t just mean life skills; he meant the courage to come out. A large part of why he had left his own hometown was the fear of his orientation being exposed.
“If you feel uncomfortable living with me…”
“I don’t! I don’t mind at all!” Xu Qiushi interrupted urgently.
Xun Wenyao burst into laughter and finished his sentence: “I wouldn’t let you leave anyway. If you leave, who’s going to cook for me?”
Xu Qiushi laughed with him. A topic that originally seemed like a terrifying beast was smoothed over just like that.
The packed dumplings and Tangyuan were still in the bar’s freezer. Xu Qiushi took Jiang Yichi’s portion back to Xun Wenyao’s house.
He called Xiao Zhang to confirm Jiang Yichi had arrived home safely. He hesitated about whether to message the Little Master.
Even after washing up and lying in bed, Xu Qiushi couldn’t make the decision.
He opened the chat window. Usually at this time, the Little Master would definitely chat with him for a bit. Today, the messages ended at the bar location Xu Qiushi had sent earlier.
He’s probably still angry. Is my job over?
Xu Qiushi didn’t sleep very soundly.
…
In the Jinlin Bay apartment, Jiang Yichi sat alone in the empty living room. His mind was a tangled mess.
On one hand, he felt he wasn’t wrong and that Xu Qiushi was being excessive. On the other hand, he felt inexplicably guilty—especially when he recalled the look in Xu Qiushi’s eyes, as if he had done something unforgivable. He had only said a couple of things about Xun Wenyao; was it really that serious?
Fine, Jiang Yichi admitted his words were a bit harsh. But in that situation, speaking without thinking was a normal reaction! Xu Qiushi actually threatened to resign over Xun Wenyao! He was the one overreacting, right?
Thinking of this, Jiang Yichi ran to the study to find Xu Qiushi’s labor contract. He intended to study it line by line so he could leave Xu Qiushi speechless if he actually tried to resign.
The Little Master flipped through the dozen-plus pages noisily until he saw Xu Qiushi’s signature at the end. He suddenly went quiet. What am I doing?
He was the one paying the salary, yet the other person was angry at him for being an outsider. A nanny who couldn’t tell who was more important… if he wants to go, let him. Why try to keep him?
Jiang Yichi thought this, yet his body slumped against the sofa, unwilling to move. He seemed to be faintly waiting for something.
The next morning, Xu Qiushi returned to Jinlin Bay. Opening the door, he was startled to see a figure lying on the sofa and hurried forward.
Jiang Yichi’s eyes were closed, covered only by a thin blanket.
Xu Qiushi shook him gently: “Boss, wake up.”
“You’re back?” Jiang Yichi opened his eyes groggily. Seeing Xu Qiushi’s worried expression, he really wanted to ask why he was only returning now.
“Why are you sleeping here? You didn’t even use a thick blanket.” Xu Qiushi worriedly touched the boy’s forehead, then his own, comparing temperatures.
Jiang Yichi rubbed his eyes, obediently letting Xu Qiushi check on him.
Luckily, no fever. Xu Qiushi said softly: “Get up and wash up. I’ll make breakfast.”
“Okay.” Feeling that Xu Qiushi’s attitude toward him was the same as usual, Jiang Yichi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning the previous night.
After the Winter Solstice came Christmas. The streets were filled with a festive atmosphere.
Thanks to Gu Chengfei’s explanations, Xu Qiushi accepted the trend of young people treating Christmas like Valentine’s Day.
However, since everyone around him was single, there was no need for grand celebrations.
To mark the occasion, Xu Qiushi baked a Christmas tree and reindeer-shaped cookies for Jiang Yichi. He packed them in snowflake-patterned bags so the boy could take some to school for Gu Chengfei.
“What about Xu Qiuze’s?” Jiang Yichi asked.
“He’s going to Brother Wanyao’s this weekend. I’ll make more then.”
“The weekend isn’t Christmas! Making them then isn’t the same. It’s just a few bags of cookies; how much could they be worth? Why are you always calculating so precisely?” Jiang Yichi muttered the last part under his breath. Ignoring whether Xu Qiushi heard him, he stuffed all the remaining cookies from the kitchen counter into his backpack.
“You’re giving them all away? You won’t have any for yourself?” Xu Qiushi asked, amused.
“Bake me a chocolate lava cake this afternoon. I’ll eat it when I get back. Only make enough for the two of us,” Jiang Yichi emphasized.
“Okay. Be safe on the road.”
Over the next few days, their interaction remained the same as before, with no changes.
Just when Jiang Yichi thought the incident had been completely forgotten, Xu Qiushi suddenly asked him at the end of the month: “Boss, after this month is finished, do I not need to come back?”
Jiang Yichi, who was watching TV, hit the pause button and looked up at Xu Qiushi in shock.
The man was holding a rag, standing to the side, calmly waiting for an answer.
So the incident hadn’t passed. Xu Qiushi had remembered it the whole time, yet he had continued to fulfill his duties meticulously just to finish his final shift?
At this moment, Jiang Yichi felt he would never find another nanny who suited him as perfectly as Xu Qiushi.
“Boss?” Xu Qiushi called out again, seeing Jiang Yichi in a daze.
“You really don’t want to work anymore?” Jiang Yichi’s tone carried a hint of hurt.
“Isn’t it that you don’t want me to work here anymore?” Xu Qiushi was confused.
“When did I ever say that?” Jiang Yichi was even more confused.
“That day at the bar. Didn’t you mean you wanted to fire me?”
“You were the one who said you were resigning!”
“You said I forgot my place…”
The two of them held their own versions of the story and began a detailed review of the argument.
“So… you don’t actually want to resign?” Jiang Yichi’s eyes brightened as he looked at Xu Qiushi.
“No.” Xu Qiushi went quiet for a moment after saying that, then asked: “Then when are you going to apologize to Brother Wanyao?”
Jiang Yichi’s good mood lasted exactly two seconds before the corners of his mouth dropped. He knew he was wrong, but self-reflection was one thing; actually apologizing was another. He couldn’t swallow his pride.
“That day, Brother Wanyao was just looking at my eyelashes.” Xu Qiushi originally thought an explanation was unnecessary. Later, when the Little Master’s words shifted the focus entirely, he hadn’t had the chance to explain.
“Even if he was looking at eyelashes, he didn’t need to be that close,” Jiang Yichi argued weakly.
“That is no excuse for your harsh words,” Xu Qiushi said, cutting to the chase. “If someone said those things about you and your brother, how would you feel?”
Jiang Yichi didn’t answer. Anyone who dared speak that way about the Jiang brothers would have been dealt with long ago.
“Brother Wanyao is like A-Ze to me. He is my family.”
Having reached this point, Jiang Yichi knew he couldn’t keep avoiding it. Although he still had complaints about Xun Wenyao, he promised Xu Qiushi he would take responsibility for his previous behavior.
Xu Qiushi nodded, a flash of relief in his eyes.
Before they could settle on a time for the apology, the last day of the year arrived.
Every New Year’s Eve, Luohai University’s student union organizes a countdown gala—one of the most important events of the year.
The ever-social Gu Chengfei invited Jiang Yichi to watch the gala together.
Xu Qiuze turned and asked Jiang Yichi: “If you’re coming tonight, can I invite my brother to come walk around too?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yichi—who was about to reject Gu Chengfei—thought for a moment and nodded: “Sure. I’ll bring him with me tonight.”
“Thanks for the trouble.” Xu Qiuze had wanted to show his brother around Luohai University for a long time. This gala was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
When class ended and they went home, Jiang Yichi told Xu Qiushi the evening’s plan. As expected, the man agreed.
After dinner, Jiang Yichi told Xu Qiushi to change. Xu Qiushi went to his room and came out wearing a jacket.
“You’re wearing that?” Jiang Yichi asked.
“Can’t I?” Xu Qiushi didn’t know the school had a dress code.
“It’s freezing outside! Wear something thicker.”
“This is thick. My hometown is colder than here, and I wear this much there,” Xu Qiushi explained. He was naturally warm-blooded and didn’t fear the cold much.
“Fine, Mr. Freeze-Resistant,” Jiang Yichi muttered. “Go to my room and bring down that grey scarf.”
Xu Qiushi followed the instruction. When he came down and saw the camel-colored scarf already around Jiang Yichi’s neck, he asked: “Do you want to switch to this one?”
Jiang Yichi: “Wrap the one in your hand around your own neck.”
“I don’t need a scarf. I’ll just get it dirty. This isn’t cheap, is it?” Xu Qiushi touched the pure cashmere material. He guessed it probably cost several hundred yuan.
“If I tell you to wear it, wear it! Stop talking!” Jiang Yichi shot him a glare. His unreasonable streak was back.
Xu Qiushi could only wrap the scarf haphazardly around his neck twice. Jiang Yichi, unable to stand the “noose-like” wrapping style, stepped forward and rearranged it for him.
Xu Qiushi watched Jiang Yichi’s technique with curiosity, not realizing there were so many rules to wearing a scarf.
“There.” Their scarves were the same style but different colors. Jiang Yichi admired his handiwork. The grey scarf paired with the black woolen short-coat really suited Xu Qiushi’s handsome face—even if the coat looked a bit cheap.
“Thanks.” Xu Qiushi touched his neck through the scarf. It was indeed very warm.
They took a car to Luohai University and followed the crowd through the gate to meet Xu Qiuze and Gu Chengfei.
Four tall and exceptionally good-looking adult males walking side-by-side, each handsome in a different way, attracted many looks of envy or admiration.
They toured the campus, visiting every building they could.
It exhausted the two young masters.
Especially Jiang Yichi. Though he kept saying there was nothing to see, he refused to go sit and wait; he insisted on following the brothers from start to finish without falling behind.
The gala was held on an outdoor stage. As the start time approached, Xu Qiuze—as a junior member of the student union—had to leave for logistics work.
Xu Qiushi didn’t know what his brother’s job entailed and asked habitually: “Do you need help?”
“No, Ge. You stay with them and have fun. Don’t wander off. Contact me if anything happens.” After instructing Xu Qiushi, Xu Qiuze repeatedly urged Jiang Yichi and Gu Chengfei to look after his brother.
“Go do your work, don’t worry about me.” Xu Qiushi watched his brother leave and followed Jiang Yichi to a relatively open area to wait for the show to begin.
Gu Chengfei returned at some point with hot milk tea, shoving a cup into both Jiang Yichi and Xu Qiushi’s hands before taking the last one to find Xu Qiuze.
People gathered in groups around the stage. The open space around Xu Qiushi and Jiang Yichi was soon filled.
Jiang Yichi disliked being crowded. He tugged on Xu Qiushi’s sleeve, signaling him to follow.
They went to the library building facing the stage. Many people were standing or sitting on the steps, but it was nowhere near as dense as the ground level.
They climbed high up the long flight of stairs. From here, they had a wide view and could look down at the entire stage—though the distance made things less clear.
At 7:00 PM, the gala officially began.
Brilliant performances followed one after another: guitar solos, instrumental ensembles, dance routines, choir performances… The lively atmosphere lasted for five full hours.
Xu Qiushi watched with wide eyes, not even remembering to drink his milk tea.
As midnight approached, the gala drew to a close. The sound of a countdown began sparsely, eventually becoming a synchronized roar.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
“Eight!”
Xu Qiushi instinctively looked beside him. He met Jiang Yichi’s gaze, but they quickly looked away.
“Four!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
“Happy New Year!” The cheers surged like a boiling ocean.
Fireworks shot into the air simultaneously, blossoming into brilliant colors against the ink-black sky.
Some people screamed wildly, some hugged each other, and some threw glow sticks into the air, creating trails of light.
Jiang Yichi leaned close to Xu Qiushi’s ear and said: “Happy New Year.”
With starlight reflecting in his eyes, Xu Qiushi smiled and replied: “Happy New Year.”
The carnival of ringing in the new year extended the end of the gala by nearly an hour before the crowd began to disperse.
Xu Qiushi and Jiang Yichi slowly walked down the steps.
As they walked, Jiang Yichi asked: “What is your New Year’s wish?”
“I hope everyone around me stays safe and healthy,” Xu Qiushi said without much thought.
“I’m asking about a wish for yourself. Why are you always thinking of others?” Jiang Yichi grumbled.
“It’s the same for me. I hope for a new year without illness or disaster. Being able to eat well and sleep well is enough.” Xu Qiushi’s wish was very practical.
“Truly no ambition at all,” Jiang Yichi teased.
“And you? What is your New Year’s wish?” Xu Qiushi asked back.
Jiang Yichi no longer had any material desires. If there was something he wanted… his gaze drifted uncontrollably toward Xu Qiushi. His ears suddenly turned hot. He quickly looked away and took a sip of his now-cold milk tea, nearly spitting it back out.
“Give it to me if you can’t drink it.” Xu Qiushi took the tea from Jiang Yichi, tore off the paper seal, and downed the remaining liquid in two gulps before tossing the cup into a bin. The movements were fluid and practiced.
Just as Jiang Yichi was about to speak, Xu Qiushi’s phone pinged with a New Year’s greeting from Xun Wenyao.
“Brother Wanyao is free now. Should we go see him?” Xu Qiushi asked.
Jiang Yichi knew what “go see him” meant. After a moment of silence, he nodded.
At the bar, Xun Wenyao—who was preparing to close—was surprised to receive a face-to-face apology from the Little Master on the first day of the year. He was quite flattered.
“I was wrong about what happened last time. I’m sorry.” Jiang Yichi said the words with a blank expression, waiting for a response.
“It’s fine, I forgive you.” Xun Wenyao secretly gave Xu Qiushi a thumbs-up, admiring his way of training the “kid.” “It’s late. You two should go back and rest. I won’t see you out.”
Walking out of the bar, Jiang Yichi let out a breath of relief. Xu Qiushi reached out and patted the boy’s head, saying: “You did well.”
Jiang Yichi’s ears turned red again.
On the way home, Jiang Yichi returned to the wish he hadn’t had the chance to voice: “If I make a wish, will you help me fulfill it?”
Xu Qiushi nodded: “As long as it’s something I can do.”
“Then you’re not allowed to call me ‘Boss’ anymore.” Jiang Yichi had hated that title for a long time.
“If not Boss, then what?” Xu Qiushi asked.
“Think of it yourself.”
“Jiang Yichi?”
Hearing that name immediately reminded him of the first time Xu Qiushi had yelled it—not a pleasant memory. “No.”
“Little Master?”
“No.”
“Young Manager Jiang?”
“No.”
After a moment of thought, Xu Qiushi tentatively called out: “Xiao Jiang?” (Little Jiang)
Jiang Yichi went silent, but he didn’t reject it this time.