The Huangjinwu was located in the southern part of the city, surrounded by dining, entertainment, and recreational facilities. On the first floor of the Huangjinwu, simple snacks and drinks were also provided for those who needed a break while shopping.
Jiang Jingshuo arrived very early and was sitting on the first floor, having ordered a drink while waiting for Lin Fei and Ji Leyu.
He was handsome, and from time to time, single girls would secretly glance at him. As they watched, they noticed someone standing in front of him.
When the girls looked up, their eyes widened in surprise.
—The two people who had arrived were even more handsome than the one already sitting there.
Both of them were very tall and strikingly elegant, with broad shoulders and long legs. The taller one had extremely handsome features, as if every ounce of paint had been used to create his appearance.
His demeanor was like cold ice, yet also like the hazy light of the moon, clear and aloof, making one hesitant to approach.
The slightly shorter one was much more radiant, with an exceptionally good-looking and captivating appearance, like a riot of blooming flowers in midsummer, vibrant and passionate, or like a spring stream breaking through the ice, romantic and light, making it impossible to look away.
It was indeed Lin Fei and Ji Leyu.
Seeing the two of them arrive, Jiang Jingshuo stood up.
“Let’s go,” he said, “The books are on the second floor.”
The three of them went upstairs together.
Lin Fei and Jiang Jingshuo both came with the intention of buying books, so as soon as they reached the second floor, they started browsing the shelves one by one.
Ji Leyu, having little interest in books, just followed Lin Fei, walking leisurely.
Jiang Jingshuo hadn’t read as extensively as Lin Fei, so when he saw a book that piqued his interest but he hadn’t read yet, he would turn around and ask Lin Fei about it, exchanging a few words with him.
Ji Leyu, not having much to add to their discussions, just stared at the books on the shelves out of boredom.
As he was looking, he saw Lin Fei turn around and hand him a book.
Ji Leyu took it, puzzled.
“It’s yours,” Lin Fei said succinctly.
Ji Leyu understood. This was the book Lin Fei had picked out for him to read.
He looked at it and felt relieved; the book wasn’t thick. Ji Leyu murmured an acknowledgment, thinking his brother still had a bit of humanity left in him.
But soon he discovered that Lin Fei probably wasn’t so humane after all.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed him another book after just a few steps.
Ji Leyu watched the books in his hands pile up and quickly interrupted, “That’s enough, that’s enough. I really won’t be able to read all of these.”
Hearing this, Lin Fei looked up at him.
He gave Ji Leyu books partly to help him choose what to read and partly to keep him occupied so he wouldn’t feel bored or left out while Lin Fei and Jiang Jingshuo had things to talk about.
Seeing this, Lin Fei reached out and ruffled Ji Leyu’s hair, “Alright.”
Ji Leyu finally sighed in relief.
Jiang Jingshuo noticed the stack of books in Ji Leyu’s hands and was surprised to see that he was already holding a tall pile.
Since they had come to the second floor, he had been browsing the books and occasionally chatting with Lin Fei, not paying much attention to Ji Leyu, not realizing Lin Fei had been looking out for Ji Leyu the entire time.
“My books are chosen,” Lin Fei said to Jiang Jingshuo, “Do you need more time to look around?”
Jiang Jingshuo shook his head; he had also selected the books he wanted to buy.
“Then let’s go check out,” he said.
Lin Fei nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the cashier.
Watching his back as he turned, Jiang Jingshuo suddenly realized something.
—He had chosen his books and had also picked out books for Ji Leyu.
The second floor wasn’t small. From the staircase to the end, Lin Fei had been handing books to Ji Leyu the entire time, until they finished browsing the entire floor.
If this was a coincidence, it was too coincidental. But if it wasn’t a coincidence, then Lin Fei was exceptionally attentive.
Although he hadn’t said anything, he had been thinking about Ji Leyu the whole time, maintaining interactions with him so he wouldn’t feel neglected.
He was obviously aloof and cold, but when it came to Ji Leyu, he was so considerate and gentle, as if he were a different person.
No wonder Ji Leyu cared so much about him.
If Jiang Jingshuo could notice this, Ji Leyu certainly wouldn’t miss it either.
As soon as Lin Fei nodded and prepared to check out, Ji Leyu had already understood.
—Lin Fei kept giving him books, just like that day at dinner when he kept serving him food.
The books weren’t the point, and the food wasn’t the point either. The point was that Lin Fei was comforting him.
Lin Fei was afraid that he would be unhappy or feel bored, so he put special effort into comforting him.
Ji Leyu instantly felt happy.
He smiled softly and followed Lin Fei to the cashier.
They bought quite a few books, enough to qualify for home delivery. Lin Fei wrote down the address, paid, and went downstairs with Ji Leyu and Jiang Jingshuo.
It was dinner time, and Jiang Jingshuo suggested, “Let’s have dinner together. There’s no one at my place, and I’d just order takeout anyway.”
Lin Fei was about to decline, but Ji Leyu said, “Sure.”
After all, Ji Yuxiao wasn’t home today, so it didn’t matter if they went back or not. Ji Leyu figured he might as well take the chance to see if Lin Fei would serve him food whenever they dined with Jiang Jingshuo.
Lin Fei glanced at Ji Leyu, not quite understanding why he suddenly agreed to have dinner with Jiang Jingshuo.
Ji Leyu smiled, not saying anything, just looking at him with a cheerful expression.
Seeing this, Lin Fei agreed.
Jiang Jingshuo, pleased to receive a smile from Ji Leyu, asked eagerly, “What do you want to eat?”
“Let’s have barbecue,” Ji Leyu said without hesitation. “I know a good barbecue place nearby.”
“Alright,” Jiang Jingshuo agreed.
The group went to the barbecue restaurant together.
As soon as they sat down, Ji Leyu noticed Dong Junbo and Zheng Binbai entering the restaurant.
Dong Junbo spotted him and immediately walked over to their table with a smile, saying, “What a coincidence, you’re here too?”
“I was just shopping nearby and decided to come over for a meal,” Ji Leyu replied.
Dong Junbo then sat down next to Jiang Jingshuo, “Then let’s eat together.”
Ji Leyu had no objections, so Zheng Binbai also took a seat.
The tables at the restaurant were large enough, so sitting five people didn’t feel crowded.
The waiter brought them complimentary tea and instructed them to scan the QR code on the table to order food by themselves.
Ji Leyu looked at the menu on his phone and ordered a few dishes that he and Lin Fei both liked. After placing the order, he leaned over to Lin Fei and asked, “Do you want anything else?”
Lin Fei noticed a dessert he was interested in at the end of the menu and added that. He didn’t order anything else.
Before long, the waiter brought their ordered dishes to the table.
The grill on the table was large. The waiter spread parchment paper and brushed oil on it, preparing to help them with grilling.
Ji Leyu quickly said, “We’ll do it ourselves.”
“Okay,” the waiter responded, leaving the tongs behind and going to another table.
Ji Leyu picked up chopsticks and placed a few slices of meat on the grill.
The others also began to grill their preferred dishes, gradually filling up the grill.
Soon, the grill was covered with food.
Dong Junbo, naturally outgoing, started chatting with Jiang Jingshuo, who was sitting next to him.
“It’s quite impressive that you’re able to hang out with those two,” Dong Junbo said.
Jiang Jingshuo asked in confusion, “Why do you say that?”
“Because those two usually just go shopping by themselves and never invite anyone else,” Dong Junbo explained.
Zheng Binbai also found today’s situation a bit unusual.
Previously, he had vaguely felt that Ji Leyu’s behavior suggested a closer relationship between him and Lin Fei than seemed appropriate. However, he now realized that it was probably because Ji Leyu was simply concerned that Lin Fei wouldn’t like his friends.
When Lin Fei’s friend appeared, Ji Leyu was actually willing for him to interact with Lin Fei.
With this thought, Zheng Binbai felt inexplicably relieved.
He looked up just in time to see Ji Leyu placing some grilled meat onto his own plate.
Zheng Binbai took a slice of bacon and put it into his bowl. After inviting others to join, he casually placed a slice of bacon onto Ji Leyu’s plate, saying, “Here.”
Ji Leyu didn’t think much of it, just responded with an “Oh,” and wondered when Lin Fei would serve him some food.
He waited and waited, but Lin Fei never served him any food.
Ji Leyu was a bit annoyed. Why did Lin Fei serve him food last time but not this time?
Could it really be that Lin Fei only comforted him the first time?
“I want to eat the preserved tofu,” he said, turning to Lin Fei.
Upon hearing this, Lin Fei picked up his chopsticks and served him a piece.
As Ji Leyu ate the preserved tofu Lin Fei had served him, he wondered if Lin Fei would notice his hint.
However, Lin Fei clearly didn’t catch on. After serving the preserved tofu, he didn’t serve Ji Leyu any more food.
Ji Leyu: …
Ji Leyu felt like he was about to lose his temper!
He angrily chewed the meat in his mouth, puzzled as to why Lin Fei wasn’t serving him any more food.
Why?!
It wasn’t until after dinner, when Ji Leyu got home, that he couldn’t hold back any longer. He threw his phone onto the bed, sat up, and asked, “Why didn’t you serve me any food today?”
Lin Fei: ???
Lin Fei looked at him, his eyes a mix of helplessness, confusion, and a sort of indulgent exasperation.
“You wanted me to serve you food?”
“Last time, when we had dinner with Jiang Jingshuo, you served me food.”
Lin Fei understood, “So that’s why you suddenly agreed to have dinner with Jiang Jingshuo today.”
Ji Leyu’s cheeks puffed up with anger, “But you didn’t do anything!”
Lin Fei: …
Lin Fei leaned back in his chair and sighed, “Today, your friends were also here.”
Ji Leyu blinked and almost instantly understood what Lin Fei meant.
When it was just him, Lin Fei, and Jiang Jingshuo, even though Jiang Jingshuo was considered an outsider, he was someone Lin Fei paid attention to. Lin Fei didn’t want Ji Leyu to have negative feelings because of Jiang Jingshuo, so he took the initiative to comfort and care for him, helping him maintain a good mood.
But when Dong Junbo and Zheng Binbai also showed up, there were more outsiders than just Jiang Jingshuo, including Dong Junbo and Zheng Binbai, who were considered Ji Leyu’s friends.
At that point, Ji Leyu’s friends balanced out Jiang Jingshuo, who was Lin Fei’s friend. Jiang Jingshuo’s presence wasn’t exaggerated, so Lin Fei felt that Ji Leyu wouldn’t develop negative emotions stemming from possessiveness. Therefore, Lin Fei didn’t feel the need to actively comfort him anymore.
Ji Leyu pouted and complained softly, “It shouldn’t be like that.”
Lin Fei nodded, “Got it.”
“So, next time we encounter a situation like this…” Ji Leyu looked at him expectantly.
Lin Fei was speechless, waved him over.
Ji Leyu immediately got out of bed and walked over to him.
Lin Fei raised his hand and pinched his cheek.
Ji Leyu didn’t resist, quietly allowing Lin Fei to pinch him.
Lin Fei looked at the obedient look in his eyes, feeling both soft and fond.
He let go, and the flush on Ji Leyu’s face spread and blossomed like peach blossoms, vibrant and vivid.
Lin Fei reached up and patted his head, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Brother will comfort you.”
Author’s Note:
Ji Leyu: Big mistake. I should have had Dong Junbo and Zheng Binbai eat at another table today!
Dong Junbo: ????
Zheng Binbai: …
Jiang Jingshuo: As expected, you’re a serious brother complex!
Ji Leyu: What right do you have to say that? You’re an outsider.
Jiang Jingshuo: …