Chapter 1 (1/2)

Winter, Lunar New Year’s Eve.

At an office building in the shopping street of District A.

“For someone who’s quitting, how does it feel to work overtime at the office on Lunar New Year’s Eve?”

“I feel nothing.”

Wei Feng teased, “You won’t have a chance to work overtime here anymore even if you wanted to a year from now, so please treasure this moment.”

Qin Shaocheng burst out laughing.

Taking out a peculiar-looking felt-tip pen from Qin Shaocheng’s pen holder, Wei Feng found a small note hidden in the pen after slightly twisting the cap open. “Huh? There’s something…weird about this pen.” Wei Feng opened up the note with a click of his tongue, feigning a pretentious expression.

Qin Shaocheng’s eyes shifted towards Wei Feng from the data transfer screen before him.

“Woah! It’s a secret confession note!! Let me read it aloud for you…” Wei Feng went on to read it in a loving tone paired with a deep, tantalising voice. “Shaocheng, I like you. In my…”

Seizing back the pen and note, Qin Shaocheng asked, “Did Zeng Pingping make you do this?”

Wei Feng burst into laughter. “What could I do? She kept bombarding me with Wechat messages, pestering me non-stop! Saying that if you haven’t seen the note inside the pen, she insisted that I open it up in front of you and read it aloud.”

Qin Shaocheng placed the pen back into the dusty holder, crumpling the note in his grip.

“I can’t stand seeing a beauty like her missing her chance.” Wei Feng jabbed Qin Shaocheng with his elbow. “Sure you don’t want to give her a try?”

Seeing that the data transfer was finally done, Qin Shaocheng went on to switch off the computer. “Let’s go. Time to head home.”

Wei Feng shrugged his shoulders and followed suit.

The office was already deserted since that day was the Lunar New Year’s Eve. After the two of them verified that all the doors and windows were locked and everything was switched off, they locked the main office door. While waiting for the elevator, Wei Feng threw his arm over Qin Shaocheng’s shoulder and asked, “What time are you flying?”

“On the 7th day after New Year’s.” Qin Shaocheng threw the note into the garbage cart.

“You’re not going back this year?”

“Yeah.”

“Last time it was because of——” Wei Feng paused in his tracks, before continuing, “Haven’t you already decided to take over your family’s business?”

“There are too many relatives during New Year’s. It’ll be much quieter if I head back after.”

As they walked out of the elevator, Wei Feng who lived in the region, pulled out his cell phone and took a glance at the message he received. “My old man wants me to grab some carrots from the supermarket. He’s whipping up a lamb stew back home. Why don’t you spend New Year’s at my place this year? It’ll be livelier.”

“Thanks but it’s alright.” Qin Shaosheng replied, “I’ll go with you to the supermarket, though, since I need to shop, too.”

With two adult men shopping at the supermarket, it was a quick affair, getting whatever they needed and going straight to the cashier to pay for the groceries. There was no such thing as leisurely browsing around and comparing prices. By the time they got out from the place, it had already started pouring. After bidding goodbye to Wei Feng, Qin Shaocheng drove his car back to his rental apartment.

The Spring celebrations fell in the middle of February that winter. The beginning of spring had passed, and the raindrops were as thin as fine needles yet soft as wisps of smoke.

The drive back was smooth and the entire city had quietened down after a few days. The usually crowded parking lot in the community area was deserted. Parking the car below the loft, Qin Shaocheng opened the trunk and carried two bags of groceries up the staircase. He only remembered that he had forgotten to lock the car door when he was taking out his keys. Placing the bags on the shoe cabinet after heading into the apartment, he went to the kitchen.

Before he could look up completely, what entered his line of sight and greeted him first was a grey-coloured slipper on the floor.

The person wearing the slipper was currently standing before the stove, holding a ladle as he stirred the food in the pot. The fragrant aroma of the rice and the rich flavor of the meat, when blended in with the whiff of ammonia that could only be found in century eggs, produced a wonderful collision of flavours, which was enough to make any man salivate hungrily.

“You’re back?” Jiang Yishan curled his lips into a smile with a docile look on his face.

Qin Shaocheng stood still, trying to calm himself down.

Placing the lid back on the pot, Jiang Yishan turned off the stove. “The century egg porridge with meat is done! Do you want to have a taste?”