Chapter 221

Chapter 221

As luck would have it, Tian Ruan was off the next day, so he could spend the entire day having fun with Lu Qiuyan.

Early in the morning, after brushing his teeth and washing his face—without even putting on cologne—Tian Ruan eagerly sent a WeChat message: *Lu Qiuyan, are you awake?*

Ten seconds, thirty seconds, a minute passed—no reply.

Tian Ruan knew Lu Qiuyan was still asleep, so he went downstairs for breakfast first. "Good morning, Mr. Yu."

Yu Jingmo lifted his phoenix eyes from the morning paper and set it aside. "Good morning, Mrs. Yu."

Tian Ruan suddenly felt something was off… too formal. It was like when they had just gotten married. It hit him, and he quickly checked the date on his phone—it was indeed 2030, not a time slip back to 2024.

He glanced at Yu Jingmo again, only to see the man’s lips curling slightly, watching him with amusement. Tian Ruan let it slide casually and headed to the dining room. By the time breakfast was served, Yu Shang still hadn’t appeared.

"Where’s Yu Shang?" Tian Ruan asked in surprise. After all, since his son had gradually taken over responsibilities, he had become as disciplined as a machine—being late or leaving early was extremely rare.

The butler smiled. "The young master was up late helping Mr. Lu clean up his room and returned quite late. He’s still asleep now."

Tian Ruan: "..."

What kind of room takes until the early hours to clean? Either the main couple had confessed their feelings to each other, or… something unmentionable had happened.

"Starting off that intense?" Tian Ruan mentally applauded his son. "As expected of the male lead—once he’s grown up, his advances are relentless."

Yu Jingmo chuckled faintly. "Starve someone long enough, and they’ll pounce like a wolf."

Tian Ruan found it hard to believe. "Yu Shang is such a self-controlled person. He wouldn’t act like that."

Yu Jingmo didn’t argue. He knew his son well—no matter how disciplined, there were moments when emotions became uncontrollable. Back then, when he and Tian Ruan had an unexpected night together, he had thought it was just a one-time accident, that he had no lasting feelings. Yet, he found himself growing increasingly affectionate, sometimes unable to restrain himself.

If he and Tian Ruan had been separated for five years, upon reuniting, he too would have pounced like a starving wolf.

After breakfast, Yu Jingmo left for work. Before going, as usual, he kissed Tian Ruan’s forehead and slipped a black card into his hand. "Have fun."

Tian Ruan glanced at the gilded letters on the card. "I have money."

"But you’re reluctant to spend it," Yu Jingmo said. "It hurts me to see you hold back."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Yu Jingmo laughed. "If you don’t want to hear sentimental words, then spend happily. I’ve told you—I have plenty of money. You can afford to be bolder."

Tian Ruan nodded.

"Text me your location when you get there."

"Okay." Tian Ruan reluctantly saw Yu Jingmo off at the estate gate, waving at the car just like he used to in high school whenever Yu Jingmo dropped him off.

Yu Jingmo glanced back through the rearview mirror, his expression soft.

The driver smiled. "Mrs. Yu is just the same as before."

Yu Jingmo: "Mm."

Watching the car disappear from sight, Tian Ruan returned to the closet and changed into an old outfit, throwing on that ripped denim jacket—a piece of clothing that had narrowly escaped the trash multiple times, repeatedly saved from being discarded by Tian Ruan’s stubborn efforts.

The habit of replacing his entire wardrobe every season—a spoiled rich kid’s habit—had finally, under Tian Ruan’s insistence, changed to replacing clothes only once a year. Some particularly beloved clothes could stay forever.

Tian Ruan's attachment to this ripped denim jacket was just like De Yin's schoolbag—utterly irreplaceable.

He glanced at his phone and sent another message to Lu Qiuyan: "I'm on my way / haha."

Regardless of whether Yu Shang was awake or not, Tian Ruan decided to go find Lu Qiuyan first.

He wheeled out a mountain bike from the underground garage, slung a backpack over his shoulders, and rode over casually to the Golden Jade Villas.

Tian Ruan was already a familiar face in the neighborhood. The security guard smiled and asked, "Visiting your mom again?"

"It's getting cold, so my mom went abroad," Tian Ruan chatted casually. "I'm here to visit a friend who just moved in."

The villas in Golden Jade varied in layout, and the one Lu Qiuyan lived in was particularly petite—just right for a family of three. Tian Ruan rode up to the narrow, shoulder-high gate and rang the doorbell.

The small courtyard was filled with flowers, mostly chrysanthemums, in full bloom for autumn.

Ding-dong—ding-dong—Tian Ruan pressed the bell twice more.

Before long, the inner door of the villa opened, and Lu Qiuyan appeared, one hand raking through his messy bedhead, wearing pajamas and slippers. "Seriously, this early?"

Tian Ruan pushed his bike inside and leaned it against the wall. "Get dressed and grab breakfast, and then we'll go for a ride along the river. We can grab crayfish at 'Riverside Eats' for lunch."

Riverside Eats was a rustic farmhouse restaurant Tian Ruan had stumbled upon during a yacht trip with Yu Jingmo. They’d been there a few times, and it was pretty good. The only downside was that it was a bit far from the villa—half an hour by car, longer by bike.

Lu Qiuyan eyed the knee pads, wrist guards, and cycling helmet on Tian Ruan. "So you’re into cycling now?"

"Just occasional exercise," Tian Ruan said. "Mr. Yu says cycling is good cardio, great for you."

As he spoke, he pulled a pair of cycling shorts from his backpack. "Here, wear these. Otherwise, you'll get sore after riding too long."

Lu Qiuyan waved it off. "I'm good. Don't need 'em."

"Alright. Actually, these are my backup. If I start hurting, I'll change into them midway."

"..." Lu Qiuyan gave him a thumbs-up.

That reminded Tian Ruan of an embarrassing story.

When he first started cycling, even with his plenty of padding back there, the narrow saddle had left him raw within two days. Too embarrassed to say anything, he secretly applied ointment after showering.

But Yu Jingmo discovered it in the bedroom.

After a thorough inspection, Yu Jingmo found the proof, his expression darkening. "What happened? Did someone put you on a torture device?"

Tian Ruan's face burned red. "No... The bike seat was too narrow. It pinched."

Yu Jingmo: "...If that's the case, why keep riding?"

Tian Ruan shot back, "I've already conquered a Rolls-Royce. How could I let a tiny mountain bike defeat me?"

His stubbornness made Yu Jingmo chuckle. "Did you wear cycling shorts?"

"?" That was when Tian Ruan learned that beginners needed special padded shorts to avoid chafing.

Later, once he had the right gear, Tian Ruan got used to it. Cycling two or three times a week became his routine.

Notably, since taking up cycling, Tian Ruan's leg strength had improved significantly. During their intimate moments, he could cling to Yu Jingmo’s waist for over an hour without tiring...

Which only made Yu Jingmo go harder.

"Why the fuck are you blushing?" Lu Qiuyan asked, eyeing Tian Ruan with exasperation.

Tian Ruan snapped out of his daze and coughed awkwardly. "Nothing, just excited that our sworn brother trio are getting together again."

Lu Qiuyan gave no response, heading upstairs to brush his teeth, wash his face, and change. "Wait downstairs, I’ll be right down."

"Okay."

Tian Ruan wandered around the first floor. The villa was indeed cozy—just a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and a study. The second floor probably only had four or five rooms, but it was perfect for a pet or two.

In the original novel, the main couple lived in a luxurious duplex loft, tastefully decorated with a dog and a cat, making for a warm home.

Tian Ruan mused, living in the manor was better—not only was the scenery beautiful, but servants were always at hand. More importantly, he loved the lively feeling of living together.

That was what family should be like, he thought.

In the original story, Yu Shang and Yu Jingmo had a distant relationship, and Lu Qiuyan never truly felt like part of the family. If they had rashly moved in with Yu Jingmo, it would’ve been awkward.

But now things were different. Tian Ruan, the young master of the manor, hadn’t died, and Yu Jingmo showed unprecedented kindness and tolerance toward the main couple that wasn’t present in the original story. They could become a real family.

"Let’s go," Lu Qiuyan’s calm voice called out.

Tian Ruan turned and was surprised to see Lu Qiuyan wearing the same ripped denim jacket. "You kept it too?"

"It’s still wearable," Lu Qiuyan muttered, slightly embarrassed. "No one'll think we're matching, right?"

"..." That was a real possibility.

To avoid misunderstandings, Tian Ruan tied the hem of his jacket, giving it a more stylish look. Meanwhile, Lu Qiuyan left his jacket open, put on a baseball cap, and dug out a spare key from the dresser, tossing it to Tian Ruan.

"Next time, you won’t have to knock," Lu Qiuyan said.

Tian Ruan happily added the key to his keychain.

The two rode their bikes to the foot of the mountain, stopping at a breakfast shop first. Lu Qiuyan ate steamed buns and drank soy milk before setting off with Tian Ruan. Riding along the riverside in the cool autumn breeze, they followed the green cycling lane.

One after another, other cyclists sped past them like the wind, pumping Tian Ruan up to pedal harder.

"...Tian Ruan, slow down!" Lu Qiuyan shouted.

Tian Ruan: "I'm winning, woo—catch up!" He accidentally got a mouthful of wind and pedaled even harder.

Three minutes later, Lu Qiuyan caught up with Tian Ruan, who was completely exhausted, his legs like limp noodles, weakly spinning the pedals out of sheer habit.

Lu Qiuyan wasn’t surprised. "You’re not a professional athlete. Once you break your rhythm, everything falls apart. Get off and walk for a bit."

Gasping for air, Tian Ruan had no choice but to dismount and push his bike. Then, he spotted a black Bentley cruising leisurely in the right lane. The rear window rolled down, revealing Yu Shang’s cool, refined face.

Yu Shang looked at them baffled. It was a perfectly fine weekend—why were they exhausting themselves like this?

Tian Ruan bristled. "...Yu Shang, get out here."

Yu Shang replied coolly, "I’ll wait for you at The Riverside."

Lu Qiuyan: "Oh."

Yu Shang’s gaze lingered on Lu Qiuyan’s face, the golden light casting light into his dark eyes. After a moment, the Bentley drove forward, but he still watched the two young men in the rearview mirror—just like he used to long ago.

Back then, his car always got to school first than his father’s. In their usual order, he would often see Tian Ruan get off about ten minutes early from Deyin Academy.

As they walked, Lu Qiuyan's classic 28-inch bicycle swooped in like the wind, chatting and laughing with Tian Ruan.

Yu Shang had wanted to do the same countless times—walk to Deyin, have Lu Qiuyan stop for him, talk and share a laugh. Or even just stay silent would have been fine.

But he never did it.

Because of pride, because of that fragile, teenage pride, he refused to let himself make even the slightest misstep.

Yet meeting Lu Qiuyan was the one thing that shattered all the social norms of his carefully planned life. Lu Qiuyan didn’t follow conventions, didn’t act like ordinary people. He was like a kite, soaring high in the sky, but the string wasn’t in Yu Shang’s hands.

Watching the kite rise and fall with the wind, Yu Shang suddenly wanted to chase after it.

He stepped into Lu Qiuyan’s life.

Lu Qiuyan’s life was a vast wilderness. Under its open sky, the stars shone above, but the ground was pitch black, forcing him to feel his way forward. Ahead might lie worldly pleasures, or it might be a chasm of despair.

Yu Shang thought again—if he couldn’t stop and talk to Lu Qiuyan along the way, then he would walk ahead of him, to see what lay in front.

Whether it was the bustling world or the chasm, he was willing to step into it.

If it was the world, he’d gladly roll in it with Lu Qiuyan. If it was the chasm, he’d be there to catch Lu Qiuyan, so he wouldn’t get hurt.

Three hundred sixty-five days a year, two years and one day after knowing Lu Qiuyan, Yu Shang suddenly realized—he had stepped into both pleasure and peril.

Turns out, he liked Lu Qiuyan that much.

The river wind swept over his face. Yu Shang closed his eyes, savoring the wind—

He would still walk ahead of Lu Qiuyan, scouting the path, just like in their youth.

The howling wind carried back an inexplicable warmth, tousling Lu Qiuyan’s hair. He watched the Bentley car gradually disappear but felt an odd sense of reassurance, because he knew Yu Shang was waiting for him ahead.

Lu Qiuyan swung his long leg over the bike and said to Tian Ruan, “Hurry up, don’t be late for school.”

The moment the words left his mouth, both of them froze.

Then they burst into laughter.

“Lu Qiuyan, we were never late for school,” Tian Ruan said. “This time is no different.”

The ones who were late weren’t them, but Wang Weiqi, Xi Qin, and Xie Tangyan.

“Damn it! Some clueless driver scratched my damn two-million-dollar ride! I didn’t feel like arguing, so I just took two thousand from him. And he still had the nerve to bitch and moan—did I rip him off? The paint job alone would cost at least twenty grand!” Wang Weiqi ranted angrily.

Tian Ruan said, “You should’ve called the police.”

Wang Weiqi: “Forget it, eating crawfish is more important. Road tyrant! Oppa~!” He made a show of lunging at Lu Qiuyan for a big hug.

Lu Qiuyan looked disgusted, cracking his knuckles. “I don’t want to start a fight the moment we meet. Tone it down.”

Wang Weiqi’s outstretched arms drooped like a broken-winged angel. “All these years later, don’t you miss me at all?”

“Every time I think of you, I mistake you for a dog,” Lu Qiuyan said. “If I hadn’t seen you in person, I might’ve mixed you up.”

Wang Weiqi: “...Even though I liked barking like a dog in high school, I’m not actually a dog! That one is!”

Husky: “Woof woof woof!”

Lu Qiuyan didn’t want to hug Wang Weiqi, but he was surprisingly tolerant of real dogs. He scritched the husky’s head and said, “Paw, good boy!”

The husky obediently extended its front paw.

Lu Qiuyan praised, "You've got, like, police dog potential. Lie down."

The husky lay down, wagging its tail nonstop and affectionately licking Lu Qiuyan's fingers. Lu Qiuyan rewarded it with a plate of poached chicken. "Eat up."

Wang Weiqi sulked again, "Xiao Ha (Little Ha) is never this obedient with me."

The husky: "Woof woof woof!" It carried a piece of poached chicken to its owner's hand.

Wang Weiqi was deeply moved, hugging the husky and saying, "Xiao Ha, I wronged you. You're the best dog! Woof woof!"

Tian Ruan, watching both Big Wang and Little Wang in action, remarked, "Wang Weiqi, you've got it made."

"You've got it made with a dog?" A cool but playful female voice chimed in. Xie Tangyan walked in, dressed in an elegant skirt, her hair loosely pinned with a claw clip, carrying a handbag, and wearing light makeup.

Back in high school, Xie Tangyan had been a school beauty queen, though overshadowed by Nan Mengyao at the time. Her cheerful personality also made people overlook her beauty.

Now, five years later, Xie Tangyan had taken over her family's business, her demeanor and poise more refined than ever, exuding confidence and charm.

Beside her stood Xi Qin, the quintessential straight-A student from their school days, now a CEO. Standing next to Xie Tangyan, they made a striking pair—a perfect match of talent and beauty. His glasses had been replaced with gold-rimmed ones, and he gave everyone a warm smile. "I can't believe none of you have changed at all over the years."

Yu Shang replied, "Neither have you."

Xie Tangyan laughed and sat next to Tian Ruan. "I heard you got into grad school. Congrats."

Tian Ruan said, "I heard you defeated your two brothers and became the rightful heir of the Xie family. Congrats."

Exchanging pleasantries, Xie Tangyan added, "I have Xi Qin to thank for that. If he hadn't proposed a marriage deal to strengthen my position, I might not have won."

"Marriage deal?" Tian Ruan's gaze flickered between the two, a broad smile spreading across his face. "A marriage deal is great."

Arranged marriage to lovers? Perfect.

Besides, Xi Qin had clearly had feelings for Xie Tangyan back in high school. Others might not have noticed, but Tian Ruan had seen it all—childhood friends turned frenemies-to-lovers, now bound by a marriage deal. They were practically destined for each other.

Xi Qin merely smiled at this. A marriage deal was just a means to an end. Whether he could truly keep her by his side depended entirely on him.

Wang Weiqi suddenly blurted out, "Xie Tangyan, why didn't you ask me for the marriage deal?"

Xie Tangyan: "..."

Xi Qin asked casually, "How much is your family's net worth?"

Wang Weiqi understood—he was being deemed "poor." Having lived lavishly for so long, he'd almost forgotten he was new money. "Just kidding, don’t take it seriously, haha."

Tian Ruan: "Wang's brain glitches sometimes. Bear with him."

Wang Weiqi suddenly perked up. "Holy crap, that smells good! Is our spicy crawfish ready yet?"

As soon as he spoke, a waiter brought over a huge platter of crawfish, the spicy aroma filling the air, making everyone’s mouths water. "There are two more platters coming for your table. They’ll be ready soon."

Wang Weiqi eagerly reached out with his bare fingers, only to get his hand whacked by Tian Ruan's chopsticks. "Wear gloves."

Once all the spicy crawfish were served, Lu Qiuyan popped open several cans of beer and passed them around. Raising his own can, he said, "I haven’t kept in touch with everyone these past few years. My bad. Cheers."

With that, he tilted his head back and drank, his Adam's apple working. Foam spilled from the corners of his lips, but he didn’t bother wiping it away, letting it trickle down his pale neck.

He finished the beer in one go without coming up for air.

Tian Ruan was stunned, while Wang Weiqi cheered and started chugging his beer as well.

Lu Qiuyan wiped his mouth, only to see Yu Shang reach over and wipe his neck for him. His ears instantly turned slightly red. "It's fine, I can do it myself."

Xi Qin sipped his beer leisurely, narrowing his eyes with a smile. "Congratulations to our president on the upcoming happy news."

Yu Shang didn’t confirm or deny it.

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

Tian Ruan asked, "Vice President (Xi Qin), what do you mean by that?"

He didn’t even know about the main couple’s "happy news," so how could Xi Qin possibly know?

Xi Qin elegantly peeled a shrimp for Xie Tangyan and said, "Back in school, our president was the type who wouldn’t even pick up 10 grand if someone dropped it in front of him. And Lu Qiuyan? He was the kind who could reject a girl’s confession in public without blinking."

One’s a blockhead, the other’s stubborn as a mule.

Now, the blockhead’s finally blooming, and the mule didn’t refuse the blockhead’s flowers falling onto him. That in itself was pretty damn obvious.

Tian Ruan grinned at Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan. "So, something really did happen between you two last night."

"Last night? What about last night?" Xie Tangyan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "President, did you get dominated??"

Yu Shang: "...If you don’t want to eat the crayfish, you’re welcome to go outside and suck air."

Meanwhile, Lu Qiuyan kept peeling crayfish, dead silent.

Tian Ruan knew they were too shy to admit anything, so he didn’t press further. Still, the smile on his lips was impossible to suppress. His dumbass "son" and Lu Qiuyan definitely hadn’t gone *that* far, but their feelings had clearly deepened—they must have done something only couples would do, which was why they were acting so awkward.

Wang Weiqi, the only single dog in the room, suffered 10,000-point emotional damage. Not wanting to endure others’ PDA fest, he channeled his frustration into wolfing down crayfish.

The spicy crayfish were brutally spicy—halfway through, everyone’s faces were flushed, their lips as red as if they’d slapped on lipstick.

"Holy shit, this burns!" Wang Weiqi’s tears streamed down.

Tian Ruan quickly ordered ice-cold beer and, imitating Lu Qiuyan’s boldness, downed a can in one gulp. Just as he was about to challenge the spicy crayfish again, he passed out.

"..."

When he opened his eyes, he was lying in Yu Jingmo’s Maybach, his head resting on Yu Jingmo’s lap.

What a familiar scene. Tian Ruan got all weepy. "I only had two cans of beer... I didn’t even finish my crayfish."

Yu Jingmo said, "Sniff around—what does the car smell like?"

Tian Ruan sniffed curiously. "Crayfish! You brought them back for me?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck yeah!" Tian Ruan perked up. "Let’s go home and keep eating, hehehe. Wait—where are the others?"

"Lu Qiuyan said he’d come find you once you’ve rested."

Reassured, Tian Ruan sat up and leaned his head against Yu Jingmo’s shoulder. "Whoa... *Hurk*!"

"Stop the car."

Tian Ruan went to the riverside to vomit for a while. He felt a little guilty but consoled himself—it would break down naturally and get washed away, so no harm done.

Yu Jingmo handed him a bottle of mineral water to rinse his mouth, patting his back to help him catch his breath, and said with an amused sigh, "Over these years, I really thought you'd become more steady."

Tian Ruan turned his head to glare at him, "...Was it all fake?"

Yu Jingmo gazed at the young man's lips reddened from the spice and slightly swollen, and said, "Not fake." Then his eyes shifted to those moist, hazel-brown eyes, "But not completely true either."

"What do you mean?"

Yu Jingmo took Tian Ruan's hand, and the two walked along the riverside for a while. He said, "You don't have to be mature or steady; you can do anything you want. Just know that I support any decision you make—except drinking."

"...Oh." Tian Ruan lowered his head, "Looks like I haven’t improved much compared to five years ago."

"No." Yu Jingmo said, "You’ve improved a lot. In my eyes, your light keeps getting brighter."

Tian Ruan smiled, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Generally speaking, most stories could wrap up right here," Tian Ruan said. "The rest can be left to the readers’ boundless imagination."

Yu Jingmo looked at him, "Do you want it to end?"

Tian Ruan shook his head, "Our story lives in this moment, never ending. Not until life itself ends."

At least at this moment, for a long, long time in the future, and in all those years past, their story has always existed. From a four-dimensional perspective, no story ever really ends—not until the universe itself does.

Every person, every story—they all endure.