Chapter 25: A Partner Too Outstanding

Chapter 25: His Lover Is Too Good

The wheelchair continued to move forward.

Xu Moxing sat in it, thinking about what was just said.

Xu Moxing realized that Su Lichen had become more mature than he was five years ago.

He had always been calm and steady, but he hadn't been as mature in handling things as he was now.

This amazing man was his boyfriend.

Xu Moxing suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. He was so ordinary and so foolish—would he still be the same five years from now?

There's a difference between relationships in college and in the real world.

The college environment had hidden a lot.

They came from different family backgrounds but could hang out together. Although Xu Moxing could sense at the time that he and Su Lichen probably weren't in the same social circle, the environment helped mask it.

Now, comparing Su Lichen five years later to himself, he even felt unworthy—how could he deserve Su Lichen's love?

Xu Moxing shook his head. He shouldn't put himself down like that; it would invalidate Su Lichen's feelings.

Su Lichen pushed the wheelchair. Ahead, there was a stall selling roasted sweet potatoes, and the aroma wafted over.

Su Lichen stopped and asked him, "Want some?"

Xu Moxing nodded.

Su Lichen went to buy some, while Xu Moxing waited in the wheelchair.

There was a bench nearby where two local old men were sitting, playing Chinese chess.

Xu Moxing watched for a while. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but seeing them argue red-faced and vehemently, he found it amusing.

Su Lichen came back with the sweet potatoes and handed one to him.

Xu Moxing took it, but it was so hot he kept shifting it from hand to hand.

Su Lichen sat down on the bench beside him, split open his own, and waited for it to cool.

"That woman earlier," Xu Moxing suddenly spoke up, "if I had actually given her the money, would you have thought I was stupid?"

Su Lichen gave him an amused look. "Of course not."

Xu Moxing took a bite of the sweet potato and winced, sucking in air through his teeth because it was so hot.

"Then before," he said between breaths, "were you ever scammed?"

Su Lichen nodded honestly. "Of course I've been scammed. You can't go through life without getting hurt."

Xu Moxing rolled his eyes internally—Su Lichen's dry humor had never faded from college days till now.

The two sat eating sweet potatoes, basking in the warm sunlight.

The two old men across from them were still arguing. One said, "You took back your move," and the other said, "I didn't see it," both speaking loudly.

Xu Moxing watched them and suddenly burst out laughing.

Su Lichen turned to look at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Xu Moxing said. "I just think it's nice to still be able to argue with someone when you're old."

Su Lichen didn't say anything.

He looked at Xu Moxing's profile, the sunlight making his eyes bright as he smiled.

He suddenly recalled—a long time ago, Xu Moxing used to be like this too, laughing at two old men arguing by the roadside.

Later, he stopped being like that.

Later, Xu Moxing, upon seeing something like that, might have thought: Are they really friends? Will they stop seeing each other after this argument? Is one of them holding a grudge?

He overthought many things.

For minor annoyances, he would dwell on them, think for a long time, and eventually voice those thoughts.

After saying them, he was afraid others would find him annoying.

Su Lichen looked at him and suddenly felt that the man before him was truly amazing.

So amazing that it made his heart ache.

Because Xu Moxing had lost the person he used to be, and he hadn't even reached out a hand to help him—he had even left him behind...

After finishing the sweet potatoes, they strolled around a bit more.

Passing a stall selling trinkets, Xu Moxing saw a small carved wooden cat, which was quite cute. He picked it up, looked at it, then put it down.

Su Lichen noticed but said nothing.

They strolled until noon and had lunch at a small restaurant.

Xu Moxing ordered the dishes, and since Su Lichen had no objections, he ordered what he wanted.

While waiting for the food, Xu Moxing suddenly asked, "A Li, do you think I've changed?"

Su Lichen was surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Xu Moxing thought for a moment. "Do you think I'm the same as before I lost my memory?"

Su Lichen was silent for a while. "There are similarities and differences. People change. The essence of your personality hasn't changed—that's what matters. The rest doesn't matter."

Xu Moxing felt comforted.

The dishes arrived, and Su Lichen picked up some food with his chopsticks and put it in Xu Moxing's bowl.

"Let's eat," he said.

After the meal, they strolled a bit more and then started driving back to Shencheng.

On the highway, Xu Moxing suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, about that woman today, thank you."

Su Lichen kept his eyes on the road. "What are you thanking me for?"

"If it weren't for you, I might have actually given her the money," Xu Moxing said. "I might have even been completely cleaned out." Su Lichen didn't respond.

"You've matured a lot," Xu Moxing said. "I mean, compared to the you I remember—not that you were immature before."

Xu Moxing couldn't help expressing his anxiety.

"Sometimes I feel like you know everything, you're so amazing... I'm a bit uneasy."

"Don't worry. I'm not perfect either. I was just lucky to be born into a pretty good family and get a decent education—better than some, worse than others. If I had been born into your family, I might not have achieved what you have. We're just ordinary people. You're great too, and you have many things I don't. I don't like it when you put yourself down."

"Alright, I shouldn't think that way. I'll try to change my mindset, but it might be hard."

Xu Moxing felt warmed by his lover's words again and couldn't help but sigh, "A Li, how can you be so good? I'm so lucky to be in love with you."

"We're both lucky to have each other."

Su Lichen tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Because of luck, everything had been so natural, so smooth that when he lost it, he didn't even realize how much he had lost.