Chapter 94 Love Feels Like Weightlessness

94 Love, Like Weightlessness

The elevator was still crowded as before; they waited in line for two trips but it moved very slowly.

Guan Junshan echoed Lin Haoda's suggestion: "Let's take the escalator."

Pei Mingyi stepped onto the escalator first. Lin Haoda hesitated for a moment, and Guan Junshan caught up, standing beside him but not moving, clearly waiting for him to go first.

Another couple squeezed in between them. Lin Haoda counted the steps, holding the handrail and stepping onto the escalator two steps behind. Guan Junshan was probably standing right behind him; Lin Haoda could hear the sound of his heels hitting the steps.

Amid the Christmas carols playing in the mall, the escalator descended slowly and steadily. Halfway down, the couple in front started kissing as if no one else were around, the air turning sweet and passionate. Feeling awkward, Lin Haoda looked away, pretending to gaze at the foam decorations hanging in the air.

He wanted to move, to turn and look somewhere farther away, but then he thought that Guan Junshan was behind him.

Lin Haoda wasn't sure where he was looking now, and he didn't understand why he suddenly felt a pang of guilt, as if he had done something wrong. He immediately stopped moving, held his neck rigid and stood still for a long time, then lowered his head to pretend to look at his own shoe tips.

Suddenly, someone brushed a lock of hair at the side of his neck. Lin Haoda lifted his head slowly, unsure, thinking it might have been the wind.

But Guan Junshan laughed behind him, his voice low and husky, tinged with something unreadable: "How come a lock of hair is sticking up?"

As soon as the words fell, before Lin Haoda could get angry, he felt Guan Junshan's warm fingerpad slid quickly across the back of his neck.

That small patch of skin immediately burned with a distinct sensation.

Blood seemed to rush backward from that spot to his heart, his heart gripped as if by a giant hand. Lin Haoda should have felt angry, pretended not to understand the intent behind Guan Junshan's persistent advances, and then issued a warning, making sure his tone was stern enough.

Perhaps considering they were in a public place and Pei Mingyi was ahead, Lin Haoda held back a little, finally turned his face, and shot Guan Junshan a restrained yet angry look.

As if reminding him to keep his distance and not do anything dangerous.

But Guan Junshan ignored him.

He stepped down another stair, his chest nearly touching Lin Haoda's shoulder, pretending not to notice any of his tension or displeasure, and continued questioning: "Switched shampoo? Don't like the old one anymore?"

In front of them was a strange couple kissing and flirting, Lin Haoda gripped the handrail, unable to move, already cornered with no way out.

"Mr. Guan," he took a deep breath, trying to stay rational, and reasoned with Guan Junshan in a low voice: "Please don't. My boyfriend is ahead."

Guan Junshan looked at him, his smile fading slightly, his eyes turning a little cold. The dome lights shone down, flickering across his face.

Although he had always subconsciously refused to compare these two people, Lin Haoda quickly felt a clear difference.

Guan Junshan and Pei Mingyi were not the same kind of people. When Pei Mingyi was silent, it mostly meant helplessness and indulgence, while Guan Junshan's silence meant coldness and indifference.

He only ever cared about the answers he wanted, disregarding time and place, and would not allow others to persuade or refuse him.

Just like now. Lin Haoda wished he could listen to reason and step back to a safe distance—then at least they could still talk. Unfortunately, Guan Junshan was not a gentle person. He reached out and pulled Lin Haoda's arm, saying something inexplicable: "Lin Haoda, when you were with me, you clearly said you didn't like cats."

It wasn't that he didn't like them—it was that he couldn't bear the responsibility. Lin Haoda corrected in his mind.

Too much time had passed; there was no point in chasing after such trivial details. So he just nodded, appearing obediently acquiescent.

Guan Junshan stared at him without blinking, lips pressed together, then parted, his grip on Lin Haoda's fingers tightening. In a very low voice, he questioned, "Why are you suddenly okay with raising one now?"

Lin Haoda shook off his hand. The corners of his eyes were turning red from the effort of suppressing his emotions, but he no longer wanted to say anything. He simply turned around, intending to bypass the people ahead and go down.

Guan Junshan froze for a moment, then immediately reached out to block him.

After a few seconds of silence, he seemed about to speak, then said, "So you like him that much?"

Lin Haoda felt that Guan Junshan probably didn't understand what a normal relationship was, and had never thought about the reason they broke up.

He always knew how to precisely exploit Lin Haoda's weaknesses and tendency to avoid—he was the one who said they should break up, and now he was the one coming back to play the pitiful charmer.

A random question, a hint of fake concern, and he wanted to act like the world's most pathetic person.

Pei Mingyi was not like Guan Junshan. His love was too frank, too pure.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Pei Mingyi showed the advance reservation information, and the host led them to a private room.

This was the best view in the entire restaurant, offering a panoramic view of the city at night. You can imagine how hard it was to book on such a day.

The staff had originally prepared the room according to Pei Mingyi's phone request, with flowers and balloons. But when the four of them walked in and saw the rose petals scattered on the table in advance, they all fell silent for a few seconds.

Pei Mingyi cleared his throat, called a staff member over, and had the petals cleaned up.

"How romantic," said the boy who came with Guan Junshan, introducing himself as Albert, adding, "Today I'm basking in Mr. Lin's light."

Lin Haoda stood by the door, smiled and replied, "You're too kind," then winked at Pei Mingyi: "It really is beautiful."

Guan Junshan asked the waiter for a menu, a smile still on his lips, and chimed in casually, "Tonight, Mr. Pei has graciously let me take care of the bill. If you like, I can have more sent over."

It was unclear whether it was a joke or heartfelt.

Albert clicked his tongue, a bit speechless: "Mr. Guan, why are you so clueless about romance?"

Guan Junshan unbuttoned his suit jacket, pulled out a chair, and sat down, saying offhandedly, "Just roses."

Pei Mingyi pulled out a chair for Lin Haoda while wrapping up the topic: "Mm, it's not exactly something rare." Compared to the romantically challenged Guan Junshan, he came across as very easygoing.

Albert also sat down next to Lin Haoda, leaning in a little, and said, "Mr. Pei is really nice."

Lin Haoda gave a noncommittal smile and asked the waiter to hang their coats.

This restaurant was famous for its Cantonese cuisine, but for Lin Haoda, who was always ordering takeout because of overtime, the taste was a bit too plain.

Pei Mingyi's original intention was to bring him here for a good, nourishing meal. Whether by coincidence or not, when the menu reached Guan Junshan, the dishes he ordered ended up being quite similar to Pei Mingyi's initial plan—a bunch of soups and stews.

Lin Haoda didn't like drinking these; he always needed someone to supervise him. When the first course, Huai Shan and black chicken soup, arrived, Pei Mingyi reflexively reached for Lin Haoda's bowl, carefully skimmed off the oil for him, filled it to the brim, and gently urged him to drink it while it was hot.

Lin Haoda didn't want to embarrass him in front of others, so he had to take small sips.

Guan Junshan sat across from them, still smiling. After Pei Mingyi finished, he continued chatting with him about a few newly released games. Not long after, he suddenly called the manager and asked for an extra server to portion out and serve each dish.

The manager, probably seeing how well-dressed he was, repeatedly apologized and personally came to serve.

Albert sat at the table, a bit disapproving: "Mr. Guan, when we're out to eat, why do you have to put on that rich-kid act of yours?"

Guan Junshan wasn't offended. He personally poured a bowl of soup for Albert, pushed it in front of him, and said with concern, "You're weak in constitution. Eat more and talk less."

Albert turned his face and quietly muttered, "Said he's a rich kid, and indeed he is." Lin Haoda, who was lowering his head to drink soup, heard this and barely suppressed a smile.

Pei Mingyi interjected, trying to change the subject: "Mr. Guan and Albert seem quite familiar."

He paused for two seconds, then continued, "When Mr. Guan told me he had a guest, I thought it was a business partner."

"We've known each other for a while," Albert said directly, with nothing to hide. "Back when his overseas game was about to launch, the sponsors thought it wasn't famous enough, and the ad placement was too expensive, so he came to me—"

"Albert," Guan Junshan called out to stop him, wiping his lips with a napkin.

"Oh," Albert responded, catching himself, scratching his head, and then raising his chin slightly toward him. "Manager Guan, this can't be said, can it?"

Guan Junshan explained to Pei Mingyi, "Sorry, it's an internal company project."

Pei Mingyi expressed understanding. "It's fine."

"Albert is an excellent game streamer with good influence on domestic platforms and among foreign player communities," Guan Junshan said in a rare serious tone. "Manager Pei, if you ever have the opportunity in the future, you can also collaborate with him."

Albert nodded repeatedly, beaming. "When it comes to smooth talk, Manager Pei is truly the expert."

Pei Mingyi readily agreed, taking out his phone from his pocket. "Then let me add Albert as a contact."

This meal was perfectly appropriate. It must be said that Guan Junshan was indeed a seasoned veteran in business, bringing Pei Mingyi benefits and value far beyond just a simple romance with Lin Haoda.

By the time the sky was completely dark and the dazzling lights of the city center illuminated the night, they were almost done. Both cars were parked downstairs, so they simply took the elevator down together.

Recently, Lonely Cupid had a limited-time pop-up event at an open-air square. Lin Haoda and Albert chatted enthusiastically in the elevator. When Pei Mingyi entered the elevator, he received a call from a subordinate and turned to stand in a corner. Only Guan Junshan remained, standing calmly behind them, arms crossed, saying nothing.

There was no one else in the elevator, just the four of them. They weren't as close as when they entered, but even so, Lin Haoda still felt a nearly direct gaze from behind. That gaze seemed to carry warmth, threatening to leave red marks on the back of his neck, just like before on the escalator. Lin Haoda didn't dare to continue recalling it, his shoulders stiffening, afraid to move. Gradually, he began to lose focus uncontrollably.

Guan Junshan was like a greedy wolf, with Lin Haoda's fear as his prey. Knowing exactly what he was afraid of, he deliberately pulled the same stunt, looking for every possible chance to pounce and entangle himself with him.

Albert beside him didn't notice, still talking about the freebies he got from checking in two days ago. Lin Haoda was still responding superficially, murmuring "mm-hmm" and "yeah" while saying a bunch of things, but his glistening eyes quietly lifted, nervously glancing at the elevator doors.

The two closed doors gave off a cold metallic gleam, like a wall of cold, solitary mirrors. Guan Junshan, a head taller than him, was indeed also looking at him from within them.

There was no smile on his face, only a pair of beautiful black eyes. The elevator accelerated downward, the falling sensation left Lin Haoda’s heart in his throat. He turned his face away, his black hair covering his ears. He tried hard to calm down, to just be exes who parted amicably and now happen to meet again—no lingering attachments, no mutual resentment, peacefully accepting the present. Wouldn't that be good?

This small silver elevator carried so many people every day, but it only trapped him alone. Lin Haoda was like a spaceship that had lost its way, drifting through the long, chaotic night.

He didn't want to stay. Every second by Guan Junshan's side felt like suffocating.

Reason was forced to flee to the moon, and even love seemed weightless.