Chapter 20

Electric scooter… it did have the word “moto” in it.

“Did you get your motorcycle license?” Yu Xi asked warily. “If the traffic cops catch us, it’ll be on the hot searches for days.”

Yi Chen replied firmly, “Of course I did. How else could I register it?”

“Oh?” Yu Xi zeroed in on the sarcastic point. “Does our Young Master Yi need to register an electric scooter?”

“Sometimes an electric scooter is way faster than driving,” Yi Chen said. “During morning rush hour, even luxury cars get stuck in traffic.”

Yu Xi asked, “So why is my helmet pink?”

The topic jumped quickly, but Yi Chen kept up with Yu Xi’s train of thought. “The homestay owner gave it to his little daughter. If you don’t like it, there are rose pink, light pink, peach pink, Barbie pink, mermaid pink—pick one?”

“You distinguish pink that precisely? Are you really straight?”

“Don’t you know if I’m straight or not?”

Yu Xi: “…”

He hesitated for two seconds, then stopped wasting words with Yi Chen and straddled the back seat.

Cloud Mist Mountain lived up to its fame as a scenic spot. Even at midnight, the boardwalk remained brightly lit, filled with tourists out for a stroll to enjoy the views.

Yi Chen and Yu Xi blended in with the crowd, casually riding the little electric scooter. No one recognized them.

The summer night breeze always felt so comfortable, carrying the sweet scent of jasmine as it gently brushed their faces. Any lingering frustration instantly dissipated.

Yu Xi’s mood hadn’t been that bad to begin with. He’d encountered plenty of idiots before, and getting emotionally rattled by idiots wasn’t worth it.

Yu Xi let his mind go blank, letting the bustling voices slide past his ears until they faded into quiet, leaving only the faint chirping of cicadas from deep within the trees.

Yi Chen brought Yu Xi to an open platform halfway up the mountain, where a small house stood with empty space in front and back, offering a panoramic view of the city’s nightscape.

Yu Xi looked around. “Why’s no one here?”

Scenic spot rule: anywhere remotely pretty got packed with tourists.

“This is the homestay owner’s private property; it’s not open to tourists,” Yi Chen explained. “I asked him several times before he agreed to lend me the yard for a bit.”

“You booked it in advance?” Yu Xi set his helmet aside and leaned against the parked electric scooter. With the truce between him and Yi Chen, his tone lacked its usual edge. “A prime dating spot. Who were you originally planning to bring here? I beat them to it?”

Yi Chen walked to the nearby house, opened the door, and dragged out two boxes. “If I’m in a good mood, I bring you here to see the view. If I’m in a bad mood, I bring you here to clear your head.”

Yu Xi didn’t know what to say for a moment.

So what?

Was this place prepared for him?

What was the point?

What was he really thinking?

“You can pretend nothing happened,” Yi Chen said suddenly, his tone turning serious.

Yu Xi froze. He seemed to understand what Yi Chen meant but pretended not to. “I don’t care anyway. It’s not worth getting mad at idiots.”

“You know exactly what I mean.” Yi Chen looked up at Yu Xi, earnestly. “You can’t get past it. You won’t even tell me why.”

Yu Xi fell silent.

Yi Chen didn’t give him time to stay silent. “Come help out.”

Fireworks.

He had dragged out two boxes of fireworks.

Yu Xi opened his mouth to speak, but Yi Chen anticipated it. “It’s a non-flammable area.”

“I didn’t buy the big kind. Checked—it won’t disturb anyone.”

“I bought them myself.”

“Just this amount. It’ll be done soon, and we can head back to sleep.”

With that, Yi Chen straightened up and flicked the lighter with a “click.”

The flame danced in the night breeze. His passionate, bold smile glowed softly in the light, and Yu Xi felt his heart skip a beat.

He blew out the flame, grabbed the lighter, and pressed his palm against Yi Chen’s fingers. “I’ll light the first one.”

The nighttime fireworks burst in dazzling splendor, their brilliant lights seemingly stealing the stars, shining brightly in the dark, serene night.

Yi Chen looked at Yu Xi.

The fireworks between them formed a hazy barrier. He was on one side, the boy from his memories on the other—still as brash and vibrant as ever, making his heart race.

It didn’t take long—barely over an hour. After washing up again, it was still before 2 a.m. With the stream starting at 10 a.m. the next day, subtracting time for washing, changing, and makeup, they could still get seven hours of sleep.

The next day’s live stream started on time.

Yu Xi was in a good mood. He slept soundly and appeared refreshed on camera. Fu Le, on the other hand, sported dark circles and looked exhausted.

The production team was considerate, skipping morning tasks and setting out a table of local specialty breakfast instead.

Fu Le behaved himself. Wen Yimeng remained quiet, sitting silently at the end of the table. The atmosphere at the table felt surprisingly harmonious.

Wu Zhiqi watched Yu Xi and Yi Chen with keen interest.

Yi Chen and Yu Xi hadn’t argued once that morning. They even whispered things only they could hear. Midway through the meal, Xiao Chen brought Yu Xi a box of cake. Yu Xi opened it, took a few photos, but it looked too plain without garnish. As he pondered what to add, Yi Chen seamlessly handed him a small metal fork with a delicate snowflake tip and placed it perfectly where Yu Xi wanted.

The barrage erupted in auntie smiles.

Wu Zhiqi grinned. “You two make up or what? Did sleeping in the bridal chamber spark some feelings?”

Yu Xi turned slightly toward Wu Zhiqi, who sat on the other side. “Nah, where’d you get that from?”

Wu Zhiqi replied, “It’s been one hour, five minutes, and thirty-six seconds without a fight.”

Yu Xi knew himself and Yi Chen well. He said honestly, “It’s coming soon. Won’t last much longer.”

No sooner had he spoken than a rustling sound came from behind.

Yu Xi turned around.

Yi Chen had sneakily taken his cake while he was talking and was munching away happily. Meeting Yu Xi’s gaze, he shoved the rest into his mouth, chewing furiously and swallowing it all in one go.

Yu Xi’s eyes widened gradually as anger surged from his chest to his brain and exploded the next second. “Damn it! My cake! That was my cheat meal, you know?! I’ve eaten grass for twenty-eight days, no sugar for twenty-eight whole days!! Just so I could have this one piece!! Give it back!!”

Yu Xi lunged at Yi Chen, left arm hooking around his neck, right hand on his waist—in a perfect emetic hold. Yi Chen wriggled free before Yu Xi could apply pressure and bolted. Yu Xi chased after him.

To match the homestay’s style, the courtyard retained its dirt ground, uneven with pits and gravel. Yu Xi wasn’t paying attention and stepped into a mud puddle. His ankle twisted, and he toppled sideways.

Yi Chen reacted quickly, grabbing Yu Xi’s hand. But the sudden pull threw him off balance too. The two ended up half-embracing as they crashed onto the dirt together.

“I…” Yu Xi didn’t hurt much from the fall—he landed on Yi Chen. Yi Chen took the full impact on his back, now covered in mud. The shock of losing balance blanked his mind, and he instinctively blurted a curse that needed censoring.

But before he could finish, a sweetness hit Yu Xi’s tongue.

Yi Chen had popped a candy into his mouth.

A soft, milky candy with a rich cream flavor. Yu Xi loved them in school, but even then he watched his figure and limited sugar, allowing himself one every two or three days.

Too bad that brand stopped production later.

Yu Xi: “!”

Between touched and stubborn, Yu Xi chose the latter. “Are your hands dirty or what?! Nice candy, though.”

Yi Chen: “?”

He patted the mud off his back. “Envy turning to grudge? Even if they’re dirty, it was to stop you falling. Shouldn’t you thank me? I have more candy if you like it.”

“You stole my love! Shouldn’t you make up for your mistake?” Yu Xi said. “Where’d you get the candy?”

“You ate my candy—we’ve done an equal exchange,” Yi Chen replied. “Bought online.”

“Equal exchange needs mutual consent! You didn’t eat cake—you ate my heart!!! Cake can be rebought!! But the anticipation is totally different!!” Yu Xi said. “Didn’t that brand stop production? I looked forever and couldn’t find it.”

“Can’t a bit of gratitude offset your shattered heart? I left you one—didn’t eat it all!” Yi Chen said. “Original brand stopped, but another company bought the recipe and relaunched it under a new name.”

“You stabbed my heart! I only have a knife left!” Yu Xi pulled out his phone. “Send me the link.”

“Rule of law society—stabbing’s illegal. Suck it up.” Yi Chen opened the orange shopping app. “Sent it privately. Got it?”

[?]

[Are they splitting personalities or am I?]

[How do they chat and argue at the same time? Insane emotional control lololol]

[I can’t stop laughing hahahaha!!!]

[How do they argue and switch topics mid-fight hahahaha]

[Dual-thread arguing and chatting, just like me and my bestie hahahaha]

[Stayed up all night for this—pure joy!]

[Summer vibes for sure, their fights warm me to the bones~~~]

[What candy’s so good they chat it up mid-fight haha]

The next day’s stream passed peacefully.

For the first episode’s finale, the production team played it safe, opting for a low-risk guest chat segment instead of something explosive.

Wu Zhiqi got a call from her brother. They didn’t catch the details—the mics cut off in time—but snippets like “money,” “appearance fees,” “wait for it to hit the card,” “don’t worry” floated around. She talked for a while before hanging up and returning, hands clasped apologetically. “Sorry about that. My brother called.”

The host steered the topic to family, following the director’s cue with a discussion-starter. “Zhiqi, seems like your family favors the son, huh?”

“Yeah.” Wu Zhiqi nodded. “But my parents are great to me too. They worked hard to raise me, put me through school. They just asked me to help my brother later on. Of course I should repay them! Supporting him, getting him a wedding house—it’s what I should do!”

Her words sparked a barrage of debate.

But Wu Zhiqi ignored it and asked curiously, “You guys haven’t talked parents yet. Spill?”

Fang Peng jumped in, sharing about his elders. Fu Le was quiet today but forced a practiced smile while mentioning his wealthy CEO dad. Wen Yimeng said little, summing up in three sentences: “Ordinary family. One big illness drains everything and leaves them in debt.”

Yi Chen didn’t hold back on his family situation either.

“My mom divorced my dad when I was little,” Yi Chen said.

Everyone gasped in shock.

“Don’t look at me like that. My parents are happy now. Better to let each other go free than fight and settle with someone you don’t love—of course, no complaints about Dad.”

“They didn’t get along in life, but they always took great care of me.”

Yi Chen had enjoyed good living conditions and education from a young age.

After the amicable divorce, no fights or regrets in daily life—instead, he got more than double the love: 1+1>100. Though he lived with his dad, his mom never missed his education or key life moments. They suited being friends better than spouses. Life mismatches aside, their parenting philosophies aligned perfectly.

They waited until he was seventeen, got his okay, then started new relationships. Holidays brought chats where they’d even check on each other’s love lives.

Wu Zhiqi was surprised. “Love lives? Your parents each found new partners?”

“Yeah.” Yi Chen didn’t deny it. “Details are theirs to share—not for the show.”

“Cool.” Wu Zhiqi turned curiously to Yu Xi. “What about you, Teacher Yu Xi?”

Yu Xi rarely shared his family with friends, but the conversation had led there. No point hiding. “I grew up with my mom. Never met my dad.”

“Wow!” Wu Zhiqi exclaimed. “What’s your mom like? Raising you alone—she must be so strong and gentle, right?”

Yu Xi did not answer immediately.

He simply had no idea how to respond.

He and his mother… had not seen each other for several years…

When his mother left, he had just graduated from high school. She had directly set up automatic transfers, depositing living expenses into his account every month, and it had not been canceled even now.

The only connection between them was that bank card from his mother that automatically transferred money each month.

Seeing that Yu Xi wasn’t speaking, the host asked, “Yi Chen, you went to the same high school as Yu Xi, so you’ve seen his mom too, right?”

“Yeah, his mom is the gentlest woman I’ve ever met, very romantic, extremely…” Yi Chen thought for a moment to find the right adjective. “Poetic and pai…”

Pa. Yu Xi set down his cup, forcibly interrupting Yi Chen’s words. His expression was unsightly, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with a sudden surge of irritation.

His emotions churned like a stormy sea, spiraling out of control. He simply stared coldly at Yi Chen, his voice deep and flat, laced with stifled frustration in his questioning tone.

“Yi Chen, that’s my mom. What gives you the right to introduce her?”