Human emotions are strange sometimes.

The exact same person, the exact same life, can suddenly feel completely different just because of a single sentence.

I love you.

Three simple words.

Words that can be easily tossed out as a joke. Even Liu Wenrui would reply “Love you!” to a Taobao customer service rep who gave him a discount.

But the moment these three words—both weightless and unbearably heavy—were spoken with absolute solemnity, they managed to add flavor to the mundane reality they woke up to every single day.

“Are you eating lunch with them too?” Fan Jun asked.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang sat on the edge of the bed, yawning as he grabbed his phone to check it. “Are you really not coming with us?”

Today, the guys from their dorm had agreed to go out under Liu Wenrui’s guidance to buy Liu Wenrui a birthday present.

“The contractors are coming to settle the bill today,” Fan Jun said. “He Chuan made a two-meter-long list of deductions. If I’m not there, I’m afraid someone might beat him to death.”

Zou Yang laughed. “I don’t even know how he survived his first twenty-something years.”

“He’s taken his fair share of beatings,” Fan Jun said. “Sometimes, hearing him talk about his past, it feels like he shouldn’t have survived. The guy talking to us right now is basically just a ghost.”

“Then you better go to the shop,” Zou Yang lay back on the bed and stretched. “He at least needs to live long enough for this shop to break even.”

“Yeah. Strip the bedsheets and stuff, we’re washing them today.” Fan Jun turned and walked toward the kitchen.

“Me? Strip the bed?” Zou Yang didn’t move from where he lay, simply voicing his doubt.

“You. The sheets, the pillowcases. Toss them straight into the washing machine,” Fan Jun said.

“Did they get dirty yesterday? I don’t think they did, right?” Zou Yang patted the bedsheet. “Did the condom leak? Even if it did, it couldn’t have gotten on both…”

“Zou Yang.” Fan Jun walked right back.

“What are you doing?” Zou Yang asked.

“Control your mouth a bit. I’m really worried you’ll get so used to saying this stuff that you’ll accidentally blurt it out outside,” Fan Jun said.

“I wouldn’t. I…” Zou Yang hesitated. Realizing he wasn’t exactly 100% reliable and did occasionally let things slip, he sighed. “Didn’t we just change these sheets and pillowcases recently?”

“The doctor said it’s better to change them once a month,” Fan Jun said. “Don’t you change them at the dorm?”

“We do, but I don’t know how often. Anyway, whenever Li Zhiyue says he’s going to wash his sheets, we change ours too,” Zou Yang said.

“Is Li Zhiyue the one in your dorm looking forward to graduation the most…” Fan Jun asked.

“Get lost,” Zou Yang laughed.

“Strip the bed,” Fan Jun said, turning back toward the kitchen.

“What about you? You’re just gonna stand around?” Zou Yang rolled over and shouted.

“Yesterday you told me to cook noodles for you!” Fan Jun shouted back from the kitchen. “I’m cooking them right now! Keep nagging and they’ll get soggy!”

“…Oh,” Zou Yang replied, standing up in a rather good mood.

He grabbed Fan Jun’s pillow to take off the case, then picked up his own. As he removed his pillowcase, he noticed a brownish-black square underneath his pillow.

“What’s this?” He blinked, picking it up to inspect it.

It was a smoothly polished, rectangular block of wood, bearing faint black scorch marks. It was about half the length of a palm and felt heavy in his hand.

After tossing it in his hand a couple of times, Zou Yang realized what it was: the lightning-struck wood they had brought back from Linjiadu.

Fan Jun made a wooden plaque out of the lightning-struck wood?

When did he do that?

He bounded off the bed and ran into the kitchen. “Fan Jun!”

“Hey!” Fan Jun, who was transferring noodles from the pot into bowls, jumped in surprise. “Did the pillow bite you?”

“Did you put this under my pillow?” Zou Yang raised the wooden plaque and waved it.

“Yeah,” Fan Jun smiled when he saw it clearly. “You finally noticed.”

“Is this made from that lightning-struck wood we saw back then?” Zou Yang rubbed the plaque back and forth in his hands; the texture felt incredibly smooth. “Did you make this? Did you polish it yourself?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Fan Jun scooped the noodles into the bowl, adding toppings as he spoke. “I asked He Chuan for a small piece. It wasn’t from a particularly good spot—he couldn’t bear to part with the prime cuts…”

“What is it for? A paperweight?” Zou Yang asked.

“It’s a peace plaque. For blessings and warding off evil,” Fan Jun said.

“Did you make it specifically for me?” Zou Yang looked at him.

“Yeah,” Fan Jun nodded. “Weren’t you always… having nightmares before?”

Zou Yang didn’t say anything. He walked over, hugged Fan Jun from behind, and pressed his chin heavily into Fan Jun’s shoulder.

“Ow,” Fan Jun said.

“When did you put it there?” Zou Yang whispered near his ear.

“On my birthday,” Fan Jun said.

“Holy shit,” Zou Yang was stunned. “It’s been there this whole time and I didn’t know?”

“Because you never bother with changing the bedsheets,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang laughed. “So you absolutely insisted I do it today.”

“If you still hadn’t noticed, I could have just used it as your birthday present this year.” Fan Jun picked up the two bowls of noodles and walked to the living room.

Zou Yang didn’t let go, keeping his arms around him as he followed him into the living room. “Was it hard to make this plaque?”

“It was okay. Not hard, just required constant, endless sanding.” Fan Jun set the bowls on the table and reached back to hug Zou Yang’s waist. “You can just keep it by your pillow.”

“I actually haven’t been dreaming much lately,” Zou Yang said.

“Do you want to… go talk to the doctor again?” Fan Jun turned his head to ask.

“Let’s wait until after my internship,” Zou Yang said. “I’m in a pretty good mood right now, I don’t want to go see a doctor.”

“Okay. I’ll remind you when the time comes,” Fan Jun said.

“What,” Zou Yang let him go and sat down at the table, “afraid I won’t go?”

“Afraid you’ll be too lazy to go,” Fan Jun sat down as well.

“It wouldn’t really matter even if I didn’t go,” Zou Yang took a bite of the noodles. “Mhm, this tastes great.”

“Whether it matters or not, it’s better to hear it from a doctor for peace of mind,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang clicked his tongue. “Why don’t you go?”

“I’m different from you,” Fan Jun said.

“Trying to say I’m more fragile than you?” Zou Yang shot him a look.

“No.” Fan Jun looked at him.

“Are you trying to say the source of what we’re afraid of is different?” Zou Yang asked. “Fan Gang’s death was a relief for you, but for me, it was the start of a nightmare, right?”

Fan Jun didn’t make a sound.

“Angry?” Zou Yang leaned closer to him.

“No,” Fan Jun said.

“You totally are, or at least you’re getting there.” Zou Yang clicked his tongue.

“I can’t get angry with you over this,” Fan Jun frowned. “I just…”

“I know,” Zou Yang cut him off. “I know.”

It was only guilt.

Zou Yang knew this better than anyone.

“If you know, then why the hell are you talking so much crap?” Fan Jun said.

“Ate too much, I guess.” Zou Yang went back to eating his noodles.

Fan Jun stared at him for a moment before he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eat. They’ll get soggy soon,” Zou Yang said.

“Are they really good?” Fan Jun asked. “I’ve never made noodles this complicated before. If I’m eating by myself, I usually just boil some water and throw in a bit of meat. I don’t bother making a proper sauce.”

“They’re really good,” Zou Yang nodded. “I’m not just sweet-talking you because I ate your food.”

“Ate what?” Fan Jun blinked.

“You know the saying—take someone’s gifts and your hands are tied, eat someone’s food and your mouth gets soft!” Zou Yang glared at him. “What am I eating? I’m eating your…”

Fan Jun quickly reached out and slapped a hand over his mouth. “Zou Yang, Zou Yang, I just didn’t hear you clearly, my mind didn’t go to the gutter.”

Zou Yang planted a loud kiss right on his fingers.

Fan Jun laughed and sighed.

Before they could even finish their noodles, Liu Wenrui called.

“I’m buying my own birthday present, and I still have to come pick you guys up. Not only do I have to pick you up, I have to wait downstairs for you, huh?”

“You’re here?” Zou Yang asked.

“I’ve been here!” Liu Wenrui shouted.

“Coming down right now.” Zou Yang pulled his phone away to look at the screen and noticed an unread message from ‘Respect’. “I was eating noodles, slurping too loud, didn’t hear it.”

“Tui!” Liu Wenrui spat. “A bunch of excuses!”

Zou Yang jogged out of the elevator. Liu Wenrui’s car was parked right at the entrance of the building. Even through the passenger seat and the window, Zou Yang could see his resentful glare.

Zou Yang pulled the door open, hopped in, and smacked a red envelope against his chest before he could even speak. “Take it.”

“What kind of tactic is this,” Liu Wenrui burst out laughing. “Boss Zou.”

“Just flaunting my wealth,” Zou Yang said.

“Your inheritance is still going through the legal process, right?” Li Zhiyue asked from the backseat. “Starting to flex already?”

“I’m in a good mood lately,” Zou Yang smiled.

“Will this good mood last until our birthdays?” Zhang Chuanlong asked.

“Absolutely,” Zou Yang said.

“Let’s go,” Li Zhiyue smiled and kicked the back of Liu Wenrui’s seat. “Figured out what you want yet?”

“We’ll see when we get there,” Liu Wenrui started the car. “I can’t make choices until the very last minute.”

“We don’t need to call the bar ahead of time, right?” Li Zhiyue asked. “Fan Jun is coordinating that?”

“Yeah,” Zou Yang nodded. “He’s already arranged it with them.”

“What about the money?” Liu Wenrui said. “You give the money to him, and I’ll settle up with you. It’s a bit awkward for me to hand it to him directly.”

“Let him cover the venue fee,” Zou Yang said. “You can just pay for the drinks and stuff when the time comes.”

“That’s not right,” Liu Wenrui said.

“For all of his birthdays, you guys always planned everything out for him. It’s only right he covers a venue fee for yours,” Zou Yang let out a yawn. “Otherwise, he’ll feel bad about it.”

“…There are two more birthdays coming up after this. Is he covering those too?” Liu Wenrui asked.

“Yeah, it’s not that much money anyway. The big expense is the drinks—the stuff that goes into your stomach is what’s expensive,” Zou Yang patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, he’s ‘Boss Fan’ now too.”

“You’re ‘Boss Zou’ as well,” Zhang Chuanlong said. “Don’t you own half of your dad’s company?”

“The company has been deregistered. Zou Tianrui doesn’t want to keep running it, and I definitely don’t either. It’s in the middle of liquidation right now,” Zou Yang sighed softly. “We’ll see if there’s any money left over.”

Li Zhiyue clicked his tongue. “Your dad’s whole life really was just…”

When these guys went shopping, it was always the commercial district downtown.

Today was packed with a sea of people as usual. The entire plaza outside the mall was filled with various exhibitions and several themed pop-up markets. It felt like they couldn’t even make it inside the mall.

“Let’s look at the cars.” Lately, Liu Wenrui couldn’t tear himself away whenever he saw an auto show. His family had promised to buy him a car when he graduated next year, so he started car-shopping a year in advance.

“Are you looking at cars or looking for a birthday present?” Zhang Chuanlong was very pragmatic. “Our birthday budget is nowhere near that high.”

“Are you crazy? I’m just looking at the cars!” Liu Wenrui said.

“Don’t curse at people,” He Chuan leaned against the front counter, speaking slowly and calmly. “I’m having a normal conversation with your foreman. I spent money on this. If something isn’t done right, of course I’m going to bring it up. If it can be fixed, fix it; if it can’t, I deduct money. Is there a problem?”

“How much flatter do you want this wall to be?!” The worker pointed at the wall. “How flat?!”

“The moment you turn on the overhead lights, you can see it’s uneven,” He Chuan said.

“You’re picking fights over a tiny bit of shadow! With the price you’re paying for a storefront renovation, you expect high-end villa quality…” The worker was extremely pissed off.

“Isn’t making it flat the bare minimum?” He Chuan said.

“We can’t make it as flat as you want!” In a fit of rage, the worker grabbed an iron pipe nearby.

He Chuan immediately raised his arms to protect his head and ducked behind the bar.

But the worker’s target wasn’t Boss He. Just as the worker was about to smash the pipe into the wall, Fan Jun stepped into his path and caught the iron pipe single-handedly.

The foreman hurried over at that exact moment and held the worker back.

“There’s no need for this,” Fan Jun said. “Boss He came over mainly to discuss things, to see how we can resolve this. It’s not like we can’t talk it out…”

“Then let’s talk and see if there’s a solution you guys can accept,” the foreman said.

That was exactly what He Chuan was waiting for. He stepped out from behind the counter again. “I never said you guys were completely wrong…”

Fan Jun glanced at him. Only after making sure there was no immediate danger of a physical fight breaking out did he step to the side and pull out his phone.

His phone had buzzed twice earlier, and he guessed it was Zou Yang.

Sure enough.

But the messages Zou Yang sent made him raise an eyebrow.

[Zou yang]: How about this car? A little over 80k on the road.
[Zou yang]: I want to buy it for my mom. If it’s too expensive, she definitely won’t accept it. The size and price of this one are pretty decent.

Fan Jun held up his phone and waved it at He Chuan, signaling that he had to step out to make a call and silently warning He Chuan to behave himself.

He Chuan nodded.

Fan Jun dialed Zou Yang’s number. When Zou Yang picked up, Fan Jun could hear a cacophony of noise in the background.

“Did you see?” Zou Yang asked.

“I thought you guys were buying Liu Wenrui a birthday present?” Fan Jun asked. “How did you end up looking at cars?”

“We bought Liu Wenrui a bicycle; he suddenly decided he wants to be a cycling enthusiast,” Zou Yang said. “I saw this car at the auto show. There’s a discount right now. Do you think it works?”

“Does Sister Shan have a driver’s license?” Fan Jun asked.

“Uncle Lu does,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun paused, remaining silent.

“Would Uncle Lu mind?” Zou Yang asked.

“He probably wouldn’t, that’s just not his personality,” Fan Jun said. “Would Sister Shan mind?”

“If it’s too expensive, she definitely won’t take it. She’d tell me to keep it for myself,” Zou Yang sighed. “That’s why I specifically picked one that isn’t too pricey. Mainly, I see them driving that little minivan whenever they go out. That van is about as old as I am, isn’t it?”

“Not quite,” Fan Jun said. “It’s still a few years younger than you.”

Zou Yang laughed. “Hurry and help me think. Can I buy it?”

“Are you not considering buying one for yourself?” Fan Jun asked.

“No,” Zou Yang replied without hesitation. “I’m waiting for you to buy me one.”

Fan Jun didn’t say anything. He glanced at He Chuan, who was currently haggling with the foreman inside the shop, and cleared his throat. “Do you have a target price in mind?”

“Around 150k, I guess,” Zou Yang said.

Fan Jun let out a sigh of relief. “That’s doable.”

“When are you buying it?” Zou Yang added.

“I’ll aim for within a year after you graduate,” Fan Jun said.

“Will that put pressure on you?” Zou Yang asked suddenly. “I wasn’t really thinking when I said that, I just blurted it out.”

“No,” Fan Jun smiled. “It’s not exactly an unreasonable request.”

“Then I’m going to put a deposit on this car, okay?” Zou Yang said.

“Mhm,” Fan Jun hummed in agreement. “Make sure you ask about all the details.”

“Don’t worry, Li Zhiyue is interrogating the salesperson to the point of a breakdown,” Zou Yang said. “We’re heading straight to the bar this afternoon. Just come over when you’re done there.”

“Alright,” Fan Jun said.

“I’m hanging up then,” Zou Yang said.

“Mhm,” Fan Jun replied.

But Zou Yang didn’t hang up; he just stayed silent on the other end.

Fan Jun waited two seconds before realizing. He lowered his voice and murmured, “Love you.”

“Love you,” Zou Yang replied, sounding incredibly satisfied before finally ending the call.

Fan Jun went back inside the shop. Sitting behind the bar, he listened to He Chuan negotiate with the foreman.

It wasn’t that He Chuan lacked money. When he was in a good mood, the amount he spent giving clients freebies was far more than whatever pennies he was pinching from the foreman. But when it came to any transaction-based dealing, he would nickel and dime people to the very last cent. He was tireless, completely unafraid of getting hit, and didn’t care at all if people cursed him out…

He haggled with them, then took the foreman and a few workers out for a small hotpot lunch, and then came back to haggle some more in the afternoon. Finally, he ground out a result he was satisfied with.

Fan Jun checked the time. If He Chuan hadn’t been satisfied soon, he would have had to buy them a second meal. If you balanced the math, it was hard to say who actually came out on top.

“I’m heading out,” Fan Jun said as he locked the shop door. “You watch the other place tonight.”

“I’m going back to sleep. I’m just gonna close the other place.” He Chuan waved a hand dismissively. “All that talking made me sleepy…”

“Fine.” Fan Jun got on his electric scooter.

“It’s really safe having you around,” He Chuan patted his shoulder.

“It would be safest if you managed your mouth.” Fan Jun was a bit speechless as he started the scooter.

Liu Wenrui had specifically requested to celebrate his birthday at the same bar where Fan Jun had his last time. They booked the place out before normal evening operating hours, and the plan was to go play pool after eating and drinking.

To Fan Jun, this birthday itinerary felt like it had been custom-prepared for him and Zou Yang.

…Truly worthy of being Zou Yang’s best friend.

By the time Fan Jun arrived at the bar, Zou Yang and the others were already there.

Brother Lu was the only staff member present. Seeing Fan Jun walk in, he greeted him: “I’ll leave this place to you. If you need anything, find me next door.”

“Mhm,” Fan Jun nodded. “Thanks, Brother Lu.”

“Don’t mention it,” Brother Lu smiled, turning to shout at Zou Yang and the group. “Have a great time, guys!”

“Thanks, Brother Lu!” the group shouted back in unison.

As Fan Jun walked over, he suddenly felt a wave of disorientation. Seeing Zou Yang standing by the coffee table looking at him gave him the illusion that he had traveled back to that very first night.

If Zou Yang were to grab his hand again…

With who he was now, he couldn’t even fathom what kind of mindset it would take for him to pull his hand away.

It would be absolutely impossible.

Fan Jun walked up to Zou Yang, gently bumped shoulders with him, and then tipped his chin toward Liu Wenrui, who was standing by the sofa. “Happy birthday, Wenrui.”

“Thanks, Brother Fan!” Liu Wenrui said with a smile.

“This…” Fan Jun pulled a long, rectangular box from his pocket, glancing at Zou Yang again. “Should I give you the present now?”

“Yeah.” Zou Yang nodded.

“For you. Not sure if you’ll like it.” Fan Jun handed the box over.

“Holy shit,” Liu Wenrui took the box. “It’s so heavy. What is it?”

“Why don’t you open it now,” Li Zhiyue said. “Our presents are all public knowledge anyway.”

Zou Yang didn’t know what Fan Jun had planned to give Liu Wenrui, so he leaned in curiously as well.

In a few quick moves, Liu Wenrui tore off the packaging and opened the box. From inside, he pulled out a… short knife.

The blade was shorter than the hilt, and it had a rugged, unpolished coolness to it. It was incredibly beautiful.

The group immediately let out a collective gasp of awe.

“Is this handmade?” Liu Wenrui stared at Fan Jun in shock.

“Yeah,” Fan Jun nodded. “Though…”

“You actually forged a knife for Liu Wenrui?!” Zou Yang couldn’t even control his voice, glaring at Fan Jun as he asked the question.