Editor: Atlas Studios
Qin Guanglin felt a sudden jolt in his heart. 520? It seemed like there was something about that...
"Today, don’t use any social media, don’t go to places like the cinema or coffee shops, then no one can hurt you... except Sun Wen, that jerk." Xiao Yu was very experienced in dealing with being bombarded by couples.
"Wen is too much!" Qin Guanglin echoed, taking out his phone to text He Fang to hang out. But looking at Xiao Yu, he felt a bit guilty and decided to ask her after lunch instead.
Xiao Yu looked wistful. "Ah, I also want a girlfriend to hold hands with and go out."
"Yeah, holding hands while going out is pretty nice," Qin Guanglin nodded, suddenly missing He Fang a lot.
If only He Fang was standing next to him now... Suddenly, he looked at Xiao Yu with disdain.
"Wen’s girlfriend is quite good-looking, and I bet her friends aren’t bad either." Xiao Yu took out his phone again, pondering his single status. "I’ll try to get him to introduce me."
"You make your own arrangements. Don’t worry about me," Qin Guanglin was still thinking of He Fang’s small hands, soft and fun to hold.
"Sigh, even if I get to know someone, I’d still have to pursue them. Thinking about it makes me tired," Xiao Yu sighed, putting his phone away again.
"So what do you want?" Qin Guanglin thought about it and agreed that pursuing someone can be troublesome.
He Fang was better, how naturally they got together.
"How about you try dressing up as a girl?" Xiao Yu stroked his chin, looking at Qin Guanglin. "You can enjoy the fun of being part of a couple."
Qin Guanglin looked at him expressionlessly, as if he were looking at an idiot.
"First, your idea of fun is a bit off. Second, I have a girlfriend, a very pretty, gentle, and perfect girlfriend."
Before Xiao Yu could reply, Qin Guanglin waved his phone’s wallpaper in front of him. "See?"
Xiao Yu’s face was first suspicious, and then turned to shock upon seeing the person on the wallpaper. He clutched his chest as if wounded, "You’ve turned traitor too?!"
"I didn’t want to hurt you, but you just had to ask for it," Qin Guanglin sighed and put his phone away.
"What grudge or resentment do you have?" Xiao Yu looked devastated. "I even hid by the river to fish. Instead of being with your girlfriend, you ran here just to taunt me with your happiness?"
He felt as though he’d been heavily hit, the previously strong alliance of singlehood suddenly shattered. This friendship couldn’t continue!
Qin Guanglin looked at him with disdain, "Come on, I’m not even with my girlfriend, and here I am with you."
"You owe me a meal, a lavish one," Xiao Yu said with a resentful look at Qin Guanglin.
"Fine, choose whatever you want," Qin Guanglin readily agreed.
The sooner they finished eating, the sooner he could see He Fang, and they could hold hands and go shopping—even if it was inconvenient with the rain, they could stroll through a mall or watch a movie.
No, no, why did he keep thinking about her?
Qin Guanglin shook his head. They had just met the day before yesterday, and he was already constantly thinking about her. This couldn’t go on; he needed to curb it.
"What are you grinning about?" Xiao Yu suspiciously stared at him.
"Was I laughing?" Qin Guanglin asked, startled.
Xiao Yu frowned and fanned his nose with his hand, "The air’s full of the stench of love."
"..."
It was jealousy, but Qin Guanglin didn’t want to argue with him.
The phone in his pocket buzzed. It was a message from He Fang. He hooked his little finger holding the umbrella on a bucket, freeing his other hand to chat.
They chose a restaurant near Xiao Yu’s place. Since it was raining, neither of them felt like walking too far. Xiao Yu had made up his mind to feast at Qin Guanglin’s expense, as a reward for bringing him couple’s happiness on a rainy trip.
Qin Guanglin didn’t mind, letting Xiao Yu order while he kept chatting on his phone.
"Ahem... now you’re overdoing it," Xiao Yu complained, knocking on the table after finishing his order when he saw Qin Guanglin still engrossed in his conversation.
"Heh," Qin Guanglin glanced at him. "If you had a girlfriend, you’d be even worse than me."
Xiao Yu scoffed, "How could that be? Let me tell you, a girl needs to be kept at a distance. Get too close, and you’re just asking for trouble."
"I’m happy to do it."
"If you don’t heed my advice, you’ll regret it when she starts acting difficult."
"I like it."
"..." Xiao Yu looked at him with anguish, "You’re finished. You’re not the same person as before."
Qin Guanglin couldn’t be bothered with him and continued happily chatting with He Fang.
"How far have you two gone?"
"Uh..." Qin Guanglin pondered, "She’s cooked at my place several times."
"What?!" Xiao Yu was shocked, "Moving that fast? What’s next, getting engaged?"
"Probably not, it should still take quite some time," Qin Guanglin was unsure himself.
He wished in his heart for things to progress faster, but was also afraid of going too quickly and causing He Fang distress. What mattered most was what she wanted.
"She’s been to your place several times to cook, isn’t that practically meeting the parents?!"
Xiao Yu realized he had underestimated him. Silently but significantly, Qin Guanglin had played his cards well.
Thinking about his own situation, Xiao Yu felt miserable. He hadn’t even glimpsed a girlfriend, and now with his busy and exhausting job, he had little time to even think about dating... He might end up relying on blind dates, which was terrifying.
"I haven’t met her parents yet," Qin Guanglin mused that it was time to consider this seriously.
"You really kept this hidden, didn’t you?" Xiao Yu said faintly.
"Not at all, it’s all about fate," Qin Guanglin sighed. "Honestly, I never expected it to turn out this way..."
Fate, my foot! Xiao Yu realized he was being foolish, voluntarily courting trouble and quickly stretched out his hand to stop the sentimental Qin Guanglin. "Enough, enough, if you keep going, we won’t be able to eat."
Qin Guanglin looked at him kindly, speaking in the tone of someone with experience, "Sooner or later, you’ll reach this point too, and then you’ll understand."
"Tch," Xiao Yu scoffed, "Let me tell you, even if I get a girlfriend, I would never end up like you."
"Because you don’t have a girlfriend yet."
"..."
Outrageous!
Xiao Yu turned to the waiter, "Add two more dishes."
Qin Guanglin didn’t mind, as long as they could eat it all, and went back to chatting with He Fang.
"Want a drink?" Xiao Yu egged him on, hoping to take revenge on him.
"No, thanks."
"Just beer, it won’t get you drunk."
"Still don’t want any."
"Tch."
Xiao Yu took out his cigarettes and lighter, but upon seeing the no-smoking sign, he put them back in his pocket. "Watch, when I have a girlfriend, I’ll still smoke and drink, carefree."
"Alright, I’ll be watching, just don’t embarrass yourself."
"Speaking of which, you guys have to help me," Xiao Yu thought he might not succeed on his own. "Next time when your girlfriend hangs out with her friends, you must invite me. I’ll treat everyone to dinner."
"You need to ask Wen for that; he loves playing the god of marriage," Qin Guanglin thought for a moment. "I haven’t even met her friends, so that’s a bit tricky."
"Just don’t forget about me," Xiao Yu resigned himself to drinking tea instead of smoking, "Make sure to find out if they’re single before inviting me. I don’t want to mess with someone who’s already taken."
"I wouldn’t let you do that; it’s just unethical." Qin Guanglin frowned.
Xiao Yu nodded in agreement, "And it’s a lot of trouble with no benefit."