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Zhou Chaosheng: "....."

He quietly patted the back of that hand, trying to pry it off. But the person holding him was firm; after a few failed attempts, he gave up.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then her face turned an even deeper shade of pink. One handsome guy was already enough to make her shy like a sensitive plant, if there was another, she might just explode on the spot.

This face, this figure, this voice...

It was even more thrilling than the male model she had spent 800 yuan on at the bar, watching him dance.

"W-We were just talking about piano," the girl said shyly.

Jiang Yuanye dragged out an "Ohhh" as he turned his head to look at Zhou Chaosheng. His bright, blinking eyes seemed to be silently asking—Just talking about piano? Nothing else?

Zhou Chaosheng: "....."

He thought, Jiang Yuanye is starting trouble again.

The girl, seemingly interested in anyone attractive, had initially wanted Zhou Chaosheng’s WeChat, but now she was casting a wider net. She turned to Jiang Yuanye and asked, “Yuanye, I don’t think we have each other on WeChat yet. Can I add you?"

Jiang Yuanye shifted his gaze away from Zhou Chaosheng and gave the girl a bright, friendly smile. “Sure! But if you add me, you can’t add him.”

The "him" in his sentence was self-explanatory.

Zhou Chaosheng: ?

The girl hadn’t expected Jiang Yuanye to say that. She was momentarily stunned but quickly justified the situation in her mind with the rumors that they used to be rivals.

Now she was in a dilemma (a man-made one).

She wanted to pick both, but she could only choose one. If she picked one, she worried the other might overthink it…

Stuck in the middle, she hesitated for a long time before ultimately deciding to keep things even. She would wait until the two of them separated and then go back to add them individually.

"Never mind, then," she said with a smile. "Yuanye, did you need to talk to Chaosheng? I’ll leave you two to it, I’m going to find Xiaoru."

Jiang Yuanye waved at her with his now-free left hand. “Bye~”

As soon as the girl turned and walked away, Zhou Chaosheng noticed the person still holding onto him slowly turning his head with a not-so-genuine smile, looking at him with clear displeasure.

“?” Zhou Chaosheng met his gaze with equal hostility.

Jiang Yuanye let out a short laugh. “Did you forget you’re already a taken man?”

Zhou Chaosheng was momentarily stunned by the word "taken." It took him a few seconds to process before he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you jealous?”

"Jealous my ass."

"Then why do you care so much?"

"I care because I can. You’re my boyfriend, am I not allowed to care?"

Zhou Chaosheng paused, his gaze drifting to the girl chatting and laughing with her friends not far away. He said casually, “If you’re not jealous, then I can go add her, right?”

Jiang Yuanye followed his line of sight and saw that it was the same girl who had asked for WeChat earlier. His temper flared instantly, was Zhou Chaosheng really that persistent? Was this WeChat that important?!

“No, you can’t,” he blurted without thinking.

Zhou Chaosheng glanced at him. “You live by the sea or something? Controlling everything like this.”

Jiang Yuanye: “Yeah, I live by the sea. So what?”

Zhou Chaosheng: "...."

And he says he’s not jealous? The jealousy was practically overflowing.

“You really care about me adding girls?”

“Not just girls. I care about guys too.”

Zhou Chaosheng let out a knowing “Oh,” then said, “So you’re allowed to hug and cuddle girls at the bar”

Jiang Yuanye: "...."

"T-That’s different!"

Zhou Chaosheng pushed the arm off his shoulder and asked flatly, “How is it different?”

This time, the argument hit too hard. Jiang Yuanye struggled to find a way to refute it and fell into silence.

Zhou Chaosheng patiently waited for a moment. When he saw that the other wasn’t going to argue back, he was finally satisfied and continued, “Since you can’t follow your own rules, you shouldn’t expect others to. That’s unfair to me, the one you’re trying to control. And honestly, compared to me, your actions seem much worse.”

Jiang Yuanye was speechless. But he refused to let Zhou Chaosheng get the last word, so he changed the topic and said, “So you admit you were jealous back then?”

Zhou Chaosheng replied unhurriedly, “If you want to think that, then sure.”

Jiang Yuanye: "....."

Why did it sound like he was the one who cared about whether the other was jealous or not?

The elegant sound of the piano filled the air once more. Under the lights, the girl lowered her delicate neck, her fingers gliding over the keys like a graceful swan.

"What song is this?" Just then, a server came over carrying a tray. Jiang Yuanye snapped his fingers to get their attention, then casually grabbed a glass of fruit wine garnished with a lemon slice from the tray as they approached.

Zhou Chaosheng thought to himself, If he drinks himself to death, I’m not taking responsibility.

But when the glass was just about to touch the other’s lips, he still couldn't stand it and reached out to stop him. Meeting Jiang Yuanye’s dissatisfied gaze, he said coldly, “Do you not want your stomach anymore?”

Something in Jiang Yuanye’s mind seemed to trigger a painful memory. His brows furrowed tightly together. After thinking for a moment, he put the glass down and thanked the server.

Once the server left, Jiang Yuanye asked again, “So what song is she playing?”

"Not telling you."

Zhou Chaosheng didn’t know why, but his mood felt like that lemon cocktail—sharp and bitter. Like bubbles suddenly rising from the bottom of the glass, bursting as soon as they hit the ice, leaving nothing but foam.

Just like his frustration, swelling up, only to be deflated by Jiang Yuanye’s carefree attitude, leaving him feeling stifled and irritated.

He couldn't help but think, Why can’t Jiang Yuanye just listen for once?

“Hey, are you mad?” Jiang Yuanye bent down slightly, tilting his head to look at Zhou Chaosheng’s face. “Don’t be mad, okay? I was wrong. I won’t touch another drink tonight, alright?”

Zhou Chaosheng’s little bubble of frustration was suddenly poked.

And all the emotions inside rushed out at once.

In the distance, the piano solo reached a climactic transition.

Maybe it was the music, or maybe it was the memory of seventeen-year-old Jiang Yuanye, crouched in a dark corner where the sun couldn’t reach, shoulders trembling in silent sobs.

As that somber and sorrowful image surfaced, Zhou Chaosheng felt a bit awkward, a bit incredulous. Why was he getting so worked up over Jiang Yuanye’s drinking and stomach problems?

"Uta no Uta." Zhou Chaosheng finally answered.

He realized something, people were strange creatures.

Two people could loathe each other, but the moment they saw the other’s vulnerable side, past grudges and resentment could be set aside, and they would instinctively reach out with a helping hand.

It was only today that Zhou Chaosheng finally understood, he couldn’t stand seeing Jiang Yuanye lifeless and dull. The other was meant to be full of reckless energy, burning with life, someone worthy of being his lifelong rival.

“Oh.” Jiang Yuanye leaned against the wall beside Zhou Chaosheng and said lazily, “I actually figured it out already.”

“…Then why did you ask?”

“Just felt like asking.” Jiang Yuanye smiled.

Zhou Chaosheng lowered his gaze slightly, lifting his eyelids just enough to give him a look that said, Are you seriously that bored?

Maybe even Jiang Yuanye himself hadn’t realized how strangely he was acting tonight.

Of course, the same could be said for Zhou Chaosheng.

"I have one more question," Jiang Yuanye said.

"Ask, but don’t talk nonsense," Zhou Chaosheng said bluntly.

"It’s not nonsense. I just want to know how did you find out I have stomach problems?" Jiang Yuanye nudged him with his elbow, teasing, "You wouldn’t happen to be secretly worrying about me, would you?"

"...It’s called an investigation," Zhou Chaosheng corrected.

Jiang Yuanye scoffed, clearly unconvinced. "Stubborn."

Zhou Chaosheng’s brow furrowed slightly.

Was Jiang Yuanye getting too deep into this act...?

It was obvious that in their relationship, the word concern had no place.

"I didn’t—"

Before he could finish, Zhao Xiaohui’s voice rang out.

"Chaosheng, come here, I have something to tell you!"

Zhou Chaosheng stopped mid-sentence and glanced at Jiang Yuanye. The other had his gaze lowered, playing with a poker card between his fingers. He said nothing.

Retracting his gaze, Zhou Chaosheng took a step toward Zhao Xiaohui.

One step, two steps...

"Baby."

Jiang Yuanye still called out to him.

His voice carried the husky depth of whiskey-soaked flames, blending with the soft piano music in the background, creating a hazy allure. Softly, lowly, he murmured the nickname only they understood.

Zhou Chaosheng paused mid-step, slowly turning his head, lifting his gaze toward him.

The warm-toned lighting spilled over the marble tiles, casting a faint golden hue over the tips of Jiang Yuanye’s black hair.

Jiang Yuanye let out a lazy smile. "If we weren’t a couple... do you think we’d be what people say, a pair of friends?"

Zhou Chaosheng was stunned for a moment.

Even though Jiang Yuanye didn’t say those three words explicitly, he instantly understood what he was really asking, If we weren’t sworn enemies, would we have been decent friends?

To be honest, Zhou Chaosheng wasn’t sure either.

If, on the first day of school, Jiang Yuanye hadn’t mocked him while riding his bike.
If he hadn’t made a habit of provoking him every morning in front of the classroom door.
If he hadn’t constantly challenged him after gym class.

He probably wouldn’t have even noticed this person.

Zhou Chaosheng lowered his gaze, suddenly realizing something.

Not probably. Definitely.

With his personality, he never paid unnecessary attention to the people and things around him.

To him, coming to the island for school was just a task to complete. Once it was over, it would have nothing to do with him. He would return to his familiar world, slowly drifting apart from the people and events here.

Maybe because of his childhood, he never easily trusted anyone, nor did he form temporary friendships. Since coming to the island, aside from Zhao Xiaohui whom he had known since childhood, everyone else was just a passerby to him.

But Jiang Yuanye was different.

There was something about him, an undeniable vitality.
And for some reason, he always directed it at Zhou Chaosheng.

Thinking of this, Zhou Chaosheng looked at him again, a trace of resignation in his eyes.

"You tell me."

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