Bai Yu put his phone away just as Zhou Xunwen called him for lunch.
His adoptive parents were excellent cooks, and the food they made always matched his tastes. It was the kind of flavor he could never find outside. As soon as he sat down, he finished two full bowls of rice.
His adoptive mother watched him eat with a pleased smile. Seeing his healthy appetite lifted her spirits even more. She picked up a few slices of beef for him. "Eat more meat. You've lost weight lately."
Zhou Xunwen immediately chimed in, whining, "Why don't you give me more? I'm the one who’s gotten skinny. Bai Yu's been building a team, but I’ve been the one running around doing everything. I’m more exhausted than he is."
Their mother raised her hand and gave him a light smack on the arm. "You’ve been so busy, but you haven’t lost a single pound."
Bai Yu chuckled while chewing on the beef.
Meals at their home were always relaxed. There were no strict rules at the table, and their parents were never overbearing. After the meal, his adoptive father did the dishes, while his mother stayed with Bai Yu and chatted for a bit. She reminded him gently, "Go burn some incense for your mother early. When you come back, your dad is steaming sophora cakes for you. Then we can take a little walk around the area."
Bai Yu nodded and, after a short rest, left with Zhou Xunwen.
The Zhou family lived in a small county town. They didn’t have much money, and their home was one of the oldest residential buildings in the area.
Zhou Xunwen suddenly recalled something. He remembered how Bai Yu used to look like a city kid, well-dressed and refined. Every time he came back to the countryside, he never quite fit in with the local kids.
At the time, Zhou Xunwen couldn’t stand him. He thought Bai Yu was aloof and putting on airs, so he rallied the local kids to scare him a bit, trying to humble this little city boy.
But Bai Yu had just held his book in hand and looked at them with the kind of expression one would give someone mentally challenged. "Are you trying to form a beggars’ gang?"
Zhou Xunwen lunged at him, ready to fight, and Bai Yu did not back down.
Neither of them walked away with the upper hand. That was when Zhou Xunwen realized that despite his quiet demeanor, Bai Yu hit where it hurt.
Strangely enough, that was how the two of them became friends.
Back then, Zhou Xunwen really admired Bai Yu. In fact, none of the kids in town disliked him. Whenever trouble arose, Bai Yu always had a sharp analysis of the situation. And if something really went wrong, he only had to say the word, and everyone would rally behind him to settle the score. Zhou Xunwen rode that wave of respect for a long time, swaggering around school under Bai Yu’s shadow.
Then Bai Yu's mother came and took him away.
Zhou Xunwen felt like he had suddenly lost his compass. He was emotionally unmoored for two whole years.
One day, his mother showed up at school with a grave expression and brought him home. She told him that Bai Yu would be staying with them for a while. Zhou Xunwen had been thrilled. He thought, finally, they would be reunited.
He eagerly tidied up the room, but what he saw was a pale-faced boy sitting in their living room like a lifeless doll. His mother held his hand, and no matter what anyone said around him, Bai Yu sat there, silent and unresponsive, as if he couldn't hear a thing.
Zhou Xunwen had missed the old Bai Yu so much that he wouldn’t stop talking to him. But Bai Yu wouldn’t respond at all.
Finally, Zhou Xunwen got impatient and leaned in to speak. Bai Yu slapped him.
Zhou Xunwen had been hit plenty of times in his life, but never like that. He had been so happy to see Bai Yu again, only to be met with silence and rejection.
He pounced, thinking they’d fight like before.
But this time, Bai Yu didn’t fight back. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud, took a solid punch, and just lay there, lifeless, staring blankly like he had already died inside.
Zhou Xunwen had no idea what was wrong. Then his mother unleashed a fury he had never seen before. She grabbed a clothes hanger and beat him so hard he thought his backside would split in four.
Later, Zhou Xunwen found out the truth.
Bai Yu’s father had cheated on his mother and fathered a child with another woman. When Bai Yu’s mother found out, they had a violent argument on the road. It ended in a car crash. Bai Yu was the only survivor.
His heart had been severely injured in the accident. He had an artificial valve implanted and would need medication for the rest of his life. He also had to undergo regular checkups and could no longer engage in intense physical activity or experience extreme emotional stress.
Zhou Xunwen was young and confused, but he remembered the long list of precautions. From then on, he treated Bai Yu with care, guarding him like something fragile.
Later, the family scraped together enough money for a corrective surgery. The doctor said he would be able to live like a normal person as long as he avoided intense activity.
It was then that Zhou Xunwen finally saw Bai Yu smile again.
They arrived at the cemetery. As usual, Bai Yu bought white chrysanthemums for his mother. He only paid respects to her.
All of his parents’ assets had gone toward compensating for the accident. They even had outstanding debts, which Zhou Xunwen’s parents helped repay.
Ironically, the mistress who had fought to give birth and claim a share of the inheritance ended up with nothing but debts. When she found out the truth, she had a complete breakdown, crying hysterically and threatening to die.
Bai Yu had just stood there coldly, watching the chaos unfold. Zhou Xunwen later realized what that look meant.
He truly wished that woman had died.
Later, Zhou Xunwen’s parents arranged the funeral for both of Bai Yu’s parents. Bai Yu had said coldly, “I only care about my mother. You can bury the other one wherever you want.”
Even now, Bai Yu had never asked where his father was buried, and Zhou Xunwen had never brought it up. Both of them silently chose to forget.
Zhou Xunwen offered incense to Bai Yu’s mother, murmuring prayers for her to protect Bai Yu and keep him safe.
That was his yearly wish. He asked for nothing else. Just for Bai Yu to live a long, peaceful life, longer than his own, if possible.
When he finished praying, Bai Yu handed him a bottle of water.
Zhou Xunwen truly admired Bai Yu. The things that had happened to him were enough to crush anyone, yet he had carried them all on his own.
It was a hot day. The two of them sat under a tree, resting and chatting about old times.
Zhou Xunwen lit up as he recalled their childhood. Everyone thought he was hopeless, a complete lost cause. Who would have guessed he’d turn his life around by sticking close to Bai Yu?
But when it came to dropping out of school, Zhou Xunwen suddenly fell silent.
He had quit because he couldn't keep up. Bai Yu, on the other hand, had been on track to attend a top university and had still chosen to drop out.
He glanced at Bai Yu with guilt. “Do you ever regret dropping out?”
Bai Yu’s expression remained calm. He took a sip of water, as if that chapter in his life had long passed. “Not really. I’ve mostly forgotten about it.”
He really seemed unbothered. After replying to a few messages on his phone, he checked the time. “Should we head back?”
Zhou Xunwen got up and followed him, just like he used to.
On the way, they ran into a few old buddies. They shouted “Boss Zhou, take me under your wing,” and called their friends over to meet the local legend. Zhou Xunwen grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. They ended up getting home late.
His mother was as nagging as ever. She scolded Zhou Xunwen on sight.
“You spend all day messing around. What are you even good for? I told you to bring home a girlfriend, and what do you do? If you don’t bring someone home soon, I’m dragging you to the matchmaking center. Honestly, all you know is how to eat…”
Zhou Xunwen couldn’t escape. Spotting Bai Yu nearby, he immediately shifted the blame. “Why aren’t you nagging Bai Yu? He’s older than me by two months!”
He dashed off before his mother could react.
Hearing this, Bai Yu froze in his tracks. Before his aunt could turn her scolding on him, he quickly said, “I have plans tomorrow. I need to head back early in the morning.”
His adoptive mother thought he was making excuses and was about to scold him when Bai Yu hurriedly showed her his phone. “Really, I promised already. Look here.”
Lu Sheng’s profile picture was entirely black. One look made it obvious it was a guy.
His adoptive mother’s face fell with slight disappointment. She went back inside and brought out two bags of local snacks. “I prepared these for you. Take them and share with your teammates.”
Bai Yu nodded repeatedly, finally escaping the interrogation.
Later that evening, Zhou Xunwen returned home, satisfied after a long session of bragging. Now that the house had been renovated, they each had their own room, but he insisted on squeezing into Bai Yu’s.
“Hey, my mom didn’t give you a hard time, right?”
Bai Yu wasn’t tired yet, but he closed his eyes anyway. “No.”
Zhou Xunwen was surprised. “Really? She didn’t? Then why does she keep chasing me around with a broom? Aren’t we both single?”
Bai Yu replied, “Maybe because I can live just fine being single. You, on the other hand, would be doomed.”
Zhou Xunwen turned to face him, unconvinced. “Seriously though, are you planning to stay single forever? I feel like your entire world is just competition, then more competition. But one day, you’ll have to retire, right? Or at least you’ll get too old to keep playing. What are you going to do then? Won’t life get too boring?”
In this industry, even if you move behind the scenes, you won’t last many years. The workload alone makes that obvious.
Bai Yu had honestly never thought that far ahead. He lay there for a while, then suddenly opened his eyes. “What about you? What do you think you’ll do?”
Zhou Xunwen had already considered this question before. “Me? I’m not interested in dating. I just want to stay home, watch whatever I like, and play my own games. I figure I’ll be single my whole life. When I’m old, I’ll get a dog and take it out for walks every day. And besides, I’ve got you, don’t I? With how picky you are, I doubt you’ll find a partner either. Why don’t we just grow old together?”
Bai Yu chuckled and didn’t take it seriously at first.
But then he gave it some more thought and realized that there really was a difference between him and Zhou Xunwen.
Zhou Xunwen could be completely content with just a computer and his own room. He didn’t feel lonely. But Bai Yu, just imagining that kind of solitary life made him feel unbearably bored.
He did want a partner after all.
Ideally, someone with shared interests and compatible thinking, someone he could have conversations with.
Or maybe it didn’t even have to be that perfect. As long as the person could make him feel less alone, someone he could occasionally talk to and share his day with, then life wouldn’t be so dull. Having different interests might not even be a dealbreaker.
As Bai Yu thought this, he suddenly felt puzzled. “Why do you think I’m picky?”
Zhou Xunwen considered the question. “I don’t know. It’s just a gut feeling. Even when you were little, you kind of looked down on the rest of us. You were always nice, sure, but I could feel that we weren’t really in your heart. So I figured if you had such high standards for friends, your expectations for a future partner must be even higher.”
Bai Yu replied instinctively, “Why should I keep people in my heart if they’re just passing acquaintances?”
Zhou Xunwen immediately jumped in. “See? This is exactly what I mean. You never considered us real friends. You’ve never told us anything personal.”
Bai Yu smiled faintly. “Would you even understand if I did?”
He paused after saying that, suddenly stunned.
It hit him then, why he had always felt so lonely.
Because what he truly wanted was a friend whose soul resonated with his, someone who could connect with him on a deeper level. But people like that were incredibly rare.
And if he were to find a true soulmate, they would have to be absolutely loyal, someone who would never leave him no matter what. Thinking about it that way, he had to admit, he really was picky.
Bai Yu stared at the ceiling and finally admitted with resignation, “Alright, I am picky.”
Zhou Xunwen stretched out and closed his eyes. “That’s fine. I’ll accept you no matter what. Worst-case scenario, we’ll just grow old together. You can raise cats, I’ll raise dogs. Doesn’t that sound perfect?”
Bai Yu laughed, amused.
Then he thought, if he were to raise a dog, having one with Lu Sheng’s personality would actually be kind of fun.
At least life would never be boring.