He Lezhi was so surprised he didn't speak for a long time. Han Fangchi tilted his chin, signaling for him to go in and see.

"Thank you, Fangchi." He Lezhi put his hands together, thanking him sincerely.

Han Fangchi had already been thanked to the point of numbness. "You're welcome," he said numbly.

"But I can't live here. This is too big of a favor for you to owe. It's not appropriate." He Lezhi's hands were still cupping his chin, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude. "Thank you, thank you."

Han Fangchi raised an eyebrow. "Then stay at my place?"

He Lezhi laughed. "That's even less appropriate."

Han Fangchi asked, "So you're not staying at either place?"

He Lezhi could only say pleadingly, "Thank you, Fangchi."

He Lezhi was someone who didn't like to owe favors, something everyone who knew him was aware of. He was always polite and smiling, and never offended anyone.

Whether it was staying at Han Fangchi's home or moving into the house Han Fangchi found for him, both were too inappropriate for He Lezhi. He couldn't trouble others, nor could he let Han Fangchi owe such a huge favor for his sake.

But this didn't stop He Lezhi from feeling moved and grateful. He looked at Han Fangchi, only wanting to say thank you over and over again.

Han Fangchi nodded and said, "Alright."

When he returned that night, He Lezhi sent Han Fangchi a message several lines long, the gist of which was thanking him for his consideration and that he was very, very grateful.

Han Fangchi replied: Go to sleep.

He Lezhi asked: Can we still run together tomorrow?

Han Fangchi: Run by yourself.

He Lezhi: [Pleading]

Early Sunday morning, He Lezhi sent a message to Han Fangchi: How about lunch together?

Han Fangchi: No.

He Lezhi: I'll cook at home. What do you want to eat?

Han Fangchi: No, I don't want to trouble you.

He Lezhi: [Pleading]

For the next week, Han Fangchi didn't come over for dinner either. When asked, his reason was always that he didn't want to trouble He Lezhi.

He Lezhi had almost finished packing his things. Once he found a place, he could move out at any time. He Lezhi would send Han Fangchi messages from time to time, and Han Fangchi would always reply if he saw them, but he wouldn't come over to eat.

Early Saturday morning, He Lezhi sent a message asking: Are you home today?

Han Fangchi: Yes.

So at nine in the morning, He Lezhi came over with groceries and knocked on the door.

Han Fangchi opened the door, saw it was him, and asked, "What are you here for?"

He Lezhi smiled and walked in on his own. "Lunch together."

Han Fangchi didn't reach out to take the groceries. He followed behind, watched He Lezhi put the food in the kitchen, and asked with his arms crossed, "Isn't this a bother for you?"

"No bother," He Lezhi said. "I'm more than happy to."

Although it was said He Lezhi was cooking, Han Fangchi wasn't idle either. He came over to help wash and chop the vegetables. He Lezhi reminded him several times to be careful with his hand.

His hand was no longer sensitive to water, but He Lezhi still looked over frequently, a little worried.

"You should just leave it. I'll wash it later," He Lezhi said.

"It's been fine for a while," Han Fangchi said.

After the prep work was done, Han Fangchi didn't bother with the rest, just waited to eat. He Lezhi stood at the stove cooking, while Han Fangchi sat on a dining chair not far away.

A call came in on his phone. It was Xiao Yao.

Han Fangchi answered. Xiao Yao asked from the other end, "Eating?"

"No," Han Fangchi said.

Xiao Yao asked, "Why not?"

Han Fangchi said, "I have food at home."

He Lezhi had the range hood on and didn't hear Han Fangchi on the phone. He asked him, "Where's the soup ladle?"

Han Fangchi said, "In the drawer under the stove."

"Who's at your place?" Xiao Yao asked when he heard.

Han Fangchi: "Lezhi."

"Lezhi?" Xiao Yao said in surprise over the phone. "Just the two of you?"

"Yeah."

Xiao Yao's voice immediately went up a pitch. "Then I'm coming too, I'm coming too! I haven't seen Lezhi in so long, I miss him."

Han Fangchi: "I have to ask."

Han Fangchi walked over with his phone. He Lezhi looked over, and Han Fangchi pointed at the phone and said, "Xiao Yao. Wants to come over for a meal."

He Lezhi first raised his eyebrows in surprise, then moved a little closer to him and spoke into the phone, "How many of you are there?"

"Just me!" Xiao Yao shouted, sounding particularly loud. "I'll be right there!"

"Alright then," He Lezhi said. "Come on over. We'll include you."

Back when He Lezhi was still with Zhou Muyao, if he felt Han Fangchi was his closest friend among their group, then Xiao Yao would have been second.

Xiao Yao was a very cute boy when he was young, carefree and boisterous. After growing up, he went through one girlfriend after another and still hadn't settled down. His personality hadn't changed much either. He was also good friends with Zhou Muyao; they had similar parts to their personalities, so they got along the best.

After his breakup, He Lezhi hadn't seen any of his friends except for Han Fangchi, including Xiao Yao.

In all this time, the two of them hadn't contacted each other aside from a few text messages. Xiao Yao would occasionally send He Lezhi links to funny videos without any preface or follow-up, and He Lezhi just assumed he'd sent them by mistake.

Xiao Yao didn't come to freeload empty-handed. He brought two bottles of red wine and a case of beer.

Han Fangchi opened the door for him. Seeing he was carrying all alcohol, he stepped aside.

Xiao Yao put the alcohol on the entryway cabinet, got himself a pair of slippers to change into, and asked clamorously, "Where's Lezhi? Where's Lezhi?"

Han Fangchi tilted his chin toward the kitchen.

"Lezhi!" Xiao Yao charged over, bumping shoulders with He Lezhi and throwing an arm around him. "Lezhi, I missed you!"

He Lezhi gave him a sidelong glance. "Didn't see you looking for me."

"Wasn't I afraid you didn't want to see me!" Xiao Yao pointed at Han Fangchi. "Ask Fangchi if you don't believe me! I asked about you every time I saw him, asked how you were feeling!"

"Did you lose my WeChat?" He Lezhi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't dare! I was afraid you'd hate me by association," Xiao Yao said with a terribly wronged expression.

With Xiao Yao's arm around his neck, He Lezhi looked like he couldn't be bothered with him, but there was a clear smile in his eyes.

During the meal, Xiao Yao insisted on sitting next to He Lezhi. The two of them sat on one side, and Han Fangchi sat by himself on the other.

"Let's have a few drinks today, huh?"

Xiao Yao had brought alcohol with the intention of getting drunk with the two of them.

"Look at us two, who do you think can drink with you?" He Lezhi said. "The ones who can drink with you aren't here."

"I don't want to drink with them, I just want to drink with you," Xiao Yao said.

Xiao Yao hadn't contacted He Lezhi for so long; being afraid that He Lezhi didn't want to see him was one reason, but there was another—for a period of time, Xiao Yao couldn't bring himself to face He Lezhi.

Back then, after Zhou Muyao got drunk, he was the first person he told that thing to, asking him what to do. Xiao Yao made a big scene and then left first. He couldn't face He Lezhi.

He didn't want to help Zhou Muyao hide it, but there was nothing he could do. He Lezhi and Zhou Muyao had been dating for nearly eight years. Their relationship was deep, without any conflicts. No matter what, He Lezhi couldn't find out about this from someone else; Zhou Muyao had to be the one to tell him. After that, whatever He Lezhi chose to do was no one else's business.

Xiao Yao had intentionally used his drunkenness to make a scene so that everyone would know, forcing Zhou Muyao to tell He Lezhi. He couldn't be one of the scummy friends who helped hide it from He Lezhi, but he really had no other way. That's why Xiao Yao had been avoiding He Lezhi since last winter, unwilling to face him.

Xiao Yao himself changed girlfriends one after another, but fundamentally, he looked down on scumbags. Every one of his relationships started and ended properly; he never did anything shady.

He insisted on drinking with He Lezhi. Neither He Lezhi nor Han Fangchi drank much, so they just took a couple of perfunctory sips to humor him. Later, Xiao Yao got fed up, saying they weren't being forthright, and if they kept it up, he would leave.

They couldn't just let him leave. Han Fangchi said, "I'll drink with you." After saying that, he stood up to get beer mugs.

He Lezhi tilted his head back to watch his retreating figure and said, "Then get one for me too."

Han Fangchi glanced back at him and said, "Alright."

Among the three of them, perhaps He Lezhi was the one who needed a drink the most. In others' eyes, he was still heartbroken. Although they'd been broken up for a while, everyone felt that an eight-year relationship required a long withdrawal period.

In fact, during this time, He Lezhi had indeed felt the urge to have a drink once or twice, wanting to numb his mind and let it go blank for a short while. Of course, he didn't end up drinking. He didn't particularly like relying on alcohol to dissipate his emotions, because he disliked the feeling of all the negative emotions returning to their place after sobering up.

"Now that's more like it. Don't you two always act so holier-than-thou. Every time, everyone else is drunk while you two are sober. Isn't it annoying!" Xiao Yao said.