The jade pendants were all packed in identical square boxes, distinguished only by a short printed description on the outside. When Chi Zhan handed Zhou Yanxing his, he’d barely glanced at the label before casually passing it over.
What he was certain of was this: Zhou Yanxing didn’t yet realize he’d received the wrong gift. Maybe he hadn’t opened it yet. Or maybe he had, but hadn’t noticed the initials engraved on the pendant.
The jade pieces were small to begin with, and the initials Chi Zhan had asked the shop to carve were even smaller—almost invisible unless inspected closely.
Otherwise, Zhou Yanxing would’ve already exploded by now.
But what was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t exactly go up to Zhou Yanxing and say, “Oops, I gave you the wrong gift,” and then ask for it back to swap it out.
Even if Zhou Yanxing agreed, Chi Zhan couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
Meanwhile, Chu Xingxiao was still waiting, full of anticipation for the gift Chi Zhan had promised. When Chi Zhan hesitated without making a move, Chu Xingxiao could already guess: he probably hadn’t prepared anything for him.
The joy he’d felt upon hearing there were gifts gradually faded. Deep down, Chu Xingxiao had to admit—he was a little disappointed. But then again, Chi Zhan hadn’t forgiven him yet, so this outcome wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Still, it stung.
“I think… I might’ve left it in the room,” Chi Zhan said awkwardly, offering the most plausible excuse he could find. “I’ll give it to you when we get back.”
Chu Xingxiao gave a quiet “okay.”
Secretary Chi pretended to calmly eat his steak, but inside, he was in full-blown panic mode.
What now?
Chi Zhan absentmindedly watched Zhou Yanxing out of the corner of his eye, mind racing.
At this point, there was only one solution.
He had to figure out where the jade pendant was, and then somehow switch it out—quietly and cleanly. If he could pull that off, the whole mess would be resolved.
Since Zhou Yanxing hadn’t returned to his room after receiving the gift, there was only one possibility:
He still had it on him.
But where exactly…? Chi Zhan couldn’t just blatantly go rummaging through his pockets. He didn’t have any excuse that would fly.
Looks like he’d have to wait until they were back at the inn and seize the right opportunity.
Chi Zhan continued eating while thinking. Just then, Zhou Yanxing unexpectedly looked up, and their eyes met.
Zhou raised an eyebrow. Chi Zhan jumped slightly, quickly looking away and feigning intense concentration on his meal. His fork clinked awkwardly against his plate.
Zhou Yanxing’s gaze was sharp—too sharp. It felt like it could see right through him.
When dessert arrived, a waiter looked around and asked, “Who is Mr. Chi?”
Chi Zhan found it odd but answered, “That’s me.”
The waiter placed a small cream cake in front of him with a formal tone.
“Please enjoy. This dessert is best eaten slowly.”
“…?”
There seemed to be some hidden meaning behind those words, but no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he couldn’t figure it out.
Tonight’s dinner had been exceptionally good. Chu Xingxiao had really nailed the food selection—by the time dessert came, Chi Zhan was already full. So he didn’t rush, nibbling slowly, bite by bite.
As he ate, he noticed Chu Xingxiao staring intently at the cake in front of him.
Chi Zhan raised an eyebrow.
“Do you want this one?”
Chu Xingxiao hadn’t touched his own dessert.
“No… Gege, you eat it.”
He averted his gaze right after saying that, doing a terrible job at acting casual.
Chi Zhan gave him a suspicious look. Is there something unusual about this cake?
Clink—his fork hit something hard. Curious, Chi Zhan pushed aside some of the cream and spotted a coin.
A lucky coin.
In that moment, he understood why Chu Xingxiao had been staring so intently.
“Every holiday, the person who finds the lucky coin will have good fortune in the coming year. You’ll be especially lucky next year,” he said seriously, looking right at Chi Zhan.
Chi Zhan chuckled.
“Thanks. That’s a very special gift.”
He asked the waiter for a clean napkin, washed the coin and carefully wiped it dry before putting it away.
After dinner, the group left the restaurant. The sky was completely dark, but the streets remained brightly lit. Many stores were still open, and foot traffic hadn’t slowed. In fact, the night seemed to be when the holiday festivities truly came alive. There were even street performers putting on shows.
“Got any plans for tonight?” Tao Ran asked. “The scenery here’s really nice, though it’s freezing after dark. Aren’t you cold in that outfit, Chi-Chi?”
“I’m fine. I’m wearing plenty.”
“You sure? You look kinda underdressed.” Tao Ran glanced at him. “Didn’t you see how much I ate just now? I swear, I out-ate the entire table.”
He and Chi Zhan walked together, chatting nonstop. Chu Xingxiao trailed beside them, unable to find an opening to join in. He could only listen quietly, sneaking his hand over to try and link fingers with Chi Zhan.
Chi Zhan didn’t notice at first, too busy talking to Tao Ran. It wasn’t until his hand was fully grasped and gently tucked into Chu Xingxiao’s coat pocket that he realized. He turned to look, only to find Chu Xingxiao staring at him with big, innocent eyes.
Since Zhou Yanxing was still there, Chi Zhan decided to let him keep up the act.
Zhou Yanxing walked alone nearby, but he didn’t give off the slightest sense of loneliness. He moved with the cool, effortless swagger of someone who didn’t need anyone else. Still, his blank expression gave him the vibe of a resentful ghostly bachelor. Couples passing by would instinctively steer away from him, as if afraid of catching his bad energy.
After the meal, Tao Ran’s opinion of Chu Xingxiao had gone way up. The guy was handsome, had a great personality, and treated Chi Zhan with adorable devotion. He really was like a giant golden retriever.
The cherry on top? Chu Xingxiao had even offered to carry his suitcase—a courtesy clearly extended thanks to Chi Zhan.
Tao Ran was openly envious. “Ugh, I want a boyfriend like that too. Thoughtful, good body… He checks all the boxes. Bet he’s amazing in other ways too.”
“……”
“Are you sure he’s just your fake boyfriend?” Tao Ran whispered, his voice pitched perfectly so only Chi Zhan could hear. “He seems really into you. Why not give it a shot?”
