Chi Zhan had never looked at him with eyes like that before.
Whenever Chi Zhan looked at him, it was always with the simple, fond gaze one might give a younger neighbor. But when he looked at Qi Song, his eyes were full of admiration and genuine affection.
Even though they hadn’t interacted much, Chu Xingxiao could tell—Qi Song liked Chi Zhan. A lot.
Weren’t they supposed to be broken up?
After the initial shock faded, a heavy sense of threat began to rise in Chu Xingxiao’s chest. In front of Qi Song, Chi Zhan could never see him.
Everything he’d done—every effort—had all been for nothing.
Why… why was it that no matter how hard he tried, Chi Zhan still refused to give him a chance? Was it because of his past mistakes? Would he never be forgiven?
No matter what he did, he could never measure up to Qi Song.
Even after chasing with everything he had, all he was left with was a hopeless result.
Chu Xingxiao had never experienced this kind of feeling before—his heart was shattered into pieces, so broken that he couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.
He stood there in a daze for a while, until someone nearby noticed the strange figure lingering around, stealing glances his way. One person cautiously stepped forward and asked, “Hi, excuse me… are you Chu Xingxiao?”
“No.”
Chu Xingxiao pulled his baseball cap down low and walked off expressionlessly into the gloomy, overcast weather—leaving behind the place where his heart had just been broken.
***
At the hotpot restaurant.
It was noon, but the place wasn’t too crowded. Chen Che had deliberately picked a window seat. Looking out, he frowned.
“It was fine this morning. Why’d the weather suddenly turn?”
Wen An was flipping through the menu.
“Let’s order first. That way, when they get here, we can start eating right away.”
“But… didn’t they break up?” Chen Che lowered his voice as he asked, “Can you still be friends after breaking up? Is that a thing?”
“Why don’t you go ask Captain Qi directly?”
“Forget it. Either way, Secretary Chi’s my buddy!” Chen Che said enthusiastically as he started ordering. “I heard this place is the best hotpot in Province A, so we gotta get the spicy broth! Waiter! One spicy pot—”
Wen An quickly stopped him.
“No, let’s get the twin pot. Secretary Chi might not be able to handle spice.”
“Oh, true.” Chen Che nodded. “He really doesn’t look like the type who eats spicy food. But I bet he doesn’t know how much Captain Qi loves it, huh? Just wait—he’s gonna be floored watching him eat ultra-spicy food like it’s nothing.”
“……”
Wen An was speechless. No wonder you’re still single.
They finished ordering, and a short while later, Chi Zhan and Qi Song arrived. The group sat at a large table, with two seats saved just for them—side by side.
“Secretary Chi! Come sit!” Chen Che was like the life of the party; once he started talking, the atmosphere could never go cold. “Have you been to this place before? No clue what’s good, so I just ordered a bunch. Don’t be shy—eat whatever you want. Someone’s treating today!”
The two sat down. Qi Song casually took Chi Zhan’s down jacket and hung it in the closet. Chen Che’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He had never seen Captain Qi take care of anyone like this—not even their coat!
And before this, Captain Qi had even played games with Secretary Chi hand-in-hand, patiently explaining each character’s abilities like a one-on-one tutor. Meanwhile, when the rest of them got new characters, they had maybe five minutes to figure things out before being tossed into brutal 1v1s with Captain Qi, learning the ropes through repeated annihilation.
So… was the treatment they got before just beggar-tier?
The comparison stung. -1000 HP to Chen Che.
Chi Zhan smiled.
“Last time I saw you all at a hotpot place too. You really like hotpot, huh?”
“Yeah, we all do. Especially Captain Qi.”
Chi Zhan glanced at Qi Song, then quickly looked away and nodded, beginning to unwrap his own utensils.
The hotpot place provided each person with their own set, all individually wrapped in plastic. Chi Zhan hadn’t even gotten his open when another set—already unwrapped—was gently pushed toward him.
Chi Zhan blinked.
“Thanks… that’s really kind of you.”
Qi Song said nothing, just quietly sat beside him. He’d taken off his coat and was now in a high-necked sweater, looking like a phoenix resting atop a snow-capped mountain. His presence was so commanding, Chi Zhan couldn’t ignore him even if he tried.
Chi Zhan wasn’t used to being looked after like this. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. Still, wanting to reciprocate, he picked up the teapot and poured Qi Song a glass of water.
They didn’t speak much. There was barely any eye contact, no exchange of words. Yet the couple-like aura around them was so strong that even Chen Che couldn’t help feeling envious.
He never would’ve guessed that out of everyone in WT, Captain Qi would be the first to start dating—and be so shamelessly sweet about it.
Still, compared to those couples who kissed and cuddled in public without restraint, Captain Qi was definitely more… composed. Wait, no. They were broken up now! There’s no way they’re still cuddling or anything like that!
“Do you eat spicy food?” Chi Zhan looked at the blazing red broth in front of him, the steam carrying the pungent scent of chili straight to his face. He tried picking up a piece of tofu skin but almost choked on the fumes. “This is way too spicy. I don’t think you can handle it.”
Seven probably didn’t eat spicy at all. He probably only ate plain rice, boiled vegetables, and soup—no wonder he had that whole ascetic vibe going.
Qi Song glanced at the bubbling broth and calmly replied, “Mm, I can’t eat spicy.”
As he spoke, he asked the server to rotate the spicy pot to the far side of the table. Then he reached into the clear broth for some sweet potato and konjac tofu, filled a small bowl, and placed it in front of Chi Zhan.
Chi Zhan looked flustered.
“You really don’t need to take care of me like this. You’ve barely eaten anything—I can handle it myself.”
Chen Che’s pupils practically exploded.
Did he just hear that?
Captain Qi—the man who lived and breathed spice—just said he can’t eat spicy?!
That had to be the joke of the century!
But then he saw the subtle curve of Captain Qi’s lips, as if enjoying every second of this… -10,000 HP to Chen Che.
The truth was, Chi Zhan actually liked spicy food. Just not too spicy. Anything past a certain level would make him sweat and gasp and completely lose his composure. So he had no choice but to eat the clear broth with Qi Song. Thankfully, the restaurant’s signature soup base was exactly that—a slow-simmered bone broth, rich and savory without being greasy. They added mushrooms and sesame sauce, and the flavor was surprisingly delicious.
Qi Song scooped up a ladle of the spicy broth and placed it in front of Chi Zhan. Chi Zhan blinked in confusion, and Qi Song explained, “If you want spice, just dip your food in the soup for a second.”
