Right now, Zhou Yanxing was still completely in the dark about the relationship between him and Qi Song. The man already had a bone to pick with “male streamers” to begin with—if he ever found out, there was a 99.9% chance he’d explode on the spot.
What should have been a pleasant meal ended up tasting like gunpowder.
He really should’ve checked the almanac this morning.
It would’ve probably said: Avoid everything.
“Gege, is it good?” Chu Xingxiao asked sweetly. “You don’t like sour stuff, so I cut back on the vinegar.”
Ever since Zhou Yanxing had stamped him as the “official boyfriend,” even if it was fake, Chu Xingxiao suddenly felt emboldened.
Among the four of them, he was the only one who was actually Chi Zhan’s boyfriend. As for the rest—well, if he didn’t say anything, who would know?
Chu Xingxiao’s take on zhajiang noodles was a bit unconventional. He prepared the toppings and sauce separately—thinly sliced vegetables marinated in vinegar and sesame oil, crisp and refreshing, so the noodles wouldn’t feel too greasy. Chi Zhan actually thought it was just right.
Although, to be honest, the meal didn’t have much flavor for him either—his attention was completely locked on those few people, on edge the entire time, worried they might let slip some earth-shattering secret.
“No wonder it’s tasteless,” Zhou Yanxing said coolly. “You barely used any vinegar.”
Chu Xingxiao shot back, “Being sour isn’t exactly a virtue—especially when you’re jealous for no damn reason.”
Chi Zhan felt his head throb. Just as Chu Xingxiao finally found his moment and was about to keep stirring the pot, Chi Zhan let out a soft cough. Chu Xingxiao reluctantly gave up on the idea of continuing the battle with Zhou Yanxing—for now—and tossed the vinegar bottle toward him. “Here, if you like it so much, have more.”
May it choke you.
Zhou Yanxing actually poured in a generous amount, right in front of them. Chi Zhan’s teeth practically ached just watching, but Zhou stayed stone-faced as he ate, not flinching in the slightest. As he leaned forward, a jade pendant slipped from beneath his collar, hanging lightly in the air.
“You don’t usually wear accessories. Since when do you wear jade?”
He said it too offhandedly—Chi Zhan didn’t even have time to stop him.
“Secretary Chi gave it to me,” Zhou Yanxing replied with a glance. Then he noticed Cen Chi seemed to be wearing something too, though only a red string was visible. A hunch stirred in his chest. He narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t usually wear anything either. What’s that? Changed your style?”
“Funny you should ask—Ah-Zhan gave me a jade pendant too,” Cen Chi said with a grin. “Seems like he’s been quite generous lately. I wonder, did he give one to anyone else?”
His gaze shifted toward Qi Song and Chu Xingxiao.
“……”
It was just a small token gift—do you guys seriously have to start comparing?
Their elementary school textbooks clearly said: Don’t compare. Comparing hurts yourself, others, and everyone’s dignity.
Qi Song, naturally, also wore the jade that Chi Zhan had given him. It usually stayed tucked away and no one mentioned it, but now that the topic came up…
Out of the five people present, only Chu Xingxiao had nothing on him.
Finally, Zhou Yanxing got his chance to mock him to his heart’s content.
“Why don’t you have one? Seems like your place in Chi Zhan’s heart isn’t all that great.”
Chu Xingxiao didn’t love the realization that he wasn’t the most special one, but the absence of a gift at least gave him something else to stew over. As for the rest of them… they’d just have to be dealt with, one at a time.
He choked on the words, his momentum faltering.
…Right. Why didn’t he have one?
He’d asked Chi Zhan for it—multiple times.
But Chi Zhan had never given him one.
Even Zhou Yanxing had one.
Chu Xingxiao looked at Chi Zhan with wide, pitiful eyes and said softly, “Gege, why don’t I have one?”
Was it because Chi Zhan still didn’t like him? Still mad at him? So he hadn’t bothered preparing a gift?
But on Christmas Day, he hadn’t done anything to upset him yet.
The truth was—Chi Zhan had completely forgotten.
The butterfly-shaped jade pendant he’d picked out for Chu Xingxiao had been ill-fated from the start. First, he’d accidentally given it to Zhou Yanxing and had to take it back. Then Chu’s identity had been exposed, leading to him moving out. After that came back-to-back business trips. Last night, Chi Zhan had originally planned to give it to him… only for that to happen…
In the chaos, after much hesitation, he’d still failed to hand it over.
But seeing Chu Xingxiao’s devastated face now, Chi Zhan couldn’t bring himself to coldly say “you don’t have one.” He was just about to explain when Zhou Yanxing chuckled.
“He did prepare one for you. Only… he gave it to me instead.”
Chu Xingxiao stared in disbelief. Chi Zhan immediately said, “Don’t listen to him—it’s not like that. Actually, that one was…”
The more he explained, the messier it got.
Zhou Yanxing kept fanning the flames with smirks and jabs.
“He just prepared too many and mixed them up, isn’t that right? But since you still haven’t gotten yours, it’s clear where you stand in his heart.”
Chu Xingxiao was fuming but didn’t dare blow up on the spot. Chi Zhan had no choice but to admit, “It really was a mistake. I meant to give it to you, but… never found the right moment.”
Looking at Chu Xingxiao’s expression, it seemed he was on the verge of tears from sheer frustration. Chi Zhan felt terrible.
Zhou Yanxing sneered.
“Put on an act, go ahead. The more pitiful you look, the softer he goes. Isn’t that right, Secretary Chi?”
“……”
As much as he wanted to refute that… Zhou Yanxing wasn’t wrong.
He knew Chu Xingxiao was probably faking it a bit. After all, he’d seen him act recklessly and shamelessly before—last night, he’d seized the moment while Chi Zhan was feeling soft-hearted. Then this morning, he’d switched back to playing cute. Even when Chi Zhan wanted to be mad, it felt like punching a pillow.
Chu Xingxiao murmured, “Gege, I’m not pretending…”
“Whether you are or not isn’t up to you to say,” Zhou Yanxing cut in coldly. “Chi Zhan, after all this time together, I’d hope you’ve developed some discernment. Someone like him shows up at a negotiation table, feigns weakness, and you cave—you’ll lose everything.”
“It’s just a meal. No need to escalate things like that,” Cen Chi finally interjected, breaking the tension.
Zhou Yanxing looked over.
“Whose side are you on?”
“I’m just surprised that you two can start a fight anytime, anywhere. At least let people finish their food, yeah?”
No one spoke again.
A bowl of noodles that should’ve taken ten minutes to finish had dragged on for half an hour. When they finally put down their chopsticks, Chi Zhan felt like he’d just survived a war.
