Suo Ran froze, his glass still in his hand. Across the venue, Cai Lang was looking directly at him. For a few seconds, neither of them moved or looked away. The noise of the party seemed to fade into the background as Suo Ran held his gaze.His eyes remained fixed on Suo Ran, as though he were waiting for him to do something. Suo Ran's fingers shifted against the glass.
He swallowed and tried to look away, but his eyes stayed on Cai Lang for another moment. "Suo Ran!" Zhou Kai suddenly called from beside him.
Suo Ran blinked and turned around."What?" "I've called you twice.Are you planning to spend the whole evening staring into space?" Zhou Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. Li Jun leaned over the table with a grin. "Maybe he's thinking about someone. Should we give him some privacy?" "Then we'll have to move to another table," Chen Hao added. "His thoughts seem to be taking up quite a lot of space." Suo Ran shook his head and gave them an unimpressed look. "You three have too much free time." "And you have too many secrets." Li Jun replied, reaching for a piece of cake.
Suo Ran laughed quietly and picked up his drink again.He glanced across the venue once more. Cai Lang was still looking at him. The man beside him had turned toward him and was saying something, but Cai Lang's attention seemed to be elsewhere. When the man touched his arm to get his attention, Cai Lang finally turned his head. Even then, his response seemed brief. He picked up his glass, took a sip, and set it down without showing much interest in the conversation. Suo Ran looked away before Cai Lang could catch him watching again. "All right, enough sitting around," Li Jun announced, clapping his hands once. "We're at a birthday party. We should do something more interesting."
Zhou Kai looked suspiciously at him. "Whenever you say that, someone ends up embarrassing themselves." "Usually you!" Chen Hao pointed out. "That's because you people keep putting me in ridiculous situations." Li Jun ignored their complaints and leaned forward. "Let's play a game." "What game?" Suo Ran asked.Chen Hao's eyes brightened when he noticed the thin snack sticks arranged in a small bowl on the table. He picked one up and held it between his fingers. "How about this? Two people hold opposite ends of a stick between their lips and eat toward the middle. No hands allowed. Whoever leaves the shortest piece wins."
Zhou Kai stared at him, then leaned back with a doubtful expression. "We're adults. Why are we playing children's games?" "Because adults can have fun too," Li Jun replied, casually popping a snack into his mouth. "Or are you afraid?" "Afraid of what?" "Getting too close to another man?" Li Jun wiggled his eyebrows,Chen Hao laughed at him. Zhou Kai gave him an unimpressed look. "If that's your idea of entertainment, you really need to get out more." "I'm doing perfectly fine," Li Jun said, putting a hand over his chest. "Besides, some people might actually enjoy the experience."
Chen Hao nearly choked on his snack. "Are you speaking from experience?" "That's confidential." "You don't have any experience to keep confidential," Zhou Kai shot back. Suo Ran laughed along with them, but his eyes briefly wandered toward the other table. Cai Lang was still sitting beside that man. The two seemed to be talking, though Suo Ran couldn't hear a word over the music. He looked away before he could catch himself watching them again. "Come on, Zhou Kai," Suo Ran said, leaning against the back of his chair. "Don't tell me you're embarrassed already. It's just a snack stick."
Zhou Kai turned toward him, narrowing his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to put up with my face so close to yours." "Don't worry. I'll try to be gentle." Suo Ran gave him an innocent smile. Li Jun immediately slapped the table. "Listen to that! He's already flirting with his opponent." "Maybe Zhou Kai should consider himself lucky," Chen Hao added. "Not everyone gets such special treatment." Zhou Kai picked up a napkin and threw it at them. "You two should really learn when to keep your mouths shut." Suo Ran caught the napkin before it landed on his plate and laughed. "What happened? You were so confident a moment ago." "I'm still confident."
Zhou Kai reached for a stick and pointed it at him. "Just don't come crying to me when you lose." "I'll try to survive the heartbreak." Chen Hao shook his head, grinning as he gathered more sticks. "All right, enough flirting. We need to decide the pairs." "Who said we were flirting?" Zhou Kai asked immediately. Li Jun looked at Suo Ran, then at Zhou Kai, and burst out laughing. "The fact that you answered so quickly makes it even more suspicious." Suo Ran covered his smile with his hand while Zhou Kai glared at them. "You people are impossible." "That's what makes us good friends," Chen Hao replied, placing two sticks in front of them. "And since you two seem to have so much chemistry, you're going first."
Zhou Kai looked at the sticks, then at Suo Ran. "I want a different partner." "Sorry! It's too late!" Li Jun said, pushing Suo Ran's chair slightly forward. "The audience has already chosen." Suo Ran turned toward Zhou Kai, his smile widening. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you enjoy it." Zhou Kai stared at him for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh. "I should have invited fewer people." As the others laughed, Suo Ran glanced across the room again. Cai Lang's attention seemed to have shifted toward their table. For a brief moment, their eyes almost met, but Suo Ran turned back to Zhou Kai before he could be certain.
Chen Hao placed two snack sticks on the table and pushed them toward Suo Ran and Zhou Kai. "All right, you two. Since you've been talking so much, let's see if you can actually play." Zhou Kai picked up one end of a stick while Suo Ran took the other. "Remember, no hands once we start," Li Jun reminded them, leaning forward with an excited grin. "And don't pull away halfway through. That's an automatic loss." Zhou Kai gave him a suspicious look. "Why do you sound like you've been waiting for this your whole life?" "Because I've finally found a game where your lack of coordination might be entertaining." "Keep talking. I'll make sure you're next." Chen Hao raised his hand before Zhou Kai could continue. "Ready? Three, two, one. Start!"
Both placed the ends of the stick between their lips. Suo Ran began eating at a steady pace, but Zhou Kai barely moved. He stared at Suo Ran as if he were trying to work out the rules all over again. Suo Ran raised his eyebrows around the stick, silently asking what was wrong. Zhou Kai shook his head and finally took a bite. Li Jun leaned closer to Chen Hao and whispered loudly, "I think Zhou Kai is nervous. Should we give them some privacy?" Chen Hao nodded solemnly. "Perhaps we should turn around. This seems like a personal moment." "Both of you, shut up!"
Zhou Kai managed to say before taking another bite. Suo Ran's shoulders shook with laughter. The stick slipped slightly between their lips, and Zhou Kai immediately pulled back. "Hey! You nearly made me lose!" Zhou Kai complained, wiping his mouth with his thumb. "You're the one who moved," Suo Ran replied, trying to keep a straight face. "Because you were laughing!" "Then stop looking at me." "How am I supposed to eat the stick without looking at you?" Li Jun slapped the table, laughing. "What a question! Just close your eyes and follow your heart!"
Chen Hao nearly dropped the bowl when he burst out laughing. He quickly steadied it with one hand while Suo Ran shook his head, trying to regain his composure. Zhou Kai, however, wasn't amused. He narrowed his eyes at Suo Ran, silently warning him not to laugh again. "Ignore them. They're making this harder than it needs to be," Suo Ran said, trying to keep the stick steady between his lips. "Easy for you to say. You're enjoying yourself." Zhou Kai took another cautious bite, his eyes fixed on Suo Ran. "Of course. You're a very entertaining opponent."
Suo Ran's eyes curved with amusement. "I'm glad my suffering amuses you," Zhou Kai muttered, moving forward for another bite. "Don't be so dramatic. We're only sharing a snack." "That's exactly what I'm worried about." Zhou Kai's answer made Suo Ran laugh again. The stick shifted between them, and Zhou Kai quickly pulled his head back to keep it from falling. Li Jun slapped the table, nearly knocking over his drink. "Look at that! You're supposed to eat the snack, not argue over it!" Chen Hao wiped the corner of his eye, still laughing. "At this rate, the game will be over by tomorrow." Suo Ran took another small bite, and Zhou Kai reluctantly followed.
Their faces moved closer, leaving only a short piece between them. Zhou Kai slowed down, his eyes briefly flickering toward Suo Ran's face before he continued. Suo Ran noticed his hesitation and raised his eyebrows, silently challenging him to keep going. Li Jun rested his chin on his palm, watching them with an increasingly mischievous grin. "Look at that. If I didn't know you two, I'd think we were watching a confession." Chen Hao leaned forward, looking from one face to the other. "Should we prepare a wedding gift?"Chen Hao added, already reaching for his phone as if he intended to take a picture. "Put that away," Zhou Kai warned, trying to glare at him without moving his mouth too much. Suo Ran laughed, but as he leaned forward for another bite, his eyes briefly wandered beyond Zhou Kai's shoulder.
Zhou Kai glanced at the tiny piece of stick remaining between them, then looked at Suo Ran over it. Suo Ran blinked and gave him a questioning look, his lips still holding the stick. Zhou Kai raised his eyebrows, silently urging him to hurry up. Suo Ran's eyes curved with amusement. "Jealous that I wasn't looking at you?" he managed to mumble around the stick. Zhou Kai nearly pulled away in surprise, making the stick wobble. He quickly steadied it with his lips and shot Suo Ran an annoyed look. "Who would be jealous of that?" he mumbled back.
Suo Ran gave a small shrug before taking another bite. Zhou Kai followed immediately, unwilling to let him get ahead. When Suo Ran moved forward again, Zhou Kai hurried to match him, leaving them almost nose to nose. Li Jun leaned forward, pointing at them with a delighted grin. "This is wonderful. They're already arguing like an old married couple." Chen Hao nodded, covering his mouth to hold back his laughter. "At this rate, we'll have to separate them after the game." Zhou Kai shot them a warning glare, but with the stick still between his lips, it only made Suo Ran's shoulders shake with laughter.
Cai Lang sat with one arm resting against the back of his chair. His gaze lingered on him. Cai Lang took sip of wine and smiled. The man beside him paused, noticing that Cai Lang had stopped responding. He followed his gaze for a moment before turning back with an amused smile. "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Cai Lang glanced at him and took a moment before answering. "I heard you." "Then what did I just say?" The man raised an eyebrow. Cai Lang opened his mouth but offered no answer. His eyes had already drifted back to the other table.
Suo Ran was now leaning toward Zhou Kai, smiling at something he had said. Cai Lang's jaw tightened. The man let out a quiet laugh and leaned back in his chair. "Ah, so that's where your attention has been." Cai Lang looked at him. "It's nothing." "Someone you know?" The man glanced toward Suo Ran again, his curiosity growing. Cai Lang didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his glass and took a slow sip. He tried to turn back to the conversation, but another burst of laughter from Suo Ran caught his attention. Zhou Kai had moved closer again, speaking near Suo Ran's ear to be heard over the music.
Cai Lang's grip tightened around the glass. The man noticed the movement and looked between him and the other table. "You seem rather interested in what's happening over there." "I'm listening to you." Cai Lang's reply came a little too quickly. The man gave him a doubtful look. "Are you? Because you've been looking over there for the past few minutes." Cai Lang set his glass down and adjusted his sleeve, avoiding the man's eyes. "Perhaps you should find something more interesting to talk about."
The man laughed softly, though he seemed less amused now. "All right. I didn't realise I was boring you." "That's not what I said." "Then what is it?" The man leaned closer, resting a hand lightly on Cai Lang's forearm. "You've been distracted ever since that game started. Did something happen?" Cai Lang glanced at the hand resting on his arm. For a moment, he said nothing. Then his gaze shifted across the room again. Zhou Kai and Suo Ran were still facing each other, their faces close as they tried to finish the game.
Cai Lang's expression darkened. He pulled his arm away and placed his glass on the table with a firmer movement than before. "I think we should end this conversation." The man's smile faded. "What? Why?" Cai Lang turned toward him, his expression controlled but no longer welcoming. "I've lost interest. I'd rather be alone." The man studied him, then glanced toward Suo Ran's table. Understanding slowly crossed his face. "Is this because of him?" Cai Lang's eyes narrowed slightly. "That has nothing to do with you." "I see." The man leaned back, his earlier amusement replaced by a faintly offended look. "Well, I won't keep you, then." He pushed his chair back and stood. "Enjoy your evening."
Cai Lang gave a brief nod but didn't look up again. He watched Suo Ran.When Zhou Kai leaned closer to Suo Ran again, Cai Lang's tapping stopped.His eyes narrowed as he watched them move closer, their faces almost touching. "How close does he need to get?" Cai Lang muttered under his breath, his fingers curling against the edge of the table. He pushed his chair back and stood, unable to keep watching from a distance. He took a step toward Suo Ran's table, but a familiar voice stopped him. "Cai Lang?" He turned to see a man he knew from business approaching with a glass in his hand. "I didn't expect to see you here. Leaving already?" Cai Lang glanced at him impatiently. "I'm busy." "I just wanted to say hello. It's been a while." The man stepped closer, standing directly in his way. Cai Lang looked past him at Suo Ran, his jaw tightening. "Move. We'll talk another time." The man paused, surprised by his tone. "All right, all right. I won't keep you."
Cai Lang looked Zhou Kai and Suo Ran were leaning toward each other, each holding one end of the snack stick between their lips. Only a tiny piece remained. Zhou Kai moved forward, trying to finish it before Suo Ran could. Suo Ran followed, and their faces came so close that their noses almost touched. Li Jun leaned forward in his chair, watching with wide eyes, while Chen Hao covered his mouth to hide his laughter. "Come on, Zhou Kai!" Li Jun urged. Zhou Kai ignored him, keeping his eyes on Suo Ran. Suo Ran glanced at the tiny piece between them, then at Zhou Kai's determined expression.
Just as Zhou Kai moved forward again, Suo Ran suddenly pulled back. He took the remaining piece of the stick from his own lips and ate it, leaving Zhou Kai frozen with his mouth slightly open. For a second, nobody spoke. Then Li Jun burst out laughing. "He ate it himself! Zhou Kai, you've been abandoned!" Chen Hao slapped the table, laughing along with him. Zhou Kai stared at Suo Ran before pointing at the empty space between them. "That's cheating!"Suo Ran leaned back in his chair, looking entirely pleased with himself. "The rules said whoever leaves the shortest piece wins. I left none." "You can't just eat the whole thing by yourself!" "Why not? I finished it, didn't I?"
Li Jun laughed harder, nearly slipping off his chair. "I think Zhou Kai deserves some compensation. He almost lost his dignity there." "I haven't lost anything," Zhou Kai protested, though his ears had turned slightly red. Chen Hao picked up the large glass of wine sitting near the centre of the table and pushed it toward Suo Ran. "Rules are rules. The loser has to accept the punishment." Suo Ran looked at the glass, then at Zhou Kai. "You lost. Why am I being punished?" "Because you cheated," Li Jun answered immediately. "And because you made the game more entertaining for everyone else." Zhou Kai nodded, finally recovering his composure. "Exactly. You can't escape the punishment."
Suo Ran shook his head, but the others had already started urging him on. He glanced at the large glass again, hesitated for a moment, then picked it up. "Fine. I'll drink it." "All of it!" Li Jun called, raising his own glass. Suo Ran gave him a look before bringing the glass to his lips. He drank steadily, pausing only briefly to catch his breath before finishing the rest. When he finally lowered it, he let out a quiet breath and placed the empty glass on the table. Chen Hao clapped, while Li Jun cheered loudly. Zhou Kai shook his head with a helpless smile. "You really don't know when to stop, do you?" Suo Ran wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb and leaned back. "I won the game. That's what matters." "You won because you cheated," Zhou Kai said, shaking his head. "You were supposed to finish the stick together."
Suo Ran turned toward him with a lazy smile. "Then you should have been faster." Li Jun burst out laughing. "Listen to him. One glass of wine and suddenly he's full of confidence." "I'm not drunk," Suo Ran insisted, sitting up straighter. "I only had one glass." Chen Hao glanced at the large empty glass in front of him. "That glass could probably serve three people." Suo Ran looked at it, then nodded thoughtfully. "Then I suppose I drank three people's share." The others laughed, and Suo Ran joined them. But as the laughter settled, he looked around the table at their familiar faces. "It's been a long time since we all sat together like this."
Zhou Kai nodded. "Too long. We should do this more often." "We always say that," Chen Hao pointed out. "Then everyone gets busy, and months pass before we meet again." "That's how life is." Suo Ran said quietly. He lowered his eyes to the glass in front of him, running his thumb along its rim. "Everyone has somewhere to go and something they need to do. Sometimes, before you realise it, the people you used to see every day become people you only hear from once in a while."
Li Jun's smile faded a little. "That doesn't mean we've forgotten each other." Suo Ran nodded and turned the glass slowly between his fingers. "I know. I'm glad we still have this." Zhou Kai studied him for a moment, noticing how his smile had become quieter. "Then why do you look so sad?" Suo Ran looked up and gave a small laugh. "Do I?" "A little," Chen Hao answered, leaning back in his chair. Suo Ran lowered his eyes again, his thumb moving along the rim of the glass. He hesitated before speaking. "Have you ever made a decision and convinced yourself it was the right one, only to find that it wasn't as easy to live with as you expected?" The three exchanged glances. Zhou Kai leaned forward slightly. "Sounds like something happened."
Suo Ran shook his head. "It's nothing serious." He tried to smile, but his fingers continued turning the glass. "I just thought some things would become easier with time. That once you made a choice, you could leave everything behind and move on." He paused, his gaze settling on the wine inside the glass. "But sometimes, even when you know there's no reason to look back, you still find yourself doing it." Chen Hao rested his arms on the table and looked at him carefully. "Maybe knowing something is over and getting used to it are two different things."
Suo Ran glanced at him, then gave a slow nod. "Maybe they are." His eyes began to sting, and he quickly turned his face away, pretending to look toward the other side of the room. He blinked a few times before rubbing the corner of his eye with his thumb. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about this tonight." Zhou Kai didn't press him. He simply reached across the table and patted his shoulder. "All right. But don't keep everything bottled up. You can talk to us whenever you want." Suo Ran turned back and managed a small smile. "I know. Thank you."
Suo Ran picked up his glass again, but after looking at the little wine left inside, he decided not to drink any more. He placed it on the table.He looked at his friends, then glanced toward the entrance. "I think I'll head home." Zhou Kai frowned slightly. "Already? The night is still young." "I'm a little tired." Suo Ran replied, pushing his chair back. Li Jun looked at the empty glass in front of him. "Are you sure you can get home by yourself? You've had quite a bit to drink." "I'm fine." Suo Ran reached for his phone and slipped it into his pocket. "I'll just get a car." Chen Hao stood halfway from his seat. "Wait a moment. Let us arrange one for you." "There's no need. I can manage."
Suo Ran tried to stand, but the moment he straightened, the room seemed to tilt. He caught the edge of the table, blinking as he waited for the dizziness to pass. Zhou Kai immediately stood and reached for his arm. "Fine, is it? You can barely stand." Suo Ran gave an embarrassed laugh. "I stood up too quickly." Zhou Kai kept a steady hand around his arm as Suo Ran tried to take a step. "Just wait here. We'll get you a ride." "Really, I'm all right." Suo Ran tried to pull his arm free, but his balance shifted again. Zhou Kai tightened his grip before he could stumble. "Stop arguing. You're not going anywhere alone."
Suo Ran opened his mouth to argue, but the words came out slower than he intended. Before he could say anything, Zhou Kai moved closer, preparing to support him properly. Suddenly, a hand reached between them and caught Suo Ran by the arm. Zhou Kai looked up in surprise as Cai Lang firmly removed his hand from Suo Ran. His expression immediately turned cold. "Who are you?" Zhou Kai demanded, staring at the man now standing in front of him.
Cai Lang didn't answer. He looked at Suo Ran, who was leaning against him with his eyes half closed. He put an arm around Suo Ran's waist and pulled him closer to keep him from falling. Suo Ran swayed slightly, then rested his forehead against Cai Lang's chest. Cai Lang glanced down at him, his cold expression softening for a moment before he looked back at Zhou Kai. "I'm asking you. Who are you, and where are you taking him?" Zhou Kai demanded, stepping closer.
Cai Lang met his gaze calmly. "You don't need to know." "What do you mean I don't need to know? He's our friend." Zhou Kai reached for Suo Ran again, but Cai Lang took half a step back, keeping him out of reach. Suo Ran frowned and weakly caught Cai Lang's sleeve. "Stop moving..." he mumbled, his voice barely audible. Cai Lang looked down at him. "Then stand properly." Suo Ran lifted his head with some effort and looked at him through half-open eyes. "I'm standing..." He tried to straighten up, but his body swayed again. Cai Lang caught him before he could fall. "Clearly."
Suo Ran seemed too tired to argue. He rested his head against Cai Lang's shoulder, his fingers still holding his sleeve. Cai Lang looked at him for a moment before bending down. He put one arm behind Suo Ran's back and the other beneath his knees, then lifted him into his arms with ease. "Hey! What are you doing?" Zhou Kai stepped forward. Cai Lang stood straight, holding Suo Ran close against his chest. "Can't you see? He's drunk." His voice was calm, but his cold stare made Zhou Kai pause. Suo Ran shifted in his arms and loosely grabbed the front of his shirt. "Too loud..." he mumbled, hiding his face against Cai Lang's shoulder.
Cai Lang looked down and adjusted his hold. "I'll take care of him." "Wait—" Zhou Kai started, but Cai Lang didn't look at him again. He turned and walked toward the exit, moving steadily through the crowd. Suo Ran's fingers stayed curled in his shirt, and his head shifted slightly against Cai Lang's shoulder. Cai Lang lowered his head to check on him before continuing toward the door. Behind them, Li Jun and Chen Hao stood beside the table, watching in surprise. Zhou Kai remained where he was, frowning as he watched Cai Lang disappear into the crowd. "Who the hell was that?" Li Jun asked quietly. Zhou Kai shook his head. "I have no idea."