Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

Aren't you going back to Xishan tonight?

Shang Song glanced at the time on the car's display screen; it was already 12:43. He'd probably be back in Xishan by 2 a.m. It was too late... and I hadn't been back in a long time. He could tidy up the small apartment tomorrow.

He counted on his fingers: "How about this, tomorrow is the ninth day of the lunar new year. I'll finish packing and go to Xishan to be with you. I'll go back to my small apartment on the evening of the tenth, just in time to prepare for work on the eleventh!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Xie Jing said, "No."

Shang Song: "Huh? Why not!"

Xie Jing: "Tomorrow is Saturday. Saturday, the weekend, mine."

Shang Song: "..."

He scratched his head, trying to reason with me: "I know the weekend is yours, but I still need to make time to clean up the small apartment. It's been so long since I've been back, it's bound to be covered in dust!"

Xie Jing seemed completely unconvinced that this could be a reason for Shang Song to break his promise. He said, "I'll have someone take care of things over there. You should go back to Xishan now."

Shang Song: "...Now?!"

Xie Jing's voice remained calm: "Yes, now. I'll take you home on the evening of the tenth."

When Shang Song tried to struggle, the other end had already hung up.

He put down his phone, still a little dazed. Xu Zhao, who had been listening intently in the back seat, chuckled mischievously, "What's wrong, Shang Xiaosong? Is Professor Xie going to take you back for solitary confinement? Is he jealous because he found out you just had a late-night snack with your ex?"

Shang Song exploded: "Stop talking nonsense! What ex-lover! Chen Yu and I never even officially started a relationship!"

Xu Zhao, always eager for drama, said, "You didn't have time to confirm your relationship, did you? If Professor Xie hadn't suddenly returned, you and Chen Yu would definitely be together right now!"

Shang Song's cheeks puffed up with anger, but he couldn't refute her.

He was too lazy to argue with Xu Zhao any longer, so he shrank back in the passenger seat and kept quiet.

Shen Yan nudged Xu Zhao and pointed to the driver, implying that the driver was someone from Shang Song's boyfriend's side, and that Xu Zhao should be careful.

Xu Zhao then reluctantly shut his mouth.

The driver, Brother Zhang, cleared his throat, wanting to remind the driver that there were surveillance devices in the car and that all information would be stored and archived, but he didn't dare to speak.

The car quickly fell silent, with only Xu Zhao and Shen Yan occasionally talking in the back seat.

Shang Song tapped his phone, wondering if he should confess first to get leniency, because when he reported it, he had played a little trick, saying that he was having a late-night snack with some friends and not mentioning that Chen Yu was also there.

It turns out that the driver, Brother Zhang, never left. He's been waiting outside. Will Xie Jing find out...? Will he be angry if he does?

Shang Song was unsure of himself.

The car quickly stopped at the entrance of the residential area where Xu Zhao and Shen Yan lived. After the two got out of the car, it sped towards Xishan.

When we arrived at Xishan, it was already 2:30 a.m.

In the dead of night, the Western Hills are dimly lit, appearing exceptionally desolate.

The car didn't stop outside Tingyun Residence, but slid directly to the side of the main courtyard. When Shang Song got out of the car, Xie Jing came out holding an umbrella.

It's snowing.

Upon seeing the person, Shang Song hurriedly ran over and hid under Xie Jing's umbrella. "Xie Jing! Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Xie Jing pulled the person into his arms, ignoring Shang Song's words, but only frowned slightly, "You smell terrible."

Shang Song, though feeling guilty, insisted confidently, "Of course I'd smell like hotpot!"

He carefully observed Xie Jing's expression. In the snowy night, Xie Jing frowned slightly, whether it was because he disliked the smell of hotpot on him, or something else.

Xie Jing didn't say anything, but steadily put his arm around him and led him into the house.

Xie Jing put away his umbrella under the eaves, and Shang Song went into the main house first. As soon as he came in, he saw that his luggage left at Tingyun Residence was placed in a corner.

Xie Jing came in, his gaze sweeping over the luggage before landing on the stunned Shang Song: "The heating at Tingyun Residence is having some problems, so you'll be sleeping here for the next couple of days."

Shang Song was dumbfounded.

Wasn't he perfectly fine when he first came back?

After being stunned for a moment, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Xie Jing.

Xie Jing's expression remained unchanged, showing no abnormality, but Xie Jing still felt something was amiss.

Something's really wrong.

He'd only been gone a short while, and the heating at Tingyun Residence had already broken down? What a coincidence!

Could it be that Xie Jing has gotten used to sleeping at his house and is using this flimsy excuse to ask to sleep with him?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Just as he was about to chuckle to himself, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

Because Xie Jing told him to go up to the third floor of the main building, where there was an empty room.

Xie Jing's bedroom is on the second floor.

When Shang Song pushed his luggage into his room on the third floor, he finally believed that Xie Jing's claims about getting used to sleeping with him and making excuses to sleep with him from now on were all lies.

Only Plato is real, and the heating in Tingyun Residence is genuinely broken.

He was so angry he was grinding his teeth, and he opened his luggage with a loud bang, trying to disturb the downstairs neighbors.

He grabbed his pajamas, rolled into the bathroom, and thought viciously.

Jealous? Jealous my foot!

Who is Professor Xie? It would be strange if he were jealous.

He could eat with Chen Yu every day, and Professor Xie wouldn't care at all!

This blockhead only knows about the last six months! Weekends are his! That's all!

The sound of running water washed away the smell of hot pot from Shang Song, and he rolled into bed.

It was past 3 a.m., and the surroundings were unusually quiet.

Shang Song tapped his phone. Xu Zhao said he had slept with Shen Yan, and Chen Yu said he had arrived.

Shang Song didn't reply.

One side got along too quickly, having only known each other for a few days, without even a period of ambiguity, and they hit home run. Meanwhile, he and Xie Jing had been going on and off for almost two years, with their biggest progress being their kiss on New Year's Eve, after which they returned to a simple and peaceful life.

While others' relationships progress rapidly, his is like rotten wood that won't sprout.

He was jealous, extremely jealous, and didn't want to reply. He was even more afraid that if Xu Zhao and Shen Yan were already deeply in love, it would be too awkward for him to send a message at that moment.

As for Chen Yu, there's no need for him to reply.

He angrily shoved his phone under his pillow, buried himself deep in the covers, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

Downstairs, Xie Jing sat on the edge of his bed, his gaze sweeping across the ceiling before settling on the bedside table.

On the bedside table, a document about "stars in the sky" had just been read.

He slowly lowered his eyes, but his hand slowly covered his left abdomen.

He just returned to Xishan today and avoided dinner with Shang Song. On the one hand, he did have some things to deal with, and on the other hand, he needed to be alone to do further mental preparation.

He promised to go back to Xishan to show Shang Song his abs, and he didn't forget or delay.

So he needs to prepare a little.

For Shang Song, seeing abs was just something to fantasize about, but for him, seeing abs meant he had to answer a lot of questions.

Shang Song will have many questions; he will definitely ask him, "How did you get this scar? When did it happen? Why is it like this?"

It took him immense courage to lay bare those bloody past events to Shang Song and to face Shang Song's subsequent pity or retreat.

However, just as he was getting ready, Shang Song left Xishan first.

Furthermore, he concealed his meeting with Chen Yu.

He knew that Shang Song loved him, and he only kept it a secret because he was afraid that Shang Song would do something to Chen Yu again.

But what could he do? Tell Shang Song with the information that Tian Shang Xing was Chen Yu?

What will Shang Song think at that time?

Is it because he finds Chen Yu terrifying and that he's lurking by his side? Or is it because he thinks it's just a game, and Chen Yu hasn't done anything wrong, while Xie Jing is the one who's sinister, so why is he being so wary and controlling?

He was afraid to hear the latter.

This is just like the cruel irony of fate.

Was fate subtly reminding him that his world was too dark and too desolate, not suitable for having such a bright and vibrant Shang Song?