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

"...Hmm...quite innocent."

This comment, coupled with Shen Yan's expressionless face, was incredibly impactful.

Shang Song was practically fuming, both embarrassed and angry. He stubbornly explained, "He...he has a special situation! You don't understand! We can't...we can't be so abrupt!"

"Special? Can't be abrupt?" Xu Zhao exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "My god, how long have you been doing this?! You've practically enshrined a Bodhisattva in your home! You're so afraid of bumping into or damaging it, you probably even ask your Bodhisattva's permission before lighting incense!"

"Shut up!" Shang Song snapped angrily. "I'm happy to cater to you! It's none of your business!"

Xu Zhao said to Shang Song in a tone that said, "You're hopeless, my brother." "Fine, fine, if you're willing, if you're happy, you're a Casanova, you're the most devout follower of the living bodhisattva. I'd like to see how long you Plato can last."

Shang Song was speechless, his face flushing red and then pale. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a dry, slurred sentence:

"He...he's already trying."

He seemed to be speaking to Xu Zhao, but also to himself: "Really, he's already tried his best. And... and take it slow."

He paused, his voice lowering, "If... if it still doesn't work, then... let's leave it at that. It's fine this way too. I like him as a person, it doesn't have to be... it has to be this way."

He spoke somewhat vaguely, but his meaning was clear—he was willing to wait, to respect, and to remain at any distance Xie Jing could accept.

Shen Yan looked at him for a few seconds, her doubts deepening: "...Can you continue to accept...this?"

The pavilion suddenly fell silent.

The playful smile on Xu Zhao's face gradually faded, and the joking thought in his heart completely dissipated.

Actually, all of them wanted to ask this question.

When they learned that Shang Song and Xie Jing had gotten back together, they felt more or less sorry for Shang Song.

Everyone's not stupid. Xie Jing is obviously different from ordinary people. When Shang Song is with him, he is visibly cautious, as if walking on thin ice.

However, since they've already gotten back together, and Xie Jing has saved Lao San's life, there's no point in letting them say anything more to Shang Song; it would only hurt him.

Shang Song was completely dumbfounded by Shen Yan's question.

He wasn't really good at saying these heartfelt things, especially to Shen Yan, whom he wasn't very familiar with.

But since he'd been asked, he didn't want to be vague.

"Actually... it's not like I haven't thought about it." He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat bitter smile. "Whether it's frustrating or not... sometimes, it is. Looking at him, just there, untouchable, unapproachable, like a glass fairy, I feel anxious, and... also a little sad."

He paused, his gaze unfocused as it fell on the bare branches outside the pavilion.

"But... every time I think, if I just abandon him because of this, I don't want him anymore..."

Shang Song's voice choked for a moment, then steadied itself, carrying a stubbornness: "Then he really will be alone again."

He turned his head, glanced at Shen Yan, then looked at Xu Zhao: "You don't know Xishan... that place is beautiful, like a painting. There are many people serving it, and it lacks nothing. But..."

"What's the use? Those people are all far away from him."

"If he wanted, he could stay in that deep mountain forest for the rest of his life, eating alone, reading alone, watching the seasons change, watching the snow fall all over the mountains... just all alone..."

"Just thinking about that scene makes my heart feel like it's being pricked by needles, more painful than any grievance."

Shang Song sniffed and forced a somewhat awkward smile. "So, what's with all this grievances? Just bear with it and it'll pass. What will he do if I leave? Will he really be all alone in those deep mountains, year after year?"

He couldn't continue, so he lowered his head and focused on eating.

Xu Zhao's expression turned completely somber, and his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He wanted to say, "You're so stupid."

I wanted to say, "What the hell is this?"

I want to say, "What are you after?"

But he couldn't utter a single word.

In the end, all he could utter was:

"Idiot dog."

After listening to Shang Song's words, Shen Yan made no comment. He just kept his gaze on Shang Song, watching him eat his rice for a while with a deep look in his eyes.

Then, he picked up a clean tissue from the side, wiped his mouth politely, folded the used tissue, and put it into the empty lunchbox.

"I've finished eating, I'll head back now. Thank you for the treat." He stood up, his voice still calm, nodded to Xu Zhao and Shang Song, then packed up his lunchbox, turned around, and walked back slowly along the gravel path he had come from.

Xu Zhao's gaze followed that figure until it disappeared, before slowly turning away.

Seeing that Shang Song was still clearly in low spirits, he wanted to say something to comfort her, but then felt it was a bit superfluous. In the end, he simply raised his hand and ruffled Shang Song's hair, making it a mess.

"Alright, stop looking like a wilted eggplant." Xu Zhao said deliberately in a soft tone, "I've never seen anyone as stupid as you, going out of your way to suffer."

Shang Song turned his head away from his grasp, dodging his clutches, and shoveled down two more mouthfuls of now-cold rice, muttering, "Actually... it's not all about feeling wronged. Professor Xie is really a good person."

As if he had remembered something, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, and his voice became lighter: "Didn't something happen at the project site a few days ago? Didn't I work overtime until midnight every day? But no matter how late I worked, Professor Xie would always come to pick me up after get off work."

He looked up, his eyes sparkling, still a little red, but already shining: "Really, and he's really much better than before. Sometimes when I get close to him, he doesn't immediately pull away. Really, I'm not lying to you."

Xu Zhao looked at his silly, beaming face and felt both annoyed and amused. He shook his head and chuckled, "Yes, yes, you and your Professor Xie are best friends, alright? Look how pleased you are with yourself."

Shang Song chuckled twice without arguing. He quickly finished the rest of his rice, wiped his mouth, and remembered another important matter.

"Oh, right," Shang Song said, packing up his lunchbox, his tone becoming more serious, "I'm going back to my hometown with Professor Xie in a couple of days. We'll have a long vacation. You and Shen Yan are both locals, so what about Shen Yan's situation..."

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Given his condition, could you keep a close eye on him over the New Year? I'm afraid that bastard Zhou Xu'an won't give up and will come looking for trouble again."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhao raised an eyebrow, his eyes turning serious. He patted his chest, his tone bold: "Do you even need to tell me? Don't worry! If that Zhou guy dares to come again, I'll teach him why the flowers are so red."

He spoke with unwavering conviction, exuding a ruthless and unruly air.

"Yo yo yo—" Shang Song immediately started being sarcastic, a mischievous smile on his face, "Why are the flowers so red? I seem to remember a couple of days ago, someone in the group said something like, 'There are so many troublesome things in the world, how can I possibly manage them all?'"

"What? Now that someone else has wiped the chopsticks, you're also taking care of Zhou?"

"Get lost!" Xu Zhao was stung by his words, her face flushed red, and she angrily shoved Shang Song's shoulder: "I hadn't met Shen Yan yet back then, right? Shen Yan... he's your colleague! So it was me... no! It was me, Xu Zhao, who stood up for justice! Don't you understand?! This is called chivalry!"

"Alright, alright, Master Xu, you have such a chivalrous heart, I admire you." Shang Song dodged his hand, agreeing verbally, but his smile became even more wicked.

He deftly grabbed the lunchbox bag, darted out of the pavilion like a rabbit, and after running several steps, turned back to Xu Zhao, who was still standing there, and shouted the decisive blow:

"Jianghu code of honor? Bah! Xu Zhao, you're just another lustful simp! Hehehe—"

After shouting, he didn't give Xu Zhao any chance to retaliate, turned around and ran away.

All that remained was a string of arrogant laughter, which swirled in the cold wind and made Xu Zhao's ears ring.

Lust at first sight...?

A simp...?

"Shang! Xiao! Song! You just wait, you son of a bitch—!!!"