AMBTICBPIB Chapter 43

On Zhou Huaixiao’s birthday, Chu Yi and Jiang Xu arrived at the restaurant to find Zhou Huaixiao and his friends already there.

When Jiang Xu presented Zhou Huaixiao with his gift, Zhou Huaixiao was overjoyed. It was truly a wonderful birthday surprise.

When Jiang Xu was with Chu Yi, he was always gentle and gentlemanly.

But for some reason, when facing Zhou Huaixiao, he always seemed awkward, unwilling to reveal his true feelings.

“I just happened to see it,” Jiang Xu huffed. “Don’t read too much into it. If you don’t like it, I won’t get you anything ever again.”

Zhou Huaixiao quickly replied, “I love it! I love it so much!”

Jiang Xu retorted, “If you dare not like it, I’ll beat you up.”

Zhou Huaixiao’s mouth stretched into a wide, happy grin. The past few days, he had been subtly hinting about his upcoming birthday, but Jiang Xu had shown no reaction, as if he hadn’t even noticed. Zhou Huaixiao had felt deeply disappointed, thinking he wasn’t important to Jiang Xu after all.

Now, knowing that Jiang Xu hadn’t forgotten his birthday and had even prepared a gift, Zhou Huaixiao was ecstatic.

Seeing Jiang Xu’s awkward demeanor, Chu Yi leaned in close to Zhou Huaixiao and whispered about what had happened that day.

Knowing that Jiang Xu had specifically asked Chu Yi to help him choose the wallet that day made Zhou Huaixiao even happier. It turned out Jiang Xu had gone shopping that day specifically to buy him a gift.

Zhou Huaixiao touched the wallet, thinking, *I can’t wait any longer.*

Today was Zhou Huaixiao’s birthday, and he had invited all his close friends. Among them was a boy named Chu Yi, whom both Zhou Huaixiao and Jiang Xu knew—the friend who had accompanied Zhou Huaixiao on his first real-life meetup.

At the dinner table, the boys quickly bonded.

Zhou Huaixiao’s friends were all envious of the miraculous connection he shared with Jiang Xu.

As they chatted, Zhou Huaixiao took out the wallet to admire it, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at it.

Jiang Xu, sitting beside him, grew bashful. “Can you stop looking at it? The wallet isn’t going anywhere.” *It’s just a wallet,* he thought, feeling embarrassed by all the attention.

Seeing Jiang Xu’s flustered expression, Zhou Huaixiao put the wallet away. “Alright, I’ll stop looking. Let’s eat.”

Just then, the waiter brought over the grilled fish they had ordered.

The boy next to Chu Yi asked if he wanted a drink.

Chu Yi could drink, though his tolerance was low—about two bottles of beer. The boy poured him a glass of beer.

Chu Yi took a small sip and noticed the taste was different from usual, very bitter. Suddenly, he didn’t want to drink anymore and switched the beer in his glass for a soft drink.

Seeing Chu Yi’s reaction, Jiang Xu said, “I’ll switch to juice too. I’ll have what Chu Yi’s having.”

Zhou Huaixiao replaced his drink with juice.

The grilled fish at this restaurant was excellent, and their table ordered three different flavors.

One of them was a fruit-flavored grilled fish, garnished with pineapple, offering a sweet and sour taste. The other boys weren’t particularly interested in this sweet and sour option, preferring the spicy and black pepper varieties.

But Chu Yi found the fruit-flavored grilled fish quite delicious.

The six boys devoured all three fish, leaving nothing but the main bones of the Clear River Fish on the grill.

As they were leaving, Jiang Xu asked Chu Yi how he was getting home.

He was actually wondering if Chu Yi’s boyfriend would be picking him up. If not, Jiang Xu mentally added a mark against Chu Yi’s boyfriend.

As the group exited the restaurant, a luxury car was parked by the curb—a rare and conspicuous model.

One of the boys exclaimed, “What a car!”

Just then, a man stepped out of the vehicle.

With long strides, the man quickly reached Chu Yi’s side. “I’m here to take you home,” he said.

Jiang Xu glanced at the man. *This must be Chu Yi’s boyfriend,* he thought. *He’s certainly handsome and tall—must be nearly 1.9 meters.*

Facing the curious gazes of the students, Shen Jin introduced himself with ease: “Hello, I’m Shen Jin.”

Jiang Xu added, “I’m Jiang Xu, Chu Yi’s classmate and friend.”

Shen Jin nodded. He had known about Jiang Xu since Chu Yi’s first day at school.

Jiang Xu watched as Shen Jin and Chu Yi walked to the car. Shen Jin opened the door for Chu Yi to get in.

As soon as Chu Yi settled into the car, he yawned.

“Tired?” Shen Jin asked.

“A little,” Chu Yi admitted.

He had eaten his fill, the weather outside was freezing, and the car was warm and cozy—a comfortable environment that naturally made him sleepy.

Under Chu Yi’s questioning gaze, Shen Jin leaned closer and gently guided his head to rest on his shoulder.

Chu Yi started to protest, but Shen Jin pressed his head back down. “Don’t talk. Just rest for a bit. We still have a while before we get home.”

*Well, resting on his shoulder is pretty normal compared to kissing,* Chu Yi thought, and obediently leaned against Shen Jin’s shoulder.

Feeling a gaze fixed on the top of his head, Chu Yi looked up and met Shen Jin’s eyes.

Shen Jin didn’t avert his gaze but instead looked at him tenderly. “What’s wrong?”

Chu Yi shook his head silently and settled back against Shen Jin’s shoulder.

Chu Yi wondered what cologne Shen Jin was wearing. He found the scent particularly appealing today—a warm, woody fragrance that entered his nostrils and tickled his heart, making it itch with longing.

Chu Yi pondered Jiang Xu’s words. Perhaps he was right; Shen Jin might genuinely like him.

Before meeting Shen Jin, Jiang Xu had assumed Chu Yi’s boyfriend treated him poorly. But after seeing the way Shen Jin looked at Chu Yi, he realized it was likely Shen Jin who had gone through great lengths to win Chu Yi’s affection.

Only then did Jiang Xu realize that the one who didn’t understand love was his own best friend. Actions and gazes couldn’t lie.

Chu Yi and his boyfriend went home, and Jiang Xu prepared to leave as well.

Zhou Huaixiao offered, “I’ll walk you back.”

“No need,” Jiang Xu replied, though he didn’t object.

When they reached the entrance of Jiang Xu’s residential complex, he said, “I’m home. You can go back now.”

As Jiang Xu turned to enter, Zhou Huaixiao suddenly grabbed his hand. Jiang Xu looked at him, startled. “What are you doing?”

Under the streetlight, their figures were bathed in a warm glow. Zhou Huaixiao gazed at him—the person he had liked since high school. Jiang Xu might not remember him, but Zhou Huaixiao had never forgotten him.

Their connection had been fleeting. In their second year of high school, Zhou Huaixiao had transferred schools, and they had rarely seen each other since.

After relentless inquiries, Zhou Huaixiao finally added Jiang Xu as a friend in the game, won his favor, and successfully obtained his WeChat contact information.

Jiang Xu messaged him daily, showing the same concern as he did in the game. It wasn’t long before Zhou Huaixiao realized Jiang Xu had mistaken him for a girl, a misunderstanding stemming from their initial encounter.

Zhou Huaixiao proposed meeting in person first. He didn’t want Jiang Xu to continue believing he was someone else; he wanted to reveal himself sooner rather than later.

When they finally met, Jiang Xu genuinely didn’t recognize him. Moreover, he was furious about being “deceived” and immediately left with the male friend who had accompanied him.

Seeing Jiang Xu’s anger, Zhou Huaixiao felt not anger, but joy. Jiang Xu was still as adorable as he’d been in high school, even when furious.

This only strengthened Zhou Huaixiao’s resolve to not let Jiang Xu slip through his fingers again.

Despite Jiang Xu’s initial anger, Zhou Huaixiao used every trick he could think of to prevent him from deleting his contact and eventually succeeded in becoming his friend.

Now, finally able to stand before him, it didn’t matter that Jiang Xu didn’t remember him. All that mattered was that he loved him.

Zhou Huaixiao gazed at him with deep affection. “Jiang Xu, I love you. Please be my boyfriend.”

That day, when Chu Yi returned home, he smelled the familiar aroma of home-cooked meals.

He scurried to the kitchen and, sure enough, found Uncle Wen there.

“Uncle Wen, you’re back!”

“Uncle Wen, I missed you so much!” Chu Yi rushed forward and embraced the butler excitedly.

Butler Wen, being an elderly man, had never experienced such an enthusiastic hug before, leaving him feeling both flattered and slightly overwhelmed.

He patted Chu Yi’s shoulder. “Welcome home.”

Looking up, he saw Shen Jin descending the stairs. When Shen Jin noticed Chu Yi hugging Uncle Wen, a hint of envy flickered in his eyes—Chu Yi had never embraced him with such warmth.

Uncle Wen couldn’t help but chuckle at Shen Jin’s expression.

Butler Wen scrutinized Chu Yi from head to toe. “I missed you too. Let me take a good look at you. Chu Yi seems to have grown even more handsome.”

Butler Wen wasn’t exaggerating. The moment he laid eyes on Chu Yi, he noticed the young man had become even more striking, his complexion healthier than before he had left.

Under Shen Jin’s watchful gaze, Chu Yi finally released Uncle Wen. “You were gone for so long, Uncle Wen,” he said, noting it had been nearly a month.

Uncle Wen smiled. “Yes, but I won’t be gone for so long again.”

He had initially expected to resolve matters at his hometown quickly, but unforeseen delays had prolonged his stay.

During his time back in his hometown, Butler Wen often thought of Chu Yi and worried about Shen Jin, who was now in control of the entire Shen Group and feared by all. In Uncle Wen’s eyes, however, Shen Jin remained a child.

Whenever he called Shen Jin, he would always ask about Chu Yi. Shen Jin would assure him over the phone that Chu Yi was doing well.

Now that he was back, he could see for himself that Chu Yi was indeed thriving. He noticed that their relationship had grown even closer in his absence.

It seemed he no longer needed to worry about Shen Jin and Chu Yi while he was away.

That evening, Chu Yi particularly enjoyed the sour bamboo shoot duck, a regional dish from Uncle Wen’s hometown.

Normally, duck meat retains a faint, unpleasant odor no matter how it’s prepared. But Uncle Wen’s duck had no such smell.

The sour bamboo shoots, specially brought from his hometown, were authentic farm-cured bamboo shoots with a unique flavor unlike anything sold commercially. Stir-fried with the duck, they created a tangy, spicy, and refreshing dish that was incredibly appetizing.

Chu Yi buried his face in the bowl, devouring large mouthfuls with gusto.

Uncle Wen watched with delight. He loved watching Chu Yi eat; just seeing him enjoy his meal made him happy. “I’ll make sour bamboo shoot stir-fried with yellow croaker in a few days,” he promised.

Chu Yi eagerly anticipated the meal.