CHAPTER 47

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—XX/XX/XX, I went back to the rental apartment near my company, closed the door, and sat on the floor laughing unstoppably.

After Xiao You carved our names into the tree on impulse, the park manager told him to pay a fine and write a self-criticism. I ghostwrote the self-criticism, and he called Cen Xiao to come help with the fine.

I admit that I deliberately didn't offer up the 500 yuan Xiao You was short, deliberately watched him worry about finding someone to borrow money from, deliberately watched Xiao You looking helpless under cover of writing the self-criticism.

On the surface I was worried and sad, stroking Xiao You's hair in consolation, but in reality I was laughing so hard that my abs are sore. After living so many years, this is my first time finding such an inherent weakness in myself, but unexpectedly, I don't hate it.

Xiao You can always overturn my predictions, my perfections, adding a tint of amusing awkwardness to all my carefully planned perfect memories. Starting from I don't remember when, my life had lost all surprise, until Xiao You charged into without any warning. He can always bring me new anxieties.

I'm even looking forward to seeing whether he'll bring even more interesting unexpected events on the next date.

—XX/XX/XX, As expected, it was another day for a multi-person date.

I've almost gotten used to Cen Xiao and the others coming along behind us on our dates like conjoined twins. I pretended not to notice, checked the traffic conditions, and drove to an area being directed by the traffic police. As expected, Cen Xiao and the others, who were riding motorcycles without helmets, were caught by the traffic police. While they were being fined, I slammed on the gas pedal and quickly left, throwing off the hangers-on.

I managed to get two hours alone, booked a little private room at a karaoke place with Xiao You. I can't sing, and while Xiao You is perfect in all things, he can't sing a scale. We wailed together for a while and were both severely afflicted by noise pollution.

Finally I chose some slow songs and let the original songs play. Xiao You and I abandoned our duets, not challenging unknown territory again. The atmosphere was very ambivalent with love songs playing. As I had wanted all along, I got a kiss with no one spying.

After leaving the karaoke bar, we passed a lovers' hotel. Xiao You stopped and looked at me. My heart beat like a drum.

I'd thought of myself as a person with little desire. I've been single for many, many, many years. I didn't think of forming an attachment. When I saw the look in Xiao You's eyes today, some indescribable images flashed through my mind.

Ah, well, I was too rash.

When will the next date be?

—XX/XX/XX...

You Zhengping rolled all over the bed as he read the desktop calendar diary. Every date he and Yu Hua had gone on was so interesting. When he finished reading, he awkwardly picked at the ground with his toes, but he felt a sense of embarrassed pleasure rising in his heart. Yu Hua was so proper on the surface, but internally he had a lot going on inside.

Unfortunately, the calendar diary only went up to before their cold war. That was where Lian Yufan's investigation had stopped. You Zhengping respected his husband's privacy and gave him his space. This part had been forced on him by his work, so he had had to read it. He wouldn't secretly read anything that came after; he could only endure his curiosity and control himself.

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