The park Zuo Zhou mentioned was one Shangguan Yu had seen online before. It was said that Luocheng had invested several billion yuan to build this riverside wetland park in the newly developed district. The park boasted over a hundred different plant species and a variety of recreational facilities, making it the city’s largest and most expensive public park to date.
However, since the new district was still relatively undeveloped, the park wasn’t very crowded yet.
Initially, Shangguan Yu had thought that since Zuo Zhou had just gotten his driver’s license, he might be a little nervous about driving on the road for the first time.
But to his surprise, Zuo Zhou was completely at ease. Not only did he drive smoothly the entire way, but when they arrived at the park entrance, he also parked the car perfectly within the lines on his first try.
“Brother Yy, wait here a second. I’ll go get the wheelchair.”
With that, Zuo Zhou unfastened his seatbelt, got out of the car, and headed to the trunk.
Shangguan Yu remained in his seat, unhurriedly undoing his seatbelt. His fingers lightly brushed over the car’s interior, and for a brief moment, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.
How many commutes had he spent in this car? How many weekend getaways had he taken, driving it to nearby scenic spots? Every little detail inside—from the accessories to the decorations—had been carefully chosen by him. He had a deep attachment to this car. If he sold it, would he regret it?
Just as he was lost in thought, the passenger door opened.
Standing outside, Zuo Zhou was holding the wheelchair, a bright smile on his face as he looked at him.
“Brother Yu, let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Once Shangguan Yu was settled in the wheelchair, Zuo Zhou pulled a thick fleece blanket from his bag and carefully draped it over his legs. “Are you cold, Brother Yu?”
“I’m fine.”
“Mhm, it’s nice and warm in the sun. Let’s stick to the sunny spots.”
“Alright.”
The two of them followed the wooden walkway along the riverbank, strolling at a leisurely pace.
It was late December, and Luocheng had fully entered winter. The temperature had dropped significantly, but today, the sun was shining brightly. Walking by the river, bathed in sunlight, neither of them felt the chill. Even the occasional breeze sweeping across the water carried a hint of warmth.
The park was vast, and since it was a weekday, there weren’t many visitors around. The few people they did pass were at a distance, so no one paid much attention to Shangguan Yu.
In this peaceful setting, Shangguan Yu soon felt himself completely relax. He basked in the sunlight, enjoying the gentle breeze as he and Zuo Zhou chatted casually while making their way forward.
After some time, they reached a pavilion rest area.
Zuo Zhou stopped and asked, “Brother Yu, should we take a break here?”
Shangguan Yu followed the direction of Zuo Zhou’s pointing finger. The pavilion ahead was elegantly designed, with golden sunlight filtering through, casting intricate, beautiful shadows on the ground.
“Alright.”
Zuo Zhou pushed Shangguan Yu into the pavilion and carefully positioned him in a spot where his face wouldn’t be in direct sunlight but where the rest of his body could still soak up the warmth. Then, he unzipped his bag and took out a rechargeable hand warmer.
“Here, Brother Yu. It’s still warm—keep your hands cozy.”
Shangguan Yu was briefly taken aback.
On the way here, Zuo Zhou had already given him a fully charged hand warmer. But after they arrived, it had lost its heat, so Shangguan Yu had left it in the car. He hadn’t expected Zuo Zhou to have a second one ready in his bag.
Seeing that Shangguan Yu wasn’t taking it right away, Zuo Zhou asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shangguan Yu shook his head, saying nothing, and accepted the hand warmer.
Sure enough, just as Zuo Zhou said, it was still warm—comfortably so.
Zuo Zhou grinned playfully. “Admit it, I’m pretty thoughtful and good at taking care of people, aren’t I?”
There was no way Shangguan Yu could deny it. “Mm. You are.”
Zuo Zhou’s smile widened. “This is just the beginning. If you were my boyfriend, I’d treat you even better.”
“…”
Shangguan Yu was caught completely off guard. He turned to Zuo Zhou with a helpless look. “Don’t push it.”
Zuo Zhou raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, I won’t say it.”
Just as Shangguan Yu was about to feel relieved, Zuo Zhou added, “I’ll just think it instead.”
“………………”
The awkward silence hung in the air for a moment before Zuo Zhou broke the tension—by pulling out a mountain of food from his bag in an attempt to win him over.
“Brother Yu, I brought a ton of snacks. See if there’s anything you’d like.”
Shangguan Yu glanced over and saw Zuo Zhou spreading out an assortment of food on the bench beside him.
There were still-steaming braised delicacies, unopened packs of biscuits and bread, a thermos filled with hot tea, and even homemade sandwiches. It was an impressive spread for a winter picnic.
Since Shangguan Yu remained silent for a while, Zuo Zhou decided to make the choice for him.
“Here, have a quail egg.”
With that, he picked up a perfectly braised and peeled quail egg using a fork he had prepared in advance, bringing it right up to Shangguan Yu’s lips.
“…”
Shangguan Yu glanced down at it, then, as a reluctant courtesy, opened his mouth and ate it.
“Well?” Zuo Zhou’s eyes widened in anticipation, looking at him like an eager puppy waiting for praise.
“…Mm. It’s good.”
“Then have a few more.” Zuo Zhou said as he eagerly speared another quail egg with his fork and held it out to Shangguan Yu.
Shangguan Yu pressed his lips together in silent exasperation before finally taking the fork from him. His movements were slightly stiff as he said, “I’ll eat by myself.”
“Alright.” Zuo Zhou didn’t seem to mind. Smiling, he pushed the food a little closer to Shangguan Yu. “Brother Yu, there’s still plenty left. Eat while it’s warm.”
And so, the two of them sat in the pavilion, chatting while enjoying their meal.
The sun cast a warm glow over them. After a while, Shangguan Yu actually started to feel a little warm and reached to take off his jacket—only for Zuo Zhou to stop him.
“At most, you can unzip it. Don’t catch a cold.”
When Shangguan Yu reached for another braised duck neck, Zuo Zhou stopped him again.
“These braised snacks are starting to get cold, and there’s no way to reheat them here. Better not eat them now. If you’re still hungry, have some biscuits or bread instead—you don’t want a stomachache.”
Feeling like he was being bossed around like a child, Shangguan Yu couldn’t help but think: …Who’s the older one here?!
“Not eating anymore.” Frustrated, he tossed the fork into the food container and turned toward the river, deliberately avoiding Zuo Zhou’s gaze.
Zuo Zhou, unfazed, simply packed up the cold snacks and handed Shangguan Yu a cup of steaming green tea.
The food had been a little salty, so Shangguan Yu accepted it and took a slow sip. Just as he was about to swallow, Zuo Zhou suddenly spoke beside him.
“Brother Yu, I just realized… I don’t think I’ve ever told you why I like you.”
Shangguan Yu was in the middle of swallowing his tea when the words hit him. He choked, coughing uncontrollably.
Zuo Zhou quickly reached over to pat his back, pretending to be oblivious. “What’s wrong?”
“You—cough, cough—why are you bringing this up…?”
“Because I don’t think you ever took my confession seriously.” Zuo Zhou answered earnestly. “You see me as a kid, as a younger brother, but you’ve never really seen me as a man who’s genuinely pursuing you.”
Shangguan Yu’s coughing only got worse.
Seeing this, Zuo Zhou wisely shut his mouth for the time being and focused on helping him breathe properly again. Only when Shangguan Yu’s coughing subsided did he grin and say, “Brother Yu, I never asked before, but that Xu guy—was he your first relationship? Because honestly, judging by your reaction just now, your dating experience must be seriously lacking. I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already this flustered.”
Being teased about his love life by someone eight years younger than him was a serious blow to Shangguan Yu’s pride.
“You sure talk like you’ve had plenty of experience.”
“I haven’t!” Zuo Zhou’s puppy-dog eyes widened in protest as he hastily defended himself. “I only like you! I only want to be with you! I don’t have any experience at all!”
“If I seem experienced, it’s only because I’ve played out scenes of us being together a thousand times in my head.”
Shangguan Yu had just meant to tease him, but somehow, Zuo Zhou had turned the tables on him again. …Why did I even open my mouth?
“It’s true.” Afraid Shangguan Yu wouldn’t believe him, Zuo Zhou continued earnestly. “When I was little, I’d already decided to drop out of school. Then you appeared, and suddenly, I didn’t have to worry about money anymore—all I had to do was focus on studying.”
“At that moment, I thought you must be an angel. Because, honestly, I liked school. I wanted to do well.”
“I worked hard, dreaming that one day, I could get into your university, study the same major as you. Back then, I just wanted to be like you.”
“Later, I started writing you letters. Sometimes, you wrote back. You have no idea how many times I read those letters. I memorized every punctuation mark—I could recite them by heart.”
“And then, when I became an adult… I started dreaming about you. In my dreams, you would always indulge me in everything. At first, I didn’t understand why. But when I couldn’t find you anymore, that’s when I realized—what I felt for you wasn’t just admiration. It was love… longing… possessiveness.”
“Enough. Stop talking.”
Shangguan Yu had reached his limit and cut him off.
Zuo Zhou immediately fell silent, gazing at Shangguan Yu quietly. After more than ten seconds, he finally asked softly, “Why won’t you let me finish? I haven’t explained everything yet…”
“You’ve explained plenty,” Shangguan Yu replied, trying to sound rational. “What you feel for me isn’t love. It’s just a kind of dependence—because I helped you when you needed it most.”
“It’s not!” Zuo Zhou shook his head, instinctively rejecting the idea. But the moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly stopped.
Shangguan Yu had been expecting a retort. When Zuo Zhou fell silent, he couldn’t help but be caught off guard.
Seeing Shangguan Yu’s puzzled expression, Zuo Zhou chuckled. “I just realized… there’s no need to rush. Proving my feelings to you doesn’t have to be through words alone—there are other ways too.”
Shangguan Yu hadn’t expected such a sudden change in direction. He pressed his lips together but said nothing.
“Sorry, Brother Yu,” Zuo Zhou murmured as he gently took Shangguan Yu’s hand from his lap and held it in his own. “I won’t say another word. But as a reward… won’t you at least let me pursue you?”
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