CH 100

That year’s winter arrived late in Beijing. After two cold rains, the temperature finally dropped to its lowest point, giving a sense of winter.

Approaching New Year’s Day, the formal handover of Pei You’s work and promotion processing came to an end. The young members of his team had already received news that he would be promoted to Shanghai after the new year. So, they formed a small group chat and excitedly asked him for a promotion celebration dinner.

While Pei You seemed distant and unemotional during work, his exceptional abilities and willingness to help his team members earned him a surprisingly good reputation. Even Anna, upon hearing about the celebration dinner, eagerly joined the group chat and started teasing along with the others.

After being teased by them for a whole morning, Pei You relented as noon approached. He agreed to let them choose the venue, and he would treat them in the evening.

“They won’t hold back, and they might even give you a hard time.” Anna leaned against her desk, smiling mischievously. “But honestly, I thought you wouldn’t agree. You’re not one for these group activities. Going once is already good enough.”

“I’ve been working here for several years after all, and now that I’m leaving, it’s appropriate to treat everyone to a meal. Besides, my boyfriend has not been at home recently, and coming home feels a bit empty.” Pei You explained as he tidied up his folders and placed them in the desk cabinet. He casually added, “By the way, you can’t say anything bad about him.”

The renovation of the shop in Shanghai was steadily underway. Because Zhou Qingbo wasn’t comfortable leaving all the progress to the renovation team, he frequently traveled back and forth between Beijing and Shanghai over the past two months. Apart from overseeing the renovation, he also gathered some new cocktail ingredients there.

He would be gone for a minimum of two to three days, and sometimes as long as three to four days. Even though he messaged Pei You at every opportunity, it still felt a bit uneasy for Pei You.

With him rarely at home, everything felt a bit colder. Every night, lying in bed, Pei You felt restless, making falling asleep a bit more difficult than usual.

Spending so much time together was indeed influencing him, Pei You thought. He seemed to be developing separation anxiety just like Zhou Qingbo.

“Oh,” Anna understood, drawing out the word. She teased, “I told you so. You’re not in a hurry to go home and cook after work and you have the time to dine with us because  your partner went out to have fun, leaving you home alone.”

“He’s getting things ready in Shanghai.” Although Anna didn’t know Zhou Qingbo, Pei You habitually defended Zhou Qingbo in front of others. He explained, “If he goes over after the New Year, staying in a hotel wouldn’t be convenient, so he’s also looking at rental properties.”

“I see.” Anna nodded and teased, “In any case, you couldn’t bring yourself to say a single bad thing about your partner.”

Pei You’s tenderness was well-known within the team. He almost never brought up gossip about Zhou Qingbo on his own. When he did mention his partner, his tone was respectful and formal. He had never spoken a negative word about him.

The young members in their team were curious about the person who could “tame” Pei You. They had wanted to meet him during this promotion dinner, but since Zhou Qingbo wasn’t in Beijing, they had to regretfully give up on that idea.

In the afternoon, Pei You went to the pantry and made a video call to Zhou Qingbo, inquiring about the progress of the renovations and informing him about the dinner plans for the evening.

“Why the sudden dinner plan?” The background noise on the video call was chaotic. Zhou Qingbo moved away from the construction area, finding a quieter corner. He asked in surprise, “Isn’t it still two days until New Year’s?”

“The work handover is done,” Pei You explained. “They want to throw me a farewell party.”

Zhou Qingbo chuckled. He felt that Pei You’s serious expression didn’t match the going away party, but instead made it seem like those people were chasing him away.

“So, I might go home a bit late tonight,” Pei You said, lightly tapping the screen with his finger. He said earnestly, “If it gets too late, I won’t call tonight. Don’t stay up waiting for me. If you’re tired, just sleep.”

Pei You rarely went out for dinner, so Zhou Qingbo naturally wouldn’t object. He smiled at the response and sent a cat with crossed arms emoji.

The cat on the screen, with its teeth bared and paws raised, was no less expressive than Zhou Qingbo himself. Pei You smiled and reciprocated with a similar “Great!” emoji.

After hanging up, Pei You put away his phone and briskly went the steps, joining the crowd as they left the office building.

The group of young colleagues within the team truly didn’t hold back when treating Pei You. They picked a slightly fancier restaurant than usual in the Wangfujing area, offering Suzhou and Zhejiang cuisine, and ended up charging Pei You a bit extra.

Anna had other plans for the evening and left earlier. Once she was gone, the young colleagues in the team celebrated Pei You’s promotion with enthusiasm, even more so than Pei You himself. It was supposed to be a celebration for him, but they seemed to be enjoying it more than he was.

Pei You wasn’t particularly fond of large gatherings, but he didn’t spoil the mood. He substituted tea for alcohol and went along with several rounds of toasts.

As the dinner was mostly finished, a quiet message popped up in the chat box. Pei You politely declined a colleague’s offer for a toast, moved to another corner of the private room, and took out his phone to read the message.

“Where are you having dinner?” Zhou Qingbo asked. “Is it delicious?”

Pei You thought Zhou Qingbo was just asking casually, so he shared the location of the restaurant and honestly replied, “It’s not bad, but some dishes are just average.”

Zhou Qingbo chuckled. He tapped the screen with his finger, and after a while, replied, “The snow is heavy. Did you drive there?”

Seeing this message, Pei You’s first reaction was to look out the window.

The light snow outside had silently transformed into a heavier snowfall. The small snowflakes had gathered into large, fluttering clusters, falling steadily.

A thick layer of mist had formed on the window, and Pei You wiped it away. He noticed that a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the windowsill.

“Yes, I did.” The warm air in the room had made Pei You a bit dizzy. He hadn’t quite figured out how Zhou Qingbo knew about the weather outside, so he just responded, “Don’t worry.”

However, Zhou Qingbo had indeed reminded Pei You that the snowfall was getting heavier. If they delayed any longer, it might become inconvenient for everyone to get home. Moreover, the next day was a workday, and if the situation escalated, it could affect work. So, Pei You put away his phone, returned to the table, and sincerely thanked everyone for their cooperation and care over the years.

His attitude was quite official and resembled a farewell speech. Some of the interns he had mentored were visibly moved, wiping their eyes and bidding him farewell.

“It’s alright, don’t cry.” Pei You picked up his coat from the back of the chair. He somewhat awkwardly comforted them, “Let’s go, I’ll help you all get a taxi. It’s better not to wait until the snow gets worse. It might be inconvenient to get home later.”

He managed to persuade the interns one by one and finally relaxed. He didn’t have time to check what Zhou Qingbo had replied. It wasn’t until he went downstairs to settle the bill at the reception that he realized Zhou Qingbo had sent him a picture a few minutes ago.

In the photo, the dim street lights illuminated the falling snow, casting an orange hue on the dark sky. The CBD skyscrapers in the distance twinkled with lights, dotting the night sky with countless stars amidst light pollution.

Pei You was momentarily stunned, then belatedly realized what was happening. He quickened his pace and turned towards the entrance.

The restaurant was situated by the street, and as soon as Pei You stepped outside, he saw Zhou Qingbo, who was supposed to be in Shanghai, leaning against a lamppost on the side of the road, reaching out to catch the falling snowflakes.

That day, Zhou Qingbo was wearing a long and thick coat. The snow had accumulated slightly on his shoulders, outlining the passage of time.

He stood in a relaxed pose, leaning against the lamppost with half-closed eyes, looking up at the sky. Snowflakes fell from the light above, landing in his palms as they spun down.

Zhou Qingbo was undoubtedly from the northern regions, but at this moment, he looked like a child from the south who had never seen snow before, full of curiosity. Even with such a simple action, he appeared to have discovered something interesting, and his lips curled upwards with a smile.

Pei You was momentarily captivated by his smile. He slowed his steps and couldn’t help but call out his name.

“Qingbo,” he said.

Zhou Qingbo heard his voice, and he exerted a bit of force with his legs, straightening up from the lamppost. He turned and waved his hand with a smile.

With this motion, the snow on his shoulders slid off. Pei You walked a few steps closer, held Zhou Qingbo’s slightly cold hand, and asked, “Why did you suddenly come back? When did you arrive? How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long, just a few minutes.” Zhou Qingbo, still in that posture, discreetly pinched Pei You’s hand and playfully smiled, “And it wasn’t really sudden. When we had the conversation about it snowing, I was already waiting at the airport.”

While still holding Pei You’s hand, Zhou Qingbo lightly shook it and laughed, “What does that tell us? It means our hearts are connected.”

Pei You had been thinking about Zhou Qingbo for the past two to three days. Now that he unexpectedly saw Zhou Qingbo coming to pick him up, pretending not to be happy would be dishonest. He held Zhou Qingbo’s hand in his palm, warmed it up, and then hesitated for a moment. It seemed like he remembered something, so he held Zhou Qingbo’s hand and walked back to his group of colleagues.

“I forgot to introduce you.” Pei You introduced seriously, “This is my boyfriend.”

Zhou Qingbo didn’t expect Pei You to introduce him to his colleagues. He was momentarily surprised, then quickly reacted and smiled openly. He waved to them and greeted, “Hello, everyone.”

The crowd immediately burst into a mixture of surprised and excited exclamations. The previous atmosphere of farewells was suddenly eclipsed by the bigger piece of gossip. Although they had an idea that Pei You’s partner was a man, they didn’t expect him to be so handsome and lively. The team had an open and accepting atmosphere and once again, the mood turned lively.

Zhou Qingbo nodded in response to each of them, and when he noticed a few red eyes among the young interns, he couldn’t help but tease them.

“Why is everyone about to cry?” Zhou Qingbo joked, “Reluctant to part with him? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

His tone was light, playful, and filled with a bit of intimacy. A few of the interns who had been a little sad couldn’t help but smile and giggle when they heard his words.

“Pei Ge! Since your boyfriend has come to pick you up, you don’t need to send us off.” Someone in the crowd shouted, “Hurry back home!”

This stone stirred up a thousand waves, and several young folks immediately started teasing. Zhou Qingbo had thick skin and didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He casually draped his arm over Pei You’s shoulder.

Zhou Qingbo said. “I’ll take him away for now. After you all get home, make sure to let each other know you’re safe.”

With that, his arm still wrapped around Pei You, they headed towards the parking lot. Pei You seemed still caught up in the excitement of Zhou Qingbo’s sudden appearance, only realizing halfway down the slope what he was missing. He turned back towards the restaurant.

“Hey, hey, hey—” Zhou Qingbo stopped him and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you leave something behind?”

“No,” Pei You said seriously. “But their crab meat tofu is really good. I thought you would like it. Since you’re back, I’ll go buy some for you to try.”

“No need, no need,” Zhou Qingbo said, both amused and touched. He quickly held Pei You back, wrapping his arms around his waist and hanging his entire body on Pei You’s back. Resting his head on Pei You’s shoulder, he hummed, “I’m tired, I want to go home.”

He had spent three days in Shanghai, staying at a hotel the whole time. Pei You touched his face with concern, giving up on the idea of going back to buy the crab meat tofu. As they walked towards the car, he said, “Rest a few more days at home if you’re tired.”

“It’s almost done over there anyway, and I won’t be going there anymore.” Zhou Qingbo yawned, bonelessly letting Pei You guide him into the car. He casually added, “Let’s go together after the new year.”

“Sure, as you wish,” Pei You leaned over to fasten Zhou Qingbo’s seatbelt, advising, “If you’re tired, you can rest in the car.”

“It’s been days since I’ve been home. I bet you haven’t had enough of me yet,” Zhou Qingbo said, stretching lazily and then looking at his empty left hand. Suddenly, he asked, “By the way, are you selling this car?”

“Yes,” Pei You said. “Driving this car to Shanghai would be troublesome, and transferring the registration is also a hassle. So, I thought it’s better to sell it and get a new one in Shanghai.”

“That’s a good idea,” Zhou Qingbo stretched his legs and mused, “When we get to Shanghai, we can get an automatic transmission car.”

“Huh?” Pei You was surprised that Zhou Qingbo had an opinion on which car to buy. He couldn’t help asking curiously, “Why?”

“Because,” Zhou Qingbo paused for suspense, then reached over, gently inserting his five fingers into Pei You’s hand holding the gear lever.

“An automatic car is convenient for holding hands,” he said confidently.