The words fell into his ears, and Su Lian slightly lowered his gaze without directly answering.
Regardless of what identity or mood Chi Wang asked such a question from, that word "future" was too big and distant.
Even as good friends, like Song Jiaci, they had disappeared from their lives in the flow of time.
After facing countless separations, he no longer wanted to talk about the future casually.
It was like a shackle that, after experiencing ups and downs, would only increase the heartache inside.
"I'm asking you, you still haven't answered me." Chi Wang felt a bit uneasy, his voice a few degrees lower than usual. When he spoke close to the ear, it was as if the eardrum was vibrating along with it.
Su Lian noticed his fingers brushing over that section of skin on the back of his neck, burning with warmth.
People passed by, occasionally casting kind but curious glances.
Still being tightly hugged, Su Lian breathed softly, not knowing how to continue, and said quietly, "Does your family always comfort people with hugs?"
Chi Wang made an affirmative sound, shamelessly making up an excuse: "Yeah, when my sister got bad grades, our whole family took turns hugging her. If you don't believe me, ask her another day."
"Oh." Su Lian was at a loss for words, feeling like all the books he had read were in vain. His mouth felt glued shut, unable to open or make a sound.
Chi Wang was too gentle at this moment, and he couldn't say anything hurtful, so he said softly, "There's one more place I want to go. Do you want to come along?"
"Okay, if you want to go, I'll accompany you." Chi Wang slowly loosened his arms, creating some distance, and looked into his eyes, "Where do you want to go?"
Su Lian also learned to keep the mystery: "You'll know when we get there."
Just as they were about to leave, a staff member from the venue quickly ran out to stop the two: "Handsome guy in the black shirt, wait a moment."
Chi Wang turned back, slightly raising an eyebrow: "Is there something?"
The staff member displayed a standard smile: "It's like this, the system just showed that your single lap time broke our member record, so we have a small gift for you."
As he spoke, he handed over two exquisitely crafted racing car model keychains.
One red and one blue, they seemed like miniature versions of the go-karts they had chosen earlier.
Chi Wang took them and dangled them from his fingertips, examining them in the air. The two were identical except for their colors.
Indeed, red and blue have always been a classic pairing. Looking at them from all angles, they seemed like a couple.
Chi Wang was very satisfied as he swung the keychains: "I really like them. Why are you giving two?"
The staff member stared at the matching couple outfits they were wearing. This kind of secret romance was not appropriate to point out.
So he smiled and said, "It's to share the joy, right? Otherwise, this handsome guy in the white shirt would be sad without a gift. These models are limited edition, and we've engraved the initials of the names you registered with, so it took a bit of time."
This club really knew how to treat people well, no wonder their business was booming.
Chi Wang decided to come back another day to get a supreme VIP card to support their revenue.
He stared at the initials on them and smiled: "You're quite thoughtful, thank you."
His fingers swung around once, and he stuffed the blue one into Su Lian's hand, offering someone else's flowers: "For you, hang it on your backpack when you get back."
Su Lian: "You hang it on your backpack too?"
Chi Wang: "Ah, is that not allowed?"
He pursed his lips, hiding his own little thoughts completely: "I'm keeping the red one for myself, giving you the pretty one, what more do you want?"
Su Lian thought to himself, is that the point? It even has names engraved on it. What kind of brothers use these seemingly identical couple keychains?
Perhaps he was overthinking it, and the straight-as-steel Chi Wang didn't mean it that way.
He pinched the model, the edges of the car frame poking his palm a bit painfully: "I heard they have a Taro Pudding Bobo Cp Group, aren't you afraid people will make wild guesses?"
At the mention of the fan group, Chi Wang suddenly felt guilty for a second, but outwardly maintained his composure: "You even know about this gossip, you've been hanging out with Xiao Jiu too much. Let them guess, I don't care."
Su Lian glanced at him and compromised: "Fine, I'll hang it up when I get back."
Hearing this made Chi Wang feel at ease. He turned and walked to the street, waving to call a taxi.
The two got into the back seat one after another, and Su Lian smoothly gave an address.
Chi Wang lazily bent his long legs, holding the keychain in his hand, thinking about the hug, exuding a sense of joy from the inside out.
At least this time it all happened when they were both sober, and Su Lian didn't reject physical contact, which was a major breakthrough for him.
Keep going, and he'd be able to lure little Professor Su home soon, Chi Wang thought, lowering his head with a slight smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Su Lian turned his head to look at him.
Chi Wang's smile hadn't faded as he said lazily, "I used to come here with Lin Yan, but comparatively, it's more fun with you."
Su Lian was stunned for a moment: "What's the difference?"
Chi Wang said flippantly, "The first time he got on the track, he drove into the grass, got the wheels stuck, and was in a terrible state. You're different, first time and you were dashing, cool as hell."
"Where did you learn to flatter like this? You should write a book." Su Lian was speechless.
Chi Wang pouted, quite inflated: "Born with the gift of gab, can't help it."
The driver in front heard their conversation and chimed in: "You guys just played racing? Big brother here also dreamed of being a race car driver when I was young."
Chi Wang laughed: "So in the end you settled for life and chose to drive a taxi?"
Indeed, the difference between dreams and reality is as vast as the Great Rift Valley of East Africa.
"Don't judge me by how I look now, my driving skills are unparalleled." Seeing that they didn't believe him, the driver suddenly shifted gears and accelerated, taking a tricky angle onto the spiral overpass.
On the winding road, swaying left and right, continuously overtaking, the rear of the car almost flew out.
The two in the back seat were thrown about, barely able to stay steady. Su Lian grabbed the handle above, still unable to control the wild swaying.
In the midst of the chaos, his knee hit Chi Wang's thigh, and he suddenly tilted, about to fall over with the momentum of the movement.
"Careful." Chi Wang raised his hand to support his shoulder, pulling him directly into his arms to prevent them from hurting each other again.
He thought to himself that today it seemed like the whole world was helping to push them together, though this method was a bit too wild.
"I'm going to throw up," Su Lian tilted his head back, mouthing the words silently to him.
Little Professor Su, angry but not daring to speak out, was so cute that Chi Wang felt dizzy. He mimicked the gesture, wrinkling his nose and silently mouthing back: "Try to understand."
Su Lian complained silently again: "I really feel sick."
"Hold on a bit longer, respect the driver's dream." Chi Wang whispered close to his ear, his palm gently stroking down the arched back over the shirt.
What should have been a fifty-minute journey was completed in just over thirty minutes. Su Lian's face was deathly pale, his chest tight. When he stood on solid ground, he felt like he was floating.
"How was that? Could you see the racer in me?" The driver boasted while collecting the fare.
Chi Wang held back his laughter and nodded: "F1 racing really missed out by not having you."
He closed the car door and turned his head to look at Su Lian, who was bent over supporting himself on his knees, and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I drove go-karts all afternoon without getting carsick, but this guy really has skills." Su Lian took several deep breaths and slowly stood up. "Let's go in first."
Chi Wang followed for a few steps and keenly sensed something was off. A strong smell of Chinese herbs assaulted them from all directions, with a destructive power that could be called the strongest damage in the magical world.
He anxiously asked: "What kind of place is this?"
Seeming familiar with the place, Su Lian turned a corner and walked in, explaining, "It's Fog City's largest market for tonics and supplements. You can buy a lot of good stuff here."
Chi Wang's breath caught: "..."
All the way here, holding the person in his arms, he had happily imagined many possible scenarios.
For instance, Su Lian might want to celebrate his exam progress with a beautiful romantic dinner.
Or perhaps a place like an arcade, full of childlike innocence and joy, where they could go crazy for a night and let off some steam.
At worst, a night tour of the city library to read some books would have been acceptable.
He never imagined that his imagination was too poor, dry and cracking completely.
They passed many small shops along the way, with stalls neatly displaying glass jars filled with various animal carcasses.
Ferocious giant spiders baring their fangs, densely packed silkworm pupae, snakes curled in a way that made one's scalp tingle, and many other things that couldn't be identified...
Avoiding direct eye contact with that pile of terrifying animals, Chi Wang clenched his fist and lightly coughed: "What do you want to buy? Didn't you still have some from the supermarket last time?"
"That batch wasn't very good quality. The stuff here is more authentic," Su Lian said as he turned into an alley and entered a shop, greeting the owner like a familiar customer.
"Welcome! The items you asked me about last time arrived a few days ago. I've been keeping them for you. Let me go get them," the owner replied with a smile, turning to go to the back storeroom.
Chi Wang looked at the price tags and said softly, "The things here seem quite expensive."
"High-protein supplements are never cheap. It's a good thing you transferred me the tutoring fees for the holiday," Su Lian said, having gotten over his earlier nausea. He casually picked up some herbs and sniffed them.
Chi Wang: "..."
Why did the tutoring fees always end up being used for such strange purposes? If not speakers, then supplements. What surprise would he spring next?
He could only pray silently that Su Lian was just buying these to take home for his father, and that it had nothing to do with him.
The owner brought out a packed bag, saying with a smile, "All the Chinese herbs are prepared according to the list you gave last time. Everything's there. Please check."
Su Lian lowered his eyes and took them out one by one to inspect. Chi Wang's gaze fell on a jar of cicada pupae, and he quickly averted his eyes.
Hiss. A bad premonition suddenly welled up inside him. It seemed another epic-level perverted dark cuisine was about to make its debut.
If browsing supplement markets made Su Lian happy, he suddenly felt a pang of trepidation about their future life together.
Save the child! What kind of cool guy with such peculiar hobbies had he fallen for?
"I've scanned the code. Please check the payment," Su Lian said after paying, picking up the bag and heading out, looking quite pleased.
Chi Wang asked cautiously, "Who are these for?"
"I feel like my immune system hasn't been great lately. Winter's coming, so I want to boost my health," Su Lian replied. As a doctor, he was very aware of his physical condition. After multiple time travels, it was indeed worse than before.
After all, Chi Wang's incident had not yet occurred. In case the watch needed to be used again in the future, he had to be fully prepared.
Chi Wang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slightly, "Yes, you're too thin. It's good to take some supplements."
Seeing how scared the other looked, Su Lian smiled without saying more.
The two circled back to the old town, following the alley towards Su Lian's home. Chi Wang deliberately slowed his pace, wanting to prolong his time alone with his crush.
The long, quiet alley echoed with the sound of their footsteps. Their shoulders brushed against each other occasionally as they walked, not unlike a young couple out for a stroll.
For the first time, Chi Wang wished this road had no end, so he could keep walking with Su Lian forever.
But after twists and turns, they finally reached the front door. Su Lian bent down to open the main gate and reached in to turn on the living room light.
Looking at the young man in white, Chi Wang's toe touched the threshold as he spoke softly, "I had a great time today. Want to grab a late-night snack together?"
"Are you very hungry?" Su Lian asked, standing inside and tilting his head slightly.
"A bit, I guess. We didn't have dinner," Chi Wang complained. "You haven't helped me celebrate my exam improvement yet."
Su Lian pursed his lips, then quickly relaxed them. "I was planning to cook actually. Want to join me?"
Chi Wang's face lit up with surprise, and he unconsciously took a long stride through the door. "You can cook too? Are you good at stir-frying or making soup? I don't mind, I'll eat anything."
Su Lian asked in return, "Anything?"
"Mm-hmm, I'll love anything you make," Chi Wang said, turning to close the door behind him. He sat down on the sofa, feeling cheerful. "Do you need any help?"
"No need, you're a guest. Just sit," Su Lian said. To avoid dirtying his shirt, he hung an apron around his neck and bent down to enter the kitchen.
Chi Wang's fingers tapped on the sofa as he watched the other busying himself in the kitchen through half-closed eyes, feeling as if he was getting a preview of their sweet married life.
His gaze fell on the aproned waist - such a slender figure, outlining beautiful curves of waist and hips. In the warm yellow light, he looked quiet and gentle.
Chi Wang rested his chin on his hand, watching intently. He heard the sizzle of oil in the wok, and after a while, the enticing aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted out.
How wonderful, he thought. Before, he just wanted to date Su Lian, but now he was getting greedy, wanting to take him home as a wife right away.
An hour later, Su Lian brought several dishes to the table. There were stir-fries and soups, all looking and smelling delicious enough to make one's mouth water.
No exaggeration - as expected of Teacher Su, his cooking skills were top-notch. With this culinary talent, making vegetable porridge and health shakes seemed like such a waste.
"Smells great," Chi Wang said, pulling out a chair to sit down. He had just picked up his chopsticks, ready to dig in.
With a clang, a bowl of something black was placed in front of him.
Chi Wang froze, unable to take his eyes off it. "What... is this?"
Su Lian sat down next to him and explained calmly, "I thought you might need some high-protein supplement too, so I made a porridge with the cicada pupae we just bought. It's tonight's main course."
Chi Wang: "..."
The door was already locked. Was it too late to escape now?
Chi Wang: Thanks for asking. Happ...iness, want to... marry.