Yu Huan took Ruan Qiuping to a Western restaurant with five floors. As they slowly ascended in the transparent elevator from the ground floor, Ruan Qiuping clearly noticed that each successive floor had fewer customers, dimmer lighting, and more exquisite decor.
The elevator stopped on the fifth floor.
Upon exiting, Ruan Qiuping discovered that this floor was completely devoid of customers. The only people present were waiters, methodically arranging dishes at a table near the window.
Ruan Qiuping immediately caught the aroma and exclaimed "Wow!" as he ran over.
Although Ruan Qiuping was a celestial being, his family had been dirt poor since his birth. Most of the food he ate daily came from their vegetable garden or was foraged from the mountain behind their home - wild fruits, hunted pheasants, and the like. He had never seen such an array of luxurious and diverse dishes.
So when he saw this table full of delicacies, while he didn't exactly drool, his throat did bob a couple of times, and he felt his hunger intensify.
Ruan Qiuping pulled out a chair and sat down, waving excitedly at Yu Huan: "Yu Huan! Come quick!"
Yu Huan chuckled softly and walked over to him, step by step, leaning on his cane.
The waiters had just finished serving the dishes. Upon seeing Yu Huan approach, they bowed their heads and greeted him in unison, "Good evening, Mr. Yu," before turning to leave.
Watching this scene, Ruan Qiuping stuffed a large shrimp into his mouth and said, "Yu Huan, do you own this restaurant?"
Yu Huan nodded.
"It's great! Totally suits my taste!" Ruan Qiuping gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.
He then bit into the shrimp with a loud crunch.
Yu Huan smiled and sat down across from Ruan Qiuping. He put on a disposable glove from nearby and picked up a large shrimp, beginning to peel it. "Ruan Ruan, eat the other dishes first. These shrimp haven't been peeled yet."
Ruan Qiuping nodded without hesitation and turned his attention to the other dishes.
"By the way, Yu Huan, are you married?" Ruan Qiuping asked while vigorously cutting a piece of steak.
Although the record book hadn't mentioned Yu Huan being married, Ruan Qiuping no longer trusted that book. Who knew if the relationship status in it was just copied from the internet? What if Yu Huan had a secret marriage?
Yu Huan's hands paused for a moment. He glanced at Ruan Qiuping, then lowered his head and continued peeling the shrimp. "No."
"Are you in a relationship then?" Ruan Qiuping pressed.
Yu Huan placed the peeled shrimp on a small plate and passed it to Ruan Qiuping, simultaneously taking away the steak that Ruan Qiuping had been struggling to cut for a while.
Yu Huan picked up a knife and fork, slowly and precisely cutting the steak as he replied, "No."
Ruan Qiuping sighed, "Surely you've at least been in a relationship before?"
"No."
Ruan Qiuping was shocked. "Yu Huan, you're thirty-two! How have you never been in a relationship? Other humans your age usually have two kids by now!"
Yu Huan lowered his eyes, his expression unchanged, though his steak-cutting motions slowed even further. "Why is Ruan Ruan so keen on me being in a relationship?"
Ruan Qiuping was taken aback.
In the past, his enthusiasm for Yu Huan's love life was mainly driven by a desire to help him find true love in the mortal world, thereby nullifying his engagement to Ruan Dongdong.
But recently, he had come to terms with the situation and decided not to interfere, letting things take their natural course. So why was he still so concerned about Yu Huan's relationship status?
Ruan Qiuping pondered seriously for a moment, then looked up at Yu Huan and said, "Maybe it's because I've always felt that finding someone you like and loving and accompanying each other is an incredibly happy thing."
He paused, then continued, "...But I'm the God of Misfortune, so that kind of happiness is destined to have nothing to do with me. So I hope that at least you can find happiness."
Yu Huan's expression softened for a moment, seemingly surprised by Ruan Qiuping's words.
Ruan Qiuping ate a shrimp and went on, "Yu Huan, although I've never been in a relationship, I've read a lot of novels. Books say that when people are in love, they feel very sweet. This sweetness gives people courage and soothes all sadness and bitterness. Even if two rats in a trash can fall in love, they'll feel like they're not in a trash can but in a treasure chest."
Ruan Qiuping quickly finished the shrimp on his plate and looked up at the steak Yu Huan was cutting for him. "Is it done?"
Yu Huan handed him the plate. "It's done."
Ruan Qiuping forked a piece of steak into his mouth and chewed it quickly.
He blinked, his expression somewhat puzzled. "Also, I've read in books that when people fall in love, it's like being struck by lightning. I've always been curious about what degree of electric shock this is - is it like touching a finger or the whole head? Would you faint? But the books don't explain it so clearly. If you ever fall for someone and have this feeling, make sure to tell me."
Yu Huan's gaze fell on Ruan Qiuping's face as he slowly began to speak. "What books say isn't always entirely accurate. That lightning-strike kind of love might exist, but for me, liking someone is more like witnessing a tree grow. I remember when the seed was planted, but I don't know when it quietly sprouted underground. I know when it broke through the soil, but I don't know when it grew inch by inch. I never consciously recorded how much it grew each day, but one day I looked back and found that the tree had already reached the clouds, lush and flourishing."
"That sounds both magical and complicated..." Ruan Qiuping blinked.
Three seconds later, his eyes suddenly widened, and the fork in his hand fell onto the plate with a clatter.
Ruan Qiuping asked in shock, "Yu Huan, do you have someone you like?!!!"
Yu Huan quietly nodded.
Ruan Qiuping immediately perked up, excitedly asking, "Who do you like? When did you start liking her? Is she pretty? Is her personality good? Is she outgoing? Gentle? Have you confessed? Why aren't you together yet?!"
Ruan Qiuping seemed to think of something else. He leaned closer to Yu Huan, blinked, and pointed at his own lips, mischievously asking, "Have you kissed yet?"
Yu Huan's gaze lingered on Ruan Qiuping's lips for a long moment before moving away.
He lowered his eyes and picked up the glass beside him, taking a sip.
As the liquid flowed down his throat, he realized he had picked up the red wine instead of water.
He paused for a moment but didn't put the wine glass back. Instead, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and drained the glass of red wine completely.
"Looks like you haven't," Ruan Qiuping muttered softly.
He was quite perceptive and could tell from Yu Huan's expression that things weren't going smoothly with the girl.
He immediately regretted bringing up the topic, realizing he had stirred up painful memories for Yu Huan.
For the rest of the meal, Ruan Qiuping ate without much enthusiasm.
Perhaps it was a strong psychological effect, but even though Yu Huan's expression hadn't changed much from the beginning, Ruan Qiuping felt he could see a deep melancholy hidden in Yu Huan's brow.
The more Ruan Qiuping looked, the heavier his own heart felt.
He stabbed at the salmon on his plate with his fork, unable to understand why any girl would reject Yu Huan.
Yu Huan was such a great person - his education, looks, personality, and wealth were all top-notch.
...Except... except for the issue with his leg, he was the epitome of perfection, unparalleled in the world.
That girl must be blind! Ruan Qiuping thought angrily.
Feeling genuinely upset, Ruan Qiuping lost his appetite. He picked at his food for a while, then wiped his mouth and said, "Yu Huan, I'm full."
Yu Huan picked up his cane and stood up, saying gently, "Then let's go."
Ruan Qiuping nodded.
He stood up and had only taken a couple of steps when his attention was suddenly drawn to the scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
A marathon seemed to be taking place not far away. Dozens of participants wearing uniform sportswear with number tags on their backs were running past, some fast, some slow.
From his position on the fifth floor, Ruan Qiuping couldn't clearly see the expressions of the runners below, but he could distinctly see the taut muscles of their calves as they ran.
They ran enthusiastically, brilliantly, and vigorously, their footsteps pounding on the ground one after another.
Ruan Qiuping, however, felt as if those footsteps were trampling on his heart.
When Yu Huan was sixteen, he said he liked running and often participated in marathons. Yu Huan said that running helped him calm his mind, and he loved the moment when he saw the finish line.
Yu Huan also said that Ruan Qiuping, who appeared once a year, was his finish line.
But in the past 15 years,
He had neither waited for Ruan Qiuping nor rushed towards a finish line.
Ruan Qiuping suddenly felt a tightness in his chest that left him speechless, and even the tip of his nose began to sting.
"Ruan Ruan, what are you looking at?" Yu Huan's voice sounded from behind.
Ruan Qiuping hurriedly turned around, his back tightly blocking the floor-to-ceiling window: "No... nothing, Yu Huan, let's... let's stay a bit longer, I want... I want to eat something more."
They couldn't go out now.
If they went out, they would encounter the group of runners.
Ruan Qiuping was too flustered, so much so that he didn't even notice how abnormal his behavior was.
Yu Huan walked towards Ruan Qiuping step by step.
The floor-to-ceiling window was too large, and Yu Huan was naturally taller than Ruan Qiuping, so Ruan Qiuping couldn't block anything.
Yu Huan immediately saw the group of marathon runners below.
Ruan Qiuping also noticed Yu Huan's gaze towards the outside.
Ruan Qiuping raised his hand, covering Yu Huan's eyes through the air, his voice hoarse: "Don't look."
Yu Huan tilted his head slightly, and Ruan Qiuping's hands no longer served their purpose.
"Stop looking!" Ruan Qiuping cried out in panic.
"I'm not looking anymore," Yu Huan said, shifting his gaze to Ruan Qiuping's face and speaking gently, "I won't look."
Ruan Qiuping finally lowered his hands, but tears instantly fell. The tip of his nose was red, and crystal-clear teardrops rolled down his pale cheeks, leaving tear stains.
Yu Huan suddenly realized that this might be the first time Ruan Qiuping had cried in front of him.
Even when he talked about his misfortune, he was always smiling; even when he mentioned never touching others, he was always nonchalant.
But now he was crying.
It was Yu Huan who had lost his leg, it was Yu Huan who used to love running marathons.
Yet Ruan Qiuping was crying as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Yu Huan reached out to wipe away Ruan Qiuping's tears.
But before his hand could touch, Ruan Qiuping turned his head away.
Ruan Qiuping wiped the tears from his face and said, "Let's go."
"Ruan Ruan," Yu Huan called softly.
Ruan Qiuping looked up at him.
Yu Huan suddenly reached out and touched Ruan Qiuping's cheek, gently caressing where the tears had just fallen.
Ruan Qiuping was stunned for a moment, but quickly came to his senses and instinctively tried to push Yu Huan away—only to have Yu Huan firmly grasp his wrist.
Yu Huan took a step forward, forcing Ruan Qiuping's entire back against the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Yu Huan, you..."
Ruan Qiuping's words were cut short.
Because Yu Huan closed his eyes, leaned in, and gently kissed his lips.
It was an extremely tender kiss.
Ruan Qiuping hadn't had a drop of alcohol, yet at this moment, the aroma of red wine permeated his mouth.
He slowly, shockingly, and incredulously widened his eyes.
Yu Huan released him and softly answered the question Ruan Qiuping had asked him at the dinner table.
"Ruan Ruan, I've kissed before."
"With the person I like."