"Ah!" Shen Qingqiu exclaimed. "Luo Zhuzhi?"

The boy bobbed his head. "En... Qingqiu-ge, are you also here for the book signing?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded back. "Yeah, I am. I didn't know you were a fan of the book, Our Agreement."

Luo Zhuzhi's eyes widened. "Oh, I am! I love the book! It's amazing."

"Isn't it? The part where Li Wujian told Wan Weixia that he was going aboard, that part was so bittersweet."

"I know! And their reunion after three whole years always gets me, did you know they also release a song for their story?" Luo Zhuzhi asked.

"Wow, they did?" Shen Qingqiu exclaimed.

Luo Zhuzhi nodded hurriedly. "Yeah, I also heard they were thinking about making a movie too."

Shen Qingqiu blinked. "Oh wow, I really need to go and look into it when I get home."

Luo Zhuzhi smiled. "You should, Qingqiu-ge! Well, I gotta go now... Goodbye."

Shen Qingqiu: "Ah, wait."

Luo Zhuzhi turned around, "...?"

Shen Qingqiu: "How come I don't see you at the daycare anymore?"

Luo Zhuzhi's mouth made an o. "Ah, that's because I already filled up my volunteering hours, so I don't have to go back anymore."

"Oh, I see," Shen Qingqiu mused. So, this is why Luo Zhuzhi was no longer there, leaving Shen Qingqiu to suffer twice as much in the Cang Qiong Daycare Center.

Luo Binghe: "Shen-

"Have you ever considered coming back?" Shen Qingqiu asked Luo Zhuzhi.

Luo Zhuzhi looked reluctant. "Why would I go back there?"

Shen Qingqiu: "Well, I personally think you are very good with the kids, and I bet they missed you."

Luo Zhuzhi: "But I don't miss them..." Luo Zhuzhi grimaced.

Luo Binghe: "Um-

Shen Qingqiu put on his most persuading look and said, "Trust me, you should really come back. It's just not the same without you, the kids miss you, and I really need an extra hand too..."

"..." Luo Binghe looked at Shen Qingqiu. Then he looked at Luo Zhuzhi. He looked down at his sugar hawthorn stick. Why does he feel like a toddler kept quiet by a tanghulu?

"Oh, I don't know," Luo Zhuzhi muttered. "But if Qingqiu-ge really wants-"

"I can do it!"

Luo Binghe's outburst caused both boys to look at him.

"You...?"

Luo Binghe did not like Shen Qingqiu's doubtful tone. It made Luo Binghe quite upset.

Luo Binghe nodded. "I can help you, Shen Yuan-ge, I have time. I actually need to do some volunteering."

"Can you? It's not that I don't trust you, but the kids in that daycare center are really difficult to deal with. Are you good with kids?" Shen Qingqiu questioned. Yes, Shen Qingqiu was doubtful. He wasn't sure how much of a responsibility this puppy-like boy has.

Luo Binghe thinks. Was he good with kids? He didn't really know.

Then the image of Wei Wuxian and Hua Cheng floated in his head and a lightbulb seemed to go off. Oh. He was good with kids. Very good at dealing with them.

So Luo Binghe nodded vigorously. "Mn! Shen Yuan can trust me, I am truly very good with kids!"

Shen Qingqiu was a bit taken aback at Luo Binghe's enthusiasm but nevertheless, "Ah, alright, you can come with me to the daycare center next week then." Shen Qingqiu reached out a hand and patted Luo Binghe on the head. Maybe it takes one to know one.

Guess they'll just have to wait and see.

"Oh... Well, we are good then," Luo Zhuzhi piped up.

Shen Qingqiu turned to him. He smiled. "Yeah. It was nice seeing you here, Zhuzhi."

Luo Zhuzhi smiled back rather half-heartedly. Then he turned around and walked away.

Shen Qingqiu stared at Luo Zhuzhi's retreating back with a perplexed expression sitting on his face. Somehow he felt like he missed something about the boy.

There wasn't much time to think about it. "Shen Yuan, look, we are almost at the front of the line!" Luo Binghe tugged on Shen Qingqiu's shirt.

"Oh, alright, that's great," Shen Qingqiu said, absentmindedly ruffling Luo Binghe's hair. It was rather addicting. It helped that Luo Binghe didn't seem to mind.

The two moved forward the line.

Shen Qingqiu was getting quite excited. He wanted to see what sort of person could write such a book, a story beautifully paced, filled with humor and excitement, with what seemed to be a bittersweet ending at the end but arises to be a beautiful and happy ending that leaves the readers in awe as they closed the then-finished book. And possibly to shed a tear.

So why on earth is it that when Luo Binghe nudged him to reality did he find himself standing in front of a table piled up with books and someone no other than Shang Qinghua???

Shang Qingqiu stared at Shang Qinghua.

Shang Qinghua stared at Shen Qingqiu.

Shang Qinghua raised a hand. "Hey, bro."

Shen Qingqiu bent forward a bit and hissed, "What are you doing here?"

"Bro, can you not tell? I'm the author," Shang Qinghua whispered back, wiggling his eyebrows slightly.

Shen Qingqiu's face fell dark. He glared at Shang Qinghua. Shang Qinghua flinched.

Luo Binghe was confused. What were Shen Yuan-ge and the boy at the table talking about? He couldn't see Shen Qingqiu's face.

"Cut the crap," Shen Qingqiu scoffed. "Your name's not written on the book."

Shang Qinghua raised both hands. "Fine, fine, you got me, bro. The author went on a bathroom break. He's my uncle."

"WHAT?!"

"..."

"Shen Yuan, are you alright?? People are staring..." Luo Binghe looked around.

Shen Qingqiu stumbled back. He grabbed Luo Binghe's arm. "Nevermind... Binghe, let's go."

"Huh? But you haven't got your book signed yet."

Shen Qingqiu shook his head. Then he bent down again to Shang Qinghua and whispered, "You better get me all the books signed when I see you tomorrow. I want a personalized author's message too." He scowled at Shang Qinghua.

Shang Qinghua shrank back a bit. "Okay, okay! Will do! Have fun on the rest of your date!" Shang Qinghua squeaked, holding out an okay sign.

Shen Qingqiu frowned at Shang Qinghua before turning around and dragging Luo Binghe out of the bookstore along with him.

"Shen Yuan-ge, what was that about?" Luo Binghe asked as they walked away from the bookshop.

"Nothing. I just saw someone unlikeable," Shen Qingqiu said. Shen Qingqiu looked up and saw a Aunt Luo's coffee shop. "Hey, wanna get coffee?"

Luo Binghe's face lit up. "Mn, okay! We left earlier than expected so we have time before having lunch."

。。。

。。。

。。。

"Why are people staring at us?"

"Shen Yuan-ge, you order a coke in a coffee shop."

"Nah, they are definitely staring at us because you are so handsome," Shen Qingqiu said, reaching out to pinch Luo Binghe's cheek.

A pretty blush spread across Luo Binghe's face. "Shen Yuan thinks I'm handsome?"

"Well, I guess the more accurate word will be winsome." Shen Qingqiu smiled. "Check the mirror lately?"

Luo Binghe stirred his coffee with a spoon, smiling from ear to ear. Shen Qingqiu found it amusing. Luo Binghe was the epitome of adorable, one compliment and he was over the moon.

"..." Shen Qingqiu watched Luo Binghe as he blew on his coffee. With his eyes lowered, Shen Qingqiu could see that his eyelashes were rather long. Hmm... Definitely too winsome.

。。。

。。。

。。。

"Shen Yuan-ge, do you want to grab lunch now?" Luo Binghe asked as he opened the door for Shen Qingqiu.

"Have a nice day, Qingqiu and your friend!" the waiter called out to them.

"Yeah, you too!" Shen Qingqiu called back, waving a hand at Lan Xichen. (If you forgot that Lan Xichen works at this coffee shop...)

Shen Qingqiu turned back to Luo Binghe. He replied, "We can eat now, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere Shen Yuan likes. :)"

"Let's go to Butcher Zhu's Restaurant," Shen Qingqiu decided.

"Oh, I love that place! I go there with my friends all the time!"

"I know. You've told me that, remember? I like it too, especially the little waterfall thing they have in the center of the restaurant."

"Yeah, the sound of the water flowing is so calming... Although the first time I went there when I was little, I thought their mascot, Butcher Zhu was some kind of pig butcher who'd butchered up little kids who eat too much pork, haha..."

"Oh, me too, Binghe, me too." Shen Qingqiu chuckled.

"Luo-xionggg-! Lan Zhan never came to pick me up! Am I abandoned?! After all this time???"

(crying over the phone ⬆️)

"Um..."

"Binghe, that was Wei Wuxian, wasn't it?"

"Eh-? How did Shen Yuan-ge know??"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"Mu Qing, Feng Xin, stop it! It's just Hua Cheng, he's my pen pal!"

"Gege, San Lang's a bit hurt by that."

"Huh?? What do you mean?"

"Is San Lang just your penfriend? San Lang thought that after all this time, maybe San Lang was closer than that. Guess not."

"...eh?"

COMING OUT NEXT WEEK?

😔

Now, Thank you for reading!

('▽')/✨

Comments and votes will be (highly) appreciated! As usual!

Let's be honest, at this point, your brain just sorta skims over this part ⬆️ and doesn't even register it anymore. (I myself just copy and paste lol)

Word Count: 1614