He Lezhi not only provided meals but also let him order what he wanted.

Before 4 PM every afternoon, Han Fangchi could say what he wanted to eat, but he couldn't order after four. If He Lezhi wasn't busy, he could get off work a little after four and go directly to the supermarket to buy groceries.

Han Fangchi would come over after work for a ready-made meal and only go home after eating. After the meal, he wanted to wash the dishes, but He Lezhi quickly shooed him out of the kitchen.

"Put it down, quickly." He Lezhi pointed at his hand. "Don't get it wet."

"Then can you find me a pair of gloves?" Han Fangchi asked.

"Just put it down." He Lezhi couldn't help but laugh. "I don't need you to."

As someone who was just freeloading for meals, Han Fangchi was too embarrassed to just sit down and rest after eating. While He Lezhi washed the dishes, he would lean against the refrigerator with his arms crossed.

"Why don't you go sit down?" He Lezhi asked.

Han Fangchi said, "I'll stand for a bit."

"That pose of yours is just missing a sword," He Lezhi said with a laugh. "You look like a swordsman from a wuxia film."

So Han Fangchi put his hands down, letting them hang casually at his sides.

"You..." Just as He Lezhi was about to speak again, his phone rang.

He Lezhi pulled out a paper towel to dry his hands and answered the call.

It was a call from a real estate agent, asking to show him an apartment over the weekend. He Lezhi scheduled a time with the agent and hung up.

Han Fangchi raised his eyebrows slightly. "Looking at apartments?"

He Lezhi hummed in affirmation.

Han Fangchi asked, "For who?"

"Me," He Lezhi said.

Han Fangchi: "What do you mean?"

He Lezhi explained the situation with his landlord. The two looked at each other, their expressions clearly showing they were a bit speechless.

Han Fangchi said directly, "Just move in with me."

He Lezhi burst out laughing, shook his head, and refused without a second thought.

Seeing his reaction, Han Fangchi didn't insist, only saying, "Then let me know when you find a place. I'll help you move."

"Okay," He Lezhi said.

The aftermath of a failed relationship was a continuous stream of problems. So long after the breakup, He Lezhi still had to find a new place to live. In the process of house-hunting, his patience gradually ran out. As he contemplated how his life had become such a mess, the constant annoyance caused many negative emotions to surface.

He Lezhi wasn't a person prone to overthinking. He would usually control himself to avoid getting caught up in his emotions; if there was a problem, he'd solve it first.

Therefore, within that week, He Lezhi decisively bought an apartment. The layout and price were both good. It was in the second phase of Han Fangchi's residential complex, just a street away from him. The contract stated the handover would be next April, and he had paid half of the down payment. He Lezhi didn't take any money from He Qi; he had some savings after working for many years, but after making the payment, there was basically nothing left.

He Qi said over the phone, "You're being polite with me now, huh?"

He Lezhi said with a laugh, "Well, if you really insist on giving me money, then send it over."

"You're starting to draw lines between us," He Qi asked. "All grown up now, huh?"

Sensing this was not going well, He Lezhi changed his tune, "Please give me some money right now, Mom."

He Qi asked him, "Do you have any money left?"

He Lezhi said, "Basically none."

He Qi said, "You pauper."

The day he went through the procedures was a Saturday. He Lezhi called Han Fangchi only when he was almost done with the paperwork to ask if he was home.

"I am. I was just about to look for you," Han Fangchi said.

"Look for me for what?" He Lezhi asked with a laugh. "Are you busy this afternoon?"

"I can be free," Han Fangchi asked him. "Play badminton?"

He Lezhi said, "Want to have lunch together? I'm over by your place."

"What are you doing here?"

He Lezhi said, "Buying an apartment."

The weather had already cooled down. Han Fangchi came downstairs wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and long pants. When he arrived, He Lezhi was just about to finish.

The salesperson took a stack of documents to make copies. He Lezhi was sitting on the sofa drinking coffee by himself. Han Fangchi walked over and sat down next to him.

When He Lezhi saw him, he smiled at him.

Han Fangchi asked, "When's the handover?"

"Next April," He Lezhi said.

Han Fangchi asked again, "What about where you're living now? Have you found a place?"

"No, I'm not worrying about it for now," He Lezhi said with a helpless shrug. "One thing at a time."

The salesperson came back with the documents, and Han Fangchi said no more.

Once everything was settled, He Lezhi took the contract and documents, and the two of them returned to the car together.

He Lezhi said, "Let's go eat."

Han Fangchi was sitting in the passenger seat when his phone vibrated. He glanced at the name.

"Hello?" Han Fangchi answered.

"Brother, you're not home?" Zhou Muyao's voice came through. "I rang the doorbell, but no one's here."

Of course, He Lezhi could recognize the voice, but he didn't turn his head, continuing to drive steadily. Han Fangchi didn't look at him either; both of them acted normally.

Han Fangchi: "You came over?"

Zhou Muyao said, "I was passing by, so I came up to hang out for a bit. What are you up to, Brother?"

"Having a meal with a friend. If you want to stay, just let yourself in," Han Fangchi said.

Zhou Muyao: "Then I won't stay. I brought you a box of plums. My colleague grew them in their orchard, they're super sweet. I left them at your door."

Han Fangchi hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Just leave them there."

Once the call ended, no one spoke in the car for a moment.

Although it wasn't as hot outside as it had been recently, they still needed the air conditioning on in the car. Han Fangchi leaned back against the seat, his legs spread casually, his left knee resting against the side of the center console. He Lezhi reached out and adjusted the air vent on the lower right to prevent it from blowing directly on Han Fangchi's knee.

"Want to go play badminton later?" Han Fangchi asked.

He Lezhi glanced at his hand and said, "Better not. You might tear it open again."

"It won't, I'm fine," Han Fangchi said.

The scabs on the back of his hand formed a large patch, looking shocking, but the injury wasn't actually serious. Still, a sport like basketball with a lot of hand movements was not a good idea. He Lezhi didn't dare play with him, saying, "You should let it heal properly."

The three of them, who were once close, now had a subtle difference in their relationships with each other because of He Lezhi and Zhou Muyao's breakup. Leaving the separated couple aside, Han Fangchi was now in contact with both sides but couldn't mention one to the other. He couldn't mention Zhou Muyao to He Lezhi, and to Zhou Muyao, he could only refer to his time with He Lezhi as being with a "friend."

When a long-term relationship breaks, the person who suffers the most, aside from the lovers themselves, is the one in the middle connecting both sides.

No matter how he handled things with both of them, it was impossible to return to the former closeness and balance.

Thinking of this, He Lezhi felt a faint sense of apology towards Han Fangchi.

"Fangchi," He Lezhi began.

"Hm?" Han Fangchi responded.

"Does it make things awkward for you sometimes too?" He Lezhi asked with a light, apologetic smile.

Han Fangchi looked over and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"You're in the middle and have to consider a lot of things. You always take care of us." He Lezhi glanced at him and said jokingly, "That's why other people only pick one side, but you're still holding on to both ends. Thanks for that."

Han Fangchi's focus was a bit off. He retorted, "I'm doing it to take care of you?"

"Aren't you?" He Lezhi said, "You've always been like a big brother, able to look out for everyone."

Han Fangchi turned his gaze out the window and said with a deadpan expression, "Thanks for the evaluation."

"I'm the one thanking you," He Lezhi said.

"You," Han Fangchi said, "say thanks one more time, and you can pull over and I'll get out."

He Lezhi started laughing. A moment later, he heard Han Fangchi say, "I see why Brother Ning doesn't hang out with you."

"Hahaha, I won't say thanks anymore," He Lezhi said. "Don't you stop hanging out with me."

He Lezhi didn't know which of his words had seemed to offend Han Fangchi. Although he didn't look any different, He Lezhi still had a faint feeling that something was off.

However, He Lezhi was still in a very good mood because he had solved a troublesome issue. After their meal, he extended an invitation with a grin, "Want to go for a run for a while tonight?"

"Your 'a while' is how long?" Han Fangchi asked rigorously.

He Lezhi chuckled. "Whatever's fine."

"Ten kilometers is fine," Han Fangchi said. "If I don't ask for specifics, you might drag me along for half the night."

"I wouldn't!" He Lezhi said. "And you'd have to run with me. If you don't run, I can't exactly drag you."

"If you don't stop, I have to keep you company," Han Fangchi said, his eyes lowered. "Aren't I supposed to be taking care of you?"

He Lezhi again felt there was a strange tone to his words, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He couldn't tell if there was a hint of temper behind it. He looked at his face, studying it for a moment, but couldn't see anything.

Han Fangchi took a sip of tea and noticed He Lezhi looking at him. He raised his eyes to meet his gaze. The moment their eyes met, He Lezhi smiled at him. He Lezhi was wearing glasses today. When he smiled, his eyes curved, and behind the lenses, the smile looked a little silly.

There was a park nearby with a running track. One lap was about five kilometers, so the two of them ran exactly two laps.

Other people out for a walk were all wearing long sleeves and pants; only the runners were in shorts and sportswear. He Lezhi ran the first lap at his normal speed and slowed his pace a bit for the second lap.

Once the pace slowed, they could chat as they ran. The temperature was perfect, the scenery by the lake was nice, and it was quite pleasant.

"Not cold?" He Lezhi asked.

Han Fangchi said, "Not cold."

The reason Han Fangchi wasn't that fond of outdoor sports was that he preferred to exercise in a temperature-controlled environment and didn't much like the changing weather of each season outside. He Lezhi, on the other hand, loved the open air and breathing freely; the stagnant air in indoor gyms felt stuffy to him.

Now, the two of them alternated between indoors and outdoors, and both had adapted quite well.

After they finished their two laps, they each headed home. When they reached Han Fangchi's residential complex, just as He Lezhi was about to say goodbye, Han Fangchi said, "Come."

"For what?" He Lezhi asked.

Han Fangchi didn't say anything and walked inside first.

He Lezhi followed him in, walking almost all the way to Han Fangchi's building. He Lezhi didn't understand what he was up to. He ran through the possibilities, even thinking that Han Fangchi might want him to take the bag of plums.

However, when they reached the building next to his, Han Fangchi entered the main door.

Completely bewildered, He Lezhi followed him into the elevator.

The elevator reached the twelfth floor. Han Fangchi stepped out, entered a passcode, and opened the door to an apartment.

He Lezhi looked at him blankly.

"This is my colleague's apartment. It was for his son's wedding, but the wedding was called off and the son went abroad. The place has been empty ever since. He might have to sell it later," Han Fangchi said. He turned on the lights and continued, "Go in and take a look. If it's okay, you can live here until next year. Don't worry about the rent; I'll sort it out with him separately."

He Lezhi didn't look at the apartment, just stared blankly at Han Fangchi.

Han Fangchi stood beside him, his face expressionless, and just said, "My place, or this place. Pick one to live in."