Master Qin may seem a bit intimidating, but he's actually a pretty good person. It's good that Xiangyang is with him.

A meal here is just like friends getting together and chatting about everyday things.

After dinner, Xiangyang wanted to talk to Zhang Lei alone, so he decided to send Qin Gang away and said, "Go and buy some medicine for Yan Yan."

Xiang Yang's intentions were so obvious that Zhang Lei broke out in a cold sweat.

Qin Gang gave Zhang Lei a sinister look, as if in warning, but after that look, he calmly said "okay" and then went to buy medicine for Yan Yan.

After Qin Gang left, Zhang Lei finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then looked at Xiang Yang with a sense of helplessness, not knowing what to say.

"Master Qin, Master Qin has a very good temper towards you." Zhang Lei managed to blurt this out after a long pause.

Xiangyang grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from his house, and while cracking them open, asked him, "What do you think of him? Is he someone you can get along with?"

Zhang Lei had always assumed that Xiang Yang and Master Qin had been together for a long time, so when he heard this, he immediately laughed, "Why are you acting like you're bringing someone to meet your parents before your wedding?"

Xiangyang laughed too, but it was a rather awkward laugh.

Although Zhang Lei was teasing him, he became serious after the teasing and said, "Actually, I think Qin Ye's emotions are much more stable than before. I'm talking about his attitude towards you."

"Hmm..." Xiang Yang smiled, "It's not scary enough to make people feel afraid."

Zhang Lei laughed: "Yeah, but it's only you, Yangyang. If he were with anyone he didn't really like, it wouldn't mean anything to him. Even if he got married, he would feel like he was living alone for the rest of his life."

Xiangyang's movements as he cracked sunflower seeds were getting slower and slower.

When Qin Gang returned with the medicine, Zhang Lei immediately stood up straight upon seeing him.

As long as Xiangyang doesn't say anything, Qin Gang won't ask him what he talked about with his friends over the years.

So Qin Gang simply handed over the medicine and said, "I've bought it."

When Zhang Lei reached out to take it, he subconsciously bent down towards him.

Xiang Yang clapped his hands, stood up, and said to Zhang Lei, "Brother Lei, it's getting late, let's head back first."

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Zhang Lei carried the medicine and escorted them to their doorstep.

When Xiang Yang walked up to Qin Gang, he naturally took Qin Gang's hand in front of Zhang Lei.

Zhang Lei thought it was only natural and didn't pay much attention to it.

Qin Gang was shocked.

It's not about putting your arm around someone's shoulder or grabbing their wrist; it's about... holding hands.

Qin Gang's palms were sweaty after walking just over twenty steps.

Reaching the car, Xiang Yang released Qin Gang's hand and said to Zhang Lei, "Let's go!"

Then, Xiangyang got into the car.

Qin Gang got into the car, and the two left.

For most of the journey, Xiangyang remained silent.

As they neared home, Xiangyang, who had been gazing at the scenery outside, suddenly asked, "Qin Gang, do you still plan to get married and have children in your life?"

Qin Gang's hands were sweating profusely as he gripped the steering wheel. "I have no plans."

“Hmm,” Xiangyang said, looking out the window, “I’m not getting married either.”

The car finally arrived at its destination.

Qin Gang felt something was going to happen today, and even his walking posture was stiff.

Xiangyang said, "Lying on the sofa isn't comfortable. How about I watch a movie in your room tonight? Do you have work scheduled for tomorrow? Will it bother you?"

"No," Qin Gang said.

"Alright then."

Xiangyang followed him upstairs. As soon as they entered his room, she took off her coat and reached out to take his, saying, "Let me hang it up for you."

Qin Gang could only say, "...Okay."

Both of them were wearing white shirts. Qin Gang was leaning against the headboard of the bed, while Xiang Yang was resting her head on his lap.

Xiangyang had always treated him this way over the years, but this was the first time, and it happened in Qin Gang's room.

The movie was pretty boring; Xiangyang lying on Qin Gang's lap was quite dull.

Halfway through the movie, Xiangyang couldn't bear to watch anymore, so he tilted his head back to look at Qin Gang.

He could also sense that the man was nervous.

The room was dimly lit.

After what seemed like an eternity, Xiangyang finally spoke, asking him again, "Qin Gang, do you... still want to get married in the future?"

"...No." Qin Gang's breathing betrayed him.

Xiangyang pursed her lips, her eyes glistening with moisture as she looked at him.

Then she reached out and hugged him.

Qin Gang's data changed again and again.

By daybreak, after seven changes, the data had dropped to the 99th decimal place.

After hearing the last notification tone, Xiangyang fell into a deep sleep and never woke up, his brows furrowed even in his sleep.

Unfortunately, Xiangyang had no choice but to ask for an extra day off.

Xiangyang and Qin Gang remained as close as ever. They would still snuggle together on the sofa to watch TV, travel together, go fishing, and try new things together.

There's just one more thing than before—closeness.

To outsiders, their relationship seemed no different than before.

And so the two of them went on, year after year.

When Xiangyang turned forty, Qin Gang's data had already reached the 1001st decimal place.

On Qin Gang's forty-ninth birthday, he had a nightmare for no apparent reason. After the nightmare, Qin Gang, who was usually very healthy, suddenly fell seriously ill and even had to be hospitalized.

Xiangyang was peeling a little rabbit for him in the hospital room.

Qin Gang looked at the little rabbit Xiang Yang handed him, but didn't eat it; he just stared at it.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Xiangyang asked him.

Everyone is changed by time, but looking at Xiang Yang, Qin Gang felt that apart from his appearance, the years seemed to have left no trace on him at all.

He is still the same Xiangyang who would carve little rabbits for him.

Looking at the little rabbit in his hand, Qin Gang felt as if the person standing in front of him was still 18-year-old Xiang Yang.

Qin Gang didn't eat the little rabbit. Instead, he reached out and, as if clinging to Xiangyang, pulled him onto the hospital bed.

Xiangyang: "What are you doing! The nurse will be coming in soon!"

Qin Gang snuggled into the crook of his neck, "You're almost 40 years old, and you're still calling me 'nurse sister'?"

Xiangyang rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Qin Gang suddenly stopped making a fuss and became unusually quiet.

“You,” Xiangyang stirred in his arms, “what’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly acting so serious?”

Qin Gang buried his face in the crook of his neck, and after a long, long time, he gently asked him, "Kid..."