"Wanna See Abs?"

Since he was standing far away, Shen Mingjin wasn't sure if Xu Duwan had heard Yu Qingbie's words.

But for some reason, the moment Xu Duwan looked over, a strange feeling rose inside Shen Mingjin…

Guilt?

Weird. Why would he feel guilty?

Shen Mingjin frowned slightly, his long eyelashes fluttering as he thought about this sudden feeling. A hint of confusion and hesitation appeared on his face.

He was deep in thought, his hand slowing down without realizing it. He stood about four or five meters away from Xu Duwan, not moving forward, just staring at him in silence.

It looked like he didn't really want to go over.

In Xu Duwan's eyes, this slow hesitation meant one thing—Shen Mingjin was still angry about what happened this morning. That was why he was unwilling to come over and talk.

Thinking of this, the cold expression on Xu Duwan's face deepened. He wanted to get mad, but he also knew he had no right to be. So, he just sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, his gaze locked on the slightly greasy table in front of him. His thin lips pressed together tightly, and he refused to even glance at the menu, as if unwilling to order anything himself.

Xu Duwan had a delicate face. His round, clear almond-shaped eyes were like fresh morning dew. His chin wasn't too sharp, but had a soft curve, making his face the perfect oval shape. Normally, his features looked gentle, even a bit innocent. But right now, the air around him was heavy with irritation, making him seem unapproachable.

A bold summer part-timer, holding a notepad, walked over to take Xu Duwan's order.

But Xu Duwan acted like he didn't hear him at all. He didn't even lift his eyelids—just leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, saying nothing.

His whole aura screamed, Don't talk to me.

The part-timer, a college freshman working to save money for school, stood frozen in place, his toes curling into the ground from pure secondhand embarrassment. He almost wanted to cry.

"Sh-Shen-ge…"

The tall, 6-foot freshman dragged his feet back to Shen Mingjin, looking completely defeated. His nose twitched as he sniffled:

"He's really scary…"

Even though Xu Duwan hadn't said a single word, the freshman could feel the cold, indifferent glances that had sized him up at least three times.

"..."

Shen Mingjin patted his shoulder, paused for a moment, then said:

"I'll go."

Under the part-timer's admiring gaze, he walked over to Xu Duwan's table. His voice was calm, just like his expression, as if nothing had ever happened between them:

"What do you want to eat?"

Silence.

People around them had been watching this well-dressed young man for a while. When they saw him scare off one waiter, they assumed he'd ignore this one too.

But to their surprise—

Xu Duwan opened his eyes and, in a cool, even tone, said:

"Crawfish. Herbal tea."

Damn it. He was ordering the same thing those girls had earlier.

As if he had personally picked them out for them.

Xu Duwan deliberately ignored the fact that Shen Mingjin had merely suggested the drinks to the girls earlier.

"…You can eat crawfish?"

Shen Mingjin frowned, remembering how pale Xu Duwan looked that morning when he had a stomachache. He was clearly concerned:

"You shouldn't eat that."

Xu Duwan's expression instantly stiffened.

"..."

Shen Mingjin froze.

He suddenly felt like he had overstepped.

Maybe… maybe Xu Duwan still found him annoying. Just like before.

He hesitated, swallowing back the rest of his words. He lowered his head and was about to write "crawfish" on the order slip—

When a slender, bony hand suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

Shen Mingjin looked up.

"?"

Xu Duwan seemed to realize what he had done. Like he had touched something burning, he immediately pulled his fingers back, curling them into his palm.

His fingertips were slightly damp with sweat.

But his face remained calm as he muttered, almost too quietly to hear:

"…Then, if you say I shouldn't eat it…"

His voice trailed off.

His gaze flickered to Shen Mingjin for a split second. Then, barely above a whisper, he added:

"…Then I won't."

The way he lowered his head made him look almost obedient—like a fierce animal choosing to sheath its claws, letting only one person near it.

Shen Mingjin was momentarily stunned.

Then, as he processed what Xu Duwan had just said, the corners of his lips twitched slightly, his expression softening.

He lowered his gaze, looking at the small swirl of hair on top of Xu Duwan's head… and the faint pink shade on the tips of his ears, hidden beneath his dark hair.

His voice relaxed as he answered:

"Alright."

With that, he quickly wrote something on the paper and sent the order to the kitchen.

By the time Xu Duwan, growing bored, had almost dozed off at the table—

Shen Mingjin emerged from the kitchen, carrying a steaming bowl of seafood porridge.

—

The food stall mostly served quick dishes, rarely anything slow-cooked like porridge. Shen Mingjin had to beg Father Yu for it, in exchange for working an extra hour tonight.

"Eat first. We'll talk later." Shen Mingjin placed the hot bowl in front of Xu Duwan, stirring it slightly to cool it down. His voice was patient.

He thought Xu Duwan was here because of something important—he had no idea that Xu Duwan actually came to apologize.

In his mind, someone like Xu Duwan—a wealthy young master—would never apologize to a lowly worker earning just 3,000 a month.

Xu Duwan stared at Shen Mingjin's busy figure, his sharp silhouette faintly visible through his sweat-dampened shirt. His gaze darkened with possession.

Then, as he glanced around, he realized—other people were looking at Shen Mingjin, too. And their gazes weren't much more innocent than his.

Xu Duwan: "…"

He was furious.

It wasn't surprising, though. This city had recently grown into a major urban center, but it wasn't famous for its tech industry. Instead, it was known for its high number of LGBTQ people—specifically, more bottoms than tops.

And with Shen Mingjin's looks and build, he'd attract attention in any crowd, especially from the bold ones.

Noticing some people getting ready to ask for Shen Mingjin's WeChat, and even some secretly taking pictures of his abs, Xu Duwan downed a beer in frustration. Then, still unsatisfied, he ordered several more bottles—successfully getting himself drunk.

So, as the food stall reached its peak hours, Xu Duwan—predictably—started a fight.

He insisted that a shorter, lightly made-up man delete the photos of Shen Mingjin from his phone. But the guy refused. They nearly threw punches before Shen Mingjin stepped in.

"Don't fight! Don't fight!"

Shen Mingjin grabbed Xu Duwan, thinking less about the fight itself and more about how to cover for him. He held him back and whispered,

"He's drunk. I apologize on his behalf."

But before the other guy could respond, Xu Duwan—face flushed, eyes wet and red like a newborn puppy—stepped in front of Shen Mingjin.

"No apologies! No apologies!"

"You all—stop looking!"

He waved his arms to block their view, but when he realized it wasn't enough, his drunk brain worked in overdrive. Staggering, he turned around and—without warning—wrapped his arms tightly around Shen Mingjin's waist, pressing against him.

"You're not allowed to look at him!"

Shen Mingjin: "…"

Then, in a voice as sticky as melted sugar, Xu Duwan murmured—

"He's mine."

And with that, he shoved his hands under Shen Mingjin's shirt, running his fingers over his long-desired abs.

With a drunken giggle, he lifted his dazed, blushing face and whispered—

"Let me see your abs?"