Chapter 17 – Overstepping Boundaries

After Ye Zhou left, the graduate student entered with the report and couldn’t help asking, “Professor, that person just now… isn’t he a student from our school?”

Guan Heng had long put down his chopsticks in his left hand and picked up a pen with his right. “No. He’s the owner of Zhoujishi.”

The graduate student suddenly understood. That was a very famous restaurant nearby, one he had visited several times. “I didn’t recognize him at first… the owner is so young?”

As Guan Heng recalled Ye Zhou’s reaction earlier, he couldn’t help but smile.

When Ye Zhou returned to the restaurant, he was inevitably teased by the staff. Even if he hadn’t explicitly said he was pursuing someone, his actions were telling enough. With all the new dishes he was developing and the bento boxes he sent over, coupled with his youthful appearance, it wasn’t hard for people to assume he was in love.

“Boss, are we going to have a boss lady soon?”

“Is he a student from the nearby university?”

“What kind of boy is it?”

Ye Zhou’s sexual orientation was something the employees of the restaurant and bar had always known. Ye Zhou would openly state this when hiring, allowing those who couldn’t accept it to move on. After all, they worked together eight to ten hours a day; it was better to avoid mutual resentment. Those who stayed were accepting or understanding.

Given Ye Zhou’s previous preference for younger partners, it wasn’t surprising that the staff assumed he had set his sights on a student. Even Ye Zhou himself found it incredible that he had fallen for a type completely different from his usual choices. This proved just how much Guan Heng captivated him.

But Ye Zhou had no intention of explaining anything. He hadn’t even won Guan Heng’s heart yet; it was too early to talk about anything else.

Although being mistaken for a student made him happy, his age still made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He went to the changing room to switch back into his work attire. Once he tied his collar and combed his hair, the person in the mirror seemed to transform, appearing much more commanding. He looked at himself with satisfaction. “This is more familiar.”

When Guan Heng returned home that evening, he brought back the washed lunch box to Ye Zhou. Ye Zhou had clearly put thought into it, making sure Guan Heng could eat during his spare moments between classes.

When Ye Zhou took the lunch box, he casually asked, “Are you hungry? Would you like some late-night snack?”

Guan Heng smiled at the suggestion. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”

“No,” Ye Zhou laughed, rubbing his nose sheepishly. “Cooking might be the only thing I’m good at showing off.”

In reality, Ye Zhou had many virtues. He wasn’t just good-looking; his optimistic attitude, forward momentum, and vibrant energy were equally attractive. When Guan Heng saw him outside the office door today, he felt Ye Zhou shone as brightly as the sunlight streaming through the windows. “Then I won’t refuse.”

“Please come in.”

Tonight’s late-night snack was savory radish cake and lotus root soup with pork ribs. The radish cake was pan-fried until crispy and golden on the outside, fragrant and chewy. The pork ribs were tender, easily detaching from the bone, while the lotus root’s aroma enhanced the sweetness of the soup, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Despite the small portions, Guan Heng finished everything without leaving a crumb.

Having seen Guan Heng eat so many times, Ye Zhou still couldn’t gauge the depth of his appetite. It seemed he wasn’t picky either. Ye Zhou suddenly remembered something and burst out laughing.

Guan Heng looked over. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing. I just remembered something. A customer told me that her brother-in-law is a doctor, handsome and rich, with many admirers. When her sister pursued him, she started cooking delicious meals every day to prevent him from being snatched away by others, fattening him up…”

“Did it work?”

“It did.” Ye Zhou nodded. “They’ve been married for a long time now, but her brother-in-law is still fat.”

Guan Heng chuckled, not responding further.

When Ye Zhou heard this story, his first reaction was laughter. He wasn’t sure why it was so amusing, perhaps because he found it unexpected how women’s cunning often manifested in these peculiar ways, but also quite intriguing: “Do you think she fell for him because of his money or true love?”

Achieving such a level of commitment wasn’t easy. After all, your significant other was someone you lived with day in and day out, slept next to every night, and woke up to see first thing in the morning. This life was supposed to last decades, maybe even a lifetime. Ye Zhou merely thought of this when he saw Guan Heng eating, saying whatever came to mind without deliberately searching for topics.

This naturalness of Ye Zhou’s was something Guan Heng appreciated, making their interactions comfortable.

“It’s probably both,” Guan Heng replied casually. “Every couple has their own way of interacting. What matters isn’t how others perceive it, but whether they’re happy with it. Others can’t interfere or influence them.”

Ye Zhou wondered if he was wearing too thick a filter, but he genuinely believed what Guan Heng said made sense. Life was meant to be shared with the person you chose; that’s where the meaning lay.

Unexpectedly, Guan Heng turned the question back on him. “Would you do that?”

Ye Zhou was taken aback. He hadn’t given it much thought when he spoke, but the situation seemed to mirror their own dynamic. Guan Heng’s question clearly overstepped boundaries, hinting at something, almost giving Ye Zhou permission to advance further. The atmosphere grew thick with ambiguity. Ye Zhou could feel his heart racing, but he met Guan Heng’s eyes head-on, honest in his response: “No, I can’t imagine doing it, nor can I allow myself to. It’s not that I can’t accept it; it’s just… I like you the way you are.”

Only after Ye Zhou finished speaking did he realize what he had just said. It was almost a confession.

Ye Zhou was frustrated. He hadn’t planned to move so quickly, not that he wasn’t eager, but it felt like his plans were being disrupted, leaving him flustered. In the past, pursuing someone wasn’t exactly effortless, but it usually flowed naturally. Nothing like this. He hadn’t expected Guan Heng to have such a profound impact on him. A mere gesture of affection nearly had him surrendering.

Guan Heng gave him a deep look before smiling.

The conversation couldn’t continue on this topic, and Ye Zhou couldn’t either. Otherwise, he might have done something he couldn’t predict. He didn’t want to lose his composure in front of Guan Heng.

Fortunately, Guan Heng didn’t intend to open up about this right then. After finishing his snack and washing the dishes, he bid farewell.

After seeing Guan Heng off, Ye Zhou touched his pounding heart. It was still beating fiercely. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way, certainly not when he was dating before.

He intended to pursue someone, but ended up getting seduced instead.

Ye Zhou felt a little embarrassed, as if he’d lost some ground, but it also felt inevitable. After all, no one could resist an outstanding and charismatic man, and he was no exception.