The function was grand.
Chandeliers sparkled. Music floated through the air. People in expensive suits and elegant gowns mingled and laughed and pretended to care about each other.
Wenhao stood near the center of the ballroom with a fake smile plastered on his face. He had been smiling for hours. His cheeks hurt. His feet hurt. His soul hurt.
He had just turned twenty.
Twenty. A whole new decade. And all he wanted was to be anywhere but here.
Xinyi was across the room, standing beside a tall man with a stiff posture and a practiced smile. Her future husband. The one her father had chosen for her.
Wenhao watched her. She was smiling too. But he knew her well enough to see the sadness in her eyes. The resignation.
He wanted to go to her. To tell her she didn't have to do this. But what could he say? What could he do?
Nothing.
So he just stood there and watched.
The cake was cut. People clapped. Someone made a toast. Wenhao smiled and nodded and wished he was anywhere else.
He kept looking toward the entrance. Toward the door. Toward the windows.
He was waiting.
For someone.
Who wasn't coming.
He had texted Zhenlong three times. No response.
He had called twice. Straight to voicemail.
His heart felt heavy. Disappointed. He had told himself it didn't matter. It was just a birthday. Just another day.
But it did matter.
And he was hurt.
He slipped away from the crowd and walked toward the exit. The cool night air hit his face and he took a deep breath. He walked further down the path, away from the lights and the noise.
And then someone grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
Before Wenhao could scream or fight or do anything embarrassing, he caught the scent.
Familiar. Warm. Something he had memorized without meaning to.
He turned around.
Zhenlong was standing there in the shadows, his dark eyes soft and his lips curved into a small smile.
Wenhao's heart leaped into his throat.
"Zhenlong?" His voice came out as a whisper.
Zhenlong pressed a finger to his lips. "Come with me. Before someone sees us."
Wenhao nodded quickly. He threw his arms around Zhenlong and hugged him tight. Zhenlong's arms wrapped around him and held him close.
"I thought you forgot," Wenhao said into his shoulder. "I thought you didn't care."
Zhenlong pulled back and looked at him. "I could never forget."
Wenhao smiled and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."
They slipped away together, disappearing into the night.
But behind the bushes, a flash of light flickered. A camera lens caught the moment. Two figures. Hands intertwined. Faces close.
And then they were gone.
Zhenlong took Wenhao to their favorite park. It was almost abandoned now. Forgotten. The lights were dim and the paths were overgrown and no one ever came here.
It was perfect.
They walked to the center of the park where the old fountain stood. The water had long since stopped flowing but it was still beautiful in the moonlight.
Zhenlong pulled something from his pocket.
Wenhao's eyes lit up. "You got me a gift?"
He reached out and took it from Zhenlong's hand. He looked at it.
It was a keychain. A small, ugly, cheap keychain. The kind you could buy from a vending machine.
Wenhao's face fell.
He stared at it. Then at Zhenlong. Then back at it.
"What is this?" Wenhao asked, his voice flat.
"A keychain."
"I can see that. But what is this? This is... this is ugly. This is the ugliest keychain I've ever seen. You didn't even try."
Zhenlong's mouth twitched.
Wenhao threw the keychain on the ground. "Are you messing with me? First you didn't wish me happy birthday. Then you disappeared the whole day. Ghosting me. Leaving me on read. And when my birthday is about to be over, you show up with this ugly keychain."
He turned away, his voice shaking. "It's not about the keychain. It's about you not caring. You know I don't have anything to use this for. I don't have a car. I don't have keys. I have nothing."
Zhenlong couldn't help it. He chuckled.
Wenhao whirled around. "You're laughing? I'm pouring my heart out and you're laughing?"
"Are you sure you don't have anything to put the keychain on?"
"What are you talking about? I just said I don't—"
Wenhao stopped.
Zhenlong was holding something above his head. Something small and metal. Something that glinted in the moonlight.
A key.
Wenhao gasped. His eyes went wide. His heart stopped.
"Don't tell me," Wenhao whispered. "Don't you dare tell me—"
Zhenlong smiled and pointed toward the edge of the park.
A bike was standing there. Sleek and black and beautiful. It gleamed under the dim lights like a dream.
Wenhao screamed. A high-pitched, embarrassing, joyful scream.
"NO WAY. NO WAY. IS THAT MINE? IS THAT FOR ME? OH MY GOD OH MY GOD."
He ran toward the bike, his feet barely touching the ground. He circled it, touching the handlebars, the seat, the smooth black paint.
"It's beautiful," Wenhao breathed. "It's so beautiful. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I love it. I love it so much."
Zhenlong walked over, his hands in his pockets, a soft smile on his face. "Happy birthday."
Wenhao turned to him and his eyes were shining. "Let's ride. Let's ride right now. Please. Please please please."
Zhenlong laughed. "It's almost midnight."
"I don't care. Let's go. Now."
Zhenlong shook his head but he was still smiling. He swung his leg over the bike and settled onto the seat.
Wenhao jumped on behind him and wrapped his arms around Zhenlong's waist. Tight. Clinging.
Zhenlong's breath caught.
He hesitated for a moment. Then he asked, his voice low, "Are you okay?"
Wenhao's voice was bright and excited. "Let's gooooo!"
Zhenlong chuckled and started the engine. The bike roared to life.
And then they were off.
The wind whipped past them. The city lights blurred. Wenhao pressed his face against Zhenlong's back and held on tight.
And for the first time in months, he felt completely, utterly free.
They rode for over an hour.
The wind whipped through Wenhao's hair and the city lights blurred past them and he pressed his face against Zhenlong's back and held on tight. He didn't know where they were going. He didn't care. He just wanted to keep going. Forever.
But eventually Zhenlong slowed down and turned back toward the park. The same abandoned park with the old fountain and the overgrown paths and the moonlight filtering through the trees.
They stopped near the grass and Zhenlong killed the engine. The sudden silence was loud. Wenhao climbed off the bike, his legs a little wobbly, his heart still racing.
Zhenlong pulled a bag from the bike's handle Snacks. Drinks.
"You planned this," Wenhao said, grinning. "You planned all of this."
Zhenlong shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Maybe."
They sat down on the grass. Wenhao grabbed the snacks and started eating like he hadn't eaten in days. Chips and chocolate and some kind of sweet bread that was still warm.
Zhenlong lay back on the grass, his arms behind his head, looking up at the sky. The stars were faint through the city lights but they were there. Tiny pinpricks of light scattered across the darkness.
Wenhao talked. He talked about everything and nothing. About his birthday. About how his father was doing. About how Xinyi looked so sad at the function. About how Ruifen had tried to make him a cake and it had turned out lopsided but he ate it anyway.
Zhenlong nodded and hummed in response but he wasn't really listening.
His heart was pounding.
His hands were sweating.
He kept glancing at his watch. At the time. At the seconds ticking by.
He had planned this. Every detail. The ride. The snacks. The park.
And now the final surprise was almost here.
Wenhao kept talking, oblivious. "...and then Ruifen said she wanted to try again and I told her I would help but honestly I think we should just buy a cake next time because—"
"Wenhao."
Wenhao stopped. "What?"
Zhenlong sat up slowly. His heart was beating so fast he was sure Wenhao could hear it. "Look up."
Wenhao tilted his head and looked up at the sky.
And then the fireworks started.
They exploded in bursts of gold and red and blue and green. They painted the sky in colors Wenhao had never seen before. They bloomed like flowers and rained down like shooting stars and the whole world was lit up in a symphony of light.
Wenhao froze. His mouth fell open. His eyes went wide.
Wenhao turned to look at him. His eyes were shining and his face was full of wonder and he opened his mouth to say something—
And Zhenlong kissed him.
It was soft at first. Gentle. Tentative. Zhenlong's lips pressed against Wenhao's and for a moment Wenhao didn't move.
Then a hand came up to his nape. Gentle. Warm. Comforting.
And Wenhao melted.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. His first kiss. He didn't know what he was doing. He just followed Zhenlong's lead. Let Zhenlong guide him. Let Zhenlong show him.
Zhenlong's lips were soft and warm and his hand was steady on Wenhao's neck and the fireworks were still exploding overhead and everything was perfect.
When they pulled back, Wenhao was breathless. His eyelids were barely open and his lips were tingling and his heart was doing flips inside his chest.
Zhenlong's forehead touched his. "Happy birthday," he whispered.
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Wenhao's forehead.
Wenhao's eyes fluttered open.
No. No, that wasn't enough.
He leaned up, chasing Zhenlong's lips, asking for more. Another kiss. Please.
But Zhenlong leaned back and chuckled. "This is not a good idea."
Wenhao's face went red. His lower lip came out in a pout.
He shoved Zhenlong away and scrambled to his feet.
"Idiot," he muttered, looking away.
Zhenlong laughed and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down. Wenhao fell onto his lap and before he could protest, Zhenlong was kissing him again.
This time it wasn't gentle. It was deep and hungry and Wenhao wrapped his arms around Zhenlong's neck and kissed him back with everything he had.
He was breathless. His heart was pounding. His whole body was on fire.
He didn't want to stop.
But Zhenlong pushed him back gently and chuckled. "Don't be naughty."
Wenhao's face went even redder. He scrambled off Zhenlong's lap and stood up, brushing off his clothes.
"Take me back," he said quickly. "Now.! Take me home."
Zhenlong laughed and stood up. He packed up rhe snacks and they got back on the bike.
The ride back was quiet. Wenhao's arms were wrapped around Zhenlong's waist and his face was pressed against Zhenlong's back and he was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.
They stopped near the Liang mansion. The lights were dim and the party was over and everyone was asleep.
Wenhao climbed off the bike. His legs were shaking and his heart was racing and he didn't know what to say.
He turned to Zhenlong and the words came out before he could stop them.
"I love you idiot"
And then he ran.
He ran through the gate and up the path and into the house without looking back.
Zhenlong sat on the bike with his heart pounding and his eyes wide and his lips still tingling.
He touched his lips and smiled.
He was in love.
And for the first time in his life, that wasn't a terrifying thought.