The two of them stayed quiet for a moment but Duan Zhi Hao couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder to the two men they had seen. They were still standing there in the same position with one looking a bit helpless and the other arguing one-sidedly. "So, if that wasn’t your ex, then what else was he? Because you really looked shell-shocked."

Li Ming smiled wryly. Somehow, everything seemed to be about his love life these days. As somebody who was usually pretty private, this was an odd feeling. "Well, to be honest, that was a past crush."

Duan Zhi Hao gave a hum and slowly nodded. "Well, that guy seemed to be handsome and quite caring. I could actually imagine you with somebody like that." Even though he had only found out yesterday, he would consider himself a rather open-minded person. Imagining Li Ming with another man didn’t take that much of him.

Considering the little tidbit he had just gleaned of that guy’s personality, he felt that he was pretty good. Li Ming’s ex had clearly been an asshole for lying to him the whole time. Somebody who was caring was definitely a much better partner. Well, a pity that apparently, they had never gotten to the relationship part and it had stayed a crush.

Li Ming looked a little uncomfortable but didn’t say anything.

Duan Zhi Hao couldn’t help but notice though. He stopped in his tracks since they had almost caught up with Yao Ai. She didn’t know yet that Li Ming was gay so he didn’t think that it would be a good idea to talk about it in front of her.

While it seemed that with each generation, people became more open-minded about these things, he didn’t want to take any chances. Especially since this wasn’t about himself but about Li Ming’s life instead. "What’s the matter?" He wouldn’t have gotten the guy’s personality wrong, right?

Li Ming rubbed his temple, not sure how to say this. Somehow, he felt like he might be having a certain type and it wasn’t a good one. That was … a bit embarrassing. "Actually … you picked the wrong person, my crush was the other one. The kind and caring guy you just mentioned is his boyfriend that he got together with instead of me. He … also punched me in the face."

He tilted his head when he thought back to that day. To hit a security guard and make him go down, he had to say that Nie Chang punched really well. Although part of that might have been the surprise. Thinking of that time, he clicked his tongue. "Well, I deserved that one." He would never say that Nie Chang had done anything wrong that day. No, while he didn’t think that violence was really a solution, sometimes, there just were moments where it was the fastest way to deal with something and there was no time to talk things out. And he had deserved that one.

Duan Zhi Hao wasn’t sure which part he should be more alarmed by: The fact that apparently, not only was Li Ming’s last ex a total asshole but also a guy he had had a crush on before that? Maybe that the kind-and-caring guy he had imagined would punch somebody else? Or maybe the fact that Li Ming felt like he would deserve being punched for something? None of that made any sense.

He turned to the other side, needing a moment to stabilize his emotions before he turned back to Li Ming. "Alright, there is so much wrong with that information that I really feel we need to sit down and have a talk about that. But … sister Yao is already looking pretty indignant about us taking our sweet time so I’d say let’s leave that for later?"

Li Ming smiled wryly. "Actually, I don’t think we need to talk about this. I am … I don’t know. I’m not really in the mood to have that kind of discussion right now. It’s not something I’m proud of and I guess it might be even worse than what happened with my ex."

Duan Zhi Hao raised his brows but finally just put an arm around his shoulders. "You know, that story with your ex was crazy enough so if you tell me that this one is even worse, I want to know even more. I bet you haven’t taken that one any better and experience shows that you need somebody to talk things through with."

"Well, I did talk about it with my ex."

"No matter what it was he said, I think it can’t hurt to talk about it with somebody else as well. You know, somebody with a working moral compass. Like me." Duan Zhi Hao even went so far as to pat his own chest, clearly very much invested in Li Ming’s love life by now.

Li Ming wasn’t sure what to make of this but, in the end, he couldn’t help but laugh. "You know, you wouldn’t be the first straight guy I asked for love advice so why not? Let’s find an opportunity to talk." It’d probably be less awkward than talking about it with his mother. And he had a feeling that they probably would talk about it. Yes, just thinking about it, tomorrow would likely be worse. He’d better use today to prepare.

Duan Zhi Hao nodded, not wanting to pressure him further and instead pulled him over to Yao Ai.

By now, she really wasn’t looking happy. "Why were you taking you so long?"

Duan Zhi Hao just waved. "Don’t be this impatient. We have the whole day. If you run around all the time, then we old people won’t be able to keep up in a while. Anyway, you’ve used the opportunity to look around, haven’t you? So I’m sure that you didn’t miss out on anything just because we were slow."

Yao Ai gave a huff but still didn’t bother to argue further. Instead, she grabbed Li Ming’s arm and then pointed down a road. "Anyway, let’s go down there. I saw some people come up from there who seemed really excited so I want to see where they came from."

Li Ming nodded and the three of them made their way down there, soon reaching the next attraction.