The first thing Su Yan saw when he woke up was a tuft of black hair. The first thing he felt … was a pair of silky lips on his.

Huh?

He blinked and his brain seemed to crash. What was going on? Hadn’t he just been with his father? How come someone was kissing him now? He squinted at that black hair and tried to figure out who that person was. He couldn’t tell, though, but instead, he noticed the white ceiling above them. Had he ended up in the hospital somehow?

He took a deep breath to find out if there was that awful smell of sanitizer in the air but instead he got a whiff of a familiar aftershave.

Huh?

Su Yan blinked again. This time he was sure his brain had crashed. Something had to be wrong. Why did it seem like this person kissing him right now was Nie Chang?

"Ah Yan …" That person whispered at his lips, his breath tickling Su Yan’s skin.

Su Yan gulped. "Nie Chang?"

Nie Chang jerked up. It seemed his friend had already woken up? He shifted awkwardly but then frowned. Why was he reacting like this? Su Yan had obviously wanted him to hug him back before. Considering what Madam Su had told him over the ohone that had to mean he liked him back. There was nothing to be embarrassed about!

"You’re awake," he murmured and leaned down once more, pecking him on the lips.

Su Yan’s eyes went wide. "What … What are you doing?"

"Hugging you." Nie Chang sat down at the edge of the bed and smiled. "I remember a certain someone extending his arms as soon as he opened the door and then complaining when I carried him into the car and drove him to the hospital instead of hugging him back. So I felt like I should fulfill your wish now that you’re feeling better."

Su Yan’s gaze flitted about. Oh god! Had he really done that? Wait. If he had and Nie Chang didn’t want to hug him back …

Nie Chang could practically see how Su Yan’s thoughts were going awry. He reached over and put a finger to his lips. "Sh. Don’t think anymore. You’re just going to get it wrong again."

Su Yan wanted to protest but Nie Chang just shook his head.

"I love you. Is that clear enough for you?"

Su Yan stopped struggling. That … had been really direct. "You … Why didn’t you say so sooner?! Going around in circles like that … Did you want to drive me insane?"

Nie Chang patted his hand. "I really wonder who is driving whom insane here. So. What about your answer?" He looked into Su Yan’s eyes, intent on not missing even a second of his expression. He had to engrave this moment into his heart and remember it in the years to come.

Su Yan couldn’t take that kind of gaze. He averted his face and looked out the window. He couldn’t really remember what had happened after he went to his father’s study but it seemed like Nie Chang had once again been there for him. It had always been like that. Whenever he felt bad or when something happened Nie Chang had always been at his side, silently hugging him or uttering some words of comfort. Without realizing it their relationship had probably already changed with the years. What use was there in pretending?

"I like you, too."

Nie Chang broke out into a beautiful smile. He bent down again, scooped Su Yan up into his arms and gently kissed him. "I guess that makes me officially your boyfriend then."

"Oh." Su Yan looked up at him and blushed.

Just how had this happened? A week ago he had still had a normal best friend and was working at a service point at the train station and now he had somehow become said friend’s employee and boyfriend. Why did it seem like everything in his life was changing?

"Don’t think too much. We’ve … we’ve always gotten along well, haven’t we? Whether we call it being friends or lovers nothing will change about that." He stroked Su Yan’s hair back and smiled.

The satisfaction in his expression gave Su Yan pause. He suddenly remembered those photos. Nie Chang had looked just as satisfied back there. He … should be really happy now, shouldn’t he?

"Eh, Ah Chang, do I have to stay in the hospital for long?"

"No. You can probably leave already. Wait a moment. I’ll go and talk to the nurse."

"Mn. Thank you."

Nie Chang smiled, bent down once more and lightly kissed his brow. Ah, it really felt good being able to do that overtly. His lips lingered for a moment before he stepped back with a heavy heart. He really wanted to lie down with Su Yan and just hold him to his chest for a while. Well, that would have to wait until later. "Alright, I’ll be back soon."

"Mn." Su Yan looked at his leaving figure. Nie Chang paused in the doorway and looked back at him, giving him another smile before he left.

Su Yan sighed. His best friend had confessed to him in the hospital and he was still so happy. He felt like he had let him down somehow.

"Mn. I should probably make it up to him somehow." It was just that he had no idea how to do that.

"Boyfriend …" He tried to remember the conversations between his former co-workers. It seemed Zhi Bao Yu had once said that she wanted to surprise her boyfriend but didn’t know how? They had discussed for quite a while what could be done.

He hadn’t really paid any attention, after all, that was a bunch of women talking. What did it matter to him? He was a man himself. He had actually felt that he shouldn’t listen to that. What if he got a girlfriend later on and she also wanted to surprise him? Wouldn’t he ruin her surprise then?

Now he felt that it was a pity. He could have gotten so many ideas! Mn, at least, he could remember the final conclusion! After all, the girls had asked for his opinion in the end.

It seemed like the best thing to do in this kind of situation was buying nice clothes and wearing them for your boyfriend! So, he should probably go shopping tomorrow?