Wang Ling lay lazily on the sofa, legs crossed and one foot bobbing rhythmically. The tea in his hand rose and fell with the motion, perfectly contained just enough not to spill—a sight that made one feel a sudden, strong urge to smack him.
Lu Linjiang returned from washing the dishes and extended a long leg to step on Wang Ling’s bobbing one. "A man who shakes his leg shakes away his wealth."
"Feudal superstition. Toss it!" Wang Ling hooked his leg to kick Lu Linjiang away and resumed his shaking.
Guo Junyi, annoyed beyond belief, waved Lu Linjiang away like he was shooing a fly. "You're blocking the TV!"
The television was currently airing a high-traffic idol drama. The male and female leads were standing in a torrential downpour, going in circles over the "I love you, but you love him, and he loves her" trope. Their expressions were agonizing; whether they were actually in pain was debatable, but they were certainly getting their fill of rainwater.
"...What’s so good about this?" Lu Linjiang frowned. He didn't know the show, but he had a general idea of who the leads were. The average age of their fans was probably young enough to call Guo Junyi 'Dad,' which said enough about the target audience.
"What’s *not* good about it?" Guo Junyi stared at the screen without blinking. "Just because you’re living in domestic bliss doesn't mean we aren't allowed to live vicariously through them."
Lu Linjiang sat down wordlessly, his eyes drifting toward the door. Jiang Cheng had said he was going out to buy fruit after dinner; he should have been back by now. Wang Ling let out a satisfied burp and glanced at Lu Linjiang. "Know when to stop, alright? Could you show some consideration for us two single bachelors?"
Both of them lived alone, and meals were always a problem. Once Jiang Cheng found out, he started inviting them over for dinner every few days. In Lu Linjiang’s eyes, this was entirely a case of "inviting the wolf into the house." Having developed a taste for the good life, these two had no concept of "shame" in their vocabulary. They had transitioned from polite, feigned refusals to showing up uninvited without a single shred of hesitation.
"If you don't want to watch, you can get lost," Lu Linjiang said, issuing an unceremonious eviction notice.
Wang Ling ignored him completely, turning to ask Guo Junyi, "What are they crying about now? Why are they breaking up?"
Finding himself utterly disregarded, Lu Linjiang could only glare at Wang Ling.
Jiang Cheng walked in carrying pre-cut fruit. Wang Ling and Guo Junyi stood up simultaneously, happily taking the tray and setting it on the table. "Our Little Orange is the only one who knows how to look after people. Not like some ungrateful wolf!"
Jiang Cheng habitually ignored their bickering, treating it as entertainment. He washed his hands and came back out, reaching for a piece of watermelon Lu Linjiang was handing him. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching roar erupted from the TV. His hand jerked, nearly sending the watermelon flying. "What happened?"
Jiang Cheng was somewhat stunned, unable to understand why the lead, who was soaked like a drowned rat, had suddenly become so hysterical.
"Ah, it's all a misunderstanding. The second female lead intentionally left a lipstick mark on the male lead's collar. Xiao Yi saw it and thought he’d moved on. Plus, the second male lead is stirring the pot, so Xiao Yi wants to break up to let them be together. But the male lead won't have it; he thinks Xiao Yi is being unreasonable and acting out for no reason," Guo Junyi explained while munching on melon. "The second leads are too wicked, the male lead is too stupid, and Xiao Yi is too naive."
Wang Ling was a bit dazed. Although he had followed a few episodes with Guo Junyi, this kind of idol drama really wasn't his cup of tea; he was only watching for the female lead's looks. He hadn't expected Guo Junyi to actually untangle this messy, illogical plot so clearly.
"You really like this?" Wang Ling asked, looking at him as if he were a miracle.
"Of course!" Guo Junyi felt no shame in being an aging man addicted to brainless idol dramas. He said righteously, "I'm a die-hard fan of Xiao Yi!"
At this moment, Wang Ling felt that Lu Linjiang’s desire to kick this man out wasn't entirely without merit.
The words "lipstick mark" made Jiang Cheng’s heart skip a beat. Remembering something, he couldn't help but look up at Lu Linjiang.
Lu Linjiang was busy feeding him melon. "What is it?"
Jiang Cheng didn't like digging up ancient history. He shook his head. "Nothing."
But for Wang Ling, who was getting bored with the mindless plot, this was a perfect topic. He said with ill intent, "Little Orange, tell us. If something's wrong, your big brother here will set things right for you!"
"It's really nothing," Jiang Cheng said. "A thought just crossed my mind. It's not important."
However, Lu Linjiang instinctively felt it *was* important. That sideways glance from Jiang Cheng had made him feel inexplicably guilty. He didn't understand where the feeling came from, but his intuition told him he should clear things up.
"Tell me first, then I'll decide if it's important or not."
Jiang Cheng felt things were about to go south. He had truly only thought of it in passing; besides, it had happened so long ago. Given their current situation, it was better left unsaid. But he knew Lu Linjiang—now that a hint had been dropped, the man would dig to the bottom of it to ensure no hidden grievances remained.
Wang Ling was still egging them on from the side: "Yeah, tell us, tell us! Big brother will back you up!" He was the definition of someone who loved watching a scene unfold.
Even Guo Junyi, whose eyes hadn't left the TV since the show started, took a moment to look over. Though he didn't dare speak because Lu Linjiang was glaring at him, his expression clearly said: *Hurry up and dig the hole, I'll help bury him.*
Seeing no way out and knowing they were all friends, Jiang Cheng said, "I just remembered... before I left back then, there was a lipstick mark on your shirt too."
The expressions of all three men changed instantly. Jiang Cheng hurriedly explained, "It's really nothing. I just thought lipstick marks are quite hard to wash out."
Guo Junyi immediately averted his gaze, staring intently at the TV as if he hadn't heard a thing. Wang Ling wished he could take back everything he’d just said. He wanted to see Lu Linjiang in the hot seat, but this wasn't fun anymore—it was a tragedy.
Lu Linjiang’s face was as grim as still water. Jiang Cheng looked at him with a hint of amusement. "I'm not trying to settle old scores."
It had been three years. Whatever the circumstances were, they were in the past. He had no interest in debating a lipstick mark now.
Lu Linjiang’s brow furrowed for a moment, then smoothed out. "Was that lipstick mark particularly large?"
"Huh?" Jiang Cheng looked at him, confused.
"Particularly large, particularly ugly, and a particularly tacky color?"
Three pairs of eyes converged on Lu Linjiang.
Lu Linjiang addressed the three astonished faces. "Wang Ling forced that onto me."
Wang Ling found this preposterous. He delved deep into his dusty memories, finally dragging something out from a forgotten corner. It seemed there *had* been a party where a group of people pinned him down and put bright red lipstick on him. Then, being a nuisance, he had gone around intentionally "leaving his mark," and had happened to stamp one on Lu Linjiang.
Wang Ling slapped his forehead. "The fruit's all gone! I have to work overtime, I'll be going now!"
Guo Junyi looked at him with disdain. "Was it really you?"
"What do you mean 'was it'?" Wang Ling replied crossly. "Hey, comrade, you've eaten and drunk your fill at someone else's house. It's late—how can you be so shameless as to stay and disturb their private time?"
He stepped forward and hauled Guo Junyi up. "Stop being a third wheel. You have a car, don't you? Give me a lift."
Just as Guo Junyi was about to struggle, Lu Linjiang said chillingly, "Wang Ling?"
The man's voice was so cold that Guo Junyi got goosebumps for no reason. In his momentary daze, he was dragged out the door by Wang Ling.
"No construction without destruction! Consider this my good deed for the day. I've taken the trash out with me, no need to thank me. Bye-bye!"
The two left in a hurry, finally leaving only Jiang Cheng and Lu Linjiang in the house.
"I'll go throw the trash away," Jiang Cheng said, stiffly changing the subject.
"The 'trash' he was referring to was Guo Junyi."
Jiang Cheng: "..."
The idol drama finally changed scenes. The male and female leads, their hair perfectly styled despite the rain, moved to a new location to continue circling their misunderstanding. Jiang Cheng asked helplessly, "Are you really angry about this?" He found it a bit bizarre. Setting aside the fact that he didn't care anymore, given Lu Linjiang’s personality, he shouldn't have cared about such things at all.
Lu Linjiang arched an eyebrow, using his fingers as a comb to tidy Jiang Cheng’s hair. "Those two were annoying me to death. If I didn't use this as an excuse, who knows how long they would have lingered." He glanced calculatingly at his phone. "I'll send Wang Ling another message in a bit. I'll guarantee he won't show his face in front of me for a while."
Jiang Cheng: "..."
***
