Please come to my house for dinner.

As deep autumn set in and the weather grew colder, Jiang Yi welcomed a seven-day mini holiday, having already arranged to go on a trip with others.

Su Ran and Ye Qiao were also among the group heading to a southern city, where it was still warm.

Just before setting out, Su Ran sat in his room holding a velvet box containing a watch worth enough to buy a house back home. He hadn’t found the right moment to return it, but since he was about to be away for a while, he thought it best to return it promptly.

With this in mind, Su Ran placed the box into his bag and was about to leave when there was a knock on the door. Opening it, he found Ye Qiao standing there.

Su Ran sat back down on the edge of the bed and asked, “What’s up?”

Ye Qiao closed the door, sat beside him, and handed over a bag. “Ranran, I told you I’d give you a watch. Open it and see if you like it.”

“No need to give me anything... you really…” Su Ran said, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew this was Ye Qiao’s heartfelt gesture.

Opening the box revealed an exquisite dial. Ye Qiao watched Su Ran’s expression intently but noticed he didn’t look as delighted as expected.

The watch looked luxurious, and Su Ran was momentarily stunned. He recalled having researched the brand after Ye Qiao mentioned that He Zhiwen’s gift was expensive. Upon checking online, he was shocked—watches from this brand regularly cost over a million. The one He Zhiwen gave him was valued at over two million, but this limited edition watch Ye Qiao gave him was worth more than six million.

Su Ran felt dizzy, as if the currency he was using wasn’t the same. He simply couldn’t fathom why Ye Qiao would give him something so outrageously priced.

He could hardly imagine accepting gifts over five thousand yuan without hesitation.

“This… this is a Patek Philippe, right?” Su Ran asked tentatively.

Ye Qiao was momentarily surprised that he recognized it but then smiled and took the watch, slipping it onto Su Ran’s wrist. “It’s worthless—just a replica, but a very convincing one.”

Relieved, Su Ran laughed inside. There was no way Ye Qiao would give him something so expensive; if it was fake, it made sense.

“Look how beautiful it is. Ranran, your wrist looks great—you should wear such a beautiful watch,” Ye Qiao said.

He claimed it was fake, but whatever was on Su Ran’s wrist had to be genuine.

Feeling Ye Qiao’s fingers fiddling with the skin on his wrist, Su Ran quickly pulled his arm away, fearing that just before going out, Ye Qiao’s habit of touching him might flare up again.

Holding the watch up, Su Ran smiled genuinely. He did like it. “It’s beautiful.”

Seeing this, Ye Qiao ruffled his soft hair, then glanced down at another bag by the bed. “Ranran, are you going to return that one to He Zhiwen?”

Su Ran nodded. “Yeah. That one’s too valuable—I should give it back.”

Ye Qiao agreed readily and stood up. “Then go ahead. I’ll go pack.”

After Ye Qiao left, the room fell silent. Su Ran looked at the watch on his wrist for a moment before taking it off and placing it in the drawer. Later, when he met He Zhiwen, it would be awkward if He saw him wearing something even more expensive, thinking it was a show of wealth.

Besides, to be honest, Su Ran felt he couldn’t really wear it out. His cheap clothes paired with a multi-million watch would look ridiculous.

He knocked on the neighboring door. When He Zhiwen opened and saw him, he welcomed Su Ran warmly.

“What brings you here? Weren’t you going on a trip today? Not going now?” He Zhiwen asked cheerfully.

He Zhiwen looked Su Ran in the eye. His gaze was deep and full of affection, making it hard for Su Ran to bring up the topic of returning the gift.

As Su Ran hesitated, He Zhiwen noticed the familiar bag in his hand and paused. “What’s that you’re holding?”

Su Ran looked at him and finally handed over the bag. “Brother He… I think you should take this back.”

He Zhiwen stared at the bag but didn’t take it. He knew exactly what it was and looked a little hurt. “Why?”

Embarrassed, Su Ran lowered his head. “I looked it up online. It’s very expensive. I can’t accept it.”

He Zhiwen frowned, gazing deeply at the young man before him. “Su Ran, look up at me.”

Nervously, Su Ran met his eyes. His pupils were dark, reflecting Su Ran’s face.

“Su Ran,” He Zhiwen said earnestly, holding his gaze, “this gift isn’t worth even one ten-thousandth of my feelings for you.”

Su Ran’s lashes fluttered, a mix of helplessness and deep emotion washing over him. But since they weren’t related, he still felt he couldn’t accept such a costly gift.

He Zhiwen sensed his discomfort and softened his expression, placing a hand on Su Ran’s shoulder and gently rubbing it. “Take it, it’s not as valuable as you think. Actually… it’s not that expensive.”

Su Ran looked at him, who seemed thoughtful. Suddenly, he wondered if He Zhiwen’s gift was also a replica. Maybe He had sent a fake and just hadn’t realized it, which would be awkward.

But if it were a replica, wouldn’t he have said so?

After about ten seconds of silence, He Zhiwen finally spoke. “Here’s the truth: my friend works inside the company. This watch has a minor flaw and should have been discarded under their strict quality control. But, you know, things happen internally. It’s actually not worth much.”

Su Ran understood immediately. “Oh! So that’s it.”

“Exactly.” He Zhiwen put an arm around Su Ran’s shoulder, a gentle smile returning to his face. “Now you can accept it without worry.”

“But it’s still expensive, isn’t it?” Su Ran asked, considering the brand and its original price.

“Not really. Think about it—it was supposed to be destroyed,” He Zhiwen said. “Put it away quickly. If you give it back to me, I’ll be upset.”

Looking at him, Su Ran finally relaxed and smiled. “Alright then, thank you, Brother He.”

He Zhiwen found Su Ran’s expression adorable. He leaned in, wanting to kiss him, drawn to the fine down on his pale skin and his soft pink lips. A deep breath carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.

But he still had his wits about him; acting too rashly would surely scare Su Ran away. Instead, he ruffled Su Ran’s hair. “Are you leaving for the trip now?”

“Yeah,” Su Ran replied, then remembered, “If Mingzhe looks for me, make sure to send me a video. He listens to me and won’t cause trouble.”

Unable to resist any longer, He Zhiwen pulled him into a hug, burying his nose in Su Ran’s neck. “Ranran, you’re so good. Have fun. We’ll miss you.”

*

Back home, Su Ran entered his bedroom and carefully examined the watch. He hadn’t dared hold it for long before because of its high value.

He scrutinized it for a while but found no apparent flaws. Could the imperfection be inside the dial?

A big brand was indeed a big brand; even their “flawed” watches were flawless to the untrained eye.

After the inspection, Su Ran put the watch back in its box. As before, he felt it wasn’t suitable to wear and decided to keep it as a collection, carefully placing the box in his drawer.

Having finished packing, he came out just as Jiang Yi was also leaving with his suitcase. Upon seeing Su Ran, Jiang Yi said, “I’ve transferred some money to you. Buy whatever you want over there. If it’s not enough, let me know.”

At that moment, Ye Qiao appeared and witnessed this scene. Su Ran’s phone chimed with a notification.

“Let’s go. The car is waiting downstairs,” Jiang Yi said, leading the way.

Su Ran checked his phone and saw Jiang Yi had transferred twenty thousand yuan.

Ye Qiao glanced over and whispered into Su Ran’s ear, “How much did my brother give you, Ranran?”

Walking behind Jiang Yi, Su Ran looked at his back and whispered, “Twenty thousand.”

For him, that was quite a sum—his monthly salary was about ten thousand.

“Ooh…” Ye Qiao looked at Jiang Yi’s retreating figure and estimated his income.

Jiang Yi had mortgage and car payments, so his monthly expenses were high. Twenty thousand wasn’t a huge amount for him, but not insignificant either—just the right amount.

For Su Ran, though, it was a lot. Jiang Yi was shrewd and knew exactly how to satisfy Su Ran with minimal effort.

“Ranran,” Ye Qiao called softly.

“Hm?” Su Ran looked at him.

Ye Qiao smiled. “How about I hire you as my model? I’ll pay you twenty thousand each time.”

Su Ran was stunned. “Twenty thousand for one session?”

“Yeah, that’s not much. I usually pay models at least fifty thousand. Since you’re not a professional, I’m giving you a discount. Don’t complain it’s too little,” Ye Qiao said seriously but was joking. He wanted Su Ran to agree but figured the price couldn’t be too high to be believable.

It was the first time he’d carefully deliberated over giving money to someone else, weighing whether it was too much or too little.

“Modeling pays that well?” Su Ran was amazed. That was two months’ salary in one go!

“Probably not that much for others. But I have high standards. Ranran, you know I really like your bone structure,” Ye Qiao said.

Su Ran felt a surge of excitement. He’d never earned money so easily, let alone so much.

Still, he looked a little shy. “Is it okay for me to earn money from you like this?”

“Ranran, I told you, this is a low offer. It’s up to you if you want to do it. If not, I’ll find someone else,” Ye Qiao said.

That tugged at Su Ran’s heart. Of course, he liked making money—who didn’t? He had been saving to feel secure.

Grabbing Ye Qiao’s arm eagerly, Su Ran said, “I’ll do it. Let me be your model.”

Ye Qiao looked into his bright, sparkling eyes and felt a strong urge to hold him close and breathe in his scent.

“Alright, Ranran, it’s settled then,” Ye Qiao said.

At that moment, Jiang Yi was already in the elevator, pressing the button repeatedly to keep the doors open, looking impatient after waiting a long time.

Ye Qiao’s smile deepened as he watched him.

He wanted Su Ran to know that Jiang Yi could only give twenty thousand for their trip, but modeling for him earned twenty thousand each time.

He intended to whet Su Ran’s appetite, to fatten him up with affection and wealth, making it clear that Jiang Yi was useless and could never satisfy him.