The innkeeper agreed to let a group of friends go onto the roof to watch the Lantern Festival. Except for Lee Dachin, Fang Yaoting, and Guo Longtong, everyone had already gotten up to the roof. The three men stayed behind for the food in the kitchen.
"Dachin, you bring this to them first," Guo Longtong instructed, gesturing to a loaded basket.
Lee Dachin grabbed two baskets of food and walked out the door, heading for the stairs to the roof.
Guo Longtong checked the other dishes prepared by the chef, making sure everything was in order.
"You and Childe Lee are very close," Fang Yaoting observed, standing by his side.
"Yes, we are," Guo Longtong affirmed. "We are childhood friends; Baiyu and Dachin are my two best friends."
"You two grew up together?" Fang Yaoting asked, intrigued.
"Yes. Do you know the reason why he admires Baiyu?" Guo Longtong asked, turning to Fang Yaoting.
"No, do you know why?" Fang Yaoting replied, genuinely curious.
"Because they both grew up in similar circumstances, but Baiyu was luckier than Dachin," Guo Longtong explained. "Dachin, he is an orphan. He lives with his uncle's family, and they are very poor. When I first met him, he was eight years old. Little Dachin didn't even know how to write. Because he reminds me of Baiyu, I asked my father's permission for him to be my study buddy, and my father agreed. Dachin did not grow up wealthy like my other friends. He is the poorest out of all of us, but he has the biggest heart out of all of us."
"I can see that," Fang Yaoting smiled, a genuine warmth in his eyes.
"He is not like those who will use you for your money," Guo Longtong continued, his voice earnest. "I cherished his friendship because he is a true friend. He is the kind of friend who will work harder for you. If someone stabs you, he will throw himself to shield you."
The chef turned around. "Childe Guo, your food is ready," he announced.
Guo Longtong suddenly realized he had given too many details about Lee Dachin to Fang Yaoting who he is not familiar with. He cleared his throat, bewildered. "Wait a minute… why am I telling you this?" he asked himself aloud.
Fang Yaoting picked up ten small wine jars and put them inside another basket. The two young noblemen walked out of the kitchen. Guo Longtong walked forward with two baskets of food, and Fang Yaoting followed him, carrying the basket of wine jars.
"Childe Guo, do you like Childe Lee?" Fang Yaoting asked directly, his tone unreadable.
"I like Dachin," Guo Longtong replied. He turned to face Fang Yaoting. "I don't just like him. I love him very much."
"If you love him, then why are you flirting with Miss Huang?" Fang Yaoting pressed.
"I like her. Childe Fang, have I misunderstood?" Guo Longtong asked, genuinely confused about Fang Yaoting's line of questioning.
"You said it yourself; you love Dachin very much?" Fang Yaoting reiterated.
"I like him very much, just like a brother. I can easily open up my feelings to him," Guo Longtong tried to explain. He thought for a moment, a sudden dawning realization crossing his face. "Ah... No….No...No….Me and Dachin….No….. we don't have that kind of love..."
"Then you don't mind if I go after him," Fang Yaoting stated, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Huh? You are going after him? What about Baiyu?" Guo Longtong asked, utterly surprised.
"He has Ping'an," Fang Yaoting replied, his smile widening with amusement. "Also, Dachin is adorable when he's embarrassed." A wicked smirk then flashed across his face.
Guo Longtong nodded in agreement, a silly grin on his face. "He is very handsome. Apart from Baiyu, I think he is the second most handsome man." He giggled. "Huh...What? You?" He pointed at Fang Yaoting, suddenly alert. "Going after him? If you dare to hurt him, I will ask Baiyu, Renshu, Ping'an, and Hongse to beat the hell out of you!"
"You are surprised?" Fang Yaoting chuckled.
"Yes," Guo Longtong exclaimed. "You said you are going after him because he admired Baiyu!"
Fang Yaoting shook his head, amused. "What are you thinking about?"
"You want to fight Dachin?" Guo Longtong clarified, still trying to make sense of it.
"Not that kind of 'after'," Fang Yaoting corrected.
"Oh….." Guo Longtong said, a foolish smile spreading across his face as the meaning finally clicked. "As long as he agrees, I don't care. I respected his decision."
"Will you still befriend him?" Fang Yaoting asked.
"I befriended you, didn't I?" Guo Longtong retorted. "Being a cutsleeve is not an infectious disease. People have their own preferences. For example, I like cats and you like dogs. I like yellow and you like blue. I like my fan, and you like your sword." He smiled, his expression earnest. "Baiyu said people who love each other should remain together. I agree with him. Baiyu also said that if we look at two people without introducing gender into them, all you see are two people who are in love."
"Then, you are okay for me to go after him?" Fang Yaoting asked, confirming.
"Did you do this because of Baiyu's rejection?" Guo Longtong asked, his gaze suddenly serious again, a flash of protectiveness.
Fang Yaoting felt insulted. "No…..Why would I do that?" he retorted, a frown creasing his brow.
"Childe Fang, Dachin has suffered a lot in his life," Guo Longtong said, his voice firm. "I don't want anyone to take advantage of him."
"I'm not doing this because of Baiyu. My feelings for him are real," Fang Yaoting confessed, his voice trembling with a raw sincerity that cut through the air. "These past few days, every moment spent by his side, I've finally understood—truly, deeply understood—what it means to fall in love."
"When did these feelings happen?" Guo Longtong smiled, winking mischievously.
Fang Yaoting smiled, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "While he has been taken care of me these days. I feel very happy when he is by my side. His words changed my mind."
"What?" Guo Longtong asked, leaning in.
"He said, 'why don't I save my feelings for that someone who loves and feels for me the same way I feel for him or her'," Fang Yaoting recounted. "At that time, I decided that he might not be as good as Baiyu in the eyes of others, but he is perfect in my eyes."
"Go for it," Guo Longtong smiled, a triumphant grin on his face. He looked at Fang Yaoting seriously. "But like I said, if you hurt him or make him cry, I will have Ping'an, Renshu, Baiyu, and Hongse beat the hell out of you."
"That I can't promise you," Fang Yaoting replied, a hint of his usual aloofness returning.
"You…." Guo Longtong grunted, mock-offended.
"But I can assure you that the only tears that flowed from his eyes were tears of happiness," Fang Yaoting promised, a sincere smile.
Fang Yaoting and Guo Longtong stopped in front of the ladder leading to the roof. Then, a rope dropped down.
"Tie the baskets!" Zhao Renshu's voice peaked from above. "I will pull the food up!"
Guo Longtong tied the two baskets to the rope and Zhao Renshu pulled up the two baskets up.
"After you," Fang Yaoting smiled at Guo Longtong, gesturing towards the ladder.