That kind of feeling where just seeing this person suddenly fills your heart, yet you become anxious and insecure, always feeling like there’s still an empty space left in your affection.

But then what?

Henry Howard had been single for over ten years on his own merit, and now faced with this historic dilemma, he was like a wild beast running around in circles, crashing about, unable to find his way.

In the end, the beast in his heart stopped, slumped down on the ground, and thought, Would the kid find me annoying?

As someone who had a CP thread about him on the school forum, he knew a thing or two about the theories of being straight or not.

What if Ethan Young is super straight?

At this age when it’s so easy to act on impulse, he still didn’t dare to be reckless.

In the end, Henry Howard tossed his pen aside, not knowing what to do, so he simply opened up Ethan Young’s Moments and scrolled through them one by one.

Ethan Young’s Moments were like a dividing line, splitting the Ethan Young he knew into two. Henry Howard saw his past life, his social circle, and the subtle gentleness he usually kept hidden.

The daily posts Ethan Young shared were all very simple, usually just a short sentence. When he was angry, he’d post “F*** your mother”, and when he was happy, he’d share some photos of flowers and plants. The most frequent subject was a surprisingly fat orange tabby cat, with the caption: Eat, get as fat as you can.

Sometimes the orange cat would lie on its back in front of the convenience store, sunbathing with its eyes half-closed, dozing off.

The convenience store looked shabby, with shelves full of things kids liked, a whole row of cheap little toys.

In the upper left corner of this photo, there was a street sign, and you could vaguely make out the three characters 黑水街.

Henry Howard paused, feeling that the place name sounded familiar.

But these daily posts from 黑水街 had become rare in recent years. Henry Howard wondered, Did he move?

He kept scrolling and came across a close-up of the orange cat, so close its nose was almost touching the camera. On the cat’s head was Ethan Young’s hand—just looking at this hand, you’d never imagine how fierce it could be in a fight.

Ethan Young was just sitting on the steps by the roadside, and the cat was clearly enjoying the petting, squinting its eyes in contentment.

Henry Howard stared at it for a long time, then quietly saved the photo.

The Ethan Young in these photos was a bit different from the one at school, but still the same kid he knew.

Wrapped in a thick layer of armor, everyone thought he was invulnerable.

“Damn,” Henry Howard couldn’t take it anymore, flipped his phone over, and muttered, “How can he be so cute.”

After evening self-study, Ethan Young had just finished showering in the dorm when he got a call from home. He thought it was Ms. Miller asking if he’d come home for the weekend, and was ready to use the upcoming midterms as an excuse to dodge the question.

But as soon as he picked up, he heard Jack Cooper’s obviously drunk, stammering voice: “Ethan Young, I-I-I’m telling you, don’t you f***ing think—”

Jack Cooper’s voice cut off abruptly, and Ethan Young simply hung up.

Two minutes later, Jack Cooper called again, arrogantly saying, “You’re just a lowlife, and you dare hang up on me?”

Ethan Young felt a vein throbbing at his temple.

Lowlife, my ass. So today he’s drunk and playing the overbearing lord?

Henry Howard was still lost in the “my kid is so damn cute” mood, when he suddenly heard the cute kid himself cursing loudly in the hallway: “F*** your mother, are you done yet?”

Henry Howard: “”

“Everyone owes you, you’re the most pitiful one,” Ethan Young pushed open the dorm door and walked out, planning to continue the call at the end of the hallway where no one was around. His face was expressionless as he said, “Yeah, I’ve been coveting your family’s fortune for a long time. You’d better guard it like a dog.”

Ethan Young had barely taken a few steps when the door across opened too, and Henry Howard was leaning in the doorway watching him.

Ethan Young walked right past him without changing his expression, cursing all the way down the hall, his skills impressive—never repeating himself.

When he finally finished cursing, hung up, and walked back, Henry Howard asked, “Who was that, so deserving of a scolding?”

Henry Howard didn’t even ask what happened. Normally, anyone hearing this without context would think Ethan Young was the bully. But Henry Howard just labeled the guy who got cursed out as “deserving it,” showing blatant favoritism.

Ethan Young hadn’t planned to talk about it, but hearing this, he stopped at the dorm door and added, “Ah, just an idiot.”

Ethan Young’s brows and eyes were full of irritation, the kind of anger that, if Jack Cooper showed up in front of him right now and handed him a stick, he’d beat him into a severe disability without hesitation.

Henry Howard stepped aside: “Want to come in and sit for a bit?”

Ethan Young didn’t move.

Henry Howard added, “I’ll give you some candy.”

Ethan Young was always concise, never saying more than necessary.

After listening to the whole story, Henry Howard more or less understood, and seriously suggested, “Your stepbrother, is he mentally challenged? Should he get his brain checked?”

Ethan Young let out a laugh: “Yeah, mentally challenged.”

As they talked, Henry Howard remembered the orange cat from the Moments and showed it to Ethan Young: “How did this cat get so fat?”

“The whole street feeds it, how could it not be fat?” Ethan Young glanced at it, then asked, “Why are you scrolling through my Moments?”

“I—” Henry Howard paused, “Just looking around.”

“”

The two chatted for a while, from the brainless stepbrother to new gear in the game, and finally the topic landed on Luke Carter’s birthday: “Haozi’s birthday is next weekend, are you going?”

Ethan Young thought for a moment: “Birthday?”

“Haven’t you noticed how he’s been dropping hints these days?” Henry Howard pulled his chair closer. “He’s such a schemer, honestly.”

Lately, Luke Carter had been hinting everywhere about what he liked, afraid people wouldn’t know what to get him for his birthday: “I don’t really have anything I especially like lately. If I had to say, maybe that new album from xx band is okay.”

Except for Wanda, who knew him so well there was no need for subtlety and just sent him a Taobao link directly, everyone else got the hints.

With Henry Howard’s reminder, Ethan Young finally realized what Luke Carter was getting at: “I thought he was just being weird.”

Henry Howard leaned back in his chair, laughing: “It’s so obvious, you didn’t notice? Isn’t Haozi embarrassed?”

Ethan Young remembered how Luke Carter had been rebuffed by him these past few days and almost wanted to laugh: “He never says it straight, how would anyone know?”

The two rarely sat together to chat about classmates, and as the conversation went on, it suddenly stalled. For a moment, no one spoke. Ethan Young inexplicably felt uneasy, and after the silence, the atmosphere seemed even stranger than awkwardness.

Ethan Young couldn’t sit still, got up to return to his dorm: “Then I’ll go—” and left.

Before he finished, his shirt hem was suddenly grabbed by Henry Howard.

The boy was wearing a shirt, still looking like he didn’t care about anything, a bit lazy, always with a smile at the corner of his mouth, as if there were many things to be happy about.

Henry Howard swallowed, then, not sure if he was talking to himself or to Ethan Young, said, “We’ll move forward.”

It’ll pass.

Even if you’re trapped right now.

Just push a little, and if that’s not enough, push a little harder. Walk out, and the life you want—the answer will come.

“Go on,” Henry Howard let go, smiling, “Kid, good night.”

Ethan Young froze, then after a moment, replied, “Good night.”

The next day.

The schemer who’d been treated like a weirdo finally started officially inviting everyone to his birthday party next weekend, even writing out invitations.

Ethan Young got one too. He opened it, and inside were the time and place: next Sunday at 9 a.m., meet at Central Avenue.

Henry Howard pretended to have a hard time: “Haozi, um, the present—”

Luke Carter waved it off, suddenly acting all noble, as if he hadn’t been dropping hints for days: “The gift doesn’t matter, it’s the thought that counts. In the face of our friendship, all that is just superficial.”

Ethan Young: “Do you even have any shame?”

After Luke Carter finished, Quinn Shaw and Wanda couldn’t take it anymore and started throwing things at him: “Bullshit! ‘It’s the thought that counts’! Aren’t you embarrassed saying that?”

Wanda: “Want me to remind you about that Taobao link you sent me? Haozi, put your hand on your heart and say that again.”

Luke Carter dodged, covering his head: “So rough, especially you, Qing-ge. If you keep this up, you’ll never get married.”

Henry Howard stirred the pot: “Haozi, how can you talk to Qing-ge like that?”

Quinn Shaw was about to go to the teacher’s office to get the English homework, but after hearing this, she rolled up her sleeves and gritted her teeth: “Come here, I dare you.”

Luke Carter ran straight out of the classroom: “I’d be an idiot to go over there.”

Luke Carter’s birthday was really just an excuse to get everyone together for a meal.