【People who develop Cognitive Brain Disorder, when experiencing confusion, will mix it with their own memories.】

　　Ryan Carter couldn't sleep.

　　On Sunday morning, it was the product launch event for James Thompson's company. Since he had received an invitation, he still had to go.

　　All the way there, he tried to probe for information, but Comrade Big Dick wouldn't take the bait, keeping his lips sealed, simply refusing to reveal the name of the "white moonlight." If asked too much, he'd even get angry, so Ryan Carter had to let it go for now.

　　This time, Yingjun Games was launching a fairly large-scale game, and the event was held with great fanfare. After the presentation and demo, James Thompson stayed on site to answer reporters' questions, while the others went to the banquet hall to enjoy the cold buffet and tea break.

　　Some industry executives were present, and everyone basically knew each other. They chatted about business over tea, the atmosphere harmonious. Once in the business setting, Ethan Bolton's intelligence kicked in, and he talked shop with others with great eloquence. Ryan Carter didn't bother with him, instead searching the crowd and quickly locking onto the guy hiding in the corner, stuffing his face.

　　"Shi Qing, why didn't you come over and say hi to me?" Ryan Carter dragged the man out.

　　"Aiyo, Brother Carter!" Brian Hill swallowed the mini cake in his mouth and grinned, bumping fists with Ryan Carter.

　　This guy was Ethan Bolton's college classmate and also an early partner at Shifei Tech. But he wasn't interested in the direction Shifei was heading, so a few years ago he started his own food delivery platform. He still holds shares in Shifei, but doesn't participate in management, just collects some dividends.

　　"Haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?" Ryan Carter looked Brian Hill up and down; the guy seemed to have gained some more weight. Although he was the same age as Ethan Bolton, this food-loving Mr. Gao had already put on quite a bit.

　　"Ah, don't even mention it," Brian Hill waved his hand with a smile. "Where's Da Fei?"

　　Ryan Carter jerked his chin in Ethan Bolton's direction and grabbed Brian Hill, who was about to go say hi: "Shi Qing, let me ask you something."

　　"Hmm?" Brian Hill turned back.

　　"The person Chen Fei liked back in school, what was their name?" Ryan Carter asked in a low voice. Brian Hill had shared a dorm with Ethan Bolton back then, so he must know who it was.

　　"The name, I really don't know," Brian Hill casually took a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray, took a sip, and, seeing Ryan Carter's suspicious look, quickly swore his loyalty, "I really don't know. That person was his high school classmate, never showed up during college. I heard from Ethan that he only took the Q University entrance exam for that person, but the guy didn't go to Q University, and Ethan was upset about it for a long time."

　　High school classmate...

　　Seventeen years old...

　　It matched.

　　Ryan Carter's heart tightened, his fingers gripping the wine glass turning pale: "And then? They never got in touch during college?"

　　"No, I don't think he even got the chance to confess. Haha, you have no idea, this guy was so artsy back then, he even made a confession program himself, dumb as hell. You had to play a silly little game, then trigger something to play music and set off fireworks, but in the end, he never got to use it." Brian Hill recalled those youthful days, laughing so hard he nearly doubled over.

　　But Ryan Carter couldn't laugh, only feeling as if all the blood had been drained from his body, shivering from the cold.

　　A silly little game with fireworks—that was what Ethan Bolton used to confess to him.

　　……

　　"I made a new little game, see if you think it's fun." The radiant Ethan Bolton handed him a phone.

　　It was a game similar to Sokoban, with rough graphics and clunky controls. When the little steel ball was finally pushed into the hole, the phone suddenly blasted loud music, and at the same time, fireworks went off in the square not far away.

　　"Ryan Carter, I like you. Be my boyfriend."

　　A programmer's rustic romance.

　　……

　　After all these years, he finally knew the truth: that silly confession program wasn't made for him. No wonder President Bolton, who could already make high-definition, cutting-edge games, had produced such a simple program. It wasn't something he made after winning an international gold medal, but something he coded, character by character, in his dorm room just after entering college, full of love for his high school male idol.

　　Back then, they didn't even know each other.

　　The beautiful memory preserved in his mind turned out to be leftover food that was never delivered, making Ryan Carter feel utterly sick.

　　"Brother Carter, are you okay?" Brian Hill saw his pale face and thought, Oh no, did I say something I shouldn't have? That can't be, these two have been married for seven years—Ethan Bolton never told his wife about this?

　　"I'm fine, just drank a bit too much earlier. I'm going to the restroom." Ryan Carter smiled at him and turned to head to the bathroom.

　　Brian Hill felt uneasy, quickly running over to Ethan Bolton, putting his arm around his shoulder and pulling him aside: "Ethan, did you mention your first love male idol to Brother Carter?"

　　"He already knew," Ethan Bolton said indifferently.

　　"No, wait, did you say something you shouldn't have? That confession program thing, did you ever tell him about it?" Brian Hill was sweating with anxiety.

　　"What's there to say," Ethan Bolton took a slow sip of his drink, "He was just a stand-in."