Noah pulled Shawn along to go shopping for clothes. He had noticed that his wardrobe was lacking recently, so since they were already out, he decided not to leave empty-handed.
"How do you think this one looks?" Noah asked, holding up a red sweater, matching it with his body. The fabric was soft, a cozy marine wool, and it just looked comfortable.
"We have plenty of time, why don't you try it on and see how it fits?" Shawn suggested.
Noah nodded in agreement, knowing that only by trying it on could he determine if it suited him.
Shawn sat down on a nearby bench, scrolling through his phone. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He turned off the screen, "That was quick."
But as he looked up, he realized it wasn't Noah.
Before he could react, a hand grabbed his wrist. "You need to come back with me." The woman's voice was firm.
Shawn tried to pull away, but the woman's grip was strong. "I'm not going back," he replied.
As Noah pulled back the curtain, he saw the tense exchange between the two of them. He wisely chose not to interrupt, standing quietly to one side.
"You're getting older, and you're getting bolder! Running away from home? Do you even see me as your sister?" the woman, Shirly, said, her voice a mix of anger and disappointment. But it softened when she spoke again, "I understand you don't want to marry just because of what the adults said. I've talked to mom; I can help you with this."
Shawn lowered his gaze, lost in thought. He could see the weariness in his sister's face, despite the makeup she had on.
"Shirly, I want to talk to you," Shawn said quietly.
Shirly, clearly relieved that Shawn was willing to talk, nodded. "Let's find somewhere to sit."
Turning to Noah, Shawn apologized, "Sorry, I won't be able to have lunch with you today. This is my sister."
Shirly quickly added, "Thank you for looking out for my brother. We'll grab lunch some other time. We need to go now."
With that, she grabbed Shawn's arm and hurried out, as though she was afraid he might change his mind.
Watching his sister stride out, Noah couldn't help but smile. Despite her high heels, Shirly walked with purpose, dragging Shawn along. Shawn looked a little exasperated. "Sis, slow down! I'm not running."
"You've run enough," Shirly retorted, but slowed her pace a little.
Noah, still holding the red sweater, caught his reflection in the mirror. The red made his complexion look even fairer, and he realized it had been a long time since he wore such a vibrant color.
Continuing his shopping, Noah picked up a few more items, arms filled with clothes. He passed by a display and noticed a couple's set that immediately caught his eye.
"This is our new couple's set," the sales clerk said, noticing his interest. "It's themed with stars and the moon. If you buy both, we're offering an 15% discount."
Though a little embarrassed, Noah decided to purchase the matching set. He even asked the clerk for advice on sizing, estimating Ethan's build. After buying everything, Noah was on his way to lunch when he ran into Felix.
"Noah, want to join me for lunch?" Felix greeted him with a smile.
Noah glanced at Felix and then at the empty seat across from him. "But there's already someone sitting here, isn't there?"
Felix waved it off, "Oh, that? He had to leave early. Go ahead, sit down."
Felix was eating a sandwich, looking relaxed. "So, you're here alone?"
Noah replied in a light tone, "Same as you, I guess. He had something come up."
Felix's situation was a bit different. His recent matchmaking dates had been frustratingly short, so much so that he was starting to wonder if some kind of cosmic force was messing with him.
The dates had been getting progressively worse, with the time shrinking shorter and shorter. He had barely started his meal when the other person had to leave, often without any explanation.
Felix felt that his expectations weren't unreasonable. As a beta, his chances of having children were slim, so he thought that in terms of family-building, the other person's financial and cultural background should be similar to his. Otherwise, they'd just argue about trivial things like where to spend the holidays, and who needed that kind of stress?
But when he tried bringing up the issue, the person would suddenly get an urgent call or excuse, vanishing without a word. Felix had even stopped trying to make it work after that.
Noah sat down and started snapping photos of his food, carefully selecting the perfect angle. After taking several shots, he finally chose the one with the best lighting and color.
Felix smirked. "You're giving the first bite to your camera?"
Noah didn't respond directly. In his mind, though, he was thinking: This first bite is for the person on the other side of the phone.
Just then, Noah's phone buzzed on the table.
Felix, noticing, raised an eyebrow. "That's not your 'mystery date,' is it?"
Noah glanced at the screen. The message was from Ethan. He was asking if Noah was eating lunch with Felix.
Felix noticed the look on Noah's face and joked, "Satisfied now?"
Noah, smiling a little, replied, "Yes, Ethan's checking in. It's fine, though."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "Seems like Sam cares about you."
Noah rolled his eyes and answered casually, "What does he care about? Maybe Mr. Harrison's just trying to squeeze some of his misery onto me."
Noah looked at Felix, half-amused. He could already imagine what Sam's confession would sound like. 'I like you.' And his response would probably be, 'Did you eat something funny?'
As Noah glanced at his phone, a new message appeared. It was from Ethan: Are you with Felix?
Noah smiled to himself, texting back, Yes, just having lunch.
Felix glanced at Noah's phone and saw the name Ethan pop up. "Who's that? Your boyfriend?"
Noah just smiled cryptically, but inside, he felt a warm satisfaction.
Noah and Felix finished their meal and, since they were headed in the same direction, agreed to go back together.
"Don't forget the transfer via Messenger. I can't let you eat for free," Felix said, pointing at his phone.
Noah waved him off. "You don't need to pay me back. I owe you for helping me with all this."
Since they had originally ordered enough for two, Felix simply returned the transfer.
"Why don't we hang out at my place for a bit afterward?" Felix suggested casually.
Felix, still holding two full bags in his hands, thought to himself that these bags were "heavy with happiness."
As they walked, he joked, "Want to eat something? You said you didn't get enough earlier, so just snack a bit." Felix set one of the bags down on Sam's desk.
"You came back?" Sam said, looking at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.
Felix, hearing that tone, couldn't help but feel like he was being scolded by his partner after being absent for too long, almost like a husband who had neglected his wife for years.
"Heavy workload?" Felix asked, looking around Sam's desk, which seemed relatively tidy without any towering piles of paperwork.
Sam groaned and straightened up, letting out a hiss of discomfort. Felix immediately set the bag down and gently placed his hand on Sam's neck, pressing it with his fingers. "You need to take better care of this neck. It's so stiff, I can't even press it right."
"You think my technique's any good? Maybe I should consider a career change to physical therapy if this doesn't work out," Sam teased, his voice light.
Felix smirked. "Not a bad idea. But you're right, you should rest. You're working too hard."
Felix pressed into a sore spot on Sam's neck, and Sam winced with a soft groan. "Well, I spend too much time at the office, staring at a screen all day. It comes with the territory."
Felix's hands moved downward along Sam's back. "What if we ask Mr. Harrison to hire a massage therapist? Spend some company funds on stress relief."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "That's not a bad suggestion, actually. Maybe it's time to make Ethan cough up some cash for his employees' well-being."
Felix continued massaging, his hands moving with precision as Sam relaxed into the sensation. Eventually, Felix stopped when his wrist began to ache.
Felix let his hand fall at his side, and with a playful sigh, said, "Alright, now it's your turn. You can give me a massage."
Sam chuckled, pulling the chair beside him and scooting it closer. "Fine, take a seat. I'll give you a good rub."
Felix slouched back, a soft smile on his face. "A little more pressure."
"Like this?" Sam asked, adjusting the pressure as Felix leaned further back, relaxing completely.
Felix nodded, satisfied. "Perfect. By the way, I brought something for you." He pulled out a bag of bread from one of the shopping bags. "The bread I mentioned last time—super delicious."
"Mm, you know I'm always down for good food," Sam murmured, tearing off a piece of the bread and popping it into his mouth.
Felix leaned back, content for the moment, and resumed working on his own files. "You know, I think next time, I'll tell my mom not to schedule matchmaking appointments during lunch. You don't eat enough when you're buried in work."
Sam grinned but said nothing. He could already guess how Felix's mom would react if she knew how Felix had been trying to "force" him into these social situations.
By the time work ended, Felix knocked on the door to the CEO's office to check with Ethan about the next steps. To his surprise, Ethan had already left for the day.
"Did Mr. Harrison leave early today? Usually, he stays for a bit," Felix remarked, holding a stack of documents.
Sam internally rolled his eyes. What else could it be? he thought. It's the 'new relationship glow.'
"Let's just catch him tomorrow," Sam suggested, picking up his things. "Clock's out, so let's head home."
Felix agreed, packing up his things into his bag. "Wanna come over for dinner? My mom invited you."
Sam froze for a moment. "Come over to your place? Why so suddenly?"
Felix raised an eyebrow. "Sudden? It's just a meal. You're acting like it's a big deal. My mom's super nice. She's been wanting to meet you for a while."
The mention of meeting Felix's mom suddenly made Sam nervous. He wasn't prepared to meet her yet, and he hadn't dressed for the occasion.
Felix, sensing his unease, smiled mischievously. "Don't worry, she already knows about you. You're practically part of the family now."
Sam, sweating a bit on the inside, still wasn't entirely comfortable. "Your mom knows about me?"
"Of course," Felix replied with a wink. "She's been asking about you for a while."
Felix checked his phone, then looked up at Sam, grinning. "By the way, I told her you're coming over. You're not getting out of this."
Sam, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement, followed Felix to the supermarket. As they walked through the aisles, Felix's eyes suddenly widened.
"Look, six o'clock," Felix whispered, grabbing Sam's arm and pulling him closer to his ear. "Check it out!"
Sam followed his gaze, and there, at the end of the aisle, was Ethan, who appeared to be shopping with someone. Felix, clearly amused, whispered again, "Do you think they're a couple already? Mr. Harrison works fast!"
Sam squinted at the pair, and his thoughts wandered to Felix's earlier comments about him meeting his mom. He wanted to say something—maybe even suggest they try dating—but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he just looked at Felix's eager face, feeling an odd sense of longing and frustration.
"Why do you think they're moving so fast?" Sam asked, his voice a little softer than he intended.
Felix smirked, elbowing Sam lightly. "Look at how they're holding hands. It's pretty obvious, right? They've definitely crossed some line."
Sam, sensing the change in atmosphere, smiled faintly but didn't respond. Felix, still caught up in the excitement of Ethan's apparent progress in his romantic life, suddenly sighed.
"When will I ever find someone?" Felix muttered, his face falling.
Sam wanted to offer comfort, maybe even say something encouraging like We could try, but the words remained trapped in his chest. Instead, he just followed Felix through the store, his mind spinning with unspoken thoughts.