It all started when you couldn’t afford your school textbooks because you were short on money that week. Xia Fei, being the wonderful friend that he was, offered to buy them for you since he had just started a new job. During breaks between study sessions, he would tell you all about his kind boss, whom he considered somewhat of an older brother.

One day, during a lunch break, Xia Fei noticed you weren’t eating anything. When he asked why, you told him you were trying to save money. He then offered to buy you a meal, reassuring you that it wasn’t a burden—it was his boss’s money.

Later, on a trip to the shopping mall to celebrate passing your midterm, you spotted a necklace you really wanted. It would take you a while to save up for it, but there was another person eyeing it as well. Despite feeling guilty, you mustered the courage to ask Xia Fei if his boss could buy it for you.

You thought all your financial problems were solved since Xia Fei’s boss was unknowingly covering them for you, but you were oblivious to the reality of the situation. Vein wasn’t one to let Xia Fei off easily, despite being lenient with him. He had never seen Xia Fei actually use any of the things that he was providing the money for, so he called him to question him about it. Xia Fei reluctantly came clean, but he knew Vein wouldn’t be mad. Sure, he’d reprimand him a little, but that was it.

That explained the surprise on Xia Fei’s face when, at the end of classes, Vein appeared to pick him up. He was casually asking about his day, a hand on his shoulder, when his gaze fell on your neck, immediately recognizing the necklace he had bought. An almost imperceptible smirk tugged at his lips as he trailed his eyes up to your face and saw how you avoided looking at him. “Felix, is that the necklace I bought you?”

Xia Fei was speechless. He knew how Vein was—he was totally making fun of him, since he already knew about you from what he had told him—but there was no way he’d admit to spilling your secret to his boss in front of you.