“The surname’s Chen, right?”

“That’s right.”

As a cold electronic voice announced, “Retrieval successful,” a light express box appeared in Chen Yuan’s arms.

‘It’s so light?’

Chen Yuan hefted it a couple of times, instantly thinking it might be an article of clothing, or perhaps a scrapbook filled with photos.

If it was clothes, it had to be one of those adorable couple’s outfits! The kind with super childish graphics—two words and an arrow.

“My Boyfriend →” “← My Girlfriend”

Jiang Yao had said she wanted to buy a set.

That way, when they walked side-by-side down the street, they could openly bask in the envious gazes of others.

They would never again have to deal with utterly absurd situations like someone asking, “Excuse me, sir, is this your auntie?”

‘And if it was the scrapbook…’

At this thought, Chen Yuan got back on his electric scooter, a smile he could no longer contain spreading across his face.

‘Yaoyao must have gathered all those wonderful photos they took together into one place.’

By the sea, on the street, under a streetlight, on a golden beach, and by a solemn temple surrounded by lush greenery—he’d be standing there casually, a slightly bashful smile on his face.

And Jiang Yao would always have her arm linked with his, smiling radiantly.

It was as if being with Chen Yuan made her the happiest girl in the world.

Photo after photo, happy memory after happy memory.

‘Even a man with a heart of steel would be melted by these photos… He’d fall to his knees, hold the scrapbook aloft, and yell, “Pure love is invincible! Dammit, I’m gonna cry, WAAAH!”‘

Just the thought of it made Chen Yuan want to clutch his chest.

He had missed his girlfriend dearly these past few days, and she had missed him too, but they could only express their longing for each other through video calls.

People crave love all the more when they’re lonely.

‘What could it be?’

Chen Yuan couldn’t wait to tear it open and see, but he felt that doing so on the street would lack a sense of ceremony. So, he rushed home.

…

“Time for lunch, Yuan… What are you doing going back into your bedroom?”

“Be right there, just a second.”

As soon as he was through the door, Chen Yuan darted into his bedroom.

He placed the package directly on his desk, then used brute force to rip off the outer layer of dust-proof plastic. What came into view next was a box that made his jaw drop.

“Ultra-Thin… Seamless Girl’s Athletic… Lace Style Set…”

After silently reading the brand name on the box, Chen Yuan almost coughed up a mouthful of blood.

‘He had imagined countless possible gifts, but he would have never, ever guessed it would be this!’

Chen Yuan’s cheeks instantly flushed a faint red as he stood there, stunned, alone in his bedroom.

‘What was Jiang Yao’s intention in sending him this gift?’

‘It couldn’t be for… when I’m feeling lonely…?’

“How thoughtful,” Chen Yuan muttered to himself. He subconsciously glanced at the closed bedroom door, composed himself slightly, and then reached out.

He took a folding fruit knife from his drawer and sliced through the tape, which wasn’t sealed very tightly.

He set aside the lid and, full of expectation, peered inside!

The titillating lingerie he’d been anticipating was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a childish and even crudely made scarf met his eyes.

The scarf was knitted from extremely thick yarn, a solid dark blue, and at one end was a chestnut-sized cartoon tag. One look was all it took to know it was hand-knitted—a factory-made one would never have this many flaws…

With just a glance, Chen Yuan spotted two spots where the stitches were wrong, with a dead knot tied in place. It was oddly comical.

As for the cartoon tag, it depicted a boy sitting upright on a stool, holding a rope that was tied around a girl’s neck like a leash.

On the ground next to them was a small bowl with a bone drawn on it.

“WOOF~”

A single word, expressing everything with perfect clarity.

Chen Yuan gazed at the far-from-perfect scarf, and suddenly, it felt as if something was clogging his heart. He remembered their conversation in the car that one time—a joyous Jiang Yao, at a loss for how to express the bliss of being in love, had said she wanted to eat him up so he’d be in her stomach and they could be together for all eternity. In the end, to make him feel her joy, she left a row of teeth marks on his hand.

He had shot back with, “Are you a dog?”

From then on, their relationship mirrored that conversation.

Jiang Yao was always the one taking the initiative, while he responded with awkwardness.

On short-video apps, there were countless examples of “simps” who gave their all only to end up with nothing, meeting a terrible fate. It was as if society had deemed men and women irreconcilable; every time a new story about love popped up, a crowd would gather to either debate it or furiously denounce it.

Regardless of gender, everyone seemed to agree that being the one to give more in a relationship was the stupidest thing a person could do.

But Jiang Yao never made Chen Yuan worry about any of that. Time and time again, without a moment’s pause, she strode forward, heading for any place he might be.

As long as he was happy.

She was willing to do anything.

But the moment Chen Yuan was unhappy, she would stand frozen in place as if she’d done something wrong.

But always being the one to take the initiative is an exhausting affair. Why did Jiang Yao never seem to tire of it? Probably because she believed from the bottom of her heart:

Loving someone means that no matter how much you give, it is a form of happiness.

Chen Yuan silently picked up the scarf. Feeling the warmth she had knitted into it with her own hands, his heart completely melted.

‘It’s the legendary scarf, hand-knitted by a girlfriend for her boyfriend!’

It was the first time in his life he had ever received such a gift, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure what emotions he was supposed to be feeling.

Joy? No, what he felt was a sense of being deeply moved that completely overshadowed any joy. There was the feeling of being overwhelmed by the gesture, and also a pang of heartache. He could just imagine how much effort Jiang Yao must have expended to knit a scarf that looked this decent. He even felt a little helpless, unsure of how to ever repay such selfless devotion.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep