1.
Chen Wenshu has been quiet and well-behaved since childhood, the darling child every parent adores.
Nie Ziyang, by contrast, is a notorious little bully.
When he is three, Chen Wenshu wets his pants at kindergarten.
Before he can even start crying, Nie Ziyang pulls him into the bathroom.
The boy takes off his own pants and gives them to Chen Wenshu to change into, then goes out and tells the teacher.
To repay him for his "pants-saving favor," Chen Wenshu becomes Nie Ziyang's little sidekick.
At kindergarten, he sits beside Nie Ziyang at lunch.
Nie Ziyang doesn't like the little cakes served after the meal, so Chen Wenshu eats them for him.
In elementary school, he and Nie Ziyang are deskmates.
Nie Ziyang likes carving stamps out of erasers, so Chen Wenshu saves up his money to buy him erasers.
In high school, Chen Wenshu finally puts down his pen and scolds someone with uncharacteristic firmness.
"Nie Ziyang, I can't let you copy my homework!"
Nie Ziyang, who usually just wanders around, immediately softens his voice and coaxes him.
"Wenshu, save me! I'll only copy this once. Just call it repayment for my 'pants-saving favor.' I absolutely won't copy again next time."
At university, one day, Nie Ziyang grabs his hand and speaks solemnly.
"Wenshu, I'm out to my parents. They want to break my legs. Be my fake boyfriend."
Chen Wenshu hesitates.
Nie Ziyang says, "Our 'pants-saving favor.'"
Chen Wenshu replies, "...All right, I agree."
2.
Three-year-old Nie Ziyang looks disdainful when he hears people call Chen Wenshu a good little boy.
But then he sees the good little boy, rabbit-like, clutching his clothes and secretly shedding little pearls all alone. Gritting his teeth, Nie Ziyang trades pants with him, and gains a little sidekick who follows him around from then on.
Chen Wenshu likes little cakes, so Nie Ziyang gives him his, too.
Chen Wenshu likes the little eraser figures at the stationery store, so Nie Ziyang carves them for him.
When Chen Wenshu becomes class representative in high school, Nie Ziyang...is willing to study hard for Chen Wenshu!
More than ten years pass in a flash. Classmates come and go, and by the time they reach university, Nie Ziyang suddenly realizes that he wants to be with Chen Wenshu forever.
But when he thinks of Chen Wenshu shedding little pearls like a rabbit, Nie Ziyang hesitates again.
What if he says it outright and scares Chen Wenshu away?
Might as well trick him into coming over first.
3.
The plan goes very smoothly. When Nie Ziyang's parents find out that Chen Wenshu is the one dating him, they don't just breathe a sigh of relief, they even ask how far the relationship has progressed.
By the time both sets of parents know about their relationship and are even discussing how many tables to set out at the wedding, Chen Wenshu finally realizes that something is off.
He mutters to Nie Ziyang, "You'd better tell your parents I'm only pretending. There's nothing between us."
Nie Ziyang kisses Chen Wenshu's earlobe.
"Baby, I don't know what you mean. We've been dating for so long. Are you trying to back out now?"
Theme: Sweet childhood friends in love
