Here's to Us Never Growing Old Together

The Qiao Weiming in my fantasies: a gentleman, courteous, and attentive to women.

The Qiao Weiming in reality: cunning, smug, and into men.

Back in college, I was his tenant and he was my landlord. After graduation, I became his employee and he became my boss. We were evenly matched, trading move for move. We wouldn’t stop until we were both battered and bruised!

In the end, the task of saving world peace fell to a man: my best friend, who was also his boyfriend.

Whenever Qiao Weiming had a moment to spare at work, he’d tease me like I was a monkey in a circus. “Sang Zichun, you’re always trying to steal my boyfriend, aren’t you?” I gazed adoringly at a photo of my best friend. “Yeah. My best friend is so dominant. It’d be a waste to leave him on the receiving end with you.”

We’d been at each other’s throats for half a century, and even eight hundred rounds of battle wouldn’t begin to cover it. Until one day, he asked me, “If I came out, would you take me in?”

I laughed weakly. “It’s not like it’ll be forever.”

He’d seen me at my most pathetic and smiled, calling me an ugly little girl.

He knew my darkest thoughts and would wrap his arms around me, saying, “You keep the evil spirits away.”

He gathered all my wickedness into his embrace and gently swept away all my gloom.

But someone like him could never be mine.

This drink is for the fact that we’ll never grow old together!

[Male Lead's POV]

Rumor had it that the famed designer Qiao was worth hundreds of millions and owned dozens of buildings, but was also a homosexual. People eager to curry favor with him lined up to send men and women alike to his hotel. If Designer Qiao liked both men and women, then they’d have their chance to cozy up to him, wouldn’t they?

His honest, upright business partner, the brilliant Qin, remembered that his young assistant had called him handsome just yesterday. Could Qiao Weiming have taken a liking to him? The brilliant Qin, bundled up from head to toe, stood at the door and asked in a low voice, “Old Qiao, is that rumor really true?”

“More or less.”

“Seriously? You’re not thinking about me all day, are you, Qiao Weiming? Let me tell you, I’m straight!” the brilliant Qin roared, loud enough for the whole company to hear his baritone.

Qiao Weiming pulled a resume from the pile and stared at it for a long while before smiling and calling in his assistant. “Tell her to come in for a second interview. Now.”

One day, someone at the company snapped a photo of Qiao Weiming getting handsy with a female translator. People marveled that Qiao Weiming really did like both men and women, wondering who was “lucky” enough to have a wealthy, handsome mechanical designer take an interest in them.

The next day, another shocking scoop broke in the company group chat. The brilliant Qin frantically scrolled through the messages: Shocking! The female translator looks a bit like the former lady of the house!

Please note:

1. Seven-year age gap; marriage first, love later.

2. The male lead has a male best friend. If this bothers you, please don’t continue reading.

3. The characters are still imperfect. Please give them a chance to grow.

4. Happy ending. The pursuit of love may occasionally be painful, so keep some tissues handy.

Theme: Even in your darkest hour, remember to look back. There has always been light.