Si Jin kept quiet on the way back. A lot of things had happened today and he felt like he first needed to think them through. After a while, he took out his phone and messaged Si Shi Wu, telling him that he needed help with learning how to decorate dishes after they got back home.

Then, he turned to look at the back of the driver’s seat, trying to focus on the other issue that had been going through his mind today: what made people like something? Whether it was another person or something they did, just what was the reason behind that?

He didn’t feel like looking that up on his phone and instead figured that he might get some opinions first. Turning to Si Shi Er, he designated him as the first object of his study. Anyway, while his answers before hadn’t been very good, he should be able to answer a simple one like this. “What do you like about your boyfriend?”

Si Shi Er who was sitting between Si Jin and said boyfriend turned to his master and widened his eyes, not quite sure if he had heard that right. “I beg your pardon?”

Si Jin felt annoyed, doubting that Si Shi Er would be able to give him a good answer after all. Thus, he leaned forward and looked at Si Shi Er’s boyfriend instead. “What do you like about him?”

Fu Jia had already caught onto what was happening with his boyfriend’s boss so he didn’t even need to think twice. “Oh, there are a lot of things to like about him! For one, he is really funny. You probably wouldn’t know this but the jokes he can crack are hilarious. Then, of course, I also like his handsome looks.” He reached over and rubbed his boyfriend’s chest, giving him an appreciative smile. “Other than that, he is really charming. Like, he just treats me very well.

“You know, I haven’t had a job in a while and I feel like most people are looking down on me for that but Ah Ming has never cared. He likes me just as I am, job or no job. He said it’s alright if I drift around for a while longer as long as I’m happy with what I find for me to do in the end.”

Si Jin nodded, feeling that this was quite informative. He had already known about the good looks part and when he thought about himself, he had to admit that he did think of Xiao Ming as very good-looking.

Xiao Ming was tall and had a pair of nice hands with long fingers that held a surprising strength for his slender frame. His hairstyle was that deliberately slightly messy look that worked well with hair that was a little longer. The way it sometimes fell onto his forehead made it look soft, really tempting to touch.

And yes, he also liked his facial features. Xiao Ming’s eyes were very expressive, the brows aiding in that look. His smile was sweet while the pronounced jaw-line gave him a more masculine charm.

As for his personality … maybe it was wrong to say this considering that they hadn’t really interacted face-to-face and he had only ever seen him in the stream but he did feel that he was a very kind person. Maybe he appreciated that in people?

By now, Si Shi Er had realized that he had indeed heard right. He couldn’t help but still want to answer his master’s question even though he seemed to have already moved on. “Well, what I like about Xiao Jia is that he is so optimistic.

“You know, life seems bleak sometimes but no matter how dire a situation is, he is always able to look at it and find something good about it. He just has that kind of energy that makes you feel happy. And that is something that I really enjoy having in my life.”

Si Jin nodded and then turned to look to the front again. “Then what do you like about Si Qi?”

Fu Jia leaned forward again, blinking his eyes. “Who is Si Qi?”

Si Shi Er glanced to the side and shook his head at him before motioning towards the driver seat.

Fu Jia’s expression turned knowing and he leaned back again, just listening for the response. Clearly, that question hadn’t been meant for them.

Si Yi stared through the windshield, trying to focus on the street while his heart was beating madly. He had always thought that he was subtle about it but most likely, there was nothing he could hide from his master’s eyes.

But then again, looking into the rearview mirror and seeing the exchange between Si Shi Er and his boyfriend, it was clear that Si Shi Er had known immediately that he was meant. He probably hadn’t figured that out from context. No, he had known as well. Most likely, all of them knew.

Si Yi wasn’t sure how to react to that. He had always held back for the sake of the Si clan, had pretended that these feelings weren’t there. But somehow, it didn’t seem like he had been very successful at that.

Even worse, if everyone was able to see it, Si Qi would be too. And if he was able to see it but was still continuously rejected, then what did that mean to him? It should hurt pretty badly.

Si Jin couldn’t help but wonder just why an outsider was smarter than the ninjas of his own clan and wondered if he should repeat his question or even rephrase it. Clearly, Si Shi Er had needed two attempts so maybe Si Yi was the same. He did have high expectations for him though considering that he was the first among the ninjas. He shouldn’t be dense to the same degree as Si Shi Er.

Si Yi took a moment longer before he finally sighed. “There are a lot of things to like.” He didn’t speak any further, really not sure how to explain what he felt in his heart.

Compared to his master, he didn’t have that many difficulties when it came to relationships but that was only in general terms. When it came to Si Qi, he still felt that he was fumbling about. This was probably thanks to the fact that he had always evaded this question. His heart being involved didn’t make it much easier. Things that needed to be judged based on facts were much easier to handle.

Unfortunately for him, Si Jin wasn’t willing to let the answer go like that. “Then the most important things?” After all, if there were a lot, he should be able to easily name a few.

Si Yi really didn’t want to talk about it but since this was his master, he couldn’t just ignore it. He thought for a while, wondering what would be the thing that attracted him the most to Si Qi. “His voice, for one.”

Si Jin didn’t show any reaction but Si Shi Er did. “What about his voice?”

Si Yi gave him an angry look through the rearview mirror and didn’t bother to answer. Honestly, he didn’t mind telling his master but the same wasn’t true for Si Shi Er.

He didn’t necessarily think that he would go and gossip with the others but these were his private feelings. He would’ve liked to have them stay like that. But then, he also didn’t want to disappoint his master and finally, the latter still won out. “Other than that, I like his way of thinking about things. It might not be too obvious in everyday life but I can see it in his books.”

Fu Jia couldn’t help but lean closer to his boyfriend. “What books?”

Si Shi Er leaned closer as well, their heads almost touching. “He’s an author.”

“I see. You know a lot of interesting people.”

Si Shi Er nodded but stayed quiet. This was something that he didn’t quite know how to explain and especially not in front of his master and Si Yi. The rules definitely couldn’t be broken in front of them. It was bad enough to do it behind their backs.

Si Yi ignored the two of them and instead thought of the person that he had been longing for, for the past few years. “He is also a very attentive person. If he sees something that needs to be done, he will get to it immediately. And he is able to calm one’s thoughts.”

Thinking about these things, he really didn’t know what to feel. There was so much that he appreciated about Si Qi. And he had to say that when it came to working together, they were like two pieces in a clockwork that fit together perfectly.

They didn’t need many words to do so. One gaze, one gesture was enough for them to come to an understanding. And often enough, he had experienced how Si Qi would have done a task before he himself had even thought about how it was necessary.

In an ideal world, one where he didn’t have any other considerations, he wouldn’t hesitate for a single moment. He would walk up to him and ask him to go out with him. No, maybe even more than that. Maybe he would jump past that step and directly ask him to spend the rest of his life with him because he didn’t doubt in the least that they could make it work.

It was a pity that the world wasn’t an ideal place. Just as Si Shi Er had just said: The world was bleak instead. Thinking that in this life, he would never be able to be with the person he liked, it felt even bleaker.

Si Jin could hear that Si Yi was done speaking and gave a single nod. In any case, he had already heard what he needed to hear. It seemed that for the most part, what people liked about others were their looks and their temperament. And it seemed that their likes about the other person’s temperament had to do with their own lives.

Si Shi Er felt that things were bad so he looked for something good in his partner. His boyfriend had no idea where to take his life so he had looked for somebody who wouldn’t mind that. On the other hand, Si Yi probably felt that there were too many tasks to do in the clan and appreciated having somebody who was able to take some of that burden off his shoulders. It made sense.

Now, come to think of it, what about him and Xiao Ming? He had already realized that he was attracted to his looks. He also liked his smile and how he treated people with kindness.

Considering how he had grown up learning to seem as emotionless as possible so that he wouldn’t show any weakness, he could see that part of this attraction might be that Xiao Ming was the total opposite of him. You were able to read everything on his face. Most likely, Xiao Ming couldn’t tell a single lie without being caught.

And then, he was also good with people. He had a great friendship with the other two members of Bright Yellow Water that wasn’t based on traditions like in the Si clan but on genuine affection for each other. He wasn’t sure if he could say that he had the same with the ninjas of his clan.

Yes, he probably admired that as well. And, come to think of it, as he had found out today, he was a rather boring person who couldn’t find a single interest. He just wasn’t able to do so no matter how he tried. That might be because of a gap in his knowledge or the way he had grown up but it was difficult for him. On the other hand, Xiao Ming had always had something that he was passionate about.

Yes, this was probably also a case of opposites attracting each other. He had fallen in love with Xiao Ming because he had seen the things in him that he was missing. And he probably hoped that Xiao Ming would be able to introduce them into his life.

That explained quite a lot and it made him wonder if maybe there was a chance that he could also be for Xiao Ming what he was lacking. Whatever that might be because he felt like Xiao Ming seemed to have everything that was worth having.