It was a quiet summer evening.
Cicadas chirped in the trees outside, and the last golden light of the day slipped through the curtains of the Wu family living room. Wu Suo Wei sat on the edge of the couch, hands folded tightly in his lap. He was seventeen. His schoolbag lay forgotten on the floor, shoes still half on.
Across from him, Chi Cheng sat with his arms crossed. Calm. Silent. Unreadable.
Both their parents were seated nearby, sipping tea with forced smiles. Something in the air felt too serious for a casual visit.
"Suo Wei," his mother said gently, "do you remember the promise we made with the Chi family when you were born?"
He blinked. "Promise?"
Chi Cheng's eyes didn't move. He was looking at the floor. His jaw clenched slightly.
Their parents exchanged glances. Then Mr. Chi spoke, voice steady.
"We agreed… if one of us had a boy and the other had a girl, they'd be married one day."
"But you both had boys," Suo Wei said, confused.
"We kept trying," Chi Cheng's mother said softly. "But in the end… we only had you two."
There was a pause. Then Mrs. Wu leaned forward with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"So… we decided. Why break the promise just because you're both boys?"
Suo Wei stared. His heart thudded in his chest, unsure whether it was fear or something else.
Chi Cheng finally looked up.
Their eyes met.
Suo Wei opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. His brain was still catching up.
"You're engaged," Mr. Chi said, as if that explained everything. "You'll marry when you're older."
Silence.
Suo Wei swallowed. "I… I don't mind."
Chi Cheng stood.
Suo Wei looked at him. "Do you—?"
"You don't have to tell anyone," Chi Cheng said, his voice calm but firm. "Ever."
Suo Wei blinked. "But—"
"Not your friends. Not at school. Not anyone."
He turned away.
Suo Wei sat frozen, words caught in his throat. For a moment, he thought he saw something flicker in Chi Cheng's eyes. A tremble, maybe. A hesitation. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
That night, Suo Wei went to bed with one thought echoing in his head:
Engaged… to Chi Cheng?
And Chi Cheng?
He lay awake in the dark, staring at the ceiling, replaying one word over and over in his chest.
Da Bao.
He didn't say it out loud.
Not yet.