“It’s fine, Xingyu. It means something that you showed up at all. I don’t have champagne flutes or anything—how about the plastic cups I’m supposed to use for rinsing my mouth out?”

“Sounds classy.” Xingyu flashed a smile at him. If it was Xiaokai, Weiran thought, he would have rolled his eyes and said something unnecessary and ordered champagne flutes through room service with the kind of bored confidence that only someone like him could have, and then he would have said something vulgar just as Weiran lifted the glass to his lips, making him spit it back out.

Wait. Weiran paused while he peeled the plastic off the cups. Why was he thinking about Xiaokai right now? Xingyu, Weiran’s love of several years, was in front of him, looking gorgeous in a soft sweater and pants, his hair hanging around his face and framing each of his elegant features like the works of art they were. Xiaokai had already come by, had given Weiran sex (had given Weiran a kiss that made him dizzy if he thought about it), and then he’d left. It was Xingyu in front of him now. He sat down and reached for one of the containers of desserts.

“Are these homemade?”

“Depends on what home you’re talking about,” Xingyu answered with another dazzling smile. “Not my home, but, yeah, homemade. As an unfortunate member of the Liu family, I only buy the best.”

“Do I want to know how expensive it was?”

“No, you do not.”

They ate together for a few minutes, their conversation light and easy. Xingyu fed a moon cake into Weiran’s mouth, making him blush.

“I know it isn’t Chun Jie,20” Xingyu said as he wiped crumbs off his fingers, “but I didn’t know what else to bring for food.”

“Did whoever make this give you a weird look when you asked?”

“Yeah. I think they’re convinced I lost my mind while I was abroad. One of them even called me waiguoren under their breath.”

“Brave enough to even say that to the Liu heir?”

Xingyu rolled his eyes. “I’m not a real heir until my father officially announces it. Plus, you know. They’re some of the best cooks in the city, so I think they can say whatever they want and not have to experience repercussions for it.”

Weiran could see why they were so confident, but he wasn’t about to say so. “Are you going to any of the parties tomorrow?”