Ever since his foot and back injuries, Fu Xingran appeared around him with even higher frequency. Aside from school, he could now see this guy right in front of him the moment he came home from work.
Not only that, but Fu Xingran was always creating unexpected surprises for him.
He would send books, perfume, and all kinds of different things. Just like when they previously discussed how to give gifts to someone you like, Fu Xingran copied it word for word and sent those exact discussed items to him.
Only, why was Fu Xingran giving them to him instead of the person Fu Xingran claimed to like?
The more he thought about it, the more it felt incorrect.
The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t dare to delve deeper, abruptly cutting off his train of thought right at the edge.
It wasn’t until he opened his front door this morning that he saw a gift bag placed at the entrance once again. Inside was a bottle of perfume named “927.” Glancing at apartment 1204 across the hall, he stared at the bottle of “927” in his hand and fell into deep thought.
This month, he had received a total of three bottles of perfume: “922,” “115,” and now “927.” Last time, Fu Xingran explained that “922” was the day he met the person he liked, so what did “0115” and “927” mean?
If the string of numbers “0115” referred to him, his very first thought would be that it was his birthday. However, this perfume named “0115” came from Fu Xingran’s own hands. So to Fu Xingran, what kind of day was January 15th?
Fu Xingran had said that “922” was the day he first met the person he liked, and “0115” happened to be his birthday, so what was “927” supposed to mean?
However, none of this was the main point. The real question was: why did Fu Xingran keep sending him gifts all this time? Shouldn’t these things be given to the person Fu Xingran was trying to pursue?
Could it not possibly be that the person Fu Xingran mentioned was him?
Su Lixu looked silently at the bottle of perfume in his hand. Feeling as though it were a hot potato, he placed it on the shoe cabinet.
Not necessarily. Do not think too much into it.
There was an age gap between him and Fu Xingran. Perhaps Fu Xingran’s way of expressing himself was simply different from what he perceived.
Putting away all his thoughts, he closed the front door and walked toward the parking garage.
The garage lights were dim. He took out his car keys to unlock the car, and just as he walked up to his own vehicle, he saw the headlights of the Lamborghini parked opposite him flash. Immediately afterward, he watched that familiar Lamborghini pull out and stop right in front of his car.
The garage lighting was rather dark. The driver’s side window slowly rolled down along with the light and shadow, revealing a familiar face. The illumination outlined a handsome profile, showing the young man in the driver’s seat holding the steering wheel with one hand.
It was Fu Xingran.
Fu Xingran rested his arm on the windowsill, looked at Su Lixu outside the car, waved at him, and hooked his lips into an extremely bright smile: “Good morning, older brother! Did you receive my perfume?”
Su Lixu said, “Speak of the devil.”
It was precisely this kind of casual and straightforward attitude that made Su Lixu feel incredulous.
Did this guy even know what he was doing?
Then, he watched Fu Xingran open the door and get out of the car.
Today, Fu Xingran was wearing that black baseball jacket once again. His tall and sturdy figure supported the garment, and the youthful flamboyance matched the script lettering on the baseball jacket. As he drew closer, he brought with him a lingering sense of oppression, and his body radiated the fragrance of August night osmanthus perfume.
It was his most beloved perfume.
He instinctively braced himself against the car door, his hand tightening quietly.
Fu Xingran walked right up to Su Lixu: “The perfume I sent you today is 927. Did you see it?”
Perhaps the distance was a bit too close, so Su Lixu shifted his body slightly to create some space, using his grip on the car door to brace and ease his mind: “Why are you giving me things again?”
In the dim lighting of the parking garage, an unspoken atmosphere quietly permeated the space shared only by the two of them.
Fu Xingran’s gaze landed on the white sweater Su Lixu was wearing today, which was the exact same color as the one he had on, truly looking like a couple’s outfit. Hearing Su Lixu ask this, he smiled even deeper:
“Wasn’t it you who taught me, older brother?”
Hearing this ambiguous answer and meeting Fu Xingran’s smile, Su Lixu felt for some reason that this guy seemed to be teasing him: “That’s what I said, yes, but aren’t you supposed to give those to the person you like?”
“I did give them.” Fu Xingran caught Su Lixu’s furrowed brows.
“Then why are you still giving them to me after you’ve already given them to him?” Su Lixu asked, bewildered.
The moment his voice trailed off, Fu Xingran suddenly raised his hand and gently touched his brow and eyes.
“Do not frown. I do not like it when you frown.” As he spoke, he even used the pad of his thumb to lightly stroke the skin, as if trying to smooth away the crease.
Su Lixu grabbed Fu Xingran’s hand, as this hand had been getting entirely too restless lately, and took a deep breath: “Why are you still giving them to me when you’ve already given them to him?”
As he spoke, he pushed that hand away, feeling that if he did not get a clear answer soon, he would be the one going crazy.
Clearly, the guy had already told him he had someone he liked and had previously established boundaries, so why cross the line now?
“I just wanted to give them to you.” Fu Xingran lowered his gaze to look at the hand that had been pushed away. Unlike his bright smile just a moment ago, the instant his eyes and brows drooped, it revealed an indescribable sense of dejection: “But older brother, you seem to dislike it.”
Su Lixu sensitively caught the change in Fu Xingran’s emotions and suddenly realized if he might be overinterpreting things, slightly suppressing the anxiety in his heart.
“I did not say I do not like it, I just do not quite understand why you want to give them to me.” Su Lixu softened his tone as much as he possibly could, asking: “So, you’ve already given these gifts to the person you like, right?”
He might not yet be able to use normal emotional logic to untangle things with Fu Xingran, but he had to find an opportunity to get to the bottom of it.
If not today, then tomorrow.
Fu Xingran stared right at Su Lixu: “Mm, I gave them to him.”
“Then did he accept them?”
“He accepted them.”
Su Lixu immediately let out a sigh of relief, though he had no idea why he felt the need to sigh in relief: “That’s good then. If he accepted your gifts, it means he likes you too.”
“Really?” Fu Xingran raised an eyebrow: “Him accepting them means he likes me?”
“If you’ve already confessed your feelings to him, then him accepting your gifts shows that he is willing to accept your feelings.”
Fu Xingran smiled: “I’ve already told him, so that means he likes me too.”
Sensing Fu Xingran’s gaze lingering on his face, Su Lixu turned sideways nonchalantly to avoid it, coughed, and said: “Um, Xingran, I think you probably need to distinguish between the way you treat someone you like and the way you treat a friend, as they should be different. Are you sure you’ve figured that out?”
He wasn’t completely oblivious, but Fu Xingran’s increasingly close proximity lately was truly hard for him to fathom. Wasn’t the guy supposed to be pursuing the person he liked?
“I can tell the difference. I can tell them apart very clearly.”
Su Lixu gave him a skeptical look, half-doubting, but seeing that Fu Xingran’s expression looked very earnest, he could only push down his doubts: “That’s good then.”
In front of the car, Fu Xingran smiled even more brilliantly.
“Then older brother, are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner.”
“Why the sudden urge to treat me to dinner out of nowhere?” Su Lixu thought to himself that he had only just breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, because today is my birthday.” Fu Xingran looked at Su Lixu with anticipation: “Can older brother accompany me to celebrate my birthday?”
Su Lixu was slightly stunned. Today was actually Fu Xingran’s birthday?! He took out his phone and checked the date: November 21st.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know today was your birthday, and I didn’t even prepare a gift for you.”
Fu Xingran deeply imprinted Su Lixu’s embarrassed expression into his eyes, appearing as understanding as could be: “It doesn’t matter. Older brother, you are the best gift of all.”
Su Lixu asked, “Huh?”
Fu Xingran smiled: “I mean that simply being able to have a meal with you tonight is the best gift for me; I do not need anything else. Older brother, are you free tonight? I’d like to invite you to dinner.”
“Why aren’t you spending it with him?” Su Lixu probed cautiously, wondering why someone wouldn’t spend their birthday with the person they liked.
“I will.” Fu Xingran didn’t say much more: “But tonight I want to spend it with you, older brother. Can I? My dad forgot my birthday, so I don’t have any family to spend my birthday with tonight.”
Hearing the slightly dejected tone in Fu Xingran’s voice, the word family inevitably touched a chord within him: “Then should I bake a cake for you tonight?”
“Is that okay? Would it be too much trouble for you, older brother?” Fu Xingran desperately restrained the surging emotions in his heart, keeping his outward appearance calm and composed.
“Then come over to my place to eat tonight.” Su Lixu opened the car door, and suddenly remembering something, he turned his head back: “Right, you have a trial class on Friday afternoon. You can’t skip class again, or else I won’t put in a good word for you anymore.”
With that, he got into the car, rolled down the window, and gave Fu Xingran one last warning from outside: “Did you hear me?”
Fu Xingran stood outside the car, watching Su Lixu obediently nod: “Mm, I heard you. Older brother, remember to make it for me tonight, okay?”
Su Lixu didn’t pay attention to Fu Xingran’s wording, assuming he meant the cake: “I’ll do what I promised. I’m heading to school now, see you later.”
The car window slowly rolled up, and the moment it completely closed, it cut off the blazing, fire-like gaze from outside.
Fu Xingran watched the direction in which the Cadillac departed, his hand resting at his side rubbing gently, which was the very hand that had touched Su Lixu just moments ago. A deep layer of laughter filled the depths of his eyes.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
Let’s just make it tonight.