Fu Zhiheng’s gaze shifted backward, his face turning icy.
He saw that face again—the one he least wanted to see.
Yet he had to admit it: the way the man held Shu Ci was practiced. Even the way he guided Shu Ci’s mouth away from biting himself was equally familiar.
How many times had they done this?
Shu Ci didn’t resist at all. Instead, he even leaned his cheek affectionately against the man’s fingers.
Like a soft little cat.
The person holding Shu Ci like this could have been him.
Fu Zhiheng stood frozen in place. Even after the two of them left, he didn’t move.
Only then did he realize he was mad with jealousy.
And worse— even Shu Ci’s lingering scent was slowly fading.
After Shu Ci’s episode eased, he sobered up. He just felt exhausted and curled up in the back seat of the car, pretending to sleep.
The ride-share driver kept braking suddenly, making him feel queasy. His head throbbed dully.
In his haze, his hand was suddenly taken.
Shu Ci instantly woke up.
Lu Xianyan’s palm was broad and warm, slowly prying apart his fingers and intertwining them. He held tightly—almost as if afraid Shu Ci might run away.
The warmth transferred into Shu Ci’s palm, making it damp with a thin layer of sweat.
Even so, Lu Xianyan didn’t loosen his grip. He held on the entire ride.
Shu Ci kept pretending to sleep. After the car stopped, he got out.
His hand was still firmly clasped in Lu Xianyan’s.
Through the elevator. Through the hallway. Into the living room…
Only then did Lu Xianyan finally let go.
Panicked, Shu Ci immediately tried to retreat to his room.
But Lu Xianyan blocked him at the door.
“I have something to tell you.”
Shu Ci lowered his head, pretending ignorance. “I’m very tired.”
“It’s important.”
“I—I’m really sleepy. I need to go to bed.”
He didn’t dare look up at Lu Xianyan’s expression.
After what felt like a long time, he heard a quiet sigh.
Lu Xianyan turned the doorknob.
The warmth around him disappeared. Then came the heavy sound of the door shutting.
Was he rejected?
Lu Xianyan stood there stiffly, lost in thought.
About two minutes later, the door creaked open again.
He froze—then felt his wrist being tugged.
A small bottle was placed into his hand.
“Happy birthday.”
After saying that, Shu Ci touched his own cheek awkwardly, said nothing more, and gently closed the door again.
Lu Xianyan stared at the bottle of perfume.
He didn’t know how long he stood there staring.
Suddenly, he crouched down, finally understanding.
“You’re going to tease me to death.”
Lu Xianyan’s birthday was in November.
Shu Ci deliberately ignored what had happened the previous night and arranged with Zhou Mingran to celebrate together that evening.
The three of them chose a restaurant they often went to, booking a private room. It was quiet.
As soon as Zhou Mingran arrived, he caught a whiff of perfume on Lu Xianyan and clicked his tongue. “What’s with this sudden transformation?”
Lu Xianyan replied lightly, “Someone gave it to me.”
Zhou Mingran noticed Shu Ci’s uncomfortable expression and immediately understood. Too lazy to listen to Lu Xianyan showing off, he quickly changed the topic.
All evening, he kept asking Shu Ci about his book sales.
As the birthday boy, Lu Xianyan barely spoke. He just kept grilling meat, placing the cooked pieces onto Shu Ci’s plate.
Shu Ci was already used to being taken care of like this and accepted it without hesitation.
Then, in the next second, he heard Lu Xianyan’s voice deny something.
The man’s serious words reached his ears:
“It wasn’t just influence.”
“I liked you since middle school.”
Shu Ci stared at him in shock, momentarily forgetting the tingling soreness on his lips. He bit down on them anxiously, struggling to find words.
The perfume on Lu Xianyan seemed stronger than usual tonight.
“You… you…”
He truly hadn’t expected Lu Xianyan to have had a crush on him since middle school. After stammering for a while, he tried to organize his thoughts.
“Maybe back then we were just close, and you mistook friendship for—”
“For liking you?” Lu Xianyan finished calmly.
Shu Ci nodded.
“Friends don’t have those kinds of dreams.” Lu Xianyan stepped closer, cornering him. “During that time, I dreamed about you every day. In my dreams, I did very inappropriate things to you. I would pin you down—”
The rest of his words were blocked by a soft palm.
Shu Ci covered his mouth, flustered and wide-eyed. “I know! Don’t say it anymore!”
“You’re—you’re so weird, thinking about stuff like that every day…”
His voice grew weaker as Lu Xianyan’s breath brushed against his palm, making it tingle.
Then he noticed—
Lu Xianyan was nervous.
His jaw was tight, his face faintly trembling.
Only then did Shu Ci realize: he had just confessed.
“You… don’t be nervous,” Shu Ci said softly.
“I don’t dislike you.”
If he’d liked him since middle school… then it must have been a very deep kind of liking.
Shu Ci lowered his hand and looked down.
He didn’t know how to respond to something so heavy and sincere.
Lu Xianyan was the childhood friend who had returned to his life after years apart. They had once been close. They had once drifted away. They shared an understanding others could never step into.
What exactly did he feel for Lu Xianyan?
Friendship?
If he said, “I only see you as a friend. Can we still be friends?” Lu Xianyan would probably explode.
They’d kissed twice. Even done more intimate things. Lu Xianyan had even let him use the savings he’d been putting aside for a future wife.
By traditional standards… that was practically marriage-level.
Shu Ci pressed his lips together and spoke slowly.
“I need to think about it.”
Lu Xianyan lowered his eyes, the shadow over them making him look slightly dejected.
“Do you still like Fu Zhiheng?”
Shu Ci shook his head. “He’s straight.”
He meant there was no possibility between him and Fu Zhiheng.
But to Lu Xianyan, that didn’t sound like a complete denial. If Fu Zhiheng weren’t straight, would they already be together?
And besides—Fu Zhiheng had looked completely bewitched earlier. What straight man tries to kiss someone?
Lu Xianyan didn’t dare voice these thoughts.
He was afraid this foolish little rabbit would be snatched away.
He had waited so long.
Waited for a chance that wasn’t guaranteed—but still far better than the day they had parted years ago.
Shu Ci would probably never know—
On the day he left Jiangcheng, Lu Xianyan had rushed to the airport.
He had gone there to confess.
Back in his room, Shu Ci’s face was still burning.
Had Lu Xianyan really liked him for that long?
He buried himself under the blanket, trying to recall everything from middle school related to Lu Xianyan.
No matter how he thought about it, something still felt unreal.