What if he was simply lucky—lucky enough that someone had liked him for that long?
Shu Ci wanted to confirm it.
If it were before, he could’ve just waited for Lu Xianyan to finish showering. The answer would’ve been obvious—because Lu Xianyan used to come out bare-chested.
But ever since Shu Ci reminded him not to catch a cold, Lu Xianyan obediently started dressing properly inside the bathroom.
So Shu Ci made up an excuse to wash his hands and went in.
There was no steam in the bathroom. Lu Xianyan had only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets traced down the lines of his muscles. Unlike his cold, restrained face, his well-defined physique made it clear—this was a young man, strong and powerful.
Shu Ci stared straight at the man’s… necklace.
The moment he saw the pendant clearly, his heart skipped.
It really was an ear clip.
Set with a pearl that had long since lost its luster, slightly worn from time.
He really… really liked him.
A buzzing filled Shu Ci’s ears. His limbs went numb and weak.
At that moment, the “I like you” Lu Xianyan had spoken finally fell from the empty air to solid ground—landing squarely on his heart.
Heavy. Solid.
Shu Ci had received many confessions before. But they were like the first snowfall—beautiful, yet impossible to preserve. By the next day they’d melt into wet slush, and soon after, disappear entirely.
What he wanted was something intense. Enduring. Focused.
“Click—”
The crisp sound of a door locking rang out.
Shu Ci snapped back to reality, his shoulders trembling. He only then realized Lu Xianyan had quietly walked up to him.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” Lu Xianyan’s voice was hoarse beyond recognition. “The door’s locked. It’s soundproof in here. You’re so small and weak. I could do anything to you.”
Shu Ci pressed his lips together. “Don’t scare me…”
He lifted his face and looked into the man’s dark eyes, speaking softly but firmly.
“I know you wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t.” Lu Xianyan leaned in, resting his head in the crook of Shu Ci’s neck, inhaling deeply.
His voice came out muffled. “Anything you don’t agree to—I will never do.”
“But my body… it gets excited just seeing you.”
“The way you were staring at me… it reacted.”
Heat from his breath turned Shu Ci’s neck red. The warmth spread through him, making his thoughts hazy.
“Lu Xianyan.”
He called his name softly. “Why did you wait so long to tell me?”
“Hmm?”
“…About liking me.”
Lu Xianyan pulled back slightly and looked at Shu Ci’s flushed cheeks.
“I didn’t think I was good enough for you.”
Shu Ci was startled. “How could that be…”
In his heart, Lu Xianyan had always been someone exceptional. To hear someone like that say he wasn’t good enough made Shu Ci awkwardly rub his nose.
“I think you’re great. Everything about you is great,” he said softly. But seeing Lu Xianyan staring at him without blinking, his face burned hotter. He quickly added, “But you can’t get cocky.”
“You have to pursue me properly.”
Like a rabbit cautiously poking its ears over a fence.
Lu Xianyan’s breathing deepened. He stepped forward silently and unlocked the door.
“I’m too excited right now. I’m afraid I’ll scare you.” There was water on the floor; he reached out and picked up the dazed Shu Ci. “I’ll carry you out.”
Later, at dinner, Shu Ci secretly pushed all the celery he didn’t like into Lu Xianyan’s bowl.
Right—he had one requirement for his future boyfriend: no picky eating.
Lu Xianyan didn’t say a word. He ate it all.
That passed.
The corners of Shu Ci’s lips curled upward.
Lu Xianyan left the hotel very early the next morning. Shu Ci set an alarm and struggled out of bed to see him off.
Of course, “seeing him off” just meant standing at the hotel entrance, watching him get into a taxi.
He was half-asleep and vaguely remembered running into Fu Zhiheng in the hallway. The other man had said something to him, but after he went back to sleep, he forgot it completely. When he asked about it at lunch, Fu Zhiheng only said it wasn’t important.
The next few days, Shu Ci felt relaxed. He visited local museums and tried regional food. He had planned to explore alone, but somehow kept “coincidentally” running into Fu Zhiheng. Naturally, they ended up traveling together.
When Lu Xianyan found out, his messages became frequent—almost like checking up on him, constantly asking what he was doing.
Shu Ci actually liked sharing things with others, so he sent him photos he’d taken.
Once that started, even after returning home, he couldn’t help wanting to share everything with Lu Xianyan.
Sharing was the beginning of ambiguity.
Their relationship subtly shifted from simple roommates.
Even though both of them were busy, their messages only increased. They spent less time curled up together in the living room, yet hadn’t reached the stage of fully living together. There were still clear boundaries around personal belongings.
But accidents were inevitable.
One day, Shu Ci realized several pairs of his underwear were missing and asked Lu Xianyan—since he was the one who usually helped with laundry.
The man was silent for a moment.
“I bought you new ones. They’re washed and hung up already.”
Shu Ci blinked. “Did they get lost? It’s fine, I can buy my own.”
“They weren’t lost.”
Lu Xianyan lowered his voice and stepped closer, honestly explaining what had happened to them.
They hadn’t survived.
All worn thin. Torn.
Shu Ci froze.
His cheeks immediately flushed pink with embarrassment. “You—you…”
He was too tongue-tied to scold properly. He could only widen his eyes and glare in condemnation.
Lu Xianyan accepted the glare.
“I’m sorry.” His expression remained calm, almost sincerely repentant. “I did something very bad to Xiao Ci.”
He had already been trying hard to restrain himself.
But Shu Ci… was just too adorable.
Declaring he wanted dessert, then ending up with cream smeared all over himself like a little cat who’d gotten into something messy.
Meticulously applying lotion every day because he was afraid of dry skin—and after switching scents, lifting his shirt to let him smell it.
They had a small whiteboard on the fridge. Sometimes in the morning, Lu Xianyan would leave a message, and by evening, he’d find a few cute emoji replies added underneath.
When anxious, Shu Ci would look at him with watery eyes. When comforted, he’d nuzzle close like a small animal, his face practically saying, “I like you the most.”
It was lethal.
Even harder to endure than back in middle school, when he’d sit behind him and stare at that soft, fluffy head.
Lu Xianyan apologized—but showed no intention of changing.
Finally, when Shu Ci personally saw him quietly slipping one of his underwear into his clean clothes pile before showering—
He snapped