His whole body carried the warm, damp scent of sweet orange from the steam.
When Lu Xianyan walked in, this was the Shu Ci he saw.
Everyone has their little quirks.
Shu Ci had always had many small habits. Back when he couldn’t solve a problem, he would bite the base of his thumb. When nervous, he would clutch the hem of his clothes.
Lu Xianyan had thought Shu Ci had simply developed a new habit of biting towels. He hadn’t expected it to be an actual condition.
He didn’t know much about the illness. His gaze drifted over again.
As expected. Shu Ci was the same as before—fingers twisting the corner of his shirt, legs swaying unconsciously.
A white towel rested over his shoulders, making him look small and fragile.
“If you think it’s troublesome—”
“It’s not.”
Shu Ci blinked. “Do you want to think about it a bit more…?”
After all, it was rather private.
“If I can help you, that’s enough.”
Lu Xianyan agreed far more readily than Shu Ci had imagined.
The heavy stone in his heart loosened, and Shu Ci found himself talking more.
“Then… thank you. Oh, and I might bite hard. If it hurts or makes you uncomfortable, push me away in time.”
“And you don’t need to pay the electricity bill either.”
“I’ve only told you. Don’t tell anyone else—Zhou Mingran included.”
Seeing Lu Xianyan remain silent, Shu Ci finally felt satisfied. He believed he’d found himself a reliable treatment partner.
Buzz—
His phone vibrated.
Shu Ci stood up to check it.
To his surprise, it was a message from Fu Zhiheng.
He had met Fu Zhiheng at a comics company. Over a month ago, he’d gone there to discuss publishing matters. In the elevator, a slender young man had stepped in, back turned toward him, wearing a loose black T-shirt.
When Shu Ci looked up, he saw a mole at the nape of the man’s neck.
That day, he’d boldly asked Fu Zhiheng for his WeChat. Fu Zhiheng had seemed carefree, aloof, and cool; Shu Ci had thought he’d need to ask several times. Unexpectedly, the man had given it to him right away.
When people are lonely and anxious at their lowest point, they easily treat others like life-saving straws.
After confirming that this was the “white moonlight” from his childhood, Shu Ci had instinctively wanted to cling to him.
Now, thinking back, that idea felt foolish.
Fortunately, his relationship with Fu Zhiheng hadn’t turned sour.
Shu Ci opened their chat—mostly work-related messages.
He replied to a few and was pondering what emoji to send to end the conversation when a shadow loomed over him.
Lu Xianyan bent down.
His straight nose bridge was almost brushing Shu Ci’s face.
“Where do you usually need to bite?”
That question could have been answered normally.
But when asked by a man wearing nothing but swim trunks, water still dripping from his body, leaning in so close—it felt strange.
The locker room felt like an enclosed space. The man’s presence was overwhelming. Shu Ci could feel warm breath against his earlobe, tingling.
He leaned back slightly.
“I won’t ask about the kitten.”
—Asking someone to help treat his illness while also coveting their cat.
“That’s too much.”
“It’s fine.”
Shu Ci shook his head.
The next second, something appeared in front of him—a cat plush toy.
“What’s this?”
“A housewarming gift.”
“Huh?”
“I noticed several plush toys like this on your living room sofa.” As if reminding him to take it, Lu Xianyan lightly shook his wrist, and the cat’s ears bobbed gently.
Shu Ci had loved plush toys since childhood. Or rather, he loved all cute things. In elementary school, he used to hang them on his backpack, until one boy in his class had sneered at him, saying, “Why do you like such girly stuff?”
After that, Shu Ci stopped displaying them and didn’t want anyone to know he liked such things. Before Lu Xianyan moved in, he had even hidden his plush toys and colorful mugs in the bedroom closet.
How did Lu Xianyan know there had been plushies on the sofa?
He’d only come over once…
But hadn’t he been drunk that time?
Shu Ci didn’t think too much about it. He cared about appearances. Although he liked the gift, he accepted it with an expression that seemed to say, “I’m only taking it because you gave it to me. I don’t usually like these.”
Lu Xianyan turned away to continue his own tasks.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Shu Ci hugging the plush toy, rubbing his cheek gently against the cat’s ear.
He looked very pleased.
The corner of Lu Xianyan’s lips lifted slightly.
【What do you want to eat tonight?】
While lounging on the sofa watching a movie, Shu Ci received Lu Xianyan’s message.
It had been half a month since Lu Xianyan moved in. At first, Shu Ci had worried about adjusting to living with someone else.
Now… he almost felt like he couldn’t do without him.
He didn’t think anyone would refuse Lu Xianyan as a roommate.
On the first day, he’d proactively arranged for the bathroom light to be fixed. It had been broken for three months, and Shu Ci had been too lazy to deal with it—he’d nearly gotten used to the dimness.
Lu Xianyan was also a neat freak. He would voluntarily clean the house until it was spotless, yet never demanded the same strict standards from others.
After living alone for a year, Shu Ci still wasn’t very good at taking care of himself. He was lazy—he would clean, but only the visible surfaces. If he had to bend down to clean somewhere, he’d skip it since it wasn’t easily seen. He washed clothes but never took them down from the balcony; he would only grab them when he needed to wear them. The balcony had practically become his second wardrobe.
Now that there was another person at home and not enough hangers, Shu Ci had taken the dried clothes down and casually piled them onto a beanbag chair.
The next morning, he woke to find them neatly folded.
Even the underwear had been folded…
Shu Ci felt too embarrassed to let someone take care of him like that. Afterward, he started bringing his laundry back into his bedroom himself.
Aside from that, there was another major convenience—Lu Xianyan brought dinner back from the university cafeteria every night.
Fog University’s cafeteria was famous for its variety, far better than nearby takeout options. Gradually, Lu Xianyan began asking him each evening what he wanted before coming home.
Shu Ci was just about to reply when his heart suddenly began racing. Sweat prickled down his back. His breathing grew heavier.
It seemed the episode was happening again.
When alone, Shu Ci knew exactly how to handle it.
He went into the bathroom, stuffed a towel into his mouth, crouched down, and slowly regulated his breathing.
…
A few agonizing minutes passed.
But this time, Shu Ci didn’t feel satisfied.