Good news never travels far but bad news spreads a thousand miles.
What had happened between Ruan Chen and Mu Xinghai at the police station quickly took on a life of its own, spreading through the campus at astonishing speed.
In what felt like an instant, they were swept into the eye of a storm of rumors,
“Have you heard? Mu Xinghai and Ruan Chen are actually involved with each other?”
“No way?!! That’s shocking! Isn’t Mu Xinghai straight? He doesn’t seem effeminate at all.”
“Ruan Chen? Which department is he from? Never heard of him. Anyone got photos?”
“How did these two, who have nothing to do with each other, even get tangled up together… This must be made up, right? Just a distraction?”
“If this is true, aren’t you all helping someone cheat?”
“I’ve seen Ruan Chen before. He’s kind of effeminate in certain ways. I always thought something about him was off.”
“So was Ruan Chen getting close to Jiang Tingting actually just to get near Mu Xinghai? These bottoms are getting more and more scheming.”
“I think I saw them walking together before but at that time Mu Xinghai hadn’t even broken up with Jiang Tingting yet…”
“Mu Xinghai kept quiet about all this, acting straight all the time. Isn’t he basically preparing to deceive someone into marriage?”
“First of all, this has to be true. Is there any solid proof? And you’re all already discussing it so passionately.”
“Where are they now?”
“No idea. Can’t get in touch.”
A casual joke appeared among the chatter:
“Did they elope?”
Yes.
Where were the two people at the center of all this?
They had already reached the eye of the storm.
One of them was about to graduate, the other preparing to go abroad. Neither had many classes left. Even without asking the school for leave, it wouldn’t matter.
So they simply vanished from the world.
At that very moment, the two of them were at a high end hot spring resort on the outskirts of the city.
Mu Xinghai used to come here often. As a VIP client, he had reserved a private courtyard villa. He stayed here every day, soaking in the hot springs at night while gazing at the stars.
Mu Xinghai checked the news outside every day but aside from messages from his parents, he didn’t reply to anyone.
Ruan Chen hadn’t intended to look at anything at all. After two days of insomnia, he finally went online to take a glance, only to feel even more restless, unable to sleep. By the next morning, he had developed a mild fever.
Mu Xinghai was, of course, the first to notice. He stayed by the bedside, taking care of him. “Let’s go to the hospital.”
Ruan Chen said, “It’s not even 38 degrees. What hospital? I just haven’t slept well these past few days. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“How many days has it been since you’ve had proper sleep?”
“I’ll sleep. I’ve taken medicine and I’m pretty drowsy now. Stop bothering me.”
“Then I’ll sleep with you.”
“No need.”
Mu Xinghai ignored him and forced his way under the covers anyway, wrapping his warm body around him. Ruan Chen said no but he didn’t push him away.
Mu Xinghai quietly pressed closer.
Ruan Chen frowned uncomfortably yet he opened his eyes. His gaze was half lidded, languid, watching him as if embers still smoldered faintly after a fire had burned through.
The two of them had long since grown used to each other. They had done everything there was to do, no matter where they were. There was no longer any need for restraint.
Mu Xinghai spoke nonsense with a straight face, coaxing him gently. “Isn’t it fine? If we sweat a little, maybe the fever will go down.”
Ruan Chen’s face was faintly flushed from the heat. He stared at him quietly and answered something entirely unrelated. “Mu Xinghai, let’s go back to school tomorrow.”
Mu Xinghai’s expression immediately darkened. “What do you mean by that?”
His heart was suddenly lifted into his throat.
Was this another breakup?
Being in a relationship with Ruan Chen was exhausting. Yes, he didn’t cause scenes or create trouble but he never let anyone get close either.
Ruan Chen didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed his lips.
It seemed to be the first time Ruan Chen had taken the initiative to kiss him.
Mu Xinghai froze for a moment before reacting, realizing that this had truly happened. A faint numbness spread through his fingertips, everything feeling strangely unreal.
Something roared faintly in his mind. A surge of wild joy rose within him but almost immediately, it was followed by unease.
Mu Xinghai’s heart burned yet he didn’t simply go along with it. He pulled him into his arms, suspicious, overthinking. “Why are you kissing me? Don’t tell me you’re planning to have breakup sex with me before going back? If that’s the case… then I’m not doing it.”
The atmosphere, which had just been somewhat suggestive, shifted at once.
Ruan Chen had gathered immense courage to take the initiative yet hearing this made his face flush even deeper. “Forget it. Just think of it as my brain being fried from the fever.”
After saying that awkwardly, he turned over, intending to face away from Mu Xinghai.
“Wait…” Mu Xinghai pressed down on his shoulder, stopping him. He cupped his face, their foreheads touching. “Is the fever that bad? Let me see.”
Their noses brushed together, their breaths hot and unsteady.
Mu Xinghai’s hands had long since warmed beneath the covers. When they touched Ruan Chen’s cheeks, both of them felt heated, as if they might melt into one another.
Mu Xinghai slowly, quietly adjusted the angle. Though the distance between them was no more than a breath away, he was inexplicably cautious.
It was strange.
Mu Xinghai thought, almost dazed, though they had already been together for more than half a year, being with Ruan Chen still felt like first love.
That same unbearable, restless longing.
Their lips seemed to brush against each other yet not quite.
A fleeting touch, gone as soon as it came.
“After we go back to school, will you still come to see me? Don’t lie to me. No matter if it’s good or bad, just tell me the truth.”
“Whether I agree or not, won’t you end up coaxing and tricking me into agreeing anyway? So I thought about it… let’s just leave it like this.”
Mu Xinghai asked, “Like what?”
Ruan Chen said, “Keep fooling around with you.”
Mu Xinghai leaned in and kissed the side of his neck, letting out a low, quiet laugh.
After all, it wasn’t as if their reputations could get any worse.
They lost themselves to the night.
The next morning, when they returned to school, there was no sense of exhaustion. Instead, they felt unexpectedly refreshed.
Mu Xinghai drove them back and parked by the roadside.
“Where to first?” he asked.
He turned to look at Ruan Chen and reached out to touch his face. “You’re still running a low fever.”
Ruan Chen replied, “Your hand feels pretty warm too.”
Mu Xinghai smiled faintly. “Maybe I’ve got a low fever as well. Where to?”
Ruan Chen said, “The academic office. I need to ask about my graduation thesis.”
Mu Xinghai got out of the car first.
He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Ruan Chen. Ruan Chen took his time getting out, moving a little hesitantly.
He felt somewhat at a loss. He didn’t think he was self centered enough to believe everyone was watching him yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were falling on him from all directions.
He almost wished he had a mask to cover his face.
Mu Xinghai accompanied him to the academic office. When the teacher saw him, there was a hint of surprise. “Haven’t seen you for several days.”
Ruan Chen smiled gently, a little shy and said half truthfully, “I was sick.”
The teacher nodded. “Ah, no wonder your face looks a bit flushed.”
The two teachers in the office didn’t ask about any gossip. They would usually crack a joke or two but today they remained strictly professional, answering all his questions one by one. Everything could be resolved, it would just take a few extra steps.
He had always been anxious before, constantly imagining the worst possible outcomes.
Perhaps because he was someone prone to persistent gloom, when everything actually came crashing down, it felt… not nearly as bad as he had imagined.
Mu Xinghai stood outside the door waiting for him, occasionally leaning in to take a look.
The teacher cast a couple of glances at Mu Xinghai.
Ruan Chen pretended not to notice but the tips of his ears had already turned red.
After finishing his questions, Ruan Chen slowly walked out.
Then he left together with Mu Xinghai.
Mu Xinghai teased, “I think the moment you walked out, those two teachers must’ve started saying, ‘So they really are involved.’”
Ruan Chen felt a flicker of annoyance. His eyes brightened with irritation yet he ended up smiling instead.
Mu Xinghai stared at him, captivated. “What are you thinking about?”
Ruan Chen lifted his head. Light fell across his face and with a faint smile, he said, “I was thinking… maybe it’s not that bad after all.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
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✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Rear WindowChapter 2 · Kahlil Gibran, “I Have Spit My Soul Seven Times”Chapter 3 · His ToyChapter 4 · Star GazingChapter 5 · Just a dreamChapter 6 · ColdChapter 7 · Yearning for LoveChapter 8 · A Good PersonChapter 9 · Such a good boyChapter 10 · Delivered to your doorChapter 11 · Not familiar with itChapter 12 · First loveChapter 13 · Giving giftsChapter 14 · HeartstringsChapter 15 · Chinese New YearChapter 16 · TruthChapter 17 · SeparateChapter 18 · Planting minesChapter 19 · ChoiceChapter 20 · More hereChapter 21 · Could things have gotten any worse?Chapter 22 · Not because you like me?Chapter 23 · Not because you like me?Chapter 24 · It’s a tangled mess, impossible to unravelChapter 25 · The truth has been revealedChapter 26 · Extra: 1Chapter 27 · Extra: 2Chapter 28 · Extra: 3Chapter 29 · Extra: 4Chapter 30 · Extra: 5Chapter 31 · Extra: 6Chapter 32 · Extra: 7