While Qiao Muyu’s mind wandered, his teeth accidentally grazed the tip of Lu Zhen’s tongue.
Feeling the sting, the other boy frowned slightly and opened his eyes. There was a trace of dissatisfaction in his deep gaze: “You’re not focusing.”
“Sorry—”
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, the chair beneath Qiao Muyu was suddenly jerked backward. The legs of the chair scraped across the floor, letting out a sharp, piercing screech.
Before Qiao Muyu could react, Lu Zhen scooped him up by the waist and sat him down on the edge of the desk behind him. Lu Zhen used his knees to nudge Qiao’s legs apart, trapping him in the narrow space between his body and the wooden table.
Qiao Muyu instantly realized what he wanted to do and said urgently, “Wait, the test papers are still— mmm!”
Lu Zhen lowered his head, using his lips to seal the unfinished sentence.
Driven by the slightly aggressive kiss, Qiao Muyu couldn’t help but lean back. Afraid of crushing the papers behind him, he only dared to let his tailbone rest lightly on the corner of the table. With his feet dangling in the air and his body unstable, he instinctively reached out one hand to brace himself on the desktop, while the other hooked around Lu Zhen’s neck, clutching his collar tightly.
The person in front of him seemed to take this as a response, raising a hand to cup the small of Qiao’s back and pulling him even closer.
As Lu Zhen deepened the kiss, he reached down and covered Qiao’s hand—the one currently crumpling a test paper into a ball—and laced their fingers together in a firm grip.
Outside, snowflakes swirled violently in the cold wind, but the temperature inside the room was climbing steadily, boiling over from the contact of their palms.
The corners of Qiao Muyu’s mouth and his tongue were sucked until they felt numb and tingling. His breath grew ragged, his mind turned to mush, and he found it harder and harder to keep up.
Last time, he had vowed to the mirror that he would take back the initiative, but looking at the current situation, he’d be lucky if he didn’t end up crying and begging for mercy.
Taking advantage of a gap to breathe, Qiao Muyu gazed suspiciously at Lu Zhen, whose forehead was resting against his own. He finally couldn’t help but ask the confusion in his heart: “Is this really your first time kissing someone?”
“This is the second time,” Lu Zhen said. “The first time was also here, with you.”
“I’m not asking about that, I’m asking…”
Qiao Muyu turned his face away in embarrassment, only for Lu Zhen to kiss his soft earlobe, making the pink tint there instantly deepen.
He struggled to suppress his panting to finish the sentence, “Why… are you so skilled?”
Lu Zhen pressed against his ear, his voice dark and husky: “I’ve imagined doing this with you many times. Sometimes, it was in my dreams.”
After a pause, he asked cautiously: “Do you not like it?”
“I…”
Qiao Muyu hesitated. He really didn’t want to answer that question, so he mumbled a vague reply.
“I don’t hate it.”
“Oh.” Lu Zhen’s eyes curved slightly as he looked at him. He lowered his gaze and let out a low chuckle, “Then that means you like it.”
Qiao Muyu was choked up.
The point wasn’t whether he liked it or not; the point was that he couldn’t lose to Lu Zhen in this kind of thing!
What happened to the “pure-hearted boy who turns into an idiot when teased”? This was a total scam!
The more Qiao Muyu thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He pushed him away irritably: “It’s late, you should go back.”
Lu Zhen buried his face in the crook of Qiao’s neck and rubbed against him, his voice muffled: “Don’t want to go back. It’s not dark yet.”
Speaking of which, Qiao Muyu couldn’t help but be curious: “You stay out every Saturday afternoon after school before going home. Don’t your parents ever ask?”
Lu Zhen said: “They know I’m with you.”
Qiao Muyu was startled: “You told them about us?”
Lu Zhen shook his head: “No. I just told them I was coming to find you to do homework together.”
Qiao Muyu choked.
Well, technically, that wasn’t a lie.
“Your parents really trust you.”
Lu Zhen remained noncommittal: “Instead of worrying about me, they probably worry more about Zhou Shengyuan, who spends every holiday holed up in an internet cafe.”
Qiao Muyu: “…”
As expected, every family has its own cross to bear, even the wealthy ones.
…
After doing homework together for over an hour, Qiao Muyu looked at the sky outside, which had darkened at some unknown point, and reminded him: “It’s getting dark. You really should go.”
Lu Zhen checked the time and curled his lip in dissatisfaction: “So fast.”
Qiao Muyu understood his greed; their dates were always short, limited to just this half-day after school on Saturdays.
Lu Zhen packed his bag and was escorted to the door by Qiao Muyu. Remembering something, he turned back: “Qiao Muyu.”
“Yeah?”
“Next Wednesday is New Year’s Day. On the holiday, let’s go on a date. I want to spend the whole day with you. Is that okay?”
“New Year’s…” Qiao Muyu tilted his head and thought, “My dad will probably be home that day. I have to eat lunch at home.”
Lu Zhen had to compromise. He reached out and hooked Qiao’s pinky finger, asking again: “Then can I come find you in the afternoon?”
Softened by the look in his eyes, Qiao Muyu nodded as if possessed: “Okay.”
…
The snow drifted tirelessly over Nanjian City all night, draping the entire city in a layer of elegant silver.
Along with the arrival of the auspicious snow, the long-awaited New Year’s Day arrived as scheduled. All teachers and students of No. 3 High School were given a day off.
Qiao Muyu rarely had the free time or the mood. Early in the morning, he went to the nearby vegetable market, bought some fresh greens and a crucian carp, intending to cook a nice meal to celebrate the first day of the New Year.
When he returned home carrying the groceries, he happened to hear Qiao Yongde answering the phone in the living room.
After several eager “alright,” his father hung up, cursed under his breath, and began rummaging through the drawers for socks.
Sitting on the sofa, Qiao Yongde pulled on his socks while glancing at the returning Qiao Muyu. Seeing the bags of food, he frowned and scolded: “Why did you buy so much food for just yourself? Wasting money.”
Qiao Muyu froze: “You’re not eating at home?”
“Eat? My foot. The boss just called, told me to deliver an urgent shipment,” Qiao Yongde said irritably.
“You still have to deliver goods on New Year’s Day?”
“What else can I do? You’re going to support me?”
Qiao Yongde stood up and put on his jacket, his mouth never stopping the cursing.
“Day in and day out, all you know is how to spend my money and eat my rice. You don’t care about a single thing in this house. Do you have any idea how much I’ve paid for your tuition over the years?”
Qiao Muyu had heard these words eight hundred times already, but every time he heard them, his chest still felt tight.
He could only clutch the plastic bags and say softly: “I’ll be graduating high school soon.”
“After high school, there’s university! Four years of tuition and living expenses! Think about it—how much more of my money is that going to take!”
Qiao Muyu pursed his lips helplessly: “I can apply for student grants in university, and I can work part-time. You won’t have to work so hard then.”
“Hmph, you make it sound so easy. Do you think earning money is that simple?”
Qiao Yongde sneered with disdain.
“I’ll be thanking the heavens if you just focus on your studies. If nothing else, I’ll see if you actually take first place in the final exams this time!”
After saying that, Qiao Yongde grabbed his bag and slammed the door behind him without looking back.
Silence fell over the living room once more. Only the fresh crucian carp was still struggling and flopping inside the plastic bag, unable to escape its constraints.
Qiao Muyu put it in the kitchen sink and added some fresh water. Watching it flick its tail and swim happily, the frustration in his heart found no such release.
The large bag of vegetables and meat he bought now felt excessive; he had neither the mood nor the appetite to process them anymore.
Qiao Muyu went back to his room, rummaged a cigarette out of a drawer, lit it, and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling the stale air.
He didn’t know when it started, but he had become proficient at enjoying the refreshing sensation of smoke passing through his lungs.
When the cigarette was halfway burned, his phone rang.
Without even looking at the caller ID, Qiao Muyu swiped to answer. The next second, a clear and gentle “Hello” came from the other end.
The moment he heard Lu Zhen’s voice, the tightly wound string in Qiao Muyu’s heart inexplicably loosened.
He curled his lips slightly and spoke with a mixture of truth and lies: “Babe, I missed you so much.”
The person on the other end was stunned for two seconds, seemingly hearing the fatigue and weakness hidden in Qiao Muyu’s lazy voice.
Lu Zhen asked softly: “Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Can I come see you now?”
Qiao Muyu knew they were scheduled to meet in two hours, but at this moment, he didn’t want to refuse Lu Zhen.
Because he didn’t want to stay in this empty, cold house alone.
“Sure.”
Qiao Muyu stubbed out the unburned cigarette and laughed softly.
“My dad just went out. Do you want to come over for lunch? I’m cooking today.”
“Okay. Wait for me.”
“Mm. Waiting for you.”
…
While Qiao Muyu was tied in an apron washing vegetables in the kitchen, the doorbell rang.
He wiped the water off his hands and went to open the door.
Before he could even say a word of welcome, the visitor pulled Qiao Muyu into his arms and cupped his face to land a kiss on his lips.
Lu Zhen carried the desolate chill of winter snow on his body, but his lips were still soft and warm. The strands of hair brushing against Qiao’s face emitted a familiar and pleasant scent.
His embrace, his heartbeat, his body temperature—everything about him made Qiao feel at peace.
But Lu Zhen quickly let go of him, his brow furrowed as he looked at him: “Did you smoke?”
Qiao Muyu fell into a guilty silence for two seconds, feeling a bit annoyed that he had forgotten to rinse his mouth before Lu Zhen arrived to wash away the lingering smell of tobacco.
He couldn’t deny the fact, so he only asked awkwardly: “Sorry. Is the smell very strong?”
Lu Zhen said: “A little.”
“You don’t like the smell of smoke?”
“That’s not the issue,” Lu Zhen said with rare seriousness. “Don’t smoke anymore. It’s bad for your health.”
Knowing he was only concerned, Qiao Muyu obediently agreed: “Okay, I got it.”
Relieved, Lu Zhen finally noticed the apron Qiao Muyu was wearing and found it a bit novel: “You’re really going to cook?”
Qiao Muyu puffed out his chest proudly: “Yup. Young Master, you’re in for a treat today.”
Lu Zhen followed him into the kitchen, curious: “What dishes are you making?”
“Braised crucian carp, stir-fried cabbage with sliced pork, tomato and egg soup, and some smashed cucumbers.”
Qiao Muyu pointed at the ingredients with his spatula like a general commanding troops, looking every bit like a master chef.
“There shouldn’t be anything here you don’t eat, right?”
“Mm.” Lu Zhen took off his jacket. “I’ll help you.”
Qiao Muyu raised an eyebrow at him: “You know how to cook?”
Lu Zhen replied immediately: “No.”
Qiao Muyu wasn’t surprised by the answer, but having an extra pair of hands to help wouldn’t hurt.
He scanned the items on the counter and asked: “Young Master, do you know how to kill a fish?”
Lu Zhen rolled up his sleeves and walked over. After staring eye-to-eye with the crucian carp about to hit the chopping block for two seconds, he shook his head honestly: “Little Fish is so cute, I can’t bear to.”
(Translator’s Note: “Xiao Yu” or Little Fish is a pun on Qiao Muyu’s name)
Qiao Muyu didn’t make things difficult for him. He tossed him a head of cabbage: “Then help me process this.”
Lu Zhen held the round vegetable and hesitated for half a second before finally nodding: “Okay.”
However, three minutes later, when Lu Zhen handed him a head of cabbage that had been ravaged until only the very core was left, Qiao Muyu truly regretted making such a hasty decision.
Sorry, Cabbage, for handing you over to such an unreliable man.
Qiao Muyu waved him away, making no effort to hide his disdain: “Go home, Young Master. You’re only making things worse here.”
Lu Zhen looked at him pitifully, thought for a moment, and tried to save face: “My mom said it’s enough for one person in the family to know how to cook.”
“Tch.” Qiao Muyu glanced at him. “There you go again.”
Having been stripped of his right to touch the ingredients, Lu Zhen was unwilling to leave the kitchen. He pressed himself against Qiao Muyu’s back, resting his chin on Qiao’s shoulder to watch him chop vegetables up close.
Seeing Qiao Muyu skillfully slicing green peppers, Lu Zhen couldn’t help but praise: “My Xiao Yu is so virtuous.”
“Get lost. Who’s yours?”
“You are.”
As Lu Zhen spoke, he tilted his head and kissed Qiao Muyu’s bare nape.
The tingling sensation on his skin made Qiao Muyu freeze slightly. He turned his head and met Lu Zhen’s burning gaze.
Suddenly, a loud phone ring interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere.
Coming back to his senses, Qiao Muyu pushed him away somewhat frantically: “I-I’ll go get the phone.”
He hurriedly wiped the water from his hands and went to the living room to pick up the phone on the sofa. Seeing the three big characters Qiao Miaoying on the screen, he suddenly had a bad premonition.
He clicked the answer: “Hello?”
“Brother!”
Qiao Miaoying’s excited voice came from the other end.
“I’ve arrived at Nanjian High-Speed Railway Station! I’ll be at your house in a minute!”
…
The “Qiao Miaoying” third-wheel/lightbulb is about to make her debut!