Li Yu had dark circles under his eyes, most likely from a poor night’s sleep. When he went to the kitchen, breakfast was already laid out on the table, but Li Yan’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
Li Yu thought to himself, did he go out early this morning? Li Yan probably still cannot accept the fact that I am in a relationship.
He caught a glimpse of his phone screen suddenly lighting up. Opening it, he read the message.
“Make things clear with that man today, you must break up!”
Li Yu frowned slightly, pressed his lips together, and swiped away the message to pretend he never saw it.
＊＊
A bell rang.
Is school already over? That was fast.
Li Yu looked at Zhou Lu in front of him, hesitating and feeling annoyed over whether or not he should tell him.
Seeming to sense the intense gaze from behind, Zhou Lu turned around and met Li Yu’s eyes.
Li Yu raised an eyebrow and froze.
He felt somewhat awkward. Was he caught red-handed peeking?
Zhou Lu walked toward Li Yu. Seeing his eyes darting around evasively as if he did not know what he was thinking, Zhou Lu asked with some concern, “What is it? Did something happen?”
“Lu-ge, what happened to your face?”
Zhou Lu touched his split corner of his mouth and hissed with a frown, “It is nothing. I accidentally took a fall.”
“You need to be more careful from now on.” Li Yu’s heart ached, and he instinctively wanted to reach out and gently stroke his face, but his hand paused mid-air.
Zhou Lu also noticed Li Yu’s unusual behavior today. “Xiao Yu, what is wrong with you?”
“Nothing.”
With a deep gaze, Zhou Lu said, “Can you hide anything from me whether it is good or bad? Stop trying to fool me. Tell me whatever is on your mind, and I can share the burden with you. I do not want you to endure everything alone, you know?”
Hearing Zhou Lu’s words, Li Yu felt a stinging sensation in his nose. He suddenly threw himself into Zhou Lu’s embrace.
Zhou Lu gently patted Li Yu’s back to help him catch his breath, using one hand to stroke his hair in comfort.
Li Yu raised his head to look at Zhou Lu, his reddened eyes filled with helplessness.
Because he had been crying, his lips were dyed exceptionally rosy. In Zhou Lu’s eyes, Li Yu at this moment made his heart ache immensely.
“What is the matter, Xiao Yu? Stop crying, alright?” The gentle voice caressed Li Yu’s inner heart, soothing the restlessness inside him.
Li Yu sat in his chair and detailed everything that happened last lingering night, though he purposefully omitted Li Yan’s unbearable behavior. Li Yu felt that such matters were simply too embarrassing!
Perhaps Ge was just trying to scare him last night on purpose.
He could not believe that Li Yan’s previous gentle and thoughtful persona was all an act.
Li Yu did not believe Li Yan could be that kind of person.
If it truly was such a false facade maintained for over a decade, then just thinking about it made his blood run cold!
As Li Yu thought about it, his body involuntarily shivered.
Thinking that Li Yu was a bit cold, Zhou Lu pulled him into his arms. “I will go talk things through with him, no matter how much he disapproves of the two of us. I will not let you be put in a difficult position.”
Hearing this, Li Yu nodded with a measure of reassurance. “Though it probably will not work right now. Ge’s anger probably has not faded yet. I do not dare go home right now either, because I am afraid he will force me to break up with you again. I do not want to argue with him anymore.”
“Then, baby, would you like to stay at my place tonight?” Zhou Lu smiled gently, ripples of warmth shining in his eyes.
Li Yu let out a soft exclamation of surprise, his face flushing crimson as he awkwardly twirled his fingers. “Is it not a bit too fast to meet the parents already? I have not even prepared. It is too fast, I have not prepared yet.”
Before he could finish speaking, the smile on Zhou Lu’s face widened even further. “I live alone.”
It would have been fine had Zhou Lu not explained, but as soon as he finished, Li Yu’s face grew even more flushed, resembling a ripe red apple that practically begged to be bitten.
“Or is it that you want to meet my family right now? It is fine, as long as you want to, Ge will take you there! They are guaranteed to be completely satisfied with their own daughter-in-law.” A sharp glint of amusement flashed in Zhou Lu’s eyes as he nodded smugly at Li Yu.
Shyly, Li Yu gave Zhou Lu a shove. “As if.” He lowered his head to hide his thoroughly reddened cheeks, unaware that his ears had turned as crimson as drops of fresh blood.