Unexpected Affections and Awkward Encounters

“Allow me to introduce you,” Cheng Ye began, rising to his feet and beckoning Lu Lin over. “This is Lu Lin. He’s in the same department as us, and he and Su Yan are known as the ‘Twin Charms’ of our department.”

Lu Lin merely offered a soft acknowledgement.

Su Yan was speechless. ‘When did we get this title? Could someone at least inform me?’

‘And which genius came up with that nickname? Where’s the culture? Where’s the refinement?’

After silently complaining to himself, he noticed Lu Lin was watching him, a smile gracing his lips, which for some reason, sent a shiver down Su Yan’s spine.

“Alright, with two campus stars now, first place is practically guaranteed.”

Su Yan was rather reluctant to embrace the title of “campus star”; it truly felt a bit embarrassing.

Lu Lin slowly approached where the group was seated, finally stopping directly in front of Su Yan.

Su Yan raised his eyelids, meeting Lu Lin’s gaze calmly, still intending to settle the score over the hickey.

Despite only having the title of “couple,” Lu Lin had constantly overstepped his boundaries, and Su Yan felt a distinct displeasure about it.

Unfazed by Su Yan’s piercing glare, Lu Lin bent halfway, leaning close to Su Yan’s ear, and whispered in a voice audible only to them, “Sleeping Beauty, I am your prince.”

Su Yan noted that Lu Lin didn’t seem to glance at his collarbone, relieved that he had worn a hoodie, thoroughly concealing it.

Otherwise, he couldn’t have been sure what other crazy stunt Lu Lin might pull.

Su Yan didn’t respond to Lu Lin’s words, still seething with irritation.

Seeing his reaction, Lu Lin didn’t get angry; he was adept at maintaining his usual persona of a bright, cheerful, and gentle young man in front of others.

Cheng Ye, unsurprised that the two knew each other, merely spoke a few casual words, as it wasn’t a formal rehearsal today.

Unable to curb his curiosity, Su Yan gently patted Cheng Ye’s shoulder after he finished speaking. “What’s the first-place prize that makes you put in so much effort?”

“No prize,” Cheng Ye replied nonchalantly.

“No prize??” Su Yan was utterly speechless, truly taken aback by Cheng Ye’s unexpected seriousness.

As their class monitor, Cheng Ye was responsible for virtually all matters, big and small, which garnered him much goodwill from his classmates, leading to his overwhelming election as class monitor.

Su Yan’s amber eyes widened, and his lips twitched. Before he could fully process this, Cheng Ye added, “Make the kiss sexy; modern women are captivated by the love between handsome men.”

Su Yan was speechless. ‘Make the kiss sexy.’

Su Yan asked, “Are there judges below?”

Cheng Ye affirmed, “Mm-hm.”

“Is it the instructors?” Su Yan pressed.

“Mm-hm,” Cheng Ye confirmed again.

Su Yan was genuinely exasperated now. He rose to his feet, a flush spreading across his fair face, and exclaimed agitatedly, “Are you telling me that you want two men, us, to passionately kiss in front of all these teachers?”

As he spoke, he gestured between himself and Lu Lin with his finger. “Are you insane?”

Lu Lin stifled a sigh, gently lowering Su Yan’s accusing finger. “I can accept that.”

Su Yan realized he might be a little sick himself. When in Lu Lin’s presence, fear would seize his mind, yet once he escaped that space, he would revert to his usual self.

Perhaps it was also because Lu Lin couldn’t do anything to him in such a public setting.

Hearing Lu Lin’s eager acceptance, he retorted coldly, “Oh, then you’re sick too.”

Seeing his agitated state, Cheng Ye could only offer reassurance. “Alright, I promise it only needs to be a light peck, no French kiss required.”

“Besides, you’re already a couple, why be afraid?”

Su Yan quietly looked at Lu Lin, who merely shrugged, indicating his ignorance. It was only then that Su Yan learned the rumor had originated from the forum.

In the end, Su Yan compromised, agreeing to a mere peck, as if he were being bitten by a dog. The day finally concluded peacefully, and he declined all invitations from friends.

Utterly exhausted, he finally lay on his bed, his eyes listlessly fixed on the bed frame above, his body aching at the thought of the days to come.

He was so tired.

Lu Lin didn’t return to the dorm with Su Yan; he simply bid him farewell and left alone. Su Yan watched his retreating figure…

…it had a particularly solitary air about it.

Su Yan sat at his desk, having lost his appetite. All he wanted was a bowl of hot and sour noodles, specifically from the shop in North City. If it weren’t so far, he would have gone already.

Summer always seemed to steal people’s appetites. Yesterday’s downpour felt more like a mere ground-cleaning than an attempt to cool things down.

The next day, the temperature reverted to its usual oppressive heat.

His two other roommates had reportedly gone to check out club recruitment and hadn’t returned yet, leaving the quiet dorm feeling uncomfortably unfamiliar.

Su Yan picked up his clothes, intending to shower before his roommates returned. After finding his attire, he casually glanced over and spotted the books brazenly displayed on Lu Lin’s desk.

[Gay Love Guide]

[Human Rearing Guide]

[How to Deal When Your Wife Always Wants to Run Away]

…

Su Yan’s gaze drifted, intentionally and unintentionally, to the author column. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Lin was the author, and this bizarre thought made him chuckle.

While showering, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing, but none of the familiar boisterous chatter, so he likely knew who it was.

This shower felt exceptionally long.

Upon opening the door, Lu Lin was the first thing to greet his eyes.

Lu Lin was leaning against the washstand, his face devoid of expression, scrolling through his phone with one hand. When he saw Su Yan emerge, a genuine smile spread across his face.

“Yanyan,” he said, “I bought you your favorite hot and sour noodles.” He tossed his phone aside carelessly and slowly moved closer to Su Yan.

Su Yan didn’t retreat this time. He caught the familiar scent of the hot and sour noodles, its aroma mingling with the fragrance of his shower gel at his nostrils.

Su Yan was stunned. ‘Wasn’t that shop in North City? It takes over an hour to drive there and back from school.’

He must have made the trip in only forty minutes, if not less. A closer look would reveal tiny droplets of water on Lu Lin’s clothes, and some strands of hair gently clung to his forehead.

Glancing outside, Su Yan saw the rain pouring down thick and fast. Lu Lin had braved the heavy rain, speeding to North City just for this bowl of hot and sour noodles.

‘Why would he go to such lengths?’

‘Is his affection for me merely an influence of the plot, or is it true love…?’

‘Never mind,’ he thought. His brain was overloaded today, and he wasn’t keen on overthinking things.

Observing Su Yan’s worried expression, Lu Lin flashed a confident smile, his voice crisp. “Don’t worry about me.”

Su Yan lifted his eyelids, still clutching his towel. He realized he was quite fickle; he felt panic upon seeing Lu Lin’s true self, yet now he sensed Lu Lin’s kindness.

His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and his cheeks were flushed from the shower. He hesitated before saying, “Thank you. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you, if I can.”

“Except for…” He left the rest unsaid, but Lu Lin understood.

Lu Lin let out a soft laugh. “I don’t want anything.”

Su Yan looked up, his mouth slightly agape, staring at him in shock. Lu Lin found his expression amusing.

“Did you think I’d force you to kiss me? Or force you to…”

Su Yan’s face flushed deeply at the implication. Just as Lu Lin had said, he hadn’t believed that Lu Lin would ask for nothing.

It was as if only a villainous Lu Lin, one who constantly coerced him, fit his expectations.

“I’m certainly not a good person, but as long as you’re happy, I’ll do anything for you—except let you leave me.”

He spoke with earnestness, his peach-blossom eyes fixed intently on Su Yan, searching for any hint of panic in his gaze.

Su Yan still couldn’t quite grasp whether Lu Lin’s feelings for him were truly influenced by the plot. If they were, it would be incredibly unfair to Lu Lin.

To be selflessly kind to him.

Su Yan, without even drying his hair, walked a few steps to his desk and retrieved the ointment he had prepared earlier. “Let me apply it for you.”

The wounds on Lu Lin’s hand hadn’t improved at all, having received no treatment.

Su Yan cradled Lu Lin’s beautiful, yet now marred, hands and sighed. “They’re certainly much worse than yesterday.”

Lu Lin’s lips were tightly pressed together, his ear tips a vivid crimson, as he tried to pull his hand away. “It’s fine.”

Su Yan stared at Lu Lin in a daze for a moment. ‘Who was this pure-hearted young man? Was he allergic to concern? Did he blush just from a little care?’

Looking at this somewhat unfamiliar person before him, Su Yan couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “You’re quite adorable.”

After realizing what he had just said, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere rapidly intensified, with ambiguous feelings stirring between them.

Su Yan, however, felt nothing but awkwardness.

He skillfully applied the ointment to Lu Lin’s wounds, which were somewhat torn and should have been quite painful, yet Lu Lin remained expressionless throughout.

Su Yan was even more nervous than Lu Lin. After bandaging the wounds and putting the medicine bottles back into the first-aid kit, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

If Lu Lin hadn’t spoken, Su Yan might have suspected he’d fainted from the pain. Yet, Lu Lin felt nothing.

He shook his head, replying blandly, “I can’t feel pain.”

Su Yan’s mind overloaded with information. After a moment of absentmindedness, he offered a dry, comforting assurance, “It’ll get better.”

Su Yan knew how serious this condition was. When he was sick, he could at least feel pain and know what was bothering him.

If it were Lu Lin, he dared not contemplate the cruel implications.

Seeing Su Yan’s concern, Lu Lin felt as if everything was worth it, even though he knew it might only be out of sympathy.

He resolved to find a way to transform that sympathy into genuine affection. A smile touched his lips, but before he could speak, the dorm door was abruptly shoved open.

The weather outside was scorching. Chen Xubai burst in, immediately stripping off his clothes and tossing the dirty garments into a hamper. Seeing the two of them seated together, he loudly exclaimed, “I heard you guys are having your first on-screen kiss?”

Noticing someone had returned, Su Yan quickly put some distance between himself and Lu Lin, completely missing the fleeting glimpse of ominous darkness in Lu Lin’s eyes.

“Chen Xubai, did you spread the news about us being together?” Su Yan didn’t even realize how naturally the phrase “us being together” rolled off his tongue now.

Once a tiny spark of doubt ignited, it would only grow into a larger flame.

“What? Don’t you trust your buddy? It was a fanfiction posted by your forum fans, and most people believed it.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Song Xingyu.”

Su Yan, already half-convinced by this answer, couldn’t be bothered to ask Song Xingyu again. As he pondered, his phone buzzed with a new message.

A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes; he seemingly hadn’t expected this person to contact him after such a long time.

Lu Lin’s face darkened several shades, and he barely managed to keep his expression under control.