The Scent of Strawberry Milk

Lu Xingyan had been waiting for Xiaoyi to reply to him.

Yet, for a fleeting moment, amidst the heavy scent of tobacco, he detected a faint whisper of strawberry milk.

Lu Xingyan subtly tilted his head, his gaze catching the sight of a figure receding into the distance.

His eyes instinctively fell upon the person’s nape, which glowed strikingly even in the dim lighting.

For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt a resemblance to Xu Yi.

However, the dark clothing blended almost seamlessly with the dim colors of the internet cafe, making it difficult to discern the exact figure.

Lu Xingyan abruptly rose to his feet.

“Hm? Where are you going, Brother Yan?” Li Yuan noticed Lu Xingyan’s movement.

“Restroom.”

Lu Xingyan stated, yet he followed the person who had just walked ahead.

But the person quickly entered a private room.

As the door closed, half a profile was briefly visible through the crack.

Though Lu Xingyan often played games, his eyesight was excellent.

He was certain he hadn’t been mistaken.

It was unmistakably Xu Yi’s face, the very face he had dreamt of all last night.

“I’m here. Waiting for my computer to boot up.”

Xiaoyi’s voice came through his headphones, seemingly laced with a hint of breathlessness.

Could it be such a coincidence again?

He had heard Xiaoyi’s voice just as Xu Yi entered the private room.

Logically, Lu Xingyan found his own thoughts ludicrously absurd.

While Xiaoyi had a small temper, he was far more straightforward than Xu Yi, and frankly, quite flirtatious.

Xu Yi, on the other hand, was clearly a person with restrained desires.

Could someone truly be so different online compared to reality?

Moreover, Xiaoyi’s voice was pleasant and natural, not at all like the affected ‘cutesy’ voices often heard online.

Yet, his intuition seemed to urge him to verify.

“Where are you? I’m already here,” Xiaoyi’s voice sounded perfectly normal.

Lu Xingyan returned to his seat nonetheless.

If Xu Yi was deliberately avoiding them, then barging in uninvited would be rather impolite.

Perhaps it would be better to log off a little earlier and see if he could catch Xu Yi leaving at the same time.

Filled with questions, Lu Xingyan returned to his spot.

****

The afternoon’s trio queue went smoothly. Li Yuan wasn’t bad at the game and was very responsive to commands.

Each match concluded quickly.

Xiaoyi was in a good mood, and his words grew sweeter and sweeter.

Lu Xingyan was grateful he had specified using their phones for voice chat, sparing Li Yuan from hearing such a delightful voice.

His mood was excellent; for a moment, he nearly forgot the real reason he was there.

****

Xu Yi thoroughly enjoyed this kind of gaming experience, where climbing ranks felt as easy as drinking water.

To think, even hiring a professional player would only achieve this level of performance.

Xu Yi decided to order Lu Xingyan some takeout as a form of thanks.

Although it would still be paid for with Lu Xingyan’s money, the emotional value was unique.

After everyone had climbed a small division, Lu Xingyan suddenly announced he was out of form and needed to log off.

Xu Yi felt a pang of annoyance; they had just been enjoying the game.

Besides, what could Lu Xingyan possibly have to do? Military training started tomorrow, so shouldn’t he be playing until late tonight?

Xu Yi sighed.

Suddenly, something occurred to him.

When he first arrived, he had felt someone watching him.

Could Lu Xingyan be testing him?

If that were the case, he couldn’t just walk out directly.

Xu Yi pondered, then sent Lu Xingyan a message.

[Xu Yi: Can you give me your address? Brother is so amazing, I want to order some snacks for you, Big Brother!]

[Husband: Okay.]

Food delivery wasn’t allowed inside the school, so Lu Xingyan would have to return early to pick it up, or risk it being stolen.

This way, Lu Xingyan wouldn’t stake him out for too long.

Xu Yi chose a nearby pastry shop and ordered four beautiful small cakes, ensuring he’d get one for himself.

He didn’t plan to leave until Lu Xingyan sent him a picture of the delivery.

In the meantime, he might as well call up a boyfriend to play some casual games.

“Baby, you’ve been ranking up so fast lately, and you haven’t accepted my reservations.”

“Busy with school. It’s probably a booster playing,” Xu Yi replied dismissively.

****

Lu Xingyan asked Li Yuan to go back and get his takeout, using it as an excuse to separate for a while.

He sat in the convenience store opposite the internet cafe, idly sucking on a lollipop.

From here, he had a clear view of the internet cafe entrance, and the cafe had no back exit.

If Xu Yi happened to emerge just as he sent the picture of the takeout that Li Yuan had taken, Lu Xingyan would find it hard to believe that everything prior had merely been a coincidence.

Lu Xingyan scrolled through his phone, feeling a surge of irritation.

Was his first love a scam?

He sent Xiaoyi a few messages but received no reply.

Opening the game assistant, he saw Xiaoyi’s ‘in-game’ status, and Lu Xingyan tightened his grip on his phone.

The lollipop in his mouth shattered with a crunch.

Little rascal.

Here he was, overthinking everything, while he was off playing games with some unknown man.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Lu Xingyan couldn’t help but feel increasingly anxious.

Finally, the photo of the takeout from Li Yuan arrived.

Lu Xingyan carefully checked it for any flaws before sending it.

Xu Yi’s casual game wasn’t over yet, so he merely replied with an ugly-cute cat emoji.

Lu Xingyan poked the emoji’s chubby face with his finger, his breathing suddenly growing shallow.

Soon, his suspicions would be confirmed.

Xu Yi’s game status changed to ‘online’.

Lu Xingyan abruptly lifted his head, staring intently at the entrance.

It was happening now, wasn’t it?

One second.

Two seconds…

The internet cafe’s glass door was pushed open.

Xu Yi’s figure appeared across the street.

Lu Xingyan shot to his feet.

It was actually true!

He instinctively ran towards the opposite side, his mind a chaotic mess.

What should he say now?

Should he accuse him of deceiving him and demand responsibility?

Or should he expose him directly, hoping to see a crack in that perpetually distant and cold face?

Lu Xingyan hadn’t fully decided, yet he had already reached Xu Yi’s back.

He raised his hand, and just as he was about to touch Xu Yi’s shoulder, Xu Yi turned around.

Lu Xingyan’s expression was tense, unwilling to miss any subtle change in his face.

“Why are you here?” Xu Yi seemed somewhat surprised, but there was no sign of panic from being caught.

Those few meters were nothing for Lu Xingyan, who had a fitness routine.

Yet, he felt a strange shortness of breath. “Are you… Xiaoyi?”

No sooner had he spoken than Lu Xingyan regretted it.

He didn’t actually want to change his current relationships with Xiaoyi and Xu Yi.

But if he revealed the truth, he and Xiaoyi might have no future.

And Xu Yi would likely avoid him like the plague.

Did he really want to bring this into the open?

For a moment, Lu Xingyan desperately wished he had been wrong.

But the numerous coincidences…

“Are you sick?” Xu Yi frowned, his expression of disgust not appearing feigned. “Don’t call me that, it’s disgusting.”

Lu Xingyan’s serious expression softened for a moment. He suddenly slung an arm over Xu Yi’s shoulder like an older brother, grinning mischievously. “How come Li Yuan can call you that, but I can’t?”

“You call me that in an especially disgusting way.”

For some reason, being cursed at made Lu Xingyan feel a little thrilled.

Xu Yi, beneath his sudden closeness, stiffened, then tried to push him away with force, but his strength wasn’t enough.

It was quite amusing.

Lu Xingyan’s mood suddenly brightened.

Xu Yi didn’t seem to be avoiding him, nor did he appear guilty.

Perhaps it really was just a coincidence.

He casually asked, “Why did you reject Li Yuan’s invitation, then sneak off here?”

Xu Yi finally managed to push his heavy arm down.

The strenuous movement seemed to have brought a faint flush to his cheeks.

“Didn’t I say I had something to do? A high school classmate from the same city asked to meet, so of course I had to decline you guys first.”

Lu Xingyan stared intently at Xu Yi’s expression; it seemed no different from his usual impatient look towards him.

He was delighted.

“Then let’s go back together.”

Xu Yi gave him an inexplicable look, as if he couldn’t comprehend his behavior.

Lu Xingyan simply smiled at him, humming a little tune as he walked ahead.

“Sicko.”

Xu Yi watched his retreating back, muttering under his breath.

But once Lu Xingyan had put some distance between them, Xu Yi cautiously let out a sigh of relief.

He had almost… been caught.