The High School Secret

After Chu Nian changed out of his damp clothes, his gaze shifted and landed right on the box sitting on the table.

He thought for a moment; Lu Jinnian would likely dawdle in the bathroom for a long time. So, he walked over, picked up the cardboard box, and turned it over a few times to inspect it.

The box was light, but he could feel that something was definitely inside.

Chu Nian tore it open in a few swift motions. The packaging was the same as before—a simple gift box. He opened it and pulled out a pendant.

At first glance, it looked like any ordinary necklace. The only thing special about it was the accessory made of goldstone (blue goldstone), which had been polished to a silver sheen. Only by tilting it under the sunlight could one discern a deep, ghostly blue shimmer.

Sunlight streamed through the window. Chu Nian pinched the small accessory on the pendant, his brow furrowing.

Only he knew why this was different.

This was something he had mentioned in passing during high school. He had seen it once by chance and, being interested, had scoured many jewelry stores without success. He had even told a friend that he and this pendant were simply not meant to be.

So much time had passed; this specific pendant should have been out of production long ago.

Could “Aeogen” be someone he knew in high school?

With this thought, Chu Nian pulled out his phone and began searching for his old high school classmates. Unfortunately, he had known very few people back then, and most had lost touch. Looking at the sea of unfamiliar profile pictures, Chu Nian suddenly didn’t know where to start.

Just then, a thin piece of paper drifted out of the box and landed on the floor, stopping right where Chu Nian couldn’t ignore it. He looked down, then leaned over to pick it up.

It was an ordinary blue sticky note with a string of unfamiliar numbers and a few words written at the bottom: 【This is my contact information.】

In all these years, Aeogen had never left an address or a way to get in touch. Chu Nian’s first reaction upon seeing the number was that he had encountered a scammer.

Still, with a “might as well try” attitude, he added the number. After hesitating for a long while, he sent a message: 【Hello.】

Once the message was out, Chu Nian’s eyes remained glued to the words “Sent Successfully.” The other person didn’t reply quickly. It was quite some time before a response came: 【Received the gift?】

Chu Nian: 【Yes, thank you.】

Aeogen: 【Do you like it?】

Chu Nian weighed his words: 【I do.】

Chu Nian: 【But, how did you know I liked this?】

Chu Nian: 【It’s something I liked back in high school.】

Finally, he slowly typed out one last sentence.

【Who exactly are you?】

Faced with this triple-threat of questions, the person on the other side fell silent instantly.

Chu Nian waited a long time. Aeogen showed no sign of replying. Just as he thought the person had been scared off by his questions, the phone in his hand began to vibrate again.

He looked down.

【Do you really want to know?】

It was impossible not to. He was overflowing with curiosity about this person.

His slender fingers danced lightly over the screen. Chu Nian had just typed “Yes” when his bedroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Lu Jinnian hobbled in. Almost half a month had passed, yet he still wasn’t used to walking with a crutch. He was always bumping into things, leaving faint bruises on his arms and body.

Chu Nian watched as he sat familiarly on the bed, tossing his towel onto a nearby chair. The fluid motion made it seem as if he and Chu Nian were incredibly close.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Chu Nian’s brow knit slightly. He walked over and noticed damp spots on the clean clothes Lu Jinnian had just changed into.

His gaze instinctively flicked downward; fortunately, the cast on Lu Jinnian’s leg wasn’t wet.

Lu Jinnian looked back. Having just bathed, his eyes were misty, and his usually overbearing gaze had softened. Droplets from the tips of his hair fell onto his shoulder, forming small damp patches on the light-colored fabric.

“I did call, you didn’t hear me,” Lu Jinnian said. “Help me dry my hair.”

Chu Nian tilted his head. “Didn’t you used to ask Auntie Yang for help?”

The implication was clear: Why are you asking me now?

The expression on the man before him shifted slightly. Something seemed to be swirling in the depths of his eyes that Chu Nian couldn’t quite decipher. Lu Jinnian bit his lower lip and said in a deep voice, “Next month, I have to go home. You have to come with me.”

With that single sentence, Chu Nian understood.

His role as a fake lover was being put to use—he was to help Lu Jinnian put on an act in front of his family.

Chu Nian didn’t know what kind of person Lu Jinnian’s father, Lu Anyang, was. He only knew that Lu Jinnian didn’t get along with him—or more accurately, Lu Jinnian didn’t get along with anyone in his family. Aside from knowing about the company Lansheng, Chu Nian knew nothing about the Lu family, only hearing from rumors that it was a massive, powerful clan.

Compared to the entire Lu family, Lu Jinnian was quite insignificant. Even if outsiders appeared respectful to him, it was only out of fear for the Lu family standing behind him.

However, Lu Jinnian didn’t seem to be a favorite. At least in Chu Nian’s view, even though Lu Jinnian was the one currently in charge of Lansheng, everything was actually controlled by Lu Jinchu, and Lu Jinnian had very little say.

This was something Chu Nian had always found strange. Lu Jinnian was like a puppet on a string.

Perhaps seeing that Chu Nian was slow to move, Lu Jinnian suddenly leaned in. His handsome face magnified in front of Chu Nian’s eyes. Chu Nian snapped back to his senses, startled into taking several steps back.

“What are you thinking about?” Lu Jinnian asked. His voice was a bit hoarse, sounding somewhat magnetically sexy.

His dark pupils swept over Chu Nian’s face. He couldn’t help but chuckle: “Your face is all red.”

Meeting Lu Jinnian’s eyes, Chu Nian froze. His own reflection was mirrored in those dark depths. They were so close he could even see the expression on his own face.

“You haven’t… fallen in love with my body, have you?”

The corners of Lu Jinnian’s eyes curved up with a hint of mischief.

Chu Nian blinked and immediately raised a hand to his cheek. His cool skin met his warm palm.

Where was he red?

Realizing Lu Jinnian was teasing him, Chu Nian frowned and pushed him away. The man cooperatively toppled backward, and Chu Nian frantically reached out to pull him back up.

Once Lu Jinnian sat upright, Chu Nian suddenly heard a thought:

[Admit it, Wife, you’re just worried about me.]

Combined with the punchable expression on Lu Jinnian’s face, Chu Nian’s irritation flared: “Don’t misunderstand. I’m just afraid you’ll get my bed wet.”

With that, he pulled the hairdryer out of the cabinet. Lu Jinnian’s movements suddenly became agile as he consciously turned and sat on the floor.

Chu Nian sat behind him, plugged in the dryer, and turned it on. He tested the temperature of the warm air before beginning to dry Lu Jinnian’s hair.

Lu Jinnian’s hair quality was excellent—dark and soft. It felt nice to the touch. As Chu Nian used his fingers to comb through it, he had the strange illusion that he was petting some kind of animal.

The two fell quiet, leaving only the whirring of the hairdryer in the room. When he finished, Lu Jinnian’s hair was fluffy, and Chu Nian couldn’t resist ruffling it twice more.

Then he snapped out of it, realizing his inappropriate behavior. He immediately withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “It’s dry. Get up.”

There was no response.

Chu Nian leaned over in confusion. Lu Jinnian’s eyes were closed and his head was bowed; he looked fast asleep.

His pale cheeks were tinged with pink from the heat, and he looked incredibly well-behaved.

Chu Nian didn’t know if he should wake him. Just then, Lu Jinnian’s body tilted and he fell directly into Chu Nian’s lap.

Chu Nian: “…”

A burning body heat transferred through the thin fabric. Chu Nian felt an inexplicable restlessness rising in his heart. Lu Jinnian was sleeping soundly, his long lashes casting a beautiful shadow over his eyelids.

He had never seen Lu Jinnian look so unguarded. Usually, the man was either overbearing or acting like a lunatic; compared to now, he was like a completely different person.

Chu Nian didn’t even realize he was staring at Lu Jinnian in a daze, tracing the man’s features with his eyes. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when Lu Jinnian’s phone suddenly rang, Chu Nian jerked his leg away. Lu Jinnian’s waist slammed into the edge of the bed.

Lu Jinnian let out a pained wail. He clutched his side, one hand in a fist, the other pounding the floor.

[Wife…]

His inner voice sounded pathetic.

[Where did I upset you…]

Chu Nian suddenly felt guilty.

Then, he saw Lu Jinnian pick up his phone and grind his teeth.

[Let this Young Master see which dog dares to interrupt my alone time with my wife!]

A second later, Lu Jinnian answered: “Hello, Dad.”

Chu Nian: “?”

There seemed to be some urgent matter. Lu Jinnian left the room after answering. He moved so quickly that the crutch he usually struggled with seemed to have become a second pair of legs.

Lu Jinnian changed his clothes and left the house without another word. It was only after his back disappeared from Chu Nian’s sight that Chu Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His own behavior lately had been too strange. It was only because Lu Jinnian’s brain was “broken” that he hadn’t noticed.

He took his phone out of his pocket; the screen was still on the chat with Aeogen. He quickly sent back a 【Yes】, but the person on the other side didn’t reply for a long time.

It seemed he wouldn’t be getting any answers today.

The feeling of having his curiosity piqued and then left hanging made him irritable. Chu Nian flopped onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The white light from the window fell right onto his pale wrist.

The red string wrapped around his wrist had somehow left a faint red mark on his skin. Chu Nian raised his hand, fingering the string. Then, as if hit by an idea, he rolled over and grabbed his phone again.

He dialed a number and listened to the ringing with his lips pressed tight.

“Hello.” It was Xu Chi. He was clearly still annoyed that Chu Nian had hung up on him earlier, as his tone was impatient. “So you finally remember how to call me?”

Chu Nian bypassed the attitude and asked, “Are you at home right now?”

“Yeah.”

Chu Nian thought for a moment. “I’m coming over now. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”

He stood up hurriedly.

“By the way, do you still have our high school graduation photo?”