Chapter 23: Drunken Confessions

“Hilarious? It’s not easy to get such high praise from you.” Qiyu eyed Wen Nuo with suspicion. He wasn’t about to be fooled.

“Why would I lie? It’s Su Heng,” Wen Nuo said, zipping up his backpack and looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Su Heng?” Wen Nuo picked up his phone, unlocked it with face recognition, and tapped into a chat window.

That name, Su Heng, felt oddly familiar to Qiyu. It was as if he’d heard it somewhere just recently…

Seeing that Qiyu still hadn’t remembered, Wen Nuo shoved the phone right in front of his face. “Su Heng! From our kindergarten!”

“I just remembered we went to the same kindergarten. I was about to introduce you, thinking you didn’t know him.”

“But now, it seems like there’s no difference between that and not knowing him at all.”

Qiyu did his best to search the depths of his memory for any trace of this person. If anything was to blame, it was the limited storage capacity of his kindergarten-aged brain.

It was excusable that he couldn’t remember.

“Forget it, I won’t push you. Maybe you’ll remember when you see him.” Wen Nuo shouldered his backpack properly. Seeing Qiyu still lost in thought, he jutted his chin at him.

“Let’s go.”

Qiyu snapped back to reality and fell into step with Wen Nuo. He had other things on his mind and couldn’t care less who Su Heng was.

As they walked, Wen Nuo called Su Heng. “Qiyu’s treating us to a meal. You in?”

The young man on the other end agreed readily. “Sure, send me the location.”

Qiyu’s mouth twitched. He stopped in his tracks, feeling a bit speechless. “You used my name. He doesn’t even know me.”

Wen Nuo let out a mischievous laugh and sent Su Heng a voice message.

[Little brother, do you know Qiyu?]

Qiyu folded his arms, waiting to see how Wen Nuo would handle this. Not everyone could be expected to remember a kindergarten classmate.

A moment later, a sixty-second voice message came back from Su Heng. The background was a bit noisy, but his words were mostly clear.

[Qiyu? Isn’t that the crybaby from kindergarten? I stole a piece of his candy once, and he cried, saying he was going to kill me. Hahaha. I even gave him two pieces back, but he wouldn’t stop crying. He kept wailing that he wished he had an older brother, and if he did, he’d definitely get someone to beat me up…]

[By the way, did his mom ever make his dream come true?]

Qiyu was speechless. ‘One voice message wasn’t enough, was it?’

‘Urgently hiring a tutor. Age and price are no object. Requirement: Teach a seventeen-year-old basic common sense. At the very least, he should know that his parents can’t possibly give birth to an older brother for him.’

Hearing that last question, Qiyu mentally responded, ‘She did.’

“Aren’t you Lu Xingye?” Wen Nuo, who had been bent over laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face, finally remembered the question he wanted to ask.

“Huh?” Qiyu was stunned.

To avoid exposing his identity, he had rarely ever mentioned Lu Xingye’s name in front of Wen Nuo. He never thought Wen Nuo would connect the two of them.

“You know?” Qiyu bit his lip, looking down and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. This time, he didn’t want to deny it.

Even though Lu Xingye wasn’t there.

****

In September, Hai City was blanketed by a heatwave, sultry and oppressive.

The food street was only a five-hundred-meter walk to the left of the school gate, so the two decided against a taxi, treating it as a leisurely stroll.

Wen Nuo walked to his left. He didn’t understand why Qiyu would hide such a thing. After all, they were best friends who had been through so many years together.

Wen Nuo kicked a small stone out of his path. “I figured it out a long time ago.”

Qiyu froze. “How?”

Wen Nuo sighed. “Do you think everyone in the world is an idiot? Your actions couldn’t be more obvious.”

‘He’s just a teenage boy,’ Wen Nuo thought. ‘It’s understandable. He’s just deliberately teasing the person he likes to get their attention.’ Whenever Qiyu ran into Lu Xingye at school, he would stare blankly for a long moment before quickly snapping out of it and hurrying away.

‘He must feel insecure after seeing how outstanding the person he likes is!’

During his first year of high school, Qiyu had even secretly played pranks on Lu Xingye. The minor squabbles weren’t enough to make Lu Xingye hate him, but they certainly made him memorable.

Qiyu’s actions were practically a declaration shouted through a megaphone: “Lu Xingye is my man! None of you are allowed to get near him!”

He had even pestered Lu Xingye relentlessly after he transferred to Class A.

Alas! Qiyu was like a stubborn clod of mud, silently crushing on the unattainable campus prince, Lu Xingye, during his most sensitive years.

What a heart-wrenching, unrequited love! It was tragic before it even began.

It was a good thing Qiyu couldn’t hear Wen Nuo’s inner monologue, or he would have been angry enough to beat Wen Nuo into a clod of mud himself.

The two were on completely different wavelengths, yet somehow, their conversation flowed normally.

Qiyu hesitated. He really didn’t want the forums to be filled with gossip about him being the real or fake young master. “Can you… not tell anyone?” he pleaded softly. “You know I have a knack for stirring up drama.”

Wen Nuo waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, I get it. The sensitive heart of a teenage boy.”

‘Qiyu likes Lu Xingye. Qiyu has a secret, humble crush.’

Wen Nuo figured he would take this secret to his grave. Unless, of course, the campus prince agreed to be with the clod of mud. Then, it might be a fun little story to bring up as a bit of flirtatious teasing.

Having imagined the whole scenario, Wen Nuo felt incredibly noble and couldn’t help but let out a foolish grin.

Qiyu had no idea what he was smiling about, but he sensed danger.

“But…” Wen Nuo’s expression turned serious.

“But what?” Qiyu’s heart leaped into his throat. Was there a condition?

“Stop posting on the forums to argue with them. A good relationship is what really matters.”

Wen Nuo thought to himself, ‘Hehe, I’ll talk as if they’re already together even though they’re not. He’ll love hearing that. I’m such a genius at this stuff!’

Qiyu’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.

His cheeks flushed scarlet in an instant. He lowered his long lashes, trying to hide the bashfulness in his eyes.

This meant that Wen Nuo not only knew about him and Lu Xingye being the real and fake young masters, but he also knew about their status as childhood fiancés.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he even knew Qiyu was the one making those forum posts?

Qiyu felt a wave of mortification. This was beyond embarrassing.

“They were anonymous posts,” Qiyu mumbled. “How did you know it was me?”

At this, Wen Nuo’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Qiyu brightly. “Because I don’t think there’s anyone in the entire school, city, province, country, or even the world who is more narcissistic than you.”

Qiyu was silent.

Wen Nuo added, “Besides, you can tell from the writing style of that post that the author isn’t very well-educated.”

Qiyu felt like telling him to get lost.

“Please keep it a secret, big bro.” Thanks to Lu Xingye’s influence, calling someone ‘brother’ now came naturally.

“I will, little bro.”

****

It was dinnertime, and the restaurant was packed. Anyone without a reservation was forced to wait on cold benches outside for their number to be called.

Fortunately, Qiyu had employed his monetary superpowers and booked a private room.

The aroma of home-style cooking wafted through the air, whetting their appetites.

A cute waitress with a round face and big eyes led them to their reserved room.

“Here’s the menu. Please take a look and see what you’d like,” she said, handing it to them.

Qiyu didn’t even glance at it, passing it directly to Wen Nuo. “You order. I don’t have much of an appetite.”

It was true. And even if he had a little appetite, Wen Nuo’s words from earlier had scared it away.

Wen Nuo eagerly took the menu and checked off several hearty main dishes. When he was done, he handed it back to the waitress with both hands.

“We’ll have these, thank you.”

Qiyu nearly forgot the purpose of their outing. “Wait, let’s add a case of Strong Shuang.”

The waitress froze for a second, then smiled. “Okay, one moment.”

Wen Nuo rested his chin on his hand and looked at Qiyu helplessly. “Do we really need a whole case of alcohol?”

Qiyu calmly picked up the teapot from the table, poured a little hot water into his bowl and cup to sterilize them, and then poured it out.

“I’m afraid my tolerance is too good,” Qiyu explained seriously. “What if I can’t get drunk?”

“Why do you have to get drunk?” Wen Nuo asked.

Qiyu stiffly changed the subject. “Why isn’t that Su Heng person you mentioned here yet?”

Wen Nuo checked the time. He really should give him a nudge. Otherwise, the food would arrive, and they’d be waiting for just one person.

Just as he said that, the door to the private room opened.

A flamboyant young man with a head of red hair made a grand entrance. His attire was just as flashy—a leather jacket, a motorcycle helmet tucked under his left arm, and several piercings in his left ear.

“I can’t believe you guys actually thought of me for a get-together.”

“I am deeply moved!”

Qiyu shot Wen Nuo a look, as if to say, ‘This is the friend you said just came back from studying abroad?’

He seemed so thoroughly local.

Compared to him, Qiyu felt more like the one who had studied abroad.

After Su Heng spoke, a dead silence fell over the room.

“I remember you now!” The moment Qiyu saw him, the memories came flooding back.

Su Heng set his helmet aside. “Huh? You mean you forgot about me just now?”

Qiyu was at a loss for words.

Some people were better left sealed away in one’s memory.

Su Heng had been a mutual friend of Wen Nuo and Qiyu when they were little. His favorite pastime was teasing them until they cried. Wen Nuo was tougher, so it was usually Qiyu who couldn’t take the teasing.

He would always end up a blubbering mess, his small face streaked with tears—a truly heart-wrenching sight.

Hearing their exchange, Wen Nuo expressionlessly covered his ears.

“When did you go abroad?” Qiyu couldn’t help but ask.

“The great are always forgetful. Can’t you tell I’m a top-tier, handsome mixed-blood?” Su Heng leaned forward, propping himself up on the table to give Qiyu a better look.

“Look here.” He tapped his own cheek lightly.

“What does that have to do with my question?” Qiyu asked.

Su Heng sat back, scoffing. “Ah, it was my maternal grandfather. He was on his last legs and said he wanted me to be with him for the final journey of his life.”

“He’s in Country M. The moment my parents heard that, they immediately arranged the paperwork. Who knew the old geezer would hang on until he was eighty?”

“I have to say, that was one long journey.”

“Your family has quite the sense of humor,” Qiyu remarked.

Su Heng, as his name suggested, belonged to one of the four great families—the Su family.

The four families wielded supreme power and status. Even at a school like St. Lantis Star, filled with the children of the wealthy, they could do as they pleased.

“Don’t tell me you’re…” Qiyu couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

“That’s right. I’m transferring to your school.”

Su Heng pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, took one out, and held it between his fingers. “I’ve been trying to live on my own recently.”

While Qiyu was still pondering the meaning of that statement, Wen Nuo blurted out, “Got kicked out?”

Su Heng nodded. “Yeah.”

“Because of your flashy hair? Your flashy clothes?” Wen Nuo continued.

“Yeah,” Su Heng confirmed.

Qiyu muttered under his breath, “Well, that’s understandable…”

Su Heng tried to save face. “I’ve been trying to start a business. Once I have enough seed money, I’ll open my own company.”

“I’ll crush the Su family and defeat that bunch of old geezers.”

Wen Nuo and Qiyu ignored his chuunibyou-like declaration. While he was speaking, the waitress returned with a cart and served all their dishes.

The case of Strong Shuang was placed to the side.

Qiyu didn’t reach for any food. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of the alcohol and, without a second thought, chugged it down. He drank so quickly that some of it trickled from the corner of his mouth down his neck.

He finished the bottle in no time. It didn’t have the powerful kick the internet claimed it did.

To him, it was like drinking an aperitif. He tightened his grip on his chopsticks, about to pick up a piece of fish, when the delayed effect hit his brain.

Not only did his throat burn, but his head also began to feel dizzy and heavy. It seemed that people with low alcohol tolerance should never try to down a bottle of Strong Shuang in one go.

Drinking too much of this industrial-grade alcohol couldn’t be good for you.

His chopsticks clattered from his hand. Before Wen Nuo and Su Heng could process what was happening, he pitched forward. If Wen Nuo hadn’t reacted quickly enough to catch him, he would have had an intimate encounter with the tabletop.

Su Heng had never seen anything like it. “Is he okay?” he asked sincerely.

Swallowing the piece of fish in his mouth, Su Heng added, “Didn’t that alcohol kick in a little too fast? Eerily fast.”

Wen Nuo carefully helped Qiyu sit up straight. Only after he was settled did he remember to answer Su Heng. “This is what he’s like when he’s drunk.”

Aside from the dizziness, Qiyu had no other symptoms. In fact, he felt remarkably clear-headed.

A moment later, he abruptly stood up and announced, “I’m going to pay the bill. I’m done eating.”

“How can someone who’s drunk look so normal?”

“Try getting close to him. He’ll call you a human trafficker.”

“Never mind, then.”

Alcohol gave one courage, especially in this semi-lucid state. Fueled by drink, one dared to say anything.

****

Lu Xingye glanced at the time, guessing that Qiyu wouldn’t be coming to see him tonight.

He felt much better than last night. Since he didn’t have to tutor Qiyu today, he had showered early.

Usually, when he wasn’t tutoring Qiyu, he would spend his time playing video games. But now, thinking about what Qiyu had said that afternoon, he couldn’t bring himself to play at all.

The moment he turned on his computer, those words haunted him like a ghost.

It was as if they were constantly reminding him: you two are not close, not close at all!

And yet, wasn’t this exactly what he had planned?

To keep his distance from Qiyu, to not care, not get involved, and not be concerned. It would be best if they mutually despised each other and never spoke again.

He never expected that hearing Qiyu deliberately tell a friend they weren’t close would still make him so agitated that he had to walk away.

Qiyu had accused him with a look of someone about to cry, “You don’t care about my physical or mental well-being at all!”

Hearing that, he couldn’t stop himself from offering money, Qiyu’s favorite thing, as a sign of weakness.

‘I just can’t stand seeing people cry! It’s not because that person is Qiyu!’

Just as he managed to console himself and was about to force himself to sleep, there was a knock on the door.

He opened it to find Qiyu’s innocent face. “Good evening, gege.”

Lu Xingye was caught off guard, his hand tightening on the doorknob. Normally, when Qiyu was in a mood, he needed to be coaxed for days.

Why would he be the one to back down?

Feeling awkward, Lu Xingye didn’t know what to say. He chose his words carefully, stating stiffly, “You can rest tonight.”

“You don’t have to work.”

As if he hadn’t heard a word, Qiyu pushed Lu Xingye’s hand away and squeezed into the room.

Seeing this, Lu Xingye had no choice but to close the door.

“Do you need something?” He didn’t know why his voice always came out so cold.

Perhaps that was part of the reason they had grown apart in the first place.

“Do I need a reason to come see you?” Qiyu’s appearance gave no hint that he was drunk.

Lu Xingye remained silent.

“Well, too bad, because I do have something to do! Something important!” Qiyu slammed his hand on the desk, his tone full of self-righteousness.

“What is it?” Lu Xingye swiveled his gaming chair around to face him.

“I’m here to apologize! How about that? Are you shocked?”

“That such a pure, kind, and beautiful side of humanity still exists in this world.”

After speaking, Qiyu simply stared at him with misty eyes. “Aren’t you going to say thank you?”

Lu Xingye was confused.

Qiyu fell silent for a long time, so long that the air seemed to freeze. “I’m sorry…”

Lu Xingye wasn’t good at handling these situations. He parted his lips and said coolly, “It’s fine.”

“Is there anything else?” Lu Xingye asked, noticing that Qiyu remained seated after his apology, showing no intention of leaving.

Qiyu met Lu Xingye’s dark eyes, a wave of grievance washing over him. He suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Lu Xingye’s waist.

Lu Xingye froze, unsure of where to put his hands.

Worries had been weighing on Qiyu for the past two days, leaving him miserable. He stood up, and just when Lu Xingye thought the hug was over, he sat down on his lap and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Lu Xingye’s lap wasn’t comfortable; it was too bony. But at least now he knew where to put his hands.

Qiyu sat on his lap, his arms lightly around his shoulders and back. They were so close it felt as if they were the only two people in the world.

The embrace was intimate and secure.

Lu Xingye’s raised hands found their place. He began to gently pat Qiyu’s back. Though he didn’t know where or why the other boy was upset, he felt he should offer some comfort.

It definitely wasn’t because the person was Qiyu.

The boy smelled faintly of shower gel, but… wait, was that the smell of alcohol?

“Have you been drinking?” Lu Xingye gently turned his face towards him.

“You’ve been drinking. Your whole family has been drinking,” Qiyu retorted, his tongue sharp even when drunk.

“Drunkard.” No wonder he was so clingy today.

No matter how thick-skinned Qiyu usually was, he would never do something like this—sitting directly on his lap. Lu Xingye wondered if he would regret it when he sobered up tomorrow.

Lu Xingye tried to get Qiyu to take a shower, but ultimately failed.

He stubbornly refused to get off Lu Xingye’s lap, even demanding to be patted on the back and soothed. What a strange fixation.

In the end, Lu Xingye had to forcefully lift him off. Once set down, Qiyu plopped onto the rug and whined in a slurred voice.

“Lu Xingye! Are you looking down on me?” With that, he flopped onto the ground and refused to get up.

“You’ve made your wife angry, you know that?!” Qiyu rolled left and right on the carpet, trying to make Lu Xingye dizzy.

Lu Xingye had noticed that whenever this person wanted to be difficult, he would resort to calling himself “wife.”

Lu Xingye looked helplessly at the person rolling on the floor. He crouched down and, controlling himself, spoke slowly in a tone one would use with a child. “How about you get up and take a shower now, okay?”

He never imagined he could be so patient. It was definitely not because the person in front of him was Qiyu.

Qiyu’s mind was muddled. He stopped moving, sat up, and tilted his head, taking a moment to process the words.

“No shower. I’m too tired today. I did five test papers,” Qiyu declared, holding up four fingers.

What a drunkard. He couldn’t even count.

Qiyu’s antics tonight had managed to break the ice between them.

Though who knew if they would go back to their usual ways tomorrow.

They probably would.

“No shower? Fine,” Lu Xingye agreed.

“Come here and tell me a bedtime story to help me sleep.” In the blink of an eye, Qiyu had scrambled onto Lu Xingye’s bed.

After a moment, he added to himself, “Why did you have to take my room in the first place?”

“Putting me in my place the moment you came back…”

“I hate you so much!” Just when Lu Xingye had calmed him down, he managed to get worked up again by his own thoughts.

But Qiyu’s words sparked a memory. Before Lu Xingye had moved back home, they hadn’t spoken a word to each other in years. Their memories of each other were frozen in time.

The memory of a relentlessly pestering person.

“Lu Xingye, come tell your young master a bedtime story,” Qiyu’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Lu Xingye was speechless. So much for calling him ‘gege’.

“Hurry up. Lie down here.” Qiyu flashed a canine tooth in a grin, patting the spot next to him.

Lu Xingye folded his arms, looking at the person who had taken over his bed. “Give you an inch and you take a mile.”

And so, Qiyu pestered him all night. He read “Little Red Riding Hood” at least ten times. When asked why not something else, Qiyu declared that he only liked “Little Red Riding Hood.”

He then shamelessly proclaimed, “I feel like Little Red Riding Hood is as cute as me.”

“And you’re like the big bad wolf, always ready to eat me up.”

With that, he fell into a deep sleep.

****

The day after his rebellion was one of infinite awkwardness.

When Qiyu woke up, he found himself not only in a familiar room but also with a familiar person beside him.

He was like some kind of predator, with his hands tucked inside Lu Xingye’s pajamas, arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

“You’re awake?” Lu Xingye hadn’t slept well. The person beside him was a terrible sleeper. If he hadn’t held him in place, he would have been kicked all the way to France.

That explained why Qiyu woke up to such an intimate scene; it was half his own doing.

“G-Gege, good morning. Haha, the sun is nice today,” Qiyu babbled incoherently.

Damn it, what was he even saying?

Before Lu Xingye could reply, Qiyu slipped on his slippers and fled, just like he had the night before.

Lu Xingye stared blankly at his retreating back.

Back in his room with the door shut tight, Qiyu realized he wasn’t hungover, which meant he remembered every single detail from last night.

He buried his face in his hands, the tips of his ears turning pink. He slid weakly down the door, finally kneeling on the floor.

“How am I ever going to face Lu Xingye again?”

This was beyond humiliating!

He had woken up earlier than his biological clock, and he just sat on his bed in a daze until nine o’clock.

That was when Wang Ma came to wake him.

The familiar knock, the familiar words.

“Young Master, it’s time to get up. It’s nine o’clock.”

The first knock sent Qiyu jumping to his feet. He called out, “Wang Ma, you don’t have to get me! I’m taking the day off today.”

After shouting, he listened quietly for a response.

But Wang Ma didn’t reply with a simple “Okay” and leave as he expected. Instead, it sounded like she was talking to someone.

The soundproofing in the room was too good; he couldn’t make out the words.

Then came another knock.

Qiyu pulled the covers over his head, his voice muffled. “Wang Ma, I’m taking the day off. You don’t need to wake me.”

He didn’t hear Wang Ma’s voice this time. Instead, it was Lu Xingye. “There’s an exam today. Don’t miss it.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Then, the voice added dispassionately, “I don’t remember what happened last night.”

The olive branch was practically being shoved in his face. Qiyu had even forgotten about the exam. His chance of successfully skipping was now zero.

****

**Title: [Hot] Lu Xingye Two-Timing? A Perversion of Humanity or a Moral Collapse?**

Today 8:23 AM

For those who don’t know, a certain Mr. Lu from our school has been exposed for being entangled with two people. You all know the first one. But you’ll never guess who the second person, the one he’s hidden so well, is.

1L

[Super Enhanced Tyrannosaurus: Can the OP stop being so mysterious? It’s really annoying, you know?]

2L

[Sea Gazer 1000: Seconded.]

3L

[Unknown Romance: I’ll third that motion.]

4L

[Island Listener: I think it’s pretty easy to guess. The hints are so obvious.]

5L

[No More Emotions: Uh, it’s not who I think it is, is it?]

OP replied: Shhh…

6L

[Anti-Fatty Meat: Grabbing my popcorn. Spill the tea!]

7L

[Sandwich Dog: Everyone disperse. This OP is obviously just a pathetic attention-seeker.]

OP replied: F*ck off!

8L

[Goodbye All-Nighters: Wait, does everyone think the first person is real? Uh…]

9L

[Vinyl Record Player: @8L Then show us some proof that it’s not real.]

10L

[Dodo Can’t Fly: I’m seriously worried for all of you! We come to school to study!]

11L

[Cathedral Kiss: @11L Are you sick? If you can’t stand others having free time, then don’t click on the thread.]

Reply: Exactly!

12L

[Winter of ‘02: If you don’t want to see this, please delete the forum link from your bookmarks. Don’t be a hypocrite here.]

13L

[Sad Chick: Right? Some psychos just can’t help but lecture everyone they see.]

14L

[Theory of Relativity: Babes, we’re derailing the thread. Can we stop fighting?]

15L

[Don’t Wanna Wash Hair: Just observe who Lu Xingye spends the most time with in a day. You’ll find your answer.]

16L

[Little Cabbage xx: Holy crap, no way. It’s someone from our school?]

OP replied: You got it, kid.

Little did Qiyu know that a picture of him and Lu Xingye arguing outside the internet cafe last night had been secretly taken from an angle that was ripe for misinterpretation…