The Substitute and the Confession

“You’re saying… Lu Jinnian doesn’t want to end the contract with you?”

In the small coffee shop, melodious classical music played softly. Xu Chi, sitting opposite, widened his eyes until his mouth formed a perfect “O.” Chu Nian frowned and lowered his voice: “No, it’s just a guess.”

Xu Chi’s expression turned subtle. He squinted, looking at Chu Nian meaningfully. “Chu Nian, last time you told me Lu Jinnian wanted to marry you, and this time you’re saying he doesn’t want to end the contract…”

“Are you sure you haven’t actually fallen for him?”

This was the second time Xu Chi had asked him this.

What about the first time? Chu Nian recalled that back then, he had nearly jumped out of his skin in denial.

This time, he was much calmer. He lowered his head and took a sip of his coffee; the brown liquid dampened his lips, leaving a small trace of white foam.

Chu Nian struggled with how to explain it to Xu Chi. He had literally heard Lu Jinnian say it… just not with his mouth.

But no matter how he looked at it, if he said it out loud, Xu Chi would likely think he was so hopelessly in love that his brain had scrambled, hallucinating marriage proposals and secret longings. The “mind-reading” ability simply had no logical basis to stand on.

Today’s weather seemed to be in sync with his mood—irritable and stifling. Chu Nian sighed and shook his head slowly. “I don’t know.”

He didn’t know how he felt about Lu Jinnian right now. It wasn’t quite dislike, but he couldn’t exactly call it love either.

Seeing Chu Nian’s strange reaction, Xu Chi suddenly got excited. He slammed a hand on the table: “That won’t do, my Nian! You can’t just give yourself away just because Lu Jinnian started treating you a little bit better!”

“I haven’t,” Chu Nian countered softly. He leaned forward, reminding his friend, “Keep your voice down, people are looking at us.”

Xu Chi turned a deaf ear to the surrounding stares. He gulped down the rest of his coffee in one go, the bitterness making his brow furrow for a long moment. He grabbed Chu Nian’s hands and said earnestly: “Niannian, you have to think clearly. Is Lu Jinnian being good to you because he truly likes you, or because you look like Qin Ning?”

Chu Nian looked up, an indescribable ripple stirring in his heart.

He had indeed overlooked that point.

Lu Jinnian kept saying he liked him, yet he had signed the contract as a “substitute.”

So, every time the man said he liked him…

Every time he looked at him…

Every time he reached out to touch him…

Who was he actually seeing?

Or rather… who was Lu Jinnian looking through him to see?

Chu Nian lowered his lashes. He suddenly felt his hands and feet go cold. In the middle of this scorching midsummer, he felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar.

But on the night of his birthday, Lu Jinnian had clearly called out his name.

Chu Nian was lost. Had Lu Jinnian ever truly treated him as a substitute?

He pulled his hands back from Xu Chi’s grasp, his lips moving slightly: “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Xu Chi looked at Chu Nian’s expression and frowned, patting his shoulder twice. “It’s fine. You just haven’t been in a relationship before. A man treats you slightly well and your heart flutters.” He pointed to himself with the air of an experienced veteran: “If you’d dated as many times as I have, you’d know that a man’s sweet talk is the most untrustworthy thing in the world.”

Chu Nian said nothing.

Xu Chi blinked, struck by an idea. “How about… I introduce someone to you? You two can try hanging out. That way, you’ll be able to tell what Lu Jinnian is really like by comparison.”

Chu Nian shook his head, refusing without a second thought. “Let’s not…”

“Don’t be in such a hurry,” Xu Chi insisted. “I know someone who’s extremely handsome, tall, and he’s a lawyer. Just give it a shot. Who knows, maybe sparks will fly.”

Chu Nian remained unwilling, but eventually, Xu Chi snatched his phone away, added the lawyer’s contact information, and threatened him not to delete it.

He had no choice but to agree.

Just then, Chu Nian’s phone rang. Xu Chi winked at him: “Who is it?”

Chu Nian mouthed the name: “Lu Jinnian.”

Xu Chi immediately covered his own mouth and went silent.

“Lu Jinnian?” Chu Nian answered the phone.

“You’re not at home?” The man’s tone on the other end revealed no specific emotion.

“Ah,” Chu Nian replied. “Out running some errands.”

“When are you coming back?” Lu Jinnian continued.

Chu Nian checked the time. “Soon. I’m heading back now.”

“Okay.” Lu Jinnian paused for a few seconds before changing his mind. “Forget it, I’ll come pick you up.”

He didn’t even give Chu Nian time to react before hanging up.

Chu Nian stood up to pack his things. Xu Chi looked at him blankly: “What happened?”

“Lu Jinnian is coming to get me.”

“Holy…” Xu Chi couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s gotten into Lu Jinnian? He actually wants to pick you up? He wasn’t this kind the last two years, was he? Or is it because the contract is ending and he really can’t let go?”

Chu Nian’s movements paused.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, I don’t know,” Xu Chi leaned on his hand, tapping his jaw with interest. “Either way, Chu Nian, you have to control yourself.”

Chu Nian took a deep breath and nodded. “I know.”

As he left the cafe, he said, “Time’s up, I’m leaving. Talk to you next time.”

Xu Chi didn’t try to keep him.

****************************************

Coming out of the coffee shop, the sky had begun to darken. The heat wave gradually dissipated as the sun sank. Chu Nian sent his location to Lu Jinnian and stood by a convenience store, stealing bits of cold air that wafted out whenever the door opened.

It was rush hour. The streetlights flickered on one by one, announcing the official arrival of the night. Nearby shops played trendy music, blending gentle vocals with a chaotic mix of various “inner voices.”

Ever since he mysteriously gained the ability to read minds, Chu Nian had grown to dislike crowded places. Even during work, he could hear everyone’s internal monologues—complaints, sadness, joy. It was as if everyone had a secondary vent inside them, and the fluctuations of those voices were truly irritating.

This was not a good thing for him. He didn’t want to hear any of it, nor did he have the desire to eavesdrop on people’s secrets. He had to work hard to ignore the noise; otherwise, being surrounded by mental chatter all day would soon leave him exhausted.

He decided he needed to find time to visit Dr. Lin again to see if there was any way to “cure” this superpower.

Chu Nian raised his hand to rub his aching brow. Suddenly, a commotion broke out across the street. He looked over to see two men—one tall, one short—locked in what appeared to be a heated argument.

He tilted his head, observing them closely. He didn’t recognize the shorter one, but the taller man looked familiar.

After a while, the two seemed to call a ceasefire. The shorter man turned to leave, while the taller one remained, arms crossed. Then, the tall man looked up across the street. Chu Nian realized he was looking at him.

The next second, the man waved and hurried across the road, checking for cars as he ran toward Chu Nian.

It was Lin Yan.

Chu Nian’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Brother,” Lin Yan panted as he stopped. “What are you doing here?”

“Meeting a friend,” Chu Nian said, glancing back across the street. The spot where Lin Yan had been was now empty. “What about you? Same?”

Lin Yan rubbed the back of his head and gave an embarrassed smile. “So you saw all that, Brother.”

Chu Nian gave an “Mhm.” “What happened between you two?”

Lin Yan stood beside him, asking the convenience store clerk for a bottle of water. After paying, he twisted the cap and gulped down half the bottle. He wiped the moisture from his lips. “That person isn’t my friend.”

“He’s my ex-boyfriend,” Lin Yan said, adding after a pause, “We were together in college.” It sounded almost like a necessary explanation.

Chu Nian raised an eyebrow.

“He cheated on me when we were together,” Lin Yan said, idly playing with the water bottle. “Now, years later, he suddenly remembers how good I was and wants to get back together. Of course I said no. Besides, right now I…”

He stole a glance at Chu Nian. His light brown pupils flickered, and his ears turned red instantly.

After a long pause, Lin Yan seemed to realize his gaze was inappropriate and looked away, rubbing his nose guiltily. “But he’s been pestering me for days now. It’s annoying as hell.”

Chu Nian stood there smiling, not saying a word.

“Wait…” Lin Yan suddenly had an idea and looked back. “Brother, can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Lin Yan said it incredibly fast. Chu Nian’s eyes widened.

“Are you joking?”

“I’m not joking, Brother.” Lin Yan frowned, grabbing the hem of Chu Nian’s shirt. Despite being so tall, playing the “pitiful” card came naturally to him. “Please, just help me this once.”

“Liang Sheng is incredibly persistent. If I don’t make him give up completely, he’ll keep bothering me.”

Lin Yan didn’t sound like he was kidding. Chu Nian was swayed back and forth by his tugging.

“Crap, Liang Sheng is coming back.”

Following Lin Yan’s gaze, Chu Nian saw the shorter man running back toward them. He looked aggressive. His gaze landed on Chu Nian, freezing for a second in shock before being replaced by hostility.

“Lin Yan,” Liang Sheng pointed at Chu Nian. “Who is he?”

The man was also quite good-looking and appeared to be about Lin Yan’s age. His gaze jumped between Chu Nian and Lin Yan. Seeing how close they were standing—and how Lin Yan hadn’t even bothered to hide the smile on his face—Liang Sheng’s anger became palpable.

Under his watchful eyes, Lin Yan suddenly reached out and pulled Chu Nian into his embrace.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gripped Chu Nian’s arm tightly and spoke in a low voice:

“Can’t you tell?”

“This is my boyfriend.”