Arisen Intentions

The noisy bell rang, and the pressure on him instantly vanished.

Xu Yi stared blankly at Lu Xingyan and ventured, “But… I’m a guy?”

Lu Xingyan finally heard something that sounded human. Before that, Xu Yi’s feigned indifference had stabbed him countless times.

His mood improved greatly. Moreover, the smooth, tender feel of his palm was oddly pleasing.

Still, he put on a fierce face. After all, this was exactly how to deal with a little rascal who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

“You made my girlfriend disappear, aren’t you going to compensate?” Lu Xingyan raised an eyebrow, his tone matter-of-fact.

Xu Yi mulled over Lu Xingyan’s words. A few seconds later, enlightenment struck. “I’ll help you find a new girlfriend. What type do you like?”

Lu Xingyan’s smile froze on his face. For the first time, he felt the classroom was this cold — cold enough to send chills down his spine.

Lu Xingyan turned to look at him, somewhat fiercely. “I want Xiao Yi.”

He had thought that Lu Xingyan, who only met his partner on weekends, would want to maintain their previous routine. But Lu Xingyan hadn’t expected Xu Yi to think that way. He believed Xu Yi was already dating him.

Sure enough, the all-knowing internet users were still very helpful. Lu Xingyan’s mood was so delightful he couldn’t help curving his lips. He pulled out his phone to change the contact name to ‘Baby.’ Then he remembered he had been blocked.

Lu Xingyan suppressed his joy, pressed down his smile, and leaned in closer to Xu Yi. “Aren’t you going to unblock me?”

Xu Yi felt his face burning. This was the first time Lu Xingyan, knowing his identity, had suddenly gotten this close.

Xu Yi turned his head away, avoiding his gaze. “I’ll do it now.”

Lu Xingyan was satisfied. Although he thought Xu Yi seemed a bit off, different from before, the immense joy had already clouded his mind.

“By the way, you don’t have to wear women’s clothes even on weekends,” Lu Xingyan added. He had long wanted to date Xu Yi as his true self. Women’s clothes were beautiful, but that face always felt somewhat unfamiliar. Just looking at Xu Yi in his usual clothes made his heart race.

Xu Yi, unusually obedient, agreed to a series of his demands. Lu Xingyan thought that maybe a bit of ‘hot violence’ was indeed the way to go.

When class ended, Lu Xingyan naturally took Xu Yi’s hand and walked out. Li Yuan, who had been absorbed in reading a novel during class, had no idea what had happened.

What’s going on? Their atmosphere was weird before, and now it’s… weird in a different way. And Brother Yan just got dumped… why is he holding Xiao Yi’s hand? Wait, hold on. Li Yuan suddenly felt he might have discovered something. Was he redundant now?

With that thought, Li Yuan told Lu Xingyan he was going to the other cafeteria and left on his own. In just one class, his two roommates had seemingly confirmed a relationship; he should give them time.

Meanwhile, Xu Yi was being pulled along, still dazed. Luckily, the teaching building was so crowded that people pressed against each other, and no one noticed their secretly joined hands in the crowd. Lu Xingyan’s palm was hot, and he held on firmly, as if afraid Xu Yi would run away.

Xu Yi lowered his eyes. They were about to leave the building. Once the crowd dispersed, if someone saw them holding hands… and if… he bit his lip. Even if it was compensation for Lu Xingyan, he didn’t want to risk the next four years of his life.

“Didn’t we say only on weekends?”

Lu Xingyan heard the faint voice beside him and instinctively turned to look. Xu Yi’s cheeks were slightly red, and his gaze was firm, as if he had mustered up courage for a long time to ask this. Lu Xingyan’s mind worked quickly, and he understood. From Xu Yi’s middle school classmates’ attitude, he knew that Xu Yi might have suffered a lot in the past because of his orientation. Although he didn’t care about such things, he cared a great deal about whether Xu Yi cared.

Lu Xingyan released his hand and smiled. “Okay, whatever you say.”

The moment Xu Yi’s hand was released, his skin felt a chill. It also felt strangely empty. He didn’t speak. He didn’t understand why Lu Xingyan still talked like that. And why he wasn’t allowed to wear women’s clothes. Lu Xingyan knew his secret, and Xu Yi found it hard to face him honestly.

As they stepped out of the teaching building, two boys walking shoulder to shoulder nearly bumped into Xu Yi. Xu Yi frowned, annoyed by this kind of behavior. The next second, an arm draped over his shoulder. The hand lingered on his neck, then finally his cheek. The places touched were very sensitive; goosebumps rose on his skin. He couldn’t help rubbing the spot with his hand.

“You dislike my little gestures like this. I’m a bit hurt.”

Xu Yi put his hand down and lied, “Mm, you just touched my neck.”

“Fine, I won’t touch you then.” Lu Xingyan loosened his arm slightly. He respected Xu Yi’s preferences, only being forceful when he had to push the other into a relationship.

Xu Yi hadn’t expected the other to be so straightforward about calling his action ‘touching.’ It was too intimate. Wasn’t he just supposed to continue playing the weekend girlfriend? Why did it feel like he was actually dating Lu Xingyan himself?

But — the current situation was much better than he had imagined. Although Lu Xingyan was still very angry, at least he didn’t threaten to beat him or expose him. Xu Yi thought Lu Xingyan was truly kind.

Lu Xingyan was thinking: with Li Yuan gone and the two of them just having confirmed their relationship, they should celebrate outside school. Which restaurant to choose? Shouldn’t be too far; they had afternoon classes and a lunch break. The nearest option was a Japanese place with private seating suitable for intimacy. Or for touching and cuddling.

Lu Xingyan decided and directly led Xu Yi out of the school. Xu Yi, lost in thought the whole way, only realized at the school gate that they weren’t heading to the cafeteria. His heart tightened. Could Lu Xingyan be planning to retaliate in some other way? Lull him into relaxation, then take him out of school and beat him half to death? The more Xu Yi thought, the heavier his steps became.

“Do you like Japanese food? Or prefer Chinese? There are only two decent places near the school gate.”

Lu Xingyan’s voice interrupted Xu Yi’s imagination. Xu Yi was stunned for a few seconds, then found his recent fantasies ridiculous. He replied casually, “Either is fine.”

“Then I’ll decide.”

Only after they had sat down in the Japanese restaurant did Xu Yi regain some composure. He had been too scared, too terrified before. He couldn’t sleep at night from anxiety, barely ate or drank at home, completely immersed in the shadows of the past. Xu Yi had endured and witnessed too much malice. He instinctively imagined the worst possible outcome: being posted on forums, facing strange looks everywhere, being added by many to spread slut-shaming rumors, cursed with vile slurs.

Xu Yi couldn’t sleep well; his dreams were full of those terrifying memories. But he had forgotten that during military training, Lu Xingyan had stood by him even when he knew Xu Yi liked men. Li Yuan too. Lu Xingyan was a good person. He had simply judged a gentleman’s heart with a petty mind.

Lu Xingyan finished ordering and pushed the tablet to Xu Yi. “Add whatever you want to eat. My treat.”

Xu Yi glanced at it. The desserts and sushi Lu Xingyan had ordered were all his favorites. That made sense; Lu Xingyan had liked the persona of Xiao Yi so much that he would have paid attention to his preferences. Xu Yi put down the tablet and forced a smile. “This is fine.”

Lu Xingyan knew Xu Yi would definitely like what he ordered. Baby smiled at him; he must be very satisfied. Lu Xingyan smiled back, a bit shyly. “When we’re alone… can I still call you baby?”

Xu Yi felt a little uncomfortable. Lu Xingyan was really a love-struck and clingy person. He wondered how he turned out like this. “You can,” Xu Yi agreed. Although continuing to play Lu Xingyan’s girlfriend and provide emotional support was meant to atone for his sins, he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed being cherished by Lu Xingyan when wearing that fake identity.

“Baby.” Lu Xingyan suddenly got up and moved to sit beside Xu Yi. They were very close. Lu Xingyan’s hand covered Xu Yi’s, and his face unconsciously leaned in. “Then… can I kiss you?”