Not long after class ended, the hallway was bustling with students rushing to find their classrooms, creating a somewhat chaotic scene. Shang Jue waved goodbye and headed toward the restroom, with Tian Miao hurriedly following behind.
He couldn’t quite understand why Shang Jue was specifically going to wash his hands—was it just a rich person’s quirk?
A few minutes later, Shang Jue pulled out a paper towel, dried his hands, and tossed it into the trash bin. The warmth that Lu Yuxing had left on his palm seemed to disappear along with that crumpled paper. Shang Jue felt a wave of relief wash over him.
He took his time, leisurely lingering in the restroom.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said.
Tian Miao smiled politely, “It’s fine.”
“Do you have any plans this weekend?” Shang Jue asked.
Tian Miao paused, “I’m free.”
“Then how about we hang out together?”
The invitation completely caught Tian Miao off guard, causing a spark of joy to flicker in his eyes, hidden behind his glasses. No matter what reason Shang Jue had for inviting him, it was a good sign. He nodded almost without hesitation, “Sure, how many people are going? Where to?”
“Just the two of us,” Shang Jue replied, a smirk dancing on his lips. “At Breeze on North Second Street.”
At that moment, the loud ringing of the school bell echoed through the building, cutting through their conversation. Seconds later, in the stillness of the restroom, Tian Miao’s expression shifted from delight to shock.
Breeze on North Second Street was a well-known gay bar in City A.
Tian Miao’s voice caught in his throat, unable to respond for a long moment. “You…,” he forced a smile, “If I remember correctly, Breeze is a gay bar. I don’t think I should go to a place like that.”
“Is that so?” Shang Jue feigned disappointment. “I thought we were on the same wavelength.”
“Haha, you must be mistaken. I like girls—”
“But if you’ve never been to Breeze, then who did I see there last weekend?”
“…” Tian Miao’s face turned pale instantly.
“I really haven’t been; you must have seen someone else…”
“Please don’t tell me I was mistaken.”
Shang Jue suddenly lowered his voice, leaning in slightly. “I saw your hand on that guy’s face; how could I mistake that?”
Tian Miao’s head shot up, his eyes wide with disbelief.
The person in front of him still wore a relaxed and carefree demeanor, a smile lingering on his lips, yet it felt like Tian Miao was plunging into an icy abyss.
He had seen… not just seen—Shang Jue was deliberately messing with him!
“Do you want to hang out?” From the very beginning, he never intended to do that. It was all just a setup to interrogate me!
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Shang Jue took two steps closer, his smile slowly fading.
His dark eyes, illuminated by the harsh overhead lights, appeared strikingly deep, as if they could capture a person’s very soul.
Under that gaze, Tian Miao felt a chill run down his spine.
The poise that this person exhibited in public was merely a façade.
“Don’t you want to share your thoughts, Tian Miao?” Shang Jue tilted his head slightly, unwilling to let him off the hook. “Was it nice? Hmm?”
Tian Miao’s expression darkened, the elegant mask he wore shattering completely to reveal his true self. “What do you want from me?”
“Oh? Getting anxious now? Are you afraid others will find out you like men?”
“......”
“Oh, you must be scared too, otherwise, you wouldn't be dating a girl. What are you trying to hide, Tian?”
Tian Miao was indeed scared. Ever since middle school, he had realized that he was only attracted to the same sex. However, apart from finding people on gay apps and bars, he had never mentioned this to anyone around him.
What a joke! If his attraction to men got exposed, he would be drowned in the spit of those around him.
Besides, he had always been seen as the most outstanding person in front of his parents' friends, and he never considered coming clean.
However, over time, he began to realize the benefits of hiding this secret. Whenever there was a good-looking guy around, he would try to get close. Straight guys can sometimes be more intimate with their bros than with their girlfriends—hugging, sitting on each other’s laps... Occasionally, they’d share crude jokes in the dorm, and when things heated up, there were moments that crossed the line.
The thrill that came from fooling them was sometimes more intense than pure desire.
He wasn’t the type to yearn for love, so he only went out for hookups, never establishing any long-term relationships. He valued his polished image in front of others more than feelings.
But now... after maintaining this facade for twenty years, he was easily pierced through by Shang Jue’s lofty demeanor.
If it got out that he liked men, his life would be ruined! How could he face people at school? What would his relatives and neighbors think?
“What do you want? If you spill this, you’ll be finished too!” he shouted in a rush. “You went to Breeze; you’re gay too!”
“I’m not the one having sex with men while dating a woman, so what’s there to be afraid of? If I have to come out, then so be it.”
So be it.
His nonchalant tone almost made Tian Miao’s eyes redden.
Damn it, why are you so lucky? If you’re so fortunate, why not leave others a way out?
“And,” Shang Jue chuckled, “you think with our reputations at the academy, whose words would be more credible?”
“If I wanted to ruin you, it would only take a few words.”
Tian Miao’s anger finally began to wane. His eyes, inflamed with hatred, seemed about to burst. “What do you want for me to be free from you?”
“Let me think carefully. After all, you not only look good, but there’s nothing else about you that’s appealing.”
“......”
Shang Jue looked at him indifferently, his dark eyes glinting coldly. “First, starting today, you better behave and keep your tail tucked in.”
Seeing him relent, Tian Miao felt a flicker of joy.
“Second, break up with that girl. You have until tomorrow.”
Tian Miao froze for a few seconds.
Break up with Lin Yihan...
Lin Yihan was shy and introverted, good-looking, and had the halo of A University; she was impressive to others. That was precisely why he had gotten together with her in the first place.
If he broke up with Lin Yihan, he didn't know if he would ever find another partner of her caliber.
He gritted his teeth and asked, “As long as I break up with her, you promise not to expose my secret, right?”
Shang Jue didn’t respond.
“Okay, I agree.”
As if afraid he would back out, Tian Miao finished speaking and hurried out of the restroom.
He collided head-on with a wall of flesh.
Startled, Tian Miao instinctively looked up at the person.
The newcomer was tall; he had to tilt his head back to see the other’s full face.
“Lu, Lu Yuxing?” Tian Miao exclaimed, unsure how much of his conversation with Shang Jue had been overheard.
His tone became flustered. “Lu, why are you here?”
Lu Yuxing replied indifferently, “Came to the restroom, what else could I do?”
Tian Miao carefully observed his reaction, but he couldn’t discern anything from Lu Yuxing's calm expression. With a stiff face, he bypassed Lu Yuxing and moved forward.
“Remember, before tomorrow,” Shang Jue's lazy voice echoed from behind him, “and you’d better come up with a decent excuse.”
He paused briefly and hurried away.
After he left, the two people at the sink exchanged glances.
“Weren’t you going to the bathroom?” Shang Jue asked, seemingly ready to linger there.
“Just said it casually, I was just passing by,” Lu Yuxing replied.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, Lu Yuxing fixed his gaze on him intently.
“A gay bar?”
“…” Didn’t you just say you were passing by? Were you listening from the beginning to the end?
“Did you go to that kind of place last weekend?”
If he remembered correctly, Lu Yuxing was still in the hospital at that time.
Listening to Lu Yuxing’s calm questioning, Shang Jue thought it was somewhat inappropriate: What’s the difference between this and going out to cheat on your husband three days after he died?
At first, he wanted to explain that he hadn’t gone, but then he found it troublesome and simply replied with an “Mm.”
He acted confidently, as if to say: This is how I am, but who told you to like me?
Lu Yuxing noticed this demeanor and felt quite irritated.
This person is so indulgent, but who made me blind to fall for him in the past?
Shang Jue asked, “Did you hear everything I said just now?”
Lu Yuxing replied, “Not everything, but I heard he likes guys and has a girlfriend.”
Shang Jue responded, “Mm.”
Lu Yuxing asked him, “Are you planning to keep it a secret for him?”
“Ha, keep it a secret for him? Am I that kind-hearted? I just don’t want to create trouble for myself.”
Upon hearing Shang Jue’s words, Lu Yuxing glanced at him again.
Is it really just about avoiding trouble?
He thought that Shang Jue’s reluctance to disclose Tian Miao’s preference for men was not out of fear of creating trouble for himself, but rather to avoid causing issues for that girl. If word got out that her boyfriend was gay, Lin Yihan would become the topic of conversation for countless people.
Lu Yuxing furrowed his brow slightly. “You’re letting him off easy.”
Shang Jue caught a hint of disdain in Lu Yuxing’s gaze and was taken aback.
When Lu Yuxing eventually regains his memory and exposes his lies, he would probably look at him with that same expression.
That would be terrible. That’s not the kind of reaction he was hoping for; he wanted it to be more exasperated.
“By the way, it’s already past class time. Why are you still outside baby?”
After saying that, he thought for a moment and added “baby” at the end of the sentence.
“I skipped class.”
Shang Jue was a bit surprised. “You actually skip class?”
He remembered Lu Yuxing as the type who generally followed the rules. Even if there were no cars on the street, he would still wait patiently for the red light to end, even if there were only a few seconds left.
Lu Yuxing glanced to the side. “Mm, because I don’t understand.” After losing his memory, the knowledge in his mind was fragmented and disorganized. The old professor had only spoken for two minutes, yet the overwhelming amount of information had given him a headache.
Shang Jue: …………
Shang Jue tried hard to hold back for a few seconds but couldn’t help laughing out loud.
He never thought he would one day hear Lu Yuxing say, “I don’t understand.”
“Haha!” His unusual sense of humor was triggered, and the more he thought about it, the funnier it became. He turned and propped himself against the wall, shaking with laughter for a long time, his body bending like a soft, swaying twig battered by the rain.
Lu Yuxing looked at him coldly, thinking that Shang Jue would laugh himself breathless.
Is it that funny that your boyfriend doesn’t understand the class?
Once Shang Jue had enough of laughing, he tilted his head slightly and said something that could either be taken as a genuine compliment or a veiled jab: “Baby, you’re so much cuter than before.”
Lu Yuxing also never thought he would one day associate himself with the word “cute.”
Shang Jue’s eyes were misted with a thin layer of tears, sparkling under the cold white light, filled with laughter as he looked at him.
His eyes were very beautiful, with slightly upward-turned outer corners, resembling fox eyes. When such eyes carried even a hint of focused color, they could easily draw someone in.
Lu Yuxing held his gaze for a few seconds but suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
After a while, he finally spoke, “Do you have time now? Let’s talk?”
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