Shang Jue returned to the pavilion with two cups of drinks, handing the steaming cup to Lu Yuxing.
Lu Yuxing was momentarily taken aback but accepted it.
He Yang was even more surprised and asked Shang Jue, “What about mine?”
“You didn’t say you wanted a drink.”
“He didn’t say he wanted one either!”
Shang Jue was speechless.
What is this guy doing here? Does he really need my drink?
Of course, He Yang didn’t need it. But he considered Shang Jue a good buddy, yet the other had bought something for his rival while forgetting about him!
He mournfully thought: Choosing a man over a brother, and he claims he’s not in character!
Lu Yuxing stared at the label stuck to the cup. Pecan milk tea, 50% sugar.
He paused for a moment before saying to Shang Jue, “You seem to know me quite well.”
He liked foods with a nutty flavor, but aside from his brother, no one should know that.
Shang Jue chuckled lightly, gazing at Lu Yuxing with a meaningful look.
Lu Yuxing felt his heart skip a beat under that overly focused gaze.
Then he heard Shang Jue say, “That’s because I’ve been watching you for too long, baby”
Shang Jue’s tone was low, with a hint of tenderness, sounding like a sweet and affectionate confession.
Lu Yuxing was stunned.
He Yang: "..."
"Damn!"
He Yang was stunned.
Only he understood what "I've been watching you for too long" truly meant. But when this phrase came from Shang Jue's mouth, it completely took on a different meaning—playful yet heartfelt.
As the saying goes, knowing yourself and your opponent ensures victory in a hundred battles. He knew that Shang Jue had indeed been staring at Lu Yuxing's back for two years.
He blankly looked at Lu Yuxing, who had a similar expression, staring dazedly at the milk tea cup in his hand.
When he turned to look at Shang Jue again, the mischievous glint in his fox-like eyes showed he was completely unaware of how significant his words were.
“...”
He Yang wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, his face twisted into a pig-liver color from the complex emotions swirling within him.
Brother... A straight man shouldn't flirt like this!
He quickly messaged Shang Jue.
Shang Jue's phone vibrated beside him, and he took it out to check.
He Yang: Shang Shang, tone it down a bit!
Shang Jue read the message three times, confused about its meaning.
Shang Jue: Tone down what? Be clear.
He Yang: You're straight-up flirting with him!
Shang Jue: Who wants to flirt with him? Wasn't I just disgusting him?
He Yang didn’t expect that this was what he needed to worry about, which made Shang Jue laugh.
If He Yáng had seen Lu Yuxing's expression when he was told he was gay, he would understand that his worry was completely unnecessary.
Shang Jue: Don’t worry, this dumb dog is as straight as they come; he won't be easily bent.
He Yang felt a mix of emotions.
With your flirting style, you could bend rebar into incense coils...
Seeing Shang Jue's unwavering reply, it seemed impossible to turn things around now.
He quietly suppressed his urge to retort.
He Yang: Mhm [smile]
Good luck, brother.
Ten minutes later, a girl with a high ponytail and bright golden hair approached, waving at the group from afar.
As she got closer, Xiao Mifeng recognized who was sitting next to Shang Jue and gasped in surprise.
Xiao Mifeng: "The study god is here too?"
Still sitting with the class monitor? Weren't they always at odds?
Shang Jue: "He’ll go to the cafeteria later."
With Xiao Mifeng around, Shang Jue reined in his earlier playful demeanor.
Only He Yang knew about Shang Jue pretending to be a couple with Lu Yuxing.
Shang Jue was still measured; he wouldn’t let Lu Yuxing embarrass himself in front of others. Otherwise, he might end up fighting himself.
Xiao Mifeng blinked and jokingly said, "Study god, you’re not helping the class monitor chase me down, are you?"
Lu Yuxing: "Sorry, who are you... uh!"
His mouth was abruptly covered by the hand of the person beside him.
Lu Yuxing’s question "Who are you?" was forced down his throat.
Xiao Mifeng watched the scene unfold, her mind racing with four words: Physical! Contact!
Lu Yuxing quietly closed his mouth and stopped moving.
After confirming he wouldn't blurt out "Who are you?" again, Shang Jue slowly released him.
Xiao Mifeng fought to suppress her upward-curving lips and feigned seriousness: "What’s going on? Class monitor, why are you blocking the study god's mouth?"
Only then did Lu Yuxing speak: "Sorry, what did you just ask?"
"I asked if you’re here to help the class monitor chase me down."
Lu Yuxing genuinely didn’t understand the question. After pondering for two seconds, he replied, "Mhm."
Xiao Mifeng gasped.
Shang Jue: "..."
He quickly glanced at Xiao Mifeng’s face, which was clearly showing a "caught off guard" expression.
"Study god, do you want to join us outside?"
Lu Yuxing had never been interested in such activities, and Shang Jue stayed silent next to him.
Xiao Mifeng had asked without much hope.
"Sure."
Xiao Mifeng: "Huh?"
Lu Yuxing looked at Shang Jue.
"I said sure."
—
In the end, the four of them neither went to a bar nor anywhere chaotic. They had a very ordinary meal and played a round of a murder mystery game.
The game lasted for several hours, and the conversation revolved around the script's plot, rarely touching on high school memories. During the rest of the time, Lu Yuxing mostly stayed quiet, occasionally replying with a "mhm."
By the end of the night, Xiao Mifeng hadn’t even noticed that he had amnesia.
Afterward, He Yáng drove them back to school. Shang Jue lived off-campus, and when they reached the north gate, He Yáng let Shang Jue get out first.
Before closing the door, Shang Jue paused and leaned down to look into the back seat.
He was a bit worried about leaving Lu Yuxing alone with Xiao Mifeng; if she asked a couple more questions, she'd probably figure out that something was off with his memory.
Lu Yuxing shared the same concern. Throughout the evening, he had felt Xiao Mifeng's enthusiastic gaze. Although she had restrained herself from saying anything in front of him, he had a gut feeling that as long as Shang Jue wasn’t around, she would definitely try to engage him in conversation.
He wasn't good at handling girls like her.
The two of them inside and outside the car exchanged glances.
Lu Yuxing said, "I'll go with you."
After saying that, he opened the car door and decisively got out with Shang Jue.
Xiao Mifeng: "?"
Sitting in the front, Xiao Mifeng’s eyes lit up.
Huh? What’s going on!?
Alongside her excitement was some confusion.
Why would they want to go together? Didn’t you two avoid walking the same route after school in high school?
What had she missed this past year?
She trembled as she asked, "Study god, why are you getting out too?"
Lu Yuxing didn’t know how to answer.
Shang Jue was quick to react but didn’t know how to explain.
"Why? Why?"
"…"
He Yáng immediately stepped on the gas, and Xiao Mifeng's voice drifted away in the wind.
The two in the back breathed a sigh of relief, faces covered in exhaust fumes.
"I’m going back; you should head to your dorm too."
"Mhm."
Just before leaving, Shang Jue suddenly thought of something and said, "Next time you meet someone you don't remember, don’t ask, ‘Who are you?’"
Especially since it was Xiao Mifeng today; after years of being classmates, she had completely forgotten his name. Ouch, that was painful.
"…Okay." Lu Yuxing then asked, "How should I respond?"
"Just respond with ‘mhm’ to whatever they say." Shang Jue smirked and mockingly added, "Isn’t that how you usually respond to people?"
Hearing a hint of sarcasm in his tone, Lu Yuxing paused, "Do you do that with me too?"
Shang Jue: "About the same."
"I’ll try to change that when I’m around you."
Shang Jue felt that sounded strange; he couldn’t imagine Lu Yuxing using anything other than his usual cold replies when addressing him.
"…Let’s drop that; I won’t be used to it even if you change."
"Mhm." Lu Yuxing hesitated for a moment, "Okay."
Hearing the deliberate change in wording, Shang Jue turned away to stifle a laugh.
This guy was indeed much more entertaining than before his amnesia.
"Thanks for helping me these past two days."
Shang Jue smiled and said, "No need to be so formal; you’re my baby~ Who else would I help?"
"…" Lu Yuxing hadn’t been surprised by Shang Jue calling him "baby" for quite some time, but this guy always had a way of using such cheesy tones to provoke him.
Given the favors he had received over the past few days, Lu Yuxing struggled not to turn and walk away.
Although Shang Jue had not been entirely willing to review with Lu Yuxing over the past few days, he had spent time and energy on someone he disliked, and he hadn’t gained any benefits from it. He had initially planned to forget the unpleasant memory, but now Lu Yuxing brought it up himself.
Shang Jue felt he had lost too much.
"Otherwise..."
Lu Yuxing looked at the person across from him, who seemed to ponder for a few seconds. Then, as if struck by a good idea, his eyes suddenly crinkled with a smile.
Shang Jue: "Otherwise, you could say, ‘Thank you, Shang Ge’?"
Lu Yuxing fell silent.
"What kind of quirk is this? Didn’t he just say there’s no need to be so formal?
But it’s just a simple sentence; there shouldn’t be anything he can’t say. Yet, before he spoke, an inexplicable instinct was pulling at him.
In the end, Lu Yuxing still said, “Thank you, Shang Ge.”
Shang Jue smiled, clearly enjoying it.
Taking advantage of the moment, he opened a recording app on his phone and pointed the microphone at Lu Yuxing, getting a little carried away. “Can you say that again?”
Lu Yuxing: “...”
He stepped forward a couple of steps and leaned down, his mouth stopping just a few centimeters from the microphone. He glanced up at Shang Jue and repeated in a low voice:
“Thank you, Shang Ge.”
His words were very clear.
“Ha! Why are you being so polite with Shang Ge?”
Lu Yuxing: "..."
Wasn’t it you who asked me to say that?
Shang Jue turned off the recording app.
Just as Lu Yuxing was about to stand up straight, the person in front of him gave his hair a playful tug.
He was a few centimeters taller than Shang Jue and usually never bowed his head in front of him. But when Shang Jue saw that the normally untouchable head was lower than his, he couldn’t resist and playfully tugged at it a couple of times.
“...”
Lu Yuxing initially wanted to back away, but seeing Shang Jue looking so happy and interested, he didn’t move and let him play with his hair for a while.
However, he didn’t like being touched like that, especially since Shang Jue’s way of touching wasn’t gentle or affectionate; it was purely like petting a dog.
When he straightened up, Lu Yuxing unconsciously frowned, feeling a bit restless.
He glanced at the dimples on Shang Jue’s face and forced himself to endure it.