The snow was falling heavily, and the snow beneath their feet was deep. The surroundings were unnervingly quiet, with even the usual noise absorbed into the soft snowflakes. In this silence, the sound of his own heartbeat grew alarmingly clear.
Shang Jue felt something was off. He instinctively tried to look away, but his right hand was still firmly held by Lu Yuxing. The latter’s gaze was fixed on him, with tiny droplets of water clinging to his eyelashes, as if he wanted to repeat what had just happened.
Unfortunately, a group of students emerged from the nearby building, and Lu Yuxing missed his chance.
Shang Jue pulled his hand away, saying, “If we hold hands, you won’t be able to use the umbrella.” Lu Yuxing had awkwardly switched the umbrella to his other hand.
Lu Yuxing responded with a low sound, then lowered his head to shake off the snowflakes that hadn’t melted from his hair. Earlier, Shang Jue had playfully dumped snow on him, but Lu Yuxing showed no intention of retaliating. After shaking off the snow, he pressed his arm back against Shang Jue.
Shang Jue didn’t look at him, staring straight at the snow-covered path, his brows slightly furrowed as he listened to his own chaotic heartbeat, wearing a particularly serious expression.
...Something's not right.
Of course, he thought, the one who's really not right is this guy next to me.
Could it be that being an idiot is actually a disease? And one that’s contagious?
When they reached the dormitory entrance, Lu Yuxing didn’t go back. Instead, he went out of his way to walk Shang Jue to the school gate.
He handed the umbrella handle to Shang Jue, and as they faced each other, it was finally time to say goodbye. After the snow began to melt, Lu Yuxing’s neck had turned a bright red, his skin likely warm to the touch.
Shang Jue noticed the flush on his neck and asked, “You... won’t catch a cold, will you?”
Lu Yuxing paused for two seconds before chuckling softly. “Maybe I will.”
“...” Shang Jue realized at this moment that he had only dumped a tiny bit of snow on him. If that could make someone catch a cold, then he might as well stay indoors all the time.
“What if I really do catch a cold?” Lu Yuxing asked.
Shang Jue deliberately frowned and replied, “Then just take some medicine. I’m leaving.”
But Lu Yuxing wouldn’t let him go. Suddenly, he stepped forward and hugged him tightly. The warmth of Lu Yuxing’s neck pressed against Shang Jue’s cool chin felt strange yet comforting. Lu Yuxing let out a low hum.
Shang Jue nearly dropped the umbrella at that sound, pushing him away with a frown. “Hey, we’re at school…”
He couldn’t believe it—was this guy suffering from skin hunger?
Lu Yuxing laughed, “There are no cameras here.”
Shang Jue looked up and scanned the area. Sure enough, there were no cameras in this little corner.
Why wouldn’t they install a camera? What if someone steals the delivery…?
There were quite a few people passing by, and after a brief hug, Lu Yuxing released him.
He stared intently at Shang Jue’s face, his gaze warm and his dark eyes resembling those of a loyal large dog, unexpectedly clingy.
Shang Jue found it hard to imagine that this kind of look would come from Lu Yuxing.
It was too passionate, making one want to respond instinctively. It felt as if just reaching out a hand would prompt Lu Yuxing to hold him even tighter, never letting go, never abandoning him.
He’s my dog.
The thought flashed through Shang Jue’s mind, and his heart felt as if it was warming up under Lu Yuxing’s heated gaze.
But then, out of nowhere, he shivered.
Wait...
Suddenly, Shang Jue's mind cleared.
No, this isn’t right. It’s all a lie.
A frustrating sense of disappointment arose in his heart, causing his once-warm heart to cool rapidly, as if someone had splashed him with freezing snow.
After a moment of shock, Shang Jue found himself feeling a bit self-loathing, wanting nothing more than to go home immediately.
What to do at home, he didn’t know, but he just wanted to go back.
He forced a habitual smile, trying to soften his voice as he said, “I’m heading back now, baby!”
Lu Yuxing opened his mouth, about to say something, but Shang Jue didn’t wait for his response; he grabbed the umbrella and turned to leave.
He didn’t see any reason to wait for Lu Yuxing’s reply, did he?
He really didn't want to see that face or those stupid eyes again. How could someone change so much when they were in love? Wasn't he a stone-faced person before?
Shang Jue couldn’t help but doubt whether the person who used to turn his head away with a cold expression was the same as the one in front of him now.
Although he felt anxious, Shang Jue didn’t walk fast. On a snowy day like this, pulling his foot out of the snow always took a bit of time.
He walked quite a distance, probably several hundred meters, taking five or six minutes. The streetlights outside the school were dimmer than those inside, and he kept close to the right side of the road, stepping on the mottled shadows of trees cast in the snow.
The snow crunched under his feet, and Shang Jue’s foul mood calmed slightly amidst the clean noise. Yet, slowly, he sank into a quiet and dark abyss, reaching an even worse extreme.
He was enveloped by a strange, cold sense of security. The urge to go home that had been so urgent a few minutes ago dissipated; he knew that the feeling at home wouldn’t be any better than it was now.
Shang Jue hazily realized that he didn’t actually want to go home; he just wanted to escape from Lu Yuxing's gaze.
He began to feel cold, inhaling the damp, chilly air deeply. As he exhaled, he suddenly heard the crunching sound behind him growing closer, with a steady pace, but no voice followed.
It felt like one of those terrifying scenarios from ghost stories. Shang Jue raised an eyebrow, not feeling particularly afraid.
He abruptly stopped, turning around to find Lu Yuxing standing just three meters behind him, staring at him with no expression on his face.
Shang Jue: …………
He almost spat blood from anger.
What the hell!
How long has he been following me? He must have been behind me the whole time, five or six minutes, without saying a word! What kind of behavior is this? Even a creep wouldn’t do something like this!
Lu Yuxing gazed at him silently. His looks were too distinctive, but his eyes glowed coldly, giving him a somewhat fierce appearance when he wasn’t showing any expression.
He had put away the black umbrella and was holding it in his hand. He had followed all this way without opening it.
Shang Jue was left speechless, his breath caught in his throat. He didn't even feel like calling him “baby” anymore. “Why didn’t you say anything while following me!?”
Lu Yuxing furrowed his brows slightly, looking at him with a strange but calm tone. “You didn’t wait for me to say goodbye before leaving. I thought you didn’t want to hear me talk.”
Shang Jue: “…”
Just because I didn’t wait for you to say goodbye, you had to silently follow me?
And what’s with your tone? Are you trying to throw shade at me? How fragile is your heart, Young Master Lu?
Countless curses raced through his mind, but when they reached his lips, all that came out was, “Fine, fine, it’s my fault for forgetting such an important rule.” He softened his tone, emphasizing the word “important.”
“Now, baby, can I hear you say it? Goodbye, goodbye!”
Lu Yuxing didn’t say “goodbye.” He quickly caught up, and since there was no one around, he leaned down slightly and slipped under Shang Jue’s umbrella, his warm breath pressing against Shang Jue’s back. Lu Yuxing's outerwear was covered in snowflakes, and the fabric was a bit damp, but Shang Jue truly felt that this person was warm when he pressed against him.
He withdrew the slightly strange tone and lowered his head to peek at the nape of Shang Jue’s neck, where the bone protruded slightly, watching as that patch of skin reddened soon after. Then he moved to Shang Jue’s side and said, “Since we’re here, I’ll walk you home.”
In an instant, Shang Jue lost all his temper. He opened his mouth, both speechless and surprised, thinking: he’s really crazy!