After a long time, a thick layer of clouds obscured the moonlight.
The darkness always sharpens a person's sense of hearing.
There was no wind tonight, but from a place very close to Lu Ge, there seemed to be a faint rustling sound, resembling the sound of someone walking on the grass.
"Who?"
The footsteps stopped.
As the clouds parted and the silver light shone on the earth once more, a tall figure of a boy appeared in the gaps between the trees in front of Lu Ge.
Seeing the boy's face, Lu Ge was somewhat surprised.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
Xu Zhixia coldly stared at him, remaining silent.
Lu Ge raised an eyebrow, "What do you feel?"
Xu Zhixia replied, "No feeling, I'm used to it."
"I know what kind of person he is; I was clear about that from the start." Xu Zhixia seemed to think of something, his gaze dropping, long eyelashes shadowing the emotions in his eyes. "However, I recently thought he had changed. Turns out it was just an illusion."
Lu Ge looked at the indifferent boy and suddenly realized something. "The person who brought him to my room that night was you, right?"
Xu Zhixia neither confirmed nor denied, but Lu Ge had already gotten his answer from his silence.
Lu Ge frowned.
"I don't want to comment on your family matters, but..." At this point, Lu Ge abruptly stopped, as if feeling there was no need to continue.
He stared at Xu Zhixia for a long time, then disregarded the other’s reaction and turned to leave.
In the night, Xu Zhixia stood for a long time.
When he returned, he wore the feather brooch that Qin Yan had given him on his chest.
—
After Xu Zhixia's birthday ended, the Xu family returned to the previous solitude that only Ji Mian occupied.
Though there were many companions in the house, the cat's nature was always hard to understand, jumping around in various places and never staying by Ji Mian's side all the time.
Being the only idle person at home, staying cooped up in the room all day wasn’t a solution. If he kept this up, he’d likely develop a mental illness even without being sick.
Fortunately, in recent times, Ji Mian had found a place to pass the time.
He left the Xu family, and driver Uncle Lin dropped him off in a somewhat remote alley near the commercial street, looking somewhat worried: "Young Master..."
Ji Mian smiled at him, signaling that he would take care of himself.
"If you feel unwell at any time, make sure to call me," Uncle Lin instructed repeatedly.
"I will, Uncle Lin."
Watching the car turn around and leave, Ji Mian stepped into the alley and skillfully entered a boutique wood carving store.
This wood carving shop was much larger than the small shop owned by Duan Zhuo, with various exquisite wood carvings displayed around, some even locked in transparent safes.
In the center, there were several coffee tables and sofas, surrounded by some landscape ornaments, which were clearly industrial products, giving off a strange vibe of pretentious elegance.
Ji Mian couldn’t say he liked this environment; there were no familiar sounds of carving tools scraping against wood.
The only reason he came here was that the scent of wood made him feel… very at ease.
The shop owner glanced at him a few times and recognized Ji Mian. Recently, she had often seen this seemingly unwell customer who would stay for a long time.
However, since Ji Mian had previously purchased some items here, her attitude was quite friendly.
Ji Mian wandered around the store before finally sitting down on a chair in a corner.
Thinking that there probably wouldn’t be anyone he knew around, he curled up his limbs, burying his cheek in his knees, his entire body coiled up like a yet-to-hatch pupa.
This position gave him a sense of security.
【……】 The system sighed inwardly, feeling a bit helpless and somewhat distressed.
Not being able to move on from the previous world was not a good sign for either the task or for Ji Mian himself.
It was unclear how long had passed when the shop's lights gradually became brighter as time went by—because the outside light had dimmed.
In the chair, Ji Mian's breathing became even, and he fell asleep.
He slept soundly, not even noticing when someone stood beside him.
Lu Ge, holding an umbrella, squinted at the person occupying his spot: the boy's butterfly bones on his back were very prominent, almost curling him into a ball.
"Hey." He spoke, poking Ji Mian's spine with the handle of his umbrella, "That's my spot."
The person under the umbrella shrank back slightly, then the head buried in his knees moved, slowly lifting.
When he turned to look at Lu Ge, his deep black eyes carried a hint of confusion.
"......"
Lu Ge cursed silently in his heart: What are you trying to act cute for? I’m not buying that.
Soon, Ji Mian put away his "cuteness." The moment he saw Lu Ge clearly, his sleepy eyes instantly brightened.
"Mr. Lu?" He sat up straight and adjusted his limbs.
"You two know each other?" came the voice of the shop owner from behind Lu Ge.
Only then did Ji Mian notice that another person was standing behind Lu Ge.
The shop owner said to Lu Ge, "This gentleman comes here every day."
"Every day?" Lu Ge looked at Ji Mian. "Oh, I forgot that Young Master Xu is very idle."
Ji Mian thought this person was probably born without the ability to say nice things and had a natural talent for irritating people.
However, he didn’t get angry; he only regretted that his alone time had been interrupted.
"What would Young Master Lu like to see today?" the shop owner asked with a smile, her tone a bit eager.
Lu Ge lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on Ji Mian's face.
"Since Young Master Xu often comes, I assume he wouldn't mind helping me, an old friend, recommend some good items, right?"
Ji Mian: "......"
What old friend?
The shop owner was taken aback, "Then..."
"With Young Master Xu here, I think I won’t need anyone else to introduce me." Lu Ge said.
The shop owner's gaze shifted between the two, seeing that Lu Ge intended to send her away, she had no choice but to leave reluctantly.
This was the first time Ji Mian had seen the shop owner treat someone with such enthusiasm after coming here so many times, so he couldn't help but ask, "Is Mr. Lu a regular here?"
"I've bought a few things," Lu Ge pointed to a few locked safes, all containing items priced in six figures, with even a couple approaching seven figures.
Although those items were well-crafted, at most they would only be priced in the tens of thousands. Selling them to Lu Ge for six figures, or even close to seven figures, was truly treating him like a cash cow.
Ji Mian couldn’t help but frown.
It seemed that Lu Ge noticed what he was thinking and whispered, "I’m a famous cash cow here."
Ji Mian was stunned for a moment, somewhat surprised: "Mr. Lu would actually let himself be at a loss?"
Lu Ge looked at him for a few seconds and said, "Sometimes I do."
Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared in Ji Mian's eyes.
"What about Young Master Xu? How could you have the leisure to come here?"
"Just passing the time."
It was rare for them not to taunt each other. Since their first meeting on the cruise ship, this was the first time they had such a harmonious conversation.
"Mr. Lu just said, this is your spot?" Ji Mian sat up, preparing to get up and give him the seat.
Lu Ge inexplicably recalled how the boy had curled himself into a ball just moments ago.
He reached out and pressed Ji Mian's shoulder, pushing him back down: "Since we’re friends, it’s just a chair. You can have it, Young Master Xu."
Ji Mian still couldn’t understand how their relationship had suddenly changed from strangers to "friends" as described by Lu Ge.
This person always acted too casually, making it hard for others to keep up.
Lu Ge casually pulled over a wooden chair from the side and sat down opposite Ji Mian.
He probably came from the company, as Lu Ge was still in his suit.
Ji Mian noticed that the hem of his pants was a bit wet, and recalling the umbrella Lu Ge had used to poke him earlier, he suddenly realized: "Is it raining?"
---
Lu Ge raised an eyebrow. "Just realized?"
[It's been two hours.] The system replied.
Ji Mian: [Then how long have I... slept?]
[Four hours and twenty minutes.]
[!!]
So long!?
Ji Mian knew that he easily fell asleep in places that smelled like wood, but he never expected to sleep for over four hours straight.
The system explained: [Xu Chiqiu's physical condition is also one of the reasons for the drowsiness.]
Ji Mian glanced at the sky outside and finally realized how long he had actually slept.
When he arrived at the shop, the sunlight was still bright, but now it was completely dark outside. The bright lights in the shop made it evident that the external environment had changed.
Having been out for so long, Uncle Lin must be worried.
Ji Mian picked up his phone and called Uncle Lin.
The rain had made the roads slippery, so the car would move a bit slower; it took nearly half an hour to travel from Xu's home to the shop.
During this time, he would have to stay at the shop.
However, for Ji Mian, spending time in a place with wooden scents was not a torturous experience.
He enjoyed it.
But with another person present, he couldn't relax as he did before.
Lu Ge lounged in his chair, playing with his fingers, reminiscing about the sensation of touching Ji Mian's shoulder just moments ago. It had indeed felt quite jarring.
They sat facing each other for about ten minutes, and neither of them spoke.
Lu Ge's eyelashes naturally drooped, blocking half of his pupils, making it difficult for others to notice when he was staring. It seemed as if Lu Ge was just lost in thought.
That’s how Ji Mian perceived it at that moment.
The person sitting across from him seemed to have his gaze slightly lowered, as if contemplating something.
Ji Mian wasn’t aware that in just those ten minutes, Lu Ge had already traced his gaze from his brows to his lips and then to his collarbone.
Feeling bored while waiting, Ji Mian glanced around at the various carved pieces, but he couldn't help but notice their flaws. Some were over-polished, some had overly complicated details, and others had issues even at the basic shaping stage.
He withdrew his gaze, and it naturally fell on Lu Ge across from him. It was difficult for Ji Mian to avoid looking at him.
—— The other person had his eyes half-closed, seemingly still thinking, and didn’t appear to notice Ji Mian’s gaze.
At first, Ji Mian was worried that staring at someone would seem rude, but seeing that, he couldn't help but relax a little.
Lu Ge had striking features, with slightly high brow bones and deep-set eyes. Looking at Lu Ge was indeed more interesting than examining the wood here; after all, the latter always had flaws, while the former’s appearance could rival the most perfect artworks.
Knowing the other person was lost in thought, Ji Mian scrutinized him without reservations. Lu Ge had a beautifully shaped brow, sharp at the tips, extending beyond the outer corners of his eyes.
Then, Ji Mian's deep black eyes moved downward, meeting the gaze of the person across from him.
Ji Mian's gaze remained calm, devoid of any flirtatious undertones.
Anyone gazing into such clear eyes would not feel uncomfortable at all.
He kept staring at Lu Ge’s pupils, partially obscured by his eyelashes, for two seconds.
Suddenly, Lu Ge blinked.
Then blinked again.
Lu Ge turned his face away.
Ji Mian: ?
Just as he felt puzzled, a sudden itch in his throat distracted him.
He frowned, thinking it was quite impolite to cough in front of someone else. Lu Ge seemed to have a picky personality and might find it even more annoying.
He picked up the tea on the table, which the shop owner had specially brewed when Lu Ge had arrived. Unfortunately, after twenty minutes, it had gone from steaming hot to lukewarm.
The warm water eased the itch in his throat for about five seconds, but that was the limit.
"Cough, cough..." Ji Mian covered his lips and turned his face away.
The urge to cough was elusive; sometimes, there were no signs of it at all, but it would suddenly surge when one was off guard. Once it started, it was difficult to suppress regardless of the methods used.
Ji Mian coughed until his back bent down, forming a graceful curve in his spine that appeared slightly protruding through his coat, like some fragile, delicate item.
At that moment, Lu Ge stood up and left.
At first, Ji Mian thought Lu Ge was annoyed by his coughing and chose to walk away.
It wasn't until half a minute later that something hot and hard brushed against his spine.
Ji Mian raised his head, covering his lips.
A steaming glass of water was held by a bony, well-defined hand.
“Drink.” Lu Ge pushed the cup toward him and said shortly.
Ji Mian took the cup without thanking him—he was worried that if he spoke, it would come out as coughing instead of words.
He took a small sip, and the water was just the right temperature to swallow.
Taking a sip helped suppress the itch in his throat for several seconds.
Ji Mian held the cup and took small sips every now and then.
Finally, he managed not to cough anymore.
Lu Ge didn’t return to his seat; instead, he squatted down beside Ji Mian, furrowing his brows with a hint of curiosity: “Are you cold?”
Ji Mian slowly shook his head.
In the next second, a beautifully defined finger reached out toward him, and without any hesitation, it brushed back his hair, followed by a warm palm resting on Ji Mian’s forehead.
Lu Ge touched for a couple of seconds. No fever.
Ji Mian was caught off guard by his sudden action.
“…” He thought, this person probably didn't understand what personal boundaries meant.
Lu Ge withdrew his hand, his tone growing stranger: “Not cold, not feverish, so why are you coughing?”
There are many reasons for coughing without being cold or having a fever, such as cold air entering the throat, just recovering from a cold, or some people simply coughing for no reason.
However, Ji Mian had no intention of explaining this to him, as it wasn’t a difficult issue to understand.
He merely asked, “Mr. Lu should have always been in good health, right?”
Lu Ge recalled, then said, “Not particularly good; I had a couple of colds when I was seven or eight.”
“…”
Ji Mian had no response and decided to keep his mouth shut.
Uncle Lin's call came in at that moment.
He had already driven to the shop’s entrance and was getting out of the car to pick him up.
Ji Mian ended the call and bid farewell to Lu Ge: “My family is here to pick me up; I’ll take my leave.”
Unexpectedly, Lu Ge picked up the umbrella at his feet and stood up with him.
“Mr. Lu?”
“Together.” Lu Ge casually replied with two words.
The person coming to pick up Ji Mian was right at the door, and Ji Mian didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Lu Ge’s “together.”
“Together” for a few dozen meters?
And so, they did indeed walk together to the shop’s entrance, and then they parted ways.
Uncle Lin had been waiting at the door early. When he saw Ji Mian come out, he opened the umbrella and led him to the back seat, pulling open the car door.
Before getting in the car, Ji Mian turned his head back and found that Lu Ge was still standing at the shop’s entrance, looking in his direction for some unknown reason.
Ji Mian felt somewhat perplexed.
After pausing for two seconds, he turned back and got into the car.
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