INT Chapter 15

Lu Ze really took Liang Xiao on a full tour of the campus. They ran into quite a few familiar faces. At first, Lu Ze felt a bit embarrassed, but as time went on, he got used to it. Other than his ears turning a little red, everything seemed normal.

 

And honestly, his red ears could have just been from the wind.

 

Lu Ze checked the time on his phone and asked, “Hungry? Let’s eat first, then we’ll grab the fruit from the dorm after.”

 

“Mm,” Liang Xiao responded.

 

Lu Ze looked up at him, a little helpless. “Don’t just say ‘mm,’ Xiao-ge. Pick something to eat.”

 

“Anything’s fine,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Lu Ze sighed and slung an arm around Liang Xiao’s shoulder as they walked toward the cafeteria. “This isn’t the time to act cool. Come on, tell me—what do you feel like eating?”

 

Liang Xiao was slightly surprised that Lu Ze casually put his arm around him, especially since just an hour ago he had seemed so awkward.

 

With his hands in his jacket pockets, Liang Xiao walked forward normally and said, “Really, anything’s fine. I’m not picky.”

 

Lu Ze snapped his fingers right next to Liang Xiao’s ear—loudly—and said, “Alright then, beef noodle soup it is. The third cafeteria has a place that makes amazing beef noodles.”

 

Liang Xiao turned his head slightly to look at him. Noticing the glance, Lu Ze turned as well and raised an eyebrow. “What? You don’t like beef noodle soup?”

 

“No,” Liang Xiao said, turning his head back forward. “It was just really loud.”

 

Lu Ze froze for a second before laughing and pulling his hand back. “Sorry about that—did I scare you?”

 

“Not really.”

 

After saying that, Liang Xiao raised his hand and snapped his fingers near Lu Ze’s ear in return. Even though Lu Ze was prepared for it this time, he still found it pretty loud. He figured Liang Xiao must have been startled earlier but just didn’t say anything—after all, staying cool was part of his image.

 

Lu Ze chuckled and said, “Alright then, let’s go get some beef noodles.”

 

The beef noodles at the third cafeteria were genuinely delicious—the noodles were chewy, the chunks of beef were large and plentiful, and the broth was rich and flavorful. Every time Lu Ze ate there, he would finish every last drop of soup.

 

But maybe it was *too* good because as soon as they arrived at the stall, they ran into four familiar faces.

 

Lu Ze stopped dead in his tracks. Following his gaze, Liang Xiao looked ahead and saw four people standing in front of the beef noodle stall: two girls and one boy with another girl.

 

Just as Lu Ze hesitated about whether or not to continue with the beef noodles, Sun Zhuoyu suddenly turned around and spotted him. “Ze-ge?”

 

His voice wasn’t quiet, so Han Jing and Qiu Ning also heard him and turned their heads to look at Lu Ze simultaneously.

 

“Shit…” Lu Ze stood frozen in place. His lips barely moved as he muttered through clenched teeth, “Why the hell is it such a damn coincidence…”

 

“Your ex-girlfriend?” Liang Xiao asked in a low voice.

 

“Yeah,” Lu Ze replied quietly. “And the girl she likes… plus my roommate.”

 

Liang Xiao glanced at the two girls; it was obvious that the one with long black hair was Lu Ze’s ex-girlfriend.

 

For a few seconds, none of the three groups moved—they just stared at each other like a standoff between three factions. The only person who didn’t seem awkward was Meng Qian, standing beside Sun Zhuoyu.

 

Sun Zhuoyu’s gaze darted between Lu Ze and Liang Xiao before shifting to Lu Ze and Han Jing. Finally, he forced out a stiff smile and said, “Uh… Ze-ge! What a coincidence! You’re here for noodles too?”

 

Lu Ze finally took two steps forward and let out a faint “Mm.” The way he looked at Sun Zhuoyu seemed to say he was ready to expel this tactless disciple from his mentorship forever.

 

Sun Zhuoyu raised his eyebrows and made exaggerated facial expressions, trying to explain that he hadn’t called out to Lu Ze on purpose—it was just a reflex.

 

But Lu Ze ignored him, leaving Sun Zhuoyu no choice but to turn to Liang Xiao and cautiously ask, “Ze-ge, is this your…?”

 

Damn, this guy is so handsome—he must be the boyfriend!

 

Lu Ze hadn’t decided how to respond yet. After a few seconds of silence, Liang Xiao spoke up for him. His voice was calm and cold: “Boyfriend.”

 

Sun Zhuoyu, Meng Qian, Han Jing, Qiu Ning, and everyone else nearby who had been eavesdropping collectively gasped in unison. The sound was remarkably synchronized.

 

Lu Ze also gasped internally. *Holy shit holy shit holy shit—this is way too intense.*

 

But outwardly, he maintained a calm expression, nodded slightly, and said in a steady tone, “Yes, my boyfriend—Liang Xiao.”

 

When he said the words “boyfriend,” he almost bit his tongue. It felt so awkward it was practically scalding.

 

Sun Zhuoyu was still in shock after hearing Lu Ze admit it himself. Instinctively, he glanced at Han Jing and noticed that she looked even more stunned than he did.

 

Liang Xiao, on the other hand, was so experienced with this kind of situation that even being “on duty” unexpectedly didn’t faze him. He extended his hand toward Sun Zhuoyu—not warmly, but politely and courteously.

 

Sun Zhuoyu hurriedly shook his hand. “Hi, hi! I’m… uh… oh right! I’m Sun Zhuoyu—‘Zhuo’ as in ‘outstanding,’ and ‘Yu’ as in ‘universe.’ I’m Lu Ze’s roommate.”

 

“Hello,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Sun Zhuoyu turned to Meng Qian beside him and said nervously, “This is Meng Qian—my… my my senior!”

 

Meng Qian smiled softly and said quietly, “Stop talking.” Then she turned to Liang Xiao with a friendly smile and nodded. “I’m their senior.”

 

Liang Xiao nodded back. “Hello, Senior.”

 

Lu Ze smirked slightly. Meng Qian was in her third year (junior year), while Liang Xiao was in his fourth (senior year). But as his… boyfriend, it wasn’t exactly wrong for Liang Xiao to call her “Senior.”

 

Still, the sight of someone with such a cool demeanor calling someone else “Senior” was just too amusing for Lu Ze to handle. He could barely hold back his laughter. Liang Xiao must have noticed because he glanced briefly at Han Jing before leaning closer to Lu Ze’s ear and asking softly, “Is she your friend?”

 

Lu Ze finally managed to suppress his laughter and replied to Han Jing directly: “My ex-girlfriend—we broke up peacefully. I guess we’re still friends?”

 

The second half of the sentence was directed at Han Jing as a question.

 

Han Jing snapped out of her shock over the fact that Lu Ze actually liked men—and had a boyfriend—and quickly replied, “Yes,” before awkwardly turning to Liang Xiao and saying, “Hi, I’m Han Jing.”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t seem bothered by her identity at all. His attitude toward her was no different from how he treated Sun Zhuoyu. He simply replied with a polite “Hello” before standing properly next to Lu Ze again.

 

Lu Ze asked Han Jing, “Have you ordered yet?”

 

Han Jing immediately nodded. “Ah, yes—we’ve ordered…” She grabbed Qiu Ning’s arm and stepped back to make room for Lu Ze and Liang Xiao.

 

Qiu Ning still seemed confused and whispered to Han Jing, “What’s going on? Does Lu Ze really like men?”

 

“I don’t know… Maybe it’s true,” Han Jing whispered back.

 

Lu Ze ordered two bowls of beef noodle soup and a side dish of vegetables. Sun Zhuoyu chimed in: “Ze-ge, our noodles are ready—we won’t interrupt your date with your boyfriend anymore. See you tonight!”

 

Lu Ze responded with a faint “Mm.” Sun Zhuoyu took a couple of steps away but then turned back, leaning close to Lu Ze’s ear and whispering, “You know… it’s okay if we don’t see each other tonight.”

 

Lu Ze gritted his teeth and forced out a single word: “Get lost.”

 

Sun Zhuoyu chuckled twice, said nothing more, and left.

 

The line for beef noodles slowly grew longer. Lu Ze didn’t know what to say or do at the moment, so he just stood there, motionless, watching the chef inside prepare the beef noodles.

 

Liang Xiao, however, naturally leaned over and said softly near his ear, “The side dishes are self-serve, right? I see more people coming in. How about I grab a seat after getting the side dishes?”

 

Only then did Lu Ze turn to look at him. He picked up a plate and said, “Mm, I’ll do it. What do you like to eat?”

 

Lu Ze could clearly feel that every time the two of them moved, the surrounding people’s gazes followed them. Under all this attention, Liang Xiao smiled at him and teased, “You don’t know what I like to eat?”

 

Lu Ze almost dropped the plate in his hand.

 

*Damn, professional.*

 

But seriously—*I really don’t know!*

 

 

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