INT Chapter 22

Lu Ze was completely stunned, his mind blank. Jiang Yijie gave him a deep look, pushed him aside, and walked away.

 

Lu Ze stood frozen in place. Liang Xiao caught up from behind, and Lu Ze said quietly, “Can you go check on him for me?”

 

“Alright,” Liang Xiao replied and followed Jiang Yijie.

 

A waiter passed by with a trolley, and Lu Ze stepped aside to avoid it, accidentally bumping into someone. He quickly apologized, “Sorry.”

 

He walked to a corner behind a wall that blocked out the noise and lights of the bar. Leaning against the wall, he felt like his brain had stopped working.

 

What did Jiang Yijie mean?

 

What did he mean by “If you’re not interested in me”?

 

How could he possibly be interested in Jiang Yijie?

 

He never had been.

 

But Jiang Yijie was interested in him.

 

The thought sent chills down Lu Ze’s spine, giving him goosebumps. His head felt light. He had never imagined that Jiang Yijie might… like him.

 

It was unbelievable.

 

Jiang Yijie didn’t seem like he could be gay. He had never done anything that made Lu Ze feel uncomfortable. They’d known each other for five years—studying together, playing basketball together, eating together, drinking together. They were good brothers, close friends.

 

How could Jiang Yijie possibly like him?

 

Why would he like him?

 

When Liang Xiao returned, he found Lu Ze hiding alone in the corner, looking dejected and completely deflated. Liang Xiao walked right up to him before Lu Ze even noticed. Finally looking up, Lu Ze muttered, “Jie-ge…”

 

“I got him a cab,” Liang Xiao said. “He’s heading back to campus.”

 

Lu Ze nodded and lowered his head again. “Thanks.”

 

Liang Xiao quietly observed him for a moment before Lu Ze added, “Go back to work. Don’t worry about me—I just need… some time.”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t respond or move. It seemed like Lu Ze didn’t even realize he was still there; he stayed in the same position—leaning against the wall with his head down—not moving an inch.

 

A few minutes later, Lu Ze suddenly lifted his head and jumped slightly when he saw Liang Xiao still standing there. “Holy crap!”

 

Liang Xiao was startled too but didn’t react otherwise.

 

Leaning his head back against the wall, Lu Ze let out a breath. “Xiao-ge, why didn’t you leave? You scared me…”

 

Liang Xiao replied calmly, “I’m going to tell them I’m done for the night—let’s go drink.”

 

Lu Ze blinked in surprise and knocked on the wall lightly with his hand. “Can’t we just drink here?”

 

“Not here. It’s too noisy today.”

 

It really was. Even the music made Lu Ze feel more irritated.

 

Lu Ze forced a smile. “Alright.”

 

He followed closely behind Liang Xiao, watching as Liang Xiao spoke briefly to someone before leading him out of the bar.

 

“Where do you want to drink?” Liang Xiao asked.

 

Lu Ze thought for a while and finally said, “I don’t know.”

 

Liang Xiao looked at him, and Lu Ze looked back. After a moment of silence, Lu Ze asked, “How about… can we go to your place?”

 

Liang Xiao paused for a few seconds before replying, “Alright. Let’s stop by the store first—we’ll need to get some drinks.”

 

They carried two cases of beer and a large bag of snacks back to Liang Xiao’s place, a small one-bedroom apartment in an old building.

 

When Lu Ze entered, he stopped at the door. Liang Xiao said, “No need to change shoes, just come in.”

 

Lu Ze hesitated but didn’t move. Just as he was about to say something, Liang Xiao bent down and took out a pair of slippers from the cabinet. “Here, change into these.”

 

After switching shoes, Lu Ze sat on the sofa. Liang Xiao used a small knife to open one of the beer cases, taking out a few cans and putting the rest in the fridge.

 

Lu Ze absentmindedly glanced around. The apartment was small, but Liang Xiao had few belongings, making it look neat and tidy—though it lacked much warmth or personality.

 

Liang Xiao placed the beer and snacks on the coffee table. Lu Ze opened a can, took a big gulp, and said, “You heard what Jiang Yijie said to me earlier, didn’t you?”

 

Liang Xiao responded with a simple “Hmm,” sitting down beside him and opening his own can. “Even if I hadn’t heard it, I could tell.”

 

Lu Ze looked at him with tightly furrowed brows. “Was it that obvious?”

 

“It was pretty obvious after he drank,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

“I didn’t notice at all,” Lu Ze said before taking another sip and wiping his mouth forcefully. “I never even… thought about it that way.”

 

Liang Xiao stayed silent as Lu Ze vented his frustration.

 

“Jie-ge and I—we’ve always been really close. He’s always been kind and loyal. Back in high school, we studied together, played together, even got punished together… Sometimes he’d even help me figure out what gifts to buy for my girlfriends or cover for me. I really—really never had any idea…”

 

Lu Ze finished his first can in just a few gulps and opened another one. Staring at the foam spilling out, he muttered, “He remembers every single one of my ex-girlfriends so clearly. I even asked him how he managed that—it’s so damn stupid.”

 

Liang Xiao could tell that while Lu Ze was completely unprepared for Jiang Yijie’s feelings and deeply confused by them, his first reaction was guilt. He blamed himself for not realizing sooner and for unintentionally causing Jiang Yijie pain.

 

Liang Xiao sighed inwardly. Lu Ze was simply too kind. This had been evident even in how he handled Han Jing and her feelings for another girl.

 

Not only was he kind, but also generous and well-mannered.

 

Lu Ze slammed his beer onto the coffee table and looked at Liang Xiao. “Xiao-ge, why is it that you could tell after meeting him twice, but I, like a fool, didn’t realize after knowing him for five years?”

 

“Because he doesn’t like me,” Liang Xiao said calmly. “He likes you. Naturally, he wouldn’t let you notice—otherwise, how could you remain friends?”

 

Lu Ze froze for a moment before muttering, “Yeah… but why did he suddenly say it today? Can we still be friends after this?”

 

“Maybe he’s just too tired,” Liang Xiao replied, taking a sip of his beer. “Tired of being friends with someone he likes.”

 

Lu Ze stayed silent for a long time, drinking in frustration. After finishing another can, he suddenly pulled out his phone. “I want to ask if he’s made it back to campus…”

 

He opened his chat with Jiang Yijie and typed a few words but kept deleting and retyping, unable to send anything. In the end, he exited the chat and messaged Jiang Yijie’s roommate instead. The roommate replied that Jiang had returned but seemed to be in a bad mood.

 

Lu Ze put his phone down, rested his head in his hands, and sighed deeply. “I’ve been so unlucky lately. The girl I like doesn’t like me. I like girls, but my best bro doesn’t like girls—he likes me. This is just… damn.”

 

He sighed again, opened another beer, and clinked cans with Liang Xiao. “Xiao-ge, aren’t you always good at chatting? Don’t just sit there silently—talk to me for a bit. I’ll pay your usual rate.”

 

“What are you planning to do?” Liang Xiao asked.

 

“I…” Lu Ze furrowed his brows and thought for a long time. “I really don’t know… It’s all so sudden.”

 

“Do you like him?” Liang Xiao asked again.

 

Lu Ze immediately shook his head. “No, I’ve always seen him as a brother. Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable. But if I tell him outright… it’ll hurt him too much.”

 

“He knows,” Liang Xiao said while turning his beer can in his hand. “After all, you’ve always been dating girls—he knows you’re straight.”

 

When it came to pursuing girls or interacting with them, Lu Ze could be anyone’s mentor. But when it came to understanding guys’ feelings, he seemed completely clueless.

 

“Then why… why would he still…”

 

Liang Xiao patiently explained, “Because he doesn’t want to like you anymore—or doesn’t want to keep pretending not to like you. Telling you wasn’t about expecting anything in return; it was just about letting you know that he likes you and doesn’t want to be just your buddy anymore.”

 

Lu Ze stared blankly at Liang Xiao, shocked that such insightful words were coming from someone who usually seemed so aloof—just as shocked as when he first realized how caring Liang Xiao could be.

 

After a long silence, Lu Ze asked softly, “Does this mean he doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore?”

 

“No,” Liang Xiao replied calmly. “It means *you* can’t be friends with him anymore.”

 

“…Fuck.”

 

Lu Ze cursed, downed the rest of his beer in one go, and then forcefully crushed the empty can in his hand.

 

 

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