INT Chapter 26

When playing hand-slapping games, most people focus on the hands, but Lu Ze was different—he watched the eyes.

 

Liang Xiao felt uneasy under Lu Ze’s gaze and eventually looked up to meet his eyes, which only made him more uncomfortable.

 

Lu Ze dodged quickly, so Liang Xiao ended up getting slapped more often. After a short while, both of their palms were red.

 

Lu Ze grinned. “Want to keep going?”

 

“No,” Liang Xiao said, looking at his hand. “I can’t beat you.”

 

Lu Ze withdrew his hand, pretending to be modest. “Hitting you hurts me too.”

 

He glanced at his phone. “It’s almost time, right? Where’s the client meeting? Should we head out now?”

 

“Yeah, let’s go. It’s not very close.”

 

Lu Ze stood up and went to the bathroom. When he came out and headed for the door, he suddenly realized he was still wearing Liang Xiao’s clothes.

 

He paused mid-step. “Almost forgot to change.”

 

Just as Liang Xiao was about to step aside, Lu Ze casually walked over to the sofa and pulled off his shirt without hesitation.

 

His skin was even fairer than his face and hands. Standing behind him, Liang Xiao could only see his back—broad shoulders, a slim waist, and just the right amount of muscle—not bulky but not thin either.

 

After changing his shirt, Lu Ze removed his pants as well. Liang Xiao avoided looking down, keeping his gaze fixed on Lu Ze’s back and watching as his shoulder blades shifted slightly with his movements.

 

Once dressed, Lu Ze turned around and saw Liang Xiao. “Just leave them here; no need to fold.”

 

Lu Ze adjusted his waistband and said, “Let’s go.”

 

At the door, he turned back again. “Is my hat fixed in the back?”

 

It already looked fine, but Liang Xiao still reached out to adjust it slightly. “It’s good now.”

 

As Lu Ze bent down to put on his shoes, he thought about how they hadn’t known each other for long and weren’t roommates who lived together daily. Changing clothes in front of Liang Xiao did feel a bit awkward. But if he showed it on his face, it would only make things more uncomfortable for both of them—so he acted naturally instead, making it seem like he didn’t care at all.

 

—

 

They took a cab to the restaurant where the client had arranged to meet them. After getting out of the car, Lu Ze said, “You probably have to wait outside for them, right? I’ll head in first—just pretend you don’t know me.”

 

“Alright.”

 

At the entrance, Lu Ze turned back and waved his phone at Liang Xiao before heading inside. He picked a window seat where he could see outside since he wasn’t sure where they would sit later.

 

A few minutes later, a girl in a long dress approached Liang Xiao from behind and tapped him on the shoulder.

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue—another black long straight-haired girl.

 

Was Liang Xiao’s appearance particularly attractive to girls with black long straight hair?

 

As soon as Liang Xiao saw her, he put on a polite smile—the kind of smile that came with professionalism. If Lu Ze hadn’t seen Liang Xiao’s genuine smile before, he might have thought this one was sincere.

 

After exchanging a few words, the black long straight-haired girl linked her arm with Liang Xiao’s and walked into the restaurant with him.

 

Lu Ze was stunned. Was the progress really this fast? Didn’t they need to get to know each other first?

 

Since Lu Ze was seated a bit far from the entrance, he wasn’t sure if Liang Xiao had noticed him when he came in. However, the two eventually sat at a table not far from him.

 

The waiter brought over the menu, and the black long-haired girl smiled as she chatted briefly with Liang Xiao before starting to order.

 

Liang Xiao glanced in Lu Ze’s direction, and their eyes met briefly. Lu Ze smiled at him and then lowered his head to send a message: [Which dish is good?]

 

Liang Xiao quickly replied: [She said the crab roe noodles and soup dumplings are good.]

 

Lu Ze: [Ok.]

 

Since he was eating alone and couldn’t order much, he decided on just those two dishes along with a pot of fruit tea.

 

The tea arrived first. As Lu Ze sipped it, he watched Liang Xiao and the girl. Liang Xiao maintained a faint smile on his face, occasionally responding to her. They looked no different from an ordinary couple.

 

Initially, Lu Ze had thought Liang Xiao’s job seemed interesting—spending time eating, drinking, and playing with clients while acting as their boyfriend to earn money. But now, seeing Liang Xiao’s smile, Lu Ze felt a bit uncomfortable.

 

Someone with Liang Xiao’s personality wouldn’t choose this line of work unless he really needed the money.

 

If it were Lu Ze, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. He could smile and be considerate toward someone he liked, but with a stranger he’d just met? He couldn’t fake it.

 

This meal didn’t taste particularly good to him. When Lu Ze looked up again, the black-haired girl had gone to the restroom. He sent Liang Xiao another message: [Where are you going next?]

 

Liang Xiao: [The mall across the street. She wants to get her nails done first.]

 

Lu Ze was puzzled: [?]

 

Liang Xiao glanced at his expression and chuckled inwardly.

 

Lu Ze: [Do you really need to rent a boyfriend just to get your nails done? Isn’t that more expensive than the nails themselves?]

 

Liang Xiao: [There have been times when I’ve accompanied clients for facials or tattoos.]

 

Lu Ze almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in: [I guess I can’t judge others since I made you stay overnight with me.]

 

He had only meant to follow up on Liang Xiao’s comment and didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he said when he sent it. But since Liang Xiao didn’t reply for a while, Lu Ze reread his message and realized it could be misinterpreted. When he looked up again, the black-haired girl had returned, and Liang Xiao had put his phone down.

 

Lu Ze smiled awkwardly but decided not to clarify further—it would only make things worse.

 

Afterward, he followed them to the mall. The girl bought two cups of milk tea before heading upstairs to get her nails done. Liang Xiao sat nearby waiting for her, occasionally helping her hold her phone or offering her a sip of milk tea.

 

As for Lu Ze, being a single guy in such a place felt odd. Since he wasn’t interested in shopping either, he found a row of massage chairs nearby and sat down.

 

The two middle-aged men seated next to him were clearly waiting for their wives as well—one even carried his wife’s bag and shopping bags while dozing off.

 

As soon as Lu Ze leaned back into the chair, he felt how tired he was. He hadn’t slept well last night due to all the dreams and had gotten up early in the morning.

 

He closed his eyes slightly and sent Liang Xiao another message: [I’m at the massage chairs. Feeling a bit sleepy—might nap for a while.]

 

Liang Xiao: [Mm.]

 

Lu Ze tucked his phone into his pocket and closed his eyes.

 

He was genuinely tired, but his mind couldn’t help drifting back to thoughts about Jiang Yijie.

 

Like scenes from a movie, memories of their past moments together kept flashing before his eyes.

 

He didn’t want to lose this friend—after all, Jiang Yijie hadn’t done anything wrong.

 

But Lu Ze also knew he couldn’t be selfish. Things between him and Jiang Yijie could never go back to the way they were.

 

Half-asleep, he seemed to sigh even in his dreams. Strangely, someone else seemed to be sighing along with him, the sound so close it felt like it was right by his ear.

 

The sound startled Lu Ze awake.

 

Frowning, he opened his eyes to find Liang Xiao leaning over him. “Had a nightmare?”

 

Lu Ze blinked, yawned, and said softly, “No… just a messy dream.”

 

He rubbed his eyes. “What time is it? Are you guys done?”

 

“It’s past two,” Liang Xiao replied. “She just finished her nails. I called you, but you didn’t wake up, so I came over under the pretense of using the restroom to check on you.”

 

Lu Ze smiled, knowing Liang Xiao must have been worried about leaving him alone to sleep here. He pushed himself up using the armrest, still looking half-asleep. “Let’s go. Where to next?”

 

“She wants to watch a movie,” Liang Xiao said.

 

Lu Ze paused mid-step and turned back with a grin. “So she’s letting me continue sleeping at the theater?”

 

“Horror movie.”

 

Lu Ze froze for a moment—well, that would definitely keep him awake.

 

Horror movies… He wouldn’t watch them alone but felt better with company. He wasn’t exactly scared but remembered clinging to Han Jing’s hand when they watched one together.

 

The two of them locked eyes for a moment and spoke simultaneously.

 

“How about you—”

 

“Can I—”

 

Liang Xiao stopped and said, “You go ahead.”

 

Lu Ze finished his sentence: “Can I sit next to you?”

 

---