The two of them stayed in the library until noon. While Lu Ze wrestled with thoughts like “I like Liang Xiao,” “I’m no longer straight,” and “Does Liang Xiao like me back?”, he somehow managed to finish his PowerPoint presentation.
Leaning back against the chair, he stretched and turned his head to glance at Liang Xiao, noticing that even while sitting and reading, Liang Xiao never slouched.
Liang Xiao turned to look at him and asked softly, “Finished?”
“Yeah. Hungry? Let’s go eat.”
Liang Xiao nodded. “I’ll return the book first.”
Lu Ze glanced at the book and figured Liang Xiao probably hadn’t read more than another ten pages.
They took the elevator downstairs, and Lu Ze asked, “What do you feel like eating?”
Just as Liang Xiao’s lips moved, Lu Ze immediately cut him off. “Forget it, I’m just being nosy. I won’t ask—you’ll eat what I choose.”
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “Okay.”
When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, Han Jing and Qiu Ning were standing outside, chatting intimately. Upon seeing them, the two girls instinctively straightened up.
The four of them exchanged awkward glances. Lu Ze nodded at them in acknowledgment before stepping out of the elevator first. Liang Xiao followed behind him, also nodding politely.
Once they were outside the library, Lu Ze suddenly said to Liang Xiao, “About me and Han Jing… there’s nothing between us anymore. I won’t get mad or anything—it’s all normal now…”
Liang Xiao responded with a simple “Mm” and then added, “No need to continue the ‘make your ex jealous’ business anymore.”
Lu Ze chuckled twice, then cleared his throat after laughing. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Liang Xiao and said hesitantly, “Xiao-ge… that day… at the art exhibit…”
Liang Xiao kept his gaze ahead and calmly explained, “That woman—I refunded her money afterward and haven’t contacted her since. At the time, I didn’t know she’d say something like that.”
Was Liang Xiao explaining himself to him?
“You… don’t have to…”
Lu Ze felt that no matter how he phrased things now, it would sound awkward given his current position. Just as he was struggling to find the right words, Liang Xiao glanced at him and said, “I didn’t know she liked me before. Once I realized it, I couldn’t keep her as a client anymore.”
Lu Ze froze for a moment and instinctively asked, “Why not?”
“It would be too troublesome,” Liang Xiao replied calmly.
He had decided to share his thoughts with Lu Ze first—this way, whether or not Lu Ze had feelings for him would no longer matter. After all, Lu Ze had always been straight; perhaps this was all just a misunderstanding or a fleeting illusion.
Lu Ze frowned slightly. What did Liang Xiao mean by that? Did he already know that Lu Ze liked him? Or was it just a coincidence?
Troublesome—it really could be troublesome. If it were Lu Ze in that position, he wouldn’t want a client falling for him either. We hang out together; you pay me—it’s simple that way. Once emotions get involved, things become messy and complicated.
But… what if Liang Xiao liked him too? Would it still be considered troublesome then?
—
Lunch was eaten absentmindedly. Although Lu Ze had been in many relationships before, he rarely thought so deeply about things when he had just started liking someone.
—
Feeling a bit restless and frustrated, Lu Ze decided to have Liang Xiao accompany him to the basketball court for a game.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yijie was there too.
The moment Lu Ze saw Jiang Yijie, he regretted his decision. Why did I insist on playing basketball? Wouldn’t playing cards have been more fun?
Feeling guilty, he greeted Jiang Yijie awkwardly and introduced him to Liang Xiao. “This is… Jiang Yijie. Jie-ge, you guys…”
Damn, this is so awkward.
Jiang Yijie finished his sentence for him. “We’ve met before—at the bar.”
Liang Xiao extended his hand toward him. “Hello, I’m Liang Xiao.”
Since Liang Xiao was aware of what had happened between Lu Ze and Jiang Yijie in the past, he refrained from introducing himself in a way that would make things more awkward.
Jiang Yijie’s gaze lingered on Liang Xiao for a few seconds before he turned to Lu Ze and said, “I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll head out first. You and your… friend can play.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze immediately felt relieved. He had been dreading what could have been the most awkward basketball game in history.
He quickly replied, “No problem, go handle your stuff.”
Jiang Yijie nodded. “I’m off then.”
Liang Xiao and Jiang Yijie exchanged a brief glance before Liang Xiao gave him a polite nod.
—
Once Jiang Yijie left, Lu Ze let out a sigh of relief and muttered under his breath, “Damn, that was so awkward.”
“You two…” Liang Xiao started to ask.
“Jiang Yijie and I talked things through a few days ago,” Lu Ze said while dribbling the ball. “He knows it’s impossible for me to like him. So now it’s just a matter of waiting for him to stop liking me so we can go back to how we used to be.”
Liang Xiao didn’t realize he was frowning slightly as he asked, “Then why was it awkward?”
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted asking. He shouldn’t have let Jiang Yijie’s appearance prompt him into saying more than necessary.
Lu Ze was stumped by the question. Yeah… why was it awkward?
Because he liked Liang Xiao!
Damn, how was he supposed to explain that? If he didn’t like Liang Xiao, there wouldn’t have been anything awkward about it at all. But Liang Xiao was so sharp—had he already figured it out?
Lu Ze frowned as he looked at Liang Xiao, but Liang Xiao avoided his gaze and quickly changed the subject. “Let’s play.”
—
It had been a long time since Lu Ze had played basketball one-on-one with someone else. He usually only played like this with Jiang Yijie because they were evenly matched, which made it fun and intense.
He wasn’t sure how good Liang Xiao was at basketball, but judging by appearances alone, he looked like he’d be pretty skilled—a classic case of judging a book by its cover.
And as it turned out, Liang Xiao was really good.
Lu Ze was breathing lightly as he dribbled the ball. He had tried charging toward the basket several times earlier but couldn’t find an opening to shoot.
Gradually setting aside all other thoughts, Lu Ze bent forward slightly while dribbling and focused intently on Liang Xiao.
“Xiao-ge,” Lu Ze called out with a grin, “here I come!”
Before his words even fully landed, he had already made his move.
This time, Liang Xiao couldn’t stop him. Lu Ze brushed past his chest, switched hands, spun around, and jumped to make a clean shot.
Liang Xiao whistled, and Lu Ze smiled.
After that, the two of them got serious about the game, as if they were both trying to vent some inner frustration.
The entire time, they were almost constantly in physical contact—arms brushing against arms, chests pressing against backs. Their one-on-one basketball game was intense and heated, with neither of them holding back.
After a while, Liang Xiao was the first to say, “I’m tired. Let’s take a break.”
Lu Ze pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, wiping away the sweat that covered him.
Liang Xiao pulled out some wet wipes and handed one to Lu Ze while using another to wipe his own face and hands.
Lu Ze grinned and said, “Xiao-ge, you’re really cool when you play basketball.”
“You’re even cooler,” Liang Xiao replied.
Lu Ze played basketball with a wild energy that didn’t quite match his usual personality—or maybe Liang Xiao just didn’t know Lu Ze well enough yet.
Lu Ze walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
Someone nearby called out to him, “You two finally done? Come play a game with us!”
Lu Ze waved them off and shouted back, “Too tired! Give me two bottles of water!”
He really was exhausted. His whole body still felt like it was burning, sweat kept dripping from his head, and his chest rose and fell with every breath.
Thinking about all the close physical contact he’d just had with Liang Xiao—the images, the sensations, even the faint scent—everything was crystal clear in his mind.
It seemed like no amount of breathing would calm him down now.
Lu Ze looked over at Liang Xiao. Fresh off their game, Liang Xiao was drenched in sweat. Beads of sweat clung to his neck and sparkled in the sunlight.
Not only did Lu Ze not find it off-putting—he thought it was beautiful. Even… sexy.
For the first time in his life, he found himself physically attracted to another guy’s body. It was such a strange feeling for him but also made him even more certain: he really had fallen for Liang Xiao.
Tsk.
In that moment, Lu Ze suddenly had an epiphany: whether or not Liang Xiao knew now didn’t matter—he’d find out eventually anyway. There was nothing to hide anymore.
Liang Xiao seemed naturally inclined to take care of others. After grabbing the water bottles, he twisted one open before handing it to Lu Ze.
Lu Ze stared at Liang Xiao’s hands for a moment before taking the bottle. Tilting his head back, he drank half of it in one go, letting some water drip down his neck without bothering to wipe it away.
When he finished drinking, he wiped his chin and heard Liang Xiao say, “Next time after exercising, drink slower.”
Lu Ze paused mid-motion, raised an eyebrow at Liang Xiao, then smiled mischievously—a mix of roguish charm and handsomeness. “Xiao-ge, you’d make a very qualified boyfriend.”
