INT Chapter 40

For what felt like the umpteenth time that day, the two of them just stared at each other. Lu Ze was waiting for Liang Xiao’s response, but Liang Xiao remained silent.

 

After a long while, Liang Xiao lowered his head, his eyelids drooping slightly, shielding his gaze.

 

Lu Ze looked down at him from above and noticed how long and thick Liang Xiao’s eyelashes were. When he lowered his eyes, they completely covered his pupils.

 

Lu Ze hung the towel around his neck, took a small step forward, and leaned slightly over the desk with one hand resting on it. “Xiao-ge…”

 

Liang Xiao suddenly raised his head sharply, his face devoid of expression, his gaze cold. “Lu Ze, I thought I made myself clear enough.”

 

Lu Ze froze for a moment, not used to seeing such an expression from Liang Xiao. He hesitated before saying, “…I know. Your clients aren’t allowed to like you. But I’m not just your client, am I?”

 

The two of them locked eyes as if their gazes were in a silent battle. Lu Ze continued, “We’re friends too, right? Are friends not allowed to like you either?”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t respond. Lu Ze’s gaze was unwavering and persistent—it was as if he had never been straight in the first place, as if he had liked Liang Xiao for a long time already.

 

But the truth was that Lu Ze had always been straight, and they’d only known each other for just over a month.

 

“You don’t like me,” Liang Xiao said in a low voice. “You’re just—”

 

Lu Ze stepped closer, his knee brushing against Liang Xiao’s knee. “How do you know I don’t like you?”

 

Liang Xiao’s words were cut off as he stared deeply at Lu Ze, who smiled faintly and said, “Xiao-ge, I’m confessing to you. Can you stop being so serious about it?”

 

Liang Xiao’s expression didn’t soften; his gaze remained cold as he replied firmly, “We haven’t known each other for long. You weren’t gay before—this might just be a misunderstanding…”

 

“So just because we haven’t known each other long and because I wasn’t gay before, you think that means I don’t like you?”

 

Lu Ze’s tone grew stronger—completely different from the easygoing person Liang Xiao thought he knew.

 

Lu Ze bent lower, leaning closer to Liang Xiao’s face until there was less than a fist’s distance between them. He stopped there and said softly, “Xiao-ge, liking someone is liking someone—it’s not something you can reason your way out of. Today I might like apples; tomorrow I might like bananas. Isn’t that normal?”

 

Both of them had just showered and used the same body wash. Liang Xiao couldn’t tell if the scent he smelled was his own or Lu Ze’s—or maybe their scents had already blended together.

 

Liang Xiao turned his head slightly away from Lu Ze, leaving only the sharp line of his jaw visible to him. When he spoke again, his voice was tight: “But I don’t like you.”

 

Lu Ze narrowed his eyes slightly, and his gaze darkened in an instant. “If you don’t like me, then look me in the eye and say it.”

 

Liang Xiao turned back to face him directly. He raised his eyes and said each word clearly: “I don’t like you.”

 

Lu Ze stared at him for a long moment before abruptly straightening up. He smiled and said, “Alright—you don’t like me then? Fine. From now on, I’ll start chasing you until you do.”

 

His smile didn’t reach his eyes; instead, there was disappointment hidden within it. Liang Xiao could sense it clearly.

 

Liang Xiao stood up as well so they were eye level with each other and said calmly: “There’s no need to chase me—I won’t date anyone. Even if you think you like me now, it’s probably because it feels new or exciting. That kind of liking is short-lived—it’ll disappear in a few days. You’re still straight.”

 

Lu Ze was so exasperated by Liang Xiao that he burst into laughter. While laughing, he said, “Liang Xiao, you’re really something. You don’t even like me, yet you’re so concerned about whether I’m straight or not? I’m telling you right now—I’m gay, alright? Is there only one man in the world? If I don’t like you, does that mean I can’t like anyone else?”

 

Liang Xiao’s expression appeared cold and stoic, but in reality, he was clenching his teeth tightly. The veins on his temple were visibly bulging.

 

Suddenly, Lu Ze leaned in closer to Liang Xiao—closer than before. Their chests were almost touching, and it felt like just a little more distance would allow them to feel each other’s racing heartbeats. Lu Ze tilted his head slightly, his lips brushing against the side of Liang Xiao’s face. When he spoke, his lips almost touched Liang Xiao’s skin.

 

“Is this what not liking looks like?” Lu Ze said softly.

 

Liang Xiao could feel Lu Ze’s lips grazing his face, carrying a wave of heat that made his entire body feel like it was on fire. He raised a hand and pushed Lu Ze away, speaking in a calm tone: “You can’t kiss me, can you? That proves you’re not gay.”

 

Lu Ze glared at Liang Xiao fiercely. Can’t kiss him? The hell I can’t! I’m just respecting your damn ‘I don’t like you’ nonsense!

 

Without hesitation, he suddenly raised his arm, grabbed Liang Xiao by the shoulders, and kissed him directly on the lips.

 

—

 

Liang Xiao instantly raised a hand to cover Lu Ze’s mouth. In his haste and with too much force, the slap of his palm against Lu Ze’s face made a dull “smack” sound.

 

Lu Ze’s lips pressed against the center of Liang Xiao’s palm while his chin tingled from the impact. Frowning, he stared at Liang Xiao, who stared back at him.

 

“Why don’t you just let me kiss you!” Lu Ze mumbled against Liang Xiao’s hand. “Who’s the one who doesn’t dare now?”

 

Liang Xiao released his hand from Lu Ze’s mouth. Lu Ze glared at him angrily while Liang Xiao said hoarsely, “I don’t like you—why should I let you kiss me?”

 

Lu Ze was so furious he couldn’t speak for a moment. His chest rose and fell as he tried to calm himself down. After a few seconds, he nodded and said, “Fine. Then I’ll wait until you like me before kissing you again. For now, let’s go eat.”

 

Liang Xiao remained indifferent and unyielding as he replied, “If you like me, then you can’t be my client anymore.”

 

“What does that mean? You don’t want anything to do with me anymore?” Lu Ze leaned against the ladder of the bunk bed and thought for a moment before saying, “What if I book you for an entire month? For one month, you’ll only spend time with me as my boyfriend.”

 

“No.”

 

Lu Ze took a deep breath and said firmly, “Alright then. Let’s do this—I won’t be your friend anymore; I’ll just be your client.”

 

Liang Xiao quietly looked at Lu Ze, unsure of what he was trying to achieve.

 

“You can pretend you don’t know anything about me,” Lu Ze continued. “I’m just some straight guy looking for excitement—just like you said. My feelings are temporary. Maybe after spending more time with you, I’ll get bored of it all. After all, compared to those sweet-smelling soft girls out there, how could a guy like you possibly be more likable?”

 

Liang Xiao stayed silent, but there was an undeniable flicker of emotion in his eyes that he couldn’t completely hide. Lu Ze smiled at him knowingly—it seemed like Liang Xiao was angry.

 

Good. Anger was exactly what he wanted.

 

After a long pause, Liang Xiao finally said: “Fine. But I need to head back now.”

 

Lu Ze nodded generously and let him leave without protest.

 

As Liang Xiao walked past him toward the door, Lu Ze considered reminding him to take his clothes but swallowed the words back down just as they were about to leave his lips.

 

“When you get home, send me a message,” he said instead.

 

Liang Xiao didn’t reply as the door closed softly behind him.

 

Lu Ze stared in the direction of the door, lost in thought for a long moment, before quickly walking to the balcony. He opened the window and looked down.

 

Liang Xiao, wearing his clothes, was walking out of the dorm building. His pace was a little slow, but his back was always straight. His figure looked effortlessly cool and handsome as he walked away.

 

But for some reason, Lu Ze felt a sting in his eyes as he watched. He saw Liang Xiao walking further and further away, his figure growing smaller and smaller, and all he could think was how lonely Liang Xiao seemed.

 

The same Liang Xiao who had just coldly and mercilessly rejected his confession—here Lu Ze was, standing there watching his retreating figure, still thinking about how lonely he looked.

 

Tsk. Lu Ze, you’re done for. Hopeless.

 

He stood on the balcony for a long time, letting the wind blow against him, but it didn’t scatter the feelings left behind from being so close to Liang Xiao. Instead, the sensations only became clearer.

 

Liang Xiao’s breathing, Liang Xiao’s voice, Liang Xiao’s gaze.

 

Liang Xiao’s scent, the feel of his skin, the warmth of his palm.

 

He remembered it all.

 

Not only did he remember it—he didn’t reject it in the slightest. On the contrary, he liked it. He was completely hooked.

 

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