INT Chapter 50

After Lu Ze and Liang Xiao’s first date, final exams were just around the corner. Although Lu Ze was always confident about tests, he still agreed when Liang Xiao suggested they study together at the library over the weekend.

 

This way, they could spend time together without spending money. Both had a tacit understanding of balancing expenses—taking turns treating each other to meals, movies, drinks, or snacks. While Lu Ze wasn’t sure if Liang Xiao minded spending money, he certainly did on his behalf but couldn’t show it.

 

Studying was a great alternative. Lu Ze could also finish the translation work he had taken on while giving Liang Xiao some time to relax.

 

Lu Ze’s computer screen was filled with long strings of English text. Liang Xiao glanced at it a few times but quickly felt dizzy and shifted his gaze to Lu Ze’s face instead.

 

When Lu Ze was focused on studying, he exuded a different kind of charm—his brows slightly furrowed, lips unconsciously pressed together, making him look more mature. Dressed differently and sitting in a café, he could easily pass as someone working in an office.

 

Encountering a particularly tricky sentence to translate, Lu Ze bit his lower lip lightly, his long and slender index finger tapping gently on the keyboard. Liang Xiao found himself staring, wanting to lean in and kiss him.

 

Realizing where his thoughts were headed, Liang Xiao smiled helplessly. It was his first time in a relationship, and he often surprised himself with such impulses.

 

Even just sitting quietly in the library with Lu Ze for a day made him happy. It felt unlike the Liang Xiao he used to know—or perhaps this was who he truly was now.

 

Suddenly, Lu Ze turned to him and leaned closer, whispering, “What are you smiling about?”

 

“Nothing,” Liang Xiao replied, suppressing his smile but unable to hide the amusement in his eyes. “Do you want to take a break?”

 

Lu Ze glanced at the time on his computer and shook his head. “It’s almost lunchtime. Let me finish this section quickly so we can go eat.”

 

“Alright.”

 

A few seconds later, Lu Ze turned back again and looked at Liang Xiao. This time, Liang Xiao leaned closer on his own. “Hmm?”

 

Lu Ze smiled. “Are you bored?”

 

“Not at all,” Liang Xiao replied immediately. “Really, just keep studying.”

 

Under the table, Lu Ze nudged Liang Xiao’s leg with his knee. In response, Liang Xiao placed his hand on Lu Ze’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze before leaving it there.

 

It was warm now that summer had arrived, and Lu Ze was wearing thin athletic pants. Soon enough, he could feel the heat from Liang Xiao’s hand spreading through the fabric. But since Liang Xiao didn’t move his hand away, neither did Lu Ze; instead, he kept his leg perfectly still.

 

After some time, Lu Ze forced himself to focus and finally finished translating the last page. He checked for errors and then leaned back in relief before turning eagerly toward Liang Xiao.

 

To his surprise, Liang Xiao had fallen asleep with one hand propping up his head in Lu Ze’s direction.

 

Lu Ze froze for a moment before noticing faint dark circles under Liang Xiao’s eyes—subtle but hinting at fatigue. He must have stayed up late the night before.

 

Feeling guilty, Lu Ze thought he should have let Liang Xiao rest properly over the weekend instead of asking him out. But then again… he really wanted to see him—even if it meant just sitting quietly together without speaking.

 

Tsk. He’d never been in such a clingy relationship before. Even when he had dated girls who clung to him more than he did to them, it wasn’t like this. Now, if he didn’t see Liang Xiao for even one day, he’d find himself missing him terribly.

 

Maybe the one with magic wasn’t him—it was Liang Xiao.

 

To turn him from a straight guy into someone not only gay but hopelessly in love, to the point where he wanted to lean over and kiss him in the library… This wasn’t just about being gay anymore. This was borderline obsessive.

 

Lu Ze chuckled at his own thoughts, his leg shaking slightly as he laughed, which ended up waking Liang Xiao.

 

Liang Xiao slowly opened his eyes, looking at Lu Ze with a bit of confusion. After two seconds, he finally said, “I fell asleep… Are you done?”

 

Lu Ze nodded and softly replied, “Just finished. What time did you go to bed last night? Are you too tired?”

 

Sitting up straight, Liang Xiao rubbed his face. “I got off work pretty early last night. I think I’m just not cut out for studying.”

 

Lu Ze wasn’t sure if Liang Xiao was being serious or not. He closed his laptop and unplugged the charger. “Let’s go eat first.”

 

“We’re not coming back afterward?” Liang Xiao asked.

 

“Nope.”

 

Since it wasn’t convenient to talk much in the library, Lu Ze waited until they were outside to say, “After we eat, let’s go to your place.”

 

“Huh?” Liang Xiao didn’t quite catch on. “To study at my place?”

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue with a smile. “I’m not *that* into studying, Xiao-ge. Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me?”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled as well. “Alright, then what are we doing at my place?”

 

Lu Ze glanced at him. “Haven’t decided yet—I just want to go to your place. It’s inconvenient at school.”

 

Inconvenient for what?

 

Liang Xiao didn’t ask aloud but couldn’t help the smile forming on his lips.

 

It was inconvenient.

 

Whether it was just his imagination or not, their meal seemed unusually rushed. When Lu Ze ran into Sun Zhuoyu, he only exchanged a few words before shooing him away and even asked him to take some things back to the dorm for him.

 

“Let’s go,” Lu Ze said as he stood up.

 

Liang Xiao followed closely behind, both of them walking with long strides. It wasn’t until they left campus and got on the subway that Lu Ze let out a small burp and said, “I think I ate too fast earlier—feels like the food hasn’t even reached my stomach yet.”

 

Liang Xiao couldn’t help himself and reached out to touch Lu Ze’s stomach. “Really?”

 

Lu Ze turned to look at him. “What did you figure out by touching it?”

 

With a completely serious expression, Liang Xiao replied, “Too skinny.”

 

Lu Ze burst out laughing and reached out to touch Liang Xiao’s stomach in return. “You’re not exactly fat either.”

 

Liang Xiao laughed and dodged slightly. “Ticklish…”

 

Lu Ze raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You’ve got ticklish spots?”

 

“Depends on the situation,” Liang Xiao said with a smirk. “If I want to hold it in, I can.”

 

As soon as they stepped into Liang Xiao’s apartment and shut the door behind them, Lu Ze spun around quickly, and Liang Xiao immediately wrapped an arm around him.

 

Lu Ze smiled as he pressed his forehead against Liang Xiao’s and rubbed their noses together. “I’ve been dying for this—let me kiss you already.”

 

Even as he spoke, his lips had already landed on Liang Xiao’s face. Liang Xiao tightened his hold around Lu Ze’s waist and murmured, “I wanted to kiss you back in the library.”

 

Feigning surprise, Lu Ze teased, “That won’t do, Xiao-ge! Why are you so clingy now that we’re dating?”

 

Liang Xiao leaned back slightly, putting some distance between them as he gazed into Lu Ze’s eyes. “Why not? Why can’t I be clingy when I’m in a relationship?”

 

Lu Ze placed a hand on Liang Xiao’s lower back, his fingertips lightly tracing along it. “Being clingy isn’t cool.”

 

Liang Xiao smiled and leaned in for a kiss, his words swallowed between their lips. “Then I’ll just be uncool…”

 

Just moments ago, they had been so eager, as if they hadn’t seen each other in months. But now that their lips met, the urgency seemed to fade.

 

The kiss was soft and unhurried, like the tentative exploration of a first kiss. But as their tongues brushed and the kiss deepened, it carried a sense of familiarity and mutual enjoyment that only came with time and intimacy.

 

After a while, Lu Ze pulled back slightly, smiling. “You can even hold back when we’re kissing?”

 

Liang Xiao gently took Lu Ze’s hand, which had been playfully tickling his waist, and clasped it in his palm. “It’s not about holding back—I just don’t notice it at all.”

 

They barely exchanged a glance before Lu Ze couldn’t resist leaning in for another kiss.

 

“Liang Xiao…” he murmured against Liang Xiao’s lips.

 

“Mm…” Liang Xiao responded softly.

 

It took Lu Ze a moment before he finally said, “The moment I saw you at the school gate today, I wanted to kiss you.”

 

Because you smiled at me the second you saw me.

 

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