INT Chapter 52

Despite saying he didn’t need an alarm, Liang Xiao ended up sleeping soundly. Around two in the afternoon, Lu Ze was woken by the vibration of his phone. Liang Xiao, however, was still fast asleep.

 

Lu Ze glanced at the time, silenced his phone, and slid it under his pillow. Then, he scooted closer to Liang Xiao until he could feel Liang Xiao’s breath on his face again before drifting back to sleep.

 

When he woke up again, it was nearly dinnertime. Liang Xiao’s bedroom, blocked from sunlight by the building in front of it, had already grown dark.

 

As Lu Ze opened his eyes groggily, he asked in disbelief, “…Is it nighttime?”

 

“No,” Liang Xiao replied, having just woken up himself. He quickly got out of bed and turned on the light. “It’s just dark in here.”

 

Lu Ze sat there dazed for a moment before looking up at the dim light overhead. “This bulb… it’s ready for retirement.”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled and walked back to the bed. He reached out to smooth Lu Ze’s messy hair. “I’ll buy a new one later and replace it.”

 

Lu Ze wrapped his arms around Liang Xiao’s waist and rubbed his face against his stomach with a yawn. “What time is it…”

 

“Almost five,” Liang Xiao said apologetically. “I slept too deeply today.”

 

“It’s fine,” Lu Ze said, tilting his head up to look at him. “Isn’t it nice to have a proper nap together?”

 

He stayed lazily clinging to Liang Xiao, who didn’t move either and let him be. With his palm resting on the back of Lu Ze’s neck, Liang Xiao asked softly, “Are you hungry? What do you feel like eating?”

 

Instead of answering, Lu Ze asked, “What time do you start work?”

 

“Eight,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

“I’ll go with you,” Lu Ze said as he buried his face against him again and mumbled, “It’s less than three hours away.”

 

“The bar is too noisy,” Liang Xiao said as he looked down at the top of Lu Ze’s head. “You don’t like that.”

 

“Oh?” Lu Ze chuckled lightly. “We’ve only been together a few days, and you already know me so well?”

 

“A little over a week,” Liang Xiao corrected him. “Not enough time to know you completely.”

 

Now fully awake, Lu Ze stretched and got out of bed. “That’s fine—take your time getting to know me. I won’t go then; I’ll just stay here at your place.”

 

“My place… isn’t very interesting,” Liang Xiao said. “And I’ll be back really late.”

 

Lu Ze bent down to retrieve his phone from under the pillow and waved it at him. “As long as I have my phone, I’ll be entertained. If you’re back late, I’ll just go to sleep first.”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t respond immediately. As Lu Ze reached the bedroom door, he turned back and added, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

 

Liang Xiao frowned slightly. “The couch isn’t comfortable—sleep on the bed.”

 

Lu Ze smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that moving too fast?”

 

Liang Xiao stared at him for two seconds before suddenly striding forward and pulling him into a kiss. Using Lu Ze’s own logic against him, he said with a smirk, “We’re both guys—what’s ‘too fast’?”

 

—

 

For dinner, they ordered takeout. After eating, Liang Xiao initially planned to go out and buy a new lightbulb so that Lu Ze could stay more comfortably in the bedroom.

 

But Lu Ze stopped him outright and said, “I’ll walk you out when you leave for work later and grab one on my way back.”

 

“But I won’t be able to—”

 

“I’ll replace it,” Lu Ze interrupted him. “I can handle changing a lightbulb.”

 

Liang Xiao looked at him, and Lu Ze clicked his tongue. “What’s that look for? Is it so strange that I know how to change a lightbulb? After all, I’m someone who can do magic.”

 

Liang Xiao smiled and said, “Not strange at all. Just be careful.”

 

“Don’t worry. I don’t even need a stool—I can just stand on the bed.”

 

The less time they had together, the faster it seemed to pass. It felt like they hadn’t done anything yet, and Liang Xiao already had to leave for work.

 

Lu Ze followed him out of the apartment. After locking the door, Liang Xiao demonstrated how to unlock it again and then handed the house key to Lu Ze.

 

Lu Ze held the key in his hand, tossing it lightly. It was just a small, weightless key.

 

On the way, he suddenly said to Liang Xiao, “Let me show you another magic trick.”

 

Liang Xiao, ever supportive, immediately turned to look at him with interest. Lu Ze showed him the key in his hand and then reached into Liang Xiao’s pocket, patting it twice. “Nothing in here, right?”

 

Liang Xiao pulled out his phone and said, “Empty now.”

 

The hand holding the key had already closed into a fist. Liang Xiao stared intently at Lu Ze’s hand without blinking.

 

Lu Ze gave a sly smile—confident with a hint of mischief. Liang Xiao liked that expression a lot.

 

Using his other hand, Lu Ze tapped lightly on his closed fist twice before suddenly opening it. At the same time, his other hand had already closed into another fist.

 

Liang Xiao blinked in surprise as Lu Ze asked, “Guess which hand has the key?”

 

After thinking for a moment, Liang Xiao suspected it was sleight of hand. “It’s already in my pocket, isn’t it?”

 

Lu Ze didn’t respond but smiled wider. He opened his other fist briefly to show Liang Xiao the key before quickly closing it again.

 

Confused, Liang Xiao frowned as Lu Ze’s hands alternated rapidly a few times before stopping—both fists now closed.

 

“Guess again,” Lu Ze said.

 

This time, Liang Xiao gave up trying to figure it out. Maybe Lu Ze really did know magic. He casually pointed at Lu Ze’s left hand. “This one.”

 

Lu Ze turned his wrist over and opened his palm—it was empty.

 

Liang Xiao then looked toward Lu Ze’s right hand, but before he could get a clear view, Lu Ze stretched out his arm and playfully slapped Liang Xiao on the chest with his palm.

 

Looking down at his chest in confusion, Liang Xiao patted himself there and joked, “Did you make it disappear into my chest?”

 

Lu Ze burst out laughing. “It’s in your pocket.”

 

Reaching into his pocket again, Liang Xiao pulled out the key and examined it carefully—it was indeed his own key.

 

Smiling, he handed the key back to Lu Ze and said admiringly, “This really is magic.”

 

If someone else had praised him like this, Lu Ze might have felt embarrassed since the tricks he performed were fairly simple. But being complimented by his boyfriend? While he still felt a bit shy about it, he couldn’t help but act cool—stuffing his hands into his pockets with an unmistakable sense of pride in his voice as he said, “So you figured me out.”

 

“I did,” Liang Xiao replied with a smile as he put an arm around Lu Ze’s shoulders. The two of them walked forward together. “Don’t worry—I’ll keep your secret.”

 

“Do you think we’re being too childish?” Lu Ze asked with a laugh.

 

“What’s childish about this?” Liang Xiao replied with a serious expression. “Our Ze-ge really knows magic.”

 

When they arrived at the bar entrance, Lu Ze was just about to exchange a few sweet words with Liang Xiao when a silver sports car with the license plate A9999 screeched to a halt right in front of them.

 

Startled, Lu Ze looked over and heard Liang Xiao quietly say, “Jiang Heng, the bar owner… also my creditor.”

 

Jiang Heng stepped out of the sports car and casually tossed his keys to the valet standing on the other side.

 

Lu Ze took a moment to size up this so-called boss. Young, handsome, well-built, exuding a powerful aura—he was the kind of person whose wealth was obvious even without looking at his car. The watch on his wrist alone was worth more than Lu Jinglang’s modified motorcycle.

 

Jiang Heng walked up to them, glanced briefly at Liang Xiao, and then shifted his gaze to Lu Ze.

 

Just as Liang Xiao was about to introduce him, Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow and teased, “This is your boyfriend, huh? The iron tree finally blossomed.”

 

Without giving them a chance to respond, Jiang Heng turned and headed into the bar. “There’s a table upstairs waiting for me. You two take your time talking. It’s fine if you’re late for work—or if you don’t work at all.”

 

Liang Xiao and Lu Ze exchanged a look. Lu Ze leaned in and whispered, “He knows…”

 

“No,” Liang Xiao replied. “I never told him. But he’s always been sharp.”

 

“Tsk, he figured out our relationship with just one look? What sharp eyes,” Lu Ze remarked in awe.

 

—

 

On his way back home later, Lu Ze stopped by the supermarket. In addition to buying a lightbulb, he picked up some fruits and vegetables—specifically grabbing a large bunch of bananas since he knew Liang Xiao liked them.

 

Once home, Lu Ze put the fruits and vegetables in the fridge before starting to replace the lightbulb.

 

The room was pitch dark, so he turned on his phone’s flashlight and held it in his mouth while working.

 

Just as he was unscrewing the old bulb, his phone started ringing and vibrating. The sudden sensation on his lips startled him, and he quickly took the phone out of his mouth to answer it.

 

“Hello?”

 

On Liang Xiao’s end, it sounded relatively quiet—probably because he was either in the restroom or outside the bar. “Are you home? Make sure you turn off the circuit breaker when you’re changing the bulb—not just the light switch. Better safe than sorry.”

 

“I thought it’d be something serious,” Lu Ze chuckled. “Don’t worry. Even though I don’t think it’s necessary, I still turned it off. I’m changing it now. You focus on work.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Neither of them hung up immediately. After a moment of silence, Lu Ze asked, “Anything else?”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled softly—a low sound that came through the receiver with an added magnetic quality. “Nope.”

 

Lu Ze hummed in response. “Alright then, I’ll hang up now.”

 

“Go ahead,” Liang Xiao said.

 

Lu Ze stared at the screen for a moment before putting the phone back to his ear. “Oh, by the way—I bought some bananas at the supermarket earlier. They’re perfectly golden and look delicious. Tomorrow we can mix them with yogurt.”

 

“Sounds good,” Liang Xiao replied. “Don’t wait up for me tonight—if you’re tired, go to bed early.”

 

“What am I? A pig?” Lu Ze said with a laugh. “I just slept all afternoon.”

 

“Then… wait for me to get back,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Although Lu Ze had been straight for 20 years before recently turning gay, even he could tell that being this clingy in a relationship between two guys was a bit much. They had only been apart for less than two hours, yet it felt like they hadn’t seen each other all day. Judging by Liang Xiao’s tone, he probably wasn’t even focused on work.

 

After hanging up, Lu Ze chuckled to himself for a while.

 

Well, it made sense—they were two young men in their early twenties.

 

And one of them, a handsome guy, was experiencing his first relationship.

 

So what if they were clingy?

 

But the thought of someone as cool as Liang Xiao—someone who could be described as an “iron tree finally blooming”—being so affectionate in love made Lu Ze laugh again.

 

Even the coolest people can’t escape the clichés of love when they meet their true match.

 

That’s right—he was the true match.

 

—

 

Having spent the entire day glued to Liang Xiao’s side, the evening hours felt especially dull.

 

Without his laptop or books, Lu Ze couldn’t study. He ended up chatting, scrolling through videos, and eventually resorted to watching an English movie without subtitles to practice his listening skills.

 

By the time he realized he’d eaten half of the newly bought fruit by himself, it was already past 1 a.m. Unable to resist any longer, Lu Ze sent Liang Xiao a message: [Xiao, what time do you get off work?]

 

Liang Xiao replied within two minutes: [Around 1:30.]

 

Lu Ze: [Got it.]

 

Stretching his legs, Lu Ze sprang off the couch, washed his face, and headed out to pick him up.

 

Standing outside Fool for a while, he kept getting approached by drunk people. One man even directly asked if he wanted to hook up. Annoyed, Lu Ze frowned and was about to move to another spot when Liang Xiao finally came out.

 

The moment Lu Ze saw him, he smiled and tilted his chin toward the man bothering him. “Look behind you—that’s my boyfriend.”

 

The man glanced in the direction Lu Ze indicated just as Liang Xiao approached with a cold expression. Pulling Lu Ze behind him protectively, Liang Xiao asked in an icy tone, “Is there a problem?”

 

The man left without saying another word.

 

Lu Ze looked down at his wrist, which was still being held tightly by Liang Xiao. He gave it a slight shake. When Liang Xiao turned back to him, his expression had softened considerably. “It’s so late—why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

 

“If I told you, you definitely wouldn’t have let me,” Lu Ze said as he grabbed Liang Xiao’s hand and started walking home.

 

Liang Xiao followed behind him and said, “It’s too late—it’s not safe.”

 

“I’m a guy…” Lu Ze started but then paused midway through his sentence. “You’re right—it’s not safe. That’s why your boyfriend came to pick you up.”

 

Liang Xiao had no response to that.

 

At this hour, the streets were nearly empty. The two of them walked home hand in hand without any hesitation.

 

As soon as they entered the apartment, Lu Ze leaned in to kiss Liang Xiao. But Liang Xiao pressed a hand against his shoulder and said, “I smell like alcohol—let me take a shower first.”

 

Lu Ze lowered his head and sniffed near Liang Xiao’s neck. Liang Xiao tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Stop sniffing—it doesn’t smell good.”

 

“Did you drink?” Lu Ze asked.

 

“A little,” Liang Xiao admitted.

 

Tonight, he had only accompanied one table of guests, drinking a bit with them. They ordered quite a lot of alcohol and were mostly chatting among themselves, so he didn’t have to do much. Jiang Heng noticed his distracted state and simply told him to clock out early—probably because he wasn’t fully focused.

 

Lu Ze pressed his lips against Liang Xiao’s. “Let me taste it—what kind of alcohol did you drink?”

 

This time, their kiss quickly escalated. Lu Ze’s hand slid to Liang Xiao’s waist, and Liang Xiao instinctively stepped back, his heel pressing against the door. Clearing his throat, he said, “I should shower first…”

 

“Xiao-ge,” Lu Ze interrupted, staring intently into his eyes from up close. “You used to deal with female clients, right? So you’ve probably gotten used to being a gentleman, used to taking care of others. But I’m not a woman.”

 

The desire that had just been stirred in Liang Xiao was instantly overtaken by reason. He snapped back to clarity and explained, “I know—I don’t see you as a woman.”

 

Lu Ze shook his head. “But I don’t think you see me as a man either.”

 

Liang Xiao’s breath hitched. He wasn’t sure if Lu Ze was upset, but the thought made him tense. He instinctively wanted to wrap his arms around Lu Ze’s waist but hesitated midway, leaving his hand awkwardly suspended in the air. Finally, he said, “I do see you as my boyfriend. But I have no experience… If I’m doing something wrong or making you uncomfortable, just tell me directly—I’ll change.”

 

Lu Ze stared at him steadily for a moment, making Liang Xiao feel nervous under the gaze. Tentatively, Liang Xiao placed his hand on Lu Ze’s lower back. When Lu Ze didn’t pull away, he tightened his hold slightly.

 

Suddenly, Lu Ze kissed him lightly and said with a smile, “You don’t have to be so cautious. If you want to hug me, hug me. If you want to kiss me, kiss me. Isn’t it normal for you to have a reaction toward me? I have one too—didn’t you notice?”

 

As he spoke, Lu Ze leaned closer again, reclaiming the distance Liang Xiao had retreated earlier. For a moment, Liang Xiao froze before deciding to pull Lu Ze tightly into his arms.

 

Resting his chin on Lu Ze’s shoulder, Liang Xiao rubbed gently against him and murmured, “I really don’t see you as a woman—I know you’re my boyfriend. Maybe I’ve just been too careful…”

 

Lu Ze cut him off. “You’re too careful, Xiao-ge! Am I your client? Did I pay you? We’re a couple now—you don’t always have to be so considerate and cautious around me. You can ask for things too! For example, if you want me to wait for you after work, just say it directly.”

 

Liang Xiao stayed quiet for a long moment before finally responding with a soft “Mm.” Then he added in an even softer voice: “I got it… baby.”

 

This time it was Lu Ze’s turn to fall silent. After a moment, he muttered quietly, “You… don’t…”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled lightly and nuzzled against the crook of Lu Ze’s neck as he said playfully, “Didn’t you say I could ask for things? Well then—I’ve wanted to call you ‘baby’ for a long time.”

 

“Actually… calling me ‘Ze-ge’ is fine too,” Lu Ze tried weakly to resist.

 

“Nope,” Liang Xiao said firmly this time and even feigned ignorance by asking knowingly: “You don’t like it?”

 

Do I not like it?!

 

Lu Ze frowned deeply and could feel the heat rising in his face—it was practically burning.

 

He couldn’t possibly let himself blush like crazy every time Liang Xiao called him baby, could he? Otherwise, he’d be performing a live demonstration of turning into a monkey’s red butt every single time!

 

 

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