INT CHAPTER 73

On the weekend, Liang Xiao still had to work, but Lu Ze, with no classes, finally had some free time.

 

He spent Saturday in the library finishing his assignments and arranged to meet Fang Di on Sunday to pick up the necklace. To thank her, he also planned to treat her to a meal.

 

When messaging Liang Xiao, Lu Ze hesitated. He couldn’t tell him about the necklace and wasn’t sure if Liang Xiao would get jealous.

 

Lu Ze: [Xiao Xiao, baby~]

Lu Ze: [Baby Xiao Xiao~]

 

Liang Xiao: [Why so cheesy all of a sudden?]

 

Lu Ze: [Not cheesy!]

Lu Ze: [Are you busy today?]

 

Liang Xiao: [Yeah, pretty busy. Don’t come over today—you’ve got class tomorrow.]

 

Lu Ze: [I’m meeting a friend today. She just got back from abroad, so I’m treating her to a meal and might take her around.]

 

Liang Xiao: [She?]

 

Lu Ze chuckled at his phone for a while: [Yes, a girl. We used to be pretty close.]

 

Liang Xiao: [Hmm.]

Liang Xiao: [Have fun.]

 

Oh, he’s definitely jealous.

 

After waiting for a bit and seeing no further messages from Liang Xiao, Lu Ze clicked his tongue and sent a voice message: [Xiao Xiao—didn’t we agree not to sulk when you’re jealous?]

 

Liang Xiao: [Fine, I’m jealous. Cheer me up.]

 

Lu Ze: [I haven’t even gone yet, and you already want me to cheer you up?]

 

Liang Xiao: [Then I’ll hold off on being jealous until you actually go.]

 

Lu Ze: [You can just stop being jealous altogether? Doesn’t seem like you were that jealous in the first place.]

 

Liang Xiao: […]

 

Lu Ze laughed and said: [Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Work hard—I’m heading out now.]

 

Liang Xiao: [Hmm.]

 

Lu Ze: [?]

Lu Ze: [So cold?]

Lu Ze: [Not even a kiss?]

 

Liang Xiao: [I’m sulking.]

 

Lu Ze: [Wow.]

Lu Ze: [Impressive.]

Lu Ze: [Save your sulking for when I don’t reply to you—give me a kiss now.]

 

Liang Xiao sent him a kissing emoji.

 

Lu Ze replied with several kisses in return.

 

The restaurant he arranged with Fang Di was hard to find, and since she hadn’t been back in years and wasn’t familiar with the area, Lu Ze offered to pick her up.

 

Just as he reached the college gates and was about to hail a cab, he spotted Jiang Yijie waiting for a ride nearby. The changes in Jiang Yijie’s appearance were so striking that Lu Ze almost didn’t recognize him.

 

“Jie-ge,” Lu Ze called out.

 

Jiang Yijie turned around, raised an eyebrow, and walked over, bumping shoulders with Lu Ze. “Long time no see.”

 

Lu Ze looked at him with a complicated expression. Jiang Yijie glanced down at himself and laughed. “What’s wrong? Do I look that different?”

 

Jiang Yijie had shaved his hair very short and dyed it slightly, giving it a bluish tint under the sunlight. His physique had also become much stronger—muscle lines were faintly visible even through his clothes. His entire demeanor was different from before.

 

Lu Ze reached out and pinched his arm. “Not bad—you’ve been working out.”

 

“Spent the whole break in the gym,” Jiang Yijie replied.

 

Sensing a subtle awkwardness between them, Jiang Yijie cleared his throat. “Lu Ze, I’ve had some time to think over the break. Maybe… I was just too focused on you before. Forcing myself to stay away from you for so long—it turns out it wasn’t such a big deal after all.”

 

Lu Ze smiled faintly. “Good to hear. Can we stay in touch now?”

 

Jiang Yijie scratched his neck awkwardly. “Let’s keep it minimal for now… until I’ve completely moved on.”

 

Lu Ze nodded. “You should try getting closer to others. What about that girl, Xiaomi? Is she still pursuing you?”

 

Jiang Yijie sighed. “Yeah, she’s still at it—persistent as ever. Even when I told her I like guys, it didn’t stop her.”

 

“…Was that an excuse, or do you really like guys now?” Lu Ze asked.

 

“At first, it was an excuse,” Jiang Yijie admitted. “But recently, I’ve realized I’m genuinely not interested in girls anymore. So maybe it’s not just an excuse anymore.”

 

Lu Ze stayed silent for a moment. Sensing what he was thinking, Jiang Yijie patted his shoulder and said, “This has nothing to do with you—don’t blame yourself. If I weren’t already inclined toward liking guys, knowing you for all these years wouldn’t have changed that. The fact that I fell for you so easily just proves I wasn’t all that straight to begin with.”

 

It sounded logical, but Lu Ze frowned slightly after thinking about it. “By your logic, doesn’t that mean I wasn’t all that straight either? Otherwise, how could I have fallen for Liang Xiao so easily?”

 

Jiang Yijie froze for a moment before laughing bitterly. “Damn… you’re really hitting me where it hurts! Fine, fine—you were ‘turned’ by Liang Xiao, and I was ‘turned’ by you. Happy now? But hey—it’s not like you seduced me or anything. It’s my own weakness—I met you and just bent right away. Don’t feel guilty about it; I guess I was never meant to be straight.”

 

Lu Ze laughed along with him for a while until Jiang Yijie’s cab arrived. He nudged Lu Ze toward the car and said, “Come on—where are you headed? Let me drop you off first.”

 

“Drop you off first,” Lu Ze replied. “I need to pick someone up.”

 

Jiang Yijie gave him a look and clicked his tongue. “Just say Liang Xiao—it’s fine.”

 

“It’s not Xiao-ge,” Lu Ze clarified with a smile. “It’s a friend who just got back from abroad. She helped me buy a birthday gift for Xiao-ge—I’m treating her to dinner as thanks.”

 

Jiang Yijie clutched his chest dramatically and said, “I’m fine—I’ve gotten stronger… What did you get Liang Xiao that had to be bought abroad?”

 

Lu Ze smirked slightly. “A silver necklace that suits him perfectly.”

 

“A silver necklace? Liang Xiao is pretty cool—won’t wearing something like that make him look… delicate?”

 

“Tsk,” Lu Ze scoffed playfully. “Even if you don’t trust your imagination, at least trust my taste.”

 

Jiang Yijie smiled. “Yes, yes.”

 

·

 

It turned out that Lu Ze’s taste was impeccable. The necklace looked even better in person than in the pictures. The moment Lu Ze saw it, he couldn’t wait to see it on Liang Xiao.

 

Fang Di winked at him. “I think I know what you’re thinking.”

 

Lu Ze smiled and put the necklace away. “You’re back in China now—be a little more subtle.”

 

Fang Di laughed heartily. “You’re still as adorable as when you were a kid.”

 

“And you’re even more beautiful than before,” Lu Ze replied.

 

Fang Di dramatically clutched her chest. “Thank you, handsome! With how beautiful I am, can I have the honor of meeting your boyfriend?”

 

“He just said he’s jealous of you,” Lu Ze teased.

 

Fang Di looked delighted. “Really? Haha, I’d love to meet him!”

 

“Speak of the devil,” Lu Ze said, glancing at his phone. “He just messaged me.”

 

Fang Di leaned in curiously. “What did he say?”

 

Lu Ze handed her the phone.

 

Liang Xiao: [Sour fish soup for lunch today.]

Liang Xiao: [Too sour—not very good.]

 

Having spent years abroad, Fang Di paused for a moment before understanding his message. “Is this his way of saying he’s jealous? My goodness, so subtle!”

 

Lu Ze chuckled. “He’s hinting at me.”

 

He replied: [I just had sweet and sour pork—it was pretty sweet.]

 

Liang Xiao: [I want some too.]

 

Lu Ze: [Alright, I’ll order you a fresh one after I finish eating.]

 

Liang Xiao: […]

Liang Xiao: [I was joking, baby.]

 

Lu Ze: [I wasn’t joking—it’s delicious! After all that vinegar, you need something sweet.]

 

·

 

Lu Ze hadn’t mentioned anything about Liang Xiao’s birthday again, and Liang Xiao was so busy that he completely forgot about it himself.

 

The birthday fell on a Friday. Knowing Liang Xiao had forgotten, Lu Ze made sure to tell Jiang Qing and Cao Fei not to send any birthday wishes in advance. As expected, Jiang Qing said Liang Xiao didn’t care much about birthdays, and Cao Fei admitted he didn’t even know it was Liang Xiao’s birthday tomorrow—confirming that Lu Ze had overthought things.

 

Still, since Liang Xiao didn’t object when Lu Ze mentioned preparing a birthday gift earlier, Lu Ze took it as a sign that Liang Xiao wanted him to celebrate his birthday.

 

Even if he didn’t want it—he would have to want it now because his boyfriend was determined to celebrate for him.

 

Resisting the urge to send birthday wishes at midnight, Lu Ze didn’t mention the occasion during their chats either. After class, he eagerly grabbed the gift and picked up a cake from the bakery before heading straight to Liang Xiao’s home.

 

Because Liang Xiao had been staying at his place more often, his home had accumulated more things and no longer looked as tidy as it used to. But Lu Ze liked it this way.

 

The feeling of a lived-in, cozy, and slightly messy but organized space made it feel like a real home. Before, it had been far too cold and empty.

 

Lu Ze wandered around the apartment, tossing Liang Xiao’s unwashed clothes, pants, and socks into the washing machine. Then he swept, mopped, and dusted. After finishing the chores, he checked his phone but saw no messages from Liang Xiao.

 

Feeling restless, Lu Ze wanted to call Liang Xiao back immediately to celebrate his birthday. He kept opening and closing their chat window but eventually locked his phone with a sigh.

 

My boyfriend is already a corporate worker—I can’t be so demanding.

 

As he tidied up the place, Lu Ze thought about how exhausting Liang Xiao’s current job must be and wondered if he missed his previous work. 150 yuan an hour… Lu Ze clicked his tongue.

 

Calculating from the time they started dating, if Liang Xiao worked eight hours a day, he had already lost… Damn, that’s a lot of money. Lu Ze even felt a little heartache on Liang Xiao’s behalf.

 

But then again, it wasn’t such a loss—after all, Liang Xiao had gained such a handsome, capable, and understanding boyfriend like him.

 

Lu Ze laughed to himself for a while before finally giving in and sending Liang Xiao a message: [Xiao Xiao, are you busy?]

 

Half an hour later, Liang Xiao replied: [I miss you.]

 

Lu Ze couldn’t help but smile. They said these words to each other almost every day but never got tired of it.

 

Because they truly missed each other—there was no better way to express it than by repeating it over and over again.

 

Lu Ze quickly replied: [I miss you too. Is it busy today?]

 

Liang Xiao: [Not too busy right now—not sure about tonight though.]

Liang Xiao: [Have you eaten dinner yet, baby?]

 

Lu Ze froze for a moment—he’d completely forgotten about dinner and wasn’t even feeling hungry.

 

Feeling guilty, he replied: [I did. What did you eat?]

 

Liang Xiao: [Braised pork belly—not as good as Uncle Li’s though.]

 

Lu Ze: [Next time let’s go to Uncle Li’s place together.]

 

Liang Xiao: [Okay.]

 

After hesitating for a moment, worried that Liang Xiao might have completely forgotten his birthday, Lu Ze decided to remind him: [I’m coming over tonight—you’d better come back early, preferably before midnight.]

 

After a long pause, Liang Xiao replied: [Baby, I might not make it back before midnight. You shouldn’t come over.]

 

Seriously? He really doesn’t remember at all!

 

Frustrated, Lu Ze furiously typed: [You HAVE to be back before midnight! I’m already at your place! Check what day it is today!!!]

 

Moments later, Liang Xiao sent a voice message: [Baby, I’m sorry—I forgot today is my birthday. I’ll figure out how to come back early. Wait for me.]

 

Lu Ze: [Okay.]

 

Lu Ze ordered takeout for himself and ate quickly before continuing to inflate balloons and decorate the living room. Once everything was ready, he practiced his magic trick twice in front of an empty room to ensure there were no mistakes. Finally satisfied, he collapsed onto the sofa and aimlessly scrolled through his phone while waiting.

 

It seems that ever since Lu Ze started dating Liang Xiao, everything else had become dull. The games, sports, and movies that used to captivate him no longer held his interest. Only Liang Xiao could make him happy, and being apart from him made him feel miserable.

 

Looking at the comments under his videos, Lu Ze noticed that he had gained quite a few followers in the past two months, many urging him to update. He sighed and muttered to himself, “I want to update too, but I can’t even see Xiao-ge…”

 

Lu Ze waited and waited, shifting from sitting to lying down, then twisting into awkward positions on the couch. Eventually, likely due to staying up too late the previous night, he unknowingly fell asleep.

 

·

 

After realizing it was his birthday today, Liang Xiao had been in a state of restless anxiety. He hadn’t seen Lu Ze in several days and felt like they hadn’t even shared any meaningful conversations lately—just the usual “Have you eaten?” “Have you slept?” “I miss you” exchanges.

 

Even without Lu Ze saying so, Liang Xiao could sense that this routine was dull and couldn’t possibly satisfy his boyfriend. He knew Lu Ze must have been eagerly looking forward to celebrating his birthday and had likely prepared a gift well in advance. Yet here he was, potentially working so late that he might miss the occasion entirely.

 

Liang Xiao went to Jiang Heng to request leave, explaining honestly that he wanted to leave early. Jiang Heng immediately agreed and even handed him a red envelope as thanks for his hard work, telling him he didn’t need to come in tomorrow.

 

Although Liang Xiao hadn’t planned on taking the next day off due to the bar’s workload, with Jiang Heng being so generous, he didn’t refuse. He decided to finish up his tasks before heading home. However, Lu Ze hadn’t sent him any more messages after their earlier exchange. When Liang Xiao texted Lu Ze saying he’d be home by 10:30 PM, there was no reply.

 

When he heard that Qin-ge had arrived again with a group of people, Liang Xiao cursed internally and hoped this Qin guy wouldn’t cause any trouble that would delay him from seeing his boyfriend.

 

Instead of greeting them personally, Liang Xiao stayed in his office and directed the staff remotely. Fortunately, Qin-ge didn’t specifically ask for him either.

 

At around 10 PM, just as Liang Xiao finished his work and prepared to leave, a flustered server approached him as he stepped out of the elevator. “Brother Liang, there’s a fight!”

 

Liang Xiao’s expression darkened instantly as he frowned and asked, “Is it Qin?”

 

The server hesitated before nodding. “Uh… yes, it’s Mr. Qin’s private room.”

 

Immediately calling Jiang Heng to inform him of the situation, Liang Xiao then grabbed security personnel and headed toward Qin-ge’s room.

 

As soon as they opened the door, a bottle came flying toward them and shattered at Liang Xiao’s feet, splashing alcohol onto his pants.

 

Looking up sharply, Liang Xiao saw Qin-ge sitting comfortably on the sofa watching the chaos unfold. It wasn’t even Qin himself causing trouble—his companions were fighting with someone unfamiliar while still shouting insults.

 

“Qin! Stop playing dumb! Everyone knows why you’re here! If Heng-ge keeps avoiding you, don’t you get what it means? Have you ever seen someone so shameless—”

 

Liang Xiao’s temples throbbed with frustration. Yet another mess caused by Jiang Heng’s romantic entanglements. For someone who claimed they only wanted “love from the start,” Jiang Heng sure didn’t hold back from stirring up drama wherever he went.

 

Liang Xiao had zero interest in these love-hate dramas within the wealthy second-generation circle. All he wanted now was to go home and hold his precious boyfriend who had been waiting for him all evening.

 

Liang Xiao scanned the room with a cold, expressionless face and said in a stern voice, “Fighting is prohibited in the bar. Everyone involved, follow me outside. Thirteen, take inventory of the damage—tables, chairs, sofas, glasses, and alcohol. Mr. Qin, all these costs will be deducted from your account.”

 

After glancing down at his pants, Liang Xiao added, “Oh, and include the cost of my pants as well.”

 

Thirteen acknowledged the order but didn’t move. Liang Xiao glanced at him, and Thirteen said softly, “Brother Liang, your hand is bleeding.”

 

Liang Xiao paused and looked at his hand. A thin cut on the back of his hand was dripping blood—it must have been caused by shards of glass earlier. He hadn’t even noticed it himself, but he knew that if his boyfriend saw it, Lu Ze would definitely be upset.

 

Qin-ge stood up and took a couple of steps forward. He looked slightly drunk and sneered at Liang Xiao. “What? Does your hand also need me to pay for it?”

 

Liang Xiao stared at him coldly and was about to respond when Jiang Heng’s voice came from behind. “Liang Xiao is my man. If anyone needs to pay for it, it’ll be me—not you.”

 

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