INT CHAPTER 82

Liang Xiao deliberately took his vacation during Lu Ze’s school sports day. Usually dressed in formal suits, he felt slightly out of place walking around campus in sportswear alongside Lu Ze.

 

“You only graduated a few months ago,” Lu Ze teased. “And you’re already not used to it?”

 

“I didn’t attend many classes before graduating,” Liang Xiao replied with a smile. “It feels like I’ve been out of school for ages.”

 

“Lu Ze!” Jiang Yijie called out from behind them.

 

Both turned around to see Jiang Yijie walking over with Shen Tang by his side.

 

Shen Tang glanced at Liang Xiao curiously—he had no memory of him since he’d already been drunk by the time Liang Xiao returned to the private room that night.

 

Lu Ze took the initiative to introduce them. “This is my boyfriend, Liang Xiao.”

 

“Hello,” Liang Xiao greeted politely.

 

“Hello,” Shen Tang responded with a smile before starting to say, “I’m Shen Tang, Jie’s boyfr—”

 

Before he could finish, Jiang Yijie elbowed him sharply in the ribs, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Let’s go! Aren’t you running the 200 meters too? Go warm up!”

 

Lu Ze handed his camera to Liang Xiao and said, “You two find somewhere to sit and relax.”

 

“Alright,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Liang Xiao didn’t have much to say to Shen Tang and instead fiddled with the camera for a while, taking a few shots of Lu Ze from afar.

 

After some time, Shen Tang suddenly spoke up. “Mind if I add you as a friend?”

 

Liang Xiao turned to look at him, slightly puzzled. Shen Tang smiled and explained, “If you have any photos of Jie, could you send them to me?”

 

Liang Xiao took out his phone. “Sure.”

 

The university sports day wasn’t as serious as in high school. It felt like everyone was just there to have fun, and the atmosphere was lively and relaxed.

 

Lu Ze came in fourth in the 200-meter race, with Jiang Yijie right behind him in fifth, almost crossing the finish line at the same time.

 

Liang Xiao kept his camera focused on the finish line. After catching his breath with his hands on his knees, Lu Ze grinned and waved toward Liang Xiao.

 

Holding the camera in one hand, Liang Xiao waved back enthusiastically with the other.

 

Lu Ze whistled at him. Though it couldn’t be heard, Liang Xiao could see the shape of his lips and smiled. He whistled back at Lu Ze.

 

Standing nearby, Shen Tang finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Have you two been together for a long time?”

 

“Just half a year,” Liang Xiao replied. “Not that long.”

 

“You two seem really close,” Shen Tang said, his tone betraying a hint of envy.

 

Liang Xiao usually stayed out of other people’s relationships, but when it came to Jiang Yijie and Shen Tang… he couldn’t help but hope that Jiang Yijie would get into a relationship sooner rather than later.

 

“How long have you been pursuing Jiang Yijie?” Liang Xiao asked.

 

“Not very long,” Shen Tang admitted with a sigh. “But he’s already completely annoyed with me.”

 

“You could try disappearing for a few days—don’t chase him so hard.”

 

“If I really disappear for a few days, when I come back, he’ll probably ask me who I am,” Shen Tang said helplessly.

 

Liang Xiao chuckled. “I don’t think it’ll come to that. He’s not completely uninterested in you.”

 

Shen Tang fell silent, lost in thought.

 

—

 

That evening, the four of them went to a barbecue restaurant near campus for dinner. Lu Ze joked, “Does this count as paying you back for that meal I owe you? Or should we save it for something fancier?”

 

“Let’s call it even today,” Jiang Yijie said before glancing at Shen Tang. “You’re freeloading tonight—order whatever you want and eat these two into poverty.”

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue and draped an arm over the back of Liang Xiao’s chair. “You think one barbecue meal can make me broke?”

 

Jiang Yijie laughed. “You’ve never seen him eat—it’s like watching a pig. He can eat a lot.”

 

And sure enough, Jiang Yijie wasn’t exaggerating. Lu Ze had never seen anyone eat like Shen Tang before.

 

In less than an hour, the small bucket meant for holding skewers was already full. Lu Ze leaned toward Liang Xiao and whispered, “What do we do? I think we really might go broke tonight.”

 

Liang Xiao glanced across the table and said, “He hasn’t stopped eating…”

 

“How does he keep that figure?” Lu Ze muttered enviously. “Does he just not gain weight no matter how much he eats?”

 

Hearing this, Shen Tang suddenly looked up from his food. “I really don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat.”

 

Lu Ze laughed. “Were we talking that loudly?”

 

“I just have good hearing,” Shen Tang replied casually while continuing to eat.

 

“We’re almost done here,” Jiang Yijie said smugly. “But I bet even another round wouldn’t be enough.”

 

“Don’t just eat,” Lu Ze said as he stood up to refill their drinks. He topped off both Jiang Yijie’s and Shen Tang’s glasses before adding, “Drink up!”

 

“I’ll drink for him,” Jiang Yijie said quickly. “He’s only responsible for eating tonight.”

 

“Damn,” Lu Ze laughed uncontrollably. “Jie-ge, seriously? If you think tonight’s meal isn’t enough, I can treat you again next time! After all, you’ve done us such a big favor—you name how many meals, and I’ll treat you to them.”

 

Jiang Yijie downed two glasses of wine in one go, wiped his mouth, and said, “I think my biggest contribution is that I didn’t pursue you back in high school. Otherwise, there probably wouldn’t have been any room for Liang Xiao.”

 

The moment he said this, Shen Tang’s expression darkened even faster than Liang Xiao’s. He snatched the glass out of Jiang Yijie’s hand. “Stop drinking. Are you drunk?”

 

Jiang Yijie glared at him. “Eat your food and stop managing me.”

 

Shen Tang stayed quiet but didn’t return the glass.

 

Looking at Liang Xiao, Jiang Yijie continued, “Honestly, Liang Xiao, when I first found out you and Lu Ze were together, I was so pissed off I could’ve died. All I could think was, why? I mean, I knew him first. I liked him first. How could he just meet you and suddenly turn gay…”

 

Liang Xiao’s expression didn’t change as he listened. Jiang Yijie gave a small laugh. “Don’t worry—I’ve long since gotten over it. Lu Ze and I were just destined to be brothers. Maybe his purpose in my life was to show me that I could like guys.”

 

“You don’t usually get drunk this easily,” Lu Ze said with a frown. “Why do you really seem drunk now?”

 

“Damn it! I liked you for years—can’t I have a moment to reflect?”

 

“Fine, fine,” Lu Ze said with a wave of his chin. “Go on.”

 

He turned to Liang Xiao and said, “Jie-ge doesn’t have feelings for me anymore—really. We’re just pure bros now. Couldn’t be purer.”

 

“I know,” Liang Xiao replied softly.

 

“What are you two whispering about?” Jiang Yijie complained. “Can you at least respect the person having an emotional moment here?”

 

“Did you drink fake wine or something?” Lu Ze said with a helpless laugh. “Alright, go ahead—say what you want to say.”

 

Jiang Yijie paused for a moment before continuing, “…I don’t even know what else to say. Anyway, our bond is just meant for brotherhood. But the bond between you and Liang Xiao—it’s for love, and it runs much deeper than ours ever could.”

 

He grabbed the glass back from Shen Tang, filled it with wine, and said to Liang Xiao, “Liang Xiao, make sure you don’t waste this deep connection you have with Lu Ze. Treat him well.”

 

Liang Xiao stood up deliberately, picked up his glass, and clinked it hard against Jiang Yijie’s with a steady voice: “I will.”

 

After sitting back down, Liang Xiao noticed that Lu Ze had been staring at him intently the whole time. Their eyes met for a moment before Lu Ze smiled and said softly, “Xiao-Xiao, come home with me.”

 

—

 

“Baby, are you sure I don’t need to buy gifts for your parents?” Liang Xiao asked as he changed clothes.

 

Lu Ze responded for what felt like the hundredth time: “No need, no need, no need! Seriously—don’t buy anything. It’s just a simple dinner; you’re not proposing or anything. We’ll just bring some fruit—that’s enough.”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled quietly but still couldn’t hide his nervousness.

 

Noticing this, Lu Ze hugged him tightly and kissed him firmly. “It’s really just a simple meal so my parents can officially meet you. After that, everything will go back to how it always is for us. What are you so nervous about?”

 

“I don’t know either…” Liang Xiao said, hugging Lu Ze tightly and refusing to let go. “It just feels like things will be different after meeting your parents. Didn’t you feel the same when you met my mom?”

 

Lu Ze thought for a moment. “Not really… When I met Aunt Jiang, I was just hoping she wouldn’t find out about us right away. But she already knew before I even said anything.”

 

Speak of the devil—Jiang Qing had called. Liang Xiao had told her yesterday that he’d be having dinner at Lu Ze’s house today, and she was a bit worried. She asked over the phone, “Where are you now? Have you left yet?”

 

“Not yet, we’re about to head out,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

“When you’re there, make sure to chat with Lu Ze’s parents and leave a good impression. Don’t just sit there silently like a block of wood.”

 

Lu Ze leaned closer to the phone and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll be there too. My parents are super easygoing—it’ll be fine.”

 

Jiang Qing chuckled but still gave Liang Xiao a few more reminders before hanging up. After the call ended, Liang Xiao took a deep breath and asked, “Shall we go, baby?”

 

“Let’s go,” Lu Ze said while glancing at his phone. “My dad asked us to pick up some groceries—whatever we want to eat tonight, he’ll cook.”

 

They headed to the supermarket and wandered around for a while, buying quite a few things. As they reached the exit, Liang Xiao suddenly stopped. “I should buy a bouquet of flowers.”

 

“Stealing my idea?” Lu Ze teased with a smirk. “But yeah, no woman can resist flowers.”

 

“What kind of flowers does your mom like?” Liang Xiao asked.

 

“Just get tulips,” Lu Ze suggested.

 

In truth, Xu Jingjing loved roses the most—but every rose she’d ever received had been from Lu Jinglang. She’d never accepted roses from anyone else.

 

While Liang Xiao was buying flowers, Lu Ze got a call from his dad.

 

“Which supermarket are you at? I’ll come pick you two up so we can head home together,” Lu Jinglang said.

 

“Sure,” Lu Ze replied and gave him the address. “We bought quite a lot—it’s hard to carry everything.”

 

“He didn’t buy any gifts or anything fancy, did he?” Lu Jinglang asked.

 

“Don’t worry—he didn’t. Just bought a bouquet of flowers,” Lu Ze assured him.

 

“That’s good. I don’t want this turning into some kind of ‘giving away the bride’ situation.”

 

Lu Ze froze for a second before bursting into laughter. “Giving away what bride? What are you even thinking? You don’t have a daughter—you’ve got one son now and might have two in the future.”

 

Lu Jinglang clicked his tongue in mock annoyance. “Who wants another son? If it weren’t for not wanting your mom to suffer, I would’ve definitely had another child—a daughter this time.”

 

“Ohhh, so you’re not satisfied with me? Fine then—I’ll go be Aunt Jiang’s son instead.”

 

There was silence on the other end before Lu Jinglang asked sharply, “Which Aunt Jiang?”

 

“Liang Xiao’s mom,” Lu Ze replied with a grin.

 

Infuriated, Lu Jinglang snapped back, “You two can walk home by yourselves!”

 

When Liang Xiao returned with the flowers, he found Lu Ze still laughing. Curious, he asked, “What’s so funny?”

 

“My dad said we should walk home ourselves,” Lu Ze replied with a laugh.

 

Liang Xiao immediately tensed up. “What?”

 

“Oh relax,” Lu Ze teased as he scratched under Liang Xiao’s chin playfully. “I’m just messing with you—he’s coming to pick us up soon.”

 

Liang Xiao laughed along and grabbed Lu Ze’s wrist. “This red string bracelet looks like it’s getting old.”

 

Lu Ze shook his wrist lightly. “Yeah, it is—but that’s fine. It shows it’s been with me for a while. We can replace it with a new one next time we visit Aunt Jiang.”

 

“It’s easy to replace the string at any jewelry store,” Liang Xiao said.

 

“That’s true,” Lu Ze realized. “But never mind, let’s wait until we go back to replace it—I want the original.”

 

—

 

Lu Jinglang’s car was parked by the roadside. The two of them loaded everything into the trunk and got into the back seat, leaving only the bouquet of flowers in Liang Xiao’s arms.

 

Liang Xiao felt like a little kid as he sat up straight and politely greeted, “Hello, Uncle.”

 

Lu Jinglang turned his head slightly from the driver’s seat and replied, “Hello.”

 

He’s really cool, was Liang Xiao’s first impression of Lu Jinglang.

 

It wasn’t about his outfit but rather his aura—a natural presence that exuded authority and made even a simple two-word reply feel imposing.

 

And judging by his appearance alone, it was impossible to guess his age. If Liang Xiao had met him elsewhere, he probably would’ve called him “bro.”

 

Sensing that Liang Xiao might feel awkward, Lu Ze quickly changed the subject before his dad could say anything more. “I bought fish and ribs earlier. How about Chef Lu makes some spicy boiled fish and braised ribs tonight?”

 

Playing along, Lu Jinglang smiled faintly. “With a title like ‘Chef Lu,’ how could I refuse?”

 

“You’ve already talked to Mom about this, right? She must’ve figured it out ages ago,” Lu Ze asked.

 

“Of course,” Lu Jinglang replied. “When I told her, she didn’t even react—just told me not to make a fuss.”

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue with a grin. “Classic Boss Xu.”

 

Relaxing into his seat, he turned to glance at Liang Xiao and gave his leg a reassuring pat.

 

Liang Xiao looked down at Lu Ze’s hand before subtly using the bouquet of flowers to shield them as he quietly held Lu Ze’s hand in return.

 

Lu Ze smiled silently and began tracing words in Liang Xiao’s palm: Don’t be nervous.

 

Liang Xiao traced back: Got it.

 

Lu Ze replied: Good job.

 

Suddenly, Lu Jinglang spoke up from the front seat. “Are you two elementary school kids? How old are you to still be playing palm drawing?”

 

Liang Xiao immediately straightened up like a scolded student.

 

Lu Ze couldn’t stop laughing and cheekily retorted, “It’s called keeping a childlike heart!”

 

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