For the rest of the movie, Lin Yu barely registered anything.
His eyes were fixed on the screen, but his mind was utterly blank, like a water-damaged machine.
Half an hour later, the movie ended with an emotional, tear-jerking soundtrack.
Lu Ziqing woke up the sleeping Liang Zhi.
The three of them got up and silently walked out.
Rubbing his eyes, Liang Zhi suddenly realized that Director Lin hadn’t mentioned layoffs the entire night. He was a little confused.
Hesitantly, he asked, “Director Lin, the movie’s over… so I can go home now?”
Lin Yu stared blankly at the cinema’s posters, unresponsive.
Liang Zhi waited a while, then gathered his courage and asked again.
Lin Yu snapped out of it like he had just been startled awake. “What did you say?”
Liang Zhi: “…I said, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.”
“Oh, oh.” For some reason, Director Lin looked completely out of it. “Go ahead. Are you taking a cab? Be careful on the way.”
Caught between confusion and the joy of escaping a disaster, Liang Zhi quickly called a cab and left.
Lin Yu and Lu Ziqing stood outside the theater in silence.
Neither spoke.
It was like they were playing a game of Red Light, Green Light.
At the cinema entrance, a group of high schoolers in uniforms ran past, laughing and carrying bubble tea, breaking the tense stillness.
Lin Yu lifted his gaze, darting a glance at Lu Ziqing with a slightly lost expression.
Lu Ziqing, looking at the street ahead, said calmly, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Lin Yu quickly averted his eyes.
After a moment of thought, he said, “I just wanted to ask…”
Lu Ziqing cut in, “You want to ask if this is just another act for show, right?”
Lin Yu, caught red-handed, was speechless.
“Let me tell you—it’s not,” Lu Ziqing said. “Any other questions?”
For the first time in his life, Lin Yu felt truly at a loss.
Most problems in life, no matter how difficult, had a logical solution.
If he encountered a tough question in school, there was always a way to solve it.
If he faced a challenge at work, he could read books or seek guidance from experienced colleagues.
But he had never encountered a situation like this before.
Lu Ziqing.
His boss’s son.
His fake marriage partner.
Had just said he liked him.
Lin Yu’s first thought was that one of them had to be mentally unstable.
Lu Ziqing: “Is it really that shocking?”
“…It’s just so sudden,” Lin Yu murmured. “Can I ask… why?”
“You really want me to compliment you that badly?” Lu Ziqing smirked. “Didn’t realize you were this vain.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Lin Yu felt his face heat up. “The way we’ve interacted has always been just… normal friends. I never felt that you—”
“That’s just because you’re too dense,” Lu Ziqing huffed. “Remember that time at the bar? Why do you think Liu Yuwen asked me how I felt about you?”
Lin Yu stammered, “That—that time, you already—”
Lu Ziqing: “Even Liu Yuwen, an outsider, could tell. You’re just oblivious.”
It took Lin Yu several minutes to fully process this fact.
And even then, he still felt completely lost.
He was several years older than Lu Ziqing. His looks were average, his build was average—just an almost-thirty-year-old man.
Why would Lu Ziqing like him?
“Xiao Lu… don’t be impulsive,” Lin Yu steadied himself. “At your age, it’s easy to confuse admiration with love just because I’m your superior—”
Lu Ziqing rolled his eyes so hard they nearly flipped over.
He couldn’t decide whether Lin Yu was being overly humble or just plain arrogant.
And Xiao Lu? What was that about?
At work, Lin Yu usually called him by his full name.
Only much older colleagues or senior staff trying to assert dominance used that kind of formal address.
Clearly, Lin Yu was deliberately trying to widen the gap between them.
Seeing no reaction from him, Lin Yu continued his persuasion. “Look, I’ve been your age. I understand. Maybe after spending so much time together, you developed some feelings for me. But if you really think about it—have we ever had an ambiguous moment? I’ve always treated you like a younger brother—”
Lu Ziqing: “The hell I am your little brother.”
Lin Yu tried another approach. “I see you as a subordinate, a business partner, even a junior—but I’ve never had any other feelings toward you.”
“It’s just what you think,” Lu Ziqing scoffed. “Did you forget? The first time you went into heat after moving in, I was the one who gave you the suppressant.”
Lin Yu choked for a second. “I really appreciate that…”
“Back then, I already wanted to touch your gland. You were lying on the sofa, flushed all over, your voice all soft and sweet—just like a little rabbit,” Lu Ziqing chuckled. “Bet you never saw it coming, huh? Thought I was just your innocent business partner? Truth is, I’ve been wanting to sleep with you for a long time.”
Lin Yu was so stunned by his bluntness that he couldn’t even respond.
He was shocked by Lu Ziqing’s shamelessness—felt like he was seeing his true colors for the first time.
Before this, sure, Lu Ziqing had always been a bit reckless and full of nonsense, but at least he still carried the air of a dashing rich kid.
But after saying all that just now… this was downright indecent.
Lu Ziqing seemed to realize he’d revealed a little too much. He held back, softened his tone.
“I hadn’t planned on saying this much, but today… you were just too frustrating.”
He’d thought Lin Yu liked him too—that’s why he agreed to the movie. So, he had happily come to the date.
Only to find Liang Zhi there instead.
Then, halfway through, Lin Yu kept telling him to take care of Liang Zhi. He actually thought Lin Yu liked Liang Zhi and was subtly hinting at it. He was pissed about it all night.
Turned out it was all one big misunderstanding.
“But… this was never even a possibility to begin with,” Lin Yu said. “Not even mentioning that I don’t feel that way about you—what if President Lu finds out…”
Lu Ziqing: “He has no control over me.”
Lin Yu murmured, “He’d kill me.”
With a background like Lu Ziqing’s, his future was bound to include an arranged marriage with some high-society young lady or gentleman. There was no place for someone like him.
If things ever came to light, the one to be dealt with would definitely be him.
President Lu could replace a thousand assistants, but he only had one son.
As a mere corporate employee, Lin Yu was very aware of his place.
“We live in a lawful society, what are you even saying?” Lu Ziqing reached out and rubbed his ear. “My dad’s not in the mafia.”
Lin Yu felt his right ear being gently pinched and massaged in circles.
Lu Ziqing’s fingertips were slightly rough but very warm, pressing against his ear, which had been chilled by the night breeze.
Heat quickly spread across Lin Yu’s face, starting from his ear and radiating outward.
He twitched slightly, pulling away.
His heart pounded.
A fine layer of sweat formed on his back.
He wasn’t sure if it was from nervousness or heat.
Lu Ziqing looked at Lin Yu’s flushed ears, holding back a laugh. He decided to stop teasing and withdrew his hand.
“Think it over properly,” he said softly. “I’ll wait for your answer.”
“I’ve already decided,” Lin Yu said quickly. “I refuse.”
“Oh,” Lu Ziqing nodded, seemingly unsurprised. “Then I’ll give you another chance to think about it properly.”
Lin Yu: “…”
Lin Yu: “What if I say my answer will be the same every time?”
“What? I didn’t catch that,” Lu Ziqing casually poked at his ear with a finger. “It’s late. Let’s head home.”
Lin Yu: “…”
[mfn]Author’s Note
What a shameless rogue![/mfn]
