Xu Xing propped his face on his hand, gazing blankly at the quickly receding scenery outside the car window.

A soothing melody and a deep, tender voice played in his headphones. Suddenly, there was a faint but jarring click sound mixed into the music.

Xu Xing heard Lu Che let out a little “Eh?”

Turning his head, he glanced at the person beside him—Lu Che’s head was still resting on his shoulder. By turning this way, Xu Xing’s lips came close to Lu Che’s head in a subtle, affectionate proximity, as if he were about to kiss the top of Lu Che’s head.

Click~

Another slightly discordant sound played in his headphones.

Xu Xing looked forward and saw that Lu Che’s phone screen had captured the moment: in the photo, Xu Xing had turned his face slightly, his eyes downcast as if he was kissing Lu Che’s hair. Meanwhile, Lu Che, leaning against Xu Xing’s shoulder, seemed peacefully asleep.

Xu Xing: “…”

The person in the photo, seemingly asleep, now opened his eyes, which sparkled like flecks of gold, and he smiled with satisfaction as he admired the picture. “The front camera really captures my dear class president beautifully. The composition is fantastic—so full of story!”

Xu Xing frowned. “Do you even have any shame?”

Without hesitation, Lu Che responded, “I only need you~”

Xu Xing, slightly displeased with this photo, which distorted the truth, plainly said, “Delete it.”

But as he tossed out this remark, he turned back to look out the car window, unconcerned with whether Lu Che actually followed his order, more like he was pretending not to notice.

An hour later…

A voice came over the speakers: “Dear passengers, you have arrived at this train’s final stop, Station A…”

The two got off the train, and Lu Che made a brief call to his grandparents to let them know he’d arrived safely.

Standing beside him, Xu Xing looked absently forward while subtly eavesdropping, noticing that Lu Che only mentioned his grandparents and not his parents.

They walked along the platform, following the crowd toward the exit.

On the escalator, Lu Che turned his head to look at Xu Xing.

Xu Xing stood one step above, feeling awkward under Lu Che’s increasingly amused gaze, and Lu Che’s upward-facing, smiling face also drew curious glances from people behind him.

Xu Xing frowned, glancing at him. “What’s your deal?”

Lu Che leaned his forehead against Xu Xing’s chest, murmuring softly, “Having you with me on the way home feels especially nice.”

Xu Xing: “…”

He didn’t answer, simply shifting his gaze to somewhere else.

City A was a fast-paced metropolis, and compared to City C, the most striking difference was the endless lines of traffic; a ten-minute trip could easily stretch into over an hour. Lu Che didn’t hail a taxi but instead took Xu Xing to the subway.

In the crowded car, the two tall young men stood together. Xu Xing leaned against the door, arms crossed, looking wordlessly at Lu Che, who stood directly opposite him.

Regardless of which way the subway jolted, Lu Che always managed to lean forward toward him.

Xu Xing, arms still folded, raised his elbow to create some space as Lu Che leaned in yet again.

He looked at Lu Che with mild exasperation. “Enough, alright?”

Lu Che, his expression serious, said, “Class president, I suggest you take a look at that couple next to us.”

Xu Xing glanced sideways and saw a man leaning against the car wall, embracing a woman from behind while she played calmly on her phone.

“…”

Turning back, Xu Xing said, “Scram.”

Lu Che sighed, “Why is my fate so miserable?”

“…”

Xu Xing had a thought stuck in his throat: If you were a girl, I’d hold you. But before he could say it out loud, he frowned—though if Lu Che were a girl, it still wouldn’t be appropriate. That kind of affectionate pose was really only for couples. But then again, besides Lu Che, he wouldn’t even consider this with anyone else.

Suddenly, he found himself caught up in a puzzling thought: if a girl like Lu Che pursued him, he couldn’t think of a reason to refuse; but if he rejected Lu Che, then found a girlfriend similar to him, it would… feel a bit strange?

After exiting the subway…

It was already past eleven-thirty. Lu Che took Xu Xing to an old part of town to eat the noodle soup he’d grown up with.

In the end…

Lu Che ordered sweet noodles and a basket of steamed dumplings; Xu Xing ordered savory noodles and a plate of pan-fried dumplings.

It wasn’t that Xu Xing was purposely opposing Lu Che; they simply had vastly different tastes.

Lu Che looked regretful. “I really think I need to find some foods we both like, or we’ll miss out on the whole ‘feeding each other’ relationship thing. That’s just too much of a loss!”

Xu Xing rolled his eyes. “Get lost.”

After filling up, Lu Che took Xu Xing for a casual walk around the area.

He didn’t take Xu Xing to any tourist spots but instead wandered through the old neighborhood, recounting bits of childhood memories. He peeled back the glitzy exterior of the bustling city, revealing its underlying warmth.

Seeing Lu Che so happy, Xu Xing refrained from saying something that might spoil the mood, like “This shared sense of community with City C costs several times as much here and isn’t accessible to everyone.”

Lu Che’s family home was in the bustling city center. In this high-rise-packed, land-scarce area, there was one residential district with surprisingly spacious distances between buildings. Just when the surroundings seemed to offer a breath of relief, the mention of real estate prices nearly took it away again.

At home…

Lu Che switched to indoor slippers at the entrance and thoughtfully handed Xu Xing a pair that fit him, bending down to place them neatly in front of him.

Xu Xing slipped them on, looking around.

The interior decor was incredibly unique, bold, and full of character, with vivid colors that exuded a wild, carefree style.

Even more notable was that the living room was large, the walk-in closet was as big as the living room, and the bathroom was spacious, but the bedroom was surprisingly small and simple.

Lu Che looked back and smiled, “My mom designed the house herself. Doesn’t it seem a bit strange?”

Xu Xing nodded, “I think it’s great.”

He didn’t particularly like or dislike it; the style had such a strong personal touch, presenting itself with a self-indulgent flair, inviting its visitors to observe freely.

Lu Che took a small photo album from the openwork partition wall and handed it to Xu Xing. “This is my mom in the middle.”

In the photo, a striking woman exuded confidence and charm, standing among several foreign models. Lu Che’s mother, tall and poised with striking red lips, effortlessly stood out, her powerful aura overshadowing even the young, glamorous models around her.

Xu Xing asked casually, “And your parents?”

Lu Che replied, “My dad is abroad. My mom’s super busy—they live separately.”

“Oh, long-distance,” Xu Xing noted.

“Yeah, in the literal sense,” Lu Che clarified, “they each do their own thing.”

Xu Xing was speechless.

Lu Che then put Xu Xing’s backpack in the bedroom and, seeing Xu Xing lingering by the door as though he wanted to say something, laughed.

He walked over, leaning one hand on the doorframe, gently flicked Xu Xing’s hair, and teased, “Class Rep, have you just realized I’m a pitiful, warmth-deprived kid and decided from now on to shower me with extra love?”

Xu Xing rolled his eyes. “You wish! With the imagination you’ve got, I doubt you’re lacking love.”

With a small smile, Lu Che looked at Xu Xing. “My mom doesn’t supervise me much, but I never feel unloved—just free. As long as I’m not breaking the law or doing anything seriously wrong, she lets me decide for myself.”

Xu Xing felt a strange mix of emotions hearing this.

Then, in a soft, low voice, Lu Che added, “So, it’s totally fine for me to like you~”

The warmth of the confession seemed to reach Xu Xing’s ears, making them flush red.

It stirred something unfamiliar in his heart.

Lu Che and Xu Xing stood face to face on either side of the door, with Lu Che watching Xu Xing look away. The moment felt just right.

Lu Che gently brushed Xu Xing’s hair aside, leaning in slowly—

At the last moment, Xu Xing suddenly pushed him away, not with the usual “Go away,” but instead saying, “I need to use the bathroom!”

Before Lu Che could react, Xu Xing had already fled.

In the bathroom, Xu Xing held his chest, where his heart was racing wildly, battling an unfamiliar feeling. His mind spun as he thought: maybe this invisible bond has already rooted in his heart, affecting his emotions.

He looked in the mirror and reassured himself: even if these feelings have started to stir, the bond serves as a kind of switch. He just needs to sever it, and things can go back to normal.

When Xu Xing returned to the living room, he found Lu Che leaning casually by the floor-to-ceiling window, on the phone. Hearing footsteps, Lu Che turned around, saying into the phone, “I’m not going.”

He hung up.

Xu Xing asked, “Go where?”

“A friend invited me to go drinking tonight,” Lu Che replied, “but I know you don’t like bars, so let’s do a nice dinner with live music instead~”

Xu Xing rolled his eyes. “No, let’s go to the bar.”

Surprised, Lu Che asked, “Really?”

“I just want to take a look,” Xu Xing replied.

He was curious about what was so captivating about the bars here in A City that Lu Che had felt cooped up in C City.

Lu Che laughed. “Alright, then~”

Later that night, around 9 p.m., Lu Che took Xu Xing to one of the city’s trendiest bars. The loud music and flashy performances weren’t enough to move Xu Xing’s heart, which felt no connection to the lively atmosphere. Within minutes, he was ready to go home, but Lu Che quickly ran into a group of familiar friends.

“Che—!”

The voice barely cut through the loud electronic music, but the speaker managed to reach Lu Che, cigarette and drink in hand, pulling Lu Che over to a nearby booth.

A group of young men and women sat there. One girl noticed Xu Xing and cast curious glances his way as everyone greeted Lu Che enthusiastically.

Amidst the dim lights and pulsing beats, a friend tried offering Lu Che and Xu Xing cigarettes, but Lu Che quickly waved them off, saying, “I quit.”

The friend was surprised but took the cigarette back.

It was clear that Lu Che’s friends had missed him, yet he seemed preoccupied, shielding Xu Xing from cigarettes, drinks, and even curious glances.

At one point, Lu Che noticed Xu Xing watching the stage show, where foreign models were now taking the spotlight.

Without a word, he leaned close to Xu Xing, covering his eyes and whispering, “No peeking.”

Xu Xing, uninterested, shrugged off Lu Che’s hand. “Let’s get going soon. It’s getting late.”

It was only a little past ten; they hadn’t even been at the bar for half an hour.

Knowing Xu Xing’s impatience, Lu Che raised his glass, grinning, “I’ll finish this, then we’ll leave—unless, of course, you’re going to help me finish it?”

Xu Xing looked at the drink, noting the small amount left, barely enough to cover the ice.

Suddenly, without thinking, he took the glass from Lu Che’s hand and downed the rest in one gulp.

Lu Che was momentarily stunned.

Xu Xing set the glass down, feeling a rush of warmth from his throat down to his core, igniting a sudden, intense heat that made him frown.

It was nearly midnight by the time they got home.

After his shower, Xu Xing collapsed onto the bed. When Lu Che came out of the bathroom, Xu Xing was already asleep, half-buried in his pillow, looking peaceful under the soft, golden glow of the bedside lamp.

Lu Che couldn’t resist—he reached out, gently tracing Xu Xing’s lips.

These lips were addictive.

But tonight, maybe he could just let it go?

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Che started to pull away, but then—

His thumb felt the warm touch of Xu Xing’s lips, as they lightly sucked on it.

Lu Che froze.

To hell with restraint.

The next second, he leaned down, pressing his lips against Xu Xing’s in a gentle kiss. However, this simple gesture wasn’t enough; Lu Che found himself unable to stop, deepening the kiss, savoring Xu Xing’s soft lips. He’d been holding back for too long, and now, unable to resist, he bit down ever so gently.

With quiet excitement, he continued to cherish the moment, tasting the warmth he’d longed for.

At the same time—

Lu Che felt Xu Xing’s slightly parted lips, gently biting back.

“….”

Lu Che froze, taken aback by this rare response. A spark of desire flared instantly as he deepened the kiss, only stopping when Xu Xing let out a soft hum of resistance, pulling back instinctively.

Feeling content, Lu Che turned off the bedside lamp and quietly left the bedroom, slipping into the bathroom.

In the dim light of the bedroom, Xu Xing still lay with his eyes closed, his face half-buried in the plush pillow. Suddenly, the fingers of his left hand, resting by his side, twitched—

His fingertips gently traced his own lips.

---

Author’s note: There are two main themes here: Lu Che’s overactive imagination + Xu Xing’s own self-convincing.