“I should get going,” Fang Lin said quickly as she noticed Wei Yuhe standing behind Lu Yan.

Before Wei Yuhe could respond, Lu Yan beat him to it, trying to keep her from leaving. “Why not stay a bit longer?”

Fang Lin waved her hands. “I only came to drop off some things.”

Wei Yuhe remained silent, not offering her any invitation to stay for a meal or anything else. He stood behind Lu Yan like a silent statue, saying nothing.

Oddly enough, Lu Yan seemed more like the master of the house, politely seeing Fang Lin out, while Wei Yuhe, following behind him, appeared more like the guest.

As Lu Yan turned, he nearly bumped right into Wei Yuhe. Fresh out of the shower, Wei Yuhe’s hair was still damp, and droplets of water glistened on his neck.

Even after showering, Wei Yuhe was dressed in his usual long sleeves and long pants. Lu Yan hadn’t seen him in anything less; even when sleeping, he wore his clothes neatly. Maybe it was because he had company in the house that he dressed so conservatively.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?” Lu Yan looked up at him and asked.

Wei Yuhe had a white bath towel draped over his shoulders. It was a bit fluffy and had a hint of pink—something that didn’t quite look like a typical guy’s towel but suited him surprisingly well.

“You and Fang Lin seem close,” Wei Yuhe suddenly asked.

Lu Yan shook his head. “Not as close as you are.”

He couldn’t help but step closer to Wei Yuhe. “So, the perfume I smelled on you yesterday was from Fang Lin?”

“From Aunt Chen,” Wei Yuhe replied, surprising himself a bit by even bothering to explain.

Lu Yan pouted. “So, you ignored my calls and messages yesterday because you were out on a date?”

He pointed at the shopping bags by the couch. “And today, she even came by to drop off gifts for you.”

Wei Yuhe glanced in the direction Lu Yan pointed, but before he could say anything, Lu Yan was looking at him with a pitiful expression. “Don’t tell me Aunt Chen has already pegged you as her future son-in-law?”

“No,” Wei Yuhe replied. “Aunt Chen is a friend of my mother’s.”

Following behind him, Lu Yan tugged at the edge of the bath towel draped over his shoulder. “So, you and Fang Lin are childhood friends, huh?”

“But you two don’t seem that close to me.”

Playing with the towel, Lu Yan casually commented on Wei Yuhe and Fang Lin’s relationship. He knew there was nothing between them, but that didn’t stop him from throwing in a little teasing jealousy.

Wei Yuhe turned to him, asking, “Are you two close?”

Lu Yan quickly waved his hands. “Nope.”

Leaning closer, he smiled and explained, “I thought she was a rival, so I was gathering some intel.”

“What can I say? The person I like is in high demand.”

This one sentence left Wei Yuhe blushing red, his face flustered as he looked at Lu Yan. He really shouldn’t have expected anything “normal” to come out of Lu Yan’s mouth.

“Why are you blushing again?” Lu Yan teased, poking at his flushed cheeks. “So easy to make you blush.”

Wei Yuhe frowned, glaring at Lu Yan as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words.

“Are you mad?” Lu Yan let go of the towel and held onto Wei Yuhe’s arm instead, his tone full of endearing charm. “Don’t be mad.”

Watching Lu Yan pull out his usual tricks to soothe people, Wei Yuhe’s mind drifted to imagining how Lu Yan must have used the same tactics on others in the past. The more he thought about it, the more his expression darkened, his gaze towards Lu Yan growing more annoyed.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yan couldn’t figure it out. Why was Wei Yuhe so hard to please? The more he tried to cheer him up, the grumpier he got!

“Nothing.” Wei Yuhe pulled his arm away and went back to the couch, towel in hand, continuing to dry his hair as he sat down.

“How about we go out tonight?” Lu Yan suggested as he approached him.

For some reason, seeing Wei Yuhe always so poised and reserved made him curious to see another side of him. He pictured what he might look like, maybe a bit tipsy and carefree—it was a tempting thought.

In his mind, he’d already imagined a scenario of a tipsy, slightly dazed Wei Yuhe, and just the thought of it was thrilling.

He knew he was being bad, already plotting to lead Wei Yuhe astray before they’d even started dating.

Wei Yuhe looked up at him, likely oblivious to his schemes, but judging by Lu Yan’s mischievous grin, he knew it was nothing good and promptly refused. “Not going.”

Lu Yan grabbed his arm, putting on a cutesy act. “Come on, let’s go.”

“No,” Wei Yuhe answered, still coldly refusing.

“But you don’t even know where I want to go. Why are you rejecting me so fast?” Lu Yan questioned.

Wei Yuhe looked at him with a blank expression, but his eyes clearly said, “It’s definitely not anywhere good.”

Seeing that Wei Yuhe wouldn’t budge, Lu Yan switched tactics.

“You don’t drink, do you?” he asked.

He figured that no matter how tall and handsome Wei Yuhe was, he was still a teenager—probably untouched by the temptations of smoking or drinking.

Wei Yuhe narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking that?”

Lu Yan grinned. “I want to teach you how to drink.”

Holding the towel, Wei Yuhe looked away, his whole demeanor radiating an icy aura. From the moment Lu Yan mentioned teaching him to drink, he’d stopped talking, leaving Lu Yan to ramble alone.

“Just keep me company, alright? I haven’t been out drinking in ages; I’ve been cooped up at home these past few days.” Lu Yan’s tone took on a hint of pouting, his voice soft and almost childlike.

Unmoved, Wei Yuhe replied, “You can go anytime. Just leave the key behind.”

The moment Wei Yuhe said that, Lu Yan protectively covered his pocket, as if afraid the key would be snatched away. Initially irritated, Wei Yuhe now couldn’t help but feel amused by his reaction.

Luckily, he was good at keeping his emotions in check, so his smile was barely noticeable—a tiny smirk, just a slight twitch of the lips.

But Lu Yan caught it. He’d seen Wei Yuhe cold, angry, and blushing, but he’d never seen him smile this gently.

This person already looked stunning with a poker face. Seeing him smile was even more mesmerizing.

Lu Yan could feel his heart beating faster, a warm rush spreading through him, making him blush a little.

At that moment, he felt like he liked Wei Yuhe even more than the previous second.

It strengthened his resolve to see all sides of Wei Yuhe, no matter what it took.

He continued persuading Wei Yuhe with even more enthusiasm, determined to convince him to go out for some fun.

From morning until afternoon, he stayed within five steps of Wei Yuhe, even waiting outside the bathroom door while he was in there.

As dusk approached, Wei Yuhe still hadn’t agreed. Lu Yan sat on the couch, glaring at him with an expression full of wounded pride.

The whole living room was silent except for the sound of pages turning as Wei Yuhe read, completely ignoring Lu Yan’s intense gaze.

Finally, Lu Yan had enough. He tossed his pillow onto the couch and stomped upstairs.

Just when Wei Yuhe thought he’d finally given up on the idea of going out, Lu Yan reappeared at the top of the stairs, wearing a change of clothes. Once again, he was dressed in one of Wei Yuhe’s sweaters, though it was unclear when he’d snuck into his room to grab it.

What fit perfectly on Wei Yuhe looked oversized on Lu Yan, making the white sweater appear loose and cozy. Wei Yuhe frowned, noting how the neckline seemed much wider than it had been on him, revealing Lu Yan’s fair neck. Under the light, his skin seemed even more delicate, almost dazzlingly white.