Liang Mu called out Lu Yan’s name several times on the other end, but with no response. He began to wonder if he’d been too harsh.

“Lu Yan, say something. I won’t be mad at you,” Liang Mu lowered his tone, trying to coax him.

Wei Yuhe held the phone that Lu Yan had tossed to him like it was a dangerous item. If not for the ongoing call displayed on the screen, he’d have thought it was something hazardous.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan had turned his back, covering his ears with both hands, refusing to answer the call.

After Liang Mu had called out “Lu Yan” multiple times with no response, Wei Yuhe finally raised the phone to his ear. “Hello.”

It was a simple acknowledgment of Liang Mu’s presence.

“Who are you?” There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice resumed.

“Where’s Lu Yan?” Liang Mu sounded anxious, assuming Lu Yan was still at the bar and now someone else had answered his phone.

Wei Yuhe glanced at Lu Yan, who was still facing away. “He’s right here.”

“Put him on,” Liang Mu demanded.

“He won’t talk,” Wei Yuhe replied.

Liang Mu: “…”

“Put me on speaker. I’ll talk to him.”

Wei Yuhe put the call on speaker and held the phone near Lu Yan.

“Lu Yan.”

“Don’t ignore me. Where are you? And who are you with?”

“I’m… at school,” Lu Yan mumbled, clearly intoxicated. Even his voice was tinged with the haziness of alcohol.

Liang Mu immediately recognized the slurred tone and realized Lu Yan must be drunk and not fully aware.

“Who are you with?” He tried to suppress his frustration, knowing that getting angry would only make Lu Yan clam up again.

“Not telling you.” Lu Yan looked up at Wei Yuhe with a defiant expression. Despite clearly lying, his face remained brazenly innocent.

Four words suddenly popped into Wei Yuhe’s mind: compulsive liar.

“Hello? Whoever’s with Lu Yan?” Liang Mu realized he’d get nowhere with Lu Yan, so he turned his attention to the one sober person.

“Yes?” Wei Yuhe responded, holding Lu Yan to keep him from either lunging at him or collapsing to the ground.

“Who are you?” Liang Mu wanted to ask directly, “Who are you and why are you with Lu Yan?” but held back, not wanting to sound like an interrogator and risk upsetting the person keeping an eye on Lu Yan.

“Wei Yuhe.” As soon as he spoke, Lu Yan turned to look at him, reacting intensely as if the name itself had sobered him up a bit.

It took all of Wei Yuhe’s effort to keep a grip on Lu Yan, who was clutching at his sleeves, nearly pulling his shirt into an off-shoulder top.

“Xue Di,” Lu Yan murmured, resting his head on Wei Yuhe’s shoulder, his voice clinging to him like syrup.

The other end of the call went silent, though the screen still showed the call was active.

“Stay still,” Wei Yuhe said, holding Lu Yan close. But merely resting his head wasn’t enough for Lu Yan. Only when his hands wrapped around Wei Yuhe’s waist did he finally settle.

With one hand holding the phone and the other arm around Lu Yan’s waist, Wei Yuhe kept him secure in his embrace.

“I… like… you,” Lu Yan mumbled against Wei Yuhe’s chest, confessing with a drunken sincerity.

Not only did Wei Yuhe hear it, but so did Liang Mu on the other end of the call.

“How are you with Lu Yan?” After a long silence, Liang Mu finally spoke again, his tone mixed with surprise and a hint of irritation. “Are you two together?”

Staring at the phone screen, Wei Yuhe hesitated for a moment before answering, “No.”

As soon as he spoke, he heard Liang Mu sigh with relief, causing an involuntary frown to form on Wei Yuhe’s face.

“So how did you two end up together?” Liang Mu pressed.

“He’s staying at my place.” Wei Yuhe himself wasn’t sure why he mentioned this. Was it because of that sigh, or something else?

“Why would he be staying with you?” Liang Mu’s tone grew sharper, his words tumbling out faster with worry.

“You can ask him yourself.” Wei Yuhe replied. No sooner had he finished than Lu Yan mumbled, “Because I like him, and I’m pursuing him.”

Clearly, Lu Yan wasn’t as drunk as he seemed, chiming in whenever it suited him.

Already upset from hearing Wei Yuhe’s answer, Liang Mu’s mood worsened with Lu Yan’s unexpected confession.

“Where are you? I’ll get Fang Xu to pick you up,” Liang Mu said, trying a gentler approach. To his surprise, Lu Yan responded with a firm, “No.”

“Fang Xu just broke up. I don’t want to listen to his heartbreak rant.”

“What about Da Mao? Should I get him to come?” Liang Mu tried again.

“Nope,” Lu Yan shook his head stubbornly, holding onto Wei Yuhe even tighter.

“I want to be with Xue Di.”

Interrupting them, Wei Yuhe said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he gets home safely.”

Liang Mu: “… Well, how can I not worry?”

“Goodbye.” Without waiting for a response, Wei Yuhe ended the call.

Lu Yan looked up at him, his head tilted at an angle that placed his lips almost directly below Wei Yuhe’s jaw.

A drunk person is capable of anything, especially when that person is cradled in the arms of the one they adore. In that moment, anything was possible.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but admire how even Wei Yuhe’s jawline looked so perfect. His skin was flawless, and above, his lips were particularly alluring.

Maybe, emboldened by the alcohol, he wanted to kiss him, but instead, he accidentally ended up nipping at his jaw as Wei Yuhe tilted his head.

He vaguely heard Wei Yuhe inhale sharply, and soon, a hand clasped his chin, pulling his teeth away from that soft spot.

“Are you a puppy or something?” Wei Yuhe frowned at Lu Yan. This was already the second time, and now there was a neat row of teeth marks on his jawline.

“Woof…” With his chin still held by Wei Yuhe, Lu Yan, oblivious to his earlier actions, couldn’t resist letting out a bark the moment he heard “puppy.”

That little “woof” left Wei Yuhe momentarily stunned. What was going on?

Lu Yan rubbed his face against the hand holding his chin, looking as cute and affectionate as a puppy, clearly trying to smooth things over after biting him.

“Be quiet.” Wei Yuhe pressed his hand over Lu Yan’s mouth, stopping him from making any more strange noises.

Lu Yan’s face was already small, and with Wei Yuhe’s hand covering it, only his wide, round eyes remained visible.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Lu Yan’s gaze was more intense than ever, his eyes brimming with emotion as he stared at Wei Yuhe.

For a moment, Wei Yuhe felt the urge to cover those eyes. Lu Yan’s gaze was dangerously captivating.

Lu Yan stayed still, obediently letting Wei Yuhe cover his mouth, looking as innocent as a child, yet his eyes were filled with affection.

They remained silent for a long while, Lu Yan because his mouth was covered, and Wei Yuhe because his mind was in turmoil.

There were questions he wanted to ask, yet he couldn’t find the words. After a long internal struggle, he finally spoke.

“Do you really like me?” His voice was soft, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

After asking, he removed his hand from Lu Yan’s lips, clearly wanting to hear his answer.

Lu Yan nodded earnestly, his eyes open wide as if afraid the person in front of him would disappear.

“Say it.” Wei Yuhe gently touched his lips with a hand on his cheek, urging him to speak.

“I like you.” Lu Yan’s voice was thick with drunken warmth, carrying a hazy, dreamlike quality, yet his words were unmistakably clear.