Chapter 14: I’ll smell it

A subtle silence fell in the living room after the words were spoken, and neither of them spoke first.

Su Lixu felt like his mind hadn’t caught up yet. It wasn’t that he had an issue with Fu Xingran liking men; he wasn’t a narrow-minded person. It was just somewhat surprising that Fu Xingran would have such a preference.

Thinking back to what Fu Xingran said a few days ago, he suddenly felt that this guy’s words were always straightforward and made one blush.

Meeting Fu Xingran’s expectant gaze, for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

“Do you dislike homosexuals, big brother?” Fu Xingran broke the silence.

“No.” Su Lixu retracted his gaze, quietly creating some distance. “Have a seat; it’s tiring to squat.”

Upon hearing Su Lixu’s words, Fu Xingran’s eyes lit up again. If there was no dislike, then it meant acceptance. If it was accepted, it meant there was a chance for him to be liked.

He got up and sat next to Su Lixu, continuing to gaze at him. “So, big brother, do you think I have a problem since I like men?”

“No, liking someone is unrelated to gender.” Su Lixu, sensing Fu Xingran’s overly intense gaze, subtly averted his eyes. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but he felt a subtle nuance in the air.

Fu Xingran smiled, radiantly so. He found Su Lixu’s response more pleasing than anything else. He leaned closer to Su Lixu.

Initially, Su Lixu didn’t feel much, but as Fu Xingran’s leg approached him, the distance between them became intimate in an instant. He opened his mouth, hesitated, wanting to ask what was happening.

“Now that big brother knows I like men, would he dislike us being so close?” Fu Xingran placed his hand on Su Lixu’s waist. “Is this distance acceptable?”

Su Lixu: “…What?” After speaking, he saw Fu Xingran leaning toward him again.

Fu Xingran moved a bit forward, placing his chest against Su Lixu’s arm, his gaze intense. “How about this? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

At this distance, the warm breath almost touched their lips. With the chest against the arm, the powerful heartbeat seemed to convey some message.

Although there were no overt actions, it was filled with probing. The straightforward words were accompanied by an unsettling ambiguity.

“…It’s fine.” Su Lixu subtly shifted his body to the side, allowing his arm to move slightly away from Fu Xingran’s body. He wasn’t sure if he was too sensitive, but he always felt that Fu Xingran was referring to someone.

He thought he probably wasn’t txl. Anyone would feel awkward with such a sudden decrease in distance.

That was normal.

“So, big brother doesn’t dislike this distance?”

Su Lixu had just shifted to create some distance, feeling safer, but in the moment his arm was grasped, he felt a tightness in his lower back. When he lifted his gaze, it went straight into Fu Xingran’s eyes. The bright eyes carried emotions of excitement he couldn’t quite comprehend, like a child who had almost tasted candy.

It felt like Fu Xingran had discovered the sweet taste of excitement from him and was continuously advancing to test his attitude.

Was he using him as a probe to gauge his feelings?

For a moment, Su Lixu couldn’t analyze the answer he wanted from Fu Xingran’s subtle expressions. The closer he got, the less he understood Fu Xingran. The feeling that this guy was watertight intensified.

Su Lixu withdrew from distracting thoughts. “You don’t need to care about others’ feelings. It’s about what you like, not what I or others like. So, my thoughts are not important. What matters is what you like.”

“But I think you also like it because I care about you. So, I will care about what you think.”

Su Lixu felt a bit helpless hearing Fu Xingran say this. “So, if I say I don’t like it, then you won’t like it either?”

“You will like it for sure.” Fu Xingran looked at Su Lixu and continued, “Because, as I said, he is a very gentle man. He is the gentlest, most perfect person I’ve ever seen in this world, without a doubt.”

“He always wears all white, with a faint scent of osmanthus sweetness. He is always smiling. At first, I didn’t understand why seeing him made me so happy, just thinking that he could spend more time with me. But after he left, I missed him uncontrollably.”

“Yearning, thoughts lingering day and night, restless mind.”

“So, I really like him. I love him. I want him. I will definitely get him.”

Su Lixu felt his heart being struck by Fu Xingran’s words, one after another.

So, will Fu Xingran, with such intense emotions, approach him without any reservations, leaving behind the misunderstanding from four years ago?

“Alright, let’s not talk about him. I came to see you today with a small gift; I made it myself.” Fu Xingran decided to change the topic, handing over a prepared perfume bottle. “Brother, take a look and see if you like it.”

“Why give me a gift out of the blue?” Su Lixu asked, looking at the offered gift bag.

“This is also what you said, giving gifts should cater to the recipient’s preferences.” Fu Xingran placed the bag on Su Lixu’s lap, eagerly awaiting his reaction. “See if you like it.”

Su Lixu pondered for a moment. Cater to the recipient’s preferences? Then why was it tailored to his?

“I said, as long as it’s something you like, he will definitely like it. Brother, take a look first, if you like it, then I can give it to him.”

“So, the thing you gave me is actually for him?” Su Lixu commented dryly. Apparently, he was just a tester.

“Yeah.” Fu Xingran nodded, seemingly indifferent. He took the perfume from the bag and placed it in Su Lixu’s hand. “Brother, give it a smell. This is the perfume I made myself; it took me a long time to learn how to blend scents.”

Su Lixu was surprised to hear that Fu Xingran made the perfume himself. “You made it? That’s impressive.”

Fu Xingran smiled, “It’s not that impressive; I just really like perfumes too.”

Loving the house, one also loves the crows.

Su Lixu lowered his head to look at the perfume bottle placed in his hands, feeling its frosted texture. He sprayed the perfume on his wrist, took a sniff, and caught a faint citrus scent, somewhat resembling the top notes of August Night Osmanthus. The fragrance was unexpectedly pleasant and not cheap.

“Does it smell good?”

He heard Fu Xingran ask and nodded in response, “Very fragrant, a very pleasant scent.”

“Let me smell it.”

Before he could react, Fu Xingran held his hand, lifted his wrist, and leaned down to smell where he had sprayed the perfume.

Su Lixu was momentarily stunned.

Fu Xingran lowered his gaze, delicately smelling his wrist, with disheveled bangs partially concealing his expression. The sparse eyebrows and eyes conveyed a subdued yet forceful demeanor, distinctly different from his usual docility.

His nose seemed to unintentionally brush against the fragrance, soft and ticklish, stirring emotions.

This action unintentionally brought to mind a saying: “A heart as fierce as a tiger, delicately sniffing roses.”

He looked at Fu Xingran, completely unaware that he was lost in thought.Suddenly, he caught Fu Xingran lifting his gaze unexpectedly, and the air seemed to thicken due to the unclear and unspoken emotions.

Fu Xingran met Su Lixu’s evasive gaze, and the deep black eyes blossomed with a smile, like ink spreading, affectionate and dazzling, making one dizzy.

“Well, it smells really good.”

Su Lixu quickly withdrew his hand, averting his gaze to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

What’s wrong with this guy?

Fu Xingran noticed Su Lixu’s expression and raised the corner of his lips. “Brother, take a look at the bottom of the perfume bottle.”

Su Lixu turned the bottle, thinking about the subtle atmosphere, and suddenly, the words “922” pierced into him like needles. His head buzzed as the pleasant mood brought by the fragrance was instantly swallowed by the overwhelming reality.

“…922, what is it?”

—No vital signs detected; please accept condolences from the family.

“This is the anniversary of when I met him, so this bottle of perfume is named 922.” Fu Xingran stared intently at Su Lixu, as if expecting to see the reaction he anticipated on Su Lixu’s face, but found none.

Su Lixu shifted his gaze away from the number. “So that’s it.”

The hand holding the bottle turned white at the knuckles due to the intense grip.

Seeing Su Lixu’s complexion pailing, Fu Xingran furrowed his brows slightly. “Brother, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Suddenly remembering Su Lixu’s twisted ankle, he immediately crouched in front of Su Lixu, holding the injured foot. “Is it hurting? Shall I get some ice for you?”

“Xingran, I…”

“I’ll go get some ice for you.”

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Fu Xingran standing up and heading to the kitchen. For a moment, Su Lixu didn’t know how to express his desire to be alone, using his discomfort as an excuse.

Fu Xingran wrapped an ice pack in a towel and quickly walked back from the kitchen. He sat next to Su Lixu, used his hand to support Su Lixu’s knee pit, placed the leg on his own thigh, and then applied the ice pack to the swollen ankle.

The swift movements left Su Lixu momentarily speechless.

“It’s swollen like this; you shouldn’t exert pressure on it for a few days.” Fu Xingran frowned slightly. “Brother, can you manage alone? Should I stay with you?”

Su Lixu replied, “It’s fine, just a minor sprain. Resting for a few days should make it better. The doctor in the community checked it earlier.”

“But it’s not okay, and your waist is also strained, right? Let me take a look.”

Su Lixu immediately pressed down on Fu Xingran’s hand, looking serious. “Xingran, it’s really fine. The waist isn’t that serious; it’s an old issue. Resting for a few days will fix it. You don’t need to worry too much.”

His thoughts suddenly paused on the hand he was touching with Fu Xingran.

It’s really strange.Whenever anyone else touches his hand, he feels uncomfortable, but not with Fu Xingran.

“How could I not be worried?” Fu Xingran seemed a bit displeased, his face darkening. “If I were you, I would never let you get hurt during exercise, nor would I let you stay alone at home. If any part of you hurts or if you find it inconvenient and end up injuring yourself, what should I do? I’ll stay right here watching over you. I won’t leave.”

“Brother, you don’t need to worry. I’m very convenient and free. Starting tomorrow, I’ll prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you. I’ll take care of things at home, and you don’t have to move. If you need to do something, just tell me, and I’ll do it for you.”

Su Lixu felt that he probably didn’t injure himself to the point where he could only lie in bed. “This is really just a minor injury. If you don’t believe me, I’ll take a few steps to show you.”

As he spoke and prepared to put his leg on the carpet to stand up, Fu Xingran grabbed his ankle.

“Don’t move.”

Su Lixu’s body immediately stiffened. He sat back on the sofa, slightly lowering his eyelids. He saw Fu Xingran kneeling in front of him, holding the swollen ankle.

Looking up, his gaze collided with Fu Xingran’s.

Fu Xingran’s eyes were pure black, deep and bottomless. Without speaking, the emotions inside were completely unreadable. In the silence, there was a sense of impending danger. Yet, the next moment, the worry in his eyes dissipated, as if the previous depth had never existed.

“I feel uneasy when you’re hurt. Please don’t make me worry, okay? Just sit here, and I’ll take care of everything.”

Su Lixu was momentarily stunned, as if he hadn’t heard Fu Xingran speak in such a tone before. Where was the adorable little puppy? He subconsciously tried to pull his ankle away but found that Fu Xingran showed no intention of letting go.

“I really am fine.”

Fu Xingran sighed, filled with helplessness. “Brother, whether there’s an issue or not, I can see it. It’s swollen now, isn’t it?” He sensed Su Lixu’s rejection and continued, “Or is it that you don’t want me to take care of you, thinking I’m being a nuisance to you?”

“It’s not that. It’s just not that exaggerated. I can manage on my own.” Su Lixu’s words had just fallen when he noticed Fu Xingran’s dejected expression. Suddenly feeling regretful, it really wasn’t like that.

With lowered brows and eyes, Fu Xingran pretended to be dejected. “It seems Brother finds me too bothersome. I’m sorry for bothering you. Maybe Brother should go find Professor He.” With that, he acted as if to stand up and leave.

In the tone of grievance, there was a hint of resentment. Su Lixu unexpectedly felt as if he was being portrayed as an unfaithful lover.

Seeing Fu Xingran about to leave, he hurriedly grabbed his hand. In that instant, Fu Xingran, with his back turned, subtly smirked. When he turned around, the emotion in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by the earlier dejected look.

“What’s wrong, Brother?”

“Have you eaten?” Su Lixu asked, still wary of this guy’s unpredictable behavior when he was downcast. He couldn’t afford to let him leave casually, just in case.

“No.”

“Then stay and have a meal.”

“Sure.”

Su Lixu, hearing the almost immediate response, noticed Fu Xingran’s radiant smile and had a feeling of falling into a trap.

As it turned out, he indeed walked himself into a pit.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll take care of you, Brother. Although I’m not as skilled at cooking as Professor He, I can help with household chores. At least, I’ll wash the dishes for you. I won’t let you wash them while nursing an injury,” Fu Xingran said, seizing the opportunity to create chances for them to be alone.

Su Lixu thought of Professor He again: “But don’t you live on campus? Running back and forth—”

Before he could finish the word “running,” a key and an access card with the “Romantic Inside” logo appeared.

Fu Xingran took out the key, waving it in front of Su Lixu. “I live in 1204, right next to you, Brother. Surprised?”

Su Lixu replied, “Quite surprised.”

He didn’t even know there was someone living next door, let alone that it was Fu Xingran. Thinking about the day Fu Xingran stayed overnight at his place when it rained, was this guy intentional?

“Now, I’ll wash the dishes. Rest well, Brother. Leave everything to me. Feel free to ask for anything; I’m at your service.” Fu Xingran stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and confidently walked towards the kitchen.

Cooking skills aside, he could wash dishes, mop the floor, and do the laundry.

More importantly, he was younger than Professor He.

No matter how you looked at it, choosing him was the most suitable option.