Chapter 27: But I don’t believe in my own concentration

This lunch was consumed in a subtle atmosphere, leaving He Shi questioning life. He couldn’t help but wonder if Fu Xingran was a professional actor. How could someone switch between madness, feigned weakness, and cheesy affection as if it were a performance? Sitting beside Su Lixu, they were eating ordinary home-cooked dishes, yet Fu Xingran was excessively attentive, almost to the point of feeding.

Su Lixu’s tolerance for Fu Xingran’s cheesy behavior and tone was truly admirable. “Brother, ahh—”

Watching Fu Xingran place the last piece of sweet and sour pork near his mouth, Su Lixu’s expression was subtle. Fu Xingran’s overly attentive and enthusiastic performance made this meal particularly agonizing.

Glancing at He Shi, Su Lixu noticed his old friend also wore an expression of torment. He silently thought, this is truly unfair.

“I’m full. You go ahead; isn’t this your favorite?”

Fu Xingran, with a serious expression, said, “Isn’t it the right thing for me to give you my favorite? Go ahead, eat.”

Su Lixu reluctantly ate the sweet and sour pork that Fu Xingran handed over. He wasn’t particularly fond of sweet flavors, but he forced a smile and swallowed the meat to prevent Fu Xingran from continuing his antics.

Seeing Su Lixu bite into the piece, Fu Xingran’s crimson lips touched the chopsticks he had touched. His gaze fell on Su Lixu’s lips, stained with bright red sauce, as if he had obtained some great satisfaction. He put the chopsticks in his mouth, licking off the remaining sauce.

“It’s really delicious.”

He Shi was dumbfounded: “!” Oh dear heavens, save him.

Su Lixu, also visually assaulted, silently swallowed the meat in his mouth. He avoided looking at Fu Xingran, who was shamelessly straightforward, and turned his gaze elsewhere. This guy was really embarrassingly shameless.

He Shi caught a glimpse of Su Lixu’s blushing ears again, suddenly understanding something. It seemed unbelievable; after knowing Su Lixu for so many years, he had never seen him like this.

Aware that Su Lixu had a good temper, He Shi couldn’t fathom how he could tolerate this unpleasant guy so much. What happened?

This challenging lunch concluded in this manner.

“I have something to attend to later,” He Shi stood up.Seeing He Shi stand up, Su Lixu thought he hadn’t had a chance to ask, “Are you leaving so soon? I haven’t—”

“Let’s find another time. We often meet at school anyway, right?” He Shi smiled at Su Lixu, then went to the bar to wash his hands, took a tissue to wipe them, and walked to the coat rack at the entrance to retrieve his jacket.

Following He Shi to the entrance, Su Lixu thought about Fu Xingran’s attitude towards He Shi earlier and then his own. Did he unintentionally cause He Shi to misunderstand something?”

He Shi, about what happened, I actually—”

“This is your choice, and I respect that. Just take care of yourself.” He Shi put on his jacket and shoes, stepped down from the slightly lower step in the entrance, then looked up at Su Lixu. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Thanks for the meal. Next time, cook something I like.”

After saying that, he glanced at Fu Xingran, “Mr. Fu, tone it down a bit.”

Without saying anything more, he pushed the door open and left.

As the door slowly closed, a regretful expression appeared on Su Lixu’s face. Did He Shi misunderstand something?

Just as he felt a bit melancholic, a warm body suddenly embraced him from behind. “Brother, why were you staring at him all the time?”

Another hug.

For a moment, Su Lixu’s back tensed, then he took a deep breath, pulled down Fu Xingran’s hands, and turned around. “He Shi is still here. Can’t you stop doing embarrassing things in front of others?”

What else could this guy be hiding? It felt more exhilarating than opening a blind box. At least with a blind box, you knew you’d get something similar, but with Fu Xingran, no matter how you unpacked him, it was always something new.

“Embarrassing? So, do you think, brother, that it’s embarrassing?” Fu Xingran gently touched Su Lixu’s fair earlobe with his fingers. His gaze met the hidden expression in Su Lixu’s crimson eyes, “Hmm, your ears turned red, so it is embarrassing.”

He continued with an affirmative tone.

The touched area on the earlobe tingled slightly.

Su Lixu felt a tingling sensation spread through half of his body. He couldn’t help but shiver. If this continued, he might spontaneously combust right here. Why was this guy more extravagant than he was four years ago in the hospital?

“Go home; I need to tidy up.” Concealing his inexplicable physical reaction, Su Lixu turned and walked inside, “Also, remember to apologize to Professor He in person. Be sincere and serious. You’re not a child anymore; I shouldn’t have to teach you this, right?”

“But you promised to go on a date with me, didn’t you?” Fu Xingran had no intention of leaving. He tightly followed Su Lixu, and when he saw Su Lixu about to wipe the table, he preemptively took the cloth, “I’ll do it. From now on, I’ll handle these things.”

Su Lixu said, “…” A date? Unbelievably, there was a date involved.

Fu Xingran’s table-wiping movements were clumsy, clearly that of a pampered young master. Nevertheless, he earnestly wiped the table, pushed the chair back into place, just like a kindergarten kid who remembered to put the chair back. If he wasn’t throwing a tantrum, he looked quite endearing.

“Brother, you’ve been watching me.”

As Su Lixu’s gaze lingered on Fu Xingran, Fu Xingran suddenly turned his head, catching Su Lixu off guard. He pressed his lips, blinked, and pretended to be indifferent as he turned to walk toward the kitchen. “How would you know I’m looking at you if you don’t look at me?”

His heartbeat suddenly quickened. But what was he guilty of?

Fu Xingran caught the unnatural expression on Su Lixu’s face, resembling someone who had just eaten something sweet. He smiled brilliantly, “I was indeed looking at you. How about we go on a date tonight?”

Su Lixu knew he couldn’t escape the idea of a date. “Where to?”

“It’s a secret.”

Su Lixu looked at Fu Xingran suspiciously. Why did this sound so familiar?

Leaning against the table, Fu Xingran hugged his arms and smiled brightly, “Just following your lead.”

Su Lixu sighed.

The weather today was exceptionally good. Despite being deep into autumn, the enchanting blue-purple hues of the lingering sunset bathed the entire sky. Amidst the falling leaves, it felt particularly gentle and romantic.

With the Lamborghini’s top down, the beautiful twilight was undeniable, but it also made the ride strangely chilly.

Feeling the cool breeze on his face, Su Lixu buried his chin in his collar, realizing that he had grown older and had become more sensitive to the cold.

Fu Xingran’s peripheral vision caught Su Lixu’s action of pulling his sweater collar over his face, leaving only his reddened earlobes visible. Fu Xingran’s playful actions were enough to make him itch with excitement.

He raised the convertible top.Despite being a bit cold, Su Lixu didn’t say anything, although he looked quite cold.

Su Lixu noticed the top being closed, glanced at Fu Xingran, and slowly lowered his hands from his sweater. Did he overthink it? Fu Xingran probably closed the top because he felt cold.

As the top closed gradually, the warmth inside the car became apparent.

“Feeling warmer now?”

“Hmm?” Su Lixu was somewhat surprised to hear Fu Xingran ask this way. Did he really see him feeling cold? When did this guy become so caring?

“I have a higher body temperature, and I’m used to driving with the top down, so this bit of cold isn’t a big deal for me. Sorry, I didn’t think about you; you’re sensitive to the cold.”

Fu Xingran’s voice echoed in the car, a different feeling compared to before. This tone was unexpectedly soothing and gentle, softening even the sharp contours.

The concentration displayed by Fu Xingran driving was extraordinary. This focus was reminiscent of the time he saw Fu Xingran painting in the hospital room. When someone exuded an aura of complete immersion and those around them noticed, it meant they were radiating a unique charm.

This version of Fu Xingran, so composed, was just one of many personalities within him. There were too many vivid traits within this young man’s persona, more exciting than opening a blind box. Su Lixu was entirely unaware of how intense his gaze was; he simply saw Fu Xingran with his left elbow resting on the car window, lazily lifting his hand, fingertips brushing across his lips, lips curled up as if in a great mood.

The coastal road had minimal traffic, and they drove smoothly against the wind, just like their current state of mind.

Finally, the car entered a well-known coastal resort hotel, situated near the beach in the intoxicating blue-purple twilight, which was on the verge of being engulfed by deep darkness. The illuminated coastal resort hotel stood out prominently.

Su Lixu looked at the hotel nearby with confusion, “What are we doing at the hotel?”

The car smoothly parked in the hotel’s parking lot, and the sound of the driver’s seatbelt being unfastened was heard. Before Su Lixu could redirect his gaze, he felt a warmth covering him.

“Naturally, there are many things to do at a hotel.”

The warm breath fell on his cheek as Fu Xingran’s mellow tone inexplicably added a touch of romantic atmosphere to the statement.

Su Lixu turned around, but as he turned, his cheek unintentionally brushed against Fu Xingran’s lips. Surprised, he looked up and met Fu Xingran’s teasing and smiling eyes.

He watched as Fu Xingran placed one hand on the chair behind him, the other propped near the steering wheel, slightly leaning towards him. The broad arm seemed to encircle him, making his turn appear like an embrace. Subconsciously, Su Lixu pursed his lips.

“…Why do you suddenly come so close when you’re talking?”

Opening a blind box was not as unpredictable as Fu Xingran, at least there were duplicates.

Quietly leaning against the car window.

Fu Xingran caught Su Lixu’s cautious move of leaning backward, couldn’t help but turn his face away and laugh, “Why so scared? Do you think I’d do something?”

Su Lixu adjusted his sitting posture, appearing somewhat normal. Why would he be afraid? Without looking at Fu Xingran’s expression, he sat up straight, “No, how could I? I trust you.”

“But I don’t trust my own self-control.” Fu Xingran lowered his body closer to Su Lixu.

Su Lixu’s lower back tensed, and his body stiffened.

“You also know I’ve been craving you for a long time. Now it’s just the two of us in this small car. I locked the car, and you’re not leaving. Tell me, how much can we stir up.”

Su Lixu looked at Fu Xingran in utter disbelief. What was he saying?

What was this about clothing and manners? He was dressed properly, so why was Fu Xingran speaking like this?

“Of course, it’s very easy to bump heads.”

Su Lixu looked at him expressionlessly, “…”

Fu Xingran, seemingly amused by Su Lixu’s shocked appearance, returned to his seat, his hand covering his lips as he turned away, unable to contain his laughter.

He could never have imagined that the true face beneath Su Lixu’s white coat was like this—so not gentle. But was that gentle Su Doctor. However, beneath the guise of Su Doctor, this man named Su Lixu was a gentle, cute, and easily embarrassed man.

Most importantly, due to lack of romantic experience, these reactions to being teased belonged to him.

Only he could witness them.

Su Lixu stared at Fu Xingran in silence, his chest heaving with anger. Then, he took a deep breath to calm himself down; he couldn’t let Fu Xingran get away with this.

But!He was really angry!

Seeing that Su Lixu still seemed upset, Fu Xingran opened his hand and extended it in front of him, saying, “Here, don’t be mad, I’ll apologize.”

Su Lixu didn’t think much about it and raised his hand, forcefully slapping Fu Xingran’s palm.

Suddenly, Fu Xingran grasped his hand, pulling him forcefully into his arms. Su Lixu widened his eyes in surprise.

Separated by the handbrake, their eyes met. The warmth of their clasped hands brought them into an intimate closeness. Even the distance between their lips was reduced to just a palm’s width. The ambiguous intertwining of their breaths made the atmosphere uneasy.

Fu Xingran’s pupils reflected the embarrassment and anger in Su Lixu’s eyes. He knew Su Lixu was a bit angry, but he believed it was still within Su Lixu’s acceptable range of playfulness.

He smirked, then, with Su Lixu so close, he made a kissing sound without actually touching. Su Lixu was rendered speechless, “You’re really something.”

Fu Xingran, seeing Su Lixu’s silent reaction, chuckled wickedly, “Not enough, not enough.”