This time, Lu Yan finally felt like he’d really hit a brick wall, facing a kind of embarrassing defeat. This is why you should never count on luck—lie once, and you’ll get caught right away, even face-to-face.

Could anything be more embarrassing?

“I was wrong, I’m sorry, alright? I shouldn’t have lied.” One of Lu Yan’s redeeming qualities was his quickness to admit fault. Whether or not he truly understood what he’d done wrong, he apologized with such innocence and regret that no one could find fault with him.

“Liar,” Wei Yuhe stared at him, muttering the word softly.

Lu Yan wasn’t sure if Wei Yuhe’s “liar” referred to his sudden cancellation, the lie he’d just told, or both.

“I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have bailed, and I definitely shouldn’t have lied. I was wrong.” Lu Yan didn’t care what Wei Yuhe’s “liar” was about—he just wanted to apologize and smooth things over.

For someone like Lu Yan to be pleading with someone this persistently, it was proof of his unwavering determination toward Wei Yuhe, a commitment to keep going until he reached the end.

After all, he couldn’t control his feelings for Wei Yuhe.

“You should go home.” Wei Yuhe seemed uninterested in saying more, turning aside to pull out his keys and open the door.

“It’s so late, and you’re still telling me to go back?” Lu Yan took out his phone and looked at it. “It’s already nine.”

“I’ll call you a cab,” Wei Yuhe said.

“I don’t want one.” Lu Yan shook his head.

“Just let me stay for one night, alright? The school gates will be locked by now if I go back.” Lu Yan put on an exaggeratedly pitiful look, as if, should Wei Yuhe refuse him, he’d be wandering the streets that night.

Wei Yuhe glanced at the time and realized that if Lu Yan tried to return now, he definitely wouldn’t be able to get into school. He relaxed his grip on the keys slightly, and Lu Yan seized the opportunity to push his way inside, slipping off his shoes and stepping barefoot onto the floor.

The moment his bare feet touched the wooden floor, a shiver shot up from his soles. Wei Yuhe couldn’t help but notice the slightly rosy heels of Lu Yan’s feet, though he wasn’t sure if they were naturally like that or just cold.

Lu Yan’s feet were unusually fair for a boy’s, soft and plump, with short, rounded toes that had a hint of pink. They looked almost like an oversized version of a child’s feet.

Glancing at the neatly arranged slippers in the shoe cabinet, Wei Yuhe hesitated about whether to tell Lu Yan to wear some shoes.

Just as he was lost in thought, Lu Yan circled back to him and asked, “What’re you looking at?”

“Is there something in the shoe cabinet?” Lu Yan leaned in, pretending to peek inside.

Before he could get too close, Wei Yuhe abruptly shut the cabinet door and set a pair of oversized slippers in front of Lu Yan.

“Wear them,” Wei Yuhe ordered.

“Thank you,” Lu Yan said, slipping into the way-too-big slippers and shuffling behind Wei Yuhe. “So, where am I sleeping tonight?”

Without responding, Wei Yuhe led Lu Yan upstairs and found a guest room that was at a decent distance from his own room.

“Where’s your room, then?” As Wei Yuhe turned to leave, Lu Yan quickly followed, trailing behind with a cheeky grin.

“Stop following me.” Since coming back, Wei Yuhe hadn’t been in the best mood, and even his warnings to Lu Yan were ice-cold.

“I just wanted to see your room,” Lu Yan mumbled softly.

Turning to face Lu Yan with a blank expression, Wei Yuhe said, “Either go to sleep, or get out.”

Lu Yan was quick to surrender. “I’ll go to my room, I’ll go to my room.”

Just as Wei Yuhe was about to turn away, Lu Yan grabbed his arm again. “Where’s the bathroom?”

Before Wei Yuhe could get annoyed, Lu Yan added, “Could you lend me some clothes?”

“Wait here,” Wei Yuhe said, letting out a small sigh as he turned back toward his room.

Lu Yan clearly heard that sigh before he left. For someone who wasn’t fond of him, Wei Yuhe was surprisingly tolerant, even letting him stay over.

Soon, Wei Yuhe returned with a new T-shirt and shorts, even a pair of boxers. “I don’t have any new pajamas.”

“I don’t mind wearing ones you’ve already worn,” Lu Yan replied casually.

Wei Yuhe shot him an annoyed glare, which would have scared him off if it weren’t for his slightly flushed ears betraying his embarrassment.

Still a kid, getting shy over something like this.

“If you’re not going to wear it, give it back,” Wei Yuhe said, frowning.

Lu Yan clutched the clothes tightly, wary of having them snatched away by an embarrassed Wei Yuhe.

“I’ll wear them, don’t worry.”

“The guest room’s over there,” Wei Yuhe said, then turned and left without looking back.

After washing up, Lu Yan glanced toward Wei Yuhe’s room on his way back, wondering if he was asleep already. The house had such good soundproofing he couldn’t hear a single sound from inside.

Leaving him alone in the house without a care—isn’t that too trusting?

The house seemed to be well-kept, with soft bedding and no trace of dust, even though Wei Yuhe usually stayed at the school. His parents didn’t seem to live here either, yet the place didn’t look like it had been empty for long.

Lying in bed, Lu Yan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until his stomach growled. Only then did he remember he hadn’t eaten dinner.

He looked at the time—it was almost one in the morning. Wei Yuhe must have been asleep long ago; it wouldn’t be right to disturb him. But his stomach was grumbling.

Whoever said you’d feel less hungry if you just closed your eyes was a liar. Lu Yan only felt hungrier with his eyes closed, as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

Eventually, he couldn’t resist the hunger any longer. Slowly, he got out of bed, tiptoed out of his room, went downstairs, and headed straight to the kitchen.

Without turning on the lights, he moved slowly, his steps light. Anyone unaware might have thought a thief had broken in.

There was a glass door in the kitchen that led to the back garden, so it wasn’t too dark. Lu Yan shuffled his way to the fridge, moving carefully to avoid bumping into anything.

Once he opened the fridge, the light inside brightened the kitchen a bit. But there wasn’t much to eat in there—just some fruit and milk, not even a slice of bread.

He took a clean cup from the cupboard, poured himself half a glass of milk, and peeled an orange by the light of the fridge.

People always say that everything tastes better when you’re hungry, and it was true—even the milk tasted better than usual.

“Lu Yan?”

Just as he finished one glass and was about to pour another, a chilly voice came from behind him, startling him so much he let out a small yelp, almost falling to his knees.

Realizing how familiar the voice was, he turned and saw it was none other than Wei Yuhe.

Lu Yan: “…”

“What are you doing?” Wei Yuhe was standing by the corner, looking at Lu Yan, who was practically glued to the fridge.

“Drinking… milk,” Lu Yan said, holding the cup, a trace of milk still on his lips, looking like he hadn’t fully recovered from the scare.

Wei Yuhe glanced at the half-peeled orange and the milk stain on Lu Yan’s lips. “I was too hungry, I didn’t eat dinner,” Lu Yan explained.

Wei Yuhe hadn’t expected that stepping out for a drink of water would show him this sight.

“Are you full?” Wei Yuhe asked.

Lu Yan shook his head. If anything, the milk made him feel hungrier.

“That milk’s expired,” Wei Yuhe said with a hint of mischief.

Lu Yan looked at the bottle, now one-third empty, and suddenly the milk didn’t taste as good. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“How was I supposed to know you’d sneak up for a midnight snack?” Wei Yuhe replied.

“It’s not sneaking! I just didn’t want to disturb you,” Lu Yan protested.

Wei Yuhe raised an eyebrow, giving Lu Yan a look that seemed both skeptical and mildly entertained. “Didn’t want to disturb me?”

Lu Yan might have claimed he didn’t want to disturb, but he was wearing everything of Wei Yuhe’s. Down there… not wearing anything?

Wei Yuhe frowned, realizing he’d been focused on the milk and hadn’t noticed what Lu Yan had on… or didn’t have on.

“Where are your pants?” Wei Yuhe’s gaze shifted uncomfortably.

“The pants were too big,” Lu Yan replied, looking equally innocent.

“And you think that’s a reason to not wear them?” Wei Yuhe scolded.

“Of course! How can I wear something that doesn’t fit?” Lu Yan said, wiggling his bare legs as he moved closer to Wei Yuhe, looking at him innocently.

“Are you mad?” Lu Yan was a few centimeters shorter and much slighter than Wei Yuhe, who blocked him entirely with his frame.

“You’re not mad—you’re embarrassed.” Lu Yan grinned like a mischievous imp who’d just succeeded in his prank.