Classmate, Stop Acting Like a Good Boy [Rebirth] - Chapter 1

“Getting off work so punctually today?”

In the office, a colleague asked in surprise as he watched the young man packing his backpack. Usually, he was the last one to leave.

The young man was tall and long-legged, wearing a loose, thin linen top paired with brown cargo pants. He had a fair, clean-cut complexion and soft, slightly long hair. As the overhead office lights hit his face, a warm glow swirled in his pupils. While coiling his charging cable, he said, “I have to get back early for an anniversary.” He slung his bag over his shoulder, waved his phone at his colleague, and said, “I am off. See you tomorrow.”

After leaving the company, Cheng Shixu stood by the roadside checking his messages. Half an hour ago, Lu Jian had messaged saying he would be late and asked Shixu to wait at the office for a pickup.

He happily replied: [I am all ready! Waiting for you, hubby.]

After sending the message, he waited patiently. In the past, Lu Jian always finished work very late, so Shixu never left too early. After all, going home to an empty house without his husband’s pectoral muscles to keep him warm was simply bad for his physical and mental health.

The phone rang.

“Hello.” The young man answered happily. Thinking Lu Jian was almost there, he peered toward the intersection but did not see the familiar Bugatti.

A steady male voice sounded over the phone. “Shixu, I am sorry, something came up unexpectedly on my end. I will have the driver pick you up and take you home first. I will be back before midnight.” The background noise was very loud and crowded. Suddenly, someone urged him to hurry, and he replied irritably, “I will be right there.”

Cheng Shixu did not press for details. “No need. I will just take a taxi home and wait for you. There is a surprise tonight,” he said in a gentle, soft voice. Even his hair, windswept and messy, seemed to settle obediently.

After hanging up, his childhood friend called. “Ah-Xu, are you coming out tonight? We have a party going; the boys are all waiting at the club. There are many handsome guys, even many college students. Hurry up.”

The corners of Cheng Shixu’s mouth curled up, a trace of wildness flashing in his eyes as his tone became casual and flippant. With a hand in his pocket, he said, “I am not going. Today is the five-year anniversary of Lu Jian and me dating. I am going home to wait for him. Besides, college kids are not nearly as tasty as Lu Jian. He is the jealous type; if he found out, he would kill me.” He really did not want Lu Jian to discover his love for the nightlife.

“Good grief. You have been playing the good boy for five years. Have you not had enough? Are you not tired?” his friend complained. “How long has it been since you really let loose?”

Tired?

When the partner was Lu Jian, it did not feel tiring.

Their meeting had happened during a mistaken blind date.

Back then, Lu Jian was wearing a black suit, his hair perfectly groomed. His devastatingly handsome face hit Shixu right in the heart. His expression carried a hint of coldness and detachment, and he spoke very formally, asking Shixu about his plans for the future.

He was exactly Shixu’s type. God knows how long he had waited to find a man who suited his tastes so perfectly. So, Shixu uncrossed his legs, sat up straight and proper, and said obediently that his plan was to “walk together for a lifetime.”

Lu Jian did not say anything at the time, but after going home, he sent a message: [If you think I am okay, please give me a chance to pursue you.]

It was a total windfall. Cheng Shixu was so happy he wanted to agree on the spot. Pursue what? I will strip and wait for you. But then he thought of Lu Jian’s old-fashioned demeanor. While stuffing his rebellious clothes into a sack to throw away, he replied: [Okay. (blushing)]

If his friend had seen that emoji, he would have given him the middle finger. A guy who had been a social butterfly since childhood, who never stuttered with anyone, blushing? The sun would have to rise in the west first.

Calling Lu Jian an old fogey was not an exaggeration. The day after saying he would pursue him, he sent dozens of photos of gourmet food; Shixu almost thought Lu Jian was a restaurant promoter. Even his WeChat profile picture was a generic “Safe Travels” image. Next to Shixu’s goofy Patrick Star avatar, it looked completely mismatched, so Shixu immediately changed his to “Prosperity and Luck.”

Even on Christmas, when Shixu pretended to be wasted, Lu Jian held the drunk Shixu and simply checked him into his own separate hotel room. Who could he even complain to? Heaven knows he desperately wanted to kiss and touch Lu Jian in a negative distance kind of way.

Speaking of negative distance, their first time in bed was a sight to behold.

A sight to behold because of Lu Jian’s traditionalism. At every step, he had to ask, “Is this okay?” or “Will it be uncomfortable?” He insisted on using a condom, and even then, he withdrew at the critical moment to finish outside.

But Shixu really liked it; he liked Lu Jian’s stiff, old-fashioned ways. His friend and parents had subtly asked if he was being manipulated, telling him not to suppress his true self.

It was not exactly suppression; he just wanted to behave well in front of Lu Jian. In fact, Lu Jian never demanded anything of him. On the contrary, he often encouraged Shixu to go out more with friends after work instead of always waiting at home.

Anything Shixu liked or even glanced at would appear before him the next day. After they soaked their feet together in the winter, Lu Jian would thoughtfully wipe them dry for him.

He was just a bit serious and old-fashioned, but he was a very gentle person. He was also the CEO of a listed company; men with looks, money, and a gentle heart were rare. So what if Shixu had to act a little well-behaved?

The first time he accidentally acted spoiled toward Lu Jian, he noticed Lu Jian’s breathing suddenly grow heavy as he held him. Shixu realized he had discovered a new world. Lu Jian was restrained and never lasted too long, but if Shixu acted spoiled and clingy, they could go all night. Shixu was a pure carnivore at heart.

So, he acted spoiled even more often. Over time, he actually did become more well-behaved. He had not been to a nightclub, bar, or racetrack in a long time.

His friend’s teasing voice was still going. Cheng Shixu got into a taxi, and on a whim, decided to pick Lu Jian up from work. Usually, it was Lu Jian picking him up. “To the Shijian Building, please.”

“Are you really not going to hang out with the brothers? Since you got with President Lu, how long has it been since we pulled an all-nighter together?”

Looking at the scenery outside the window, Cheng Shixu said, “He is going abroad next month. We will hang out then.” Lu Jian had a very regular schedule; unless there was official business, he never stayed out all night. Since they moved in together, Shixu had not gone out late at night whenever Lu Jian was home.

“Next month? Fine. By the way, when are you going to meet his parents? You have been dating so long, and he has not mentioned taking you home, but he has already met your whole family. He is not just playing you, is he?” Lu Jian claimed to be from a wealthy background; Shixu knew he was rich, the entire Shijian Building belonged to his company, but in all this time, he truly had not met Lu Jian’s family.

But if someone said Lu Jian was playing him, he did not believe it. Every time he took Lu Jian to his parents’ house, Lu Jian was impeccable, bringing heaps of gifts, rushing to cook, mop, and wash dishes, acting as if he were terrified his parents would not approve of him. When dining with Shixu’s friends, he always engaged with their topics and respected everyone in Shixu’s life.

If it were just a fling, there was no need to go that far.

Still, his friend’s concern was logical, so Shixu was not angry. “Do not worry. I am Cheng Shixu. Who could play me?” The light ahead turned red, and the car stopped. “I have to go, I need to text Lu Jian.”

“Fine. You choose love over friends.”

Cheng Shixu chuckled and hung up. He opened Lu Jian’s chat: [I am coming to pick you up from work! I am already on the way. Miss you!]

He did not get an immediate reply; Lu Jian was likely still busy. He put his phone down and focused on the view outside. The distance was not far; they would be there after the next corner.

In the five years they had been dating, they had never fought, nor had they even had a disagreement. Whether it was traveling or dating, Lu Jian would always ask for his opinion before making arrangements.

As the car started moving again, a bright light suddenly flashed ahead, followed by the frantic blare of a horn.

A crash occurred.

At the intersection, a motorcycle running a red light caused a pile-up involving seven or eight vehicles. The sounds of sirens and ambulances soon filled the air.

In a corner, a phone screen lit up.

[I am done. Where are you? Be safe on the road.] It was sent by the contact with the “Safe Travels” profile picture.

But the owner of the phone had already closed his eyes. He did not even have time to reach for the device. Under the heavy impact, he had lost consciousness instantly.

The phone flashed repeatedly; the ringtone continued to chime.

Shijian Building

In the main seat of the long conference room table, a man sat with his right leg crossed over his left. His perfectly pressed trousers shifted slightly upward, and his well-built physique exuded an indescribable sexiness. His hand holding the fountain pen suddenly paused, but he immediately resumed and signed his name.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” “Pleasure doing business with you.”

After seeing the clients off, the man took out his phone and saw the message Cheng Shixu had sent a short while ago. An uncharacteristic smile appeared on his handsome, rugged face.

“President Lu, shall I head off for the day?” the special assistant asked.

Lu Jian walked into the elevator without looking up. “Yes. Good work.” A moment later, he suddenly felt a wave of restlessness. The irritability in his heart grew stronger. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and loosened the deep blue tie Shixu had specially tied for him this morning. He still felt stifled, so he simply took off the jacket and draped it over his arm.

His shirt cuffs were unbuttoned and rolled up, revealing a section of honey-colored forearm with smooth muscle lines and faint veins.

The assistant asked, “President Lu, are you feeling hot?” He looked up at the air conditioning vent. It should not be; he did not feel hot, and the air conditioning had just been serviced last week.

Lu Jian shook his head. “It is nothing.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He thought he needed to see Cheng Shixu immediately and give him a deep kiss.

He stared at his phone, but Shixu had not replied. Straightening his hair against the reflective wall of the elevator, he put his black suit jacket back on. Cheng Shixu loved the way he looked in a suit, serious and stern.

In truth, he did not like wearing suits much, but Shixu liked it.

When the elevator doors opened, he walked out and reached for his phone to make a call, but he heard the sirens of many police cars and ambulances coming from the nearby intersection.

“Was there an accident?”

The assistant was not sure either. “Probably.”

For no reason, Lu Jian’s anxiety flared again. He kept calling Shixu, but no one answered.

As if possessed, he walked toward the intersection where the accident had occurred. The area was cordoned off with caution tape. Seven or eight cars had collided; the scene was a wreck, with blood trails spreading from the vehicles.

Medical staff were carrying people out one by one. A person on a stretcher had already been covered with a white sheet. Lu Jian was about to turn away, the phone still pressed to his ear. Why is he not answering?

Suddenly, a small pendant fell from the nearby stretcher.

His pupils contracted violently.

The phone slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground.