Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Loves Hugs

You don’t say it because you are selfish. You are greedy…

Jian Xu wanted to stay with Lu Feiran to wait for his friend, but Lu Feiran convinced her to leave.

The autumn evening breeze was cold, making Lu Feiran hug the red envelope and shiver. He could only find a sheltered corner and sit on the steps to wait quietly.

Lance arrived quickly. Following the location, he saw Lu Feiran huddled by the roadside from a distance. He parked his car further away, watched Lu Feiran for a few minutes, and then walked over.

Because of his posture of leaning over and hugging his knees, a section of Lu Feiran’s snow-white skin on the back of his neck was exposed. His hair had grown quite a bit, and the soft black hair near his neck covered that patch of white.

Lance felt a slight itch in his heart. He touched Lu Feiran’s hair, avoiding the back of his neck, and gently rubbed the top of his head.

“Is your cold better? You’re sitting out here in the wind.”

Lance felt all of Lu Feiran’s muscles tighten. He frowned, suspecting that Lu Feiran was uncomfortable with his arrival.

He had been perfectly fine last time, even actively touching his face. After returning home, he had become like this.

Lance felt a spontaneous surge of disgust for everyone, including Zhai Qiance.

“It was almost better yesterday afternoon. I slept well last night, and I’m completely fine today,” Lu Feiran said.

Lance stood beside him against the light. His golden hair glowed softly under the streetlamp, like the halo of a divine messenger.

Lu Feiran was obscured in the shadows. He slowly looked up, nearly lost in a daze.

While his life was collapsing and plunging into hell, an angel had descended by his side.

Lu Feiran had complained countless times that fate’s arrangement for him was truly unfair. He had also wondered if Lance’s appearance was compensation from the heavens.

However, facing someone as beautiful as an angel, Lu Feiran had concealed many things from him. Watching him about to slip into the abyss, Lu Feiran remained indifferent.

Lance saw what Lu Feiran wanted to say. He crouched down as well, facing Lu Feiran sitting on the steps, so their eyes were level.

The fingers that had been touching Lu Feiran’s head slid down. He cupped Lu Feiran’s face with both hands, making him lift his head and look directly at him.

Lu Feiran’s eyes dodged and evaded, but Lance followed, ensuring he remained in Lu Feiran’s line of sight at all times.

Finally, Lu Feiran gave up the eye-chasing game: “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can.”

“If someone concealed something very important from you, what would you do? Would you forgive them?”

There was a shimmering film of tears in Lu Feiran’s eyes. He stared motionlessly at Lance, trying to find the version of the answer he wanted in those clear green eyes.

Lance’s expression darkened slightly. He thought for a moment, then spoke solemnly and directly: “If I have invested my feelings in them, I would not forgive them. I can only accept absolute sincerity.”

The defense in Lu Feiran’s heart shattered into pieces with a deafening crash.

He would not forgive. He required absolute sincerity.

Lu Feiran knew Zhai Qiance’s true colors but didn’t say anything. He knew Zhai Qiance’s purpose in approaching Lance but didn’t warn him. He concealed his identity and didn’t tell him. He was the most insincere person.

Lu Feiran’s lips trembled. His throat felt firmly blocked by a wad of cotton soaked in shame. He couldn’t utter a single word, so he just hugged the red envelope tightly and lowered his head again.

Lu Feiran’s face was small. His dark hair accentuated his fair complexion, but perhaps because of the night, his face was much paler than usual. He had bitten his own lips until they were red, and his eyes were watery.

He looked prettier than usual. Lance’s gaze lingered on his face for a long time.

Lance knew Lu Feiran must have been bullied, but he maliciously became the second person to torment Lu Feiran. The high-minded posture he deliberately adopted made Lu Feiran, who harbored a secret, feel guilty.

He was a master manipulator of hearts, enjoying watching others react differently to his slightest gesture or word. It was highly entertaining.

He used this same trick on Lu Feiran.

Lu Feiran, having experienced betrayal in family and love, would especially cherish friendship. Lance’s words subtly placed Lu Feiran in the position of a “betrayer,” causing Lu Feiran to panic.

Poor Ranran. If you weren’t so kind, so soft-hearted, you wouldn’t be fooled by me. It’s not too late to tell me everything now. But you don’t dare.

Come closer to me, Lu Feiran, Lance thought.

Lance continued to cup Lu Feiran’s face, making him look up. He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. The distance closed to the point where their breaths were clearly audible: “Has someone been insincere to you, Ranran?”

Lu Feiran nodded, his nose and the corners of his eyes slightly red.

Lance: “Don’t be reserved with me. Whatever you want to confide in, you can tell me.”

He lowered the hands cupping Lu Feiran’s face and gently tapped his forehead: “Do you want to talk here, or in the car?”

“In the car, please.” Lu Feiran wanted to stand up but realized he was still clutching a stack of money. “Can you accompany me to deposit this money first?”

“It’s a red envelope from my Aunt Xu,” Lu Feiran paused slightly. “I didn’t bring my bank card…”

His bank card was at Luyuan, but he didn’t want to go back there now; Zhai Qiance was likely there.

“Do you mind if I hold it for you?” Lance took out his phone.

“What?”

“I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Lu Feiran hesitated. This felt like crossing a boundary. He was formulating a refusal, but as soon as he looked up, he couldn’t say a word.

Lu Feiran silently sent his bank account number to Lance.

Lance smiled genuinely and quickly completed the transfer.

Lu Feiran, however, said: “Two hundred thousand? That’s a bit too much. There might only be one hundred thousand here.”

Lance didn’t mind. He extended his hand to Lu Feiran: “The extra money is my red envelope to you. Honor me, will you come back with me?”

Lu Feiran’s heart pounded. He raised his hand and placed it in Lance’s palm, following him toward the car.

From behind, Lu Feiran could see that Lance was truly tall, and his back was broad like a mountain. He was like a mountain, like the sea, like a continuous sheet of clouds, and like the expanse of moonlight. Lance symbolized everything that was encompassing and noble.

And he himself was nothing.

Walking under the streetlamp, facing the light, Lu Feiran’s entire pale face was clearer to see.

Lance stopped and turned to look at him. He paused, then raised a hand and gently rubbed the corner of Lu Feiran’s eye: “You’ve been crying.”

Lu Feiran tried to avoid the touch, but Lance brushed his chin, making him freeze again.

Lance’s hand was not heavy at all, merely lightly tracing the bluish-purple finger marks, but his expression completely darkened: “What happened?”

“I fell accidentally,” Lu Feiran lowered his head, trying to walk past Lance, not wanting him to press for details.

Lance wouldn’t let him go. The finger mark was like an ugly scar, appearing abruptly on a treasure belonging to a dragon, making him want to roar.

Lance held Lu Feiran’s shoulder, displaying a clear firmness for the first time in front of him.

Lu Feiran looked at Lance, somewhat confused. Was this mark that important?

He didn’t want Lance to probe, as that would bring up too many things he wanted to hide.

“I tripped and hit a cabinet. It’s nothing,” Lu Feiran explained again, trying to brush it off.

Lance pulled Lu Feiran close to his side. He cupped his face with his left hand, fully exposing Lu Feiran’s face to the streetlamp. With his right hand, his index and ring fingers gently held Lu Feiran’s chin, while the other three fingers held his neck.

The handprint on Lu Feiran’s neck almost perfectly overlapped with Lance’s grip.

Lance felt Lu Feiran’s Adam’s apple move in his palm.

“Someone choked you,” Lance stated directly.

Lu Feiran looked down, tacitly acknowledging it, but refused to speak the words of admission.

Lance continued to cup his face, examining every inch, meticulously checking his entire face.

“Who was it?” Lance asked.

Pulling away from Lance’s hands, Lu Feiran quickly walked toward the car in the distance. He heard Lance’s footsteps quicken behind him and frowned deeper.

He could feel that Lance’s emotions were different than before, but why? What was there to be angry about?

But then he thought, if Zhou Zihua saw a mark like this on him, Zhou Zihua would also be angry.

Zhou Zihua would worry that Zhai Qiance had hit him, then be enraged and curse Zhai Qiance for eight hundred words.

“Why did you need someone to pick you up tonight?” Lance continued to ask. “Is your husband hurting you? What is his name!”

Lu Feiran’s body shuddered, and he stopped.

Lance reached Lu Feiran’s side, his face ashen, determined to get an answer, as if the moment he learned the person’s name, he would immediately avenge Lu Feiran.

“Tell me his name. I can help you handle it,” Lance’s voice softened. “If you want me to.”

“If you don’t want to tell me, I can find out myself.”

Lance’s voice was cold, his words like swords, ready to nail Lu Feiran’s husband to the pillar of judgment.

But Lu Feiran felt that he, too, was being judged.

He anxiously grabbed Lance’s hand and gently pleaded: “Please don’t ask anymore, okay?”

Lance looked at Lu Feiran with confusion. He stepped back, pulling Lu Feiran’s hand away: “Are you defending him? Or do you think I don’t have the right to interfere in your affairs or help you?”

“No, no!” Lu Feiran denied repeatedly. “I’m just cold. Can we go back and talk, okay?”

There was no trace of defense for Zhai Qiance in Lu Feiran’s eyes, only anxiousness that Lance would misunderstand.

Lance was suspicious: “Will you tell me everything?”

Lu Feiran nodded emphatically: “I will!”

Lance looked at Lu Feiran for a long time. His emerald eyes were dyed dark green by the night. He was gradually becoming addicted to the game of teasing Lu Feiran.

He watched Lu Feiran, even when cornered, insist on concealing the truth. He watched him anxiously hide it, deeply trapped in a whirlpool of morality and selfish desire.

So, Lu Feiran, you should admit you are Zhai Qiance’s legal partner. Tell the deceived me the truth, and let me stay away from Zhai Qiance.

You don’t say it because you are selfish. You are greedy for my kindness to you, afraid that you won’t even be able to be friends with me.

Lance’s eyes flickered. In an instant, he grasped Lu Feiran’s psychological activity. He was convinced that Lu Feiran wouldn’t leave him.

Finally, Lance gently ruffled Lu Feiran’s hair, breaking the frozen atmosphere, and whispered: “I apologize. I was too eager.”

Once in the car, Lu Feiran was the one who was engulfed in apology.

He had been a poor judge of character, deceived by a scumbag. He saw a wonderful person like Lance about to fall into misery, yet for his own selfish reasons, he didn’t breathe a word of the truth.

Did he deserve Lance’s protection and care? Lance offered his genuine heart, and all Lu Feiran could return was lies.

He was also hurting Lance. In that case, he and Zhai Qiance were no different!

Suddenly, Lu Feiran was enveloped in a warm embrace. Lance’s hug was not tight but was very reassuring. The scent from his clothes reminded Lu Feiran of when his mother was alive; it reminded him of “home.”

“Don’t be sad,” Lance gently pressed Lu Feiran’s head into the crook of his neck, carefully comforting him.

Sad? Lu Feiran didn’t think so. Today was a good day.

But being held tightly in such a warm embrace, Lu Feiran suddenly felt many suppressed grievances he wanted to pour out.

A hug for a while should be okay, right?

Lu Feiran hugged Lance back. Initially, he loosely held Lance’s waist, but it soon became a tight embrace around his back, pressing himself into Lance’s chest.

So warm, so comfortable, making him feel so safe… How long had it been since he felt this way? Lu Feiran couldn’t recall. Maybe not since his mother passed away.

He liked hugs. He really liked them.

A moment later, Lance finally heard Lu Feiran’s soft sobs.

Lance should have been satisfied to see Lu Feiran’s breakdown, unable to keep up his pretense, but he didn’t smile.

He merely patted Lu Feiran’s shoulder expressionlessly.

If Lu Feiran were to look up, he would see Lance’s cold face reflected in the car window and would be startled by how unfamiliar he was, wondering why he wore such a terrifying expression.

But he didn’t. He buried himself in Lance’s embrace and cried, not daring to cry too loudly, afraid of annoying Lance.

Lance, meanwhile, decided to indulge Lu Feiran for a while. After all, normal people have moments of vulnerability.

It’s just that he wouldn’t.