Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: “I Like You, Noen.”…

But the very next second, when Lance saw Lu Feiran squat down helplessly, he had a vision of the night they first met: light rain drizzling, Lu Feiran soaked like a stray cat.

If he were to adopt a cat, he would only ever adopt this one.

He couldn’t let Lu Feiran suffer.

Lance immediately overturned his previous thought, quickly walked down, and held Lu Feiran in his arms, finally feeling relieved.

It was alright. He knew Lu Feiran realized his mistake, and he forgave him.

Lu Feiran was nearly terrified out of his wits. Perhaps due to past experiences, he was especially afraid of isolated and helpless environments.

He tightly grasped the fabric on Lance’s chest, burrowing into his embrace. When he smelled the familiar, reassuring scent, his breathing gradually calmed down.

“You’re not allowed to be that far away from me,” Lu Feiran’s voice was muffled.

How could he leave him alone for such a long time!

Lu Feiran’s dependence undoubtedly pleased Lance. If he hadn’t shown up, Lu Feiran wouldn’t even have been able to leave this small mountain alone.

Lance was willing to provide Lu Feiran a haven, but its scope was small—a square inch of land that could also trap Lu Feiran.

He stroked Lu Feiran’s back through the jacket: “I will never leave you.”

“But you handled it very well. In this kind of environment, if you get separated from your companion, the best way is to stay put,” Lance said. “If you know the direction of your destination, you can use the compass on your watch.”

Only then did Lu Feiran remember the compass on the watch. The sports watch was synced with Lance’s watch and could also send a distress signal.

He had been too panicked just now. His companion was only temporarily gone for a moment, yet he scattered like a young animal separated from its mother. Fortunately, he remained rational enough to wait in place.

It would have been terrible if he had accidentally wandered off.

Lance firmly held Lu Feiran’s hand. As they walked side by side, the fog seemed to dissipate somewhat.

“If—I mean, if—I really get lost and can’t find you guys, what should I do?” Lu Feiran asked.

He was not the type to sit idly and wait for rescue; that wasn’t the way to survive.

“Stay put. I will find you,” Lance said patiently. “You’ve seen the shopping list. There’s a survival blanket in your bag. If the waiting time is long and the night temperature drops, wrap yourself in the blanket to conserve energy.”

“What if I don’t have any gear?”

“Then use fallen leaves. Stuff them into your clothes for warmth.”

Before leaving, Lance had downloaded an offline map onto Lu Feiran’s phone. They huddled together, and Lance meticulously explained wilderness survival tips to Lu Feiran.

Although he knew he would likely never need them.

At the mountaintop campsite, there were other tourists besides the five of them. Everyone claimed a piece of land and kept to themselves.

Lance put down his backpack, crouched down to take out the tent and accessories. Lu Feiran wasn’t good at these things and couldn’t help, so he helped Frank set up the camping stove and waited for dinner.

Zhou Zihua, the big-hearted friend, took great care of Frank, making sure he didn’t feel uncomfortable the entire time.

After all, he was the one who invited him; it would be outrageous to make him feel slighted.

Frank also didn’t mention the unpleasantness with Lance to anyone. The group enjoyed dinner together happily and then retreated into their tents.

The tent was small, and with two tall men inside, it felt even more cramped.

The camping lamp was hung from the top of the tent, illuminating the entire space with a soft light.

“Are you tired?” Lance poured Lu Feiran hot water.

Lu Feiran drank the water and placed the cup aside: “A little bit.”

He took off his shoes, wanting to rub his sore feet, but felt a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly, his ankle was grasped and pulled toward Lance. Lu Feiran fell backward unexpectedly, landing on the sleeping bag.

He lay on the ground, his lower body elevated, the lamplight exposing his shame-filled expression. He watched as Lance quickly took off his socks and placed his palm directly onto his foot…

“Don’t, don’t, you don’t need to…”

The sole of his foot was massaged with just the right amount of pressure. Lance’s nimble hand moved up, not missing his toes, instep, or ankle.

Lu Feiran watched helplessly as his cold feet were rubbed warm and red, his toes awkwardly wanting to curl up, only to be spread open again…

Help!

“How will you manage to walk down the mountain tomorrow if you don’t relax properly? Hmm?” Lance’s hand still held Lu Feiran’s foot, though the pressure had eased significantly. “Should I carry you down?”

Lu Feiran took the opportunity to pull his feet back and tuck them into the sleeping bag.

“No need! I’m not that delicate.” He wished he could stuff both his face and his feet into the sleeping bag.

Lu Feiran bit his lip, forcefully overcoming his inner shyness. With a face red enough to drip blood, he found a wet wipe from his bag.

“Wipe your hands.”

“Thank you, Ranran.” Lance’s eyes narrowed, smiling very happily.

Lu Feiran sat cross-legged and meticulously wiped Lance’s jade-like fingers one by one, not neglecting his palms or the backs of his hands.

“To me, there’s no difference between feet and hands. Your feet are very clean. I don’t mind,” Lance said, understanding the reason for Lu Feiran’s awkwardness.

“Mm,” Lu Feiran whispered in agreement.

Lance took out a sketchbook: “You sleep for a while. I’ll wake you up before sunrise.”

“What is this?” Lu Feiran crawled over and leaned closer to Lance’s hand to look.

The sketchbook wasn’t large, and most of it had been used. The pencil marks were deeply ingrained in the paper. Every page contained figures that looked vividly alive, but they were all faceless.

“Let me draw you again, Ranran.”

“Okay.”

Lu Feiran remembered the painting he couldn’t find in Lance’s studio some time ago. Sure enough, he hadn’t shown him then because he thought his drawing wasn’t good enough.

But it hadn’t been long since then. Could he have practiced so much already?

Lu Feiran was very shocked.

Apart from cooking, Lance wasn’t genuinely interested in anything. He always learned a little but never mastered anything deeply.

He had always felt it didn’t matter until he encountered a stumbling block with a painting. He would not allow Lu Feiran’s face to only appear on Jin Zhan’s canvas. He would draw better than Jin Zhan.

So, he would dedicate all his time to practice, just to be worthy of drawing Lu Feiran.

Lying on their side across the two sleeping bags, watching Lance’s pen flutter in the lamplight, listening to the rustling of the pencil against the paper, Lu Feiran said, “Don’t destroy this one again, okay? Show it to me. I won’t mind.”

Lance’s pen tip paused for a second: “…Mm.”

The night was very still. In the cramped space, it was only the two of them, exceedingly tranquil. Sleepiness washed over him. Lu Feiran yawned, wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes, and drifted off to sleep vaguely.

Lance finished one sketch. Lu Feiran’s sleeping face sprang onto the paper, yet in his eyes, it was still not even a thousandth as good as the real person. Although his improvement was significant, Lance was still dissatisfied.

He tore off the sketch page, folded it solemnly, like an adolescent boy falling in love for the first time, and tucked it into a secret compartment of Lu Feiran’s backpack.

The mountain night temperature was very low, and Lu Feiran hadn’t gotten inside the sleeping bag, so he was inevitably cold.

Lance gently woke him, helped the groggy Lu Feiran take off his jacket, and made him crawl into the sleeping bag. This time, he truly looked like a fat silkworm cocoon.

Lance smiled gently. A smile devoid of any deliberate intent or pretense appeared on his face, like a true angel.

Unfortunately, Lu Feiran couldn’t see this moment.

…

Just before dawn, Lu Feiran was gently woken up. He had slept very well, feeling like he was curled up in a small boat, floating in a boundless sea of clouds, making him reluctant to wake up.

The tent zipper was pulled open. Lu Feiran opened his eyes. The end of the dark night sky was deep blue. Something was about to break free from it.

Lu Feiran couldn’t help but reach for Lance’s hand, only to find himself tightly wrapped in the sleeping bag, sitting between Lance’s legs.

“Look, the sun is rising.”

Lance leaned close to Lu Feiran’s ear. His voice, hoarse from a sleepless night, was a whisper. He held Lu Feiran tightly in his arms, kissing his ear.

Light suddenly appeared; the East was breaking dawn.

Just like the sunrise, something was stirring in the depths of Lu Feiran’s heart. The dark night was over. He should allow himself to embrace the sun, regardless of the consequences.

He stretched out his hand hidden inside the sleeping bag, using both hands to grasp Lance’s right hand.

“I like you,” Lu Feiran said. “I like you, Noen.”

“You…”

Lance’s eyes widened. His eyelashes were tinted translucent in the bright morning light. He watched Lu Feiran speak the words he had yearned to hear, word by word, worrying it was a mirage, an illusion that would vanish once the sun rose.

“Be my boyfriend!” Lu Feiran declared. “I don’t want to only be ‘friends who frequently kiss’ with you. I want it to be legitimate.”

In the morning glow of the sunrise, Lu Feiran turned to look at Lance’s face, bathed in the orange-red light: “Promise me you won’t marry anyone else.”

Every blood vessel in his body was surging, as if not warm blood but magma flowed through them, about to burst through the confines of his skin.

Lance got what he wanted most. He had Lu Feiran!

He was loved, loved intensely, and this made him feel alive once more.

Good. Lance wanted to say “good” a thousand times, but he would be even happier if Lu Feiran hadn’t called him his nephew’s name.

“I promise you, but when can you get divorced?” Lance asked with a trembling voice. His throat had never been this dry.

Lu Feiran paused. He saw caution and deep longing in Lance’s eyes.

“Actually, I—”

“Ranran, did you see it?! It’s so beautiful and breathtaking!!”

The sun had risen. Zhou Zihua excitedly ran over, rushing to Lu Feiran’s tent, eager to share the sunrise photos he had just taken.

Their conversation was interrupted.

Lu Feiran frowned, wishing he could hit Zhou Zihua: “Did you have to come over and bother me right now!”

“Ah!” Zhou Zihua realized his mistake belatedly. He had interrupted a couple’s intimate moment, a capital offense.

But he clearly didn’t have the awareness of being a third wheel yet, continuously waving at Lu Feiran: “Come look! I even took a picture of you two.”

Zhou Zihua immediately accepted the fact that Lu Feiran was getting involved with Zhai Qiance’s fiancé. Seriously, his brother, Lu Feiran, deserved to have a relationship with every handsome guy in the world!

Lu Feiran reluctantly forgave him and shouted after Zhou Zihua’s retreating back: “I’ll be right there.”

With that, he twisted his body, and his cocoon-like figure, wrapped in the sleeping bag, nimbly lunged backward toward Lance.

The sky was bright. The shock on Lance’s face hadn’t faded; he looked a little dazed. Lu Feiran smiled happily. This was the first time he had seen this expression on Lance.

What, was he so stunned by the confession that all his composure and nobility were lost, leaving him staring blankly like a high schooler?

Lu Feiran pecked his lips, his heart blooming: “You’re so cute.”

He braced himself up, wriggled out of the sleeping bag, put on his clothes and shoes, and ran out: “Wait for me, I’m going to ask Zhou Zihua for the photos.”

Lu Feiran vanished like a small whirlwind.

“Lu Feiran is going to love him.” This thought flooded Lance’s mind. He had tricked someone into loving him.

Lance could confirm that the feeling he experienced the moment Lu Feiran confessed to him was what people commonly referred to as “happiness.”

For this fleeting feeling, Lance was willing to give up everything.

It was very sweet, yet carried a hint of sourness. Because Lu Feiran didn’t know his real name, and because Lu Feiran hadn’t promised to get divorced.

How deep could this kind of love be?

If Zhai Qiance went to jail, or died… surely Lu Feiran would consider divorce then, right?